Chapter 3
"Wren!" Connor woke from a drug induced slumber groggy and afraid, but his fear was not for himself, but Wren. Not only did he find that dream disturbingly real, but he believed it fully. Sitting up quickly from the shock of the dream, he hit his head on the steel bars of a small cage that held him captive. He felt woozy, and realized that he had been transported recently. All he saw was the cage around him, the walls that enclosed the cage, and a small window, many feet above his head. Slowly clawing his way up on his knees, he dragged himself over to the other side of the cage. There he found some stale water, and a hunk of rock hard black bread. Groaning, he placed his head against the bars of his cage and fought the tears pricking the back of his eyes.
"She will die, you realize?" an old, rusty voice spoke nastily many feet above him. Connor felt a bell ring in his head. He knew that voice. If only I wasn't so groggy. It has to be the drugs.
"Wren is stronger than anything you can throw at her." he didn't even question how he knew who she was talking about, or how she knew of his dream. She cackled, delighted.
"Really? Didn't you used to think that she would come for you? Well she isn't coming as fast as she can. She probably isn't coming at all. Do you know why? Because of that Hawk. She stopped last night, while she could have kept going. All to save Hawk, who nearly kidnaped the princess five years ago. That is a sign of weakness." there it was again... he was sure he knew her voice.
"Wren is strong, otherwise she would have left Hawk to die. She showed compassion not weakness. She could have left an enemy to die, get rid of him quickly. And just so you know, Hawk is no longer an enemy. Hawk is an ally. You are the enemy. You may try to kill us all, but you will never. Wren, Hawk, Garian, Tyron, Tess..." his throat constricted on the last name. "They are all too strong for you to handle by themselves, let alone together." He spat at her, but this only seem to cause her more amusement.
"Yes, little princeling. We shall see." she cackled again as she left the room, this time closing the window with a snap of her fingers.
"Magic.." he whispered as he absentmindedly took a sip of the water by his side. That was the last complete thought he had before darkness enveloped him completely.
"Your Highness!" Just as Connor lost consciousness, Garian regained it, and Kial called to the Queen. "Garian is awake. Tyron had a vision in the glass; he needs you." Nodding, the queen set out to Tyron's rooms in the palace. It was long since everyone in the palace except those in the room, Orin, Tyron, and one of the cooks had fallen asleep. Hearing what sounded like mad throes coming from Tyron's rooms, she hiked up her skirts and ran. Bursting in the doors, she saw Tyron in the middle of a pool of broken glass and green liquid. He looked as if he was about to burst into flame.
"Tyron? Oh Tyron!" she ran to his side and helped him to his bed. "Lord and lady, you're burning up!"
"She... Tess! She is in danger, and I can do nothing. I, the Queen's magician! If she.. If she.... I will never forgive myself."
"Tyron, hush. She will be Okay. I refuse to let myself or anyone around me think of that. What did you see?" Tyron looked at her with the most frightening look she had ever seen from him.
" I saw It." he took a deep breath. "I saw Connor. He is being held by someone that we know, and... that's all."
"It?" she asked as she slowly led him to her rooms.
"It. It is a Belrothol." Tyron explained.
"I'm still lost."
"Well, a Belrothol... I don't know how to explain. Hmm. It looks like this." swiftly conjuring up an illusion, Tess gasped. A creature about ten inches tall still instilled fear in her heart. The beast seemed as if it was made of the partially cooled molten rock that erupted from the fire mountain in Senna Lirwan. It was mostly black, but it continually flowed, new lava seeping form the cracks in the blackening lava that was his flesh. The mouth of the beast when he roared was blood red with a tongue of fire, as were his pupil-less eyes. The creature lacked a nose or ears, except for small slits that secreted acrid smoke.
"It is the destruction of fire, personified. But it is not the creature itself that scares me, it is the wizard that summoned it. Even though a Belrothol is one of the weakest of the Ryushnia, Fire is one of the hardest elements to control."
"Ryushnia?" Teresa hated her ignorance of Magic.
"Ryushnia. It is part of the Iyon Daiyin ancient languages. Roughly translated, it means 'evils of the elements.' There are six. Molocoa, Life, Belrothol, fire, Yushala, water, Welarnea, Ice, Roloyra, Storm, Apoplal, Earth and Ryonaola, Death. In that order, is weakest to strongest, when personified." Reaching the doors to her rooms, Tess asked as they opened the door,
"But you said there were six. You named seven. Why?" Garian answered this enquiry
"You see, he named the five evil, and the two unknown. Life and death are the only unknown elements in this world. Yes, it does have faults, of course, but only because it's brother, death, is stronger than it. Life is the oldest element, and therefore the weakest." he coughed. "Well, it is the weakest only because there have been no personifications of it yet. Every one of the Ryushnia is the spirit of a wizard who failed their Wyrd. As you can guess, they were all evil. Probably why they failed it in the first place. Wren is the vessel of life, currently. The wizard who conjured up the belrothol is trying to kill her on her quest, and so that way, the wizard may harness the power of the element of life, and that way control all of the elements." at that moment, there was a burst of cold air and spices, and they all looked to the door.
"That's right. I have Connor, I am going to have you, and I will harness Life. And there's not a thing you can do!" Cackled the woman.
"I– " was all Tyron could say before a sudden spell knocked them all out.
"And then there were three." she sang to herself right before she transported to the castle where she held Connor.
"Damnit, Wren!" screamed Hawk as he tried for the umpteenth time to transport back. He realized that he could watch the battle from a distance with a sight spell, and also that would waste less energy. He clambered up the closest tree, and recited the words he knew so well. Neatly and precisely, his sight ability magnified, and he looked towards the column of smoke that came from where he had been minutes before. He saw the most terrifying creature he had ever seen. "Belrothol." He breathed. Standing 10 feet tall, and six feet wide, made of fire and lava, he felt the heat at this distance. Then he saw Wren and took in a low hissed breath. Her shirt was in tatters, she was bleeding from more than one spot, and he saw burns on her arms and face.
"ARNAO, TERYUO, NAFAT!" He heard her scream. That was odd. First, he had not cast a hearing enhancing spell, second, he had never heard those words. She collapsed. Looking back at the monster, knowing that it would show no mercy, built up the words to a spell, but the stayed in his throat. Before his eyes, the Belrothol was engulfed but a wave of water and ice.
He nearly fell out of the tree when a hand touched his shoulder.
"Let us get her?" the man said calmly. Hawk nodded mutely. He had no idea who this man was or how he got up here in the first place, but there was a reminder of Wren in his eyes, so he trusted him.
Appearing at Wren's side with a small thud of air, the mysterious man inclined his head towards Wren.
"Pick her up. She is burned to badly to move by herself or be touched by anyone except you and a very qualified healer." Hawk obeyed. Cradling her gently, he saw her move slightly to a more comfortable position. Well, at least she's not dead, he thought to himself. He also felt a slight pulling sensation at the pit of his stomach. He looked up at the man inquiringly.
"She is taking from you what will heal her the most right now. Good thing you have plenty of it. Now, I must be off." And with a smaller pop, he was gone.
Sighing, Hawk trudged further up the mountain, remembering a time when he and Wren had swapped information on the Iyon Daiyin.
"The Iyon Daiyin, or at least those I know, are always more powerful and stronger in the mountains." he faintly recalled her saying. "I don't know why. Perhaps there are a certain species of animal or plant that feeds them, or maybe it is because they are closer to a deity of theirs. I personally think that there is a certain, mysterious power left over from an ancient spell cast over the immemorial lands, before the countries were divided."
"Hmm... think! What would Wren do if it were me who was unconscious?" he muttered to himself. "She would find shelter, preferably something soft, warm, and dry." looking up along the mountainside, he spied a bear cave about half an hour's walk up. "Better than nothing." he shrugged. Realizing that he couldn't carry her up the mountain this way, he hoisted her up onto his back, and clasped her hands around his neck and tied them. "Okay Wren, let's go."
Roughly an hour later, as he had misjudged the length of the walk, he reached the entrance of the cave. There was a light blue moss on the floor of the cave, as well as tufts of blue-black and white hair. Lifting his head in answer to a deep growl from the darkness of the cave, he spoke in a calm, clear voice.
"I am Hawk Riscarlan. I am here on behalf of the Iyon Daiyin."
"Wren!" Connor woke from a drug induced slumber groggy and afraid, but his fear was not for himself, but Wren. Not only did he find that dream disturbingly real, but he believed it fully. Sitting up quickly from the shock of the dream, he hit his head on the steel bars of a small cage that held him captive. He felt woozy, and realized that he had been transported recently. All he saw was the cage around him, the walls that enclosed the cage, and a small window, many feet above his head. Slowly clawing his way up on his knees, he dragged himself over to the other side of the cage. There he found some stale water, and a hunk of rock hard black bread. Groaning, he placed his head against the bars of his cage and fought the tears pricking the back of his eyes.
"She will die, you realize?" an old, rusty voice spoke nastily many feet above him. Connor felt a bell ring in his head. He knew that voice. If only I wasn't so groggy. It has to be the drugs.
"Wren is stronger than anything you can throw at her." he didn't even question how he knew who she was talking about, or how she knew of his dream. She cackled, delighted.
"Really? Didn't you used to think that she would come for you? Well she isn't coming as fast as she can. She probably isn't coming at all. Do you know why? Because of that Hawk. She stopped last night, while she could have kept going. All to save Hawk, who nearly kidnaped the princess five years ago. That is a sign of weakness." there it was again... he was sure he knew her voice.
"Wren is strong, otherwise she would have left Hawk to die. She showed compassion not weakness. She could have left an enemy to die, get rid of him quickly. And just so you know, Hawk is no longer an enemy. Hawk is an ally. You are the enemy. You may try to kill us all, but you will never. Wren, Hawk, Garian, Tyron, Tess..." his throat constricted on the last name. "They are all too strong for you to handle by themselves, let alone together." He spat at her, but this only seem to cause her more amusement.
"Yes, little princeling. We shall see." she cackled again as she left the room, this time closing the window with a snap of her fingers.
"Magic.." he whispered as he absentmindedly took a sip of the water by his side. That was the last complete thought he had before darkness enveloped him completely.
"Your Highness!" Just as Connor lost consciousness, Garian regained it, and Kial called to the Queen. "Garian is awake. Tyron had a vision in the glass; he needs you." Nodding, the queen set out to Tyron's rooms in the palace. It was long since everyone in the palace except those in the room, Orin, Tyron, and one of the cooks had fallen asleep. Hearing what sounded like mad throes coming from Tyron's rooms, she hiked up her skirts and ran. Bursting in the doors, she saw Tyron in the middle of a pool of broken glass and green liquid. He looked as if he was about to burst into flame.
"Tyron? Oh Tyron!" she ran to his side and helped him to his bed. "Lord and lady, you're burning up!"
"She... Tess! She is in danger, and I can do nothing. I, the Queen's magician! If she.. If she.... I will never forgive myself."
"Tyron, hush. She will be Okay. I refuse to let myself or anyone around me think of that. What did you see?" Tyron looked at her with the most frightening look she had ever seen from him.
" I saw It." he took a deep breath. "I saw Connor. He is being held by someone that we know, and... that's all."
"It?" she asked as she slowly led him to her rooms.
"It. It is a Belrothol." Tyron explained.
"I'm still lost."
"Well, a Belrothol... I don't know how to explain. Hmm. It looks like this." swiftly conjuring up an illusion, Tess gasped. A creature about ten inches tall still instilled fear in her heart. The beast seemed as if it was made of the partially cooled molten rock that erupted from the fire mountain in Senna Lirwan. It was mostly black, but it continually flowed, new lava seeping form the cracks in the blackening lava that was his flesh. The mouth of the beast when he roared was blood red with a tongue of fire, as were his pupil-less eyes. The creature lacked a nose or ears, except for small slits that secreted acrid smoke.
"It is the destruction of fire, personified. But it is not the creature itself that scares me, it is the wizard that summoned it. Even though a Belrothol is one of the weakest of the Ryushnia, Fire is one of the hardest elements to control."
"Ryushnia?" Teresa hated her ignorance of Magic.
"Ryushnia. It is part of the Iyon Daiyin ancient languages. Roughly translated, it means 'evils of the elements.' There are six. Molocoa, Life, Belrothol, fire, Yushala, water, Welarnea, Ice, Roloyra, Storm, Apoplal, Earth and Ryonaola, Death. In that order, is weakest to strongest, when personified." Reaching the doors to her rooms, Tess asked as they opened the door,
"But you said there were six. You named seven. Why?" Garian answered this enquiry
"You see, he named the five evil, and the two unknown. Life and death are the only unknown elements in this world. Yes, it does have faults, of course, but only because it's brother, death, is stronger than it. Life is the oldest element, and therefore the weakest." he coughed. "Well, it is the weakest only because there have been no personifications of it yet. Every one of the Ryushnia is the spirit of a wizard who failed their Wyrd. As you can guess, they were all evil. Probably why they failed it in the first place. Wren is the vessel of life, currently. The wizard who conjured up the belrothol is trying to kill her on her quest, and so that way, the wizard may harness the power of the element of life, and that way control all of the elements." at that moment, there was a burst of cold air and spices, and they all looked to the door.
"That's right. I have Connor, I am going to have you, and I will harness Life. And there's not a thing you can do!" Cackled the woman.
"I– " was all Tyron could say before a sudden spell knocked them all out.
"And then there were three." she sang to herself right before she transported to the castle where she held Connor.
"Damnit, Wren!" screamed Hawk as he tried for the umpteenth time to transport back. He realized that he could watch the battle from a distance with a sight spell, and also that would waste less energy. He clambered up the closest tree, and recited the words he knew so well. Neatly and precisely, his sight ability magnified, and he looked towards the column of smoke that came from where he had been minutes before. He saw the most terrifying creature he had ever seen. "Belrothol." He breathed. Standing 10 feet tall, and six feet wide, made of fire and lava, he felt the heat at this distance. Then he saw Wren and took in a low hissed breath. Her shirt was in tatters, she was bleeding from more than one spot, and he saw burns on her arms and face.
"ARNAO, TERYUO, NAFAT!" He heard her scream. That was odd. First, he had not cast a hearing enhancing spell, second, he had never heard those words. She collapsed. Looking back at the monster, knowing that it would show no mercy, built up the words to a spell, but the stayed in his throat. Before his eyes, the Belrothol was engulfed but a wave of water and ice.
He nearly fell out of the tree when a hand touched his shoulder.
"Let us get her?" the man said calmly. Hawk nodded mutely. He had no idea who this man was or how he got up here in the first place, but there was a reminder of Wren in his eyes, so he trusted him.
Appearing at Wren's side with a small thud of air, the mysterious man inclined his head towards Wren.
"Pick her up. She is burned to badly to move by herself or be touched by anyone except you and a very qualified healer." Hawk obeyed. Cradling her gently, he saw her move slightly to a more comfortable position. Well, at least she's not dead, he thought to himself. He also felt a slight pulling sensation at the pit of his stomach. He looked up at the man inquiringly.
"She is taking from you what will heal her the most right now. Good thing you have plenty of it. Now, I must be off." And with a smaller pop, he was gone.
Sighing, Hawk trudged further up the mountain, remembering a time when he and Wren had swapped information on the Iyon Daiyin.
"The Iyon Daiyin, or at least those I know, are always more powerful and stronger in the mountains." he faintly recalled her saying. "I don't know why. Perhaps there are a certain species of animal or plant that feeds them, or maybe it is because they are closer to a deity of theirs. I personally think that there is a certain, mysterious power left over from an ancient spell cast over the immemorial lands, before the countries were divided."
"Hmm... think! What would Wren do if it were me who was unconscious?" he muttered to himself. "She would find shelter, preferably something soft, warm, and dry." looking up along the mountainside, he spied a bear cave about half an hour's walk up. "Better than nothing." he shrugged. Realizing that he couldn't carry her up the mountain this way, he hoisted her up onto his back, and clasped her hands around his neck and tied them. "Okay Wren, let's go."
Roughly an hour later, as he had misjudged the length of the walk, he reached the entrance of the cave. There was a light blue moss on the floor of the cave, as well as tufts of blue-black and white hair. Lifting his head in answer to a deep growl from the darkness of the cave, he spoke in a calm, clear voice.
"I am Hawk Riscarlan. I am here on behalf of the Iyon Daiyin."