The Broken Sword - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alesha peered about the smoky tavern room, searching. The door shut behind her and no one paid her any mind, cloaked in her magic as she was. Far from invisible, she nevertheless was not easily noticeable; the gaze of the most perceptive of people simply passed over her without noticing her. All save for one. She saw him looking at her and smiled. She had found her objective.

"May I sit here?" She inquired, having moved through the crowd so quickly and fluidly that the man who watched her had barely noticed her approach. He nodded, his throat suddenly dry, and she pulled out one of the two unoccupied chairs of the table.

"Well met, can we help you?" The other man at the table said, surprised at her more or less appearing out of nowhere, as far as he was concerned. Then he was even more surprised when she threw back the hood on her cloak and he beheld her black hair curling around the edges of her beautiful face.

"Perhaps you can," she said ambiguously. She stared at both men for a long moment, taking their measure with her eyes. Neither spoke, somehow sensing that she was judging them but also sensing no guile or ill intent in her.

"Whom do you serve?" Alesha asked, looking at the man who had spoken. She knew the answer to her own question but she wished to hear him speak of it.

"My Lord Alto is the one to whom I answer," he replied without hesitation. She nodded. He wore the robes of a fighting monk, a relatively rare but powerful sect in the church of Alto. It was said that they could perform feats with their bodies that rivaled that which was possible. She had never met one before but she wondered if it was mere discipline or divine magic that enabled them to do such things.

"And you?" She turned to face the other man, a wizard by his appearance.

"With all due respect, Milady, I would know who you are first? You, after all, are the one cloaked mysteriously both in magic and garment," he responded.

"You are astute, I see your Mistress at the Academy of Magic spoke truly of you," Alesha said, smiling approvingly at him. She glanced around and let the magic shielding her disperse. To the two men it was as though she suddenly stepped out of a dark room, though the lighting had not changed. Nevertheless she suddenly captured all of their attention with her presence.

"Milady," the monk said, trying to stumble to his feet to kneel before her. Somewhat slower because of his being dazzled by her beauty and charisma, the magician tried to follow suit.

"Sit, young men, and be silent, please," Alesha said, trying not to laugh at their sudden reaction. "I presume that means you know of me now?"

"I do not, but I have no doubt of your nobility and piety," said the monk, suspecting she was an agent of Alto sent to deliver unto him a quest.

Alesha actually did laugh at his words. The laughter was tinged by only the faintest touch of bitterness; she had long grown accustomed to her separation from the Gods of the world. It had left her feeling hollow at first, as though she was missing something important, but as the years passed she grew accustomed to it and then was able to forget about it completely with the birth of Bobo.

Being reminded of it still sometimes caused a dull ache within her though. "None by right of birth, I can assure you," she said with a tight lipped smile. "And you misspeak yourself gravely when you accuse me of piety, Nathanial."

The monk's eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed a few times before he spoke. "You know our names? How else could you save for divine blessings?"

Briefly Alesha toyed with the thought of darkening her image into that of the evil seductress she had been so very long ago, showing him the possibilities that were beyond his ability to consider. "Ah, to be so young and so innocent. Naive, really, I envy you."

"You're scarcely possible to be more then a year or so my elder, Milady," Nathaniel said, fighting off the indignity caused to his pride by her words.

"I meant no insult, my friend, simply a statement on my part and if I caused you injury, I apologize," Alesha said.

"Nathan, be silent, you babble and the Mistress of the Elves surely has better things to do then to bandy words with you," the wizard scolded, though his own gaze scarcely strayed from her.

Nathanial's eyes widened as he made the connection. They were indeed in Loralost on the isle of Innowendyn, in a tavern by the name of The New Age. They had returned so that Gregory, Nathanial's magic using companion, could finish his final project and graduate from the Academy of Magic as an enchanter. It had required the two of them to travel far and wide to the island nation of Herdonia, where they had to investigate an artifact of great power that secured the island from ruin by time, nature, and enemy attack. The Rock of Herdonia had been stolen, however, and only a thorough investigation had enabled them to find it and restore it to the cavern deep beneath the island to right the wrongs that had been happening to the people and the lands of Herdonia.

Where else would he expect to run into such a powerful, beautiful, and important woman such as Alesha Risingmoon? Nathanial made to stand and kneel before her again, now that he more properly knew of her. Only her hand on his arm kept him seated, though it seemed to pain him greatly.

"I think, of the two of us, you are filled with far more nobility then I," Alesha said, good natured laughter in her eyes.

"Now then, to the nature of my business with you fine young men. I have heard of your deeds and I applaud you for them, I needed to meet with you and see how genuine you were, and I believe I have seen it. If you are willing my husband has something he would speak of with you. A perilous quest that he requires some unique talent for."

"Of course, Milady, we will gladly undertake it!" Nathanial said resolutely. Gregory sighed and shook his head, smiling apologetically at Alesha when she looked at him. Laughter showed in her eyes. So young and eager to please, she could scarcely remember those days so long ago was it.

"Come to the palace tomorrow evening, tell the steward who you are and he will take care of you from there," she said, standing back up and throwing her cowl over her head again. "Gentlemen, I bid you a good evening. Until the morrow."

Both men blinked and looked at each other. She had disappeared before their very eyes. The door opened and closed but they saw no one go through it. Shaking their heads they turned back to one another, unanswered questions hanging thickly in the air. As one they both turned to a nearby barmaid and called out loudly for ale.

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Dressed in the finest clothing they could afford Nathanial and Gregory were admitted into the private office of the King of Innowendyn. Two elven guards wearing finely crafted light weight plate mail stood outside of the door, one to a side. They stood casual but always ready to respond at an instant's notice.

"Welcome," Alesha said, rising from where she was sitting rather casually on the edge of the large wooden desk Kelnozz sat behind. Kelnozz rose as well, a plain but tired smile upon his face. Both wore garments that were simple for their offices, but still cut of a cloth far beyond the means of the two visiting adventurers. Kelnozz wore simple dark brown breeches and a dark blue shirt, with his weapon belt leaning against his desk beside him, something he would never be far from no matter his position or situation. Alesha wore a light blue vest trimmed with crimson lace and rubies as well as a black skirt that clung to her hips and was diagonally cut so that it hung lower on her left leg then on her right.

"Well met, friends," he said, stepping out from behind the desk and coming towards them. Both Gregory and Nathan's eyes widened at King Risingmoon's nonplussed behavior. Both bowed deeply in subservience to him.

Kelnozz sighed audibly. "Rise, good sirs, I would like your help and your services, but not your subservience."

They straightened and stood stiffly, puffing out their chests proudly and scarcely believing they were in a private non-formal conference with the King of the Elves.

Kelnozz studied them for a moment, fighting the urge to smirk as they nearly tripped over themselves. Finally he managed to choke himself down to a smile before he leaned back against his desk and began.

"Tell me what you know of Thoragloorin," he said, watching them for a reaction.

Nathan's frowned as he pondered the name, but it was a quick search through his memory before he came up with nothing. "Thora-what... Sir?"

"Thoragloorin," Gregory supplied. "It is the ancient elven homeland located on Belurian. Nobody knows where it is though, but it is rumored to hold the lost magics of the greatest strengths of the elves before they were lost in the Kinslayer Wars."

Kelnozz looked impressed. He nodded his head thoughtfully. "Yes, yes that is correct. Apparently that Academy we have is doing a better job then I thought they were."

Gregory had the good grace to blush at the praise. "Actually, My Lord, I looked up most of it on my own after hearing a rumor about it a long time ago at the Academy of Magic."

"Oh? What prompted such curiosity?"

Again Gregory blushed. "I am an enchanter, Your Lordship, and items imbued with magic therefore are my tools of the trade. Some of the greatest ensorcelled items in the world are said to come from Thoragloorin, though the only one I have ever seen was the Rock of Herdonia. Thus my interest."

Kelnozz sent an agonizing look at Alesha, who only barely managed to avoid bursting out in laughter at Gregory and Nathaniel's repeated use of honorifics.

"Fair enough," Kelnozz said, letting the matter or formality drop. "There are people who know where it is, and I am one of them."

Gregory's eyes widened in surprise. "You know where Thoragloorin is? Is it passed down in elven history? Or something taught only to royalty?"

Kelnozz grinned at Gregory's blurted out response. Or more so, at his lack of any use of titles. "Well done, Gregory, you've gotten past all the silly name calling!" Alesha said, clapping her hands in twisted delight at Kelnozz's expense. Kelnozz just chuckled at her jibe.

"Yes, I know where it is. I was born there, over five thousand years past."

"Five thousand...." Nathaniel trailed off, stunned at the impossibility of the number.

"Elves do not feel the passing of years as other races do. Ogres were once the same as well," Kelnozz explained.

"Ogres?" Alesha and Gregory spoke at the same time.

Kelnozz glanced at his wife with an amused expression before continuing. "Indeed. Bavorish and Ancaruin seeded this world with life many ages past, and the elves and the ogres were a part of the world, living as the world lived. The elves happily embraced the world and nature, but the ogres felt differently. They strove to take from it and bend and shape it to their will. Bavorish saw much promise in them, and took them under his wing. They betrayed him though, refusing to work for him once they had learned a great many things from him. Not a God yet, he cursed them instead of destroying them all. Their curse caused them to find only the most unattractive and undesirable partners suitable for mating."

Kelnozz paused to enjoy the stunned expressions on the faces of his captive audience. "The inbreeding that ensued caused them to lose their bond with Viconia. From ogres sprang the other races : dwarves, orcs, giants, and more."

"More?" Nathanial asked hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Yes, even men can claim ogre blood in their ancestry, though it is easily ten-thousand years back if not further."

Alesha looked on, surprised. There were many things she needed to think about, in light of this news. Gregory was thoughtful as well, imagining the far reaching ramifications of the information. Nathan was stunned, having more then a little difficulty coming to terms that in some extremely distant way he was related to the large, smelly, and barbaric beasts he had been told to hate and kill since he was old enough to walk.

"Enough history, I would speak of the future," Kelnozz said loudly, forcing their attention back to him. "It is time Thoragloorin was reclaimed and the elves given the choice of where they would live. There are many who would stay here, but some of those who remember Thoragloorin's mystical beauty and some of those who are younger and more idealistic would like to see it renewed."

"What must we do?" Nathanial said, straightening again and proving himself ready to face whatever odds were necessary.

"Wait, Nathanial," Gregory said, putting his hand on the slightly younger man's shoulder. Before he turned to address Kelnozz. "Why us? You command thousands of elves, why not send an army in to recapture it?"

Nathanial looked to Gregory as though he were mad, questioning the whims of the King. Kelnozz nodded and smiled though, showing no concerns.

"Wise questions, I am doubly certain you are the right people for this task. I wish it to remain unknown that I seek to reclaim Thoragloorin, firstly. Secondly, no elf may enter Thoragloorin, a mystical shield surrounds it."

"There is more," Alesha said, walking next to Kelnozz and hopping up so that she sat on the desk beside him. Her legs were side by side but in the skin hugging skirt both men involuntarily felt their eyes drawn to them. Nathanial alone was able to resist, his discipline long since built up against temptation in his service to the church of Alto. Gregory did so only after remembering where he was and who he was in front of. Neither Kelnozz nor Alesha showed any sign of noticing their discomfort.

"There will be a third member of your company, and between the three of you the seal that keeps Thoragloorin apart from Viconia must be brought down," she said, pointedly ignoring the dark mien that came across Kelnozz's face as she spoke.

"Who is to be the third?" Gregory asked after glancing at Nathanial.

"Our son."

Continued in Chapter 5

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