by Sharon Gibbs
Scrambling up into his seat on her back, Finch directed the mare down the winding path of the mountain towards the common below. Shadow followed at his mother’s heels. The foal would go wherever she went, so the three set off on a journey to find the Tree of Life.
Finch steered the mare on through the common while the foal kept up in the dark. The moon gleamed off the leaves of the trees to illuminate the road and as the trio became used to the darkness of the night they travelled along in silence. Reaching the edge of the sleeping village, Finch turned the mare’s head out to the west and set a new course that would follow the river. In his dreams he had seen the tree near the water’s edge but because the tree was so young its roots hadn’t yet reached the cool clear liquid which it needed to survive. Finch knew the tree needed his help if magic were to be saved. As he rode past a huge pile of stone, it shifted and the blue eyes of the Guardian opened to radiate upon him.
‘Young wizard. Where you be off to at this time of the night?’ the giant asked as he watched the young boy.
‘I’m not a wizard. I’m just a stable boy out searching for the tree.’
I’m Eron,’ he said as he lifted his stony hand and scratched his head. ‘You be a wizard, young lad. Whether you know it or not. I see the light inside of you. It is bright and is capable of many things.’
Finch began to worry the giant would send him back to the Keep and so he did as any other wizard would do. ‘I am on my way to find the Tree of Life. Will you come with me on my journey?’
The giant of stone rose to his feet and bowed to the young boy. ‘I am here to serve the wizards. I will come if you wish it to be.’
‘Good,’ Finch said, feeling not so alone in the dark that seemed to stretch on forever. ‘We will follow the river. Will you lead the way?’
Eron bowed to the young wizard again. ‘As you wish.’ The stoic giant set off along the river’s edge and travelled at a pace the boy could keep up with.
‘Make sure if you see the tree you let me know straight away,’ Finch called out to his stone companion.
‘Yes, wizard. I’ll let you know,’ he said as he continued on into the darkness.
Through the night Finch urged on the mare as they searched for the place where he had dreamt the tree grew. Away from the village they travelled, following the course of the river.
Chapter Fifty-four
As the silver arc of the moon hung above the wizards in the garden, they hurried to cast the spell. Henry flicked though the book until he came to the page needed and as he read the words written in gold, the candles surrounding Foreman flickered in the cool evening breeze. The Guardians who were stationed out front of the Keep stared at the ritual being performed.
Foreman clutched at his chest as Henry read the words from the book.
‘Stop, Henry,’ Clarence called out, but Henry kept on reading. Foreman writhed in pain on the ground and screamed out as the taint was pulled from the black void surrounding his heart. Henry chanted faster, the words flew from his tongue and a red wisp of magic appeared and floated above Foreman.
‘Now, Christopher!’ his grandfather yelled and Christopher stepped into the circle to grab hold of the taint. Clarence rushed forward and dragged Foreman out of the circle. ‘Be quick now, lad,’ Henry said, and Christopher let go of the taint and jumped between the candles, back over the sandy ritual line which held the taint contained.
Henry continued to mumble throughout the ritual and as Christopher exited over the sand Henry extinguished the candle flames. The taint fell to the earth. Contained within the circle, it writhed around until finally it vanished. ‘Good,’ Henry said as he kicked the sand to break the uniformity of the circle. ‘It is done.’
Chapter Fifty-five
Golden rays gleamed over the peaks of the Dragon’s Jaw mountains. Mount Burlog’s formation shrouded the Keep and common below in the crisp cool shadows of morning, while to the west, across orchards and fields, a slick grey fog hid the horizon.
As the earth awoke under the warmth of the sun, the Guardians stood guard in the fields. In their hands, they held their ancient weapons, as they searched for signs of the enemy.
In the distance the slate sky churned and claps of thunder boomed overhead as the storm swept in towards the Keep. Stony grey clouds concealed the blue azure sky casting the land below in a dim eerie glow. The Guardians stood ready as the darkness swept in bringing with it the first of the Lord’s bewitched army.
‘Halt!’ Jorath commanded as the creatures lumbered into view. But oblivious to his words, they continued to lumber forward. Jorath held his sword high. Alert, he watched the creatures tramp on, their gait rhythmical after many miles of rambling.
‘Selion,’ Jorath alerted the guard inside the Keep. ‘Inform the wizards! The Dark Lord has arrived.’
‘It is done, Jorath.’
Selion observed Christopher spring into action.
‘Inform the guards in the common,’ Christopher said. ‘We will meet them out in the fields.’
The stone guard nodded and relayed the message.
‘To arms! To arms!’ Christopher’s call echoed through the lobby and spread like wildfire. Alerted, the inhabitants of the Keep rushed to prepare and assemble downstairs. Christopher dashed over and collected a water skin from the pile near the front door, and making sure his sword was clear in his scabbard, he turned to Elle. ‘See the men are armed before they head down through the common.’
‘I will,’ she said. ‘Now go. You are needed. I will see to everything here.’
As Christopher turned away from her, Elle’s heart leapt and just as she swallowed to push back her fear, he turned back to face her.
‘I love you, Elle. More than life itself.’ He pulled her towards him and thrust his mouth against hers in a final and desperate kiss, before he hurried from the front portal.
Men of all shapes and sizes filed past her to select a weapon from the first two of the four crates near the front entrance. She helped where she could and as Henry and Clarence flew past her, they too collected arms.
Elle picked up her own sword and then faced the crowd who remained. ‘Ladies! Many of you have been trained to fight, and while we may not be war-bred soldiers, our swords still ring true. Join with me,’ she said as she raised up her blade. ‘Take up arms and help fight for our freedom. Our men need our steel at their backs. We must hurry.’ She turned and raced out the door. The women gathered in the lobby mumbled and glanced at each other.
Maran pushed through the hesitant crowd and seized her sword. ‘I’ve trained with you all,’ she said as she turned to face them. ‘You are worthy, ladies. Now pick up your steel!’
Inspired by her boldness, the women filed forward to collect their weapons. They slung their shields on their back as they followed Maran down the winding path.
Around a bend on the rocky descent Maran halted her step. She could see over the fence of the common out into the field below. The Guardians blazed blue arcs of light, cutting down the strange creatures in the fields. Soldiers nipped in to hack and slash at the remaining forms, while the men these women knew and loved ran to the aid of the front line. Maran watched Elle rush along behind the front guard and hack at any stray who’d found its way beyond the army’s barricade.
‘Watch her, ladies. See how she opens them up and then moves on to the next. That’s what she meant. Watch our men’s backs.’ Maran stood tall. ‘We’ve been trained to fight and defend, and that, ladies, is what we shall do. Let’s go!’
A roar echoed down the slope, and with sword and shield held high, the women raced through the common. Hearing their shouts, Elle looked up. She grinned as they raced into the field.
‘Maran!’ She waved to catch the woman’s attention. ‘Take half of our guard and head over behind Henry. The rest of you ladies come with me! We’ll show them what we’re made of.’ Turning to look back, Elle saw Maran hack off the head of a bewitched soul and she knew the woman would take the lead and guide the
others. She turned back to her own group and saw they had already begun their attack.
<><><>
Brilliant blue light flashed from the Guardians’ eyes and intercepted clusters of the oncoming mob. Their outer casings exploded spewing foliage and debris in all directions. Between the attacks of the Guardians, the soldiers slipped in to hack and slay those remaining. Their extremities fell to the ground as the men from Canistar fought in earnest. When they lost ground they fought harder to regain it again as their foe continued forwards in an endless stream. Thunder cracked, sending an echo across the open land and with it came the first strikes of lightning as Zute drew near.
The wizards’ power waned and then pulsed. Gathering the air around them, they thrust powerful gusts to decimate the horde and force them back. Christopher alternated his weapons as he saw fit. From a length of his essence he fashioned a lash and wielded it as a whip, cracking the creatures in two with its tip. When he needed to push back an unruly bunch, he conjured a powerful orb and thrust it into their midst.
<><><>
As the hours flew by the attack continued and the daylight dwindled while gusts from the oncoming storm brought the first drops of rain and a call echoed through the twilight.
‘Light the fires! Light the fires!’
With a whoosh the scattered pits burst to life and cast the ploughed fields in an orange flickering hue. As the rain pattered down the earth beneath their feet grew slick.
Soldiers continued with their attack on the horde. Their task difficult now shadows loomed to hide their enemy. Weary and worn they continued to slash at their enemy taking hazardous chances and as the light vestiges of light vanished from the sky, blue streaks of light from the Guardians’ eyes blazed through the darkness. The night lit up with the creatures’ cries of demise as the landscape flashed with streaks almost as bright as the lightning overhead.
A dozen Guardians sped around from the far end of the mountain. Their presence boosted the defence already in place three fold. Jack and his men raced behind their allies, and while Jack continued on ahead, several of his men veered off. They jumped from their saddles and sprinted to support their comrades in battle.
Jack spurred his horse along behind the fray in search of the wizards. ‘Henry! Christopher!’
Henry looked over and saw Jack galloping towards him. He scanned the immediate area before he dropped back to meet Jack.
‘It’s good to see you, Jack. We thought you might not make it in time.’
‘It’s good to have made it back. Where are Elle and Christopher?’
‘They’re over the road in the other field,’ Henry said.
‘Good. My men will support the front line and give them relief,’ he said as the rest of his men rode on. ‘What’s our plan, Henry?’
‘Plan?’
‘Yes, Henry. What is the plan?’
‘I don’t rightly know, Jack. It’s all happened so quickly. We thought we had more time.’
Jack slapped the old wizard on the back. ‘You’ve done well. I’ll go speak with Christopher.’
Jack bolted parallel to the front line. He weaved across the road and into the field on the other side. Light seared out in a long length and then cracked the air with a resounding snap, splitting one of the infiltrators in two.
‘I see you have everything under control,’ Jack said as he hurried towards Christopher.’
‘Jack! I would hardly say under control,’ Christopher remarked as he snapped the lash forward again. Blasts of blue light flashed by them into the distance and the creatures moving forward where thrust up into the air. ‘More like flying by the seat of our pants.’
‘What is your plan?’
‘Plan?’
‘Yes, your plan to eradicate the Dark Lord and draw an end to all this?’
‘Well, to be honest, Jack, there isn’t one yet. Did you have any ideas?’
‘Good grief, Christopher. How do you expect to win a battle if you have no plans made?’
‘Jack, I haven’t had time to think that far ahead.’
‘You three better get back up to the Keep. Take whoever you need and sort out some kind of plan. Without one we’ll be done for before morning arrives. Now grab some men and go. My men will support the front line for as long as we can.’
Christopher knew they couldn’t keep fighting forever, but he had yet to think of a way to enact their plan and send Zute back to the Underlands. They had already made the potion balls. Each wizard held several in his possession, but how would any of them confine Zute long enough to banish him without themselves suffering a deadly blow?
<><><>
Congregating in the lobby, the wizards, Foreman and Elle discussed what they could do.
Henry paced back and forth with his hand on his wiry beard. ‘We could—no, no that wouldn’t work. Or we might be able to—no, that would leave our front vulnerable. Does anyone have any ideas?’
‘No, grandfather, I can’t think. I have no idea what to do.’
‘Clarence?’
‘We need—’
James raced through the front portal. ‘You need to hurry and get back down there. Those flying things have arrived and the Guardians are having a hell of a time keeping them at bay.’
Henry stopped pacing. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘I don’t know,’ James said, ‘but you better think of something quick.’
‘If we just had a way to contain his power,’ Henry said.
Elle stood up. ‘Even if you contain his power, Athena is powerful enough to interfere in your plans.’
‘Contain him? What do you mean by contain him?’ James asked.
‘Somehow block his power,’ Henry said. ‘What are you thinking, James?’
‘I’ll be back.’ James spun on his heel and sped up the stairs to his lodgings. He returned soon after, carrying a hessian sack and handed it to Christopher. ‘Do you think this could work, Christopher?’
He peered inside and looked up at his friend. ‘It just might, James. It just might,’ he said as he pulled the object out of the bag and placed it in the table.
‘Blessed are the kings. But we need to hurry,’ Clarence said. ‘Our powers are waning.’
The group agreed on a plan, even though as simple as it was it would take an enormous amount of luck to pull it off. They then broke in the two decided groups. Henry, Christopher and James disappeared down the back stairs by the kitchen while Foreman, Elle and Clarence collected supplies.
‘Miss. Miss!’ Shyla raced after Elle as she neared the front portal.
‘What is it, Shyla?’
The girl’s face was marred with tears and she fell into Elle’s arms. ‘I can’t…find…Finch. I,’ she said between sobs. ‘I haven’t seen him since last night and his bed hasn’t been slept in.’
‘Foreman, Clarence, have you seen the boy today?’
‘Not that I can recall, Elle. I don’t remember seeing him this morning.’
‘You two go,’ she said. ‘I’ll stay here and look for Finch.’
‘If you need us, one of the Guardians is out front. Granlock I think his name is. He will be able to get a message to us in an instant.’
‘We’ll be fine. Now go.’ Shyla grabbed Elle by the hand and they rushed up the stairs to Finch’s room.
<><><>
‘See, Miss, his bed is still made,’ Shyla said, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
‘Maybe he’s out at the barn with the horses. Did you check there?’
‘Yes, Miss. I even spoke with cook and he didn’t come down for breakfast.’
‘Was the foal still penned?’
‘I didn’t look, Miss. Yes, he wouldn’t have gone off and left them.’
‘Let’s check on Shadow and we can ask anyone else along the way. We need to hurry, Shyla.’ Elle worried about the boy, but she also knew she was needed out in the fields.
Outside, some of the soldiers’ horses had fled up the path to the Keep, and Grame was busy ushering
them into the barn.
‘Grame! Have you seen Finch today?’
‘No, Elle, but I think he took the mare and foal out for some grass this morning. I’ve been awful busy. Check the third stall, he could be in there.’
Elle and Shyla dashed over to the pen. As soon as they peered over the lower wooden wall they could see it was empty.
‘Miss, surely he wouldn’t have left the grounds. Not at a time like this.’
Damm, Elle thought. Could they be anywhere else on the plateau?
‘Come on, Shyla. Let’s check the far side under the trees by the kitchen.’
The two of them sped along the path through the garden and when they reached the area by the kitchen they searched through the cluster of trees, only to find no sign the boy had been there with the horses.
‘Granlock!’ Elle called as she raced back to the front portal where the Guardian stood. ‘Did you see a young boy leave the grounds with a mare and a foal?’
‘I have seen none as you describe. I will check with the others.’
The Guardian stared out across the gardens as the minutes ticked by and then the stones in his neck grated as he looked back at Elle. ‘Eron has heard my call. He is with the young wizard.’
‘He’s not a wizard, just a small boy.’
‘I fear you are mistaken,’ the giant said. ‘He may be small, but a wizard he be.’
‘Tell him to bring the boy back.’
‘I cannot. He has been instructed to help the young wizard find the Tree of Life.’
‘The Tree? Who told him to take the boy?’ The sky overhead rumbled and the rain continued to fall as the stone giant looked back out across the grounds.
‘The young wizard told him to.’
‘So you would do anything a young boy asks?’ Elle shivered. Her hair dripped with rain and her clothes were sodden.
‘He is a wizard and that’s why we were created.’
‘I’ve been telling you what to do,’ she said.
