Ways of Power 1: Power Rises (26 page)

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              All of Rancoth's hair began to prickle and rise. It felt like tiny bugs were taking flight off of his body and heading towards Cha'Modera. The air became thick with the scent of ozone, and the war chief's pale skin seemed to take on a luminescent quality.

              Before he could say anything, Cha'Modera released an ear-splitting scream, and hot white lightening spewed from his mouth towards Rancoth. His body reacted before he had a chance to think, and Rancoth raised his staff to block the attack.

              There was a crackling sound and flash of light, followed by a thunderous explosion. Everyone in the area except Rancoth was flung aside. Electricity surged through the sphere, the staff, and Rancoth. A shining light radiated out from the sphere. The swirling gray mist was replaced with an almost blinding blue light. After a moment, the light dimmed slightly.

              Dal'Asaid and his wife had come running at the sound of the explosion. Topping the stairs to the platform, the Elfkin chief wasted no time running to his long-absent daughters and falling to his knees before them. "What happened? How did you get here? What's wrong with An'Drazell?"

              Wer'Lupa had already crawled back to her sister's side. She hugged her father, as he cradled An'Drazell's bloodied head in his lap. The chief's wife and Rancoth shared a private glance, before she fell in and embraced her reunited family.

              Dorbin walked over groggily rubbing both his ears. "What was that?" he growled.

              A dark brown Elfkin ran over, panic stricken. "My chief, Cha'Modera is dead!"

              "What? How?"

              "Him?" the brown Elfkin said, pointing at Rancoth.

              Rancoth shook his head in confusion.

              The brown Elfkin glared at him as he explained how Cha'Modera bravely tried to defend the Elfkin people from the intruders, who jumped savagely from the black cloud of smoke. That Rancoth had somehow managed to catch the war chief's lightening scream, and caused an explosion, flinging Cha'Modera off of the tree platform to his death on the jungle floor.

              "That's not how it happened," Rancoth protested.

But Dal'Asaid wouldn't listen. "Grab them, and take his staff."

The brown Elfkin and two others that had arrived did as they were commanded. The brown one dove at Rancoth, ripping his staff from his hand and holding both his arms. The second the staff was taken from Rancoth's hand, the new glow in the sphere died out.

One of the other Elfkin snatched and gagged Dorbin before he had a chance to interfere. The third wrapped his arms around Elimon, a wide grin splitting his face.

Elimon had a look of quiet desperation as she whispered, "Master, please?"

Something in her voice let Rancoth know that she would no longer cause him any strife in the future. "Elimon, return to your realm."

The Elfkin that held her coughed and fell forward into the cloud of smoke that was once the demon.

"Gag him!" shouted Dal'Asaid.

"Daddy, wait."

"Not now, Wer'Lupa." The chief stood, taking control of the situation. "Someone find a sage for my daughters."

"But, Daddy, he saved us."

Dal'Asaid glared at his eldest daughter. "He returned you, but how is another matter. My heart is filled with joy that you are home again, but that does not mean he saved you."

"You don't understand--"

"This is not open for discussion! Take them to the pit!"

"Is that really necessary, my love?" the cheiftess asked, as she moved out of the way for the sage who arrived.

Dal'Asaid's stern face softened slightly. "I will not harm them Shi'Reema. But, I will not have them wondering freely while I decide what happened."

Shi'Reema bowed her head slightly in acquiescence. Rancoth and Dorbin were carried away to a deep hole in the ground on the outskirts of the jungle city.

              A flora singer used his voice and sang two vines to bind them, and continued to sing as several more vines lowered them into the pit. They were left bound and gagged at the bottom of the muddy hole. No cover was placed over the opening at the top, but the guards’ ever present shadows could be seen silhouetted on the damp floor.

              After what seemed like hours, one of the flora singer guards used his magic to haul Rancoth back to the surface. It was now late in the day, and the bright sun hurt Rancoth's eyes after being in the darkened hole.

              "Dal'Asaid would like to see you now," the guard said nodding to someone behind Rancoth. Large blue arms encircled him from behind, and Rancoth was flung over someone's shoulder. He was carried through the city like a sack of wheat. Children pointed and laughed as their mothers shuffled them from his sight.

              Eventually the Elfkin carrying him had reached the tree where Dal'Asaid was waiting. Rancoth watched as powerful blue calves pumped their way up the wooden steps grown from the tree. The ground quickly shrunk away beneath them, and the point of the Elfkin's shoulder jostled painfully into his stomach.

              After encircling the tree more than a dozen times, the Elfkin stopped and knocked on a door. Rancoth didn't hear an answering summons, but after a pause he was carried into a lavishly grown room. The Elfkin set him down and spun him around.

              Rancoth tried to hide his surprise at seeing Shi'Reema, the chief's wife. She sat on a cushion of soft green and orange moss nestled in the crook of a V-shaped stool. She had her arms resting on top of the two prongs, and her large breasts drooped together in an alluring way. Rancoth swallowed hard as she studied him in silence. After a moment she dismissed the guard with a casual wave.

              "My husband will be here shortly. My daughters and I have managed to convince him that you can be trusted. He is going to want to know exactly what happened to Cha'Modera, and how you managed to bring Wer'Lupa and An'Drazell home. He loved his war chief like a son, but he is not ignorant of how short of temper and quick to action Cha'Modera was. If you are completely honest and open then I think everything will turn out as it should. Do you understand?"

              Rancoth nodded.

              Before she could continue, Rancoth heard the door behind him open again. Shi'Reema looked up and smiled as her husband came into view.

              "Wife, I would like a moment alone with the demon caller. Would you mind fetching Wer'Lupa and An'Drazell."

              "Of course, my chief." Shi'Reema bowed her head slightly in supplication and ran her fingers lovingly down his right arm as she left.

              Dal'Asaid crossed the room to a low counter growing out of the side of the tree. He pulled out a small leather flagon and two polished wooden cups. "Have a seat." He  nodded toward a cushionless bench with spiraled designs grown into it.

              Rancoth did as he was told, sitting in front of one of the many openings in the structure. Like all of the Elfkin architecture it was meant to allow air to pass through without compromising the shelter. A slight breeze ran across his back, sending goose bumps across his skin.

              Dal'Asaid sat across from him in the v-shaped stool his wife had been in. He set the two cups on the short narrow table between them. Its legs were grown to look like subtle bird claws, and the pattern in the grain of the wood almost resembled a bird’s head.

              Dal'Asaid poured a yellow liquid into the two cups. "I find that tea helps to clear my head." He looked at Rancoth closely, his catlike eyes bored into him like a river cutting its way through a canyon.

Rancoth returned his gaze unabashed. While he felt sorry for the unfortunate accident involving Cha'Modera, he had done nothing but try to help these people, and he did not deserve to be treated like a prisoner. If Dal'Asaid couldn't respect him after what he did, then so be it. He was done trying to impress the Elfkin chief.

"If I remove your gag, will you use your powers to summon another one of your monsters?"

Rancoth shook his head.

The chief pushed one of the wooden cups towards him, and stood up. Reaching behind his head, he undid the gag.

"Thank you," Rancoth said.

"Stand up and turn around. I'll undo your binds enough so that you can drink some tea with me."

"Again, thank you," Rancoth said, as his left arm was freed. He stretched and flexed it; his fingers tingled slightly as blood rushed to rejuvenate them. "What about Dorbin?"

"One thing at a time. You returned my daughters to me and for that I am thankful. But, you also brought with you a demon witch whose very presence tainted my people. Also, thanks to you my war chief is dead. There is much to discuss. Have some tea, and tell me how you found my daughters and brought them back here."

The tea was cool, and had a delicate floral flavor. Rancoth enjoyed it as he recanted the tale, starting with the summoning of Pordly in the woods outside the city. He was careful not to leave anything out, and Dal'Asaid listened in silence, nodding his head on occasion. He refilled their cups as they drank, emptying the flagon as Rancoth finished the story.

"But why did you go looking for them after I told you not to interfere?" Dal'Asaid asked.

Rancoth hesitated for only a moment. "Your wife asked me to." She had told him to be completely open.

"I thought as much."

Just then, Shi'Reema came through the door, followed by her two older daughters. Wer'Lupa had on the sacred necklace of her people, and carried Rancoth's staff. An'Drazell looked as exotic as ever, the color of her skin and hair changing as she moved through the room was mesmerizing.

              Dal'Asaid looked hard at his wife. "We will need to talk later," he said.

              She looked from him to Rancoth and back again. She smiled slightly, and bowed her head.

              Rancoth hoped that he had not gotten her into any trouble, but somehow knew that she was more than capable of handling her husband. "It's good to see that you are both up and refreshed, and I am particularly happy to see that you are doing better," Rancoth said looking at An'Drazell.

He couldn't tell if she blushed, or if the sudden reddening of her complexion was just another natural change in her skin tone, but she did smile as she looked into his eyes.

"Enough." Dal'Asaid put down his empty cup with a little force. "I accept your explanation, and thank you for rescuing my daughters. Now it is time to attend to other unanswered questions."

"Such as?" Rancoth asked.

"The sphere on top of your staff was clearly lit when my wife and I reached the top of the platform. Now it is out. Why? And, what exactly is it?"

Rancoth shrugged his shoulders, which was rather uncomfortable given the fact that his right arm was still bound behind his back. "To be honest I do not know. I told you before; I found the sphere in my mother's things. I remember her holding it when I was a child, but it never lit up. That only just happened when Cha'Modera had flung the lightening at me."

"I see. Daughter, hand him the staff."

Wer'Lupa approached and handed Rancoth back his staff. The moment it touched his hand, Rancoth felt power surging through his whole body. The sphere lit up again, and a small arc of light leapt from it to the small sphere on Wer'Lupa's necklace. She gasped and stepped back.

Dal'Asaid shouted, "Traitor!" as he jumped towards Rancoth. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the air whistled through the gaps in the walls.

"Stop!" Wer'Lupa didn’t yell, but she spoke with such authority even her father hesitated, his hands already around Rancoth's neck. "I can see--everything."

"What do you mean?" Dal'Asaid asked, turning to face his daughter.

As Dal'Asaid stepped to the side, Rancoth could see that the small sphere on Wer'Lupa's necklace now glowed with a bright golden light. She had a far look to her eyes, as if she were seeing worlds further beyond any of their comprehension.

"Father, war is coming, but only he can prevent it," Wer'Lupa said, pointing at Rancoth. "I must go with him. And so must Loopy."

"How? Why?"

"I have to help him find the other spheres of Gal'Rock, and he must activate them."

"Nonsense. You can't possibly know that. I've had enough. Pie'Burg!" The large blue Elfkin that had carried Rancoth to the Chief's home came back into the room. "Take him back to the pit," Dal'Asaid said taking the staff away from Rancoth, its glow faded once more.

Rancoth was left un-gagged this time, though his left hand was rebound behind him before he was re-lowered into the pit. He told Dorbin what happened. Some food and drink was lowered to them. A flora singer crouched by the top of the hole and sang the bindings off of them so they could eat.

They were left that way for the next three days. When they were finally pulled from the pit, they were allowed to walk unhindered to Dal'Asaid's home. Eight guards stood outside, as the two of them went in.

Dal'Asaid stood with his back to them, his hands clasped firmly behind him. He looked out one of the holes in his wall, down at his beautiful tree city. When he finally spoke there was sadness in his voice.