Children of the Sun and Moon by P. D. Stewart
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
A poor night’s sleep and an early cold morning meal had Koral and Eric in a foul mood. They had been devastated after watching their mother be taken away, but that had turned into anger. The rest of their group was not fairing much better. They had to leave the area, and quickly. Soldiers were certain to start doing regular searches of the surrounding forest in hopes of capturing them, but Eric and Koral had refused.
“We have to save her,” yelled Koral. She and Eric had been arguing all morning with the rest of the group.
“You must see this quest through, then we will focus on your mother,” was Gillock’s calm reply.
Grund, however, had heard enough. “Ye be willin' to destroy yur world fer this?” he asked, his gruff voice sounding deeper and menacing.
Eric started to reply, when the goblins came up and stopped him. “Wez not gos homes. Wez gives ups alls forz youses,” said Nak, is voice full of emotion. “Yous fails, wez dies”
“As do we,” stated Glavlin.
Eric glanced around at all the faces staring at him, and finally saw things in perspective. “They are right, Koral. We cannot be selfish in this. Too many could die.”
Koral, having come to the same conclusion, hung her head in shame. “I am truly sorry,” she said quietly. Looking up at those regarding her, they saw the tears.
Gillock reached out and took her hands. “We are close to finishing this task. Where we need to be is a less than a week away.”
Koral nodded. “Then we should be on our way.”
Maeve, having remained back so as to not interrupt the confrontation, moved forward. “There are soldier barracks to the west of us. Unfortunately, we have to pass near them to get to Deaths Boundary. My contacts have said most of the soldiers have been on training patrols even further west and north. If we are lucky, there won't be many around to worry about.”
“We will be moving through the forest, but following the same direction as the road,” stated Darly. “Leaving the horses behind will make it easier to keep our trail hidden.”
“The moving will be quick, where permitted,” added Mekken. “Everyone is going to have to maintain my pace. Once we are past the barracks there should be less trouble.”
Everyone agreed. Mekken and Darly took the lead as scouts, followed by Maeve and Glavlin. The goblins and Gillock surrounded Eric and Koral, with Grund and Drundle bringing up the rear.
Soon they were in the forest, following an over grown game trail. It was obvious some time had passed since it was used, and it amazed Eric that the elves eyesight was so keen. He only noticed the start of the trail when pointed out to him. Grund, being one of the few dwarves who liked being outside, marvelled at the forest. Drundle smiled at the look of amazement on his face. The forest was thick and old. The trunks of some trees were so massive if three people stood fingers touching on one hand, they would barely find the other.
Although Koral and Eric were in awe of the massive trees, the goblins appeared at home. Birds and animals chirped, flitting from branch to branch in the trees, but were never seen. The foliage was so thick the sun came in only through holes, or where younger trees dwelled.
Within an hour, they had arrived at the edge of the barracks. It was a massive compound, which stunned everyone except Gillock and Maeve. A stonewall surrounding it gave the appearance of a town. Buildings peeking over the top, and watchtowers at varying intervals along the wall made you realize it was more than a town.
“This must house hundreds of soldiers,” exclaimed Glavlin.
“It can hold thousands,” was Maeve's curt reply. “And we better keep moving.”
Slowly they crept around the edge of the compound, hoping they would not encounter any patrols. Everyone was on edge, and every sound appeared exaggerated. For half an hour, they skirted the barrack wall, and finally the end came into view.
“This is a massive compound,” remarked Eric. “If the Maget ever decided to attack, the Central Lands could be in great danger!” No one replied for they all had been thinking the same.
They turned southward and continued away from the compound. After a bit of travel, an outcropping of rocks came into view, with a path leading down to the left.
“Perfect spot fer a trap,” commented Drundle.
Glavlin apparently had the same idea, for he had brought the group to a halt. The goblins tightened ranks around Eric and Koral, and Gillock moved forward to converse with the elf. After several minutes, the travellers started to become nervous. It was clear a trap awaited them. The forest was silent, and this was the only way to go. The quiet was unnerving.
“We must fight. We have no choice,” whispered Gillock to the elf. “This begins the trail which will lead us to the path that will take us to the entrance to Deaths Boundary.”
“Maybe it is time we used magic,” stated Eric, coming up quietly on the two.
“Yes, perhaps you are right,” replied Gillock.
“They are down about thirty feet. Probably wondering why we have stopped,” said Darly. “If we are going to make them believe we are not aware of the trap we need to move now.”
Everyone agreed, and they began to make their way down the trail. It only took a few moments and then they were under attack. Soldiers swarmed all around them. They were outnumbered, but only by a few.
Eric and Koral had never killed before, but both knew the day would come. They danced around, fighting with all they had but trying to disarm and injure instead of kill, but to no avail. One soldier, trying to sneak up behind Maeve, jumped to the side, and onto Koral's blade. Koral watched his look of shock fade from his face as he died. She had always worried how she would react and was quite surprised it didn’t bother her as much as she had thought it would. Quickly forgetting the soldier, she turned to face a new foe.
Eric, after killing two soldiers, was getting nowhere with the third. He decided a new approach was needed. Calling upon his magic, he set his sword on fire. It was not a real burning fire, but more of an illusion. The soldier was instantly thrown off his game, and Eric quickly took advantage. The soldiers were defeated in a matter of minutes, the elves taking out the majority. Eric and Koral had been enthralled by the beauty which was the elves fighting technique.
The group slowly gathered their things from where they had thrown and set to continue on. They passed through the bodies and before anyone could react one of the bodies jumped up and slashed Mekken across the chest. Darly was instantly on the soldier, cutting him down. She turned to her brother, figuring the worst, to find him standing and smiling. Then she noticed the slash. Deep and clearly a death blow, but it was bleeding black. Mekken began to laugh, and all of them knew now who their betrayer had been. Before anyone could attack, he turned into a wisp of black and disappeared.
Darly sank to the ground. “How long has my brother been dead?” she asked no one in particular.
Maeve moved beside her, kneeling down. “Many weeks would be my guess.”
Darly just shook her head and let the tears fall. Moments later, she regained her composure. “Let us be off. We are nearing the end of our quest.”
The goblins stood off to the side, taking it all in. Nak felt guilty. He should have known Malena would have sent a demon to find him. The rest of the group did not realize it, but Nak was the key to getting them into the Void. Gillock being the exception.
“Yes, let us get this over with,” said Koral. All agreed and then headed off down the trail. It was slow going, and no one spoke until they made camp that night.
The evening was spent in almost silence, only a few words spoken by anyone. It wasn’t long until everyone decided to settle in for the night. Having a cold supper, and heavy hearts for the loss of Mekken, had made everyone sombre. The night was warm, and by morning was quite humid. Clouds had rolled in and threatened to rain. By the time they had packed up camp, it had started to come down as a drizzle. Walking was slow going as they were still going through rocky passes. The rain had starte
d to come down a bit harder, making the path muddy and slick.
For two days, they walked through the rain, barely a word spoken. Luckily for the group, the trees being large, gave them protection from most of it. When they stopped for the afternoon meal, the rain had begun to lighten again.
“Tomorrow we will not be stopping to make camp until we reach the end of the forest,” announced Gillock. The rain had slowed their progress and time was something they did not have.
“End of the forest?” Eric asked.
It was Maeve, who answered. “Deaths Boundary is in a desert. We must travel for two days through the Salmany Desert, and then we will come upon an odd rock formation. It was created to keep unwanted creatures to the south.”
Gillock was again surprised by the young woman and was going to comment when an overwhelming sense of dread over took him. “I must leave!” he stated then disappeared.
The entire group was stunned, and stared at where Gillock had just been. How were they going to continue without the wizard?
“Wez inz troublez,” said Mork.
“No, Mork. The wizard will return,” declared Maeve, her voice calm. “We must continue as planned. Time isn’t on our side.”
“Maeve is right,” remarked Glavlin. “Gillock must have an important reason for leaving us, but he will return. We will continue on.”
Miles away, in a small room, Elizanne sat facing the hole in the wall. Clouds had made it so she could sit in the chair and not be blinded, but the dread she felt was beginning to overwhelm her. It was as if hundreds of voices were all trying to get her attention, but were just out of her reach. Slowly, she could feel her sanity slipping away, and it alarmed her. She had only been in the room a short time, and wondered if the souls of those who died here were trying to tell her something. She hadn’t tried to use her magic, feeling the room itself might harm her if she did. Frightened and confused, she closed her eyes.
Concentrating on Gillock, she sent out a thought towards him, trying to convey her frame of mind. After a few moments, she felt as if she connected to him, but it immediately faded. Opening her eyes, the tears began to fall. She began to imagine all the tortures, which were awaiting her. A bright flash behind her brought her out of her reverie. Gillock immediately came around so she could see him. He knelt down and cupped her face in his hands. “I am here, my queen.”
Elizanne had never felt such relief in her life and within a few moments, he had cut her free and whisked them out of the room. Within a breath, they appeared in another small room. As she looked around, she realized she was in Jeremy's study, back in Castle Klayhern. Overwhelmed, she collapsed to the ground.
Gillock picked her up and placed her on a chair. “Stay here. I will go find Jeremy.”
He flew out of the room, running past startled servants, and headed straight for the throne room. It was mid-afternoon and Jeremy was in the throne room discussing tactics with Olrond and Korben, when Gillock burst through the doors. The guards standing outside had been stunned to see the wizard and didn’t argue when he pushed his way in. Jeremy glanced up when he heard the doors open and was shocked to see Gillock. “The queen is in your study,” was all he said, then turned around and headed back to Elizanne. It took Jeremy a second to gather himself, then he was off running to catch up with Gillock. Olrond and Korben but a step behind.
Jeremy burst into his study, and quickly took Elizanne into his arms. They stood, embraced for many minutes until Elizanne pulled away. She again sat down, and bade the others to sit as well, and began to inform them to all which had transpired since she had left. Jeremy was elated to hear Eric and Koral were safe, and almost at the end of their quest. He began to tell his tale, and started with Brin. Elizanne was devastated, but let Jeremy continue with the rest of what had been going on in Klayhern.
Korben watched their reunion, and listened to the tales, but could not stop thinking about what Meechie had said. Perhaps it was time.
“So much happening in such a short time,” exclaimed Elizanne.
“And there is more,” said Korben standing and coming over to the queen.
“More?” she asked, confused.
Korben looked at Jeremy, then Olrond. Both nodded, knowing what he was about to do. “Many years ago, I was in a house. It caught fire, and everyone got out, except me. Days later I found out people had thought I had perished, but I had not. I had fallen into a secret compartment, long forgotten, under the house. Many things had been happening at that time, so instead of coming forward and letting everyone know I was alive, I went to the Temple of Allorethna, and let them take me in.” Here he paused, finally looking into Elizanne's eyes. Tears were welling up in them. “Meechie was a junior priest then, and convinced the senior priests to alter my appearance. When my father lay dying, I snuck in and told him the truth. He had known all along I was alive, and had decided to respect my decision.”
Elizanne burst from her chair and threw her arms around Korben. “Jessup,” she whispered through her tears. She let him go and took a step back. “Father knew?”
He smiled. “Yes. Apparently one of the young priests informed him.”
Elizanne sat down again. “There is more, is there not?”
“Yes. Meechie thinks when magic is returned, the spell altering my appearance will end. To prevent it from happening when I’m not prepared, I'm going to get him to remove the spell early. Now that you are back, I would like to send for him, and do it tonight.”
Elizanne now smiled. “That seems quite prudent. And I look forward to seeing my brother’s true face once again.”
A poor night’s sleep and an early cold morning meal had Koral and Eric in a foul mood. They had been devastated after watching their mother be taken away, but that had turned into anger. The rest of their group was not fairing much better. They had to leave the area, and quickly. Soldiers were certain to start doing regular searches of the surrounding forest in hopes of capturing them, but Eric and Koral had refused.
“We have to save her,” yelled Koral. She and Eric had been arguing all morning with the rest of the group.
“You must see this quest through, then we will focus on your mother,” was Gillock’s calm reply.
Grund, however, had heard enough. “Ye be willin' to destroy yur world fer this?” he asked, his gruff voice sounding deeper and menacing.
Eric started to reply, when the goblins came up and stopped him. “Wez not gos homes. Wez gives ups alls forz youses,” said Nak, is voice full of emotion. “Yous fails, wez dies”
“As do we,” stated Glavlin.
Eric glanced around at all the faces staring at him, and finally saw things in perspective. “They are right, Koral. We cannot be selfish in this. Too many could die.”
Koral, having come to the same conclusion, hung her head in shame. “I am truly sorry,” she said quietly. Looking up at those regarding her, they saw the tears.
Gillock reached out and took her hands. “We are close to finishing this task. Where we need to be is a less than a week away.”
Koral nodded. “Then we should be on our way.”
Maeve, having remained back so as to not interrupt the confrontation, moved forward. “There are soldier barracks to the west of us. Unfortunately, we have to pass near them to get to Deaths Boundary. My contacts have said most of the soldiers have been on training patrols even further west and north. If we are lucky, there won't be many around to worry about.”
“We will be moving through the forest, but following the same direction as the road,” stated Darly. “Leaving the horses behind will make it easier to keep our trail hidden.”
“The moving will be quick, where permitted,” added Mekken. “Everyone is going to have to maintain my pace. Once we are past the barracks there should be less trouble.”
Everyone agreed. Mekken and Darly took the lead as scouts, followed by Maeve and Glavlin. The goblins and Gillock surrounded Eric and Koral, with Grund and Drundle bringing up the rear.
Soon they were in the forest, following an over grown game trail. It was obvious some time had passed since it was used, and it amazed Eric that the elves eyesight was so keen. He only noticed the start of the trail when pointed out to him. Grund, being one of the few dwarves who liked being outside, marvelled at the forest. Drundle smiled at the look of amazement on his face. The forest was thick and old. The trunks of some trees were so massive if three people stood fingers touching on one hand, they would barely find the other.
Although Koral and Eric were in awe of the massive trees, the goblins appeared at home. Birds and animals chirped, flitting from branch to branch in the trees, but were never seen. The foliage was so thick the sun came in only through holes, or where younger trees dwelled.
Within an hour, they had arrived at the edge of the barracks. It was a massive compound, which stunned everyone except Gillock and Maeve. A stonewall surrounding it gave the appearance of a town. Buildings peeking over the top, and watchtowers at varying intervals along the wall made you realize it was more than a town.
“This must house hundreds of soldiers,” exclaimed Glavlin.
“It can hold thousands,” was Maeve's curt reply. “And we better keep moving.”
Slowly they crept around the edge of the compound, hoping they would not encounter any patrols. Everyone was on edge, and every sound appeared exaggerated. For half an hour, they skirted the barrack wall, and finally the end came into view.
“This is a massive compound,” remarked Eric. “If the Maget ever decided to attack, the Central Lands could be in great danger!” No one replied for they all had been thinking the same.
They turned southward and continued away from the compound. After a bit of travel, an outcropping of rocks came into view, with a path leading down to the left.
“Perfect spot fer a trap,” commented Drundle.
Glavlin apparently had the same idea, for he had brought the group to a halt. The goblins tightened ranks around Eric and Koral, and Gillock moved forward to converse with the elf. After several minutes, the travellers started to become nervous. It was clear a trap awaited them. The forest was silent, and this was the only way to go. The quiet was unnerving.
“We must fight. We have no choice,” whispered Gillock to the elf. “This begins the trail which will lead us to the path that will take us to the entrance to Deaths Boundary.”
“Maybe it is time we used magic,” stated Eric, coming up quietly on the two.
“Yes, perhaps you are right,” replied Gillock.
“They are down about thirty feet. Probably wondering why we have stopped,” said Darly. “If we are going to make them believe we are not aware of the trap we need to move now.”
Everyone agreed, and they began to make their way down the trail. It only took a few moments and then they were under attack. Soldiers swarmed all around them. They were outnumbered, but only by a few.
Eric and Koral had never killed before, but both knew the day would come. They danced around, fighting with all they had but trying to disarm and injure instead of kill, but to no avail. One soldier, trying to sneak up behind Maeve, jumped to the side, and onto Koral's blade. Koral watched his look of shock fade from his face as he died. She had always worried how she would react and was quite surprised it didn’t bother her as much as she had thought it would. Quickly forgetting the soldier, she turned to face a new foe.
Eric, after killing two soldiers, was getting nowhere with the third. He decided a new approach was needed. Calling upon his magic, he set his sword on fire. It was not a real burning fire, but more of an illusion. The soldier was instantly thrown off his game, and Eric quickly took advantage. The soldiers were defeated in a matter of minutes, the elves taking out the majority. Eric and Koral had been enthralled by the beauty which was the elves fighting technique.
The group slowly gathered their things from where they had thrown and set to continue on. They passed through the bodies and before anyone could react one of the bodies jumped up and slashed Mekken across the chest. Darly was instantly on the soldier, cutting him down. She turned to her brother, figuring the worst, to find him standing and smiling. Then she noticed the slash. Deep and clearly a death blow, but it was bleeding black. Mekken began to laugh, and all of them knew now who their betrayer had been. Before anyone could attack, he turned into a wisp of black and disappeared.
Darly sank to the ground. “How long has my brother been dead?” she asked no one in particular.
Maeve moved beside her, kneeling down. “Many weeks would be my guess.”
Darly just shook her head and let the tears fall. Moments later, she regained her composure. “Let us be off. We are nearing the end of our quest.”
The goblins stood off to the side, taking it all in. Nak felt guilty. He should have known Malena would have sent a demon to find him. The rest of the group did not realize it, but Nak was the key to getting them into the Void. Gillock being the exception.
“Yes, let us get this over with,” said Koral. All agreed and then headed off down the trail. It was slow going, and no one spoke until they made camp that night.
The evening was spent in almost silence, only a few words spoken by anyone. It wasn’t long until everyone decided to settle in for the night. Having a cold supper, and heavy hearts for the loss of Mekken, had made everyone sombre. The night was warm, and by morning was quite humid. Clouds had rolled in and threatened to rain. By the time they had packed up camp, it had started to come down as a drizzle. Walking was slow going as they were still going through rocky passes. The rain had starte
For two days, they walked through the rain, barely a word spoken. Luckily for the group, the trees being large, gave them protection from most of it. When they stopped for the afternoon meal, the rain had begun to lighten again.
“Tomorrow we will not be stopping to make camp until we reach the end of the forest,” announced Gillock. The rain had slowed their progress and time was something they did not have.
“End of the forest?” Eric asked.
It was Maeve, who answered. “Deaths Boundary is in a desert. We must travel for two days through the Salmany Desert, and then we will come upon an odd rock formation. It was created to keep unwanted creatures to the south.”
Gillock was again surprised by the young woman and was going to comment when an overwhelming sense of dread over took him. “I must leave!” he stated then disappeared.
The entire group was stunned, and stared at where Gillock had just been. How were they going to continue without the wizard?
“Wez inz troublez,” said Mork.
“No, Mork. The wizard will return,” declared Maeve, her voice calm. “We must continue as planned. Time isn’t on our side.”
“Maeve is right,” remarked Glavlin. “Gillock must have an important reason for leaving us, but he will return. We will continue on.”
Miles away, in a small room, Elizanne sat facing the hole in the wall. Clouds had made it so she could sit in the chair and not be blinded, but the dread she felt was beginning to overwhelm her. It was as if hundreds of voices were all trying to get her attention, but were just out of her reach. Slowly, she could feel her sanity slipping away, and it alarmed her. She had only been in the room a short time, and wondered if the souls of those who died here were trying to tell her something. She hadn’t tried to use her magic, feeling the room itself might harm her if she did. Frightened and confused, she closed her eyes.
Concentrating on Gillock, she sent out a thought towards him, trying to convey her frame of mind. After a few moments, she felt as if she connected to him, but it immediately faded. Opening her eyes, the tears began to fall. She began to imagine all the tortures, which were awaiting her. A bright flash behind her brought her out of her reverie. Gillock immediately came around so she could see him. He knelt down and cupped her face in his hands. “I am here, my queen.”
Elizanne had never felt such relief in her life and within a few moments, he had cut her free and whisked them out of the room. Within a breath, they appeared in another small room. As she looked around, she realized she was in Jeremy's study, back in Castle Klayhern. Overwhelmed, she collapsed to the ground.
Gillock picked her up and placed her on a chair. “Stay here. I will go find Jeremy.”
He flew out of the room, running past startled servants, and headed straight for the throne room. It was mid-afternoon and Jeremy was in the throne room discussing tactics with Olrond and Korben, when Gillock burst through the doors. The guards standing outside had been stunned to see the wizard and didn’t argue when he pushed his way in. Jeremy glanced up when he heard the doors open and was shocked to see Gillock. “The queen is in your study,” was all he said, then turned around and headed back to Elizanne. It took Jeremy a second to gather himself, then he was off running to catch up with Gillock. Olrond and Korben but a step behind.
Jeremy burst into his study, and quickly took Elizanne into his arms. They stood, embraced for many minutes until Elizanne pulled away. She again sat down, and bade the others to sit as well, and began to inform them to all which had transpired since she had left. Jeremy was elated to hear Eric and Koral were safe, and almost at the end of their quest. He began to tell his tale, and started with Brin. Elizanne was devastated, but let Jeremy continue with the rest of what had been going on in Klayhern.
Korben watched their reunion, and listened to the tales, but could not stop thinking about what Meechie had said. Perhaps it was time.
“So much happening in such a short time,” exclaimed Elizanne.
“And there is more,” said Korben standing and coming over to the queen.
“More?” she asked, confused.
Korben looked at Jeremy, then Olrond. Both nodded, knowing what he was about to do. “Many years ago, I was in a house. It caught fire, and everyone got out, except me. Days later I found out people had thought I had perished, but I had not. I had fallen into a secret compartment, long forgotten, under the house. Many things had been happening at that time, so instead of coming forward and letting everyone know I was alive, I went to the Temple of Allorethna, and let them take me in.” Here he paused, finally looking into Elizanne's eyes. Tears were welling up in them. “Meechie was a junior priest then, and convinced the senior priests to alter my appearance. When my father lay dying, I snuck in and told him the truth. He had known all along I was alive, and had decided to respect my decision.”
Elizanne burst from her chair and threw her arms around Korben. “Jessup,” she whispered through her tears. She let him go and took a step back. “Father knew?”
He smiled. “Yes. Apparently one of the young priests informed him.”
Elizanne sat down again. “There is more, is there not?”
“Yes. Meechie thinks when magic is returned, the spell altering my appearance will end. To prevent it from happening when I’m not prepared, I'm going to get him to remove the spell early. Now that you are back, I would like to send for him, and do it tonight.”
Elizanne now smiled. “That seems quite prudent. And I look forward to seeing my brother’s true face once again.”