by Cadman, Dean
“What's that?” Lusam asked, even though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to his question.
“It was summoned from the Netherworld, and instructed to find and kill you,” Renn stated.
“Summoned?...how?...by whom?..” Lusam stammered.
“By whom, I don't know, but what I do know is this; he or she is very powerful, and within this forest, possibly very near to us as we speak. It takes a powerful dark-mage to summon any creature from the Netherworld, but to summon and control a Vesdari, and in daylight hours, well, let's just say we don't want to be bumping into him, or her any time soon.” “What makes you think whoever summoned it might be nearby?” Lusam asked, dreading the answer.
“The weakest point between our world and the Netherworld is the place where the rift was formed during the great war. It makes sense that whoever summoned that creature would only attempt doing so, if he, or she were close enough to the rift to make it as easy as possible. Anyone trying to force a creature from the Netherworld to enter our world in daylight, and then control it, would need to be at the weakest point between our worlds, to even stand a chance of succeeding. Although I've never been to the exact location of where the rift was formed, I do know it's not far from our current location, maybe a day behind us, if that.”
“If that's true, and we've just wasted half a day here while I was still unconscious, whoever is chasing us could be less than a day behind us right now.” Lusam said with concern in his voice. Renn nodded his head slowly, still deep in thought.
“Then we should leave right now,” Lusam said standing up too quickly, and finding himself back on the floor before he could stop himself from collapsing.
“Agreed,” said Renn, “but I doubt very much you'll be capable of running any time soon by the looks of you lad,” he said offering Lusam a hand up.
“Maybe you're right, but I'm sure I could manage to walk for a while, at least it might stop whoever is chasing us closing the gap too much.” Lusam said, still a little shaky on his feet.
“Hmm, you're probably right, we should keep moving if you're able to, but don't over-tax yourself, we need you back to full strength as soon as possible if we're to stay ahead of whoever is following us,” Renn replied.
“OK,” Lusam agreed.
Renn collected some of the fruit and nuts that were left over, then picked up his sword and other belongings ready to leave the camp. He had fully intended to leave his broken shield where is was, but at the last second he realised he couldn't leave it behind, so he strapped it onto his back where it had lived for as long as he could remember, and with a sigh, he started walking once again in a southerly direction, this time with Lusam clearly in plain sight.
Chapter Thirteen
For the rest of the afternoon progress was painfully slow through the dense forest, but at least they were moving in the right direction Lusam thought to himself, and not just resting back at their camp, wasting time. He desperately wanted to use his magic on Neala's knife again, to see how much further along the road she had travelled since the last time he had checked, but just thinking about using magic made him feel nauseous right now.
An hour later they emerged into a small clearing. It was beautifully bathed in the late afternoon sunlight, as it streamed in through the opening in the tree canopy above, but it wasn't the sunlight that immediately grabbed their attention. Lying almost in the centre of the clearing was a huge grey dire wolf, and it appeared to be badly injured. One of its front legs was obviously broken, and it had several large open wounds, easily visible from where they stood, some still bleeding freely. When the dire wolf saw them enter the clearing it snarled menacingly in their direction, attempting, but failing to stand up. It continued to expose its huge sharp canines and snarl at them threateningly as they stood there looking at the stricken animal.
“We can't cross that clearing safely, we'll have to go around it,” Renn said.
“What?...We can't just leave it here to die!” Lusam said. “It will be dark in little more than an hour, if we leave it here, it will be killed for sure.”
“There's nothing we can do, it's dead anyway with all those injuries, at least it won't suffer long after sunset,” Renn replied, maintaining eye contact with the dire wolf.
“Maybe I can help it. I probably can't fully heal it right now, but at least I could try to fix its leg, and stop the bleeding, possibly give it a fighting chance to survive the night.”
“Don't be a fool lad, it would tear you to pieces if you go anywhere near it, not to mention you can barely walk, let alone run away from it if you needed to.”
Lusam turned to face Renn, and with a tone of finality in his voice calmly said, “I'm not leaving it here to be killed by those creatures.” He turned back to face the dire wolf and used his magic to try and pacify it, offering it a sense of safety and comfort, while cautiously approaching it.
“Don't do it lad, it'll kill you,” Renn said desperately, removing his sword and getting ready to attack the wolf. Lusam raised his hand, indicating for Renn to stay where he was, and continued to slowly approach the wolf. It had stopped its aggressive behaviour towards them both, and now lay very still, watching Lusam as he approached it. Lusam was still weakened from the previous night, and he wasn't sure he had made the right decision to try and help the dire wolf, but deep down inside himself, he knew not trying, was also the wrong thing to do.
He carefully knelt at the dire wolf's side, and placed his hand flat on its back. He first blocked the pain the dire wolf was feeling, noticing it visibly relax as he did so, then he focused on its broken leg. He gingerly reached out towards the dire wolf's leg, suddenly hoping he hadn't misjudged his own abilities at pacifying such a magnificent, and dangerous beast. He carefully re-set the bone straight in its leg, then began to fuse the bones back together magically. Once he had fixed the dire wolf's leg he turned his attention to its other injuries, and the extent of what he found shocked him. Instantly he knew he couldn't complete his task with his depleted magic reserves, because the damage was far too extensive. If he tried, he would most certainly blackout during the healing process before it was completed, and once he was unconscious, the dire wolf would no longer be calmed by his magic, likely making him its next easy meal. Lusam badly wanted to help the dire wolf, but not at the cost of letting their pursuers close the gap between them. If he over exerted himself using his magic again, and needed more time to recover, it could cost them their lives, and ultimately Neala's too. No matter how much he wanted to save the dire wolf's life, he wanted to save Neala's more. He decided he wouldn't risk it, he would do as much as he could safely, then use some of the wolf's own magical energy to heal it. Whatever wasn't fully healed after that, the dire wolf would have to heal naturally.
He started to heal the worst of the dire wolf's life threatening internal injuries, then moved on to the most severe external ones. It wasn't long before he felt the inevitable feelings associated with the over-use of his magic, so he immediately stopped using his own power, and started to tap into the dire wolf's own reserves. It only took him moments to locate the barrier that contained the dire wolf's magic reserves, but strangely he found himself unable to penetrate the barrier like he had done before with Lucy. Initially he thought the problem was being caused by his own lack of power, but soon he realised that something was actively blocking his attempts to access it. He probed with his mind for a weakness in the barrier, and when he found one, he broke through to the magic beyond. He only remained behind the barrier for less than a heartbeat, before he was mentally ejected by an immense force, which sent him sprawling across the ground. In the fraction of a second he had been in direct contact with the dire wolf's magic reserves, he had been completely overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of it. Never before had he ever imagined such power could even exist, and yet he had just seen it within a dire wolf of all things. The next few moments unfolded before him in what seemed like slow motion. The dire wolf swiftly regained its feet, a
nd started to approach him. He realised at that moment he was no longer using his magic to pacify it, so he quickly tried to reassure the dire wolf again, but it just kept coming, seemingly unaffected.
Renn had seen the events unfolding from his vantage point at the edge of the clearing, and started to run at the dire wolf with his sword held high, intending to end the threat to Lusam's life. As he got within striking distance, the dire wolf turned its huge head to look at Renn, then it seemed to rear up on its hind legs, making it taller than any man. Renn began to bring his sword down to strike the dire wolf dead, but before he made contact, there was a blinding flash.
Where the dire wolf had been just a moment earlier, now stood a beautiful woman with long silver hair that flowed over her shoulders, and down her back. Hair that seemed to blow freely in a breeze that did not exist. The woman had caught Renn's sword with her bare hand, as it cleaved through the air towards her head, stopping it dead, without so much as a scratch to show for it. Renn tried to pull his sword free from her grip, but the sword didn't even move. The woman smiled approvingly at Renn, then released her grip of his sword.
“You have nothing to fear Renn, I am no threat to Lusam,” she said, in the most beautiful voice Lusam had ever heard in his life.
“Who are you? How do you know our names?” Renn asked, positioning himself between the woman and Lusam.
“You already know who I am Renn, search your heart for the truth, my faithful paladin,” she replied in her beautiful voice. Sudden realization hit Renn, he gasped out-loud, immediately falling to his knees, and bowing his head before his God.
“Aysha!.. Please, I beg your forgiveness for striking you like that, I.....”
“There is nothing to forgive Renn, you were merely doing your duty, trying to protect Lusam from any harm, and for that I am very grateful to you,” Aysha replied, turning to Lusam and smiling at him.
“Lusam, I am sorry I had to deceive you like that, but I had to know for sure the extent of your powers before revealing myself to you. You have a very special and powerful gift Lusam, but, it is also a very dangerous one, especially if your secret is discovered too soon, and by the wrong people. Your destiny was written long ago in the stars Lusam, but by no means is it certain that you will achieve it.”
Lusam was completely stunned by what was happening right in front of him, and by the incredible revelation Aysha had just revealed to him. How could he possibly be important enough for Aysha to take notice of him?
“What destiny?” Lusam managed to ask, his mind still reeling.
“That, I'm afraid I can not tell you. I am bound by a very old oath not to interfere with certain human affairs, and thus, I can no longer divulge information of that nature, or physically help you in any way during your long journey,” Aysha said with sadness evident in her voice.
“But....haven't you already helped by saving us from the Netherworld creatures? Renn told me about a large grey dire wolf that visited our camp, and led away a large number of the creatures. I'm guessing that was you, or am I wrong?” Lusam asked, hoping he hadn't overstepped his boundaries.
Aysha smiled down on him, and after a moment she replied, “You are correct Lusam, I did visit the camp you were in, but I came only in answer to my faithful paladin’s prayers. I have more.... leverage, when it comes to my paladins and priests welfare.”
Renn remained on his knees, head bowed before Aysha, completely overawed by her presence, here, before him. As far as he knew, Aysha had only ever appeared before her own high priest, or priestess in the High Temple, and even then only on very rare occasions. He had never heard of any account when a paladin had seen Aysha with their own eyes, and he felt so humbled and grateful to be chosen as the first, he could hardly think clearly.
“Please, tell me, what I may do to aid Lusam on his journey, so I may serve you well in this task, ma'am,” Renn said, head still bowed in deference.
“Renn, my most faithful paladin, stand, and come forth to me.” Renn did so without pause, head still bowed and trembling in the presence of his God. “I have noticed your shield no longer contains my magic Renn. It was indeed a selfless act, sacrificing it as you did, knowing it was one of a kind. I am sure the Guardian who originally owned it would have been very proud to have known its fate. Please, give me your shield,” Aysha said, holding out her hand. Renn removed his shield and presented it to Aysha, who took it and examined the damage. She passed her hand over the surface of the shield, and all signs of damage vanished before their eyes, leaving a pristine surface that shone like a new star. Aysha held out the shield for Renn to take back.
“If you are to successfully protect Lusam, then you will need a suitable shield. Accept this gift from me, it will serve you well in the battles to come, my paladin,” Aysha said.
“I am honoured beyond words, ma'am. Thank you,” Renn replied. When he touched the shield, both it, and his sword glowed with a brilliant blue light, so bright it was impossible to look directly at them, before gradually returning back to their normal state.
“Although I am unable to offer you a similar gift of power Lusam, owing to my oath, I can at least return to you, the power you selflessly used to heal me earlier,” Aysha said, as a light of purest white spread out across the clearing. Lusam could feel the energy flooding back into him. He gasped at the euphoria he felt while he bathed in Aysha's light, and even when it ceased, he could never in his life remember feeling more energised, and alive.
“Thank you,” Lusam said, a little breathless from the experience.
“You are most welcome Lusam. And remember, always follow your heart, not all journeys will follow a straight path, sometimes you must stray a long way from an intended path to arrive at your true destination, your true destination is not always your intended one.....” Aysha said, as she faded away, as if she had never been there. Lusam and Renn remained looking at the exact spot where only moments earlier Aysha had stood, both still trying to comprehend the magnitude of what had just happened.
“Well that was... unexpected,” Lusam said, breaking the silence.
“Unexpected! Aysha herself chooses to come to you, and that’s all you can say? Do you not realise that we may be the only two people alive right now in the entire world, that have seen her with our own eyes, let alone spoken to her, or received a magnificent gift such as this shield,” Renn said, reverently appraising his new shield.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect. I thought being a paladin of Aysha would mean you had spoken to her before, maybe like the priests do.”
Renn laughed so loud that it made Lusam jump. “No, you don't understand Lusam. As far as I know, Aysha has never shown herself to one of her paladins before, certainly not in recent history anyway. Her last recorded visit to a reigning high priest was over seven centuries ago, and even that visit was marred by scandal, many claiming it was a fraud, and it never actually happened.
“Generations of priests and paladins dedicate their entire lives to the worship of Aysha, but most will never see her in this world, and most won't even feel the blessing of her light, but you have felt it twice now. That alone makes you very special Lusam, but you have actually seen Aysha with your own eyes, and spoken to her. That makes you unique Lusam. Do not underestimate the importance of such an event,” Renn said with genuine feeling in his voice.
“I'm sorry, I had no idea. I presumed her priests, priestesses and paladins would communicate with her on a regular basis, but to be honest, I never gave it much thought in the past,”
Renn's laughter one again boomed out, as he slapped Lusam on the shoulder, knocking the wind out of him a little. “Come on lad, it will be getting dark in an hour, let's not waste the gift of energy Aysha has bestowed upon us. If whoever's following us wants to catch us, I intend to make it as hard as possible for them.” Lusam nodded his agreement and they started to run once again, both more energized than they could ever remember.
Chapter Fourteen
Neala woke with a hu
ge headache and a sense of déjà vu, head down and tied to the saddle, watching the slow gait of her horse's stride, as the ground slowly passed her by. Her left leg ached badly where the numerous poison darts had been jabbed into her thigh, but not half as much as her ribs, which were being crushed by her own weight against the saddle with every step the horse took. She tried to lift her head and get a better look around her, but regretted it almost immediately, as a fresh wave of pain and nausea assaulted her for her efforts.
Neala tried to remain silent and not let Skelly know she was awake, but the pain was getting worse with every minute she travelled in this position. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious this time, but judging by the amount of pain she was in compared to the last time Skelly had poisoned her and tied her in this position, she felt it might be days, rather than hours.
“Stop... Please, stop,” she tried to shout, but it came out as little more than a croak from her parched throat. It must have been loud enough for Skelly to hear her though, because he almost immediately brought the horses to a stop at the side of the road. Neala heard him dismount his horse and slowly walk over to where she waited face down, relieved at the lack of motion, and the pain associated with it. Skelly stood directly in front of her without saying a word, she could only see his feet and lower legs from where she was tied, but even that was enough to know he wasn't happy. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't say a word.
“Any chance you could untie me, please,” Neala asked meekly. For a while Skelly remained silent, ignoring her request for freedom, then he took a step closer to her. Neala noticed a glint of sunlight from a knife concealed in Skelly's hand only a fraction of a heartbeat before he used it to cut free her bonds. She was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground below, knocking the wind completely out of her, and reigniting the agony in her ribs and head.