The Eternal Champion

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE AN OATH

Quite suddenly there materialised in the chamber some dozen or so Eldren, their faces but slightly different from others I had seen. I recognised them now as halflings.

'There!' shouted Rigenos. 'Evil sorcery. She is a witch. I told you! A witch!'

The halflings were silent. They surrounded Ermizhad until all their bodies touched hers and one anothers. Then Ermizhad shouted: 'Away, brethren-back to the camp of the Eldren!'

Their forms began to flicker so that they seemed half in our dimension, half in some other. 'Goodbye, Erekose,' she cried. 'I hope we shall meet in happier circumstances.'

'I hope so!' I shouted back. And then she vanished.

'Traitor!' cursed King Rigenos. 'You aided her escape!'

'You should die by torture!' added Roldero, disgusted.

'I'm no traitor, as well you know,' I said evenly. 'You are traitors-traitors to your words-to the great tradition of your ancestors. You have no case against me, you stupid-stupid…'

I stopped, turned on my heel and left the chamber.

'You lost the battle-War Champion!' screamed King Rigenos after me as I stalked out. 'The people do not respect defeat!'

I went to find lolinda.

She had been walking in the balconies and had now returned to her apartments. I kissed her, needing at that moment a woman's friendly sympathy, but I seemed to meet a block. She was not, it seemed, prepared to give me help, although she kissed me dutifully. A length I ceased to embrace her and stood back a little, looking into her eyes.

'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' she said. 'Should there be? You are safe. I had feared you dead.'

Was it me, then? Was it…? I pushed the thought from me. But can a man force himself to love a woman Can he love two women at the same time? I was desperately clinging to the strands of the love I had felt for her when first we met.

'Ermizhad is safe,' I blurted, 'she called her halfling brothers to her aid and, when she returns to the Eldren camp, Arjavh will take his forces back to Mernadin. You should be pleased.'

'I am,' she said, and then: 'And you are pleased, no doubt, that our hostage escaped!'

'What do you mean?'

'My father told me how you'd been enchanted by her wanton sorcery. You seemed to be more anxious for her safety than ours.'

'That is foolish talk.'

'You seem to like the company of the Eldren, too. Holidaying with our greatest enemy…'

'Stop! All foolish talk!'

'Is it? I think my father spoke true, Erekose.' Her voice was subdued now. She turned from me.

'But, lolinda, I love you. You alone.'

'I do not believe you, Erekose.'

What is it in me that I became what I became then. It was the moment that I gave an oath that was to affect all our destinies. Why, as my love for her began to fade and I saw her as a selfish, grasping fool, did I protest a greater love for her?

I do not know. I only know that that is what I did.

'I love you more than life, lolinda!' I said. 'I would do anything for you!'

'I do not believe you!'

'I do. I will prove it!' I cried in agony.

She turned. There was pain and reproach in her eyes. There was a bitterness that went so deep it had no bottom. There was anger and there was revenge.

'How will you prove it, Erekose?' she said softly.

'I swear I shall kill all the Eldren.'

'All?'

'Every single Eldren life. You will spare none?'

'None! None! I want it to be over. And the only way I can finish it is to kill them all. Then it will be over-only then!'

'Including Prince Arjavh and his sister?'

'Including them!'

'You swear this? You swear it?'

'I swear it. And when the last Eldren dies. When the whole world is ours, then I will bring it to you and we shall be married.'

She nodded. 'Very well, Erekose. I will see you later.' She glided swiftly from the room.

I unstrapped my sword and flung it savagely to the floor. I spent the next few hours fighting my own agony of spirit.

But I had made the oath now.

Soon I became cold. I meant what I had said. I would destroy all the Eldren. Rid the world of them. Rid myself of this continual turmoil in my mind.