It all seemed to happen in slow motion—the way he came upon the shadow and the way it seemed to leap out of the blackness at him. The shadow raised its long fingers at him and glet out an ear piercing shriek. Phillip winced in pain as the shadow quickly came upon him in a shrieking and thick whirlwind of angry darkness. The blackness of the shadow appeared as a shrieking woman—with her twisted mouth wide open and her naked body appearing as a black mass of absolute terror. The screaming woman wrapped her shadowy hands around his neck and seemed to transform into a thick black and swirling mist, trying to make its way into Phillip’s screaming mouth!
Tairren and Natalia tried to help him but other black shadows began to take over them in the same manner as it did Phillip.
“Go back to the stinking pits of darkness you lurkers of the shadow!” Gaibriul yelled out as he began to shoot his golden arrows at the shrieking forms of darkness. The arrows glowed in the darkness and pierced it like lightning. “You have no power over these children of light!”
Just then they began to shriek even louder, as if Gaibriul’s words and presence angered and offended them. They gave one last threat and howl, then they rushed off into the blackness of the forest again, vanishing quickly into the distance.
Phillip just laid their on his back and looked as if he was dazed and confused. He tried to speak to them but began to slur instead. They hunched over him, panicking as they looked into his dazed eyes. His dark eyes gazed up into the thick, dark canopy of the forest. Even in the darkness of the wood they could tell that the blood had rushed away from his face, making him pale and sickly looking.
“Phillip! Are you okay?! Phillip are you hurt?!” Tairren spoke loudly to him. He felt fear and anxiety rush upon him as he watched Phillip’s silent face.
Phillip did not respond and looked as if he was slowly slipping away.
“What is wrong with him?!” Natalia shrieked.
She quickly looked up at Gaibriul who stood above them. His face was serious and concerned.
“I fear he allowed some of the Nomed’s darkness come inside of him. Those Nomed are called Banshee—spirits of sorrow and wrath who shriek when they yearn for death… We must get to the camp, quickly!”
Just then Gaibriul bent over and grabbed Phillip, picking him up. Gaibriul’s build appeared slim and lean, but he had great strength and picked Phillip up as if he were as light as a feather.
“Come away with me—we must go quickly! I feel Phillip’s life slowly slipping away from his body. He will soon be headed into darkness—the small light in him is slowly going out. When your guard is down and weak, evil will attack and prevail if you allow it to. You must always have the armor of light upon your heart—filled with oil to burn always. The Nomed around us in the blackness of the forest are growing angrier and there will be great numbers of them soon if we linger.”
They quickly went to their horses, glancing everywhere as they went, worried and shocked at what was happening. Gaibriul placed Phillip on Serafim’s back then spoke to it in that strange, foreign tongue. As Tairren and Natalia quickly got onto their horses, Gaibriul went to Sable and caressed his face and looked into the horse’s dark eyes again, as if speaking to him, then he quickly got onto his back. Just then he shouted and gave a loud signal to Serafim in that strange language again, then Serafim ran and leapt into the air. The mighty beast spread its wings and crashed through the dark canopy of leaves and limbs as it flew into the dark-gray sky with Phillip on his back.
“Phillip will fall—he is not himself and has no strength to hold on!” Natalia shrieked as she covered her mouth.
“Serafim will protect him and will not let him fall—he is headed quickly to the camp so that Phillip can be cleansed of the darkness that is eating his heart! This must be done or he will surely fall into the clutches of evil hands. Follow me and ride with haste and vigilance!”
Just then Gaibriul got Sable going quickly before them. They rode like the wind through the Black Forest. They flew through the forest as quick as the wind upon the fields. They leapt over deep cracks and ditches in the earth and over fallen trees and through black and cold streams. They flew by outstretched branches and massive thorn bushes and over-grown nettles. Their hearts raced as their minds worried for Phillip.
As they hurried through the forest, more black shadowy figures of all different shapes and sizes began to chase after them. Some of them looked like shadowy figures of mist and others looked like wild black beasts with eyes that gleamed. Loud shrieks and groans became loud all around them. Treacherous whispers came from the black forms, trying to pierce their racing hearts. It seemed as if the whole forest was infested with the evil beings. They could hear the whispers and screams as if they were right by their ears!
Gaibriul fought off the advancing Nomed with his glorious arrows, as both Natalia and Tairren hurried behind him, gripping on tightly to their horses with sweaty palms and throbbing hearts. Long shadowy arms reached for them as many more chased right behind them, over them and all around them!
“The camp draws near!” Gaibriul yelled back to them, catching a glimpse of their terrified faces.
After a few more intense moments which seemed like hours of being in the forest and chased by black sinister beings, they were suddenly out and upon a massive opening in the forest. They burst into the field as if they were being carried away by the wind. The dark blue-gray clouds of the sky and the breezes from it were suddenly upon them, and the heavy smell of rotten wood and moist earth was away from their nostrils. They could see the glow of the camp before them, consisting of torches and tents that glowed with light within them. The glowing camp was a fine sight, and their hearts jumped with joy as they realized that they were no longer in the forest but amongst an opened field filled with cool winds.
Tairren quickly turned his head to see if the Nomed were still advancing upon them, and to his surprise they weren’t. He could see the many forms of blackness fall back into the dark forest, seeming to disappear into the shadows of the trees.
CHAPTER 20
The Awakening Of The Three Keys
Bursting out of the morbid and black forest and catching the iridescent glow of the camp of the Legna was like being in a dream—and the nightmare part of it seemed to be almost over. They were relieved as they came closer to the warm glow of the camp, which was much larger than they anticipated. Tairren and Natalia followed Gaibriul as they quickly came upon the camp.
There were Legna everywhere, by the hundreds. All of them appeared to be relaxing and going about their business. Some were eating, drinking, and laughing—talking amongst each other; some were playing music and others were sword-fighting. It was as if they entered into a small kingdom of light. They all appeared pleasant and beautiful and peaceful and seemed to make the camp glow with even more warm light. A sudden feeling of peace came over both Tairren and Natalia as they came into the camp. Tairren was overwhelmed by serenity and by the amount of Legna and wondered why there were so many of them.
Many of the Legna looked up from their business and watched them as they continued to follow Gaibriul through the camp. They quickly made their way towards the center of it and within seconds they were off of their horses and walking swiftly towards a large tent. A group of Legna stood by the tent, and one of the Legna, particularly a taller one out of the bunch, kept watching Tairren as if he knew him. Tairren felt a strange connection to him, as if he did know him.
They quickly burst into the tent to see that a group of Legna were standing over a convulsing Phillip. Gaibriul hurried to the chaos as Mikhal, the Archlegna, came out of nowhere and hurried to the side of the bed as well. Phillip shook uncontrollably as his eyes rolled in the back of his head. He was soaking wet with sweat and his once light-brown skin was nearly white.
“Phillip! Natalia cried out as she took hold of Tairren tightly, she began to cry as she buried her face into his chest.
The Legna stood around the bed and placed their hands on his head and ches
t and began to command things at Phillip in that strange tongue. Phillip began to thrash his head around and let out a loud roar! His eyes quickly tightened shut as if the words that the Legna spoke were hurting him. After a few intense moments, his eyes shot open wide. His eyes were fully black having no white in them at all! They looked like two frightening pools of black water and gleamed as the fire-light bounced off them, like how the moon would on a lake at night.
Tairren watched in shock with wide-open eyes as he held Natalia tightly. He became nervous as the thought of Lilith flashed into his mind. Phillip appeared as Lilith did that night Marrisa was taken.
“Following the night when the moon glows like blood, during the twilight when the morning star shines the brightest—evil will prevail and take on a new form!” Phillip quickly roared out in a terrifying voice that wasn’t his. The wicked voice that came out of him began to laugh as Phillip quickly looked at Tairren. “That is what was spoken to you—Tairren, son of Timotheus!” Phillip roared out. The voice that came out of him seemed to tease Tairren. “Evil will prevail and take on a new form!”
Tairren’s heart skipped a beat as the dream he had of Marrisa popped into his head. It was the dream he had the night before they left on their quest, when Marrisa stood by the rosemary bush. The images of his dream rushed upon him and felt so real. In the dream he remembered Marrisa’s face and how it had turned horrid and terrifying as she growled the same words which Phillip spoke. It was also the same words that Malakh had spoken to him when the being of light came to him in a dream; the night when he was knocked unconscious by Lilith in the fields.
“Leave this child of light, you rancid spirit of darkness, in the powerful name of King Yehoshua!” Mikhal yelled out in a powerful voice that seemed to shake the tent.
All of the sudden Phillip’s back arched up as he screamed out, then in a quick second, he lay silent with closed eyes.
More Legna rushed into the tent carrying golden vessels of precious oils and bowls of some kind of dried herbs and flower petals. They covered Tairren’s view of the bed and he could no longer see Phillip.
Tairren watched nervously, the chaos all around them, as he still held tightly onto Natalia. He had never witnessed such a thing and was confused and frightened by it. He worried for Phillip and wondered if he was now dead.
“Come with me,” a kind voice said from behind them. The voice was comforting in the midst of all of the frightening drama. Tairren turned to see who it was as Natalia looked up as well.
The voice came from a female Legna. She resembled all the other Legna and smiled softly at them. She stood calmly and seemed to not be shaken by anything that was going on. She led them out of the tent and into the cool air of the dark atmosphere around them. The sky was nearly black, giving a hint that night was falling upon them.
“Will Phillip be okay? What is wrong with him?” Natalia asked frantically as she wiped her moist green eyes.
The Legna looked deeply into Natalia’s eyes and could feel the fear and anxiousness that dwelled so deeply within her.
“He will be fine, Natalia,” The Legna said softly. Natalia was shocked that she knew her name. “The darkness that made its way inside of Phillip grew strong within him, which opened up a door-way upon his heart. This threshold allowed a dark spirit to take hold of him… But the darkness upon him is gone now and will not come back—he is being cleansed. Phillip is fine and no harm will overtake him. He will just be a little weak—so rest, a sufficient meal, and blessings spoken upon him will bring Phillip back.”
Natalia just nodded her head as she glanced up at Tairren, who looked worried as well.
“Do not be perplexed and frightened… The fear of man brings a snare—but whoever puts their trust in the mighty king of light shall be safe,” the Legna said in a low tone, looking into Tairren’s eyes with her yellow-gold stare.
After a moment of silence she smiled a beautiful glowing smile that even the sun and moon would envy.
“I am called Uriel,” she said.
It was strange to Tairren that Uriel looked much like Gaibriul and Mikhal and felt as if he were looking at a twin. But Uriel looked slightly different and just as beautiful. Her features were more delicate and she wore a long white gown, and had on the same wing-pendant around her neck and jeweled diadem around her smooth forehead. Her long white-blonde hair also had a feather woven into it.
“We have been waiting for you here… Follow me so that you may be cleansed as well—so that we can feast and celebrate our mighty king—then we shall rest, for tomorrow’s challenges will come with haste…”
“Cleansed? But we do not possess any kind of darkness,” Tairren said, confused.
“Tairren, son of Timotheus, the light upon your heart is strong, but an infection of darkness lingers on your skin,” Uriel said as she went to place her hand on his bandaged wound. She was quiet as she caressed her delicate hand upon his arm. “I feel it beneath your bandages right now as I touch you.”
His arm was still wrapped tightly from when Moral had bandaged it the night he was first attacked by the flying Nomed. The bandage was almost completely black because of it being dirty and when she touched it he could feel the burning sensation swell up deep inside of his flesh. His arm had been bothering him that whole time but he did not want to fret about it and felt it was the least of his worries.
“And you Natalia,” she said, setting her gaze on a deep cut that marked the side of her neck. Natalia felt a tingle in her neck as Uriel placed her hand on it.
“Rafiul,” Uriel called out in a voice that was soft and pleasant. She beckoned a nearby Legna. Tairren noticed that it was the same tall Legna who was taking many glances at him when they first arrived at the tent.
The Legna came to her call. He was standing and talking with a group of other Legna. They stood outside of the door-way of the tent where Phillip rested. As Rafiul came closer, Tairren felt the connection he had with Rafiul become stronger, feeling as if they were brothers or old friends.
“Rafiul, please show Tairren to his dwelling spot, he must be cleansed—and I shall show Natalia to hers.”
Rafiul nodded his head then began to escort Tairren through the camp. Tairren gave Natalia a reassuring smile, then turned to leave with the Legna.
“I’ll see you at the feast then,” she said as she smiled back. She occasionally turned her head back to watch Tairren as he followed Rafiul.
†††
Tairren watched the many Legna as he passed them by. Some would glance up at him and give him a nod of the head or a small smile, welcoming him. All of the Legna appeared intriguing to him; they were all different heights and seemed to glow even though there was no physical light coming from them.
Even the camp was intriguing. All of the tents were perfectly standing up straight and had beautiful golden designs and embroidery on them. The craftsmanship reminded him of his mother’s talent in sewing and embroidery. As the tents glowed, there was soft music in the air all around them. The many sounds of stringed instruments, airy flutes, soft drums, and bells filled the atmosphere around him.
The smell of delicious things lingered in the air as well. The air was sweet all around him. The Legna carried a scent about them, which smelled sweet and fresh like the clean breezes from mountain tops or the smell of an early ice-cold spring morning. The camp also carried the savory scents of succulent herbed meats roasting and oiled vegetables cooking over smoky fires—which took over his nostrils. They had not eaten an ample meal in two days and the wonderful smells were making his hunger pains worsen.
“Why are there so many of you?” Tairren finally asked Rafiul as he continued to follow him, keeping his eyes on the many beautiful beings of light.
“We are warriors of light, Tairren, and do whatever The Great King commands of us. We are many. We were sent here to protect you and your companions and the kingdom of this land. There will be great struggle and tribulation—and that of Phillip is but a touch of what will come
of your people in the Kingdom of Minslethrate. Lucif has become stronger, and he and his followers are feeding off of these lands—off of the darkened hearts of man. The threshold of darkness has been opened by a being which has been living upon these lands for many ages...”
“Lilith,” Tairren said in a low tone to himself.
“Yes, this Lilith whom you speak of is a carrier of many vile Nomed and is a doorway in which Lucif, the father of evil, uses… Like Phillip, once darkness takes hold of one’s heart, a door is opened and Lucif has his way upon that person. This doorway is called the passage of the spirits, and is a threshold which leads to two extremely different kingdoms… Depending on the heart—it can be a passage to the kingdom of light, or a passage to the kingdom of darkness.”
Tairren’s mind began to become overwhelmed with thought. He realized that they were now walking into another tent. Rafiul held open the doorway as he let Tairren walk inside. The tent was warm and cozy and quiet. It had a sleeping area which was piled high with white linens and feather-filled quilts and a sitting area with a chair and table. There were large candles lit inside of it which filled the tent with a serene ambience. There was a large wooden tub which was filled with hot, steamy water and next to it was a small table which contained small vessels of liquids and oils and bowls of dried herbs and flower petals. Sitting next to that was a chair which held fresh, clean garments which were folded nicely and looked like the ones the Legna wore.
As Tairren looked around what seemed to be his very own tent, Rafiul continued to speak.
“Lilith is a domicile of darkness and merely a tool in Lucif’s grand scheme,” Rafiul said with his hands clasped behind his back.
The Last Legend: Awakened Page 35