The Conquest of Mytheyr
Chapter 2

A Dark Elven girl ran down the corridor as silently as shecould. The transparency potion she had drunk could wear off any second now. Sheconstantly checked her bare arms, making sure that her gray skin color was notbleeding back in.

Everyone sheknew was counting on her. In fact, she reflected, the lives of the entirekingdom counted on her mission. She had seen the look in Semele’s eyes as heproclaimed himself King. The royals’ deaths would not be enough for him. ButMaya had her own reasons. Namely Cyrus, the elder of the two murdered princes.It had been happening for years, but Cyrus was unsure of how his father wouldreact. Maya was willing to do anything to avenge his death, even if it resultedin hers. For Cyrus, she would be a martyr.

Mayafinally reached the door she was searching for. She glanced up and down thestone hallway, but it was as empty as a tomb. The hall was not carpeted, so shehoped she would hear anyone approaching. She took a bronze key from her pocket,and unlocked the door, cringing at the heavy clunk the deadbolt made as it slid back. She glanced around thehall again, but it seemed no one had heard. She opened the door, thanking allthe deities she knew that the hinges were freshly greased. She slid inside,quietly shutting the door behind her.

Maya stoodin a richly furnished room, with thick red carpet and heavy red drapes. A fourposter bed took up the far corner, but the room was dominated by oakbookshelves that coved every inch of spare wall space, and every single one ofthem stuffed to the gills with a variety of tomes and journals. It was Cyrus’sbedroom, and, being the eldest crown prince, he had a precious treasure hiddenhere. A treasure that just might save them all…

Maya made abeeline to the fifth bookshelf from the door. She pulled up one of the numerousstep stools with an air of urgency, as she had just caught sight of her hair,which was no longer clear, but gray. She figured she had three minutes beforeit turned all the way back to black, but it didn’t matter now. If anyone walkedin now, she would be caught, and it would be over.

Sheclambered up the stool and took a look at the top shelf.

“Extinct Wyrms… The Blood Rage… Peppergies…..” she mutteredto herself, rifling through the books. She spotted the one she was looking for,an ancient book with a worn gray leather cover. “Dragonkin!” she exclaimed. Shesnatched the book off the shelf and practically toppled off the stepstool. Sheplopped down crossed-legged on the floor, and flipped through the book’sbrittle pages. It didn’t take long to replace the page she wanted.

The pagewas headed “Uses of Moonlit Silver.” A list in tiny print took up the rightside of the page, but Maya was after the illustration on the left. It was adrawing, done in faded ink, of a six-holed flute.

“Worse has come toworst.” Maya whispered in Elvish, “Ineed this now.” The drawing glowed with a silver light, and Maya reachedinto the light. Her fingers clasped around something slender and smooth, andshe pulled her hand out of the book’s pages. In her hand, Maya now held aflute, made of the strangest silver-colored metal.

Maya’s redeyes glowed as she felt the magic the metal possessed course through her fingertips.Her own magic mingled with it, and Maya could swear she almost heard it…singing.

“Maybe it’ll be worth it.” Maya whispered, “Now that I knowwhy The Dragonkin praise this metal. It’s…. unlike anything…..” she was at aloss of words.

She closedher eyes and brought the flute to her lips. She had considered doing this elsewhere,but it was too great a risk. She could not be captured before the flute wasplayed, or else Semele would surely destroy everything… it had to be now.

The flute’snotes rang out, clear and sweet. The song was simple, a trilling tune thatdanced up the scale before falling again. The servants who heard it hid theirsmiles their arms, clothes, or hair when they heard it, hope filling theirhearts. Maya had done it, and surely theywould come soon…

Onehowever, smiled a very different smile, for a very different reason. Semelecocked his head, listening as the last note faded.

“Well,” he laughed to his newly-acquired loyal servants, “itseems someone has saved me the trouble of replaceing it myself…” He was reclinedin the throne, with one leg thrown over the armrest, his back wedgedcomfortably in the corner of the chair. He tilted his head all the way back andsighed. “Of course, now I have to go and get it.” Semele leapt off the throneand surveyed the council room giddily. All those who had been killed by hisgolems had been reconstituted, reborn as undead thralls. Except, of course, forthe royals, for their bodies were currently being displayed on the castleramparts. The golems might be stronger and altogether more useful, but theywere too valuable and too hard to create. He needed something to do the moremundane work, since obviously the conquered peoples would be… less then willing.Semele grinned at his heinous work, and he teleported away to take care ofsomething.

Maya sat stock-still for a fewseconds. She knew that the entire palace heard the flute’s song, but if she waslucky, she could make it back to the servant’s quarters, and no one would bethe wiser. And those who did know something would never divulge anything.Besides, there were only four other people knew what Maya had been planning todo.

“Walkcasual. You just have to make it back to your room.” She muttered to herself,“Just make it to your room.” She stood, and walked shakily to the door. Maya puther hand on the knob, and took a few seconds to allow her heartbeat to slowdown. Her hands were shaking violently. She hesitantly pushed opened the door.

“Well, well.” Semele said,violently grabbing Maya’s wrists in a vice-like grip, “What have we here? Atraitorous servant who doesn’t know her place.” Semele pulled her extremelyclose, her face inches from his own, their chests nearly touching. Maya triedto pull away, but Semele tightened his grip. Maya whimpered in pain.

“Why so fearful?” Semele teased.“You were so willing to die earlier, while plotting with your friends… whatwhere their names?” Maya turned her head away, breaking eye contact, andrefusing to say anything. Semele chuckled faintly; studying the girl like asnake might study a rat before striking. He leaned closer to Maya, and sherecoiled. “No matter,” he whispered in her ear, “I already know.”

Tears sprung in Maya’s eyes. Shenever wanted this for her friends…. At least… at least… the flute had beenplayed. Nothing Semele did would change that.

“Poor girl… if I didn’t want that silly flute played, whydidn’t I stop you sooner?” Semele said softly, as if he read her mind. Perhapshe did. “The Dragon-Elves will come, and pave the way into their world. Whywould I settle for this pitiful land, when I can take theirs?”

Maya criedin earnest, her tears running down her face and dripping off her jaw. Shedidn’t want to die in vain… she didn’t want to meet Cyrus as a failure.

“I didn’t get to take the time to properly kill the royals…”Semele grinned sadistically. “But I will be sure to have my fun with you…”