Sons of Evil: Book 1 Book of Dread

by Adams, David

“Is he dangerous?” Silas asked.

  “I would say not. Reaching him is likely a more perilous proposition than the man himself.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Far to the east, beyond the lands of the trolls. After his power was broken he came here in his wanderings, but I could not allow him to stay in our wood, nor was he welcome in the lands of men. I banished him to his present home, a tower from which he cannot depart. If you decide to seek him out, I know where to find him.”

  “What other options do we have?” Silas asked the group.

  “It seems the book is further from Landri’s grasp than ever,” Adrianna said, “but he or someone like him could claim it if we don’t protect or destroy it.” With this last comment she looked at Aerlos hopefully.

  “I know of no way to destroy the book, I’m afraid.”

  “Would this Belzlak?” Darius asked

  “Possibly,” Aerlos replied. “But I cannot be certain.”

  “Any chance we could leave it here?” Barlow inquired. “This forest seems well-protected.”

  “I would not desire such a thing be left here. Objects like this tend to draw evil to them. It may be safe here for a generation or two, as men count them, but I would not take it by choice.”

  “You sound as if you would do so, if we ask it,” Silas said.

  She nodded. “You have carried it as a burden long enough. You have paid a heavy price already. I would not ask you to go further unless you decide you must.”

  Darius rubbed his forehead, trying to think. “We’ve managed to keep Landri from further using this book as a weapon. But whatever he’s already called with it—like those Dezku—is running loose in Corterra. If those last three pages do call these greater demons, or some other terror, and he used them…”

  “I want to know who our enemy is,” Silas finished. “Who we need to face to end this.”

  Darius nodded. “If we leave the book here and go home…I really can’t go home anyway. And things won’t be any better. I’ve got to go on.”

  “I’m with you,” Silas said.

  “As am I,” said Barlow, though he sighed inwardly, thinking how much his tired old bones could use a rest.

  Adrianna said, “Me, too. I’m not going to let the boys have all the fun.”

  “You all have my admiration, and my thanks,” said Aerlos, “though neither will do you much good in the eastern country. What I can offer is supplies and winter clothes, as well as a guide or two to lead you, assuming you do not object to adding new members to your party.”

  “We should discuss it,” Silas answered, “but I’ve no doubt a guide would be a great benefit to us.”

  “I have two elves in mind, but I’ll need to speak with them first. That will give you time to talk amongst yourselves. For now, there is one other thing I wish to know.” She held up the vial of goblin blood, and asked Darius to close and latch the book once more.

  He did so, mumbling, “I sure hope this works.”

  Aerlos opened the vial and carefully tipped it until a single drop of blood fell onto the clasp. As it had done before, the latch fell open.

  The audible sigh from everyone in the room was an indication that they had all been holding their breath.

  “I’m not surprised,” said Aerlos, “but I am relieved. Things can never be fully certain where the dark arts are concerned. Who will now take this vial?”

  It was clear no one wanted it, though they all knew it was necessary that they take it along. “I’ll take it,” Adrianna finally said, “Should be someone other than Darius at least, since he has the book, and being the magician in the group, I guess I should be used to dealing with such things.” She took the vial and made it quickly disappear somewhere under her cloak.

  “A question,” Barlow said. “You mentioned clothes, which would be most welcome, as we’ve heard rumor of the weather here. Do you expect the cold to arrive soon?”

  “I have many skills,” Aerlos said with a smile, “but detecting such things is not amongst them. However, the road ahead of you remains long, and a return journey must be considered as well. If you are lucky, you may beat the worst of the weather, but it is better to be safe.”

  “Assuming there will be no real shelter on this trip…” Here he paused, looking at Aerlos with a raised eyebrow, hoping she would state that his assumption was incorrect. Unfortunately she only shook her head, indicating they would be exposed to the elements for the most part. With a sigh he went on. “I’m concerned your people have adapted to the cold much better than humans. I fear what our guides could bear, we could not.”

  “You concern is a valid one, as your assumptions are true. But the clothes of which I speak will aid you greatly, and there are certain spells which can help one deal with poor weather conditions. I do not want to say there is no risk, because there is. Certainly if you were caught out in the winter elements in your current condition I would not expect you to survive long. Even my people could only do so for a time. The only other option would be for you to winter here, and set off in the spring.”

  “That would be a long delay,” Darius said. “The war won’t stop, and neither will the plans of our enemy. I like to be warm as much as the next guy, but I can’t see losing that much time.”

  “Nor can I,” Barlow said. Without conviction he added, “Perhaps we’ll get lucky, and the season will be late to arrive and mild.”

  “Perhaps,” Aerlos said, though she looked away, not thinking the odds were in their favor.

  Chapter 20: New Friends…New Order

  They had agreed to meet again just after daybreak, and though the companions did speak of the perils that might lie before them, and of the necessity of adding one or two more to their fellowship, there was never a doubt that they would press on or accept the guides Aerlos offered. After they said as much the next morning, Aerlos called two elves into the throne room, a tall female and an even taller, young-looking male, whom she introduced as Uesra and Xanar, respectively. Uesra had a serious look about her, and spoke in soft, measured tones. Xanar, in contrast, wore a perpetual smile, and was openly excited about the chance to venture forth.

  “Both Uesra and Xanar are experienced guides, and have shown their mettle in the wild,” Aerlos said. “And both are highly skilled warriors, if it comes to that. I have told them your story, and what we’ve learned of the book. Both go with you willingly, and have my leave to follow their best judgment on how to proceed given any situation that you might encounter. You’ll have the opportunity to get to know one another far better in the days and weeks to come, so I’ll leave it to you to get further acquainted once on the road.”

  “Welcome,” Silas said to Uesra and Xanar. “Your help is greatly appreciated.” He then turned to Aerlos and added, “And our thanks to you for all your help. I take it from your last statement that we should be away swiftly?”

  Aerlos nodded. “I do not wish to deny you further rest, and if you desperately need it, please tell me so. But I have received word that the Dezku patrol the edge of the Auerl, and I fear that my concern about the Book of Dread drawing evil has already come to pass.”

  “Do they enter the wood?” Barlow asked.

  “No,” said Aerlos, “for they will not alight on the trees. But they clearly keep watch.”

  “Then what hope have we to go east undetected?”

  “There I can be of some help to you, I believe. The Dezku are numerous, but not highly intelligent. I will give them a reason to move to the west when the time comes. Hopefully they will lose track of the book, or simply return to watch the forest, if such was their task. Even if they pursue you, at least you’ll have a head start.”

  “That won’t matter much if they chase us,” said Darius. “They can move far more swiftly than we can.”

  “We’ve been near them before,” Adrianna noted, “and with the book. I don’t think they are drawn to it.”

  “I believe you are right,” said Aerlos, “which is why I think som
eone—or something—with more intelligence set them to watch this wood.”

  “The enemy we sensed pursuing us?” asked Barlow.

  “Quite possibly, or its master. The variations are too many to cover. Suffice it to say we’ll try to arrange an undetected passage east for your group as best we can.”

  They remained one last night in Lon Antar, privileged to dine with the queen and their new companions. The next morning they departed, their packs filled by their elven hosts. Darius noticed that he cast more longing glances back at the city than either Uesra or Xanar. He guessed that soon his new companions would be wishing for the comforts of home as well.

  Moving east there was no road, hidden or otherwise, upon which to travel, but the elves were surefooted and confident in their skill at finding their way through the ancient wood. Uesra, while the quieter of the two, was always pleasant when spoken to and Xanar soon rivaled Caltas in his willingness to share and listen to stories. Darius saw a lot of what he liked in Luke in the elf—a quick wit and a quicker smile, the ability to laugh at himself—and found himself walking next to him more often than not. When he had asked Xanar his age, the elf had just smiled and said he was far older than Darius or any of the others he traveled with, but despite this Darius felt the elf was a young man just as he was, and a natural bond started to form between them, as had the one between the now-older Barlow and Silas so many years ago.

  Their second journey in the Auerl Forest, despite the lack of a road, was briefer than the first, as they had less distance to cover. The elves who watched the wood and marked their progress usually did so openly, exchanging greetings with Uesra and Xanar and letting the whole party know that Queen Aerlos and her folk were aware of the companions’ progress, a necessity to keep the promise she had made them. Whenever the trees thinned enough for them to get a good look at the sky they looked for signs of the Dezku, but the bat-things remained out of sight. When the travelers reached the edge of the wood eight days after they had set out, they were greeted with clear blue skies, a chill breeze, and no sign that they were being observed by any servant of the enemy.

  As they put the forest behind them, Darius scanned the horizon to the east. The land before them was colored with the usual dull greens of grass going dormant for the winter, but not the paler, sicklier hues seen in the southern kingdoms of late, nor what he recalled seeing just outside the southern edge of the Auerl. The hills here were gentle, but Darius knew further east were the Grim Mountains, and beyond them the Endless Hills. Belzlak’s tower, he had learned from earlier conversations with Xanar, was even further east.

  “Which route will we take?” Darius asked. “North or south?”

  “North,” Xanar replied.

  Darius frowned. “Is it colder that way?”

  Xanar laughed. “I suppose it might be, but likely not so much that our numb fingers could tell the difference. Don’t worry about the cold yet, my friend. Enjoy the last bit of warmth while you can.”

  “Warm?” Barlow interjected. He walked with his cloak tightly pulled about him, trying to fight off the biting wind. “I was thinking about pulling out the clothes your queen provided as soon as the sun starts to set.”

  “You’d find yourself drenched with sweat if you did. It’s far too warm to be wearing such gear.”

  “There’s that word again,” Barlow said with a shake of his head.

  “Is the northern path more direct?” Darius asked, returning the conversation to the original subject.

  “Yes. We can pass above the Grim Mountains and the Endless Hills by going almost directly east from where we currently stand. If we take the path between Lake Fostoria and the mountains, we would add several hundred miles to our journey.” He glanced at Barlow while a playful smile graced his lips. "And it still wouldn’t be warm.”

  “I’ve heard the hills are troll country,” Adrianna said.

  “They are,” Uesra replied. “We will need to be on our guard.”

  “We’ll be staying north of them, won’t we?”

  “As we can. But the trolls patrol the areas around the hills, and often venture forth to hunt. They do so less in the winter. We may be lucky that way.”

  “If not,” Xanar added, “at least friend Barlow will need not worry about keeping warm.”

  “I know I shouldn’t ask,” Barlow said, having experienced Xanar’s jovial nature for over a week now. “But what, exactly, do you mean by that?”

  “The trolls like to roast their meat, preferably while said meat is still very fresh.”

  “Meaning the victim is still alive,” Uesra added for clarification.

  “Lovely,” Barlow said, pulling his cloak ever tighter.

  *

  Three days after they had passed beyond the edge of the Auerl, Xanar and Darius were lagging a bit behind the others, talking in hushed tones about the feelings of dread and menace that had plagued the southerners for much of their journey in the north, feelings that had fled when they entered the elven wood. Xanar had broached the subject in gentle tones, his serious expression seeming even more so since he rarely wore it. Xanar had asked about Luke, the emotions Darius had been dealing with, and the dreams that had troubled their sleep. “I’m led to wonder what might have happened had you not come to our wood,” he commented.

  Darius shook his head and looked away. “I try not to think about it. I’d rather face an enemy than be stalked like that—if that’s what was happening. It was all very confusing, and depressing.”

  They walked in silence for a time, Xanar weighing his next question. Deciding he had to know, he asked, “Any further problems?”

  “No,” said Darius with a forced smile. “For that I’m grateful. The magic of your home has spared us.”

  Now it was Xanar’s turn to smile, a wide grin.

  “What?” Darius wanted to know.

  “We’re clear of the wood. Have been for days. No sign of the Dezku, no nightmares, no feelings of doom…”

  “And no visions,” Darius added, nodding his head. “Perhaps we’ve made a clean escape after all.”

  Xanar clapped him on the back. “It’s good to see you smile, my friend.”

  “Feels good,” said Darius. “I suppose I could bring up the trolls, if I wanted to be a pessimist.”

  “They’re still far away, and not our first obstacle. Many other creatures wonder loose in the wild.”

  Darius nodded, knowing from firsthand experience that this was true. He thought of the giants that had brought down Luke, of the large spider he had fought in the dark… “Have you ever encountered a man-sized spider before?”

  “Elf-sized,” Xanar corrected with a smirk.

  Darius shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Have it your way. The question stands.”

  “I have. May happen again before this trip’s through.”

  “White fur, at least on the tips?”

  Xanar’s features hardened. “You’ve seen one?”

  “Had to fight it. Lucky I had some help,” he added, gesturing toward his companions.”

  “Where was this?”

  “A bit south of Fostoria Lake. Came upon us at night while we camped.” Darius studied his friend’s expression and asked, “Why? Thought you’ve seen them before, too.”

  “I have, but much further north. Tundra spiders, we call them. I’ve never heard of them ranging so far south.”

  “It seemed to be alone.”

  Xanar shrugged. “Maybe it’s nothing. Still…”

  They caught up to the others, and Xanar told Uesra what he had just learned.

  “Food must be scarce if they’ve roamed that far south,” she said. “I hope.”

  “Could just be a wanderer,” Silas pointed out.

  “Not very common in their young.”

  “ ‘Young?’ ” Darius repeated. “It was huge.”

  “Not for a tundra spider.”

  Darius’ eyes flew open wide. He turned to Xanar, looking for confirmation of what Uesra was imply
ing.

  “You said the white was only on the tips of the spider’s fur,” Xanar said.

  Darius nodded. “It was kind of dark,” he said lamely.

  “Adults are all white,” Uesra said.

  “And larger,” Xanar added.

  “And I suppose they don’t mind the cold,” said Barlow.

  “They are called tundra spiders,” Xanar replied.

  Barlow shook his head and grumbled, “More fun to look forward to.”

  “Why the concern about this one being so far south?” Adrianna asked. “Do you fear them entering the Auerl?”

  “No,” said Uesra. “They’ve done so before, although only rarely. But they are territorial. If food is scarce, maybe the one you dealt with was simply foraging far from home. There is another possibility, though.”

  “That their numbers are growing,” Adrianna said.

  Uesra nodded.

  Barlow continued to grumble to himself.

  Xanar patted him playfully on the back. “Take heart. Perhaps we need not worry about the weather or the trolls.”

  The words apparently brought little comfort to the old paladin.

  *

  On the morning of the fourth day out of the wood Uesra asked them to don the first item of elvish clothing. The hooded cloaks were warmer than those they already wore, but it was not for warmth that she instructed them to wear them. “They will provide at least some camouflage,” she had said. “Green side out now. We’ll switch to white when the snows begin.”

  Two days later, a little before noon, they were moving along in a shallow area flanked by two hills, a gentle slope to their right, and a heavily wooded, steeper slope to their left. Xanar was telling one of his better stories to Darius, drawing regular laughter from the young man, and the others seemed to be enjoying the bits and pieces of the tale they heard as well. Uesra was in the lead, and had slowed her pace to pull the group closer together. She glanced three times at the wood, doing so without turning her head, so that she appeared, under the cloak’s hood, to be looking straight ahead.

  “Xanar,” she said, a quick, sharp note.

  He had heard the tone before. He immediately stopped telling the story and asked, “The wood?”