by Jeff Gunzel
“You can’t do it alone, Eric,” his friend said while softening his tone. “We came here for their help, and now they have offered it. You can’t just fly into the sky and hope all the evil in the world follows you. You might be the key to all this, but if the world wants to be saved, then it better be ready to help.”
“Jacob’s words ring true,” came the familiar voice from the doorway. Jade stood tall with her arms crossed, her crystal-blue eyes filled with command and authority. Eric didn’t know why, but in that moment she reminded him so much of Queen Ilirra. “The time will come soon enough when crytons and humans alike will have to work together. Divided we stand no chance. True, we won’t be staying here much longer, but when the time comes to act, the crytons must be ready.”
“Then we are in agreement,” said Shantis as she raised her beverage in the air. Silver goblets were raised around the table as she proposed a toast with two simple words: “To victory.”
* * *
Later that evening they built a roaring bonfire for the whole village to come gather around. It wasn’t exactly a celebration—tough times were ahead and everyone knew it— but for now it just seemed like a nice distraction for everyone to get their minds off the impending darkness, even if only for one night.
The crytons gathered around in their own little circles, talking and laughing amongst themselves, but the wandering eyes that constantly fell on Eric while he sat alone were hard for him to ignore. The looks were not of distrust or anything of that nature. They just had no idea how to talk to him, or what to say to the deity they had only heard stories about. To see him in person, here in their village!
Jade strolled up to him in a mockingly seductive way, shaking her hips from side to side in an exaggerated fashion as he remained slouched on a tree stump. “Why so glum?” she asked with that mischievous smile that promised she was in the mood to tease him. “Are you upset you haven’t saved the world yet? Don’t worry, the night is still plenty young,” came the sarcasm he more than expected as her mischievous smile changed into a pouting face; her head tilted and lower lip fattened. He tightened his lips hard, trying his best not to give her the satisfaction of making him laugh, but he made the fatal mistake of looking up at her.
She maintained her sulking mask, looking like a spoiled child who hadn’t gotten her way, and it was simply all he could take. Snatching her by her hips as they both laughed, he pulled Jade to his lap and held her tightly. “I honestly have no idea what I would do without you.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder for a long while as they watched the crytons go about their family-type business. Men trotted around with children on their shoulders, holding their arms out wide as if they were flying through the air. Wives huddled in tight, chatty circles flailed their arms about as they spoke, no doubt complaining about the men.
Both Eric and Jade couldn’t help but think about how minimal the differences really were between crytons and humans. They had families and people they loved, just like anybody else, and they displayed an animalistic rage when their families were threatened. Could that really be perceived as being different from humans?
They watched as Jacob seemed to be conducting some kind of instructional class or something. He had several of the children standing in a row, each one holding a staff similar to his own. He paraded back and forth in front of them, barking out instructions they no doubt didn’t understand a word of, but they all wore smiles on their faces and seemed to be listening intently anyway. “Now, what could he possibly be telling them?” wondered Jade as she watched the spectacle while shaking her head.
Eric glanced over at her and replied, “I am the most wonderful thing that ever existed. Following me to the bitter end will be the greatest decision you will ever make!”
Jade laughed as she patted his chest while snuggling harder against him. After a moment or two she leaned up a bit, wearing a more serious expression. “You know we have to leave soon. We have to report back to the Queen and figure out what to do next.”
Eric just nodded. Everything was just so peaceful right now. He had been putting off thoughts of leaving the village, but he knew they couldn’t stay here much longer. “Come on, let’s find Shantis. Maybe they can supply us with some horses.” Jade lowered her eyebrows and flashed him a puzzled look. He answered her unspoken question as if he could read her mind. “I can’t even feel the energy of a gate right now. It just happens; I can’t do it on purpose. For all I know, I’ll never be able to do it again.”
“Well, let’s hope that’s not the case,” Jade said as she reluctantly hopped off his lap. “I see her over there,” she pointed toward the fire. The two marched over to the cryton leader and explained their situation: that they would be leaving soon and would need horses, if they could indeed be provided.
“Follow me,” she said as her bright, yellow eyes seemed to shine and flash while reflecting the flickering light from the fire. They considered getting Jacob, but seeing him laying on the ground all turtled up while the children continued to whack him with sticks was just too entertaining to break up; plus, they were fairly sure he would survive the ordeal. The three of them walked past the small temple toward the back of the village.
They approached an unpainted stable assembled solidly from wooden planks. The roof seemed to be the only part made from the bamboo they used so often, each shoot bound tightly to the next using that odd, yellow, fibrous twine.
Two large black horses stood there, shin-deep in the yellow hay that blanketed the dry dirt floor. They continued to chew on nothing as their tails swished back and forth. However, these horses did not look normal at all. They seemed very large and muscular, for one thing—far bigger than any other breed of horse the companions had ever seen before. Their eyes were odd also, blue in color, and seemed extremely large for the horses’ heads, almost giving the horses the unbalanced proportion of insects’ eyes.
“Our horses are sssome of the fastest you will ever find,” said Shantis as she smiled with pride. “They will make the journey to Taron in only a few days’ time.”
“Thank you for everything,” said Eric as he curiously eyed the two in the stable. “Can we bother you for another one?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said as she motioned to one of the young-looking horse handlers pitching hay in the back. “I will need four horses saddled and ready to ride by morning,” she called out in the cryton tongue.
Understanding, Jade looked over to Shantis and said, “Oh, we just need one for Jacob to ride. We don’t need a packhorse as well. We don’t really even have all that many bags.”
“Of course you don’t,” she replied as her smile became wide enough to show all her teeth, like a tiger. “I’m coming with you.”
Chapter 4
Dragot leaned back in the undersized yet sturdy wooden chair provided by the briggit, who had now scampered back inside the dark, crystal tower. It would be suitable for now, seeing as he just wanted to enjoy his lush, private paradise for a while.
Colorful birds fluttered about as the constant crackling of the foamy waterfall spraying fine mist into the air proved to be ever so soothing. A gentle breeze lightly rattled the tops of tropical trees. The subtle thumps of fresh fruit landing on soft, damp grass were audible only to Dragot’s sensitive ears.
This was just what he needed after being handed a crippling defeat at the hands of the Gate Keeper: a soothing break, so obviously well deserved. He watched as the foot-long goldfish swam along slowly, not trying to get anyplace in particular but getting there anyway, then turning around once more just to go nowhere in particular yet again.
Dragot dipped another piece of bread into the narrow, wooden chute running right past his flat, pig-like snout. He popped it into his tusked mouth quickly before the fresh juice dripped all over. Licking his clawed fingers, he began to contemplate just what had gone wrong with his perfect plan, not taking responsibility for any of the unseen complications, of course. His plan had been perfect! Th
e fact that these black, winged creatures could not make good on the basic, simple instructions given to their feeble minds had nothing to do with any flaws in his plan. It had just been a case of simple- minded creatures unable to deliver.
Addel’s betrayal in aiding the Gate Keeper could not possibly have been predicted. To think, after how well he had treated her! How dare she help the humans who had turned their back on her so many years ago? How dare she betray him after all he had done for her? A few deep breaths were all it took to calm him down once more. These were nothing but unforeseen setbacks that merely delayed the inevitable.
And those worthless humans…to think he had kept them alive all this time just to have them fail at the most menial of tasks. Now this thought stirred something deep inside the demon. To use the puppeteers to control the weak-minded beings had been his fiendish plan. There really was nowhere else to pass blame for their failure. But just as fast as the fleeting thought had occurred to him, it was pushed from his mind just as easily.
“Besides,” he said to no one as he looked up. “The incompetent flesh bags who remained behind have surely paid for the failures of their brethren.”
Several thin humans hung high above him, crucified onto wooden crosses as fresh blood flowed down into the wooden chute laid out before him. A few were still alive and twitching with their eyes wide open, but all were too weak to even moan, yet alone scream.
Dragot took his last piece of bread and mashed it against the chute greedily, trying to get every drop of human blood before shoving it down his throat. He licked his clawed fingers once more before turning to go back into the dark, crystal tower. Easily moving through the secret passage built into the side panel, he slid it shut behind him, leaving behind no trace of its existence.
The demon glided across the shiny black floor, admiring his reflection as the distorted wavy image gazed back up at him. His long, green and red robe lined with white lace hung loosely as it dragged across the spotless floor. There was not a single speck of dust anywhere to pose a threat to his elaborate garment. He floated on in long strides with his head high and hands clasped behind his back in a confident stride fit for a king. Of course, that was how he viewed himself.
He slowed up a bit while a handful of briggits scampered out of the way as he turned the corner. Of course, he couldn’t care less if he stepped on one; that was hardly the reason for his suddenly listless pace. He would eventually have to go to his private chambers once again to contact Krytoes.
This was a task he never looked forward to under any circumstances, especially on the heels of a handful of minor failures, none of which were his fault, but he couldn’t be sure Krytoes would adhere to that obvious fact.
Regardless of whether Krytoes thought this little setback was his fault or not, he needed the fiend’s help once more. It was clear that relying on these inferior beings to achieve anything was pointless. This was something Dragot would have to do himself. But, as had always been the case, his abilities with using the magical arts, whether elemental or traditional, were too limited to comfortably aid him.
This was silently yet another reason Dragot hated humans so much. The simple fact that the inherited magical benefits of having the blood of a greater being somehow did not manifest properly within him was obviously the fault of the weak human blood that coursed through his veins. There could to be no other explanation. Dragot could not deny that he did dwell on this little reality from time to time.
When he was first created centuries ago, the notion had been simple. Krytoes knew the planets would be aligned one day, and the power of the stars would finally allow him to cross into the world of men. But he would need someone working for him from within that realm. To crossbreed a demon and human seemed a logical choice, as the cross would produce someone who would at least have some understanding of how humans thought and why they did the things they did; someone whose body could handle the elements of the human world: be able to breathe the air, drink the water and such.
The hybrid would also retain all the benefits of demon blood as well: nearly eternal life, magical abilities, and being able to communicate through gateways. But it seemed Dragot fell a bit short in some of these categories. At least he did have the ability to contact Krytoes whenever he needed to. This also seemed to be getting easier and easier with each attempt.
Not that Dragot was growing in power or any such thing, but with the planets getting closer to the proper alignment, Krytoes was slowly gaining a foothold here as his reach seemed to be growing. He couldn’t penetrate the realm just yet, but he could now touch and influence a great many things he couldn’t before.
Dragot finally approached his private chambers and entered, feeling a bit more confident than before. What he was asking the dark lord for was truly a simple gift indeed; one that could be provided quite easily. It would put his mind directly in touch with the Gate Keeper’s.
* * *
Lord Corzon walked thoughtfully down the stone hallways with his two longtime guests following closely behind. He continued to stroke his thick, black beard as they talked. This particular conversation was of great importance, and he was trying to take in every word. They spoke Common, so he had to concentrate just a little bit harder to be sure fine details were not lost in translation, but only a little, as his grasp of Common was actually quite good, given all the business he conducted regularly with foreigners. They each spoke a touch of Dronin as well, but it was so broken, Common was the better choice here.
These two guests had come to the city several years ago. Although many came here to buy furs and conduct other business, few of the light-skinned race ever called Dronin home. These two had not only stayed, but had worked their way into mild positions of power over time, each proving themselves to be quite capable in their own right.
“Only a little farther,” he said over his shoulder as they marched on. “You’re completely sure the city of Taron has been in on this ruse the entire time?”
“Quite sure, my lord. We have no reason to lie about such a thing,” replied the large man as he quickened his pace to try and keep up. His large, dark eyes glistened as they passed by flickering oil lamps spaced out evenly throughout the hallway. “Isn’t that correct, Tamera?”
The tall, blonde girl with the puckered mouth smiled for an instant. It seemed to take a bit of effort to get that mouth to change shape. “We were fooled ourselves, my lord. That snake of a queen has had her own agenda the entire time and made fools of us all. Luckily we were able to see through her venomous lies before it was too late.” At times her deep voice sounded just like a man’s.
Corzon gave a little nod to prove he was indeed listening, but never turned to face either of them as he continued along at the rapid yet steady pace. He halted only once, to peek inside one particular room. There hung the ravaged carcass of the fat merchant Corzon had felt obligated to simply dispose of. Staring at the mostly eaten remains with quite a bit of exposed white bone, he nodded silent approval to himself before closing the door. With an effort he suppressed an emerging grin before marching on.
They went a bit farther before reaching a thick, wooden door. “After you,” said Corzon, motioning towards it with a slight bow of his head. The guests hesitated just a moment to exchange reassuring glances. Then Grimton cautiously pushed it open, entering with Tamera right on his heels. Their expressions changed little while looking at the dead man hanging from the wall, his throat pierced by a sword, his eyes still open and glazed over.
Tamera turned to Corzon and said, “You are sure he was the only witness to this deceitful illusion? The dark lie made up by the powers that be? We must be reassured no other fool will surface and give life to these ridiculous rumors. People tend to believe what they want to believe, especially if the lie is created to give the illusion of false hope.”
“The only one who still drew breath,” said Corzon while struggling to keep suspicion from his voice. “Now, you two must forgive my constant questioning, but I
am having a hard time understanding what all this trouble was for in the first place.”
“What do you mean?” asked Grimton. “Surely you don’t believe these exaggerated tales.”
“I said nothing of the sort!” he snapped back, clearly getting agitated. He was feeling a lot of pressure right now. There was so much riding his decisions these days. “What I’m saying is I don’t see the motive. What is the gain in trying to bring some fictional character from some ancient books to life? To go through all the trouble of leaking rumors here and there, hoping they spread like fire, trying to slowly make folk believe that this entity is real? So what if folk do start to think this...Gate Keeper...is actually real? I took this man’s life because you convinced me the ramblings of what he supposedly saw would be poison to our city. Now I’m asking you, what is to be gained by the city of Taron by making up all these lies?”
Lord Corzon was as paranoid as they came, always sure some nearby city was planning an attack; constantly looking over his shoulder for the latest threat to his position of power. Both Tamera and Grimton were fully aware of this fact and knew exactly how to exploit it.
Grimton stepped in close to Corzon, meeting his dark eyes easily he whispered, “Control, my lord. Control of the people. Control of their free will!” He backed off a step and let the cryptic remarks sink in, all the while reading Corzon’s eyes to be sure he was properly playing the man’s emotions. Corzon was certainly paranoid, but he was no fool. “She plans war against the great city of Dronin!”
“What!?” Corzon shouted as his eyes widened, but he quickly composed himself, not used to revealing his emotions so freely. “Bah! What evidence do you have of such a traitorous thing? As large a city as Taron is, they could never best our soldiers in combat. Taron would cease to exist if they ever tried to!”
