The Twins Weave Book 02 Ch. 10

'We would be talking to you from there if we had, hold on,' Ember goes silent for a moment, 'Ian didn't want to talk, but has no issues with constantly interrupting.' She pauses for a few moments again. 'Okay, he says the Elves will mow through the regular humans, if you see them rise up again, it's trouble. What?' she pauses again, 'Oh, the word mow, means killing many of them at the same time with ease. Try poisons against them and stay away from fire and ice as they will be resistant.

'Nightshade or Belladonna can be found in forests, I could make some poisons from it, the elves are thousands of years old, could also just ask them.' I've read all about those.

"Wait, you can make poisons?" Neivia asks the same way one of them does when they ask me to recite some books when we are sitting around doing nothing, she has interests in the paths she never got to use before and anything with romance in it, then the others listen in. If romance, i'm normally doomed in the best way possible by one of them.

'Wow, you just spaced out there didn't you?' Abi says.

"What? No, just recognized story time," and for the next hour we talked about the set of books I'd read on the various forms of poisons, they were interested in what several of the recipes could do and some of the ingredients, where they could be found and I threw in my conspiracy theory that there is no way I read both sets of books that happen to push me deeper into this invasion by chance.

Tahareesa and Aurenthel were the first to come see us, they talked about everything we'd already discussed, the confirmation helped, but the accusations against Traeliorn and his ships "not seeing" anything when they sail across the world constantly was the questions of the day.

"I don't want anyone associated with Traeliorn anywhere near James," Cassandra says to Aurenthel as a side conversation that got my attention being called out.

"This is Falathrim's," Aurenthel waves around the room, we met here to ensure you all were going to be safe. Palace intrigue and jockeying for positions is the only pastime many have had since we all joined together after the purge. It almost never moves into bloodshed, but many don't see humans as they do other elves, we don't mingle as the humans do, each factions stays to their own locations.

"Is that the reason the ring is so far away?" Cat asks and Aurenthel nods. "That's good, well, for the current situation. It's no different at home, the inquisition is our version of the Elves not being offensive, any death has an inquisitor investigation and they have no problems delving into the suspects until they are satisfied."

"And most try and stay away from the elves," Abi adds after a moment.

"Why is that? They do know we can't do anything if not provoked?" Aurenthel asks.

"If anything happens, the King or now Queen would protect the elf and the relationship over anyone else, it's easier to stay away if you have no business with them." Neivia offers.

"Most of our people report that it takes quite a while to integrate, any suggestions since I have you here," Aurenthel asks me.

"That's a them thing," I point to Denae and the others.

"IF that is our biggest problem after this, I'll be happy to add it to the list." Nora replies and shakes her head at me rolling her eyes."

"What is it you do?" Aurenthel asks, it seems like she is trying to tease me from her tone.

"I point at them when people ask me questions," I reply and she laughs.

"Dry and witty is the specialty of elves, that was pretty good, my daughter said you had a good sense of humor." Aurenthel, "we can use that right now, we all had the same question, we just needed Abigail to bring it up to keep the politics to a minimum. If I was to raise the question, it would be seen as an attack of one house to another, and would be seen as political maneuvering."

"So political maneuvering with outside help instead?" I reply and she gives a small laugh. "Yes," she nods.

"I have to get back to it with all of the changes being made, my husband, son and daughter, Mitalar and Kendel are the only ones that should see you alone, everyone else stop what you are doing and leave the area, things are tense right now."

"What about the dinner? I'd like to invite my grandmother Serena, but she is hesitant to attend."

"The Queens mother's mother? Of course, she can attend. What does she need." Aurenthel stops at the door and steps back towards us.

'Serena, I've added Aurenthel, Tahareesa's mother and the owner of this palace, would like for you to attend?' to the group, 'You know I'd never let anything happen to my favorite person."

'Of course she's your favorite.." Denae sends with affection behind it.

'I know you want to come,' I send again.

'You are most welcome to attend Serena, we have things in order here.' Aurenthel says with the pause.

"Let me make arrangements, I'll let Albert and Geron know where I'll be." Serena answers and I let out my breath. I'd hate for her to miss out on this, even if it did start out poorly.

'Good, it is settled, I'll see you all then.' Aurenthel leaves and we sit around making small talk until Serena is ready, I was going to portal her into the room but then she wouldn't see the spires.

"Hold on, let's give her the full treatment," walking over to the door I let the guards know that we were going to the ring and bringing someone back to this room. "Won't take but a few minutes."

Back in the room we teleported to the ring and brought Serena through, the look on her face made it worth talking her into coming.

"It's beautiful, so thin, with waterfalls and so many windows." Serena looks around the clearing and out across the water. Taking off her sandals she walks over into the sands before the water, " softer than our desert sands." A few minutes later we were all standing barefoot in the sand and picking up sea shells.

Finding a fully completed shell that looked a lot like the vortex water spell, I notice Serena on her knees and Cat holding her hands. Walking over, I can hear her saying she just needs a moment, she's been running around quite a bit lately..

"Are we working you too hard Serena," I plop down in the sand beside her, dinner clothes feeling the moisture seep in. "The house, traveling, new responsibilities."

"No! I love all of these things, I just need a moment, Cat just finished a healing spell a moment ago that put a little pep back in me."

"Good, you are deeper into their group conversations than I am for a reason, listen to them when it comes to your health."

"Some of their recommendations are rather crude, and.."

"Bah, Bah Bah.. plausible deniability allows me to have innocent conversations with my favorite Nana. I don't want to know, I just want to you stronger." I have my fingers in my ears.

"Oh," Serena sits back on her heels, "Oh, okay, I need to think about this, uh...

"Tahareesa and Aurenthel are in our room waiting for us," Abi says to the group, brushing the sand off our clothes and grabbing our shoes, sandals, etc.

Dinner went well in a hall with 30 to 40 elves, most kept their distance for security reasons, the food was great and the conversations stayed cordial.

"You all were at the beach after we asked you to be careful?" Aurenthel asks looking at Denae.

"There was nobody else around and we were picking up Serena." Denae replied, "We aren't completely helpless.

"You are only a few days to a few weeks of having the power we have had for centuries," She looks over at Abi, "In certain areas." Abi nods back to her.

"I wouldn't let anyone get close to us, I've refrained from doing what you're kind reviles, but will not hold back if strangers approach without cause."

"I understand there are forces here.." we get interrupted with people coming in.

A few people come through the door and pause, Aurenthel looks up and raises her hand. She walks over to them as more pour through the door. Traeliorn was mentioned a few times. Aurenthel started giving orders.

"Take them back to their room," Guards filed through the door.

"Hold!" I say and point at the guards, "Nobody closer that isn't Your family or Kendel." Aurenthel looks shocked until I finish and then she nods.

"Find them," She says to the guards and they file out, she walks over, "Sorry, I'll take you, Traeliorn is gone, they sailed off with half a dozen ships," she leads us through the hall back to our room, "Their faction is in disarray, our insiders say there are many that want a new leader.

"I'm guessing they found a nice place to live with all of their explorings," I answer opening the door, walking into the various rooms, and checking my little corner. "Are you sure they won't use portals."

"Kendel is our faction's only member that uses mental abilities, he is so rare other ally factions request his abilities during emergencies. Every faction has been toppled without bloodshed or straying from our nature."

"Traeliorn working with the invaders seems outside your nature," I answer and she scowls.

"Yes, those that did not go with him are reaching out to the other factions for help, we are not positive he is working with them, but knowing they are coming and not informing the rest of us is just as bad, as it would have crippled our race at best. Ian informing us through you and what you have done in the south will help, your champions have limited abilities, but their numbers will help.

"It's not enough." I reply and look over at Abi and the other, "Let the.."

"We are on it," Abi says and Nora nods.

"I'm letting the council know we need all of them," Nora says and goes back to her inner conversation.

"We are going to need rings setup along the coast to the west, much further west, is there a good place to catch them squeezed together?"

"Give me a moment," Aurenthel spends some time with the others and I sit around and watch them, plucking at some finger foods.

"There is, between what used to be called Spain and Morocco, west of Sethorp and a good distance northwest of your capital ladies," Aurenthel says to Denae and Cataline.

"Sethorp is tiny, but we can use it as a starting point," I answer, it is straight as a bird flies north of Cegramond. "We will want to.."

"They are past the choke point already, the first ship is spotted." Arunthel interrupts holding up her hand. "This would explain why he left when he did."

Well fuck, fuck, fuck, okay, looking around everyone has the same look I'm sure I have. "How long?"

"A few days to the edge of our borders where the wastes meet our forest."

The only good thing about this was that the skeptical ones were now onboard. Sethorp didn't have a ring, but we were looking for anyone in every kingdom to find someone that could give us a place to teleport ring builders there and move forces to either catch the backend or advance along their rear. It took almost half a day before we got the reply and we teleported to her house. It took only a few moments to get a memory of an open area before we had a team teleported there, Harold volunteered all of his teams saying they are used to the weather at the edge of the wastes. Those that live east of us don't know the heat of the wastes' as we do, it's the difference between a candle and a roaring fire.

By nightfall they reported that there were ships going by, none stopping short to go ashore, they could see the front of the armada but not the rear of it. Making a ring the size of a house we started sending another few hundred through to see if we could get them to pause or split them over rough lands that had nothing to burn or destroy for vast distances in every direction.

The ships were the only things that had light when we arrived with our three teams from Velho and another seventeen teams that included instructors, students, and clerical, everyone was coming.

The Captain of Aurenthel's guard was giving orders to the Elves running east along the shoreline, the Elves dug trenches for quite a ways and took up positions, we moved into the gaps.

"Take out their masts, burn or shred their sails, don't let them continue on or steer was the command to the Elves, Kill anything that comes towards land was asked of the humans.

This quickly changed as we saw the damage a mast falling does to a ship, as the mast causes quite a bit of damage, but the rigging still connected to the ships decks are causing even more damage, either ripping the hulls or pulling the ships to the side, some tilting, others fipping over completely and others where the mast falls on the ship, get their sails fired, setting everything on fire.

The ships closest to shore were ignored for those further out before they could get out of range.

"Take us to that ship," The Captain pointed to one still standing with the mast across its length. We can reach those further out.

I created the portal and we went with them, stepping on deck to clear it and the cabin when I saw one dropping from above towards Mazarine. Hip-checking her out of the way and reaching up with both hands the first caught him and he clutched my right hand, my fingers started to blacken, it moved to my palm, my other hand was about to grab him when I sent a river knife spell through his eye and pulled away. The right hand didn't hurt, but it was up to my wrist now.

The Captain kicked my legs out from under me and severed my wrist just above the crawling charcoal skin.

--==--

James screamed and then Mazarine screamed, she was down and holding his arm while Neivia and Abi were holding her.

"Don't let them touch you!" The Captain sent to everyone. If they do, cut it off before it spreads." To Abi, "Take us to that one over there."

"Stay with him, we'll be back, Abi, Nora, Cassandra, and Denae go with the Captain and they leapfrog from broken ship to ship in order to reach the others out of range.

"What have I done!" Mazarine is wailing, "It's not healing, why won't it work!?"

"He's alive Mom," Neivia is healing and curing along with Cataline, a detail of Elves are watching while the rest confirm the ship is clear.

"Can you take us back to that ship? The Elven guard points back to the rear of the column.

"I can do it," Cataline pats Mazarine, and they portal to the furthest out ship that is upside down, but still afloat.

"Let's get him back to shore," I hear Neivia say as I come to, I feel fine except for the ache in my wrist.

"Stay down James." Mazarine puts her hand on my chest.

"I'm fine." I push up to the side and almost push off with my right hand before realizing, my forearm looks skinny, turning sideways and pushing off with my left. The fleet is about half gone already. I feel where the ladies are and see them moving to the east and only Cataline to the west.

"Let's help Cat," creating a portal to shore, grabbing another group of Elves we start hopping from one broken ship to another, The sheer number of disabled ships are causing the others to have nowhere to go, and their casters aren't doing anything other than shouting and whipping the ones on the boat or drowning in the waters.

Once all the ships were disabled we portal back to shore and the sheer number of our people was staggering, hundreds running in both directions to spread out and not allow anyone in the water to make it to shore. The entire night had the humans using up their powers and being replaced by anyone, man or woman, champion or gardener, whatever skill they had to stop the same amount of people swimming towards the shore.

The Elves just needed to take small breaks to ease the pressure, and they were back at it, they could have handled this by themselves if not for the gaps they would have left between them.

"They have it under control, come back to the village with us." Mazarine pleads up at me.

Wrapping my handless arm around her on instinct it felt weird, "Fine, but I'm fine, we'll fix this later."

"We couldn't fix it." She says quietly, her cheek on my chest.

"Bring him here, bring all of you here," Ember says to the group.

"We can't until we get the Elves to shore, give us a moment, we are almost done out here." Abi sends back, while I spend that time trying a regenerate on my hand a few times and it isn't working. I delve deeper and see that my missing hand was not seen as part of me to regenerate. Looking at my other arm, I try and duplicate my hand and switch the thumb and fingers around, commanding my brain to understand what I want, I visualize it over and over, eyes open, eyes closed, fuck! I think I've said fuck more times in the last hour than in my entire life.

At the healing station, it is mostly humans suffering from using up too much of their power, half a dozen elves are under wraps, all with what the Captain cut from my hand over their entire bodies. It could be worse for me, I feel ashamed for my self-pity in comparison.

Nora arrived with three elves carrying one more, setting him down. She turns and walks over to us, she doesn't glance at my missing hand, she just comes in for a kiss and hug.

"Thank God you are okay, that curse works fast, she pulls my sleeve up over the stump, feeling my skin all the way around. Pulling it to her chest and kissing me again.

"It was because of me, I fell and couldn't keep him safe." Mazarine is a sobbing mess again.

"Honey," Nora pulls Mazarine in, "There was nothing you could do, no ward could stop the direct touch."

"He would have landed on top of you Maz, one hand is nothing compared to losing all of you." My good arm goes around her as my bad is still in Nora's chest.

Nora folds the sleeve and binds it covering the stump. "There," she kisses it.

"It's fine James, there's nothing left to spread, I need to find that Captain and thank him for his fast action and good aim." Nora says and Mazarine cringes.

"It's the only thing I can't remember," I say thinking about what happened. "I remember pushing him off and then falling and that's it."

"You were probably in shock, we were all in shock," Nora answers rubbing the stump like it was my hand.

"Let me see," Neivia and the others walk over and I hold my arm up like an idiot pointing at her. "Guess I'm a lefty now," I say and get a few groans.

"I should have gotten you to fuck me like Cat before this happened she pulls me from the other two with the bad arm.

"Hey, careful there, and I'll use the same air support spell I would have needed anyway."

"Did you just call me fat?" Neivia pushes back a bit and looks up at me.

"For little James, yes, he can only support up to one Cats worth, and I cheated a little with her."

"Can't you two take anything seriously?" Mazarine says, but she looks a little better now.

"Waiting?" Ember sends.

"Fine! We're coming," I let Aurenthel know we will meet her back at her place, the rest of this is just cleanup. Though the screaming from the water is evident it's more than just that.

Ember is in her same spot, Ian next to her and Scraps is standing in the back of the room near the stairs. The ladies take the same spots they did the last time, I stand were I was last time also, not sure where to go.

"Sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen," Ember says with a purr looking at me. "Conquering hero, returning with his war wounds, would be fucking delicious if I could." She winks at me and we all feel her aura, I get dizzy and to stop myself from walking to her as my knees about buckled.

"Sorry, sorry, give it a minute," Ember says to all of us, "I lost it there for a moment."

Shaking my head to clear it, and at Ember, "What was the rush? Did you see it?

"Oh yeah, there were plenty of spirits to watch from." Ian replies, "come here," he unfolds the sleeve and starts feeling around. "Hmm, there's no memory remaining," he goes still for a few moments and then stops. "Nope, if just a little was left I could have reversed it, but it sounds like you wouldn't be with us if any was still on you from the way it spread on those that didn't make it."