The Shards (15 page)

“It would seem so, my son. I cannot fathom the logic.”

“The fabric weaves of its own will,” Aliya said. “New alliances are being created by virtue of theses changes. The heir has been revived and he too seeks the Gem. A twin to the heir has revealed himself! Change is afoot everywhere and it has been precipitated by what we have just described; by the First’s choice to withhold the Gem’s radiance from the trees and from the world.”

“A crossroads,” Bristar said soberly.

“More than that, father. A new age!” Beolan said.

“That will come after the final battle is fought,” Bristar replied.

“The heir must find the Gem before Colton does,” Maringar glowered. “There will be no other age if the Dark Lord prevails in that regard.”

“Thus, we must triumph here against the Armadiel! The obstacles Caeltin continues to place in our way and in the way of our friends and allies can only serve to distract us from his true desire and his true goal. We must defeat the beast, and then focus our attention upon retrieving the key and continuing the Quest,” Bristar said.

“The longer we are forced to defend ourselves, the less energy and time we will be able to devote to helping the boy,” Aliya agreed. “Surely he knows that.”

They all sat in silence for a short while, contemplating what they had just discussed. Though it was mere speculation, it was beginning to appear to them all that such a situation was most likely prevailing. And in the wake of this possibility, the imminent threat loomed even greater upon their horizon, for every moment that they had to devote to eliminating it kept them from assisting the heir more directly.

“I will get the Tomes and we must ponder them closely,” Aliya announced, rising from the table and walking to the large wall of books that stood nearby.

Her movements were so graceful that it almost seemed as if she floated across the carpeted floor. She grasped a delicate ladder that hung from a bar that ran the length of the wall and she slid it to a point midway across the room. After climbing to the very top rung, she reached up, still some distance from the uppermost shelf, and she clasped a heavy book in her small hand. She then laid it carefully on the ladder and opened the thick cover. The lettering inside was bold and thick. After perusing it quickly, she nodded her head, and then with both hands, she lifted the volume and backed down the ladder carefully, step by step.

“Join me,” she said as she brought it to the table. “Together maybe we will find something that will assist us here. This is the volume that describes the beast’s last encounter with our people.”

“I have read it too many times,” Bristar said. “And each time I feared that this moment might come. It is as if the future has already occurred and I am just reminding myself of what happened.”

Aliya began to turn the thick pages while the others looked on over her shoulders and read along with her. She scanned the lines quickly, searching for something that might be useful.

“Stop mother!” Beolan said. “Turn back one page and read the last two lines for us,” he instructed her.

She read:

“‘A snake it is not, a snake it is,

A strength? A weakness?

What claim is his?’”

“What do you make of those lines?” Beolan asked, his eyes bright with an idea.

“It seems merely to be a description of the beast’s nature,” Bristar answered. “What strikes you about them?”

“You have taught me, mother, that nothing in the Tomes is gratuitous. If the Armadiel is likened to a snake, then what are its vulnerabilities? Why bring up the issue of strength and weakness if not to reveal information?” Beolan speculated.

“Thus,” Maringar continued, “it may draw both fortitude and exposure from its likeness to a reptile. We must then determine when a snake is most strong and when it is most vulnerable.”

“In all the other passages that mention the monster, it is described quite differently. I had never imagined it to resemble a serpent,” Aliya said.

“Even as a child,” Bristar recalled, “I was led to believe that it was more like the human species than a reptile.”

“Need it resemble a serpent in looks in order for it to share a reptile’s characteristics?” Beolan asked.

“In my land, we always referred to it as the ‘Snake of Recos’. I always assumed it resembled the reptile species,” Maringar said. “It is strange that you never did,” he said to Bristar and Aliya.

“Read the next line, mother, if you would.”

“‘Renewal is its gift to keep,

What harm it sustains, pain so deep,

Gone with the old,

No time to weep,

Who fathoms well the depth of sleep?’”

“What is renewal for a snake?” Beolan almost shouted.

“Birth? Egg laying?” Aliya suggested.

“Mating?” Maringar offered.

“Shedding its skin!” Beolan cried.

Bristar, Aliya and Maringar all gaped at Beolan.

“Keep reading, please,” he said to his mother with a renewed urgency. Aliya continued where she had left off.

“‘To end the pain and begin again,

A moment simply,

A sly refrain,

What looks like slumber may not be such,

A lapse perhaps,

A formative rush,

Be quick, be strong,

Be bold, be tough,

A time to ply the killing touch.’”

As soon as she read the final word, Beolan slapped the table once more with his open hand. “You see?” he asked. “It could not be clearer! When the Armadiel sheds its skin it can be killed!”

“By the First, I think you may be right!” Bristar concurred, and he grabbed his son around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

“Regardless of whether it resembles a snake in its appearance, it renews itself by losing its outer layer. Thus it can slough off what harm may have been inflicted upon it and constantly return to battle as if it had never been injured. Do you remember the stories that terrified me the most when I was a child, Father?” he asked Bristar, recalling now what he thought were merely folk tales, and the King nodded. “I had nightmares about the Armadiel because it seemed so impossible to me that no matter what was thrown against it, it prevailed. It was burned in fire, blasted by magic, its skin was frozen under tons of ice and snow, it sustained arrow after arrow and blade after blade, yet when it came back to battle it appeared as if it had never been attacked at all. Its battle scars were gone completely!”

“I too, feared this monster for similar reasons. But the fact that it could pervert nature by robbing it of its natural affinities disturbed me even more,” Bristar recounted.

“There are things we believe we can rely upon,” Aliya said. “When our beliefs are shaken in such a manner by evil, it is difficult to maintain a steady course. Caeltin D’Are Agenathea upsets the balance that we all take comfort in. He disrupts those things we hold most dear. By reanimating the Armadiel, he has once again brought our nightmares to life.”

“Yes,” Maringar said. “But he could not account for those things that have changed prior. He has set many things in motion, and he has attempted to thwart the very flow of life, but in so doing he has also precipitated alterations in the fabric that he never anticipated. He knows what he seeks, but even he cannot predict the future. Some things are not in his control.” The young dwarf stared hard at Beolan. “He could not predict we would unite. He could not predict that his calumny would lead us to a new brotherhood.” Maringar clasped Beolan’s wrist with his powerful hand. “Though he has unleashed upon us a monster, the likes of which we have never fought in our lifetimes, he has also effected the birth of an alliance, the likes of which he could not begin to understand.”

“Your words lighten my heavy load,” Bristar said with sincere gratitude.

“We fight for a joint purpose,” Maringar reminded him.

“Yes,” Aliya agreed. “And it is high time that we all recognized that! Those noble of character rise together in times of grave trouble. We will conquer this beast!”

“We must strike during the moment of its rejuvenation. If we can believe that the Tomes are literal in their description in this case, then when the beast appears to sleep, if only for a brief second, it will be vulnerable to our attack,” Beolan said.

“Then we must first injure it enough for it to require renewal,” Maringar said.

“Yes, and we shall do that in concert, you and I,” Beolan replied. Aliya and Bristar rose up together and reached out for each other’s hand. They approached the two younger men thoughtfully.

“So much is at stake,” Aliya began. “But I have a profound feeling of calm and comfort knowing that the two of you are as one in your understanding. Only a day ago, I feared the time might soon come when grief would replace my pride in my son. Yet now I am at peace. You two boys shall not disappoint me,” she declared.

“I too am confident. I had felt the weight of the world upon me and it nearly struck me down. Things may appear so unclear and unsettled at times, and then within moments, clarity replaces confusion. I believe that you are correct in your interpretation of the passage in the great book. Now, I could read it and garner no other meaning,” Bristar said.

“Please, refresh yourselves and then join us in the banquet hall. We shall have a final supper together and toast you both,” Aliya said, and her eyes sparkled. “It should be no other way!”

“I agree,” Bristar concurred. “The spirit of victory is with us now. We must welcome and nourish it this evening, so when you depart on the mom to confront the beast, it illuminates your path and puts the fear of the First in your enemy’s hardened heart.”

They reached out their hands toward Beolan and Maringar. The young men grasped them willfully and then clasped each other’s free, outstretched palm, thus completing the circle. They stood there for a few moments in profound silence before releasing their grips.

“We have reason to be hopeful,” Aliya smiled. “The Tomes have provided us with possibilities that we were unaware of until now. As usual, the great books lead us to the water. But the task of inflicting harm upon the Armadiel is a treacherous one, and one that will not be easily accomplished. Though the two of you know what you must do, the distance between awareness and execution is nonetheless substantial.”

“Much will depend upon how completely the beast has infiltrated Silandre’s structure. You must be able to get close enough to it in order to be effective,” Bristar warned.

“My men will help us break through whatever barrier has been constructed to bar our way,” Maringar assured him.

“This monster shall not destroy Crispen so easily, father. And he will not keep us from doing what Premoran requested of us. He may have the ability to recover from the wounds we inflict upon him, but during one of those efforts, we shall surely strike him dead!” Beolan said. “Though he proceeds against us with the confidence of Caeltin burgeoning within his soulless body, he will die all the same just when he believes he will be born once again.”

“He is formidable beyond measure all the same, my son,” Bristar cautioned. “May the First guide you both and protect you.”

“Crispen!” Beolan said as he thrust his fist into the air.

“Crispen!” the others shouted in response, and the word echoed off of the stone walls of the chamber until it faded away and left them standing in contemplation amidst the silence of expectation.

Chapter Fifteen

“Quickly!” Robyn urged. “I can see the opening forming.”

The four humans and the Moulant stood together barely inside the shelter of the woods. The noise around them was almost deafening, and Robyn was shouting just in order to be heard. Though the leaves upon the trees scarcely stirred in response, the air was alive with power.

“Over there!” he pointed ahead to a bright spot on their left. “Can you see it?”

“Yes!” Filaree replied. “It looks as if someone has taken a knife and slit the air open.”

“It is clear beyond it. The blurriness is gone,” Cairn said.

“That is a good sign indeed,” Robyn replied.

“I hope we can make it through before it closes again,” Cairn said anxiously.

“It must be there for us to try to enter through. Why else would it have appeared in our time of need?” Filaree asked.

“We must go quickly!” Robyn said. “I do not think this opportunity will reveal itself to us again so soon.”

The air crackled and sparked all around them now, and great bolts of silent lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the landscape eerily. The power surging from the south behind them struck the shield around the Tower of Parth at its top directly in front of where they stood, and sizzled down in yellow-white rivulets to the ground where the earth absorbed it. Dust rose from the surface as the clash stirred up the debris, creating thick clouds around the walls, making it hard to see where the shield met the earth.

“Is it wide enough for us to get in?” Cairn asked.

“Yes, I believe so,” Filaree responded, surveying the area to the left and to the right of them. Her sword was drawn, and she crouched over her horse’s withers anxiously. “I will go last. Robyn, you lead the way. Guard the boy’s back, Cairn. I will follow once Dav is safely inside.” Filaree pressed her horse forward, and exposed herself to the light of day beyond the tree line. She waited for Robyn to emerge.

“Let’s go!” she shouted. “We may not have much time!”

Robyn stepped forward with Davmiran close behind him. The boy had spoken nary a word in the last few minutes, but it was not fear that kept him silent. His body was listening to the surges all around him, and his senses reeled in response. He was trying to understand the power as it flooded over him.

“Stay close to me,” Robyn said. “Once we start running, we must not stop until we are safe within the walls of the Tower.”

“What if the space closes?” he asked, surprising Robyn and the others with his words.

“Have you had a vision?” Cairn asked, disturbed by the question.

“Is there something you want to tell us before we commit to this?” Filaree inquired.

“No,” he replied honestly. “But if we are unable to enter by the time we get there, we should have a plan.”

“We do!” she answered. “We run for our lives back to whence we came!”

“And we hope and pray that we make it!” Cairn added.

“Are you ready?” Robyn asked, interrupting them. They were. “Here we go then!” Robyn said, and he spurred his horse sharply forward.

The big animal reared and then lurched ahead. Davmiran said something into the ear of his mount, and it sped out of the woods behind Robyn. Cairn followed and Calyx kept pace with the boy at his side. Filaree waited with her back to Parth, watching the woods.

It was five hundred meters or so that they needed to traverse before they reached the opening they sought. As Robyn approached it at a full gallop with Davmiran close behind, he turned to see if the others were all there as well. To his surprise and chagrin, Filaree still stood at their point of embarkation with her sword held high in the air.

“What is she doing?” Cairn asked as he reached the other two.

“I am not sure,” Robyn replied, concentrating his gaze and attempting to see her more clearly. “But, you had better step inside while you can,” he said to Dav and moved slightly to the side.

The opening was shimmering brightly and the edge was smooth and rounded. It did not appear to be a breach for it was not jagged edged or darkened. It was just wide enough for both the boy and his horse to slip through.

“Go ahead, Robyn,” Cairn said. “Calyx and I are fine. Stay with Dav.”

“Will you wait for Filaree?” he asked, the concern clear upon his voice.

“Yes, I intend to,” Cairn replied. “Hurry! Don’t leave him alone.”

Robyn hesitated for a brief moment and then followed the boy through the narrow passage. Cairn turned his gaze back upon Filaree who was still standing by the forest’s edge.

“What can she be doing?” he asked Calyx. “I am sure she can see that Dav is safely inside by now.”

Calyx growled from deep in his throat and bounded out toward her. Cairn did not protest. He continued to watch as the Moulant rapidly approached Filaree. As soon as he reached her, a flash of orange light enveloped the two of them, and it blinded him temporarily. The scholar shielded his eyes vainly with his hand, and he attempted to rub the shooting stars out of them. When his vision cleared a moment later, both Filaree and Calyx were nowhere to be found!

Without thinking, he kneed his horse sharply and they shot forward, though he almost lost his seat in the process. The opening in the shield was still there and he glanced at it uneasily as he left it behind. Within moments, he was standing where the others had been only a short while ago, but there was no evidence of their presence. The ground was singed just outside the tree line and a number of the branches lay broken and splintered and scattered all around. Cairn plunged into the forest as panic gripped him.

“Filaree! Calyx!” he shouted. “Where are you?”

His shouts were greeted with silence. As he followed the path back into the depths of the woods that they had only recently traveled, he heard a branch snap on his left. Swinging his horse around sharply in the narrow space, he saw Filaree lying on the ground, and her body was glowing strangely. She was not moving, and he rushed over to her and leapt from his horse as agilely as a young buck, reaching her side in seconds. From deeper in the woods, he heard a violent thrashing followed by an earsplitting screech that was not human.

Cairn lifted Filaree’s limp body up and laid it over his horse’s withers. The noise surrounding him grew louder and closer, as he mounted his horse behind the unmoving woman. He was reluctant to leave without knowing where Calyx was, but he had no choice. He jerked his horse’s head fervidly around and spurred him forward. As soon as he emerged from the shelter of the trees, he saw a bolt of orange light streak over his head and smash into the shield surrounding Parth. Upon contact with the barrier, it fizzled and sparked wildly before dying out. When the bright light faded, the shield was still intact, but there was a large, dark blotch upon it. Cairn also noticed that the opening into which his friends had slipped seemed just a tiny bit narrower than it was moments before.

He raced for the opening as another bolt of energy sped by him just to the left, and once again hit the barrier. The opening seemed to shrink once more in response to the attack.

“We are almost there,” he whispered into the horse’s ear, bending over nearly to the animal’s head, and protecting Filaree’s body with his own at the same time. “Where are you, Calyx?” he said aloud, more anxious now for his friend than even for himself.

Cairn jumped from his mount and grabbed the unconscious warrior in almost the same motion. He turned toward the forest to take one last look before slipping through the opening while leading his horse in behind him, but he saw nothing. Once inside, his eye caught some movement at the perimeter of the woods, and a split second later, Calyx’ massive body was loping toward him. Vivid streaks of iridescent fire were unleashed from somewhere amidst the trees, and they singed his back and caused him to roar in pain and anger. But the giant Moulant did not falter in his path. He continued to run toward Parth, and to deftly dodge the deadly barrage.

Cairn laid Filaree upon the ground, and before he could abandon the safety he had only just attained in order to assist his friend, Robyn stepped in front of him and disappeared through the opening. Once more outside, the Chosen raised his right hand with his palm facing the ground, and it appeared as if the surface of the soil lifted in response. Dirt and debris, rocks, pebbles and branches all rose in the air and sped toward the source of the attack against the Moulant. A dense cloud of tiny, concentrated missiles flew in the direction of the woods.

Calyx meanwhile, had reached the opening to the Tower but it was now too narrow for his huge body to fit through even when he stood sideways. Orange fire bolts were repeatedly hitting the shield in many different areas, and although it remained intact and relatively unscathed, the slit that provided entry to him and the others moments ago was growing smaller and smaller. The defensive effort that Robyn unleashed was partially effective and it seemed to slow the attack somewhat near where they stood. He continued to concentrate upon the area that appeared to be the point from where the attack stemmed, and he drew upon the earth for assistance. The cloud of particles grew denser and darker. It began to swirl and gurgle, generating within itself both large and small whirlpools of darkness that stirred up the soil even more, and obscured them from the sight of the enemy.

Meanwhile, Robyn backed up toward the Moulant, while never lowering his arm for a moment, and he placed his other hand against the wall. A bright white light formed around this hand as he pressed it against the shield. The edge of the opening seemed to grow soft and pliable with his touch as the glow spread from the top to the bottom. It drooped and sagged as if it was made of wax and it was melting. Davmiran quickly grabbed the softened skirting of the slit and bent it inwards, peeling it back like the skin of an orange, enough to allow Calyx to slip through. Robyn quickly dropped his arm and passed through himself. As soon as he was inside, Davmiran released his hold on the shimmering portal, and the opening closed completely, accompanied by a powerful whooshing sound. Robyn watched until there was no trace of it left, then his chin dropped to his chest and his eyes shut tight.