Filaree rushed to the struggling beast, her dagger withdrawn from the folds of her tunic. While straddling its broad chest, she slit its throat with one swipe of the razor sharp blade. Black blood poured out onto the floor and seeped into the wood and stone. The beast snorted and wheezed beneath the quaking ribbons of light which secured it tightly, and then it expired.
Cairn meanwhile, rushed to the side of the traitorous elf who could not move his arms and legs even an inch since the moment of impact. His eyes were terror stricken as he looked at the outraged, yellow-eyed, shaven-headed scholar, and he shook his head furiously back and forth.
“He made me do it,” he screamed. “I didn’t want to.”
“You’’re a liar,” Robyn said to him after walking to his side, unmoved by his declaration. “You betrayed your people of your own free will.”
“No. No, I did not. I had no choice,” he pleaded.
“You always had a choice, though you may not have liked it. You simply made the wrong one,” the Chosen replied. “It will be up to your own people to decide what your fate will be. It is not for me to pass judgment here.”
Ruffin sighed with relief, caring only that his life had been spared and not thinking about what was to come. Had he contemplated the wrath of the elves of Seramour, he may not have been so comforted by this temporary pardon. Now, he only cared that he would live a wee bit longer.
Robyn placed his hands over the shimmering ties that bound him, intuited their essence, and smiled. He raised his own right hand and with it he drew a circle in the air above the prone body of the elf. He tied the ribbons off securely, allowing Davmiran to release his own hold, and then he turned and walked away.
Elsinestra was standing over the stricken body of Adain and administering to him. She was a very competent healer, but she knew that he was beyond even her skills. She caressed his forehead with her hand, and tried to comfort him as best as she could. The strike by Ruffin had crushed a part of his skull and he could barely speak.
“It is so dark in here, Aunt,” he struggled to form the words.
“We have snuffed out the candles, Adain, so that the enemy cannot see us,” she said to him in an attempt to ease his fear. “Try not to speak now. You must lay still.”
The others gathered around him, and both Davmiran and Robyn kneeled down by his side. Robyn took one of Dav’s hands in his own and together they ran their fingers over his wounds. The Chosen instructed the younger one silently, and they both closed their eyes. Within seconds, a warm glow surrounded their clasped hands. Robyn reached and laid them both gently on Adain’s chest. His breathing, which had been irregular, eased somewhat and his face relaxed a bit.
“That is the most we can do for him,” he whispered to Elsinestra. “We have made him a bit more comfortable. I am afraid that his wounds are fatal. No one could save him now,” he said sadly.
The Queen turned her head away from his stare and brushed a tear from her eye with her sleeve. When she looked at him once again, she was smiling sweetly.
“You saved my life, nephew,” she said to him. “I will be grateful to you forever.”
“It was my duty, Aunt,” he replied,wearied. “I would not let any harm come to you. I promised Uncle Treestar,” he said. “And my father.”
“You were very brave, Adain. Your mother would have been so proud,” she said, remembering her Sister fondly. “You must save your strength.”
“I am very sleepy, Aunt. I think that I will close my eyes,” he said to her. “I can barely see you. Would you give me your hand, your Highness?” he asked.
“Of course, my dear. Here it is,” she said, choking back the tears.
He grasped her fingers feebly and drew them to his heart. “You have been like a mother to me since my own died,” he said. “I am happy that I was able to protect you. Will you tell my father what happened?”
“You will tell him yourself. But you must rest now.”
“No. You must tell him. I cannot feel your hand. Are you still holding mine?”
“Yes. Have no fear, Adain. I will not leave you.” She squeezed his fingers, but there was no response.
“Thank you. I am not frightened.”
“You are safe here, nephew. No one will hurt you anymore.”
“Is the city safe? Will many die?” The boy’s breath came in short gasps and his speech was labored.
“The city is safe. We have slain the beast,” she lied.
“Good. That makes me feel much better.” He opened his eyes for a brief moment and looked directly into hers, though she was uncertain if he really could see her. “Tell my father I love him,” he said.
His head lolled back on its side. Elsinestra closed his eyelids with her fingertips, and as she leaned over him, a heavy tear fell from her face onto his. She watched as it slowly rolled down his cheek as if it was his own. Her hand was still holding on to his and she was reluctant to release it, though his spirit had already flown. Finally, she placed his limp hand on his motionless chest, adjusted his clothing as best as she could, and kissed him sweetly upon his wounded forehead.
“To lose those whose lives have barely begun is the saddest thing of all,” she said to the group surrounding her. “He was a good, good boy.”
“He was very courageous,” Filaree said.
“Indeed,” she replied, enveloped by her grief.
Elsinestra forced herself to rise, knowing that now was not the time to wallow in her own sadness There would be time for grief later, she well knew. That is, if there was to be a ‘later’.
“We must leave here as quickly as we can. We have delayed too long already. We can be certain that Caeltin’s attack will not end with this,” she said to the group. “I will lead you to the air shafts. Alas, Adain cannot be the one to do it any longer. I know where they are as well as anyone,” she declared. “But we must move his body somewhere safe. I cannot just leave him here like this.”
“Where would you like us to carry him to?” Cairn asked, head bowed.
“Place him in the hallway. He will be sheltered there until I can return to see to his arrangements,” she replied.
“Whatever you wish, your Highness,” Cairn said. “What shall we do with that creature over there?” he asked, pointing to Ruffin.
“Leave him where he is. If his own confederates should destroy this chamber with him in it, then so be it,” she said, looking down her nose at the traitorous elf lying bound in the corner, his eyes wide with fear. “It would be a fitting demise for one such as he.”
Dav, Robyn, Filaree and Cairn all lifted Adain’s limp body with great care and walked to the doorway that they had attempted to walk through a few times already this fateful day. Elsinestra opened it and moved aside as they carried Adain’s lifeless body out of the Chamber of the Stars. She looked at his pale face as they passed by her, and then she stared once again at the recreant in the corner.
“You have taken from me something dearer than you can imagine. For your sake, I hope you die in this room,” she said, as she walked out the door and shut it securely behind her.
Chapter Fifty-two
Treestar burst out of the tower entrance and into an anxious line of waiting generals. He had barely a moment to survey the surrounding area before they began to brief him on what was occurring all over Seramour. The bugs were devouring everything and the people of the city could do nothing to stop them. He mounted his small pony, and together they sped away in order to survey the damage and to develop a strategy to thwart this insidious enemy.
He glanced up at the top of the tower, toward the Chamber of the Stars. The sky above was as dark as night, but the room stood out, silhouetted against the backdrop of blackness. He thought he saw something streak across the sky, but it disappeared too quickly for him to be certain.
My wife is safe with the Chosen and the heir
, he thought.
Adain is probably already leading them to the air shafts, and if I know her as well as I think I do, she will accompany them at least part of the way.
Treestar turned his attention to the task at hand as he bolted down the streets of the city.
The moment they stepped foot outside the protection of the tower, they realized just how serious the situation in the city had become in an incredibly short while. Although the elves of Seramour were skilled in the art of war, they did not know how to combat an enemy of this sort. The bugs were eating away at the very heart of the city, and nothing anyone did seemed to slow their progress. Everywhere people were lighting fires, trying to burn them out, beating them to pieces with mallets and other weapons, even using kitchen utensils in desperation. All to no avail.
There were so many insects invading the city that it seemed impossible to even slow their destructive progress. Tunnels and ravines could already be seen in spots wherever there was wood, and in Seramour, there was wood just about everywhere.
“We cannot just leave and abandon the people, your Highness,” Cairn said.
Filaree was frustrated. “To turn our backs now and run away would not be acceptable,” she echoed.
“We must make a stand and do what we can,” Robyn concurred.
“Let me at least lead you closer to your escape route. There is far more at risk than this city, my friends,” Elsinestra replied. “If you linger too long here you may never get out. What good then would all of our efforts be? My nephew’s death? All the death and destruction would be in vain,” she said. “Do what you must, but remember that Seramour is not crucial to this war. Some things must be sacrificed when others are clearly more important. Besides, we are not as helpless as it may seem. My husband is resourceful. He and the others are most likely preparing a counterattack as we speak,” she said bright-eyed.
“Let us hope they come up with one that is effective. This invasion is quickly taking its toll here,” Cairn observed.
“Come, Dav. Let us do what we can. Has your strength returned?” Robyn asked the boy.
“I think so. At least I do not feel weak,” he replied.
“Good. Then join me here. It will take all of our efforts to repeat what we did in the chamber above. Only this time, we must spread it over a far greater area. I do not know how effective it will be, but we must try nonetheless.”
Robyn and Davmiran stood side by side once again. The boy followed the elder one’s silent instructions and soon the air around them crackled with power. They were both engulfed in a pale white light, like a cocoon, that hovered all around them. In moments, it grew brighter and started to spin. In harmony, they raised their arms, and with their hands open, fingers extended and palms facing downward, they sculpted and kneaded the light, flattening it out as if it was solid and corporeal.
All around their feet, the light danced and sparkled. It spread itself over the entire area, and soon the others felt it churning around them as well. Robyn and Davmiran were deep in concentration, forcing the energy to slowly seep into the ground and thus to expand as far as was possible. Then simultaneously, as if on a signal, they dropped their arms.
The air crackled in response and a wave of power burst over the surface. Thousands of the bugs raised their heads for a brief second before being consumed by the light. They disintegrated instantly, and only dark piles of ashes remained where they had been devouring the wood of Seramour only moments before.
Elsinestra’s heart leapt into her mouth and Filaree and Cairn too felt elated momentarily.
Robyn frowned at them. “Do not rejoice too soon,” he warned. “Our reach does not spread nearly far enough. We cannot repeat this indefinitely, and this is a large city.”
“At least you have cleared this area,” the Queen said, looking all around.
“For now,” Robyn replied. “But unless we can rid the entire city of these insects, they will do irreparable damage wherever they remain alive.”
Cairn raised his lips to the sky and whistled quietly, as if to himself. He closed his eyes and thought about his friend and companion Calyx, who had stayed near the fields of Seramour rather than in the city proper. Within moments, the great Moulant bounded down one of the side streets and came to rest at his friend’s side. Cairn hugged him tightly and they exchanged what information they needed to.
“The farms are being ravished by the bugs,” Cairn reported. “Calyx said that they are devouring the food stocks as if they knew exactly where you stored them.”
“They seem to know every important place in the city,” Filaree grimaced.
“Have you forgotten that it was an elf who led Caeltin to us?” Elsinestra said. “He must have told him everything about the city. We are at a great disadvantage now.”
“Let us at least purge the most crucial areas of these pests while we still have out strength,” Robyn said. “Davmiran has enormous potential. The boy and I can save some of Seramour.”
“Come then,” Elsinestra urged. “Let us go to those trees which are paramount, those which provide the footings for the city. The greatest of the Nobans have surely been targeted. Perhaps we can forestall the deterioration until my husband can discover a way to battle these things. This will take us in the direction we need to go anyway.”
The others followed without question. As they walked, they saw that their recent efforts had been very effective. All the activity of the enemy in the surrounding areas had ceased, and the soldiers were quickly cleaning up the streets. They gratefully made way for the Queen and her entourage as they passed by.
Many of the large trees were partially hollowed out, and within their trunks, safe havens had been created for the children, the elderly and the infirm. No one ever suspected that these areas would be vulnerable to attack as well. But since the trees were so large, they had been targeted early on. Elsinestra was shocked to see the first of the shelters swarming with the black bugs of Sedahar.
“You must do what you can here,” she implored. “The lifeblood of our people, the youth of the city, resides hereunder,” she said, pointing to the surface.
Davmiran walked a little closer to the massive shutters that concealed the openings to the sanctuaries.
“Here, Robyn. If we begin here we can eliminate the threat in this place as well as that one over there,” he said, pointing eastward. “There is another refuge within our striking range.”
“You are quite perceptive, Dav. Teaching you will be a less arduous experience than I expected,” Robyn said smiling. “He is correct of course.”
Once they were standing side by side again, they clasped their hands and began the process that the others had already witnessed earlier. The light burst from their entwined hands and rolled along the surface like a wave in the water. It decimated each and every one of the insects it touched immediately. This time though, Davmiran staggered slightly after the streak of power began to fade. Robyn reached for him in order to steady him, though he too was more fatigued than previously.
“The children will be safe for now,” he said to the Queen.
Elsinestra clenched Robyn’s arm in gratitude. “How much longer can you continue this?” she asked.
“Two more times, perhaps three, though each will be weaker than the one before.”
“Does it endanger either of you?” Filaree asked.
“Only in so far as we grow tired and weak. It does no permanent damage to us.”
“Then we must do what we can,” Cairn said.
“Where to next, your Highness?” Robyn asked.
While Elsinestra weighed these agonizing choices, Calyx grew agitated. He stood up on his hind legs and roared at the sky. Cairn and Filaree both looked upward and saw that the dark clouds had descended so low over the city that they practically touched the tops of the tallest of the buildings.
“I do not like the looks of this,” Filaree said only seconds before a barrage of beasts like the one that attacked them in the Chamber of the Stars came hurtling down from above. “Take cover,” she warned the others while drawing her sword from her belt.
Calyx remained on his hind legs with his mouth agape and his long claws drawn fully from his soft paws. He was ready to defend his friend from anything that might attack him now. From the distance, they could see a barrage of arrows rise into the sky. The keen skills of the elves of Seramour were being tested, and many of the shafts struck home. This time though, the riders were from Colton’s own troops. They guided the flying beasts surely and precisely to the exact places were the defenders had congregated. Each of the towers that harbored archers had been singled out, and massive numbers of these bee-like monsters swooped down upon them.
The odds were overwhelming. Although the towers were well concealed amidst the trees and buildings, the enemy knew just where to go. They circled for a few minutes, swirling around each of the sites, and then simultaneously they dove at an incredible speed. The first riders flung small barbed missiles of black metal from slings that they twirled overhead as they dropped. These were followed by another group who hurled larger objects that burst into flame when they broke upon the surface.
Although a number of the beasts were stricken by arrows, there were so many emerging from the cover of the black clouds, that their losses seemed almost negligible. The air was buzzing with the enemy, and they were well organized. Waves of attackers would come in at once, leaving barely a moment between each onslaught. Before the defenders had an opportunity to re-set their arrows, another group would descend upon them.
In a short time, two of the towers were practically void of guards. One was in flames and the other was smoldering. Battalions of elves rushed toward the defenses and attempted to stifle the flames, but as they did so, they were immediately attacked from above. The clouds were so effective in concealing the enemy, and they now hung so low over the city, that it was nearly impossible to prepare. It seemed that as soon as the defenders revealed themselves, they were set upon. Dav’s previous attempt at congealing the clouds for their own protection was overcome by the Dark Lord’s power.
Calyx growled, and with a burst of speed, took one of the riders out with a swipe of his giant paw. His claws tore into the throat of the attacker and it died instantly. The beast that he flew attempted to rise, but the Moulant caught it by its long tail and thrashed it into the ground, easily crushing its skull.
“We must seek shelter. We are too exposed here,” Filaree warned the others.
“No. Now we must go. We cannot remain here any longer. The risk has grown too great,” Elsinestra said. “Follow me,”
This time, they did not question the Queen. Robyn and Davmiran were already weakened from their previous efforts, and they were nowhere near ridding the city of the bugs. With this second and far more dangerous assault, they could not even continue their attempts without seriously endangering themselves. They realized that this battle was no longer theirs to win, and they all reluctantly accepted Elsinestra’s resolution.
They ran through the streets of Seramour, disgusted and anguished by their inability to assist the beleaguered citizens on the way. Fires were now erupting in many places, as the incendiary bombs that the riders flung everywhere spread a nasty liquid as they burst. This oily liquid seeped into the cracks and crevices of the buildings and streets and then ignited, creating an intense heat that was strong enough to burn even a Noban’s wood.
The ravenous insects were busy in other places, attacking at precisely the most vulnerable points, as well as at the borders of the largest of the lifts. They persisted and persisted until they found the few weaknesses, the tiny spaces by the seals, and then they inserted their pointed snouts into them. Within minutes, they were able to eat away at enough of the wood to allow hundreds of the others to swarm around the breaches. From that point on, their destructive activity proceeded faster and faster.
More than a few times, the fleeing friends had to duck behind the shelter of a house or shop in order to avoid the continuous attacks from above. Calyx was the only one of the group to remain out in the open, and he growled and slashed the air with his huge paws each time. The riders carefully avoided the Moulant after he took down a number of their cohorts and dispatched them quickly and mercilessly.
Elsinestra looked behind her as they ran and she was stunned by how quickly the city was being decimated. She never dreamed that Seramour could be vulnerable to attack, let alone fall victim to one so easily.
“It is a sad day for our entire race,” she said. “What manner of abomination would want to destroy something so beautiful and innocent as this city and its people?”
“We cannot comprehend what motivates one such as Colton. He does not think the way that we do,” Robyn replied.
“He has no regard for life of any kind. It is his desire that all life ceases,” Cairn added.
“That is why we must bring the heir to safety,” the Queen reiterated. “Whatever happens here, he must survive,”
Filaree caught up to Robyn as they rushed down a smoking alleyway. Running alongside him, she tried to get his attention without alerting the others to her intentions.
“Is there truly nothing we can do to help here?” she asked him. “The city will not survive if this is allowed to continue.”