CHAPTER IX

As Lyra, Raine, Corolon, and Talion sat before the fire in the cabin upon returning to Lyra and Raine’s home, they planned their next move. It was time Corolon told everyone what Emperor Lothriel’s orders were, or if he had sent any. “Emperor Lothriel was very clear about what we were to do. The emperor was aware that any use of the portal I came through to get here would cause it to collapse. Lothriel was right to believe that if anyone other than an Elven Wizard tried to cross over without boosting its energy shield first, they wouldn’t reach the other side. Anyone else would have been forever lost in the vortex of the conjuring. Lothriel didn’t want this to happen. I barely got here, even with the help of two of my friends from the other side.”

Talion commented, “I thought Emperor Lothriel had the power to cross through the boundary any time he wants, although it is said to be taxing.”

Corolon nodded. “It is true, but Emperor Lothriel is planning to do something big. I don’t know much about his intentions, but whatever is about to happen in the Elven Empire is going to be massive. Lothriel has kept the event secret, which means even what I know isn’t common knowledge. All the Elves of power who are close to the emperor are storing their energy for reasons only they knew. What most of the kings, generals, and heads of the guilds would have done without a second thought ten months ago, they refuse to even consider anymore. It is one of the reasons I was chosen to travel through the portal. I am still a student, and not considered all that powerful, although I am not the weakest amongst the classes. To decrease the amount of energy used by any one Elf, Lothriel ordered two of my friends from the academy to help with the crossing.”

Talion asked, “Does anyone outside of Emperor Lothriel really know what is happening in the Elven Empire right now?”

Corolon answered, “For most of us, it seems life there is normal, but not for the Elves with great talents. They seem to be aware that there is a lot more to this than the general population is being told. The emperor undoubtedly has reasons for withholding the type of information he usually wouldn’t, but he isn’t fooling anyone into thinking nothing is going on behind the scenes.”

Lyra asked, “Why don’t the people demand answers?”

Corolon smiled as he answered. “Emperor Lothriel will make sure what he decides in the end will be in our best interest. Our people know this and trust him. Lothriel also has the counsel of the High Lord General Gabriella Eagle Claw to help guide him. With Gabriella at the helm, you can trust that whatever is about to happen will have been gone over several times before it is given her stamp of approval.”

Raine wasn’t interested in a subject that might not affect them. For this to matter to her, they had to find a way to cross the boundary. Under the circumstances, nothing Emperor Lothriel was about to suggest would change things for them. They were going to be stuck on this side of the veil for the rest of their lives because Corolon didn’t have the power to create a gateway strong enough to get them back to their homeland. As this wasn’t the case for their emperor, she figured Emperor Lothriel didn’t care enough about the last of the Portal Guardians who were serving the Elven Empire to bother rescuing them. It was probably an unfair assumption, but it was the way things looked to her at this moment.

Feeling Raine’s dejection, Talion moved to her side to offer his support. He placed an arm around her shoulders and tried to urge her to rest against him. Hating pity in any form, Raine shrugged aside his arm. Raine was not about to be placated by Talion’s beliefs in the world he came from. Raine didn’t need to tell Lyra what she was thinking; Lyra knew and thought the same. The Elves from the Empire had deserted them. This meant the services of their families had no value to those who hadn’t played a part in it. Lyra felt the betrayal deeply, not only for herself but for the generations of her ancestors who had dedicated their lives for the emperor and Empire. Did those Elves have no regards for the lives that had been sacrificed for their safety? Had their families lived and died for no good reason?

Wave after wave of Raine’s feelings flowed through her bond with Talion, telling him exactly what she was thinking. Talion knew he would have to find a way to convince his Life Mate this wasn’t the case. Nothing, in fact, could be further from the truth. The problem was that whatever Emperor Lothriel was involved in concerned the well-being of the entire population. If it wouldn’t, Lothriel wouldn’t be doing what he was. Talion knew there had to be a concrete reason that Lothriel didn’t want to expend his energy to create a portal for them at this time. He was certain the emperor wasn’t pushing the remaining Portal Guardians aside. Lothriel had sent others to bring his Elves home once he knew about them, just as was doing here. Nor had this mission been handed over to just any Elf. Lothriel had only sent those who were Life Mates. To Talion’s knowledge, there were no men best suited to see to the safety of their Life Mates and bring them home. However, Lyra and Raine might not be aware of this.

As Talion cradled Raine in his arms, he whispered, “We have not been discarded, my love. There is a way out. Emperor Lothriel has good reasons to act as he is doing. It doesn’t matter that he is keeping those secret from the rest of the world. Our emperor is an Elf of vision, and the Fates will let him know which route he should be taking. Part of the reason Corolon and I were chosen to come to bring you both home is you are our Life Mates. You are safer with us than you would be with anyone else. You must never doubt the love our leader has for his people, for he cares deeply.”

Raine gave a sigh. She couldn’t believe Talion was able to hold onto his blind belief in the people who lived on the other side of the boundary. How could he? They were on this side of the veil and being actively hunted by a creature determined to use them. As there was no way to placate whomever this person was, this meant he or she would kill them out of frustration when they found out their efforts were for nothing. Raine was young and wanted to live, especially now that she had met her Life Mate.

As Talion cradled Raine in his arms, he continued to reassure her. “We have not been discarded by our people, my love. There is a way out. Emperor Lothriel has had visions to tell him so, and this is the reason he has sent us here.”

Raine doubted if this was the case. In her experience, leaders didn’t often really care about those they represented. “Those ‘he’ serves?”

Talion explained, “As we follow our emperor, he sees to the safety of the entire Elven Empire. It is not a simple matter for him or for us. Never assume that it is.”

Raine gave a sigh. She still couldn’t believe Talion was holding to his belief that his people cared. The people in the Elven Empire lived on the other side of the boundary; they didn’t even know about her. So why should they care? In the meantime, someone who she could only think of as a monster was hunting them. There was no way Raine could think of stopping what was about to happen, not even by placating this person. What could she think to do?

Lyra pressed her Life Mate for a resolution. “So, Corolon, what has the Emperor Lothriel decided we should do to get out of this predicament?”

Corolon smiled as he guided Lyra’s face so she could look him directly in the eyes as he replied loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. “Emperor Lothriel says we are to make our way to the great northern mountain range of this continent. Lothriel says that in his vision, he saw a great Blue Dragon flying high in the white wilderness there. It is the type of place the Blue Dragons prefer to dwell. The only reason this one lingers on this side of the boundary is because he has been awaiting orders to return home from those he brought here nearly a year ago. They, however, have already returned without him.”

Neither Lyra nor Raine understood what Corolon was talking about, and while they mulled over the situation, Raine asked, “Will this Blue Dragon take orders from Elves other than the ones he brought here?”

Corolon replied, “I can guarantee this Blue Dragon will know what is expected from him. I will be the first to admit those of his color seem to be silly and without the common sense the other color Dragons possess, but it is an illusion.”

Lyra wondered, “If this Blue Dragon is waiting for instructions from us, why don’t we just order him to come to us and get it over with?”

Talion replied, “Nothing is as simple as it seems. Can you imagine the panic a Dragon in the sky over populated centers would cause? The governments of the countries would call out their military to try to shoot him down. I have been in your world long enough to know this is the case. I am also certain that although the Blue Dragon is a magical beast, he is still vulnerable to attack and can be killed. We are going to have to travel to where it is safe to meet up with him.”

Everyone looked to Corolon for verification and he gave a nod in response, even as he conjured a picture of where they needed to go. As Lyra and Raine studied the terrain in the background of Corolon’s conjuring, Lyra recognized their destination. “I have seen television shows about this area. It is very remote and high in the wilds of Northern Alaska. How do you expect us to get there? Did your Emperor Lothriel give you that information?”

Corolon nodded. “We will only be able to travel short distances at a time. The mountains present a problem for us as they form a barrier to our magic. This means I can only open portals where there are no rocky obstacles to bar the way. We will still need to travel part of the way on foot to avoid places like that. Are you willing to do this with us?”

Raine answered, “Yes, we can do this. I presume Lothriel mentioned the idea because he has already seen us trekking toward this wilderness in one of his visions.”

Corolon replied, “Emperor Lothriel has seen us riding on the back of a Blue Dragon. However, it is up to us to make our way to the Dragon, and not the other way around, as I told you already.”

Lyra frowned and replied, “In that case, I will put together meals to eat while we travel. It is a long way from where we are, and we will have to cross the Canadian Rockies as well as a big portion of the Alaskan wilderness to get to our destination. How long do you think this is going to take? Or did your Emperor Lothriel leave that part out?”

Corolon admitted, “Visions can be vague and capricious, but food will not be a problem. We can conjure some if it is needed.”

Raine asked, “What will the problem be, if not for food?”

Corolon replied, “We will need to stay ahead of the one who hunts us, for this person is coming into her power, and she is the type to follow us to the ends of the world to get what she is after.”

Lyra wondered, “Do you know who this is?”

Corolon nodded. “The Demon Hybrid seeks to enslave every Elf in the Elven Empire. She will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She will even kill with no remorse. We must not fail.”

Raine rose as she gestured to Lyra. “In that case, the sooner we leave, the better off we will be. We will gather some necessities and be ready to leave after a short rest. I assume that if we expect to stay ahead of this hunter, we will need a good head start. Is this plan good with everyone here?”

The vote to do as Raine suggested was unanimous, and they all rose to prepare for the trip. They wouldn’t be taking much with them, for they were going to need to move fast. This meant they had to pack light. By the time the sun rose in the wintery sky overhead, they intended to be long gone, for they didn’t only need to find a dragon but to retrieve the books they had been hiding from the rest of the world. When those were gone, there would be nothing to prove that Elves had ever been on the planet.