Part III ~ Hélethrôn




Chapter 1

It was on a fine day at the end of summer that the party finally arrived at the Elven city of Valassea. Here at the southern tip of the Arvallan peninsula would be held the council in which the allied leaders of men, Elves, and Dwarves would decide on a plan of attack against the newly arisen Deathlord in Tath.
      They had made the final leg of their journey to this place with King Caelebrin and his retinue of Elven warriors. During that time the wizard Raavan and the king had spoken much concerning the plight of the allies—from the growing power of Silgoth to the greatly reduced military strength of the kingdoms of men and the long count of years which had passed since the free folk had been united against a common enemy. Raavan emphasised also the haste with which they would need to organise their forces for an attack, for if Silgoth was to be overthrown it must be done before he achieved the Unsundering. In the wizard’s estimation that was likely only months away, perhaps a year if they were exceedingly fortunate.
      As the others overheard these exchanges it became clear to them all that Raavan and the Elven king were very old acquaintances indeed, and that each had much respect for the other. It also was gathered that Caelebrin, like Raavan, was very old—far older than any of the companions or any living person they knew, though just how old they could not say, for the king held the outward appearance of youth which all Elves possess. Yet both the king and the wizard spoke of events far remote in the past as though they had witnessed them first-hand, which of course impressed the listeners mightily. It also became eminently clear that Caelebrin was very wise, as one would expect of an Elven king. Indeed, according to Raavan Caelebrin was the most respected Elf in all of Entira, and this fact was not lost on the companions as they travelled with him to his capital city.
      Upon their arrival the companions observed that the city of Valassea actually was a sprawling woodland village consisting of huts that stood dwarfed among the great boles of enormous trees. Though they all had seen Elven villages before, Valassea was rather special in that it sat atop an enormous cliff on the very edge of the ocean. Standing at the edge of that cliff one could look out on the expansive view, hear the thundering of waves on the rocks below, and on clear days catch a glimpse of the Everlasting Rainbow which rose from the ocean nigh to Valassea and arched away toward the south. The Elflings later would hear it told that it was the rainbow which had led the Elves to Entira many thousands of years ago, and it was the rainbow which the last Elf one day would follow when the time came for them to return across the sea.
      It was to be some weeks yet before the council would convene, for Raavan had indicated to all the invited leaders that the conference should take place after Harvestmas to allow time for the necessary arrangements to be made and for the delegates to travel to the meeting place. Though messengers had been sent to all the kingdoms of the Allies of old, it could only be hoped that all would agree to attend, for though Silgoth certainly grew stronger with every passing day, many of the kingdoms most distant from Tath yet knew nothing of the growing threat and could be expected to harbour some doubt. Yet, the companions had done their utmost to rouse the kingdoms of Arnedia and Pilinon, while the riders sent out from Pencairn and Aglathrad were instructed to ride with speed and deliver their summons with the greatest urgency. For now there was little to do other than wait.
      In the meantime the Elflings Talen, Falco, and Dannadar busied themselves with exploring this beautiful and intriguing place while Raavan, the warrior Alatar, and the Dwarf Burak conferred for long hours with King Caelebrin and his chieftains. And there was indeed much to see, for they had the Great Forest of Arvalla about them on the one side and the Great Sea of Cirya on the other, and the Elflings, much like their larger cousins the Elves, were ever fond of exploring the mysteries of nature.
      The greater of the attractions was of course the sea, for the Elflings, being from Laurelindor far to the north-east, had never seen the ocean till just recently during their stay at Pencairn. Yet here the ocean seemed even larger than at Pencairn, for they now saw it from the southernmost tip of the Arvallan peninsula and from several hundred feet up. In the distance they again spied the splendid pelicans diving beneath the ocean waves in search of fish. There also were many gulls and terns, ducks and cormorants, and several types of geese. All were flying about or bobbing contentedly on the undulating surface of the water, or hovering hopefully over a prospective meal.
      The Elflings’ first order of business was to find their way down to the water’s edge, and this was no easy task, for the cliffs were very tall indeed. In time they found a long stone stairway which wound snake-like down the cliff face. When they reached the bottom they saw that the narrow shore was quite rocky. Nevertheless, they found that with some effort they could make their way along the shore by climbing over the rocks and staying more or less against the rock wall, which they now saw to consist of a chalky white stone.
      They decided to head west. In only a short time they had gotten used to scrambling over the slippery rocks, but they soon discovered that the cliffs at Valassea were very jagged in shape, so that in order to travel a certain distance along the coast they had to scramble nearly twice that length along the water’s edge. Nevertheless, the exertion was not great and they were enjoying themselves immensely. They took frequent breaks to stop and gaze out to sea. A fresh breeze blew in and now they felt the vigour of youth flowing through them, for surely this was the adventure they had sought all their lives, and which they had hoped to find upon setting out months ago from their homes in Laurelindor.
      On they went, and as the afternoon wore away they began to think about turning back. They decided to round just one more corner, and when they had done so they were rather glad that they had, for ahead they saw a group of Elves running a long canoe out into the ocean. When the tall fishermen had gone far enough they climbed into the boat and paddled off with quick strokes on short-handled oars.
      The shore was rather wider here and was both sandy and smooth. Several Elves watched from the shore as the others paddled out to sea. From these the Elflings learned that leading from this beach was a much easier road back to Valassea than that by which they had come, and so this was the way which they would take upon their return. Indeed, they now could see a trail leading up from the beach and then tunnelling into the rock face, appearing as it did so much wider and less steep than that down which they had come.
      So on they went still heading west and the going was much easier now, for the sandy shore was smooth and dry. Also, the coast was less jagged here and they were able to cover quite a bit of ground in a shorter time. After about an hour the cliff thrust out to cut off the beach and they had to negotiate a precarious ledge in order to round the sharp corner formed by the projecting rock wall. When they did so they caught their breaths, for on the other side where the sandy shore continued were seven or eight beautiful, white Unicorns with golden horns frolicking about in the water. About half of them appeared to be youngsters, judging from their size.
      The Elflings watched for a time as these wonderful creatures played among the shallow waves with youthful exuberance. The watchers saw in the animals’ eyes a purity and an innocence which they had never before experienced. Standing as still as ever they could they did their best not to distract the beasts from their lively romp.
      It was not long before the Elflings were noticed, however, and with a snort the largest of the Unicorns called the attention of the herd to the meek intruders. Not quite knowing what to do and feeling somewhat abashed Talen raised the back of his hand toward the animals so that they might see the mark which the three companions had been given. The large Unicorn took a few cautious steps, then a few more, and then apparently seeing the device he relaxed visibly and with a whinny he bowed his head twice and turned to the herd, which followed suit with bows of their own.
      Within moments the Elflings were forgotten as the animals returned once again to their play. But the frolicking soon was at an end as the creatures began to wander back up toward the cliff. When all were again on the beach they turned and trotted slowly off toward the west. Before long they had rounded a corner and disappeared from view.
      ‘Well, that was something, and no mistake!’ said Dannadar after the Unicorns had left.
      ‘Yes, it was quite a treat,’ agreed Talen. ‘I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything that quite compared.’
      ‘Well, I know I haven’t,’ replied Dannadar.
      ‘We had better be getting back,’ said Falco, and it was seen that he was quite right, for the sun was now disappearing in the west. They had still several miles of beach to traverse before they would come to the path ascending to the city above and so they turned and adopted a brisk pace back the way they had come. Along the shore small groups of pelicans flew overhead in close formations. From below the companions could observe their splendid underwing plumage. Their great beaks and bare throat pouches gave Dannadar an idea.
      ‘We should go fishing,’ said the young Elfling.
      ‘It’s too late,’ said Falco, urging the other to keep pace: ‘Just keep walking.’
      ‘No, I don’t mean tonight,’ said Dannadar, ‘but sometime over the next few days. We could borrow a boat from the Elves and go out on the ocean.’
      ‘That’s an idea,’ mused Talen as Falco urged them to keep up.
      ‘Yes,’ said Dannadar, ‘and I’ll bet we could catch some spectacular fish in a place like this!’
      ‘I’ll bet we could indeed,’ agreed Talen.
      When they had returned to the hut which had been turned over to them for the duration of their stay it was already past dark. They found the others supping with the king and several of his chieftains. The hungry companions were immediately invited to join them at the table, which they gratefully did. They dined under the stars that night, as they would do every night during their stay at Valassea.
      The victuals consisted of vegetables, nuts, and deliciously smoked fish, the likes of which they had never before tasted. To wash it all down they were given a large flagon of a sweet, fermented drink which was made from honey and which they found to be very relaxing. After the food was gone the drink was kept on hand, and as Raavan and the king spoke of times long past the others contentedly listened while sipping the sweet beverage.
      Soon the sounds of music began to spring up some distance away, and for perhaps an hour afterward a grand symphony was played all about them by the merry Elves. They played variously on the tops of the tables or up in the trees as had the Elves of the Vorohallo, and though they sounded to be improvising they constantly were shifting seamlessly from melody to melody and from key to key. Yet, as they did so the music evolved as a coherent whole, as though the players were of one mind, though the complexity of the music left no possibility of it having been composed beforehand. Through it all the listeners sat enraptured, though they could never quite tell where they would be transported next by the enchanting music.
      That night the Elflings slept beneath the stars, and they were content as could be. Since their loss of the Nurune Codex in Tath their one goal had been to make their slow way to Valassea in anticipation of the war council. Though there were certain to be dark times ahead they now were safe and sound deep within the enchanted kingdom of the Elves, on the edge of the great sea. As they lay on their bedrolls outside their hut they listened to the waves lapping the shores below and as they drifted off to sleep the sea called to their spirits and drew forth their dreams to wander the wide world under the bright gaze of the golden sun.
      In the morning the Elflings took breakfast together, and though Raavan already was closeted up with Caelebrin, Airi the owl came to join them at the breakfast table. Though they offered him some leftover fish, he declined, for the feathered hunter had quite obviously enjoyed a productive evening in the forest and was in no need of further nourishment.
      They decided to continue their exploration of the coastline that day. With Airi riding along on Talen’s shoulder the trio descended the stone steps again, this time heading east once they reached the bottom. Though they travelled several miles at least, the shore remained rocky and quite narrow, bordered always by high cliffs. After a time the shoreline turned abruptly north for a short distance, then turned east again forming something like a cove. Here the shore became wider, though it still was quite rocky. They decided to rest.
      It was quite sunny that day (as it nearly always is at Valassea) and they were starting to get a bit hot from their exertions. After resting a bit they decided to take a swim. Draping their clothes on the highest rocks they waded into the clear blue water and found that the temperature was just right. At first they merely waded out a little and enjoyed the water’s refreshing coolness, but soon they were swimming along the coast as they found that this was easier than walking. Airi variously soared or perched nearby as the Elflings made their slow way along the inner line of the rocky cove. As they moved along they were delighted to see many colourful fish darting about and also many interesting rocks lying in the shallows. They took their time to investigate all that caught their eye or piqued their interest.
      When they had reached the place where the coastline turned abruptly toward the east again they found that a large, rocky promontory thrust out quite a bit past the end of the shore. Beyond this there was virtually no shore at all, and so they decided to turn back. Just as they were turning to go Dannadar noticed something.
      ‘Hey, it looks like there’s a cave here,’ said Dannadar.
      ‘What?’ said Talen, looking about.
      ‘Underwater,’ explained Dannadar. ‘See, just above the water there, it looks like the tippy-top of an entrance to a cave.’
      ‘O, yes,’ agreed Talen.
      ‘Well, should we investigate?’ asked Dannadar.
      ‘I suppose we shall have to,’ said Talen with a smile.
      ‘Excellent!’ replied the other.
      Treading water they made their way to the mouth of the submerged cave, and then ducking briefly below the surface they saw that there appeared to be a light not far ahead. Reasoning that the underwater passage must ascend into some roofless cavern into which the sun’s rays could penetrate, they concluded that if they could only hold their breath long enough while making for the light they would come out into the open air once again. They decided to try it.
      Falco went first, followed by Dannadar and then Talen. Though the distance was somewhat greater than they had guessed they found that they were able to make it without too much discomfort. When they emerged from the water they found themselves inside an open-air cavern, with the noon sun shining down on them from high above. It looked much like they had guessed.
      The chamber in which they found themselves was circular in shape with a narrow margin around the pool from which they had emerged. It also was very tall, the sheer walls extending up some hundred feet before widening into an open flange at the top. Because the chamber was not very wide the Elflings could see that the noon hour was the only time when the sun would strike the water and so was the only time they could have found the place at all.
      A natural looking grotto bore into the north wall and inside they found an oil lamp and a tinderbox. Lighting the lamp they then proceeded down the passage with great care, for though they could think of no particular reason to fear for their safety in this place, still they had no weapons, no armour, and indeed were not even wearing clothes! Yet on they pressed, for their curiosity was strongly piqued by the apparent secrecy of the place.
      The passage was a very crooked one and had clearly not been worked in any way, yet it was amply large for the Elflings and indeed would have been just barely large enough for a man. After going on for a short distance the passage forked, going the one way up and to the left, the other down and to the right. They ascended the left passage. Soon they came to a very tiny place that appeared to have been the lair of some animal or other, though no fresh signs of habitation could they find.
      Returning to the fork they took the right-hand passage, which soon levelled off to open onto a somewhat larger cave strewn thickly with boulders. Carefully climbing over these they found their way to the far side where they discovered that the passage continued much in its original form. Now the winding passage had them ascending, and they continued to ascend gradually till finally they came to a rather largish chamber with a smooth floor. Strewn across that floor were many bones and other detritus, including rusty swords and other weapons, and not a few human skulls.
      Far more exciting, however, was the discovery which they made in one of the far corners, for there was a locked chest, not at all ancient looking, and beside that several other items including a very fine short-sword. They found a few coins there (mostly silver, but a few of gold), a fine silver goblet, and a woman’s gold bracelet.
      Falco immediately was attracted to the sword. He took and held it aloft by its ivory hilt, and all marveled at the shiny blade in which they could now see were set many delicate runes. It appeared very ancient, and yet a fine weapon it was, its sharp blade having nought but one or two minor nicks. Bringing it down on a nearby skull Falco demonstrated just how sharp it was: the skull was neatly cleaved in two as the blade sliced through it like butter, ringing then as it struck the stone floor.
      ‘That’s mine!’ said Falco, and the others dared not disagree, for there was a fire in his eyes which they had only rarely seen in their eager comrade.
      Next they examined the chest and found that while it was quite small it was very heavy indeed, being obviously packed with treasures hefty and numerous. Though they very much wanted to take it with them they could see no way that they would be able to get it out again through the watery passage. The three of them could perhaps carry it together even over the boulders, but swimming with the heavy burden while holding their breaths underwater would certainly be a challenge, and so they decided just to leave it. They instead grabbed the coins and the bracelet and made their way out of the cave.
      When they had returned to the chamber of the pool they extinguished the lamp and placed it again where they had found it. Grasping their small prizes in hand they then took a deep breath and plunged into the pool. Soon they were once again outside with the expansive view of the ocean before them. Treading water they made their way back to the wide shore where they found Airi waiting for them on a rocky ledge. In the bright sunlight they again examined their plunder and found that they were quite pleased with themselves, though Falco was perhaps the most pleased of all. He held his newly claimed weapon aloft, tilting it ever so gently to watch the blade glitter in the sun’s light.
      Now they made their way back along the shore to where they had left their clothes. They lay for a time on the rocks to dry in the sun, and then clothing themselves once more they continued clambering over the rocky shoreline toward Valassea.
      Though they were eager to share their find with the rest of their companions back at Valassea they decided upon reaching the stone stair to continue on. It came to their minds that the Unicorns which they had encountered the previous day might return every evening to that same place. And so they went for several miles more, arriving in time at the sandy beach where the creatures had been discovered frolicking in the water, but though they arrived at roughly the same time as the day before, they saw no Unicorns.
      They waited till sunset and then turning back they made their way to the beach where they had met the Elves the day before. Here they again saw a group of fishermen, this time returning to shore in their canoe. The companions watched the Elves drag their wooden vessel up onto the beach and then followed them back up the long trail toward the Elven city.
      That night all the companions again dined with King Caelebrin. When the Elflings brought out their prizes to show to the others the king asked to see the sword, which Falco promptly handed over.
      ‘This is a very special blade, my young friend,’ said the king. ‘See that sign on the hilt there: that is the mark of Valainator , a mighty lord of Sulunerea.’
      ‘This sword was made in Sulunerea?’ asked Dannadar with great interest.
      ‘Aye, my young friend,’ replied Caelebrin. ‘It is of Elven make, and bears runes of power along its blade. This weapon will serve you well. I think you will also find that it has a special sensitivity to the presence of evil—such blades often are known to give off a faint glow when any malignant creature is near.’
      ‘Amazing!’ said Dannadar.
      ‘Wow,’ said Falco.
      ‘Safeguard this blade, my young friend,’ said Caelebrin, ‘for I sense that it has a bane-spell upon it, and I think that you may be the one who has been chosen to bear it unto its final destiny.’
      ‘What is a bane-spell?’ asked Talen.
      Caelebrin answered, ‘Some weapons were forged specifically to counter a great evil that was foreseen by their creators. Such a weapon often has a specific purpose—such as to bring about the death of a particular person or beast. Usually when a sword such as this finds its way into the breast of its chosen victim it bursts asunder, having completed the specific task set for it aeons ago.’
       
       
      The many days which followed were much like the first two. The Elflings spent all of their time exploring the forest and the coast, sometimes accompanied by Airi, who apparently tired of watching Raavan and Caelebrin pore over maps and discuss military strategies. He even accompanied the Elflings when they went fishing with the Elves in their canoe. Whenever a fish was cast squirming into the bottom of the boat the owl valiantly helped to dispatch the creature by crushing its skull with his amazingly powerful feet. Against the ferocious bird the fish stood little chance.
      Their adventures in the forest were no less enjoyable. Often they caught glimpses of Unicorns, though they were never able to approach the skittish beasts. They also encountered an animal which the Elves would later identify for them as the White Stag. This was a large deer with an enormous rack of antlers, the whole animal being of the purest shade of white. Though they saw it for only a moment, it was a moment most memorable to them, for in that short space of time the Elflings and the Stag regarded one another from a distance and it seemed almost that in his eyes the Stag registered some recognition of the Elflings, though they could not think why.
      Also highly enjoyable was the Avoria, the Gardens of Valassea. This enormous flower garden was located east of the city and was by far the most beautiful park they ever had seen. The Avoria bordered right on the edge of the cliffs, so that the sounds of the sea were ever present as they walked along its neatly laid stone paths. Here the flowers were of such brilliant hues that the Elflings had to touch each one, feeling the delicate petals between their fingers to be sure they all were quite real. The reds and blues, violets, pinks, yellows and whites all were so pure that those who stood in that garden felt inevitably as though they were seeing the world in colour for the first time.
      Many songbirds came to the gardens at first light to sing, so that the Elflings made a habit of being there at sunrise to hear the ‘dawn chorus.’ It was a delightful way to start each day: walking quietly along, tea in hand, watching and listening to all that passed in the gardens each morning.
      The Elflings were not the only visitors to indulge in the pleasures of the Avoria. As Harvestmas approached and the delegates began to arrive they occasionally observed the newcomers walking in the gardens, often in twos or threes and usually discussing military matters—the farthest thing from the Elflings’ minds! Yet, others came there to discuss quite different matters. Alatar often was seen from a distance walking with Karian , a beautiful warrior-woman from western Arenya. It was clear from the soft look in their eyes that the two had met before and that they treasured this time which they were able to spend together.
      As the time of the conference approached more visitors arrived, most of them strangers to the Elflings, but some of them quite familiar. There was Berethir from Pencairn, who gave the Elflings a great bear of a hug when he saw his ‘little warrior lads.’ With Berethir were General Kelenir , Lord Quainen, and the newly crowned King Telurin, who greeted the Elflings warmly and informed them that his young brother Kiliimar was minding his kingdom in the king’s absence (and very likely having a ball at making a complete mess of the task).
      Cenedain, recently crowned King of Greycastle, likewise greeted the Elflings with great warmth, for he owed them his life and he had not forgotten it. From him they learned that Kalea, Kvelta, and Maril all were well, and that they had sent their warmest regards.
      King Eboenninar was not able to make the trip, which of course surprised no one, but he did send the hawk-faced Count Cenathon and two of the king’s top generals, who passed the elderly king’s regards on to all of the companions.
      From Stonecastle the Elflings recognised the irascible warrior Andirian, who grunted and smiled brusquely when he saw the Elflings. They also recognised the Dwarf king Khazâl from the Belling Hills, though it had been some months since they had seen him. He greeted them kindly and then informed them in a very solemn voice that there still were openings in his mine if they wanted the job—and of course this was followed by a loud, bellowing laugh from the king.
      From Aberlaven had come Alarus, Erieth, and Ruthos, who together guarded a rather large tome which Alarus would not put down, even when he ate. The Elflings of course had a fairly good idea as to the identity of the thick book, though as the wizards of the Kastairi had arrived on the very morning of the council the Elflings had no chance to enquire about the matter.
      The other attendees all were people whom the Elflings did not yet know: Valainis, an Elf from Avalesse; Sildin, an Elf from Merethir; the Dwarf Dreygor from Ihm-ennar; and several lords from Pilinon, Koronandor, and Arnedia. Notably absent were any Dwarves from the kingdoms of Tolor, though nobody could say why they had not come, nor had any messages been received from them. Also present were several tall Elf Lords from Arvalla and elsewhere: Cendil, Sileron, Erondrian, and Valastan. These latter appeared to be warrior lords, for they were grim of face and were variously armed with bows and blades.
      On the day the council was to convene they also met Caelebrin’s wife, Aiquesse, and his daughter, Laurealas, who had been away these past weeks and had only now come to Valassea to aid in the organisation and management of the proceedings. Queen Aiquesse was an Elf woman of stunning (if cold) beauty who also possessed a very strong will and constitution. Though she did not concern herself with military matters she was in every other way the equal of Caelebrin: in her knowledge, her authority, and in the respect shown her by all.
      Princess Laurealas was an exceptionally pretty, young Elf lady with large, brown eyes and golden skin. Over the course of the next few days the Elflings would become very fond of her, and her of them, for they would spend much time together between council sessions. They learned much from each other concerning the differences between the Elflings of Laurelindor and the Elves of Arvalla. In time they saw that though their traditions were very different, mentally they were very much the same, with largely the same instincts, values, temperament, and character. Through her the Elflings began to feel less like the distant cousins of Elves and more like their little brothers.
      And the Elflings were not the only attendees to find themselves becoming overfond of the Princess. The young King Telurin also noticed the young lady’s beauty, and before long it was seen by many that the two were drawn irresistibly toward one another, through their smiles and stolen glances. The Elflings commented privately among themselves that it would be only a matter of days before they would begin to see the king and the princess walking together in the gardens of Avoria. They were not wrong.
       
       
      Finally the day of the council arrived. All the delegates and attendees were gathered together in an open pavillion behind the gardens called the Telmaron. The Telmaron was actually round, with wooden stairs for seats that formed concentric circles rising from a low floor up to the level of the ground. Overhead was a wooden shingled roof, but as there were no walls the fresh sea air blew in with the gentle breeze and was mingled with the lovely fragrance of the many flowers that grew, even this late in the year, in the nearby Avoria.
      When all were seated Raavan took the floor and addressed them thus: ‘Friends, welcome to Valassea. I am sure that by now you all are at least vaguely familiar with the state of affairs which this council has been convened to address. In short, we are faced with an enemy in Tath which has grown very strong and which, for reasons that I will explain, can be expected to grow even more powerful in the months ahead. I hope to convince you that a concerted attack against this enemy must be undertaken at once, and that if we fail we shall see the total devastation of all the kingdoms of Entira. Once I succeed in convincing you—if I succeed in convincing you—of these facts, then we will need to spend some considerable time organising our strategies, adopting our means, and devising a schedule in which to carry out the assault.
      ‘First, however, we must have the facts, and toward this end I ask King Caelebrin to share with us his considerable knowledge of the history of the Great Wars, for reasons that I hope will become quickly apparent.’
      Now the Elven king took the floor. As he stood before them scanning the modest audience the Elflings became aware for the first time just how charismatic and persuasive the Elf was—even before he had begun to speak. When finally he did speak he did so in a slow, grave voice.
      ‘Distinguished guests, I must assure you that Raavan in no way exaggerates the severity of our situation. As I am sure many of you are aware, Elven memory extends very far back in time. Six ages have we seen in Entira, each of those aeons ending in events of catastrophic proportions. Always the free folk of Entira have survived these events to start again the count of years for a new age. Yet ever so close have we come to the brink of utter destruction.
      ‘Prime among those events was the contest in which we struggled against the deathlord Omenaton at the end of the Fourth Age. During this time all of Entira was locked in battle with the powerful enemy of Hélethrôn, and though the nations were strong at the start of the contest, so weakened were they by the end that it took literally hundreds of years to recover from the carnage. That we escaped complete annihilation was largely a matter of chance, for the winds did not blow in our favour till the very end, and then only through a strange twist of fate beyond our control.
      ‘There have been other deathlords beside Omenaton. Before Uruvar—that is, Omenaton—there were Sacrevon and Rúlatár, whom my people call Rastarm and Vorontar. These fiends were overcome during terrible wars in ancient times that nearly depeopled all the lands. Two of my own brothers died during the Itere War against Sacrevon, and many more of our house were lost in the Simorde War which was fought against Rúlatár.
      ‘After the Hélethrônium War against Uruvar the Elves of Arvalla considered returning to Sulunerea, and many decided to go, though my house stayed, as did many others. Though our losses during that cataclysmic engagement were very great, there was a sense (a false sense, as it turned out) that with the defeat of Omenaton there could be no further threat matching that of the vanquished deathlord of Hélethrôn. And so began the Fifth Age.
      ‘Then there was a long period of peace. Nearly two thousand years passed, and though the memory of the terrible war could not be erased among the Elves of Entira, the men and Dwarves and even our cousins the Elflings (whom we call the Ethuirim) seemed to allow the past to slip into dark oblivion while they rebuilt their kingdoms, carried on their traditions, and flourished once again across the land. Often have I wished that the Elves could so easily forget the terrors of history, for even the memory can darken an otherwise bright day.
      ‘Yet, Omenaton was not the evil to end all evils. At the end of the Fifth Age a new deathlord arose, evicting the Dwarves from their own kingdom of Ilimath and from that fell place making war on all the lands about him. His name was Mythron (whom the Elves call Voiakil) and though his power was somewhat less than that of Omenaton, the destruction he wrought was terrible. His armies of Ghouls, Goblyns, Ghakhen, Naegrim, and Dredgion spewed forth in nearly unending numbers from the black pit of Ilimath to cut down opponents of any and all races. The Aressians were particularly hard hit. Our only blessing was that he was not able to unlock the power of the Sraithes, as had Omenaton.
      ‘I remember very clearly the dreadful scene at Tachán on the Day of Darkness, when Hal-tariel died and we thought that the light was gone forever from the land. The monstrous Dredgion trampled men and Elves and Dwarves wherever they went, causing the very earth to shake with their every step. I myself was badly wounded by the tail of one of these beasts as it passed, and I considered myself lucky.
      ‘Fortunately for us all, Raavan and his master Fangren together with another of the Kastairi named Hyastasan were able to slip undetected into Ilimath with a small group of stealthy warriors and confront the deathlord himself. Indeed, it was only through their defeat of Mythron (and, in the case of Hyastasan, through their ultimate sacrifice) that we were able then to overcome his armies and avoid our own destruction.
      ‘Yet, now my old friend Raavan brings news of a new threat, one who goes by the name of Silgoth. I am afraid it can no longer be doubted that this fiend has achieved the status of a true deathlord as of old. In distant Tath he gathers about him a horde of Ghakhen and Naegrim, Goblyns and Troells, and very likely Dredgion as well. Fortunately, we have no intelligences that would suggest he has the ability to conjure the unholy spirits from the land of Sraitheoir, yet as Raavan will explain, even this terrifying prospect cannot be entirely ruled out, though I think it will remain unlikely.
      ‘And so once again the free folk of Entira whom all of you variously represent are faced with the necessity of joining together with what strength of arms we can muster and doing our utmost to defeat the rising enemy before he becomes all but invincible. It is a desperate situation in which we find ourselves—’
      Caelebrin ceased speaking then, for Alarus, still clutching the ancient tome tightly against his breast, had risen and stepped forward to the edge of the central floor of the Telmaron. ‘I’m afraid our situation is even worse than that,’ said Alarus.
      ‘Worse?’ said Cenedain incredulously.
      ‘How so, Brother?’ asked Raavan, rising from his seat, the deep concern evident on his face.
      ‘Because Mythron did not write the codex,’ replied Alarus: ‘It was written by Omenaton.’
      All were silent as Raavan and Caelebrin gravely considered Alarus’ words.
      ‘You are certain?’ asked Raavan dubiously.
      ‘Beyond any doubt,’ said Alarus.
      ‘What does that mean?’ asked Telurin’s advisor Quainen with some exasperation.
      ‘It is not good,’ said Caelebrin.
      Raavan gathered his wits and then stood once again to address the assembly: ‘Brother Alarus has been painstakingly translating an ancient manuscript which was discovered in Ilimath following Mythron’s defeat. This tome describes researches aimed at drawing on the power of a rather mysterious phenomenon called the Thread . Through a procedure referred to as the Unsundering , a deathlord apparently would be able to re-establish a sort of continuity with his predecessors via the Thread, drawing on their accumulated knowledge and strength as the power of the Thread was infused with his own.
      ‘Because it was found in Mythron’s library we assumed the codex was a record of Mythron’s own researches and that those researches were in fact incomplete. Our fear was that the original manuscript which lay unguarded at Ilimath might fall into the hands of Silgoth, who may then complete Mythron’s research and achieve the Unsundering, insuring our ruin.’
      Alarus continued where Raavan left off: ‘But we now know that it was Omenaton who penned the codex, for I have translated enough of it now to see that the researches described within were in fact successful and that they were undertaken not at Ilimath during the time of Mythron, but at Hélethrôn during the Fourth Age.’ He then placed the codex on a small table at the edge of the circular floor. Pointing ominously at it he continued: ‘In this tome are full instructions for achieving the Unsundering. There is no longer any uncertainty: it is a complete recipe for our total annihilation.’
      ‘Then, we must guard that tome carefully, and insure that it does not fall into the hands of the enemy,’ declared Quainen.
      ‘I am afraid it is too late for that,’ said Raavan, hanging his head.
      ‘Why is that?’ asked several in the assembly.
      Caelebrin replied, ‘Because the original manuscript at Ilimath was recently delivered to Silgoth by one called Nostaite. Raavan did his best to see that this would not happen, but alas, his quest failed.’
      There was silence.
      Finally, the Dwarven king, Khazâl, spoke in his deep, rumbling voice: ‘Then, we are doomed.’