Road To Shandara (Book One of The Safanarion Order) (35 page)

A hooded figure appeared in a golden cloak and a hand reached out to gently pat Zeus’s head. Aaron’s heart stopped in his chest. The stance of the figure was unmistakable, because he had seen it many times while he grew up. The figure in the golden cloak was none other than his grandfather, Reymius Alenzar’seth.

He clenched his teeth at first, feeling the heat rise to his face, blaming his grandfather for leaving him so ill prepared to face the perils that had come with his passing. Then a great weight settled into the pit of his stomach, a deep sadness as the lives lost to bring him here flashed through his mind.

Be...Strong...There are no perfect solutions, not in life son.
The last words whispered by his parents were always with him. Aaron looked at the shade of his grandfather, no longer with the eyes of youth, but with those of a man in silent understanding, as someone who had walked a few steps along a similar path. Sometimes we can only do our very best and leave the rest to hope.

Aaron started taking a step forward when Sarah grabbed his arm.

“It’s okay, this is something I must do. Wait for me,” he said quietly. When she nodded he turned to Verona and the others, “Guard the way, this is something I must do alone.”

Verona looked questioningly at Sarah who nodded. He motioned for the others to fan out around the tree, but keep their distance from the barrier.

Aaron lifted the rune carved staff and brought it thundering down just outside the barrier and the runes pulsed to life. With a firm grip on the staff, Aaron stepped through the barrier and was instantaneously engulfed in a blazing white light and the world faded away around him.

***

“Where did he go?” Sarik asked the stunned group.

“He needs time,” Sarah answered. “We must give him time.” As she said this shadows descended upon the grove spilling beyond the tree line.

“Well done
sister
,” a sneering voice called emerging from the dark. “We’ve couldn’t have done it without you.”

The shadows retreated leaving them surrounded by to many Elitesmen to count, but it was her brother Primus who spoke.

“The company you keep nowadays. I must say father would not approve. Where is the Alenzar’seth dog, he was here just a moment ago?”

Sarah met Verona’s cold gaze as she was sure he was weighing whether she had betrayed them or not in his mind. She would not leave, not when Aaron asked her to wait for him. She wouldn’t leave even if he hadn’t asked her. Rather than waste time with words she sent two throwing knives streaking towards Primus and Rordan. The Elitesmen at her brother’s side easily blocked the knives, but the shock in their eyes was indisputable. If they came for her now, blood would be spilled. The lines had been drawn and she drew her sword with the ease of one married to the blade, its sharp edge gleaming in the light of the Shandarian tree behind her.

Sarah focused her mind drawing in the energy from this once proud city. Beck had given her the tools and the Resistance throughout the land of Khamearra, her purpose. She heard weapons being drawn and the Elitesmen surrounding them followed suit. It was time to make a stand.

“Let us not be too hasty,” a figure stepped forward, his black cloak billowing behind him. “We care not for any of you. Step aside and I promise that I will let you walk free of this place.” Mactar said, his oily voice dripping with poisonous reassurance. Although Primus and Rordan looked to disagree they kept their silence.

Erik and Braden brought the shields of the De’anjard to bear and stood poised to attack. Sarah looked at the others and felt a surge of pride as all of them stood rooted in place with fierce resolution in their eyes.

“I believe you have your answer my lord,” Sarah sneered.

Mactar looked amused and brought his hands up. A blue orb grew from his hands crackling with energy. He thrust his hands out sending the orb blazing towards the twins and the orb bounced off their shields harmlessly. Gasps of surprise slipped from the mouths of the Elitesmen while Eric and Braden glanced at each other hungrily. Mactar furrowed his brow and summoned forth an orb of dark energy and hurled it directly in Sarah’s path. It hit an invisible barrier that swallowed the blast. Then a voice echoed around them.

“You were a fool to return here, Mactar.”

The deep voice of Colind, guardian of the lands spoke out echoing around them. Small tendrils of energy seeped out from the rune carved staff and latched on to each of the defenders. Sarah felt a shield move in place around her and knew they were protected from Mactar’s attacks. The Elitesmen drew their weapons in one single motion that spoke volumes of their discipline and training. Their black armor making them appear more demon than man.

“Remember what Aaron has taught you. They are men. Face them as such,” she shouted.

Verona pulled back a crystal tipped arrow and sent it streaking toward the ground at Mactar’s feet. The explosion sent the Elitesmen into disarray, but Mactar remained untouched, erecting a barrier of his own. Another explosion echoed behind them from where Sarik’s crystal tipped arrow found its mark. Without a backward glance Sarah charged.

***

Purpose...

A voice like slabs of granite chafing together spoke.

The land needs a champion...The fate of the world rests upon the last scion of the Alenzar’seth.

The dragon’s words echoed in Aaron’s mind weighing down on him. He opened his eyes to a shimmering world of twilight and the shade of his grandfather stood before him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aaron whispered and his grandfather nodded in understanding, but remained silent.

“He can’t answer you Aaron, not anymore,” Colind said, his voice everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “Search your heart for the answers Reymius would have given.”

Aaron knew Colind spoke the truth, but he would have liked to hear his answer from his grandfather himself. Reymius was dead and with Zeus at his side he knew that Zeus had carried out the last of his master’s orders. Zeus was to help guide Aaron to Shandara and with that task complete, could now rest. The longing for his only link to the world he knew was severed, leaving him feeling truly cut off from the life he had always known. But he was not alone and the solace he had found in that would sustain him.

“I’ve come to free you Colind,” Aaron said.

“I told you before boy, I cannot be saved,” Colind said cooly, but Aaron could sense the bitterness in his voice tinged in a hopeless certainty of ones fate.

“Whatever you may think. You are alive. I can feel it. I can feel your lifebeat even from this place,” Aaron said and silence answered him. “We need you Colind. This world needs you. I can’t do this without you.”

“Your friends need
you
Aaron, even now they are being attacked,” Colind countered.

Sarah!

He shifted towards the barrier.

Stay focused,
he told himself.

“Where is your prison?” Aaron asked quickly. He had to leave this place. Time was running out. “I don’t know everything that happened at the fall of Shandara, but I know you had a part. Don’t you want to help set things right?”

“I have helped!” Colind shouted, “I’ve given everything. A lifetime of serving the higher cause and what did it get me? A dead wife, and a son who became a monster, gate keeper for a pathway between worlds responsible for unspeakable evil.”

“Those sound like reasons to fight to me,” Aaron replied.

“Those are reasons for vengeance and despair,” said Colind bitterly. “Vengeance will only get you so far and despair is all I have. When Reymius first called to me to come aid you I thought my redemption was at hand, but the more I saw of this world the more I knew its people have moved beyond the guardians. They need to fight for themselves. Reliance upon a powerful few have left them firmly under the tyrant’s boot.”

“You’re right. They do need to learn to fight for themselves or all is lost, but there is something you’ve forgotten. Something that the most stalwart servant of the light can forget and this place has sapped it from you…Hope,” Aaron said gently.

The silence hung in the air between them and then Colind replied quietly, “Even for Tarimus?”

Aaron felt bile rise up his throat and for the briefest of moments he thought of abandoning Colind to his fate. Like Shandara, Colind had spent too much time in the shadows. Who was he to deny a father’s hope that his child could be redeemed?

“Tarimus walks his own path, but if he chooses to follow the light then yes, even for Tarimus.”

Colind appeared before him on the cusp of the light barrier, dark smoke billowing around him so thickly that Aaron wondered how he could see. Aaron felt the presence of his grandfather stir behind him.

It’s time for you to step back into the light my friend.

The voice of his grandfather spoke and a vine of light shot forth from the tree wrapping itself around Colind’s wrists pulling him in. Colind erupted into screams as his shade made first contact with the light, but the vines pulling him forth were relentless and two more wrapped themselves around his torso. The thrashing shade was pulled forth fully into the light and bit by bit the shadow was burned away from him until only a luminous being remained. Colind’s screams ceased and the shade hung in the air as if he were sleeping. Then in a flash of light his shade shot forth beyond the grove to another clearing into the center of a massive stone prison comprised of boulders.

Aaron was pulled back and the shade of Reymius slowly faded into the tree beckoning him closer. He stepped forward and put his hand upon the bark. Of all the questions tumbling through his mind there was one that kept coming to the forefront, demanding to be answered. He had to know why.

Images spewed forth of a place where a dark rift hung in a valley. Something pressed against the edges of the rift desperate to break through. As Aaron drew closer, whatever was struggling ceased its efforts. The rift hung like a dark stained glass window before him. He looked through and on the other side there was a gathering horde of creatures in armor of which he had never seen, swirling like shadows in the dark poised to come through. The land beyond was barren and dark. Those in front noticed him looking through, sending them into a frenzy with the promise of death and destruction. Whatever was on the other side was definitely not human. A large heavily muscled creature filled the space just outside the rift. Its long neck the size of a tree trunk swung its head into view and wild yellow eyes regarded him with barely contained rage. Aaron jumped back and watched as the creature struggled against the rift which barely held it at bay. The edges of the rift appeared to fray under the barrage of attacks from the creature beyond it.

Aaron was pulled away from the rift. This was the pledge of the Alenzar’seths. They were guarding the pathway from another world where an invading army lay in wait poised to attack. What was keeping this army of darkness from overrunning Safanar? He needed Colind. Was this why he was being hunted? Was this what Mactar had wanted all along?

Aaron pulled his hand from the tree and the light diminished until it barely surrounded the tree. The currents of energy he felt before were fading fast. He was thrust back into the torrent of the battle surrounding him. The others were cloistered around the tree save Sarah who danced between the Elitesmen like twisting death, keeping their attention off the others.

Not so far Sarah.

The Elitesmen as if hearing his thoughts, surrounded her cutting off her escape. Sarah jumped and was met by multiple black armored Elitesmen cutting her off. After a few more attempts she simply stopped and held her sword at the ready, breathing heavily. She was cut off.

Aaron drew his Falcons and called upon the bladesong summoning the energy from the tree. Immediately his perceptions sharpened. He took a few steps and leaped up into the air landing beside Sarah, who looked at him with both shock and relief.

“I thought I’d even the odds,” Aaron said. Not waiting for a response he engaged the charging Elitesmen.

Aaron became a whirlwind of death and the Elitesmen fell to his blades. The bladesong coursed through him and its song assaulted the Elitesmen to the point of distraction. He was able to move as they did, but only faster and with much more strength. He tapped the knowledge of his ancestors, who themselves had fought many more battles than he ever could in a lifetime and their knowledge was his for the taking. He unraveled the pattern of their attacks with increasing ease until they broke off and turned their focus upon his friends. As fast as he was it would be impossible to protect them all. He shouldn’t have expected that the Elitesmen would fight with any semblance of honor. What would he have to sacrifice so that they could survive this? Colind was now buried in his earthly prison which he must reach. Time was slipping away.

Vaughn and Garret were disarmed first despite Sarik’s valiant attempts to keep the Elitesmen at bay. Sarik was driven back as was Verona. Eric and Braden fought with their backs to each other with sword and shield, but were quickly surrounded. Jopher managed to get near Sarah, but they too were encircled by a wall of swords.

“Hold!” Commanded a man in a violet cloak. “Or they die.”

Aaron stopped in his tracks taking a moment to gather himself. Think slowly, there must be a way out of this.

“I’m the one you want,” he offered.

“Indeed the stories are true. You are of the house Alenzar’seth.” Said the man whose facial features and blond hair looked oddly familiar. Then he glanced at Sarah and the family resemblance became apparent.

“You know so much about me,” Aaron replied stepping slowly toward Sarah and Jopher who were the most heavily guarded.

“I am Prince Rordan. Interesting blades you have. I don’t believe I’ve seen their like before.” Rordan said.

Great, another prince.
Aaron was thinking when Rordan confirmed his suspicions that he was Sarah’s brother.

“I have, your majesty.” Darven said emerging from the shadows to the Prince’s side.

Aaron saw the man for the first time. “I know you,” he said coldly, remembering the man who had dragged Ty’s body through the portal. “You and I aren’t finished, before this day is done I swear I’m going to kill you.” As much as he wanted to charge in and claim his vengeance, he knew that would be the quickest way for his friends to die. They were trying to distract him. It’s the only reason the prince came forward. “I would see the face of my enemy.”