Tearha: The Number 139

Chapter Thirty-Four: Trader of Places

The hallucination of Kathleen Ambershey leaned against the wall with arms crossed in annoyance under the arch of Ta'Kalenyilgah, the stone gate of the dark elf city which stood towering over them. The Watcher paced up and down the length of the gate, his fingers nervously rubbing away palmy sweat. Moment ago, the gates had been closed after the guards retreated into the dark to join the ceremony. He had managed to use his power to reverse time on the gates to a point where they were opened. He reasoned that he did not break open the door. It simply never closed.

Vexed, Kathleen asked him, "Can you just calm down?"

The Twins were setting. Light was fading quickly and shadows were drawing through the north-eastern flat plains. A large flock of birds burst out of the canopy of the forest to the south, caws echoing through the air as they crossed the clouding skies towards the western twilight.

"Can't help it," The Watcher told her. "Nothing I can do."

"Shouldn't you be used to it by now?" she asked casually. He did not reply and instead continued his steady pacing. She looked around at the guardhouse built into the side of the gate. "Where are the guards?"

"I'm guessing Nadier's distraction worked. They got called back in."

"Lucky for them. You would have killed them." He was uncomfortable with how she noted murder in a way he did not want his subconscious to be thinking.

He corrected, "I wouldn't have killed them."

"Sure..."

The tumbling of rocks echoed through the highway path that led down into the darkness of the citadel.

Squinting into the shadows, The Watcher asked, "Is anyone there?" Silence replied, and he called out again into the dark. "Adelle? Nads?"

Another period of quiet was presented to him. Reaching into his coat, he took out his pocket watch. The crystal glowed slightly violet as he ran a charge of power through it. He raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. A bright ball of light popped out floating before him, a coagulation of slowed and trapped light that pulsed white. With a slight gesture, he sent the makeshift torch floating into the darkness. As the ball crossed into the deeper shadows, growing brighter as it went and lighting up even the ceiling of the tall cavern, red eyes reflected like a pack of wolves waiting to pounce. Hundreds of dark elf soldiers stood in the black of the tunnel, helmets on and armoured up, swords in hands ready for battle.

"Shit," The Watcher let out at the sight of a battalion of warriors. "Not cool."

Kathleen asked the question his body would have asked in a moment, "Why aren't they attacking?"

He took a closer look at the dark elves. "They aren't covered in aeronium. Look, their skins are white. They're probably waiting for night to come."

"Unbelievable. Nadier and Adelaide actually did it. They destroyed the gate."

The Watcher grinned, "I never doubted them for a second."

"If that's true, I would never have said it the way I did."

He was not particularly enjoying the presence of a conscience that could call his bluff.

However, he had an even more pressing matter at hand. He had to stop the dark elves from leaving at the end of twilight. He had to hold the line till the siege golems made it out. Examining the light from the Twin stars, The Watcher drew the sword from his back and drew a clean line into the ground just before the gates as if a stick through sand.

He sheathed his weapon and announced to the army of elves. "Hello! I'm the Watcher! How are you all doing?" The soldiers did not reply. He thought that was rude as he felt his greeting was heartfelt and sincere. "Not the speaking kind, eh? Fair enough. Fair enough. Then, just listen and I'll do all the talking. This line here is not for show. Nope. It is for your safety. For this is where you'll continue surviving, so long as you do not–!"