Earth Magic

by Kenneth Price

  From what they hoped was a safe distance, Colin and Aidan watched as the dome of energy sealed Faynn and Elwin inside. As the dome closed, Faynn's chanting was silenced. Aidan and Colin could still see the two within the dome. Faynn's body continued to sway from side to side, and his mouth continued to move, but no sound could penetrate beyond the green dome.

  "Is this similar to what you can do?" asked Colin, his voice shaking.

  "No," whispered Aidan. He, too, seemed shocked, and his voice was no more than a whisper. "It is nothing like it at all."

  Helplessly watching his prince being engulfed in magic, Colin groaned.

  "They will be okay," reassured Aidan, but his voice betrayed his own growing concern.

  Within the dome, Elwin tried unsuccessfully to stay calm. What he wanted to do was to crawl out from under the green dome, but he had no idea what would happen if he broke the lines of the octagon. Faynn had warned Colin and Aidan not to disturb the octagon, but he had said nothing about what would happen if the lines were disrupted or broken from within. Trying not to panic, the prince took several long, deep breaths. But remaining calm was not easy with the dome sparking and snapping just above his head. From inside the dome, Elwin could just make out Aidan and Colin. His two friends looked strange through the wall of light. Colin and Aidan appeared to be wavering as if they were a mirage. Faynn opened his eyes, "The area is secure. It is time, Prince Elwin."

  Elwin stared into Faynn's eyes, hoping that he did not appear as scared as he was.

  Nervously, Elwin waited for Faynn to explain what he had to do next.

  Letting go of the staff, Faynn stretched out to Elwin. "Take my hands."

  Elwin hesitated then did as he was instructed. Faynn's hands felt as rough as they looked.

  "Now," continued Faynn, "I will draw the power into us. All you have to do is relax and try not to struggle. Let the power take you where it will. It is not dangerous to resist, but it can be unpleasant."

  Faynn closed his eyes, and Elwin followed suit. The air in the dome became uncomfortably warm. Elwin tightened his grip on Faynn's hands as he felt a tingling sensation run up his arms and into his body. Immediately, he forgot Faynn's warning and his muscles tensed up. Elwin became lightheaded. He could feel his body both rising and sinking at the same time. For a brief moment, he thought he was going to pass out. It seemed as if he was being pulled in several directions at the same time. His head throbbed, and his body ached.

  “Relax!” came Faynn’s stern voice. You are resisting.”

  With difficulty, Elwin took a deep breath and stopped fighting the strange sensation and let himself go with the forces that were pulling at him. The feeling of movement became steady, and the lightheadedness and pain slipped away. A moment later and without warning, the warm air of the dome was suddenly replaced by a welcome wave of cool, moist air. The air now felt like a dewy morning.

  "You can open your eyes now," said Faynn. Faynn's voice echoed strangely as if he was talking from inside a cave. Elwin blinked. All around him was a thick, grey-blue fog. Despite that there was no wind, the fog shifted and moved. There was a strangeness about this murky world. It was as if the grey blue mist had a life of its own. At one moment the misty air seemed to form into objects, but then just before Elwin could recognize the forms, the fog would disintegrate and swirl away. Glancing about, Elwin was surprised to find that he was now standing, and was no longer holding onto Faynn's hands. At his feet was the octagon, but the dome was gone. The lines still glowed brightly, but all the symbols and ancient ruins were reversed. Elwin frowned as he looked at the staff, realizing that the silver heel of the staff that had sunk into the floor was now pointed upwards. It was if they were now below the octagon and had turned upside down.

  Faynn answered Elwin's confused look. "We are not truly here," his voice echoed. "We are both still in the monastery, and our hands are still held together. Only our minds and souls have traveled to this place."

  "Where are we?" asked Elwin, looking about. He listened to the sound of his own voice echoing in the fog.

  "This is the World of Dreams, the underside of reality, which is nowhere and everywhere at once. I know that makes little sense, but there is no other way to explain it. From here you can travel after your sister, or anywhere else that you wish. But first, you must find the way within yourself."

  "You are right. That doesn't make any sense. Just tell me what we have to do, and let's do it." Thinking of Leina, Elwin had lost his fear of the magic and the strange place he now found himself. His mind was racing. Could this strange world really show him where Leina was? Could the druid find her in all this fog? "Do you know the way?" he asked Faynn, speaking his thoughts out loud. "Can you find her in all this fog?"

  "Only you know the way. So it is you who must find her."

  "Me!? How am I supposed to find her in all this fog? You’re the druid! You brought me here! You must be able to do something."

  "I have done much already,” Faynn responded calmly. “But I cannot find your sister for you, Prince Elwin. You will have to do that yourself.”

  "How?" Elwin asked, shaking his head. "I don't know where to look, or even how to look."

  "Is she close to your heart?"

  "Leina? Yes, we are very close. But ..."

  "Then she is already with you. You and your sister have a deep connection that binds you together. All you have to do is follow that part of her that is inside you, and you will find her."

  "You are still not making any sense. Do druids have to talk in riddles? Can't you just tell me what I have to do and be done with it?"

  Faynn shrugged his shoulders. "I am trying to tell you. As I said, it is you who must find the princess. I will stay here. It is you who must walk the dream. As you walk, think of your sister. Imagine her as you remember her best. That is where you will start. You will find her as she once was. It will be as if you are looking into the past and the images you see will not be able to see you or hear you. The past is as it is and cannot be changed. What you will see at first will only be shadows of what has been. Once you have found an image of Leina, you will sense that which is her Life Force."

  "Life Force?"

  "Everything that lives has its own unique Life Force. Follow the Life Force that is Leina's, and it will lead you through your sister's past until you reach her present consciousness. As you pass from the past into the present, you will hear a soft sound, like wind blowing through dried leaves. You will then know that the image you are seeing is your sister as she is now, and if she is sleeping, you may enter her dreams."

  "How will I recognize her Life Force?"

  "You simply will. As soon as you feel it, you will know it to be Leina's as easily as you know her face."

  Elwin looked into the fog, "How will I get back here?"

  "Take a step from the octagon and you will see." Elwin was sure that once he was in the fog, he would be completely lost. He stepped out of the compass. As he did so, a green ball of light formed over his head. Wherever Elwin turned, the ball of light stayed between himself and the octagon.

  "It is called a Home Finder," explained Faynn. "The Home Finder is connected to both you and the octagon. When you are ready to return, all you have to do is follow the Home Finder back here. I will be waiting. That is the best I can do for you."

  Elwin nodded. He turned away from Faynn. Elwin did not like the idea of walking out into this strange foggy world. There was something about this place that scared Elwin, but if it would help him find Leina, then he would do it. Holding his breath, Elwin stepped into the fog. Thoughts of his sister filled his mind as he moved deeper into the World of Dreams. In only a few short steps, Faynn and the octagon vanished into the fog, and only the green glowing ball of light showed him where Faynn was as well as his only way home. Without the Home Finder, Elwin realized he would have been hopelessly lost. Pushing the thought from his mind, he tried to focus on his sister once more.

  Elwin walked in what he thought
was a straight line, but the Home Finder let him know that it was anything but straight. The Home Finder moved from one side to the other as Elwin zigzagged his way through the fog. At one time Elwin even found himself facing the Home Finder and headed back towards the octagon. In this strange, sunless netherworld there was no way to tell where he was headed. The fog seemed to be the only thing that thrived here; no birds or animals of any type disturbed the eerie silence. There were no trees, no rocks, not even a breeze, and the ground was always perfectly flat beneath his feet. At one point, Elwin knelt and examined the earth. The ground was covered in a fine, flawless white sand that was cold to the touch. It was like a large sand beach, but without an ocean, the sun, or the moon. And everywhere the strange mist swirled about. The fog twisted about his ankles, and slid around his body, gently caressing his skin. The fog at times almost seemed to have a solidness about it, and Elwin could swear that the fog parted just before him as if to allow him to pass, but it never parted enough for him to see more than a few feet. The strangest part about the fog were the images that it seemed to create. From out of the mist, places and faces would appear... then just as fast, they disappeared. At times, Elwin thought he saw people he knew: his father, his friends, a woman Elwin thought was his mother, and a large man dressed in brown leathered armor whom the young prince thought he had seen before but did not recognize. But the images never lasted long, and before Elwin could be sure the things he saw were real, they vanished back into the fog, leaving him to wonder if it was just his nerves or imagination. Wandering in this world, Elwin felt lost and alone. This place was indeed nowhere.

  Elwin no longer could tell whether it had been hours or only minutes since he had left Faynn. Time had no meaning here. He walked deeper and deeper into the fog. More of the illusive images appeared and disappeared; again, he saw the man in brown leathered armor. The man appeared worried and seemed to be guarding something or someone. Then the image vanished. Elwin walked on, but nowhere did he see Leina. Then suddenly the fog around him began to lift. New images began to form. This time, the images did not vanish but became solid and more real. Stunned by the sudden change, Elwin stumbled to a stop. He found himself standing in a large bed chamber. A large canopy bed lay to one side of the room. Through a window on the far wall, he looked out over the Northern Drygan Mountains. Immediately, Elwin recognized the place. It was his sister's bedroom. He was back in the Acair Castle. His home. Sitting in the large bed was a small child. The child was a young girl around the age of seven or eight. Her legs were tucked up under her in a position in which only a child could sit. In her arms, she rocked a small doll. Singing softly to her doll, the child brushed aside a strand of her long, silky black hair. "Leina!" Elwin breathed.

  She looked so real, yet Elwin knew Leina was much older now. The image looked so real that Elwin almost forgot that it was but an illusion. Elwin could even hear her voice as she sang softly to her doll.

  Hearing someone approaching, Elwin gazed up from his sister. Feeling strangely nervous, he watched and waited. The door to the room swung open. A tall man with a well-groomed beard and broad shoulders stepped forward. Elwin gasped. The girl dropped her doll and leaped into the man's outstretched arms with a joyful cry.

  "Father!" Elwin called.

  "Fool," Elwin then said to himself, "they cannot hear you. None of this is real." Yet there was his father standing before him, and he looked both real and alive.

  Watching the vision before him, a tear ran down Elwin's face. He wanted the image to be real. He wanted to stay here with his family. Yet at the same time, he wanted to run away and make the vision go away. As much as he wanted to believe, Elwin knew his father was gone. With a confusing mixture of emotions, he watched. Helpless to turn away, Elwin stared at his family. He watched as his father tossed Leina into the air. Leina squealed out in laughter.

  "Do it again, father!" she cried. "Do it again!"

  Shutting out the painful memory of what he had lost, Elwin closed his eyes. But the laughter and voices of the past still haunted him. Like ghosts, the laughter echoed in his head. With the back of his hand, he wiped away the tears. Opening his eyes once more, Elwin tried not to think of his pain and loss. Leina was still alive, and she needed him. "Focus on Leina," he told himself, reprimanding. "Just once, try to be strong!"

  Around the princess, a blue-green glow appeared. Without knowing how Elwin recognized this as Leina's Life Force. Like Faynn had said, there was no doubting that it was Leina's Life Force. Strangely, his father had none. Perhaps, Elwin thought, that is because he is dead now. One last time, Elwin took in the image of his father. Then he let the illusion fade away. Elwin was not sure how he did it, or even if he had done it, but slowly the images of his father and sister vanished back into the fog. But Leina's life force remained. Glowing brightly, the blue-green light pointed Elwin where he needed to go. Images now quickly passed by. He saw Leina grow from a child into a beautiful young woman. The years had been happy ones, and Elwin smiled as he watched them pass.

  Then his smile vanished as those sunny days turned suddenly dark. He watched as his father left Leina in a small abbey. Time slipped by. One month, two, three months passed in the abbey. King Artair had hoped his daughter would be safe within the abbey walls. And for three months she had been safe, but as Elwin watched he saw how wrong his father had been. Helpless, Elwin watched Parlan approached the abbey. He was mounted upon a smoky gray stallion. Elwin's cousin smiled wickedly. At Parlan's back were fifty Strigiol soldiers. Parlan raised his sword above his head. "Other than the princess, there are to be no survivors!" he shouted. Licking his dry lips, he kicked his horse into a charge. “Victory!” he shouted. The Strigiol soldiers echoed his cry and chased after him. In a military formation, they stormed into the defenseless abbey.

  The first nuns fell to the soldier's naked blades. Horrified, Elwin drew his own sword. "NO!" he screamed. With his sword raised high, Elwin leaped at Parlan. He could feel the hot breath of Parlan's horse upon his face. With a raging howl, Elwin swung his sword. In a strike of silver, the Sword of Light and Darkness arched through the air. Harmlessly, Elwin's sword passed through the image of Parlan. Parlan was nothing more than a ghost of a dark past.

  As if nothing had happened, Parlan spun his horse about and chased after a fleeing woman.

  With no effect, Elwin struck at the illusions. Desperately, he attacked anew, trying to defend the nuns, but he could not stop the carnage and cold-blooded murder. Finally, exhausted from fighting with ghosts, he dropped to his knees. Like a statue, Elwin sat motionlessly. Unable to turn away, he watched the horror unfold around him. Caught in the living nightmare, Elwin witnessed the butchery and bloodshed. He wanted to run... hide ... look away, but he could only stare in dismay. Nuns dressed in long dark blue robes tried to flee, but there was no escape. He could hear their cries of terror and he could smell the blood as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Soon the screams fell to moans and then there was only silence. A silence so deep Elwin thought he would drown in it. Death lay everywhere.

  Finally gaining his feet, Elwin walked through the courtyard. Stunned by what he had seen, he wandered aimlessly like a lost child and as he wandered tears streamed down his face. The prince tried to make the image of the abbey fade away, but he could not. Still caught in the nightmare, he looked on as soldiers set fire to the abbey. As the blaze grew, Elwin made his way out through the shattered gates. Outside of the abbey, the soldiers were planting Elvish arrows into the ground. Elwin realized that Parlan would blame the Elves for attacking the abbey.

  Then Elwin saw Parlan once more. Elwin felt a burning hatred he had never known before.

  Still mounted upon his stallion, Parlan stood out against the setting sun and the billowing clouds of smoke. Parlan held himself like a conquering hero. Approaching, Elwin glared up at his cousin. Standing there, Elwin watched Parlan grab a young woman and dragged her off her feet. He swung the woman up and onto his black leather saddle. The young w
oman's face was hidden beneath a thick layer of dirt and ash. Her black hair was tangled and knotted. Only her Life Force told Elwin the woman was Leina. Looking up, Elwin pulsed with hate. Leina struggled, but Parlan slapped her across the face and easily brought her under his control. Howling like a wounded animal, Elwin screamed a bone-chilling cry of agony that he alone could hear.

  With a tight thin smile, Parlan held onto Elwin's crying sister. Flames reflected in Parlan's cold eyes as he watched a soldier approach. The soldier reined in his horse next to Parlan.

  Parlan asked, "Is it finished yet?"

  The soldier dropped his head. Elwin could not tell if the man was showing respect to Parlan or was ashamed of what he had done.

  "Yes," he replied softly. "It is finished... my Lord. And as you ordered, there are no witnesses. The Elves of the Green will be blamed."