“Lira? You’re here, too? Who did you bring with you?” In a blur, the elf sped over to the door, looked out in both directions and then slammed the door.
“I’m by myself, Father.” Lira walked over and sat down on a small chair. “Why are you so worried?”
“I don’t want any of you bringing those thieves to my door.” Elric zipped back to the window and paced the floor.
“Oh, you mean the thieves that you stole the gems from in the first place?” asked Stone. “Speaking of that, did you take them all from Rancor or does he have any left? Either way, I’ll need you to hand them over to me now.” Stone’s hand shot out, his open palm waiting for the stones. He still stood instead of sitting in the chairs that were much too small for a normal sized man.
“I told you, I didn’t steal anything,” spat Elric, moving closer to Stone. “I found them on the floor of the cave. The stupid thieves were so busy fighting off the gnomes, they didn’t even see me there.” He clutched the bag at his side.
“Do they have some gemstones left?” asked Stone. “The king didn’t tell me how many went missing.”
“How should I know?” Elric bit at a hangnail. “They are so stupid, even if they did have more, they have probably lost them by now. Besides, these are of no use to humans.”
“What do you mean, Father?” asked Persimmon.
“You know something about these gems that you aren’t telling us,” Stone accused him.
“Why do you think that?” asked Persimmon.
“I can read people and their reactions. Elric wouldn’t look at me when I asked how many stones there were and he bit at his finger nervously,” said Stone. “That proves to me he knows more than he is letting on.”
“Do you, Father?” asked Lira. “Do you know something about these gemstones?”
“Never mind that,” spat Elric. “Stone promised he wouldn’t try to get them from me and he broke his promise. I can’t trust you, Stonestealer.” He stopped and folded his arms over his chest. One eyebrow raised in the air as he perused Stone.
“Me? You can’t trust me?” asked Stone, slapping his chest with his opposite palm. “How about I can’t trust you?”
“Stone, please,” Persimmon said softly, not wanting trouble. “You did promise.”
Stone shook his head, let out a sigh and slowly lowered his hand to his side. “They must still have some of King Helix’s gems. They have to. If not, how did they manage to convince King Sethor into following them to a portal and taking over the kingdom of Taelgonoth?”
“I agree with Stone,” said Lira. “King Sethor is a greedy man. He wouldn’t believe Rancor if bait hadn’t been dangled in front of his nose to lure him into doing anything.”
“Why does this man Rancor and his counterpart want to take over Taelgonoth?” asked Persimmon, still trying to understand about Stone’s land.
“There is only one king where I live,” explained Stone. “And that king rules everyone and everything. I suppose Rancor thinks if he can lure another king and his army there to seize it, that he’ll somehow be in a good position.”
“Father, do you really think if this transpires that Sethor would give Rancor a position at court?” asked Lira.
“How should I know?” Elric ground out, climbing atop a chair and thumping his fingers against the table. “And why are all of you wasting my precious time? I told you I’m not turning over the stones, so get lost.”
“He’s holding back on us again,” said Stone. “See the way he nervously raps his fingers on the table?”
Elric quickly folded his arms and stuck his hands under his armpits.
“We’re here for another reason as well,” Persimmon told him. “We had hoped since you’re a sage, you would be able to tell us when the portal will open, or how to open or close it on our own.”
“What?” Elric squinted, making a face and slowly turned toward Persimmon. “Why would you be asking me that when you have the ability to see the future in the gazing orb?”
“I don’t have that ability, Father. I tried but haven’t been able to achieve it.”
“Ah, I see.” His focus was on Stone next. “So, I’m guessing you coupled with the big oaf, telling him it would fire up the gazing crystal but it didn’t, did it? It is the same thing your mother did to me all those years ago. She lured me to her bed just to use me.”
“Hah!” spat Stone. “I hardly think you’d let anyone use you if you weren’t getting something out of it.”
Persimmon didn’t like Elric referring to her mother in such a way. She also didn’t like the fact her father called Stone an oaf or that he knew she made love to Stone. She wasn’t sure if he had been listening at her door or if his abilities of being a sage led him on to their secret.
“Father, Stone and I didn’t—” Persimmon heard Stone clear his throat and she stopped in midsentence. When she looked over at him, he nodded at her father. She realized the right thing to do was to be honest. “All right. Yes, we did make love but I thought it would work to unleash the powers of the gazing orb. After Stone kissed me I saw colors in the orb. I supposed coupling would give me the ability to scry since by kissing it brought about colors. I never meant to use him in the way that you are suggesting.” She looked at Stone. “I mean, it was warranted by both of us. I think.”
“Hah! So you did use him. And in his lustful manner he allowed it,” said Elric.
“Don’t speak for me, Elric,” grunted Stone. “She did nothing wrong. She told me her suspicions and I went along with it by my own choice.”
“Father, I only want to help others, but sadly, it seems that I still cannot scry.”
“But you knew about the old couple on the road,” said Lira. “Certainly you have some ability to see the future.”
“I never saw the vision in the gazing orb. I just felt it, I guess. But I assure you, I never saw a thing in the gazing ball until I arrived in Mura and Stone entered my life. Now, I have seen swirling colors and I also saw Fang struggling in the water. I am so close to making it work.” She looked over at her father. “So, was the reason I was born because Mother tried to access her powers to scry as well?”
“It was,” Elric answered. “I am sorry to say I truly had feelings for your mother, but she had none for me. She knew I was an elf and a sage and thought she needed a magical mate in order to make it work.”
“But Stone isn’t magical.” Persimmon looked over at him. “I suppose that’s why it didn’t work.”
Lira cleared her throat. “Father, you tricked Zann and I into getting married, telling me that I’d regain my lost powers by making love to him. That didn’t work either.”
“I only did that to help you regain your confidence. I also knew you needed a father for your daughter to replace the husband you lost. Zann seemed like the most likely one to fill that position, even if he wasn’t my first choice.”
“If I wasn’t happy about the outcome, I’d be furious at you right now,” said Lira. “But Zann and I fell in love and I am happy with the way things turned out.”
