Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 145704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“As there was no mention of it in Mordain’s vast archives either. Not until twelve hundred years ago, when the ruler of Shadowhelm, Queen Bodil, sent word to Mordain, requesting an emissary. They had found scripture deep within a tomb. They could not read it, or access it. It had been preserved, it seemed, by elemental power.”
“I thought Skatrana had no love for your kind.”
“It comes and goes with each new ruler. Mostly goes.” A faint smile touches Gesine’s lips. “Fortunately, Queen Bodil was pragmatic. She could see that whatever had been hidden within her realm had to be important. As mortals, they would never have the means to interpret or even touch it. So she asked for our help, and we gave it. And we learned much from these preserved accounts.
“Aoife and Malachi once reigned these lands, long ago, assuming the forms of a king and queen who held the throne. It resulted in war and famine as the two fates could not coexist, each demanding that the other relent and for all to bow. More than once, both the humans and the elven dared rise against the thrones, only to be crushed. Malachi used his daaknar to punish any who challenged him while Aoife turned rivers red with the blood for all those who did not kneel before her. Crops rotted under the scorching sun and froze in the frigid air as Vin’nyla and Aminadav expressed displeasure with their fellow fates’ antics. It was a dark time. Merely uttering the names of the fates inspired fear, and tearing down sanctums previously erected in their honor became a cornerstone of rebellion. The suffering and destruction went on for centuries.”
“And how did it end?”
“That, we do not know for certain. The author of the texts gave us an account of what had come to pass, not the future beyond their words. Nothing else exists from that time. It is as if the record of these dark days was deliberately purged. Perhaps more scrolls are hidden within Shadowhelm, but we have not been made aware of them, and our access is limited by the ruler at the time and their desire for knowledge of our ancestors.”
But twelve hundred years ago … “This tale of yours does not ring true. We have had casters escape to Islor during that time, and none have ever breathed a word of this history.” My voice drips with skepticism. “Even Wendeline, for all her duplicity, would have enlightened us.”
“It is not discussed in Mordain, Your Highness. It has not been taught. There are those in the guild who would prefer that scripture showing the glaring failings of our creators not be dwelled upon. Some have called for their destruction. The scribes have protected the knowledge thus far. But very few are aware, and I can assure you Wendeline is not one of them.”
“How is it that you, an elemental caster who has been locked up within Argon’s towers for years, are aware?”
She smiles. “Before Argon, I spent my life running through those dark corridors beneath Mordain’s great hall, hiding from instructors and falling asleep with my face in dusty books. I was far more interested in hearing stories than wielding my affinities. The scribes could not keep me out, so eventually they stopped trying and chose to teach me instead. I value their knowledge like nothing else.”
She has an answer for everything. Either she’s telling the truth, or she has prepared her lies well. “Hopefully, you also value candor, because I will not tolerate another priestess misleading me for her own gain.”
She dips her head. “I can appreciate that. Especially after all you have faced thus far.”
The scenario she has painted so far is grim. “And what of the Nulling? Would it be open to Malachi again?”
“I would suspect so, yes. The Nulling is a space that exists between time and place, where the fates relegate creatures of various dimensions without need for their deaths, as transition to Azo’dem or Za’hala requires. If the ancient scripture from Shadowhelm is any indication, they use it to build a waiting army that will unleash when anyone dares tamper with the nymphaeum.”
“Successful or not.”
“Precisely.”
Something pricks my memory. “Romeria thinks the husband of the caster who sent her is trapped in there. This woman—Sofie—her whole purpose is to free him.”
“Into this world?”
“Possibly.”
She frowns as she considers this. “What are you up to, Malachi?”
Nothing good. “If all this speculation is true, it could mean we would not only face Malachi as a ruthless ruler, but whatever crawls out of the Nulling and the wrath of the fates.”
“And the chaos the nymphs can stir up. Yes. All that to put an end to the blood curse. If the nymphs could be compelled to do your bidding.”
“What would compel them? Have the scribes ever speculated on that?”