Gilmreth the Awakening

by Raymond L. Weil

  Her gaze traveled down the slopes of the mountain, coming to rest where she knew the dark tunnel entrance was that led down to the dragon. That Gilmreth must be destroyed and Jalene stopped was rapidly becoming ever more pressing. There was no longer any doubt in Lynol’s mind that the time for action had finally come. With traders from Draydon in Galvin, Gilmreth’s attack upon the farm and then Handon’s Ferry, the time for action had arrived. It was time to test the prophecy she had read on the wall at the ancient altar site.

  She held her mother’s crystal in her right hand; she felt its comforting inner warmth and strength. She glanced down at the amulet, seeing the reassuring blue glow coming from the sapphire crystal. It was almost as if her mother was in the room with her telling her that everything was going be all right. Taking a deep breath, she thought about what she needed to do. She would spend the afternoon talking to Malcon’s simulacrum, laying out a plan. Then tomorrow or the day after, if everything went well, she would set out for Draydon with her father and Aldin.

  It was time Jalene learned of Lynol. It was time for her to meet the current Sylvar sorceress! She would take care of Jalene first, and then it would be time for Gilmreth. After his feeding, it would be several weeks before he left his lair once more unless summoned by Jalene, and Lynol intended to prevent that.

  Uncomfortably, Lynol thought of Adam Grayson, the mysterious figure mentioned so poignantly in her mother’s diary. Adam Grayson, the dangerous sorcerer from the Golden Age, who was responsible for the massive destruction caused by the all-consuming Worldfire. Nowhere had Lynol sensed his hidden presence or use of sorcery. Perhaps he had returned to sleep under the mountain after all. The only sorcery Lynol had been able to sense was Jalene’s, that tainted, dark, twisted feeling every time the woman used her powers.

  With her mother’s crystal, Lynol felt confident she could handle Jalene. She’d also be on the lookout for Grayson. If he were in Draydon then she would deal with him also. If her mother’s diary was correct, the blue crystal in her necklace should be powerful enough to defeat Grayson.

  Then all that would remain would be Gilmreth! She shuddered just at the thought of descending back into Firestorm Mountain and accosting the dragon in his lair. She felt an icy shiver spread across her back. Shaking it off, she began gathering up her clothes.

  Lynol finished dressing and walked into the kitchen, seeing that her father had already eaten a light breakfast and departed to do his daily chores. There was honey and a pitcher of rich cream in the middle of the table. Lynol knew from their talk earlier that morning that her father planned on going to the village either today or tomorrow. Handon’s Ferry was a good two day’s ride away from Galvin. It would take some time for the horrific news of Gilmreth’s attack to reach the village.

  There was a cold emptiness in Lynol’s heart. She thought back to the previous night and her conflict with Gilmreth. She still found it hard to think about what had happened at Handon’s Ferry and to Tohm Mystol. Tears began to flow from her eyes unchecked as her emotions let go. God! How could she ever face Gwen? Lynol sat at the large kitchen table and cried.

  -

  Aldin, Dresdia, and Kalvin arrived around noon full of questions about the previous night’s storm. Just from its ferocity they had known that Lynol had been responsible and she wouldn’t have created such a storm unless something was direly wrong. The three sat spellbound as Damon and Lynol retold the events of the previous night.

  “I knew it had to be something bad,” said Aldin, shaking his head worriedly. “The storm was just too powerful! We could see massive lightning bolts, and sometimes I thought I could see a large shadow up in the sky through the rain. I was praying it wasn’t the dragon!”

  “Gilmreth was here!” Dresdia exclaimed, shocked, showing real fear on her face as she realized just how close the dragon had been. She felt as if her worst nightmare had finally come true. The dragon may have actually flown over their farm. “Why? Why did the dragon come here?”

  “We think the sorceress sent him; exactly why we don’t know,” Damon replied with his arms folded across his chest.

  “But you managed to drive him off with your sorcery!” Kalvin exclaimed with excitement in his voice. “You actually managed to stop Gilmreth! I just knew that it had to be him! I wanted to come over last night, but it was too muddy from all the rain.”

  “Gilmreth,” Dresdia spoke slowly with worry and fear still in her voice, her emerald green eyes taking on a frightened look. She was deathly afraid of the dragon. She knew she would have nightmares for weeks after this. “Lynol, you might have been hurt!”

  “We were afraid of what we might find when we came over today,” admitted Aldin, shaking his head, looking at Damon. “The storm was so violent with all the lightning and thunder.”

  “We couldn’t see anything in the sky once the clouds cleared,” continued Kalvin, gazing at Lynol. He’d been extremely worried about what might have happened at the Sylvar farm. He had slept very little worrying about Lynol and what they might find when they came over.

  “Lynol drove the dragon off with her sorcery,” responded Damon, feeling proud of what Lynol had accomplished. “It was incredible just watching her. I had no idea how powerful her sorcery had become.”

  “Yes, but look at the cost. Tohm is dead! Gilmreth killed him when he attacked Handon’s Ferry,” replied Lynol, using all of her will power to hold back the tears. “Who knows how many others also died! It’s my fault for attacking the dragon!”

  “If not Handon’s Ferry it might have been Galvin, or some other village,” Aldin spoke with sadness in his voice. “The dragon was sent here to kill. I don’t think anything could have prevented that, not even you, Lynol! You’re not to blame for this!”

  “Aldin’s right,” Damon added with grief in his eyes. “Jalene is to blame for this tragedy, no one else!”

  Dresdia and Kalvin felt Lynol’s pain; Gwen and Tohm had always been very close to all of them. They sat in silence for several long moments remembering past times and worrying for Gwen. They all felt extremely sad and horrified at what had happened.

  “We shall all go in together and tell Gwen,” spoke Aldin finally, looking at everyone with a heavy hint of sadness in his eyes and voice. “We owe it to Tohm to make sure she is taken care of. It’s the least we can do for him. He was a close friend to all of us and a good friend to everyone in the village.”

  “Yes,” Damon replied sorrowfully with a nod. “We will go in tomorrow morning; Gwen needs to be told by us before she hears it from someone else.” Damon knew this would be one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. It would be difficult to explain to Gwen what had happened and why. It was also hard to imagine that he would never see Tohm again!

  “I may stay with Gwen for several days if mother says it’s all right,” Dresdia spoke with tears in the corners of her eyes. She was finding it hard to believe that Tohm was gone, killed by Gilmreth! “She will need someone to talk to and comfort her. God knows she has always been there for all of us. She doesn’t need to be alone, not now!”

  “She’s going to take this very hard,” Damon added with a heavy sigh. “We’ll have to watch over her carefully. Tohm would have wanted that.”

  -

  The next morning, Lynol sat at the kitchen table by herself eating a light breakfast. The others had already left to go to Galvin. She knew that soon they would be telling Gwen what they suspected had happened to Tohm. Dresdia would be spending the night with her also, perhaps several nights, comforting Gwen in her grief. Gwen had loved Tohm deeply and the two had been together as husband and wife for a long time.

  Lynol still felt pangs of guilt over what had happened. She knew that she always would! She didn’t know how long it would be before she could face Gwen again. That was why she couldn’t see Gwen today. The guilt she felt at Tohm’s death was still weighing heavily upon her. She felt responsible for what had happened. A deep sadness possessed her heart. Gwen was like a mother t
o her, and Lynol’s actions against Gilmreth had inadvertently taken the man Gwen had spent most of her life with away. How could Gwen ever forgive her? Lynol found that her appetite was gone. Pushing her plate back, she thought about what she needed to do.

  Her father had understood why Lynol couldn’t come. It wasn’t just Gwen and what had happened to Tohm. Lynol had some important decisions to make. In the next few days, the fate of Galvin, Draydon, and humanity itself could very well be decided.

  The dragon had finally come to their side of the mountain and might return. They could wait no longer. Damon had told Lynol to make her plans. Aldin and he would accompany her to Draydon when she was ready. Gilmreth’s arrival had set events into motion. It was time to fulfill the ancient prophecies!

  -

  Later that morning, Lynol made her way into the underground crypt to face Malcon’s simulacrum. They both had known this day would eventually arrive. Entering the underground room, Lynol saw the simulacrum waiting patiently for her, seeming to float effortlessly in the soft blue radiance that always surrounded him, a fatherly look of concern and pride upon his face. Sometimes she tended to forget that Malcon was only a simulacrum and not a real, living person. They had become very close over the years.

  “It’s time,” Malcon said in a steady voice, looking approvingly at Lynol. “Gilmreth and Jalene must be faced. With the power of your mother’s amulet and Lys’ amulet, you will prevail. Already you have demonstrated the awesome power of your mother’s amulet against Gilmreth.”

  “It’s time,” Lynol replied in agreement. “We have to put a stop to all this suffering. There has already been too much death!”

  “Yes, my dear,” Malcon replied with understanding, gazing at Lynol. “It is a sad thing that has happened, but that’s what Gilmreth brings.”

  “Am I ready?” asked Lynol, looking at Malcon, her right hand resting lightly on her mother’s amulet. She felt her heart flutter and her breathing grew heavier. “Is my training complete?”

  “You have become a very powerful sorceress, Lynol,” Malcon replied, nodding his head slightly. “You have learned much and come very far.”

  “Then it’s time,” Lynol said slowly, accepting what lay in front of her. “We both knew this day was coming. I just hope the amulets we have are powerful enough; don’t forget Jalene has the Stone of Loraine at her disposal. It’s a tremendously powerful amulet in itself. We don’t know what she has learned of its awesome powers.”

  “Jalene has no formal training and everything she’s learned has been on her own while your training has taken a different route. You have all of my knowledge and much of what these books contain,” Malcon added, his hand pointing toward the crowded shelves behind him. “Also, don’t forget the secrets passed on to you from your mother’s diary. Some of the spells revealed in it are truly powerful, much more so than anything I’ve ever imagined could be done with sorcery. In addition, your own amulet was created by Loraine. It’s immensely powerful, perhaps more powerful than the Stone of Loraine.”

  “Yes, my mother’s spells and amulet,” Lynol said softly, glancing toward the treasured diary, which lay closed upon the large oak table.

  She’d read that diary so often she could visualize each individual page, each precious one, which contained a segment of her mother’s life. It had helped to bring her so close to the mother she had never gotten to know.

  “Those are spells from the Golden Age itself,” Malcon reminded her, his unblinking eyes focusing upon Lynol. “You have knowledge available about your abilities and how to use them that no sorcerer since the Golden Age has possessed.”

  “Very dangerous and powerful spells,” added Lynol, thinking about some of the spells and what they were capable of doing. “I hope I don’t have to use them. Remember the prophecy at the sacrificial altar specifically mentioned the danger of bringing on a second Worldfire. We don’t have the weapons the ancients possessed, but the power of the most potent of those spells could have the same disastrous effect.”

  “They should be used only as a last resort,” cautioned Malcon, nodding his head slowly. “Even in your mother’s diary there are warnings about using some of those spells.”

  “If they’re necessary, then Jalene is much stronger than we have supposed,” said Lynol, walking over to the table and placing her hand upon her mother’s diary, pausing in thought. “Perhaps Grayson has taught her, unbeknownst to us. If some of those spells are used, they could very easily destroy everything that is left of our world.”

  “Be confident, my child,” said Malcon, folding his arms across his spectral chest. “Grayson still hasn’t made his presence known. You must still be prepared for that threat. Grayson may be in Draydon working behind the scenes, or he may not be there at all.”

  Looking at Malcon, Lynol hesitated; even after all the training she had been through she still had some self-doubts. “I’m not so much worried about Jalene as I am about Gilmreth. Jalene can be handled, I believe, but Malcon and Lys both failed to destroy the dragon. Even in the brief encounter I had with Gilmreth the other night the lightning only inflicted some minor pain on the dragon. It caused no permanent harm or injury. I don’t know what would’ve happened if the dragon had persisted in his attack upon me. What if I can’t destroy the dragon?” This had always been Lynol’s greatest fear.

  “Gilmreth is a creation of the Golden Age,” Malcon replied solemnly, weighing his words carefully, searching for the right ones. “He has remarkable powers of recuperation built into him from the powerful sorcerers of that time. We don’t know if Gilmreth can actually be destroyed.”

  “In all of our studies, you have never shown me the sleeping spell that Malcon used,” Lynol spoke softly, staring questionably at the simulacrum. “I need that potent spell in case the dragon can’t be destroyed. It may be the only way to stop him.”

  Malcon’s simulacrum took on a pained look as he contemplated Lynol’s request. This was the one question he had always feared, one that would have to be dealt with. He wished she hadn’t asked, but it was a request he couldn’t refuse. He didn’t know if Gilmreth could actually be destroyed, even with the awesome power of the two amulets Lynol had at her disposal.

  The power Lynol now wielded was impressive but the dragon was very powerful, perhaps more powerful than he had ever been. Malcon had hoped that with Lynol’s amulet, along with the advanced teaching she had received from him and from the diary, that the sleeping spell might not be necessary.

  “Very well,” the simulacrum said reluctantly, realizing there might be a need but praying that there wouldn’t be. “I will give you the spell. Just remember, it drained Malcon to the point where he died enacting it. The same could happen to you if you are forced to weave that deadly energy-consuming pattern. You must try to find some other way to defeat Gilmreth. You could always return to the underground complex and search it once more. Surely, somewhere there is a record of how to destroy the dragon. Remember, your mother’s diary speaks of the sorcerers of the Golden Age discussing doing just that. There has to be another way. We just need to find it!”

  “I realize that,” Lynol replied, still feeling responsible for Tohm’s death. “But Gilmreth must be stopped one way or another. I don’t know if we'll be given the time to return to the complex and search it. Besides, from what we have learned the complex is enormous. Who knows how long it might take us to find the information we need? If I must sacrifice myself to stop the dragon, then so be it. Show me the spell!”

  “You could always awaken the other sleepers. Your mother left you the method on how to do so in her diary,” Malcon replied slowly, knowing what Lynol would say in return. He really didn’t want to give her the sleeping spell if there was any other way.

  “No, that’s not an option. My mother specifically said they’re not to be awoken unless everything else fails. They’re to be protected at all costs, even if it means my own sacrifice,” Lynol replied with resolve in her voice. She was determined to obey
her mother’s wish. The sleepers would stay hidden safely away until it was time for them to awake in the future.

  Nodding his graying head, the simulacrum gestured for Lynol to take a seat at the long, heavy table crowded with books, some open, some closed from previous studies. They had a long day ahead of them and many careful, intricate plans to make. Malcon felt extremely proud of his student and the progress she had made. He just wished she didn’t have to face the dragon.

  Lynol took her seat, staring at the vase of flowers she had brought down several days before to brighten up the place. Why was it that flowers never smelled so fresh and sweet until they were dying? Lynol wove a quick spell and the wilted flowers brightened, standing up, returning to their former glory. Satisfied, she picked up a pencil and paper ready to copy down the spell, which Malcon was preparing to teach her. She waited expectantly.

  Malcon watched Lynol, so much like his daughter Lys in so many ways. He prayed that Lynol wouldn’t need this deadly spell. Well did he know that even the wisest of teachers could be wrong upon occasion. Closing his spectral eyes, Malcon recalled the intricate pattern of the sleeping spell. Then, opening them, he gazed at Lynol. She waited ready to begin learning the deadly incantation.

  -

  Damon stood on the porch of Gwen’s store staring solemnly down the short, almost empty street. Even Addison’s was empty of any trade wagons from Draydon. The last had left two days before, something Damon was thankful for. That was one less problem they had to worry about. Gwen had taken the news of Tohm’s death very hard, and Dresdia had taken her to her room to lie down and rest. Gwen had fallen asleep, a restless sleep with Dresdia hovering watchfully over her.

  “It’s a horrible thing,” mumbled Aldin, stepping out of the store’s entrance, closing the door quietly behind lest they disturb Gwen’s troubled rest. “What are we to do if the dragon has already struck Handon’s Ferry? Where will it strike next? Lynol can’t be everywhere!”