“Stupid boy,” The forest-elf interrupted. “Alby is friends with girlie-girl. Alby no thief.” The elf then made mocking faces at Asher. The girl giggled to herself and patted Alby on the head.
“Alby is right. Stealing is a matter of perspective. Is it wrong to steal so you don’t starve?” She asked him with an honest look. Asher couldn’t help but be enchanted by her emerald green eyes. There was something about her that felt different, it felt almost other worldly. He felt his feelings slip for her. Then he realized how foolish he was. He and his family were in danger and he did not need to be distracted by the looks of a random girl in the forest. Especially one who robbed him and held him at knife point. But still the feelings were there...nevertheless. In any case, he needed the necklace back.
“Please just give me the necklace and I will be on my way.”
“You have no idea what this is do you?” She asked. Asher shook his head ‘no’. “This is one of the seven Artifacts of Creation.”
“Artifacts of Creation? I have never heard of it.” Asher said with a look of confusion on his face.
Kayla could see the blank stare on his face. “Oh dear, where do I start. The artifacts were created thousands upon thousands of years ago. There are seven artifacts in total that are scattered throughout the world. The legends say that whomever unites all seven artifacts together, will inherit the power of creation. Imagine the ability to create anything. Mountains, trees, gold coin, and… even entire planets. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the user. For centuries, the artifacts have been safeguarded in various temples by those who possess the power of the Awakening. Without their power, the artifacts could fall into the hands of evil men and then.... well you can imagine what would happen.”
Asher had heard legends of those called the Awakening. He heard his grandfather speak of the Awakened, but Asher only considered them to be fables to entertain around a camp-fire. “I thought that the Awakened was just a myth.”
Kayla shook her head. “I have seen the power of the Awakening once…when I was a little girl.” Kayla paused a moment.
“You seem to know so much, can you help me find the Temple Anin’Nar?” Asher asked.
Kayla studied him for a moment and shrugged. “What’s in it for me?”
Asher debated about how much of his situation he should reveal but decided the entire truth was best. “Those soldiers that chased me killed my grandfather, but before they killed him, my grandfather asked me to return the artifact to Anin’Nar... I am not sure why…”
She debated for a few moments. “I will take you to the temple and no further… deal?”
“Deal.” He said.
“My name is Kayla by the way and you already met Alby.” She said with a warm smile. “Oh I am sorry about your horse. I had to send it into the forest to get those soldiers off your tail. And that bruise on your head, I have no idea how that happened.” She snickered to herself and brushed past Asher. “Come on its this way. It’s a day and a half’s walk to the temple. Hurry.”
The three continued deeper into the forest. The trees became taller and the vegetation denser as they continued. They walked all day, drinking fresh spring water and catching fish for food. They talked little as they journeyed. The sun melted into the sky and the stars soon appeared. They slept soundlessly in the stillness of the forest.
Chapter 3
Twenty-four hours had passed since the masked-man’s soldiers had set out in pursuit of the boy, they had not returned with any information regarding the whereabouts of the artifact. It was a bad omen that he had not heard from his men. He clenched his fists in anger, how could a mere boy escape my men? He thought to himself.
He gazed out of the flaps of canvas that formed windows in his quaint quarters. Beyond his quarters were rows of prisoners from the small village who were held captive under the watchful eyes of his remaining mercenaries. The prisoners were a pathetic lot of whimpering children, whose mother’s sought to give them comforting words of hope, yet the mother’s knew that their words were lies, born from desperation. Even more pathetic than the women and children, were the elderly men. They begged like dogs for food and water. It was little wonder he did not care for the mortals that inhabited this world. He brought his muscled arms across his chest, feeling the surge of darkness and hatred rise inside of him.
“Pathetic mortals.” He said. “Mulling over their unfortunate lives. In time, I will show them that they have yet to experience true misery.”
Desperation grew inside of him for the artifact that the boy had escaped with. Of course he could search out the boy himself, by extending his powers into the world. But the risk was too great. He knew there were others that shared the same powers as he, borne from the ancient bloodlines of the Awakened. Those others, who were born of similar bloodlines, and who possessed the power of the Awakening, would seek him out and thwart his plans. It was a risk he could not afford, especially in his current weakened state.
In the darkness of his quarters, he felt the power of the Awakening churn and swell inside of him, it was as if it were a living cancer that was symbiotic to his actual life force, preserving his body for a thousand years until he was finally able to return to the world of the living. He felt the coolness of its presence guide his thoughts and actions. The Awakening began to form images in his mind. The images flashed, showing portions of both the past, present and future mixed together to reveal secrets that were never meant to be known among the world of man.
The churning inside of him continued. It conjured shadowy images inside his mind of men who had just emerged from the edge of the forest on the outskirts of the town. There were a handful of them, each broke off and went their separate ways save for one lone man. The mists of shadow inside the masked man’s mind formed an image of the lone man’s face. It was his captain, Captain Tankard. Within the shadowy mists that formed inside of his mind, the masked man watched Tankard slowly make his way through the village. Then Tankard stopped just a handful of yards away from the canvas quarters. The masked man could sense the fear that emitted from the Captain’s soul.
“I know you are there Captain Tankard. What news have you?”
Captain Tankard timidly entered the quarters. He was a round man with rosy cheeks and long hair that partially hid a fearsome scar across his left eye. He was dressed in furs about his neck with leather straps that covered his grey traveling cloak. He stepped into the darkness of the canvas quarters.
“Lord Elixir...the boy escaped.” He said with his head bowed. His hands shook at his side.
Elixir could sense the Captain’s fear growing, it was a sensation he relished and longed for. It was exhilarating watching mortals cower before his presence. He stepped out of the shadows and into the light of a nearby candle. His mask was made of rustic black metal that formed tightly around his skull, a type of breathing apparatus was strapped across his mouth and nose. Black slits for eyes glistened in the waning light of the candle.
“Unacceptable Captain!” Elixir berated the captain, his words sounded mechanical due to his breathing apparatus.
“We tried...we lost the boy in the forest...” The Captain’s words were cut-short by a sudden constricting of his lungs. He gasped as air was wrenched out of his body. His vision began to blur.
In the wake of his blurring vision, the Captain watched black energy radiate from Elixir’s outstretched hand. The radiating energy entered into Captain Tankard’s body. The captain felt his lungs collapsing inward. His consciousness began to slip. Desperately he fought against the effects of the dark energy that pulsated in his body, which was crushing his lungs. Then the Captain coughed blood and collapsed in a lifeless heap at the feet of Elixir.
Elixir stepped over the dead Captain and made his way through the canvas door of his quarters. The captive villagers cowered in fear as they saw his dark form pass among them. Elixir signaled to a nearby soldier.
“You there, take charge of this camp, no prisoners sh
all escape. If one leaves, they all die. Got it?” The guard nodded. “I must leave to seek out the artifact.”
Elixir knelt upon the ground and bowed his head. Again images flashed in his mind as the Awakening stirred inside of him. A black and purple aura irradiated around his being as he reached out into the world through the Awakening.
In his vision, Elixir could see the boy with what appeared to be an elf and a girl. They were sleeping deep within the forest. He let the images of his vision subside and then addressed the guard once more. “The boy is at the edge of the forest. I will reach him before dawn. No one leaves until I return, understand?”
“Yes my Lord.” The guard saluted.
Elixir swiftly moved across the camp and jumped aboard a speeder. He cranked on the throttle and tore through the village and into the night. His cape whipped violently about him as he disappeared into the dark.
Chapter 4
Asher arose early the next morning just before dawn. He stepped lightly past Kayla and the elf, careful not to wake them from their sleep. He walked away from their camp to be alone with his thoughts. He began to imagine the awful things those soldiers might do to his mother and sister. A cold draft from a gust of wind shifted through the trees. Asher hugged himself tighter, a failed attempt to keep himself warm. Despite his discomfort he still remembered his promise to his grandfather. He clenched the necklace his grandfather had given to him and whispered to himself.
“I will not fail you grandfather. I will rescue them.”
“Alby think stupid boy funny for talking to himself,” Asher spun around, startled at the voice that came from behind him. Asher saw Alby sitting cross legged on a giant rock just a few feet away. Alby hopped off the rock and crawled on four legs toward Asher. “Why is stupid boy crying?”
Asher could see the innocence in the elf’s giant brown eyes. Asher wiped away his tears. “First of all, my name is Asher, and second, it is because I miss my family. Their lives are in danger and I can’t help them.”
Alby nodded hurriedly, excitement and understanding lit up in his eyes. “Is that why Asher needs pretty necklace?”
Asher nodded. “Yes, I don’t know what it does but the people who are called the Awakened at the Temple Anin’nar can help. I don’t know how though.” He trailed off.
Alby scurried away from Asher and climbed upon the giant rock once more. He waved his hand beckoning to Asher to follow. “Come, hurry, Alby knows of a secret place.” And with that the elf scurried off the rock.
“Alby wait! We can’t just leave Kayla.” It was too late; Alby had already disappeared into the trees. Asher ran after the elf, dashing through brush and rock while ducking beneath large limbs.
Within minutes he finally caught up with Alby just outside of a clearing of trees. Past the clearing, there was a stone path that was lined with jagged rocks and descended into the darkness of the forest beyond. Asher noticed that the forest seemed much more quiet and still. The soft humming of night insects had suddenly ceased, all there was, was silence. Even the sound of wind rustling leaves seemed to have vanished.
Alby waved at Asher and beckoned him to follow. Slowly the two descended the rock pathway. After what seemed like an eternity, they made it to the bottom of the path. In the faint rising rays of the sun, Asher could see enormous monoliths of stone carved into the shape of warriors both male and female. The carved stone appeared to be part of an ancient structure that had long been broken and diminished with time.
Asher cautiously moved forward, taking care not to step on stones out of respect for the ancient structure. In the stones, he could see engraved writings of a language he did not recognize, he assumed that its interpretation had long since been lost.
“Alby, what is this place?” He asked peering about in wonder.
“Alby show Asher ancient building. Alby’s people tells stories of men and women with incredible power. We call them Shinan’nah. In the tongue of man, it means The Awakened. The legends tell that long ago, the Awakened had protected my ancestors against a great evil.”
Asher moved silently among the ruins, tracing his fingers across the rough cold stone. Asher felt as if he had stepped backwards in time, into another age. He imagined to himself what the Awakened warriors must have been like, he imagined the power they possessed.
“And these statues, are they of the Awakened?” Asher asked.
“Yes, yes, there was seven great ones among them. These statues are they. Seven great warriors for seven Artifacts of Creation.”
Asher continued to explore the ancient structure. He searched for any sign of who they might be, or if there was any indication if this was the Temple Anin’Nar that he needed to return the necklace to.
“I only had heard stories of the Awakened, I thought them nothing more than myths.” Asher said to Alby.
Asher continued to explore the structure. Weaving through arched doorways and broken walls of yellowed stone. At the center of the structure, was a piece of architecture which resembled a water fountain. It was cracked and covered with moss and vines.
Asher then returned out of the structure to speak with Alby. He expected Alby to be sitting on the nearby stone that was just below the rock pathway they had descended. Instead, all Asher found was dirt, trees, and bushes, Alby was nowhere to be found.
“Alby! Where are you?” He called out. “This is no time for games. We need to get back to Kayla.” He scanned the area about him, nothing. The elf seemed to have vanished without a single trace. Then something moved in the shadows of the trees.
“Alby? Is that you?”
Out of the shadows a dark caped figure emerged. Asher recognized the man by his gruesome mask, though he did not see it before as clearly as now. The man’s black metal mask, glistened in the emerging light of the dawn. Asher could hear the masked man’s mechanical breathing. Its sound hung heavy in the silence of the small valley. In both of his arms, the man held Kayla and Alby, each struggling to break-free. Anger swelled up inside of Asher.
“You are clever boy, but not clever enough to hide your trail.” The cloaked man stepped further out of the surrounding trees, his cape billowed softly as he walked toward Asher. “This is a perfect setting to take back what is rightfully mine. Do you know what this place is?” Asher shook his head ‘no’. “This was the place where I lost the remaining artifact and my soul was caste into the Forbidding by those who possessed the power of the pure bloodlines, the power of the Awakened. My brethren, those of the fallen bloodlines, did battle with them and pushed the Awakened to near extinction but not without their own demise. Now I Elixir, the Lord of the Fallen, have returned to take back what was rightfully mine. It is destiny that I should fall into possession of the artifact once more, in the same location where it was stolen from me and had led to my demise. Hand it here boy, or they die.”
Asher hesitated and exchanged glances between his friends and the masked man. His heart pounded in his chest, sweat already drenched his shirt. His mind raced through different scenarios of how he could rescue his friends. A quick glance around the surrounding area revealed that there was no route of escape, they were trapped.
“Come on boy, at least spare their lives. I will have the artifact one way or another.” A terrible energy emerged from the man, feeling the space about him with a dark hazy light. The energy hung heavy in the air and its effect was astonishing. To Asher, it felt like the very essence of death and decay, he felt his confidence slip to despair. The anger that swelled inside of him began to sway to the same feeling of powerlessness as before.
A hazy dark purple aura, emerged from the masked man’s being. It whisked about the man, as if it were a dark flame, and then the aura started to gather and funnel into the eyes and mouths of Kayla and Alby. Elixir dropped their bodies to the ground, where they began to convulse violently. Asher watched as their breathing was somehow hindered. They were gagging and choking, desperately trying to pull air into their lungs but to no avail. Their hands clenched thei
r necks as they struggled to breathe and control their shaking bodies. Asher fell to his knees; tears ran freely as he watched his friends suffer. He looked up once more to the masked man.
“Stop this please!” He begged. “Here take the artifact, just spare them.”Asher tossed the necklace to the man and rushed to his friend’s aide.
“Asher,” Kayla muttered between gaps of breath. “What… have you done?” Asher saw the look of horror in her eyes.
The Awakening: Artifact of Creation Page 3
