The Keeper of the Stones

by M J Webb

  “Come. It is time once more to admit to failure.” he snarled. “Do not expect to survive this meeting, Adrob. You should make peace now with whatever God you worship.”

  The anticipation of King Vantrax’ likely reaction to their news had already frightened Adrob. Now that Sawdon had added to it, he was absolutely petrified. He noticed that Sawdon had a curious smile on his face. The Thargw obviously didn’t fear death, he didn’t seem to fear much at all, not even King Vantrax! Adrob could see that Sawdon was prepared to die for his failure to capture the stones, but the same could not be said of him. He considered briefly running for the hills, but he knew that Sawdon would strike him down if he tried before he even reached the gates. He decided that he had no choice but to face Vantrax and stick as closely to Sawdon as possible, reasoning that the King would not deprive himself of a warrior of such ability and hoping that, in allying himself so closely with him, he would earn leniency from a man who would ordinarily kill him for such failure, without a second thought.

  The two warriors climbed the stairs and entered the tower room to find Vantrax looking out of the window slit in the direction of the mountains, having observed their approach. The evil wizard heard them enter the room and turned around to greet them.

  “So, three are sent, but only two return? What happened?”

  “Boghias is dead sire.” answered Sawdon directly. “Killed by the…”

  “Aaaggh!! Spare me the details, Sawdon!” interrupted Vantrax impatiently. “The stones. That is why you were sent. What news of the stones?” he demanded.

  “They are here my Lord, on Rhuaddan.” replied Sawdon, glancing at Adrob with a look that said, ‘If you value your life, you will keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking!’ The Thargw continued.

  “We found the Keeper. He had the box just as you predicted, but he also had two boys with him. One of them took the box and ran. The Keeper blocked our path and we fought, we could not use our advantage in numbers, space was limited, it restricted our movement. By the time we were past the Keeper, the boys had gone. Vanished through the light. They have to be here. Somewhere on Rhuaddan.” Sawdon stated firmly.

  “And the Keeper, Sawdon? He is dead, yes? You did kill him?” asked Vantrax, his temper rising and his face turning red as he guessed the answer from the look in Sawdon’s eyes. “Raaargghh!!! The boys! What do they know? Two of them you say? All is not lost then!” raged Vantrax, trying desperately to salvage something from the situation. “They are alone in a strange land, they are on foot, they cannot travel far. So it should not be too hard to find them!” he shouted angrily.

  Adrob was beginning to feel a little more at ease now that the evil King was talking. He could see that Vantrax was preoccupied with far greater things than him. The stones were all the wizard was thinking about now and he hoped that his and Sawdon’s failure might be overlooked this time. ‘We’re actually going to get away with it,’ he thought, ‘just so long as we do not mention it again, there is a good chance of escaping with our lives. Maybe of avoiding any punishment at all.’

  “My Lord. We have failed you again, our lives are yours. Do with us as you will.” stated Sawdon emphatically and dramatically, the dishonour of failure a second time proving too weighty a cross for him to bear.

  Adrob looked up at the heavens above. ‘You stupid...!’ he thought, ‘why could you not just forget about your honour for once?’

  He closed his eyes and awaited his fate, now that it had surely been sealed by the Thargw. Vantrax glared at them both. Sawdon was now down on one knee with his head bowed, Adrob remained standing, his body visibly shaking and his eyes tightly closed. The King thought hard for a brief moment.

  “No, no! You have not yet failed me. The stones are not lost, not yet. Go and fetch some fresh horses and call out my guard, I want search parties to ride out in every direction…”

  The King was interrupted suddenly by the sound of galloping horses. Both he and Sawdon raced to the window slits to see who it was.

  “Ours!” shouted Sawdon, as his superior eyesight caught a glimpse of the horsemen. “But why do they gallop so fast? Something is wrong sire!” he warned.

  “Yes. Let us go and find out. Today would seem to be a day for surprises.” answered Vantrax, as he led them down to the courtyard.

  By the time they’d descended the stairs, the two horsemen had dismounted and were drinking water thirstily from the well. One of them had a pale in his hand and the second was drinking from the bucket. It was to the second warrior that Sawdon spoke.

  “Soldier!” he barked firmly. “What have you to say to your King? Why do you gallop so fast into the fortress? Report!”

  The startled warrior attempted to reply. “A-a-Ambushed! D-dead... Strangers…” he spluttered, as he lowered the bucket. He was breathing hard and desperately trying to catch his breath.

  “Slow yourself down and talk clearly to your King.” Sawdon instructed.

  The soldier took a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure and started again, this time looking straight at Vantrax. “My King, we were slave hunting a runaway from your mine at Lidzenstor. We tracked him all the way across the Astelli plains to the edge of the Herfion Mountains. We were catching him. He ran, very fast, made for the rocks at the base of a mountain, we almost had him. My captain and my friend gave chase on their horses. I saw the captain’s sword raised to strike the slave down, we were going to take his head back as a warning to other slaves. But then, it happened. Someone, a stranger we did not know was there, jumped out of the rocks and cut the captain down with one blow of his sword! He never had a chance. Sumir, my friend, charged the stranger, but another swordsman jumped out, and he was killed in the same way.”

  The soldier stopped talkig, he was visibly upset at having to recall the events and the death of his friend, but Sawdon didn’t relent, he wanted to know more. “Two strangers you said. What were they like? Talk you Rachtis!” he roared ferociously.

  “Sir!” the soldier replied, bolting upright and trying to collect his thoughts, obviously feeling intimidated by Sawdon’s presence. “I have never seen their like before. Dressed in funny clothes they were, they did not look like they were from this land, maybe Mynae? I don’t know, but not from here. The first one was fast, very fast. He knew what he was doing. And yet, they were both so young. The second was…”

  Vantrax interrupted him angrily. “Two of them? And now two of you. Did you not finish them? I see no injuries between you?”

  “Srrr… No sire.” the soldier replied sheepishly. “The… Srr… Slave returned making three. We… Did not know if there were more of them in the rocks. Srr… We…”

  “You did nothing!” roared Sawdon angrily, seeing the answer written plainly in the soldier’s eyes. “And what of this slave? What was his name?” he demanded.

  “Srr… Verastus sir.” replied the soldier.

  It was all too much for Vantrax and he flew into a wild rage. His right hand grasped the Lichtus from inside his shirt and pulled it out. He pointed his left toward the soldiers.

  “Delak tostederud!”

  Vantrax shouted at them with real anger and venom in his voice. Two bolts of lightning shot out from his fingertips, hitting the soldiers in turn where they stood and incinerating them instantly. Two small piles of grey smouldering ash were all that remained.

  Vantrax took a faltering step backwards, the energy required to launch the strikes had severely weakened him and he nearly fell. He was caught by Sawdon, the warrior looked over at the shocked Adrob with stern eyes, ‘inviting’ him to help. Adrob immediately responded by taking Vantrax’ free arm.

  “Come my Lord,” he said, “Sawdon and I will take care of you, let us take you inside.”

  Chapter 11

  14th August – Base of the Herfion Mountains – Rhuaddan

  It didn’t take long for the three new friends to capture the soldier’s horses, they were grazing on the long grass that lay beyond the rocks which were stre
wn around the base of the mountain and they offered no resistance when approached by Jake and Verastus. Jake stared at the large frame of his new companion as he mounted his horse.

  “Well, it looks like it’s you and me doubling up mate,” he shouted to Ben, “that poor horse won’t take the weight if Verastus climbs on with one of us. As it is, we’ll have to take it easy I suppose, with two of us sharing.”

  “Hey now, hang on just a minute!” answered Ben, as he thought about the practicalities of what was being proposed. “Do you even know how to ride, Jake? I know I don’t. It’s not something that’s called for on my council estate. And they never taught us at school. Hmmn, perhaps they should have though, eh?” he joked.

  “Yeah, I do.” Jake answered confidently, though he was surprised by his own reply. “Don’t ask me how come, it must be the stones, but I’m really confident about it. Watch this if you don’t believe me.”

  He leapt expertly onto his horse, grabbed the reigns and pulled them up sharply. The horse lifted its head and Jake dug his heels into its side, expertly making it bolt and gallop around thirty yards, before bringing it swiftly to a halt. He waved at his friend with one hand and then turned the horse swiftly around with his other. Then he galloped back to where the astounded Ben was waiting.

  “Ra! Very good my friend.” laughed Verastus, impressed by Jake’s perfect display of horsemanship.

  “Huh! Show off!” shouted Ben grumpily, as he accepted Jake’s outstretched arm and climbed clumsily and nervously onto the horse. “Well, if you ask me, there’s something not quite right about holding onto another male in this way. In my opinion of course, for what it’s worth.” he quipped, struggling to place both arms around his friend whilst trying to hold tightly onto the box.

  “Don’t worry Brooksy, it’s not as though anyone can see ya.” laughed Jake, amused at Ben’s embarrassment. He walked the horse slowly over to Verastus. “Right then, let’s go. And I suppose I oughta give you that explanation I promised?” he said, as they set off gently in the direction of Erriard Forest, which could just be seen far away on the horizon from their lofty position.

  They proceeded steadily, every now and then breaking into a canter. As they rode, Jake, with a little help from Ben, relayed the whole incredible story to Verastus, leaving out nothing and amazing himself with how much had happened to them in just a few hours. Jake realised as he spoke just how fantastic and unbelievable it might sound to his new friend, but he told it all anyway. He told Verastus of his grandfather (although at this point he knew nothing of his exploits in distant lands), of the Keepers (Of whom he knew even less), of the box of stones which were central to everything, and the battle at the house. He mentioned his anger and frustration at the uncertainty surrounding his grandfather’s fate. He spoke of the abilities he now possessed with some humility, stressing that everything that had happened to him was down to the stones, and he tried his best to explain how they’d changed him. Finally, he told Verastus of how they both longed to returw theye as quickly as possible, how it was the single most important thing to them both, but he also stressed that they didn’t know how to make it happen.

  Verastus listened intently, giving away no indication of his thoughts or feelings, except for when Jake mentioned their desire to return home. This had a visible affect on him and a look overcame his face that suggested he understood exactly how they felt. When the tale had been relayed in its entirety, Verastus spoke.

  “You have shared your story and your pain with me, Jake. I thank you both for the honour you bestow upon me. You have a major problem my friends,” he stated, “the stones have brought you to this land, and it would appear, that only the stones can return you home. You are certain they will not work?”

  “Definite!” replied Ben emphatically. “We’ve tried them several times, they’ve had it. I mean, the box, it opens but there’s no light, at least no blinding flash of light to walk into. It’s no good, they don’t work.”

  Verastus stared thoughtfully at them both. “Then, as I see it Jake, you now have two options. You either find someone who can repair the stones, make them work as they should. Or, you can replace the stones with new ones. If you can find any.”

  “Right.” answered Jake. “And do you know of such a person? Someone who can fix the stones? I mean, can they be fixed?” he added, growing excited at the prospect of any solution to their current plight and desperately hoping that Verastus had some idea, unlike him, of what they should do next.

  “Honestly, Jake? I do not know.” replied Verastus, thinking as hard as he could to come up with a plan. “Let us see, Vantrax obviously might be able to. But then, he would kill you both and keep the stones. He would use them for evil deeds. Kraa, what evil he could perform if he had that box. You must know that you hold a very powerful thing in your hands, Ben? It is something that people have killed for. Will be killed for! If Vantrax ever gets hold of it…?” he said, scaring himself and the boys as he thought of the possibility. “No! It must never be allowed to happen. I must help you if I can. Srr… I have not been entirely truthful with you both. I saw the box before, when you fetched it from behind the rocks. I know of it, all of Rhuaddan knows of it. We have all heard of the stones and the stories surrounding them, it is the hope that some people here cling to in their miserable existence. I have heard too of the Keepers, but I did not think they were real. So, the stones, let me think… Ay raas! There is a legend. But I do not know if it is true.”

  “Legend, what legend?” asked Ben, desperation echoing in his voice. Both he and Jake were now hanging onto Verastus’ every word, hoping to seize on any chance of going home.

  “My friends, there is talk of an old wizard. He lives in the mountains of Nadjan, he is believed to have helped the Keepers of long ago, and he is thought to have knowledge of the stones and their powers. But they say he is quite mad and speaks to no one. If he lives, he is the only one I know who might be able to help. If he can fix the stones somehow, they may get you home, but if you have to replace them, it will be extremely difficult! They are very rare stones. The Reolite stone in the centre for instance, it is almost impossible to find. I know this because my enemy, King Vantrax, has been trying to replace his for years, with no success.”

  “His?” interrupted Jake sharply. “How big is his stone? Have you seen it?”

  “Yes. I was taken to Heron Getracht when I was captured,” replied Verastus, “it is worn on a chain around his neck and it is… Ay Raas! No, Jake! No my young friend, you cannot seriously be thinking what I think you are? No, no, no, you would never get close enough. It would be suicide. Vantrax never leaves that fortress and it is too well defended. Besides, Sawdon would...”

  “Hey, chill out! I’m only asking.” interrupted Jake. “It may not come to that. If we can find this wizard and fix the stones we’ll be fine, but if we have to replace them… Well, all I’m saying is, we need to know all of our options, don’t we?”

  “Yeah, well I for one think that’s the worst idea you’ve had in a long line of silly ideas!” stated Ben. “It’s like stupid. Those stones must have affected your brain or something.”

  Jake laughed at Ben’s comments, breaking the tension slightly. Verastus shook his head, failing to see the humour in Ben’s words and the conversation stopped for a while. The three friends continued riding across the plains of Astelli as the sun shone brightly. After a long while, they stopped for a drink of water from the canteens attached to the horse’s saddles. Ben was the first to drink and he swallowed the water gratefully, then he looked anxiously behind them for signs of any followers. When he was sure that he could see nobody, he turned to Verastus.

  “So, come on then big man, tell us your story. We’ve been talking for ages, where are you from? And how were you captured?”

  Verastus wiped the water away from his mouth and beard. He took a moment to decide where to begin. “I am from Falor my friends, on the continent of Mynae. I do not know what your world is like Ben, but ours
is a turbulent one. We fight over borders, lands, crowns, minerals…. Anything at all. All of our lives are affected by it. It has been worse since the latest Rhuaddan wars. Volunteers from my country and neighbouring countries fought for Vantrax, for money and power. The Succession War was won, although Artrex still manages to survive beyond all reasoning, but Vantrax was determined to conquer the rest of Estia. To do that he needed more soldiers, volunteers alone would not suffice, and that is when the raiding forces began to arrive in my homeland.”

  “Raiding forces?” asked Jake.

  “Yes. They came in ships across the Fetril Sea, small armies that captured us, chained us and brought us to Rhuaddan and Vantrax. Here we were offered a ‘choice’; fight for Vantrax and earn our freedom (although few have lived to see it), or a lifetime of servitude in the mines. I would not fight for the tyrant. So they took me to Heron Getracht, threw me in their dungeons. I tried to escape, but they caught me and tortured me. I was even taken to the tower room and placed in front of Vantrax himself, on my knees of course, where he tried to persuade me to fight for him. That is when I saw his stone. He calls it ‘The Lichtus’.” said Verastus, before pausing while he thought of how best to continue.