Chapter 12: Return to the Cities
As Malady entered the house, the elders stopped and looked at her. But her gaze was fixed on Hines. For a moment, their stares locked in a silent battle, and all was silent around them. But soon, Hines stood up, and he bowed down and bid her welcome. She nodded in acknowledgement, and slowly walked over to Kiltan and Darlond.
Behind her, the others walked in. Immediately, a beautiful scent surrounded them, coming from a small clay pot tat burned at the corner. Sabatrima's herbs were softly boiling together with sparkling pure water, and it let out a sweet aroma that filled the room. For a moment, it seemed that all their problems were gone. The smell reminded them of a time long ago, when they could play about happily in the grass, and no one would have fear in their hearts.
But there was little joy in the house. Their eyes rested on the two limp bodies lying on the table, and they felt their hopes slowly fading away. Malady stood over them, and she rested a hand on the wound. Heera came up to her, and she saw that the wound now covered his chest. It was rotting his flesh, turning it black, and his skin seemed to die away like ash. The rest of his body was white and pale.
"This is the shadow curse. The Barlog seeped its evil spell into their bodies when its claw pierced their skin. It was wounded, and so it left this as a mark of its power before it retreated." Malady said.
"So is it possible to cure them?" Heera asked desperately. Malady kept looking down at Kiltan, and she brushed her hand lightly across the wound. His skin seemed to break off like flakes, and crumbled away into dust. "If only I had arrived earlier. Yes, it is possible to cure him; however, the wound has consumed vital parts of his body. I can remove this curse, but he is already weak, and he will not survive."
And as everyone heard that, they were shocked and stared in silence. Kiltan's breath was growing heavy, as he struggled to gasp in air, wheezing painfully. Heera kneeled down, and she cried. Her hand reached Kiltan's face, but Malady quickly grabbed her hand away. "Do not touch him, or the curse will spread to you too."
Bull helped Heera to a chair. And then, Malady slowly said, "It is still possible to save them. He is already weak, and the curse has drained his life. But I can take the life essence from one of you and transfer it into them. Only the power of life can combat the curse of death that has consumed their body."
Immediately, everyone in the room stood up. But Malady quickly spoke again. "I know you all wish to help, but it can't be done. I can only have two people, one for each of the wounded. If I were to take the life sources from every one of you, there will be complications. Everyone is different, and so goes for your life source, and if they were to be combined, it may result in an unwanted outburst. And so, I will only need two of the strongest men."
After a short discussion, Bull and Lazarus stepped forward. But Heera held Lazarus back. "Let me do this. He has saved my life many times, and so it is what I owe to him." Lazarus nodded, and Heera stepped forward besides Bull.
"Be strong. You will feel your life draining away, but do not fall to fear or pain." Malady said. And so, she positioned them besides the Kiltan and Darlond, and she stood in the middle. The rest stood back, and they watched in silence. Slowly, Malady gave a soft chant, slowly speaking ancient words that no one could understand. Yet, they could feel the power in those words, and it gave them chills. Malady's voice began to rise, and the lights in the room flickered, before finally going out, casting into darkness. Malady had stopped her chant, and all as silent. And then, through the darkness, two orbs of light glowed, held tightly in the hands of Malady. Bull and Heera were still standing, but their eyes were closed as though in a deep trance.
"Cast away the evil thoughts of the Barlog in your mind! Arise and feel the light!" Malady screamed, and she punched her fist into their chest. The orbs of light shattered into myriads of colors, and quickly disappeared into their bodies. Bull and Heera collapsed to the ground. Kiltan and Darlond shook violently, but Malady kept her hands on their chest, holding them down. The dark curse started to fade away, and pink returned to their cheeks. Slowly, the lights came on again, and Malady stepped back. The rest came up and helped Bull and Heera to their feet. They were conscious, but barely, and they were helped to the chairs.
Slowly, Kiltan and Darlond stirred, and sat up. The dark curse was lifted from them, and the wound was gone. "What happened here?" Kiltan asked, looking around in confusion. His eyes rested on Malady, and he quickly reached for his throwing stars, but the Dark Lord stopped him, and they were both helped to the chairs, for they were still weak. There, they sat down in a circle around the house, and Hines told them of all that had happened.
He told them of the dark curse, and of the group setting out to find Malady and seek her aid. "But it is getting late." He said in conclusion. "Tomorrow, we will discuss this further. Go now and rest, you are still weak." And so, the group left, and went to the guesthouse, while Malady and Sabatrima stayed with the elders.
As Heera lay down on the mat in the corner of the room, exhaustion took over her, and she immediately fell asleep. Kiltan sat down besides her, and he stroked his hand across her face. He could still remember the Barlog, driving its claw into his chest, and it burned with unnatural pain. He could feel the dark cloud of the Barlog entering his mind, taking over his body. He could not move, but he could still feel what was around him. He heard the elders discussing matters, but they seemed far off, and their voices grew softer, as he slowly drifted away into darkness. He could barely struggle against the curse, and slowly, he let the darkness consume him. But in the darkness, he heard Heera's voice ringing through his mind, and life being pushed back into him from the cold hands of Malady. "You saved my life. I forever am in your debt. Thank you." He said softly in her ear. And so, he gave a soft kiss on her forehead, and slept.
How he got there, he did not know. He could not move, yet he could still see. But there was nothing to see, for he was standing in nothingness. He could feel no ground beneath his feet. Then, a deep growl rumbled through the darkness. He saw a pair of eyes, glowing red, staring at him, burning like fire. They illuminated the body of the beast. Suddenly, he remembered what it was. He could remember that evil stare. Those were the burning eyes of the Barlog. He quickly tried to grab for his throwing stars, but his hand would not move. The beast began to approach him. He tried to look away, but his head would not move, and his eyes would not close.
Then, the deep voice of the beast spoke. "Kiltan, you cannot escape me. No one can escape the dark will of the devil itself. Why do you try and fight me, when you know I cannot die? Do my bidding, or you will die like the rest." He could feel it's breath on his skin, and its eyes stared into his. He wanted to tear away from this evil creature, but he could not. The Barlog extended its claw, its fingers curling around his body.
"Get away from me!" Kiltan cried out, and he flung two stars straight at the creature. His eyes were closed, and he trembled violently, his breath deep and heavy. He could no longer feel the grip of the Barlog on him, and all around him was silence. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and saw everyone staring at him. Heera was shaking him, with a worried look on her face. He saw his two stars stuck on the door of the guesthouse.
Light was streaming in from the crystal windows, and most of the men were already awake. Slowly, Kiltan stood up, and he headed out the door, with Heera following behind him. There, he saw Darlond, sitting on the platform, looking out to the west at the Tree of Victoria.
"You heard the Barlog too, didn't you?" Darlond said, as Kiltan came and sat besides him. "I don't know what it wants from us, but I believe it seeks to turn us into its slaves, just like Malady." Kiltan looked back to the house of Hines, and the door was shut. "We can only wait till the elders are ready for council." Kiltan said, and they sat staring silently at the Tree.
Then, the doors to the house of Hines slammed open, and Malady came out. Seeing the three sitting on the platform, she quickly called them to enter the house. Then, she entered the guesthouse and called for the rest.
Entering the house, they saw that the elders were already seated, and they looked grave. Hines beckoned for the group to sit down, and then he spoke. "I have spoken to Malady about this matter. The dark curse is gone, but it seems that the Barlog still has a hold on you two." He said, nodding to Kiltan and Darlond. "Indeed, the Barlog is weak. But it probably predicts that we will attack it. And so, since it failed to kill Kiltan and Darlond, it now tries to drive them to its dark will. Its influence on them is still small, for it is weak, but once it regains its strength, it will be able to turn them against us."
"You said that you will destroy the Barlog once they have been healed. I wish I did not have to rush you with this, but now there is no other choice. If you do not strike soon, we may not have another chance." Malady said.
"So, do we just go up to the tree dungeon and kill it? Or is there more to that place that we need to know? The Barlog sent many of the Sanctuary guardians, the taurospears, forward on the attack on Ellinia. Did it send forth its full strength, or can we expect to battle more of those creatures when we enter the Sanctuary?" Cassandra asked.
"That I do not know." Malady replied. "But if there are still any of it's creatures within the Sanctuary, it will put them forth on the front lines of defense. And if there were to be an army that would await us there, they would be waiting at Sleepywood. Looking at the Tree of Victoria, you can still see the Barlog's evil hold on the area. Its influence has poisoned the Tree, and it keeps the caves as its stronghold, with Sleepywood at the entrance of it."
"So, when do we strike? Elmithir is still weak from the burns, but he is healing well. He should be fine within a week. That will give enough time for Kiltan and Darlond to fully recover their strength, but is a week too long?" Leiguin said.
"I don't believe the Barlog will be able to rise to power again in a week. Yes, we can wait, but it is not that which I'm concerned about." Malady said, and she turned her glance to Kiltan and Darlond. "The Barlog has its eyes on you two. Every moment that you close your eyes and sleep, the Barlog will enter your mind, for that is the time that you are weakest. When it comes to you, no one can help you but yourself. You must be strong, and resist the powers of the Barlog. Can you do that?"
Kiltan and Darlond nodded, yet they felt a deep dread in their hearts. Kiltan had felt the power of the Barlog in his mind. Its influence was strong, and he felt weak and helpless, trapped in his own body. He did not say anything, but Hines could see the pain in his eyes. "Sabatrima will boil more herbs when you sleep. It will give you strength in the face of great evil."
Turning back to the rest of the group, Hines continued to speak. "Indeed, the Barlog has claimed Sleepywood as its stronghold. We do not know what we can expect to face there, but if we attack, then we shall do it from all sides. When dawn breaks tomorrow, we will send out two parties, one to the south, and one to the north. They will reclaim Henesys and Perion respectively, and drive out whatever evil forces that lurks within the city. Then, the southern group will move on to reclaim Lith Harbour, while the group from the north goes into Kerning. Once they have declared the city safe, they will send back runners to inform us, and then we will send more men to help with repairing the damaged towns. We have decided that Helena will go with the southern group, while the Dark Lord goes with the northern group. Bull and I will stay here and see to the matters of this town. We will have to clear the plains below, and repair any damages to the town. The nine of you will rest. I will see to Elmithir later in the evening. If you wish, you may help with the work of restoring the town. But whatever you do, do not venture too far from here. Kiltan and Darlond are not to go alone. If they were to fall to the powers of the Barlog, and no one is around to help them, I fear for both their lives and ours."
As the council ended, the nine slowly shuffled out of the house. Hines closed the door, and breathed a heavy sigh. Then, turning back to Helena and the Dark Lord, he said, "You may go down and gather those you think worthy of joining you to reclaim the towns. Not too many though, for I don't believe there will be too great a threat at the towns, and Ellinia needs all the manpower we can get to help with rebuilding the city. And remember, no matter what happens, do not approach the Tree of Victoria. Until all is ready, then only will we move to strike whatever army that lurks in Sleepywood."
And so the three elders left the house. Bull went down to the plains, and he watched over the men who were clearing the fields, helping where he could. Helena and the Dark Lord walked around the plains, and they called on a few strong men and women to follow them. Bull continued to work with the rest of the men till the sun began to set over the treetops. Slowly, the tired men shuffled back to Ellinia. New bridges had been constructed across the fallen tree, and many houses had been mended. They felt a joyful sense of pride as they went back to their houses and enjoyed their meals.
Bull went back up to the house of Hines. There, Helena and the Dark Lord had already gathered the men and women they had chosen. Each of them would lead a group of about twenty men of all classes. "Go now, and rest well. At first light tomorrow, we will set off." The Dark Lord said, and he dismissed the men.
As they left, Hines followed them out, and he headed to the southern tree. Slowly descending down to the center of the tree, he entered a small blue house that was built there. A few planks were hammered along the walls to mend the damages. Hines entered, and immediately was flushed in warm yellow light and a cooling herbal scent. At the side of the room, Elmithir was lying on the couch, with soft cold towels covering his arms and chest. Other wounded men were also lying about the house, and the fairies were busy attending to them. Hines walked over to Elmithir and sat down besides him.
Elmithir could speak, but hardly, only giving soft short whispers. His skin still burned, but was starting to heal with the herbal medicines of the fairies. Hines began to tell him of all that had happened, and of the plans of the elders to reclaim the other cities, and the inevitable attack on Sleepywood. As he spoke, Kiltan and Heera walked in, and they sat besides Hines.
As the night grew darker, the fairies prepared to rest, and they began to clear the house. The lights dimmed, and Hines bid a final farewell to Elmithir before he left. Kiltan and Heera stayed behind, as Hines returned to his house. There, he saw Bull, Helena, Malady and the Dark Lord standing on the platform, looking out at the Tree of Victoria.
"It intended to finally destroy all humans in this second attack, and so it would send forth as many of it's armies as possible, so I doubt there will be much resistance to meet it. Indeed, you are all strong, and you have injured the Barlog on the plains of Ellinia. But there, in the Sanctuary, it is in its domain. What horrors it may conjure up, I do not know. All I am say is, expect anything to happen." Malady said, and she turned back and headed into the house.
"Come then. Lets rest and not think of these evils at this time." Hines said, and he and Bull went into the house. Giving a final glance at the Tree, Helena and the Dark Lord followed them, and they slept soundly.
"We must go now." The Dark Lord said, as Helena woke up. Yet, her body barely felt rested. Slowly, she got out of bed, and put on her armor. Breathing a deep sigh, she turned to the Dark Lord. "Ok, let's go." And together, they headed out the door. The sun was just rising, and spread over the Ellinia forest like a golden sea. The two groups of men were already gathering on the platforms.
"Come, all you men of Victoria. Let us go now and take back what is ours!" The Dark Lord said. And so, in high spirits, the men followed Helena and the Dark Lord down.
"I can see that the war has taken its toll on you. It has taken a toll on all of us. But be strong, for it will end soon." The Dark Lord said to Helena. Looking back at him, she gave a small nod. Reaching the bottom of the tree, he bid her farewell, and he led his group on towards the northern road. Turning south, she could see the plains, still stained with dry blood and a few more carcasses, and the southern road, blushing in the morning sunlight that flowed in overhead from the broken canopy. Slowly, she marched forward, and along with her group, headed for Henesys.
As they walked, they talked about joyful times, the time before war began. They recalled the many wonderful experiences they had, and laughed as they walked along. Soon, they came out of the Ellinia forest, and onto the grassy road that led to Henesys. Looking at the road, they could see that the grass was stomped and trampled. Large footprints of many beasts could clearly be seen. Far off in the distance, a thin black cloud rose. "Henesys is burning. We must hurry." Helena said, and they ran forward, through the thin Henesys forest, and soon got to the Eastern Henesys gate.
All they could see was ruins. Small fires continued to burn in whatever houses that still stood. Everywhere else was in rubble, like a wasteland of stones and metal, littered over the ground. The City Hall was collapsed over the Town Square, and the Henesys Bell lay broken under piles of stones. The army of the Barlog had left its mark.
Slowly, the ground walked into Henesys, their weapons drawn. All was silent, except for the steady crackle of the fires, and the crumbling of stone underfoot. As they entered what was left of the Town Square, Helena signaled for them to split up. A small group headed to the northern entrance, while Helena and the rest of the men went to the western entrance. They poked through the rubble, but found no signs of life.
They reached the western gate, and slowly they started to relax. Helena realized that her hands were clenched tightly, and slowly she let out a long deep breath. "Go back to the Town square and gather the men. Look through every corner of the town and make sure that there are no wild creatures lurking around. After that, you may take a rest, before we march onwards to Lith Harbour. Once you have secured the town, send a runner back to Ellinia to tell them of this."
The men left her, and now she stood alone, leaning against the western gate. A cool wind blew, and the dust and pebbles blew about her feet. Slowly, she walked over to a large pile of stones. She could remember this as Rina's house, and now nothing was left of it. Sitting down on the rubble, she looked around at the destruction of her town. She let her bow fall to her side, and there, she quietly wept. All her work, her life, was in this very town. But now, it was gone, trodden over by mindless beasts serving the dark will of the Barlog. The name of the horrible creature rang in her mind. She could feel herself growing with rage. Her breath grew deep and heavy and she grasped at the stones littered on the ground.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and suddenly, she felt an urge to destroy the Barlog that very moment. Slowly, her hand reached over the ground and closed tightly on her bow. Raising her head, her eyes looked up over the Northern Henesys wall, and she stared at the Tree of Victoria, a dark black figure of death. Its bare branches stretched out wide, just like the will of the Barlog.
Slowly, she got up, and walked to the northern gate. Passing the fallen barricades of the northern gate, she stepped onto the grassy path that led to Sleepywood, and then she stopped. It was almost as if nothing had happened here, like there had never been a war. The trees grew tall and green along the roadsides, and many little creatures hopped along the roadway. But far ahead, the forested road grew darker, shrouded under the long branches of the Tree. She could barely make out the dark opening on the side of the tree, the entrance to Sleepywood, and the dungeon that led to the Sanctuary beneath.
"Helena, we have searched the town. There is no other sign of life. We have put out the stray fires and sent our runner back to Ellinia. They should be here by nightfall. So how long now before we set off to Lith Harbour?" said a young warrior. Helena turned back to him, and suddenly she realized that she had an arrow in her hand, loosely drawn on her bow. The sun was beginning to set, and its golden rays bounced off the dark bark of the Tree of Victoria. Suddenly, she felt tired, and slowly walked back to the Town Square where the rest of the men were gathered. There, they were seated on the ground in a circle, and she joined in with them.
"Indeed, we are all tired. This war has taken its toll on us all. But we are not out of danger yet. Press on, be strong, it will be over soon. Come, we must leave this place now. I can feel the dark will of the Barlog in here." Helena said. Then, she got up and headed for the western gate, and the men followed her. "We will reach Lith Harbour by nightfall. There, hopefully we will be able to rest peacefully. We will meet up with the Dark Lord tomorrow morning."
The group left Henesys and headed off along the western road, with the sun burning against their cheeks. Ever so often, some small forest dwelling creatures would dart about onto the road. Soon, they came to the crossroads. They stopped for a while at the memorial of the Battle of the Crossroads, as the warriors and archers remembered that day before the war started.
"Their deaths will not be in vain." Helena said, and they started to head off towards Lith Harbour. As they approached, their feet stepped onto the white brick road. Helena looked at the city, and it was no different from Henesys. They slowly walked through the dusty, quiet streets. Most of the buildings had collapsed in the attack, and the signature white bricks used in the construction of these houses now lay scattered across the streets. As the sky grew darker, two clerics held up their staffs and lit the way before them, for all the streetlights were broken.
"Split up into two groups, with one cleric in each group. Search the town, and meet back here as soon as you can." Helena said, and they went off. Helena followed one of the groups, and they headed for the dock. In the distance, they could see the wreck of the ship "Victoria", crashed against the jetty, lying on its side, its massive sails draped over the ruins that lined the dock.
"It should be safe here. Come; let's look for the other group. Then we can rest." Helena said. They began to head back to the main streets, and met up with the rest. Around them, the white bricks seemed to glow softly in the moonlight. Helena led them back to the docks, and they were greeted by the cooling night breeze, and the soft lapping of waves against the dock wall.
Looking at the group of tired men, Helena spoke. "Now we may rest. We will set off again at first light." And so, the men began to lie down in any comfortable spot they could find, mostly lying on any of the benches that were not damaged. Helena walked over to the jetty, and sitting on a bench, she stared out over the dark sea. It stretched out as far as she could see, shimmering under the moonlight. No longer did she feel the evil will of the Barlog in her mind. Lying down on the bench, she stared up at the cloudless sky, and bright stars that twinkled in the dark. For once, in many days, she felt calm and at peace. Fatigue slowly took over her, and she closed her eyes and slept soundly.