Healing Fenwick had taken time and concentration. Fortunately, neither
Fenwick or Bignor needed to know that Fenwick was actually healing,
because fooling their minds was easy. But the Ancient Staff of the
Elements could only heal Fenwick while he was conscious. Not while he
slept. Why? That's the way it works, that's all.
"Soon", the Staff reflected, "Fenwick will be strong
enough to carry me, yet weak enough to yield to my control of his mind.
I'll no longer need Bignor, and can discard him with a mere
thought."
Meanwhile, the Staff had coaxed Bignor up to the top of the chasm,
carrying Fenwick and the Staff with him.
"Tiny mind," thought the Staff, "but a strong
back."
Once at the top of the chasm, the Staff concentrated on three things:
1) Keeping Bignor alert and eager, but unable to leave the immediate
area,
2) Keeping Fenwick awake so the healing could progress rapidly, and
3) Waiting for the horseback riders to arrive to trigger the next step
in its master plan.
Everything was going according to plan.
Eandrae could already feel the impatience from the boy . Already an hour
passed by filled with the ritual songs and gestures for summoning the
Guardian . The air was filled with the soft shining energy who appeared
every time when calling the power of the elements and Eandrae knew that
it wouldn’t take any longer . With a last move to the wounded girl she
ended the ceremony and a few seconds later a shadowy creature stood next
too her .A short nod in the boy’s direction gave him a sign to speak
those word to ask for help and offer a bond until the debt was repaid .
“Agree with his proposal mighty Guardian , I don’t know what’s
happening but I can feel that we need this girl for the coming change of
our world “ said the old woman to the shadowy Guardian . This wasn’t
the first time that they met and the old woman was sure that it wasn’t
the last time either . “Ahhh it was your spirit who called me old lad
, I could sense something identifiable “ although this creature
didn’t seem to have a mouth there was no doubt that the words came
from him . “Again you need my help , just like usual when my dear Ea
will you learn to succeed on your own “ said the creature with a
condescending voice . It was hard for the old woman to stay
expressionless . “Just do what the boy asked you Guardian , nothing
more nothing less we need from you ! “ while speaking out those words
she turned to the girl and crossed her arm .
The Guardian also went to its patient and a soft red cloud appeared
above her who seemed to investigate her body after a while a blue cloud
joined the red one now Marie was encased by a violet light who got
stronger and stronger . Eandrae who had learned to look into those
lights saw that the skin of the girl already gained some more color .
The Guardian really started to heal her .
I watched, patiently for me - I only hopped from one foot to the other
two times, while the old woman and the Guardian? spoke with each other.
The Guardian than went over to the girl and within just seconds I could
see the change in the girls appearance. She was definitely looking much
better!
Suddenly, I felt an intense chill, something was coming! We had to
move and move soon! The horses were pulling at the reins and rolling
their eyes. They definitely sensed what I did! Even the sky looked
ominous! Dark clouds were covering the sun and the birds were quiet. I
glanced at the little creature that was hiding in the bushes; it was
cowering down and shivering so badly I thought it might hurt itself. I
looked at the old woman and the male warrior, “Do you feel that? We
must leave soon!” I glanced at the Guardian, “Will she be able to
move soon?”
Fenrik shivered uncontrollably as the icy winds blasted him. Dark clouds
flooded the sky, while snowflakes pelted Fenrik's body -- a fanfare for
the coming blizard.
To his amazement, instead of increasing his pain, the icy wind seemed
to energize him. He felt an inner warmth awaken and the strength
returning to his arms and legs.
Could he break his bonds and escape?
"Oh how wonderful", Mari sighed happily and bathed in the
violet light, not wanting it to stop, wanting to keep it forever. She
felt joy, love for life and every creature around her. The violet shroud
caressed her bones, flesh and muscles, mending everything that was hurt
mentally and physically. Her broken ribs were softly put back into
place, the hole in her pierced lung closed up, her wrist was no longer
limp. And then, sadly enough, it grew weaker and melted back into where
it came from. Mari felt a great loss. She felt the impulse to force her
gift, her soul fingers to hold back the violet light - but she knew,
this would be of no good...
Tears trickled down her cheeks, blinking them away she opened her eyes
and saw a shadow hovering over her, obviously the source of this violet
light. Though her eyes seemed to deceive her and refused to show more
than this shadowy outline, her heart had a clear picture of what was
standing before her - something very very old, not human, not mortal -
she opened her mouth to thank it then...
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strong feeling of danger
coming up, like the stab of a dagger.
Mari shivered and struggled blindly to get up:"DANGER, coming from
a cave... we must leave... we must get there... ELENDIRILL, where are
you? Feraila, where is she?"
Looking around desperately for help her eyes fell on the group staring
at her.
“He’s gone, or at least he hasn’t come back.” I told her.
“Someone from the camp took the lady and left. I’m sure he’s
following them.”
“We have to go! Something is coming!” I gestured in the direction
the storm was coming from. “I don’t know what, but we Must ride!”
I hesitated briefly. “Can you? Ride, that is?”
"Ride? Me? Of course.." Mari gulped bravely and thought of
her last experience on the back of a mule - a rather short experience
with a long hard fall.
But she wasn't going to admit that, not in public and certainly not to
this greasy little... something... that stood before her.
"Little One, what's your..." name, she wanted to say but then
jumped back. "What's that moving in your hair? Yuck.... Come here,
let me have a look, boy," Mari shuddered, she had a dreadful
suspicion.
“Hey! You keep your hands to yourself!” I jumped back as quickly as
I could. Who did she think she was? I thought to myself. “Just wakes
up and starts taking control,” I grumbled under my breath.
I hurriedly walked over and grabbed the horses’ reins. “How well
do you ride, girl? The gentlest horse I brought is the Appaloosa. Is she
okay?”
…And, what about you, old woman?” I glanced questioningly at the
old witch. “Are you coming with us?”
“And what should we do with that,” I pointed at the baby ‘it’
quivering in the bushes. “Do we take it? It’d be a shame to leave it
to what’s coming. I can probably carry it in a sling or something.”
I kept edging away from the woman (girl) we had helped, I wasn’t
sure I liked the gleam I saw in her eyes.
Mari's eyes widened with surprise: that old woman! She had seen a
picture of her hanging in the arch mage's bedroom, a faded picture,
illtreated and faded but nevertheless still recognizable. Ah, this was
the feared and famous Eandrae, witch of the woods. From rumours in the
arcane school she had learned that Eandrae and her arch mage had parted
in anger, but nobody knew why exactly. Ohhhh, this was her chance, maybe
Eandrae would take her as an apprentice, Mari's heart beat wildly, had
her journey come to its end finally?
Ignoring that filthy little mongrel Mari took her heart into her hands
and walked up to the witch, bowing respectfully, she said:"
Greetings, wise Eandrae, I'm Mari, do I owe you my recovery?"
The old woman looked at her silently, Mari felt insecure and judged as
if Eandrae could look into her soul and heart and didn't like what she
saw...
Bignor was not entirely sure why he had raised his staff against the
horse riders on the bridge. It just seemed to happen by itself.
"Maybe", he thought, "riders have treasures for my
lair, and Glow Staff wants me to get treasures?"
Whatever the reason, the staff seemed to be in control now, and
Bignor knew enough to just hang on and wait to see what happens next.
His eyes were focused intently on the horses and their riders. Nothing
else mattered.
--------------------
Meanwhile, Fenwick had indeed been able to break free from his
leather bindings and was creeping up behind Bignor. As far as Fenwick
could see, only Bignor remained atop the rocky cliff, as all of the
other orcs had been blown over the cliff into the vasty depths below.
The Staff, of course, was working its illusions in both of their
minds. But the icy wind, snow flurries, and storm clouds were real. The
staff had sensed their approach and nudged them a little to bring them
earlier and stronger than they would have on their own.
Vuldaran rode as fast as he could, he could see a bridge come near and a
storm as coming up. There was something strange in the storm, something
that he could not describe but it felt unconfortable.
"No need to be set back by it, time is getting more crucial
every day now. Only a few more days of riding and I'll be at my
destination: 'the Cave of the desert'.
Vordasto was the last city before the strechted out desert began, the
bridge of Vordasto was the border between the 'wet' land and the desert.
He could almost see the dark clouds that were calling him, the Dark
was calling him. Vuldaran knew that he couldn't resist, but he didn't
even wanted to, this was what he wanted. the Dark that called him was an
evil being that had no physical form and that could never have one. But
it's power was immense. Vuldaran was the right hand of the Dark since he
had visited the Cave of the desert 10 years ago, it spoke to him,
seduced him but Vuldaran needn't be seduced. It gave Vuldaran
instructions and now, after 10 years of searching he had found what he
was looking for the 2 rings and the person that knew of the whereabouts
of the Orb. Vuldaran realized that he would never get the information he
needed of the elven woman but the Dark would, it would just read her
mind and they'd have the info they needed.
The only setback they could have was that the Orb in some difficult
to find place in some far away land, but Vuldaran suspected this because
otherwise more people would know about it. He knew that he still had a
long and hard task before him so he had no time to waste.
He woke the elven woman up and when she was amake and had a clear
mind they entered Vordasto to get some supplies and water. An hour later
they left again and headed for the bridge, that air still didn't feel
right but he had no time to waste. He started to cross the long bridge
into the desert, a cold and barren land where hardly anything grew and
where the strangest, most aggressive creatures lived....
As suddenly as they had started, the freezing winds stopped. The clouds
remained dark and snowflakes continued to fall, but the silence was
almost deafening. In fact, Bignor shook his head violently to see if his
ears had stopped working.
"Nope. Just gots quiets." he deduced.
That's when he heard the footsteps approaching him from behind. He
knoew those kind of footsteps: careful, too slow, grabbing the earth as
if to brace for attack.
He wheeled around, preparing to smash his would-be attacker with the
business end of the staff. He stopped himself mid-swing, so suddenly,
that he lost his balance and fell ungracefully on his arse. His legs
flew in awkward angles and he almost lost his grip on the staff.
Before him stood Chief Nogda. All he could say was "Nogda? I
didn't ..."
She interupted him, "You little worm! I should smash you into
jelly with that staff! Give it to me! Now!"
---------------------------
Fenrik had every intention of grabbing the horrid Bignor and flinging
himself and the ugly runt over the cliff to their mutual deaths. But his
sneak attack was foiled when the air suddenly fell silent. Bignor had
spun around, apparently lost his footing, and sprawled backwards on the
ground.
The creature had muttered something, but Fenrik was not in the mood
for conversation. In his minds eye, Fenrik envisioned himself pummeling
the monster into goo with his own staff. The vision had a satisfying
feeling to it.
So Fenrick yelled at Bignor, "You little worm! I should smash
you into jelly with that staff! Give it to me! Now!"
---------------------------
Meanwhile, the riders had regained control of their horses and
continued the crossing onto the bridge at a more subdued pace. They were
headed northward, toward the bitter cold desert.
Tiny drifts of snow began to gather at the foot of trees, on the
leaves of bushes, and began to fill the bridge's cracks and fractures.
Feraila was violently pulled away from her dream like state. Everything
was better than thinking about what that horrible man could do to her.
She had seen visions of beauty, visions where the giant trees filled the
land, and the earth was trembling from the energy they contained. After
awhile she became aware of herself in the vision. She was one of the
trees. She had been standing there for ages, and she knew she will still
be standing there in the future. The things she felt were more divine
than everything she ever felt before. It was not just happiness, it was
the feeling beyond happiness, and she could feel the power of of the
entire forest flowing through her wooden body. The power never comes
from one tree alone, it's the shared power of the forest.
The feeling was fading away, she tried to hold on to it, but it was like
trying to stop sand with an open hand. She opened her eyes, fearing what
she might see. She was afraid of the things he might do to her, but she
was more afraid of the raw sensation of hate for that man. She didn't
like to feel that way, not even about him, but it was stronger than her.
She saw they were approaching a small town. It was just there in
front of them, like it didn't really belong in that place. Beyond the
town was the desert, and it's coldness was lying over the entire town.
When they entered through the gates, all she saw was humans, all minding
their own bussiness. Nobody even looked at her hands which were tied
behind her back. They could see them, but nobody really cared. The man
got of his horse, but he pulled her horse along, not allowing her to get
off. That was the first time she noticed it. She was used to seeing
coldness in the eyes of humans, but that was gone. His eyes didn't even
contain coldness, they were of a freezing black. They were a reflexion
of what she experienced from him, he never seemed to care about her or
anything else in the world. He ignored the cold when they had left the
camp, he ignored the fatigue, he seemed to be driven by something beyond
that.
He took her from one stall to another, asking for supplies, taking her
with him. Afterwards he divided them over the 2 horses and again they
were heading to the gates. Feraila looked one last time to the people,
begging them with her eyes to help her ... it was in vain ...
When they were passing through the gate, the horses were running
again, he didn't care about them either. They left the town, and were
riding towards the cold desert. Feraila felt tears coming. How could she
live in a world which didn't care about anything anymore, how did those
humans become so insensitive?!? She passed out again, seeking comfort in
her dreams ...
Elmo stared fascinated at the four-legged animals and while the group
of less interesting two-legged creatures were busy standing around or
whatever they were doing, Elmo waddled carefully around the horses. He
had circled all of them three times when he concluded the one most to
his left had the most intriguing smell: remarkably fast he wobbled
towards the appaloosa and grabbed its left hind leg with his big
toothless mouth.
The horse reacted almost indifferently, as if it was just another fly
bugging her. She lifted her leg and tried to shake it off, but the plump
creature just swinged along and didn't let go. Without variation the
scene continued, a shaking leg and a shaking Elmo - it almost looked
like both creatures were enjoying it.
It was a shock to hear that the girl knew her name . It was impossible
that she had heard it when the Guardian had spoken to hear . The girl
seemed also to know who she was because there was a proof of recognition
in her eyes but there wasn’t time for meditating about all this they
had to leave this place very soon . “If you want to thank someone then
you have to be there “ she answered on the girls question by pointing
to the boy.“But we don’t have time for that now . The boy was right
when he said there was danger , although I don’t know what is going on
it seems better to me if you all come with me. I know a save place were
you can hide - And take a bath “ while saying this she peeked to the
boy .
Without looking if the others followed her she left the place and
went with her donkey into the direction to the old abbey .
Bignor had never refused to do anything Chief Nogda told him to do.
Never, ever. He had seen the horrible things that happened to anyone who
dared refuse Nogda. Not very nice. Not at all.
Bignor valued his life more than the staff. Not much more. But,
"more" enough.
Bignor handed the staff to Nogda and closed his eyes and turned his
head to the side, in a manner of submission. In his heart he felt that
Nogda would not punish him now, because he did as he was ordered to do.
His brain wasn't quite as convinced, so it decided to add flinching to
the posture, just in case.
As his hand released the staff, the world inside his mind seemed to
change dramatically. Suddenly he remembered that he could fly, he had
wings. He could hear sounds from miles away, and he could find a moth
fluttering in a dark cavern just using those keen ears.
As he flew away, Bignor, a Pteropus scapulatus (a "Flying
Fox" bat), recalled nothing of his years as an orc. He thought only
of his hungry belly and flying and the fluttering wings of an insect
precisely 41.2386 meters away at and angle of 21.3840 degrees to the
left and down 31.4476 degrees, moving at a velocity 27.2 times slower
than he was.
*Bah I surounded by women, even worse hocus pocus women... *
"Hey boy! wher did you got those horses?... You stole them from
the camp!!! are you crazy, now we'll be discovered for sure, didn't you
realize somebody would chase you if they realised ou stole them?"
"Just get your asses on the horses and get out of here! where
shall we ride?"
Dulartus stood up and walked to the horses, "Hey little fella
you're hungry? Don't you think a whole horse is a bit large snack? I'll
get you something to eat.
Mari's face flushed - she had been ticked and brushed off like a
little child. "Hm, the same grumbling way, like my Archmage,"
she thought. Used to being obedient she went over to the boy and the
horses, gulped down her pride and mumbled ungraciously:
"Thanks for helping me... Guess, I owe you something."
And then came the hardest part, she took a deep breath and whispered:
"I'm, errh, not so good at riding. Ahm, could you possibly share a
horse with me? I feel better if I can hold you instad of
reigns...?" her voice trailed away and she looked imploringly at
the boy.
"Here you go" said Dulartus while offering an apple to the
creature, wich didn't seem to respond at all, Dukartus grabbed in his
bag again, and now he offered the creature some meat he spared, but yet
again The creature had his mind set to the horses leg.
Elmo was a bit confused... did this two-legger want to show off with
the food it had found? Showing off with those two little pieces of
whatever they were, while he had found this delicious giant hump of
meat? Unlike Elmo himself, the two-legger probably hadn't noticed that
Elmo was about to bite through the leg... or at least Elmo was convinced
this was going to happen soon enough. In the mean time the two-legger
had better go eat his pity prey somewhere out of sight while Elmo and
the leg kept shaking. Oh yeah, he was sure the leg was already getting
juicier, afterall, with his jaws he could get through anything! Patience
and persistence would eventually reward him, watch and learn!
No one could have been more surprised than Fenrik, when Bignor just
handed the staff to him and cowered like a simpering fool.
Fenrik, considering himself not a fool, took the offered
staff. And, as soon as it left Bignor's hands, the orc turned into a
largish brown bat. For the moment that Fenrik stood there startled by
the transformation, the bat fluttered off into the mists of the chasm
below, squeaking all the way.
A thought began creeping into Fenriks head -- a thought not entirely
his own -- that he should keep the staff, and that he should find a
certain person ... . But, so many things were going through his head at
the moment, that the thought blended into the cacophony in Fenrik's
head.
In a sudden burst of frustration and anger, Fenrik flung the staff
into the mists as if to hit the Bignor-Bat out of sheer luck. As the
staff disappeared into the mists below, Fenrik thought he heard a
high-pitched, inhuman voice cry "Nooooooooooooooooooo!"
"I'm hungry" he said aloud, as he sat on the rocky cliff to
rest and examine his wounds. Although he heard the sound of fading
horseshoes on cobblestones, then on gravel, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Soon, there were only the sounds of snowflakes and Fenrik's own
breathing.
I really wanted to ride after “the lady” but when I looked at the
girl’s pleading eyes I couldn’t say no.
“You’ll have to ride with me on the black.” I warned her.
“Hey you, warrior! Can you get that,” I pointed at the little
creature, “to stop chewing on the horse and either we leave it here or
we put it in a sling to carry with us.”
“Old woman, how far to this abbey? Once I help you get there, I’m
leaving to help get the Lady Feraila free. And he’s right,” I nodded
at the warrior, “we must leave quickly. I don’t think they will
think to look for the horses here; but you never know!”
I mounted the black stallion and tossed the reins of the black mare
to the warrior. “Here you ride her.”
I quickly pulled the Appaloosa around and succeeded in pulling her
leg out of the babies’ mouth. “Stop eating her leg.” I scolded it.
“Eat what he’s giving you.”
I put my hand out for the girl to grab, “Come on, we must hurry.”
I pulled her up behind me and hurried to catch up with the old woman.
“Old woman, do you want to ride? It’ll be much faster if you
do...
As I spoke the wind suddenly kicked up fiercely. I felt a few
stinging needles of ice touch my face and knew that we needed to
hurry…
Mari was jolted up on the black horse and clung desperately on to the
boy. After some time she was able to relax, erect her spine and fall
into the swaying movements on the horseback. And she noticed a smell
drifting into her nose: Yuck. She took a closer look: Yhew, little
animals were crawling in the boys hair.
This is my chance, she thought and started to grope cautiously with her
right hand in her back pack she had managed to fling over her shoulder
before the boy grabbed her. Success! The boy was distracted and she had
a small flask in her hand; she quickly opened it with her teeth, spat
out the cork and poured the contents over the boys hair.
Explosion! The boy swirled around with his elbow and hit Mari badly in
her side - she ached, but kept on clinging tightly to him and tried to
rub the liquid into his hair. Suddenly she lost hold and fell...
Vuldaran came to a stop when the strange staff felt on the bridge before
him. He got off, took a good look at it and felt some strange attraction
for it, he knew better than to stop and pick this up but it attracted
him in a way that he coudln't resist. Maybe this is part of my destiny
he thought and picked up the staff to take it to the Dark.
The moment he picked it up he felt a very strange, dark and
undescribable feeling going through him. He still felt in control of his
own mind and body but it was as if the staff tried to take control over
him. It's a good thing that he has more resistance to magic than a
normal mortal.
He got back on his horse and rode on to his next restingplace. The
snow kept on falling but he knew that once he had crossed the bridge the
desert would come where there was nothing to be seen but a barren
wasteland.
next stop the ruins of an ancient castle once inhabited by Bakniff
the Cruel, a horrible man to inhabitants of this world but mere a glimps
of what the Dark and Vuldaran are. There he could pass the night so that
the Elven lady could recover a bit since there was no nature here for
her to recover.
I felt the girl wiggling around behind me on the horse trying to get
used to his gait. “Well,” I giggled to myself, “she definitely
told the truth when she said she couldn’t ride…”
I suddenly felt something cold plop down on my head from behind and a
sudden stinging as if I was being bitten by a thousand “fire” ants.
I jerked around and my elbow smacked solidly into the girls ribs
knocking her off the horse. Luckily it was my elbow that had hit her and
not the knife that I had pulled from my tunic! I looked wildly around
trying to figure out what had attacked me, wondering if I was going to
be disfigured for life.
I didn’t see anyone but the girl sitting on the ground, and I
couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying or both at the same time.
The stinging was already subsiding, and I noticed that the “itching”
I lived with on a daily basis was also going away. I tentatively put my
hand up to my head and wiped at my hair; it came away with a bunch of
dead critters. I sniffed my hand and it “smelled” sweet, like
flowers.
I glared at the girl on the ground, “What did you put on me? Are
you hurt? Again?”
I shook my hand off and stuck it out for the girl to grab onto again.
I couldn’t let her see that I was secretly pleased at both the lack of
itchiness and the nice smell. Nope, she didn’t have to know. “Come
on, girl! We’re going to freeze out here if we don’t get going.
Let’s get to the abbey. I have to go to the Lady Feraila!”
