Champion of the Gods
Copyright© 2025 by QM
Chapter 46
Darras sat with Galbras and the rest of the council as they questioned him over what Erren planned for Klea. Klea was currently in the shrine, meditating to calm her nerves after using the blade in a hostile environment.
“So, she will continue to work with the kinslayers ... sorry, our estranged cousins,” one of the council asked.
“That is the plan, yes,” Darras replied.
“That could be most dangerous for her as she will not have the blade,” another mused.
“It is potentially dangerous, yes,” Darras agreed. “Though the danger will come from those she faces, not those she’ll be working with.”
“I find this difficult to accept,” the Elf admitted. “Not that I disbelieve you, just such is the history of animosity between the two sides.”
“Elves, because of their nature, carry grudges far longer than other races,” Darras shrugged. “They can be overcome and eventually forgotten.”
“Yes, we have seen that with this Mirion,” the Elf nodded. “Yet as you saw earlier, there are some here who would kill her if they could.”
“They are becoming fewer in number,” Galbras added. “Klea’s actions today will have further reduced them.”
“Not the true fanatics, though,” the Elf replied. “They are a danger to all.”
“There is little you can do for this generation,” Darras said. “It is your children whom you must concentrate on.”
“Indeed so,” Galbras nodded, the council also showing their acceptance.
“It will fade in time,” Darras smiled. “The plans of Wenderos are not easily thwarted.”
“So we have noticed,” Galbras chuckled.
Casal and his followers looked out at the dank landscape of the Lizardmen realm of Ssthastar. For now, he believed they were safe from the machinations of the meddling goddess. He and his followers were accepted as gods amongst the primitive Lizardmen after they had used their magics to deal with the former ruling clan.
“We have no future plans?” an Ubaid asked.
“None until the Dark Lord orders us,” Casal replied.
“But we are born to rule, to conquer!” the Ubaid hissed. “And you were hatched to lead us!”
“And here we rule,” Casal replied dismissively. “Or do you want to draw the attention of the gods?”
“Will their agent not find us, even here?” another Ubaid asked.
“He is Human, they do not come here, the natives kill any they find.” The first replied.
“They accepted us ... eventually.”
“Because we are similar to them, Humans, Elves and Dwarves aren’t.” Casal admonished.
“Yes, master,” the Ubaid replied in acceptance. “What of the Elves of Embrith?”
“They never leave their fertile fastness,” Casal replied. “If we do not come to their attention, they will live in ignorance.”
“And if we get no orders from the Dark Lord?”
“Then be thankful, his orders generally mean death for some of us.”
“We have guests arriving,” Erren informed Darras as they finished training.
“Friend or foe?” Darras asked with a smile.
“Friends,” Erren giggled. “Doriel with Balat and Merith.”
“It will be good to see them,” Darras nodded as they headed to the pools to clean up.
Half an hour later, by Darras’s reckoning, Doriel, Balat and Merith, Balat’s intended, appeared on the lawn and walked over to the pergola where Erren and Darras sat waiting.
“Be welcome,” Erren said joyfully. “Relax and enjoy.”
“This is Merith, soon to be my bride,” Balat proudly introduced Merith.
“Be welcome, Merith. It is clear you two were born for each other,” Erren smiled.
“Such is the will of the gods,” Doriel chuckled.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, goddess,” Merith replied formally.
“It’s just Erren,” Erren smiled. “No need for formalities amongst us.”
“We popped in to tell you that my people have discovered the whereabouts of Casal,” Doriel said as wines and beers appeared.
“Anywhere where we can get at them?” Darras asked.
“Not easily, no.”
“Where?” Erren frowned, projecting a map.
“Ssthastar,” Doriel replied. “It’s mainly swamp, but there are jungles where my people reside.”
“Clever of him,” Erren nodded. “The natives will kill and eat any they find trespassing.”
“We have no gateways there,” Doriel nodded. “Humans aren’t welcome in Embrith either, the only place there is one.”
“Balat and I can go by boat from Surrilion,” Darras suggested. “I’ve done it before with Tiruk and Klavin from when we sailed to the Isle of the Dark Kin.”
“If you’re spotted, you’ll be dead,” Doriel warned.
“We can be sneaky,” Darras chuckled, seeing Balat grin too.
“A forest folk gateway would be useful, I admit,” Doriel sighed. “The Lizardmen will also attack my own, and I do not have any Dryads there.”
“I’ll ask Sorella for help,” Erren confirmed. “Though the mission will only be to set up a gateway, not let Casal know we know where he is.”
“Agreed,” Doriel nodded.
Darras and Balat waited patiently whilst Tiruk and Amina negotiated for a boat in the harbour area of Surrillion. The pair had been waiting for Darras and Balat’s arrival and were there to help sail the boat, or rather, Tiruk was. Both Tiruk and Amina were also expert negotiators and had soon reduced the asking price of the boat to about half of its initial price.
Soon enough, the party was sailing out of the harbour into slightly choppy seas. This affected Balat, and the young man looked almost green due to seasickness. This ceased when the boat sailed into a calm circle of water, where a merman waited.
“Well met, travellers,” they were greeted. “Sorella tasked me to guide you to Ssthastar.”
“Our thanks,” Darras replied. “Are you Girellus?”
“I am, you must be from the last party I escorted.”
“I was, the name’s Darras, this is Tiruk, Amina and Balat,” Darras indicated.
“Ah, yes, the agents of the gods, I remember,” Girellus smiled. “Now, let’s get you to where you want to be.”
Girellus used his form of farstriding to guide the boat swiftly and smoothly over the water, and within a day, just as dusk was falling, they approached a dark coastline. Girellus then bade them farewell, promising to guide them back when they returned. Tiruk then guided the boat to the shore, and the four of them dragged it above the tide line.
“We’ll set up camp for the night,” Darras suggested. “We can look for the forest folk tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” Balat replied. “The land is swampy, and we really don’t want to wander into one.”
“So, Casal is hiding here?” Tiruk asked.
“According to Doriel, yes,” Balat replied.
“I take it that he will be even harder to get at here?”
“The Ssthastari are numerous, fierce and unwelcoming of any but Lizardmen,” Balat replied. “Casal used magic to gain acceptance, and that magic alerted a Woodnymph.”
“So we’re to ignore him?” Amina asked.
“For the moment, yes,” Darras nodded. “None we know of could get to him.”
“Once I have grown the gateway, Firios and his team will be able to scout the land, but they’ll have to be careful,” Balat added.
“They will also be under the protection of the forest folk, particularly if a Dryad is here,” Darras nodded.
“That’s the primary reason I’m here.”
“Do you know where a Woodnymph is?” Tiruk asked.
“I have a direction,” Balat replied. “It’s more than likely she’ll find me.”
“Ah, yes,” Tiruk chuckled. “We’re in their world now.”
“That we are,” Balat smiled.
The following morning, the party set out, with Darras leading the way and using his staff to check the ground ahead of them. Balat would occasionally indicate a direction by tapping on Darras’s shoulder and pointing as the group kept their conversations to a minimum. The land underfoot gradually became less sodden and far more jungle-like, with Darras now using his hunting knife as a machete to cut his way through the ever-thickening undergrowth. Eventually, though, a path seemed to open up in front of the group, and their progress became far easier.
Guess she found us,” Darras commented, knowing that there was no chance of Lizardmen being around.
“She did,” Balat chuckled as the group called a halt for him to use his magic to deal with a leech that had attached itself to Tiruk.
“My thanks,” Tiruk said. “They are most irritating.”
“No problem,” Balat nodded. “Our armour is proof against most things here, but that slipped down from your neck.”
“Too hot for hoods,” Tiruk grimaced.
“Also true,” Balat chuckled, then stood as a woodnymph entered the clearing.
“Greetings, lady of the forest,” Darras spoke politely.
“Greetings to you all, agents of the gods,” the Woodnymph replied. “My name is Kielle. You are most welcome here.”
“Greetings, Kielle, Lomarris sends her thanks and blessings to you,” Balat responded.
“I am most grateful,” Kielle acknowledged. “Now, please follow me. I have chosen a site I think will be satisfactory.”
“Lead on, Kielle.”
With Balat’s ability to farstride, the group, plus Kielle, made rapid progress to the centre of her territory, where a magnificent stand of Kapok trees stood incredibly tall, surrounding a clearing through which flowed a clear stream.
“How beautiful,” Amina breathed.
“My home,” Kielle announced.
“Perfectly situated above a ley line,” Balat nodded. “You chose well.”
“The magic here aids in my protection of the woods. There are so few of us in this land, and the Lizardfolk are a menace to all.”
“That will end soon. A Dryad will bolster your defences and enable expansion of the territory to enable you to evolve your own Dryad,” Balat replied.
“Truly, Lomarris is a wonderful goddess,” Kielle enthused.
“She is,” Balat smiled, as did the others at Kielle’s very un-Woodnymphlike enthusiasm.
“Please settle for the night. I have gathered some food for you to prepare,” Kielle indicated.
“Our thanks,” Darras replied as Kielle moved to and merged with a Kapok tree.
Tiruk and Amina prepared a fire pit, carefully lining it with stones as Darras and Balat gathered wood and prepared the wildfowl that Kielle had caught. The group then relaxed as the food was prepared and talked quietly, mostly from Amina, who wanted to know about Merith.
“I’ve known her for a while,” Balat admitted. “She was always around in the village where we set up after it became unsafe for us in Fordell.”
“Yet you only saw her as wifely material recently?” Amina chuckled.