by Sam Ferguson
“Sounds like a lame reward,” Rafe commented quietly.
“In their culture, it is the highest honor to be worthy enough that Hatmul would choose them in death to guard Hammenfein. They keep mortals out, and prevent the spirits of the departed from escaping.”
“They are cursed from the beginning of this world,” Lady Arkyn put in. “As they were not created by Icadion, they are a cursed race, and can never attain a restful afterlife in the heaven city of Volganor. They are forever destined to return to the fires of hell. The best they can hope for is to prove strong enough to become captains in their afterlife.”
Rafe nodded and the three continued to watch Lubbok in silence as he shouted the appropriate prayers and laid Chabba and Chongor’s weapons in the grave with them. Then he motioned for the others to come and help pile the dirt on top.
After the graves were covered and the dead were buried properly, Rafe approached Lubbok and put a hand on the orc’s shoulder. “I never thought I would say this about an orc, but they were good men, er, I mean good orcs.”
Lubbok stared at Rafe for a moment and then nodded. Erik was about to come and interpret for them, but Lubbok waved him off. “Chongor, Chabba, good orcs,” Lubbok said in Common Tongue. His words were forced and a bit clumsy, but clear enough to be understood. “Rafe, good man,” Lubbok said as he poked Rafe in the chest with a thick finger.
Rafe nodded and patted Lubbok twice on the shoulder before turning back toward Tarntin. They found shelter in an old hut made of stone. For good measure, they sealed and barricaded the windows and the door. When the morning came, they made their way out across the plains again, heading northward toward the mountains and keeping the Black River at their left.
They made better time now that they had a horse for each person. They reached the base of the mountains before the first day ended. None of them said it, but they were all happy that this leg of the journey was without resistance.
They camped at the base of the mountains and feasted upon large steelhead which they fished from the Black River. When it came time for sleep, Erik volunteered for the first watch. He went out to the river and sat upon a large boulder near the water’s edge. He watched as the sun dropped below the horizon and the glorious pinks and oranges in the sky faded to be replaced by a thick blanket of night. As the darkness grew and the campfire near the others started to die down a bit, Erik scanned the area around them and started to let his mind wander. He wondered how Njar was doing in his own quest. Had he managed to find and stop Dremathor? Was Dremathor the Dark Sahale? He shook his head. He knew that couldn’t be it, or at least he hoped that was not the case. The Blacktongues had told Erik that they had recently seen the Dark Sahale come through and had tried to battle it. If that was in fact Dremathor, then that would mean that Njar had failed, and was dead. Erik could not bring himself to believe that Njar would have died. There had to be another shadowfiend that was the true murderer from Winter’s Beak. Dremathor was certainly dangerous, but Njar had said he was certain that Dremathor did not have the power of the sahale in him.
He thought of the strange encounter with Alkantar and sighed. If only that shadowfiend had given him better information. Then he wouldn’t be guessing at names in the dark while he sat at the edge of the Black River. He would at least know his enemy, and that would make the hunt more fair. As it stood now, he could only hope that the sahale living in Hermit’s Hole could tell him who the Dark Sahale was. If not, then they would have come this way for nothing of any real value. The Cult of Zammin hadn’t known any of the things Erik had hoped for. They didn’t even know how to counter the binding spell that held a sahale trapped in their human form. Erik cursed himself for the wasted time.
“This guy better know what I need to know,” Erik said as he rubbed his left shoulder to warm it up. It was not just a matter of thirteen murders in Winter’s Beak now. The Dark Sahale was going to trigger the end of the world. All life everywhere. It was unthinkable, but it felt true. Somehow, this one creature held the power to attract the Four Horsemen, and that would be the end of Terramyr.
Erik snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of shuffling footsteps approaching. He turned and scanned the darkness. He gripped his sword and was about to sound the alarm when a single man emerged from the shadows and approached him.
“I am not here to fight,” the man said. His voice was familiar, but Erik couldn’t quite place it. “Don’t you recognize me, Erik Lokton?”
Erik stood up from the boulder, keeping his hand on his sword. “State your name,” Erik said.
“My name, well, I go by several now,” the voice said. “I have been called many things, but the two names I use the most are Aparen, and Eldrik Cedreau.”
“Eldrik?!” Erik gasped. “But what are you doing here?”
Eldrik pulled back the hood covering his face and smiled softly. “I should have known you would follow me, Erik. You ever were a black or white kind of fellow, with little room for gray areas in life.”
“Gray areas?” Erik said. “What are you….” In an instant, it clicked for him. Eldrik had committed the murders. He was the shadowfiend that had gone through the ruins of Galardene, first as a monster, and then in the form of a dragon. After all, Eldrik was sahale as well. “It was you in Winter’s Beak?” Erik asked.
Eldrik nodded and stopped just out of arm’s reach from Erik. “I tried to find you first, to explain why it had to be done.”
“I am here now,” Erik said. “I am not without mercy.” Erik drew his sword, but he did not ignite the flames. “Explain to me now, and see if it can dissuade me from bringing you to justice.”
“I needed their power,” Eldrik explained as if it was all a simple matter. “Since leaving Fort Drake, I have studied everything I can about the Four Horsemen. The events with Tu’luh affected me deeply, and I knew there had to be more I could do, and I was right.”
“What do you mean?” Erik pressed. “You can’t murder other people and expect that to stop the Four Horsemen.”
“No, of course not,” Eldrik agreed. “But, I did learn of a magic that can be used to stop them by force. You see, they are going to come anyway, so why not invite them here and set a trap in the meantime?”
“You’re mad,” Erik said. “You can’t defeat them, no one can.”
“Wrong!” Eldrik said angrily. “As a shadowfiend, I can absorb the energy and strength of others. If I can get to the World Seed, and absorb its powers, then I will have the ability to stop all four of them. You could help, be there at my side for the final battle!”
Erik stopped short of ranting at Eldrik. He had heard about the World Seed, but didn’t see how it could be used against the Four Horsemen. Still, Eldrik was the first person to seem to have any inkling of something that might work. Perhaps it was worth it to at least hear what Eldrik intended to do. “How can you use the World Seed to stop them?” Erik asked.
Eldrik smiled. “There, finally, someone with enough sense to pursue the possibility!” Eldrik exclaimed. “The World Seed was used by Icadion to create the world,” Eldrik began.
“Yes, I know of that,” Erik interjected. Shermin and the other monks were more than happy to discuss their beliefs of how Terramyr was formed.
“The world Seed resides deep within our continent,” Eldrik said. “Did you know that it is the very thing that the Four Horsemen will need to access in order to kill this world?”
Erik stared in disbelief. “No, the World Seed isn’t connected to the world like that,” he said.
Eldrik nodded. “Yes it is. From the seed grows a great tree, and from there sprang the life force that fills this world. Kill the seed, and you kill the planet. That is why Terramyr created the Natural Races like the satyrs and the minotaurs; she was protecting herself after the Old Gods abandoned this world and let the forces of evil run amuck. But, we can use the seed, Erik. If you have enough power, you can absorb great strength and power from the World Seed. I am certain it is enoug
h to withstand the Four Horsemen.”
Erik shook his head. “This is madness. You are going to kill us all.”
“No, no, no! Erik, don’t you see? This is the only way. This is why I had to absorb the energy of the other sahale, that way I will be strong enough to absorb the power of the World Seed.”
“You are talking about going into the heart of Terramyr and taking the relic used by Icadion to create the world,” Erik said hotly. “No one can reach it, and even if they could, no mortal can absorb its power.”
“Wrong again!” Eldrik snarled as he flared his arms out and whirled about. “You know of the demi-gods, yes?” Eldrik held up his fingers and listed a few of them off. “Basei, Lisei, Esei, and the others. They all started out as mortals, but how do you think they got their powers? They went and took them from the World Seed. There were at least fifty adventurers that attempted the quest, but only the strongest survived the transfer of power.”
Erik turned and glanced toward the camp, considering whether to call for the others to join him, but Eldrik stepped in front of him, blocking off his line of sight. “Eldrik, while I agree that if it were possible to take powers from the World Seed, it would put us in a stronger position, there is nothing that I have read that indicates the powers of a Demi-god will be enough to stop the Four Horsemen. I have been researching this very topic as well, believe me!”
“None of the Demi-gods started as strong as I am now. I have the strength of nearly a score of our fellow sahale, and that is just the beginning. The best of the Demi-gods were only wizards and strong warriors when they went in. My research on the World Seed shows that it doesn’t simply grant you powers, it grants you powers in an exponential sense, using your current strength as the base factor. As I am already much more powerful than any of the others, I should come out with powers much greater than the Demi-gods!””
“Eldrik,” Erik began with a shake of his head. “If the World Seed was the key to defeating the Four Horsemen, then why wouldn’t the Old Gods use it themselves? Better than that, why didn’t the gods of Kendualdern, or any of the other worlds destroyed by the Four Horsemen, try the very same thing?
“Because they were cowards!” Eldrik said. “Look at how easily the Old Gods fled from this world! Icadion was chased out by one of his own sons! Is it any wonder that he should cower to the Four Horsemen as well? But, if I am leading the fight, maybe some of the Demi-gods and Old Gods will join in the battle. Maybe we will be able to succeed where all other worlds heretofore attacked by the Four Horsemen have failed.”
“Eldrik, listen to yourself, this isn’t right.” Erik said.
“Right?” Eldrik scoffed. “Since leaving Fort Drake, I have had visions. I have seen the Four Horsemen arrive and bombard this world with their massive fireballs. I have seen them kill thousands of innocent people with diseases and fires and floods, don’t tell me that what I am doing isn’t right. A few sacrifices made in order to save the whole. Those whose power I have absorbed shall be remembered as heroes. Their strength will make our final triumph possible. And then, once the Four Horsemen are gone, I will deal with the treacherous Old Gods as well, unless they vow to fight along my side against the Four Horsemen. I will bring peace to our world, and never shall there be strife again!”
There was a part of Erik that could understand Eldrik’s words. It almost made sense. Even Zammin had been willing to slay more than a score of orcish warriors in order to save his own fledgling, but this plan felt wrong. It wasn’t just the murders of the other sahale. Frankly, Erik could see the logic behind such a move even if he didn’t agree with it, but something deep within him told him that this plan would not work. He had to make Eldrik see his point.
“Eldrik, you know I have a gift of discernment. I know that you believe in what you are saying, but this doesn’t feel correct. Everything inside of me is telling me to stop you.” Erik put a hand out on Eldrik’s shoulder. “We fought together once, against Tu’luh. I would be honored to fight alongside you once more against the Four Horsemen, but not like this. There must be another way.”
Eldrik threw Erik’s hand off of him and stomped away. He folded his arms and threw his head up toward the sky as he took several deep breaths. After a few moments, he turned back around, marched up to Erik, and jabbed him in the chest with his right index finger as he glared at him. “You don’t understand! This is the only way! I have searched for any answer I could find, and this is the only one I have found. Show me another way, and I will go with you.” Eldrik poked him hard enough to shove Erik back two steps. “Well?!” Eldrik demanded. “Tell me your plan to stop them! Tell me how to end the nightmares that have plagued me. Tell me how to save our home world!”
Erik couldn’t understand what had driven Eldrik to this point. The last time he had seen the man, they had fought alongside each other to bring Tu’luh down. Now, Eldrik was speaking of murdering sahale, overthrowing demi-gods, and even storming Volganor. He was clearly not himself. Erik scanned Eldrik with his power to see the extent of Eldrik’s madness, but it did little to comfort him. Eldrik fully believed in what he was doing. It would be nearly impossible to convince him to stop the insanity.
“I don’t have a plan yet,” Erik answered truthfully.
“Ah,” Eldrik snarled. “Well, then my plan is the only viable option.” Eldrik stepped back and folded his arms once more.
“What of the sahale in Hermit’s Hole?” Erik asked, trying to change the subject and see if he could calm Eldrik down enough to have a rational conversation.
Eldrik shook his head. “That old buffoon had to be stopped. He was going to launch a counter movement against me. I could not let him live.”
“So you have killed him as well?” Erik clarified.
Eldrik nodded. “I thought he would understand,” Eldrik said. “He was supposed to be among the wisest of the sahale, but he was as stubborn as you are. He kept telling me that I would not be able to absorb the power of the World Seed, and that even if I did, the Four Horsemen would be able to conquer this world. He did not understand.”
“So you killed him and took his power as well?” Erik asked.
Eldrik nodded and then looked off toward the river. “His power was great, a fine addition to my strength. Oh, don’t you see, with each one I absorb I get not only their physical powers and their magical abilities, but I get their memories. I absorb their experience. It makes me better in every area. The Four Horsemen cannot hope to stand against me once I have achieved my plans.”
“Their memories?” Erik echoed. “So you know everything that the sahale from Hermit’s Hole knew?”
“More than that,” Eldrik said. “I know everything Dremathor knew,” he said.
Erik balked. He had not expected that.
“Your father loved you,” Eldrik said.
“He isn’t my father,” Erik replied. "I am the son of Lord Lokton."
“No, Trenton Lokton wasn’t your father. He was my father. Or at least, he was supposed to be my father, before a group of witches got involved and messed things up. Them and Njar, meddlers the lot of them.”
Erik didn’t need to use his powers to see what had really happened between Dremathor and Njar now. It was as plain as the contemptuous expression on Eldrik’s face when he spoke Njar’s name. “You attacked Njar, didn’t you? Somehow, you used your powers to resurrect Dremathor and use him as a pawn.”
Eldrik spat on the ground and kicked a bit of dirt over the spittle. “The old goat was always meddling, but never fully aware of what he was doing. Don’t you realize, if you and I had lived out the destinies that we were supposed to, I would have been the Champion of Truth, and you would have become a shadowfiend like your father? I can see the darkness in you, even now. Who is to say that if the roles were the way they were supposed to be, that you and I would not be having this very conversation right now, only you would be in my shoes, and I would be in yours?”
The words of Alkantar and the demon from the south cam
e back to Erik’s mind again, but this time, so did Lady Arkyn’s words of comfort and support. “No,” Erik said. “Whatever the fates may have had in store for us, I choose my own destiny now, just as you do. I choose to develop the good, and suppress the evil that is within me. Whether it comes from my father, or I was supposed to be some sort of shadowfiend, it doesn’t matter. I am I. I am Erik Lokton, and I am the Champion of Truth.”
Eldrik began a slow clap and gave Erik a mocking smile. “And that makes you better than me, does it? Bah! You are still the naïve idiot you were when you attended Kuldiga Academy. Quick to judge and fight, but slow to learn.”
The feeling of dread in Erik’s gut grew and caused his blood to stir. Eldrik was on a path that would not lead to victory against the Four Horsemen. Instead, he was going to call them forth early, and take away any hope Erik had of finding a real solution to the problem. Erik couldn’t allow that. “Eldrik,” Erik said sternly. “I strive to offer mercy to everyone I meet who has done wrong, or is planning to do so. I would extend the same to you now. Your quest will only end in destruction for all of us. I can feel it with my power. I can sympathize with your reasoning, but it is flawed.”
“And yet you can offer no alternative,” Eldrik spat.
“Eldrik, this must end.” Erik’s sword roared alive with white flames that illuminated the area in a thirty foot radius. More than that, it would signal the others to the danger, for he knew that none of them were likely asleep as of yet. They would come to his aid, and the murderer would be stopped. “I am sorry, my friend, but you must choose. Either you can renounce the wicked deeds you have done, and work with me to find a tenable solution to the nightmares that plague us both, or we must fight here and now.”
“Then, I am also sorry,” Eldrik hissed. “I had hoped you would see reason. After all, you did question whether fighting against Tu’luh was the right thing to do. Why not at least consider my proposal now. I will not make slaves out of the people of this world, but I will ensure peace, and I will rescue us all from the Four Horsemen that would destroy us out of hand.”