Chapter 15
Mach woke as the first sun had begun to crest the western horizon. It had been the first time in a while that he had slept that well. He felt as though he had slept on a downy bed instead of the hard earth. As his mind began to turn over his fogged memories, he began to fret, having no clue of his whereabouts or what he was doing out…wherever this was. His surroundings were unfamiliar and his first thoughts were that he had been knocked unconscious during another fight. All he could remember was that he had needed to do something, but he just could not remember what that something was.
But as quickly as his panic attack had come, it vanished. The river of memories flowed back into his mind as the barrier of sleep wore off. The last thoughts he had before drifting off to deep sleep flashed before him and he sat straight up. His panic returned, but this time it was different, more like a sense of urgency and fear. He remembered everything about the woman of light and mist and everything she had told him, and more importantly, he remembered what he had seen before he had fallen asleep.
“Miatsu! Are you awake?” Mach screamed in his mind. Instantly, he felt the minute connection with imp's mind.
“Yes, I no sleep ever. You ok?” He was relieved to hear the little imp's voice in his head.
“For now. If the others are not awake, wake them now.” He finished the last thought as he leapt to his feet and sprinted to the campsite. He had not gone far, but it felt like he was miles away as he rushed toward the group. When he arrived he found Mendoll and Sehto packing up camp, but Bastra was nowhere in sight.
“Out to recheck our path,” Mendoll said, answering his unasked question. “Miatsu was adamant about getting us up and going. Where were you last night?”
“I fell asleep on the ridge up there. But that's not the point. Rubious is here, or at least damn near.”
Alarmed, Sehto turned around to face the way they had come, as if fearful he would see Rubious and his army marching up the path. Mendoll stopped folding his sleeping wraps and stared at Mach. “Mind telling me how you know this?” Mendoll asked speculatively. There was no anger in his voice and the only concern that he felt from the old Mage was the concern of the facts of what he had just said.
“I've been having dreams, or visions or whatever the hell they are. The wolves, remember the wolves. I saw those things twice each time before we came into contact with them. I also saw Rubious trying to get the Stone from Sytie. And, there were many other things. I can see what's happening in this moment. Well, I get flashes of it. I still can't seem to control it at all...” He tried to say everything in one breath, but between his gasps for air and the stitch of pain in his side, it was not possible. Mendoll held up a hand for silence, cutting off Mach's attempt to explain.
“Hold it right there. You're speaking of far sight, lad.” Sehto said aloud. “I wasn't sure what it was ‘til now, but it's far sight, isn't it?” He asked looking at Mendoll.
Mendoll looked at Sehto for a brief moment before turning his eyes back to Mach. “Indeed it may be, but besides that. How sure are you of this, of Rubious being here?”
He blurted his answer as quickly as he could, trying to get weeks of desire to talk out at once. “I saw him, on a ship, out at sea. He asked how much longer until they arrived. The Captain wanted to make sure he had the destination correct, so he asked. He asked if it was the southern island. That's this one, right? Then the Captain said by mid-day, maybe even late morning. Either way, it won't be long. Then Rubious said he wanted to be in Tuindreg as soon as possible.”
Mendoll looked back the way they had come. “Let's move on. If we have to hide, then so be it. But we must get there first, I am sure it will make all the difference.”
“Should we leave now, or wait for Bastra to return?” Mach was worried that the Gargoyle would agonize over their disappearance if he came back and found a deserted campsite.
“Neither.” The voice came from above and Mach caught a glimpse of Bastra’s muscular build before he landed beside him. “So why are we leaving without breakfast?” There was humor in his voice but it could not cover up the unmistakable anxiety underneath.
“We are going to have company very soon.” That was all Mendoll had to say. Immediately, Bastra began to help tear down what was left of the camp and before the first sun had completely risen over the hills west of them, the group was already on their way to the temple that lay somewhere within these mountains.
They had been walking for only a few moments when Mendoll leaned over to Mach. the Mage spoke softly, but he heard the words clearly and took them to heart. “By the way, Mach, you needn't worry about your safety or freedom. We are not exactly the type of people to follow all the rules,” Mendoll smiled crookedly at him then added with a cautious tone, “Granted, you should probably keep this to yourself from here on in, unless we are completely alone. But there is nothing to worry about with us, we have broken enough rules in our lives that we all should be locked up and executed.” That was enough confirmation for him to know that the Lady of mist was right. They had known all along and had been waiting for him to speak up. It was comforting to know that he did not need to hide anything for fear of persecution and he felt the desire to embrace all of his companions and friends to demonstrate his gratitude.
Bastra left the group shortly after mid-morning to investigate the port for any incoming ships. He admitted that it would be hard to spot them among all the other ships that sail in and out of Tuindreg, and it would be near impossible for him to get close enough to see how many people were aboard the ships without beings spotted himself.
However, if any of them held a small battalion of men, it would likely be Rubious and his entourage. It would be hard to miss someone like Rubious.
Bastra returned not long after his departure. Mach already knew what the Gargoyle was going to say before he could say a single word, judging from the grim expression on his face. “He's here alright. His ship just docked with two others in tow. They've pretty much taken over the town.”
“So, it is a race to see if we can get there and back before they realize we are here.” Mendoll said bluntly. Mach looked inquisitively at the Mage who answered him before he had even spoken. This only made Mach wonder if the Mage was reading his mind. “I forgot to put the spells in place. Undoubtedly, they will recognize our ship. When they do, they will realize we are here and come looking for us. Considering what is here and what information was on the map on our stolen ship, I assume that Rubious will want to find us as much as he wants to find the Stones themselves. I am not sure whether they will hunt for us, or whether they will wait for us to return. Either way, our job has only become more difficult.”
“By chance, while you were soaring around like a blue jay, did you happen to see how far we really are from this temple we're looking for?” Sehto asked Bastra.
Bastra looked at Sehto and growled, “Close enough to throw you there.” His voice softened a little as Sehto took a tentative step back. “Seriously, it is that close. Just on the other side of this mountain. It will take a little time on foot since we have to follow the path, but it is practically right around the bend.”
They came within sight of the temple as they took the next bend. It was not, however, the kind of temple Mach had envisioned it would be. When he had been informed it was a temple they were heading toward, he imagined it to be the kind of temples present in a big city, only larger. With white stone pillars and pure white pristine walls. Perhaps even a large garden outside to welcome visitors.
This was far from that, if not the complete opposite. The grounds outside the building were completely void of any plant growth. Rubble and stones littered the ground and the building itself was in derelict. Black stone walls rose only half way to what must have been its full height when it was first made. As far as he could tell, there was no roof to the temple. It had probably caved in due to neglect and the harsh elements at some point long ago.
Wind rushed around the remains of the buil
ding, tearing and scratching at the already crumbling stone walls. There seemed to be some kind of underground air current coming from within the temple. Dirt and dust pummeled the travelers, blurring the details of the decaying temple with every step they took toward it. But as they came within a few feet of the fallen doorway, he understood why it was called a temple.
Pictorials of dragons were inscribed on to the stone walls of the building. No single dragon was the same as another, each possessing its own features and looks. Every inch of the wall was covered in the carvings and sometimes it was hard to tell where one dragon ended and another began. The pillars themselves were carved into long and sinuous forms of dragons. Although time had certainly taken its toll on the structure, the stone dragons could still clearly be recognized as rearing up towards the sky. Their facial expressions were incredibly detailed, sending shivers down his spine as he gazed at their ferocious and determined eyes. He knew they were just carvings, but the black dragons were so realistic that they looked like they could unleash a torrent of fire at any moment.
The interior was large enough to hold several homes including large yards, far larger than anything he had ever seen before in his entire life. Parts of the roof were still intact above them but Mach had been right in assuming that most of it had fallen apart long ago. The parts of the roof that had collapsed covered the ground, mixed in amid cross braces and other unidentifiable debris.
Columns of light pierced through from the holes above, illuminating parts of the temple and the particles of dust and dirt floating around the room. The particles seemed to be suspended in the air by invisible strings before they settled to the floor slowly and peacefully. The winds that were so strong outside were nonexistent within the confines of the temple. Like the outside walls, the interior was also decorated with depictions of dragons carved into the walls and pillars that held up the portions of the roof left standing.
A gigantic cave opened up where the back wall was supposed to be, leading right into where the canyon wall should have been directly behind the temple. Mendoll led the way to the cave and Mach and the others followed closely, struggling not to trip over the debris. The cave entrance took up the whole of the back wall and did not decrease in size as they entered.
More dragon-shaped pillars lined the walls of the cave. Each one resembled the pictorials outside, with no two appearing to be the same. The pictorials reminded him of individual people. Everyone was different and possessed unique qualities. But there were some similarities, like the same shaped eyes, or else the same nose. Almost exactly like Humans.
Mach felt small at this point. He had heard from stories how incredibly large the dragons were, even as newborns. And if these pillars were any representation of their mass, he would surely feel like an ant next to one.
Mendoll continued the lead as they marched between the pillars. As the group entered deeper and deeper into the cave, Mach noticed that the size of the cave remained constant. It was perfectly constructed with no sudden bulges or instances of narrow pathways. He began having misgivings about trying to obtain this particular Stone. Anything that needed a cave this large to get in and out of its lair would be many times larger than the fabled dragons.
It did not take long for their gentle descent to progress into a steep slope. He began to wonder how long it would be until they reached the end but before he could think any further, he found himself preoccupied with trying to stay upright. He was barely doing just enough to prevent himself from tumbling down the path. Nevertheless, just as quickly as the steep slope had begun the floor leveled out and a light could be seen glowing ahead.
Mach could make out the flicker of hundreds of candles ahead of them, each one contributing to the illumination of the cavern and blending with one another to cast a monstrous shadow on the cavern ceiling. It resembled something out of his nightmares. The lit candles revealed a room more than twice the size of the temple above.
Thousands of candle stands stood arrayed in a manner that created a path directly to...his hair stood on end and he nearly screamed in fear. Sitting on its hindquarters, its front legs crossed over its chest like a human mother disciplining her child, was a dragon of immeasurable size. There was nothing in the pictorials that even resembled anything near this.
This reptilian beast was so large that Mach doubted it could even fit through the cave, massive as it was. It sat there, its wings folded over its body similar to what Bastra had done many times before. Its scales were of the purest black, and with the soft candle light, glinted like obsidian.
His brain was screaming for him to flee but he seemed to have lost all control over his limbs. Frozen in place by fear, Mach watched the dragon as it glared at them. For several moments, the group and the dragon stood completely still in the flickering light, only staring unblinkingly at the other.
Wait! Did it just...smile?
Before he could muster the courage to look closer or to ask if anyone else had seen it, the dragon snapped its wings open. Two pairs of massive flesh opened as wide as the cavern, each large enough to fold over the ship they had docked at Tuindreg. The force created by such enormous wings generated a vacuum so strong that he and the others were pulled forward off their feet and onto their knees.
The tail coiled around the dragon's lower body snapped back like a whip and with unbelievable speed, the dragon thrust its head forward baring its yellowing teeth. Its teeth, he quickly noticed, were longer than Bastra was tall. The dragon gave an almighty roar that shook the walls of the cave and sent a shiver of icy fear down his spine.
He covered his ears as the roar echoed in all directions in the enclosed cavern and squinted up at the dragon. Tiny tornadoes of dirt and dust like the gusts in the temple above spun about between them and the dragon.
Mach started praying to every deity he had ever heard of. There was just no way that Mendoll could fight this thing, nor could the group as a whole. Just one swipe with those broadsword-like claws or one snap of that massive head would take out half the group if not all.
“YOU DARE TO ENTER MY HOME!” Mach watched in mixed horror and shock as the dragon's mouth moved like a Human's, producing a deafening roar of speech. His heart stopped and sweat poured down into his eyes, stinging them severely but he dared not look away as those amber-red eyes looked into his very soul.
We're going to die! He mourned feverishly. We're going to die right here and now and there is nothing we can do about it! This thing is going to kill us! He had no idea how they could have thought this was a good idea! He should have seen this! For all his visions, for all the warnings he had gotten about everything else, why had it not warned him they were all walking to their deaths!
“HA…HAHA…HAAHAHAHAHAA! I am sorry human,” the dragon chortled loudly with laughter. “Please, please don’t die on me.” Mach stopped breathing as the dragons voice dropped to a softer rumble. “I do tend to take things a bit far, human. Please don’t hold it against me, I don’t get many visitors here so I find ways to amuse myself. I am known as Rajat, as I will assume you will have guessed.”
Mach did not know how to respond. A moment before, he was certain he was going to be eaten alive and now he was being laughed at by that same dragon. What the hell did he mean by ‘amuse himself’?
“And besides, human,” Rajat chuckled again and appeared to smirk at Mach. ”In order to eat you I would surely need some kind of sauce from the west lands. They have the most delectable foods I have ever tasted and you…are bit small.”
His face flushed deep pink with rage as the dragon took humor from his reaction. His heart started pumping furiously and his breathing quickened as his temper started to rise. It was playing with them! What kind of sick joke was it playing at! Who the hell did this reptile think he was!
Mendoll stepped forward, his fear gone. Mach had the sudden urge to snatch his arm and yank him back as his fear quickly replaced his anger. He wanted to tell the Mage to back away from the dragon and for all of them to run
away. Mendoll must have noticed, but paid no heed, instead he fearlessly faced the mighty dragon towering above him and cleared his throat. “Lord Rajat. I am a Mage, Master Healer Adept in fact, I am known as Mendoll of the High Court of Eldour. I hail from those lands of Eldour to the far east.”
“A Mage indeed. And from Eldour, you say, human. What business do you have here?” Rajat asked, humor still thick in its voice.
“I have come here to obtain the Stone that was left in your possession after the Great Wars. I know the rules that were given to those left in charge of the Stones. I also know that you are not to give the Stone freely. I have failed three times to obtain them.” Mendoll looked down at his hands for a moment before making eye contact again. “Another is after the Stone, My Lord. He has already tried to force his ways onto Lady Sytie.”
Rajat scoffed and shook his head as he interrupted Mendoll. “What a foolish human. This man must not be intelligent if he tried that. No species with any brains would strike at my dear Lady Sytie. Hah, I would not wager a bet between herself and I. She is a most fearsome creature and I can tell you personally she is a most powerful woman.” There was still a hint of humor and something old, something…known.
Mendoll nodded his head slowly, almost as if he knew as much about Sytie as this Rajat did. Perhaps he did. “Indeed, milord. I am not sure of the outcome but he is apparently on his way here so I would assume that he succeeded in surviving her wrath at the least. This is to say, an extraordinary feat. I know that this man will do great harm to the world if he were to retrieve any of the Stones. This much I am sure. This man will stop at nothing to get the Stones and frankly, you are vulnerable here. The others have many ways to flee if it were to come to it. You on the other hand, do not. You have but one exit, which is also your only entrance. Honestly, he could kill you.” Mendoll said calmly.
Rajat scowled down at Mendoll. “Mage, I know what is on your mind. It is true that the ones called my kin were devastated during the time of your wars. Many dragons died in those days. However, I was not around at that time. Had I been, I would have destroyed every human involved.”
Mendoll held up his hand to politely interrupt Rajat. “History says that an entire village was annihilated without a single loss to the attacking forces. However true that is, My Lord, even a Being such as yourself is vulnerable to a barrage attack and it is entirely possible for you to be overwhelmed and killed.”
Rajat barked out a laugh. “You honestly think that a mere Human, or even one of your Mages, has any chance of killing a God?” Rajat asked mockingly, his long yellow teeth showing again.
“Yes I do, My Lord. Powerful though you are, even Gods can fall from their thrones like any other king,” Mendoll spoke honestly.
Rajat looked down at Mendoll speculatively. “You speak as though you have done just that, taken a king off his throne.”
Mendoll sighed. “I have not myself, but history has shown that kings rise and fall all the time. The Goddess of Life, so legend has said, had to revert to a Tree-like stasis to prevent her own death when she created this world. Her transformation was partially due to her own overuse of her power. And to be frank, no matter what you are, or the others, you are no true God like the Goddess Kriasta.”
Rajat laughed at the stream of words coming out of Mendoll's mouth. The Mage seemed to be making headway in their survival. Maybe they would not be eaten after all. Escape plans and various tactics flew through Mach's mind as he thought furiously on what they could do if they were forced to run. Nothing useful or realistic came to him and it felt like nothing would work, except perhaps, begging for his life. His current state was sad really, considering his father had always been a good tactician.
Rajat drooped his shoulders slightly. “Hmm. I see your point. I do only have but one way out. As for any God being able to fall, well I am not so sure of that.”
Mendoll straightened his shoulders. “But I am sure, Lord Rajat.”
The Lord Rajat nodded his head and bowed his head in reluctance. “Very well then, your trials. Come here, Healing Adept.” Mendoll took a step forward and Mach could only think of one thing. This is just too easy. There was no way that Mendoll had gotten through to the dragon with those simple arguments. Unless, Rajat had planned to pass his knowledge to Mendoll from the start. That thought was entirely possible considering how wide a range of moods this Guardian seemed to have.
Rajat reached out with one claw and tapped Mendoll on the forehead. The Mage screamed in pain once again as the ancient knowledge passed through his mind, causing Mach to cringe at the old Mage’s anguish. In an instant, Mendoll was on his knees panting with exhaustion.
“Take what I have given you and use it as you need. But do not bother returning here. I will take your warning to heart, Mage. I will leave the confines of this cave and seek a new place to live out my life, I will find you when the time comes. Let me ask you this before you leave. How sure are you that this being, this king, would strike a lethal blow to the likes of me and this world?” A sudden feeling came to Mach at the tone of this Guardian’s voice. Most especially at his last words. This World.
Mendoll knelt on the ground panting for a moment without speaking. Finally, he rose to his feet and looked Rajat in the eyes. His body still shook with pain but his voice did not betray his poor physical condition and he was as steady as ever. He spoke loudly and confidently. “My Lord Rajat, the things this man will do for the sheer pleasure of testing his own powers goes beyond madness. He has killed innocent people just for the chance of seeing whether he could. If he were to have any kind of power such as what these Stones can give him, he would surely test such power on villages and cities alike. Nowhere in the world would one be safe from him. I would stake my life on the fact that he would do everything in his power to get the Stone from you and the others. In fact, I have already.”
“I also say this,” Mendoll continued before the Guardian could respond. “Only four of the Stones are guarded by beings such as yourself. The other three might be found before we can get to them. Perhaps he already knows their whereabouts, I can’t be sure. What I say is this, the best way to keep him from finding them is to keep them on the move.”
Rajat looked down at Mendoll, his amber-red eyes glares down at the Mage. “And what if he catches up with you? What if, in the end, you collect them all only to have them taken from you?”
Mach answered in place of the Mage. “Then we all die a horrible death, but we can at least say that we gave it our all and did everything we could to prevent it,”
Rajat’s eyes turned to him. “I am curious, child. You speak with words that would have come from His mouth, He who gave us the Stones in the first place. Who are you?” Rajat's eyes were fixed on Mach. It seemed as though the Guardian's eyes were gazing at something beyond his physical existence.
Mach looked up into the amber-red eyes of the Guardian Rajat and felt very small again. He had no clue as to why he stepped forward or what it was that this dragon wanted from him. But when he spoke, it was with much more confidence than he thought he was capable of mustering. Not surprising when he thought about it, after all he was proud of who his family was even if he was not too proud of himself yet. “I am Mach Derune, Son of Lizza and Dan Derune.”
There was a moment of recognition in the dragon’s eyes as they refocused on Mach. Once again, he felt something familiar when he looked up at the mighty Guardian before him. Every time now, it was as if he were finding an old friend or a long lost relation. Those amber eyes stared into his and he felt a sense of kinship to the dragon Guardian. By the time Rajat spoke again, Mach would have sworn that he knew the Dragon personally. “Derune you say! Very well, child of Dan and Lizza Derune. I will do you one thing more for you.” Rajat reached under his belly with one claw. A loud clang, much like metal scraping against metal, echoed loudly in the cavern.
Light flared for a moment as Rajat dug his claw under his stomach and retracted it quickly. Pinched between three of t
he claw tips was an orb the size of a small fist. Like the other Stones that the group had seen over the last few weeks, this one glowed softly with a dull, yellow inner light and from it, he could almost hear a whisper echoing on the wind.
Rajat held out the Stone to Mendoll and spoke directly to the Mage, though the Guardians eye strayed to Mach more than once. “Take this with you. I have no need for it now. Besides, I was never good at keeping promises. My suggestion is this, seek out the last of the Mages. They may hold information on the location of the other Stones. They may even hold one or two themselves. Not even I know what He deemed necessary. I do not doubt that we will meet again. Until then, may the Gods help you.”
Mendoll reached out and took the Stone in disbelief. Without another word, Rajat forced his way over them and made his way up through the cave to the world outside. The earth shook and the sound of rumbling thunder reverberating throughout the cave.
Rubble and debris fell from the roof long after Rajat had left. Mendoll stood there staring at the Stone in wonderment. “Thank you, King of Dragons,” Mendoll said softly before turning his attention to the others. “We must hurry if we want to beat Rubious out of here,” Mendoll turned seriously to the others with a look of concern plainly visible on his face. He, Miatsu and Sehto were already more than a hundred paces ahead of Bastra and Mendoll when the earth suddenly shook violently and within seconds, rocks and stones easily the size of a human were falling from the ceiling.
He ran with all his might to avoid being crushed under the intensifying shower of rock and dirt. Diving out of the way of a particularly large stone, he skidded to the floor and spat out the muck and grime that had found its way into his mouth. He prayed he would live through this mess to see another day.
He there lay on the ground, covered in dust and swearing like the sailor he had always wanted to be. Coughing heavily and with watery eyes, he immediately leapt to his feet and tried to look around. The light from Mendoll’s staff had vanished along with all the candles and without them, he could not see his own hand in front of his face. He did not remember hitting the ground hard enough to hurt himself, but the pain on the back of his head was saying otherwise.
“Lad!” The voice that yelled out through the dark was frantic, coughing heavily in the dust filled chamber. “Mach, you alright?” Sehto's voice came from somewhere beside him. It was a comfort to know that at least one other person was alive.
He coughed heavily as he answered. “Yea, I'm here. You ok?
Sehto coughed as he spoke. “Yea, I am good. Nothing broken as far as I can tell. Where's the imp?”
“Am here.” Miatsu’s voice came from further up the cave. He had apparently gotten farther ahead than the rest of them.
“What about Mendoll and Bastra?” Mach yelled out into the dark.
“They ok. They say go on, they follow different path.” Miatsu informed them.
“What and leave them, we can’t do that. We need to dig them out or…or..or something!” Mach exclaimed, trying to feel his way to the rubble that blocked their way without causing another avalanche and killing himself.
Sehto's voice was calm but it held its own tone of concern. “Actually that is what we should do, lad. They can handle themselves. What we need to do is get to the ship and get out of here before Rubious gets here. Don’t forget, Bastra can fly. He can carry Mendoll if need be. Don’t worry, I'm sure they'll be better off than us. But we need to go now if we are to have any chance of not being seen.”
He did not like it at all, but Sehto had a good point. If they were going to avoid being detected, they needed to get off the path that Rubious would undoubtedly be coming through. If they could even make it to the other side of the range before his army started out, they could sneak into town while Rubious was out. That would actually be their best bet at retreating undetected.
Reluctantly he turned to face the direction of Sehto's footsteps. “You can guide us out of here, right?”
“Yes I can. Though, we'll still have to tread lightly to prevent from tripping.” It took them far longer to find their way out of the caverns and up into the half-fallen temple than it had to make their way down. Several times he had tripped and only caught himself from falling flat on his face by a narrow margin.
Eventually they saw the light from the temple above and with the lights aid they were able to hurry their steps. Not sure how long they had been under the earth, the three of them wasted no time in escaping up through the canyon.
The suns above were already beginning their descent from mid-day and it would not be long until the first sunset. Picking up their pace in hopes of getting deep within the canyon and into one of the many crevices they had seen on the way in before night fell, they moved quickly through the canyon and he soon found himself running between the narrow stretches that had been outside their campsite the night before.
Mach turned around to find that Sehto had somehow disappeared on him. Miatsu was beside him as always but the tracker was nowhere to be seen. A feeling of danger swept over him as he stood there among the shadows of the crevices searching for the danger he felt deep in his bones. Something was wrong and he did not want to continue without knowing that his friend and ally was by his side. He had lost two members of his party today already, he did not want to lose another. He turned around almost frantically looking for any sign of the tracker when his heart skipped a beat at the sound of an all too familiar voice.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” It said coolly. “A little child playing where adults dare not go? And with some little beastie along with him. Brave, very brave indeed.” Mach turned slowly to the familiar horrifying voice and his eyes widened in fear.
At that moment, he felt that he would rather face Rajat in battle than to face this.