The Black Stone of Elu

by Darrin Long

  Neilan gave Kaylu a questioning look.

  “What I see?” He asked.

  “Yes, but not everything you see,” Kaylu said “magic has a colour and your Drag will show it to you. It may take some time for you to see it, but we will keep at it until you do. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Neilan said, “I am.”

  Kaylu stepped back and waved his hand and a serpent slithered out from a crack in the rock hissing at him. Neilan quickly pulled out his sword and cut its head off.

  “Very good,” Kaylu said “again.”

  A moment later a bear walked around the corner of the cave, it towered over him as it stood on its hind legs. Suddenly Neilan saw what looked like a yellow glow around the bear and he knew that it was magic.

  “It is not real,” Neilan said.

  Kaylu’s mouth dropped open and he had a shocked look on his face.

  “How did you know?” he asked, “did you just guess?”

  “No, I saw its colour,” Neilan said, looking back at Kaylu.

  “It’s not possible that you have already seen the magic, I haven’t even explained to you how to see it,” Kaylu said. “You are guessing and that will not help you.”

  “No, I am not,” Neilan said, “show me another.”

  Kaylu waved his hand and two large cave bats swooped towards Neilan who swung his sword at the first one just catching its wing. The bat squealed and the two of them flew away. Kaylu waved again and the bats returned, but this time they had a yellow glow around them and Neilan smiled.

  “Good try,” Neilan said, “they are not real.”

  Suddenly a wolf walked around the corner of the cave and Neilan jumped. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, but he took a deep breath and watched the wolf. It was very subtle, but Neilan could see the yellow glow around it and knew that the Wolf was not real.

  “Not real,” Neilan said and the wolf disappeared.

  Kaylu walked over to where Neilan stood.

  “You can put your sword away son,” he said.

  Neilan sheathed his sword as Kaylu stood watching him suspiciously.

  “What have you and Iri been doing?” Kaylu asked.

  “Doing?” He replied “nothing.”

  “She hasn’t made you any more special food, has she?” Kaylu asked. “Given you any strange plants to chew on?”

  “No, honest” Neilan said.

  Kaylu scratched his chin as he looked at Neilan questioningly.

  “Well, something has changed,” Kaylu said, “hold out your hand.”

  Neilan held out his hand in front of him.

  “Now, repeat these words, ’Dolc meen tolan,” Kaylu said.

  Neilan repeated the words and waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

  “Do it again,” kaylu said.

  Neilan repeated the words again, but nothing happened.

  “Again!” Kaylu yelled.

  “Nothing is happening,” Neilan said looking at Kaylu who had a very strange look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  Kaylu was deep in thought then, he looked at Neilan with a furrowed brow.

  “I’m not sure,” He said, “I’ve read all of the prophecies about the Reiteach and they say that the Reiteach will be able to do magic.”

  “But I can’t do magic,” Neilan said.

  “Yes, so it seems,” Kaylu said, “but it doesn’t make sense. You have to be the Reiteach, there is no other, I am sure of that.”

  Kaylu placed his hand on the wall and leaned trying to think about all the prophecies he had read.

  “I think it may be the prophecies of Mall,” he said, “they were the only prophecies that were a little off.”

  “What do ye mean?” Neilan said.

  Kaylu looked at him seriously.

  ”Well, she seemed to be confused at times about her dreams,” he said. “There were times when she didn’t even remember that the Reiteach was a boy and now, I see she was wrong about the Reiteach being able to do magic. None the less, we will keep training. You are the Reiteach, of that I know.”

  Kaylu walked over and placed his hand on Neilan’s shoulder and they disappeared. A moment later, they reappeared at the cave.

  “What are we doing here?” Neilan asked, “what about the training?”

  “You don’t seem to need that training,” Kaylu said. “I have some research to do then, I will return.”

  “But-” Neilan said. However, it was too late, Kaylu was already gone so, Neilan sat down on the bench. “What happened?” he said, “why was I able to see the magic so easily and why can’t I do magic if I am the Reiteach?”

  He sat outside for about an hour then, went inside. He thought about going after Iri on the mountain, but he really didn’t know where to look. So, he straightened up the cave and made some food in case she came back soon.

  “Maybe she will know why I can see magic so easily,” he thought.

  Two hours later Iri walked through the door.

  “There ye are,” Neilan said, noticing that she looked disturbed. “What’s wrong,” he asked.

  Iri took a deep breath and then, smiled at him.

  “Nothing,” she said, “everything is fine, why?”

  “Ye looked like something was wrong when ye came in, that’s why,” Neilan said looking at her suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

  Iri looked at the floor because she couldn’t seem to hide it from Neilan, no matter how hard she tried.

  “Iri,” he said and she looked up at him.

  He looked into her eyes for a moment and he didn’t have to ask her again, he knew what she had been doing.

  “Ye have been practising magic,” he said.

  “How do you know?” she asked with a shocked look.

  “I don’t know,” he said, “I just do.”

  “Neilan, I have been practising magic for a while now but, today everything changed”. She said.

  “What do ye mean?” he asked.

  “I was able to do the magic without even thinking about it. It was as if I willed it to happen.” She said.

  Neilan walked over to her and took her hands in his.

  “Iri, today when Kaylu wanted to teach me to see magic, I already could,” he said. “What exactly is that Tighinn Comhla?”

  Iri looked down for a moment and then looked back up.

  “It is the joining, where two become one,” she said, “I became part of you and you became part of me.”

  Realization began to sink in and Neilan knew what had happened.

  “I see, part of ye is in me now, but ye can’t see magic,” he said.

  “Well, that’s not exactly true,” she said.

  “What’s not true?” he asked.

  “Any of it” Iri replied, “Neilan, I can see magic and smell it.”

  “But Kaylu said only the Dream Crier and the Reiteach can do that” Neilan said.

  “I know” Iri replied, “but I’ve always been able to do it.”

  “Wow,” Neilan said stepping back “but shouldn’t I be able to do magic then?”

  Iri shrugged, “I don’t know,” she said.

  They sat down by the fire and Neilan got them both some food to eat and they talked. Iri told Neilan everything that she had been doing and Neilan told Iri about how different he was feeling now that they had performed the Joining.

  “Kaylu is confused now,” Neilan said. “He doesn’t really know as much about the Reiteach as he thought he did. I wonder why he doesn’t just prophecy or dream or whatever it is that Dream Criers do.”

  “Maybe they can’t control it,” Iri said, “maybe it just comes to them and they write it down.”

  “Maybe” he replied.

  After they ate, they went up onto the mountain to gather some berries.

  “These are great,” Neilan said eating a handful. “But we had better get as many as we can now. It’s getting colder every day.”

  They filled their baskets with berries and headed back to the cave.r />
  “Ye go ahead and take the berries inside,” Neilan said, “I have to cut more wood; the pile is getting low and I want to make sure I have plenty for when the first snow falls.”

  That evening, they just sat and held each other as they watched the fire burning. So much had been said already and there didn’t seem to be any urgency for anything else to be said. That night was an uncomfortable night for them both and neither one was able to get much sleep. Iri got up and walked over to Neilan who was standing staring out the door.

  “Can’t sleep?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.

  Neilan shook his head as he put his arm around her.

  “When I was young, I thought I would never fit in anywhere in this world,” he said. “Now, I feel like it’s resting on my shoulders and I’m scared Iri, I’m scared.”

  Iri took him by the hand and led him back to the blanket.

  “Lie down on your side,” she said.

  Then, she lied down beside him and touched her forehead to his as she began to hum a tune; a beautiful tune; one that Neilan had never heard. As she hummed his whole body began to relax and all the worries just drifted away. That beautiful tune was all there was as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

  Neilan was up before dawn and went outside to watch the sunrise. He remembered watching the sunrise with his mum back in the village. They would sit on the stone wall behind their cottage as the sun painted beautiful artwork in the sky.

  “She really enjoyed that time,” he thought “she would love the view from here.”

  “What are you doing out here? It’s cold” a voice said. “Come inside.”

  He turned to see Iri looking out the door, so he stood up and went inside. They had just finished eating when there was a knock at the door and Neilan went over to see who It was.

  “Kaylu?” he called.

  “Yes,” Kaylu answered from the other side and Neilan opened the door. “Neilan, come outside for a moment,” Kaylu said and they walked out by the tree.

  Neilan looked back as Iri stopped and leaned on the door.

  “Neilan, we have a dilemma,” Kaylu said, “the last part of your training must come from a source other than what I can supply.”

  “What do ye mean?” Neilan said.

  “Well, the training you need is for the Tunai in you,” Kaylu said. “It seems that your Tunai blood is interfering with your Dragoine blood.”

  “Ok, so how do I get the training?” Neilan asked.

  “I really don’t know,” he said with a shrug, “the Tunai hate the Dragoine so, I know they will not listen to me.” Kaylu looked out over the Glen deep in thought then, he turned back to Neilan. “If there was only a way that you could communicate with them without it putting you in danger. I really don’t think there is anything more I can teach you unless you get that training.”

  Suddenly, Kaylu grabbed Neilan by the shoulder and dragged him back to the cave.

  “What are ye doing?” Neilan said trying to pull away, but Kaylu was already waving his staff around in front of him.

  A blue light came from the staff and formed a bubble around the cave opening and the bench.

  “What’s going on?” Neilan said as Kaylu pointed for him to look out into the Glen.

  Neilan looked and saw a large group of Caudee’s soldiers walking through the Glen headed north.

  “Oh no, they are attacking,” Neilan said, “It’s time.”

  “No,” Kaylu said “there are far too few of them. It’s something else.”

  “What is that?” Neilan asked motioning to the bubble.

  “It will keep them from seeing us or your door,” Kaylu said.

  “Where do ye think they are going?” Neilan asked.

  “Well, I would guess it would be one of two places,” Kaylu said, “to attack Draioch and our people or to the Tunai tunnels in the North.”

  “What are we going to do?” he asked; his eyes wide.

  “Well, that is a good question isn’t it,” Kaylu said looking over Neilan’s shoulder at Iri.

  They waited until the group of soldiers was far enough to the north that they would not be spotted then, Kaylu removed the bubble.

  “I think you are going to need some protection for your home,” Kaylu said. “But you will have to remember where the door is or you may not be able to find it either.”

  Neilan walked over to the tree then, took six steps to the side and ten steps to the cave door so he could remember where the door was then, Kaylu raised his staff and with just a small word mumbled under his breath the cave door and the bench disappeared.

  “Wow,” Neilan said, “ye weren’t kidding.”

  They went back into the cave and Neilan walked over and grabbed his bow from the wall.

  “Wait a minute,” Iri said, “Where do you think you are going?”

  “Aren’t we going to fight Caudee’s soldiers?” Neilan asked.

  “Well, I am,” Kaylu said, “I think it would be best if you did not take any more chances; as the only one who can defeat Caudee.”

  “So, I’m to sit here and do nothing?” Neilan asked.

  “Yes, for your time will come,” Kaylu said, “just not yet.”

  Kaylu looked at Iri who hooked her arm into Neilan’s arm and laid her head on his shoulder. Neilan breathed a sigh and placed his bow back on the wall.

  “What are ye-” Neilan began to say as he turned back around, but Kaylu was already gone. “Can ye do that?” he asked Iri.

  “Not quite like that,” she said with a smile.

  “Don’t tell me,” he said.

  “Yes, it was in the book,” she said with a smile.

  Neilan shook his head, “what have I gotten myself in for?” he asked.

  “A happy ending,” she said with a smile.

  Neilan took her into his arms and kissed her then, he stared into her beautiful green sparkling eyes and Iri placed her hand on his cheek.

  “I wish you did not have to carry such a burden alone,” she said.

  He tilted his head and kissed her hand.

  “As long as ye are here I will be ok,” he said, “together we can do anything.”

  “Together,” she said laying her head on his chest.

  On a mountain to the North East of the Glen, alone figure stands on the edge of a cliff looking down over a quarry. To the south, a cloud of dust rises from the ground as a large group of soldiers make their way north. Kaylu holds his staff to his eye and uses the stone in the top as a looking glass.

  “I count fifty soldiers, each dressed for war and carrying weapons,” he said. “But they also have something else with them; it looks like a mountain wolf, but larger and strangely deformed.” Kaylu frowned, “He is getting inventive,” he said, “The question is, where are they going?”

  Kaylu disappeared with a pop and appeared in the dwelling of his brother, Lamu.

  “Lamu, where are you?” he yells.

  “In here” Lamu calls from the library, “What’s wrong?”

  “Caudee’s soldiers are on the move. Fifty of them and a huge wolf” Kaylu said, appearing in the doorway of the library.

  “Wolf?” Lamu replies.

  “Yes, a bit deformed and a lot larger than normal” kaylu said.

  “Where are they?” Lamu asked as he grabbed his sword from the desk.

  “They are still south of the quarry, but I don’t know where they are headed,” Kaylu said.

  “Oh,” Lamu said, “I will have the army ready just in case.”

  Kaylu turned away and with a pop, was gone.

  He reappeared on the cliff overlooking the quarry just in time to see the soldiers turning to the east.

  “They are heading to the Tunai tunnels,” he said. “I must send a message to King Krell.”

  Kaylu waved his staff and chanted in the ancient language as a cloud began to form before him then, with a wave of his staff half of the cloud sped off across the quarry to the east. Kaylu waited as the cloud made its way
past the soldiers and into a tunnel in the cliff wall of a mountain to the east. A few minutes later an image appeared in the cloud before Kaylu.

  “What do you want demon?” a Tunai yelled angrily.

  “Krell, there is an army of deformed soldiers headed your way. They have just passed into the quarry. They also have a huge mountain wolf with them. You must prepare to fight.”

  “Who do you think I am, my father?” Krell yelled back “I will not be tricked so easily, sorcerer.”

  Kaylu lost his patience and turned the cloud to face the quarry.

  “Then see for yourself your highness,” he said.

  Krell was quiet on the other side of the cloud then, Kaylu could hear him giving orders to send out warriors. Kaylu breathed a sigh and shook his head then, he waited as he watched the soldiers march towards the mountain to the east. Under the mountain to the east, Kaylu could see the tunnels come alive with activity. Commanders yelled orders to soldiers and the clanging sound of metal armour and weapons could be heard echoing in the tunnels.

  “This small band of soldiers will not fare so well against a full Tunai army” Krell yelled over the noise. “Now, go and show these beasts what a Tunai blade feels like.”

  The soldiers roared as they ran up the tunnels toward the surface. On a cliff across the quarry, Kaylu smiled as two black streams seemed to leak out of the mountain to the east; it was as if the mountain was bleeding Tunai. The cloud before him disappeared as the small band of fifty soldiers didn’t even slow their momentum. When they saw the army emerging from the tunnels, they charged right into their midst. Kaylu watched as the Tunai warriors held their own against the soldiers, but not so well against the wolf that seemed to move incredibly fast.

  “I don’t like the looks of this” Kaylu said and he disappeared from the cliff.

  The Tunai soldiers fought fiercely, but their numbers were dropping as the wolf tore through their ranks. Their blades didn’t seem to even penetrate its pelt and soon the Tunai warriors realized that their situation was desperate. Suddenly, there was a loud thunderclap and a huge cloud of dust formed behind the wolf. It turned just as the dust cleared to reveal Kaylu standing leaning on his staff. The Tunai soldiers backed up towards the tunnels as the wolf began to circle Kaylu. Krell walked out of the nearest tunnel with two of his commanders.