Avandor's Gift

I have killed before but always within the context of war. People had to be killed for a war to be won. Murder was an abomination, but this time I felt obliged to throw my beliefs aside.

It was one thing to sit on my throne, but it was quite another that he dared to get married. To get me married! I tried to find a reason I shouldn’t let Tet accomplish what she planned to do.

“Well it seems that you have acquired a wife.” said Tetje mussing my already ruffled feathers.

“We will see about that.” I looked around the crowd, “Babu’s boots!” I spat as I lost track of him in the swarm of his well wishers.

“Your Majesty.” A hand appeared on my shoulder and I turned around. It was silver haired changeling with familiar green eyes. I remembered seeing him before. He was present when Tet had taken the power of Alphandé from me.

“Father,” said Tetje. “What are you doing here?” he pressed.

“It’s best that you two follow me. All will be explained by Gareth.” He said as he wove though the crowd.

“Can’t wait to hear it.” I drawled.

“Indeed.” said Tetje sounding extremely intrigued to my great annoyance.

All the corridors of the palace and the courtyard were flanked with banners of green and gold. Gareth was waiting in the empty mess hall. I was surprised to see Dominic with him.

“Dominic, you are here,” I greeted him.

“Your brother asked me to be here and I agreed.”

“I see,” I said feeling the faint pinch of betrayal. “So he not only usurped my kingdom but my oldest friend.”

“You misread the situation Evander. It is best you let your nest mate explain. I believe his reasons to be just else I would have never agreed.”

“My ears are yours Gareth,” I said turning grudgingly to face one of my greatest enemies and my closest kin.

“It is good to see you again Evander.”

I raised my brow at the greeting. “Can’t say the same for you.”

“That is deserved. However my being here wasn’t exactly my choice. In fact I was quite happy being dead. If you had come days earlier this spectacle of a wedding that you walked in on could have been avoided.”

“So you are blaming this wedding on me?”

“In part,”

“I would like to hear you justify that statement.” I seethed.

“It is best we sit, shall we?” he indicated to a chair.

“As it is I don’t wish to sit. I would rather a forthcoming explanation.”

“Forgive me my impudence, Your Majesty.” He sat down. “I will be brief in my telling.” He said rolling up his eyes to meet mine. “I was brought back by your changeling woman and was instructed to take your place. Princess Garima of Rá Leat, your lovely wife spies informed her of your departure from Gé Addar.”

“Impossible as Greyshanks would have sensed anyone following us.”

“And yet, so it was.” He said flippantly. “Garima then threatening to spread this news, which would plant seeds of discord which would eventually bloom into civil war. I did what was the best option available to me; I bought her silence with marriage. The offer granted her the elevated position of queen and it strengthened the fraying ties with Rá Leat. You’re welcome.” He said folding his arms over his chest.

That over-bloated arrogance of his shone brightly in his eyes as he dared me to find fault with his reasons for the wedding. I searched my mind for an alternative that would knock him off his lofty pedestal and by Avandor I could find not one!

I took the chair which was directly across from him. By Babu boots, the stark resemblance between us was damn eerie. He too stared back unashamedly.

“Since you are back in Gé Addar, I assume you found the changeling woman and fixed what was broken with magic.”

“Hardly, the trouble has just shifted from Envladane and closer to home. Pressing as that issue is, we still need to determine what we are to do with you since I am back.”

“I plan to retire as quietly as I can to some forgotten part of the country.”

“You mean to tell me that you have suddenly lost the lust to rule? That I find quite remarkable considering the lengths you went through to gain this very position. You blinded and shipped me off to Envladane.”

“I didn’t kill you, I could have. And if what I was told is true, that very act set you on the path to not only being ruler here, but in Envladane as well.”

“I suppose you want me to thank you again?”

“You’re welcome.” He said as his lips tilted in a slight smile. I was determined to not find this funny but my traitorous lips tilted upwards of its own volition.

“I am sorry to inform you that you can’t quit being king just yet.”

“And why not?”

“You married the princess, so it will be your duty to consummate the marriage.” He was about to protest but I continued. “Also there are renegade Chosen who think that I am dead and is in hiding waiting to kill you.”

“What the devil are you talking about? Who are the Chosen?”

“The Chosen are those who died in the Great Race.”

“It is best you explain yourself,” said the old changeling whose interruption reminded me of the presence of the others in the room. “How can the Chosen be here?”

“Father, you need to sit for this. So much has happened since we last met.” said Tetje grabbing the chair beside me. All of us remained quiet as Tetje took it upon himself to inform the gathering of our most recent adventures. I filled in gaps and details of events when necessary.

“I wasn’t sure what they wanted at first but now that I’ve seen you I know the reason. They are here for you, my heir.” I finished.

The door behind us burst open and a rush of cold air rushed in.

We all jumped up from the table and faced a guard. “Your Majesty, the feast...” his eyes bulged and he coughed suddenly ejecting a thick jet of blood before he fell. A spear sticking up from his back.

“Seems the fight has come to us.” said Dominic as he withdrew his axe.

There was a weapons cabinet at the back of the room. Gareth and I grabbed the same bow. He let it go without protest, taking another. I fitted a sword to my hip and walked to the front of the room.

The scent of smoke wafted in the room and it wasn’t long before a changeling came through the door. Before he had time to blink I shot at him. Two arrows were lodged mere inches apart in its chest. The body disintegrated into dust. I looked at Gareth. “Not bad.” I said.

“Best of seven?” he issued the challenge.

“If that is all you can manage,” I said issuing my own dare. Another person shadowed the door jamb. Both of us locked in on the target.

“Your Highness, finally—by Avandor there are two of you again!” said Sonis.

“And you nearly died.” said Gareth as we both stalked closer to the door.

“What is going on out there?” I asked.

“They just appeared out of nowhere burning everything. The entire palace is in chaos. She appeared in the great hall and then everything went to hell.”

“She?” I zoned in on that immediately. “She who?”

“Tet. I think it was her, she looked different...” I didn’t wait for him to finish as I rushed towards the great hall.

I heard a chorus of voices calling after me. But even louder were the explosions ahead. I was about to enter the hall when a hand clasped over my shoulder and pulled me backwards.

“What are you doing.” hissed Gareth.

“What does it look like I am doing?” I fired back.

“Love addles the brain but this is stupid Evander! You walk in there and then what?”

“We will just have to see, won’t we?” I said as I shrugged off his hand.

“This is stupid but… ah hell!” he said coming to flank me.

There were several guards gathered around the other assassins in white, but the spectres were too fast for them and they died before they could lift a sword.

“One,” said Gareth as he fired a shot and hit one of the changelings, which vanished into dust.

“Two, three,” I counted as I hit successive changelings in the back and throat respectively.

“Thought we were starting over. The first one was a tie.” he said as he placed his back to mine. I heard the soft twang of his bow as he sent off another missile. “Two, three.”

“If you say so, then.” I spotted a group of three changelings advancing toward us. “Two, three, four.” I said dispatching all of them.

We switched sides and advanced further in the room, scanning the balconies above us. “Look up.” I said.

“See them.” He replied. “Four, five.”

“Six.” We said together. My eyes swept the entire hall and I slowly lowered my bow.

“Am I to be the tie breaker?” Gareth and I turned back to the entrance with bows raised.

“Tet...” I started to step forward.

“I thought you were dead Evander.” Her voice was not her own and her silver eyes pulsed with energy.

I still edged forward slowly. “Tetyana, what is wrong with you?”

“Nothing is wrong, I am better. Tet no longer lives in this body Evander. I am Alphandé.”

“The staff? That is...”

“Impossible, but it is not. I broke the changeling Tet and I made her body my own. I must also break you Evander. You were my weilder and I will not be made a slave again.” she said advancing.

“Tetyana I know that you are in there somewhere. You have to fight this.” Despite what this being said, I felt in my heart that Tet was still there. Her spirit was one that was impossible break. If she was indeed gone, I would have felt it. “This isn’t you.”

“Van what are you doing?” hissed Gareth from behind me. “You are going to get yourself killed.”

I waved him off and still approached Tet. She still hadn’t moved until I stood right in front of her. She seemed to be studying my face and a look of confliction clouded it.

“It’s me Evander.” I said softly. “You have to listen to me. You need to fight the magic. You are not Alphandé!”

The air around her was devoid of static and the pulsing light in her eyes dimmed leaving them the beautiful emerald I remembered. “Van?” she said looking into my face a single tear appeared on her cheek.

“Yes, it is really me.” I said placing my hand on her face and she leaned into it.

Her hand touched my face and then it settled around my neck. More tears sprang from her eyes.

“I am sorry.” she said.

“Don’t be sorry, just come back to me.” I begged as I brushed the tears away with my thumb, relishing the feel of her skin once more.

The tears disappeared and a smile appeared. “She couldn’t if she wanted to.” Her eyes were again balls of silver fire and the air around me was super charged with energy. “Goodbye Evander.”

Her hand clamped around my throat cutting off my windpipe. I felt the swoosh of an arrow pass by me but it disintegrated before it could strike Tet. She lifted me off the ground and with one swish of her free hand, I heard clattering and the sound of cracking wood.

I looked behind me to see that Gareth had been sent flying backwards into the door. He raised his head once but then he slumped into unconsciousness. I struggled uselessly against her chokehold, but my strength failed me miserably.

The edges around my vision were becoming fuzzy and my head felt as if it was full of air. I saw a woman in gold creeping up behind Tet, sword in hand and chanting in words whose meaning was lost on me. Around her wrist was a woven bag out which glowed in a mixture of green, blue, red and white gold.

Tet turned, but it was too late as the woman plunged the sword into her back. The vicelike grip disappeared from around my neck and I felt myself fall. My head hit the ground with a dull thud and after that I felt nothing.