The Woodland Tombs of Eliantar

by Gary Gaugler, Jr

  Chapter 4

  Ara followed Forr through the dark castle. He was nervous to be here, but after everything else he'd been through lately, receiving personal thanks from the Prince wasn't the most frightening thing in the world. In spite of himself, he was actually glad to be inside since Forr had not been kidding about Grim’s fast approach. The first snow had barely begun to fly and before long, large flakes freckled the entire sky for as far as the eye could see.

  Ara could barely see where he was going. Though the walls all had rows of mounted candles on them, they were so cavernous that it offered little in the way of light. Forr also carried a large candle, and Ara did his best to keep up with the small, floating flicker in front of him.

  He had returned to Castle Village just a short time ago and after explaining to Forr what happened, the old man rushed to Ivory Towers. He returned almost immediately and insisted that Ara follow him to receive a thank you from Prince Vale. From the moment they trudged off together, the old man had not been silent.

  “Fornar! Oh gods, you are lucky to have come back alive! There are almost no Elites who dare go there, with the exception of the miners. And your leg and shoulder have almost completely healed from your injuries. How is that possible?”

  “I have the gift of rapid healing,” Ara answered ignoring the old man's look of incredulousness. “I don't get hurt easily and seem to heal from things much quicker than other Elites.”

  “Oh my. But still, Fornar is a terribly dangerous place. I assume you know the story of its creation?”

  “As I told you before, religion is not very important to me. I don't believe in it and have never given it much thought.”

  They were crossing through the grand front doors of the castle. The foyer was massive. Doors and stairways littered the sides of the long, rectangular room. Guards paced back and forth and Ara could sense their tension. Murder was not an experience that they had had in their lifetimes as members of the Royal Guard. Ara just wanted to get in and leave quickly, but with the size of the building had a feeling they still had quite a walk and that Forr's creation story was beyond avoiding.

  “It was early on the fourth day of creation that the god of fire, Migmeo, appeared. He emerged as a man of flames and took in the new world around him. He knew that having not been one of the first gods on the planet, much had already been done to the world. He surveyed what had been created and knew immediately what was needed. Focusing all of his incredible powers towards the northernmost region of the world, he made the ground open and streams of lava burst forth. The land in this area became black as the temperature was far too high for any plant life to survive. He scoffed to himself at the nerve of the plant god for putting grass everywhere. It never failed to amaze him how arrogant his siblings could be. This could not continue in his world of heat and flames.”

  “Are we going to the throne room?” Ara asked as Forr approached a steep staircase and began to quickly climb.

  Forr answered with disgust, “No, we're not. Prince Vale is holding a meeting shortly for the Regulation Committee and wants to meet you in that chamber on the fifth floor.

  “If I may continue, Migmeo observed a large mountain to the back of his terrain and he became infuriated at the mountain goddess for putting it there. They really had gone too far this time, he roared in his head. But, rather than destroy it, the angry god used it to his advantage. The new planet rumbled and roared and the mountain blew apart its peak as shots of flame and rivers of lava poured out.”

  “Mount Pyrall?”

  “That's right. It's the most recognizable feature in Fornar and the most deadly.”

  After what had seemed like an endless staircase, they came out into a narrow hallway. Ara could see portraits lining the wall, but it was too dark to see of whom or what they were. Unlocking a wooden door on his right, Forr passed through and Ara followed, finding himself on another ascending staircase.

  “Migmeo looked around at all of the dark earth and red fire lakes that were this inferno of a land and he was impressed with himself. He snapped his blazing fingers and reptilian-like lizards scattered all over the searing ground. They were red, barbed lizards who could change color from red to black in order to camouflage in this area and were able to walk on their hind legs. The fire god donned them the title Lexerros and observed them joyfully. The size of men but possessing the anger and raw fury of the land that they called home, the Lexerros were not a hospitable tribe by nature.”

  Forr shivered, “Though they were intelligent the Lexerros were not civilized. They hissed and bared their enormous fangs at the god as they stalked around him. Their slit eyes added to their overwhelmingly hostile appearance. The god shouted to the Lexerros as though he was a king, that this land of molten rock and brimstone was theirs and theirs alone to rule. He named that part of the country Fornar and said his goodbyes to his creations.

  “He was quite aware that on the evolutionary chart, his Lexerros may be beneath some of his siblings' creations. However, should the species ever collide, he knew that it would be his lizards that would be well fed by days end. They were his answer to the fury he felt at the other gods’ boldness.”

  They came out of the stairwell into another hallway. This one had many more candles and Ara could see clearly. Murals were painted along the walls displaying images of warriors and gods, animals, and beautiful landscapes. They turned a sharp corner and walked on as Forr continued to ramble.

  “Right as the day came to a close and his physical body began to fade from the realm, Migmeo realized that this world was completely dark as much at night as during the day. Spreading his arms wide in a dramatic way he shot a burst of flame from each hand that soared into the sky and stayed there. Thus the world had two suns to keep it lit during the day. And that, my friend, is the tale of the fire god and the creation of Fornar.”

  Forr had stopped outside of a set of massive wooden doors at the end of the hallway.

  “We're about to enter the chamber where the Regulation Committee meets. The Regulation Committee consists of the ruler of Eliantar, his bodyguard, the advisor, and each of the Ambassadors from the respective realms. It goes without saying, of course that Opo Scoloos, Prince Vale's bodyguard and head of the Royal Guard, has not been replaced since he was struck down mere days ago. Everyone else should have assembled by now.”

  “Must I go in there right now if Vale is meeting with other political heads?”

  “It shall not be long and it's unlikely the meeting has started yet. The Prince merely wants to thank you and then you'll be on your way.”

  Ara sighed as Forr turned and opened the doors and glided into the chamber. He looked all around the colossal, circular room taking in the ridiculously high arched ceiling, than the gurgling fountains that lined the walls, and finally the pillars that wrapped around the eight chairs placed in a circle in the center of the chamber. This single room must have been the same price as a village of houses. Seven of the chairs were splendid mahogany high backs with padded cushions, but the throne was divine. It was an ornately detailed and magnificent crystal, as regal as a throne should be. Forr took a chair to the right of the throne and immediately reached into his robes, pulling out a quill and parchment to take notes of the meeting. Ara stood next to him, careful to avoid all of the eyes that were on him.

  “Welcome to my home,” Vale greeted Ara from his throne and Ara raised his eyes to look at the Prince. “I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. It is not every citizen of Eliantar that would seek out one who has wronged their ruler. Would you please do me the honor of taking a seat?”

  Vale gestured at the empty chair of his deceased bodyguard and the others in the room let out gasps.

  “If it pleases you, Your Highness, I accept your thanks but wish to depart. I have no place here.”

  “It would please me if you’d stay, Ara,” Vale smiled. “This is an informal gathering of the Regulation Committ
ee. We are trying to learn as much as we can about what transpired over the last few days and I daresay your presence is imperative.”

  The simple hunter found himself blushing as he took the chair next to Vale. This was outrageous. He didn’t belong here.

  Vale was glancing over at the handsome, unwilling hero, dressed in very simple sand-colored pants and a loose fitting shirt. How different he looked from Vale who was again wearing ridiculous clothing.

  The white puffy suit looked itchy and the blue cape was a bit over the top. The silver crown atop his head was the only thing keeping his long, black hair intact or, Ara guessed, with all the stress it would be standing out in all directions.

  “I call this meeting of the Regulation Committee to order,” Vale stated loudly. “As you are all familiar, I ask that you please acknowledge your presence when I announce your name before we delve into the obvious business at hand.

  “Prince Prode of the Royal House of Procer, Ambassador to Tacia the land of forests and protector of the Arbestees.”

  “And might I add the most handsome one in the room,” Prode responded with a smirk and giggle. “Of course I’m here. It’s not like I have anywhere better to be.”

  Ara couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed Prode when he’d sat down. Clearly, this man was Vale’s twin brother. They shared the same face and physique and Prode even had the same straight, black hair that hung just past his shoulders. The only differences were that Prode was dressed in flowing, regal robes of emerald green and that he couldn’t contain the silliness on his face. Where Vale was maintaining order with this meeting, it was obvious Prode couldn’t quite contain himself. The Prince seemed used to this as he ignored his brother and continued on.

  “Plucid Duru, Ambassador to Errandomn the land of sands and caves and protector of the Tamalus.”

  Almost inaudibly, the man to Prode’s right whispered without even looking up from the marble floors, “Here.”

  The dark-skinned, portly man didn’t want to be here, Ara surmised quickly. The man was hardly dressed like a noble at all. His pants and shirt were very shabby, shabbier than Ara’s. They were a patchwork of dirty orange and brown fabrics, crudely stitched together. Vale had continued on as Ara continued eyeing Plucid, who kept his eyes on the ground as if waiting for it to tell him what to say or do.

  “Iradt Furich, Ambassador to Fornar the land of fire and lava and protector of the Lexerros.”

  “I am here!” snapped the chubby, tanned woman to the right of Plucid. She certainly gave off the air that she was far too important to even be part of such a meeting as she looked furiously at the timepiece on her wrist.

  Her plump frame was shrouded in a lavish ruby gown with a plunging neckline, which upon closer inspection had several burn holes scattered over it. Her red, tightly curled, shoulder-length hair bounced upon her head as she turned it from side to side, angrily surveying the other members of the meeting. She was simply oozing venom from her eyes, though just figuratively, thank goodness.

  Ara couldn’t help but chuckle as he stared at Iradt’s monstrous bosoms hanging out from her low-cut dress or the long slit that went up either side of her gown. A dress made for a beautiful young woman was being stretched to capacity by a woman clearly past her prime, who was obviously out to prove she still had a shred of her youth left. Though what she was trying to prove with all of those burn holes and that scowl, he couldn’t be sure.

  “Volaticas Temed, Ambassador to Steedo the land of winds and mountains and protector of the Vintens.”

  Smooth as silk, the man with the long blonde hair aside Iradt said, “Here, Your Highness, and if I may say you are looking rather tense given your recent set of circumstances. That makes me feel absolutely terrible for you. I do hope that your recent troubles haven’t put you on edge especially with all of the new responsibilities you have.”

  “You may not say. Not as long as I have the floor, Volaticas. I want all of you to know now that I am fine and I will not tolerate outbursts while I am speaking. I would like to continue and ask to not hear any uncalled for pieces of advice until asked,” Vale responded quickly.

  Vale was obviously familiar with the phoniness that was Volaticas. Of all the Committee members so far, none had given Ara the impression of arrogance and repulsion more than Volaticas Temed. He appeared to be in his mid-30s and looked exceptionally wealthy. His straight, blonde hair fell half way down his back and was smoothed into a long ponytail. He wore flowing robes, the color of gold which accentuated his bold blue eyes and the dozen rings on his fingers. His teeth were whiter than the snow that fell outside and he beamed with them as often as possible. It was a fine line between rich and tacky and it certainly looked as though Volaticas was straddling that line.

  Vale continued on and Ara listened intently. The Prince’s voice was beautiful and filled with confidence. What had come over him? He never paid attention to anyone’s voice before.

  “Lenta Benigg, Ambassador to Quale the land of lakes and streams and protector of the Fonnes.”

  “Present, Your Highness,” came the response from one of the most beautiful women that Ara had ever seen. “I am pleased to be here and pleased to see that you are safe from harm.”

  Lenta had the face and body of a 25-year-old goddess. She dressed in a billowing, blue-sequined dress and had her long curly brown hair flowing from a thin tiara she wore. Unlike the others, Lenta carried herself and spoke with pure kindness and the utmost respect. This said a lot because with the exception of Vale and Prode, she was the only member of the Committee to be in her 20’s. She seemed to make up for her lack of age with sweetness and maturity.

  “Forr Suosor,” Vale went on. “The Royal Advisor to the Throne, Eye to the Future, and Royal Historian.”

  The ancient man merely nodded his head and Ara could see the thick lines on his face. The last few days must’ve weighed very heavily on the old man.

  “It is with great regret that I tell you all what you already know,” Vale sighed. “Opo Scoloos was murdered last week in an attempt on my life. His death has been avenged by a hero that happened to witness what happened from the crowd. Ara Tataman is the man I speak of and has kindly agreed to share in this meeting of the Regulation Committee, much to my delight and great honor as Crown Prince.

  “Now I am aware, in light of recent events that you’d all like to have your say about how we should approach the situation, but I must insist that we maintain order and decorum as we always do.”

  At this the five ambassadors had an outburst all speaking at once. Clearly they had no interest in maintaining dignity during such a tumultuous time. Ara couldn’t help but agree with them.

  “Enough!” Vale bellowed in an exhausted voice. “We’ll hear what you all have to say but I do insist that we do this one at a time. Ara, we need to discover who would do such a thing. You’ve recounted that the assassins name was Scurus Subo and that he was working for an unnamed woman. Can you tell us anything else at all about him or what he said that could lead us to other rogues?”

  “I’ve told Forr all I know. He didn’t offer too much as far as why he would commit such an act. There was nothing remarkable about his appearance or clothing that would tell me his intents. Although, I just remembered that he had a brand on his arm.”

  “What kind of brand?” Forr leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

  “It was nothing significant. It was a black tower, outlined in black flames.”

  The officials exchanged looks and Ara wondered what importance he had overlooked.

  “Ara that is the symbol for the Skars Shadows,” Forr responded kindly. “When magic was outlawed by Queen Ramira the Bloody in the year 101, those that continued to practice called themselves the Skars Shadows, after a fallen god of old. They’ve been believed to be extinct for a hundred years and their group has been outlawed for over a thousand years. It seems strange that they would make a move now.”

&nb
sp; “Can this all be about magic, Forr?” Vale asked. “Tradition says that magic belongs to the gods. It is not my law. Would they truly attempt to kill me and assume that would change their fate? What can we do? How can we counter an attack like this from a group we thought was vanquished?”

  Forr Suosor immediately stood up and the others fell silent. He was more nervous than Ara had seen him.

  “I shall spend Grim meditating on this to see if the Skars Shadows have truly returned. At the thaw we can send the Royal Guard out. You should know however, I see nothing but darkness for the future of Eliantar. Ever since Opo’s death, every time I look to the future all I see is blackness and destruction. I fear for the safety of all, both in this room and outside of this castle. The days ahead are bleak.”

  “Please sit down,” hissed Volaticas whipping his long blonde hair around. “If the version of the story that I heard is correct, Opo warned Vale not to go out on that balcony. You were the one who saw that no harm would come to our Crown Prince and two minutes later he was shot at. Now you’re claiming doom? It may be time for you to admit that since the Queen died, your power hasn’t been up to par. Just say it already. Confession, after all, is good for the soul.”

  Prode stood up with a sheepish grin, “It only seems fit to me that we all predict Forr’s future, like for instance say that no harm will ever come to him. Tell him he’s as safe as safe could possibly be. Then, when he least expects it, we set him on fire.”

  With that Prode threw his head back and started giggling uncontrollably. It was several seconds before he realized that he was the only one laughing and that all were staring at him coldly. He sat back down in silence. Leaning over to the passive Plucid, he whispered, “Well I thought it was funny.”

  It became clear to Ara at that moment that the biggest difference between the twins was that Prode clearly viewed himself as a jester. He certainly had an odd, dark sense of humor. He thought of what it would be like if Prode were Crown Prince and could only envision Eliantar falling shortly thereafter. A frightening thought indeed.

  “Thank you Prode,” Vale rolled his eyes. Ambassador Duru, would you kindly stand and address the Committee with your thoughts on the assassination attempt.”

  Plucid Duru looked as though he’d been shot when he heard his name. He rose very slowly from his seat and adjusted his shabby, patchwork clothes, and spoke without looking up from the ground.

  “Well, that is to say….it’s very unfortunate and…maybe someone should suggest a way to…I think we should consider ways to keep us all safe….I fear for my safety too,” he trailed off.

  Before Ara could stop himself he mumbled loud enough for all to hear, “Sit down and let’s hear from someone who has more concern for their Prince and country than they do for themselves.”

  Plucid sat back down quickly as the others chuckled. Ara remembering his manners looked over red-faced at Vale who glanced back with a slight smile on his face before gesturing Iradt Furich to stand up.

  Iradt leapt from her chair, ashes falling from her dress and a look of fury on her face that made Ara instantly annoyed with her boldness.

  “I believe that I can better illustrate what Plucid was trying to say,” snapped the stout woman. “It seems to me that if the Crown is in jeopardy than the ambassadors are in peril as well. I propose extra protection for both the Prince as well as the Ambassadors. It may even be time to start using some of our lower class Elites as decoys to stand in our place for the time being.”

  Ara began to stand up but Vale had already reached his hand over, placing it on Ara’s leg, pushing him back down. Ara felt a flutter in his chest at the touch of the young, handsome prince. His face was glowing red and he hoped no one else had noticed this.

  “Thank you, Iradt. Volaticas, what do you have to say about all of this? I’ve no doubt that you have an opinion.”

  Volaticas Temed responded by smiling as broadly as he could and sweeping his golden robes to the side as he stood.

  “Unlike my last two colleagues, I do not know that we need or warrant having extra protection.” Iradt harrumphed and Temed pushed on. “Vale, your mother was one of the most loved and respected rulers of the past 2,000 years and in one day of being Crown Prince someone attempts to assassinate you. What will happen in three months if the Committee agrees to make you King?”

  The officials in the room again began yelling at once. Volaticas looked around the room at the squabbling delegates with the same conceited smile on his face before Vale silenced them with a wave of his hand and waved Temed to finish.

  “I suggest, Your Highness, that maybe it would be in your best interest to step down and let someone with more experience lead the people. I think we all want a smooth transition of power here.”

  “You monster,” spat Forr, his white eyes glaring. “The Procer family has ruled this land since the gods first brought Elites here. It is detestable for you to even suggest that Vale step aside.”

  Forr was so infuriated that he clearly could have gone on forever, but Volaticas had already sat down and was clearly paying no heed to the old man. Lenta Benigg gracefully stood up to address the group, if for no other reason than to calm down the boiling old man.

  “I’ve always felt that, in my seat, I have a great advantage in that I can listen to the others’ ideas before suggesting my own. While Prode’s answer was far from serious, I agree with his sense of humor and feel that at least on the outside we should appear jovial and not terribly upset with this chain of events. It will only give the enemy the upper hand if we seem flustered.”

  Prode looked proud of himself as Lenta continued on. “Plucid suggested keeping all of us safe and I agree. I think that perhaps it would be in our best interest to lessen our exposure for a time. Perhaps make fewer appearances.”

  Plucid smiled meekly while Volaticas let out a grumble. Every person in the room knew that he thrived on his social networking and parties. It was yet another chance for him to be noticed.

  “I like the idea of hired protection that Iradt proposed. I hardly think that any of the Ambassadors are targets, however. I propose a new bodyguard be assigned to Prince Vale immediately. And lastly, Volaticas had the, borderline treasonous, idea to replace Vale. I couldn’t challenge that idea more. That being said though, I don’t think it would hurt to replace our “glamorous” idea of what the King is with a more aggressive version.”

  “What did you have in mind exactly?” Forr questioned.

  “I believe that Vale should be trained as we would train one of the palace guards. He should be able to defend himself or lead an army into battle if he had to. No more poufy clothes or elaborate crowns. It will conjure an even greater respect and admiration from all of the people of Eliantar and I don’t think any of us can doubt that.”

  “And who would be conducting such training, his new bodyguard I assume?” Forr chuckled. “I can’t think of a single member of the Royal Guard who would take the post. Don’t misunderstand me. They’re all wonderful soldiers, but after what happened to Opo, they certainly seem more reserved than they ever were before. And where else would we find someone that has the skill and dedication for such a job?”

  “We already have found one so willing,” Lenta smiled. “He’s sitting right before us all. If no member of the Royal Guard will stand up and accept the position than Ara Tataman is the man for the job. His adventure in Fornar proves that.”

  All eyes turned to Ara who immediately turned three shades of red. “I couldn’t possibly. I don’t know a thing about fighting or protecting royalty. I could never protect Prince Vale like one of the Royal Guardsmen could. You’ll need to reconsider, I’m afraid.”

  “I disagree,” Vale interjected quickly. “You fought Scurus Subo in one of the most inhospitable places in Eliantar (Iradt scowled at this) and came out the victor. You succeeded completely in protecting me. You have done what no other member of the Royal Guar
d was able to do. You are more than just the average hunter.”

  “If I may ask,” Volaticas chimed in. “How did you manage to defeat Scurus? According to all accounts of your story, he beat you severely and you have no mark or broken bones to show for it? He shot you in the leg with an arrow for gods’ sake and yet somehow you’re completely unscathed. How is that possible?”

  Forr jumped in, “Ara is a healer. Nothing can hurt him for a lasting period of time. An attack that would kill one of us may not even leave a scratch on him. Opo had super strength and we thought that was so amazing but a bodyguard that can’t be hurt…”

  Prode let out a sexy growl at Ara, causing the room to roll their eyes. There was no denying that Prode just could not be serious.

  “I am not completely invulnerable,” Ara chimed in. “To be honest, I have no idea what the extent of my abilities are and I’d rather not find out. I healed after a few minutes from being shot in the leg, but that’s not to say that had I been shot in the head, I would’ve lived.”

  “Still, it is a powerful gift,” Vale smiled. “We may not know the extent of what you can do, but the level that we do know is still amazing and a skill that the rest of us do not possess and could only dream of. I certainly think that it’s a phenomenal gift for a bodyguard to have.

  “Don’t sell yourself short, Ara. You have done some amazing things in the past week and special ability or not you can’t deny that fact.”

  “But, Your Highness!” Ara said ignoring Vale’s obnoxious twin, who was winking at him. “I feel that I am not completely qualified to assist you in his matter. However, I am not so ignorant to refuse a royal dictation. If it is your wish, than I shall oblige. Please know that I will do my very best to serve the Royal Committee and you, Your Highness, to the best of my abilities.”

  Vale beamed and Ara blushed. “I know that you will, my new friend. Then it is all settled. From this point on, Ara Tataman is Royal Protector to the Throne.”

  No sooner had the words come out and Ara felt a nauseous feeling of foreboding as he stared out the enormous windows at the thick snowflakes as they fell from the sky in droves. Awful things were on the horizon and he wasn’t sure that he was ready for any of them by any means. Grim was just the beginning.