Sovereign Stone

by David Wells

  Alexander and Isabel shared a room but slept in separate beds. After the experience of the previous night, he wondered if they were already married in a way more profound than any ceremony could match, but he kept his thoughts to himself. More than anything, they both needed sleep and he knew Isabel was still afraid of the darkness within her.

  In the dead of night, Alexander was jarred awake by a scream of sheer terror. He was up and out of his bed in an instant, sword in hand and scanning the room and beyond with his all around sight. Isabel had pushed herself into the corner and was curled up into a ball, panting with fear. Alexander sheathed his sword and went to her, gently offering his comfort. She threw her arms around him and wept.

  Anatoly knocked. “Is everything all right?” he asked through the door.

  “Yes, thank you, Anatoly. Isabel had a nightmare,” Alexander said without moving to open the door.

  “It was so real,” she said. “The door was open and I was standing in front of the darkness. I could see hateful faces form and fade. Then I saw Rangle. He looked right at me and laughed as tendrils of darkness shot out of the portal and tried to pull me in. I struggled and fought until I was able to slam the door shut and throw the bolt.” She held onto him and took comfort in his presence for several long moments.

  “Will you hold me?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Of course. Lie down and try to get some sleep. I’m right here,” Alexander said as reassuringly as he could in spite of the worry and dread that filled him. The situation was more dangerous than he first thought. If the darkness could try to claim her in her dreams, she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Eventually, she would be too exhausted to resist. He tried to sleep but his worry kept him awake. Isabel drifted off but woke with a start a few hours later. She didn’t scream but she cried for a few minutes.

  “I’m afraid, Alexander,” she whispered. “I’ve never faced anything like this before. I’ve always been able to see my enemy and fight them head-on. This doesn’t have a form or a body, and it’s inside me. How can I kill something that’s a part of me?”

  He held her tighter. “I don’t know, but I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to find out. I think we should talk to Lucky about it. He may know of a way to help.” He felt her nod in the darkness. They didn’t sleep much for the rest of the night. Isabel was afraid to fall asleep, and Alexander was afraid that if she did, she would get drawn into the darkness again. When dawn came, they were both exhausted.

  They bought some supplies after breakfast and made a few inquiries about the path to the Pinnacles. Most people thought going into the wild mountains was a foolish thing to do, but told them the way to get there nonetheless. By midmorning they were on the road that skirted around the city of Warrenton. They decided not to buy horses because they would have to abandon the animals once they reached the mountains. Also, in the back of everyone’s mind was the thought that the demon was still out there somewhere.

  Once they were on the road, Alexander decided it was time to talk about the experience of sending his consciousness into the netherworld and Isabel’s ongoing struggle with the darkness. He gave her a look. She understood and nodded, taking a deep breath before she began.

  “Lucky, I need your help,” she said.

  “Of course, my dear, anything I can do.”

  “When I touched the horse’s mind, I made contact with the mind of a demon instead,” she began, but before she could continue everyone stopped dead in their tracks. She pressed on with her story now that she had everyone’s undivided attention. “Somehow it created a portal to the netherworld within my mind and I was drawn into the darkness. That’s why I couldn’t wake up.”

  Lucky couldn’t help himself. “How did you get back?”

  Isabel smiled and took Alexander’s hand. “Alexander used his magic to come in and get me,” she said simply to looks of astonishment and alarm all around. “He saved me.”

  “You did what?” Abigail said. “What have I told you about being more careful? Don’t get me wrong, Isabel, I’m glad he saved you, but,” she turned back to her brother, “this is exactly the kind of thing you need to let us help you with.”

  “She was dying. When the thought came to me, I just did it,” Alexander explained without any hint of apology.

  Abigail stared with her mouth agape at her brother and shook her head in dismay.

  “Please continue,” Lucky said intently.

  Isabel nodded. “It was a cold and terrible place filled with fear and despair. I was lost and adrift. Disembodied beings of pure hate and malice assailed me for what seemed like a very long time. I could feel my connection to the world of the living slipping away, and then Alexander was there. He found me and brought me back. I have no idea how he did such a thing, but he did.” She smiled up at him. “The trouble is—the doorway to the darkness is still there in my mind. Alexander showed me how to close it, and it doesn’t seem to have any power over me when I’m awake but when I sleep, it opens up and tries to draw me in. I’m so tired, but I’m afraid to go to sleep and I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse.”

  Lucky took a deep breath. “This is troubling indeed. I can give you some deathwalker root to help you sleep without dreams. At least you’ll be well rested, but we need to find a way to permanently destroy the connection between your mind and the netherworld. That is a much more challenging problem. Let me think on the matter.”

  Isabel nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Lucky. I feel better knowing that I can sleep without being lost to the darkness.”

  ***

  By nightfall they were well past Warrenton and just a couple of days away from the treacherous path into the Pinnacles. Isabel slept through the night with the help of the deathwalker-root tea that Lucky prepared for her. She woke the next morning feeling much better.

  That afternoon she stopped dead in her tracks after a moment of looking through Slyder’s eyes.

  “We’re being followed. Looks like a dozen men on horseback but they’re keeping well back. I’m sending Slyder to take a closer look.”

  An hour later she reported again. “It’s Nero and a dozen soldiers.”

  Anatoly grunted. “The coward doesn’t want to fight us. He’s probably just a scout for Phane.”

  “Keep an eye on him, Isabel,” Alexander said. “We should make it to the mountains by tomorrow afternoon. If he follows us into the Pinnacles, we might just have to set an ambush for him.”

  Nero kept his distance, and the six travelers made it to the foothills of the Pinnacles on the evening of the next day. From where they stood, they could see the sharp, craggy mountains jutting up from the surrounding forests. They were white at the peaks and looked like giant ivory fangs gnashing at the sky. Alexander understood from the ominous look of the place why the locals thought it was a bad idea to venture there.

  It was a few hours from dark when they moved from the plains into the low rolling hills covered with the ancient trees that made up the eastern edge of the Great Forest.

  Warrenton relied on the timber from the foothills of the Pinnacles. As Alexander and his companions hiked into the forest on the wide, well-cut road, they passed several timber crews and saw a few operations in progress. By dark they had traveled several miles and stopped for the night at one of the frequently used campsites along the road. It was a quiet evening except for the coming and going of work crews.

  The next morning after breakfast, Isabel sent Slyder to have a look at Nero. “Looks like he’s waiting at the trailhead. I wonder what he’s waiting for.”

  “Might as well take advantage of their delay and get some distance on them,” Alexander said as he hoisted his pack.

  They made good time, considering that they were traveling on foot uphill along an increasingly narrow pathway. The well-cared-for roads gave way to little-used trails and then to animal tracks through the thick brush and timber. They pushed on toward the south and the teeth of the Pinnacles until they found a mountain sprin
g an hour before dark and made camp.

  After dinner, Isabel said, “It looks like Commander P’Tal and a company of soldiers are about a day away from Nero’s camp at the trailhead. That puts them two days behind us.”

  “We should be all right if we press on,” Alexander said.

  “That’s assuming we can find another way out of these mountains when we’re done here,” Anatoly said.

  Alexander nodded. “I’m hoping we can find a way down to Highlands Reach. From there we can go to Southport and get a ship to take us to the Reishi Isle.”

  “I guess that makes more sense than backtracking through New Ruatha, although it would be good to see how we’re doing against Headwater,” Anatoly said.

  “I’m sure father has things well in hand, especially with the help of Buckwold,” Abigail said.

  Chapter 21

  They spent the next two days hiking uphill through thick forests. Isabel reported that Commander P’Tal had joined Nero and they were pursuing slowly. She brought Slyder back to help navigate through the mountains. The terrain was steep and treacherous and there were many opportunities to wander into box canyons that would cost them precious time.

  As they gained altitude, the air cooled and the forest diminished. In the lower foothills, the forest was composed of giant trees that reached hundreds of feet into the sky with trunks ten to twenty feet thick. At higher elevations the trees became smaller. The tallest were only forty feet high with trunks no more than a foot in diameter. The forest was thinner and the underbrush was lower and less dense. It made for easier travel.

  They came into a broad valley with a shallow but fast-moving mountain stream running down the middle. The valley floor was almost a mile wide and stretched for several miles due south. Strewn throughout were giant boulders standing up to forty feet tall. The tops of the trees just reached the height of some of the larger rocks. The boulders were covered with moss and lichen and many had bushes and even a few small trees growing on top. It would have been an idyllic setting if not for the column of smoke rising about a mile upstream.

  Isabel sent Slyder to take a look. Alexander saw a look of alarm and worry ghost across her face just before she opened her eyes.

  “It’s a half dozen ganglings and they have a woman tied up on a roasting spit,” Isabel said. “It looks like they’re just waiting for the fire to die down to coals before they start cooking her.”

  “What’s a gangling?” Jack asked.

  “They’re a primitive race of giants that live in the wilds,” Lucky said. “They stand about ten feet tall with very long arms. They’re strong but not very smart, typically live in small communities of twenty or thirty, and usually inhabit caves. Unfortunately, they’re not terribly reasonable.”

  Alexander sighed. “We have to go right past them, and I don’t like the idea of leaving that woman to become their dinner. Maybe if we help her, she could point us in the right direction. I’m starting to feel like we’re wandering aimlessly in these mountains.”

  “It would be a dangerous fight,” Anatoly said. “Ganglings are big and strong and they throw rocks. We might do better to slip past them.”

  “Yeah, probably, but I won’t feel right if we don’t try to help her,” Alexander said.

  Anatoly nodded with a knowing little smile. “I figured as much. We should use ranged weapons as much as possible. One good thump of their oversized fists and you’ll be out cold—until they start cooking you, anyway.”

  “Is there any high ground nearby?” Alexander asked Isabel.

  She nodded. “There are actually three big boulders around their campsite. We should be able to get on top of one without much problem.”

  “How well do they climb?” Alexander asked Lucky.

  “Quite well, actually; these mountains are their home.”

  “All right, let’s head their way,” Alexander said. “Keep an eye on them, Isabel. Jack, be ready to sneak in and untie the woman while we attack.”

  They approached the cook fire carefully as the woman cried out for help. She sounded terrified and desperate. They slipped around to the south side of the camp so they would be able to make their escape once Jack freed her. When they reached the cover of the southernmost boulder, Alexander stopped and divided the party into two groups.

  “Isabel, Abigail, and Lucky will go up the back side of that rock and take over-watch positions. Don’t start shooting until the ganglings attack. Anatoly and I will approach from the right side of the boulder. Jack will approach cloaked from the left. All we want is to get the woman and get away. We don’t have to kill them, we just have to keep them from killing us.”

  Everyone nodded their agreement and they split up. Anatoly and Alexander waited a few minutes for everyone to get into position. Anatoly slung his axe and got his slingshot out of his pack along with a handful of lead-shot bullets.

  Alexander chuckled. “Always another weapon stashed somewhere.”

  Anatoly nodded. “I always told you to keep a weapon handy. I practice what I preach. Unfortunately, these aren’t going to do much more than give those things a headache, but I may be able to discourage one or two before they get close enough to warrant a blade.”

  Alexander and Anatoly approached slowly and silently. There were six ganglings. Each stood nine to ten feet tall with unusually long arms and oversized hands and feet. They were manlike in that they had two arms, two legs, and a head, but that’s where the similarities ended. Their tight leathery skin was ash grey and completely hairless. Their snout was slightly pronounced and their forehead sloped back from the bridge of their nose. They had grey eyes without pupils and sharp-looking canines that showed a bit even when their mouths were closed. Their colors were more complex than those of a typical big animal but not by much and they revealed a violent and even cruel nature.

  Once they were within easy slingshot range and separated a bit, Alexander gave the nod to Anatoly. The big man-at-arms whipped the slingshot around his head once, then twice, and released his heavy lead bullet. It sailed soundlessly toward the gangling nearest the woman.

  The fire was about ready and the gangling was making sure her leather bonds were tight and wet to prevent them from burning through before their meal was cooked. The lead shot smacked him in the side of the head and he toppled over with a thud. The woman looked around frantically before she saw Alexander and Anatoly. The look of hope and salvation Alexander saw in her eyes made the risk more than worth it.

  He loosed his arrow at the nearest gangling, driving it into the flesh of the giant’s thigh. It tipped its head back and roared in rage, pain, and surprise. The other four ganglings were up and looking for the threat. Abigail and Isabel released their arrows in tandem. Abigail’s shot straight down from the top of the boulder and lanced through the belly of one of the ganglings, out its backside, and into the ground. The giant slumped to its knees and toppled over with a wail. Isabel’s arrow sailed gracefully off the boulder and stuck six inches into the shoulder of another.

  It roared at her as it dug into a bag on its hip and pulled out a rock about six inches in diameter. It took a hop step and threw the rock toward Isabel. She ducked and it shattered against the stone face of the boulder behind her, showering her with shards of gravel.

  The two uninjured ganglings threw rocks at Alexander and Anatoly, who quickly ducked as the rocks whizzed over their heads. Alexander watched the angry ganglings close ranks around their wounded and roar in warning while Jack led the frightened and grateful woman away from the camp.

  Alexander and Anatoly carefully retreated from the angry giants and met Abigail, Isabel, and Lucky behind the big rock. Jack and the woman came up a moment later. They heard the furious roar of several ganglings, no doubt at discovering that their dinner had escaped.

  “Thank you. Thank you so much,” the woman said. “My name is Marla Tasselheim. We have to get far away from here before the ganglings work up the anger to come after us.”

  Marla was just over f
ive and a half feet tall, with brown hair and plain, yet intelligent, brown eyes. She had a strong jaw and a broad mouth that fit her broad shoulders and sturdy body. Her smile was genuine and bright. She wore simple brown robes and she wasn’t armed.

  Her colors were a bit unusual. Alexander knew what magic looked like in another, and Marla definitely had magic, but it was of a type and a quality that he’d never seen before. Fortunately, her colors also revealed good character.

  “Do you know your way around these mountains?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I’ve lived in these mountains all my life, although I don’t usually come down this far.”

  “Excellent. Why don’t you lead the way?” Alexander suggested.

  They moved quickly but quietly away from the gangling camp. Roars of anger and indignation could be heard behind them. Once they made it through the little valley and into one of the narrow canyons that fed the mountain stream, they slowed a bit to catch their breath.

  “My name is Alexander. You’ve met Jack. These are Abigail, Isabel, Anatoly, and Lucky.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you all,” Marla said. “I’m so grateful to be free of those monsters. I can’t tell you how helpless I felt tied to that spit, watching the fire burning down to hot coals.” She shook her head with a shudder. “Thank you again for saving me.” She stopped and looked Alexander very directly in the eye. “I mean it, Alexander. You saved my life and you have my gratitude.”

  “I’m just glad it all worked out,” he said. “Perhaps you could help us?”

  “Of course, anything I can do,” Marla said.

  Alexander took a deep breath, measuring how much to tell her. “We’re seeking the Fairy Queen.”

  Marla’s eyes went wide with alarm as she shook her head. “From time to time, men come into the Pinnacles looking for the Valley of the Fairy Queen. A few find it. None return. I would hate to see you lost to her ancient magic, Alexander.”