Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:22:28 -0400
From: Purple Jubliee <purplejubilee17@gmail.com>
Subject: Elias of Eradal: Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

	The sound of quiet conversation eventually woke Elias. His first
thought was one of relief that he was not dead, followed by immediate
shame. Death would have been preferable if his horrible memories were more
than just a nightmare. But it was no nightmare. Even in his hazy
semi-wakened state he knew that much. He remembered clearly the sinking
dread as Amarack explained his blunder.

	Now, he was alive, and awake. He had not stirred yet. Doing so
would mean accepting that he was not asleep and that he would have to face
what he had done. Almost every part of him wanted to simply lie there
forever. If he was alive though, it was his duty to try to make this right.

	With a groan, he wearily forced himself to roll over and sit
up. The voices stopped as three heads turned to face him. It was evening in
the tiny clearing and the unrecognizable patch of trees around them looked
dark and foreboding. Kole, Avi, and Dain sat around a small fire. Avi's
face split into a smile when he saw Elias moving.

	"Ah good." Dain nodded at him. "I'm afraid I borrowed more from you
than I intended. I am glad you're not harmed."

	Elias shook off the boy's concern. He had a minor headache but
aside from that he did not feel any worse for wear, at least not
physically.

	"Your friends explained the situation to me, that you were
tricked. I apologize for believing that you were helping Kord willingly."

	Still getting his bearing, Elias rubbed his eyes. "Who?" He asked
in confusion.

	"Tha's wot they call that god you was talkin' about." Avi put in,
trying to be helpful.

	Dain nodded. "Your lore refers to him as Kordiith, but the tribes
of Verduin keep older histories. I did not realize how much older until
today, however. Kord was once a man, a great king. He is the only one of
the gods that was ever human, and he changed his name when he ascended. We
of Verduin prefer to use his human name since our patron god, Cernun, did
not recognize Kord's divinity."

	"The myths are all true..." Elias spoke softly, almost to
himself. "The stories of the gods."

	"If we had known how strong Kord's influence had become on the
mainland," Dain continued regretfully. "maybe we could have helped. We
thought our isolation was our protection, now it might be our undoing."

	"Well we have to do something." Kole interjected. "He was stopped
before, right?"

	"Only with the power of the other gods, seven human sages, and the
dragons..." Elias countered, recalling the story that might have saved
them. "The dragons are dead, and no wizard has earned the rank of sage in
over a hundred years. The old gods are gone as well."

	Dain cleared his throat at this. "Cernun is not gone. He comes to
us at the winter solstice to grant his blessing on the year."

	Elias looked up in surprise. "Your tribes still communicate with
the old gods?"

	For a moment Dain hesitated, obviously struggling with an internal
debate. "These aren't things I am permitted to discuss with mainlanders
but... I think the time for secrecy has passed." He paused again. "We do
have a ritual that allows us to speak with Cernun, but it is not something
done lightly, and only ever performed at the winter solstice, which is
still months away."

	"Wouldn't they surely make an exception?" Elias asked feeling a
slight tingle of hope for the first time. "If one of the gods is still out
there then maybe the others are too."

	"It isn't as simple as that. It would be a monumental request..."
Dain trailed off. It was clear that he was still not sharing something but
eventually he shrugged. "It may be our only hope though. Cernun despised
Kord from the beginning even before he turned against the gods. Perhaps he
will be eager to help."

	"That's it then, I'll have to travel to the Verduin Isles
immediately." Elias stood up.

	"Slow down." Kole instructed calmly. "No one's going anywhere
tonight. Dain says that even though Kord or Kordiith or whatever isn't here
yet, he's got goons and minions all over this area by now."

	Dain nodded. "Gwynoc saw great hosts of them emerging from the
caves several miles west of here. Kord's servants are many; treggans,
corrupted men that followed him into the darkness, shades from the other
side, and countless other creatures of the night. Until we are out of these
mountains we must travel only in the daytime and stay hidden at night."

	"What about the fire then?" Elias asked in some alarm. "They'll be
able to see it from a mile away."

	Shaking his head calmly, Dain gestured around them. "The trees have
agreed to hide our presence for now, and Gwynoc keeps watch from above. If
you have the strength however, one of your rune wards would not be
unwelcome."

	Elias had nearly forgotten about Dain's winged companion. He
supposed it was a good thing that Kole and Dain had stopped him. The last
thing he wanted was to run across another band of treggans or worse. Even
so, he could feel time running through his fingers. Eventually though, he
nodded. "Alright. I'll set out first thing in the morning."

	"Elias, you're not thinking clearly." Kole spoke frankly but with a
surprising amount of empathy. "How are you going to get to Verduin? Even if
you made it there, what would you say? What happens here in the meantime?
There are farming towns not far from the foot of the mountains that would
be wiped out in less than a week if they aren't warned."

	"What can I do!?" Elias snapped back, anger flaring. He knew
exactly how inadequate he was, there was no need for the reminder.

	"You can calm down, first of all." Kole's voice was stern but
even. Gone was Kole the lowlife drunkard from Erania, and in his place was
a warrior, cool and collected. "I know you blame yourself for what
happened, but I'm at fault too. You certainly wouldn't have made it this
far without me." A hint of Kole's dry humor returned for a moment but his
authoritative voice took over again quickly. "It doesn't matter. What's
done is done. All that's left now is to keep our heads and move forward one
step at a time."

	Taking several deep breaths, Elias felt his temper retreating,
leaving behind a dull ache of near hopelessness. Sinking down to sit by the
fire, he hung his head in his hands.

	"Our first responsibility," Kole took this as his cue to
continue. "Is to the people living close to these mountains. They need to
be aware of the danger and be protected from it."

	Elias felt near tears as he thought about the hundreds or thousands
of lives that he had seemingly condemned. "How?" he asked helplessly. "We
can't stop a horde, and even if we could, we can't protect every village."

	"You're right, El. It's bigger than us now." Kole agreed in a more
compassionate tone. "We need to alert the Five Kingdoms. And we need to do
it as quickly as possible."

	Elias's hands clenched fistfuls of his hair and he did not look
up. Sharing his folly with the whole world. Informing five nations that he
had brought about their end by pursuing his own glory. The shame was almost
unimaginable.

	"Is there some form of magic that can help us?" Kole pressed
gently. "Dain says that Gwynoc can deliver messages but only to people that
can understand him, or in handwritten letters like a messenger bird. Either
way though would take time we might not have."

	Drawing in a shaky breath, Elias tried to think. His head was in
turmoil. There was a dream-walking potion with which he could visit Master
Sato while he slept, but he did not have the ingredients. Furthermore,
Master Sato, as wise as he was, was only one man. There was something more
though, something he was forgetting. He gazed into the fire, struggling to
calm his mind.

	"The Sages' Beacon!" Elias practically shouted as it struck him
like a bolt. "It hasn't been used in centuries, maybe longer. It's a
network created to call on sages or high wizards for aid, but only in the
most extreme danger."

	"I think this applies." Kole replied encouragingly. "Where is it?"

	"There is one in each of the Five Kingdoms." Elias was finally
looking around at his companions now. "From what I remember, they're housed
with kings, high wizards, or noble houses depending on the kingdom. The
beacon in Eradal is in King Aleric's palace I believe. I couldn't say about
the others."

	Dain shook his head. "Eradal is too far. The marshes are no longer
passable. They were once Kord's land. The evil growing there now would not
allow us through."

	Elias's mouth twisted with worry. "Alright, that leaves Falheim or
Calonia as the closest."

	"Falheim is closer." Kole spoke up almost instantly. "We should
head east."

	Weighing the options, Elias eventually shook his head
hesitantly. "Falheim is closer but not by very much. Calonia is much
stronger and could raise their men-at-arms faster. I also still write with
High Wizard Lavelle from time to time. He was a teacher of mine. He would
help us." Elias did not want to admit that he had studied in Falheim as
well, but not left under as amiable circumstances. His personal
relationships aside however, Calonia still seemed the logical choice to
him.

	Kole however looked inclined to disagree. He frowned and opened his
mouth to argue, then sighed and thought better of it, giving a reluctant
nod. "We're beginning to run low on supplies as well." Kole eventually
said. "We should stop in town when we can."

	The night was getting darker around them. Avi pulled his knees in
to his chin and looked out at the trees. "You sure they ain't gonna find
us?" He asked Dain, concerned.

	Dain offered a slight smile. "The trees hide things far better than
any person can, but we can put the fire out before it gets much darker."

	When Kole laid a heavy hand on Avi's shoulder the boy relaxed
noticeably. Elias felt a twinge of emotion that he thought might be
jealousy again, but he realized it was something else, more akin to
loneliness.

	"El?" Kole's voice broke him from his thoughts. "Did you want to
put those extra wards up just in case?"

	Nodding quickly, Elias shook off the feelings and stood up. He
marked the trees around their clearing, trying to focus on the plan they
now had instead of the mountain of dark despair and other emotion building
inside him.

	"We should post a watch as well." Kole said when Elias had
finished. Dain was about to interject but Kole cut him off. "Even with
your... friend flying up there, we can't be too careful. With four of us we
won't need long shifts."

	Dain shrugged with a nod. "Whatever makes you comfortable."

	"I'll take the first shift." Kole offered. "Everyone try to get
some sleep." He looked pointedly at Avi.

	Despite Kole's advice though, Elias did not sleep. Partly since he
had just woken, but more because he mind would not let him. He lay awake
watching the smoldering ashes where the fire had been wishing he could go
back in time. The memory of how confident and eager had been setting out on
his quest made him wince with regret and shame. He had been so sure of the
vision he had received. Of course, the gods had chosen him. Why wouldn't
they?

	Time moved agonizingly slow as Elias stared out into the
encroaching dark, wishing it would swallow him up. Both Dain and Avi seemed
to be resting peacefully across from him, their faces content and
expressionless and their breathing even. His shift was next, at least that
would provide a change of scenery.

	"You haven't slept." Kole's voice drifted quietly from over his
shoulder.

	Elias shuffled around until he was facing the direction Kole was
sitting. The big man wasn't even looking at him but was leaned against a
tree gazing out into the night. "How can you tell?" Elias asked.

	"If you were any gloomier it'd be raining just over your head."
Kole remarked. He patted the trunk of the tree next to where he sat in an
inviting gesture.

	Realizing that trying to sleep was pointless and finding the
prospect of some company appealing for once, Elias slipped out of his
bedroll and moved to sit by Kole.

	The two were silent for a time. Elias listened to the crickets
chirping and tried yet again to calm his inner turmoil. The night seemed so
peaceful, with normal nocturnal sounds surrounding them and a blanket of
stars over their heads. Elias knew it was a false peace though.

	"It's true you know." Kole broke the silence finally.

	Elias shifted to find a comfortable place to lean against the tree,
his shoulder almost touching Kole's. "What is?"

	"You're not the only one responsible." He repeated his thoughts
from earlier. Though Elias had heard him before, he had considered it more
of a tact to help him calm down and make a clearer plan. Elias didn't
respond and waited for Kole to continue. "From what Dain said, this plan
has been in motion for more than a thousand years. From turning history
into myth, to the great dragon slayers, all the way up to scaring people
away from the swamps. It was all planned step by step, with people
influenced by or working directly for Kord or Kordiith. If it wasn't you,
it would have been someone else."

	Leaning his head back on the solid trunk Elias sighed. "It was me
though. I played the role perfectly... I was so proud and confident about
being chosen I... never even questioned it."

	"Yeah well, you were definitely a bit of an ass." Kole commented,
still not looking at Elias.

	Elias recognized this as Kole's attempt at humor but was decidedly
not in the mood. He let the jab pass without responding.

	"It'll eat you alive if you let it." Kole went on. "The
regret. Trust me, I know."

	With another long sigh, Elias let his hands fall to the ground on
either side of him. "I'm wondering if maybe that would be preferable."

	Kole gave a short laugh. "You really are a lot alike. You and Cal,
the... friend I lost. He was an ass too. So caught up in the way people
think of you. Everything needs to go perfectly or you're ready to just give
in."

	Elias wanted to argue but didn't have the strength. He could also
see some truth to Kole's words. His fear of failure and the stake of his
reputation were weighing him down heavily. Even recognizing this though, he
didn't know how to change, or even if changing was the right course of
action. Being strict and disciplined with himself had been what set him
apart from other talented apprentices. Kole's approach of simply diving
into a challenge might work for him, but Elias was a thinker. An
overthinker perhaps? He realized with some embarrassment as the silence
stretched on that he was doing exactly what Kole was talking about at that
moment.

	"Can I tell you something?" Elias eventually asked, though he was
not sure he really wanted to follow through.

	"Hmm?" Kole's response was one of genuine surprise. "I mean,
yeah... sure."

	"And... please don't share it. Especially... not with Dain..."
Elias could feel his face flushing, but he took Kole's silence as
agreement. "I am not a wizard. Technically. Not yet. I'm still an
apprentice."

	The confession hung in the air for several long seconds. Elias
didn't even dare to look at Kole. He didn't know what kind of response he
expected, anger, mocking, disappointment. What he did not expect though was
the reserved knowing chuckle that Kole gave.

	"Wizards don't get granted full rank until age twenty." Kole
pointed out as though it were the most well-known fact in the Five
Kingdoms. "No matter how talented. And you can't be a day over eighteen."

	"You knew?" Elias demanded in some shock. "How do you...?" His next
question was cut off as he felt something touch his hand. Elias's heart
thudded to a brief halt and his breathing shuddered slightly as he realized
without looking down that the warmth covering his hand was Kole's own hand
that the warrior had placed down over his.

	"Very much alike." Kole repeated again with a quiet laugh, not
removing his hand, and making it obvious that the gesture was no accident.

	Elias turned his head to look at Kole who, after a moment turned
also to lock his golden eyes onto Elias's blue ones. They were less than
two feet apart, shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the same
tree. Elias felt heat radiating through him as his face turned a deeper
red. The moments he had shared with Kole before he had played off in his
mind as strange flights of fancy brought on by loneliness or
confusion. This however was deliberate, and as he gazed at Kole's handsome
face, he realized he didn't want the hand to move.

       It seemed like Kole's face was moving closer in fact. Their
shoulders were touching now, and Elias was still frozen in place, unable to
process what was happening. It was a slow movement, tentative, but Elias
had no will or desire to pull away.

       Abruptly a huge shape seemed to fall out of the sky, landing in the
center of their camp with a soft thud and causing both of them to jump
violently. Gwynoc prodded Dain's shoulder with his beak and gave a quiet
clucking noise.

       Elias's heart hammered for more reasons than one. "I'll never be
accustomed to that... to him..." He nodded toward the great hawk. Somehow,
he felt both relieved and disappointed by the interruption at the same
time.

       Kole gave a shaky chuckle though it was obvious that he too was
recovering from more than just the sudden appearance of Gwynoc. "If you
think that's scary you should have seen him when we came out of the cave
carrying Dain. Very protective. I thought we were done for at first."

       Forcing a small laugh as well, Elias tried to focus on the small
talk and shook himself off. Gwynoc was obviously trying to wake Dain for
some reason, and when the other boy awoke, Elias didn't want him think that
he and Kole had been... well what had they been doing? What had they been
about to do? No. He forced his mind away from that and tried to take up
what was, in his mind, a nonchalant posture.

       Dain sat up slowly, looking questioningly up at the large raptor. A
strange wordless communication seemed to pass between the two of them with
Gwynoc emitting several soft croaking cooing noises throughout. Dain then
stood and padded over to them, his feet not making a sound on the grass.

	"Trouble?" Kole asked, his voice almost entirely back to normal.

	Giving them both a serious look, Dain nodded. "Possibly. A very
large contingent of creatures emerged from one of the caves further up the
mountain. They are heading this direction. Gwynoc does not think they are
pursuing us though. Kord is gathering his armies."

	Kole stood up, retrieving his sword from where it lay next to
him. "How many? I'll get Avi up."

	"Too many to fight." Dain shook his head. "Gwynoc says that running
would be a bad choice as well since there are other camps of enemies in the
mountains also."

	"Don't fight, don't run so what then?" Kole asked with a hint of
irritation.

	"Hide." Elias summarized, predicting where Dain was heading. "He
means to wait until they pass."

	Dain nodded in agreement. "The forest is neither good nor evil, but
it has no love for unnatural creatures. It will keep us hidden."

	Kole looked unconvinced but Elias gave him a reassuring nod. He had
felt Dain's magic through their brief connection, and though it was foreign
to him he had recognized it as potent. The idea of sitting still while an
army of terrors of the night marched around him did not sit well with
Elias, but neither did fumbling around trying to escape them while risking
bumping into even more.

	"There are runes for avoiding detection as well." Elias informed
them. "If I mark the camp with them then our magic can work together."

	Finally, Kole gave in with a single nod. "I still need to wake
Avi. Can't have him getting startled and making noise."

	At Dain's suggestion, Elias put his runes into the dirt rather than
into the sides of the trees. It meant they were not as strong, but Dain
made the point that they would be wise to try their very best not to offend
the forest in any way. Kole woke Avi who quickly masked his fear behind his
best brave face, then kicked the remnants of the fire across the clearing
to make the campsite less noticeable. Then the four of them gathered their
belongings and dragged them to the tree line, crouching among the
undergrowth. Gwynoc perched in the tree just over their heads, head
swiveling with every sound.

       As he often did, Elias began mentally running through spells he
might possibly need. He knew however that against a large force even his
most powerful magic would not help them much. Dain stayed low with his hand
pressed to the trunk of a nearby tree, whispering something inaudible. Kole
kept close to Avi to keep a close watch on the younger boy.

       It was not long after they got into position that Elias noticed to
forest go almost completely silent. It was as though all of nature was
hiding as they were. Very soon though, all four of them began to hear other
sounds coming from up the mountain. Some of these sounded like unnatural
animal calls while others seemed vaguely like human voices from a distance.

       Gradually, the tramping of undergrowth could be heard along with the
loud footsteps of a large group making no attempt to hide their
presence. Avi shivered noticeably as the noises grew slowly closer. A
shrill giggling shriek broke through the night, bringing a chill to Elias's
spine as he recognized the sound of a treggan. Avi inched slightly closer
to Kole when the noise was answered by another chorus of treggan cries.

       Other noises could be heard as the forest seemed to come alive
around them. These ones less familiar but equally terrifying. Shapes could
be seen moving past less than ten feet away. Some of them looked human,
others looked unlike anything Elias had ever seen or imagined before. He
for one was grateful for the darkness that prevented him from getting a
full view of these monstrosities.

       A horrid stench began to fill the air as well, like rotting fish and
tar. It was so foul and so potent that it almost made Elias gag. His
companions were similarly affected, trying to cover their noses and keep
from being sick. An unnatural wet squirming sound accompanied the odor and
made it worse. Elias did not even want to think of what could cause such a
noise and such a smell.

       The ground suddenly began to shake underneath them as strong
rhythmic thumping approached. Fortunately, the terrible smell abated, but
the new fear of this sound of some giant creature was equally great. The
sound was obviously massive footfalls, and branches and underbrush snapped
and gave way before what must have been some truly terrifying beast. A loud
grunting roar was added to the cacophony of evil noises and it shook the
earth and the trees, causing some sleeping birds to noisily take flight to
escape the tide of darkness.

       All the while, Elias's heart pounded in his chest, trying to barely
breathe. There was no magic he could conjure alone that would be of any use
if they were discovered. Even the moonstrike spell he had used against the
treggans before would barely make a dent in a host of this size. Not to
mention he had neither the time nor the materials for such complex
spellwork.

       Dain was still whispering softly to the tree next to them. Whatever
he was doing, Elias willed him to succeed. Avi was trembling slightly under
Kole's protective arm but his face was set with frightened
determination. Crouching over Avi, holding him close, Kole appeared stoic
and hardened but Elias could detect the traces of uncertainty and even fear
in the corners of the brave warrior's face.

       It took almost an hour for the massive army to pass. Even after that
the four stayed crouched in the brush, not daring to move. As the night
slipped by, the party's breathing began to relax slightly. The tension
began to release from their muscles.

       "There's so many..." Avi was the first to speak in hardly a
whisper. "Wot are they?"

       "The servants of Kord." Dain responded, stretching his stiff limbs a
bit. "Creatures of this world and others. And that was only a fraction of
the horde that he will command soon."

       Elias shivered at this, imagining an ocean of foul-smelling slimy
creatures of evil. Again, the spike of shame pierced him as he remembered
that he was the reason these monsters threatened the Five Kingdoms.

       Kole must have seen or sensed this feeling in Elias because as he
stood up, he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The contact didn't last
long but it was enough to prevent Elias from spiraling once more into doubt
and self-loathing.

       "We need to get to Calonia. Fast." Elias declared.

       With a nod, Kole began to gather up their things. "As soon as dawn
breaks. We should be out of these mountains by end of day tomorrow. After
that we can travel faster."

       Even now as the normal noises of the forest resumed, none of them
felt safe. They spent the remaining few hours of the night huddled together
near the same tree they had hid under. Despite his fear and shame Elias was
able to doze a little bit. He forced his mind to less terrible things like
sitting next to Kole before the horde had moved through. His curiosity was
like a physical itch that gnawed at him. What had their brief moment meant?
Would it happen again? Would there be more than just a hand touch?

       Elias found himself fervently hoping that he would be able to fully
explore the experience. It was a much more comforting thought than dwelling
on the unspeakable horrors that lurked in these woods, and allowed him to
find some much needed rest before their march began anew.