by Matt Moss
"So who is behind this and to what cause?" Torin asked. "Are you saying that the Dark Society has implanted themselves in the government and the Church?"
Paul nodded in affirmation. "I believe they have been there the whole time. Before the creation of the Order even. Planning. Waiting."
There was a span of silence as both men sat deep in thought. The fireplace popped and hissed again.
"I believe we are living in the last days — the time as depicted in The Path of Man," Paul said. "I have been corresponding with Levi. He believes that he is close to finding the Garden of Stones."
"The Garden of Stones," Torin said, then cocked his head, "I thought that was a myth?"
"It is real," Paul stated. "Many of the secrets, guarded by the Order, were lost in the Rebellion long ago. All we have to go on now is faith in the book. In order to protect the garden, they left clues for us to follow." The Prophet handed the letter over to Torin. "If these truly are the last days, then time is of the essence. I believe this girl may be vital to our purpose."
Torin secured the letter and stood. "And what purpose is that?"
The Prophet stood. "To save man from darkness until the Almighty returns.”
Lyla counted the moments until class was over.
"Are there any more questions?" a middle aged woman with a prudish face asked, scanning around the room at her unresponsive students. "Then class dismissed."
Chairs rattled against desks as the students began to exit the classroom.
"Not you Lyla," the teacher said. "May I speak with you for a moment?"
Lyla turned and walked back to the teacher's desk.
"You shouldn't be writing about such things," the teacher chided, throwing Lyla’s papers on the desk. "What would people say if they saw this?"
"You said to write about what we wanted to be when we finish school," Lyla contested.
"Women have their roles, and men have theirs,” the teacher said. “It is forbidden for you to be a doctor, as you well know."
"Yes, but I have studied anatomy, biology, and physics," Lyla noted, twirling her hair — a nervous twitch. "I have worked with my father on the farm tending to the livestock for years."
"Farm animals and people are two different things, Lyla," the teacher said, then rolled her eyes. "That's enough, I will hear no more of this. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Lyla said, her eyes cast down.
"Now, run along," the teacher said, waving her away.
Lyla gathered her papers and walked out of the classroom. I will be a doctor, she thought.
"What did she want?" Maya asked, leaning against the wall outside of the school.
"I wrote about being a doctor," Lyla said.
Maya laughed. "But you're are a girl. You can't be a doctor."
A boy bumped into Lyla as he chased his friends from the schoolyard. She scowled at him as he turned his head to smile back at her.
"I think he likes you," Maya snickered, drawing a glare from Lyla. "Oh, cheer up. Don't let that old hag bring you down."
"I will be a doctor," Lyla stated. "My father says I can be anything I want to be."
"Well, I'm going to be a seamstress," Maya said. "Maybe I can make you a nice little doctor dress one day," she jeered.
A smile crept onto Lyla's face as she shook her head. They both laughed as they strolled down the dirt road that ran through the town. Lyla noticed that it was growing busier by the day as shop owners were making ready to open their stores. This winter had been worse than normal, and she knew that people were anxious for the trading season. She also knew that work was about to pick up on the farm.
"Hello, girls," a man said, sweeping the steps of a shop called The Trader's Village. "Lovely weather today."
"Hello," Lyla greeted. "Yes, it is!"
"Lyla, would you be a dear and tell your father that we will be needing his services soon? I feel that it's going to be a busy season," he said with a smile.
"I will," she replied. "I'll tell him tonight."
"Thank you, dear," he said. "You two stay out of trouble."
Maya leaned into Lyla. "He's cute," she said.
"I suppose." Lyla blushed.
Maya looked at Lyla, puzzled. "You know he likes you. And he's only a few years older than you are."
"He's ten years older!" Lyla said.
"So?" Maya protested, running a hand through her hair.
Lyla shook her head. "Maya, I barely have time as it is. Any time that I can spare goes to school."
"Why do you want to be a doctor anyway?"
"Because I want to help people. If I could make someone feel better, or save a life, what could be more important than that?"
"A pretty new dress."
Lyla laughed.
"Seriously, it can make a person feel better and it can save a man's life, if it's laying on the ground next to the bed," Maya said.
"Maya!"
Maya shrugged. "I'm just saying,"
"Alright, point made."
"Well, this is my stop,” Maya said. “See you in the morning.”
"See you tomorrow." Lyla waved and watched her friend enter the mansion of a house she called home. Cropped rose bushes lined the fence. Lyla couldn’t wait for warm weather to arrive. She loved walking by Maya’s house when the flowers were in bloom and knew it wouldn’t be much longer
She walked past the last few shops in Fortuna with the cool, early spring breeze in her hair. Dust rose with each step as she made her way along the dirt road that led to her father's farm.
I will be the best doctor Fortuna's ever seen, she thought. Knowledge is strength, her father once told her. If I can be more knowledgeable and capable than any man, then they can't deny me, can they?
She turned her gaze to the blue sky and closed her eyes as she drew in the fresh air. The sun kissed her skin and she felt her spirit rise.
Topping the hill, her home came into view. The farm lay nestled in a field of green amid the rolling hills, and the sight of it always made her proud to be a farmer's daughter. She shook her head and smiled, noticing the chickens were out again. Her brother was supposed to fix the fence days ago.
Smoke rose from the chimney of the farmhouse. She made her way to the stables and tended to the horses every day after school.
She loved animals, sometimes more than people. They were great listeners and never condescended anything she had to say. She felt like they believed in her.
"Hello, Pearla, you old girl," she said patting the neck of her mother's white horse. It nuzzled her back in affection. "Oh, I missed you, too! And what of you, Tom?" she said to the brown mare in the next stable. He snorted and bobbed his head up and down in reply. She laughed, "I'll get to you in a second, hold on."
After the horses were fed and brushed down, she made her way around the back of the barn. She was startled at the sight of an unfamiliar, massive brown horse. It paid her no mind as it casually ate at a pile of grains.
Company, she thought.
Sneaking around the back of the house, she peeked through the window. Sitting at the dinner table was her father, mother, and a giant of a man. She could see that the big man had long, blonde hair and a trimmed beard. He sat up straight in the chair and seemed important and purposeful. They were in discussion and both her parents looked deep in thought.
Lyla smoothed down her clothes and stood tall before she opened the front door.
"Mother, I'm home,” she said. “You'll never guess what happened at school today. Oh, I'm sorry," she said, acting surprised when she saw that they had a guest.
"Hello, dear," her mother, Lesia, said as she stood. "Come in. We have a visitor. This is Brother Torin. He's here to see you, child."
Lyla looked at the big man then at her father, Jegar, who sat with his eyes fixed on the table.
The massive man turned in greeting, "Hello, Lyla. I have been commissioned with recruiting young, gifted men and women to join the Order. You have been selected as one of th
e top of our ranks to attend the Order at the Grand Highlands."
She noted his voice as deep and rough, but his eyes as warm and kind.
The Order at the Grand Highlands, she thought. They have the most skilled hands in the kingdom. Surely I can learn to be a doctor there.
"It is a great honor to be invited, but of course, the choice is yours," Torin said with a slight bow of his head.
A rush of excitement gripped her as she thought of the possibilities. She looked at her father. "But what about the farm? It was a long winter and..."
"Hush, child," Jegar told her. "Your brothers and sisters can help us with the farm. This is a chance of a lifetime. You can become what you've always wanted," he said, his voice quivering. "You can be so much more."
"Can I become a doctor?" she said, her eyes longing.
Torin smiled. "At the Grand Highlands, you can become whatever you want to be."
Lesia regarded her daughter with tears in her eyes, nodding her head in approval.
Lyla looked to her father, seeking approval from him as well.
"Well, go on then," he said with pride. "Run and pack your things, dear."
She held a scream of excitement as she turned to run up the stairs.
Later, as the evening sun began to fade, the family gathered for the night's meal, honoring Brother Torin as their guest. Lyla's brothers and sisters were sent to stay the night at their Aunt's house in Fortuna.
"Tell us about the Grand Highlands, Brother Torin," Jegar said between bites. "What's it like?"
"It is a community that supports one another,” Torin said. “We learn together and train together in all that we do."
"And what is it that you do exactly?" Jegar asked, wanting a clearer picture while there was still time to change his mind.
"What have you heard?" Torin asked, pausing his meal and raising an eyebrow.
"Only the gossip of small town folk," Jegar said as he sliced into a thick cut of ham. "That nobody really knows what goes on up there. Some say that the Order trains folk to master the Dark Arts. Surely that isn’t true.”
"Aye, I've heard the same rumors in my travels,” Torin said and forked another bite of food from the plate. “Unfortunately, I am sworn to secrecy and cannot say much about the affairs of the Order."
Jegar dropped his fork. "I've got no patience for such nonsense, Brother Torin," Jegar raised his voice, concerned now that gossip might be the truth. "The way I see it, some things ought to be left alone."
"Jegar," Lesia chided. "He's our guest!"
"I won't have my daughter around that evil, Lesia. If they are going to train her in the Dark Arts, then she doesn't go."
"Father!" Lyla cried. He was so eager before. What happened?
“I want opportunity for her,” Jegar said. “Not danger.”
"It's alright," Torin said with a wave of his hand. "Let me put all of your minds at ease. We do not train anyone, nor partake in, anything related to the Dark Arts."
"No sacrifices?" Jegar asked. “Because I have heard tales of that, too.”
"No. Nor do we drink the blood of goats or practice any ritualistic séances. We train people to use their mind, body, and spirit," Torin said with a clenched fist. "We empower them to utilize their soul's true potential."
Lyla desperately looked to her father.
"How long will she stay?" Jegar asked.
"Depends. Master Arze is the best doctor we know of. He will say when she's ready."
"A year?" Lesia asked.
"The Order is a lifelong commitment,” Torin said. “Even if she becomes a master in say, five years, she still must keep the Order's code and be ready for service whenever called upon."
Upon hearing the words, Lyla second guessed her decision, but only for a moment. The will to achieve her dream burned inside. Her mind was made up.
"I will go. And when I return, you will know. I will be the greatest doctor Fortuna has ever seen," she stated with more confidence than she ever had in anything.
Her father's apprehensive demeanor turned as a grin crept across his face. "There's your answer, Brother Torin. No other way about it. She's about as stubborn as a mule; just like her mother." Jegar looked fondly at his wife who shook her head in reply. They both smiled at their daughter, each of them knowing that their time in raising her was at an end.
Lying in her bed that night for the last time, Lyla could hardly sleep. She knew that in the morning she would begin to live the life of her dreams. The life she always wanted.
She awoke to the smell of breakfast and cool spring air. After eating, she packed her things and embraced her parents.
Her mother smiled fondly. "Take this," she said and placed a necklace around Lyla’s neck. A small white stone set in the pendant gleamed in the sunlight. "It was your great-grandmother's and her mother's before that. Now it's yours."
"Thank you, Mother, it’s lovely.” Lyla embraced her. “Goodbye."
Lesia kissed her daughter on the forehead and let her go.
Torin jumped upon the massive brown horse and pat its neck, readying it for the trip.
Lyla’s father helped her upon Pearla.
"Goodbye, Father. Thank you, for everything."
He smiled in the way a loving father does. "Go now, make us proud. We love you."
"I love you both, and I will see you soon," Lyla said with tears in her eyes. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
Torin looked at both parents and gave a nod of assurance that he would look after their daughter. Jegar nodded back, his face quivering slightly.
He nudged the horses on.
Riding away with a thousand thoughts running through her mind, Lyla looked back through sore eyes one last time. Cresting the hill, she watched until her parents, and the farm, were both out of sight.
Chapter Three
Lucian cursed every time the horse hit a bump or a hole along the road back to Sanctum, the Dark Society’s base. The fight with Levi had surely left him with a couple of broken ribs, a slight concussion, and more cuts and bruises than he cared to count.
The bastard hadn’t lost his edge even after all those years, he thought.
The mountain pass was hard enough to traverse after leaving The Crossing, but that wasn't the worst of it. The most agonizing part of the journey was the constant spring rain. Being soaked to the bone and freezing cold amplified Lucian’s pains exponentially.
What I wouldn't give for a mug of warm ale, he thought. I'll have my fill when I get back. The thought of returning made him pause. He hadn't found The Path of Man, but he had killed Levi.
That had to count for something. If his master didn't like that, then he could find somebody else to do his dirty work. Good luck with that.
Lucian was known to be the Society's best man. No matter how big or dirty the job was, he always delivered. His master spent years in training him and always hand-picked him for the most special kind of jobs.
He knew finding this book wasn't going to be easy. It took me years just to trace it to Levi. If he sends me on another wild goose chase, I'll tell him to piss off.
Being the master's dog on a leash was starting to wear thin on him. Lucian knew he could kill the man if he wanted to, probably. He had only met one other person who could beat him in a fight, and now, that man was dead.
Lucian followed the road until he saw the familiar landmark. He veered off onto a deer trail that cut through the woods. Moss and other foliage hung from the branches that blocked out most of the sunlight. A crow cried out from the canopy above. It didn't take a superstitious man to get an eerie feeling about the place.
Lucian looked around with caution, even though he knew the place well. He always felt like there were watchful eyes waiting in the darkness of the woods. After traveling for a span, he saw the mouth of the cave. Two guards were posted outside in the rain.
"Damn fine day ain't it, men?” Lucian jeered as he strolled by.
One guard looked down at the ground while the
other one tended to Lucian's horse. The men held their tongues, knowing better than to test the man in black.
Folk still talked about the time that an assassin smarted off to Lucian, testing his manhood. Lucian broke the side of the man's face with his fist. And he wasn't even soul tapped.
Lucian made his way down the entrance tunnel, boots splashing the water that ran from the mouth of the cave. Torches hung from the sides of the rock wall, illuminating the path as it descended deeper into the earth. After a few turns, the cave opened up into a large, open room.
Members of the Dark Society were grouped in clusters. Most seemed to be conversing, while others were busy stacking boxes and crates, preparing for… something. The ringing of steel echoed off the rock walls from men sparring. Karn, the giant, stood alone, surrounded by four men. He held his sword close to his bare chest, ready to strike.
Lucian watched as the amateurs attacked the big man two at a time, swinging wildly. He shook his head as they each fell to the ground, leaving the big man to roar in victory.
The great room had four other tunnels that connected to it. One led to the barracks where the men slept. One to the workshop that held all the supplies needed for the master blacksmiths, fletchers, and armorers. One to the command headquarters which was occupied by Lucian’s master, Victor himself. The last tunnel led to a place that even Lucian didn't know. Only Victor was allowed in. A thick steel gate secured into the stone, along with a guard posted at all times, blocked the entrance.
Lucian made his way to the command headquarters. "I'm here to see the Master."
"One moment," the scrawny old man sitting behind a desk said. He left, favoring his right leg as he entered the tunnel.
Someone spoke from behind Lucian.
"I see you come limping home and empty handed, Lucian. The Master will love that."