Page 58 of Court of Treachery

They all leaned closer, barely breathing, in anticipation of his words. Harper hung on his story. Here was a tale she had never heard before, but it had every promise to be as grand as any of the wandering bards’ stories.

“There was born one Eldarkind, Valxiron, who did not share his people’s vision. Valxiron was malcontent with being a lesser Eldarkind with no power amongst his kind. He sought power so he could win over Erendriel, whom he desired above all else. It is said she was the fairest Eldarkind maiden who ever walked theworld. Her hair was starlight, her eyes the sky. Her soul was as pure as a babe’s, and all she blessed turned to wonder and joy.

“Valxiron saw the Eldarkind as weak, not fulfilling the duty for which the elementals created them—to keep order in the world, or, as he saw it, torulethe world. Valxiron pursued Erendriel, but she rejected him and his rhetoric, to his humiliation. He refused to accept that it was her right to do so. That she was entitled to disagree with him. Erendriel did not believe that dominion over all else was most important, and Valxiron’s ideology caused great consternation amongst his people.

“Valxiron scried the world at the seeing pool. He saw how much the Eldarkind seemingly turned a blind eye. War and strife were plentiful. Surely it was their duty to prevent such things? He was angry. In his eyes, his people ought to be ashamed for their failings. News of discord arrived, but Valxiron had already seen and awaited, wondering what his elders would do. They had to act. Yet they did not. Valxiron, furious, confronted the elders, imploring them to intervene. It was their duty and purpose. However, they would not listen. Valxiron realised that unless he took matters into his own hands, it would never come to pass.

“Valxiron visited the Heart of the World, the source of all power. It was intoxicating. He decided to tip the balance himself. To rebel against the elders for the greater good. Erendriel and the elders tried to stop him, to no avail. Valxiron was determined, his respect and obedience to them broken. He drew from the Heart of the World, unable to resist the alluring call of its limitless power, but such power was beyond his ability to harness and it broke what little was left of his sanity. The Eldarkind banished him from their lands, and from the Heart of the World.

“Drunk on power, he hatched a daring scheme to accomplish his ends. He would create more strife and chaos in the worldand let itself be torn to pieces. Only then could order gain hold. Only then could he rule over the visionhedesired for Altarea… once he had overthrown the elders, who he thought were too feeble and cowardly to stand against him. He vowed to fulfil the potential of their race, as it was meant to be. To hold dominion over all life.

“Valxiron found allies wherever he could, those who sought the advancement of their own peoples and dominions. In the dragons, the goblins, mortals, and more besides did he find those who promised themselves to his cause. He gave his allies power from the Heart of the World to accomplish their aims, but also used it to bind them to him. Erendriel sought Valxiron out and begged him to stop. He was anxious to please her and persuade her to his cause. She rejected him utterly. Desperate, Valxiron forced her to his will, but broke her spirit when he did so. She was nothing more than a hollow shell, and he could not undo what had been done.

“Valxiron was overcome with fury and grief. He blamed himself, but his emotions quickly turned into condemnation of the elders, for it was they he truly held culpable for all that had passed. Were it not for them, he would not have been forced to any of the extreme measures he had taken. Were it not for them, Erendriel would still be. His mind was clear. There was no going back from that point. The elders were not worthy. He, alone, would rule.

“Valxiron continued manipulating the various peoples around him to increase conflict as far and wide as he could, building his base of allies. He fully intended to betray many who followed him. They were unsavoury, beastly creatures, with no honour or merits, like the goblins. Whilst his machinations proceeded as planned, resistance grew from the elders.They pursued Valxiron, and it seemed his luck had changed. The Eldarkind captured Valxiron and returned him to theirhomeland, breaking their banishment upon him to do so, to imprison him there. They were distraught at what he had done to Erendriel, yet they still exacted no vengeance upon him. Valxiron’s machinations were at last halted.

“Valxiron was taunted by his failings when he was brought before the seeing pool to see how chaos had been averted. The elders once again tried to explain that all was a cycle. That all would right itself as it was meant to. Valxiron, haunted by the loss of Erendriel, teetered on the brink of insanity. Valxiron claimed repentance. The elders were convinced of his sincerity, blinded by their hope and benevolence. He was freed, and though they welcomed him back cautiously, he was liberated entirely. Their forgiving and trusting natures would be their undoing.”

Harper hung on every word, hardly daring to breathe.

“Valxiron struck. Fuelled by the everlasting power of the Heart of the World, he killed the elders one by one, then created a prison of the Eldarkind kingdom. No longer did he desire to fulfil altruistic aims. He was driven by anger and grief. He saw the world had righted itself but refused the elders’ message to not meddle. The last elder, instead of defending himself, stripped his entire race of much of their power and sent it where Valxiron would never find it, but he had made one grave mistake. Valxiron cared not, for he now possessed the power of the Heart of the World. He killed the last elder.

“With his death, the last of the true Eldarkind, the all-powerful, immortal beings, disappeared. Those few who still remain in their hidden pockets of the world are but a paltry shadow of their former selves. Valxiron claimed the Heart of the World as his own. It gave him the power to have ultimate dominion over all. He had no love or loyalty to anyone, save himself. From that day, a darkness spread over all.

“His dominion lasted for an age and nearly tore the world apart. But for Erendriel, who ultimately cast Valxiron down, it would have endured to this day. It took another age to recover from the darkness he wrought—” Aedon looked at Harper, “—the likes of which I believe you saw just a hint of in your vision of Erendriel, Harper.”

Unease flickered through her.

“However, his mission continues. Ever have there been pockets of malcontents who seek to revive his work, seek to continue his legacy. If Erendriel appeared in your vision, she speaks truly of Saradon. That he is somehow Valxiron’s own servant. It would explain, perhaps, how Saradon, a half-elf with no magic, became one of the strongest mages in Pelenor seemingly overnight, and also how he can find servants or allies in the goblins. Perhaps even now, the Dark One’s magic and his malicious will still endure.” Aedon shivered. “I don’t enjoy telling that story.”

Brand scratched his forehead. “What does this mean for Saradon now? For Afnirheim? For us?”

“I’m not sure. Only that he is far more powerful than we know. I fear Afnirheim is not the worst he could do. We shall have to tread very carefully indeed.”

“But if this is a prophecy, we’re going to win, right?” asked Harper.

Aedon laughed. “I don’t think that’s how prophecies work, Harper. You cannot just sit back and wait for the outcome. You still must take part in your own destiny. You must ‘stand true’, ‘beware the Tainted Star’, and ‘heed the Shadow’, whatever that means. And it seems we might need a Dragonheart, which is nigh on impossible?—”

“Thanks to you,” said Erika.

Aedon glared at her. “You’re welcome! We would not have escaped Tournai alive had I not used their energies for ourbenefit, nor cured that accursed plague. How were any of us to know we might need such a rare substance again?”

“Regardless, we’ve given our word that we will follow the könig to battle, for better or worse,” interrupted Brand. “At least forewarned is forearmed. We cannot be quite sure what we are dealing with, but he is clearly more powerful than even we thought. We ought to be more cautious on that basis.”

“I’m not sure we can be cautious facing a maniacal half-elf who has the magic of the Dark One and a mountain full of goblins,” said Aedon sourly.

Harper was inclined to agree, but they had given their word. They were to go to battle—and the inexorable conclusion before them.

47

DIMITRI

With all affairs taken care of in Tournai and a lull in what distractions Dimitri could find, he could not help but check upon Harper. Dimitri’s heart sank when he found her outside the safety of Keldheim, camped upon the road amongst a great dwarven host that sprawled into the forest. Their purpose was unmistakable, albeit hopeless. They had come to retake Afnirheim—and Saradon would kill them all.If they even reached Afnirheim, that was, for thepaschaplanned to send out a great host of his own to further expand the reach of his domain.

Dimitri dithered on the fringes of the valley, hidden by the ridge of trees.Do I warn her again?Even as the thought occurred, he knew it to be hopeless to resist it.Do I force her to leave?The feeling in his stomach soured further. He had already implored Harper to leave, but now it was even worse. Now she walked to her certain death. He could not have it on his conscience. Never mind that everything else seemed to be spiralling beyond his control. This, he could avert. They did not need to die.Shedid not need to die. His heart twistedpainfully at the mere thought. He looked over the valley and the thousands of dwarven warriors. He had to try.

He sought her out, flitting through the veils of the world until he came upon her, once more in the company of the confounded elf and their other companions, though the dwarf was absent. He waited until she excused herself a little while later to relieve herself, following her through the trees and melting into the shadows far enough away to give her privacy and dignity. On her way back, he appeared before her, stepping out of the darkness into a shard of moonlight on the game trail.

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