Gilmreth the Awakening

by Raymond L. Weil

  I have accessed the main computer log. According to it, Jason didn’t get a chance to destroy the dragons. They managed to break free and escape down the main complex entrance, penetrating the protective seals and allowing harmful radiation into parts of the complex. The dragon Gilmreth led the escape. There is no record of what happened to Snowden. Jason resealed the complex, but many people fell ill from radiation sickness. Jason and the few remaining sorcerers who didn’t go into deep sleep believe they can use their powers to heal most of them.

  Jason has discovered a spell to eliminate the hazardous radiation from both the ground and people. He left me an explanation of that spell. According to Jason’s last log entry, he is taking the survivors outside to start a new society. He has cleared a small area around the mountain of radiation. The new society will be very primitive and based entirely on agriculture.

  He doesn’t want to unseal the section of the complex where we are asleep. Most of the complex's equipment is stored there for our eventual use. There are too many small, scattered bands of survivors on the outside that blame us for the destruction they now call the Worldfire. Evidently the government had broadcast our secret across the world even as the bombs were falling, hoping it would stop the destruction. Unfortunately, most of the governments involved in the attack had already known and feared us. The broadcast made no difference at all! He feels it will be safer for us to sleep and awaken in a future where we have been long forgotten.

  Yes, there were survivors! More than Jason had dared to hope for. Many had survived in basements, underground rooms, makeshift shelters, and even caves. Jason feels responsible for their continued wellbeing. He and the other sorcerers and sorceresses with him have been curing them of the radiation poison many are suffering from.

  Jason’s last message is to me! He wasn’t ever able to find Adam even though he searched every part of the mountain he possibly could. He has set up a protective spell around the stasis installations so Adam, if he is in suspended animation, won’t be able to detect us with his powers when he wakes. Adam will be alone, and I have Loraine’s new crystal. From what I saw on the screens, Adam did indeed have a stasis box hidden and has obviously been awake for several years. I will have to be extremely careful when I leave the complex. Adam left the complex over an hour ago evidently not finding what he was seeking. I wonder what it was?

  I just finished walking through the chamber looking at the stasis boxes that contain so many of my friends. I hope I can rejoin them in sleep sometime soon, but right now I have to follow Adam. Jason had faith that I could succeed in removing this last threat to our future. I only hope he was correct. I wonder what the world outside is like, what will I find? What will I do when I finally come face to face with Adam for the final time?

  -

  That was the final entry in the diary. There were many pages that followed listing various spells and special learning techniques. Lynol knew her mother never found Adam, but found her father instead. Since that time there had been no sign or trace of the male sorcerer. There was only Jalene.

  “I have a thought about where Adam might be,” said Malcon, interrupting Lynol’s contemplation of her mother’s diary. The simulacrum had spent many long hours studying the diary and its implications and what they knew was going on in Draydon.

  “Where?” Lynol asked, startled. Lynol turned to face Malcon’s glowing chimerical figure expectantly. “There is no sign of Adam anywhere. If he’s in Draydon, he’s well hidden.”

  “Think about it for a moment,” Malcon replied in his calm lecturing tone of voice, which he used so often, looking patiently at Lynol with his deep blue eyes. “Jalene has appeared on the scene, and we know that somehow she has managed to get the Stone of Loraine from the underground complex. She has freed Gilmreth. Your powers come from your mother, one of the original sorcerers. Where did Jalene’s powers come from?”

  “I guess I never really thought about that,” Lynol replied, surprised at the question. “I assumed her powers developed naturally.”

  “Perhaps, but we now know that yours did not.” Malcon reminded her pointedly. “Your powers came from your mother. Sorcery has been absent for centuries. Why does it show up now all of a sudden and in two different women at the same time? That is just too much of a coincidence.”

  “There has to be a reason,” Lynol replied, thinking about what Malcon had just said.

  Lynol paused, remembering what she had learned from her mother’s diary. Everything seemed to point to Adam’s manipulation. Jalene was several years older than she was. Adam would have known about the Stone of Loraine. Could Jalene be another ancient sorceress that had gone to sleep with Adam, someone that was helping him to achieve his plans? Could she be facing two sorcerers from the Golden Age?

  “Could another sorceress have been in stasis with Adam? My mother and Jason believed that only Adam went into stasis. They mention in the diary that several members of Adam’s group were never found,” Lynol said slowly, trying to reason where Malcon was going with this.

  “They were probably correct in their belief,” Malcon replied with a slight nod of his head. “From the diary, we know they eventually accounted for nearly everyone except Adam and a few others. They didn’t really believe that Adam had the time or the resources to arrange for anyone else to escape into stasis with him.”

  “So where does that leave us?” Lynol asked, perplexed. “Where did Jalene come from?”

  “Suppose Adam managed to find a young woman, a descendent from that original group Jason led from the complex,” Malcon replied. “We don’t know how many surviving sorcerers stayed with Jason.”

  “I don’t think my mother even knew,” Lynol replied, her right hand lying upon her mother’s diary. “There are probably some records in the complex, but I doubt if I could locate them.”

  Malcon stared thoughtfully at Lynol. “Adam could have found a descendent from one of those earlier sorcerers with latent abilities. He could have awoken those powers, perhaps even training Jalene indirectly. We know that sorcery was only limited here close to Firestorm Mountain. In other areas far off, a new sorceress could have been found and trained.”

  “Hiding behind the scenes, and letting Jalene take all the risks. Getting the Stone of Loraine and freeing Gilmreth,” added Lynol, seeing the possibilities. “Jalene probably doesn’t even know she’s being controlled if Adam is indeed behind her. If that’s correct, then at some point in time Adam is bound to come out into the open.”

  “He would probably be close to Jalene’s seat of power. Perhaps someone in the group of trusted followers closest to her,” Malcon commented, his form flickering spectrally in the radiant blue light of the dais.

  “A guard or priest from her temple,” Lynol responded, her light blue eyes widening. “Or even a prominent citizen of Draydon. Adam has had years to set up a fake identity.”

  “I suspect he would want to be very close to Jalene.” Malcon replied. “Perhaps he is one of her two High Priests.”

  “This Storn Daes or Baelen Dal we have been hearing so much about,” Lynol said, recalling the stories circulating around the village about the two men.

  “It will be very difficult for us to goad him out of hiding,” Malcon stated. “We may have to wait until he makes a mistake. At some point, he won’t be satisfied with staying in Jalene’s shadow. He will want to run things.”

  “We must be ready, then,” replied Lynol, knowing that she must complete her mother’s perilous mission, softly touching the blue crystal that hung comfortingly from her neck.

  “Your mother would be very proud of you,” Malcon said, his gaze unwavering as he studied his student.

  Lynol’s abilities, especially the magnitude of those abilities, had come as a pleasant surprise. But the inherent, latent power of her blue amulet had stunned the simulacrum once he actually realized where it had come from. He hadn’t as yet revealed to Lynol just how powerful her amulet was.

  Lynol’s crystal was a c
reation from the Golden Age. It was the culmination of a branch of science, which had existed only in the underground complex. It allowed the crystal to harness and draw its power from the energy that held subatomic particles together. It was a science shrouded in secrecy, which had been lost in the Worldfire.

  -

  Later that afternoon, Lynol took a relaxing plunge in the secluded pond, enjoying the peace and quiet. The cool water caressing her lightly tanned skin as she swam out into the center. Floating on its surface, she contemplated the pool for a moment, letting its deep, silent water fill her mind. Gradually she let her mind sink into its indigo depths. She could sense the smooth, sandy bottom and the small hidden fractures beneath where the cold fresh water welled up. A few small trout swam along the bottom, oblivious to Lynol’s presence.

  It felt good to relax and escape from the grueling lessons she was forcing herself to endure in order to learn as much about her powers as possible. Her mother’s diary hinted at so much that she should be able to do. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she had mastered all of her abilities. There were also pages upon pages in the back of the diary of spells and uses for her powers that neither she nor Malcon had even suspected.

  Lynol drew in a deep breath and dove down toward the shadowy depths of the pond. She touched the sandy bottom and then shot back up quickly and effortlessly to the surface. The diary had brought her so much closer to the mother she had never gotten to know. It was as if a part of her life that had always been missing had suddenly reappeared.

  “It’s a good thing Kalvin didn’t come with me,” a teasing soprano voice called from the shore.

  Turning her head, Lynol saw Dresdia standing at the water’s edge watching her with an impish grin on her face. “Hi,” said Lynol, smiling.

  Swimming back to shore, she ran up on the bank and gave Dresdia a big, wet hug.

  “Good thing I came to go swimming,” Dresdia laughed as the two girls broke apart and she began shrugging out of her clothes. “Kalvin wanted to come, but he had to finish his chores.”

  Lynol felt a sudden pang of disappointment, but it quickly vanished. She knew she would get to see Kalvin sometime soon. She just had to be patient.

  Dresdia smiled, knowing Lynol missed Kalvin not being here. She’d noticed the disappointed look on Lynol’s face when she had realized that Kalvin wasn’t coming. They both have it really bad, she thought.

  Finished undressing, Dresdia eyed the skimpy swimming suits they both were wearing. “Might be a good thing Kalvin didn’t come, these swimming suits don’t hide much. He has a hard time keeping his eyes off you anyway!”

  “I guess these do show more than they hide,” replied Lynol, laughing at the thought of Kalvin getting embarrassed while looking down at the thin string of blue material stretched tautly over her ample breasts.

  Maybe it would be a good idea to make the next one a little wider. No point in drawing Kalvin’s eyes to areas they didn’t need to be! She was very aware of Kalvin’s looks. Just the thought of Kalvin seeing her like this made Lynol feel all warm and tingly inside.

  “We sure have filled out a lot,” commented Dresdia, putting her hands on her shapely hips and posing. “Tarn Wilton even came calling the other night.”

  “Really?” Lynol replied, interested in hearing about this, recalling the Wiltons with their fiery red hair. Tarn Wilton was one year older than Lynol and Dresdia. He lived on a farm just south of the village.

  “We didn’t do much but sit around and talk. I think mom was pleased that a boy finally came to see me. She was starting to think they had forgotten all about me way out here,” Dresdia giggled, wading slowly out into the water. “Of course, you don’t have to worry about that with Kalvin around. He has made it clear to everyone that he has his eyes set on you!” teased Dresdia, brushing a strand of errant blond hair back from her eyes.

  Lynol turned a little red as she followed Dresdia back into the water. “Kalvin is sort of fun to be around,” Lynol admitted cautiously, and then began laughing at her own foolishness. After all, this was Dresdia she was talking to. “I really do like your brother. We just don’t have the time to become as close as I know Kalvin wants.”

  “I don’t know why you two dance around the issue all the time,” complained Dresdia, splashing Lynol playfully. “You’re both in love but afraid to admit it!”

  Lynol hesitated a moment before answering. “I think we’re both afraid of what the future holds for me. How can we dare to hope or plan a future with Gilmreth and Jalene out there waiting? Someday I will have to face both of them.” And Adam, she added silently to herself. “Maybe, when all this is over, Kalvin and I can think about romance.”

  She knew she had to hold her feelings for Kalvin in check. No matter how hard it was at times. There could be no distractions in her studies. Too much was at stake!

  “That’s the future, let’s worry about now!” Dresdia replied, not wanting those thoughts to ruin their limited time together. She lay in the water, floating on her back. “Race you to the other side!” With a big splash, Dresdia flipped over and dove into the deeper water, striking out for the other shore with Lynol in close pursuit.

  Later the two girls lay on a blanket, staring up through the trees with their protective canopy of green leaves at the soft blue sky above, which was spotted with an occasional puffy white cloud. Birds sang pleasantly in the nearby pines. Soon they would have to start for home before the sun faded beyond the mountains. Fortunately, the small pond was close enough to both of their homes that the walk wasn’t too long.

  “You need to come and see WhiteStorm,” said Dresdia, rolling over on her side so she could see Lynol. “I’ve been riding him a lot recently in the meadows on the farm. Kalvin has done a really good job of training him.”

  “I would like that,” replied Lynol, nodding, thinking it would also give her an excuse to see Kalvin. She occasionally rode one of the two horses they had, but WhiteStorm was growing up to be quite an animal. He had taken a liking to Lynol, and she really enjoyed riding the young horse on the few occasions she had been able to. “I will try to come over sometime in the next few days. I need to talk to Kalvin, and I would love to see WhiteStorm again.”

  -

  Later that evening Lynol sat on the steps of the porch with her father, watching the sun fall reluctantly in the west. It touched the mountain and began to move behind it. Purple fingers of ominous shadow began to move slowly down the steep slopes of Firestorm Mountain.

  Lynol hadn’t told her father about what she had found in the ancient complex beneath the mountain, only that she and Kalvin had found a few things of interest and the simulacrum was studying them. Adam and her mother’s true origin would stay a secret for now.

  “How go the lessons?” her father asked Lynol, who was staring with a pondering faraway look at the mountain.

  “Fine,” replied Lynol, glancing at her father. “Malcon says that I have already surpassed Lys in my studies. We have to be extremely careful. Some of the stronger spells I have been learning can only be done in the crypt. It has some special devices in the walls that prevent any spells cast inside from being detected outside.”

  “The people in Galvin and the other villages on this side of the mountain are really getting worried,” her father spoke, staring at the distant, malevolent mountain. “Tohm Mystol said there was a trader in from Handon’s Ferry the other day. They feel it’s only a matter of time before Jalene demands that we come to work in her city. No one understands why it hasn’t happened already; she’s already enslaved people from much farther away. If this keeps on, she will have everyone living in and around Draydon!”

  “There must be a reason why she has left us alone,” replied Lynol, looking at her father. “From what I understand, she has left all the villages and towns around Firestorm Mountain alone, also. It’s only the people from the far outlying regions she has called in.”

  “Supposedly those villages and small towns close to Draydon are suppl
ying her city with food,” her father commented with worry in his eyes. “That’s the only reason they have been left alone. But even in those areas her temple guards and priests abound.”

  “We’re hearing too much bad news about these temple guards and priests of hers,” commented Lynol, looking at her father with a worried frown across her face. “Dresdia is frightened to death about what will happen when they do show up.”

  “As we all should be,” Damon replied. He knew once they did appear, Lynol might be forced to reveal her abilities. Damon didn’t know if his daughter was ready for that confrontation yet.

  “Perhaps they are still too busy on their side of the mountain to worry about us,” Lynol suggested, but in the back of her mind she feared that their days of being left alone were numbered. Jalene wouldn’t ignore them forever!

  Lynol took a long breath, knowing that her destiny was rapidly approaching. Her right hand went to her amulet, touching it. She wished her mother were here. She could use her guidance and knowledge. Sometimes she felt so alone. She knew her father tried, but there was a special bond that existed between a mother and daughter, one that Lynol sorely missed. Gwen had tried to fill that void in her heart, but she still wasn’t Lynol’s mother.

  She stared at the mountain and then briefly touched the dragon’s mind, making sure Gilmreth was still asleep. She could dimly sense his dark, malicious presence beneath the mountain.

  “But what about Gilmreth?” asked her father, staring at Lynol. “Why hasn’t the dragon been seen on our side of the mountain? He's been routinely spotted on the other side over other villages and towns. His cave is on our side, yet the dragon never comes our way.”

  “Who knows?” replied Lynol, taking her eyes and mind off the mountain. Rising to her feet, she stood on the porch, feeling tired. “Perhaps the dragon is avoiding our side of the mountain because of what Lys and Malcon did to him. At least, that’s what we hope.”