The Call Of Shadows

Chapter Six

Bagaeth and Vertoss were weary of traveling by the time they made it to the town where Hejli and Lewtren had met with Chief Illuth. It had been a slow journey- what took Hejli merely four days to do took them almost a full week and a day. The weather had been frequently shifting from rain to snow, and back to rain again as they ascended the slopes and went back down into the lower valleys where a cold rain overtook them for days on end. They were dry finally, but Vertoss's mood hadn't improved. In fact he had hardly said two sentences for the last three days. Bagaeth knew better than to pry though. Instead they rode in silence until this morning when they reached the edge of the village. Chief Illuth was waiting for them at the gate, and they walked together the rest of the way to his home.

"Thank you for having accommodations made for us on such short notice. It is greatly appreciated." Vertoss said with genuine gladness in his eyes. He loved the feeling of a warm fire on a cold night and they hadn't had that luxury in a few days- even the normally dry tinder scattered on the ground was moist from the weather. Perhaps that was why he had been so silent as of late- after all, elves did love their comfort on occasion. "It is not an issue at all. I'm relieved that you were able to come speak with us. Truth be told I was beginning to worry that word had not reached you by the time your charges came. I only wish that my fears hadn't been confirmed." The chief's eyes dulled to a murky green, still calm, but unmistakably worried.

"Maybe you can help me shed light on this matter," Bagaeth started. "It seems to me like no one has actually seen the face behind the golden cloak. Not yet anyway. From my understanding Vertoss keeps excellent track of his diplomats- how is it possible that one of them is here so frequently without anyone ever knowing? How long does it stay before disappearing again?" The chief nodded, acknowledging that it was a valid point. "It only stays for maybe 5 minutes, but it isn't here in the conventional way. It's like an apparition- one minute smoke obscures your sight, the next a golden cloak is in the middle of where the smoke was, and then it shimmers out of existence."

Bagaeth and Vertoss exchanged nervous looks. "How is it," Vertoss began, "That an elf has come across magic?" Bagaeth's mind was already trying to think of ways this was possible. Suddenly, a sinking feeling hit the pit of his stomach. "Do you recall a Fae by the name of Tanaeo? It's been about 70 years since he passed, but whenever he would walk the trade routes in the summer he claimed that he could help us understand our southern neighbors, and that all it would cost us is our conscience. Is it possible that someone found a way to sneak a talisman of the fae into our borders? We have managed to get the river drone onto the other side of the wall, what if the fae have been doing something similar?"

Chief Illuth spoke up. "I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect but I have a very difficult time believing that the fae have any kind of vested interest in causing chaos within our realm. They have always tried to make peace with every race, and aren't you the one that said they are considering aiding us in the war?" He asked, looking past Bagaeth to Vertoss. "It makes no logistical sense." He nodded, acknowledging his reasoning. "Regardless of how magic has entered into our borders, we need to figure out a way to root it out. A way for the magic to be detected without the need for more magic." Bagaeth let out a frustrated sigh. "But how? If the magic is only being used for five minutes at a time, every single diplomat will appear to be where they are, and when they are without interference. On paper everything will look exactly the same, and we have no idea how long this charade has been kept up for!" Chief Illuth's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Actually, I think I may be able to help with that."

Vertoss sat up a little straighter in the dusty chair he had been slouching in. "What do you mean?" He stood up and walked over to the bookcase that had been previously overlooked, tucked away in the darkest corner in the room. Reaching onto the highest shelf, he pulled out a tome that was covered in a thin layer of dust. Leather bound, and at least a thousand pages thick, it had to have been one of the largest volumes in the room. He gingerly placed it on the table in front of them as they read the title on the cover. Illuna Terri. The Illuminated Earth. It was written in the slow, sprawling script of the last historian, and it detailed all the main events from the last thousand years of his time as Elder.