To Find a God

by Mary Hamilton

  Kharla lowered her gaze and drew back slightly from the table as though she wanted to disappear.

  And to Tovi’s continued amazement, Myhrren seemed to take the obvious lapse in the story quite in stride. “You are fortunate to have escaped with your lives.” He looked in turn at each of the travelers. “It is important, and will be even more important in the days to come, that you realize that each of you played a role in your own salvation.”

  Klunk fidgeted with his hands in front of him. “He said he was the ghost of an ogre, but I’m not sure about that.”

  Tovi chimed in, adding the piece about the stitching on the pack and the way that the spirit had spoken.

  Myhrren smiled at him. “Very good observation, my young friend.” He shifted his gaze to Klunk and Kharla. “If what you are telling me is accurate, then he was indeed no ogre ghost.” He stood and ambled over to his front door and opened it, looking out into the night. “It is time that I share some things with you.” He turned his attention to Mathias. “And this has meaning for you, my traveling friend.

  “The world, Kronos, is divided up into three main realms, each having a resident population. These desert lands, Crystal Sands, is home to the ogres. You, master Grenham, come from the realm Caravast where humans rule. The elves live in Menalor. In each of these lands, a force abides. These have, over the ages, helped to guide the races. In the human realm, the god that once stood by men is Aristan. But, in the recent past, another being has found its way into Caravast. This entity is Dredwyn.”

  The name shot through Tovi’s mind like a flash of lightening. The voice had warned him about Dredwyn.

  “His goal is nothing short of domination of all things. He started with Caravast and has set his sight on Crystal Sands next. He has displaced the rightful heir to the human throne and taken it for himself. He goes by the name King Wyndred. He is powerful, this god, but he has limitations. More about this later. But for now, know that what you saw in the tunnels and caverns was a projection from Dredwyn. It was not, of course, his true form. It was something he knew that you would accept.”

  Klunk and Kharla stared as though in disbelief. Tovi believed, though. He had already been warned about this.

  Mathias, quiet until this point, spoke up. “That sounds about right. Wyndred is as bad as you can possibly imagine. He has enslaved most of the human race, well, all except the rebels and a handful of Aristan’s followers, the Brothers they call themselves. And we know that he has been trying to find a way to get across the fading.”

  “So, it is the humans we must destroy. They are the instruments of death.” Kharla stood, her face filled with determination.

  “No.” Myhrren motioned her to sit down.

  “They killed my father. They killed other ogres. Yes. We must fight and defeat them and leave none standing.”

  Myhrren’s smile seemed tired. “And that will do what, my child? Will it bring back your father? What about the other fallen? But most important, that will not stop Dredwyn. He has an insatiable appetite for conquest. Even if you destroy his army, which in itself would be a challenge, he would simply find another way. No, Kharla, we must focus on the problem—the demon himself.”

  “Then when he comes, we will destroy him.”

  Myhrren shook his head. “He will not come. He cannot come, at least not yet. He is physically bound to the castle where he resides. It is there, in his own realm, that he must be confronted. Even then, he will not be destroyed. There is more to be told, but for now, know that the only way to deal with him is to banish him back to the prison from which he escaped—the Reliquary of Eternity.”

  Silence was the only response.

  The old man sighed. “The altar and crystal that you spoke of, they will create a portal through which his army will pour. The ogres, with help from friends, must confront that force. But the task of confronting Dredwyn, I am afraid, falls to you, Tovi.”

  Chapter 84: Tovi

  Something grabbed his shoulder and shook gently. “Wake up, my friend.”

  At first Tovi thought it to be the voice. But it took only a few seconds for him to remember that the voice had no physical form and could not shake his shoulder. “What?” He blinked his eyes open and, in the faint light, saw Myhrren standing over him.

  “Come my friend, go for a midnight walk with me. We have much to discuss.”

  They walked slowly away from the hut into the quiet of the desert, River tagging along beside them. The moon, having risen hours prior, provided more than enough light for the two to make their way among the rocks.

  Myhrren, quiet at first, broke the silence. “You have learned much, Tovi Gloam of Pangrove. You have grown during your travels.”

  Tovi didn’t know how to respond. He hadn’t thought much about that kind of thing, except that he felt stronger these days.

  “The time has come for you to have more information.” Myhrren walked with his head bowed.

  That’s when Tovi noticed it. First it was River. The dog, moving alongside them, had begun to glow, ever so slightly, a faint shade of blue. Oh, no. This is Dredwyn. He tricked me into walking away from the hut with him. He wondered whether he could make it back to the hut if he turned and ran. Then he noticed that Myhrren also had a slight blue sheen. His whole essence seemed brighter—even his hair was whiter. Tovi’s stomach turned over. Terror gripped him.

  Before he could bolt, though, the old man continued speaking. “You have received counsel from a voice from time to time. You have listened and followed directions faithfully. You are truly a special being, Tovi.”

  The terror relaxed, just a bit.

  “And I have tried to give you advice, which you have also taken to heart. What you have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable, my good friend. The voice that was speaking to you was that of the deity of the ogres—similar to what Aristan is to the humans.”

  Tovi summoned up all of his courage. “Who is this, this thing?” And how do you know about all of this?” But the answer was starting to come to him already.

  “As I told you at dinner, there is a god for each of the three races. Aristan helps the humans. Valyn resides in the land of the elves. The deity of the ogres is named Myhrren.”

  Tovi furrowed his brow in confusion. “Myhrren, as in you are Myhrren? I think I already knew that. I’m just not sure how I knew.”

  Myhrren chuckled. “Indeed. That does not surprise me. You know more than you think you do. And, as I told you once before, when you come to the answers by yourself, you understand them better. You knew because it was right there in front of you. You had but to see it.”

  The Azyrean glanced over at the dog, who by this time had begun to glow bright blue. “What is wrong with River?”

  “River. Yes, that is his name and you discovered it without my help. See how that works? River is a part of me and I a part of him. We are one but different. In the caves, when Dredwyn blocked me from communicating with you, River was there with you. And you felt it, just as I felt you responding.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me everything to start with?” It was like at home—adults never really tell kids anything.

  Tovi could feel a smile coming from the being walking next to him. “It is as I told you earlier. Until now, you were not ready to hear it all. You would not have understood. Also, you needed to come by most of this by yourself. Learning as you have, you know it is true. Had I just told you, there would have always been doubt in your mind. Tell me, my young friend, do you doubt any of this now?”

  Tovi had to admit that the old man was right. “Not really. But I still don’t know what you want me to do. And why didn’t you tell the others about all of this at dinner? Why just me?”

  “They are not ready. They will come to the knowledge in time. But theirs is a different road.”

  Terror once again assaulted the Azyrean. “You said that I have to go back and face Dredwyn. Why me?”

  “Because you are the only one who can do what needs to b
e done.”

  “Why? How do you know? What is it I need to do?”

  “All in good time, my boy, all in good time. What I can tell you is this. You found something in the cave. You thought it to be nothing more than a rock when you sat on it.” Myhrren chuckled. “Yes, I know about that. It is special and, before this is over, you will need it.”

  Chapter 85: Jarek

  Jarek winced as Commander West unloaded on the small group.

  “What do you mean Mathias is gone?”

  The Azyrean had never seen her this intense. Her face turned a deep shade of red and her hand visibly shook. He could almost feel the daggers shooting from her eyes.

  Jarek stepped forward, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “I don’t know, I mean, there was this portal and he went near it and then, poof, he was gone.”

  Burns chimed in, “I told him to stay away from it, but he just went closer.”

  Captain Virgil stood off to the side watching. He had been at the brotherhood’s headquarters but had been inside when the event happened.

  Jarek took up the story again, “The portal was blue. And we figured out that this led to the ogre lands. The books there at the enclave said that it is known as the Crystal Sands. So, Mathias is probably there.”

  West exploded, “Probably? That’s the best you can do?” She raised her hand, index finger extended as though to emphasize a point, but no further words came. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to the captain. “This changes things. We don’t have the luxury of continuing with research.”

  Virgil nodded. “What are your orders, Commander?”

  The commander took a deep breath and the color in her face faded. Jarek could see her taking control of her emotions and channeling them. “This isn’t just about Mathias’ safety, although I do want to rescue him. No, if he is over there and Wyndred somehow finds a way to move his people over, they could easily stumble upon Mathias. If that happens, the king will know, or at least suspect, that we are attempting to confront him there. We then lose whatever element of surprise we might have.” She paused, her eyes softening.

  The captain nodded. “And? Our strategy?”

  “We move. Gather a group of twenty-five. Take them back to the brotherhood and move through the portal.”

  Virgil responded, “Aye, aye, Commander. Once there, what are our objectives?”

  West paced over to the threshold of her small area, where it led out into the main cavern. Turning to the group, she responded, “As I see it, there are three elements. You won’t know which is more important or in what order they go until you are there and assess the situation. So this is in no particular order. First, locate Mathias. Second, try to make contact with the ogres, to the extent that you can do it safely. I can’t believe that they will welcome the king’s men with open arms. The problem, of course, will be how you distinguish yourself from Wyndred’s forces. Finally, locate, observe, and, if appropriate, engage the king’s forces.”

  The captain bowed. “By your leave, Commander. With your permission, I will ready my troops. We depart one hour before dawn.”

  “Very well, Captain. We will talk again before you leave.” She turned to face Jarek, Burns, and Doc. “Before Captain Virgil starts out, it would be useful if you could educate me on exactly how this is going to work.”

  And so it was that Jarek was forced to pull his limited knowledge of the crystals, beams, and portals into a cohesive package of information for the commander. He took a deep breath before diving in. “Our experience last night confirmed some of what we had previously thought but added some new information. First, the mechanics of travel using these things relies on moonlight. Sunlight filtering through the crystal produced only a dispersed glow of light. The beam and resulting portal occurred only when the full moon cleared the horizon and illuminated the crystal.”

  “Is it only a full moon that does this, or will other phases work as well?”

  “That I can’t say. We only have this one experience from which to draw and the moon happened to be full last night. In Pangrove, with at least three moons up at any given time, there was always at least one that was in full phase. By the time we get back to the brotherhood, it will have been two days since the full moon. So, it will have waned slightly, but maybe it will still work. Otherwise, it will be weeks until we get another one.”

  West nodded. “I suppose there is nothing we can do about that. What about the portals? How do they work?”

  “The one we saw was large, taller than me. It formed in a matter of seconds, starting with a kind of glow, which got brighter and more intense. Mathias went through very quickly after that. I noticed that, once he went in, the portal remained for another few seconds before it disappeared. So, I’m guessing that perhaps three or four men could get through if they move quickly. What I don’t know is how soon a new portal could form. We covered the crystal immediately when we saw what happened. It might be just a few minutes or it could be hours.”

  West sighed. “Let’s start with the assumption of minutes.” She turned to Virgil, who had remained in the area despite his stated intention to go prepare his troops. “Captain, here’s what you must do. You and three or four others get through the first portal. If the situation allows, wait there. I will assume that the next portal will occur at the same location. Once your entire party makes it through, you can assess the situation and initiate action.

  “Jarek, you, Burns, and that other brother, Ratio, I think you called him—you will keep producing the portals until the troops are through and then cover the crystal. No one else goes through without my permission, understood?”

  Burns stepped forward. “I need to go with them.”

  “No. You remain in this realm—it’s where you’re needed.”

  “But Mathias…?”

  “The captain and his troops will find and rescue him. But your responsibility is to the larger purpose. This entire operation will hinge on the three of you being able to open and close the portals as needed.”

  Burns lowered her gaze and stepped back, nodding her head.

  The commander stared at the group for a moment and then strode back over to her seat. “There are few hours remaining until dawn. Prepare yourselves.”

  Chapter 86: Jarek

  Jarek had never experienced a march of this speed. Captain Virgil set a blistering pace. They transited through the swamp in near darkness. The confidence exuded by the others eluded the Azyrean. They were into the high meadows by sunrise. They ate and drank as they trekked along, never pausing more than a few seconds. They moved in silence. Absent was the typical jocularity of this band. Grim faces and steely eyes defined the members as they glided across the land.

  They reached the outskirts of Ebon Lake by early afternoon and the captain called a halt. “From here on, we split up and proceed in pairs. Take your time. Try to look casual. Don’t draw any attention. Our destination is the Birch Flagon. The innkeeper there is our contact for the brotherhood. You’ll know it by the… well, by the large flagon painted on the side.”

  “What happens if we’re spotted, or, you know, someone seems really interested in us?” Jarek absently rubbed at the hood that was once again pulled up over his head.

  “Don’t get spotted.” Virgil paused and added, “If something goes wrong, head out of town as quickly as possible. Do not go near the inn if you think you’ve been noticed.”

  Nods all around greeted his words.

  “Okay, then, let’s move out. I’ll go first with Burns and Jarek. The rest of you, group up into threes or fours and follow at about ten-minute intervals.”

  The density of the houses and people increased. The Azyrean strode to the side and slightly behind Virgil, keeping his head down. He glanced up at the surroundings occasionally but otherwise confined his view to the ground ahead of him. When he did look up, he took notice of the faces—were they staring? Did they seem interested? Or did they seem to be going about their business, taking no notice of a famil
y walking toward town?

  Mostly the humans appeared disinterested—caught up in their own lives and problems. The early afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the hard dirt road. Dust and swarms of bugs hung in the air. The normal sounds of a busy town increased—bits of conversation, wagon wheels on hard ground, and horses’ hooves clomping.

  The houses and small shops sneaked past them. Only a few more minutes to the inn, where they would duck out of sight. Just as the three rounded a corner for the final approach, Jarek saw a face—a familiar one and only a quick glimpse. A young boy? Did he really see it? Maybe. He was staring, wasn’t he? Yes, well, possibly… or not. But he was gone so quickly that Jarek couldn’t be sure of what he’d really seen. Could be just nothing. My imagination.

  Once inside the inn, Virgil asked about a room for the night.

  The innkeeper nodded, reached under the counter, and produced a single key. “That will be a gold crown and fifteen coppers. Food is extra.” He gestured toward the hallway behind him. “First door on the left.”

  Virgil shelled out the coin and turned toward the passage. “Come.”

  Jarek was tempted to mention the face to the captain. After all, Virgil had admonished his crew to take note of any interest they generated. But the Azyrean wasn’t sure what he had actually seen. And, in any event, it was too late to change course and leave town. They were already at the inn. Probably just imagining things.

  Once inside the small room, they dropped their packs and Jarek pulled the hood from his head. Virgil went over to a small window that looked out onto the street. “We’ll wait here for the others. Once they get here, we’ll move down to the sanctuary.” He nodded toward a small carpet that apparently covered a trap door.

  About ten minutes later, the main door opened, and four more members joined them. It was a risky and time-consuming business but Jarek knew there was no other way. One group of five arrived together, but the rest came in groups of three and four until twenty-two of the twenty-five were in place.