by Brandon Chen
“I could’ve sworn that I sensed a familiar aura,” a voice said from behind Moriaki. The elf turned around, recognizing an old friend from several centuries ago. “It’s nice to see you, Moriaki.”
“Likewise, Zylon,” Moriaki said with a broad smile. Zylon had spiky red hair, the color of fire, which pointed towards the sky like sharp blades of grass. The man wore a dark cloak over his white attire. It was rare to see someone lacking a weapon, as Zylon was, but Moriaki knew that the man had no need for a blade in order to defend himself. After all, he was renowned for being one of Terrador’s greatest heroes. “It’s been centuries, and you haven’t aged a day. You still look like you’re in your twenties.”
Zylon walked forward and embraced the druid with a hearty chuckle. “Is that so? Well, they don’t call me an immortal for nothing. It’s been, what, two hundred years since we’ve last seen each other? You’re just as I remember you. Maybe your ears got a little longer.”
“I highly doubt that,” Moriaki said, laughing. He smiled at the quiet boy standing by the immortal. “Who is the youngling beside you?”
“Ah, this is my son,” Zylon said, nodding to the boy. He looked to be around the age of twenty and was wearing a pair of glasses. His dark hair brushed down just above his shy eyes and his lips were pursed in a pout. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit, which had clearly been tailored by a professional. Underneath one arm, he held a large book that was thicker than his entire arm. “Noah, this is Moriaki. He is the Druid of the North and has maintained the balance of Escalon for centuries.”
“To an extent, Lichholme is a realm beyond the reach of my power,” Moriaki said, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, what are you two doing on Escalon? I thought that you’d settled on the human continent of Etherica.”
“I’ve come to recruit young mages to assist me in combating an organization known as the Bounts,” Zylon said. “Surely you’ve heard of them; they’re an infamous terrorist group. And you? What business do you have in Reidan?”
“I’m here to try and save Escalon from falling out of balance, as usual,” Moriaki said, looking at both of the men before him. “Actually, I could use your help. The continent is in quite a dangerous predicament at the moment. The city of Horux has been overrun by werewolves.”
“Werewolves?”
“Indeed. One was imprisoned underneath Horux for centuries, but was recently released. He’s infected the people of Horux, and now the virus will become a threat to all of the humans of Escalon if it leaves that peninsula,” Moriaki said, folding his arms.
Zylon whistled, not as fazed by the situation as one would think. He tapped his chin, deep in thought. “That does seem like a problem. Then you’ve come here to request assistance from Iradia to try and contain the virus while you search for a solution to this … werewolf issue,” he said, smiling when the druid nodded. “Interesting. How exactly do you plan to get an audience with the king? He’s a busy man, you know. He won’t see even the Druid of the North immediately, even if you claim that it is an emergency.”
Moriaki narrowed his eyes and groaned. He knew the immortal was right. “Yeah, I’d planned to just turn into a mouse and sneak into the throne room to force his attention.”
Zylon chortled, holding his belly as he gave the elf’s shoulder a friendly slap. “Oh gods, that is a dangerous decision to make, my friend. Here, I’ll get you an audience with the king. We’re old friends.”
“As you are with most people that I stumble across,” Moriaki said, rolling his eyes. Nevertheless, he grinned. “Go on then, lead the way. I’ll fill you in on what I know.”
***
The three of them strolled through Reidan’s busy streets, making their way to the grand castle gates that led to the royal family’s land. All of the guards recognized Zylon, and he was clearly a celebrity of sorts amongst the people of Iradia. Citizens constantly greeted him in the streets and the charming man would respond with a friendly wave.
Noah was silent, reading his book as Moriaki explained Horux’s current situation to Zylon in detail. The boy suddenly closed his manuscript and looked at the druid. “So, do you have a particular plan for after those werewolves are contained on their peninsula? In fact, what is preventing them from leaving Horux and journeying out into Escalon as we speak? Is trapping them even an option anymore?”
Moriaki raised an eyebrow at the boy’s barrage of questions, but soon found himself smiling. These were good questions to ask, as he expected of the son of one of Terrador’s immortal heroes. “I’ve set up several wards forged from nature magic throughout the forest outside of Horux. In addition, I’ve laid out a second defensive layer of magical barriers in another forest near the edge of the peninsula. The soonest Faelen could’ve departed was yesterday. It would take his forces four days to defeat my wards and get through them.”
“In order to meet that deadline, you’ll need to have the king’s soldiers riding with all haste towards Escalon’s southern peninsula by tomorrow morning,” Zylon said with a raised eyebrow. “That is assuming the worst — that the werewolves left Horux yesterday.”
The immortal led his son and the druid across a long, grassy yard towards a gigantic, towering iron fortress. This castle was very different from various other citadels Moriaki had visited in Terrador. Unlike the other structures in Reidan, this stronghold was built to withstand raids and invasions. Its roofs had jagged spikes protruding from its iron top, and a fortified door made of the hardest steel covered the entrance to the building. Soldiers surrounded the perimeter of the building, and dozens of squadrons of guards patrolled through the castle grounds, marching past them.
Moriaki played with the hem of his robe, shrugging as they approached the giant door of the fortress. “I didn’t say that I had much time to plan things,” he said, watching as one of the soldiers raised his gauntlet, halting the group just outside of the steel door. The door groaned open, and one of the guards went into the citadel while the other stayed with Moriaki’s party.
Noah looked to his father. “What’s going on?”
Zylon smiled at the soldier, who saluted the well-known hero. “They need to inform the king that I am here with the Druid of the North. Surely, Lord Reimos will understand that our visit is important if both of us are here together,” he said, raising his arms into the air as the soldier began to search the party for weapons.
Moriaki’s face contorted into a frown when the soldier relieved him of his staff, but he understood that it was merely protocol. The guard that had entered the castle minutes before returned promptly and nodded. “King Reimos has postponed his meeting with his military advisors to see you now,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “Please, follow me.”
Walking through the iron halls of the stronghold, Moriaki noticed that the inside of the castle lacked any sign of extravagance. The walls did not have ostentatious paintings, as many other royal palaces did, nor were there any other pieces of artwork throughout the halls of the citadel. Instead, lit torches were secured to the walls on sconces, illuminating the corridors. The doors were all made of solid steel, and there were triple the amount of guards of any ordinary citadel. The building seemed to be packed with warriors that were ready for any surprise assault. Moriaki understood that such defenses were necessary, especially within Escalon. Many enemies wanted the king of the human empire dead.
Walking into a massive, circular room, the elf found himself facing the king of Reidan, who sat upon a golden throne on the far side of the space. Knights armed with pikes surrounded the perimeter of the throne room, watching the newcomers as they were escorted before the king. Moriaki, Zylon, and Noah all halted in the center of the throne room and knelt in homage to the lord.
Lord Reimos looked more like a viking warrior than an ordinary king. He was dressed in a suit of heavy armor, and wore the pelt of a white bear over his head instead of his crown. At the side of his throne was a gigantic mace; it was the size of a man, and enchanted so that it barely w
eighed thirty pounds. Scratching his grizzly beard, Reimos chuckled as he gazed upon his visitors. “The Immortal Zylon and the Druid of the North — it’s wonderful to see both of you after so long. I believe I was a child when I last saw you, Zylon.”
“Yes, milord,” Zylon said, raising his head. He slowly rose up and struck his chest, saluting the king. “I am glad to see that you are well.”
“It’s interesting to see a human who doesn’t age,” Lord Reimos said, looking at Noah. “Who is the young man beside you?”
“That would be my son.”
“Ah, and I’m sure that he’s equally as talented,” the king said, thrumming his fingers against the arm of his throne. “If you’re together, I’m assuming that you’ve both come here for an important reason.” He leaned his chin against his knuckle, ready to listen. “Tell me.”
***
Yuri fell onto his hands and knees, morphing back into his human form. He could finally see Reidan in the distance. Exhausted after a long day of running, he exhaled with great relief. Sweat poured down his face, soaking his torn shirt, and he closed his eyes, bathing himself in sunlight. They had moved across Escalon at double the speed that they had anticipated, arriving at the capital of Iradia several hours after noon.
Archerus gave Yuri a slap on the back, walking past the boy. “You moved swiftly today. Now that you can transform freely between your forms, covering ground will be a lot easier,” he said, gazing at the massive walls of Reidan in the distance. “We’d better continue the rest of our journey on foot. We wouldn’t want to startle the guards with two werewolves charging towards the city.”
Yuri groaned, pushing himself back to his feet as he stumbled forward after Archerus. “Gods, please spare me of this agony.”
“What happened to all of that energy you had earlier, eh?” Archerus jested, smirking at the wearied boy.
“Oh, shut up.”
***
Lord Reimos listened to Moriaki’s tale and raised his eyebrows as the druid finished, closing his eyes. “Horux’s collapse is certainly a tragedy. Earlier today, its king arrived in Reidan, requesting that we aid the refugees that are now flooding into Teolan from the fallen city. The story that the royal family told me aligns with yours, Moriaki. But they did not mention this Faelen individual that you’ve described. He leads this pack of transformed beasts? Why is it that the werewolves turned to him for leadership?”
Moriaki looked at the king with an expression of surprise, not having expected the royal family of Horux to arrive in Reidan so quickly. Yes, he had anticipated that they would eventually come to the capital to request aid of Iradia’s king. However, they truly must’ve traveled with all haste to arrive here before the druid. “Werewolves, like many beasts, look to their strongest for leadership. Faelen is by far the most powerful werewolf in history, because he has dark magic at his disposal.”
“Dark magic? So, he is an intelligent beast,” King Reimos murmured. “At the request of the king of Horux, I have already agreed to send a small force to the southern peninsula of Escalon in order to contain these werewolves. However, after speaking with you, I am beginning to think that we may require a larger army if we are to push back the monsters. Not to mention, there is always the risk that the infection could spread if any of my soldiers are bitten.”
“Might I suggest a tactic, Lord Reimos?” Noah spoke suddenly, catching everyone in the room by surprise. The boy had been silent since their arrival. “I’ve read that werewolves are vulnerable to silver. If we can buy time to build barricades of silver, and perhaps eventually a wall, we will be able to contain the werewolves indefinitely.”
“A wall across the southern peninsula,” Lord Reimos said with a laugh. “That would surely take a lot of resources, boy.”
“Then perhaps not a wall, but barricades … some form of fortifications will surely be needed in order to prevent the werewolves from leaving the peninsula. I believe that is a good plan,” Zylon said, smiling proudly at his son. His attention went back to the king. “I am willing to travel to the front along with a small force to buy time for the transfer of supplies.”
Lord Reimos narrowed his eyes and groaned, reaching up and rubbing his temples. He was clearly stressed out by this entire situation, knowing that he needed to find a solution to this urgent problem immediately. Understanding the importance of trapping the werewolves, the king nodded reluctantly. “All right, immortal. You’ll leave with a force of five hundred soldiers tonight. I expect that you’ll be able to protect them from the werewolves until reinforcements and supplies arrive the following week.” The king lowered his hands to his side, his expression relaxing. “What is your plan for the long-term handling of these werewolves? We cannot just keep them permanently caged on the peninsula. Something must be done about them.”
Moriaki was about to open his mouth when suddenly there was a loud bang behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Yuri and Archerus were standing in the doorway to the throne room, drenched in sweat. They looked absolutely exhausted. Behind them were three guards with weapons pointed at their backs. The druid blinked as he looked at his two friends and stifled a laugh. “You two arrived a lot quicker than I thought you would.”
“We rushed here as quickly as possible,” Archerus said, pouting at the iron pikes that were prodding at his back. “Oh, come on. You can lower your weapons. We pose no threat.”
“Milord, these two claim to be companions of the Druid of the North and have come here regarding news of the—” one soldier said but was silenced by a gentle wave of the king’s hand. The warrior bowed his head and left the room with his colleagues, closing the door to the throne room behind them.
Lord Reimos indicated the two newcomers with a calm gesture. “Who are your friends, Moriaki?”
“This is Yuri,” the druid said, pointing to the boy. He then nodded to the man. “That’s Archerus. The two of them are survivors of the Horuxian massacre. They were the ones that gave me the information that I’ve relayed to you.”
The king smiled at the two visitors. “You two must be tired. You’re free to stay here for the time being. I’ll have my servants set up rooms for you.” Watching as both Yuri and Archerus bowed in appreciation, Lord Reimos then turned his attention back to Moriaki. “Let us return to the task at hand. We’ll begin by containing the werewolves. What’s the next step after that to ensure the safety of Escalon? The complete eradication of their species?”
“No,” Yuri said, arousing confusion and surprise amongst the other individuals in the room. “There is another way. The werewolves can be cured of their beastly rage and regain their human rationality if they ingest a rare plant known as the Phoenix Heart.”
The king looked at Zylon and Moriaki. “Is this true?”
Moriaki nodded, and the king raised his eyebrows in amusement.
“But Phoenix Hearts are extremely rare, milord,” Archerus said, stepping forward. “I understand that Yuri wishes to grant the werewolves mercy because they were once human, but such a plan is impractical. It is impossible for us to find enough Phoenix Hearts for that many werewolves. Even if we were to plant and cultivate the rare flower, it takes at least a year before they grow and fully bloom. In that amount of time, Faelen and his pack of beasts likely could break out of the peninsula and spread the virus to the rest of Escalon. I support your idea; the monstrosities must be annihilated.”
“I know of a place!” Yuri exclaimed, claiming the king’s attention. “There is a field in Lichholme that is full of Phoenix Hearts. There are thousands of them, enough to cure Horux’s beasts of their fiery rage.”
The king stared at the boy, unconvinced. “Lichholme? How could you possibly know of such a field? Entering such an unholy area and returning alive is nearly impossible. Not to mention that you live on the other side of Escalon. I don’t believe that you have been there before.”
“I haven’t,” Yuri said confidently. “But if you give me a map, I can show you its location
.”
“But how are we supposed to know it exists?” Zylon said, with his arms folded. “You could mark any place on a map, but it could be a barren wasteland of naught but ice.”
“He’s right,” Archerus said.
Yuri winced. He didn’t want to have to tell them about Malyios and the deal that he had secretly made with the Titan to gain this information. But at this rate, he would have no choice. He gritted his teeth, wishing that someone would believe him.
“I could check using my clairvoyance,” Moriaki said suddenly and everyone’s eyes went to the druid. “If my staff is returned to me, I could use my magic to see a particular area for a small amount of time. If Yuri marks the location on a map, then I could confirm whether or not this field of Phoenix Hearts truly exists.”
Zylon clapped his hands together with a hearty laugh. “It’s settled then. Let’s get the boy a map of Escalon!”
The king had one of the guards race out of the room to retrieve a map of Escalon and Moriaki’s staff. The location was burned into Yuri’s mind; it only took him moments to mark its exact spot on the piece of parchment. Archerus curiously looked over the boy’s shoulder, skeptical that Yuri had somehow discovered a field of Phoenix Hearts.
Moriaki squeezed his wooden staff and closed his eyes, activating his clairvoyance. Everyone in the throne room watched the elf as he began to tremble. When the druid reopened his eyes, they were glowing bright blue. His vision had extended to the very corners of Terrador and narrowed in on the site that Yuri had marked. His mouth gaped in disbelief, but it soon twisted into an elated grin. “The youngling is correct. There is a field of Phoenix Hearts there.” His eyes stopped glowing and he shook his head, eying Yuri. “I do not know how you managed to find such a miraculous place, but perhaps you’ve found a peaceful solution to the werewolf threat on Escalon.”
