NOVEL NEXT BECMI Chapter 204 – Into the Empire
"Go on. They don't know you are coming, but it should be fairly obvious to you why this is important to you."
Messime and I had gotten a bit of a head start on the others, making it all the way to the edge of a small village on the Lake of Misty Dreams here. I'd just flit back to go get the others on Duum easily enough… or just Teleport if nobody was watching.
The crimson-haired Sidheduiche elfin Dracomancer gave me a long and worried look. "Am I going to regret doing this, Edge?" she asked me directly.
"You'll definitely regret not doing it once you realize what is going on. Just be on your best behavior."
She definitely had her suspicions as she walked up toward the house, being careful to make sure her steps were heard, and the knock on the door this late at night was loud and clear.
"Who is it?" a wary and somewhat irritated male voice spoke up from within the picturesque little house overlooking the ever-present swirling mists of the lake demanded. A definitely bright magical light turned on within the house, obviously unfurled for the moment.
"I am Messime Ievyndr of the Sidheduiche, and I was sent to speak with the owner of this house!" she replied firmly, still not exactly certain why she was there.
There was a pause within, the sound of a chair creaking, and footsteps approaching. The door cracked opened, paused to make sure there was no one else beyond, and then opened all the way, a fiery yet artificial light spilling out around the owner.
It was a gnome, rather tall for his people, almost the height of a dwarf, with fiery red hair and a long artfully carved beard. Gold gleamed on him, even this late at night, and his night clothes were of red silk and gold as well.
Messime took one look at him, and her eyes went wide in instant recognition. She dropped to one knee instantly. "My apologies, great elder! I, I was not notified that a Wyrm of Ruby resided here!" she squeaked out in both contrition and great excitement.
The not-gnome's nostrils flared as his eyes instantly turned into golden pools, and he leaned forward slightly. "A Dracomancer," the disguised dragon replied carefully, his eyes narrowed. "Such magic is only taught in Zanzyr, elf-maid, and you are a long way from there!" he stated with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.
"I am a follower of the Ruby Path of Dracomancy, great elder!" Messime admitted instantly and happily. "I was told by a wise friend that it would be for the best if I met my first Ruby far from Zanzyr, as the Dracologists there might place unwholesome expectations upon my encounter with a dragon, uncaring of the species or breed! I do not know how she knew you were here, but she directed me straight to your door!"
The not-gnome looked around and past her, but naturally I was nowhere near to be seen. "I see. And who is this friend?" he asked warily.
"She is known as the Lady Edge, Great Elder. You may have heard of us from our recent deeds among the Vellibra clans?"
"Lady Edge." The fiery-haired not-gnome rolled the name on his tongue, his gaze inscrutable. "I have indeed heard that name in recent times. And she is directing a Sidhe Dracomancer to MY door." He harrumphed softly, but then stepped aside, throwing the door wider. "You may enter, Messime Ievyndr, and speak to me of why you would come here and disturb my solitude."
Her fists clenched in excitement as she bounced to her feet. "As the elder permits!" she ceded gracefully, almost hopping into what was effectively a powerful dragon's lair without the slightest sign of being frightened.
The secretly bemused Dragon of Misty Dreams allowed her within, gave the earth and sky one more careful look over, seeing nothing, and closed the door behind her.
If nothing else, this would be the first time he had a positively adoring Dracomancer inside his home. Many of the breed were enthusiastic dragon hunters, be the dragons of the Path they chose or any other, but this was a Sidhe elf, not one of the self-obsessed wizards of Zanzyr. He would learn why she was here, and what she had sought one of his kind out for...
------
Goodbyes were said all around, some with great enthusiasm and much feeling up of one another, and then we were off to the east, heading for the rather permeable border with Siricil exemplified by the Cyapri forest named for the elves of that tribe. It formed the County Cyapri, which was also basically ceded to the elven tribe in return for being ready to defend the empire from invasion (NOT going conquering) and for training Rangers who would be special forces of the Empire, as nobody expected a normal human to be both a warrior and a mage like elves could be.
The elves would knuckle down on bandits, mercenaries, raiders, slavers, smugglers, and poachers moving through their territory without fail, but an elf-led party of wizards coming through, especially ones recently so positively adventurous in the Vellibra lands, wouldn't have anywhere that kind of problem or questioning.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Messime was waiting on the shore of the Lake of Misty Dreams as we swept up not too long after dawn, my train of Disks moving quickly overland and not making any new roads or repairing old ones. She looked bubbly and excited, her hair was an even more vibrant red than before, she had a lot more gold in her eyes, and her fingernails were an eye-catching, crystalline ruby in hue, looking quite like claws ready to rip and tear with little effort.
She was starting on a very new road indeed, as not only had she gained the acknowledgment of a dragon and so could advance her Dracology Circle when she returned to Zanzyr, she had gained the Ruby Wyrm's approval and could also embark on the road of a Dragon Disciple.
------
The Cyapri elves were used to misleading and misdirecting Siricilans, and so had little problem keeping everyone else busy showing them around and introducing everyone to the fabled Emeraltan Ranger program they'd undertaken with the Siricilans for centuries.
As such, their Clanholder meeting with me wasn't difficult at all. They knew who I was, as an advisor and strong proponent behind expanding the Ranger movement as much as was possible. The Sidheduiche was torn between its isolationist and progressive factions, so having the Erewan clan come all the way from Zanzyr to learn the details of the movement had rather surprised them.
Gaulithar Thallaniin, the Clanlord of the Cyapri, had ruled his tribe for a very long time, which was anything but unexpected, given our longevity. He extended his invitation for a walking chat when he heard I was passing through, and so I was strolling through the trees in a section of the forest with the dark-haired elven lord, completely at ease.
He knew I was Princess Brittabelle's advisor and equal, and a very powerful Elven Wizard. Given that I was one of the proponents of teaching his people Elven Wizardry and Halcyon magic (if they came to Erendyl to learn it in a more magic-conducive environment), his feelings were mixed on how to approach me.
"You are certain that you cannot spare a teacher to instruct our potential Wizards here, Lady Edge?" he sighed theatrically, overplaying things for a bit of drama and show.
"The only Wizards under Brittabelle are all of Erewan, Your Grace." He technically held the rank of a count, after all. "Erendyl needs its Wizards as much as you do, if not a great deal more. After all, they are surrounded by skilled human wizards in numbers on every side, and directly border a major holding of the hostile nifloid tribes. That they are willing to spend their time instructing students is already a great concession, as you might have realized."
I wasn't impressed by his tribe's reclusive nature, even if I understood it. Cyapri elves simply didn't have an adventurous disposition to them as part of their culture. "We came here to learn the methods and manner of choosing Rangers, if you do recall… and I apologize on the magical side of things, but we likely have a great deal more experience teaching human students magic than do you. There are human citizens in Erendyl, after all."
"Of course. It simply would be far more convenient to gain instruction here, rather than travel outside our lands," he had to agree.
"If your people do not wish to actually travel the lands, we can certainly set up a Teleport system to bring them directly to Erendyl if they so wish. However, an elf who cannot take the risk or dare the danger inherent in simply traveling to Erendyl, even on established trade routes, is not likely to be successful at taking up Elven Wizardry. The mindset of an Elven Wizard is dominated by the use and refinement of magic, never really staying happy with what they already have, always looking for more.
"Indeed, the whole training paradigm was devised by elves who were not satisfied with their magic, and jealous of the power of human wizards. Without that ambition, you will not gain any Elven Wizards. Instead of thinking about its convenience, consider it a simple test of worth for your people. If they can't make it to Erendyl, then they were never going to become Elven Wizards anyway."
"I see." The forest here was older than those in Erendyl, and the treehomes, construction, and limb-bridges far more developed, making the upper areas of the trees here above the ground busier and more developed in some ways than back in Erendyl, with the hlatal trees being older, larger, and more numerous here in the deep woods. "You are a unique young woman," he said diplomatically. "Some of the elders are suspicious of your motivations, given your… unique appearance."
"I imagine I would be suspicious of the banal racism and slothful laziness of their own motivations, were my eyes to fall upon their conservative elf-ness and desires to keep wearing the same clothing styles of several centuries ago," I replied with just a hint of bite. "I imagine they are the same elders who whine and complain about teaching elven ways and magic to humans, despite the direct approval of Corellin and Feirlunl?"
He was quick to smile somewhat sadly and look away. "You know the history of this tradition. Despite having the approval of Corellin, in the end the Tradition exists because we were forced into it. Some still see it as extorting us for their own benefit, and believe it should be ended."
I made a valiant effort not to roll my eyes, but my words rolled enough for them. "Fools exist in all places and times, Your Grace. I think you know as well as I that the Rangers trained here have all been good and noble folk who have formed deep and worthy ties between the human and elven populations of the surrounding lands. You have trained them to be heroes, and so they have become… and in return, that reputation has painted you all as good and wise mentors to humans worthy of your secret.
"Teaching Rangers in truth costs the Cyapri nothing but time, and time is a most plentiful resource to our peoples."
"The power of many of my people to picture and think ahead ends at the edge of the forest," the handsome elven lord finally admitted, shaking his head. "We have trained hundreds of Rangers now, over the decades, and all of them go on to become greater than all but the most determined of our people, even if they grow old and die before an elf would even be considered a true adult."
"Aye, their special magic is the thirst to learn and improve themselves, it is true. Have there been some difficulties with Siricil lately, making you voice some misgivings like this?" I inquired of him.