by J D Bowens
“If the spell was that simple, I should be able to take us back.”
“I am afraid not,” she said. She took hold of his hands as he began to repeat the motions. “The spell only travels in one direction. It can take us to but not from.”
Consus sighed in frustration and looked at the great doors before them. “Well, if someone can travel here there must be some other way back.”
He followed Leiwyn to the lionhead doors. She placed a hand on the door and then leapt back as they yawned open. Its groan sounded like a roar up into the endless dark above.
A high open chamber was before them, the walls of which reached into another endless ceiling. An immense orb of light hung far above them like the sun and brightened the room. Dozens of smaller orbs of light floated nearby overhead as stars surrounding a moon. Beneath the orbs were blue lights in the likeness of eagles that glided overhead. Their light was reflected in the polished blue marble floor.
Several large rose-colored marble statues of men and women in robes and ceremonial garb stood in alcoves all along the chamber walls. The three concentric circles and a six-pointed star was carved on each of their chests.
“Who are they?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Leiwyn replied. He saw her eyes were as wide as his and reflected his own astonishment and admiration. “Favored Children of Arden and heroes of Amarant, I believe.”
The statues stood several times taller than him. Above them was another landing of alcoves with more heroes and statues. Beyond that was a mural that circled the chamber, etched with finite detail into gold plating and decorated with jewels and precious stones. The pictures on it moved in repeated motions: images of men and elves fighting dragons, devoted worshippers praying, and blessed Children conducting miracles of healing.
Consus stopped and pivoted on his heels to take in every detail. The light from the eagles shimmered and reflected on the gold and the gems. He watched as the passing light was refracted and created sporadic rainbows. I could stare at this forever and continue to find something new.
Above the alcoves and the mural was a great shelf that ran around the chamber. Elaborate and life-like sculptures of gryphons sat atop it. Their wings were outstretched so that the tips of each gryphon just touched the one beside it. Their talons grasped the edge of the precipice, and their gaze was fixed on the center of the room. They look just as they appeared in my dream.
“Look there,” Leiwyn said pointing to the center of the room. Her voice echoed through the chamber. “The Pilgrim Stone.”
At the center of the chamber stood a wide and steep four-sided staircase. Each side led to the narrow landing in the center where a smooth ornate gold altar sat before an ebony obelisk. The Pilgrim Stone, a large orb, floated just above the altar. A brilliant gold and orange light emanated from it and reflected against the surrounding stones. Consus quickened his pace to match Leiwyn's excited trot.
“This must be one of the lost temples of Arden,” she said as they climbed one of the four staircases. A wide grin covered her face, and Consus could not help but also smile in turn. “I’ve never read about this one. I thought this was just some sanctuary or refuge. I never thought for a moment that it would be this grand.”
Several of the light eagles swooped lower just over their heads. Consus looked up and kept a wary eye on the odd magical birds. “Leiwyn, what are these eagles for?” Consus asked.
Leiwyn shrugged her shoulders. “Guardians of some sort? Doubt they’ll hurt us. We’re Children of Arden, afterall.”
They reached the landing and Consus could see that the altar had small sculptures of gryphons, one at each of the four corners. They stood on their hind legs facing away from each other, their backs to the altar and wings stretched along the sides. Their eagle heads rose up just above the table of the altar and appeared to release a terrific cry.
The Pilgrim Stone was larger than both of Consus’ hands. The orb was translucent and held a small golden sun in its center surrounded by small clouds. The images of tiny dragons dipped and swooped inside as if searching for a way out. Gryphons flew between the dragons, in and out of the clouds, dancing around the sun. The longer Consus stared at the orb, the more he saw.
How can something so finite be so infinite?
“I have waited so long for this,” she said. She pulled the Pilgrim Stone from the air and cradled it in her hands.
“How will you destroy it?” Consus asked. He felt a pang of guilt. It seemed wrong to destroy a divine relic and an ancient one at that.
“With Arden’s blessings.” She laid the Pilgrim Stone on the altar and extended her open palm above it. A ray of blue light shot forth from it and blasted the Stone. Yet it remained on the altar unmoved and unharmed.
“Was that supposed to happen?” Consus asked after a moment of silence.
“No,” she said. “Perhaps, it is stronger than I thought.” She repeated the spell over and over yet the stone remained unchanged. Concern overtook her face, and she scowled at the stone as if to will its destruction.
“Are you sure you’re doing it right?” Consus asked. He immediately regretted asking.
Leiwyn glared at him. “I have fought off brög and armed men with the same light spell. I am certain I am doing it right.” She tried the spell once more, but the stone remained unaffected. She cursed and wrung her hands together. “I cannot allow this to fall into Nemoth’s hands. It must be destroyed.” She picked up the stone with both hands, raised it in the air, and slammed it against the altar.
CLANG
The sound of stone against gold reverberated off the walls of the chamber. Several of the eagles dove and swooped over Consus’ head. He ducked and followed their movements. What is happening? he wondered. The eagles rose back up into the air and dove into the gryphon statues on the high shelf.
The wings of the gryphons folded down behind their backs, and they leered down as lions prepared to pounce. Their cold stone eyes were now on him and Leiwyn. The statues were alive.
CLANG
Leiwyn slammed the stone against the altar again. Consus kept his eyes on the statues. The stone gryphons began to creep down the walls. As they crept closer, Consus could see how large they were.
“Leiwyn, stop,” he said tapping her shoulder. “I think you should stop. The statues are moving.” She paused and looked up. “They mean to protect the Pilgrim Stone.”
Three of the six gryphon statues had reached the floor and approached the stairs in a crouch. A loud crash sounded behind them. Consus whipped around to see that one of the gryphons had leapt from the wall to the obelisk. It was twice as large as any horse and its beak like a sword. They jumped back as the gryphon hissed at them and Consus’ heart beat out his chest.
Remain calm. He slowed his breathing and took up a defensive stance. The gryphon sliced at them with a mighty claw. Consus ducked back and slapped it away with the staff. The gryphon hesitated a moment and appeared confused.
Consus looked down and saw the carvings in the staff glow. For a moment, all the gryphons paused and stared at him. Consus took the staff with both hands and changed his footing. The movement felt instinctual. And yet I’ve never used a staff before. He watched the gryphons encircle them from the corner of his eyes.
“There’s a door at the other end,” Leiwyn whispered. She pointed to a simple small wood door at the opposite end of the chamber. The gryphons seemed to understand what she was indicating. They growled and slowly approached them as cats ready to pounce.
“Could you blast them with the light?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “I used what I had left on the stone.”
“Then, we should run,” he said.
They bolted down the staircase past the obelisk. The gryphon lashed out again with its talons. Consus spun around as he ran. He smacked the gryphon in the face with the staff. It lost balance, crashed into the altar beneath it and onto the landing. It screeched as it jumped up and chased Consus down the stairs. The gryphons loped aro
und the side of the staircase after them.
Consus could hear Leiwyn and himself pant as they raced. The sound of the statues scraping and colliding against the marble reverberated through the chamber. His eye caught the reflection in the marble floor: a gryphon flying above them. How? They’re made of stone.
“Look out,” he called to Leiwyn. The gryphon dove toward them and Consus turned with the staff and brought it against the neck of the gryphon. It crashed into the floor and rolled into the wall. Consus spun around again and struck the leg of a passing gryphon. The stone beast tripped over itself and rolled likewise into the wall. Another gryphon appeared at his side biting at him.
Consus leapt back in time to avoid its terrible beak. He swatted the butt of the staff against its face. It lunged forward undaunted. Consus twirled past it as it lunged and hit the gryphon in the face and neck several times.
Each step Consus took felt intuitive and each attack he made felt natural.
Yet another gryphon vaulted in front of him. It swiped at him with its talon, but Consus ducked just in time. As he rose, he brought the staff up under the eagle’s neck.
“Consus, come quickly!” He looked over his shoulder to see that Leiwyn had opened the door. She stood on the other side, the Pilgrim Stone in her hand.
He ran towards her, but another gryphon landed in front of him. He dove under it and slid across the polished floor and rolled into a run as he rose from the ground. He ran through the doorway and down the narrow hall with Leiwyn.
CRASH
Consus looked back to see the gryphon snapping their beaks at him through the door. They are unable to enter, he realized. The way is too narrow for them. The gryphon reached through the door and scraped their talons along the nearby wall but got no further. Consus and Leiwyn continued to run further down the hall, the sound of screeching eagles echoing after them.
Chapter 30
Torches lined the walls of the hall. They lit themselves and extinguished as the two passed and left shadows behind them and before them. The further Consus and Leiwyn walked down the hall the more it widened.
Leiwyn began to stumble, but Consus caught her arm. She balanced herself against the wall. Consus looked behind them. The gryphons were far away, and their screeching could no longer be heard. The adrenaline had long since worn off, and he now felt the ache in his muscles and weariness in his joints.
“We can rest a moment,” Consus said. Leiwyn nodded and plopped herself on the ground.
“I fear I may have overextended myself,” she said as she reclined against the wall.
Consus sat down, retrieved a biscuit from his pouch and handed it to her. He took one for himself and consumed it. He only had a couple of biscuits left. We need to find a way out of here soon. Or we’ll have nothing but rocks to eat.
“I used magic,” he said after he swallowed his scant meal. “I used divina magic through the staff somehow. I think I could sense it.”
“It is quite common to sense the flow of the magic,” Leiwyn said.
“Not the magic,” Consus said. “The staff, I could sense its - er, will. It was like it was directing me.”
Leiwyn blinked and appeared puzzled. “That is strange. It must be one of the blessings.”
“A blessing?”
“Each Child of the gods is given some sort of special blessing. It is their special and unique gift.”
“This day has been long enough,” he groaned, “and too full of surprises.” He rubbed his temples and leaned against the wall beside her. He felt her hand take his own.
“This will not be an easy journey,” she said. “Divina magic is full of surprises. I myself am still learning. I had no master to guide me, but I can help you with what I know.”
Consus sighed but was comforted that he had Leiwyn to guide him. “What are the blessings you have?”
“My blessing was that of visions. At a young age I started receiving visions of the future and the fates of the people around me. It is how I came to know about the Pilgrim Stone.”
“You can see the future?” he asked. “That must be exciting.”
“No, I have no control over it. The visions come to me when Arden chooses.” Her face appeared cold, and a shadow of sadness fell over her countenance. “It is never a gift to see the deaths of those you care for and know you are helpless to stop it.”
Consus felt a fool for speaking. He squeezed her hand in comfort. “I am sorry.”
“It is not your fault,” she said. The sadness lifted, and whatever dark memory that had preoccupied her thoughts appeared to dissipate. “Here, let me see the staff a moment.” Consus passed it on to her, and she held it in both hands. She examined the markings and the images of gryphons inscribed on the two ends. “Interesting.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“I think this is a Warrior Staff. The ancient priests would enchant certain weapons with the knowledge of the previous users.” She held the staff up to the light as if she expected to find some deeper secret. “Still, it doesn’t explain how you knew to use it.”
“So then, there’s no way to know how I could use it?” he asked unable to mask his disappointment.
“Your Blessing will fully manifest itself in time, but I should teach you to channel the magic properly, so you do not harm yourself.” She sat up against the wall and crossed her legs. Consus moved and sat likewise across from her. She placed the staff beside her and took his hands. “In many ways arcana and divina are similar. We can mimic most of the spells used by the mages, but there are three major differences you should know. First, because arcana is tied to the world, mages must use something from the elements.”
“Like when Altin uses firenuts to cast fireballs,” Consus said.
“Yes, precisely. We draw our power from the magic that made this world. Our power dwells within the world and around it. We are connected to it; we’re part of the divina magic. For most spells, we can use just hand motions and incantations. The second difference is that daily meditation is required for us to connect with Arden. This keeps us one with his divina power and allows us to draw from it.”
“How do I meditate?”
“We elves have our tradition, but I can help you with the basics. Close your eyes and slow your breathing. Place your hand over your heart. Concentrate on the silence within yourself.”
Consus inhaled and exhaled slowly. He thought about the Blessings Leiwyn spoke of. What were his and what would it mean to him? “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to focus.”
“Try again - close your eyes and try again. Empty your thoughts.”
He closed his eyes and let his mind pull away from his anxiety. He pictured the moving stars from his dream and watched them in his mind’s eye. Their light pulsed, expanding and receding over and over. He relaxed as he watched them float and slowly swirl about. There was a flutter in his heart and a lightness in his soul. He felt his body become numb and he could no longer hear his own breathing. In fact, he was no longer certain he was breathing at all. An odd and peculiar sensation, like a cool mist, spread out from his chest and washed over him.
“Very good,” Leiwyn whispered. “Now send that energy somewhere.”
Consus focused on his hands, and he sensed the odd ‘mist’ move according to his will.
“Open your eyes now,” she said.
He opened his eyes and realized Leiwyn no longer held them. A blue light hovered above his open palms. “What is this?” he gasped.
“This is the manifestation of divina magic,” Leiwyn said. “You channeled Arden’s own power through your being. You can now bend it to your will. Right now, it is acting as a lamp but if you were to turn your attention down the hall and move your hands so…” She moved her hands in a rapid motion, and Consus repeated.
The ball of light flew down the hall and crashed into a wall. It turned into threads of lightning against the stone before it was snuffed out in the shadows. “That was amazing,” Consus said. “Is all spell casting so simpl
e?”
Leiwyn laughed. “No, it is not all this simple. But much of it can be intuitive. Calm yourself again and find the magic again.”
Consus concentrated on the pulsing stars. The humming came easier to him this time. “I have it. Now, what should I do?”
“Place your hand against the floor and will it to rise,” she said.
He placed his hands on the ground. Once more the mist-like aura travelled to his hands, but now the floor beneath each palm began to shake. He focused on the ground beneath his hands and communicated his intent. As he raised his hands from the ground, two small pillars rose beneath each palm.
“Well done,” Leiwyn declared.
His concentration was broken, and the pillars collapsed back into the ground. As the magic waned, Consus grew tired, but he smiled at his achievement. “That was breathtaking,” he said.
“You are a quick learner,” she said. “It took me a couple of hours to understand how to use the gift like that. The more complicated the spells, the more power required.” She held up the spell book he’d discovered earlier. “I can see a few in this book that would need several gifted priests in order to cast.”
“It seems rather easy to control.” Consus saw Leiwyn raise an eyebrow as he spoke it. “I’m sorry; I didn't mean to gloat.”
Leiwyn shook her head. “No, don’t be troubled. It only took me a few years to master the gift. Really, I’m not insulted.”
Consus detected the bite of sarcasm in her voice and smiled. “Was that a joke? I was beginning to think that elves didn’t make jokes.”
“Only after very near-death experiences. These days, I’m finding myself developing a grand sense of humor.”
Consus moved to sit against the wall beside Leiwyn. “So, was it difficult for you to learn?”
“It was at first,” she said. “I had no one to teach me for years. I had no idea that it was even Arden’s blessing I had received. Most elves do not believe in the gods anymore. I thought I was being cursed with visions. Eventually, I sought out the Elthanaas.”
“The Elthanaas?” he asked. “What is that?”