Blood Bond

Thoughts popped up as my blood seeped into the elf's prefrontal cortex. Some of them seemed to have been drawn out by my words.

…

Lelian strolled past ranks of elves in gray, standing at attention with their hands behind their backs. He was one of them, being so very proud of the fact that he was near the front rows. He caught sight of her walking past, in the regal, white priestess robe she always wore when addressing them. He was enraptured by her perfectly sculpted face, the glow of her silver hair. On her chest was a clear crystal bearing the rune of a robed figure raising their hands up to a point radiating rays of light: a Grand Saint, with the rare light affinity. In her hand was the named staff, Elderwood. The head of it adorned by three more Soul Seeds, a red fire-affinity Evoker rune with its sunburst symbol, a blue water-affinity Sorcerer rune with an orb floating over a hand, and an yellow air-affinity Conjurer rune with the symbol of star within a pentagram.

She stopped on the platform and gave her speech, calling on them to devote themselves to Antara, and bring glory to Deepwood. The words were already ingrained into him, all he needed was her voice. He'd follow her to the end of the world.

…

"Hurry it up! The smell of this place is just awful."

He watched nervously as his superiors barked orders at the artificers working on a large metal ball. The ball was about the size of a wild boar, so about chest height for a fully grown elf. Its surface was an otherworldly dull gray, and the artificers were busy pressing their fingers down upon a black square with lit-up lines that was attached to the ball.

He didn't enjoy the sewers much either, but he'd seen what even one of the smaller sizes of those things had done. The blinding light, the plume of flames that rose up to the sky, and the way the tall proud woods flattened like sticks around it, piling over each other in that alien circular fashion. That sight was seared into his mind.

If the artificer were to accidentally trigger this device in this enclosed space, there surely would be nothing left of them once the heat vaporized them. To speak nothing of the city above coming down.

He shivered and prayed to Antara that the other teams were taking more care with their devices.

…

He was stepping through the hall on the lower deck of the galleon. Large steel-barred cages flanked both sides of him. Large enough to fit a man, barely. But it will do.

"And you have more capacity further down?" He asked the Serephosian captain.

The mustached man with dark, oily curls and flamboyant red shook with laughter. "Aye, enough to hold four hundred if pressed. Also got three other ships. Enough for you fellas' needs. Yes?"

He wrinkled his nose, stung by the heavy, musky smell. The man must have never bathed.

"It's adequate." He pulled a heavy pouch from his robe and set it down in the man's palm. Coins clinked against each other as the pouch settled. "Here's half up front. As I mentioned, we value discretion. No one must know, especially your superior."

The captain weighed the pouch in one hand and waved him off with the other. "Gold's gold. Our lady cares not where it comes from. Our fellas ain't gonna say a word. You just make sure your boys keep their cloaking magic up."

The elf nodded. He couldn't stand the sight or smell of these people, but so far they had held their end of the bargain. "Right. Remember, come grab the assets once the fighting starts."

"Sure, sure… just make sure they are chained when you get them out of the dungeons. Makes for a smooth transfer ya know?" The captain winked at him as he pulled at one mustache.

…

Blood gushed over my hand as my fang slid out from the soft meat beneath the elf's chin. I reeled back. Meris caught me from behind.

Bombs! Nuclear ones! The elves had planted them all over the sewers beneath the city! Everything will be destroyed! They're going to kill so many!

I grabbed at my forehead, throbbing with each realization.

They are going to blame Theron! And in the chaos take everyone in the dungeons!

I looked up to the evening sun bleeding over the horizon.

Even worse, this will be the pretext to war, World War!

"I've got to stop them!"

"No Child! You're too impulsive. Calm down, now!" Meris hissed into my ear as she covered my bloody hand with a handkerchief. "Just breathe."

"Meris, you don't understand. So many will die! The power of these devices…"

Meris grabbed my forearm, her grip like steel upon my muscles. She shook her. "I don't, but you need to calm down. Making a scene and being caught won't help matters."

She shot a glance over at Kael who had caught the fallen elf and was dragging the body toward a hedge on the other side of an arch. He nodded back. "I'll take care of this. There's a few faculty members that I know. Just, get her out of here!"

—

Kael returned back to my chambers a while later. There was panic on his face, but his eyes were tensely focused on me.

I had changed out of my blood splattered clothes. Whether she used magic or not, Meris had managed to whisk me out of the Academy grounds without any commotion, at least none that I noticed. My focus however was more on the elves. I hadn't realized how far they were willing to go.

If they had gathered nukes for this, was this always the plan?

"Did you know this?" I slammed my hand against the table as I stared hard into Stonehand's eyes. "Answer me!"

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Stonehand calmly raised the flagon that Anya had set before him to his lips. "No girl, Lelian was never one to reveal much. She usually doesn't get her hands dirty though." His forehead wrinkled. "Are you sure of this information? If what you say is true, then we'd suffer casualties as well. Our men haven't been warned. I can't see her being that bold. There will be consequences if she's caught."

"I'm sure. The informant didn't lie."

Of course, I didn't tell him how I used my blood to extract the information from the elf's brain. Meris had already given me uneasy looks when I told her I had taken those visions from the elf. She had tried to hide the glimmer of horror, or even disgust in her eyes when she looked from my bloody hand back to my face after I said those words, but I knew it was there. If even she was disturbed by the monstrosity of this power, then I didn't want to see how others would react.

"You think Quintus knows?"

Stonehand grimaced into his cup. "In an earlier time, I'd definitely say no. But these days, he's changed a bit. More brooding. Sitting in that room might've gotten to his head."

I thought back to Quintus, sitting at that bare table in the throne room with his hands clasped together, his eyes piercing me.

Tamas sitting beside Stonehand, rubbed at his chin. "It might make sense, if a bit ruthless. If the blasts kill some of his own men, then he has a stronger case for being attacked with forbidden magic. He could unite all the Concord under his banner, like he'd always wanted to."

"Gah… But his own men?!" Stonehand growled and raised his flagon as if to smash it to the ground. There was a pause, and he lowered it, shaking his head. "The Quintus that I know…"

I nodded over at Tamas. There was a term for this in the searches on strategy I had done online. This was a False Flag. "Either way. We have to stop it. Well, I certainly do. Are you with me or not?"

Stonehand laughed gruffly as he eased back. "Far too late to change course now, Princess." He winked at me knowingly. "Would you even let me?"

—

After a short carriage ride, we moved under the cover of darkness over the cobbled stone streets of the commoners. The streets turned into narrow, twisting alleyways with murky walls all around us. I pulled my dark hood deeper over my face, hoping to blend into the shadows.

Stonehand led us further down the alley until the walls gave way to dilapidated hovels. The air assailed me with the pungent, rancid smell of excrement and damp rot.

A whistle sounded and a couple of figures in the shadows led us over to a large tent structure. On the way, we passed campfires with wretched ragged-covered forms huddled before them. They turned to me, ghoulish, sunken faces staring imploringly at me. A thin hand reached over and pointed. Others clustered, leaning and whispering in hushed tones.

Tamas and the others waited outside while Stonehand led me in with Meris and Kael behind me. An old man with long stringy hair and tattered rags sat in front of a small fire with a kettle on it. He was flanked by several large, unsavory-looking men that eyed us menacingly.

Using a long ladle, Scrap Crow spooned some hot liquid from the kettle and took a sip from it. "So my large friend, you brought the princess that there's been so much hubbub about," his voice creaked. He kept his eyes fixed on the flickering flames.

"Yeah. She's got some important news that I think you'd want to hear. Enough to trade for that request." Stonehand towered over the group, but he walked no closer.

The bony man licked his lips, sniffing at the steam rising off the ladle. "Alright, I'll hear it and judge its worth."

After Stonehand gave me an approving nod, I gathered myself and straightened my back. "Well met Scrap Crow. I, High Princess Elara, wish to warn you of an impending catastrophe. A nefarious group had planted bombs all over the sewers of the city. Powerful bombs that could destroy large swathes of buildings and people."

His head shot toward me, the eyes in his sunken sockets narrowing suspiciously. "Really? And you're thinking this will affect me?"

"You don't understand. These things are really powerful. Even being just nearby can maim or even kill you. I'm sure all of the city will be impacted."

He turned back the kettle. "We might've noticed some recent activity by entries to the sewers. Is that why you came to me?"

When I nodded, he turned back to me once more. "But I failed to see what we can do about it. It sounds like the magic on these things will be quite intricate." He narrowed his eyes, flashing a scraggly tooth grin. "These are elves, are they not?"

I closed my hands into fists. This is no time to chicken out!

"Just tell me where they are, and I will go there to disable them myself."

At this, Scrap Crow's head pulled up, looking surprised. His entire body jerked, almost violently. "You can?"

"Yes, I can do it. I just need to know where they are." I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but if it was anything like disabling Astrid's cuffs, then I could do it.

A hand grabbed mine and I looked back to find Meris eyeing me furiously. Kael was grimacing hard beside her. I hadn't told either of them this. How could I since I just made the decision. But now I think about it. It is the only way.

"So it is as they say. Her heart does bleed for us." Scrap Crow pulled at his wispy beard as his gaze sank back to the flames. He gestured to one of his men, who walked forward with a scroll. "In return, I have what you requested before. And my men will hunt down those things in the sewers."

—

I could feel both Meris's and Kael's gazes burning into my back as we left the tent. Meris was definitely going to give me a mouthful once we get back, but I couldn't see any other way out of this.

A figure dashed in front of us and sank down onto his knees. Tamas's hand shot to the hilt of his sword but then relaxed. "Oh, it's you."

I looked down at the grimy, dirt covered face. Its angular shape was a familiar one. "Celrian, is that you?"

"Your highness! I'm so sorry for leaving you back there," he croaked as his head drooped. "If I'd known what would happen. We'd have gotten you away."

I stepped up to him, and leaned closer so that he could see my face. "No, it was my decision. I'm fine now. Is your sister alright?"

"She's good, Your Highness." He wiped at his eyes with a ragged sleeve. "When the explosion shook everything afterwards. I thought you were gone. I tried to dig you out afterwards, but there were too many rocks."

Kael stiffened when I reached out to pat his wet cheek. "It's okay. As you can see, I'm all better now. My apologies. I would have brought some sweets for you and your sister if I'd known we'd meet. Here."

I gestured to Kael with a flick of my chin, and he hesitated, but then stepped forward and placed a coin in Celrian's hand. His eyes grew wide. "I can't… take this. Not after the way I failed you, princess."

I shook my head. "Take it, and leave the city. It won't be safe here for the two of you."

"But… we have nowhere else to go. We nearly starved to death on the way here. My parents…"

My lips pressed tight against each other. There is really no other way. There are so many other kids and families out here in this city. They can't all flee.

"Then please stay safe." I scanned over the surrounding hovels, and the hunched figures lit by fires with black smoke rising. I hadn't realized such a wretched place was here. I haven't realized a lot of things.

Celrian got up onto his feet and placed a hand over his chest. "If there's anything you need. You can call on us."

I laughed inward to myself. Another pledge, but just like the students at the Academy. Am I really willing to throw them into the flames?

"Hmm… Do you go around the sewers much? Have you seen elves around there?"

"Elves, sewers?" He frowned, puzzled by my question. He covered his lips and moved toward me. Kael was about to step in between us, but I closed the gap.

Celrian whispered something into my ear that made my chest tight.

I really am far too naive.