The Darkness Binds

by E. M. Aguilar

  "Meza, do you know this person?" Cyrus said.

  Meza said, "There are ancient teachings among the Mages Order. This Vondra Merilus was a tyrant. He killed hundreds of people and enslaved the rest."

  "Meza, I am not this Drakus Vinnikai," Cyrus said.

  The witch said, "The Drakus mages are real. I was there during the wars."

  "These are all lies," Cyrus said, "You cannot have seen these wars. You would be too old to be alive."

  "You wanted to know this knowledge and I imparted them to you. You believe what you want to believe," she said.

  "Do you know who is committing these murders of the children?" Cyrus said.

  "You already know," she said.

  "I know nothing," Cyrus said. "Tell us, witch."

  She shrank into her chair. She said, "You will have to find out yourself."

  "Who is it?" Cyrus said.

  She waved her arm and Cyrus felt her magic overcome him. They found themselves back at the Rause Marsh.

  "Witch!" he said.

  He tried to catch sight of the entrance back to the Witch’s Garden. However, he could not find it. After a few hours of fruitless searching, they decided to abandon their search.

  CHAPTER 13

  Darrin said to everybody in his group, "We need to split into several groups and go different directions."

  Charles nodded at Darrin. A fighter name Barleth stayed with them. The moonlight helped him navigate in the darkness.

  He said, "Darrin, the tracker dogs have found our scent."

  "Do not worry. I hope the others escaped. Charles, is the Misty Bog dry this season?" Darrin asked.

  "No sire, the bog is wet," Charles said.

  Darrin said, "We might have a chance."

  They rode through the night. Their horses’ mouth was covered with foam. Sweat lathered their coats. Charles could hear the sounds of pursuit. The darkness of the night was being replaced by the morning sun. The tall mountains of the Plathos Teeth came prominent on their far right.

  Darrin said, "Charles can you rig a small trap? We need more time."

  He said, "Yes, I need a small piece of your clothing."

  Charles took Darrin’s shirt and found a small gully filled with water a few yards away.

  "Darrin can you and Barleth place some dry leaves and twigs over the shallow pool," Charles said.

  They dismounted the horses and started throwing leaves, twigs and debris into the ravine. Charles doubled back, started to rub Darrin’s spare shirt all over the ground, and made a small trail leading to this shallow pool.

  Charles said, "This could slow them a little."

  He continued rubbing Darrin’s clothing over some leaves and spread them over the pond.

  "Do you still want this shirt?" he asked.

  "No," Darrin said.

  Charles threw the shirt down.

  They mounted their steeds and galloped away. The morning sun sent the remaining patches of the night away. The ground became sponge-like. They heard from behind them the sound of a large splash with men shouting and dogs howling. He laughed. They arrived at the swamp. The Misty Bog was a vast lowland filled with mud and peat grass. They dismounted. The horses could not travel across because they would break their legs.

  Darrin said, "Let me lead the way. I use to play in this bog when I was a child."

  They took their weapons. Darrin found a large broken tree limb.

  "Walk slowly and follow where I step," Darrin said.

  Barleth said, "They are getting closer."

  "Don’t fret. Just follow me," Darrin said.

  They took of the saddles off their horses. Then they slapped them on the rear and the horses took off. Darrin went toward the edge of the swamp and lightly stepped on the surface. Charles followed closely. Barleth slipped. Charles grabbed him. Darrin picked his way through the slick surface. Charles glanced back and saw the Royal soldiers exiting the forest. The soldiers yelled at them to come back.

  Darrin said, "Hurry, we are still in bow range."

  A volley of arrows splashed next to them. Charles and Barleth both slipped in the mud. The ground rumbled underneath their feet. The arrows stopped. The Royal Soldiers were perplexed as they were. Darrin unsheathed his sword.

  Darrin said, "Charles take Barleth to safety. We are almost out of the bog. Do not look back, just cross over to the grasslands ahead."

  He said, "Darrin, I will stay with you."

  "You do not know what you are facing. I will be right behind. Now go!" Darrin said.

  A large patch of dirt grew higher as if something moved underneath. Charles was frightened. He rushed forward sliding and slipping. He heard Barleth behind him. Their legs were aching with exhaustion. He collapsed when he departed the swamp. A giant scaled worm burst in front of Darrin. He seemed small compared to the beast. The worm emitted a loud piercing scream. Charles saw the Royal soldiers flee into the forest for protection. He took out his weapon and was about to jumped back into the marsh.

  Barleth restrained him and said, "Do not go after him. He knows what he is doing."

  The giant worm rose up. The monster leaped at him. Darrin moved so fast that he was just a blur and flew away from the beast before it touched him. The monster crashed into the bog thundering clots of mud, debris and water out toward him. Charles jumped away. Barleth also took cover. The ground shook. Charles could not believe Darrin was still standing.

  "Get out!" Charles said to Darrin.

  Darrin turned toward him and smiled. The giant worm broke through the surface of the mud. The behemoth rose higher than the tallest trees. It screamed a hideous roar and flew toward Darrin. He anticipated this move and slid underneath the worm. Darrin held his sword aloft pointing upwards. His body seemed to swell for a moment, and he bent down, jumped toward the worm’s scaled body, and pierced the beast. Darrin fell to the ground and jumped again at the worm, striking it in multiple areas. The worm shuddered and fell into the swamp. Charles was astonished. He has never seen anything like that before. Darrin stood before him.

  Darrin said, "Charles, we had better leave before the Royal Soldiers decide to venture across."

  They got up and followed their leader into the forest.

  •••

  Darrin sat in a hidden cave. Barleth and Charles sat with a cache of supplies and weapons. Small torches were lit on wall sconces. Darrin kicked a small barrel.

  He said, "I knew there was a traitor in my camp, but I didn’t expect it would be Eamos. He knew all my secrets. I am surprised this place is not packed with royal soldiers."

  Charles said, "Eamos might not have told them everything. He was too busy counting his money. He sure fooled us all."

  Darrin sighed and said, "We should be leaving soon."

  Barleth said, "Wait, I hear somebody approaching."

  Darrin and comrades took out their weapons.

  "Brothers, it is Brennan," he said.

  "Come in," Darrin said.

  A man appeared in the entrance holding his hands in front of him.

  "How do we know you are not in league with the treacherous Eamos," Darrin said.

  "Darrin you know me, if I was in league with the Royals, the soldiers would be storming this cave right now," Brennan said.

  "Come into the light and let us see you," Darrin said.

  Brennan stumbled into the glow of the torches. His tunic and clothes were stained with blood. He fell and Charles grabbed him.

  Darrin rushed to him and said, "What happened?"

  Brennan said, "The soldiers caught up to us and slaughtered my friends. I escaped."

  Brennan was breathing heavily and his face was pale. Darrin inspected his wounds and knew Brennan was dying. He needed to make a decision. Brennan would slow down their escape.

  "Charles," Darrin said, "Make a stretcher, and we will take turns carrying Brennan."

  "But," Charles said.

  "Do it," Darrin said, "Barleth and I will take the first shift to carry Brennan. I have
a feeling the Royal soldiers will be coming here soon."

  They placed Brennan on the stretcher and bound him with ropes. Darrin decided to head due south into the wilderness. He knew some merchants at the port at Hudric would help them. Barleth arms got tired. Charles took over. The travel was slow but Darrin did not want to leave anybody behind for the soldiers to torture. They rested underneath a tall oak tree. Darrin checked on Brennan. He was dead.

  Barleth said, "We should leave him."

  Darrin said, "No, we will bury him."

  He took the large branches from the stretcher and started to dig in the soft ground. Charles and Barleth followed. Darrin’s branch broke and he started digging with his hands. They finished after midnight.

  CHAPTER 14

  Cyrus and Meza walked toward the capital in silence. Cyrus couldn't understand everything the witch had said. All he could remember was his father was a despot and a mass murderer. Meza was acting odd since their ordeal with the witch. Cyrus could feel the fear radiating from Meza. Somehow, he could sense this. Cyrus felt powerful. He should not dread his magic but embrace it. It was a gift. There was only one guard stationed at the front entrance to the capital. The guard waved them through.

  "Tonight is your Royal summons," Meza said.

  "I almost forgot," Cyrus said.

  "My contacts say it is a ball commemorating the engagement of Narah and the Prince of Fantaur," Darrin said.

  He didn't care. Cyrus needed to prepare for tonight. He thought receiving a Royal summons from the emperor was a privilege and honor. A large cage containing a group of men and women in chains passed by him dispersing his thoughts. It thundered through the road. The prisoners were dishevel and poverty-stricken. A little lad on the street screamed for his mother. An older man held the boy and hugged him. The lad escaped from the old man’s grasp and ran toward the cage.

  A woman in the cage said, "Jonah, I will be back for you. Please stay with your grandfather."

  Cyrus felt his magic start to sprout forth from within him. He wanted to blast these soldiers.

  Meza said, "Stop. You will do no good here. You might kill the little boy."

  Cyrus noted the men guarding the cage. They had snake insignias on their tunics. The grandfather snatched the boy.

  "Who are those men?" Cyrus asked.

  "They are group of elite magistrates. Those people in the cage are being taken up north to the prison mines," Meza said.

  "What did those people do to deserve that?" Cyrus said.

  "They arrest people who do not pay their taxes or conspire against the crown."

  Cyrus was shocked. King David never would do this.

  "This is wrong," he said.

  "Be quiet," Meza hissed.

  Cyrus muscles tensed. Meza grabbed his arm and pushed him away. They went back into the lodgings. The proprietor of the inn gave them a message from Jacob. It read, "Watch out. Somebody is watching you." Cyrus wondered who was watching them and why? They walked up the stairs and saw their room’s door was ajar. Meza went ahead and motioned for Cyrus to wait in the corridor. Meza peered inside and disappeared into the room.

  Meza came back and said, "It’s clear."

  Everything was in disarray. The chairs and beds were overturned. Their belongings were scattered all over the room.

  Meza said, "Somebody was looking for something."

  "The Rathraka?" he said

  "Maybe or they wanted some money," Meza said, "I’ll talk to the proprietor and see if he saw anybody come out of our room."

  Cyrus said, "I will clean up this mess."

  Meza was gone for a long time. Cyrus placed Meza’s belongings on his bed. He was almost finished when he saw a small patch. It was a snake insignia. Cyrus heart sank.

  "So," Meza said while walking into the room, "the proprietor didn’t see anybody suspicious lurking about."

  Cyrus thrust the patch into Meza’s pile of clothes. Meza came inside.

  He said, "Thanks for cleaning up. You better get ready for your Royal summons tonight."

  He told Meza that he had to procure some new clothes for the ball. Cyrus quickly walked out the door. He was breathing fast. He needed to calm down. His world was changing. Everybody was a spy. Even though his magic made him feel powerful, he also was scared. He heard something. He could not understand any of the words. He observed nobody close to him. Was he going crazy? His hands involuntarily touched the Rathraka.

  The city spread out before him; people walked around oblivious to his own musings. He moved along the streets of the merchant district until he found a dress shop. The tailor took his measurements. Cyrus stood with his arms straight out to his side. He heard the voice again. It was a multiple of voices.

  "Did you hear something?" Cyrus said.

  The tailor viewed him as if he was insane.

  The tailor said, "Your clothes will be ready in a few hours."

  Stepping outside he traversed the streets staring at the stores and their merchandise. His hairs on his back stood up. Somebody was watching him. He glanced to his left. He saw a figure. He was dressed in a long black robe. His cowl was pulled over his face. He remembered this black-robed stranger watching him at the Last Inn. The cowl figure seemed to be staring through him. An odd feeling spread to his head. He touched his temples. He had to hold onto a wall for support. Cyrus looked again at the black-robed stranger. He was gone. He raced to the streets trying to find this stranger. He gave up and went back to his room.

  Walking back, he was confused and strayed into the scholar district. He saw his old school, the Collegiate University. He observed that the tall buildings were shrouded with yellow fog. He missed this school. He had many good and bad memories here. Cyrus sensed somebody was staring at him again. He saw students rushing out of the buildings going toward their dorms. Cyrus turned a corner and ducked underneath a canopy of small bushes. He waited in the shadows. The sound of birds chirping and the rustle of leaves was all he heard. He was about to step out of his hiding place when he heard some quick footsteps. Two people came into view. Both were dressed in black robes with their cowls shielding their face. Cyrus saw an insignia of the snake on their clothing. They talked to each other and pointed at the library.

  After a few minutes, the men disappeared. He got out of his hiding place and walked back to the tailor. His clothes were ready when he entered the shop.

  The tailor said, "There were two men looking for you."

  Cyrus nodded and grabbed his clothes. He did not want to go back to his room at the tavern. Meza was probably waiting for him. He was a teacher, nothing more. He did not care what the witch said. He would always be a humble instructor. He barely knew Meza when he was a kid. They had some serious fistfights because of the princess. He went up the stairs to his room and entered. Meza was not inside.

  CHAPTER 15

  Night has fallen in the capital. Cyrus was dressed in his royal blue robe and tunic. His clothes were nicely spun, and many people stared at him while he walked the streets. When he was a kid, he always tolerated the stares from everybody around him. He was friends with the King and royalty, but he was also a child of a modest but poor stepparents. Even though King David gave him lavish gifts, it could not change the fact he was poor. He felt inadequate receiving these gifts. He was always teased at school because of his friendship with the princess. Cyrus was known as the princess’ playmate. When he was summoned to the castle, he always wore his best clothes. He was sometimes chased by the neighborhood kids until he reached the castle’s gates. He felt this way again, even though he was older and more knowledgeable. He endured the cold stares and walked toward the castle.

  The rich merchants and the aristocratic class rode in beautiful gilded and lavishly adorned carriages. Their coachmen were dressed in livery with a host of servants trailing the carriage. Cyrus followed the string of coaches up to the path. He noted the newly-finished Rowan Castle. The edifice dwarfed the old castle. He felt as if the cold hand of death passed before him
.

  "You there, keep walking," a soldier said.

  Cyrus moved from the streets and found a pathway that went up to the front entrance. There was something odd about the new castle. Cyrus wanted to use his Wizard’s sight but was too nervous to bring the magic forth. He did not want to make a fool of himself in front of the princess and the aristocrats.

  Cyrus reached the door to the grand ballroom. The pathway showed the intricate scrollwork on the castle. Large bushes and jasmine flowers scented the air. He looked up ahead waiting for his turn to enter. Large glowing spheres were placed all over. He had never seen this extravagant a display before. He heard the voices again. The voices buzzed in his head. It was getting louder. Cyrus swayed and almost fell down. The voices stopped. He hoped nobody noticed. The line of people was impressive with women and men dressed in all their finery. Each person was announced as he or she entered the ballroom. The aristocrats stood in line chatting in their stuffy voices talking about trivial things about their wealth and mansions.

  "Cyrus?" a voice said.

  He turned and notice the aristocrats all bowing. The princess came up to him. Cyrus also bowed.

  "Princess," Cyrus said.

  "Please escort me to the ballroom."

  "Yes," Cyrus said.

  Cyrus heard a few snickers from the people in line. Cyrus held her hand, and they sauntered through to the beginning of the line. The royal announcer asked for his name. He struck his staff twice and announced Cyrus and the princess. Everybody turned toward them. Cyrus face turned beet red. The emperor was seated on a high dais with his commanders. A weathered man sat next to the emperor and his eyes bored through his.

  Cyrus said, "Princess, some people might think I am your escort for tonight."

  "Do not fret, Cyrus. My fiancé is not here. He will arrive a few days henceforth. I do not care what the aristocrats think."

  "Have you told the emperor about the murders?" Cyrus said.

  The Princess looked wary and said, "He denies it."

  "How can he deny it? I saw a murder yesterday."