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Authors: Michael James Ploof
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chiseled chin. He had been a Ralliad for so many centuries that his bestial attributes remained though there was no magic left in the elves.
“I made a choice,” said Aurora. “I killed you.” She bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes.
“Was it your choice? Then how did I know you would make it two hundred years ago?”
She turned from him then, overcome with torturous emotion. Was this Zander’s true punishment? She fought to get a hold of her churning feelings and realized that Azzeal had never been so lucid in his current state. She whirled on him. “How have you suddenly gained your mind?”
He grinned mischievously. “Zander spreads himself too thin. I knew that it would happen eventually, though I did not think it would take this long. He is quite powerful. I have yet to determine where his strength comes from. But I will. Just as you were able to speak out against him, so too can I. But we must bide our time. We are not yet strong enough to act.”
“He must be stopped before we attack Volnoss!”
“Shh…” Azzeal glanced around at the undead along the shore. “For us to grow stronger, so too must he. The bigger his army grows, the more spread his attention and influence will be. We have one chance at this, and timing means everything.”
“I will not stand by and watch him kill them all—”
“We may be able to slow him down.”
A spark of hope lit in Aurora, brightening the dark caverns of her mind for the first time. “How?”
“Kill his generals. Cause chaos.”
Aurora hadn’t thought of that. Her sense of vengeance had made her mind obsessive. All she had thought of these last long months was killing Zander…and herself.
Azzeal pointed at her bosom. “The green gem inside of you where your heart used to be, we call it a Kressrok. They are objects of ancient, dark magic. The practice of what you humans call necromancy was, of course, shunned long ago by the sun elves. The dark elves, however, have no such scruples. Even Eadon saw the danger in the great power of the lich lords, for he only allowed those to live who offered him their souls.”
“If the gem is removed, what happens?” Aurora asked with growing excitement.
“What happens if a heart is removed?” he said with a smirk.
She glanced around quickly and leaned in. “Can he hear our thoughts?”
“No, he can speak to your mind, and he is fond of acting as though he can read minds, but he cannot. The magic of the gems reanimated us, and gives him control when he wishes, but that is all it does.”
“And if he dies? Do we finally die as well?”
He frowned at her hopeful eyes. “Not as long as the gem remains.”
“Why? Why are we different? Why do I still know who I am? Why do you?”
“If you remember, I was raised by Eadon, and he saw to it that I retained my self . It was my punishment for meddling in his affairs.”
A realization hit her then and a trembling breath escaped her. “But…it was you who raised me from death. How…why would you make me remember?”
“So that you might have a chance to do what is right.”
Chapter 13
A King’s Work is never Done
Whill awoke early on the day the fleet was to set out. The land forces had already begun the long journey north. The trek would take them nearly three weeks, in which time the fleets would have landed in Elgar and journeyed through the northern mountains to the city of Breggard. Whill had sent word to King Ky’Ell of the Ky’Dren Mountains requesting assistance with the campaign to hold the northern border.
The Magister of Secrets, Larson Donarron, had verified through his spy network that indeed, the dwarves were planning an invasion on Isladon. When Whill sent pigeons to relay his query into their plans, they had not denied the allegations, but neither had they offered any reason for their secrecy. He thought the behavior strange for the dwarves. Whill had never met the king of Elgar, but he and King Ky’Ell of Ky’Dren had
“I made a choice,” said Aurora. “I killed you.” She bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes.
“Was it your choice? Then how did I know you would make it two hundred years ago?”
She turned from him then, overcome with torturous emotion. Was this Zander’s true punishment? She fought to get a hold of her churning feelings and realized that Azzeal had never been so lucid in his current state. She whirled on him. “How have you suddenly gained your mind?”
He grinned mischievously. “Zander spreads himself too thin. I knew that it would happen eventually, though I did not think it would take this long. He is quite powerful. I have yet to determine where his strength comes from. But I will. Just as you were able to speak out against him, so too can I. But we must bide our time. We are not yet strong enough to act.”
“He must be stopped before we attack Volnoss!”
“Shh…” Azzeal glanced around at the undead along the shore. “For us to grow stronger, so too must he. The bigger his army grows, the more spread his attention and influence will be. We have one chance at this, and timing means everything.”
“I will not stand by and watch him kill them all—”
“We may be able to slow him down.”
A spark of hope lit in Aurora, brightening the dark caverns of her mind for the first time. “How?”
“Kill his generals. Cause chaos.”
Aurora hadn’t thought of that. Her sense of vengeance had made her mind obsessive. All she had thought of these last long months was killing Zander…and herself.
Azzeal pointed at her bosom. “The green gem inside of you where your heart used to be, we call it a Kressrok. They are objects of ancient, dark magic. The practice of what you humans call necromancy was, of course, shunned long ago by the sun elves. The dark elves, however, have no such scruples. Even Eadon saw the danger in the great power of the lich lords, for he only allowed those to live who offered him their souls.”
“If the gem is removed, what happens?” Aurora asked with growing excitement.
“What happens if a heart is removed?” he said with a smirk.
She glanced around quickly and leaned in. “Can he hear our thoughts?”
“No, he can speak to your mind, and he is fond of acting as though he can read minds, but he cannot. The magic of the gems reanimated us, and gives him control when he wishes, but that is all it does.”
“And if he dies? Do we finally die as well?”
He frowned at her hopeful eyes. “Not as long as the gem remains.”
“Why? Why are we different? Why do I still know who I am? Why do you?”
“If you remember, I was raised by Eadon, and he saw to it that I retained my self . It was my punishment for meddling in his affairs.”
A realization hit her then and a trembling breath escaped her. “But…it was you who raised me from death. How…why would you make me remember?”
“So that you might have a chance to do what is right.”
Chapter 13
A King’s Work is never Done
Whill awoke early on the day the fleet was to set out. The land forces had already begun the long journey north. The trek would take them nearly three weeks, in which time the fleets would have landed in Elgar and journeyed through the northern mountains to the city of Breggard. Whill had sent word to King Ky’Ell of the Ky’Dren Mountains requesting assistance with the campaign to hold the northern border.
The Magister of Secrets, Larson Donarron, had verified through his spy network that indeed, the dwarves were planning an invasion on Isladon. When Whill sent pigeons to relay his query into their plans, they had not denied the allegations, but neither had they offered any reason for their secrecy. He thought the behavior strange for the dwarves. Whill had never met the king of Elgar, but he and King Ky’Ell of Ky’Dren had
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