men of change chapter 2

Continuing on their quest, Allahn and his master have reached the borders of Lanitos. What dangers are waiting in the darkness for them.

chapter2

 

　

　

Allahn awoke the next morning shortly after his master. They cleaned up the spot and continued on. The sun was not fully shining yet. There were still dark hours until the day really started. The sister world was peaking over the horizon to the east where they were walking. Its dark shadow was ominous in the distance. They walked all day without rest. The sun was blazed through the sky and the sister world crept across the sky slowly. Allahn and his master past by very few people on the road. They all smiled and greeted them as they passed. Allahn watched herds of grazing animals far from the road. As they progressed they could see the very tops of the mountains in the north dotting the horizon. They stopped for the night and continued on the next day just the same.

By the fourth day the tip tops of the mountains had grown and shown tall over the skyline. They chatted and laughed along the way as they moved closer to their destination. Allahn's master shared stories of past exploits and gave lessons as they went into the sixth day. On this day the first change in the road came upon them.It was little more than a fork in the road. Neither looked any different than the other. Allahn's master stopped and chuckled.

"Let us see just how well you have learned to read the map. Tell me which way we are meant to go. I will go the right way regardless just tell me what you think Allahn." he said leaning against his walking stick.

Allahn thought for a moment and looked back at his master.

" So is this a trick question?" he said turning back to the fork in the path.

"No it isn't ,just a question of your map reading skills." he laughed as he walked closer to Allahn's side.

"Well to the left is the desert and we are not going there. So we go to the right." he said with a slight uncertainty.

"You sound a little unsure. Is it just my asking that has made you unsure?" Quelon stepped forward and continued down the path to Lanitos.

"I believe that is it."Allahn followed after his master. They walked until the sun had set once again. They knew they were approaching the forest of Lanitos. They were passing by more trees everyday.The land was changing around them with every step. It was completely different on the eighth day. The path they walked ran close by the desert. Its golden sands were bright in the daylight.

A little into that day they came upon a stream that beckoned them to stop and rest. They looked at each other and back at the stream.

"I think we can spare a moments rest here." he said taking off his shoes and setting his feet in the water. " I will not argue with that." Allahn said happily as he took off some of his cloths. He dove into the stream and they soaked for an hour or two. Allahn's master sat on the edge of the water and became very quiet.

Allahn saw that he had closed his eyes. He was looking inward again. Allahn had not yet learned how it was done but, he wanted to try.

He got out of the water and sat next to Quelon.

In a quiet voice he tried not to startle his master.

"Master?" he said hoping he wouldn't be angry. His master's eyes crept open and he looked over at Allahn.

"Yes?" he said with the same tone. He sighed slightly as his eyes completely opened.

"Master I would like to learn how to look inward. I see you do it and thought maybe now was a good time to ask." he said praying in his mind he would get to learn. His master's eyes lit up at his words.

" Well of course you can learn." he said. " However, I am not the one to teach you the technique. It is actually lucky you ask now. The Sheo taught it to me, and we will be there for a few days. I will ask if Master Akanai can teach you the technique." he said with a smile. He stood up and put his shoes on .

"Get dressed my young apprentice, there is a seven days walk ahead of us and you can ask them yourself while I am explaining our task to the council." he said with a bit of energy. He waited for Allahn to dress and they continued on.

They walked at a furious pace. Allahn was excited for a new lesson and Quelon was excited he would be learning it. They came to stop as the sun had gone beyond the horizon. They both fell asleep quickly and rose early the next morning. Yet, the anticipation of the next lesson drained away quickly as they remembered where they were. They were fast approaching the borders of Lanitos. The dark green of the forest loomed ahead of them.

"There it is." Allahn said as they came to a hault.

"Yes there it is. Keep your guard up we still have no idea what is supposed to be here." Quelon took a step forward and then continued on towards the forest entrance. It was about midday and the light was dim under the cover of the trees. Speckles of pale green light were scattered all about the trail.They advanced cautiously expecting an ambush on every step. The breeze began to die down and was weaker and weaker as they went in.

"Something does not feel natural about this." Quelon said taking a look around. He glanced back at Allahn. "Can you feel that?" he asked as he came to a stop. Allahn did notice something felt odd about the area ,but did not know what it was.

No birds sang in the trees,no wind rustled the leaves. It was deathly quiet.

The only sound they could hear was the faint sound of the river nearby.

"Its just to quiet. It feels like the very trees around us are holding their breathe." Allahn said as they started to move once again. They could still see the entrance to the forest from where they were. Soon they could no longer feel the warmth of the sun. The sound of rushing water became louder as they inched farther into the forest. The tops of the trees grew thicker the further they went. It was soon as dark as night on the road they traveled.

"Allahn I think we should stop for the night. Hopefully we can sleep in peace." Quelon said looking for a place to sit.

Allahn agreed and began to wind down. Even though they were both able to defend themselves, There is something about an unseen enemy that puts any type of warrior in a state of unease. The master and his apprentice sat for what seemed like an eternity in silence before someone finally spoke.

"We will get know sleep at this rate." said Quelon with a long sigh. He stood with a grunt and his look changed from uneasy to angry.

"Get up Allahn we shall continue until something makes a move at us or we get there." he said setting off down the path nearly at a run.

Allahn got up and followed as fast as he could nearly falling in the process. The air was stiff and cool around them. There was very little they could see, but they could make out where the trail was. They continued on for a long time under silence. Quelon had a very angry air about him. It was as if he would suddenly turn and set the forest ablaze. Allahn however felt no anger. All he could feel was unease. The urge to turn and look for their pursuers was nearly unshakable. Finally he could stand the silent chase no longer.

"I feel like we are being watched master." Allahn said in between breaths.

" Yes, I know, but we cannot just sit and wait for something to happen. If something is here to make a meal of us or worse then it will get tired of waiting and try to take us. And when it does, we shall be ready!" he said with a very angry tone.

Allahn was nervous, but racked with excitement at the same time. He began hearing noises in the trees around them as they rushed down the road. The rustling of leaves and the creaking of tree limbs. They were loud enough that Allahn knew his master could hear them but he was so fixed on the road that he dare not say anything. He almost felt like he was being chased, yet the one chasing him were not actually there. His master kept on at a very steady pace not faltering for a single moment. They were practically running now. Allahn was starting to feel the beginnings of fatigue, but knew he could not slow down.

His master took a look back at him and continued charging forward. The noises around them in the trees began to multiply.

Quelon now broke into a full tilt run huffing and puffing as they went. Allahn followed as well as he could. The fighting spirit within him was ready to burst at the seems with excitement, but his rationality drove him forward.

" There is a clearing up ahead!" Quelon shouted without missing a beat.

Allahn and his master slowed as they came into the open space. The night sky was showing above them. They continued until they reached the middle of the clearing. Allahn turned and peered into the trees. Their pursuers still rumaged about in the darkness. No shadows or shapes could be seen, but Allahn and his master could hear life in the trees. The leafy darkness housed all sorts of odd noises. They could hear hissing and growling, yet these were silent when compared to the other sounds that acompanied them. Whispers and moans cut through the feral ambience around them. The more they listened the more familiar the sounds became. Allahn began to hear voices that sounded friendly. The voices of his parents came to his ears. They were joined by his younger siblings. He felt them calling out to him. They invited him into the blackness of the night. All the fear of the chase melted away and turned into warmth and he no longer felt afraid of what laid just beyond the leaves in front of him.

He turned to look for faces, to match his mothers voice with her smile.

As he turned a glow caught his eye. His gazed fixed on a hand reaching out to him from the darkness. It beckoned him closer. He felt like he was being tugged by invisible strings all around him. He took a small step forward to the hand in the dark. Quelon looked over at him and saw an enchanted look in his eyes.

" No Allahn!You must collect yourself!" he shouted at him hoping he would snap him out of the daze.

Allahn did not flinch at all.

Quelon grunted and cursed under his breathe.

"Snap out of it you idiot!" he yelled turning around to Allahn. He reared back and smacked Allahn as hard as he could hoping that would end the trance.

In Allahn's eyes the forest had become bright and colorful, but all of a sudden it snapped back to reality. The blackness had returned and the back of his head hurt. The whispers receeded and the growls returned with the hisses.

Allahn and his master were back to back searching for what had ensnared them.

Quelon heard hushed muttering and felt a surge of power in the air.

Allahn felt the same thing and didn't know what to do. He had never been in this situation before. His mind hesitated every decision he could think of. There was a seconds pause and then there was light. Fire poured from the darkness at Allahn. Quelon shoved him to the side and threw up his hands to stop the flames. Quelon was as fast as lightning and met the fire head on. Allahn looked up from the ground expecting to see his master burning in the place of him but that was not the case. As the fire rushed past Quelon it transformed.

What once was hot fire was now a swarm of large orange butterflies fleeing into the sky as if the fire was meant to harm them.

Once the fire stopped Quelon stomped his foot on the ground and shouted. At the same time the dirt beneath them shook and shifted. A large boulder floated up from the flatness of the ground. As quickly as it had come up Allahn's master sent it whirling into the darkness. It was swiftly enveloped in the trees. There were many sounds coming from the forest then. After all the crashing stopped Quelon looked back at Allahn.

" Get up my boy this is not over yet!" he said he said looking around quickly.

" I will not stand for this darkness anymore!" he said angrily. He clapped his hands together so loud it echoed over the noises in the dark. Instantly the clearing became as bright as midday. Fire sprung up and illuminated them .

"Where has all of your training gone Allahn? Has a little darkness stolen away my fearless apprentice? Fight!" he shouted at Allahn.

At those words Allahn finally regained himself entirely.

"I am here master let's get this over with!" he shouted back. He stepped forward and peered into the darkness once again. Only now he was filled with courage and eagerness. He looked past the flames and saw something move in the shadows of the fire. It did not show and colors it had no skin, it had no hair, it was as if the shadows themselves were moving around them.

There was a screech from behind him and he turned to see his master was no longer there. He yelled out for his master, but quickly realized he was on his own in this fight.The fires around him began to move. They rose and rose until he could not see the sky above him. He was all alone in a circle of flame.

"This is not real!" he told himself aloud, but it did nothing the flames only intensified and the ground beneath him vanished. A great pressure began to fill the space that was the air.There was only darkness and fire now. Yet, Allahn persisted to stay brave in the face of danger.

It felt like the pressure would crush him at any moment, and then there was nothing. In the blink of an eye there was no more fire of blackness the pressure had dissapated to nothing. The air was cool, and he was back in the forest, but he was somewhere different. These were not the same trees form the clearing he had first come into.

Though he was alone he felt a presence. One that seemed to take up the world. The pressure returned from the darkness, and there was a rustle in the trees.

Allahn whipped around to meet the empty gaze of a figure

It was what he had seen past the fire before everything disappeared.

It was the figure of a man. It was not tall or short. It had no hair or cloths. It had no mouth or eyes. It was just black.

"Who are you? Where am I? What have you done with my master?" Allahn demmanded of the figure, but there was no reply. It took a step forward.

Allahn jumped back and decided to get some answers. He pointed his hand at the figure. All the water in his pouch swam out and into his hand.

Allahn did not know where he was or what was going on but he knew he would go down fighting if this was the end.

He ordered the water around in his mind. It went forth and began to grow. It became a shield in front of Allahn. He sent it drown the figure.

All of the water rushed forward and enveloped it. Allahn waited for something to happen, for the creature to drown or move, but it did nothing. Allahn brandished an angry look.

The figure cocked its head to the side and began to walk forward to Allahn.

It walked right out of the wall of water as if nothing happened. Allahn took another step back.He returned all the water to his pouch. "What are you?" Allahn mumbled thinking of what to do. He looked around at all he had to work with. He could make fire and roast it or he could beat it with a tree. He could even bury him in a great hole.

He could not decide and since it did not drown he was unsure if anything else would have any effect.

"Stay away from me!" he shouted, taking action at last. He spread the ground apart from underneath its feet. It tumbled into the darkess below.

"Well that worked. Now to find master." he said, turning about to see where he was. He remembered that he was somewhere else. He was lost in the strange woods. He turned back to make sure the figure stayed down. There was a moment of stillness and then something poked out of the ground ahead of him. He felt his eyes widened as he watched the same black creature raise out of the ground before him with each step towards him.

" Well that didn't work." Allahn could feel an inkling of fear in the back of his mind.

"Go away!" he shouted louder as he took a few steps back. He made the trees lift from the ground. They flew to his aid. He watched carefully as he pummled the creature into the ground. The wood splintered and broke as they smashed it into the dirt. When they were no longer able to do any damage he let them fall where they were. It almost did not surprise Allahn to see the figure stand from the crater it was beaten into and keep on its advance to Allahn. He began to wonder what was going to happen if it got ahold of him. He started to fear the creature's advance. He became afraid of the uncertainty of the figure and became angry.

"Get Away from me!" he shouted as fire erupted from his hands.

He yelled as he blasted everything he had at the creature.

Yet, his efforts were in vain for as the fire raged on the figure emerged from the blaze with its arm outstretched to Allahn. No matter how fast he seemed to be backing away it just came closer.

He blew the fire harder at the figure until over the roar of the fires he heard a whisper.

"Come to me." a voice said in his head.

Allahn knew the voice had to belong to the figure. Allahn was in no mood to chat with the creature. He threw his hands down and jumped back one last time. At that moment trees burst form the ground under Allahn's feet. He shot high into the air holding onto the branches of the tree. He looked down and did not see the creature below.

He sighed deeply as he stood up on the branch. He looked down and searched hard for the black figure.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I'm glad that is over." he said leaning against the trunk of the tree.

There was a small creak of the tree, and he turned to find the figure closing in on him. Allahn screamed as the creature reached out and grabbed him by the neck.

He tried to move , he tried to scream, he tried to do something , anything, but he was helplessly trapped. His body still worked, but he couldn't find the will to fight back. He tried to kick the creature, but when he did it slammed him against the trunk of the tree. His breath was stolen away. He gasped for air but couldn't taste it any more. He was loosing the will to fight. It was as if the energy was being drained out of him. He looked into the blackness of the figure's face. There were no movements. Yet, just as things started to grow dark the figure loosened its grip enough for Allahn to take a breath. He could breathe, but he still could not move.

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a shallow wheeze, hoping to get an answer. The figure made no reaction for a long moment. After Allahn had taken another breath he opened his mouth to ask another question. As he did, the figure began to open its eyes. They opened slowly and stared deep into Allahn's eyes. The eyes didn't look normal though. They were the pupils were smaller than average and the irises were unnaturally bright blue. The strangest part however, were the two gold lines that ran sideways from the irises to the sides of the eye. Allahn was captivated by the figure's eyes. When they completely opened a voice spoke. The voice filled Allahn's whole being. It resonated in his soul, and made him quiver in his skin.

"Ssshhh." it said to him. "Be silent and calm. The more you struggle the more painful it will be. Surrender your vessel to me, and journey to an inevitable end. " he spoke slowly and softly, but it still overflowed out of Allahn's mind. "What are you going to do to me?" Allahn asked after the last chill of the creature's voice had went away. The eyes of the figure still had not moved. They were fixed on Allahn. The world around him began to spin, and it began to grow dark once more.

Allahn had no more fight left in him. His hands dropped to his side and his eyes grew heavy. Just as it all went black another voice peirced through the silence.

"Let him go creature of the darkness!" the voice shouted. It was a woman's voice. It was strong and it echoed almost as loud as the figure's. The eyes closed and the creature's head turned around to meet this interuption. Allahn's strength began to return to him. He could feel his own spirit welling up inside of him.

"I said drop the boy!" she shouted at the figure. It made no effort to reply to her it only stared with no eyes.

Allahn waited until he knew he had the strength to break free to make a move.

"I'll give you until the count of five." she said taking a step forward on the branch. The creak of the wood signaled something in Allahn. He swung his arms up from his waist. He slammed them into the creature's hands. With the creature's focus on the woman Allahn suceeded in breaking the figure's hand off of his neck. Allahn fell from where he had been lifted. When his feet touched the wood of the branch he realized he was weak from the attack. He slipped and began to fall down from the tree. He looked back up to see an amazing sight.

It was a warrior from the Sheo.

She had all three of the gemstones on her face. A blue stone in the middle of her forehead a yellow stone on the bridge of her nose and a green stone just below the yellow one. She was covered in the typical Sheo armor. The Sheo were efficient when it came to weapons. You see, the Sheo did not fight with swords or shields. They cratfted their armor to double as a weapon. The hands were made with long and very sharp claws that they trained with nigth and day. They were masters of close combat. They were also masters of magic. This warrior was fair in the face and looked very angry. Allahn was amazed as he fell to see the warrior shoot lightning from her fingertips. The figure recoiled as it struck him. It went through it and struck the tree. The explosion was deafening. Fire and chared and burning wood zoomed around Allahn on his tumble to the ground.

He fell into many branches on his way down, but he barely had the energy to moan as he slammed into them.

Allahn tried looking down but whenever he tried he was struck with another branch. Allahn was quickly knocked out. All went black, and he feared the return of the creature. He felt nothing else afterward.

 

 

 

Author's Note

hope you enjoyed please let me know what you thought. Your input is appreciated.