Fool's Errand by David G. Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

Goldain’s discretion in sharing this particular advice. Doubtless, the churchers would not approve.

    As they assembled to check the hallway beyond the throne room, Melizar could not hold back a patronizing sigh. He had his own secrets, and was not nearly as well to do as the others thought. Study of kashaph was costly, and the mage could have used his portion of the found treasure. His need for secrecy, however, demanded he not start any contention that might cause the group to question further who he was or what his motives were for partaking in this little foray. He still did not fully trust any of the humans and especially did not like or trust the Durgak. Melizar was a chats-enash, or half human, but his father was a D’zarik, the dark elves, and thus were opposed to the surface races.
    The D’zarik served the Ayabim god Husam and as such were enemies of all races serving the One Lord and His running dogs, the Malakim. It had long been the policy of the D’zarik lord of his home city, Syythys to raid Adami and other human settlements and take female prisoners for breeding. According to the old scrolls, of which Melizar knew much but believed little, the One Lord created the servant races, including the D’zarik, without souls. Only the human races had this eternal gift. When a member of the servant races perished, they would be gone forever. It was different for chats-enash . Some mystical part of the humans spawned in their bonding with the servant races, and this imbued soul lived on. The D’zarik lord of his home city of Syythys, Lord Yolodyr, who was himself a D’zarik chats-enash , had gone insane with the idea of preserving the D’zarik race under his rule unto all eternity. Breeding with the humans was, in his mind, the means to that end.
    Melizar’s own amah-em or slave-mother had given birth to both he and his younger brother Malandyr. Eventually, however, darkness and captivity drove her mad to the point of taking her own life. Melizar’s father, Muzzif, had treated her well enough, but life deep underground in perpetual darkness did not suit the surface dwelling Adami.
    A few experiments had been tried with other human races as amah-em . Qarahni women were as tough and untamable as Qarahni men were, and the D’zarik males would not sleep in the same house with them for fear of waking with a knife in their throat. The diminutive Mitsar were more suited to underground living, but were so tiny in stature that they were undesirable mates for the proud D’zarik. Mitsar also were a generally non-magic-using race, and thus, the offspring were unsuited to learning kashaph powers so intrinsic to the D’zarik. As a result, Yolodyr proclaimed that only the Adami should be sought as fitting amah-em for the D’zarik.
    He had left all this behind at his father’s instruction when his father was demoted after refusing to seek another amah-em . Muzzif had genuinely cared for Melizar and Malandyr’s mother. Her death affected him deeply. He could not bring himself to take another amah-em and face the absolute surety of another loss.
    The D’zarik lived much longer lives than the Adami, so even if he could find a woman who could adapt to living in the dark depths of Syythys, her life would end long before his. It was a cycle he chose not to repeat. He defied Yolodyr, taking a D’zarik mate and refusing to follow the directives of the high lord of Syythys. Knowing the Lord’s wrath would fall on the family, Muzzif sold all they owned and sent his oldest son, Melizar, to seek his fortunes away from Syythys. Melizar’s younger brother, Malandyr, refused to leave with him and stayed with their father. That was twenty-five years ago, and Melizar had not seen his family or his home since then.
    Melizar, a chast-enash with the same freedom of will granted to full-blood humans, was not bound to the service of the Ayabim. If one believed the ancient writings, thanks to his Adami mother he also had an eternal soul.