The Chaos Blade - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"My Lords! A blue dragon has been sighted over the city! It carries riders," A guard said after bursting into the council room.

The lords of Sanctuary sat about their table and looked at one another as silence befell the room. Their hesitation was brief, for one of them speak up quickly.

"Already? Damn! Begin the preparations, we must evacuate as many as possible," He said, standing up from his chair. "Guard, has the garrison been mobilized?"

"Aye Lord, as I speak they are falling into their positions," The guard replied.

"That is good," Another lord said to no one in particular. "Have Akynson begin to conjure the gate, Laryn is to be in charge of the refugees defense."

The first lord looked about the table as everyone was preparing to leave and said, "Has anyone proven this rumor that Laryn claims to be true?"

"No, we have found no sign of Kelnozz in Sanctuary," Another lord said, standing with his hand clutching the hilt of his long sword.

The First Lord shook his head in disappointment as their meeting was adjourned so they could prepare to conduct the defense of Sanctuary. The guard was dismissed and he returned to his post.

Laryn led his company of mounted soldiers through the city towards where the dragon had landed to unload its riders. He knew a dragon to be a terrible foe, but with the score of trained men he had it should not prove an unbeatable one. Until he actually saw it, that is.

The blue was bigger then anything he had ever seen before. Bigger even then Akynson's friend Lanceril, daughter of the legendary Luingirth. He shook any fear he had from his mind and charged towards the dragon, lance leveled at the beast.

He caught a flash of something from his peripheral vision and then found himself bouncing off the ground, unseated from his horse. He came to a stop and stood up immediately, drawing his great sword to face his new foe.

"Put that away you fool!" The elf that had come out of nowhere and unseated him from his saddle said.

"Kelnozz! You traitor, why do you stop me from defending my home!" Laryn said, neither advancing nor retreating.

Kelnozz scowled at him and said, "I have no intention of not allowing you to defend Sanctuary! I also have no intention of letting you attack an ally!"

Laryn stopped and looked at the dragon and its companions as they came closer.

A light elf and several humans walked towards them.

"Well met Kelnozz!" The dragon called out.

"Aye, well met indeed, Luingirth," Kelnozz replied. "Though it bodes ill, for you never visit us unless it is to bring news of fell tidings."

The dragon chuckled without humor and changed his shape into that of a seven foot tall warrior. "'Tis true enough, though this time I am but the means of travel, these good people are the bearer of fey tidings."

"Much like myself, I suppose," Kelnozz continued, muttering under his breath.

Laryn watched the conversation taking place between Kelnozz and Luingirth, slowly understanding why Kelnozz had stopped him from what would have not only been a mistake, but also a quick way to death. "I am Sir Laryn, commander of the city guard, what news is it you bring?"

The light elf stepped forward and nodded her head in respect. "I am Elvanshalee, our news is meant for Kelnozz only, Sir Laryn."

Kelnozz looked startled as he recognized Eric standing next to Elvanshalee, then he realized how achingly familiar Elvanshalee looked to him as well. He opened his mouth to speak when Alesha stepped out from behind him and Bill. Kelnozz was stunned. He recovered quickly, reaching for his swords and drawing them before anyone could breathe. It had been centuries since he had seen her last, but his memories of her were perfect and at no point had she showed any sign of redemption. Not only that, he had come to believe that redemption was a fool's hope. Once one's true colors were shown they never faded, they were only masked from time to time. Darakor had taught him that.

"Luingirth, you bring a light elven bitch into this city and then, on top of that, you show her the way here? It must have been a mighty price to pay to get you to betray me, old friend," Kelnozz said, not understanding how it had happened but preparing to fight regardless.

"Kelnozz, wait!" Eric called out, raising his hands in a show of peace. "We have news."

Kelnozz noticed the sword resting on Eric's hip and that alone gave him pause. His swords dipped slightly, but he remained on guard. "Speak, Eric, for I see that you still possess Alesha's sword."

"By my own desire and her own wishes, I possess this blade. She does not trust herself with it, and knows that perhaps better then anything else we possess this would slay her if the need arose," Eric said quickly.

"Is this true?"

Alesha looked at him, tears in her eyes threatening to spill. She rushed forward then, closing the distance between them rapidly. Kelnozz stood there, uncertain. He let his swords remain pointing down, however, allowing Alesha to throw her arms around him when she reached him. She clung desperately to him and let her tears flow, unable to stop them.

Kelnozz found himself confused. In his arms was the girl he had known long ago, before Bavorish had twisted her. For a heart wrenching moment he found himself teetering on the brink of madness. Alesha was there, with him! He held her and she claimed to be both free and redeemed. For that timeless moment he felt that perhaps everything could be made right. Then Darakor's betrayal reentered his mind. Memories of Alesha's sword ringing off his blades as he parried her strikes came to him. Visions of the globes dark elven mages had summoned to allow him and other elven lords to watch the battles of the Kinslayer wars where light elves fought with hate filled visages against dark elves. He knew then what he had to do. Even if Alesha somehow was better, she had been tempted and corrupted once, to bring her back here was a fool's mission, for surely she would be lulled and guided back to serving her dark God.

Elvanshalee looked around anxiously, hoping to catch sight of her brother and not wanting to witness the shameless display of affection. Bill glanced away as well, somewhat embarrassed. From where he stood it looked like Alesha and Kelnozz had some sort of a relationship and his actions earlier that morning had certainly showed no respect for any such thing

"What price indeed," Luingirth's deep voice boomed out, though this time it came from a towering giant of a man nearly eight feet tall and covered in blue plate mail. "Foolish elf, thou knowest me better then that!"

Kelnozz just shook his head. Luingirth patted him on the shoulder and gently pulled Alesha off of him. She smiled faintly at him and tried to wipe her face clean. When that did not work she waved her hand in front of her face and used her magic to dry the tears.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, her voice catching in her throat.

Kelnozz looked from her to the others one by one. His enemy, a light elf, and a human he had charged with keeping a powerful weapon safe and far from both Alesha and Viconia all gathered together in Sanctuary. He shook his head. "I need a drink," he muttered, slamming his swords back in their scabbards angrily and turning to walk away.

Stunned, Alesha watched him go then glanced at the others. They saw her confused expression but were of little help to her. Luingirth frowned and said, "Go after him, all of you."

Luingirth walked off, heading towards a large ranch in the distance. The rest shuffled after Kelnozz dutifully, each having no idea what to say or do. Sir Laryn watched uncertainly. In the end he followed after the visitors, anxious to make sure his city was safe.

"We're back in Sanctuary?" Bill asked when they entered the same tavern they had come in when Alesha first brought them to Viconia.

Eric just shrugged. "Looks like it." Bill shot him a dark look to which Eric grinned and replied, "Hey bro, just like joining the military! Travel to strange and exciting places, experience diverse cultures, meet new and interesting people, then kill them."

Cowboy scowled and looked away. Eric chuckled, he could tell his friend was hiding a grin from him. Yamara, on the other hand, was not amused. She caught his attention and sent him a dark look reminding him to keep his mouth shut for now. Eric nodded, after all, Alesha did appear to be a little emotionally unstable and the consequences of that was very sobering.

They sat at Kelnozz's table in the bar and everybody waited patiently for someone to begin. Alesha looked miserable, Yamara calm, Eric curious, Bill pained, and Elvanshalee annoyed. Poor Laryn was just lost, anxious to learn what was going on but determined not to break any unknown social norm.

Finally, after several seconds of silence at the table Laryn could take it no more. He leaned forward and opened his mouth. Before he could speak Kelnozz held up his hand with his finger pointing up, indicating that Laryn was to wait. A look of dismay crossed his face but he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

A serving girl arrived then, smiling at Eric and Bill encouragingly. She remembered there outlandish ways from their prior visit and had enjoyed their attentions. Kelnozz motioned at her and ordered. "Kyla, a round of ales please. Even the light elf."

She nodded and moved off, returning quickly with a platter full of filled mugs. In a matter of seconds everyone had a drink and she waited to see if anything else was necessary. Kelnozz held up his hand to her in the same way he had to Laryn. He raised his mug to his mouth and drank deeply from it, not setting it back down until it was empty. He handed it back to her for a refill.

He turned to the others gathered at the table and sighed deeply. "You first," he said, looking at Yamara.

Yamara looked startled. She had never met the dark elf in her life, nor did she have any idea what was going on, she was just along for lack of anything better to do. That and the strange interest she had in Eric that she was struggling to figure out.

"What do you want to know?" She asked him, no longer gaping like a fish.

"What do you want to tell me?" Kelnozz replied with a humorless smile.

"Not much," Yamara said with her own patented cold smile.

Kelnozz raised his eyebrows in surprise and then chuckled. "Fair enough," he said, looking at the others.

"Wait," Yamara said, having decided on something to say. "We have all trained with her in battle and without her magic she is a deadly adversary. With her magic she is unstoppable, as far as the three of us are concerned. She has known this at least as long as I have, and at no point has she done anything other then think of us as a group and a team. It is... it is unusual for me to think that way, but I recognize it in Alesha."

Kelnozz nodded his thanks to her for her input and turned to Bill. "Who are you and what part do you play in this?"

"Comic relief," Bill muttered under his breath, not realizing that elves possessed great hearing. Kelnozz kept his face calm though, pretending not to hear him.

"Name's Bill," he began officially. "Eric and I spent time jumping out of airplanes together and getting shot at in strange places. He needed help getting Yamara out of the hospital she was stuck in, so I helped. I just tagged along after that cuz Eric can't find his way out of a paper bag without me to guide him."

Bill grinned at Eric, who returned a scowl his way. "As for Alesha, I only met her a week ago and I've been trying to wake up from this strange dream ever since. Chicks like her don't hang out with guys like me. I've never met anyone like her, and I have yet to see her do any of this bad shit everybody keeps warning me about."

Kelnozz nodded. He turned to Alesha next. "Your turn," he said, keeping his face impassive.

Alesha looked over to Bill and smiled thankfully. She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze before she let it go and faced Kelnozz directly. The gesture was not lost on Kelnozz, but he did not know what to make of it so he filed it away for later consideration.

"I spent the better part of a century in that prison you left me, Kel, that's enough time to make anybody rethink themselves!" She said. "But the funniest part is that most of my rehabilitation happened only recently."

"Then Yamara showed up on my world with quite a tale of her own. We hit it off right away and shared quite a few stories. Finally I asked her to go and get my sword to keep it safe from my brother and to give it back to me. With it I figured I could get away from the place you left me in and start up a new life somewhere safe from Bavorish. I never knew that Rizzo would have let me go at any time if I had just asked him about it."

"When she returned it was with Eric and Cowboy. Yamara had my sword but she gave it to Eric to ensure it was in safe hands. I realized that instead of just stealing the sword from him or killing him and taking it, Yamara had brought him along because he impressed upon her the need to be wary. He helped impress that need to me as well."

"We first arrived in Sanctuary a week ago, but here is almost as safe from His influence as another world or the Tavern. When I spirited us to Luingirth's lair I felt Him trying to reclaim me almost instantly. I had to put up a magical shield around me to protect me from it, and I have scarcely felt it since. Now we are here."

"Why did you come here?" Kelnozz asked. "Wait, don't answer that. First you tell me what you will, Eric."

Eric looked at him and tried to figure out what all he needed to say. "Well, let me figure out where to start. I guess I'll start with Yamara, since I had not heard or seen anything of Alesha's worshippers in many years."

"Are you saying she is one of her cult?" Kelnozz asked, his voice dropping dangerously.

Eric frowned. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

Kelnozz raised his eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, I do."

"Then don't interrupt me," Eric snapped at him. Properly rebuked, Kelnozz fell silent.

"As I was saying, Yamara and I hooked up at a club one night and immediately I knew something was different about her. She was special, and I could not figure out why. I thought I had it figured out later that night at my place, but I was wrong." Bill chuckled while Yamara actually looked a little uncomfortable at the disclosure.

"Then Alesha's brother's people popped in on us, catching us off guard. We fought them off once, then they came again later. The fighting was a little more vicious the second time, and two of them were killed, but the third managed to get the sword and escape."

Eric looked at Yamara, spurring his memory of the events. "We were both wounded and had to go to the hospital... er, the healers. While we were there Yamara had no records, to the police - the guards - she had never existed before that moment. This made them curious about us, so I called Bill up and with his help, we sprung her out of the hospital."

"That reminds me though, Yamara you said that you were being poisoned in the hospital, and you recovered very quickly once we got you out of there. I don't understand who could have or would have poisoned you though," Eric asked, turning to her. Kelnozz frowned at the distraction but had to admit that it was a valid question and he was curious about the blond haired woman himself.

Yamara found herself the center of attention again. She also found that she did not like it. "I am not sure. Those tubes that were in me were putting something into me. Something that weakened me. I assumed it was some sort of poison they were using to lower my defenses for when they planned on torturing and interrogating me."

Eric and Bill looked at each other, surprised at her revelation. "Shit, they don't do that in America! They were probably just using anti-biotics and sedatives to let your body heal."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, what he said. When I was in there it looked like standard issue medical equipment. But I still don't understand how you healed so much better and faster out of the hospital then when you were in it."

Yamara shrugged. "There are a lot of things about me you don't understand."

Kelnozz smirked in spite of himself. Eric looked at her, surprised and almost hurt. Bill chuckled and clapped Eric on the back. "You sure can pick 'em, bro!"

Bill ignored the dark looks both Eric and Yamara sent at him.

"Right, okay. Anyhow, after we got her out and she got better we went straight to Florida where the cult had set up shop again. We sneaked into their temple and disguised ourselves as worshippers. After a very grisly ritual they used the sword to open up some sort of a... a doorway, I guess. We opened fire then, killing as many of the sick bastards as we could. Yamara killed Alesha's brother and covered us while we made it to the doorway. Then we jumped through and she grabbed the sword."

"As for why we came here," Eric said, jumping ahead in the story, "it was Alesha's idea. I was very doubtful of her at first, but it had only been a few years on Earth and around eighty in the Tavern for her, though she had not aged a day.

"She did not know what to do at first, when confronted with her weapon and the opportunity to be free. She could have gone anywhere if we gave it to her, and she told us as much. After a night of rest," Eric left out the drinking match Bill and he had challenged one another to, "she had reached her decision. She wanted to come back here. She said it was because the influence of What's-his-nuts would be more powerful here then anywhere else, and if she could fight it off here, she could be free anywhere."

Eric paused. Kelnozz looked as though he wanted to speak but he waited in case Eric was going to snap at him for interrupting him again. Eric continued after a moment. "She also claimed that she wanted to see you, because if anyone could help her resolve a problem if it arose, it would be you. Also, she claimed then and a few times since then that she wants to try and help fix the problems she started here eighty years ago... or eight years ago, or eight hundred years or however long ago it was."

"Four hundred years ago," Kelnozz said. Eric had finished at last. Kelnozz thought about what he had said for a moment before he turned back to Alesha. "Is what he says true?"

"I don't know what happened on Earth," Alesha said, looking at Eric and then back to Kelnozz. "But the rest of it is."

Kelnozz nodded. He was not sure how he felt about it, but it would have to do. "Very well. For the time being I accept charge of your parole. Eric, keep her sword for the time being, I have much to think on yet. Alesha, understand that you are not to use your magic if at all possible, and not on any of us. Even if I was mortally wounded and your magic alone could save me, let me die."

Alesha's mouth opened a bit in surprise. She was on the verge of saying something but the look of finality in his eyes silenced her. Finally she closed her eyes and nodded. "Thank you, Kel," she whispered.

"I will let you know this much," he admitted, giving her the benefit of the doubt in spite of what his increasingly suspicious nature coached him to do. "It was through magic before that you fell from grace, as far to many have. Be you lesser or greater then any of the others I do not care. Only take care that you understand the price that wielding such power exacts."

"Now you," Kelnozz said, betraying no emotion to Alesha and instead turning to face Elvanshalee coldly. "What does a light elf want in Sanctuary other then to bring ruin to it?"

Elvanshalee returned his glare. "I had hoped you would be a little more open minded, we are both elves, after all."

Kelnozz snorted. "Let me tell you of light elves, since you seem to know so little about them."

With a voice filled with animosity he began. "I had just been born when a traitorous elf killed my mother. Then I was barely even a boy and my father was killed by a light elf. Not killed, mind you, but assassinated. And not any light elf, but his closest friend. That was my first experience with a light elf!"

"Not all of us behave in such a way," she refuted him.

Kelnozz laughed harshly. "You are right, most openly attack me. It is a special few that try to befriend me before turning on me when I trust them most. I have, in all my five thousand years, met a single light elf that did not try to kill me. And after I left her realm, other light elves came to slay her! That is the story of your kind!"

Elvanshalee listened to his words carefully. Understanding of them came to her quickly. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "You mean... what about... where is my brother?"

Kelnozz eyed her with a cold fury. "Who is your brother?"

"Darakor Kinslayer," she responded.

Kelnozz stood up from the table quickly. "You are a fool! He betrayed me over 20 years ago! Where did you come from?"

He held one sword drawn and pointed at her across the table. The tip was less then six inches from her throat. She looked at it fearfully for a moment, then swallowed her fear down at returned her gaze to him.

"I came with these others from Luingirth's lair on his very back. Before that I tended the same grove my mother was responsible for before my father captured and enslaved her. I am no nature priestess, but I do as best I can with my wizardry."

The color drained from Kelnozz's face as he stared her down. His hand began to twitch as he battled an internal struggle. Finally he said to her in a voice tight with fury, "Be gone from here and never seek me out again. Your father destroyed the only decent light elf I have ever known, and your brother was the son I never had before he betrayed and wounded my heart. I have had enough of your family and your race."

Laryn gasped as Kelnozz said the last bit. He remembered well the prophecy Akynson had told him, of how Kelnozz would only be slain by his son. Yet Kelnozz had just admitted Darakor had not been his son. Laryn was confused.

"No!" Elvanshalee stood up, slamming her hands on the table. She ignored Kelnozz's blade in spite of the nick her rapid movement had caused her on her collar bone.

"You will not dismiss me! Not after all I have gone through! My brother has lived a hard life, if he has chosen otherwise that is beyond my control. My mother lives in misery, more so since I have left her, I am sure! If what you say is true and if you have any love in your cold heart for her, then help me save her from her prison!" Elvanshalee glared at Kelnozz, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Alesha looked back and forth between the two. She was confused. Kelnozz had a fling with a light elf? Or, if Elvanshalee spoke truly, Kelnozz had loved a light elf? What did that make her? Her stomach, already tumbling from the nerves the meeting had brought out, dropped out from under her suddenly. She tightened down on it, refusing to give in to the bottomless chasm that seemed beneath her chair.

"Laryn," Kelnozz said, his wrathful eyes never leaving Elvanshalee. "Get her far from me and, if you are smart, far from Sanctuary. Thanks to her the safety of this city has already been breached. Prepare for the attack."

"But how?" Sir Laryn blurted out, confused. "Sanctuary's defenses prevent anyone who wishes the city harm from finding it!"

Kelnozz slammed his sword into its scabbard. "They don't come for Sanctuary. They come for something hidden within it."

Kelnozz looked at each of them, daring them to refute him. Fires raged in his eyes, fires of deep turmoil and pain in his soul. Fires that needed to be vented. He stalked out of the tavern, heading to the same ranch that Luingirth had journeyed too.

"Go, fool!" Alesha barked after everybody stared after the departing dark elf. Laryn jumped to his feet and grabbed Elvanshalee by the arm roughly. She looked at him moodily, then pulled her arm free of his.

"I will go on my own, human," she snapped. Laryn bristled at her but waited on her to walk out ahead of him.

"What do we do?" Bill asked, having no clue of what was going on but still wise enough to lay low while the hostility had been high.

"If Sanctuary is to come under attack, we defend it!" Alesha said coldly. She stood up and let her eyes wrest briefly on her sword at Eric's hip. The others rose from the table as well, Yamara lastly looking back and forth between Alesha and the door.

Trumpets sounded in the distance. The tavern's inhabitants, having recently resumed their talking after the scene caused by the raving dark elf, fell silent again. As soon as the clarion call of the trumpet was heard clearly, they also stood up and filed out of the tavern quickly.

"It has begun," Alesha said softly. She joined the line leaving the tavern, glancing back at her companions to make sure they had fallen in with her.

---

"My old friend, how have you been?" Garrick said as Luingirth walked up on where he was sitting under a shade tree carving, badly, on a piece of wood. In front of them down a shallow rise was a very calm and very large pond.

"I am well, how art thou?" the dragon in human guise responded.

Garrick grinned. "Getting older but not any wiser."

Luingirth snorted. Garrick had been a human once, ages ago on another world. He had come to Viconia long ago with some companions, shortly after the Kinslayer Wars. Through quest and trial they vanquished the Dark Lord of Viconia, Bavorish, and stepped up into the roles of deities of the world. Bavorish, defeated but too powerful to be destroyed, had ascended to Godhood as well. After the passing of thousands of years Garrick had finally grown bored of being a God. He relinquished his throne to his son, Nordan, and rejoined the ranks of mortals. Although, having once possessed such power he was now anything but a mere mortal. Unaffected by age and sickness, Garrick looked every bit the muscle-bound barbarian of legend people expected of him.

"So Sanctuary's time is finally up, eh dragon?" Garrick asked, tossing the horrible carving off to the side and sheathing the dagger he had been using. He stood up and faced him directly, forced to look up at him in spite of his own massive height of over six and a half feet tall.

"Aye, its time hath come."

"Was she worth it?" Garrick asked after a moment of reflection.

"What doth thou mean?"

"The light elf, I saw her. You brought her here and surely you were followed. Was she worth it?"

Luingirth snorted again. "Thou art slothful! All of thee. The time is ripe for all of thee to rise up and finish this! To long hath it stagnated."

Garrick laughed as Luingirth carried on. "You always were a sucker for a cute one," he said.

"Human, she is an elf! I am a dragon! I EAT HER KIND!"

Garrick kept on laughing, holding his heavily muscled stomach. Luingirth roared in disgust and stalked away from the former God. Garrick just kept laughing, taking long minutes to straighten up and then wiping the tears from his eyes. When he straightened he saw Kelnozz sitting in his chair.

"Hey Kel, just had a visit from Loo," Garrick said, clapping the elf on the shoulder.

Kelnozz grunted, staring into the distance the whole time. "You knew Alesha as well as any, do you think her capable of redemption?"

Garrick chuckled. "I knew her as the dark queen, old friend. The only thing I knew of her at her height of power was that she was wicked and cruel and could have put the most talented whore out of a job. By the Nine Hells, she could have put a city of whores out of a job!"

Kelnozz looked over at him, "Wistful?"

Garrick grinned. "Aye lad, she was the closest thing to a challenge I have had since I came to this place."

"But can she stop being Alesha the princess of Ancaruin?" Garrick asked rhetorically. "Well, the dragon is no concern at the moment, and between you and me, Bavorish has better things to worry about then one simple girl who showed a spark of promise a few hundred years ago. Gods, they have better issues to deal with."

Kelnozz grunted and looked back down at the pond. Kelnozz had hoped Garrick would be able to put him at ease. Instead he had dodged the question. Kelnozz knew that what Alesha really had to worry about was herself, not Bavorish.

"Good fight on the way," Garrick offered, trying to cheer him up.

Kelnozz sighed. "They come for the last of Ancaruin. Somewhere in this city his spirit resides. They will come in such numbers we will not be able to hold them."

"It'll be fun trying though," Garrick said with a grin. "By the way, was the light elf as good looking as she must have been to charm Luingirth into letting her live?"

Kelnozz dropped into a brooding silence. In the distance they heard the trumpets sound. The enemy had been sighted.

"She reminded me of her mother," Kelnozz muttered, standing up and heading off. Garrick raised an eyebrow and followed after him, magically summoning his hammer with a thought from where it rested against the tree that provided shade for the seat overlooking the pond.

Continued in Chapter 22

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