Chapter 9
A low noise is heard from the trees, as large birds take flight as the dark shadows creep forward. Rolen quietly stepping his horse Sir Galen, pulling Felton free from his scabbard, his muscles tight, and eyes keen; Rolen glides swiftly as his sword glows hues of blue. “Felton nice and easy like,” as Rolen griping the hilt of the sword.
A loud scream penetrates the air as it grows cold. Shadows spring forward drawn in black cloaks, foreboding skulls with strands of white shoulder length hair whisking about them. Their yellow hollowed eyes peering down upon him, large bone like hands with no arms stretched forward towards them. Mouths gasped open with hellish screams of the undead.
Rolen slowly stepped back casually in slow soldier fashion. His sword taught in his hands as they gripped the silver hilt waiting for combat. He slowly cracked a smile before yelling his battle cry with the shadows of Moanfera soldiers. Eagerly the Shadows of Moanfera raise a loud cry some would say laughter yet some would ask. “Do the dead laugh? As they scream dying.”
Moanfera soldiers dance in between Rolen’s sword, his steps skilled into a warrior’s stance with each clash of movement. They dance as the air crackles cold, his movement’s fluid. He strikes hard and fast. Thrusting strong as he swipes the head off two and watched the dark smoke rose from their bodies screamed with tormented voices of the Black Death before they dissipated.
Another hard thrust into the sides of next foe watching the cloak fall away to the ground, six more take his place. Rolen tries to step back towards his horse, knowing this is not a fight he can win. He turned to find himself surrounded on all four sides. Rolen fights desperately trying to get to his horse yet more keep coming. Rolen screamed. “I refuse to let you take me alive,” Diving straight into the fight full force.
A large ball of light engulfs three Moanfera soldiers as Rolen turned a lightning bolt went through two more at his side. Two men rushed in with sword and staff drawn dancing in between them. “Looks like you could use some help friend,” Jaydan said bursting another into flame grins back to him. His partner the King of all living water, swing high taking another Moanfera head off with his sword.
“Kinda looks that way,” Rolen said. Thrusting with a swift kick to the jaw of another watching it gasp and dissipate.
Jaydan wielding his golden rod swing it fearlessly points it towards the forest takes his other hand pushes it forward as his blue eyes twinkle.
A large burst of blue light surrounds them; a loud scream of searing pain is heard in the distance. The light dims as Rolen eyes refocus finding his new friends stretched out casually as if nothing odd was or has happened. His companion slowly roasted a rabbit over a fire, Sir Galen snorts happily eating the green grass around him with his two companion’s horses. Rolen scratches his head as he looks down the road. “Am I crazy or what?” Rolen asked looking back down the road and back towards them.
“Depends what you mean by crazy?” Jaydan calmly said and his companion smile as if nothing was wrong continues to whittle on a piece of wood near the fire.
Again Rolen rubbed and scratched his head, looked down the road stares blankly. Trying to figure out what and the hell just happened. Jaydan stands brushing himself off, “like I said depends on what you mean by crazy friend?” Jaydan rubs his chin walked over to Rolen. “My name is Jaydan and by the look of things you're just little confused.”
“Well that’s an understatement that’s for sure Mr. If I ever heard of one,” he replied. Rolen feeling very puzzled as he looked at Jaydan. “What I can’t figure out is how we are here now instead of where we were?” He asked.
Rolen, looked a lot like his father did when he was his age, blond hair blue eyes cropped warrior short… he wasn’t a larger man by any means, but neither was he short or average. He was perfect height, standing tall at 7 feet 10 inches. He had strong arms from working at his father’s smithy and strong sturdy legs from carrying and loading large qualities of ore, and weapons. And other goods that need a good hammering.
Jaydan smiles put his arms around his shoulder, “actually my good sir, we haven’t left, not really.”
“What?” Rolen replied as he stumbles a couple of steps forward looked back down the road to either side. “That’s impossible.”
Rolen eyed both men as they smiled at him. “No way man, it just not possible,” he said again.
“What’s not? That I am a wizard of sorts or the fact we are in the same place yet at the same time be in a different place?” Jaydan replied and Salsern laughed.
“Yes, that would be totally impossible to consider wizards don’t exist anymore. They all died out thousands of years ago according to my Da. I must be dreaming.” Rolen said once more as he looked back down the road.
“That’s it; it has to be those creatures. They must have put me under some sort of spell and your one of them.” Rolen said as he quickly backed away reaching for his sword finding it missing, screamed. “What in the great cats have you done to me?” He replied feeling the panic rise within him.
“Look, friend. We are not who you think we are if you’re looking for your sword it's right there lying against the tree where you left it.” Jaydan replies pointed to the tree and walked away to tend to the rabbit. “But I warn you don’t’ remove it from that spot unless you intend to fight more of those creatures.”
Rolen stares straight back at him then turns his head towards the trees seeing his sword. “What you mean fight more creatures?” He asked.
Jaydan doesn’t look back just sighs. “Son it was your sword that brought you here and us, it is your sword that is protecting you now against those shadows of the Moanfera.”
Rolen turned swiftly on the last words. “Moanfera?” How? Those were supposed...” Rolen swallowed hard the lump in his throat, “wiped clean from existence. My great, great, grand Da told stories about them around the cook fires.” Rolen pacing hard looked back down the road and the two men sitting around the fire.
A slow chill went up against his spine as he heard a scream from the trees, yet nothing came out. Rolen swallowed hard walks towards the fire leaving his sword right where it is as he looked back towards the trees.
Jaydan and Salsern smile as they hand him a cup of Joe watching his hands shake a little. Jaydan puts a hand on his shoulder. “Not to worry son, you are safe enough with us for the moment. You see that sword was made for a wizards hands, you my friend have been chosen to carry it,” Jaydan replied.
Rolen looked back towards his sword swallows hard his hand shaking. “But I am not a wizard,” he replied as his eyes met the two men around the campfire.
Jaydan smirks as he sat across from him basting the rabbit as he slowly turned it watching the flames licking the drips of greases sizzled on the hot coals. “Is that what you been told son by your father or is that you don’t believe in wizards exist anymore?” Jaydan asked not waiting for a response waved his hand over the fire.
The fire leaps as images of Rolen’s father comes forward from the flames. Loud screams are heard as they watched the fire consume them taking them beyond the veil of truth and time.
Rolen stood next to Jaydan and his strange companion. They are in a small village of Galestin, people are running everywhere as dark shadow creatures like the ones he was fighting before yet more human-like, fight the soldiers in the street.
Bodies of people lying dead in the street as their city burns to the ground, Rolen hears his mother yelling, screaming in terror. A ball of fire is thrown from her hand. A small baby was being held tightly against her chest.
Rolen father a soldier fighting off the attacks of Moanfera soldiers yelled. “Quickly in here,” his father said opening a small underground tunnel.
His father turned around just in time as he watched the shocked look of his wife's eyes before she fell. A black arrow now in her back as she slowly falls forward the baby in her arms slowly slides against the floor with her last breath. “I m sorry, save him.” His father on his knees screams with anger as large light burst from his hands.
The air crackles about them as his father points with his fingertips towards the Moanfera soldiers. Bolts of white and blue fire stabbing them straight through their hearts, he screams with tears flowing down his face as the blue sword of light dance before him. His father points to it and to his child as ghostly figure nods standing over the child. Picks him up carrying’s him through the underground tunnel.
Jaydan waved his hand back over the fire watching the images fade. Tears rolled down Rolen cheeks as he wiped them away with the back of his hand. The two men sit in silence as they sip their Joe around the fire. Another scream is heard from the trees with another blue light flashes from his sword against the tree. Jaydan slowly stands and sits next to Rolen. “So do you still think your crazy and wizards don’t exist?” He asked.
Rolen gazed about looked down at his hands in new wonderment. “But how come my Da never told me? And what about all those stories?” He asked.
His companion smiled. “Son long ago things were not the same as they were back then. This was a turn of a new age. When magic and our kind were at odds with one another and another great wizard’s battle was taking place by powerful wizards. You see you are actually older than you think you are son,” Salsern laughing. “Yet you are quite young for your age. As a wizard, we age differently. Like your father and grandfather before him. Who I also knew quite well in fact, I was the one that gave him that sword as a wedding present,” Salsern replied laughing think of old memories.
Jaydan eyebrows arched a little as he looked at Salsern. Salsern nods back at him. “True my friend I am older than you think I am,” shrugging it off as if it was nothing. Salsern looked towards the tree. “Yet still we have a problem that needs to be solved before any of us can leave,” he said taking a bite of the rabbit for doneness. “For one, what do we do with you?” As they both smile. “Now that since you know? Second what to do about our awaiting friends?” Salsern replied pointing to the trees.
“And just who are you that you know so much about me; yet I know nothing about you friend?” Rolen asked as he glares back.
Jaydan nods to Salsern. “I am the King of all Living Water,” watching Rolen eyes widen. Salsern smiles, “or I was just taking a little trip to see my daughter until I got sidetracked by you and that sword.”
Rolen quickly stands backing away from them, “but how, your not?” Rolen replied staring in disbelief.
“What, real? ‘O’ but I am son, ‘O’ yes.”
Jaydan slowly gets up slipping the Rabbit on a large plate and passing out some small plates from his pack and cuts it up into three large portions with fresh parsnips on the side and baked apples; making a loud satisfied grunting sound as another loud scream a bit closer to them with another flash of blue light in the trees.
Jaydan sets Rolen’s plate next to him. Rolen swallowed hard turned towards the trees and back at the sword. His voice shook. “When you said safe for the moment, what did you mean?” Rolen asked as he eyed the two men.
Jaydan face had a worried look and takes another seat next to the fire takes a bite of the rabbit. “Meaning soon we are going to have to face them, son, whether you want to or not as a wizard from the past,” Jaydan said taking another bite as the grease from the rabbit drips down his chin.
“As I told you Mr. I’m no wizard,” Rolen said as he swallowed hard looked at his plate of food and back at his sword.
Salsern nods back at him. “I tell you, you are son, a strong one at that, just like your father. True you have never used magic before that you can remember, but you still have the gift in you. You were born with it, now is the time for you learn how to use it,” Salsern replied, but cautiously looked back at the sword before proceeding. “The sword is a powerful tool when used purposely like this staff.” As he waved his hand in the air his deep blue coral staff appears floating in the air.
“Your father was a great swordsman, but he was also a great wizard. He was a wizard first and later honed his skills of a swordsman. You being the opposite of your father gained the wisdom of sword yet no knowledge of a wizard,”
Salsern said as he paused taking some more bites of his rabbit as they watched his staff float in the air. “Now back to our problem. What do we do with you and our friends?” Salsern asked as he jokingly smiled and gives a quick wink to Jaydan.
Rolen stands paced, walking over to his horse thinking as he looked at the trees and the sword just waiting for him. He muttered. “I’m not a wizard, how could this be possible?” as he looked at two men sitting around the fire. “Yet if it is true as they say.” Rolen glancing at his sword watching it glow blue as another loud scream penetrates the air. Rolen sighs making his way back to the fire. “Let’s say that I am a wizard like you say and you say these things are true, how do we proceed?” Rolen asked as he swallowed hard in the distance screams filled the air.
Jaydan nods. “With a wizards faith and true heart that’s how.” As Salsern and he stood, Salsern nods to the fire as he waved his hand over it watching it go out in front of them.
With another simple nod, Salsern takes his staff walked towards Rolen. “Like your father, I see,” looking into his eyes. “We just need to coax it out of you.” Salsern waved his staff as two greenish-blue swords appear, handing one to Rolen and taking the other for himself. “Don’t worry son you can’t hurt me,” Salsern said as he struck first with a hard hit to Rolen’s arm. “but I can hurt you if don’t defend yourself boy.”
Rolen backs away as he gets into a fighting stance he is comfortable with and has been trained in as his knees slightly bent. Jaydan takes a seat on a nearby log to watch the outcome.
He knows very few wizards of this type and in this day and age as he watched an old style of training take place in his mists. Rolen strikes hard and fast as the two practices swords sing with each strike of the blade.
“Come on boy, concentrate,” Salsern said as Rolen begins too sweat and his blows start to become wild swings after nearly an hour of fighting. Salsern swings low as he quickly turns with a roll to the left and springs high into the air as if he was levitating in the air for a brief second; comes down hard knocking Rolen off his feet. “I told you, boy, to concentrate, let your feelings flow through the sword.”
Rolen angrily springs to his feet leaping into the air with twisting somersault. His eyes glowed as he strikes hard, pushing Salsern back with each blow. A gust of wind forms a brier between them as Salsern strikes hard against the wind. “That’s it, boy, that’s it.” Salsern cries out not letting his guard down for an instant.
Rolen quickly turned as his hand's grips hard on the silver hilt of the sword, his eyes narrow as he instantly kicks back. Rolen springs back pushing forward with his left hand as a small bright light springs forward from the palm of his hand while his other hand twirls the sword in a fast circler motion.
Salsern’s sword shatters in that instant. Salsern barley had enough time to duck before the Rolen swings high as the sword whistled where his head uses to be. Salsern quickly placed a shield around himself nearly out of breath, lifting his hand up, screaming “stop!!!” Taking in some air as his chest gasps and quivers; Rolen quickly drops the practices sword on the ground staring back at his hands in wonderment as Jaydan ran over to Salsern. Salsern stands to wipe the sweat off his brow shakes his head no to Jaydan, insisting that he was fine and just out of shape as he laughed looking at the boy.
“Nicely done lad, very nice indeed,” Salsern replied as he measures the lad in his eyes for a moment then walks over to him slowly putting his arm around him. “So lad tells me, do you still think you’re not a wizard?” He asked.
Rolen tries to stead his breath as he turned his hands over and over looking at them as if they were foreign objects to him. “It must have been some kinda of trick sir.”
Salsern bends down picking up the pieces of the broken sword now laying in pieces in the dirt. “Some trick I must say, lad,” he said placing the broken hilt into the boy’s hand.
Rolen drops the hilt and falls on the ground as a blue crystal light cascades around him. Jaydan looks concerned watching the light totally engulfs the boy then dissipates. Salsern holds Jaydan back as the light dims. “Not to worry Jaydan this happens all the time when a new wizard discovers himself for the first time, it’s sort of like a rebirth of sorts. Except in the boy’s case, he’s just a late bloomer.”
Jaydan helped Rolen back onto his feet offering his hand. Salsern offers him the goatskin filled with water watching the boy take several long gulps. “Easy lad,” Salsern laughed. “There is plenty now, no reason to drink the entire spring.”
Rolen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand then stops once more turning his hand over and over in a puzzled manner. His eyes gazed down towards the ground looking at broken pieces of the sword. His eyes slowly turn towards the morning sky as if time stood still. Rolen shakes his head. “I just don’t understand it,” he mumbles. “It’s not possible.” He mumbles as he tries to get back to his feet not realizing how tired he actually was. Rolen stumbles for a second as his feet and legs get a more of a solid grip around him, Jaydan on one side ready to catch him if he falls. Rolen walked like a drunken sailor for a couple of seconds.
“Well now that’s better,” Salsern laughed dipping into his bag for his pipe taps the end of the pipe knocking out any debris. He nods with satisfaction as he fills the pipe with smoking tobacco. Salsern puffs hard a couple of rings as they haloed around him. Jaydan offers the water skin bag one more time. Rolen shakes his head and Jaydan nods taking a long drink himself.
“Now what sir if I may ask?” Rolen replied as he paces in front of his horse, his strength returning quickly. Jaydan leans on his staff points towards the trees where Rolen sword still lays. Rolen swallows hard listening to the screams of the dying Moanfera soldier as they cry out. Salsern just nods as he waits taking up a similar stance of the boy wizard.
Ten then twenty Moanfera soldiers stand literally on the border of the tree line. A blue mist in a shape of a shadow figure, fighting among the trees themselves, fighting with a duplicate of Rolen sword in its hand as he swings and thrust his sword into his attacker.
Rolen screamed out a battle cry as he runs towards the trees. “To the death, my brother, my kin’s men, to the death my fallen comrades, to die for a cause for the township of the eastern shores of Galena,” Rolen shouted as he jumped into the air as the air crackled around him. His eyes horned blue with his sword in his hands slowly levitates as he spins into the air.
A bright flash of blue light spews from his left hand encompass the tree line. Rolen lands hard on the ground running with new found energy, his sword swift with rage as he thrust and turns. The trees themselves seemed to come alive, bending its branches towards its attackers. The fight seemed to last for hours as Rolen reached the middle of the forest. The forest thick with death on all sides as he looked towards a small graveyard circled about him.
In the middle was an old soldier’s crypt. The crypt it self shadowed the inner circle; its doors lay open and cracked and broken. Rolen nods to Salsern and Jaydan at his right. Jaydan said. “This must be the source of the infection,” his voice echoed around him. Salsern put his fingertips to his lips, his eyes narrowed in seeing the shadows move as they gathered together in a single moment in time.
The coldness pressed in towards them, a deep sadness tries to overtake them, and Rolen bends over as the sickness tries to overtake him. His legs quivered then let go, Jaydan stands frozen in places, watching Rolen fall to the ground. Rolen's face paled, his eyes slowly glassed over. Salsern tries to stop the effects, but the sickness overtakes him too. The light fails in his eyes as he too falls to the ground. Jaydan tries to call out before it was too late watching the shadow of darkness cover him and his friends.....
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