by M. L. Forman
Moving forward, away from the dome, he called into the darkness. “I am Alexander Taylor, wizard and warrior. I ask for safe passage through this land for myself and my friends.”
If the lights heard him or understood what he said, they gave no sign. The largest group of lights had gathered together into a shape about as tall and as wide as a man, and that figure floated closer to Alex.
“We seek to destroy a great evil beyond these lands,” Alex continued.
The figure was close enough to touch Alex, but it paused. The shape remained in place, hanging in the air. The outline of the figure was all light, but the inside was all dark, darker than the blackest night Alex had ever seen.
The whispered words that had been teasing Alex finally formed into a word that he recognized. “Evil?”
“Yes,” Alex said.
“Show us,” the figure hissed.
Alex felt the pull of magic against his mind, and he was moving toward the lights before he knew it. He heard Aliia screaming behind him, but it didn’t matter. All Alex knew was he had to communicate with this figure of light and darkness if he or any of his company were going to survive. Slowly, Alex stretched his hand out to touch the darkness.
The man-shaped figure reached out as well, and the two hands met. Alex felt a cold chill run up his arm, and there was a moment of total silence. The lights stopped moving and flickering. He felt magic all around him, and Alex suddenly realized that he now he could see what stood in the darkness surrounded by light.
Navar had said that the light of the sun had twisted the shadows into monsters, and Alex wasn’t sure what else he could call the creature that stood in front of him.
This shadowy figure was as tall as an elf, but its skin was a mottled-gray and slightly yellow-green in color. Where eyes, nose, and mouth should have been were pits of swirling darkness, and the long fingers of the creature were twisted and curled like claws.
A sudden and unreasoning fear took hold of Alex, and he reached for his sword, Moon Slayer. He tried with all his strength to pull his magic sword from its sheath, but the sword wouldn’t move. Moon Slayer was a powerful sword, forged long ago by dark elves. With his fear melting away, Alex suddenly wondered if the sword knew that these creatures had been created by the dark elves, and was now refusing to be part of the pain its creators had caused.
“You cannot destroy us,” the creature said. “Not at this time.”
Alex let go his sword and faced the creature that stood in front of him.
“Show us this evil you fight,” the creature whispered. It stepped closer and touched Alex on the forehead.
The magic engulfed him once more, and in his mind, everything he knew about Jabez, the Axe of Sundering, and the war coming to Westland rushed by. It felt like one jumbled mess, but somehow he knew the creature understood everything as well as he did himself. The pressure on his forehead increased, and suddenly everything he knew or suspected about the Brotherhood also flooded into his mind.
The creature of shadow paused, and then Alex heard a sizzling sound, like cold water hitting a hot pan, and he was thrown backward. He hit the wall of the dome and slid to the ground. He groaned at the impact and pressed his hands to his head. His entire body ached, but his head most of all.
Under the light of the dome, Alex could see the terrified look on Aliia’s face. It was clear that she didn’t know what to do, and at the same time she desperately wanted to do something, anything to help. Her eyes searched Alex’s face, begging for some explanation of what had just happened.
He wished he could explain, but he wasn’t really sure what had happened.
“We grant you safe passage, Alexander Taylor, wizard and warrior,” the creature hissed.
“I thank you—” Alex started to say, but the creature cut him off.
“For a price,” the creature went on.
Alex got to his feet and brushed himself off. “What price do you ask?”
The creature pointed a clawed finger at Alex’s heart, and then moved past him to point at Aliia.
Aliia’s face went white with fear and she shook her head. Dogmar moved in front of her, pushing her away from the dome’s edge. The look on the dwarf’s face was easy to read: “You’ll have to go through me first.”
Alex moved to stand between the creature and the dome. “I cannot pay that price.”
“She is a sea elf. We can smell her. She must come with us.” The black pits swirled faster in the creature’s empty eyes.
“No,” Alex said firmly.
“She is one of those who created us, who twisted us and left us here to suffer through the ages. She is a sea elf. She must pay the price.”
“It was not her doing. She is innocent.”
“All are guilty!” the creature roared. “All must be destroyed!”
“No,” Alex said again, his temper and his voice rising. “I warn you, if you ask this again, it will be you and the other shadows that are destroyed .” He recognized the heat building in his chest as the power of the dragon, and he felt his skin hardening as it had when he’d fought the wolf creatures in Midland. He knew that if he unleashed his power now, it would scour the black lands clean. He couldn’t do that, not now, or Jabez would be sure to flee. He didn’t want to destroy these shadows of the dark elves, because he felt pity for them. He remembered Whalen’s words about how they hadn’t had a choice in what they had become. He thought about how long these creatures had suffered, never able to find an end. There had to be another way. He calmed himself, and out of habit his hand rested on Moon Slayer’s hilt. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do and say.
As if the sword knew what he was thinking, the blade slid out of its sheath, free now when before it had been stuck.
Alex let the point of the sword drop to the ground in a gesture of peace. “I will give you this sword,” he said, “to hold in good faith while we cross the black lands.”
The creature seemed to take a step back as it looked at the blade, and the runes written in the language of the dark elves shone in the darkness as if they were made of white fire.
“We know of this blade and its power,” the shadow hissed.
“Then you know that I will return to claim it, once I have defeated the evil that is spreading across Jarro and the other known lands.”
The creature hesitated.
“You have seen my thoughts. You know that I believe the Brotherhood is working to keep you trapped here, in this half-life. If I am free to destroy the evil in Jarro, I will also strike a blow against the Brotherhood. And when the Brotherhood falls, you and your kind will be free.”
“Free?” the creature whispered.
“To become what you once were, to find a lasting peace.”
The lights pulsed around the figure, as if the creature was thinking. “And the sea elf?” it asked.
“She travels with me. Unharmed.”
“And if you fail?”
“Then I will return in his stead,” Aliia’s voice said softly from just behind Alex. “And I will pay whatever price you name.”
He turned in surprise. Aliia had somehow passed through the wall of the dome. Behind her, locked inside the dome, Dogmar was trying madly to follow her. Aliia pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders, but her back was straight as she faced the shadow.
Alex was impressed by her courage, and her offer. “Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.
She nodded once. “I know you will not fail, Alex,” she answered in an equally low voice.
The creature reached out, taking Moon Slayer from Alex’s hand. “We accept your offer,” it said. “We will guard Moon Slayer until such time as one or the other of you returns to claim it.”
“And we are granted safe passage through the black lands,” Alex said.
The creature bowed its head. “Agreed.”
“I thank you, then,” Alex said, bowing slightly.
The creature of light and shadow flashed once more, more brilliantly than th
e sun, and then winked out. One by one, all of the lights winked out until finally Alex and Aliia stood alone in the darkness while the rest of the company remained inside Alex’s silver dome.
Aliia turned to Alex. “I feared for a moment that all hope was lost.”
“No, hope is never lost,” Alex said. “It can seem far away sometimes, but there is always hope.”
“When you touched the lights . . .” Aliia started and then paused, her voice shaking with fear and wonder. “You . . . you touched the lights and did not lose yourself in them. How is that possible?”
Alex didn’t know how to answer except to tell Aliia the truth, the whole truth.
“I was not lost because I am not just anyone.”
“You are a wizard, a dragon lord,” Aliia said before Alex could finish.
“I am both of those things and more,” Alex said, taking a deep breath. “I am also a dragon, and it seems that your dreams have come true.”
For seven more days Alex and his companions rode across the black lands, but they never saw any sign of the shadow creatures or the strange lights. Though they all continued to feel that they were being watched, their fear had mostly vanished. The weather continued to be unpredictable; one day it would rain, the next day snow, and then sunshine and warm breezes the day after that.
Their traveling was easy enough as the road was a good one. This left Alex with time to think, and his mind was full with worries about Whalen and Darthon’s army. How far had they gotten on the road to war? Had they run into trouble? Did Jabez already know they were marching to attack his armies? Who was Jabez watching and where would he strike next? Were they all too late to help? Was he already too late to stop Jabez?
Aliia rode next to Alex as they moved north, and Dogmar always rode just behind her. After Alex had told Aliia that he was a dragon, he had sworn her to secrecy. It was not something he wanted just anyone to know. She asked a few questions when they were alone, but when Alex was reluctant to talk about it she let the matter drop. She stopped asking questions, but Alex noticed that she would watch him, turning away whenever he looked at her, smiling slightly to herself.
Once they had left the black lands behind them, Alex knew it would take another ten days or two weeks to reach the castle of Conmar. He wished they could travel faster, but he was already pushing the group as fast as they could manage. Every night when they stopped, the men were a little slower to make camp, and a little slower to prepare their evening meal.
As they moved closer and closer to Conmar, Alex started to hope that the stormy weather would return. The bright sunlight was nice, but it made the company far too visible as they moved across the grasslands. Alex tried to keep them hidden, moving behind hills and the few small clusters of trees that dotted the land, but he knew that anyone watching the lands would soon spot them.
Late one afternoon Alex called a halt. Something had caught his attention, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He knew they needed to be careful so close to Conmar, and he wanted to take a good look at the area before moving forward. He climbed off his horse, told everyone else to stay where they were and rest if they could, and then moved ahead on foot by himself.
He climbed the hill to the left of the group, and found a spot between two boulders that allowed him to look north and west. His eyes searched the land, but there was nothing to see. The grasslands appeared to be empty, but Alex knew they were not. Jabez would have spies, maybe even guards posted to watch these lands so close to his home.
Alex shifted slightly and looked toward the north once more. There were no buildings to be seen, no smoke rising from fires, and no roads breaking the rugged landscape. None of that was as troubling as the fact that there were also no animals to be seen, and no birds to be heard. The land was empty, but Alex wasn’t sure why it was so empty.
A movement to the north caught his eye. It was distant and unclear at first, and it continued to move. Whatever it was, Alex noticed that the sunlight was flashing randomly off of the moving object.
He sat stone still and watched. The hills to the north suddenly came alive, but what Alex saw didn’t encourage him. An army was on the move, climbing up the low hills and making their way to the mountains. It was clear that they were moving toward one of the high mountain passes, which they were apparently hoping to cross even with the snow that had already fallen. The elves and men of Darthon’s army would be hard pressed if this army found its way over the mountains.
Alex sat watching as the army passed, wondering what he should—or could—do. The most important thing was to destroy Jabez, but he thought there must be something more he could do for his friends. As the last of the army vanished into the hills, Alex made up his mind. His thoughts changed as he made himself think more like a dragon, and as the dragon inside of him woke, he worked his magic. The magic was powerful, but he was acting as a dragon would, and he believed that this magic would go unnoticed by Jabez.
He waited and watched for a few more minutes to make sure that Jabez’s army had all gone by. Then he set his magic loose, summoning a massive storm from the west. When Alex started back down the hill, the wind was already picking up, and clouds were gathering in the west. The storm he had summoned would begin that night, but it wouldn’t reach its full power for a day or two. Alex guessed that Jabez’s army would be high up in the mountains when the full force of his storm hit them. By then it would be too late for the army to retreat, and impossible for them to move forward. They would be trapped.
Alex led the company into the growing darkness, moving slowly from shadow to shadow. The castle of Conmar was only a day or so away. He was sure of that, and he didn’t want to be seen now that he was so close. Jabez’s attention would be on the east where his war was raging. He would be hoping for a quick victory, but also troubled by Whalen’s sudden appearance.
The feeling had come to Alex about a week ago as he was riding through the rain. At the time he hadn’t really noticed it, but as the feeling grew he realized what it was. Whalen had used his magic, breaking the spell of hiding that Alex had put on him. Jabez would know exactly where Whalen was, and possibly what he was up to. What troubled Alex was that Whalen had used his magic so soon, and that there was nothing he could do to help the ancient wizard.
They made camp for the night several hours after darkness fell. Alex let the company sleep for as long as he could, but they were on their way again before dawn. As they rode, he worked to keep his mind focused, holding off the excitement and worries that were growing inside of him. The storm he had summoned had grown stronger, and was already pressing against the mountains. The dark clouds and rain left the land in a twilight gray, and it was hard to see very far in any direction. Slowly, Alex and his men worked their way up one more hill, but Alex motioned for the men to stop before they reached the top of the hill. He continued forward until he could see just over the hill, and then he stopped as well. To the north, across a wide valley and up an ancient looking hill, stood the castle of Conmar.
The castle was built to overlook the surrounding country, but while the hill gently sloped downward from the front, the back of the castle stood at the top of a cliff that dropped into the sea.
Jabez had been careful in choosing his home. There were dozens of tents and wooden shacks set up around the castle, and groups of guards were making their way around the castle walls. As he watched, Alex saw that the guards on the ground weren’t the only guards Jabez had. Several large winged creatures were flying around the towers of the castle, but it was almost impossible to see what they were in the rain. Finally, after several minutes of watching, one of the winged creatures flew far enough away from the castle for Alex to see it clearly.
“Gargoyles,” Alex whispered.
He counted at least a dozen of the stone monsters circling around the castle. This was going to be more difficult than he had thought. Even though he had never seen one before, Alex knew about gargoyles and just how dangerous an enemy they could be.
&nb
sp; Slipping back down the southern side of the hill, Alex led the company west toward the sea.
“What is our plan, Alex?” Dogmar asked.
“The castle is well guarded,” Alex said. “I don’t see a way of getting close without being seen.”
“Then how do we get in?” Dogmar asked.
“I’d like to take a closer look at the cliffs at the back of the castle,” Alex said thoughtfully.
“The cliffs?” Dogmar shook his head. “Dwarfs are not known for climbing, and we don’t have the tools or the time to tunnel our way in.”
Alex smiled. “We won’t be tunneling. First let’s find a safe place to set up camp. Once that’s taken care of, I’ll slip away and have a look at the cliffs.”
“I don’t like it, but we have to find a way in,” Dogmar said, mostly to himself. “I hope there is a way—apart from assaulting the main gate, that is.”
When night fell, Alex slipped away and walked carefully toward the beach. He was careful to watch for any guards, but it seemed Jabez wasn’t worried about the beach. Alex did keep an eye open for gargoyles. He wasn’t sure how good their eyesight was, but it wouldn’t do to be spotted now. When he finally reached the base of the cliff, Alex looked up, trying to see if there were any cracks or openings that might allow him to get into the castle.
High above him, maybe two hundred feet up, he could see a stream of water that looked like it was coming out of the cliff face. The storm was still growing, but it wasn’t raining hard enough to create the stream that was falling from the cliff. Where was the water coming from? Alex guessed that this was a drain for the castle, and if he was right, he and his company might be able to slip into the castle without being noticed.
Checking to make sure he was alone, Alex quickly changed into a small bird. Flying was difficult, as the winds from the storm pounded against the cliff face. When he finally reached the source of the water he found an opening. The opening was roughly carved, but it was large enough for a man to walk through, and it appeared to stretch deeper under the castle.