by M A Bernier
“Zelyth!” Shadow commanded, “Ready your companions for merging!” Zelyth waved his hand and a quarter of the group left for the chambers beyond where they would wait until needed. Shadow turned to Koth and Jyn-Taa. “Set forth Vuuaan’s children,” he turned directly to Jyn-Taa. “For a time you must become shadow and set the minds of the army of the Barren Continent to march forward without fear and without the conscience of humanity. This is your first task, the second is to bring the heir of Eriflen to us.” He then turned to Koth. “See to the needs of my brethren and you will be well rewarded.” Koth bowed profusely and walked quickly out of the chamber. Shadow turned to Jyn-Taa and opened his maw allowing a black mist to billow forth and envelop him.
Zelyth looked on as Shadow dismissed Koth then enveloped Jyn-Taa in a mist of black. Once the mist dissipated the creature that stood in his place appeared more like the demon Shadow only man sized and somewhat indistinct around the edges as if it could not entirely hold its shape. The one he knew as Jyn-Taa slowly floated above the chamber floor then sped past and through several of Zelyth’s group leaving those he passed through chilled to the core. Shadow looked directly at him. “Zelyth, stand before me.” He commanded, Zelyth found the whole situation distasteful, however, if he and his followers were to ever regain their rightful places as dragons he must submit himself to this indignity. He moved and stood before Shadow while the others prepared by simple closing their eyes and focusing all their attention on Zelyth waiting for the moment when Shadow would join with Zelyth and then reach within their souls for the power needed to control the minds of the dragons.
Odien watched in silence from the furthest corner of the chamber where the Demons, Koth and Jyn-Taa had emerged. He watched as Jyn-Taa was changed for the task Shadow needed him to perform. He watched as Zelyth stood before Shadow and allowed Shadow’s wings to envelop him from head to toe. Odien watched only long enough to see the visible, thin, tendrils of darkness leach out from Zelyth and connect with all those who now stood in the chamber. He listened and heard the heartbeat of a dragon's heart and watched as Shadow eyes changed from red flame and black pupil to that of a dragon’s eyes.
*** Kelidor ***
Whomever they searched for apparently did not stay still for long, Eryyn and the others were becoming frustrated at trudging through various bouts of light snow, rain and mist for almost a week. They took refuge in a nearby abandoned cave in the woods not far off the traveled path. A small fire was started and everyone changed into drier clothing while hanging the wet ones on the rocks to dry. It had been almost an hour when Alys emerged from her intense concentration as she continued to search for the heir of Eriflen. After the passing the third small town and finding he, or she, was again on the move Eryyn thought it best to take a chance and travel a straight path through what turned out to be nearly impassable terrain of thorn bushes and swamp. He and the others could see why no one probably ever traveled the path they took. Traveling by road it would have taken them a week to reach the city where Alys felt the heir was headed. In the cave they looked at one another. With their faces scratched and the clothing nearly tattered they doubted that Eryyn even needed to keep up their faked and aged appearance so for the moment he relaxed his will and they all returned to their true appearance. They moved some of the brush to cover the cave entrance and prepared to eat their provisions when a figure burst and fell through the entrance of the bushes. His clothing appeared to have been torn and shredded to such an extreme it appeared he was wearing strips of materials loosely slung over his body.. His face was scratched and hollow looking as if he had been without sleep for days. He took one look at Eryyn and his face with wide with fear, then he collapsed.
Lenx ran blindly into the wall rocks nearly knocking himself unconscious, which would not have been difficult considering his weakened condition. He was too tired to keep his eyes open and had run the last ten or fifteen feet with the closed. He didn’t care anymore where he ran so long as those following did not find him and bring him to the mage who killed without mercy or remorse, his reputation was well earned. Lenx reached forward with his hands intent on crawling. He opened his eyes enough to see the vague shape of the mouth of a cave blocked by bushes. He stood up, staggered forward and plunged forward not caring if it was still inhabited by wild animals or not, death was now welcome. As he burst forth light from fire momentarily blinded his eyes, he looked around and saw four individuals looking up at him, and then he saw him. His heart raced, his mind panicked and he froze, how could ‘he’ have known where he was going. Lenx tried to step backwards then collapsed into unconsciousness. Lenx was not sure how long he had been unconscious. As he awoke he squinted his eyes and covered them against the bright light of the flame in front of him. It took a few moments for them to adjust. He looked across the low flames to see three individuals in somewhat tattered robes watching him. He scanned their faces and saw the enemy. Immediately he tried to run for the cave exit but a fourth figure grabbed him from behind and held him fast as he faced those watching him.
Ardant stood against the wall behind the sleeping form, it was not even an hour when he began to stir, without warning he leapt up to run away but Ardant was ready for him. As he held the struggling man he felt the thinness of his arms, had he wanted to Ardant was sure he could have tossed the frail man across the small cave they dwelt in.
“You will not conquer us!” He said and spat in Eryyn’s direction. “Go ahead, kill me like you did my comrades, you and all your friends and families will still pay the price.” He paused for a moment. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
“I am not going to kill you.” Eryyn replied. Instead of trying to deny the accusation Eryyn recognized that playing the part of whomever this man thought he was could prove useful. “And there is nothing you can do to stop me if I wanted to.” Eryyn’s voice remained flat and cold as the stone walls of the cave around him. “There is nothing you or anyone on the Barren Continent can do to change that.” Lenx started laughing like a madman.
“One hundred thousand of us will make sure you pay for what you have done, they will make sure you never have a home to return to. The end of your way of life is only a few days away, not ours.” Ardant felt him struggling again. “You will not stop us from destroying your lands, distance cannot hold us back and neither can the chaos shores stop us.”
“Are you talking about the land bridge near the chaos waters your people have told me about?” Ardant asked the struggling crazed man.
“Your people have no chance.” Lenx hissed as he turned his head to Ardant. His eyes started to close and his body collapsed in Ardant’s arms. Ardant gently lay the unconscious man on the ground. The moment he stood up the man who feigned his collapse half crawled and half ran to the exit of the cave, Ardant moved to catch him.
“Let him go Ardant.” Eryyn replied. “I think we have gained information which fills a bit of the puzzle we have been experiencing in the recent towns.” Ardant began pacing with his hands behind his back, as he spoke he addressed no one in particular.
“It makes sense, whole sections of town recently abandoned, and the overwhelming number of women, children and old ones compared to the lack of young men.” He pacing stopped as he turned to face Eryyn. “You must know of the land bridge between the closest points of the Barren Continent and the Pine Lands?”
“Yes we do.” Replied Alys. “It’s a catacomb of twisting tunnels with entrances and exits along its entire length. No one would dare try to traverse it, they could be lost forever.”
“What about a hundred thousand marching as one group? How could they possible get lost with that number of people?” Asked Jaymee. “And who is impersonation you?” Eryyn was about to speak when he grabbed the wrist of his hand and hissed slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Alys asked. As Ardant was walking around the fire they all saw a cut appear on Eryyn’s hand and he started to bleed. As they watched the bleeding slowly stopped and
the cut disappeared. Everyone looked at Eryyn, but he appeared as completely bewildered as they did. Alys took his hand in hers and moved her fingers across where it had bled, but there was no indication of anything wrong. “Eryyn, this is scaring me.” She said. “What is going on?” The ground shook for several moments without warning.
“This isn’t right.” Ardant looked at the others. “We know enough about this area to know that earthquakes are not normal, the ground is very stable.”
“Jaymee, see if you can speak with EverGreen, what happened to my hand and this ground shaking cannot be coincident.” Eryyn looked to Jaymee who nodded and placed his hand on the stony floor of the cave. It was several minutes before a small hand of stone formed and wrapped itself with Jaymee’s. Shortly thereafter the hand released his and merged back with the stone.
“Something is wrong father. The elements are out of balance, I can feel it too now, and there is more.” Jaymee saw that he had their full attention. “Zelyth and the others are gone, disappeared. The dragons cannot sense them anywhere and their own senses seemed dulled as if someone were trying to smother their ability to see what is beyond.”
“We don’t have a choice, we have to get to the city where the heir is, he or she is the key to all this and we have to get to that person first.” Eryyn replied as he looked as his hand that appeared completely normal. “Is EverGreen aware of the possible army approaching?”
“I told him of it, but in his present situation he must ask Syl and her father to investigate. Every moment that passes by makes it harder for him to control the elements and maintain balance. Father, there is only one explanation for the sudden chaos of the elements. Somehow the elemental demons which Eriflen spoke of must be influencing them.”
“But that would have to mean they have already found the heir of Eriflen.” Replied Alys. “I can guarantee that has not happened, he is in the city and alive.”
”He?” Asked Ardant. Alys looked perplexed as well.
“Yes.” She said hesitantly. “I can tell now it’s a he.” She said as she looked at the others.
“It’s too bad we don’t have a name.” Replied Ardant.
“Kelidor.” Replied Alys, then looked as surprised as the others did. “His name is Kelidor.” She said with more confidence than before.
“Then it’s settled, we leave immediately to find this Kelidor.” Eryyn stood and stamped out the dying fire with his boots.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kelidor the Mighty
This city was like every other city that Eryyn and the others had been to, dark, musty, smelly and almost totally without color.
“Father.” Whispered Jaymee. “Look at the buildings.” Eryyn and the others looked.
“I don’t see anything.” Replied Ardant.
“What about you Alys?” Asked Eryyn. She nodded yes and then Eryyn turned to Ardant. “Creatures formed like the shadows are here and there looking in windows and doors. Apparently everyone else cannot seem them.”
“A shadow demon?” Asked Jaymee.
“Somehow the elemental demons must have partially opened the gateway from their imprisonment to this one. Probably by using those they have captured. They may not be the full heirs of Eriflen but, have enough of his heritage to allow them to break through and then pull the Shadow Demon with them.” Eryyn could see the look on Ardant’s face as it mixed with concern and anger. “Ardant, not all rituals of the dark powers require the death of an innocence, all those captured may still be alive.”
“They better be.” He replied flatly. “Let’s get Kelidor and get out of this place.” Ardant looked to Alys to lead the way.
It was him again. The bartender groaned inwardly as the large man, as tall as any he had seen and built like an ox, stood grinning at his bar. Every time he came in it was the same old story of boasting, how he had single-handedly captured a freight ship and taken all its possessions for his own. How he fought twenty men and defeated them without lifting a sword. Kelidor the mighty he called himself and although he was stronger the most men he was mighty more in his own mind. Kelidor bullied others with nothing but sheer physical force and strength, his reputation as a might pirate was as empty as his stories. The bar was becoming crowded as he noted four more hooded persons enter into his tavern. If Kelidor started another fight it would cost the bartender a week's profits to fix the damage, again. The four hooded individuals who just entered walked straight to the bar, two on one side of Kelidor, two on the other. The bartender was smart enough to know when strangers were looking for someone. He set Kelidor’s ale in front of him and backed away to the far end of the bar. The man next to Kelidor spoke to him.
“Kelidor, your life is in danger, time is short, I and my friends are here to keep you safe.”
“Who are you and what kind of fool do you think I am?” Kelidor looked at the face of the young man. Although his hood was covering most of his face he could see that he was young by the way he stood and by the sound of his voice. He also noticed the green eyes and fiery curls of hair from the woman behind him and he smiled approvingly.
“She is with me.” The young man said and Kelidor frowned. A barmaid walked too close and caught his attention. He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled him next to her. She winced in pain at the sudden movement and tight grip on her arm.
“Any woman would trade their life to spend it with me.” He drew the barmaid even closer.
“Let her go.” A voice behind him said. Kelidor turned to see the face of an even younger man with fire in his eyes looking at him. An older man behind him had his hand on his shoulder as if to restrain him. Kelidor roughly shoved the barmaid away causing her to stumble and fall.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” The older man replied. Kelidor heard a woman’s voice behind him chastising him. He turned and as he did his face exploded in pain and he felt himself fall to the floor. Infuriated and embarrassed that he had been taken advantage off he turned to face his attacker. He looked up to see the fiery redhead standing over him with one of her hands in a fist that appeared to be glowing softly white. He stood up as the woman stepped back behind the young man who had first spoken to him.
“Perhaps I should return the favor.” Kelidor swung quickly, no one had ever dodged his punches and they were lucky to still be standing once he connected. Instead his hand passed in the air above where the young man stood. The next thing he knew was that his head was being held against the face of the bar in a vice like grip from which he could not escape.
As Eryyn ducked Kelidor’s large fist he sensed other movement from all around him and also sensed Alys and Jaymee’s intervention with other events occurring in the bar. He easily used Kelidor’s movement and momentum against him. He grabbed the back of Kelidor's head with his hand and pushed his face against the countertop. Eryyn looked at Alys and Jaymee who each held a single hand in the air. All around them, frozen in mid-air, were arrows, darts, daggers, and a few hand-axes all being watched with astonishment by open mouthed and wide eyed patrons who had fired or thrown the various weapons. Eryyn leaned down to Kelidor.
“Listen to me, you have a birthmark, a very detailed symbol that others are going to kill you for. My friends and I are here to make sure you survive and the world does not suffer destruction if our enemies get their hands on you.” Eryyn paused for a moment. “Now, I am going to slowly release you, you will then follow us outside and away from this place. Do you understand?” Eryyn slowly released his hand, Kelidor slowly raised his head, all around him the weapons hanging in mid-air suddenly dropped to the floor amidst the most complete silence he had ever encountered. He was no fool. Sorcerers and wizards could not be fought unless he had a small army with him. His only chance to escape these wretched users of magic was to wait until they dropped their guard. He followed them outside. The youngest man and the older one followed behind him. Their faces told him they were there to make sure he did as told.
“The black sorcerers have no powers like you have use
d.” Kelidor remarked as they walked out into the street. “How did you know about this?” He pulled up his dirty sleeve to reveal the complex symbol which Eryyn and the others had seen in Eriflen’s diary.
“Cover that up you idiot!” Eryyn demanded.
“Too late Eryyn.” Alys replied and pointed to the tavern wall. One of the shadowy creatures had its mouth opened as if in a silent scream. Eryyn shot out his right hand, a white tendril of energy struck forth and caught the creature, and onlookers ran for cover wanting no quarrel with wizards. Kelidor looked to where Alys was pointing. He saw and heard nothing until the white tendril of energy struck forth from Eryyn’s hand. Only then could he see the creature-like shadow squirm as if in silent agony before it dissipated like a puff of smoke.
“Look father.” Jaymee spoke softly to Eryyn. More of the creatures were appearing on rooftops and on the walls their mouths open in a silent scream. Eryyn looked around him quickly.