by R A Oakes
“How many meat-eating trolls are between here and Balzekior’s cave?” the ghost whisperer asked.
“A few hundred, maybe more, but most of the trolls went outside as soon as it got dark.”
“I’ll take you there if you want,” Catanya said, surprised at herself for even suggesting something so ridiculous, the mere thought of going anywhere near Balzekior or the old crone’s private cave filling her with terror only a few minutes ago.
“I’ll go with you,” the male ghost said, surprising himself as well.
“What is this golden light?” Catanya asked, marveling at how good she was beginning to feel as it seemed to warm her to the very depth of her being, renewing and restoring her.
“Raven’s a healer,” Rothena explained. “And she’s a Xao-Lin monk.”
“I’m a Xao-Lin monk?” Raven asked, looking at the abbot in surprise.
“As of this moment, yes, and I’m sure Vangalaya will approve.”
“Formally, a Xao-Lin monk?”
“Yes, formally,” the abbot said smiling.
“Then let’s get the children,” Raven said with determination, the golden light seeming to glow all the brighter as the ghost whisperer’s own inner-spirit came even more to life, radiating a sense of confidence that was infectious, filling them all with a sense of hope. And it had been a long, long time, if ever, since an emotion such as hope had invaded the troll capital.
After proceeding for only 100 yards and rounding a second bend in the tunnel, Catanya, Raven and the others stumbled upon two dozen meat-eating trolls, almost all of whom were males. As always, the males were slow to react, but the females didn’t waste any time, gripping their double-bladed axes and getting ready to leap at the intruders, that is, until Raven’s golden light began washing over them. They couldn’t stand how exposed the megentum light made them feel, as if the ravaged nature of their souls was suddenly made visible for all to see. And they were right.
Looking around at each other, the meat-eating trolls’ bodies appeared to be decaying, as if they were living corpses, even though the creatures were somehow still on their feet gripping their heavy axes. And the meat- eating trolls turned tail and ran, their screams of terror reverberating in their ears and driving them away from the golden light.
“They’ll be back,” Raven said, cautioning her friends.
“How long will they look like that, like corpses?” Catanya asked, filled with wide-eyed wonder.
“Not long,” Raven replied. “Some are probably already reverting to normal, at least what’s normal for them.”
“Then, I suggest we get to Balzekior’s cave as quickly as possible,” Rothena said.
“Yes, of course, let’s go.”
With Catanya in the lead, Raven and the others headed deeper and deeper into Gratuga, while the meat-eating trolls they met along the way scattered before the golden light with a fear the creatures had never experienced before. However, escaping from the truth of who and what they really were was something the meat- eating trolls couldn’t seem to do no matter how hard they tried. Even after they were well away from Raven and her golden light, they hid from each other but couldn’t hide from themselves. And in the most solitary, deepest recesses of the many underground caverns of the troll city, they remained shaken and confused by what they’d experienced. However, rather than wanting to change, to improve, their hatred grew and their desire for vengeance knew no boundaries. They hated themselves, but they hated Raven and her golden light most of all.
Rounding another bend in the tunnel, Raven gasped when she saw over 40 human ghosts dressed in rags and huddled together staring into the mouth of a cave. They were a downtrodden and listless group, and the ghost whisperer could feel their overwhelming sense of despair. As Raven and her friends approached the dead humans, the ghosts started backing away, at least until they heard the ghost whisperer’s calm voice saying, “Please don’t be afraid. We’re here to help.”
At such kind words, the ghosts collectively caught their breath, such reassurance being the last thing anyone expected. Then, seeing the uncertainty in their eyes, Raven quickly added, “This woman’s name is Zorya, and she’s the mother of one of the children in the cave before you. And the adult male in the cave is her husband, Jaren.”
Hearing his name mentioned, Jaren stepped out of the cave’s entrance and glanced around. Seeing Zorya, his eyes brightened, but as he looked down at the rags he was wearing, and at the double set of chains Balzekior had put on his wrists and ankles, he was overwhelmed by a profound sense of shame and regret. Glancing back into the cave and seeing his daughter huddled by a small fire, and looking at Zorya once more, Jaren covered his face with both hands, fell to his knees and began sobbing. To him, the only reason Zorya would be here was because she must have been captured, as little Raven and little Dynarsis had been.
The children had told Jaren how they were on a quest for megentum, but even more important, at least to little Raven, was that she was on a mission to rescue her father. And now, Jaren’s entire family, he believed, was imprisoned in Gratuga, in the bowels of troll-queen Zarimora’s underground city. And it was his fault, all his fault.
Jaren wept like he’d never wept before, as one who believed himself to be totally worthless, and rather than bringing such a calamity upon those he loved, he wished that he’d never been born. Jaren refused to open his eyes, lest they reveal to him once more the depth to which his selfish actions, his having run away from home, had done to his wife and child. Jaren, on his knees, his back bent so that his forehead was almost touching the ground, trembled as he cried, the sound of his anguish echoing along the tunnel.
Zorya came forward, looked down on her emaciated husband with his unwashed hair and scraggly beard and nudged his left shoulder with her right knee. When he looked up at her, she was shocked by his gaunt appearance but quickly recovered. Leaning down, she gripped him firmly with a hand on each of his shoulders and helped him to his feet.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you’re now imprisoned as well,” Jaren said, tears spilling down his cheeks, and he covered his face with his hands once again.
“We’re not prisoners. We’re here to rescue you and the children.”
But when Jaren uncovered his face and looked at his wife, he had a dazed, uncomprehending look in his eyes, and he mumbled, “Rescue? Rescue?”
And he turned away from Zorya and stumbled back towards the cave. Yet before he got that far, Zorya gripped him by his right arm, spun him around and slapped him. When the vacant, hollow stare still didn’t leave her husband’s eyes, she hauled off and slapped him as hard as she could, knocking him back on his heels. And this time, he blinked and said, “Zorya?”
“Yes, it’s me, and if you quit wallowing in self- pity for a moment, I’ll explain what’s happening.”
“Happening?” Jaren asked, as a madness crept into his eyes. His own imprisonment in Gratuga he’d somehow been able to handle and accept, but his family’s presence here as well was too much for his exhausted, fragile mind to handle.
“Raven,” Zorya said, turning to the ghost whisperer in alarm.
Stepping forward, the adult Raven took a man that didn’t know her but who was her father nonetheless and embraced him, the golden light enfolding them in its warm, reassuring glow. After a few moments, Jaren took a deep breath, and then another. Looking at the woman who was holding him tightly, he asked, “You’re my daughter?”
“Yes, Father.”
“How can that be?”
“It’s a long story but, for now, I need you to focus, and we need to get out of here.”
Looking around them, Jaren saw the dozens of humans, ones who were no longer in ghost form but were solid, in the flesh and completely visible and said, “You brought all these other people with you?”
“No, Father. But that’s another story, and we don’t have time to talk about it either, at least not now.”
Looking at Renivy, who’d come out of the cave w
ith Brianuk, Raven said, “So you’ve told Father about me?”
“Yes, and there’s something about him you should know,” Renivy said, while holding a flaming stick that she’d taken from the campfire inside the cave. Patting her father on the back, Renivy said, “Let’s show Mom and Raven what you can do.”
“Okay, go ahead, if you think it will be helpful.”
“Oh, it will be,” Renivy said, smiling up at her father as she touched the stick to his shoulder, and Jaren burst into flames.
“No!” Zorya shouted, knocking the flaming stick away from her husband and sighing in relief when the fire went out. “Renivy, why would you do something like that?”
“Because we don’t need to worry about burning him anymore.”
“Why not?”
“That’s a long story as well,” Jaren said. “But I don’t have to worry about being burned. Whenever I’m touched by fire, I simply burst into flames.”
“That should help your marriage, don’t you think?” Renivy said, looking up at her parents and smiling. “Now, Mom, you can’t burn him again. Isn’t that great?”
“Yes, yes it is,” Zorya agreed, suddenly forgetting how angry she’d been with her husband.
“Go ahead, give Father a hug,” Renivy said, patting her father on the back. And when Renivy saw her mother hesitating, the girl said, “Please, Mom, please.”
When Zorya still hesitated, Renivy added, “It’s kind of cold in this underground city. Come on, hug him. It will take off the chill.” And then, Renivy touched her father again with the fiery stick, and he burst into flames.
Zorya wrapped her arms around Jaren and burst into flames as well, but she quickly backed away fearing she’d burn him again. However, upon seeing her husband smiling and reaching out to her, she forgot her concerns, and they embraced once more, the flames billowing all around them. And when Zorya and Jaren kissed, the fire became so hot that even Raven and Renivy had to back away, the flaming intensity becoming even too hot for them.
“Father, tell Mother about Balzekior’s weakness. Explain how that old witch can be defeated.”
“Defeated?” Zorya asked in surprise.
“Maybe not defeated, but she can be worn down,” Jaren said. “Yet she just got back from recharging, so I don’t know how long it would take or how much of a drain on her we’d have to be to weaken her to the point that she’d collapse.”
“She needs to recharge?” Zorya asked.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“She has to leave Gratuga, go to an underground tunnel about five miles away, then go approximately 20 miles underground to a cavern with streams of demonic lava. And the lava’s guarded by demonic ghosts.”
“How do you know this?”
“She took me with her recently, and we almost didn’t make it back. The creatures down there are hostile to her. And it was so hot that she transformed me into a flaming humanoid. After that experience, whenever I’m touched by fire, I burst into flames.”
“You’re comfortable with fire?”
“I am now,” Jaren said, kissing his wife once more, and Zorya was surprised by how much she enjoyed his warmth, never having kissed a man engulfed in flames before.
“It’s good Father discovered that Balzekior can be worn down, but now it’s time to go,” Raven said, her golden glow flowing around and through her parents and aiding in their reconciliation, what could have taken days or weeks taking place in moments.
On the way back to the huge cavern where they’d entered Gratuga, Jaren pointed out a smaller side tunnel, a shortcut that saved them a considerable amount of time. Even so, Raven and the others, including the human ghosts, encountered more meat-eating trolls, but as before, the creatures turned tail and ran away in terror, unable to stand the ghost whisperer’s golden light. Once back inside the cavern, Andylan quickly lowered the ropes, relieved to see that everyone had returned safely, though surprised by all the humans who’d accompanied Raven.
At first, the ghost whisperer stood in the entrance to the huge cavern, personally blocking any meat-eating trolls from gaining access while the others made their escape. But Raven soon began feeling weaker, the golden light began faltering, and she turned to Dynarsis and said, “Tell everyone to hurry, I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”
Then, Raven took one of the small leather bags containing megentum-enriched stones, poured a few into her hand and tossed them into the adjoining hallway. The few meat-eating trolls who had been brave enough to get anywhere near the cavern entrance quickly backed up from them, prism light radiating from them but not nearly as brightly as when Raven’s megentum energy had been at its peak within her. The ghost whisperer had absorbed a lot of energy, but it was waning, and Raven could feel it leaving her body, making her feel empty inside.
Taking the remaining stones from the leather bag, she tossed them into the hallway and started backing her way into the cavern. When the meat-eating trolls began stepping around the stones, Raven emptied the other two leather bags right across the entrance forming a small barrier of prism light. But the more the ghost whisperer backed away from the entrance, the dimmer the stones became.
While Raven had been at the cavern entrance, Catanya and the other human ghosts had met with Rothena and Aldwen, the wizard, and learned about the plan to create Baelfire. When the human ghosts had realized there was some hope, any hope, that a magic sword could help to defeat the meat-eating trolls, they were greatly encouraged. However, their relief had quickly turned to shock when they realized the two individuals most important to the creation of Baelfire were here in Gratuga with them. They could all see that Raven was faltering and couldn’t hold the meat-eating trolls at bay much longer.
One of the ghosts had also discovered one thing more. She’d been able to remain in solid form, at least somewhat, as long as she stayed near the prism-light stones in the cavern’s entrance, and she could remain so even when not near Raven.
“Raven, now human ghosts can hold the entrance so you can escape,” Catanya said.
“I can’t allow you to do that.”
“Please don’t refuse us,” Catanya pleaded. “If anyone has, we’ve earned the right to fight. And this is the first chance we’ve had, ever.”
When Raven still hesitated, Catanya added, “It would be selfish to refuse our offer.”
“I’m not trying to be selfish.”
“I know you aren’t,” Catanya said calmly. “You’re trying to be thoughtful and brave for all of us. But now it’s our turn to step in and lend a hand.”
“You could all die, really die. You wouldn’t even exist as ghosts.”
“I don’t believe life ends,” Catanya said quietly.
“If your spirit dies, life will end.”
“Maybe, or maybe we’ll just be reborn somewhere else.”
“I can’t allow you to take that risk.”
“It’s not your decision to make,” Catanya said firmly, and when Raven looked around, all the other ghosts were nodding in agreement.
“It’s our choice to make, and we’ve made it,” another ghost added. “We don’t fear death. And, believe me, after a life like we’ve been living, actual death would be a welcome relief.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Look at it this way. The last thing Balzekior would ever imagine is that human ghosts would somehow find a way to fight back. The old witch thinks we’re helpless, and she’s about to find out that she’s wrong. No matter how far someone is beaten down, they can always come back. As human ghosts, we can help teach her that lesson, and it will be an honor and a privilege to do so. We’ve lived in fear for too long. Let us die with pride, Raven. It’s the best gift you could give us.”
“I know you become solid when around me, but I didn’t intend it to be a way for you to fight.”
“Well, it turns out that we can be in solid form, at least somewhat, when near the prism-light stones.”
“What will you us
e to fight with?”
At that, the ghosts held up double-bladed axes, and Catanya said, “When the meat-eating trolls were running away, some dropped their weapons.”
Suddenly, some female meat-eating trolls showed up carrying blankets, ones made from the hides of animals, and began covering the prism-light stones in the adjoining hallway.
“Other meat-eating trolls will soon be coming with more furs, and they’ll be covering the prism-light stones in the cavern entrance. We have to act now! We have to fight now!” Catanya shouted, and she raced for the entrance with the other human ghosts right behind her.
When Raven turned to follow Catanya, Aldwen put a hand on the ghost whisperer’s shoulder and, in a kind voice, said, “I know you want to help them, but the best thing you can do now is to insure that Baelfire is forged. Without you, there is no hope. Don’t let these brave souls die in vain.”
Raven glanced up at the crack in the ceiling and saw Renivy, Brianuk, Jaren, Zorya, Rothena and Andylan looking down at them.
“Hurry,” Renivy shouted. “Hurry.”
“You three go up, and I’ll be right behind you,” Raven said to Dynarsis, the adult Starlight and Aldwen, all of whom were still on the cavern floor with her. “Now, right now,” the ghost whisperer added when they hesitated.
And then, she glanced over at the cavern entrance and the human ghosts who were in solid form and fighting valiantly. Thus far, they’d succeeded in keeping any meat- eating trolls from entering. Sighing deeply, the ghost whisperer gripped the rope the adult Starlight was using and began climbing up behind her.
However, when Raven had almost reached the ceiling, a blast of energy unlike anything she’d ever seen before shot through the cavern entrance vaporizing the human ghosts with a billowing inferno of dark-red flames, ones so dark they were almost black. A sense of evil filled the cavern, and Balzekior entered, her eyes glistening with malice, while Zarimora, the troll queen, quickly followed and stood next to her.
Glancing up at the ceiling, Balzekior raised her hands and cut loose with another incredible burst of demonic flames, ones so intense that they caused Raven to scream out in agony. Then, Balzekior lowered her hands expecting to see the ashes of the woman she’d just attacked drifting down from the ceiling. Instead, Raven was severely burned, her flesh charred almost to the bone and her clothes nothing but smoldering remnants, but she was alive. Raven didn’t have Zorya’s tolerance of extreme temperatures and couldn’t burst into flames like her mother, though she could shoot fire from her hands and feet. Yet Dynarsis, who was back inside the crack in the ceiling, had leaned out as far as he could and caught the ghost whisperer by her ravaged right arm and kept her from falling.