Source Of The River (17 page)

S
itting motionless
on the sand, Telorithan could sense River and the dwarf moving farther away. It
would seem they had no interest in punishing him.
I’ve been a fool
, he
realized. His entire life had been dedicated to the study of fire. What had
made him think he could master water without so much as studying? The folly was
all his own.

His thoughts turned
to binding a fire elemental, the creature he should have been seeking in the
first place. Sirra’s knowledge of River’s existence had prompted him to the
wrong action. He blamed her for leading him astray. His intention had always
been to truly master fire, and a water elemental did not fit into that
equation.

No matter how long
it took, he would dedicate himself to perfecting the binding process, and he
would not make another attempt until he was confident in his ability to
succeed. Failure was unacceptable, and he hated himself for listening to the
enchantress.
She set me up for this failure, and I will not forget it.

Hours passed as he
sat upon the lonely island, contemplating his next move. Slowly, his magic
stores regenerated as the sun moved lower in the sky. The ship would be
returning soon to collect him. Not wanting them to see his disheveled
appearance, Telorithan focused his magic to vanity. He removed the blood from
his silver hair and concealed the cuts on his hand. After removing the sand and
salt from his robe, he stood and looked toward the Sunswept Isles. They seemed
smaller and even less significant than before.

Once I have
achieved my mission, I will leave these isles.

Idly, he brushed
his fingers through his silver strands. He regretted the movement of the ocean,
which did not allow him to see his own reflection. As the ship came into sight,
he used the small amount of magic remaining to him to cast a trivial spell that
would give him a more pleasing appearance. Looking defeated was not an option,
especially in front of elves who were so far beneath him.

Shoving his small
boat into the water, he rowed past the reef to meet the ship. The sailors
lowered a rope ladder for him to climb, and he made his way onto the deck.
Without a word to any of them, he took a seat at the rear of the vessel and
stared into the distance. The Red Isle lay to the north, waiting for him as
always. Soon he would go there, and he would be triumphant. Then he would have
his revenge on all those who had humiliated him this day.

* * * * *

Walking late into the night, River and his companions were determined to
return to the dwarf village as quickly as possible. River hoped Lenora had the
illness under control, but he knew she could not cure it without the opal. As
they moved ever closer to the village, he could sense Indal’s presence. Her
angry mood had not changed, and he knew she would still refuse to leave
willingly.

Galen was the first of the three to tire. His
wound had not yet healed, and he needed rest before continuing the journey. Kaiya
used the heat from the air to build a small fire before settling down to sleep.
River kept watch a while before finally succumbing to sleep himself.

Early the next morning, they awoke to the sound of
birdsong. The sun lifted itself over the horizon, filling the sky with pink
light. With only a few short hours of sleep, they were determined to press on.

“How are you feeling this morning?” River asked
Galen.

His breathing was shallow again, and the pain was
evident on his face. “I’ve been better,” he replied honestly.

River laid a hand on the wound, once again filling
it with blue magic. Galen’s pain subsided, and he felt rejuvenated and ready
for travel.

“Thanks,” Galen said with a smirk. “I’m beginning
to like that spell.”

The travelers set out once again, making their way
along the mountainside. Kaiya was curious about the spell that had helped
Galen. She walked alongside River, trying to figure out how he had accomplished
what she could not.

“Is that elf magic?” she asked. “Or is that
something I could learn to do as well?”

“From what I’ve seen of your abilities, I’m
convinced you could learn anything,” River replied. “I am only willing the
magic to pass to him and give him strength. With practice, you should be able
to do it as well.”

“Feel free to practice on me whenever you like,”
Galen said.

Kaiya shook her head and looked at the ground.
“You have magic too Galen, but you don’t seem to use it often.”

“I don’t have skills like River,” he admitted.
“I’m not as good as Lenora either. I do have a few talents, but I reserve them
for special occasions.”

“Galen is a master of the archives,” River said
proudly. “He’s highly respected among our people.” He glanced over at Galen,
who pretended not to notice the exaggeration.

“Archives?” Kaiya repeated. “You’re a writer?”

Galen nodded. “I mainly write histories.”

“You’ll have to teach me some of your language,”
Kaiya replied. “Maybe Trin could teach you some of our ancient dialect.”

“I’d be delighted to teach you,” he replied. “And
Trin has already shown me a few things. His work with runes is intriguing. Our
people rarely write spells. They aren’t normally spoken word, but rather
something that is done silently in one’s mind. The idea of etching a spell onto
an item is fascinating.” His voice revealed his sincere interest in the topic.

“I’m sure he’d love to teach you more,” Kaiya
said. “He could probably learn a few things from you as well. He’s something of
a loner, but I don’t think he’d mind having you around.” Her words revealed
more about herself than Trin. Their journey was nearing its end, and she did
not look forward to his departure back to the Vale.

They journeyed throughout the day, hurrying with
every step.

“We should be nearing my house,” Kaiya informed
the others. “If we continue at this pace, we should be there a few hours after
sunset. We can spend the night there and head for the village at first light.”

The air grew thinner as they ascended higher into
the mountains. The way was as rocky as before, but their steps felt lighter as
they walked. Before, their journey had been full of questions and uncertainty.
Now, they knew their destination, and they were returning in victory.

Near midnight they arrived at Kaiya’s home. Doozle
barked cautiously as they approached, but his expression turned to joy as they
came into view. He greeted the trio excitedly, wagging his tail and licking
their hands.

“It’s good to see you too,” Kaiya said, scratching
him behind one ear.

Darvil heard the commotion and left his bed to see
who was outside. On seeing his daughter, he rushed to meet her. Squeezing her
tightly against his chest, he said, “I’m glad you’re back, girl.”

Squirming to release herself from his grip, she
said, “Let’s all get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

R
eturning to his
tower, Telorithan realized that nothing had changed. No one was aware of his
failure, and the world carried on as normal. After a bath, he intended to begin
studying right away. Another visit to Yiranor’s library might be in order.
There were many fire elementals present on the Red Isle. His failure against
one of them might result in retaliation from the others, which meant he needed
to learn how best to defend against them. If he succeeded, he expected the
others would accept him as one of their own.

He had no intention of making the mistake of
rushing into it again. Determined not to make another attempt until he was
fully prepared, he dreaded the thought that it might be years before his goal
was achieved. In addition, he would need to learn to wield the elemental’s
power before he could attempt the binding of the fire god. That could take even
longer, perhaps centuries. He was not a patient elf, and the thought of all the
work ahead of him was distressing.

As he ascended the spiral staircase to his
library, a thought occurred to him. Two elements had come together to defeat
him. He felt certain he would have succeeded in binding River had the dwarf not
interfered. This gave him hope that he did indeed have the power to subdue a
single elemental, but getting one alone could prove difficult. He had no idea
why air and water would come together as allies, and he wondered who might come
to the aid of a lone fire elemental. It was a possibility he intended to
prepare for.

After a few hours of poring over scrolls, a knock
came from his door. A servant poked his head inside, waiting for permission to
speak.

“What is it?” Telorithan asked impatiently.

“It’s Mistress Sirra,” the servant replied. “She’s
come for a visit.”

Annoyed, the sorcerer turned back to his scroll
without saying a word. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He rose and
proceeded to his laboratory to retrieve an item that could possibly save him
years of study. Searching through a drawer, he smiled as his eyes fell onto the
item he hoped to find. Inspecting it carefully, he slipped it into his pocket
before making his way downstairs to greet his guest.

Sirra sat casually upon the velvet chair in
Telorithan’s sitting room. A goblet of wine dangled in one hand, and her raven
hair fell loosely upon her breast. “I’m glad you didn’t come to any harm,” she
said, a seductive smile on her lips. “I don’t know what I would do without
you.”

Telorithan gazed at her with contempt. “I went
unprepared,” he replied.

Sirra laughed. “That’s something of an
understatement.”

Not taking kindly to the comment, the sorcerer
said, “Would you care to enlighten me?”

“Well,” she began, “obviously this elf has true
elemental powers. His form isn’t holding him back at all. You may as well not
have bothered.”

Feeling his anger rise, he did his best to
suppress it. “You expected me to fail?” Sirra was the one who had suggested he
try binding this elemental, and now she was mocking him.

“You weren’t able to trap an elderly master, so it
stands to reason you couldn’t trap a demigod,” she replied. “It was a difficult
task. It’s to be expected that it would take more than one try. Next time you
might do better.”

“I intend to,” he replied coldly. He fidgeted with
the amethyst in his robe pocket, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“Come and sit,” she said, patting the seat next to
her. “We can discuss your next move if you like. Or we can do something else.”
Pursing her crimson lips, she blew a kiss his direction.

With a half-smile, he sat next to her and reached
for the wine bottle. After pouring himself a drink, he took a sip and settled
back in his seat. “I will not fail when it comes to trapping fire,” he
declared. “I’ve already figured out exactly what I need.”

“Do tell,” she said, feigning interest.

“You see, it took two different elements to subdue
me. Water would not have succeeded without help from air. Their combined powers
were overwhelming. I was not prepared for it.”

“So you’re planning to master a second element?”
Sirra asked. “That will take a rather long time.”

“No,” he replied, sitting up straight. “A true
mastery isn’t necessary. I simply need to have it under my control.”

“Which element did you have in mind?” she asked.

“Earth,” he replied with a smile. Leaning forward,
he kissed her lips. She welcomed his caress and moaned with pleasure.

“A wise decision,” she said. “You happen to have
an accomplished earth enchantress right next to you. Of course, I’m going to
require payment for my services.” Setting down her goblet, she leaned in to kiss
his neck.

“A hefty price indeed,” he replied.

“And it isn’t something to be learned quickly,”
she said. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.” She laughed
playfully, pulling him in close.

“I intend for us to spend every moment together
from now on.”

Placing his hands on each side of her head, he
unleashed red magic. Paralyzing her with his power, he projected heat through
her skull as she screamed in agony. The purple gem hidden in his hand began to
glow. Her screams climbed ever higher as he continued to scald her, the heat
penetrating deep into her body. After a few moments, she slumped backwards, a
flash of purple light filling the amethyst.

Releasing her from his grip, her body rolled
lifelessly onto the floor. He gazed inside the gem to see the sparkling light
inside take shape. Sirra’s face stared back at him, her expression one of torment.
With a flick of his fingers, he incinerated her lifeless body, reducing her to
nothing more than an insignificant pile of ash.

A
bout an hour
before dawn, Kaiya rose to prepare breakfast for her father and the elves. She
still couldn’t believe that her mother had gone to town to volunteer as a
nurse. Darvil had seemed surprised as well when he informed her of her mother’s
absence. Kassie rarely ventured to town, even to visit the markets. She took
pride in her home, and that is where she spent the vast majority of her time.

Knowing that her
elven friends would not eat any meat, Kaiya prepared millet porridge with a
touch of honey to sweeten it. Darvil would scoff at such a meal, so she fried
some ham and eggs as well. Though she didn’t have much practice in the kitchen,
she managed to make some biscuits that weren’t too flat. They tasted better
than they looked, and she knew her father would still enjoy them.

Doozle begged
silently at her feet, his brown eyes speaking more loudly than any bark ever
could. She gave him a generous helping of ham, which he gobbled up happily. By
the time she was finished setting the table, the others had awoken and were
ready to eat.

Darvil sat down
first. “This looks good,” he commented before beginning to eat. The ham was
slightly burned, but the eggs were cooked perfectly.

Placing a glass of
fresh milk next to her father’s plate, Kaiya said, “How does it taste?”

He nodded and
grunted in reply, his mouth too full to speak.

River and Galen
took their places at the table and tasted the porridge Kaiya had prepared.

“It’s good,” River
said, somewhat surprised. “This would be excellent with almonds.”

Kaiya smiled at the
compliment. “I’m afraid we don’t have any of those.” She proceeded to pour him
a glass of milk as well, but paused as the bottle touched the cup. “Do you
drink milk?”

“No, but I wouldn’t
mind an ale if you have some,” he replied.

“For breakfast?”
Darvil said, coughing on his food. “Oh, I like him. He’s my kind of elf.”

“I’ll have ale as
well,” Galen said, looking to Darvil for his approval.

Darvil nodded, and
Kaiya poured ale for each of them before sitting down with her own bowl of
porridge. When the meal was finished, Galen jumped to his feet to collect the
dishes.

“It’s the least I
can do,” he said. “River gave me another dose of magic, and I have more energy
than I need this morning.”

“You should still
have Lenora take a look at your wound,” River suggested. “She will know better
than me whether it is healing properly.”

Galen shrugged and
busied himself washing dishes.

“Does that spell
take away from your own strength?” Kaiya asked curiously.

“A bit, but not as
much as you would expect,” he replied. “The more one practices magic, the
larger his or her supply becomes. With elementals, the practice is less
necessary. An elemental possesses far larger quantities of magic than the most
learned sorcerers.”

“I guess your
friend on the island found that out,” she replied.

“He had a way of
draining my power. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The water restored
my magic, but if it wasn’t for you, I doubt I would have survived.”

“I sensed you were
in trouble,” she said. “I did what I could. That was the strongest spell I’ve
ever cast, but I didn’t feel drained afterward. Shouldn’t I have been
depleted?”

“You’re no ordinary
sorcerer, Kaiya,” he explained. “The air itself rejuvenates you. As long as you
can breathe, your power will not diminish.”

“I guess that
explains why I’ve never had the feeling of depleted magic. Why don’t all
sorcerers study air? It seems like that would be the most beneficial.”

“Air is the most
difficult element to master,” he replied. “And mastering it does not mean that
your magical stores will be replenished constantly. There is a difference
between an elemental and a sorcerer. Sorcerers replenish their store over time
with rest. Elementals are replenished by the element they represent.”

Kaiya looked
confused. “Are you telling me I’m an elemental?”

“You are unique,”
he said. “You are wholly a dwarf, but you have immense power. I cannot explain
what I do not understand myself.”

Kaiya sighed in
disappointment. “I hoped you would know more. No one has ever given me a reason
for my powers, and I’m starting to think no one ever will.”

“Maybe someday,” he
replied.

“I’ll have to find
a way to contact an air elemental,” she stated with determination. “Surely one
of those would know something.”

“If I can help you,
I will,” he promised.

“I, for one, have
heard enough talk,” Darvil declared, rising to his feet. “There’s work to be
done around the farm. Give your mother my regards if you run into her in town.
Ask her when she’s coming home. Dinner doesn’t cook itself.” He shuffled out
the door to tend to his chores.

Kaiya led River and
Galen back along the path to the village. The sky was overcast, blocking out a
good portion of the sunlight. As they reached the town, Kaiya was surprised to
see so many people around. She had feared many more would have taken ill in the
four days they had been away. To her relief, there appeared to be more citizens
back at work than when she had left.

The medical tent
still stood at the far edge of town near the cave. That meant Lenora had not
found a cure, but it was obvious her medicine was helping.

“There seems to be
a lot of activity around town,” River commented, his voice hopeful.

“I noticed that as
well,” Kaiya replied. “Lenora’s doing, no doubt.”

The trio continued
down the path, making their way to the cave.

“I might as well
try to solve the situation now,” River said, cradling the opal in his hand.

No sooner had he
spoken those words than a loud rumbling rocked the ground beneath his feet. An
avalanche of rocks fell violently within the cave entrance, filling the air
with a blinding cloud of dust. As the air cleared, it was plain to see that the
opening to the cave was completely blocked. Entry was now impossible.