Avandor's Gift
Among Friends

The ground was wet and sharp shards of rock poked holes in my face. Violent fits of coughing racked my chest. My eyes burned and my head throbbed painfully. I touched my forehead and looked at my hand. It was tainted by blood coming from a gash on my right temple.

Still coughing, I pushed myself slowly up into a sitting position. A sudden wave of vertigo swept over me and I forced my head between my up-drawn knees. I closed my eyes and took in a few fitful breaths in between each paroxysm of cough.

When the feeling dissipated, I took a few furtive glances around me. I was definitely on land, but as for where exactly, that was sketchy. A couple feet away from where I was, lay a great serpent. Only its head was fully onshore as the waves swallowed the rest of its body.

I got up slowly, testing my legs if they were sturdy enough to bear my weight. They were still shaky but I could manage. I half hobbled, half hopped to where the creature lay. Its large mouth was open and I looked at my distorted reflection on its large polished teeth. Its eyes were open revealing glassy pupils which had probably seen a thousand deaths, but were now blind to the world.

My knife was still lodged in its underside and I tried to pull it out. I jumped backwards as the creatures tail flapped up and down and then stopped. I looked back its face, the eyes were still glassy and its mouth hadn’t moved. I crept closer to the beast and with fingers around the handle. I tugged it out quickly and jumped back. No movement this time.

I scanned the horizon. It was morning, which meant that I had been sleeping for the whole night or probably longer. Time moved differently here in Envladane.

My sudden transportation to land probably meant that the helksinc hit me into an underwater portal. Portals I knew just didn’t suddenly appear, someone had to create them.

Both Anolis and Petrolis were at full blaze, but the damp clothing gave me a slight chill. If I didn’t get them off soon enough in was in for a bad cold.

I noticed two ships further out in the bay. I recognized the shape of Lishpa’s vessel but the other was strange. It was completely white and from the elegant curves and more graceful make I surmised that it was a changeling ship.

At least I hope that meant that the crew had survived, but I was not sure if they would be alright. The thought of the reaction of the humans on board to the changelings and vice versa made me uneasy. It could mean a situation which would need to be diffused quite quickly and I thought of just the offering that might do that. I looked back at the helksinc and grimaced. This was going to be gory and unpleasant.

I swung the two eyes over my shoulders strung together by the cords of flesh that came from behind them. One of them I had punctured and was oozing thick purple goo. I had been more careful extracting the other as damaging the eyes probably had diminished its value.

By the time I got close to their side of the cove, it was almost midday. My lips cracked and my throat was parched. Thin wisps of smoke I had seen coming in now were two large clouds which overhung great bonfires. The sailors from our trip were sitting around one and I caught glimpses of glorious black and gold hair around the other, both seemed to be distracted by the grey bloodwolf with them.

Greyshanks. I called mentally and her head whipped around to see me.

Evander you are alive! Her joy was almost palpable as she then dashed off leaving the others startled. The Alkarbrafä told me that they had opened a portal, but I wasn’t sure if you had made it. She rushed on as she bounded towards me.

I wasn’t going to let a little sea snake get the better of me. I said as was now in front of me.

Well it got some. She said after completing her assessment of me. I shot her smile which made her bare her teeth and flattened me to the ground with her massive head.

“What was that for?” I said still startled by her openly hostile behaviour.

That was for leaving me behind and nearly getting yourself killed.

“Nearly killed!” I shouted at her. “I am alright as you can see. And look what you did to the other eye.” I said holding up the flattened ball. Now both of them were leaking gunk.

No one would want them anyways as they have enough of their own.

“Well fine, if you say so.” I said flinging the deflated balls back into the ocean and started towards the camp.

She soon came to walk beside me. Climb up. The feeling of anger in her thoughts had simmered.

I didn’t bother to decline her offer as I knew that was as close to an apology as I was going to get and I was too tired to refuse. ”I was worried about you as well.” I said.

“Well you look awful.” said Lishpa.

“And you look … young—ish.” I said in mild surprise. The magic of Envladane reacted with his changeling blood and the result was quite dramatic. Wrinkles that once creased his eyes and forehead were gone. Even his stature seemed improved as he stood a bit straighter than before.

“Gave the boys a fright too.” He said pointing his chin towards his sailors who were still sitting around the fire. “The secret is out now about what I am and they better get their act together if they intend on getting back to Dashan on my ship.” He said raising his voice at the end.

I jumped off Greyshanks’ back and came around to meet him. “Mutiny on board?”

“The thought has crossed their minds I am sure, but they dare not act on it or I would curse their firstborns to early deaths.” He said raising his voice so that his men could hear.

“Not a good way to inspire trust.” I said slightly amused.

“But a damn good way to inspire fear, which has its own merits as well. They want to leave this wretched place as much as I do so they will behave.”

“Speaking of wretched place do you know exactly where we are?” I said looking around the bay for a familiar landmark.

“Perhaps we might assist you with that Chosen of the Wolf.” said one of the changelings who appeared before us.

“I haven’t been called that for a long time now. You know who I am?” I asked.

“Yes,” said the other who looked like his twin. “The sea sang of your return for days now. We were just surprised that you are here and not in Talithá.”

“Where is here by the way?”

“You do not know?”

“Obviously not that’s why he asked.” said Lishpa sounding irritated. I would be too if I wasn’t accustomed to the tactlessness of this race.

“So it is true the powers of Alphandé have departed from him.” said one to the other.

The other looked at me quizzically, “Maybe,” He started, “but he is still the Grey Mage, his return is no accident. He has proved himself once without magic, perhaps he shall do so again. We cannot refuse his help especially in times as these.”

“What the hell are those two talking about?” asked Lishpa.

The changelings had slipped into their native tongue. I had understood everything of course. “Me, they are talking about me and my return. They want my help with something.”

The two of them turned to me abruptly and stared open eyed. The one with the dark hair composed his features more quickly than the other.

“So you still have magic then, as you wouldn’t have understood our words. We apologise Grey Mage.” He said bowing. The other one dropped to his knees as well.

“Enough of that.” I said prodding them to get up. I still hadn’t got used to people bowing to me. “Tell me what I need to know. What is going on here?”

“We should sit and have a meal. There is much to tell Grey Mage.”

After we had settled down around the fire and a flask of fire juice was passed around and then the changelings started to talk.

“I am Nivraél,” said the dark-haired changeling “and this is my half-brother Noran, both of the house of Luaen and clan of the helksinc.”

“What does he mean clan of the helksinc? Do they have anything to do with the snakes that attacked us?” said Lishpa.

“Every changeling is aligned to a clan which is represented by four animal spirits: the deer, the wolf, the horse and the helksinc. My family is aligned to that of the wolf.” I explained.

“We had nothing to do with the attack on your vessel.” said the one called Noran.

“This area is called the Bay of Serpents, so you were bound to see at least one of them heading in. But they shouldn’t have attacked since mating season has ended and they are more docile at this time.” finished Nivraél.

“So what do you think accounted for their behaviour?”

“Things have been different. Magic has become more unpredictable and it is manifesting itself in nature and other things.” said Nivraél whose face was suddenly contorted in wariness.

“What ways?” I asked.

“The world spins differently now, the suns rise in the east and sets in the west, the trees no longer bear fruit and Llyn Morir has gone silent.” said Noran.

“But we saw the ash cloud still overhanging it.” said Lishpa.

“It has been spitting smoke for many millennia now and it may be many more millennia before the sky overhanging it clears chuman.”

“What about the council and the guardians, what have they to say on the matter?”

“They have said naught, for they are naught.” replied Nivraél gravely.

“What do you mean?” I asked. I was sure that Lucorian would have something to say on the issue.

“They are gone as if they’ve never existed. Silence is the only thing that blossoms in the council room of Talendarí hall.”

“Madness is taking over and some of our folk have started acting strangely as they claim a new order is being formed, but when asked what order that is, they say that they don’t know, yet they follow it.”

“Are you of that order?” asked Lishpa.

“Watch your tongue chuman!” snapped Nivraél. “If we were of that order it would be you who would be roasting over that spit instead of fish. They tolerate no one except pure bred Alkarbrafä; the lives of all other races are forfeit, no matter who your father was.”

“He meant no offence, just being wary.” I said trying to placate the changeling as Lishpa for the first time I met him looked truly abashed.

Greyshanks who was listening asked me a question to pass on to the others. “Grey wants to know if there is any place or group that is more affected or is adapting to the new order more quickly?”

The changelings looked at each other as if in deep contemplation. “Huma, that city has the most adherents gathered there.” said Nivraél. “But age, class, gender do not seem to matter. There are talks of a clan war, being spread about. Those of the deer are the ones pushing for it the most. It is no secret that they want you gone.”

Perhaps that is where we should head first. Suggested Greyshanks.

No we should go to Talithá first and gather any information or help we can. We don’t want to walk into anything we don’t fully understand.

Agreed. She said.

“I think that I should go to Talithá first.” I said to the others. “How far away are we from there?”

“Without portals and the warping of time it could be tedious getting there by land. The sea would be better.”

“And you would take us?”

“If you asked it of us Grey Mage.”

“I ask,” I said.

“Then it would be our honour. We would also accompany your human friends safely out of these waters and into those of their home land. Envladane is not the safest place for humans at this time.” said Noran.

“Agreed then.”

“No, disagree.” said Lishpa.

“You did hear about the danger posed chuman.”

“Yes and I am not about to let the King of Gé Addar who was last seen enquiring about me go off by himself without someone looking after his neck. I have my life and that of my wards to think about.”

“Very well then, you may come.” said Nivraél.

“Damn right I will. Not that I was asking your permission changeling.”

I couldn’t help but to chuckle slightly. With Lishpa’s temper and the changelings lack of tact, this was going to turn out to be an interesting journey.

Something came to me. “What did you mean by warping of the portals?”

“I meant that they don’t appear when summoned or when they do they don’t often take you to the correct destination.”

“But you opened one to bring me here didn’t you?”

“Yes, it was a risk we had to take. Better headed in lands anon, than in a helksinc’s belly bottom, Grey Mage.” said Nivraél smiling in wicked amusement.

“Right,” I said and I looked over to Lishpa who wore I-told-you-not-to-trust-them expression.

“There is no need to worry Grey Mage, you are among friends.” said Noran gaily.

“Imagine if you weren’t.” muttered Lishpa under his breath.

“The ship of the humans will be hard to repair here, with your permission Grey Mage, we would stop in Filia before continuing on our journey.” said Noran.

“How far?” I didn’t want to delay but we needed to get the humans home safely.

“The port is northwest from this point, we will be in the dock before dusk.”

“So it must be then.” I said.

“The humans are not going to be cooperative if we pass this along.” said Nivraél.

“Leave the crew to me.” said Lishpa.

“They don’t trust you right now maybe I should talk to them.” I suggested.

“They are my men so I should do it. It is either this or be eaten by the fish. I think they have enough sense to see that, even coming from me.” He said walking off.