by Sam Ferguson
A black flame swallowed the creature and ripped the imp back to its natural plane.
Gilifan sat staring at the ashes for a few moments. He couldn’t help but think that perhaps he was outmatched. If the boy was able to escape both Gondok’hr, and Tu’luh, then perhaps he truly was the champion from the prophecies. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps he would be better off in the orcish lands. Here he could make himself reasonably powerful with little effort above what he was already expending.
If the boy slays Tu’luh, then the Wyrms of Khaltoun could continue to exist in Demaverung. Gilifan thought. The volcano is well defended, and the outlying lands of the area are near impossible to traverse. He shook his head. No, the elders would never stand for it. They are too blind to see beyond the power of Nagar’s Secret.
“Fools,” Gilifan said as he rose to his feet, knees creaking and popping as he stood. “None of them have any idea what Nagar was truly after, or the power he was trying to unlock.” He shook his head in disgust and wiped the sole of his boot across the ashes before him. Then he remembered. Salarion knows. That is why she turned her back on the elders. Perhaps it was time to speak with her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Erik tilted his head back and opened his mouth, letting the large rain drops plop down onto his tongue and splash into the back of his throat. He breathed in deeply, allowing his eyes to close as the rain fell all around him. His weary, throbbing feet reminded him of how long they had been walking. Tualdern seemed like a distant memory now, despite the fact that he had bid the elves farewell only a day and a half before. If only they had had any horses to spare.
The werewolves had consumed all of the horses and livestock in Tualdern, according to Talimdur. Unfortunately, the monsters had also devoured the pack mules that Erik and his group had been using. The Sand Elves gave them what food they could spare, but it wasn’t much, mostly potatoes and greens that the werewolves wouldn’t touch. It wasn’t that Erik hated a good salad now and then, but the thought of eating another leaf of spinach while marching through the forests, valleys, and hills that still stood between them and Stonebrook made his throat clench up in protest.
A wind howled low, chilling Erik’s wet skin. He shivered and futilely rubbed his shoulders. He then noticed that the others were several yards ahead of him now. He jogged along the muddy ground to catch up.
“Nice of you to rejoin us,” Dimwater said with a sidelong glance.
Erik smiled, but didn’t say anything.
“How are your feet?” she asked.
“I’m alright,” Erik said.
“No blisters?” she pressed.
Erik shook his head. Truth be told he doubted he would feel a blister at this point anyway. He was soaked through. His feet throbbed, but the outer layer of skin had long since passed the point of feeling anything so mild as a blister. Erik was certain that if they all stopped to remove their boots, his feet would resemble a white raisin. Then Erik looked up to Dimwater. “Why can’t we use the portal that you and I used to get to Spiekery?”
Dimwater grinned slightly. “The first issue is that I would have to physically hold everyone’s hand. So it would likely require multiple trips.”
“Still, that would be faster than walking,” Erik countered.
“The second issue, which is more important, is that we don’t want to announce our arrival so blatantly. The enemy has shown on several occasions that they have many skilled wizards in their ranks. Should they have anyone near Stonebrook, using my portal would be similar to ringing a loud gong. It is better this way.”
“And you still aren’t going to do anything about the weather?” he asked jokingly.
Dimwater laughed. “Why don’t you do something about it?” she teased.
“I would if I could,” Erik promised.
Lady Dimwater opened her mouth to speak, but Lepkin approached then with his raised brow and a stern frown. The sorceress wrinkled her nose and pressed her lips back together.
“Come Erik, we have some training to do,” Lepkin said.
“Here?” Erik asked incredulously.
Lepkin nodded. “Here.” He pointed to a small brook nearby and the two of them walked toward it. Erik looked and saw that the rest of the group was continuing onward toward the thick forest about a mile off in the distance.
“They aren’t going to wait for us?” Erik asked.
Lepkin shook his head. “They will go on ahead and make camp in the forest. We will catch up to them after we are done with today’s session.”
Erik sighed and his face drooped into a frown.
Lepkin saw it and nodded. “I know,” he began. “You have been through a lot, and you have accomplished more than anyone could ever have asked of you, but I still am your master. I still have things to teach you.”
Erik nodded slowly.
“I also have a few new scars which, I believe, I am in your debt for.”
Erik scrunched up his brow and regarded Lepkin curiously. The big man cracked a smile, stifling a chuckle, and pointed to the brook again. “Come on, over here.” Lepkin led them to the slippery bank of the brook and motioned for Erik to look around. “Bring me all of the rocks you can by the time I count to fifty.”
Erik looked down and saw small pebbles and larger rocks half-buried in the mud. “How big should the rocks be?” he asked.
“Whatever size you like,” Lepkin said. “Let’s see how your strength and endurance are holding up.” He held up his hand. “When I drop my hand, your time begins. Go as fast as you can.”
Erik leaned forward and bent his knees, preparing to sprint out and gather the closest rocks he saw. He looked up and waited for the hand to drop.
“Now!” Lepkin commanded as he brought his hand down to his side.
Erik sprinted forward, sliding and nearly losing his footing as the first layer of mud gave way under his feet. He bent down and clawed around a fist-sized rock with his left hand while his right hand scooped up a bunch of smaller rocks. Then he turned back to run to Lepkin.
“Put them at my feet!” Lepkin shouted.
Erik ran back and bent low, careful not to plop the rocks onto Master Lepkin’s foot. Then he dashed back to the edge of the water and dropped down to gather another load of rocks. As he sprinted back and forth he could hear Lepkin counting aloud.
“Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen,” Lepkin said in an even cadence. Erik rushed out to pull a hefty rock out of the mud. The grime and muck sucked back against his effort, but ultimately relented and the rock popped free with a string of mud flying up and sticking to Erik’s face. He struggled to keep from dropping the slippery stone but managed to place it at Lepkin’s feet before racing back. This time he noted that there were more rocks in the brook than on the bank, so he leapt gracelessly into the cold water and bent low to scoop several stones up. As he came up his fingers stung and burned slightly as small cuts and slices opened in his skin, but he didn’t let it bother him. He was going to show Lepkin that he was still in his prime physical condition, despite everything that had happened recently.
Soon the pile of rocks peaked half-way up Lepkin’s calf. A sizeable amount by any measure. Erik was breathing heavily and his newly mended leg burned hot deep in the thigh, reminding him of his recent injuries, but he didn’t stop until Lepkin held up his hand again.
“Fifty,” Lepkin shouted. He nodded satisfactorily and motioned for Erik to drop what he was currently carrying. “Impressive,” he said.
Erik dropped the three rocks in his hands and slowly made his way out of the water.
“No,” Lepkin said sternly. “Stay there, in the brook.”
Erik looked up confused. “In the water?” he asked.
Lepkin nodded and bent down to pick up a fist-sized rock. “Now it is time for the next part,” he said calmly.”
“Please don’t tell me I have to put them back,” Erik grumbled.
Lepkin shook his head. “There will be three commands,” Lepkin said. �
�I will throw these rocks in varying rates and speeds. Your job is to do exactly as I command for each stone I throw. Should you fail, or make a mistake, you will owe me ten push-ups for each mistake.”
“What do I have to do?” Erik asked.
“Stand in the center of the brook. I will throw a rock. The first possible command is ‘duck’ which will cause you to drop down on your belly, catching yourself on your toes and hands.”
“In the water?” Erik asked.
Lepkin nodded. “The second possible command is ‘dodge’ which means you must sidestep left or right to avoid being hit by the rock. The third command is ‘catch’ and if you hear that, you will catch the rock regardless of where it is thrown, and you will throw it back at me. Do you understand?”
Erik nodded. “Is this to repay me for the scars?” Erik asked half seriously.
Lepkin smiled. “The scars are there because you did not focus enough. You allowed yourself to be hit. In a way, the scars belong on my body, as it was my failure as a teacher that allowed you to get injured. That is a shortcoming I aim to make up for. Are you ready?”
“Well, I guess…”
“DUCK!” Lepkin shouted as he hurled the stone at Erik’s face.
Erik’s eyes went wide and his instincts took over. His feet shot out behind him and he sprawled out with his hands as his face and chest splashed into the cold water. A second later he struggled to push himself back up.
“Catch!” Lepkin shouted.
Erik hadn’t finished wiping the water from his eyes before the pebble bounced off his right shoulder.
“That’s one mistake,” Lepkin noted. “Ten push-ups, right now.”
Erik dropped to his stomach and pumped out the ten push-ups in a few seconds, then he rose to his feet and prepared himself.
“Dodge,” Lepkin said. He threw a rock at Erik’s stomach. Erik jumped to his right. “Dodge,” Lepkin said again. Erik jumped left but this time there were two rocks. He hadn’t even seen Lepkin throw the second one, but it slammed into his thigh. “Ten more, now.”
When Erik finished he successfully made three dodges, one duck, followed by another four dodges. Then Lepkin shouted, “Catch!” Erik stood ready to snatch the rock, but Lepkin threw it wide out to the side. Erik lunged for it, but slipped and landed on his hip in the brook.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” Lepkin chided.
Erik grunted and did the next ten push-ups before returning to his starting position. He was starting to regret how many rocks he had gathered, and how large he had made some of them. He regained his composure and focused only on his breathing and watching Lepkin’s shoulders. As his master moved and shouted, Erik answered effortlessly. The rest of the pile of rocks disappeared quickly, without another mistake until the last rock was thrown.
“Catch,” Lepkin said.
Erik leapt up into the air, snatching the rock from high above him like a cat after a bird. As his body descended down he threw the rock back at Lepkin. Master Lepkin whipped out his sword in a flash and struck the stone with the broad side of his blade, sending it back at Erik quick as a bolt of lightning. The stone drove its stinging bite into Erik’s solar plexus and dropped him to his backside, gagging and gasping for air.
Master Lepkin sheathed his sword and approached Erik. “When you face the dragon, there will come a moment near the end. You will think the battle is over, and that you have won. If you allow yourself to become overconfident, the dragon will turn that moment against you just as I sent your attack back at you just now. Remember that.” Lepkin reached down and pulled Erik up.
“I wish I had known why you wanted those rocks,” Erik grunted. “Seems a bit unfair to make me gather them if you were just going to pelt me with them.”
“Battle is unfair,” Lepkin said sternly. “My purpose is to teach you the skills you need to survive.” He paused for a second after they got back to the muddy bank. “You still owe me ten for that last mistake.”
“Seriously?” Erik asked.
Lepkin nodded. “As serious as a Griporion’s belch,” Lepkin said.
“What?”
“A Griporion is a large, chameleon-like lizard. It waits for its prey to pass by and then it belches a cloud of paralyzing poison strong enough to take out several grown men at once.” Lepkin started to walk away and pointed to the ground. “You can ask Tatev if you want to know more about the creature. It’s fascinating, really, and the scary part is you are alive and conscious when it starts to eat you.”
Erik slowly dropped to his knees and then toppled over to catch himself with his palms in the mud. Ten push-ups later he rose to his feet and purposefully walked slowly as he followed Lepkin to the forest. Lepkin didn’t seem to mind Erik’s pace, he just whistled a tune and glanced over his shoulder every few steps.
Each time Lepkin turned back, Erik would quickly avert his eyes half angry, and half embarrassed at how many times he had made a mistake. He soon found his mind wandering back to the battle at Lokton Manor, the struggle with the Blacktongues, and finally to the fight with Tu’luh at Valtuu Temple. At first he thought it bewildering that he could triumph in those conflicts and yet he struggled with rocks being thrown at him. Then he remembered that there had been a couple of occasions where others had saved him from death. This realization helped him understand why Lepkin had done this. He wasn’t being cruel, he was trying to prepare him. The battle ahead would require the best each of them had to offer, and even that might not get them all through it.
He nodded his head to himself and resolved to trust Lepkin’s training methods. Deep down, he knew that his mentor had never done anything without a solid reason. Even the tournament at Kuldiga Academy proved to be a major help to him in later battles.
“Dodge!” Lepkin shouted suddenly.
Erik instinctively jumped left and looked up, scanning the area. Dimwater stood at the tree line, throwing a blue ball at him. It whizzed by harmlessly and Erik looked around with his mouth open. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Catch and return!” Lepkin shouted.
A stick came whirling end over end from the trees. Erik quickstepped to his right, snatched the stick from the air and hurled it back.
“Whoa!” Tatev cried as he jumped down from a tree branch.
“You’re out!” Lepkin shouted to Tatev. He turned back to Erik. “Duck!”
Erik sprawled out and hit the ground just as Jaleal jumped up in front of him and swung the shaft of his spear like an axe. The mithril weapon sailed above Erik’s head and then Jaleal disappeared back into the grass.
“Dodge!” Lepkin shouted before Erik had gotten back to his feet. A series of blue and red balls flew toward him as Dimwater charged and alternated her arms with each spell. Erik executed a backward somersault, then rolled left and sprang to his feet before jumping right, then back, and then right again to avoid the rest of the spells.
“Catch and return!” Lepkin shouted. Lepkin threw a stone that he had concealed in his pocket.
Erik caught it, and threw it back. Just as before, Lepkin slapped the stone with the flat of his sword, sending it straight for Erik’s face. This time, however, Erik caught the stone again, turned around to gain momentum and chucked it back. Lepkin caught the rock with his left hand and nodded with an approving smile.
“Much better,” he said. “Much better.”
“Well done,” Jaleal commented as he emerged from the nearby grass.
“Next time I get a shield,” Tatev complained as he rubbed his left shoulder.
Erik, breathing heavily from the sudden exertion, looked around at the smiling faces and then shook his head. “A test?” he asked.
Lepkin shook his head. “Practical application,” he replied. “I wanted to see if you were listening to me.”
“He is a quick study,” Dimwater said approvingly.
“I have a good teacher,” Erik said.
“Come,” Tatev urged. “I am sure Marlin has prepared our supper by now.<
br />
“Salad?” Erik asked.
Tatev shook his head. “Boar,” he said enthusiastically. “Found the grumpy bugger out here rooting around. We’ll have a proper meal tonight.”
“Finally, some good news,” Erik said.
The others laughed a bit and they all turned to walk into the forest.
*****
Erik was thankful that the rest of the journey to Stonebrook was during good, dry weather. That way, when he made a mistake during the new types of practice sessions that Lepkin insisted on conducting several times a day, the push-ups could at least be done without the mud. Unfortunately, however, the shining sun did little to help with the several lumps and bruises Erik accumulated from various small stones and sticks. Sometimes he would seem completely untouchable, and other times he was just too slow to avoid getting hit. He soon found himself longing for the old days when all he had to do was swing a sword every three paces.
About a half hour after one of the rock throwing sessions, the group emerged from a pine forest to see several brown wooden buildings. Off in the distance to the west a couple of men could be seen herding a flock of sheep through a green, soft pasture.
“This is Stonebrook,” Lepkin said.
The group quickened their pace until they reached the entrance. There was no gate, or high wall. Just a simple horse fence around the perimeter with a pair of guards dressed in leather hauberks and armed with iron swords. They took one look at Lepkin and simply waved the group through.
“I don’t see an inn,” Erik said as they walked through the main street.
Lepkin nodded. “There is one at the other end of town.”
“But we aren’t staying there, are we?” Dimwater chimed in.
“No,” Lepkin said. He turned and looked to Erik and the others. “I have an old friend who lives here, we will go to his house.”
“Is it big enough for all of us?” Jaleal asked.
“It will do,” Lepkin replied. He then turned and led them through the town for a few minutes, turning off to the right on a rutted dirt road lined with several handcarts and a couple of covered wagons drawn by teams of oxen.
