by Chris Ward
And so they all gathered around a huge pile of the most intricately woven and patterned cloth they had ever seen. It was clear that many great ceremonial banners had been stitched together to make a mighty canopy of some sort, but none save Sylvion and Reigin knew what it could do, and indeed what it had achieved. Sylvion quickly composed herself and they carried the canopy into the main cave where at her direction it was laid out in some manner next to a giant oak table still set with plates and candlesticks as though waiting for some celebration which never happened.
‘And now to work,’ Sylvion said determinedly, and lifted some folds of the cloth up onto the table and began to examine the strange pictures and emblems which were to be found upon them. Soon she was completely engrossed in her work and the others began to set a fire in the ancient fireplace and looked to making their new shelter somewhat more welcoming than it was. And all the while Sylvion worked without pause, lifting new folds of cloth to examine, and then, when satisfied that she had seen enough moved on to something new. She worked all through that day and into the night. A meal of venison was provided by Gravyn and this was eaten with great pleasure for it was discovered that many bottles of ancient ale had survived the seasons and were a pure joy to drink by the roaring fire.
‘Well this beats sleeping rough,’ Rema said and all agreed and toasted his remark.
‘To the cave,’ Andes said and stood officiously and led them all in another round, but all the while Sylvion ignored the celebrations and searched like a person possessed for what she knew to be hidden in the canopy, and yet which she could not recall; and the longer she worked the more excited she became for she knew it must be closer. She knew it would reveal what she needed to know about Revelyn and the evil in the land. They fell asleep in various places but all warmed and well fed. Even Orcxyl came in from the cold and found a place which was comfortable and not too far from the fire. And still Sylvion searched, she searched until her fingers ached and her back stiffened and finally just before midnight she fell suddenly asleep with her head upon the mighty canopy and did not stir until the dawn when Rema came and gently put a splendid cushion under her head so that she might rest more easily.
‘Did you find anything?’ he whispered, kneeling beside her, and in that blurry moment Sylvion thought him to be her Rema and so reached out and took his hand and squeezed it.
‘No Rema I did not,’ she whispered softly, ‘but I will,’ and then she fell back into unconsciousness, leaving Rema kneeling at her side with a pounding heart and a great confusion in his mind. He waited till his heart resumed a normal rhythm and then called Reigin to assist him.
‘Let us make her more comfortable Reigin, she is exhausted and will not...’
‘I will continue Rema,’ Sylvion said suddenly sitting up and looking around wildly. ‘I am close, I know I am...’ The two men looked at her and knew she would not cease until she had discovered what had haunted her so long.
‘Well let us assist you Sylvion,’ Reigin said gently, ‘what can we do?’ Sylvion thought for a moment.
‘I need food and then if you would lift the canopy and spread it as I examine it, this would greatly relieve my hands and back which are aching beyond belief.’ And so food was brought and then the two men stood either side of the oak table and lifted the canopy as Sylvion directed and spread it out and smoothed it as she continued her search. Once Reigin pointed and said excitedly,
‘I remember that Sylvion, I recall wondering about that scene...’ for he recognised something which had caught his attention long winters before, when as Sylvion’s jailor in The Vault, they had begun a strange new friendship, and then an amazing journey to freedom together against many foes. But Sylvion did not reply such was her concentration on her search. Meanwhile the others in the company explored the cave and found many riches. Andes found several bags of gold, and Gravyn a horde of the most wonderful arrows which he promptly took and went hunting on his own. Orcxyl disdained any of the treasures and went to sit with the horses and waited for a new revelation, for he was now living in a place in his mind where he could not go either forward or back. His desire to avenge Freya was still strong but his doubts about his avowed path were now equally compelling, and so he was miserable beyond words, and only the calm and accepting of the horses seemed to allow him any peace.
It was noon, just before they had agreed to halt for some rest that Sylvion felt a chill run down her spine. She smoothed out the cloth before her on the table. She ran her fingers over the many depictions before her and saw more with each searing glance. She held her breath and took it all in and then in wild shock she stood and looked full upon her nightmare. Reigin and Rema sensed immediately that she had found what she had strived so long to discover. Sylvion put both hands to her face and wept.
‘It cannot be,’ she said. ‘It cannot be but this it is. Oh I am a fool. I have not seen it and it was there before me all the time.’ She looked at them and they felt her misery as if it were something which could be held and almost tasted.
‘What is it Sylvion?’ Rema asked so gently and lovingly that she smiled at him from deep within her sadness.
‘Tell us,’ Reigin added softly and suddenly he felt a great love for this amazing woman who had been so important to his life, for long ago she had saved him from his lostness as a Wolver and restored him to a path of truth. She stood before them now so seemingly fragile and yet he knew, so capable of awesome destruction, and her simple tears moved him deeply.
‘Oh my friends,’ Sylvion whispered in a voice which was both sad and equally fierce. ‘I will tell you indeed, for Revelyn is in great peril, and we must do all we can...all we can, and more, to save her.’ Then she took the deepest breath which suddenly seemed to change her whole demeanour, as though she had drunk from some deep well of eternal fortitude and when she spoke it was a call to war.
‘Call the others,’ she ordered and her voice was fearsome, her eyes flashing with anger. In short time they were all assembled. Gravyn had just returned with a Revel Hare which he placed by the fire, and even Orcxyl was glad to come for he sensed that something was happening, and so he came and sat with the others and listened as the White Queen changed his life.
‘My friends,’ she said and looked them all in the eye one at a time. ‘You have been patient and faithful for many days, but now I can speak of things which till this moment were not settled in my mind.’ She paused and let her words sink in. ‘Long ago when held captive in another place, I lay at night and looked above me to a wonderful moving world of remarkable figures and pictures and depictions. This canopy here which you have helped me find made up this world, for it was stretched high up in the roof space which was my jail, a place I shared with Reigin here, for he was my jailer. As I looked up each night I would wonder what the scenes were and imagined many things for I was in need at times of fantasy and distraction to help me in my loneliness and captivity.’ She paused and went to the fire where a bottle of ale still stood. She drank deeply from it and to all it seemed to calm her as she continued.
‘There was one amazing depiction which I could not understand and which made no sense to me, for it was different to all else upon the canopy above. It was so strange that I returned often to it and wondered deeply on it, but it never revealed itself. And when Reigin and I escaped I spent some time here, and then in the end the canopy was left behind, for its use had passed, and over many, many summers I forgot what I saw, and I lost much of the memory of the things I did. Such is the penalty for my long life against nature’s way.’ She smiled in a far off fashion and once more Rema knew his love for Sylvion was both deep and impossible.
‘Revelyn has been slipping into peril,’ she continued, ‘for many winters I have known this but I have been unsure what to do for it has been impossible to know just what shape this evil takes which leads us to a future doom.’ At this moment Orcxyl felt a mighty anger well in his breast and a voice screamed in his head.
Lies Queen! All lies! It is y
ou. You are the one who decrees what subverts this land.
‘The land sinks, and we do not know why. Is it sorcery?’ She shook her head. ‘I do not know the answer to this, but now I know what ties us to it. And that is evil indeed.’ The group were suddenly in thrall, for her words spoke deeply to their hearts and Orcxyl too was desperate to hear her revelation, whatever it might be.
‘Human sacrifice is an abomination to any people,’ she continued, ‘and yet increasingly we have reports that this is happening all over Revelyn. As Queen I have heard of many incidents and it grieves my heart for the ones chosen or taken are young and innocent as if to make the awfulness even more evil and forsaken.’ At these words Orcxyl felt his heart move mightily.
These are not the words of one who would do such things. She weeps in anguish as she speaks. She has no need to be like this to such a few if she wants to see these fell things done.
‘I have been haunted by a dream which I could never recall, but I knew it held some truth in these matters. I knew I had some knowledge deep in my memory which would show me what this evil was and allow me to make some stand in Revelyn against that which will destroy our land.’ And she looked now at Reigin, ‘And AlGiron too will fall, for this evil, like that which we once faced so long ago Reigin, will not rest until your fair land is captured by its intent.’ Sylvion took another breath and went on. The great man frowned and nodded but said nothing.
‘Rema gave me a book; a book which came into his hands I believe by one El-Arathor who only a few fortunate ones have ever seen and spoken to. He is beyond this world and seems to have an interest in watching over us and guiding from a distance, for he has revealed in times past that we must use what gifts we posses for good, and work things out amongst ourselves...this seems to be the way of all people. I cannot speak more of this one for in truth I know no more, but this book helped me to remember something of my life in seasons past, and I remembered my escape with Reigin and I remembered the canopy which sailed us high into the heavens and I remembered that on it were some strange markings, some depictions which I had wondered once upon and which in my waking moment, when the nightmares had passed, I knew these markings held the truth to Revelyn’s present travail.’ She halted and took a rest, and no one moved for they knew that with such mighty words must come a revelation which would require them all to be strong. ‘And so I have come here to this forsaken place, with your help,’ Sylvion continued and once more looked around the group and they saw her tears and felt her great grief, ...’and I have discovered my dream is true.’
A silence engulfed them all until the Queen of Revelyn spoke once more.
‘Come gather round the table,’ Sylvion said quite gently, ‘and I will show you my dream and what must be known, and which at last I have seen to be true.’
The canopy was stretched in a wonderful smoothness upon the oak table, and upon it were many depictions woven into the fine strong cloth. At first to all but Sylvion they seemed unremarkable but as she spoke the deadly truth took shape before them.
‘Here in this place,’ Sylvion said, and pointed to spot on the canopy, ‘is the image of a tent. Not one, but this is the largest and by its side two more. At first glance perhaps the tent of an army on the march for next to each is the head of a horse, an animal of war. But look closely and see the flags it flies and the shape of the cut and the manner of its standing...
‘It is the tent of Gryfnor,’ Germayne whispered, but not knowing what it foretold.
‘Indeed it is,’ Sylvion said, ‘and I thought but one in Revelyn was good and I gave Gryfnor a place in Ramos for he seemed to make the people happy.’ She paused and then went on. ‘But three tents mean he is more than one, perhaps more than three shown here. Remember in Sheldon when we saw his tent there, so soon after we have arrived. It was not possible but yet we could not deny it. No, there is more than one magician and yet the one in Ramos is largest for he is shown to be so.’ And then below the tents they looked and saw the image of Gryfnor quite clearly shown and beside him two more to match the tents above, but smaller than the one which Sylvion revealed.’
‘But this is not evil yet?’ Gravyn spoke, mightily puzzled
‘But now look at the feet of these.’ Sylvion hissed, her anger once more apparent. ‘These ones upon the ground are all dead and from their throat runs red, and the magician’s hands hold no stick of illusion or wand of tricks, but surely a knife!’ And they looked and saw it to be true, for as the queen spoke their eyes were opened and what seemed sealed became truth.
‘Gryfnor is the evil one,’ Sylvion said, ‘Rayven told me this and I ignored her, I stood against her for my eyes were blind to the truth.’ She shook her head and let a mighty shiver of remorse encompass her whole body. ‘The sacrifice of my people is at the hands of this one, of Gryfnor the magician. It is he who is leading the people to do such things...’
‘But why?’ Rema asked, ‘What possible purpose would he have in this and how would he achieve such a thing. People do not slay their own on a whim.’ And Sylvion looked long at Rema and he knew she was thinking how best to reveal this to him.
‘Long ago there was an evil being called Zelfos,’ Sylvion replied at last. ‘I fought him and in the Vaudim he lost to me and I finally took his life with the Shadow Blade in Ramos before all the people.’ She looked at Reigin. ‘Reigin was there.’ And the great man nodded for he had not forgotten that time. ‘Zelfos was in human form but he came from evil beyond this world. His aim was to bring suffering through war and misery and in this, open the doors to other fell creatures of his kind who longed for embodiment and saw in ruling Revelyn their chance to do so. But his way was bold and eager. He grasped power openly in war and all knew and hated him, but his death did not destroy him...’
‘He has returned My Lady?’ Germayne whispered in horror, and Sylvion nodded.
‘But not as one. As many led by the one we know in Ramos.’
‘But war is not now his aim?’ Reigin asked.
‘No, he is more subtle now and this is why I did not see, for I have been on watch for any who might raise an army or arm others to do harm in Revelyn as Zelfos might. This time he has planned more carefully and seeks not to take the land by force, but to take the land by first stealing the people.’
‘I do not follow this,’ Andes said, ‘how can one or even a few steal the people?’
‘Look here,’ Sylvion said and indicated to a place on the canopy. Do you see these marks, these circles by the hundred and more...’ and they looked and indeed saw as Sylvion indicated.
‘They look like balls with a spot on them,’ Rema said almost in jest for the depictions seemed at first glance to be quite innocent.
‘They are people, the people of the land,’ Sylvion said in a voice of thunder, ‘and they are marked by his mark.’ And a sudden shiver ran through them all. ‘He is more than a magician this evil Gryfnor, he gives out Diabules for these he says will soothe the mind and allay all grief and offer some pleasures of mighty illusion, but his mark is the mark of ownership. He takes the mind from all who accept his offer, and in the using, they mark themselves as his, and he can see their mind and soothe their will and then they will allow such abomination as human sacrifice which thrills the evil ones who would come and rule in this land.’
Her words hit them like a war axe wielded with deadly force, for now they saw the circles, and the purple dots on each stood clearly on the cloth. And Andes felt a terrible horror run through his being and Germayne looked at him and felt a deep fear for this was something she had not considered. In an instant they shared a stolen glance and the truth of it seared them both. What would this mean?
Orcxyl meanwhile stood like a cold stone statue and knew his world of angry revenge had been wrong. Utterly wrong. My great hate has led me astray. I would kill the one who would slay the one who is responsible for Freya’s death. How did I let this come to be? What lie did I believe which has brought me here?
‘And what of
the land and its sinking?’ Reigin asked.
‘I do not know the answer to why the land sinks,’ Sylvion replied quietly, ‘but this I know, the people need a reason to sacrifice their own, so whether the land sinks because great evil powers below direct it, or whether it is some natural cause, Gryfnor has used it to convince the people that only by human sacrifice can it be averted, and with his mark upon them they will listen and obey and so the evil in the land is increased. That is my belief on this.’ And they thought upon her words and none could speak against them.
‘And there is more,’ Sylvion said after a time. ‘These depictions are prophecy, quite clearly, for they have come to pass, but there is more and I do not know what these mean.’ And she showed them some marks on the canopy below the others. A standing slab of stone covered with many rows of neatly inscribed lines, and with it five stone slabs like beds, with five simple figures upon them. ‘Are they dead or do they sleep?’ she said pointing to the figures. ‘I cannot tell but these seem part of all the rest, and complete these things which I have long dreamt of, and which now have come to light.’ She looked at them all one more time before adding firmly, ‘and which shall all no doubt, come to pass.’ She stood silent then and searched for her final words, and no one spoke for their minds were full of many things.
‘This is why I needed so desperately to find this place,’ she said at last, and then went and took another drink of the ale and stood by the fire alone with her thoughts and warmed herself.
The others stood then and looked upon the canopy spread wide upon the table, and saw that which had long tormented Sylvion and their eyes were opened and they knew the truth of her revelation and wondered what next would come to pass, and all were in great awe of her; the White Queen of Revelyn, beautiful to behold, old beyond belief, and now the only one who might lead them in the battle to redeem the land.
The beast smiled lecherously, at its new possession, consumed by an evil pride.