by Dean Cadman
“What are they all doing here?” Lusam whispered.
“Vying to be chosen as The Keeper’s witnesses.”
“I thought you said there would only be five witnesses?”
“Yes, I did. But being chosen as a Keeper’s witness is a great privilege. As I said, nothing like this has happened in five generations. It’s only natural that so many would compete for the privilege of serving The Keeper this way.”
Lusam watched as one after another disappointed orc left the stone table and went to sit on one of the many stone benches in the centre of the cavern.
“How are they chosen?” Lusam asked, curiously.
“If they are looked upon favourably by The Keeper they will be chosen to serve as his witness. If not, they won’t,” Vultog replied with a shrug. Lusam stared at him blankly. It made no sense to him at all.
“How? How does The Keeper decide?” Lusam asked, quietly.
Vultog sighed. “The eight Keeper’s Eyes are placed inside the Sacred Chalice, then the candidate wishing to be chosen turns the Sacred Chalice over onto the table. If the Keeper’s Eyes look on them favourably they will be chosen. If too many of the Keeper’s Eyes are closed, they will not be chosen. Many of our tribe’s decisions and disputes are settled this way. Once The Keeper has decided a course of action it cannot be overruled by anyone, not even the Oracle or my father.”
Lusam still didn’t fully understand how the Keeper’s Eyes worked, or even what they were—but he was keen to find out. Or more to the point, he was keen to see if they contained any magic like the Soul Stones. If they did, maybe the story of their origin could shed some light on where the Guardian book was hidden. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to at least explore the possibility.
“Can we go and watch?” Lusam asked, hopefully.
Vultog shrugged. “Of course, it’s your deed that The Recounting will record. I’m sure nobody would mind if you watched the witness selection. Besides, it will probably annoy my brother, so let’s go,” he said, wearing a wide grin.
Lusam wasn’t sure that upsetting Orgoth any further was a good idea, but Vultog didn’t seem to care and set off towards the front of the cavern without hesitation. It didn’t take Lusam long to realise that he was probably safer with Vultog than he was alone, and quickly jogged after him. Orgoth gave him a murderous look as he approached the stone table but Lusam did his best to ignore it and continued on as if he didn’t care at all. He positioned himself next to Vultog in the crowd and began watching the process unfold.
The Oracle held what could only be described as an ornately decorated jug, but Lusam guessed that it must be the Sacred Chalice Vultog had spoken of earlier. He then held the chalice aloft and chanted some strange words. Lusam thought that it might be a prayer to The Keeper, but there was no way of knowing for sure without asking, and he didn’t feel much like doing that right now with Orgoth still glowering at him. He was curious to know if the actual chalice contained any magic, and slipped into his mage-sight to find out. What he discovered was disappointing; it was just a cup like any other, and even its contents showed no signs of magic.
After the Oracle had finished his chanting, he offered the chalice to one of the waiting orcs. The orc bowed his head as he took the chalice. He then placed a hand over the top of it and began tipping it backwards and forwards several times, causing the contents to rattle loudly inside the container. Lusam wasn’t sure what he had expected to see next, but what happened next almost caused him to burst out laughing. The orc simply tipped the chalice upside down onto the stone table, then removed it to reveal eight black and white counters. The whole thing appeared to be nothing more than a simple tavern gambling game, and judging by the reaction of the orc, white was the wrong colour to get. The unlucky orc bowed deeply to the Oracle, and a moment later the whole process started again.
Lusam had already seen enough and tapped Vultog on the arm to gain his attention. If the Oracle was going to repeat the same process for everyone there, it would take him at least thirty minutes to whittle their numbers down to only five. Time much better spent studying the images on the cave walls, Lusam thought. He pulled Vultog to one side—away from the earshot of Orgoth—and asked him if he would be allowed to view the images whilst they waited. Vultog assured him that now he was a member of their tribe, he was entitled to view the images anytime he liked. Of course, Lusam asked to see the images of the dragon first and was disappointed to discover that there was only one.
Vultog led him towards the far right corner of the cavern, passing countless other images along the way. When they arrived at the spot, Lusam could barely make out the image on the wall because it was so dark. He was so tempted to create a light orb, but he knew that he couldn’t. Eventually, his eyes started to adapt to the lower light and he began to make out parts of the image on the wall before him. Lusam hadn’t even realised that Vultog had left, but a moment later he returned holding a lantern, and the wall’s images slowly revealed themselves in its purple glow.
“Whoa,” Lusam whispered, as the image of the dragon was finally revealed to him in its full glory. It was most definitely a dragon. And if his earlier calculations were correct about the time period of when the image was created, it was also very likely the dragon of a Guardian. But something about it just didn’t make any sense to him. Why was the dragon even depicted on the wall of the cave at all? Surely the mere sighting of a dragon would not have warranted a place in their sacred cave? As he studied the image in more detail, he noticed what looked like a small mark below the dragon. At first, he thought it was nothing more than a careless mistake by the artist: a brushstroke gone awry, or a simple drip from an overloaded brush. But as he looked more closely, he realised that the images were far too perfect for that to be the case. Whoever had created the images was far too good to have allowed a simple flaw like that to escape his or her attention.
Then he saw it.
The dragon was pictured soaring through the sky above a mountain, but Lusam hadn’t noticed that it was being attacked by a strange looking creature on the ground below. The small mark that he had seen under the dragon wasn’t alone. It was only one of a series of marks which led all the way back to the strange creature. A creature which had six legs and appeared to have the features of both an insect, and those of a human-like creature. Its body was entirely that of an insect, but it had an upright torso with two human-like arms and a large elongated head.
“Vultog, what is this?” Lusam asked, pointing at the strange creature.
“That is The Keeper.”
“The Keeper… ” Lusam whispered, slightly stunned by the revelation. He had previously suspected that The Keeper and the Guardian might be one and the same. But this image not only showed The Keeper to be more insect-like than human, it also showed it attacking the dragon too.
“Yes, The Keeper,” Vultog replied, cutting across Lusam’s thoughts. “His appearance was only recorded once more after this, but there are many other earlier encounters recorded throughout the cave if you would like to see them?”
“And he is always depicted like this?” Lusam asked, pointing at the image.
Vultog gave him a strange look. “Of course. Why would his image be recorded any other way if that’s what he looks like? Look, over here,” he said, moving to his right several feet and pointing out another image on the wall. “This is the final recorded image of The Keeper. And as you can see, his image is the same here as it is in every other recorded encounter within the cave.”
Having seen the incredible detail and accuracy of the dragon image, Lusam realised that he had no reason to doubt the validity of The Keeper’s image. Especially when he considered the dragon had only been witnessed and recorded once, whereas The Keeper had been witnessed and recorded many more times than that.
Lusam walked slowly back towards the dragon image. Various thoughts and theories rattling around inside his head. If that was the Guardian’s dragon, where was the Guardian? And why wasn�
��t he or she helping to defend against The Keeper’s attack? It was evident by the final image of The Keeper that neither the dragon or the Guardian had defeated him. But what had become of them?
“Vultog, do you know the story behind this image?” Lusam asked, staring at the riderless dragon.
“I do, my friend. It was one of my favourites as a child. However, it’s not an image which carries much significance amongst our people. Mainly because most of the other images recorded within The Cave of Enlightenment are of events which directly affected our tribe. This one, however, did not. The Recounting tells us of a mighty dragon which came to our lands from the far north—”
“Wait…” Lusam said, cutting him off. “How do you know the dragon came from the north?”
“Because it is pictured fleeing north, beyond The Sacred Mountain,” Vultog replied, pointing at the image. “And it’s also the story which has been passed down through the generations. The dragon always came from the north to hunt the large game animals of the forest, then was always seen returning north after it had fed. There were no accounts of it ever attacking an orc from any tribe, but The Keeper came to the defence of the lesser creatures and vanquished the dragon from our lands all the same. The Recounting was made simply because The Keeper was seen by our tribe, and not because his actions had any real impact on their lives. Which is why this particular image is often overlooked by many of my people as being almost irrelevant. I’m sure if the dragon had ever returned and attacked our village, things would have been very different, but that never happened.”
“Did The Keeper kill the dragon?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know. The story only tells us that The Keeper vanquished the dragon from our lands and that it never returned.”
Lusam’s mind reeled with the implications of what he had just heard. But one thing stood out to him above all else. The fact that everything he had seen or heard since arriving in the hidden realm, pointed towards him having to travel north. That was where Vultog said he would find the Soul Stones—which he needed to recharge his magic if he ever hoped to return home to Neala and the others. North was also where the dragon was believed to have lived. And that was where he believed the Guardian once lived too, and therefore where he would most likely find the Guardian book—if it still existed at all. The problem was, according to Vultog there was something else which was supposed to inhabit the north, and that was The Keeper. If the creature was powerful enough to defeat a dragon, and possibly even a Guardian, what chance did he have against it? None, probably. But he believed that he must still travel north, regardless.
Lusam knew that he would need a guide to quickly and safely find The Sacred Mountain. If he didn’t have one, he would likely run into all kinds of trouble on his way there, and the small amount of magic that he had been able to recover since arriving in the hidden realm would soon be depleted again, leaving him vulnerable to any further attacks. Vultog had already told him about The Boundary. A poisonous gas veil which filled the tunnels leading through The Sacred Mountain. Apparently, it killed anything that touched it, and so prevented anyone or anything passing through the tunnels to the other side. As deadly as it sounded, he wasn’t really that concerned about the poisonous gas. He knew that as long as he arrived at The Sacred Mountain with enough power reserves, he should be able to adapt his magical shield to both protect against the gas, and allow himself to breathe whilst he navigated his way through the tunnels.
As Lusam worked through several potential plans in his head, something suddenly occurred to him, and he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought of it earlier. He turned towards Vultog excitedly and tried to keep his voice low.
“Vultog, I need to ask you something.”
“Of course, my friend, what is it?”
“Now that I’m a member of your tribe, am I eligible to take a Right of Ascension quest as you did?”
“Yes, but why would you want to when your status amongst our tribe is already assured. No one could ever question your honour after what you have done for us.”
Lusam shook his head. “It’s not my honour that concerns me. Vultog, do you remember when I asked you why you didn’t simply do The Right of Ascension quest again? You told me that the tribe wouldn’t allow you to risk the safety of the Soul Stone for a second time. And even if they did, you wouldn’t want to take that risk yourself.”
“Yes, I remember. Why?” Vultog asked, dubiously.
“Well, you also told me that a Soul Stone had to be carried along with you on the quest so that it could bear witness to your deeds. But what about the orc who first discovered the Soul Stones. What was his name… Hag…”
“Hagu,” Vultog supplied.
“Yes, Hagu. He didn’t have a Soul Stone until after he had passed through The Sacred Mountain. Surely anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps would never risk taking a Soul Stone with them. If they did, and they failed their quest the Soul Stone would be lost. But if they actually succeeded, they would return home with Soul Stones to bear witness to their deeds anyway.”
“Of course, but as I’ve already told you, my friend, many have tried, and all have failed since Hagu returned with the original thirty Soul Stones.”
“Until now,” Lusam said, grinning widely. “If you can guide me to The Sacred Mountain and its tunnels, I can use my magic to get through to the other side and gather some more Soul Stones. Think about it, Vultog. What would happen if you returned to your tribe carrying a bag full of Soul Stones?”
“My honour would be restored. Our tribe’s status would rise beyond all others, and my own deeds would be recorded on these walls for all time—but that will never happen, my friend.”
“Why not?”
“Because my brother, amongst others, would never allow it.”
“I know. In fact, I was counting on it,” Lusam replied, looking towards the front of the cave and finding Orgoth glaring back at him. He had wanted to help Vultog restore his honour even before they had escaped the faeries, but knowing now that Orgoth would one day lead the tribe instead of Vultog, made him even more determined to help.
A loud voice suddenly called out from the front of the cave. “We’re almost ready. The witnesses should now take their places for The Recounting to begin.
Vultog started to move towards the front of the cave, but Lusam stepped in front of him. “Vultog, I have an idea, but I need you to trust me. Promise me that you won’t oppose anything that I might say, and I promise that you will regain your honour and gain your rightful place on these walls.”
Vultog paused to look deep into his eyes, as if searching his soul for any signs of deceit. Then he nodded once.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Recounting turned out to be neither as swift or painless as Vultog had suggested it would be. The selected witnesses seemed unable, or unwilling to agree on a suitable image and made the Lore Keeper redo it six times before they were finally satisfied. By the time they had all agreed—several hours later—Lusam couldn’t believe that an action as simple as handing over a Soul Stone could be depicted in so many different ways.
During the wait, many more orcs from the tribe arrived to bear witness to the rare event, and by the time the final image was approved, the cave was positively overflowing with onlookers. It made Lusam feel even more nervous about what he planned to do next, but he also realised that the more people who witnessed his request, the less likely Orgoth—or anyone else for that matter—would be to oppose him.
Lusam took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then stood up and approached the stone table. At first, no one seemed to notice him standing there, and the buzz of anticipation continued to fill the cavern. Most of the orcs were far too busy watching the Lore Keeper preparing to copy the image from the stone tablet onto the cave wall to even notice him. Eventually, though, the cavern began to slowly take on a stillness he hadn’t heard since first arriving, and one after another the orcs’ attention turned towards him. Chief Vergu was the fi
rst to speak, causing the few remaining whispers to quickly die away.
“Would you like to say something, Lusam?”
“Yes, Chief Vergu, I would. With your permission, I’d like to say a few things and also make a personal request.” Lusam saw Orgoth’s eyes narrow at his words and he began to ease his way past several other orcs towards the stone table. Chief Vergu nodded to his request, and Lusam thanked him. He never thought that he would have needed, nor wanted to use the underhanded political tactics he had seen and learned in Lamuria. But here he was, ready to use them for the second time in as many days. But as much as he hated doing it, he knew that he must if he was to help restore Vultog’s honour, not to mention achieve his own goals of finding the Guardian book.
He cleared his throat and began. “First of all I would like to thank Chief Vergu for allowing me to join your tribe,” Lusam said, smiling and nodding towards the Chief, who did the same in return. “I would also like to thank you all for making me feel welcome here. I don’t yet know many of your customs and beliefs, so I hope you will forgive any ignorance on my part until I’ve had a chance to learn them. But what I can tell you, is what I believe in. I believe in luck, as I’m sure many of you do, too. But I also believe in fate. And I believe it was fate that brought me to your village with the sacred Soul Stone. Who knows, maybe it was even the will of The Keeper that I found you?” Lusam paused and the reaction he got from the crowd was exactly what he had hoped for. He could hear and see the acknowledgement and acceptance of what he had just said in the faces of the crowd. Even the Chief seemed impressed by his words and nodded appreciatively towards him.
Lusam raised his hand and the crowd slowly quietened once more. “Most of all I would like to thank my new friend, Vultog, without whom I would never have survived my encounter with the faeries. Which of course, would also have meant that I would never have found your tribe, and therefore would never have been able to gift you the sacred Soul Stone. I have since learned that Vultog was undergoing the Right of Ascension quest when he first met me. And I’m sure most of you already know of his failure and subsequent loss of the Soul Stone. But I ask you this; was it just luck, or was it preordained fate that brought us together in that faerie village? If Vultog had succeeded in his quest and returned to you with a faerie’s head, I would never have found my Soul Stone, and therefore I would not have been able to gift it to the tribe. So I found myself asking, was it just luck, or was it really fate? Did The Keeper intend for Vultog to fail in his quest so that he could rescue me and deliver another Soul Stone to the tribe, instead of only a faerie’s head?”
