by Tom Rogal
Levus examined the stones. They appeared to be normal, though from time to time the same haze he saw in the fields appeared here. Right when they entered the pass, Levus thought he heard whispering. It wasn’t the single, deep male voice he remembered previously, but a mix of male and female. He once again felt a tapping on his leg.
Divi whispered, “The spirits of those who have failed to heed that warning.”
Levus shrunk back and felt a deep chill inside of him every time he heard a ghostly sigh. Was the haze he saw actual spirits? Levus could not believe how different this land was from his own. He understood how Divi was uncomfortable entering the new lands of Dyyros.
They exited the passage after almost ten hours. Within minutes, they halted suddenly.
Levus asked, “Why we stopping now? We should still have three to four hours of sunlight left.”
Izaris answered, “Indeed we do. But there are many dangers on the plains. At least no one will disturb us here near the mountain pass. I would eat and get some rest. This is where the trip gets more interesting.”
Izaris began building a fire in a hearth that seemed to have been waiting for them. It was a simple circle of stones, with blackened earth in the center and some unused wood next to it. It must be the same one all the merchants used when traveling this way. As he went to cook some fish he had on ice, Levus stood up. He truthfully wasn’t that hungry yet. He had been munching on dry rations the past few days, which suppressed his appetite. He stepped north of camp.
As he did, Levus spotted a large group of buildings across the smaller section of the sea, which Divi said was called the Sea of the Unifier. It was a landlocked sea spreading from Cordca to the edges of Lozela and famed for its unusual habit to fog often. Her friend, Thamalos, had told her it was larger long ago, but was shrinking slightly every year. It was also when she learned the history of that place he was currently enamored with. One large tower was surrounded by numerous smaller structures. Levus tapped Divi on the shoulder.
“What’s that over there?”
She gazed across the sea at the buildings.
“Those are called the Hiramtong.”
“Hiramtong?”
“They were a group of buildings that the mages and humans built after their victory against the barbarians. It ultimately led to the birth of Cordca and its prominence. Hiram is a mage word for ‘together.’ Tong was ancient common tongue for ‘one people.’ When the alliance decayed after the Great War, some mage observers sensed a magical shield around it. No one can come in or out. It is believed that this shield will not leave until the races combine as one again, but this is all legend, of course. No one knows how the shield even got there either.”
“Yeah, legends,” Levus said.
He continued to stare at the buildings, while Divi went to check on supper. For some reason, he had a feeling that one day, a major battle would be fought there. He could almost envision the ground near those towers painted red with blood. It was the biggest tower Levus focused on most. Something was in there. He could strangely sense it.
“Hiupontiop niun”
He just had a feeling that maybe not in his lifetime, but whatever was in there would reveal themselves soon.. He could not stop watching those buildings.
“Friopintu yupina”
He shook out of his dream state as a heavy breeze hit him. Levus was sweating a little, but he wiped his brow’s tears as quickly as he noticed them. Divi watched from near the fire as Levus went down to a knee.
“Your friend’s first time on the mainland, is it?”
She was surprised by Izaris’ question. The merchant was already cooking his dinner, nearly finished from the looks of it.
Divi replied, “Yes.”
“He seems a little . . . overwhelmed. Where does he hail from?”
Divi wasn’t sure how much she should tell him. Most merchants were independent of any government, though in Myyril certain ones were favored and requested by the client, usually loosely associated with the government. Then again, here on the mainland, they weren’t being hunted like they were on Dyyros.
He finally said, “No worries if you don’t want to answer. Not my place to know. Since we’re traveling together, thought we might talk if only a bit. Outside our delivery work, ours is one of the loneliest professions.”
Divi did feel a little bad for him. She guessed he had a point about not having many friends due to the near-constant travel. Still, the less he knew of who they were, the easier it would be for them. Like on Dyyros, she had to remain anonymous, but for different reasons. On the mainland, most likely no one would care who Levus Sintar, a hunter from Dyyros, was. Divi, daughter of the Honorable Neeza however . . . most of the human kingdoms had at least knowledge of who she was.
Divi replied, “I apologize that I can’t say much about who we are. Not because we have done something wrong or are in trouble, may I add. I will say that I wanted to come to Lozela because I am a friend of the elves and decided to pay a visit to an old friend there.”
Izaris nodded, understanding her reasoning. He seemed as if he was used to getting an answer just like this from other travelers he brought with him. There wasn’t much reason to visit the elves unless you were one of their friends anyway.
“Well, I can only assume you are of the mage nobility because magari is such a hard currency to come by. But I won’t inquire further. You have your reasons. Just keep a watch on your friend. He is new to this land and everything is fascinating to him. If you are trying to hide, that is something you'll need him to control.”
Divi hadn’t even thought about that. But how was she supposed to do that? Levus was seeing things he thought didn’t even exist through an artist’s imagination. How was she to tell him to curb his excitement when she herself did the same the first time she saw things new to her? Still, he did have a point.
“Thank you. I will try.”
Izaris nodded and said, “Better eat. Going to have a long three to four days ahead of us. As a mage, I’m sure you know what dangers lie ahead of us until we reach Barnat.”
She certainly did. Midenbeasts were but one thing on the plains that could endanger them. Sure, some good people had villages and hamlets throughout. There was a recognized ‘safe’ route to get from Myyril to the elvish lands . . . one they were far, far away from at the moment. It was the only way she usually ever took the few times she went and for good reason. There were rumors that the notorious rebels known as Ferigor’s Hand roamed the plains past the Rim. For her, getting captured by them would end in tragedy. After all, their whole goal was to end the current state of mage society. She was part of that upper echelon they were after.
Thunder in the horizon drew everyone’s attention. Even in the darkening sky, the storm clouds showed clearly. This wasn’t going to be an easy night of sleep after all. Izaris doused the fire and began prepping the cart for a wet night in tight quarters with his two passengers.
The next morning, they continued before the sun had a chance to rise. Levus thought it would be wise to wait for the sun to heat the ground a bit. The storm had been powerful, but also very short. Izaris knew waiting would do nothing but delay them further. His clients didn’t particularly like their deliveries being late. He would speed up when he could, but they traveled mostly one speed, slow.
Divi didn't complain. Lozela was still a long way from their location as was the safe route. She truly didn’t want to have to make the rest of the journey on foot, carrying the merchant’s valuables should a wheel get stuck or broken.
Izaris said, “We’re going to have to slow down quite a bit again. That storm hit hard here. Mud and rocks everywhere. We’re lucky the heart of it went south of us during the night. Might delay us a day or two. Don’t want to get stuck either as we are only set to see drifters, thieves, or worse for the next couple days.”
Levus whispered, “If we went any slower we’d just be walking.”
She smiled. Just as he said this, though, t
he wind suddenly died down to nothing. Divi was getting nervous. Some mage trap spells had this effect. Her father did his best to disable them all, but it was possible he missed many. Nothing seemed to be going their way since they got past Kazcum-hi’s Canyon. Between the heavy rain, the moist ground, and now the wind. One thing she knew was that the wildlife they wanted to avoid were attracted to loud noises. Well, this was one mage who wouldn’t make any noise.
CRACK!
Half of the cart slumped to the ground as the sound echoed across the hills and valleys. Levus and Divi didn’t move at first. They didn’t know how to react. That was followed by the noise of a hat being thrown to the ground and a few obscenities from their driver. She didn’t want to believe what just happened, but she knew it had. Divi and Levus both stepped out of the slanting cart.
The wheel was splintered. It must have been all the rocks they had run over during their trip through those mountains. Izaris began to pick up the pieces of the broken wheel.
Levus asked, “How long is it going to take to fix?”
“Fix? This wheel has seen the end of its usefulness. I know another merchant is supposed to be by this way in about four days. We can wait until then. I have enough to support us for that. I’m not going to abandon my cargo unless it is entirely necessary.”
Levus walked over to Divi who was looking at the ground to the south.
“Looks like we’re going to be here a while.”
She didn’t reply. She'd heard something. Whatever it was, it was very close.
Nothing appeared out of the ordinary to him. An eerie silence filled the air.
Divi closed her eyes, only to open them just as fast, terror filling them. A loud roar filled her mind. That could only mean one thing.
Divi yelled, “Take cover!”
“What’s wrong?”
Just as Levus asked this, a series of roars sounded in the distance. Izaris dove underneath the wagon.
Levus asked, “What’s going on?”
Izaris yelled, “Take cover! Midenbeasts!”
CHAPTER 10
Land of the Elves
Levus rushed next to Divi, grabbed her, and brought her underneath the carriage. The ground began to rumble.
“What’s going on? Is there an earthquake?” asked Levus.
Izaris replied, “Midenbeast are wild creatures of the land, said to harness the might of the earth with each step. They were brought in from Sardon by the mages long ago to defend against humans entering their lands. One of many monsters the mages created or brought to their territory.”
There was great truth to his words. Divi remembered her father telling her that when the trust between human and mage collapsed after the Great War, the mage lords had created monsters so terrifying that it would frighten even the bravest warrior. The Midenbeasts, although not among those creatures, were just as vicious. The leader before her father had destroyed most of them, but the creatures from Sardon were not so easily expelled. What were they doing in the neutral lands, though? They normally stayed further south, as there was fresh water there.
Peering from under the cart, Levus could see the first one come rumbling over a small hill. The creature was covered entirely with long brown hair and very sharp claws. Five more followed. Levus drew the Moonsaber.
The Midenbeasts made it to the disabled carriage within seconds. He was very amazed at their speed. The five trailing creatures split up while the lead stayed on course toward the cart. Levus tried to get up, but Divi stopped him.
She said, “It is foolish to fight them on foot.”
The lead Midenbeast made an abrupt stop about fifty feet away from the cart. Levus could see it sniffing the air.
The creature’s red eyes stared straight into Divi’s while it displayed long, razor-like teeth. It finally lifted its head and gave a deafening roar that echoed around the landscape.
Levus had to cover his ears because the roar was so loud. When the lead Midenbeast lowered its head, the ground shook from behind them. The rest of the beasts were coming. All they could do was duck low as the five continued to either jump or slam into the cart. The frightened horses trumpeted, but with their harnesses and the broken wheel, could not go anywhere. The Midenbeasts made another pass at the cart. Dust and clods of earth flew everywhere.
Levus glanced over to the leader. It was still looking at the cart while the others mangled it. He may not have the special abilities that Divi had, but as a hunter he knew what the beasts wanted. Not the horses. They wanted the blood of Man. And with every hit by the creatures, it exposed them more and more.
Finally, one Midenbeast coming from behind hit the wooden shaft yoking the horses to the cart. The cart moved from the impact, which exposed Levus, Divi, and Izaris from hiding. The lead Midenbeast gave a victorious snarl as the others retreated. It charged at Levus.
Divi tried to hit the Midenbeast with a rock using her telepathic powers, but it missed. The Midenbeast leaped toward them.
Without warning, an arrow struck the beast in the neck causing it to negate its jump. Levus and the others looked behind the fallen Midenbeast. In the distance, a man dressed in a black cloak came riding into view with a bow in his hand. The man grabbed another arrow and fired it at the beast. The arrow hit it in the back as the beast cried for help. The other Midenbeasts charged. One leapt toward the man, who ducked. The leaping beast collided with another one that was on the other side of the mysterious rider, and the two creatures turned on each other. The man fired another arrow and it hit in the monster’s chest. Wounded, it retreated.
He made a pass of the carriage to make sure that the three people sheltering there were okay.
The lead Midenbeast limped its way toward the man, who slung his bow over his left shoulder, unsheathed a long steel sword and readied for a collision. As the Midenbeast leapt at the man, he grabbed the rein and shifted himself on the side of the horse, so his right leg was on the saddle. The beast leapt over him, but as it did, the man stabbed the beast on the belly. Seeing that their leader severely wounded, the other Midenbeasts retreated over the hills.
Levus and Divi watched with amazement. She had never seen one person fight off even a single Midenbeast, let alone five. The man sheathed his sword. She couldn’t see his face against sun. He rode off without saying a word after checking that a blue satchel attached to his horse was still intact. Both Divi and Levus got up to watch his leave. Everything was once again quiet.
Izaris quickly got up to check the horses. “They seem okay, but a little shaken up.”
“Who was that?” Divi asked.
Izaris replied, “No one knows his name. I just know he lives on the elf lands. Us merchants see him from time to time traveling to Lozela. We should consider ourselves fortunate. Very rarely do we run into him this deep in the mage lands. Must have needed to find something here.”
Divi looked at Levus, “I don’t remember ever seeing him in Lozela before, and I’ve known the elves since I was young.”
Izaris freed the horses from their harnesses and brought them over. He salvaged what he could from his mangled cart, which sadly was not much. Jewels and precious metals lay scattered across the grass, most no longer resembling what they were. A good majority was stamped in the ground because of the beasts stepping on them. They would need a good or two to try and find them all. It was fortunate for the magari. Thanks to the Midenbeasts, this would have been a small profit for him otherwise. Whatever he collected he put in a saddlebag and laid it on a horse’s back.
“From here on out, this is how we travel,” said Izaris.
***
The three had been riding for a few days since the attack on the cart. The land itself seemed to become more beautiful as they got closer to Lozela. The trees had more flowers and not a patch of bare ground showed through the flourishing grass. As they neared the elvish trading post of Barnat, Izaris stopped.
“This is where I will leave you two. The Guillii Forest lies just beyond this post. Loze
la is a day’s journey through those woods. As you are a friend of theirs, madam, I’m sure you know the way.”
“What will you do?” asked Levus.
“I’ll stay here until someone comes with another shipment and get a ride back. It shouldn’t be long. The elves are always requesting precious jewels when they’re available. The Midenbeasts all but assured I won’t get much profit from this trip, but it’s the chance we all take in my business. You two take care.”
“Thank you for your help,” Divi replied.
Izaris nodded as Levus shook his hand. The driver turned around and headed for Barnat. Both watched until he was safely in the trading post.
Divi said, “Let’s go. We must hurry.”
Levus followed into the woods. He had never seen trees so full of life. Even at the height of summer, the woods in Dyyros never seemed to flourish. As they got a little deeper in, Divi slowed her horse down to a trot so that Levus could catch up.
Divi explained, “We are going to travel until we find a rock alcove. We’ll spend the night there and head to Lozela tomorrow.”
It didn’t take them long to reach the alcove she described, arriving before it even got dark. Levus collected wood to start a little fire. It turned out being a difficult task finding timbers to use for firewood, as not many twigs had fallen to the ground. This forest was almost too perfect.
They sat around the fire in silence, munching some berries that Divi remembered as being safe to eat. It was a pleasant night, unlike the many cold ones she experienced on Dyyros.