Defenders of the Sacred Land: Expanded and Re-Issued (The Sacred Land Legacy Book 1)

by Mark E. Tyson

  Dorenn frantically searched his room in vain for something to defend himself with. He rushed the window in an attempt to force it shut. The creature coughed and hacked at the boy as it still tried to get in, and Dorenn felt something thick and wet hit his chest. He stumbled as he backed away from the window, pushing with his feet as hard as he could. Then, as the creature finally began to force itself through the window, its face twisted in pain and it let out a chilling squeal. It backed itself out of the window with haste and squealed again. With two beats of its bat-like wings it took flight and was gone.

  For a long moment, Dorenn sat against his bed motionless except for the heaving of his chest as he tried to catch his breath. He was too afraid to move. As his courage slowly returned, he moved to the window and peered out. He saw someone who looked like Sanmir standing in the street.

  “Dorenn, is that you, lad?” he heard a voice say. It was Sanmir the Apothecary.

  “Aye,” Dorenn called back, “what was that thing? Did you see it?”

  Sanmir motioned to Dorenn. “Come down here, we need to get you to my shop at once!”

  “What?” Dorenn asked confused.

  “Come quickly, boy. You are in danger!”

  Dorenn looked down at his tunic and watched, horrified as the front of it seemed to disintegrate before his eyes. A sharp sting burned his chest. “What is it?” Dorenn shrieked.

  “No time to explain, move!”

  Dorenn rushed out his door and down the stairs, surprised that no one had been awakened by the creature’s squeals. He met Sanmir in the street, and the tall Darovan elf grabbed Dorenn’s tunic and ripped it from his body with one hard tug. He clutched Dorenn’s arm and pulled him along behind him. Dorenn tried to keep up, but he kept jamming his feet on the cold cobblestones.

  “What are you doing, Sanmir? You are hurting my arm, not to mention my toes.”

  “Hush up, boy, stop whining and come along, quickly, quickly. There is no time!”

  Dorenn began to get worried, and his chest burned as they moved. Sanmir’s apothecary shop was not far to the north of the inn, and as soon as they reached it Sanmir opened the painted wooden door and thrust Dorenn inside. The light from the fireplace and various lanterns hanging from beams in the ceiling illuminated a room covered floor to ceiling with shelves full of bottles and jars. Dorenn looked down at his chest and found it red and burning; blood oozed, and raw skin began to flay away.

  Sanmir took one of the jars down from a back shelf and pulled something out that appeared to be yellow mud. With his two forefingers, Sanmir splattered the yellow mud on to the burn on Dorenn’s chest and rubbed it in. It felt cool to the touch and the pain of the burn subsided. “What was that thing, Sanmir?” Dorenn asked again.

  Sanmir continued rubbing the yellow mud deeper into Dorenn’s damaged skin. “Some might call it a Shadow Lurker and some a Drasmyd Duil.” He wiped the yellow substance from his hands on a nearby cloth. “A nasty creature. You’re lucky, boy.

  “Where did it come from?”

  Sanmir put the jar back on the shelf. “Scarovia or Abaddonia, I would imagine. Drasmyd Duil are creatures the dark wielder Toborne and his mentor created as spies and assassins.”

  “But why would it come after me?”

  Sanmir’s expression turned thoughtful. “Why indeed.”

  “Sanmir?”

  Sanmir’s thoughtfulness faded. “Perhaps you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps it felt it needed to get at you because you saw it.” Sanmir suddenly seemed irritated. “It could have been after you for many reasons.”

  Dorenn did not quite accept Sanmir’s explanation but dared not question him further on the matter. “Will…will I be all right then?” Dorenn looked at the yellow mud on his chest.

  “Aye, that salve will draw out the poison and stop the pain.”

  “Poison? It poisoned me?”

  “Some Drasmyd Duil cough up a poison that eats away at the flesh. It is very difficult for them to produce, so they only spit it under extreme circumstances.” Sanmir’s pointed ears twitched. “Better not say anything about this to anyone in the village; it will put everyone in a fright.” Sanmir scratched his head. “I don’t believe anyone else noticed it; none that I could see anyway.”

  “But Sanmir, it got away. What if it attacks someone else?” Dorenn asked.

  “Don’t worry, it won’t. I doubt it will survive more than an hour.” He leaned in and smiled devilishly. “You see, I have dealt with its kind before.”

  “What did you do?” Dorenn asked.

  “Never you mind that, boy, just suffice it to say those creatures don’t venture near Darovan anymore.” Sanmir winked.

  Dorenn suddenly felt dizzy and had trouble standing upright. He pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.

  “Careful, boy, that salve has a tendency to make one drowsy.”

  “What was in it?”

  “Even if I told you it wouldn’t mean much to you. It’s best to leave its contents to me. Why don’t you sit back, and I will get the door.”

  Dorenn heard a knocking at the door, and he wondered if someone had been tapping on it before Sanmir went to answer it. “Who would be coming around this time of night?” Dorenn heard himself say as if he were somehow detached from his body. Dorenn blinked; his vision was blurring. “Sanmir, I…” Dorenn slipped into a euphoric state. Everything around him seemed as a dream.

  “It’s about time you stopped by,” Dorenn heard Sanmir say. “I wondered when you would come around here again.”

  “I had to wait until Dellah Adair was satisfied that I was comfortable in my room before I could slip away,” Dorenn heard a familiar voice say.

  “It is good to see you, Shey,” Sanmir said. “It has been far too long.”

  Dorenn tried to stand again, but his legs would not support him. He saw Lady Shey as if he were looking at her from the end of a long tunnel.

  “What happened to the boy?” Lady Shey asked worried. “Is he well?”

  “He will be fine; in fact, he will soon be sleeping. He had a nasty run-in with a Shadow Lurker.”

  Lady Shey’s voice turned frantic. “We have to get him away from Brookhaven with all haste. Obviously, it isn’t safe here any longer,” she said.

  “Where will you take him?” Sanmir asked bluntly. “Do you know where the Drasmyd Duil came from?”

  “I have my suspicions. I will fill you in on my travels soon enough.” She watched Dorenn for a moment, and he made sure he shut his eyes. “In the morrow we will journey to Symbor. Ianthill made it clear to me to travel through Cedar Falls; he has instructed me to stay the night there.”

  “Why Cedar Falls?”

  “Ianthill was vague on that point, I’m afraid,” Lady Shey answered. “But I think he means to meet up with us there.”

  “He is sure of your persuasive abilities.”

  “Naturally, although I didn’t have to do much persuading. Lourn is sending the boy to Symbor anyway. I just had to hitch a ride.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  “I promised to help stock the inn. He couldn’t refuse.”

  “No, I suppose he had a hard time saying no to that.”

  Dorenn fought sleep with all of his might, but it took all of his strength to do so.

  “I hope you took care of that Shadow Lurker?” Lady Shey said, cutting her eyes at Sanmir.

  “Aye,” Sanmir replied, “it won’t get far.” Lady Shey remained silent for a long moment, but she did not take her eyes off Sanmir. “No one else saw it if that’s what you’re thinking,” the apothecary assured her. “I hit it with a dart full of Dar’s fire. A preparation that will eat it away from the inside out. I used the last of my Dar root from Darovan.”

  “I knew I could trust you, my friend,” Lady Shey said then smiled. “You knew it was lurking about then?”

  “I saw it sneaking around outside in the dark.”

  “I do wish I had elvish eyesight.” Shey said. “T
hank you for taking care of it.”

  “Don’t be too appreciative, my lady, wherever there is a Shadow Lurker, there are bound to be Dramyds skulking about.”

  “A Drasmyd Duil so close to town I can believe since they can disguise themselves, but a Dramyd is a different matter. I doubt they would come so close to a village full of traveling soldiers no matter how dimwitted they may be.”

  Sanmir smirked. “True enough. Well, come on in and sit down. I will make you a cup of bittering tea.”

  “I would be glad to,” Lady Shey said, “but could you make it something to aid my sleep instead? Bittering tea will keep me awake all night.”

  Dorenn’s head bobbed sleepily and he almost fell out of his chair.

  “Let me prepare a place for the boy to lie down and I will make you a soothing tea for sleep,” Sanmir offered.

  Dorenn did not remember moving from the chair to the sleeping pallet until he realized he was flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

  “He is fighting off the poison and sleep also, I’m afraid,” Sanmir said from somewhere above Dorenn’s head.

  “We may be in for a rough night,” Lady Shey observed.

  “I could prepare a powder,” Sanmir said thoughtfully, reaching for a nearby shelf.

  “I don’t believe we need to interrupt his body’s natural resistances. If his fever does not subside in an hour or so we will try other measures. For now, let’s leave him be. He is no longer in danger.”

  “You always did have a way with poisons and antidotes, Sanmir.”

  Dorenn stirred awake in a sweat. His nightclothes were drenched and his head hurt. He threw the quilt covering him aside and looked at his bare chest. It had no signs of the yellow mud or of the burns. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and focused on the room around him, his room! Had he dreamed it all? His window was open and a stiff morning breeze blew in. The boy stumbled to the window and closed it. He examined the window pane for signs of the Drasmyd Duil’s struggle to get at him but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  The sun had not yet topped the Jagged Mountains, but the faint light of dawn filtered through the buildings. In the streets below not a soul stirred. Dorenn stepped away from the window and absently rubbed his temples.

  Except for the headache and the fact that his chest itched, he didn’t seem to suffer any serious pain or discomfort. He decided to get dressed and go to Sanmir’s shop. Now that he was more coherent, he had questions he wanted answered. Using the water bowl and pitcher on his dressing table, Dorenn washed his face and combed his hair. He pulled on his green traveling tunic and leather pantaloons and headed off to see the apothecary. He cleverly avoided the kitchen help, including Tatrice, and slipped out the front door of the inn.

  The cobblestone streets of Brookhaven seemed unnaturally barren, even at this early hour. The air was clean and crisp; there was a distinct odor of ash and pine burning in the chimneys as he walked to the apothecary’s shop and rapped lightly on the door, not knowing exactly what to expect.

  Rennon opened the door. “Dorenn, what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Is Sanmir in?”

  “Of course he is,” Rennon answered. “But he is…um…busy right now.”

  Dorenn stood at the door for a long moment, staring at Rennon who neither stepped aside nor offered to let him in.

  “Well, may I see him?” Dorenn requested, becoming more agitated. “I am sure he will see me.”

  Rennon sighed heavily. “I suppose so.”

  Dorenn cocked an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with you, Rennon? What are you trying to hide?”

  “Nothing, I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Why are you acting so strange?”

  “I’m not. I’m just surprised to see you here so early in the morning.”

  Sanmir walked into the room from the back of his shop where he mixed his potions and salves. “Here you go, Rennon.” He held a small leather bag and a small tin. “This should be enough to keep you for a couple of months, and I have also packed you some sickle root salve in case—” Sanmir stopped cold when he saw Dorenn, and then he regained his composure. “Oh, hello, Dorenn.”

  “What is going on here?” Dorenn asked suspiciously.

  “What do you mean?” Sanmir retorted.

  “What is that bag for, and that tin?” Dorenn eyed Rennon.

  “It’s a special brew of bittering tea for Rennon to take on the trip to Symbor,” Sanmir said, “and the tin is sickle root salve for minor cuts and scrapes.”

  “We will only be gone a couple of weeks, why did you make him so much?”

  Rennon faltered. “Um…well…”

  “In case he is inclined to share some of course,” Sanmir said. His facial expression became anxious. “So what brings you here?” Sanmir asked, changing the subject. “Vesperin and Trendan have already come last evening to deliver Rennon’s summons.”

  Something strange is going on here, and it began with the arrival of Lady Shey, Dorenn thought.

  “I need to talk to Sanmir and then we need to get going. Lady Shey will be waiting for us.”

  “Lady who?” Rennon asked.

  “Shey. She arrived from the mountains yesterday and visited this shop late last night. Didn’t Vesperin and Trendan tell you about her when they were here? She visited Sanmir late last night.”

  Sanmir took a deep breath. “It is true she visited here late last night; she is an old friend of mine. She wanted to purchase some adeflect bark for her headache. Naturally I gave her some at no charge, and then we had bittering tea and conversation, but how did you know she was here Dorenn?”

  “Because I was here as well,” Dorenn said, “and she didn’t want bittering tea or adeflect bark, although she did want something to help her sleep.”

  “You were here? Why didn’t you come in and have some bittering tea then?” Sanmir asked.

  “I was attacked by a Drasmyd Duil, don’t you remember? You rubbed yellow mud all over my chest.”

  Sanmir’s expression went blank. “I did?”

  “I don’t believe you,” Dorenn said frustrated. “I was here; you brought me here after you got rid of the Shadow Lurker.”

  “I am sorry, Dorenn, but I never left the shop last night.”

  “What’s all this Drasmyd Duil business?” Rennon asked. “What in Fawlsbane’s beard is a Drasmyd Duil?”

  Sanmir handed the bag and tin to Rennon with a stern look. “It’s a creation of a madman, and a ruthless, vile wielder called Toborne. It lived during the War of the Oracle. He turned his gaze back at Dorenn. “You must have had a nightmare.”

  For a moment Dorenn was confused. It did seem distant like a dream. The details slipped from his mind as if he had heard Sanmir talking to Lady Shey with his head submerged under water.

  “Nice try, Sanmir, but I remember.”

  Sanmir sighed. “You have a remarkable mind, my boy. That salve should have made you forget. You should forget. Lady Shey will protect you and make sure nothing else comes for you. in fact, ask her about it when you get the chance. Tell her I told you to talk to her.”

  Dorenn stood staring into Sanmir’s face. “Aye, I will. Thank you, Sanmir.”

  “For what? It is my duty.”

  “Not only for the treatment, but for the truth.”

  Sanmir nodded. “For all the good it will do you.”

  “Let’s go,” Rennon said. “You can tell me all about what happened over some breakfast.”

  Dorenn blinked and then nodded, and the two boys left Sanmir’s shop for the inn.

  Sanmir watched as the boys left down the street. He clasped his hands together and shifted his eyes when he heard the sound of rustling from behind him. “Ah, there you are. I see you found the rear door I left open for you. Thank you for sending him away. Will you tell him what he wants to know?”

  “Naturally,” a feminine voice said. “In due time.”

  “I suppose you know that you can’t keep him in the dark long, Shey.
He already senses something is not quite right.”

  “I would be disappointed if he didn’t,” Lady Shey said as she stepped out from behind a shelf of dark colored bottles and jars.

  “And what if he realizes you have just befuddled his memory? What will you do then?”

  “Eh,” Lady Shey shrugged, “I doubt he’ll ever realize it. He is still naïve about such things. Sylvalora says he is definitely the one we seek. If she is right, why not let him remain innocent a while longer.”

  “And what of Rennon, what does Sylvalora say about him?”

  Lady Shey grinned. “Your apprentice has his place. You have done a fine job with him.”

  Sanmir lowered his head. “I have watched these boys grow from womb to fine young men. I think I should come along to Symbor as well.”

  “No, my old friend, as we discussed last night, you are better to remain here for the time being. Don’t forget the reason Ianthill sent you here.”

  Sanmir feigned a weak smile and nodded. “Oh, you’re right of course. I have taught Rennon all I know of potions and cures; I would trust him to take over this very shop if need be. I just wish Ianthill would have chosen another; I have a tendency to grow too fond of my students.”

  “Actually, that is precisely the reason Ianthill choose you,” Lady Shey reminded him.

  Sanmir’s left eyebrow shot up. “I fail to see the advantage in emotional attachment. It causes doubt and worry. I am not the boy’s father, and I can’t always be around to lend help.”

  “I disagree. Your teachings are very valuable to Rennon. You have given him the sense of purpose he sorely needed. You are with him in your teachings if not in spirit.”

  “Perhaps you’re right. I am very fond of the boy.”

  Lady Shey smiled. “Of course.”

  Sanmir faced Lady Shey. “I am aware of the Drasmyd Duil’s ability to disguise itself, my lady. Who did it appear as this time?”

  “I can’t be sure, but I think it traveled here under the guise of Fadral the Peddler.”

  “You suspected him and did nothing?” Sanmir asked with shock.

  “They have mastered their craft over the seasons it seems. If it was under the guise of Fadral, its illusion was near flawless, not like the Drasmyd Duil of old. There was no stench to give it away.” Lady Shey looked at Sanmir uneasily. “It was very convincing, right down to Fadral’s unusual personality.”