by D G Palmer
Gydion looked all around; Shade were coming out of every shadow of the darken cavern. Hundreds upon hundreds of the creatures slowly made their way menacingly toward the arch mage.
‘You should have taken the offer when it was there, husband,’ chuckled Sayyidah, ‘you could have saved yourself a lot of pain.’
‘This is far from over, my dear,’ replied Gydion before he clapped his hands together, which caused a ring of frost to rapidly radiate from the point of impact. Every Shade that was hit by it was destroyed but just as soon as they were eliminated another took its place.
The Shade, feared in Ariest, hungry devourers of essence, indiscriminate killers of the third Great War were being held in a stalemate with Gydion. He didn't want to show it but they were pushing him to the limit. There were so many of them that he had to use his spells at maximum affect. His dimensional energies were almost depleted and he couldn't see any way to end the battle. As long as he was able to keep them at range, unable to use their essence vampire abilities, it became a battle of attrition and then it would just be a matter of how long his essence would last before it was completely finished. Gydion decided that his plan B might have to be used after all.
Gydion had allowed the Shade to occupy his full attention and it almost cost him his head as the rock golem swung its huge fist and missed decapitating the Mage by mere inches.
‘Your fight for survival has been very amusing, darling, but I grow weary of it. You have done well against the Shade thus far but what if the golem were to join the fray?’ The golem attacked with more ferocity. Gydion dodged as best he could whilst blasting any Shade that came close, but he was still struck several times by the rock beast. ‘Still you refuse to accept the inevitable? Fine. I shall finish you myself then.’
The course of the battle quickly changed. Gydion's offensive actions all but vanished as he desperately held off his attackers. But the end was near; he knew it was only a matter of time. All he could do now was to have faith in Trinity and Daniel. He believed they were destined to be the guardians of Ariest, no matter what the faerie queen saw in her dreams about the youngster. As long as they looked after his grimoire, everything would be fine.
Suddenly, out of the side of his vision, Gydion saw several rock spikes flying towards him. He managed to evade them just in time but in doing so he put himself into the path of the rock golem who delivered a devastating blow. He felt at least two of his ribs crack as the punch lifted him off the ground and before he had any time to recover the creature had lifted the Mage over his head and threw him like an unwanted toy.
Sayyidah had a maniacal grin on her face and her eyes widened with expectant glee as she watched the man she once loved near the end of his life. She had waited for this moment for so long, and now it was about to happen. She may only have been a duplicate of the true Sayyidah but she shared all the same personality traits, thoughts and feelings as the Egyptian, so even though she eventually considered him an obstacle to her ultimate machinations, she had married him, she had loved him but she was glad to finally be rid of him all the same. What affections she had left for him would be extinguished along with his life.
‘This must be a hard spectacle for you to witness, beloved.’
‘No more than it is for you, my Lord.’ She turned to see Baelthorn watching her for any deceit. ‘Well perhaps a little more. I have had three loves in my life; Gydion was third on that list.’
‘And the first two?’
‘My magic means more to me than anything, and the second love was the one that showed me that magic and what true power was, he set me on my quest to obtain more power.’
‘I too know the lure of absolute power so to be second to that cherished phenomenon is acceptable.’
Sayyidah smiled at the dragon Lord. He actually believed I spoke of him? I will show you how much I can love a so-called God in time, caliph.
Gydion's sudden movement caught the attention of the couple as he struggled to his hands and knees; he coughed up blood as the shade closed in on their prey. It had been a long time since Gydion last found himself in such a condition; bruised, beaten and bloodied. He had neglected his own training during his search for Daniel, presiding over Trinity's development instead. Maybe this complacency had set in the day he became Archmage, after all what need is there for further training if you are already at the pinnacle of your class?
I should have studied more then I wouldn't be such a failure, he despaired. I've failed at everything. I've failed everyone. Because of my failure I have doomed the people of Ariest. He paused for a moment, his brow creased as he searched his memories, remembered moments of his life; he hadn't failed his life, his life was a success and it wasn't over yet!
The malaise that had descended on him lifted slightly. For the first time he heard a sound like wind rushing past his ears. With his head turned slightly to the side he saw the source, the mouth of a Shade open grotesquely wide. The blow from the rock golem had sent him into the shadows, the perfect hunting ground for the dark entities known as the Shade.
So, this is what it feels like to have them feeding on your Essence. And that sense of self-pity, like you want to give up, must be to stop the victim from fighting back, he thought. I've been getting these feelings on and off since I arrived here. Have they been feeding on me since then? Surely not. But it would explain why I felt weak against the Keeper and why my essence depleted so quickly, but if not the Shade maybe it is something in the atmosphere itself. And if that is the case no wonder the master made it a no-go area.
More and more Shade joined the feeding frenzy. Gydion could no longer discern where one ended and the next began. He could see his essence being drawn out of him in several different directions, like hyenas tearing at his soul. Time was running out for his escape, it was now or never, whilst he still had an ounce if Essence left.
She watched on with bated breath. She wished that hers was the last face Gydion would see but there were too many Shade on him now, all Sayyidah could see of her husband was some of his cloak and then that too was gone. Then, as the Shade began to disperse, she could see that it wasn't just the cloak that was gone, but he was, too!
‘It is done.’
‘What do you mean it is done? I wanted his body to parade before the council!’
‘He is dead and his body has been taken by the Shade.’
‘That's not good enough! To quash any thoughts of an uprising on Ariest they would need to see the corpse of their great hero, now they will still have faith that he will return! Hope that he will save them again!’
‘But you know that will not happen.’
‘Do I?’
‘You doubt me?’
‘I doubt Gydion will do the decent thing and stay dead and neither should you.’
‘I do not fear ghosts.’
‘As you wish,’ Sayyidah replied with a curtsey and a strained smile. Bite her tongue and bide her time, that's all she had to do. Things were progressing nicely for her; Earth realm would be hers soon, then she would show Baelthorn what it means to underestimate. ‘I think the time has come that I should return to Ariest and prepare the way for your arrival, my Lord.’
‘That one over steps her boundaries. She needs to be reminded of her position.’
‘As do you.’ The voice rumbled throughout the cavern as if it came from everywhere. ‘You approach god hood only because I allow it, do not forget that. The next time you try to siphon energy from me without my permission you will be severely punished.’
‘That impudent mortal dared to challenge Baelthorn! Baelthorn would have crushed him, yet you almost made Baelthorn look a fool.’
An earthquake suddenly shook the cavern and just as sudden as it started, it stopped.
‘Baelthorn begs forgiveness, mighty Salamida,’ pleaded the dragon Lord as he fell to one knee.
‘I could have destroyed you millennia ago when you entered my realm, but I chose not to because you opened the way out of the void I dwelled
to your own burgeoning realm; fresh clean essence to feed upon. I spared you then do not make me regret that decision. We have a long journey ahead of us and you have a long recuperation after your imprisonment. Let your consort settle things for the time being, herald the word of your return, then you will have your revenge against the descendants of your siblings, and I shall venture further into this new world.’
Chapter Thirty
‘You have got to be kidding me!’ Trinity was fuming as she listened to Finn nonchalantly explain the plan, she had devised for Daniel to them. ‘Are you crazy? What if Daniel gets caught sneaking in here?’
‘Do you want to speak a bit louder, princess? I don’t think they heard you in Gorias!’
‘Would you both be quiet!’ Tristan, though awake, was still feeling some of the effects of the poison he had been struck with by the Shadow Dancers, namely a headache worse than any hangover he had endured in his life. And having Trinity and Finn bickering wasn’t helping the thumping in his head go away. ‘Now, if we can all speak in a civilised manner, I actually think that this could work.’
‘As do I,’ Ch’tan agreed. ‘I know of the Fog Horn and that magical fog it conjures up is thicker than anything you could imagine. With those goggles you mentioned, Daniel should be able to get in without issue, as long as he doesn’t stand in front of anyone.’
Trinity rolled her eyes at Finn’s smug look. ‘And if he does get caught?’
Finn shrugged. ‘Then were all vekted.’
‘Excellent,’ groaned Trinity. She slumped into her chair, worried out of her mind.
Ch’tan suddenly got up and made for the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Tristan asked.
‘Well, I thought I’d go and see if I can get my audience with Cernounos Just in case things go wrong and we all get kicked out.’
‘Sound idea,’ stated Tristan.
Trinity’s pleasure at seeing Daniel had been so short lived she didn’t really have the chance to fully appreciate it. And now to think that at any moment he was about to attempt what she believed to be Finn’s hair-brained plan troubled her. This time she really did need a distraction.
‘I have got to say, this place is kind of special,’ Finn said looking around the elevated treehouse they had been given for the length of their stay. ‘You know when you hear stories about something and you’re like “wow, that sounds great!” And when you finally get to see it, it doesn’t live up to expectation? Well this place goes far beyond what I ever thought about it. How did you two get here though? Hyasda said that you were gathering herbs for her closer to Almedia.’
‘We were attacked,’ Tristan answered, ‘in broad daylight by the Shadow Dancers. The druids rescued us and brought us here.’
‘That’s a bit weird,’ Finn furrowed her brow in thought. Having dealings with the Thieves Guild made her privy to more of the shady goings on of Ariest. As much as the Shadow Dancers were a mysterious organisation, it was almost common knowledge in the underworld that they excelled at stealth; striking when you least expected it. ‘I wonder who their target was.’
‘It seemed like it was both of us,’ replied Tristan.
‘Well I could understand them going after you,’ said Finn rubbing her chin thoughtfully. ‘I’m sure there’s a long list of husbands and boyfriends that’d like to see you buried.’
‘And a list twice as long of wives and girlfriends,’ added Trinity. Both girls broke out into laughter.
‘Ha ha, laugh it up,’ mocked Tristan. He didn’t much like being the butt of jokes so he dropped a revelation that he thought the other two had overlooked, which stopped the laughter dead. ‘The real question here is who wants you dead, Trinity?’
‘He does have a point, princess.’
‘Stop calling me that.’
‘I will as soon as you stop acting like one.’
‘I do not act like a princess.’
Finn was about to answer back when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a thick fog rolling in through the Glade. ‘Well, well, well,’ she grinned, ‘it only looks like Daniel’s gone and blown the horn.’
Trinity and Tristan joined Finn at the window. They looked down and saw that the fog was, not only, moving quickly but it was raising. It was so thick that they could barely see any of the flaming torches that illuminated the thoroughfares and pathways.
‘Great,’ Trinity let out a worried sigh. ‘Now what?’
‘Now we just wait for Daniel to talk to the Green Man, get out of the Glade and blow the horn again to clear the fog and it’ll be mission accomplished.’
‘And if he can’t find the Green Man?’
‘Then we’re vekted,’ Finn shrugged, the smile not leaving her face. This was adventure to her and she was loving every minute of it.
IF THIS WAS ADVENTURE for Finn, then this was nothing short of dread for Daniel. He had waited, thought through Finn’s plan thoroughly, weighed up the pros and cons of going ahead with it, and then put the horn to his lips, took a deep breath and blew it.
He needed to see the Green Man, and if sneaking into the Druid Glade was the only way that was going to be possible, then so be it. He didn’t really want to do it this way and he hoped that Cernounos wouldn’t hold it against him, but secretly he was anxious to try out the magical artefacts he had brought from the bank vault.
Daniel had made sure that he moved away from the elves when he used the horn; he wasn’t sure what kind of sound it would make and thought it would be best to have some distance. Funnily enough, the horn made no sound at all. As Daniel blew, a thick fog noiselessly billowed out of the other end. He made sure to aim it at the glade and watched with fascination as the fog rolled towards the elf homestead, getting bigger and denser with each passing moment.
The magical fog was extraordinary; Daniel could barely see his hand in front of his face let alone any of the forest. He fumbled with his bag and replaced the Horn of Fog with the black-lensed, Goggles of Sight.
‘Awesome!’ Daniel breathed as he slipped the goggles over his head. Through the enchanted lenses he could see as if it were a normal, sunny day; his vision wasn’t affected by the darkness of night nor the thick fog he had created.
He still had to be careful as he snuck pass the two guards and into the Druid Glade, so as not to make a sound and draw attention to his position. Through the amazing Goggles of Sight, Daniel was able to look in wonder and fully appreciate the aesthetic beauty elves are known for. He wished he could spend more time examining everything the Glade had to offer but he was on a mission. And that’s when he came upon the one big flaw in Finn’s plan; he had no idea where to find Cernounos.
He walked around half hoping to see some street sign directing the way, but there was nothing. Daniel could feel himself getting agitated and his head getting a little hot from the anxiety that was building in him. He was on the verge of calling the whole thing off and making his way back out of the Glade, when he heard an elf give a command in elvish.
Daniel’s fortunes took a turn for the better. The elf was tasked with informing Cernounos of the mysterious fog that suddenly came upon the Glade. He set off with the assuredness of someone that knew his homestead like the back of his hand. Daniel had the luxury of being able the follow from a distance.
The elf continued towards the north to the far end of the Glade and finally came to a thick bush with an opening cut through it. More guards stood to attention here but these ones had more elaborate clothing than the guards at the Glade’s entrance, this garb was almost ceremonial.
This must be the place, Daniel thought.
The druid he had been following entered the bushes through the archway, only to return shortly afterwards, and taking the two ceremony guards, headed back the way he had come.
Seeing that the coast was clear, Daniel headed through the archway himself, only to be almost knocked over by Ch’tan. He noticed that the Undany seemed to be a little preoccupied as he rushed pass, meaning Daniel had no chance to gra
b his attention without making a scene. The youngster decided that he’d talk to him later to see if he was okay, right now he had to finish what he had come here to do.
‘YOU WON’T NEED THOSE here. Your fog has no effect on my sacred grove.’
As Daniel stepped through the archway, he pulled down his goggles. The voice was had been right. Although it was night-time this area seemed bright as if it were bathed in the light of a full moon even though there wasn’t one in the sky.
The grove was almost circular in shape surrounding a lake which had an island at its centre. On the archipelago was a single tree but it had the widest trunk Daniel had ever seen. In its shadows he could just make out the silhouette of a figure with what seemed to be huge horns.
‘I’ve come—,’ Daniel tentatively began, ‘I’ve come to speak with the Green Man.’
‘I am the Green Man,’ the shadowy figure replied. ‘I am Cernounos. I am the spirt of nature. I am the one you seek. Cross the bridge and speak your mind.’
Daniel all of a sudden, became nervous. He was standing in the presence of a sacred entity and he didn’t know what to say. His plan hadn’t been developed that far. They had only devised how he would get here not what he would say when he arrived. ‘Hi, I’m Daniel...’
‘I know who you are, Daniel Welsh. I know why you are here and how you arrived within the Druid Glade. But you should know, the prophesy is not wrong.’
‘Look, I’m sorry about that. I really am. It wasn’t the way I wanted to see you but the Archdruid and the others wouldn’t let me in and their reaction is directly the result of this prophecy. How can I be judged for something that may or may not be about me, for something that I may or may not do? I was told that you have the influence to change people’s opinion, that I should petition you so that you can tell them the truth. That’s why I decided to, why I had to, take these desperate measures to see you.’
‘Yes, I am old, wise, well respected and yes, people do listen when I speak. Even the queen of all Ariest seeks my council from time to time. However, I cannot give you what you seek, for I believe the prophecy to be true.’