In A Time Of Darkness

by Gregory James Knoll

  * * * * *

  A part of Grahamas grew anxious, though he tried not to show it. Lornya had waited until they were a good distance away and made sure the skies were clear before she began. It had passed well into the night when she finally approached from behind them, small circles of soft light from the still lit mines of Forgas projecting themselves on the road.

  “So we’re headed west. Do you know how far?” Lornya asked as she caught up to the two.

  “Aye. Ristalln…” Lornya smiled at the simple mention of his name, “Said about halfway between here and Davaina.”

  Lornya matched speed with them, a soft look on her face. “Good…” She trailed off, not sure how to begin. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you this earlier, either of you.” She turned her eyes to them, Grahamas’ face was nothing but forgiving and Elryia leaned to look at her.

  “This… It’s about my parents. Grahamas has told me.”

  “Aye.”

  “What were their names?”

  Lornya smiled, now having a starting point, “Your father’s name was Zilmakar and your mother, Ardanya.”

  A wistful look passed over the young woman’s face. Deep in her mind she had many more questions she wanted to ask that she had almost blurted out but from the look on Lornya’s face there was something far more important she needed to say. “Did you know them?” it escaped before she could do anything to stop it.

  “Aye. At first I knew only your father. He was one of the few who still studied and worshipped the old ways. He was a member of the very elite secret society of wizards known as The White Shadow.”

  “Named after the heroine from the First War?” Grahamas questioned.

  “Aye, one and the same,” her look turned from the Champion to Elryia again. “Your mother as well was a part of the group. Zilmakar had been with them for years when Ardanya was a new recruit. They chose her because of the amazing power she possessed. Both of your parents did. I came to know your mother as I had your father when she first came. Over the years we became quite good friends and she ascended in the ranks, until she was working directly under Zilmakar as his apprentice. Your father was a charming, intelligent man and Ardanya was not able to work with him for long before she became smitten and eventually fell in love. He, however, was so powerful at such a young age and carried such a burden on his shoulders that he remained bound to the society. Although I think he always had feelings for your mother, he had a duty to fulfill.”

  Elryia smirked and sighed quietly, knowing all too well how that felt, “So what happened?” Grahamas smiled abruptly, her eagerness and curiosity reminding him of when she was younger.

  “She came to me and asked me for advice. After all, who would know better than the Goddess of Love I suppose.”

  Elryia found herself in even more anticipation, the heavy weight of relevance inducing the emotion, “What did you tell her?”

  Lornya’s voice softened and she leaned slightly to look El directly in the eyes, as though what she was about to say was advice meant for Elryia instead of relaying the past. “Ardanya was very powerful, she simply lacked the confidence. I told her that Zilmakar’s duty was important, so was she. That love was not a burden but a blessing. There would be many things that Zilmakar was going to face, but she needed to believe that they could fight and face them together. That she needed to realize if she truly loved him, then she deserved to be by his side.”

  A slow, gentle smile crept across El’s face and for the longest time she couldn’t draw her attention away from the road as her mind wandered, again the irony drawing her into a daze. Lornya, knowing that she was deep in thought let her be until she spoke again. “So what did she do?” the young woman asked, her attention finally returning, “My Mother.”

  Lornya couldn’t help but laugh now, “She fought him.”

  “She what?”

  “She what?!” Grahamas asked, poking his head around Elryia.

  “She fought him. At that time, Zilmakar was one of the most powerful wizards, if not the most powerful and he remained undefeated. Ardanya’s feelings had grown so strong that she could no longer contain them. She burst into his room while he was meditating one day and told him how she felt. Your father adored her, but he was still so head strong about the society that he did not understand how deep it truly was. Ardanya said something that I will never forget. She simply ran her hand down his cheek and whispered, “My love for you destroys all boundaries, both in myself and this world.” And she rose, bowed gracefully to him and proved every word she said. She struck him first and forced him to fight back. When he did, she began casting spells I’ve never seen in all my existence, she battled him harder than anyone ever had. For a day they fought, and she held her own. A young, inexperienced mage stood her ground against one of the greatest wizards the world had ever seen and I could not believe my eyes. As night drew, she grew more relentless, until Zilmakar could finally take no more. Both he and his heart yielded to her. She was right in her decision and from that moment he was never the same. He was as devoted to her as she to him. He loved her with all the fire they had seared each other with that night.”

  Grahamas grinned and could not help but press a hand out to Elryia’s to squeeze it. Her eyes danced, showing her thirst for more and leaned hard on her horse, “Were they married?”

  “Aye. Shortly after that. A love like that you don’t take for granted and you certainly don’t wait for. They spent many happy years leading the society to new grounds and recruiting several members.” Lornya sighed and turned her head down, a sadness creeping in. “But things were to turn grave for the all: a new member, one who showed amazing promise, was not who he claimed to be. He was a spy for King Idimus, having heard of the society for years but never able to find. It was Zilmakar and Ardanya’s new found desire for peace and solace within the land that allowed one such as he to slip passed the normally impenetrable ranks.”

  Perhaps it was premonition or cognition that had taken over, Elryia knew the name before she ever had to ask it, but she did regardless—needing to be sure. “Who…” came out first as a whisper, and Lornya turned her head up, fearful to say it, “Who?” she spoke, almost with a growl in her throat.

  “Kalinies.”

  Elryia’s mouth grew dry and she felt the rage race across her muscles and sear her mind. Grahamas reached out to calm her, to comfort her, but he feared it would not work. The young woman’s eyes began to gloss over as they had that day on the hill and her hair caught a drift, raised off of her shoulders though there wasn’t even a hint of breeze. Even Lornya looked a bit surprised. Elryia’s face grew harder, drawing on only one thought: that in some sick, unrelenting coincidence Kalinies had murdered her real parents just as he had her adoptive ones. “Kalinies…did he kill my parents?”

  “No…” The Goddess replied, “He killed many members, but the moment they garnered word of the society’s fall, they went into hiding. They had something more dire to protect: Ardanya’s unborn child. They came to me the moment they knew and I did everything to keep them safe.”

  Elryia’s eyes softened and her hair dropped. A long, hard breath was let out of her body, but the question still loomed and the young woman still seemed on edge, “Then what happened to them?”

  “Idimus…never found them. But he knew of them and who they were. It had even entered into his knowledge the existence of the child. I kept them hidden for nine months, and days before you were born both your parents grew terrified that the King would one day find you. That he would kill them and then he would do the same to you. Or even worse, take you to raise as his own.”

  Grahamas couldn’t help but snarl at such a thought. His hand squeezed her shoulder, seeing the look of concern on her face. He knew the question that needed to be asked now and he worried that Elryia would not ask it, so he did, “What happened?”

  “They knew of a way they could always protect her and always look out for her, no matter what happened,” Lornya began. “Ever since
Zilmakar was five, he had carried and protected a scroll that contained only one spell. It had been given to him by his mentor and father, Zaral, and was never to be used. On the scroll was The Gift of Light, magick so powerful and dangerous that it had only ever been tried once, by Zaral, and never again. The Gift of Light would allow a wizard to transfer their spirit, their power, and their very life force into another inhabitant—granting them their wisdom, strength, and magick. Zaral had attempted it with Zilmakar and failed. It cost him his life.

  Your father had held onto the scroll ever since and days before your birth he revealed it to your mother and I. I begged and pleaded with him not to do it, but your mother… your mother became intent on casting it as well. I fought with them but they would not budge. They saw it as the only way to always protect you. As it was when your mother battled your father, I could see it. They loved you so much and you had not even been born. A hopeful part of me believed that love would see them through the spell. So I finally agreed and we prepared the day you were to be born. Zilmakar…” Elryia was still staring at Lornya, watching as a tiny tear rolled out of her eye.

  “He told Ardanya that he loved her one last time, kissed her and then placed his hands on her stomach. For almost an hour he chanted and recited the spell, over and over. He stayed strong until his hands flashed, light poured out from his palms, drawing into your mother’s stomach for minutes after. It finally dimmed—but only briefly—then another brilliant flash ignited his entire body, so bright it filled the room. When it had faded, only ash was left where he’d been sitting. I knew then, as did Ardanya, that it worked. His power had transferred, but I still feared for her and for you. I had no idea what kind of repercussions placing that kind of power into an infant would have. But Ardanya believed. She looked at me, asked me to keep my promise and I agreed.” Again, another tear slipped out of the Goddess’ eyes, but a soft, compassionate smile flowed across her face. “Ardanya placed her hands on her stomach, whispered ‘I love you, Elryia’ and closed her eyes. Just as your father had, she turned her power inward, spent nearly another hour recalling and reciting the spell as Zilmakar had. Another flash blinded me and when it faded all that was left behind was a baby, silent and lifeless.”

  “Lifeless?” Grahamas asked, knowing that couldn’t possibly be it.

  “For a moment, yes. Then something happened, something even I can’t explain. I felt a shift and a breeze, inside a four-walled room with no windows. A warm light drawing at the center, so bright and inviting that even I had to close my eyes and turn towards it. When I opened them again… they fell on you once more, now a smiling baby girl with brilliant blue eyes. I nearly broke down, I couldn’t believe you were alive—it had worked. As such, I kept my promise to your parents. I burned the spell to make sure that it would never fall into the wrong hands and I took you with me, at least for a time.” She turned, waiting for a reaction from Elryia.

  But the young woman was blank; not knowing whether to be sad over the loss of parents she never knew or proud that she was finally aware of who they were, what they stood for, and what they had given her. “I don’t…” She blinked and turned towards Grahamas, but he seemed just as stunned, though his hand had never left her shoulder. “Is that what happened to me? It was their influence?”

  “Yes. They were guiding you. I knew the spell worked after spending a few days with you. You were so curious and so powerful, even as an infant. You delighted in watching me use my magick and as we traveled you would see things that intrigued you—perhaps a beautiful butterfly or a singing sparrow—and instantly they would come to you as if you’d beckoned them without saying a word. Times when it would rain and I would go to cover you, I found that I did not need to. In a span of seconds a soft light surrounded you, casting the rain around it. It was only a matter of months before you were able to surround us both with it. It was instinctual magick but it surprised even me and I knew what you were capable of. But I also knew you were still human, despite your power, and to raise you within Sayassa would have detached you from the world you would one day protect. Regardless of how sad it would make me, I needed to leave you here. I believed in only one person that would raise you properly and teach you what you needed to learn about life and about sacrifices.” She stopped riding completely and turned to look Elryia directly in the eyes, “I am thankful that Grahamas helped raise you and found a family he could trust to guide you. You don’t have the power of one wizard, El. Within you is the power of three. I am terrified to think of what would have happened if Idimus or Kalinies got to you first. But they did not, and you have grown up to be a very resilient, noble young woman. I have not known you very long, but it’s been enough to see that.”

  For a moment, Grahamas held in his expression even more curiosity and astonishment than El. “Now I understand…”

  Lornya turned, set to inquire, but Elryia beat her to it. “What, Graham?”

  The Champion stared straight ahead, shifting through his memories. “I kept in touch with Hoiyn and Emeira all your life. Make sure you were safe. Make sure you were faring well. All the while, I kept my distance. I never wanted you to be caught up in this war. Yet, around your twenty-fourth birthday, occurrences began to happen, that they could not explain.”

  “Occurrences?” Elryia and Lor spoke in unison.

  “Strange things. At first, they thought it was only delusions. You seeming to hover or—as the Goddess said—the rain not hitting you. Then it furthered. You started chanting spells in your sleep. Spells you couldn’t have possibly known. Your magick began to develop on its own. That is something even in my long life I’ve never encountered, or even heard of and I worried if I did nothing, it may bring harm to you or to them. So I returned, set to teach you how to harness it, manipulate it, control it. That first day I saw you, I knew there was something incredible about you.” Though Graham’s tone spoke simply of wonderment, his expression confessed something else. It was a look El had never seen, and one the Goddess knew all too well. “It took only days to establish that again. You had more power at twenty-four than others had who lived for centuries. What took them years to learn, took you weeks. You were able to cast faster, your energy seemed limitless, and you never erred. It was…miraculous.”

  Elryia smiled brightly and bowed in appreciation to him, even reached out to squeeze his arm lightly. But still, despite the praise, and despite her knowledge, the young woman seemed bewildered, and turned to the supportive Goddess for the answers. “How…how can I use it to help?”

  “That needs to come from you,’ Lornya cast a look from Elryia to Grahamas and then back again. “Just as I told your mother, you simply lack the confidence. Everything you need is within you. It only needs to be found. But I promise, I will help you whatever way I can.”

  Grahamas rode close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and hugging her tightly to him as he placed a gentle kiss against the side of her head, “As will I. Always.”

  Despite how much she had just learned and how treacherous that road may be, Elryia still giggled and blushed innocently. Regardless of how much power lay within her, it had not corrupted her in the least.

  Lornya smiled, drawing back both with her tale and her ride, circling around Elryia to place next to the Champion. “And now Grahamas,” his eyes shot up to her, “I want to tell you about Fate.”