Last Life

I WAS STANDING in the depths of the empty courtyard, back pressed against the cold wall of the house. Almost unnoticeably, several dozen figures were moving silently toward the entrance that led into the house’s basement.

Someone who happened to look very closely, however, might have spotted a number of pointy ears, dull-colored scales, or oddly-shaped arms. Then again, foreigners tended to stay well away from this particular part of the district. This house was one of several that I had ordered to be kept vacant, ready for situations exactly like this.

As I stared at the focused expressions on the faces of my guests, I recalled my conversation with the badger, which had ended just a few hours before. The old spellsword had behaved exactly as I had assumed he would.

All I had actually needed from him was some information on the writings I had found in the underground temple. Wishful thinking aside, I had never actually been counting on the idea that the badger and the other spellswords might actually want to join me. Still less that they might be willing to swear fealty to me, as Madleyn and her coven had done. More than that, I didn’t initially have any intention of meeting with the stubborn old badger again.

But what had happened had happened... One of the golden bruts had decided to perk up in his presence. And that fact had thrown my whole plan into disarray. I had never expected the next auring to come in that particular package.

How much easier it would have been, I thought to myself, if the golden crystals had chosen some of my companions instead. Agh... Sigurd and Aelira would have made excellent aurings. Such a shame...

The situation would require yet another meeting with the grumpy old bastard. And this time, the conversation wouldn’t be nearly as easy to arrange. He had made it quite clear that he didn’t want to see me again. I would have to pay him a visit. Thankfully, I knew that by the next morning, I would have a pretty good idea of where my fellow spellswords were laying low. Several of the first-born I had sent to follow the badger were... Well, let’s just say he didn’t manage to hide from them. Heh... I could already imagine the look on his face when I popped in to pay him a visit.

Speaking of faces, I was keeping a close eye on the elder first-born as they arrived for the council meeting.

It reminded me of my first meeting with them, shortly after I had first made contact with their world. Much had changed since then. I had changed. But their suspicions hadn’t: one look at the guarded glare in some of their eyes (the ones who were tarrying a bit by the entrance) was enough to make that clear. I had no intention of pressuring them, but my intuition was telling me that this meeting would determine our collective future — theirs, as well as mine. So I would have to use every ounce of persuasive talent at my disposal. The house hadn’t been lived in for some time, but it was nevertheless perfectly dry, and totally without any smell of mildew or damp. Yet another perk of working with the first-born. The nature of most of these creatures required a connection to a specific residence or patch of ground, on which they enjoyed absolute control. On that note, by the way, I was always surprised at how easily matagots and brownies could live side-by-side with humans, and even more surprised that they were all totally convinced that it was they, not the humans, who were the real masters of their homes.

As I walked over to stand at the top of the staircase leading into the basement, I felt the emanations of a familiar aura. Ah, I thought. Sure enough. The house, and the grounds surrounding it, were under the control of a brownie.

As with our previous meeting, there was no need for lamps or candles. Everybody present could see perfectly well in the darkness. In fact, most of them actually preferred it.

The faint moonlight filtering in through the windows was enough to illuminate the stone walls, the wooden beams that supported the vaulted ceiling, and the rough, uneven tiling on the floor.

Several of the first-born had managed to snag seats along the wall: some were squatting, others standing, still others leaning on bony canes, and yet others were shaking and swaying from side to side, as though maintaining a human form was taking every ounce of effort they could muster. For most of them, after all, that human form was little more than a disguise.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Itta and Selina flit over to stand next to me. And while the shy lunari was noticeably shaking with anxiety, the nisse seemed to think herself the boss of the entire affair. Her entire demeanor made it clear to all those present that she was ready to leap to my defense at a moment’s notice. Actually, I don’t know why I say she THOUGHT she was the boss. Because in reality, this block, and all the buildings on it, belonged to me. And considering the fact that I was an auring, and the nisse was my direct subordinate, she was absolutely justified in acting a little bit imperiously. Plus, Itta had grown significantly stronger with my return. She was emanating golden mana so brightly that some of the elder first-born actually averted their eyes.

Finally, I removed my own disguise and took several steps forward to stand in the middle of the hall, where hundreds of eyes settled on me immediately. I’ll be honest: it wasn’t the best feeling in the world. It felt like I had wandered into the undergrowth of some nasty, thorny bush. In fact, it actually sent an unpleasant itch rippling across my skin. But I knew I would have to put up with that. It was imperative that all the assembled elders should realize that I was being completely open with them.

I stopped in the center of the room, where they had deliberately kept a small space free for me. Once there, I gave them a few more seconds to stare at me. I cast a careful glance around at the crowd; it was the first time I’d ever had a chance to see the patriarchs and matriarchs up close.

I had already encountered plenty of matagots and brownies, of course, as well as efirels and fayrets, but the strange, squat creatures with flat noses and big stubby hands were new to me. Something about them made me think that they probably lived somewhere underground, although I couldn’t be sure of that.

Out of the corner of my eye, I kept an eye on someone the nisse had been telling me a lot about over the preceding days: a Dendros, who was the oldest of all the patriarchs. And there he was, standing opposite me, leaning on a big, thick cane that resembled a gnarled root. His face looked like it had been carved from the bark of some ancient tree. He had piercing, attentive green eyes, and long arms with twig-like fingers. The Dendros was staring at me in silence. Unlike the flat-nosed newcomers, by the way, he wasn’t emanating any aura of anxiety or aggression at all.

After waiting for the noise to die down, I began to speak:

“I thank you all for coming. I know that you’ve met privately, and decided to hear me out. I hope we can reach an understanding with one another tonight.”

I was speaking with deliberate calm, while also trying to make my voice sound as firm as possible. And I was looking around at the faces of the first-born with an expression designed to show them that I came in peace, and that I had no intention of pressuring them.

“None of you need me to tell you that the dark forces, working through the hands of their priests, have been masters of the human kingdoms for quite some time. They’re hunting true gifted and first-born. And they don’t just seek to annihilate our kind — they’re using us to accumulate Death Magic.”

With that, I took a black brut out of my pocket. Despite the fact that the crystal was only about five percent full of mana, most of those present backed away in fear as soon as they caught sight of the thing. Those first-born whose auras were the strongest didn’t move, but I could still see disgust in their eyes at the magic of the Hrimthurs.

Not a single wrinkle twitched on the face of the Dendros. Even there, though, a malevolent flash passed across his eyes. This creature obviously understood exactly what I was holding in my hands.

Dull grumbling from the flat-faced newcomers, hissing from the dreamlings, glowing auras from the fayrets... Before long, the first-born had worked themselves into a full-on lather. Meanwhile, I continued:

“I won’t relate every single step of my journey. I’m sure you’ve already been told about all of it anyway. Suffice it to say that I was in the Shadow, I fought an Elder Demon, and I almost died at his hands, but I managed to kill him. I know that there are still two Hrimthurs left up north. I have no idea what they’re doing there, but it’d be hard to avoid certain obvious conclusions. Besides that, there are followers of Hoar the Wicked beyond the Barrier as well. For all we know, there might even be several more Hrimthurs out there too. Long story short, everything I’ve seen and heard over the last few years gives me reason to believe that we don’t have much time to work with, and that if we fail to join forces against this threat, every one of your family lines will be forced either to flee, or fight a hopeless battle on its own. Although to be honest, it doesn’t look like either of those options will actually be possible anyway. The first thing Hoar the Wicked will do when he arrives in this world is wreak revenge on all those whose ancestors once supported the aurings. And if you think that this situation makes me happy in any way, please let me assure you that you’re mistaken. Frankly, I have no burning desire to lay my neck heroically on the line in a battle against the dark forces either.”

“Then what’s the point of all this?” A gray-bearded, flat-faced little creature asked loudly as he took a step out into the middle of the room and gestured around at the crowd.

“With whom am I speaking?” I asked.

“Brold,” the flat-faced creature announced proudly as he thrust his chin (and, by extension, his uncombed beard) into the air. “Elder of the Enan Clan.”

I nodded, then replied:

“I’m here, Elder Brold, because this war isn’t just about control of resources, or some piece of land. It’s a matter of survival. You don’t need me to tell you that the darkness is like a lethal infection, whose touch is something nobody can really hide from. No matter where we go, this plague will eventually reach us, as well as all our loved ones and friends. That’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m suggesting that we join forces to strike first, before it’s too late.”

“For the last few days,” grunted Brold as he looked around at the other first-born. “I’ve been hearing many tales about how a young fox took down first a Younger, then an Elder Hrimthur. Even though many of those present here still remember the aftershocks of that horrible war, in which thousands of our fellows lost their lives. They remember the power of Hoar the Wicked and his servants.”

Many of the first-born were nodding in agreement as he spoke. The gray-bearded Enan turned to me and continued:

“I won’t deny it — I can sense the ancient power in you, and you’ve already managed to share it with some of us.”

He nodded at the nisse and the lunari, who were watching the meeting in silence.

“But I don’t believe that you’re powerful enough to have done everything people have been telling me. Many of us have already confronted Death Magic. There’s no salvation from it. Even the most powerful among us are unable to resist that horrible energy.”

A chorus of voices rang out in support of the Enan. He cocked his head slightly to the side, and his eyes narrowed as he fixed me with a firm, triumphant stare.

I shrugged.

“Yes, Elder. You’re right. Neither you personally, nor any of the rest of you here tonight, would be capable of dealing with even the smallest drop of Death Magic. You’re powerless against it. And this is because you don’t yet have the ancient power that me and my associates possess.”

Having said that, I held up the black crystal for all to see, then squeezed it in my fist. A moment later, a cloud of golden haze billowed out to surround my hand and quickly devoured all the energy remaining inside the brut.

Another second — and I opened my fist, then watched as the gray-haired Enan Elder’s eyes bulged when he saw a shower of harmless dust drift through my fingers and onto the floor. This was all that was left of the crystal.

The room was silent, until finally the nisse’s sarcastic laughter echoed across the walls.

“So? Now do you see what this little fox can do?” She asked the silent elders in an acidic tone of voice. They were still shocked by what they had seen. “I’ll swear by my right fang, you can’t even imagine how powerful he is!”

As always, Itta proved unable to restrain herself.

“And you, caveman,” she said, pointed an accusatory finger at the gray-bearded Enan. “You should’ve just kept your mouth shut. While you’ve been rooting around in those mountains of yours, this auring has been out here fighting the enemy that’s come to steal our very souls.”

“And you, ginger, better watch what comes out of your mouth.” The short, stocky Enan had initially been bowled over by the nisse’s onslaught, and just stared back at her with eyes wide, but he soon recovered the power of speech.

“Did I lie?” The nisse didn’t even seem to consider the idea of shutting up. “When was the last time you all got together like this? A hundred years ago? Or was it more? Nobody has paid the slightest bit of attention to what the dark forces have been doing all these years. Everybody just thought, hey — they’re not messing with us, right? That’s good enough.”

“And what makes you any different?” The Enan asked as he stepped forward again.

“Nothing! That’s exactly the point!” The nisse shot back, much to everyone’s surprise. “I used to sit there, with my sad little pot dug in beneath a pigsty, living off my old mistress’ pitiful scraps and waiting for death. I watched as the priests sucked the life force out of their victims and turned it into death energy. And I didn’t lift a finger to help the poor bastards. Not until this man right here came and burned the place to the ground.”

The nisse nodded in my direction.

“And then he saved me, and shared his power with me.”

“And me,” the lunari said as she stepped forward.

She glanced at the elders from her own clan, who were watching the whole scene with evident approval, and continued:

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve heard legends and tales about our people. About the power of our ancestors. If it hadn’t been for Max, I’d still think that those were nothing BUT fairy tales.”

The first-born were listening with a sort of dour focus in their eyes. Many of them had been living in peace for centuries, away from the wars and tumults of humankind. But the threat was different this time. And I wanted to believe that they would realize it.

Brold was about to say something else, but the Dendros (who had been emotionless and silent as he listened to the conversation) suddenly tapped his staff softly against the tiled floor. The Enan Elder fell silent immediately and yielded the floor to the ancient creature.

“We aren’t ready for open war,” the Dendros stated in a dull, rumbling voice.

His voice sounded like it was coming from inside a barrel.

“Nobody is,” I replied with a shrug.

“I suspect you’ve got a plan, then,” he said. “You’d never have called us together if you didn’t.”

“In order to stand against the dark side, you’ll need to accept the ancient power from me,” I replied, staring attentively into the eyes of the Dendros as I spoke.

This was the only part of his body that betrayed any hint of his faint emotions. A spark of understanding flashed through his ancient eyes.

A gray-haired matagot spoke up to my right:

“You want to assume lordship over us, fox?”

Everybody around him erupted into a storm of indignant shouting.

I had to restrain a flash of irritation. Dammit, I thought... As if I had nothing better to do than cook up ridiculous dictatorial schemes.

“I make no claims whatsoever on your freedom,” I said. I didn’t sound angry, but I certainly sounded tired. “I have enough work to do protecting my Margraviate and my family. If I could do this without your help, I’d never have called this meeting in the first place.”

The discussions and arguments raging around me (which were all basically identical) were frankly exhausting. Witches, spellswords, and now first-borns... Each one of them would require a painstakingly thorough explanation, as well as an assurance that I would never make any attempt to restrict their independence. This had been unexpectedly easy with the witches. There, however, my case was made more persuasive by a direct threat to the coven’s very existence.

This meeting presented something of a different challenge. The dark side was a threat, to be sure, but they were still pretty far away. Beyond the mountains and forests. I could sense that our negotiations had reached a standstill.

I shot a quick glance at the frowning nisse next to me. She seemed to have reached the same conclusion. The patriarchs and matriarchs didn’t seem to be interested in an alliance with us.

So I gave a signal to the lunari, who was holding my bag of ancient writings in her hands. She raised her head and walked over to me, whereupon I took a couple scrolls from her bag.

I walked over to the Dendros, who was still staring at me intently. I turned around and showed him the pages and their mysterious symbols — those which I had found in the underground temple, as well as some of the ones from the Fox Den’s hidden basement.

“Before we part ways, I’d like to ask you for one last favor. Look at this. Are you familiar with this language?”

Once glance was enough for the Dendros.

“Yes,” he rumbled, his eyes still fixed pensively on me.

His answer filled me with a renewed burst of energy. I even leaned forward in excitement. Finally, I thought! Alas, I didn’t have long to enjoy the feeling before it was followed by disappointment.

“That’s the secret language of the aurings,” said the Dendros. “They’re the only ones who can read and write in it.”

“Thank you,” I replied glumly.

It seemed I was destined to be disappointed, no matter where I tried. Selina’s clan had also made it clear that none of them had the necessary knowledge either, nor the skills that could have helped me return to the Reverse.

I was about to turn and leave the basement when the Dendros stopped me.

“Favor for favor, fox,” he boomed.

I turned around to face him with an inquiring look.

“We’ve heard what you had to say,” he said. For the first time, there was something approaching playfulness in his deep, ancient eyes. “Now it’s your turn. Give us time to conduct a council of elders. That’s where we’ll decide whether to bid you farewell or stand by your side.” Read full story at novel•fire.net

Once outside, I took a deep breath of fresh early-morning air. The Dendros had managed to surprise me. It wasn’t all over quite yet.

As I walked up the stairs, I exchanged a quick glance with the nisse. She and Selina had decided to remain behind at the council. Itta smiled and shot me an encouraging wink. Judging by the anxious look on the lunari’s face, however, and the fact that her eyes were still wide as saucers, she didn’t seem to have realized exactly what was going on.

I chuckled. The status of these young first-born women had obviously jumped up a few levels over the course of the meeting. All that remained was to wait and see what decision the first-born would settle on.

Glancing up at the brightening sky above the rooftops, I noticed that it would be sunrise very soon. I released a small amount of mana into my energy channels to re-energize myself. There was no time to relax. There was still a lot to be done.

And sure enough, just then I turned to the side and saw Lucas hurrying toward me. His expression was dour. I could tell immediately that he wasn’t coming with good news.