Chapter Ten: Dharketh's Story
"Why have you come?" She asked him. He was only too happy to supply an answer--a rather long-winded one, at that--after Liayela had publicly humiliated him. She had told the people that he had betrayed them by throwing his lot in with the new blood, that he had lied to Liayela repeatedly about how the Golden One "stole his name." She had repudiated him, had thrown him out of her home, and now he had nowhere to go but to Her.
He had not lifted the sleep spell, and had not been surprised that She had shaken it off on Her own. He had tried to tell 'Ela, but in her superiority in all things, she had shaken off his adcive and done as she pleased. He still did not know for sure what was wrong with her, but he had his suspicions--which he prudently kept to himself.
"I came to answer a question that I never fully answered before," he replied.
She frowned slightly, and before bidding him continue She said, "Bring Jack to me, and I will listen to what you have to say."
A smile wished to curve his lips upward, but he throttled it. She was devoted to this human. It was probably just as well that she was--if it hadn't been for him, Dharketh would likely be dead by now. Or worse, all of the elves would likely suffer a torturous death at Her hands. Instead of saying anything, he turned and left the room, shortly returning with the sleeping mortal in his arms.
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She looked at Jack's still, seemingly lifeless form and was horrified. When Dharketh laid him down on the bed beside her, she immediately felt for Jack's pulse, and was satisfied to find it slow but strong. "Why is he asleep?" she started to ask, but clamped her mouth closed on the words as she realized that Dharketh had already told her that.
She glanced at him suspiciously, and when she tested the bond knew that he had no ulterior motives in coming here. Well, perhaps none that would do her harm at any rate. "How do I wake him?" she asked, needing Jack's comforting support in this strange place.
"How did you wake yourself?" She could have slapped Dharketh for answering her question with a question.
"If I knew how I woke up, then likely Jack would be awake now," she snapped.
"I apologize--but I myself do not know," Dharketh said meekly, sincere in his apology.
Of course, if he had been anything less than sincere Arianne may well have killed him in that moment of overwhelming stress. She cradled Jack's head in her arms, wishing with all her might that he could comfort her.
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Dharketh watched Her as she cradled her lover's head in her arms. She was obviously overwhelmed by everything this night had thrown at Her. Oddly, he felt very sad that he could not help Her in this time when She needed her love the most. He was glad that She had brought the human with Her now, for otherwise She may well have been lost in a chaos that She could never be recovered from, and then where would they be?
************************
If Dharketh had not been watching, Arianne would likely have cried. As he was, however, she didn't, and she softly whispered in Jack's ear, begging him to wake up. When he still lay sleeping, she looked up at Dharketh and nodded, silently bidding him to tell her what he had come to say.
************************
"Many ages ago, before humans were even existent, the faeriefolk roamed the land. There were none of the cities, paved roads, large fields full of crops, none of it. We didn't need any of that. We were content with what our chosen place to live could give us, and we gave back by nurturing the land. We were happy.
"Before the humans were created, our gods entered into a war against each other. None of our people are entirely sure what the war was over, but after many centuries the side of chaos won. One of the rogue gods--the one you humans call "God" or "Father," I believe--created the humans. Humans were supposed to be a race that would entirely wipe out the faeriefolk, for this rogue had grown bored of watching the harmony between the faeries and the Earth. He tried to destroy us.
"He very nearly succeeded. But before the first human walked the land, the other gods were allowed to bestow a single gift each upon this new creation, for your god was arrogant and believed that nothing could be done to reverse his plan. The remaining gods that opposed this rogue came together with intent to form a plan, but all failed miserably.
"When the time came to bestow their gifts, each gave the humankind one flaw, such as fear, shame, and anger. They had all given their gifts, all but one.
"This last one, She is our most beloved god. She knew that the rogue would kill them all in order that he be the only remaining power--but he would only kill them after his children were born, after the rest of the gods realized the hopelessness of it all.
"She had not gone to the meeting between the gods. She instead chose to seclude Herself and commune with the only powers that even the gods could not tame. She plead with these powers for some sort of answer to this great dilemma, and She came out with an answer. Instead of giving the humans a quality, She gave up Her life and gave a prophecy to the faeries:
Abomination shall come,
Take over this world,
But my people, do not fear.
I shall return,
In the guise of one
Who has driven you from your home.
A golden eagle,
Shining bright,
Shall birth unto thee salvation.
"With this, She commended Herself to the stars to await rebirth. Our people have been waiting for so very long. Every one hundred years, we search for one of elven birth, each time praying that it will bring our Goddess who gave the ultimate sacrifice back to us. Always it has been with the lure of the Fountain of Youth, for who could resist such a thing as that? We know the elven-born by their having no desire from the very start to drink from the Fount. We have had no luck, thus far.
"At least, we had no luck...until we found you."
************************
She stared at him, her insides roiling with something that she could not call disbelief, for it all sounded so ringingly true. More confusing, it sounded familiar. What was this crazed creature saying? He thought that she was this lost goddess? But how was that even possible? Her head spun and she had to clutch the bed to keep from falling off of it.
************************
Dharketh stared at Arianne with alarm. Perhaps She had not been ready to hear any of this yet. Panicking, he threw a sleep spell at Her--weak, but perhaps it would catch Her unawares again and give him time. When She fell onto Her side deep in sleep, he arranged the man she called her husband so that he laid by her side, and then hurried out of the room.
***********************************************************************
Alright, this has been a long time in coming and I apologize from the bottom of my heart! I meant to finish this last week when I did chapter 9!
"Why have you come?" She asked him. He was only too happy to supply an answer--a rather long-winded one, at that--after Liayela had publicly humiliated him. She had told the people that he had betrayed them by throwing his lot in with the new blood, that he had lied to Liayela repeatedly about how the Golden One "stole his name." She had repudiated him, had thrown him out of her home, and now he had nowhere to go but to Her.
He had not lifted the sleep spell, and had not been surprised that She had shaken it off on Her own. He had tried to tell 'Ela, but in her superiority in all things, she had shaken off his adcive and done as she pleased. He still did not know for sure what was wrong with her, but he had his suspicions--which he prudently kept to himself.
"I came to answer a question that I never fully answered before," he replied.
She frowned slightly, and before bidding him continue She said, "Bring Jack to me, and I will listen to what you have to say."
A smile wished to curve his lips upward, but he throttled it. She was devoted to this human. It was probably just as well that she was--if it hadn't been for him, Dharketh would likely be dead by now. Or worse, all of the elves would likely suffer a torturous death at Her hands. Instead of saying anything, he turned and left the room, shortly returning with the sleeping mortal in his arms.
************************
She looked at Jack's still, seemingly lifeless form and was horrified. When Dharketh laid him down on the bed beside her, she immediately felt for Jack's pulse, and was satisfied to find it slow but strong. "Why is he asleep?" she started to ask, but clamped her mouth closed on the words as she realized that Dharketh had already told her that.
She glanced at him suspiciously, and when she tested the bond knew that he had no ulterior motives in coming here. Well, perhaps none that would do her harm at any rate. "How do I wake him?" she asked, needing Jack's comforting support in this strange place.
"How did you wake yourself?" She could have slapped Dharketh for answering her question with a question.
"If I knew how I woke up, then likely Jack would be awake now," she snapped.
"I apologize--but I myself do not know," Dharketh said meekly, sincere in his apology.
Of course, if he had been anything less than sincere Arianne may well have killed him in that moment of overwhelming stress. She cradled Jack's head in her arms, wishing with all her might that he could comfort her.
************************
Dharketh watched Her as she cradled her lover's head in her arms. She was obviously overwhelmed by everything this night had thrown at Her. Oddly, he felt very sad that he could not help Her in this time when She needed her love the most. He was glad that She had brought the human with Her now, for otherwise She may well have been lost in a chaos that She could never be recovered from, and then where would they be?
************************
If Dharketh had not been watching, Arianne would likely have cried. As he was, however, she didn't, and she softly whispered in Jack's ear, begging him to wake up. When he still lay sleeping, she looked up at Dharketh and nodded, silently bidding him to tell her what he had come to say.
************************
"Many ages ago, before humans were even existent, the faeriefolk roamed the land. There were none of the cities, paved roads, large fields full of crops, none of it. We didn't need any of that. We were content with what our chosen place to live could give us, and we gave back by nurturing the land. We were happy.
"Before the humans were created, our gods entered into a war against each other. None of our people are entirely sure what the war was over, but after many centuries the side of chaos won. One of the rogue gods--the one you humans call "God" or "Father," I believe--created the humans. Humans were supposed to be a race that would entirely wipe out the faeriefolk, for this rogue had grown bored of watching the harmony between the faeries and the Earth. He tried to destroy us.
"He very nearly succeeded. But before the first human walked the land, the other gods were allowed to bestow a single gift each upon this new creation, for your god was arrogant and believed that nothing could be done to reverse his plan. The remaining gods that opposed this rogue came together with intent to form a plan, but all failed miserably.
"When the time came to bestow their gifts, each gave the humankind one flaw, such as fear, shame, and anger. They had all given their gifts, all but one.
"This last one, She is our most beloved god. She knew that the rogue would kill them all in order that he be the only remaining power--but he would only kill them after his children were born, after the rest of the gods realized the hopelessness of it all.
"She had not gone to the meeting between the gods. She instead chose to seclude Herself and commune with the only powers that even the gods could not tame. She plead with these powers for some sort of answer to this great dilemma, and She came out with an answer. Instead of giving the humans a quality, She gave up Her life and gave a prophecy to the faeries:
Abomination shall come,
Take over this world,
But my people, do not fear.
I shall return,
In the guise of one
Who has driven you from your home.
A golden eagle,
Shining bright,
Shall birth unto thee salvation.
"With this, She commended Herself to the stars to await rebirth. Our people have been waiting for so very long. Every one hundred years, we search for one of elven birth, each time praying that it will bring our Goddess who gave the ultimate sacrifice back to us. Always it has been with the lure of the Fountain of Youth, for who could resist such a thing as that? We know the elven-born by their having no desire from the very start to drink from the Fount. We have had no luck, thus far.
"At least, we had no luck...until we found you."
************************
She stared at him, her insides roiling with something that she could not call disbelief, for it all sounded so ringingly true. More confusing, it sounded familiar. What was this crazed creature saying? He thought that she was this lost goddess? But how was that even possible? Her head spun and she had to clutch the bed to keep from falling off of it.
************************
Dharketh stared at Arianne with alarm. Perhaps She had not been ready to hear any of this yet. Panicking, he threw a sleep spell at Her--weak, but perhaps it would catch Her unawares again and give him time. When She fell onto Her side deep in sleep, he arranged the man she called her husband so that he laid by her side, and then hurried out of the room.
***********************************************************************
Alright, this has been a long time in coming and I apologize from the bottom of my heart! I meant to finish this last week when I did chapter 9!
