The Road to Light (The Path of Zaan Book 1)

by C. K. Rieke

  “Watch out!” Tilda yelled out to her friends. Astor and Wollen looked up in amazement. “Move!” she yelled again, startling them enough to jump away from the ogre. Tilda looked over at Zaan, who was now floating six feet in the air, glowing blue and gold.

  “Herel! This is for my friends!” A silence filled the air, and the giant tree began descending down with full force toward Reizenthrōgz, who was directly beneath it. It was easily five times heavier than him. The Great Northern Ogre attempted to move out of the way, but the tree came crashing down onto his side and stomach. A roar of pain exploded out of him as the air left his giant lungs.

  Zaan fell back to the ground in exhaustion. Gar stared in disbelief at what Zaan had just done. Tilda ran over to him. “Zaan, are you okay? Zaan?”

  Reizenthrōgz struggled to get the tree off of him, but his two smaller arms were broken under it, and his two upper arms shook as they tried to move it. He let out an exhausted breath as a figure climbed up the tree on top of him, crushing him even more. Above him, on the tree, stood a large figure, blocking out the bright white sky with the falling snow. It was Gogenanth, now holding Reizenthrōgz’s axe. He took the large axe up above his head, with all his might.

  “No . . .” Reizenthrōgz said as Gogenanth slammed the axe squarely in his face, cleaving his head in two.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  GILDUR and Zelestiana approached the spot where Angela Dragus the Righteous and Lily had fallen off their horse. Before them now was a burnt, black rock formation thirty feet high and twice as wide. Gildur dismounted first, then Zelestiana. “Where are they?” Zelestiana asked. They both drew their swords.

  “You have come to a dangerous place. The girl is mine,” said a voice like thunder that filled the air around them.

  “Release her to us!” Gildur said into the sky.

  “Do you know the true power of being a servant of the lord?” Gildur and Zelestiana heard a hissing and looked around for its source. “The great Armoz has all creatures at his disposal, some from this world, others . . . from his.”

  A glow of red dust in the distance appeared. Gildur now saw Angela Dragus the Righteous holding Lily by the neck. “Why do you wish to die for this girl? She will do nothing for you. But for me, she will please the lord, and I will grow stronger, more powerful.” She squeezed Lily’s neck tighter.

  Lily could barely breathe and was paralyzed in fear. She was now unbound, and her blindfold had been removed. She was illuminated in the red dust that engulfed the sorceress. Lily’s blond, short hair whipped her face in the winds the witch seemed to be summoning. Her eyes were a brilliant green, and streaks of tears ran down her face as she screamed for help.

  “You goddamned witch! Let her go!” Gildur hunched down toward the earth and sprinted toward Angela Dragus the Righteous. Zelestiana started out after him, but then halted and took a step back as she discovered the source of the mysterious hissing, which had been growing louder. Small mounds of unearthed dirt revealed what looked like a group of worms crawling along the ground. But these were no worms, but large, scaly snakes.

  One snake went to sink its giant fangs into Zelestiana’s side, but she quickly jumped over it and sliced at its neck with lightning-quick reflexes.

  She readied her sword as the writhing head hit the snow, but the body continued following her. Then she saw the second black head of the beast. These snakes each had two heads. The slime on their backs illuminated the crimson reds and blacks on their scales. Their eyes were an unnatural green, like that of moss in a deep forest.

  She sliced through the second head of the snake at her feet, and the head fell and its body slithered off, back into the ground. A mix of blood and poison bled out of the decapitated head. Another snake approached, this one larger than the first. She squared up to meet it, staring into its four green eyes, and then noticed another coming at her back. They were trying to surround her, she realized. She ran to the side to get them both on the same side. Another snake emerged just before her out of the ground, and she jumped to escape its two heads, which bit at her, trying to inject her with poison. She was now standing before three enormous, devilish snakes.

  ***

  Gildur ran at full speed toward the witch and her prey. He saw the ground moving quickly below him, and he almost tripped on a few mounds of dirt emerging from snow moving beneath his feet. Instinctually, and without any cognitive thought, he slashed at a two-headed serpent and decapitated it with a single swipe of his sharp sword. “Is that the best you got? Snakes? All of the powers of the devil and you pick snakes? Is that supposed to scare me?” He continued running, another fifty yards between him and Angela Dragus the Righteous. Then he felt a sharp sting in his leg. He fell to his knee and saw a long serpent burrow away into the ground. He stood back up and continued his sprint. Must save the girl, he repeated to himself silently, no matter what the cost.

  Angela Dragus the Righteous waved her arms around in the air above her and Lily. Lightning began to crackle in the air above her, the sky darkened, and the horizon disappeared. Her red dress turned to bright red flames. Gildur began a chant, and as the blue flames enveloped Lily, she was pulled out of the grip of the witch. She fell to the ground and scooted backward in fear, trying to scream. Nothing could be heard except the thunder, and lightning swirled around Angela Dragus the Righteous.

  “You infidel,” she yelled above the thunder, her voice now raspy, like that of a snake. “You believe your god will save you? You are going to die, and your soul will be forever tortured for your insolence!”

  Gildur swung his sword at her with all his might, but she did not move. She held out a hand to grab the blade, but it slipped straight through, slicing off her fingers, and the blade went clean through her side and lodged itself in the middle of her torso. She then smiled. “I do not fear death. I welcome it. But today is not the day I die.” He stared at her in bewilderment as she put a finger under his neck, touching the bottom of his chin, and gently ran her hand down the side of his face. “Have you missed me all these years?”

  Gildur dropped his head, “It never had to be like this. You should have stayed with us. We could have protected you.”

  “Protected me? You tell me to open my eyes, when you are blind. Armoz is life eternal. He has gifts far beyond those of your gods. Once you are all with me in his lands, only then will your gods be gone forever.”

  “I wish it had never come to this. What has he done to you?”

  “He has breathed new life into me. He surely will grant what every powerful person wants: immortality. However, death is upon you.” She hissed as flames engulfed them. Lily screamed, her throat cracked from the strain.

  “This may be the day I die, but I will rest in peace knowing you will never hurt another innocent soul. There will be nothing left of you to resurrect!” Gildur mustered the strength to say in the inferno. The bright red flames reached high into the sky as the silhouette of the two could be seen in the fire.

  Zelestiana ran to Lily, dropped to her knees, and held her tightly. Lily screamed and screamed. Zelestiana tried to turn the young woman’s head so she couldn’t see the two burning bodies illuminated against the black clouds.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  AS the group got closer to where they expected to find Zelestiana and Gildur, a bright glow of red appeared before them in the distance.

  “What the hell is that?” Astor said as the two horses galloped past them, running back to where the group had come from. “Hurry. As fast as you can!” he yelled, and the group picked up their pace.

  As they approached the dimming red glow, smoke rose into the air above it. Gogenanth stopped in his tracks. He stood over the decapitated corpses of at least a dozen two-headed snakes. Blood soaked the snow all around him. “Zelestiana,” he said quietly, and then ran after the others, who were still en route to the source of the fire.

  They slowed their pace as they approached, and then they stood in place. Th
ey saw Zelestiana, covered in blood, rocking an inconsolable young blond girl who was screaming in a voice that cut in and out from overexertion. Next to them was the badly burned body of their friend Gildur, motionless. Tilda ran over to Gildur.

  “Gildur!” She fell to her knees and held his head up. He coughed up blood that flowed down his chin, as his beard had been burned away. “Gildur. Don’t die.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. She held him in her arms even though his body burned her, such was the heat. “Don’t die, don’t die,” she whispered as she rocked his body from side to side.

  Gildur coughed up more blood, then, with the smallest hint of a smile, managed to say, “T-Tilda.” Then his body became still.

  Zaan sat back on the soft snow. He couldn’t control his emotions, as he was surrounded by his friends’ grief. He cried and held his head in his fists in sorrow and frustration. Astor came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He said nothing, but only hung his head.

  “Where is the witch?” Gogenanth asked Zelestiana.

  “Burned up in the fire,” she replied.

  “There . . . there is no body,” Gogenanth said, looking around the area.

  “She was there. I saw her body burn in the red flames,” Zelestiana said, though she failed to see a body as well.

  “She may have died, but I will not assume so until I have seen proof of her demise,” Astor said. “We must go, though. I will stay here to check for the witch and will catch up with you soon. Will you stay with me, Gogenanth?” The big man nodded.

  Gar went over to Lily, and he and Zelestiana lifted the girl to her feet Astor helped Zaan to his feet and said, “Let’s get you back.”

  “Gildur,” Zaan said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. The skies cleared of their dark clouds, and Garmos was fully visible now. It is a dreadful place, Zaan thought as he looked at the tall, dark towers.

  “Let’s go,” Tilda said as the group started back toward the Yelden Forest. Occasionally one of them would suffer an outburst of grief. They walked past the motionless snake corpses, which were now illuminated in the sun and whose bodies contrasted drastically against the blood-stained snow. Then they approached the mountain-like corpse of the giant ogre slain by Zaan and Gogenanth—the ogre who had killed their comrade Xersha.

  Gildur and Xersha, the casualties of the rescue of the girl named Lily, whom none of them had met before. After regathering their supplies, Wollen and Zelestiana carried behind them the bodies of their slain friends on stretchers constructed of timber and canvas, the mutilated corpses covered with blankets. The ravens circled overhead as they made their way back to Barrier Cliff.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  IN the great hall of the headmaster’s tower, the stark blacks of the stone were less noticeable with the glowing, golden silk tapestries that covered the walls. Giant stained-glass windows in all shades of blues and golds lit the room with an angelic, warm glow. At least one hundred people sat tightly in the pews on each side of the aisle that led to the coffins of two deceased warriors and friends.

  Between the two closed caskets was Mäezer Palanzal, who hung his head as he waited for the murmurs of the crowd to die down. He lifted one of his aged, wrinkled hands and brought it down slowly, bringing the noise of the crowd down to an empty silence.

  “We are here today to remember and mourn the passing of two great people and warriors. Gildur Titanus the Crusader and Xersha D’len.” Mäezer Palanzal cleared his throat. “Excuse me.” He regained his composure. “Gildur will be best remembered for his devotion to his friends and the cause. Halen Ojiin.”

  “Halen Ojiin,” the seated audience uttered, making the walls seem to shake.

  “His passing will be greatly mourned by those who knew him best,” Palanzal said, as he went on about how much Gildur meant to him personally and how important he was to the cause. Zaan did not pay as much attention as he should have. Instead he tried to sneak glimpses of the girl Lily.

  Lily sat at the pew next to the one Zaan was in. He first noticed her hair; it was much curlier and wavier than it had been before, but he assumed her hair was probably just clean now. The girl sniffled and cried, but eventually Zaan caught a look at her face as she looked up at the caskets. She had clear, green eyes, freckled cheeks, and a fair complexion. Her face was smooth and perfect, he thought. Zaan looked away quickly as he felt her glance over at him, probably because he was staring at her unintentionally. She looked delicate and tiny sitting next to the tall and strong Zelestiana, who sat stone-faced, staring at the coffin of Gildur. Gar nudged Zaan’s arm. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  “Yeah,” Zaan responded, and glanced over at Lily again. Then he looked back at Palanzal.

  “ . . . And we remember Xersha, friend and partner to our comrade Wollen Forentooth.” Zaan looked around but could not find Wollen in the crowd. “She gave her life fighting to save the life of an innocent young woman. Songs should be sung about her sacrifice in the ages to come. Halen Ojiin,” Palanzal said.

  “Halen Ojiin,” the crowd repeated, this time louder than before.

  The ceremony lasted another half an hour and consisted of hymns and songs that were quite beautiful and somber. Once the funeral was over, sniffles and sobs filled the room. The pews emptied one at a time, from front to back, but the order became gradually disorganized. By the time Zaan’s aisle let out, the aisle next to his was being let out as well, and he found himself getting up at the same time as Lily. They met eyes, and she gave a smile.

  “Hi,” Zaan said, returning the smile.

  “Hi,” Lily replied, and looked down at her feet.

  On the way back from the battle with the Reizenthrōgz and Angela Dragus the Righteous, there had been little talking. Zaan had not heard Lily say anything except “Yes” when she was asked if she was okay, or if she was hungry. Her voice was soft and innocent then, though she was probably in shock, Zaan thought.

  Lily walked next to Zaan down the aisle into the courtyard area in front of the tower. “How are you doing?” Zaan asked her once they were in the bright, midday sunlight.

  “All right, I guess. Frankly I’m not sure. I feel sort of . . . numb,” she replied, then paused. “You?” she asked.

  “I’m okay, I guess.” He kicked a clump of ice at his feet.

  She looked over at a group conversing back at the open doors to the tower: Gogenanth, Zelestiana, Astor, Elindrill, Tilda, Gar, Major Gylem, and Mäezer Palanzal.

  “You want to go over?” Lily asked Zaan.

  “We probably should,” Zaan replied.

  They waded their way through the scores of people leaving the funeral to approach their friends huddled by the warmth of the great hall. The inside of the tower made the exterior of Barrier Cliff feel more inviting, more like home, Zaan thought.

  “Young lady, how are you?” Elindrill asked. She reached out and beckoned for Lily to embrace her.

  “I’m okay,” Lily said, while putting her arms around Elindrill.

  “I want you to know that what happened to the two resting inside here was not your fault. You must not feel responsible for their passing, nor for the loss of your family,” Elindrill said, and Lily began to cry. Elindrill held her tight. “Those who killed your family were evil. And Gildur and Xersha died fighting that same evil. They are heroes. It was the fault of those who wanted to harm you; it was not you.”

  Lily wiped her eyes and pulled herself away from Elindrill. “I want to say thank you to you all; for saving me.” The group lowered their heads, and Zaan followed the motion. “What’s next?”

  Palanzal gave a smile. “We would like for you to stay here, in Barrier Cliff.” Lily gave a confused look. “You have a gift that you may not even know you have. It is a sacred present, and it was the reason you were taken from your family. We can teach you to use it, and you will be safe here with us.”

  “Okay. I guess I don’t have anywhere else to go anyway.” She lowered her head, her soft, wavy ha
ir dropping in front of her eyes. Zaan could feel Tilda’s glance fall on him.

  “Well, then, you have a lot to catch up on, and you could use some rest, I’m sure. Gar, would you show Lily back to her room?” Elindrill said.

  “Okay.” He bowed, then motioned for Lily to lead her away. Lily gave one last look at Zaan as she walked away. She was truly a beautiful young woman, he thought again.

  As Gar and Lily walked out of view and the crowd began dispersing, the group’s attention turned to Zaan.

  “Zaan,” Palanzal said. “I have heard from the others what happened. “I must say, we are happy you are okay, and, well . . . we are all quite impressed.”

  “What you did was unworldly. I have never seen anything like it from someone new with the Azulūz,” Tilda said.

  “You defeated and helped kill one of the most notorious monsters in Essill,” Gogenanth said. “You are truly very powerful, and you saved us.”

  “I don’t know what I did. I just did what I was taught. I wasn’t even thinking, I just . . . did it,” Zaan said.

  “Well, you are quite the young man,” Elindrill said, “and you will become a very powerful warrior.”

  “Where is Wollen?” Zaan asked. The group looked around at each other.

  “Wollen,” Astor said. “Once we got back, he gathered supplies and went off to look for proof of Angela Dragus the Righteous’s death.”

  “I doubt he will find such proof,” Gogenanth replied. “The witch is known for her tricks.”

  “Well, I hope she’s dead,” Zaan said, clenching his teeth.

  “Calm yourself, Zaan. There will be a time for vengeance, and justice,” Zelestiana said. “You will need much training and knowledge if you are to face a foe as powerful as her.”

  “I’m ready to learn. I want to see her dead,” Zaan said, his eyes and heart focused on those words.