by Darrin Long
“What does he think he is doing?” Krell yelled.
The wolf circled Kaylu until he was behind him then, with a speed that could only have been achieved by magic it leapt at Kaylu. The split moment that the wolf would have struck him, Kaylu disappeared and reappeared behind the wolf. It spun and quickly attacked again, but this time it ran straight into Kaylu’s staff and froze in its tracks. Kaylu raised his free hand into the air then, swung his staff around and struck the wolf on the top of its head causing it to explode into many pieces. Kaylu remained motionless for a moment with his hood over his face and his hand held out then, he looked up to see the Tunai disappearing back into their tunnels carrying their dead. Realizing that nothing would be said and perhaps nothing achieved this day, Kaylu disappeared with a pop.
Chapter 11
Tunai Blood
Neilan and Iri were sitting on the bench outside enjoying the afternoon breeze when Kaylu appeared with a pop.
“Kaylu,” Iri said, “what happened?” Kaylu leaned on his staff for a moment. “Caudee’s soldiers had a mountain wolf with them,” he said, “only the black magic had deformed it and made it a lot more dangerous.”
“Our people, are they ok?” Iri asked.
“Yes, they attacked the Tunai tunnels of Furrow Thor,” he said.
“The tunnels of King Krell,” Iri said.
“Who is King Krell?” Neilan asked.
“He is Lomar’s son,” Kaylu said, “his sister, Karn rules the Furrow Iarthair in the west.”
Kaylu turned and walked towards the Glen a few steps.
“But why send fifty soldiers against a whole army of Tunai? Even with the wolf, they would have still lost” he said.
Kaylu stood looking out over the Glen then, looking back at Iri and Neilan with a look of fear in his eyes, he disappeared.
A moment later, Kaylu reappeared before the tunnel openings of Furrow Thor. The dead bodies of Caudee’s soldiers littered the ground. Kaylu walked around among the bodies looking for something. Suddenly he leaned down and reached into the pocket of one of the fallen soldiers and pulled out a piece of paper. He opened it and read ‘keep them out of the tunnels’. Kaylu crumpled the paper and closed his eyes as the Tunai warriors swarmed out of the tunnel before him. They circled him with spears only inches from his body.
“Move one inch, sorcerer and you will become many pieces,” a Tunai commander yelled.
Suddenly King Krell came running out of the tunnel and stopped in front of Kaylu.
“What have we done to you sorcerer that you have betrayed us twice? What have our people done to deserve what you have done to us?” He yelled. “Why have you taken our people?”
Kaylu did not move, nor did he say a word.
“He has something in his hand,” one of the soldiers said and the spears came very close to Kaylu who let the piece of paper fall from his hand.
One of the soldiers picked it up and handed it to King Krell who read it. His face instantly contorted with anger.
“Kill him!” he yelled.
The soldiers all lunged forward at the same time with their spears and instantly everything froze in its place. Kaylu had disappeared and reappeared behind King Krell, but the entire Tuani army had frozen in its place.
“I am truly sorry Krell,” Kaylu said, “but I can see that you will not believe me until you see it for yourself.”
There was a pop and Kaylu and Krell disappeared. They reappeared on the top of a mountain several miles south-east of Furrow Thor. Kaylu was not taking any chances with Krell, so he kept him frozen in place. He was still standing behind King Krell with his hand on his shoulder and he leaned closer to speak into King Krell’s ear.
“I did not betray you and your people,” he said “nor did I betray your Father. I had an agreement with my brother Lamu that the Dragoine would help the Tunai against the army of men from the south.”
Kaylu walked over to the edge of the cliff to their left and looked out over the valley below.
“But when the army of men attacked,” he said, “Lamu had a change of plans and he withdrew his soldiers.”
Kaylu turned and looked directly at King Krell.
“I went to Lamu and argued with him, trying to convince him to go back and fight, but he is a stubborn and selfish man. He refused to go and by the time I was able to get back to the battle it was already over and King Lomar was dead.”
Kaylu looked down at the ground before him.
“Yes, I fought your people in the great wars, but I only fought to protect my people and my brother,” he said. “He may be stubborn, selfish and pig-headed, but I promised our mother that I would always look after him. He was always the one getting in trouble as we were growing up and I was always the one getting him out of it. Believe me, many times I have thought about letting him experience the consequences of his actions. Many times I have been tempted to let him experience the outcome caused by his thoughtless decisions, but I made a promise and I always keep my promises.”
Kaylu turned back to the valley.
“You may not know this valley Krell,” he said “We are north-west of the settlements of men to the lands that once was the home of the Clocha Ag Siul. They have long been gone from this land, but it still bears the scars that they left upon it. Where better for an evil being, controlled by an even more evil magic to prepare his army. It’s already a place where trees and plants will not grow; it’s a desolate place full of nothing but stone and death.”
Kaylu turns Krell to face the valley to his left.
“This is where Caudee has brought your people,” he said, “It was he who betrayed your people this time, not me.”
King Krell looked down into the valley of cloch. Then, Kaylu raised his staff into the air and a thin stream of light shot out from the glowing stone on the top. The light reached out over the valley and struck what looked like an invisible wall. A large portion of the wall became covered by the blue light and then, the light faded, leaving an opening for him to see through to the real valley below.
“Behold the true valley of Cloch,” Kaylu said motioning to the opening in the wall.
King Krell looked through the opening into the valley below and his eyes widened. All that could be seen below was barren and dead with stones littering the landscape. In the centre of the valley was an encampment filled with soldiers. To the back, right was a row of cages filled with Dragoine and to the back left he could see a large cage-like enclosure. A group of Tunai was being herded into the enclosure and the gate locked behind them, as a large grotesquely deformed creature stood in the centre of the camp with a black glowing stone on his head.
“The one in the centre is Caudee,” Kaylu said. “Krell… the soldiers…. they are your people.”
Kaylu turned and looked at King Krell and he could see a tear run down his cheek. Kaylu waved his hand and King Krell was unfrozen. He stood staring through the opening in the wall as Kaylu walked away.
“We need your help, Krell. We cannot do this without you. Caudee is too powerful. Even with Neilan, we do not stand a chance alone.”
King Krell turned, “Neilan,” he said, “So Sonje was telling the truth.”
“Sonje?” Kaylu asked.
“Yes, my armour-bearer. He was captured and says he was set free by a boy named Neilan.”
“Interesting” Kaylu said, “but you didn’t believe your own armour-bearer?”
Krell glanced back into the valley “I just didn’t want to believe.”
Kaylu waved his hand and a large book appeared in his arms. He reached out and the book floated before him. Opening several pages, he found the place that he was looking for.
“This was your Grand Mother’s book,” Kaylu said. “Then, it passed on to me. It contains the prophecies of all The Dream Criers down through the centuries.”
King Krell walked over to the book and looked onto the pages.
“The Dream Criers,” he said, “my Grand Mother was a Dream Crier.”
> “Yes, I know,” Kaylu said as he pulled back his hood to reveal the tears that flowed from his white eyes.
Krell closed his eyes when he saw Kaylu’s white eyes and took a deep breath.
“Dream Crier,” he said.
“Yes,” Kaylu said, “please, read the second paragraph on the left page.”
King Krell began to read the paragraph.
“This is the language of the ancients,” Krell said looking up.
“Yes, the language both of our peoples use to speak” Kaylu replied. “Now it is just the language of The Dream Crier. This was your Grand Mother’s first prophecy about the boy.”
Krell returned to the reading of the paragraph then, he looked up again.
“So, this Neilan is the Reiteach?” Krell asked.
“Yes,” Kaylu said “half man, a quarter Dragoine and a quarter Tunai.”
Kaylu turned forward several pages in the book.
“This was my first prophecy as the Dream Crier,” Kaylu said pointing to the page.
King Krell read the passage before him very carefully then, he looked up at Kaylu running his fingers through his beard.
“So, this boy is the one to defeat Caudee and bring peace back to our lands?” he asked.
Kaylu walked a few steps away and turned.
“Yes, but he’s not ready to face Caudee yet,” he said. “He has lived among men his whole life and has only recently begun to feel the Dragoine and Tunai blood that flows in his veins. He cannot do it alone… and I cannot teach him the Tunai ways. I can teach him how to see and how to hear, but I cannot teach him how to be unseen and unheard.”
“I see,” Krell said, “and you are asking for my people to just forget the past and act as if it never happened?”
“No, Krell” Kaylu replied “I know that the past cannot be forgotten and I believe that it never should be. The only way we can move forward is to understand the past and to learn from it.”
“And what of Lamu?” Krell asked, “is he ready to move forward?”
Kaylu pulled his hood back over his head and closed the book, causing it to disappear.
“My brother has not yet agreed to help us,” he said.
“Of course, he hasn’t” Krell yelled “why should he if it doesn’t profit him in some way? I don’t like this Kaylu. You are asking the Tunai to let the past go, but the Dragoine have not. No, we will fight, but we will fight alone against this Caudee.”
Kaylu looked down, “then both of our people and in fact, all living beings will be completely and utterly destroyed,” he said.
“Then so be it,” Krell said stubbornly “please return me to my people.”
Kaylu bowed to King Krell and walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Both figures disappeared with a loud popping sound.
Back at the cave in the Glen, Neilan and Iri had just finished eating the last meal of the day and went outside to sit and enjoy the evening breeze. The sky went from orange to red to purple as it climbed into the heavens and Neilan could just make out a handful of stars sparkling in the deep dark expanse of space above him.
“Things down here all seem so small and insignificant when ye look up into it,” he said. “Do ye think there is an all-powerful being up there looking down on us?”
Iri smiled at Neilan, “The Dragoine have always believed in an all-powerful, being” she said. “Our magic is not just a practice, it is also our religion; it’s not just part of our lives it is our lives. One cannot be separated from the other and a Dragoine never has to ask if an all-powerful being exists.”
Neilan looked up again, “Men are so different from the Dragoine,” he said “they will say what ye want to hear them say, but they are always planning things behind yer back. They say they believe in an all-powerful being, but they live like there are no consequences. They live only for themselves, but they hide behind their religion and use it as a shield against others.”
Iri placed her hand in Neilan’s hand.
“I am sorry that you have experienced such things,” she said. “I wish I could have kept you from all of that pain and disappointment. But I am afraid Dragoine aren’t so different from men. After the great war when Brun was destroyed, the Dragoine decided to only use magic for basic things and I fear by doing that we have lost who we are.”
Neilan lifted her hand and kissed it.
“No, something tells me that it was necessary for us to experience what we did,” Neilan said. “I believe it all had to happen this way; that there is a reason.”
Suddenly there was a loud sounding pop and two figures appeared out of thin air.
“Kaylu,” Iri said, noticing the Tunai and taking a step back.
Kaylu smiled, but the other man, who was a lot shorter and had a large sloping forehead, looked extremely mad.
“What are you up to sorcerer?” Krell yelled.
“Now, now Krell” Kaylu said motioning to where Neilan and Iri sat. “I wanted you to meet Neilan.”
Neilan and Iri stood up.
“Neilan” Kaylu said motioning for him to come over. “This is King Krell of the Furrow Thor. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is your cousin.”
King Krell looked at Kaylu with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“You, tricky wizard,” he said, “you didn’t tell me on purpose, so you could bring me here.”
“I only thought you might want to meet your blood, that’s all,” Kaylu said.
King Krell’s face was flushed and angry, but he looked at Neilan and the anger on his face began to change to curiosity.
“Who’s-” Krell began to ask.
“Krem” Kaylu replied.
“Krem, of course,” King Krell said. “When he went on his journey to find the Clocha Ag Siul I bet… and the woman?”
“She was a maid working for Lamu,” Kaylu said, “things were simpler then, Krell.”
“Humph,” he said, “now things are very complicated.”
“Yes, but some things do not have to be,” Kaylu said. “We have one enemy now Krell; an enemy who is very powerful, but we have Neilan.”
Kaylu motioned to his left where a table had just appeared beside the tree.
“Please, sit,” Kaylu said, “let’s talk about the future of our peoples.”
Krell hesitated at first, but then walked over and sat down. The rest of them joined him and Kaylu placed a map on the table before them.
“I know this is not as grand as the Great War Room of Furrow Thor, but it will have to do,” He said.
He pointed to the south-eastern portion of the map that was marked Cloch.
“There is only one entrance into the valley of Cloch,” he said, “we must be able to get Neilan in there undetected.”
“That’s not true,” Neilan said, speaking up.
Kaylu and Krell both looked at Neilan with raised eyebrows.
“When I was there… in my dreams, I saw a passageway in the wall beside the caged enclosure where Caudee kept the Tunai people” He said.
“Where did you see this passage?” Kaylu said, handing Neilan a stick.
Neilan stood up and pointed to an area beside the caged enclosure.
“Right here,” he said, “I almost didn’t see it, but while I was hiding, I saw several soldiers coming in from there.”
Kaylu rubbed his chin.
“Humph, I will have to get close enough to confirm this,” he said. “If this is true then, we just may be able to get the upper hand on Caudee after all.”
“Why don’t I just look for ye,” Neilan said “I can dream and walk right into the tunnel entrance unseen. That is, as long as Caudee doesn’t sense my presence again.”
Kaylu looked at Krell, “yes, it would be nice to be able to remain unseen wouldn’t it Krell?” He said.
King Krell was still looking at the map and did not immediately look up. Then, after a moment of silence, Krell looked up at Neilan.
“I can teach you how to be unseen,” he said.
N
eilan nodded and Kaylu smiled, but Iri had a very nervous look on her face; she was scared for Neilan.
“When can you start?” Kaylu asked Krell.
King Krell gave Kaylu a frustrated look but then look back at Neilan.
“We can start now if you would like?” he said. “If you truly have Tunai blood in your veins, then it will not take long at all.”
“Ok, then it’s settled,” Kaylu said, “we begin immediately.”
Everyone stood up from the table and with a wave of his hand, the table and chairs disappeared.
“We will need something to put over his eyes,” King Krell said.
“Ah yes,” Kaylu said, “I have just what you need.”
Kaylu waved his hand and a door appeared in the rock wall beside the bench. Krell shook his head in disbelief.
“I could not take a chance of Caudee’s soldiers finding Neilan,” Kaylu said noticing Krell’s surprised look.
“Humph” Krell said looking away to show that he wasn’t really interested.
Kaylu smiled because Krell had already shown his interest and surprise. Kaylu went into the cave and grabbed the blindfold that he had brought for Neilan.
“Here you are,” Kaylu said, handing it to Krell.
“Neilan, sit down against the stone wall,” Krell said, “here put this on.”
Neilan sat down against the wall and put the blindfold on. Krell sat down in front of Neilan and pulled out what looked like a braided rope from his pocket.
“Hold out your arm,” Krell said and Neilan held out his arm to him.
Krell proceeded to wrap the braided rope around his arm starting at the wrist and reaching to his elbow. When Krell let go of the rope it stayed on Neilan’s arm as if it was fastened there. Then, Krell lowered Neilan’s arm and he started to rock back and forth making a low, deep, guttural sound. Neilan was surprised by it because it seemed to engulf him. The sound flowed into his ears and eyes and deep into his brain; he was consumed by it. Deep within him, he could feel barriers breaking down and doorways opening letting a flood of feelings and sensations loose in his body. As Krell rocked back and forth emitting the deep humming sound, the braided rope on Neilan’s arm began to glow and pulse. Iri reacted in surprise and fear, but Kaylu raised his hand to calm her.
