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.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlpeople brought them to this Realm when they left, long ago.Some of thesetrees are so old, I feel young around them.And the ferns ""Forget the damn ferns! Let's get on with this, whatever it is," said Haploimpatiently.He was beginning to feel uncomfortable.When they had firstentered, the Aviary had seemed a haven of peace and tranquillity.Now hesensed anger and turmoil and fear.Hot winds touched his cheek, stirred hisclothing.His skin crawled and itched, as if soft wings were brushing againsthim.Souls of the dead, kept in here like caged birds.Well, I've seen stranger things, Haplo reminded himself.I've seen the deadwalk.He'd give these mensch one chance to prove their usefulness, then he'dtake matters into his own hands.The Kenkari lifted their eyes to the heavens, began to pray."Krenka-Anris, we call to you," said the Keeper of the Soul."Holy Priestess,who first knew the wonder of this magic, hear our prayer and give us counsel.Thus we pray:Krenka-Anris, Holy Priestess.Three sons, most beloved, you sent to battle;around their necks, lockets, boxes of magic, wrought by your hand.The dragon Krishach, breathing fire and poison, slew your three sons, mostbeloved.Their souls departed.The lockets opened.Each soul was captured.Each silent voice called to you.Krenka-Anris, Holy Priestess, Give us counsel in this, our trying hour, Aforce for evil, dark and unholy, Has entered our world.It came at our behest.We brought it, we created it, in the name of fear andhatred.Now we do penance.Now we must try to drive evil away.And we are not strong.Grant us your help, Krenka-Anris, Holy Priestess, We beseech you.The hot winds began to blow harder, fiercer, strengthening to an angry gale.The trees swayed and moaned, as if lamenting, branches snapped, leaves rustledin agitation.Haplo imagined he could hear voices, thousands of silent voices,adding their prayers to those spoken aloud by the Kenkari.The voices rose tothe top of the Aviary, rose above the trees and greenery.Iridal gasped and clutched at his arm.Her head was raised, her gaze fixed onthe top of the Aviary dome."Look!" she breathed.Strange clouds began to form, to coalesce, clouds woven from the whisperingcacophony.They began to take the form and shape of a dragon.A nice bit of magic.Hapio was moderately impressed, though he wonderedirritably just how the mensch thought a cloud shaped like a dragon was goingto help anybody.He was again about to ask, about to interrupt, when the siglaon his skin burned in warning."The dragon Krishach," said Soul."Come to save us," said Book."Blessed Krenka-Anris," said Door."But it's not real!" Haplo protested, admonishing his own instincts as much asanything else.The sigla on his skin glowed blue, prepared to defend him.And then he saw that it was real.The dragon was a creature of cloud and of shadow; insubstantial, yet granted aterrible substance.Its flesh was a pale, translucent white, the white of along-dead corpse.The dragon's skeleton was visible through the flaccid skin,which hung loosely over the bones.The eye sockets were empty, dark, exceptPage 209 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfor a smoldering flame that gleamed bright one instant, then faded, then shoneagain, like dying embers being blown to life.The phantom dragon soared in circles, floating on the breath of the deadsouls.Then, suddenly, it swooped down.Haplo crouched, instinctively, put his hands together to activate therune-magic.The Keeper of the Soul turned, regarded him with the large, dark eyes."Krishach will not harm you.Only your enemies need fear him.""You expect me to believe that?""Krenka-Anris has heard your plea, offers her help in your need."The phantom dragon landed on the ground near them.It was not still, butremained in constant, restless motion wings lifting, tail thrashing.Theskeletal head wrapped in its cold, dead flesh turned constantly, keeping allin view of its empty, hollow eyes."I'm supposed to ride.that," said Haplo."This could be a trick, to lure me to my death." Irida's lips were ashen,trembling."You elves are my enemies!"The Kenkari nodded."Yes, you are right, Magicka.But somewhere, sometime,someone must trust enough to reach out his hand to an enemy, though he knowsit means that hand could be cut off at the wrist."The Keeper reached into the voluminous sleeves of his robes, withdrew fromthem a small, thin, nondescript-looking book."When you reach Drevlin," hesaid, offering the book to Haplo, "give this to our brothers, the dwarves.Askthem to forgive us, if they can.We know it will not be easy.We will not beable to easily forgive ourselves."Haplo took the book, opened it, flipped through it impatiently.It appeared tobe of Sartan make, but it was written in the mensch languages.He pretended tostudy it.In reality, he was plotting his next move.HeHe stared at the book, looked up at the Kenkari."Do you know what this is?""Yes," the Keeper admitted."I believe it is what the Evil Ones were searchingfor when they entered our library.They were looking in the wrong place,however.They assumed it must be among the works of the Sartan, guarded andprotected by Sartan runes.But the Sartan wrote it for us, you see.They leftit for us.""How long have you known about it?""A long time," said the Keeper sadly."To our shame, a long time.""It could give the dwarves, the humans anyone tremendous power over you andyour people.""We know that, too," said the Keeper.Haplo thrust the book into his belt."It's not a trap, Lady Iridal.I'llexplain on the way, if you'll explain a few things to me, such as how Hugh theHand managed to get himself resurrected."Iridal looked from the elves to the terrifying phantom to the Patryn who hadtaken away her son.Haplo's magical defenses had begun to fade as he foughtdown his own fear and repugnance.The blue glow that illuminated the sigladimmed and died.Smiling his quiet smile, he held out his hand to Iridal.Slowly, hesitantly, she took it.CHAPTER 38DEEPSKYSEVEN FIELDS, LOCATED ON THE FLOATING CONTINENT OF ULYNDIA, was the subject oflegend and song particularly song, for it was a song that had, in reality, wonthe famous Battle of Seven Fields for the humans.Eleven years ago, by humantime, the elven prince Rees'ahn and his followers heard the song that changedtheir lives, brought memories of an era when the Paxar elves had built a greatkingdom, founded on peace.Agah'ran king at the time of the Battle of Seven Fields, now self-proclaimedPage 210 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlemperor had termed Rees'ahn a traitor, driven his son into exile, triedseveral times to have him killed.The attempts failed.Rees'ahn grew stronger,as the years passed.More and more elves either swayed by the song or swayedby their own sense of outrage at the atrocities performed in the name of theTribus empire gathered around the prince's standard.The rebellion of the dwarves on Drevlin had proved "a gift of the ancestors"for the rebels, as the elves term it.Songs of thanksgiving had been offeredin Prince Rees'ahn's newly built fortress on Kirikari.The emperor had beenforced to split his army, fight a war on two fronts.The rebels hadimmediately redoubled their attacks, and now their holdings extended farbeyond the borders of the Kirikari Outtands.King Stephen and Queen Anne were glad to see the Tribus elves pushed back, butwere somewhat nervous to note the rebel elves moving closer to human lands
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