Zenora, The Dragon's Fury

“But if you even have the slightest shred off mercy in your body, to forgive me my mistakes, to accept me to try and rewrite my wrongs of your past, then I would be forever in your debt.” I said while holding the tall Orc’s hands in mine.

“Dear Emily. I have come here to ask you something, not to attack or kill you. If I wanted to attack you, shouldn’t I have used any spells against him?” Thraka said while nodding his head towards Nicolai. And I was completely surprised.

I dropped the shield of which I held Nicolai with, and angrily he walked over to me.

“What the…” Nicolai started. He couldn’t comprehend that an Orc would be talking English.

Nicolai was so busy with attacking Thraka, that he didn’t had the time, or took a moment, to read his mind. All he could see was an Orc, and since we haven’t known an Orc to be docile, friendly and simply not our enemy, his primal instinct to defend, just took over.

“Nic, read my mind, I have unblocked something that no one else knows. Do so, and you will understand.” I said to him.

Nicolai focused on my mind, while I wanted to ask Thraka a lot of questions. But he interrupted me by saying that he couldn’t stay for long. As the magic of the Goddess wouldn’t allow him to stay any longer than necessary. Time traveling is something extremely dangerous, he could alter time in a destructive way. So he is only here, to say the important things and not to mention any specific details about things that are to come yet.

He also explained that he didn’t feel any anger towards me, that he understood my decisions in the heat of the moment. In fact, he is incredibly thankful that I have asked the Goddess to save his life. That simple gesture of even considering it, made him fully aware that I don’t mean any harm and he never held a grudge against me.

“I know you want me to be the liaison between our races, yet this is not an easy task you ask of me. Just as you have asked the Goddess, to have me raised by a person that is not biased by race, I have an understanding of how both of them live. Both Orcs and Humans, have similar believes, yet we both act upon it in a different way. And because we are that different, I can inform you that within our lifespan, I won’t be able to succeed that mission.” Thraka said.

“I know it is not an easy job, where we sit around the table and a treaty is signed upon. In fact it doesn’t matter whether or not you succeed within the next sixty years, It’s the effort that is the most important. The act to even try and find a peace between our races, is much more honourable than any job a person could have. Us showing that we are willing to commit to peace, is something that will make the Orcs think that we are weak. But you being a creature of both Humans and Orcs, is something that they, and also our stubborn Humans might listen to.” I spoke to him.

“Yes, perhaps. But even though it is unfortunate, yet understandable that you killed both my parents, the Orcs are aware of you killing their high ranked warrior. As that what Garon, my father, used to be. So, they won’t come to an agreement, while you are alive. It will take several more generations, for an Orc to be born, who is going to take over my position.”

“Your offspring.” I said. “And that’s, why you are here.” I continued.

“Yes, exactly. I wanted to ask of you, that if my children would ever found themselves to be in danger, could they come here for refuge?” He asked me.

He should have known my answer to that, hell I had even asked the Goddess to bring him back to life, right after I killed his mother. So, why wouldn’t I want to take in his children? Is there something more behind this? He isn’t here to merely ask me if his children could come visit here, no, he is here to tell me something that he can’t say.

He waited for me to think about his question. He knows I’m pondering over what he just said, he can read my mind after all.

“They aren’t going to be here willingly, are they?” I asked him.

“I can’t say anything about it, you know I can’t.” He stated with sorrow.

“Yes, yes, distorting the timeline and whatsoever. I know.” I replied to him, while walking in circles.

He can’t tell me any details, because if he did, we would be able to act upon it. Maybe doing something different than what happened in Thraka’s timeline. An alternate reality would be created, which might result in Thraka not being able to come here, and so on.

But still, I was thinking about how someone in my next generation or generations after that, would come to see the difference between the Orcs, that would come here. Thraka’s offspring has to have something that they can show, to let my children, grand-children or great-grand-children know that they mean no harm.

It has to be something small, as Thraka has to take it with him. Besides, it has to be something that other Orcs won’t notice.

“Your ring maybe?” Nicolai answered.

“My wedding ring?”

“No, the one that Anna has given you. It is easier to notice, as the blue stone lights up slightly in sunlight, and it is overly painted in details, on every painting in the castle, of which you stand on. So, your offspring and children of theirs, would come to know about it. And who doesn’t like a good story about how you lost it? We just have to come up with a story for your grandchildren so they will know it too, and act upon it subconsciously when they see the ring.” Nicolai said.

“And that’s why the Goddess chose this time and place.” Thraka said it, like understanding of something he experienced before, hit his comprehension just now.

I frowned at him but he said that the Goddess had to send him where I would be secluded, together with a certain mage. He said that he couldn’t understand what she meant at first, but now that Nicolai came up with this idea, he got what she was up to.

“So, now we have to come up with a reason, to make you ‘lose’ that blue ring.” Nicolai said.

“But we can’t have any negative relation to me losing the ring. Otherwise my family would still attack the one having it.” I said.

The men nodded at me, but we were still without a solution.

Thraka was walking around and looking at the place that we were in, then he walked over to the riverside and shoved his foot over the wet ground, close to the side. Then he looked at the footprints and saw that there was only one wet spot in front of them. There was no water in front of my own footsteps, that were close to the river’s edge.

“Were you trying to summon a water elemental?” He suddenly asked.

His deductive reasoning is good, I’ll give him that. But still, what is he getting at?

“Yes, Nicolai managed to summon the water spirit, but I wasn’t able to.” I said while frowning.

It was a bit disappointing though, that I wasn’t able to. I mean, the feeling of all that magic coursing through my veins made me much more aware of it, ever since the Goddess has told me I never lost them. It was as if I only realised from that point on, that I was able to control them. Yet, I couldn’t summon the water elemental. So, even though I’m the Chosen one, I still can’t do everything I want.

“No, that is because it’s not in your nature to accept things so easily. I can tell, because your mind is constantly trying to figure things out, you want to understand everything. Yet, some things just happen, without reason, or without your control. And because of that, I think you should try to summon the spirit of fire.” Thraka said.

“But that is the one of desperation. I’m not desperate!”

“No, that is a common mistake. The fire elemental is not summoned out of desperation, it is out of devotion. And your devotion to balancing all of the things in Zenora, whether it is with the ancient powers or wanting to have peace in all of Zenora, is what makes you a devoted person from top to bottom.”

My cheeks turned red of those kind words of his. Was I really so devoted to make sure that everyone got their share? Hmm, maybe I am. I do want to make it possible for every citizen in Terralon to be able to read, and I do want to change the hunting of creatures, to make sure that they keep having a healthy population.

“But how am I going to summon a fire elemental? We don’t have the spell for it, as Nicolai’s mother never summoned it out of fear. And how could me, summoning the fire elemental, be of any help right now?” I said to him.

“Well I can help with you getting the spell, and you have a reason for losing that ring. Just tell everyone that when you tried to summon the fire elemental you burned yourself and jumped into the river.” Thraka said. It was actually a solid idea.

“Read my mind right now, and you will know how to do it.” Thraka said.

I complied to his request and read his mind a few times over, to memorize the words and actions to cast the spell. Afterwards I gave my blue ring to him, but since it is too small for his, or any other Orc fingers, Nicola took off his thin silver necklace, for me to put the ring on. Then, Thraka put the necklace on, and hid it beneath his clothes.

Thraka had to leave now, so we said our goodbyes, and I told him that I was happy that he thrives so well. That he has become a powerful and wise mage. He really gave me the confirmation, that I had made the right decision, back there in the cave.

After a quick hug, he took a few steps backwards, and said a few words in the Elven language, to let the Goddess know that he was ready.

His appearance was stunning and amazed me when I saw him, but to hear him speak in the Elven tongue, so fluently, amazed me even more! It made me wonder who has been raising him. Learning the Elven language is not something you can get through easily, it takes years to learn it!

And then it struck me, his adoptive parents, or guardians, must be Elves!

It would all make sense, as Elves live everywhere on Zenora, even in the Kingdom of Agravine. So, they are not racially depended, they can live with any race on this planet, as long as they don’t get hurt. It was smart of the Goddess, to choose someone of Elven origin, as they are not biased by anything.

Soon after Thraka spoke the words, the white light and blue runes appeared on the ground again. The light turned brighter and brighter, until I couldn’t look at it anymore. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, he was gone.

And now I have to burn my clothes, and then tell Anna, why I don’t have her ring anymore. Great.