– Your tea, please. You can drink it.
– Right away? Shouldn't it be allowed to brew?
– No, no need. This is not a simple tea, but a magic one. Just drink carefully, – he interrupted the girl, who was beginning to raise the cup to her lips – it's still very hot. Oks smiled strangely. Alice blew on the surface of the water in a mug. The pleasant smell of unknown herbs immediately pleased her and she took a few small sips. And despite the fact she always drank tea with sugar, it seemed to her just amazing taste even without it. After the next two or three sips, Alice even didn`t notice that she fell asleep right at the table.
Chapter 4
Ikru ran as fast as she could. The shocked residents of the forest kingdom, whom she passed like a gust of wind, had never seen her so worried. If the usual walking distance from her home to the castle of the lord of the forest kingdom Tonnord, took about fifteen minutes, she covered that distance in less than five.
Shortly she was detected by the watchers from the towers. The head of the guard, and her good friend Nill, immediately mentally contacted her.
– Ikru, what's wrong?
– Nill, open the gate quickly, I need to see Tonnord! It's urgent!
– He won't be able to see you right now. He has a meeting with Bronton.
– The fate of our world depends on this information!!! Open it quickly, before I blow them to hell!
Nill didn't answer, but when she was almost at the gate, Ikru saw the doors open. Quickly passing through a small glade, she was running up the narrow spiral staircase that skirted the Great Oak of the forest kingdom. The conference room was located just below the throne room. Here Tonnord always welcomed high-ranking guests from other kingdoms, with whom the elves have keeping friendly relations. The large room, with a beautifully carved table and chairs in the center, was decorated with tapestries of the deceased lords of the forest kingdom. Almost all of them died in battles, which came like a wave in the country, after the capture of Arakel. The calm and measured conversation between Tonnord and the dwarf king Bronton, was interrupted by the sudden crash of the door, which is almost flew off from the hinges.
– Lord Tonnord, I beg you, listen to me in the name of the Creator! – The elf exclaimed, and fell to her knees right in front of the entrance.
Tall and strong elf, in shining armor of the best Elven craftsmanship, got up from the table and unhurriedly went to the Ikru, saying:
– Stand up, my dear. The elves don't fall to the knees before their fellows, especially since you are the Seer of our kingdom. And if you came here with such a ruckus, it means you have something to tell us.
– The Keeper… Appeared… in our world… – she gasped.
Tonnord and Bronton eyes become widened. The Elven Lord continued:
– Please have a seat at the table my dear and tell me and king Bronton what exactly you saw. Did you see Lisa in your visions?
– No, my Lord. Lisa is dead – Ikru said, and after a short pause she continued – Her granddaughter, Alice, is now a guardian. She was at the sleeping Ont. I saw the box with the wings in her hands.
– Really? What a unfortunate turn of events. Where is she now?
– The visions showed me her in Izemburn. She was with Oks.
– With Oks? This is very strange. I saw him a couple of days ago. He said he was going to King Grifgerd in the Preeosted, and then go back to his forest. In our area there are no secret trails like in Izemburn, he couldn`t make this journey so quickly.
– Maybe it wasn't Oks – Bronton supposed.
– Maybe. But I really hope it was he but not someone else. Anyway, it's all very strange and there's no point for guessing. We don't have enough information. We need to find out where is he now.
Tonnord closed his eyes and mentally connected with the commander-in-chief of the entire Elven garrison:
“Tagrin, are you hear me?”
“Yes, Tonnord.”
“Tagrin, we need to know where is Oks now. Send three of our trackers. One to the Preeosted. One to the Izemburn. One to the Gragos. As soon as you will know something, let me know."
“Yes, my Lord.”
Tonnord continued aloud:
– I've sent three of our trackers. To the Preeosted, to the Izemburn and in your kingdom Bronton, into the Gragos. In case if Oks suddenly decided to visit the mountain people. But I know for sure he wasn't going to. He had an important conversation with king Grifgerd. Ikru, – he said to the seer – please stay in the castle. Take the best room as you want. Try to see all of the Alice's movements and all of the news please report back to me right away. Go now Ikru.
– Yes, my Lord – said Ikru, and left.
– What are you thinking about, Bronton?
– That fact the guardian and the key have returned to our world is certainly good. But I wouldn't want to waste my time with a hope, which can fade as quickly as appeared. The girl, even she granddaughter of the previous guardian, does not know how to use her power. And now she's an easy target. If she won`t be protected in time, the key might be in the hands of the swamp trolls. And then will fall into the hands of black magicians… and everything we have fought for, for so many years will turn to dust! And our world will be plunged into the darkness forever.
– Don't think so negative, Bronton. So far, only three people know about it – you, me, and Ikru. Perhaps I needn't worry, and Oks actually met the guardian so quickly. Then he will bring her to Afleeakwein, because only here we will be able to teach her the magic of a keeper.
Chapter 5
Alice woke up because of terrible cold piercing her bones. When she opened her eyes, she expected to see herself at the table and a nice old man somewhere nearby, but the reality was completely different. She was sitting alone, on a wet rotten stump, her hands was on the small tree trunk, which was broken at the base. It was deep at the night. The wonderful warm weather suddenly changed to terrible cold of the deep night with a bone-chilling north wind. It was look like no house and old man had ever been in this place. Strange noises came from all directions. Crackles, groans, howls. Alice was afraid. And even before the thought had come to mind, her hands were already convulsively searching her pockets. “The box! Oh, my God, where is it?” After searching herself from head to toe, she realized the box was missing. Then she fell to her knees and started look for it on the ground, trying to find the box in the darkness of a cold night. But soon, after replaying all the recent events in her head and realizing what had happened, Alice sat down under the tree hugged her knees with her hands and began to cry bitterly.
– Oh, what a bastard you are… damn little thief… d-d-drugged me and robbed me… Oh, my God! – She sobbed – Grandmother, forgive me for being a fool… I failed you… If you can hear me, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…
Perhaps Alice would have sit here all night, grieving and blaming herself for everything, but after a while she began to hear more and more clearly the crunching of dry branches and someone's unkind growl. Whatever it was, or whoever it was, she didn't want to meet him. Alice looked out from the tree. A few pairs of small points of light were a little way away from her. “Wolves!” – The first thought flashed – Are they going to eat me? No way, bastards! Ok, so catch me up first. I'll run until I die! And if I`ll live, I'll find that damned grandfather and strangle him with my own hands! – whispered Alice, and ran as fast as she could. She could barely to see the trunks of the trees in the pitch-blackness, and almost at the last moment she was run around them. She knew if she face into something, tripped and fell down, it will be her last race. The chase was right behind her. Alice knew that she would not be able to run indefinitely in this pace and shortly will run out of breath. The thought flashed in her mind, “What if I climb up some tree, climb higher”, but almost immediately she dismissed it, because in such darkness it would take a lot of time to find a tree like that, and she didn`t have even five seconds.
Just as Alice began to choke, she heard someone else was running on her left side. In the beginning she couldn't figure out who it was by the sound. But the sound very quickly approached and intensified. “Oh my God! It's a horse! Maybe a rider? Can I get some help?” When the rider was almost at the same level with Alice, she heard:
– Kalan tol ana anim!!
A bright white light flashed in the rider's right hand and Alice could see that the rider was a graceful young elf with long golden hair and bright blue eyes. With a quick movement, the elf placed a bright glowing ball in a transparent flask, which was woven into the mane of his horse, then held out his hand to Alice and shouted:
– Give me your hand! Quickly!
As soon as the girl reached her hand, the elf threw her into the saddle in front of him with a slight tug, as if she weighed nothing at all. Then he tore off the flask with the shining light in it, whispered something into its base, turned around and sharply threw it back. A loud bang, and then a bright flash light up the dark forest. The chase fell behind.
***
They rode in silence for a while. Alice turned back from time to time, to make sure that there was no pursuit. But in reality, she just looked into the elf`s face who had saved her life. He had proper facial features, deep blue eyes and golden hair falling to his shoulders… For the first time in her life, Alice saw a live elf in front of her. She had never thought that a person could be so beautiful. Those guys she'd met in her life were nothing to compare with this Elven beauty. His flamboyant appearance, his knowledge of magic, and the fact that he saved her life played a key role – she liked him madly.
– Don't worry, they haven't been following us for a long time.
Alice just took a deep breath in response.
– Are you okay?"
– Well… – the girl said slowly – I scratched my face by some shrubs while I was running and tore my jacket. The rest… yeah, I`m okay. Thank you so much for saving me from them! I'm not going to be anyone's dinner tonight.
– Hmm. That's for sure. What's your name?
– Alice. And you?
– Enilice. And how did you appear in Izemburn? Where are you from?
– Izemburn? – Alice re-asked.
– Yes. Izemburn is the name of this forest.
Without directly answering the question, Alice asked:
– If we're no longer being chased by those beasts, can you make a stop for a while? I'm not comfortable to talk while we are gallop and I'd like to inspect my face, I think I'm bleeding from my cheek.
Enilice stopped his horse and dismounted.
– Actually, we shouldn't stop. Night in Izemburn is not a good time to rest. We need to leave it as soon as possible and go out into the Plains.
Without saying anything in response, Alice took out a small makeup bag from the inside pocket of her jacket. She wiped her cheek with a napkin and taped it up with a band-aid, keep looking to the Enilice from time to time, who was standing in front of her. As she put her makeup bag back in her inside pocket, she threw her view at the old pepper spray in it and thought: “Maybe I'll need it again”, and said:
– You know Enilice, it doesn't really matter how I got here. What's more important now is to find that sneaky old scoundrel and take back the thing he stole from me!
Slightly straightening up and pushing his chest forward the elf asked in surprise:
– Who are you talking about? Did you meet someone here?
– Yes, damn it, I did! – She answered angrily – He drugged me with sleeping drink and robbed me. And then he left me alone in the middle of the night, in this dark forest!
– Hmm… Interesting… What is the old man? Can you describe it to me?
– Well… Quite small in stature… At my five-foot-six, he was about chest-high. He had a long gray beard which is almost reached his knees. Big hat. He also smoked a long pipe all the time.
– Did he say his name?
– Yes, he said his name is Oks.
Enilice`s eyes become widened. He was one of the three trackers lord Tonnord had ordered to sent out to find the location of Oks.
– There's something wrong. I don't understand. That's crazy.
– What are you talking about? You don't believe me?
– A few hours ago, we received an order from Afleeakwein from our commander in chief. The essence of the order was to find the location of this particular old man Oks. I don't know why. I'm a good tracker and I know Izemburn good enough, so they chose me. We have a small outpost in the Plains, not so far from here. It`s about a couple of hours away. From there I moved to Izemburn and started to look for him in places where he was most often. He constantly moves around the forest, checking it. Putting things in order. Heals sick trees, helps to grow the young one. But I didn't find Oks. More precisely, the noise of the chase distracted me. So I found a girl escaping from a pack of hungry Wargs. Enilice smiled.
– Pack of hungry what? Wargs? So they weren't wolves?
– They were wolves once. But because of the effects of dark magic on them, they mutated. They are much larger, hardier, and stronger than normal wolves. We call them Wargs.
– I see. I'm sorry for interrupt.
– So, Oks is the guardian of the Ont forest. He is a very good old man, never offends anyone. Well, unless only those who “offend” his forest. And it's difficult to imagine he could steal something from someone! He doesn't need anything. Trees, shrubs, flowers, grass – this is his treasure. He doesn't care about people's trinkets.
– That's exactly what he said: “It's either just a trinket or it might be sell dearly!” Damn him!
– Sell??? What exactly did he steal from you?
Alice was afraid to tell the truth, but she decided to tell it, because she thought it wouldn`t make it worse. The elf saved her life and maybe he will help her find the thief and the stolen item. She understood in this completely new world for her, she won`t be able to handle anything without help. Trying to be not a verbose, but at the same time to convey the essence, Alice told Enilice about her grandmother, her fairy tales about Arakel when she was a child, and hopelessly lost, as it seemed to her now, the box with the key.
– In the name of the Creator! You're the new Keeper – Enilice said, thought for a moment, and then suddenly continued – We urgently need to leave Izemburn! I have to report everything to Afleeakwein, but I can't do that in this forest, because there is a very ancient and powerful magic in it. It silences the elven telepathy. And one more thing. It wasn't Oks!
–So, who was that??? – Alice asked, surprised.
– Doppelganger. Doppelgangers are the result of magical experiments with the trolls by Dark Magicians. As a result, they received magical creatures that can take on any appearance, people or animals, and they are also able to cast illusory magic on their enemies. But as a result of the same dark magic, they became stupid. But they weren't very smart, anyway. Everything what they want from life is money and pleasure. They exist only for the sake of it. So when you mentioned he said “to sell it dearly”, I knew that right away. And I know where he's going.
– Where?
– In Pleepmorr. This is a very bad place. But we`ll talk about it later. And by the way, everything you saw – a house in the woods, a table, chairs, candles, delicious tea – it was an illusion. The map was probably real. All over Araklia you can buy the map like that. The drink was real, too. But it wasn't tea, it was “mune”. A good sleeping drink. Don't worry, it's really herb-based, harmless. But the taste and smell of the fragrant flowers were an illusion.
– It's crazy – Alice drawled – Enilice, I'm sorry. I don't want to ask you too many questions because I don't wanna look like a fool, but I'm completely confused. Tell me, do you know what that key was for?