by P. G. Thomas
“This I cannot permit!” protested Panry.
“THEN FIND MY DAMN DAUGHTERS!” shouted Lauren, “You’ve checked his house, been watching him, and there has been no sign of them. Mother sent her best Earth Guard to find them, and HE FAILED!”
Panry knew the Earth Mother’s frustration was building, so long with so few results. He accepted her anger the same way that Alron had accepted Hoyle’s, being thankful the words were blunt unlike the dagger that night. Should he express his own dissatisfaction of failure, it would only escalate the current conflict, and he feared, in annoyance, she may issue an Earth Bond that would obstruct his ability to help.
“Somebody told us that Mother hid secrets in the Bright Coast,” added Eric. “That she once had a different Champion, and you could lend me his sword.”
Panry took two steps back, his deer ears swiveling towards Eric, “You cannot be serious?”
“It’s part of the plan.”
Eric took a long drink, not wanting to answer any of the questions that might be asked.
Panry ran his hand through his long black hair, “Can we not wait for Mother to wake?”
“We’ve been waiting,” and while nobody turned to look at Lauren, Panry felt the Earth Bond, “Get the sword!”
“Yes, Earth Mother, as you command. Gayne, I need to borrow magical horses to travel to Mother’s forest.”
Lauren pulled off a bracelet and grabbed a cork, “Here, take this, it’ll be faster.”
Panry reluctantly walked over, accepted both in quiet, and then Gayne handed him a portal token to get back to the house.
“Earth Mother,” Jasmine began, “Can I have permission to go with Panry?”
“Yes, but you won’t be able to scheme a plan to change my mind.” Then her voice went soft but her words not, “No Earth Guards are to confront Zymse until I say!”
As they both felt the Earth Bond, Panry’s forming plan vanished. He looked at the bracelet, realizing that the item commanded to retrieve would be insufficient, and he was now glad that Mother had the foresight to safeguard her treasures from the past to the four compass points. On this night, myths forgotten would once again fulfill destinies promised. “We shall leave from the stable, as I need to—retrieve some thing,” and then he headed to the back door followed by Jasmine. As they did, she whistled to inform all of the Earth Guards that the two Captains would be absent and for all to remain vigilant to protect the Earth Mothers. Once inside the stable, Panry called out, “Oxron, your Captain you shall follow this night,” and before Jasmine could ask anything, he dropped the cork through the bracelet, opening the portal.
*******
When Panry, Jasmine, and Oxron arrived in Mother’s forest, she had a perplexed look on her face while Oxron was trying not to smile, as it was a pleasant change to be invited on what he considered to be an Earth Guard mission.
Before any could ask, Panry started walking to the inn. “I have much to think about and to remember. Please, remain quiet.”
Once inside, with Oxron staying in the front, the two captains walked straight to the back. After taking a seat, Panry held up four fingers.
Jasmine remained quiet until the drinks arrived, hoping that Panry would inform her of what was happening. When he did not, she took a sip, “When you do not taunt me, go quiet, I worry more. Can we not change her mind?”
Panry set down his drink, “Can you make the seasons change? Make rivers flow uphill? You do not know Earth Mother like I, as she makes Iron Wood trees bend to her will. With the new staff and many gifts, it is possible the words spoken by Steve shall birth a new future, and in Earth Mother’s arms we shall see her daughters three.”
“Not all births end well, and on occasions many, both mother and child pass into endless night. I fear the birth you speak of will be similar.”
“As do I.”
“The sword that Champion asks for. Do you know of it?”
Panry nodded, “Long is elf memory, and we never forget great stories, but unlike dwarf, when they end, we let them rest. In ages past, when Mother and Father quarreled, it was her children that suffered, as those who praised Father had gifts in bloodlust. You have most likely heard the old stories that from Father, Mother stole battle knowledge, and she crafted sword with the stolen knowledge. Then she sought one to lead the battle against those who did not want peace. His last name was—”
“Moonshadow,” stated Jasmine. “Sword of Champion First is real, myth not?” Knowing the history behind the legend, she was curious to see which truth Panry would reveal.
He nodded.
“I always thought they were arrogant boasts—I do not mean any disrespect.”
“Not one sword did she craft but many. While the sword was real, the legend of the Champion First was…exaggerated.”
“Please explain more,” advised Jasmine.
He reached for his second drink, “When the Champion First with name Moonshadow battled in south one day, and next day in north, it added to the legend. On some days, the Champion First fought against four opponents at great distances. Those who battled against Mother did not feel safe when they heard the Champion First was elsewhere, as in truth they were not sure. What they did not know was that she crafted many swords, not one. The Champion First was a deception, as she called them Champion Many. Thus lost to history are the many names of those who she called Champion First.”
“Why?” asked Jasmine.
“Dwarf named legends, but in days of old, many thought them not but stories. Mother wanted an elf name to rally those who the Champion fought with, and since Moonshadow drew the short straw, my family name received both jest and fame unworthy, but the secret of Champion First we kept hidden.”
Jasmine reached for her second drink, “Then why did we bring Oxron?”
“Mother protects many secrets in the hidden vault. Some treasures the Wards will lend if you ask proper. Others, Mother takes extreme measures to ensure the most valuable gifts cannot be brought forth—unless the need is great. For those, I need three keys.” Panry finished the last of his drink, “Now let us go rebirth history lost.”
Before he stood, she asked, “Is that all?” However, when he failed to answer her, she quickly finished her drink, following him to the bar where Oxron waited. Not asking for entry, they walked into the back room. By the time he stood in front of the solid wooden wall, both were behind him. “Oxron, one day I shall tell you all of what it means to be Icefeather, but this day, which you shall see, you will not speak to any.” Pressing his hand against the wall, the door opened, causing a soft blue light to illuminate the stairs leading down. Once at the bottom, he walked to the center of the large dimly lit room, “Mother’s Wards, her children sent myself here so that the secrets lost can right wrongs many.”
When a panel on a far wall slid open, a plain sheathed sword, barely four feet long, was illuminated by a white light inside the wooden cavity.
Passion, anger, and frustration resonated in Panry’s voice, “WARDS, HERE ME NOW. I AM MOONSHADOW, AND I UNDERSTAND THE THREATS, MORE THAN THE CHILDREN ABSENT. ONE IS NOT ENOUGH!”
Nothing happened.
Panry called the two Earth Guards standing in the shadows to him. “Announce yourselves to Mother’s Wards.”
“Jasmine Ironwood.”
“Oxron Icefeather.”
Two more doors opened, exposing swords illuminated by a white light. After the three had walked up to the far wall, Panry reached forward, grasped the first, “Sword of Moonshadow, Champion First.”
Stepping forward, Jasmine retrieved the second, “Sword of Ironwood, Champion First.”
Panry saw the overwhelming look on her face when the dormant knowledge awoke once again. Before Oxron could retrieve the last, Panry blocked his advance, reclaiming it himself. “It is the Sword of Icefeather, Champion First, meant for a different Champion.” Even though Oxron tried to hide his disappointment, his face betrayed him. “Should you grasp it, to the Champion we cannot gift
it. When once again he wields the dwarf sword, your legacy you will hold,” and then he led them back to the center of the room.
Withdrawing the sword that bore his family’s name, he instructed Jasmine to do the same. When she had, he dragged his sword across the palm of his hand, creating a deep cut that bled heavily onto the floor, which quickly healed. He looked at her, “Now do the same.” Without hesitation, she repeated his actions, and watching the last of her blood fall to the floor, her hand also mended. Holding the Sword of Icefeather, Panry called to Oxron. Stepping forward, he offered no resistance when Panry grabbed his hand, cutting into the flesh of the palm, and then both watched the magical healing repeat itself. After Panry sheathed the last enchanted blade, he called out to the Wards. “Price crimson we have had paid, so you know my need is grave. Darkness on the distant horizon waits to dawn, and should it crest, evil not seen before shall devour these lands. Mother sleeps and Earth Guard sufficient I have not. Earth Mother once before guests with Darkpaye, and her Curses I still remember to this day.” Then he paused, thinking carefully about his next words, so Oxron would be unable to understand completely what he asked of the Wards. “She shackles us, and should her plan meet with misfortune, we will be unable to act. Now we need to serve and protect Mother. Her greatest protection is here, and to myself, you shall now liberate it.” With the price paid, three sections of the floor slid open. Walking over, Panry pulled out a small dusty red bag from each: three feet long, two feet wide, but only twelve inches deep. When the last was lifted out, he called to Jasmine and Oxron to retrieve the other two, and with them, they headed towards the stairs.
However, Panry stopped in the middle of the room, “Wait, there is one more item that we need.” He then called out to the Wards, “Years back, the first relic I brought here, which I now need to borrow.”
The magical lights in the large chamber started to flicker out.
Stamping his foot in anger, Panry began to speak the names of his forefathers that had served Mother, stopping after he named a dozen. “I do not have time and evoke special privilege. The light of moon protects all from endless night, as those born in its shadow will accept her fight. NOW GIFT ME WHAT I NEED.”
Nothing happened.
Before Panry could let out his angered curse, Jasmine walked over to him, “In great winds, Mother’s trees do not bend. Iron Wood is her strength, so her gifts to myelf you shall lend. NOW GIFT MOONSHADOW WHAT HE NEEDS.”
Panry looked at Jasmine in surprise, knowing her family had long served Mother, he was unaware if she knew her complete family history.
“Moonshadow is not the only elf family that protects secrets. Iron Wood selected this site, and the name of the first to find it was Jasmine.”
Seeming to open with reluctance, one more door exposed its dark secrets. Panry walked to it, extracting the item. “It shall not be used unless necessary,” and then the three headed back to the inn.
Panry looked at the innkeeper, “Oxron needs a front room for this night,” to which the elf handed him a key. Then Panry addressed Oxron, “We shall leave in the morning before Earth Mother wakes, so she cannot question the new possessions. Oxron, you will swear upon your father’s grave that you will not repeat what you have seen or heard this night.” After he had had, he began to head to the stairs. Panry tugged on the bag he carried. “I shall protect gifts lent this night.” Once he had left, he turned back to the innkeeper, who had placed two similar keys on the bar. Pushing one back, he picked up the second.
Before Jasmine started to follow, she grabbed the second.
When inside the room, she turned to Panry. “Your words spoken and artifacts lent, they suggest the danger is greater than I anticipate.”
“When the Champion asked to borrow the ancient sword, he delivered two messages. When Earth Mother issued her last Earth Bond, not any choice did I have. We shall wait to see if the plan by Steve reunites Earth Mothers all, but…”
“When arrogance of Moonshadow falters, new fears are birthed in my thoughts,” began Jasmine. “Your legacy, your words now. You are like dwarf that has thoughts of retreat but will not speak the word. Fear embraces the heart of Moonshadow?”
Panry lowered his head into his hands, “If only one fear I have, I can hide it, but fears so many, they mate to spawn more. If Zymse should—should kill one or all…the shock to Mother could be too much for her. Worse yet, if he taints Earth Mother, directs her curses back, Mother may not be able to defend against her own magic. If he does that—I do not want to consider my actions.”
Tears were forming in Jasmine’s eyes, “You would not. Already you wish to break the Earth Guard oath, as you want to rebirth the Crimson Shields!”
Panry shook his head, “We shall still be able to protect Earth Mother but serve her not as Earth Guards.”
She pushed away from Panry, “Why do we not return to house now?”
“Earth Mother may question the new possessions, and then I will have to lie. I am still an Earth Guard and bound by Earth Bonds until I break the Crimson Shield seal.” Then Panry looked at the swords and three bags stacked up against the far wall. “If she sensed something, issued a new Earth Bond, then I do not know what would happen next. Of this night, she cannot be told.”
Jasmine stood to leave, “I will go to get my own room, as there is much I need to think of.”
His voice was soft, “Jasmine, please stay—”
“You cannot be serious?”
“I spent much time with the legends and they often mentioned a strange place. They called it Hell, but Steve calls it ‘arm-a-gettin,’ I fear that before we return the rare artifacts to the vault, the twelve that met here months ago will be less. Even if you did seek my pleasure this night, I cannot. Thoughts of discontent disrupt my focus and shall also spoil my sleep. Should I not survive my trip through this place named Hell, I wish to take one last memory of you with me—”
As Jasmine turned, large tears formed in her dark eyes, “The words Moonshadow and death should not be spoken in the same sentence. You permit fears to open doors your forefathers turned from.” Undoing her belt, her sword fell to the floor. “You shall be the arrogant pig that taunts myself; you shall be Moonshadow.” She then pulled off her tunic, “You shall pleasure me this night, but great will your cost be, as you have angered myself.” Straddling his lap, she grabbed his deer ears, kissing him deep and hard. Pulling back, she looked into his startled dark black eyes, “If you do not, I shall mount you, as you are like a timid bride on the special night, and a new legend new I wild spread of a waning moon.”
Grabbing her by the back of the neck, pulling her forward, Panry licked her left deer ear from bottom to top, causing her to moan with pleasure. After doing the same to the other, he raised her head, kissing her hard and long. “Even on the special night, Moonshadow brides are not timid,” and then he rolled her onto the bed.
*******
The message that Jedimac had been waiting for finally arrived. The missing Black Watch thief, who had been following the legends, had been found, but he was in a prison in the extreme north of the Bright Coast. He quickly penned messages to the closest squads, advising them to take whatever measures were necessary to liberate their brother, and to bring him to the Unknown once freed.
*******
John sat alone in his room that night, thinking of all of the magic he had seen in these strange lands. While nobody had said it aloud, he heard their quiet thoughts, seeing how they shunned him, in hopes that their rejection would help him to accept their denial to join. Pacing around the room, he tried to forge a winning simulation or equation in his head, but when the subtotal of the calculation equaled unbearable pain, part of him wondered why he even cared. However, school had provided sufficient levels of exclusion, and here he was one of the legends, even if that meant going into Hell. Looking at the full-sized mirror, he walked in front of it, thinking about how Ryan had taken on Lauren’s shape and of the mithril magic. Going out into the hal
l, Ahee inquired what troubled the Earth Mother, but John never responded, and instead, he went into Logan’s room and started to drag a similar full-length mirror back. Ahee quickly picked up the other end, helping him move it, and then left when told to. John positioned the mirrors so they faced each other, donned his second cloak and stood between them.
Sending his mind into the cloak, sensing the magic, he recalled the memories that had birthed his nightmares: the pain, the torture, and the fear being so great, when they had come for him, he had pissed his pants, fainting. That was a different John from the final battle, as there he had commanded the activities and discovered the Blood Bond. He began to explain to the Magic what he was, what he wanted, and what he needed. Outside of his door, even though Ahee saw the oil lamps burn long into the night, he heard no sounds from inside the locked room.
*******
The next morning, tired, with a headache pounding in his head, John opened the door, asking Helight to get him some breakfast and bean juice. After he had finished his meal, he pushed a chair in front of the door, disrobed and donned the cloak, but he left it open. Stepping between the mirrors, he looked at his partially naked image. “I hope you understand.” Then he focused on his reflection, tasking the power to strip the cloak from the image in front and the one in back. It took hours of creating images in his mind, sending them to the cloak, and when the day began to change into night, the images in the mirror also began to transform. As the last sun set, he pulled the cloak tightly around his body, and looking at his naked image in the reflection, commanded the magic one more time, “Stay.” Stepping away, his images remained. Exhausted, hungry, he dropped the heavy cloak to the floor, and after throwing a couple of sheets over the mirrors, he crawled into bed.
On the patio, for the fourth night in a row, Ryan sat by himself staring up at the dark skies, caressing the mithril belt on his lap.
*******
Shivering when he woke the next morning, John hastily pulled on his clothes. Going to the first mirror, after taking several long breaths, lifting the bed sheet, he saw the reflection of his naked body standing motionless. Asking his attentive Earth Guard for a large breakfast, when done, he once again adorned the mithril shroud. Stripping the bed sheets from the mirrors, he exposed the naked reflections. Standing to the side, he sent images of Eric’s armor and the torture he had endured, trying to merge the two thoughts together. Knowing what waited for him, he needed similar but better.