A Song of Askaldenfirsts and Dragons. Part seven: Gaaldalksirin
Chapter 9: Ilzathiel

When Ansell disappeared, Ilzathiel whispered a spell, and made motions with her fingers, and the shackles fell from her. Then she waved her hands and cast a spell, and the other three captives were freed.

“How did you do it?” Arinella asked, rubbing her wrists.

“I’m just like him,” Ilzeth said, and then she rolled her eyes, “well, not like him, of course, I don’t kidnap ermirians for violent purposes. I’m one of the Firsts.”

“You?” Alchi blurted out.

“I know you have questions, and I can see that you already have a preconceived notion. But I’m not one of the Firsts who were sent here about three thousand years ago. I am the emperor’s confidante. Let’s just say I’m something between an Imperial advisor and a spy,” she smiled. “He almost recognized me. I’m talking about Ansell. I crossed paths with him once... But that’s not important now. The important thing is that while the Firsts were sitting their asses on Ermir, or how Ansell... the bastard... was doing these terrible things, we had a new emperor, and with him a new era came, and we found a new mineral, an alanjruon analogue which doesn’t require such barbarous procedures for the planets like using verlaweiners. And the Firsts, until recently, were little aware of what was going on in the Empire. But someone is weaving a conspiracy. And this is happening here on Ermir. Someone wants to overthrow the Emperor and return the old order. It’s a good that the local Firsts still use the alanjruon... Well, it’s a long story, and you know what it’s all about.”

“I don’t understand much,” Alchi admitted.

“We told you then... Oh, well, I’ll tell you again later,” Slu said.

“Now I’ve accomplished one of my mission goals, I found out what Ansell does. I have many goals, and I have to hide my identity from everyone,” Ilzeth said. “But now, since I’ll also be revealed by Ansell, I’ll open a portal back to where we were with you, and then I’ll be forced to move you temporarily to Malderfir.”

“Excellent!” Arinella was inspired in the hope of replaceing Edelmer.

“We still have to replace Laylith,” Slu said.

“You want to look like the noble queen, the savior of his daughter, don’t you? And then Edelmer will thank you well!” Arinella sneered.

Slu glared at her angrily, but didn’t say anything.

“Girls, come on!” Ilzeth said, and opened the portal.

Already at the opening stage of the portal they saw that instead of the snow that was, there was scorched earth and the carcasses of dragons lying around. They saw Hemrockhever.

“We can’t break through their dome!” Hemrockhever shouted when he saw Arinella from the other side of the portal, and without waiting for a reaction, rushed to the attack with his axe.

“They’re controlling Gaal,” Arel shouted.

The girls entered and the portal closed. Ilzeth saw Gaal fly behind Stellartalanjir, then she saw to her right a huge dome with several tukhtaash outlanders supporting it and five more tukhtaash mages who could control the dragons.

“Hvefur Af Elefi,” Ilzeth cast the spell of the Firsts from the new school of magic that allows you to dispel the magic of enchantment.

And Gaal ceased to obey the invaders.

“Cras Af Tar Sap Kan Dar Ack, Gaal,” Ilzeth said, rumbling her voice to Gaal. “Khwel Fanga Semek Ekki Yer Hek Ag Veda,” she cast the Firsts’ spell from the new school of magic, and created a mighty spherical dome that covered everyone who was nearby within a radius thirty yards from her. The tukhtaashes were a little farther away.

The outlanders reduced the power of their joint dome. Gaal flew toward them and began to destroy the protective dome with fire, and in a minute he burned alive everyone who was there.

“Wretched creatures!” Gaal yelled, he looked at what he had done. Ilzeth sympathized with him.

Down below, lying dead were Lanmeitstarlinost, Dukeiltaavagan, Releksdalfiaks, Ashneersimonish, Erafnertalanjir, Farumbirznaaks, and Mirdartomonis.

“He never got to take off,” Delmirbirznaaks said as he flew up to Dukeil’s corpse, “Goodbye, Dukeil.”

“First of all,” Ilzeth said, “some of the Firsts are lousy bastards, and I want you to remember that! Ansell is one of them! And secondly, I want to move you to Malderfir, back to the Zualafaran Kingdom, because it is as safe as possible there now.”

“Safe?” Slu exclaimed. “I lost a great part of my people during the collapse of Itskel-taash, I had to flee. Then my people were moving through the desert and this fiery Gaal appeared and destroyed another part of my people, and then in Chumbiksirinish not only the people of the city died, but also the saved tukhtaashes! And finally, in the mad battle of Zualafaran, I lost another part of my long-suffering people!”

Arel came closer.

“It’s very sad, but you have returned without Laylith, Your Majesty, and when shall we go in search of Laylith?” Arel asked.

Slu cast him a surprised and irritated look, but remained silent.

“I understand your doubts. But think of this, if you stay here, you have the outlanders coming at you from the east, who know how to control, perhaps, now the most powerful creature in the Universe, Gaal. Somewhere to the north there are a couple of greyskuggies who can kill everyone except Gaal in a few minutes. And there is some kind of conspiracy of the Firsts, and I don’t know all the details yet, but the Firsts, as you know, are powerful beings. And Ansell is one of the most powerful! If I hadn’t shown up, almost all of you, or even all except the fire dragon, would have been killed. Let’s face it, if you don’t come with me, you’ll die for sure,” Ilzeth said.

Ilzeth stared at their silent faces for a moment. Gaal was looking at her intently, he just flew down a minute ago, landed and listened, and then he took off again.

“We need to pick up someone,” Hemrockhever said suddenly.

“Yes, and I need to replace someone,” Jamashar said.

“All right,” Ilzeth smiled , “I’m collecting applications now. If you let me to teleport you, then I promise to search for your friends, and teleport them directly to Zualafaran, if, of course, I replace them myself and they are alive. Believe me, they are no longer at war in Zualafaran. The king is dead, and there may be confusion for some time. And besides, there is no one in the kingdom more dangerous than ordinary dragons... except Itullannoth, who, of course, can cause a lot of trouble. But the greyskuggies and the dragon mind-controlling mages are waiting for you here. I think the choice is obvious,” and she began to open the portal.

“Find Laylith, please,” Arel said.

“She is in Taashtar, and I will replace her, I promise you, Arlandiel,” Ilzeth said.

“Rescue all the tukhtaashes you can, please,” Slu asked, “except the outlanders”.

“Then maybe we’ll save everyone at all!” Arinella quipped.

“I’ll be honest, I can’t waste my time on people you don’t know or care about. I know who you are both thinking of. Edelmer. And you know he’s where you’re going. I have no doubt that he is alive, and that we will set him free,” Ilzeth said.

Arinella exchanged glances with Slu and they entered the portal.

Delmirbirznaaks flew up and almost landed on Hemrockhever, the tonnebeard had to run away, he glared angrily at the dragon.

“Arqilunian–” Delmir started.

“I’m not an arqilunian,” Ilzeth said, “call me Ilzeth”.

“All right, Ilzeth. We, dragons, may be creatures of the Firsts, but we have brothers and our real mothers. I suppose that some dragons fly somewhere between Norvinoria and Kaushmanashtoon. Others may still sleep in the mountains of the Belt of Twilight. Please, Ilzeth, replace them and bring them to us. Our kind is almost destroyed, like huge parts–”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Delmir, but we can restore the dragon kin, and it will be much easier than restoring the rest of the inhabitants of Ermir. Moreover, with the new knowledge, your future brothers and sisters will even be able to turn into bipeds, like the tukhtaash outlanders. But we will need ermirian volunteers who will be willing to sacrifice their personality for the sake of turning into mothers of dragons. And you, stralandir, understand that now every ermirian is important for the future recovery of the population... But let’s talk about that later, all right?”

“All right, Ilzeth,” and the dragon flew into the portal, followed by Stellartalanjir, Darlatsimonish, Halicksimonish, Fernirtalarsialor, Irkirtalarsialor, and Ulli. Gaal took his time, flying across the sky and not wanting to come down. Hemrockhever approached Ilzeth.

“I’ll go in there, elfish girl, or whatever you are… yes,” said the tonnebeard. “I’ll trust you and ask you to save Richten and Ulrihelga and Ovenka, they are between Stumbleglade and Elnastaarnall. Also in Stumbleglade, save the tonnebeards, there are a couple dozen children and several adults there. And if you get a chance, replace King Tulvarick. I will be grateful!”

“I’ll do what I can. If they’re alive, you’ll see them relatively soon,” Ilzeth said and smiled. And Hemrockhever entered the portal.

“And I need to replace the wallitarf Ishkmet, and Norvinoria Queen Nulara, I’m used to that obnoxious wench... oh, sorry, her majesty. Please, don’t tell her how I called her,” Jamashar said and saw Ilzeth nodding. “I am grateful in advance, el-el.”

“Well, I have some ideas on how to advance in their search,” Ilzeth replied, and Jamashar, hesitating, entered the portal.

“I need–” Alchi began, and suddenly her voice became rougher, changed, her head abruptly transformed into a giant slug, and this creature attacked Ilzeth.