Once again, though, he found that he didn’t have time to think too far into the future. Everyone had finished eating, and they decided to once more visit the Tower of Dawn to plunge into the numerous volumes that could be found there.
Chapter 23
AS soon as they arrived, the young people were surprised to come across Zorick. He greeted them joyfully, and asked about their progress. He was pleased to know that the two boys had finally found a school, and that the girls had begun to work on their magic.
He suggested that, rather than closing themselves up in the Great Library of Knowledge, they come and speak with him for a while. He had some free time, since the king was busy with Vizc and Feren, considering a way of more permanently warding off the creatures that constantly attacked the city. Of course, as soon as Glaide heard that, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. However, seeing the eyes of his friends turn discretely in his direction, he decided not to let his concern show on his face. The teens gladly accepted Zorick’s offer.
He led them behind a wall hanging of the throne room. There was a wooden door, much like the one they’d taken to the king’s training room when they’d come to ask for access to the library. The man unlatched the door and pushed against it, and the group moved into a garden that was certainly not in Shinozuka, much like many of the places one could access from the tower. The ground was entirely covered with fine, gray gravel, which crunched under the feet of the visitors. Zorick didn’t pause, traveling across the garden towards a sliding door that led outside the garden walls. He opened it, and the four friends found a wooden table with five chairs that seemed to be waiting just for them.
The small group found themselves on a hill, and to the sides, trees formed an alley that led to the base of the slope. The garden they had just left seemed to belong to a pagoda that stood behind them, and both of them seemed to be installed inside a forest clearing that formed a cul-de-sac. The surrounding greenery prevented the sun from illuminating the place, so it remained shaded and cool. Zorick explained that this place was where His Majesty chose to go when he wanted to relax, or to discuss things. He invited them to sit.
“So, my friends,” he began, “is there something I can help you with?”
“Well, we’re still in the dark on a number of different points,” responded Emily.
“We’ve learned a great deal since arriving in Shinozuka,” added Gwenn, “but there are so many things to know! About the creatures peopling Galadria, about ourselves, about eorens... Once again, we have many questions!”
“So, let me answer a few of them, if I can, at least.”
“Perhaps you could explain something that we know very little about: we came across what I believe were barbarians, just outside the village,” declared Glaide.
“Barbarians?” exclaimed the man. “Near the village? How is that possible? They usually remain with their clans, scattered in the northwest part of the Known Lands.”
“Actually, one of them seemed to be about to massacre an entire family that lived in a small woods,” responded the young man. “There was a brief combat during which we... Well, we had ample opportunity to observe what strength these giants have. And then another barbarian arrived. They fought. Apparently the second one intended to defend the humans, while the first bitterly wanted to show that he didn’t serve Baras. We didn’t entirely understand what was happening.”
Zorick let out a deep sigh. “These warriors generally remain in their own land, but I suppose that their battles with each other became so violent that they had to leave their land. Whatever the case, they were impressive individuals, weren’t they?”
“That’s for sure,” said Jeremy enthusiastically. “They practically created an earthquake when they fought!”
“They are extremely powerful creatures. Their tribes know next to nothing about magic, but their strength is tremendous. They make choice companions: courageous, daring... At the same time, though, they have quite a penchant for alcohol, which makes them the life of the party at the taverns that they frequent – but those parties often finish with a good brawl. Yes, a few barbarians in an inn, and you can be sure that the tables and chairs will be reduced to splinters!” Zorick said, breaking into laughter. Apparently, he was recalling some old memories.
Then he became solemn once more and continued, “However, as you said, they are divided. Contrary to the humans, who have proven their solidarity in the face of adversity, the barbarians have turned on one another. Some are for making an alliance with humans, to combine forces against Baras, while others instead consider us weak. For the latter, we are nothing but a nuisance – a bacteria that has developed and is eating away at Galadria. We are much more numerous than they are, which frightens them. As would be true of any race, they do not want to disappear for the sake of another race.”
“Speaking of disappearing,” intervened Gwenn, “When you showed us the Book of Eternal Twilight, you spoke of dwarves and elves. Do they still exist today? Could we come across some at some point?”
The man thoughtfully scratched his chin. “According to some stories, these peoples still exist. However, dwarves live hidden, shut in under the mountains to the east, little interested in the things of this world. As for elves... They live in the heart of certain forests and woods, scattered throughout the Known Lands. No one can say for sure how many member of these races still exist, but there are certainly not many remaining today.”
“So what you mean is that all that really remain are the humans, now a majority, and the barbarians, who don’t want to find themselves in the same position as the dwarves or the elves, which is to say, forgotten, and practically extinct,” summarized Jeremy.
“That’s pretty much it, my friend. But to be clear, many races people Galadria. Without evening mention our enemies, who aren’t limited to just orks and goblins, there are many creatures that we can only call neutral... dragons, for example.”
“Dragons,” said Glaide with a breath, completely astounded.
“Well of course dragons,” repeated Zorick, looking astonished. “I know you’re not from around here, but you certainly know about dragons...”
The four friends broke into laughter.
“Yes, yes of course,” Emily reassured him. “We know of them. It’s just that where we come from, they’re legendary creatures, with some cultures considering them wise and noble, and others as greedy and dangerous.”
“Hmmm...” he said, thoughtfully. “You’re not far from the truth. Dragons are creatures of an intelligence at least equal to that of humans, but with superior wisdom. They have consciences, and by consequence, also have free will; each one can choose for itself how it will live. Some live in packs, pillaging and killing all those who cross their paths, while others are content to only eat what they need to survive, and generally remain hidden in their caves. But I have to warn you: there is little chance that you will come across any.”
“But I thought there were only humans here now,” said Glaide enthusiastically.
“Oh no, not at all. Although these different tribes are the minority, Galadria remains peopled by numerous races. It’s true that during the time of Novak they were more present, which is no longer the case today, but we are certainly not alone. The worshippers of Aras were also a very large group. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the God of Good is worshipped very little now. We speak often of Baras, but only rarely of his brother. Actually, long ago, his most fervent worshippers were the elves and the dwarves.” Zorick paused, seemingly deep in thought. He was absorbed in memories that the teens could do nothing more than try to imagine.
“Many things have changed since then,” murmured Emily.
“Yes, many, many things,” murmured the man.
“But,” began Gwenn softly, trying to bring their companion back to reality, “this golden age when everything was good, when it rained, when there were many people groups, when protectors gained power from the schools that were being created... When was that, exactly?”
“But wait,” interrupted Jeremy, “Today, we’re once again in a critical time, after what could be called an era of prosperity. So, it appears in theory, everything that Novak did needs to be repeated, right?”
The man looked surprised. “Well, yes, exactly.” He looked as though Jeremy had just stated a completely obvious triviality. “But that’s why you are here,” he said to Glaide.
“What?”
Zorick seemed to look more and more stupefied. “You...” he murmured. “You don’t know?”
“Wait, what are you saying? We’re just two protectors and their maggs. We’ll do our best to help this world, but I don’t see any connection between us and Novak. I have nothing to do with him at all!” Glaide said the last phrase as though he were trying to convince himself. He could see that their companion was completely dumbstruck.
“But... You... You’re the Destroyer. Didn’t the Guardian tell you anything about that?”
“Again with this business about the Destroyer,” said Emily in annoyance. “That’s exactly what Baras called Glaide, and the term seems to have something to do with Novak, but could you please explain what this is all about?”
The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He thought for a moment, thinking everything through in his head, than a smile illuminated his face and he explained, “If Baras called you by that name, that means the Guardian was right: you are indeed the Destroyer, the hope of this world!”
“No one has said anything about that,” Jeremy said skeptically.
“Before leaving for the Forest of the Worlds, the Guardian spoke to the king, the master mage, and the leader of Adrish. He announced to them that he had discovered two maggs in another world, as well as the future Destroyer. He spoke of you, Glaide.”
“But he never said anything about it,” exclaimed Emily.
“And that surprises me as much as it does you.”
“Perhaps he simply didn’t have the time?” guessed Gwenn. “After all, he died shortly after we arrived. Perhaps he counted on talking about it later?”
“For goodness sake, if Glaide really is the Destroyer, that completely changes our role in all of this; our presence here has nothing to do with simply being maggs!”
“Calm down, Emily,” said Glaide very deliberately. He perfectly understood her vehemence. This new information about the Destroyer explained many things, such as the behavior of Drekhor, who had seemed completely enraptured to learn that Baras was searching for Glaide, or the doggedness with which the god sought his death. However, that also proved something else: unfortunately, he presented a very real danger for his group because, if what Zorick said was true, his enemy would never leave him in peace.
“At any rate,” began the young man aloud once again. “How come no one explained that they had actually brought me to Galadria because I was the Destroyer?”
“Well, I suppose it was because everyone thought you already knew, like I did.”
“So then,” said Jeremy in summary, “the Guardian omitted saying, or didn’t have the time to say, that we were more than maggs and protectors, that we have with us the Destroyer, this being who is synonymous with hope and associated with Novak. So we’re really not supposed to live the typical lives of magicians at all...”
“Right. That’s it exactly,” agreed Zorick. “Nonetheless, I still can’t believe that you went this whole time without knowing what your destiny is.”
“Maybe it was a good thing that they skipped over all of that,” grumbled Emily.
Glaide’s mind was spinning: henceforward, he had a purpose, and he felt proud that he would perhaps be able to solve a number of the problems that plagued Galadria. Once more, he found himself plunged deep in thought. What should he do? Where should he start? Gathering information about maggs was already hard enough, but learning how the Destroyer was supposed to act would be simply impossible. “I guess I’ll have to improvise,” thought the young man.
And to start with, he needed to make a decision about his idea of leaving. On one side, the danger he put his companions in was real, because it seemed that he represented a great hope for all people, or at least, Baras believed that was the case. But on the other side, did he have the right to abandon his companions? Before being the Destroyer, wasn’t he just Glaide, their friend and leader?
He quickly realized that to reconcile the two ideas, there was just one solution. He needed to become strong. That idea immediately translated in his mind into studying the technique of Iretane. Thanks to Iretane, he wouldn’t have to choose between what he desired and what was prudent. Yes, the weeks to come would be critical for Glaide. He had delayed long enough. It was time that the mechanism of Destiny begin to move, and for that, he would have to make a choice: stay or go.
Everyone remained around the table, silent, plunged deep in their own thoughts. No one could say how much time had passed, but when Emily interrupted the silence to suggest they return to the inn, the sun had already begun to set.
Chapter 24
THE end of the week arrived. Glaide was excited at the idea of returning to the clothing shop to collect his new clothes. He woke early in the morning, so that he wouldn’t disturb his friends, and so that he could surprise them. The merchant had wrapped everything up in a packet that he could carry under his arm. He changed quickly, happy to tie on the bracers, to put on his black pants, his heavy vest.
At that moment, once he’d completely dressed, he felt a great happiness overwhelm him. Finally, he felt as though he belonged to this world. He was no longer different; he was now an integral part of Galadria. A huge smile appeared on his face. Dressed as he was, he felt ready to face anything. Yes, he even felt ready to confront the unknown, to confront solitude. Completely happy, he took pleasure in belting on his sword. The little pouches were perfectly comfortable.
When his friends saw him appear, they stood with their mouths open. Gwenn was the first to finally speak. “Wow, that’s really cool, Glaide!”
“Hmmm... that certainly makes you look different,” conceded Emily.
“And there you have it,” said Jeremy. “Before you is the Destroyer. The ‘Savior’ of this world.” At that, the whole group broke into laughter. Glaide, however, thought it would be a good idea to hang on to his old clothing. Perhaps one day he would need them again.
He walked about for a moment on the road, simply taking joy in trying out his boots and in hearing the sound his clothes made as the materials rubbed against each other. He then practiced drawing his sword, and tried out a few other movements to make sure that everything was perfect, and that nothing in his outfit would impede his movements – but the woman had really done excellent work! His friends watched for a while as he ran about, jumped, and walked.
“Just like a little kid,” cried Gwenn, laughing out loud.
And so passed the last two weeks of August. Finally integrated into the population of Galadria, the adolescents passed what would have been the last days of their vacation in training, wandering about, and doing whatever they wanted. As the month of September began, the worries that filled Glaide’s mind had nothing to do with returning to school. While it’s true that knowing which teacher will persecute during the year can be preoccupying, knowing whether or not you would need to travel alone in an unknown and hostile world was also quite a sticky question!
&n
bsp; That being said, the young man had actually, without admitting it, already made his choice. From the moment he had accepted his new outfit, he had been unable to stop himself from asking those around him about what herbs would be necessary to treat wounds, what plants and such were edible, and where he could find them, and he had taken great care to copy the map so that he would be able to leave one with his friends. His voyage was already planned, and everything was ready.
Of course, he didn’t know where to go. His only goal for the moment was to seek out the master of Iretane, but he could be anywhere. However, the young man tried not to think too much about that. He no longer saw things the same way, and the abyss of despair that had engulfed him when he first suggested the idea to Emily – more than a month ago – had been dulled by a better understanding of his surroundings and a better knowledge of how to work a sword. All the same, though, leaving his friends to search for someone who might be nothing but a mirage wasn’t a perfectly pleasant idea.
The fourth of September was marked by a huge celebration, organized by the king. All of the people of Shinozuka were invited to watch the knights in jousting matches, tournaments, and martial arts demonstrations, which made it a good occasion for the young people to discover the breadth of different styles and weapons that could be employed in defense against Baras.
That evening, Glaide and Jeremy admired the grace of the dancers of Galadria, all while urging their friends to accept the offers to dance that several knights made. More than once, the group laughed until they cried as they watched troubadours miming a battle between a dwarf and a giant, more than once, Glaide lost himself in looking at the flames of the immense fire that had been lit just before the village, and more than once, he felt his throat tighten and his heart beat painfully in his chest.
At around two in the morning, the small group returned to the inn, heads filled with the music and images of the celebration. Gwenn, Emily, and Jeremy fell asleep quickly. Glaide, however, under the pretext of some pressing need, went back down to the common room. It was deserted at that hour. Everyone was still partying outside, and no one remained but the innkeeper. The adolescent asked for something to write on, then began his letter under the glow of a candlestick.
Chronicles of Galadria I - The Other World Page 19