Deke Brolin Rhol

by Doug Backus

  There was no better time than now, Deke thought. He signaled Mary and together they began to concentrate, melding their minds together. Deo emerged as a Cawlaway and flew in behind Solharn poised to attack. Delca came in from above. She had decided to take on the form of a Balane, the animal that had once defeated her and left her at Solharn’s mercy.

  Unfortunately, Solharn had already predicted this trap. He stretched one arm behind him and one straight above, his eyes never left Deke’s, his malicious smile never changed. A great globe of darkness flew from his hand and encompassed Delca. Solharn whipped her around as if she were nothing more than a brief annoyance to him. He laughed at Deke, antagonizing him.

  “Let her go!” Mary yelled.

  “As you wish,” Solharn grinned.

  He released her, spinning through the air, entrapped within the sphere of dark energy. She struck the side of the mountain, but not before the energy around her dissipated so as not to break her fall. Mary broke away from Deke and looked on in horror as Delca’s true form took shape. One of her arms was twisted awkwardly backward and her leg appeared to dangle aimlessly below her knee. She was not moving, but she was still breathing. Mary could feel her. She was still alive, but in desperate need of help. Instinctively, she ran to her aid.

  Deo would not reach Solharn either. He was within feet of him when he was met with a wall of dark energy that rolled along the ground toward him. He was too close to change his path, and was hit with the full force of the black wall. It knocked him spiraling back, spinning helplessly through the air toward the depths of the Blackpool. In unison, Solharn arched his free hand to the ground releasing an orb of energy deep within it. The orb tore a path down under the soil toward Deke. Rocks and debris became weapons, soaring through the air toward him. Deke was forced to run, forced to break his concentration.

  Deo would no longer have the one advantage that may have helped him from the pool’s vicious waters. He lost his size, but more importantly his wings, as he transformed into his former self and plummeted into the dark murky waters of the Blackpool.

  “Deoooo!” Deke screamed in vain.

  Deo disappeared within a rolling wave. He struggled to stay afloat but the liquid was unlike water. It was thick, it felt alive. Tentacles of the dark liquid stretched over his body like tiny veins and began pulling him down into its depths. He began to experience extreme anger, numbness and a feeling of emptiness.

  Deke could feel Deo’s anger, his anguish, but at the same time he felt a feeling of extreme intensity, unbridled power. He could hear a familiar voice within him, Elissa’s voice.

  “Hold on, Deke. Do not be drawn into Solharn’s trap. Your mind is your own and only you control it.”

  Deo struggled to keep his head above the water. The tentacles had twisted around his legs binding them together. His arms were burning. He could feel the water on his face, feel it strangling him, pulling him in deeper and deeper. He took a breath of air and held it. He was quite sure it would be his last.

  Deke suddenly felt like a part of him was gone. It was as if he had been abandoned. Solharn sensed this right away. He could see it in Deke’s face just as he had seen it in the faces of the countless others who had lost part of themselves. Solharn loved to look into the eyes of his victims when he ripped their paladins, their spirit away from them. He knew Deke would be easily swayed now.

  “You cannot defeat me boy. Did you really believe that I would fall for the same ploy again? I knew exactly where your paladins were; you never stood a chance. You have been left to face me alone, brought here to save a world to which you owe nothing, a world that has used you to carry out an impossible task. It is not too late for you though. Think about it Deke. I am the only one that can help you reach your true potential. Join me and we will control the balance. We do not need their help, but we can help each other.”

  Solharn was right. Deke was here alone. Nobody of Rhol was here to help him. They had left him here to fight the Dark Angel alone. He had waited a long time to find his path, the path that would lead him to the destiny he deserved. He began to walk toward Solharn. He had made his decision.

  Ω

  The Chiling that had led them to this place suddenly evaporated into the mist as they flew over the crest of Mount Sibileo. They had flown in from the opposite side of the lake. Had they come the other way, Palto never would have seen Deo fall into its dark waters. It was almost as if the Chiling had sensed the impending danger to a lost soul. Palto flew straight for him, but Deo was pulled under the water before they arrived.

  “We have lost him, Jayden!”

  “Not yet!” Jayden said diving into the Blackpool.

  “Jayden!” Palto yelled while turning around to scour the black waters for any sign of him.

  Jayden knew he had one opportunity. He dove as deep as he could, still cognizant that he would have to swim back to the surface on a single breath of air. There was no point in opening his eyes. He would be blind either way. He could only hope that he had picked the exact spot where Deo had gone under. He was not disappointed as his hands felt the unmistakable feeling of hair. He had no time to be polite about it, and pulled Deo to the surface by his mane. The waters were wavy. Jayden looked in desperation for Palto, but saw only Phanthus. The dragon circled them once coming to a stop in midair, then lowered his tail into the water.

  Jayden could hear Oisin yelling for him to grab on. He swam toward them, towing Deo behind. Oisin was yelling for him to hurry. He could hear strange familiar noises as he swam. He concentrated trying to recall the sound, a very particular sound...all of the sudden it came to him. It was the unmistakable sound of arrows slicing through the surface of the water.

  He wondered where they came from and looked to Oisin for answers. He was standing on Phanthus madly stringing and firing, arrow after arrow, at a lightning fast pace. A sick feeling began to grow within his stomach and he swam faster, using all the strength he had left to give. Finally, he managed to hook an arm around the dragon’s massive tail. His other arm remained coiled around Deo. Oisin’s bow did not relent as Phanthus began to drag them through the water towards the shore.

  Jayden could see now what would surely have been a painful death for him and Deo. Floating on the water behind him, he could see that a great number of Freta had succumbed to Oisin’s arrows. The remnants of them frantically pierced the surface of the water, and dove back in trying to gather enough speed to close the distance between them and their prey. Jayden was more than happy to see that they could not keep up with the dragon’s speed. The Freta were a vicious enough fish when they were not consumed with the dark liquid that now filtered its way through their gills. They were made up mostly of teeth, long needle like protrusions that were inches long. Their bones grew on the outside of their long slender forms making them look as if they had already died once and come back for more.

  Jayden was relieved when he felt the familiar sensation of sand scraping his legs as they were dragged up onto shore. He released his grip on Phanthus and came to a rolling stop. Jayden quickly waved his thanks and ran to Deo’s side. Deo was not moving and lay face down in the sand. He quickly turned him over surprised to find him laughing, laughing as if he were demented. His eyes were the color of coal, lifeless black specks that stared right through him.

  Ω

  Phanthus flew straight for Solharn, approaching him from behind. He could see that Deke was under his spell. He was walking toward Solharn in a daze.

  “Oisin, we must distract the Dark Angel. I do not know whether we were able to get Deo out of the Blackpool in time to save him. Deke may have lost his paladin and without Deo, his mind will be easily manipulated by Solharn.”

  The storms Solharn had created provided the noise Phanthus needed to move in undetected, and Issa and Kaelyn provided the distraction. They had seen Phanthus coming and knew he had a far better chance of causing damage to Solharn than they. Selflessly, they made themselves decoys by flying directly in front of him.
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  The distraction worked, but it would not have the effect they anticipated. Solharn had felt the heat of the fire behind him long before it reached its destination. He was able to create a vortex of sorts that simply sucked the flames into its cavity. Solharn was enraged and Issa became the focus of his anger.

  They were flying away, but they would not escape his wrath. Great orbs of energy formed between his hands and were catapulted toward them at an alarming rate. Issa maneuvered around the first three, but could not evade the fourth. It struck her wing causing her to spiral helplessly to the ground. She managed to slow her descent somewhat but the impact would break her front legs and cause Kaelyn to fly off, somersaulting through the air. Kaelyn hit the ground and skidded across the dirt trying desperately to grab on to anything she could to slow her pace. It would be the last thing she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness.

  Moments later, she awoke. Her entire body was aching and blood covered much of her face and hands. Her nose throbbed from being twisted into such an unnatural position, and the skin of her fingers looked as if it had been peeled back from her flesh. A short distance away she could make out the body of Issa, lying motionless on the ground and ran to her side. She had sustained the brunt of the fall. Her front legs looked deformed, her white coat appeared brown from the dirt and blood which covered it.

  “Issa, Issa speak to me,” Kaelyn begged.

  Issa moved her head slightly. She was glad to see Kaelyn had survived. “Kaelyn, leave me. You must stop Deke. Solharn cannot gain possession of the Amulet or him.”

  “Stop him?” questioned Kaelyn.

  “Kaelyn, you saw the same thing I did before we were hit. Deke no longer controls his own actions.”

  “We don’t know that Issa. We….”

  “Kaelyn, you do know! You just don’t want to admit it! Nobody wants to admit it is over, but it is, and Solharn must never possess the amulet. If it is given to him he will be able to use its powers.”

  Kaelyn did not answer. She could not comprehend what Issa was saying to her. She did not want to comprehend it.

  “Look at him, Kaelyn!” Issa shrieked. “Look at Deke! He is standing in front of Solharn. He is no longer in control!”

  Kaelyn stood up from her kneeling position. “I will be back for you, Issa,” Kaelyn said.

  She could see her sword lying on the ground a few feet away and began to walk toward it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she bent down and picked it up. She stood there looking at it for several seconds, wiped the tears from her eyes and then she began to run toward Deke.

  Ω

  “Phanthus, behind us!” Oisin yelled.

  Phanthus turned hoping that he would not see what he had been dreading all along. He knew it was coming as soon as Solharn laid eyes upon him. They were the only creatures that were relatively his size and strength. To make matters worse, there were two of them and they were both possessed with the darkness. Solharn had sent the Balane in pursuit of him.

  It was not that he was afraid to fight, but these large animals were normally peaceful. They were not acting on their own accord just as he had not, when he had been cursed with the same fate. Complicating things even more was the fact that the Balane were quite nearly extinct themselves. He could not fight something that did not act of its own volition. Nor could he end their lives knowing that he would be responsible for the extinction of their race. He could see Oisin was readying himself for battle. He was placing his arrows in front of him for easy access.

  “Put your arrows away, Oisin. This is not a battle that we will be able to fight.”

  “But Phanthus, these creatures look crazed! They are not the Balane that we are normally accustomed to,” he pleaded.

  “You are right about that, but it is not their fault. They know not what they do. They are under Solharn’s control. I will not be responsible for their deaths,” Phanthus answered, maneuvering through the skies to avoid them.

  “Okay, what are we to do then?”

  “The only thing we can; lead them away from the others. The Balane cannot fly long distances so perhaps they will turn away eventually. Until that time, we will do our best to avoid coming into contact with them. Keep me apprised of where they are should they get close.”

  Phanthus continued to fly up and around the mountain cliffs and gullies surrounding Mount Sibileo in an attempt to avoid the Balane. He led them to the far side of the lake away from the others. Oisin kept him informed of how close they were getting, and Phanthus would adjust his speed accordingly while ripping over the mountain and back around. The Balane never relented; their minds were no longer their own. Oisin had seen a Balane before, but not like these. The red crimson colour surrounding their eyes seemed to be burned right into their skin. They had no control over their jaws which constantly snapped in the air searching for something, anything to clamp down upon. They were mad with hunger and hatred. They screeched and bawled as their bodies twirled and twisted through the air trying to get closer.

  Oisin had to look again to be sure, but when Phanthus came around the last cliff he could only see one Balane behind them.

  “Phanthus, we have lost one of the Balane. Only one pursues us now!” Oisin yelled.

  “Perhaps it turned ba... ”

  It had not turned back. It had come around the front of them and was hurtling through the air toward them. They were caught in between the two crazed animals. Phanthus dove quickly but he would not escape the Balane’s jagged teeth which clamped down on his neck, sending him spiralling downward through the air.

  Ω

  Deke could feel the rage building up inside of him as the distance closed between him and Solharn. He tried to shut Elissa out of his mind, but he couldn’t. “Deke, do not lose yourself. Remember who you are! Remember what you have learned about Solharn! Do not lose yourself.”

  Deke stopped and grabbed his head. “Stop it. I have not lost myself. I have been found. This is what I want; it is what I need.”

  “Who are you talking to boy? What are you waiting for? Come to me! Fulfill your destiny,” Solharn droned.

  Elissa’s voice would not relent. “Do not listen to him, Deke. Remember what your focus is. Remember your true path.”

  “I have decided my path,” yelled Deke as he started once again to walk toward Solharn.

  “Yes boy, come and our paths will join. We will be one,” Solharn responded, thinking Deke was talking to him.

  Deke reached out for Solharn’s hand. Mary yelled for him to stop, but her voice was only a distant echo to him.

  Ω

  Deo hissed and rolled over taking Jayden with him, pinning him to the ground. Black veins branched out across his face. His mouth was open and he was screeching. His breath smelled like a rotting corpse. Deo’s hands were wrapped around Jayden’s neck, choking the life out of him. Jayden struggled to breathe. He was slipping into unconsciousness and was seconds from death.

  He thought he was dreaming as he watched a cloaked figure approach Deo from behind and place a hand on his shoulder. Deo immediately became silent. Jayden watched as the black veins slowly disappeared from his face and his eyes faded from black to their regular ashen grey. Air began to fill Jayden’s lungs. He could breathe again. Deo still sat on top of him. Realizing he had done something horrible, he began to apologize profusely, but Jayden was more interested in the figure that he had seen.

  “Deo, it is fine. I know it was not your doing but please get off.”

  Deo immediately rose apologizing once again. “Never mind, Deo. Did you see somebody? Anybody?”

  “I saw only you Jayden, no one else,” Deo responded.

  Palto landed beside them. “Jayden, Deo. Are you alright?”

  “We are fine. Did you see a figure by us Palto?” Jayden asked.

  “No, only you and Deo. Why?”

  “I saw somebody, something,” Jayden answered.

  “You can figure it out later, Jayden. We must move quickly. The others await u
s and Deke needs our help. Quickly, both of you climb on.”

  Ω

  With Deo’s revival Deke suddenly felt normal again, if only for a fleeting moment. He felt rejuvenated as if his outer spirit had returned to him. He could see clearly again, and took a step back when he realized how close he was to Solharn. The words of Elissa came flooding back to him; they had meaning once again. No longer were her words drawn and incoherent. She was repeating the same thing over and over again trying to bring him back.

  It wouldn’t last though, it couldn’t. Solharn’s hold over him was too strong. He took a step toward Deke and stretched his hand out toward him. “Are you ready, Deke! Are you ready to begin the next phase of your life?” Solharn preached.

  “I am,” Deke responded.

  Chapter Forty

  Palto could see that Deke was no longer who he once was. He had taken the amulet from his neck. He was going to relinquish it to Solharn. Palto realized that hope for Rhol was evaporating before his very eyes. Without the boy of earth, everything would be lost. They could not fight Solharn without him or Elissa. Palto could never relinquish himself to the Dark Angel. Nor could he allow the Sacred Amulet of Rhol to fall into Solharn’s hands. That would be blasphemy.

  It was apparent that Kaelyn had come to the same conclusion. He could see her running toward Deke with her sword poised to strike, but she was too far away to get to him in time.