by M. L. Forman
“I have never seen . . .” Aliia started and stopped.
“Are there no unicorns here in Jarro?” Alex asked.
She shook her head. “Perhaps they exist in other lands, but not here. They are beautiful. How is it done?”
“Horses are brave and loyal creatures, and they have strong hearts. I simply asked them if they would share their inner light with us for a time.” He remembered his first horse, Shahree, who had been killed in the Lost Mountains. Her name had meant “great heart,” and she had been a true friend to him. He still missed her. “The horns should give us enough light to make our way through the tunnel safely.”
Aliia looked at Alex and then bowed her head. “I knew you were a wizard, but I did not know you had such power.”
“Sometimes the strongest magic comes from asking for help,” Alex said, swinging into his saddle. He smiled down at Aliia and started into the tunnel, the light from his horse’s new horn leading the way.
The group followed Alex into the tunnel, and when the magical door closed behind them, it made no sound. The tunnel was expertly made, and large enough for riders to pass through easily. There were a few twists and turns as the path descended into the mountains, but nothing more.
Time underground seemed to drag on and on, but the light from the horses helped the men keep their nerve. The fact that the air in the tunnel was fresh, and that there were no cobwebs or even dust to be seen surprised Alex, but he didn’t say anything. After about four hours of riding, the tunnel began to slope upward, and before long the rock walls and ceiling of the tunnel vanished. They were now riding along a stone path that led them through a dense pine forest.
When they reached the edge of the forest, Alex stopped and looked up. The stars were shining above them, and a cold winter breeze blew across his face. Ahead of him, down a small hill, Alex got his first look at the black lands.
“We will stop here,” Alex said. He turned to look at the men following him. “Prepare a light meal and rest a little if you can. Then we must go into the black lands.”
The men dismounted and went to work building a fire and preparing a meal. Dogmar stretched his back and ran his hand down his beard. He looked out into the black lands, sniffed the air with an unhappy look on his face, and then turned to help with the meal.
Alex dismounted and ran his hand down his horse’s forehead and rubbed his nose. The horn slowly vanished under his touch. “Thank you, my friend,” he said.
His horse nickered softly in reply.
Alex did the same with all the other horses, removing the magical horns and thanking the animals for their help. When he was finished, he went to see what there was to eat, leaving his worries about what lay ahead of them at the back of his mind. Whatever dangers there were would come soon enough.
Aliia sat down beside him as they ate, and he smiled at her. Alex could sense her fear, and he was amazed by her willpower, a power that allowed her to move forward no matter what. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, hoping to let her know that everything would be alright. He wasn’t really sure that everything would be alright, but he wanted to do something, anything, to help his friend.
The wind was blowing harder as they finished eating, but the sky remained clear. Alex wondered if another storm was coming, but it didn’t really matter. Storm or no storm, the black lands were waiting for them.
“Onward, then,” Alex said as he led his horse to the edge of the forest.
Aliia was already standing there with her horse, but she didn’t move when Alex spoke. Alex looked back at the men following him, then back to Aliia, but she didn’t move at all. It seemed as if she was frozen in place.
“What is it?” he asked.
Aliia pointed into the black lands. “The lights. Look at the lights.”
Alex looked to where she was pointing and saw hundreds of lights winking off and on in the distance. They were small, like his weir lights, but even from where he was standing, Alex could feel their magical power.
Alex looked away from the lights, studying the land he and his friends would have to cross. At first, it seemed that everything was normal except for the strange lights, but he slowly began to see how not normal everything was. For the first time, Alex understood why the area they had to travel through was called “the black lands.”
Shadows lay thick on the ground, somehow even darker than the night. No moonlight or starlight reflected off the ground or anything else, yet it seemed to Alex that the ground rippled like water was moving over it, or maybe just beneath it. It made him dizzy to look at it directly, so he looked at the lights again, but that wasn’t much better.
The lights moved randomly, at different speeds and in different directions. Just when he thought he could see a pattern to their movements, the lights would shift or disappear unexpectedly. New lights, or perhaps the old ones, would suddenly appear in places where no lights had been, and for some reason Alex thought that they were searching for something.
“It’s worse than I expected,” Aliia said.
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
“There are more lights than I thought there would be, and they are moving faster.”
“Do you think they sense our presence?”
“I don’t know,” Aliia answered, sounding worried.
“We must cross,” Alex said. “We have come too far, and we have no other choice.”
“I know, but I am afraid.”
The men had gathered around Alex and Aliia. The reflection of the lights danced in their eyes, and they swayed on their feet as if half asleep and still dreaming. A couple of the men shuffled forward, trying to move toward the lights.
“Stay back!” Alex ordered.
He pulled the men back toward the forest, away from the lights, afraid that his friends would suddenly rush forward. Speaking a few words, he put a spell of protection on the group, and then he turned his attention back to the lights.
They were beautiful to look at, and their power seemed to call out to him. Alex resisted the call. Standing perfectly still, he let his mind reach out toward the lights, searching for the source of the magic that created and controlled them. As he suspected, there was nothing there for his mind to find. Still, the lights seemed to call out to him.
He wasn’t sure how long he stood there staring at the lights, searching with his magic, and thinking. He heard Aliia say something, but the words were distant and unclear. She spoke again, and slowly, her words made sense to him.
“Alex, come back to us. We need you.”
He turned to look at the sea elf, surprised to see tears in her eyes. He blinked, and she smiled in relief.
“What happened?” Alex asked. “Why are you worried?”
“I thought we had lost you to the lights.”
Alex shook his head. “No, I was trying to understand them, and the magic that makes them, but I am too far away. If I can get closer, I think . . .” He looked at his men. “Enough of this, we should leave. Now.”
“The lights?” one man asked.
“I will deal with them if I must,” Alex said.
The man shook his head. “I know I said I’d follow you, and I want to help rescue the hostages, but if we go down there, I don’t think we’ll make it out alive.” A few other men muttered their agreement.
“Let’s at least wait until dawn,” Aliia said. “The lights are less powerful during the day.”
“That’s exactly why we must leave now,” Alex said. “I sense something, and I’m not sure what. What I do know is that we must hurry, or something far worse than lights may find us.”
“What?” Dogmar asked.
“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “And I really don’t want to find out if I can help it. We’ve all come too far to turn back now. To remain here means death, or worse. Forward is the only choice we have.”
The strange lights continued to move in the distance, and Alex climbed on his horse and started toward them. The ot
hers followed without a word.
He knew it was risky to approach the lights in the middle of the night when they were at their strongest, but it was also when they were most visible. He hoped it would be easier to avoid the lights if he could see where they were rather than trying to weave his way through them during the day, when the sunlight would render them all but invisible.
As they rode forward, Alex motioned for Dogmar to ride up beside him. The dwarf came forward with a puzzled look on his face, but didn’t ask any questions.
“I have a favor to ask of you,” Alex said quietly, in dwarfish.
“You need only ask,” Dogmar answered.
“We haven’t known each other long,” Alex went on. “I can see, however, that you are a dwarf to be trusted in all things. I do not ask this lightly, and I know your feelings about the elves, but . . .”
“But?” Dogmar prodded.
“I want you to promise me that you will stay close to Lady Aliia,” Alex said. “I want you to stay close and to keep her safe, no matter what happens.”
“You fear something?” Dogmar asked. “You fear that you cannot keep her safe?”
“Nothing I can name,” Alex answered slowly. “I just feel that she should have some extra protection, perhaps even protection from herself.”
Dogmar looked troubled as he ran his hand down his beard, but then his eyes brightened and a slight smile crossed his lips.
“Because you ask this as a friend, and do not command me as leader or wizard, I will promise to stay close to Lady Aliia and keep her safe,” Dogmar answered. “I will keep this promise until you and only you—or death—release me from it.”
“Thank you,” Alex said, smiling at Dogmar. “And let us hope that death has nothing to say in this matter.”
Dogmar gave a grunting laugh, and then returned to his place behind Alex.
As they moved forward, the disorientation Alex had felt on the hilltop returned, stronger now that they were actually in the black lands. The ground rolled and pitched like the deck of a ship in a storm, and the lights moved faster as Alex and the others moved closer to them. Alex thought that he could just hear the hum and buzz of them as they whizzed past.
“Stay close,” he ordered his men. “And stay alert. Don’t touch the lights, and don’t let them touch you. If you see one coming close, get out of its way.”
“Should we draw our weapons?” one of the men asked.
Alex looked at Aliia, who shook her head slightly.
“No,” Alex answered. “We don’t know how the lights will react to sword or steel. Perhaps if we approach carefully, the lights will let us pass.”
Alex took a deep breath and urged his horse forward. The path was dirt now, not the well-made stone it had been on the hilltop. It didn’t take Alex long to realize that the rippling was just an illusion, a trick of the eye caused by the shadows that the lights created. He moved forward with more confidence, but still cautious of the lights.
Alex tried to stay calm, hoping that the lights would leave them alone if they moved slowly and with care. Almost immediately, however, a swarm of lights came rushing in their direction.
“Watch out!” Alex yelled, ducking as the lights darted over his head.
The men closed ranks, changing from one or two riders following in a line behind Alex to a close group. Alex wasn’t sure which was the better approach. Single-file might make it easier to avoid the lights, but riding together meant they could try to protect each other.
More lights flashed and swooped toward the group. A man screamed and nearly fell off his horse trying to get out of the way.
“Steady!” Alex called. “Keep moving forward.”
The air seemed to hum around them, and the darkness had a weight to it. The lights continued to buzz and flicker, but Alex noticed that more and more of them were clustering around Aliia than any of the others. It looked as if the men at the back of the group were traveling without any lights bothering them at all.
Alex frowned. Aliia was a sea elf. The lights must be able to sense her, and for whatever reason they were drawn to her.
Aliia crouched low over her horse’s neck, trying to keep track of the lights flashing above her, but there were too many. Her horse stamped and quivered, and Dogmar moved to the outside of the group in an attempt to shield her. Alex was afraid that some of the horses might bolt, scattering the company across the black lands.
“Quickly, surround Lady Aliia,” Alex shouted. “We must protect her. The lights are targeting her more than the rest of us. If we surround her, they might leave the rest of us alone.”
The men obeyed, drawing their horses into a tight circle with Aliia in the center. She was still terrified, but at least the lights were no longer appearing right over her head.
Alex could still hear the hum of the lights as they dove and spun around the company. He thought he could hear words in the darkness, but if so, he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
“Keep moving forward,” Alex ordered.
“We’ll never make it,” one of the men shouted.
“Yes, we will,” Alex shouted back. “Just stay together, and keep moving.”
The horses snorted in fear, and the circular formation began to break apart as the men on the outside of the ring had to move in order to dodge the swooping lights.
“Hold steady!” Alex called.
One ball of light, larger than the others, suddenly appeared right in front of one of the horses. The animal reared back, and the man on its back fell off, landing on the ground with a loud and painful-sounding thud.
As soon as he hit the ground, the man was surrounded by lights, some large, some small, but all of them flickering madly and swooping closer and closer to him.
Alex spun his horse around, rushing forward to help, but he was too late. He bent low in his saddle, reaching out to pull the man to his feet, but before he could help the man, one of the balls of light struck the man’s chest.
An inhuman scream ripped through the darkness, and something darker than the shadows around them spread like oil across the man’s body. The blackness grew, swallowing the man slowly, bit by bit.
Alex watched in horror as the darkness covered the man, and he simply vanished into the night. All that was left were the echoes of his scream, and a ball of light that suddenly winked out.
“Alex?” Aliia whispered. “What happened? What should we do?”
Alex looked around at the swirling lights. “Close formation,” he ordered. “Get as close to each other as you can.”
The remaining men obeyed without question, though Alex could see how afraid they were.
Alex joined the group, his horse pressed up against the others. He stood up in his stirrups and reached his hand into the air. A half a dozen balls of light immediately flew toward his hand, as if it were a beacon of some kind.
“Alex, no!” Aliia screamed.
Alex gathered his magic and lifted his staff into the air. A ring of silver light expanded from the head of his staff, expanding outward to cover the company. When it had grown large enough to cover the entire group, the edges of it dropped downward to the ground. Alex had enclosed the company in a shimmering dome of light, a dome that he hoped would protect them.
The balls of light hit the dome softly at first, like a gentle rain, but they could not break through. Not being able to get through the dome seemed to anger the lights, and soon they were crashing wildly into the silver dome, perhaps trying to break it, but the dome held firm.
Alex sat back down in his saddle and rubbed his eyes with his hand. He had not wanted to use so much magic, but he didn’t have a choice. If Jabez was watching the black lands, he would almost certainly have noticed, but Alex had to protect the men who had chosen to follow him.
“What . . . what have you done?” Aliia asked.
“The lights!” one of the men said. “The lights touched Dongul and he disappeared.”
Alex nodded. “I am sorry for that, but
we’re safe, at least for now.”
“How long will the dome hold?” the man asked nervously.
“As long as I wish it to,” Alex answered. “But it can’t travel with us. It’s fixed in this one place.”
“So we either stay here, safe and protected but unable to move, or we take our chances with the lights?” Dogmar commented, shaking his head. “I don’t much like either of those options.”
“There is a third option,” Alex said. He looked through the dome at the lights. They were gathering into larger and larger groups, and to Alex it looked like they were starting to take a more solid shape.
“No, Alex, you can’t go out there,” Aliia said, suddenly seeing what Alex saw. “It’s . . . it’s far too dangerous. You can’t . . .”
“I have to,” Alex said calmly. “We can’t stay here, and we can’t move forward. Maybe I can drive them away, or maybe I can strike some deal with them.”
Alex dismounted and patted his horse’s neck. He turned to face the curve of the dome and took a deep breath. He tried to remember everything Navar had told him about the dark elves, the shadows they created, and the lights of the black lands. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had. Navar had thought that the lights were either the magic of the shadows the dark elves had created, or they were the lost souls of those who were somehow tied to this place. Now that he had seen the lights for himself, Alex wondered if both stories might hold some truth.
“It will be alright,” Alex said. “Stay inside the dome. Don’t try to follow me.”
He put his palm against the inside of the dome, which felt as solid as glass but as soft as water, and pushed. The silver light bulged outward, and Alex stepped forward. Walking through the wall of light was like walking through ice-cold water, but after the first few steps he was outside the dome, alone in the black lands with the lights.
The humming noise had grown louder, and the whispers he had heard before sounded more like words than before. Alex still couldn’t understand what the words were, but he knew they were words, ancient words that had long been forgotten.