by Dean Cadman
Aamon looked down on the pitiful excuse of a man prostrated before him. If he had a choice he would turn him to dust. But unfortunately, as much as it pained him to admit, he needed him—at least for now.
“How may I serve you, My Lord?” Lord Zelroth asked, keeping his forehead firmly pressed to the ground.
“You will serve me by making amends for your previous blunders, Zelroth,” Aamon replied, in a booming voice.
“Of course, My Lord. What would you have me do?”
“Not only have the men you personally sent failed to reopen The Rift and release me, but now Aysha’s verminous paladins have been allowed to freely destroy my Netherworld creatures within The Dark Forest. Without them, it will take me far longer to rebuild my strength to force open The Rift. But rest assured, I will reopen it, with or without you. So, I will give you this one final chance to redeem yourself. I require magic, and large quantities of it, so you will feed your Aznavor until I say otherwise.”
“Yes, My Lord, I understand. But I fear my latest crop of prisoners have yet to be delivered from The Badlands—”
“SILENCE!” Aamon roared. “Your lands are overflowing with men and women who are sworn to me. How better to serve their God, than to sacrifice themselves for his benefit?”
“Yes, My Lord. I will begin immediately,” Lord Zelroth replied, knowing full well the consequences of such an action.
“And Zelroth… do not disappoint me again, or even death will not save you from my wrath. Do you understand?”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“I do hope so, for your sake…” Aamon said menacingly, as his image slowly faded away. Lord Zelroth remained prostrated on the ground for the best part of a minute after Aamon’s image vanished. When he finally stood up, it almost felt like he was entering a new world. One where he was suddenly expected to start destroying everything that he had worked so hard for centuries to create. He knew that if he did as Aamon had asked, and began randomly sacrificing everyone to his Aznavor, he would have a full-blown revolt on his hands before sunset. But he was equally sure of Aamon’s sincerity when he said that even death would not exclude him from his wrath.
“It may come to that eventually, but not just yet,” he thought to himself, as he began to formulate a new plan in his mind. He was not ready to sacrifice everything that he had built, not unless there was no other choice. And there were always other choices. He would start by gathering the families of all known criminals, as well as the lower rungs of society. At the same time he would send a massive force south to The Badlands, with orders to capture as many of the population as possible and return them to Azmarin, to be fed to the Aznavor. He would also issue an Empire-wide request for volunteers to sacrifice themselves for their God. He didn’t expect a large number of volunteers to come forward for that, but he did know there were always a certain amount of zealots amongst any population, and his was no different. With a bit of luck it would be enough to last until his forces returned from The Badlands, or less likely, Aamon gave the order to stop the sacrifices.
Chapter Two
By the time Lusam and Neala had said their goodbyes and prepared to leave The Rift behind, the day was almost at an end. The sun sat very low in the evening sky, and soon the first Netherworld creatures would begin to rise from their daytime slumber. Although Aysha had fully restored Lusam’s magical reserves before fading away, he still knew it would not be wise to travel by foot through The Dark Forest at night. He wished that he and Neala could stay until morning, but Aysha’s warning had been clear: time was in very short supply. Soon her brother, Aamon, would start to regain his strength, and when he did, he would begin his efforts to reopen The Rift once more. Any amount of time they wasted before embarking on their quest, could quite easily cost the lives of one or more of the paladins before they returned, and that was something Lusam had no desire to see happen.
At first, the mood in camp had been a little sombre as the news of Lusam’s imminent departure filtered through their ranks. No one there was under any illusions about Aamon’s single-minded determination to reopen The Rift, and without Lusam there to counteract him, they were understandably nervous about the eventual outcome. The morale of the men and women in camp was soon lifted, however, when Hershel gave one of his—now almost legendary—speeches about faith and unity. But it was his closing words which rallied his paladins the most. Because upon hearing what he had to say, every man and woman in camp knew that their chances of survival had just vastly improved from what they had been only moments before.
Many people, including Lusam, had silently watched as Hershel collected all of the blessed weapons previously drained of their magic, and carried them to the temple foundations. Lusam had thought that he was doing it out of respect, both for the weapons themselves, and his fallen paladins. What nobody knew, however, was that whilst Aysha had been speaking with Lusam, she had also secretly communicated with Hershel. She had instructed him to place the drained weapons upon the foundations of her temple, where she once again imbued them with her power.
Lusam couldn’t help smiling to himself when he heard Hershel announcing the good news to his paladins. He knew that Aysha was no longer allowed to interfere in humanity’s affairs, and what she had just done was certainly pushing the boundaries of what Driden would find acceptable. But as she had once pointed out to him: she could do whatever she liked within her own house. And it was also in this very same forest, when Aysha had visited Renn and himself in the guise of a giant grey dire wolf and led away dozens of Netherworld creatures from their camp, that she had also told him: “I have more… leverage, when it comes to my paladins’ and priests’ welfare.”
After meeting Driden for himself, Lusam just hoped that she was right.
Renn grasped Lusam’s hand firmly and placed his other hand on his shoulder. “I wish I was going with you, lad,” he said, with a worried look on his face.
“Don’t worry, I’ll look after him,” Neala said, grinning.
“Aye, lass, you do that. Don’t let him squirm out of that wedding he promised you by getting himself killed,” Renn replied, stifling a grin of his own.
“Oh, you can count on that,” Neala said, watching Lusam’s cheeks begin to flush.
“You take care too, Renn. We’ll be back as soon as we can. Hopefully with what we need,” Lusam said, cryptically. Renn nodded in reply, knowing exactly what he meant. Lusam had avoided speaking openly about what they planned to do next, and apart from him and Neala, only Renn, Alexia and Hershel knew any of the details. The other paladins only knew that Lusam was leaving for a short time, but the reasons as to why were only a source of speculation amongst them. Their previous conversation with Aysha had been within the safety of her temple’s foundations, where no one else could hear—including Aamon. It had become obvious to Lusam during his recent failed attempt to rescue his mother, that Lord Zelroth had found a way of communicating with Aamon. So if Aamon discovered their plans even before they set off to find the Guardian book, he would no doubt inform Lord Zelroth of those plans. And that was an extra complication they just didn’t need.
“Will you pass on our farewells to Alexia and Hershel when they return?” Neala asked hopefully.
Renn nodded. “Of course, but I doubt they’ll be back before morning now.” Neala had expected as much, but she would have liked to see her old friend again before she left. Hershel had been adamant that killing as many of the remaining Netherworld creatures within the forest now, before Aamon had a chance to release any more, would save lives in the long run. Neala didn’t doubt it. Nor did she doubt the wisdom of using the opportunity to further enhance the training of the new recruits. But she still couldn’t help feeling concerned for her friend’s safety. She could almost hear Alexia’s reply to that in her mind: “Don’t worry, Aysha will look after me.” Neala smiled to herself, and offered a silent prayer of her own to Aysha for Alexia’s safe return, as well as all the other paladins.
Even within the
safety of the temple foundations, it had been difficult to openly discuss their plans. Not because there was a chance of being overheard by Aamon, or anyone else for that matter, but because Hershel was still unaware of the Guardian book in Helveel. And as much as Lusam trusted and respected Hershel, he knew instinctively that he must keep the location a secret even from him. The more people who knew of its location, the greater the chance of it being discovered by Aamon, and ultimately, Lord Zelroth.
Lusam knew that it would be approaching nightfall before they finally set off on their journey, and had fully intended to stay overnight at the Old Inkwell, in Helveel. He felt sure that Mr and Mrs Daffer would be pleased to see them again, and it would allow him to use the Guardian book pedestal to travel to Lamuria, where he could update the High Priest on the situation at The Rift. It would also allow him to finally collect the ancient journal from the barracks, where he’d left it whilst attempting to rescue his mother. He was confident too, that acquiring horses and fresh supplies for their onward journey to Fairport would be a simple matter in Helveel, making it the perfect place to start out from.
He didn’t have many gold coins left after paying the Nauroe for passage to Thule, and he knew there wasn’t enough time to collect more gold from the river outside Helveel. He just hoped that he could convince Captain Waylon to come to his aid, and allow him free passage on the Pelorus. But first, he would need to find the old man, Lamar, and attempt to repair the damage to his mind. Because without access to the vital information the old man had, their quest would be over, even before it began.
Although Lusam couldn’t fully reveal his plans in front of Hershel, he was still cut off mid-sentence by Renn as soon as he mentioned going to Helveel. A look of concern flashed across Renn’s face as he suggested that they might want to take a more direct route to Fairport, rather than wasting time by going to Helveel first. Lusam took a breath to argue the point, but the glare that he received from Renn suggested he did otherwise. Lusam realised almost immediately what Renn’s concerns were, and couldn’t believe how foolish he had been to even consider it in the first place. Then to emphasise his understanding of what Lusam had planned to do, Renn turned to Hershel and suggested that he might want to use one of his planned patrols to make contact with The Sanctum of Light, so they could send a messenger back to Lamuria and inform the High Priest and King of the situation at The Rift.
The message from Renn was clear: don’t go anywhere near the Guardian book in Helveel whilst there is even a chance of being watched by Aamon, or even Driden for that matter. Lusam gave Renn a slight nod of understanding, then suggested that it might be better to head directly to one of the villages they had passed through previously on their way to Fairport. Renn readily agreed, and Lusam saw his shoulders visibly relax at the suggestion. He also noticed Neala give him a curious glance, but thankfully she never questioned his decision in front of Hershel.
Not long after, Lusam had a chance to speak with Neala in private, and discovered that she had already considered the possibility of being monitored by Aamon. She also suggested that they shouldn’t discuss anything important regarding their mission outside the safety of the temple foundations. Something he was more than happy to abide by.
With a final nod to Renn and a squeal of fear from Neala, Lusam levitated them both above the trees of the clearing. Neala gripped onto Lusam’s arm like her life depended on it. He hoped that she would relax soon, because he could already feel the bruises beginning to form beneath her fingertips, and it was a long way to the village where they would stay the night.
The setting sun cast their long shadows onto the treetops below, as they hurtled along through the air. Lusam didn’t bother gathering any magic from the trees as they skimmed across the forest canopy. His reserves had already been fully replenished by Aysha, and it took comparatively little power to maintain their flight. He knew that whatever small amount of magic that he used from his vast reserves would be replaced naturally with a good night’s sleep. Something he was looking forward to more than he cared to admit. It felt like an eternity since he had slept in a real bed, and even longer since he had been able to spend any quality time with Neala.
The plan was simple: head north until they reach the road, then travel east until they come to the first town or village along the route. They would stay there for the night, and hopefully be able to acquire the provisions they would need for their onward journey before leaving in the morning.
Ten minutes into their journey, Neala thankfully began to relax a little, releasing her vice-like grip on Lusam’s arm. Quietly, he sighed in relief as the blood began to circulate freely in his arm once more, slowly banishing the pins and needles in his forearm.
“Are you okay?” he asked, trying hard to hide the amusement in his voice. Neala simply nodded, not daring to lift her head from his shoulder. He could never understand why she was so fearful of heights, when she had spent a good deal of her former life clambering around on rooftops and ledges. He had assured her several times in the past that she was in no danger of falling, but it seemed to make no difference. Apparently, the simple fact of having nothing solid under her feet was enough to cause her anxiety, and he was beginning to think that nothing he could say or do would ever change that.
The night was clear and the full moon shone brightly in the dark sky. Lusam looked up in wonder at the tens of thousands of stars twinkling in the night-time sky above them. Even as a small child he had never tired of looking at them, wondering what each one was, and how they got there. His grandmother had once told him that one of those stars was his mother looking down on him, but he knew now that was not true. He smiled at the memories, as visions of his childhood flashed through his mind. “It had been a short childhood, but it had been a good one,” he thought to himself, contentedly.
Lusam shivered as the chilly northern wind began to seep into his bones. The leading edge of winter could be felt in the air now, and it wouldn’t be long before the first snows came. He just hoped that they could reach their destination before the first winter storms arrived. He created a magical barrier around them both, and began to gently heat the air inside to a more comfortable temperature. If Neala noticed, she didn’t say anything.
It was almost an hour later when the swift-running river finally came into view. Only the moon’s reflection on its surface gave away its location. He had been contemplating what to do when they reached the river. Should he turn east and skirt the edge of the forest, levitating out of sight until they reached the next town or village? Or should he leave The Dark Forest behind and set them down on the road which ran parallel to the river? He decided to ask Neala what she would prefer to do, even though he already knew her answer before asking.
“We’ve reached the edge of the forest. We can either walk along the road, or I can continue to skirt the edge of the forest until—”
“Walk! … Please, I’d rather walk. Put me down. Please.”
Lusam grinned in the darkness, and headed directly towards the road. A moment later they touched down gently on the wide dirt road. Neala’s legs buckled under her, and she found herself sitting on the ground with her head in her hands.
“Are you alright?” Lusam asked, crouching by her side.
Neala nodded. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment, please.”
He knew that Neala didn’t really like being in the air even for a relatively short period of time, but he’d failed to understand just how badly she would be affected by the much longer flight they’d just undertaken. It took her several minutes to find her feet again, and even in the darkness he could tell that she was still very pale.
Neala took a deep steadying breath, then turned to face Lusam. “How far do you think it is to the next town or village?”
Lusam thought for a moment, trying to remember the last time they had travelled down this road to Fairport. “I’m not really sure. I checked before we descended, but I couldn’t see any evidence of lights in either direction. I s
uppose it really depends on where we’ve joined the road. But if memory serves me, the first few towns and villages that we passed through before were relatively close to one another. So hopefully, it shouldn’t be too far.”
Neala shrugged. “I suppose I don’t really care, just as long as my feet are on the ground,” she replied in a serious voice.
Lusam chuckled. “Well, I suppose we’d better get going. I can almost hear that soft warm bed calling my name from here, not to mention all of that delicious food waiting for me.”
Neala rolled her eyes in the darkness, and set off walking without another word, leaving Lusam to catch up.
Chapter Three
Two hours later, the first lights appeared in the distance. Lusam was relieved to see that it was one of the larger settlements they had previously passed through. More of a small town than a village. They would stand a far better chance of finding somewhere to spend the night here, than many of the smaller villages he remembered along the way. But more importantly, they were also much more likely to find the horses and supplies they would need for their onward journey here, too.
At the edge of town Lusam noticed a crudely carved signpost with the town’s name on it, Timberpoint, it read. He recognised the name, even though he and the others hadn’t stopped there previously. Timberpoint was the main source of wood for Helveel and the surrounding towns and villages. Many Afaraon merchants travelled to Timberpoint to trade both goods and coin for their quality timber. And he suspected that most of that timber came from the opposite side of the river, from within The Dark Forest.
