Between Darkness and the Light

by Paul T. H. Mitchener

  At first nothing happened and Henry was starting to think (or hope) that nothing would. He felt the first rays of the sun touch his face: a warm, welcoming feeling. With his eyes still closed, he raised his face a little more to greet the warmth and was starting to relax a little, when suddenly and without warning he felt something strike him hard in the chest. The impact knocked his whole upper body backwards, but by using the shaft for support he managed to keep upright. It felt as if the whole of his insides were now on fire, hundreds of tiny, red-hot pokers thrashing around inside his chest and stomach, through his limbs and into his head. The pain was so intense he would have given anything for it to stop.

  At this point he was only too happy to release whatever it was that was tearing his insides apart; but still, amongst all the burning and the pain he managed to keep his thoughts clear. He could hear Bert’s voice saying over and over again, “Hold it, boy… just hold on.” But he wanted to let go so badly, but Bert had told him that if whatever it was inside him escaped, it could be dangerous to those around him, and the thought of Bree or his mother being harmed was more unbearable than the pain. So, with a newfound determination he tried harder to restrain the living beast within him; but the harder he tried to hold onto it, the more intense the pain and burning became, more so in his head: it seemed as if the Wyvern was trying to burn out his entire mind.

  Henry fought to hold on, but the pain was making it increasingly more difficult to concentrate. All he wished for was for the pain to stop, his strength finally failing him. “Get out!” he shouted. “Go… leave me,” he said over and again as he relaxed and stopped fighting to hold onto it. The pain immediately eased and the burning stopped. Henry sighed with relief, his head slumped forward as the pain slowly eased away. He felt so lost, his mind had nothing to hold onto as he felt himself drifting away into emptiness, his mind increasingly becoming an empty, thoughtless void.

  Then, somewhere deep within his pain-ridden mind, he heard a small voice say, “I’m here for you, my sweet… I’ll always be here.” He had to fight to save Bree… he had to fight to save himself, he knew that now… if he didn’t he’d be lost forever… He had to fight on. Henry screwed up his face in determination and readied himself for the pain that would surely come. “Be strong, boy… hold onto it… don’t let it go,” he heard a deep, booming voice say. The distant, bodiless voices seemed to bring Henry back to his senses, now realising that the Wyvern was escaping him… But he knew that without holding onto this… this thing inside him, he could be responsible for others being harmed or even worse. He had to hold onto it, he had to be its host. With newfound determination he shouted, “No!” over and over in his mind, holding his forehead with his right hand whilst using the shaft to help keep his balance in the other. “You won’t beat me,” he said. “You will stay… and stay as long as I will it.”

  With that, the burning intensified anew, but now at a new level of pain. It was almost unbearable: Henry felt his entire body aflame. He lurched forward and then arched backwards, screaming in agony, but, despite the pain, he would not let go. With a new determination he felt that he was winning the fight: slowly but surely he was taking back his body and his mind, controlling the pain and his emotions. The stronger Henry’s determination became, the more control he gained over the fire serpent. Now, instead of feeling weakened by his fight with the Wyvern, he had found a new strength, a strength that in turn helped lessen the pain.

  He relaxed a little and slumped forward, then from out of nowhere he began seeing images in his mind, images of the past… memories of the Wyvern’s long life… What it knew, he now knew. What it felt, he now felt, nothing was left out. He felt the joy, the pain and the angriest of all the hosts before him… including Alfwald… He knew of its failures and its victories and above all he felt control of its immense power as it pulsated throughout every ounce of his being. It penetrated his mind and his body, changing him at every level. He knew he would never be the same person again: he was stronger and much wiser than before, and for the first time since he left his home he knew exactly what was expected of him, and with his newfound confidence knew how to achieve it. The pain was now almost gone, leaving him tired but with a warm, comforting sensation. Something was settling within him, making its home, within his mind and body… and within his very soul… No longer was he just Henry… he was now the host master.

  The onlookers watched as a bright yellow, burning light, seemingly straight from the sun, headed directly towards Henry and hammered into his chest, knocking him backwards. They could do nothing more than watch as Henry screamed and jerked backwards and forwards as he fought his own personal battle. The pain of the fight was reflected on his face: one moment slumped over and the next jerking back, rigid in pain. Then at one point, Henry slumped forwards and remained motionless for some time and looked as though he was losing the battle, and then he started to fight back, now with a determined look on his face. They all watched as he thrashed around, at one point Bree went to rush forward, but Bert stopped her in her tracks by grabbing her arm. After what seemed to be forever, Henry finally stopped and slumped forwards. Covered in sweat and breathing heavily, he stayed kneeling on the large stone, motionless for quite some time. They all wanted to go to his aid but nobody wanted to make the first move, not sure if the battle to host the Wyvern was over, so all they could do was watch and wait.

  Henry stayed motionless for a time with his head slumped forward with one hand still holding tightly onto the Aelfgar spear, sweat pouring from his face. Eventually he lifted his head slowly, looking ahead directly ahead of him. “Evil,” he said, barely managing to speak the word. Nobody moved or replied. Minutes went by before Henry finally got to his feet using the Aelfgar spear as an aid to steady himself. Bree broke loose of Bert’s grip and rushed forward to help him. Holding onto one of his arms, she could immediately feel the difference and could sense a newborn strength in him. “Evil is here,” he said again in a monotonous voice. “It fears me… but it will not approach…We are safe for the moment,” he continued.

  He then looked down at Bree. “Help me to my mother,” he instructed in a manner she felt offensive. Then, partly supported by Bree and partly supported by the shaft, he walked unsteadily over to the motionless form of his mother still lying in Sophia’s arms. Bree noticed right away that he had changed. He hadn’t changed physically, but much deeper. She couldn’t really put her figure on it, but he seemed to stand taller in himself, although he was still a little unsteady on his feet. He had more determination and confidence about him, no longer the teenage boy she had met and fallen in love with a day earlier, no longer the innocent boy… He had become a man, but not just a man… more than that… he had become the host… and it showed throughout his whole persona. Everything about him demanded respect, and she wasn’t at all sure if she liked what she saw.

  Walt was still standing well back, mopping the sweat from his head. He had never been to the High-stones before, let alone witnessed a hosting, so he could be forgiven for feeling a little unnerved by the whole experience. He’d never trusted magic: in his eyes it was unpredictable and had no place in this modern world. Unfortunately, it had been a big part of his life, he couldn’t remember a time when he was free from it. But he could recall that it was a long time ago when he inadvertently got himself involved between Bert and Sophia… and he seemed to have been between them ever since. Henry briefly glanced in Bert’s direction and nodded. He then knelt by his mother’s side and gave Sophia a glance. Without saying anything, she immediately laid his mother’s head gently on the ground and then stood up and moved away, a gesture that wasn’t missed by the onlookers. Sophia backed away from no one! Henry held out his hand to Bert who gingerly placed the Moonstone into his hand. Henry gripped the stone tightly in his left hand and pressed it against his heart. He then placed his right hand lightly over his mother’s mouth, closed his eyes and called upon the power of the Moonstone.

  Firstly, he concentrated on
finding the harmful magic. Once found, he started forcing the stone’s power out of his mother, calling it back into the stone, directing its power from her, through him and back to where it belonged. The others watched as a purple ray of light emanated from Hazel’s mouth, up Henry’s arm, through his body and back into the stone. The process took several long moments, until suddenly Hazel gasped and sprang up into a sitting position. Henry sat back on his heels, feeling a little dazed from the experience, the purple glow gone and the stone now at rest.

  “Mum,” he said, pleased to see her back. Hazel gave a weak smile and went to hug him, but pulled back when she sensed the changes in him. “Aunt Sophia,” Henry said, surprising everybody with the fact that he knew who Sophia was, “could you please take my mother back to your home…? She needs rest and care that only you can offer… and I strongly suggest that you take one of the guardians with you… She’s weak and has lost a lot of her own power.” He paused, looking back to his mother. Her eyes were now back to their usual brilliant green. He smiled. “She needs her sister now,” he said softly.

  To the others, it seemed more of an order than a request. Again, to everyone’s surprise, Sophia did as Henry had instructed: she beckoned Bree over. “She’s too weak to survive being transported by magical means… so we’ll have to walk,” she told Bree. They both helped Hazel onto her feet. Hazel looked at Bree with tearful eyes. “Where’s my boy gone?” she muttered, having sensed exactly the same changes in him as Bree. “Watch out for evil… It’s out there and it’s dangerous.” Hazel’s face said it all: she knew her boy had changed but couldn’t make out why. She was not in this world when Henry became the host: she was lost in a world of purple haze and pain and didn’t witness the hosting, so she had no idea what had happened to him. However, she was much too weak to question anything.

  Sophia turned away from Henry to start back home, supporting Hazel by one arm whilst Bree supported the other. She had already decided that they should take the most direct route: it was probably the most dangerous, but she needed to get her sister to safety as quickly as possible. Besides, there was little out there to challenge her except the darkness itself. Henry watched with mixed emotions as they left. Deep within his own thoughts he stood staring after them, even when they were well out of sight.

  Eventually he turned around and sighed. “I’ll need you and Ben to stand with me,” he said to Bert. At first, Bert didn’t reply. He looked down at his best pal Ben and then back to Henry. He too, could sense the difference in him, but unlike Bree and his mother, he liked what he saw. “That goes without saying.” He looked over to where Walt was still sitting on one of the large, fallen stones. “Can’t speak for him, though.”

  Henry smiled but didn’t reply. “We’ll need to go to Acca first… and there’s no time like the present.” Ben hadn’t spoken throughout the entire process and thought perhaps that it was time for him to have his say. He got up and walked over to where Bert was standing. “Who made him boss?” Ben growled loud enough for Henry to hear. “He’s now the host master… and we’ll do well not question him,” Bert replied, looking over to Henry, who still, it seemed, didn’t hear Ben – or more likely decided to ignore him. Walt was still trying to stay inconspicuous by keeping quiet and avoiding any eye contact.

  “We leave now,” Henry demanded, giving Walt a quick look, then with spear shaft in hand, he walked up to him, stopping only inches away, and stared him directly in the eye, and with a low but threatening tone said, “If you care for your life… and I know you do… you’d be well advised to follow my instructions to the letter… However… if you feel your loyalties lie elsewhere, you’d better leave now.”

  Walt almost passed out with fear. He had never met Henry before, let alone a host master, and being addressed in such a manner by someone so powerful, someone even Sophia respected, was almost too much for him to bear. Henry held his gaze for a while, waiting for Walt’s response, but all Walt could do was mop his head and try to avert the glare of Henry’s yellow, burning eyes. Walt could feel them burning deep inside his mind as if Henry was probing his innermost thoughts. Seconds passed, then without another word to Walt or the others, Henry turned in the direction of the old oak.

  Only that morning he was a lost and bewildered teenager, following Bree through the woodland like a little lost puppy… But now he knew exactly where he was and where he had to go, but more importantly what needed to be done. He was no longer the confused teenager: he now commanded one of the most powerful weapons ever to exist: the Wyvern! Bert and Ben gave each other a quick look and then over to Walt, both wondering what Henry meant by “his loyalties”. Why would Henry even bother with him, or perhaps there was something more to Walt than first met the eye? They then turned to follow Henry back into the woodland. Moments later, a shaken Walt followed.

  Set well back in the darkness of the trees, Alfwald’s shade watched on helplessly… Too late to do anything about hosting, he needed to stop it so that he could take the boy for himself. He was mad that he had missed the opportunity to take him when they met the night before. Things were going to be a lot more difficult for him from now on… and a lot more dangerous, even for something as powerful as him. If he was to achieve his goals he would now have to recruit helpers… but who? He had always known that the two sisters would be troublesome for him, so they needed to be kept busy and out of his way, and now would be as good a time as any to do just that, especially now that one of them was so weak. Without them meddling around in his matters, he would have a much better chance to win over the boy and use him and the Wyvern to his own advantages. “It wasn’t too late,” he thought. The boy was young and had no experience in the use of magic and didn’t fully understood what battles he would have to fight. Nightwalkers were only good to use on pitiful humans and were no threat to Henry or the two sisters, he needed more… He needed someone with cunning… someone with no sense of loyalty… someone who, out of fear, would do exactly what they were told… and he knew precisely who that person would be.

  Walt found himself stumbling along some distance behind the others, partly because he didn’t want to walk with Bert and that damned dog, but mainly due to his lack of fitness. Puffing and fighting for breath, he tripped over a protruding root. “BLAST!” he shouted as he fell head first into the damp, rotten, muddy leaves, but luckily for him it was a soft landing. He managed to crawl up onto all fours, cursing and grunting, and then sat back on his heels, taking a moment to get his breath back and to mop the sweat from his head. Then suddenly he stopped. Something wasn’t right. He froze on the spot and found that he couldn’t move, partly out of fear and partly because he had no breath left to do anything else. He’d had enough frights of late and didn’t need another. But unfortunately for Walt it wasn’t his lucky day. The air around him went cold, and any light breaking through the canopy seemed to be sucked away until he found himself kneeling in total blackness. He stayed motionless, staring out into the darkness, fearing that his time had come. He could do nothing other than wait for the inevitable to happen.

  Alfwald’s shade gradually materialised from out of the blackness. Walt knew that his shade was back from the underworld, but had hoped never to run into it; but here it was standing just a few feet from where he was kneeling. “I intend no harm,” the voice echoed, making Walt whimper with fear. “Get up,” it demanded. At first, Walt was too frightened to move. “Get up!” it roared. This time, Walt did as he was instructed but kept slipping on the wet leaves and mud until he managed to grab onto the tree that had tripped him over and made his way to his feet. Alfwald’s shade stood patiently waiting for him to compose himself.

  “I have need of you,” the shade continued. “M… me,” Walt stuttered. “You are a servant to the lady, are you not?” the shade said. Not waiting for Walt to answer, he continued. “No matter… you will serve me now,” the shade commanded with a venomous tone to its voice. “Your life is now mine to command… and mine to take if it pleases me to do so
… Do you understand, little man?” All Walt could do was to nod. “Listen… and listen well… If you fail me…” The shade didn’t complete his warning: instead he let it hang in the air a while, leaving it to Walt’s own imagination to fill in the gaps.

  Bree sat Hazel on an old, moss-covered, fallen tree to rest. The truth was that they all needed to stop and rest up a little. It had been hard work half-carrying Hazel through the heavy undergrowth of the woodland. They had decided quite early on not to stay on the main paths, for obvious reasons. Sophia and Bree had both noticed signs of something lurking within the confines of the trees nearly everywhere, especially alongside the tracks, so they had to take a more direct but arduous route through the dense undergrowth. “I sense that all is not well with you,” Sophia said quietly to Bree. “It’s young Henry, isn’t it?” she continued without waiting for Bree to reply.

  When Bree looked up, Sophia could see the tears in her eyes. “He’s still there, my dear,” Sophia said softly. “Hopefully one day… and with a little luck he’ll return to you.” Bree couldn’t find the right words to say. Instead she broke down and started to cry. “Why do I feel this way about him…? I love him so much… it hurts me not to be with him,” Bree said choking and holding back her tears. “I’ve only known him a day or so… What’s the matter with me?” she sobbed whilst placing her face in her hands. “Why do you think you were chosen to protect Henry?” Sophia asked. “You are more than a match for most woodland beasts, but you have no way of protecting him against dark powers… That’s something Henry needed to do for himself… Acca knew that… and he also knew that Henry and you would bond the moment you both met…You would immediately become soulmates for life…The old tree knew what it would take to make Henry stronger… He needed someone he cared for, someone he would protect… That in itself would make him stronger… Can’t you see, my dear…? Just by having you around makes him the man he needs to be…You are his strength.” She paused.