the unwanted elves 4

 

Unwanted Elves

Chapter 4

 

 

“Are you teasing me, young lady?” Enquired Dragovar somewhat waspishly.

“No, I’m teasing Castamir. That’s what he always says.” replied Chessina. “I leave teasing you to Tasayne.”

I thought I heard Dragovar mutter something that sounded like, “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.” said Chessina who had very sensitive hearing.

Dragovar sighed, “To business.” He said. “Do you want to look at the two devilish chests first or the demonic ones?”

Chessina and I looked at each other, and in one of those wordless conversations came to an agreement. “Demonic.” We said simultaneously.

“Better the demon you know, than the devil you don’t?” said Dragovar.

Dragovar opened the nearest demonic chest, muttering a different pass phrase, as nearly as I could tell. In it there were a pair of black leather gloves set with jewels and a metal mesh skullcap. Chessina squealed with delight.

“I’ve heard about these, but I’ve never seen one!” She said excitedly.

“That’s good dear, but what is it?” I asked.

“It’s a portable pain organ.” Chessina began to explain. “The victim wears the cap, which paralyses them except for the lungs and vocal organs and the musician runs their hands across the victim’s body to play the tunes.”

“How, er interesting.” Said Tasayne, looking faintly green.

Chessina looked slightly worried. “I didn’t ought to be excited by such things any more, did I?”

“You are a talented musician, love and forgot for a moment that the music comes from someone’s pain.” I replied tactfully.

“Thank you for identifying what it is, Chessina.” Said Dragovar, “I couldn’t see how the items were concerned with music, and I didn’t want to try them on to experiment.”

The second box when opened contained a knife. I recognised some of the runes on the hilt as similar to those on the mirror that had been used to trap Chessina’s soul before it was released. I reached out to touch it instinctively, when Chessina slammed down the lid.

Looking grim Chessina turned to Dragovar, “While we are away I suggest you research a method to release the souls stored in that knife. Don’t look at it too much and handle it only with gauntlets made of cold iron mesh. The knife calls to you to try the edge to see how sharp it is. If it cuts your skin, your soul will be stored in it too. An armourskin spell should help.”

Chessina peered cautiously into the third chest and said, “Where’s the rest of it?” All I could see was a small globe like an eye with two little golden wings.

“It’s all I have.” Replied Dragovar.

“Shut that chest now D... dear one,” said Chessina with a slight pause in her speech. The chest shut at a gesture from Dragovar.

“I take it there is a problem with that thing too.” Dragovar remarked, “As I’m not sure that I’m your ‘dear one.’”

“It’s a surveillance device, and you are dear to me, but not my dear one,” explained Chessina. “The other part is a metal circlet which, when worn, allows the user to move the eye about and see what it sees. It can also hear which is why I didn’t want to use your name.  Wizards are cautious,” she added with a grin. “I suggest you destroy it straight away.”

“A fireball?” Queried Dragovar.

“It’s fairly fragile, the striking fist spell you taught Castamir and used on that runt conjured by my loathsome brother should be sufficient.” Replied Chessina.

“What sort of range does it have?” Asked Tasayne.

“I don’t know, but it does work between planes of existence.” Chessina replied.

Dragovar cast his spell, bringing the large shimmering translucent fist into being hovering over the chest; the lid came open at his gesture and then the fist crashed down. There was a slight tinkle just discernable over the thump of the fist hitting the bottom of the chest.

“That was a little... anti-climactic,” said Tasayne, “I expected something more... dramatic.”

“Be pleased that there wasn’t a demon at the other end capable of sending something unpleasant into your sitting-room.” said Chessina dryly. Tasayne looked a little subdued.

Dragovar put his arm around her and looked at her, “Wizards should be cautious, my dear.” He said with a glance at Chessina and a rapid wink.

Dragovar now turned to the two devilish caskets. The first of them opened to reveal... something that I really had no idea what it was. It was basically a spindle, about a span long, made of metal of some kind. Grouped on and around the spindle were wheels, cogs and gears.

“I’ve seen something like that before; let me think a moment,” said Chessina. “It was part of a triumph of the demon prince after a victory in the war with the devils. This was, I think, part of one of the devilish metal warriors that they often use. It was broken and the remains were displayed as one of the trophies. I don’t think it’s dangerous. Just a moment.”

Chessina picked up the spindle, and using a minor movement spell, started one of the wheels spinning. She put the spindle down standing upright, and it remained standing when she released it.

“Of course,” exclaimed Dragovar, “it’s a gyroscope. Why didn’t I see that before?”

“Perhaps you were overthinking it dear,” said Tasayne. “Looking for magic where there was none.”

“If you wanted to Dragovar, after checking it of course, you could put it on your desk to confuse unwelcome visitors.” Said Chessina with a grin.

“Chessina, what’s a triumph?” Asked Tasayne. “I’ve never come across the word as a noun before.”

“It’s when someone, usually the prince or occasionally one of his generals, has won a notable military victory.” Replied Chessina. “Or the prince wants to pretend he has, I suppose. I never thought about that aspect before. It’s essentially a parade where the prince is carried on a suitable throne by bearers at the head of lots of demon warriors to show the crowd how powerful the prince is. Booty taken from the enemy is displayed as well as any important prisoners. After the parade through the streets, important demons are invited to a celebration at the prince’s palace. They are then expected to gift the prince in gratitude for his prowess. If anyone doesn’t have a suitable gift, they must give the prince a member of their household, a favoured concubine or valuable slave.”

“That’s horrible,” said Tasayne with a shudder.

“Dear Tasayne, demons aren’t nice.” Chessina said, putting an arm around her.

“I hope that what we are looking for is in the final casket.” Said Dragovar.

“So do I.” I replied.

“Castamir, Dragovar, for shame.” Chessina castigated us. “Trust Arcana, she knows what she is doing, even if you don’t.” She added with laughter in her eyes.

Dragovar opened the last casket and Chessina looked in. “This is the one.” She announced confidently, reaching in to grasp it.

“Be careful Chessina, I should check it first.” Dragovar expostulated, looking worried.

“Dragovar,” replied Chessina patiently, “it wouldn’t make sense for Arcana to tell us to use something which would harm us.”

“Be fair love, Dragovar isn’t used to having instructions direct from the Gods.” I didn’t voice the thought that I wasn’t particularly used to it either. Maybe it might be because both Arcana and Chessina were female.

The item that Chessina had brought out was a small silver amulet without a chain, although with a loop to take one. It was very small, about a thumb joint across with a small red gem of some kind in the centre and a tiny red gem at the top. As Chessina picked it up the tiny gem moved from side to side in an erratic pattern.

“One of Arcana’s planted memories has just informed me that the tiny moving stone indicates the direction of a demon, while the amulet heats up slightly when close to a demon. I wonder why it’s moving erratically?” Chessina mused.

“You told us that when Arcana made you a new body to contain your recovered soul, it had some characteristics of a demon but not all.” Said Tasayne, enlightenment in her expression, “the poor thing is confused.”

 “If I wear it, I hope it will stop being confused.” Said Chessina, doubtfully.

The rest of us looked at each other and said with one voice, “Trust Arcana.”

Chessina stuck her tongue out at us.  She then looked distracted for a moment.

“Ah, I need to put a drop of blood on the amulet so it won’t be confused.” Chessina said with certainty. “Your knife Castamir.” She continued imperiously.

As soon as the blood touched the amulet it became quiescent.

 

oOo

 

 

Next morning, before we left, we made a flying visit to the child we were essentially sponsoring. Lord Wassisface... sorry Korel has switched from being terrified of the child to being wound round her tiny fingers. He was very assiduous to his wife Norvelle as he was still feeling guilty about his strange ideas. As we prepared to depart, Dragovar asked, "By the way, how is my former sister-in-law and her son, my loathsome nephew, Pennover?"

"They both seem to have adjusted to being hinny asses," I replied, "They give milk for the village children and pull carts so they are doing more good now than they ever did as humans. Priestess Silavara has let it be known that they are under her direct protection so no-one would dare mistreat them."

"After all the ills they are responsible for they deserve their fate." Dragovar said. "May Arcana be with you when dealing with the elves."

"I sincerely hope so." Chessina replied.

We made our farewells while Chessina and I sat on the rug, then it lifted into the sky as we set forth on our mission.

 

Our excellent breakfast had been a good start to the day, and Chessina and I were thoroughly occupied as we flew to collect Priestess Silavara, as Chessina was continuing my lessons in spoken Abyssal. If you ever get the chance to learn Abyssal, don't take it, unless like me you really need to. Some, alright most, of the concepts discussed by demons are unspeakably vile. No, I'm not going to give any examples. If you really want some, take the most vile thing you can think of and make it at least three times worse.

"I've been thinking, Chessina." I remarked, wanting a break from my Abyssal lesson. If the concepts weren't bad enough, the multiplicity of tenses the language required for all the insult modes made my head spin.

"Did it hurt, Castamir?" Chessina replied with mock sympathy.

"Yes, but I'm unspeakably brave," I said, and continued before Chessina could interrupt, "I remember that on the trip to the elvish city the journey didn't take as long as it ought to have done. I wonder if it has anything to do with the ley-lines that Harmon mentioned occasionally."

"What are ley lines?" Asked Chessina.

"They are lines of magical force that lie across the landscape. Sometimes they follow the lines of roads and sometimes they don't. I will look in Harmon's notes when we get home to the tower. I also need to check the maps of the dwarven kingdom. I really don't want to get lost in the mountains."

"I've heard tales that dwarven women have beards, is this true?"

"Some do and some don't, Chessina. Thinking back, it was the noble-women who had beards, but no moustaches, only male dwarves have moustaches. Dwarven noble houses have a tendency to produce few children and Harmon wondered if there was a connection."

"Are dwarven women attractive?" Chessina asked, rather too carelessly I thought.

"I wouldn't say they were necessarily unattractive even though they are all a trifle . . . chunky," I replied, "some had rather sweet faces. In answer to the question you didn't ask, no I've never had a dwarven mistress. Dwarven women prefer men who are much stronger than I, and who have beards. I much prefer being clean shaven. So I won't run into any old flames." I was rewarded with a blinding smile from Chessina.

The flight home wasn't as tedious as it usually was as I was fully occupied with my lessons. Chessina made them interesting enough that I didn't feel like jumping off the rug. As well as vocabulary and grammar, I was learning the fine art of insulting demons. With all the vile things I could now call them, it was great fun.

As we came close to the tower I said to Chessina, "It's a nuisance having to go and ask Priestess Silavara to come with us, as I really want to look in Harmon's notebooks and check on the maps of the dwarven kingdom."

"Silly," replied Chessina, "why don't I go and ask her. She quite likes me now, and Arcana told me I won't upset Silavara's familiar."

"Will you be alright going through the forest, love?" I asked in some concern.

"Of course I will Castamir." Chessina replied forcefully. "Even if I leave the path to the Priestess' cottage, which I have no intention of doing, and a forest creature attacks me I have various spells as well as my own claws to deal with it. Please don't try to coddle me."

"You're right of course, it's just that I love you so much. I worry about you." I said contritely.

"Before we do anything, we need to go and see Elizelle, our foster-daughter." Said Chessina.

"Yes, and I can send a letter to Dragovar letting him know how his great-niece fares." I replied.

We spent more time than I had intended holding Elizelle and talking to her carers, mother and daughter Aria and Vella and Elizelle's wet-nurse Nilla. We had both come to love the infant in the few weeks she had been with us.