The Sword and the Shadows_The First Chronicle

by Patrick Kriener

  ”Speak to Dalkreen on your way out, for he knows more than I.”

  Yuri felt relief and hope that it could be possible to find his father, but he was not yet done asking questions.

  “When I was imprisoned, it was Dalkreen who set me up by putting this item in my coat and the guards found it. But why?”

  “We needed to get you back and that seemed the best possible way. Dalkreen was always the master of stealing items of great importance. You were imprisoned, and later he too was put in your cell. This was by fate that he was in the same cell so that you could escape together and that gained your trust to Dalkreen, for he protected you and from then on we trained you until this day.”

  “Then the potion... that Callous Scales, you trusted it with me?”

  “The only men in this temple who have such magical power are Dalkreen, you, and I.”

  Yuri felt he needed to know more but saw Dalkreen standing outside, wanting to speak to Zoran.

  “Now Yuri go and speak to Dalkreen and tell him I will be there later to speak with him. But you should ask him about your father.”

  Yuri nodded and walked out, as he looked behind and noticed Zoran had disappeared. Yuri looked back to the statue and saw Zoran reading from a book, speaking the ancient language of the Blood Shadows. Many priests of the temple stood in his midst. Dalkreen stood nearby and saw Yuri approach him.

  “I must speak with Zoran, for it is of great importance.”

  Yuri then spoke, “I think I need to talk to you first about my father.”

  Dalkreen’s eyes grew wide. “Son, you never heard from Zoran or anyone else? Your father... he is dead. Killed by thugs near Rodinfront while on business. Word reached us through news in the Octavium City and since then, he never returned for you when you were born.”

  Yuri could not speak, for he felt tears run down his cheek. He looked to Zoran’s direction with hate and cursed at him with the sound of whispers.

  As he left and came upon his chambers, he saw Kullian and Tablitha near Vormis, who was lying on a bed.

  “Aye Yuri, you should get some rest, for tomorrow another important mission takes place.”

  Yuri sighed at Kullian and went to a rolled up covering of cotton and lay on it, thinking about his father and mother.

  “What now? How will I go on with nothing to live for?” Yuri spoke to himself and then fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Four: The Secret Tribe

  “Y

  ou will perish,” said the demon, Melageth. Berek was once again standing in the strange gray mist, looking at the golden-clad demon before him. However, something had changed about his appearance. In his earlier dreams of Melageth, the demon was clad in bright gold armor, surrounded by a bright yellow light. However, this time he still had the golden armor on, but the light was gone. The demon’s face looked fiercer and angrier than before. Berek felt around for his dagger, but could not find it.

  “No, your death has already been planned,” replied Berek courageously. “You stand no chance against the Shieldvanes; once I find Dawnfrost, your doom is nigh.”

  Suddenly, Melageth laughed, his laughter echoing across the mist. It was a laugh of evil, and malice.

  “Foolish Dwa’iin, you have not experienced the power of the Ancients. You think this Dawnfrost will simply vanquish them forever? You are wrong! Once an Ancient is slain, it resurrects itself with its blood. There is no way you will kill them forever. And by the end of this last battle, one of us will not be standing.”

  “Yes, and it shall be you,” said Berek.

  “Wrong again, Dwa’iin. I possess powers of the Ancients; even if you slay me, I will still rise again the next day. I will never stop, and no one will stop me. You are a fool to believe so.”

  “Hasty words for a demon,” said Berek with conviction. Melageth laughed once more.

  “I do not understand you, Dwa’iin. You refuse the life I offer, yet one of your kin pledges their undying loyalty to me.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Berek, surprised. “One of my kin? Who is it?”

  Melageth smiled. “Join me, and I shall reveal secrets you never dreamed of.”

  “Never!” cried Berek, rushing at Melageth.

  ***

  Sunlight filled Berek’s eyes. Berek opened and closed them, trying to gain his consciousness back. Once he did, he looked into the face of Helen, who was still hovering over him. She had a fearful look in her eyes. The left side of Berek’s head still hurt, but it was far better healed than it had been. Berek felt around, feeling soft, wet grass. He leaned up, but felt pain enter his head as he did.

  “Easy, easy,” said Helen, soothing him. Her voice always soothed him.

  “What happened?” spoke Berek, almost whispering.

  “After we escaped the tunnel, you passed out,” replied Helen. “We carried you to this forest here, and Aleazar used his elf magic to heal you. It’s not much, but it stopped the bleeding.”

  “What forest?”

  “I do not know. Roark believes we are somewhere near Feurindal, on the borders of the town, but you cannot rely on your sense of direction all the time.”

  Berek the leaned up again, this time slowly. It took some effort, but he finally did it. He looked around, seeing many tall trees. He was in a clearing, where the sunlight came from. A lone tree trunk stood to the left of him. All around, grass and moss surrounded Berek. But something was strange about the forest. Berek somehow sensed a presence in the forest. The forest smelled of grass and trees, but somehow Berek could also smell fire burning.

  “Where are the others?” he asked.

  “Aleazar is over there sleeping by the trunk,” answered Helen. “Roark is out hunting for food. He said he-“

  “Fool!” hissed Berek, standing up quickly. More pain filled his head, but he ignored it. “We don’t know where we are, we don’t know what dangers lurk in the forest, and he goes off hunting?”

  “Berek, Roark is a trained hunter,” said Helen, trying to calm him. “He can take care of himself.”

  “He would think to stay together wouldn’t he?” said Berek with an annoyed tone. “After what happened in the sewers, we can’t afford to separate.”

  “What’s with all the shouting?” asked Aleazar groggily, apparently just waking up.

  “Aleazar, why don’t you make yourself useful and build a fire?” asked Berek.

  “Excuse me, Dwa’iin?” asked Aleazar, getting up quickly.

  “You heard me! Get on it!”

  “If it wasn’t for me and my magic, you would be a helpless little Dwa’iin, bleeding, on the verge of death. Be thankful, Dwa’iin!”

  “Berek, don’t you think you’re being a little too harsh?” asked Helen.

  “No!” shouted Berek. “I’m not! We can’t have Mr. Dawn Elf here sleeping on the job!”

  “That’s enough!” yelled Aleazar, unsheathing his sword.

  “Oh, you want to fight me?” asked Berek, taking out his dagger.

  Suddenly, a sharp poke came from his back.

  “Don’t make any sudden movements,” said a voice. Berek looked at Aleazar and saw his eyes were raised. Suddenly, a hooded figure came from behind the elf. The hooded figure had a bow and an arrow in its notch. The figure stuck the arrow into Aleazar’s back, poking him as the person behind Berek had done. Helen also had a figure behind her. Berek looked close and saw at least twenty other hooded figures, emerging from the forest and into the clearing. One of them was holding a Crimgurd captive; it was Roark. He was bound by his mouth and his hands, and had a hooded figure behind him.

  “Who are you?” asked Berek.

  “The better question is,” said a voice, “who are you?” The owner of the voice stepped from the twenty hooded figures and stood in the middle of the clearing. He reached up and pulled back his hood. It was a Reptikar, a lizard-like creature. It was very tall and had yellow eyes in the form of slits, like a cat. Suddenly, all of the hooded figures pulled their hoo
ds off, revealing similar-looking Retikars.

  “I am Berek of Belmar,” said he, looking intently at the Reptikar in the middle, who was apparently the leader. “I am leading these people on a mission. We want no trouble.”

  “You have disturbed the Forest of Argnon with your shouting and raised voices,” replied the Reptikar. Berek sighed and looked at Aleazar with an annoyed look.

  “He started it,” mumbled Aleazar.

  “Silence!” hissed the Reptikar leader, holding a hand up. He turned to Berek. “Also, this Crimgurd here killed a member of the forest.” He was pointing to Roark. The Reptikar held up a dead rabbit, slinging it in the air. It landed at Berek’s feet.

  “I told you, it was only for food!” groaned Roark through his bound mouth.

  “The payment for that is death,” replied the leader.

  “Please, we meant no harm!” cried Helen.

  “Silence, woman of the earth,” spoke the leader. “We are the Keepers of Argnon, the secret tribe. My name is Gorzon, son of Nuhameth.”

  “Well Gorzon, you must let us go,” replied Berek. “We did indeed mean no harm, and we will be on our way if you allow us freedom.”

  “I don’t think so,” replied Gorzon. “The forest demands a sacrifice. Blood of the perpetrator must be spilled.”

  The Reptikars surrounding them then broke into cheers and hollers, as they demanded bloodshed.

  “Then take me,” said Berek suddenly.

  “No!” yelled Helen.

  “Very well,” replied Gorzon. “Your blood will be spilled today.”

  “Hey, lizard-face!” shouted Roark. Gorzon turned angrily in his direction. “Yeah, you!”

  “You dare insult the Leader and Keeper of the-“

  “Yeah, yeah, forest of the blah-blah. Listen, I killed the blasted rabbit, so I should be the one to die.”

  “No, Roark let me handle this,” pleaded Berek.

  “I got it, Berek,” answered Roark. “You need to find that sword.”

  “Well, you both want to die,” spoke Gorzon. “But only one is needed. Very well. I have an offer.”

  “Speak, Gorzon!” shouted the Reptikar tribe.

  “Silence! Since both of you want to die, then you shall both have the chance. The Crimgurd will fight the Dwa’iin to the death. The victor shall leave with his group, unharmed and on their way.”

  “Madness!” yelled Roark.

  “I won’t do it!” shouted Berek at the same time.

  “Then you all shall die!” hissed Gorzon. The Reptikar holding Helen, pointed a crude knife to her throat, as the one holding Aleazar did the same.

  “Wait!” shouted Berek. “You put me in a tough spot, Reptikar. Very well, I shall fight the Crimgurd.” Roark looked at him with surprise and apprehension. “After all, it is for the sword. Right, Roark?”

  Roark struggled to speak, but finally muttered, “Right.”

  “Very well then,” said the Reptikar. “Release the Dwa’iin and the Crimgurd.” The arrow tip left Berek’s back as Roark was unbound. Someone threw two spears at their feet. Suddenly, the tribe jeered the shouted for the blood of the two to be spilled. Berek slowly picked up the spear and looked at Roark, not ready to kill his comrade.

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Answers

  Y uri woke up early. It was still in light of day and the entire temple continued in its worship and sacrificial ceremonies.

  “I see you gained back your strength for such a short time of rest.” Dalkreen stood in Yuri’s midst.

  “Yes, and I still may not rest for the fact that my father died, and I never spent my time with him... my own father!” Yuri was tense of the matter; he kept strong but felt emotions of anger. Hearing word of these thugs killing Yuri’s father gave him a nature of hate and strife.

  Dalkreen looked to the three assistants and asked, “Where is Hulio?”

  “I see you are also uninformed, Dalkreen...he is dead.” Kullian couldn’t have said this in a ruder manner. Dalkreen felt like it was meant to be, quickly wiping his sorrowful emotion from his expression. Dalkreen walked away, telling Yuri to follow behind.

  “Look, Dalkreen,” Yuri started, “I know you trained me for years upon years but I am also curious of your past. Do you mind sharing?”

  Yuri and Dalkreen entered on the terrace, leaving the three behind. As they ascended higher upon the platform, Dalkreen looked to Yuri and spoke.

  “You want to know about my past... very well. In the glory days of my youth, I was a carpenter for my father’s little business. He taught me everything there was to know of combat and strategic warfare, and since I was interested in the matter... I was later enlisted onto the Feurindal guard.”

  Yuri looked at Dalkreen, and was jealous of Dalkreen’s relationship with his own father. “But your father, when you were young, he got rid of you by enlisting you to the guard?”

  “No, my father wanted to make me into a warrior... a person to live for, and so I despised his very existence!” Silence broke out with all the Blood Shadows guards that surrounded the hovering terrace. Yuri could not speak after this; his voice broke out a force of silence.

  Dalkreen wept away a weak tear that formed to the edge of his left eye. “I killed my father at the young age of sixteen. For putting me in such tough living and for his ambition, I struck him deep in the heart with his own family blade... after that, I was stuck in the guard for three more years and then when I was about twenty, Zoran took me up.”

  Yuri thought Zoran lied from before. “But Zoran spoke word to me that he trained you as you were young at birth. Also, you were as son to him.”

  “Yes... yes, ‘tis true. I secretly kept bonds of friendship with the old man; he really did help me with my needs. He fed me and gave me shelter when my dad threw me out of the house and grieved my mother’s death.”

  Yuri felt he needed to speak, but before this the terrace stopped. They both walked away, and Dalkreen could not continue. They started to head to the exit of the cave.

  “Tell me, did you ever find out how your mother died?”

  Dalkreen looked to Yuri slowly. “Why yes. She was killed a few months after my birth by some barbaric men dressed up in strange fur with masks.”

  Yuri kept this in mind, but he would never forget those men Zoran claimed attacked his village and killed his mother.

  “But after I killed my father, I had no place to go. So then I saw the same old man, who was Zoran. I met him in the marketplace of the Octavium City and followed him from there.” Yuri started to understand more. “Funny thing was that my father always wondered how my skill in combat improved in such little time. All of this was because of the training with Zoran and the Blood Shadows guard’s system of combat.”

  Tablitha was seen at the exit of the cavern. She smiled and asked, “Yuri, how are you holding up?”

  Yuri looked at Tablitha with delight. “Um... well indeed.”

  Yuri turned to Dalkreen and he grinned at Yuri. “I will be near the terrace if you need me.” Dalkreen walked away as Yuri and Tablitha were left alone.

  They walked outside and went to the nearby forest still in view of the cave. “So, I just wanted to ask you if you are still okay from what happened before.” Yuri had to ask another question before answering this one. “How did you get to the exit of the Mothdew Caves before Dalkreen and me?”

  “Well, I used the simple spell of teleportation. That is why I wanted to see you, and it really may help in time.” She pulled out of her sleeve a tablet. It was small in size and a coin-shaped piece of greenish metal was seen in the middle. Yuri took it and held it high looking at all the eccentric detail.

  “Who gave you this reward?”

  “No one. It is just something to keep all of our heads high for the next mission.”

  “I see. Well, thank you. This will be very helpful, but how do I use it?”

  Tablitha moved closer to Yuri. She touched Yuri’s hand as his was also on the tablet.

  “All you have to
do is use concentration, thinking of the surroundings before you. When you feel it is right, then just touch the Emerald of Travel and it will bring you in a second’s time to the nearest hideout of the Blood Shadows. This was a very useful procedure when we had assassination missions and many battles with men of this world.”

  Tablitha removed her hand, but Yuri wished it had remained on his.

  “Well, about the other question... yes, I am okay. Though I really do miss Hulio, and if I ever find out the real reason why Hulio died, then I will be satisfied of such a case.”

  Yuri put the small tablet onto his opening pouch in his coat. He felt a tingle of joy as Tablitha came near Yuri again.

  “You were telling me of the Ancients, but Kullian seemed to be bothered from this.” Yuri waited for the women of his dreams to respond.

  “Yes, the Ancients are servants of Melageth. This certain god led our Lord Drahk in a plane of Furyion, a world of fear and demonic being, which now we worship his spirit, for he is not seen in our realm.”

  “Why is that?” Yuri felt the need to know about his god, since he was close enough with the Blood Shadows’ acts of religion.

  “The only way to bring Drahk to this life, to summon him back from the realm of Furyion to our world of Alundiel, is the Maldark Santorium. It is a thick, gray tome that has the power to bring Drahk back to us and with him upon this world. Then we will conquer every part of it and claim the Blood Shadows and our lord Drahk in full domination and glory.”

  “Melageth leads the Ancients, so what army does Drahk lead?”

  “A race of demons, many of them known as Baelrytes. The demonic beasts of the realm, like his soldiers in battle. But Melageth was known to use his ultimate power through warfare and fear. He uses warriors that have strength and are beings that show no identity to their opponent.”

  Yuri remembered, “Just like the ones we fought; so the Baelrytes can be killed, then.”

  “I do not bear such knowledge but I do know they are killed, like any man, and are fragile like us humans. Though they do come back in the afterlife and proceed through, still occurring in the same world.”