“Time to scout, ranger. But don’t stray too far. Tyndur, back him up,” said Tyler.
The pair moved quickly. The mage knew from experience that the two expected the instructions. Kobu and Astrid moved to the front, replacing the scouting duo. After a few minutes, Tyler raised his hand.
“Now we wait for them. If somebody or something attacks them, we all move forward as fast as we could in ready positions,” the young mage instructed. “In the meantime, we rest.”
The group waited for the better part of an hour. Tyler kept on looking at Asem nervously. Of all of them, the priestess was the one with some intuitive abilities – a side effect of the high level of her healing skill. Asem kept shaking her head, signifying that she had received no adverse sensation or intuition. After the third time, the priestess finally advised Tyler to sit down and rest. She’ll notify him if something is wrong.
Two figures suddenly appeared and moved quickly to the group. The two immediately proceeded to Tyler. Kobu and Astrid, still on guard positions, moved closer so they could hear the report.
“The most bizarre place I have seen, sire,” reported Habrok. “The sky is permanently overcast, though things are visible enough, similar to late afternoon, when night nears and daylight starts to surrender its hold on the world. The ground and rocks are of a dark substance, looks like soil with glass beads mixed in, I can’t say it’s normal. Stalagmites dot the landscape, ponds of either some noxious steaming substance or outright lava geysers are quite common, and whatever natural features I could observe appeared blasted in some way. Several tall mountains could be observed in the distance but even their outlines reveal cracked and irregular contours. The terrain itself undulates around cracks and craters in the ground. Wisps of smoke float around. Damnedest thing I saw.”
“Creatures? Beasts?” asked Tyler.
“Flying creatures of some kind around the peaks. I can’t identify them. No sign of ground creatures, alive or undead, within a mile. My assessment is that the presence of the revenants in this valley must have frightened them off.”
“Any sign of the light show we observed earlier?” asked the mage.
“Only a pulsating glow in the distance, observable only once one crosses the rise at the valley’s exit. Though it still of different colors, it only shows up intermittently. I believe whatever battle was there, as the priestess suspected, is winding down,” answered Habrok.
“Thanks, Habrok. Though it is curious why the undead didn’t cross over to the Void Lands,” remarked the mage.
“Tyndur? Anything to add?” the mage asked the einherjar.
“None, sire. Except that we should have brought a bard with us. The Barren and Void Lands seem to promise adventures no hero had experienced. Nor have these lands been the subject of an epic.”
Then the einherjar stopped, rubbed his temples, and his face suddenly had the expression of a man cheated.
“Wait. I seem to recall a bard singing an epic about the Void Lands. Where three rogues… chased… after… a double-crossing… son-of-a-bitch. And their names were… Damn it! Those three grave robbers we met! They’re the subject of the tale! Well, hit me on the head with Mjolnir and call me a Frost Giant! They got to be in an epic tale first!”
Chapter Note:
The story of one of the adventures of the rogues being made into an epic tale by bards was mentioned in Stories of Adar: Tales from the Abyss (Book I)
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Barrier
It’s like being on an alien planet.
The impression planted itself on Tyler’s mind as he crested the elevation marking the exit. Before him lay the surreal landscape Habrok described. But to the mage, it was far more interesting due to his magically-enhanced senses. He could see small bands of energy whipping around the landscape. The variety of forms and colors was astounding. Tyler had paused on the rise, with Asem at his side.
“You see what I see, priestess?”
“Yes, sire. A vortex of strange energies, coming from different realities. Look above us.”
Following Asem’s instructions, Tyler looked up. An intense display of clashing colors met his gaze. It was as if some of the energies loose in the Void Lands were smashing against an invisible wall, breaking into smaller sprays, and as they were repulsed from the barrier, struck other emanations. Despite the block, the mage could see tiny strands seeping through the wall of energy.
“What the hell is that?” exclaimed Tyler.
“An educated guess, sire – strands of myriad energies from the Void Lands hitting the remains of a barrier the inhabitants or rulers of the Barren Lands had created long ago. The different, loose streams hitting it are quite weak, being stray discharges. But in time, that barrier will give way. The other sides of the Void Lands are ringed with towering and broad mountain ranges which dissipate such stray energies, either dissolving them or rendering them too weak by the time they reach human lands. Not so in this direction. Once the barrier crashes, we only have the latent energy of the Barren Lands to slow them down. Worse, the empty land itself might absorb the outflow, tainting the natural energy of this world. A grave and critical problem. One which threatens Adar itself. And I doubt if the remaining pantheons have the combined power to cleanse this land,” sighed Asem.
“You knew that before we entered these lands?”
“Of course not, sire. But the sight of such a strange interplay of energies does raise questions in my mind. The curious, intellectual mortal side of me, I believe. It’s a problem for future generations, but there’s no guarantee they can address the threat when the time comes.”
Creation and destruction. The two main magical modules of Elder knowledge given to me. No, not given. Made accessible. I still have my work cut out for me trying to obtain the needed lore, silently reflected the mage. Does that mean those manipulative bastards expected me to include this problem on my “to-do” list? Well, here’s news for you assholes, I don’t have the freaking manual! I might have a conscience as the next guy, but there’s no way I am ignorantly sticking my hands in the innards of a running jet engine in order to fix it.
“Any ideas why that undead horde didn’t spill over to the Void Lands? That curious anomaly piqued my curiosity,” asked Tyler.
“They kept to an area close to the barrier. I guess the energy of the barricade prevented them from moving forward. Though whatever wisps of power got through were responsible for their mutation. And I suppose they had been continuing to feed on such scraps,” replied Asem.
“I guessed that was the case. There’s no way an ancient barrier could completely prevent some of the Void Land’s chaos from seeping through.”
Suddenly, Tyler’s world turned into a shimmering cube. But after all he had experienced when meeting strange and often demanding entities, the mage was already familiar with the occurrence. Somebody or a voice, or voices, would make an appearance, and things would proceed from there. He was sick and tired of it.
Unless this is a prison. Which I doubt. The surroundings feel warm and there’s an aura of subservience in the air.
A form took shape in front of him, about six feet away. The figure quickly took on substance and the mage found himself looking at a humanoid entity, entirely white. Disconcertingly, it had no facial features. No eyes, ears, mouth, or ears. A plain blank surface was facing him.
“Praise the Elders!” said the being, its female voice echoing softly from all around the space. The white form went down on both knees and bowed. Thrice.
“Uh, nice to meet you too,” replied the utterly surprised mage. Of all possible reactions, this was one he didn’t expect. The entity stood up.
“It has been so long, Elder. I have not expected one of the masters to be back. I thought, forgive the impertinence, that the race died out.”
“I guess it did. At least those that ruled this land. It’s now known as the Barren Lands. A vast, desolate, and bizarre place. But not as strange as the Void Lands, I expect,” repl
ied Tyler.
The being turned and gazed at the sides of the cube, looking as if it could indeed see the lands the mage was describing.
“An unfortunate occurrence. A dangerous experiment gone wrong? A search for forbidden knowledge angering a powerful being? Hubris? Who could say? I didn’t have the freedom to go beyond the bounds of my prison. I do remember the land as it looked then – majestic forests, impressive structures, a beautifully diverse fauna, and the adamantine grip of its imperial rulers,” commented the being.
“Who are you? I believe we skipped that part,” asked Tyler.
“Hah. Names. I do not have any worthy of remembering. But I am of this world. Once a powerful being, now reduced to being the source of energy for this barrier.”
“You’re a native of Adar?” exclaimed the mage.
“Is that what it is called now by the… strangers to this land? It was called a different name by those who came before you. But you appear to be of a different mold. No trace of the… baser traits which characterized your forebears.”
“I hope not. And I mean that. The people who populated and ruled this region do not seem to be of a gentle persuasion,” Tyler commented.
“Do I have the freedom to describe them, Elder?”
“Of course. But what do I call you?” asked the mage.
“Barrier would do, Elder. For now, that is what I am. What I am reduced to. I don’t, or can’t, recall a different existence. The changes wrought on my being made sure of that. But I remember the pain of my transition. That’s an experience one won’t forget in a lifetime. Or several lifetimes,” the being answered, its tone marked with deep sadness with a tinge of pain and anger.
“Now to the people and rulers of this place. One would find it very difficult to find a worse race. The practices they engaged in, their beliefs, their very existence, all revolved around power. At least for the ruling class, who were of the Elder race and worshipped as gods. For the human cattle they brought with them, pleasure ruled them. And their rulers gave it to them. It was in the air, in the food they ate, in everything. The land was saturated with it. So willing cattle they were. They looked on with delight as their rulers ripped the hearts out of their spouses, clapped their hands as their children were flayed in heinous, dark ceremonies, gave themselves willingly when a crooked finger beckoned. Such a despicable, avaricious, and depraved people.”
“And the Void Lands?” asked Tyler.
“Their principal area for most of their experiments. Dark travesties against time and space. Many died in those misguided quests, ruled and ruler alike. But they were only the first. More followed, even after the realm was gone. But what I know is what I could see from this prison. Beyond that, I know nothing.”
Oh my God! Uncounted millennia of being stuck in this place! Being sucked of power to maintain the barrier! It’s like being a vampire’s eternal buffet! If there’s any hell for beings of energy, this would be it! thought the appalled mage, his entire being recoiling at the unbelievable cruelty of it all.
“And what would you have of me, Barrier? I don’t think you showed yourself to me for curiosity’s sake.”
“I am obligated to reveal myself to those of the Elder race who cross the wall of energy. And I wanted to see if you’re of the same kind as that of my cruel captors,” replied Barrier.
“And?”
“I see an opportunity to be rid of these eternal shackles. This profane feeding on my very essence! I am not a being of your world. I am of this world! What did I ever do to deserve this?” To his surprise, Tyler heard crying.
“Imagine millennia of suffering! Tied to this accursed place!” added the sobbing voice. The immense weariness and sadness behind the sound tore at his heart.
“Suffering? I thought you just powered the place,” said Tyler without thinking. Shit. That was an insensitive and stupid comment.
“Every time a stray energy hits the barrier, I feel it. And each strike chips away at my being. And the drain on my power! My essence! I am reduced to watching myself die through the ages!” cried out Barrier. “Set me free! You say you’re not of their kind! Of their beliefs! Set me free! By whatever beings you hold sacred, let my suffering end!”
“I don’t know how,” stuttered the mage, caught unaware by the demand.
“That’s the easy part! Merely absorb the barrier’s energy into yourself. Will it, and the energy will obey an Elder’s command!”
“Is she correct, Hal?” Tyler asked his guide.
“She is, Elder. And she was not lying about being of this world, not of the First World,” answered his guide in an unusually subdued tone.
Damn it. Why is the real thing never as simple as it is in books and movies? I didn’t read any such dilemmas in the story of Middle Earth. Why can’t matters be simple as an “us good, you evil” level?
Tyler didn’t reply immediately to the entity. Deep inside, he was wrestling with the implications of what was being asked. From his discussion with Asem, Tyler knew what would happen if ever the barrier disappears. Condemn an innocent being to its version of hell? Or condemn a world to eventual death when the otherworldly energies of the Void Lands are released to roam free on Adar?
Then the mage thought of his companions. Should I share the burden of decision? Of guilt?
No, Tyler finally decided. The decision has to be made by me. Bad enough that it’s an additional burden on my shoulders. I can’t shift it to my companions. That would be making things worse. Man, fucking Elders left their garbage everywhere. And then expected me to clean it up. Okay, not the Elders per se but their crazy brethren. But still. Fuck this!
“I am really sorry, Barrier. Setting you free now would condemn this world to exposure to the deadly and strange energies emanating from the Void Lands. This side is the only open portion of the Void Lands. It leads directly to the rest of the continent. Without the barrier, there’s nothing to prevent contamination of Adar. I don’t know what would happen exactly, but it’s surely going to be bad,” Tyler answered with a heavy sense of guilt.
“And I thought you were different,” came the dejected response. The tone, one of new hope brutally torn down by disappointment, was unbearable.
“I will find a way to set you free, Barrier. You have my promise.”
“Do you know how I was trapped, Elder? Somebody made a promise to me too,” softly said the voice.
Then the mage swiftly found himself back in the real world. Gone was the iridescent cube surrounding him. He felt so dirty. Tyler knew his conscience would forever be haunted and burdened by what he had experienced. At least until he set Barrier free. Another promise. One I really hope to keep.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Gnargssh” Yourself
“Sire?” Somebody called his attention. It was Habrok. “Which direction?”
Tyler looked at the bluffs in the distance. He could feel a strange, strong, and steady pulse of power coming from the rightmost collection of low hills. The ones nearest the majestic white-capped mountains protecting what the mage guessed were the lands of the Dual Monarchy of Sumer and Akkad. He turned to the priestess and asked Asem to confirm his observation.
“You’re right, sire. Though I could also feel a slight ebbing of its power. Not a fast flow. More like a tiny leak in a boat. But I believe the source of energy will still be there when we reach the site,” said Asem.
“Rightmost group of tall hills, Habrok. Scout ahead, but not more than fifty paces. The Barren Lands would be absurdly normal compared to this area. Good thing we’ll just be at its outer reaches,” instructed Tyler. Deep inside, he was worried that the alien nature of the region might defeat the ranger’s skills. But Habrok was his only option. The mage had secretly tried to send out a scrying tendril, but it disappeared a few moments after being cast.
“If this is just the fringes, I’d hate to see its inner regions,” commented Astrid.
“Me too, Astrid. Me too. Pray we won’t need to go in any further,” rep
lied Tyler.
As usual, Habrok kept the party under cover as they warily proceeded. Anything he could use – a defile, shadows cast by a hill, large boulders. Unlike the Barren Lands, the area had no vegetation, dead or alive. To make matters worse, strands of energy sometimes hit a member of the party. A random occurrence, but sometimes it resulted in the energy sensitive ones like Tyndur and Asem feeling some pain, being suddenly brought to a stop or in an extreme case, doubling over, clutching the stricken part of their bodies. Not all such stray energies had that effect. Some merely passed through the party without causing any adverse reaction. Tyler was surprisingly unaffected.
“Hal? X? How come these strange energies don’t affect me?”
“These are but minor wisps of energy, Elder. They might be from unknown dimensions but your Elder nature protects you. A focused stream would be another matter. Some kinds adversely affect the magically sensitive of this world,” said X.
“And the Followers of Zin? What kind of energy do they wield?”
“We did inform you it was a debased form of Elder energy. A perverted form of conventional energy, strengthened and corrupted by whatever process they used. As beings of Elder origin, they wouldn’t be bothered by the swarming bits of loose power you now see,” continued the guide.
“You do know how scared I am right now, don’t you?” said Tyler.
“Your body indices show extreme apprehension. A reaction which surprises us, considering conflict with the Followers is still some way off,” X commented.
“What did you expect? I found out a few minutes ago that my scrying spell doesn’t work. My other abilities could also be similarly affected. And forget about my martial skills. They don’t exist. And I don’t want to send out H in that chaotic mix of known and unknown energies. No telling what it would do to him,” said Tyler.
“You won’t have any problem with concentrated bursts, Elder. A scrying spell, by necessity, is a thin film of power which allows it to avoid detection in most instances. Its lessened strength also greatly affects it in an energy tempest such as that found here. H would do fine provided he doesn’t go too far from us,” replied Hal.
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