Echoes of the Fourth Magic

Chapter 25
To the Victor

“DANCE WITH ME!” she teased, and twirled across the moonlit field, the short cape tossing about her naked form as she ran, heightening his hunger. He could not resist her, was defenseless against her innocent smile, her bewitching eyes, and her simple purity. She could break him with a word.

And yet he knew only security in her presence.

The cape rode up high as she spun with a careless laugh, her thighs catching the quiet rays of moonlight in a soft, enticing glow that held his longing gaze.

A long moment passed and still the light commanded his full attention. Subtly the light transformed, intensified, an entity unto itself now.

It should have been gone… the cape would fall back down… surely she must have moved again.

But it remained.

And she was gone, and the field. He tried to recapture the moment, the feeling, but they were no more. Only the light remained.

The light.

He became aware of something chill and wet against his cheek. Gradually he realized that he was lying facedown.

Doggedly, Del willed one of his eyes open. The brightness soon came into focus as bedewed grass, holding a crystalline sparkle that could only be the light of morning. Beyond stood the arching silver telvensils that formed the gateway to the paths up the mountains.

He was on Mountaingate, he realized, and the name triggered other recollections. Slowly he rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows to survey the field. A harsh reality awaited him.

Mountaingate, once proud and fitting entrance to the great Crystal Mountains, lay in ruin. Beneath the maddened charge of armies, its waving grasses had been trampled and churned into broken sod, now slick with the blood and gore of the fallen. Crumpled and broken forms, elven and human alike, littered the field, and riderless horses wandered mournfully about in aimless confusion. Wisps of gray smoke still rose from the areas charred and blackened by wizard’s fire, dulling Del’s vision with a dreamlike quality.

But Del understood the reality. A bitter mixture of revulsion and anger welled in his throat as he gazed upon the carnage. He thought of the beauty and magic of this land, given to man as a gift from the gods, and one word alone escaped from the bile in his mouth. “Sacrilege.”

He turned away, unable to face Billy and Sylvia as they approached, and saw yet another travesty.

Along the western side of Mountaingate by the drop to Blackemara, the Calvan prisoners sat huddled and miserable under a brutal guard of unsympathetic elves. The wretched humans were not allowed to move or speak, and punishment for any disobedience came swift and harsh, the butt end of a spear or a well-aimed kick.

“Their hate runs deep,” Billy said, noticing that Del had taken an interest in the scene.

Helplessly Del shook his head, desperately wishing that he could block out all of the grisly scenes before him. “Ardaz?” he asked suddenly, remembering Thalasi’s assault on the ledge.

“He is well,” Sylvia replied. “Angfagdul’s attack wounded him.” She mimicked Ardaz’s voice lightheartedly. “ ‘But we wizards are a sturdy lot, you know, tougher than the stones in a mountain, though a bit more cracked, I do daresay!’ ” But even Sylvia couldn’t hold her smile. “He is at council now, with Ryell and Arien and the other elders,” she explained.

“And Erinel?”

Billy and Sylvia looked to each other for support.

“Gone, Del,” Billy answered grimly. He looked forlornly over the blasted field. “Like so many others.”

Del had to force himself to breathe steady over the next few minutes.

“Did the council go well, Father?” Sylvia dared to ask when Arien found them later that morning.

“Hatred,” Arien replied sadly. “It is my belief that the destruction of Ungden and Morgan Thalasi ended this war, and perhaps could mark a new and better age. Caer Tuatha will not attack us again.”

“Why would they want to?” Billy reasoned.

“Such was my argument,” Arien said. “But the death of kin and friend breeds vengeance.”

“Oh, damn,” Del groaned. He looked again at the miserable Calvan prisoners and the unchanging grimace of the elven guards. “And what of them?” he asked somberly, fearing the answer.

Arien hesitated and shrugged. “The Calvan dead shall be left on the field for the carrion birds, and the prisoners tried before the council for crimes against Illuma. Some may be set free to give the appearance of justice, but most I fear, are doomed.”

Del trembled on the edge of control. “And those that fled?”

“Hunted down and punished.”

“You have to stop this!”

“I am helpless!” Arien shouted back at him. The Eldar calmed at once and true sorrow showed in his eyes. “Never have I felt so alone among my people. None but Ardaz stood beside me at council.”

As if on cue, Ardaz walked by at that moment, though he seemed to pay no notice to his friends. “Terrible,” he muttered to himself, wandering off toward the cliff wall. “Just terrible.”

The wizard pulled the black cat off of his shoulder and blew gently into her face to awaken her. “Des,” he said, “I need you now, my sweet. Get to Avalon, bring us some help!” And at his bidding, Desdemona became a raven and flew off into the afternoon sky.

The searchers Arien had dispatched arrived on the field later that day with the group of elves that had fled to the mountains. All were overjoyed at the unexpected return to their homeland, yet there a grim task remained before them, and the victory celebration would have to wait.

Using responsibility and respect to their dead as a shield against grief, the elves worked tirelessly long after sunset to complete the huge pyre. And when the many-tiered wooden tower, beautifully crafted and worked to be a fitting monument to the heroic dead, was at last completed, all of Illuma looked on solemnly as nearly fourscore Children of the Moon, friends who should have lived for centuries to come, were gently laid upon its benches.

Then the midnight hour was upon them, and the orange flames roared into the night, consuming the mortal bodies of the fallen and lifting their spirits on hot winds to the heavens above.

And carried, too, on the winds were the wails and cries of the living. Death was not a common visitor to the land of the ageless elves, and grief of such magnitude had never before been known.

Throughout the ordeal of the funeral loomed Ryell, a specter of singular purpose. With boundless energy, he seemed to be everywhere at once, consoling mourners and sharing in their grief for the fallen. Yet, though his grief was genuine, his actions were calculated, subtly nurturing in his people the same seeds of vengeance that drove him. He spoke of the dead always in terms of glory and honor, and ended each encounter with a reminder that the Calvans had brought this upon them.

Fearing for their safety as angry eyes turned upon them with increasing frequency, the Calvan prisoners huddled close together.

“They’ll rally behind him,” Del remarked to Arien.

Arien understood the awful truth of the words. One elf even pulled a small stick from the pyre and threw it at the prisoners. It fell harmlessly short of its mark, but drew a cheer from several other of Arien’s people.

Relentlessly, Ryell stepped up his prodding, rushing to and fro about the fire, sweeping up excited and angry followers in his wake. Soon the whole group had gathered around him and he raised his arms for silence.

“This is not good at all, no, no,” Ardaz mumbled. “Arien, stop him now! Who will wash the blood from our hands?”

Arien shrugged helplessly and dropped his eyes.

“It seems that the trial has begun,” Del remarked.

Sylvia glared at him, not appreciating the bite his sarcasm put on her father.

“Friends! Kin!” Ryell called loudly. “This is a night of sorrow, to bid farewell to our brave brothers. But do not linger in grief for them, for they died with the knowledge that their sacrifice would help to free us from the bonds of our imprisonment. I only hope that my own death will be as glorious and purpose-filled!

“How many injustices have we suffered at the hands of the humans? Are there any among us who have not lost kin at this very battle? And have you not, as I, felt the belittlement when you looked out over the southern fields and knew that you could not travel them, even if you so desired, because you were not born of the proper heritage?

“That degradation is ended!” Ryell proclaimed. “The army of Caer Tuatha is smashed and all Calva is open to us!”

Arien flinched and sank even deeper at the chorus of wild shouts that arose in support of Ryell.

His daughter squared off in front of him, forcing him to look her in the eye. “When the army of Ungden threatened, you fought, though you had no hopes of winning,” Sylvia said sharply. “You drew your strength from the righteousness of your cause, and from the injustice of your enemy. Look at Ryell. Hate drives him. Is he any better than Ungden?”

“With our victory in the Battle of Mountaingate, we began the age of Illuma!” Ryell proclaimed above the hysterical cheers. “Let us tonight begin the lessons we shall teach to all of Calva.” He pointed his menacing sword at the helpless prisoners while elves all about him scooped up sticks or drew their own swords.

“They brought this pain upon us,” Ryell cried. “Let them feel the sting of their folly!” Grim-faced, he led the mob toward the prisoners.

Arien’s jaw clenched as a spasm of renewed anger burned through him, and he rushed to intercept.

“Move aside,” Ryell snarled, and his sword point came up threateningly.

Arien grasped Fahwayn’s hilt and held his ground. “This is wrong,” he declared flatly. “This is not the way of our people.”

“Your day is passed, Arien Silverleaf,” Ryell asserted, though he dropped the sword point and backed away a step. “The people will not listen to you.”

“They are maddened by the same demon that possesses you,” Arien retorted. “Hear me!” he cried, but the mob, beyond reason, shouted him down.

“Move aside, Arien,” Ryell said again. “You cannot win.”

Suddenly there came a great flash behind the Eldar, and from the ensuing smoke emerged, coughing, the wizard Ardaz, with the raven, Desdemona, returned to his shoulder. “Wait!” he cried. “A rider is coming! From the south, from the south.”

The crowd fell silent and as one peered southward.

“I see no rider!” Ryell snapped.

“Hush!” Ardaz scolded. “Have a care, Ryell. Your impatience tries my patience!”

Ryell glared at him, but having witnessed Ardaz’s power, did not challenge him further.

It would have been pointless anyway, for the sound of a galloping horse now could be heard. A moment later the tall silhouette of a ranger crossed through the light of the fire. He paused to observe the gathering for a moment, then walked his mount over to Arien.

“Lord Silverleaf,” he said respectfully as he dismounted, stooping right down into a low bow.

Arien nodded.

“I am Andovar, courier from Avalon,” the ranger said. “Bellerian, Lord of Rangers, sends his greetings.”

“And ours to him,” Arien responded. “Your names are welcome in Illuma. Our debt to your people is great.”

Andovar surveyed the mob and the huddled prisoners. “Vengeance?” he asked.

“Justice,” Ryell spat back at him.

“As ye wish,” the ranger conceded calmly. “It seems, then, that I’ve come to ye just in time, for Bellerian bids ye to take no action before the morn.”

“For what reason?” Ryell demanded.

“ ’Tis no’ for me to say. Accept that the dawnslight will bring new tidings.”

Ryell moved to argue, but Arien cut him off and ended the grumbling of the crowd. “Silence!” he commanded. “Is there no limit to your rancor? Were it not for the Rangers of Avalon, your corpse and mine would be numbered among the dead. Surely we owe them the respect to trust in their request without question.”

Having no rebuttal, Ryell shook his head and walked away. The crowd, too, settled back into uneasy appeasement, and both Arien and Andovar breathed easier.

“I should like to speak to the prisoners,” Andovar said.

Most of the Calvans stood up as the ranger approached, and some even saluted. Andovar’s eyes, though, met with those of one who neither stood nor saluted. In the distance, Billy and Del saw him, too.

“Mitchell!” Del cried.

“And that’s Reinheiser behind him,” Billy added.

The captain and the ranger stared each other down.

“I warned ye,” Andovar growled.

Mitchell spat up at him.

“Lord Arien,” Andovar called, “for meself, I am begging a favor of ye. Will ye grant it?”

“If I may,” Arien replied cautiously.

“A sword for this man,” Andovar asked. “I’ve a debt for settling.”

Mitchell squared himself before the ranger. “A weapon of your world, not mine, he said with a growl. “You made the challenge, so I choose the weapons.”

Without hesitation, Andovar handed his own sword to an elf beside him.

“Fists,” Mitchell said wickedly. “And nothing else. I want to kill you with my bare hands.”

“Suren ye’ll die slower,” Andovar replied with the same even tones. “But suren ye’ll be just as dead.”

“Wait!” Del called, rushing over to them.

“Ye look better than when I left ye yesterday,” the ranger greeted him, but Del, in no frame of mind for courtesies, waved that thought away.

“It’s my fight, Andovar,” he said as he and the captain locked in unblinking stares. “It’s been my fight for a long, long time.”

Andovar surveyed the two men. He feared for his friend, believing Mitchell to be the stronger, but realized that he had no right to take this battle away from Del. Reluctantly, he stepped aside.

Del knew what he had to do. “Violence is not the answer,” he reminded himself softly, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

He felt that he had himself settled then, but he wasn’t prepared for the viciousness of Mitchell’s initial attack. The captain charged like an angry bull, knocking Del backward, and began his onslaught, raining blow after blow on his stunned opponent.

Unnoticed in the background, Martin Reinheiser held a single blade of grass in his hand, softly stroking it and whispering unfamiliar words.

Del somehow managed to stagger away from Mitchell and regroup. Dazed, the sickly sweet taste of blood rich in his mouth, he had almost gone down under the brutal beating. “I’m not going to fight you, Mitchell,” he said. “I won’t lower myself.”

Mitchell didn’t understand Del’s motives, but he roared in again. And Del had to wonder if he was proving any point, or simply showing himself to be a fool.

Then, slipping in from somewhere in his subconscious, came the words of Belexus, advice the great warrior had given him several weeks before. “The greatest advantage of a true warrior is not strength or quickness, but courage,” Belexus had told him.

Del gritted away the pain and stood tall against the punishment. He was right; this had to work!

Reinheiser marveled at how easily the transformation spell had been completed. In disbelief of his own handiwork, he gingerly fingered the razor edges of the small knife he now held in his hand.

Mitchell’s hands found Del’s throat. Grinning with murderous glee, the captain drove Del to his knees. But Andovar, having seen enough, rushed over and grabbed Mitchell, pulling him free of Del. Then, with strength that horrified the helpless captain, the ranger tossed him back, sending him sprawling into the Calvan prisoners.

The elves stood silent, confused and shocked, as if Del had held a mirror up before them, showing them their dark reflection.

Reinheiser moved over to Mitchell and roughly pulled him to his feet. “Kill DelGiudice,” he instructed as he slipped Mitchell the dagger. “On your life, kill him.”

Mitchell shuddered at the sudden coldness in the physicist’s eyes and stumbled back out from the crowd.

Andovar stepped defensively to block the captain, but Del regained his footing and pushed the ranger aside. Andovar looked at him in disbelief.

“I must,” Del told him. “They have to learn.”

“You are indeed brave, Jeffrey DelGiudice,” Andovar said, and he clasped Del’s shoulder and stepped aside.

“It’s over,” Del told Mitchell.

Mitchell shook his head and lashed out, the tip of the concealed dagger sticking out from between his fingers. Del deflected the blow aside, then felt a burning pain. Amazed, he looked down at the bleeding gash in his hand.

Mitchell smiled wickedly and struck out again, but Del, realizing the danger, was quick to dodge back from the blow.

He recited Belexus’ advice again to keep from panic as he backed from the stalking captain.

“You’re running out of room,” Mitchell taunted as they neared the ledge overlooking Blackemara.

Even as he spoke, Del’s heels slipped out over that ledge. He hoped his death would make his point.

Mitchell bared the dagger now, caring for nothing but his lust for Del’s blood. He raised his arm to strike.

But an arrow found his wrist.

Stunned, both he and Del looked to the side where Ryell stood, grim-faced, bow in hand.

The knife dropped and Mitchell slumped, grasping his wrist in agony.

Instinctively, Del retrieved the blade and straddled Mitchell’s chest, putting its point to the captain’s throat. Caught up in the frenzied celebration that suddenly erupted all around him, he almost struck. A wave of nausea swept over him when he realized what he was about to do and when he looked at the elves crowding in close and shouting in wild glee for Mitchell’s death.

“Stop it!” Del screamed at them as he jumped away. He flung the dagger over the cliff, far into the night, and charged through the confused crowd, wanting only to get away from the infectious madness.

Billy and Sylvia ran over to calm him, but they had no answer for Del when he looked them squarely in the eye and said, “Are you so sure the right side won?” Then he darted across the field and through the silver archway, seeking out the sanctuary of the mountain trails.

With the attention of the elves diverted, Reinheiser calmly strolled over to Mitchell. “Do not worry,” he said. “Our escape is at hand.” He pointed over the ledge.

Still clutching his wounded wrist, Mitchell peered into the gloom, trying to understand what Reinheiser was talking about.

He felt an icy cold, incredibly strong hand pushing on his back, and then he was falling.

Some of the elves noticed the movements as Mitchell went over. Reinheiser answered their dumbfounded stares with a shrug of his shoulders, then merely laughed and leaped off the cliff.

Andovar rushed over, but the two men had disappeared into the dark night. “It is good they are dead,” the ranger said. “Suren they’d’ve bringed harm t’our Aielle.”

The calm that followed ignited Ryell. He ran to the brighter area beside the pyre. “Let us not forget our great victory!” he shouted, fearing that the crowd’s confusion would steal his momentum. “This is a night of celebration!” Welcoming emotions that buried the disturbing accusations Del had raised, most of the elves responded with renewed and heightened enthusiasm.

A helpless shake of his head was the only apology Arien could offer to Andovar.

Reinheiser wasn’t dead.

He cast a simple spell as he fell, manipulating the air currents to slow his descent and cushion his landing. He stepped down gently into Blackemara just a few feet from the crumpled and twisted body of Captain Mitchell.

Amazingly, the captain managed to half open one eye.

“You will be dead soon,” Reinheiser assured him.

Mitchell knew the truth of the physicist’s words, for his lungs had collapsed and he could not draw any breath.

“Before, you were merely an inconvenience,” Reinheiser explained. “But now, with your knowledge of weapons and your obsession with power, you have become a danger to me.” In a powerful voice that was not his own, he added, “Ever you would remain a simple Faustus!”

Mitchell’s eyes widened in terror at the evil aura that suddenly engulfed him. He felt his gaze drawn up the trail of dried blood on Reinheiser’s face to the physicist’s forehead, where the cut tip of a shining black sapphire was just beginning to show through the skin.

“Your soul is mine,” Reinheiser proclaimed.

Blood and bile rose in Mitchell’s throat as he realized his eternal doom.

He died without hope.

Del ran on along the dark and twisting paths, desperate to outdistance the sounds of the renewed party on the field below. Finally exhausted, he slumped back against a boulder. Great patches of dark clouds raced furiously across the sky above him, driven by a violent wind that had come slicing through the mountain gaps from the northern peaks.

He could still see the field. The fire had been refueled, its wild flames leaping high into the night, clearly outlining the silhouettes of the elves as they danced in orgiastic frenzy.

Del could not hold back the tears as he watched his utopian fantasies dispelled. He had dared to believe that he could make a difference in the future of Aielle, had allowed himself the naive optimism that the course of civilization could be different here than in his own war-ravaged time.

He sat tormented by the cruel visions for a long while, until sleep mercifully overtook him.

On Mountaingate, the vicious party raged.