A/N: Sorry once more for the long break, but the good news is that I have this story nearly finished now (though I lost about a chapter in a recent computer move. . .) I also have some time freeing up though it's always somewhat of a crapshoot with three children under four. I should be able to finish up in the next couple months though. And after the wait, here's one of my longest chapters yet with pretty significant plot development!
Though Zachary had initially been wary of alluding to the magic spreading throughout the land during his Midwinter Festival speech, he had eventually decided that the populace deserved to know he was aware of the happenings and was working to figure out how to counteract them. What he had not considered was one beneficial side effect—namely, that once people knew he was aware of the tainted magic, they felt less compelled to stand in long petition lines and tell him about it. That meant that petition volumes had dropped to normal levels which, combined with the end of budget season, led to far fewer late nights. Unfortunately, now that they had officially announced their wedding date, he could no longer spend those nights as he would prefer—with Karigan. He had noticed an increase in the number of unexpected visitors to his study who simply had to talk to him right at that moment. Inevitably, when they would enter, he would see their eyes sweep across the room as if searching for something—or, more likely—someone. Karigan, too, had mentioned that other Riders had suddenly become much more curious about her movements. In fact, the time in the forest was the last time they were able to be alone with one another for more than a minute. But then again, given what had happened when they were alone, perhaps that was for the best.
Zachary could tell that the chaperones bothered Karigan, but she had not objected since her initial complaints about Mara. Fortunately, though they were not able to be alone together, they were at least able to see a good deal of each other. Karigan had continued to attend various meetings with Zachary, both as a representative of the Green Rider Corps during Laren's absence and as the future Queen. Zachary noted with no small amount of pride that she combined the two roles almost effortlessly, something Sperren complimented her on as well. She seemed surprised by the praise, glancing briefly at Zachary before accepting it. He simply smiled at her. In time, she would come to realize just how suited she was to be his Queen.
There had also been a number of social functions to attend. Given their mutual dislike of them, they avoided all that they could, but there were still a handful a week that required the presence of at least one of them. After a few scheduling snafus, including one day where Karigan accidentally scheduled twenty hours of activities, Zachary finally convinced Karigan to find a secretary. Cummings helped her choose a no-nonsense women named Raquel from Sacor City, and the efficient duo quickly worked out a schedule that suited the royal couple well. They began splitting social functions and less important meetings wherever possible. It meant less time spent together, but Zachary and Karigan tried to make up for that with the extra free time they gained. Though they could not spend it alone, they could at least enjoy a leisurely ride together or a trip to the kennels with a chaperone a respectful distance away.
As the second month drew to a close, Zachary and Karigan were in the hall one day hearing petitions. The line had been relatively short, as was typical of the season, for few wanted to travel during the late winter, and despite his attempts to focus solely on what his people were asking, Zachary found his mind continuing to wander to how he and Karigan might spend the extra time they would have that afternoon. Perhaps a stroll around the castle grounds was in order—they had just had a new snowfall, and it had been some time since he was able to fully enjoy the shimmer of a new snowfall on the trees and rooftops. He imagined Karigan would appreciate its beauty as well.
A fierce whisper of his name broke him from his musings. "Zachary!" He startled, glancing over at his fiancée to see what she needed.
"What is it?" he asked.
"You've been staring at me without speaking for almost two minutes. People are starting to notice." She nodded to Colin who stood to one side. Zachary glanced in his direction to note that the older man was trying—and failing—to hide a small smirk. Zachary felt the backs of his ears heat up slightly, but he forced back his embarrassment before it became too obvious.
"Sorry," he apologized, turning his gaze back to the petitioner in front of them. The man standing there looked vaguely familiar, but Zachary could not place him despite his usual talent with faces. He looked older than Zachary but his exact age was hard to determine. Though he stood straight and tall as if age had not yet weakened his frame, he had an air about him that spoke of a wisdom typically gained only through many years of living. One of his most notable features, however, was his hair, so similar in color to Zachary's own. That particular feature caused Zachary to pause before addressing the man, for he had rarely met anyone with hair so similar to his before. Most assumed he had received his hair color from the Hillander line, for there were a number of men in that line with red hair, but his father had been quick to point out when Zachary was younger that the color of his hair was quite different than "Hillander" red. Most Hillanders, Amigast included, had reddish-blond hair, but Zachary's was a darker hue, almost like the color of some of the fine cherry furniture in the castle. Amigast had claimed Zachary received his hair color from his mother, a statement that made little sense to Zachary since his mother had brown hair but which he had learned to accept with argument in order to keep the peace.
"Don't apologize on my behalf," the man said. "It is nice to see young love." He smiled, and the twinge of familiarity pricked at Zachary's mind again, but he still could not place the face.
"How can we help you?" Karigan questioned.
"I actually came to help you. My name is Dav, and I think you may be interested in what I have to say." Zachary's eyes widened at the name as his quick mind began to slot the pieces into place. He exchanged a glance with Karigan who seemed similarly surprised but had obviously reached the same conclusion. After a few seconds silence, Zachary let his training take over, beginning to issue commands automatically. "Thomas, please inform the rest of the petitioners that we have finished for the day. If they wish to stay, help them find lodging nearby at our expense, of course. After that, you are free to go. We will discuss petitions at tomorrow morning's meeting. Edward, Martin, please work with Gareth to compile your notes for discussion tomorrow as well." Though the advisors were obviously curious, they simply bowed and left, carrying out Zachary's instructions. It did not take long before the only people in the throne room were Cummings, Sperren, Collin, Karigan, Zachary, Dav, and two Weapons. At that point, Zachary returned his attention to Dav. "I know you have likely come a long way. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
"No, thank you. I am guessing based on your reaction that you know who I am?"
"My mother's cousin." Dav nodded, but stayed silent, and after a few seconds, Zachary realized he was waiting for him to continue. "Honestly, I do not know more than that. My mother rarely spoke of her family." Dav sighed.
"I had hoped that would not be the case, but I suspected it might be. Perhaps we should take that meal after all. Given that I have to start at the beginning, my tale will be rather long. It would also give us an opportunity to ensure some privacy." He glanced meaningfully at Zachary's advisors.
"I trust everyone in this room with my life," Zachary said simply.
"It is not necessarily your life I worry about." Dav did not elaborate on that enigmatic statement, and after a few seconds of silence, Zachary decided to let the subject drop. He instructed Willis to find a Green Foot, and a small boy soon came scurrying into the room. Zachary sent him off again with instructions to have the staff ready supper in the formal dining hall. It did not take long for a trio of servants to enter the hall and take his mantle and the more ornate crown he used for petitions, replacing it with his normal circlet. One of them led the way down the hall to the dining hall where a multitude of other servants bustled around the table in the center. Zachary gave a few final instructions which they carried out with their usual efficiency before stepping back, bowing to their king and leaving the room. Once the door had closed behind them, Zachary turned to Dav to offer him a seat, frowning slightly when he noticed the curious expression on his cousin's face.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"Nothing. I just never expected to see Querilian blood on a human throne, no matter what the prophecy said." Zachary heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, and he turned to see Colin peering at the newcomer carefully. Zachary did not recognize the expression on the older man's face at first, and it took a moment for him to realize that was because there was a hint of fear on it. Zachary had never seen Colin afraid before.
Dav, too, had heard the noise, and he smiled at Colin. "I take it from your reaction that you recognize the name. I suppose I should have expected it from a Black Shield."
"It's a made-up name for a made-up people. A fairy tale."
"Fairy tale?" Dav reached down, and Zachary sensed the two Weapons in the room moving closer. However, Dav simply pulled off a glove. A collective gasp traveled throughout the room when its occupants saw Dav's bare hand which was pulsing with some sort of light that seemed to emanate from his flesh itself. "I assure you that this is no fairy tale." He let them all examine then hand for another minute or so before placing it back in his glove. "Perhaps we should all sit down," he suggested when no one spoke after the display.
Zachary forced the many questions he had to the back of his mind and gestured to the table. "Please." He helped Karigan into her chair, a tradition she had grudgingly agreed to follow when in the presence of others though she insisted on seating herself when it was just the two of them dining. Once they all sat down, Zachary started passing the dishes as they all gazed at Dav expectantly. The other man considered for a moment before speaking.
"I suppose Mr. Dovesky here is probably the only one familiar with the origin story," he began. Colin flinched visibly as Dav said his name but said nothing else.
"I know what is taught by Sacoridian tutors, but I suspect there are gaps in my knowledge," Zachary said.
"Gaps may be putting it mildly." Dav took a bite and chewed thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "Back in the beginning, the world was a formless void. There was only one god at the time. He had many names, but I suppose the one that would be most familiar to you is Aiyweh."
"The Almighty," Zachary translated automatically, recognizing the Old Tongue.
Dav canted his head slightly. "I suppose that's a close enough translation. Anyway, out of the void, Aiyweh created the earth and the seas and sky and all the creatures in them, but he found that it still wasn't enough. The creatures he created had no free will, no real purpose except basic survival—eat, drink, procreate. So after some consideration, he decided to split himself into four gods, each a powerful creator in his or her own right. Each of these new gods took dominion over one of the elements. Aeryc became the god of fire, and from it he formed humans who had all the passion and emotion of that element. Aeryon became the goddess of water, the life sustaining element. From it, she formed the beings you know as the Elt. Haverlyn was the goddess of light, and she formed the Querilians, endowing them with great knowledge and understanding. And last there was Westrion, god of the earth—the life giving element. He had dominion over all the spirits, breathing life into them so they could live in this world and taking them into his domain when that life was over."
"From earth you have come and to earth you will return," Sperren remarked softly.
"Yes. You Sacoridians don't have everything wrong," Dav agreed. "Anyway, what Aiyweh did not realize was that the universe insists upon balance. He had created many things as had the four gods after him, but nothing was getting destroyed. And that force of destruction continued to build up, growing more and more powerful until it swept across this world and Westrion's domain beneath it. It was called Tzorwahk." The guttural word pricked at Zachary's memory, and it took him a moment to remember that his mother had used it often, generally when frustrated. He had asked what it meant once, and it had took her awhile to respond but she had eventually answered.
"The wind," Zachary recalled.
Dav peered closely at him. "There isn't a word in your tongue to fully describe just how powerful this force was. It devastated creation, and it left all four gods considerably weaker. However, they were determined not to let it win. They began to rebuild, more slowly this time so as not to reawaken Tzorwahk. And when they felt they were ready, they each created a champion, a being who had as much power as they could afford to give. Many believe that they also gave these champions great objects of power though the detail of what those are has been lost over time.
A great battle ensued. It devastated the world once again, and the champions nearly lost many times. It lasted hundreds of years, but eventually, the champions emerged victorious. However, you can never truly destroy destruction. Instead, they managed to split it up, hoping to avoid another cataclysmic event like the Tzorwahk. But it took hold in more places than they likely expected. The demons that you recently fought, for example, were the result of some of the original races being corrupted by that destruction. And the being you know as Mornhavon is much the same though his powers were even greater as a human, leaving him a much more powerful force to contend with once the destruction took hold of him."
"I don't understand what all of this has to do with what's happening right now," Colin remarked, sounding somewhat irritable. "Are you saying that Mornhavon has returned?"
"Not fully, no, but he will in time, I am sure. A being like Mornhavon is not easily defeated. However, it is not Mornhavon that you should worry about."
"Garcia said he was but a piece of the puzzle," Karigan recalled, speaking for the first time. Zachary glanced over at her in surprise, for he had forgotten that particular statement.
Dav gave her a small smile. "And here I thought it was your betrothed who was blessed with the light."
"I really am beginning to dislike these riddles," Colin said.
"I should have known it would be a Black Shield who insisted on gathering full details of the story without knowing the complete history."
Colin bristled. "You presume to know a great deal about the Black Shields."
"I do know a great deal about the Black Shields. More than you, I daresay. The Querilians and Black Shields had an alliance of sorts back when the Black Shields' duty included far more important tasks than protecting a mere mortal king." Zachary sensed all eyes in the room turn to him as everyone else looked to see how he would react to the perceived slight. He simply continued to eat without reacting. He had heard far worse insults in the past, many of them from his own family members.
"Care to enlighten us as to what these tasks were?" Colin finally questioned, his words nearly a growl.
"The original Black Shields were great Warriors who banded together to protect the human champion's object of power after the defeat of Tzorwahk. Most believe it was a weapon of some sort which is how they took their name."
Colin snorted, obviously disbelieving, but Zachary suspected there was far more truth in Dav's statement than his advisor wanted to believe. He nodded to Dav to continue. "After the Great War, the world was at peace for a short period. However, the peace did not last long. Bickering soon broke out, both among the four gods as well as the beings they had created. That bickering led to more wars until the split. Humans took over the northern and eastern continents, carving out kingdoms for themselves which they rapidly populated despite their relatively short lifespan. The Elt took the western lands, separating themselves from the humans with a vast ocean, and the Querilians took the southern continent. Westrion retreated to his domain. Given the distances between the different races, they rarely interacted and thus the elements rarely combined in any one being. And even the single elements weakened over time as most forgot about their origins."
"But you said Zachary has Quirilian blood," Karigan remembered.
"Through my mother," Zachary guessed. Dav smiled.
"Yes. There were a few Querilians who ventured further north, and sometimes they would marry humans. Your mother's tribe came from one such alliance. You don't have a lot of Querilian blood, but you have more light than I would expect from a human."
"What about you? My mother said you were a cousin."
"I am sure there is some relation if you look hard enough, but I could not tell you what it is. But I spent a good deal of time with your mother before she came to Sacor City, and we formed a familial bond of sorts. Our elders suspected she might be of some importance, a piece to a puzzle we were attempting to solve. Though now that I sit here with you and your fiancée, I feel that she was even more important than any of us realized."
"Why?"
"Thousands of years ago, not long after the Great War, there was a prophecy. It stated that the Tzorwahk would come again, more powerful than before. The leaders of the battle that would ensue would be a special pair, together strong in all of the elements. Their children, equally strong if not stronger than their parents, would form the eight important lines. Only one from this line would be able to defeat the Tzorwahk, and even they would have a low chance of success."
"You think that's us?" Karigan questioned. "That Zachary and I are the leaders?"
"Originally, I thought it would be one of your children actually. There are a number of signs we have been watching for in order to tell when this would come to pass, and we have not seen them all yet. However, recent events have forced me to reconsider my original assessment, especially now that I have met both of you. I think we have considerably less time than we thought."
"Less time before what?" Sperren questioned.
Dav's lips quirked up in a sardonic smile. "The end of the world as we know it."
"So you think that King Zachary and Lady Karigan are the couple in this prophecy?" Sperren asked.
Instead of giving a direct answer, Dav turned to Karigan and said, "There was a shift in power not long ago. A protective spell of some sort settled over the castle, blocking out much of the errant magic that has been plaguing you."
"We've been trying to create wardings," Karigan told him. He shook his head.
"No, those are weak and mostly ineffective. There's something else, something far more powerful and ancient. I felt it activate around the time of the demon attack."
"The dark moonstone!" Karigan guessed.
Dav nodded. "Do you have it?"
"It's in the archives," Zachary told him.
"Have someone retrieve it." Curiosity piqued, Zachary sent one of his Weapons for a Green Foot. The boy was soon off with a missive for the master archivist. While they waited for him to return, Dav turned his attention to his food, falling silent. Zachary took the opportunity to study him a bit more closely. He noted that he shared more features with the older man than just the red hair. They had the same jawline and high cheekbones, two features which he remembered his mother possessing but which neither Amilton nor Amigast had. Perhaps Dav was not as distant a relative as he had led Zachary to believe. But why try to hide their relation? Was he worried that Zachary might discover he had closer ties to the Querilians than they wanted a human to have? But that did not make sense—Amilton never seemed especially knowledgeable, and he had the same Querilian blood that Zachary did.
The return of the Green Foot interrupted Zachary's silent musings about fifteen minutes later. He carried a sack carefully in his hands. When he reached his monarch, he set the sack at Zachary's feet, bowed deeply, and then scurried out of the room. Zachary picked up the sack and placed it in Dav's outstretched hands. Carefully, Dav rolled the moonstone onto the table. It still pulsed with the same brilliant white light Zachary remembered from the day the demons had attacked. Dav touched it carefully with a fingertip, and Zachary noted that the swirls seemed to follow his finger, congregating around where he touched. "It's what I expected."
"What?" Karigan asked.
"Blood. I suspect blood from each of you." Zachary frowned, not sure he liked the direction of the conversation, but Karigan nodded thoughtfully.
"I cut myself on some rocks when I was bringing it back to Sacor City, and I might have dripped a bit of blood on the stone while looking for a rag. It was around that point that I stopped feeling so nauseous around it. And during the demon attack, it was lying near Zachary."
"And I had a wound on my shoulder which easily could have bled on it," Zachary realized.
Dav nodded. "Four of the elements combined. It confirmed an ancient alliance, and that helped to remove the taint from the stone."
"Four of the elements?" Zachary questioned.
"I already mentioned the light from your mother's side. As for fire, all humans have at least a bit, but most have very little and aren't able to harness its power."
"What power?" Colin questioned.
"It's protective," Zachary said, remembering how he had resisted the shadow mage and the being that tried to take over his mind after Alton's attack. The Eletian had said he could do those things through fire, but he had not realized just what he had meant before. Now, however, the pieces were slotting into place. It explained a good deal—why the dark moonstone had affected Karigan and him but no others, why he saw fire when fighting off the shadow who tried to invade his mind, and even why the Eletians called him "Firebrand."
"Yes, among other things. I imagine sword work has always come naturally to you, for example. And you probably tend to feel rather strong emotions, even if you've learned to hide them. Certain human lines are particularly strong in fire, often those in positions of power. And even in those lines, certain members have more than others. Yours is stronger than anyone I have ever seen."
"So if Zachary has fire and light, that means I have earth and water?" Karigan guessed.
"Yes. I had not actually expected you to have both until I sensed the moonstone's power. But G'ladheon is an old name with a history most probably no longer remember. However, many, many years ago, a member of the clan made a pact with Westrion. In exchange for a few more years in this world, he agreed to become Westrion's avatar, doing the god's bidding when he needed someone in mortal form. Since that point, there has been at least one G'ladheon in each generation touched by the same power of the earth though also cursed to serve Westrion if he demands it."
"What does it mean to have earth running through me? Is it protective like Zachary's?"
"To some extent, all the elements are protective. As for what it means, we honestly aren't sure since beings that possess a good deal of earth are exceedingly rare, far rarer than all the other elements. However, I would recommend containing your passions until the wedding night just in case." Dav gave a small smile, and Zachary heard Colin stifle a chuckle nearby. Karigan flushed but quickly pressed onward, ignoring her embarrassment.
"And the water?"
"That was the elusive element. I did not realize it was present until I met you, but I suspect you get that from your mother's side. How much do you know about her family?"
"Not much. Da said they never liked him, so he didn't talk about them much."
"You definitely have Eletian blood running through you. It's enough that I doubt it comes from the G'ladheon line. I also suspect that they are closer relations of yours than you might think."
"I still don't understand what you intend for us to do with this information, even if it is accurate," Colin remarked. Dav turned to him, seeming almost bored with his obvious animosity.
"It's accurate. The signs don't lie. As for what to do with it, I would hope you know enough about military intelligence to know exactly what to do with it."
"Prepare for war," Zachary guessed.
"A war the likes of which this kingdom has never seen. The Long War will pale in comparison. I would recommend trying to form as many alliances as you can. That will be your only hope of winning though even with the support of every single being in this world, your chances of coming out victorious are unfortunately still slim."
"And the Querilians? Can we count on them to be one such alliance?" Zachary pressed.
"It is not my call to make."
"Then whose is it?"
"The elders. And they will make the call at the proper time, once more of the signs come to pass and the final battle draws closer."
"So we still have time?" Zachary questioned.
"You have a bit of time before the Great War, yes, but I suspect it will occur in your lifetime, so you do not have a lot of time. Additionally, there will be others before that. The destructive force has been gathering power for a long time. It will find outlets wherever it can, so you would be wise to prepare for those. I suspect many of them will be quite devastating."
"And where will the Querilians be during all of this?" Colin questioned.
"We will be on our own continent. We have our own preparations to accomplish and our own problems to contend with. Your immediate problems will be more human in nature, and as a rule, we try not to interfere in human matters."
"And what if we are destroyed by these other forces before we have a chance to help you in the Great War?" Zachary questioned.
"I suggest you try hard to ensure that does not happen."