Oracus: The Lavorian Rider

Sixteen - Elnir's Confession

Garrin found himself thinking with prolonged concern about his friend. Oracus had only trained for a few weeks before leaving Afarra and Garrin was worried he wasn't ready for the dangers that awaited in Pharia. There was the Black Forest to the far south, the Grevlors and Lisors in the Eastern Mountains, several of the King's cities throughout the land which were full of soldiers, the Riders under the King's command, and of course, the King himself. Pharia was a perilous place these days, and with only Kivali and Quent accompanying Oracus and Bandor, Garrin was worried about their wellbeing.

Garrin shook himself out of his reverie and focused on the task at hand. He was sat in the council room with Torvanon and Horvos, along with Elnir, the white-haired storyteller from Thessley.

"I have never told a soul, but I think it is time I did," Elnir was saying, his eyes wide and his old hands shaking apprehensively. "You need to understand I am telling you this because I want to help."

Torvanon had his fingers interlaced under his bushy orange beard. "Please tell us what you know," he said calmly.

"Well, I was born in Melzor, the King's city, and I lived there for many years," Elnir started. "When I was eighteen, I was offered a job as one of King Amarad's guards. At first, I guarded the city gates and patrolled Melzor's streets, but I soon earned my place as a sentinel in the palace corridors."

"I was also one of King Amarad's guards." Torvanon stated, looking curiously at Elnir. "But I don't remember you."

"Yet I remember you," Elnir replied. "And that is because you look the same as you did sixty years ago. However, I am not a Rider, so time has aged me, and I have become old and withered."

"But I do not recognise your name either," Torvanon expressed.

"Ah, well," Elnir sighed. "That is because Elnir is not the name I used to own. I'm sure you would remember me if I mentioned the name Fluzal to you."

Torvanon's eyes widened in memory. "That name I do remember, yes."

"I changed my name so I could try and forget my dreadful past," Elnir explained. "When you left the city, Torvanon, most of the King's guards and soldiers left with you. But being young and foolish, I stayed for a part in Jowra's domination. For several years, Jowra travelled with Wravias and took control of cities and villages all over Pharia while I stayed and controlled the people of Melzor in his absence, feeding my hunger for power. During those years, Jowra became obsessed with Lavorians. If he wasn't brainwashing innocent villagers or building his army, he was researching Lavorians in old books and texts he had found in libraries throughout the land." Elnir rubbed his aged hands together slowly. "To my surprise, he returned from his travels one day and presented me with an Orbular. "A gift from your King" he told me, and it was the greatest moment of my life when that Orbular broke open. My Lavorian was a Boar; Suidae I called her. She was a beautiful creature and I loved her very much – more than anything I have loved before. And as a Rider, I gained the power of telepathy; I could read the minds of anyone around me. Jowra was thrilled when he found out, he was so pleased. But I stupidly misunderstood his pleasure. I thought he was happy with me, but it was my power that he cherished. Because of my power, he knew the thoughts of everyone we encountered, and those who secretly opposed his regime were killed for their treachery. I hate to think about it now, but I was the cause of so much death. And I was naïve to believe that my position beside Jowra would last forever." At this point, the old man's voice began to break, and he coughed before he continued. "The King's reliance on me was a heavy burden for him. I had a power he so desperately craved for himself, and he couldn't stop me from seeing his thoughts either. Incredibly, he didn't know what his own power was, even several years after becoming a Rider. No matter what he tried, he just couldn't discover it, and none of his texts or books gave him an answer. He became frustrated and helpless, and relied more and more on my power to maintain his reign." Elnir then rapped a knuckle on the table. "But in the end, his luck changed, and my world came crashing down at the same time. During an excursion to the mountains in the east, he encountered another Rider and killed him. Within a day, he returned to Melzor with a happiness in him I had never seen before. He had learned that by murdering other Riders, he would inherit their powers, and that meant there was no limit to how strong he could become."