Black Blood

-B2- Chapter 10

Killing the elf king will not be an easy task. No one ever said killing someone was simple. It is not just sticking a knife between someone's ribs and we move on. It is a long process that requires more talking and research than you might think.

Walmoet is a case in point. I know the man, have a history with him and it's clear we don't have a good relationship. I don't like him, he doesn't like me.

The three-day drive is the time I took to come up with a plan. I can't say my plan is completely complete yet but the basics are in place. One thing is certain and that is that Novak is going to be anything but happy with my plan.

The cover for our visit is simple, we are going to visit Alisha. I am not sure she will welcome us with open arms. The promise I had made to write to her I have not kept. I ignored her letters purely because I did not know what to say. The lady saved my life and what do I do with that second chance? Killing 100 people. She will disagree with my life choice and she has every right to do so.

I also don't know how much Walmoet will welcome me with open arms but that is something that will resolve itself. It will be a long visit and one that will not go unnoticed.

Elenor is aware of part of our goal and plan. She knows that 100 people have to be killed, that I have to do it and that it is important for the people. Her knowledge of who I am, what my title is and where my magic comes from is absent. My titles as princess and night rider are covered up for now. They are dangerous titles that cost me my head rather than bring me glory these days. Elenor reminds me of myself from a year ago. Modest, sweet and anxious. Slowly, she begins to crawl out of her shell, telling more and asking questions.

'When I was younger, I went to Melonde. Me and my sister bought our first dog there, Dio we had named him. He was a sweet animal, loyal and friendly to everyone,' she says dreamily as we move further along the bumpy forest path.

'I didn't go to Melonde very often. It was too close to royalty,' Novak says with a laugh as he glances my way with a slanted eye.

'And you Celeste?' asks Elenor interestedly. I think back to my childhood, the time I often enough visited the neighbouring town with my mother and Elien. It always took much longer than planned because my mother would chat with everyone. The amount of sweets I got from residents worried my mother at times. I came with nothing and returned home with bags full. The short visits, which were not exactly short, were one of my favourite. I smile small at that memory.

'When I was younger I used to come there sometimes,' I reply.

'I often miss Flora. She always had good advice. She really took over my mother's role after she died,' Elenor goes on to talk about her sister. The name Flora did come up many times in her stories and I always wondered where her sister went. However, I never found the decency to ask about it, until now.

'Where is she now?' I ask as I let my eye slide over the dozens of trees.

'With the gods. She died of riosis five years ago.'  Her stories bring back memories I had forgotten. Riosis is the most deadly and contagious disease among mages. How people fall en masse under the plague we have riosis.

The disease that splashes off from misused spells strikes your lifelines, eats away at them within days, corrodes your blood it eventually kills you after a week. Once in a while there is an outbreak that causes hundreds of deaths. It spreads through the air so keeping yourself from it is almost impossible. There is no antidote or medicine and is only visible on the last day. The moment the blood runs out through your nose, eyes and skin is the moment you have a single hour to live.

Five years ago, there was an immense outbreak. All doors, windows and gates of the castle were closed for weeks. Fresh air was deadly. If you even thought of opening a window you were locked in a room and never got out.

People say my mother died of riosis but I still doubt it every day. Although the symptoms she had and the speed at which she died are similar, there was no riosis at that time. No one else contracted it around the time of her death, there was no outbreak. My mother's death is a riddle I may never get solved.

I shuffle the bad memories to where they were hidden and realise something. Riosis is only something mages can get.

'Was your sister a mage?' I ask in surprise. For the past few days, I have been under the assumption that Elenor is human. She has not for a single moment given reason to believe otherwise. Me question, therefore, clearly awakens discomfort in her. She lets her eyes roam over the forest and does not answer my question for several seconds.

'Yes,' she merely replies and continues to look the other way.

'Look ladies, the village,' I turn my head forward and see the familiar cottages appear among the trees. I make a mental note to ask about this later. Elenor's origins are as much a mystery to me as my origins are to her. Only I am determined to decipher that riddle.

I look at the familiar white stone and wooden cottages. At first glance, little seems to have changed in recent months. The houses look the same, the white paths are still there and here and there I even see a familiar face as soon as we enter the village. Elves don't like visitors, that became very clear to me last time. Consequently, the looks that are sent our way are not all friendly. It is not long before the first guard comes walking in our direction. I don't recognise the young man and so he doesn't recognise me either.

'What are you doing here?' he asks without any form of greeting. In the corner of my eye, I see Elenor looking around anxiously.

'Good day, we have come to visit Alisha Vervan,' Novak replies before I can say anything.

'Is she aware of your arrival?' the guard asks further. The sword he carries in his hand is moved to his other hand.

'Names?' he asks further. His static gaze has not changed for a second in the time we have been standing here.

'Celeste von Dira, Novak Verleer and Elenor...', I answer before Novak can say anything. That's the moment I realise I don't know Elenor's last name. That's also the moment the man's face leaves. I could have lied about my name but Walmoet would have seen it at first sight anyway. I look Elenor her way to ask for an answer to her missing surname

'Monte, Elenor Monte,' she replies. The youngster nods slowly. He hesitates, it can be seen from everything. His eyebrows shooting up and down, his eyes sliding from us to his heavily and his tense posture.

'Follow me,' he finally says, turns and starts walking into the village. Our horses get moving again, walking into the village. Having worked here for a month, I know my way by now. I realise almost immediately that the boy is not leading us to Alisha's house but to the temple. My reunion with Walmoet will be earlier than planned, though I was prepared for this.