Hammer the Exalter

  Chapter 8

  The wind streamed into their faces even though they sat against the leeward side of the rock wall. The air around them did not abide by the usual laws of nature and the wind blew westward while the rain blew east. Hundreds of feet below them waves lashed the coastline and shot spouts of water high into the air only to crash back into the ocean below. The yellow foam from the impacts covering the rocks in a gold curtain. At times the men grabbed each other to prevent a deadly fall, as pieces of the rocky shelf they sidled along, dropped to the ocean below.

  Their clothes became soaked and heavy and Isaac screamed to Arad, his words thrust back into his face by the unrelenting hurricane. He pushed past a struggling Minar and reached the giant who bent to hear him.

  ‘We can’t just sit here, we have to get off this wall or we will never make it.’

  Arad nodded and dragged Minar along with him and step by step they made some ground until the path widen appreciatively. Now they knew they would not fall, they stood upright and made lopping strides aiming for a large outcrop of rocks piled against the wall of the mountain side making a natural cave. The two bigger men crawled through the narrow gap while Isaac walked upright and once inside they dropped to the floor exhausted.

  ‘I have never seen a storm like this,’ said a panting Isaac ‘It is brutal.’

  Arad and Minar seemed to suffer the effects of the onslaught much more than Isaac as the winds found greater purchase on larger frames while Isaac gained protection from the worst of the storm by the sheer bulk of the other two. The big men lay prone on the rock floor of the cave unable to speak. Isaac went to the packs, pulling some dried fish from the satchel and a flask of water and handed a portion to each man. They needed a fire urgently and while Isaac could not see a lot of tinder around the cave floor, he gathered what dry stuff he could and made a tidy pile that would last them a couple of hours if they could only get it alight.

  Minar recovered and saw Isaac’s pile of fuel. He rolled over to his pack and pulled out a small tinder box with two flinty rocks and a tidy pile of wet cloth. He struck the stones and immediately a spark leapt into cloth and a yellow flame appeared. Minar carried it gingerly to the pile, placing the burning cloth into the centre, and a bright fire sprung to life. Huddling together they tried to steal all its warmth and eventually they felt well enough to speak

  ‘The storm is indeed unnatural,’ said Minar. ‘And this makes me hopeful.’

  ‘Hopeful?’ said Isaac. ‘What could be hopeful from a cyclone that almost killed us.’

  ‘Not everything is as it seems Isaac. Some people build fences to keep others out and some camouflage their premises or others still build where it is most difficult to access and there are perhaps others who choose elemental protection to mask their abodes.’

  ‘What he means Isaac,’ added Arad, ‘is if there is a Kolin alive then this would be a very good way for him to protect himself.’

  ‘If he can create a storm out of nothing then why didn’t he do that when the Invaders attacked Mesania?’

  Both the men laughed simultaneously.

  ‘You know very little about the workings of gods don’t you?’ said Minar.

  ‘Well excuse me for being a cretin. You said Kolin was a man like yourselves not a god,’ argued Isaac.

  ‘I said no such thing,’ said Minar. ‘In fact I was at pains to explain Kolin was much more a man than any of us could ever be, but you miss the point. If he could live in exile for a thousand years then he must be a god.’

  ‘But you don’t know if he is alive or not so how do you know he is a god if he wasn’t a god before.’

  They laughed again really annoying Isaac.

  ‘Because we deified him,’ they said in unison.

  ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

  ‘We made him a god. I think you are right you are a cretin,’ again they laughed and this time from their jokes not with incredulity.

  ‘So you can create gods?’

  ‘Of course not,’ said Arad shaking his head. ‘If Kolin could leads us on the Trek and bring back the Valkerie and live for a thousand years in exile and build a monstrous storm for his own protection, don’t you think that is godlike?’

  Isaac found himself getting a headache. ‘I don’t understand and please don’t explain,’ he quickly added as both the giants prepared to pounce. ‘Let’s just say he has godlike qualities, is that fair enough?’

  The Aeserians smiled to each other ‘That is as good a way of explaining it as any I have heard Isaac, there is hope for you yet.’

  The men pulled blankets from their stores rapping them tightly around their shoulders and lay near the fire until they all fell asleep. The night passed as did the storm and the morning broke bright with a slight zephyr keeping the warming air cool. The three crept out of the cave climbing a few feet to a wider ledge and stared breathlessly east. They were perched on the sheer edge of a cliff cut away from the rest of the mountains and dropping a thousand feet before it met the now calm ocean. The watery horizon greeted them as far as they could see north and south stretching beautiful and blue, the new dawn glimmering off its surface like a lake rather than an ocean.

  They climbed to the peak of the surrounding rocky ledge and reached the very top of the cliff. They looked to the west and as far as they could see the land was flat and desolate the vast sands of the Great Desert showing no signs of life, a haze of heat flaming off the ground. Isaac had never seen such emptiness. They could not see any trees or bushes, no mountains or hills, only a seemingly endless land completely infertile, the crystal sand a yellow blanket covering everything in sight. To his east the cliffs dropped to what Arad said was the Thirty Mile Beach. They could not see a path and the drop was perilously steep. Even if they could manage the cliff face they had nowhere to go once they reached the bottom as the beach was more rock than sand and according to Minar and only became sand and surf much farther ahead of them.

  ‘Well I give up,’ said Isaac. ‘Where to from here? It appears the way to go is to follow the cliff and see where it takes us. Any ideas on what we can do for food?’

  ‘Do not despair little Isaac,’ said Minar now fully recovered from the previous night’s storm. ‘We have enough for a few days journey and this is all we need. Rumour of this land has come to us and while the surrounds do look treacherous the line of cliffs slowly abates until they again reach the shore and it is here we may find what we seek.’

  Isaac did not feel confident as he looked dubiously at the cliffs ahead of him disappear into the distance with no sign of any ‘abating’. Arad became unusually quiet and sunk into a kind of maudlin reverie and try as he might Isaac could get only monosyllabic responses from him.

  ‘Leave him be Isaac,’ said Minar. ‘You do not understand the psyche of our people. I too feel what my friend feels and it is a synergy of emotions as we near some places we would call sacred. I feel Kolin all around us.’

  ‘Can I ask why this Kolin would not leap out and rejoice he has some of his countrymen as guests. He seems a little eccentric if you ask me as well as a bit anti social.’

  ‘Does he not have the right to be anything he chooses. If solitude is his want then he should have it and not be required to answer to the likes of us however I do not believe he wants the life of loneliness but he feels he must purge himself of his crime. We must speak with him and if that means enduring a thousand storms then we must. We head north.’

  Minar’s determination was acute. If anyone could find and recruit Kolin then Isaac knew Minar could. The three made some progress travelling under a clear blue sky and more even ground. They could not see or hear any wildlife and the desert to their left gave of a shimmering heat like a mini sun. It looked to Isaac as uninhabitable as anywhere he could imagine. Not even a tuft of grass broke the yellow sheet lying across the world. He thought it an interesting juxtaposition to see such stark country to one side and the teeming ocean to his ri
ght, cool to the sight and inviting even as the temperature began to climb.

  ‘We approach Muspellsheim,’ said Minar. ‘It is said to be a wicked land full of volcanoes and burning lakes of fire. Kolin is rumoured to be somewhere to the seaward side of this desolation in the last habitable lands but this is all we know. We stand on the threshold of lands we have never been charted except from the sea. The lands here are brutal and nothing can live in the desert. We must travel across the remainder of these cliffs and find the beach.’

  Minar’s musings did little to alleviate the great depression settling over Arad and now Isaac, the further they travelled to the north. The desert seemed interminable to Isaac however just as Minar said, after a few days it began receding and small sprigs of green could be seen struggling against nature. The cliffs began a steeper slope and at times the steepness made them stumble however eventually the ocean and the former desert met a sandy beach where the men fished, ate and slept for a full day and night.

  During camp, the men talked of their homelands, Isaac in particular weaving some magical tales of Arthur and Camelot, and Arabian Knights and Genies making the giants gasp with glee.

  ‘Tell me again of these dragons Isaac, are their any left? I would very much like to see one although perhaps at a distance.’ said Arad.

  Isaac laughed. ‘They are only fantasies Arad. I suspect if what Minar says is true we are going to see many more marvels than mere dragons.’

  Minar listened to the two absently when he stood and moved to the shoreline. Far across the ocean a light mist began parting like a curtain and as if by magic clearly he could see an island in the distance sitting behind a tongue of land whipping out from the northern shoreline. Minar cried aloud making the other two jump to their feet and join him.

  ‘Behold the Island of Kolin. I know in my heart here lives our leader. We must away to it immediately.’

  Isaac guessed the island to be approximately five or six miles from shore and as the mist disappeared completely he could make out more detail. It looked no bigger than a few miles across and from this angle he could not determined its depth. A thick blanket of green grass and hills covered the side facing them, with a number of large trees lined along a coast hemmed by rocks.

  Isaac looked at Minar and when he said immediately, he meant exactly that as he began walking into waist deep water looking as if he intended to swim all the way.

  ‘Minar,’ called Isaac. ‘I think you have forgotten neither you nor Arad can swim so it might be a good idea to try to build some type of raft first don’t you think?’

  Minar looked sheepishly back at his friends the again toward the water, backing out of the light combers never taking the island out of his sight.

  ‘But how do we build a raft, we have no tools. The island may as well be on the other side of the world,’ said Arad despondently.

  ‘You have some rope in your pack and now the desert has finished we should be able to find some wood further north,’ said Isaac. ‘The island can’t be more than five miles away, so the raft doesn’t have to weather storms or high seas. We can make one as best we can, wait for the best weather and an outgoing tide, and row across in a couple of hours. Our biggest problem is stopping Minar from drowning himself in the meantime.’

  With a great deal of effort they convinced Minar to help them pack up and head further north in search of timber. They travelled further than they imagined and the march from the cliffs had already taken them to the northern reaches of the Thirty Mile Beach. Here the beach narrowed and small headlands of rock jutted from the sand. They rounded a high bluff opening into another much larger bay bordered with plentiful trees. They looked out into the ocean and saw the island now lay to their right and gathering some sizeable logs they found scattered along the waterfront, they began trimming branches with their knives all under the expert instruction of Isaac.

  ‘Didn’t you ever build rafts as children it was almost a prerequisite in my youth to sail down the local river in a home made raft?’

  ‘I told you we prefer the land over water. It is only recently at Hammer’s urgings we constructed our navy fleet. We usually turn our hands to more important tasks of education and achievement of our honorifics than trifling and frivolous pastimes,’ said Minar defensively.

  ‘Well my frivilousness may get you where you want to be so don’t be too hard on my upbringing.’ said Isaac equally defending himself.

  ‘If you get us to the island alive, then I will never question you again little Isaac, but if you kill us I will never speak to you again.’

  The three laughed, the tension gone as they concentrated on the task of roping the uneven and rough logs together. They fashioned paddles out of some slender trees and hewed what logs they found with knives, rocks and feet until they produced a semi seaworthy vessel.

  The two Aeserians looked suspiciously at the result, all smiles gone from their faces, sizing up the raft and then the distance to the island which now seemed further away than they first guessed. The sun passed its zenith by the time they completed the raft and they needed to decide whether to launch immediately or wait another night. The wind blew offshore and the tide appeared to be waning and Isaac thought now might be opportune. The tides however confused him. The sand was littered with evidence of the tidal patterns not conforming to the conventions of his world and a thought struck him.

  ‘Arad, how many high tides do you have per day?’

  ‘Four of course, why.’

  Isaac was working on the theory tides here would be similar to home, however here there were two moons and they were not equidistant apart, so the change in tides would be completely different to what he was accustomed.

  ‘It is just that the moons are confusing me. I don’t know when we should leave.’

  ‘What difference do Argil and Arean the two moons make? They journey across the sky one faster than the other always racing, it is a game played for millennium uncounted but not interfering with the goings on down here.’

  Isaac now knew the moons must be in quite different orbits one much shallower than the other which explains the difference in speed. He also realised the two giants knew nothing about the moons affecting the tidal patterns of their planet. It concerned him he could not even begin to guess how the tides where shaped. It would take him at least a full cycle of both moons for him to glean some pattern and he did not have this luxury. If one moon moved faster than the other, then at some point they would cross and one would expect king tides of the type back home and at quarter moon times perhaps a ‘neap’ tide or no tide at all or maybe very short tides at other times, or maybe one high tide and one not so high and two lower tides. Either way it was critical he chose correctly because once they left the shore they would be at the whim of the ocean and that would be very dangerous.

  ‘I only ask because the moons create the tides.’

  The Aeserians looked quizzically at each other and roared with laughter.

  ‘You are a constant source of entertainment to us Isaac. Where do your people get such fables.’

  Isaac learnt from experience not to bother explaining himself as his companions would merely deride his every comment so he left well enough alone and continued fastening the raft.

  ‘If you trust my guesses I think we can probably leave immediately as if we wait another night the weather may not be as favourable as now.’

  ‘The sooner the better,’ said Minar still hypnotised by the island.

  ‘Pack your gear and fasten it to the raft and it might be an idea to fasten yourselves to the raft also in case we get some choppy seas. I don’t like the idea of having to give mouth to mouth resuscitation to either of you,’ said Isaac.

  The Aeserians again looked at each other. ‘He wishes to place his mouth on ours Arad, I do not like the inference,’ said Minar seriously. ‘What is this you are saying?’

  ‘Don’t worry Minar, I assure you that I will never under any circ
umstances place my mouth on yours, agreed?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Minar nodding his head.

  The three pushed the raft into the ocean and a strong tide began pulling at their legs.

  ‘Paddle out to the left,’ said Isaac who saw deeper calmer water indicating the beginnings of a tidal rip which would help drag them out past the breakers. The ocean looked calm and the wind only slightly blowing but from years of surfing Isaac knew how rapidly changes could occur in the ocean. A storm building out of sight could quickly burst upon them and when they are in the open waters could destroy their makeshift raft quickly.

  Arad looked at the water washing over their logs.

  ‘Are rafts supposed to perform so, it seems we will sink before we have begun.’

  ‘It is all right Arad, the raft won’t sink until it becomes water logged and that will be a long time yet,’ replied Isaac calmly.

  The tide pulled at the raft accelerating them quickly through the breakers.

  ‘We are going in the wrong direction. The ocean is towing us away to the left,’ said Minar in a more panicky tone.

  ‘We are in a rip, that’s all, it will take us out a hundred yards or so and then in the deeper water it will stop and we can start rowing. Enjoy the ride while you do not need to exert much energy because the paddle will be difficult.’

  The Aeserians did not look sure however drew some confidence from Isaac’s calm manner. After a few minutes the raft did as Isaac said and came to a stop. The men took up their rudimentary oars and paddled as best they could. Isaac instructed them to position themselves on opposite sides of the raft and to kneel on one knee and stroke in unison to make the best use of their strength. He could not help in the rowing, not being as powerful as the giants, and they made the necessary headway without him. He had enough difficulty steering the clumsy raft with the rudder and tiller he had fashioned from a hollow piece of drift wood.

  The island seemed deceptively far away and what originally appeared to be only a few miles at best now appeared much farther away. Isaac began to worry they may be out in the ocean far longer than he wanted. The two Aeserians began to tire as they battled through some unexpected currents pulling them away from the island and soon their paddling only kept them on the same spot.

  ‘I cannot keep this up forever,’ said Arad the sweat pouring down his face and over his enormous arms. ‘Would it not be better to head back to shore and try something else.’ Isaac agreed and as the afternoon quickly waned he could also see some darker clouds gathering on the horizon.

  Isaac thrust his tiller hard right and began to travel with the current rather than against. The giants relaxed as their efforts became easier but try as he may Isaac could not hold a steady course towards shore, the raft drifting further out to sea with every second. The island was originally ahead of them and now they floated past it quickly as they drifted into far deeper waters, the land now only a thin line on the horizon.

  ‘This isn’t normal,’ said Isaac. ‘There is something unnatural taking us out to sea.’ Arad and Minar looked at each other knowingly and with concerned faces they began inspecting the raft that now became their only means of survival. The ropes seemed to be holding together well enough but the logs sat three quarters in the water.

  The storm which looked to be gathering on the horizon now mysteriously closed around them blocking the sun and making the water black and ominous as larger waves and stronger winds began pounding them from all sides.

  ‘Well it has been nice knowing you,’ said Isaac attempting some levity and Arad actually laughed in a maddening fashion.

  ‘You have been my bane since we first met Isaac,’ he stuttered. ‘Woe to us all for our chance encounter.’

  The wind ripped through their clothes as the sky darkened further and the rise and fall of the ocean battered the raft. The first drops of rain splashed heavily onto the deck and in a rush they were pelted by stinging nettles of water flying horizontally across the ocean. VThey could hardly see each other and they clung together as the raft bounced from wave to wave crashing down troughs looking like walls of water and flung high into the air bouncing off peaks of the next giant wave surging from the ocean floor. It felt as if the ocean wished to purge itself of the unwanted intruders and would not abate until they sat at the bottom of the sea.

  The pounding became relentless and time passed in a fog of pain and fright, each man praying to his own gods they somehow would be delivered. A mighty wave towered over them, lifting the raft high above the ocean giving the three a brief glimpse of land just below them when the wave dropped the raft heavily onto a bank of rocks smashing it to pieces and throwing the men onto the shell encrusted reef tearing skin from their arms and legs.

  Waves crashed over them washing them over the rocks again, their strength completely gone as they resembled corks rushing onto the beach and returning to the water with the next wave. Just as Minar thought he would perish he felt something grab a handful of his hair pulling him from the water and dropping him on the ground, a mouthful of sand confirming he lay on a beach. Moments later an unconscious Arad landed on top of him crushing his ribs followed by the much lighter form of Isaac, several cuts on his head venting a stream of blood down the back of his neck.

  Isaac crawled towards Arad and placed his ear to the big man’s chest. Minar joined him and began slapping Arad’s face pleading for him to waken.

  ‘You have to help me Minar,’ said Isaac. ‘We can save him but you must do exactly as I say do you understand?’

  Isaac began pounding on Minar’s legs to get his attention and after a few moment’s he seemed to notice Isaac for the first time. ‘Yes I will help. Anything. Just save my friend.’

  ‘You have to try and resuscitate him. My breath will be too small it must come from you. Quickly turn him on his side and clear his mouth.’ Minar pulled some weed and sand from Arad’s mouth.

  ‘Now lay him on his back and tip his head slightly back. Quickly man we don’t have time. Now hold his nose with one hand and place your mouth over his and blow a steady stream of air into his lungs in six steady breathes.’

  ‘Do what?’ said Minar. ‘What is this foolishness we waste time?’

  ‘You waste time. Just do as you are told or he is dead do you understand.’

  Minar obeyed and blew into Arad’s mouth.

  ‘Now pause for a few seconds and repeat until I tell you to stop.’ Minar continued and as he drew his own breath Isaac drew an imaginary line with his finger from Arad’s chin to his breast and began jumping on Arad’s chest trying to replicate the rhythm of the giant heart. For a few minutes nothing happened and then suddenly Arad vomited up a huge lung full of water straight into Minar’s open mouth. Minar jumped back in revolt and spat viciously into the sand. At the same time Arad leapt up, throwing Isaac head first onto some exposed coffee rock giving him a second cut to match the first.

  ‘By all the gods what has happened,’ said Arad as he coughed more water and weed up. As the three tried to regain their senses the skies above them cleared and all trace of the storm vanished, leaving them wet and exhausted but for the time being safe. They could see the land line of Salnikov clearly a few miles west and knew somehow amongst the mayhem they had reached the island.

  ‘Well we are here,’ said Isaac. ‘I didn’t get anyone killed so I guess I have your eternal gratitude Minar, isn’t that what you said?’

  ‘Yes, yes I said it, but it was a close thing that is for certain and especially for Arad.’ Arad also recovered and demanded a full explanation of what had happened to him which Isaac happily gave.

  ‘And you know what?’ continued Isaac when he finished the story. ‘I really think Minar enjoyed kissing your lips.’

  Minar’s protest stayed in his mouth as some laughter from behind them made the three men turn around swiftly, the two Aeserians drawing their swords which impossibly remained in their scabbards while they were tossed about the ocean.
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  Isaac crouched behind Arad not certain whether he found a friend or foe. A giant even larger than his two companions reclined against a rock, his feet crossed, stroking a short cropped beard covering an intelligent and strong face smiling broadly as them. Thick boots covered his feet and the black leather shone as if they were new, the man’s long pants also appearing to come straight from the tailor, not a soiled mark anywhere on the creature’s attire.

  ‘You amuse me Invader. Isaac I believe you are named. A simple name for a complex creature I would guess. But you must tell me how you learned the craft of ‘life breath’. It is practiced in other parts of the world but you are the first I have seen perform it.’

  Isaac stepped out from behind Arad who along with Minar seemed to be struck dumb as they stared incredulously at who they knew to be Kolin.

  ‘It is common among my people to know this skill as we are often in the water either at work or play, but it is Minar who should be praised for saving Arad, I merely instructed.’

  ‘Yes. Minar the Loyal. Your title is well earned.’ To the surprise of both Minar and Arad, Kolin stood up and bowed deeply to Minar. ‘You are from the stock of my people that is assured, as are you Arad the Generous. No others could track me down through such perils as I put you through unless you possessed Verve. Do not worry, you were never in real danger. I merely wanted to dissuade you from reaching me and I would not have let you die on the ocean. I hoped you would turn back to shore but unfortunately your vessel perished which forced me to rescue you.’ Kolin stretched his broad arms above his head and dropped them into his lap

  ‘It has been many long years since I have had any guests, which has always been my preference. Now you are here you best come with me and have some rest and nourishment and then no doubt it will be time for questions and more importantly for you maybe some answers. Come follow me’

  Arad and Minar looked at each other, wonder in their eyes, as they watched and listened to a living legend. The greatest of their kind and still he walked the earth, flesh and blood and they alone found him. They trod a few paces behind the enormous figure of Kolin who led them up a well worn and tendered path through an avenue of pine trees as they wended their way across the island. As the companions looked around them they saw hundreds of creatures of all sorts. Venison and rabbit, some grazing horses and what looked to Isaac like a hybrid cow, half horse and half cow. Birds followed their every movement and circled Kolin twittering noisily as they flew around his head, darting back into the surrounding trees. Isaac noticed the air here felt neither cold nor hot. It simply felt at a perfect temperature. Similarly the wind brushing their cheeks was light, the slightest of zephyrs, neither noticeably brisk nor absent altogether. The whole island seemed to be programmed for complete comfort. The most homely place Isaac thought he had ever seen.

  As they rounded a small bend of trees they saw in the distance of smallish, by Aeserian standards, house. A stream of smoke came from a chimney and lines of bright shrubs formed a cortege they walked through. The path looked to be made of naturally white shale and just as the atmosphere seemed perfect so too the house. It welcomed the visitors without words and hummed to them to enter and be at peace.

  Kolin led them inside to a brightly lit room with four deep padded chairs one curiously the right size for Isaac. A table sat in the centre of the room, laden with breads and cheese, slices of meat and steaming broth, with a tankard of cold ale. For the first time Isaac noticed his clothes and hair had dried. The longer he ate and sat the more the entire journey through the storm seemed to be only an illusion.

  Kolin looked knowingly at Isaac as if he read the smaller man’s thoughts.

  ‘It was real enough Isaac don’t you worry, it could very well have killed you if I did not intercede. Eat and rest for there are some tasks I must do. I shall return shortly.’ Kolin left the room and the three began talking at the same time.

  ‘It is he. Do you believe it Arad. Our King of Kings alive. I told you it would be so. I knew it in my heart. We must tell him all that has happened with Hammer and the plans for war, I know he will help us.’

  The three ate all the food in front of them and drank the ale and very quickly feeling refreshed and ready to believe the unbelievable. Kolin returned and sat himself down in the largest of the chairs and absently chewed on a strip of meat and sipped his ale.

  ‘I know many of the things you think I should already know Minar, especially about the war brooding in the west. My friends here make it their business to wander the outside world and report its goings on for me,’ said Kolin as he fed a morsel of food to a small finch who landed on his wide shoulders. ‘It disturbs me people could die and surprisingly enough I lament the death of the Invader also. My time in exile has afforded me ample opportunity to reassess life in general and centuries ago I understood death in any form was not a thing we should chase and certainly not eulogised. Hammer has certainly gone too far. There may by Fylgia involved here. It may not be all of his doing.’

  The three travellers sat forward listening to every syllable, awaiting Kolin to make some sort of proclamation they could rally to, but he so far resisted.

  ‘I know you must have some questions and I ask you to be patient. First let me dispel some preconceptions I know you in particular have Minar. You think me a god of sorts and while this may be extremely gratifying it is not entirely accurate. There are real gods in the cosmos and I am sure they would be most upset if they thought I pretended to be what I am not. I am merely a man Minar but one who has been allowed to live in this idyllic surrounds. It is this island that has enchantment and not I. My Fylgia in consultation with the gods who protect our people bequeathed the island to me. Perhaps they felt for me once my beloved Rania had left the world and gave some place of my own to mourn and it is here that I am permitted to stay for as long as I choose and in doing so can live or die at a time of my choosing. If this is immortality then it is so but only within the confines of this island. I thought I would quickly become bored in such a place but as you can see it is wondrous and beautiful and it pains me to even think about leaving it. It is peace personified and I love it absolutely. So you come to ask me to leave and assist you in the converting and delivering of the Aeserian once again and in doing so make yet another sacrifice. It is a difficult poser to be sure.

  I knew you were coming and have long thought about my response should you actually reach me. Before I give it, you must understand there are no secret incantations or spells or additional powers. Once I leave this place I am a man and only a man, with the ability to die by the sword in battle just as yourselves. We would journey across desolate and brutal lands with nothing to protect us other than our wits and if successful then what. Can mere men avert the course of battle and stop two races from annihilation. I ask you to think first.’

  Minar responded first with words welling straight from his heart.

  ‘You claim to be only a man Kolin but even after a thousand years has passed still we live by the codes you left us. You left these laws when you were a man and I do not think you are any less so now. You are worth a thousand warriors and a million Hammers and we will endure all the hardships necessary if it means the saving of even one of our people.’

  ‘Richly spoken Minar,’ said Kolin who stood to his full height, his head perilously close to the roof his hands on his hips and chest puffed in pride. ‘Maybe I have lived too long closeted away in my sanctuary when there is work to be done. I still am not permitted by our laws to come near the city but our path lies westwards and from what I know of events, the fleet we chase is already sailing. You fire my belly Minar but I am still anxious and there is no value in trooping off into the distance with no plan. We would only walk into disaster. Eat well and rest for tomorrow we will search the maps of Salnikov stored in the library of this house. I often have wondered why they are here and now I see more design behind our meeting. We will find the safest and speediest path to Mesania for
it is here I will have words with Hammer.’ He walked to the fire place and stroked a glittering sword hanging above the fires, its keenness obvious even at a distance. Its pommel was wrapped tightly in brown leather and the finger dents along its length authenticated its practical use in the past. It was engraved with pictures of battle and a single red jewel sat on its end. Kolin picked the sword off the wall and swung it in the air around him, the swipe making its own breeze in the room.

  ‘It has been a long time since we have been to work my old friend,’ said Kolin to the sword. ‘Behold Morpheous, the greatest sword ever made, a relic from Jontemheim and heirloom of my house taken two years in the forge, folded countless times and indestructible. For the first time we will use it as a beacon of peace and not war.’

  Kolin extended his hand with the sword and the three companions placed their own on his, Isaac having to reach full stretch and each felt the intrinsic power the sword held, an entity in itself and it gave them all confidence. ‘And together we will save the world. A mightier task has never been set.’

  Outside, night fell as they spoke. The men ate some supper and Arad, Minar and Isaac threw themselves into beds Kolin provided and closed their eyes. The last thing they saw was Kolin’s broad back as he gazed out of the window at the setting moons.

  The sun crept over Isaac’s eyes making them flutter involuntarily. He was half awake and dreams still wafted through his mind and he felt as if he did not have a care in the world. He wrapped himself in his blanket and rolled over intending to have a typical Sunday morning sleep in, enjoying the warmth. A persistent jab in the ribs woke him fully as the smiling face of Arad leant over him.

  ‘Awake at last, we thought you had decided not to come with us. Get up master sloth there are plans to be made, a breakfast to be eaten and miles to cover.’

  ‘Leave me alone,’ said Isaac as he turned away from Arad hoping to squeeze another five minutes out of his sleep.

  ‘Not today Isaac, don’t tell me your enthusiasm is waning. I thought you looked forward to travelling across a thousand miles of desert and rock to get to a war?’

  Isaac sat up on one elbow. ‘I’ll remember this Arad. One day you will be begging for a rest and I will annoy you . We have a saying where I come from. ‘Don’t get angry, get even.’

  ‘Our little master seems upset Minar. He should be more tolerant as he knows not what we plan for him. At Kolin’s request we have something we wish to give you I think you will like, but first you must dress and wash as it is not given on an empty stomach and dirty face.’

  An intrigued Isaac did as requested, combing his hair with one hand and eating what he thought to be type of peach with the other and eventually joined his three companions on the lawn out the front of the house. The morning sun warmed his face and made him feel quite alive and happy and he thought he understood slightly the enchantment of the island. Although millions of miles from home, his best friend lost and death a likely outcome, he felt completely at ease.

  Kolin saw him coming and led him to a chair on the lawn and motioned for him to sit, while he, Arad and Minar surrounded him.

  ‘Isaac you have given great service to my people recently and have proven yourself to be a creature of honour,’ said Kolin. ‘You have given the greatest gift to our Arad by restoring his life.’

  Isaac looked at Arad who smiled broadly.

  ‘Forget the fact you are the one who placed him in this position for a moment, because as I explained to Arad, had you not done so then indeed I would not be joining your quest and I suspect tragedy would result. So, you have given service to us and to date have proven your worth. Many of our people have earned their names from doing much less than you already have.’ He paused and reached for a wreath of gold leaves and placed it over Isaac’s neck.

  ‘If you are to travel with us and help us achieve our goals then you are of us. As such you must have a name and one befitting your stature as a man which exceeds your height. This has never been done before with a creature outside our race but this is a time for precedents and new beginnings.’

  Kolin stood back, looking at Isaac with a serious face and the hint of a grin showing genuine affection.

  ‘I therefore bestow upon you your Aeserian name, one rightly earned and to be proudly worn You are therefore named ’Isaac the Impeller’ for your presence has mobilised us all to better things. There may be more eloquent names but rarely one so accurately bestowed.’

  Isaac did not know what to say. He knew the depth of honour he had just been accorded and more importantly it signified they now shared a unique bond. A mix of races he was stunned to be a part of. He clumsily stood and gave his best attempt at a bow to all three of his friends and felt no self consciousness.

  ‘I will try to live up to the expectations of this name. I have to admit however I feel for my friend Arad who has lost his.’

  ‘You show true kinship to be considering Arad’s plight while the attention should all be yours, but I have not forgotten Arad.’

  Kolin turned to Arad who had a tear in his eye and placed a hand on his brown curls.

  ‘Arad, your name was dutifully earned and taken from you by conspiracy. This to me is unacceptable. I cannot rectify this until myself and Hammer speak. There is nothing however to stop me from giving you another name in the interim and one that will serve you on the road. From now until the judgement is reversed I name thee ‘Arad the Source of Peace’, the first time such a name has been bestowed and its bearer is now duty bound to search for peace in the mayhem ahead.’

  Arad raised his eyes and while Isaac always thought him to be proud and honourable, he now saw a man somehow more complete. He stood a little taller, smiled slightly brighter and as he lifted Isaac high in the air and squeezed him in a bear hug, he laughed more gaily than anyone he had ever heard.

  Minar laughed as well and the four embraced for a long time.

  ‘Come Minar the Loyal,’ said Kolin ‘and Arad the Source of Peace and Isaac the Impeller, wear your names with honour and let us away for our journey is long.’

  The four gathered stores of dried fruits, meat, flasks of water and a sharp hunting knife given to each by Kolin all wrapped with a thick blankets they would use as bedrolls, and stored in leather backpacks slung easily over their shoulders. Once they reached the beach, they boarded a timber skiff with a single sail and small tiller and aimed for the western shore.

  ‘I do not have a vessel large enough or fast enough for the journey by sea and I sense our path overland as the most expedient in any case,’ said Kolin when they reached the shore an hour later. ‘But the travelling will be difficult. We must head across the Echoes, a land of hills and valleys we must be extremely wary of. We can only travel there in daylight hours as the land is too treacherous to negotiate by night, even with the advantage of full moons. We could easily slide into a ravine and either die or be trapped, wandering aimlessly for days trying to extricate ourselves. It will however be far quicker than heading both North or South. Our path is westwards if I am not mistaken.’

  He laid some ancient parchments on the sand and placed some rocks on each corner as the men all gathered around.

  ‘We will skirt the Echoes’ northern border and come to south of the Muspellsium where we can travel far quicker however there will be no water or food for the full journey. The only water we will find is made of salt and impossible to drink. This part of the trip is well over two hundred miles and we must make the journey in days. Should we succeed we then have to make a decision on whether to cross the Aramad Sea and the surrounding swamps or head south and come to the mighty Silver Streak through the Plains of Sal and so to Mesania from the south. There are many decisions to be made but we have time and can make most on the road.’

  Minar looked at Kolin with wide eyes. ‘You speak names of places from ancient history Kolin. Names of places we know of from tales of old and here we are intending to visit them. I am living in a time
of wonder to be sure.’

  Isaac was also wide eyed but for a different reason. ‘Sorry to be a burden but it will be near impossible for me to keep up with your long legs. Every one of your strides is three of mine and I remember how quickly Arad can travel when he has a mind. I simply will never be able to do it,’ said Isaac his voice cracking. His friends are embarking on the greatest odyssey of their cultural existence and he would only slow them down.

  Kolin looked sympathetically at his new friend. ‘Isaac, I have lived for just over a thousand years. Being somewhat older than you I also have become a stickler for detail. While you happily snored your tiny head off last night, I prepared for this contingency.’

  Kolin placed two massive fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. A few seconds later a horse sized animal came bounding through the bushes, bouncing happily around Kolin’s knees.

  ‘Behold ‘Snaps’, he has been with me for many, many years Isaac. At times I did get a little lonely on my island and one day I heard this little fellow whimpering at my front door. He looked as if he had not eaten for weeks and he was soaked with rain. Do you know he swam from here to the island. If he could speak then I am sure he would have plentiful tales to tell. I fed and nurtured him back to health and we have been friends ever since. He lives on the mainland and will swim to the island for a visit if he chooses. We have a tacit understanding whenever I decided to leave, then so too will he, which is fortuitous because if he will bear you then our problems will be solved.’

  Isaac looked warily at Snaps. The beast did not look exactly like a horse but moreso like a very large dog with flat hoofs evidently making him a good swimmer. He had a large square jaw, solid wide back and legs and stood horse height for Isaac. A thin coat of fine hair lined its back and glistened in the morning sun. He wore no bridle and Isaac would have to be a bare back rider if he intended to mount him at all. Isaac felt quite comfortable on horses from his days on his uncle’s farms but he was not too sure about this creature.

  ‘Why did you call him Snaps?’ asked Isaac, but before Kolin could answer, Snaps slapped huge lips around Isaac's face nearly swallowing his entire head and pulled them quickly away with a loud ‘snapping’ noise leaving Isaac with slobbering wet jowls smelling so foul he felt like retching.

  The three Aeserians howled with laughter as Isaac wiped his face, trying to rid himself of the stench.

  ‘Does that answer your question Isaac. He gave you a kiss of sorts. He likes you and this is important if he is to bear you. I must admit I do not know whether he will permit anything on his back, but we must try as you are quite right we cannot bear you as luggage for the entire trip.’

  Kolin whistled again and the frolicking Snaps nuzzled up against him rubbing his wet lips all over Kolin’s strides.

  Isaac approached warily and scratched Snaps under his ear and spoke kindly to him hoping to gain some confidence. He walked down his sides and stroked his rump and very gently threw his leg over and eased himself onto Snaps’ back.

  At first the animal did nothing its ears pricked back against its head, uncertain of Isaac’s intentions. Isaac kept whispering encouraging words while patting the animal’s head gently. After a few moments he looked to his friends and smiled.

  ‘No problems,’ he said. ‘Lets go.’ Isaac gently prodded the sides of Snaps with his heels, trying to move the animal into a walk when suddenly it took of at high speed, Isaac doing all he could to hang on, his body flung from side to side. He wrapped his arms around Snap’s neck and screamed for him to stop. The more he screamed the more spooked Snaps became and the louder Arad and Minar laughed. Isaac hurtled past them yelling for help but the three giants sat on the sand laughing, the tears streaming down their faces as Snaps finally threw its passenger into a pile a seaweed on the high water mark.

  It took a good ten minutes before everyone regained their composure each time they calmed the men would again erupt into fits, a chagrined Isaac merely looking at them all with an annoyed expression.

  ‘Well you lot aren’t going to be much help,’ he said walking slowly over to the grazing Snaps and began the process all over again. He softly whispered to the animal and patted its hide and remounted and Snaps threw him off again. Each time he remounted the animal was a little more calm than the time before and soon Isaac sat comfortably on an accepting Snaps. He trotted the animal over to the group who.

  ‘We’d better go,’ said Isaac. ‘You men have a long walk ahead.’ He urged Snaps ahead with a small nudge to his ribs and the animal jogged briskly westward.

  ‘Seems he may have bested us all,’ said Minar to the others as they picked up their packs and trudged along the sand.

  They made reasonable time, Isaac easily able to keep up with the others and often he would stray some way ahead checking the lie of the land for a safe path. Kolin regularly stopped to refer to the maps, moving their course slightly from time to time and between he and Isaac the troop covered the miles easily.

  They left the sandy beaches behind and the topography of the land changed to one of slow hills and rocky outcrops soon giving way to a land of larger bare hills and crevices. No hill reached greater than a couple of hundred feet but the land seemed relentless and as soon as they reached the top of another hill they could see some way ahead another larger hill which would block the horizon. The further they travelled, the more the hills increased in number and height until each rise became a greater effort to scale. As they looked behind them they could see they now stood well above sea level and as they looked east their view extended many miles until it reached the ocean. West, the relentless hills and tors obscured the view. Not only did the hills become steeper but they also became perilous, covered in loose slippery rock making footfalls uncertain, especially for Snaps who up until now appeared to be enjoying the adventure. Isaac dismounted and lead the reluctant beast with a gentle hand across the neck.

  They made quiet camps without a fire, primarily because they could not find any fuel in the rocky environment, and ate their meals of dried meat, talking little, preferring to rest and maintain their strength for the morrows climb.

  The air around them warmed with each day and they now had no need for blankets. This far north a heavy pall of smoke covered the northern horizon.

  They woke early, as the nights did not last long in this latitude and broke their fast as they prepared for another day of climbing much like the last seven.

  ‘These mountains are interminable,’ said Minar. ‘They seem never to go down only up. At this pace we will run out of sky. What are they called again?’

  ‘These are the Echoes,’ said Kolin. ‘You soon will discover why if I am not mistaken.’ Kolin kept his comments cryptic which at the very least gave the others something to think about as they marched.

  Isaac began to notice how dry the air around him became. He tired very quickly having to pull Snaps and climb himself and his lips began to crack and no amount of water was able to quench his thirst. He looked closely at the ground around him and could see distinctly a mist leaching out of the rocks. He only knew a small amount about geology but he knew from what Kolin said, this far north they advanced into volcanic country and he knew what he could see and now smell was sulphur coming up through vents in the ground. This explained his parched throat, but what he knew a more serious effect would be the breathing of the fumes. It would not take long and they would all be overcome by a nauseating sickness likely to make them ill or at worst kill them. He picked up a loose rock and turned it over in his hands. White sulphate salt clung to the rock like snow, which signalled the presence of some grade of sulphuric acid. If vapourised it would form a deadly mist.

  He called the others to a standstill and told them of his concerns and as he expected anything resembling science was not easily accepted by his friends. He would have to convince them.

  ‘If you doubt what I am saying then all you need to do is take a big whiff of that mist around your feet an
d see what happens.’

  The men looked suspiciously at Isaac and then the sulphur and decided to give Isaac the benefit of the doubt.

  ‘Very well little friend,’ said Kolin. ‘I am none to eager to die just at this moment but I concede I have not felt well since we entered these lands. If as you say these rocks are the cause then what are we to do as there are many more leagues in front of us.’

  Isaac had been searching the surrounding lands for two days and while there appeared little in the way of vegetation he did manage to find what he sought.

  ‘We have to make a filter to stop the worst of the gasses getting through to our lungs. Over there I think we have the answer.’

  Isaac led them to a gnarled and broken tree that at one time was hit by lightning. It looked to have burned for a long time leaving a blackened trunk.

  ‘We need to try and get into the centre of this tree,’ said Isaac. Kolin took the sword off his back and smashed the pommel hard against the black stump expecting the sword to rebound. Instead it drove deep into the charred remains and right up to Kolin’s wrist now wedged in the tree’s belly. He withdrew it with a curse starring at Isaac.

  ‘What have we achieved here other than a sore arm?’ He said in an annoyed tone, but even as he reslung his sword the four were overcome by a gust of air making them reel.

  ‘We don’t have very long quickly do as I say.’ Isaac told the Aeserians to clear as much charcoal from the tree as they could and he directed them to crush it until each had a small pile of broken black crumbs in front of them. The effort drained them further and parched their throats.

  ‘Now I want you to wet the charcoal and wrap it in some cloth and place it over your mouths. The air will be cleansed as you breath through the charcoal and it may be good enough to get us off these hills before we perish.’

  They all did as Isaac directed and he tied some rope around their parcels of charcoal so they could attach it to their heads leaving their arms free so that they could walk more effortlessly. He looked to Snaps to see what he could do for him, (he kept referring to Snaps as him but he really he had no idea if the beast were male or female. It felt like a he) but he seemed unaffected by the stench.

  Almost immediately they could feel the difference, their breathing coming much easier and the putrid smell vanished only to be replaced by the smell of burnt wood.

  ‘I think I preferred the other smell to this,’ said a complaining Minar.

  ‘Well feel free to take it off anytime you like Minar. We will send someone back to bury you properly after we reach Mesania,’ said Isaac, annoyed he seemed to constantly save these people’s lives and all he receives in return are grumblings.

  Minar ceased to argue and they all travelled silently for the next few days as talking became difficult in their masks. Every few hours, Isaac would instruct them to untie their masks and either replace the charcoal or at the very least shake up the remains to extract as much value as they could. As soon as their mouths were free they immediately could taste the sulphur around them and they hurried their repair work, replacing the masks promptly.

  Night time proved problematic as it would be an easy thing for the masks to come loose and with their heads so close to the ground where the mist would be more potent, it could be fatal. Isaac organised a roster system so one of them always stayed awake and constantly checked the other’s breathing and ensured the masks remained on their faces.

  On the tenth day since they entered The Echoes Isaac felt a change in the wind direction and while the topography was worsening rather than improving, he thought he could see a change in the rocks around him, the sulphuric salt not seen at all. Gingerly he took his mask off and took a few tentatively breaths and sure enough the air here smelt fresh and only a little distasteful.

  The others joined him and they carefully packed their charcoal masks in their packs in case of emergency ahead.

  ‘Thank the gods that is over,’ said Minar. ‘One more day with that thing on my head and I believe I would have welcomed the poison if only to change the taste in my mouth.’

  They all appreciated the fresh air and their hearts lightened considerably as they travelled at a much better pace. The land undulated perilously and they still only travelled by day but the scenery was much more interesting.

  Ever growing cliffs and mountains bordered their horizons and they found natural canyons hundreds of feet deep carved out of long dried rivers. They took care not to fall and at times went miles out of their way to avoid the more dangerous sections and although dangerous, the land was one of the wonders of the world.

  Kolin strode to the edge of one vast canyon stretching at least a mile across and so deep its bottom could only be guessed. He placed his huge hands to his mouth and called in a loud voice.

  ‘Beware all who listen for Kolin and his brigade come to rock the world.’

  No sooner had the words dropped from his lips when they immediately came back to him amplified tenfold their noise reverberating the whole region. Their clothes and skin shook with the sound waves forcing Isaac to cover his ears and even Arad and Minar grimaced as the sound washed over them and up the valley around them.

  In a softer voice they heard Kolin chanting to the air around him. ‘Hear the Echoes let it herald our arrival into the lands of our Fathers.’ The echo hummed around them more gently than before and the power of the words enriched their soul.

  Isaac had never seen anything like the Echoes. The most aptly named of any of the places he had seen so far. Each footfall made a resound around them, sometimes softly and at others more pronounced as they wended in and out of the vagaries in the cliffs and canyons.

  For some hours they followed a natural path leading down and as they travelled the noise around them increased so much even the most careful steps of Snaps shook the air. They eventually reached the bottom and colossal cliffs stretched all around them, their breathing bouncing off the walls until it became quite perilous to even try and communicate. With hand actions they passed into a small cave punched into the side of the mountain and here they found some relief.

  ‘Do we know how long we will take to get out of these wicked mountains Kolin?’ Said Arad as he rubbed his ears to dampen the ringing.

  ‘I believe we are near the end and if luck will only hold herself as our ally for a few more days I believe we will be free. Take heart soldiers of peace for we will need it when we reach the plains. Our journey will be quicker but other perils await.’

  They looked to each other concerned Kolin was not being completely open about what he knew of these lands. They had little choice other than trust their leader.

  At the end of the second day from the cave they reached the highest peaks of the Echoes where they could spy further more low lying canyons and crests ahead. Each journey down one canyon and up the to the peak of the next gave them a greater view of the lands ahead. They were still some miles above sea level and a dirty mist covered all the lands below them but looking north they could clearly see lines of mountains below them spewing forth a steady stream of smoke with ash settling over all the land in that direction.

  Their march and their mood became sombre even though the land around seemed to be flatten noticeably. As Kolin said, within another two days of rapid descent they reached flat land stretching unbroken to the horizon, its blanket of brown grass showing the lack of moisture they felt in the air.

  When they finally reached the bottom of the last hill, the copper mist they saw from the peaks of the Echoes, now blocked their views as it swam around their legs. The further they looked into the distance the deeper it appeared but just like fog, they could still see reasonably well around their immediate region.

  Kolin called a break and they crowded around his crumbling and ancient maps. The path they followed was not a road as such rather differing from the rest of the landscape by a varied tinge and flattening of brown in the grass. According to the map, some little way ahead,
the road divided in two, one branch clearly leading north around a huge lake and the other path more difficult to see heading south.

  ‘We have had a hard time of it and now we should be able to travel at a greater pace. These hot and desolate lands will recede if we elect to travel south however the northern path seems better travelled. We now need to make a decision and either way appears to have its advantages and its’ perils.’

  Minar spoke first as he stood defiantly with fat hands on his hips.

  ‘The faster route must be taken even if perilous as it is no use for us to arrive after the battle has begun. We may as well return to our lands if that is the eventuality.’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Arad. ‘Speed will win the day and is the essence of all we do from here.’

  ‘And you Isaac, what is your vote in this.’

  Isaac studied the maps for a final time. ‘Both roads skirt this inland sea over here,’ he said pointing to the map. ‘If these are marshes on the western side of the sea then we would want to avoid them, especially with Snaps here as he would find the footing soft and difficult to negotiate. If we go south then we have more flat land to gather speed and only a river to cross before we approach Mesania. It looks the easier path.’

  ‘Yes it looks easier,’ agreed Kolin. ‘However the path seldom trodden is so for a reason, although it does appear to be the faster. Kolin thought for a few minutes. ‘I agree with Isaac. North is well worn however south seems faster. We travel south.’

  Without further delay they turned south and the shadow they could see on the horizon became clearer, a dirty brown lake they could see neither around nor over. Without Kolin’s maps they would have thought they had crossed the entire island and reached the western shore. They saw instead the Aramad Sea an expanse of water covering a large portion of central Salnikov.

  At first the men travelled much easier along the flatter land however as they moved closer to the water, the fog lifted from around their feet and revealed a thick spiny brown grass. For some miles it brushed past their ankles and tickled Snaps fetlocks. The further south they travelled however, the thicker it became, with each edge of the grass sharp and irritating.

  None of the troop wished to complain. They all felt if they could not suffer a few miles of grass, then they were a sorry group indeed. The grass grew longer the further they moved towards the sea and eventually it grew so tall it scratched at Isaac’s legs, piercing his thick jeans.

  ‘From the frying pan to the fire as my father says. This grass is tearing my legs apart,’ said Isaac.

  Although the Aeserians possessed thicker skin and clothing than Isaac, they too bled from many points on their legs and travel for them became just as uncomfortable.

  Snaps refused to move altogether and the rest came to a stop.

  ‘What should we do?’ asked Arad. ‘The grass is endless and it looks like it only gets higher the further we travel. Soon it will be above our heads. Surely we cannot go back we have invested too many days getting this far.’

  They could not think of an answer so they made camp for the evening. They broke their blankets out of their packs and tried stamping the ground around them but the grass sprang back as soon as they lifted their feet. The blankets gave them scant protection and none of them could lie down without having the shard like grass puncture every part of them.

  Despair began to settle over the group when Isaac had an idea.

  ‘As far as you know there are no settlements or people anywhere near here, is that right?’

  ‘That is correct,’ said Kolin. ‘Nothing could live in such an environment.’ ‘I have an idea. It could be very dangerous and we must be careful not to kill our selves in the process.’

  ‘You are full of ideas aren’t you little Isaac, and they all seem to involve our possible death,’ said Minar. ‘You also have yet to fail us so speak up. We simply cannot remain here.’

  ‘I spent most of my childhood in the country and the first thing you learn is how to avoid having your home destroyed by forest fires in the summer months. We have to do a little back burning first,’ he said. The Aeserians looked quizzically at him as he rolled his blanket into a cylinder. ‘Do as I do and be very careful, we can’t set the whole of this part of the world on fire.’

  Isaac planned to start a controlled burn of the grass immediately around them, big enough to give them a safety buffer to stand in. They would light a small fire in a circle and would force it to burn in on itself thereby allowing them a clearing for the main fire they would then set. He explained to the others they must beat out the fire if it tried to escape the perimeter he had set at about twenty five yards. They would have to be quick as the slightest change of wind could blow the fire back at them and roasted Aeserian would be on the menu.

  Isaac told them all to put on their charcoal masks and the four companions stationed themselves in a rough circle with Minar proceeding to light two fires on opposite sides of the circle. The wind dropped to a whisper which made the job easier as Minar lit the grass and it exploded into flame. It was extremely dry due to the Muspellsheim in the north and only a little rain seemed to ever touch the area. All four worked hard beating flames back while holding their line so eventually both ends of the fire joined and ran out of fuel. The whole process took close to an hour and when the last flame was extinguished they stood in a smouldering black circle twenty yards across.

  ‘Well that wasn’t so bad,’ he said in a pleased voice to his companions. ‘Now for he hard bit.’

  Isaac knew they had a large enough safety zone to attempt a major fire directed towards lake in the distance. He reckoned they were only a couple of miles from the water at the very most and the fire could literally blaze them a path and would burn out once it reached the water’s edge.

  He directed Minar on what he thought would be the best location for the first burn and they watched in shock as the grass again leapt to fiery life and sped towards the west at much more than a running pace. Back home Isaac would consider a fire like this to be classed as completely out of control.

  ‘Well done indeed,’ said Kolin watching the fire eat the acres of grass ahead but Isaac was worried. The fire was fierce. Anything living between them and the lake would quite likely die and even with their buffer, if the wind changed they could still be in a lot of trouble. Their luck held and a slight breeze carried the fire forward and seemed to be heading in a steady course towards the sea. The dry grass caused very little smoke allowing them to store their masks once again. He guessed the smouldering ground would be able to be walked on by the next day. They could have started immediately, as they all wore heavy boots, but the bare fetlocks of Snaps would be too exposed for such a journey. They tried as best as they could to stamp out the ground around them and lay their packs down as a bedroll.

  Night fell and all around them they could see smoking embers and on the horizon a line a bright red fire dancing in the evening breeze. Although doing untold amounts of damage to the land, Isaac thought the sight as spectacular as anything he had ever seen.

  Arad lay a big hand on Isaac’s shoulder. ‘If we indeed do come to the water on the morrow I will say your debt to me is forgiven because without you our quest would certainly already be lost. Well done Isaac the Impeller for you lead on the journey you began as a follower.’

  The four slept restlessly and before dawn broke their fast and prepared to attempt the travel on the hot ground. Arad tore a leather jerkin he had in his pack and tied it to Snaps’ legs to protect them and they headed westward towards the lake.

  The sun rose behind them and as it breached the Echoes they stopped and stared at the land around them. As far as they could see charred and smouldering embers covered the earth with not a sign of grass or life. It looked pure desolation nothing surviving their fire. Tacitly they continued, all feeling anxious they had done the right thing. The land looked so marred by their intervention it seemed it would never recover. Isaac tried to ligh
ten their mood.

  ‘Where I come from we often see fires of this nature and believe me in no time at all the grass will spring back bigger and better than ever. Fires rejuvenate the land.’ Even Isaac did not believe his own words as the world looked like hell itself and it was difficult to see it ever recovering.

  Now they could see clearly, the lake seemed much closer than before. They scanned the land and a few miles to the south they could see a slight rise in the land and a dark cluster of smoke thicker than the rest of the burnt land around them. They said nothing and felt suddenly uneasy.

  They headed straight for the smoke hanging around the edge of the lake a few miles away.

  ‘What do you think it is?’ asked Isaac finally.

  Kolin shielded the sides of his face with his great hands and tried to penetrate the smoke. ‘I am not sure but it burns bright while the rest of the land only smoulders.’

  Isaac nudged Snaps in the sides and jogged off. ‘I’ll have a closer look.’

  Snaps sniffed the air and obeyed Isaac, trotting along the black earth careful to avoid any tufts of smouldering grass.

  As he got closer, he began to feel sick in the stomach. The road which previously they found difficult to see, now became much more distinctive. As he looked around him there appeared an order to the lay of the rocks and land and now quite clearly he could see the road was bordered by flattened stones.

  He stopped Snaps and rose high on his back to confirm for himself what he already knew. Less than a mile ahead of him were the burning remains of a town. He could see the single and double story structures all red with flame and even lower buildings already destroyed. He trotted carefully towards the entrance which may have once been guarded by two gates but now was only a smouldering pile lying on each side of the road.

  The smokey remains of the building nearest to him looked like an old watchtower and would have taken the full force of the fire as it hit the town. Isaac suddenly realised the size of the structures and the width of the road would indicate the inhabitant’s stature was of a similar size to himself. The road branched many times the further he moved into the town showing an ordered streetscape. Isaac tried to find signs of life among the embers. Thankfully he did not find any bodies. He moved straight through the town and ended on the lake’s edge. He found moorings for boats and it seemed this may be the only possible way the owners could have left.

  In total, Isaac thought there were at least one hundred buildings in the town, made mostly of rock and in all likelihood thatched with the very grass that eventually destroyed it. Now the houses were burnt to the ground leaving only the rocky floors and walls and not a living thing anywhere.

  In a daze he left the town and went back to the others reporting all he saw and the four quickly returned to see if they could find any survivors and if injured they could assist. After an hour or so of searching they convinced themselves at least there were no fatalities.

  ‘That is one thing to be thankful for I suppose,’ said Arad. ‘The fact we didn’t kill anyone with our thoughtlessness.’

  ‘Or maybe they took their dead with them,’ said Kolin kicking forlornly at the rubble nearest him. ‘We are careless fools.’

  They all stood on the edge of the immense inland sea searching for signs of the evacuation.

  ‘Where could they have gone?’ asked Minar. ‘Surely they would not sail to the other side. I would have thought they would have waited offshore until the fire went out and then returned to sift through the wreckage.’

  Kolin peered to the watery horizon. ‘No. They are nowhere near. There is only one place they could go but all would fear to take that path.’

  ‘You know where they have gone?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘The only place they could,’ said Kolin. ‘This is the Aramad Sea, more commonly known as the ‘Dead Sea’ and now it earns its title even more so it seems. In the centre is an island they would likely have headed and they would be desperate indeed to seek refuge there.’

  ‘It doesn’t get much more desperate than to have their entire town destroyed,’ said Isaac.’“What is wrong with the island?’

  ‘The Dead Sea houses an island of the dead. Legends says no living creature has ever set foot on it and returned and even so it is the only place they could have gone. We must go to their aid.’

  ‘But what of the quest?’ asked Minar.

  ‘What good are we as men, Minar the Loyal if we do not try to rectify the damage we have bestowed on these people,’ said Kolin. ‘Is not this our quest also. We cannot move on and leave misery behind pretending nothing happened. I know you all well and you could not live your lives with such guilt. Lets us admit our folly to these people, ask forgiveness and repair the damage as best we can. This is the way of our people.’

  The others all knew Kolin was right, they must seek survivors. The problem seemed to be how to find the inhabitants. There were no boats and certainly nothing they could make even one of Isaac’s flimsy crafts out of.

  In frustration Minar picked up a rock at his feet and flung it as far as he could at the lake. To all their amazement the rock appeared to skip only the top of the lake and rested on top of the water sinking only very slowly.

  ‘What in the names of the thousand gods happened,’ exclaimed Minar. They all picked up rocks and repeated the exercise and each rock skimmed over the top of the water without sinking immediately.

  Isaac bent down and scooped up a handful of water which had the viscosity of mud although much thicker. It looked like water but a thousand times more dense.

  ‘I have heard of lakes so saturated with salt you can lie on your back and not sink. This is much thicker but I think we know where the people went. They simply walked. I think they intended to come back however one look at you Aeserians and they probably thought they were being invaded and they have retreated.’

  Isaac took a tentative step into the lake and it easily took his weight. He stood for a few seconds and then his legs began sinking into the water. The water felt how Isaac imagined quicksand would feel but here he could easily pull his leg out. As long as he kept moving he remained on the surface.

  ‘Try to put your weight on the water slowly and keep moving,’ said Isaac.

  The larger men did as he said and they too could easily walk on the lake. When they stopped they very quickly began sinking. They coaxed Snaps onto the lake, his thin hoofs and small surface area meaning he could not stop at all before sinking.

  They all came back to shore and studied the horizon.

  ‘Well, what now?’ asked Isaac.

  The four hesitated at the prospect of following the evacuation of the town until Kolin spoke up.

  ‘If we thought the road dangerous before then we thought wrong, as this will undoubtedly be the most perilous miles of our journey. We need to head north west if we are to find the island and we have at least two days travel ahead. And what if the water’s consistency alters half way, what then? But more so when we reach our goal what will greet us? Fable has it the dead live on the island of Aram for it is the haven of all those who die with dishonour, forever banished to wandering in the shared misery of others. No living creature has returned from this nightmare. And still we must go for we have reparations to make and forgiveness to be pleaded.’

  Kolin took a short step onto the lake and marched briskly, the slapping of the tar like water splashing oily mead into the air.

  ‘Well that answers that question I suppose. Shall we?’ Isaac waved the others ahead as he coaxed a reluctant Snaps onto the water and the troop marched again this time unenthusiastically each hiding their own fears as well as they could.

  In the late afternoon Kolin slowed his pace and allowed the others to catch up, all their breaths heavy as the effort of lifting their feet from the thick water became more difficult.

  ‘We are perhaps a days journey from the island, how are you managing?’ asked Kolin as he puffed along.

  ??
?Not good,’ said Minar shifting his pack uneasily on his shoulders.

  Isaac trotted up on Snaps who appeared to be enjoying the journey. ‘Why not put some of your gear on Snaps, not too much or you will cripple him but some should make it easier for you and I think I can keep up with your long legs if I walk as I don’t seem to be sinking as quickly as the rest of you.’ They happily agreed and loaded Snaps as they walked, making the travelling much easier.

  They walked until sunset and the seascape changed very little from when they left. They could see no sign of life and no fish seemed able to live in such an environment. The wind increased slightly and still was not powerful enough to cause waves in the thick soup of the lake. The whole surface looked like a barren plain of bluish white stretching around them unbroken.

  Kolin studied his maps one last time in the fading light and shifted their direction slightly north the setting moons a beacon they could follow for a few hours at least.

  ‘How do we navigate when there is moon less night?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘I have some skill in this area Isaac,’ said Arad. ‘Remember where I found you. I often would travel to the eastern boundaries of our country and find my way back without maps or moons. If Kolin wishes us to head in this direction then you need only follow my lead and we will be straight as an arrow be reassured.’

  They all took comfort from Arad’s confidence and walked with him keeping the conversation to a minimum, all knowing the further they moved west, the further they were from the safety of the land. They were all getting very tired and shuffled their feet at times so slowly they began to sink which would spur each to greater speed.

  The night passed uneventfully other than one time Isaac felt sure he could see a distant light bobbing on the furthest reach of his eyesight and then disappearing. He did not mention it to the others even though he felt positive he did not imagine it.

  Hours passed and the stars wheeled in the sky before the eastern horizon behind them began to lighten and a quiet stillness gripped the lake. The dawn was eerie with none of the usual pre dawn chirping of birds and the morning possessed a stillness they felt did not bode well. All they could hear was the regular heartbeat of their footfalls as they slushed through the water.

  As the sun began to peak over the brim of the water they could see clearly in front of them the unmistakable shape of land. A single jut of a mountain and the craggy broken shoreline of a small island surrounding it were no more than an hours march ahead.

  Relief swept them all as they were getting so wearied of walking that another few hours would see them all struggling to stay afloat.

  ‘What is the name of this place again?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘It is called many things but we know it as the Island of Aram. Others call it the Isle of the Dead. Legend has it those who lived their life through evil must remain until they repent and then they can pass into death. No living creature is permitted on her shores, but it is here we must go. Desperate indeed must the towns folk have been to navigate to this wretched place. Let us now see how accurate the lore of our people is.’

  Isaac turned to Arad who had a shocked look on his face.

  ‘Are you all right Arad? You don’t seem too eager to get there.’

  ‘I have no desire to see death Isaac. You claim your people believe in an afterlife so for you it may be quite normal to visit the dead but not for me. I believe the dead should remain so and pass from this world, not linger in such a place as this. It is to me both frightening and distressful you cannot leave this life in dignity.’

  ‘I hope they appreciate your concern,’ said Minar. ‘I just want to apologise to the townspeople and get back to shore thank you very much. I agree with Arad. This place is to be shunned and feared. Already I can feel the cold touch of death all around me.’

  They could feel a chilly breeze blowing from the island, in complete contrast to the balmy weather they felt to their backs. Isaac sensed an oddness about the island and as he already knew, anything could be possible in this world he had landed in.

  Suddenly a piercing howl filled the air around them. All the hair on Isaac’s neck stood up and even Kolin jumped when he heard it.

  ‘It is the cry of the Fylgia,’ said Arad in a quiver of a voice. ‘Where there are Fylgia, there is always trouble.’

  They walked with more cautious steps, still keeping enough inertia to stop from sinking. ‘We must firstly reach the land and then we can be scared if we want but out here we are too exposed and in danger. Quicken your pace people there is adventure ahead.’ Kolin took off at a jog and motioned the others to catch him. Isaac swung himself onto Snap’s back along with the packs and cantered behind and soon they reached the rocky shoreline of the Island of Aram.

  The island looked as barren as the rest of the lake. Few trees or any other growing things could be seen and rocks both smooth and jagged peppered the landscape. They climbed as best they could all feeling much better with the sureness of solid ground under them.

  ‘Should we announce our arrival or creep and crawl our way to whatever it is ahead?’ asked Minar who felt in a jittery mood.

  ‘There is no need for announcement Minar the Loyal,’ said Kolin. ‘We are expected.’

  The four travellers looked above and ahead of them and among the rocks stood a tall stark creature. A boney, skinless face with a bare skull looking back at them. The body, unlike the face appeared to be made of flesh and blood. It stood about seven feet tall and looked wispy thin and translucent. It swayed in the breeze like a spider’s thread and its deep eyes were blank, dark recesses in the bony face. Next to it rose a similar creature and then several more glided out from either side of them. Within minutes there appeared hundreds of the ghostly figures, floating on the air currents around them all staring with their vacant eyes.

  ‘I believe we are out numbered,’ said Arad drawing his sword. ‘But I will make sure we re kill most of these horrors before I die.’

  ‘Be still!’ commanded Kolin in such a voice Arad froze his advance instantly. ‘Have you learned nothing from your years in this world Arad. Not one of these creatures has moved to harm you, yet you immediately wish their destruction. This is the same claim we make against the Invader and here we mirror their actions. We will attempt communication first and battle last. Don’t you think if they meant us harm then they would already have done so?’

  Kolin placed a hand on Arad’s shoulder smiling gently as he lowered Arad’s sword for him.

  ‘You are still very young Arad consider this a life lesson for you.’

  Arad sheathed his sword and with a red face smiled to Kolin in return, accepting the great leader’s direction.

  ‘Well done,’ said a voice high aove them. ‘Well said and well done.’

  The four stared up into the rocks and between the ghostly images they could see a figure moving towards them.

  ‘You!’ exclaimed Isaac. Among the rocks stood an old man, his bushy eyebrows and half smile recognisable immediately to Isaac. ‘Where the hell have you been?’

  The old man chuckled, ‘Now, now Isaac remember your manners please. We have discussed this before if you recall and I thought you would remember what happens to rude little boys.’ He jumped off the rocks and landed lightly in front of Isaac. ‘Where I have been is my business. More to the point where am I going might be more pertinent.’

  It seemed many months ago to Isaac since he saw the old man although in reality only weeks had passed. He looked much the same as before and no worse for the encounter with the demon who destroyed the painting, some slight singing to his long robe the only proof of the recent battle.

  ‘You know this person?’ asked Minar as he looked at the old man suspiciously.

  ‘Yes. Isaac and I have met before Minar the Loyal,’ said the old man. ‘I am the reason he is here although I am very surprised he managed to survive this long. No doubt he had Arad the Source of Peace and the mighty Kolin to thank for that.??
?

  ‘You have us at a disadvantage,’ said Kolin with no hint of surprise in his voice. ‘You seem to know a great deal about us but so far have withheld your own identity.’

  ‘I do not give my name rashly Kolin the Great,’ said the old man with a sly look in his eye. ‘Just as you do not. You may earn the right to hear it and then you can respect it all the more.’

  ‘You know our customs well,’ said Kolin confidently. ‘So be it. When we are deemed worthy you will honour us with your title.’

  ‘That’s better then,’ said the old man. ‘Now we are getting somewhere. Come. You had better follow me and my friends. We have quite a bit to discuss before we leave.’

  The spectres bobbed and bounced in the air and the friends filed past them warily. Once they passed, the ghouls followed at a distance while the old man guided them through the rocks.

  Once over the initial shoreline of rocks, the land took on a more friendly hue. While Isaac could not describe the land as pleasant, it did not seem as brutal and fierce as it first appeared. He could clearly see grasslands and trees, with some wildlife of rabbit and grazing beasts looking like a hybrid of sheep and cattle, quite large and Isaac thought very difficult to shear.

  They began descending into a valley shadowed by the enormous mountain they saw from the lake. A few miles ahead, a small township peaked through the trees. Welcoming wisps of smoke leaked out of the baker’s chimneys and the smell of fresh loaves made their mouths water.

  The old man appeared much more spry than seemed possible and he put a great deal of distance between himself and the rest of the party. ‘Hurry as best you can.’ They heard his voice sail along the breeze back to them as he disappeared into one of the buildings. Behind them the noise of the ghosts had stopped and once again they found themselves alone.

  ‘I don’t understand exactly what is happening,’ said Minar. ‘However I will be eternally grateful to that little old man if he can feed me some fresh meat and vegetables. I think I have forgotten what that tastes like. Tell me Isaac, you obviously know this creature, what can you tell us of him?’

  Isaac thought carefully before he answered.

  ‘Not much really,’ he said bumping along next to Minar on Snaps who became quite frisky now he sensed a promise of food and shelter ahead. ‘I met him once in my homeland. He is a curiosity.’

  Isaac did not want to tell too much of the real story. The giants thought his beliefs odd enough without introducing a universal wanderer who spent most of his days fighting a beast who is intent on destroying life everywhere.

  ‘He does not give his name easily which to me is a good thing,’ said Arad. ‘Did you all notice however that he knew ours?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kolin. ‘He is an oddity that is for sure. There is a depth to him we are yet to see. I have a feeling I know this man.’

  They reached a large house and entered an enormous room, brightly lit from a warm hearth, a pot of soup steaming slowly on the coals, the smell wafting tantalisingly in the air. The roof stretched three times as high as Kolin, the exposed beams the nest for hundreds of birds who began chirping the moment they entered.

  Chairs, tables, plates and spoons lay ready for them and even the larger men found the room and seats just the right size. They helped themselves to a serving of the soup and also took a small loaf of fresh bread sitting on the tables. Arad finished first and sat back loosening his belt as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

  ‘Well, if this is what it is like to be dead I wouldn’t be telling anyone or we might find the living jumping off cliffs.’

  Minar agreed.

  ‘I have never contemplated it before now,’ he said. ‘Would the dead require food at all? They are hardly going to die a second time from starvation are they? And mind you I don’t wish to appear ungrateful, as I enjoyed the feed very much, but something is not right here.’

  Kolin kept to himself and began chewing on an Aeserian sized apple he took from a bowl on the mantle above the hearth. He stared out of a window in contemplation, trying to recall something from his deep memory. All of a sudden he slammed his fist on the shelf and began chuckling.

  ‘That’s right mighty Kolin,’ said the derisive voice of the old man as he entered the room. ‘It took you long enough. Don’t I leave very much of an impression on the people I meet.’

  Kolin turned around and smiled broadly. ‘Not at all Wodan, what confused me momentarily was the fact that last time I saw you, you stood as tall as I. The voice I knew immediately. It was the stature that muddled me. What happened to you? Did you stand out in the rain too long and shrink?’

  ‘As funny as ever Kolin. You have acquired quite a wit in the last thousand years or so. I seem to remember when you couldn’t even spell the word.’

  ‘Your insults are less powerful coming out of someone your size Wodan. It is your mouth that is amusing not your jokes.’

  ‘Then perhaps this would be better.’ The old man incanted some mumbling verse and in front of disbelieving eyes he began to grow, swelling to thrice the height of Kolin, his head brushing the topmost rafters of the huge building, a booming voice shaking the roof as the birds fled in horror.

  ‘Is this more impressive Kolin the Great? Or perhaps this.’ He drew from his back a sword a hundred times larger than anything Isaac could imagine and Wodan swept it through the air forcing the men to dive for cover. When they finally raised their heads the old man reverted back to his normal size and sat in front of the fire looking feeble and frail, chuckling heartily to himself.

  ‘I have little time for amusement these days Kolin, but I must tell you I enjoyed that immensely.’

  ‘That is good Wodan. It makes this trip worthwhile if you get some joy from it.’

  ‘Wodan. So that’s your name is it?’ said Isaac. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that back in the museum?’

  ‘There you go again Isaac, you really are quite a rude fellow. Maybe the rudest I have met and that is saying something. You still make demands on others and burden them with your expectations. To keep you quiet I will answer and the answer is no. Wodan is not my name. It is, a name and one Kolin chooses to use to give me identity. He is happy that way. My real name is not for the likes of you to have at this stage.’

  ‘Why Wodan? What does it mean?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘How do you travel with this one?’ said the old man rhetorically to the others. ‘He is high maintenance. Have you ever heard of the word ‘please’? Don’t answer, I already know. Wodan means Wednesday to these people Isaac and I happened to meet Kolin on a Wednesday and this is what he called me and what I chose to answer to. Happy?’

  ‘Not really but it will do for now oh wise Wodan,’ said Isaac with a deep bow.

  ‘Did I use the word smart ass last time. Yes I think I did and it was well said and no, you cannot call me Wodan, as I said this is the name Kolin has decided to use and I allow it. You can call me nothing other than sir and that is enough for you at this stage, now sit down.’

  ‘Everyone seems to know each other except us,’ said Minar pointing to Arad. ‘There are also some gaps here I would appreciate being filled if you would all be so kind.’

  ‘Yes Minar, there is much to tell of the meeting between myself and Wodan and I should have known he was behind all of this. Island of the Dead. Yes, that has your style about it Wodan. Keeps undesirables away I assume and lets you do as you please isn’t that right?’

  ‘Quite right Kolin. I have been very busy lately and the last thing I needed was to be annoyed by pesky intruders. I merely shrouded the island with my own images and created the odd myth or two and that secured my privacy. I have used this as a home base so to speak for many thousands of years and it suits my needs.

  ‘What about the people in the town?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘He is not very bright is he?’ said Wodan to Kolin. ‘Do you have to tie his shoes for him each morning?’

  ‘Yes and your a real joy t
o be around also,’ said Isaac with contempt in his voice. ‘You dump me in the middle of this world where I have nearly been killed a dozen times already and lose patience when I question the simplest things.’ Isaac threw himself into the nearest lounge in a sulk and stuck his chin in his hands deciding they could all go to hell. He would merely ride out the rest of this adventure with little to no input and the crabby old goat can do all the work himself for all he cared.

  ‘Well who got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?’ said Wodan.

  ‘I haven’t seen a bed for weeks you pain in the ass,’ said Isaac.

  ‘It seems these two have a fixation with the buttock,’ whispered Arad to a smiling Minar.

  ‘I will speak slowly Isaac and try to pay attention. I found this land many years ago, including the town which, as you saw, is mostly empty. You have ghost towns back where you come from Isaac, well this is similar. You merely presumed incorrectly people are still living here and escaped to this island in desperation. I must admit I do find it laudable you tried to atone for the stupidity of the grass fire. I did not expect it and it is rare I do not predict others actions. Anyway, most of what you see around you is illusion only and if you knew how to look you could quite easily see through the facade.’

  All four of the travellers now looked sceptically around them and slowly their focus changed and as if a veil lifted from their eyes, they could now see the landscape differently.

  Whereas before they saw a rugged and unfriendly place that housed the oasis of Wodan’s house, they now saw lush grass and acres of forest. A morning dew covered the ground outside the window and wisps of fog hung quietly over groves of daffodils. A scent of honey and wildflower filled their noses and the air around them felt warm and pleasant and not at all threatening. The mountain occupying the centre piece of the whole island was now covered in a smooth grass skin, the apex a crown of tall trees.

  Questions filled all of their faces as Wodan motioned for them all to sit and sip on a fresh ale appearing suddenly in front of them.

  ‘I too know illusions Wodan,’ started Kolin. ‘My own island is a practice in the art, a paradise I wished to disguise from others but what is your purpose?’

  ‘Yes, it is time you knew. I really did not expect any of you to get this far and especially you Isaac. I said from the beginning you and Darion were enigmas to me and I cannot second guess your influence on the momentous events ahead of us.’

  Isaac sat bolt upright at the sound of Darion’s name. He felt ashamed of himself for not giving his friend much thought recently.

  ‘Do you know what has happened to him?’ he said. ‘I feared I might never see him again.’

  ‘Your friend is alive and well Isaac, and quite happy from what I hear. You might be very surprised indeed to see how he has acquitted himself and I must say he has done a very nice job of it. Very nice indeed. I think you will be particularly impressed with his new girlfriend.’

  ‘Girlfriend! What has the idiot been doing? I have told him a million times not to get involved with women. They are trouble that’s for sure and now he has one. I hold you directly responsible for this you know.’

  ‘I think you might change your mind when you see the woman. She is a singular beauty and I have seen my share over the years and in many worlds other than this one and I can assure you this woman has no peer anywhere. Just the sight of her will make your legs wobble.’

  ‘When will I see him? Where is he?’

  ‘He is where you are going. In Mesania. But for the moment I think you could all do with a some rest. You have had a hard time of it recently.’

  A wave of exhaustion washed over the friends. It had been two nights since they slept properly and now Wodan mentioned sleep they all dropped their heads where they sat. They mechanically followed Wodan through the house not taking notice of their surroundings until they passed through a large studio. Inside, hundreds of paintings hung around the walls and rested on small timber easels. Isaac looked at the first few and again saw the master artistry of Wodan. As was the case in the museum, all the paintings looked to be of the same scene but this time Isaac thought he recognised the land, the unmistakable Mount Fujiama the central feature.

  Knowingly Wodan looked at Isaac.

  ‘There is something ancient and mysterious about Japan. I think it is a place my foe would have trouble finding me if I am in need of escape again.’ He walked to the painting on an easel and shook his head. ‘But it will be many of your years until it is complete and things may well be finished before then I think.’

  Isaac thought Wodan looked very feeble right at this moment. His face was drawn and gaunt and he seemed mortally tired. He shuffled out of the studio and led them to separate rooms where the travellers dropped off to asleep the instant their heads hit the downy pillows. Wodan hovered in the room for a few minutes and bent over the sleeping Isaac.

  ‘Sleep well Isaac,’ he whispered. ‘Your time is about to arrive, if I am not mistaken, and you will need all your strength.’ He pulled the blankets up over Isaac’s shoulder and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

  Isaac woke early feeling better and more refreshed than any time in the last few weeks. The sky was clear and the sun crept over the horizon. He picked his shirt up from the end of the bed and noticed for the first time how motley he must look. He found a mirror and surveyed his new face. A thick beard clung unevenly to his cheeks that had become slightly scared and hollow from exposure. He thought he had aged considerably since his arrival. He ran his hands over his chest. He had almost no body fat on his torso and his chest looked as if he had lived in the gym for six months. He could feel the power in his arms and legs. Although scruffy, he liked what he saw, a weather beaten man whose body looked like it had stories to tell. It gave him confidence.

  He found a razor, some soap and scissors and gave himself a shave, a wash and a haircut, the latter leaving his neck bleeding. The face wash took the edge off his body odour and without a shower it was the best he could do. The others still slept so he grabbed an apple from the table and went outside. The air was crisp and fresh and already the sun suggested the day would be hot as it stung his face. He followed a well trodden path skirting a bubbling stream.

  He enjoyed the walk and after about an hour he reached the edge of a deep blue lake at the base of the mountain. Small fish jumped in the gurgling water running from the stream and into the lake. Small walls of reeds housed tiny green frogs who began an early morning chorus. Isaac picked up a rock and hurled it into the water the splash creating little rings fanning across the surface. It occurred to him he had seen this picture before and it struck him suddenly this was the very scene Wodan had painted back in the museum.

  ‘Not a bad likeness if I do say so myself.’

  Isaac jumped as Wodan came up behind him. ‘The problem is the water. Do you know how hard it is to paint water accurately. It forever changes. One splash of a fish and you have to start over and by then the reeds have grown ever so slightly. Or perhaps a bird nestles on the surface or picks at some food on the ground and the picture alters again. That is why it takes so long to get a masterpiece. The painting is the easy bit, it is the scenery that often won’t cooperate.’

  ‘Well, in all seriousness Wodan, if I am allowed to call you that?’ said Isaac slyly. ‘I cannot think of another place I have ever seen, including Kolin’s island, that comes anywhere near how beautiful this place is. I think a man could spend his years here quite contentedly just living with the land. No smog or the chaos of the city. No arguments or bustle, no crime, no punishment. It is wonderful and calm. Life is a little clearer to me.’

  Wodan looked at Isaac with renewed respect.

  ‘You have grown young Isaac. I think I like the new you much better than the old.’

  ‘I think I do too Wodan.’

  The pair stood looking at the water for a little while longer and then went back to the house to raise th
e others and although he had become very close to the massive men he decided to keep the lake a secret, a special place he would keep as his own.

  Isaac opened the door and slammed it behind him while kicking at Arad’s pillow. ‘Come on, you lazy sods. Time to have some breakfast.’

  Isaac barely finished the words when the giants sprung up out of their beds immediately awake. Kolin drawing a hidden sword so fast he nearly stabbed him while Minar and Arad took posts at either end of the room.

  ‘Take it easy. It’s only me,’ said Isaac nervously.

  ‘It does not profit anyone to startle a sleeping Aeserian,’ said Kolin sheathing his sword beneath his shirt. ‘Let that be a lesson to you.’

  The men straightened their clothes and hair and went back to the previous night’s dining room where once again trays full of food sat in the middle of a large timber dining table. Some fresh milk, loaves of bread and a steaming bowl of porridge made the men’s mouths water.

  Isaac sniffed the air around him and circled the room. He ended up next to Arad.

  ‘Arad, don’t take this the wrong way but you could really do with a bath,’ said Isaac bluntly.

  ‘Is that right? Well it may come as a surprise to you that your stature is disproportionate to the odour you have been exuding lately and a more pungent and unpleasant smell I cannot recall,’ said Arad.

  ‘What about the day you found that deer carcass?’ joined Minar. ‘It lay in the sun for a week decomposing in a low pool of water. That was quite foul.’

  ‘No. Isaac is much fouler than that,’ continued Arad.

  ‘Well what about the rotting and fetid water housed in the sewerage of Salnikovia. He must smell that bad,’ said Kolin joining in.

  ‘No, No. Much fouler than that Kolin. He has no peer in offensive smells.’

  Wodan entered the room and joined in.

  ‘Well, let me tell you, the swamp lands on the other side of this sea are some of the most objectionable smells anywhere in the world and they are positively fragrant compared to the stench leaking from Isaac.’

  The men all laughed as they took their seats leaving Isaac red faced and angry until he too laughed with the rest and they sat down to a hearty breakfast after which they all bathed in natural showers of fresh water falling from a rock waterfall at the back of the house. They went outside and dried themselves in the morning sun.

  ‘As pleasant a respite as this has been Wodan, time presses us to continue. You have indicated you will be assisting us but thus far you have reserved the detail,’ said Kolin.

  ‘Yes I will be going with you all and we will try to get to Mesania before Hammer does. That however is the least of our problems.’ For a second time Isaac thought Wodan looked very tired as if the burdens of the world rested on his shoulders. Isaac had not forgotten the fantastic story Wodan told he and Darion in the museum, nor the images of the horror nearly killing them all. He hoped he would never see the creature again but deep inside him he knew somehow the monster would track Wodan down. Here on Salnikov they may meet again.

  ‘Men. You are part of great events and you are yet to realise it. You must stop Hammer from his senseless crusade as he fights those who should be called friend and not enemy. I know the thought of the Invaders being allies is an idea that revolts against all your teachings but the forces of Salnikov need to unite and not be split asunder. It is not Hammer we need to be worried about.

  Kolin, you know me as Wodan and others call me different names. Among those you call Invaders, I am ‘The Saviour’, in Dessan I am merely Tibad the merchant and I am known also in ancient Jotenheim and far across the Manna Sea to the west and Aegir in the north. I also do not restrict myself to the domain of this world. There are many lives on many different planets and I have seen them all. My real name is of no consequence but my origins are. It is time you met me.’ Wodan stood as a lecturer might hands behind his back strolling backwards and forwards as he spoke. ‘My people created the worlds you now walk freely on. They formed the sky you walk under and the grass upon which you tread. They filled the soils with wealth and the oceans of life. We spread our bounty across the cosmos and looked on it all and saw the goodness we created and we praised ourselves which was our folly. In our arrogance we ignored the natural laws of the universe. For every good deed there is an equal and opposite bad one. For every great man made an evil one will contradict him. It is a balance existing across the spectrum of life.

  As the eons passed my people grew stronger and stronger and unbeknown to us, so too did a nameless evil who festered and took form in the farthest reaches of existence. It struck us unawares and destroyed our homes, its power alone as great as ours. It lives only to destroy and will not stop until all the good in the universe is gone and then it too will disappear.

  It is a beast and ignores the results of its actions. It does not realise as it weakens us, it too must weaken to keep the Balance. It is a fool. But its folly will eventually ruin us all. For reasons unknown to us, you all have been chosen to play a part in these days. They may be the final days or merely another episode in this ancient battle and this we cannot determine. What we can be certain of is there will be confrontation and on a massive level.’ Wodan ceased looking at them and was staring into the sky his back straight and tall/

  ‘The creature has enlisted all the evils at its disposal and will attempt to vanquish us here in Salnikov, at Mesania to be precise in an event called eloquently, ‘The Gathering of the Gods’. A fitting place, as it is here it suffered its only defeat in a millennium. I was strong then and it took me too lightly but it has learned and will be more wary.

  So the war you try to stop may only be a chapter in this book of life and equally it may also be the conclusion. We cannot fight amongst ourselves when the enemy is nigh. He may sit back and watch us destroy each other and then when we are at our weakest he will strike. This is the Word as told by Jarnell, the Parchments and all the other prophesies down through the ages in all the races of existence. Divided we fall but united we may be able to stave off the creature.’

  ‘What form does this creature take?’ asked Minar nervously, clearly disturbed by Wodan’s words.

  ‘A great beast with wings and claws. It breathes fire, and can arrive as a wisp of smoke but as strong as the hardest rock. Just to look at its face installs terror into the bravest heart and can send the mind crazed. The challenge is mighty.’

  ‘Don’t forget the smell. You think I stink, well let me tell you that this thing nearly knocked me out from the stench,’ added Isaac.

  ‘You have seen this abomination?’ asked Arad.

  ‘Sure have. It nearly killed me and Darion and old Wodan here back in my home town. Destroyed a whole building in a few seconds. I do not particularly want to see it again any time soon.’

  Wodan looked at Isaac carefully his forehead crinkled when suddenly his face brightened.

  ‘You talk of the smell Isaac, I have met the beast many times and now I think of it there is a smell as it arrives. I always thought it was the lump in my pants when I see it,” he said.

  ‘The stench filled the room in the museum just before it appeared,’ said Isaac.

  Wodan nodded slowly. I do not know what advantage I can find in smelling the creature before it arrives. It occurs to me it is something we did not take particular note of before now and as such could be important. It may be a weakness. I have no idea why it has never been noticed but you may have discovered a secret we can use to our advantage. It probably has something to do with the atmosphere on Earth or something innate in the human olfactory sense. It may only be seconds advantage and that may be useful.’

  Wodan became very excited hopping around the room talking to himself, stopping quietly for a few seconds and then resuming his jig as if a hundred plans and plots danced in his head.

  Kolin stood quietly, listening carefully to all Wodan said and he spoke with a worried tone.

  ‘Wodan a
question if you please?.’

  ‘Yes, Yes of course ask away,’ replied Wodan in an irritated tone.

  ‘What is your plan for the beast should you encounter it?’

  ‘Why to destroy it of course. What did you think I had in mind.’

  ‘I believe you to have the goal you state. However, if the universe is a balance of good and evil and you destroy the beast will there not be an equal and opposite destruction of things good. And if the beast is a construction of great evil then would it not be correct to assume much we know of as being good in this world and other worlds will cease to exist once the monster is vanquished and so the equilibrium is maintained?’

  The room fell silent and Wodan’s face became ashen, the sunken eyes and grey hair suddenly aging him in an instant as he realised the truth of Kolin’s hypothesis.

  ‘You are right,’ he whispered. ‘We are fools. All of the great ones are fools, all our plans are foolish and I am the greatest fool of them all. You must be right. Of course you are right. I condemn us all with my very words only moments ago. The balance must be kept. It is The Law and now we are lost. How could we be so blind?’

  Wodan left the room head downcast muttering himself in a tongue foreign to the others. Tears brimmed from his tired eyes as the others looked to Kolin in amazement.

  ‘Well you sure know how to spoil a party,’ said Isaac. ‘I thought old Wodan there was going to have an apoplexy right in front of me.’

  ‘It seems even the wise and powerful are sometimes fallible, they are so fixated on winning the simplest of theory escaped them’ said Kolin.

  Arad walked over to Minar and slapped a huge hand on his friend’s shoulder.

  ‘I know little of the great events just spoken of, but I know some things about men. We cannot defeat evil completely but we must always fight it and in the struggle good men will be sacrificed. That is the nature of the world. But if we do not contend with evil then what do we become? Mere vassals and slaves to corruption and spite, running and hiding from despair. I will not live in such a world. So I say we need to do our part and if this means death then it is an honourable way to exit this world. I will not sit idly by and watch good men and women perish irrespective of the consequences. So I intend to continue our journey and intercept Hammer and if the Dark One arrives with all his minions then I will have to dispatch them one by one if necessary and if that means I too must come to an end then so be it. I intend to die with honour if I am to die at all.’

  Isaac, Minar and Kolin walked to Arad and the four joined hands, Isaac’s looking minuscule against the others.

  ‘You are why our people are great Arad my kinsman, I will go with you to the end,’ said Kolin.

  ‘And I,’ said Minar and Isaac together. ‘We have a saying where I come from.’ said Isaac, ‘that evil will only triumph when good men do nothing.’

  The four clasped each other warmly when Wodan re entered the room with a wry smile on his crinkled face as he looked compassionately at the others.

  ‘And I will go also,’ said Wodan. ‘For what it is worth.’

  Short steps will gain greater distance than long strides.

  Look where you tread rather than towards your goal or

  you will miss some of the great messages of nature in your haste.

  Jharnell 88/41-44