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Simurg	By : Cynthermes Category: A through F > The Cronnex Series Views: 1283 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: The Cronnex and its characters is explicitly owned by Trewin Greenaway and no profit has been made out of this fiction.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
“How dare you presume my lord’s name, Totemican!” Wyrtgeorn hissed in the forked tongue, which Pali was unable to understand. But the brunet lad held out a hand to silence the dragon and the ancient creature hastily obeyed.
“You are mistaken for my name is Cinder. How are you able to climb such a tree of great height and in that state?” The brunet lad gestured at his bare skin.
Now the eagle-spawn was more baffled to hear the lad speak in human language, particularly the language of the old kingdom. “I’m Pali. I shape change into an eagle due to my blood origins. My wing was injured and I barely managed to perch here.”
The godling noticed the nasty burn on the man’s forearm. “But I’ve never known a human that can change into a firebird.” They exchanged glances but still Cind’rikh didn’t recognize him, which was always the case when someone who knew ‘Niccas or Jessan’ saw him.
But it was a very precarious matter if a mortal were to see his transformation. He was so far away, how come this man was able to witness the metamorphosis? The godling reached out his hand towards the burn that quickly healed and spoke in a bronze ethereal voice, “You will speak nothing of this to anyone. Now fly back to where you came from.”
Immediately, Pali’s eyes became glazed over. In a trance he shifted into his eagle form and flew away.
“Now, let’s head for the mines.” Ra’asiel’s consort commanded and the dragon chuckled despite himself.
Even with the presence of the king, the Order denied them to speak with the Grand Master of Alchemy. The lower-ranked members pleaded for the king’s leave. They told him that the Grand Alchemist was ‘toiling with the earth’ and closed the door before the king’s ‘glamour’ could affect them.
“That I’ve been wondering a lot for now. Don’t you find it strange that the Daughters and the Order are lying low at a time like this? I’ve always thought that it was Elyn they were after when they detained and killed Fei. Now I’m thinking about other motives.” Miermi pondered aloud when they were having supper in the grand table.
“Yes, we could be missing something important. As you have said, upon your arrival they suddenly went lax and didn’t bother to recapture you.” The king agreed, nodding. He was more preoccupied with their discussion than the sumptuous meal the cooks prepared, Miermi noticed.
“If Fei’s use was merely a hostage to flush us out, then shouldn’t they have placed more effort on us that night you bumped into Cinder and Elyn?” The elven man’s appetite was matching the king’s mood by the minute. It wasn’t easy to handle matters in a detached fashion especially when people personally related to them were involved.
The king pursed his lips and appeared to chew on anything but the food on the table. It was the location of Fei’s mangled body. Could the enemy possibly be warning them not to traverse the tunnel? Opening it for public transport was obviously out of the question. It had been recently sealed to keep the demons away as proposed by a certain priest while Caelas was ill with sleep.
But now his gut was telling him something about the tunnel. He had never been there himself to confirm if it really led straight to Visfern. What if the tunnel had another use? What if it was connected to some other place?
“Your Highness, you’ve gone awfully quiet. Is there something wrong?” That most beautiful face of a man interrupted his musings. It somehow disturbed him that Miermi looked younger than him though their ages were the contrary.
“Master Miermi, do you mind telling me about the underground tunnel? Does it really lead straight to Visfern?” The ebony-haired king asked pushing the plate away from him. He had given up trying for a morsel.
The only one busy enough for speech was in the form of a curly-haired boy gracefully stuffing his face with food. The injury of his left hand didn’t bother him a bit as he shoveled fruit with it. The child was so carefree in spite of their precarious position and Cinder’s absence. If memory served him right, Elyn jumped to his aid when the pillar was about to smash their heads, his head specifically.
“I have been there once, in my travels. From Corintha it does lead to Visfern provided you have a map. As I told you before, we were planning to use it to get there safely since the dominant city-kingdoms have become prairies for the Daughters.” Miermi replied with a sharp tone. He looked none too pleased at this said development for the fanatics of the Ishman Faith.
The Corinthan monarch suddenly stood and excusing himself politely headed to the archives section of the palace. He returned hugging thick scrolls of parchment and dumped them on the unoccupied part of the large table. “Now, I suppose we can discuss with more clarity.” Caelas started opening the scrolls and spread them to reveal a cartographic sketch of the underground tunnels.
Miermi agreed joining the king on the opposite side of the table while Elyn remained seated helping himself for dessert. The two older men let the boy comfort himself as they conversed about more grave matters at hand.
The sketch of the tunnel helped sort out some of their current predicament. The pathways were vast and one can mistake the intricate design for a maze. One would really be lost if he didn’t bring a map to venture those dark and winding pathways. They soon discovered that one could travel border kingdoms with the use of the tunnels if they bring enough food and water. The main tunnel led to Visfern but the branching others can lead as far as Ras Tayma!
“That’s why the traders had no trouble bringing a lot of the fabrics! I never once wondered why I can acquire my favorite tapestries in a few days’ time!” The king exclaimed incredulously slapping a hand on his crowned brow.
“Your enemies have been taking advantage of your sleeping ills, Your Highness. I mean no offense, but the trade in one’s kingdom should be well managed and overseen.” The herbalist stated objectively.
“No offense taken, Master Miermi. I admit I have a lot of making up to do with my people. Now, about the theory I have come up with.” The king overlapped another scroll with the sketch. This one was the rough design plan of every building in the kingdom including the Tower of Luna and the pavilion of the Order. “We found Fei’s mangled body right here.” He pointed to the entrance of the closed off part of the underground tunnel.
Miermi nodded closely following the king’s ringed finger. “Just a few yards from the entrance of the tunnel stood the foundations of the pavilion. Did it have a basement bellow?” Caelas inquired critically.
“It was a spacious stone building with two floors. But I do remember the smell of fermented potions when I was ill myself. They needed a chamber close to the earth to procure them easily. And I heard footsteps descend a level lower when they imprisoned me on the first floor. If they do have a basement…” The herbalist purposefully left the sentence unfinished.
“Then they could easily use the tunnels to haul dead bodies without arousing interest from the palace guards on nightly patrol. It always puzzled me why we can never catch them in the act about the ‘rack business’ and disposing the body.” The king placed the final piece of the puzzle.
“That took you long enough, My Liege. You must be losing your touch.” There was that familiar voice that soothed his heart’s aches just last night.
“Naedas!” The two older men chorused and Miermi’s moss green eyes widened in alarm.
The alchemist had the same possessed look and strong unknown power flowed out of his vessel of a body. This enabled him to capture Elyn’s petrified frame while merely placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders.
The sorcerer reflexively groped for his staff but Naedas clucked his tongue in warning. “None of that please. I wouldn’t want to harm this boy’s cute face.”
“Naedas please, Elyn is just a boy, have pity on him.” The king reached out a hand and pleaded.
“Not open for negotiations, ‘lover’.” The deranged alchemist threw back his term of endearment making the receiver wince. “As you can see I’m not holding any weapon. I’m merely concerned of this boy’s best interests.” A red circle appeared beneath them once more.
“What do you want with Elyn?” The sorcerer demanded shaking and trying his damnedest not to invoke a spell through anger.
“Oh, I thought you figured everything already. Alright, I’ll tell you the other half of the mystery. This halfling’s next in line no pardon me, best for sacrifice. That’s what we do with those who share a quart of the Immortals’ blood. We’re not going around merely executing abominations as you have stubbornly believed.” The possessed vessel let out a little harsh laugh. Sparks of alchemical energy opened a portal below the two and their lower bodies began to sink through the transmutation circle.
“What’s your purpose?” Miermi was shouting now as Elyn vanished from view.
“Use your esoteric knowledge on the dark arts, Sorcerer!” The alchemist retorted before his head disappeared on the floor and the transmutation circle burned into nothing.
It was too late when they reached the charred surface. “Elyn!” Miermi called in anguish sinking on his knees.
Caelas touched a hand on his shoulder but the elven man angrily swatted it away. “Why did you prevent me? ! I could’ve saved him!” Moss green eyes were flaring with fury.
The king didn’t respond and hang his head low. The reddish orange glow of the setting sun seeped through the open window with an ominous fade. “A sacrifice for a life… A resurrection… they’re using the blood link to revive the dead.” A barely audible answer slipped through Miermi’s lips.
“The underground tunnel. That’s where they are. Come on!” The king helped him up and they bolted out of the dining area nearly colliding with astounded servants.
An eerie feeling crept into the godling’s heart as a tiny crescent-shaped island came into view. He knew without his human sight that a cave lay hidden beneath the abundant mass of mangrove trees. A camouflaged green dragon appeared resting at the mouth of the hidden cave but Cind’rikh knew better. There was no life energy surrounding the ancient creature as he dismounted on Wyrtgeorn’s back.
It was part of the treaty in the last war that dragons were not allowed to venture the mythral mines but since the turning of the Great Wheel over the Opposing One’s favor they were given a second chance to prove themselves. They were to work hand in hand with the Waldronur or Tree People in common tongue to keep outsiders from the island. And so far none of them were in sight, how strange.
The godling cautiously walked towards the silent dragon and carefully placed a comforting hand on the ancient creature’s scaly brow. There was nothing. No memory or thought nestled in that empty shell. Even the dragon’s thoughts have been sucked dry. His hand fisted in rage and calmed himself before he uncontrollably raised his powers. Wyrtgeorn remained quiet and austere, perched behind him with black silky wings still stretched out: a dragon’s threatened pose.
Cind’rikh strode past the green dragon and went for the cave’s entrance. His divine eyes could see a rather weak barrier standing in his way. Even a powerful mage or practiced alchemist could destroy the barrier with ease and thus he doubted that this was the original seal. He merely traced the outline of the barrier when a hazy blur of green and gold pounced on him. The godling fell flat on his back with a grunt and he gazed upon a lad about his form’s age, straddling him.
“Who are you and what brings you to breach the sacredness of this island?” The young waldronur with long golden hair demanded.
“Agnus! Get off His Lordship at once!” Elder waldronur have appeared and few of them gathered around their ‘compromising’ position.
The young waldronur named Agnus leapt away from him quickly. Cind’rikh stood up and watched the tree people prostrate low in his presence. The young Agnus was visibly trembling in fear.
“Please, I did not come here to be venerated. I just wanted to see the mythral mines for myself.” The Phoenix-incarnate motioned for them to rise yet neither of them did.
“We are very sorry for failing our sworn duty to the Immortals, my lord Cind’rikh. Terrible things have happened here and we were unable to prevent it.” The eldest of the Waldronur replied unable to meet his gaze.
“I’m most surprised you recognize me though I have the guise of the half-immortal. What happened here?” He asked them calmly.
“My Lord, there…”
“Father no! Please don’t speak! Your Lordship, punish me for my insolence but my father will die if he confesses to you what happened here.” Agnus quickly outrun his father for speech.
“Alright, I won’t do such a thing so please rise.” This time they did as they were told. Grief and fear were shining in the depths of their eyes. “I can comprehend that the green dragon protected you enough to die herself. All I ask is to be allowed to enter.” Cind’rikh explained, his mind racing how the elder creatures were able to recognize him.
“There is no need to ask for permission, Lord Cind’rikh. You don’t need to ‘ask’ the Waldronur or the Dre’aganzd for they are both your most loyal subjects. Most humans do not know this but we, the Tree People are the most devout of Astrology. We know that it is Almighty Ra’asiel and Eternal Cind’rikh’s time to reign.” Agnus’ father, Gildon responded humbly.
The godling closed his ruby eyes and nodded. He disarmed the barrier with a bat of an eyelash and entered the cave. Cind’rikh gasped in spite of himself. There stood out hollow spaces in place of the mythral deposit. The inside of the cave resembled the green dragon’s mind: empty. All the mythral that caused a lot of havoc in the last war has vanished without a trace. Well not really, he thought.
Ra’asiel will turn him on one knee and spank him silly if he was here right now. All that caution of not using divine powers was slowly going down the drain. But the scale of the mortal world’s predicament has reached unimaginable proportions. And yet the Immortals won’t even chip a nail if the mortal world were to be destroyed this very moment.
His scream of frustration echoed loudly within the cave causing earth to tremble and bats to drop dead on the ground. The godling instantly caught a grip on his flailing aura. He didn’t care if he would spend an untimely thousand centuries as an egg provided that he destroyed the last of that accursed metal! Mind resolved, he stretched out his hands and allowed for the traced threads to show. Hundreds emerged in several directions and for once he didn’t even flinch. A sinking feeling gripped his chest instead and he knew what that meant. Elyn… That name echoed in his mind.
“Wait!” Cinder got them just in time Caelas and Miermi move past the palace gates. He was dressed back in his old commoners clothes, the ones Alfrund provided for him in their voyage.
“Damn lad! What took you so long? Its already dusk!” The herbalist skidded into a halt, pulling the king with him.
“I’m sorry.” The brunet lad was surprised they didn’t ask where he went. The absence of the other two were plain as day since he has never seen a more peculiar pair.
“A possessed Naedas abducted Elyn to the underground. We’re heading there now.” Caelas turned to him with that same longing look but now laced with bitterness. The brunet lad decided to ignore it and concentrate on the ‘Elyn’s abducted’ part.
Miermi didn’t have to mention that the lad smelled like ‘dracon ash’ or the coastal wind when he appeared. All three headed for the Headquarters of the Narrow Blade without another word.
Naedas clutched his brow as they landed on a dark hallway lit with torches. He was breathing heavily and cold sweat drenched his skin. For a moment, the dark rings around his corneas faded. “E-Elyn… you have to… run.” He told the boy weakly as he collapsed on his side.
“But you’re in pain.” The curly-haired boy argued stubbornly staying by his side and rubbed his back soothingly as the young alchemist hurled his guts out.
The skull-splitting pain subsided for a moment when he finished retching. He turned to find the kid still there and reaching for something in his trousers pocket. He pulled out a small bottle and placed it under his nose. The young alchemist instinctively took a whiff and felt much better. After a while he gently swiped it away. “Elyn, listen to me. I thank you for your kindness, but you have to go. This is a dangerous place… and I’m a dangerous man… I might hurt you…”
“No. That man was not you! You were possessed! Why don’t we go together, I’m sure we can get help once Cinder returns.” Elyn interrupted, his eyes gleamed with hope and showed him how much the boy was advanced for his age. Naedas envied his courage but he knew it was too late for him. He could never fight the oppressor in his mind for long or the fact that his life force dwindled every time he tried to remain in control of himself.
The young alchemist stood up shakily and pushed the boy away from him. “Go away Elyn. Stay away from me!” He shouted angrily but the boy merely looked at him, daring him to do harm.
“Ah, I see you brought the little sacrificial lamb to us. Very well done.” Koryphaios Zephtis commended him as he roughly tugged Elyn to his side causing the boy to yelp in pain.
Naedas was unable to respond as his tormentor grasped his mind again. He followed the headship of the Order mechanically like a puppet as they headed for the sacrificial chamber.
An invisible force seemed to bind Elyn’s arms for he couldn’t move them while his legs dragged one step after another towards a place sending goose pimple shivers on his entire body.
The rusty iron door creaked ominously open as several hooded figures surrounded a grotesque looking device at the center. An old man with a low knot stood up from his bent position as the final alchemic sigil was etched on the magic circle. Amber and aquamarine orbs met and the former pair expanded.
“Koryphaios? What is this boy doing here?” Porphoras demanded though a dawning thought made him shake his head in denial.
“Pardon my words Grand Master but you seem to be senile enough not to comprehend. This child is a part-demon, part-human, part-god. He is the perfect sacrifice to complete the ritual.” Koryphaios Zephtis declared with a crazed laugh.
The Grand Master of Alchemy was flabbergasted. He can’t possibly allow the torture and execution of this innocent child no matter his origins. “And where have you gathered such hearsay? From the marketplace?” Tension was obvious between the two figureheads.
“And wasn’t it you who allowed such careless handling for their escape, Grand Master? Shame on yourself!” The headship of the Narrow Blade spat.
“Alright, enough of this childish squabble! Mount the child on the rack, now!” The being possessing Naedas intervened swiftly and ruthlessly.
“I’d gladly do the honors, my lord.” A known female voice spoke among the hooded figures. She removed her cowl and no tattoo marred her heart-shaped face. It was Olympia, Lady Katharine’s daughter. She approached with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and Elyn reflexively took a step back.
Naedas surprisingly held out a hand to stop her. “Watch out my dear, you don’t want to be burned with this.” He deftly lifted the dagger from its sheath and dropped it on the floor. “Now, he’s all yours for the taking.” He shoved the boy towards her direction and she caught him roughly by the hair.
Elyn hissed in pain at the harsh treatment and started to yell in protest when she began tearing off his clothes. “No! Please stop! My mama made this vest for me! Please don’t destroy it!”
“Shut your trap boy! It was all your fault why my mother died yesterday!” Hateful words slipped out of her mouth before she can stop it. Aquamarine eyes softened at her for a moment and it made her stop dead. “Don’t look at me with those demon eyes you anomalous whelp!” She slapped his face and proceeded to rip the clothes off his small lithe body.
Olympia ignored his sobs until his clothes were nothing but pitiful shreds on his feet. Elyn didn’t struggle or even lash out at them as his naked body was harshly mounted on the rack. Few pairs of hungry eyes traced the boy’s bare and vulnerable form as Olympia fixed him in a spread-eagled position to fasten the cold metal around his wrists and ankles. In spite of the immense fear making his heart a hard vibrating lump in his throat, Elyn tried to be brave and called for help in his mind.
Cinder, Grandfather… please hurry.
Cinder clearly heard those thoughts even while they were obscured with concealment spells. His fiery heart ached to reach Elyn at this perilous moment.
They started off knocking a few guards asleep on the basement door of the headquarters. They grabbed for torches provided at the antechamber and descended as quietly as possible at the stone steps leading to the underground tunnels. Miermi moved ahead of their little delta pack as he grasped the map and a torch at each hand. The king walked beside Cinder who was silently meditating and containing his blazing aura. He took a sip of Nectar before he returned to Corintha a little while back. Yet this was not enough to prevent some areas of his skin to sizzle in heat, literally. This time he didn’t really care if Miermi noticed.
They were moving in circles around the dark pit of a place, even as Miermi played the guide. It could only be an enchantment procured to keep intruders out. The map was useless! Even if they turned on the right corners or felt as if they were close, no sound or noise escaped the thick walls. They seem to be going back on the same spot they started. They were smart enough to mark their trail with a simple marking spell that would be invisible for their enemies. But their effort has gone in vain.
Miermi and Caelas began to fret. They feared for the time they were losing and the lives at stake. Cinder then decided to quit beating around the bush for the sake of Elyn. He pushed all the worries at the back of his mind especially his husband’s reproachful image and grabbed the two hopeless men with their night cloaks. “Stop! Stop!” He told them.
Miermi and Caelas whirled around to meet his hard gaze. “Not now lad! We can’t stop now! Elyn and Naedas are in grave danger.” The sorcerer quickly protested.
“I know. That’s why I’m going to do what I’m about to do. But I need your cooperation. You two need to prepare for the worst once we reach our destination.” His warning only made the pair of older men confused.
Cind’rikh huffed irately at their ogling faces and summoned the thread of life in his fingertips. “Now please don’t ask any more questions and follow me.” The godling said sternly and proceeded to trace Elyn’s location using this divine technique. Now it was his turn to lead them and they wisely kept their mouths shut, following.
Elyn ignored their jeers and the painful bite of the too-tight metal clasps. Fortunately they still haven’t turned the knob yet and wanted to humiliate him for what he is. They insulted the union between his father and mother and slapped him on the face though he hardly uttered a word in retaliation. He noticed they were drunk passing around a single chalice filled with a strange smelling beverage. But they were still rational enough to make sense of each other’s words.
The being possessing Naedas sat behind where his head was situated. Some of the more wasted hooded men wanted to sample his flesh before they tortured him. They nearly touched his limp member when Naedas loudly clapped his hands. “None of that now.” He rebuked and the curly-haired boy managed to swallow his heart down a notch.
“I believe we’ve dallied long enough, right Grand Master?” He addressed Porphoras who discreetly jerked at his call.
“Turn the knob Grand Master.” Koryphaios Zephtis urged with a wicked grin.
Porphoras felt his hands move to obey the command even though his wide amber eyes remained glued to his nemesis.
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