Page 90 of Into the Isle

Part Three

Rivals

KING DANNON HAD TAKEN on the moniker of “The King Who Saw,” and he relished his newfound power. He spoke with his advisors about his visions—ominous prophecies of a terrible future where the elves would bring about the destruction of humankind.

For now, the king’s advisors told him not to react on his visions. They had a war to win, and could not do it alone.

Dannon took his advisors’ words to heart. The humans and the elves remained allied, through the marriage of the elven queen Amisara and the human queen Solveig.

King Dannon and Lord Talasin spoke less frequently during the Second Taldan War. It was a long-lived, brutal conflict that lasted years, and brought about the razing of many human settlements in Midgard and elven settlements in Alfheim.

Conflict rose between the humans and elves. The Runesphere’s existence had leaked to the public, and both races wanted it for its mysterious power.

In the years since the discovery of the artifact, humans had learned to Shape the runes engraved on the object’s surface, and instill themselves with magic similar to the arcane power inherent to the elves. They felt they were gaining an even footing with their long-eared allies, and no longer needed them as much in the war.

It was for this reason the Second Taldan War took so long to win. The races rarely commingled, where in the past, it was not uncommon to find a regiment filled half with human fighters, half with elvish warriors.

Still, the humans and elves were eventually victorious. Relationships were strained, but peace fell over the people once more.

King Dannon had not told anyone besides his closest advisors about the terrible visions he’d had years before. He knew it would only invite rebellion and worsen tension between the races.

One night, Dannon’s sister, Queen Solveig, came to his chamber in tears.

“What is the matter, dear sister?” Dannon asked, embracing her.

“My wife has gone missing, brother. No one has seen Queen Amisara in days!”

She moaned and wailed through the night, while Dannon consoled her. Afterward, King Dannon told his sister he would search far and wide for the elven queen, until she was found.

It was the queens’ union, after all, that had forged the basis of the human-elven alliance, first bringing the races together as family. Now, with Queen Amisara missing, the entire alliance was on the brink of dissolution.

Lord Talasin of the elves, Dannon’s longtime brother and ally, came to Dannon days later with the same news. Dannon repeated himself, telling Talasin that he would search every corner of Midgard to find the elf lord’s sister.

“If she is in the human realm, she will be found,” Dannon promised.

The first cracks of the alliance had widened into a crevice.

King Dannon knew that if Queen Amisara was never found, the peace between their people would not last.

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