When we reached the Hellgate, I was carried to a separate room, and when I was dropped on the bed, the orc slammed and locked the door, leaving me to lay in helpless fury. I ached all over from the bruises I'd sustained when we'd been captured, and the fear growing in my heart was an enormous tide of black despair that seemed ready to rise up and choke me. All I could do was pray I could bluff my way out of it, but I knew that was a hopeless prospect. The orcs carried the same seed of darkness inside them that the dark elves did; if they'd been suborned back to that dark side, they'd sniff out any lie I told them, and then my friends would be in more trouble. Worse, I knew they'd feel betrayed, no matter how much I protested afterwards I'd done the suborned orcs' bidding under duress. It would make me the worst liar, and a truly disreputable mountebank.
Hours passed, and the light faded from the walls. I was growing quite hungry and thirsty, and I desperately needed to visit the privy. But it seemed like no one was willing to come and offer me aid so I could attend to my bodily needs.
Shortly after full dark had fallen, however, the door crashed open, and I squinted in the sudden glare of candles as a she-orc entered, clad in a blood red gown, two flails at her belt, and an iron crown on her head, capped with an enormous black stone which seemed to drink in the light and swallow it in darkness. I shuddered. That was the Crown of Madness, and as per the epithet, it always drove its wearer mad, unless they were mad already, or possessed a heart immune to the normal vices which drove orcs to be ruiners and despoilers. This then was High Queen Mogak, and she smiled as she came to the side of the bed. "Enjoying the accomodations?" she said, her sharp teeth glinting in the light of the candle still gripped in her fist. With her free hand, she traced a black nail along my jawline. "I can't say how Mor would have treated you, but I don't think she would have been happy having you under her roof. Good thing she's dead."
I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to let this harpy get the better of me. Mogak, in any case, didn't seem interested in hearing what I had to say. "Now, this is how it's going to be," she said, seizing my hair and forcing my head up so my eyes met hers. "You're still in possession of your full powers. You have the seed of darkness growing inside you still. Your weapon awaits your pleasure. You're going to use it. Tonight. It's the Blood Moon of the Devil's Year. This was the hour appointed for the unleashing of your weapon. You will unleash it, and you will cause this world to crack in two, destroying it from the inside out and remaking it to your liking."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqsrPZr4lM
I shuddered. I knew I ought to fight, but her words were reawakening my desire to destroy the world and start anew. Friendship, love, and trust all ceased to matter as Mogak's words took over, and I felt the darkness rise up and claim me once more, as it had done so long ago when I created the weapon. "Release me."
Mogak drew a black dagger and cut my bonds. I sat up, massaging my wrists. "Very well," I said, while a small part of my mind screamed in despair. "The world is a dark place. I think it's time to put everyone out of their misery."
"I thought you'd see things my way," Mogak purred, her eyes glittering as she stepped back and bowed. "Then do your duty, friend. This is the purpose for which you were born; I suggest you make hay while the sun shines. Or while the moon shines, I should say."
I quashed the tiny part of my mind which was still screaming. Reaching deep inside, I grasped at the chained runes and circles which awaited activation. They'd been dormant in my mind, but as I engaged their fell purpose, they glowed blood red, as if taking on a life of their own.
At least, they should have glowed blood red. Instead, they glowed golden, and the darkness which yet surged in my soul blasted away. I felt something snap inside me, and suddenly, I was in my right mind again. I stood and glared at Mogak, who went sheet white with shock as she beheld the expression on my face. But she had no time to act as I reached inside once more and recited the spell.
And the world turned white.
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By the time I could hear and see again, I was lying on the floor. The candle, miraculously, had not set the carpet on fire, and as I hauled myself up on hands and knees, I saw Mogak, curled in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, babbling and drooling. Her eyes were blank, and she'd soiled herself, the stench making me gag. I forced down the urge to be sick, and instead carefully removed the crown from her head. Taking a deep breath, I wobbled to my feet and stumbled to the door. Peering through, I saw more orcs, as well as dark elves, and even humans, all in the same state of mindlessness which had taken Mogak. Not a single one was able to stand on their feet, but I tiptoed my way through the hall nevertheless, bracing myself for the one orc, or dark elf, or human, to stop playing possum and stab me in the back.
But I made my way down the hall unchallenged, and when I reached the throne room, I was relieved to see that its complement of guards and attendants had been similarly afflicted. I was even more relieved when I opened a side door and was all but tackled to the floor by a relieved Ailsa, followed by the rest of the party. It was quite a few minutes before we could peel ourselves off each other, but Temara kept herself glued to my shoulder, seemingly intent on never letting me out of her sight again. I didn't mind at all.
"Mogak?" Ailsa demanded, once the first fervour of reunion was over. I led her and the others back to my room, where they saw for themselves the state in which the usurper was. "Don't ask me what the hell I did," I said, "but I suspect I was closer to breaking free of my original purpose than I thought." I explained what had happened, and when I reached the part about how the spell had glowed golden instead of red, Temara piped up.
"Fireflies are the pure form of the energy of creation the unicorns used," she said. "And they took a shine to you because you're my husband. They must've used their power to break you free, whilst destroying your weapon and your castle, and melting your sword."
I didn't mind at all. "I'm just glad to see the back of all that," I admitted.
"What happens to you now?" Ashton asked.
I hefted the crown before passing it to Ailsa. "I felt a great deal of my power drain away, as well as the gifts of long life," I said. "I'm still hale and whole, but I can feel I'm now the same age I was when I first embarked on my path of darkness. I am, in essence, brought down to normal."
"Oh, so now I'm the cradle robber," Temara joked.
I smiled. "Actually, I think the fireflies have helped gift me a new lease on life," I corrected her. "I will grow old alongside you, my love, and when one of us comes to pass the Wheel, the other can follow, if they so choose."
"That makes me feel better," Temara admitted, and I smiled as I gently stroked her hair.
"So now what?" Khithran asked.
I shrugged. "To be honest, I just want to find a quiet bit of forest and build a small cottage for myself, Temara, and the little one on the way," I said.
"Same here," Ashton agreed.
Ushat stretched. "Khithran's probably needed at home," she said, giving him a smile. "I might go along with him and see what happens when you breed good orcs with good elves. Not many of us have survived, but there'll be enough of us to get the stock going again."
"My friends will be able to return as well," Khithran added, giving an equally warm smile to Ushat. "Our child will inherit the throne, and I think my friends will be bringing night elf spouses back with them."
"Gods help us all," Ashton said, rolling his eyes with an amused smile, and that was enough to get us all laughing for the first time in days.
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