The Rising Past: Book 2 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series

by J. G. Gatewood

  Norlun looked deep into his liege’s eyes. “Why shouldn’t we trust our allies, my lord? We’ve been at peace for centuries. Unless there is something you’re not telling me.” Norlun cocked his head to the side.

  The king turned red. He didn’t like the insolence Norlun displayed. “What gives you the right to talk to me in such a manner?” He stood and turned his back on the wizard. “You have no authority to question my motives or my future plans. The last time I checked, I’m still the ruler of Havenbrook.” He turned and shot an angry glare toward the old man. In a softer voice he continued. “Maybe it’s my fault. I have trusted your opinion and placed you in the highest ranks of my advisors, but I never expected such arrogance and impertinence from you.”

  Norlun bellowed with laughter. “No it is my fault. I did overstep my position and I apologize. Please forgive me.” He bowed his head. “Because you tasked me with securing the orbs, I think I may have gotten carried away.”

  The king grinned. “That’s more like it. Please continue.”

  “These are the locations I have selected. I have chosen many of our allies because we will need cooperation. I have created a diagram of a room.” He unrolled a large piece of paper and placed it in the center of the table. “As you can see I have designed…” He paused while he searched for the correct word. “I guess a vault would be the best description. I would like to build one of these here, and in Korloth, Shakiel, and Melina. They will be below ground and will only be accessible to a select group.”

  The king stood and bent over the diagram, studying it intently. “Who’s going to pay for these vaults you are proposing? I would assume the costs will be high.” He angled his head at the old wizard.

  Norlun smiled. He had expected these questions and had prepared himself. Given his mistake earlier, he wanted to ensure the king reached his own conclusions and gathered his own thoughts. “I will pay for them myself. The costs should be rather minimal anyway. I plan to use all of the resources of the conclave to create the rooms, utilizing our sparks as much as possible.”

  King Wilros nodded his head in understanding. They stood in silence for several moments while he continued to think. “Why will we be constructing the vaults only in our ally’s cities? Wouldn’t we also ask the same of the Dwarves and Elves?”

  Norlun saw where the king’s thinking had taken him, he pressed on to explain. “I will leave an orb with each of them and ask them to protect them in their own manner. I believe instructing them in how they need to be protected, or to mandate our ways may push them away from wanting to assist. Both races are proud people and we don’t wish to offend. We must tread lightly. While they are friends of mine, they’re not friendly with others of our race. I have full confidence in whatever decision they’ll make.”

  The king stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Very well, Norlun. I agree with your plan and ask you to begin now. How long do you think it will take to implement?”

  “Thank you.” He bent his head in respect. “Once we begin construction it won’t take long, but the hard part will be convincing each group of the necessity of our endeavor, and the importance of its secrecy.”

  The king nodded his head. “Who is the select group you mentioned who’ll have access to the orbs?”

  Norlun seemed relieved when the king asked about the final piece of his plan. “I wish to hand-pick a group of people in each city whom I deem worthy, to join an elite rank of soldiers dedicated to the protection of the orbs. I plan on testing each of the potential members and upon completion, I will ask them each to swear an oath to protect them at all costs. Each group will be members of the home city. The elite force will be known as the Keepers of the Orbs, and each group will report to me, because they’re now my lifelong responsibility.” The full gravity of the situation appeared evident in Norlun’s old eyes.

  The king stared at the old man long and hard as he pondered his next move. He felt fearful and afraid he would be granting too much power to the wizard, but in the end he acquiesced as the orbs remained Norlun’s duty for as long as he remained living, which would be much longer than the king lived anyway. He succumbed and issued a smile that stretched across his face. “Will you require any resources from me? I can lend you several of my advisors and ministers. Many of them have great relations with our neighbors and may offer assistance in winning them to our cause.”

  Norlun once again bowed his head. “That would be much appreciated, my lord.”

  Raythum looked up from the book. The night had turned cool as the moons crept farther and farther up into the sky. He shivered as a quick moving breeze brushed past his very exposed skin raising the hairs and bringing out goose bumps. The night had slipped past him while he became engrossed in the story. He had meant to stretch his reading out over several days while he tried understanding how the Keepers came to be. He would need time to process and digest the new information. He hadn’t expected to delve in and not be able to put it down.

  He had been awestruck as he turned each page and soaked in more and more of the new information. His head felt full and it seemed his brain had become slow and thick as he struggled to organize and understand. He had so many questions and hoped reading farther would enlighten him, providing him the information necessary to comprehend his new position.

  This would all have to wait for another day, he realized as he yawned and stretched. He felt, and assumed he looked haggard. He needed sleep. He looked at the moons again to get a better idea of the time. Half the night had already passed. He threw a couple small logs onto what remained of the hot red coals of his fire. Slowly new flames emerged from the ashes and licked up the sides of the wood. He rubbed his hands and placed them over the fire. After a moment of relishing the warmth, he unrolled his bedding and lay down, pulling his blanket over his head while he prayed for a quick trip to sleep. Unsuccessful, he tossed and turned all night trying to turn off his racing thoughts. Eventually, though, he did win his battle and drifted off to sleep.

  MIlenthia

  Raythum continued on his eastward journey. He meandered through the countryside of the lands of Havenbrook for several weeks. He had no destination and seemed content to wander with no return to the capital in sight. He had finished the many books Norlun provided him several days ago and understood the true nature of the Keepers and the role he would need to play. He felt content and at one with nature for the first time in years. He smiled as he moved from side to side in the saddle with the rhythmic movement of the horse’s slow pace. The birds chirped high from their perches in their trees and a small breeze cooled his sweat-filled face. A peace had settled over him.

  Life had changed for him in the last couple of months, and he found he felt happy for the first time since he lost Serena. He proved himself worthy of the throne of Havenbrook, and had become a Keeper; neither of which he felt were even a possibility just three months before. He no longer even felt the same level of hatred and angst he had long since held for his brother. Life is good, he thought.

  He spotted a copse of redwood and hemlock trees sitting at the edge of a small stream farther up the path. Once under the adequate shade cover provided from the thick boughs, the temperature dropped several degrees. He led the horse to the water and bent down on his own knees splashing water on his face. The cool crispness of it lowered his body temperature and brought his spirits up even more.

  He cupped his hands again and placed them in the cool stream, bringing several mouthfuls to his dry, parched lips, drinking greedily. He dug into his saddlebag and pulled out an apple and several vegetables. He walked to the thick trunks of the trees and sat. He enjoyed his lunch in the shade, knowing the moment wouldn’t last long. He needed to get back on the road. Or did he? He reminded himself he had no agenda, and could linger as long as he wanted to, which brought a grin to his face. He took a large bite of the green apple and looked up, staring long and hard at several puffy white clouds swimming in the deep blue ocean of the sky.

&nb
sp; He enjoyed the fresh produce as it made its way to his stomach and calmed the churning beast lying deep within his belly. He leaned his head back on the knobby bark of the tree trunk and closed his eyes, enjoying the coolness the shade provided. His body felt at ease and he drifted off to sleep.

  After several long moments of slumber, his eyes jolted open in a flurry of panic and he leaned forward. His breath became jagged as sweat poured down his face. He was frightened like a little child who awakens in the middle of the night from a bad dream or a night terror. He looked around the copse of trees as he tried to understand what had brought him to this state. He thought hard about his dream, but nothing seemed forthcoming.

  A loud shriek erupted from the forest south of his position. He stood and ran around to the other side of his resting spot to get a better view. Birds filled the sky as they took to flight, blocking the thick yellow light of the sun. The shriek, no, more of a bellow, he thought, filled the air again. It wasn’t just what he could hear, but what he felt as the sounds traveled through his body and shook his very bones. Whatever made the sound—and it had to be large—needed help. He ran to his horse who had wide eyes and its ears were pinned back. It stomped at the ground with its hooves and snorted in the direction of the terrifying noise.

  Raythum patted his horse’s head and whispered to it in an attempt to calm it down. After a moment, it seemed to help and he climbed on its back, heading to the forest with all haste. More bellows rang out as he crossed the thick and tall, green wild grass filling the pasture separating him from his target. They seemed to get much louder the closer he got, and he had no idea what kind of a creature could make such a raucous noise.

  He felt as if he had aged years by the time he reached the outskirts of the forest. The trees were too thick to even contemplate trying to ride. He dismounted and tied it to a trunk. The horse looked startled and spooked again. He whispered and tried to help it relax for a second time—which it did—but Raythum felt it would be a futile endeavor. As soon as the beast screamed again, the horse would slip back to its manic state.

  Raythum pulled his bow and quiver from the saddle and fastened his sword to his belt before he crept through the forest. The boughs of the trees let in very little light, which made seeing more difficult. He stalked from tree trunk to tree trunk when the loudest shriek yet shook the very ground he walked on. His nerves were rattled and he became frightened; he needed to continue. He took another step forward when he paused. He thought he heard a quiet plea in a woman’s voice, please help. He realized the plea had come from inside his own head, though. He shook it to clear it, knowing he had to have imagined the words, and pressed on.

  He spotted a clearing up ahead and found a larger boulder he could hide behind. He placed his back on the rough side of the rock and slowed his breathing so he could listen.

  He heard several voices; they were the gruff voices of men, but he couldn’t make out what they said. He took several steps to peer around the edge of the boulder, but what he saw terrified him and he retreated back behind the rock.

  There were men; several of them, and Human men at that. In the middle of the clearing stood a sight he had never expected to see in his life; it was a Dragon. It had large, orange wings like flames. The Dragon’s scales were a deep, shimmering bronze color and reflected the bright rays of the sun. The men held the creature on the ground with several chains; one looped around the Dragon’s head, and another had the wings pinned down close to its body. The men formed a circle and moved forward toward the magnificent creature with swords and pikes drawn, jeering and taunting it.

  Raythum didn’t know how, but he needed to help it. He had been raised to never leave another being in need of assistance, and the Humans’ treatment of the Dragon reminded him all too much of his brother’s devilish acts with animals when they were children. He climbed and shimmied his way up the large boulder to get a better view from the top. He propped his body on his thick arms while he tried to formulate a plan. Four men controlled the chain around the creature’s neck, and seven controlled the one around its wings. Each group seemed to barely keep up with the creature’s strength. If he could take out one or two from each group, it might be enough to give the Dragon an advantage. He needed to be careful not to get injured by it too, though.

  He knew he couldn’t fire off any shots from the top of the rock without becoming a target himself so he slid down. He scrambled around the boulder and reached the clearing. He slowed his breathing, nocked an arrow, and pulled back on the string of his bow. He aimed for one of the men at the wings, and loosed the arrow. It flew true, but he didn’t wait to see if it hit its target. Before the first arrow plunged deep within the flesh of the unsuspecting man, he let loose another arrow at one of the other men holding the chain around the head of the Dragon. With that one loose, he sent another toward the men by the wings again.

  All three made contact before any of them had any idea that they were under attack. He watched as the trio fell to the ground. The others looked toward his position with the understanding they were targets too. The soldiers not holding chains changed positions and charged toward him.

  He thought he only had a few moments before the enemy outnumbered him in close-quarter combat. Come on, he thought. What are you waiting for? He looked deep into the Dragon’s eyes from a distance. They gave off a hazy and milky appearance and panic filled Raythum as he realized the Dragon was drugged so the men could subdue it.

  He grabbed another arrow and nocked it. He began rapid firing his arrows toward the oncoming rush of soldiers. One by one he watched as the men fell to his swift flying arrows, but he would soon run out, leaving too many to ward off. You are almost free. You need to fight through the medication to save your own life. To save both of our lives. PLEASE!

  His pleading took place within the confines of his own head, but he needed to do something. A few more moments and he would more than likely die if the Dragon didn’t help in some way. He fired his last arrow and watched as it punched through an oncoming soldier’s leg sending blood and bits of flesh in its wake. He had dropped his bow and drawn his sword to prepare for the large group, when he spotted movement from the Dragon out of the corner of his eye.

  It staggered and tried to move, dragging several of its captors with it. It couldn’t progress in a straight line, but instead tottered in a bobbing and weaving pattern like an old drunk trying to find his way home after a long evening of imbibing. It pitched to the side and rammed its body against a tree, trapping two men. Two large crushing sounds—like shattering bones—filled the air as the two men’s bodies were trapped between the tree and the heavy weight of the Dragon.

  Raythum watched as the charging army stopped in their tracks and eyed the Dragon stumbling around the clearing. The captors looked disoriented, unable to decide which target to pursue. One made the decision for all of them, raising his sword toward the Dragon, he charged. Soon the others followed suit and ignored Raythum.

  Raythum watched as clarity seemed to fill the Dragon’s eyes. The drugs were leaving its system and it could think all of a sudden. It stopped running with a blind man’s randomness, and stabilized itself on its four legs. It turned and grabbed two of the soldiers in its large jaws and smashed down, cutting the pair in half as their still twitching corpses hit the ground. It no longer had anyone holding the silver chain wrapped around its neck and it switched its focus to the three Humans still struggling to get their hands on the chains pinning down its wings.

  Raythum decided to further assist the Dragon and charged toward a pair of men who stood well away from the others, fearful the Dragon had gained an advantage and their miserable lives would soon come to an end. Their backs faced him when he approached, and he thrust his sword through the back of one of them. He pulled it free and kicked the body to the ground as blood splattered from the sword and landed on his face. It felt warm and the salty, iron smell filled his nostrils, further fueling the adrenaline filling his body. He spun and engaged
the other soldier who stared at him wide-eyed. Before the man could react and raise his sword, the sharpened edge of the cold steel of Raythum’s, sliced through the man’s neck with little resistance from the muscle and bone within. The head dropped with the scared blank stare still visible on the poor soul’s face. It bounced and rolled across the ground, fresh blood gathering grass and leaves as it went.

  Raythum turned toward the others to see if anyone else had discerned his presence, but it appeared they were all consumed with trying to re-subdue the Dragon. Several approached it from behind and were surprised when its tail came crashing toward them as if from nowhere, and sent them flying toward their death, or serious injury. He looked deep into the creature’s eyes as he moved to intercept more of the soldiers. They were clear and focused on the task at hand, taking man after man as if they were nothing more than a nuisance.

  A soldier snuck up on the Dragon from the side and jammed his pike above its right front leg. The sharpened point found a groove between two of the hardened bronze scales and penetrated the thick, soft flesh below. The Dragon roared in pain as thick, red blood coursed down the pike and flooded the wound. It snapped its head around and closed its jaw around the man, severing the torso from the legs with its razor-sharp teeth. It spat the carcass across the forest before concentrating on the next foe.

  Raythum looked down at his arms. He had several wounds which would require dressing, but at this point they were minor. The Dragon remained his main focus. Although he had come to the aid of the creature, he still approached hesitantly as he didn’t have any experiences with Dragons.

  It eyed him with deep staring eyes as cold as ice. He felt as though they peered through his exterior and dug deep down into his soul. It snorted as he came even closer. “Easy now,” he said. “I don’t wish you harm. I’m here to help you.”