David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb

by T. C. Crawford

  “David is the one from prophecy.” answered Tyrius. “He has been chosen by the orb and now wields its power. I will help him in whatever way I can, however, ultimately, he will be the only one who can stop the General now. I do not have the power to defeat such a foe. Not even the Elders in their great wisdom and strength were able to stand up to his black magic. I am afraid he is our only hope.” he finished.

  “If what you say is true, Tyrius, then let us pray he convinces the people of Ravenfell to fight with us and makes haste down the mountain pass. We will need all the help we can get if we are to defeat the undead army and take back the city. Our forces have taken heavy losses from our last encounter. I don’t know if we would be able to endure a larger assault with our current numbers” said Sergeant Parker.

  “Agreed. What we can do in the meantime is continue to prepare our soldiers for the upcoming battle, and when the time is right, make our march to the capital city to meet our foe head on and take back what is ours. If we can hold off the undead army long enough for David to get into the palace and take on General Krauss, then we may just have a fighting chance” replied Captain Ryan.

  “How will we know when David has returned from the mountain?” asked Erin.

  “I will know” replied Tyrius. “I will be able to sense the orb’s power as it comes closer. When I feel its presence, we will know that David has returned, with or without the army. Then we will make our way to the borders of the forest to meet the boy and face our destiny together.

  “Alright soldiers. You know your task and the difficulties we will face. Go prepare your men the best you can so when the time comes, we will be ready to make our move!” said Captain Ryan.

  “Yes Sir!” shouted the officers in unison, and one by one they began filing out of the command tent to go prepare their men for the most important battle of their lives.

  Chapter XXVI

  It had been nearly a day since David, Rex, and Orin left Ravenfell with its vast army and the descent down the mountain had been extremely slow.

  Having to worry about the supply wagons was a stressful undertaking as the mountain pass had become more treacherous over the years since the young kingdom had become more independent from outside trade. Rex made a mental note that he would get the pass back up to proper condition and widen it so he could increase trade between his neighboring cities once this conflict was over.

  As the companions made their way around a bend midway down the mountain pass, the isolated Mystic Mountain and its surrounding woods came back into view across from the grassy plains. The company could see the dark swirling clouds still hanging over the capital city in the distance and they all shared a determined look, knowing that was their final destination and the coming days would ultimately determine the fate of not only themselves, but the world as they knew it.

  “Don’t think too much about it, kid.” said Rex, turning to David and seeing his somber expression. “You can only do what you can; the rest is out of your control. We will do everything we can to make sure you have the chance you need to take out General Krauss. The rest is up to fate and the will of the Creator God.” He patted David’s back as he finished his encouragement.

  “Thanks, Rex. Everyone keeps saying that I’m the one spoken of in prophecy, but I don’t know how I can live up to such a high standard. I’m just an orphan boy. I’m not a great warrior or powerful mage. The only experience I have in a fight is the past week I’ve spent here fighting for my life, most of which was running. And believe me, nothing I have done has been impressive enough to give me the confidence to take on an opponent who’s not only older, bigger, and far more experienced in battle, but now has possession of a powerful dark magic from the Defiant One himself at his disposal!

  “Now that this battle is coming so near, I’m honestly terrified. I don’t want to disappoint everyone, but at the same time, how can I make a difference in such a conflict with such little experience?” David shrugged his shoulders, feeling the weight of the task at hand bearing down on him like a mountain.

  “Everyone who has ever been handed such great responsibility never feels up to the task, but that is what makes them right for such a duty.” said Orin. “If you felt you were ready, you would be too confident, and you would make careless mistakes. It is good to be nervous…to have doubts, even, it keeps you on your toes.

  “But never forget David, the orb chose you for a reason. It felt you were the only one who was worthy of bonding with it and carrying out its will. That alone is significant, as the orb has been around for thousands of years and you are the first person who has ever been able to wield it without being destroyed. Whatever fate lies before you, don’t ever doubt this: you are destined for great things.” he finished, looking down at the young man before him.

  As they walked, Orin encouraged David to try silently communing with the presence of the orb, deep within his mind. At first his efforts seemed fruitless, however with each attempt David felt as if he could hear silent whispers deep within his consciousness. He couldn’t tell what it was saying, but he felt he was making progress. As they walked, it became easier for David to get to the point where he could hear the whispers, but he could never get to the point of understanding what they meant.

  “I just can’t do it…” replied David, frustrated, and throwing his hands up in defeat.

  “Don’t give up, mate! You will get there if you keep at it” piped in Rex, seeing his friend’s frustration.

  David jumped up on the back of a supply wagon they had been walking behind to rest his legs and close his eyes for a bit. His head was pounding from the constant focus he was having to hold to get to the whispers. It felt like it was going to split open like a melon. He tried to steady his thoughts and give his mind time to rest while fighting back the waves of pain.

  Suddenly, the whispers started again, much louder and more persistent than before. Their voices were sounding throughout his mind, echoing like a thousand screams. It was almost too much to bear.

  “Stop it!” cried David.

  “Stop what?” asked Orin and Rex, looking at David confused. Neither of them had said anything to him and he had his hands pinned tight across his ears as if someone were yelling at him.

  “I said stop!” cried David, and suddenly his eyes lit up and the orb in his hand began to glow powerfully. Rex suddenly found himself flung backward half a dozen feet and onto his back. Orin quickly walked over to David and tried calming him down.

  “David! David, snap out of it!” he said, trying to get David’s attention. David lifted his orb hand and pointed it towards Rex. Its glow was a fierceness that Orin hadn’t seen since the night back in the castle while David was in his trance. But David couldn’t see anything but blackness, and his head was pounding harder and harder while the voices became louder and louder.

  A faint light abruptly appeared within his consciousness. He could see it; it was the same light he saw back in the study at the castle. It was coming closer, almost close enough for him to touch it. He reached out to grab it.

  “Learn to control it, David. Don’t let it control you. You are master of the orb! Now assert your dominion!” cried Orin, trying to restrain David before he blasted away their friend.

  Rex slowly got up and put his hands up in defense. His soldiers quickly ran in front of him to form a line of defense between their king and David, holding up their shields and unsheathing their swords, ready to fight to the death to defend their king.

  Suddenly, David screamed out in pain, as his hand wrapped once again around the orb within his mind. A searing pain shot through his body and his vision began to fade into blackness, but he refused to give in to it. Images began to flash before him. Images of his friends at the orphanage, the first time he saw the orb and the way it called out to him.

  Suddenly he could see the battle from before; the two armies were before him again in the midst of the great field of grass. There was an intense storm above them, and a flash of lighting stru
ck across the sky. David could see the sky darken as the moon passed over the face of the sun, leaving the land nearly blackened in its shadow.

  He stood before General Krauss, who was engulfed in a green aura of light, his eyes aglow with the same green hue as before. He could sense the power from within him, flowing outward.

  Suddenly his hand shot skyward and a great bolt of lightning shot from the sky towards his hand. He screamed out and spoke some strange words and pounded his fist into the ground, opening a great fissure in the earth between them and the two armies.

  As the fissure widened, from the depths of the blackness within came a great horde of devilish fiends. Monsters with horns and claws and horrible teeth climbed their way out of the fissure in the hundreds of thousands. Behind them the fissure glowed an intense green and the sound of a deep thunderous voice echoed from the depths.

  David screamed as he saw the eyes of what he could only describe as death itself and he threw out his orb hand. The most intense light he had ever seen shone from his hand and he could feel the power of the orb flowing freely through his body, then suddenly, as if it never happened, he was back on the mountain pass with his friends.

  He found himself surrounded by several soldiers, all armed with swords pointing towards him in a defensive ring. Orin stood with his back to David, his hands reaching out towards the soldiers, telling them to wait.

  David reached out and grabbed Orin’s shoulder, turning him around to face him.

  “What happened?” he asked, alarmed at finding himself surrounded by the soldiers.

  “I have no idea” replied Orin. “Are you okay? What did you see?”

  “Put away your weapons, men. I think David has come back to us.” ordered Rex, pushing through the circle of soldiers to get to David. “You had me worried there, mate…” he said, a look of horror on his face.

  “I’m sorry…. I’m okay now, really.” said David, assuring his friends the fit was over.

  He looked down at his hand. It was still glowing fiercely and for the first time he could feel its power coursing through his body. It was like an intense energy flowing through him. He felt like it was a part of him that had always been there, locked away deep within the hidden chambers of his mind. An overwhelming sense of love flowed through his body as if he had just been reunited with an old friend he didn’t realize he had missed so dearly.

  David suddenly became conscious of things he never noticed before. He realized that he could sense the men around him; feel their fear, sense their apprehension at what had just transpired. He noticed the ground beneath his feet was so firm and familiar, like it was an extension of his body and existed solely to support him. The air around him felt like a gentle presence caressing his careworn body, trying to soothe him from his sudden outburst. He could feel the water in the cracks of the rocks beneath their feet as if it called to him, beckoning him to call it forth. So, he did.

  Slowly the waters began to trickle upward from the cracks in the ground. At first it was a small trickle, but then it grew into a steady stream and rose into the air like a great bubble of water suspended in air.

  He held out his hand to touch its cool surface and felt every particle as if he knew each one intimately and had known it all his life. The water formed to the cup in his hand and he pulled it forward to take a long drink. It was cold and refreshing. When he had his filling, he willed the water to return to its natural place and it complied effortlessly until there was no evidence in the earth that it had ever been there.

  Coming back to his senses, David realized everyone was staring at him awestruck at what they had just witnessed. Orin slowly placed his hands on David’s shoulders and smiled. “Boy, you’ve done it! You have finally bonded with the orb and asserted your mastery over it. Now, young man, you are ready for your real training.”

  When the shock of his newfound connection to the orb finally subsided, David remembered his vision and shared it with Orin and Rex. Orin’s eyes grew wide with the sudden realization of what the vision meant. Quickly Orin ran to the supply wagon, searching frantically for something. He finally came back carrying a small parchment and quickly unraveled it, holding it up and looking over it with absolute concentration. After some time, he dropped the parchment to the floor and a look of horror grew on his face.

  “It’s three days from Midsummer’s Eve” said Orin, horrified.

  “Okay, so what?” said David, looking confused.

  “If what your vision showed you is true, it means we are even shorter in time than we suspected. Midsummer’s Eve is the time of year that is dedicated to the Mystics, as it is said that is when they were created by the Creator God. The midsummer solstice brought their powers to a climax and allowed them to do things of incredible power, but the eclipse that followed enhanced the powers of the Mystic of Destruction – now known as the Defiant One.

  "It was the time of year where their powers became nearly limitless, one with the Creator God. A time where they could do such magnificent acts as the creation of life, such as was done at the dawn of time when they created all lifeforms on the Earth, that is, apart from Man of course. It was also a time when acts of mass destruction were possible, such as when the Defiant One used his increased power to create his army of demons that would later scour the earth during his march of conquest in the Mystic War.

  "If your vision is true, David, it seems that General Krauss intends to somehow use the power of the eclipse during the midsummer solstice to enhance his powers and unlock the chains of the Dark Abyss - unleashing the Defiant One and his minions back into the world of the living!”

  “So that explains the creatures coming from the fissure, and those horrible glowing eyes…” said David, recalling the events of the vision.

  “If what I fear is right, then yes….” said Orin gravely.

  “What can we do to stop it? At this pace, it will be a two day’s march before we can get to the Royal Palace. That would get us there the evening before the eclipse.” said Rex.

  “We can only hope that we can get there in time to stop General Krauss from performing the ritual and unleashing the Darkness into this world. If we fail, the whole world will descend into darkness the likes of which it hasn’t seen since the Mystic War.” said Orin, remembering the evil of those days. Those memories were the one thing that filled his heart with terror, and the thought of reliving them once again was almost unbearable.

  “Then I guess we better get moving! We have no time to waste!” said Rex, signaling to have the company continue their descent down the mountain pass. If we increase our pace, we may be able to get there sooner, and from the sound of it, even an extra hour or two could mean all the difference.”

  “May the Creator God be with us in the coming days” said Orin, and together him and David continued their trek down the mountain as fast as they dared, hoping they would make it to the capital in time to stop the General from unleashing the horrors of the Dark Abyss.

  Chapter XXVII

  The afternoon was quickly approaching, and the camp was bustling with activity as the soldiers conducted their training exercises to prepare for the coming battle.

  They knew it wouldn’t be long before they would have to start their march toward the capital and face an army of undead soldiers, so their efforts were doubled. All around men were clashing together in practice skirmishes fully clad in armor, fighting hand to hand, or shooting their bows to increase their accuracy and drawing efficiency.

  The sounds of preparation rang throughout the encampment: steel rang on steel accompanied by the yells of men as they fought to overcome their opponents and win their standing within the ranks, orders were being shouted as officers instructed their men on the best formations to use for the upcoming battles, and villagers were bustling left and right to keep up with the demand for supplies, carrying them across the camp to wherever they were needed most.

  Erin continued her training sessions with her group of men from before while Tyrius began
to instruct the men on how best to defeat the undead. He instructed his men to avoid attacks that would only inflict pain, as the undead were oblivious to such things, but to instead focus on debilitating attacks that would maim and destroy their opponents. He advised them to focus on joints such as shoulders, elbows, and knees, as well as final swift blows to the head. If they could manage to remove their opponent’s limbs, they would be much less formidable and less of a threat.

  The men were all quick to incorporate whatever they were told into their training, knowing it could be the difference between survival and death. They were all aware of what was at stake and knew first-hand what it was they were fighting for, as they had all lost loved ones during the take over and were eager to get revenge on the traitors who had attacked them in their homes.

  As the day began to diminish, Tyrius suddenly felt what he had been waiting for – the presence of the orb.

  He could feel that it was still a way off, but it was the first sign he had felt of its presence since he was alerted of its disturbance in the Forgotten Temple. He noticed the presence felt different somehow, but he wasn’t quite sure why.

  He quickly notified Captain Ryan and together they began spreading news to the rest of the camp of the need to begin preparing for their long march through the woods and toward the capital city.

  They realized their best chance was to take a straight route out of the woods to the grassy field. Once they reached the open plains, they would be able to travel much faster and reach the main road that ultimately led to Eldergate.

  Taking the longer path through the woods, though much more direct of a route, would prove cumbersome without there being any real paths to follow and would ultimately delay their journey.

  With their best guess, after they rendezvoused with David and the others, they would be reaching the outskirts of the city within two days’ time. This would bring them to the city at the eve before the Midsummer Solstice, a time of year that was usually filled with vibrant festivals and parties celebrating the creation of the Mystics and the birth of the world as they knew it. Now it would be a day of horror and violence as they struggled to win back freedom for their people.