Deke Brolin Rhol

by Doug Backus

  “How will we know when Palto arrives, Kiran? He is too far away to communicate with and I am sure by now Solharn’s army stands between us and him,” Lorca asked.

  “Deo and I can help!” Deke said. “I can change Deo into a small bird, and he can fly past the armies undetected to inform us of Palto’s arrival. It is the only way we will know when to advance.”

  Kiran was concerned. “Dietrich, you have more to learn before you transform Deo at will. You are not fully aware of all the tribulations you will have to face when attempting this.”

  Deo, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. “I agree with Deke, Kiran. Although I am sure we have much to learn from you, there is no time. Solharn’s armies are already advancing on Solace, and the Pegapires are in battle at Aura. We must move now. Palto and Jayden are the leaders of the Pegapires and the Lealians. Their leadership will be essential in coming out of this war victorious. I am confident Deke can do this, and by transforming me into something so small he will still maintain much of his strength.”

  “I am afraid I have to agree Kiran. I can think of no other way,” Solko added.

  Kiran was silent for several minutes. Deke suspected she was contemplating whether she was making another mistake, as she had with Mary.

  “Kiran, what is your decision?” Solko impatiently asked.

  Kiran turned to Deke. “You have transformed your paladin before Dietrich but that was only in a very stressful situation. This will be different. You must clear your mind if it is to work and imagine only what Deo is to transform into. After he is transformed comes the difficult part. Keeping Deo in that state will not be easy, especially if you are distracted. Over time it will become much easier. You must learn to separate the parts of the mind that you use for imagination and reality to be able to fully function.”

  Deke closed his eyes and began to imagine a hummingbird. It was the smallest and fastest bird he knew. In a few minutes he opened his eyes and found Deo hovering directly above his shoulder. It had worked. With a slight nod Deo disappeared through the Wall of Solace. Kiran took Deke’s hand and sat him down in a quiet place away from everyone else and beckoned Mary over. “Keep a close eye Mary. He must not be distracted. The fate of Deo and perhaps all of Rhol depends on it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  As Palto raced toward the tunnel he thought of Roland. He had been a close friend; he had looked forward to fighting alongside him once again. Jayden was now the last in the bloodline of the family that had ruled the Lealians for centuries. Without him they would lose great knowledge of their history that only he possessed, but more so they would lose a great leader. In these dismal times a strong leader was essential for their survival.

  He had fought alongside this family for decades. He would not be standing where he was today if not for Jayden’s grandfather Corceran. In fact, the Pegapires would have been extinct long ago.

  He was deeply saddened when Corceran died. He had not even had time to thank him before he succumbed to his wounds, but he would repay him in his own way. He vowed to himself that he would always protect his family. He became fast friends with Roland after returning Corceran’s body to Leal and paying his respects. He had met Roland’s son Jayden at that time. After that he visited Leal frequently, making sure they were okay. Quite often he and Roland would take long rides discussing their families or various strategies of war. Roland turned out to be just as ferocious as his father in battle, and even savvier with a sword enabling him to quickly gain respect throughout the battlefields of Rhol.

  Palto had not seen them now for over ten years, just before the Queen had ordered them to retreat back to their homelands. It was too late for Roland, but he was not going to let Jayden die.

  Palto worried as he approached the tunnel. He knew that his speed would be drastically reduced when he entered. He was capable of travelling great speeds while in flight, but on the ground he could move only as fast as his legs would carry him. He landed and began racing through the tunnel knowing that Jayden’s time was running out.

  Palto had travelled an hour into the tunnel when he finally saw torch lights flickering on the walls. It was a welcome sight when he saw Jayden still walking on his own accord. He was standing in front of his warriors, all of whom had their bow and arrows at the ready. As Palto drew near he could hear Jayden ordering them to stand down.

  “Palto, I was expecting far worse than you when I felt the vibrations of something moving quickly toward us. I am relieved to see you!”

  “And I you Jayden. You appear to be faring better than Oisin, although the streaks in your face show me that the poison has taken its toll on you as well.”

  Jayden ignored the observation. “You have seen Oisin? What of Kaelyn and Palvoy? Are they alright?”

  “I am sorry Jayden. By the time we arrived in Aura, Palvoy had succumbed to an injury he sustained in battle. Kaelyn was unharmed and Oisin was alive, but unconscious due to the effects of the poison. Solko is taking him to the Wall of Solace in hopes that he will make a full recovery and I have come to retrieve you to do the same.”

  “What battle awaited them when they exited the tunnel?” Jayden asked, regretting the decision to let them forge ahead of the rest.

  “The battle that goes on as we speak, Solharn’s armies were waiting for you in Aura. When we saw Leal had been burned and found no survivors we flew directly to Aura where we knew the tunnel led. When we got there the Kaltaures were already questioning Kaelyn and Palvoy. We had no choice but to attack and try to save them, but in doing so we lost any time we might have had to strategize our attack along with you. The Pegapires are holding their own, but without the Lealians help they are suffering casualties. We must hurry if the battle is going to be ours.”

  “How far are we from Aura, Palto?”

  “It took an hour for me to reach you, so it is at least three for you at a fast pace.”

  Jayden turned to his warriors, “The war against Solharn’s army has already begun! As we speak, the Pegapires are fighting the battle alone. We should be fighting alongside them as it was meant to be. Our brothers are suffering at the hands of this evil, and without us they will suffer more losses then need be! We are still several hours from Aura and I ask you, my fellow Lealians, to follow me there as fast as our feet can carry us. Are you with me?” Jayden yelled.

  The cheer that followed thundered down the tunnel. “Let's go, Palto. Aura awaits us.”

  Palto did not move. “Aura awaits these fine warriors Jayden, Solace awaits you.”

  “Surely you do not expect me to abandon my people Palto? You know that is not my way, nor is it the nature of any Lealian.”

  “Is it in the nature of a Lealian to senselessly die, because that is what your fate will be if you decide not to come with me.”

  “I am fine Palto. Now, we are wasting time!” yelled Jayden.

  “You are strong Jayden, I can see that by the mere fact that you are standing in front of me, but in a few hours’ time the poison coursing through your veins will overcome you. Who will lead your people then? Do you think this is what your father would choose for you? Is this what he died for?”

  “My father died for the Lealians, for Elissa and for his love of Rhol!” Jayden responded angrily.

  “Exactly Jayden and that is why you must come with me. They don’t need you to lead them down a tunnel. They need you to lead them in battle. You must teach them the values that your father taught you. Kaelyn already fights the battle with Issa. She will await the arrival of her fellow Lealians, and you will join them after you have healed.”

  Jayden looked back at his people; many that had survived were young. When Cordelia, the woman who had mended his wounds, looked at him and told him not to be a fool he realized Palto was right.

  “Kaelyn and the Pegapires await you in Aura, make haste and be safe. I will return to join you in battle. That is my word!”

  The Lealians gave yet another cheer as Jayden and Palto disappeared down th
e tunnel. Palto had been right; by the time they reached the depot Jayden felt very weak. He had to use all the strength he could muster to hold on when Palto sprang from the ground and took flight. Jayden looked down and saw the battle of Aura raging on. Bodies were strewn throughout the fields, and smoke filled the air making it difficult to breathe. He was sad to see that at least three Pegapires had fallen victim to Solharn’s army.

  “Jayden, are you able to fight?” Palto asked. “I see Issa and Kaelyn are in need of help.”

  Jayden looked up to see Kaelyn swinging her sword at attacking Phits, while Issa maneuvered strategically around large arrows coming toward them from the ground. When the headless bodies of three Phits fell aimlessly through the sky, he smiled. His father had always liked Kaelyn and had taught her swordsmanship from an early age. She was one of his best students and Jayden realized why as he watched her master the sword even while swinging her body down and around Issa. The Phits must have realized these two warriors were a dangerous combination as well, for they were swarming them from every direction.

  Palto flew within range of them while Jayden drew arrows from the satchel that Palto carried to his left side and retrieved a bow from the right. They were not Orler arrows but to Jayden it did not really make a difference. He was a master archer and could easily shoot three arrows at a time, never missing the target. He was able to drop six Phits in two shots. Kaelyn was surprised when she looked over to see Palto and Jayden and it allowed her some welcome time to take care of the other two Phits that had been pursuing them. Palto tuned to fly west to Solace. Kaelyn raised her sword to him in thanks and Jayden gestured back raising his closed fist high in the air.

  He had used his last bit of strength in that fight and as Palto soared through the sky toward the entrance to the Sacred Realm he began to feel dizzy. Palto was telling him to hang on but his voice became blurred in his head and gradually he lost consciousness. This slowed Palto down considerably. He was forced to maintain a steady flight pattern so Jayden would not fall off from any sudden movements. Palto estimated he was a mere fifteen minutes from the tunnel entrance but he would have to get him through the tunnel to the actual Wall of Solace. It would be close. Jayden was succumbing to the poison.

  When Palto flew over the mountain range that surrounded the Valley of Solace he paused and then dove as quickly as he could toward the large vegetation surrounding the lake. When he was safely hidden, he looked in disbelief as a Kruntulla blocked the torrents of water that cascaded down the mountain which had once provided a natural camouflage to the entrance. To make matters worse there were now hundreds of Phits flying into the passageway.

  He knew it was going to be impossible to save Jayden. There was no other way that he knew of to get to the realm and an entire army of Phits now stood between him and the wall. He was contemplating what his next move could possibly be when he heard a loud buzzing around his ear. He turned to face what was causing the annoying sound and gazed upon a bird the likes of which he had never seen before. The bird darted around his head stopping in midair, as if to tell him something but he could not understand what message it brought, if any. Palto hoped it was some sort of sign. This creature was quite obviously not from this world. There wasn’t a living thing on Rhol that he had not seen at one time or another. The bird moved in close to Palto’s ear but still all he could hear was a high pitched whine of some sort. After several minutes of listening to the same sound over and over Palto thought he heard the words “remain here” but it was still unclear.

  Ω

  Deo hoped that Palto understood him. He had no time to waste. At least when he left him Palto had not moved. It was to Deo’s advantage that he had been transformed into a bird that could fly at such speeds and maneuver through small places but it made speech almost unrecognizable. Deo quickly flew by the Kruntulla unnoticed and silently flew over the Phits. He headed through the tunnel toward the Sacred Realm. He was relieved when he saw they had only progressed about a quarter of the way in. It made flying much more enjoyable not having to worry about being detected.

  When Deke saw Deo come through the wall, he was so excited he forgot to keep his concentration which made Deo change back into himself in midair and come crashing to the ground. He came to a stop near Kiran after rolling over several times.

  “Sorry about that,” Deke said, smiling a little when he realized Deo was unharmed.

  “Don’t worry. You’re learning,” Deo replied just a little annoyed. “Palto has arrived with Jayden. He hides in the trees to the east of the lake. Jayden’s not well. I fear time is running out for him. We must come up with a plan and quickly.”

  “What does Palto think?” Kiran asked.

  “I could not communicate very well with him. I am not even sure if he knew what I was, but I think I convinced him to stay hidden until my return.”

  “Have Solharn’s armies entered the tunnel yet Deo?” Deke asked.

  “The Phits are about a quarter of the way to the Wall of Solace and the beast still waits at the entrance way.”

  “We cannot fight them all and we have no one to assist Palto at his end. This is not an ideal situation,” Kiran thought out loud.

  “We can create a channel through them!” Deo excitedly shouted. “I have an idea.”

  Ω

  Palto was convincing himself that he had imagined what the bird had said and Jayden was not far from death. He would charge the entranceway and hope for the best. They would only have a slim chance of survival but he decided it would be the only way.

  He was just about to execute his plan when he saw the bird hovering in front of him once again. He was looking intently at this strange creature waiting for a sign, when it started to distort and change shape right before his eyes. Palto stepped back on his hind legs causing Jayden to fall to the ground. It could not be helped Palto thought. He had to get into a position to strike out at this creature. He was convinced now that he had been tricked by Solharn’s black magic.

  Palto stood poised to attack, watching as the bird changed into a small boy. Deo realized the danger right away and immediately dropped to one knee all the while bowing his head toward the ground. He had no desire to be either hypnotized or ripped limb from limb by this mighty warrior.

  “Palto, please don’t be alarmed. I’ve come to help you get Jayden to the Wall of Solace. I’m not what you think. My name is Deodatus. I’m a Paladin of the boy from the world Earth. The one Queen Elissa foresaw would come and start the chain of events that are happening as we speak. ”

  Although Palto now stood on his four legs, he was still wary of the boy. The Queen only told three people of this. Roland was dead, and the other two were Kiran and himself.

  “How do you know of this Deodatus, if that is your real name?”

  “Kiran, she has been preparing me for this day for over a year now,” Deo said while continuing to stare toward the ground.

  “And how is it that a Paladin can shape shift into another being?”

  Deo realized it was not going as well as he had hoped. The plan was precisely timed. If he did not convince Palto soon he would shape shift again and it would fail. He had to get Palto to trust him. He decided to take what could be a much more hazardous approach and stood up to face the mighty Pegapire.

  “There is no time to explain the ways in which all things were designed, but in short the amulet the boy holds has many powers which enable him to do many things! Now if Jayden is to live and Rhol is to be saved you must throw caution to the wind and trust what I am telling you! There is no time for any more questions.”

  Deo stood there aggressively staring at Palto. He thought that since he was still alive, it was a good sign. Only after several seconds of staring at each other did Palto respond.

  “What is the plan then, boy?”

  “Very good then,” Deo said still a little shaken.

  Deo quickly explained the plan. After Deo had finished, Palto looked at him skeptically.

  “If I
am to understand what you have just told me, then I tend to agree with Kiran. What if Deke cannot hold the transformation of this large beast for such a prolonged period?”

  Deo looked at Palto. “Then we will be left with the two of us to fight the army of Phits and we will most likely die along with Jayden.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kaelyn was exhausted. Her arms ached from the constant swinging of her sword and the pounding her body was taking as Issa led her into attack after attack. Both were covered in both blue and red blood splatters. The blue came from the countless Phits they had slaughtered and the red from the Kaltaures and Ralcriff that lay dead as a result of their collaboration.

  Over the last several hours Kaelyn had come to know her companion quite well. Issa was a true warrior. She could fly at the speed of lightning and if need be, stop in midair at any fleeting moment. In Kaelyn’s mind, Issa was the reason that they still had an advantage in this battle.

  Issa was a hundred years old, sixty more than Kaelyn. She had been trained to fight by Palto himself. The fact that their leaders had personally taken on the challenge of training them both was an enormous statement in itself. She did wonder why Palto had decided that Issa would fight alongside her though. Usually a Lealian and a Pegapire that were chosen to fight together were roughly the same age and had the same experience; it made them a more lethal combination.

  Issa had fought in several battles already and was very experienced. Kaelyn had fought in only one battle, if you could call it that. It had been just prior to Queen Elissa ordering the Lealians to retreat. Roland had not allowed Kaelyn to fight in the wars prior to that, saying she was not ready. She, being stubborn and foolhardy, had not agreed and unbeknownst to him, had slipped out of the village one night to find a battle of her own.

  As she crept through the forest several miles from Leal she found a group of Kaltaures sharpening their blades for what was to be a feast on a prisoner they had captured. Kaelyn had taken out three of the soldiers with her sword before the other five even realized what was happening. She had begun to advance on the remainder of them when a Ralcriff jumped in her way. Its snarling teeth just missed her face when the chain it had been tied to came to an abrupt end and jerked the beast back. Kaelyn cursed herself.