The tribesman told me the Oracle took our elders to the elders' tent. I went up there with a couple of Jora tribesmen and found the elders lying on beds of leaves and grass. A red glow pulsed over their heads, making them twitch in their sleep.
"Guess we know how she set up her mind control magic on Sharun," I said as I gathered my strength. I put my hands on their heads and cast my mind control resistance magic. Man, I needed a catchier name for that.
The tribesmen stayed by the elders' bedside to look after them. I went back to the campfire where the dead were being gathered and the wounded were being treated. Many elders and powerful hunters had fallen, and we still weren't sure whether Sharun would wake up. I wished I knew how to cast healing magic, but that would take too long to think up and I didn't have the energy to cast it in the first place.
I walked up to Ame Kisi. "Elder Ame," I said. "I wanted to thank you for helping our tribe. We are in your debt."
"No, I am the one who should be thanking you. If you hadn't defeated The Terrible, the Oracle would have controlled our tribes for generations to come. I would not have been able to avenge my husband if it weren't for your actions," said the elder. She put her uninjured hand on my shoulder. "I am personally in your debt, child."
I asked her about the casualties. The heaviest losses had been from the Bandari and Hus tribes that had come to help us in the beginning. Fortunately, elder Ore had survived, although she was injured and unconscious. I remarked in my head that it would have been tough to tell Noel that her grandmother had died.
Noel.
"Excuse me, elder Ame," I said quickly. "Did you see a young silver haired, silver eyed elf running across the plains on the way here?"
"Are you asking about young Noel Jora?" asked elder Ame. "I've met her before, but no, I didn't see her on the plains and I haven't seen her since I arrived at your camp."
I bit my lips. "She should've been back by now."
"Where did she go?" asked the elder.
"The Oracle was being supported by the God of Evil," I said.
"Yes, I have known that for a long time," she said. "But the gods do not get involved in our affairs so easily. I doubt the God of Evil will punish us for killing his followers. At least not directly." She looked up into the daytime sky.
"Well," I said. "The God of Evil was behind The Terrible, too. We knew that as long as the God of Evil was backing our enemies, we wouldn't be able to defeat them. We needed help, so…"
Elder Ame's grip on my shoulder tightened. Her eyes widened as she said with ferocity and urgency: "Do not meddle with the gods! Borrowing their power will lead to ruin!" She narrowed her eyes to stare into mine. She was searching for something, but what could she find in my eyes? "I understand. If your enemy is backed by one god, you are tempted to reach out to his enemy. Many have gone down that road before, especially from your tribe. The Mad King, Barson Jora, and Noel's father, Rosta Jora; both went down that path, but neither succeeded, despite sacrificing their sanity. The God of Madness is not a reliable partner."
"We didn't ask the God of Madness for help," I said.
Ame Kisi frowned. "The other gods are gone. Unless?"
"Yes, we went to the God of Madness' lover," I said.
"The one from the story?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. "They called themselves the Immortal of Desire."
"The Immortal of Desire," whispered the elder. "I have not heard that name before. I have lived for many years, child. It is strange for me to not know the name of a god. Especially one that did not leave our world."
"Are you saying we can't trust them?" I asked.
"Yes, and no," she said. "Perhaps this immortal is honest and trustworthy. You have met them so you can be the judge of their character. But it is strange for me to not know their name. I have been trying to defeat the Oracle for centuries. I have searched for many gods, even the lover of the God of Madness, but I never found anything of value. Ever. How could two children find this hidden god on their own when I couldn't even find their name?"
My heart began to race. "Why didn't I think of that before? In the story, nobody mentions the lover's name. But they know about the God of Madness and the God of Evil."
"How did you meet the Immortal of Desire?" asked Ame Kisi.
"Noel showed me a secret place in a forest nearby," I said. "She'd been going there for years."
"I doubt she found that place on her own," said the elder.
"We went there and… I felt the desire to recite some poetry," I said.
"Do you have that desire often?" she asked.
"No," I said. "But after I shared my poem, Noel shared own too. And it opened a door and then the moon and the red star appeared—it was still daytime—and they laughed."
"They laughed?"
"They laughed. It was terrifying. We fell through the door and then we found the Immortal."
Ame Kisi let go of my shoulder. "I see. The Immortal must have been sealed. That was why nobody had ever heard of it and why our ancestors didn't even know its name. The only question is, why did the other gods seal them? Or more importantly, why did they allow the two of you to get through the seal."
My heart was thumping in my chest. All this time, I'd thought the God of Evil had been manipulating us so I could become a sacrifice. But what if they wanted something else? What if the Oracle had been wrong? "I have to go."
"No," said the elder. "You can't."
"Noel doesn't know!" I said, a little too loudly. "I have to find her. She should have been back by now. Something is wrong and I have to find her!"
"Listen to me, child," said the elder, "the only way to win against the gods is to never fight them in the first place."
"But Noel went to the Immortal of Desire!" I said.
"Then it is too late for her," she said. "But it is not too late for you. Stay here. Forget about her."
"How can you say that?" I said. Many elves turned around to look at us. "How can you ask me to forget about my friend?"
"Because I have been in your shoes," said the elder. "I have stood where you stand, caught between the games of great beings, unable to do anything but bide my time. My husband was condemned by the Oracle. She said he was insane. She said he had been punished by the God of Madness. I went around, I asked the elders of many tribes, and they told me the Oracle was working for the God of Evil. They told me I had no choice. My own tribe gave up my husband. He was my best friend since childhood; he was my soul mate. And they gave him up on the words of that crone!" she shouted with anger.
"Then you understand why I have to go," I said.
"No!" she cried. "I understand why you mustn't go! The God of Madness and the God of Evil, neither of them can be trusted. You must not enter the battlefield if those two are involved. Stay here. Bide your time. You can work towards revenge, although it will be tough to do so."
"I can't," I said, "I have to go. I can't abandon Noel. I can't."
The elder closed her eyes. "So be it. Perhaps that is your destiny. Perhaps I am the one challenging the gods by trying to keep you here." She opened her eyes. The other elves that were looking on had the same intense look. "You may go and try to rescue your friend, child. However, I will not allow anyone else to follow you."
I nodded. It was too dangerous. "Thank you, elder. Please, take care of our tribe." I began walking out of the camp.
"Wait!"
I turned around. Something fell toward me and I caught it. It was the Dragon's Tooth.
"Good luck," said elder Ame. The other elves said the same.
"Thank you," I said. "And in case I don't come back, let me say one last time." I faced towards the elders' tent. Then, I looked at the other Jora tribesmen, many of whom lay injured or dead. "Thank you for being my family." I bowed my head in silence before running out of the camp.