Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

“Then we have an agreement,” she said, pulling back her hood.

“You asked how old I am: I am one hundred and three years old.

That is young for my kind, in fact not much older than you by our standards. We can live for well over five hundred years. My father, who fought in the Great War, died eighty years ago. I’ve wandered ever since.”

“Why are you wandering?” asked Gewey.

“I search for my destiny,” Kaylia answered. “I was given a task when my father died, and I seek to complete it.”

Gewey was intrigued. “What’s the task?”

“My father was great among my people, and had the power of foresight. As he lay dying, he told me that it was my task to find redemption for my people, and that I should never stop looking for it. He said that one day the elven people would be healed by my hand. Since then, I have sought the meaning of his words.”

“You’ve wandered for eighty years?”

“I have,” she replied. “I hope to one day fulfill my destiny and help my people become great, as they were before the Great War.”

“Lee told me your kind hate humans,” said Gewey. “But the war has been over for five hundred years. Certainly enough time has passed to move on.”

“You wouldn’t understand. The Great War changed us. You would have to know what we once were to comprehend how devastating it has been for us.”

“Then we should start there,” Gewey said enthusiastically. “Tell me about your people.”

“A tall order,” Kaylia responded. “And a tale longer than time will allow. But I will tell you enough to satisfy your curiosity.”

Kaylia got to her feet to look at the night sky. The stars twinkled like fireflies over a lake, and the half-moon lit her face, making her features soft and radiant.

“The story of my people begins with the creation,” she began.

“Unlike you humans, we believe that the world was created by a single God. In the very beginning, there were only elves and the earth. Our ancestors were charged as caretakers for all living things, and for thousands of years we lived in harmony with nature. God blessed us with dominion over all things and the wisdom to keep the world in balance. But as time passed, we became arrogant, and forgetful of our duties. As a result, the One God sent the many gods, and with them… man .

“We prayed and lamented in hope that God would take pity on us and forgive us our sins, but God heard our prayers and knew them to be prideful. The many gods were now the keepers of the world, and man was favored above us. God could see the anger behind our prayers and removed his blessings. We lost the ability to speak with the Father of All Things, and my people fell into despair. But then he took pity on us, and sent the spirits and angels down to carry our prayers to him. They watch over us and guard the souls of our kin until the day God returns to pass His judgment. On that day we will see the Father, and we will both answer for our sins and be rewarded for our good deeds.

“You are the first human in over five hundred years to hear these words,” Kaylia said. “There are many stories about the time before the gods came, and I promise I will tell them all if you wish to hear them-but for now, you know enough to understand the faith of my people.”

“Thank you,” said Gewey. “I would love to hear as much as you can tell me.”

Kaylia smiled warmly. “If all humans were as open as you, I doubt the Great War would have ever happened.”

“Do you hate humans?” Gewey asked.

“No,” Kaylia answered. “But I pity them.”

“Why?”

“They put their hopes in gods that are selfish and cruel,” she explained. “The gods have enslaved man, and made them their dogs. They gave them the gift of victory over the elves and have allowed them to become powerful, and then denied them the wisdom to use that power. Such beings are not worthy of worship. The gods saved the humans from annihilation that would have been caused by their own arrogance; then, instead of reigning in their destruction, they set them loose to burn the world…and destroy my people.”

“You’re talking about the Great War,” Gewey interjected. “Lee told me a little about it. He said that the gods intervened so that man could win.”

“They did more than you could know,” she said. “Long ago, my people were vast in number and bound together by strong nations. The gods cast fear and doubt into our hearts. Our armies splintered, and we turned on one another. Kin fought kin, and man took advantage of our weakness and destroyed us.”

Gewey looked perplexed. “But Lee told me that the elves fought each other after they made peace with man.”

“The half-man only knows what human lies have told,” Kaylia said. “Mankind was beaten. There were no more battles to be fought. His armies were smashed, and his cities in ruin. My people had but to march across the land and slaughter the few that remained, and man would have been gone forever. But instead, we took pity on the humans and left them in peace. It was then the Gods cursed us. We knew hatred for our own kind for the first time, and it consumed us. We prayed to the spirits for help, but the Gods imprisoned them, holding them until we had lost all hope. The humans did not show us the pity we had shown them. Man waited until we had all but destroyed ourselves, then swept down on us like a plague. The few who escaped found refuge in the forests and mountains where humans seldom went. Since then, we have struggled to rebuild, and free ourselves of the curse the Gods put on us.”

“I’m sorry,” Gewey said. “I had no idea how much your people have suffered.”

“Don’t be,” Kaylia responded. “My people will rise again. The suffering of my kin will make us wise-worthy to face the Father.”

She sat back down. “Now you know about us. I have shared secrets known to no other human. Will you not share your secret with me?”

Gewey felt ashamed. It was his kind-the Gods-who destroyed her people. How could he tell her what he was? “Now that I’ve heard your story, I’m even more afraid to tell you.”

“If what I’ve told you isn’t enough, then know this,” said Kaylia, her eyes on fire. “I travel with humans. This I told my kin, and I bargained to save your lives. It is forbidden, and one day I will face judgment and probable death. In the eyes of my people, there is nothing worse I could do than have human companions.”

Gewey gasped. “They’re going to kill you? When?”

“When my journey with you ends, I will return home to answer for my crime,” she replied. “It’s how I prevented my kin from attacking. Knowing this, what could you possibly tell me that would alter the path I have chosen?”

Gewey made up his mind. “I’ll tell you, but please understand that I only found out myself a short time ago.” He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. “You said that there is nothing worse than having a human as a companion, but there is. I’m worse.”

Kaylia looked confused. “You’re dancing around the issue,” she said. “Just be direct and let me be the judge.”

“The boy is a god,” said Lee from the darkness. He walked up slowly and stood beside Gewey. “I had a feeling you’d do something stupid, boy, so I came to find you.”

Kaylia laughed loudly. “You don’t say,” she teased, seemingly not surprised by Lee’s sudden appearance. “A god! A living, breathing god, here in my presence. You’re right. That would be worse than traveling with a human.”

“This is no joke, elf,” Lee warned. “The tale you told makes me even more certain that you should not know what the boy is. But now you do. The only question is what happens next.” Lee drifted in front of Gewey and slid his hand to the hilt of his sword.