Post Script (51)

Einar felt a powerful presence approaching the castle. It had come at first like a small flame in the dark, within minutes becoming a full blown fire but not quite a blaze. It had stopped advancing.

Einar closed his eyes and bowed his head. He drew in a lungs-full of air. As he exhaled his body began to dissipate, pieces and parts arriving directly in front of the powerful force he sensed from a distance.

Within seconds a human-like creature stood before him in the depths of the forest. If not for Einar's excellent sight, the creature would have been invisible. Swathed in black from head to toe, the only part of its body showing were the eyes. Black orbits resting inside of what looked like pale yellow lids.

"Name yourself and your purpose while you have a chance.", Einar said to the creature coolly.

Despite having appeared before the humanoid, it showed no sign of surprise or having been caught off guard.

After a moment of silence Einar noticed that the creature had been sitting on a nearby stump, a satchel rested against its base.

*He anticipated my arrival. So much so he was able to move from his resting place to stand before me.*, Einar thought to himself, astounded.

The creature bowed with a hand over his heart.

"I am Arcane, an intelligence general for the kingdom of Fire and Light. My purpose is to request the assistance from the King of Midnight on my masters behalf.", the voice was almost a whisper, and definitively masculine. Rasping and soft, as though the user was inflicted with a serious respiratory illness.

Was Coruscare aware of Lucius's return? It seemed unlikely.

After the King of Midnights' disappearance, it had been decided that the events that had transpired would be kept secret until his return, the consequences of the throne being empty too great a risk to take. Instead Einar had been named the temporary replacement in Lucius's absence. It was ordered that no one should speak of the events, until the kings return.

Einar recalled after years of waiting, wondering if he ever would.

"Credentials and order?", Einar asked, reaching out an impatient and demanding hand.

What could Coruscare possibly want after all of these years?

Arcane deftly reached a long and slender hand under his tightly fitted robes and withdrew a folded parchment, handing it to Einar. He then rolled back a sleeve to expose his wrist, the yellow skin tattooed with a sun crossed with a simplistic dragon, two small circles at the base to represent his standing. The sign of Fire and Light.

True to his word, a royal seal in red wax secured the paper closed.

"Come with me.", he said quickly. With a flick of his wrist, both him and the officer were enveloped in black smoke, a moment later they were standing just outside of Lucius's study.

With a rapid knock they were bid to enter.

"My lord, you ought to read this. From the King of Fire and Light.", he said solemnly.

Raven stoically took the parchment, broke the seal, and read the rapidly scrawled writing that was on it.

"Lucius, should this letter find you I ask that you set aside any differences we've had in the past.

We have very little time so I will keep it short.

Firstly, I apologize wholeheartedly for how I treated you after the Reconciliation. I spoke without knowing, and that is a great sin. I've regretted it since.

But we need your help.

At present I have a young human woman under my care who desperately needs your skills.

She is kind, she is deserving. I am regaled at her companions stories of her good doing in the name of the Folk despite all of her heartache, some of which has been a result of my own selfishness.

There is something else. Something different about her. She is important, Syll and I are not sure how, but she is.

I beg of you, and beseech your forgiveness.

I have no right to ask this of you, we both know that. I only hope that you will give us a chance. Give her a chance.

Sincerely,

Coruscare"

Raven read the post script and could not believe his eyes.

He stood rapidly, his chair scraping as his large legs pushed it away from the table. He almost knocked it over.

"Einar, you're in charge. I'll be back.", he said quickly.

Einar hardly heard the last word of his sentence as his master was enveloped in black tendrils and disappeared.

He spun around, shocked.

"What did the letter say?", he insisted to the spy.

Arcane shrugged and then, in a flash of movement and a hissing of clothing, disappeared, his duty fulfilled.

Einar's mouth slowly fell open as he stood, suddenly by himself in the large study.

*What just happened?*, he asked himself.

After a moment of stunned and still silence he rushed to the desk to read the note.

As temporary leader when the king was gone, he was sure it would be fine to read it.

At least so he told himself.

At the very least, he would need an idea of where his master was going in case things were to go wrong.

He lifted the letter and read what the king had written.

He knew that Coruscare and Lucius had a falling out long ago, that part was not shocking.

It was the mention of a human woman that first took him off guard.

It was the post script that made his stomach drop.

"P.S.

Her name is Caeli and I feel for her Lucius. Deeply. Please help."