The Realmsic Conquest: The Hero of Legend

Several long hours after the battle, Maebus and Kelm emerged from the tunnel into the mountainous Northern Lands. Maebus quickly analyzed his surroundings, as Kelm sealed the passageway with a wave of his hand. It was becoming evening. A strong breeze scattered dirt across the ground, as the setting sun stretched long shadows from the nearby boulders.

  Maebus’ feet were sore from the long walk underground. They’d traveled at least thirty miles from Centre Pointe.

  Maebus stretched his arms wide and inhaled a deep breath of mountain air. Instantly, he coughed uncontrollably. Hunching over, hacking, he leaned upon his knees for support.

  “Are you okay?” Kelm asked, rushing to his assistance.

  Maebus nodded as best he could, reaching for his water canteen. Kelm watched him take several quick sips and reseal the lid.

  “I’m fine now,” he said, reattaching the canteen to his belt. “I must have breathed quite a lot of dust within that tunnel. It’s not very well ventilated, or well lit.”

  Kelm didn’t respond.

  Maebus watched his friend’s gaze drift towards the surrounding landscape. Together, they surveyed the land. Mountains dominated the area, which spanned from the Northwest River. Their high distant peaks were capped with snow, yet draped with dense forestation towards their bases. Its rocky, untamed terrain seemed unaccommodating perhaps even to the most skilled travelers. Not many people lived in this part of the Realm anymore, so evading capture would be easy. Finding reasonable shelter however, would prove much more difficult.

  “It’ll be night soon,” Maebus said, peering at the sky. His heart felt heavy in his chest as he gazed toward the southern sky, which would overlook the Realmsic Castle.

  What have I done? He forced back his tears.

  Kelm inspected the passageway enclosure a final time. It was sealed solid. Not a trace of it remained nor could be detected. Maebus sensed something was wrong with Kelm. He’d been unusually quiet throughout their trip.

  “Kelm, are you okay?”

  The Wizard’s shoulders rounded with a deep sigh. “I’m fine,” was his only response.

  It was apparent to Maebus that Kelm didn’t want to discuss whatever he was really thinking. So he let the subject go, realizing he too was not up for an in-depth discussion just yet.

  Kelm massaged the back of his aching neck while analyzing the rocky path before them. “With no roads leading north, it’s not likely the Legion has made it this far up. But we’ll still need to be careful. Travel in this part of the region is uncommon and whoever we do encounter could be dangerous.”

  “Of course,” Maebus shook his head resignedly. What harm could anyone possibly inflict upon him when part of his soul had already died earlier that day on the battlefield? For what he had allowed to happen, he felt deserving of whatever came his way.

  “Did you hear me?” Kelm asked.

  “What?” Maebus replied. “Sorry, I did not.” He had been lost in thought.

  “I said we need to move to those rock ledges.” Kelm pointed to a distant mound of stones that rested at the base of an even larger mountain. “It appears to be only a couple of miles away. I’m thinking we should be able to set up camp and find food there.”

  Without another word, Kelm walked away. Maebus followed.

  • • • • •

  Kelm didn’t speak a word to Maebus as they traversed the narrow natural ravine of the land. It’s steady incline led upwards towards the rock ledges he’d pointed out earlier. Part of him was still very much in shock regarding the battle against Damian.

  My home is gone ... My home is gone!

  He kept repeating the words in his mind, obsessively replaying every scene and every action of the day. His mind raced with future scenarios—none of which ended well for the kingdom. His eyes began to tear.

  Walking ahead of Maebus, he swallowed his own grief. All he could do was concentrate on the rocky path ahead of them. He refused to look back at Maebus, for he was the Realmsic Advisor. At such a critical time, not an ounce of weakness could be displayed. No matter what, they had to keep going, keep pushing, and see this situation to the end.

  To maintain his visage, perhaps even to keep his own sanity, Kelm decided he would occupy his mind solely with their current tasks and focus on the present.

  After an hour’s walk, the ravine they followed ended at the bottom of the rock ledges. Towering high into the sky, the ledges were nothing more than a collection of boulders that had fallen from the mountain above it. Kelm studied the structure’s integrity. He reasoned that it looked stable enough to climb, and instructed Maebus to scale towards the middle ledge that lie several meters up. Kelm followed.

  His muscles trembled from the strain of reaching upward. Yet, despite the pain, he gripped a protruding rock and pulled himself up. Grunting, he reached for the next one, and the next. The climb took every bit of effort he possessed. His legs burned, and his arms felt like rubber. Kelm could barely drag himself over the top of the cliff. Crawling a few paces, he laid flat upon his back next to Maebus, who also wheezed from the exertion of the climb. Kelm only gave himself a moment to rest and catch his breath. The sky above them darkened as the sun began its descent beyond the horizon.

  “We need shelter!” Kelm exclaimed. With renewed energy, he sprang to his feet with a snap and moved towards the rock ledge. He felt Maebus’ eye upon him as he pressed his hands against the rocky structure of the mountainside, analyzing its integrity.

  “This wall is solid,” he affirmed. “I think I can make a small cavern for us without causing a rock slide.”

  “That would be ideal,” Maebus replied with a half-hearted chuckle.

  Kelm closed his eyes and focused his mind inward. He concentrated the Realm’s magical energy into his fingertips and allowed it to flow towards his wrists. With each slow, rhythmic breath, his hands pulsated bright yellow. With power surging from his palms, he smacked his hands upon the rock wall, easily cracking its surface. Small bits of stone chipped away as he hit it a second time. Sweeping his hands back and forth, he produced a fist-sized hole within the rock.

  After a minute, his hands began to hurt. Unsatisfied with his effort, he said to Maebus, “This is taking too long.”

  Kelm took several steps away from the chipped wall and cupped his hands together. Kelm focused energy within his outward stretched hands, producing a glowing orb. His face tightened and teeth chattered as if he were cold. The orb expanded between his palms, spiraling and increasing in size and illumination. Kelm thrust his hands forward, accelerating the orb so that it slammed into the rock wall. Like a flame burning through wood, the orb penetrated several inches into the wall.

  As the rock particles settled and the dusty air cleared, a man-sized crater appeared in the rock face. Kelm stood before it, chest heaving, desperate for air as he assessed his work. After a moment, his breathing normalized.

  Spawning the power a second time, Kelm produced an even larger power orb nearly the size of his own body. Again, with all his might, he smashed it against the rock wall. The entire cliff quaked as the orb tunneled deeper into the mountainside, this time by several yards. Coughing and waving the stone dust from his face, Kelm saw Maebus lying flat upon his stomach with his hands cupped over his head.

  “Are you okay?” Kelm huffed, nearly out of breath.

  Maebus rose wobbly to his feet, “Sometimes I forget how powerful you are.” He brushed the dust out of his hair, and patted it out of his clothing.

  “It’s going to be cold tonight. I’m going to make a fire for us inside. Can you get our food bag and bring it in?”

  “Sure,” Maebus replied.

  Grabbing a few loose twigs and dried shrubbery laying nearby, Kelm brought them into the cave. Piling them on the ground, he admired the depth of the tunnel.

  Snapping his fingers, he produced a small flame within his palm. He held the flame over the brush pile, allowing it to catch. Crouching over the now smoldering pile, he gently blew on the kindling
. Kelm found this oddly soothing, and the flame grew larger and brighter with each breath. Eventually, the cave achieved a suitable level of brightness just as, outside, the sun pulled its last rays of light below the horizon.

  Maebus entered the cave and plopped down next to the fire to stretch out his legs. Reaching over, he grabbed their food bag and emptied its contents on the ground between them. Kelm’s stomach grumbled with hunger as he stared at the collection of berries, nuts, and raw vegetables. He wanted more to eat, but they had intended to carry only a small amount from the castle and hunt the rest of their food.

  Kelm offered Maebus the first pickings, but he refused.

  “Please, eat something,” Kelm begged.

  Maebus shook his head. “I’m still not hungry.”

  “You’ve hardly eaten anything this entire day. You must keep up your strength.”

  “I can’t,” Maebus sat up and walked to the cave entrance. Kelm watched him slouch heavily against its opening and peer into the darkening wilderness. Kelm knew Maebus felt isolated and alone, because that was also how he felt.

  The Wizard rose to his feet and stepped quietly towards Maebus. Standing beside him, he could feel the heaviness of his friend’s soul. Or perhaps it was his own weariness projecting upon Maebus. Either way, it was a burden he wished he could alleviate for them both. But the true terror of their predicament was barely within his comprehension. Therefore, he remained silent, simply standing in solace with his brother.

  “I thought I had it all figured out,” Maebus murmured. “I knew ... everyone knew ... that we would not defeat Damian, at least not in our first battle.”

  Kelm took a step closer.

  “Yet I thought, if only I could buy us time ... protect us somehow from the brunt of Damian’s attack, we could see the Warlord’s strategy firsthand, analyze it, and learn from it.” He squeezed his eyes tightly as if fighting back tears. “I thought that with time, we could prepare a greater military attack and overwhelm his Legion. But I was wrong, Kelm. I gravely underestimated Damian’s ability. I’ve lost the kingdom, and we’re not going to get it back.”

  Maebus rubbed his red, burning eyes. Whether they burned from the smoke of the fire or from something deep inside him, Kelm wasn’t sure. He placed a comforting hand on Maebus’ shoulder. “Brother,” he said, “you saved our lives and, in doing so, gave us hope. Although we are currently at a disadvantage, Damian isn’t invincible. Without the Realmsic Crystal, it’ll only be a matter of time before his own corruption weakens him. Then we’ll be able to strike!”

  Maebus pulled away. “And in the meantime, the people of our kingdom will suffer; even more so, thinking that we abandoned them. I can’t accept that!”

  “But we have to. There isn’t any other way...” Kelm paused. “Maebus, you know I’ve always been a believer in faith and destiny. You, on the other hand, have always been pragmatic and rational. I know right now that you’re looking at our current situation and are unable to see a reasonable outcome. But be mindful that you’re currently fighting two battles—one with Damian, the other with yourself. I need for you to step out on faith with me. I believe in your ability as a leader, and I’ve no doubt in my mind that we will reclaim this kingdom.”

  “How, Kelm? The man defeated us with his numbers alone! He knew our history, our strategies…”

  He knew our history. Kelm replayed those words in his head.

  His mood suddenly lightened and his body straightened, as though hit by an epiphany. “Yes he did, didn’t he?” he nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! Now, I see.”

  “See what, Kelm?” Maebus released a long frustrated sigh.

  “Okay, think about this ... aside from his numbers, what makes Damian so powerful isn’t so much his military might, but how he applies history into his war strategies, right?”

  “Okay,” Maebus answered skeptically, perhaps unsure of where Kelm’s line of thinking was going.

  “Well, perhaps we too should embrace history,” Kelm smiled. He saw Maebus’ head tilt upwards and chin lift as if contemplating Kelm’s words.

  “Use history how?” Maebus asked. “What’re you suggesting?”

  “When I was a younger Wizard, I encountered a woman named Fable, who later guided me through my pursuit of Grand Wizardry. Fable is a member of the Archival Order who, as you know, possesses all Realmsic history and knowledge. Perhaps we can use her insight to gain a new perspective on this situation.”

  “So you’re saying you want to talk to a historian? Are you serious?”

  Kelm detected Maebus was trying to conceal his growing frustration. “Absolutely. But not just a historian, an Archivist! And Fable is the last living member of the Order. If there’s a flaw she can see in Damian’s conquest, or if there’s a tool she knows of that can help us, it’d be worth speaking to her.”

  “Why didn’t you suggest this before?” Maebus’ chest heaved in anger.

  “Admittedly, I thought about talking to her when we first learned of the Warlord. But it didn’t seem like a practical idea at the time.”

  “Well, what makes it so practical now?” Maebus probed.

  “Firstly, we have no army at the moment. Secondly, unless you have a better plan, our options are very limited.”

  Maebus groaned loudly, squeezing his face between his hands. “Fine. How do we reach her?”

  “She resides in the Ancient Lands, located east of here. It’ll take us a number of days—probably longer—to get there. But I believe it’ll benefit our cause.”

  Slowly Maebus nodded. “Okay, I’ll take this journey with you. I’ll ‘step out on faith’ with you.”

  “Excellent!” Kelm’s eyes beamed as bright as his smile. “A little faith never hurts. Besides, I think this is rock bottom. So what else do we really have to lose?”

  Chapter Thirteen