Rise of the Champions

by Nicholas Joslin

  “Anna, Garon, I must speak with you both after this meeting,” Seer Mordou began, keeping his voice down. “During my farsight, I saw something you need to hear about.”

  “Oh? What was it?” Garon asked.

  “We shouldn’t talk about this yet. There are others who must join us. After the meeting, follow us outside so we may speak,” Seer Mordou suggested.

  “Okay. We will,” Anna agreed, looking to Garon.

  “Certainly,” Garon affirmed.

  “Good. Now, shall we?” Seer Mordou said, holding the door open to the hall.

  Anna entered the hall alongside the others, seeing that it was already full of people. She spotted Chieftains Barod, Wooll, and Yarmot speaking between themselves at the head of the table already. Becca Yarmot and Goreth Destro were sitting across the table from each other, staring into each other’s eyes as they spoke. Anna was surprised to see the simple, quiet Forud Champion acting so bubbly, but figured he must have found Becca attractive. It surprised her even more that the feeling appeared to be mutual, and was happy for the two.

  Seated around the table and standing behind each other were the Narsho Elders and other clanspeople from the Forud and Linta Clans. Guard Captain Jarult and Olaf spoke quietly to each other behind Chieftain Barod in the back of the hall, both as loyal to their chieftain as always. Suddenly, someone nearby called her name. She looked to see Elder Matkon approaching her.

  “Elder Matkon, hello,” Anna greeted, feeling uncomfortable as more eyes were drawn to her.

  “We’re happy you’ve made it! Your experience with the Horrors is unmatched, after all,” Elder Matkon said with a nervous smile.

  “Psh, barely,” Titus said from nearby.

  Anna ignored the comment and followed Elder Matkon. He brought her close to the head of the table, near the chieftains. There was one seat open, which he urged her to sit in. As she did so, Garon stood behind her, not saying a word. She looked over to see Titus at the far end of the room, looking upset. It was then Anna realized she was sitting in what was normally his chair. She looked away, not wanting to appear as though she was gloating. After all, she did respect Titus. She didn’t want to take his place at all and wouldn’t have asked for this seat. She only knew why she was chosen now, and that was solely for her stories and experience in the Cursed Lands.

  “Well, it looks as though everyone is here,” Chieftain Barod said, standing from the table.

  “Gather their attention,” Chieftain Wooll said with a chuckle.

  Anna watched as Chieftain Barod slammed his fist down on the wooden table the same way he always did to begin a meeting. The Narsho didn’t move, expecting such a loud sound. Those from other clans nearly jumped out of their seat, all of them closing their mouths and looking to Chieftain Barod.

  “My, my, that’s one way to begin,” Chieftain Yarmot said, his large hands enveloping the arms of his chair.

  “Welcome, everyone,” his voice boomed across the table. “I am glad we are sitting here as allies. In fact, seeing everyone together makes me wonder if this is how the Great Clan felt,” Chieftain Barod began, getting some sounds of approval at his words.

  “I’m sure it was,” Chieftain Wooll muttered mainly to himself with a small smile.

  “Now, like the Great Clan, we face a threat that could put an end to all of us. While most of us haven’t seen these Horrors in person yet, some of us have. Of those, only a handful have survived to tell the tale. You’ve already been told of their strength, their cruelty, and their sickly infestation of our land. Now we as a temporarily unified clan must decide a plan of attack, for if we don’t, we may fall like our ancestors did!” Chieftain Barod spoke loudly, his voice echoing with authority through the hall.

  “And unfortunately, we do not have a choice in the matter. Even if we do not want to fight, we must,” Chieftain Yarmot added, looking primarily toward his advisors.

  “Exactly. We are all in this together now. You might have also heard we may have to leave Forthoton, our home, and sail south. This is why you have seen ships under construction. Our people are our priority, and we must ensure their survival at all cost,” Chieftain Barod continued.

  “But how do we know there is land to the south? What proof do we have?” a Narsho Elder asked.

  Anna knew there would be hesitation about leaving. For that, they only had the visions of the Ancient Clan and the supposed run-in with a creature called an Arboreal. It was hardly the evidence they’d want, but Anna knew better than to distrust the Seer’s visions at this point.

  “The Seer of the Ancient Clan has seen it, and his apprentice has spoken with a mystical being claiming there is land south.” Chieftain Barod replied with confidence.

  “And there are maps! I remember seeing a map in my young years showing land to south,” Chieftain Wooll added, trying to help his friend convince those around them even though deep down he was lying.

  Anna could tell Chieftain Wooll was lying, but it was for good reason. She had seen how the Horrors afflicted the forests; their corruption seemed to live, to control whatever it could and turn it into something they could use. She didn’t see why it wouldn’t spread throughout all of Forthoton. If that was the case, they had no choice but to flee. She watched as the Narsho Elder leaned back in his chair, somewhat satisfied with the answer he received.

  “But that is not our first choice. First we must lead every warrior we can muster to the Cursed Lands and attempt to destroy this enemy!” Chieftain Barod urged.

  “Who will lead them?” a Linta advisor asked, her question genuine.

  “Who will lead them?” Chieftain Wooll asked almost mockingly as he stood. “We will lead them!”

  Anna watched Chieftain Wooll place his hand on Chieftain Barod’s shoulder, both looking full of vigor. In fact, she was surprised Chieftain Barod was looking so well. She figured Olaf must have convinced him to allow the use of magic.

  “Well then, who will lead the clanspeople back here?” A Forud advisor asked with concern.

  It was a good question, and Anna worried the warrior’s unrest may spread throughout the village. They barely had enough food as it was, and they couldn’t remain here too long before they’d have to either return home or travel somewhere else. She raised an eyebrow as the Linta Chieftain quickly stood up on his thick legs.

  “I am obviously not a fighter. But, if there is one thing I can do, it’s manage a large village. I will stay behind and address the concerns of those clanspeople remaining here,” Chieftain Yarmot soothed calmly.

  “And I’d trust Chieftain Yarmot to do a fine job leading in my stead. Who here takes issue with this plan?” Chieftain Barod asked, his old eyes smoldering with intimidating.

  Nobody spoke a word, and Anna realized they must have now figured out how out of options they were. It seemed like a fine plan, and despite Chieftain Yarmot being friendly and competent, she didn’t know how he’d fare leading so many different people. The Linta Clan’s people seemed far different from the rough and gruff Narsho.

  “I will also lead my mages into battle. You will need us to close the portal from which these Horrors came,” Seer Mordou said over the sounds of muffled whispering.

  “Good! The more power we have the better. Now, we must discuss when we leave and how we will approach. Let’s get into the details,” Chieftain Barod said, sitting back down.

  Anna watched Chieftain Wooll nod and sit. She knew the two chieftains were fierce warriors but worried what would happen if they were lost in battle. Should any clan lose their leader, they may begin to feel underrepresented and want to leave their temporary alliance. However, she knew these issues were not for her to worry about.

  She stayed silent for the meeting, never being asked about her experiences. By now, most everyone had been told about what lay in waiting for them in the Cursed Lands anyway. There was some bickering between everyone, but they realized they had no choice and quickly agreed on a plan.

  The entirety of their combin
ed warriors would leave in two days’ time for the Cursed Lands. Then, they would establish an outpost and send scouts to see if the enemy had any weaknesses. All warriors would be sent with only a few dozen left behind to keep order and watch over the village. Anna wasn’t sure about the all-or-nothing strategy, and hoped the Horrors weren’t smart enough to attack their village.

  After the meeting, everyone had their brief words with each other and then departed the uncomfortably warm hall. Anna and Garon silently followed Seer Mordou and Valon outside back into the cooler evening air, wondering what he wanted to talk to them about. As they walked, she noticed both Becca and Goreth were following them. In fact, the two looked as surprised by their presence as they did to the others.

  Seer Mordou stopped as they reached a quiet patch of grass located between two nearby homes. With everyone out on the street talking loudly, they were perfectly able to speak without any other ears hearing. They all circled up, waiting for the Seer to speak.

  “Thank you for following me here. I know this appears to be a random group of people to you, but I have seen you all in my last farsight,” Seer Mordou began, looking at each member of the group.

  “Seen us? What do you mean?” Anna asked, her finger wrapped around her red hair.

  “I have seen all of us standing together in a place far east of here, even farther than the Cursed Lands on the east coast of our realm. There, we will discover something that will grant us great power, which we need to fight back these Horrors,” Seer Mordou explained.

  “A place? Like those ruins I found?” Anna asked, trying to visualize what he had seen. “White stone buildings of great design, right?”

  “Yes, yes exactly! But a large ruined city farther east than that. It is there we may find what we need to defeat these invaders,” Seer Mordou continued, looking at each of his Champions.

  “Do you mean weaponry?” Goreth asked, scratching his chin suspiciously.

  “I think he means something else,” Garon added.

  “Precisely. It wasn’t quite traditional weaponry; some sort of strong magic calls out to me. We must leave now, as we must travel farther than our armies do. This way we can reach them before they engage the Horrors in battle,” Seer Mordou explained.

  “And I only just arrived,” Becca joked, shaking her head. “I will follow you, Seer. For my people’s sake.”

  “I too will follow. I can’t turn down a chance for better weaponry,” Goreth said, looking into Becca’s eyes.

  “I will do whatever is necessary to end this, once and for all,” Anna agreed.

  “Perhaps I will find a way to save my people in the process. I too will join you,” Garon affirmed.

  “I follow you wherever you lead, Master,” Valon said obediently.

  Seer Mordou smiled, his blue eye appearing to glow even brighter. He took some parchment from beneath his robe and handed a sheet to each of the group except Valon.

  As Anna grabbed it, she began reading the old words. It appeared to be some sort of explanation of magic. She looked at Garon, who stared at her with excitement.

  “Then take these and study them. These sheets explain the very basics of tapping into and using the magic that flows around us. I know it is typically forbidden in your clans, but I believe we will need this if we are to be successful. We shall leave tomorrow morning at dawn. Say goodbye to whomever you need and meet at the center gate tomorrow morning,” Seer Mordou ordered his new Champions.

  Everyone nodded, and the group separated. Anna and Garon walked back to her home, both reading the papers given to them by the Seer. Anna found the words interesting, but incredibly strange. She wasn’t sure how she felt about using magic, but they would at least have to try.

  “These notes are so odd. Supposedly magic flows all around us, unseen and untouchable … and we can interact only using our minds? How odd,” Garon rambled as they walked.

  “It is odd. But if it is what we need to win, I will do everything I can,” Anna replied.

  The two entered her home, their eyes still glued to the interesting yet complicated words on the parchment. They barely spoke as they continued reading, and almost an hour of this studious silence went by before either attempted using magic. The words went into great detail about the state of mind needed, the focus needed, and the basic understanding of how magic flowed. The ideas and training described therein were not something someone could find themselves, at least not quickly. Anna had never read such interesting, yet thick writing.

  Garon, comprehension dawning, set his paper down gently on the table beside him. He stood from Anna’s chair, closing his eyes. As she watched, she thought she could see some small blue flecks in the air around him.

  “I … I think I understand,” Garon slowly said.

  Anna didn’t respond, not wanting to break her friend’s focus. The parchment spoke of a few basic spells, the most recommended being the wisplight spell. This allowed the user to create a magic wisp of light that also revealed objects hidden by basic invisibility. This was the spell the Ancient Clan used in the swamp.

  Suddenly, the small flecks of blue formed a small, gentle floating ball in the air next to his head. As the magic coalesced, Anna’s small home was filled with an unnatural blue light. Garon had done it, he had successfully used magic. Anna figured if anyone could, it would be him. The exiled prince was incredibly smart and had a strong will.

  “Open your eyes,” Anna said softly.

  Garon opened his eyes to see his wisplight slowly dancing through the air around him. He brought his hand close to it, intrigued by his creation. His handsome smile forced Anna to grin in unison as they both admired what was possibly the first spell ever cast within the Narsho village by anyone other than Olaf.

  “It’s incredible … I can feel it, the magic. I can also feel the draw from my energy—my body—that this takes … It seems magic really does flow through all of us,” Garon smiled.

  He stared at the wisplight and waved his hand through the air dramatically. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, scattering tiny specs of blue aside that quickly disappeared from their vision. He chuckled, sitting back in the chair and looking at the parchment.

  “That was great,” Anna complimented.

  “Not too bad for the easiest spell they recommend. You should give it a try. Come on,” Garon urged playfully.

  “Maybe,” Anna replied, looking back at her parchment.

  The next spell the author recommended was basic levitation of a small object. In a good mood, Anna thought it would be entertaining to try to one-up Garon. She eyed a chunk of bread sitting on the table next to them and closed her eyes.

  Like the instructions said, she pictured the flow of magic around them, how its essence touched every object, both living and inanimate. She pictured bridging the magic of her being to the bread and focused her mind to use that bridge as if it were another appendage to simply raise the bread.

  She slowly opened her eyes and noticed the bread had begun to lightly shake on the table. Garon didn’t bother to look next to him, expecting a similar wisplight to appear. He watched Anna intently, not seeing the bread slowly rise into the air next to his head.

  “Ah, well it was a good try I suppose. I thought I saw some sort of magical blue flecks in the air,” Garon consoled, still unaware a piece of bread was hovering inches from his head.

  “Look to your left,” Anna quietly said, still focusing her newfound ability.

  Garon looked and lurched back as his nose almost touched the levitating bread. He burst out laughing, shaking his head at his brief fear. His laughter being contagious, Anna laughed as well, breaking her focus and dropping the bread back on the table.

  “I see, trying to show off, eh?” Garon laughed. “Not bad, Anna, not bad.”

  “Maybe a little,” Anna laughed.

  At that moment, Anna forgot the many woes of their world. She laughed with Garon, enjoying his company greatly. She didn’t have many people she trusted, or
even talked to that much now. For the first time since Fredrik’s death, she didn’t feel entirely alone.

  They continued practicing basic magic for the rest of the evening, constantly trying to outdo the other. At one point, Anna even launched a small bolt of pure magic at one of her pots in the kitchen, which exploded into a puff of flour and shards of former pottery. This only elicited more laughter from the two.

  Eventually, the novices felt too exhausted to continue. Between a long day and the beginning of magic usage, they had little energy to spare. Anna almost offered Garon to sleep in her bed instead of wherever he was staying so that he would have a good night’s rest, but she didn’t get the chance to ask before he got up to leave.

  As they bid farewell, Anna felt the sense of dread that frequently plagued her return. She found it difficult to fall asleep that night, thinking about the great path ahead and the battles they would soon face. A single tear fell from her eye as she thought about Fredrik, who she knew was never coming back. She gently clutched her stomach, whispering to her future child as she faded off into a tumultuous sleep.

  ***

  Becca waited for the voices inside the newly constructed shack to slow before she finally knocked. As she did, the mutterings inside ceased, and she could hear footsteps quickly approaching her from inside. She stood up straight, trying to project confidence to whoever would be answering.

  Cora, an advisor to Chieftain Yarmot, answered. The serious look across her face quickly lightened as she recognized Becca, and immediately opened the door wide.

  “Who is it?” Chieftain Yarmot asked with frustration.

  “Ah, hello, Becca!” Cora greeted kindly, closing the door behind Becca.

  Becca didn’t speak as she walked in the dimly lit shack, sensing the obvious tension in the room. While she wouldn’t ask, she could assume it was from the outcome of the meeting. The Linta Clan had given up everything based on the whims of other clans.

  “Becca, good evening! I’m glad you’ve come to visit me in my new palace,” Chieftain Yarmot laughed, trying to lighten the mood for his beloved niece.