Demiourgos (17 page)

“A rarity. So, Young Blood, obviously you are of naarabian descent. Favor us with your tale.” The man motioned to the elves around him. “Pray tell us what you were doing in the city before swearing your allegiance.”

“My past is just that, the past. I respectfully decline to answer that question Revered Councilman. I pray that you understand the reasoning for keeping my affairs private.” Rose heard the gasps and saw the scowl coming from the older man.

“You are obligated to reveal any and all details we request of you Young Blood; you are a member of this council and the royal family now. We must be sure that nothing from your past will threaten the lineage.” He countered with a heated tone.

“Councilman, this is highly irregular. The ceremony was authorized by me while we were in the field during our expedition. The particulars of the initiation were taken care of by my Blood Guard, Merik of the Two Blades.” The queen looked slightly unnerved at the request and now Rose understood why her past irritated the queen so. For once in her life she found herself embarrassed at the prospect of revealing her sordid history. “Surely we can skip this formality.”

“The council requests this information as is the tradition. Just because you performed the ritual in the field does not mean she is exempt from the particulars.” He countered through a wolfish smile. “Would my fellow council members agree?”

Rose watched as most of the members present stood up and accentuated their consent by nodding their heads. She looked up at the queen who only nodded her head and scowled at the hawk-nosed elf. “Previously I was a servant to a powerful house in the city of Rahkshas.”

“A servant you say? What station did you hold?” He countered probingly.

“I…” She said and looked up at the queen who motioned with her hand and nodded again. “I was a pleasure slave for the man who held the tome you came to retrieve.”

Several of the council members laughed and others scoffed at her openly. The prime councilman, Taines laughed so loudly that she nearly flinched. He regarded her from head to toe then spoke. “A pleasure slave? Oh how the legacy has fallen.”

“Alright then pleasure slave…” He put heavy emphasis on the slave part of the statement.

Rose frowned at the council around her and then walked around the podium and headed for the bench where the councilman was standing. All of them shied backward suddenly in the face of her anger but Councilman Taines merely looked from her to the queen and back, apparently wondering what this was about. Rose lifted her hand and made a tugging gesture with her arm, simultaneously tapping into the power she had stored that morning. Using a bit more than she needed to Rose grunted and swung her arm further backward, causing the startled man to fly toward her rapidly. She held her hand up when he was but an inch from her face. She could smell the stench of flowers and perfumes on him and that made her nose burn but she locked eyes with him and put her hand on his cheek. “I am a Blood Guard of the Royal house, and I will be treated as such Councilman. Further insults will do nothing but raise my ire, do not think me some naïve defenseless little girl elevated to a station as some trophy or prize. I put my life on the line for this house and I deserve the respect that you are obligated to give me. Do we understand one another?”

Fear in his eyes, the older elf merely nodded his head and could not remove his gaze from her smoldering stare. She could smell the stink of fear on him as keenly as the queen had said she would. This man was indeed a coward. Inside she was a quivering little waif like he thought she was. But for the sake of the queen and her station she had to play along. She dropped the scared man to the ground unceremoniously and not as intended. The queen obviously was not pleased by the change in plans but she was determined to let her past fly free and focus on the future. “I beg forgiveness of the council but I do not take to disrespect lightly.”

“Granted, please return to the podium Young Blood and refrain from any further outbursts.” The queen nodded her head and motioned toward the podium not far from the stand her family was occupying. “Does the council wish to question Blood Rose any further?”

“No further questioning.” Councilman Taines replied as he returned to his seat and began trying to regain some of his dignity.

“Good, then to the matter at hand.” Mira replied to him.

Rose stood at the podium for a long time trying to look interested until the queen got to the part concerning Liostro. She had not seen him since they had been separated in the city. She watched the armored man walk out of the opposite hallway in his full garb with his sword and shield fastened tight and his helm under his arm. He looked sinister and frightening but beautiful all the same with his fine-chiseled features. It was hard to take her gaze from him but she could only meet his eyes one time before he came to stand next to her on the wide podium.

“These two Blood Guards have a hard task before them. As per the prophecy they shall undertake the task of recovering the defender.” The queen, having changed the subject of the discussion rapidly got a deluge of protests all at once. She ordered the residing judicator to silence the crowd and sighed openly as he rapped his metal-capped staff on the floor. “Come to order immediately!”

“The prophecy has begun my lords. I offer you the proof.” She gestured at Rose then at Leonidus who stood up and pulled a small book from within his robe.

“The flower of the desert shall bloom from the seeds of an unlikely pair. She will wear a guise as innocent as the dew on a newly sprouted bud and as pure as the first spring rain. A child of the Far East shall nourish her and uproot her from her home. The white queen ware her throne for the traitor in her midst will conspire to throw her to the lizard-king.” Once he was finished reading that paragraph he turned a page and continued. “A darkness from the east will find light in the wake of turmoil and so shall he lead the charge into the heart of the crumbled city to retrieve the skin and talons of past kings.”

“How can you be so sure that these upstarts are the ones the prophecy foretold?” Councilman Taines piped in, regaining some of his previous fire.

“I am sure because the guardian of the forest came forth and spoke to Rose.” Leonidus stood and spoke for the queen, offering his insight to the prophecy. He was the foremost expert on the subject. “The pieces are falling into place council members; it would be ill-advised not to act.”

Rose and Liostro both were ushered out by Barius who led them to Liostro’s chambers first. Liostro paused at his door and looked back at Rose for a moment. “I fear we have gotten in over our heads here Rose. Will you come visit me tonight? I wish to speak to you privately.”

“I will if I can.” She nodded her head and followed Barius, not knowing how to absorb the events of the day and add them onto the strange pile of trials she had undergone since leaving the city in the first place. “Barius, I don’t know if I can handle the weight of this destiny.”

“You did well in the council chambers; you are quite capable of accomplishing anything in the face of that. Your acting almost convinced even me.” He smiled and brushed his hand across her cheek. “Take heart and get some rest, Noranda will take over for me soon and I’ll let her know you need to speak to Liostro this night.”

“Won’t that get you in trouble?” She replied as a smile lit up her features.

Barius winked at her and returned the smile. “Not if no one knows.”

From the journal of Alethia Rose

From city to desert to forest to council chambers I met each knowing that I would face adversity. When I look back on those first weeks I realize how naïve I really was, how trusting I had been. In but a blink of a naarabian eye my life was turned about entirely. My people can live for centuries given the lack of sword in our gut or spell frying us alive and yet I feel, even now, that it can never be enough time.

Liostro was a mystery to me and though I knew he could be trusted I could not bring myself to truly trust him even after the blood bonding ceremony. I suppose I was not as naïve as I thought. Our story struck true to me deep in my heart.

While I was in the harem protecting Nina I was attacked and laid low for a short time and Nina, knowing a bit out medicine, was allowed to stay by my side. She told me a tale that bears similarities to this time in my life.

It was a story about a naarabian that befriended an elf. This elf, Xunil, was weak and frail but he was good at shaping magic. The naarabi, his name was Kwynnith, was mediocre at shaping but a skilled swordsman. Xunil was on a quest assigned by his elders to locate a lost elven artifact of great importance. They traveled together for a long time and eventually became lovers. During this time Kwynnith swore an oath to Xunil to protect him always, to become his guardian until the end of their road. They shared blood in a ritual of brotherhood. During this same week a terrible storm raged across the desert and the two of them got separated and lost their way.

Fearing his chosen dead, Kwynnith was fraught with despair and begged the gods for assistance. The vigilant god, also known as the Darkwatcher, came to the naarabian because he was moved by the devotion Kwynnith showed and gave him the ability to track and locate his chosen over great distances. The story says that he wanders still, searching for his lost love. I believe he found his chosen and they continued their journey together.

When I look at the blood bond Nina and I shared and the subsequent bond Liostro and I formed I wonder how much influence that bond had. The private, simple ceremony Nina and I shared was blessed by the watchful god, we both felt it. The subsequent ceremony just felt like it sealed the deal. Honestly the ways of the gods are as alien to me today as they were back then.

Rose had dressed out of the fine clothing that she had worn in the council chambers and back into the simple set of clothes she much preferred. She sat down on the wooden chair she had pulled out onto the balcony to look out over the city again. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts a knock sounded at the door. “It’s open.”

“Wow, you were incredible!” Nina said as she stepped into the room still in the robe she had been wearing in the council chambers. She set down a bundle wrapped in cloth and untied it, revealing a few books. “I brought you a couple of books; I figured you’d most-likely be bored because mother ordered you to stay in your quarters.”

“By the gods you are a blessing. As compared to the last few weeks the hours I have spent in this bare room have been torture.” Rose smiled at Nina and kissed her on the forehead, having to bend down to reach the small elf. Taking each book in her hands she thumbed through them reverently. “Common? I would figure them to be in your language.”

“Well not all the books we have in the library were penned by elves.” Nina sat down at the table near Rose and picked up one of the books herself. “This one was my favorite; it has tales and lore from several races. For the most part it’s the better known stuff.”

“That’s good enough, anything to relieve the boredom.” Rose put her hand on Nina’s and grinned.

Nina picked up a non-descript blue book with small squares emblazoned on the cover. “I also brought you a journal; it helps me to straighten my thoughts sometimes. I’ve been keeping mine since I was a girl.”

“I shall keep that in mind, thank you.” Rose paged through the empty journal as she talked with Nina. “So tell me, what’s the deal with the council, they seem to be an unruly lot.”

“The council is fine, but Taines isn’t. He’s the driving force behind them. More often than not the majority will follow his vote just because he has the most power in the house. He has a lot of influence and though we can’t prove it we think he has a few of the council members in his pocket.” Nina rolled her eyes and sighed a little, thinking of politics always depressed her. “This is why I don’t want to be queen, the council is corrupt and manipulative and I’d rather not deal with that sort of mental trauma on a daily basis.”

“I can second that.” Rose replied and patted her friend on the hand. “Don’t worry, if you do end up being queen I won’t let those animals gnaw on your feet.”

“You have such a way with words.” Nina giggled and put the book back down near the others. “I want to go with you.”

“What?”

“I want to go with you when you go on this quest. I can fight, I can take care of myself and I’m definitely a better tracker than even Liostro are when it comes down to it.” Nina said with finality in her tone. “I am going to ask mother to sanction it, I’ll tell her that we need the presence of a royal family member just for representation when you retrieve the artifacts. I’m sure I can get grandfather to back up my story.”

“I don’t know Nina; I’m not even sure what will be required of us.” Rose shrugged her shoulders and sighed, wondering yet again why she had been chosen for this strange life. “It could be dangerous.”

“I’m not worried about the danger.” Nina put her hands on the table and locked eyes with Rose before continuing. “I’ve been through much worse than that pasha’s harem.”

“I believe you but do you really think your mother will let you go?” Rose toyed with the cover of a book idly as she considered Nina’s stern resolve. While Rose was trying to avoid her destiny Nina seemed to want to embrace it with open arms. At least she knew that she had a companion she could count on above all else. “If the queen will allow it I would be glad to have you along with us.”

“Oh thank you! Don’t worry about her; let me take care of that part.” Nina winked and stood up, heading for the door. “One more thing, mother wanted me to pass the word that she was pleased with your performance but displeased with the manner in which you set down the councilman. Personally I think it serves the little weasel right.”

“Weasel?” Rose echoed incredulously, being unfamiliar with the terminology.

“Yeah, it’s a long rodent.” Nina motioned with her hands trying to explain what she meant but instead giggled at the perplexed look she got. “I’ll bring you a bestiary next time.”

~~~~

Walking along the wooden halls that were fashioned in the twisting old trunk made her feel as if she was walking through the organs of some gigantic beast. It had been disconcerting at first but she had gotten used to it quickly. She knew the tree was alive, every time her bare feet touched the wood she could feel it breathing, every touch of her finger tips she could hear its song. Rose could not help but muse to herself and no one in particular as Noranda led her toward Liostro’s quarters. “The spirit within this tree is very strong.”

“You can feel it?” The female elf asked in wonder.

“I can feel it; every time I touch it I can feel it. And sometimes I can feel it when I don’t touch it too. It was a little strange at first but it didn’t take much getting used to.” She watched the grain of the wood as she passed and found the fanciful shapes her mind made out of the random swirls comforting. As she followed Noranda she caught movement out of the corner of her eye only to turn and find a bare wall staring back at her.

“What is it?” Noticing that Rose had stopped Noranda had stopped as well and looked back at her.

“Nothing, I just thought I saw something.” She started walking and smiled at Noranda. “I’m just tired is all.”

“That can play strange tricks on you all right.” As she rounded the next bend she cursed under her breath and motioned for Rose to follow behind her. A guard she did not know had been posted outside of Liostro’s door. Noranda strode up to the elf as if she were on official business. “We’ve come to see the Blood Guard.”

“I’m sorry, no visitors under orders of her majesty.” The tall, slender male elf replied as he leaned against the wooden wall.

“Stand up straight Sunblade! You are supposed to represent the best of our people!” Rose barked at him, causing him to snap to attention suddenly. She almost giggled at the response. Walking past Noranda and up to the young elf she squared off with him and stared him directly in the face. “I am a Blood Guard of the royal family and I have come to have words with my second, do you have a problem with that?”

“No ma’am! I’m sorry Blood Guard, I did not recognize you.” He stammered out through nervously twitching lips. “Please forgive me, go ahead and enter.”

“That’s better.” Rose simply threw a wink at Noranda as she strode into the door and shut it behind her forcefully.

“Wow.” The male elf said as he turned to look at the door.

“What’s that soldier?” Noranda inquired with an arched eyebrow as she stood next to the door and waited for Rose.

“I’ve never seen anyone pull off scary and sexy at the same time.” He blurted without thinking then covered his mouth up just as fast. “I’m sorry!”

He was young; she smiled a disarming smile at him and leaned against the wall to wait.

~~~~

“Rose, so you did indeed decide to join me then? You’ll forgive my lack of hospitality but I’ve not been given much to work with. It seems we’re more prisoners than guards.” Liostro was sitting at a table near the balcony and motioned for Rose to take a seat next to him. “We should talk, I feel the squeeze coming and I’m loathe to experience it alone.”

“If I understand you then yes I agree. We’re getting forced into something beyond our control or understanding. Honestly I don’t know that I wouldn’t prefer the harem to the politics of the elven court.” Rose took a seat next to him and put her chin in her hands, gazing at him for a moment in the fading light of the day. “So we’ve shared battle, blood and a kiss. It doesn’t get more intimate than that; tell me something about you that I don’t know before we get into the unpleasant topics.”

“Well that topic may not be wholly pleasant for me.” Liostro steepled his hands in front of his face as he leaned forward to match her gaze. “But if you insist. That was my first kiss just so you know.”

“Truly?” Rose smiled a little and shook her head. “You jest!”

“On occasion.” He replied simply.

“Oh, so you are telling the truth.” She let one arm lay across the table cradling her elbow and ran her finger across her lips, leaning her head into her palm. “It was a nice kiss for a first-timer.”

“To elaborate, my former order required all of its knights to be chaste. Dreadful business in my opinion, temptation is around every corner. From time to time they actually test you to make sure you’re still true to your word.” Liostro spread his fingers wide almost in a shrugging gesture then continued. “I passed every time.”

“Test you? I did not know you could tell if a man was,” Rose struggled for a word before continuing. “For lack of a better word, a virgin.”

“Not that kind of test. The temple would throw temptation my way and see how I reacted. Honestly it was the most maddening part of my existence.” Leaning back in his chair he marveled at just how beautiful she was. “Care to ease my mental tension?”

“Who says I would be willing to give you my favors?” Rose replied while crossing her arms and turning her head to the side, looking at the wall more than anything else. “Impossible man.”

“Well males are only good at two things so I’ve been told.” His shoulders shrugged and he wore a wry grin. “Fighting and fornicating.”

“Foolery fits well between the two.” She retorted and looked back at him. “I am not so easy to bed; I am a free woman now you know.”

“Well then I shall try my best in the future, next time I shall bring a large club to subdue you with.” When she gave him a sour look he threw his head back and laughed from deep within his belly, accordingly she laughed a little as well and shook her head. “Well I suppose it is time to put the pleasantries aside.”

“Already?” Rose sighed and let out a light snort of amusement. “I think I’d rather bed you than talk about today’s events.”

“The offer still stands.” He winked and waggled his eyebrows.

“You’re a completely different person off of the battlefield my dark knight.” Rose smiled at his antics and for the moment felt better. “So apparently we’re going to be sent on some quest to retrieve an artifact or something. How hard can that be?”

“Artifacts are usually guarded. Otherwise they’d be in someone’s hands right?” He let that sink in, knowing she did not know much about the outside world. “This is going to be a dangerous journey to say the least. As long as the queen is willing to put some resources behind this quest I think we have a shot. We’ll need help.”

“Nina wishes to join us. Honestly there is nothing I can do to stop her but I think it will not get any further than her mother. Nina is obviously the favored child. She has a sister as well but I did not see her in the court today with the rest of her family.” Rose shrugged and let her hands come to rest on the table. “What kind of help do you think we’ll need?”

“I am expecting to get minimal help, optimally a full war band would most likely handle the job without a hitch but I think the queen will cite the prophecy literally and force us to go it alone. I think I can at least convince her to give us a few guardsmen to accompany us on the journey.” Liostro stood up and walked over to the balcony, looking over the side down to the ground far below. “I’m not sure how much help the princess will be; she could hardly stand up to me.”

“You’re older than her, figuratively speaking, and you’ve been trained in the martial ways for far longer and more rigorously. Anyone but a seasoned combat veteran would have a hard time standing for long in a battle with you.” Rose walked over next to him and sat down against the wooden railing, leaning her back against the strong wooden lattice. “The prospect of this quest frightens me to no end but it seems I have no choice in the matter.”

“I’ll protect you.” Liostro didn’t look down at her; he couldn’t bear it at the moment. His emotions were getting the better of him, his life had been a cloistered affair up until now, it was all he could do to remain civil while in such close proximity to her. “No harm will come to you while I am by your side; I swear it by the gods.”

“You hardly know me.” Rose looked up at him, his soft white skin, the breeze rustling his hair from these heights and the soft light of the moon. Everything seemed to only accentuate him, he was an attractive man.

“It hardly matters, I am smitten.” His gaze fell down to her as she was looking up at him. Those beautiful gold-and-blue eyes called to him. He went down to his knees and took her hands in his, pressing his lips against hers with a sudden urgency. She did not fight his advances which only spurred him onward until the door to his room swung open, causing them both to lock eyes with the queen.

“It seems my orders mean nothing to the both of you then?” She fumed as she crossed the space between the two by the balcony with two guards in tow and Merik not far behind, leaning on the door frame. “Just as well, I need to speak with the both of you.”

Rose could feel the daggers in the queen’s stare, her opinion of the wayward naarabian was already low but having disobeyed and being found with her lips locked to Liostro’s obviously did not help her situation. She stood up with his help and sat down at the table across from the queen with Liostro at her side. “My queen this was all my idea, I felt the need to speak to him about our journey. This task you have named for us seems difficult and out of reach, I needed to talk to someone.”