Straiah bowed and then returned his eyes to her.
“Thank you for believing and trusting us,” he replied
Straiah held her gaze until Estrien blushed a bit and turned away. Baron's eyes raised in intrigue and he turned to Blair with a nudge, who didn't seem to notice the interaction.
“Where is Melanor?” Durian cut in again. “Pallin said it's somewhere to the east.”
She turned to him with a smile.
“What Pallin says is true, but I will tell you nothing further. When the Great War first began, the people of Kester began constructing the hidden city, a place of refuge if the war turned dire. It was one of the few cities not destroyed in the earthquake or flooded by the roving waters. Many have tried to find the lost city, but very few have succeeded. Aravas, Keeper of the East Wind, found us just after the Great War, where he has dwelt the whole of this last age. King Euthor dwelt with us also in those days, but only for a short time.”
“Why did King Euthor go to Melanor?” Pallin said suddenly and unexpectedly from the other side of the table. As he did, the other conversations in the room stilled.
“We're not sure entirely,” Thalen answered. “According to our history, after the war ended, he used Sheyla's necklace to find her body. She had left just before the start of the Great War to try somehow and stop it. But she was cut off from escape and never returned. King Euthor buried her and then came to Melanor, where he made the Hammer of Haladrin and the orb of Shade Stone in the hand of the statue there.”
Pallin's brow furrowed deeply, and all eyes in the room watched him. After a few moments more, Thalen continued.
“Near the end of the Great War, a falling star shot down from the heavens and was recovered by our people and brought to our last great king. King Euthor arrived at nearly the same time. Together with the king of Melanor, they stayed a week behind concealed doors with the star. All we know is that the king of Melanor called the star to life, and that they learned from it many things – hidden things, and knowledge of what was to come. It was after that time that King Euthor made the hammer and the orb. Then the two kings disappeared suddenly, presumably each on some mission, but neither speaking of it.”
As the silence filled the room, something again seemed to strike Durian's mind, a feeling at the edge of thought. Durian stood to his feet and walked to the statue of King Euthor, gazing down at the poem on the hammer.
“We never knew where King Euthor went after leaving Melanor,” Thalen continued. “We always thought he had been trapped here on the Eastern Realm, while the rest of the House of Cavanah was trapped on the Banished Lands. We had no idea the hammer was on the Banished Lands until this evening. According to our history, King Euthor came to Melanor just a week before Aravas arrived. He brought with him an orb of Shade Stone that he had already constructed, made the Hammer of Haladrin and another orb of Shade Stone, and then departed with all three items.
He must have traveled to Eulsiphion to deliver the second orb, and then left from there, presumably to the Banished Lands. But why he did what he did in those days, none can say. He was a man stricken with grief. After King Euthor left our city, our own king set sail to the east, and was never seen or heard from again. We don't know what they discussed, or where each set out on their own.”
As Thalen spoke, the words of the poem seemed to leap up from the hammer at Durian. He considered Thalen's message. What had King Euthor learned from the fallen star? Why had both kings just disappeared? A phrase flashed through Durian's mind, something Joram had always told him: See the end from the beginning. Durian could feel the significance of the phrase, but didn't understand exactly why. He muttered the line softly to himself. “See the end from the beginning.” And as he said the words a wave of revelation washed over him.
“That's it!” cried Durian.
His mind was racing with new thoughts coming into focus. The room was deathly silent as all eyes turned to him.
“What is it, Durian?” asked Pallin.
Durian whipped round, his excitement fading against the scrutiny of watchful eyes. He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
“I'll stay with her beneath the shade, he wrote. And wait until the world's remade.”
Pallin's gaze grew distant. Durian turned to the rest at the table, who didn't seem to follow him.
“Don't you see?” Durian continued. “It's a message. King Euthor hid Sheyla's necklace and their wedding rings inside this orb of Shade Stone. Those are symbols of the love they shared, are they not? He said that he would wait with Sheyla beneath the shade, and wait until the world's remade. In a very real sense, the world is being remade, and the symbol of the love of King Euthor and Sheyla waits beneath the Shade Stone.”
He paused for a moment and gazed back down again at the poem.
“Somehow, King Euthor and the last king of Melanor must have learned from the fallen star that evil would again come to this realm. He placed this orb on the Eastern Realm and brought the only weapon that had a chance of breaking it upon the Banished Lands. That way, the orb could only be broken if the worst happened and the two continents came together again. There must be something inside this orb, some tool or map or something that will lead us to the second orb with Pallin's powers.”
The room fell silent as all considered the gravity of what Durian had just spoken. After a long pause, Pallin finally broke the silence.
“Sheabor, if you would be so kind,” Pallin said, standing to his feet and motioning to the orb of Shade Stone.
Sheabor nodded and rose to his feet, taking his hammer from his tunic and holding it firmly in his hands. King Froamb stood to his feet as well, in shock, but said nothing. Sheabor walked over to the statue, bowing before taking the orb slowly from its outstretched hand. Then he laid it on the floor against the steps before the throne and took a few paces back. Raising the hammer above his head, he came down upon the orb with all his might, landing firmly against its surface with the flat end of his hammer.
The hall reverberated with the sound of the mighty crash, and the floor trembled. Sheabor lifted his hammer from the orb. As he raised it, the orb split apart and sat within the newly formed indent. Each half fell backward, revealing a hollow section in the middle, containing three golden items. Sheabor bent down and clasped them in his hand, raising them up and holding them out for all to see.
“It is indeed the necklace of Sheyla and their wedding rings,” Sheabor declared.
He brought them to the table and laid them before the group, which crowded round the beautiful items. The rings were surprisingly plain, simple bands of gold. But the necklace was inlaid with a large, brightly colored blue jewel, which actually resembled an eye. It was striking, considering the fact that the necklace gave the bearer the ability to see great distances.
Durian looked at them in confusion. He had been positive that something else would be inside the orb with the other three items, something that would lead them to the hidden orb with Pallin's powers.
“I don't understand,” said Durian.
But as Pallin stared down at the three golden items, a thought was taking shape in his own mind as well.
“King Euthor made the Three one promise only,” Pallin said. “He promised to protect our powers and take them to his grave. That is where the orb with our powers lies, I am sure. Until now, we have had no hope of finding it.”
“Until now?” Durian questioned.
Pallin said nothing more but took the three golden articles in his hand and walked to the open archway and out onto the pavilion where the Athel loomed in the darkness. Clasping the necklace in one hand and touching the Athel with the other, he was propelled westward in his mind's eye at great speed. Flying over the darkened treetops and past the coast, he found himself high above a very large body of water.
After an indeterminable amount of time, he was again over land, moving swiftly past a forest and over a mountain range. He began to slow as he arrived at the base of a large mountain
in the range. And as he slowed, he floated through the solid walls and found himself in a dark room inside the mountain. Though it was pitch black, the sight of the Athel made the room glow with a mellow, silvery light. He could make out only one thing in the room: a stone sarcophagus. For many moments he gazed in silence until he was sure he would glean nothing more. Then he released his hand from the Athel. Instantly, he was back in the palace hall, now surrounded by everyone from the table.
“Pallin, what did you see?” demanded the king.
“Through the necklace of Sheyla, I was taken in spirit to the final resting place of King Euthor,” Pallin declared. “Our fate has grown both better and worse. His tomb lies inside a cavern deep beneath a tall mountain range. King Euthor is buried on the Banished Lands.”
“Then that is where your powers lay,” said Sheabor.
Pallin nodded slowly. Somehow, King Euthor had left them everything they would need to reclaim their powers and stand against the coming darkness. He had hidden his plan in his farewell poem; hidden it from the wise and the learned, and instead revealed it to a simple Suriyan. It was almost too much to ponder. But had they discovered it all in time to act?
The Beginning
The low-lit pavilion was silent as the group crowded against Pallin and the Athel stone. The moon shone brightly down upon the plains in the distance.
“King Euthor's tomb is on the Banished Lands!” someone exclaimed.
“I am afraid so,” Pallin responded.
“And the orb?” King Froamb asked. “Did you see it?”
“Yes,” Pallin responded. “It is there, by his design.”
“Why in the world would he take that kind of power to such a perilous land?” King Froamb inquired.
“Only on the Banished Lands would it be safe,” Pallin responded. “As long as the orb with Sheyla's necklace rested in Eulsiphion, the means for finding King Euthor's grave could only come about if the Banished Lands returned.”
“But if his tomb is on the Banished Lands, then all is still lost,” said Estrien. “We have no way to retrieve the orb.”
The pavilion grew silent. Pallin extended his hands to usher the group back indoors. Once seated again at the table, Pallin spoke.
“There may yet be hope. Sheabor and Straiah are here, after all. They have come between worlds undetected. There may be other pathways we can take.”
“Pallin speaks wisely,” said Thalen. “I cannot believe that King Euthor constructed such an elaborate plan only to disregard the final means of completing it. Though we have not yet perceived the means, I am sure they exist. King Euthor must have left a way behind to travel to the Banished Lands. He found a way himself after all, so many centuries ago.”
Durian marveled. Such an intricate plan, formed by the one man who had foreseen the days of the return of the ancient enemy.
“There is much to consider,” Thalen concluded. “Sheabor, to the best of your knowledge, how far away are the Banished Lands from our shores?”
“Not more than a hundred leagues west of the Frostlands,” he replied.
The statement hung in the air.
“Let us rest for the night,” the king declared. “Your rooms have already been prepared. You will stay in the palace and the attendants will see to your needs.”
It wasn't until King Froamb said the words that Durian realized how tired he was. The thought of a warm bed cast every other desire to the side.
Each person was given their own room and Durian was greeted by a steaming tub. Overjoyed, he reveled in the first warm bath he'd had in weeks.
When Durian awoke, he could tell that a considerable amount of time had passed. He dressed in a clean set of clothes and was met by an attendant in the hall outside his room.
“You are free to move about the city, sir.”
“Do you know where the others are?” Durian asked.
“Most have gone from the palace, though they did not say where.”
Durian nodded and thanked him. Perhaps it was time for a walk. Coming through the main hall and out the other side, he descended the stairs and was surprised to find the evening sun hanging low in the sky. He must have slept all night and most of the next day.
Torches were springing to life all around the city. Durian ambled to a nearby grassy park and watched the sky change from a deep blue to an orangy red. After awhile, Baron and Blair plopped down and joined him. Pallin also joined them.
“The sleeper awakens at last.”
Durian smiled with a nod and Pallin sat beside him, placing his walking stick down beside him. Durian saw that the iron tip of his walking stick was already coming loose. But Baron snatched the walking stick and turned to Blair with a stern countenance.
“You see this,” Baron said, shaking the stick in Blair's face. “This is what I'm talking about.”
“Oh please,” replied Blair.
The others chuckled.
“I think the run through the Edgewhic Isles was more than a simple walking stick could manage.”
Durian turned back to the sunset with a sigh.
“How are you faring in all this?” Pallin asked.
Durian was surprised by the question and found Pallin gazing at him warmly.
“I feel like a grain of sand on the seashore. The world is a much bigger, darker place than I had ever imagined. I feel helpless.”
Pallin gave him a thoughtful nod.
“I also was in despair last evening,” Pallin said. “But my hope renewed this morning, as I felt the cool, crisp air wash over the plains. Though Corcoran's purpose is dark and vast, there is a greater purpose above his that drives the fate of our world. For consider the irony of our present circumstance. Corcoran, after all, is the only force in our world with the power to reunite the continents and the lost House of Cavanah to its brothers. In that sense, he has unwittingly become a servant for good. For though he intends much evil, much good may also result.”
Durian nodded pensively. He hadn't thought of that. He wondered if King Euthor had also considered it as he looked ahead to the future. Just then, they saw Estrien walking by.
“Estrien!” Baron called out. “Won't you come join us?”
Durian was surprised by Baron's boldness. But then, Baron had never had trouble talking to a beautiful woman.
Estrien walked to them but didn't take a seat.
“How does this lovely evening find you?” she asked.
“Very well,” Baron replied. “Just reminiscing about life.”
Baron sighed dramatically and Durian couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Baron the philosopher. He was up to his old tricks. Did he really think a woman like Estrien would be interested in a simple Suriyan?
“Is that so?” she said with an intrigued smile.
“Almost dying will do that to a person.”
Durian glanced to Blair who only rolled his eyes.
“I don't think we would have made it if Straiah hadn't found us in the forest. We owe him and Sheabor our lives. You should have seen the way he took care of us all. Always showing up with rabbits or a string full of fish. He might be the most selfless man I've ever met.”
Estrien's eyes narrowed as a slow smile grew on her face, seeming to sense that Baron was up to something. What was he up to? Praising another man wasn't the best way to win a woman's affections.
“I appreciate your insights,” she said.
Baron glanced to Durian and Blair with a mischievous smile but Durian returned it with confusion. But before anything else could be said, the loud ring of a bell sounded out in the darkening sky. The group stood.
“The alarm has been raised,” Pallin said. “The city is under attack! Quickly, we must return to the palace.”
They made haste, finding the doors wide open and soldiers speaking with the king.
“Where have they attacked?” Durian heard the king ask.
“The western wall.”
“Have any breached?”
“No,” the soldier
replied. “But the men are asking for reinforcements. They fear being overrun. The attack came without warning.”
“Summon the fighting men!” the king commanded.
The soldier bowed and departed. Just then, Thalen appeared, Sheabor and Straiah not far behind.
“King Froamb, I take my leave from you now,” Thalen said. “I must return to Melanor and disclose what we have discovered. Estrien will stay behind to guard Pallin.”
“Go in peace, friend,” the king responded.
“Who is attacking the city?” Sheabor asked.
“The Horctura.”
Just then another soldier ran up the stairs.
“The commander is in position,” he said. “The enemy is being met by our forces.”
“Guard!” yelled the king. “Get the Suriyans some weapons. Pallin, you and the Suriyans stay inside the palace. Sheabor, Straiah, and Estrien may accompany me if they wish.”
“We would be honored,” Sheabor replied.
“I must stay with Pallin,” Estrien said.
The king bowed and headed quickly off. Sheabor, Straiah, and a personal guard accompanied him, running hastily through the streets, swords drawn. Durian and the others watched them disappear. They could hear shouting and the distant sounds of battle.
“Be cautious!” King Froamb yelled to Sheabor and Straiah as they ran. “The barbarians have developed a longbow that can fire over our walls. Be wary of running or standing in open spaces.”
The streets were empty as the group ran through them, the sounds of battle intensifying. Before they reached the base of the western wall, a volley of arrows came over.
“Take cover!” the king cried.
Arrows struck the ground around them, one piercing Sheabor's tunic as he stood with his back pressed against a nearby building. Straiah saw it and smiled. That was close.
They reached the stairs to the western wall as another volley sailed overhead.
“Return fire!” boomed the voice of the commander.
The group hurried forward and when they had reached the top of the wall, the king grabbed Sheabor's arm.
The Banished Lands- The Complete Series Page 12