The Hall of Lore

“Excuse me.” Elian stopped next to a small stand selling smoked fish. “Could you tell us the way to the garrison here?”

“Sure, you’re on the right road, so just follow it a little further. Turn uphill when it divides, and you’ll see it in no time.”

“Thank you. We’ll take two portions too, please. They smell wonderful.”

“Best in the country,” the man said proudly as he wrapped two fish in waxed paper and handed them to Elian, who leaned down to take them, putting a silver coin in the man’s hand.

“Here you go.” Elian passed one wrap to Kaia. She was wearing the coat Lucen had packed for her, and with the hood up to cover her ears and her tail hidden under the loose fabric, she had so far passed for human.

“Wow, he was right. This is so good,” she exclaimed after taking a big bite. “We should get more on the way back.”

“Definitely,” Elian agreed, nodding enthusiastically, mouth full.

Soon after, they approached what had to be the garrison. A wooden gate was blocking the road, and two young men in the same uniform as Elian were leaning against it.

“State your business,” one of them said, tapping his fist to his chest.

Immediately, Elian did the same; it still came naturally. He held up the envelopes Lucen had given him. It was time to see if they’d work.

“I have an urgent letter for Sergeant Eigon. It’s from Lieutenant Lucen.” He gave the guard both the letter and the false documentation. “Do you know where we can find him?”

The man barely looked at the papers, and the other guard opened the gate as he handed them back.

“He should be in the Officer’s Hall at this time of day. It’s the building with all the flags. Keep to your left, and you can’t miss it.”

“Much appreciated.” Elian tapped his fist to his chest again and nudged the horse forward. “Have a nice day.”

As they continued, Elian looked around. In some ways, this place was similar to the garrison where he’d grown up. Groups of children walked in straight lines, and the dull thud of swords hitting dummies echoed in the background. Still, somehow this place felt more open, and not just because it wasn’t fenced in. They passed more groups, led by a pair of elderly soldiers, when it finally hit him. Everybody here was more relaxed than he was used to. Especially the grown-ups.

“That must be it,” Kaia said, pointing ahead to a large building made of the same pale grey wood as the elven city. Five colorful flags lined its front. The red and golden one for Azinth, and then one for each of the magic elements.

They handed the reins of their horses to the uniformed teen standing outside, and got directions to Eigon’s office. The sergeant turned out to be a young man in his mid-twenties with a bush of curly brown hair and a sunny smile.

“Welcome,” he said, motioning for them to sit while he opened the letter from Lucen. One of his eyebrows rose higher the further he read. Elian watched him, holding his breath. What if he didn’t believe it? What if he recognized him? What if…?

“Wow,” Eigon said after a long pause, folding the letter neatly, tapping it to his chin. “That sure was news I wasn’t expecting. As far as the official news goes, the war against the bugs is a success, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re exterminated.”

He held the letter over a candle, turning it this way and that until it dissolved into blackened flakes.

“Unfortunately, we’re the ones about to get exterminated,” Elian said, and Kaia nodded. Her hood slipped down, revealing her ears, but Eigon just smiled at her.

“And we’re cooperating with the Lykar? About bloody time.”

“Our part of the world is threatened too,” she pointed out. “Everything is.”

“So… old Lucen, how is he, by the way? Haven’t seen him for a while?” He didn’t pause for an answer, but continued immediately. “So, he asked me to get you in touch with the elven scholars...”

“Yes, we hope they know something.”

“Hm… they’re not thrilled about letting foreigners into their precious library,” Eigon mused. “I think our best bet is to connect you with Elowen. She’s handling all trade between us and the elves in Thimruir, and I’m pretty sure she knows everything that goes on.”

“Sounds good. When can we meet her?”

Sergeant Eigon looked at the pile of papers on his desk, made a face, then quickly stood up.

“How about right now?”

*

They found Elowen at the harbour, overseeing crates of fresh fish being hauled ashore. She was a tall woman with waist-long silvery hair, and that pale beauty all elves were born with. Like all elves here, she wore a loose dress in pale blues and greens

While Eigon made the introductions, Elian couldn’t help but watch the boats. Large vessels were moored to the bridge, or out in the water with their blue sails matching the sky. Despite the bustling activity, the place was quiet and remarkably clean. It smelled like fish and salt and seaweed, and while not particularly pleasant, Elian couldn’t get enough of it. He was standing in a harbour, by the sea, with boats. And elves.

He almost had to pinch his arm to make sure it wasn’t just a dream.

Eigon excused himself, leaving them alone with Elowen, who watched Elian with a gentle, understanding smile.

“First time here? It can be a lot to take in.” She spoke flawless human, with a melodious lilt that made even the mundane words sound oddly captivating.

“It is,” he admitted, tearing his eyes from the boats.

“I need to head back to the city. Let’s talk while we walk.”

“Sure.”

The city was even more beautiful up close. The buildings were all built from the same wood, which over time had paled into various shades of grey. Ornate decorations in black or silvery metals adorned almost every corner or angle. Tall trees shaded most of the streets, and large pots overflowing with flowers stood between them. Elowen led them to a low building, and they took a seat in the small attached garden under the shade of a tree with bright orange autumn leaves.

She disappeared inside, and when she returned perhaps ten minutes later, she was accompanied by another young woman carrying a tray with a tall silver pitcher and matching cups. There was also a silver plate with dried fruits and pale yellow spiced biscuits. The second woman poured orange fruit juice for everyone, then left with a small bow.

Elowen smiled, motioning for them to help themselves, and Elian went for a biscuit. It was delicious, sweet with a little spice. He reached for one more.

“Now, please tell me what I can do for you,” the elf said, taking a delicate sip from her cup.

For the third time, they told the story, but didn’t go into quite as much detail, focusing mostly on the mysterious bug people and the ‘cycles’ they had mentioned.

“We think that perhaps this isn’t the first time the bugs have done this, but it happened so long ago nobody remembers,” Kaia finished. “And since Lucen recently met an elf who also mentioned cycles, we thought…”

“You’re not wrong,” Elowen said. “While I don’t recall any mentions of insect attacks in our records, we have records of mass disappearances in the past. Our own presence on this continent stems from one of those, but that was over a thousand winters ago.”

“I heard that elves live for so long that you’re practically immortal,” Elian said. Coming here had been the right call after all. “Was anyone here the last time it happened? Anything they remember would be very helpful, and if they can go to Azinth and…”

Smiling, Elowen raised an elegant hand to stop him.

“Indeed, we live longer than other species, but we’re hardly immortal. Your kind, and hers,” she turned to Kaia, “rarely make it to a hundred years. Dwarves easily reach the double, while we often reach five or six times that age.” She smiled again, smoothing down the front of her dress. “I myself am well into my third century, the way humans count the years.”

“But you look so young!” Elian blurted out, making the elf laugh softly.

“Another advantage of my race. But you’re not here to discuss elven biology, are you?”

“No. We need to know more about the bugs and how to stop them.”

“I can’t guarantee you we have any such knowledge, but I was never an enthusiastic student of olden texts. I much prefer interacting with the now living.”

“But, surely someone must know…”

“Let’s go to the Hall of Lore. Most of our ancient journals and records have been lost, but what we have is still more extensive than the humans’. If anyone can find what you’re seeking, it’s the historians working there.”

The elven library was situated inside the big dome they’d first seen, and it was just as spectacular on the inside. Walls were covered in shelves filled with books and scrolls, as well as paintings and ancient-looking maps. Desks with oil lamps and writing materials were spread out, and there were several nooks and crannies with comfortable sofas and chairs. Several elves were working silently or moving around the shelves, looking for special books.

Elowen took a look around, then moved toward one of the desks, where an elf was busy taking notes from an open book. A stack of others was piled neatly next to it.

“Master Lethen, sorry to disturb you. We have guests with urgent questions of a historical nature.”

“Really? I’ll be glad to help then.” Master Lethen turned from his book and blinked as he saw them. “A human and a Lykar, no less. This should be interesting.”

“We wanted to ask if you have any… um, journals about the bugs. If they’ve been here before…”

“I fear I must disappoint you there. I know of no such manuscripts.”

“Oh,” Elian said, his hope fading.

“New information suggests that the insect races may be preparing for a massive invasion, a thorough plundering of our lands. I thought there might be a connection to some of the past mass disappearances…”

“Hm, that gives us more to work with.” He put his quill down and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, many documents were lost in our move here, but there are references to the events that forced us to flee Elvenlandir.”

“There are other continents?” Elian asked. No map he’d ever seen had shown more than the one they were on.

“Indeed, four that we know of. As for the insects you asked about, it is our belief that they’re the dominant species on one of them.”

“That’s impossible,” Elian said. “I’ve gone through many of the buggers’ tunnels, and they’re not long enough to reach that far.”

“There’s clearly magic involved,” Lethen said. “Altering space in the tunnels to make them able to cover great distances.”

“Magic. They’re bugs, they can’t have…” He’d never thought they’d be able to speak either, or be as organized as they were… Perhaps…

“Probably on a more instinctual level than yours or our kind of magic, driven by hunger or other primal needs.”

“So you think it’s possible?”

“Absolutely. Nature is vast, both in beauty and cruelty. Which reminds me…” He led them to an enormous map, covering the wall close to the entrance, showing what Elian assumed were the four continents. “That’s Elvenlandir, where all elves used to live. About a thousand years ago, we were driven from there by what our historians called the ‘black and green plague’. According to the myths, this plague devoured land, beasts, and elvenkind alike, and in the end our only hope for survival was to flee on our boats, to cross the oceans in search of a new home.”

“Black and green?” Images of quickly moving beetles and crickets came to Elian’s mind, and a gasp told him Kaia had the same thought. “You think the ‘plague’ was actually the buggers? And now they’ve come to do the same to our world?”

“Biologically speaking, it’s not unprecedented. Some species move from area to area, depleting them, then returning when their resources have regrown.”

“So they might have done this before? Many times?”

“It’s possible. I can go through the relevant records more thoroughly tonight. If you come back tomorrow, we can discuss it further.”

“Thank you. Could you come to the court in Azinth to present your findings? If we’re right, we all need to work together to stop this from happening now.”

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

*

“That went… well, I suppose,” Elian mused as they rode back to the garrison. “Not what I was expecting, but…”

“It’s a clue. And even if it’s wrong, it seems as if the elves will be willing to join in the fight. We’ve gained an ally.”

They found Eigon outside, overseeing the sword practice, and they briefly told him what they’d found out. He nodded, seriously.

“We’ll just have to wait until tomorrow then,” he said. I’d offer you lodging, but given your… circumstances, perhaps you prefer camping out?”

“Yes, outside is better,” Kaia said quickly, and Elian nodded. Even though a hot bath and a bed were tempting, staying in the wild was the safer option.

They were interrupted by loud laughter and squealing, and Elian turned around to see what was going on.

“They seem to be having fun,” he said, moving a little closer to where some kids were standing in line, waiting to run up to a long patch of ice and slide along it on their bellies.

“Yeah, one of the older ice-mages came up with it. It’s a nice treat for them at the end of the day, and it’s good exercise too. Sometimes I’ve considered joining them.”

“It sure looks like fun.”

In fact, he and Lior had played like this. He looked closer at the young mage who was sitting close to the ice, keeping one hand on it. Stepping even closer, he squinted against the sun. This guy had neatly combed-back hair, and there was something familiar about the way he threw his head back, laughing.

Everything else faded into the background as Elian moved even closer. It couldn’t be. He knew that. Still, he kept going. The young mage turned his head, and their eyes met. He was older, but there was no doubt. It was him.

Lior.

Lior was alive.