The Warrior of Elamor (Saga of Zel-Elcon Book 1)

by Richard Wood

  Realizing what his uncontrolled anger has done to him, Jesse stops, shakes his head, and began to take control of his thoughts. As his mind begins to clear, he sits down on a rock and starts rubbing his legs. As his mind cleared, he started to feel the pain his body suffered from the beatings. Being away from the rest and relaxation of the village has allowed the despair to return and now his strength and courage are fading like broken ice on the ground. He gathers up some nearby shrub, lays it on the ground, makes himself a bed and lays down for a nap. Hours later, a chilled wind blows on his face and Jesse jerks awake. After waking, he sees a warm fire crackling. As his eyes clear, he sees sitting on the other side of the fire and older, kind looking gentleman. Cautiously, Jesse rises into a sitting position then the older kind man begins to speak, “You’re that man from Payne, aren’t you? All the people around here know about you. They say you’re on your way to Genisville to tell people there about your father’s death. I just happened to be in this part of the dry lands and found you hear and built the fire for you. My name is Fias and I’m a hunter from this area. People pay me to get them goat and deer”. “Thank you”, Jesse replies. “What village are you from?” Fias waves his hand and says, “Oh I don’t have a village, I live here and there and only stay there for a while. If I stay in one place for a year, it’s a long time. Actually my father raised me in a cave many days travel from here but released me at my fifteenth year to make it on my own. I still see him once in a while”. Slowly Jesse begins to relax. “This old man is one of the people on my path sent to help me”, he thought to himself. Another blessing in the dry lands.

  As they talked around the fire, the two soon became friends. Glancing across the fire Fias asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, who’s Pala?” “Why do you ask?” Jesse replies. “Because you kept talking to him in your sleep”. “Really?” Jesse says with a smile, “What did I say?” “Well”, Fias begins, “You asked him once to fix the billows, another time you mentioned him and your mother, and something else about a fire”. Jesse giggles, “I didn’t know I talked while I slept. Pala is my brother, he became a part of my family about ten years ago. He’s a really good guy, you would like him. He’s hardworking and honest, just like our father”.

  At the mention of his father, the joyous, laughing Jesse lowers his head and his smile turns into a frown. He realizes he’s been enjoying himself way too much, and in doing so, disrespecting the reason for his journey. Fias looks across the flickering flames at Jesse and says, “Don’t feel so bad Jesse, everyone has to die. But it’s your mother we should be concerned about today”. Jesse looks up at Fias with a bit of hesitation. As he thinks to himself, “Why would Fias say we need to be concerned about my mother? Why would he be so concerned about my mother? He doesn’t even know us!” Suddenly, Jesse feels the heavy weight of darkness up on him. Doing his very best to appear to be unshaken, he searches within himself to find the strength and wisdom to fight off this invisible attack. In seconds, he realizes he has no skill in battling the unseen. He feels himself giving way to the darkness and the man. Jesse of Payne opens up like a broken dam and the darkness pour into him like a flood. His eyes shift frantically as he looks around for anyone who could help but there’s only he and Fias. He closes his eyes and sits stiffly as fear and confusion take control of his life. It was as if a thousand evil eyes were focused on him, each set of eyes wanting his death in a twisted, torturous, disgusting way. It was more than the average man could bear for just a second.

  Fias rises to his feet. As he looks down on Jesse, he begins to take on hideous features. With a raspy voice he begins to speak, “We left your mother alive so that we could watch her suffer. We are all waging on her starving slowly but suicide would be just as entertaining. The destruction you’re feeling right now is just a little of what your mother’s world is like every minute of the day. Her body is in Payne but her soul is locked forever in the Caverns of Ness. What you see of your mother is just the shell of what we left to amuse ourselves. In Ness, we throw her against the cavern walls and push against her soul until it is ready to die. Then we release her and start all over again. Your mother was strong but we broke her down in no time!” Suddenly Jesse jerks and wakes up finding himself lying on the cold ground of the dry lands. Looking out over the darkness covering the land he whispers to himself, “It was a dream!” He raises to a sitting position and puts his hands over his face, trying his best to clear his mind. As he examines the last month of his life, he wonders how much one man can suffer before it’s too much. The death of his father, his mother’s loss of reality, and the fierce beatings of Dreadston. As Jesse sits breathing heavily, he gets a sick, nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach. It quickly works its way up to his throat and he heaves onto the ground. Tears pour from his eyes as he coughs and wipes his mouth. He sits back on the exposed rock, puts his face in his hands and cries bitterly as the night time darkness creeps over the land.

  CHAPTER 6

  From the Tortured Horde to the Peace Cat

  Jesse stirs and wakes just as dawn breaks the horizon. Cold, hungry and covered with the morning dew, he shivers and sits up. The emotional toll of last night’s embattled dream has left him exhausted and confused. He reaches for a stick to stir the ashes from last night’s fire and he remembers that the fire was just another part of last night’s dream. Rubbing his forehead with the new tips of his fingers, he wonders what part of last night was real and what part was a dream. It’s hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Is his mother Shaira’s soul trapped away in the Caverns of Ness or is she at home sitting in front of a warm fire? He stands to lose so much should his mother die. As he sits there hungry and cold, he ponders the decision of going home to his family or fulfilling the promise of reporting his father’s death to his village. Jesse is sure that he is halfway to Genisville. Valcor is more than able to deal with any issues that come his way and Pala is keeping the shop running so no matter how much his heart calls him home, he’s committed to Genisville.

  As the sun continues to rise, Jesse realizes that he has several more days’ journey to the village of Genisville. Valcor and Pala will complete their tasks and so must he. If he keeps walking all day, he will reach the freshwater pools before nightfall. That’ll be a good place to camp and he knows that game will come to drink. That means fresh meat cooked the way he likes it. Nothing is better tasting than the dry lands deer cooked over sweet hazel wood. Jesse stretches his legs then reaches for his pack. He finds food left by the people of Dreadston, not his favorite tastes but definitely fills his empty belly.

  After eating his fill of yellow cheese, flatbread, and dried meat, he licks his fingers and rubs his hands on his pants and stands, reaching for his staff and pack. Walking north, he knows he will soon hit the green valleys. They come well before the hill country. Soon Jesse begins to see little patches of green, as they dot the ground with a bright emerald color. This is proof of the fall of rain and a sign of the beauty to come. As the day goes on, the dotted areas become larger and the air is fresher and cooler, a sure sign that he is getting closer to the valleys. Travelers always say the air is better there. Jesse raises his nose to the air trying to catch every ounce of scent that could be in the air. If he’s only going to come this way one time, he’s going to try and enjoy every bit of it. Before he knows it, Jesse has found himself looking for patches of ground instead of patches of green. He raises his nose to the air again and inhales deeply. “How about that”, Jesse whispers, “Those travelers were right!” He smiles as he takes in several more deep breaths, then continues on his journey.

  In the distance, Jesse sees what is either the top of a ridge or the beginning of a valley. The ground is now completely covered by the dense, beautiful green grass. He bends over and brushes the grass with his hand. It has fake, horse blades and slightly serrated. Jesse sits on the grass in a kind of childlike cross legged position. It was so relaxing, like sitting on a cushion mattress. He lays down on his back in str
etches out his arms. Fully relaxed, he lets out a comfortable moan and lays motionless with his eyes closed. Jesse breathes in the cool fresh air and before long he feels himself drifting off into a deep sleep. He shakes his head, opens his eyes, and raises himself into a sitting position. Slowly he rises to a standing position and says out loud, “You got to get going Jesse, those valleys aren’t going to come to you”. With his staff in his hand in his pack over his shoulder, he starts back on the track towards the valleys.

  As he gets closer to the crest of what he sees is a hill, a familiar disgusting odor begins to mingle with a fresh air. A sick feeling starts to build in his stomach as he realizes there’s only one thing that smells like that, the Horde of Quygon. Instantly he stops, looking in all directions, he sees nothing but lush green grass. He sees no dust cloud that always follows the Horde. He listens but no sounds of growls or howls that the Horde tend to make. He looks into the air, “Huh”, he whispers, “Nothing flying overhead”. There’s no evidence of the Horde anywhere. Still, there’s nothing else that smells like the Horde and Jesse is at a standstill. Evidence of odor but no evidence in sight. It doesn’t make sense. “What do I do”, he thinks, “I’m alone, Elamor isn’t here to help me. I can smell the Horde but I can’t see them, I don’t even know what direction to go in. Will I be walking to them or from them?” The oath he made is why he’s here. Jesse decides, “I will keep my promise and go on to Genisville. Life or death, I’m going north”. Cautiously and quietly, he moves forward. Thankfully the lush green grass absorbs his steps making it easier to move along quietly. Another few hundred steps and he will crest the hill then it’s down to the valleys and fresh pools.

  As Jesse tops the hill, he looks down at a site so evil and frightening that his mind almost can’t accept it. What Jesse came to wasn’t the crest of a hill but the top of a cliff with a sheer drop thousands of steps down. It wasn’t the lush green valley he expected but it play so desolate, shrubs couldn’t growth in it. This dead land went on as far as the eye could see. The grounds seemed to move on its own as though it were alive. As Jesse’s eyes focused, he realized it was not the grounds that was moving but what must be an uncountable number of Insects. Then suddenly a strong wind blew up the cliff and the lung burning stench of the Horde pierced his nostrils. It was then that he realized the movement and the dead valley wasn’t insects, but the Horde of Quygon. Instinctively, Jesse dropped to his knees and lowered his head. Slowly he raises his head enough to peer into the valley. Looking out over the devil and his mind can to accept it. “It’s impossible”, he thought, “There’s no way Quygon could have an army that vast. It’s just not possible”. Jesse closes his eyes and lays his face to the ground. Whispering to himself he says, “It’s not what you think it is Jesse. You’re tired and your mind is stressed. This is not what it looks like”. The Lights of Elamor have always told him to breathe deeply and relax in times of stress. Jesse breathes deeply and allows his body to go limp. A few more deep breaths and he will realize that he imagined the whole thing, just a fog in the valley. A few more deep breaths and he’ll look down and the air down there will be cool and crisp. Jesse slowly raises his head and opens his eyes but this time there was no denying it. The Horde of Quygon filled the dead valley like maggots on a dead body. A huge gust of wind blew through the valley and surged up the cliff bringing with it the putrid stench of the massive Horde. Jesse threw his hands over his mouth and nose but the stench of the Horde had already made its way to his lungs. Jesse swallowed heavily, trying not to vomit. The sounds of his stomach emptying would surely alert the Horde of his presence. As heavy tears roll from his burning eyes, Jesse wiggles his body in a position that would allow him to roll down the green slope. Thirty turns of his body and Jesse slows to a stop. Lying flat on his back, he begins to breathe deeply and rhythmically. As his heart slows and his lungs begin to fill with fresh air again, he starts to recall glimpses of living Terra-Covians dotted in the mass of Horde warriors. “That’s can’t be”, Jesse thinks, “There is no way people could live in the vile that exists in the Horde. There’s just no way, it is impossible”.

  Jesse creeps back up to the clips edge next to his belongings and carefully peers down into the pulsing Horde. Focusing intently, he sees in the midst of the Horde the skin of Terra-Covians. They were living people being pushed about within the massive army. He can hear the terrified cries of Terra-Covians and even from the distance, Jesse could see that they were captives, prisoners of the Horde. They were unchained but very much locked within the press.

  Suddenly, there seemed to be a change in the mass. One by one, all throughout the valley, circles began to appear. Open patches of bare ground expanding to about twenty steps wide. They covered the valley with some kind of bizarre design. One such circle appeared next to the cliff below Jesse. As Jesse watched, three Terra-Covians were pushed into the circle. They huddled in the center, screaming in terror as they clung onto one another. Then from the Horde, a half giant stepped into the circle. He was beyond intimidating, even from the distance that Jesse was from him. His charcoal colored body was disgusting to see, he had a bottom jaw that was nothing but exposed bone and teeth. He walked toward the Terra-Covians as though his joints were stiff and grinding, but showed no pain. The three Terra-Covians screamed out in utter terror as the half giant approached them. They instantly squatted down almost trying to cling to the ground. The closer the half giant got, the more frantic they became. As the half giant reaches them, he grabs a Terra-Covians by the ankle and lifts him effortlessly into the air. He then takes his other hand and grabs the Terra-Covians foot. The Terra-Covians screams so loudly that Jesse twitches and closes his eyes. Jesse opens his eyes in watches as the Horde warrior slowly begins to twist the Terra-Covians foot until it is facing the opposite direction. The Terra-Covians screams in desperate agony as his body jerks and flails in midair. Jesse lays flat to the ground, frozen in terror with his hands over his ears and his eyes clenched tight trying his best to disconnect from the cries in the dead valley. Somehow he knew though he was not going to be able to escape the cries of his people.

  In what Jesse could only describe as a whisper in time, Jesse was pulled from the top of the cliff and flung into the dead valley. He found himself standing in the same circle as the half giant. For a reason beyond his understanding, he was completely unseen by the Horde. He stood there terrified and frozen by what he was beginning to see, hear, and feel. It was as if he were no longer Jesse, the son of Eli and Shaira but one of the nameless warriors of the Horde. He had no direction or reason, totally unable to have a thought of his own. He had no desire to breathe, sleep, or to eat and lived as though he could never die. He had no need for the five senses, and not even the crippling stench of the Horde could be smelled or tasted. There was no joy, hate, peace or pain, nothing that marked emotion or feelings. He was a living nightmare but without the notion that he had life beyond that. Then slowly he realized he was alone. It was a feeling of emptiness that can never be described, even by the wisest of speakers. The empty loneliness was so heavy that it weighed against his chest and shoulders like being caught deep in a blackened cave. Every step could be a bottomless pit, but then a distant sound seemed to rescue him and a deep sense of belonging soothes his Hordish soul. The soothing lifted his loneliness and the heavy load of darkness floated away on the wind. Then a pleasant memory drifted across his empty mind. It was a deep, comforting feeling like he had never felt before. It was unexplainable. He felt like a single polished soul in a flowing sea of millions of single polished souls. All separate but merged together into the perfect symphony of endless comfort and love. One out of a million, but never separate. It was beyond the feeling of coming home. Then slowly and awkwardly, a dark memory not of his own began to pierce the welcomed memory of his loving flow. It was a bitter memory of forceful pushing and being pushed. Then a darkness shattered his peace with an exploding force that sucked the light from his very soul. Suddenly he found himself in a place fille
d with such tortured cries. The air was filled with a vile odor so dense that it seeped into every inch of his body, even his thoughts permeated its vileness. All around him, people were wrapping their own hands around their throats trying desperately to murder their own misery, but not even death itself could live in this realm. Jesse has found himself in the center pit of the belly of Quygon.

  Terra-Covians captured and thrown into the mouth of Quygon suffer endlessly. Unable to die, they spend their centuries churning and tortured in the beast until they lose all memory of being Terra-Covians and believe their true origins are from their father Quygon. The tortured cries of Terra-Covians remind the giants of home and their imagined birthplace of the Caverns of Ness. As the half giant tortures the Terra-Covians, it eases their sickness for home. This is the only peace that the Horde can receive.

  In less than an instant, Jesse is back on the cliff. The half giant is still in the open circle and still standing in the exact position, holding the Terra-Covians in midair, twisting his ankle joint and howling with joy. Somehow, Jesse was taken into the valley, lived a lifetime of tortured existence in the belly of Quygon, lavished the tortured cries of the Terra-Covians, then sent back to his place on the cliff in less than a flash. Jesse collapses motionless onto the grass. Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.

  As time passed, Jesse awoke emotionally and physically drained. As he lay there, he refused to believe that he lavished lovingly at the sound of Terra-Covians tortured cries. He clutches blades of grass into his hands and uproots them as disgust fills his heart. How could he be comforted by the cries of his fellow man? Unable to rise even to his knees, he lays there and cries in bitter disgust. Confused and emotionless, he felt less than the shell of a man. Trying to collect his thoughts, his mind flies like a dried leaf carried away in a deadly storm. Jesse closes his eyes and focuses intently, trying desperately to pull his confused mind into order. In the chaos of his stormy mind, a clear thought enters and Jesse recalls the massive Horde in the valley. He glances down into the dead valley and is surprised to see that the valley is empty. No movement, no dust, just a barren, empty, dead valley. The fact that the Horde is gone should have encouraged him but Jesse knows that while they were there, the Horde slowly and methodically tortured his fellow Terra-Covians. The fact that they are gone means nothing to him. The memory that he stood in the open circle just steps from the half giant began to fill his mind. Jesse recalls the feeling of comfort and completeness that fulfilled him and how he was rendered helpless. Jesse hangs his head and whispers, “How many people died here today?” He shakes his head slowly as he stares out over the dead valley. His mind goes back to the vision of his father’s headless body and he asks himself, “Who will grieve these Terra-Covians loss?” He knows the weight of the loss of his father’s soul. “What was the weight of these people’s loss? Who is missing these Terra-Covians and who is left to rebuild lost homes and families?” It’s too much to think about, too many lives to consider. Jesse releases his mind to once again fly uncontrolled and again collapses to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.