Rise of Legends (The Kin of Kings Book 2) (42 page)

“Cleve,” Fatholl began sadly, then stopped. He gestured at the many paintings on the wall. “My ancestors came here to start a future, and now my people intend to do the same. We didn’t expect Krepps, but they came here while it was abandoned and
were
making a life for themselves, even if that quality of life was poor. After the initial fighting, they made themselves useful, and we couldn’t bring ourselves to remove them. But normally, we don’t get involved with other races unless we absolutely have to. You should know this by now. This is our home. We have no stake in Kyrro and no reason to risk our lives defending it. I’m sorry, but I don’t want any of the Elves here leaving with you. Our community depends on all of them.”

Vithos stepped forward. “I go with Cleve.”

“We all knew from the start that you would leave eventually, so I understand. This has never been your true home, just as Kyrro will never be home to the rest of us.”

“This is how alliances begin,” Cleve said firmly. “You help us and we’ll help you in the future.”

“With what?” Fatholl lifted his arms in a mocking shrug. “There is nothing more powerful than we are.”

“Until you encounter something that knows how to resist psyche,” Cleve retorted.

That set Fatholl’s mouth straight. This wasn’t going at all like Basen had hoped. He quickly thought of something to say.

“Greed cannot be contained. There will be something you have that someone else wants. It might not occur in your lifetime, but your children and your children’s children can be protected by aligning with us.”

Fatholl formed a wry smile. “Cleve, did you tell him about what we did in Greenedge?”

“No.”

Fatholl laughed. “A coincidence, then, for your friend to use similar phrasing. Securing a safe future for our unborn kin was the whole purpose behind everything we did. We made great sacrifices.” He looked at Basen differently then, though he couldn’t quite tell what was in the Elf’s glinting eyes. It was like the way a boy looks at a weapon he wants to try. “What is your name?”

“Basen.”

“My Elves made great sacrifices, Basen, and we forced humans to make great sacrifices as well. We encountered many enemies along the way who refused to let themselves understand our true intent. We never won anyone’s trust. Everything we accomplished was done by force, as it will be the next time we ask anything of humans. So I don’t see why humans of the future would risk their lives to help us if we needed their assistance. There’s no contract that would convince a father to send his son to battle, and no human would follow a contract his grandfather signed if it required him to fight for Elves who held no meaning in his life.”

“You say you’ve never won anyone’s trust.” Cleve’s voice was deep with anger. “But Reela and I trusted you, and so did Vithos. There are many others like us who would honor an alliance. They would understand that they might not be alive without you if you help us win this war, and they’d repay the favor when your kin needed it.”

“I’m sorry, Cleve. I’m not going to send any Elves with you back to Kyrro. Nothing you say will change my mind.”

“At least ask if anyone wants to fight,” Basen suggested.

“They won’t,” Fatholl said with certainty. “They’d laugh at the request.”

Basen could feel himself becoming annoyed. He didn’t know what Fatholl had accomplished in Greenedge, but now the Elf acted as if he’d done enough good that he didn’t need to help anyone else ever again.

“I think you should leave,” Fatholl told them. “I don’t care for your aggressive thoughts.”

Cleve sighed as he shook his head. “I thought you were different. Don’t you care about more than just the Elves who blindly follow you? Wasn’t that the whole point behind all the heinous acts you did in Greenedge? You cared so much then that you were willing to turn everyone against you just to make the world better. What happened to that Elf?”

“Because all of Greenedge would’ve perished without me, but what’s happening in Kyrro is going to stay in Kyrro.”

“You can’t be sure about that,” Basen said.

“I’ll take my chances. Now go. And Cleve, next time you want something from me, try offering a trade instead of guilting me into helping for nothing.”

Cleve clinched his jaw tightly as he turned and strode out. Basen made sure he was last to leave. He’d felt something as he arrived, and now it was time to use it.

Alabell took his hand. “Are you coming?”

“In a moment. Shut the door please.”

She cocked her head in curiosity but then must’ve noticed the confidence in his eyes, for she returned his smile and gave him his privacy with Fatholl.

“What are you so happy about?” the Elf asked before Basen turned to face him.

“This is where most everyone stands when they come to speak to you, don’t they?” Basen made sure to position himself a few steps into the room.

Fatholl grew a sly smile. “You think you know something, but you know nothing.”

“There
is
something I know. A lot of bastial energy has been manipulated right where I’m standing.”

Fatholl’s expression didn’t change. “You can’t possibly know that.”

“I do know it. Can’t you tell I’m confident about this?”

Worry straightened the Elf’s mouth. “So what if it has?”

“Of the mages in this village, I doubt any of them practice right here.” He pointed down at his feet. “This room is simply too nice for fire or hot and windy energy. So it must be psyche that has altered bastial energy so frequently right here, and there must’ve been a lot of it for me to pick up on it.”

Fatholl squinted. “What are you?”

Basen drew his wand. Fatholl aimed his hand aggressively and warned, “Easy.”

“I have no intention of hurting you.”

The Elf let down his hand. “It would be you who is hurt.” He spoke with such certainty that Basen almost let himself feel afraid. But he held onto his courage and kept up his confidence.

He drew in bastial energy, then opened a small portal to the Academy. A plethora of colors mixed together within the sphere, beautiful but undistinguishable. Then shapes began coming together as students moved away and became as small as ants. He figured Effie and Penny were there among the others in Group One, not that he could make out anyone’s face within the small sphere. But above the portal, as clear and satisfying as any sight he’d seen, he watched Fatholl’s jaw drop.

“What is that?” the Elf asked in amazement, hurrying toward it.

“A portal to the Academy in Kyrro.”

Fatholl leaned toward it, his eyes opening wide. Within the portal, Effie walked close enough to it to be recognized and then waved. Basen waved back and had to suppress a laugh as even Fatholl put up his hand and slowly moved it back and forth.

“They can see us?”

“Yes.”

Penny came into view and looked worried as she tried to say something. Basen blew a kiss and then let the portal close. They should’ve been able to see Fatholl’s ears clearly enough and figured the group finally had reached the Elves. News should reach Jackrie and the headmaster. But even better was that everyone seemed all right. The Academy, if it had been attacked, was still functioning.

“I can only make these portals where bastial energy has been manipulated many times before.” Basen first thought it was only when BE itself had been clustered together, like the first step to making a fireball, but this proved that the continuous movement of the energy over time was what really did it.

“What’s your point?”

“You must already know.”

Fatholl folded his arms. “You should be very careful what you say. If I were to kill you right here, think about what would happen.”

Whether or not it was psyche, Basen was suddenly filled with terror. He supposed the Elf could disable him and end his life with a simple stroke of the blade. His party would want to avenge him, but if they tried, they would be killed by the Elves supporting Fatholl. Basen’s death would be of little consequence in the end.

He swallowed his fear and made a brave face. “I see I’m right that the Krepps wouldn’t be pleased to find out how much they’ve been manipulated with psyche. It would be especially bad considering you promised, on behalf of all Elves here, that there would be no manipulating whatsoever.”

“What do you intend to do with this information?” Fatholl pulled back his cloak to reveal the dagger that Basen already sensed was there. “You would be a fool to try a lie.”

Basen had never threatened a psychic before. The whole purpose behind a threat was the intent of carrying it out, but Fatholl could discern that Basen didn’t have the stomach to turn the Krepps against the Elves. He had to change this. To do so, he had to be selfish. He had to be cruel. Then he could mean every word he spoke. He found his greed and desperately held onto it as he spoke. This was war, after all.

“I don’t want the Krepps to find out, but they will unless you agree to help us. You can try to kill me, but I’ll scream what I know to Zoke and the rest of my party. The sight of my body will support the truth, and then you’ll have a war of your own.”

Fatholl approached, forcing Basen back a step. He pointed his wand. “And I just might be able to cast through the pain.”

The Elf regarded him with fury, his fingers twitching as if he was about to cripple Basen with pain.

Finally, Fatholl’s shoulders relaxed. “You’ll get none of my Elves, but there’s another way I can help. I assume you’ve already spoken to Zoke about recruiting Krepps?”

“Rickik might lead a few hundred back with us. He’ll give his decision tomorrow.”

“You expect Krepps to go through one of your portals?”

“It’ll be big enough for them.”

“That’s not the issue.” Fatholl chuckled snidely. “Now I almost want to send someone with you and Rickik’s Krepps just so they can come back and share stories of your struggles trying to maintain the stubborn creatures, but I’d never wish that role on any of my Elves. You must know Krepps are the most difficult creatures to tame. They’re idiots. This village was destroyed by Krepps twenty-five years ago, yet these paintings were left in perfect condition. The Krepps believe that destroying a portrait of someone after doing harm to them will cause their spirit to haunt the guilty party. Yet they can’t even tell the difference between Elves most of the time, so all of them are scared to touch any of these paintings in case one
might
be of an Elf they’ve bothered.” Fatholl took a moment to laugh.

“The Krepps that came here just before we did had abandoned the losing side in Ovira’s war, so I would’ve figured they were smarter than the Krepps who first took over this village. They aren’t. They were just as frightened of touching these paintings as the last Krepps were. So what do you think will happen when you show them a portal and ask them to walk into it?”

“They might take some convincing.”

“They will hiss and spit at it like the animals they are! You have a better chance of herding cats through the portal. But with psyche, I can help your words get through their stubborn fear. I’m willing to assist you with this
and
offer armor for the Krepps leaving. In exchange, you’ll keep my secret to yourself.”

Basen took a moment to think. Perhaps armor for the Krepps was better than bringing Elves who didn’t want to be there.

“But there’s something else that you must agree to,” Fatholl added. “Otherwise, I give you nothing.”

Basen folded his arms skeptically. “What?”

Fatholl licked his lips. “Where can you make a portal to?”

“The Academy, the Fjallejon Mountains, the Dajrik Mountains, a kitchen within Tenred’s castle, a small forest in Kilmar near the end of the river, and here.” Basen had spoken without hesitation and only realized afterward that psyche must’ve pulled the words out of him. He took a step back as Fatholl lifted his eyebrows and grinned.

“Good.” He paused for a long while before remarking, “You will return here in a week.”

“And then?”

“I’ll tell you what you need to do when you arrive.”

Basen didn’t like the sound of that, but it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. Who knew what would happen in a week? More importantly, did Fatholl even have a way of holding him to this agreement?

“I agree.”

“Good. I’ll speak to Rickik and help him make the right choice, but you should be aware that Krepps like him cannot be trained. He is a dumb animal that sees many things as a cage. If you intend to lead him, make it seem like he’s making all of the choices you need him to make.”

“Why help by giving me advice?”

Fatholl cracked a smile. “It’s in my best interest that you stay alive for a week.” Then his smile dissolved as he leaned forward. “Because death is the only way you’re not going to come back here.”

Basen couldn’t help his curiosity. “And how will you make sure?”

“Because you’re not stupid enough to find out what happens if you break our agreement.”

Terror made Basen want to run. It must’ve been psyche, but he couldn’t gather his courage quickly enough to stop from fleeing out the door as Fatholl chuckled behind him.