Chapter 26

“Thank you all for assisting Darras in completing this mission,” Erren began. “You also helped aid in the discovery of a potentially dangerous treasure trove of spells and magical devices which had obviously been set aside for a future war that fortunately never happened.”

“They were spells then?” Annos asked.

“They were. Fortunately they were well hidden and it’s unlikely the writing could have been understood without the direct aid of a god or goddess.”

“The devices though?” Sondrast queried.

“A very nasty set of combat related staffs and casting stones, most of which would kill the average caster as you haven’t reached the levels of the elder race as yet.”

“Glad I never tried one, tempting as it was,” he replied with a slight shudder.

“I would have got Darras to step in,” Erren replied with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“The Dragonoid though, was far more of a conundrum,” Erren went on.

“I was always told they were extinct,” Annos stated.

“I, too, believed they were,” Erren nodded. “It takes a very skilled caster to hide something from me, which suggests it was done by another god or goddess.”

“So not time travelling?” Firios queried.

“No. Your average creation cannot do so,” Erren replied. “A god can move within time, speeding it or slowing it, but our rules state you cannot reverse it. The past must remain immutable. Not even my brother would dare, as, if he did, he’d bring down the wrath of the Allfather upon himself.”

“Would that threat be enough to stay his hand?” Darras asked, clearly shocking the others.

“I ... believe so, but it’s a fair point,” Erren replied thoughtfully. “As it is, I believe the Dragonoid was kept in a form of stasis before being released upon the world as a consort of the Durglin Queens.”

“Ah, so that’s how they controlled them?” Tinara asked.

“Yes, though as Darras noted, the shadows also appear to have a similar aura to the Dragonoid.”

“So once imprinted ... or whatever a Dragonoid does, the queens would obey a shadow?” Sondrast queried Erren.

“Yes, I believe so,” Erren agreed. “It now remains to be seen if they re-occupy the site.”

“How will you know?” Firios asked.

“Darras has been there, so I can now look at it at any time, for about a year.”

“Why not longer?”

“Its ... aura changes and my world view will no longer scry it unless something impinges upon my power.”

“You have some strange rules,” Darras chuckled.

“From the outside it would seem so, but they are all aimed at limiting our powers in order to prevent a godly war, something that would lay waste to your world.”

“Yet your brother seems set on provocation?”

“Yes, but only by proxies ... so far.”

“Even if I’m the only one who can see or deal with his proxies?”

“That may change if you and Balat are successful,” Erren replied.

“More servants to aid you?” Tinara queried.

“I regard you more as friends,” Erren replied with a smile. “I suspect though, at the moment you will be less than impressed with Balat, a young human.”

“Ah, he’s full of himself?”

“He is, though Darras knocked a few rough corners off him recently.”

“Why do you need a human?” Firios asked.

“With light magic, those proficient in it tend not to be adept in ... life skills.”

“It’s a rare elemental affinity, even with Elves,” Sondrast added as he and Annos remained close to each other.

“So is yours, Sondrast,” Erren replied. “Dark magic such as yours rarely occurs in any race and gives your shields greater power.”

“I still learned several new things off Annos,” Sondrast replied with a smile. “The symbology used can gain greater power if written in the circle with greater precision.”

“Yes, magic users tend to guard their real secrets well and will only allow a general idea of the true form of a symbol from their affinity to be known,” Erren chuckled.

“My master said something similar,” Annos confessed. “He and I were adept in wind magic and he showed me the precision of the wind symbology.”

“Some of which you passed on to Sondrast, I saw.”

“His shielding may have collapsed had I not informed him of such,” Annos replied shyly.

“Yes, but in return you also learned of the dark symbolism,” Erren smiled. “And now you both have found the one you are destined for.”

“I hope so, my goddess. I have yearned for so long.”

“I knew when we met that she was the one,” Sondrast added.

“Good. You will be happy together, trust me,” Erren blessed them.

“Do you have any other missions for us?” Traskis asked.

“Not at the moment, not until Darras captures a shadow and I get to question it here where my brother cannot interfere.”

“He could always try to sneak in,” Darras chuckled.

“You’ve met him, do you think he ‘sneaks’ around?”

“No,” Darras laughed. “He was arrogance incarnate.”

“It’s his nature, but yes, he is arrogant.”

“Have you seen any sort of pattern emerging?” Firios asked.

“Only that the shadows infiltrate the various Kingdoms and influence them to make poor decisions ... when they aren’t just causing mischief for their own amusement,” Erren replied.

“Some of that just appears to be training for them,” Darras added. “We know they planned to get the Orcs to unite in a vast horde to attack the surrounding Kingdoms.”

“Which would likely draw those Kingdoms into a war that would benefit none.”

“A united Orc horde would not be a good thing,” Traskis replied, looking shocked.

“They are having to rebuild,” Darras replied. “I dealt with the possessed ones driving it.”

“Good, though I doubt a few setbacks will have stopped them.”

“It won’t,” Erren agreed. “But until I know more, all I can do is deal with the results of their meddling. However, I do believe they are becoming a little frustrated with my counters.”

“Any word on dealing with the Dark Kin?” Tinara asked.

“An alliance is being formed to invade Thenarron,” Erren replied. “Iversirion is part of it.”

“Is Thenarron aware of our intent? Firios queried.

“Almost certainly, though probably not the full extent of it. They have gateways as well.”

“Can the barrier be brought down ... permanently that is?”

“Yes, which is one of the reasons I brought together Annos and Sondrast,” Erren chuckled.

“Us?” a puzzled Sondrast asked.

“This,” Erren explained, “is a template of a spell you’ll both need to learn.” And two books appeared from nowhere in her hand. She gave them to the pair. “Once you have learned it, practice it together until you’re proficient in it before liaising with Harinas and Kina.”

“And this will bring the barrier down?” Annos asked.

“With the aid of my priests channelling energy through it into the barrier, yes.”

“What other nations will be involved?” Traskis asked curiously.

“Rossaris and Torgillon, naturally, the Forest Kingdom, including Iversirion, Jizzard, Sorrak, Dobra and possibly Rachtelin, as their King’s Council seeks ways to weaken and reduce the slowly forming alliance against them,” Erren informed them.

“Sorrak ... so Dwarves then?” Firios asked with a slight grimace.

“Best fighting infantry out there,” Erren chuckled. “Human cavalry, Elven archers.”

“I see, but Dwarves?”

“They like you about as much as your people like them,” Erren laughed. “However, my priesthood will be there to keep order as this will be a holy war on my behalf.”

“I can see why you’d want Rachtelin involved then,” Darras chuckled.

“Yes,” Erren replied with a smile. “Where else will the superlative armies of cavalry and horse archers come from to invade and chastise the Kingdom of Fordel?”

“But you still have to convince the King’s Council?”

“Yes, whilst wanting to reduce the power of the forming Alliance. They also fear a success on the part of any aid they send.”

“I’m sure you’ll get your way,” Darras chuckled.

“I will, it’s just not set in stone yet.”

“Nice to have visitors,” Darras said with a smile after the Elves finally returned to Iversirion.

“Yes, though it was more to bless Annos and Sondrast,” Erren replied. “They will become mighty amongst the Elven magic users, leading to several breakthroughs in combined magic as well as founding the first magical academy on that world.”

“And yet your brother would seek to deliberately destroy such a future,” Darras sighed.

“That he would, though we won’t let him,” Erren replied firmly as they sat in her garden with a warm sun dappling the lawn with shadows from the trees.

“So, where’s this target Balat and I will be going after?”

“It possesses a man living in a cottage in the Kingdom of Courrantil,” Erren informed Darras. “I’m still waiting on word from Doriel as to what it has defending the place though.”

“Doubt it’s a Dragonoid,” Darras chuckled. “Also too small for a nest of Durglin.”

“True,” Erren nodded. “Though they are not the only physical servants of my brother.”

“Not been impressed with those I’ve encountered so far, though they were probably small fry.”

“They were. Ventris has much in the way of powerful beings to bind to the will of a powerful shadow.”

“But no odd deaths in the district?”

“None. Which suggests it is not a vampire at least.”

“I suspect they’d want something of use through the day as well,” Darras chuckled.

“Vampires can get about through the day, they’re just a better predator at night,” Erren informed Darras with a smile.

“So the legends aren’t true then?”

“Depends on which legends. But yes, most of them aren’t true and they are not undead either.”

“Are there undead?”

“Only if a magic user is re-animating them.”

“Gross.”

“Yes,” Erren giggled. “Ah, we have a visitor.”

Doriel manifested herself in the middle of the lawn, giving both Darras and Erren a brilliant smile as she approached.

“Well, I finally found out what this shadow is hiding in the cottage,” she announced after the greetings.

“Do tell,” Darras requested keenly.

“Goblins.”

“Goblins? As in small, green-skinned humanoids?” Darras asked, feeling a little let down.

“Nasty,” Erren also replied with a grimace.

“Am I missing something here?” a confused Darras asked.

“Yes,” Erren replied, looking slightly amused. “Goblins are not the creatures of your legends; they are deadly predators who, when attacking someone, will use a liquid sprayed from a gland at the back of their throat to blind their victim and will spend hours torturing them, given the chance.”

“Does sound nasty,” Darras sighed.

“They are small, however, but also very quick and nimble and like to drop down on their intended victims from cave ceilings,” Doriel added.