by Sam Ferguson
A quick glance to the front door confirmed that the lock was still in place.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take a drink from it though,” the man said. “It won’t affect me like it would you, and I am a bit thirsty.”
Jonathan looked to the bottle and nodded absently. He wasn’t sure what to make of the stranger yet, but the door was still locked, and the windows were shuttered up. That could only mean that the stranger not only had a spear, but he also must have some magical abilities. The young man stepped toward the stranger, careful to keep the table between the two of them, just in case he needed to react quickly. He set the bottle on the table and slid it over.
“Many thanks,” the man said.
Jonathan watched as the stranger put the bottle to his lips and drained a third of it without coming up for air. The stranger’s green cloak shimmered in the candle light. The thick fabric seemed sturdy, yet shone like silk. Where the cloak fell open across the man’s chest, Jonathan could see a red jerkin made of a material that was similar to leather, but seemed to sparkle with a depth not normally seen in any leather works that Jonathan had seen before. A stiff black collar popped up from under the jerkin, and Jonathan noticed a strange symbol embroidered in scarlet red on the neck of the garment.
The stranger caught Jonathan staring at the symbol and pulled the bottle away from his lips, setting it down with a slight thump on the table. “Oh, it has been too long since I have tasted this!” he said. “The drow always knew how to brew a fine bit of wine, though it can leave lesser mortals with…” the stranger looked at Jonathan and smiled instead of finishing his sentence. “Right then, I don’t have long,” he said cryptically. He pushed the bottle away.
“Who are you?” Jonathan asked.
The stranger shook his gaunt face. “I go by many names,” he said. “You, however, are the one who matters here, and I have something to tell you.” The stranger leaned forward and locked eyes with Jonathan. At once, Jonathan felt his body go rigid, so that he couldn’t turn away from the man. It wasn’t painful, but when he tried to pull away, he was unable to do so. A warmth came into his eyes, and then a humming vibration. A sharp pain darted through the front of Jonathan’s head. The sharpness faded quickly, but it left a dull ache that throbbed along with his pulse. Then, before he could really ascertain what was happening, it was over, and he leaned back slightly as whatever power had held him now released his body.
“What did you do?” Jonathan asked.
“I looked into your soul, and your memories,” the stranger said. “I had to know something before I gave you my message.”
Jonathan put a hand to his head and sat down in the chair opposite the stranger. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came to him. He blinked and rubbed his head.
“I need you to listen carefully,” the stranger said. “I know what it is you seek.”
“You know where Raven is?” Jonathan blurted out. “Is he still alive? Is he all right?”
The stranger waved a hand and shook his head. “I am talking about the Astral Crystal.”
Jonathan’s brow furrowed into a knot. It was true that Brykith had spoken of an Astral Shard. It was a crystal of great power that would grant him power over life and death, help him usher in his own supremacy, subjugating elf and human races alike. It was clearly something powerful. That was what Brykith was looking for.
“Surely, you are aware that the amulet the troll king used in the Murkle Quags was a smaller piece to a much greater puzzle. Its magic was created by the elves, and it was given to the trolls so they could control the weather to push the humans back from the Murkle Quags while Brykith and his elf followers continued searching for the Astral Crystal. So long as Brykith had the humans engaged in the Troll Wars, he was able to keep prying eyes away from his endeavors. However, with the trolls now defeated, Brykith has redoubled his efforts to scry for the exact location of the Astral Crystal. If he gets this, he will have nearly unmatched power over all the elves, and it would tip the balance in such a way that the other watchers will take notice.” The stranger took in a breath and paused, staring at Jonathan as if assessing the boy’s level of understanding.
“I know what Brykith wants to do, but, how do you know about him?”
“I am one of the watchers, it is my business to keep an eye on possible trouble makers who would seek to overstep the proper bounds placed upon mortals. Now, listen. You must go south from here. There is a large canyon,” the stranger began. “It is a place called Lysander’s Peril. Do you know it?”
Jonathan shook his head. “I have heard of Lysander, if we are speaking of the same man, but not Lysander’s Peril. The rumors are he is immortal, but they are only stories.”
“Just stories?” the stranger echoed. “Man?” The word came out through a frown and a shake of the stranger’s head. His face grew slightly red in the candlelight as he drew his brow into a tight knot and sighed. “Lysander is no mere man, nor is he a fable or some sort of bedtime tale!”
Jonathan realized they were talking of the same person. In an effort to head off any further berating, he cut in. “I know of Lysander, son of Icadion. I still don’t know what Lysander’s Peril is though.” He wasn’t sure that he believed the stories about Lysander being Icadion’s son, of course, but he wasn’t about to upset the stranger further, given the fact that the man obviously had at least enough magic to enter the house without unlocking the door, and was closer to his spear than Jonathan was to any of his weapons.
“What are they teaching you in school these days, honestly?” The stranger reached for the bottle and took another pull. “At least tell me you have heard of the war between Atek and Lysander,” he said as he set the bottle down once more.
Jonathan nodded. “Of course. The two brothers had a falling out and they fought. Lysander was able to defeat Atek, and then he returned to Volganor to be with his father.”
“What?!” The stranger looked to the bottle. “I am going to need more of this I think.” He sighed and looked back at Jonathan, narrowing his right eye and arching his left brow. “It wasn’t a ‘falling out’ anymore than the death of a planet can be called merely a ‘sad day’ to remember.”
Jonathan frowned.
“Atek and Lysander were brothers, both sons of Icadion, the ruler of the gods. Atek found the means to slay the gods, and raised an army to do exactly that. Lysander raised an army of his own to stop him, but at great cost. All of the first kings of the blessed races were involved. The cost of life was so great that it slowed Terramyr’s development for generations!”
“Yes, I know of it,” Jonathan said. “I didn’t mean to make light of it. I was trying to be brief.”
“Oh sure, be brief! Gloss over one of the turning points in your history the same as you would a picnic on Tuesday, that’s acceptable.” The stranger put his hands to his face and drew them down over his skin slowly. “This is what I have to work with?” he asked as he pulled his hands away. “The fate of so many rest on what you do in the next several weeks and you don’t even appreciate the gravity of something as important as Lysander’s war with Atek, and you don’t even know of Lysander’s Peril!”
“What are you talking about?” Jonathan asked. “Do you mean Raven?”
The stranger shook his head. “This is far more important than one man,” he said.
“That man is my friend, and he is Miranda’s father,” Jonathan said as he thumbed to the back of the house. “Chide me for not knowing history if you like, but don’t tell me my friends aren’t important.”
The stranger smiled disarmingly and put his hands up in the air. “Of course,” he said simply. “I didn’t mean to imply that Raven was unimportant, only that there are much larger events looming on the horizon, and like the war between Atek and Lysander, this is one of those epic turning points in Terramyr’s history. We have to make sure that events turn the way we wish them to.”
“What do you mean? The Astral Crystal, is that it?�
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The stranger nodded. “After Atek’s war of rebellion against the gods, Icadion knew that Volganor was threatened and had to seal off the rainbow bridge.” The stranger stopped and turned his head to the side. “That’s the cosmic bridge that connects Terramyr to the cities of heaven, Volganor.”
“Yes, I know what the rainbow bridge is,” Jonathan said with a sigh.
“Just checking,” the stranger replied. “Now, after the bridge was closed, the dark ages began when the gods withdrew from the world and the mortals were left to themselves. Lysander was supposed to return home with Icadion, but he chose to stay. He became a protector of Terramyr, hoping to stop Atek once and for all and destroy the threats to Volganor so he could reopen the rainbow bridge and bring the gods back to Terramyr, thus ushering in a new age of prosperity.”
“But the bridge is still closed, according to the stories,” Jonathan said.
“They aren’t stories!” the stranger shouted. “I know because I was there, I saw it.”
“You?” Jonathan asked. “You fought in a war thousands of years ago?”
“I didn’t fight in it,” the stranger said. “I am a watcher, one of many. I am not allowed to interfere with a world’s events. I only watch… mostly.”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. It seemed this was no wizard, this was a mad man.
“Now listen, no more interruptions. The other watchers will know what I am up to if I stay too long.” The stranger glanced to the door nervously and then back to Jonathan. “After the bridge was closed and Lysander stopped the final waves of his brother’s army, he was leading a group of refugees from the Nahktun Range to safety, in Kelsendale,” the stranger said. “However, before he could get them to their destination, he uncovered the existence of a great and powerful crystal, one that could be used to create god-killing weapons and other terrible forms of magic. Lysander sent his soldiers with the refugees and he then took a few of his best warriors and turned and went for the crystal. But, before he could escape and hide the crystal, they were set upon by a great and powerful demon. Their battle was so intense that it created the system of canyons known today as Lysander’s Peril.”
“Why tell me this?” Jonathan asked. “Is the Astral Crystal there?”
The stranger shook his head. “No, but Lysander had the Astral Crystal with him when the demon attacked. In fact, that was why it attacked. He was able to give the crystal to one of his trusted comrades, a gnome who was able to flee northward into the forest, but Lysander and the other warriors were unable to escape. Down in the depths of that chasm, you will find the answers you need to continue on your journey.”
Jonathan didn’t understand. “If the canyon was made centuries ago, then how will that help me now?”
The stranger stood and grabbed his spear. “My time grows short. Listen, in the chasm you will find Lysander’s bow. You will need this in order to convince the gnome that you are an ally. If you show him the bow, and tell him that I sent you, then you should be able to convince the gnome not to kill you. In order to stop Brykith and ultimately ensure the crystal is safe, you will need to retrace the gnome’s early steps from Lysander’s Peril.”
“I don’t even know your name,” Jonathan said.
“One more thing, since I know you have been a bit terrible with bows…”
“I am not,” Jonathan said quickly. “I am one of the best shots to ever hold a bow.”
“Aye, but it’s the holding part you have trouble with, isn’t it?” the stranger asked. “How many bows have you broken or lost now?”
Jonathan’s eyes went wide. How did this stranger know about that?
“Now, fortunately for you, Lysander’s bow has a special enchantment on it, for it was made by Hildervahl, one of the gods. The bow will never break, nor will it succumb to rotting or weather. I think even you could manage to hold onto this particular bow, just so long as you don’t lose it.”
“How do you know about the other bows?” Jonathan asked.
“One doesn’t break Kigabané without turning a few heads,” the stranger replied. “And I dare say that was only one of several to broken or be lost by you.”
Jonathan closed his mouth and nodded once. He couldn’t deny it. The stranger was right.
“The bow will serve you well. Along with that, you will find Lysander’s own writings about the Astral Crystal. You will need this information in order to accomplish your quest.” The stranger turned and pulled his green hood up over his head of black hair. He then took in a breath and stamped the butt of his spear on the floor. “And Jonathan, it is of the utmost importance that you find the Astral Crystal first. Go to the canyon immediately, set out today, then continue on your way to find Raven. Stop Brykith from scrying for the Astral Crystal. If you fail in this, then the Troll Wars in the Murkle Quags will be looked upon as a time of trivial concern in comparison to the destruction that will rain down upon the world.”
“Can’t you come along?” Jonathan asked. “If it is so important, why don’t you join us?”
“I am not allowed to interfere,” the stranger said. “In fact, I have said too much already. I must return, before the other watchers know what I have done. Remember, you should leave as soon as Jason and Captain Ziegler return.”
“We can’t leave today,” Jonathan said emphatically, gesturing to the hallway. “Miranda is unconscious. We have to care for her.”
The stranger shook his head. “Miranda is no longer your concern. If you were to wait here until the chrysalis opened, you would die of old age long before she would awake once more.”
“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked.
The stranger glanced upward, as if looking through the ceiling, and then turned his eyes back to Jonathan. “She is in a kind of magical chrysalis, like a cocoon for a butterfly if you will. The magic she used has sparked a change in her essence. I have seen such things before, but they are rare.”
“Changing into what?” Jonathan asked.
“It would take too long to explain. Just know that she will be in that chrysalis for the next one hundred years.”
“One hundred years!” Jonathan wailed. “But…” Jonathan’s words stopped as a flurry of thoughts came to his mind all at once. If this were true, he would never see her again. Even without Ruben, there was no future with her. Worse still, that meant she would be vulnerable while she slept. Her body would be here, in the dark caves of Sierryn with no one to protect her from the possible dangers that might come wandering in.
“No, if she is to be here for one hundred years, then I will stay with her.”
“Noble, but naïve,” the stranger said. “The chrysalis will protect her from marauders. The only reason you are still alive after coming into contact with the webbing is that it is not fully formed yet. By tomorrow, the magical shell will be at full strength. It will become a kind of sentient shelter for her. It will protect her from danger while simultaneously contributing to her developing powers. She does not need your protection. More importantly, you have a mission to complete. You must stop Brykith from finding the Astral Crystal.”
“I can’t leave her here alone,” Jonathan said stubbornly.
The stranger smiled slightly and snapped his fingers. There was a palpable shift in the air as the room chilled, sending goose-bumps down Jonathan’s arms.
“I need you to complete your task. I will watch over Miranda. I have already sent her to another plane. You have my word she will be safe. Now prepare to leave. I must go.”
“Wait, this isn’t settled,” Jonathan shouted.
The tall stranger smiled softly and grabbed his spear. “Yes it is. Now I must go, the other watchers will see me if I stay longer. I promise that if you fulfill your mission, I will discuss Miranda’s fate with you afterward. You have my word.”
Jonathan balked and blinked twice at the tall stranger. “The other watchers?” he asked aloud. The stranger had mentioned them several times, but Jonathan wasn’t entirely
sure who they were, or what they were capable of, let alone what exactly they were supposed to be watching.
The stranger did not answer. A column of gold and white light poured over him and he vanished into the ether without another word, leaving the boy at the table by himself.
Confused, Jonathan looked around the room, but there was no sign of the stranger that had been there a moment before. Jonathan reached for the open bottle with the foul, dark liquid inside, and pondered the strange visitor for a moment. He then set it back down on the table as he realized the fellow had said he had sent Miranda to another plane. He turned and ran through the hallway and then up the stairs. He wondered whether everything he had seen had heard might be part a trap of some sort. Perhaps the elves were able to create magical projections in an attempt to confuse him and send him off course. There was no way of knowing for sure.
He threw open the door to Miranda’s room, but Miranda was gone. Only an empty bed remained where she had been only a few moments before. He went to the window in the room and checked it, but the lock was still securely in place and there was no sign of tampering. Besides that, if the chrysalis had shocked him, how would anyone Miranda didn’t know be able to touch her and carry her off without likewise being attacked by the chrysalis?
Jonathan turned around and slumped down onto the floor, staring at the empty bed. “I failed,” he whispered. “He took her, and I did nothing.”
CHAPTER 2
Jonathan sat in the room for another ten minutes, just staring at the empty bed. After a while, he picked himself up and went downstairs. He sat at the table once more and shook his head at the empty chair on the opposite side where the stranger had been sitting.
“Who are you?” Jonathan asked aloud.
