Between Darkness and the Light

by Paul T. H. Mitchener

  Henry jumped up and both he and Bree ran over to where all the commotion was. Mylon was pointing and instructing his troopers to take up their defensive posts, Hazel and Sophia were already at the edge of the clearing and working on putting up a defensive shield, but they were too late. Henry watched as his mother and his aunt disappeared amongst a mass of dark grey fog. Dark shadows and shapeless figures moved within the mist, and screams and cries for help were now echoing throughout the clearing. He rushed over to where he had last seen his mother with Bree in tow. For a moment he thought he had lost her amongst the fog and commotion, but to his relief he felt her grab his arm again, the mist was so thick he could see nothing, just the odd blue and orange flash, which he assumed came from his mother and aunt.

  Henry suddenly froze: something inside him told him to stand still and stop running. Bree tugged at his arm, shouting something. However, Henry had gone so deep into himself that he didn’t hear her or any of the terrifying screams coming from within the grey fog that surrounded him. Closing his eyes, he knelt down on one knee. Leaning forward and holding the Aelfgar in both hands, he pushed it as hard as he could into the ground and lowered his head as he summoned the power of the Wyvern. His actions were automatic; but unlike other times, he was completely aware of his actions and had complete control on what he was doing, and although he was being guided by the Wyvern within him, he alone commanded it.

  Slowly he started to glow. Bree stood back and screamed at him in horror; but Henry was too far gone to hear her, now too deep within himself to know what was happening around him. His mind and thoughts joined as one with the creature that cried out to be released. He lifted his head, opened his eyes and then screamed as he instantly became engulfed by a bright golden ball of light. Seconds later, the ball turned into a ray of light that shot straight up into the dark mist, dispersing as it went. A second later, it exploded into lightning bolts, lighting up the entire night. The flare then dispersed, leaving a glowing, golden-winged serpent hanging in the night sky, bright but not too bright for all to see. For a brief second it just hung there lighting up the entire night sky, and then without warning it headed directly towards the ground with such speed that it was impossible to follow. Hitting the ground at the speed of sound, exploding with such force that it generated a sonic boom strong enough to knock everything and everybody to the ground, including his friends and family, at the same time blowing out the fires and even knocking over few of the trees at the edge of the clearing. The grey mist and any attackers within it were all dispersed in a heartbeat.

  Henry stayed kneeling for a short while before opening his eyes. Still supported by the Aelfgar, he slowly looked around him, but at first couldn’t make anything out due to the dirt and debris hanging in the air. Directly in front of him emerged Bree: she was covered top to toe in dirt and debris. As she got closer, Henry could see the look of horror on her face. Without saying anything she knelt down in front of him and studied his face a moment before lunging forward into his arms.

  “What the…” he heard Bert say somewhere to the left of him, and seconds later he, too, emerged from the concealment of the dust with a rather dirty-looking Ben by his side. “A little warning would have been nice,” Ben said in his usual, somehow reassuring, sarcastic way, which immediately brought a smile to Henry’s face. With the aid of the Aelfgar and by taking Bree’s arm, Henry stood up and studied the area around him. “Is everyone alright?” he asked. “If surviving a nuclear blast is alright… then I would say I’ve just about survived… Can’t say as much for anyone else,” Ben replied. Henry smiled again.

  When Henry first met the odd couple, he took an instant dislike to the dog. However, over the past few days he found himself becoming more and more fond of him. He might be judgemental and sarcastic but he was trustworthy and level-headed and never overreacted in a crisis. In fact, at times he didn’t react at all, which in itself could be a little annoying. That said, he was always a clear thinker and, when it suited him, could be replied upon, which made him a great ally, if not a little annoying to be around. Bert, on the other hand, was the brawn of the two, strong, dependable and caring. Although he tried his best to try and hide his softer side, he couldn’t but show that he cared… He cared deeply for his friends and his beloved woodland. “The odd couple,” he thought to himself, still smiling.

  “And what have you got to grin about?” Ben said interrupting his thoughts. Not wanting to respond to Ben’s sarcasm, Henry shrugged his shoulders and walked off into the settling debris with Bree on his arm. Bert stood and looked on with a certain amount of pride. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that the young Henry he met just a few days ago could grow up to be such strong, assertive man… and in such a short period of time. However, he knew that the Wyvern was a factor but Henry must have been a strong person to start with, otherwise the Wyvern would have eaten him alive by now. But instead young Henry was blooming and getting stronger and more self-assured by the day, and for the first time in years Bert had hope for the future.

  Ben stood looking up at Bert and then sighed. “You’re not getting soft on the boy, are you?” he enquired with a tone of concern in his voice. Bert looked down at his old mate, trying his utmost not to laugh at the state he was in. Ben seemed unaware that he was covered in mud and dead leaves, but the funniest sight was the twigs sticking out of the fur on top of his head. It reminded him of the way human children dress their pet dogs for Christmas in an attempt to make them look like reindeer. Just managing to hold back a snigger, Bert replied, now looking back in the direction Henry had gone, “Never thought that he would be so strong.” He paused. “Bet ya anything that his mother is proud of him.” Ben sniffed. “Bet you she isn’t,” he grumbled. “Have you forgotten already…? She never wanted him anywhere near us in the first place, let alone involved in our fight.” Bert didn’t reply, but Ben was right: perhaps Hazel wouldn’t want her son in harm’s way, but that didn’t take away from the fact that Henry had succeeded in more ways than Bert could possibly imagine. Besides, if his mother wasn’t proud of him, he certainly was.

  Henry met Mylon and Alk somewhere in the middle of the clearing, both breaking off orders to troopers that were running this way and that, and all confused with what had happened but still following out their orders without question. “Fine show you put on,” Alk said as he held out his hand. Henry took it and smiled. “Thanks… I think,” he replied, a little confused by the welcome. Due to the amount of damage he had done to the camp he was half-expecting his ear to be chewed off by the commander. Mylon smiled and he, too, held out his hand. “Thanks… you saved my life yet again.” He paused to look around him. “You saved all our lives.” He released Henry’s hand and looked behind him to Poppy. “Where’s Lilly?” he said, sounding concerned. Poppy felt a little a tang of envy that he had noticed Lilly missing. “She’s with lady Sophia and her sister, my lord.” She paused, noticeably upset that her best friend had been injured. “She fell hard, my lord… in the explosion,” she said, looking at Henry. “They are tending to her now.”

  Henry felt guilty for hurting her or anyone else in their group, but he could see no other way to save them; but knowing that didn’t make him feel any better about himself. “Show me,” Mylon ordered. With that, Poppy headed off in Lilly’s direction, followed closely by Henry and Bree. Alk, however, stayed put and started to bark out more orders, and instructed a young trooper to report back on casualties, and others to collect anything they could from the chaos that lay around them and make ready to leave. Now that the dust had settled, he could see for the first time the damage he had done.

  Looking around, Henry could see that a few troopers had been injured. He had no idea how many or even if any had been killed in the attack. “Did I really do all this damage?” he thought to himself. He still had no idea what they were fighting or how many there were. Did he manage to kill them all or just scare them off? Well, whatever the case, they were safe… for now, that is. />
  As Henry made his way across the camp he couldn’t help but notice the strange looks he was getting from the men as they went about their duties, none of whom would maintain eye contact with him or acknowledge him. He knew how odd it must all look to them: he had only been in the camp a matter of hours before they were attacked and then, in defence, blown up half the camp. Henry was aware that history had shown that elves have never trusted host masters, especially those that carried the dreaded spear of the elves, and he knew that Mylon’s men would never question his decision regarding their involvement with human matter.

  However, that didn’t mean they were happy with it, and not one man or woman under Mylon’s command would even think of neglecting their duties. That being said, it didn’t mean that they all agreed with their involvement in matters concerning the host master and his dreaded spear. Henry felt guilty for dragging them all along. It was his fight and he had no intention of putting others in danger. He could only imagine how they must feel being so far from home and their loved ones, and being caught up in something they didn’t fully understand. But he could respect how they must have felt about him.

  “How is she?” Mylon asked as he approached. Sophia looked up. “Just a few bumps and bruises… She was blown backwards and hit her head quite badly,” she replied, whilst giving Henry a dirty look, a look that Hazel couldn’t help but notice. “What are you saying, sister…?” “By dispersing the darklings, my Henry saved lives,” she said in her son’s defence, but Sophia interrupted her by shouting over her. “He could have killed us all in the process.” Both sisters locked eyes for a moment. Henry glanced over to Mylon who just shrugged his shoulders, and then knelt down to speak with Lilly.

  “How are you feeling now?” Lilly tried to stand but Mylon motioned to her to stay seated. “I’m still up to doing my duties, my lord,” she said, trying her best to sound strong. Mylon smiled. “You stay put for now… I’m in good hands.” He smiled, looking over to Poppy who by now was blushing. Lilly nodded and lay back down on her makeshift bed.

  Angry with her sister, Hazel couldn’t understand why Sophia was upset with her son. She took Henry’s arm and led him to one side. “What on earth were you thinking?” she whispered in a reprimanding tone. Henry, a little confused by her attitude, just shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing… I wasn’t thinking… I had to do something.” His mother slapped his arm, “Don’t try being smart with me, young man… Your aunt is right, you could have killed us all.” Henry pulled his arm from her grip. “And what did you expect me to do…? Just stand by and watch as you all got picked off one by one?” He paused, and then continued loud enough for all to hear. “I did what I thought was right in the moment… And if that’s not good enough for you… then you’ve chosen the wrong man to host this… this bloody thing inside me.”

  With that, Henry walked off and headed for the tree line. “Where do you think you’re going?” Hazel called after him, but he didn’t stop to answer. Bree rushed to follow, but Henry stopped and gave her a look that made it quite clear that he wanted to be left alone. Bree turned to Hazel in a rage. “When are you going to accept that Henry is no longer your little boy…? He’s the host master and should be treated as such… What he did today may have shaken us up a little… But we’re still all alive, thanks to him… and him alone.” She looked at Sophia and then at Mylon. “He doesn’t look to any of you for thanks… but he does need your support.” She paused and then said in a more civil tone, “If you can’t offer him that… then it’s best that you keep your distance from now on.” She walked up to Hazel and glared up at her. “He needs your support more than any other.” She held her glare for a brief second, then turned and rushed off to find her beloved Henry.

  Mylon calmly stood up and brushed the mud from his knees. “Ladies… don’t ask for my opinion… you wouldn’t like the answer.” He looked over to Henry, who by now was nearly out of sight. “But she’s right, you know,” he said to no one in particular. “He needs our support… not our opinion.” He turned to face the two sisters. “Yours more than any,” and then walked off to try and speak to Henry. “I’ll be back a little later to check on Lilly,” he said, without looking around.

  Poppy started to follow him, but he told her that she should stay with her friend for a while. If the truth were known, he, too, had had enough of the two sisters: the overpowering manner of Sophia who had the tendency to put everyone down, and he found Hazel just as annoying by the way she always tried to mother poor Henry to such a degree that she was inadvertently pushing him away. He felt a little sorry for him. Mylon never had a close relationship with his own parents, so couldn’t fully understand how Henry felt. Becoming the host master was bad enough, but then thrown into a world he never knew existed until just a few days ago, a world of magic and elves; but more concerning was that he now was responsible for the future, not just of the woodland and the lands beyond, but also the future of his world… the world of elves.

  Henry had become a man practically overnight, a man whom they all had to rely on, so treating him like a boy would only undermine his confidence, which in turn made the situation worse, and he for one wasn’t going to allow personal feelings to jeopardise their chances of successfully defeating the darkness. So the sooner Henry separated from his mother and his aunt, the better – not just for him, but for everyone else concerned.

  Walt sat watching as the camp bustled with activity as they made ready to leave, troopers running in all directions as they carried out their duties. Bert and the others were nowhere to be seen; even his two guards had been ordered to help the others pack up camp. He was alone and for the moment at last had been forgotten. When the attack came, he rushed off into the tree line and hid, and only showed himself after everything had settled down again. He witnessed the bright flare that had dispersed the fog and darklings but hid his eyes, not wanting any part of it. He looked around, making sure that he was not being watched, having already decided to take the opportunity to sneak off whilst everyone else was occupied and try to get back to his home, which was a tiny, shabby bungalow situated on the edge of the town.

  He knew that he would be taking a risk going on his own, but he felt that he was no better off here with the elves, and the others were, in his opinion, hell-bent on getting themselves killed. He, for one, was not going to have any involvement when it came to face up to the shadow master: he would rather take his chances elsewhere. Taking a little time to glance around him, just to be sure that nobody was watching, and, hanky in hand, he shuffled himself to the edge of the clearing, looked around one more time to be sure, then disappeared into the shadows of the trees. He was aware that he was likely to run into something dangerous before reaching his home, but he had never had to rely on anyone in his life to keep him out of harm’s way and that wasn’t going to change anytime now. His own well-tuned intuition had always kept him safe.

  But times had changed, and the woodland was not as safe as it was. He froze for a moment, suddenly realising that something wasn’t right with the attack on the camp… Darklings had always lurked around in woodland and around the edge of the towns, but had never been known to hurt anybody. Darklings were creatures of the dark, hence their name. Nobody knew what they looked like because they had never fully shown themselves before, always lurking in the shadows, feeding on the emotional fears of man and would never have attacked a camp full of trained fighters. New fear rushed through him, making him sweat even more. He pulled out his dirty hanky and started to mop his head.

  Looking around him nervously, he had noticed that the woodlands were deathly quiet and there was no sign of life anywhere. The more he studied the woods, the more nervous he became. He gingerly mopped his neck as he scrutinised the surrounding undergrowth carefully with his intense, sharp eyes. Fairly satisfied that there was no immediate danger, he slowly made his way through gaps in the vegetation, catching himself on brambles and cursing to himself. He never had liked the outdoors: he’d always preferred th
e solitude and comfort of his cosy little living room. That said, he had spent a lot of time in the woodlands, either running errands for his lady Sophia, or just keeping an eye on what the others were up to. He couldn’t say when or even why he got involved with the guardians or matters concerning his environment; but here he was, whether he liked it or not.

  Still cursing, he stumbled along until he reached an opening onto the trackway: here at least it wouldn’t be too dark, and it should be a lot easier going from here on in. He looked up through the dappled light breaking through the branches, giving him a moment of relief from the smothering darkness of the dense undergrowth. Walt was very familiar with the woodland and knew exactly where he was, so he wasn’t too worried about finding his way home. But, like most tenuous tasks, he hated walking and had already been walking for over an hour, and it would take him the good part of another six hours to reach the edge of the woodland. He was acutely aware that it would be dark long before he got there.

  He did, however, know of a place where he could spend the night, which would take him just a few hours to reach if he didn’t stop to rest. Unfortunately, he knew that he wouldn’t get a warm welcome, but considering his circumstances he had little or no choice in the matter, so with eyes on every bush and tree he set off hoping against hope to find safety before nightfall. Unlike the others, he didn’t have the protection of magical powers, and had to rely on his cunning alone and a great deal of sheer luck to see him through. To Walt’s thinking, Alfwald was the most frightening thing out there. Fortunately, he wanted Walt alive to serve him; foolishly Walt thought that as long as he was useful to Alfwald, he would be safe from harm. But what he hadn’t seen, lurking deep within the shadows on either side of him, was the dark creatures following.