by David Ekrut
“Bensen, Bender, you two start gathering the bodies. Separate ours from the enemy,” Father said. “Adler, you start going through the supplies. We need to move everything into three wagons. First light will come quickly and we still need to get some rest before we travel.”
“Jasmine, Zarah,” Father said, “I need to speak with you.”
Zarah followed her father’s torch away from the others. She was not sure how to respond to being included, so she obeyed without response.
“I know you two want to pray over the bodies,” he said. “But you have the right of it, there are too many men. And you are already drained. We can purify the men by fire.”
Zarah saw her mother’s jaw clench, and she looked away. Zarah hadn’t noticed it, but Mother’s eyes were sunken. Mother had fought the other elementalist and the skeletal warriors.
“I know you are right, Zaak,” Jasmine said, “but, it does not feel right.”
“No,” he said. “It doesn’t. But what if more of them are out there. There is a guard post not far north of here. How could so many of these things move across the countryside without notice? We have not had a runner.”
Her mother nodded. “Either the guard post has been taken, or someone has been careful to avoid them.”
“Someone?” Zarah said. “These things were being led?”
“The black savant,” Mother said. “She was leading them with the Death Element.”
“Yes. I guess I felt it.”
“Where is she now?” Father said.
“Her body is over here.”
“Take me to her.”
Her mother led them to the rear wagon. A dark robed figure was lying on its backside. Half of the stomach was missing. The smell of burned flesh filled the area. Zarah had to hold her breath not to wretch again. The torch light danced off her face. Blond hair spilled out of a black hood, and wide blue eyes stared at them. Her father’s words echoed her thoughts.
“This girl is two years or more younger than Zarah.”
“And she was well trained,” Mother said. “Several times, she almost bested me. There is no question in my mind. She was trained for this purpose.”
Father shook his head. “How could someone do this to a child?”
“She had to have been trained to kill since the day she came into her power,” Mother said. “Bain truly is evil. We must not let Elwin fall into his hands.”
Father’s jaw was tight. He knelt down and picked up the girl’s body as if she was a sleeping child. His eyes faced forward.
“We need to burn this body as well.”
“Let us be done with this,” Mother said.
Chapter 23
The Stones of Seeking
Elwin watched Feffer sleep like he had for the last two nights. The pale green image was still there, but the eyes had not fluttered open again. The image felt solid to the touch, and he even shook it once. Feffer shivered, but the image didn’t budge.
That wasn’t the only thing. There was something different about the shadow realm. If he walked more than a dozen steps from his body, it felt as if there were eyes on him. It was the same feeling he got when traveling far from his body.
Jasmine had said that with time, the distance he could travel would increase, but he lost several inches every day.
“It has something to do with this wound.”
Elwin studied his shoulder. His arm was shadowy but solid. The dark lines in his shoulder were devoid of light. They grew longer, as well. It had a strange odor while in the shadow realm. During the day it felt wrong.
“Jasmine will know what to do,” Elwin said. “We just need to reach Goldspire.”
Elwin looked into the night. Something appeared to move beyond the sanctity of his body. He shook his head. It was probably just his imaginings.
Then, to the side he saw a large shadow move through the trees. When he looked, there was nothing there. But he could have sworn that two glowing eyes had been looking at him for the fraction of a second.
It wasn’t his imaginings. The darkness beckoned him.
Feffer followed Elwin. He was glad that his friend was gaining strength, but he still worried over the wound in Elwin’s shoulder. The dark lines grew beyond the bandage and up his neck.
This would be their third day with no water. They had resorted to licking the morning dew off of the grass. But that did not quench their thirst during the heat of the day. For that matter, it didn’t do much to quench his thirst in the morning either.
“Nothing will matter if we don’t find water,” Feffer mumbled.
“What was that?” Elwin said.
“We need water,” Feffer said. “My tongue is dry enough to catch fire in this heat.”
“I have the energy to fly,” Elwin said. “I could go above the trees to see if I can see a stream or a lake.”
“Only if you are sure that you’re up for it,” Feffer said in a resigned voice. He was tired of having this argument. Besides, Elwin wanted to fly, and Feffer didn’t want to die of thirst.
“I can,” Elwin said. “I have regained most of my essence over the past two nights.”
Elwin had tried explaining the Elements to him. Feffer wasn’t sure he understood it. He had tried to compare his soul to a cup. Somehow, he could fill that cup with air?
It just didn’t make any sense. Cups always had air. How could anyone fill a cup with AIR?
“If you say so,” Feffer said. “I think I’ll just sit here until you come back.”
Feffer felt the air stir as Elwin lifted off the ground, and he felt shivers go up his spine.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Hey,” Feffer said. “How are you going to find me again? All of the trees look the same.”
“Hmm. I hadn’t thought of that,” Elwin said. “I know. Let me borrow your sword.”
“Okay,” Feffer said hesitantly.
Feffer unsheathed the sword and handed it to Elwin, hilt first.
Elwin took it and flew above the treeline. Feffer couldn’t see Elwin, but he saw limbs and leaves falling. Several moments later, Elwin came back down, smiling.
“Now they aren’t the same,” Elwin said, handing Feffer his sword.
Feffer sheathed his sword. “I guess that works.”
“I’ll be right back,” Elwin said.
Feffer sat down and watched Elwin disappear through the leaves once more. Haven began to gnaw on the grass. The horse was even tempered, so he let her graze freely. Though Feffer had noticed, Haven was becoming uneasy around Elwin. His friend may have his strength back, but those black lines were not good.
Feffer leaned his head against the small tree and closed his eyes. He awakened to a hand shaking his shoulder. “Feffer.”
Feffer opened his eyes. Elwin had his hand out for him to take. Feffer hesitated to let Elwin help him up. Elwin claimed that it hurt less than it had, but just days before, his friend couldn’t walk. A day before that, he had been comatose. Feffer grabbed Elwin’s hand as if letting him help, but he used his own legs to stand.
“Feffer,” Elwin said, “I have never seen anything like this. It’s not far.” Elwin’s eyes changed to white, and wisps of light followed him as he flew a few paces above the ground. “Follow me.”
“What is it?”
Elwin flew ahead. Feffer put a foot into Haven’s stirrup and swung into the saddle. He had to spur Haven to a gallop to keep up with Elwin.
Several moments later, he was no longer under the cover of trees. After days of traveling under the shade, the noonday sun was bright. Feffer reigned Haven to a stop and shaded his eyes with his hands, squinting against light as much as the heat.
There were several hundred paces of short grass, the greenest grass he had ever seen. The clearing formed a circle around a raised, circular mound. Atop t
he mound were spherical boulders the size of small houses made of black glass.
Feffer licked his lips. Surrounding the mound was a trench of water. Elwin came to hover beside him.
“Do you think it’s safe to drink?” Elwin asked.
Feffer spurred Haven to a gallop and called over his shoulder. “There’s only one way to find out.”
The pool was wider than it had looked. It was at least ten paces wide.
As Feffer got closer to the structure, he noticed a strange pattern etched into the boulders. He did not let that stop him. He slowed Haven to a stop a few paces from the pool and dropped from the saddle. He led the horse to the pool and Haven began to drink the water.
Reaching into the water, he found it cool to the touch. His hand shook as he brought the water up to touch his tongue.
It was crisp and cool. Fresh.
Feffer began to lap water into his mouth and felt the cold of the liquid spread into his stomach. It was painful at first, so he had to stop. But once the pain subsided, Feffer buried his head in the water and drank until his belly sloshed. Then, he splashed water on his face and tunic.
After wiping water from his eyes, he looked around for Elwin. He was a few paces to his right. Elwin’s face and hair were soaked as well.
Their eyes met, and they both laughed. Feffer splashed water at Elwin. His friend laughed and splashed water back.
Feffer turned his head aside and continued splashing water. For several moments, he felt small splashes hitting his side. Then, a wave of water hit him and knocked him into the pool head first. It was deep enough that he could not touch his feet to the ground.
The water felt good, but he hadn’t had time to catch his breath. He swam to the surface with all his might. The wall to the pool was slick, but he grabbed hold of the grass and was able to pull himself out of the water.
“Not fair, Elwin.”
Feffer looked up. Elwin was on his knees, and he had both hands raised to his head, gritting his teeth, as if in pain. His eyes were wide. For a moment, his pupils appeared to swirl like fog.
“What in the abyss?” Feffer said. “Elwin, what’s wrong?”
Elwin’s head turned toward Feffer. And his friend’s eyes regarded him as if he had never seen him. Elwin’s hands trembled and his body began to spasm.
Then, Elwin stopped shaking, and his eyes returned to normal. Elwin blinked a few times with a dumbfound look on his face.
“Did I fall asleep?”
“No.” Feffer did not remember grasping the hilt of his sword, but he released it. “Your eyes were like the skeletons that Zeth made. I thought …” Feffer wasn’t sure what he had thought.
“I was dreaming,” Elwin said. “I saw shadows. It was like my first time to the shadow realm. There was a dancing fog. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“You mean,” Feffer said, “it was like the night you met Abaddon? The night before you killed Biron?”
Elwin winced. “Yes. It was like that.”
“I’m sorry, Elwin. I didn’t mean it like that. You scared me.”
“It’s alright,” Elwin said. “I didn’t meant to scare you.”
Feffer glanced at the water. “Why do you think it happened?”
“I don’t think it was the water,” Elwin said. “You drank it too. Nothing happened to you.”
“But, I am not like you. I don’t have your gifts.”
Elwin nodded. “It could have something to do with taming the Elements.”
“Maybe you should avoid using them then,” Feffer said, “until you talk to Jasmine.”
“What do you think these stones are?” Elwin said.
Feffer gritted his teeth and tried not to curse. He hated it when Elwin avoided a topic by changing the subject.
“Elwin,” he said. “You’ll avoid them?”
“Sure,” Elwin shrugged. “Let’s take a closer look at these.”
Feffer followed Elwin into the water. They swam to the other side, but now that they were there, he could see that the mound was over three paces high. The glassy wall was slick.
“How are we going to get up there?” Feffer said.
“I could fly us,” Elwin said.
“You said you would avoid using your powers.”
“I don’t see any other way up it,” Elwin said.
“One last time, then.”
“Grab a hold of me.”
Feffer swam to Elwin and clasped his arms around his waist. He felt his body raise out of the water and tensed, not relaxing until the black stone was beneath him. Atop the platform, the autumn breeze felt cool. He shivered.
“How do you feel?” Feffer said.
“I am alright,” Elwin said. “This is amazing.”
Feffer looked at the spherical boulders.
The round stones were larger than they had appeared, and there was nothing to support the boulders from rolling. Each sphere was three times the size of a man and spaced the same distance apart. Except there was one, much larger than the rest at the platform’s center.
“What do you think they are made of?” Feffer said.
“It is obsidian,” Elwin said. “They come from volcanos. These marks are called eloiglyphs”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I have a book that talks about exotic stones and where to find them. It talks about rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, also. And Jasmine is teaching me to read eloiglyphs, though ... I don’t know any of these. Oh wait! This one means travel.”
“Eloi-what? I have to start reading more,” Feffer said as he walked up to a boulder. “What do you think they do?”
Feffer froze when a sing-song voice spoke.
“Do not touch the Stones of Seeking, lest you know that which you seek.”
Feffer placed his palm on his hilt. “Who is there?”
“In your language I am ‘He Who Rides With Wind.’ To my people I am Da kairuo wut Whudin. But you may call me Daki.”
The voice had come from behind the central boulder. Feffer turned his head as slowly as he could to glance at the figure through his peripheral.
The man’s hands were held up in a passive manner as he approached them. There was confidence in his gait. His height was not much more than Elwin, but his grace was comparable to a large cat. Feffer wanted to draw his blade just to test his skill against him.
The green in his eyes was as vibrant as the grass below, and his long, black hair flowed freely past his shoulders. He had a clean face with olive skin. Feffer would guess Daki to be of an age with him. Like Tharu, he wore nothing, save the white skins of some animal stitched together, which only covered the necessary parts. The leather strapping protecting his feet were made from the same beast’s skin. Two curved blades like the ones Wilton carried were strapped at either hip.
“I uh … I am Elwin Escari and my companion is Feffer Madrowl.” Elwin gestured toward Feffer.
“I am honored to know you both.” Daki’s bow was deep but awkward.
“As we are you,” Elwin said.
Despite his desires to find help, Feffer did not remove his hand from his hilt.
Daki nodded toward Elwin. “You are of my visions. I have been waiting ‘in the place where stones bend truth’ to save ‘he who is chased by the dead.’ Your enemy is now my enemy.”
He knelt to the ground before Elwin.
Feffer shared a look with Elwin, before walking over to stand between his friend and Daki.
“Chased by the dead?” Feffer asked, “Zeth? How do you know that? More importantly, how do we know we can trust you?”
Daki cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “If I wished you harm I would not have revealed myself but instead would have slashed you down without warning.” His tone suggested that he was explaining something as obvious as, “one m
ust breathe air to live.”
And his tone was so genuine, Feffer felt a bit foolish. Still, he didn’t remove his hand from his hilt. “How did you get up here? Did you fly?”
Daki regarded them with unblinking eyes. His forehead creased.
“He is Chai Tu Naruo,” Elwin said. “Remember, I told you they cherish their secrets.”
“I am as you say,” Daki said. “Knowledge is a burden to carry. It is a gift, which always has a price, paid by he who bears the knowledge. The penance is his.”
Feffer felt a profound amount of annoyance. After days of wanting to find help, this was what he had to deal with. A thumping riddle. “Can you at least tell us what this place is?”
“It is the Stones of Seeking,” Daki said.
“You already mentioned that,” Feffer said through his teeth. “What is its purpose?”
“That knowledge need not be yours to bear,” Daki said. “It will not aid you in your quest.”
“What do you know of our quest?” Feffer asked.
“Only that the Darkness of Spirit pursues you, and you will need my aid to survive.”
“We are grateful for your help, Daki,” Elwin said. “We are making our way to Goldspire. If you know it, you can lead our way.”
Feffer grabbed Elwin by the arm and pulled him closer, whispering, “Why are you telling him where we are going? He could be working with Zeth.”
“He is Chai Tu Naruo,” Elwin said just above a whisper. “We were just saying how it would be nice to find help. I don’t believe he means us harm. I can’t explain it, but I feel a connection with him. Besides, we need the help.”
He had been ready to argue, but his heart wasn’t in it. As much as Feffer hated to admit it, Elwin was right. Without help, they might never reach Goldspire.
“I can take you to Goldspire in a tenday’s time,” Daki said.
“A tenday?” Feffer said. That was half the time he had figured. Maybe Daki would be a help to them after all. Still, he kept his hand near his sword hilt.
“Is there food near?” Elwin asked. “We have not eaten in days. We need to find nuts or berries.”
“There are not any within the Grove,” Daki said. “But if we move swiftly, we can find food in two days.”