Chapter 10

Hauling himself up through the gap, Darras was forced to light his small lantern, removing the shielding that usually only allowed light to focus in one direction. Gazing around, he saw shelves with rolled parchment and trays of what initially looked like jewels.

‘Don’t touch them with your bare skin, ’ Erren warned. ‘Some are mind crystals; others are curse stones.’

“I probably can carry the crystals out in my pack,” Darras replied. “No way am I going to be able to carry all the scrolls, though.”

‘That’s all right, leave them to me.’

Darras watched as the spiritual form of Erren stepped from his body and expanded in height until she was as tall as the room. Erren then partly stepped into the wall and walked around the room as her spiritual form passed over all the scrolls.

‘Done, now best prepare a fire; most of these are far too dangerous to be permitted into the hands of magic users.’

“It would kill them?” Darras asked as he pulled out charcoal brickets before lighting them in a stone bowl beside an ornate throne.

‘Most would; the others would enable carnage on a mass scale that hasn’t been seen since the First Ones wiped themselves out.’

“OK, which ones to burn?”

Erren pointed out various scrolls that Darras retrieved from the shelves and dropped into the bowl. Fortunately, the scrolls burned quickly, and it didn’t take long before they were ash. Darras then pulled on the silken gloves he used when posing as a jewel merchant and carefully lifted the trays of crystals and stones into his pack.

“Is that a throne of command?” Darras asked as the spiritual form of Erren shrank and returned to within his body.

‘Yes, though you can leave it; no creature today could use it, ’ Erren replied.

“Right,” Darras nodded. “Anything else?”

‘No, just rest up as it’s getting dark outside, my love.’

Darras woke early, as he usually did, Erren confirming that the sun hadn’t quite risen yet. He breakfasted on bread and jerky, swallowing the last of his water in the skin as he prepared to leave the room.

Getting down was easy enough if wearying; Darras having to lower his pack on a rope as wearing it prevented being able to get through the hole in the floor. Still, within an hour, Darras lowered himself from the lower window and dropped the final two metres to the ground. Donning his pack, Darras set off for the valley that would eventually take him back to rejoin Mirion.

Dusk began falling when Darras reached the edge of the woods and found the encampment Mirion was using. There, he discovered she’d prepared a meal and had a full skin of pure water waiting, which Darras drank gratefully.

“Not too bored?” Darras asked when his thirst was finally quenched.

“No, I was able to converse with several woodnymphs and help them improve their healing potions,” Mirion replied.

“Good, glad of that,” Darras nodded.

“Were you successful?”

“Yes, though the reputation of evil surrounding the tower would appear to be just that, a reputation,” Darras replied.

“So, what treasures did you unearth?”

“Mind crystals, curse stones and a veritable treasure of spell scrolls, most of whom had to be destroyed.”

“Understandable; most of the surviving artefacts of the First Ones are highly dangerous,” Mirion nodded.

“Erren read them all, and I’m sure she could recreate them if she wanted,” Darras shrugged. “Admittedly, she probably won’t, though.”

“Yes, some things really should not get into the hands of magic users ... ever.”

The meal was delicious, and the pair enjoyed a comfortable night’s sleep afterwards. The following morning, after ensuring the campsite was clear of any rubbish, Darras led the way back towards the town of Veluth.

“What now?” Mirion asked as their pace ate up the miles.

“I don’t know yet; whatever Erren decides needs doing,”

“Just it appears I wasn’t much use to you,” Mirion confessed.

“You were needed to get me out of Veluth, as well as backup in case I was injured,” Darras replied. “Erren did not know what might be infesting the tower.”

“Ah, though there was nothing?”

“It might have been enspelled to keep animals or people away, though it had been thoroughly looted.”

“Yet still standing after so long,” Mirion mused.

“Yes, the First Ones built well and used magic to strengthen their buildings, particularly if they were important to them,” Darras nodded.

“I think most have been dealt with by now.”

“True, though some still have surprises, such as that tower,” Darras agreed.

“A shield that only you could break,” Mirion nodded. “I suspect it still had an aversion field too, no longer strong enough to keep the intelligent races out, but most certainly animals.”

“You’re right,” Darras nodded. “Erren confirms it.”

“Were you sure it was the top floor?”

“The ceiling was too high for me to reach, even standing on the throne of command.”

“Ah, right,” Mirion nodded. “I suspect if we return that the tower may have been colonised by the local bird wildlife, at least.”

“Probably.”

Three days later, Darras and Mirion reached Veluth, finding it unwelcoming, especially for Darras. At the gateway building, the Elves showed no reluctance to take Darras’s money, nor were they interested enough to find out what he’d been up to, Darras being with Mirion a sufficient reason. The pair travelled to Erren’s domain, where Erren and Hallis awaited them.

“Welcome back, my love,” Erren greeted Darras before turning to greet Mirion and welcoming her, too.

“Welcome, Mirion,” Hallis greeted her agent. “Thank you for assisting Darras.”

“It was a pleasure, my goddess,” Mirion replied. “Though truth be told, I did very little.”

“The Elves at Veluth could have made things very awkward for Darras,” Erren explained. “Even prevented him leaving the town.”

“Yes, silly, but occasionally, my people get delusions of superiority,” Mirion sighed.

“Come, relax and eat,” Erren nodded with a smile. “Hallis and I will review the mind crystals and dispose of the curse stones.”

Mirion cried with delight at the bathing area as a male Elf and two Elven children were already bathing. “Oh, I never dreamed you’d invite them here,” she finally gasped.

“A reward for your efforts; you were away for a week in the wilderness,” Erren replied with a broad smile.

“Darras, may I introduce Pellar, my husband; Coris, my son; Jeelath, my daughter,” Mirion spoke to Darras.

“Honoured,” Darras replied with a polite nod to them all.

“The honour is ours,” Pellar replied for them all.

“Scrub my back for me, Darras,” Hallis requested with a cheeky smile, making Erren sigh in mild exasperation.

“Will you behave? Darras is mine, no one else’s,” Erren chided the clearly amused Hallis.

“Why, sister, it was merely a request to scrub my back,” Hallis replied demurely, though fooling no one.

“Find your own Darras, hussy!”

However, Darras realised that this was all an act and was putting Pellar at ease and subtly let him know that Mirion was not in danger of being seduced by Darras. It was confirmed by the two goddesses bursting out in amused laughter as the rest of them joined in.

“Ah, there it is,” Erren finally sighed. “The ‘mother’.

“No location, though, plus the world has changed a lot in the intervening millennia,” Hallis pointed out.

“Yes, Golsten and Keelem were once one continent.”

“The mother?” Darras asked.

“Our brother calls these shadows scales,” Erren explained. “Turns out, they are scales, the scales of a dragon, to be precise.”

“A dragon?” Pellar asked, looking startled.

“Yes, goodness knows where it will be, though; they supposedly died off over five million years ago.”

“Sounds like your brother happened upon a treasure trove of creatures from out of time,” Mirion added.

“Yes, it does appear that way,” Erren nodded.

“I’ll look into the how of it, though I suspect it will be a combination of factors, including powerful magics,” Hallis nodded.

“Thank you, sister,” Erren acknowledged.

“There is something I would ask of you, Hallis,” Darras asked diffidently.

“This must be serious,” Hallis replied after a glance at Erren and frowning.

“Mirion would be loath to lose her husband and children, yet would end up alone as your agent, should time work against her,” Darras stated.

“Darras!” Mirion hissed, totally shocked at what Darras had said.

Hallis, however, looked thoughtful and eventually answered. “I must admit, I’d never considered this, and you’re right, Darras, this is an issue needing resolving.”

“It is an issue and would eventually lead to a cruel life for the family,” Erren added, glancing at Darras and smiling.

“It would,” Hallis nodded. “You should have mentioned it to me, Mirion.”

“I ... I did not wish to ask for anything more than to serve you, my goddess,” Mirion stammered.

“Mirion, that is not how this is meant to work,” Hallis replied gently. “I’m happy you chose to work with me but unhappy you never once mentioned this to me.”

“It seemed ... selfish.”

“How is asking that your husband and children are not left behind as you serve me selfish?”

Mirion stayed silent, simply looking embarrassed. Her husband moved to her to hold her hand as the two children looked a little confused.