The Colorless Land

Chapter 22: Puppets and Puppeteers

"So this is what it's all about," King Kelmond said to the prisoners, pacing back and forth in front of them. "You plan to undo this magic. You plan to let it go to waste."

"Nothing goes to waste," Lisha replied in annoyance. "The magic of the pendants is fundamentally evil."

"And yet," answered the king, "I recall a certain someone telling me good things can be used for evil, and some evils can be used for good."

Lisha fixed his gaze, her expression that of an old teacher scolding a disobedient boy. "This is different," she said. "The magic of the Free Will pendant can be used for nothing other than oppression and tyranny."

"I will gladly oppress those who would do the same to my people!"

"That's still a war crime," Saryana remarked under her breath, but the king ignored her.

"Are you sure you can use it, Your Highness?"

They all blinked. The one who had spoken was Evariel of all people.

"This is the free will of an entire people, isn't it?" he asked. "What one will could be strong enough to control that?"

The king narrowed his eyes. "Are you mocking me, elf?"

"No, I suspect he may be right," Lisha answered. "I have never seen such magic used on free will before, but free will, by definition, hates to be controlled. Sooner or later it would control you. That says nothing about your willpower, Kelmond." She over-enunciated the rude form of address, making the guards wince. "No one will—not human, not elvish or dwarvish, not even divine—can hold against that of many thousand."

Kelmond was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed.

"But to send it out on such a search," he said, "it is madness. You will play it right back into the Colorless' hands."

"Do you have a better idea?" Evariel shouted back.

"Anything would be a better idea than searching for a myth while the Colorless are roaming the lands! You may be safe here, or in Elodia or Jadiria or the elf-cities." The king waved a dismissive hand. "But what will you do if your search leads you into the Snowy Mountains? What will you do if it leads into Colorless territory? Will you have this boy, this will-less puppet"—he gestured furiously at Edmian—"use the power of the pendant to keep them at bay?"

Edmian lifted his head. "I can try."

"You? The weakest will of all? Don't make me laugh!" The king's voice was harsh and cold, and he shrank back. "We must stop this. At least for safekeeping, the pendant goes to the Kingdom of Firland."

Marching towards Edmian, he extended a hand, ready to snatch it from his collar when Theor stepped in. "Wait, my lord," he said. "It may be dangerous. I beg of you, let me take it, at least until we know the risks."

Something gleamed in his eyes, something cold and blue, similar to the light that reflected in Edmian's eyes when he spoke of the pendant. Jolette pulled and tore desperately at the shackles around her hands and feet. But the metal was stronger than her. There was nothing she could do except pull and struggle and curse under her breath.

"Don't take it!" she shouted. "Don't take it, you bastards!"

"Don't take it, my lords," Aithal joined in. "It will do you no good, and others it'll do even worse."

"Or the contrary," Theor answered, his eyes still glowing faintly. "It can do us so much good that only a traitor would leave it around this boy's neck."

With that he unclasped the chain and lifted the pendant high up in the air.

Edmian gave a shout and struggled, then he abruptly went still. The blue light reflected in his eyes. Then they grew dull, and his face molded into a blank, soulless mask.