In A Time Of Darkness

by Gregory James Knoll

  * * * * *

  All the while, another part of the group was heading in the same direction, though much further away.

  Rhimaldez had kept the same horse the illusion Samsun had given him, though after Elryia had told him the details of what happened, he now felt a little strange riding it. Most of the morning he spent talking to Jeralyle and Merial in an attempt to get to know them better. Merial had told him about her bar, about Carsis and her life in general. Jeralyle however seemed more apt to listen, asking Rhimaldez every question he could think of, mostly on Perticus and how the spell worked, though the ex captain didn't know.

  "What happened to Perticus?" El asked, suddenly realizing even she didn't know.

  "He went mad about six months ago, caused by his desire to re-create what he had with Drogan and I. So many men and animals were buried with his experiments, and each one began to pay a toll on his psyche. With every failure that mounted, I began to see that the crack in his state of mind had grown a little further. It got so bad that he began kidnapping members of the royal guard, all without Idimus’ permission. When he found out about it, Idimus ordered him to the lowest level of Kaldus. The same dungeon you were in, actually.” Rhimaldez ignored the shiver he counted from all three. “Idimus only made it worse, though, by locking him in there. Perticus festered for a long time, until finally he broke out and went straight into Idimus’ chamber, in his dementia, seeking to kill him. He blamed him for everything that had gone wrong with his work, then attacked the King with a dull blade." Rhimaldez answered.

  Elryia pulled back to speak with him directly. "What did Idimus do?"

  "The same thing he had with anyone who attempted to assassinate him. He tried to execute him."

  "His own brother? He... tried?"

  "Aye. He could not commit the act, let alone see it done, so he enlisted my help."

  "You killed him?" Jeralyle quipped, but it was a question that all wanted to voice.

  "Not exactly. Idimus asked that I escort him to Roane and leave him locked within a certain holding cell there."

  "How would that solve anything? Isn't Idimus like Grahamas and Ristalln—unable to age?" Jer pressed.

  "This particular cell would have ended Perticus' life rather quickly. It was set to imprison his final creation, Trolltaghs. If Perticus—or anyone for that matter—was ever placed in there, they would have been mauled for sure. Such dangerous creatures they are, even Idimus could not control them. He placed them there before they destroyed his whole kingdom rather than kill them, in case of his demise, he would set them loose upon the world again. He saw it as sick justice, sending his brother to be killed by the creatures he himself created."

  "Did you...?" El questioned, almost fearing the answer.

  "I've done a lot of things for Idimus that I regret, but murder is not one of them. That's what it was though. Once I had received the keys from Gerin I took Perticus to the cell and set him free."

  Jer almost cut him off. "Are you sure that was safe?"

  Rhimaldez had turned to answer, but Elryia interrupted. "I'm sorry, Jeralyle, to intrude... but Dez, are you telling me the Taghs are still around? No one has seen or heard from them for years. We always assumed them dead."

  "I assure you they're very much alive, trapped within Roane."

  "What if they were to be released or escape? Do you know how much damage they could cause?" The young woman seemed a little more than panicked.

  "El?" Jeralyle said, his voice wavering slightly.

  "Give me a moment, Jer. We have to figure out a way to destroy them, once and for all. We can't let them get out."

  "Elryia?!"

  "Yes Jeralyle? What is it?" She replied, but failed to gaze at him.

  He murmured "They already have."

  The young woman turned slowly, forward to the road leading to Forgas. Upon it two snarling, lurching Taghs directly in their path. They stood over eight feet tall, muscles upon every inch of their oily green skin. Wild, black hair sparked in every direction, and each had a mouth that would shame any castle entry-way. One was grunting, its attention placed on the other, seemingly arguing with it. One shoved the other, and the two continued to growl and banter as they traveled ahead. For now, they were unaware of the four walking towards them.

  "El, what do we do?" Jeralyle asked, nearly wincing from how tight Merial was clutching him.

  "Taghs are mindless" Rhimaldez began "They don't typically attack humans unless provoked, but we can't let them get to Davaina. They'll destroy the town."

  "They haven't seen us. Perhaps we can surprise them." Elryia rode closer, trying to develop a plan.

  Rhimaldez attempted to hold her back. "El, I've dealt with these things before. I've tried to capture them. Their hide is thick and incredibly hard to pierce, and if you aren't able to kill them they are only going to become more enraged the longer it draws on. They’re dense and slow, but incredibly strong and relentlessly aggressive. This is dangerous for only the four of us—too dangerous. Our best option is to rush back to Davaina where we can warn them and recruit some help before they see us."

  "It's too late for that." Jeralyle whispered, and everyone cast their gaze up to see the Taghs placing their bloodshot, dingy yellow eyes towards them.

  One Tagh snarled, then the other, both evidently enraged, and without a warning they charged full on towards the group.

  "I thought you said they didn't attack unless they were provoked!" Jeralyle stated harshly. "They look provoked to me."

  Rhimaldez turned his gaze upon himself and his fur, then to Jeralyle and his robes. "White...white provokes them!"

  "Damn." Elryia muttered, stilling Feiron. "Prepare yourselves everyone."

  Jeralyle gritted his teeth and pushed Merial further behind him, Rhimaldez drew Wind Chaser from his back and Elryia dropped her hands while chants passed her lips. The Taghs were running at the them full speed, their long massive legs quickly closing the twenty foot gap between them and the group, each dreading the onslaught that was about to ensue.

  What was to happen next was something inexplicable; miraculous.

  Yet it was something they never saw. Ten feet away, the Taghs came to a dead stop—paralyzed—for only an instant with a stunned, almost peaceful expression on their face. Then the first fell, without a grunt, followed by the second.

  Elryia looked first to Jeralyle and Merial, but they had no response. Rhimaldez held his gaze on the fallen creatures. “Dez, did you see anything?”

  “No…” Even with his speed, trained senses and heightened reflexes he had caught only a quick, sweeping flash of gold shortly before each Tagh had dropped. “Maybe, but what I do not know.”

  The group blinked, almost in unison, calmed only somewhat from the Taghs relenting, but a jarring gust rushing passed them forced their adrenaline gushing again.

  "Then what...what just happened?" Elryia asked, flicking her eyes to the group, the Taghs, then everywhere else. No one had an answer.

  Rhimaldez returned to the Taghs, fearful they would raise back up. "I don't... I honestly cannot say." He removed himself from his horse, spear still in hand and approached the two Trolltaghs face down in the dirt.

  "Be careful, Dez."

  The Ram nodded, extending his staff out, nudging the left one directly on the top of its black-haired head. No movement. Again the spear jabbed—this time much harder—only to receive the same reaction. Rhimaldez turned his attention and the spear on the other. Two more nudges were used to determine what was real with the first Tagh applied to the second. "They're dead."

  "Dead? How?" Elryia peered, but was still fearful to get close.

  "Not sure. There doesn't appear to..." He glanced down, a puddle of black blood flowing out from the creature's torso. "Wait a moment." Rhimaldez tucked one hand then the other around the creature's arm to pull. Yet even with his strength he could not lift the massive Grunt. "Jeralyle, can you help me?"

  The Mage nodded, leaping off his horse and kneeling bes
ide Rhimaldez, fitting both his hands under the Tagh's gigantic shoulder.

  Even with the Mage's help, Rhimaldez had to strain to get it turned over. Once he had, Rhimaldez and Jeralyle were able to see what had killed it. "What is that?" The Mage leaned forward, trying to answer his own question.

  A white, furry finger traced over a slit that had punctured its leathery hide. "A wound, one right into the heart."

  "Can you tell what caused it?" Elryia asked, trying to look over his shoulder.

  "It looks like a blade did, but I've never seen one that can cut through their skin that quickly and easily or that sears the wound’s edges."

  "What about the other?"

  Rhimaldez and Jeralyle heaved and struggled again. "Same thing. Same place."

  The woman raised her head, looking in every possible direction. "What could have done that?"

  "I do not know" Rhimaldez leapt on his horse, rather quickly, suggesting with a nod for Jeralyle to do the same "but I do not suggest we wait around long enough for it to come back."

  Elryia nodded, drawing around the creature as she led Feiron forward. Her gaze, not once, had stopped moving. "Forgas is not far. Stay aware until we get there."

  No one amongst them could explain it, nor was able to look away for too long. Fearful that either the Taghs would rise up again, or whatever killed them would come back. Neither of which happened.

  There was peace.

  And the four encountered it all the way to Forgas.