“What next” Siem tried to break the silence. “I am not sure,” Eldana started “If you knew, everything is fabricated, would you stick to it? The chaos, the hundred-year cycles? Everything? I mean Camin and Lowus had killed so many just to keep their lie alive. What would you do if you figured that out?”
“I would go berserker.” Hermon added, looking desperately around for a smile of his double pun. He could not find one. Just a serious answer from D’rmas.
“I would.” He seemed to strike a nerve with this answer, everyone around him started to nod.
Fraweyni came to visit Eldana and found the group in deep thoughts in front of her.
“We go back to Ciroc.”
“We’ve had enough interaction with the rest of the world.” She added. “I need peace. The elves need peace. Our place is right where we started. In the forests of Ciroc.”
“I will miss you,” Eldana told her.
Fraweyni smiled.
“You and your friends are no strangers to the elves. For a fact, our songs will carry your names. You all are always welcome amongst us. Always.”
“What happened to Camin and Lowus?” Eldana looked at Fraweyni trying to read what she was thinking. But this time, she did not let her in.
“Well, they vanished after your surge of power.” It will be a lot harder to kill you now.” Fraweyni smiled.
Eldana had a thousand more questions, but she left it there. There where gone, for now.
Hermon and Meko excused themselves from the rest of the company to go have a heart to heart about what they felt for each other. Siem had seen them leave and could not help the smile that appeared on her face. She had never expected that her friend would fall in love with an elf. And a very beautiful one at that. Strong, and excellent.
They will make a good pair, Siem thought. Until the elves left, and Eldana and her friends found themselves back on a track to the Middle Kingdom.
“I could not believe that you would leave her, and come with us,” Siem said looking at Hermon.
“You’re talking to me?” Hermon asked.
“Of course, I’m talking to you,” Siem replied. “Wasn’t I staring at you?”
Hermon shifted in discomfort.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Hermon denied.
“Oh, please, Hermon,” Eldana moaned. “Quit with the denial. It’s not a bad thing if you’re in love with an elf.”
D’rmas and Mikko roared with laughter. Hermon’s cheeks grew a bit red.
“But seriously,” Eldana said. “I’m happy for you, for you both.”
“You know,” Mikko said, sitting up and a mischievous grin growing on his face, “I’m wondering what kind of babies the…”
“Mikko!” Eldana, Siem, and Hermon chorused.
The last time they had been to the Middle, they had run out of it with their hearts in their mouths. The King had just tried to apprehend Eldana. Lord Taboon had tried to capture Siem and Mikko, and Hermon had acquired D’rmas services through a brawl. As they went through the gates, they felt absurdly different.
The walls of the city were chipped in places. There were scorch marks on walls and buildings. Some of the buildings they had passed were in shambles. Some of them were undergoing repairs.
“A battle happened here,” Eldana noticed.
“Yeah,” D’rmas said. “Following the wave of destruction, I’ll say that the battle had ranged well through these gates and into the inner sector. But some parts of the structures are still standing, so my verdict is that the enemy soldiers beat the kingdom into a retreat. The kingdom soldiers were fighting furiously in return. They had been beaten into the inner sector where they made their last defense and succeeded in repelling the forces.”
“Excellent analysis,” Mikko chipped in as soon as D’rmas was done. “I should call you for a contribution to this text I plan on writing on war schemes and strategies.”
D’rmas chuckled. “I’m always at your service, dear friend,” he said.
“You know what?” Hermon asked all of a sudden.
“Techle,” Eldana said.
“How did you know that was what was in my mind?’ Hermon asked, looking surprised.
“You forget that our dear friend has become a telepath,” Mikko replied.
“Come on, no,” Eldana protested. “I did not need to read his mind. I was thinking about the same thing too. Techle helped us before we left here. Wow, it feels like years ago.”
“Exactly,” Siem said. “Perhaps after our intended tour of telling the people the truth, and our visit to the king, we’ll go find him?”
“Well said,” D’rmas replied. “There’s no place I would rather spend the night.”
The welcome that the group of friends received was unprecedented. As their caravan cruised through the streets, people began to pour out from the buildings to come meet them. Eldana was nothing short of surprised. She had not expected that the people of Middle Kingdom would accept her again, much less celebrate her. Not after she had abandoned her perceived duty at the time and run away; in the process releasing chaos into the world and exposing them to it. But here she was. Here they all were. Being called heroes. Their names took up most of the chants and songs that the people released. She did not understand it. The only explanation would be that the news is spreading like wildfire that there will be no more looming chaos every one-hundred years. Only two very old beings of Balance and Chaos that need to be fought. She had expected fear in the people, but everyone seemed released and happy.
Mikko whistled.
“I was not expecting this at all,” he said.
“Same here,” Siem said, as she looked across the crowd with wide eyes.
Their excitement was so lavish, that she could not help but have the funny thought that the people would not have enough excitement for themselves after this. The people dubbed Eldana and her friends the heroes and saviors of Toas.
“Do you hear that?” Hermon yelled so he could be heard above the roar of praise.
“What?”
