The Sword and the Shadows_The First Chronicle

by Patrick Kriener

  “Better get used to the smell, lad,” he said. Berek nodded, but somehow he could not see a thing. The tunnel was pitch black and no light source was to be found. Luckily, Roark had brought his torch and more oil. He then lit it, and the torch brightened up the tunnel a bit. Berek looked around, seeing a long passageway right in front of him.

  “Look!” yelled Helen. Berek turned to her direction and saw what she had seen. Along the sides of the tunnel were arrows pointing in the direction of the passageway. Berek walked closer to these arrows and saw symbols and markings under them. It looked to be a language of some sort, but Berek could not read it.

  “It’s Elvish,” spoke Aleazar suddenly. “Let me read it.” He stepped closer, and looked intently at the markings. “’He who seeks the sword, must follow the arrows, for they will lead you to the Sword of Ice.’ Must mean Dawnfrost.”

  “It is Dawnfrost!” hissed Berek. “Come on! We need to follow the passageway and wherever the arrows may lead!”

  Berek led the group at the front, running along the passageway. Water and muck splashed his boots and slowed him down a bit, but he kept running. The passageway had many twists and turns, but he followed the direction of the arrows clearly. Many hours had passed, and the group had to slow their pace.

  “Let us rest,” panted Roark.

  “Oh, you humans and your weakness!” said Aleazar merrily. “Us elves are faster and stronger and-“

  “Aleazar,” interrupted Helen, “shut up.”

  Aleazar growled, but he did shut up. Berek leaned against the dirty wall, panting harshly. He inhaled and exhaled, slowing his heart rate down. Roark found a torch-holder in the wall and placed his torch there, providing them enough light. Roark walked and stood next to Berek.

  “Your father was a real genius to make a tunnel like this.”

  “I never knew. He never spoke of swords or Dawnfrost at all. He was just a simple farmer.”

  “Perhaps he is part of a secretive society of tunnel makers.”

  “But why would he keep secrets from me? Why wouldn’t he-“

  But he was interrupted when he heard a sound. The sound came from behind them. It was a low, guttural growling. Berek looked at Roark, seeing fear fill his eyes. Berek stood up and looked into the darkness behind him, seeing nothing.

  Aleazar came and stood next to Berek, saying, “What the devil was-“

  “Shh!” hissed Berek. He turned to Roark, pointing to the torch on the wall. Roark nodded and went to it, taking it off and handing it to Berek. Helen then stood next to Berek, her katana in her hands. Berek took a deep breath and shined the torch light in front of him. A figure had its back turned to them and was crouching down. It had green skin and little patches of grey armor. A horned helmet was on its head. Berek looked closer and saw it was eating something.

  Helen gasped, for she had seen what it was eating. Berek looked close and saw it was eating a human leg, bloody and mutilated. The leg looked short, so it must have been a young person or a dwarf. However, when Helen had gasped, the creature had apparently heard. Its head poked up, and it stood up. Then it turned around.

  The face was ugly, with drooling, sharp teeth. Yellow eyes stared back at them with hate, and its green face was filled with scars and scabs. A horned nose was at its center. Berek stood back, his hand on his katana. The creature began to growl more, making feral noises. Suddenly, it unsheathed a small dagger and with quick speed, headed toward Berek.

  “No!” yelled Helen quickly slashing it down. Blood spewed from the attack, and the creature fell to the ground. Berek came to it and stabbed it several times, causing more blood to flow. Finally, he stopped.

  “I ask again, what the devil was that?” asked Aleazar.

  “That, my friend was a goblin,” replied Roark. “But it is strange. They usually travel in packs. I don’t know why this one was alone. There should be more.”

  “There is,” said Berek suddenly. Roark wondered why he said this, but once he saw what Berek was looking at, he knew. A few feet from where the dead goblin was, stood around twenty larger goblins, each carrying sharp weapons. They all growled at the group and suddenly ran at them. Berek stood up, unsheathing his dagger.

  “Kill them all!” cried Berek, as the first goblin came to him. It pulled back its arm to slash him; however, he quickly stabbed it in the eye. He then slashed its neck, and pushed it to the ground. Another came, as he flipped it over himself and stabbed it while on the ground. Helen twisted and twirled, as she stabbed and cut her way through the goblin squadron. Roark was the strongest, as each move he made was fatal for the goblins. He chopped at one’s head, splitting it open. He then spun and slashed another. Blood filled the waters of the tunnel. Berek stabbed one in the leg and brought the dagger to its neck, cutting it along the way. He pushed it down back into the water, causing it to fall on another. However, when a goblin would die, another would take its place. They were quickly being overwhelmed by the massive force.

  “We need to move back!” yelled Roark, chopping a goblin head.

  “You’re right!” yelled Berek. “Follow me!” Aleazar was laughing as he was chopping the goblins to pieces. Elf-swordsmanship was probably the best in the land for Aleazar was proof of this. He kicked a goblin to its knees and sliced its head off. He then blocked an oncoming attack and slashed the goblin’s face off. Berek was impressed with this elf’s skill. If it weren’t for his rude demeanor, he could have made a worthy ally. Berek shook his head and finished off the goblin he was fighting.

  But suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his head and he felt warmth. A goblin was standing there with a small, wooden object in its hand. Spikes protruded from the top of the wooden weapon. On the tips of the spikes was fresh blood. Berek put a hand to his head and pulled it back, seeing much blood. Berek suddenly became weak. He then stabbed the goblin in the chest and turned around, running away. The others were quickly ahead of him.

  Berek ran on, the goblins always following him. He slashed one down, but yelled in pain at the injury on his head. Suddenly, he bumped into Helen and fell to the water.

  “Berek!” she yelled indistinctly. He was weakening as his vision became blurry. He saw Roark ahead of him, climbing another ladder. This must have been the escape ladder. Helen bent down and picked up Berek, carrying him across the tunnel to the ladder. Aleazar began climbing as well. Berek grasped the metal ladder with a groan as he began to climb, Helen right behind him. The goblins were jumping and slashing at their feet, but Helen kept slashing them away.

  Berek looked up and saw light at the end of the ladder. He climbed and climbed, and finally felt a hand pull him up out of the ladder. He landed on soft grass as Aleazar was right next to him. When Helen finally climbed out, Roark poured much oil down the hole. The goblins were climbing the ladder, but were then covered in oil. Roark picked up his torch and smiled.

  “Burn, you maggots!” he cried, as he dropped the torch. The goblins below caught fire and were incinerated by the flames. Roark pulled the gate over the ladder and closed it. Berek, however, could not see any more as he saw his vision swimming. His head was causing more and more pain. He saw Helen bending over him, and he drifted off into the blackness.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Gorge of Evil

  “W

  here are we now?” Yuri kept asking; he did not know the location of this temple.

  “We are heading back down to Feurindal; north of it we will find the Mothdew Caves. Just a few turns from there and we reach the temple.” Kullian looked close at the map as they exited the harsh cold land of Belmar and entered vegetation.

  Tablitha and Vormis felt much relief after the previous encounter with the Ancients. They saw the view of Feurindal ahead as they passed down the valley. Yuri seemed to remember a lot about this place, where he once was and where all of this had started.

  “Only a few more miles,” muttered Kullian. His horse grew tired, but kept strong.

  Yuri moved his horse close to Tablitha’s. “I am sor
ry; I know Hulio meant a lot to you... and to all of us.” Tablitha could not respond, for she felt a great weakness come over her.

  “We will see another shrine on the way when we are close,” Kullian interrupted as he made sure Vormis was okay; it seemed he was recovering.

  “So, Tablitha, you were saying something about an evil... well, you know.” Tablitha remembered.

  “The Ancients are servants led by Melageth, and this...”

  Kullian interrupted Tablitha once more as he spoke to Yuri, “When you talk to them about the failure of the mission, don’t blame anything on Dalkreen; he is only the one who assigns. Though he does not know the danger and what the possible outcome could be.”

  A stone cavern was seen nearby. It was circular from the top and vegetation was filled around its perimeter. Torches lit the dark shadows under the rock well, and a simple wooden door was found from the entrance.

  “This is it, right? This is the real temple?” Kullian nodded to Yuri as he got off his horse.

  “How does this Zoran get to travel somewhere so quickly? We should be here before him.”

  “Spells of teleportation; yes, he does wield such power,” Vormis finally spoke after all of this.

  All four of them spoke no more as they tied up the horses near the trees and came closer to the entrance.

  Yuri looked close to the top of the cave and saw three men in hoods of red, pointing arrows right at them.

  “Hold, we are the men of Zoran’s mission. We are called here to be seen by Zoran.”

  The man looked at them with his dark eyes of greed and malice. “Zoran does not recall to such things.”

  Kullian stepped closer and stared at the man. This went on for a minute now and Yuri did not know what to do. Finally the man allowed them to go through.

  “Follow Yuri, for we go to Zoran now.” Yuri let Tablitha in first and went before Vormis.

  Yuri looked at the size of the tunnels, being dark and all made of rock. Perfect carvings of Blood Shadows language filled the walls. Miniature statues and artifacts were surrounding Yuri wherever he walked. Blood Shadows guards were seen with blades and spears patrolling in and out of the cave.

  “Why was I never told of this place?” Yuri realized now the importance of the Blood Shadows. They walked lower and lower into the cave, finally reaching a terrace. It was circular and metal; ropes were seen all over the edge. Iron chains protruded from the lever to descend downward.

  “Get on. Zoran is found on the lower level of the temple.”

  Yuri followed Kullian. Vormis and Tablitha were surprised; the last time they saw this temple it was built of rock and dust.

  As they descended lower into the cave, it gave Yuri more fear. It would be impossible to escape such a place but he knew he had to be smart and keep his blade close.

  The elevating terrace stopped moving, and all three exited, seeing a bigger entrance. More guards were filled in the area and the place gave more light and more structural walls.

  “In here, you will find the statue of Drahk himself.” Yuri saw the thirty foot statue made of rock, carved into the god. It had four arms, which were muscular in form and a strange demon head. It bore two red eyes and a bald head with tiny horns to the side.

  “So, this is Drahk?” Vormis asked and Kullian nodded.

  “Yes, in his true form.”

  Someone stepped up in Yuri’s view after this.

  “Ah, Yuri. Was the mission a success?” Zoran stepped from behind the statue with a long cape and a book of worship.

  “The mission was not a success; we were attacked by these dark creatures.”

  Zoran whispered to himself angrily, “Creatures, yes of course.” Zoran turned back to Yuri and spoke, “I am sorry about that, but there is word of all these strange things happening in the northern part of Alundiel.” Zoran tried covering up the mission’s failure.

  “Well you got what you wanted because the village is destroyed, but that village was threatened by another force rather than beast or human.”

  Zoran tried to feel confused. “What were they?”

  Tablitha stepped forward and exclaimed, “The Ancients attacked us, but the village fell first. Vormis and I went to go hunting while Yuri and Kullian rested and that is where it started. Birds flew among the air, the size of horses and as fierce and ugly as the dead creatures that also attacked us... which were alive!”

  “Um, enough talk for now. Dalkreen?” Dalkreen stepped out to the surface in front of Drahk’s statue.

  “Yes, Lord Damorus?”

  Zoran made Dalkreen escort Vormis, Kullian, and Tablitha out of the room and onto the terrace.

  “Come, Yuri... come to my main quarters.” Zoran was acting nervous and walked ahead, but Yuri followed slowly behind, still observing the things around him and even their strange way of worship.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Fate’s Revelation

  Z oran entered an iron door. Three guards stood on the outside and many torches were lit upon its ceiling. Zoran sat down and waved a bottle of mead in the air.

  “Mead?” Yuri did not accept Zoran’s offer. “Very well, then. I hear you need to speak with me. What about, my child?”

  Yuri did not answer. Rather, he was looking around the quarters, seeing the heads of rulers they conquered, all human and beast. Many weapons were hung in the room as a ward to Zoran, and more artifacts and a sacrificial table stood to the middle of the royal room of darkness. A serpent slithered around the table Zoran sat on. Yuri backed off but Zoran insisted that he sit down.

  “I know you have the knowledge to tell me how I came to be a part of the Shadows,” Yuri stated finally. “What did you find so special about me?”

  “You see, Yuri, there are chosen people, but you are more to us than that. I gave you the Callous Scales to make you stronger and more aware in battle; also to separate you from other men and beast... and only be one of us.”

  “No contract, then? I suppose I am here forever?”

  Zoran then said, “Once apart of us, you may not be a part of the original world of Alundiel. We are like rebels, fighting for the truth, and freeing Drahk will give us the power to rule Alundiel forever. Freeing the Lord is only viable through a book, called the Maldark Santorium and is the key to our cause.”

  “But how do I not remember my younger years, when I was a boy or even after I was born? What did you do to me that I cannot remember?”

  “I personally trained you when you were younger to fight for my will. Truthfully, you were drugged by the council of our dark masters; one of the councilors, who made rules of our law and tradition, set up the conflict for you not to remember your childhood. Remembering that would only make you want to rebel against us.”

  Zoran then got up and walked to a corner of the room. He picked up a potion, laying it onto the table. Dark mist came from it and a strange odor proceeded from the bottle of magic.

  “What is that?”

  Zoran laughed and answered him. “This is the potion we used to free your memory to only let you remember things that we wanted you to know... as in knowledge of your past but not until you came to be a part of us. We found the perfect opportunity to take you up when we found you at fourteen years of age. Training you as a child when younger was perfect, because all people of this age must be taught education and the simple regulations of life.”

  Zoran continued as Yuri dissected every word that came out. “Dalkreen brought you with him, and he protected you along the way...”

  Zoran then was interrupted by Yuri. “I want to know about myself, like how I was born and all of that! Not the details of telling your will with me and Dalkreen.” Zoran accepted and sat back down and breathed in.

  “You see, when you were born, we had our eyes on you since the beginning. Those who attacked your village were known as the Brothers of the Night, but fate came to pass when your father dropped you off near a Blood Shadows hideout, where he let us take care of you until you had recovered. But no one knows wh
at happened to your father after that.”

  “Why couldn’t I know about this before, after all these years?” Yuri began to grow into rage, but Zoran had kept guards in the room that remained close to Yuri with spears.

  “It was not my intention to make your life miserable, for I was only helping you. Even now that you are a part of our family, you have nowhere to go. Dalkreen took care of you until you tried running off one day, which we found you in a village near Belmar. He tried to care for you after that, but that is when we had to set you up so that you could have reconsidered joining.”

  “But how can you make me reconsider if I could not remember anything? I just know I was born, my mother died, and then my father tries to protect me from a group of assassins, by delivering me to a secret order; which now I believe is a bunch of pansies that cannot show themselves in the open world!”

  Zoran stood up quickly and forcefully pushed Yuri away. “My son, lend me your ear... I knew you would do well for my cause, and also I appoint you to a greater calling, that in time you will rise up and rule with me.” Zoran sat down to continue, but Yuri was not yet satisfied with Zoran’s words. “Your mother was great in her time who met the perfect man, Baldric. He seemed to care much for you and brought you here for protection, for when he left you he had business to take care of in the lower parts of Rodinfront.

  “But this business... he never told us of fully about it like he was hiding something. Know this, I had favor with you, Yuri, and for those fourteen years of training, I knew that would not be enough... so I would use you more so we can rule this land with Drahk, forever.” Dalkreen walked in suddenly and needed to speak with Zoran.

  “Lord, I need a word with you.”

  Zoran stood up. “I will be there in a minute’s time.”

  “Wait,” spoke Yuri. “Zoran, what happened with my father? Are you sure there is no word of what happened?” Yuri was eager to know.