Soldier

Chapter 10

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Once again it was dark and the elves had gathered around the bonfire. As the other nights this contained a happy melody, people laughing and dancing, despite today’s events. Yoesphin wasn't on her usual spot beside me. Instead she lured behind the trees, watching us all from a distance. I walked over to her and she stood still. I followed her gaze over to the crowd, seeing the same things as she. “We are not well, Alice” She said quiet. I turned to her, waiting for her to continue. She sighed and closed her eyes. “My people are dying” She opened her eyes again, filled with sadness.

“What do you mean?” I asked carefully. How could they be dying? I've never seen a crowd of people more cheerful.

“You may not see it, but everyday we're growing weaker by the minute. The trolls are a proof by that” I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure if I understood what she was trying to tell me. Yoesphin must be some kind of a mind reader because I didn't have to ask to get my answer.

“We received an order long ago to keep to the trolls at bay. If they were loose they would destroy everything, buildings and lives” The laughter kept sneaking to our ears. “That's why we put force fields around them, but they fade each day as our Indarrak is slipping away from us”

Yoesphin laid her head in her hands and cried. I put my arms around her and tried my best to comfort. “Is there not anything you can do?” I asked. Quickly she drew away from me, walking away from the light. Soon the only I could see was her blue eyes. They still frightened me at night. “No” Her voice was once again harsh. “Once we had Erlikia, but it's lost. There's nothing to stop them, nothing to save us if they start hunt us down like animals again” “Who'll hunt you?” “You” Her last word echoed in my mind far longer than she stayed. I saw her run deep within the forest before disappearing completely. What did she mean that I was going to hunt her down? I have a very hard time even killing a troll as it is. I got my answer about the trolls and what has been keeping them in the mountains until now. Did the king know all of this? If I recall the conversation he must do. Who else could give such an order?

“I think she needs time for herself” I heard Amos say behind me. I turned around and as well noticed the sadness in his eyes. “I guess she told you the most about our situation?” I shook my head slightly. “Some, but I guess it's not all, is it?” I asked. Amos sighed and changed his position. “There's nothing wrong about caring for your people and Yoesphin has a kind heart. I would give my own life to take away her constant fear” “But how can you be scared all the time? Can't you protect yourselves with your powers?” I felt frustrated.

“There is a time when not even Indarrak can keep us safe, Alice. You know the stories, don't you? On how we would clean the world from humans” “Of course!” Amos started to walk away and motioned me to follow. “Come. There's something you need to see”

I followed through the crowd and we reached the ladder. Soon we were standing in his house, library to be more exact. He was looking through his books, trying to find something. He stopped, turned the book to me and showed me a picture. It was a crystal, small glow surrounding it. My body felt mesmerized by its light and I noticed my hand trying to take it through the picture. Amos chuckled and closed the book. “It does that to you” I wanted to know what it was. “What is it?” I gave him a puzzled look. “That is Erlikia, the connection between us and Indarrak” “Yoesphin mentioned it was lost” Amos eyes went from a hint of glow to dark sadness. “You should sit down for this is going to take a while”

I chose the closest chair I could find and made myself comfortable. Amos snapped his fingers and a flickering light came to life. I gazed as his hand started to burn, waiting for the flames to suck me in. “As the humans have their ancestor, we have our own. She was called Francesca and was born with Indarrak, the first actually. But she was unfortunate to being able to control each of the four elements” “That must have been great” I exclaimed and didn't break my gaze with the fire. “I mean, being able to control more than one” Amos gaze switched to mine for a second and the fire died. “Yes, you could see it like that. But for Francesca this was a great burden. It would tear her down from inside and out. So she chose to contain this Indarrak in a crystal, the Erlikia” My mind organized its puzzle and things started to click. “Soon she gave birth to her own children, each of them having the ability to control their element. To contain this gift, and power, she had to give some of her own Indarrak to the crystal in order to keep her people safe from insanity” “Francesca was your ancestor. She doesn't live still, does she?” Amos smiled at my confused question. “Of course not. We may be different from humans in some way, but we don't live any longer than you”

Somehow I felt relieved. If they had the Indarrak and as well could almost live forever, then that wouldn't be fair. “Francesca made sure to pass Erlikia down to the next leader and so it went. Every leader had their duty to contain some magic inside this crystal” “To keep your safe from insanity?” I tried to clear my head from all this new information. I had just arrived a few days ago, to a people that was not even supposed to exist and now this man is talking about some crystal. It all felt surreal, too much imagination for my part. Amos nodded at my question. “What will happen if the crystal won't be find any time soon?” I didn't want these wonderful beings to suffer. If anything, I wanted to help them find their crystal. “We don't know. As for now the force fields are weakening” Amos put the book back in its shelf. “Who ordered you to make them, the force fields?” “I don't remember. It was a long time ago” Amos didn't look me in the eye. He was lying, that I could tell. I didn't ask any further since I didn't want to seem too forward. Amos stretched himself and went out.

“Be easy on Yoesphin, please?” His gaze was kind and I promised I would not ask any further questions. Amos climbed the ladder and disappeared in the crowd. I leaned against the railing, watching the people beneath me. It was very hard to believe that they were somehow dying. When I hear the word die I think of my parents. As the physical kind of dying, with the heart stop beating. For now, all I knew was that the Erlikia was important for the future of Elfoak. I could never be more thankful for the kindness Yoesphin showed when she saved my life. I was forever in her debt, and the people, who never once showed any kind of mistreat. I will find their Erlikia and bring it back to them. A life for a life, I remembered Tor said to me in the forest. It seemed as years had passed since then, but it happened only about a week ago. I started calculating the days I've been here. Two months I've been trapped in Tahol, and never even figured out the reason why.

“What an adventure” I mumbled and gazed up on the black sky. The moon shone as bright as ever. I need to talk to Phee. This is too much of information I can't keep to myself. Then it hit me.

“Phee!” I whispered in chock. They were still at the palace. Phee had run to safety after my escape, as I told her to, and I have no clue what happened to Nicholas. Oh dear god, here I've been wandering around for days in my own lullaby, not even worrying what happened to them. What if they got caught? What if the guards recognised them as the ones that helped me flee? I didn't even want to think about their punishments. I was sentenced to death for dressing up as a man. What could be worse for those who help escaping a prisoner? I have to fetch them. I have to tell them that all the stories about the elves are true and they do exist. I can't let them die. As fast as I could, I ran to my small cottage to fetch my things. I'm on my way, I thought as I climbed down the ladder.