Serpent in the Mist

by Cleave Bourbon

  “Get him!” the left guard yelled, and pounced on Morgoran. A bevy of guards poured into the throne room, and Vesperin had to pull his mace to defend himself. Kelle and Bren sprang into action in defense of Morgoran. Vesperin had only a moment to glance back at the king, and he saw Devyn with the staff exiting the throne room through the side chamber door. He had a moment of indecision, and then he bolted after him. Much to his dismay, Fayne noticed him running for the chamber door and followed. He tried to shake her on a short flight of stairs, but she was quicker than he.

  “Vesperin, I am with you. Are you going after Devyn?” he heard her say.

  Vesperin stopped to face her. “I belong with my friend, Fayne. I have been thinking it over, and Trendan is right. We should be standing by him, not chasing after him. Besides, if I know Trendan, there is an arrow pointed at us right now, so you better make your choice quickly and wisely.”

  “If you have faith in him, I will as well.”

  “Good choice,” Trendan said as he jumped down from the top of the stairway. “This way.” He pointed to a partially opened doorway. He put his arrow back in his quiver.

  Devyn was waiting in the Portal chamber; he lit up when he saw Vesperin with Trendan. “Vesperin, I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “Well, I may not understand what you are doing, but you have never lied to me or done anything to betray my trust.”

  Devyn turned to Fayne.

  “I go where Vesperin and Trendan go,” she said nervously.

  Devyn looked at Trendan.

  “This is Fayne. I have come to know her pretty well. I think she will be all right,” Trendan said.

  Devyn took her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Fayne said.

  Devyn patted Vesperin on the back. “Excellent, let’s get out of here then.”

  The four of them stepped through the portal—destination By’temog.

  RENNON WAS PACING BACK and forth when Devyn stepped through the portal, followed by Trendan, Vesperin, and Fayne. He thought he would see surprise on Rennon’s face when he saw Vesperin, but instead, Rennon just grinned.

  “I thought you might come around,” Rennon said to Vesperin.

  Vesperin nodded. “I don’t know why it took me as long as it did.”

  Rennon did, however, have a surprised look when he saw Fayne.

  Vesperin took Rennon’s gaze as his cue. “This is Fayne, and she’s with us.”

  Rennon nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Fayne said.

  “Okay, everyone step out of the chamber,” Devyn said as he ushered them up the stairs.

  “Do you really need to destroy the portal, Devyn?” Trendan asked. “So many of them are gone now already.”

  “Since when did you care so much about such things?”

  “I don’t know. I am kind of getting attached to these old buildings.”

  “I can leave it, but Morgoran and the others will know where we went if I do.”

  Rennon bolted down the steps and grabbed Devyn’s arm. “It’s already too late.” The portal had begun to flash blue light and open. Devyn pulled loose from Rennon and went back to grab the staff.

  As soon as he was at the top of the stairs, Devyn slammed the chamber shut. Adrenaline pulsed through his body as he followed Rennon out into the main building. He paused a moment and took out the golden serpent from his pack. As soon as it was close to the staff, it wound its way around the shaft as if it always belonged there. Next, he put the crystal in the space at the top, and the wood of the staff fixated to it. Lastly, he opened the amulet, and a green mist snaked out and joined with the crystal. Devyn thought a moment about General Sythril being trapped inside the crystal and hoped that didn’t somehow adversely affect the key. The crystal began to glow, and the staff projected the location of a stone platform in the mountains, with a metallic door sealed in the background in the air in front of him.

  Devyn turned to his friends. “I am so thankful that all of you have faith in me. I know you don’t understand what it is I am doing yet, but you will shortly.”

  Morgoran burst through the chamber door.

  “Time to go. Wish me luck.” Devyn looked into the crystal. “Take me there,” he said.

  There was a flash before his eyes, and then he was on the platform, much the same way a Lora Daine worked. The air was freezing cold, and blowing snow pelted his face. He started to head for the metallic door when a sharp cracking sound made him turn to see what it was. Morgoran stood behind him a few paces.

  “Don’t look so surprised, Devyn. It seems the dragon stones are finally working again. All I had to do was set it onto the trail your crystal left behind” He held up the white, clear stone. “Kelle,” he said.

  Devyn bolted for the metallic door, and Morgoran threw some kind of spell at him. Devyn felt the staff fly out of his hand toward the door as he spilled backward. He grasped at anything he could as he slipped off the edge of the platform. He barely managed to grab ahold of the ridged edge.

  “It would be a pity if you fell from way up here,” Morgoran said.

  Devyn clung to the side of the platform. He thought Morgoran was acting in an uncharacteristic manner, but he was more focused on survival. He looked down into the abyss below and then pulled himself up. Morgoran was standing with his arms outstretched to the sky where heavy clouds swirled and boiled. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed every time Morgoran clinched his fists. Devyn knew that he planned to kill him. “Morgoran, why are you so adamant to stop me? You are a wielder! I would think you would want the tome to be found.”

  “I do, just not by you.” He crashed another round of lightning at Devyn. Another figure came flying in behind Morgoran. It hunched over at landing and then slowly stood upright, towering above Morgoran by a head. It appeared to be a larger version of a Drasmyd Duil, complete with leathery wings and a toothy maw. It stood behind Morgoran but did not attack him.

  A sudden realization pervaded Devyn’s mind, and he had to suppress his intense anger. “Who are you? You can’t be Morgoran!”

  A wicked grin emerged on the old wielder’s lips. “Clever boy, I would probably jump to the same conclusion in your place, but I assure you, I am Morgoran. The same Morgoran cursed with damnable clear eyes; the same Morgoran sitting drooling in his soup, confused, senile, and doomed to see only possible futures for year after year.” He pointed his finger. “I have seen you, Devyn Adair of Brookhaven, for far too long!” He let loose a bolt of lightning, and Devyn dove out of the way.

  The creature from behind Morgoran moved. It came directly for him. He glanced over at Dranmalin, trying to will the sword to come to him, but it still did not recognize him and stayed where it was. The Brae Daun Duil reached down, pulled up Devyn by his shoulders, and tossed him to the stone opening in the mountain. The cold wind blew dry snow in swirls across the stone platform, and he shivered. His left arm screamed in pain, and he was sure it must have been broken. “Morgoran, you must have learned by now that Toborne isn’t who you think he is. He is evil.”

  “Toborne!” Morgoran shouted the name with contempt. “Toborne is next! I wouldn’t let that betrayer have his way any more than I would you.”

  “I am not the one who cursed you! Why are you punishing me for it?”

  Morgoran stopped for a moment. His face distorted into an angry scowl that said Devyn was asking a foolish question. “Because if I don’t stop you now, you will!”

  “What?” Devyn was livid. “You are doing this because I might do something to you in a possible future?” Devyn pushed himself up. The Brae Daun Duil was slowly striding toward him. “Something here is off. If you are Morgoran and you want to kill Toborne, then how come Toborne’s creation is attacking me and not you?” The creature reached for Devyn and lifted him straight up. Devyn let him despite the pain of the grip the creature exerted. He reached out, working through the pain in his left arm, and grabbed the creatures head in both hands. He could feel
the power of his mind flow through his body, through his hands, and into the creature’s head.

  “Stop that. What are you doing there? Let that creature go!” Morgoran let loose a torrent of essence that bashed into Devyn, sending him hard to the stone platform. When he recovered from the fall, Devyn struggled to breathe.

  The Brae Daun Duil turned on Morgoran and seized him as he hurried to finish off Devyn. Morgoran used his magic, and the creature turned him loose for a moment but quickly seized him again. Devyn again felt Morgoran drawing in massive quantities of essence, but before he could loose it on the creature, it slammed the old wielder into the platform, his head hitting the stone the hardest.

  “Stop!” Devyn commanded the creature as soon as he could draw breath. He hobbled his way over to the now unconscious Morgoran. He managed to move his left arm, in pain as it was, to the side of Morgoran’s head. He placed his right hand on the other side and grasped Morgoran’s head. In the same way he turned the Brae Daun Duil, he planned to take away Morgoran’s bitterness and anger, but he found none there. Instead he found regret and remorse, and something else. He pursued the other emotion and found it wasn’t emotion at all. He captured it in his mind. Someone had influenced Morgoran. Someone had placed thoughts in his head. He probed the entity more, and it turned on him, trying to take him over, but he didn’t let it. He saw a face. It was Morgoran’s council; it was the cleric, Kerad! Devyn dispelled the entity from Morgoran’s mind and relaxed his body. Exhausted, he let himself lie back on the stone platform.

  After a time, Devyn forced himself to get up from the cold stone surface. Morgoran was still unconscious. “Pick him up and bring him inside,” he instructed. The staff was still where it had fallen. Devyn retrieved it and proceeded to the door, all the while warding off the bitter cold and the searing pain. Sheer determination and curiosity drove him on to the metallic door. He touched the crystal to the door on a whim, but nothing happened. He asked it to open and nothing happened. He scoured the surface for some hint of what he must do to get the door opened to no avail. Devyn slumped down with his back against the door.

  Morgoran came to and rubbed his head. “What the thunder?”

  “Welcome back, Morgoran,” Devyn said.

  “Devyn? What has happened here? The last I remember I was ready to blast you off this platform.”

  “You remember fighting me then?”

  “Aye, I also remember feeling the anger and control welling up in me without knowing why. It felt like when you want to eat that last honey cake and you have already eaten too much, but you go ahead have that last one anyway.” He studied Devyn for a long moment. “I am interested in what you find behind that door, but I am more interested that you survive to see what is behind that door.” He produced the Lora Daine from his side pouch. “I will return in a moment with Kerad; he will have you fixed right up.”

  “No.” Devyn reached for Morgoran’s arm with his good right arm to stop him. “Get Vesperin. Don’t let Kerad go anywhere or come here.”

  Morgoran was perplexed. “Kerad? He is my most trusted advisor. He was by my side the entire time I was cursed.”

  “Just go and bring me Vesperin.” Morgoran nodded and used the dragon stone. As soon as he was gone, Devyn struggled up to his feet. “Make certain that if Kerad ends up here, you detain him.” He searched the hideous features of the creature. “Are you still able to take the form of Melias?” The creature did not react to the name at first, but after a moment, he nodded. “Good. Don’t do it right now; stay as you are. I am sorry this happened to you, my friend. I am, however, glad I was able to find you in there and bring you back.”

  A sharp crackle in the air signaled that Morgoran was back. Trendan and Vesperin were with him. “Vesperin would not come with me at first. I tried to find Kerad, but I was told he left through the portal. Vesperin finally agreed if I brought along Trendan.”

  “Morgoran is back to himself,” Devyn said. He didn’t want to say too much in front of Morgoran until he had the chance to find out why the wielder did not remember it was Kerad who betrayed him.

  Vesperin mended Devyn’s arm with a bone-mending chant, helped his scrapes and bruises, and gave him something to ease his pain. As soon as Devyn was up and around, he had Vesperin help Morgoran.

  Trendan tightly pulled the new cloak that Devyn gave him and meticulously examined the door for an opening.

  “I would imagine that any kind of magic used to open that door will fail to open it,” Morgoran said. “It is supposed to house the Tome of Enlightenment. Those already enlightened will not have an effect.”

  “How are we supposed to open it then?” Devyn asked.

  “It’s a good thing we brought Trendan. He has no use of magic, correct?”

  Trendan spoke up. “No, I have no magic affinity.”

  “The only obstacle I can see now is that he is only a half-man. It may not recognize him as a non-magical man.”

  “I see,” Devyn said. “Only a man without magic can open the door.”

  Trendan leaned into the door, and it pushed open. Inside was a vast cavern lit by colossal, glowing-white crystals. At the center of the cavern was a pedestal containing a thick, leather-bound book.

  Devyn hurried over to it and picked it up. Morgoran winced but relented when nothing happened.

  “In the future, I would suggest that you never simply pick up anything that has been sitting on a pedestal for ages. They are usually trapped in some horrible way,” Morgoran scolded.

  After wiping off the dust, Devyn opened the book.

  “Can you read it?” Vesperin asked.

  Devyn chuckled. “Actually, no.”

  “Let me see that.” Morgoran stood behind Devyn and peered over his shoulder at the pages. “I should have realized. This is the knowledge and magic given to man by Vex. The first men came from the island continent of Lux Amarou. This is written in ancient Amar. I don’t think there is a man still alive that can read or write Amar except on Lux Amarou.”

  “People still live there?” Trendan was surprised.

  “Very few. Most of the Amar left Lux Amarou and settled Trigothia. They held onto the ancient tongue and customs for a while, but the old language died out in Trigothia ages ago. The continent of Lux Amarou is covered in old ruins, overgrown vegetation, and other dangers. That place makes Ishrak look like a modern paradise. I have only been there once, and I never wanted to go back.”

  “So is there a way we can get there by Lora Daine and bring one of the people back who can read this tome?”

  “Not likely. A Lora Daine is limited by distance; not even the biggest and best one in Draegodor could go that far, and even if you could, no Amar would step foot over here.” Morgoran shrugged. “We can take it back to Ianthill at By’temog. He used to be pretty good at reading old languages. I don’t know if his knowledge goes back this far, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

  Devyn shut the tome. “No, I would recognize some of these words if Ianthill could read this.”

  “I would postulate that absorbing someone’s essence doesn’t automatically give you all of their thoughts and abilities. It would also stand to reason that even with all the essence you absorbed, those wielders who still live might know things you still do not. It doesn’t automatically give you the sum of their experience either. You must be careful not to lean on that knowledge too much.”

  Devyn nodded. “Let’s go back to By’temog and talk to Ianthill then. Give me a moment while I go take care of the Brae Daun Duil.” He hesitated. “Before I go, what happened to King Occelot?”

  Morgoran chuckled. “Thankfully your spell didn’t hold long. He reverted back to himself shortly after you changed him. We slipped away during the commotion.”

  Devyn nodded before exiting the chamber. Outside, he looked around for the Brae Daun Duil. “Melias?”

  The creature lumbered over to him.

  “Fly to Lux Enor and tell the master that I have the tome and will be there soon. Te
ll him that I have defeated Morgoran and that I know who the betrayer is. Have him tell Kimala to continue as planned. Do you have all that?”

  The creature nodded.

  “You are sure you can still speak in the form of Melias?”

  The creature nodded.

  “Go, fly, and I will be there as soon as I can find a way to get there without raising suspicion.”

  The Brae Daun Duil took flight and flew off into the cold, snowy night.

  Chapter 25: A Respite

  The full moon dimly illuminated the darkened streets and passageways of the ancient, ruined city of By’temog, the former capital of the northern kingdom of Ishrak. From a vantage point on an overlooking hill, a dark-hooded figure surveyed the dead city. As the light of the full moon fell upon his cloak, the fabric periodically shimmered in and out of sight as if it did not wholly belong in the realm of the living, but rather had unearthly properties unknown. A gentle night breeze whistled through the nearby leafless trees, but the cloak remained still.

  The ghostly entity was unaffected by the sudden appearance of three more dark beings approaching him. The Drasmyd Duil in the lead commanded his two Dramyd subordinates to stand alert and remain behind.

  “Sythril no longer prowls the streets.” The figure’s guttural voice reverberated low and harsh. “Our enemies remain off guard, apparently set on a much needed rest, confident and secure.”

  “They have forgotten you, Master, it is to your advantage.” The Drasmyd Duil folded his wings around himself like a curtain.

  “No, Morgoran and Ianthill do not forget so conveniently. Lady Shey would know me if I came only a few steps nearer. For now, I am simply out of sight and out of mind.”