Ella asks the Guards at the front gate where the Lord is, and they tell her. She thanks them, and instructs one of them to send for a stable hand to take care of her Griffin. It’s a long walk up several winding staircases to Lord Velen’s study. After countless flights of stairs, she arrives to his study. It is nearing night’s third quarter as Ella knocks on her great-grandfather’s door.
“Grandfather? Are you in there?” asked Ella as she waited for a response.
She could hear the shuffling of papers, and the flutter of feathers, as he answered, “Just a minute, my dear!”
Ella replied, “I am sorry to interrupt your late studies grandfather, but I must insist that you let me in, it is a matter of great importance.”
She heard more shuffling before the door finally opened, revealing Lord Velen standing behind it, sweating with heavy breaths. He is an old looking man, with long straight white hair, and bushy white eyebrows. He wears a long silver cloak, and carries a reddish-black staff topped with an impeccably carved Sunrock. His finger nails are long and edged, and although he’s as tall as the warrior Angel, age has caused him to slouch.
Ella noticed behind him that the small double windows were opened, and several small black feathers slowly floated to the floor.
Concerned, Ella asked, “What’s going on in here?”
Lord Velen turned to acknowledge the feathers, then turned around and answered, “Oh, nothing to bother yourself with dear, just a lost raven that flew through the window. I had a hell of a time shooing him out. Now, what can I help you with, my dear? Aren’t you supposed to be in the capital?”
Bringing her attention back to her grandfather, Ella replied, “Yes, I was at my home in Brethiel, and was looking after a young Kain girl. She’s very important to Teeca, so I volunteered to house her. Unfortunately, I was lured away from my home, and had to escape using translocator powder. By the time I got back to my home, she was gone. I didn’t have time to search for her, because I needed to travel here with the utmost importance. Now that I think about it, I should’ve made sure she was safe first.” Lowering her head in self-reflection, Ella added, “Teeca is going to kill me when she finds out.”
Lord Velen walked into the hallway outside his study and closed the door behind him as if he didn’t want Ella to see what was inside. She was too distracted in her own thoughts to notice anything different.
“I am sure she will be understanding in this matter, my dear,” said the Lord. “You were saying? Something of the utmost importance?”
Ella shook her head, and replied, “Sorry, yes… When I translocated to the edge of the Great Forest, which is where I first felt the disturbance, I was confronted by a demon not of this world. He was neither Drykan or Ela, he, or it, more resembled a Kain. His face was deformed and his skin was as white as milk. His very presence made me feel like I was going to die. Luckily, I was able to freeze him with the Elder Beads you gave me. I was able to escape in time to get here.”
Not showing much reaction to what she was saying, as if he was suffering from old age, the Lord replied, “Are you sure you saw what you think you saw? There are many powerful illusionists in the Great Forest, it could have been one of them playing a trick on you.”
Looking slightly insulted at his disbelief, Ella replied, “No, grandfather, I am sure what I saw, and what I felt. We need to summon the Runemasters and travel to the Great Forest immediately. I sense an attack from this creature, who I believe to be the one who destroyed the Golden Oak. In fact, I’m sure of it. Teeca would not divulge much to me, but what I overheard suggests that there are many more like him. The Keeper of the Staff sacrificed his life so that the Ela would not be attacked, but I do not trust this demon to keep his word. He will attack the forest, and he will do it soon.”
Still seeming unbothered by what she was saying, the old man replied, “Yes, yes, dear, whatever you need.”
He then turned to reenter his study as Ella asked, “So does that mean I have your authorization to summon the Runemasters?”
Lord Velen just shook his head in agreeance as he entered his study and locked the door behind him. Ella brushed off his peculiarity, and rushed to find Master Syphra, who would most likely be in the Hall of Runic Studies at the center of the castle. She rushed down the stairs as she fought off signs of tiredness and fatigue from her long flight. Once she arrived at the Hall, she pushed open a set of massive wooden doors four times her height. Once the doors were open, she stopped to catch her breath. Luckily, Syphra wasn’t far away, and noticed her entry.
Syphra isn’t much older than Ella, tall and slender in build, with whiteish-blonde hair and gray eyes. He is the current Master of the secret organization who call themselves Runemasters. He doesn’t possess any natural power, such as the Guardians, but he is a powerful wielder of runic powers absorbed from the elements. Runemasters use carefully crafted runes to channel the earth’s energies into powerful spells they can use to defend themselves or others. They are the only forces in Kranos that have ever been able to dispel evils not of this world, such as demons that escape hell using splinters, cracks in the underworld the Jailors are unable to sense. The Runemasters were founded after the fall of Bloodfang, when an increased number of cases of strange happenings and demonic appearances were reported. Their existence is even hidden from the Angels, or any other political leader. Only the High Priest and those he chooses know who’s a part of the agency. They quietly and secretly keep the lands safe from forces of the underworld. The current Master, Syphra, was just as blind to the Shade’s arrival as everyone else, but has dedicated every waking moment since studying to find a way to defend against the shades. He has since created a set number of runes that he believes will combat the shades directly, and send them back to where they came. He has not, however, been able to test these runes… and rightfully fears to.
“Ella, what a pleasant surprise,” said Syphra as he walked up to her with open arms.
As he persisted to hug and kiss Ella, she brushed him off and said, “Please, not here, what if someone sees?”
“Then they will see,” replied Syphra as he tried again.
Insisting, Ella said, “No, you know you can’t, ‘we’ can’t be seen together, it’s forbidden. Besides, we have much more urgent matters to discuss.”
Syphra could see the seriousness in her eyes as he replied, “Alright, I’m sorry. What brings you here this late at night? How do you know I wasn’t going to be in bed, like you should be?”
“Because I know you never sleep, just like I don’t,” sarcastically replied Ella. She paused as if she was preparing herself to say what she must say next. “I’ve seen him. The one they are calling the Lord of the Shades, I fought him!”
Not immediately believing her, Syphra laughed it off at first, but once he realized there was no lie in her face, he said, “You… fought the Lord of the Shades?”
Ella then brushed past him while saying, “Yes, but it didn’t do any good. My runes did nothing to him, and he just laughed it off. I was lucky to escape alive at all, actually.”
She continued over to a large table full of clutter as Syphra, still trying to comprehend what she just told him, all the while being surprise on how calm she is, followed as he said, “I don’t understand, where were you, what were you doing, why you?”
“It’s a long story, but we haven’t much time. I felt his presence and sought him out, you know me.” She stopped shuffling through the many runes and miscellaneous items on the table, and looked at Syphra, clearly her lover, with serious and scared eyes, and said “Syphra… he was at the edge of the forest. He was only miles from Brethiel, where the Keeper of the Staff gave his life. He might have laughed off my attacks, but what he doesn’t know is that he inadvertently shared his plans with me.”
Noticing that her hands were shakingly as she spoke, Syphra responded in a sincere and caring voice, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I wasn’t there, that you’re alone in the capital.” Sensing she didn’t want
his comforting, he continued, “What did he share with you? What did you see?”
Tears began to swell in her eyes as her voice grew shakier, and said, “He’s going to kill Teeca, then release an army of shades on the Great Forest. The other Angels and the Golden Army are away north to fight the Kain’s war… the forest is defenseless.”
“When?”
“I don’t exactly know, but if I had to guess, a day from now, maybe two.” She wiped away her tears as she continued, “I need your help to convince the others to go with me to defend the forest at its edge. We must try.”
Syphra walked up to her without taking his eyes off hers. Once he was at the table, he picked up an oval black rune, and handed it to her.
He softly placed the rune in her hands as he said, “This one has shown the most promise. I have only made twenty. It won’t be enough.”
She stared deeply in his caring eyes and said, “No, it won’t be, but what would we be if we didn’t try? Huh? We would be no better than the cowards that attacked the Kain. We won’t be like them, we won’t turn our backs on our people when they are in need. Maybe it’s time… time for the Runemasters to no longer stay hidden, even if it’s in vain.”
“Ella…”
“I know you, I know your heart,” she interrupted, “you know I am right. I love you, and I know you love me. We may not be able to share our love with the world, but we can share our strength. Fight with me.”
Syphra smiled as he softly kissed her forehead, then said, “Remember what I told you the first night we laid together? Wherever we go, we will always have each other, and with each other, we can go anywhere.”
Ella smiled back as yet another tear escaped her deep green eyes, and said, “Forever and always. Now, come on, we have to find the other masters and get to the forest by tomorrow night.”
She tried to leave, but Syphra gently grabbed her arm, and said, “No, no… sleep first.”
“But we don’t have…”
Syphra placed his fingers on her lips, and insisted, “Sleep, for both of us. We will start first thing in the morning. We will be ready to leave by midday, I promise you.”
“Fine,” replied Ella in a less than accepting tone, “but I get the right side of the bed. You always kick me if I’m on the left.”
Syphra laughed as he followed her out of the Hall, and closed the massive doors behind them. His home is in the easternmost tower, well in fact it ‘is’ the tower, only the finest for the Master of an agency that doesn’t exist. Ella was more tired than she knew, and quickly fell fast asleep. Syphra held her in his arms until he could no longer keep his eyes open, for he doesn’t get to see her as much as he wishes, and cherishes every moment he has with her. Their love is one for legends, and if it wasn’t forbidden by the High Priest, nothing would be able to tear them apart. The next morning, they woke as soon as the sun rose, and began summoning the Runemasters. Only five were close enough to reach in time, and after a quick briefing, they all set out by Griffin to where the Plains meets the Great Forest, which was the last spot the Shade was seen. Although Syphra and Ella would like their presence to be known, the High Priest ordered them to keep their mission classified.
Back in Riverton, the prince and Ethan’s escape was quickly discovered after one of the Courthouse guards brought them their morning meal. The guard, who is a former pupil of the ‘Mother’ Evelyn, chose her to bring this news to, instead of Tylandrius. Once the guard told her that they were not in their cell, he asked if he should go tell the Lord, since the King was in Brithehallow preparing to leave for Menethiel. Evelyn told him to keep this just between them, and that she would handle the rest. Once the guard left her home, she smiled at the thought of her grandson breaking yet another rule. She knows Dathian’s heart, and knew that he would not just simply give up, which is why she gave the Ela teen Biix the key to his cell. She made him promise her that he also would keep this a secret between them. She then gave herself to prayer that Kaidian may watch over him, and her own children, Daane and Ayden. Everyone that was important to her the most were marching to war against the Generals and the Dragonkin, and yet she did not despair. She has faith that her creator will not allow them to lose the battle, and that justice will prevail. Just as she was finishing her prayer, she heard a loud knock come from the front door of her large and lavished home.
As she opened the door, one of her stable hands stood before her, and said, “Sorry to wake you ‘Mother,’ but you are needed at the stables.”
She replied, “Don’t worry, I was already up. What is it?”
“It’s a horse my Lady, he showed up this morning looking worse for ware, like he traveled a long way to get here.”
“What horse is it?” asked Evelyn. “Is it one of ours?”
“I believe so,” replied the stable hand, “I know I’ve seen him before, though last time it was with Ayden before he left to the capital over a month ago.”
Suddenly realizing who the horse might be, she said with urgency, “Take me to him right away.”
Evelyn and the stable hand walked to the stables from her home nearby. He led her to a stall near the end of the shed row. Inside, stood an exhausted gelding that she recognized immediately.
“Mikey?!” said Evelyn as she opened the stall door. “What are you doing here, you’re supposed to be with Dathian’s love in Brethiel?”
Being the ‘Mother,’ Evelyn has the ability to see a Trueborn’s most recent memories, and feel what they felt during them. As she placed her hands on his sweaty and hot neck, she saw his recent past. Mikey was there when the Shade Lord took Savannah into the shadow realm. He then immediately tried to find her, and once he couldn’t, he left for the only place he knew to be home, Riverton.
Evelyn gasped as she backed up and covered her mouth, before she turned to the stable hand, and said, “Go now, fetch a Ravenary tenant, I need to send a message to Brethiel now!”
As the man left with haste, Mikey walked close to Evelyn and bowed his head as if to say, ‘there is more.’ She listened, and placed her hands on his cheeks, and closed her eyes to concentrate harder… then she felt it. She opened her eyes and tears immediately began to fall.
“She’s pregnant,” she said to herself, almost at a whisper, “Dathian’s love is pregnant!”
She also saw where the gelding believes his master was taken, deep within the old forest of Kuul’Grenar, which is now the Shade’s Realm of Shadow. Evelyn felt a mixture of fear and happiness. If Dathian’s child is a girl, then the line of ‘Mother’ can still be continued, which wasn’t something that Evelyn was about to risk losing.
She hugged his neck and thanked him, the same gelding she so frequently criticized time and time again, and thought to be an unfit Trueborn. As she released him to leave, Mikey followed her out into the shed row, and refused to leave her side.
“Mikey, I know she means a great deal to you, but you are exhausted. You have done good by me, and I will never forget that.” She pointed at the stall and continued, “Now, in you go.”
Mikey snorted and defiantly pawed the ground. Evelyn knew that he wasn’t going to let her go after Savannah without him.
She then said with a sigh, “You are just as stubborn as the son who trained you.” She walked up to him and began detangling his forelock as she continued, “I don’t know what the Keeper did to you, but you sure have surpassed my expectations. Fine, you win.” She turned to a nearby groom and said, “You there, make sure this gelding is bathed and fed some grain and oats. I need him fed and saddled in less than an hour. I will be leaving shortly.”
The groom nodded and left to get a bucket of soap and water. Evelyn left to go back to her home to pack the necessary supplies to venture out into the wild. She isn’t the least bit scared to enter the Black Forest, for the spirits of the fallen will protect her, for only she can call for their aid.
Though they cannot be seen, the fallen represent the spirits of the Trueborns who have died in past battles, and have ch
osen to stay in the realm between heaven and earth, known as the spirit realm. They have sworn to protect the ‘Mother’ from dangers of the spiritual world, and always surround her wherever she goes. They are how she can communicate with other Trueborns, including the White Mare during the battle in Menethiel. She influenced the spirits to aid Cheyanne and give her a temporary increase in power so that she could rescue her master. The spirit realm can be a very powerful tool, though very few can access it. Even the ‘Mother’ is limited to her ability to communicate with the spirits, and can only speak with the Trueborns within the realm. The Realm of Shadow in fact was created by branching off the spirit realm. Archimus only created the Realm of Shadow because he was unable to infiltrate and control the spirit realm.
Once Evelyn was packed, she walked back to the gelding’s stall, and as instructed, he was saddled and ready to leave. After she secured her saddlebags, she pulled up a step stool, which was needed in her old age, and climbed up on top of Mikey. The gelding was already relaxed after his long journey to Riverton, but he grew even more relaxed and calm with the ‘Mother’ behind the reins. After a brief getting to know each other, they set off south out of the city towards Lake Andwail, and the Black Forest where Savannah was presumed to be.
As his mother rides south, her sons are preparing to leave Brithehallow, and head north with their armies. They were only a day’s ride away from the outskirts of the fallen capital. The massive Golden Army and most of the Kain’s Guard spent the night in large camps outside Brithehallow. They were fed well and allowed lots of rest before the final leg of their journey. Today, the party will travel to the foothills of Mount Karnith to a hidden crevasse where the Andwail River begins, known as the Cleft of Karnith. The same waterfall that Dathian shared his first kiss with the socialite crashes down into a deep canyon, then cuts through the earth, creating a crevasse that’s wider at its base than its top. The canyon follows the river for several miles, so they will be able to enter it unnoticed. Closer to the mountain’s base, there is a small and winding path that leads up out of the crevasse and into the plain that overlooks the capital and its surrounding villages and outposts, which will undoubtedly be occupied by Dragonkin forces. There, the party will rest for the last time before they lay siege on the fallen capital, and hopefully reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Dathian, Biix, and Ethan have also awoken by the rising sun. They will spend the day following the Andwail river. Dathian knows that his father will be leaving for the crevasse, so they should be able to catch up with them, though he still needs to stay out of sight. His plan is to have them shadow the army up until the moment of battle. Once it begins, there will be too much commotion for them to be noticed. After the battle, however, is a different story, and he just hopes that the minor issue of treason will be overlooked once victory is won.
The Reclaiming: The Keepers Saga: Volume Two Page 28