Ivan shook his head, “No. I’m thinking clearly now. You’re the one messing with my head. This whole time you’ve been trying to make me think that the two of us can be friends again, but you are wrong. We’ll never be able to work together. No matter what kind of dark magic you use on me, I’ll always resist you.”
Merglan tilted his head slightly and said, “I did hope you would come around to see things my way by now, but this is getting ridiculous.”
Ivan heard malice return to his voice. He tried to rush Merglan before he could cast his spell. This time Ivan got his hands on Merglan’s cloak and pulled before the magic stung him. Merglan’s thoughts clamped down on Ivan’s mind with a vice-like grip. Ivan couldn’t stop the mental attack and writhed on the ground as Merglan knelt over him, pummeling his mind with overwhelming force. Grabbing Ivan by the collar and shaking him, Merglan shouted, “Look at me!”
Ivan tried to hold his eyes shut, but Merglan’s will forced them open. He turned his head to the side, doing everything in his power to disobey. Merglan forced Ivan to stare directly up at him.
He could see the vein in Merglan’s forehead pulsing as the sorcerer spoke, “I should’ve done this a long time ago.” Merglan’s palm spread over Ivan’s face, a glowing light emanating from his palm.
Ivan felt the hot magic cut through his mind, ripping him apart. The last thing he felt was his stream of consciousness leaving his body. Still able to see, Ivan watched with eyes held open by magic as Merglan stole the last remaining pieces from his soul. As the tendrils of energy evaporated from his chest like vapor, Ivan’s vision blurred and he felt himself leave his body.
Merglan stood alone in his old friend’s bedroom, the room where he tried so hard to make Ivan see the truth. He cursed himself for being so foolish as to think that the stubborn old man would see things his way. Placing his hand over the wooden box he’d put on Ivan’s table, he went to pick it up. Stopping just before touching the wood, Merglan restrained himself. He walked to the window where he’d seen his old friend standing and looking out over the castle walls. What was he hoping for? Merglan asked himself.
Killdoor’s consciousness sounded in his mind, You finally did the right thing.
What, by plunging him into madness, then putting him out of his misery? Merglan asked.
By ridding your thoughts of what he could do for you. He was broken, weak and powerless.
He was my friend, once. I owed him a chance at least, a real chance to help us.
I did like feeling him being crushed in the end, making him think he was about to escape with his dead dragon brought back to life. It was genius, Killdoor chuckled.
Thank you, I did hope that illusion I put on the dragon would’ve convinced him she really was back. Oh well, the time she had with him, however brief, was important. And you’re right, I should’ve done that a long time ago.
Now we can turn our attention back to what really matters, Killdoor said.
Merglan reached for the window’s shutters, pulling them in and latching them shut. He turned and glanced at the ceiling above him. Encased into the stone above him, Merglan admired the collection of crystals he’d harvested from Eastland. They hung suspended in the ceiling of Ivan’s old room. Drawing on their power and feeling its swelling inside him, Merglan took a deep breath, focusing on what mattered most to him and to Killdoor. Exhaling, he said aloud, “Total domination.”
He cut the influx of energy off before it consumed him, sending him into a rampage as it did when he took in too much. Glancing at the box, Merglan whispered, “Goodbye my old friend,” as he left the princely room.
Chapter 59
Within Kingston’s Walls
Kingston’s city walls poked out above the trees in the forest surrounding Natalia, who stood alongside the western road, her face hidden deep in the hood of her traveler’s cloak. The morning air, still dank from the autumn night’s heavy rain, rustled lightly through the leaves as the elf and her dwarf companion stood waiting for a passerby. Maylox stood behind Natalia, waiting for her to announce their ride into the city. From the constant shifting and sound of breaking twigs, Natalia could tell the dwarf girl was growing impatient from the lack of morning traffic. Natalia hadn’t considered that the heavy rains would slow those traveling the road, but she knew it was harvest season and eventually a cart would come by on its way into the city.
Sensing the cart before seeing it, Natalia leaned out from their hiding spot to see the horse come into view and check whether her senses were correct in detecting a lone man at the reins. As the horse’s head came into view, Natalia carefully tucked back into the brush. Soon the cart’s wheels came splashing through puddles that pooled in the road. She gripped her elven sword by the hilt in its sheath at her side. She didn’t want to cause an innocent person harm, but if that’s what it would take to get past the city watch, then Natalia would do what had to be done.
Moving swiftly from her hiding place, she emerged onto the path. Planting her feet shoulder-width apart, she faced the oncoming horse with her head bowed and hood hanging low, shadowing her identity. As she watched the man rein in on the horse, she tried to exude an air of intimidation.
Stepping toward the cart, she eyed the driver carefully as he leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at her. The man straightened, then frantically began to turn the cart. Natalia had had weeks to heal and felt wholly herself, so she ran at full elven speed, catching the horse by the halter before it was halfway through its turn. The driver’s startled expression belied his surprise at how quickly she’d appeared next to his horse. He shook and his wide, frightened eyes stared back at her. Panting heavily, the driver tried to back away in his seat. He shook his head and began mumbling some kind of prayer, repeating a phrase over and over as Natalia led the horse back around to face the city entrance, which was still several miles away. She thought it odd that this man, who had more than likely been directly oppressed by the invading orcs, feared a cloaked human-looking figure so dramatically. Perhaps I’m more terrifying than I think, she told herself.
“Get off,” she commanded the driver as she stepped alongside the cart.
The man nodded, his lip quivering as he slid from his seat down into the muddy road, never once taking his eyes off her.
Natalia stepped up into the driver’s seat, turned to the man, and asked, “Why do you fear me?”
Stuttering, he answered, “Y-y-you’re the ve-ve-veiled huntress.”
Natalia shifted on the wagon seat to face him. Before she could ask him why, the man turned and ran back the way he’d come. While she watched him, Maylox crawled out of the brush and walked around to the back of the cart.
“That really couldn’t have gone any better,” she said. Standing on her tiptoes, she asked, “What do we have here?” and reached for the canvas tarp covering the man’s goods.
Natalia watched as the dwarf struggled to grasp the tarp. Staying the horse and placing the reins on the seat, she hopped down and assisted Maylox. Natalia saw the dwarf’s determined expression turn to irritation when Natalia easily reached over and pulled back the canvas. Examining the barrels securely lashed on the bed of the cart, Natalia guessed at their contents.
“What are these for?” Maylox asked.
“Probably an alehouse,” Natalia said, searching the tops for a stamp or insignia marking the barrels’ contents. Not seeing one, she motioned to the cart bed, “Go on then, in you go.”
Maylox hesitated, so Natalia came around to grab her. The dwarf stepped away quickly and asked, “Why can’t I ride in the front with you?”
“What do you think the city watch would do if they saw a dwarf riding in on a delivery cart? You don’t think they’ll put together in their simple minds that their army was just attacked by dwarfs and elves? That’s why we needed this cart in the first place, to hide you.”
“What if they see that you’re an elf?” Maylox asked, her hands on her hips.
“I’ll keep my hood on. They won’t think that’s strange in this rain. Besides, I can pass for Kewian. I have the tan skin and brown hair. Even if they have me remove my hood, as long as my hair stays down and ears don’t show, I will be fine.”
Maylox snorted and folded her arms, “Alright, stuff me under the tarp. At least I’ll be out of the rain.”
“What rain?” Natalia asked. As she spoke, she felt the misting drizzle on the backs of her hands. “Come on then,” Natalia said, helping Maylox into the cart. The dwarf girl created a gap large enough to lie down in directly behind the driver’s seat. Once she’d settled into the spot, Natalia covered the cart with the canvas tarp.
Climbing back onto the driver’s seat, Natalia snapped the horse into motion, lurching forward as the cart rolled through the mud. The short ride to Kingston’s gates offered an anticlimactic visual of Natalia’s first time to the human capital city. Rain clouds darkened the skies, hanging languidly over the clay rooftops. Natalia could see the towering castle at the city’s center, its stone outline becoming visible through the patchy clouds. As they rode closer to the city wall, the wide stone entrance came into view.
Hopefully the watchmen on the wall will actually see the Rollo ships, she thought as she eyed the groups of men huddled in covered turrets spaced along the length of the protective wall. The gold and black helmeted heads crowded in the small spaces. She didn’t see many of them watching.
