by Jon Bender
“They are not what they once were. Their own war has reduced their numbers and much of the history was lost to them. Until this mage discovered the book, they had forgotten that the pact had ever existed. None remembers the terms,” Trell said.
“It’s true that we have nothing to fear from the oath-breakers for the moment. It will be many generations before they become what they once were,” Rynd said. His perfectly cut features betrayed no emotion. “And we are not here to discuss Sarinsha breaking the pact or what may happen in the future. She only did so to protect her city as any of us would have, but we must discuss how her actions affect those here. I do not believe any of us wish to return to how it was during the great struggle.” He looked to each of them in turn. They all nodded their agreement. “I suggest that we form a new pact here that none of us shall enter the world of men again.”
“Why would we do such a thing? Isn’t it enough that we simply agree not to fight with one another?” Trell asked. “And what of the oath-breakers? They will not be similarly bound to not enter our plane.”
“What if in another hundred years, when the world has changed, one amongst us decides that such an agreement is no longer relevant?” Sarinsha retorted, knowing that Trell was most likely to be that one.
“As for the mages, they no longer possess the knowledge to create the portal. They will have no need to search it out if we do not make them our enemy,” Rynd added
Elshara turned her glare on Trell. “Though I do not agree with Sarinsha and Rynd regarding the threat the oath-breakers pose; they are right about giving more than our word to never enter the mortal world. We had such an agreement before the great struggle, and you still supported Yuratras when he first marched to claim my worshipers.”
“I had no part in that. I only retaliated when you sought vengeance on me for an action I did not commit!” Trell shouted, adding power to his voice that shook the air.
“None here are impressed by your counterfeit indignation, brother,” Elshara said, waving her hand dismissively.
Trell began to stand but was interrupted by Rynd’s shout. “Enough! We all still hold grudges for what happened during the struggle, and Yuratras paid with his very existence when we last traveled that road. We must form this pact or return to destroying one another.”
Rynd looked to each of the immortals, including Ditia and Lorem, who had remained silent through the exchange. When all had nodded their acceptance, Rynd closed his eyes. From his chest a flow of energy moved to the center of their circle. One by one, the others followed suit, adding their own power and binding themselves to agreement. Once Sarinsha added hers, a ball of green light formed where the energy met. The light pulsed once before moving back along to each of the immortals and binding them. It would take another such unanimous agreement to break it.
“We are now bound once more, but what of our lesser brethren?” Trell asked. “They will not all agree to this.”
“They shall know that it is forbidden to enter the world. We cannot stop them if they choose to do so, but should they be forced back, we here shall restrain them in isolation for a generation of the mortals,” Rynd replied.
“What if they decide, as one, they do not wish to abide by the rule we set. Our siblings lack our strength, but together they could be formidable,” Elshara said.
“They would not dare to confront us,” Trell said with contempt. “Even together, they could not match our combined might. In any case, our brothers and sisters are fickle. They could not maintain such unity for long without trying to gain advantage over each other.”
When none argued the point further, Rynd continued. “Let us move on to the matter that brought us here. Sarinsha, your favorite priest is still close to this death mage that is hunting Or’Keer?”
“Yes, even now they journey to remove his presence from Kelran. Thus far, this Jaxom has been effective in handling our unknown brother’s followers,” she said.
“Has no one here been able to find Or’Keer?” her brother Lorem asked.
“We have found no sign of him. He must be among the mortals,” Trell said.
“But not out of our reach,” Ditia said. Her shoulder-length raven black hair moved like flowing water. “Thus far, with the exception of Sarinsha and her favorite pet, we have commanded our priests not to interfere. As Trell has said, the oath-breakers numbers are not what they once were, and they may not have the power to stop Or’Keer. Every day, I lose more prayers to this upstart. Perhaps it is time that we commit our worshipers to thwarting Or’Keer’s growing influence.”
“We just agreed that we would not enter the mortal world. Now you wish to have our followers begin hunting those who pray to Or’Keer?” Lorem said.
“Or’Keer is a rogue immortal. He threatens us all. He hides and converts our followers to serve him, leaving us no choice but to act,” Sarinsha said.
“Very well, Dradon and Azuria are prepared to enter into an alliance with Ale’adaria for that purpose. If we agree to commit our followers to act against Or’Keer, and only Or’Keer, I will inform my priests that I support this war,” Trell said.
“As will I,” Rnyd said, adding his support.
Both Elshara and Ditia gave their ascent as well, but Lorem sat quietly in thought before speaking again. “Are we to remove Or’Keer from existence?”
The other immortals grew silent. Even Sarinsha, who had opposed Or’Keer from the time he attempted to capture Ale’adar, paused. Or’Keer was the first of their kind to be born since the great struggle. Immortals were not like the humans. They could not replenish their numbers quickly.
“We leave it to the mortals,” Sarinsha finally said. “We will aid them in their struggle against those who follow Or’Keer, but we will not help them kill him. If Or’Keer chooses to do battle with the oath-breakers, so be it. Either they will again learn how to destroy an immortal, or he will be beaten and returned to this plane, where we will bind him.”
“They are quickly relearning what was lost to them. If the death mages should try to remove him, will we intervene?” Lorem asked.
“No. Or’Keer will have brought his destruction on himself. I will not return to battling the oath-breakers on his behalf,” Rynd said.
“Very well. I too will command my followers to war against Or’Keer,” Lorem said, standing. “If there is nothing else, I will leave you to speak to my worshipers.”
When none spoke, they all stood to leave, each fading into the emptiness around them. Sarinsha sat a while longer, listening to the prayers of mortals. They were always there, each one adding to her power with their faith. Her priests often exerted her will to help those who worshipped her, and it was always good to answer a few directly. Focusing her will, she heard a woman calling out her name. The woman had prayed, giving thanks to her many times and asking nothing except that Sarinsha watch over her family. Now, her youngest son had fallen from a tree and broke his arm. The boy now lay in bed with a fever. Sarinsha could not directly heal the boy, but she reached out to one of her servants who was nearby. Touching the priest’s mind, she conveyed the woman’s cry for help. He responded with prayer that he understood and was grateful she had chosen him to perform her will. Another prayer sounded loudly in her mind, drawing her attention to a man in a tavern. He prayed that his next roll of the dice would be favorable. He feared that those he played against would harm him otherwise. She ignored his request. He rarely prayed to her except when in need, and often cursed her name when she did not answer. All across the world, she listened to, answered, or ignored the prayers of people faster than a mortal mind could comprehend. A woman asking for her baby to be born healthy, a child thanking her for saving her mother, a man asking for wealth, the soldier thanking her for keeping him alive through a battle.
One voiced reached her, drowning out all others. “My Lady, I have a question. I beg an answer if you find me worthy,” Da’san prayed.
Sarinsha reached out to his mind, feeling the usual devotion, but t
here was something else there now. She had never expected to feel doubt from him. He had come to her after his parents had died from a disease that had swept through his small village. The priest had never wanted anything more than to serve one who would let him help others. He never again wanted to be helpless while others died around him. But something had changed.
“I hear you, Da’san,” she said, her voice echoing in his mind. “You have discovered the consequences of your actions in Ale’adar.”
“Yes, My Lady, we now understand the cost. Neither I nor Jaxom regret what happened.”
“I am pleased to know that the oath-breaker does not harbor ill feelings about the breaking of the pact. We do not wish to quarrel with the mages as we once did. What is it you wish to know now?”
“I request your knowledge about the gods’ intentions now that the pact is broken. Already, Terika has been attacked by Estrom. Do the gods intend to further their influence in the world?”.
“The most powerful of us will not enter the world again, and we will not tolerate any of the lesser gods doing so.”
“Thank you for telling me, My Lady. It will alleviate many fears knowing that we have only Or’Keer to contend with.”
“I did not say that others of my brethren would not attempt what Estrom did. Only that we would not tolerate such action. If they enter your world, we will have no power to stop them. It will be up to the oath-breakers to defeat and send them back to us for punishment.”
“We will do what we must,” Da’san said resolutely.
“We have also decided to aid in the fight against Or’Keer. The priests of the six will join the armies in battle against the dark god.”
“Thank you, My Lady. That will aid us greatly in our efforts.”
With nothing more to discuss, she ended the exchange. As she returned to the thousands of other prayers, she was curious and excited to know how this new struggle would turn out. As much as she loved the beauty and power of the immortal plane, it offered little to occupy a being such as her. The mortal world, on the other hand, was an endless source of diversion from the unending flow of time.
Chapter 16
Jaxom looked about the snow-covered forest for any sign of the rebels. The land had become steep and rocky as they moved deeper into the forest. Saerus said they should be getting close to the rebel camp. For his own protection, Saerus had not been told the exact location of the camp. All he knew was that if he ever needed to find it, he should travel through a general area where the rebels would find him. Jaxom, Saerus, and Adriana had left the rest of their small force behind, so they would not be taken for a threat. He and Adriana rode horses instead of durgen for the same reason.
“We have been wandering out here for hours. Are you sure we are in the right place?” Adriana asked annoyed.
“This should be the area. The land is how they described it to me,” Saerus said, but Jaxom could tell he was no longer sure himself.
“We will keep going until dark. If we don’t find anyone by then, we turn back,” Jaxom said.
“Do you think this Enrick is close by?” Adriana asked him quietly, after Saerus moved ahead a short distance.
“I hope so. We have no other clues. Even the man he reported to did not know more. Enrick has done a good job of making sure that if any of his men were captured, King Dillion and the dark priests would not be able to find the others,” Jaxom said in admiration. Enrick had created an intricate network that still allowed him to track and strike at his enemies.
Adriana nodded and rode quietly for a moment. “Half a year ago, I never imagined that I would be here doing this,” she said.
“Do you have regrets?” he asked.
“Of course not. I love you,” she said. “And no matter what has happened, I would rather be here fighting than living in Chams’dell waiting for the war to come to me,” she said.
“I have been thinking about our future,” Jaxom said, summoning his courage.
“What about it?” she asked with a coy smile.
She was not going to make this easy for him. “After we finish with this, will you marry me?” he asked in a rush. He was fairly sure of her answer, but he still held a small fear that she would refuse. She was an independent woman and seemed happy with their current relationship.
“You want to marry after we find Enrick? To be honest, I thought we would have a longer engagement, or even some time to think about it,” she said, balking.
“I don’t mean right after this,” Jaxom said quickly. “I meant after we free Kelran and maybe not even right away then. I am not trying to rush…” he trailed off when he saw her look of shock slowly turn into a grin. “That’s not funny,” he said.
“Yes, it is. You should have seen the look you gave me when you thought I might say no,” she said.
“Are you saying no?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
Jaxom shook his head, surrendering to her little game. “Will you marry me?”
She leaned over and kissed him. “Yes.”
“Good. After we are done here, we can talk about the ceremony,” he said smiling.
She gave him a light shove before sitting back in her saddle. Up ahead, Saerus had stopped moving and was gazing up at a group of boulders. Joining him, they followed his gaze to find four men wearing plain clothes and brown hooded capes. They held drawn bows pointed in the small group’s direction.
“Who are you?” one of the men demanded.
“The shadow shall lose its hold,” Saerus said.
The archers lowered their bows at the words. “What’cha doing here?” the same man said.
“I have brought some people from Ale’adaria who are here to help. They want to meet with Enrick,” Saerus said.
“Ale’adaria has sent their army?” another man said, hopefully.
“Not an army, but I think they can help us,” Saerus said.
The four men came down from the boulders, two taking a place behind Jaxom and Adriana. “Follow us. We’ll take you to the camp,” the first man said.
The trip through the forest took another hour. The men leading them down into a small canyon at the end of which was a cave large enough for a mounted man to ride into if he ducked low. At the top of the canyon, Jaxom thought he saw something move but could not be sure. One of the men behind them noticed it as well and was staring intently up at rocky ledge. After a few moments, he returned his eyes forward. They left their horses just inside the vast cavern, walking the rest of the way in the gloom with only the light from outside to guide them. Turning a bend, they entered a tunnel illuminated by torches. Continuing forward, they passed other tunnels from which Jaxom could hear voices echoing off the walls.
They entered a large chamber. The walls were covered with racks and shelves of weapons and armor. Scattered around the room were crates filled with what appeared to be grain and dried vegetables. At the back of the cavern, three men sat around a table, looking down at a map and speaking quietly to each other. The man closest to the back wall of the cavern looked up at seeing them enter. He was a little older than Jaxom, with blond hair and hazel eyes that seemed almost orange in the torchlight. The man was pretty, very pretty. He had the type of face that made women swoon. Looking at Adriana, Jaxom’s fears were confirmed. She wore a small smile that she normally reserved for him. When she saw him watching her, the smile was replaced by a look of embarrassment. Clearing her throat, she lifted her chin slightly to take on a more dignified appearance.
“Who have you brought, Gant?” the man behind the table asked.
“This one knew the passwords,” Gant said, indicating Saerus. “He is one of ours, but these two aren’t from around here.”
The seated man looked at Saerus expectantly.
“My name is Saerus, My Lord. I am the scout from the town of Os’an, and these two are a part of the force from Ale’adaria sent to help us. This man is Lord Jaxom, the brother of King Corin, and this is Lady Adriana.”
“I
have heard of you. You are the lord of Terika,” the man said.
“And we have heard of the Bandit Lord. My brother sent me here to aid you in your struggle to remove Or’Keer from Kelran,” Jaxom said.
“Please call me Enrick.”
“Only if you call me Jaxom.”
“Very well. This is good news. We have been struggling to free our kingdom for a year now, and we are losing ground. Fresh, trained men will help us turn the tide against our enemies,” Enrick said.
Adriana and Jaxom glanced at each other. Enrick was not going to like what he was about to hear. “We only brought one hundred men to help you plan, train, and organize. King Corin was not ready to commit a large force during the winter,” Jaxom said.
“It will take too long to train my men. They are spread across the kingdom, and we already have a plan. What we need is men to accomplish that plan. If that is all you brought, I am afraid you have wasted the journey,” Enrick said.
“My Lord,” Saerus said. “Lord Jaxom has brought three other mages, two like himself and an ice mage. They also have creatures that can fly and attack from the air.”
Enrick looked at Jaxom, who nodded his head in confirmation. “That could help us to balance the fight against the dark priests, but even four mages and these creatures would not be enough to help us win,” Enrick said.
“You said you had a plan,” Jaxom said. “Tell me about it. Perhaps we can think of a way to accomplish your goals using both our forces.”
“King Dillion has a son named Tandis. If we can find a way to kill Dillion, Tandis will inherit his father’s throne,” Enrick said.
“What makes you think that Tandis does not follow his father in serving Or’Keer?” Adriana asked.
“Tandis has not been seen outside the palace in over a year. The people I have placed there say he is a prisoner. Before the dark priests arrived, he and his father could be heard arguing. I think he disagreed with his father’s plans,” Enrick said.
“What of Dillion? Can you reach him?” Jaxom asked.
