Page 30 of The Night Prince 3
“I have a Sunstone,” Aquilan said quietly. “I can power it sufficiently that it could kill most of the Leviathan even in a cavern the size of the one that houses Illithor.”
The Sunstone Aquilan was referring to was the one Declan had stopped Aquilan from using earlier. Rhalyf thought of how casual he had been about counseling Aquilan to not act rashly to keep the boys safe. How foolish he had been! But that Sunstone meant that they could go into Illithor though…
“The use of a Sunstone in the Under Dark by Illithor… well, if you are willing to risk it for Finley, I most certainly am,” Helgrom grunted.
“It is a risk I am willing to take to get Finley back,” Aquilan said firmly.
“Give me the Sunstone,” Rhalyf suddenly said and stretched out his hand.
Aquilan tilted his head to the side. “My friend, you are powerful indeed, but the power of the Sun is my speciality.”
“It is. And under other circumstances, you should be the one to wield it. But not in these. Not by Illithor,” Rhalyf said. “I can wield it sufficiently to get to Finley. For Declan and I to get to Finley. And the Night King will not have a reason to think of this as an invasion… or worse.”
Aquilan blinked at him. “Rhalyf, you are my best friend and a noble of the Sun Court. The Night King will see little difference between us if he truly decides to use a rescue mission as an act of war.”
Rhalyf’s mouth was dry. His chest was tight. He grimaced, but he finally got out, “He won’t.”
“Rhalyf–”
“He won’t,” Rhalyf repeated.
But Aquilan wasn’t listening to him. “I am going, my brother. I am going to Illithor. We will find Finley. Declan, does this plan work for you?”
Declan had said nothing during this entire interlude. He hadn’t even reacted to Rhalyf’s breakdown with Darcassan. His back was to all of them. He was staring at the sidewall of the stairwell. Just staring at it.
Finally, he spoke without turning around towards them, “None of you is going with me. I require no assistance.”
“Declan, we all saw your fighting. You are more than impressive,” Elasha surprisingly said, “but you cannot go to Illithor alone!”
“You do not understand. You think that I am going to enemy territory where only danger awaits me. But I am not,” Declan said softly as he reached for the back of his neck. The hair on the back of Rhalyf’s own neck stood up. Ardreth appeared in Declan’s hand. “I am going home.”
A Mage’s Journey Begins
The tomb was beautiful. A single pale stone obelisk which had a stylized Sun on top rose up 100-feet into the air. Around its base was a fountain where water gurgled and bubbled pleasantly. Flowers–white, all white with deep green stems–floated on the water’s surface. Others filled in between the winding paths that led to a single white stone building with columns on the front and a set of golden doors studded with gemstones.
Vex padded up the three broad, white steps to the doors. There were large golden braziers lit with golden flames on either side of the doors. Ever burning. Ever bright. Vex placed his right hand against the center of the doors. Palm flat against the metal. Fingers splayed out. He lowered his head and simply stood there as if listening.
Or praying, Finley thought.
Finley remained by the obelisk and fountain. It seemed wrong to approach this tomb any closer without an invitation. He didn’t want to disrupt Vex either in his mourning.
Whose tomb is this? Finley wondered, but he thought he knew.
There was a name carved into the stones above the entranceway or he thought it was a name anyways. But it obviously wasn’t in English or Katyr. It likely was in the Kindreth tongue, which Finley could not read, but he believed it likely spelled out: Sun King Ailduin Fairlynn.
In a way, there were a million objections to this being the famed Sun King’s tomb. After all, would not the Sun Elves have objected to their greatest leader being buried in the Under Dark? In King Vex’s Illithor? The histories all agreed that before Ailduin’s death, he and Vex had been estranged at best, or, as many stated, enemies.
Yet Ailduin is buried here. I feel it.
Finley sat on the edge of the fountain. He realized there were fish swimming there. They rose to the surface, mouthing the air and then dropped below. Their orange and gold bodies darted among the dark green of the stems. They appeared to be Koi, but they were likely some other species native to the Under Dark. They were lovely and peaceful.
And sustained by magic. All of this is. For how long have these spells lasted? Millennia? Countless millennia likely. Has Vex been back here since he left? I don’t think so. But it explains why he allows no one in Illithor. This is a city of the dead.
“Finley, what is my Rahven’s favorite thing to do?” Vex asked.
Startled, Finley lifted his eyes to the Night King. Vex was no longer standing with his head bowed and his hand pressed against doors he seemed unwilling–or unable–to open and enter. Instead, he was at the base of the steps, smiling at Finley with an open, almost eager expression.
“His–his favorite thing?” Finley stammered. “Well… if I’m honest–”
