Order of The Rose: Forsaken Petal

by Hoyt, Joshua

  Tom felt a shiver up the back of his spine as he listened to the man. How can they expect me to right their wrongs? I’m just a kid. I can’t do this, but maybe I can. Maybe people will finally respect me. He had always wanted to be special; he had always wanted to be able to change things.

  The man looked over at Aithnea and Cody who were standing motionless; their eyes looked blankly ahead. “Keep your friends near you at all times they will be a great strength unto you. Trust them, rely on them and remember that you are not alone.”

  The man waved his hand slightly and then he was gone.

  “Wow, that is an amazing tapestry,” Aithnea said.

  “Are you ok Tom, you look as if you just saw a ghost,” Cody said.

  Tom just looked at the two staring at them blankly. He slowly closed his mouth and shook his head. He turned from them and looked at the tapestry closer ignoring their stares. “I-I saw a man who said that the tapestry told about the beginning of magic in this world.”

  Aithnea looked at Tom in surprise. “You saw someone?”

  Cody and Aithnea looked nervously around the room.

  “Well, I think I saw someone it may have been…” Tom stopped thinking how ridiculous he must sound, “…Well whoever or whatever it was is gone now.” He rubbed his arms suddenly feeling cold; his breath forming small clouds as he breathed. A chill ran up the back of his neck as the lights on the walls began to flicker. His stomach churned and fear began to seep into his body.

  Cody drew his sword and edged toward the door. “I think we’d better leave.”

  Tom and Aithnea both walked quickly toward the door. The skeletons looked much more animated than when they had first entered the room. As Tom reached the door the first skeleton began to rise.

  “RUN!” Cody yelled. He was already running down the hallway with Tom and Aithnea right behind him. The lights on the walls dimmed as Tom’s feet pounded on the hard stone floor. He felt a presence of evil closing in behind him. There was a scream through the fog of his fear and he could feel Aithnea reaching out to him with her magic.

  Tom fought the fear that was driving him forward and managed to control it enough to stop. Turning, he didn’t see Aithnea behind him. Where has she gone? Where was she? The lights were out and all he saw was darkness. Sweat ran down his face and back. He was being overwhelmed with fear, unable to concentrate or think straight. Aithnea where are you? All there is is darkness. Darkness and evil.

  He closed his eyes and trying to shut the fear out. Slowly he began to concentrate on the light cantrip. The fear retreated a little from the power that was growing inside of him. He was able to concentrate on the magical force that Aithnea was pushing toward him. “Mitt-lumen,” Tom spoke the words of the light cantrip and pushed the power inside of him out through his finger. To his amazement and joy a small orange light appeared in the air in front of him just as the rest of the lights in the hallway went completely out.

  Aithnea stood at the end of the hallway in the clutches of a skeleton. Its jagged grin sent another chill up Tom’s back. His breath caught in his throat seeing the fear in Aithnea’s eyes. A dagger was at her throat. The fear began to wrap its deadly clutches once again around his heart and the small light dimmed. Tom was losing concentration and control of the magic. The skeleton’s grin widened. There was a horrible cackling from the skeleton and Tom saw hope fade from Aithnea’s eyes.

  The light was gone. Tom stood in darkness, the hopelessness making it impossible for him to move. He fell to his knees and bowed his head. How could I have given up? There is no reason to go on.

  The hallway exploded into brilliant light, the skeleton shrieked as it dropped the dagger from Aithnea’s throat. Tom slumped to the ground and watched in shame as John ran past him. A white sphere hurled from Kristiana surged over his head slamming into the skeletons down the hall. Aithnea, now free ran toward Tom, tears freely falling down her face as she ran.

  The first skeleton, no longer grinning, pulled a long sword from its sheath and charged John. The two collided in a bone jarring thud. John deflected the skeleton’s sword and smashed another skeleton into the wall, making a loud cracking noise.

  Tom stood, the fear now gone and only shame and hate remaining, pulled his sword from its scabbard running toward the battle. Hate of the skeleton and shame that he let Aithnea down. Tom yelled and allowed rage to overtake his feelings, hoping that the shame would never return.

  Tom slipped by John and swung his sword at the skeleton in his path. His sword hit, breaking the hard bone with a loud crack causing the skeleton to drop his own weapon. The skeleton turned on Tom, lashing out with its clawed hand; it narrowly missed as Tom sidestepped the wicked claw. Tom swung again, wanting to break the skeleton into tiny fragments. You will pay for what you did to Aithnea.

  Arrows flew through the air, one whizzed past Tom hitting the wall behind him. He slashed out with his sword again hitting bone. The skeleton fell with a loud clatter. Two more arrows flew into the battle thudding into the walls around Tom. A flash of hot white light screeched past Tom exploding a skeleton that was about to swing its crude axe toward his head.

  Tom kicked out at the skeleton that had fallen and connecting with its head, the skeleton slumped to the ground. John rushed past Tom, engaging two more skeletons who had begun to advance on them. Tom screamed. He felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned and saw a skeleton with red blood dripping from its sharp talons. He raised his sword to deflect yet another blow. Several missiles slammed into the skeleton, knocking it back against the wall. “Mitt-requiro,” Tom yelled as he threw his own magic missiles into the skeleton, the skeleton broke into pieces and it fell to the ground with a crash.

  “Duck Tom,” Cody said, his sword flew over his head catching another skeleton’s sword before it could cut him down.

  Cody jumped as Tom rolled under him.

  Cody slashed in one smooth movement hitting the skeleton on the shoulder.

  Tom stood. “Mitt-flamma,” he spoke, touching his sword at the same time. His sword erupted into flame and he advanced on the skeletons once again.

  Cody smashed another skeleton into the wall with his sword causing it to shatter into many pieces. Tom passed Cody with his sword held out toward a skeleton that had made it past John. He swung the flaming sword in an arch over his head bringing it down toward the skeletons head. The skeleton caught the blow with its arm sacrificing it as it brought a small dagger toward Tom’s stomach. Tom stepped to the right. He wasn’t quick enough, but received only a scrape along his side.

  John turned; slamming his sword, flat sided, into the skeleton’s back knocking the skeleton forward to where Tom had been. Tom brought his flaming sword down onto the skeleton’s back knocking it to the ground. The rags the skeleton wore turned into flames. The skeleton screamed in agony as Tom jumped past it toward another.

  An arrow caught John in the left shoulder yet he continued to push forward, smashing skeleton soldiers into bits of bones. He cleared his way to the archers and began reigning down fury upon them. The first one fell before it had a chance to get a weapon out and the second lost its arm as it lifted its sword against him. The skeleton tried to claw John but it was hit by another bolt of energy, causing it to turn to dust.

  Tom stopped concentrating on the flame that surrounded his sword and it went out. He slumped against the wall exhausted from the ordeal of both fighting and of keeping the magic going.

  Cody sat down next to him breathing hard, he leaned his head against the wall. “You have brought me problems since the first time I met you,” Cody said.

  “I think that you enjoy it, that’s why you’re still around,” Tom bantered back.

  Tom looked at Cody. “What just happened? I was so afraid. I couldn’t concentrate or do anything.”

  Cody nodded. “I felt it too; I couldn’t stop running.”

  John sat on the floor across the hall from the two boys looking at them. “It’s not your fault; these skeletons used pow
erful magic that surrounded them. The aura causes fear to all that come near them. If it hadn’t been for Caspin I don’t think I would have been able to face them either.”

  Caspin walked up to John and after pulling the arrow from his shoulder laid his hands on him and healed him.

  “Thank you Caspin, it’s a blessing to have you with us.” John rotated his arm several times.

  Caspin nodded. He moved to where Tom was leaning against the wall and pulled him from the wall.

  Tom winced as sharp pain shot up his shoulder and neck from the wound on his back.

  “They must have had some sort of poison or disease in their fingers. Your wound has already begun to fester,” Caspin said.

  Caspin pulled some things from his bag and began to mix a pasty concoction together. He closed his eyes and held the mixture in his hands for a few seconds before spreading the mixture over Tom’s wounds. The mixture was hot as Caspin smeared it onto his back and the pain ceased almost immediately. He then put bandages on the wound and Tom lay gently back against the wall.

  “Thank you,” Tom said.

  “There is strong magic in these skeletons,” Kristiana said. She was moving her hand over the lifeless bones. “John, these skeletons weren’t recently animated. I don’t know of a magic that is powerful enough to keep something animated more than a couple of days.” There was concern etched across her face.

  Aithnea walked up to Tom and he looked down, ashamed of letting her down. Kneeling in front of him she picked up his hands. “Thank you for your light…” she held his hand tight, “…I know that you feel that you failed me but it was your light that gave me hope to resist the fear.”

  Tom looked up slowly the shame burning deep in him. “I couldn’t hold on though.” He trembled remembering the fear.

  Aithnea smiled softly then brought his hands to her lips and kissed them lightly. “Without your strength I would have perished before Caspin was able to bless us with his God’s light.” She held Tom’s gaze and whispered, “Thank you for your strength.” She stood still smiling and walked over to examine the remains by Kristiana. Tom continued to look down at his hands. I don’t deserve her thanks. I will not fail her again. He remembering the despair in her face as his light began to fade. He had been unable to save his friend this time, but never again.

  Caspin touched Tom’s shoulder and he looked up with tears in his eyes.

  “Don’t let the shame mask the great bravery you showed here today,” Caspin said.

  Tom wiped the tears from his eyes.

  “There are very few men who could have withstood the spell that was radiating from those foul beasts.” He slid down next to Tom and looked at the skeletons with disdain, “This is where your courage comes from…” Caspin put his hand on his heart then his arm, “…not here.”

  Tom smiled weakly. “I understand, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t hold on. They were too strong.”

  “You may not have destroyed the enemy with your small light but you gave him pause, and as you grow your light will grow as well, enabling you to give hope to others.” Caspin clapped Tom’s shoulder softly and said, “This is a great victory for you. You have shown the enemy that you do have a light of your own. Remember that in times of great darkness you may be the only one that others can look to for light.” Caspin smiled and stood up slowly. He held out his hand to Tom. Tom grabbed the outreached hand and stood. I know I can stand now. I have friends that believe in me.

  John stood. “You were very brave today. There is no shame in what happened here today.”

  Cody stood next to Tom smiling broadly. “Yea no kidding, I wish I could light my sword on fire.”

  Tom snorted. “It’s an easy trick I’ll show you how someday.”

  “John, come over here and take a look at this,” Kristiana said.

  She was standing over the skeleton that had held Aithnea. John walked over to her and the rest followed. She handed John a small chain with a rose attached to it. “Look at this.”

  “It looks like the one the skeleton wore in the old library,” John said.

  Tom could see that it was a rose and that in the light it had a definite blue tint to it. He looked at the other skeletons but none of them had any necklaces on. Tom counted twelve skeletons without necklaces that lay in heaps of bones and cloth. The skeleton that had the necklace was charred from the magic that had hit it. In the pile of bones Kristiana found the dagger that was held to Aithnea’s neck. Unlike the other weapons that the skeletons had this one looked as if it had been crafted recently. A sapphire was imbedded into the hilt.

  “Since you were almost killed with it I think you should hold onto it,” Kristiana said handing the dagger to Aithnea, “Keep it safe; it radiates a strong magic.”

  Aithnea held the dagger close. “Thank you.”

  “What was down farther,” John asked.

  “Just a room with a table and an old tapestry,” Cody said.

  John started down the hall toward the door. Tom, Aithnea and Cody looked at each other with concern but as Kristiana and Caspin followed John they fell in line.

  “So Tom, how did you know how to use the fire spell?” Kristiana asked.

  “It just came to me. I think I figured that a burning sword would do more damage than a normal sword so I cast the spell for fire and touched my sword. I’m not sure how or why it worked.” He shrugged.

  “It’s good to try and stick with spells you know when in the middle of a battle,” Kristiana said, “A lot of the time you can miscast a spell and it will backfire.”

  Tom nodded.

  Kristiana continued the lecture, “That’s why it’s so important to study and prepare for battle.” She paused as if looking for the right words. “Imagine that you are in a battle and how it will look then plan for the best response.”

  “It’s strange but when I’m in the middle of a fight there is something in me that seems to just start acting for me. It’s as if I’m going into a rage and almost lose control,” Tom said.

  Kristiana looked back at Tom studying him for a second. “I’m not sure if that’s good for you to give in to those rages they may get you into trouble one day or misfire on friends. Magic is very powerful and if we do not use our wills to control and wield it then it could control us instead.”

  Kristiana walked with her hand to her chin. “On the other hand, it may be how your magic works. I know that how we use magic is similar but it’s not the same.”

  Tom thought about what Kristiana said and wondered if he was in control of his magic or if it was beginning to control him. He shuddered thinking that the magic might be in control. I need to be more careful, at least until I understand it better.

  The door stood open and John slowly entered. He walked around the table examining the skeletons closely with Kristiana behind him. She moved her hand over each one. After they had passed by each one John put his sword and pistol away and Kristiana walked over to the tapestry.

  Tom walked to the skeletons afraid that any moment they would wake and attack them. He shuddered remembering the fear that the other skeleton had caused. Could these skeletons do the same? Leaning closer he looked at the necklaces around their necks. “They’re all wearing the same necklaces, other than the color that is.”

  “Yes and look in the tapestry, there’re white, blue, brown and red roses on the men,” Kristiana added.

  John walked up to Kristiana’s side. “What is it a picture of?”

  Tom looking a little embarrassed said, “When we were in here earlier, I saw a man. He told me that it showed how it was when magic was in the beginning. He said that the men became power hungry and would kill their own families to gain more.”

  “What man?” John asked.

  “I’m not sure who he was but he wore a necklace like the ones that are on the skeletons. He seemed to be very old and wore a grey cloak. I was the only one that saw him though,” Tom said.

  Kristiana continued to study the tapestry and John ap
proached the table.

  Aithnea walked to the table and leaned close to a vase that held four roses. “These roses look as if they are still alive…” she looked up at John, “…How could they still be alive after all this time?”

  “It must be some sort of magic that keeps them alive,” John said.

  “This looks like some sort of counsel room,” Caspin said as he approached the tapestry, “Maybe they put the tapestry up to remind them of what happens when magic becomes too powerful and goes unchecked.”

  Kristiana nodded in agreement. “It makes more sense to me why they would want to take magic from the world.” She pointed at a part on the tapestry. “It looks as if they are fighting over something or someplace. It’s some kind of a map.”

  Caspin stepped back and examined it from a distance. “I think you’re right, there’s definitely a border drawn under the fighting men. Look here there seems to be certain points that are highlighted or where more men are fighting. They must have been fighting over these different points.” He pointed at several different locations.

  There were five points of interest that had a concentration of men fighting over them. In all of the five places there were men from each color of the rose and it didn’t appear that any group was winning the battle.

  John walked up to the tapestry and touched a point on the tapestry. “If this is a map then this must be where we are.”

  Tom looked at the point it was a mountain with a cave in the side of it. “Can you tell where the other ones are fighting?”

  Kristiana shook her head from side to side. “It will be impossible without a key of some sort. We have no reference other than where we are now and it doesn’t appear to be very accurate as far as natural landmarks.”

  The group continued to look at the tapestry, moving around to get different viewpoints. Caspin stopped and then stepped closer to the tapestry. “Look at this man; he doesn’t have any apparent markings. He seems to be standing apart from the others.”