Light in the Barren Lands: Travail of The Dark Mage Book One

by Pratt, Brian S.

  “I know. But maybe the Vyrilyzk is no longer in use on Earth, and if so, the sight of it may bring them around. For curiosity’s sake if for no other reason.”

  “Are you going to capture one?”

  “Good heavens, no,” exclaimed James. “I want their cooperation, not their subservience. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to hold one even if I did manage to catch it.” With sack now filled, he closed the trunk and turned to his friend. “I’m not sure how long this is going to take.”

  “So in other words, don’t worry if you’re not back by dawn?”

  James nodded. “Maybe even a couple of dawns. If this doesn’t work, I’ll be back in three days.”

  “You could make one here,” he suggested.

  “I thought of that. But since they are shy and timid creatures, they might be more social if I were alone.”

  “Just be careful.”

  “I will. Though if you hear explosions and see a starburst overhead, come running.”

  Jiron grinned. “I’ll do that.”

  “Take care.”

  “You too,” James said then headed for the desert.

  Before being swallowed by the darkness, his orb appeared just above and behind his left shoulder. Jiron watched the light gradually fade into the distance until it was gone.

  He should have brought more food. Now well into his second day alone in the desert, his food supply was dwindling. The sun had just set and a fire burned not too far off to ward off the nightly chill.

  Situated at the fringe of the campfire’s light sat a ring of stones. In lieu of the ring of leaves Brother Willim had said was the customary building material of the Vyrilyzk, he had constructed a ring of stone seeing as there was scant vegetation to be had. Oh sure, he could have made a ring of cactus needles, but somehow the stones felt more appropriate.

  Within the stones sat several apples and some trail mix. There had been no sign of the earth spirits the previous night, though a coyote had tried to take off with the offering on two separate occasions. Tonight, he planned to step up his efforts.

  Once the sun had dropped below the horizon and night had come, James positioned himself three yards away and facing the Vyrilyzk. He then allowed the fire to burn down until there were but coals and waited.

  Twenty minutes passed and there was no sign of the earth spirits. Gathering the magic to him, he gradually formed what he hoped was a welcoming bubble of good thoughts and offers of friendship that swelled to encompass not only him, but the Vyrilyzk as well. In his mind’s eye, he pictured the earth spirits coming and partaking of the offering within the Vyrilyzk.

  Along with creating the welcoming atmosphere, he also sent his senses out to scan for any movement in the world about him. A scorpion was nestled beneath a stone not three feet away, other bugs and nocturnal critters were going about their nightly business. But of the earth spirits, there was no sign.

  He searched his memories for anything that may help. Conversations with Brother Willim during their campaign together proved of little help as he had rarely spoken to James of those he called his “Little Brothers.”

  There was an earlier memory that came to the fore. One on an island with a woman named Lyria. She had been a woman of power, and when James had awaken in the hours prior to dawn, he’d found her seated outside on a stump with earth spirits gathered before her.

  She had said something about earth spirits. That they were shy and rarely came out, and that they rarely wanted to. When asked why they came out for her, she replied, “I’ve been here a long time. They’ve learned to trust me. I think they like my singing too.”

  Could singing aid in coaxing them forth? He figured it was worth a try. So with this in mind, he began to hum. No words, just a soothing melody one might do for a fussy baby who awoke in the middle of the night and refused to return to sleep.

  The bubble of peace and welcome he had in place around him and the Vyrilyzk soon began to resonate with the melody. He thought of Brother Willim and the other members of the Hand of Asran whom he had known. Those memories began to be incorporated into the bubble, and soon, lost all track of time as the sense of peace and contentment filled him.

  How long he sat in the dark humming the tune he couldn’t begin to guess, but at some point, James knew he was no longer alone. Something was by the Vyrilyzk. The realization caused him to momentarily halt his tune and to bring his senses more fully upon the area surrounding the Vyrilyzk. But whatever had been there was gone.

  He resumed humming and once again tried to create the same atmosphere of peace and welcome as he had before. Minutes passed before again sensing a presence at the ring of stones.

  Little Brother, be not afraid. Speaking the words within his mind, he allowed the magic to carry them to his visitor.

  The presence vanished.

  Continuing with the melody, he waited. When again the presence appeared, he carried on as if the presence were not there. While he hummed, he kept a constant watch upon the presence that he was certain was an earth spirit. He felt, more than saw, a little arm reach into the ring of stones and take one of the apples.

  That is for you Little Brother.

  Again the presence, and the apple it carried, vanished even before James could complete the thought. He grinned triumphantly. The earth spirit had returned, it would again.

  Throughout the night, the earth spirit, or others of its kind, visited the Vyrilyzk. When the food within the circle of stones was gone, he replenished it. Then afterward, he would return to his position, begin to hum and recreate his bubble of peace and welcome. When dawn came and the sky began to lighten, they came no more.

  Mid-afternoon of the third day after James’ departure, Jiron paced the edge of camp, gazing off across the desert for his friend’s return. Jira still played with Kenny’s wand, though after days of doing little else, the excitement of commanding magic had begun to wane.

  A form appeared far out in the desert. Minutes later, it proved to be James returning. “He’s coming,” he announced to his daughter.

  “Uncle James is back!” she exclaimed.

  Excitement causing them to be unable to remain in camp, father and daughter raced out together to meet him.

  Jiron kept his pace down to what Jira could keep up with. James waved as they drew near, and the grin upon his face told Jiron that his time in the desert hadn’t been a complete waste of time.

  “Did they come?” was the question whose answer Jiron most desired to have.

  “Yes,” replied James with a nod. Then he held the empty sack in which he had carried the food. “Hungry little guys. They took everything I brought.”

  Jiron patted him congratulatory on the back. “Great. I was worried there may be no earth spirits here on your world.”

  “After the first night, so had I. But then last night, they came.”

  “Are they going to help?”

  “I hadn’t reached that point yet,” he explained. “Every time I tried to make contact, they vanished. I’m hoping that another night of offerings may help to gain their confidence.”

  “There is still plenty of food,” Jiron assured him. “Do you plan to do it here?”

  James shook his head. “No. I think it might be best if I return to the same place where I made contact with them last night. Having you and Jira nearby may inhibit them.”

  “That makes sense.”

  While James filled his sack, Jiron put the pot back on the fire to allow the contents to warm. James remained at the campsite for another hour and partook of the warmed-over stew. Not the greatest meal, but at least it was hot and hadn’t been pre-wrapped like his previous day’s victuals.

  When the time came for him to leave, he said, “I’ll be back in two days to check in if this hasn’t resolved before then. Hopefully this will only take one.”

  “Be careful,” advised Jiron.

  “I will.” Then with a goodbye hug for Jira, he headed back out into the desert.

  Twilight fou
nd him seated as he had been the previous night, with the Vyrilyzk positioned much closer than before. Apples filled the ring of stones along with slices of bread and some of the more natural, unprocessed foods that they’d brought with them to the desert.

  He waited patiently and watched the world grow dark. As the first stars began to appear, he started to hum. Magic flowed from him as he sent out waves of peace and welcome to the surrounding countryside. He even directed some of it into the ground beneath him since after all, he was looking for earth spirits.

  It wasn’t long before he sensed a presence near the ring of stones comprising the Vyrilyzk. He could barely make out the form in the all but gone light. Paying it only peripheral attention, he continued with the humming.

  Another joined the first. Neither reached for an apple, instead, it felt as if they were merely standing there watching him. Deciding to take a risk, James sent out a thought intermixed with his feelings of peace and welcome. Greetings, Little Brother.

  One of the two forms vanished. The one remaining felt poised to flee, but hadn’t.

  Other thoughts began superimposing themselves over the ones of peace and welcome; memories of his time with Brother Willim and the Hand of Asran, the way the moon shone upon the waters surrounding his island back home, and others that comprised his most cherished of memories.

  The earth spirit grew more at ease.

  He allowed the earth spirit several moments with which to grow more at ease, then sent out, Friend. The creature’s predilection for flight did not manifest.

  More earth spirits began appearing about the outer edge of the Vyrilyzk. Some took fruit, others seemed interested in this oddly behaving human. A feeling came from the creatures that James didn’t understand at first. But then he began to realize that they knew him, or at least of him. A name was flittering about between the earth spirits, along with an eagerness that he couldn’t quite understand. Trying to grasp it, he grew too excited and pushed too hard.

  All but one earth spirit vanished; the remaining earth spirit being the one that had been there throughout. James could tell that its eyes, or at least what passed for its eyes, were directed upon him. My apologies, Little Brother.

  Though he could not see the creature due to the darkness of night, his mind’s eye pictured the earth spirit nodding its head.

  Do you know me?

  Again, the earth spirit nodded.

  How?

  The creature didn’t reply right away, or it could simply have been that James failed to pick up on it. But after several seconds passed, a word formed in his mind…Gardener.

  Gardener. The word opened a floodgate of memories. Such was the appellation Brother Willim gave to him during their travels together. Tied to an old prophecy, it denoted a person destined to either save, or doom the world. He had already walked that path, having saved the world from the fate that Dmon-Li would have meted out had the god’s high priest’s plans come to fruition.

  Wait! How did an earth spirit from this world know of happenings on another? Are they capable of traveling from world to world?

  Again the vision of the creature in his mind’s eye nodded. How? His mind was instantly assaulted with visions he was ill-equipped to handle. With mind rapidly faltering beneath the onrush of alien imagery, he shouted with both magic and voice, “Stop!”

  Immediately, the visions ceased.

  Panting, head feeling as if it had been repeatedly struck with hammers, James worked to forestall the imminent loss of consciousness. Nausea assailed him, his whole body shook. When at last he managed to regain some sense of composure, he found the earth spirit still present at the edge of the Vyrilyzk. More of its kin had gathered with more arriving every second. Each stood still, their attentions fixed firmly upon him.

  It felt eerie being the focal point of so many creatures. He didn’t feel threatened in any way, only uncomfortable, and definitely out of his element. How he wished that Brother Willim was there.

  Visions again assailed him, this time of the Asran priest. They knew Brother Willim! Or at least of him. Hopeful, James projected the thought, Can you show me how to get to his world?

  Again he began to be assailed by the alien visions. No! his mind screamed. The visions stopped. His mind recoiled from the assault, but the brevity of the visions hadn’t affected him nearly as bad. Once his mind calmed again, he sent a thought giving a brief detail of what he planned to do to reach the world of Brother Willim. Then he asked if there was any route they knew in the way he intended to travel.

  The earth spirits grew excited. He felt a swelling of magic coming from the beings around him. In his mind’s eye, he saw a line moving away from the Earth. Not in the physical sense did the line travel, but in the spiritual. Buoyed by the magic of the creatures, James was able to follow as it went until it entered a place where time and matter fluxed.

  The line grew faint as it passed through a chaotic intermixing of magic and the physical realm his mortal mind couldn’t comprehend. Then when he was about to completely lose himself, the line passed back into the material realm once more. Shortly thereafter, the line intersected a planet, and he knew what planet it was. Somewhere on that spinning globe were his wife and child.

  About to go in search of them, he was pulled back through chaos until he was once again sitting upon the ground before the amassed earth spirits. It took him several moments to regain his faculties and become aware that he was now ringed by hundreds, if not thousands of the creatures.

  He tried to duplicate what the creatures had just done, but discovered such a feat was beyond his ability.

  We will help. When you are ready, we will show the way.

  Then a map sprang into his mind. It was a topographical map of the earth. All was in shadow but for eleven points. Seven glowed brightly, while the remaining four seemed to draw all light to them like mini black holes.

  Nexus. Must be at Nexus or die. Came the thought.

  The bright lights are Nexus?

  A murmur of affirmation came from the assembled creatures. At Nexus you live. Elsewhere, you die.

  One light grew to prominence as the vision focused upon it. James knew where the light was coming from even before he recognized the outline of the southern California coast. Igor had been right. Disneyland was a focal point.

  I will need lots of magic to make the crossing?

  Yes.

  And the Nexus are magical foci?

  Yes.

  What are the black areas? He pictured one of the four dark points when he sent out the question.

  An uncomfortable tremor ran through the assembled spirits. When he realized they were growing into an ever more agitated state, and that half the creatures had vanished, he removed the dark point from his thoughts. Almost instantaneously, the earth spirits calmed.

  Though intrigued by their reaction and anxious to know more about why they reacted as they had, he instead kept his thoughts filled with positives, which was easy since he now knew he that could bring the three of them home.

  The rest of the evening he hummed and sang little ditties as the earth spirits frolicked around him. Every once in a while his thoughts would drift back to those black areas, causing agitation among his newfound friends. Only when such thoughts were removed from his mind did the creatures return to their former, semi-friendly selves.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ________________________

  “We’re in business,” James announced upon returning to the campsite. “They are willing to help.”

  Jiron was surprised. “I thought you might get information out of them. I can’t believe that we will have their active participation as well.”

  “Perhaps ‘active’ is a bit strong. Let’s just say they are going to point us in the right direction.”

  “Still, that’s more than we hoped.”

  “Indeed.”

  They hurriedly broke camp and stuffed everything into the trunk without even bothering to fold the tent or pack things away
properly; such was their hurry.

  “Back to Vegas and collect the cocoa pods and crystals, then a quick jaunt across the state line and on to L.A.”

  “Will we see mother tomorrow?” asked Jira.

  “If everything works out,” affirmed her uncle. “The crystals should be fully charged by now, and with the earth spirits’ help, we’ll make it.”

  Jira jumped and did a jig, so great was her happiness.

  Once everything was stuffed in the trunk, they got underway.

  James regaled them with his experience with the earth spirits as he returned to the Interstate. Jira of course wanted to see one but her uncle said such would be unlikely. “They are incredibly shy and timid.”

  “Except around Hikuli,” Jiron commented. During their final expedition into the heart of Dmon-Li’s high temple, Brother Willim had summoned the earth spirits to deal with the Hikuli, and they had boiled forth. The savagery exhibited by these timid and shy creatures against their ancient enemy was something the one-time pit fighter had rarely seen, and hoped to never be on the receiving end.

  “I would still like to see one,” said Jira.

  “Who knows? Maybe one day you will.”

  Las Vegas appeared in the distance a little past noon. Upon reaching the outskirts, James pulled off the interstate and began making his way along side-streets en route to the motel.

  He was going to miss the sights and sounds of Earth after the crossing. Not least of which would be the showers, television, and chocolate; though if his plans for the cocoa pods worked out, the lack of chocolate would be remedied.

  One shop they passed caught his eye, or rather, the manikin displayed in the window. Deciding to check it out, he pulled off the road and into a parking spot. The sign on the building read, “Don’s Surplus.” It was an older building, looking as if the shop had been in existence since the fifty’s.

  “Why are we stopping here?” Jiron asked.