Shepherds of Wraith: Book One

by Nyssa Renay

  “Faithful horsemen and servants of the Church, you’ve been entrusted to save the lives of every child on Telshakra.” King Lexani paused to let the severity of his statement register. “Each of you will be given a letter to deliver to a representative of the Council of Ten. This will not be an easy task by any means. It’s imperative that you deliver these letters as quickly as you can before more lives are lost. But be advised, only deliver the letters and under no circumstances will you address any member of the council. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Sire!” the royal horsemen shouted in unison.

  “Today, you will all travel through the Great Ring of Ein,” Lexani declared to his men. “Shepherd Talmari has been gracious enough to come here today to pray to Ein, granting you safe passage to your assigned destinations.” The king nodded to Talmari, who stood fifty yards away at the entrance to the Great Ring. Shepherd Talmari turned and bowed, returning the acknowledgement.

  “May Ein bless you with a safe and successful journey,” Lexani stated as he distributed the sealed letters to each of the royal horsemen. “Ein be praised.”

  “Praise be to Ein!” the horsemen shouted as they gathered up their horses and belongings and made their way to receive the blessing from Shepherd Talmari.

  At first glance, the Great Ring of Ein was a very large and elaborate well, with a four-foot-tall gray stone wall that encompassed its structure. But unlike the diameter of a normal well, the Great Ring of Ein extended one hundred feet from end to end.

  The closer the horsemen came to the entrance of the Great Ring, the easier it was for them to see that parts of the wall were glowing. There were intricate runes chiseled into the stone, each symbol radiating its own beautiful color and light.

  One by one, they rode their steeds through the entrance onto a rough and narrow stone bridge that sloped downward at an uneven angle. The bridge had waist-high walls and a rugged path with the same glowing runes displayed on the outer wall carved within the imperfections of its surface. Under the bridge, a whirlpool of stars slowly churned in the unending blackness of space, sparkling like a sea of diamonds. It was vast and truly strange to behold. The horses began to grunt and snort, anxiety-ridden at being led down such a dangerous passage, but their riders lightly spurred their mounts and advanced down the bridge toward a massive floating island in the center of the Great Ring.

  From the vantage point of the bridge, the royal horsemen could only see the topmost portion of the island. There was a cloister, majestic and solitary, with narrow walls erected from sturdy ancient columns that ran along the island’s perimeter. A dazzling white light emanated from its center and shone through the high arches, casting long and tapered shadows against the inner wall of the Great Ring.

  As the first royal horseman reached the end of the bridge’s path, he steadied himself before the grand stone archway marking the entrance to the cloister. Within the confines of the arch, the light collected and churned into an eddy of exquisite brilliance brighter than fire. It was almost as bright as the sun itself. As he stepped through the archway, the other horsemen watched in astonishment as the light consumed both horse and rider, melting them into pure luminescent air as they disappeared.

  The king sighed heavily as he watched from the Garden of Ataraxia as each of his horsemen moved into the light and faded from sight. “Nothing to do now but wait,” he muttered, extremely frustrated as he turned and made his way back in the Rectory.

  One by one, the riders traveled through the Great Ring of Ein and out into the universe, handing over the urgent pleas of their king to the most blessed and gifted mortals in existence, the Council of Ten. These demigods acted as the personal representatives to the Children of Ein themselves, relaying their deity’s ethereal messages and commands across the vastness of the entire cosmos, the realm of Ein.

  Deep in the dry, dusty wasteland of a sun-ravaged desert, the first horseman found Representative Unum, herald to Brio, the goddess of life. He was huddled over the corpse of a cow, praying to his mistress to revive the animal. The cow had wandered away from its farm and wasn’t meant to die in this scorched land. The vibrant emerald-green robes that covered Unum’s body radiated a sense of life, even within the harsh and desolate conditions of the desert.

  He was softly speaking words the horseman couldn’t understand. Unum touched the sides of the cow’s stomach and began to rock back and forth on his knees. Before the horseman’s eyes, the cow began to move and breathe. It stood up slowly, caught its balance, and gradually sauntered away from Unum. The representative watched with a smile as the cow walked farther and farther away until he finally caught sight of the horseman.

  “What’s this?” Unum asked as the horseman knelt in the dirt before him and held out a letter bearing the Royal Seal of Telshakra. He forced a smile. “The occasion must be quite severe to warrant your presence.” The rider stared at the ground, motionless, as Unum removed the letter from his hands, broke the seal, and began to read.

  Esteemed Representative Unum,

  I humbly call you to Telshakra in two days’ time. Please forgive my insistence, but this matter is urgent. We have fallen under attack and are now plagued by a vile sickness known as the blood croup. My physicians have assured me there is no cure within our grasp, and I fear the worst for Telshakra as more lives are lost with each passing hour. I beg your assistance before my people suffer further.

  Respectfully,

  King Lexani of Telshakra

  Unum sighed, slightly irritated. “This news will greatly distress my mistress,” he said as he closed the letter. “You may tell King Lexani that I’ll be there.”

  The horseman nodded, returned to his steed, and rode back through the swirling archway of light, which rapidly collapsed in upon itself and sealed the gateway closed behind him as he began his return trip.

  The second royal horseman found Representative Zwein alone in a field of newly tilled soil, diligently piled in acres of neat rows. Zwein was the herald to the goddess Terrene, the creator of all raw materials and natural resources for every planet in the universe. The horseman came upon Zwein as he was in meditation, taking in deep, relaxing breaths of the rich fresh air. Zwein’s dark brown robes were the color of fresh spring soil, making them appear to be part of the earth itself as they settled onto the ground around him. As the rider jumped down from his horse, the thud of his boots striking the ground broke Zwein’s concentration.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Zwein barked as the horseman bowed his head and presented the letter. The representative approached and snatched it from the horseman’s hands, impatiently breaking the seal and reading it. “Very well. Tell Lexani I’ll be there on behalf of my mistress,” he said, slipping the letter into the inner pocket of his robes and returning to his meditation.

  The third royal horseman rode high up the side of a treacherous snow-covered mountain before he found Representative Dreia, herald to the god Tropo, the creator of air, wind, and breath. She was flying alone in the clouds, dancing with the wind and the air as the setting sun descended over the horizon. Dreia’s sky-blue robes snapped loudly in the breeze as she soared. The horseman tried to catch her attention, but her movement was so quick and so fluid that it was very difficult for him to get into her line of sight. Considering he was forbidden to speak to her, the horseman lit a flare that gave a hissing green glow against the lazy red sunset.

  “There better be a damn good reason for this disturbance!” Dreia howled, startled. She slowed her flight onto the path before the horseman, who bowed his head and offered her the letter.

  Dreia angrily tore the letter open. She read the page, quickly crumpling up the missive before tossing it onto the ground, her frustration clear. “Tell your king I’ll be there. Now leave me alone!” she commanded.

  Intimidated, the horseman quickly mounted his steed and departed.

  It didn’t take most of the other horsemen long to locate their assigned council members, eit
her.

  Representative Quattor, herald to the fire goddess Kindell, was wading in a pool of molten lava at the base of a volcano. The horseman was astonished to see that the fabric of his blazing red robes remained unsinged as he approached the bank of the fiery pool and reluctantly accepted the invitation.

  Representative Quinque, herald to Balneal, the god of water, was measuring the pull of the tides by the shore of a stormy sea. The royal horseman had great difficulty distinguishing Quinque’s deep blue robes from the rushing water that surrounded her, but he still managed to deliver the letter successfully.

  The herald for Malian, the god of animals, was deep within a thick and humid jungle. The horseman stopped Representative Seches during her run with the Springwell tigers to deliver the letter. Seches wore a simple orange leather dress and a long necklace of animal teeth that clacked when she came to an abrupt stop. “I’ll inform my master of this terrible event at once,” she said after reading the letter. “Tell King Lexani he may anticipate my attendance.”

  Representative Sieben, herald to the plant god Settle, was walking in the woods, trying to rejuvenate many acres of trees and foliage that had been ravaged by a severe drought. Sieben reluctantly accepted Lexani's request and informed the horseman that she would do her best to be there.

  Representative Otta, herald to Idol, the goddess of love and vitality, was strolling alone in a beautifully landscaped city park. “Thank you. I appreciate your efforts in finding me,” he said as the horseman handed him the letter. He, too, agreed to join the Council of Ten.

  While most of the royal horsemen had successfully returned to King Lexani to deliver detailed reports of their interactions with the representatives, two riders continued to search high and low for Representative Novenai, who served as herald to Palpit, the god of war, a being of two separate minds; one of strategy and awesome intellect and the other of instinctual rage and the purveyor of fear itself, and Representative Zehn, who was herald to Necra, the goddess of death.

  Neither could be found.

  -9-

  By the time night had fallen, Novenai and Zehn still had yet to be found. Failing their respective missions, the two royal horsemen returned to the Divine Mountain, where they stood nervously before King Lexani and Shepherd Talmari with their letters undelivered.

  “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I thoroughly searched the area, but I couldn’t find the representative anywhere,” one horseman said to Lexani.

  “My deepest apologies for failing you as well, Sire,” the other horseman cautiously added.

  King Lexani slowly paced back and forth, rubbing his chin with his fingers while trying to determine how best to handle the situation. He’d hoped to locate the heralds to Palpit and Necra more easily than this, but he was running out of time and getting desperate.

  “Your Grace,” Shepherd Talmari interjected calmly as he leaned in to whisper in Lexani’s ear. “If the representatives went to that much effort to block themselves from being located by the Great Ring, I believe I know where they might be, and they are most likely together. It’s a bit of a risk, but they might still be there.”

  “Where?” the king asked under his breath.

  “It…has just left its most recent and secure location as the towers fell to the enemy. They might still be there, Your Majesty.”

  “You’re probably right,” Lexani acknowledged. “They’re the only beings who could stay behind and survive long enough to make sure it got away safely and discretely. Make the archway ready.”

  “Yes, Your Grace,” Talmari replied and left the king alone with his two horsemen.

  “Gentlemen,” Lexani began as he walked toward the two nervous men. “I think I know where you can find them, but it’ll require a great deal of bravery. Are you worthy of a second chance?”

  “Yes, Sire!” they replied together.

  “Then come with me.” Lexani led the two royal horsemen down several long and secluded passageways, deep into the lower levels of the Divine Mountain. As they walked, the king explained the precautions were necessary because the suspected location of Novenai and Zehn was considered extremely sensitive information, and he didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing their conversation. When they came to a room at the bottom of a steep, winding stone staircase. King Lexani once again reminded the horsemen of their loyalty and that what he was about to reveal to them was a secret to be contained at all cost.

  “…and I wouldn’t want to worry all of Telshakra with these matters,” Lexani explained candidly as he pulled out a blackbrass ring of keys. “I’m sure I can rely on your secrecy with what I’m about to show you?”

  “Yes, Sire,” one quickly replied.

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” the other added.

  The king slipped an old rusty key into the dirty lock on the door, turning it gently to the right. He pushed the door open and motioned for the horsemen to enter. Lexani followed, locking the door behind him.

  The room was long and just wide enough for the horsemen to stand side by side. The walls were damp, and the air was thick and musty. A soft glow lit the back of the room from beneath an archway similar to the one built into the cloister in the Great Ring of Ein. The pale white light calmly swirled inward upon itself, and as their eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, the horsemen saw a single shadowy figure blocking the archway’s light.

  “Has the path been established, Shepherd Talmari?” King Lexani asked calmly.

  “Yes, Sire. I believe the exiting archway will be as close to the representatives as I can possibly get at our headquarters on Rythellus, providing they’re still in the castellum,” Talmari replied as he looked from the king’s gaze to the now wide eyes of the royal horsemen. “If the representatives aren’t there, I doubt they can be reached safely, if at all.”

  The king sighed. “I understand. This might be our only chance to get a message to them, and these brave men have volunteered for the task. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?” the king said with a smile, to bestow his confidence upon them.

  “Yes, Sire!” the horsemen quickly answered.

  “Now, Ein willing, representatives Novenai and Zehn will both be just down the hall from where the two of you will arrive,” Lexani stated. “Find the representatives as quickly as you can. Our base on Rythellus has been under attack for three weeks now, and from what I’m told, it won’t be under our control much longer.”

  As they listened to King Lexani’s directions, the horsemen looked nervously at each other.

  “Attack, Sire? By whom?” one horseman asked.

  “There are creatures from the edge of damnation who want to see our world and the rest of the realm of Ein turned into nothing but a wasteland, devoid of all life. Our shepherds have been at war with these things for ages, but they’ve never come this close to Telshakra before now.”

  “There’s a war? I-I had no idea.” A hint of trepidation was obvious in the second horseman’s voice, knowing he may have gone too far. It was a justifiable concern, given the royal horsemen, much like the entire population of the planet of Telshakra, knew nothing about the existence of this war.

  “It’s not your place to know about it!” Lexani’s tone was angry. “These things are kept secret from society for the sake of its own protection! Neither of you were ever intended to have this information. The people of Telshakra must never know about the war or even this very conversation! Do you think any parent would ever let their child be taken to the Shepherd Academy if they knew they were being bred for war? It’s better to let them believe their sons and daughters are being sent away to serve the Church and the Children of Ein.”

  “Please forgive us, Your Majesty.” The second horseman bowed.

  “We didn’t know,” the first horsemen added, bowing regretfully in the same fashion.

  “I understand your concern, gentlemen,” King Lexani reassured them. “But the Church has always known what’s best for its people, and this issue is no dif
ferent. If the people of Telshakra were to learn the truth of the current situation, it would be disastrous. Faith and loyalty would be quickly replaced by fear and chaos, and we’d lose everything the Church has worked so hard to maintain. Unfortunately, the danger from this war is coming closer and closer to us. This is why I insist upon the utmost secrecy from you both. We must keep this from becoming public knowledge, no matter what. The blood croup is a direct result of the enemy’s unyielding aggression, now resulting in the murder of thousands of Telshakran children.”

  The first horseman nodded nervously; his eyes filled at the mention of the disease. The second horseman looked upon his friend quickly, visibly nervous and fearful as well.

  The king could clearly see the disease had touched both of their lives, but Lexani didn’t want to compromise the will of his horsemen. In the interest of inspiring bravery and determination in both of them, he reluctantly made the decision to educate the two horsemen of the virus’s origins.

  -10-

  “On the night of the Festival of Ein, a massive barrage of gas weapons was launched toward Telshakra,” the king began. “The shepherds tried desperately to destroy them before they reached our atmosphere, but their powers were not strong enough. In total, two hundred and forty-seven gas weapons detonated on this planet that night. And because the enemy knows the number of our shepherd soldiers has been slowly diminishing, I believe they were targeting the children of Telshakra to wipe out any further replenishment of those forces, but they failed,” the king added in a slightly satisfied tone. “Most of the potentials at the Shepherd Academy were either unaffected by the disease or able to fight it off on their own. Ein be praised for their strength,” he said with a half-smile that quickly disappeared. “I’m afraid the remaining children haven’t been as fortunate. There’s no treatment for those not chosen by the gods. This is why I’m assembling the Council of Ten. I only hope and pray they can provide us with a cure for this terrible disease.” King Lexani took a long and heavy breath. “Now, take your letters and pass through the archway,” he commanded. “Find the representatives as quickly as you can, and remember to be careful when you arrive, because we don’t know the extent of the damage to the castellum.”