The Silver Arrow

by Larry Itejere

  He took his first bite and waited. Nothing happened.

  It tasted so good. Without knowing it, he began to eat with the ferocity of a hungry wolf, unaware of the silence in the camp.

  “Would you like some more?” he heard Iseac ask as he looked to see them watching him.

  “No, I’m fine,” he said, slightly embarrassed as he tried to tame his protesting stomach.

  “Here, have a drink,” Iseac said as he tossed him the skin he was drinking from.

  “I know this must be difficult, but what happened here?” Mosley asked as Samuel corked the lid back on the skin. “I have never seen this much carnage outside of a battlefield, and not with women and children, either. The people of the town seem to have been caught unaware. What I don’t understand is how so many people could have appeared without anyone spotting them miles before they came upon the town.”

  “They came from the southwest side of the town,” Samuel caught himself saying. “They somehow knew no one would be expecting an army from that direction.

  “It is a treacherous area that has taken the lives of many; few people use it because of its many pitfalls. How they managed to get so many through, I don’t know.”

  “An army?” Mosley asked. “What did they look like? What were they wearing?”

  “They weren’t really humans; they had pale white skin like corpses, with deep blue bulging eyes, and their teeth were jagged. Another group with red paint over the right side of their faces carried bows. They were accompanied by two bat-like creatures, which is the only way I can describe them. The creatures were taller than an average man and black as tar. They searched the hillside, killing the people that survived the initial raid.

  “Those who were not killed were taken captive,” he said, pausing to hold back the tears that slid down his cheeks. “My brother and mother were taken, too.”

  “How did you escape?” Iseac asked, seeing the pain in Samuel’s face.

  “My father knew of an entrance into the mines,” he said, sniffling, “and he took us there while the town was under attack, hoping that once it was safe, we would head to the nearest town. We hid there until they found us the same night. I lost my younger brother that day as my father defended the entrance, giving us a chance to run farther into the mine; he never joined us.

  “They came after me, my brother, and mother as we ran deep into the mines, and it wasn’t long before we could hear their growling sounds behind us as they drew closer and closer. We knew they were going to catch up before we made it out of the mines, so I had my older brother, who was very good with the sword, take my mother with him while I tried to slow them down long enough for them to escape.”

  Samuel remembered this caused some argument, most especially with his mother, who didn’t want him to stay behind, but he and Faray knew it was their best chance of getting out alive. Samuel was good with the bow and arrow, more than an average archer, and they knew it.

  “I hid behind one of the several mounds inside the cave overlooking the main pass and watched my brother and mother leave, with their light fading into the distance as I waited.”

  Samuel remembered the raw emotion he had felt at that moment, thinking of Elye, and the anger burned inside him as he waited patiently.

  “It wasn’t too long before the flickering lights of our assailants appeared, their growling sound echoing off the walls. I pulled on my bow, watching as one of them came into view, and let go. The creature dropped to the ground from the arrow that found its resting place in its forehead, but the others kept moving, undeterred by their dead comrade as they peered into the dark, keeping up their pace. Two more dropped down, squealing, and I moved to a different position, the darkness providing cover. They did not seem to care as the main body kept moving, while others searched around. With two more down, they slowed their pace slightly, but kept marching across the wide chasm. I decided to move to the back of the group to try and draw them toward me.

  “As I moved in the dark, one of them spotted me and pointed in my direction. Someone in their group spoke up in a language I could not understand and several of them ran to meet me, their drawn blades catching the dim firelight as they blended into the dark. I had my arrow notched as I moved back, listening to their growling sounds as they drew closer with an increasing speed.”

  Samuel remembered his sweaty palms and his heart pounding against his chest as he tried to watch his blind spot. Death was coming for him, and there was nothing he could do except face it the way anyone would trying to protect his family.

  “Just then, I caught a dark figure at the corner of my eyes leaping toward me; I released my last arrow as I stepped backward, but I wasn’t fast enough. I felt a sharp pain in my left arm and lower rib as one of the creatures tried to end my life. I turned and began to run, unsure where I was heading. Then I heard a splintering sound under my feet and I fell into a black hole.

  “I crashed in, leaning forward, letting go of my bow as I fell into this abyss. I stretched my hands in the darkness, hoping to find something, and did. It was damp and hard, and I quickly held on. I was jerked to a stop as sharp pains ran from my arms to the rest of my body. They threw in several spears just to make sure I didn’t survive, but I hung on. After several minutes, satisfied that I was probably dead, they left.

  “My left arm and side burned with pain, and I was sure I had broken a bone. But I gritted my teeth and slowly made my way back to the top. Covered in dirt and sweat, bruised and exhausted, I made my way in the dark. Every step sent jets of pain through by body, but I knew I needed to keep moving. My family was waiting for me. I stumbled upon my bow. Maybe it was hidden from view, or the creatures did not care.

  “I also found my last arrow, plus another one covered in blood. Armed, I slowly made my way toward what I hoped was the exit and was relieved to find that I didn’t get lost. I approached it cautiously and heard a wagon roll up. I peered through the exit and saw people cramped behind bars. At the base of the wagon was my mother crying as she cradled my older brother, Faray, her hands red with blood. She was surrounded by people I recognized from the town.

  “A large creature with gray skin dressed in a deep blue robe with a gold lace around the waist stood next to the wagon. It’s back was turned toward me, so I could not see his face, but I had a feeling that he would pinpoint my location if I had made any sudden move. So I stayed, silently watching, my body slowly becoming numb. This creature seemed to still the wagon horses before raising his hand over his head.

  “I’m not sure how to describe what happened next,” Samuel said, looking down at the ground. He wasn’t sure if it was a hallucination brought on by his wound, but he said it, regardless of what they might think.

  “The creature wearing the blue robe raised his hand, and a tiny spark formed at the tip of his finger. It slowly changed into a fireball that expanded till it consumed everyone close to him. As the intensity of the flame grew, the ground began to shake, and they were gone−disappeared; the only visible sign of their presence was a charred curved ring burnt into the ground.

  “I stayed there marveling at what happened, confused, tired, and cold, until sleep came and took me that night. The next morning, I was wandering in the woods, unaware that I was making my way toward the town square. That was when I heard the faint clanking sound of horses’ hooves. I ran toward a tree to get a better view of the strangers that stopped in the town square. As I stared, wondering who you were, I felt you looking at me within my mind’s eyes. It was like seeing someone at the bottom of a stream, even though I could see you weren’t facing me. I panicked and fired, thinking they had returned to finish any remaining survivors they may have missed.”

  Samuel stopped talking and looked at Iseac and Mosley for some reaction as silence again fell on the camp.

  Iseac stood up, walked over to Samuel, and placed his bow in front of him. “We are trying to stop the creatures that have done this,” he said, “and we will help you find your family.”


  Chapter 16

  Beginnings to Discovery

  Iseac was lying down, still awake, as the embers from their campfire went out. He had found the first of three, drawn to this place by a force he could not explain, to find the only survivor was the person he was going to search for in Bayshia.

  What Samuel told them confirmed one thing: the information they had received from Ditra-Vashine about the fire that consumed its victims without leaving any trace of their presence was true. The burnt ring formation on the ground, with the earth shaking, was also consistent with the report.

  He had also felt something extraordinary about Samuel; unlike anyone he’d ever known, Samuel had felt him when he was using yosterio.

  Iseac was beginning to believe that what happened here was no random act; someone, he thought, was willing to destroy this town and its people to find the same person he was looking for. Why and for what reason was still a mystery.

  Iseac knew there wasn’t much he could do about Samuel’s family, but he needed to get him somewhere safe before continuing his search for the other two. He also needed to get some answers from the Council about this new development.

  ************

  Samuel could hear Elye screaming as he ran into their home. Half the house was gone, consumed by a fire that was still burning. He could see the lifeless bodies of his father and mother lying on the ground in pools of blood. When Elye again screamed for help, Samuel’s eyes followed the sound ahead of him, through the field covered in smoke. He could see the creatures from the mine pulling Elye into the woods, and he ran after them with his bow drawn. They seemed to elude him every time he got close, and when he looked again, Elye was on the ground. He aimed at the one with the spear who is about to end Elye’s life, when the ground opened underneath him. As he fell into a black hole, he opened his eyes.

  ************

  Iseac had been watching Samuel tossing in his sleep just before he jerked himself up with his eyes wide open.

  “Are you okay?” Iseac asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Samuel replied, wiping his hand over his face.

  “There is someone that can help us find your family, but we need to go to Kadan’s claw,” Iseac said once he was done packing.

  Kadan’s Claw was on the southern corner of the Kadan River, which ran through most of the four Kingdoms.

  Samuel gave Iseac a quizzical look; he didn’t want to leave his hometown even though, in his heart, he knew there was nothing he could do if he stayed. Irrationally, he clung to the idea that his family would come back and that all he needed to do was wait.

  Iseac could see Samuel’s reluctance to go and said with genuine sympathy in his voice, “A wise man once told me that ‘knowing your enemy is the best upper hand you want to have.’ I know this is hard, but if you are to have any chance of finding your family, you need to first find their captors.”

  Samuel remained in the same spot, looking down, as Iseac continued to speak. “The pale-skinned monsters that attacked your town are called Agoras.” Iseac secured one of the loose items on his saddlebag. “We believe they serve Sullivan, whom we suspect is building an army and planning to take over the four Kingdoms. What happened here also happened in Utorm, a small village in the outskirts of Bremah. Most of the people vanished after a slight tremor. A burnt ring similar to your description was found on the ground; it was the only thing they found when they tracked the missing villagers into the woods where they were herded.”

  This information got Samuel’s attention; it confirmed that what he saw was no hallucination.

  Samuel had never heard of Agoras before, or this Sullivan whom they serve, but what was more suspicious was how this stranger, who called himself Iseac, knew so much about them. Samuel knew for now he did not have a lot of options. He would take Iseac at his word that he was trying to stop the creatures that had done this.

  If Iseac knew so much about them, Samuel thought, then maybe he could help him find his family after all. He brushed his side and picked up his bow.

  “You can ride on Kenda,” Mosley said.

  “What about you?” Samuel asked.

  “I think I can manage,” Mosley said as he secured the saddle on his horse.

  The bay raised his head briefly to look at Samuel as he approached; once he was mounted, they rode at a canter toward Lufgard.

  Samuel periodically glanced behind him as they rode, each time even more amazed by Mosley, who kept up with them the entire time. At noon, they stopped by a small stream to allow their horses to drink while they ate some smoked meat Iseac had packed in his saddlebag with wild berries they picked on the way. That was the only time they stopped until they went to bed that night. The next day was about the same, except that by the end of the day, Samuel had a nagging question. That night as they sat around the fire picking off the remaining pieces from the rabbit they were having for dinner, Samuel decided to ask.

  “You mentioned that knowing your enemy is the best upper hand you want to have. Who is Sullivan, and why Chartum-Valley?”

  “Well, concerning your second question, we’ll soon find out; but let me shed some light on your first. Very few people know this, but a long time ago, before the formation of the four Kingdoms as we know it today, a merchant named Ryham found what is known as the first key of creation.

  “Ryham was a good man with a pure heart, it was said. He was fair in his dealings and so was respected by most of the townspeople he dealt with. One day on his way to the eastern land called Millgran, he saw something flicker at the corner of his eyes. Whatever it was had blazed like the star, and even though it was for a split second, it caught enough of his attention that he stopped. Curious, Ryham rode his wagon toward the area where he thought he saw the light, stopping by the side of the road. He walked a few feet into the patched field and was surprised to discover a crystal gem. Its luster was something he’d never seen before, and even with the sun behind the horizon, the object glittered with breathtaking brilliance.

  “Ryham stretched his finger out to touch it with the same caution one would take when touching something hot; nothing happened. So Ryham picked up the smooth gem with its unusual shape, staring at it in amazement. It was a crystal rod the length of a forefinger, with four claw-like shapes on one end. At the core of the crystal was a silver-like flame that pulsated.

  “As the crystal held Ryham’s gaze, something opened up within his mind’s eye. A door intricately designed with patterns of the solar system appeared out of thin air and was drawn close to him. The sudden appearance of the celestial door frightened him so much, he dropped the gem.

  “Everything around him returned to the way it was, with Ryham alone and the gem gleaming on the ground.

  “How Ryham’s true self was revealed, no one knows, but we know he was the first Patron, and he found the first Anamerian, who formed the group called Ackalans.”

  ‘What are Anamerians?’ Samuel was about to ask, but decided not to; he would do that later, he thought, as Iseac continued to speak.

  “The Ackalans, at the beginning, were only known by the rulers of the four Kingdoms, bound by their oath as protectors of the keys or scroll of creation and its keepers. Before the end of his life, Ryham discovered seven more keys and the Patrons in the lands that guard them. The male line of Ryham served as Patrons for four generations until Graham, who had no son. His wife, Lenia, had Graham form a society called the Ryham Council, now known as just the Council. Graham’s daughter, Rose, had a son. He took the oath and office as Patron.

  “Rose’s great-great-grandson, five generations later, had a son who was named after Rose’s father, called Graham, and he had a son named Sullivan. Sullivan, as a young boy, was very curious, and one day decided to follow his father and sneak along. Graham back then was the Patron of the Mevi-tra temple in Bremah.

  “It was a bright winter’s day when Graham left for the temple, unaware of his son following him. It had snowed the day before, so even though it was bright, it w
as still chilly. Staying out of sight, Sullivan followed his father. While keeping up with him, he occasionally stared into the trees, distracted by birds that flew from different branches and little animals that roamed about looking for food; it was a beautiful day.

  “However, by midday, Sullivan realized he wasn’t in his familiar surroundings anymore; he was committed. He had to make sure he didn’t lose his father, which he didn’t, until they arrived at the temple entrance.

  “Sullivan watched his father go in as he hid close to the open gate at the courtyard. He hid there, watching as people went in and out through the massive double doors. Somehow he managed to sneak past the guards into the building.

  “Mevi-tra is built on a mountain, and inside the massive building are several passageways that lead to other parts. Not sure where to go, Sullivan took the first passageway. The long corridor had crystal rods set several feet apart along its roof that gave a soft light.

  “Along the way, Sullivan heard voices and stopped at one of the nooks built along the wall at the bottom. The nook was between two crystal posts in an area the light did not reach. Sullivan could see a man and woman talking as they made their way toward him. He crouched down next to the wall as they passed, unaware of him. When their footsteps had faded behind him, he hurried on. Other hallways branched off, but he went straight until he came to a dead end with four doors. All the doors looked the same−ornately designed in marble stone with the symbols of the solar system.

  “Sullivan chose the farthest door to his left and went inside. The room was breathtaking. The walls had beams of gold patterned with velvet blue that came together at the top. The roof reflected the still pool in the middle of the vaulted room, and the pool of water appeared flush with the floor that was like the sky at midnight. Looking at the roof, he could see the reflection of something glowing in the middle of the room.

  “Sullivan moved closer to see a glowing orb at the center of the black pool. He moved toward it without thinking, creating a gentle ripple that swept across the pool, which was reflected overhead.