The Two Worlds: The Three Moon Series Read online

  As a leader, he was afraid that she would let her power get the better of her. As an elf who was once in love with Queen Veri, he was saddened by what had become of their love and wasn’t afraid at all. He didn’t know which side was right, but he felt that he would know by looking at the sky to the south.

  But there was nothing. The sky was the same blue as it normally was in all the other districts of this realm. There were clouds, and the brightest of the three suns was right above the castle of the vampire queen, with the other two suns shining a bit more dimly behind the first one.

  Something must have gone wrong. There was no way that the sky would be calm and clear, even if Veri was no longer angry. There was a chance that it could have been a shade of orange or pink, or maybe even another soothing shade of blue, but to have nothing meant something else.

  Something had become of the vampire queen. She might have left her throne and was even now leading her soldiers to this very kingdom in the mountains, or something much, much worse. Kainen didn’t know. Weak or otherwise, he had to find out. He staggered toward his bed, only able to make it halfway before collapsing onto his knees.

  He refused the help of his nurse and of the werewolf who had changed back into his form as a man. Kainen was king, and he was not going to appear even weaker in front of anyone. He crawled with as much strength as he could back toward his bed.

  Kainen collapsed onto the sweat-soaked sheets and reached his hand out for his sword.

  “Veri,” he whispered. He didn’t care that the werewolf had probably heard him. Kainen whispered her name again and closed his eyes. When he did, he could see her face, but it wasn’t the way she was when he last saw her. This face was soft and pleasant. He imagined her gazing up at him with her dark eyes. Her white hair was blowing gently around her pale face, and a smile formed on her rosy lips. This was the way he wanted to know her.

  It almost surprised him now that he was not having a memory like this of Adam. Before he had a chance to think better of it, Kainen fell into a deep sleep with Queen Veri the last thing on his mind.

  Chapter Two

  The Knight and The Rook

  “And what is this? An elf girl of some kind and a wolfman? Not only that, but you are both warriors. How far into my woods you have traveled. You must be desperate for my attention if you are traveling so far out of your way.”

  Dende was searching the trees around them for any sign of life. All she could see were the lush trees of the forest all around them and the remains of the dead forest siren that was close by her feet. Dende had killed the siren by swiping her head off of her shoulders. She and her companion, Siluman, had come remarkably close to being turned into the trees that were now all around them. Each tree had what appeared to be a carving of a face that was contorted in pain or in fear. They were once beings that had lived in these woods, and Dende and Siluman had almost shared the same fate as these sorry creatures.

  Siluman shivered as he stood next to Dende. He was completely naked, but Dende didn’t think he was shivering from the cold.

  The voice of the queen of the witches sounded playful, and it was coming to them from all directions.

  “Queen Ragana?” Dende asked. She spoke aloud. Her pale blue eyes scanned each oak and willow, searching for a face that may have been speaking to them. She looked into each of the grim faces of the creatures who had wandered unwittingly into these parts of the forest. It had been the forest siren that had transformed them from their original state, some of them to literal weeping willows.

  Dende had no idea that such a creature existed. She only knew of sirens that lived in the sea with the mermaids. She knew of those especially because not even a week prior, she had almost been drowned by them. But to see a siren on land—especially one with the ability to take flight—left her with chills. Even after she and her companion Siluman had slain the beast, Dende couldn’t shake the feeling she had whilst under the spell of the forest siren. Dende’s bones had become almost completely stiff, and she hadn’t been able to breathe. If it weren’t for Siluman, she would have transformed into a tree. She would have been forgotten just as these poor souls around her had been.

  “You know me. Yes, you know of me. You are not lost in these woods. You are seeking… You have been searching for me,” the voice cooed. The queen of the witches was still nowhere to be seen. Siluman placed his large hand on Dende’s shoulder and slowly brought her closer to him.

  “She is able to see us even if we can’t see her. Stay close to me, Lady Dende,” he whispered. Even as a human he towered over her. His large green eyes matched the forest and the light of the yellow suns overhead. His hair was cut short, and he didn’t have a beard or any other facial hair.

  In order to defeat the forest siren, Siluman had to transform into his wolf form. As he grew, his body had become too large for his armor. He had been stripped naked as he made his changes, and he had nothing to protect himself now that he was human again.

  “I can see and hear you wolf. What brings you here?” The voice of Ragana shook the leaves on the trees around them.

  Dende, who was never afraid, was now feeling a chill sweeping up her neck. Even with her long black hair flowing down her back, she could still feel the tiny hairs rising.

  Why hadn’t the witch revealed herself? Why were Dende and Siluman still alive? This was either a trick or a trap. Dende had never come face to face with a witch, but she had heard of their trickery. From a young age, her father always told her that witches weren’t to be trusted. Dende’s father, Guiden, was a shaman for the elves of the mountain. He was a known alchemist and spiritual healer. He had taught Dende some incantations and potions, even though she had chosen to be a warrior for King Kainen. Dende considered using one of her father’s spells if something was to go terribly wrong.

  The witches’ trickery was why no creature ventured into this side of the forest of their own volition. It was why the witches’ only allies were the cave trolls.

  “Reveal yourself, Queen, and I will be able to speak freely,” Siluman said. He sounded brave enough for both himself and Dende. Her piercing blue eyes stared up into his face, and he gave her a nod of reassurance. He truly wasn’t afraid.

  This was their mission after all. It could have been a lot worse at this point. The more time they spent being afraid meant the more time it would take for them to go back to the kingdom in the mountains. The life of Dende’s king was at stake. She knew that a potion made by the forest witches was the only thing that could save Kainen.

  She was still unsure if there was a war brewing because of the creatures that lived by the coast. She didn’t know if they were possibly in cahoots with the vampire queen who had seemingly been at the center of this. If anything was going to happen, the elves needed their fearless king to lead and protect them.

  Despite having injuries and being incredibly exhausted, Dende decided that she was the one who was going to do it. She was going to save her king and save her people. Once the remainder of the king’s army had returned to the kingdom in the mountains, she and Siluman had set off in search of the potion that would bring the missing parts of the king’s soul back to him.

  There was a surge of bravery that now coursed through her veins. Dende returned the smile and nod that Siluman had offered her.

  “We are in need of your help, Queen Ragana,” Dende said. The two were met by a loud shrieking laughter.

  “All these years, and I have not so much as glimpsed at a wolfman or a mountain elf, and now when I am needed, I see the two of you at once. A stroke of luck,” Ragana said. Even though the sound seemed to be coming from all around, there was no doubt that it was getting closer and louder to them.

  “Do you really seek my aid, or will I be decapitated just as young Pyll has been?”

  “We were protecting ourselves,” Dende started. “She attacked us before we had a chance to speak of our mission.”

  “Mission?” The voice was right next to them now. Dende spun ar
ound quickly only to face… nothing. There was a willow just a few feet away from where she had turned. The willow she was looking at was now beginning to move and take shape. The moss fell away, and flakes of bark crumpled. The face on the trunk twisted, and its eyes flickered open and closed as if to blink. The tree was shrinking before their eyes!

  The branches slowly sucked into the trunk while the leaves grew longer. The roots that flowed above the soil were inching their way back into the base of the tree.

  Dende and Siluman stood rooted in place. They both knew they were not in any immediate danger. Ragana was simply revealing herself so that they could speak as equals. Dende hoped internally that this was the case. She rarely trusted anything, and she was still holding the sword she had used to kill Pyll, the forest siren. To the left inside of her armor was a dagger. Behind her were the two horses that they had led into the wood. With them were some potions that her father, Guiden, had given her, her trusty bow, and poisoned arrows.

  Dende would not die that day. As a warrior, the only option was to succeed. She would get the potion that she and Siluman were seeking, no matter what it took.

  “Be prepared for anything, Silu.” Dende sent the thought out to Siluman. Elves had the ability to communicate with one or many creatures with just the power of their thoughts.

  “Yes, be prepared, Silu.”

  What was once a tree was now a woman standing before them. Despite herself, Dende gasped. The face that greeted her was not the face that she expected to see. Ragana was not an old hag with a crooked nose, yellow teeth, and stringy hair. Her back was not bent out of shape, and she did not have beady, shifty eyes. The witch before them was a light green color. Her hair was like long vines that ran down her back. Her face was pleasant and plump. When she smiled, her cheeks turned from a light green to a slight red as if she were blushing. The only thing that was unusual about her was the fact that her eyes did not have any color. They were two black orbs within her skull. There appeared to be smoke shifting and blowing inside the orbs. Despite her strange eyes, she was still a remarkable beauty. Her dress was like silk and had long sleeves. The hem of the dress swept along the forest floor. It was almost transparent, and the shape of her breasts and her curves were visible.

  “You can hear my thoughts,” Dende whispered after she had taken a good long look at the witch before her.

  “I can do almost anything I’d like, Dende of the mountains,” Ragana said. Dende was not surprised that Ragana knew her name. Did that also mean that Ragana knew the reason that she and Siluman were there?

  “Your thoughts, I cannot read. But when you speak, whether with mouth or mind, I can hear you. You must really be in need of something if you have traveled all this way to see me.”

  Ragana glided toward them. She was like a mystical lady of the wood. She was so regal and beautiful.

  “Yes. It’s urgent. You are the only one who is able to help us,” Dende said with panic in her voice.

  Ragana looked at her with those hollow eyes. She was unblinking, and that made her appear unfeeling. There was a permanent half-smile on her face, as if all things amused her, yet she was also always pensive.

  “You will meet with my council,” Ragana said. She had already turned and was beginning to walk in the other direction. She was not waiting for their answer; she knew they would follow her. They didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

  “How do we know we can trust her, Lady Dende?” Siluman asked. Dende had taken a few steps to follow the queen of the witches further into the forest that they did not know.

  “You don’t, brave wolf. And you probably shouldn’t,” Queen Ragana said as she continued to walk. “But you’re desperate, and I don’t think you have much choice.”

  *****

  The trees grew thicker and thicker as they walked through the forest. There was less light coming in through the canopy even though it was the middle of the day. Siluman had found a spare set of clothes in one of the canvas sacks he had thrown over his horse. There was no armor to speak of, but he felt much more human now with the cotton shirt and long pants.

  It wasn’t difficult for Dende or Siluman to move through the trees. Dende was not only a warrior, she was an expert tracker as well. Siluman would have been an even better tracker in his wolf form, but he felt that any sudden shift or change could anger the queen who was leading their way.

  As the trees grew thicker and closer to one another, it was becoming impossible to lead the horses through the forest, even though these horses had no legs. They floated above the ground yet still became trapped between the branches and trunks of the trees. It made no difference with how thick the forest was becoming. Dende and Siluman eventually tied the horses to some trees and continued on their way. Dende was sure to bring her satchel of potions, weapons, and food with her. Siluman had also brought a canvas bag with some primitive weapons and the clothes that he was now wearing. It would have been wise for him to carry spare armor, but that would have slowed down the horses. He was a fearless werewolf, and if there was any more trouble ahead, he would face it with or without the armor.

  They walked in relative silence for what could have been hours. The only way they could gauge the time would have been the placement of the three suns that were shining overhead. The canopy was now completely covered by flora, and it was impossible to tell. It was still hot enough to be day. They had entered the forest right when the suns were rising. It could have been anywhere between midday and the first of the three sunsets.

  “We are close,” said Ragana. Her voice broke through the eerie sounds of the forest. Dende had seen no life thus far aside from the odd rodent or bird, and she had made the decision to avoid looking right into the trees. She didn’t want to know how many victims the forest siren had claimed in these woods.

  Siluman moved closer to Dende, and he shot her a look. Just from the way his eyes flashed, she knew he meant that she should be prepared for anything. Negotiate first, but do not hesitate to defend yourself and run. It would not come to that. The council could have consisted of both witches and trolls, and since they had had their first encounter with a forest siren, there could have been more of those as well.

  The council of elves of the mountain were few. There were only six elves—Dende, her father Guiden, King Kainen, Kainen’s general Yleinen, a farmer by the name of Boden, and an elderly woman by the name of Cinde. Dende was worried that in Ragana’s court there would consist of more creatures than she could count. How would one even escape from the witches before they cast spells on her?

  “We are here,” Ragana said. Her voice was calm, but even still it surprised Dende to hear it.

  There was nothing to be seen. Dende looked beyond where Ragana was still walking, but she saw no figures nor heard any sounds.

  Could this have been an ambush?

  Dende’s hand moved inside her armor, preparing herself in case she needed to use the dagger that was hidden there.

  “Come elf, the council knows that you are here,” Ragana said. She turned only halfway. Her full face was not visible, but she paused when she looked at Dende. Dende stepped forward and allowed her hand to rest back at her side. There was no time to panic just yet. The witches had not been seen by the mountain elves for so long for a reason. The witches weren’t visible yet because they had worked so hard to not be found.

  Siluman moved forward with Dende. He had been so loyal to her, ever since they met when King Kainen’s army was on their way to meet with the vampire queen. He had always called her “my lady,” and the way he was so protective of her without patronizing her skills or abilities amazed Dende. The two had shared a kiss when they realized that they had survived the attack from the forest siren, but did that mean that she could once again trust him with her life? She was willing to take that chance on him. He had been nothing but loyal throughout this experience.

  Despite her tough exterior, Dende was feeling vulnerable. She took Siluman by the hand. She intertwined h
er fingers with his, and the two walked toward Ragana. As they walked, Dende noticed two blue birds circling overhead, and a few of the trees around them were starting to bend and take on new shapes. There were witches all around them.

  One bird shot through the sky and landed down by Ragana’s feet. Its wings grew longer and thinner. The feathers melted together and disappeared into what was now blue skin. The legs thickened and slowly shot out from underneath the bird. Soon, there was another witch the color of the sky whispering into Ragana’s ear.

  The second bird was still circling over Dende, Siluman, and the two witches, but eventually it landed on the branch of a tree. The tree was shrinking and morphing just as the bird was. The tree became a green witch, but she was a darker shade of green than Ragana. The blue bird that had been perching on the tree transformed into a witch that was the color of the palest part of the sea. A few more trees had turned into witches in various hues and shades of green. There were nine witches in total, and the two that had been birds were the only ones that were blue.

  The witches had congregated in a circle and were whispering amongst themselves. They all had hollow black eyes with white smoke dancing around in their dark orbs. The witches all appeared to be young and beautiful, but Dende was almost positive that they were all older than she was.

  Dende stood on the outskirts of the congregation. She eyed each witch—none of whom had acknowledged her presence—but was unable to hear anything that they were saying.

  “Do they know why we’re here?” Siluman asked. He was still gripping Dende’s hand. Dende wasn’t small, but Siluman’s hand still swallowed hers.

  “I don’t know. All I know is that we are wasting valuable time,” Dende said. She couldn’t help but lose her patience. What was the witches’ council speaking about? Dende hadn’t told them about Kainen losing his soul. She hadn’t told them that it was their potion she needed to save her king. Would it take them this long or even longer to make a decision about whether to give it to her?