CHAPTER THREE

DURZOG

„So... Thêl, right?" Will asked a little hesitant.

„Correct, that is my name." said the man walking next to him.

„Well, thanks again for saving me. Both of you." Will said, and looked at the boy walking at

his other side. The boy stroke his black curls bashfully.

„No need to mention it." Thêl replied. „That was our task."

„You seem to understand something of that." Will said and smiled.

„Verily. But let me tell you, there is no thing in this world that a good swords blade cannot

pierce."

The boy next to Will smiled thereupon and added: „But I remember you saying something

completely different with that ogre some days ago. Did you not say that you could not even

scratch water with your blade?"

„Well, yes, that is right." the warrior retorted. „But I got me a new sword since then."

Thereupon, the boy laughed loudly.

Will just walked between the two and did not understand anything. He looked at them both, and then he turned to the boy:

„I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

„Oh, I thought I mentioned it. Sorry." the boy answered. „I am Duncan. Well, actually my

name's Jack Macey, but here in Aramar I am called Duncan."

„Aramar?" Will asked confused. „You have already mentioned that name. What is that?"

„Aramar is the land we stand in. Look around you. Everything you see, every bit of earth, that

is Aramar."

„Strange." Will said. „I've never heard of such a land before. Guess we never went through

that in geography class."

The boy laughed. „Oh, I believe that. That would have been a miracle. You know, Aramar

does not exist in the world you and I come from."

Will shook his head in bewilderment. „I don't understand that."

„How should I explain...?" Duncan replied and scratched his head. „Look. Do you remember

the white light that you saw in the forest?" Will nodded. „That was a dimension gate,

bringing you from your world into this one. Aramar is another world. Another dimension.

Another plane of reality. I cannot explain it better to you. But be patient. In the village there

is someone you can explain everything."

Will nodded again, but he did not say anything. It was all too confusing for him.

„We will arrive soon." Thêl said. „Only a few more miles. Then you can rest, and everything

will be explained to you. So do not worry."

„So there is no chance that something might attack us, like that beast just then?" Will asked.

"No, do not worry." Thêl replied. "That creature was a Tarkoid, or a Dragon Man, if you

prefer that. They dwell in forests, and do not attack outside of them. So we are safe from

them. Anyway, it does not matter. We are in an open field, where we could see any assailant

coming. So, as I said, do not worry."

Not worrying was hard for Will to do, since he did not understand what had happened and where he was. At least he knew that he was safe, but that did not ease him very much.

The three marched for about an hour, and during this time Will constantly looked around and explored the surroundings with his eyes. But there was not very much to see. All around him he saw grass as far as the eye could see. It was all around them, and only rarely grew a tree or a rock out of it. Behind him was the forest he came from and which seemed to range wide. In front of him was the village that Thêl had called Cestilla and where the three longed to get to.

Eventually they reached the village Cestilla. For Will, who grew up in a metropolis, it gave the impression of being very primitive. Around the village was a large fence built from thick logs. The fence had a big gate that was now standing open. The houses were all made of wood and had flat wooden roofs. There were no real windows, only openings. In front of most of the houses stood crates and barrels. Many of the huts had gardens, and some inhabitants had even prepared little acres.

As soon as the three had entered the village, a woman came running towards them. She was young and wore a long brown dress. She had black hair and a red headscarf bound to it.

She whispered to the three: „Good that you are here, Thêl. You have to hide the boy!"

„Ferénni! What is going on?" Thêl asked just as silent.

„One of the Generals is here." the woman replied. „Hurry."

Without saying another word, Thêl grabbed Will by the arm and ran into the closest hut. There, they ran up some stairs, on some kind of attic, where they could watch through a window opening what was going on.

On a large clearance between the houses was a big crowd, which Duncan and the woman had already joined. In the crowd were men and women of every age, as well as children. Will assumed that those were the inhabitants of Cestilla.

The people formed a circle, and in their midst stood two men.
One was an old man wearing a long grey robe and a long beard. The other one looked frightening. He carried a shield and wore a dark armor with big pauldrons, and spikes on them. His was adorned with a mustache and a goatee. Besides many wrinkles he had a big scar that ran from his eye down his left side of the face.

„Pay attention." Thêl said and nudged Wills arm. „The man with the long beard is Eeza. He is

a wise man that can teach you many things. The other one is one of our enemies. He is one

of those who do not want to have you here. Although... I haven't seen him before. Ah, that

does not matter. The only important thing for you is knowing this: Those people cannot be

trusted."

Will only nodded and then he turned back to the events on the village square.

After he had observed all the people, the man with the armor started to speak: „Are all inhabitants of this village present?" he asked. Will thought that his voice put his teeth on edge, and was very intimidating. If that man would have given him an order, he would have obeyed, just because of that voice.

„Yes, everybody is here." Eeza answered. „But who might you be? A new face, as it seems."

„You do not know who I am?" the man replied snippy. „Primitive countrymen. I am under

direct order of King Chardion, the noble eastern king. I am General Durzog." He paused for

a moment, as if to see how impressed the people would be hearing his name. But they only

stared at him.

„What of General Málatar?" Eeza asked gleefully. „We actually expected him to pay us a

visit."

„A... visit?" Durzog asked dumbfounded, and his voice got louder. „Why do you think I came

here!? For drinking wine and having a chat!?"

„So tell us why you are here." Eeza replied.

„You know that very well, old idiot." the General growled. „Do not try to make a fool out of

me. You have opened one of your dimensional gates and let a stranger in this world. And

you know very well that that is forbidden."

„Oh, really?" Eeza asked sneeringly.

„Do not act like that." Durzog said angrily. „You yokels are such idiots! You think, just

because we cannot see them, we cannot notice them. But each of the four kings can feel the

old magic of the gates! You cannot hide something like that from us!"

Eeza nodded, and then he said. „I see. Well, those are dire accusations. I only wonder if you

can prove them?" Durzog looked at him surprised. „Can you prove that it was us who

opened the gate?"

„How dare you?" the General shouted. „Are you calling my lord, your king, a liar?"

„Oh, by no means." Eeza answered. „I am sure that he has felt a gate. But who says that it was

us who opened it?"

„The gate occurred in the Midera Woods, no far from this village." Durzog replied.

„That may be, but that does not have to mean anything. Have you considered that it may have been the Foresters?"

Durzog made an angry face and clenched his teeth. But he did not say anything.

Eventually, he raised his hand and gazed at Eeza. Suddenly his hand started glowing. While it only glowed weak at the beginning, it soon shone as bright as a star. A strange energy seemed to come from it, which everyone could feel, even Thêl and Will. Then Durzog held his hand towards a house at the edge of the village. All of a sudden, an enormous lightning jerked out of his hand, flashed over the heads of the people and headed towards the hut. When the bolt hit it, it burst asunder with a great bang. A despairing outcry came from the midst of the crowd.

After the smoke had cleared away, the charred debris appeared. It was not much left of the house, except some fragments of the wall.

Durzog turned back to Eeza. „That was a warning, dotard. If we should find proof that you lied to us and you indeed shelter a stranger, then it is going to get ugly for you. Understood?"

Eeza simply nodded. He had no more desire for raillery.

„Good. Very good." the General grumbled. „I am wasting my time here anyway. Remember:

This is not over yet."

After these worlds, Durzog turned around and walked towards his horse that he left at the entrance of the village. Out of fear, the people stepped aside as he walked by them.

But in the middle of the crowd, he stopped. He looked back at Eeza and said: „Oh, another

thing. Is the man called Thêl, son of Thân, present?"

„No." Eeza replied. „No, he left a few days ago for Eylan Mor. Urgent dealings with

Brethilian. You understand?" Thereupon Durzog said nothing. „Did you want anything from

him?" Eeza asked.

Durzog shook his head. „No. Just a... formality."

Then the General marched further through the crowd. As he went by the debris of the house, the spat in them contemptuously. Then he threw a last evil look at Eeza, before he mounted his horse at the village's exit and rode off.

As soon as he was out of sight, Thêl and Will came out of their hiding place. Thêl immediately walked towards Eeza, and Will followed him.

„So Beléssan has chosen a new General. A great choice." Thêl said sarcastically.

Eeza nodded. „What an unpleasant fellow. But I can understand why Beléssan chose him."

Eventually the old man turned to Will. „Ah, and you are the boy we were all waiting for.

Please, excuse the inappropriate greeting. But we did not expect a visit from a General that

soon. Though, I understand that you have other worries and do not care about that. You have

got many questions, and surely you are tired. Well, go rest. Sleep. Tomorrow is the day for

answers and long explanations." And to Duncan he then said: „Show him his quarters. Let

him stay with you in Armári's house, there is room enough for both of you."
Will did not say anything, and neither did Duncan. The boy then led him to his temporary quarters, while Eeza and Thêl followed them with their eyes.

„I am surprised that this General was here so quickly." Thêl said.

„Yes." Eeza retorted. „But I am more surprised that he left so quickly, as simple as that.

Something is wrong here. I do not like this at all." Thêl nodded. „Can you imagine why he

asked for you, pray tell?"

„Not at all." Thêl answered. „He lied when he said that he had asked for my name without a

reason. But what he had in mind, I cannot say."

For a moment the two men stood next to each other, lost in thoughts.

„Well, be that as it may." Thêl eventually said. „You should rest as well, Eeza. An important

day awaits you tomorrow."

„You are right. Tomorrow." the old man replied. „Tomorrow is a big day."