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Deke Brolin Rhol

Page 14

by Doug Backus


  A large range of mountains surrounded the lake. Their slender snow-covered peaks jutted high into the sky creating what appeared to be a natural fortress. He could see wisps of snow blowing gently from the tops of the mountains which shimmered briefly in the sunlight before coming to a rest once again.

  There was no way in or out from where he stood. Further down the shoreline a large piece of land, rich with vegetation, was nestled into a section of woods that began where the beach ended. He could just make out the top of a building towering above the trees.

  Even though it was clearly midday he could see a quarter moon outlined in the bright blue sky.

  He felt at peace here; he felt no fear. There was no sign of Mary or Deo. Deke wondered if this was the afterlife; perhaps it was a waiting place for one’s soul to await the other. The last thing he remembered was trying to throw the amulet to Mary and Deo. Grasping his chest he was disappointed to find the amulet still hanging from his neck. He had failed to get it off in time. There was no way Elissa could be saved now. He was starting to feel dejected again.

  “Do not carry your burdens so heavily, Deke Brolin.”

  Deke stopped walking and quickly looked up to see an elderly man with a silvery white beard that dangled far below his waist. A quarter-moon was etched into his forehead.

  “You have great responsibilities, but success will come only if you trust that the people around you will carry some of those responsibilities for you.”

  “Who are you?” Deke asked.

  “It matters not who I am Deke, but who you believe yourself to be. When you come to that realization you will succeed because then you will believe in yourself. Only you can define who you are. No one else can.”

  “Are you the Creator then?” Deke asked.

  The elder laughed. “I am no more the Creator than anyone else is in the five worlds. We all have the Creator within us, some more and some less than others.”

  Deke considered this answer. Was this a riddle of some sort? “How did I get here?”

  “You are full of questions that you already know the answers to Deke Brolin. Trust your instincts for you will need them very soon. You wield more power than you know, but when one carries such power, betrayal always follows closely behind. Weigh your choices and consider the people around you carefully.”

  “But...”

  “There is one other thing you must remember Deke. It will be essential if your quest is to succeed. The purpose of your journey is to prevent the extinction of a world, but do not forget that the extinction of any single living thing can bring an end to what we fight for. To renew a life that can be saved is a step forward in completing the quest you were sent on.”

  “What does that mean?” Deke asked.

  “I cannot answer that for you Deke, but remember this: whatever action you decide to take at any given moment will always cause a reaction. Trust your instincts…”

  “Deke!” Mary yelled.

  “…Trust your instincts.”

  “Deke, snap out of it,” he could hear Deo saying.

  “Trust your...”

  Deke sat straight up nearly knocking over Mary and Deo who had been trying everything they could to get him to regain consciousness.

  Mary hugged Deke. “Are you okay?”

  “I feel okay. What happened? Where was I?” Deke asked.

  “You have been here unconscious for over an hour. When you touched the amulet it caused the creature that held you captive to implode and in turn it sent you flying several hundred meters through the air,” Deo responded.

  “But it was so real, so vivid …”

  “What?” Deo asked.

  Deke described the elder that who had spoken to him and what he had said.

  “It sounds much like a Kilto elder,” Mary said, “Kiran told me much about them. They are a very mysterious race and very spiritual. Perhaps, you were visited by one to give you some sort of warning?”

  “It is possible Deke. I, too, have learned that the Kilto have many spiritual powers that most cannot comprehend,” Deo added.

  “Well, if it is true then we must be wary of what is to come,” Deke said still pondering the elder’s advice.

  “That would be wise indeed,” a scratchy broken voice came from behind them.

  All three looked over to see who was there. It was not pretty. It was hard to tell, but the figure appeared to be that of a female. Her small body was mainly skin and bones. Her face was long and drawn, wrinkled as if time had taken its toll on her very being. She wore ripped filthy clothes making her unhealthy appearance even more unappealing. Her greasy unkempt hair dangled down obscuring half of her face. She crouched to the ground just staring at them as she drew circles in the dirt with her long filthy nails.

  Deke began to walk toward the creature but Deo grabbed his arm holding him back.

  “Be careful Deke. This person is not what they used to be. She is almost Pintante.”

  Deke had heard this word before when Kiran had told him why she thought Solharn had left Mary alive. He had been so excited to see Mary he had not thought to ask what it meant.

  He looked over at Mary. She was crying, holding her hands to her face. “Mary, what is this about?”

  “Deke, I did not want to tell you yet. I feared that once you found out my fate you would not concentrate on the, the greater good. I feared you would spend too much time trying to save me.”

  “To save you, what are you talking about? I have told you I will stay with you. Everything will be okay Mary.”

  “Deke, I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. When someone loses their Paladin this is what they become, a crazed animal, not to be trusted, a Pintante. They take no sides and will attack anything that comes in contact with them,” Mary cried.

  “But you look nothing like this creature. You are fine Mary,” Deke responded.

  “It is only a matter of time Deke, a matter of days by now before I will start to change and there will be nothing you can do to prevent it,” sobbed Mary

  “Deo?” Deke said looking over at him.

  Deo did not take his eyes from the creature when he responded, “It is true, Deke.”

  “You knew as well and did not tell me?” Deke said glaring at Deo.

  “It was not my place Deke. Mary wanted to tell you herself. If she did not, I would have told you before we were in any danger.”

  “Danger, are you serious? Do you think that is what I am concerned about? If you two had told me sooner, perhaps I could have done something. Perhaps we could have formulated a plan to save Mary. I cannot let her turn into this,” Deke said pointing back toward the creature.

  “You are aware that I can hear you,” the creature responded.

  “I am sorry,” Deke said looking empathetically at the creature, “but she means far too much to me to lose her again.”

  “Well, I am not sorry Deke. Your mind set has already changed. You are already thinking about me instead of thinking about finding Elissa. I have not gone through all of this and nor should you, just to fail, for it to be all for nothing.”

  “But Mary….”

  “No Deke. This is my choice, not yours,” Mary yelled back.

  “She is right Deke and I can help you,” the creature said.

  “I mean no disrespect but if you are almost what they call a Pintante I don’t think it would be in any of our interests to trust in your help, particularly in light of the fact that a Kilto elder just warned me to be wary of a betrayal. We don’t even know who you are…or were.”

  “The elder also told you to trust your instincts Deke. The words he spoke of betrayal and instinct don’t necessarily intertwine. Besides, how could I have betrayed you when this is the first time we have met?”

  “Deke, you must be wary of this creature. Pintante are mad and treacherous. Do not let her confuse you. Whether she has betrayed us or will betray us is the same thing,” Deo said.

  “You are right. I will soon become what you describe, but I
am not there yet. Solharn stole my paladin from me and it is why I have become…well…this. I want him destroyed as much as you three do. My name is Torrell. I, too, have been in search of Queen Elissa. I was very near to what I thought would be the end of my quest when I was attacked by Solharn himself. He laughed at me after taking my energy, my spirit. He told me to enjoy my new life to come. I have nothing but disdain for him. I have hidden in these swamps for almost two years. I know them better than anyone and I can lead you out. I can also lead you to where I believe Elissa is,” Torrell explained.

  “How do you even know of our quest?” Deke asked.

  “I have been listening to you talk and I certainly recognize the Amulet of Rhol which you wear around your neck. The creature that attacked you was a Sloto. They are abundant in these swamps but they are not the most horrific creatures that live here. Please, let me guide you. The direction you are heading is not the right path.”

  “Excuse me,” Mary said, “but I was here before, not that long ago, and I don’t like your inference.”

  “There was no inference intended miss. I am sure you once knew this swamp, but it has grown and changed drastically since you were last here.”

  Deke was searching his feelings deep into his soul. He thought about the elder’s warning to him but also his advice, to trust the people around him to take some of the responsibilities. Perhaps this is what he was referring to. After all, Torrell made sense and she was not a Pintante yet. They could make faster time with someone who knew the swamps as well as she claimed she did. He also secretly thought that it might give him the extra time he would need to save Mary, if he could.

  “Okay Torrell, I am still wary of how you come to be here and of your motives, but I have no reason not to trust you so I will agree to let you travel with us.”

  “You have no reason to trust her either, Deke!” Deo said.

  “Deke, this could be a terrible mistake,” Mary chimed in.

  “I trust my instincts,” Deke lied. He did not trust Torrell completely but he needed to take the chance, if he would have any hope of saving Mary.

  Chapter Twenty

  The night had come. It was not as dark as Jayden had hoped. The moon was full and cast a dim light on the ground making it far too easy to see. This would have been a good thing if he did not have to worry about attracting attention while he and Oisin tried to weave their way through the woods unnoticed. Now, it would be much more difficult. It would also take more time.

  He and Oisin set out toward the last Kilto home hoping to find the answers they sought. It was slow going as Jayden had decided to stay in the cover of the trees far past the house and then backtrack. After leaving the cover of the forest they crawled, staying as low to the ground as possible. Small sporadic bushes provided some relief and a place to rest and stretch their aching knees. It took about two hours before they finally reached the outside of the building that they had their sights on.

  They did not speak. They had formulated their plan well before they started. Jayden would gaze through the window and determine if any Kaltaures were there and if so, how many. If there were two or more they would both enter. If there was only one, Jayden would enter while Oisin kept watch outside. The latter was what Jayden was hoping for and as he gazed through the window he smiled when he observed only one Kaltaures sitting down on a chair with his feet resting on a table. It was more than he could have hoped for; the soldier was sleeping. His sword was resting against the fireplace mantle several feet away from him. Jayden could see that the fire had recently gone out, leaving several ambers still glowing within the hearth of the large stone fireplace.

  Jayden signaled Oisin to let him know that there was only one soldier inside. Oisin gave him a nod and readied his sword. Jayden inched his way to the front of the dwelling holding a knife which his father had given him as a boy. In his other hand he carried some vine that they had gathered while waiting for nightfall to come.

  The door was unlocked which did not surprise Jayden. It would be rare for any Kilto even to possess a lock. They were too trusting. The door squeaked somewhat as he slowly pushed it open. The soldier moved slightly, but not enough to cause Jayden to rush in.

  Jayden was well trained in stealth and combat fighting. He controlled his breathing and walked across the floor without a sound. He was now just feet away from the back of the soldier. He placed his knife in his mouth and readied the vine by twisting it around one of his hands and then the other. Jayden was wearing leather gloves to prevent the snakes which adorned the soldier’s massive head from digging their fangs into his exposed skin. He left about four feet of vine in between each hand. He would need it to keep his body well away from the snakes reach.

  When Jayden was a mere foot away, he quietly sat on the floor. Once he had placed his feet securely on the back of the chair he swung the vine up and over the soldier’s head, while at the same time pushing his feet into the chair and falling back.

  The chair creaked slightly as the weight on it shifted from four legs to two. The soldier tried to scream but no sound came. The vine was digging into his neck cutting off his airway. Snakes hissed and lunged out at Jayden, but they were unable to reach any part of him aside from his well-protected hands.

  Jayden held his position. He was surprised how long the snakes held on deprived of the air and the blood that they relied upon from the soldier. If it took much longer the soldier would die, and they needed him alive. Finally, the snakes succumbed dangling limply from his head.

  Oisin did not miss a beat and instantly activated the second phase of the plan. Upon entering the dwelling he placed a bag over the soldier’s head, and tied it tightly with a vine just at the point where the bodies of the snakes joined the base of the soldier’s skull.

  “Hurry, Oisin! We need him alive. I don’t know how much longer he will last. The snakes took far longer to succumb than I would have thought,” Jayden whispered.

  Oisin continued to bind the soldier to the chair working as quickly as he could. With no time to spare, he finally tied the last knot around the soldier’s feet.

  “Okay,” Oisin said.

  Jayden immediately released the vine. The chair rocked forward making a loud bang as the front two legs once again resumed their normal position. The soldier’s head fell lifelessly forward. He was not breathing.

  Jayden quickly got to his feet. Cursing, he started slapping the soldiers face, making sure to avoid the long jagged tusks.

  “Breathe you filthy creature, breathe!” Jayden said as he began to pound on the soldier’s chest.

  Oisin began to think that their plan had failed. This soldier would not be giving them any information. Just as they both had given up hope, the soldier’s body convulsed and he gasped for air. The chair came crashing to the floor from the sudden movement.

  “Quickly, Oisin, check outside in case anyone heard anything.”

  As Oisin ran out of the building Jayden looked down at the creature who surprisingly looked rather scared.

  “How did you know we would be coming through here?” Jayden asked glaring at the soldier.

  “How did you know we were waiting for you?” the soldier laughed in response.

  Jayden had run out of patience. He grabbed his knife off the floor and rested the blade on the soldier’s left cheek.

  “You think your race is the only one capable of committing horrific acts, beast? I will do anything to save Rhol. You would be wise to listen. Perhaps I should start by cutting off the pets that grow from your head, one by one?”

  Jayden knew this would cause excruciating pain to the Kaltaures. Jayden could see in his eyes that the threat had him thinking.

  “But that won’t kill you right away, will it Kaltaures? So I will finish by gouging your eyes out so you will never see again, and then your tongue so you will never be able to say what happened to you. And you know as well as I do that the Kaltaures will not want you around. They will be embarrassed at your weakness. They will kill yo
u and feed you to the Ralcriff. Won’t they?”

  The soldier just stared at Jayden still not saying a word. “Perhaps you don’t believe me,” Jayden said covering the Kaltaures’ mouth and slicing off one of the snakes. The soldier’s eyes opened wide with pain. Oisin was becoming worried. Although the soldier’s screams were muffled he could still clearly hear them.

  “Still not talking? Well, you have no need for your tongue then, do you?” Jayden asked thrusting his knife through the soldier’s cheek.

  The soldier frantically mumbled something under Jayden’s hand. Jayden left his knife in place as he lifted his hand from the soldier’s mouth.

  “Abednego sent us. He said that two Lealians would come through here.”

  “What else did he say?” Jayden sternly asked.

  “We were to capture the one named Jayden and kill the other. Solharn wanted the one called Jayden alive so he could control him or something. His plan was to place him back in the Lealian army.”

  “You lie! Solharn would know better than to think a Lealian would ever betray another, let alone Rhol,” Jayden responded twisting the knife.

  “It is true,” the soldier said panicking, “I have seen it.”

  “Seen what?”

  “He forces them to swallow some black liquid that comes from inside him. It is horrible to witness. If they live through the pain they are completely in his control. It is how he builds his armies.”

  Jayden pulled the knife away from the soldier’s cheek. “You have still not answered my original question. How did Abednego know to send you here for us?”

  “I do not know exactly but there has been someone working against you for a long time. It is someone of Solace who betrays you. That is all I know.”

  Jayden’s mind fought to comprehend this information. Who could it be? He was only a little further ahead than he was before, but he actually believed the soldier knew nothing more.

  “I will keep my word. I will spare your life Kaltaures. That is what separates us,” Jayden said walking away.

  “You might as well kill me if you are going to leave me here like this! When they find me in the morning they will kill me themselves and brand me a coward for being captured.”

 

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