by C. K. Rieke
Finally, hours later, with Zaan’s breath short and his muscles all but useless, they saw the blue lights in the distance.
“There it is. Do you see it? Do you see the blue flames? That’s Barrier Cliff. We are almost there,” Astor said, with great relief in his words.
They picked up their pace and turned up onto the rocks that led the way up to the high towers of Barrier Cliff. Zaan looked up in amazement at the place. It was built onto a tall, singular rock structure that overlooked all of the surrounding area, including the Rion Sea. It had three similar-looking towers that stood above the town, and each had a massive light on top of it. Zaan was sure no other place could look like this one. Black stone walls surrounded the town, and everything seemed to be built vertically; there were stairs jutting in every direction. The most distinct feature of the city was that it seemed to be made out of what could best be described as black glass, Zaan thought.
As they dragged their friend up the steep stairs and approached the front gate, Astor yelled out. “Oi, we need help. We have an injured man here!”
“Who approaches? Yell out all your names,” came a voice from above the large black iron gate.
“Astor Delasius, Zaan Talabard, and Gogenanth of the Arr. Please, open up!” Astor yelled with anger and desperation.
A roar of iron rose as the gate slowly lifted up, and two women ran out and grabbed the stretcher. They walked off with Gogenanth, out of view. A man walked out slowly. He was not a tall figure, a full two heads shorter than Zaan, with a beard that fell below his belly. He wore golden armor and helmet. As he removed his helmet his bright blue eyes appeared beneath heavy brown eyebrows.
“Astor, what happened? Are you okay?” the bearded man asked.
“We are fine. Gogenanth, however . . .” Astor began but was cut short by a wave of the bearded man’s hand.
“He is already in the process of healing. Do not worry any more about him. Everything that can be done is being done,” the man said. “So, this is Zaan Talabard, you say?” The man looked up at Zaan and nudged him on the arm, nearly knocking Zaan over. “Hmm, not quite what I pictured. Skinnier . . . and shorter than I thought,” the man said at Zaan, speaking to Astor. Zaan was caught quite off guard by this comment.
“Zaan, meet Major Gylem Hearthstone. He is the general of Barrier Cliff,” Astor said. Then he sat on the cold stone to breathe a sigh of relief that his friend Gogenanth was finally safe. “Major, this is indeed Zaan, he was imprisoned at the hidden Black Cave, and even managed to escape on his own, the first to do so.”
“To escape such a dire place is remarkable,” Major Gylem stated. Zaan did not reply, as he was too busy drinking from a canteen given to him by a nearby guard. “Not to mention making it here with the Aterax coming as it did. Helluva thing to be caught out in with an injured man. Well, I’m sure you both are exhausted. Let us find you some beds after we have some medics look you over,” Major Gylem said as he motioned behind him for guards to come help them to their feet.
A sense of relief and calm fell over Zaan as he felt the guard’s hands help him up gently to take him to rest. In his fatigue, he remembered what is was like for him in the Black Cave, and remembered how far away that place was behind them, and that he was finally safe.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
VINES crept along tall oak arbors, and the sun glistened off of the clear ponds that lined the king’s Royal Garden in Auracity. Pathways lined with daffodils and petunias held a crisp, sweet aroma.
King Hollon walked heavily and was accompanied by two guards. His thick, black hair fell from the jeweled crown, and its gemstones flickered in the sunlight. They made their way down a long, paved stone path lined with bright, delicate golden flowers.
As they approached a carved marble birdbath at a rounded intersection, they met Erolos, the king’s captain, in full armor, wearing his signature red mane at his back. He held his helmet at his side, and his strong brow with blond eyebrows and sky blue eyes showed slight concern.
He fell to a knee, with his head lowered. “My king.”
“Arise, Erolos,” the king replied. “What news of the man from the Arr?”
“He is on the run, and we will find him, my king. I promise you, people from every corner of Essill will be looking for the man, Gogenanth.”
King Hollon breathed heavily through his nostrils, and his face reddened. Even a man of Erolos’s stature felt nervous in his presence, given his reputation for severity. He squinted his eyes and looked long into the eyes of his captain. “I was to make a public display of the felony of religion in my own city, and you robbed me of this. Not only did a man escape from within my own walls, but you also bartered away the only other one who could have been made an example. Do you know how this makes me look to my people? I cannot be shown to look weak. I will not be known as a weak king!”
“Your liege, I . . .” Erolos began, but trailed off as he caught the exotic scent of a perfume made from a rare flower from the north—a scent he recognized all too well.
“All who know the name King Hollon Livingston the Eighth know that he is not a weak king,” said Angela Dragus the Righteous as she rounded the corner hedge to the side.
She approached wearing a long, bright dress of blood red and heavenly oranges that floated in the slight breeze. Her silver hair caressed her face angelically, but the concern on her face made her appear much the opposite.
Angela Dragus began to circle around Erolos, looking up at him.
“What is this about?” Erolos asked.
“This is about you, and what you lost,” she replied.
“Erolos, you have been my captain for years, and you understand we have lost on two fronts now. Have you any idea where Zaan Talabard is?”
Erolos was slow to respond, but Angela Dragus did not hesitate. “Most likely he is heading to Barrier Cliff.”
“Barrier Cliff . . . Why would he go to such a barren city?” the king asked.
“There are things happening there. I can feel it. It is the one place my lord cannot see into, though,” she said.
“That city has become sparsely populated in the last few decades, but I assure you, Angela, there is nothing there of great concern,” the king said.
“How did this happen?” Angela asked the king, and then looked at Erolos. “This makes me furious.” Her eyes burned crimson. “How did you lose my prey?”
Erolos was speechless, yet entranced with her eyes.
“Not only did you not bring Zaan to me, you sold him to that slime Yemes, and then . . . he sold him to my own mine?” she said, walking toward him until her face was inches from his. “He should be in a dungeon waiting for death, not walking out in the sunlight freely. King Hollon, this has not only embarrassed me, but it has also exposed the best operation we had to find what you seek. What are you going to do about this?”
“Erolos, you have failed me twice, and gravely. You are to be taken into custody. I will deal with you later,” he said, and the guards approached Erolos, took him by his arms, and led him down the pathway, back into Fordenreign Castle.
“King Hollon, let me be in earnest with you. My lord wants these religious zealots captured, and if they are not taken to him, they must be eliminated. We followed and hunted down one with long, blond hair on the road south of your town, but before we got to her, she . . . gave something away. Something I desperately want for my lord. You failed me in finding this boy. This does not sit well with my powerful lord.”
“Angela, I will make up for this failure. I am a man of my word. What do you wish of me? I will do as I must, for what I seek, and to spare me the wrath of your lord.”
“There . . .” she began, a serpent-like smirk creeping along her face. “There is another, and I want this one. No failures this time. I want this one, unscathed, and unharmed. Do not fail me in this.”
The king, with his strong presence, knelt down to Angela. “I will not fail you in this. I give you my
word. Tell me where I can find this person, and what to look for.”
“You can find this person in your city now, as we speak, with her family. You must look for lovely golden curls. The person I seek, her name . . . is Lily.”
CHAPTER FORTY
HOURS after their strained conversation, Angela Dragus left the king’s castle and exited Auracity. She appeared alone, with the elegant curves of her face shining in the firelight and the paint on her face glowing like a blood moon on the cold sea. The sky was dark that night; nary a star in the sky.
“I appreciate you meeting me down here,” she said, looking into the flames, which darted in the reflection of her eyes. “I know you have made a long trek to meet with me.”
She paused. “You know whom I serve, correct?” After waiting for an answer and not receiving one from the darkness she said, “I’ll take that as a yes. You see, these people here, these captains, and kings, they do not see. They do not . . . They don’t know what the Olden Age held, and why to keep the peace, we have to hunt. We must hunt down the Azulūz and destroy it by any means necessary. These men and women who carry it, they know not what it is—they only use it like a toy. But they have the capability to destroy what we have built. Do they not see?
“They may be in the long-ruined city of Barrier Cliff. Interesting . . . as if they are gathering there. This would be my lord’s will, to find this information out, but that will be for later.”
Angela stared into the fire, and her eyes reflected the whips of the flames. “There will be a time when their blue flame is extinguished, and the world will silently praise and thank us for this work we must do.”
“That is why I requested your help. Your reputation is . . . significant, and I cannot trust these meek people of these cities. I need to be sure that my lord’s will is done and that my work is complete.
“You,” she said, and looked up at the leaves of the tall trees rustling in the wind. “You . . . are strong. And together, we will find these people, and we will bring them to an end.”
A strong gust of wind blew through the camp, and a voice bellowed from the empty area around Angela. “I . . . I will eat them . . .” The voice sounded like fire and ash meeting broken stone. “I . . . will eat them all.”
Angela smiled. “Yes, you will get your meals. You will consume them until your belly is full to the brim. Yet remember: I want these two alive, and taken to my lord. He wants them both. Armoz the Devil King wants Zaan and Lily for himself.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
THE next morning, Zaan awoke to a hand gently nudging his shoulder. “Hey, wake up.” The sunlight flowing into the room showed the smile of a familiar face. Zaan opened his eyes to see Gar standing to his side.
Zaan’s eyes widened. “Gar!” He reached out and gave his friend a strong hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been here a week or so. It took you long enough,” Gar said, smiling wildly. “Actually, Gildur sent Tilda and me up here after the prison break with Astor. Then we’d heard you’d arrived here with him.”
“Tilda? Tilda is here?” Zaan asked.
“Yes, I’m here,” she said. Zaan hadn’t noticed that she was sitting on the other side of the room. She stood up and walked toward him. He struggled to maintain his composure as she came in and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips felt soft on his face, and it was the most meaningful human contact he’d had in what felt like years.
“You have garnered quite the reputation since you have been away, Zaan,” she said to him, as she sat by his side on the bed.
“Yeah, you’re like a legend now, saving all of those people!” Gar said.
“Gogenanth . . .” Zaan said with wide eyes, suddenly remembering his injured friend. “Is Gogenanth okay?”
“He’s okay. He’s still healing. Astor told us about what you had been through.” Tilda gave a brief giggle. “Gogenanth’s already received a few new nicknames around here; Lightning Bearer and Wolf Slayer are two of my favorites,” she said with a smile. “We are so glad you are okay. You are okay? Aren’t you, Zaan?”
“I . . . I honestly don’t know.” Zaan looked out the window. “My life has changed so much since I left Fur-lol, I don’t know if I can go back to being . . . normal, ever again after all of this.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go into that cave, Zaan. I can’t imagine what you went through,” Gar said, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Zaan’s eyes stayed dry.
“It was bad, and I don’t know how to really explain it. I guess I just really felt close to death the whole time. It’s hard to describe that. I haven’t had the time to process it; it doesn’t feel real,” Zaan said, looking into Gar’s eyes.
“Well, you are safe now, and you have no idea how happy we are to see you, and how worried we were,” Tilda said. Zaan looked over at her.
“Actually, I can imagine, seeing you two right now, it is really amazing.”
“Well, we should leave you to get dressed, but let’s get some breakfast,” Gar said, wiping his wet eyes. “They want a meeting with all of us after this.”
They ate a meal of duck eggs with golden, silky yolks, and pan-fried bread with honey. Sipping on warm, black tea, they recalled their memories from Auracity and talked about their journeys to Barrier Cliff. Zaan’s was a much more interesting story.
After breakfast they walked together to the first tower by the entrance to Barrier Cliff. The city was indeed composed of stairs in all directions, of many different sizes. It made Zaan feel like he had traveled back in time to some medieval castle—which to some extent, he had.
Two rows of people stood on either side of the hall as the friends entered the main chamber of the tower, and at the end stood three more people. Zaan recognized Astor, another looked familiar, but he did not know the man standing in the center.
“Approach, Zaan Talabard,” one of the figures exclaimed.
Zaan looked at Tilda and Gar, but Tilda motioned with her head for him to proceed alone. So he walked hesitantly to the center of the room.
The figure in the middle spoke. “My name is Mäezer Palanzal. I am the headmaster of Barrier Cliff. To my left here is Elindrill Delasius, and as you well know to my right is Astor Delasius.” Astor winked at Zaan as Palanzal introduced them.
Mäezer Palanzal was an old, slender man, with sea-colored silk robes hanging over his bony shoulders. He carried a tall ebony staff, had on small spectacles, and had straight, long gray hair.
“As headmaster of Barrier Cliff, I would like to welcome you, and you have had quite the journey, as we understand it. I want to assure you that you are quite safe from harm’s way here.” Zaan slipped his hand into his pocket and slid his fingers around the red stone, considering showing it to the headmaster of Barrier Cliff, but decided he should wait until a better time. Instead he looked around the room at the blue torches hung along the walls and the golden sunlight creeping through the windows.
“You possess the spirit of the Azulūz, Zaan Talabard. Here, you will learn to understand and control its powers. Yet as a possessor of the Azulūz, it is not guaranteed that it must be used for purposes positive for life. Here, before your peers and friends, you must vow to use it only for the protection and well-being of life. That is to say, for good only,” Palanzal said.
“Yes, of course, I will.”
“Then repeat after me,” Palanzal started. “I, Zaan Talabard, vow to wield the righteous Azulūz of the great god Ojiin for good.”
“I, Zaan Talabard, vow to wield the righteous Azulūz of the great god Ojiin for good,” Zaan repeated.
“I, Zaan, vow to uphold the most honored traditions of the Order of the Azulūz, and to not let in the dark light of the evil darkness below,” Palanzal said. Zaan repeated this vow.
“Finally, I, Zaan, vow to become a member of the Order of the Azulūz, and will not only protect the order, but will wield the Azulūz for the greater good of awakening the great gods to protect
us from the evil below,” Palanzal said, and Zaan repeated.
“Halen Ojiin, welcome to the Order of the Azulūz, Zaan Talabard. You are henceforth known within the circle of blue torches as Zaan Talabard, the Crusader,” Palanzal stated.
“Halen Ojiin!” exalted the crowd in the room, and great thunderous applause sounded.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
AFTER the initiation ceremony, Zaan was greeted by a crowd and introduced to more new people than he could remember. The main tower of Barrier Cliff housed a very eclectic group of people of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones. It seemed to Zaan like Barrier Cliff was a gathering place. It was unlike Fur-lol in that people were born there, and died there. Barrier Cliff felt like a meeting hub for humanity.
After the constant shaking of hands and occasional hugs, people began to fizzle out the door. Palanzal and Astor’s aunt Elindrill had left out of the rear exit, and Astor stood waiting where he’d been during the ceremony. Zaan, Gar, and Tilda went over to give Astor warm embraces and smiles.
“We made it,” Zaan said to Astor.
“That we did, my young Crusader,” Astor replied with a warm grin.
“Crusader. Why did they name you that?” Gar asked, looking at Zaan.
“All members initiated to the circle this lunar year will be Crusaders,” Astor told the boys. A slight look of curiosity crossed Zaan’s face. “And you may be the only one.”
“Zaan Talabard the Crusader. That does have a nice ring to it, don’t you think, Zaan?” Tilda asked him.
“Sure. I don’t feel like a Crusader, or any different than I did yesterday. Well, I guess I’m not running from wolves who wanted to eat us anymore. My parents are not going to believe any of this when I tell them some of this stuff.”
