‘Indeed.’ Sipping his wine again, Tandarae seemed to be choosing his words carefully. ‘Had he not been so pre-eminent among the Circle, he might have suffered more harshly than . . . well, let’s say despite his vanities and eccentricities, the Regent Lord and the Meeting recognize a valuable resource.
‘They say Laromendis can create illusion so vivid that should his target be shown a knife plunging into his chest, his heart will stop as if the blade is real.’
‘So they say,’ replied the Demon Master noncommittally.
‘Such ability is rare, and I suspect that once our new home is built and we turn our attention to dealing with our neighbours, we will give more credit to those of you who’ve been . . . let’s say not properly recognized for the work you’ve done on our behalf.’ He put down his wine for a moment. ‘What do you think of these humans?’
‘We are more like them than we are like our kin in Elvandar,’ he replied flatly. ‘They wear their emotions on their faces like the shirts on their back, but they have very keen minds among them, and talents to rival our own. I saw just enough of their magic to conclude that these are people we need to respect, for they are as endless as the sand on the beach and we . . .’ He shrugged.
‘. . . are but a shadow of our former might. Yes, I know all of this too well,’ said the Lorekeeper.
‘There is one among them, by the name of Pug, who may be among the most puissant magic users I have encountered.’ He lowered his voice. ‘He claims to have been to the world housing the demon gate. He claims he can return.’
Tandarae looked stunned. ‘If that is true . . .’
‘I think it is. I think he can provide the proof that no one among the taredhel brought the demon wrath down upon us. It was simply bad fortune that exposed us to the Demon Legion. And, moreover, he claims to have the ability to close the gate for all time.’
‘Astonishing,’ said the Lorekeeper.
Gulamendis continued, ‘When we last spoke, I was uncertain of how to receive your comments, but now that I have been out and among the humans, our kin, and have even met a dwarf, I think nothing in our past can prepare us for this world. It is so different and holds many questions; with answers we may not entirely care to hear.
‘Yet, it is also a place of opportunity and, perhaps, even evolution to become even greater than before.’
‘What of this Queen?’
‘I think she is of the blood. I think her claim valid. You would be better able to judge, but there is something about her that speaks ... No, sings to your heart and mind. To see the Stars in their majesty, as they were before we fled to other worlds, to imagine what it must have been like here, at Home, when the world was young.’ He sighed. ‘Our kin in Elvandar are truly one with the land beneath their feet, which is something we have lost.’
‘Those in Elvandar are more like we once were than any among people now,’ began the Lorekeeper. ‘We named the finest among them rulers, partially in secret defiance of the . . . Ancient Ones, but also to honour them as being more closely linked to the magic of this world. They were the grove guardians, the protectors of the Stars. Some among the fleeing eldar even venerated them.’ He finished his wine. ‘The reason they chose to remain was to avoid relinquishing their responsibility towards the sacred trees.
‘I’m pleased to see they have endured.’ He stood up and said, ‘I intercepted the report that said you were approaching from the hills so that we might have this chat before you report to the Regent Lord. But we have tarried long enough. I’ll escort you so there’s no further delay. Is there anything else you need to tell me before we see our lord and master?’
Gulamendis stood. He had been weighing the possibility that he had found an ally in Tandarae, or if the Lorekeeper saw him only as a usable tool or weapon. He judged it time to test that. ‘One thing. The Queen’s Consort will be arriving in three days to speak with the Regent Lord.’
Tandarae’s expression revealed volumes, is he coming to establish a claim?’
‘This Queen has no desire for sovereignty. She will affirm we are a free people. No, it’s something else.’
‘What?’
‘Her Consort wears the armour of the Ancients.’
Tandarae’s concern deepened visibly. ‘That is both odd and disturbing. A likeness or an artefact?’
‘More than an artefact,’ said the Demon Master, perversely beginning to enjoy the mounting discomfort in the Lorekeeper. He might trust the elf, but that didn’t mean he had to like him.
‘More?’ Tandarae’s eyes narrowed.
‘Her Consort is named Tomas; he is Warleader of Elvandar. He is Valheru.’
Tandarae was visibly shaken. ‘How can this be?’ he whispered. ‘If the Ancients still ruled, we would have been greeted by fire and sword; the humans, dwarves, goblins, all would have been obliterated.’
‘There is much to explain,’ said Gulamendis. ‘He is Valheru and he is human, and I only know part of his story, but when he arrives, you will see without a doubt that he is a Dragon Lord.’