Bladeborn

by Clayton Schonberger

  Bladeborn gritted his teeth, and spat out, “I have it in my bag, Veextra. You know I was successful, or I would not be here...”

  “Think of your people, Bladeborn!” Veextra shouted in Bladeborn’s mind. “They will not survive unless you give me the hammer. Give it to me!”

  Nightslayer said, ~~Strength now, Bladeborn!~~

  Bladeborn calmly said, “Veextra—come and get it…”

  Veextra shot forward, massive clawed hands reaching for Bladeborn’s magic bag. The Demon Lord of trolls passed right into the space between Vaay’s stone-shaping eyes. Bladeborn slid the last eye into position with his foot, and the bright red beams shot up, instantly Veextra freezing in stone.

  However, unlike the ray’s effect on beings fully in this world, the toxic reaction to the red rays of the Demon spider-eyes turned Veextra into a fragile, stone statue. Reckless in his greed, the ghostly troll King had fallen right into the trap.

  Bladeborn kicked the stone statue of the Demon Lord over, where it broke into tiny pieces. All that was left were the Dwarven maps and the golden Elvish crown, perfectly intact.

  Bladeborn took the maps, the eyes, and the crown, leaving the statue-fragments where they lay.

  Looking at the maps and thinking carefully about where he wanted to go, a pattern appeared. He shifted his dimension, uncertain if he could travel from his current location to somewhere in Draconia. Still in the other dimension, he began following the pattern to the place which had led him there—dead troll-King’s center of power.

  Bladeborn found enough Essence to wandered in and out of phase, traversing more than mere stone. His psychic power was still strong by the time he reached the camp where Spe, King Rosen, and the people of the Realms waited.

  Bladeborn was greatly relieved to find the trolls had not yet attacked—even though their leader was slain. Campfires, for warmth and food preparation, glowed all along the column, made from the floating wood. Without knowing it, his people discovered the secret to their salvation.

  The more he looked at the maps, the more Bladeborn began to understand them. Soon he realized how near to the end of their journey they truly were. The Dwarven Priests who had survived agreed.

  They marched for two full days, barely resting—driving themselves and their animals to the point of exhaustion. Then a cry came from the head of the column. Their hearts beat faster, and they began running. There was daylight at the end of the cave they were in! Forgetting their possessions, they ran up the rock tube toward the light!

  Bladeborn stood, awe struck, as his people rushed past him over the lip of the cave and down into a green, pine-dotted hillside.

  Taylon had come out of the cave next to Bladeborn, and his normal Elven steadiness was forgotten, “Bladeborn! Look at the sky! Have you ever seen such a yellow sun? It is just as the tales describe it! And the sky is blue here, not grey!”

  Bladeborn’s eyes adjusted and he saw that Taylon was right. The sky on this side of the world was blue. Everything was different here. The air was cool and fresh. He was under a yellow sun, and it seemed that their journey was finished!

  Out into the light they went, where they stood blinking, feasting on the warm rays. A glorious valley lay before them, with green grasses, tall pine trees, and a river. The people ran to the river, where the water ran cold like a mountain stream, and soon all of them were washing off the dust from their long journey. They waded out and drank deeply. The animals followed, and the entire weary nation that had come so far spread across the banks of the river. They began to set up a camp, and sentries were elected to scout the immediate territory about them.

  Spe had been at the rear of the column, and watched the last of the people come out of the cavern. The dragon came to Bladeborn, who was still standing on the hillside near cave exit, looking down on his people.

  “Bladeborn,” The dragon declared, “you have done it! You led all these people through Draconia! This is a NEW land.”

  Bladeborn’s heart swelled with happiness. Hearing his close friend, Spe say it made it seem more real.

  “Get on my back and we will survey the region!” Spe declared. The dragon grew to an enormous size and Bladeborn climbed onto his neck. They flew up into the blue sky and were amazed. As far as the eye could see, the land was untouched and wild. Far in the distance Bladeborn could see storm-shrouded mountains. He remembered how he felt when he left Fortress City for the first time—yet this time, he was not alone.

  I think I can see the coast of a small sea or large lake,” Spe said to Bladeborn, over his shoulder. “You want me to fly over there?”

  “Not now,” Bladeborn responded, “Any sign of people?”

  “No, and my eyesight is pretty good,” the dragon said.

  “We had best get back to camp,” Bladeborn said. “It seems we are in the wilderness.”

  Bladeborn thought to the Sword, “No sign of any people, Nightslayer? I thought that there were many nations of humans on the yellow sun side. Where could these humans be?”

  ~~Don’t worry, Bladeborn. On this side of Draconia, there are millions of humans. You shall see~~

  When Bladeborn returned, members of the Six Realms army ran to him and cheering, they picked him up on their shoulders. They carried him all about the camp, chanting his name in celebration.

  They slaughtered twenty of their remaining cattle to prepare a meal of celebration. The Dwarves, Elves, Drommu, and Lizardmen who had made it were all welcomed to join in.

  A bit of thin ice lay at the edges of the stream they had bathed in and drank from, and the temperature at night would get colder. They also noted troll tracks in the muddy banks of the stream. While some of the people prepared the afternoon meal, others went out hunt for food and gather firewood. Guards from the army went with them. The people of the Realms did this without any direction—after so long in the under land, it was the natural way.

  Bladeborn was told there were berry bushes, small animals to hunt, and even familiar fruit trees near the river, as well as recognizable tubers and roots.

  King Rosen, King Lauren, and King Dale were ecstatic at the success of the journey, yet focused. Each of them, including Young King Lauren, seemed to know what needed to be done to keep people organized.

  Taylon, whose strength had made him a leader among the Elven Knights, told Bladeborn that as soon as the stars came out he would take astronomical readings to determine how close they were to the Glacial Elves and other points the ancient maps of the yellow sun side described.

  During the afternoon feast that first day, King Dale spoke for those who had given up during the attack of the trolls. He made a public apology for them to Bladeborn, and at the feast the remaining merchant and family leaders stood up in a toast to King Rosen and General Bladeborn.

  In the late afternoon following the feast, as Bladeborn stood on a hill overlooking the camp, he held the Sword that had been his companion and a great part of his power for so long.

  ~~Bladeborn, there is still much to do~~

  Bladeborn thought to Nightslayer, “I know. If I live long enough, I will go back to the other side of the world, to Fortress City, and tell them how much there is beyond the walls. I am a man of two worlds—Fortress City and the Six Kingdoms. I will do what I can for both. Now that my adopted people are safe, I wish to go back to the City if my origin.”

  ~~You will have the time to do this! The Judge of the Dead told you that you will age no more!~~

  “It happened so quickly, Nightslayer, that I can hardly remember it. We were in the darkest of places, then. Did it really happen, or was it merely a dream?”

  ~~You are remembering it correctly, swordsman. Do not fear your eternity! Even a thousand years is only the blink of an eye for you now~~

  Bladeborn saw that King Rosen was climbing the hill Bladeborn was on for the same view of the river valley below. The King was, once again, without his personal Guards.

  Apporaching Rosen to help the aged King up the last crag to the
hilltop, Bladeborn said, “My King, there might still be dangers here. Where are your Guardsman?”

  King Rosen put his hand out to refuse Bladeborn’s assistance up the last few steps. He took a moment to catch his breath, and smiled, “I told my Guardsmen they were free to celebrate and spend time with their wives. I am aware the danger a new land poses, but I trust Spe would quell any threat before it became serious.”

  As if on cue, the dragon came out of skies and landed next to Bladeborn and Rosen, shrinking down to a manageable size with a small release of smoke and fire.

  “All clear in this area, Bladeborn,” Spe declared. “I have seen to it! It seems we are in a safe and unspoiled land.”

  “Good,” Bladeborn affirmed. “Thank you, Spe.”

  “No one would have made it without me, Bladeborn!” Spe claimed, in the dragon language. “I have been crucial to the success of this…migration. I must admit, I never thought any fleshy humans would be able to live though the dark and danger of the center of the world, even with me on watch. I guess I am even more powerful than I thought!”

  King Rosen let Spe finish his words to Bladeborn. Although Rosen understood none of the dragon language words, he could tell sense what Spe said, “The dragon will always be an essential part of the Six Kingdoms. He has stayed with us this far. It is my hope he will continue to do so.”

  “King Rosen wishes to know if you will stay with us, Spe,” Bladeborn translated.

  “I plan to…” Spe said. “However, I must say, if I meet a female dragon, I will have to go…”

  “Understandable,” Bladeborn affirmed.

  The three of them proudly surveyed the beginnings of the first sunset in the new land. It was glorious, especially since each of them had given so much to get there.

  Bladeborn said, “My King, we should plan to meet with the other leaders tonight to discuss building something more permanent, like a castle, or at least a curtain wall.”

  King Rosen asked, “You still have the stone-shaping eyes of the spider-Demon, I trust?”

  “I have, my King,” Bladeborn responded. “We think alike. Construction of walls will be made easier with the eyes.”

  King Rosen said, “The masons of the Six Realms, although aged, are master crafters when it comes to stone work.”

  “I believe the Dwarves can also help, Especially those two with the magic pick. Dwarven knowledge of stone is impressive…”

  “Aye,” King Rosen affirmed.

  Bladeborn said, “I think it would be wise to plant the seeds from the lighter-than-air trees. The Elves have a way with growing things, perhaps they could nurture the trees to full height. I still have the seeds from the trees that were in bloom. I think the Elf Knight-Captain, Taylon, once spoke of a making ships with the lighter-than-air wood that travel through the skies.”

  King Rosen had been momentarily lost in thought, as if he had not heard Bladeborn. Like Bladeborn, the King was caught up in dreams of the future at that moment. Suddenly, he turned to Bladeborn and said with spontaneous enthusiasm, “By the Gods, Bladeborn, I never thought we’d make it! And now look! A place where we can live free!”

  “Tis true, my King,” Bladeborn said, responding to the King. “The true wonderment is the courage the people showed in the face of adversity. The futures of our people are bright. Our strongest survived. Each of them is blessed by Saint Morth to have completed the journey.”

  “Aye,” King Rosen smiled and nodded in agreement. Spe also seemed to be smiling.

  Nightslayer chimed in, using a commanding metallic voice Bladeborn was unaccustomed to:

  ~~Look far down the road, you will see a vast city on that rocky island in the center of the river, and an army to defend it! With that army, Bladeborn, you will be a conqueror! WAR and BATTLE are in your blood!~~

  Bladeborn knew the Sword had spoken the truth. His life was tied to magic in the Sword—and it never rested. Nightslayer always looked to the next fight.

  Still in awe of the Sword of the Ancients, he looked at his right hand—calluses were worn into it that matched the Sword’s grip. Bladeborn wondered: would he ever be able to live without Nightslayer?