Harry looked over at one of the scariest men he had ever seen. Kha~dim was the leader of the El~ariah warriors. The deadly fighters were the king’s personal guards. Fiercely loyal, they would despatch anyone who posed a threat to their king. They were positioned around the room in the shadows, out of the way, though always at the ready. Harry could see no weapons, but he had no doubt that the lithe soldiers could kill with their bare hands.
Kha~dim actually looked a great deal like Liam, and he was not surprised to learn that the El~ariah had originally come from the Kabduh desert warriors. But that was before they were tortured and turned into something else all together.
“Who were they tortured by?” Harry had asked Satine when she’d told him the story.
She’d hesitated for a long moment and then, quickly, her hands wringing together uncomfortably, she’d said, “They called him The Scourge of Paragor. He’s long gone, and we don’t talk about him anymore.”
Harry had tried to ask her more, but she’d been unwilling to say any more. He shivered and turned away to gaze at all the others around him.
“All right?” Luca asked him, turning to pat him on the shoulder.
“Yes,” Harry replied with a grin. Luca’s own expression was far more controlled, but pleased nonetheless. “Can you imagine what havoc Jack would be wreaking in here!” Harry said.
Luca’s smile broadened. “It might be a good thing after all that they’re not here yet—I get the feeling most of the people in this room would punish first and ask questions later for the pranks that Jack likes to play.”
Harry smiled, eyeing the long sword that hung at Fern’s waist. “You have to admit it’s all pretty cool.”
There was a small bang on the table, and Accolon stood up. The room fell into respectful silence.
“You all know why we’re here.” He looked around the table for confirmation, and went on.
“Our freedom is threatened. Leostrial first came to Lapis Matyr seven years ago. He sailed in from the seas, from a place unknown. It was clear that he had considerable dark power, and he used it to take over the country with but a small army. Far smaller than the army he faced.
“When this happened, Satine agreed to spy on Leostrial and report to us his actions. Over the years she has managed to convey quite clearly that Leostrial is planning to take over Paragor. However, we’ve never known when or how.
“A few weeks ago, our situation changed dramatically with the arrival of the six Strangers.
“I believe they are the Bright Ones.”
The people around the table nodded their heads in agreement. Harry looked around curiously.
“Satine brought with her two scrolls from Leostrial’s study. Yesterday Elixia was able to tell us what these scrolls actually depict.” He paused to unfurl the scrolls and lay them in the centre of the table for everyone to see.
Then he gestured for his queen to speak.
Elixia stood and leant to point at the maps, and indicating the large building in the first, she said, “This may be difficult for you to understand, because Paragor has been completely ignorant of the truth for many years, so you must listen with an open mind.” Nobody spoke, so she continued. “You all know of the morning star Elendial as the last true star to shine, the last of the stars to die when the Great One was destroyed. Well it is not dead, as we have thought, but thriving. It is on Elendial that the gods meet.”
A shocked silence descended on the chamber and she went on quickly, pointing to the map, “This structure here is the only one on the star. It houses angelic beings and provides a meeting place for the gods. This room here is called the meeting room. If the gods meet, you can be sure it is important, for they don’t lightly leave the realms over which they rule.”
It took most of them a moment to understand what she was saying, for Elendial had been thought to have been lost a long time ago, along with all the other stars, and its death was deeply mourned.
Harry felt like actually checking his ears to make sure he wasn’t going insane. He couldn’t possibly have heard her correctly. Angels and gods?
“Have we stepped into a fanatical religious cult or something?” he whispered under his breath to Jane.
She shrugged, not looking away from Elixia.
Accolon nodded to his wife and as she sat down he took his place again. “Now, the fact that Leostrial was in possession of these maps is our first clue. Our next clue, Harry?”
Harry carefully stood and recounted his dream. His voice was shaky—he wasn’t used to speaking in front of so many important people—and his face flushed deeply.
He told the anxious listeners about the angel and the arrows, the room he had seen, and watched their expressions as they began to understand. As he described the building, he realised it was exactly as Elixia had explained it. He was more than pleased to banish the thought that they were all crazy.
Rushing to the end of the dream, he sat down gratefully and Accolon stood up once again.
“Taking this into account along with Leostrial’s possession of the maps, the Kabduh seer’s prediction that war is upon us, and the fact that the angel in Harry’s dream spoke the words, ‘They are coming’, it seems that Leostrial is planning to wage war on the star Elendial.”
“Could he not just be planning to attack the rest of us?” Emperor Liam asked.
Satine shook her head and said, “I’ve spoken to him on a number of occasions and he has never expressed any desire to do any such thing. It has to be Elendial he seeks to attack.”
There was a deep silence in the room as everyone contemplated what this meant. An incredulous silence. A question hung in the air.
“But ... why?” Jane asked.
Accolon shrugged. “A thirst for power, I imagine. If Leostrial were to win, he would have complete and total control over Paragor. I don’t have to tell you that this would be ... disastrous. Who knows what he would do with such power! From what we have seen in the past, he is likely to run the world into the ground, slaughtering men, women and children in his bloodlust. We must stop him. We must gather all the forces of Paragor as one in fighting Leostrial, or we shall perish.
“The problem is,” Accolon continued more quietly now, “we don’t know if the events of the dream have come to pass yet—if the gods know of Leostrial’s plans, surely they would make plans of their own. If we are to plan a proper attack, then we must know.”
Fern cleared his throat and said softly, “Not so, my lord. There is still much to be done. The time has come to act.”
That was when Harry realised he’d been wrong. Fern may be wild and fun-loving, and even—from what Harry could see—a little immature at times. But not when it mattered.
Ria stood up. “I have something that may help you.” She waited for Accolon to nod before continuing.
“A few days ago, I returned to my village after many years. The men had been away and a pack of sabre-tooths had killed many of the women and children. I followed the beasts to a ridge not far from the Elvish border. Liam was with me. We watched the beasts for a night and a day, and I will admit that my mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. I didn’t have a plan, and it was a stupid thing for me to do.
“Mid-afternoon on the second day, as we watched, something happened. We all know the story of Locktar. We grew up to understand that this beast was just a tale.” Ria closed her eyes. “It is not just a tale. I saw him begin to herd a large pack of sabre-tooths north. I will leave it up to you to guess who has enough power to control the beast.”
Harry looked around the room. Each had a horrified expression. Elixia’s hand covered her mouth. Tomasso closed his eyes.
Ria sat down, and Harry saw Luca rest his hand on her arm gently. Accolon stood slowly and put his hands on the table for support.
“It seems that Leostrial has control of one of the most dangerous beasts ever to cross the earth.” Accolon sighed heavily. “His power is very great. He has an army of sabre-tooths, though I don’t know
how he’ll transport them across the sea. How many were there, Ria?”
Fern answered, “There were over a thousand, but they are well diminished in number.”
“How so?”
“My father and I dealt with them.”
Accolon nodded in thanks and then continued. “But Leostrial could not have power enough to control Locktar. It cannot be.”
“He does, actually,” Jane said. She hadn’t stood up to speak, but she looked up at Accolon with fear in her eyes. “He does have enough power. In fact, he has more than enough. It surpasses everything in this world. Something happened when we arrived, and it changed him. I don’t know how, but he has new power.”
Harry stared at his friend, shocked by the certainty in her voice. Nobody questioned her.
“I know why,” said a quiet voice. They all looked at Satine. She looked at Jane, and they seemed to understand one another.
Satine didn’t stand either. She sat and stared, as something flickered through her eyes. “It was because of me.”
Accolon’s jaw clenched for a moment. “What are you talking about?” he asked flatly.
Satine looked up at him and said, “He loved me, I think. It took him many years to trust me enough to be able to do so. When I betrayed him, he changed. Try to understand this.” Satine paused for a moment to get her thoughts straight. “Leostrial is not entirely evil,” she said slowly. “No one is. There were things he wanted to do that I hated, but there were also some things that I agreed with. He was trying to rebuild the country. He wanted it to prosper. It was not about destruction, though it may seem that way. It was about trying to create something that he believed was good. About opinions, and ideas. We may not agree with him, and yes, I believe that he must be stopped, but ... he is not ... without feeling.”
Harry stretched his memory back to when he had first come to Amalia. He knew the story. He knew how Leostrial had killed Satine’s father and married her mother. And yet here Satine sat, making excuses for the man. Understanding him.
Everyone else seemed just as confused.
Satine sighed wearily. “Jane is right. He has been changed. Betrayal does that to people. He will no longer be moved by anything. Except me.
“I will go back. Maybe, just maybe, his feelings for me go deep enough that I can buy you time. I will not be able to stop him forever, understand, but it may be just enough to help you.” Her face was blank. She had accepted her fate.
“No,” the king said.
“Accolon—” Satine tried to reason, but she was interrupted.
“No. You are not going back there.” His voice was low and angry. “I forbid it. It is too dangerous. He will kill you.”
“We may all die if I do not act,” she said. “At least I shall die saving my country and the people I love. And at least I might try to have the vengeance I set myself upon so many years ago, I must do this,”
The room was quiet, waiting for Accolon to speak.
“But you have been through so much,” the king said quietly.
Satine shrugged and smiled a little sadly.
They looked at each other a moment longer and then Accolon cleared his throat. “We must decide what actions to take.”
Fern nodded and said, “We need to gather everyone who is fit to fight from each country. Each leader is to take charge of their own people and their own army. Satine, how long can you hold him for us?”
Satine frowned and thought for a moment. “Give me a couple of weeks,” she said eventually.
Fern nodded. “A month, that’s all you have,” he said, turning to the leaders. “Have your armies ready by then, and gather them at the docks. My father and I will make sure there are enough boats to carry your men. You can best decide how to rally them together, but they must be ready to sail in one month’s time.”
The leaders agreed. Fern continued, “We don’t know who else Leostrial has fighting by his side, so we must be prepared for anything. He has Locktar, the sabre-tooths, and his army. Your armies need to be well armed to face such foes.” Fern turned to his sister.
“Queen Elixia,” he addressed her formally and she blinked. “How is it that you know about Elendial?”
Elixia sighed. With a regretful voice, she said, “I know, brother, because I have been there.”
She paused to let them take this in.
“What?” Fern exclaimed.
“I know you’re curious,” she said firmly, “but the story is not one I’m willing to tell today. Perhaps when this war is over, and we have rid the world of some of its evil I’ll be able to explain.”
“Lix, you can’t just...” Fern started to say, but his younger sister held up her hand to stop him.
“I don’t want to discuss this further,” she uttered, her voice deadly.
Fern looked at her for a long moment and then sighed, giving a reluctant nod.
“Is there any way that we can get in contact with the gods? It may be worth taking council with them too—just to let them know that we will fight for them.”
“Take council with the gods?” Cornelius interrupted. He stared at his children as if they had gone mad. “You don’t just talk to the gods as if they are your friends, son!”
“Fern is right, father,” Elixia said. “If you need to speak with them, then there is only one way to do it.”
“Tell us, then.”
“You must use The Book of the Dead. It contains a summoning incantation, which is the only way to communicate with them. Unless they deem it necessary and come to you.”
“Is that how you spoke with them?”
Elixia gave a wry smile. “Let me rephrase that. It is the only way to speak with the gods without dying.”
And what could possibly be said to something like that? Everyone stared at her. The silence was so deep you could have heard a pin drop.
“Ah, what?” Fern asked. He was clearly struggling.
She sighed. “Never mind.”
They all looked at her helplessly. She seemed content not to say anything more.
“Where is the book?” Accolon asked finally.
“Wait a minute!” Cornelius interrupted his children. “This isn’t right. You don’t meddle with the gods—there is a greater power at work than our will! It is not in our hands to decide to look upon them, let alone speak to them!”
“It is in our hands, for there exists a book that allows such a thing,” Jane said quietly and there was definitely sense in her words. “As Fern said, we have gone past the time for sitting still. We must act, and from what we know, this is the only thing we can do.”
Cornelius shook his head but didn’t say anything, and Fern turned back to his sister. “The book?”
“Is on the Isle of Guanu.”
Fern groaned. “How in the name of Actaeon and Danae are we going to get it from there?”
“With great difficulty, I suspect,” Elixia replied.
Harry turned to Luca, “Where’s that?”
“No idea.”
Fern thought for a moment, and then said, “We need a change of plan. A small party will sail on the fastest ship in the fleet to the Isle of Guanu. We’ll retrieve the book and return to council.”
“Who do you propose will go?” Accolon asked.
“Well, myself of course,” Fern said.
“And I would come, but the leaders have other duties,” said Liam.
Accolon spread his hands wide. “Who does this expedition need?”
Fern folded his arms over his chest and looked around.
“I’ll go with you!” Harry blurted. Fern sized him up, and Harry suddenly feared that this would be exactly like sport at school, where no one had ever picked him for their team. Why would Prince Fern want him for a dangerous expedition? Harry was just about to shake his head and retract the statement when Fern smiled.
“I’d be honoured to have you, Harry,” the prince said sincerely.
Jane caught Harry’s eye and smiled fondly.
Lu
ca, at his side shook his head slightly. “I’ll go too,” Harry’s best friend said with the slightest hint of reluctance.
“You don’t have to protect me, Luca,” Harry hissed but Luca ignored him.
“Wonderful,” Fern said.
Jane cleared her throat.
Fern smiled. “How did I not know you would want to come?”
She smiled and shrugged.
“I shall come too, for I know my way around the Isle,” Fey said quietly.
“How is that?” Fern asked.
“Amazonians are trained in combat on Guanu,” she said lightly.
“Well that’s fine, but am I right in assuming that none of you can fight?” Fern asked wryly, gesturing to the Strangers.
Harry blushed.
“Wait,” Jane interjected. “What exactly is it that we’re going to have to fight?”
“The Isle of Guanu is full of dangers,” Fey responded cryptically.
“Ria—you can fight. Will you come?” Fern asked her.
Ria glanced sideways at Luca and then shrugged in response. “I will,” she murmured.
“Wait!” Columba said sharply. “You cannot be serious in taking three so ill-prepared people with you. What possible help could they be?”
Nobody knew what to say. She was right, Harry knew, but what could he do?
It was, of course, Jane who came to their rescue. “Do you think,” she said very softly, “that we might be allowed a chance to prove ourselves? Is that not why we’re here, or am I mistaken?”
There was an intake of breath around the room. Columba stared at the girl, clearly unused to being contradicted in any way, and certainly not by a girl.
Jane looked calmly at the older woman, waiting for a response. Fern looked as if he were trying hard not to smile.
“Well if the High Queen cannot voice her concerns then I don’t know what—” she started to say, then realised her mistake.
“I think, Columba, that you have made a slip of the tongue,” Elixia interrupted softly, her voice like knives. “You are no longer the queen, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t speak such treasonous words in front of me.”
Columba paled.
“Jane is correct—why else are the Strangers here if not to help us? And I think they must be allowed to prove their worth, and make their own mistakes, just as the rest of us are.”