The Order of Events: The Council of Eight

by Haines, C. J.

  “I assume the child is taken care of now? Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Bledlus stopped in his tread and spoke upon the craning hawk.

  “Actually, I think there is.”

  Hawkthird nodded his head in acceptance as Kermana spoke to his friend. “We can help, too. I’ll have the Dawn Bringers aid the search. But I must tell you. We must leave at noon, today. The Elushu will come ever closer as time passes, and we must meet them in battle as soon as we can!”

  Bledlus nodded his head in understanding and placed his hand upon the armored shoulder of his friend. “I understand. Let’s go and search.”

  The sun hit Oomer gloriously with its light, burning to bright wonder in the sky as below the city was searched high and low for the young Sinfus. Hawkthird flew circles about the stone mass as he searched about with sharp eyes, and found nothing.

  The many warriors of the Dawn Bringers took to searching the city as well, accompanied by those of the Council willing to help with the search; Karkor, Fenra, Borka and but a few more.

  Bledlus stood looking about the vast city from a battlement as he saw Hawkthird flying towards his form, Kermana standing at the side of the leader of Oomer as he felt fear grip him as he spoke. If they did not find Sinfus soon, who knows if they would ever find him, and if they did, would he be dead or alive? “Where could he be, Kermana? Where is my son?”

  Kermana placed a caring hand on the shoulder of his friend, the hawk taking a landing upon the battlements before the two, to speak. “Bledlus, we have found nothing. I have no clue where he could be. He’s not anywhere in the city, I swear. It’s as if he dug a hole and buried himself!”

  It was with those words that Bledlus now knew exactly where to find Sinfus and spoke upon the hawk and the leader of the Dawn Bringers in urgent manner. “Wait! I know where to find him.”

  Hawkthird craned his head curiously to the side as Kermana spoke in question upon Bledlus. “Where is he hiding?”

  Bledlus looked to the distance, far below the battlements, past bridges and streets of stone as he spoke. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. He must be in the catacombs! Come with me! Hurry! There’s a chamber in the high dome that leads to the catacombs!”

  As the three hurried upward through the streets of stone, below the very structures and stone of their tread, Sinfus was wandering about in the dark catacombs. Wide arches carved into the blue stone, as if one had taken huge bites from the stone, bluish grey in manner, as it was the very stone the city had been built out of, harvested from the ground below, forming great catacombs of tunnels as it was taken over time to build the magnificent structure of Oomer.

  The young Sinfus wandered about with a lantern in hand and watched as the stone reflected a blue glow as the lantern light met the form of the curving structures of stone, dipping from ceiling, walls and ground. The young Sinfus wandered further into the darkness as he was lost, but not alone, as he was being watched by not one, but many pairs of golden eyes. Dark forms of curious figure climbed about the walls in silent pursuit of the boy as he stepped onward.

  Bledlus, Kermana, and Hawkthird had rushed up through the streets, soon finding Kaimana and having him join them in tread as they pushed themselves onward to the high dome of the city. Entering the high dome and coming upon a vast archway of royal etchings that led to the catacombs, Bledlus opened the chamber door as he was soon followed by his companions. Tunnels spread vastly about the inner chamber of blue stone as the three searched about them, Kaimana speaking as he looked about. “Which one do you think he went in?”

  Bledlus looked about the vast tunnels and spoke upon his companions. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to split up. I’ll take this tunnel. You take the others. Let’s go.”

  The others nodded agreement as Bledlus stepped forth into the tunnel of his choosing, the others choosing their own tunnels as all pushed onward in search of Sinfus. The young boy of affliction looked about the catacombs as he felt worry and frustration grip him. He was lost and unable to find his way out. Taking to his knees, the young boy began to tear up as he dropped the lantern at side and thought. He should not have run away or yelled at his father, for he was only doing what he thought was right.

  As his cries echoed about the chamber, his attention was soon brought to the darkness as he heard something shifting about, golden eyes coming upon the boy as he sat still and called out. “Who’s there?”

  As the boy sat still and with fear gripping him, he soon found there was no reason to fear as his father came from the darkness and rushed to his side, taking his son in the hold of his arms, in tight embrace as he spoke. “Son, I’ve found you!

  Sinfus felt tears fall from his face as he too gripped his father in a tight embrace, the young boy speaking in a broken manner upon his father. “Father, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I-”

  Bledlus looked upon his son and spoke, ruffling the boy’s hair as he did. “No. It’s okay. I understand that you were upset.”

  Sinfus felt his father wipe his tears away and spoke as they both stood in the light of the lantern. “I understand, too. If you must go into battle, then I cannot stop you.”

  Bledlus looked upon his son proudly and spoke as the dark figures moved in on the two figures, slowly. “Thank you. I know you will lead the city well, while I am gone. Now let’s go.”

  As the two rose from the ground, Bledlus taking the lantern in hold, something was wrong. Bledlus looked about the darkness and felt something was near. Taking his son in stride, the two ran ahead through the darkness, Sinfus tripping and falling to the ground.

  Bledlus turned swiftly to help his son up. Setting the lantern down, he swiped dust from his son’s form and then took the lantern once more and turned around, the light of the lantern revealing a mass of dark creatures with golden eyes standing before Bledlus and his son in illumination. The leader of Oomer gripped his sword in swift action as he spoke to Sinfus urgently, the boy taking to his father’s back for protection as the creatures stood craned over with sharp claws. “Sinfus, get ready to run. I’m going to try and hold these creatures off, so you can escape!”

  Sinfus shook his head in disagreement as his father spoke. “No. I won’t leave you.”

  Bledlus spoke as the creatures began to encircle them. “Don’t make this any harder for me. Please do as I say…RUN!”

  Not wishing to do as his father said, but wishing to obey him as well, Sinfus did as Bledlus said and ran away from him. Bledlus tossed the lantern against the creatures to frighten them off with an explosion of fire, allowing Sinfus to avoid their forms and run away from them, through the catacombs.

  As Sinfus ran, the creatures attempted pursuit, their forms hard to make out in the darkness as they took rush. Bledlus threw himself upon their forms from behind and cut into them viciously as he had drawn his gifted sword, the blade flashing in green glow as he cut away at the creatures.

  Kaimana had been wandering his tunnel for a good time and found nothing as he felt failure build within. The young Dawn Bringer soon heard the sound of echoing tread spread about the vast tunnels and stone, and rushed ahead to the direction of the sound as he called out. “Sinfus, is that you?!”

  Bledlus fought the creatures bravely and found the creatures had surrounded him. It seemed it was the end for him, but he would not stop fighting until he had taken his last breathe.

  Kaimana rushed ahead through the dark catacombs and followed the sound of movement until he soon found himself meeting his father and Hawkthird, the hawk speaking as he looked upon Kaimana. “It seems we’ve all found each other. But what has Bledlus found? I wonder.”

  Kaimana approached his father and spoke as Kermana surveyed the tunnels.

  “Do you think he found him?”

  Kermana looked about the tunnels and spoke as he pointed outward into the darkness as he saw the slight shape of Sinfus approaching. “Look there!”

  Kaimana turned from his father and saw Sin
fus rush from the confines of the darkness, the young boy coming into the hold of Kermana as he spoke urgently. “My father, he’s back there and alone! There are monsters!”

  Kermana looked into the darkness and spoke curiously as he rose. “Monsters?”

  Hawkthird took the side of Kermana and looked upon the boy curiously as Kaimana spoke. “We should go help him. Even if there are-”

  But Kermana disagreed as he heard the sound of approach coming for them, from the darkness, his voice saddened and dark as he spoke. “I’m afraid we cannot save him. For I feel he has already fallen! We must go now, hurry!”

  As the sound of approach came closer, Sinfus pleaded for them to help his father, but found he was lifted by Kermana as all rushed through the darkness, away from the pursuing monsters that Sinfus spoke of. The four rushed madly ahead and found leave through the entrance to the catacombs and stood in the presence of the high dome as Kermana turned around and searched his thoughts for a solution, Hawkthird speaking as he looked about the chamber. “What shall we do? We must seal the entrance.”

  Kaimana looked about and then thought of a solution, taking to the side of Sinfus, he took a small sack of powder from his belt and spoke as he gestured all to back away, in caution.

  “We’ll use explosive powder, everyone, back away!”

  As the sound grew closer, Sinfus rushed to stop Kaimana, but was stopped by Kermana as the sack of explosive dust left the hold of Kaimana and met the archway of the entrance, a resounding crumble echoing about the vast chamber as the entrance fell in and apart before the four, Sinfus crying as he struggled for release from Kermana’s hold and was granted it once the entrance had fully fallen apart. The young boy took a place at the crumpled heap of stone as Kaimana took to his knee and was at his side, speaking in a sorry manner. “I’m sorry, Sinfus. We had to do it. If we hadn’t, who knows what would have happened to Oomer.”

  Sinfus nodded his head and spoke in a dark tone upon Kaimana. “I know. I just can’t believe he’s gone…and it’s my fault.”

  -Chapter 16-

  Present

  As the mountain top blew wild and storming above, deep below the surface with scathing ice upon the wind, the three companions were making their way through icy surroundings as they found themselves coming to a giant chasm at the end of the tunnel, wide and dipping as the inner workings of the mountain had been ripped apart by tension and sat open wide as a mouth would when desperate for a meal.

  The three looked out from the tunnel and sighted across the distance more tunnels and jutting formations of rock and ice, forming platforms here and there, as Samana spoke her impression of their newfound surroundings. “It looks like we can get across by jumping across those platforms, and then climb a ways and reach the other tunnels and keep going. Does that work for you?”

  As Samana turned to her friends for opinions, they simply nodded in agreement as Samana nodded in return, then turned to the first intimidating jump from the tunnel mouth as she spoke. “Alright, that looks like a pretty far ju-”

  Before Samana could finish speaking, she found herself tossed from the ground, and from the tunnel, and sent landing onto the platform. Luckily, due to her training and skill, she landed on both legs, firmly. Looking back to the tunnel in bewilderment, Samana stuck a glare of intensity upon the form of Kurlank, who stood royally upon the tunnel mouth as Sen was clapping his sharp clawed hands and speaking amusement. “Nice throw, Kurlank!”

  Samana spoke to Kurlank in a thankful, yet annoyed manner as she looked upon his etched form of metal. “Could you please tell me the next time you’re going to toss me?!”

  Kurlank stood nodding as Sen drew close to the armored one’s side to speak.

  “Yeah, next time you throw someone be sure to tel-”

  As Sen spoke, he found his form lifted and tossed abruptly from the tunnel and to the side of Samana as he landed to cut a graceful figure at her side, pointing a sharp claw at the armored one as he spoke. “HEY!!! Watch it! You’re going to kill someone! That’s nice and all that you got us here, but how do you think you’re getting over here?”

  As Samana and Sen stood on the platform of sprouting ice and rock, meshed as one, the form of Kurlank ran back into the confines of the tunnel and disappeared.

  Sen crossed his arms and shook his head, speaking to the young heroine at side.

  “Where does he think he’s going?”

  As Sen stood looking upon Samana in curiosity, an echoing scrape called out from the tunnel and began to grow louder as it made approach.

  Samana saw what was coming as Sen had his gaze fixed upon her in question, and was soon pulled to the side as Kurlank came sliding from the tunnel on his chest, at a great speed, flying past the two as he spun in air and planted his well-armored tread upon the platform, speaking in echoing fashion to Sen, as both the cursed one and Samana, stood in impression of the great, metal warrior as he stood royally before them in his height. “That is how. Come on, let’s go!”

  As Kurlank tread ahead, the two took to his side, Sen speaking as they passed jutting rock and ice, from walls, ceiling, and floor. “I’ll admit that was pretty impressive, Kurlank!”

  Samana nodded agreement as she caught the sight of something curious ahead and spoke. “I’d say it was. Look! Over there!”

  The three rushed ahead, through the mess of jutting formations of ice and rock that had found place in the cave by fall, and found the body of a female, cursed by those of the Keraij, lying in silent form.

  Samana knelt to the side of the figure and found that they were still breathing, through their nostrils, and spoke to her companions as she surveyed their well-dressed, black, blue and silver form. “They’re alive. It looks like they could be of the Council, too. Look at how they’re dressed.”

  Sen looked upon them and tapped his head with a claw as he thought and then spoke.

  “They must be pretty badly injured. I don’t sense anything coming from their mind.”

  Kurlank looked upon the broken form as he touched their ribs and placed his glance upon Samana in speech. “Her ribs are well-cracked. What do you want to do?”

  Samana looked over the figure in care, and looked to the tunnels and back, and then spoke to her companions. “I say we take her with us.”

  Sen leaned over and spoke his opinion further of the manner. “It may not even be the injury. Maybe she’s fully turned and doesn’t have her mind anymore!”

  Kurlank nodded in agreement and spoke in echoing fashion. “Do you want to risk it, Samana?”

  Samana nodded as she looked upon the figure as they garnered familiarity. “Yes. Let’s risk it.”

  Kurlank took the cursed one in hold as the three took their tread onward to a mass of tunnels etched into the wall, the one of their hold lying in dark slumber, while their coming wakefulness was in question as none knew if it would ever come, and if it did, would it bring a thought or a fight from its form?

  The day had come as Sinfus and his council had finally made their way across the mountain top and had reached the other side of the vast distance, the sun beaming high in the sky, letting its light beam down in restoring spirit as it spread among the mass below.

  Sinfus looked upon the sight as clouds formed a crescent sway on the wind as his council stood at his back, looking as the mountain took a dip to the ground below, jagged rocks protruding from the mountainside below as all stood happy that they had passed the frigid weather as their leader spoke his mind. “We’ve made it past the mountains, finally! My council, we can fly once again, and reach the Order in good time!”

  All stood in agreement as they heard Sinfus’ thoughts, the twins removing their cloaks and tying them at their waists as they were all too glad to be rid of the snow and cold weather, their thoughts spreading amongst the Council as they stood ready to take on the skies in flight.

  “I’m so glad we’re done with these lame mountains! Let’s get going then, no time to waste! We want to leave this place in the
dust and forget it!”

  As the twins leapt from the mountain, head on, into the air and took to flight in their cursed forms, they were shortly followed by Sinfus and his council, the Keraij soon following their forms as all took to the air in approach to the place that which they took their journey to meet, the Order of the Aura.

  As the sun was letting all below bathe in its glory, far below the Order were chambers winding in fashion and all leading to one central point, a well, which was well-filled and ever bountiful with water as underground rivers and streams ran and met the center of the great stone-lined form, all those who dwelled within dipping buckets in for return to their housings as they prepared themselves for the coming threat.

  Hoosun stood in attention, his white form of feathers gleaming beautifully as blue light shafted down from the ceiling as blue crystals glowed serenely, their natural light bringing sight to those of the chamber.

  Mensh strode through the surroundings as many crowded the wide chamber, her form slightly sunken as she dangled an empty bucket at her side and took to the well. The feathery features of Hoosun craned as he spied the young Mensh from the opposite end of the well, where he took stance. Taking leave of his current place of position, the owl dove across in short flight and took to landing at Mensh’s side as she had just finished filling her bucket of the clear and serene water.

  The young curly-haired girl heaved the bucket out of the water and stood staring through her brown eyes at the white form of the owl, an orange hue peeking from her eyes as direct light cast upon her features, as the owl spoke to her. “Mensh, it is strange seeing you here. I thought you would have been with Henk.”

  Mensh shook her head as she made her way from the well to allow others a chance to get their water, and took a walk with the owl through the blue lit chamber as she spoke.

  “No. I’m not helping her anymore. Hoosun, she’s trying to change Amen again.”

  Hoosun nodded knowingly as he spoke return, keeping pace with the young one as she seemed in a hurry to get away. “Ah, yes. She told me that she and Amen were intending to find some kind of cure, down there.”