by M A Bernier
“This way.” He ran to the side of the tavern with Alys close behind followed by Kelidor who was watched and prodded along by Jaymee and Ardant. Just round the side of the tavern was a small area Eryyn had seen where the horses were being fed and housed while their owners drank and brawled. He could have summoned mounts from the ground beneath him but Eryyn felt this voice inside him urging him to use other means of escape. Creating artificial mounts may have only required a small amount of concentration on his part but, the warning was still there so he motioned to the horses. Where the owners of these horses were now Eryyn did not care, he mounted the first one followed by Alys, Kelidor, Jaymee and Ardant and took off for the outer edge of the city. There was no use in hiding who they were so he summoned the dragons for help. Eryyn knew from the knowledge of the old council that if the shadow demon were present, then his minions would be present as well and Eryyn had never fought them before. He did not even know if he could stop the more powerful ones that may be lurking nearby. They had just reached the edge of town when Eryyn felt a sickening wrenching in his stomach followed by the sound of horses falling.
“Eryyn!” Ardant called to him, he wheeled his horse followed by Alys doing the same. The horses which Jaymee and Kelidor had been riding were just getting up and running away. What gave Eryyn the sickening feeling in his stomach stood before him. He could not see the face of the figure in black. The hood was pulled so low over his face only his mouth could be seen but Eryyn felt he should know him and know him well. Jaymee was lying on the ground apparently knocked out by the fall. Kelidor was one his knees being held by one arm of this black robed figure who had a hand on Kelidor’s neck forcing him to face the ground. Eryyn watched as Kelidor struggled momentarily until his head was jerked lower by the hand the gripped his neck and he stopped struggling.
“Who are you?” Demanded Eryyn, “and what do you want with him?”
“Do you not recognize me?” Eryyn heard his own voice reply back to him. "Have you not felt as if a part of you is missing? Have you laid awake at night wondering why you feel incomplete?” The robed figure pulled back his hood. Eryyn found himself staring at his own face only the eyes were as black as a night sky with no stars. Flashes of memories flooded Eryyn’s mind as he watched the image of himself smile with hatred and victory. “You see, you do recognize me. You can call my Jyn-Taa, but only for long since it will be shortly after you demise that I take your body and your power for my own.” Jyn-Taa looked to his right at a mass of shadow figures emerging from the ground. “Take them captive….” Jyn-Taa and Kelidor were knocked to the ground as Jaymee leapt suddenly toward them and tackled Jyn-Taa. From the corner of his eye Eryyn had seen Jaymee stirring. As he collided with Jyn-Taa the shadow creatures rushed forward like a swarm. He and Alys found themselves surrounded and under attack. Eryyn looked at Jyn-Taa who struggled momentarily with Jaymee before tossing him aside like a rag-doll. The creatures around Eryyn were trying to break through his invisible barrier. He extended the opaque white wall of force over Jaymee stopping the black mass of power from Jyn-Taa from consuming him. Jyn-Taa seized Kelidor once again while Eryyn released the power of the Whitefire that impacted with Jyn-Taa’s own dark fire. Slowly it was making its way toward Jyn-Taa as he backed away to a sudden vortex of blackness behind him. Eryyn saw Jaymee stand up noticed he moved one foot to hide something beneath it. Jaymee glanced at his foot then charged Jyn-Taa with hands glowing nearly as bright as the sun. He collided and grappled with Jyn-Taa and Kelidor as they passed through the black vortex, the clashing powers caused a thunderous explosion that shook the ground, the vortex disappeared.
“Eryyn!” Alys hollered to him. “There are too many!” He looked and could barely see her and Ardant through the mass of shadow figures and black spheres of energy impacting with the barrier of white fire she had created and with the spheres of fire she was casting forth. Eryyn concentrated and extend his fire barrier to encompass all of them. The creatures continued to assail his shield but for the moment could not get through it. He stretched forth his other hand and the ground where the object under Jaymee’s foot formed a hand, grasped the object and brought it to him. It appeared to be an ordinary knife carved of wood, that is until he held it in his hand and felt death imbued within it. It was no ordinary knife. “Eryyn, we have to get him!” Pleaded Alys. More of the creatures of shadow were emerging and Eryyn was beginning to feel the impact of their combined efforts.
“We have to get ourselves away from here first Alys.” Eryyn placed the knife in his robes. “Throw everything you have at them.” Eryyn had Ardant stand between him and Alys as the two unleashed a countless number of white spheres of fire, some of the creatures immediately burst into smoke while others withstood several hits. Without warning several columns of red flame from the sky bathed a third of the area around them causing the creatures within it to flee or dissipate. In the sky above were six dragons that Eryyn knew by sight but not by name. Syl and Ahm-Roth had answered his call by sending them in their place. Three of the dragons swooped low enough to catch Eryyn, Alys and Ardant in their large claws and then place them on their necks. Behind them Eryyn could see several of the larger shadow creatures pursing them. Ahead of him dark clouds were forming much to quickly in the sky and heading in their direction. The wind also began to increase forcing him to hold on tighter to the dragon's mane.
“Keep me above. Pull in as tight a formation as you can then hold me in your claw!” Eryyn had to yell to be heard above the thunder and the wind. The dragon he rode spoke a command to the other five dragons. They flew as close as they dared. Eryyn could see Alys and Ardant holding on as tightly as they could. Unless he did something they were never going to make it out of the Barren Continent alive. The dragon reached back with his right front foot and gently grasped Eryyn so that he would be lying horizontally in the air.
“I am called Tekyn’Ra, my lord and princess is attending to the army which moves within the land bridge.” Tekyn’Ra had brought Eryyn close to his head so he could talk and hear.
“Turn me first so that I can take care of our followers, if those clouds get worse turn me the instant you need help.” Tekyn’Ra lowered Eryyn and turned him so that he faced the pursuing horde of shadows, a gust of wind forced the dragon to compensate and Eryyn could feel him struggling against it. Eryyn extended both hands. The white glow of fire grew and expanded so that his hands were no longer visible. He released dozens of white spheres that impacted in seconds with the shadows causing them to disperse into nothingness. They appeared not hindered by the weather as the dragons were. The distance between them and the dragons was closing fast. The horde spread out intent on making it harder for them to be hit but Eryyn had other tricks up his sleeve. Instead of the burst of spheres he summoned and released a large net of white fire. It may not disperse the shadow hoard but, it was large enough to encompass almost all of them and drag them downward. He was about to dispatch the few remaining shadow creatures when he was suddenly turned forward. Directly in their flight path were several wind funnels from the clouds closing on their position. The glow from Eryyn’s hands grew whiter before releasing a torrent of lightning like white fire that impacted with the closest twister, in seconds it had dissipated but it had not been easy. The wind howled and pummeled the dragons so that they suddenly dropped several hundred feet in seconds. Tekyn’Ra brought Eryyn closer. Rain and hail joined the throng of thunder and wind and began to pelt them viciously.
“We must fly close to the ground. We are too vulnerable this high!” A flash of lightning cascaded from within the dark clouds and leapt towards the dragons. Tekyn’Ra’s eyes were as quick as Eryyn’s thoughts and he moved him to that he faced the oncoming barrage of lighting which was met with Eryyn’s own in the form of the Whitefire he summoned. Eryyn looked below and saw the turmoil of the ocean surface fast approaching, waves as high as a hundred feet were forming and crashing. The dragons flew so close he could almost touch the waves, the winds only slightly
less violent so close to the water. As each wave came towards them the dragons dipped and rode under the crest of the wave as it crashed over them. For a few moments under each crest only the spray the ocean washed over them and shielded them from the worst of the unnatural storm. Several minutes passed by while the storm raged on trying to beat them into the ocean. Over the next wave Eryyn saw several more twisters touch done upon the ocean. The dragons veered sharply to the left in hopes of avoiding them. Eryyn prepared himself to do what he could to disperse the dozen twisters that now appeared. More twisters formed in the direction they had veered to but, Eryyn noticed these were headed towards the first ones that had formed. The impact of more than two dozen twisters sent catastrophic waves of thunder causing even the dragons to falter and almost crash into the ocean. In the distance Eryyn could see a break in the clouds forming. The dragons saw it as well and headed straight for it. Their breathing was so labored that jets of flames emerged each time they exhaled. Eryyn summoned the power of the Rootsource and bolstered their strength and aided them by lessening the pull of the earth upon them so that they only needed to beat their wings to break through the opening in the clouds and into the clear air and bright sun beyond.
As Tekyn’Ra passed beyond the storm he turned his head slightly to Eryyn, who remained within his grasp, to acknowledge his thanks. He did not turn completely have almost no control over the jets of flame from mouth and nostrils each time he exhaled. He felt Eryyn’s power continuing to ease the need of his flight. The other dragons too were grateful. As their eyes met with Tekyn’Ra’s they knew without words that they could take advantage of this and coast upon the air currents. They however did not, and instead continued to expend all effort to be far from the sea. Tekyn’Ra turned his head partially back to Eryyn and Eryyn understood the sense of urgency.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lost Souls
Syl and her father Ahm-Roth had known the moment their other sense felt subdued that something was seriously wrong, and that all dragons felt it. Ahm-Roth had knowledge of forces in the universe that were beyond his understanding and acknowledge that one of them somehow spirited away Zelyth and his followers from the dragon planet. They were being used by some dark force to cast a shadow over their minds. It was then that Ahm-Roth knew who is enemy was. The demon Shadow had returned and was using Zelyth and the other betrayers to dull the dragons’ sense of the world not seen or felt by ordinary mortals. Within the same breath and thought of the realization that the Shadow Demon had come forth the land began to shake. The weather turned violent. Eryyn’s call for help had been heard and normally Ahm-Roth, as lord of dragons, would have answered the call himself. The DragonStone, watcher of destiny, had made its presence known to Syl and her friends. He knew the events now occurring were for her to choose and he had to trust in her decisions. Even dragons did not always understand destiny, but Ahm-Roth knew when matters were not to be placed in his hands. Syl summoned six of the strongest flyers and sent them to Eryyn’s aid while she and her father took a small contingent of twenty dragons to the Land Bridge. Just before their senses were dulled Syl and the other dragons had felt the presence of creatures who hungered for soul and blood, only the oldest racial memories told them that they were dangerous. Dragons joined again with mages to scour every continent and island to warn the populace and hunt down the creatures. The MageGuards too had once again spread out amount the Evergreen continent and beyond to act as eyes, ears and guards. No one understood how their silent skill worked, but it was enough that they did. Ahm-Roth had long suspected the MageGuards were more connected with the ebb and flow of the universe than even dragons. In return for that connection they neither spoke nor acted as normal human kind did, but their loyalty to their kin was no less because of it.
All around Syl and her father the clouds played deadly games with them and each other. Syl knew the elements were in chaos and EverGreen was trying to bring to back to their natural order. Rain and hail would pelt them then stop almost as soon as it started. Winds roared laboriously to push them to the ground then ceased in sudden stillness. Thunder and lightning dominated the skies. Far below as they crossed the border to the Pinelands a volcano that had been quiet for thousands of years was erupting in a fury of smoke, lava and ash. Syl and Ahm-Roth led their force of dragons through the wind and rain to the west end of the land bridge connection the Pinelands to the Barren Continent. They landed on the ground near the caves that exited the land bridge. The ground was still trembling, but only mildly.
“My daughter,” Ahm-Roth turned to Syl. “Even with my senses dulled I can sense the minds of those approaching, their thoughts have been set as rock. What will you do if they will not yield?” Syl looked at the land bridge, her hesitation to answer was not because she questioned what she must do, only that she wished she did not have to do it.
“They cannot be allowed to ravage the land. There are several entrances to the catacombs below, the fire of dragons will cleanse them from here to the Barren Continent.” Syl looked at the land bridge. She too could now sense the approaching mass of the army. “I only wish we could save their souls.”
”As do I.” Replied Ahm-Roth. “I fear their souls were lost long ago, and there are those we must still try to save.” He looked in the distance as if trying to see the distant Barren Continent with his naked eyes. “This does not feel right however.”
”In what way, father?” Syl asked.
“We are being drawn in too many directions.” Ahm-Roth looked to his daughter. “I fear the real threat is yet to make itself known to us. This army, despite its numbers, can be easily dealt with while still in the catacombs. I do not trust that we came by this information so easily.”
“It does not matter I think. Despite the threat we must not allow these lands to be ravaged father.” Syl turned to the other dragons who had been keeping a discreet distance while she consulted with her father, they came forward at her request. “Summon the hottest fire only at my command.” Each of the dragons bowed their heads in acknowledgment, then flew to their positions along the Land Bridge.
As Syl and Ahm-Roth waited at the mouth of the caves the wind was beginning to grow stronger, intermittent rain and sleet pelted their bodies. Within moments the first of the army began to emerge. They stopped as one man raised his hand to halt the march. He shouted to the dragons standing less than a hundred feet away.
“Stand aside creatures we are prepared to deal with the likes of you.” He stepped aside and several figures in black robes with a white symbol of a half moon on the front moved from behind him. Syl remembered them from her teachings. They were the order of the crescent moon, sorcerers who practiced dark magic. Several more of them, a dozen, stepped from behind other fighters and archers.
“Father.” Syl turned and spoke quietly to her father. “Even now with our senses dulled I can feel their hatred, their blindness to the futility of their task.” Ahm-Roth could see in his daughter’s eyes the sadness that invaded them, but so did he see the grim determination of her decision. She turned and faced the command of the forces before her. “May it be your souls find the peace denied to you in your living bodies.” She inhaled deeply as did her father and every dragon who had placed themselves at several caves exits along the Land Bridge. Syl and Ahm-Roth exhaled, for a few seconds an invisible barrier blocked their flames, and then collapsed. The unearthly fire of the dragons' flame sped as quickly as lightning into the miles of catacombs where the army of the Barren Continent had marched.
Grinn and his guards had made camp less than a hundred feet from the entrance to the Land Bridge at their end of Barren Continent. They were to remain until the first returned with tales of victory and the spoils of war. Snow had fallen again the night before. Dark swirling clouds covered the sun all day keeping the snow from melting. He looked at the dozen entrances to the catacomb where the army had entered; he was puzzled by the way the snow nearest to them suddenly began to melt. At the mouth of each cave the snow started
melting which spread outward as if the caves were emanating an intense heat. He could see the distortion the heat was making in the air as it exited the caves. It grew warmer in the direction of the caves. The snow all around him was melting quickly under the sudden rise of heat. He heard thunder and looked up in the sky, only then did he realize the thunderous noise was not from the sky but from the caves. The men in his group also stood with him. As the rumbling grew they stepped back. A few seconds of flickering red preceded the explosion of sound. Columns of flames screamed and poured forth as water from a fountain accompanied by black ash and a smell he was all too familiar with. Grinn and the others ran, if he had looked behind him he would have seen the flames reached higher and higher into the sky as if they were never going to stop.
In the nearby village of Coyil, less than a day's walk from the land bridge, the inhabitants felt the rumbling of the ground. Shopkeepers stopped haggling as did buyers, thieves ceased to pick pockets, blacksmiths stopped shoeing horses, children stopped playing. All were familiar with the sound of thunder, but despite the intensity of the recent and unusual storms, this sound was different, it seemed to reach into the very depths of what made them afraid. A minute passed by before they saw the explosion of flames reaching high into the sky, a rolling wave of heat shortly following blanketing the entire village.
Lt. Syms watched his geological sensors from his position on the colony ship orbiting Earth. Without warning every sensor had gone erratic, all over the planet the earth itself seemed to spasm as if in sudden pain. His attention was drawn to a specific formation on the planet known as the Land Bride; a stretch of land linking the Pineland Continent to the Barren Continent. The temperature was rising much too quickly. His sensors reported an explosion of flame at the point where the Land Bridge connected to the Barren Lands. He could not determine what was causing intense flames, but that concern was minor, if the temperature kept rising the Land Bridge would probably explode.