Into Oblivion (Book 4) (2 page)

Chapter One

The Wellspring was silent, yet booming with life, as Aeli stood over the grave of her beloved mentor, Jodocus. She had been pleasantly surprised to find that the creatures of the forest had constructed a shrine to him, and had even carved a likeness of the Druid from wood. The elaborate and impressive carving was laid atop the very spot where Jodocus had been interred, and would serve as a reminder of the sacrifice he had made to save the land of Eirenoch.

And Aeli, herself.

She wept as she remembered stumbling upon the old Druid as he rested his lifeless, yet smiling, head against the trunk of the great oak tree. His battle with a creature known as The Devourer had sapped his strength, and his life, yet resulted in the creature’s demise. Jodocus had lured the beast away from Aeli, and entrapped her within the branches of several trees, protecting her and saving her life. Though she had been angry with him for doing so, she knew deep down that she would have been of no use in the battle.

The Devourer was far beyond her abilities as a Druid.

She knelt next to the carving, reaching out to touch its smooth surface. It was warm, as if the wood of which it was made was still alive. And, indeed it was. She felt its pulsating energy flowing through its depths, and the love of the forest emanating forth. For her own love of Jodocus, the forest had given her its acceptance. She was now the Great Druid of Eirenoch, and the protector of her forests.

Small animals randomly ran by as her thoughts focused on her mentor. They stopped occasionally to observe her, their innocent eyes taking in her appearance, and their noses making note of her scent. She had shown up at the perfect time; a time of gathering when the animals of Eirenoch would travel to the Wellspring to pay homage to the spirit of
the Dragon; for it was he who gave them all life.

“Jodocus,” she spoke softly. “It has been a year since I last saw your kind face. In that time, I have learned much. The land has taught me the things you never got a chance to teach me. I have truly become a child of the forest, and it has nurtured me more than it ever has. I owe this all to you, my friend.”

She leaned forward, placing her forehead on the carving’s face. “I miss you so much,” she whispered, sobbing.

As she wept, she felt the presence of another person in the forest. She did not move, however, as she knew the presence, and knew that he meant no harm. She remained still, allowing the visitor to speak the first words when he was ready.

“I loved him, too,” Farouk said, his footsteps making gentle crunching sounds as he approached. “He taught me more about myself than I could ever have imagined.”

“I know,” Aeli replied. “Myself, as well.”

She leaned back, rising to greet Farouk.

“There is still much for me to learn,” she said, accepting Farouk’s embrace.

“That is why I am here,” he said. “I will teach you what you need to learn to protect this land. Then, I must continue on to my destiny. But, not until the armies of the world are ready to face The Lifegiver.”

“The Dragon is dying,” Aeli said. “I can feel his power waning.”

“Yes,” Farouk agreed. “He is gradually distributing his power to the land itself. When the transfer is complete, Eirenoch will be without a Firstborn until Eamon takes his place.”

Aeli leaned back, her hands clasping Farouk’s shoulders.

“Then I must learn all I can,” she said.

“You must also teach the child all you know.”

“You know about the child, Jodocus?” Aeli asked.

Farouk smiled. “There is very little that escapes me these days,” he said. “I felt his birth when I was in communion with the Great Mother.”

“Do you know what he is?”

“I can only say that his birth was a result of the death of his namesake,” Farouk replied. “He is truly a child of the forest; a foundling placed by the spirits themselves.”

“Does The Dragon know?”

Farouk turned from Aeli’s grasp. “No,” he said. “The spirits seemed to have drawn the child’s power from an outside source; something of which
the Dragon is not aware.”

“I don’t understand.”

Farouk thought for a moment, eager to teach Aeli everything she would need to know, but not sure how to explain this.

“There are other forces at work here on Earth,” he began. “Earth, like all worlds, is simply a child of the greater spirits. The Great Mother herself is only a minor spirit compared to those that reside in the higher realms. The Sun, for example, is a spirit in its own right.”

“Do you think that Jodocus is a child of the Sun?”

“It is possible,” Farouk replied. “At least partially. I have the feeling that our friend in the sky has taken an interest in the goings on of our little planet.”

Aeli nodded, smiling. “I would like to think that he is destined for greatness, but that some small part of the real Jodocus is in there, somewhere.”

Farouk smiled warmly. “I believe both are true,” he said. “By the way, where is he?”

“Oh,” Aeli chuckled. “He is in very, very good hands.”

Jodocus raced through the rough forest paths at top speed, leaping over roots, dodging sagging branches, and swinging around the massive trunks of every tree that got in his way. Behind him, his pursuer struggled to keep up, desperate to catch the child before he got away.

Though only a year old, Jodocus had the body of a five year old, and the agility and endurance of something even greater. His quickness was astounding, even for his small size, and his pursuer found it nearly impossible to stay close.

Jodocus smiled as he ran, knowing that he could outrun almost anything, even a bounding deer. There were very few creatures of the forest that would even bother trying. But now, the child was in a race for freedom, and nothing could stop him from escaping.

He would run until his pursuer dropped from exhaustion.

As he leaped over a large root, sensing his stalker do the same, he came upon a fork in the path. Quickly, he chose the left path, knowing that this was the way home. He turned sharply, hearing his pursuer slip behind him. He laughed out loud, but knew the delay would not last long. His stalker was almost equally agile.

Suddenly, a figure burst up through the layer of leaves and underbrush, startling him. He slid forward on his feet, and onto his backside. He was then scooped from behind, and his stalker laughed in triumph as he dangled the child upside down by his feet.

“Gotcha!” Adder shouted, prompting Jodocus to giggle and squeal.

Jhayla laughed, patting Jodocus on the behind and tickling his ribs.

“Put me down!” Jodocus scolded, laughing uncontrollably.

Adder flipped Jodocus over, placing him gently on the ground and taking a knee.

“You’re getting faster,” Adder said. “You almost lost me.”

“Aye,” Jhayla agreed. “If I hadn’t of scared you, you would have gotten away.”

The three of them laughed as the remaining company of Rangers gathered around them, breathless.

“He’s too quick for me,” one of them said. “I don’t think anyone needs to worry about him.”

“Fast as a deer, that one,” said another.

Adder turned to the men, who were breathless and drained. Some of them had lain down in the leaves, desperate to catch their breath.

“You boys need to work on your stamina,” he said. “You’re Rangers now, not thieves. You may very well have to run a lot more.”

“I’m faster than you,” Jodocus said to them. “You can’t catch me.”

He broke into giggles, prompting the Rangers to do the same.

“It’s time to get you back home now,” Adder said. “It’s getting late, and the monsters always come out at night.”

Jodocus giggled again, but suddenly became silent. Adder sensed something nearby, his acute mind attuned to the tiny movements of a presence in the woods. The entire company of Rangers stopped, becoming silent as they, too, sensed the presence.

Jodocus did not seem afraid, but remained at attention. He turned to Adder, looking into the man’s eyes as he waited.

“Something is moving through the forest,” he whispered. Adder nodded, looking to Jhayla, who was also at attention.

“It’s not a monster, though,” Jodocus said.

Adder did not doubt the child’s instinct. He did not feel any sense of danger, either. Still, something was moving amongst his company, and none of them could see it or actually hear it.

Whatever it was possessed skills far beyond those of his Rangers, and even Jodocus.

The presence moved among them quickly and silently. All of the Rangers could feel it pass, but not one of them could pinpoint its location. There was nothing on Earth that possessed enough skill to bypass a thief or Ranger without being detected.

Nothing that they knew of, anyway.

A few tense moments later, the presence had passed. The Rangers no longer sensed it, but Jodocus remained attentive, his senses being more acute. He remained still for a few more seconds until he could no longer feel it near.

Jodocus finally relaxed, smiling at Adder as he sensed that the presence had moved away. The Rangers moved forward to gather around their Captains, and Adder and Jhayla looked to one another for ideas.

“What was that?” Jhayla asked. Adder simply shook his head, turning back to Jodocus.

“Do you know what it was, Jodocus?” he asked.

“Not a person,” the child replied. “Not a monster, either.”

“I didn’t feel anything… malevolent,” Jhayla said, drawing agreement from the others.

“Ma-lev-o…” Jodocus repeated, partially.

“Malevolent,” Adder finished for him. “Mean, nasty, bad.”

Jodocus giggled again. “No,” he said. “Not mean, nasty, or bad.”

“What did you feel from it?” Adder asked.

Jodocus thought for a moment, an expression of empathy spreading over his face. “Sad,” he said. “Worried?”

“Worried?” Adder said. “Worried about what?”

Jodocus smiled, shaking his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Can we go home now?”

Adder stood, snatching Jodocus up and holding him against his chest. He headed toward Aeli’s cottage, motioning for the rest of the Rangers to follow. Jhayla sidled up next to him, still concerned about the mysterious presence.

“Some kind of spirit, perhaps?” she suggested.

Adder shook his head. “I’m not sure. But, whatever it was, Jodocus wasn’t very concerned about it.”

With his face buried in Adder’s cloak, Jodocus uttered a single word: “Watcher.”

The Ranger captains looked to one another, neither of them understanding the meaning of the word. Shrugging, they continued on. It was getting late, and Aeli would be returning soon.

Perhaps she could provide more answers.

Tel Drakkar stood towering over the rim of the surrounding crags like a welcoming beacon. In the past year, the Priests of Drakkar had shared the burden of rebuilding its dark spires, replanting the surrounding vegetation, and repairing the crumbling village that once sprawled around it. Now, with the temple back to its former glory, the folk of Eirenoch were able to visit once more.

The temple offered many things to those who came. There was a place of healing, where the sick and infirm could be revitalized, spiritual guidance for those who had gone astray, and even meditation and physical training for those who needed it.

Overseeing the entire temple was its High Priest, Khalid, the former Jindala Sheikh who had won the hearts of the followers of The Dragon. Khalid, under direction of his counterpart Erenoth, had done a fine job in restoring the temple, and fulfilling his role. Khalid was well liked by the people of Eirenoch, particularly the parents of the children he once freed from Gaellos, and his reputation was growing.

He and his acolytes had been instrumental in defeating the undead horde that had spread across the Southern Kingdom, and with the help of Erenoth and his own priests, had ensured that the entire island would remain free of any undead menace forever.

Following the defeat of the Prophet, and the ousting of the Jindala from the now united kingdom, the fourteen priests had scoured the lands, placing wards and blessings at every far corner. Every remnant of The Lifegiver’s foul stench had been erased, leaving the island cleansed of his minions.

Now, as Khalid stood at the edge of the temple grounds watching over the activity, he felt the true power of
the Dragon’s influence. Never before had he felt so at home; so at peace with his surroundings. He had found his purpose in life, and that purpose was to serve the Dragon.

To serve one Firstborn is to serve them all.

He thought of Imbra, the Firstborn of Khem and its surrounding lands. Though originally his servant, Khalid had strayed from his path and had fallen under The Lifegiver’s spell. He had led the Jindala against the people of Eirenoch; slaughtering them and adding them to his growing list of victims. His soul had darkened and died, it seemed, and he was doomed to an eternity of servitude. If not for the encounter with Brynn in Taryn, Khalid might have died alongside his minions in the final battle for Eirenoch. If not for Brynn, he would have remained The Lifegiver’s puppet, and would never have come to serve the Dragon.