Poison Chapter 6

Opal had wiped Elwiths mind. He had forgotten about their quest, even his travelling companions, all he needed was Opal. He was her slave and willingly followed her around like a puppy. “Mistress, do you not think it's dangerous to have him present at council meetings?” one of her advisors asked.
“Who’s in charge me or you?” she asked.
“It’s just, many of the dark elves have been talking. You have been neglecting your duties for this elf…” he was interrupted by another advisor.
“He is making you weak,” he said, he was haggard. The bones in his spine fused together he was forever bent over, his skin cracked and flaking. She looked at him with disgust. She sighed and looked at the rest of the council members.
“We will discuss this later,” she snarled and pushed the two advisors away. They disappeared into the shadows, and the meeting continued. A dark elf dressed in crimson, long black tendrils fell down his back and his sword clattered against his side as he walked, he walked into the middle of the room and coughed as he prepared himself to address the room.
“My lady,” he began and knelt before her throne, a disgusted glare landing on the captain. “Your darkness has almost taken over the whole of the south, but the Rangers and their priests of light still persist to drive our armies away, we need stronger forces…” he was suddenly interrupted by an elder dark elf. His skin white, almost glowing, his blue flame-like eyes danced in their sockets and glowed against the dark chamber.
“We’re all missing the point here, no one here is talking about her plaything,” he said, his voice growling through his chest. “Are you all blind to him?” he pointed at Elwith who cowered behind her throne. “Dargus, I will give you the armies you need, I’m not sure Opal is competent enough to, she is more worried about her personal problems than the kingdom she is supposed to rule over,” he said and strode out slamming the door shut behind him, chipping off the thin rock.
“He has a point,” Dargus said. “Don’t lose focus of what’s important, if he clouds your judgement, Opal I will not hesitate to slit his throat and you may wake up with his head in your bed.” With that he turned on his heel and left with the rest of the council members, when she was alone with just Elwith she looked down at her hands, they shook and the colour of her skin had lightened. Elwith came out of his hiding place and knelt down in front of her and rested his head on her legs like a dog.
“Not know!” she snarled and pushed him off, he whined and followed her as far as his chain would allow, when it pulled him back it bruised his throat and gave a shock to his trachea. “Why did you ever enter into my life? I was happy being the Queen of Darkness, but you had to restart my undead rotten heart,” she turned to him, the darkness returning to her hands again. He sat on his haunches with glittering tears. Her gaze softened, she walked over to him. “It’s okay dear, I am sorry,” she stroked his head as he hugged her waist. “They just don’t understand, I believe it’s jealousy that I can feel and they cannot.”

Paolo, Rysaras and Rykon had lost her trail, too worried for their friend they had missed the dead, dark and decaying narrow trail hidden amongst the green of the Evergreen forest. “There horses are too calm to be in the realm of Opal,” Rysaras said.
“Are you picking anything up?” Rykon asked.
“No, there’s not even a hint she has been here. Perhaps we should circle back?” Paolo suggested.
“What? And waste more time?” Rysaras snarled and pulled harshly on the bit in between his horse's teeth, “we don’t know what condition he is in, he could be dead for all we know. We continue forward.” Paolo huffed and reluctantly followed, their eyes trained ahead ignoring the stone figures towering above them, the horses became jittery, they reared and bucked. “Woah!” Rysaras said and patted his horse's neck.
“Somethings wrong,” Rykon said as they halted in the middle of the cobwebbed and stone-filled forest. In the middle was a stone table stained with blood.

Opal sat slumped in her seat, her head resting on a tightly curled fist. She sighed and looked at Elwith, he was sleeping now like a dog he even had his own bed situated behind her throne. She stood and walked around the dark chamber her leadership hanging in the balance. It wouldn’t just be the war with the living but she’d have a mutiny on her hands in her own kingdom. Her seat on the council was also threatened and everything she built would be crumbling down around her. That would leave her vulnerable to Paolo, Rysaras and Rykon and she knew it.