by M J Webb
“Oh smashing! Great! More surprises, just what we need!” stated an exasperated Ben. “Anything else you’ve forgotten to say? Any more hurdles to jump before we’re through? Come on Tien, there must be a few more problems? This is too easy. Lions? Crocodiles? Spiders? No? Oh, good. We’ll…”
Jake halted his best friend in mid sentence with a stern look that told him in no uncertain manner to ‘shut up!’ Impatient to get on with things, he turned to the warrior again.
“Tell me,” he said. “What do I have to do?”
“Jake, if you are truly the one who’s coming has been foretold, the one who will unite this land and its people, then we have been waiting for this day for many years. Waiting for the Keeper of all Keepers who has the power and knowledge to free us and lead us to victory, waiting for the one who will finally bring peace. Many have come to this forest believing they are he, and many have tried to pass the tests, but none have succeeded.
The Heynai’s trials exist so that we will know when the time is right to rise up and leave these woods, this sanctuary where none can do us harm and where we are able to live our lives free from persecution. They were given to us so that in our desperation we will not follow blindly a leader who may lead us to our doom. We have to know that you are worthy, that you are all the legends say you are. Pass the tests, and prove to us all that you are a Keeper we can trust and follow.
I am Brraall. The last Keeper, Harry, taught my father long ago how to speak your tongue. My father instructed me in your ways, taught me your language. I have had little cause to use this skill until today though I was warned that one day it would help to save my people and made to practice it daily. And I did as I hope you can tell. Now, we do not have much time, the trials will begin at once. Come, it is not far, we will see the extent of your powers, Jake. I only hope for my people’s sake that you are successful and this is not another false dawn.”
Jake looked over at each of his friends. Tien and Verastus merely shrugged their shoulders at him, which did absolutely nothing to inspire him with confidence. But when his eyes met Ben’s, the cheeky youngster was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He put both of his thumbs up in front of his face, in a gesture which playfully mocked his best friend, as he once again attempted to inject a little humour and relieve a little of the tension.
“Yeah well, Harry was… is, my grandfather. I hear what you’re saying and I promise that I will not let you down,” stated Jake confidently, looking firmly into Brraall’s eyes.
They were led through the darkness of the trees to a clearing, at the centre of which was a large fire that seemed to burn without emitting any smoke, just as the fire in Tien’s cave had done. Scattered all around the fire, well inside the flames but just within arm’s reach, were about twenty blackened rocks. The light the fire gave off illuminated the entire area and Jake could see that at the far end of the clearing, some distance away, there was a solitary log. It was cut to about six feet in length and a foot wide, and it was suspended in mid air by a vine of some sort which was tied to an overhanging branch, so that the log swung to and fro like a pendulum. Only, it was moving of its own accord and it did not stop.
The others were ushered to a side area from where they could watch the trials. Jake was shown to the side of the fire. It was actually too close for his liking and the roaring flames quickly became almost unbearable. He began sweating profusely, but he refused to object to its proximity and he did not speak.
Brraall took a bow and some arrows from one of his warriors and thrust them into Jake’s hands. “Let us begin. Hold the weapon and the arrows in your left hand,” he instructed. Jake did as he was told. “Good. Now, use the ball the spirits have given you to hit that swinging tree. No Keeper before has possessed such a weapon so you shall have an added test to pass.”
‘Tree?’ thought Jake. ‘Twig more like.’
He lifted his hand, shouted out, “Bratiq.” and extended his fingers to point them at the swinging log. The sphere fled immediately towards its target and cut it in half as it passed straight through, the wood shattering into lots of large and small fragments with the speed and weight of the blow. A second or two later, all that remained swinging from the rope as the bratiq ball returned to Jake’s side, was a two foot piece of wood, barely thicker than the bow he held in his hand. The tribesmen cheered happily and Jake turned to Brraall.
“Ra! Impressive! Excellent!” the warrior stated. “Now, the arrow.”
“Err… Hey! Come on, that’s an impossible shot now! He’s not Robin Hood you know!” shouted Ben suddenly, concerned at what the ‘savages’ might do to his friend if Jake failed to make the shot. Ben did not think he could do it, but two gleaming spears pointing directly at his throat left him under no illusion that it might be dangerous to make any further comments, and the teenager said no more.
“It’s alright, Ben. I know what I’m doing, trust me,” said Jake, with a reassuring smile, trying to calm his friend even though he did not believe it himself.
He carefully placed the arrow on the string, drew it back and took aim. Sweat was trickling down his brow and into his eyes, making them sting. He shook his head to clear it away and then looked up at the swinging wood. He could barely see it, it was so far away. His beating heart was pounding so fast that it was making it impossible for him to hold the bow without shaking.
‘Well Jake me ‘ol son, it’s something else to tell your grandkids I suppose,’ he thought, as he resigned himself to taking a shot he knew he had no realistic chance of making.
Then, just like when he fought against the graxoth and sraine to defend Zephany, everything around him suddenly slowed down to almost standstill. His heart, which was racing only seconds before, was now moving so slowly that it seemed to take an age between beats. The rope on which the small piece of wood was swinging almost stopped completely. The image of it grew noticeably larger. A tiny firefly flew straight past his eyes, travelling so slowly that he could see it all in perfect detail, as if he was looking at it through a microscope in the school lab.
‘This is amazing!’ he thought, able to appreciate things more on this occasion without the threat of being attacked. ‘It’s like having my very own remote control for life.’
Jake was not sure if it was him doing these things or the Heynai helping him once again, but he blinked to clear his vision, took aim, and let his arrow fly.
It struck the wood perfectly in the centre! It was an unbelievable shot, the stuff of legend! Nobody could believe it. It really should not have been possible, and it immediately had almost everyone cheering and clapping wildly with excitement. None more so than Ben, who jumped out of his seat and began running around like a madman, punching the air as if he had just scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final. But, Tien and Brraall did not join in the celebrations. The fearsome warrior looked largely unimpressed by the miraculous shot and he held up his hand to stop the revelry. The noise stopped abruptly and Ben was the last to retake his seat.
“Excellent. So far, so good, Jake. Now for your next test.”
The tribal leader produced a piece of cloth which he tied firmly around Jake’s head and eyes, so that the youngster could not see a thing.
“Ahh, no. Come on? This is getting ridiculous!” moaned Ben, even though he knew that no one was listening to him.
Verastus placed a reassuring hand on the young boy’s shoulder to calm him. “Quiet, Ben. Have faith, all will be well I am sure. Jake has everything under control.”
Brraall turned Jake around several times, very fast in a deliberate attempt to disorientate him. Then he positioned him carefully beside the fire again.
“You may fire at the wood in your own time, Keeper. Let us see how you fare without the gift of sight. You must hit it. Fail, and we will know that you are not the one we have been waiting for.”
Jake’s senses had quickly returned to normal following the success of his last arrow. Now that he was ‘himself’ again, he had a momentary crisis of co
nfidence. He suddenly felt lost, and completely and utterly alone.
‘I can’t do this.’ he thought. ‘There’s no way I can hit it. I can’t see. I don’t even know if he’s pointed me in the right direction!’
He began to shake a little with frustration and fear. But then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded inside his head. It was Sereq, the leader of the Heynai. He had come to him in his hour of need, just as he had promised to do.
“Do not be afraid of the unknown, Jake. When you cannot see something, or do not know of it, it does not always follow that it is a thing to be feared. You must embrace it with all your heart and soul. Learn to understand it, for only then will you be able to control it, or prevent it from controlling you. Though your eyes no longer work as they should, you have your feelings and thoughts to guide you. Clear your mind, picture the forest, now see the wood swinging in the wind… Good. Feel the way your target moves in the breeze, there is a pattern there, you must feel it, and you must be able to anticipate the movement. You have much to learn, but you are the Keeper who will save this land, these people. Believe in that, Jake. Have faith in yourself, and let the arrow go.”
Jake took a deep breath. The heat from the fire was intense, it was burning his back and he shifted awkwardly as the pain suddenly registered with him again.
‘Hey! Wait a minute! The heat was on my right side before!’ he realised. ‘The crafty so and so. I’ll show him.’
He turned himself around ninety degrees to his right, pulled back the string to his bow slowly and let go of it, sending the second arrow flying towards the wood. In no time at all it had split his previous shaft in two!
Jake knew straight away that he had been successful. His superior hearing heard the wood of the arrow smash. Everyone in the clearing was stunned but they all soon began wildly celebrating the astonishing feat. Jake pulled his blindfold down just as an ecstatic Ben reached him and began trying to lift him up in the air, jubilantly joining in with the celebrations.
“Ha ha… Yes, Jay! Yes! Unbelievable! Ha, Russell Crowe eat your heart out!” Ben shouted triumphantly. “How the hell did you do that?” he asked, scarcely able to believe what his eyes had just seen. Jake just shrugged and smiled at him, unable to believe it himself, and genuinely lost for words.
“Well done, Keeper. You have nothing left to prove to any of us,” Tien stated, a huge grin upon his face.
“Raar! Yes, well done indeed!” added a delighted Verastus, as he slapped his friend on the back. “I told you all would be well,” he added, looking at Ben.
Brraall’s expression had changed. He was now looking mightily impressed and very pleased with himself. He remained silent, but when the celebrations had finally died down he spoke to Jake in a voice full of respect.
“You have triumphed where others have failed. There are strange forces at work around you, I can see that now, we all can. Tell me, is there anything you would ask of me?”
“Yes. The Eye of Toganoll, where is it?” replied Jake, without hesitation.
“You need not look far. It is where it has been all along, where it has remained since it was put there by my people long ago, so that no one would find it. It is right in front of you.”
Everyone looked totally bemused, including Jake and Tien who shrugged their shoulders at one another. They all turned around to search the forest with their eyes, but all they could see was trees, and the fire.
“You mean, it’s in there?” asked Ben, pointing towards the flames.
“Yes. One of those black rocks is not what it appears to be. One of the many contains a hidden secret so precious to our people and so sought after, that it has had to be disguised. You must reach into the flames and choose the correct one!” stated Brraall.
“What??? But, it’s a fire!!! He’ll be burned, and you said the trials were over. Oh no, you’re avin’ a laff, aren’t ya? Oh come on? That ain’t fair! He’s done all you ask, that’s ridiculous!” cried Ben, desperately trying to get the others to see sense.
Tien placed his hand on the teenager’s chest and a bony finger to his lips, instructing him to be quiet. Jake said nothing. He just walked straight up to the fire and rolled up his sleeve. Then, he circled around it for a few seconds, looking at the rocks and deciding which one to go for. The incredible heat from the flames was hurting his skin now, he was in real pain and he felt like it was about to blister at any moment, but he muttered quietly to himself.
“Ah well, we’ve come this far. In for a penny in for a pound, as me granddad used to say.”
He leant forward and placed his right hand deep into the fire, fully expecting for it to burn and closing his eyes as he prepared himself for the excruciating pain.
But, his hand didn’t burn. The heat grew no more intense and the roaring flames seemed to part for him as he plunged his arm deeper and deeper into the fire, allowing his fingers to grasp the rock he had chosen and pull it out. As he opened his hand to reveal the piece of ‘coal’, the black soot around it suddenly disappeared to reveal a beautiful, dark green gem.
Yet more wild celebrations followed. Whistles, whoops, cheers and cries filled the forest. Jake struggled to make himself heard as he attempted to speak to Ben. “Yes! We’ve done it! We have the second stone!”
His ecstatic and euphoric friends congratulated him by patting him on the back and shaking his hand. “No, Keeper. You have done it!” stated Verastus, as he held Jake’s shoulders and shook him gently in a Falorian show of affection.
Jake understood and nodded at him to let him know. When Verastus had released him, he turned to Brraall. “And you and your people? Will you help me now? I know what it is I am asking of you. I know how much you will be risking if you ally yourselves with us, but I promise that I’ll do all I can to defeat your enemies. If we are successful, King Vantrax will persecute you and your kind no more.”
Brraall strode over to where his most trusted warriors were standing. He took hold of a huge battlesword he was given and he turned to face Jake. “Yes. We are yours now to command. You are the Keeper whose coming was predicted. The prophecies have been fulfilled. The time is now. We will serve you. But what happens from here? You have two of the stones you seek, where is the third?” Jake, Ben and Verastus all turned to Tien for answers.
“Ah,” began the wizard, his voice suddenly hesitant and apologetic. “Well now, that may prove to be difficult.”
Chapter 18
Dawn – 24th August – Perosya - Estia
A cool, easterly breeze blew gently across the open fields ahead of her and an icy cold shiver blasted down Queen Bressial’s spine. She moved uneasily in her saddle, trying in vain to shake off the sinister feeling which accompanied it, like somebody had just walked over her grave. Her whole body began to shake. But it was not the bracing wind which had the Queen trembling, nor the tingle in her spine, or even the weird sensation that had followed. It was the terrifyingly close, unmistakeable sound of a vast and formidable army approaching their position from the north, an army which had pursued the rebels relentlessly across the breadth of Rhuaddan and Nadjan, and an army which had now almost succeeded in catching them!
The Queen was with King Artrex. They were waiting patiently astride their horses for the signal that their army was finally ready to move. The enemy force was now so large that the ground beneath the Queen trembled. She knew that the murderous beasts within its ranks were intent on achieving one solitary goal; the complete and absolute destruction of all who opposed King Vantrax on Estia. The warriors near to the King and Queen heard the distant thunder of horses and mercenaries on the move and felt the tremors. They stared at one another, looking desperately for reassurance, their horrified faces suddenly drained of all colour. Some began to panic, the horses beneath them grew increasingly restless, and everyone gazed anxiously to the north.
“Krmmn… I believe that our time may just have run out, cousin,” whispered Lord Castrad who was, as usual, seated on his horse beside his Queen. His voice was k
ept deliberately low in order to keep his comment from King Artrex. The Ruddite King however, possessed excellent hearing, he heard what was said and replied, much to the Nadjan knight’s embarrassment.
“Well, if that is so Castrad, then we shall enter the afterlife with our heads held high!”
The King’s response was immediate and defiant. He shouted it out at the top of his considerable voice ensuring that as many of his soldiers as possible had heard him. The Nadjan noble seemed too ashamed of himself to reply at first, but then he lifted his head, pushed out his chest and thrust his shoulders back.
“Yes, my King!”
He answered proudly and dutifully, for the very first time acknowledging King Artrex as his sovereign leader without deferring to Queen Bressial for approval or guidance. Artrex recognised with immense satisfaction the enormity of the gesture and he gave a little smile.
“The sun rises slowly, Castrad. Today is a day unlike any other in our history, for on the outcome of this day, rides the fate of us all. And many, many others I dare say?
It is a documented fact that my lineage can be traced as far back as any of our books record, did you know that? An ancestor of mine, in one way or another, has reigned over the people of Rhuaddan for as long as anyone knows. There may have been noble Kings and Queens before us, but my people, my subjects, have fought and died for our household over countless generations. It is something I am always mindful of and shall be eternally grateful for. I never take it for granted. We have defeated all those who have tried to oust us over the years, vanquished enemies far too numerous to mention, many that were thought at the time to be invincible.
Raar! That it should be my own brother, my own flesh and blood, who now challenges me and threatens to end it all. My heart breaks at the very thought of it! I have no love left for him now. He is dead to me as far as that goes and has been for years. But, he is still my brother! I can feel my blood boiling each time his name is mentioned. Well, I tell you this, Castrad; I promise you faithfully here and now that I shall never relinquish my throne. I will never abandon all hope of victory, not without a fight! Not while I still have air in my lungs and not while there is the faintest chance that my daughter is still alive, and we have the chance to fight side by side once again. And not while the Keeper keeps the flame of resistance alive for my people, no matter how feeble the spark. Do you hear me???” he bellowed, furiously. He looked up at the sky above.