The Curse of Credesar, Part 1

by Robert E. Keller

  ***

  The Gald led Theodus to a small cave in a thick cluster of pines--a good hiding place by normal standards but hardly great protection should the worms come in force. But it was the only hiding place Theodus had, and so he took it. He watched in silent despair as Dameon carried Kelden off into the forest behind the tall grey savage. And then he was alone, his master beyond his protection and quite possibly beyond hope. He'd failed Kelden miserably, and all he could do was pray that his master returned alive. For if Kelden perished at the hands of the Galds, Theodus was certain he could never live with himself, that he would be eaten alive by mental anguish.

  He left the cave and hid Kelden's pack in some undergrowth, vowing that whatever happened the Galds would not get Kelden's items. Then he returned and stretched out on the stone floor to wait for morning.

  Not long after that, Thayan trudged into the cave and slumped to the floor. His face bore a look of disgust. "Can you believe this?" he said. "A Gald was so close to me, and I wasn't allowed to kill him. It makes me sick."

  Theodus frowned. "I, too, am not fond of the Galds. In fact, they disgust me. But I am not fond of killing anyone, either--even brutal savages. You need to work on your anger a bit, young man."

  "You sound like Kelden," said Thayan. "You're two of a kind--all full of moral nonsense. The Galds don't deserve to live. Even you should realize that. And I hate to say this, but I doubt your master is ever coming back."

  "I'm aware of the danger," said Theodus, his bat ears twitching. "But what choice did I have?"

  "You had a choice," Thayan said. "You could have let him recover on his own. He's a blood lore student. He can heal himself, you know."

  Theodus sat up angrily. "His wound was quite severe and corrupted with dark sorcery. I could not link with him. He would not have survived." But his yellow eyes betrayed the doubt he was feeling.

  Thayan shrugged. "If you say so. But if the Galds kill him, as I'm sure they will, doesn't that mean the demon Credesar will be born into the world? The false god Jarvin will then have a portal through which to work his evil, right? Isn't that what the seers believed when they sent you two from Valganleer?"

  "I'm aware of the theory," said Theodus. "But I'm more concerned with my master's survival than with speculation about what might happen if he dies. Frankly, the notion of some monster rising from his corpse still seems absurd to me. I suppose I still don't believe it's true."

  Thayan nodded. "I don't either. I think the seers are liars, and they sent that sorcerer to kill Kelden for some corrupt reason we can't fathom. I think they're the source of all evil." He set his jaw firm, gazing out sternly from beneath his tangled dark hair, daring Theodus to dispute him.

  "I see," said Theodus, frowning. "Dameon's influence over you is already complete. You are his pawn now. You will believe anything he tells you."

  "The seers tried to feed me to the worms," said Thayan. "All because I wanted to talk to my sister again. I used one little Blue World device for a harmless purpose, and then I was stuck on the tower gate like a piece of meat. Of course I don't trust them. And these are the people you defend?"

  Theodus looked away. "The punishment was too harsh. I admit that. It was, in fact, appalling. But you should have obeyed the laws of Valganleer." Yet Theodus seemed troubled. "Who ordered you fed to the worms?"

  "Vangoss," said Thayan. "Who else?"

  "Vangoss!" Theodus muttered. "Now he is one seer I do not care for. There is something about him. Something…if I could just remember what!"

  The two fell silent. Soon evening came, and the shadows in the cave thickened. Theodus closed his eyes for a time, searching his mind for some bit of truth or hope that would bring him peace. But there was none to be found.

  When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the corpse-like, smiling face of the Blue World sorcerer that had wounded Kelden. The sorcerer stood in the doorway of the cave, just barely visible in the failing light. Mist hung about him, as if he were half blended with it. Another silver spear glinted coldly in his hand, but otherwise he seemed perfectly at ease, as if he'd merely stopped by for an evening chat. But the gloom of his aura choked Theodus and Thayan, a sensation that was as physical as it was mental, squeezing their throats and hearts and whispering of things their minds could not fully acknowledge and still maintain reason.

  "I hope I didn't startle you," the sorcerer said. His voice was flat and mechanical in contrast to his smile. His eyes were as dead as his voice.

  Thayan shrank back. But Theodus faced him boldly, unflinching. "What do you want?" the Dar fiend said. "Haven't you done enough killing? Have you come to end our lives as well?"

  The sorcerer rapped his spear on the cave floor. "I've killed no one yet. Do not try to fool me, Dar fiend. I know your master survived my attack. I would have finished him right then, but my energy was expended. I was forced to rest and recover."

  "So what do you want?" Theodus repeated. "As you can see, Kelden is no longer with us. If you want him, you shall have to go find him."

  The sorcerer shoved the tip of his spear against Theodus' throat, while Thayan continued to cower against the back of the cave. "You've got a lot of loyalty, Dar fiend," he said, no longer smiling. "Even for one of your kind. You know your life hangs by a thread, yet still you seek to defy me. I am impressed."

  "I would die for my master," said Theodus. "We are bonded by more than just magic. He is my friend. Something you wouldn't understand."

  The sorcerer drew back his spear. "Perhaps. My heart is like black ice, true enough. But loyalty is something I do understand, even if love and friendship elude me. I am loyal to my master Jarvin, the god of blood. I would die for him, as you would for your master. We are not so different in at least one way. Yet oddly enough, you are much more human than I am. Imagine that--an ugly demon like you with a soul far more human than the frozen darkness that infests me. If I could feel shame, I'm sure I would."

  "I doubt it," said Theodus. "But it doesn't matter. Obviously, you have all the advantages. I cannot defeat you. I admit that I am helpless. So at least tell me why you want to kill my master--though he has never done anything to bring you harm. Tell me, for I am no threat."

  The sorcerer nodded. "I was sent by Jarvin to kill your master because Kelden holds the Paltos fiend Credesar inside him. Credesar used to be Jarvin's link, but he has turned his back on my master. If I kill Kelden Delure, Credesar's physical form will die and he will exist only as an ethereal demon with little influence in this world--which is exactly what he deserves for betraying my lord Jarvin."

  "But the seers speak differently," said Theodus. "They believe that killing Kelden will release Credesar into the world."

  "Then the seers are fools," said the sorcerer. "My master Jarvin was released into this world the same way Credesar is trying to come through--in the body of a mortal. I personally guarded the life of the host who harbored Jarvin inside him the way Kelden harbors Credesar, and now the host is dead--replaced permanently by Jarvin--and my master walks freely in this land, away from the desolate prison of the Shifting that held him for so long. The seers know this is true. They lied to you."

  Theodus leapt to his feet, his body trembling. "Impossible! Jarvin, here? It cannot be. The Shifting prevents it."

  "No," said the sorcerer. "Open your wretched little mind, Dar fiend. If Credesar can come through, anyone can. When a human soul is formed inside its mother, it can be made to share its space with the soul of another being. It offers little resistance. Eventually it comes to depend on the other soul and forms a bond with it. Then, at birth, the two have become intertwined. At first, the original soul is much stronger than the invading soul. But as time goes on, the invading soul--if it has the potential--will eventually mature to become much more powerful than the original one. Then the invading soul will tear the original one away and cast it out, and it will transform the body into a reflection of itself."

  The sorcerer paused, as if contemplating. "Admitte
dly, I don't understand the exact process in detail, since I had nothing to do with it, and my explanation is sort of crude. But it is probably not far from the truth."

  Theodus said nothing, but his red and black lava flesh smoldered swiftly. He sensed he was hearing the truth to some extent, but he was desperately searching for some flaw that would prove the sorcerer was speaking nonsense.

  "So you see," the sorcerer went on, "Kelden was dead from the start. Eventually, Credesar would have torn himself free and your master's soul would be cast out and his body transformed. I am doing your master a favor. I will kill him while his soul is still bound to Credesar--a calm, easy death. With the host body dead, Credesar will be lost in the fog between life and death forever, where demons roam, while Kelden will be at peace. All will be well. Does this make sense to you now?"

  Theodus found a point of contention and grasped it furiously. "You lie! The Shifting would prevent all this. The great seers of long ago who defeated and imprisoned the false gods would have foreseen this. The seers might be liars, but so are you. Your explanation is convoluted and ridiculous at best."

  "I speak the truth," said the sorcerer. "My master Jarvin discovered a weakness in the Shifting that even the mighty seers did not realize--that humans of no magical ability can pass through it and live. A pregnant woman was then sent through, and Jarvin had his soul transferred into her unborn baby--while his body was somehow sent into a strange void for temporary storage. She then traveled back into this world, bringing Jarvin with her. Later, when Jarvin's soul took control, his body manifested itself again. Credesar entered this world by the same process, and inevitably his soul and body will replace Kelden Delure. The host will be cast into the void forever!"

  Theodus grinned--a forced effort done to show his contempt. "So you claim a bonding of souls, and bodies being stored in some void waiting to be called upon. The whole thing is beyond absurd. Even if Jarvin's soul had been able to leave the Shifting, how would his body have escaped?"

  "I don't know, exactly," said the sorcerer, shrugging. "But I know that it happened. When Jarvin's soul was removed and placed into the pregnant woman, his body went with her somehow in another state--some kind of alternation process that allowed this to happen. Don't ask me, Dar friend. It is not my field of study and quite possibly completely beyond my comprehension."

  Theodus shook his head in disbelief. "I am not sure why you're bothering to tell me any of this, because all it serves to do is amuse me. Did you make most of it up yourself, sorcerer? You need to work on your story-telling skills a bit. There is a lot to be desired, I'm afraid."

  The sorcerer nodded. "Think what you wish. I don't care if you believe me or not. But I know that somewhere in your stubborn demon head you realize what I say is true, and that it will be better for this world if Kelden dies."

  "I think not," said Theodus. "Your story is full of holes. Who freed Credesar, then? Surely not Jarvin, if the two are now enemies."

  "That is a great mystery, isn't it?" said the sorcerer. "Obviously someone let Credesar loose for some purpose of their own. I do know why he is here, however. Credesar entered this world to kill my master's host body. But he miscalculated, thinking he was stronger than my master, that he would be born sooner. The fool! He still remains unborn, locked away inside young Kelden, while Jarvin builds his empire even as we speak. Now, the tables have turned. I am to become the assassin of the would-be assassin! It is all very amusing, isn't it? Are you amused, Dar fiend?"

  Theodus was not. "Just confused on many levels. I have a lot of questions that you seem to lack answers to. So what of the other false gods? Can they come through the same way?"

  "Thankfully, no," said the sorcerer, his face darkening. "Once the weakness in the Shifting was exposed, the seers patched it up. No one else can come through--which of course suits my master just fine. He alone will rule this world like the true god he is, with no false gods to oppose him. He will bring Blue World here, and at last the two realms will merge into one. Nature will take its course. It is long overdue."

  "And the seers know of this?" said Theodus. He knew it was a silly question, since they had allegedly patched the weakness in the Shifting, but he wanted to hear the sorcerer speak it aloud for some reason.

  "Of course," said the sorcerer. "They sent your master away to his doom. They knew I was coming to kill Kelden. They believe they can stop Jarvin without any help. They don't want to have to worry about Credesar as well. So I am doing them a favor by killing your master."

  "You do a lot of favors," muttered Theodus.

  "Yes," said the sorcerer, "I suppose I do. But I'm sure you don't see it that way. Now…I'm wasting energy trying to convince a stubborn Dar fiend like you how important my mission is. If only you could understand the glory of what will be! But you cannot, and so, like the seers, you oppose me. What a tragedy. Now where is Kelden? If you tell me, you'll be saving me the trouble of having to go find out for myself. And I can find out. My master knows Kelden's every move."

  "I would sooner take an acid bath than tell you," said Theodus. "So why don't you crawl back to the forgotten pit of hell that spawned you?"

  The sorcerer's jaw clenched. He raised his spear, then aimed it at Thayan, who was alert to what was happening but nearly out of his mind with terror. "Speak true, boy," he said. "One false word and I will pierce you."

  "He's with the Galds!" Thayan blurted out. "The Galds have him!"

  The sorcerer lowered the weapon. His face was stony. "That is most unfortunate. The Galds will torture him in ways that should never be. Why didn't you tell me, Dar fiend? Surely my spear would end his troubles much more painlessly."

  Theodus said nothing.

  The sorcerer nodded to Thayan. "You have spoken true. Your eyes reveal it. You shall live. I will locate the Galds in the morning when the worms no longer hunt. If by some miracle Kelden still lives, I will finish him off. Goodbye." With that, the sorcerer turned and vanished into the mist.

  Theodus and Thayan gazed at each other in silent despair. Then Thayan turned to the wall. His shoulders trembled, as if he might be weeping. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I…couldn't…"

  "I understand," Theodus said gently. "He would have found him regardless. This is probably the end of the road for us all, and the beginning of a war that will continue long after we have turned to dust. If what that sorcerer said is true--and my heart tells me it is, though I didn't want to admit it to him--it seems we never had a chance."

  Suddenly Thayan sat up, wiping his eyes. A wild, determined look was on his face. "This is how I felt when I was hanging from the West Gate," he said. "I vowed that if I somehow lived, I would go on to change the face of Americk Dreeth. Did the gods hear me? Did they set me free? If they did, surely it wasn't so I could sit here like a coward while others decide my fate."

  "Indeed!" Theodus said, smiling. "We will decide our own fate. We will fight together, if need be. If Kelden still lives in the morning, we will set him free. And if the sorcerer attacks, we will die defending my master."

  "I don't know Kelden very well," said Thayan, "but I would rather die protecting him than hide out like some coward. I'll stand with you, Dar fiend."

  They clasped hands, and some of Thayan's magic seeped into Theodus, opening channels. Theodus felt the immense potential held within Thayan, and he shuddered, realizing that the young man's powerful magic was also infested with rage.

  In spite of their vows, they could do nothing but wait. The true rulers of Americk Dreeth were hunting now--the unstoppable worms. Theodus lay listening for them, memories of terror haunting his mind. The worms were the end of all things--the end of all hope, as they had been for thousands of years. Great plans were forged, but they were always made with the worms in mind. Sorcerers waged epic battles against each other--but only when the worms were sleeping in the sprawling factories that had spawned them. Empires rose and fell, but they were always severely limited by the worms, lacking the true ability to expand and thus e
ventually falling into ruin. Mankind hid itself away beneath earth and stone, seemingly never to walk the land again without terror. In spite of their splendor, the Legaran towers were but small islands of refuge rising from a sea of despair, where the feeding frenzy never ceased.