The Chaos Blade - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Outside of the den of corruption and darkness that again served as Ancaruin's lair, Kelnozz paused to survey the landscape. He was high on the eastern face of the mountain, overlooking Mezarbolle a few miles to the southeast, and to the northeast, the Everthirst, an inland sea with such a heavy salt content that only the hardiest of creatures survived in it.

Far beyond the reaches of his vision, hidden within the middle of the Everthirst lay the Isle of the Gods. Elvish folklore told of an immense castle wrought of pure adamantium and within it each God of Viconia ruled a section so large that the whole of the Everthirst could not contain it, proof of it's divine existence.

At the moment, Kelnozz cared little for elvish folklore, the home of the Gods, or how filled with brine the Everthirst was. Ancaruin was returned to life, the first ever to do so on Viconia, yet he gave that no concern either. He gave thought only to the single fire that burned fiercely within him. Darakor. His enemy. The light elf whom he would slay. No rest nor peace would Kelnozz know until he achieved that goal. Seeing Jethallin again had pained him, for he had thought her long lost. It reminded him of an oath he had taken after Alesha had fallen to Bavorish's influence. The oath to let no one close to him until he could guarantee their safety. Jethallin had come along and been taken before that oath, but it still twisted something inside of Kelnozz. To know that she had suffered for so long at Narellin's hands burned him. To know that Darakor, his son, had slain her, his own mother, to further his own lust for power, fanned the flames of rage into an inferno.

He had even heard the words the treacherous elf had spoken. He had given Ancaruin his name. Darakor Risingmoon. His son.

Kelnozz was tempted to head back in through the narrow air shaft he had scaled to climb out. Sneak back in and finish the bastard off where he had started. He hesitated, poised on the brink of slipping back in, no thought or concern for his own safety in his mind. Kelnozz paused long enough that another thought came to his mind. Not one of caution or concern, but rather one of common sense. He had escaped, surely Darakor's guards would search for him. Skilled as he was, if he returned he would most likely never make it to Darakor. To achieve his goal he must escape first, then return. And, as always, he must warn the elves of Ancaruin, or his father's memory would be meaningless to him.

To that end Kelnozz heard a noise far below. Down the nearly vertical rock face more then 70 feet was the main tunnel entrance into the mountain. From it issued forth patrols of light elves, orcs, and robed figures Kelnozz did not recognize. They fanned out, searching the mountain and the surrounding lands. Kelnozz smiled bitterly. He had found his equipment in the same room that, long ago, Ancaruin had offered Alesha and later Narellin as a private study and a place to stay when they visited the dragon. Two additional elite light elven guardsmen lay dead outside the door, but inside he had found the items he sought. He had one final surprise left in his bag of tricks, a surprise that Darakor had never known about for he had never witnessed or understood it's use.

Kelnozz took a small ring out from his pouch. It was the ring that normally remained hidden upon his toe. It served a single purpose, to return him to Innowendyn. He had last used it five hundred years past, ere Ancaruin had been defeated but not destroyed. It fit upon his finger naturally, magically sizing itself. He cast a last hateful glance at the mountain and then muttered the magical word that activated the ring. With no snap of impacting air, no burst of light, no puff of smoke, and no sign of transition, Kelnozz was gone. Gone from Dragon Mountain and gone from the Lost Lands.

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Kelnozz appeared on the small grassy hill surrounded by a garden that was carefully tended. Yet, in spite of the skill of the gardener, it lacked it's former luster. Gone was the vitality and the shine that it had under Farathallion's care, so many years past.

In apparent sync with Kelnozz's mood, the skies were overcast and dreary. A warm rain fell, watering the garden and the surrounding lands and raising the overall humidity of the tropical island. Island was a misnomer, really, for Innowendyn was many leagues across, large enough to be a continent by itself.

Long ago, banished from Viconia by the light elves and evil dragons, what remained of the glory of the once unified elven peoples had begun a great exodus. They had followed a chain of islands largely unvisited by other Belurians. Even now, five thousand years later, it was primarily elven merchant ships that crossed the seas to Belurian, the islands of the Chachopeyan Empire, or the great dwarven kingdom spread amongst three islands. On those many islands native peoples already lived, from a fiercely proud dwarven kingdom to tribes and cities of more savage humans. A small grouping of islands even supported a tribe of Halflings that shared nothing save their height and barely their body style from their Belurian cousins; they were primitive cannibals.

On the elves sailed, heading to the south and the east where no hope of discovering land lay. Eventually they came upon the tropical Innowendyn, a land hundreds of leagues across in any direction. It was filled with a savage beauty, populated only by animals and beings of nature, so they thought.

The elves had built their new capitol, Loralost, in the middle of the island amongst a tropical paradise. They built the city seeking to reclaim much of their lost art and glory, delving deep into the earth for marble and precious metals in a manner that would have made a dwarf proud. In the end they had delved too deeply from a rift in the earth caused by they knew not what. They opened a rift of a different sort, uncovering a portal made of a strange metal. A machine forgotten by time itself. With its unearthing, it awoke from its ageless slumber, bridging the distance between Viconia and a deeper, darker place. The miners had slain quickly as the demons within boiled forth.

It was too soon for the dark elves to engage in another war. Their might was still depleted from the Kinslayer War and was centuries away from recovering. But fight they must, for extinction was their only option.

Kelnozz remembered the time darkly. It had been his first test. The heir of Myragordamar, champion of the elves, the Queen had looked to him to lead them. And so he had. From Luingirth's back they had warred against the demons who's numbers seemed to have no end. Many more elves had fallen, slain by the nightmare host.

In the end Kelnozz and Luingirth had been separated. It was known that at all times they were together wreaking havoc on the demonic army whenever they appeared. Thus it was that Luingirth alone flew through the skies, much younger and less powerful then, but still a great threat. The demons focused on him, sending their flyers at him and using what magics they had. Kelnozz slipped through their ranks as quickly and stealthily as he could, coming upon the Demon King, Helanduril.

It had been a mighty battle, Kelnozz's first true test of strength and skill at arms. In the end he had won, drawing a hateful surrender from Helanduril and banishing the demonic host back through the portal whence it came. The strange machine had then been destroyed, forever sundering the bridge between worlds, or so Kelnozz had thought. That Helanduril had been leading the assault on Sanctuary spoke of another rift, another connection between worlds. And worse, an alliance with Darakor.

Kelnozz scowled and set off, heading from the Risingmoon estates towards the palace. He had no time nor interest in the Elven Council. They, as always, would talk about things and take too long to respond. He needed direct action. He needed to see the queen.

Kelnozz entered the palace directly, none daring to step him from the fell look upon his face. All who served knew him and knew of him, though none knew him well. If such a thing was possible, to approach and confront the queen directly and without her permission, it was Kelnozz who could do it.

Unfortunately for Kelnozz, the Queen was in neither her chambers nor her thrown room. Cornering a guard he demanded her location, which the guard readily surrendered to him for fear of his wrath. It was ironic, and it served only to fuel his anger and irritation. The queen was meeting with her councilors.

Kelnozz burst into the council room, startling all of them. They looked at him, clearly surprised at not only his sudden entrance, but also by his appearance. His hair was unkempt and he was very dirty. Hardly fitting for an audience with their august body.

"My wayward nephew returns," Queen Galinia said with a tight smile. She was the first to react to his intrusion. That she disapproved was clear in her tone and her manner, but she knew she could not openly deny him his right.

"Ancaruin is risen," Kelnozz stated, glaring about the council as if daring any of them to refute him. "And Narellin Kinslayer is no longer."

Immediately a susurration of voices began as they began to talk to each other and themselves. Kelnozz knew how to make an entrance. The Queen finally gained their silence by raising her hand from where she sat at the middle of the crescent shaped table. In her eyes shone the glimmer of tears.

"You slew him?" she asked, nearly whispering. Whatever faults the queen might have, as all royalty did, loyalty had not been one of them. With her husband the King dead some five thousand years she refused to court anyone again, for her love had been fully given to him and what remained had gone to their son, Marthollin. Marthollin was now also slain, killed by Tiamat in the battle that allowed the metallic dragons to return to Viconia.

"The man who took your King from you is gone," Kelnozz said again. "But it was not by my hand that this happened."

"Then who? And how do you know?" she asked again, the tears of the remembered pain threatening to spill down her face.

Kelnozz closed his eyes for a moment and clenched his fists angrily. His ebony skinned knuckles shown white before he opened them and stared at her fiercely. "My son killed him."

Another burst of hushed whispers went around the table at the proclamation. Some wild haired sooth-sayer that was said to be touched by the Gods had long ago prophesied that Kelnozz would be slain by none other then his own son. None knew whether to believe it or not, but it certainly made for some interesting rumors.

The Queen's own hand flew to her now open mouth. "You have a son? Who is he? When did this happen?"

"His name is Darakor," Kelnozz said tightly. "He was born shortly after Ancaruin fell and was raised by Narellin himself as his own. He has abandoned the name of Kinslayer and adopted my own name."

"Why do you speak so harshly, nephew? You have a family and a heir at long last! Rejoice in it!" The Queen said, letting her tears fall. She was saddened but also happy. Her husband's lineage was over, but the family he came from would continue.

"I will not rest until he is dead by my hand!"

The Queen and the council grew deathly quiet at his vehement oath. He stared angrily at each of them in turn. The Queen alone dared speak to him. "Put aside your wrathful mien, Kelnozz, you are among friends. Tell us of this Darakor, what could any son do to bring about such hatred in a father?"

"Treachery, oh Queen. Treachery not seen since the days when my father's and my father's brother's blood was spilt. Ancaruin is again on this world because of Darakor. He took Cirithallion from me when I had it in my grasp and betrayed me in doing so. Then he arranged for Helanduril's host to destroy Sanctuary, finding the missing piece of Ancaruin's spirit."

Kelnozz spat the words out one at a time as though he could cause pain with them to counter the pain he felt. The council and queen reacted as he expected they would at the mention of Helanduril. Some of them were old enough to remember the war between the elves and the demons. Others had only heard stories but knew the elven history well.

"The Demon King is slain by my hand, but his host remains at Darakor's bidding," Kelnozz finished.

"What can we do to help?" Tandethill, the eldest sage on the council, asked earnestly. He had learned a valuable lesson five hundred years past. They all had, but him most importantly. No longer residents of Belurian, the elves had felt they were separate from the troubles there. Kelnozz had reminded them that what fate befell Viconia befall all of them, and Tandethill in particular had taken the lesson to heart.

"Send out the call to arms, War comes again to Viconia," Kelnozz said. "We must sail for Belurian and give battle again.

"Our strength is lessened from the last siege you brought us to, Kelnozz," the Queen said. "The dragons may not aid us this time either, for the debt is paid in full with them."

"They will help or they will perish under the reign of fire Ancaruin will establish. Gather everything that you can, for this time to stand aside and let others do the fighting is a greater risk then death itself," Kelnozz said.

Everyone sat quietly, staring at Kelnozz and thinking to themselves. The Queen looked about and realized that everyone was trying to gauge the impact his decree would have upon them. She stood up, drawing their attention. "Do as he bids, all of you. Kelnozz is more then the heir of Myragordamar Risingmoon and champion of the elves."

Queen Galinia paused and looked at everyone for effect, making eye contact to ensure she had their full attention. "He is also the heir to the throne and his words shall be obeyed as if they were my own!"

Kelnozz looked at her, eyes wide. His fists clenched again and his jaw twitched. How dare she saddle him with the added responsibility. He had no desire for it!

"I will be in my chambers readying myself to go to war," Galinia said, daring anyone to naysay her. She turned and with a flutter of her robes and cape, swiftly walked out of the room.

In a tightly controlled voice that was white hot with fury Kelnozz spoke. "Ready everything and everyone. Children and those who can best care for them are the only ones to be left behind. One in twenty capable men and women, chosen randomly, will remain for their protection. We leave for Belurian in 6 days!"

Kelnozz spun on his heel and stalked out of the chamber, leaving the stunned occupants behind. It was expected that Kelnozz would assume the mantle of leadership once Galinia abdicated, now that Marthollin was gone. But for her to name him as regent and acting King while she remained had surprised them all. Galinia had always shown a spark for the politic. She had always regaled in the intrigues of court. Now it appeared that she was done with it all. King Theonac had been taken from her, then her son. Now that their murderers had been laid to rest, she seemed at last ready to retire herself.

The councilors broke up quickly, heading to their own estates to ready them and to send out word to the dark elven peoples of Innowendyn. Fey times loomed on the horizon for the elven nations, whether they could claim victory or not.

Continued in Chapter 27

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