The Awakening

by Gary Alan Wassner

  As he did so, Tamara rose with as much dignity as she could muster, straightening out her skirts, smoothing her hair and brushing off the debris that clung to her garments. She lifted her chin and gazed upon the woman coldly.

  “This is very interesting” Margot said. With the pointed end of her black blade, she drew a line from Tamara’s head to the tip of her finger. Then she suddenly jabbed the sharpened point into the collar, caught a piece of the fabric and pulled upon it. “You wear the cape of one of the Sisters. What brings you to these parts unattended, spying upon us?” she mocked. “Bind her, Challan,” she ordered the monstrous troll. “And bring her to me over there,” she pointed to the clearing before her. “But first, skewer that useless beast yonder and feed it to the orcs,” she said as she pointed in Hector’s direction.

  Tamara rose, arched her back and stood straight and tall, despite her ample bulk. It was one thing to detain her and question her. After all, she was spying upon them from a hidden vantage point. But to harm her beloved pony? That was unacceptable.

  “Leave him alone,” she boomed.

  The soldiers all turned toward her and began to laugh.

  “Quiet,” Margot commanded, leering at those around her. Then, she turned her black eyes upon Tamara. “Why, Sister? Is he dear to you?” she questioned, sugary sweet.

  “He is a living thing who has done no harm to anyone. If you wish to harm someone for your sinister pleasure, than do so to me,” she replied, composed.

  Tamara was not at all frightened, as she suspected she would be. But the mere fact that this twisted woman was contemplating killing a helpless animal for no reason, hardened her resolve. She felt strong, despite her precarious situation.

  Margot walked in a slow circle around Tamara, and eyed her up and down. The maid of Parth did not flinch. She stared straight ahead, calm and dignified.

  “Skewer her then instead,” she said finally.

  At that point Tamara realized that this was no game being played here, and that her very life was in mortal danger. In addition, she would then never be able to complete her task and return to Parth with the answers that were so vital to the Sisters. She was not schooled in the art of battle, and she had no weapons with which to defend herself. Her situation was grave indeed.

  As she contemplated what she could possibly do to survive this disastrous predicament, a small contingent of Talamaran soldiers circled around her at the direction of the troll. One of them had a coil of rope in his hands and was tying loops in the end, apparently to slip over her hands. Suddenly, she heard Hector’s distinct bray in the near distance and it was not a friendly one but rather, one of panic and pain. This she could tolerate no longer.

  Without knowing exactly what or how she did it, she lifted her hands quickly and the soil and leaves and twigs all about her flew wildly into the air, obscuring her momentarily from the soldiers surrounding her. The debris remained suspended in the air, swirling all around at a very rapid speed. Using the cover of this distraction, she slipped behind the large tree and sought to reach Hector before any great harm was done to him.

  Immediately, the small maelstrom ceased and the objects fell to the ground once again. The soldiers looked frantically about them for the stout woman who was there just a moment ago.

  Tamara dodged behind another trunk and hid from view as best as she could. She knew that it would be almost impossible to escape from here, and she was still rather astonished at what she had just done. As she was about to move toward where she believed the frightened sounds of her pony were originating from, a bony hand clenched her right shoulder, the nails of which dug deeply into her flesh. The Sister cringed slightly at the touch, and at the pain as well.

  “That was an interesting display back there. I did not realize that the Sisters practiced the art of earth magic,” Margot said into her ear. “What else have you concealed from us all these tiels? The tower has much to reveal, I suspect.”

  The woman’s hand was stronger than Tamara could have imagined and the nails cut deeply into her flesh. Still, she stood tall and proud.

  “The business of the Sisters of Parth is no business of yours,” Tamara practically spit at her. “There is nothing of interest to the Dark Lord there.”

  “Oh, but I believe you are mistaken, Sister,” she said as she wrapped a slender cord around Tamara’s neck and then walked in front of her so that she could look upon her face. “The tower may have exactly what I seek. In any event, you will not live to know the results of our little visit to the other maids.”

  Margot began to pull more tightly upon the cord, constricting it and causing Tamara to turn a deep red in color. She did not lift her hand to attempt to loosen the noose, as she knew that it would be to no avail. Rather, she stood her ground proudly and without fear, recognizing that perhaps her time had come after all. She tried one more time to raise her arms and hopefully conjure up some help, but she did not really know what she was doing. Regardless, before she was able to move her fingers, the soldiers stepped in and secured the loops around her wrists, pulling them taut and bringing them behind her back.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked. “What have the Sisters done to you or your master? We are scholars and gardeners,” she tried to explain.

  “You are liars,” Margot hissed.

  “Why do you say that? We have never lied about anything to anyone,” Tamara replied honestly.

  “Only to yourselves, Sister. Your very existence is a lie. You serve one purpose and one purpose alone, and that will soon change,” the servant of Colton’s said.

  Tamara had heard those very sentiments spoken before, but it did not conjure up the same meaning when coming from the mouth of this sinister woman. Suddenly, she wondered if that is what the passage meant. Doubts were flooding her emotions and pulling her toward despair.

  Could it be that the Sister’s purpose was to protect the map until this moment? Until Colton dar Agonthea came to take it away from us? Were we guardians all these years for the wrong side? she thought.

  Tamara reddened, and Margot recognized the change immediately.

  “Ah, you are not so optimistic anymore, Sister? Could it be that you now recognize the true reason for Parth’s existence all these tiels?” she asked. “You have served him well, all of you. And, he appreciates it. Truly he does. But now your time of service is coming to an end.”

  Lady Margot walked away from the bound Sister and beckoned to her lieutenant.

  “See that she does not have the opportunity to warn her Sisters of our coming.”

  Tamara felt the ties that bound her constrict, as the massive troll retrieved the ends from the soldiers that held her. He yanked coarsely upon the rope, and her head snapped backward. It was growing harder and harder to breathe. The monster was enjoying her suffering, and he pulled slowly and cruelly upon her noose, causing her to gasp for air. Sadly she felt herself slipping away, sliding into unconsciousness, and it troubled her more deeply than the thought of her own death that she was unable to warn her Sisters.

  She felt her final moment upon her, and just before she blacked out she thought she saw a light descend upon her from above.

  Ah, they have come for me at last, she thought calmly, though sadness engulfed her.

  Be gone, woman, a deep voice commanded. You have no power here.

  The noose around her neck went limp suddenly and she felt her arms, which had been pulled taut behind her, slacken and drop. Through her half-conscious vision, she watched as dust rose everywhere around her, and she heard weapons being drawn and what seemed to be the noises of battle. A storm must have set in, as she heard thunder and saw streaks of lightening too through her half open eyes.

  Tamara regained her breath slowly and her vision began to clear. At first, she thought she was dreaming or perhaps already dead, but then she realized that neither was the case. In fact, what she had just witnessed was very real, and although she did not fully comprehend what was occurring, she knew that
someone had come to her aid at the very last moment.

  Premoran raised his arm and drew a circle with his index finger around the entire space that surrounded Tamara, Lady Margot, her lieutenant and the green cloaked soldiers that stood in the clearing. A wall of shimmering light began to form about them all.

  Tamara watched as another creature slowly descended from the sky above her upon beautiful gossamer wings that gracefully billowed out from behind it. It landed lightly next to the other figure, and its wings immediately disappeared as if they were never really there to begin with. She thought that perhaps she was dreaming after all. The lack of oxygen caused by the tightness of the noose around her neck had made Tamara swoon somewhat, and she watched all of this through a haze of recognition, not sure at all whether her life had ended and the angels were coming to carry her off to the lands above the clouds, or whether she was still alive and was being saved from the torment that was about to be inflicted upon her.

  Challan, the troll, backed up hurriedly away from Lady Margot, seeking to create some distance between himself and what he perceived to be the focus of this intruder’s wrath. Margot stood her ground, though she was clearly disoriented by this unexpected arrival.

  “You test my patience by ordering me so, old man,” she said to Premoran. “This trickery of yours will not save you or the sister from Parth,” she said, and she glanced at Tamara.

  Margot raised her right arm and a bolt of blue-green light arced into the shimmering circle that was forming around them and hemming them in. To her chagrin and surprise, her attack was harmlessly absorbed by the wall. Again, she cast her blighted light into the neon barrier, only to see it dissipate harmlessly once again, consumed by the soil beneath her feet and causing no effect whatsoever upon the obstacle.

  The Wizard stood firm, appearing to have not a care in the world, as he watched Margot’s frustration build and quickly turn into fear. When the ends of the circle of light met and finally encased them all, it flared brightly and the air veritably hissed from the static of the power. The old man neither raised his hands nor spoke another word, while Colton’s vile minion continued her vain attempts at breaking free, but with the closing of the ends, she could not even muster a spark from her aborted efforts. When it was apparent to her that she could not disturb the barricade, she attempted to turn what power she thought she had remaining upon Tamara once more, seeking at least to kill the Sister in her thwarted rage. The old man barely raised his chin in acknowledgment as Margot’s arm went limp and the signs of defeat revealed themselves clearly upon her brow for all present to see.

  As panic gripped her features, the others in her party realized that their mistress had met her match and they sought, each in his or her own manner, to escape the wrath of the newcomers. Challan backed slowly toward the barrier, scanning it in the hope of finding an opening through which he could escape. He thrust his large pawlike hand into what appeared to be a break in the light and retracted it immediately with a howl of pain. His arm came out, singed to the elbow. The green-caped soldiers huddled together, uncertain of their fate, their allegiance to their leader by no means assured any longer.

  “You trespass where you should not,” Premoran said calmly to the humbled woman before him whose apprehension was mounting by the moment. “What compelled my brother to think that his reach extended this far?” he asked, apparently directing this question to his friend. “He oversteps his bounds, as usual,” he continued, sadly shaking his head back and forth. “As for you, woman,” he redirected his attention to Margot. “You chose poorly when you aligned yourself with him. Not only have you doomed yourself to eternal disappointment, but you have selected to be a thread that will never be a part of the weave. Do you not know the nature of the demon you serve?” he asked, as if astonished. He walked up quite close to her and placed his hand upon her forehead.

  Margot cowered before him sensing the fullness of his power, and feeling humbled and scared. Her dark eyes darted from left to right, searching for an exit, some means of escape from his focused gaze. In a matter of moments, he had reduced her hubris to gloom. She was like a frightened animal, trapped and cornered. The circle of force that surrounded them isolated her from her source and without that contact, she was helpless Her feeble attempt at summoning her strength was completely unsuccessful, for the power was never hers to begin with. Colton acted through her. She was but a conduit and alone she was impotent. Until this moment she did not realize this horrible fact, and the realization hit her like a sharp slap in the face.

  “It is fitting that you suffer the humiliation of understanding,” Premoran said, perceiving fully what was disturbing the woman. “You will remember this moment.” Turning to his friend, he then said, “Alas Teetoo, after she departs she will succumb to his seduction once again. Such is the nature of his hold upon these hapless ones. I fear she is beyond even my help.”

  The Wizard stepped back a pace or two and then surveyed the area. All of the other soldiers stood transfixed, as if frozen in their places They looked like frightened children waiting for their instructor to allow them to sit once again. The lieutenant remained in the background, still tending to his previous wounds.

  “What did she offer you?” Premoran asked the group of Talamarans. “How did she compel you to turn against the trees?” he questioned, not comprehending what could have coerced them to betray their trust in the Lalas.

  Challan stepped forward and spoke boldly, a slight smile turning up the corners of his wide and toothy mouth. He still had not fully realized the strength of his captor.

  “The accursed trees are dying,” he spat. “Would you ask these soldiers to die with them? The trees have served themselves all these tiels, not the races. What have these men to show for their years of servitude?”

  Premoran turned slowly to face the solitary troll.

  “Your people have known nothing other than servitude. I would not expect you to understand. But you,” he addressed the Talamarans, “…have lived in freedom. You will not comprehend the meaning of the word servitude until you come face to face with Colton. You never ministered to the trees. They protected us all. Now as they suffer and die, you abandon them. What greater gift could you give to the Evil One? You have forsaken yourselves. You walked away from the light into the darkness and what will you gain by it?” Margot had regained a portion of her composure, as Premoran’s gaze focused on the others. Her fear turned to anger, and the initial sense of awe she experienced at the realization of his power turned into hate.

  “You know nothing,” she spit the words at the Wizard. “Leave us be. He loves us, and he will keep his promises. The time of the great dissolution is nearing and you can do nothing to stop it.” In her frustration and vehemence, she sought only to hurt as much as she could. “The heir will soon be dead. Tell them what hope they have left after that, wise one?” she snarled.

  Challan reached for his spiked weapon, but before he could even lift it, the boy standing near the Wizard who had been silent all this time, motioned slowly with his hands. Great gusts of wind encircled the troll and forced him back almost into the blazing barrier that surrounded them. Teetoo wove intricate patterns in the air before him with his delicate hands, and the breezes lifted the huge soldier, separated him from his weapon and dropped him in a heap upon the ground. His club fell harmlessly to the earth nearby.

  Premoran then raised his arm and inscribed the air with his index finger in an elaborate pattern. Suddenly, everyone in the circle ceased to move entirely, with the exception of Tamara, the boy called Teetoo and of course the Wizard. It appeared to the Sister as if time itself had been suspended. This entire duration within the circle of power, the wind did not blow and no sounds could be heard other than those coming from the parties within. But, now the people themselves neither breathed nor uttered a sound. Their faces were frozen with the expressions still upon them, with their mouths half open and their arms stretched out. They could not see or hear what transpired around the
m.

  “They are lost Teetoo, and we cannot lead them back,” Premoran said sadly to his friend. “I will let them go, and may the First forgive them all. Kettin I fear, has sacrificed himself and his kingdom, and his days are numbered. His soldiers will return to Talamar without ever reaching their goal, dissatisfied with their lives and with their choices, yet bound nonetheless to eternally walk the road they have chosen in their arrogance and hubris. Parth shall be a vague memory to them, a place that they will think they recall visiting, but the recollection will always remain unclear and incomplete. Margot will despise the Sisters all the more for seeming to have thwarted her design, but her boundless hate will never allow her to distinguish between the reality of what occurred here and the presumption of her ability. She will blame others for her failure to return with what she set out to capture. She will not think it was her weakness that thwarted her plans. Her master will recognize my work, as it should be. It is fitting that he realize now that I have returned,” he said. “I am troubled by her reference to the heir, though. I was tempted to question her, to delve deeper into her mind. But it is so dirtied, so perverted, that I fear I would come away with little more than disgust. What has my brother in mind, I wonder?” he asked with finality. As soon as he finished speaking, he etched the still air once more with his finger and as suddenly as it appeared, the shimmering partition evaporated and disappeared.

  The soldiers regrouped slowly and began to congregate behind their leaders once more, unaware that anything had occurred around them. No further words were spoken. Margot seemed no longer to notice the three strangers standing in their very midst. Challan ordered them to prepare to march, and they quickly stepped to, following their leader’s commands. Margot mounted her horse and led the way back in the direction that they had only recently come from. Just before they were completely out of sight, Tamara noticed Margot eyeing the area strangely in which they still stood. She hesitated a moment, shook her head as if to clear it and then spurred her horse onward and away.