by A L Wright
She began to scratch at the ground with her walking stick as they watched. She scrape, scrape, scraped back and forth rapidly, slowly revealing a smooth stone face. She continued to scrape at the ground until she uncovered a small three foot by three foot area. She knelt and dusted at the stone with her hand until she uncovered five stones. Rubbing at each one with her thumb she revealed them to be red jewels.
"I believe you know what those are, young man." She eyed Dartein from her spot on the ground.
Dartein could not believe what he saw. He knelt next to the woman. There in the middle of the stone were the same five jewels as were on the Slumber Chamber back in the Palace, in the same crescent - curving type pattern.
"Unless you have one of the Original’s blood with you, you will not be able to open this lid. I am sorry to only show you how close you came for nothing." She stood up quickly, surprisingly nimble for one her age.
Dartein reached out and spread out the fingers on his right hand. Each fingertip aligned with the five stones perfectly. He touched his fingers to each stone. He was not quite surprised when the jewels flashed red once and the earth beneath began to rumble. The stone moved to the side, into the earth.
"Well, that changes things then." The old woman mumbled. "But it does not change much. Go on down and learn about your past, boy."
Seeing the top few steps that led down into the darkness, Dartein started towards the hole. Stepping down into the near darkness he could just see holders on the walls with torches in them. Taking a flint out of his pocket he lit two of the torches and handed one up to Anton. Continuing down with Anton right behind him, he heard the old lady speak once more.
"Tell Mortul what you found here and tell him Mordred kept her promise."
Dartein and Anton looked back up, but she was gone, with nothing but a warm breeze and scattering of leaves behind her.
Chapter 17
Her whole body was sore as if she had fallen flat onto the ground from several feet up. Nothing was broken, she was just stiff, and her muscles ached. She rolled over to feel the bed next to her, but he was not there.
Josaleene opened her eyes. Realizing that she was not next to Dartein was almost like torture. Further realizing she was in a strange room was a bit scary. Especially as she started to remember Juron's attack on her earlier.
Victor noticed her movements and came over to the bed.
"Princess, are you feeling alright?"
She shifted back onto her back to see him, relieved to hear his voice and not Juron's. His face was bright red.
"I feel like I was rolled down a steep hill covered in rocks. I am so sore."
Victor sat next to her on the bed and reached over to a table with a crock and basin. He grabbed a rag out of the basin and dipped it into the cool water. Wringing out the cloth he placed it on her forehead.
"Oh, that feels nice. How long have I been asleep?"
"You have been asleep for merely a day. The Patriarch said you may be sore all over after pushing that much power out at once."
She thought back to what had happened the evening previous. Once she remembered fully she looked again at Victors face. She touched his cheek gingerly.
"Oh, I am so sorry. I had no intention of hurting you." She was so emotional over the whole ordeal that she was close to tears, and the thought of hurting her friend, her only friend, pushed her over the edge.
With tears slipping down her cheeks she unthinkingly placed her hands to each side of his face. Closing her eyes, she pictured a bright white essence, cooling and comforting. The feeling radiated from her hands and covered Victor. He sighed as she let go. She opened her eyes and looked at him. His face was normal again. And she realized she felt much better herself.
Victor was looking at her with something like pure awe on his face.
She shifted to sit up in the bed and realized she had been stripped to her nightgown. Victor stood and turned quickly away to give her some privacy. Sitting up fully she spied her dressing gown at the end of the bed and she stood up to grab it. With the tension gone in her limbs she moved easily despite her incredibly large belly.
"The Seer came to the Palace gates while you were asleep today," Victor said.
"Mordred? She came by today?" Josaleene wrapped her dressing gown around herself and after tying it sat back down on the bed.
"Yes." He turned back to her. "I went to meet her to tell her you could not be awakened. She said she already knew that and then she stared at me real odd like. I, um, heard her mumble something about naming and being the rock. It was strange. But then she told me quite clearly that I needed to tell you something."
"Really, what did she want to tell me?"
"Well she said it had to come from me, that only I could tell you now."
"Oh, well, then what is it that you are to tell me?"
"It is time," Victor said.
"It is time?"
"Yes, Princess. It is time."
"That is all she said?"
“Yes, then she waved, and I swear the woman disappeared. She must have moved fast." Victor shook his head a bit, as if baffled by the old woman.
"I am not sure I like this. Let me get dressed and we are going to that Seer's shop right away!"
"Princess, promise me you will rest tonight. We will go tomorrow evening when the night is young." Victor looked at her with such concern that she could not help but give in. She was so incredibly tired anyway.
"Alright, but you better be ready at dusk."
"I will be right here all day, so as soon as you are rested we will go." He gestured to the recliner next to the window. "I am not leaving this room."
Secretly she was very happy that he was staying with her. She felt much safer with him there.
Chapter 18
Climbing back out of the vault, Dartein wrestled with his inner emotions. He felt despair, overwhelming black clouds of despair. There were two chambers left, one of which was shattered into pieces. The other was whole. But it would not respond to his touch to open it. No matter how much he and Anton had tried they could not lift it. Two of the strongest Nobles in the Court and they failed to even budge it. It was not for the lack of trying either. They wore themselves to the very edge of exhaustion trying.
As he reached the ground above he fell forward onto his knees. He had failed. Josaleene would die and he would be a miserable wretch ‘til the end of his existence, forced to live with the knowledge that he could not save her. He figured that only the creator of each chamber would be able to move them, just as his blood, his father’s blood opened the entrance to the vault.
He just spent the last few weeks away from the one person who completed his whole world to venture to the edge of nowhere to be sent back empty handed. In a fit of rage, he clenched his fists and screamed at the sliver of moon in the sky. He screamed over and over until he hunched forward out of breath. The old woman. She knew. She would give him answers.
Anton had stayed quiet while watching his friend despair. As Dartein jumped up and ran towards the dilapidated house, he knew that Anton followed close behind.
They came upon the house quickly. Yet, it was not the same house. It was missing the top story as before, but the door was missing as were the boards that had shortly ago been covering the windows. There was no longer any smoke coming out of the stack in the corner.
After taking in the differences to the house, he threw all caution to the wind and marched inside. The interior was completely bare, with only the old hearth still giving evidence that this had once been a livable structure. As a small breeze blew through the missing windows a flash of white caught his attention at the hearth. He walked over and grabbed what looked like a small bit of parchment with writing on it.
It said; ‘It is time. -Mordred-'
Mordred? That was the name the old lady said before, as they descended into the hole. This was new paper and fresh writing. She left it for him. What did it mean?
Josaleene.
Wa
s it time for her to bring forth their child? Panicked and close to terror he ran out the door.
"Come Anton, we must head home now. I pray we are not too late!"
Anton, having witnessed all that had transgressed over the last two nights in near silence, just shook his head.
It was going to be a rough trip home.
✽ ✽ ✽
Josaleene stood in front of the empty store and stared in disbelief. Just a few weeks before this shop had been packed full of curiosities and knick-knacks. There had been woven sheets, colorful silken scarves and gem clusters littering all the shelves and counters. Tall knotty wood walking sticks with feathers hanging from them. Snake skin pouches had covered one small table, containing mysterious items inside.
Now there was nothing.
The Seer's shop was empty and abandoned. It looked like it had been years since anyone had last stepped foot inside. Massive cobwebs hung in the corners. One table was laying on its side on the far left of the room. Thick layers of dust coated everything. The large eye painted on the door was aged and peeling.
Josaleene had already tried the door, only to find it locked. She had not felt the tingle of power in the air that was there before. Dozens of fliers and posters littered the outside walls of the shop. They had not been there before, and now there they were dried and crackling like they had hung there for months.
Arms hanging at her sides, she stared incredulously inside the shop through the window. All she could think of was how scared she was. She had hoped for some answers. She needed to know why Mordred had delivered that message to her. And where was the Seer now? Surely Josaleene had not imagined the old woman. Victor had been there and remembered everything.
She missed Dartein so much. Staring through the window she felt helpless and for the first time, completely hopeless. The tears made their way down her face but she didn't even try to wipe them away.
She just was too numb to move.
Victor approached her from around the back of the shop where he had checked for any signs of the old Seer. He stopped short as he saw her struggling to keep herself from breaking down completely.
“You do not even need to say it, Victor. I know she is not here.” More tears slipped down her face, dripping off her chin to splash onto her enormous belly.
Victor reached out a hand towards her, and even though all Noble protocol screamed against it, she took his hand in hers. Any small comfort was better than none to her right now. He tightened his grip on her hand and gently pulled her sidelong into his embrace. She wept silently into the crook of his shoulder for a few moments, glad for sheltering arms around her.
After her tears stopped, she turned her face up towards Victor to thank him.
“Shh Princess.” Victor placed a finger over her lips. “No words are needed, just know that no matter what I am always here for you.” His thumb caressed her lower lip for a brief second before he dropped his hands back to his sides, letting her go.
Stunned, she stared at this man who had guarded her unquestioningly for so many months now. She had never guessed he may care for her as more than his Princess. He was ruggedly handsome, not as beautiful as her Prince, but still very attractive. She had never let herself notice before, she guessed. She had been so wrapped up in herself and her life as her Love's Chosen that she had never looked at any other man that way.
Maybe she was just extra vulnerable after the last few days, and maybe she had gone a bit crazy. But Victor's selflessness and tenderness had struck her to her very core. Reaching up she placed her arms behind his head and pulled him down to her.
She closed her eyes and planted the softest of kisses on his lips. Pulling away she looked back up at him. She saw her reflection staring back at her in his dark eyes.
“You are truly the greatest friend I have ever had, Victor. I am sorry for putting you through so much. I had no idea you were so devoted to me.”
He sighed and leaned his forehead down against hers. It took a moment for him to speak, and when he did he spoke so softly it was almost a whisper.
“Princess, you are the greatest woman I have ever known. And I've lived a good while. Please do not speak of this to the Prince, I beg of you. He has been like a friend to me for many years.”
Brushing her hand across his cheek, she merely nodded. She was afraid her voice would break, and she would cry again if she spoke.
Taking in a deep breath Victor pulled away from her and turned towards the horses.
“Let us get back to the Palace so you can rest, Princess.”
She momentarily watched her guard and friend walk back to their mounts, trying to reconcile the feelings she felt now. Deciding that her overabundance of pregnancy hormones was to blame, she finally moved towards her horse.
Chapter 19
It had been a long few days of travel on foot. They had lost their horses days ago, the first dropping dead from sheer exhaustion and the other breaking its leg on a root on the dark path back through the forest. They slaughtered the animals and lived off what meat they could carry while traveling quickly, but their supply was now thin.
Anton quietly slipped along the darkness behind him. Leading the way down the narrow track, Dartein jogged as fast as he dared in the tight surroundings. He knew they had to be getting close to the south side of the forest. He had been expecting to come upon the meadow any time now.
In fact, he could almost smell the wet grass...
No. He stopped cold in his tracks. That was most definitely not wet grass. It was the stink of goblins.
He looked back behind him to Anton. His friend nodded towards him in confirmation that he too, smelt the distinct smell of the Enemy.
Turning back towards the trail in front of him, he cautiously began to move forward. Keeping his eyes and ears alert for anything else, he let his senses open around him. His innate tracking senses switched on almost immediately. His vision became slightly blurred as he searched around for traces of body heat.
He felt Anton's hand settle on his shoulder. Looking back at him, he wondered why he had stopped him. Dartein looked back ahead and closed off his tracking senses. The moon above was only a sliver now so there was no light to help him see. Switching his senses back on, he turned his head slightly to the right and caught sight of something there.
Very small trace of heat along the ground, not quite hot enough to be a living being. Fresh kill, maybe? He moved closer to the spot, quiet as a whisper. His vision turned normal again as he got closer and he realized what Anton was trying to tell him.
They were back at the site where they had first encountered the goblin smell. The glow on the ground was a recently banked fire, in the fire pit in the middle of the small clearing.
As he realized this fully he turned back towards Anton. Just as he was about to signal to him, a snap from above caught his attention.
Looking up he saw a large branch falling quickly towards Anton’s head.
Having already seen it, Anton rolled readily to the side to avoid it.
Realizing it was only a distraction, Dartein turned around just in time to see a wide club swinging in towards his head.
He leaned back and down, avoiding the swing, only to take a sharp blow to the side from another club.
Falling to one knee he put his arm up to block another incoming blow from the first attacker. He realized being down low was not a good thing, as these were definitely goblins and being at their level made him a bit vulnerable.
Jumping back to his feet he swung quickly off to the left and drew the knives at his belt. Waiting for the closer goblin to attack again he saved his energy. He heard struggles behind him and he knew Anton was being attacked by three of the creatures. He needed to figure out how to dispatch these two quickly, so he could help his friend.
As a swing came in towards his knees he jumped up and forward, slicing a blade across the goblins throat. Dark blood poured from the wound as the creature made gurgling sounds, trying to draw a breath. He wat
ched the creature fall to its knees, and caught a glance of the second one leaping in avenge the first.
Again, he sidestepped the creatures blow, and as he turned he saw Anton on his knees and three more of the vile creatures slinking in towards him.
“Anton! I am coming, just hold on!” He yelled. But even as he tried to run to his friend, the goblin he had sidestepped tripped him up.
He hadn't even seen the goblin come back in at him. Angry with himself for letting the little beast trick him, and even angrier that his friend and trusted guard was being savagely beaten, he reached out past the goblins club and grabbed it around the throat.
He dragged the goblin into the air and growled like a beast. Using his other hand, he snapped the goblins neck. But before he threw it down he drew it in close to him, putting his teeth to the creature's neck and biting down savagely. The goblins heart was still beating even though its neck was broken, and the creature was dead. Each beat of the heart pulsed its life’s blood out of the neck wound and into Dartein's mouth.
He drank its blood in large gulps, barely even tasting the copperiness of it.
The creature’s heart beat on until it ran out of blood to pump, and there was no more. The whole thing lasted only a few seconds, but had seemed to move so slowly.
Regaining his senses, he tossed the creature aside and whipped around towards Anton. Anton was still on his knees, but being bent backwards by a goblin who had a hold of his hair.
Roaring with rage Dartein launched himself at the small crowd of the Enemy. Every swing of his blades caught a goblin. Tearing and ripping at the goblins, he moved with lightning quick speed that they could not match, even as quick as they naturally were.
Dartein was fury unleashed. Power radiated from him, palpable in the air causing two of the goblins to begin backing away. Every other of the Enemy down, he turned towards the two that were now trying to escape.
