by GJ Kelly
“Yes,” Gawain announced without hesitation, “The Council of Kings must learn of events here, and besides, we may learn some valuable insights from Simayen Jaxon that might need to be passed on.”
“I and my men would be proud to serve as escort, my lord.”
“And we proud to have you as such, Captain. Though I plan to ride hard, without pausing for the wizard to catch, cook and eat wild rabbit along the way.”
And that last was purely for the benefit of the wizard himself, who had entered the inn with Simayen Jaxon a pace or two behind.
“Ah, Longsword, you would inflict frak upon your lady so soon?” Allazar chided, but his voice was filled with warmth.
“And upon you, wizard,” Gawain scowled half-heartedly, and then turned to Jaxon. “We will be leaving here tomorrow, Serre Jaxon, for the town of Jarn, which lies north along the road. We have few supplies here and such as there are will not last long.”
At this, Jaxon looked a little uncomfortable, clearly understanding the eighteen reasons why Callodonian supplies were dwindling.
“Sit, Simayen Jaxon of Goria,” Allazar said, indicating a lonely chair which those already seated were facing.
He did so, again rather nervously, and his gaze lingered a while on Elayeen’s eyes, noting the pinpoints of her pupils and the way she held her head.
“And tell us of your journey, and of the darkness you fled Armunland to escape.” Allazar added.
And with a sigh, and a mug of ale for the sake of his voice, Simayen Jaxon began.
“The darkness is everywhere,” he said, “It began ten years ago, though there are some who say it began much further in the past. We are all from the province of Armunland, as I have said. All of us slaves, and all of us farmers, that’s what Armunland is mostly, a province of farms. Wheat, corn, pigs, cows, chickens… the land is rich and verdant, good farmland.”
Jaxon took a sip of his ale.
“I should probably say,” Gawain interrupted before he could begin again, “We don’t have much knowledge of life in Goria. Only that in the time before Pellarn was lost, slavers from the empire would cross the Eramak in search of stock for their foul trade.”
“Then that is perhaps all the knowledge that is required, good Serres. All the work is done by slaves, the overseers and Tals living in luxury. But they too are bound to the Emperor, and must give to him a portion of the wealth they acquire, a portion fixed according to the size of the province and its produce, be it food or ore or other goods.
“I don’t remember Pellarn very well, I was a young boy, perhaps four, and my family were farmers then too, working on the land to the north of the castletown. The land in Goria reminded me of that. In truth, Serres, those of us who are here don’t have much memory of our lives before we found ourselves in the fields and farms of Armunland.
“Nor was it really much different, it was said, to the life and work before the Old Kingdom fell. Up with the sun, work ‘til sunset. Don’t break the laws, don’t upset the overseers, it wasn’t so bad if you forgot your roots and as the years went on, there were fewer and fewer who spoke of fleeing east. To Raheen, they said. Always to Raheen. We could see the great flat-topped mountain in the east, especially at sunrise…
“Eventually though there were fewer and fewer wanted to flee, because those who did never returned and now we know why. The Tals always guard what’s theirs with fierce jealousy, Serres, but ten years ago the darkness began.”
Again, Jaxon paused for drink, and he drew in a deep breath.
“At first we heard stories. Stories of strange people going about the land preaching of the coming of some ancient god named Ramoth. We laughed, we couldn’t believe it, who would?”
Gawain glowered darkly, and feeling his muscles tense, Elayeen squeezed his hand under the table. “Who indeed.”
“The overseers said that everyone laughed at them at first. And in one province, in the north, up by the mountains which can’t be crossed, not only did folk laugh, but the Tal of the province ordered his guard to butcher the Ramoths and put an end to it. So they did. Then they said about a month later, another group of them arrived, chanting and such. And so the Tal sent out his guard again. But this time, a great winged beast swept over the guards as they advanced, a dark creature upon its back showering black fire down upon them, destroying them utterly.
“They say that the beast and its rider then turned, and followed the road to the great house of the Tal, and it made pass after pass, raining down the black fire, until the house and all within were destroyed. Soon, these Ramoth were everywhere, they said, in all provinces. And any who opposed them suffered the same fate.
“Later, we heard that in one of the far western provinces, the Talguard brought down one of these winged creatures with a storm of arrows, and destroyed it, and though they suffered great losses, finally destroyed its rider. There was a great celebration, word spread that the winged death wasn’t immortal or invincible. More and more Tals ordered their guards to arms against these Ramoths, burning their towers, and with great bows fashioned to shoot mighty arrows high into the skies, began bringing down the beasts all over the empire when they came to defend the Ramoths or exact revenge.
“Even in our own province, we heard that a tower was fired, and that the Talguard destroyed the winged revenge sent by this so-called god.”
Gawain shared a look with Allazar, which did not go unnoticed by Tyrane.
“But then everything changed. In the north, guardstones appeared, encircling whole provinces. No-one knew what they were to begin with, until of course they were crossed. As soon as they were, the darkness came. Often, it was winged riders. But they were vulnerable. More and more, instead of dark riders it was strange creatures, dark wizard-made. The overseers said that they were made in the Ramoth towers still standing, and unleashed to patrol the guardstones, to destroy any that crossed between them.
“Sometimes, the guardstones failed, they said, you could tell because they turned to dust, or crumbled like stale cake. Then they could be crossed without alerting the darkness. Mostly though, to cross between them meant death.
“Swords and arrows were no use either, as they were no use today, though in truth none of us have ever seen such a creature as today, looking like a man, deceiving us all. Over the years the talk of Ramoth and strange gods ceased, but the towers stood and those within the towers commanded the darkness, made all manner of evil and with it began to hold all Goria in thrall.
“They say that the Emperor lives in a vast walled city of gold, called Zanatheum, as far to the southwest as anyone can travel. They say that when the darkness first came the Tals sent word to the Emperor begging for help from his legions, but none came. Later it was said that the Emperor closed all the city gates, and that no-one can leave or enter except by ship at the sea gate. I wouldn’t know about that, slaves of Armunland never travelled except within the province, we only know what was told to us.
“About three years ago the darkness spread. Copses, woodlands, marshes, even thickets and brambles might become home to it. A copse where once it was safe to roam or hunt or take shelter from the weather would suddenly become home to the darkness, and anyone foolish enough to venture near would be destroyed by whatever lurked in there.
“At night, first sheep and then shepherds would be snatched away by some flying shadow. Soon even the Talguard shared tales with us of what they had learned from merchants or seen with their own eyes. We all lived in fear, even the guard, and slowly all of us together began looking to the mountain in the east.
“But then we got word from the Talguard that guardstones had appeared along the banks of the Eramak which marked Armunland’s eastern border, and we knew our only hope of escape had been cut off. A few days later, a great winged beast, bigger than anything we thought could possibly fly, landed in the courtyard of the Tal-house, a rider on its back. We saw great streamers of lightning rise up from within the walls, though there were no clouds and no rain. The
n, later, the great beast and its rider rose up from within the walls, and flew towards the wild forests in the southwest.
“The Talguard said this was the Salaman, one of the great makers of the darkness, come to command fealty from the Tal. To cross the Salaman’s guardstones would mean death. But there were fifty-six of us, Serres, who planned to flee, including our overseers and half a dozen of the Talguard. The Talguard brought weapons, slowly, stockpiling them in the sheds where we kept our tools, not far from the fields we worked. We could see the Eramak from there. We made our plans, deciding we would take a chance, all of us together. We knew the darkness, whatever it was, might get some of us, but the rest would make it across the river, and from there, to Raheen.”
Jaxon stopped, and took a long pull from his tankard. The air in the room seemed to grow chill, night was falling, and Allazar moved quietly to light the lamps and candles. Amazingly, he left the Dymendin staff propped against the wall by his chair while he did so.
“Sorry, Serres, I’ve not spoken so many words in longer than I can remember.”
“You speak well, Simayen Jaxon.” Gawain said encouragingly. “Which is your preferred name? The first or the last?”
Jaxon smiled nervously. “Friends just call me Jaxon. Simayen is the worker-family name given to me by the overseers. Simayen was the name given to the lands I worked. We are all Simayen, all of us who fled, and all of us who survived. The Namayen worked the lands to the north of the Tal-house, the Osmayen to the west, and the Talmayen worked within the walls of the house itself. ”
Gawain nodded as the wizard took Jaxon’s tankard, refilled it from the barrel at the bar, and returned to sit at the table.
“Thank you.” Jaxon said, and took another sip before continuing.
“So. We made secret plans to rush through the stones, and charge across the river. Packs and bags were made for carrying food and spare clothes, the Talguard even got new boots for us all, a gesture of good faith they said, and we knew it to be so. Not even the cruellest of guards would waste good boots to set a trap for slaves.
“Then, when we were gathering to decide which day would be our last in Armunland, a great gasp of dread went up, and we looked south towards the sea, and saw the Salaman, riding his great winged beast. We thought we had been betrayed, all of us, but the maker of the darkness flew high, clear across the Eramak, towards Raheen!
“That was when we decided to go, there and then. We fetched our packs and bags and food and weapons, and with our new boots upon our feet, all of us together fled through the guardstones and into the waters of the Eramak. We thought perhaps the darkness might be awaiting us in the waters, but in all the stories we had heard, we never heard of water-creatures. When we emerged on the free bank, all of us, none lost to the broad and swirling river, we thought then that the darkness would take us there on the dry land.
“But as one we ran to the trees, and into the woods, close together, no-one ever alone, and still we were not assailed. Chrisyan, the most senior of the Talguard, he was our leader then, he said he thought that the guardstones were broken, or were useless when the maker Salaman was abroad in the east. We all believed it. We were all desperate to believe it.
“No-one believed the stories we heard about Raheen being destroyed last year. No-one. We thought it a nonsense tale made to frighten us into remaining within the bounds of the Salaman’s guardstones. But when we saw with our own eyes the direction that the maker Salaman had taken on his beast, some of us had doubts.”
“When was this?” Gawain asked.
Jaxon frowned, thinking hard, as if so much had happened he had forgotten the passage of time. Finally, he looked up. “About two months ago. It wasn’t long after midsummer when we crossed the river, perhaps a week or ten days.”
“After we left Ferdan,” Allazar said softly, and Gawain nodded.
“Please continue,” Allazar smiled at the Gorian.
“Later that afternoon, before dusk, someone called out and pointed up through the trees, and we glimpsed the Salaman returning to Armunland. Chrisyan posted a good watch that night, and we slept our first night in freedom.
“Next morning we moved quickly. Already the rumours that the darkness had spread to the eastlands before us made us even more frightened than when we’d plunged into the river. But Chrisyan was a strong leader, he told everyone to fix their minds on the mountain, to worry about nothing except where they were putting their feet, and to keep their mouths shut lest everything bad within ten miles heard us.
“So we travelled, mostly in silence, as quickly and quietly as we could. Through woodland and grassland and in places, salt marshes where the coast approached the land. All seemed to be going so well, we forgot the threat of the darkness, we forgot the guardstones. There was even good hunting, and foraging, and soon Chrisyan allowed us a fire. He would have us dig a deep hole, put the kindling in, and light it, making sure that the flames never licked higher the rim of the hole, so it would not be seen from afar. On it we cooked the birds and small animals we had caught, and even made flat-bread from flour ground from wild grasses when they were to be had.
“We were four weeks or thereabouts in our freedom when we were woken by a cry of alarm. Chrisyan and Eyan, another of the Talguard and a good man, were dead. Their throats and bodies ripped open. We thought we had been attacked in the night by some wild beast of the eastlands, some strange wolf perhaps, though no-one had heard a thing in the night. But the next morning another of the Talguard, Steyan, was found dead too. That Grimmand you destroyed, Serre wizard, had the form of Simayen Pita, a thresherman and weaver. Poor Pita must have been the first killed, and we knew it not. We knew it not.”
Allazar sighed, his voice tinged with sadness. “The Grimmand of Sethi is a foul weapon of old, it is no surprise that Salaman Goth knew of it, and with aquamire at his disposal, would create such a monstrous thing. It was doubtless set upon your trail the moment Salaman Goth returned to his lair and discovered that the guardstones had been crossed, and that a large number of the people of Simayen had fled.”
Jaxon drew in a deep breath. “We kept moving east, kept moving towards the mountain. But we were on foot, and jumping at every noise in the wilderness. It was slow going. The Talguard were the first to be killed, and when eventually the last, Trystyan, was dead, then others amongst us began to be taken.”
Again Allazar sighed. “It would take the strongest first, they would be the biggest threat to it. The weakest it would leave ‘til last, but the leaders, they would fall soonest.” Allazar asserted, and the horror that was the Grimmand of Sethi became clearer to all at the table. “Though it is a creature of aquamire and evil it is not stupid. It knows its targets, and knows it has strength in its disguise. Terror is its ally.”
“And we were terrified, Serre wizard, of that you may be sure. Still we thought it was a beast stalking us, striking in the dead of night, taking those on watch, and always silently. Now we know why the guards never raised an alarm or so much as cried out.”
“Why should they? When approached from the safe direction, from within the camp itself, by one of their own number who had fled with them across the Eramak? Why should they be afraid or alarmed by this thresherman and weaver of a slave, bringing them a cool drink perhaps, or a bite to eat, or just a friendly word in the dark while all others slept?”
“Just so, Serres. Just so. How could we have known?”
“You couldn’t, Jaxon. And if Raheen had been even further east from the Eramak than it is, even fewer, if any of you, would have survived to tell the tale.” Allazar smiled sadly, and then leaned forward to pat the Gorian on the arm.
“Come,” he said, leaning back and picking up his staff. “I’ll walk you back to the warehouse and your people. There’s been enough talk for one night and you are tired, and deserving of your rest. Tomorrow, we shall begin our journey to Jarn, where we all sincerely hope you and your people will be permitted to rest peacefully, and regain your strength. The good
people of Callodon will, I am sure, provide.”
Tyrane nodded, and they all stood to watch the wizard lead the former slave from the inn.
“Astonishing tale,” Tyrane said, thoughtfully. “And one which early on seemed to mimic the fate of our own lands, though without these winged riders.”
“Yes,” Gawain scowled, guiding Elayeen back into her chair and sitting beside her once more. “We were fortunate not to be afflicted by those. Alas our dark enemies are not so easy to spot. They walk among us, rather than fly through the air on winged beasts.”
“What do you make of ‘the darkness’ now, my lord?”
“A simple people’s name for foul creatures made by dark wizards, I suspect. I don’t like the sound of them at all. I particularly do not like the sound of these Grimmands. The only thing I noticed odd about it was that it didn’t seem to blink.”
“I did not notice anything out of the ordinary about the thing at all,” Tyrane said, gazing at Elayeen, but saying nothing about her miraculous marksmanship. “If you have no orders for me, my lord, I need to give a last briefing to the sergeant and the corporal ready for tomorrow’s departure.”
“No, thank you, Captain Tyrane. We won’t be leaving at dawn, we’ll give our unexpected guests the chance of sleeping in. I think if we aim to depart mid-morning, unless you need a later start?”
“No, my lord. Mid-morning will suit. In truth, I think we’ll all be happier to leave here than we’ll be sorry to depart.”
“Yes, Tyrane, I know the feeling.”
The captain took his leave as Allazar returned, the staff seeming to light his way.
“Well, my lady, Longsword. What do you make of Jaxon’s tale?” the wizard said softly in the lamplight, refilling their mugs.
“I’d say that Goria had a worse time of the Ramoth than we did.” Gawain mumbled. “Why is that, do you think?”
Allazar sat, and sighed. “I suspect Morloch has been at work in the Empire far longer than he has here, Longsword. You yourselves saw Salaman Goth, the aquamire keeping that wretched creature alive all these many hundreds of years. It wouldn’t surprise me, my friends, were I to learn that Salaman Goth was one of the original traitors who turned their backs upon the brethren in the darkest of elder times.”
