by Doug Backus
“That is not the way I remember it, Phanthus, but I have been around long enough to know that there are two sides to every story. Even still, you have been an enemy of Rhol for centuries. As recently as yesterday you attacked me and my people. I have no reason to trust you.”
“Nor I you Palto, yet here we stand. It is true that I have been your enemy for what seems to be an eternity. As far as the last few days, I have no recollection of what I did. I was under Solharn’s spell until a boy saved me. I would have never thought there would be a day when we could become allies, but then I never had any faith in the inhabitants of Rhol, or for that matter, anyone but my kind. Then I saw an unexpected side of a boy who was brought here to save Rhol, a side that showed compassion for another kind that was quite unlike himself. If he is in fact the prodigy who will save Rhol, then I will fight alongside him because he has a unique view of life. To him, every life is precious and everyone is equal. The boy put his life at risk to convince me of this. He knew that your chances of defeating Solharn would be far greater if I fought alongside of you. He counted on his faith that I would believe in what he had to say, and he is counting on your faith to believe in me.”
“The boy you speak of. What is his name?” Palto asked.
“His name is Deke. He is in the Tiqor Swamps and he and his friends desperately await our help to free Elissa.”
“They have found Elissa?” Palto exclaimed.
“The girl, Mary, claims to know where she is. They make their way to her through the swamps as we speak.”
“I would like to believe you Phanthus, but what you say could be nothing more than another trap. I cannot trust you.”
“Yet you still have not given the order to attack. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Palto answered.
“Perhaps it is because you know I could have wiped out your entire army within seconds. Yet even as they flew from the cliffs they remained unscathed. Maybe it is because you would like so very much to be able to trust me, for I would be a valuable ally to you Palto, as you would be to me.”
“If what you say is true then why did the boy or one of his friends not come with you?”
“Because time is running out for Elissa and as we speak they are converging on her location, all while fighting the Phits. They need your help. I can help more here in the open fields. My switching of sides will take Solharn’s armies by surprise, but if you cannot find a way to believe what I tell you, then let us go our own ways. I will return to the boy and do what I can to help save Elissa. It is your decision to make but decide now.”
Palto continued to stare at Phanthus. He was having a hard time believing what Phanthus said. For all he knew, Phanthus had killed the boy and this was a convenient trick. On the other hand, if Phanthus was being honest and truly wished to fight alongside them, it would certainly improve the odds of victory. It was a hard decision for Palto to weigh in his mind.
His troops eagerly awaited his next words. Palto looked over at Jayden. If he had been possessed by Solharn, it was certainly possible that Phanthus had been also. The dragon could most certainly be lying, but it was also true that Phanthus could have wiped out a large portion of their army without difficulty had he wanted to. His story was certainly plausible, but this was Phanthus. He had never doubted one of his decisions before, nor had he taken so long to make one. He knew if he did not make it soon it would show doubt and weakness. He hoped he would not regret the decision he had just made.
“Stand down!” Palto yelled to his troops.
He noticed some hesitated but eventually, they too fell back into line amongst their fellow warriors.
“I will go to the boy and his friends Phanthus. Which part of the Tiqor Swamps will I be headed toward?”
“The Phits home territory is where we believe Elissa is being held. That is also where you will find Deke, Deo, Mary and Delca. At least that is where they were headed when I left them.”
“And what am I up against?” Palto asked.
“More Phits then you can imagine. Even I could not hold them at bay in such close quarters.”
“Kaelyn! Issa!” Palto yelled.
Issa walked toward Palto. Kaelyn sat tall and proud upon her as they approached. “Yes, Palto?”
“You will lead our troops here on the battleground of Solace. I will take a small contingency of the army and head to the Tiqor Swamps where we believe Elissa is being held.”
Kaelyn did not ask any questions nor did Issa. Both just nodded a response with their heads indicating that they understood.
“And Phanthus, what should I expect your role to be?” Palto asked.
“I think my capabilities can best be put to use here in Solace, in the open air. I am more than willing to sit and discuss strategy with these two young warriors that you placed in charge,” Phanthus said staring down at Issa and Kaelyn.
“Very well, if I might ask one more question Phanthus? You said the boy saved you when you were possessed by Solharn. Can he save others in the same way?” Palto asked looking over toward Jayden.
“I do not know, Palto. He did mention saving a friend of his from the same fate, so I can only assume he can.”
That was all Palto needed to hear, he had Jayden placed onto his back and secured. He would carry him to the swamps in hopes that Deke could save him. It would be the second time Jayden’s fate would rest with Palto.
Palto selected twenty-five Pegapires and their Lealian warriors to accompany him to the swamps. It was time, a decade in the making. These would be the final battles which would determine whether Rhol lived or died.
He briefed his small army, and without another word they took flight toward the Tiqor Swamps. He could see abnormally dark clouds coming in over the mountains from the west. Rolling waves of lightning appeared to light them up from within, before they spat out branches of atmospheric electricity that crackled loudly before crashing to the ground.
It seemed to him that the unstable weather which suddenly appeared might just be nature’s nervous reaction to what was about to take place.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Everyone was making sure they kept up with Mary. They had been walking, running and crawling through winding trails, underground tunnels and deep scrub so thick you could not see more than a foot in front of you. She was not lying when she had said she knew these swamps inside and out. If any of them had become separated from her, they would never find their way out. That worked to Mary’s advantage because on top of knowing where she was going, she was determined to forge on without rest. She hadn’t taken a single break in the last five hours.
They had been lucky when the Phits initially attacked. The Phits had concentrated on the larger target, Phanthus, which had allowed Mary to lead everyone away with relative ease. Since then, they had run into very few Phits. So few, that she alone had taken care of them with the blow gun she kept wrapped around her back. Deke was amazed as he watched her maneuver through these swamps. She knew every twist and turn and made no sound at all. He was not as stealthy and quite often got a little look from Mary, silently telling him to be quiet.
Finally, Mary allowed them to take a break. “We will rest here for the next hour. We are almost upon the Phit camps and will have to gather as much strength as we can,” Mary said to the relief of the others.
Deke, Deo and Delca sat down almost in unison and began to rub their aching feet. Mary was rustling through her bag.
“Unfortunately, I had no time to skin and cook our dinner for today. I tried to avoid you having to see what you were actually eating, but we have no time for luxuries,” Mary said throwing what appeared to be a big blob of skin to the ground.
“It smells awful,” Delca said turning up her nose.
“It tastes better cooked, but we cannot start a fire either, so dig in,” Mary said throwing three knives to the ground.
Deke cut into the side of the blob only to have a blue liquid squirt all over his face. “Ahh, this is disgusting! What is
it, anyway?”
“It is a Torslenda. Pretty much all you can eat in these swamps. So eat! All of you need your energy. Just close your eyes and hold your breath if you can’t stomach it.”
The three found that was good advice as they dug away at the Torslenda. Its flesh was soft and squishy, and felt much like warm ice cream sliding down your throat when you swallowed it. Other than nourishment, it really had no redeeming qualities at all. It smelled foul and left your teeth and lips blue. They finished their meal as quickly as they could to avoid any prolonged suffering.
Mary smiled briefly, looking at their blue lips and teeth before readying them for the next part of their journey. “We will be in the Phits’ prime territory within the hour. Hopefully, many of them will be looking for us throughout the swamp, but even if that’s the case, there will be more than enough for us to deal with. I am going to take you to specific spots surrounding the area where Elissa is being held. Use all of the darts you have. You will be well hidden, and if you don’t move they won’t detect you. We can only hope that Phanthus has convinced Palto to send help, but we can’t count on it. So, once the Phits surrounding the cavern have fallen, we will move in immediately.”
They all rested a little longer before heading out on the last leg of their journey. It did not seem long before Mary started placing them in their designated spots, warning them not to move before continuing on. They were to give her a half an hour before they took out a Phit. She wanted all four of them to attack at one time. It certainly was not easy, there were Phits all over the place. They sometimes appeared as if they were looking right at you. It made Deke’s skin crawl.
Deke had counted at least seven while he waited. It had become surprisingly cold in the short time that he had sat there. He chalked it up to the fact that it had started raining, and his body was slowly cooling off from sitting still. It was also getting much darker, earlier than usual, he thought. He had done the best he could to count down a half an hour in his head. He did not want to strike early, but was sure it was time. He looked up hoping to see Pegapires flying through the air, but saw nothing aside from a Phit plummeting down from the sky toward him. He readied his blow gun, but did not have to use it as the horrid creature crashed to the ground mere feet from him. He could see a dart protruding from its side. If he previously had any doubts that it was time, there were none now.
It wasn’t much longer before Deke downed his first one and then his second. He was getting used to hearing their wings, and that gave him the advantage. Several minutes had passed without any sign of the Phits. Then he heard the signal Mary had told them all to listen for. It was a low growl followed by a popping noise. It was apparently the mating sound of some sort of large toad. In any event, it meant that the time to advance was near. Deke figured it was really more of a warning not to shoot Mary in a panic when she came to get them.
Within minutes after the signal, Mary appeared before Deke followed by Delca and Deo. She used a hand signal telling them to be quiet as they moved in on the cavern. Phits were lying everywhere. Mary quickly grabbed the first one they came to by the feet and dragged it out of sight. The other three followed suit, hiding the motionless bodies of the Phits as they walked along, until finally reaching the entrance to the cavern.
Mary squeezed through the small passageway first, followed by the rest. Steps led them down a dimly lit corridor. Mary made sure they stayed a distance back. She wanted complete silence while she maneuvered each step slowly making sure to peer around every corner they came to. Occasionally, her hand would come up motioning them to stop. Then in one movement she would reach for her blowgun, pull it up to her mouth and sling it back around her back. That motion was followed by a scraping noise as the paralyzed victim slowly fell against the wall and slid to the ground. By the time they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Deke had walked past the bodies of at least four Phits who had succumbed to the darts laced with poison.
The stairs led them to a large room. They frantically searched it for any sign of Elissa. Their search did not end in the celebration they had hoped for. Elissa was nowhere to be found amongst the gold urns and trinkets that adorned the room. Mary kicked out in anger at the coins which lay strewn all over the floor. It was a dead end, the only way out was the way they came in. There was no sign of Elissa. It was simply the Phit’s treasure trove.
Mary was devastated. “I don’t believe it. I have put all of our lives in danger for what, trinkets?”
“Mary, you couldn’t have known. It was the most logical place to look. If we had ignored it, we would just be wondering,” Delca said comforting her.
“Or perhaps we would be closer to finding Elissa. Because of me we have wasted two days here. I should have considered the fact that the area was guarded to protect their treasures,” Mary responded. She was clearly frustrated.
“We all made the decision to come, Mary,” Deke pointed out.
“I convinced you to come and you trusted me. Even Phanthus trusted my instincts. I failed you and I have failed myself.”
“Stop, Mary. There is no time for this. We will find Elissa, maybe not today, but we will find her. Right now we have to get out of here before we are discovered.”
Mary just shook her head, dejected. “I will lead you out of here Deke, but that will be the end of my journey. I have spent the better part of two years living in this swamp, mapping and making plans to break into...into this.”
“Mary…,” Deke began.
“Never mind, follow me,” Mary said in frustration walking toward the stairs.
Deke knew there was no point in talking to her now. He would try to comfort her later. He could not blame her for being upset. He probably would have felt the same way.
The other two had already begun to follow Mary up the stairs. Deke followed behind feeling a little dejected himself. They were running out of time. He reached the bottom of the steps and began to climb. He wasn’t sure why but every step he took became harder, as if something was weighing him down. His neck felt tight, and it was becoming harder to breathe. He wondered if his body had finally given up.
He grabbed for the amulet that hung on his chest. It was gone. Deke became frantic. How could I have lost it, he thought? He turned around quickly to look for it and there, in front of his eyes, was the Amulet of Rhol. It was floating in midair still attached to the chain around his neck which was ever so slightly pulling him forward in the direction in which it was pointed.
“Mary! Deo! Come back!” Deke yelled up the stairs.
He could hear them running back down toward him.
“What is it, Deke?” Deo asked with his sword at the ready.
But they did not need an answer. The amulet was glowing. A brilliant blue color surrounded it and got brighter with every step Deke took.
“What do you think is happening, Deke?” Mary asked.
“I think the amulet is telling you that you were right, Mary. I think it is leading us to Queen Elissa,” Deke responded in excitement.
“But we checked everywhere, we…”
Everyone stood in silence staring at the amulet. It had led Deke to one of the rock walls. The point of the arrowhead was just touching it. Slowly the wall began to crumble into small pebbles that fell to the floor of the cavern, eventually revealing the outline of a door. There were several locks around the outer edges which melted away one by one as the amulet moved to touch each of them. When the last of the locks had disappeared, the amulet fell back onto Deke’s chest, its blue light extinguished.
Deke reached out and grabbed the handle. The door creaked loudly as if moaning in protest at being disturbed as he pulled it open. Mary hugged Deke. It looked like a crypt large enough for one person. There was no coffin though. Instead there was a dark force, a shroud, surrounding the figure of a woman, a Queen. It was Elissa.
“We have done it! We have found her Deke!” Mary exclaimed.
“Deke, can you release her from her bonds?” Delca asked.
> “There is only one way to find out,” Deke answered grabbing the amulet. He could feel the power begin to surge through his body. He reached out toward the shroud that encased Elissa, not knowing, but hoping that something would happen. Blue streaks of light shot from his extended hand and attached to the shroud of darkness. Deo watched expecting to see the core of light turn black, to see Deke slowly absorb it and free Elissa, but that did not happen. Instead the shroud began to absorb the blue light. The more it absorbed, the closer Deke was pulled toward it.
Unlike the other two times Deke had used the amulet’s powers, Deo could feel something within himself, an overwhelming feeling of distance, of loneliness. He felt almost disembodied and he suddenly realized why.
“Deke, let go of the amulet! The shroud is absorbing the amulets energy. It is absorbing your energy!” Deo yelled.
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Deke was becoming far weaker than he had ever felt before. He could not hear, nor could he feel anything, as the shroud pulled him closer and closer, slowly sucking away at his very essence.
“Mary! Delca! Quickly, we must pull him away!” Deo yelled.
All three grabbed Deke trying to slow his advance. Almost instantly Mary began to scream and convulse uncontrollably. Her mind suddenly became filled with death, with the image of rotting bodies strewn over the ground. She could not escape the faces of the dead. Their eyes were white and blood oozed out of every orifice. In her nightmare, she frantically ran, but there was nowhere to go. At every turn she ended up tripping over another rotting corpse.
“Mary, what is it?” Delca yelled.
She did not answer, she couldn’t answer. She was too frightened, unable to move. In her dream she had fallen again, fallen over yet another lifeless corpse. But this one was much different than the others; this face she knew all too well. It was the face she had seen countless times in the form of her own reflection. She screamed in horror as it laughed back at her.
“It’s the shroud!” Deo yelled. “It must not affect us as it does them. Their souls control emotion. The shroud has taken them both to a dark place! Quickly! We have to find a way to break the link!”
