by Doug Backus
“As a safeguard Solharn used black magic to create five Blackpools, one on each world. He hoped that, should he be dispelled to the abyss, these pools would act as a portal back.
“Finally, following one of Solharn’s journeys to the five worlds, the Creator did confront him. He told Solharn that he must change his ways or forever be banished from the Order of Six. Solharn laughed, and gathering together all the evil he could muster from inside himself, he lunged at the Creator and shot a torrent of black energy coursing with evil from his gaping mouth. Solharn hoped the energy would weaken the Creator allowing him the chance to overtake him, and send the Creator himself into the abyss. The plan failed miserably as Solharn was no match for the Creator. The evil died slowly as the Creator sent stream after stream of light toward it. The light sliced through the blackness and enveloped what was left, leaving Solharn standing there in silence. He knew his arrogance had led him to failure, yet he still laughed as the Creator drained him of all his energy until there appeared to be none left. Solharn had been dispelled into the Black Abyss.
“However, Solharn’s black magic worked. After being dispelled he returned years later to each of the five worlds through the pools, creating havoc, plagues and wars. The more lives Solharn took the more powerful he became. It was as if he used the life energy of those he killed to enhance his own. The abyss had made Solharn beyond evil, and he was hell bent on destroying the Balance of Five. If he succeeded, he would finally have his revenge on the Creator.
“In time the Creator realized that Solharn was slowly destroying the balance world by world, so he beckoned the remaining five Seraphim. He sent one to each of the five worlds in order to protect them from Solharn’s wrath. Each was given an amulet which contained within it part of the Creator himself. This gave each of the seraph one of the greatest powers one could possess, the power of life. For them the amulet became a portal to the afterworld, in which the energy of one’s soul could be released back onto the world or cast away to the Abyss depending on its essence. The amulets would help maintain the balance of the five worlds, but in turn would weaken the Creator. He knew that only by sacrificing himself could he protect the Balance of Five against Solharn.
“He sent Jobe to Beltic; his amulet was that of a gold moon which represented birth. Dierdra was sent to Daikon; her amulet was a wooden wand that represented growth. Trestin was sent to Jinn; his amulet was an emerald sun which represented light. Kraymona was sent to Earth, and her amulet was that of a ruby star which represented life. Lastly, the Creator sent Elissa to Rhol; her amulet was a trite stone arrowhead which represented evolution.
“Solharn learned of the amulets. He created armies by attracting creatures from the darkest corners of the five worlds. He used the promise of power and wealth, if they supported his depraved plan to have all the amulets for himself. If he succeeded, the five Seraphim would be helpless against his powers. The energy of the souls would become trapped with no passageway to move on to their next phase of life. Evil would grow on each of the worlds because the negative energy would remain. It would not be dispersed to the abyss. The positive energy, the energy of the good, would not be reincarnated as it should be, and thereby would not sustain the balance of life. With this much power he would easily defeat the Creator.
“Solharn set his sights on Rhol, and after many wars he was able to defeat Elissa, the Queen of Rhol. There were faults in his plan however. He was unable to control the amulet. The amulet became powerless in the hands of someone who stole it. For him to control it, the amulet would have to be given to him.
“Unable to use the amulet, Solharn decided he would destroy it so that nobody could ever have its powers. He became incensed after realizing that this plan would fail too. You see, much like a seraph could not be destroyed, the amulet contained the essence of the Creator making it indestructible.
“Solharn cursed, and decided to send the amulet to Earth using the Blackpool. This would keep it far away from Elissa, and any of her supporters. He left his armies on Rhol to destroy whomever and whatever might be left, and moved onto Beltic. After many years he defeated Jobe. Solharn believed, and was at least partially right, that when the amulets were dispersed to other worlds they would become obsolete. If anything or anyone found them, they would not work because they were not given to them, but Solharn was somewhat mistaken in his belief.
“You might be asking yourself why the amulet worked when it was retrieved by you. Why was a boy from earth entrusted with such a great responsibility? I can only answer that in part.
“Because you are from Earth, Deke, it makes you special. Because Earth is the youngest planet, you and the other inhabitants of Earth have a paladin that exists as an outer soul, independent of you yet attached. It is not the same in the other worlds. Yes, they still have two souls, but they are more intertwined. Over the years the natural course of evolution has brought their souls together. They work more as one within the body.”
Deke stood looking blankly at Kiran.
Kiran laughed, “I am confusing you. Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard it mentioned that humans utilize only part of their brain and that the rest is basically dormant?”
“Yes, in school,” Deke answered.
“Well, as people evolve their brains become more active, eventually functioning as a whole. This happens as your souls begin to fuse together over many years and many lives. Earth is the youngest planet, and as such the souls have not yet intertwined. So in essence although everyone has two souls, yours can act independently of each other. It is why you can see your paladin, Deo for instance, but you cannot see mine. It makes the people of Earth unique from the rest of us. Do you remember when I explained to you that Earth was given the gift of balance?”
“Yes.”
“Well I believe that may be the reason the amulet works in your hands. You are from earth, and as such you have been given that gift.”
“So anyone from Earth could have found it and come here to Rhol?”
“Yes, but its true powers will only work in the hands of one.”
Deke’s hand sweated as he gripped the arrowhead in his pocket. He knew before Kiran even said it, that he was holding the amulet of the seraph Elissa, and he had a feeling what was coming next.
“Dietrich, you are that person. You came into this world through the power of the amulet you are holding. I can feel that the protective forces surrounding both Leal and Tamon, places you will soon learn much more about, have been dispelled. The time is here, and the war is already waging against Solharn and his armies. You must find what Solharn has done with Queen Elissa, and return the amulet if there is to be any hope of restoring the balance.”
Chapter Eleven
Kaelyn could see the dust floating in the beams of light that permeated the dark tunnel they had been walking through for hours. This meant they were near. They had made the journey in just less than fourteen hours. It would be impossible for Jayden to survive, for Oisin was already showing the effects of the poison he had been injected with by the quills. In ten hours he would be dead, and they were still a long way from Solace. She was not even sure if they could get Oisin there.
Oisin was walking beside Kaelyn holding onto her shoulder for support when Palvoy yelled from ahead. “Kaelyn, Oisin! The depot is just ahead. Come, there is food and water”.
Kaelyn was glad to hear it. They had run out of water hours ago and were in need of a rest even if it was only for a few minutes. Kaelyn rounded the corner with Oisin. She could see the depot and breathed a sigh of relief. Palvoy came to join them, bringing a cup of water. Oisin took a sip but could not hold it down.
“Kaelyn, he does not look well,” Palvoy said taking Oisin’s other arm and helping Kaelyn walk him to the depot.
They placed Oisin against the wall of the depot and lit a candle. It illuminated the effects the poison was having on him. Dark lines streaked his face running down his neck to the remainder of his body. He was sweating profusely, and
his skin was almost gray in color.
Kaelyn held Oisin’s head back and tried to give him more water. “Oisin you must try and hold some water in, you are feverish.”
Oisin responded by taking a sip, and then coughing the liquid back up all over her. She became concerned when she noticed it was fused with red.
“Palvoy, he is spitting up blood.”
Oisin groaned and spoke, “You two must go on without me. I will be of no use to you in this condition, and I will only get worse. Perhaps Jayden knew of what was to come, and it is why he chose to stay behind with his people.”
Without warning, Kaelyn slapped Oisin’s face.
“Kaelyn!” Palvoy yelled.
“You fight Oisin! You are a fighter and I will hear nothing of leaving you behind, nor will I listen to such foolishness. We have come too far in such a short period of time. We came through this tunnel together and we will leave together. They are counting on us Oisin, and that includes you,” she yelled.
Palvoy smiled, he did not know whether it was the three minutes rest that Oisin had, or Kaelyn’s persistence, but Oisin actually seemed to get some color back in his face.
Palvoy had grown up with Kaelyn. In the forty years he had known her she was always this way, never afraid to state her opinion, and never allowing herself to give up. Many joked that her persistence would eventually catch up with her. She never had an interest in boys except for competing with them, and quite often she would come out victorious.
Kaelyn had no idea that Palvoy was in love with her, and had been since they were young. He remembered the moment he fell for her, as if it were yesterday. It was in the woods while playing war. She had snuck up behind him and tackled him to the ground causing them both to roll down a small hill and come to an abrupt stop against a log. Kaelyn had found herself on top of Palvoy. Her long brown hair was covered in leaves. They looked at each other and after a brief moment of awkward silence began to laugh. It was just a moment in time between friends, but Palvoy never got over it. For the first time, if only for that moment, he had felt her heart beating against his. He had looked not at, but into her deep brown eyes, seeing the beautiful person she was inside.
“Palvoy, stop daydreaming and gather some food and weapons. We have little time if we hope to make Solace within ten hours,” Kaelyn shouted.
While Oisin rested, Palvoy and Kaelyn gathered as much food, water and weapons as they could carry. There was plenty of everything. The depot had been well stocked. After Oisin had rested for an hour the three set out on the last leg of the tunnel that would lead them to Aura.
It was early morning when they reached the valley and with just under eight hours to make it to Solace, they were disappointed to find that a thick fog covered the entire valley. As they exited the tunnel, they could barely see one another, let alone anything else.
“We must push on,” Kaelyn whispered not knowing what lay ahead.
“Hold on,” Palvoy said while rustling through the leather bag he had filled at the depot. When he pulled out a walking stick made from the Orler tree, Kaelyn could have hugged him right there and then, and might have had she not thought it would make her look weak. If there was a way out, the Orler trees’ magic would guide them in the right direction.
“Palvoy, you are brilliant. I will help Oisin, you lead the way. Let’s stay close or we will have trouble finding each other in this fog.”
They had walked about fifty yards from the tunnel when they heard the low howl of what was surely a Ralcriff. That was followed by a sharp slap and a whimper. “Shut up beast,” a Kaltaures could be heard grumbling.
Kaelyn and Palvoy slowly put Oisin on the ground and looked at each other. Neither could see anything in front of them, but that voice had been no more than thirty feet away. Both instinctively grabbed their bows, and placed an Orler arrow on their strings. They sat with their backs to each other with Oisin between them, remaining slightly hidden behind the grass in the field.
“We must wait till the fog lifts,” Kaelyn whispered to Palvoy.
Palvoy only nodded his agreement. They could not fight without seeing their enemy and they had no idea how many there were. After an hour passed without a break in the fog, Palvoy knew Oisin was running out of time.
While they waited in silence Kaelyn began to reminisce. She was happy that Palvoy had come with her and Oisin to Aura. His presence always made her feel comfortable, content with who she was. He lived in the house right across from hers, so naturally they had become friends from a very young age.
She fondly remembered how they used to imagine themselves as warriors fighting the evils of Rhol. They would disappear for the entire day on occasions, playing war throughout the forests of Leal. Kaelyn laughed inside remembering how Palvoy was always so protective of her. If anyone ever called her a name, or acted inappropriately around her, he would jump to her defense. She could have handled herself, and she was sure that Palvoy realized it, but it was his way of showing her his affection.
Their friendship only grew closer the older they became. Unlike the other girls who were always telling each other their secrets, she trusted only Palvoy. It was not her nature to open up to anyone. She was a loner but he meant something to her. He was someone she could always count on, someone who could make her laugh or console her when she was sad, somebody who would take long walks with her, and without saying a word, would know her very thoughts.
Palvoy was her very best friend. She could easily see herself growing old with him. She wasn’t sure whether he felt the same way, but she was pretty sure he did. She was too stubborn or perhaps too insecure in herself, when it came to romance to tell him that she loved him. But she knew in her heart it would happen one day.
Her warm thoughts were interrupted by Palvoy summoning her, “Kaelyn, the fog is beginning to lift.”
It had taken two hours and now they could see about four feet above the ground. Their hearts sank when they saw the rows and rows of tents that were set up around them, many with Ralcriff tied to a stake in front. Their only hope of getting through the field would be to slip through the camps unnoticed, and that would be nearly impossible.
“Oisin, are you able to crawl?” Kaelyn asked.
“I will follow you two. We can use the fog to our advantage now,” Oisin whispered.
“Oisin cannot carry anything and we can carry only the minimal weapons and water. We will have to leave the rest behind. If we are seen we will not stand a chance Kaelyn.”
Kaelyn glanced down at Oisin; his condition had deteriorated. “I agree Palvoy, but I do not see that we have any other way out of this.”
Palvoy nodded and gathered as much water and weaponry as he could carry. Kaelyn did the same and they set off through the field. Palvoy led the way, carefully crawling through the grass to the west of the camps.
Their plan was working, and they had gone several hundred feet avoiding any detection. Palvoy took turns with Kaelyn crawling up ahead to scout while the other stayed with Oisin, giving both a needed rest.
It had been Kaelyn who was sitting with Oisin when he became unresponsive. “Oisin! Oisin wake up!” Kaelyn pleaded as softly as she could, but no matter what she did he would not move. Kaelyn could not bear to leave him behind; he was still alive, but unable to move. She was beginning to panic waiting for Palvoy to return. What was taking him so long? It was long past their half hour limit of being gone from each other.
“Waiting for someone, Lealian?”
Kaelyn immediately went for her sword, but was pulled by her hair to the ground before she could grasp it. As she was trying to focus on what had just happened, Palvoy came toppling down on top of her bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth.
Kaelyn frantically looked around. She could see only the legs of the creatures that were surrounding them. The fog was still too thick to make anything else out, but she did not need to see the heads of the beasts to know what they were.
“We figured you would come out somewhere ar
ound here Lealian. We were not sure exactly where, but we have been patiently waiting,” Abednego snarled.
Kaelyn jumped at the Kaltaures leader only to be slapped to the ground again.
“Where are the other Lealians, girl?”
Kaelyn said nothing. Her left eye had swollen shut, yet she still glared up at Abednego.
“What of you, boy? Tell me where you crawled out of. Where does the tunnel come out?”
Palvoy turned to face Kaelyn and gave her a smile. He knew they were about to die and wanted her to see into his eyes so she could feel what he had felt for years. When he was satisfied she had, he turned back to Abednego and spat. “You will get nothing from my lips other than my spit on the ground you filthy animal.”
“Enough games,” Abednego screamed “Take the girl back to my tent. She will talk eventually,” he chortled. “Feed the other two to the Ralcriff.”
One of the Kaltaures soldiers grabbed Kaelyn by the hair, and began to drag her across the ground. Palvoy jumped to his feet and thrust a knife into the chest of the nearest soldier he could find. When he turned to run toward Kaelyn he suddenly felt a warm sensation running through his stomach. He was confused; even though he was running he was gaining no ground. He could hear the voice of Kaelyn screaming ‘no, no’ and repeating his name over and over; it was like a faint echo.
He looked down and fell to his knees. A long metal object protruded from his stomach. It was only then that he felt the pain. Not the pain of the sword that had been thrust through his body, but the pain of being unable to help Kaelyn as she was dragged away.
As his eyes began to close, he saw Kaelyn fall to the ground. The soldier dragging her had simply disappeared into thin air. Another soldier, apparently as confused as him moved in to take his place, but he too disappeared. Soldiers all around them seemed to be getting sucked into the fog. He thought he must be hallucinating.
