Elder Chapter 4

ElderJon with two other Elders entered the council chambers. One Elder paused to look left and right before stepping in and securing the door. The senior Elder walked through the meeting chamber and into his personal private chambers. The room was sparsely decorated with only a bed a writing table and a cubbord.

The two younger Elders lifted the clothes cubbord away from the wall revealing an old tapestry. On the old tapestry is an image of a lofty knight with the phrase in the old language, to see in the dark a fire... The tapestry faded rendering most of the tapestry unreadable. The old man fingered the image of the knight. He often imagined the knight was him.

The younger elders held the tapestry aside while the older man gingerly stepped into the dark hollow in the wall. The old man took his time finding the little glass ball giving it a small shake, just enough to see the ladder in front of him. He placed the glowing glass ball inside a metal basket and lowered it down into the hole. As the ball lowered it also began to glow brighter too. Finally he released the chain holding the basket and prepared his decent.

A gentle hand stopped him "Elder, if you will allow, I will go ahead of you and make sure you do not fall."

"No, no. I can still do this." Very slowly he made his way down the ladder and plopped himself into a chair sitting right next to the ladder. The other two came down much more easily and assisted the old man to the center of the room. The only light was emanating from the lone glow ball by the ladder. One younger Elder stepped off to the side and returned with three metallic looking robes. The robes shimmered in the faint light. The old Elder stood in the middle of the circle while the two younger Elders took opposite sides.

The Elder furthest from the light left the circle for a moment and returned with an ancient looking winged beast head. The head did not have a lower jaw leaving two ivory colored fangs pointing down. He carefully placed the fangs into two small holes in the circle.

The young Elder paused for a moment and spoke to the senior elder. "Elder, we should consider bringing in the other two Elders to complete the circle. We will be much stronger that way. Besides, we have no idea how much longer we can used this beast head."

"No, we cannot risk exposure until we have secured a new beast head. Prepare the circle and stand with me." The younger Elder did as he was instructed. He stepped into the circle and gently squeezed the venom sack releasing a potent stream of green poision into the circle. He jumped back just before fire erupted in the circle.

The small cave suddenly illuminated by the hot fire light. The three Elders stood back to back facing the circle of fire. The senior Elder pulled a dagger from his belt and held it point up in front of him. Slowly the floor started revolving until five turns completed and stopped when the senior Elder faced directly North.

The two younger Elders stepped away from the middle and turned to face a small hole in the floor. the senior Elder stuck the dagger into the fire and when he pulled it back the dagger blade carried the flaming green venom on it. The Senior Elder then turned around holding the flaming dagger in front of him, then stopped with the dagger dripping flaming green slime into the small hole. He then released the dagger and it dropped blade down. It stopped a foot above the hole and hovered in mid air. The blade started spinning and the three Elders started chanting.

Suddenly they stopped chanting and the Senior Elder spoke, "To the forces that rule this world, send a mighty dragon to aid us in our quest. The ancient beast in our hearts we name thee."

Each elder placed his right hand over the spinning and only slightly flaming dagger and placed their left hand on an Elder to their left.

"Partake in our strength mighty Dragon. Wake, wake, and sleep no more." The ring of fire brightened and shot to the middle rising engulfing the dagger. The dagger suddenly shifted horizontally continuing to spin pointing at each Elder as it spins. The three Elders continued to chant.

The flames around the circle ceased and the flames at the center became white hot. The dagger glowed red hot then quickly cooled despite the hot flames. Without warning the dagger shot up and into the Senior Elder, straight into his heart. The old man screamed and collapsed and the fire ceased completely.

The two younger Elders threw off their robes and tried to help the senior elder. "This has never happened before, what should we do? We cannot fight off the beasts ourselves, we must finish summoning the dragon!"

The second Elder responded "I don't know how, I've been here doing this longer than you and I've never seen anything like this before. How are we are going to explain his death."

The senior Elders eyes closed and his breathing slowed until it was no longer present. They pulled the now cool blade from his chest and proceeded to remove his robe.

The old mam's eyes popped open and his breathing restarted. The two Elders stared at him in amazement. The two men kneeled at the old mans side each took an arm to help him up. Instead of getting up he placed his hands on their chest and they both screamed in pain and clapped to the ground.

The senior Elder's face began to fill out, his ears and his nose became smaller. The Elderly old man shed 30 years in moments.

ElderJon stood up in the dim light of the lone glow ball and thought about what to do. How could he explain their deaths with burn marks on their chests? He paced back and forth and finally decided. Their deaths would be better explained overnight after an attack of the beasts.

He positioned himself carefully to maneuver the body of the first dead Elder and surprised himself of his own strength. He picked up the body and slumped him over his shoulder. The walk up the ladder was far easier than he could ever remember, even with the extra weight on his shoulder. He then returned to the underground room and retrieved the second body. He would have to hid them until evening when he could place them to be attacked.

He covered the void in the wall with the tapestry and moved the cabinet back in place. One door fell open when he moved the cabinet and the mirror mounted there show the reflection of a much younger man. He saw just how much he had transformed. No he decided, he could not risk being seen like this. He would have to rid the bodies now and come up with some kind of excuse to not be seen.

He decided to hide the bodies in the woods.

The lone window in the room had never been opened, he put his new strength behind the frame and forced it open. He breathed in the fresh mountain air before returning to his chore. Each body he carefully placed through the window and seated on the ground. The window was a back side window facing the woods so there was little chance of being caught. He too exited the window then gently closed the window behind him.

The Elder found he could carry the weight of two men, one on each shoulder and proceeded to carry them away from the village. After a good half hour trek he found a semi open area and placed the bodies gently on the ground against a tree. He straightened the bodies so they were sitting almost like they were sleeping.

"I'm sorry old friends. This was never my plan. I had no idea..."

"Why?" The voice was behind him. He stood up suddenly and slowly turned around found himself face to face with a winged beast, larger than the council chambers. Much larger than any winged beasts described in the old chronicals.

"Why?" The raspy voice repeated. "Did you summon me?"

The old man suddenly felt his years despite his new youth. "I didn't summon you, I summoned a dragon."

The winged beast chuckled.

"To fight off the attacking beasts."

The winged beast looked annoyed. "I was summoned. By name. That knowledge was to die out with ElderTree."

"That was my name, TreeJon. I was named for my great great grandfather. He led the attack against the last wave of winged beasts, just after the great migration."

The winged beast ignored the Elders response. Noticed the two bodies on the ground near by. "It's is good that you brought offerings. I could get used to this."

The Elder looked horrified at the winged beast. "No". Then realized this was exactly why he brought the, out here. "I need something first before you can have them."

The winged beast pushed him aside with his great head and stretched his mouth open allowing the fangs to pivot out and promptly drove a fang in each body. To the Elders horror, both men screamed out weakly in pain. Then they were truly dead. All live drained out of them. Both bodies turned gray and shriveled.

The winged beast appeared to smile. "Why little one, do you not run away? Surely you realize by now that your life will soon be mine too."

The Elder stood there with no idea what to do. He couldn't out run this beast, there was no place to hide nearby. Attacking was foolish. "No, there is no need for me to fun. You cannot harm me." The elder hoped the winged beast would at least give pause.

"Fool!" The winged beast snapped out quickly so that both fangs penetrated the Elders body with one fang penetrating his heart.

The Elder screamed out with pain. As the poison entered his body he felt his entire body was on fire. The winged beast chuckled at the torment. Then suddenly the beast withdrew and the old man fell to the ground.

"What have you done Elder?" The winged beast screamed out an agonizing howl. "What!? How?" The winged beast thrashed side to side backing up into the sour rounding trees. He screamed another howl and launched himself into the air only to come down crashing a few feet away. He turned facing the elder and his eyes lost focus.

"I will be back Elder, I will finish you all myself". The winged beast launched into the air a second time and this time stayed in the air and quickly out of the elders sight.

The Elder turned to his friends dead and bloody on the ground. He started crying pulling their bodies close to him. He didn't even notice the villagers running up behind him. They heard the winged beasts cries.

What the villagers found was two dead Elders and one Elder looking older than ever before and bleeding from two large punctures. The villagers carried the three Elders back to the village center where the bon fires stand ready. The remaining two Elders ran up and assisted the senior Elder back to the council chambers.



AmonJon watched the lad and the young girl walk off and started fashing a walking stick for the Protector to use while PrideJon prepared a cooking fire. ElderDoe spoke up, "that girl saved our lives last night. Protector, what do you remember about last night?"

The protector's speech slurred a bit, "la, last thing I remember was scouting the terrains looking for the road. Next thing I know I'm waking up with a terrible headache and three very worried adults looking at me. where am I?"

"We are about a days hike from the bridge. I think you took a pretty nasty fall. Your speech is off and one eye seems to be off as well." The Elder removed the leaf covering his would and saw to her satisfaction that the wound was nearly closed. "Let's treat the wound once more, I don't like the look of it yet. I want you to rest right now. We will worry about our next step after breakfast. "

AmonJon turned to the Elder. "Elder, the girl's tribe should not be too far away. I'm sure Pride and I can carry him a good ways."

"I'm counting on him doing a good deal of walking. But perhaps he can stay in the village to recover while we continue on."

"The mountain village, right? AmonJon questioned the Elder.

"I don't know if this girl is from the mountains village. Perhaps a number of people survived the attacks escaped up into the mountains."

PrideJon listened quietly to the speculations between the Elderdoe and AmonJon. He was struggling with his own internal doubts and convictions. After all, there are only five villages. About all anyone ever needed to know was how to trade with them. If this is not one of the five, then what is it?

The children returned to the group with water. ElderDoe proceeded to clean and treat the Protectors head wounds. She again placed some of the precious healing oil on his wound. This time she prepared some water with healing herbs and a few drops of the healing oil.

"Come on Protector, lets try sitting up." PrideJon assisted the Elder with BigJon. "There, how do you feel?"

"A feel fine" he lied.

"Oh good, then you can drink this now."

BigJon had never drunk healing herbs but he instinctively knew he would not like it. He took the mug and quickly took a large swallow. His face turned pink as he fought his gag reflex and swallowed it down. As he downed the last of the stinky bitter drink he noticed the lad and a strange girl watching him.

BigJon waved the Elder down close to him and whispered to her. "Um... I'm not the only one that sees a strange girl here am I?"

ElderDoe laughed quietly then replied "your not the only one. Here, lets do introductions.

ElderDoe stood up and motioned for everyone to come in closer. She pointed at herself "ElderDoe or SunriseDoe". AmonJon and the lad looked surprised as neither had known her given name. She continued pointing to BigJon, "PrideJon, Protector or BigJon, AmonJon, Lad." She stopped at the lad and pointed at the girl.

"Laisue," replied the girl. "Laisue yo samee"

"Laisue" repeated the lad. He really wanted to remember that name.

ElldrDoe smiled broadly at the lad and directed her words to him. "Let's finish eating and make for Laisue's village. Lad, please help Laisue to understand that we need to make for her village before nightfall so we can get the Protector to safety."

The lad looked a little panicked trying to figure out how to say all of that. But he was successful using the limited language that he knew and gestures.

AmonJon was roasting two rabbits that he hunted this morning. They all ate the rabbits and the last of the oats with toothroot.

"You know, it's strange, today is the first time we have seen any game. Not that two rabbits is a lot, but I usually see many animals when I trek through the woods." Remarked AmonJon.

PrideJon spoke up, "perhaps the winged beasts killed and ate them all before attacking our villages?"

The lad thought this was a really good answer and was trying his best to put the conversation in Laisue's language. She and the lad kicked up a haunting conversation about the state of game in the Forrest while the adults focused on discussing how best to move BigJon.

"ElderDoe, I can handle myself very well. AmonJon made some nice walking sticks for me. Besides, I need to get my strength back as quickly as possible if the beasts start attacking again."

"Protector, I don't think they will attack in broad daylight." No sooner had she said this when a howl came from the north. They all looked up in time to see in broad daylight the biggest winged beast ever. The beast payed them no mind and continued its journey south.

"Oh Great Migration!" Exclaimed the Elder. "I had no idea they could get so big. That one is in an awful hurry."

The six of them packed their bags and put the fire out. Laisue took the lead directly north. PrideJon grabbed the lad's arm just as he was about to side up with Laisue. "No lad, your place is at the back with me."

The Lad knew that PrideJon was right but still put on a scowl.