The Blue Journal (Fantasmagoria Book 1)

by I. B. George

  Behind him, the aide watched him swaying in the saddle and guessed what had happened. He rode nearer and reached over to grab the horse’s reins so he could lead it along the path in case it strayed.

  “You scoundrel,” hissed Kolar, his eyes still closed. “I told you to stay behind with the men or else you’ll ruin the tracks on the road and they’re already hard to see because of the rain.”

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” stammered the aide. “I just thought…”

  “I’m not paying you to think,” Kolar cut him short. “Your job is to follow my orders. Do you understand?”

  “I understand, Captain,” uttered the aide as he rode back, joining the soldiers at the back.

  Kolar opened his eyes and looked towards the path on his right.

  I’m getting tired, he thought to himself. Good thing this fellow woke me up. I could have missed the footprints and going back would have been a disaster. Thank the gods that didn’t happen! I can still see the marks of the horses we’re following and judging by the path they took, they must be heading towards Mivas’s Tavern. I do hope they’re not stopping just to change horses and that they stay there longer, so we can catch up with them.

  A clap of thunder rang out, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up at the black, threatening clouds from which the rain continued to pour mercilessly.

  We ought to stop… even if it’s just for two hours. The men could use a bit of a rest or else they’ll fall off their horses in no time. I hope the prince and his companions spend the night at the inn. If not, those two hours would lengthen the distance between us even more. O, Lokar, give me strength and I promise I’ll give lots of offerings when all of this is over!

  He scratched the long scar on his left cheek, a legacy of an old dispute. Whenever the weather was bad, the wound bothered him and its edges took on a purple hue because of the cold and damp.

  Despite this mark, Kolar could be considered a handsome, well-built man and the scar gave him an air of distinction and courage. At thirty-seven, he was in his prime, his strength complemented by his imposing stature and well-proportioned frame. His long black hair reached almost to his shoulders and he hardly shaved, but that didn’t make him look scruffy, on the contrary, it enhanced the tough and determined air he exuded.

  He motioned to the aide to come closer and the latter galloped towards him.

  “At your orders, Captain!”

  “Tell the soldiers we will soon stop and have a two hour break. They should use that time to rest because I don’t think we will stop again until we find the Prince of Eremon.”

  “Understood!”

  “Send someone ahead to look for a sheltered spot to set up camp, preferably by a small copse.”

  “Right away, Captain.”

  He saluted curtly then headed towards the platoon. A few moments later, perked up by the thought of a break, one of the soldiers started at a gallop ahead of his captain in search of a suitable place.

  Kolar watched him for a while then pulled the upper part of his cape over his face to protect himself from the downpour and continued to carefully inspect the footprints as he urged his horse slowly through the long grass by the road.

  ***

  The roosters’ crows announced the first hours of a new day. The seven friends congregated before dawn to get ready, as they’ve agreed in the evening. They had been at the inn for over ten hours and they felt well rested as they put the last touches to their preparations.

  Mivas had prepared something to eat for the road and had replenished their water supplies. Generously, Radius threw him another gold coin which the innkeeper caught in mid-flight, before it even reached the table.

  In the stables, Mivas’s boys were grooming the horses which have been fed and rested in the last few hours, in preparation for the long journey ahead towards the Border.

  In his room, Robert had already put on the clothes which had been drying by the warm fire in the large dining hall. He was getting his bag ready for the journey, cramming in his father’s things and the supplied prepared by the innkeeper.

  He’d already heard the professor’s voice in the courtyard giving the final orders to saddle the horses, and he was starting to consider going downstairs. He pulled his boots by the straps and over his trousers then buttoned his leather vest and put on his cape. He grabbed the bag, glancing once more around the room to make sure he hasn’t left any of his things behind. He saw his father’s compass on top of the cabinet by the window.

  He held it and checked the dial, recalling Captain Vidar’s hunches and the discussion that followed. The needle started gyrating with dizzying speed then it slowed down and eventually stopped, indicating the direction they came from the previous day. The dial spun and the raindrop, the symbol of the Water Chosen, positioned itself in line with the compass needle.

  Startled, Robert realised that Captain Vidar’s feeling had been more than a hunch. It became clear that King Tyreas’s men were close behind, less than one day away from the tavern. He decided not to say anything to his friends until after he’d discussed it with Radius. His heart was pounding as he realised that Tyreas’s men were so near when there was so little left of their journey.

  Buried deep in his thoughts, he came out of his room, climbed down the stairs and went into the inn’s courtyard. The rain had stopped in the meantime and wide puddles stood proof of the deluge which had abated over the kingdom in the last two days.

  He went over to his horse and said hello to his companions who greeted him with a smile. He placed his foot in the stirrup and clambered onto the horse’s back in one swift movement, anchoring himself firmly in the saddle.

  Mivas replied with a curt movement of his head to Rolan’s silent question, reassuring him that his secret would be safe.

  Radius turned his horse around and greeted the innkeeper for the last time as the others followed behind in silence, urging their horses.

  The morning light was still dusky and Yari, the Night Goddess was guiding their way with the help of a large, round moon. The roads were still drenched in water and the moon reflected in the puddles that had formed all over the place after the rain in the past days.

  The professor spurred his horse on, increasing the cadence and forcing thus his companions to do the same. Robert took advantage of this change in the rhythm and urged his steed, approaching Radius who turned to face him.

  “Good thing the rain stopped. It was a wise decision to spend the night at the inn. The horses really needed a rest as I don’t know how much longer they would have lasted after marching on these muddy roads.”

  “I’m not sure it was such a good idea, Professor,” replied Robert. “We allowed our pursuers to catch up with us.”

  “What do you mean?” enquired Radius.

  “Before I left my room I checked my father’s compass… the needle pointed to where we came from and the dial rotated to the symbol of the Water Chosen. I wanted to talk to you first before telling the others…”

  “You did the right thing, Robert. Hmm, I really thought they lost us. I don’t understand how Tyreas always manages to keep at our heels. If I didn’t know better, I would think that one of our friends was a spy. Now I’m starting to believe those who say that Tyreas has the help of a sorcerer in his mission to destroy us.”

  “Shall we tell the others?”

  “Not yet. I wouldn’t want to ruin the sense of security they feel right now. We will stick to our plan and head towards the Boundary, as agreed. We should hurry though because we don’t really know how close Tyreas’s people are.”

  “I trust the oracle’s prophecy… So far, no matter what obstacles we came across, we managed not to sway from our goal.”

  “Let’s not anger the gods, Robert. If Lokar turns his back on us we might have to face a less favourable fate. Sitting around doing nothing, waiting for the prophecy of the Oracle of Konaar to come true… I don’t think that’s the right solution. We must be cautious and do our best to fulfil this p
rophecy because after all, we’re doing this for the people of Elementis who’ve had no choice in being ruled by a tyrant.”

  “You’re right, Radius. Thank you again for being there for me.”

  “I have to, Robert. First of all because of my friendship with your parents… and second of all, to make up for the all mistakes I’ve made when I allowed this lunatic to take over the entire Elementis.”

  Robert gazed at him. He suspected there were many regrets in his friend’s heart and that he held himself responsible for King Tyreas’s ascension to power and the death of his parents. They continued riding alongside, each with their own thoughts, as the first ray of light appeared, reddening the horizon.

  ***

  “You promised me he won’t get away this time!” bellowed Tyreas, angrily slamming the table with his fist.

  The sorcerer’s utensils rattled as they knocked against each other from the blow and the potions swayed uncontrollably in the test tubes and the jars on the table.

  Elian stopped himself from casting a spell on the king, managing to keep his cool till the end. His plan was still a long way away from completion and Tyreas could still be of some use to him. Later on, as he conquered Akros as well, he would no longer require his presence and he would banish him or throw him into Zathar’s arms.

  “Patience, Your Greatness,” he replied sweetly while his eyes glistened with fury. “They got away this time…”

  “As they do every time!” retorted Tyreas furiously.

  “… but all they achieved was to gain a bit more time,” continued Elian unflinchingly. “We will catch them in the end, don’t you ever doubt that.”

  Tyreas clenched his fists in anger as he thought about the prophecy closing in.

  “You assured me we would catch them on their way back from Akros.”

  “Yes, I admit I didn’t think they would choose to leave the Upper Realm via such a treacherous path. However, Kolar is right behind them and he’s already getting closer to the prince’s group.”

  “I’ll send my troops to wait for them by the Serpent’s Gorge,” said Tyreas as he pointed the place on the map which lay on the table.

  The Serpent’s Gorge was a winding byway flanked by steep hills and the only path to follow for those going to the Forgotten Outpost or further on to the Boundary. Those who wanted to keep away from this road and chose the paths across one of the hills would spend an extra day longer on the road than those crossing the gorge.

  “If they choose to go through the gorge, my troops will capture them there and if they decide to go back, they will fall into Kolar’s hands. If they avoid the gorge and go onto the paths on the hills, they’ll waste another day and that would allow Kolar to catch up with them. So you see, sorcerer, this time they don’t stand a chance!”

  “We thought as much when they were in Akros,” mumbled Elian, “and still, they escaped. Maybe the Oracle of Konaar is right after all, King Tyreas.”

  The king jumped up anxiously from his armchair.

  “The Oracle of Konaar and all the priests who worship Lokar are things of the past. Where was the great god of destiny when I was the one deciding the fate of those in Elementis?”

  “Don’t offend the gods, my King. They were here long before us and they will continue to be here after we’ve crossed into Zathar’s world. Lokar spins the thread of destiny as he wishes. If he allowed you to subdue the three kingdoms of Elementis ten years ago, then he must’ve had a plan. And right now, it is possible for that plan to have changed or maybe that’s what he had intended from the beginning.”

  “That’s a whole load of nonsense and not even the children in the Kingdom of Water believe in it anymore. Don’t tell me that every man reaps what he sows?”

  “Indeed, great King,” Elian emphasised what Tyreas had just said, “except that by angering Lokar, what you sow might be the last thing you reap.”

  ***

  The sun had gone past midday and the warmth of its rays dried up the mud on the roads. The seven friends had long left Mivas’s Tavern and now they were advancing steadily, following in the Professor’s steps.

  They kept away from Heldor Castle in their attempt to avoid any encounter with King Tyreas’s soldiers. They were wasting several precious hours by going round the long way, but they had agreed it was the best route to take in order to avoid any complications.

  From the lead, the Professor called out to Rolan who urged his horse and approached Radius.

  “How far till the Boundary, my friend?” asked the Professor, turning to face him.

  “I reckon we’re two hours away from the Serpent’s Gorge which should take one hour, perhaps one hour and a half to cross. Once on the other side of the gorge, if we keep our pace, we should be at the Boundary by sundown. We could stop there, have a break and get ready properly for crossing through such a hostile land.”

  “Have you ever been there?”

  “Only once… I must have been twelve. My father took me along once to hunt silver foxes. I remember it being very cold and the snow being tossed around by blizzards whistling terrifyingly. All I wanted was to go back to the castle as quickly as possible.”

  “We will stop for about two hours to let the horses rest for a while before we enter the Boundary.”

  “I don’t know if our horses will make it to the end of the journey or even if the roads are good enough for riding… we will probably have to walk through the snow banks for the last hours.”

  “As Lokar wishes, my friend… we’re in his hands.”

  “I just hope, Professor, that the prince’s people are still alive. We must take into consideration that in the Kingdom of Fire they were used to the warm weather and they might not have survived the cold in the Boundary after all these years.”

  “It would be devastating to get there and find the place deserted. In that case, all our efforts would have been in vain. Without the support of those few thousands of the prince’s subjects, we won’t be able to overturn Tyreas.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Professor,” agreed Rolan. “I could even add that…”

  Rolan didn’t get to finish what he was saying as a piercing cry rang out from high up in the sky and made everyone look up. It was Khar, circling above their heads and scrutinizing the roads intently. He dived down towards the Professor’s outstretched arm and, flapping slowly, landed on his hand.

  “Nice to see you, my friends,” uttered the falcon in his grave voice.

  “Welcome, Khar,” replied the Professor, gazing at him tenderly. “What brings you to us, my friend?”

  “Judging by the road you’ve taken, you must be heading towards the Serpent’s Gorge, right?”

  “That’s right, my friend,” confirmed Radius. “According to Rolan who knows these roads pretty well, it’s the only path that leads to the Border.”

  “Rolan is right, Professor. For anyone who’s in a hurry to get to the Boundary, this is the fastest route. Only you’re heading towards a trap.”

  A murmur spread among the seven friends.

  “Tyreas!” uttered Azar spitefully.

  “Exactly, Master,” confirmed Khar. “His soldiers have blocked the other side of the gorge and are waiting for you to fall into their trap. The other soldiers, those who have been following you ever since you crossed Zathar’s Trail are less than a day behind you.”

  “We’re being followed?!” exclaimed the quiet Voras.

  “Yes, Voras! I knew since morning that the king’s men were following us and that’s why I’ve been rushing for the past few hours. Only Robert and I knew about it… but we didn’t want to tell you, so as not to worry you.”

  “That means there’s no way out,” intervened Akura.

  “Not exactly,” replied Rolan. “We could take the paths on the hills… but that means wasting almost a whole day on the road. This would shorten the distance between us and our pursuers, but it could be our only chance to evade the trap set by Tyreas and avoid the troops in the gorge.�
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  “That’s what we shall do then, friends,” decided Radius. “We’d better travel as far away from the ridge of the hill as possible, so the king’s soldiers don’t see us.”

  “I’ll take care of that, Professor. As a child, I used to come to these places with my father a lot. I know the roads inside out. In fact, if we choose the paths on the left hill we could reach the other side two hours earlier.”

  “Rolan, you lead the way,” said Azar. “We’d better be on our way and not lose another second.”

  “Let’s be off then,” Radius’s voice rang out. “Khar, keep an eye on the king’s men and let me know if there’s any change in their plans.”

  “I’ll do that, Professor,” agreed the falcon as he flew off the Professor’s arm.

  “Let’s go!” they called in one voice and urged their horses towards the Serpent’s Gorge.

  Rolan thrust his heels into the horse’s belly, making it give a balky snort as it started galloping in a cloud of dust. Radius and Robert darted behind him, followed closely by Voras and Azar. Captain Vidar took the rear of the small convoy while Akura, ghostly white, ran alongside his friends thinking about the time of the fourth phase of the moon getting near.

  An hour later they stood by the entrance to the Serpent’s Gorge and from there they started on the paths known by Rolan, all the time trusting their lucky star.

  ***

  The homing pigeon[17] was released from Kolar’s hands and he broke the seal bearing King Tyreas’s coat of arms and started reading the message at once.

  When he finished, he crumpled the piece of paper and placed it inside the pocket of his cape, motioning to his aide to come closer.

  “Your orders, Captain!” he called from a distance of a horse’s length away.

  “This is our chance to catch up with the prince and his companions.”

  “Do you think so, Captain?” asked his aide in surprise.

  “I’ve just received a message from the king. He has blocked their exit from the Serpent’s Gorge. This time we’ll get them.”