A Story Of River (17 page)

Ulda marveled at the extraordinary work
his Soulbinders had done. Not only had they strengthened Tu'vad's golden armor,
they had increased his height and bulk. He was now even more intimidating.
“He's magnificent!” Ulda cried. “You've done very well, my students. This
exceeds my expectations.”

His students bowed their heads before him.
Compliments rarely came from Ulda's lips, so they tried their best to enjoy the
moment.

“One of you must take control of him,” he
said. “Which one of you would like the privilege?”

The students looked at each other with
excitement. They were all most eager to please their master, and they all
wanted this chance to prove their worth. All of their hands shot into the air
as if they were impatient school children.

Ulda laughed. “Only one of you can be
given this honor. Who has done the most work in transforming him into this work
of art?”

A Soulbinder in a black robe stepped
forward. He had a long crooked nose and close-set eyes. “Your majesty, I am
responsible for his increase in size. I created the enchantment using the
essence of a rather large prisoner. We all contributed to the enchantments, but
that one was my idea.”

“Well done,” Ulda said. He handed the gem
containing Tu'vad's essence to his student. “He was a skilled fighter, but it
will require all of your concentration to control him. He's just a giant lump
of metal now, and he won't think for himself. I don't want to see him standing
idly on the battlefield.”

“Yes, my lord,” the Soulbinder replied.

“The rest of you will be responsible for
leading our hybrid army. General Fru will familiarize you with the battle
formations and strategies he wishes to use. Listen to him. He is a decorated
general, and he has served me very well.”

“When are we leaving, your majesty?” One
of his students asked.

“We will begin loading the ships in three
days time. Then it's up to the wind how quickly you arrive in Na'zora. I will
not be traveling with you, but I will be monitoring your progress from here. My
orb will show me everything.”

The Soulbinders bowed as Ulda left the
room. He headed for his throne room to speak with General Fru. “How are the
preparations coming?” he asked as he crossed the room to take his seat.

“Very well, your majesty,” Fru replied.
“We have five ships ready to take us up the coast to Na'zora. Three ships will
hold your human army, while one will carry your Soulbinders and their minions.
At your request, one is being left behind for your personal use.”

“Good,” Ulda said. “I'll need it to join
you quickly once you've secured the kingdom. What preparations have you made in
case they don't want to come out and fight?”

“There is plenty of room for supplies in
case of a long siege, your majesty. I don't think it will be an issue with the
Soulbinders along. Their lightning and fireballs won't allow the king of
Na'zora to hide for long. We'll have his walls down in no time.”

“Has there been any news of the party that
was sent to attack the elves? We need those souls brought to us quickly if
we're to prepare them.”

“There has been no word of them, sire,”
the general replied. “If they were successful, they should be on their way back
by now. If they don't arrive by tomorrow evening, we must assume they have
failed.”

“It's possible the elves were forewarned
of the attack. Has there been any luck in locating sapphires?”

“None of any significant size, my lord. My
troops are still conducting searches.”

“See that they are very thorough. This
could be my only chance. If you manage to subdue the elemental, it must be
brought to me immediately. Do not kill it under any circumstances. Use any
means necessary to contain it, but it must remain alive if it's to be of any
use to me.”

“As you command, my lord.”

“Do you find my army more eager to serve
since their binding?”

“I do, majesty. They are very quick to
follow my orders, and I have no doubts they will serve you well in battle.”

“Fear is no longer a consideration for
them,” Ulda said proudly. “They are a masterpiece.”

“Indeed, my lord,” Fru replied. “It is a rare
treat to have troops so passionate. They think only of the upcoming battle and
how they may serve.”

“Excellent,” Ulda said, clapping his hands
together. “Everything is prepared then.”

“It is, sire,” Fru said. “Na'zora will be
yours.”

“I'm counting on it,” he replied. “Once
you've gained control you will have to keep everything in order until I
arrive.”

“It will be an honor, majesty.”

“You're dismissed.”

As the general left the room, Ulda began
to ponder the possibilities once he held Na'zora. It was a far larger kingdom
than Al'marr, and more citizens meant more souls for testing. He would be
closer to several clans of Wild Elves, and with his new Na'zoran army he would
make quick work of capturing and binding them.

Then there was the small matter of binding
an elemental. If a water spirit was available for the taking, he did not want
to miss the opportunity. He may have to turn all of Nōl’Deron upside down
to find a large enough sapphire, but that was a challenge he was most willing
to undertake.

A cool morning arrived in the Forests of
Viera. The wind was sailing through the trees reminding everyone that autumn
was finally approaching. King Aelryk and his companions were glad to be
traveling in these improved conditions.

It would take the better part of a day
before they reached Enald. Aelryk hoped the town was still standing since his
absence. He did not know how many attacks may have taken place on his people
while he was away. If the village still stood, they would rest there for the
night and then press on for the palace. The majority of his army was stationed
there, and they would need to be prepared for the upcoming battle.

As they approached Enald from a distance,
they could see that the village was intact. A wave of relief came over Aelryk.
“We will stay here tonight,” he announced to his companions. “We will leave at
first light and reach the palace by nightfall.”

Enald had no buildings large enough to
accommodate the entire group. Instead, the travelers put together a make-shift
camp at the edge of town. They would be in position to protect the village
should another attack take place.

“General Morek,” Aelryk said. “We need to
ready scouts to discover where Ulda's armies are heading. We don't have enough
men to protect all of our borders.”

“That won't be necessary,” River
interrupted. “They will approach from the sea.”

“How do you know that?” Morek asked.

“It's only a day's ride from here to the
sea. I can hear it.”

Morek and Aelryk exchanged glances. River
could be vague at times, but they trusted his counsel.

“Then we will focus all of our attention
to the sea,” the king replied. “I will dispatch a messenger to ride through the
night and alert my councilors. They can begin preparations for war.”

The citizens of Enald began wandering into
the king's camp. They had never seen such elves before, and many of them wanted
to take a closer look. The Westerling Elves had an aura of peace and goodness
about them. Their steadfast hearts projected a positive energy to the villagers.
Their hearts filled with hope as they looked upon the mysterious elves of
legend. A fairy tale had come to life to save them in their hour of need.

As the night set in, Aelryk was filled
with anxiety and falling asleep was impossible. He did not know how long he had
until Ulda's forces arrived. They may even be attacking now. The thought
weighed heavily on the king's mind.

At dawn he asked River, “What does the sea
say to you? Are my people already under attack?”

“Ulda's men are still preparing their ships.
They have not yet left Al'marr.”

Aelryk closed his eyes and breathed out
heavily. The burden in his heart was lifted. He knew now that he would arrive
in time.

They galloped along the road that would
lead them at last to the king's palace. Villages came and went as they hurried
past. At the sight of their king, many citizens would cheer and wave. Aelryk
had no time for fanfare and could not spare a moment to greet them. They
carried on throughout the day and reached the palace just as the moon was ascending
in the sky.

Servants flocked to them taking their
horses and helping unpack their gear. Upon entering the palace, Aelryk began
issuing orders to the servants. “Find rooms for our guests from the Vale and
inform my councilors that there will be a meeting at dawn. Have all my
lieutenants in attendance as well. Tomorrow, we prepare for war.”

Lisalla had been told that her husband had
arrived home at last. She quickly descended the wide staircase leading to the
palace entrance. “My king,” she cried, rushing to be at his side. “It is good
to see you.”

“I have missed you as well,” he replied.
“May I introduce you to Lord River of the Westerling Vale and his daughter
Isandra.”

“A pleasure,” she said.

“My lady,” River replied.

“I presume you are the river that my
husband was charged with finding,” she said. “I am happy you have come.”

“As am I, my lady,” he replied.

*
* * * *

The following morning, Aelryk's councilors
and lieutenants gathered within the council chambers to discuss preparations
for war. They were all assembled as Aelryk arrived followed by River and
General Morek.

“Good morning, my lords,” the king began.
“Today we must discuss an invasion fleet that is on its way from Al'marr as we
speak. Master Ulda of Ral'nassa has taken control of that kingdom and has set
his sights on Na'zora as well. He must be stopped at all costs.”

Murmurs flew from the councilors lips as
Aelryk continued to speak.

“We must have our armies prepared to meet
them on the beaches. Our smiths will be working overtime to ensure our weapons
are in good repair. Have every man examine his weapons and armor immediately to
determine which pieces need repair. There is no time to waste.”

“Majesty,” Loren began. “Could we not wait
them out in the palace? They will never get through our walls. Surely they
would give up and return to their homes.”

“They have an unknown number of sorcerers
with them. Our walls will not stand long under their concentrated fire. Draw up
your plans, gentlemen. I will return this afternoon to go over them.”

He headed towards the door and spoke to
River, who was seated nearby. “Come with me.”

River followed the king out the door and
into the marketplace. They headed for the armory where Yori was hard at work.
Apprentices were running back and forth with various pieces of equipment. Yori
stopped working at the sight of his king. He stood, and his eyes locked on
River.

“Yori, this is Lord River of the
Westerling Vale. He'll be needing some armor forged. I trust you can handle it quickly.”

“Of course, your majesty,” he replied,
still staring at River. “What are you?” he finally asked.

“An elf,” River replied.

“You're much more than that,” Yori said.
“You are one of the First Ones.”

“I am.”

Realizing that he was still staring, Yori shook
his head. “Forgive me. Let me take your measurements for the armor.” Taking
each measurement twice, he jotted the numbers down on a small piece of
parchment. “What kind of runes do you require on your armor, my lord?”

“None,” River replied.

Yori opened his mouth to say something,
but the words did not come.

“You'll want some enchantments, River,”
Aelryk said.

“It isn't necessary,” he replied. “I am my
own enchantment.”

“I knew it,” Yori said. “You are an
elemental.”

“Correct,” River said, smiling. “It wasn't
meant to be a secret.”

“Your eyes gave it away,” Yori replied. “I
just had a feeling when I looked at you. Without any special runes, I can have
this completed in two days. I'll make this my top priority.”

“Thank you, Yori,” River said. Yori nodded
in acknowledgement.

“Come, Lord River,” the king said. “There
is something I must show you.”

They headed for a booth in the marketplace
that was selling honey and dried fruits. The short, dark-haired merchant bowed
at the sight of his king and greeted him with a nervousness in his voice.

“Greetings, your majesty,” he said. “How
may I serve you today?”

“I hope you have some chocolate, my good
man,” Aelryk said.

“Yes, your majesty,” the merchant replied.
“It's nothing special, though, just melted chocolate. It's been far too hot to
keep any fine chocolates on hand.”

“Melted will do just fine,” the king
replied.

The merchant filled a small bowl with the
warm, sweet chocolate and handed it to the king.

“Do you have any of those almonds left?”
he asked.

River produced the small pouch Alyra had
given him.

“Dip one in the chocolate and taste it.
You've never experienced any taste so divine.”

River did as the king suggested. Upon
placing the chocolate coated almond in his mouth, his eyebrows shot up in
amazement. “It's delicious,” he said. Licking the chocolate from his fingers,
he added, “This is the best thing I've ever tasted. Thank you for sharing it.”

Aelryk laughed and nodded. He clasped him
on the back and handed him the bowl. “Enjoy it, my friend.”

“I will,” he replied, munching on another
almond. “Could I have a look at the ocean? I've rarely been this close to it.”

“Certainly,” Aelryk said. He led the way
down to the beach just behind the palace. As they neared, River stopped
suddenly and recoiled as if he had been struck.

“Are you alright?” the king asked as he
helped to steady his friend.

“I'm fine,” he replied. “It's just that
there are so many voices in the sea. It's a little overwhelming at first.”

“Voices?” Aelryk asked, wrinkling his brow
in confusion.

“All rivers empty into the sea
eventually,” he began. “There are millions of river spirits here, and they all
speak at once. It's difficult to focus on just one.”

Aelryk looked out over the endless blue
sea. It spread towards infinity, where the blue of the water met the blue of
the sky. He heard nothing except the whistle of the wind and the crashing of
the waves.

River walked towards the blue water as if
hypnotized. He stood in the foam deposited by the waves and closed his eyes.
The voices grew louder and softer as the spirits danced about in the
ever-changing water. He reached out with his mind to speak with his watery
brothers and sisters. Some were near and others far. In the distance, he could
hear the sound of Ulda's ships still being prepared for battle in Al'marr. They
were nearly ready to depart. In a few days time, Na'zora would be at war.