Children of the Sun and Moon by P. D. Stewart
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Eric paced back and forth. Three days had passed since the council meeting, and although he had been glad everyone had been declared a friend, he was upset the council decided they were to remain in the town. The council had not yet specified when they could leave, but it was hinted they would be remaining for a few weeks.
“This is ridiculous,” he shouted, and not for the first time.
Koral just smiled at her brother’s frustration. She was not at all happy either, but she also did not feel ready to rush out and fulfil some vague prophecy. She wanted to know more.
Eric, seeing his sister’s smirk sat down in a huff. “Well, at least I have been able to practice my sword techniques. I think I would be able to handle Payton now and win.”
Koral nodded, not knowing what to say. The elves were more than happy to teach the twins their way of sword fighting, and how to shoot a bow. Eric was by far the better of the two at swordplay, but Koral had mastered the bow after the first lesson.
Thinking of the elves made her glance over to where Glavlin sat. As usual, he was alone on the edge of the river, only this time he was staring at the twins, not into the depths.
Koral rose and moved over to where Glavlin was. Many questions had been forming in her mind since their arrival, and she had a feeling the elf king was the only one who would be able to answer them.
She was about to sit next to him when he rose. “I can tell by that look, you have many questions,” he stated. “Let us go where we can talk in private.”
He moved off and headed towards the council chamber, Koral in tow. She was about to ask why they were headed to the chamber, which was always busy, but he turned to the left, and went around the side of the building to an unmarked door.
“I did not even know this was here,” she said. In the three days, the twins had been nosing about and she never once noticed this door.
“At the time, you were not meant to see it,” came Glavlin's response.
They moved inside and the sight took Koral’s breath away. It was a library unlike anything Koral had ever seen. It was as high as the cavern in which the town sat in, and appeared to go on forever.
“What type of place is this?” she asked her voice barely above a whisper.
“This is the library of Zanth. It was once above ground, and run by wizards. When the dark time came, the dwarf caretakers grabbed as many of the books as they could. Here you will find your answers.”
Koral glanced around. “I am sure some of my answers can be found in the books here, but one cannot.” Turning her eyes away from the awesome spectacle, she looked deeply into the king’s. “Where have your kind been all this time?”
The question surprised Glavlin. “You are more perceptive than most humans. How did you know?”
“We did not stay long in your village, but it was long enough to notice that it had just been recently inhabited. The buildings were old, and in some disrepair. It was not difficult to figure out you had only returned recently.”
Glavlin stared back at the princess. “We had been hiding out in the Western Lands,” he answered.
“The Western Lands,” she gasped, shocked by this response. “But, there is no way to get to the Western Lands. The Unmoving Mountains and the Lake of Despair block off it. You also cannot get to it by going south. Anyone who has tried it from a southern route has never returned.” Koral was truly astonished.
“We are magical beings, and some of our people are in the west. It is a long story and one we cannot discuss right now. Let us look around and see if we can answer some of your easier questions.”
Koral followed the elf, not sure what else to do. He had made it obvious he did not want to discuss where he and his people had been, at least not right now. Koral could only hope he would be more forthcoming in the days ahead. She did not know why, but Glavlin was becoming a very important part of her life. It almost pained her to see him in deep discussions with Darly, thinking they were discussing love and other such nonsense. Koral was not sure, but she thought she may be falling in love with the king of the elves. By the way, he sometimes looked at her, she wondered if the feelings were the same.
Eric watched as his sister disappeared with Glavlin. He was going to follow but decided whatever she wanted to discuss with Glavlin had to be important and she would probably tell him all about it later. Instead, he went over to where his goblin friends were sitting. They had kept to themselves for the last three days, not even talking with Eric much. The prince knew they were just nervous being in the home of an old enemy.
Halfway to the goblins, an eerie feeling enveloped the prince. Looking around, he noticed Adora, whom no one had really seen lately, was staring intently at him. She had surprised the entire group by speaking on behalf of the goblins, assuring the council that they were indeed followers of a good god. It still unnerved him to see her staring at him, as if her eyes were piercing his very soul. He shook off the feeling and ran the rest of the way to the goblins.
Adora moved off into the shadows, away from the rest of the group. She had spent the last few days secluded in her room. This was her first day out and almost immediately, Eric had sensed her presence.
“Do you think he suspects?” she asked the squirrel seated on a rock.
“No, but he is curious about you,” the squirrel replied. “Let's go back to your room,” it continued. “It's easier to talk there.”
Adora scooped up the animal and headed towards her room. As she passed by the goblin group, Eric again stared at her. As unnerving as her stares were to him, the obvious disdain he felt towards her, pained her. She pushed the thought from her mind and rushed to her room.
When they arrived, Mekken was standing outside. He was about to say something, but Adora just rushed by and slammed her door. “Why must he look at me like that?” she asked the squirrel again.
“Everyone suspects you may be working for Malena or worse, the Order. You did come upon them quite suddenly. You should have stayed on the road and let them catch you.”
The squirrel then jumped up onto her bed, transforming back into the wizard he was. “Well, that's much better,” stated Gillock.
Adora smiled. “If only I did not have to remain in disguise,” she remarked.
Gillock motioned her to sit down beside him. “Your children need to learn things on their own, Elizanne. You can't interfere, no matter what the danger.”
Elizanne looked into Gillock’s eyes, and knew he spoke the truth. “I am only going to go with them until Keenley. I can get them through there better than anyone in the group. After that, they will be your responsibility.”
Her tone made the last statement stick in Gillock’s mind. She was now placing her children's safety on his head. “Don't worry, my queen. They will be fine. The Order has no idea where they are, and the spell I put around Robyn will make it hard for him to keep in contact with Malena. I'm also going to speak with Glavlin tonight. He should have been made aware of our presence from the start.”
“I agree,” said the queen, “but be careful. There is something not right with this group.”
Gillock nodded his agreement. “I sense something off as well.” Then he turned towards the table full of food and with much enthusiasm said, “Let's eat.”
“There are just so many books,” exclaimed Koral, as she ran her fingers across some texts.
When Glavlin didn’t respond, she turned around to discover she was alone. Wondering where he could have gotten to, Koral started to roam around the library.
She wandered between shelves and came upon an open doorway. Inside, Koral could see the elf king staring at something on a wall. Moving beside him, Koral was again overwhelmed by the sight. It was a map. “Is that what Melarandra looks like?” she asked, stunned by its size.
Glavlin kept his eyes on the map. “The parts which have been travelled, yes. There is a lot of this world which has yet to be discovered. Not what you expected is it.”
“The Central Lands appear so small,” she stated, moving closer to it. “The Western Lands look to be at least two times the size, and I did not even know the Southern Lands really existed. I also did not realize these lands have names.”
Glavlin chuckled. “Yes, the Western Lands are known as the Realm of Lungast, although it has not been travelled past
Marlsman Keep. No one has been able to travel through Death’s Boundary to get to the Southern Lands in a great many centuries. It is also accessible by sea, but the entire coast became riddled with reefs so no one has attempted it for many years either. But it does exist and once had more people than the Central Lands.”
“And what of the Eastern Lands?” she asked.
“It is called Jijitsa. You can get there by sea. You can also travel through the Cyprian Forest, but once past the elf borders there are many dangers. Anyone who has tried that way has never come back.”
Koral was astonished. There was so much about her world she didn't understand. “Who lives in those lands?”
Glavlin moved over to where there was a small table and two chairs set up. He motioned Koral to follow and they both sat down. “Have you ever seen a giant?” he asked. “Or perhaps an ogre?” He noticed she was shaking her head no and continued. “And I know Eric’s friends are the first goblins you have ever seen. Have you not ever wondered why? I know Gillock has taught you all about these creatures and many others. Did you not want to question him about these things?”
Koral was shocked by how forceful his questions were. “Were they not all creatures of magic?” she asked.
“No, although some had developed magical abilities, none of them are creatures of magic. They were banished to Lungast. Every creature deemed evil or corrupt was sent over to the Western Lands. This was done by force, of course, and to ensure they did not ever try to return, the Lake of Despair was created. All done by wizards after the war was over.”
The last part of his statement stuck with Koral. Glavlin was letting her know that the Order had moved all of those creatures and had most likely sent them to their deaths. “Why did they do that?”
Glavlin leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “It is rumoured that the leader of the Order was really a powerful wizard. If this is true, then he could have removed all of those creatures to ensure the Order would not have any trouble taking over the Central Lands.”
That statement made Koral sit up in her chair. “How would they to do that?”
“If all the creatures which usually caused trouble were removed, then there would no longer be a need for kingdom soldiers. The kings of the past kept their soldiers, against the Orders wishes. Your father did have them disbanded, as one of his first acts as king.”
Koral remembered this story. Against her mother’s wishes, he had disbanded the soldiers. Korben and a few others were the only ones who stayed and became the king's personal guard. “So you think the Order is going to try and dethrone my father?”
“I am not sure, but the dwarves have been hearing that odd visitors have been seen in Keenley and there has been talk of some kind of war. I do not know what to think, princess, but I have a feeling someone is going to exploit this prophecy to their own gain and you and your brother will be caught up in it.”
Letting her take it all in he added. “Koral, there is more to this prophecy than you or your brother realize.”
Koral looked into his eyes and saw a flicker of fear. “What am I to do?” she asked.
Glavlin took her hand and moved in closer to her. “I am not sure, but I will be there by your side until the end.”
Koral felt her heart start to race. Glavlin moved closer, drawing his face up to hers. Koral closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss she longed for, but was startled by something jumping into her hair. She quickly jumped up out of her chair and brushed the creature from her head. Glavlin, not understanding what had happened started to laugh. Koral, becoming a bit furious with him, turned and saw why he was laughing. On the table sat the same grey squirrel she had seen on the road. Glavlin reached out to pick it up, but stopped his hand short. His laughing had stopped and was replaced by an odd look.
“We must leave,” he stated quickly. “I am sure your brother is wondering where you are.” Then he grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the library.
When they arrived at the entrance, Glavlin moved her past him and out the door. “I must stay. There are many books I feel you should read, and it will take time to find them all. Please go and find your brother.” Then he shut the door and Koral heard the lock fall into place. For a few moments, she just stared at the closed door. “What just happened?” she muttered to herself. Not knowing what else to do, she turned and slowly lumbered her way back towards the area she had last seen her brother.
So many thoughts were running threw her head and all were about what could have happened with Glavlin. Koral was certain the elf king was going to kiss her, but then why did he push her out so fast? Maybe she had just read the situation wrong, after all, she was only sixteen and not very experienced in these matters. Although Koral had no idea what had just happened, she knew it was significant in some way. Confused and a little shaken, she made her way to try to find Eric.
Eric paced back and forth. Three days had passed since the council meeting, and although he had been glad everyone had been declared a friend, he was upset the council decided they were to remain in the town. The council had not yet specified when they could leave, but it was hinted they would be remaining for a few weeks.
“This is ridiculous,” he shouted, and not for the first time.
Koral just smiled at her brother’s frustration. She was not at all happy either, but she also did not feel ready to rush out and fulfil some vague prophecy. She wanted to know more.
Eric, seeing his sister’s smirk sat down in a huff. “Well, at least I have been able to practice my sword techniques. I think I would be able to handle Payton now and win.”
Koral nodded, not knowing what to say. The elves were more than happy to teach the twins their way of sword fighting, and how to shoot a bow. Eric was by far the better of the two at swordplay, but Koral had mastered the bow after the first lesson.
Thinking of the elves made her glance over to where Glavlin sat. As usual, he was alone on the edge of the river, only this time he was staring at the twins, not into the depths.
Koral rose and moved over to where Glavlin was. Many questions had been forming in her mind since their arrival, and she had a feeling the elf king was the only one who would be able to answer them.
She was about to sit next to him when he rose. “I can tell by that look, you have many questions,” he stated. “Let us go where we can talk in private.”
He moved off and headed towards the council chamber, Koral in tow. She was about to ask why they were headed to the chamber, which was always busy, but he turned to the left, and went around the side of the building to an unmarked door.
“I did not even know this was here,” she said. In the three days, the twins had been nosing about and she never once noticed this door.
“At the time, you were not meant to see it,” came Glavlin's response.
They moved inside and the sight took Koral’s breath away. It was a library unlike anything Koral had ever seen. It was as high as the cavern in which the town sat in, and appeared to go on forever.
“What type of place is this?” she asked her voice barely above a whisper.
“This is the library of Zanth. It was once above ground, and run by wizards. When the dark time came, the dwarf caretakers grabbed as many of the books as they could. Here you will find your answers.”
Koral glanced around. “I am sure some of my answers can be found in the books here, but one cannot.” Turning her eyes away from the awesome spectacle, she looked deeply into the king’s. “Where have your kind been all this time?”
The question surprised Glavlin. “You are more perceptive than most humans. How did you know?”
“We did not stay long in your village, but it was long enough to notice that it had just been recently inhabited. The buildings were old, and in some disrepair. It was not difficult to figure out you had only returned recently.”
Glavlin stared back at the princess. “We had been hiding out in the Western Lands,” he answered.
“The Western Lands,” she gasped, shocked by this response. “But, there is no way to get to the Western Lands. The Unmoving Mountains and the Lake of Despair block off it. You also cannot get to it by going south. Anyone who has tried it from a southern route has never returned.” Koral was truly astonished.
“We are magical beings, and some of our people are in the west. It is a long story and one we cannot discuss right now. Let us look around and see if we can answer some of your easier questions.”
Koral followed the elf, not sure what else to do. He had made it obvious he did not want to discuss where he and his people had been, at least not right now. Koral could only hope he would be more forthcoming in the days ahead. She did not know why, but Glavlin was becoming a very important part of her life. It almost pained her to see him in deep discussions with Darly, thinking they were discussing love and other such nonsense. Koral was not sure, but she thought she may be falling in love with the king of the elves. By the way, he sometimes looked at her, she wondered if the feelings were the same.
Eric watched as his sister disappeared with Glavlin. He was going to follow but decided whatever she wanted to discuss with Glavlin had to be important and she would probably tell him all about it later. Instead, he went over to where his goblin friends were sitting. They had kept to themselves for the last three days, not even talking with Eric much. The prince knew they were just nervous being in the home of an old enemy.
Halfway to the goblins, an eerie feeling enveloped the prince. Looking around, he noticed Adora, whom no one had really seen lately, was staring intently at him. She had surprised the entire group by speaking on behalf of the goblins, assuring the council that they were indeed followers of a good god. It still unnerved him to see her staring at him, as if her eyes were piercing his very soul. He shook off the feeling and ran the rest of the way to the goblins.
Adora moved off into the shadows, away from the rest of the group. She had spent the last few days secluded in her room. This was her first day out and almost immediately, Eric had sensed her presence.
“Do you think he suspects?” she asked the squirrel seated on a rock.
“No, but he is curious about you,” the squirrel replied. “Let's go back to your room,” it continued. “It's easier to talk there.”
Adora scooped up the animal and headed towards her room. As she passed by the goblin group, Eric again stared at her. As unnerving as her stares were to him, the obvious disdain he felt towards her, pained her. She pushed the thought from her mind and rushed to her room.
When they arrived, Mekken was standing outside. He was about to say something, but Adora just rushed by and slammed her door. “Why must he look at me like that?” she asked the squirrel again.
“Everyone suspects you may be working for Malena or worse, the Order. You did come upon them quite suddenly. You should have stayed on the road and let them catch you.”
The squirrel then jumped up onto her bed, transforming back into the wizard he was. “Well, that's much better,” stated Gillock.
Adora smiled. “If only I did not have to remain in disguise,” she remarked.
Gillock motioned her to sit down beside him. “Your children need to learn things on their own, Elizanne. You can't interfere, no matter what the danger.”
Elizanne looked into Gillock’s eyes, and knew he spoke the truth. “I am only going to go with them until Keenley. I can get them through there better than anyone in the group. After that, they will be your responsibility.”
Her tone made the last statement stick in Gillock’s mind. She was now placing her children's safety on his head. “Don't worry, my queen. They will be fine. The Order has no idea where they are, and the spell I put around Robyn will make it hard for him to keep in contact with Malena. I'm also going to speak with Glavlin tonight. He should have been made aware of our presence from the start.”
“I agree,” said the queen, “but be careful. There is something not right with this group.”
Gillock nodded his agreement. “I sense something off as well.” Then he turned towards the table full of food and with much enthusiasm said, “Let's eat.”
“There are just so many books,” exclaimed Koral, as she ran her fingers across some texts.
When Glavlin didn’t respond, she turned around to discover she was alone. Wondering where he could have gotten to, Koral started to roam around the library.
She wandered between shelves and came upon an open doorway. Inside, Koral could see the elf king staring at something on a wall. Moving beside him, Koral was again overwhelmed by the sight. It was a map. “Is that what Melarandra looks like?” she asked, stunned by its size.
Glavlin kept his eyes on the map. “The parts which have been travelled, yes. There is a lot of this world which has yet to be discovered. Not what you expected is it.”
“The Central Lands appear so small,” she stated, moving closer to it. “The Western Lands look to be at least two times the size, and I did not even know the Southern Lands really existed. I also did not realize these lands have names.”
Glavlin chuckled. “Yes, the Western Lands are known as the Realm of Lungast, although it has not been travelled past
Marlsman Keep. No one has been able to travel through Death’s Boundary to get to the Southern Lands in a great many centuries. It is also accessible by sea, but the entire coast became riddled with reefs so no one has attempted it for many years either. But it does exist and once had more people than the Central Lands.”
“And what of the Eastern Lands?” she asked.
“It is called Jijitsa. You can get there by sea. You can also travel through the Cyprian Forest, but once past the elf borders there are many dangers. Anyone who has tried that way has never come back.”
Koral was astonished. There was so much about her world she didn't understand. “Who lives in those lands?”
Glavlin moved over to where there was a small table and two chairs set up. He motioned Koral to follow and they both sat down. “Have you ever seen a giant?” he asked. “Or perhaps an ogre?” He noticed she was shaking her head no and continued. “And I know Eric’s friends are the first goblins you have ever seen. Have you not ever wondered why? I know Gillock has taught you all about these creatures and many others. Did you not want to question him about these things?”
Koral was shocked by how forceful his questions were. “Were they not all creatures of magic?” she asked.
“No, although some had developed magical abilities, none of them are creatures of magic. They were banished to Lungast. Every creature deemed evil or corrupt was sent over to the Western Lands. This was done by force, of course, and to ensure they did not ever try to return, the Lake of Despair was created. All done by wizards after the war was over.”
The last part of his statement stuck with Koral. Glavlin was letting her know that the Order had moved all of those creatures and had most likely sent them to their deaths. “Why did they do that?”
Glavlin leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “It is rumoured that the leader of the Order was really a powerful wizard. If this is true, then he could have removed all of those creatures to ensure the Order would not have any trouble taking over the Central Lands.”
That statement made Koral sit up in her chair. “How would they to do that?”
“If all the creatures which usually caused trouble were removed, then there would no longer be a need for kingdom soldiers. The kings of the past kept their soldiers, against the Orders wishes. Your father did have them disbanded, as one of his first acts as king.”
Koral remembered this story. Against her mother’s wishes, he had disbanded the soldiers. Korben and a few others were the only ones who stayed and became the king's personal guard. “So you think the Order is going to try and dethrone my father?”
“I am not sure, but the dwarves have been hearing that odd visitors have been seen in Keenley and there has been talk of some kind of war. I do not know what to think, princess, but I have a feeling someone is going to exploit this prophecy to their own gain and you and your brother will be caught up in it.”
Letting her take it all in he added. “Koral, there is more to this prophecy than you or your brother realize.”
Koral looked into his eyes and saw a flicker of fear. “What am I to do?” she asked.
Glavlin took her hand and moved in closer to her. “I am not sure, but I will be there by your side until the end.”
Koral felt her heart start to race. Glavlin moved closer, drawing his face up to hers. Koral closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss she longed for, but was startled by something jumping into her hair. She quickly jumped up out of her chair and brushed the creature from her head. Glavlin, not understanding what had happened started to laugh. Koral, becoming a bit furious with him, turned and saw why he was laughing. On the table sat the same grey squirrel she had seen on the road. Glavlin reached out to pick it up, but stopped his hand short. His laughing had stopped and was replaced by an odd look.
“We must leave,” he stated quickly. “I am sure your brother is wondering where you are.” Then he grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the library.
When they arrived at the entrance, Glavlin moved her past him and out the door. “I must stay. There are many books I feel you should read, and it will take time to find them all. Please go and find your brother.” Then he shut the door and Koral heard the lock fall into place. For a few moments, she just stared at the closed door. “What just happened?” she muttered to herself. Not knowing what else to do, she turned and slowly lumbered her way back towards the area she had last seen her brother.
So many thoughts were running threw her head and all were about what could have happened with Glavlin. Koral was certain the elf king was going to kiss her, but then why did he push her out so fast? Maybe she had just read the situation wrong, after all, she was only sixteen and not very experienced in these matters. Although Koral had no idea what had just happened, she knew it was significant in some way. Confused and a little shaken, she made her way to try to find Eric.