Beyond the Edge of Dawn (14 page)

Hresh Werd

It took seventeen days to finish crossing the expanse of Ergos. The vast grasslands seemed to stretch forever. When Pirneon finally spied the fringes of Hresh Werd, his heart settled. It had been a long, largely boring ride. The weather had been mostly favorable, and the knights were able to make good time. One part of their quest was complete. The harder part about to begin. Somewhere, lost forever in the deep tangle of woods was the Oracle of Wenx.

Many had come in search of the oracle and his powers through the course of history, though few actually succeeded. Some disappeared in the heart of the Werd, devoured by the guardians. Others never made it further than the border before losing heart. Those rare few who went the distance came home changed. None ever spoke of what they saw or were told. Many went on to change the world while the rest stumbled into the doldrums of insanity.

Such was the power of the oracle. And here, on the far eastern borders of ancient Hresh Werd, stood the handful of Gaimosians seeking to right old wrongs and prevent the spread of evil.

“At last,” Pirneon whispered.

Geblin felt cold as he stared into the impenetrable darkness concealing the forest. Fear crept into his bones. He whispered, “This is not good. Many fell deeds have been done here.”

“Hush,” Aphere cautioned. “You’ll be safe with us.”

“Or perhaps you’d like to go back to your Ogre hole?” Kavan laughed as he eased forward a few steps.

Aphere shot him a stern glare. “Geblin is right. I can feel the spirits trapped in the forest. We should be cautious.”

Kavan drew his sword. “Let them come. I’ll dispatch them to the netherworld once and for all.”

“Listen to Aphere,” Pirneon called back to them. “In this instance, her insight might prove useful. We should not dismiss her warnings lightly.”

Anger flared at his words, but she held her tongue. She wasn’t an oddity to be used only when it suited him. Whatever evil was hidden in the Werd was already at work on them. They needed to act wisely or join the spirits of the damned. Barum drew his sword with a heavy sigh and headed towards the trees. Geblin recognized his intent and buried his face in his hands.

“Where are you going?” Pirneon asked, his voice sharp. “We don’t know what lies within. Let us wait for full light before entering.”

Barum held up. He knew his actions had sparked the reaction he was hoping for. The miasma enshrouding Hresh Werd was beyond dangerous. How many seekers had made it this far only to succumb to the unique brand of madness engulfing the Werd?

“The forest is dangerous as it is; provoking wrath by entering in the dark would all but damn us,” Pirneon continued once Barum halted. “We back away and set up camp by the stream we crossed earlier. We enter the forest at dawn.”

Barum concealed his satisfaction as he sheathed his sword and wheeled about. He noticed Aphere’s smile and nodded to her in respect. Without knowing it, Barum had saved them all from a terrible mistake. Three sets of dull yellow eyes blinked rapidly in disappointment and watched the group depart. The guardians of Hresh Werd sat and waited.

Kavan finished swallowing his last chunk of partially stale bread. “How can such a place have that dark stain upon it? I thought the oracle helped people.”

“Oracles are rumored to be neutral. Theirs ways are neither good nor evil. It is the nature of the oracle to speak what is and what will be.”

“Then where did this evil come from?” Aphere asked.

Pirneon shrugged. “Who can say? We often need only look within our hearts to find evil.”

Geblin snorted. His earlier fears had begun to diminish.

“Think what you will, but it is in all of us to commit some act of violence or evil. Would you have been trapped away for food if there weren’t some dark intentions, Geblin?” Pirneon pressed. “Answer me not. For myself, I’ve killed more men than I care to recall. There was pleasure in doing so, yet they are all naught but bones in the ground now. Perhaps their ghosts are in that forest waiting for me. Who can say?”

“Ghosts and oracles.” Geblin frowned. “Have you ever seen either?”

“The world is filled with ghosts,” Kavan interjected. “You need only look behind you to feel one.”

Geblin clutched his knees to his chest and lowered his head. The longer he stayed with the knights, the more he hated them. He didn’t know why he was still with them. There was no reason to be, and he’d had more than enough opportunities to slip away. The Gnome finally lay down and curled up under his blanket. He’d had his fill of talk of good and evil.

“Are there any other oracles in Malweir?” Barum asked as he watched Geblin go to sleep.

Pirneon said, “Not in this part of the world.”

Aphere added, “I heard rumors of one in the far eastern kingdom of Gren, though I have never traveled so far.”

“They say Gren is a beautiful land filled with wonder,” Kavan said. “I would like to go there someday, when these nightmares are over and the werebeasts destroyed.”

Werebeasts. No one had mentioned such in the better part of a month, yet that latent fear propelled them forward. For a moment, Kavan thought about old Mun and Constable Chardis. What had become of them? He and Mun weren’t friendly, but Kavan didn’t wish the wizened old man harm. The werebeast had come close to shattering that sleepy village. He inwardly cringed to think what might happen if another fell to prey while they were undefended.

“Do you think all of this could be because of the latent evil of Gessun Thune?” he asked of a sudden.

“Why would you ask that?” Pirneon asked.

Kavan tossed the bare bone away. “Aphere has been feeling haunted for weeks. I’ve already killed more than one of the werebeasts, and there are rumors of more causing havoc in the north. All of this began months ago. That is more than enough time for any evil to spread and grow.”

“Hresh Werd is haunted, make no mistake, but I doubt the influence of the dark gods has extended to a self-exiled oracle. We are all tired and not thinking clearly. Let us sleep on it. I have a feeling the trek through the forest will be long and arduous. I shall take the first watch.”

Pirneon rose, snatched his sword, and went off into the night.

The others looked briefly to one another. Aphere took his display personal. The skill set she had developed under Kistan’s watchful eye, while fledgling and unpredictable at best, had given her newfound insight. Kavan once mentioned that perhaps the Knight Marshal wasn’t changing at all and that he’d always been like this. Barum immediately disagreed and confirmed that his master was different since leaving the desert. Aphere kept her opinion private.

Kavan was the first to ride into the almost suffocating confines of Hresh Werd. He rode without fear or his weapon drawn. Two torches hung from his saddlebags in the event darkness overcame them. His eyes were narrow. They never settled on one spot longer than needed. He was a solid professional entering a potentially hostile environment. Caution and vigilance were his tools. Unthinkable creatures were said to lurk under the canopy of the Werd, creatures born of magic.

His mount snorted at the sound of distant footsteps crunching lightly on the deadwood and old leaves. Kavan flexed his shoulders as memories of his last encounter in a forest returned. He’d barely survived the werebeast’s ambush then and vowed not to make the same mistake again. Reaching down, he pulled his sword loose and let it rest partially out of the scabbard. The time was approaching when he’d have need of it.

They stopped after a few hours to stretch and ease the burden of their horses. The forest seemed to creep in around them, lending a claustrophobic feel. The underbrush was thick, constricting. Kavan found it difficult to breathe. The heavy canopy blocked out the sun almost completely. Scarce patches of golden light streamed down inconsistently throughout the Werd, adding to the haunting effect. The trees were old, grown to massive proportions.

Hresh Werd was thought to be one of, if not the, oldest forests in Malweir. No one but the Elves could say for sure, and they were a most reclusive people. Few had ever seen an Elf, and those who did spoke of them only in passing. Glimmers of shadow in the dark parts of the world. Some named them the wardens of the world. If such tales were true, Hresh Werd was long forgotten.

Tangled vines lay strewn across paths unwalked by man in years. The older trees were gnarled and twisted from passing centuries. Younger, newer trees shot straight like ash grey spears. Streams intermittently broke up the landscape. The strength of the forest was overwhelming. An ancient thing rested in the heart and, through time, and manipulations had manifested itself into every inch of soil.

Kavan, still trying to shrug off the feeling that they were about to get into a fight, turned to the others. “How do we know this is the right way?”

His voice was hushed, deliberate.

“The paths are overrun, but the deer trails should take us close,” Pirneon guessed.

Kavan wasn’t convinced. “What if this oracle has guardians keeping everything from intruding on him? Hresh Werd is a large forest. We could wander for weeks and never find what we seek.”

Aphere suddenly bolted upright. Her eyes glazed over as she stared ahead. The others closed in around her, fearful and wary at once. She was frozen like a statue for a time, leaving them with naught to do but protect her. Whatever spell she was under was powerful, even for the Gaimosians to handle. At last, she drew a deep breath and collapsed. Kavan rushed to her side. He gently cradled her head on one of his thighs and checked her breathing. Satisfied she was in no immediate danger, he glanced at Pirneon.

“She appears unharmed,” he said.

Pirneon knelt down, genuine concern etched on his face. He was more worried over the power of the forest than her safety. Understandably so. The oracle could be set against them. This could well have been a warning. Part of him was sorely tempted to abandon the quest and ride north to Aradain immediately. He scanned the surrounding forests with one eye for telltale signs of ambush. He was only partially relieved to find nothing. If the oracle wanted them dead, this was the perfect time.

Aphere awoke with a ragged breath. Her body trembled. Sweat beaded across her brow and upper lip. She had a wild look, as if she’d glimpsed a revelation too stark to comprehend. Kavan held her tight. Whatever torments she’d been exposed to didn’t prevent her from returning to her normal self.

“We’re expected,” she whispered with a shaky voice.

Pirneon jerked. “What?”

She stared back. “The oracle. He knows we are coming.”

“How can you be certain?”

“He...he touched my mind,” she stammered. “At the center of the Werd lie the ruins of an ancient temple. That’s where we’ll find the oracle. He’s waiting for us. He shared his mind with me. Pirneon, this creature is as old as the dawn of the world. I felt such raw power, such knowledge. He knows of our quest and about the nexus.”

“Then the oracle can indeed help us,” Pirneon replied.

“There’s more. He knows, and he’s afraid.”

They rode the rest of the day in silence. Kavan was both relieved and apprehensive. The uneasy feeling from earlier was gone. Whatever creatures the oracle used to protect the forest had been told to stand down. The mood of the group lightened, if only just. The forest seemed to open up, creating a clear path to the Oracle of Wenx. Only Pirneon continued to brood. His concern over Aphere grew, compounded now by the contact made with the oracle. Why her? That central thought dominated his mind. He couldn’t make sense of it. Thousands of Gaimosians were born and died, and hers was the gift that somehow mutated? He found the notion to be abomination. This Kistan might be more trouble than he was worth. Again, Pirneon resolved to visit his fellow knight at the complex he was developing on the shores of Thuil Lake.

Pirneon found his gaze narrowing and constantly shifting back to Aphere throughout the course of the day. She was an enigma that tested the limits of his faith. Why her? He was the eldest, the most experienced of the surviving knights. By rights, the oracle should have contacted him. It was his right.
It should have been me!
So involved in his own thoughts, Pirneon failed to notice the forest thin.

Sunlight broke through to banish the gloom. Birdsong filled the treetops. Wild flowers replaced the vines and scrub brush. Dead leaves and broken branches turned into soft, lush grass of the deepest green. Broken marble columns dotted the clearing. What remained of a massive building dominated the center. Sunlight reflected off the alabaster walls. Kavan halted the group as they beheld a sight unseen by mortal eyes in a very long time. This had once been the epicenter of the lost kingdom of Wenx.

Before them stood a wizened old Elf in a faded brown robe, leaning on a walking staff. They had arrived.

The Oracle

“My name is Anthemos,” said the ancient Elven sage.

Age had not been kind. Once tall, lean, and proud, Anthemos was barely five feet tall and hunched over. His muscles had wasted away. All that remained of his youth was a sharpened mind through the unbending will of the oracle. His life was dedicated to the power of Wenx. Deep lines etched his weathered face. His eyes, once bright and full of promise, had a dull shine and were partially concealed beneath bushy eyebrows.

“Your coming is an ill tide for all Malweir,” he continued in a gravelly voice. “Long has it been foretold that three sons of Gaimos would come in search of us to combat the sudden resurgence of ancient evil.”

Pirneon dismounted and stood before the Elf. “You know us?”

Anthemos cackled in delight. “It has been foretold. The enemy of life is rising once again. Some are chosen to rise against it. You have been chosen. Such is the way of the world. All life is cyclical. Good banished evil once, long before Man came upon these shores. Now that same evil is trying to return. Darkness creeps across the lands. Are you strong enough to stand before it?”

Geblin yelped and hid behind Barum. Anthemos looked up with a forgotten twinkle in his eye.

“Do not fear, Geblin. Your part in this tale is long. Without you, these bold few stand little chance of success.”

Geblin took heart despite the doubts manifesting in his mind. He was no hero, never wanted to be one. Time and again, he only wanted to be left alone and forget these reckless knights and their ceaseless battles. If what the oracle predicted was true, he might never have the chance.

“Come,” Anthemos told them all. “The oracle awaits, and time is not in your favor.”

Kavan alone kept his hand on his sword.

“There is no need for that, knight of Gaimos,” Anthemos said. “This place is well protected by forces more powerful than any of you possess. Even yours, lady.”

Aphere startled. She knew the oracle was aware of her power. The link between them had descended into the core of her soul. She was laid bare for them to see and now, standing before the Elf, felt naked. She was also emboldened. She might finally get the answers that had long eluded her.

“You’re not the oracle?” Pirneon asked, too stern for his liking.

Anthemos continued walking. “No. I am but a humble servant. What strengths I have are nothing in comparison. Just as you, Knight Marshal of forgotten Gaimos. We are but singular drops in the vast ocean of time.”

Pirneon took the insult in stride. It had been a long time since any had the audacity to talk him down. “Let us see this wonder of the ancient world and be about our journey. As you say, time is not our ally.”

The Elf barely sighed. He alone knew what future awaited these knights. Some would go on to fame and glory. Others would fall into ruin and darkness. It was the same from every group of adventurers come to seek the wisdom of the oracle. This band of heroes would fare no different. Sadness swelled in his heart. He’d been expressly forbidden to expose any sign of what fate belonged to whom. A wrong word had the potential to irrevocably damage the fabric of the future. So the aging Elf held his tongue, content with his role as a mere observer.

They followed him into the temple ruins. Once past the outer façade, they bore witness to the most spectacular scene. Anthemos explained the ruins were designed to deter would-be treasure seekers and looters. A ring of marble columns surrounded circling stairs winding deep into the ground. Torches lined the finished flagstone way, reflecting hotly off the polished silver finish. Blossoming cherry trees were sprinkled at random among the columns, producing a serene effect. The sun was directly overhead.

All of this was impossible, yet the Elf didn’t argue. He merely smiled and gestured towards the stairwell. The knights huddled together, silently conferring. Aphere didn’t hesitate. She felt inexplicably drawn to the power of the waiting oracle. Since her initial contact, she felt more than what she was. She couldn’t say for certain, but it felt as if her mental abilities and the change in her blood gift had developed beyond even the imagination of Kistan. If that were the case….

“Who built this place?” asked Barum. Both he and Anthemos walked at the rear of the group.

The Elf shrugged. “Who can say? The world is filled with many wonders and nightmares. This is a place of power. Much the same as the nexus you seek. What gods responsible for such have long since moved on to other worlds. All we can do is care for and treasure that has been given to us.”

Barum eyed him quizzically. Anthemos held up his hands.

“Who knows the will of the gods? I myself have never spoken with one.”

Fair enough, Barum thought. He decided to change the subject. “How long have you been alive? I’ve never met an Elf before.”

“A good question. I can recall the war for power, over one thousand years ago. I saw the mountains grow from the earth. Generations have come and gone. My own kin are but dust in the ground. To answer the question, I am old, very, very old.”

“I don’t understand. What power can keep you alive for so long?”

Anthemos placed a fragile hand on his shoulder. “Some questions should not be asked. There are answers we don’t want to know.”

Down they went, until at last they stood at the entrance of a vast hall. A small path no more than a meter wide carved through the crystalline waters filling the hall. Light reflected from gems made the hall appear much larger than it was. They stared in awe, never having dreamed of such a sight. Here, hundreds of feet beneath the surface, was the most wondrous sight they’d ever beheld. As the awe slowly faded, the knights began to notice the rest of the hall.

The Oracle of Wenx sat at the center of a small isle in the middle of the hall. It was neither man nor any of the other races, but an ancient creature of forgotten magic. The oracle was a Wisp. Half as large as a grown man, the Wisp was a near translucent orb of pure energy. The center was violent red and orange. Sparks of electricity emanated from the surface, transforming the opaque body to shades of grey and purple. Raw power pulsed across the waters.

“What is it?” Pirneon asked.

Anthemos slipped to the front. “This is the Oracle of Wenx. It is the last of its kind, a creature born of pure magic at the dawn of the world. It is a Wisp.”

“How can such a creature communicate with us? I see no eyes or mouth.”

“The chosen has been selected,” Anthemos announced. He faced Aphere. “Only one of you shall hear the oracle’s predictions. Only one.”

“It should be me,” Pirneon pressed.

Aphere blushed. She felt his resentment pulsing towards her in dark waves. It made her sick, causing her to cringe inwardly. At the same time, his attitude enraged her. She was every bit the knight he was and the only reason he was still alive. His behavior was childish, unbecoming of a man in his position. Now was not the time to confront his foolishness, however.

“‘Should’ means nothing to the oracle. I would be cautious if I were you, Knight Marshal. You still have far to go on your journey. You have great need of the oracle’s counsel if you are going to find success along your way.”

Anthemos closed his thin lips and said no more. He idly fretted over having said too much already. He knew this wasn’t his concern, nor could he have any part in it. Let them do as they will, he told himself. It was the only way.

Pirneon folded his arms across his chest and fumed. He was not accustomed to being treated so, despite the long years of exile and loneliness. The pain of hiding his true identity for a lifetime was unbearable at times. He had hoped it was all changing after Kavan sought him out. This quest could lead to the reestablishment of Gaimos and freedom for all of their blood kin. It was a task he’d been born to accomplish. And it was being delegated to a woman barely half his age. He was disgusted, and it showed.

“Go, child,” Anthemos urged her. “The oracle has been waiting for your arrival for so long. Go to him, and learn what role you play in the fate of Malweir.”

Aphere hesitated. She wasn’t certain of anything. Kistan’s teachings did little to ease her doubts or self-consciousness. Anthemos sensed this and went to her side. His stolid features loosened enough to show the depths of his sincerity.

“It’s all right. He won’t harm you. You know this to be true,” he whispered for her ears only. “This is your destiny, Aphere. Follow your heart.”

She did. Step by step, Aphere eased down the path to the waiting oracle. Her heart quickened the way it did before a battle. Her knees felt weak. Questions rumbled through her mind, threatening to break her resolve.
What am I doing? How can any of this be possible? I can’t do this. I’m not worthy
. Sudden calm washed over her. Any doubts were crushed by the waves. She found focus and renewed purpose.

Her steps became strong, confident. Aphere marched down the path with utter surety. There was a sense of giddiness the closer she got to the Wisp. Giddiness she hadn’t felt since childhood. The oracle whispered to her in a gilded warble. The voice had a touch of song that delighted her heart. The world lost all bitterness as futures and past were revealed for truth. At last, she understood what being a Gaimosian Knight was all about. She was Malweir. Aphere reached a loving hand out towards the Wisp.

“No! Do not touch him!” Anthemos shouted.

The scene exploded. Waves of pure energy rippled out from the two. Aphere collapsed in a heap of useless flesh. The Wisp disappeared into the vast nothingness from whence it had come. Kavan and Barum recovered first and ran towards her for the second time today. Only Pirneon stood fast and watched with narrowed eyes.

“We were afraid we lost you,” Anthemos told her after she regain consciousness.

“Where am I?” she asked.

The Elf sage smiled down on her with fatherly love. “You are safe. We moved you into my cottage after your contact with the oracle.” His eyes grew stern. “That was a very foolish thing you did. The oracle is a thing of pure power. You might well have disintegrated. As it stands, the oracle is gone.”

“Where did it go?” Kavan asked from the high backed chair in the corner of the room. His eyes were filled with genuine concern.

“Go? The Wisp was pure energy, and her touch set it in motion. It has gone off to be with the rest of its kin. There is a place, rumored of course, where the source of all power lies. Good and evil reside within in a collection of listless souls. Its task was accomplished, so the oracle returned home.”

Horror registered across her face. “I killed the oracle?”

Anthemos shook his head. “Don’t be absurd. Nothing on this plane can harm a Wisp. You did release it. There will be a time when the Wisp will return to await another band of seekers, but that is a story for the future. Do you remember what the oracle told you?”

She thought for a moment. Visions and images swarmed back. She saw things she never dreamed possible and nightmares so foul they ruined the very soul. Monsters and unmentionable creatures crawled out of the darkness to assault the free peoples of Malweir. Only a select handful barred the way. Most of what she saw made no sense. They was a jumble of separate thoughts without reason. Aphere relayed all she remembered. Finished, she lay back down.

“Unfortunately, I am forbidden from explaining what you were privileged to. But this I will say, you are all now part of a vicious cycle. Evil is coming, and unless you heed the visions, Malweir shall be plunged into one thousand years of darkness. Let me tell you a tale, one as old as time itself.”

He paused to ensure all were listening, especially the suddenly taciturn Pirneon. “Ten thousand years ago, our nightmares took shape and savagely tried to take over by enslaving the world. A great and terrible war ensued. Tens of thousands died without knowing why. Finally, after many long years, the evil was beaten back and banished from our world. The night was once again safe. To ensure this evil could not easily return, a group of sorcerers channeled their power and created three nexus.

“It was there and only there this evil might manifest itself again. For as strong as the combined will of the sorcerers was, they failed in defeating evil once and for all. The dark gods were allowed to linger in their alternate dimension. Exiled, they continued to rebuild their power until one thousand years passed. On the day when the moon swallowed the sun, they broke free from their prison and resumed their war on the world.”

Anthemos paused to drink from a clay mug. “The dark gods were eventually defeated but not destroyed. After all, how can one simply slay a god? So was born the vicious cycle that has plagued us ever since. Most of the peoples of Malweir are totally ignorant of the fact. Some are unwitting pawns in this cosmic struggle. Others choose to make their stand, be it for good or evil. That time is once again upon us.”

“When?” Aphere asked. Her voice was but a whisper.

“The moon will eat the sun thirty days from today, and the nexus will reopen. The cycle will be renewed unless you follow the wisdom of the oracle,” he said with sad authority. “Time is almost nigh.”

Dread bordering on panic settled in. His words carried ill portent laced with dire consequences. Surely, the chances of surviving such a cataclysmic event were close to none.