Journey to Aviad Read online

  “When at last he and a group of others were told to go back into the wood in secret and murder us in cold blood while we slept, he knew that he had unwittingly played part in a great treachery. He went along, fully intending to turn on his companions and fight with the Circle to the death. It was much to his surprise, and that of his overseers, that we were nowhere to be found. There weren’t even tracks to follow, which seemed truly inconceivable to them, considering our numbers. The tracks leading to the drop off point were obvious, but after that, there was nothing … it was as though we had simply vanished.

  “From Elias’ account, this had greatly disturbed those among the guard who were superstitious or lacked even the most basic wood skills. The others tried desperately to figure out how they had been outwitted, even discussing how it might have been possible to leap from tree to tree as an ape might, if you can imagine anything so ridiculous. No doubt, any tale they could come up with was better than returning empty-handed and with no trace of a trail to report to their superiors. Elias warned me that they were not likely to give up so easily, and might return to the wood seeking clues to our whereabouts. He advised us to stay hidden, and to leave as little trace of ourselves as possible.

  “Elias was a wise and righteous man, and he offered himself in the way he thought would do us the greatest service. Since we had nothing, he felt that joining us in exile would only burden our meager resources. Instead, he returned to the castle and resumed his life, reporting that he had accidentally gotten himself lost in the dark while following what he thought to be a lead. Instead of getting more lost, he had decided to wait until dawn to get his bearings. As it turned out, the lead he had thought so promising in the dark was nothing more than a deer trail in the harsh scrutiny of daylight.

  “But when he was off duty, he came to us in secret, bringing us bit by bit the supplies we needed; armor, weapons, food, clothing, and sometimes gold, though it was rare that we dared to enter Tyroc to buy anything with it. When it was necessary, we donned the simplest clothes we had, and wore a rough gray peasant cloak and hood to hide our faces. We never knew if we might be recognized by those on gate watch, for surely they were told to keep an eye out for us.

  “Elias also brought us news, which in some ways was worth more than all the rest put together. Many of the men had wives, children, parents, and siblings still living in the castle. They would be left unharmed so long as they kept silent, and did not ask questions about where their loved ones had been taken. Elias, at great risk to himself and his own family, broke that silence, assuring each and every one of them that we were alive and well beyond the city walls.

  “No doubt such news was bittersweet, with separated families in a never-ending state of worry and grief, mixed with the hope that one day they might be together again. The castle that had once been their home and shelter was now a prison in which they were kept against their will. They were not permitted to leave under any circumstance. In the meanwhile, the people of Tyroc were completely oblivious to the events taking place. A new Circle was formed, created from the guards who were willing to swear loyalty to Braeden. They donned our uniforms, took up our swords, our masks, and our lives. Who on the outside would ever know the difference?

  “The guards continued to search for us while we remained in hiding, gathering our full strength together. We were all sworn to secrecy regarding the underground chamber since our lives depended on it. We were wary of lingering there too long, for as a place of hiding it worked well, but it was not defensible. If ever it were discovered by the guard while we were inside, it would become our tomb, but it served its purpose. Before we could make a more defensible camp in the open we needed materials to make shelter. I had to teach my comrades wood skills, and how to fight from the shadows. Though it went against all that we had been taught about honor in our years of training, this was the only way we would be able to survive, and possibly claim our lives back. At any rate, we felt no obligation to fight honorably against those who had no honor themselves, especially when traditional ways of fighting put us at a fatal disadvantage. Those who had learned archery for sport or for hunting would now need to use it in a more serious fashion. Elias brought us bows, and we crafted our own arrows by lamplight when there was naught else we could do.

  “There were a few close calls, when the guards came near to our hiding spot, but passed by. We felt a great sense of urgency to move out into the open as soon as possible. We did this gradually, a few men at a time, to a place of high ground with thorny vegetation and hard, stony earth. It was easier to mask our presence that way. When we felt we were ready, we went on the offensive.

  “We left obvious traces for them to follow, allowing them to think they had found us, when really we had led them to a place of our own choosing. In this way we ambushed them time and time again, killing as many of our enemy as we could while purposely hiding any evidence of casualties on our side. When the guards began to take numerous losses, Braeden and Darik made our struggle public, claiming that we were a rebel faction taking advantage of the Sovereign’s death. In this way, they further covered their treachery with the people, so that we who were once beloved and well respected were thought of as murderous villains.

  “Our circumstance became exceedingly difficult. Elias was in the most dangerous position of all. Braeden was obviously aware that someone had been supplying us, and his spies were on the watch. Elias was not able to come as frequently or bring as much. It was time for us to rely on what we had and finally sustain ourselves alone. Some of the men were growing weary of this life on the run and became discontent, a few even desiring to go back and face whatever punishment might await them, if only they could see their families again one last time. But deep down, they knew the folly of this and fought on in spite of their restlessness.

  “However, our situation only grew from bad to worse. Elias reported strange happenings taking place in the castle. Dark menacing clouds would form just above it, rumble threateningly, then dissipate. Each time it happened the clouds grew a little bit stronger. He said that he didn’t wish to sound like a madman, but whenever the gathering of clouds began, they seemed to form directly above Braeden’s chamber. Though he had no proof, he was certain that somehow the storms were Braeden’s doing. I shared with him what I had observed before we were ousted, and my personal belief that Braeden was somehow involved in dark magics. There was no doubt in our minds that he was evil and intent on taking control of Tyroc, using Darik as a front. Only what were we to do about it? Surely we were exiled for this very reason. We were a threat to his real and true purpose so long as we remained in Tyroc. Braeden was now comfortably surrounded by those who would not question him.

  “Then, just as we thought that our situation couldn’t get any worse, it did. Late one evening, as we were heading back toward camp, we heard someone calling out in desperation. Following the sound cautiously, we came upon a monk lying in the ruined temple, dripping wet from head to toe, and half crazed with pain and fear. He had been badly injured, though by what we could not have yet imagined. Even when he told us his tale we could hardly believe it, for he spoke of creatures known only from legend. He described to us a horde of fierce four-legged beasts, with glowing red eyes and short, curved horns growing from the tops of their heads. They had hunted down the monk and his companions as they were making their way to the ford in the river that led from the Shadow Wood into Tyroc. He even had a name for them … the Hounds of Alazoth. A few of the men who had been educated at the Temple and knew the name shook their heads in pity and whispered that the poor old fool was delusional in his suffering. But the monk heard them and grew extremely angry and excited.

  “He shook his finger at them. ‘Do not laugh at that which you do not understand! Your doom is coming, do you hear me? It lies just across the river. It has not found a way to cross yet. Not yet, but it will, and you had best be ready. Did I imagine these wounds on my body? Did I imagine the sacrifice my companions made so that I might cross
with the relic and save us all?’

  “I tried to soothe the monk and clean up his wounds with water from the well, which we had often used ourselves to drink from. A few of the men made herbal poultices to dress his injuries, while another gave him mandrake to ease the pain.

  “‘Do not waste your energies trying to cure me. I can already hear Emeth’s call. He beckons me to join my companions in Aviad’s realm once my appointed task has been completed.’ He searched our faces and soon latched upon Nevon’s. ‘You,’ he said, grabbing at Nevon’s sleeve. ‘You are the one. I can see that your faith is strong. Come closer.’

  “He lowered his voice and grasped Nevon’s hand tightly, thrusting into it a small object wrapped in linen. ‘This is what we have lost our lives to find and preserve. It must not get into the hands of Alazoth and his followers, or the whole of the world will be lost. You will see … as his Hounds cross over, they will bring with them all manner of death and misery. I do not know how their Dark Master has escaped from the Rift that should have been his prison for all time, but somehow he has. There is something or someone here that he seeks, which is drawing him close, desiring to fully restore his destructive power. When that happens, if it is not stopped, I weep for the people. My suffering now is pleasure compared to the trials they will face. You must get the relic away from here, take it to my people, the Guardians of the Ancients—they know what must be done with it. This relic is old, and it is powerful—more powerful than you can imagine. I dare not say more in this open place, nor would it be wise or safe for you to know its secrets.’

  “The monk’s life began to fail him. His breathing became shallow, and his pupils grew so large they seemed to swallow up the rest of his eyes. ‘Swear to me!’ He gasped and clutched Nevon’s sleeve in earnest. ‘Swear to me that you will do as I have asked!’

  “Nevon stared at him, blank with shock, searching our faces for any sign of what he should do. He found nothing beyond perplexed and uncomfortable expressions. ‘I … I do not know how to do this …’ Nevon stammered. ‘I have never heard of your people and do not know the way to find them.’

  “‘Aviad must guide you,’ the monk breathed weakly. ‘There is no other way. Please, I beg you, end my pain! Swear that you will do this so that I may join my companions in Aviad’s realm. I cannot depart this world until I know the quest will be continued.’

  “Nevon nodded with helpless resolve, grasping the man’s hand. ‘I swear it.’ Then the monk died, and we were left feeling greatly troubled by what we had just heard and witnessed. Those who had at first laughed at the old man’s tale were no longer laughing. We bore his body back to our camp in silence. There we buried him, and curiously enough, no one would speak of the experience.

  “By daylight a small group of us made our way to the ford the monk spoke of, to see if we could find any trace of his companions. Crossing the river, we found evidence of the beasts he had described. There were bits of rough fur caught in the brambles, scorch marks on many of the trees, and hundreds upon hundreds of their strange looking tracks covering the earth. Searching further, but daring not to go too deeply into that accursed forest, we eventually found the remains of two men and buried them there. With heavy hearts we returned once more to camp, and people gradually began to talk, but in small numbers and with hushed voices, as though they were afraid of who, or what, might be listening. The righteous outrage that had so successfully sustained us thus far was disintegrating into exhaustion and fear. This was a new enemy—one that we had no idea how to fight. Those who had been brought up in the Temple’s teachings, but had never taken them very seriously, were the most alarmed.

  “Still somewhat skeptical, I kept close watch on the river and the goings on across it, hoping to find that it was wild beasts of the ordinary kind that had killed the monks. By day, I saw nothing unusual. But twice I went in the dark of night and saw the beasts first hand, pacing and howling at the water’s edge, unable for some unknown reason to cross it. I even saw what I took to be their Master; a great figure draped in shadow, far taller and more massive than a man. He wore black horned leather armor that creaked ominously when he moved, and a great antlered helm atop his head. In his hand, he carried a hunting pole or staff of some sort that was as tall as he. Seeming to sense my presence, he kept roving the underbrush intently, calling out to his Hounds in an eerie, guttural, primitive language that sounded as old as time. They growled and paced, seeming to stare straight at me with their glowing red eyes, breathing smoke and flame. Though I knew I was well hidden, I felt completely exposed. There was no question that they saw through my cover and into the darkness beyond with perfect clarity. These were beasts of the night.

  “I carefully traced my way back to a nearby stream and waded through it all the way to the outskirts of Tyroc. If indeed they crossed the water, I did not want to lead them back to our camp. I dared not go back to that place again by nightfall, but by day watched the ground on the riverbank for any sign of Hound tracks. I reported everything I had seen to my superiors, who, against my advice, shared my findings with the rest of the men. A great chill hung over everything we did, until Nevon finally approached our commander and told him that he must take his leave and do the monk’s bidding, lest a curse come upon him for breaking his oath. I begged him not to go—I thought it incredibly foolish and a waste of a good fighter. If a new danger was encroaching upon us, it seemed to me that pressing our cause and returning to our castle duties was far more urgent than going on some wild chase with a useless relic. I certainly held no belief that it would be of any use to us, unless it could magically oust Braeden or restore Avery to the man he should have grown to become.

  “On this point Elias, Nevon, my commander, and I greatly disagreed. Elias and Nevon were both convinced that Braeden was indeed the “someone” who was drawing the Hounds to Tyroc. The closer they came, the greater were the weather disturbances about the castle, and the stranger the happenings in general. Braeden now rarely emerged from his chambers—only Darik was permitted to come and go, and the whole household walked about with unease. They tried to hide it by bustling about their normal business and making more merriment than usual. But it was a false merriment that belied the tensions brewing underneath. Nevon and Elias wholly believed in what the monk had told us, and they believed in the relic. Our commander was also a spiritual man, but even more so, a man of strict honor. He said that whether or not the relic turned out to be of any value, an oath had been made and Nevon was now bound to fulfill his promise.

  “Before taking up his journey, Nevon went to the temple ruins where we had found the monk and spent the night there in prayer. He emerged convinced that he had heard Aviad calling to him, and that he must undertake the journey, regardless of what would become of him. He relayed to me the Prophetic rhyme that I told to you the day of Elias’ execution. He had learned it in lessons as a child, but had forgotten it until that night, and felt that it was significant to his quest. I asked him what that significance might be. He thought that it must relate to Braeden in some way, though he could not be certain of its full meaning. What he felt most strongly at the time was that, whatever it meant, it must be told to me. I told him that I had no use for such things, and tried once more to get him to reconsider this quest, which was surely folly, regardless of his oath. He would not heed my warnings, and there was nothing more I could say to persuade him.

  “What concerned him most was not his safety, but that he still did not know who the Guardians of the Ancients might be, or how to find them. We only knew that the monk and his party had crossed the river from the east. Nevon decided that he would go north, circumventing the Shadow Wood, and then east to the nearest village. There he would seek guidance from the religious community. With luck, the monks had sought a room or supplies there before continuing toward Tyroc. It was the best chance he had. I cautioned him strongly not to travel along the river, nor go anywhere near it, and to seek shelter at night. He left us in the dark hours before dawn,
and as you well know, it was the last any of us saw him.

  “After Nevon left we began to hear the howlings, even as far off as our camp, and the wilds took on a sinister feel. That night it stormed like never before. It came upon us so suddenly that we did not have time to seek the shelter below ground. We huddled together in our dripping tents. When the wind blew them down, we simply clutched them tightly over us with our fists and waited. Never had I spent a more miserable night in all my life. Not knowing that Nevon was already dead, I was sick with worry about how he was faring this weather alone in the wilds with no shelter at all.

  “When the storm finally stilled, and before dawn broke, I started out for the river to watch for signs of the Hounds just as I had been doing all along. Only I didn’t get that far. As I approached the stream that I had so often used to cover my trail, I saw the Hounds and their tracks all about. They had crossed, and no barrier I knew of would halt their approach now. My concern for Nevon increased a hundred fold, for I could see what I thought to be traces of his presence near the stream, but had no way to follow them safely. I could not tell if he had passed by this place before the Hounds had found it, or if he had been caught unaware. I was just ready to return to camp with this news when I heard you calling out, and saw that you were being stalked by one of the Hounds. Mind you, I had no idea if such beasts could even be killed with arrows, but I could not stand by and watch one devour a young girl.