Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (4 page)

Marrow looked upon the Elven statue. “They no longer exist,” he said.  “They were killed out according to legend, hunted down and exterminated.”

Lian sighed in disappointment.  Then he pointed toward the female statue. “What about this one?” he asked Lian.

Marrow looked towards the statue.  “This is Elintae, the Goddess of--”

Lian quickly interrupted Marrow, “Dusk… she guides our spirits to the next realm.”

Marrow was clearly surprised.  “How did you know that, boy?”  Then, he smirked a bit. “Let me take a guess.  Eva told you of her, did she not?”

Lian nodded. “Yes Elder, earlier today.”

Marrow shook his head, “It is all legend and superstition,” Marrow said with a sigh.  “But it is part of our village’s history.  I bet she did not tell you that Elintae and Olbien were lovers?” asked Marrow.

Lian shook his head. “No, elder, she didn’t.”

Marrow looked toward both statues. “It is a tragic story, one you will learn in a few moments.”

Lian nodded and approached the statue kneeling as if presenting the sword. “What about this one?” he asked.

The elder walked up to the table and pointed to the parchments. “Very little of this writing can I understand,” he said.  “I can only assume it is Elven script or some dead language.” Marrow looked back to Lian. “I know only what the previous elders have passed down to me.  It tells the story of Telindell, the hero these mountains were named for.  Long ago, a horde of fierce, monstrous warriors appeared in Zaneen.  They led campaigns against every country and kingdom.  They could topple entire empires without even losing one soldier.  This is when the supposed genocide of the Elves happened.  According to the story, Olbien wished to protect the life within Zaneen and confronted the horde, but even the god was slain with little effort from the horde.  Struck by grief, Elintae scoured Zaneen for a warrior of incredible skill.  She found Telindell and presented him with this sword.  With it, he could wield the power to save Zaneen and avenge her fallen lover.  He confronted the horde here in our very valley.  The battle was over almost instantly.  The horde had vanished and so had Telindell.  All that was left was the sword stabbed into the sands on the beach of the Eternal Sea.  Thus, this valley was named Dawn’s Grasp in honor of the slain god.  I can only imagine it means that new life will always come.  The Dawn will always be within our grasp.”

Lian looked at the sword, almost mesmerized by the story he just had heard. 
“Wow…”
he thought. 
“He must have been amazing if they built this place in his honor.”
Lian looked at the parchment, noticing that there seemed to be more writing there than what Marrow had put into words. “Is that all… all of the story I mean?  It just looks like there is a lot more.”

Marrow chuckled. “Yes there is a lot more, but I can’t read it.” Marrow looked to the old parchment once again, “I imagine there isn’t anyone alive other than me who can read whatever type of script this is.”  Elder Marrow turned to Lian. “Now, Lian, we must be heading back.  Dusk will come soon.  We should make it back to the village around nightfall.”

Lian and Marrow exited the chamber.  Marrow pressed his hand against the stone plate, releasing it.  The cavern began to tremble and shake as the doorway slid shut and once again vanished from visibility.  They were making their way to the exit of the cave when a crack of thunder seemed to shake the entire mountain.

“Hmm seems like we are in for a big storm.  Should do the crops good,” said Marrow.

Lian quietly followed, his mind still racing with the legends and the story of his mother.  Marrow started squeezing through the crack in the wall with Lian following.  Lian was nearing the exit when he heard Marrow gasp.

Marrow began to shout frantically, “What is this? Where did they come from…” Marrow’s voice trailed off briefly before he began shouting at Lian. “Lian, hurry.  Now!”

Lian exited the cave and peered into the distance towards the Eternal Sea.  His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he struggled to grasp what he was seeing.  In the distance, a black horde of soldiers was marching out of a glowing red light shining from the Eternal Sea.  The trees of the forest were being ripped from the ground.  Fires were springing to life within the forest alongside the horde’s path.  They appeared endless, a legion of death and destruction marching toward his village.

The elder looked sharply to Lian. “Lian, come. We must hurry!” shouted Marrow. “We must warn them before they arrive!”

The elder began running down the rocky path with Lian trying to keep up.  Lian’s mind raced with endless thoughts of what was happening.  He centered on one thought,
“I must save Miss Eva…”

Afternoon sun gleamed down upon Lian and Elder Marrow as they left through the village gates.  Eva’s sight focused heavily on the young Lian.  She clutched her staff, closing her eyes as she let out a soft sigh.
“We are not ready…”
she thought, opening her eyes to look upon Lian once again.  “Just a boy.  A boy in which all our fates are tied...  Even mine,” she said to herself
before trailing off into silence for a moment.  “One boy to save us all.”

The gates swung closed. Eva slowly turned and walked into the village, taking in with each step, the sight of small of children playing with glee, adults tending to their daily chores.  Eva slowly shook her head at these sights. The old woman was nearing the healer’s hut when Alrad quickly approached her.

“Lucky for that little brat, the healer says Ebon will wake by morning,” Alrad said, his voice filled with hate.

Eva looked upon Alrad, remaining silent.
“Yes, lucky for him… not that any of it will matter,”
she
thought.

Alrad glared at the old woman, becoming impatient. “Fine. Remain silent, you old bitch. At your age, the village shall soon be rid of you anyways.”

Alrad shook his head and walked past Eva, bumping her for pure malice.

Eva chuckled a bit at that. “No, I shall be rid of this village soon enough…” she said, her words trailing off into laughter.

Alrad stopped in his tracks, glaring back at her.  Eva laughed at Alrad’s stare.  He spat upon the ground. “Senile old wench…” he muttered before continuing on.

Eva approached the healer’s hut and took note of the healer’s absence.
“I think I’ll pay Ebon a visit,”
she
thought.

Eva entered the hut and saw Ebon lying upon a simple straw bed.  His head and eye were wrapped in blood-stained cloth bandages.

Eva stared at the boy, an expression of anger overtaking her face. “You are a vile excuse of a young man,” she said hatefully.  She slowly shook her head. “Terrorizing young Lian at every chance.  You, like many in this wretched village, deserve the vile and horrible fate that awaits you…”  Eva’s words trailed off as she turned to leave the hut.  Then she stopped and looked back to Ebon. “But after all these years, maybe there is an ounce of compassion left in me.” Eva turned and approached Ebon. She touched her wrinkled fingers to Ebon’s head. “Elintae take you, child,” she said softly.

Ebon’s chest rose as he took in a gasp of air.  As he released it, the life within his body flowed out with it, leaving the pale color of death’s embrace on his once ruddy cheeks.

Eva removed her fingers from the now lifeless Ebon. “Now, I must return home while I still can,” she said to herself.

The sun was beginning to set upon the western peaks of the Telindell Mountains as Eva came upon her home.

The old woman turned and looked upon the rest of the village.
“It would do no good to warn them,”
she thought.
“Even if they did flee the valley, Shana’s Pass would have them devoured alive.”

Eva entered her home and approached the chest that had held Lyssa’s ribbon.  Upon opening, it she peered at an old sack, moth-eaten and worn.  Eva grabbed the sack and removed it from the chest, dust clouding the air from the disturbance.  Eva took the sack into the main room of her home.  She sat on the rickety old floor, laying her staff next to her and removed a series of candles from the bag.  Eva positioned the candles into a small circle directly in front of her.  She reached into the pocket of her worn old robe and removed a handful of powder, placing it within the center of the circle.  Eva clenched her fist, holding it directly above the powder.  Her fingers loosened as her hand opened.  A small breeze filled the room, stirring her long silver hair slightly.  Green light engulfed the circle of candles. As the light began to fade, a green flame burning on each candle, thick and slow moving smoke began to rise from the powder.  The smoke clouded the room before forming a ring above the candles.

Eva’s eyes widened at the hollow ring.
“Only a ring,”
she whispered. 
“It’s not full, the seal is nearly gone--”
The ring began to quickly expand, interrupting her thoughts.  The ring retracted and vanished, extinguishing the candles.  Eva closed her eyes and slowly lowered her head. “So… it begins.”

Waves of the Eternal Sea crashed down upon the sandy beaches at the eastern edge of the valley.  A flash of red light shot from the sea into the sky. The few clouds lingering in the sky quickly dispersed.  Waves ceased as the sea calmed to a state of eerie stillness.  Then, the water began to swirl, forming a whirlpool.  Bolts of red lightning shot up from the watery vortex.  The water parted, forming a path from the shore to the whirlpool.  The whirlpool dissipated to reveal two towering stone monoliths.  Walls of water along the sea bed path bubbled violently.  A shimmer of red light appeared between the monoliths.  The light flickered violently and expanded to all four corners of the monoliths, creating a wall of light.  Moments later, a hand emerged from the wall.  A figure stepped through the wall of light, standing a towering seven feet tall and clad in a full ensemble of heavy black armor.  Jagged spikes lined the broad shoulders of the armor.  The helm bore a crown formed into its structure.  Upon the faceplate of the helm was a depiction of a wide mouth full of fangs clenched together.  Glowing red eyes looked upon the world from within the terrifying suit of armor.  The figure walked along the sea bed path dragging a blade of almost unimaginable proportions.  Matching the suit of armor, the blade was black.  Red magical energy circulated around it like lightning dancing through the sky.  A human skull was formed into the bottom of the hilt, signifying all the terror that had been unleashed from this horrifying weapon.  The figure’s tattered crimson cape fluttered in the wind as it moved along the path.

Upon reaching the shoreline, the being spoke with a deep crackling voice. “This place… it is different… how much time has passed here?”  He looked around the area slowly, peering at the forest of the valley and the mountain range that secluded it from the rest of Zaneen.  “These mountains…”  The being paused momentarily, shifting his sight toward the forest.  “This forest, they were not here before…”

The dark being let out a terrifying roar that shook the immediate area.  Chirping birds took flight from the trees.  Wolves on the prowl in the valley whimpered and retreated to their dens.

The dark being turned and viewed the light emitting from the monoliths.  “I understand,” said the monstrous voice.  “The exodus gate has been secluded from this world to slow me down.  She must have orchestrated this… that vile bitch.  No matter.  It is but a mild inconvenience.  I must summon two of my Generals through the gate.”

The dark being extended his arm and raised his hand.  His fingers spread apart as the sand beneath him began to levitate.  A lightning bolt of red energy shot forth from his hand.  The energy made contact with the exodus gate.  Ripples began to spread in the gate, like a stone tossed into a still water pond.  Two more dark beings emerged, both equal in height to the first.  They walked along the sea path side by side in perfect sync.  One being was shrouded in a long black cloak.  Black chainmail armor clanged with each step.  A black cloth rose from his cloak, masking all but the glowing red eyes upon his face.  The dark cloaked being gripped a tall skeletal staff, the bones that made up its construction a dark brown as if aged for centuries.  The other monstrous warrior wore nearly identical armor.  He lacked a cape of any kind, and his helm lacked the crown forged into its design.  Slung across his back was a jagged and curved black saber.  They approached the figure awaiting them upon the beach of the Eternal Sea and knelt before him in unison.

The figure on the right spoke in a deep echoing voice, “My Lord Commander Dreathous.”

The figure on the left spoke in a slithering voice, “My Lord, your will be done.”

Dreathous looked down upon the two kneeling figures.  He gripped his helm, detaching his faceplate with a click and tossing it on the sand to reveal his sinister face.  Dreathous’ facial structure was human-like.  His skin was a dark grey in color, almost black.  Hints of red could be seen on his skin following the path of his veins.  The devilish red glow from his eyes faded, revealing a red iris with black pupils.  A lone scar ran down his face diagonally from the corner of his left eye to just beyond the right corner of his lips.  He had a scruffy, short white beard.  Dreathous snarled, revealing teeth that were disconcertingly human-like with the exception of a set of four fangs.

With Dreathous’ faceplate removed, the crackling from his voice faded. “Does he live?” he demanded.  Dreathous towered above the two beings kneeling before him. “Ansheth, rise,” he said calmly.

The cloaked being stood quickly, clutching his skeletal staff tightly. “Yes my lord,” said Ansheth.

Dreathous gazed upon him sternly. “How long will it take you to find out how this world has changed?  How much time has passed and, most importantly, if that bastard lives?” asked Dreathous.

Ansheth remained silent for a moment. “My Lord Commander Dreathous, it shall only take me a few moments.  It shall be done.”

He bowed before Dreathous and began to walk towards the forest.  Ansheth stopped at the tree line and brought his staff forward.  He released his grip on the bony staff, and it began to rise into the air.  Reaching an altitude just higher than the treetops of the valley, the staff began to hum.   A flash of light, almost undetectable to the eye emitted from the staff.  It sent a pulse throughout the world of Zaneen at the speed of light.  A few seconds later, with another flash of light the staff’s humming quieted and it began to float back toward its master.  Ansheth reached out and gripped his staff.  He let out an agonized scream and dropped to one knee.  He gasped, struggling to catch his breath and struggling to process the information the staff had just transferred into his mind.

Finally, Ansheth stood and turned to face Dreathous. “It is done my lord,” said Ansheth, still panting slightly. “Forgive me, my lord. The process is overwhelmingly painful, but I am ready to report.”  Ansheth walked closer to Dreathous. “Just more than one thousand years has passed my lord.  These mountains, this valley, are all constructed with powerful magic.  Some kingdoms and borders have shifted, but that is to be expected after so long a time.”

Dreathous gritted his teeth. “And?” he spoke with an impatient tone to Ansheth.

Ansheth’s eyes widened. “He… he does not live my lord… but--”

Dreathous interrupted Ansheth with a growl and stepped toward him.  The Lord Commander reached forward and grasped Ansheth’s throat.  Dreathous’ grip tightened as he lifted Ansheth from the ground. “But what?  And the answer had better be a good one, the life in your body depends upon it,” said Dreathous calmly.

Ansheth struggled to speak, feeling the powerful grip around his throat. “Yes… yes… he is long dead... but his blood line continues,” he muttered. “He is just a boy, but he could rise to challenge us if not eliminated.  He is close by, in this valley.”

Dreathous flung Ansheth to the sand. “I suppose I’ll let you live, since the boy is near.  If he can rise to challenge us, does that mean that cursed blade still exists?”

Ansheth rose to his knees, holding his throat as he coughed and gasped for air.  “Yes, my lord. It is in the valley as well,” Ansheth said slowly.  “There are two more matters that must also be brought to your attention, my lord.  The bitch is in the valley as well, and the Elves, though few in number, are still present in Zaneen.  They are well hidden in the far North, and they are believed to be extinct by the lesser humans.”

Dreathous snarled. “I’m not surprised the bitch is nearby if the boy and the blade are as well.  But the elves, I thought we had exterminated that filth.  As for the lesser humans, we will give some of them a choice.” An evil smile crept across Dreathous’ face at that. “They shall ascend and join us, and if they refuse, along with those who are not worthy… we will dine on their flesh,” Dreathous said, chuckling.  “Now, tell me of this valley and the protective mountains that surround it.”

Ansheth quickly stood, having finally caught his breath. “Yes, my lord.  These mountains were magically erected within one year after we were forced through the gate,” he said.  “Nothing but the wild resides in this valley except for a small village to the west. She is there.  The boy and the blade are somewhere along the mountain range.” Ansheth looked to the Telindells. “Something about the mountains shroud the boy and the blade from detection.”

Ansheth bowed to Dreathous, then returned to his place, kneeling next to the other dark being.

Dreathous turned away from the two and walked towards the tree line. “Dilintor… Rise and receive my orders,” he commanded.

The being beside Ansheth rose. “Yes, Lord Commander. Speak and it shall be done,” said Dilintor.

Dreathous continued to peer into the forest. “When the gate opens, I will take a squad of Ansheth’s battle sages and lay siege to the village.” Dreathous turned to face Dilintor. “Dilintor, I want you to order your enforcers to begin destroying the forest and prepare to tear down these mountains so we can march on Zaneen.” Dreathous then looked to Ansheth. “Ansheth, when that she-devil Roxees emerges with her Destroyers, have her order them to join the Enforcers.  I want her to await my return.  Do I make myself clear?”