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  King Illichian smiled. “You are an interesting man. Powerful and deadly, and yet, you are concerned for an old man like me.”

  Hargon did his best to ignore the compliment. He was not even sure why he healed the king, other than it was what he was supposed to do. To change the subject away from himself, he nodded towards the Dragon’s Egg, which rested on the ground several paces away. Fortunately, the Deceiver had not been able to do anything to it before he ran away. “What do we do with that?”

  “We finish what we started. The Deceiver’s army is still coming, and more than ever we need to use the Dragon’s Egg to create a talisman that you can use. You will need all the power that you can get. Without it, you will not survive.”

  The double doors behind them blew open. For a moment they could see the chaos of the soldiers and men preparing for the next battle, then Myllia’s head and neck pushed through blocking their view and most of the daylight. “You need to hurry,” she said. “The army has crossed the mountain pass and is heading right for the castle. Their machines are being pushed out of the forest as well. Immerallis and I will try and slow them down as much as we can. Sir Marik is preparing his Knights to charge at them, but that will not slow them down much.”

  “This is not something that can be hurried,” King Illichian said. “To do so would be deadly.”

  The Dragon let out a low growl. “To not do so will be even more deadly.”

  She pulled her head from the doorway and left, allowing light to come streaming in.

  Hallendrielle helped King Illichian over to the egg. They stared at it for several long moments.

  “Shall we begin?” Hallendrielle asked.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hallendrielle looked down at the small, oval stone. It was slightly smaller than her palm, which was roughly the same size as the black gem that the Deceiver had kept in his leather pouch. It fit almost perfectly into the pendant that hung from the necklace, but if anything, it was a bit smaller. Hemli insisted that he would be able to set the gem so it would look like it belonged. Right now, though, it was merely a smooth gray stone that would likely do well slung from a slingshot.

  She had done this before, but never with so much on the line. Many, many years ago she enchanted rocks so that they glowed at nighttime, marking paths through the jungle. Those had been simple spells that didn’t fundamentally change the properties of the stones that were enchanted. It was also similar to what she and King Illichian had done to the Spear of Salvation, which was much more difficult than enchanting stones. The Spear of Salvation was an artifact from ancient times, forged and imbued with magic millennia before she was born. With the Spear, she and King Illichian were not remaking the weapon. They were repairing it, restoring the enchantment that had been broken. It had been a difficult process that took a toll on King Illichian, which gave him the wisdom to know he could not try what she was about to try.

  “Are you sure that you can’t use the necklace?” Hargon asked. “It helped me.”

  Hellendrielle had been starting to get herself into a deep state of focus, and Hargon’s words interrupted her concentration. She looked up at him and glared, but didn’t reply. She returned her attention back to the spell that was forming in her head. Glaerion had told her about his experience with touching the Ark of Life, and she knew she could not touch the necklace without excruciating pain, much less use its power.

  As Hallendrielle went back to concentrating on preparing for the spell, King Illichian replied in a voice just above a whisper, “Just the touch of it will burn her skin and cause immense pain. Elves cannot use artifacts created by the One God. I think He knew that it would give us too much power. All Elves can use magic, even the youngest of us. Just imagine if a young child picked up such an artifact and was able to access nearly unlimited power without training. Humans at least have to develop the skill and learn how to use their power. It doesn’t make them any less susceptible to being corrupted by that power, but having to earn their way to that power is better than just having it without earning it.”

  Hellendrielle’s glare at the king caught his attention. He snapped his jaws tight, and she returned her focus back to stone. Closing her eyes, she focused on the words of the spell that needed to be recited. The touch of the Web of Magic was always there, like a light breeze on a warm summer day. It was noticeable when she wanted to notice it, but did not bother her otherwise. To complete the spell, she would have to open her focus up to the Web of Magic in a way that she had never done before. Rather than a light breeze, the power of the Web needed to flow into her like a hurricane. Every few years such weather would come to their village in the jungle, brought inland from the seas, tearing the jungle apart. The Elves put up a magical canopy to protect themselves, but they could still see the devastation of such powerful wind. Even deeply rooted trees could be ripped out of the ground if the ground became soft enough and the winds strong enough. She needed to ensure that her ground was solid, that her focus was secure, for when the magic flowed through her, she needed to prepare for it.

  Her mind slowly cleared of any outside influence. She heard nothing. She felt nothing. To those who were watching, she appeared as calm and relaxed as she felt. Her breathing was slow and steady, so she could easily have been mistaken for being asleep. It was more difficult for her than one might imagine, for using magic is normally a natural and almost instinctive process. Having to focus on casting a spell was a skill that Elves spent many years training for, but rarely did in practice.

  A gasp came out of her as the flow of magic from the Web doubled, and then tripled, and then was so strong that her bodied rebelled. She fell forward, dropping to her knees, her hands catching her fall. Her eyes were still closed, and only with the help of King Illichian did she not tumble forward onto her face. Not only was he there for moral support, he was there to support her physically, in case something like this happened. She was now ignorant of everything around her, which made her vulnerable to threats or accidents.

  Hargon watched with sudden concern, seeing the pain that was on her face. King Illichian, though, was calm and seemed unconcerned, whispering words to her in Elvish. The flash of pain left, and her face muscles relaxed.

  The stone twitched. Hargon thought he was seeing things, but when it twitched again, he knew that it had started. A heartbeat later, he too felt the power flow through the Web of Magic. Anyone that could touch the Web and use magic could feel the same thing. Everyone was tied together, and what one felt, everyone felt. They just didn’t feel it with the same power and intensity. It was similar to standing inside castle walls while a storm brewed outside. He could hear the wind, smell the storm, and even feel that the air felt differently, but he was protected by the effects of the storm. Whatever was happening to Hallendrielle was a storm of epic proportions, and he was glad it was happening to her and not to him.

  King Illichian continued to stay by Hallendrielle’s side as the spell progressed. Her words, spoken in Elvish, were unintelligible, but Hargon somehow knew what she was saying. They had meaning not only in what was being said but how the words were spoken. The words focused the energy of magic through her and into the stone. She began to shake, and the King held her tight.

  Hallendrielle could feel the power begin to overwhelm her, and soon it would consume her. The energy that she was pulling from the Web of Magic was more significant than anything she could manage or control. Before it was too late, she knew it was time to bring the Dragon’s Egg into the spell. She held out her hands, and King Illichian placed the Egg in them. She could feel the beat of the unborn Dragon’s heart. It was alive inside, and she could feel it. If she continued with the spell, it would kill it, and guilt and shame entered her thoughts, and she started to lose focus.

  This is my choice, she heard in her head but putting a voice to the Dragon made it worse, and her concentration slipped even more.

  Suddenly, it felt as if a weight was on her chest, and she couldn’t breathe anym
ore. Her skin felt on fire, and if she let the spell continue, she knew that the fire would only burn brighter and more intense. The power of the Web of Magic was beginning to consume her, and if it got any farther, she would not be able to stop it. The end would come quickly, but painfully.

  Focus! The voice said loudly and firmly. This is as it was meant to be! Think of the one thing that you cannot live without, and focus on that!

  The image of Glaerion instantly came to mind, and her heart melted at the thought of him. For many hundreds of years, they lived as stoic companions. There was little love, some friendship, and hardly any companionship. But, after he had returned with Conner and Elissa, he had changed to be a different person. He was someone that she could love once again, and in turn, she was someone that he could love. Every moment of every day was dangerous. The war could kill any of them quickly, but somehow they had survived this far, but if she didn’t get her mind right, they wouldn’t live past this moment.

  With the same intensity that made her a strong Elven woman, she forced herself to clear her mind and push aside all distractions. The power of the Web flowed through her and into the Dragon’s Egg, which lifted a great weight from her shoulders and she began to breathe easily. Her skin no longer burned, and the euphoria of life filled her soul. The weight of the Egg suddenly went away, as if it had disappeared, but she could still feel it in her hands. It was time to finish the spell.

  The words came out of her mouth as a brilliant song, lifting the spirits of herself and those around her. She could even feel the unborn Dragon as it embraced the song and shared its feelings with her. It would never be born, but it would serve the purpose of the One God, and that was all that anyone could ask. As the spell grew in power, she no longer felt restricted by her own abilities. The Dragon’s Egg took all the power, pulling it away from her, and allowing it to consume itself. The shell became translucent, and for a moment, the body of the unborn Dragon was visible. An instant later the Egg was absorbed in the power of the Web of Magic, and it was turned into a ball of white and blue light that drifted out of her hands and towards the stone. As it moved on its own, it shifted colors until it was a pulsating deep red. It engulfed the stone and then shrunk until it was no more. What was left was the stone, which now glowed bright red, as if it were super-heated. There was a blinding, bright light, causing everyone to jump and avert their eyes. Hallendrielle could sense the bright light, and although her eyes were still closed, her focus was solely on the spell. The words of her spell became rhythmic, and she repeated the final phrase over and over. The stone lifted into the air and began to spin faster and faster. The bright white light increased even more until it was just a blur, and it was so bright, and no one could even look in its direction without hurting their eyes. With one last outburst, Hallendrielle screamed out the last words of the spell. The rock impossibly stopped spinning immediately and dropped to the ground.

  No longer was it a rock, but a deep, dark red gem that glistened in the light of nearby torches.

  Silence filled the chamber, and no one moved. Hallendrielle was still standing, but her legs were wobbly, and King Illichian helped her back down to the ground. She took in a deep breath, and it became a sob. The drain of her strength was as emotionally taxing as it was physical. After another deep breath, she put her hands to her head to keep everyone from seeing the tears that were coming out. At the last moment, she felt the Dragon’s presence as it left this world and gave off a soothing feeling of comfort and contentment. A deep, dark hole was left in its wake. It was a hole that could never be filled, and she would always remember the presence of the unborn Dragon.

  Hargon stepped forward and kneeled down, looking closely at the gem before he gently picked it up. It was hot to the touch, but not so hot that it burned him. It was a soothing heat, as hot bath water is after spending hours in the cold. He squeezed it tightly, letting its heat come through his hand and envelop him. Immediately he felt its power join with the necklace. The strength that he had been waiting to be restored was now fully returned. He knew he could cast any spell he wanted, and for as long as he needed.

  Hemli stepped forward and held out a hand. Hargon looked at it like he was asking for his first-born son. The comfort and warmth of the gem were soothing to Hargon’s soul, and he could not imagine letting it go. He pulled it into his body, covering it with both hands.

  “If you want it to work as one single artifact,” Hemli said. “the gem must be attached to the necklace. That is something my people are very good at, and I can do, too. But first, you must give it to me.”

  Hargon reluctantly held out his hand so that Hemli cloud take the gem. Hemli quickly snatched it, flinched as he took it, expecting it to be hot to the touch. Instead, it was cool, as if it had been sitting in the cold cavern untouched. Hargon took off the necklace, and Hemli took that as well.

  “There are tools nearby that I can use,” Hemli said. He saw the expectant looks of those around him and added, “It is a simple job. It will not take long.”

  Watching Hemli dart away to another corner of the chamber, Hargon rubbed his shoulders and neck where the necklace used to lay. It felt as if he was missing an appendage. He took in a deep breath to try and get himself to relax.

  Hallendrielle shifted to a sitting position and held her head between her knees. She breathed deeply and slowly, trying to force herself to restore the energy that she just expended and not let the feeling of the Dragon touching her soul overwhelm her into tears.

  “You have done well,” King Illichian assured. “Your part is now done. Now it is up to others to finish what was started. Hargon will use his power to defeat the army, and Glaerion will use the Spear of Salvation to kill the Deceiver.”

  ***

  “Hold on!” Glaerion said. “We’ll need some light.”

  Marila was about to enter a dark tunnel that led from the main chamber, but she stopped and turned when Glaerion spoke. For a moment she forgot that Humans didn’t have the same ability to see in darkness as she did.

  Glaerion pulled out his dagger and cast a simple light spell on it. A moment later a soft blue light emanated from the blade. He pointed it down the opening to the tunnel. The light extended about fifty feet in front of them, giving them plenty of light to guide their way.

  “Why did he go down there?” Conner asked. “Why would he not stay here and try and take the necklace from Hargon?”

  “Are you asking me?” Marila asked, looking at Conner. “I do not know.”

  “You’re one of his kind, aren’t you?”

  Marila fully turned towards him. She had returned to her illusion of a pretty Human with dark brown hair wearing a loose white blouse. It did not take much effort at all to maintain the illusion, and she felt more comfortable being around Humans when she looked like them. They didn’t give her any sideways glances or stare at her with mouths hanging open.

  “He is a god, and I am not,” Marila snapped back angrily. “I am of a people called the Tukch. We are one of the many realms that he rules. That he has enslaved, I mean. I served him only because I had no choice and did not know anything else.” She let her illusion disappear so that she stood in front of them in her natural form. She had no clothes on, which caused Conner to avert his eyes. “This is what I look like. I know I am hideous to all of you. I have seen the looks from your people when they see me. And you, Conner, cannot look at me as I truly am!”

  Conner forced himself to look back. “But, you have no clothes.”

  “It is who I am.”

  “Then stop hiding it,” Glaerion said.

  “Maybe I will!” She snapped back, crossing her arms.

  “No one's stopping you. Only you.”

  Anger had built up quickly, but it dissipated almost right away. This time, she dropped her gaze and let her arms fall to her said. “You are right. This world is different than mine. Better than mine. I thought if I looked like you, then I could get lost in your world and be like you.”


  “Do you want to be Human?” Glaerion asked.

  This time it was Marila that averted her eyes from them.

  “There is nothing wrong with being Human,” Conner said.

  In a low, guttural voice, Glaerion replied, “There is a lot wrong with being Human, but that is not the point. It’s okay to not be satisfied with the person that you are. We change and grow. I am not the same now that I was centuries ago when the Elves and Humans were at war. I am not even the same person I was last year when I was lost with the rest of the Elves in exile, hating Humans. I figured out how to tolerate and then appreciate Humans for who they are, but that did not mean I needed to change to be them. I am still an Elf, and will always be. I am proud of that. You are who the One God created you to be, so learn to be proud of that.”

  “I cannot believe the One God created my people. We are evil and vile compared to the rest of his creations.”

  “The One God created everything in the universe. He created it all to be good, but the Deceiver has corrupted much of it. That is why we are fighting and why we must defeat him in the realm, else he will corrupt it, too.”

  “Maybe you will help me free my kind, then?”

  Glaerion lifted an eyebrow, but answered directly. “We will do whatever it takes to fight the Deceiver and destroy his evil. It would be an honor to stand at your side and free your people.”

  “Count me in, too,” Conner added.

  Marila sniffled and turned her head to look down the tunnel. She did not want either of them to see the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. The emotions that she had suppressed all her life were pouring out and were nearly uncontrollable. Never in her wildest dreams would she believe that she could even think about freeing her kind from the slavery of the Deceiver. Ironically, her greatest moment was being called in front of the Deceiver and proving her worth so that she could use her innate skills to infiltrate the Humans. That loyalty and allowed her to become a traitor to evil, but an ally to the righteous.