Chapter 23
"You are not dressed like a Medoran, yet you have dark hair unlike a Vindyri. I have never seen a Bhoor but you do not look like how I pictured one to look," Rommus said as he stared at the man.
"I am not Vindyri, Medoran, or Bhoor. My people inhabited the land you now call Vindyrion long ago. We have since been sent away from our land and the people we loved," Vohl said as he stood majestically with a hand on his hilt, his fine cape billowing behind him.
Rommus looked at the man skeptically. "I am not aware of another people."
"And yet here I stand before you."
Rommus blinked a few times in thought. "Well I must thank you Vohl. We would have been killed if you had not come to our rescue."
Vohl said nothing but bowed instead. He then returned to his straight posture and stood regally. He remained quiet, obviously expecting more questions about him to be asked.
"How did you slip through these men without being seen?" Rommus finally said.
"If they were paying closer attention, I would have been easily seen. However, I have the assistance of this cape, which confuses the eye."
Rommus eyed the peculiar cape the tall man wore. It appeared to be black, but seemed to have the same odd sheen that his hair had. Its lining was a beautiful silver color that seemed to capture the light and mirror it back in a strange fashion. "How can something as simple as a cape hide you among so many men?
"The cape is magic, but it does nothing more than your cape does. Do you not use your cape to conceal the sword of Arius?"
"I do use it for concealment, but I'm afraid I have not had much of a chance to use it yet. I still don't understand how some cloth could hide you out here in the open."
Vohl took his cape in his hand and showed it to Rommus. "What do you see?"
"I see a cape made of a material I am not familiar with."
"You see what you expect to see. You see a cape. These men did not expect to see a cape. They saw what they expected, which was nothing but shadows."
"Why is it that I could not move or think when I looked in your eyes?" Alana interrupted, staring at his clothing and not his face.
Vohl smiled. "That is a little harder to explain, madam. It is just something that my people have learned to do. I'm afraid it's beyond my control, much like your beauty is beyond yours. Might I ask your names?"
"I'm sorry. I am Rommus. This is Alana," he said, holding a hand out to the blushing woman beside him. "Why is it that your trick does not work on me? Does it only work on females?"
"No, it does not work the same way beauty does. It works on most people, especially those not expecting it. It's an enhanced trait of humans; anyone can look in another's eyes and see their soul. We have simply learned to reach in and feel what another is feeling, and by mirroring their soul it confuses the mind, much like this cape confuses the eye."
Rommus thought that perhaps it wasn't the cape that was so confusing, but the man wearing it. His words did not make a lot of sense, and seemed to be based on a slippery reality that was only in his own mind. But regardless of the mental condition of the man, he had certainly proven himself when he saved their lives. They owed him for what he had done, and Rommus intended to repay the favor.
"Are you traveling this road to Medora, or into Vindyrion?" Rommus asked.
"I am on my way to the Land of the Gods, which is what you call it in your tongue."
Rommus laughed a quiet laugh, trying not to offend the man. "The bridge into that land has fallen. No one has been able to enter that land for ages. But we are on our way to Reyth, which is near there, so if you would like some company, we could sure use you. You're certainly good with that sword of yours."
"I would be honored to accompany you and the lady. I have not had conversation in quite a long time, let alone the short ones I have had in the last week or so to learn your language."
Rommus lowered his eyebrows. "What do you mean? Are you saying you learned our language in a week?"
"Do not be too quick to show your amazement. My language is very similar and it was not difficult. What business takes you to Reyth, if I may ask?"
Rommus shot a glance to Alana and then back to Vohl. "It seems a bit silly to say it out loud, but my dreams guide me there. We can't stay here in Medora because there are Medorans here who are out to harm us."
"Apparently there are Vindyri out to harm you as well. You seem to lead a dangerous life."
"Only recently. Why are you on your way to the Land of the Gods?"
"To put an end to something that should have been finished long ago."
Rommus saw a distant sadness in the man's eyes and decided not to push the matter further. "Well my friend, I have not been there, but my father has. He told me that the bridge leading into that land is gone, and there is nothing but ruins on the other side. It might be a waste of your time to go there."
"Master Rommus, there are many things that are not as they appear. No matter what I find there, I will cross the ravine. I will find my way to the Land of the Gods if I have to climb down one side and up the other."
"Well then I admire your dedication," Rommus said as he walked over to the two horses standing on the road and took the reigns of one of them. The other made a show of aggression toward him by rearing up and neighing loudly.
"Easy," Vohl said as he approached the animal. When it brought its hooves back to the ground it immediately stopped and stood calmly, staring at the man before it. Vohl reached out and touched the soft muzzle of the horse and it seemed to melt in his hand.
"How did you do that?" Alana asked.
Vohl ran his long hands over the animal for a moment before he answered. "The horse sees much the same thing you saw when you looked in my eyes. He is comforted and relaxed now. I can see his soul."
Rommus and Alana shared a quick, confused glance. After a moment Rommus finally said something to break the growing silence. "So you have some experience with horses?"
"No. There are no horses where I am from, although I have seen them before when I was very young."
"A land with no horses?" Rommus asked in amazement. "I cannot imagine such a thing."
"It should be easy for you to imagine, Master Rommus. Just as you are familiar with things that I am not, I am familiar with things that you have never seen. My land holds many wonders for those who have not seen it."
"What sorts of things?" Alana asked as she came to Rommus's horse to pet the animal.
"Animals that were shut away along with us. Animals that walked the earth before man. Beasts that are dangerous to those who cannot control their wild souls."
Rommus stared harder at the man, more confused with every word he said. "Just where are you from, Vohl Dirujen?"
"I told you my people come from the land you call Vindyrion."
"Vindyrion does not have strange animals that can't be found in other places." Alana said.
"Where did you come from Vohl? Where do you live?" Rommus asked with growing impatience.
Vohl straightened himself to his full height. "I have recently come from the south, beyond the southern wall."
Rommus laughed. "No you didn't. No one comes from that place. There are Medoran and probably Vindyri soldiers watching that wall at all times. They have never seen anyone on those desolate plains. Are you playing some kind of joke on us?"
Vohl's eyes narrowed slightly but he never lost his polite charm. "If no threat lies to the south, then why would your armies be watching those plains?"
Rommus felt a chill go up his spine as he remembered all the stories about monsters beyond the southern wall. This man's story was hard to believe, and he seemed to dance around the truth whenever he could. He was not easy to read by any means. "I suppose you have a point. But how could anyone survive out on those plains? There is nothing for as far as you can see. I have seen the place with my own eyes."
"We did not live on those plains. The barrier that kept us to the south was just beyond where you could see
from that stone wall. It was only a few days of travel across the plains before I arrived here."
"I don't see how you could have slipped past the eyes of the Medoran soldiers, even with that cape of yours."
Vohl shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose they have grown weary of looking at the empty horizon over the years and they just weren't paying close attention. Besides, I never saw any soldiers on patrol."
Alana scratched her neck. "If you really did come from the south, where are the rest of your people? Why are you traveling alone?"
Again Vohl's eyes filled with a soft sadness. "When we were sent away, we were all bonded together through our trials, but not in our thoughts. We aided each other when we were in need, but we did not all agree on things; much like any group of people would disagree on certain matters.
"There came a time when a few of us struggled for power among ourselves and the people that we had brought with us. We were able to secretly take some loved ones with us, but most of us were to be alone. Those of us who became the rulers began enforcing the laws that seemed right in their eyes, but things got out of hand.
"Most of my people who did not agree with the new ways were sealed inside stone caskets and dropped from boats to the bottoms of deep waters, never to be seen again. Many of us ran away from this horror for much of our lives. A few, like me, traveled westward to escape the unjust rule of our leaders. In time, the population that we created began to dwindle, and there were mostly only people of my bloodline left. They fought for power like they had always done in the past, but it became even more heated. They no longer had time or resources to hunt down those of us who were dissenters. The war between rulers kept us from an icy fate at the bottom of dark waters."
"That's horrible!" Alana said in shock. "How could anyone do that to another human being? I can't imagine the terrible feeling of being in a dark stone box filling with cold water as it fell to the bottom of some deep lake."
"Yes it is terrible to imagine. However the waters were not lakes, but oceans far to the southeast. Lakes were not deep enough in the eyes of the rulers, I suppose."
Rommus saw Alana bring her hand up to cover her mouth. "The loved ones you spoke of, they were Vindyri?"
"No, as I said there was no Vindyrion then, but yes these blonde-haired people are the ancient relatives of the people we lived alongside. We were easy to differentiate because of our hair color, and it was not hard to find all of us and seal us beyond the horizon. We are actually more closely related to the Medorans than the people you call Vindyri."
"How many of you were sealed away?" Alana asked.
"There were 211 Dirujen, and nearly 500 others we were able to take with us secretly. From those small numbers we started a somewhat large civilization, but as I said, it has dwindled to nearly nothing now."
Rommus rubbed his fingers on his chin. "How did that happen? What caused your population to decrease? Did the rulers try to kill everyone?"
"No, the rulers were only interested in eliminating other Dirujen who they considered a threat to their rule. The others were safe as long as they did not do anything too offensive."
"If they were safe, then what killed them?"
"Death killed them."
Rommus felt his eyebrows come together in confusion. He thought that perhaps the man was still not totally familiar with the language he had just learned. "Well of course, but what caused them to die?"
"The things that cause any human to die. Most died of old age."
Rommus shook his head. "I must say Vohl, you are fairly confusing. If people die of old age here, it means they have had time to have children, and even see grandchildren become adults before they die. A population doesn't dwindle because of old age."
"Well that is how it happened. I must admit that although I have spent a life surrounded by death, I do not know much about how a population can die. It is as confusing to me as it is to you."
All the talk of death reminded Rommus of the carnage all around him. Vohl watched his eyes as he scanned the ground littered with bodies. "I guess we should do something about all these men," he said.
"What shall we do? Hide them? Bury them?" Vohl asked.
"No, wait a minute," Rommus said as he scratched his head. "I don't know what these men were doing in Medora. Do you have any idea Alana?"
"No I can't imagine why they would be here and not in Vindyrion where they are needed."
"Well, they were probably just another band of Vindyri rebels over here causing trouble. I think it might be important for the Legions to know that these men were here. I would hate for some innocent child to have to see this as they walked by, but we can't cover it up like it never happened. We'll drag them from the road over to those rocks they came from. I think the Medoran soldiers will be able to see that there was trouble here and they'll find them. I'll carve my initials on the stone so that maybe they will understand that I was the one responsible."
Alana touched his arm. "But Rommus, aren't you trying to keep our journey a secret?"
Rommus ran a hand down the side of his face. "I guess you're right. I can't risk leaving a clue like that. Let's just get them off the road and over there."
Rommus and Vohl did the majority of the gruesome work dragging the bloody men out of sight. Alana made herself useful by going through all the pockets and packs of the men and taking anything that was valuable. While Rommus didn't like the idea of stealing, he figured that they had earned it from these men. Besides, if they didn't take the money and food they found, someone else was going to when they found the men, and Rommus needed money and supplies if he was ever going to get to Reyth. He needed to have a plan ready to return to Medora eventually too.
Rommus and Vohl sat to rest by the roadside as Alana loaded their things onto the horses. "How long ago was it that your people were sealed away?" Rommus asked as he stretched his tired muscles.
"That was nearly 3000 years ago."
"Then there's something I don't understand. How could the Medorans of today have any knowledge of a threat beyond the wall? Why do we have stories of monsters?"
"Do you think people forget things so easily? 3000 years is not that long. Besides, there were the rings."
Rommus cocked his head. "Rings?" What do you mean?"
"We had rings made by men of magic that made it possible to communicate beyond the seal. The rings take the wearer to a place where there are only souls. It's quite beautiful."
"So there was a way to speak with the people you left behind? If that's true then why have I never heard of your people or these ancient beasts that you guard?"
"We did not exactly guard the beasts, we simply learned to control them and keep them from killing the people close to us. As for why you have not heard the stories, I think you are mistaken. You have heard of beasts beyond the seal."
"I suppose I have heard that, but there's nothing specific about it."
"I don't know what answer you are looking for, Master Rommus, but I do know that the rings either stopped working, or the people on this side stopped using them more than a thousand years ago. The lost communication means that any mention of the Dirujen would only be in the most ancient texts. Perhaps that is why you do not know our story."
Rommus moved his jaw from side to side as he thought. "I guess that makes sense. It's just such a hard story to believe. What kinds of beasts are down there?"
Vohl stared at the horizon in the distance. "There are things bigger than these horses that walk like a man. There are things with great wings that can carry off children. There are things in the waters that can sink the greatest of ships. There are things that can hide in shadow and sun. There are too many beasts to mention; and all of them more dangerous than you can imagine. It was for the good of the world that these things were sent beyond the seal and out of your lands."
"Are they free to come here now that the seal is broken? Are we in danger?"
"They are as free to roam as I am, but you are not in any danger as long
as I am with you. I do not think they have any reason to leave their familiar places anyway. I don't think they will come here."
Rommus ran his fingers over the hilt at his hip. "Well that's good to know."
"You must be careful with that."
"With what? The sword? Believe me Vohl I am no amateur when it comes to weapons. I can not only use them, but I make them as well."
"Not a sword like that. That sword is far more dangerous than any other blade."
Rommus smiled. "I told you this is not some mythical sword held by some god. It's just a golden sword."
"Is that right? Did you not see what it did to the man when it cut his neck? It takes only the slightest tear in the skin to send someone into the void. You must not cut yourself with it or you will go there as well."
"I have already cut myself with it and nothing happened. I don't mean to ruin any religious ideas you might have about this thing, but it's just a sword."
Vohl stared at him for a moment before speaking. "It is possible that I am mistaken, but I don't think that is the case, Master Rommus. I have seen that sword before."
"Well I took it from Mages when they were trying to harm us. Those are the people we are running from."
"What are Mages?"
"You know, magic men. Actually I don't know that they can use magic at all, I think it's just a game they play. I have a hard time believing any stories of magic actually. But those men are still dangerous."
"I understand."
Rommus stood up and helped his new friend to his feet. "Vohl, what is it that your people did to get banished from these lands?"
"We did not do anything to deserve such a thing. We are simply of the proper bloodline."
"What do you mean? Why would that make you worthy of banishment?"
"We were sent away because we are a bloodline connected to a god."
"I still don't understand. It was some religious ritual?"
Vohl stared into Rommus's soul, his long hair floating in the light breeze. "The ritual came before the banishment. Inshae made us immortals before the gods sent us beyond the seal."
Mighty Hammer Down Page 39
