The Godling Chronicles 02 - Of Gods And Elves (40 page)

Theopolou nodded to Gewey. “I think it is time for
you to speak.”

Gewey squared his shoulders and stepped forward. He was
unsure what he was going to say. All he could think about was going
to save Kaylia, and he could feel the seconds slipping away. He took
a deep breath and began to speak.

“
I am Gewey Stedding and I am here to ask for your
help. A dark force is rising in the land of Angrääl. A
force that threatens to destroy both humans and elves alike. A force
that turns brother against brother. A force that
will
not
stop until it has conquered the whole
world. I know that you have been promised your lands, and the freedom
to rule them. Some of you may believe this promise, others may not.
Some of you think you should join Angrääl, and some think
you should stay out of it entirely. But I think that today's attack
should tell you that there is no way to do either.”

“
We do not know that the King of Angrääl
had anything to do with this,” said a tall, silk-clad elf.

“
So you think it's a coincidence that your own kin
attacked you while the north gathers for war?”

“
I am saying that we do not know,” retorted
the elf. “I am saying that we have as much reason to suspect
that you were involved as we do to accuse Angrääl.”
This brought murmurs of agreement. “I am Marinos, lord and
elder of the western isles. We too have been offered lands that we
already hold, just as the human says. But what he does not say is
that it is the human threat that spreads like a plague. They move
ever closer to our lands and keeps. They disregard our borders and
poison the spirits of even the most wise.” His eyes fell on
Theopolou. “Now you say that Angrääl is gathering for
war. You tell us what we already know. You pretend to offer us a way
out of danger, but you only offer us destruction. If we join you, the
Lord of Angrääl will sweep down upon us like a storm. There
will be nothing of our people left to save.”

“
I had nothing to do with this attack,” said
Gewey. “Have you forgotten that they took Kaylia from me?”

“
Exactly,” Marinos countered. “Why was
she not killed? The field is littered with the dead. Why did they
spare her? Perhaps that was what you intended. Perhaps she awaits you
now.”

Gewey's anger swelled, but he managed to keep it at bay.
“If that is so, then why didn't I kill Theopolou, or any of the
other elders? Why did I help them escape? Why am I still here?”

“
Who can know the motives of a human,” said
Marinos. “If that is what you are. We all saw you in the
Chamber of the Maker. What human can control so much of the
flow
without destroying himself?” More murmurs of agreement.

“
I told you all that I would reveal who and what I
am,” said Gewey. “I have told you who I am. I am Gewey
Stedding and nothing more. As for what I am...” He held up the
box containing the Book of Souls. “I assume you know what this
is.”

Marinos glared at Theopolou. “You recover what
your family was sworn to protect, only to put it back in the hands of
a human?”

Theopolou stood expressionless.

“
You have heard that only one that possesses the
power of heaven can open the Book of Souls,” said Gewey.

Marinos let out a mocking laugh. “So you propose
to open the Book of Souls? You claim to possess the power that
resides in heaven? Do you even understand the claim you are making?”
He turned to the crowd. “A God. The one the prophecies speak
of. Here, among us.” His gaze returned to Gewey. “A
half-man, most likely. You cannot open the Book with the diluted
blood of a God in your veins.”

Gewey decided this was enough. He grabbed the lip of the
box and pulled. At first, nothing happened, but then the lid moved.
Gasps could be heard throughout the crowd as the box slowly opened. A
strong wind blew across the field and the only sound to be heard was
the flapping of the nearby pavilion.

“
You...” Marinos stammered. “How is
this possible? What trickery is this?”

Gewey reach in and pulled out the Book of Souls. The
cover shimmered like gold and radiated a soft light. Intricate
writing covered the spine and the cover, in a language that not even
Theopolou could recognize.

“
Can you read it?” asked Theopolou.

Gewey looked at the cover. At first, the symbols made no
sense, but slowly he began to understand them. “I can.”

“
What does it say?” asked Chiron.

Gewey ran his hand over the cover. “It says:
Within these pages is written the true history
of Heaven, of Earth, of Man, of Life, and of Gods and Elves
.”
He looked out on the crowd and said. “
Now
you know what I am.”

“
How is this possible?” asked Bellisia, in
wonder.

“
I don't know,” admitted Gewey. “In
fact, I know almost nothing. I only know what I am, and what I must
do.”

“
Do you expect us to follow you?” asked
Marinos. “If this is true, then it was your kind that caused
our people to fall. By all rights we should kill you, here and now.”

“
The Gods had nothing to do with the split,”
Theopolou said. “All of us that are old enough to have fought
in the Great War know this. It is time that the lie was exposed. It
is time for us to become the people we once were.”

“
So you would have us follow this....creature?”
asked Marinos. “You would have our people mix their blood with
that of humans?”

“
I would have us become a better people,”
Theopolou replied. “The idea of mixing with humans is as
disturbing to me as is to you. But how much different are we really?
We plot and scheme against one another. We kill our own kind. We lie
to ourselves and deceive our children. In fact, is there one of you
that sees the virtue and grace of our ancestors in the people we are
today?”

No one spoke.

“
Gewey Stedding has shown me much,”
Theopolou continued. “Though he is not a human, he was raised
as one. He has defended our people, upheld our values, and kept his
word. He has shown courage and determination. He has placed the lives
of others ahead of his own. And he has bonded to my kin.

“
I am not fool enough to believe that all humans
are as he. But he does represent what is best in man. Perfect? No.
But honorable, strong, and true. Something I have not seen in elves
of late.” He looked Gewey in the eyes. “I admit that when
I started this journey, I had hoped for you to reveal yourself to be
false. The idea of one such as you leading my people into a new
future repulsed me. My mind has been changed. I pledge my house and
my family to your cause.”

“
As do I,” said Chiron.

“
And I,” said Eftichis.

“
There is still the matter of the traitor,”
said Bellisia. “Before I make any decision, I will know how we
came to this pass.”

“
The traitor is among us,” said Theopolou.
“And I know who he is.”

“
Who?” shouted several voices.

Theopolou let his eyes scan the gathering, until they
came to rest on Akakios. “The Book of Souls was never in the
possession of Felsafell. It went missing just after we arrived.”

Akakios opened his mouth to protest, then lowered his
eyes. “I did it to protect you, my lord. Forgive me.”

The crowd erupted. Two elves seized Akakios and disarmed
him.

“
Traitor,” Eftichis roared, as he drew his
blade.

“
Stay your blade, Eftichis,” Theopolou
commanded. He turned back to Akakios.

“
You pretended to befriend Gewey. You were
instrumental in the slaying of dozens of your kin. You betrayed your
lord, and dishonored your name.”

“
I did what I did to help you
keep
your honor,” Akakios replied, angrily. “You would have us
bow to this... abomination. You would lead our people to their doom.
Don't you see? I was protecting you... from yourself.” Tears
streamed down his face. “But I swear I never meant for so many
to die.”

“
For one elf to die by your actions is
unforgivable,” said Chiron, furiously. “You have sealed
your fate.”

“
No,” said Theopolou. “Gewey has
taught me a lesson this day. Akakios is in my service, and I will
decide what is to be done with him.” He walked close to Akakios
and leveled his eyes. “He is to be questioned. Then release him
with the prisoner in three days. He is exiled to the east. If he has
any honor left, he will abide by this decision. If not, so be it.”

“
Is that wise?” asked Chiron.

“
Probably not,” Theopolou admitted. “But
we must be better than those who oppose us. We must not succumb to
vengeance or hatred. I will see elves return to grace, even if that
means showing mercy to our enemies.” He stepped back and the
two guards took Akakios away.

“
What now?” asked Chiron.

Gewey handed the Book of Souls to Theopolou. The old elf
gazed at it for a full minute before he looked up again.

“
I have to leave,” said Gewey. “I have
to rescue Kaylia.”

“
I understand,” said Theopolou. He put the
Book back inside the box and closed it. “I will guard this for
you until you return. In the meantime, we have much to discuss
amongst ourselves.”

“
I will come with you, Gewey Stedding,” said
Eftichis.

“
No,” said Theopolou. “You are needed
here. Many are still not convinced that this is the way. I will need
your help.”

“
He's right,” said Gewey. “You must
help Theopolou. Linis and I can track down the elves that took
Kaylia.”

“
But you will be outnumbered,” Eftichis
argued. “At least let me send some of my guard with you.”

“
Thank you,” said Gewey. “But I think
Linis is all the help I'll need. If it comes down to a fight, I'd
rather not risk more lives than I have to.”

As if on cue, Linis returned, his face grave. “There
are no signs of my seekers.”

“
Perhaps they were driven away,” said
Eftichis.

“
Perhaps,” said Linis. “Whatever the
case, I have no time to look for them. I found the attackers trail.
They flee north at great speed. Some on horseback. We must leave now,
or we will struggle to catch up.” He turned to Gewey. “Are
you ready?”

Gewey checked the pack and sword. “I'm ready.”

“
Good,” said Linis. “You can tell me
what happened while I was gone, later. I'm sure it is worth hearing.”

“
Indeed it is,” remarked Chiron.

Gewey placed his hands on Theopolou's shoulders. “I
am in your debt, and I promise that Kaylia will be safe.”

“
I have no doubt of that,” replied the elf.
“We will await your return.”

Linis and Gewey raced off in pursuit of Kaylia.

Chapter Thirty-One

Linis took the lead as they raced across the bridge and
back down the forest path. When they reached the end, Linis came to a
halt.

“
They went north through the woods from here,”
said Linis. “Some on foot, some on horseback. We must hurry. If
they are smart, they will split up soon.”

Gewey noticed something on the ground from the corner of
his eye. It was a tiny white flower. The same that Kaylia wore in her
hair for the bonding ceremony.

“
This was hers,” said Gewey.

“
Then perhaps we are in luck,” said Linis,
hopefully. “If this was indeed left by Kaylia, then it should
make finding her easy. Of course, her captors may be using it to
throw us off their trail. Can you tell if she is conscious?”

Gewey reached out to Kaylia, but with no better result
than before. “No. I only know she lives. Still, nothing more
than that.” He brought the flower close and smelled the sweet
fragrance. “But I feel that she dropped this for me to find.”

“
Good,” said Linis. “Then our chances
are greatly improved. Still, we must be careful.” They
continued for several hours, running as fast they could without
risking missing a sign. Gewey allowed the
flow
rush through him and soon it was Linis that lagged behind. Several
times Gewey tried to hear their quarry but to no avail. He had no
idea how far behind they were, and each step caused him greater
anxiety. By mid-afternoon, Gewey became frantic.

They paused to check the trail. “Why haven't we
caught them?” demanded Gewey.

“
I do not know.” Linis shook his head. “I
have never seen such a large group move so swiftly.”

Gewey sensed something approach. Something foul. Linis
sensed it a moment later.

“
Vrykol,” Linis whispered.

They both drew their weapons and fixed their eyes on the
forest ahead. As it approached, the air chilled and the woods became
silent. From behind a thick pine, the Vrykol appeared, cloaked in a
long black robe. It was taller and straighter than the ones they had
faced outside the Temple of Valshara, though it moved with the same
terrifying speed. It stopped short, fifty feet away, and drew a long
sword. Its face was hidden in the shadow of its hood, and Gewey could
hear the hiss of its breath.