Ch.11

Rissa tightened her grip on him as the ground began to shake. But it wasn't another spell—this time, it was a roar. The echo of the reverberation still rang in Evander"s ears when a massive shape crashed through the debris.

It took him a few moments to recognize the creature standing before him: it was something out of legend, although none had ever claimed to have seen it alive. It stood over ten feet tall, a mass of sinewy muscle with a deceptively humanoid torso. Its hairless skin shone in the firelight, and its wide eyes burned with greenish-yellow power. There were no discernible arms or legs, other than those that helped it stand. The closest thing to its head was the crest of horns jutting out from the crown, but it seemed almost as though the creature used magic to maintain that feature.

It roared once more, the sound shaking the earth again. It came over to them, towering over them both. Despite its size, Evander could tell that it wasn't threatening, if anything he felt protected by its presence. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the face of the sun.

The being spoke to him, sending waves of utter calm into Evander. "You are safe, and you shall be well cared for. I am the guardian of this place. My name is Ishiarra, and my role here will soon be passed on. Now, let me speak."

She bowed slightly, then went silent. Was he talking to an elf? They weren't meant to exist anymore. At least not after the Breaking, but whatever existed now didn't seem like much different from the elves who had walked these lands in the past. And of course, many claimed that they did still survive somewhere in Faerun.

He looked back at her face, but couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. A faint glow surrounded her, and his vision blurred so that he couldn't see anything more than a swirl of colours. After a colour, everything stopped spinning, and he noticed that his vision had cleared somewhat.

The being returned her attention to Evander, extending one claw-like hand toward him. "We will take you to safety. I trust you would prefer to go with us? Or, perhaps, it would be better for you to leave?"

Evander hesitated, weighing all the options. His father had told him to come home and never to return to Celene again, but he knew better than to think that that was ever going to happen. They probably wouldn't even know where to find Celene, which meant Evander would have to start over from scratch. Was it worth it?

Ishiarra gave him an understanding smile. "We do not take offence for refusing to join us. Remember, we are only here to help you. There will be other chances for you to move forward in your life."

Then she stood, turning to look down at Evander. He felt a powerful surge of magic as he was lifted off the ground. The sensation was like flying through the water, and yet without the slightest hint of pain.

When he was sure he wasn't going to drop, he glanced around, gazing at the monstrous creature and the elven soldiers of the army of Celene, then looked up. They soared through the heavens, heading toward a massive tower in the distance.

***

"Are you sure this is what you want, my lord?" a young lieutenant asked, moving closer to Duncan. "This is quite a change from your normal routine."

Duncan shook his head, not wanting to return to the bloody battlefield he had left behind. It had taken several days to reach the coast, and now the time had come for the ship to cross the ocean. He looked out toward the horizon, watching the waves crash against the hull.

"It won't be long before we can enjoy some peace," Duncan said, sighing. "For a while, at least."

The captain raised an eyebrow, then returned to his duties. In truth, he had asked Duncan to lead the troops again, but after the terrible loss they had suffered at Celene"s hands, he could hardly blame the man. In truth, Duncan was glad to return to the tower at Celene. He was content to stay there for the rest of his days.

"What about your next order, my lord?" another soldier asked.

Duncan laughed, shaking his head. "The elves have accepted my gift. I can't imagine a better place to spend the rest of my years than in their lands. You might as well stop worrying about me, Lieutenant."

Despite his words, the worry didn't leave the men. They were still uneasy about Celene, even though there had "t been any reports of attacks or aggression on their part. Duncan found himself thinking back to his childhood when the elven armies had battled orcs, never really knowing if they would win or lose. He sometimes imagined that Celene was like an army of the undead, simply waiting for someone to destroy them so they could rise again to fight for the elvish cause.

***

Vivienne held her hand tightly as she helped Evander to the tower. There had been no sign of anyone else on the road leading from the elven camp—the soldiers must have withdrawn to help defend the city, leaving Evander all alone.

She had requested an audience with him, but he had been adamant: he wanted nothing to do with her until he had proven himself. That's how the conversation went over breakfast.

At first, she had argued against it. She knew there wasn't much time left before Celene could attack again, and it didn't seem fair that they both should lose the chance to be together. But in the end, he had made his point, and she had "t given up yet. He would change his mind eventually.

They finally reached the stairs leading up to the tower's front entrance. Vivienne reached for the brass ring that adorned the topmost step but stopped just short. If Evander rejected her again . . . Well, that would be that.

The thought brought a tear to her eye. She took a deep breath, gathering herself and pressing her hand against the railing. "If this is our last night together," she said, "I want to remember every second of it."

"My lady?" Evander asked, confused.

Her heart skipped at the sound of his voice. She smiled but couldn't look away from him. They stared at one another for several moments, silently committing each other to memory. The elven spellcasters walked ahead, as they were intent on their tasks. Evander grabbed hold of the railing, steadying himself as they ascended the final steps. He leaned toward her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't scare me." Her reply was quieter than usual. She felt silly for saying such a thing, after what had happened, but she knew it was true. Something about the elf man stirred deep within her, something more powerful than the magic flowing through Celene.

He held out his arms, taking one of her hands and gently resting it in the crook of his elbow. "Let's go inside," he suggested.

She nodded, more tears threatening to well in her eyes. A smile spread across her lips, and she nodded once more before turning around and walking into the tower with Evander, pulling him along behind her.