Chapter 10
Two shadows slipped silently through the trees to the edge of the clearing. One waved the other shadow off to take a closer position to the figure slumped against a post further down the beach.
Slowly and silently, Achmed lowered his Cwellan, sighted down the two guards in front of him, and let fire. Three whisper thin disks flew through the air, silently taking out the first guard. Before the other even fully realized that his companion was down, another three disks embedded themselves deep into his neck, cutting off any cry of alarm he may have given.
Like a shadow, Achmed dissolved once again into the forest as Gwydion entered the clearing to complete his task for the rescue.
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Rhapsody heard the soft footsteps coming toward her. She knew that it must be one of the guards checking on her bonds. This was the only chance that she might have to end her life. It was a long shot, but if she could get the name of this man, she could make him kill her. Luckily, Heiles had deemed this island safe enough to leave her gag off.
She felt the strong hands of the guard behind her, doing something to the bonds. Probably tightening them, Rhapsody supposed. "Sir, would you please tell me your name?" It was all that she could think of at the moment, hopefully it would have shock value and the man would not be very intelligent in the ways of a Namer.
"You already know my name," a familiar voice whispered softly in her ear. "You also know the man who I was named after, Gwydion."
Lifting her head stiffly Rhapsody tried to look behind her, but found that she was in too much pain to move like that. "Shh, don't worry; I'll have you free in a second."
"Gwydion, I should never have called you. I may have gotten you in serious trouble."
"We'll talk about that after I have you safely away from here, just be quiet right now, ok?"
Rhapsody slowly nodded. She felt the moment that her hands were free and then she saw the figure of her adopted grandson move in front of her to release her legs from their bonds. It was a good thing that the shackles had since been deemed overkill and were replaced in favor of simple rope. This made it much easier for Gwydion to simply cut through them with his dagger.
Rhapsody was glad to see that the duke had been thoughtful enough to not use his sword to cut her bonds. That would almost certainly draw the F'dor out with the raw elemental power so near by.
When Gwydion had finished he tried to help Rhapsody to standing, but they both discovered that she was in no shape to walk herself out. "You'll have to carry me," she whispered into his ear. He nodded and gently lifted her and began the trek back to the shore where he and Achmed had landed to await the return of the Firbolg king.
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Achmed had stayed near the beach until he saw Gwydion get Rhapsody safely away. After that, wrapped in darkness, he descended upon the beach. Silently the shadow that had once been Achmed approached the ship and began to scale the outside of it to peer over the walls at the deck. As he figured, all was silent and there had been no guards posted above deck. He slipped onto the deck and began to prowl across, blending from shadow to shadow; following some primal vibrational call that only he could hear.
The F'dor was close, this he knew without a doubt. He tracked the vibration deeper into the ship until he was standing just outside of the chamber door which he knew to house the demon. The ancestral rage burned inside of him as he let the vibrations of this ancient evil wash over him. He would have burst into the room then and there to perform the thrall ritual and end that demon's existence, but suddenly another familiar vibration entered his awareness. It didn't come like it normally did with the near deafening call that he had been accustomed to, but it was defiantly the feel of that object. Daystar Clarion had just been drawn. That ancient elemental sword that Rhapsody was the bearer of and that he had witnessed her wielding as she fought for her life in her palace gardens. Achmed had completely forgotten about the sword until that moment. The F'dor now had control over this sword. The only sword that had the power of the only element that superceded his own element of fire. Achmed knew that he would have to have the help of at least Gwydion if not Rhapsody too in order to have any possibility of bringing this F'dor an end.
Just as silently as he entered, Achmed turned and left the ship to meet up with his companions upon the other beach where they awaited him.
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"What do you mean Achmed is here?" Rhapsody demanded. Gwydion had just finished telling her that they were waiting for Achmed's return to figure out what they were to do next. Rhapsody had explained to Gwydion that they could not leave her sword in the hands of the F'dor and that Achmed was the only one who would be able to put an end to it.
"It was he who brought me on this rescue. We had already been on your trail when your call reached me. It came just at the right time too since Achmed couldn't track you across the sea." Gwydion had started out sounding enthusiastic about the affair until he noticed the look of horror that was spreading across his grandmother's face.
"He's here? Achmed is here? Damn him. Where is he? Where did he go to?" She demanded.
Confused with her reaction Gwydion haltingly answered, "He said he would meet us back here after he made sure that we were not spotted. Come to think of it, he should have been back by now."
"Hrekin… Does he know that it is a F'dor that had captured me?"
"Y-yes, he told me that he believed that it may be a demon."
"Damn him. He's gone off to fight the thing himself, I'm sure of it. His damn primal need to rid the world of these things is going to play right into its hands. We have to stop Achmed," Rhapsody concluded as she struggled to her faltering feet. After a few steps, she collapsed and struggled to rise once again.
Gwydion was dazed with her outburst for a moment before he realized that she really meant to go out after Achmed. Hurrying to her side, the duke physically had to restrain her from toddling off into the forest.
"Rhapsody, I don't understand you. A moment ago you were saying that Achmed would be the only one who could help us and now you wish that he wasn't here? What is going on?"
"Yes, what is going on?" a sandy voice sounded as a shadow detached from the forest.
"Achmed, how in the name of all the gods did you know to track me across the country to this island? Do you realize what danger you are putting all of us in by just being here?" Rhapsody spat.
"Not exactly the thank you that I was looking for. I guess my rescuing you has become so common place that I no longer deserve one."
"Knock it off Achmed. It's because of you that I was captured in the first place. Do you know what that demon wants from me?"
"No, but I'm sure your about to tell me," The Dhracian replied.
"He wants your name!"
A blanket of silence descended on the trio. Gwydion could feel the tension in the air even though he couldn't recognize the cause. Achmed had gone completely rigid as he stared directly into Rhapsody's eyes. There was some meaning or memory that these two shared that was completely lost on the duke.
Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer, Gwydion broke it with, "I don't understand, what does that mean?"
A moment more of silence and Rhapsody answered softly, "It means that this F'dor is trying to possess Achmed as another one in the old land had done before."
Achmed slowly lowered his head and turned around, facing the sea from which they had come. He sank to the sand and sat there in utter silence.
"Achmed, this F'dor's host is the same Namer who gave your name to Tsoltan those many century's ago. He's also my missing mentor. Tsoltan captured him, as he has just me, and forced him to give the demon your old name. When Tsoltan finished with Heiles, he gave the broken body over to another F'dor to possess. Unfortunately, Heiles was not yet completely destroyed and the F'dor now has all of the memory, lore, and power that Heiles once possessed." Rhapsody explained all this gently and softly, though urgently so that her friend would realize the danger that his presence was putting on not just them, but the entire world.
"You know that this is more serious than it was last time this happened? You have much more valuable information and important duties now than you did in the old land. He must not capture you. Once again, the fate of the world comes down to us, what we decided to do in these next few moments will decided the future of all."
"Yes, Rhapsody. I know what is at stake here. We must destroy this demon, but he is too powerful and it would be too dangerous for me to approach him to perform the Thrall ritual. But that is the only way that we could destroy him."
"And so is our dilemma." Rhapsody concluded.