In the distance they could see the bottom of the path as it wound its way down the mountain and through the flat bowl-shaped valley. In the center of the white expanse of snowy ground, just barely visible in the distance, stood a solid black structure.
They reached the structure just as the sun was beginning to set. Its tall columns sporting sconces with ever-burning flames indicating it was in fact the one Tyrius had been brought to with the Master Elder and the King what seemed like a lifetime ago.
They hastily entered the protection of the structure, eager to escape from the increasingly violent winds that had been picking up as the day drew to an end. It had been causing wisps of snow to swirl around in twirling little whirlwinds as they made their way across the bleak valley floor and made it difficult to keep their cloaks wrapped around their faces, let alone see more than a few feet in front of them.
When they entered the doorway, they saw a stairway descending into the heart of the structure. As they descended, the air began to change from the cool, crisp mountain air to the still warmth of the underground.
David and Erin were fascinated by the ever-burning flames that lined the stairwell, wondering how such things could be burning for so long without any apparent source of fuel. Tyrius told them that those flames had been burning just as brightly when he had walked down these stairs with the Elders and King Eldergate, and that he, too, had been just as entranced as they were.
As they neared the end, David’s sense of dread that he had felt throughout the day was growing increasingly more persistent. His stomach began to cramp with anticipation of what was to come – he somehow knew that his time in this world was slowly coming to an end. He didn’t know how, but something told him that the powers he came here to find would also bring with them a price that was far beyond anything he had been prepared to pay.
When they descended the final step and entered through the doorway into the space beyond, they stood before a great chasm filled with enormous clusters of crystals across the walls and ceiling the likes of which David and Erin had never seen before. They were illuminated from within, glowing softly and creating a greenish blue aura throughout the vast cavern that allowed them to see far within its depths.
David could feel the power within his mind roaring to life. It was exhilarating and filled him with a sense of strength and vitality that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since he first awakened the power of the orb on the mountainside while heading back to Eldergate with Rex and Orin at his side. A feeling he had only been able to experience for a day or two, as it had disappeared once the Defiant One had been released.
Suddenly and without warning, David dropped to the ground unconscious like a rag doll. Erin and Tyrius quickly ran to his side, trying to wake him and see what had happened. No matter what they did, he wouldn’t wake, it was useless.
Realizing that he must be in a trance induced from the presence of the crystals, Tyrius gently urged Erin to stop trying to wake David.
“It would appear that our assumptions were correct. These must in fact be the same Crystal Caverns used to create the Orb and the Mystic Crystals. They seem to be responding to David’s presence, forcing him to face his inner demons by putting him into a deep sleep. Wherever he is, he is lost to us now. Come, help me get him to the temple” said Tyrius to Erin, who looked as if she could cry with worry.
Ever since they had been nearing the structure, and since the other morning when he had awoken from that nightmare, David had been acting more and more unlike himself. He had been distant, keeping to himself mostly, and seemed to be cold to Erin and Tyrius. This worried her greatly – she was worried she was losing him.
They lifted his limp body and carried him slowly down the black stone path spanning across the lake and into the magnificent temple at the heart of the chamber.
They set him on top of the tomb of the fallen Mystic, where he lay motionless and still, the only indication of life was his erratic breathing and racing heartbeat. As he settled into place on the tomb of the Mystic, the orb in his hand began to glow brighter than ever before. It was like a shining beacon in the middle of the dimly lit temple, filling its space with its light as it pulsed slowly between varying levels of intensity.
“His powers are being amplified,” said Tyrius, “It must be related to the crystal’s effects on the Orb – he’s searching for its power, deep within his consciousness. We must let him be. He will work it out and return to us when he is ready.”
Tyrius and Erin stayed by David’s side for several days as he tossed and turned. They took turns on watch, making sure David was still breathing, giving him water every so often and making sure it went down without issue.
On the third day David’s eyes suddenly shot open and he quickly shot upright in a heavy sweat, gasping heavily.
“I know what I have to do” is all he said, then he looked at Erin and wept.
Chapter XXX
Erin held David in her arms as he wept uncontrollably for several minutes. When he finally settled down and was able to speak without being interrupted by gasping sobs, she asked him what had happened.
“I saw the Creator God,” said David, eyes distant and glossy as he recalled the visions.
“He showed me the history of the world… the creation of the Mystics, their decision to bring life into the world in the form of the Elves, the Dwarves, every living thing. I saw when the first man and woman were created by the Creator God, how from them spawned the vast history of mankind that we see today, and the jealousy that it brought upon the Defiant One.” he said.
Tyrius and Erin exchanged looks before urging David to go on.
“He was once good, you know. He worked with the other Mystics of Creation, he was the balance for life, so it didn’t go unchecked and overcrowd the world. His actions were never malevolent and cruel, but simply necessary. But, when the Creator God made mankind, he grew distant and jealous, eventually that turned to anger, then hatred… that’s why the war began, he wanted to eradicate all of mankind, erasing them from the earth. He hated them…” said David.
“When the war broke out the Mystics of Creation gathered together, along with the forces of their creations, to help the race of man defeat the Defiant One and his armies. The fighting was unlike anything I could have imagined…his power, it was incredible. They only just managed to subdue him before they were able to banish him into the Dark Abyss. History nearly went the other way.” he said, horror across his face as he recalled the visions of the battle between the forces of creation and destruction.
“Yes…the accounts of the Mystic Wars are very descriptive, I’ve read nearly all of them” said Tyrius, “and their images alone used to haunt me in my dreams.”
“After the Defiant One was imprisoned, I saw the Mystics of Creation gather their fallen brother and seal away his life force in the Orb. At first, they were unsure of how to go on without their brother, knowing without him they were not strong enough to contain the Defiant One forever, that eventually he would wear down the barrier and once again break free from his chains.
“That is when they decided to seal away their powers, along with their lifeforce, into the Orb alongside their fallen brother, so that when the one worthy to reclaim their powers finally came, as they foresaw that he would…that I would…that he would then possess the full might of all of the Mystics of Creation and would therefore have the power necessary to face the Defiant One and defeat him, banishing him for good into the Dark Abyss. So long as his powers remained in this world after their brother was banished, the seal would never again be broken.”
“That certainly makes sense and corresponds with the history as I’ve been taught it,” said Tyrius, looking at David and Erin in turn, “Did you find it? The source of your power?” asked Tyrius, seeing again how the orb in David’s hand continued to glow strong and eager to hear the answer they had both been waiting for. If he didn’t, then all of what they had been through over the past couple of weeks was for naug
ht.
“I did…” said David, looking down and away from Erin as he said the words.
“So, what is the problem? Why are you so downtrodden all of a sudden?” asked Tyrius, confused at David’s mood since he woke.
“The power…it comes with a price that I’m not sure I’m willing to pay.” said David bluntly.
Erin’s stomach dropped as she heard the words depart from David’s mouth.
“Do you…do you have to sacrifice yourself?” she asked, afraid of the answer.
“No…not exactly.” said David, dancing around the truth. “I don’t really want to talk about it right now. I need time to process everything. I promise, when the time comes, I will tell you everything.” he said, grabbing Erin’s hand and squeezing gently, gazing into her eyes. They locked eyes for a few moments before she finally responded, recognizing that he was being sincere and not wanting to press the issue.
“Okay…” said Erin, still concerned for her friend. She loved David fiercely, and at the moment she was terrified for him and for herself. What did he mean when he said not exactly? Was he having to sacrifice something else? Her mind was racing with the implications of his final words. They were making her sick to her stomach with worry.
“Fair enough,” said Tyrius, thinking over David’s words, “So what is our next move, then? The orb, it has certainly sprung back to life it seems. Do you have any of your powers back?” he asked David.
“Yes… I can feel the power, it’s definitely there.” said David, “I feel it like I did before…before Eldergate” said David.
“That’s good!” said Erin, hope slightly restored at the positive news.
“I think it’s time we go. We need to get back to the others and prepare for the final march to Eldergate. The Defiant One is amassing an army even greater than the one he had before. He’s going to be sending his army towards Draco’s pass within the next few days, but it is large and therefore won’t be moving very quickly.
“He had received a report from a scout when I was captured saying that I was being taken to him as Bloodvayne’s prisoner. Since we never showed up, he now knows something went wrong and is planning on taking the fight to Brineport. We have to make sure we are ready to face him before his army gets that far or we risk losing countless lives of innocent women and children in the fighting. The Defiant One is ruthless and will use our love for friends and family against us and it won’t end pretty.” said David, shaking his head as he recalled the countless versions of the future he had been shown.
“When the time comes, I need to face him at Eldergate. It’s where the barrier between the world of the living and the Dark Abyss is at its weakest. If I’m ever going to seal him away, it has to be done there. We can’t let his army through Draco’s Pass – the battle must take place in the plains” said David, standing up with a look of determination on his face.
“How do you know this?” asked Tyrius, alarmed at the news.
“I’ve seen it.” said David.
“Seen what?” asked Tyrius.
“The future.” he said. He picked up his pack and started heading out of the temple towards the winding path across the lake.
Tyrius and Erin exchanged mutual looks of confusion before they quickly grabbed their things and followed suit, wondering what in the world had just happened.
David was back, but he was different somehow, and Erin wasn’t sure she was ready to face the consequences of what that meant.
***
When David, Erin, and Tyrius finally reached the stretch of land between the Eastern range of the Draconian Mountains it had already been several days since they had left the Crystal Caverns.
They had been traveling at a constant pace, and thanks to their mules hauling the majority of the supplies and therefore the heaviest burden, they were making incredibly good time all things considering.
There had been little to no conversation from David, so Tyrius and Erin mostly kept their distance and talked quietly amongst themselves, their worry for their friend growing more and more with each passing day.
As they moved further South, they passed the road leading up to Draco’s Pass on their right and the Forest of Immortals on their left.
This is where they caught their first glimpse of Gilric Ellisar’s forces as they were marching home from Brineport.
When they neared, the army of Elves stopped short and a lone rider began galloping toward them at a fast but steady pace.
“Prince Gilric! Is that you, old friend?” called Tyrius across the way, squinting to try and see the rider more clearly.
The rider approached and atop the great white stallion he could see that it was indeed Prince Gilric of the Woodland Elves.
“Good day, Tyrius!” said the Prince, smiling slightly at the sight of the Elder. He never was keen on showing much emotion.
“David, Erin, good to see you both in good health!” he said, acknowledging the other two with a formal nod of his head.
“Prince Gilric, I have to warn you that the Defiant One has been amassing another army of demons, far greater than the one you have recently faced.” said David, jumping straight to the point.
Gilric frowned slightly at the news, “Yes, we suspected as much. That is why we have come to prepare our people for the coming war. We have just come from Brineport where the survivors of Ravenfell have taken refuge and are rebuilding what’s left of their lives the best they can. The Dwarves parted from our group just last night and are headed back to Emerald Keep preparing their people as well.” said the Prince.
He caught them up on the battle of Draco’s Pass and Ravenfell, skipping the heavy details and getting straight to the point. He told them of the show of force from the Defiant One shortly after their victory over General Krauss and his forces, and how it had destroyed what remained of Ravenfell and sent the rest of the survivors with no choice but to fall back through the Southern Tunnel to Brineport where they had hoped to find David, Erin, and Tyrius.
“We had agreed to meet in the coming days, if all went well on your quest to the caverns, as I presume it did since you are standing here before me.” said Gilric.
“Yes, it went well enough.” said David, dodging the subject from any further scrutiny. “What of Rex, Orin, and the others?” he asked, eager to hear the news of his friend.
“They have started gathering as many men as they can who are fit and willing to fight, while the elderly and the women and children stay behind to rebuild.” said Gilric. “They are a valiant bunch and have suffered greatly, but still they wish to fight on. I admire their courage.” he said.
“Will you join us for a feast tonight in the White City?” asked Gilric, “Your friends have agreed already to meet us in the valley with the Dwarves no more than two days from now. I’m sure you could use the rest and we would be honored to host the bearer of the orb and his friends.” said Gilric, nodding respectfully.
David knew they would be cutting it close. The enemy would be on the move soon, if not already, and it was of paramount importance they stopped them before they reached the pass through the mountains. Everything he had seen depended on the final battle occurring in the Great Plains around Eldergate if they were to have a chance of surviving the coming battle.
He looked to Tyrius and Erin, who were watching him for confirmation, before agreeing and they joined ranks with Gilric as they made their way through the Forest of Immortals toward the White City.
When David saw the city for the first time, he didn’t seem to be impacted as much as Erin had expected. Before the caverns, he would have been amazed at the great ancient tree and its marvelous white bark and golden leaves. Instead, he seemed unaffected by its grandeur as if it were just another place, just as ordinary as the rest.
She tried her best to hide her worry, but no matter what she did, that feeling in her gut continued to grow the more distant David seemed to become.
That night they enjoyed a great feast as wonderful as the last time they had
been in the city. The great dining hall was even more packed with elves than the last time. This time, however, they were all trying hard to get a look at David and introduce themselves to the great warrior of legend.
He was polite and humored them all with grace and kindness, but Erin could tell that his mind was off somewhere else, distant from the party around him. He smiled and bowed when he was expected to, and partook in various conversation and idle talk with all of the elf lords and ladies, but she knew him well enough to see that the real David, her David, was not at all present.
When the party quieted down enough for her to get a chance to speak with him in private, Erin led David to an outer balcony that was quiet and secluded from the rest of the party.
It was nestled near the outer edge of the canopy of the great white tree and they could see the clear night sky dotted with a million stars shining brightly above.
Hundreds of little fireflies flittered around the branches around them, lighting up the area in a soft glow that was truly spectacular, but David barely seemed to notice.
“What’s bothering you, David?” asked Erin softly, concern etched in her face. She gently placed her hand on his hand that had been resting on the railing – he didn’t move it, which was promising she thought.
“It’s nothing…” said David unconvincingly.
“Is it your visions?” Erin asked, gently prodding him for more information. She took his hands into hers as she faced him, forcing him to look at her. She was looking in his eyes, and he kept diverting them from her gaze, trying to hide his inner feelings.
“David…you can talk to me. After all we’ve been through, I’m here for you, no matter what.” she said, lifting his chin with her finger and forcing him to look in her eyes.
He did, and finally the faintest hint of a smile began to form on the corner of his lips, but then faded almost as quickly.
David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation Page 24