Richard Tuttle - Winged Warrior

“You sound so sure of this,” frowned the queen, “but I worry that the humans will turn against us in the end. That thought frightens me more than Vand.”

“It should not frighten you,” comforted the king. “I have met the human rulers. I like them. They are selfless and true believers of Kaltara. If anything happens after the defeat of Vand, I suspect it will be a rekindling of the old alliance when elf and human coexisted as allies and trading partners. I would like to see that.”

“That is if Vand is indeed defeated,” responded the queen. “What makes you so sure that the elves will make the difference when the war begins?”

“I don’t know that we will make the difference,” frowned the king. “I do know this, however. If we stay out of the war and Vand wins, it will not be long before his armies arrive in Elvangar. The elves have a far better chance of survival by aligning with the Torak before the war starts, and that is what we are going to do.”

“You hope,” retorted the queen. “The Council of Elders may disappoint you.”

“The Council of Elders may indeed disappoint me,” conceded Avalar, “but the elves are still going to war.”

“You would dare to overrule the Council of Elders?” the queen asked with disbelief.

“I am the King of the Elves,” stated Avalar. “As such, I, and only I, have the right to declare war. While it is customary for the Council of Elders to concur, I can override their dissent.”

“That would be wrong, Avalar,” cautioned the queen. “The people would not stand for it. There would be riots in the street. You would be overthrown.”

“Perhaps,” conceded the king, “but not before our armies left Elvangar in support of the humans. If the price of defeating Vand is my life and my throne, then that is the price that I will pay. It is the right thing to do, Alycia. I cannot stand by and merely watch as Vand’s evil spreads across the world. I will not hide behind the Gates of Elvangar and wait for his armies to arrive. I will not allow my people to suffer under his rule, even if the majority of them are ignorant of the consequences.”

Alycia stood in shock as she listened to her husband’s impassioned speech. While technically correct, Avalar’s proposal would create a firestorm of protest. Finally, she smiled and hugged her husband.

“Perhaps you need to say those very words publicly,” suggested the queen. “At first I was concerned about your approach, but your honest passion about this matter shines through. The people might rally around you.”

“They might,” nodded the king, “but it is a last resort. I am content for the moment to let the system work as it should. We need that time to prepare the army in any event.”

“Am I intruding?” came a voice from the other side of the throne room.

The king whirled around and saw his uncle Garl, Head of the Society of Mages. He smiled and waved the old man over.

“You are never an intrusion, Garl,” smiled the king. “How are you doing with the reorganization of the Society of Mages?”

“It is progressing,” replied the old mage. “I have been absent for so long that most of the faces are new to me. Karaza ruled with a fair amount of secrecy. That worries me.”

“Why?” asked Queen Alycia.

“It indicates that he might have been hiding more than just his designs on the throne,” answered the king.

“Precisely,” agreed Garl. “And I do not know who I can trust in the Society. It may take me a while to get things sorted out.”

“Do you think there might be others that were conspiring with Karaza?” asked Alycia.

“I cannot be sure,” admitted the Head Mage. “Karaza was the type of person who tried to use everyone, but he would often pit people against others. Some may have been helping him unknowingly. Those I am not worried about. What I need to find are those who were willing accomplices, if any exist.”

“If they do exist,” shrugged the king, “they will likely burrow deep for a while to avoid detection.”

“Perhaps,” replied Garl, “but your call to war may prove to be too great a temptation for them. It may force them into the open.”

“Are you suggesting that some of them might seek to carry on with Karaza’s obsession, even with him gone?” questioned the king

“We cannot discount that possibility,” nodded Garl. “The Society of Mages houses many very powerful magicians. You should never underestimate the amount of trouble that they can cause you.”

“How will you discover who is friend and who is foe?” asked the queen.

“It will not be easy,” answered Garl. “The mages are extremely intelligent by nature. Those who wish to hide their true feelings will do so well enough. They will particularly avoid saying anything derogatory in my presence.”

“You need some spies to work for you,” offered Queen Alycia.

King Avalar turned and looked at his wife curiously. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.

“How are the magic lessons going with Alahara and Alastasia?” he asked Garl.

“They are exceptional students,” replied Garl. “I only wish that I had more time to offer them.”

“And how do most of the mages in the society feel about the miraculous return of the lost princesses?” quizzed the king.

“There were many questions at first,” answered Garl. “I finally posted Kieran’s prophecies for everyone to read. That answered most of the questions. No one doubts their validity, if that is what you are asking.”

“Not exactly the question I had in mind,” smiled the king. “I have a proposal for the Head of the Society of Mages.”

“Your proposals are always welcome,” Garl replied. “What would you have me do?”

“Accept Princess Alahara and Princess Anastasia into the Society of Mages,” answered the king.

“Into the Society of Mages?” echoed Garl. “They are extremely talented, but this is most irregular. They have the potential to be great mages, but they are inexperienced. They would be ostracized by the other mages. That would be nothing but trouble for the royal family. You do not need that stress at this time. When they have proved they have the proper experience and knowledge, it will be my pleasure to induct them into the Society of Mages.”

“I want the princesses to learn as much magic as they can absorb,” stated the king. “Your time is limited with the reorganization of the Society of Mages. There is no reason that they should not have access to a multitude of teachers.”

“The Society of Mages is not an educational institute,” retorted Garl. “Avalar, you know that I support you in everything you do, but this is destroying a unique organization that dates back to the days of Kieran. I cannot do such a thing.”

“Why are we discussing this now?” asked Queen Alycia. “Is not the mood of the Council of Elders more important? Why get off on a tangent regarding our daughters?”

“Because our daughters have a wealth of experience in discovering the true nature of others,” explained the king. “While they are learning magic from the country’s greatest mages, they will also be learning exactly who these mages are and where they stand. It is a task that Garl cannot accomplish by himself. It is a perfect solution to a complex problem.”

“I see where you are going with this,” nodded Garl. “Each and every point you make is valid. Your daughters have an uncanny sense regarding the nature of people. They instinctively know whom they can trust and whom they cannot. It is so pronounced that I often think of studying it to see if their abilities are magical in nature. Of course, that study is not something that I wish to do at the moment. My task list is full enough now with the reorganization of the Society of Mages.”