The Sword of Light

by Andrew G. Wood

  “That is several days ride from Neylarin,” Leyna said still sobbing at the loss, but also confused as to exactly what was going on. Galdrac had already thought of that and turned to look at the large flying lizard that had just landed before them. “But if he carried him, he could be there in a few hours,” he said stepping much closer to the dragon than he ever had before. Arach snorted out a breath, making Galdrac jump a little, but that did not stop the old mage moving to within touching distance.

  “I’m sure you are probably thinking of eating me right now,” Galdrac said, “I don’t even know if you can understand what I’m saying,” he added realising he had never actually spoken to the beast before. While Finley had occasionally spoken aloud when conversing with the beast, Galdrac knew this was achieved by a link with the mind as opposed to a vocal one. However, although he knew Arach would not be able to talk back, he did hope the dragon might be able to understand him.

  Asking the others to help, although it seemed Karesh was more than capable, they lifted Finley’s limp body up onto the back of the dragon. While Galdrac quickly scribbled a note to the Elf known as Gaolin, the one he assumed in charge at Beseklin, the others carefully and somewhat tentatively helped secure Finley to the back of Arach via a rope they tied around the body of the dragon. While Arach had not made any aggressive move towards any of them, it was evidently clear without Finley to keep the beast under control, the others were somewhat uncertain as to how close they could safely get.

  Leyna watched on as her son’s body was lifted up into the night sky and out of sight. Without wanting to delay any further, Galdrac suggested they not bother camping out but make their own way back to Felham. From there they would use the Waygate to Neylarin and after checking things were okay there, pick up a few supplies head out at first light to Beseklin.

  Using his own magic power, Galdrac created a small flame to help guide them down from the hillside and slowly back towards Felham. Despite the apparent victory, and every balgraf that had amassed at the hill being cut down in what could only be described as a spectacular feat, none of the group felt much like celebrating. Karesh tried to remain close to his mother, while the Prince and his small group appeared only too happy to ride nearer the back to allow the others a little space to grieve. Although there still remained some small glimmer of hope that Finley might still survive, Prince James had seen enough to know what a dead body looked like.

  As they kept the pace slow, so not to risk injury to the horses in the dark, James let his own mind wander. Although he wanted to go back to Carison to check on the state of the city, he felt he needed to go with Galdrac and the others. Finley had given up his life to save them all, the least he could do was stay with them so long as any chance existed that he might yet survive.

  Felham could be seen some distance off, as could the silhouettes of the guards on duty, patrolling the outer wall. Their dark shapes outlined by the series of torches that were now lit along the town’s battlements. At least Galdrac had some good news for them, that being the attack he and the Prince had forewarned them about would probably no longer be coming. While he hoped this was the case, he had already decided to remain vigilant, at least until such time as he was sure there were no longer any balgraf still roaming about.

  After being held up at the gates for a little while, they slowly trotted their horses back to the garrison stables, thanking the Commander for their use. The man appeared a little surprised they had returned so quickly, and even more so when Galdrac explained what had happened. “We saw the sky light up and lightning streak down from the heavens. Never have I seen anything like it!” The Commander said. Galdrac nodded, “Nor will you again,” he said before rejoining the others.

  The trip through the Waygate was without incident as they all emerged in the elven capital of Neylarin. The two arcanists on duty had been joined by several guards to help keep the building safe, a sign that Galdrac thought a good one. At least the balgraf had not managed to overrun the place, as had first appeared likely. Nobody really paid them any attention as they made their own way out of the building and into the overcrowded streets of the city. Hundreds of temporary homes, mainly canvas tents had been set up to help house all the refugees that had sought out safety in the capital.

  Leyna, already upset, was even more so as she spotted several carts being pushed down the main street. Covered in tarpaulins, she knew only too well what lay beneath the covers. Wanting to check on her own family before they tried to find someone willing to give them enough horses to continue in the morning, she hesitantly made her way to the gates of her family home. Having had an argument with her parents the last time she had spoken, Leyna had left with a bitter taste in her mouth and now regretted doing so.

  The immaculately kept gardens were illuminated just a little by the small lamps her father lit in the evenings, which she hoped was a good sign all was well. Despite the hour and the fact both of her parents would likely be asleep, Leyna doubted they would mind her waking them, especially in the circumstances.

  After waiting at the door for a few minutes, she felt her heart thumping in her chest as the uncertainty of whether her parents had survived the attack would any second be revealed. As the door opened, she flung her arms around the Elf standing there, “Father!” she said, happy that he was still alive. Looking up to see her Mother standing just behind him, she felt a relief wash over her.

  With tearful eyes, she hugged her mother before asking if they might come in and rest for a few hours before they needed to head off again. “Where is the boy?” Leyna’s father asked noticing somebody was missing. Although her father did not use the correct name, at least he refrained from using Half-breed, which was at least a step in the right direction. Leyna looked at him and then at her mother as her eyes welled with tears once more before she just allowed them to roll freely down her cheeks. She did not need to say anything more, as her Mother stepped up and embraced her in her arms.

  Leyna’s father, although not showing the same level of emotion as his wife gently placed an arm around both his wife and daughter and held it for a few moments before gesturing for the others to all come inside. Galdrac wasn’t sure the Elf would allow so many in, but he guessed in the current circumstances, it was probably prudent to do so.

  The Elf watched as the troll he knew to be called Akeev followed in a dwarf called Mazen. Unbeknown to him at the time of greeting was a special guest, and once realising who it was changed his persona at once. To have the Prince and heir to the Human throne was indeed an honour, and certainly a feather in the cap. Almost ignoring the fact that his daughter was grieving, Leyna’s father suddenly started showing much more interest to their guests, especially to James.

  While James was young, he was still wise enough to know when somebody was interested in him just because of who he was. Galdrac afforded a smile though as the young royal sought to put his influence to further good use. “We need horses, enough for us all. Do you think an Elf of your standing might be able to accommodate our needs, Sir?” James asked. Leyna’s father was out of the door and up the street within a few minutes of being asked, leaving them in the secure knowledge that he would have enough horses and supplies ready for their onward journey by first light. In the meantime, they were to make themselves at home and help themselves to anything they needed.

  While they thought Finley dead, once Leyna had calmed a little she explained they still held hope that the Goddess Heralin might yet have something in place to help her son. Her mother held Leyna’s hands tightly and looked her daughter in the eye, “Heralin is a good and just Goddess, if there is hope she might be able to help Finley, then I am sure she will do all in her power to make it so.” Leyna smiled, and while she had never believed in the power of the Gods, at least not until Finley had returned to her, she would pray every day for the rest of her life if that is what it took to save her son.

  With their hosts somewhat indisposed, Galdrac took it upon himself to make some refreshments.
Although he was not particularly keen on the Elven variation of tea, he felt it would suffice. While the table in the kitchen area was not large enough for the entire group to sit around, Mazen, Akeev and Karesh appeared content with standing. James, as the Royal guest, was naturally given the first choice of seats, and although he had instructed the others to stop treating differently, they still did so anyway.

  After Leyna’s mother had helped and made a platter of fruit for them to share, they were all offered a blanket if they needed to rest and sleep for a few hours before daybreak. Galdrac, for one, was going to take up the offer, and after wrapping himself in a blanket found himself a comfortable place on one of the cushioned chairs to settle down.

  The old mage must have dozed off quickly as he was soon awoken to the sound of the others moving around the house. Leyna knelt down beside him and spoke softly, “The sun will be up within the hour. Father has managed to get horses and supplies for us.”

  “Did you manage to rest?” he asked concerned for her well-being above his own. She shook her head looking somewhat sadly back at him, “I did try, but alas I don’t think I managed more than a few minutes.”

  Feeling rather selfish for sleeping like a baby in stark contrast, Galdrac quickly got to his feet, although nearly stumbled over as the blanket was still wrapped around him.

  Prince James, returned to his demeanour of royalty as he thanked Leyna’s father for his assistance and that he would see that his father let the Elven council know of his kind deeds. The Elf humbly bowed and dismissed it as nothing, although James knew that the man would expect nothing less on his return. There was only one reason that Leyna’s father had gone out of his way to help them and was to gain favour with the Elven Council. The Prince did not mind using him to assist their own needs, and although it would probably have cost Leyna’s father a hefty price to acquire so many horses at short notice, he was quite sure the man could afford it. Moreover, he also wanted somebody to go to Carison with a note for his family, just to let them know he was okay, and having an Elf of some distinction sending it, would likely get to his father’s office much quicker.

  Chapter 28.

  Despite travelling for as many hours as the horses could possibly cope with, the group had already taken two days since their departure from Neylarin. In that time things were certainly looking very different than they had, and the only balgraf they had come across were dead ones. Now nothing more than festering, rotting corpses, even their bodies appeared to decay far more quickly than one would typically think. Mazen, as a druid who had studied anatomy at some length, explained that was probably down to their physiology. Galdrac just scoffed at the Dwarf, making it clear what he thought of the theory, and was just glad they were dead.

  Having crossed the invisible line that separated the lush forested area of the elves to the area that had suffered at the hands of the Darkness during the last war, it was Galdrac who immediately noticed a distinct difference. Having spent many years on the border of these lands, often crossing into them on scouting missions, he sensed a change in the air. “It does not smell so foul,” he said turning slightly on his horse. The Prince and his men had never ventured this far west before, and as a result, this was all new to them. Leyna however, had spent many years at various outposts and even in the Wastes doing battle with the Darkness, and after sniffing several times, she nodded her agreement.

  The fact that they had not seen or heard anything since Arach had carried Finley off into the night after the battle at Godsill had not sat well. Leyna for one was now convinced her son was dead, and the dragon with him. She had explained the previous evening to Galdrac how she was blaming him for not having his body to give him a proper burial. While the old Mage had assured her the dragon would not be alive if Finley were dead, Leyna had given her thoughts on the situation. It was evident Finley was no longer with them, and that there would likely be some kind of delay before the dragon died as well. While this, of course, could actually be the case, and that Galdrac had indeed sent Finley and Arach away to die in the middle of nowhere, something told him that was not so. Only when they got to Beseklin would they truly find out, and all being well that should happen by midday.

  With the threat seemingly gone, they were allowed to move much more freely and no longer had to keep taking cover in case of being sighted. Sessi, however, kept a vigilant lookout for the group, frequently moving ahead of them to check out the surrounding area before returning back. Galdrac had already considered the fact that the wolf would know if Finley was, in fact, alive or dead, through the link he shared. However, being as none of them could talk to the creature, at least not in that way, there was no way of Sessi letting them know.

  The old Mage though had observed the wolf. Would a creature linked via magic seemingly know the way to go if its Master was dead? Or perhaps he was just using his animal scent to find the way. A question he asked Mazen, although the Dwarf wasn’t sure on the account he had never been dead. “You are useless!” Galdrac had grumbled not seeing the lighter side of the reply.

  As the sun reached its zenith, Galdrac pointed out to a large set of ruins in the near distance. “That’s the place!” he said aiming the words Leyna’s direction. It was evidently clear that the Elf held out little hope for her son, and the fact they had not seen Arach only added weight to that line of thought. “We have to go in at the main entrance,” he told the others, as he now felt a certain kind of nervous excitement. The last time he had visited Beseklin had been under very different circumstances, with the forces of the darkness on the increase; at least that was one thing less for them all to worry about.

  Sessi who had stayed ahead of the group, for the most part, was first to pass through the remains of the once great gateway into the town. However, rather than wait for the others, the wolf bounded off, heading for the centre. While the others thought they should quicken the pace so not to lose sight of the creature, Galdrac assured them all it was nothing to worry about.

  Just as he had left a few months back, he found the church at the centre of the town in much better condition than everything else around it. “Unbelievable!” Mazen muttered as he looked at the dead, dry areas of tainted land compared to the lush green grass that circled the church and the immediate vicinity. “If you go up to the top of the church tower you can actually see the fertile land makes a circle. That is what led me to discover the stone plinth under the main building,” Galdrac told them.

  Last time he had visited, the occupants had hidden away from them as they approached, that appeared something else that was different this time. An Elf whom Galdrac recognised stood on the steps of the church waiting for their arrival. “Gaolin!” The old Mage said in greeting as he slipped somewhat wearily down from his horse. “

  “You have my son?” Leyna asked immediately, forgoing any politeness or greeting. “What have you done with his body?” She asked straight after it, not even giving time for the Elf to answer the first question.

  Gaolin looked over at the female Elf, seemingly saddened by her pain. “He is down in the crypt beneath the church building,” he replied.

  Galdrac felt those words hit hard and turned to see all hope drain from Leyna’s face. “I would ask his body be wrapped for us to take back to Neylarin, where he can be buried with the others of my family,” she said, putting on a much braver face than Galdrac thought she would.

  However, Gaolin appeared confused at her request, and it took several moments before he realised there had perhaps been some misunderstanding. “Forgive me, my Lady,” he said calmly, “Your son is not dead. He is down in the basement examining the stone column. I believe Galdrac knows the way.”

  Without giving any thought to the others, Leyna, quickly followed by the Mage hurried through the doors, “The entrance to the basement is over there,” Galdrac said pointing to the far end of the building. Leyna ignored all the other faces staring back at her, almost knocking one elderly elf off her feet as she pushed past her.

&nb
sp; After almost slipping down the narrow steps that led down, they emerged into the basement. Home to the bodies of Elves passed on from the world of the living hundreds of years ago, a young man was stood next to a short stone column, smiling at them. Sat obediently beside him was Sessi, “When Sessi got here I thought you couldn’t be far off,” he said.

  “Finley. You're alive!” Leyna cried, her tears already rolling down her cheeks as she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him.

  The room beneath the church soon became very cramped, as the other members of the group all ventured down. After reacquainting themselves with a young man that they had all presumed to be dead, and to one who they all owed so much, Galdrac suggested they all move back upstairs. He for one wanted some refreshment, and as nice as it was to see the boy alive, there was no need to all over react, or at least that was what he told them.

  While they did not have an abundance of supplies, they did have more than enough to last a few more days yet and therefore would not have to take from what little their hosts had. “Where is Arach?” Galdrac asked as he sat in one of the church pews, and putting his feet up on the rows of seats in front. With an apple in one hand and drink in the other, he awaited the answer.