Chaos God 6, page 7
part #6 of Chaos God Series
A rumble of confirmation rippled through the room, and I nodded at my people.
“Well, one of them attacked the village yesterday morning,” I continued. “Lady Elora and I, with the help of the dark elves, killed the beast, but there are still two more to deal with.”
“You need volunteers, then,” my best friend Ayen concluded with a smirk on his bearded face.
“Yes, Ayen,” I said, and I shot the big man a smirk. “The more fighters we have, the easier this will be. But I promise you, it will not be easy. I have reason to suspect the last two frost giants are far more intelligent and aggressive than the first ones we fought.”
Ayen had stood up before I was even halfway through my little speech, and several more fighters joined him before I was done. By the time I finished, there were about twenty men, elves, and dwarves standing and facing me with determined looks on their faces.
“Very good,” I said, and I glanced over the warriors with a smile of gratitude. “We will leave soon, but first, fill your bellies and gather your supplies. Ayen, will you please answer any questions they may have about the journey?”
“Certainly, my king,” Ayen said, and the playful tone in his voice was clear only to me.
“Thank you,” I said. “All of you.”
Then I nodded and looked around until I spotted Sylmarie seated at a table a few away from Lyrie and the three sisters. I filled a plate and headed over to sit with the Völva as Freesia and Elora entered the room. They prepared their plates quickly before they came over and sat with us.
“How many volunteers do we have?” Elora asked as she started to eat.
“About twenty,” I said.
“Ayen, of course,” Elora assumed correctly.
“Of course,” I chuckled. “You know he would never miss a good battle.”
“It will still be a difficult fight,” Elora said thoughtfully. “Nae and I will assist you in attacking from above. Lyrie and Emneth will be very helpful as well, but many of our warriors are ground-based.”
“Yeah, I thought about that.” I nodded. “But we’ll want them if more Draugar show up, and even if they don’t… they can keep one giant busy while we deal with the other, or they can hack and slash at the bastards’ feet until they bleed out.”
“Good point.” Elora smirked.
“Ingrid!” Freesia called out to the older elf.
“Yes, Lady Freesia?” Ingrid asked as she hurried over to our table.
“Shalanna requested a soaking tub and a breakfast tray to our room, please,” Freesia said.
“Right away, my lady,” Ingrid nodded.
“Oh, and Ingrid?” I asked before she could scurry away. “Would you have someone pack several satchels of food for us before we leave?”
“Of course, King Levi.” Ingrid bobbed in a little curtsy and then bustled away to take care of business.
We were quiet for a while as we enjoyed our meal, and I was surprised to find how peaceful and right it felt to have Sylmarie with us. I’d spent months trying to get her to come live with us here in the castle, and then when she finally agreed, I’d been needed elsewhere. I was greatly looking forward to settling the dark elves into their new village and enjoying some more relaxed time in the castle with my ladies.
Plus, I was excited to get to know the little things about Sylmarie that I could only learn about her from being around her all the time.
Elora filled Freesia in on what had changed in the dark elves’ village since the healer had been there, and I half-listened as she described the lesser injuries sustained during the battle yesterday.
Freesia nodded thoughtfully, but I only heard half of her reply as I spotted Lyrie watching us with curious black eyes. I smiled at the dark elf, and she immediately turned away as a deep red warmed her charcoal-colored cheeks.
Her embarrassment at being caught watching me only made me smile more, and I caught Azariah’s curiously arched eyebrow. I gave the blonde warrior a little shrug before I looked back at my plate.
“It will be good when the dark elves are closer to us,” Freesia commented.
“I look forward to getting to know them all better,” Elora said.
“I know you are curious to learn more about that half of your heritage,” Sylmarie mused with a dreamy look in her dark blue eyes.
“Yes,” Elora admitted, and her metallic wings tensed slightly as if she were nervous. “My mother did not speak of my father much to me. I think she was far too heartbroken by the ordeal.”
“Wyn never told you about him?” Freesia asked.
“He never met my father,” Elora said.
“Oh, yes.” Freesia nodded. “I forgot.”
I laid my hand on Elora’s in a comforting way, and I tried to ignore the tingling sensation of Lyrie’s eyes on me again.
“That girl keeps looking at you,” Sylmarie observed in an amused tone.
“What?” I asked even though I knew exactly who she meant.
“That’s Lyrie,” Elora said.
“Oh, yes.” Sylmarie smiled. “I know who she is. The girl has a good soul, but a wounded heart. She has been through much in her years.”
“She lost her parents when she was very young,” I explained, but I suspected Sylmarie already knew that.
“Yes.” The Völva nodded. “She is fascinated by you, Levi.”
“No, she’s curious about everything,” I said. “She’s never really left that valley before now.”
“Mmm,” Sylmarie hummed in a disbelieving way, and she arched one black eyebrow at me.
Elora and Freesia shared a pointed look, and they tried and failed to stifle a giggle. I tried to ignore them, and it was easy enough with so much weighing on my shoulders at the moment.
I’d become used to holding the lives of so many in my hands, but it didn’t make the weight any lighter. Elora was right, too, about the battle. Frost giants were far too large for many of my warriors to be effective in battle. I wondered if there was another way to defeat those icy fuckers, and suddenly I thought about the AT-AT walkers in The Empire Strikes Back. We didn’t have any kind of rope that would be long enough or strong enough to trip the frost giants up, though, but maybe there was another way we could use that idea to our advantage.
“We should begin loading up our supplies,” Elora said as she put her empty cup down. “It’s quite a journey to the village, and it would be best if we arrive before dark.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “And the others will follow our lead on how fast we prepare to leave, so let’s get moving.”
“Levi,” Sylmarie said, and she laid her hand on mine.
The same electric current I’d felt in the past when we touched rushed up my arm, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“Yes?” I asked. “Is there something I should know?”
“I just wanted to say…” Sylmarie said, and she pulled her hand away. “Travel safely.”
“Oh, right,” I murmured as I tried to bury my disappointment. “Thanks, we’ll be back as soon as this is taken care of.”
Sylmarie smiled softly and leaned back in her chair as I walked away.
I glanced over my shoulder at the mysterious woman, but her face was unreadable. Then my eyes shifted to Lyrie, and I was unsurprised to see she was watching me. I raised my eyebrows in a silent question, and she hurried to stand from her seat.
Arlindra and Azariah also stood, and they bade farewell to their youngest sister before they and the other volunteers followed me out to the entrance hall.
Ayen, the sisters, the twin dwarves Ginen and Grorec, and several others gathered around in the entrance hall. The tall and broad-shouldered elven friends, Sontar and Vulmar, had volunteered as well, and they assisted each other in fastening their pauldrons and bracers into place.
The carpenter from Freesia’s village had assisted Hezzig in constructing wooden racks and shelves on the wall that led through to the former dining hall of the Demon Lord. The space was filled with all the weapons and tools of my people now, and it made it a lot easier to gather supplies. It was also simpler for Hezzig to keep up with maintaining the edges on the weapons when everything was right here for regular inspection.
The room was filled with the clang of metal, the shuffle of leather, and the soft conversations of my people as they prepared for departure. In less than ten minutes, everybody was standing around ready to go, and I nodded at them all.
“Your majesty,” Ingrid’s voice rang through the hall. “I have your food supplies.”
“Excellent timing, Ingrid,” I said. “As usual. Thank you.”
“There is plenty of food here for the journey,” Ingrid explained as she directed Ylva and her sister, Merial, plus a few others, in passing out the satchels to my warriors. “And there’s a bit extra to add to the supplies for the dark elves.”
“Thank you, Ingrid,” Elora said, and she patted the older elf’s arm in a friendly gesture.
“Be safe, my ladies,” Ingrid said as she offered my ladies a motherly smile. Then she nodded at me with a slightly more stern look that told me I’d better take care of them.
I grinned reassuringly at my elven housekeeper and cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention.
“If we keep a good pace,” I said in a clear voice, “we should arrive before nightfall.”
“What are we waiting for, then?” Ayen asked in a boisterous voice.
“Let’s go,” I chuckled.
Frida bounded up to me and circled around me twice with a puppy-dog look in her beady black eyes. She plopped down right between me and the doors, and she whined once.
“I’ll miss you, too, Frida,” I said in a soft voice. “But I need you to look after Shalanna.”
Frida perked up at that, and she licked me with her huge tongue before she bounded back up the stairs to stand guard outside our bedroom door.
I chuckled and shook my head at the adorable predator as Lyrie watched the huge beast bound up the stairs. The white-haired elf’s eyebrows raised up as high as they could go as she turned to look at me.
I gave Lyrie a little friendly shrug before Elora, Freesia, and I joined in the marching line of fighters heading out of the castle. Ayen took the lead, and I had no issues with that. He knew the way to the dark elf village at least as far as Three Peaks Mountain, and I was content to walk toward the back of our group with my ladies.
Lyrie walked with Azariah and Arlindra, and she seemed relaxed in the company of the blonde sisters. The eldest sister looked back at me once as we approached the location of their former camp, and I gave her a grateful smile as I looked at Lyrie’s white ponytail. Azariah nodded graciously in return, and then she turned back to their conversation.
After a while, the expanse of cooled lava rock came into view before us, and the whole group seemed to slow down like traffic passing a multi-car pileup on the highway.
“Odin’s beard…” one of my dwarven warriors who hadn’t seen the Black Plains yet murmured.
“It is quite something to behold,” Ayen chuckled.
When we reached the edge of the rocky black soil, several of the group hesitated before they stepped foot onto the previously scorching material. I recalled how, for weeks, I’d waited to hear the news that the quenched lava fields were finally cool enough to travel on. It felt like months ago I’d received word, and we’d set out to explore the new territory.
My eyes found Lyrie of their own accord as I thought about the first time I’d spotted the small stone houses of her village from the air. As if she could feel me watching her, Lyrie looked over her shoulder, and our eyes locked for a brief moment.
She turned to her new companions and said something I couldn’t hear before she stepped to the side of our marching army. Lyrie stood patiently as she waited for Elora, Freesia, and me to catch up to her spot, and then she started walking alongside us.
“Hello, Lyrie,” Elora greeted. “How are you?”
“I am well,” Lyrie replied. “I have been making friends.”
“I see that,” I said with a smile. “Azariah and Arlindra are incredible warriors.”
“I look forward to seeing this for myself,” Lyrie said.
Elora slyly shifted her position so she and Freesia walked side by side on my right, and Lyrie was to my left. Both my silver and red-haired lovers avoided looking at me for several minutes after that, but I caught the mischievous smile that passed between them.
I smiled ruefully at their scheming ways, but I couldn’t deny, it felt nice to walk so close beside the alluring dark elf. Even if we did so in silence for most of the journey.
I cleared my throat as we passed the tustrium mines, and I noted that we were making good time.
“We should arrive well before dark,” I said.
“Excellent,” Freesia said. “Inspecting and caring for wounds is always easier in daylight.”
“Did you always want to be a healer, Freesia?” Lyrie asked.
“No,” Freesia answered. “I wanted to help people, and it just so happened that I have a natural skill with healing. I did not seek out healing work. Rather, it found me.”
“You’re incredible at it,” I said.
“My people have been very grateful for your help,” Lyrie murmured. “We have not had anyone knowledgeable in such arts in many years. There were losses from minor injuries that I am certain could have been prevented had we only had someone of your skill.”
“I wish I could have been there to help,” Freesia said, and her bright green eyes turned sad.
“You’re here now,” I said in a comforting voice.
We fell into silence after that, and the gentle chatter of our other companions filled the air with light conversation and the occasional belly laugh from Ayen. We took only a couple stops for food and hydration along the way, but we pressed onward as quickly as possible while we marched along the Broken Path, around Three Peaks, and then north into the dark elves’ village.
My ladies and I quickened our pace to reach the head of the group as we passed through the forest of evergreen trees that bordered the southern edge of the village. The atmosphere was somber and quiet, and I could almost taste the dark elves’ longing to be gone from this place.
Emneth had several elves gathered around her, and it looked like they were loading up the last of a pile of gray stones into the wagon we’d provided for them. The sound of twenty-four pairs of marching feet was enough to pull the dark elf’s attention away from her task, and her shoulders sagged with relief when she saw me.
“King Levi,” Emneth said, and the gratitude was plain in her voice. “We have been awaiting your return all day.”
“And we see you have brought quite an army with you,” Nae added as she sauntered up to greet us. “Welcome, all.”
Hushed whispers flew through the air behind me, and I caught the word Valkyrie enough times to know how impressed my people were by Nae’s presence. I knew Ayen and the others who’d been with me during our first journey here had seen Nae for themselves, but at least half of the group were seeing her for the first time.
I looked around the village while Nae and Emneth appraised my warriors, and I was pleased to see all but the largest central altar were disassembled. It made sense to me that the dark elves would have waited to take down the large stone arch last.
“Looks like packing has gone very well,” I commented.
“Yes.” Emneth nodded. “We would be finished already if not for the requirement of the full moon.”
“What about the full moon?” I asked with interest.
“We cannot disassemble the central altar until the full moon is at its peak,” Emneth explained. “If the gods still lived, I would say they smile upon us, for the full moon rises this very night, and we will be able to finish our task.”
“Great.” I nodded. “That’s really good. Has there been any sign of the last two frost giants?”
“Nothing.” Nae shook her head. “I suspect that luck will not last, however.”
“But we cannot afford to abandon the central altar,” Emneth sighed. “It is far too precious.”
“Then we won’t,” I assured her, and I turned around to address my warriors. “There’s not a whole lot to do for now, so rest from the journey, make sure you eat something, and keep your guard up just in case.”
“Aye, King Levi,” Ginen said, and he slapped his blond twin on the shoulder.
“We’ve brought more food with us,” I said.
“Wonderful,” Nae said. “Let us stoke the fire and spend the evening getting to know one another a little more.”
“I love that idea,” Elora said.
“As do I,” Freesia agreed, but she frowned slightly. “However, I would like to attend to the injuries from the battle yesterday first.”
“Your help is much appreciated,” Emneth said, and then she turned and raised her voice. “Ivaran!”
The black-skinned elf jogged over, and he smiled in greeting.
“Welcome back, King Levi,” Ivaran said.
“Please bring Lady Freesia to our wounded,” Emneth said.
“Certainly,” Ivaran said, and he bowed his head in a respectful manner. “Right this way.”
“Thank you,” Freesia said as she turned to Elora. “I could use some assistance, Elora. Would you mind?”
“Not at all,” Elora said with a little too much enthusiasm.
My army of warriors started to spread out around the fire pit, and the dark elves who were still in the village walked over and started to mingle with my people. I noticed the way Ayen took over introductions like he was some kind of official diplomatic liaison between our two communities, and it brought a smile to my face. He had the right kind of personality for that sort of thing, and he used his friendliness and charm to make everyone feel at ease.
Slowly, everyone settled around the fire pit as some people worked on loading more logs into the flames, and others brought out food and water for everyone. Soon the village center was filled with the warm sounds of casual conversation and laughter. I sat down with Emneth and Nae, and Lyrie hesitated for a moment before she parked herself evenly between them and myself like she didn’t want to show favor to either side.
