The Cruel Prince's Wrath

Chapter 29

Iefyr’s legs felt weak, and he was still recovering from whatever it was that Ievos had managed to do to him in spirit form which must have been part of his sorcerer powers. What had his powers become? It terrified him that Ievos might become like Cauladra or already was like her. This must have been the very fear their father felt. Tears started to fall from his eyes as he stared at the spot where Ievos had taken Tolanda from. Tolan had recovered from Ievos’ attack and was raging that his sister had been taken.

“We have to go now! We have to go after him and get her back!” he cried. “We have to save her from your crazy brother! Iefyr!” he realised Tolan was shouting at him and he was right. They had to get her back. He could feel his heart aching and involuntarily his hand gripped his chest where his heart was. He looked to Velkin with new determination in his eyes.

“If he brings any harm to her, you do not have to worry about killing him, brother, I will do it.”

“And me, as long as, well, he is already half dead or something…” Tolan added. Liv had recovered from Ievos’ ice blast, he could have easily killed her, but he did not. She was crying about her friend Dalyor and at Tolanda’s now peril.

“Do you think he will really hurt her?” she asked with a shaky voice. “He laughed… he f*****g laughed as he told me of Dalyor’s death! He was a good man and now he is dead and probably has been a while and I… didn’t even know…” she was standing beside Tolan and placed her hand on his arm to steady herself as she felt wracked with sorrow, she clasped a hand over her mouth. “I have been… I have been having a wonderful time at the dragon kingdom and he has been… dead in the ground!” she cried and then felt herself crumple the rest of the way to the ground, but Tolan held her, so they lowered to the ground together and she cried against him.

“It is not your fault, Liv, you did not know,” Tolan assured as he stroked her long dark hair.

“I’ll kill him!” Liv cried and pulled away from Tolan smashing her fists on the ground, “I will slit his throat and see how funny he thinks it is then!” she growled with a fierce look in her eyes. Tolan backed away and pulled himself back to his feet looking at the others.

“We will get Tolanda back, but Ievos’ powers are… different, he is far stronger than I remember he was back at the dragon kingdom and when we fought in that battle,” Velkin said. “I was no match; he might have even been able to take both Iefyr and I on but used that as opportunity to snatch Tolanda away. Whether or not he had planned to do that is unknown,”

“I am not sure Ievos does much planning but perhaps the chaos of his actions might prove to be in our favour,” Iefyr said, and he went to their gerdai. “We appear to be quite near to Laseron’Dir… I think we need to assume it likely he is there,”

“Then we go,” Velkin said, and they gathered their belongings and set towards Laseron’Dir with a plan to rescue Tolanda.

                                                                                        ~~

Ievos was dragging Tolanda through his camp shouting orders for everyone to pack up and set off to Laseron’Dir. Tolanda pulled in vain to try and get free from his grip but he only tightened it and caused her pain. Her arm would definitely bruise, and she fought the intense nausea she felt from being carried by Ievos as he used his sorcerer’s powers to move faster than was natural. All around her the elves were packing up the camp and readying to move on and Ievos tossed her to the ground whilst he gathered some things. She clambered to her feet and went to run but he intercepted her and struck her across the face with the back of his hand sending her to ground once more. She gasped holding her cheek feeling the burning pain.

“Ievos, you don’t have to do this!” she said refusing to show him her tears, she held them back.

“Do what?” he hissed, “what am I doing?”

“You kidnapped me to lure Iefyr, you are hoping to trap him, aren’t you?” she asked.

“I have yet to decide what to do with you. I might just kill you and allow him to find your lifeless body and then I would kill him. Or I might wait until he comes for you, kill him in front of you and then send you right after him to the dark abyss of death. All of these are options,” he snarled.

“Have you… really lost your mind?” she asked him.

“Perhaps I have, what difference does it make? You still betrayed me!”

“You know how it works, Ievos, I do not need to explain it. I had no choice. I have spent these past months punishing myself, wallowing in what happened and that it sent you back to that woman. I am so sorry but what would killing me and killing Iefyr do for you? Really, think about it, you loved us both once,”

“It will grant me satisfaction,” he replied sharply meeting her eyes with his fierce angry ones. He then threw a bag over his shoulder and pulled her to her feet marching her out of his tent. As they left a white-haired elven woman hurried to them.

“Brother, what are you doing?” she asked looking at Tolanda.

“I am going ahead to Laseron’Dir, the rest of you will meet me there,” he continued to drag Tolanda towards where there were unicorns, but these unicorns did not look right. Tolanda felt a chill as she looked into their darkened eyes, their hair was not shining and their eyes were pure black, with dull horns on their heads. She tried to pull away.

“I do not want to go near one of those!” she gasped, and he tugged her arm harder, and she involuntarily cried out.

“It is no different from Tonfo and Olpi,” he lifted her up and onto the beast before he climbed on behind her and then hurriedly rode away from his camp and towards Laseron’Dir.