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The Great War
Written by Enly
Story by Enly & Roja
Edited by Annatira, Phildaburn, and Roja
Artwork by Roja
Chapter 15
Unolas paced the meeting place of the gods anxiously. He didn’t know what to do. Jayden had flatly refused to come. She said there was no need and not even Aluwen could convince her otherwise. Zarin sat quietly awaiting the return of Elandria who had gone to fetch Aluwen, she had not responded to their attempts to contact her.
Selain had slinked up several minutes ago, always curious what disasters were afoot, and that was all who was here. None of the other gods wanted to listen to Unolas’s fears, yet he had good reason for them.
"What reasons do you have to assume things have gone wrong?" Selain demanded, knowing that Unolas always had them.
"Reasons?" Unolas stopped pacing and stared at him. "I’m sure you know well what reasons I have Selain. Something is wrong and no doubt you’re at the heart of it."
"There is no trouble impending so far as I know, Unolas, so I repeat my question: what are your reasons for this council?"
"Uarvan did not loose control of his armies as we had hoped when we locked away Mortos. In-fact, he drew more factions of humans and elves under his command besides just monsters. They have reached Irilion and are causing the same destruction there that they did on Lanterra. Do you have any idea how many monsters lurk in the dark caverns beneath the shattered empires of Lanterra? Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, and more and more are finding their way to the surface. Only a small fraction of those have sailed to the other continents, and even those the mortals cannot hold back. We cannot control Mortos’s foul creatures, and they have not stopped," Unolas ranted, then paused. "We must speak with him and have him agree to confine the monsters to Lanterra in return for his freedom."
"We cannot release him!" Zarin cried. "He will not uphold his promise and will only cause more problems again! I will not be a part of his release."
"You cannot even convince a few gods to come to council, how do you hope to convince them to release Mortos?" Selain laughed.
"Aluwen will agree with me, at least on the matter that something still needs to be done, she is wise. She will help me convince all of you that we have not solved any problems," Unolas said confidently.
"I cannot find Aluwen," Elandria said abruptly joining them. "All attempts to call her have failed and she is not to be found anywhere in the divine realms. I have searched thoroughly."
"She’s around here somewhere," Zarin growled. "I’ll search myself."
"No, she is not here," Elandria, said simply. "Believe me. I am sure of it."
"No matter, she is likely just somewhere in the mortal realms. It won’t be to hard to locate her," Unolas sighed.
"I do not sense her anywhere," Elandria said slightly worried. "I even visited some of her temples and more common places she goes to in the mortal realms, I cannot find her."
"Here you all are, squabbling over nothing," Jayden had abruptly joined them, to everyone’s surprise.
"I thought you would not come," Unolas stated.
"I’m not coming for council, I’m coming to remind you that Aluwen has been to the ends of Draia and back with no contact with the rest of us recently in search of some way to help Centau. I knew you’d all be looking for her and be all worked up about her absence, mostly you Unolas, with all your prophecies of doom, and no doubt you’ve already infected Elandria with them as well. The mortals will hold their own against Mortos's foul creations, the peoples of Irilion and Seridia know far more about the ways of war than those of Lanterra did," Jayden said confidently.
"She will find no cure for Centau. He is dying, as will more of us if we release Mortos again," insisted Zarin.
"Release Mortos?" Jayden turned shocked to Unolas. "Your idea no doubt?"
"Yes my idea. Centau lays dying, a god, dying! His life will slip away along with that of the last centaur, Acantos. What will happen to the rest of us when Uarvan leads his armies of men, elves, and monsters to wipe out our own races?"
"Uarvan is a brute, highly intelligent for an orc perhaps, and unnaturally strong, but he cannot lead armies to destroy races without the guidance of his god," Jayden insisted. "I suggest you all return to your own business, harmony has been restored. The monsters do attack Irilion, but without evil there would be no balance in Draia, and balance there is now," With that Jayden left them, Selain quickly followed, disinterested in more discussion. Some of the gods chose to ignore the current predicament in Irilion, insisting the situation would right itself, and that the scales of balances would tip in both directions as time went by. For the moment, the gods seemed in balance with each other, and beyond that, some of them refused to consider.
"Perhaps Jayden is right, you are worried about nothing," Zarin admitted.
Unolas frowned, the words of Jayden made sense, but something was not right, he could feel it. He would go to speak with Centau, he may be weak and dying, but perhaps he yet held wisdom and good council. And he dearly hoped Aluwen would return soon from whatever venture she was on, perhaps she would not agree to release Mortos, but she would surely see that things were not right.
*****
The priestess Ettena was quietly wandering the borders of Tirnwood, Cole watched her from a distance amazed. She walked so softly across the grass and when Cole looked closer he realized she had no shoes on; her sandals were held in her hands. She wore a white dress embroidered with golden and green vines around the sleeves and neck; she was more beautiful than he had first thought Resia was.
Dying to have an intelligent conversation with her, he approached, not caring what Siru thought of his tendency to question the beliefs of others.
*****
Several hours later he made his way home, it was nearly dark now and a few stars were coming out. Tirnwood was so peaceful in the evenings, the thought of the monsters up north worried him. What would Tirnwood be like if the battles came here? He pushed the thought from his mind and entered his home.
"My goodness, you are lucky to return in one piece, Cole. Were I her, I should have called Aluwen’s wrath down upon you," Siru scolded the moment he entered.
"Oh if only you’d come along, Siru. Ettena was wondrous. She had amazing answers for every time I tried to pull a hole in her faith; I had never had such an amazing debate before. And the way she talked was so different: foreign, like nothing I’d ever heard, yet almost musical. Oh, and her clothes, once I sat and spoke with her, I was able to see the cloth was nothing like we have: some amazing tailoring, to be sure. Not to mention she was as beautiful as a flower on a summer's dawn." Cole described her with so much affection and amazement it frustrated Siru. He was supposed to fall for Resia, not this priestess no one had heard of before.
"I’m going to speak with her again tomorrow, she invited me to accompany her on a journey into the Orvale mountains, she said she was intrigued by my conversation," Cole smiled broadly. Without another word he retreated to his chambers, no doubt to take notes on the entire conversation before falling asleep with his face toward the sky.
Siru shook her head and sighed, but as her gaze slowly returned to the quilt she was sewing, she caught Resia looking sadly after him, almost hurt. Resia noticed her watching and instantly looked elsewhere.
"I think I shall take a walk ma’am, if you don’t mind."
"Not at all Resia, you’re welcome to come and go from this house as much as you please. Consider the guest quarters your permanent lodging.
"Thank you, ma’am. Hopefully I shan’t be out too late." She smiled and opened the door.
"Oh and Resia? Do call me Siru," she insisted.
"Of course," Resia nodded and left quietly, her shoulders sagged slightly just before the door closed, she seemed disappointed.
Well it seems she likes him at least a bit, now if only I could get Cole to return the affections. Siru thought to herself.
*****
"What do you mean the boat is alive?" Jeeve questioned Acantos.
"I mean what I uttered orchan," Acantos responded.
"My name is Jeeve," he replied simply.
"My apologies, Jeeve of Irilion, the boat does possess a measure of life."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Mazhiez pressed. "How can a ship be alive?"
"Dark magic, of elves whom you slew on the decks below our feet. Those elves were the drow elves who dwell on the Varesh coast of Lanterra. They are skilled magicians. They constructed the vessels which have arrived in your lands," Acantos explained further.
"I still do not think you truly answered us, how is the boat alive?" Velor demanded frustrated.
"The elves who dwell on the Varesh coast bind the spirit of stolen dragon eggs to the vessels. It is the spirit of this dragon which bestows the boat the abilities of such speed and lightness on the water. Some say the spirit of the dragon possesses the boat. I do not believe such things, yet I have observed the vessels do contain a will of their own creation," Acantos said.
"How exactly are we going to get out then?" Velor asked. "Do you propose we turn to the walls and kindly ask the dragon spirit to let us go?"
Acantos turned to stare at Velor. "Do you often possess more impatience and impertinence than your fellows?"
"I prefer to think of it as sarcasm," Velor responded.
Acantos stared again at Velor. It seemed to always take him several moments to process what the draegoni said.
"I do not believe the walls would listen, nor even understand your utterances," Acantos said puzzled.
Velor opened his mouth to respond yet the words never left his mouth; there was a jolt that unexpectedly through him to the floor.
"What on Draia?" Velor stood brushing dirt from the floor out of his hair.
"The vessel has ruptured its mooring lines and is moving away from the port," Acantos said. "We can only hope the creatures who own this vessel have not embarked prior to our departure."
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