The Foreshadow of Balance
Page 19
CHAPTER XVIII
And so through the afternoon they practiced whilst all around them the Stormclouds went about their own preparations. Some left then, but most stayed and as the day wore on they started preparing for the evenings feast.
Late in the afternoon Perr Thunderground called them all together to listen. He asked that the Foreshadow of Balance join him and they did, standing in a loose semi-circle behind him.
“Stormclouds,” Thunderground began, “all those who stand before me, and those that have left. Those that went before us and those who are to come. You have all sworn an Oath for the Freedom of All.”
There were shouts of agreement from the Stormclouds.
“Perhaps now though there will not be any coming after us, for we have decided to join in this Quest to regain the Balance and in succeeding there will be no more use for the Stormclouds.”
There were cheers from the crowd and Dylan was amazed that they were happy to no longer have a job. Well, it wasn’t a job, he guessed.
“We have been given this chance to fulfill our Oath and I am well pleased with you that you have chosen to follow the path given to us by the meeting of these men and women. They have sworn their Oaths and been called the Foreshadow of Balance. Some you know or have heard of, some you have fought alongside.
“The Shadow Ranger,” Thunderground pointed behind himself at Mattaeus and a murmur ran through the Stormclouds. “Bell, the Protector of the Forest Way,” and there were nods and murmurs of greeting. “This is the legendary Pirate d’Gaz whose ship the Irredeemable fought and looted many a Chinerthian ship,” there were some cheers. “These are the Twin Magicians, whom some of you will have heard stories. This is Lucas Protector of the Guardian and so this is why we are here.
“This is Connor of the Shed, Guardian of the Portal and his son, Dylan, Guardian and Creator of the Portal. He may be but a boy, but he has given us this opportunity to fulfill our Oath. Will you Stormclouds follow him and his destiny?”
There was silence, everyone seemed to be looking at him. What was this? He wasn’t anything. He didn’t open the Portal, it just did. People couldn’t follow him; he didn’t know where they were going or what they were going to do. He was just a boy and now everyone was looking at him. Maybe they didn’t want to follow him. He could understand that. And then someone spoke up, it was Hallorn.
“I am ready and willing,” he said.
“The Freedom of All,” someone shouted and then there was a cheer and as one they all shouted ‘the Freedom of All’.
“Again he may be but a boy,” Thunderground declared, “but if he can open a Portal, if he can give us this chance, if he can come into a strange world and fight for the Freedom of All, then how can we sit by? How can we not fight and give our all?”
The Stormclouds went wild with cheering and shouting and Thunderground raised his arms for silence.
“I will not lie to you, we will not all meet again in this realm, but we will die for a cause, something that most people cannot or do not do. I will not then send you out without one last feast and the hope that we will feast together once more either here or in the Thither,” again cheers and again he raised his arms for silence. “And it has been told unto me that this day has another reason for celebration, it is the young Guardians Celebration of Passing. He is eleven years old today,” and more cheering.
Dylan looked up at his Dad who smiled back at him and nodded. It was his birthday? He had not kept track of time or days since leaving Earth. Kaitlin put an arm around him and squeezed.
“Your Father told me and so I told Thunderground, I hope you don’t mind?”
“It’s my birthday?”
His Dad came to him, knelt down and gave him a hug.
“Happy birthday, son, I love you so much, I can’t believe how strong you have grown up to be,” and Dylan could see that his Dad was crying.
“To Feast!” Thunderground declared and with a cheer everyone departed.
%%%
There was a lot of food and ale as the sun went down and the Stormclouds seemed genuinely happy despite what they were going to do tomorrow. There was singing and dancing and talking late into the night.
Through the night people came up to Dylan to talk to him and worse to Pledge Allegiance to him. They would place a hand to their heart and one to their forehead and thank him for this chance and Pledge their very best to seeing his Quest complete. Others simply wished him a happy birthday. It was altogether too much for him.
The Foreshadow came to him through the night to wish him a happy birthday and to apologise for not getting him a gift, they did not know. Finally his Dad came and sat with him. They didn’t talk, but his Dad kept an arm around him.
“Eleven years old,” his Dad finally said. “I can’t believe it.”
“How do you know?” Dylan asked.
“Why every day since we left I wake up and tell myself the date so that I know,” his Dad looked off into the trees. “Everything is so strange, I want to keep a link to Earth, you know?”
“Yes,” Dylan did know, he thought about it a lot.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Son, it’s not exactly what I had in mind for you.”
“It’s OK, Dad, it’s not your fault.”
“No, but still…”
“Sometimes I want to go home and sometimes I think about it and there doesn’t seem to be anything to go back to.”
Connor looked down at his son. “Yes, I feel the same.”
“Happy birthday, young man,” a random Stormcloud said as he walked past.
“I think I’m going to find some peace and quiet,” Dylan told his Dad.
“Fair enough,” his Dad smiled at him.
Dylan found Kaitlin sitting on a log alone away from the group and he sat next to her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Just thinking, young Guardian,” she smiled down at him.
“You can call me Dylan, that’s my name.”
“OK then, Dylan it is.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Many things. This Quest has a lot of questions and answers for all of us.”
“I don’t really understand,” Dylan said and shivered.
“It is cold away from the fire,” Kaitlin said and took the blanket off her lap and wrapped it around him.
He could remember talking a little bit, remember snuggling up against her, but he did not remember falling asleep.
%%%
The morning Sun was bright and laid down a green hue through the trees as Dylan got out of his bed. How had he gotten there? Kaitlin or Dad must have put him there.
He wandered out of the hut and could see the remains of the great fire now just black ash. The rest of the camp seemed quiet with just a few people walking around tidying things away or packing perhaps. As always Lucas was standing by the door.
“Ah, awake again, good. It is nearing the time of our leaving.”
“Where are we going?”
“Like you, young Guardian, I am just following the lead. Come,” Lucas said and began walking away.
The Foreshadow of Balance were standing around a group of horses that were carrying their bags.
“Ahh, here we are,” said Bell.
“Morning,” Dylan said.
“Morning, Dylan,” Dad and Kaitlin said at the same time and then looked at each other and smiled.
“You are well rested, young Guardian?” the Shadow Ranger asked.
“I am, thank you.”
“Good, then we must ride. We have a long way to cover.”
With that they mounted horses and rode out of the clearing.
Dylan again rode with Lucas and after a while they came up alongside Bell. The road here was much wider and the trees did not protect them from the warming sun.
“Where is everyone else?” Dylan asked Bell.
“They went ahead early; I honestly do not know that we could have done this without the Stormcloud’s h
elp.”
“Where have they gone?”
“All across the land, those that you saw at camp will now destroy it.”
“Why?”
“So that no one knows where the Stormclouds have been.”
“Do you really think we can do this?”
Bell smiled at him. “We will find out at the end of this road.”
%%%
Connor was riding ahead with Mattaeus and d’Gaz.
“I don’t understand one thing,” Connor said.
“Only one thing? I am impressed,” d’Gaz laughed.
“They can’t kill the King, right?”
“Right,” replied Mattaeus. “To do so would mean another could become King.”
“But have they not captured his whole family? I mean couldn’t a son become an acting King?”
“His whole family is taken, yes, no doubt killed, but that is not the way of things.”
“To be a King or Queen,” d’Gaz explained, “is about taking on the responsibility, to fully and totally commit yourself to the land and people. In a way anyone can become King.”
“So why doesn’t someone?”
“For one we are all bound by the Oath the True King has taken, but even if he were to die it is still difficult to find someone pure enough to take such an Oath,” Mattaeus took over.
“Why?”
“They must be able to make the Oath truly committing to it. They cannot pass if they want the crown for any reason other than the true Oath. And then there is the people’s Oath of Allegiance. The people must be able and willing to take that Oath.”
“A King or Queen is a difficult thing to find on Sylvae,” d’Gaz grinned.
“You said it,” Connor replied.
%%%
They rode on for hours until they stopped. Dylan was grateful to get off the horse, his legs and bum were killing him. He walked around stretching as did the others before setting out something to eat.
“This then is the plan, once again,” the Shadow Ranger said after they had eaten. “We travel not much further to the town of Maelem’s Square where we will meet up with Stormclouds to get information. From there we will head to the Capital City to prepare and then on to the Prison of Articus.
“Many things will, Righteous willing, happen all at once and the City will rebel. From there we head to Talon’s Fall and wait for the Armies of Chinerthia to try and quell us. Once they are defeated we will continue to Hokino.”
“You make it all sound so simple,” Lucas groaned.
“It gets worse,” d’Gaz winked at him.
“It can get worse?”
“Hush, Lucas,” Mattaeus gave him a sharp glance. “We will from here have to be split.”
“No,” protested Dylan.
“We must,” Bell told him, “we are too visible riding like this.”
“Then how will we split?” Connor asked.
“Myself and d’Gaz will go to Maelem’s Square while the rest of you go on to the Capital,” Mattaeus explained.
“I will go with you,” Alura told him.
“No, it is not necessary.”
“It is, from here we tread dangerous roads and you could do with my skills. Plus Kaitlin and I can keep in contact.”
“How?” Dylan asked.
“Through our bonds of Magic and twinship.”
“Like talking in your minds?”
“Yes, young Guardian,” she smiled at him, “just like that.”
“Cool.”
“OK then, you will come with us. Once you are in the Capital City do not all stay in the same place. Alura is right, we tread a dangerous road and need not draw attention to ourselves.”
“Then we ride,” Bell stated.
“Good luck to you all, may the Righteous watch over us,” the Shadow Ranger said and stood.