Taken! yet what of the Emperor? He was once no longer slain? ” “No, he escaped, taking the palace of crystal and the Dragon Throne with him. we don't be aware of the place he has long past. yet Talmirennia and its peoples have suffered a bad blow. ” “Ailia. ” Taleera progressed. “Mandrake is coming the following to Mera. He’s introduced his first attack, and Arainia is subsequent. The Loänan say he’s positioned down all of the Valei who won’t obey him, killed the rebels, and seized keep watch over in their empire. And it’s a lot greater than we ever imagined. ” Ailia concealed her face in her palms. “Yes: i have to face Mandrake, and shortly. He and that i needs to meet. The longer I hold up, the longer this warfare will final. ” “But—if he wins—” “He mustn’t win. i'm going to need to use all of my powers. and that i as soon as was hoping by no means to need to use them for violence. And . . . I won’t misinform you: I nonetheless worry him. Mandrake tempted me while I went to his global. With strength and—and different issues. ” She appeared without delay at them back. “I virtually gave in to him. that's the fact, which I couldn’t locate the braveness to inform you sooner than. yet i'm able to come again with you now,” she additional. “Whether it got here from Ana or now not I don’t be aware of, yet i think I’ve stumbled on the reply i used to be looking. ” She became to Ralf. “Would you Nemerei please inform my family members down within the urban that my humans have stumbled on me, and i'm leaving the rustic now? inform them i'm going to get back sometime, if i will be able to. and will you ask one in every of your individuals to seem after Greymalkin for me? ” the guy squawked his assent and shuffled off down the hill. “He will take no payment,” acknowledged Ailia. “He says the Nemerei see to his uncomplicated wishes, and he calls for not anything else. Now i'm going to include you. ” “Good! issues are relocating, Highness,” Taleera instructed her. “And we needs to circulate too. The enemy marches, or even now we might be overtaken. we can't permit him select the battleground. ” 7 The struggle among the Worlds SOFILIA, QUEEN OF THE SYLPHS, stood within the royal gardens observing at the revels of her courtroom. there has been no palace right here resembling people outfitted, and just a only a few marble constructions scattered in regards to the grounds; a few have been little greater than roofs raised on pillars, to maintain off the rain. The sky was once a smooth rose-pink, like a sky on the first blush of sunrise, shop that the following that hue by no means left it. It used to be transparent yet for a couple of gossamer wisps of cirrus, very excessive up, whereas reduce down there swarmed multitudes of flying shapes, gentle in shape and tint as butterflies or wind-blown flower petals. those have been her humans, gliding and hovering freely on their fragile-seeming wings. They got here to earth to leisure and sleep, and take their foodstuff, and paintings: yet there have been no roads and little foot site visitors during this global, retailer of the very younger or very previous. All others traveled in the course of the pathless air. within the royal gardens this world’s unending summer time reigned: the grounds have been the sort of mass of plant life that during so much areas the underlying turf couldn't be visible. red, pink, scarlet, and wine-red have been the foremost colours, and out and in one of the large blooms went these of her those that have been taking their ease in the world.