The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge)

by Sargeant, Justin

  Once again Landon climbed the stairs into the sunlight. He found his horse and surveyed the remains of his gaffe from earlier in the day. He slung the new packs over the saddle, and leaned in close to the horse to explain the change of events.

  “Girl, I know we have had a rough time so far, but I must ask you to accompany me just a little further. I know we were supposed to find Lord Dawson’s daughter but we must retrieve my ring first. The only way to do that is to learn how to fight with my sword. We must head south toward Rindland and seek a master named Aratus. When we return home, I promise all the carrots you can eat.”

  Aquila rubbed her snout onto Landon’s cheek acknowledging her approval. She was willing to travel anywhere Landon would go. She owed him her life. Landon pulled himself onto her back and turned her reins guiding the horse towards the south. With a soft, “let’s go,” the two of them were off to Rindland.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Master Swordsman

  The sun was rising rapidly as Landon and Aquila rode through the Ellington Pass towards the edge of the Western Mountains. The sun beat down upon Landon’s back. His skin began to feel the weight of the sun’s rays. Slowly, his neck and arms felt burns begin to form. Though he had only held his ring for roughly a week, the sensation seemed foreign to him. While wearing his ring he had become immune to any effects from heat. In fact, heat was a source of rejuvenation; it had brought him more energy and life. Without his ring Landon felt naked. He was realizing that he was completely vulnerable.

  Thinking ahead to the battle with Gavin that loomed, Landon feared he would not survive without his ring. He knew nothing of battle or fighting. He was a farmer. The only skill he had resided in Godfrey’s teaching. Therefore, finding Aratus was paramount. In addition, he feared that Gavin might unlock the secret to the ring’s power before he had a chance to learn his craft. If that happened, Landon was going to need more help than he could imagine. Landon couldn’t bear the thought of what terrors Gavin would unleash. Instead, he turned his attention to the journey.

  The ride through the pass was uneventful. Landon had not seen a single person, let alone any animals since they left Aldous. A small river flowed through the pass which was dotted with a few tall trees. He could see that the river had a very fast current and the sound rushing through the rocks created an exhilarating and restful melody. The rest of the land was full of rolling hills mixed with flat land all the while bordered by sheer cliffs on either side. The grass was bright yellow from the drought that had ravaged the countryside. However, Landon could see glimpses of the fertile verdant peeking through in areas. Life was reforming. The end of the pass was visible across the horizon, but it took a few hours to traverse the distance. The horizon line of amber connected the brown cliffs together. They ran the entire length of the pass casting an ominous glare upon the land below. The sun seemed to move directly along the path of the road which cut through the center of the land.

  After two hours of riding, Landon and his horse were nearing the western edge. The sun had risen to its apex in the sky, and Landon’s burn was growing worse. He decided it was necessary to stop for a rest. The river turned north at the break between the mountains into a lush forest. There was plenty of shade, and Landon thought it to be the perfect spot to rest. He turned Aquila north and followed the river into the trees. The light from the sun grew considerably less as did the power of its heat once they became enveloped in the shade of the forest. They stopped under one tree whose roots grew out of the ground toward the water. Landon sat down beneath it and opened the map. Aquila moved toward a calm outcrop of water to get a drink.

  Looking at the map, Landon immediately recognized their location. The mountains he needed to follow started on the southern end of the pass and ran south into the Great River. Rindland sat at the base of those mountains near the river. Again he poured over the map to find a fountain. None could be found. Could I have misread the poem? Deciding to check he retrieved the parchment and unrolled it.

  Tucked in the mountain

  Lies the fountain

  By those who find rest

  In the West

  The poem seemed clear enough. I’m in the west, and I’m by the mountains, he thought again. I just need to find “those who find rest” and a fountain that is tucked away. Landon took a bite from an apple in his sack and leaned against the tree to take in the shade. It had only been a few days since he received his ring and started this journey, but he felt as though his life as Mordecai’s nephew, the farmer, was a lifetime away.

  In front of him, Aquila played in the shallow water. Landon smiled watching her cool herself. The darkness of this forest reminded Landon of the Arden. The events from a few days ago in that forest were clouded with death and darkness. This forest held a much warmer and lighter aura. Enough light poured through the trees to create a sort of heavenly scene. If Landon was ever to decide a new place to live, it would look a lot like this. He might have to learn a new trade, but this would be about as close to perfection as he could imagine.

  It was odd that there had been no one on the road this day. Though Landon had never ventured this far, he assumed there would have been many people roaming the roads at such an important crossroad. It made him wonder if something bigger was going on. The land was eerie with no one about. He would almost prefer bandits to the silence of the world. The farm had been quiet, but that was different. Few people had need to travel there. This was a main road.

  After a long rest Landon shrugged off his thoughts and decided it was time to move on. Rindland was a few more hours south and there was a still a fountain to look for. He moved over to the water, scooped up a few handfuls, then whistled over to Aquila who jumped out of the water and trotted over. Remounting, Landon clapped his heels into the horse’s back and she moved forward. Slowly, they left the serenity of the trees. As soon as they left the shade, Landon felt the sting from the sunlight. This is going to be a long two hours. Ahead of them the road was clear. It followed the enormous mountains on the left with a wide open plain sparse with trees to the right which stretched to the horizon.

  As they left the forest, Landon thought he heard a strange noise coming from the darkness beyond the trees. It was faint, but he was sure he heard it. He stopped the mare to listen. He heard the sound of the river bubbling over rocks. He heard the sound of birds chirping. But he did not hear the odd noise. Perhaps, I was imagining it. He shrugged it off and moved Aquila south.

  The two of them continued for a few paces until Landon heard the noise again. It sounded like footsteps mixed with the jingle of metal. It was loud enough to hear over the sound of the horse’s hooves, but too quiet to make out fully. Landon stopped again to listen, but once again there was nothing. Nevertheless, he moved his hand closer to his sword. He assumed someone must be following them and decided to keep on alert. He clapped his heels into the mare and she sped off south across the mountain gap.

  After a brief sprint, Aquila slowed into a long trot. She was tired from the long riding and would need good rest in Rindland. Landon continuously stayed on the lookout since leaving the forest, but not a soul was seen. He checked for any sign of someone tailing them on a horse attempting to catch up or someone lurking in the rocks along the mountainside, but both options seemed impossible. The road was flat for miles. Anyone attempting to follow them that way would most certainly be seen. There was no visible path among the sharp rocks and cliffs of the Western Mountains, and no one could be seen along that way either. Every now and then the strange sound could be heard, but Landon decided that if he was being followed, whoever it was was not a threat since the mystery person had not attacked, yet. He remained cautious, however, and ready to draw his sword at any minute.

  Beyond the expectancy of an immediate attack, the journey south was uneventful. The only terrain for miles was rolling hills to the right and sheer cliffs to the left. Landon turned his thoughts to solving his riddle. He had two clues that needed answers. First, he need
ed to understand “people who find rest,” then he needed to figure out what the fountain meant. Focusing on the first clue, Landon thought about every kind of person who needed rest.

  ‘People who need rest,’ he thought pensively. Tired people need rest. Sleepy people need rest. Exhausted people need rest. Sick people need rest. Dead people get rest. People who stop are resting. People who stay in one place for a period of time are at rest. There are so many options, where do I begin? Landon began to ponder. I suppose a tired person would need a bed, as would sleepy people, sick people, and those that are exhausted.

  “However, an exhausted person might just need rest as a break, to stop,” he began to speak out loud. “A dead person finds rest in a tomb or a grave, so it could refer to something like that. A tired person could look for an inn at which to sleep, so it could mean an inn in Rindland.” Aquila shook her mane as though in agreement with everything he was saying. “Wherever I am to go, though, there will need to be a fountain nearby, what could this fountain be? Fountains contain moving water. Springs, streams, and rivers are all moving waters and Rindland is near the Great River. Perhaps this is why Aldous sent me south. He must have discovered this too. Therefore, the fountain must mean the River and there must be either an important inn or tomb near it.”

  Landon stopped Aquila to check his map again. Thinking about the Great River was giving him an idea. He reached into his sack he pulled out the map again. He followed the path of the Great River finding its end at the sea. Sitting at the union between the two was the West Harbor. Slowly Landon was piecing together the riddle. “The harbors contain people who need rest; rest from long journeys at sea. It is situated by the moving waters of the Great River, obviously the fountain. And this is the West Harbor, so ‘in the west’. The mountain it is tucked into my mean the mountain of land we all live on! It makes perfect sense.”

  He looked again and saw the road from Rindland which made its way to the harbors. All he had to do was follow his road to Rindland, get rest, then travel to the harbors to find Aratus. Deciding his course of action, Landon spurred Aquila to run faster. Up ahead was a small stream which flowed out of the mountainside. It was not worth noticing except that as Aquila ran through it, the spray felt exceptional upon Landon’s arms. Landon let the short reprieve of water absorb into his consciousness. He opened his eyes to gaze upon the horizon where he could make out the faintest glimpse of towers protruding from the rock face. He knew they must be the Cathedral of Rindland. The city was only another few hours ride away then he could finally rest. Landon started to become anxious. This journey to find Master Aratus was becoming real. Soon, he would be training to become a master swordsman and reclaim his inheritance.

  A warmth of relaxation settled over him knowing that soon he would be on the path to recovering what was rightfully his. Suddenly, he was forcefully knocked to the ground by an unknown force. Raising himself, he heard Aquila yelp in fear. As he stood, he realized he was surrounded by seven large men with swords at the ready and eyes gleaming.

  “Hand over your valuables and we will let you live,” one man said.

  “I have none on me,” Landon said.

  “You lie! That sword itself will fetch a pretty penny,” scoffed another. Landon drew his sword.

  “You will have to take this from my dead hands.”

  “Just what I was hoping you would say,” the first man replied with a sinister smirk.

  Landon raised his weapon high preparing to do his best to defend himself against the bandits, but he had never taken on this many people before. The situation reminded him of his dream a week ago of the war on a mountainside. He wondered if it was given to him to help him in this fight. The first man charged and brought his large broadsword down upon Landon’s head. Landon’s red blade met his halting the deathblow. Landon slipped his blade from underneath and twisted to attack the man’s neck when a large sword beat him to it and separated the head from the shoulders. Landon watched as the two body parts fell to the ground. He had not seen who had made the stroke, but all of a sudden chaos ensued. He could hear the bandits yell and scream from terror and madness. Landon spun around to take on someone else, but before he had the chance to defend himself again, everything went dark.

  §§§

  Landon awoke upon a straw bed with a heavy pounding in his head. He was still dazed and disoriented from whatever had hit him. Not to mention, he had a loud ringing sound in his ears. But he was glad not to be dead. His mind turned to his last memories. He remembered being surrounded by men, the whinnying of horses, the chaos of a battle, then nothing. The whinnying of horses. Aquila! Suddenly his mind raced through all possible scenarios. He prayed she was alright.

  His first task was to get a fix on his surroundings, but all around him was darkness. He could see a faint flickering of candlelight spread throughout the room, but not enough to see very much. He reached his hand out to touch the wall adjacent to his bed and to his surprise it was solid rock. He was underground. The wall felt similar to Aldous’ hideout. He realized that he was not chained; he was free to roam. I’m not a prisoner. He sat up.

  He removed himself from his bed and inched towards the nearest candlelight a few paces from where he had lain. The floor’s touch was cold on his bare feet. Where are my shoes? He asked perplexed. His needed to find an exit and escape, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. Next to the candlelight Landon could see the floor was solid, flat rock. He reached out to remove the candle from the wall sconce, but it was firmly stuck in its place. Landon once again tried to pull it free, but to no avail. He decided to try the candlelight on the far side of the room.

  Approaching it he saw a large chest beneath. He opened it and surprisingly found his shoes along with his sword. He hastily arrayed them to himself. The chest was empty otherwise. Landon closed the lid and reached up to remove this candle. At first it wouldn’t budge but with a strong second effort it slid out of the sconce. He wanted to get some bearings. The ringing in his ears was getting worse. He walked across the room holding the candle in front of him. He counted his steps and discovered that the room was fifty paces wide. He placed his hand on the wall and followed it from his bed to the chest. The wall arched in a circular pattern. Moving past the chest, Landon continued to feel his way around the room. He stopped half way between the chest and his bed on the other wall when he could no longer feel solid rock.

  Believing to have found the exit, he hurriedly followed the path. Still the ringing grew even louder. The corridors were narrow and reminded him very much of Aldous’. The hallway was quite short, however, because within ten paces he ran into a solid wood door. There was a large ring halfway down the door on the right side which Landon pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled harder and still nothing moved. Landon decided to push. Slowly the door creaked open allowing light to pour into the room. He looked back to the room he had been staying in. It was a wide, circular room as he had guessed. There were few decorations, but the room looked almost fit for a noble. He opened the door completely and was momentarily blinded from the light. He blew the candle out and set it on the ground.

  As he opened the door, he realized why the ringing had grown so loud. Standing before him, at the end of a large corridor of rock, was a waterfall. He was on the inside, hidden. Landon moved toward the deafening fountain and saw that there was no way around the water. If he wanted to know what lay on the other side, he had to venture through the cascade. He was certain a large lake hundreds of feet below lay at the other end, but he was feeling bold enough to risk it. Whoever had brought him here might be nearby and he would prefer to meet them on his terms not theirs. He took a small step back to plant his feet and with all the courage and strength he could muster sprinted towards the water.

  With every step closer his heart beat harder and harder. Landon silently prayed a long fall was not on the other side. As he neared the water he closed his eyes and threw himself forward with all of his might. He felt the rush of freezing water env
elope his body and the pressure from the fall thrust him downward. Then almost as suddenly as the water hit him it was gone and he was through. His body sailed through the air, and he felt his stomach drop as he anticipated the coming weightlessness. Instead all he got was a rough landing in a deep pool of water.

  Landon swam to the surface only to find that the cave behind the waterfall lay only a few feet above the surface. He looked about him at the lush oasis nestled into the mountains. He couldn’t believe this place existed. All kinds of green plants grew along the slopes of the mountainside. Fertile grass sat along the lakeside with a few large trees growing from it. Above, Landon saw the source of the cascade. It had to be at least five hundred feet above the surface. The water fell into the lake then ran into a stream which flowed out into the rock face. Amazement poured over him as he paddled himself over to the edge of the water. Pulling himself onto the embankment Landon couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person lived here. He looked around for signs of anyone, but there was nothing. The only logical step was to follow the stream as it ran away from the fall and into the mountainside.

  He walked along the water’s edge until he ran into the rock. There was no way to walk alongside the stream because the mountains themselves created a natural sieve which funneled the lake into a current. The only way out it seemed was to swim the river. Landon, however, was not the best swimmer and did not feel confident enough to brave the rapids through what had to be treacherous currents. He realized he was trapped in an oval shaped natural prison. He finally understood why he had no chains. There was no need for them. The landscape provided was enough. Defeated, he lay down onto the cool grass letting the sun warm him. He lay for quite some time pondering who possibly could have abducted him. He worried it might be Gavin come to finish the job or someone worse. He worried about Aquila and where she might be. He worried until he fell asleep dreaming of his worries.