Everflame: The Complete Series

by Dylan Lee Peters

  “How did you find out that he killed your parents?” asked Iolana.

  “He told me…when I was older. He had become a drunk. You see, Iolana, Murray the blacksmith filled a void in my life and in my mother’s life that Joe Shein had left wide open. When Joe came home to find that another man was filling the role that he should have given more attention to, he flew into a rage. He killed Murray…right in front of me…right in front of Rachael. I was a boy; I didn’t know what to do, so I ran. I ran away with my dog, Blue. I ran all the way to Murray’s shop in the village and fell asleep upon the floor. When I awoke the next morning, another child who had always bullied me had found me. He was a horrible boy that took his pleasure from making my life difficult, and that morning was no different.

  “We had a fight and he burned my face. He left me with these scars. He left me blind. I was writhing on the floor in pain, but Blue came to my defense. He attacked the bully, and he paid for his loyalty with his life. The boy stabbed and killed my only friend. I lost my mind. I flew at the boy and beat my fists into him until he was dead, and then I beat my fists into him some more. Men from the village had to pry me off of his dead body. That was the first time I felt the rage. The first time it took hold of me.

  “Joe came into the village to take me home. I was blind and he was forced to become my caretaker. Rachael had run away the same night I did. We never saw her again. I had lost the only three beings I had ever loved, and that had ever loved me. The burden of raising a blind and scarred child made Joe turn to the bottle. So I lived with an alcoholic for years before the Holy came to me and gave me my gifts. The first thing I used those gifts for was to kill Joe Shein. In my mind, he was the reason for all the pain in my life. I blamed Joe for everything I had lost, my sight, Rachael, Murray and Blue. I killed Joe and became an assassin for the Holy. I called myself the Messenger. It sounds so ridiculous now.

  “When I saw Roman and Eddie, I saw myself. I saw that scared little boy who had lost everything. I’m sorry, Iolana.”

  Iolana stood and walked over to Edgar Shein and held his hand.

  “I accept your apology…Edgar.”

  “Thank you, Iolana. I want you to know that you’ve become important to me. I don’t want…to hurt you.”

  “I know.” Iolana rubbed Edgar’s hand. “We should get some rest.”

  Iolana and Edgar lied down on either side of Roman and Eddie. Edgar fell asleep immediately, after being sapped of energy due to the day’s emotion. Iolana stayed awake, thinking.

  I’ve always thought that I had such a firm grasp on the difference between right and wrong, but I don’t. The man lying next to me has been a monster and he’s been a hero. He’s been forced to live a nightmare and then become that nightmare. Who’s the victim? Who’s right? Who’s wrong? I want so desperately to know good from evil. What if the difference is only a matter of perspective?

  Chapter 24: The White Mouse

  Everyone awoke in the dining hall to the smells of an already alluring breakfast. Hotcakes, bacon, eggs, potatoes and fruit were piled high upon tables that just the evening before, had featured a feast for the travelers. However, the night had brought hunger back to weary bodies and eyes opened wide in the early hours, happy for the excesses provided to them.

  “Do bears always eat so well?” asked Tomas, his lips glistening with bacon grease.

  “Only in times of joy,” answered the Queen of Gray Mountain. “I think this qualifies.”

  Tomas looked at Captain Nesbitt as he ate only potatoes and fruit. “No bacon or eggs?”

  “I don’t eat those things,” replied the Captain.

  “Why not?” asked Tomas in confusion.

  “Once you find yourself knocked down a few pegs on the food chain, certain things don’t seem so appealing,” said Nesbitt.

  Tomas looked down at his bacon, then looked at the bears, and then looked back at his bacon and pushed it to the side. “I never really thought about that.”

  “It is nature for us to eat meat,” said Goldenheart, joining the conversation. “We do not abuse our power over other creatures, but neither do we reject that which we are. However, I respect your choices, Captain, and can understand your sentiments.”

  The Captain nodded in appreciation.

  Predictably so, Evercloud’s plate was decorated sparsely and he picked at the measly morsels that couldn’t begin to stir an appetite in him. All he hungered for were answers, and the complacency of his companions caused him worry.

  “So, the Department of Information hasn’t been much of a help, has it?”

  “Not in the slightest,” answered Goldenheart. “We know nothing now that we didn’t know before you left, Evercloud. I fear the positions of department head have only corrupted the bears that hold them. No, it seems that your group are the only ones who have gleaned any knowledge at all.”

  “That’s disappointing,” said Evercloud.

  “I can tell you that your father began his journey traveling west. He left to search for you, so he traveled west as you had.”

  “Then we’ll head west. We’ve done this once with success. This time, there are more of us. We’ll find clues as we travel. We should leave soon. Father could be in danger.”

  “Hold on,” said Tenturo. “There may still be information that could help us on this mountain. Queen Goldenheart, you were in the middle of something when we arrived. What were you doing?”

  “I was giving a mission to the soldiers of this mountain. We need to change the way in which we live our lives, due to the Tyrant. We need to make our homes camouflaged to the outside world, and we need to go out into Ephanlarea in search of help to battle the Tyrant, as well as to provide service to those who face our same struggles. It’s time that we realize that we are not immune to his presence.”

  “I see,” said Tenturo. “Why were bears who are not soldiers making their way to the castle that morning?”

  “After I had addressed the soldiers, I was going to open this court to hear the tales of our people, in hope that someone might have a clue to how we might find Eveneye or kill the beast in the arena, or anything concerning the Ancients or the Tyrant. We were searching for the very things that brought you to us.”

  “Let us do that, then. We shall be present to hear these bears speak.”

  “That could take days,” argued Evercloud.

  “So could walking the entirety of Ephanlarea without a clue to direct us,” stated Tenturo.

  “I’ll send messengers,” said the Queen. “We’ll begin at once.”

  •••

  The mountain had been waiting for their moment to speak to the Queen directly, and it didn’t take long for bears to file into the King’s court, or as it was on this day, the Queen’s. The travelers listened with Goldenheart and Autumnbreeze as bears, young to old, talked at whatever length they were allowed, about their life’s afflictions. They spoke of how their neighbors had been acting suspiciously lately, or how they would swear on the memories of the elders that men had come out of the sky to speak to them in their dreams. One especially jittery bear noted that, at least once per day, he had the distinct feeling that he had traveled back in time. Every hackneyed superstition showed its face and every myth, rumor and legend reared its ugly head. Half the day had passed and Evercloud had had enough.

  “Can we please take a break from this?”

  The Queen called for an hour recess and the room emptied with exception of Goldenheart, Autumnbreeze and the travelers.

  “Interesting stories,” said Riverpaw sarcastically.

  “This is ridiculous,” vented Evercloud. “Please remind me why we are wasting our time with this. Half these bears are mad and the other half aren’t far off. It’s as if we’ve given the paranoid the vindication they’ve always been deprived of. If I have to hear one more dream about a loved one who has come back from the dead to relay an urgent message, I’m going to drown myself in a river.”

  “Evercloud!” snapped Goldenhear
t.

  “No, Goldie. He’s right. It’s pathetic,” said Autumnbreeze.

  “What’s pathetic?” asked Riverpaw. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

  Autumnbreeze sighed deeply and resigned herself to sharing her embarrassing secret. “I’ve been having dreams about your father, ever since Tenturo returned him to the mountain.”

  Guilt sapped the color from Evercloud’s face. “I’m sorry, Aunt Autumn. I had no idea. I didn’t mean–”

  “It’s all right, Evercloud. I know they’re just dreams.”

  “How often have you been having these dreams?” asked Tenturo.

  “Almost nightly,” answered Autumn. “They are mostly the same, but not always.”

  “Tell me about them,” said Tenturo.

  “I’d rather not. They’re just dreams.”

  “We shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss what happens in our dreams. It is often true that our dreams are nothing more than a random amalgamation of thought. However, there are times when this thought can reveal things, deep within our subconscious, things that can help us understand problems we might be having. Reoccurring dreams can be even more important, because they cannot be dismissed as random.”

  “All right, I suppose it can’t hurt anything.” Autumn again sighed and then began to describe her dreams. “Usually, Whiteclaw has come back to me, rather, it’s like he never really left. He holds me…tells me everything will be all right. It’s like he’s there, I mean, it’s vivid. More vivid than any dream I’ve ever had. He always tells me to find the white mouse.”

  “The white mouse?” interrupted Tenturo.

  “Yes. It was a curiosity to me at first, but Goldie reminded me that Evercloud and Riverpaw had found a white mouse in the forest around the mountain before they began their quest. It’s just a random memory.”

  “I had forgotten about that mouse,” said Evercloud. “You know, Riverpaw and I saw it again when we were in Oldham’s Bog. It helped us find the Tree of Death.”

  “Tell me about the mouse,” said Tenturo.

  “Well, honestly, there’s not a lot we know about it,” said Riverpaw. “Before we began the quest, we came upon the mouse in the forest, singing words about Bahknar. We chased the mouse down and it told us that Bahknar had never left the earth. We tried to get more information out of it, but it ran away and disappeared.”

  “Then in Oldham’s Bog,” added Evercloud. “We again found the mouse. Actually, it found us. We had almost given up. The Bog had left us walking in circles; getting nowhere. The mouse reminded us that we could speak to animals other than bears and humans. We then realized we could talk to a nearby vulture. But again, the mouse disappeared before we could really get any information from it.”

  “We haven’t seen it again since,” said Riverpaw.

  “And the two of you are the only ones who saw this mouse?” asked Tenturo.

  “They’re not the only ones.” The group turned their heads to Captain Nesbitt and the dog shook his head. “I should have said something sooner…but…I never made the connection. I should have realized it as soon as you two walked into my tavern, speaking of Tenturo. I guess I should have realized it far before then.”

  “Realized what?” asked Tenturo.

  “The mouse is Bahknar,” said the Captain. I should have recognized him sooner. The mannerisms, the voice…it was all there, just…not.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Evercloud.

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the Ancients, Evercloud. You know about my involvement with Chera and Densa, but I’ve known Tenturo and Bahknar as well. After Densa cursed me, the other three spent a lot of time with me, trying to break the curse. They were obviously unsuccessful. When it was clear there would be no breaking the curse, the Ancients left me. They couldn’t help. We all had to get on with our lives and I had to learn to tolerate my new form. I didn’t want any memories of my old one. Some time after that, the Tyrant wreaked his vengeance upon the Ancients and the world forgot them. The world forgot many things…but I never should have forgotten Bahknar.

  “It couldn’t have been a year ago that he came to me, albeit in the form of a mouse. He never revealed himself to me, but I should have known. He told me that he knew I wasn’t a real dog. He asked if I knew of any rumors, rumors of how to get back. I hadn’t and didn’t want to. It took me a long time to come to terms with my curse. I didn’t need some mouse bringing up a painful past. I was cold to him, so he left. I should have realized that it wasn’t just a nosy mouse.”

  “My dreams have been real all along?” Autumn was stunned. “What does this mean? Tenturo? Is my husband contacting me from beyond?”

  “If he is, it’s the first I have ever known of such a thing. But I’ve been confronted with more difficult things to believe.” Tenturo involuntarily glanced at Evercloud’s claw. “Autumn, you said that the dreams are not always the same…what else?”

  “Well, last night was very different. Whiteclaw was there as always, but he was chasing the white mouse through the forest. He is usually just talking to me and the mouse isn’t even there. The chase continued into a village, and then, there was a man in the village. I don’t exactly know how to describe him. Everything he touched began to burn. The humans were all screaming as they burned in the fire, while the burning man laughed. Then, I saw my husband looking up at me from underneath a pile of burning ruin. He whispered to me, ‘Hammlin.’ I don’t know what Hammlin is, but I’m sure that is what he said. Then I woke up.”

  “Hammlin is the name of a village,” said Ben. “It’s in the northwestern portion of Ephanlarea. I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen it on maps.”

  “What do you think, Tenturo?” asked Riverpaw.

  “This is very strange,” said Tenturo, looking into the distance as if searching for something. “There is no power I know of that allows someone to be contacted from beyond the grave…but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. We are faced with a decision of belief. We can believe that this is more than a dream, and go to Hammlin, or we can continue to search for clues, and dismiss it. I can’t pretend to tell you what is real and what is not. You must make your own decision, as I must make mine.”

  “Also,” began Evercloud. “There is no way of knowing that Aunt Autumn is being contacted by Whiteclaw. If it is possible to feed dreams to someone…then it could be anyone doing it. However, I choose Hammlin…because I can’t let it go without knowing.”

  “I agree,” said Riverpaw. “I need to know…for myself and for my mother.”

  “You can count us in,” said Tomas as he placed his hand upon his brother’s shoulder.

  “I, as well,” said Nesbitt.

  “I must stay here,” said Goldenheart. “The mountain needs me. Especially in your father’s absence.”

  Evercloud nodded his understanding.

  “My place is here as well,” said Autumnbreeze. “There is work to be done.”

  The group turned to Tenturo.

  “What say you, old friend?” asked Nesbitt.

  “Hammlin it is,” said the great griffin.

  “We leave now,” added Evercloud definitively. “Wherever and whomever the remaining Ancients are, we will not stop until they are freed. For better or for worse.”

  The group exited the castle and looked at the morning sky. The sun was an orange flame, surging silently toward the heavens. Evercloud looked back at his mother.

  “When I left you the first time, I had no idea what was in store for me, but I had no fear. That is different now, but I want you to know that whatever happens to me, whatever I…become, this mountain is my home and you are my mother. I love you and nothing will change that.”

  Goldenheart kissed Evercloud on his cheek and smiled. “I have less fear now than I did the first time, Evercloud. You are the light of this mountain, you and Riverpaw. It is the darkness that should beware.”

  The rest of the party said their goodbyes and then Tenturo, Riverpaw and the
ir riders took to the sky with the sun at their backs.

  You know, Evercloud, Tenturo’s voice came into Evercloud’s consciousness. A flame will keep the darkness at bay, but only as long as it burns.

  I won’t let the darkness take me, Tenturo. Whatever I have been will stay in the past.

  I hope so, Evercloud.

  JOURNEY

  Chapter 25: Caught

  The last time I can remember being in a cage, I was preparing myself for a battle. I don’t think that is going to work this time.

  Eveneye stared out between the black, steel bars that adorned the borders of what was now his new home. Passerby pointed at him and muttered their disappointments.

  “He’s big, but not very ferocious.”

  “Does he always just lay there?”

  “That bear looks old.”

  Some King I turned out to be, thought Eveneye.

  It hadn’t been a week since Eveneye had departed from Gray Mountain, in search of his son, before he had been captured and put in this cage. He didn’t know where he was or who had captured him. His world had become the cage and the disappointed faces of the humans that passed by. Eveneye had heard of these places, though he had never seen one and certainly never experienced one. A zoo, they called it. All he had known of them while he lived on Gray Mountain was that, once they caught you, you never returned. You were theirs forever.

  I shouldn’t have left the mountain.

  Eveneye tried to remember back to what had happened to land him in this predicament, but he couldn’t. He had headed west from Gray Mountain, because he knew that was the direction that Evercloud and the others had traveled, but he had seen nothing but wilderness. He hadn’t come across any clues to their whereabouts and he certainly hadn’t been aware that someone was trying to capture him. Being King had dulled his senses to the world outside of the Kingdom. He sighed and continued to stare at the unimpressed customers of the zoo.