by M J Webb
Jake instructed the horses to land a few miles from the city, not wanting to have to explain the strange sight of winged horses to what would be an understandably shocked and bewildered audience. The four companions walked to the outskirts of the sprawling mass of buildings and strolled through the busy streets until they came to a large tavern. It was full, frequented by many merchants and tradesmen who had taken time off from their work to spend part of their wealth on a refreshing jot of ale, to cool them from the burning sun. They walked inside at Tien’s bidding and approached the bar. Tien paid for two rooms with some gold coins he had ‘liberated’ from the City Marshall’s palace in Ilin-Seatt and they all headed upstairs for some much needed rest.
***
Bright and early the next morning, before anyone in the city had risen, they began their ascent of the mountain. It took several hours to reach the summit. It was an arduous climb but the steep trail was well travelled. Eventually, they reached and passed the stone figures of the warriors and adventurers who had paid such a heavy price for their curiosity and bravery. After passing hundreds of such statues they finally reached the stone dragon, which lay in the centre of the large plateau.
“Oh wow!” cried an ecstatic Ben. He was feeling as if he had just won the lottery and was hardly able to believe what he was seeing. “It’s huge. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I can’t believe it. If only my mates could see me, I wish I had a camera.”
“Srrr... Camera?” asked a puzzled Verastus.
“What? Oh, never mind, big man. You won’t get it.”
Ben circled around the stone dragon examining every inch of it carefully, with more enthusiasm than he had ever shown. Jake’s eyes were firmly fixed upon the black stone of the statue. After a few minutes, he placed his hand upon it and closed them tightly. He was expecting something to happen, anything. But it did not. He saw and felt nothing, and he looked over inquisitively at Tien, hoping the old wizard could provide some guidance or answers.
“Do not look at me like that, Jake. I am afraid this is not my area of expertise; I know nothing of such things. The location of the stone was all I was given.”
“Eh? Oh great! Just great,” stated a frustrated Jake. “You mean you were telling the truth? Well, what do we do then? What happens now?”
Verastus stepped forward to speak. He hesitated to say something that had been on his mind for some time. “Jake, we cannot take the stone away from these people, it is all they have. Without it...?”
“Yes, I know,” interrupted Jake, agreeing with his friend but feeling rather unsure as to where that left them. “I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
“But surely our need outweighs theirs?” said the wizard.
“What? What are you saying? That it’s okay to remove their hope? Their one chance of a decent life? So that we may give hope to millions of others?” asked Jake. “That’s a tough call to make, Tien. I’m not sure I can do it. No, there has to be another way.”
“Err... I know I’m not really supposed to be the brains of this outfit, but, can’t we replace it with something?” asked Ben, as he continued examining every minute detail of the dragon.
Tien smiled at Jake, a little overcome and surprised by the origin of the solution to their problem. “Now you are full of surprises, young Ben.”
He cupped his hands and began to chant some words so quietly that no one else could hear what he said. Then, his eyes burst into life and they became dazzlingly bright. A beam of light shot out of them and hit his hands. When it had gone, a ball of bright blue stone, identical in size, shape and colour to the one within the dragon’s grasp, had appeared from out of nowhere. The others were amazed but they were by now used to Tien’s magic and Jake just smiled gratefully at the wizard as he took hold of the ball.
“Thanks, that’ll do nicely. Now, we just have to figure out how we’re going to free the proper one from the dragon’s claws.”
“Why not simply ask him?”
The deep, booming voice was strong and confident but it had a ghostly echo. It came from just behind them all and it made everyone jump. They turned around quickly to find that the Heynai had appeared once again. Sereq glided through the air to face Jake, the other spirits following just behind him as usual.
“Brill! You guys are a sight for sore eyes,” stated Jake, relieved to see them. “What do you mean, ‘ask him?’ He’s... He’s made of stone.”
“The outer crust of the image you see is stone, Keeper,” answered Rutax.
“Inside, lies a living creature,” added Terristor.
“You must touch the dragon, not the rock that binds him,” instructed Lapo.
Jake stared at them all in disbelief. “You’re kiddin’ me?” he said, as he tried to fathom out what was expected of him. Sereq nodded and smiled some encouragement. Jake turned to the dragon and placed his right palm upon the underside of his body, in a place he calculated had to be close to his heart.
‘Gellsorr!’ he called out, using only his mind to project his thoughts. ‘Gellsorr! Answer me, please. I am Jake West, the Keeper of the Stones, and I need your help. This whole land is in grave danger. The Estian people need you. Speak to me.’
Nothing happened. Not a sound could be heard. The mountainside was still empty and it was eerily quiet. Jake turned around and looked at Tien. Then he stared at the spirits, disappointment and anguish etched clearly upon his face. He was about to say something, to air his feelings, when a voice suddenly sounded within his head, He turned around again to look at the statue. The sound was a little faint at first, but then it became loud, deep and strong.
‘...Why should I help you, Keeper? Why? I have slept for hundreds of years on this mountain. I have been at peace.’
‘Gellsorr! Thank you! Thank you for answering my call. A great evil is plaguing this land. It threatens now to destroy everything and everyone, unless we can stop it. We need you to help us, we need your stone. Please, let us have it. The Estian people are...’
‘Estia? What of it? The people you speak of have destroyed my race! They have hunted us to extinction. I am alone now, I have no family to speak of and I am the last of my kind. It is all their fault, and you want my help to save them? No, I am...’
‘There are others like you.’
The sudden interruption stopped Gellsorr in his tracks. Like Jake, he was stunned and he did not know how to react. The voice inside his mind was not the Keeper’s, it was the Heynai.
‘Others?’ the dragon replied, desperation and longing resounding from deep within his soul, hundreds of years of pain and misery reflected in the sound of a solitary word.
‘Yes. A long way south of here. Further than any Estian has ever travelled before, across the entire continent of Mynae and into the great, perilous, Traecian sea, lies an island. None in this world are aware of it. No boat could withstand the journey if they were, and the waters are as yet uncharted. There are creatures living there that no one has ever seen or heard of. It is the last refuge of a noble race.’
‘What??? No! I would have known of it. It cannot be. You lie!’ roared the dragon.
‘We do not come to deceive you. Very few dragons ventured north to our world, where they were hunted and predators such as the graxoth awaited them. Why would they? They kept to themselves on their island and they flourished. They still do.’ stated Sereq.
‘Then free me, Keeper! I must go to them!’
Jake shook his head slowly. ‘I’m sorry Gellsorr, our need is so great that I cannot let you go without a promise, without your solemn word that you will help us. And I have to have the stone. Give it to us and we will replace it with...’
‘He cannot,’ interrupted Rutax, her voice eerily soft and gentle, ‘It is his life force, the very reason for his survival. He has lived longer than any dragon ought to, longer than any we have heard of, and without it he will die.’
‘Oh. Crap!’ Jake shouted, within his mind, out of complete frustration. ‘Well then,
how about this? You help us to defeat our enemy, King Vantrax and his armies, and we’ll try to figure out how to cut a small piece of your stone away, one big enough for our box but not so great as to harm you in any way? How does that sound? When we’re done, you can go on your way.’
Gellsorr took less than a second to decide. ‘Yes, Keeper. I will help you on that basis. You have my word of honour that I will serve you faithfully until victory is won. Now, free me!’
Jake looked for support from Sereq, but the Heynai spirits had faded from sight. He took a deep breath and placed his hand upon the dragon, instinctively knowing what he had to do.
“Dellaxius bethreine vellath assgreiu isittall.”
His three companions had been completely silent whilst he was conversing in his mind with the spirits and the dragon, sensing what was happening and allowing him to concentrate without interruptions. They now looked on amazed as the black stone around the creature began to crack. The fractures widened and soon the whole statue exploded, shattering into a million tiny pieces which flew off in every direction. They shielded themselves automatically, expecting to be hit by the debris, but looked back immediately to see the dragon surging out of the rock and up to the sky.
As soon as it was free, the shattered pieces began to miraculously reform, until the statue was perfectly restored, with no visible evidence of what had happened. Before the shattered claw and arm were reassembled however, the stone which lay in Jake’s hand had jumped out of his grasp, right into the middle of the dragon’s extended claws, which immediately clasped tight around it. The jewel was back where it belonged as far as anyone else was concerned, only Jake and his followers would know what had happened there, and they were not about to tell anyone. The dragon knew of course, but he was now flying high above the clouds, out of sight and hidden from the view of the Estians below.
‘Raarrx!!! Thank you, Jake! You will not be sorry for this, I promise you. Now, what can I do for you, Keeper?’ asked the overwhelmed dragon, as he soared high above them all stretching every rigid muscle in his body to awaken them from their years of slumber.
‘Go and find your... Your... Oh... The other dragons! Try to persuade them to help us. Tell them that I will ensure that no one ever hunts them again if we win.’
‘I will try, but they will not come. They will not listen to me, Jake. Too much has happened. If I do manage to find them, how do you know that I will return?’ asked Gellsorr.
‘You have given me your word. I know that is something you do not give lightly, the proof is in your actions. You sacrificed everything you had once, for a young girl you did not know. A girl you believed to be pure of heart, and deserving of such an extraordinary gift. I know of no more honourable act. And besides, as if I could stop you.’
A deep, reverberating laughter suddenly rang within Jake’s head, echoing from every corner of his mind, a genuine amusement which was full of gratitude and respect. ‘Ha ha... I will do as you ask. It may be that I return alone, but I promise you that I shall return.’
‘Good. Meet us at the city of Dassilliak. I’m afraid we’re in for a rough time of it, the box of stones is not yet fully restored and the enemy is strong. But we have no choice, the battle is already begun and our friends are trapped. We have to return to them and give what help we can. It’s a huge risk without the stones, we need them to combat the wizard’s magic, but it’s a risk we have to take!’
‘I see. Then may your heart lead the way and your sword arm be strong and true.’
Gellsorr turned swiftly and flew away. Jake opened his eyes and turned to his friends. Everything was quiet, only the sound of the wind could be heard on the mountaintop. Within moments, it dawned on the others that the creature had gone.
“Wh...??? Where’s the dragon? What’s happening?” cried Ben, desperately seeking an explanation.
“I’m sorry pal, he had to go. But he’ll return, I’m sure of it,” answered Jake.
“But... He’s got the stone!”
“Yeah, I know. Long way to come for nothing, wasn’t it?”
Chapter 25
Night of 25th August – Dassilliak – Perosya
“Father? Father, can you hear me? Wake up father, please! I need you, I can not do this thing without you, I do not have your strength, your courage. I am just not strong enough for what they are asking of me. Oh father, they are all looking to me to lead them, and I am afraid that I do not know how. Everyone I have come to rely on for guidance is no longer around; you are injured, Knesh is dead, and Jake...? Who knows where he is and whether he is safe? Oh I hope so, I really do, though I know I cannot think of anything else now except for my own situation. And that is too scary to contemplate. I am alone, I have no one to counsel me and the thought of it terrifies me! What am I going to do, father? How am I going to get through this? Tell me, how I am going to save these people? Please, for I cannot see it. If you could only hear the way they speak to me, as if I had all the answers and can make everything right for them. And you should see the enemy forces ranged against us, father. They are stronger than you could ever imagine. I do not believe you and Knesh ever faced such an army, and they are readying themselves for battle, preparing to take this city and kill us all! We do not have long before they come, won’t you wake now and talk to me, please? Can you not advise me? That is all I ask of you. Rah! Do not desert me now, not when I need you the most. You have always been there for me before. I cannot shoulder this burden on my own! I am no hero. Help me, father!!!”
In the silence of the guest chambers where King Artrex was recovering from his wounds, Princess Zephany broke down and cried her heart out, confident that she was alone and that no one could see her. Her orders were that she was not to be disturbed except in a dire emergency while she prayed over her father. She fell onto his prostrate body and sobbed uncontrollably, as the pent up emotions of the last few days were suddenly released and the enormity of the responsibility being placed on her young shoulders dawned on her.
The 25th August had so far been a little bit of an anticlimax as far as the Princess was concerned. After her remarkable exploits of the day before, when she had almost singlehandedly rescued the Estian army from the battlefield and almost certain annihilation, before being appointed overall commander of the Estian forces to her complete amazement, an incredible honour which was only tempered by the fact that her new command was trapped and held captive inside the city and its fortified wall, the 25th had been largely uneventful. The ferocious legions of enemy soldiers had stopped their advance outside the wall, just out of range of the Estian archers on the ramparts above them. They had formed up in neat lines and columns which stretched across the width and length of the valley. As far as the eye could see, the awesome and terrifying sight of King Vantrax’ troops covered the landscape, and it had a seriously demoralising effect upon the defenders of Dassilliak, despite Zephany’s best attempts at a rallying call and the positive image she had tried to portray. Everyone in the city was scared of what might happen once the evil wizard’s armies were ready to attack. They all looked to Zephany for inspiration and guidance.
The expected attack had not materialised. The defenders on the walls had watched for some time as King Vantrax’ warriors remained motionless. Then, sections of them, mainly the resurrected Thargws and Falorians whose clothes were darker and more sinister than the rest, detached themselves and marched towards every conceivable piece of woodland within miles. Not long afterwards, the unmistakeable sound of sawing and axes chopping down trees had followed. Princess Zephany and her experienced warriors had realised immediately what the noises meant; Vantrax and Sawdon had obviously given the orders for the building of siege equipment. That indicated that an attack would be coming as soon as they were ready to launch one. But, it also meant that the defenders of the city had a brief respite in which to prepare for the assault and strengthen their defences, and it gave the young Princess time to see to her father.
All that night and for most o
f the following day she had walked the walls with Lord Castrad and Caro, placing warriors and weaponry in every strategic location and identifying every weak point in their defence which may be exploited by the enemy. By nightfall, she was completely exhausted, but it was then that she finally had the time to go to her seriously wounded father and check on his welfare, to pray for his survival. She had sat in silence holding his hand for a while and she had wept. Then she had talked to him as if he could hear her and tried to explain how she felt at being given the honour of command, an honour she had not sought but would not shy away from. She realised as she talked that every single decision she made from here on could possibly have gigantic consequences for them all. She had been far too busy to think of it before, but as her emotions overwhelmed her and she begged her father to wake, she was filled with a sense of incredible loneliness and despair.
“He cannot hear you, Princess. He sleeps too deeply.”
The voice shocked the young royal. She lifted her head immediately, her heart now pounding in her chest as she raged with fury and embarrassment at being disturbed, and found in such a state. She prepared herself to scold the source of the unwanted intrusion, the person who had seen fit to ignore her explicit instructions that she was not to be disturbed!
But, her incredible anger turned to overwhelming joy in an instant as she caught sight of who it was who had spoken. There, standing on the far side of her father’s bed and hovering just above the floor, was a transparent image of Gerada Knesh Corian!
“Knesh! What...? Where did you come from? What are you doing here? How...? I thought I would never see you again, I...”
“No, Princess. Please, do not speak. I am with you for only a very short time; you will soon be disturbed by your new subjects. Your enemy is about to launch a surprise attack, in the dead of night, using the cover of darkness. It is a probe, a small scale assault designed to test your defences and your resolve. You...”
“An attack? But how do I...? We are not ready for them! I am not ready!” interrupted the Princess, suddenly feeling completely at ease with her old teacher and able to be honest with him about her feelings, to her immense relief. She had not felt that way with anyone for some time.