Chapter 12
He stood just outside the clearing that he and his allies had made their camp. The stars above looked brighter than he could ever remember them being, their lights pulsing like tiny heartbeats in that black velvet of the night sky. Under their light, everything seemed brighter in the deep darkness of the forest night. Even treetops were aglow with tiny droplets of star-like lights.
He watched them, entranced by their twinkling. They were not stationary like the stars high above the treetops, many moved at the pace he had seen ants and beetles move. Others were much faster, darting from one area to another like birds fluttering from tree to tree..
Despite the glow of the stars above and the illumination that came from everything around him, the forest was shrouded in darkness. He closed his eyes and attempted to remember his surroundings before he had sat down. He concentrated on what had been around them before the daylight had faded away. Slowly he opened his eyes to find that he was staring at...himself.
He sat on the stump in front of him. Here he was, standing mere feet away from himself and it seemed that his body was truly empty of any consciousness. He wondered vaguely whether he could get a reaction from the body that sat before him.
Perhaps kicking a stone would wake the form that sat on the stump, or a gentle tap on the shoulder. He smiled at the thought of the mischief he could cause with this ability. He had only taken a single step toward himself when he sensed something move in the shadows somewhere in the distance.
He stared out into the trees, his heart now racing inside his chest. Slowly, carefully, he thoroughly looked through the tree branches for any animals that could have been the cause of the disturbance. Lights in and around the trees whirled about, but nothing that he could see felt as if it was capable of making the particular noise he had heard and not a single one of those lights fluttering about seemed to have been startled by anything unnatural. His ears could still hear the chirping and grunts of various creatures all around.
Mendoll and Sehto lay beside a small fire, both covered in sleep wraps, through the trees he could see their chests rising and falling rhythmically with the sounds of their heavy breathing. Bastra sat just out of the fires light, his wings folded over him as though they were a cloak or a blanket.
Slowly, he crept through the woods, carefully taken note of everything he could about his surroundings. It may depend on his ability to lead the way once morning came, so the more he knew of the area, the better off they all would be under his guidance.
There is definitely something out here? It was something that he could neither see nor track. He thought about returning his wandering thoughts to his body as he had walked away perhaps waking the others would be a good idea. Before he could act in any form, he stepped into a large clearing and quickly realized he was not alone.
Floating a foot off the ground was a cloud unlike any that he had ever seen before. It was the shade of brown and yellow, and it looked poisonous and deadly. He had a sensation of a thousand needles puncturing his body as he looked at it. Something about the cloud felt alive, almost as though he could feel the thing breathing.
“I know of you.” A voice came to his ear as though on the wind, flowing by him like currents of the wind. “Your people have come for what is mine!” Mach looked in amazement at the cloud. The words seemed to be coming from that general direction, every word that whispered in his ear caused the cloud to shift its form. It was nothing drastic, at least not that he could recognize, but it definitely shifted its shape from moment to moment with each sound.
“You have come with people that are not friends. That is interesting to me, that you trust them as you do.” The voice commented scathingly. “Or perhaps you are merely arrogant, I think!”
It was true that Mach only trusted Mendoll, Sehto and Bastra to a certain degree. But it was also true that he did not consider them his friends. He knew little to nothing about any of them and for all he knew, despite what Sehto spoke of mere days ago, if they ever found out about his visions they may just execute him on the spot. What did he matter to any of them anyways?
“I see into your heart, child of many. I know of your fears and desires. You are grieved for the loss of your mother. I also know of your future, child, and of your past. I know this: though you will save many in your hunt for the one responsible, there will be many that you will only loose to deaths' embrace.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mach yelled out at the cloud but he did not hear his voice. A sudden rustle from behind him made him turn his eyes away from the cloud. His vision blurred for a heartbeat and he found himself staring into the inside of bushes that had not been behind him a moment before.
Mach was sitting back on the stump he had been on before he had begun his search. Through the trees, he could see Bastra on his feet and ready to kill. Mendoll and Sehto were up and ready to defend themselves, both of them held their swords at the ready. His shout must have woken the others. A Sudden movement within the trees made him leap to his feet.
A glint of polished metal and the thud of steel was all that he could comprehend as a blade buried itself into a tree exactly where he had just been sitting. He leapt further away from the stump in time for three more blades to strike heavily in the tree where he had been standing next to. Pain shot through his chest as the steel of a fifth blade pierced him. He fell to his knees as Bastra and Sehto both sprinted by him, both rushing into the trees like rhinos charging an enemy in a rage. Mendoll was already kneeling by Mach’s side before the other two were lost from sight.
“I am not going to lie to you, Mach. I am exhausted, so this may hurt a bit more than normal.” Mendoll said quickly as he placed a hand around the wound and his other hand on the hilt of the dagger. He felt a rush of energy seep from Mendoll’s hand and into his chest.
Relief flowed into him as the pain disappeared. Mendoll gripped the hilt tightly and pulled hard at the blade. Pain shot through him again as the metal slid out of his wound. The Mage had not been jesting when he had said he was tired. Through the tears in his eyes, he glimpsed Mendoll sagging to the floor as the tip of the dagger left Mach's body. Sweat was already forming on the Mages brow and in the faint light from the distant campfire and the starlight above, he could see that the color had all but drained from the old man’s face.
Mendoll placed the bloody dagger on the stump, sat back against a tree, and sighed. “Never thought there would come a day when healing a simple wound would be this laboring.” He panted softly from exhaustion as he closed his eyes. “In sixty years this has never happened.”
Mach stood up suddenly to the sound of footsteps coming from the trees. “Lost it, whatever it was.” he jumped as Bastra’s massive form came lumbering through a bush mere feet from him. “How are you, lad?”
“I'm fine, thanks to Mendoll. What was that?” He responded as he massaged the spot where the dagger had been embedded into his flesh a moment before.
Sehto walked up soundlessly behind Bastra, scaring the Gargoyle when he spoke. “Not sure what it was, but it reminds me of an imp. Quick, silent and almost untraceable. Can't be sure though. What I do know, is that whatever it was, it’s fast and smart.”
Mendoll stood up and moved toward the campfire. “If we can’t find it, let us hope this will be an isolated incident. I do not fancy trying to protect ourselves in this kind of environment.”
Throughout the night, Mach could not help but keep a vigilant watch. Even when Bastra relieved him around mid night, he did not sleep. His eyes and ears constantly weary for any signs of his attacker. The rest of the night was eventless and morning came quickly and in a blur. After what felt like a mere nap, he was awoken by Bastra at morning's first light, he thought wearily of how nice it would be to just roll over and go back to sleep.
However, he got reluctantly up from his warm sleep wrap and joined the others for a quick bite to eat. The group quickly packed their gear and left the campsite the moment after they finished
eating. Before the first sun had truly risen they were moving through the trees to continue their search for the next Stone and it’s Guardian, all the while keeping a wary eye open for any signs of trouble.
The day turned humid as the day wore on and pain began to throb in every part of Mach's body, most particularly from the wound. Despite the excellent job Mendoll had down closing the wound, it still ached ruthlessly.
They made their way inland, trying to keep the sound of the sea within hearing range. There were species of animals and insects that Mach had never seen before. Every one of them fled from the group’s presence as they marched their way through the forest.
Several times he thought he felt the presence of the thing that had attacked them the night before. But he never caught sight of it. Images of an unidentifiable being would flash before his eyes, of something he could not describe. He thought they might be images of the attacker, but he could not be sure. Again, these flashes of visions could very well be nothing more than his imagination going wild as it tries to explain perfectly normal movements within a forest.
However, he felt something odd. Much like the feeling he got around Mendoll, a feeling that he seemed to gravitate toward. It was like the kind of feeling one would get around a long lost relative, a kinship to something or someone he had never seen before but knew was family. But no one else seemed to notice it, they were all too concerned with watching for their attacker.
Bastra and Sehto would alternate between scouting ahead and guarding the group. It seemed that the two of them had traveled this way while pursuing Mach’s attacker, though both of them admitted to being completely lost. Several times they found themselves wondering whether this was even the same forest they had entered.
Mach found himself breathing heavily before midday. Requesting a break was something he did not want to do, but he felt just like Mendoll looked, which was to say, completely horrible. They set camp for another night and Sehto left the group immediately to scout around while Bastra took up a vigilant watch. It was apparent that the two of them were not eager for any more surprises and were willing to do anything to prevent a repetition of the previous night.
Mendoll checked on Mach's wound more than once and both of them were surprised to see that it had reopened since Mendoll had healed it. The Mage admitted that he had been exhausted and could have overlooked his own work and not healed the wound as well as he should have. However, there was the chance that something else was preventing it from healing properly. Despite Mach's objections that he was capable of continuing without another healing session and that the wound was nothing to him, Mendoll insisted on working his abilities again, trying harder than he had the previous night to mend the tissue together perfectly.
“Mendoll, you know that I could always just put cloth over it. It really isn't that bad!” Mach protested as the Healing Mage ignored him and began to focus on the wound for a second time that night. It was true enough that blood was welling up through his skin just enough to stain his clothes, but no worse than that. Moreover, the wound would close on its own in time. Besides, if there was another attack, He did not want the only healer to have exhausted himself trying to heal such a trivial wound.
“I guess you are right, Mach.” Mendoll admitted grimly after the third attempt failed to completely close the wound. “I am either too tired or something else is amiss. Let us just hope that it does not become infected or anything of the like. The last thing we need is for you to fall ill with a fever while out here at sea.”
“The last thing we need is for you to pass out from overexerting yourself. You look tired ─ have you even been sleeping?” Mach asked worriedly. The dark circles under the eyes of the Mage were evidence enough, but he had the notion that all this moving about since they had started the journey had taken its toll on the Master Adept.
Bastra turned around to give Mendoll a long look. “He is exhausted from trying to decipher that information he has been given. Twice now, he has been given the vast knowledge of an ancient being, had pathways within him widened drastically to the point of tearing, and he pushes through it as though it was nothing. Any normal person would be in a coma right about now.”
“Any normal person would not be out here seeking these Stones, old friend” Mendoll retorted. “I have good reason, as you all should know. If you have not forgotten, Rubious is after these Stones as well. If he is somehow able to retrieve them before I do, even one single Stone… Well, I don't want to think of the hell this world will face.”
Mach thought back to the vision he had of Rubious and the Guardian Sytie and was tempted to take Sehto's advice and tell the Mage of what he was seeing. Rubious was more dangerous now than he had been before, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak up. He knew this was not the time. Not right now anyways.
As they sat waiting for Sehto to return, a thick mist rolled in from out of nowhere. The mist moved along slowly, a thick fog of water droplets tumbling chaotically like waves crashing onto land. Along with the mist, a cold breeze swept through the campsite and washed over the group, making Mach shiver and wish he had brought a cloak with him when he had left the ship.
“There should not be anything like this yet!” Sehto’s voice rang out clearly from behind the group. Mach turned to find the tracker seemingly materializing from out of the bushes and mist. “The weather should not be like this!”
“Indeed, it shouldn't.” Mendoll said quietly. “This is neither natural nor Mage crafted. Something has summoned it, yes, but nothing of the human races that I know of, nothing that I can recognize, at least.”
Mach felt it as well, though he remained silent. Just as he could feel a unique sense of kinship with Mendoll whenever he used his healing gifts, he felt the same feeling with whatever it was that had sent this mist but it was not the same. He could feel a kind of presence about the mist that made him recall what he had seen last night. Though to be honest, he sensed something deeper than kinship, something more like what he had felt with the two Guardians. Whatever was out here possessed the same presence as the Guardians Sytie and Watesa.
Sehto jammed a piece of bread in his mouth and looked to Mendoll. “I think that we should continue.” He blurted out quietly.
Mach was taken aback for a moment. He did not like the idea of marching through these woods at night, much less doing so when he was tired.
“Why?” Bastra asked with his eyes focusing on a single spot outside of the campsite.
The tracker swallowed the piece of bread and turned to look where Bastra was staring. “You spoke of finding areas that you couldn’t get near when you had initially scouted the area, well there is one of those ahead. No matter how I try to get to it, I find myself following some other path or trying to track down a noise or movement I thought I had seen. I see or hear nothing for the longest time, but the moment I turn to head in this particular direction, something distracts me.”
“You think that there is something that is trying to stay hidden?” Mendoll asked calmly, his eyes staring unfocused into the fire.
“I think that there is something that someone doesn’t want to be found.” Sehto said softly. “Granted, I can’t find any sign of what we are looking for, or anything that feels or looks like it could be like the other two Beings that we have met, but when I think about that thing from last night, I can’t help but think that there is something here that is effecting my abilities.”
As they resumed their search, it was like walking in complete darkness. Bastra’s massive form, which Mach was only ten paces behind, was invisible to his eyes. Mendoll, who was a few feet on the side of Bastra, he too was invisible in the mist. The only thing that told Mach he was not alone was the heavy footfalls of the Gargoyle and the sound of leaves crunching as he and Mendoll moved gingerly forward.
On the other hand, Sehto moved as soundlessly as the shadows. Mach found himself wondering more than once whether the old tracker even existed because of the silence he could shroud himself in.
He truly was an inspiration.
As they marched on through the mist-filled night, he began to feel that he was playing in a cat and mouse game and he was the mouse. They were all being played with. It was between them and whatever it was that had summoned this mist.
Mendoll took the lead when Sehto admitted that he was no longer able to track anything in the mist and despite his excellent knowledge and skills, he admitted that many of his skills were good only because of his gifts. And right now, they were useless.
He felt something hidden from sight that was closely watching the groups every move. There was a being or creature lurking deep in the mist. Something was out there that could see them perfectly and could attack at any given moment. Mach was unsure of whether or not the others felt a similar sensation but he did not want to break their concentration with useless questions. They were all too busy trying not to trip and fall flat on their faces to say much of anything aloud. But no matter what the others believed or felt, he knew there was something out there in the mist as sure as he knew he would draw the next breath.
A clearing opened up before them, completely clear of the mist that now bordered the area. It felt like the group had walked out from the center of a cloud and into a pocket of wonderfully clean air. The open grassy field was completely still. There was not so much as breeze to disturb the sea of green before them. Warily they took a few paces forward, their steps triggering a spell that caused a stone dais to materialize from out of the mist on the other end of the clearing.
“Wait here.” Mendoll said cautiously as he stepped out toward the center of the clearing. Each step was taken with as much care as the old Mage could muster. The mist near the edge of the clearing began to swirl and shift aggressively. It reminded Mach of the cyclones he used to see over the waters back near his home of Selane. They would rise up out of thin air, rage around and then fade into oblivion.
Mendoll took another step toward the dais when a crack of thunder suddenly echoed across the clearing. Mendoll swiftly leapt backward with the agility of someone a quarter of his age and in the blink of an eye, he had moved to only a few paces from the group with a weapon resembling a spear of ice in his hands. Short enough to be a sword, yet long enough to be thrown if necessary. It was surely a weapon to be reckoned with whether it was Mage crafted or not. The spear glowed softly, emitting the warm light imbued within it.
Mendoll jumped aside again as a spike of earth thrust up from the ground where he had been standing. The Mage’s focus was on the tumultuous mist at the other end of the clearing, and as it shifted closer to Mendoll, Mach felt something within it. He felt the same sensation he had gotten the previous night from within the cloud he had seen.
Was this the same attacker?
His hair stood on end as the cloud of mist moved closer to them. “You are here for what is mine!” A deep growl came from within the churning mist, echoing across the clearing as it moved closer to them. The words drifted to Mach’s ears as if the wind had delivered the message, except there was not a single draft to be felt that could have carried the threat. Angrily hissing, the mist quickly thickened in front of Mendoll to block his path to the dais.
The Mage cautiously edged toward the dais, the spear lowered but not enough to leave him defenseless and open to attack. “If you are referring to the Stone, then yes, I am.”
The mist transformed into the color of tree bark and began to solidify into a strange form. A thin and wiry body surfaced from the mist, towering at least two heads above Mach. Although its body resembled that of a human's, there were branches and leaves sprouting from its appendages and its head. Under the shadowy light from above, the creature looked like the offspring of a human and a tree. As he watched in fearful anticipation, a face began to form from the churning mist.
Mendoll reached for the sword that hung from his side with his free hand. With the speed of lightning, two branches shot out of the mist and gripped Mendoll's wrist. “Use what has been gifted to you, Mage!” The branches withered immediately, releasing Mendoll and falling through the air, disintegrating before they reached the floor.
Moving his hand away from his blade, Mendoll looked carefully at the creature in front of them. Without warning the Mage threw the ice lance at the creature and thrust his hands forward with his fists clenched tightly. A streak of fire erupted from his hands, striking the back of the lance and exploding the lance. From the flames, hundreds of shards of ice and fire emerged and shot out at his opponent.
A wall of earth rose from the ground and absorbed the attack, immediately followed by a blast of earthen spears aimed at Mendoll's chest. He staggered to the side, barely able to avoid the attack and retaliated with swift movements with his hands. More flames burst forth from his fists like a sword, shattering a stone spear that was about to strike him.
All the while, Mach could feel the rise and fall of energy being consumed and released by the two who were fighting. In the excitement and fear of the events occurring before him, he forgot the worries he had of the possibility that he could be a Mage and eagerly followed every attack that was released.
He wondered if he should meddle in this fight or not. He was not as skilled a fighter as he wished he was, but even a slight diversion would be enough to confuse the monster Mendoll was fighting.
The mist swirled and cloaked itself around the creature, which turned on the spot and vanished into nothingness as the mist dissipated. Mendoll stopped moving and turned slowly on the spot to face every direction, his eyes closed, searching with his mind and magic for his enemy. The Mage’s eyes snapped open suddenly and looked right behind Mach and the others. There was a moment in which Mendoll's eyes searched the trees, but only a moment. He flung his hands outward, his fingers curled but not quite fisted and the tree behind them exploded into flames. Mach thought that he had felt something behind him the moment before Mendoll had struck.
Mendoll turned with such speed that Mach was surprised that the old Mage did not snap his neck. The Mage threw out his hands again as if he were punching the air and another tree erupted into flames, splitting the trunk in two with its explosive power. Mendoll stood still, his head turning every which way, searching for any signs of the creature inside the mist. The loud crash of a tree falling put Mendoll on alert, but before the Mage could react, several dozen branches shot up from the earth and pinned the Mage down to the ground and he fell to his knees with a thud as the branches overpowered him.
From the mist, a dark swirl of shadow moved dangerously closer and closer to Mendoll until the mist and shadow solidified into the creature. The two locked eyes with one another and glared at one another. “You work with the gifts well, Mage.” The creature said calmly as though they were merely comparing notes on this last year's harvest.
“Only well enough.” Mendoll replied softly as Mach felt the Mage's power surge. Flames erupted from behind the creature and ice spears simultaneously shot from the ground at Mendoll's feet. An explosion of ice and fire engulfed the creature in a storm of immense power as the two spells collided. He could feel the searing heat and the bitter chill of the combination and for the first time, he felt truly insignificant in comparison to Mendoll.
Mach had never really understood what being a Mage meant, but as he looked from the half- frozen and half-charred body of the creature before him to the sweat rolling heavily down Mendoll’s face and back, he finally caught a glimpse into the kind of power that the Mages must have possessed three hundred years ago during the Great Wars.
“Very good, Mage,” The deep earthy voice rumbled from the edge of the clearing as the body of the creature fell to the ground in a heap of burnt branches. He watched in horror as he witnessed the same creature that Mendoll had just reduced into a dead tree stump emerge from the mist and trees. “You are indeed the equal to what we are to seek out by His word. You should, by now, know of the rules well, Mage. I cannot simply give you the Stone. You must first master the skills He wants you to. Only then am I wil
ling to release my treasure and you may retrieve it. You need also prove your worth. He did not will the Stones to fall into the hands of one who would destroy His people. But his honor begs Us to release the Stones to one who would save his people.”
The Mage looked calmly into the eyes of the creature. “I fully understand what is asked of me. I know what the last King hoped for when he gave you Four the Stones. And I hope that you can see that I have every reason to aid His people.” Mendoll said nonchalantly.
The tree-like creature looked at Mendoll for a moment before glancing at each member of the party. Mach felt its eyes lingered on his for a moment longer than the others. “Blood calls to Blood. Come and receive the knowledge I am to grant the seeker of the Stones. You have earned that right, Mage. Kneel.”
Mendoll stood up as the branches and vines relinquished its hold on him and scattered upon the ground. Slowly, he walked over to the creature and stood facing it attentively. The Mage obeyed the command to kneel a moment later and at the moment the strange tree-creature's hand reached out to Mendoll's head, the Mage arched his back in agony as he had done twice before. Only then did Mach realize that this was the Guardian of the Stone. He did not know how he could have missed it. It should have been obvious from the beginning.
This was the Guardian they had sought after since they had departed Lady Watesa’s cavern. He searched his feelings and found it was this …Being… that was bringing out the same feelings and sensations that the other two Guardians had. There was some kind of hidden kinship between him and these Guardians. This is what he had felt when he observed it as it fought Mendoll earlier and when he had come face to face with the cloud the night before. This is whom he had spoken to last night, just before he had been struck with that knife. He almost slapped himself for being so blind. Could this also be the attacker as well? He could not be sure of that. He did not sense that kind of personality from the Guardian, but then again, he could be completely wrong.
Mendoll gasped for air as he fell forward onto his hands. “Go now Mage. Master what I have given you and return here if you dare to test your strength again. I promise it will not be as easy the next time.” Without another word, the thing faded into swirling mist. Its voice echoed over the clearing one final time as the mist vanished before their eyes. “I send with you one that will test you along your path, Mage. One that will guide and misguide your efforts. He is my child and myself. We are one and the same yet he is unlike me. The Named and the Nameless.” From out of the mist the Guardian had vanished into, a smaller version of the tree-like Guardian walked toward them.
It looked like what Mach would have expected if the Guardian were to have any offspring. There was no sure way to tell what sex it was, even though it was practically naked, its body was completely covered in brown, bark-like skin. Perhaps it was as sexless as the angels were rumored to be. Whatever the case, there seemed to be something familiar about the tiny creature the longer he gazed at it. Almost as if he had seen it before, or maybe even felt the energy emitting out of it.
In a moment of epiphany, he pointed at the tree creature, “YOU!” He exclaimed. This is what he thought he had seen in the forest watching him just before he had been struck down by that knife. A glimmer of sunlight reflected from the metal tip of a weapon at its side gave away the partially concealed knife, the same kind of knife that he had been struck by. This was their attacker. This was the thing that had tried to kill him the first night they had camped on this island.
This was absurd! How the hell could they trust someone like this thing when it had tried to kill them? The Guardian had said that he was sending this thing to help us! Humph! Fat chance at that, this thing would be the end of us all if it were allowed to stay!
The creature walked straight up to Mach and looked at the piece of cloth wrapped around his shoulder. Their eyes met for a brief second, and in that second, several things happened at once. The tiny creature smiled broadly at Mach and fingered the handle of the knife tied to its side, causing Mach to lose all thought and unsheathe his blade to slash at the thing's head, but his sword only cut the air.
The creature now stood more than thirty paces away from them, its hands outstretched toward the group.
In the next moment, he felt a surge of power and was rooted in place the moment he caught sight of a hydra with eleven heads. It was rare to find a hydra with more than four or maybe five heads, but to find one with eleven vicious heads, each one snarling and drooling in hunger as they gazed upon the helpless creatures before it, was something else entirely. This hydra must be older than any other of its kind could possibly be. It stood before them, roaring and snapping its massive jaws just a few feet from them. Mendoll and Sehto both stood transfixed, staring at the beast. Bastra had cried out in surprise and pulled his spear out from his back, ready to defend their lives.
This hydra was several times larger than the monster that had chased the wolves away so many days ago and looked like the personification of nightmares. Its scales shimmered a poisonous green in the dim light from the stars above. The eleven heads, each with jaws that could easily swallow Bastra whole, were all equipped with teeth the size of the Gargoyle’s spear. It would be unstoppable if the thing went into a rampage.
As quickly as it had appeared, the hydra vanished as though it had never even been there at all. Mach stared at the tiny creature in fear, thinking he may need to get a new pair of pants. This tiny creature just summoned a hydra from somewhere in the underworld and a moment later made it disappear! What in the name of all that was holy was that thing?
The creature's voice was childlike but there was a tone that could only be recognized as ancient. “Fear in eyes, you have much to learn!” The tiny thing said mockingly as it grinned at him.
“Just wha-what i-i-In the n-ame of a-aa-all th-at is ho-holy was-s t-that!” Sehto stuttered as if he had heard Mach's thoughts, his voice shaking with every syllable.
Again, the little thing smiled cheekily, its eyes still glued on Mach. “That his fear! Want see yours?” Its eyes shifted over to Sehto. Mach felt the surge of power again as the clearing was suddenly filled with more than fifty hellhounds, their coats as black as deepest night, feverish eyes raging with a fiery red glow, their mouths salivating with some kind of green ooze that must have been poisonous, their breath reeking with the putrid scent of decaying flesh. Sehto froze in place, all the color had drained from the tracker's face. He stood shaking so severely that he was amazed the man was still upright with feet planted firmly on the ground. In fact, he was surprised that he himself was still standing.
“I go with you. Help you with journey.” The little thing said, cocking its head slightly at Mach as the beasts it had summoned vanished in the blink of an eye. Did he dare oppose this offer? He did not know how in the hell they were all going to survive if this thing decided to attack them. It seemed that it could easily summon anything it wanted to kill them, no matter how large or how many. It could very well summon a completely new breed of spiders to kill them all while they slept. Worst of all, it knew all of their deepest fears and could use that knowledge to its advantage.
“The summoning hasn’t been seen for well longer than anyone has records of.” Mendoll said a too calmly. The thing turned its head to face Mendoll as he spoke, his voice as calm as though they were discussing the weather. There was a moment of silence, as it appeared that Mendoll was thinking quickly. “Yes, I think it best that you do come with us. But tell us, why do you wish to come with us?”
“Why you think I want come?” It said simply. There was no malice in its voice. And to him, that was heartening. But, there was boredom present in its voice as well, which to Mach, could prove just as deadly as it would be if it were angry.
“Because, like your master, creatures such as yourself would never leave their homes unless they wish it. They bow to no one, not even the Goddess Herself. Tales speak of how the Nameless Ones defied their own Masters and took power for themselves. You are n
ot bound by any laws and take no allegiance unless you wish to. Take that and add in the fact that you appear to be able to do as you wish anyways... I feel that you wish to come with us.”
The thing looked at Mendoll for a moment before focusing its beady eyes on Mach. It looked like the thing was choosing its words very carefully. Considering how it spoke, that may have just as well been true. “I come because he with you. He sees me when I hide. He walks while he stays in place. I want know why he is son of the Giver. He who make Father angry and appeased. Want to see how long he lives and how much he teach.”
Mach was so stunned by the words that came out of the creature’s mouth that he almost fell over. This creature wanted to learn from him? What could he possibly offer a creature that could summon hydras and hellhounds at will? He was nothing in comparison to Mendoll, who was actually a Mage, who had seen and knew far more of the world than he would probably ever learn!
Then again, why would he want to teach that thing anything, even if he possessed enough knowledge to do so? Was this not the creature that had tried to kill him while he kept watch the other night? Moreover, what did it mean by everything else it had said? What was so interesting about him?
He looked around at the others and saw the same concern and surprise in their eyes. There was also a solemn look on Mendoll’s face that took him by surprise. The Mage was thinking fast and hard about what the little creature had said, his eyes rapidly shifting between him and the creature.
There was something that Mendoll knew about Mach, something that he did not want to say aloud. Something that he suspected had crossed Mendoll’s mind more than once before now.
“You wish to learn from us. Is that correct?” Mendoll asked cautiously. The thing nodded its head. “Tell me this, what say you about the Great Wars of three hundred years past? It was then that your people were brought here against their will, was it not?”
The thing's voice no longer sounded as it had, slightly high pitched and young. Now it sounded older, wiser, as though someone else was speaking through it. “That was the time when Father was brought here by He who summoned us. It was a time of much death, most of it not needed. The fall of the people who might have sent Father back was a loss that saddened Him as it also gave him a sense of peace. The Empires should have died alone without the Mages. The War was unneeded. Dangerous though Mages are, the fact we are not on good terms with your people, is irrelevant. A long time has it been for our hatred to cool. A long time for our rage to be appeased”
Mendoll looked uncertainly at the creature for several moments before speaking again. “If I were to tell you that the tides of change are beginning, that it may be possible to bring back the Mage Kingdom's strength, and that it may still be possible to find a way to send you and your kin back to where you belong...what would you say?”
The creature's voice had gone back to being childlike. “We like it here, here on island. We safe from outsiders, this very similar to old home. We have learned much from the Stone you want to take. We stay here.” Mendoll looked a little dispirited by the creature's response. It was apparent that the Mage had been hoping to convince the creature to aid them in obtaining the Stone sooner than they could expect with their current progress. “But, say this. Mage people have many knowledge teachings. We would not mind you coming back and teaching us. We work together, I think. Much to learn from each other.” Again, the thing's eyes lingered on Mach's just a little bit longer than it did for anyone else.
With those words, the creature kneeled down in the unmistakable gesture of a bow and placed a hand over its chest. Mach thought that the actions might have been directed at him. The creature’s eyes had lingered on his for a moment before bowing! Then again, he was standing directly beside Mendoll, with whom the creature had been conversing with.
Could he be wrong?
“Then I ask you, master of the forests, will you come with us to change what is wrong in the world? To right what had long ago gone awry?” Mach started at Mendoll's words. What in the hell was Mendoll talking about? They were not out here to change the world! Their task was simply to collect the Stones before Rubious could get his murderous hands on them. Hell, there was also the matter of locating his mother and rescuing her. Changing the world can wait!
“Yes, I join, learn and bring teachings back.” Mach felt that kinship that transcended what he understood. Something about this little creature brought back emotions and memories that had nothing, yet everything, to do with him. It was confusing at best and he did not know how to react.
“Then I only have one question remaining for you. What do we call you?” Mendoll said calmly.
“Father calls me son, family call me Miatsu. The Voice of Many.” The creature said with a respectful bow.
Mendoll looked at Miatsu for a few moments with an appraising gleam in his eyes. “Well then, Miatsu, shall we leave this place and move on? We have much to do and very little time to do it in.”
Without hesitation and in the blink of an eye, Miatsu's stumpy figure stood beside Mach. He could not help but imagine how much the two of them already resembled a teacher and his student and he shivered at the thought. He had no clue how to handle this right now and he wasn’t entirely sure that he would want to. They walked back the way they had come in silence. He personally did not know what to make of these turns of events and he prayed that the others did. They had added a fifth member to the group, and a very dangerous one at that.
One who had just recently tried to kill me no less. One who could very easily kill us all in the middle of the night! It was clear that Miatsu had won over Mendoll. Perhaps the old Mage knew something about these creatures. If that were true, then Mach prayed he would offer a proper explanation to clear up all the confusion soon.
The mist had cleared without them realizing it. The suns shone down from above as they changed courses to march their way back to the coast they had landed on and back to the ship.
With the mist gone, the forest looked like a small piece of heaven. All manner of animals and birds seemed to have materialized out of nowhere following the mist's dispersal. The almost silence that had defined the woods had now been replaced with such clamor that he had a difficult time remaining focused on watching Miatsu.
Though Mendoll seemed to have taken a liking to the little imp, Mach was not going to trust him so easily. That he swore to himself. He only hoped the other two were thinking the same thing that he was
As talkative as Miatsu had been before, he had become as silent as death. From the time that Miatsu had joined them until the final sun rose in the morning and dipped below the treetops later that afternoon, the little imp did not utter a single word. Every now and then, Mach would glance down at Miatsu to find him returning the stare, the things eyes holding within them a curiousness that was almost childlike. Every time their eyes met, something seemed to pass between them. It was a little disconcerting, but also familiar in a way as well as soothing at the same time.
They reached the clearing the group had used the night before just when the last sun had begun to set. Reusing the campsite meant that there would be very little for them to prepare for the night. Considering how exhausted the group was, not having to deal with campsite preparations was a welcome change. The fire pit that had been dug up was still in perfect condition except for the sand mound that had extinguished the fire. As night fell in full, a thin mist started drifting in. However, unlike the mist from earlier that day, this one was not as thick. Nor was it silent. The creatures of the night seemed to become emboldened under the cover of mist.
Several times that night he thought that he had spotted a fox or some other small forest animal come into the camp long enough to get a good look at the group before turning and running off. With the forest having been so quiet recently the return of all the noises of night creatures in full swing was almost alarming.
When they had been marching through the forest he had been thinking hard about a great many thin
gs, most of it revolved around their new member. Miatsu was not just any creature. Sehto referred to it as an imp, and those were supposed to be far more intelligent than Humans were. The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize that he had not been attacked for just any reason. At least he began to hope so. It had not been malice behind the assault, though Miatsu did seem to gather a little enjoyment in hurting other living beings. He may simply have been attacked because he had invaded the lands of another.
He had trespassed on someone else’s homeland and the natives had simply tried to defend themselves, just as he would do if someone had broken into his own home. Miatsu was as intelligent as any human was, despite his stunted speech he was no different or less than anyone else that Mach had met. Once or twice, he had seen Mendoll look over to Miatsu with admiration written all over his face.
He sat beside the fire, staring hard at the little forest imp. Something calming passed between them as their eyes met once again. There was just something so familiar about this being and his ‘Father’, that he felt as though he was linked to them, like finding a long lost cousin or relative.
He and Sehto made a quick trip to the Raven for a few supplies needed for the night. Mendoll had wanted to stay on the island for the night, claiming that there lay a strange power within the island, compatible with his own, that he wanted to 'tune in with'. Mach didn't understand what the old Mage was talking about, but he figured Mendoll knew what he was doing. Not wanting to upset the old man by demanding to sleep aboard the Raven where he could escape their newest comrade, he quickly volunteered to help Sehto transport supplies from the ship to the shore. For the whole of their trek back Sehto had been quiet. However, the moment they boarded the ship, Sehto looked back at the island and broke the silence he had sustained.
“What do you think, lad, about this Miatsu character? I don’t like the things he can do. Summoning creatures out of thin air is something that most of the old world Mages couldn’t even do. Last night, Bastra and I were trying to track him. Well, I have to admit that I am a little frightened by the fact he was able to completely avoid my tracking skills. Normally I can see any trail left behind, no matter how old or thin. Mendoll tells me that I see their aura wake, but that thing never left one. It was almost like he didn't exist in this world, yet…” Sehto's voice trailed off as he opened the door to the lower deck.
He followed Sehto in silence down into the lower decks, thinking about what the tracker said. He felt the same and gave his answer as they entered the storage room. “I know what you mean. That thing is just odd. I mean, why the hell does he look the way he does? Is it some kind of demon, or spirit? Especially the way that Guardian could vanish into the mist. And why does he look at me the way he does? It's like he's some kind of child and I'm this striking person that's God Gifted or something! Like I'm some kind of savior or champion. It's just so annoying, it makes me sick. Worst part is, I don’t dare say anything to him, lest he bring that hydra back to eat me whole. Or those hellhounds to rip me to pieces. It's just so unnerving. And truth be told he scares me to death” Mach's voice rose with each sentence, and without him realizing it, he was almost yelling as the last words came out of his mouth.
“I agree with you, lad. I don't know what the hell Mendoll is thinking, taking a thing like that into our group. I just pray he knows what he's doing.”
They gathered the foodstuffs quickly and returned to the rowboat in silence. It was as they set out for land that Sehto sighed heavily. “Let us just hope that Miatsu is on our side and not against us. I don’t want to think of what that thing could do if it were pissed off at us.”
That night they ate dinner in silence. Bastra had decided to keep watch while they ate. Mach watched him walking the perimeter, alert and watching for any signs of intruders. He had overheard the Gargoyle talking to Mendoll earlier. Bastra was not sure what good it would do to keep watch, but he wanted to do it anyways in the off chance that something did come for them. Mach was inclined to agree with the Gargoyle's observation. What good was it to keep watch when the greatest danger was sitting among them in the camp?
Sehto kept a wary eye on Miatsu without appearing to do so. He was not sure whether he trusted the little imp or not and Mach could not blame him. With all the confused feelings that Mach had gotten over the course of the day, there was no telling what was truth and what was false.
Mendoll was falling asleep even as he ate his meal. The poor Mage looked as though he was inches from death, his face was white with exhaustion and his arms shook as he struggled to put food into his mouth. However, throughout their meal, Mach caught the Mage grinning every so often and nodding at something, as though he were deep in conversation with someone.
Mach, on the other hand, was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with Miatsu. He quickly found that his meager meal of plain bread and meat was ever so delicious and he felt it imperative to diligently examine its contents as he ate. The silhouettes of trees against the dark night were suddenly fascinating. He was still of two minds when it came to the little imp. The thought that Mendoll may well be laughing at him crossed his mind and to his utter astonishment, Miatsu leaned toward Mach. “He think it funny, but not as you think it.”
He did not hear the words with his ears, but instead, he heard it the same way that he had heard Sytie and Watesa. The words echoed in his head though they were never spoken aloud. He yelped in surprise. Had that little demon been snooping around in his mind? Was it listening to his thoughts even now? He looked into Miatsu’s eyes and got his answer when it smiled and nodded.
“Please think softer. You think too loud.” The voice said again into his mind.
“What do….you can….what the hell!” That was all that he could get out of his mouth as he slipped off of the rock he had been sitting on. Both Bastra and Sehto reached for their weapons but a quick glance at Mendoll's laughing form made them cautiously put their blades down. It was both amazing and terrifying that such a being could hear the minds of others. Stories told of Mages that had been able to do such things, but he had thought those had been nothing but just that. Those stories should have been just legends. Sehto’s eyes lingered on Mach a moment longer than the others, but he too turned away and returned to what he had been doing.
“Yes, Nameless One can. Being his sons, we can too.” Miatsu said aloud.
“His sons? You mean there are more of you?” He had thought that Miatsu was one of a kind. He thought that the little imp was just a sudden creation of the Guardian and nothing more than a mere puppet of its master. The idea of dozens or even hundreds of these little imps was a little disturbing.
“No, I not alone. Many brothers and sisters live here. Father make us from himself. We are one with him and each other. Like… big family,” Miatsu explained softly. He nodded sincerely and looked directly into Mach's eyes. No, not eyes. That was too simple, into his mind and perhaps even his soul. The imp stared at him and added, “And yes, I hear you talk in head. You talk lot to self. Try it, silent speak better in many ways.”
His first thought was how was he to speak with his mind? He never had any reason to do so before. The thought of communicating directly through the mind would have been absurd had he not visited the Guardians already. Only a few weeks ago, he would have thought himself insane for imagining such things.
His second thought was why the hell would he try? I am not a Mage and I truly do not want to be. So why should I even put in the effort to try it?
Miatsu’s voice spoke softly into Mach's head. “Like that, you speak in mind like that. You good at it, but you think too much. Think of me when you speak, only me and others may not hear what you think. We practice a lot. I teach you, you teach me.”
Mach looked into the imp's clear brown eyes and without thinking about it he very slowly and with deliberate care, directed his thoughts toward the imp. “Like this?”
“Uh huh. That right. You no need to scream like cat in heat. We practice an
d you get better. We train each other. I teach you, you teach me. It good deal.” Miatsu said, nodding his head slowly.
“But what in the world could I possibly teach you? I know nothing of any merit! And…and, I am no Mage! I know nothing of value.” Mach frustratingly whispered into the night air. It was meant as more of an admittance to himself than as an excuse to Miatsu. Despite all of his fears of being discovered that he possessed the ability to see visions and the possibility that he could be a Mage, there was just something exciting about the whole idea of being one of them, of any caliber. It was like a long forgotten dream coming to life. Or an adventure surpassing anything his father had ever experienced. The ultimate adventure.
“You know more than you know. I watch you, when you sleep and when you wake. I learn by watching. You have many, many things to teach.” Miatsu observed aloud, then spoke silently into his mind, “I know your mind. You no want others to know, maybe hunter, but no one else. I know why, same as why Father comes here. He not be ruled by other. He want be free of chains. You like us, you no want chains either. He only follow where heart go. I follow you cause you like father.” He could see a tear forming in Miatsu's eye as the imp spoke into Mach's mind.
Had it not been apparent to him that Miatsu was truly earnest about what he had just revealed, he would have laughed. The expression on the imp's face reminded him of how a few of the children back home in Selane would look when they were revealing a secret they had not wanted anyone to know.
A wave of homesickness swept over him and in that moment, Miatsu seemed far more human than Mach would have thought possible. They were more alike than he had cared to admit, and strangely enough, he suddenly wanted to reach out to the creature. He wanted to know more about the imp, and he wanted Miatsu to learn about him as well.
He felt ashamed of himself.
He had always despised those people that judged others before getting to know them, and here he was doing just that. He looked down at his hands, he sure as hell did not seem so humble now.
“Miatsu, I'm sorry.” He trembled with guilt as he hoarsely whispered his apology, though he knew that he did not need to say it aloud, since he felt the imp listening to his mind even as he spoke the words. But he still wanted to say it, to try and show the sincerity with his voice. “I really am sorry.”
Mendoll looked up at Mach’s words and they looked each other in the eyes. The Mage smiled heartily at him before turning his eyes skyward. When Mach turned his eyes back to Miatsu, he found the little imp smiling as well. “We train together? You allow me to learn?”
“Sure, why not. So long as you teach me what you can about my dreams.” Mach agreed softly.
“Yes, I watch and learn. Then teach you what I see. I teach wizard too. He has lots to learn. I know much of your people’s ways, but still have more to find. Maybe I help you control.”
Mach looked over to Mendoll, who was now nodding off against the trunk of a tree. “You're already teaching him?” He asked.
The imp smiled impishly at Mach. “Yes, when we stop, he asks many questions. I teach him much. How use less of magic now. I tell him how we come here. I also tell him of magic on island across water. Deep in forest, they live still. It dangerous place, many hungry beasts. He say maybe you not go, I say maybe you not strong enough.” Miatsu admitted.
Mach looked over at the Mage already sleeping peacefully against the tree. Had he really been talking to Miatsu all this time? Was that the reason that he had been glancing over at the little imp every now and then and smiling? He was once again amazed at the level of skill Miatsu was capable of.
Sehto stood up a moment later and stretched. “All this sitting is going to make me fall asleep. I'm going to take watch from Bastra. You all get some rest. I'll wake him when my time...”
Miatsu stood up before Sehto could even finish what he was saying. “No, you sleep. I not need to, like you. We sleep different ways.” Mendoll had opened his eyes and looked intently at Miatsu with the first concerned look he had shown since their encounter with the Guardian. The Mage's eyes met Sehto's for a moment and Mendoll nodded ever so slightly, though there was something lurking deep behind those eyes that Mach did not understand.
“Fine, I'm off to sleep then,” Sehto said with worry clear on his face. “Don’t let anything sneak up on us.” Mach knew what was going through the tracker's mind and he agreed. They would be taking a very large risk allowing Miatsu to take watch, but Mach also trusted Mendoll's judgment and his decision to allow Miatsu to watch over them as they all slept.
There was no chance Mendoll would allow himself to be caught off guard again after witnessing what the forest imp could summon. In fact, Mach had a feeling that even he would be able to recognize that fearful sensation and awaken should Miatsu try to summon hideously deformed monsters while they were asleep.
Of course, that would not matter if the imp decided to pull one of his blades out and run them all through in the dead of night, or soundlessly slit all their throats. He watched as Sehto buried himself in his sleep wrap. How comfortable he looked, snuggled under layers of warmth! Mach wished he could do the same and let the forest steal away all his worries but something was preventing him from parting with them. His worries were far more than he cared to admit to himself.
He turned his eyes skyward to the velvety black night, trying desperately to forget the problems. Right above them was the moon of the forests, one more of the many moons that roamed the skies above that was not normally seen often for one reason or another. Its green glow was soft to Mach's eyes and seemed to brighten the tree canopy above them. He had not noticed its rise, nor the descent of the others.
He closed his eyes and let the soft light illuminate the lids of his eyes. Even though the moons were nothing like the suns, he felt warmth coming from them, and now, here in the forests, he could even imagine them speaking to him. He let his mind wander, allowing his thoughts to go wherever they wished. To be pulled around like the waves of the Seas. He wanted guidance most of all, he had left home to take this quest with so many things left unanswered. Perhaps he would be guided. He would not remember the moments the vision took him from where he sat.
He stood in the middle of a grove of flowers. He could almost smell all the different scents as they rose up around him. It seemed like a miracle that all these different species of flowers could grow harmoniously in the same spot. Most of these, he thought, did not even bloom except in colder weather. But here they were, more beautiful than the most breathtaking sunsets.
Voices came from somewhere off in the distance and as he turned to look at them everything seemed to slow to a crawl. Two people were coming: one man and one woman. Both had dark hair, but they both also had silver eyes, very much like his own. The man stopped just before reaching the bed of flowers, reached out his hand to the woman, and opened his palm. Within his palm was a seedling that, in seconds, quickly grew and bloomed into the most beautiful flower he had ever seen. Blue petals with white and green innards, that single flower glowed with beauty in such a way that it made all the others look as though they were dull and lifeless.
The woman smiled brightly at the man as she reached out to cup the flower in her hands. She bent down to smell it with a look of absolute glee on her face.
Mach's heart skipped a beat, as though he had suddenly slipped on something. His breath was stolen from him as he gripped his chest and closed his eyes tightly to fight off a wave of dizziness. The trees that made the parameter spun around him as he stood still.
Slowly, everything calmed down. He began to feel steady again and carefully opened his eyes to find that he was once more staring at the moon above. Sweat was pouring down his back and chest. He felt another shudder in his chest and this time he swore that the moon pulsed above him as his heart took another heavy beat.
That was something new. He had felt it before but could not remember exactly where or when. It was not the same feeling that he had when he witnessed Rubious atta
cking the Guardian Sytie. On the contrary, it somehow felt older. He had the feeling that he had been looking at moving photographs. He knew that man somehow. But he just could not remember from where or when.
He breathed deeply, trying to gather his thoughts. But before he could begin making sense of all his jumbled theories and suspicions, sleep claimed him.