by Dean Cadman
It seemed like Neala came to the same conclusion a few moments later when she said, “I don’t think it would be a good idea letting Mr Daffer and Lucy know we’re here.”
“No, I don’t think so either. We need to sneak out of their shop without being seen again. But I think that might be the least of our problems,” Lusam replied, as he squeezed through the opening in the door and summoned a small light orb above his head. Neala was the next to enter the corridor, quickly followed by Renn. Once they were away from the door, Lusam set the door to closing again.
“What do you mean, lad?” Renn asked.
Lusam took a deep breath. It felt like the weight of the entire world was suddenly on his shoulders, and he didn’t have a clue what to do about it. Sure, he could probably kill Netherworld creatures easily enough now, but he didn’t have a clue how to close The Great Rift. Nothing he had learned from the three Guardian books had given him any knowledge whatsoever about it. He simply had no idea how to close it.
Lusam took another deep breath before turning to face Renn. “I hope you know how to close The Rift, because I haven’t got a clue. Nothing in any of the Guardian books has prepared me to do that.”
Renn’s face told him everything he needed to know. “I… I don’t know how, lad. I just presumed the knowledge would be in one of the Guardian books.”
Lusam laughed mirthlessly. “It may well be, just not in any of the three books that I’ve read.”
“Well, that could be a problem,” Neala said.
Lusam contemplated where he could find the information he needed. He knew there was a room full of ancient books in Mr Daffer’s basement, but he had already gone through those and had only found the journal to be of any relevance. He knew there was nothing regarding The Great Rift written in the journal, and certainly not any instructions on how to close it. Without the knowledge of how to repair the tear, all he would be doing is delaying the inevitable. Aysha had already informed them that Aamon was growing stronger with each passing day The Rift remained open. Sooner or later he would emerge through The Rift, and the world would end shortly after.
Lusam considered that there might be a book in the High Temple library which mentioned how to close The Rift, but he doubted it. Besides, he knew from when he attempted to learn about his dragon nightmares just how long it took to read through so many books. Even if the information was there, by the time he found it, the battle would already have been lost.
“What we need is a Guardian,” Neala said in jest.
“Or a dragon,” Lusam replied, suddenly realising where he might find the information he sought.
“You can’t be serious, lad?” Renn said, noticing where Lusam’s gaze was now fixed.
Neala also saw what he was looking at. “Just in case you’ve forgotten, the last time you tried to communicate with that entity, it almost killed you,” she said.
“I know, but don’t think I have a choice any more. If I can’t find out how to close The Rift, we’ve lost the battle even before we begin. Besides, I get the feeling that it won’t want to see The Rift open any more than we do, so I’m hoping it will be willing to help me,” Lusam replied. He didn’t mention the fact that he had barely managed to escape a similar entity at Irragin, as he didn’t want to revisit the painful memories now associated with the place. Nor was he unaware that it had taken a large amount of his magical reserves to break free of the entity. Something he didn’t wish to repeat.
“And what if you’re wrong, lad? What if it decides not to let you go this time, and decides to kill you instead? Without you we’ll have no chance of winning this battle,” Renn said, sounding more worried than Lusam had ever heard him sound before.
“Renn, unless I learn how to close The Rift, even with me, we will still eventually lose the battle. Besides, this is still a temple of Aysha. Its existence may have been forgotten by men for the last two millennia, but I’m pretty sure Aysha remembers where it is. And as you know, even Driden can’t see what she does inside her own house, let alone dictate what she does there. So, don’t you think she would be here telling me not to do it, if it was going to kill me? You know, with me being so important and all,” Lusam replied grinning.
A smile spread across Renn’s face as he shook his head to himself. “You’re right to have faith in Aysha, lad. And thank you for reminding me of that too. It’s a lesson I will gladly accept from you.” Lusam smiled and nodded, then started walking towards the main chamber of the basement. He didn’t get more than four paces before Neala threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.
“Be careful,” she said, kissing his cheek.
“Always,” he replied, gently kissing her forehead.
When they reached the main chamber Lusam could see the power pulsing through the walls. The words of the riddle were still clearly visible to his mage-sight: The final five created five, the five creates one, and one you must possess to seek the five, and then become one. He pondered the words for a moment, as he had done several time before, but most of the riddle still made no sense to him at all. Not for the first time did he wonder if it actually meant anything at all, or if it was simply the ramblings of some long dead monk.
He stepped towards the wall and took several deep breaths. He could clearly remember the feeling of not having breathed for a long time after the entity had finally released him the last time he had encountered it. He carefully set the protection around his mind so the entity could not take control of him, then he looked over at Neala and Renn and nodded that he was ready. Taking a final deep breath, he reached out and touched the warm smooth surface of the wall, then sent out his consciousness in search of the entity.
He found the entity almost immediately, and it seized him in its iron grip. He struggled instinctively against its pull, but the best he could do was slow the speed at which the entity pulled him in.
“WAIT!” he cried out with his mind. But the entity paid him no heed at all, and continued to drag him down with it. He struggled and fought it with everything he had, but this entity was far stronger than the one at Irragin had been. Then he suddenly realised that the entity at Irragin may have actually been much stronger than he had first thought. It was wholly possible that Lord Zelroth had only used it to weaken him, and then commanded it to release him once he was in a much weaker state. He had been foolish then to walk into Lord Zelroth’s trap, and now he had been just as foolish to believe that he could overpower the entity and free himself here.
He could feel the entity battering at his mental barrier, and knew it would soon break through his defences. A single phrase rang out in his mind, and he found himself mentally shouting out the words.
“BLOOD RECOGNISES BLOOD!”
The pulling stopped instantly, but it didn’t release him. It smashed through his mental barriers as if they weren’t even there, and searched his mind for information. He no longer attempted to resist its overpowering strength, and could feel it sifting through his memories.
“BLOOD RECOGNISES BLOOD,” the entity boomed out in Lusam’s mind, momentarily dizzying him with its sheer force. It was a strange sound, like the entity struggled to form the words. Lusam waited for a moment, but the entity remained silent, content to hold him where he was. Lusam knew he couldn’t stay there for long, or his body would die from lack of air in the real world. He had to act now, or it would be too late.
“I asked for your help once before, and together we defeated the Empire army attacking Lamuria. The Guardian book there is safe now, but there is another, even greater danger which threatens the world. The Great Rift has been reopened, and I seek the knowledge of how to seal it again. I am the only hope, but I don’t know how to do it,” Lusam said. Even before he had finished, he could feel the entity searching his mind for the truth behind his words. Images flashed before his eyes, as the entity sifted through his memories.
“BLOOD RECOGNISES BLOOD,” the entity boomed out again. But this time it wasn’t only the intensity o
f the words which dizzied him, but the information the entity blasted into his mind. He knew that if he’d been in his body when it had happened, he would now have been on the floor in a crumpled heap. It took him a moment to steady his own thoughts, and even to realise that the entity had released him from its iron grip. He bolted towards the surface and the safety of his own body, then suddenly realised that his magic reserves would now be severely depleted after trying to free himself from the entity.
“I promise that I will return any power I take, just like I did last time,” he said, just before slamming back into his own body. He gasped for breath, taking huge gulps of air and trying his best to ignore the incredible pain in his head.
“Lusam!” Neala said, with tears in her eyes.
Blood run freely from his nose, as Neala cradled his head in her lap. He didn’t even remember falling over, but the throbbing lump on the back of his head suggested otherwise. The moment his vision blurred he knew there was something badly wrong. Desperately, he sent his mage-sight inside his own head, and almost immediately found the cause of his pain and blurred vision. Whatever the entity had done when it had imparted its information to him, had caused several blood vessels in his head to rupture. He quickly repaired the damage, and set about searching for anything else which needed his attention.
“Lusam!” Neala called again.
“I’m alright, just give me a moment,” Lusam croaked. The new information began settling into his mind in a similar fashion to how the Guardian books had worked. At first it made little sense to him, but after a while the information started to become much clearer in his mind.
“Did you get what you needed from the entity, lad?” Renn asked, looking down at him from above.
Lusam sat up and the room began to spin. Steadying himself on Neala he tried to stand up, but soon thought better of it, and instead decided to remain where he was.
“Yeah, I think I did,” he replied, still holding onto Neala tightly. “But I’ll not be in such a rush to ask it anything else in the future.”
Once his head had stopped spinning so much, he managed to stand up and approach the wall once more. He had no way of knowing if the entity would allow him to take any of its power, but he had no other choice but to try. It had taken a large amount of his reserves to fight against the entity’s pull, and he knew that he wouldn’t have anywhere near enough time to regenerate that magic before they reached The Rift. And the last thing he wanted to do was arrive there anything less than fully prepared for what awaited him. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached for the wall.
Nothing happened.
The smooth wall felt warm to his touch, and he could feel the power pulsing through it. He repeated his promise to return the borrowed magic, then began to quickly refill his own reservoir of power. He expected some kind of reaction from the entity, but it never even stirred. Even so, he was very relieved when he could finally remove his hand from the wall and step away to a safe distance.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, giving the glowing wall one last glance before heading towards the bookshop stairs. When they reached the top landing, Lusam used his mage-sight to see if Mr Daffer or Lucy was in the main shop. Fortunately they weren’t, and neither could he see any sign of them in the rear of the shop.
“Follow me,” Lusam said, erecting a soundproof barrier around himself and the others. The door from the basement was locked, but a simple thought remedied that, and they were soon standing inside the main bookshop. They quickly made their way towards the main entrance, and Lusam extended his soundproof barrier to include both the door and its bell. A moment later they were all standing outside with the door firmly closed behind them. He checked one last time that no one had seen them, before cancelling his soundproof barrier and heading towards the edge of town.
“If we both live through this, do you think we could visit and maybe spend some time there again? I never thought I’d say it, but I actually miss that basement. Life was so much simpler when we were there,” Neala said longingly.
Lusam laughed. “I’d be lying if I said the same thought hadn’t crossed my mind. But the truth is, too many people know us by sight now. And if we were recognised coming and going from there, it wouldn’t take long for someone to work out the reason for us being there. Not only would that endanger the book, but also the lives of Mr and Mrs Daffer,” he replied quietly.
“I guess you’re right. I just miss them both, that’s all. They were good to us.”
“Yeah, I miss them too. And my old boring life in their basement,” Lusam replied wistfully. Neala suddenly slapped his arm.
“Ow!” he said, rubbing his arm.
“What do you mean, boring?” Neala said, with her hand on her hips.
“I didn’t mean you were boring,” Lusam replied defensively.
“Oh, I see. So you didn’t consider me part of your life back then?”
“I… yes… I mean…”
Renn laughed loudly. “Give it up while you can, lad. You’ll find the odds much better at The Rift, I assure you.”
Chapter Forty-Two
The early afternoon air had a distinct autumnal chill about it as they entered The Dark Forest. Lusam had noticed the difference in temperature between Lamuria and the northern city of Helveel before, but today it was even more apparent as they entered the foreboding forest. The atmosphere seemed charged, and the small hairs on the back of Lusam’s neck stood upright as they made their way silently through the trees.
“Neala, watch your weapons closely for any signs of Netherworld creatures,” Renn said quietly.
“But it’s still daylight. Surely they won’t come out for at least another few hours yet,” Neala replied nervously.
“Aye lass, you’re right, normally they wouldn’t. But there might be Zeadahl around now that The Rift is open again. Zeadahl were once known as ‘day-walkers’, and could move around in the shadows during daylight hours without much of a problem. Apparently they caused the early paladins a lot of problems when they tried to build an outpost near The Rift, so they were actively hunted and wiped out. But like I said, now that The Rift is open again, there could be some roaming the forest again.”
“Great! … Today just keeps getting better and better,” Neala replied.
Renn removed the shield from his back and readied his sword, whilst Neala followed his example by equipping a knife in each hand. Lusam had already created a barrier around them all before entering the forest, and adjusted it to allow Renn and Neala’s weapons to pass through it from the inside. He knew Renn wouldn’t approve of the barrier, so he kept the fact that it was there to himself, knowing he could dispel it if necessary later.
They had barely been in the forest for ten minutes before their blessed weapons started to glow with an eerie blue light. Renn called an immediate halt, and they stood back to back scanning the trees for any sign of movement. They heard the creature’s high pitch screams, and felt the wave of fear wash over them long before they saw the actual creature itself. It emerged cautiously from the trees, hissing and screeching at them. It was only a small creature, but its wicked looking claws and razor-sharp teeth would kill a man in seconds.
“Zeadahl?” Lusam asked, keeping a close eye on the creature.
“Actually, no. I think it’s an Aroichi,” Renn replied, sounding a little unsure.
“You think?” Neala said.
“Well, it looks a lot like an Aroichi, but its armour is a lot thicker than it should be. Plus it shouldn’t be able to withstand the daylight like that,” Renn replied.
Lusam began to create a large fireball in his right hand, but Renn shook his head. “I think we should see what we’re up against, lad. I’d like to take a look at that thing after we kill it, but I can’t if you incinerate it.” Lusam nodded, and let the fireball fizzle out in his hand. Before anyone could say another word, Neala let loose with one of her throwing knives, but it simply bounced off the creature’s heavy armour. The creature hisse
d loudly at her, and having survived her attack unscathed, it began to slowly stalk towards them, obviously much more confident now.
Renn waited patiently until it was within range, then swung his sword at the creature. When his sword struck the creature, it sounded just like he had hit a solid boulder with it, and the impact visibly travelled up his arms. The creature howled in pain, but there was little more than a small scar on its thick armour where Renn’s blessed sword had impacted on it. Not allowing the creature to retreat, Renn lunged forward towards the creature, and plunged the tip of his sword straight through its heavily armoured chest. The sword flashed brightly, then the light gently faded away with the creature’s dying breath. He put his foot to the creature’s chest, and pulled his sword free of the corpse, splattering the ground with a thick black ichor. The creature slumped lifelessly to the ground in front of them, and all three simply stared at its grisly remains.
Renn turned the corpse over with his foot, then knelt down next to it and began inspecting it more closely. Lusam could tell by his face that he was concerned by what he saw. He watched as Renn prodded and poked at the corpse with his sword, searching for any weak spots in its thick armour.
“So, what is it?” Neala asked, breaking the silence.
Renn slowly shook his head, still inspecting the corpse. “I don’t know, lass. But whatever it is, it’s never been recorded before. All paladins have to learn the names of every Netherworld creature, and more importantly how to kill them. Different creatures have various strengths and weaknesses, and unless you know what they are, you would stand little chance of killing many of them. This one looks like an Aroichi. It’s the right size and shape, hunts alone, and even moves like one, but its armour is way thicker than any Aroichi I’ve ever read about. A normal Aroichi is one of the weakest Netherworld creatures, and would have succumbed easily to Neala’s throwing knife. But we all saw how its armour resisted both Neala’s knife, and my sword. If I were to guess, I would say Aamon has been busy over the past two millennia creating a new breed of Netherworld creatures. And if I’m right, that doesn’t bode well for any of us.”