The Return of the Fifth Stone

by Vincent Todarello

  It was like home, I thought. I imagined the river bank was moist and lush. Farms flourished and animals grazed on grasses that extended out to gently rolling foothills. There were no rigid mud cracks dried in the dirt below our feet where water once flowed with vigor, no dust blowing into our eyes as we walked across the valley.

  I looked around with renewed eyes and saw for the first time the vastness of damage that Scievah had done because of his obsession for power. Not only were Ahaareti souls at stake, I thought, but all of Haaret, living or not living, was threatened by this evil menace.

  “Will it always be here?” I blurted out as my mind raced with thoughts festering on Scievah.

  “The desert?” asked Patreus.

  “Evil. Will there always be evil?”

  “The potential for evil will always remain.”

  “But what if everyone were like us? Striving to live a truly pure life?” I asked.

  “Then that would truly be a miracle.”

  “Why doesn’t the king make it so? Why doesn’t he make us all strive for purity?” I pressed him.

  “And what kind of life would it be if we were always told what to think, where to go, what to do? A king who does this is not a fair king. No, no, a life without freedom is no life at all. The king knows this. He allows us to do what we want. The choice is ours to make of our own free will. And, sadly, as long as there is a choice, there will always be potential for wrong choices, the potential for evil.”

  “So what will stop it?” I urged.

  “The honor and glory of making the right choices, Valdren. The glory of good,” he said. I understood.

  As night cast its shadow upon us we began to hear the faint rumble of Ahaareta Falls in the distance. It was nearly too dark to see it when we arrived, but we knew we were close because a cool misty spray hung in the air, and our words were barely audible unless shouted at one another.

  Then, the clouds parted way from in front of the moons and a reflective sparkle began to light the falls. Its water glistened and danced in the moonslight all the way down from the Tillian River at the top to the depths of the Great Divide below. It was incredible. Trees and bushes grew along the sides of the waterfall, where the water was still available to feed them. Water collected on haphazard ledges, forming pools and a series of steps and cascading smaller falls; all were coordinated and in sync with one another. What a peaceful place this was, yet so powerful.

  “You see, the good and free river has already begun to influence the dark and dead chasm to change its way.” Patreus laughed, pointing to a small patch of young trees growing at the base of the chasm.

  “The glory of good.” I smiled back at him, validating the points he made in our prior conversation.

  "Come, let's make camp where it is dry and quiet. The ground is too damp here," said Patreus.

  The day had been long and tiring. That night I slept fast and easy, but for the lingering soreness beneath my shoulder blades. They seemed to tingle and itch more than hurt; a different sensation than the aches that Fiama’s salve helped to remedy.

  CHAPTER 7

  I awoke at dawn before the others, and I wandered toward the falls to catch a glimpse of it in the sunlight as day broke across the vast desert. The growth all around the waterfall was colorful and vibrant; a stark contrast to the landscape on our side of the chasm, which was barren as far as the eye could see. Even the lifeless rocky chasm walls had somehow sprung to life; moss covered the shaded areas, and sprouted shrubbery and tropical plants seemed to reach for the sun through the spray. The mist and heat mimicked a jungle during the hottest times in the midday sun.

  My eyes followed the chasm west to find a large, dark, misshapen mass on the horizon rising up into the clouds. The Lapis Mountains; the pieces of the floating continent that fell to the ground some time ago.

  Back at camp Patreus and Fiama awoke and began to pack up their things. Peitus soon got up and snacked on a small piece of bread. He offered some to the rest of us, waking Deius and Lunaris.

  "We should move out as soon as possible," said Patreus. "The sun can be quite taxing in these parts."

  "Will you train us today, father?" asked Deius. He yawned and stretched.

  "Yes. As long as you all have the will to."

  The dimness of the morning was still upon us, and the brisk bite of the chilled desert night would linger in the air until the sun torched it away with its fiery rays. It was as if the weather conditions changed drastically after we crossed the Locht Span Bridge. I wondered how we would get back home with no bridge, how we would cross the massive expanse.

  We finished eating, gathered our gear and began our journey northward, across a treacherous stretch of barren wasteland. It was a rocky desert, the dried carcass of a once lusciously bountiful, healthy and prosperous valley.

  Dawn’s amber sunrise lifted and the sun shown upon us. It was not yet hot, so Patreus took some time to train Deius and me. Mostly Patreus gave orders while Peitus, who was already a trained fighter, showed us various positions, stances and movements, which were called “the Foundation.”

  “The Foundation is the basis from which all fighting techniques stem," said Patreus. "Once you master the Foundation, the rest will flow almost naturally from it. But you must perfect the Foundation. Like cabin building, one cannot build a strong home without also building a strong foundation beneath. Once these movements become second nature to you, it will be as if the king himself is guiding your sword and your body. You will be able to see your enemy’s attack even before he does,” he explained.

  It seemed simple. There were less than ten basic movements to learn. Yet the key was to master them.

  Deius was in good spirits for the first time since before we left the farm. He approached the training with complete focus and determination. He understood the movements and worked hard in his goal to master them. Lunaris also joined. Her approach was much more carefree, but she learned quickly and fought very well.

  As for me, I felt a clarity in my head that I had never experienced before; an emptiness in my mind that allowed me to fully focus while I trained. The movements came naturally.

  We took turns sparring with each other as we made our way north, changing partners after several moves were practiced. Deius was sloppy, but he fought with strength and he was quite fast. Lunaris’ movements were nearly perfect, though her speed and strength lacked in comparison to Deius.

  Soon the sun began to burn hot upon us, so we covered our heads and began walking instead of training. But not Deius; he continued practicing his movements. He was relentless in his desire to excel. He practiced so hard that he nearly wore himself out. At one point, he collapsed and had to finish an entire skin of water just to muster up the strength to stand again.

  “Are all desires bad?” I asked Patreus as I reflected upon Deius’ unwavering will to keep training.

  “No, Valdren. Not all desires lead to corruption. Desires for happiness, for success, peace, or for a good season of crops; these are generally not the kinds of desires that lead to corruption,” he explained.

  “How does one know when they are bad?” I pressed him.

  “Often times you can feel it in your heart. You know it to be wrong. Take stealing, for example. You want something, but you know that stealing it is wrong. If you take it without paying, then your desire for that item has corrupted you into wrongful action. If a desire becomes the main focus of all your thoughts to the exclusion of others, or if it brings harm to you or to those around you, then there is a good chance it is a corrupt or impure desire. Not always, of course, but many times that is the sign of a corrupting obsession.”

  My concern for Deius grew. I wondered if he had listened to what I was asking amidst his training, and if so, if he had taken it to heart. We walked. We trained. That was the routine for a few days in the desert, and soon we had to be careful in rationing our supply of water.

  #

  After some time we came upon a group of large bou
lders with a rocky ledge that offered shade from the sun. Exhausted, we sat beneath the overhang and rested for a bit, having some bread and water for lunch, sheltered from the oppressive midday heat.

  All was silent as we tried to regain our strength. But suddenly there was a clatter from behind the rocks. It grew louder and sounded like the crackling scurry of a shinbeetle, only much more bulky and thick. Patreus drew his sword and Peitus did the same.

  “Stay here.” Patreus told the rest of us. We did not have real swords, only wooden practice swords.

  Just then, the claws of a giant scorpfang emerged from behind us, around the side of the rocks, and it lunged forward at Peitus as fast as a lightning strike. Peitus leapt backward, landing with his back on the ground as the scorpfang flew through the air poised to land stinger-first into his chest. Then, just as fast as it had leapt at Peitus, it was jerked backward, recoiling and snapping its bony claws and mouth parts violently at the air. A thick metal chain was drawn around its body. It was a leash; the beast was tethered to something behind the rocks, and it had reached the end of the line.

  The scorpfang was enormous in size, twice the size of Peitus. I had seen small scorpfangs around the farm, no bigger than my hand and still deadly. Stunned, I could not imagine how powerful and treacherous a sting from this beast would be. It had hundreds of armored and pointed scales covering its sand-colored body, and its claws snapped like the jaws of a mad wolf, in both size and ferocity. Its stinger was like a sharp bladed reed cut on an angle; a stabbing tube that extended a full arms length from the venom sac that sat at the end of its tail.

  We bolted in unison to get beyond the range of the chain leash, but the monster saw us, turned its attention from Peitus, and gave chase. It gained on me and I heard the snap of its claws getting closer and closer. I felt it tear at my loose shirt back. I struggled free, ripping the shirt from my body as I continued running, determined not to slow down, determined to keep my life. Then, the chain went taut and yanked the beast backward again. I was safely out of reach. The creature hissed at us as we stood a safe distance from its grasp.

  We circled around the rocks to see that the chain was fastened to a large metal spike that was driven into the rocky earth by someone, or something, that was somehow able to subdue or tame the creature long enough to wrap chains around its body without being maimed. Strewn all around the area near the spike were the sun-bleached bones of its past victims and prey. At first I thought they were rocks, but upon closer inspection I saw skulls, shattered ribs and snapped bits of long bones, severed clean like they were cut with the blade of a sharp sword. Others looked gnawed upon, with dried leathery flesh still clinging to parts, as if some other beast had scavenged the carnage afterward. We certainly were not the first travelers to have the misfortune of encountering the beast.

  A short distance from the rock was a cave that seemed to lead into a den, but the chain was not long enough for the scorpfang to reach inside. A low roar erupted from within. We turned to see what I could only describe as a massive ogre emerging from the cavern, with a spiked club clenched in its fist. It stood the height of three men, like the giants across the chasm, but its skin was green and thick, its back was twisted and hunched, and its arms nearly reached the ground beside its feet. Drool and slime dangled from its jaw as it roared into the air, charging at us with its long, pointed yellow teeth gnashed, ready to devour us alive. It dragged a vile, putrid stench of rotting flesh with it as it charged at us.

  We backpedaled to get away but it was too fast. It lunged at us with a broad, horizontal swing of its club, attempting to swat a few of us with one shot. We felt the whip of the air as it passed, barely missing us. Then the ogre stepped toward Patreus and lifted its club high with both hands. It let out another loud roar and brought the club down at Patreus violently. Patreus dove and rolled out of the way as the club struck the rocky ground with such force that it shook the earth and split the club in two.

  The ogre turned to face Patreus, but at that moment, Peitus seized the opportunity to attack the ogre while it had its back to him. He quickly swiped his blade at the ogre’s feet, cutting the tendon behind its left foot. The ogre groaned in pain and made its way toward the scorpfang, as if seeking help or to unleash the beast upon us. Patreus gathered himself and chased after the ogre, and with a swift maneuver slashed the ogres other tendon and jumped onto its back in one fluid motion.

  The ogre flailed its arms, trying to reach around to grab Patreus, but it could not. Patreus dug his fingertips into the skin of its back, hanging on for life and dropping his sword to hold on with two hands. Then he drew a knife out from a sheath on his waist. With a swift thrust he drove it deep into the ogre’s upper back. Patreus held onto the blade handle tightly, with both fists clenched around it. He stayed out of the ogre's reach until it grew tired and fell to its knees, no longer able to properly walk from being hamstrung.

  Patreus stood on the ground behind the ogre, picked up his sword and drove it through the ogre just below its head, so that the blade exited out the front of the ogre’s neck, under its chin. The ogre died almost instantly, collapsing onto the dusty rocks and bones near its dastardly den.

  I noticed that Patreus had yanked a necklace off of the ogre as it fell lifelessly to the ground, stashing it into a pocket in his pants. I had never witnessed such a fight, nor had I ever seen so much spilled blood; not even from the killing of animals for food. The moment was tense. Not a word had been uttered since we first saw the scorpfang.

  “We must kill the scorpfang." Peitus broke the silence. "These bones, they could have been us. It’s as though it has been trained to wait for travelers to rest under the rocks. A trap. We must destroy it for the good of other travelers.”

  “But how?” Patreus asked. It was clear that the beast, even chained, would be a far more difficult fight than the ogre. “And there’s a good chance that the majority of its victims are allied with Scievah.”

  “Even still, as it is written, and as spoken by Ver’Deiro himself, ‘It is better to save one than kill a thousand of Scievah’s men.’ That is our true mission,” said Peitus.

  “To save them so they may continue to go on killing?” Patreus argued. “That is not the kind of saving Ver’Deiro had in mind.”

  “Well, then what about the one who is pure of heart that may pass by in the night? No man should endure such a death; not even the most vile of the impure,” Peitus said with conviction.

  “Why should we help the impure?” Deius added. “We’re better than them. They deserve to die.”

  “No, son. No Haareti is superior to any other, pure or not. Purity is about striving to live a peaceful, meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding life. It is not about establishing who is more worthy; that is a misunderstanding.” He paused in thought for a moment. “Peitus is right. And Ver’Deiro did come to help the impure. We must destroy this menace, but how?”

  “We lure it.” Peitus suggested, always the one with dangerous strategies to solve our problems. Usually, they were strategies in which he assumed a great deal of risk. "We lure it out and when it reaches the end of its chain it will inevitably snap backward. It takes the beast a moment to regain its footing; that is when we must strike.”

  “That is far too treacherous an idea. Perhaps we should just leave and post warnings.” Patreus suggested. “There must be some other way.”

  “Perhaps.” Peitus became agitated. “And perhaps we should avoid the war with Scievah as well, and just post warnings of his danger.”

  “What are you getting at, son?”

  “We have before us something evil. Obviously tainted with dark magic. Chained up and still no less of a threat. We must destroy this monster and rid the world of its evil.” Peitus once again exhibited his selfless sense of duty.

  “Alright.” Patreus reluctantly agreed.

  “Its underbelly is soft; we can penetrate that with our swords. When it snaps back after tightening the chain, it becomes exposed for a moment. That i
s our only chance. Its scales are too strong and would deflect our swords, or our blades would get stuck beneath the surface of the scales, leaving us vulnerable as we try to pry them free,” Peitus explained.

  “Very well.” Patreus said.

  As they readied themselves, Fiama cringed with a furrowed brow, and tears gently fell from her eyes out of fear for the lives of her son and beloved husband. Much happened on the journey to endanger the stability and security of her family. I saw the burden that weighed upon her. She knelt on the ground and pressed a fist to her forehead.

  “I’m going to sprint in that direction, in front of the beast, to draw it out.” Peitus pointed. “When it gives chase, you run up behind it, without it knowing you are there. Be ready to bury your sword to the hilt in its underside when it flips backward.”

  Patreus nodded, agreeing to his son’s strategy and command. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Peitus darted out past the front of the scorpfang, taunting it, and it lunged at him. The near miss would have snapped his leg in two with a swift crunch of its claws. Its stinger was perched upright and dripped with a pus-like yellow venom as it barreled toward Peitus, who was barely a body length ahead of the beast.

  Following Peitus' plan, Patreus began to run up behind the scorpfang in position for when the chain yanked the scorpfang backward. Small puffs of dust hung around Patreus' feet with each stride as he swiftly approached. But as he caught up to them he stumbled upon a large rock and fell to the ground. Instantly the scorpfang noticed. It stopped and turned from chasing Peitus to strike its stinger down at Patreus. It was lightning fast, but Patreus rolled out from under it as it came down and pierced the rocky ground beside him. Patreus regained his footing and Peitus noticed that their plan had been compromised.