Ellas Past

Kane

The war lasted for hundreds of years Setia said, and yet here we were now ready to assault his lair and take away all his sustenance, or at least most of it – He must not guess what we plan, to him it must seem as a rescue attempt… and so we free all those in the cells and bring them back with us, Anna had said, as we planned in detail what we were to do.

Either Setia and the histories were wrong, or we would fail today… or was it possible that weakening him enough would take centuries. ‘Second guessing is pointless,’ I murmured to myself.

‘What was that, Bellowing One,’ Gremok said, with the hideous grin that he seemed to have cultivated over the months since his escape.

I playfully swung a hand toward his head, but it didn’t connect, as I knew it wouldn’t. He had moved even faster than I thought I could, and now stood behind me.

‘You have all your kin, Roken included, taunting me with that name, Gremok. Why so, you little chimp?’

‘Chimp? What is that strange word? Is it an insult? Do you now challenge me, and join in with our sport, Bellowing One?’ Gremok said, as he began to screech-laugh.

Behind him, over a five hundred Ella’ren faced us, their eyes bright with the expectation of a game to come.

‘I am glad that you are in high spirits, friend Gremok,’ Anna said, as she strolled through the deferentially parting ranks of Ella’ren toward us.

Then, as she continued, she turned toward the throng arrayed before us, complete silence falling instantly. Men towered over Ella’ren, even as the giants towered over them, all with eyes forward, intent on what Anna would say.

‘Today will be a trial for us all. What we do is the true beginning to his end… the war we have waged thus far has been but a game to him. And for that beginning I rejoice, as we all should. But that very beginning is at a cost.

'We go to take the lives of those who have done nothing but be beguiled by his charm and his compulsion, and that act will forever mar all our souls. So remember my words when you take a life today, those you kill are your brothers and sisters, your fathers and mothers, they are your kin… so be swift and merciful… even to the Nargu, who have been his worst, for they too have been changed from what they once were.’

Her eyes swept over all those before her so slowly that it seemed as if she made eye contact with each and every one.

Finally, she said, ‘Only this shall I repeat to you all, though it has been said a multitude of times as we have prepared for this day… Leave none behind. He must not know what we plan. To him it must seem a rescue and wanton destruction of his resources, for that is how he sees our kin. If any fall, they must not be left alive… they return with you or …’ Her voice broke at the last, and her eyes turned down to the floor, as did almost all of those arrayed before us.

‘Go now then, and do what you must,’ I interjected, as Garath wrapped his huge arms around Anna and lifted her obviously sobbing form into an embrace.

It took only moments for almost a thousand of our army, for want of a better word, to file past the magicians and wise ones who enveloped them with Anna’s spell of concealment, and follow their allotted Roken into the score of tunnels that would eventually lead to their attack point around my former master’s lair.

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We would not take part in this attack, not Anna, Garath, Gremok, myself, or the stronger of the magical ones. We could not risk the loss of the strong wise ones for their strength would be required later when we struck directly at him, and as for the rest, we could not allow him to think on our involvement should we be seen.

My involvement, more so than the others, had to be a complete surprise, Anna had said. He could not know that I, his escaped ’son’ was involved, for then he might suspect what we planned. Even now, thinking back on her words, I gritted my teeth. I was no son of his, no matter what lived inside me.

‘I am fine now, Father. You may let me down,’

‘Ah, but I could hold you thus forever, my daughter,’ Garath said, as he gently lowered Anna to the stone floor. ‘And on a day such as this, I would wish to hold you longer still.’

‘This will be a very long day, Anna,’ I said. ‘Without the knowing, I mean. Not being there to help… not even seeing, does not sit well with me. Are you sure, Garath, that they will arrive before the day’s end? This Mother Ellas and her help at need I find truly difficult to understand.’

‘Understanding is not required for such a thing to be true… it will be so, I promise you. But as to the seeing, can you not use your magic to scry what occurs, Daughter?’

‘I dare not for I fear he would know of such a thing instantly, as would any of strength in magic. And then he would know of my involvement and thus ponder long on today’s attack. Had we sent stronger Wise Ones, we might have ridden with them and viewed what occurred through their eyes. But those we dared not risk… not this day. So we rely on the scant messages that we may receive from the wise one with each attack group. And scant I fear they will be once the attack commences.’

‘Is there no way, Anna? Is there nothing we can do but chew on our fingernails?’

Garath looked questioningly. ‘Why would one eat fingernails… a strange custom indeed. But if to do so is a ritual that brings good fortune, I will find a way to chew on even these instruments of death,’ he said, as he raised his one hand, flexing the razor sharp blades that extended from the stumps of his fingers.

‘A figure of speech, Garath. Anna, is there—‘

‘A way does exist, Kane, but we do not have the means. One of the great Jalholm’s creations was to siphon the magic of those with the ability to scry, and then embed that magic into a physical device that could be used by all to view distant scenes and events. But they were rare even before the ravages of Dar’cen… it took many wise ones weeks, months even, to create such a thing. But with a View Screen we would be able to watch without his knowing.’

Anna’s words merged in my mind with almost the same words spoken by Jain so long ago. ‘A friend…’ I choked at the though of Jain being murdered by the woman, Carthia. ‘Sorry… he was a very good friend. Anyway, he once told me of such a thing.’ A lie, but only a small lie… a white lie even. ‘And where it was… it will still be there, Anna.’

Anna stared at me, her eyes filled with questions. Finally she said, ‘You do not remember where it was he held you when you were his. You knew nothing of Alfent and the stones there. And yet you know of this? How, Kane?’ she said, incredulously. Then she held up her hand to forestall my reply.

‘Never mind. It is something I am sure I must not know. Tell me instead where this thing is, where this View Screen is.’

‘It’s a View Wall actually, Anna, and it’s in Falhar… in Jalholm’s personal quarters.’ I couldn’t help the grin that came to my face.

‘Falhar? In Jalholm’s rooms?’ Anna asked, a look of astonishment on her face.

‘Yes,’ I said, my grin widening even further at her reaction. ‘Is it safe still for us to go there and use this thing? Will you know how to use it?’

Before she could answer, Garath stepped forward. ‘This is not wise, Daughter. It is too close, and he will be enraged. He may sense you or what you do, and strike out. To go would be foolishness.’

‘Heed your father’s words, Lady Anna, I too counsel against this,’ Gremok said, as he took her hand in his.

‘Perhaps they are right, Anna. It will be a risk, I just thought—‘

‘We go, and I will not be swayed on this, Father. It is an advantage I had thought not available to us, and with it may hinge the outcome of this day. Gremok, you will remain… I will not risk all of us on this foolishness, but, my Father, you must come to take us to this place; I dare not use the rod.’

'In this I must disobey you, Lady Anna. If you travel into danger, then so must I.' Gremok said, and turning to Garath, he added, 'And it will take us both if we wish to keep the Bellowing One from harm, is that not so, Brother?'

Garath turned to Anna. 'My brother jests, and yet I would have him at my side, Daughter. So let us begin this war of ours.'