The First Seal

by Jared Zakarian

  “Four days ago, a peregrine was supposed to fly in with a report. Nothing came,” he said. “Another was scheduled for today. Nothing so far.”

  She shook her head in wonder. “What does this mean, Treasach?”

  “Shh, keep your voice low. We must keep this between us.”

  “Yes, sir.” She recollected herself.

  “We are not sure at this point. Baskla believes the demons’ numbers are swelling; scouts are going out every day.” He hesitated. “Though lately not all are returning.”

  They neared the east watch and temporarily abandoned their conversation. Treasach looked to one of the guards standing at another temporary barricade between the elves and the outside races.

  “Report,” Treasach commanded.

  “Sir.” A lieutenant stood at attention. “Remains silent, sir. The giants come and go as they please, helping the Harmaalinnian army with defense construction. The trolls have not been seen since they made camp past the barrier. They have gone silent.”

  “Good. As I have told west watch, make sure to have provisions ready for them. We do not want any trouble inside the walls. Have a plan before they need something,” Treasach said.

  The soldier hesitated. “S-sir, what do trolls eat?”

  Treasach shook his head. “I do not know; ask Lyvnevar. I believe he is acquainted with their kind.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you have a runner?” The prince looked around at the guards.

  “Yes, sir. Our runner is ready. We will raise the alarm should anything happen,” the lieutenant said.

  “Good.” Treasach nodded to them, and they left the guard post, heading back toward the gate again.

  Once they were a good distance from the east watch, Treasach resumed their conversation.

  “A falconer remains at Filithia. His peregrine still flies,” the prince said.

  “Are we prepared?” Gavina asked.

  A sigh left his lips. “I hope so. I cannot even imagine what is out there. We saw only the initial waves exit the seal. Impossible to know what came after we left.”

  Gavina had flashes of that night rush through her mind. The imagery was still quite vivid and fresh. It had been a few weeks, but the fear and pain were still very real. Her mind drifted to Faolan and his parents. Her heart sank as she remembered them, and a tear rose to her eye.

  “Have you heard from Aili recently?” she asked the prince.

  “No, it has been two weeks since I have seen the healers.”

  “I think I will visit them when we reach the forge district,” she said.

  “Very well, I will need to report back to Father at that time. We are not far.”

  They walked under the massive redwoods and through the filtering sunlight. After a few minutes, they emerged back into the military quarter. The archery ranges were on their left, full and active. Many barracks and armories lay to their right. As they neared the gates, just past the last armory building, the Great-Horned dragon lay with its chains and blindfold on.

  Gavina eyed the ancient beast and its unnaturally calm presence. She wasn’t sure why it was still in Lesley and why it hadn’t tried to escape yet. Its single line of six horns from nose to top of skull was quite intimidating. The beast’s nostrils flared, and a puff of dirt was blown away from its snout. It was not the largest breed but was still quite formidable and strong.

  As she eyed the dragon’s rich orange scales, she asked, “Can the army use the dragon?”

  “For defense?” Treasach scoffed. “Unlikely.”

  “Has anyone tried interacting with it?”

  “No, not since Fao—” He didn’t finish the name as he remembered the lost guardian. “Not since it was chained.”

  “We should release it.”

  “So it can attack Lesley again? Father is not known to be reckless or foolish.”

  After hearing his words, she knew he was right. The king would not release the beast, not without a guarantee it would not immediately wreak havoc on Lesley again. And now was even worse timing with an enemy looming in their shrinking world. Their kingdom’s vision was growing shorter and closer to the walls. The hair on her neck stood on end as she thought about the approaching creatures beyond the farms and tree line.

  They turned south through the inner gate and headed through the forge and trade district again. Their patrol was nearing an end, but Gavina was not finished.

  “I will meet you back at the castle, all right?” she said.

  He nodded. “Fine.”

  She departed from him and turned east as she navigated the narrow back streets of Lesley. She was heading toward the twin healers’ new infirmary. She had not seen it yet and figured she would go pay them a visit. She was curious about Aili and how she was doing. Some time had passed since the loss of Faolan, but she knew the fair healer still struggled with the emotional turmoil.

  Gavina wove through the crowded streets. Kids gathered and played in small herds. She danced around their careless games and made sure not to trample them. She laughed at their playful spirits and remembered when she was a child, relating to their joy.

  Elven knights patrolled the streets of the forge district to keep the peace: some in pairs, others in squads. All wore full battle dress and wielded either sword and shield or spear. Their gazes remained forward and their march steady. White cloaks with gold trim, like Treasach’s, flowed behind them, with hints of purple uniform peeking out beneath their armor.

  Gavina finally made it to the door of the infirmary. She knocked on the door and waited patiently. She could hear footsteps approaching inside.

  The door swung open, and Leith stood on the other side.

  “Gavina, welcome!” Leith said. “What brings you here?”

  She smiled at the familiar face. “Oh, just came to say hi and see how your sister is doing. Is she here?”

  He shook his head and spoke with a quieter tone. “She went to visit the graves.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, perhaps I will go join her.” She gave him a small smile.

  “I think she would like that,” he said.

  “Thank you, Leith. I will go see if I can find her there.”

  “Of course. Come back and visit when you have more time.”

  “I will.” She smiled warmly and stepped away.

  Leith closed the door.

  She breathed deeply and released a long sigh, then began the long walk to the garden district. She traveled through the housing district around the city and finally found her way to the garden district. She knew where to find the gravestones of Faolan’s family. She had been there during their ceremony of passing.

  She took the small pathways through the beautiful landscape, passing flowers and luscious foliage. The flowers had long petals as wide as her hands in groupings of three or four. Some were orange with yellow spots, and others were blue with red streaks.

  Her path took her over a small bridge that crossed a stream, and she turned north toward the northeast corner of the garden.

  The three graves were nestled under a grove of broad-leafed trees that fluttered in the wind. The lower branches were trimmed and provided a beautiful understory with flowering plants ringing the area.

  As she neared, she could see Aili’s slight form sitting at the foot of Faolan’s grave, her face cupped in her hands as her form shook slightly. She was wearing a pink dress, thin and light. Her golden hair shined in the sunlight. A layer of ice began to accumulate and expand atop the grass surrounding her.

  Gavina waited for a moment, realizing the fair elf maiden’s pain had not lessened over the past weeks. Aili still desperately missed the departed guardian, and Gavina understood her love had run deeper than she had thought. Gavina was trying to decide what words to say before approaching, not wanting to make it worse.

  Slowly, she stepped forward toward the weeping maiden.

  “Aili,” she called out.

  The crying elf quickly wiped away her tears with her long, flowing sleev
es and took a deep breath to stop her sobbing.

  “I was not expecting anyone. I am sorry.” Aili’s voice shook.

  “No need to apologize. I did not mean to startle you. Actually, I was looking for you.”

  “Me, why?” She hid her face from Gavina.

  “I wanted to see how you were doing,” the general said.

  “Sometimes I am all right,” Aili said, still looking away as she wiped her tears again.

  “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

  Aili paused but said, “No, please.”

  Gavina sat next to her and glanced at the graves before them. Auvelia lay in the middle with her husband on her right, and Faolan’s empty grave on the left.

  Aili tried to suppress her sobs, but Gavina could hear her clearly.

  “Come here; do not be shy.” The general put an arm around Aili and pulled her over so the beautiful healer could cry on her shoulder.

  “Talk to me. What are you feeling?” Gavina said as she saw ice crystals grow and expand across the grass, as Aili leaned on the general and placed her hands on the ground.

  “How is it possible to miss someone so much?” Aili cried. “Why must it hurt so deeply?”

  The general thought for a moment. “Love is a powerful emotion, the strongest of them all, and the most painful to lose. You hurt because you loved. Cherish the few weeks you had with him and remember him for the good memories he gave you, but learn to let go. Let your heart heal, and let your mind acknowledge the truth.”

  Aili’s tears flowed. “I do not want the truth. I want to be with him again. He was kind and he cared for me . . . really cared for me.”

  Gavina rubbed her shoulder and briefly tightened her embrace. “I know.”

  Aili looked up at the half-elf general, glancing at her dark hair and tanned face.

  Gavina could see the blue glow in Aili’s eyes from the Ikalreev magic, the overpowering emotion breathing it to life.

  Aili sniffled. “He asked to court me while we were on our journey to the seal.”

  Gavina gave a slight smile. “He would have treated you well.”

  Tears rolled down Aili’s cheeks as she lay against Gavina. The general sat with her for a while and helped her through the tough emotions that only time would heal. After a long time, Aili began to calm. A question had been bothering Gavina. She didn’t know if this was a good time to ask but didn’t know if they would have another chance to speak.

  “Aili?” she asked.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you remember when we were standing with Faolan outside the seal, before it opened? Right when the demon emerged from the trees, we had seen something unusual happen to Faolan.”

  Aili thought about the vision they both experienced behind the rock outcropping, before the seal’s opening. Faolan had suddenly changed, with eyes bathed in fire and rock shattering when he hit it.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Have you made any sense of it yet?”

  “No, but it was not the first vision I had that centered around him,” Aili said.

  “What?” Gavina looked down at her.

  “It had happened twice before, though each time was not the same.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “His clothing was different in each vision. His clothes were bathed in fire in the last one, that you saw as well, but his eyes had this color-changing aspect to them in the first two. It was so unnerving—makes my skin crawl every time I think about them. And he had wings in the first two . . .”

  “What do you mean, he had wings?” Gavina asked.

  Aili stared at Faolan’s headstone with a distant gaze as she remembered the visions in vivid detail. She paused as she saw them flash before her eyes again, great white wings flapping before the statue.

  “They had pristine white feathers that glowed faintly. Their wingspan must have been thirty feet or more, with the appearance of a bird wing. Small feathers along the anterior crest gradually increasing in length to the flight feathers, which were extremely long.” She described them as she saw them in her mind.

  “Like actual wings? On his back?”

  “Yes, emerging from the shoulder blades down to the middle of his back.”

  “That is strange . . . Have you told anyone else?” Gavina asked.

  “Yes, I confided in Caedmon.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Not much,” Aili said distantly. “I am not sure he even understood what I told him. It sounded ridiculous to me as I was telling him. How do you convince someone you are seeing things that are not there?”

  Gavina listened. “I believe you. I saw his eyes at the seal. They were . . . unnatural.”

  “I was never afraid he would hurt me, even though I was terrified during the visions. Part of me felt like Faolan would never hurt me, whether I recognized him or not. He was always kind to me and protected me several times on our journey . . . He jumped off a cliff for me.”

  “I know. He was quite brave. Foolish, but brave,” Gavina said as she remembered when Faolan had jumped off the battlements at Darnum during the Nathra charge. She knew exactly who Faolan was, the type to lay his life down to save those around him. A rare soul. A light in the world.

  “I miss him,” Aili wept.

  Gavina held her tight. “It will hurt for a while, but it will get easier. I promise.”

  The general held the healer for a long time as the sun began to set. She wanted to give comfort and be there for the frail spirit mourning her new love. She had known that type of heartache before and knew just how much it hurt. She was alone when she went through losing the elf she loved, but she was determined not to let Aili go through the same pain without a friend to hold her or a shoulder to cry on.

  Aili’s tears flowed in waves between calm moments and emotional intensity as she thought about what could have been. Her hope had been high and her joy just budding, but it was ripped from her, and every time she remembered that fact, her heart tore and she wept.

  They remained there as the shadows of night crept over the gardens. The bugs of the night began their harmony of nightly music as the bright moon ascended into the sky, and a slight breeze rose in the air.

  Chapter 15

  Hope and Fear

  A shattered mind is fragile; it is easily swayed and with the slightest pressure it can be kept from mending. Beware the one with a shattered mind and a lost spirit. His path is unknown, and chaos follows his temporal wake.

  The Ikalreev Prophecies 22:16–18

  Faolan walked through the Mythios Woods. Beneath the giant redwoods, there were ferns and small plants. Faint rays of sunlight filtered down to the forest floor, providing soft light to the understory. A thin fog filled the air and moistened the mossy patches on rocks and tree trunks.

  Faolan’s mind struggled to see reality as he waded through the dew-covered ferns. He had been alone since the Pass of the Forgotten Kings, and there had been no anchor to keep his mind tied to the real world. Shadows darted between the giant tree trunks, peeking out from behind them and snickering at the weary traveler.

  His eyes shifted uneasily between the shadowy movements, and he unhooked his swords from his belt, waiting for something to attack him. He glanced down and saw a small patch of grass that was charred and black, then another a few feet away. He believed the charred ground was there, but his mind could not tell the difference between a hallucination and an actuality.

  To his left there was a sound like a thick branch breaking. A prolonged moaning of wood followed the sound.

  Faolan looked up and watched as a giant redwood teetered on its cracked base and began tilting toward him, its falling form hastened by gravity and racing down at him.

  He sprinted perpendicularly to its falling trajectory and dove from beneath it. He heard it smash into the ground behind him, and the ground shook from its impact.

  Faolan stopped and listened for movement. All he heard was the whistling of wind high above in the canopy. A shadow cau
ght his eye, and a lightning bolt shot out of his hand toward that movement. The lightning bolt struck the bark of a tree, and he searched the location after the bolt dissipated, but he saw nothing.

  Faolan’s mind struggled to understand his surroundings. He walked back toward the fallen tree and stretched out one hand to feel its bark, questioning reality. His hand rolled flat against the rough bark, and he knew the tree was real. It was there, but the question arose: What caused it to fall?

  Faolan walked to the fallen tree’s base and saw the tree had torn itself out of the ground, roots and all. Except, upon closer examination, he could see the roots had been gnawed on. He didn’t know what to make of the teeth marks. After another minute of examination, he left the tree where it lay and moved on.

  Faolan continued to travel south. He saw charred patches of ground with increasing frequency. He also found a redwood charred black all the way up to its canopy, its leaves fallen. It was a solitary scorched tree in the middle of a lush forest, an unnerving sight.

  His mind flashed into a waking terror, and the scorched tree burst into flames. He staggered backward in alarm, tripping on a fallen branch and landing on his backside. Telfaldetrous materialized next to Faolan and stared down at the terrified mortal.

  “I will find you.” Telfaldetrous’s words whispered through the air.

  Faolan grew angry and roared in rage as he leaped to his feet and charged Telfaldetrous. A white glow enveloped his eyes and lightning shot chaotically from his hands. The lightning struck trees and the ground at random. The bloodred pattern of vines on his cloak came to life and churned viciously.

  Faolan swung his swords at Telfaldetrous.

  Then just as suddenly as Telfaldetrous had appeared, it was gone, wisping away like smoke. The terror dissipated; the tree’s fire put out by reality. Only its scorched bark was left as it had already been.

  Faolan yelled into his silent surroundings. His reawakened rage was unquenched. He grasped his blades’ hilts and ground his teeth in frustration.

  The ground began to rumble, and he stopped seething when he felt the vibrations through his feet. He wondered if the Mottamoth dragon had followed him, stalking him all the way from Darnum beneath the forest. The rumbling became stronger and stronger. Soon his entire body wavered from the vibrations.