Just then a voice spoke in her mind.
Eldana?
She recognized that voice. It was Kochob’s. She could not see him, but she knew he was the one.
How many are they? She asked back.
About thirty or so, Kochob replied we are trying to hold them off so Fraweyni can get the others to safety.
How are you doing this? Kochob asked after a pause. I can feel your mind. You are controlling them.
You are a good teacher? Eldana replied knowing this was not the whole truth. Her training was paying off, or perhaps it was the situation she found herself in that brought her spiked her powers.
So you becoming better than me that quick? She heard him asking. Without trying to discuss this point in a middle of fighting, she tried to get real answers.
Do you know why they are here? She thought was more important. Kochob did not answer immediately but when he did, she felt a slight nauseating feeling in her stomach.
Chaos is spreading. Chaos is spreading really fast.
She put an answer aside for later and focused back on the fight. Eldana’s orc was killed, and just before she could gain control of another mind, she heard a roar behind her. Years of training kicked in, and Eldana threw herself to the side. If she had stayed there a second longer, she would have been impaled. She groaned in pain and turned to face the orc, who looked at her with a spark in his eyes like she was an amusing prey. The orc had seen her from within the fray and had connected her actions, whatever it was, to the unusual behaviour a few of his kin was beginning to manifest. So, he snuck off into the cover of the woods and stole towards Eldana.
“I am Grib, son of Grab.” He growled. “Orcs are impervious to magic. But if your magic worked on some of us, it will not work on me. You will die.”
“This is not magic, you foul beast.” Eldana cussed and stabbed into Grib’s mind.
She was alarmed at the level of resistance she felt. Grib’s mind was fortified, as if by a wall. He smiled knowingly at her.
“The sons of Grab do not lie. You shall surely die.” He growled with excitement.
Just then, Eldana remembered what Kochob had said about protected minds. With all the strength in her, she raised a spike of earth from beside Grib. The quick movement of the earth beside him caused him to look. Intensifying the force of her mind, Eldana speared through his distracted defense. The last thing that flashed through his mind as he became hers was horror and regret. Eldana sent him stampeding back into the fight, and she watched as he immediately started lopping off heads. The orcs began to notice that they were not just fighting against the elves, but also themselves. Their numbers were beginning to dwindle with Eldana jumping from mind to mind when the body of the mind she controlled was struck down.
The orcs tried to beat a retreat, but the elves adroitly surrounded them, and soon not one orc was left standing. Eldana staggered, as she heard someone call her name from the group of elves standing over the fallen orcs. She thought it sounded like Siem. The orcs turned and caught sight of Eldana, her shirt soaked in blood. Eldana was suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion. Every part of her body complained; her mind clouded. She began to feel the air constrict like walls were sprouting from all around her and coming together to hem her in. Darkness began to eat up her vision, before it swallowed her whole.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Journey Continues
It was dark when Eldana came to back to her senses. Her eyes opened, and she stared at the flat roof of the infirmary. She heard movement to her side and tried to move. Sharp pain spiked from her ribs, causing her to hiss.
“She’s awake,” somebody said.
Immediately, Siem was there at her side.
“Hey,” she greeted, her eyes tearing with concern, and the hurt she felt for her friend. “How are you feeling?”
Eldana looked at Siem and smiled. “Well, I am not dead?” She replied. “Is everyone okay? Hermon?”
Siem nodded. “Everyone is okay. They are all here.”
Just then, Hermon, D’rmas, and Mikko edged into her vision. They had smiles on their faces. D’rmas inclusive. Eldana could not help but wonder how odd the smile made him look. She had seen him laugh. And that was the only way he expressed his excitement. But this was new.
“Wow. I must be dead. D’rmas has a smile on his face.” Eldana said, expressing her surprise.
D’rmas chuckled.
“The smile is not the only thing,” Hermon said. “This piece of rock here has softened. And it all happened when Siem began to give him massages.”
Eldana widened her eyes in surprise.
“Massages?” she asked looking at Siem. “How come I never knew of this!?”
Siem smiled.
“You were too busy with being of Balance and Chaos stuff.” She replied.
“Ah.” Eldana chuckled before a stab of pain ran up her side. “Ow.”
Mikko came closer. “You may very well be the future of Toas, Eldana,” he said. “There are talks, out there among the elves, that you controlled the minds of orcs. Is that true?”
“If I say yes, will you
