The
sight was dreary indeed. Ailanthiel saw just why Elladan was weeping.
Their beloved kingdom, and probably their father, was now dead. Even
worse was the fact that Elladan and his father had never reconciled.
Now Elberth assumed dead, and there was no chance for resolution.
Ailanthiel too felt a deep sense of melancholy. As first sol, she also
held a lot of power. But she knew there was nothing to be done- they
army was unstoppable.
Korrigan, still free from Surskit for a
while, saw the horrors of evil to come. Arlbeth lay in a flaming,
smoking ruin just before them. This, she knew, was caused by the army
they saw two months ago.
“What’d I miss, mind-slave?” said Surkskit nonchalantly.
Through Korrigan’s eyes, Surskit gazed impassively at all the
destruction. “Now there’s a sight. Obviously His plan is already at
work.”
Korrigan’s train of thought shifted. “What plan?”
Surskit laughed evilly. “Can you not see it? It is so blatant! This is surely the work of His puppet.”
“Whose puppet?” asked Korrigan curiously.
“He who shall soon gain dominance over all,” replied Surskit. “This
work was orchestrated by Him through his puppet, Elberth.”
Korrigan gasped. “That- that’s not possible!”
Surskit laughed again. “Oh, but it is! He used Elberth to keep the five
of you here, and when you escaped, he ordered your arrest. Then He sent
the army to destroy Goldenstone and construct a mighty fortress. That
is his plan: to conquer all Ithilian. Goldenstone was merely his first
target.”
Korrigan felt her anger rising. “And how do you know all this?”
“Great minds think alike,” he whispered.
Korrigan stared down at the scorched earth. “Lunatic…”
Celestina was distraught. Her home was destroyed, ruined. This wasn’t
just the site of a battle- it was destruction- utterly pointless
destruction.
“Is anything wrong,” asked Thundera, concerned.
Celestina gently stroked Tad’s head. “It’s just so horrible. My home.
The city of Elberth, and all of Goldenstone has been annihilated.
Everything and everyone I loved is gone. It’s all gone!” Celestina felt
a twinge of rage stirring within her. “It’s all because of some selfish
overlord.”
Thundera could sense the fear and anger in
Celestina’s thoughts, like a cloud of hornets. “You say a selfish
overlord did this. Do you know who the overlord is? Do you know his
nature?”
Celestina bit her lip, furious. “Does it matter?
Look at it! An entire civilization laid to waste! Of course I know his
nature!! He’s evil!”
The lightening blade grew worried.
“Celestina, relax. Control your emotions. Unbridled, your Talent is
dangerous to your friends…”
Friends. The word jolted her like
electricity. Friends. Everything, and everyone she ever loved wasn’t
destroyed. She still ahd her best friends- Tad, Korrigan, Katichat,
Ereis, Elladan, Ailanthiel, Leng, and Althena, even Fury. She still had
them.
Thundera sensed Celestina’s loosening grip on her hilt.
“Yes. They’re not all dead. You still have your best friends, and
they’re here for you.”
Katichat watched the city in the distance burn. Its flames licked the sky.
“So,” she said mournfully, “Another loss.”
Her eyes hardened. “I’ve lived my entire life without my family. My
parents died too young. Celestina and I were their only children.
Celestina was gone so soon- she left to live with the healers at the
hospital. I stayed with Ivy, to become his apprentice. We saw each
other every day, but we were so far apart… so distant.”
The shadow mage looked over to the crumpled figure of Elladan, sensing what she had to do.
Elladan lay hunched over the destroyed King’s Highway, full of anguish.
“I killed them. I did nothing. I condemned them all to death!”
For the ice Talente´ this was the ultimate torture; the ultimate pain.
He, as first sola, had the duty and obligation to command the kingdom
when the king could not. He remembered the day that he left. His father
was crazed, of this he was certain. Elladan had the power to take
control, and he didn’t. Instead he went off on some glorious quest to
slay a dragon. Foolish. He was so foolish. Too young, he would never be
a good king.
Carefully Katichat walked over to comfort her friend. “Elladan?”
The ice Talente didn’t answer. He just knelt, absorbed in his pain.
“Elladan, listen to me.”
Elladan stirred a little bit. His ears twitched, indicating he was listening.
Katichat looked at him disgustedly- for the first time, she truly felt sorry for him.
However, she quickly adjusted herself. “Elladan, you can’t just lay
there all day. It’s pathetic. And not to mention selfish.”
Elladan ignored her.
“Listen, you think this is all pain can be? All loneliness can be? Imagine my life, Elladan.
“My parents died when I was five. Already my powers had become
uncontrollable. Ivy took me in to help me, but that wasn’t enough. I
was shunned because I was different. That was loneliness- I had no
friends, though of course Celestina had them in plenty. But I grew used
to it. I didn’t need them. I didn’t need any of it.
“I’ve been alone all my life, Elladan. I see nothing wrong with that.
“When I was about thirteen I met Kor, Ailathiel, and you.
“You changed me slightly- all of you. You made me a little more
dependant on people. I resented that for a time. Now I am indifferent.
“Look at yourself. We’ve been through a lot- almost dragon food twice,
almost frozen once, and almost killed by an evil elf twice. Sure, it
was difficult, but it made life interesting.
“So, are you
just going to let death stop you? Get over it already! It’s time to
move on. Time moves on. You think that you’re so special that time will
stop for you? It’s going to get bored with you eventually. I’m already
bored with you!”
Slowly Elladan looked up. His eyes were watery, buy they shone with gleaming brilliance. “I-I’m sorry, Katichat.
“I always try to act my best. For years I’ve been taught to forget the
past, to move on, but now… it’s so hard not to look back. I had a lot
of responsibility that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. As a result…” he
stared out into the wasteland.
Elladan stopped crying. He now stood valiant and proud, as a prince of Goldenstone ought to look.
Katichat stood still, satisfied. Then she left him to make sure everyone was ready for departure.
Her speech had been brusque, but it had served its purpose well.
Elladan stood straighter as he said, “Everyone, let’s move on!”
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