Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga) (26 page)

Even as he drifted off, he faintly heard something most unusual from Greifer.  A sweet sound.  She was humming a song.  A song that for some reason, he'd known for his entire life.  But he could not remember where he'd heard it before. 

Eventually, he fell asleep, oblivious to everything around him.  Even to Greifer, who had transformed into human form and cradled his head gently in her lap, stroking his hair and singing that ancient song.

Canst thou remember

Canst thou recall

When once we surrendered

To dreams great and small...

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

By far, the greatest challenge that confronted Render—Greifer offered little assistance as a small cat—were Branson’s unrelenting complaints.  The morning sun rose up from the west and shone hot upon their faces as they walked the steep path towards the summit.

The air grew thinner and each breath took more effort.  But Render was determined to follow Greifer's instruction.  Something seemed right about meeting the Sojourner's Council, something that amidst all the recent alienation felt like a homecoming.

Stopping to rest, Render peered out at the highest of all the peaks that jutted into the sky.  The peak of Handara stood obscured by a blanket of white clouds adorning it like the collar of a royal robe.

"There it is," Render said, wiping his brow.

"It's been there for eons, of course it's there." Branson said, twisting the side of his mouth.  "One'd think you'd never seen Mount Handara before." 

"Not this close."

Perched on a rock in front of both boys, Greifer stared at Handara for a while.  Then she turned around and gazed up to the top of the trail.

// WE ARE NOT FAR.  THE HALL OF THE SOJOURNER'S COUNCIL LIES JUST OVER THAT CLEARING ABOVE US //

"Branson, I suspect we are near to our destination.  Why won't you tell me where you are trying to go."

"I don't trust you.  We may very well be heading for the same destination, but it's possible that our purposes are not the same."

"Wouldn't it be better if we knew and settled our differences now, rather than later?"

Branson did not answer.  He seemed too frightened to reason.  Perhaps he sought the Council as well.  If so, the members would surely mediate and resolve whatever issues needed to be resolved.

From his periphery, Render saw Greifer arch her back.  He turned and saw her flatten her ears and take a defensive stance.   A large shadow passed over them and the horses began to huff, and blow, and stomp their hooves.

"What was that?"  Branson said, his eyes trailing the shadow as it flew past the ledge and dropped into the valley, even more massive than before.

Shading his eyes, Render looked up trying to discern what it had been.  His vision adjusted and what he saw, gliding high up in the sky caused him to stop breathing for a moment.

"It's enormous!"

// TAKE THE HORSES AND FIND REFUGE IN THE CRAGS //

But Render could barely move, so enthralled was he by the figure hovering in a wide circle above.

"Looks like an eagle," said Branson.  "But that's not possible.  It's the size of an ox!"

"Run!"  Greifer shouted, with her human voice, though she still appeared as a cat.  In that instance, when Branson and Render turned to her, she began to transform into a panther.

Branson began to blubber like an idiot.   Confused and scared, he pointed at Greifer and though his lips moved rapidly, nothing came out besides, "What...how did...where...?"

Nothing could move the petrified boy from where he stood, his feet planted into the ground and deep-rooted with fear.  Not Render's words, not a strong yank on the arm.  Nothing.

But when Greifer leapt over their shoulders, following the great eagle's motion, as it let out a piercing screech, Branson ran straight for the nearest opening in the rock walls.

// you TOO MUST SEEK SHELTER, RENDER //

"Absolutely not!"  He mounted a rock and stood above her, his hands pointed towards the eagle, which was diving straight at them.  "I can handle this."

// you have NOT YET ATTAINED SUFFICIENT CONTROL OF your ABILITIES //

"It'll have to do!"  Even as he said this, a surge of heat spread from the center of his chest and radiated to his fingertips.  Webs of crackling lightning stretched between them.  The very air around him smelled like the fields after a thunderstorm.

  Larger and larger the eagle's form grew as it blazed down at them.  Both horses, still tied to a tree, screamed and reared up.  Soon nothing could be seen behind the dark shadow cast by the eagle's massive wings.

He thought he heard Greifer again, but the words were indiscernible.  Nor did the voice bear even the slightest resemblance, save for the fact that it sounded female.  But Greifer was standing on her hind legs, her claws out and ready.  In just another second, the eagle would be upon them.

Now, the ivory talons flashed into plain view, curved and savage looking, sharp enough to slice a horse in two.  Render shouted to Greifer, "Run!"

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Before Render could summon the lighting, the massive bird swooped over his head, its talons grabbing at his neck.  He leapt away and flew towards the trail.

Griefer let out a panther shriek and took a swipe at the flying beast.  But it soared back up into the sky, preparing for another attack.

//TO THE TRAIL!  WITH ALL HASTE!  BEYOND THE HILLTOP, WE SHALL FIND SHELTER AT THE SANCTUARY OF THE COUNCIL //

Following her, for she had already bounded up the road, Render shouted for Branson, but he did not answer.  "Bother him!"

Once again, the gargantuan eagle shrieked.  But Render squandered not even a second to look back.  At his side, the ground exploded sending pebbles flying into his face.  Acrid smoke caused his eyes to water.  The top of the hill stood less than twenty paces.

An undulating breeze and low-pitched flapping sound told him that the eagle flew just above him. 

Greifer leapt over the end of the trail and vanished from sight.

// QUICKLY! //

"I can't—!"

A series of fireballs shot down and hit the ground just before him, erecting a wall of fire which singed his face.   Darkness fell over him like a heavy shroud. 

But it was not only his sight that became disabled.  He could hear nothing but the beating of his own heart.  Even the smell of burning branches vanished.   All he could perceive was the pain of talons slicing his chest like daggers.

He tried to call out, but his chest was too constricted even to breath.  Then came the flapping of wings.  The ground beneath him fell out.  A rush of wind swept up from beneath him.

The eagle cried out and lifted him higher still.  If it were to release him now, Render would surely plummet to the ground and have his skull crushed.

But he would not wait to be ripped to shreds by its claws or beak, only to be fed to its hungry young.  Render grasped the eagle's leg.  Its tough, leathery skin felt dry, but warm to the touch.  With all the concentration he could muster, he focused on that skin.

A loud crack, accompanied by a blinding flash of light.  The eagle began to convulse.  But it refused to release him.  In fact, it clutched him even more fiercely.

Once again, Render summoned the lightning.  With a desperate shout, he released an even more powerful jolt.  This time, black smoke flashed from the eagle's plumage.  A lattice of white energy wrapped round the eagle's body like the legs of a spider.

With great resistance, the eagle released him.

Render almost laughed.

He was free!

And plunging to his death.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

Tumbling through the air, Render could hardly see or breathe.  Too much wind rushed into his eyes, his nose, his mouth.

His entire body tensed in anticipation of breaking apart on the rocks below, or being impaled by tree branches.  Squeezing shut his eyes, he braced himself.

But nothing happened.

Surely, he would have struck the ground by now.

// IT HAS BEGUN //

Render opened his eyes and found himself staring at the sky.  The dark outline of the eagle fled into the distance behind the clouds that adorned Mount Handara.

When he rolled over, his entire body jerked again in anticipation of the fall, for there was nothing solid beneath him.  Instead, as he opened his eyes, he saw and felt his feet hovering above the ground.  It was as though he had merely jumped up and never landed.   He blinked, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Shielding her eyes, Greifer gazed up into the sky.  She had assumed her human form and was clad once again in her black warrior's outfit.

"What happened?  What's begun?"

"You have begun to manifest."

"Manif—?"

"Quickly, we must take refuge with the Council."  She pointed to the entrance of the building—no doubt the Sojourner's Assembly Hall.

Render spread his hands to balance himself as his feet touched the ground, alighting with the grace of a butterfly.  The moment he stood steady, Greifer grasped his hand.  "The eagle shall return before long."

"But why?  What does it want?"

"Quickly!" She pulled him towards a towering archway in the stone wall.  In a distinct sequence, she touched several of the manifold symbols carved into the rock.  Symbols he'd seen in his visions, in Sir Edwyn's books.  When she finished, she stepped back.

To Render's amazement, the heavy slab vanished with a deep yawn.  No door impeded their entrance, but a sense of dread seemed to restrain him as Greifer stepped forward.

"Why have you stopped?"

"I don't know...Something feels wrong.  As though... I should not go in."

"Tarry longer and the eagle shall return, perhaps in greater force and number."  She pulled his arm again. 

"No, please.  I... I'm.."

"I beseech you, Render, come."

There was no better way to say it.  Render backed away, lowered his gaze to the ground.  "I'm afraid."

She padded over and lifted his chin.  "Courage."  Her very touch soothed him as did her maternal voice.  "For I am with you.  Moreover, there shall be safety amongst the Elders.  They have anticipated your arrival." 

The portal wound like a maze and would have been completely dark if not for the strange golden light of torches that hung upon the walls.  They seemed to glow, but not burn.

Finally, they arrived at the end of the hallway.  An opening to an inner courtyard.  Trees lined the perimeter and bright sunlight filled the entire area.  He could not see over Greifer's shoulder.  But he knew something was amiss when she gasped.  "It cannot be!"

"What is it?"  Render tried to peer over her shoulder, but she slumped against the narrow doorway, blocking his view.

"No!"

Finally, Render pushed past her and stumbled out into the sunlight.  Strewn about the ground were the bodies of several large men, each dressed in peculiar clothing, somewhat warrior-like and resembling Greifer's.  Each lay dead.  Each twisted into an unnatural position that testified to a writhing, painful death.  Frozen upon their countenances was the look of surprise and dismay, most incongruous for warriors as they appeared to have been.

He took a sharp breath and turned to Greifer.  "What's happened?"

But she could only stand there, back against the wall, hand on her chest and breathing frantically.  "No one could have...it is not possible." 

To see her this way, unbalanced, immobilized by confusion and shock, only made Render more anxious.  The grotesque state of the bodies spread around a huge tree stump urged him to run.  But the threat of the returning eagle outside gave him pause.

And presently, the shrill cry of that very bird startled him.  The courtyard darkened under its growing shadow.  Before he could speak, a barrage of fireballs hit the ground, causing the entire yard to burst into a quick burning flash.  Like dry flames.

Alerted, Greifer transformed into a panther again.  "We must depart from here."

He snatched a longsword from one of the fallen Sojourners, whose face was planted into the dirt, and ran after her towards the Assembly Hall's entrance.  Behind him, something heavy hit the courtyard floor and rocked the ground.  Flames exploded behind him showering sparks and heated pebbles at his back.

At last, he and Greifer found the door and exited the building.  Render stopped at a tree, turned and said, "Can you shut that door again?"

With great panther paws, Greifer stood up and hit the etched symbols in sequence again.  Flames lapped out of the doorway.  The footfalls of several echoed from within.

The pounding of his heart nearly caused Render to stop breathing.  "Hurry!"

Just then, a backlit figure emerged from the smoke.  It was not the form of that giant eagle, which could never have fit in the narrow corridor anyway, but that of a person, slightly smaller than himself.  Before he could say anything, a rush of wind and light came in from where Greifer had stood.  The stone door remained open.

// NEVER MIND!  RUN, QUICKLY! //

As fast as his feet could carry him, Render followed Greifer out.  He turned his eyes back into the corridor just in time to see the dark shadow raise its hand.  A bright glowing circle pulsed from it, each time growing brighter, from red, to blue, to white.

// STAND ASIDE! //

Frozen in place by the fear that had preceded his entry into the massacre scene, Render opened his mouth, but not a word came out.

At his side, Greifer was once again manipulating the controls.

The circle of white light burst and launched forward.

Straight at Render's face.

He raised his arms in a feeble attempt to shield himself, but it was too late.  He felt the searing heat of the oncoming fireball on his arms, heard the rumbling of the conflagration.