by Roy Huff
“No, but it does come from a very special place within the cave walls that were once used to contain the element, a place which I’m sure you are aware of,” she said.
“Yes indeed,” Asher replied.
“This elixir will let you see into the minds of anyone who is near. Just put a couple of drops on your tongue and that should do the trick. It will last only a few moments, and be careful not to take another dose before the first one wears off. If you do, others will be able to see into your mind as well for the same amount of time.”
“That should be really helpful. Actually, I think that’s exactly what we needed,” Owen replied with renewed confidence.
“I agree. That should be very helpful,” Asher joined in.
“Very helpful. Very helpful. Helpful. Helpful,” Felix repeated.
Grenmar jumped up in the air and started bouncing around the room. Owen walked over and grabbed him in mid-jump before he inadvertently knocked something over.
“Careful, before you break something,” Owen said while placing Grenmar back down on the ground.
The healer lifted up another jar and said, “This ointment will heal any wound. It may take a while, but it can save you as long as you apply it before the moment of death.”
“Thank you so much, healer. This is more than we had hoped for,” Owen said in gratitude.
“I’m glad I could be of assistance,” she replied.
Owen and the others left the healer and said their goodbyes to the giants. A short time later, just after mid-morning, they were on their way to The Valley of Darkness.
“Do you think the Mountain Dwellers will help us?” Asher asked Owen.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of getting their help now. I think we just need to have them stay out of our way. With the elixir, we can read their thoughts. We just need to stay safe from the Fwaylan until we can get some more clues about Varstock,” Owen replied.
They continued to walk until they reached one of the mechanical conveyer belts, which were used to transport rock and debris within the land of the giants. Owen lifted Grenmar and the Ubaloo onto the top of the belt.
“You better hold on,” Felix said to Owen and Grenmar.
They all grabbed the edges of the belt as tightly as they could. Two of the giants manned the conveyer belt, and when Owen and the others were secure, one of the giants turned it on.
They were jolted high above the ground parallel to the walls of the giant underground structures. Within a few seconds, they could see the gargantuan monoliths that the giants constructed and the enormity of the entire underground land.
“Duck,” shouted Asher.
Owen and the others ducked their heads as they came to several hollowed out tunnels. With each tunnel, they journeyed farther away from the giants and closer to the underground river that led out of the land and into The Valley of Darkness. Before long, they had arrived at the underground river and would need to go the rest of the way on foot.
As the river widened and the tunnel deepened, they came across several wooden boats and smaller transport containers. Most of them were damaged, some partially sunken, but there was one that looked intact and usable. It was small but just large enough to hold all of them.
“Let’s grab that boat over there,” Owen said to the Ubaloo.
They walked a little closer, and Asher carefully descended the wall of the tunnel to the edge of the water and pulled the boat closer to the edge.
“Careful on your way down,” Asher said to Owen and the others.
Once there were all safely inside, Owen pushed off and let the current carry them downstream.
Grenmar and Felix peered over the edge of the boat, taking notice of several long dark objects that were swimming beneath the surface of the water, beasts that would swallow them whole if they weren’t too careful. There were also hundreds of winged creatures above them that flew in swarms near the top of the cave wall, frightening but harmless.
Eventually, they had reached entrance of the valley and exited the cave. All of them were happy to be out of it.
They had arrived at the perfect time, just as sunlight reached the surface of the valley floor, but it would only remain for a short time. Owen and the others would have to hurry.
Owen stepped out of the boat onto the ground then helped Felix and Asher out. Grenmar jumped up, but the movement of the boat landed him back into the water, making a large splash that soaked the Ubaloo.
Grenmar easily made it back to the water’s edge and climbed out on his own, but Felix and Asher had angry expressions on their faces from being splashed by Grenmar. Owen handed Grenmar a cloth from his bag so he could dry off.
“Let’s hurry. The sunlight won’t last long,” Owen said to the others as they planted their feet firmly on The Valley of Darkness.
They continued walking at a brisk pace while remaining on guard for any unexpected visitors. It did take long for them to spot some.
A group of several Mountain Dwellers were descending the concave walls above the valley.
“Felix, grab the jar of elixir. Let’s see what these Mountain Dwellers are up to,” Owen said.
Felix handed over the jar and Owen put a couple of drops on his tongue.
The elixir made him light-headed and his tongue tingle, but the moment quickly passed. He was now able to see into the minds of those that were descending.
Owen could sense that the Mountain Dwellers had not spotted them and that they were on their way to get some food and supplies. He couldn’t gather any other information and knew he would have to confront them directly with the questions if they were going to get the Mountain Dwellers to think about finding any clues to Varstock’s whereabouts.
“Let’s keep moving. They haven’t spotted us yet, but we’re going to need to speak to them regardless.”
“Is that really necessary?” Felix asked Owen.
“They’re not going to think of Varstock on their own. We’re going to have to give them a little help,” Owen replied.
“That’s all fine and well, but I just hope we don’t see any Fwaylan in the meantime.”
The Mountain Dwellers had recently teamed up with the evil armies of Them, but the battle at The City of Worms and the destruction of the dragons had changed things. They were reassessing their alliances, as they frequently did, and Owen was hopeful he could do more than just steal the information about Varstock from their minds.
As they continued up the valley, the Mountain Dwellers finally noticed them. Around the same time, Asher spotted several large animals that were at a greater distance. It was the Fwaylan.
“Looks like we have company,” Asher said.
Grenmar whimpered and Felix grimaced.
“This is not good,” whispered Felix.
“I don’t think they can hear you from this distance, but let’s find out what they’re thinking,” Owen replied.
The substance only lasted a few moments, so Owen had to take another couple of drops. This time he knew what to expect from the elixir and how long its effects would last.
Once he made contact with the Mountain Dwellers, he could see that they had been spotted. Fortunately for them though, the Mountain Dwellers were not interested. More importantly, the Fwaylan usually took their lead from the Mountain Dwellers so for now Owen and the others were safe.
“We’re in luck,” Owen said.
“Let’s continue on. They aren’t planning to attack, but we need to speak with them.”
It took them another half hour to plod through the rough terrain and get close enough for them to speak, and by that time, the light from the sun was already half gone.
Owen made eye contact with one of the Mountain Dwellers, Krinjmar, who he had seen was their leader with the help of the elixir.
“Excuse me, but can we speak? My name is Owen.”
“I know who you are,” he said. “I’m not interested in speaking right now. We have things that we need to do, and we don’t have time to ch
at with the likes of you. Why don’t you go back your realm and leave use Mountain Dwellers alone.”
It was clear they were not about to help them, so Owen was going to have to use other methods. He took out the elixir and was about to take another dose when Asher stopped him.
“Wait, Owen,” Asher interjected. “Let’s try a little harder first. As you said, it may be good to have them fully with us first,” he said
Owen took his advice.
“Perhaps we can help each other,” Owen suggested. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“That’s because I didn’t give it, but it’s Krinjmar. How do you think you can help us?” he asked.
Owen paused.
“I didn’t think so.”
“Listen, we’re going to have to work together if we are going to defeat Mallory,” Owen said.
“Mallory? Why should I care about the Fron Mallory?”
“You haven’t heard?” Owen questioned in disbelief. “Mallory escaped The City of Worms with one of the juvenile dragons and has befriended it. He now possesses tremendous power and seeks to control the entire multiverse,” he said.
“In that case, don’t you think it’s Mallory that I should be working with?” Krinjmar asked.
“I know you are very deliberate in those with whom you make alliances, even if I don’t support them, but Mallory is not interested in taking sides. He is power-mad and seeks only the ability to strengthen his power. He is not even in this realm any longer, but there is a way that I can stop him, if I hurry,” Owen said with urgency.
“And how is that?” Krinjmar asked.
“There is a Keeper called Varstock who knows three of The Pillars of Truth. He can point me to the location of The Third Pillar of Truth, where I may be able to prevent further damage from what Mallory has done,” Owen replied.
“Ha Ha Ha!” Krinjmar said laughing. “You want an alliance with us in order to help you find Varstock? Varstock does not wish to be found. Even if we did help you and you were able to find him, Varstock would not help you. He is a ghost, barely whispered about.”
“Let us worry about that. What’s important here is that old battle between the armies of Them and Everville has changed. Mallory hopes to make his own alliances with the creatures that seeded the dragons and the races beyond either of our realms. He sees us as tiny ants and will step on us the first chance he gets. Our only hope is to stop him now before the dragon grows too large, and with it, Mallory’s power, which is linked to the element within it.”
“Tell me exactly how finding The Third Pillar of Truth will help with that?” Krinjmar asked.
“He’s going help me find a way to defeat the dragon and take away the element in it,” Owen replied with confidence.
Krinjmar saw what great concentrations of power did to his predecessor and the armies that followed him. Hoping to prevent the same fate, he took a few moments to confer with his men and then he responded.
“Don’t consider this an alliance. If we find you useful in the future we may consider it, but I will tell you what I do know about Varstock.”
“Thank you. I greatly appreciate your assistance,” Owen replied.
“The last time I heard the whispers about The Keeper you speak of was on the mountains beyond the concave valley walls. Good luck finding him,” Krinjmar said sarcastically.
“We’ll do our best,” Owen replied.
Asher looked up above them and noticed that the Fwaylan had left. The Mountain Dwellers receded into their camps, and Owen signaled for the ascent into the mountains.
Asher and Felix got the climbing equipment from their bags. Asher fastened the harness around each of them in the event that one of them should fall.
“We better get started before darkness sets in the valley,” Owen said with a sense of urgency.
Owen led the way, being the largest and heaviest of the four. Grenmar was larger than the Ubaloo but was much lighter, so he trailed in the back behind Felix.
Owen was nearing the top of the concave wall, but the light was fading fast. Grenmar had already fallen twice, but Owen hadn’t even noticed. Each time Felix easily pulled Grenmar back into position with no injury.
A few more moments passed and then they reached the top of the wall. Felix made a big sigh of relief, and Grenmar started jumping up and down. They sat there and rested, taking the time to drink some water and eat a small amount of food before forging ahead.
“How do you think we’re going to find him?” Asher asked.
“Quite simple,” Owen said. “I’ll just take a dose of the elixir every couple hundred feet once we get a little farther. I should then be able to see thoughts that lead me to the mind of Varstock once we get close enough to his position.”
“That is a reasonable plan. Let’s just hope you don’t run out of the elixir before we find him,” Asher responded.
Owen lifted up the small jar to see how much elixir remained. The jar wasn’t that large, less than half a cup in size, but since he only needed to take two drops for each dose, it should last quite a while. The only real question was how frequently he would need to take it. He didn’t want to miss Varstock, but he also didn’t want whatever creatures were in the vicinity to see into his mind if he accidently overlapped the doses.
Owen pushed ahead. They had finally reached the summit of the first mountain pass, and he took his first dose.
Owen trembled, and his knees buckled. Felix and Asher provided support, preventing him from collapsing. He hadn’t realized so many creatures were in the area. There were so many of them, but they were all hidden. Most of them were within the mountain itself. There were numerous caves, some natural and some not. More importantly, some of the tunnels that were constructed beneath the mountain went deep. They were too far down for Owen to sense the thoughts of everyone that resided in them. He would have to hope that the creatures closest to him would have sufficient knowledge of those deeper in the tunnels
Owen regained his footing and his mind quickly conditioned itself to the numerous minds in the area.
“We may have a problem. From the creatures nearby, I can sense that some of the tunnels and caves go very deep. We may miss Varstock if he’s at a distance too far down within the tunnels,” Owen said with some concern.
“Well, Owen, I guess we are just going to have to hope that wherever he is, there will be someone close by that you can sense who knows his whereabouts,” Asher replied.
Grenmar look worried, and so did Felix.
Owen took a moment to think back on the words of The Keeper. He could hear them in his mind: “Don’t be afraid to rely on the help of your friends, and above all, be patient and reflective,” he remembered The Keeper saying.
That was the answer.
“We’re just going to have to go slow, but we should also split up. There are several trails on each side of the mountain. They’re close enough where we can stay in mental contact if we each take the elixir, but it will provide us with twice as much range beneath the mountain,” Owen said excitedly.
“That’s brilliant, Owen,” Asher replied with equal excitement.
They took a moment to rummage through their supplies to find three additional containers so that they could divide the elixir equally between the four of them.
“Okay, here’s the plan. I’ll take the trail on the top of the mountain. Grenmar and Felix, you two take the two trails on the left side, and Asher you take the single trail on the right. We need to time it carefully so lets measure out our steps based on our stride and then we calculate how often to take drops based on the number of steps,” Owen explained.
They took a few moments to figure out how many steps and how long they had to count in their head, and then they went on their separate trails.
After practicing for a few trial runs, they each were able to tune into each other’s minds and better focus on the living creatures that surrounded them. It took some effort to focus properly, but they were able to continue w
ith their plan.
They continued ahead and were about ready to stop and take a break, but on the last try they picked up something from the thoughts of one of the creatures within a mountain cave. Owen signaled for them to meet up on the top of the mountain and take shelter in one of the empty caves close by. They would camp there for the night and then continue their quest for Varstock at dawn.
The next morning, Owen woke the Ubaloo and Grenmar. After eating a meager breakfast, Owen was ready to take another dose of the elixir and prepare to find the exact location of Varstock. After Owen took the dose, he could sense the creature was still in the vicinity. It was preoccupied by mundane thoughts of assisting Varstock. From what he could gather, it was a servant of some kind that was beholden to Varstock.
Owen found the path to the cave dwelling, and the others followed closely behind. The trail led deep into the mountain, and they found that it was substantially warmer than the outside. A short journey later, they arrived at the creature’s dwelling.
The creature was close to the same size as Owen, but much slimmer. It had grey skin, large ears that flopped over, and long dark hair and bushy eyebrows. From being inside of its mind, Owen knew that it was a eunuch who, with the help of Varstock, had escaped the control of a cruel owner. The eunuch willingly gave his service to Varstock as gratitude for his rescue. It was the least he could do since most eunuchs spent their lives as slaves to brutal and hideous creatures.
The eunuch jumped back when it noticed Owen and the others. It started to retreat back into its dwelling.
“No. Please wait. We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here looking for Varstock. We think he can help us. It’s extremely important,” Owen said quickly before the eunuch had a chance to leave.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know any Varstock, and I don’t know any other friendly people in this area. Why should I trust you?”
“Please listen. This is Grenmar, a marmook. This is Felix and Asher, Ubaloo from Brackenbone. They come from the surrounding lands of Everville. I have come from a distant land known as Earth. There was a great battle in The City of Worms, and one of our former allies, Mallory, has turned against us and has become friends with the sole remaining dragon that survived the battle.