Leslie Moore - Griffin's Shadow

“After the Kirians separated the Key to the king’s Working from the Griffin Ring, they somehow… reached forward a thousand years in time to this age, and hid the Key within the body of a living Onjara descendent: Keizo’s daughter, Jelena.”

Raidan stared hard at his wife’s face, searching for any evidence that she had the slightest doubt about her conclusions. He saw none.

“There is more to the story,” Taya said. “After Princess Syukoe defeated her father, she removed his name from all official records, not for revenge, but to prevent any adept with sufficient power and skill from using it to raise and control his spirit.”

“I don’t understand,” Raidan stated. “Are you saying the king was not slain?”

“The unnatural prolongation of life can be achieved by certain dark means,” Taya explained. “These are subjects never discussed with the uninitiated, and I shouldn’t discuss them with you, really. Through such magic, a practitioner can literally become immortal, though it’s an existence quite unlike life as we know it. The chronicle confirms the Kirians were unable to destroy the Nameless One completely. Only his body could be killed, but his spirit remained very much alive. The Kirians had to confine their enemy through magical means. They had to destroy all knowledge of his true name in order to prevent anyone with sufficient ability from releasing and controlling him.” Taya paused, then said slowly, “The true name of a thing is the ultimate key to its power.”

Taya laid the book aside and rose to her feet. She crossed the room to stand by the hearth and held her hands to the flames. Her auburn hair gleamed in the firelight and the heavy silk robe she wore couldn’t quite hide the lush outlines of her body beneath. Raidan felt his own body stir in response.

After a moment, she continued. “Jelena harbors the Key to the Nameless One’s Great Working, a spell deemed so terrible, so utterly evil, that the greatest magical minds of the time were willing to risk everything to stop it. The Kirians were entrusted with the task of insuring that no one could ever make use of it again…” Taya’s voice trailed off.

“If the Nameless One, as you call this…this entity, is safely locked away, how can it be a threat? Jelena is well protected by a cadre of powerful mages,” Raidan said.

Taya shivered and for the first time in many years, Raidan saw fear in his wife’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

“The wards that keep the Nameless One confined are beginning to disintegrate-why, we don’t know,” Taya said. “The spirit is awake and gaining in strength. Soon, he will be strong enough to break free, and that we must not allow, not under any circumstances.”

“And he no doubt wants his Key back,” Raidan said.

“The Nameless One is searching for the Key as we speak, and when he locates it, as he most assuredly will, he’ll realize that its energy is inextricably bound to Jelena’s life force,” Taya replied. “He will need to seize her body and somehow bring her to him so that he can remove the Key from her. I’ve done my best to protect the Key by sealing it away behind magical wards, but any adept with enough skill could, given time, break them down. The Nameless One will try, and eventually succeed. Once he possesses the Key, he can use it for its original purpose.”

“Goddess’ tits,” Raidan swore softly.

The two of them said nothing for a time.

Finally, Raidan broke the silence. “What are the Kirians planning to do?” he asked.

“We are training the girl in the use of her Talent, but this is just a pretense. Our true mission is to prepare her for the Sundering. The Kirians must remove the Key from Jelena before the Nameless One finds her and secure it in a different vessel-preferably the White Griffin itself-which was, after all, its original vessel. Afterward, we must somehow find the necessary strength to re-imprison the spirit.”

“You don’t sound entirely certain you can do this,” Raidan said, frowning with worry.

“Our Society is not what it once was, Husband,” Taya sighed. “We are greatly reduced in both numbers and strength. Our chances of success would be much improved were we not missing one of our most Talented members, but unfortunately, she has been gone for some time and her whereabouts are unknown. Those of us who are left will have to somehow find a way.”

“Is there no way to perform this…this Sundering without killing Jelena?” Raidan asked. Curiously, he found the prospect upset him.

“Not that I know of,” Taya replied. “The only way to release the energy of the Key is to release Jelena’s life energy from her body.”

“Have you told any of this to Jelena? Does she realize she will have to die?”

“Jelena knows only part of the truth. We haven’t yet told her that her death will be necessary, but I’ve seen her courage. She won’t fail us when the time comes. What I fear is that we won’t be up to the task…that we will fail her and her death will be for naught.” Taya returned to the couch and sat beside Raidan. She laid her hand atop his. “Do you see now, Husband, why you needn’t stain your hands with the blood of your brother’s child? Jelena’s blood will be on our hands,” Raidan knew she meant the Kirians, “and if we are successful-pray Goddess that we are-then we will bear the brunt of Keizo’s wrath.”

“All of this must be very hard for Amara Sakehera… Sonoe as well,” Raidan commented.

Taya’s eyes narrowed. “Sonoe has become very close to Jelena of late… too close.” Taya tapped her cheek with a forefinger. “I’ve never trusted her, as you well know, despite our long association. I believe that if she could find a way, she would extract the Key and use its power for her own purposes.”

“I find that difficult to believe!” Raidan exclaimed, mildly shocked at his wife’s allegations. “Sonoe has been devoted to my brother for many years. Such a betrayal seems totally out of character. Really, Wife, you need to let go of this old grudge.”

“Believe what you will,” Taya replied.

Raidan slipped his arms around his wife’s waist. He could feel the power of her Talent humming within her like a hive of bees trapped beneath her robe. He kissed the back of her neck and spoke soothingly into her ear. “Time for bed, my love. We can put aside all of this until tomorrow.”

Taya swiveled in his embrace and kissed him. “You are right,” she agreed.

Arm in arm, they rose and retired to their bedchamber.

Later that night, as Taya lay sleeping beside him, Raidan stared at the bedroom ceiling, thinking.

It seemed that no matter which way his mind turned, the same conclusion confronted him, dressed in all of its grim repercussions. He tried to imagine Keizo’s horror and grief upon learning the how and why of his daughter’s death.

But what greater horror will befall all of us if Taya and her colleagues fail? If there were any way to spare you that pain, I would, Brother, but there’s just too much at stake!

The elven people were beset on all sides, from both known and unknown enemies. Though not especially pious, Raidan nevertheless found himself wondering what terrible crime the elves had committed to cause their One Goddess to forsake them.

He continued to stare into the darkness until daybreak.

"Gran, this is Ashinji. He has just arrived,” Aruk-cho said. “I will leave you two alone. You will, no doubt, have much to discuss.” The akuta turned and lumbered off. The old woman disappeared from the window and a heartbeat later, she emerged from the doorway of the barracks.