Chapter Eighteen

Elidra gasped almost audibly as she watched Joliel take Mora against her will. Nothing she believed before Vrok and the Rakshar entered her life could give her understanding to this act. After becoming a Rakshar herself, what she witnessed was an abomination beyond anything she could imagine. Rage grew within her chest and her own fingernails dug into her squeezed hand. Had Vrok been alive nothing in the world could have stopped him from charging in and stopping what was happening.

Carefully Elidra watched as soldiers drug the battered woman away deep into the blackness of Blackroot. These people were beyond anything she could imagine, beyond anything she could fight. Anything she heard about the Rhiyans left her thoughts and only the action she witnessed remained burned forever in her mind. To continue her horror Joliel, bare skinned before all the soldiers, mixed the product of his actions with the dirt as it hissed back at him. With words she didn’t understand he continued his ceremony with lavish moves and repeated plunging of his hands into the ground. Each time he lifted his arms high the soldiers cried out in unison. Each time her belly jolted as her child kicked. Elidra almost felt as if she was suffocating with the surrounding magic.

Groaning and spitting forth foul dirt and gore, the ground trembled causing Joliel to step back yet continuing his ritual. Mist began to swirl in torment before the sorcerer and seemed to take a shape. Echoing in the air like a scream a voice beyond the veil of physical sight called out a single name. Elidra realized it was the chant the soldiers yelled out. ‘Zhandoga’.

Erupting forth, Zhandoga entered the world with every foul stench and puss from the world dripping off him as if he were bathed in it. Eyes that pulled at the very fabric of reality scanned the horizon and locked onto hers. With a growl the demon leapt forwards an impossible distance and landed just in front of her. Immediately the ground became blackened and hissed under his mass. Eyes burning of hatred seemed to pull her in closer as he lifted a clawed hand and pointed at her.

Immediately power engulfed her as instincts overcame Elidra. “Go Shani. To Tova. Prepare our people.”

Shani continued to stare at the demon standing just before them. Elidra’s will focused once again into twin fiery blades that crackled against the already magically charged air.

“Now Shani. There is nothing for you to do here.” Elidra stepped closer to the demon and looked deep into his eyes. “Come demon, I have no fear of you.”

“And you vessel will fail. The prophecy will fall true and all of Xhuri’s stain will perish. You will be the first.” Zhandoga’s shrill voice seemed to fill not just the air around her, but upon every possible existence threatening to explode into her mind.

Saying nothing more, Elidra entered her battle trance, dodging the demon’s first blow, her blades bounced off his armored skin. Dancing around him she jammed the blades into his side burying them deep and feeling them arch through the other side. Pulling them free, the demons side immediately closed. Elidra paused a moment and stared.

Grinning Zhandoga took a single clawed finger and dug a wound the entire length of Elidra’s arm. The wound immediately festered and burned causing her to scream out. In agony Elidra felt as if every pain of all who felt death from the demon filling her entire being. Fighting back she leapt into the air and seemed to take flight as she dodged another blow, regardless of the pain that flowed through her. Spinning a half circle she drove a blade deep into the demon’s eye.

Howling, Zhandoga stepped back and swung viscously back and forth, then covered his eye. As he pulled his massive hands away, his eye was already healed. But she hurt him and now knew she could. A bit more carefully, he stepped forward and attacked again. As Elidra easily stepped off to the side, molten like shards burst forward from his hands. With amazing deftness, each was deflected by her blades. Defiantly Elidra dropped into an almost cat like stance and winked at him.

“I am the Empress of the Rakshar. You filth will have to try much harder.” Elidra taunted him. She easily saw Joliel out of the corner of her eye attempting to maneuver behind her.

Effortlessly she feigned an attack at the demon, only to spin around and put both Joliel and the demon into her front view. For the first time since the demon charged at her, she could see the forces had created a wall and were moving to completely surround them. Those that had drug Mora off were running back to join the others.

Joliel quickly began collecting the blackened earth where she was originally standing as Zhandoga smiling, moved at her. Just before she launched into another attack the jolt in her belly almost dropped her to her knees. Inside she could hear an unknown sound scream out her name. Completely lost in her pain, Elidra never saw the blow coming. Just before striking her, a massive ball of fire exploded in Zhandoga’s face.

Startled, Elidra saw a form standing before her. Movements like thunder filled her head as she became more and more clear. She didn’t have to actually see his face to know the Timewalker had arrived.

There was no dodging, no counters no forgiveness as the druid relentless fired fireball after fireball into the face of the demon, each time taking another step forward. Clawing at the air and stumbling back, Zhandoga shoved Joliel to the side. Troops swung into action and began to close in.

Amadagu turned and looked directly at Elidra. “Go child. Go home to your people they will need you. That child needs you.” Fire was bright and angry in his eyes. Everything around him seemed to radiate the heat of the fire he flung at the demon.

“He has to die for what he has done.” She called out as she pointed to Joliel. “This cannot be left undone.”

“You have a choice to make. Your people or your daughter, choose now!” A torrent of fire lashed out from both his hands as he swept them across the battlefield in a horrendous arch. “By the Light child, go!”

Soldiers were close enough now to take her captive. Elidra knew she would lose if she chose to go after Joliel. For another instant she watched as the druid seemed to expend more power than anything she had ever seen or read about. Zhandoga continue to retreat cursing with every step. Even with all that was going on, Amadagu cleared a path for her. Elidra made her break. For an hour as she ran, she could still hear the battle continuing. Something in her cried out as she felt it was the last time she would see her father.

****

Elidra had to stop. Pain raced through her arm and she could almost visibly see her stomach growing. In the back of her mind if she reached out, she could almost hear the child’s mind. It was all very wrong.

For three days she struggled to make her way to Tova, back to her people. Behind her, the sounds of fighting began to drift. The only solstice she could have some hope on was the Rhiyan legions and their camp showed no signs of moving. Elidra couldn’t help but feel as if she was a pawn in the events.

Zhandoga had called her a ‘vessel’. In her she fought the horrid concerns that began to fill her thoughts. Immediately succumbing to her powers, she looked for anything alien or wrong. She could find no trace or lingering thread, only herself and the essence that had to be her daughter.

Calming herself, she slumped against the tall grass and found sleep. While she continued to think, darkness engulfed her, giving way to dreams and images she couldn’t understand. Blurry faces swimming in and out seeming to talk to her. Voices were muffled and deep as if they were far in the distance and screaming at her. For a brief moment the face of Joliel appeared and only smiled at her.

Shuddering Elidra snapped awake. The moon was held high in the night sky. A light frost lay across the grass and covered her own cloak, yet she felt no cold. She had made up more ground than she had originally thought. Sitting up, she watched her breath linger on the air. The cold was coming soon.

In tremendous shock her body arched and her voice filled the air. Elidra knew her child was coming soon. Struggling to her feet she pleaded. “Please baby not now. We have so much further to go. Please baby not now.”

Quickly the pain passed and Elidra pushed herself to keep walking. All sense of time blended and blurred into semi conscious moments of looking at the ground pass beneath her feet. Voices were suddenly around her. As she strained to see the faces, she found her head refused to lift. Catching her eye, blood was running down her leg and had filled her sandals. Dragging along next to her own foot, she could see another pair of feet caked with blood and dirt.

“Get her into the litter. We have to get her into the city.” A voice she couldn’t make out commanded others. “Carry General Shani on your back if you have to but get them both to the city now!”

More voices and then she heard her name. “Empress Elidra soon you will be home. If you can, do not push the child out, you must hold on.”

Darkness again, shooting pain she couldn’t even respond to and her body simply wanted to quit. Vrok’s face entered her mind again with a kind smile. To her surprise she could hear his voice clearly.

“You have passed every other trial, why quit on this one. No my love, you must hold yourself strong and endure this too. Our child must enter this world as it was always meant to. But she cannot without you.”

Elidra collapsed into the warm darkness of Vrok’s strong arms. “What shall we name her?” She questioned with a soft breath.

“Khelidra, after her mother, my Empress.” Elidra knew nothing more.

****

Still weak from her walk back to Tova and the childbirth, Elidra walked through her people. The moment she entered Tova she felt their cries consuming her thoughts. The poison that Vrok suffered, all the people were suffering. Many had already died. In the center, Vrok laid upon a grand alter, waiting for her.


Vrok told her early on about their tradition. Already those of his royal host that had died were laid around him creating a circle, symbolizing their protection of him and his support of them. The pyre staff of his father was already lit and ready for her to burn his body to ash.

Dutifully she lifted the pyre staff and carefully walked over to the altar. Setting the staff into its holder, she carefully began taking the circular links like those she wore in her hair and braiding them into Vrok’s hair. Waiting a moment she touched his cold cheek as tears fell onto his face. Slowly she leaned close and kissed each drop. At that moment she wanted to join him but knew she couldn’t.

With a terrible sadness she moved on and fastened a special ring into the hair of Shani. The general was found dead only a few moments from the entrance hill to Tova. As Elidra approached she recognized the woman’s form. Her final climb to Tova was with General Shani in her arms. Bloody wounds were easily seen through her neck. Shani was assassinated.

Finishing her braiding of the circlets into the hair of the circle, Elidra took the pyre staff and set the bodies on fire. Turning to the people, she told the story of their Emperor. For hours she continued as the smoke lifted high into the night air. As she finished she offered a final phrase:

“His grace died as a Rakshar of his stature should; in battle, proud and with a power so great it can only be called beautiful.”

****

Elidra studied a personal volume of Vrok’s in her bed as her daughter slept silently beside her. As much as the poison continued to kill the Rakshar, Elidra remained untouched, as did her child. Even the wound on her arm, which looked so much like the wounds the people suffered as the poison took them, finally disappeared into nothingness. Yet nothing she did seemed to affect the poison. In frustration she turned to the books that many thought were the Emperor’s personal memories. Elidra was astounded to find they were manuals on using ones will and prophecy. Day after day Kerve, the last of the generals, would wait in the shadows along the wall waiting for her commands. Day after day she said nothing and continued to search for an answer.

A light knock announced him yet again. Slowly he approached Elidra, in his hands he held a small carefully wrapped stack of parchments sealed with Vrok’s personal symbol as well as one of the armbands of the Rakshar.

“My Empress, may I sit please?” Poison was coursing through his body; Elidra saw it start several days prior.

“Of course, please General.” Elidra smiled kindly and offered him the seat at the end of her bed. Still smiling she pointed at the parchments. “You have something new today?”

Kerve carefully set the parchments on the bed and then set the armband next to it. “There are many things the Emperor kept to himself. Please do not think less of him or us Rakshar people as you read through that. I was going to burn it with him, but I realized you would need it. If you didn’t, she certainly would.

A silence remained between them for a moment as the General just smiled and looked at the sleeping heiress. Finally he stood to leave and rose slowly.

“He loved you completely.” Kerve said almost in a whisper. “But I believe he would have loved her more.”

Quickly Elidra rose and moved to block Kerve. “What are you not telling me General? Why would you need to explain this to me?”

“I will be dead by tonight my Empress and for many years I have kept his Grace’s privacy. The host has to return to our lands or we will all die. Read his studies my Empress. Learn about the armbands and do not think less of us.”

Waiting a moment and watching Kerve leave, Elidra walked over to the bed, broke the seal on the parchments and began to read.
Training at the Ministry taught me many things. More than anything it taught me how to control people. But their methods leave too much to chance. Too easily they manipulate through a series of trusts and mistrusts. I have found a way to guaranty an instant bond is made and such unreliable methods are rendered useless. None of this would have been possible if I did not first discover the way to release the knowledge of power beyond the training of the Ministry. Through a devotion, once can unlock a key to power that expands beyond the physical world.

There are those born with such, but only those in the direct bloodline to the Gods and Goddesses. But I have found one can still learn parts of what is natural to others. The bonding of metal, which is natural yet learned combined with something born of magic will create a catalyst for power and knowledge. A slight variation of this will cause a person to believe anything said or explained without disruption to the point that after an extended time this trust is burned into their actions and the magic is no longer needed, thus creating a bridge between what is learned and what is born.

With this, a nation could be created. You my child must know of this, for without it, the Rakshar will crumble.

Tears fell down her cheeks as Elidra set the papers down, anger filling her. Unable to contain it, she screamed. Instantly the baby woke and started crying. Screaming still, maids of her court entered and began to attend to the baby and tried to console her. Violently Elidra grabbed the armband and threw it against the wall.