Chapter 25 （Erendriel）The Voices
Chapter 25 (Erendriel )
The Voices
I t felt great to be at home in my room after being away for a few days. I dropped into bed, the cushions shifting slightly, and breathed a sigh of relief. Studying the ceiling, I thought back to my glorious return to my city. It was still unreal to think that my kingdom now extended as far as Mumbur. And I had big plans for the commercial port. I’d have to retrace all the maps and send a message to all the other nations to announce the death of the dwarf king and queen.
I jumped to my feet at the thought. Yes. I wanted every nation to know that elves now ruled the dwarf nation. They’d see the grandeur of our race. I showered and changed, then hurried to the throne room. The room was identical to when I’d left, and I wondered if Elaine had sat on my throne while I’d been gone .
Mathias stood before me, his long blond hair tied back, and I smiled at the sight of him. “It’s good to see you again,” I told my chancellor.
“I rejoice at your glorious return, Your Majesty,” he replied.
“Did everything go well while I was away?” I asked. Of course, I intended to ask Elaine for a detailed report, but I also trusted my chancellor and wanted to see what he would answer.
“Well . . . ” he hesitated. “A lot happened while you were away. I’m sure Elaine will tell you about it, but you can rest assured she’s handled the situation well.”
At the mention of Elaine’s name, I remembered the parade for my return. People were cheering for our army’s honor, yet Elaine’s gaze was stuck in my head. There was something in how she looked at me that I hadn’t liked. No. That I’d hated. I gritted my teeth at the thought. I intended to find out why she’d looked at me that way. “She’s too powerful,” whispered a voice in my head.
I wondered if the voices were right. Elaine was indeed powerful. She could become a threat if she wanted to. Was my Grand Wizard plotting against me? Maybe she had taken a liking to running the kingdom while I was away. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Elaine had always been gifted with magic. If she wanted my throne, she could easily get it.
“Probably ,” whispered a darker voice in my head. But I shook off the idea. It couldn’t be. She’d been at my service since she was a little girl. It was probably just a misunderstanding, and I’d clear it up. Elaine couldn’t betray me.
“Your Majesty?” Mathias’s voice got me out of my thoughts .
“I’d better ask for her report right away,” I said, remembering what Mathias had just mentioned. “Go and get her. When you’re done, send a royal decree to all the nations to report the destruction of the dwarven empire. I want everyone to know that Mumbur is now elven.”
My chancellor bowed. “At your command, Your Majesty.”
Before he left, I asked, “Oh, Mathias?”
The chancellor turned and waited. “Have you found out the whereabouts of Nathan’s vassal, as I asked?”
The chancellor shook his head. “I’m afraid not. But I have a lead that I’m currently investigating.”
I answered, “Good. Make sure you find her.”
I wanted to prevent the Oracle’s prophecy from happening at all costs. Nathan was a threat to us all and would end the world. It had been a while since I heard about him, but I wanted to be prepared. If he was to be back in the city, I wanted to have the power to stop him. There was also another matter to take care of. Now that the war with the dwarves was over, I had to prepare for a possible retaliation from other nations.
Mathias nodded and left. When he was gone, my gaze fell on one of the loot bags I’d brought back from Mumbur. I stood up and walked over to the one closest to me. I picked up one of the magic runes on top. The weight and texture of the rune were comforting, and I realized that I had sorely missed contact with it. Even if I knew nothing about these runes, I knew they were precious. Somehow, they knew I was their master too. They were calling me, begging me.
“I’ll never leave you alone again,” I promised them.
They didn’t answer, but I knew they were happy with my answer. I had thought of asking Elaine to study them— I wanted to find the source of their magic and learn how to harness it—but the idea repelled me now. I would never entrust such a task to my Grand Wizard. I’d do it myself. It was only natural for the runes’ master to study them. Plus, the runes were powerful enough that I couldn’t trust them to anyone.
A noise behind me startled me. I panicked, wondering if I should put the rune back in the bag, then changed my mind. I slipped it into my pocket to keep it close to me. When I turned around, Elaine stood there, waiting for me to acknowledge her. Had she seen the rune? Could she feel its magic? Was she going to steal it? I wouldn’t let her. I walked back to my throne, feigning indifference, keeping my hand in my pocket as I twirled the rune.
“Ah, Elaine. It is good to see you,” I said casually.
“I’m glad to see you back safe,” she replied.
“Liar ,” said a voice in my head. I studied Elaine’s face and thought the voice might be telling the truth. After all, it seemed she wasn’t smiling as much as usual.
“Mathias tells me a lot happened while I was away?”
She nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve had some problems.”
“Well, tell me about it,” I asked.
She hesitated before talking. “Some elves have reported losing all their magic.”
My blood ran cold at these words. As far as I was concerned, this was more than just a problem. If the people learned that elven magic was waning, they would rebel, and the kingdom would fall to chaos.
“What did you tell them? ”
“I quelled the problem by telling them it was a sickness, but we must hurry up and fix it before they realize it’s false. I had no choice but to tell the other mages.”
“Do you have a plan to deal with the problem?” I asked.
“We’re going to resurrect the dragons.”
My breath caught. “Resurrect the dragons?” I asked incredulously.
The elf nodded. “It’s the only way, Your Majesty.”
I remembered what the voice had said about Elaine being too powerful. I was beginning to think it was right. If Elaine could resurrect dragons, who knows what else she could do? She could overthrow me for sure. She was too powerful. But what about me? I was sure I could resurrect dragons with my runes. Now, that might be interesting to investigate.
“How will you do that?” I asked.
There was a delay. “I don’t know yet.”
I didn’t like her answer. “ She’s hiding something,” a voice repeated. Yes, perhaps the voice was right after all. I should eliminate her. She was too dangerous. But I still needed Elaine for something else. If I were lucky, I’d get rid of her at the same time.
“Good. In any case, you should prepare for your journey.”
Elaine frowned. “My journey?”
“That’s right, I haven’t told you yet. I have the dwarf prince with me. He’s our prisoner. You must take him to Ichoryllia and hand him over directly to the queen.”
Incredulity painted itself on the Grand Wizard’s face. “But what about the resurrection of dragons?”
The rune was burning in my pocket, and I shuddered with pleasure. I would take all the power. I would resurrect the dragons myself. I didn’t need Elaine.
“That’s secondary,” I replied, cutting short any further discussion. The elf’s destroyed look was worth its weight in gold. She was mistaken if she thought she could be more powerful than me or take my place. It was time I put her in her place.
“I can’t carry a prisoner by myself,” she finally said.
“You’ll bring another mage, and a few soldiers will accompany you.”
Elaine stood before me, not flinching. I added in a firm tone, “Go, now.”
I smiled, satisfied. Once powerful enough, I’d take care of that ex-king myself and save our world from the Oracle’s prophecy.