Chapter 13: The Betrayal
Helena felt the warm morning sun burning her cheeks, and she slowly got up. Looking around the dockside area, she could see most of the men lying around, still sleeping. Some had gotten up, and were wandering about the ruins. They could now see the true destruction of the city in the sunlight. Some of them walked through the ruble of fallen houses, remembering days long ago when they had visited these places.
Helena walked out to the jetty. The "Victoria" leaned silently against the extended platform. As she walked, she drew her hand across the thick wooden hull of the ship. There were many large blackened holes along the sides. The huge twin engines attached to the back of the ship were charred and broken, with black oil dripping from its exhaust. The ship was obviously brought down under attacks from the umtis. Captain Shanks probably never saw the attack coming, till they burst out from the murky seas.
She walked to the end of the jetty, and looked out over the endless stretch of ocean, shining in the morning sunshine like a large golden mirror. Shielding her eyes, she looked up into the sky. There, among the soft rolling clouds, Maple Island floated calmly, unscarred by the brutal war that had just ravaged Victoria Island. She could only guess what the people there were thinking. There was not way to communicate with them, and the only ship that transported people between the two islands is destroyed. But at least they are safe. Turning around, Helena walked back to where the rest of the ground was waiting.
Most of the men had already woken up. "Get yourselves ready. We leave in an hour." Helena said, and she returned back to the jetty. Behind her, she could hear the men preparing their equipment. They would take some time, so she returned to the "Victoria". Reaching up, she grabbed onto one of the large holes that were burned into the ship, and she clambered in.
She landed in the damp cargo room. Light shone in from the large holes, into the dusty room. All around her, she could see the baggage and belongings of the newcomers, strewn wildly everywhere. She climbed up a ladder to the upper deck, holding onto the railings as she walked, for it was tilted at a steep angle. The mast was snapped in half at its base. At the back of the ship was the backroom, where the newcomers could hide from the rain and weather, or just relax. Now, the door was closed, and Helena inched across the deck towards it. On reaching the door, she tightened her grip on the silver knob and tugged the door open. The door broke off, and fell from her hands, sliding noisily across the deck before bumping into the rails. Immediately, she was hit by a foul stench that rose from the dark room within. She quickly backed away from the room. There was nothing but death in there, and so shaking her head in dismay, Helena began to head off the ship, when she heard a knock coming from the front of the ship, along with a soft cry for help.
Quickly, she scrambled across the slippery deck to the front of the ship. That was the door that led to the captain's cabin. A large wooden slab had collapsed in front of the door, and she tugged it away. Then, she quickly pulled open the door, and inside she saw Captain Shanks, along with two newcomers. "I didn't know when someone would finally come and help us." Shanks said, as he struggled out of the ship. Helena ran to the side and leaned over the railing, calling for the men to help her. They quickly ran up to the ship. Helena kicked the outer railings off, and she helped the three down to the jetty.
Helena passed some bottled water to the three men. "Are you able to walk? We have to leave for Ellinia as soon as possible." Helena said, and Shanks nodded his head. "Ok then, we head off when they are ready," Helena said to the men. After they drank the water, they slowly got up, and with two men helping them along, they followed the group as they left Lith Harbour.
"Most of the newcomers managed to leave in time." Captain Shanks began to speak. "But some were left behind, and I had to help them out. But as I did, the army of sea creatures blocked off the route out, and we had to hide in there. That night, we wanted to leave, but the door was jammed from outside. It was only this morning that we heard the voices of other people. So what exactly happened out here?"
As they entered the crossroads, Helena began to speak, but she heard the shout of the Dark Lord, waving to her from the top of the cliff. He and his group of men began to walk along the cliff sides, around the crossroads and onto the road to Henesys, while Helena led her group up the slope and met up with him. The Dark Lord looked surprised as he saw Captain Shanks. But Helena told him about it, and she began to tell Shanks all about the war as they slowly walked towards Henesys, with the Dark Lord adding in once in a while.
Henesys was already occupied by the men from Ellinia as the two groups walked into the town. Small brown tents were set up as makeshift houses for the men. Large canvas sheets were stretched out in corners of the town, tied to the trees with thick ropes, shielding out the sun and serving as a resting area. The men were slowly working to clear away the ruble, carrying the stones away in baskets and dumping it into the forest. Shanks shook his head in horror and awe. Helena approached the men who were resting in the shade, and checked on them to make sure that the work was going fine. Then, she came back to the group. "All is fine here. Come, we must return to Ellinia now."
As they headed out of Henesys, the Dark Lord walked up to Helena. "You felt the presence Barlog too, didn't you?" And Helena nodded slowly. "It hides in its Sanctuary, and tries to lure us to it. But I'm more concerned about Kiltan and Darlond. What it might do to them, I cannot imagine. Let us hope that they will be strong. We must discuss this further with Hines."
It was late noon when they finally reached the plains of Ellinia. But it seemed different. She stopped, and so did the Dark Lord. "Something is not right." She muttered. Ellinia was silent and still. Slowly, the group entered the town. They could see no one at all, and all the outer platforms were empty. Helena walked over to the nearest house, and she knocked on the door, but no one answered. She tried to twist the knob, but it was locked. Slowly, she backed away from the house. "Quick, we must see to Hines!" Helena said, and she ran up the central tree, with the Dark Lord besides her. The rest of the group followed, but did not keep up to their speed.
"What happened here?" Helena exclaimed, as they stepped onto the top platform, standing before the house of Hines. The many crystal windows were shattered, and many tiny glass pieces littered the platform. The doors were smashed and cracked. It still hung onto its hinges, but barely, and creaked as it swung in the wind. From the sides of the doors, the white walls were blackened. But it did not look like anything they had seen before. It was like a dark black shadow, clawing its way outwards. Helena immediately remembered why it was so familiar. It looked exactly like the dark curse that struck Kiltan and Darlond. She slowly approached the house, and saw flakes of the wall beginning to peel off like dry ashes. Behind her, she heard the soft clink of metal as the Dark Lord drew out his stars. Helena drew two arrows, and walked up to the door. All was still and silent. Helena kicked the door open.
Immediately, she aimed her bow inside, but a bright light blinded her. She stepped back, covering her eyes, but slowly the light faded away. Inside the house, Helena and the Dark Lord saw Hines, with his staff held up, its tip still glowing slightly. He was kneeling on the floor, and slowly he lowered his staff. "Come in. I thought you were someone else. Much has changed since you left." He softly said. As they entered the house, they could see that Hines was sweating, and his hands trembled. His great white cloak was torn in many places. And lying on the ground in front of him was Bull.
The Dark Lord walked over the Bull. Helena looked around the house, and it was in a wreck. Parts of the walls were stained with the same blackness that was covering the outer wall around the door. They covered random portions of the walls, like dark spots of paint randomly splattered around. The books were scattered all over the place, ripped and torn, and the bookshelves were broken. The ground was dusty with a fine dark ash.
"What happened here?" Helena asked, as she walked over to Hines. He was taking in long, deep breaths, almost in pain. He laid his staff by his side, and sat down on the floor. "I'm glad that none of you had fallen to the will of the Barlog. I don't know how or why, but it has grown stronger since it retreated back to its Sanctuary. But that is not our concern for now. It used its dark will to attack us all. And it was Malady who fell to its call."
"I was with Elmithir, and Bull was down at the plains helping the men who were clearing out the fields. It was at that moment that I felt the dark will of the Barlog reaching into the town. Malady was in my house, and Kiltan and Darlond were resting in the guesthouse. So I left Elmithir and ran back to my house, but Malady was not there. The door to the guesthouse was closed, so I assumed Kiltan and Darlond were inside, and I ran down to the plains to look for Bull. But as I descended the tree, I could hear shouts coming from below."
"I called for everyone that I passed by to return to their houses. As I reached the plains, I saw Bull lying on the ground, and Malady stood over him. She was smiling, and then looked up at me. I can still remember that stare. They were cold and blank, yet filled with great evil and death. The Barlog had taken over her mind. I knew that there was no hope for her at this point. Somehow, the Barlog had grown in strength, and it was controlling those it had under its will. There was no choice, I had to kill her."
"But before I could raise my staff, she was gone, just simply disappeared. The men who were working on the fields were already running back to their houses. I told them all to stay hidden, and then went over to where Bull laid. His skin was cold, and his breath was slow, but there were no scars on his body. I don't know what she did to him. I had to bring him back to my house, Malady could wait."
"But as I reached my house, she was waiting for me." Hines beckoned to the dark stains on the walls. "As I entered, she was already in here. She shot off a spell, full of evil powers. It was like a dark moving shadow running straight towards me. I just managed to block it off in time, after I dropped Bull to the ground, but the force of the attack was powerful. I saw Malady, just before she shot off another attack. She was crazy; the Barlog had driven her to insanity. I just managed to teleport away from her attack, and then I shot two holy arrows at her." Hines stroked his hand across the floor, and held up the dust in his palm. "This is all that's left of her."
"And what about Kiltan and Darlond?" Helena asked. Hines covered his face in his hands, and shook his head. "After Malady was killed, Kiltan ran out of the guesthouse, throwing stars everywhere and screaming. He ran down the tree. Some of the people who saw him through their windows said he ran off into the forest. I would have tried to stop him, but after he ran off, Darlond came out of the house. He too was possessed by the beast, and it was driving him to a crazed rage."
Slowly, Hines got up. He leaned heavily on his staff as he walked out onto the platform. Helena and the Dark Lord followed behind him. Then he spoke softly, almost in a whisper. "Darlond tried to attack me. He ran straight at me, with his staff burning with magical flames. He tried to hit me with it, but I avoided him. Yet he kept running, charging straight at nothingness. I could not stop him in time. He ran off the platform." Hines walked over to the edge of the platform. There, the rope railing was broken. Far below, no more then a tiny speck, laid the twisted body of Darlond.
Hines turned back and walked back into his house, his head bowed low. He slumped down on his chair, and let his staff fall to the ground. "What do we do now? Our men are frightened. The people we tried to save are now gone. And as we speak, the Barlog grows in strength. What hope is there?"
"You call yourself the leader of mages?" The Dark Lord suddenly spoke up. "You are the great and wise Hines! Do not let yourself fall to the trap of the Barlog!" The Dark Lord cried out. "If we have to, we will march with the few men we have, and we will destroy that terrible creature once and for all. Get up, pick up your staff, and be the great man you are!"
Hines looked up at him, and he saw the gleam returning to his eyes. And at that moment, the doors burst open, and Heera stumbled in. She was carrying Kiltan by her side, with his arm slung over her back. She gave a weak cry for help, before they both fell to the ground. The Dark Lord carried the limp body of Kiltan in and laid him besides Bull. Helena helped Heera to the chair. The rest of the six heroes came into the house soon after that.
Heera drank some water, and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Hines came and stood besides the Dark Lord, and looked grimly at Kiltan. "He tried to attack the men in the guesthouse before he ran out. After making sure the men in there were fine, I ran after him. I found him lying on the ground in the forest near the southern road. He's not dead. I believe he collapsed from exhaustion, for he is still weak." Heera said. Leiguin quickly ran up to Kiltan, and looking to Hines, he asked, "If he collapsed due to exhaustion, then we can heal him. But is there anything else that corrupts him? What can you see?"
Hines rested his hand on Kiltan's chest and closed his eyes tightly in deep thought. Slowly, he spoke. "I do not feel the evil thoughts of the Barlog in him anymore. Yes, he is only exhausted, but severely so." Then, he walked back to his chair, and beckoned the rest to gather around him. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he told them all of Malady, and the fall of Darlond, and all that had happened.
After he said this, he called for one of his fairies. "Go down to the fields, and gather a few men. Call them to make a fine slab of timber wood, and lay Darlond's body on it. Bring him to the Tomb of the Elders, and lay him there." The fairy bowed, and then left.
"I knew we couldn't trust that witch!" Cassandra shouted, and stabbed her dagger into the floor. "How could you not see that she is evil, and will turn on us when she has the chance?" But Hines calmed her down. "It was indeed a clever trick that the Barlog thought of. When she came to my house, I looked at her, and all I could see was good will and repentance in her heart. I knew the Barlog had a strong hold on her, but I did not expect the Barlog to regain its power so quickly. It knew Malady wanted to break free from its powers, and since the Barlog was weak, she took this chance to help us people to defeat it. But now that it regained its strength, it twisted her mind back to evil thoughts. It was a trap all along. And so were Kiltan and Darlond."
"But how did it do it?" Amelia said. "It makes no sense. The Barlog was weak. We defeated it. And now you say that it is well again? How is that possible?" "That, I still do not know." Hines replied.
"And what now of the plan to move on a final strike against the Barlog?" Lazarus asked. "If it is as strong as you say it is, doesn't that put us in even greater danger? The Barlog would be as strong and powerful as when it attacked Ellinia. But this time, we will face it in its own Sanctuary. If it somehow managed to regain its strength in there, then I can only imagine what it can do when it faces us."
Hines gave a deep sigh. "Unfortunately, that is exactly what we must do. We cannot give it the chance to rise again. Strike now, when it is alone. Not when it builds up its forces for a third attack." He looked at Bull, resting on the ground. "When you all go, I cannot follow. I have to stay with Bull, and guard the city. The Barlog may try and send the rest of the group of Maladys upon us. We cannot leave the city vulnerable. I will only need a few archers with me to help defend this city if there were to be an attack. All others will march on to Sleepywood, and reclaim it as our city. After that, you will all descend into the caves, and to the Sanctuary. But do not force the men along with you. Let it be of their own will to choose if they wish to follow you down, or return to Ellinia. For if they give in to terror or fear while within the caves, they would be easy prey for the Barlog, and it would control their minds, turning them against us."
"Let me stay in your stead." Helena said. "It is true that Malady fear your holy powers, but so does the Barlog. You would be of greater help if you went with them. I will stay and watch over Bull." Hines nodded, and turned back to the rest. "Then it is set. Helena will stay with Bull and protect the town. I will gather the men who are still fit and prepare them for the attack. We will leave when Kiltan and Elmithir are ready."
"But wouldn't it be better if Kiltan were to stay here?" Benovan asked. "If the powers of the Barlog were to stretch as far as Ellinia from deep within its Sanctuary, bringing Kiltan there would be just like handing him over to the Barlog." Hines replied, "I believe he will be strong. We need everyone we possibly can get to defeat the Barlog. But if Kiltan were to fall to its dark will." Hines shook his head, and a tear trickled from his eye. "Let us hope it does not come to that. But if we must, then we have to kill him." He turned to Heera, and spoke in a choked voice. "Do you understand? If he were to fall to its will, he will no longer know you. You have to kill him before he does any harm." Heera slowly nodded, and then immediately burst into tears. Helena held her tightly, and whispered into her ear, "It will not come to that. Be as strong as he is."
But then, Hines stood up. He looked up at the ceiling, as though listening for some tiny sound. The Dark Lord began to speak, but Hines held up his hand, asking for silence. They all watched him, not knowing what to do. Then, he beckoned for Leiguin to come up to him. "Listen," he said softly. "Do you hear that? Can you feel it?" Leiguin looked around, and seemed to concentrate his thoughts on some unknown source. Slowly, the two mages walked out the door, and out onto the platforms, and the rest followed close behind. They could only hear the soft rustling of leaves around them, as the cooling evening breeze blew by. Leiguin looked at Hines and nodded.
Then Hines finally broke the silence. "That is it!" He shouted. He pointed at the Tree of Victoria. "That's the source of the Barlog's power!" He quickly walked over to the confused group. "I now understand! The Barlog has been taking the life source of the Tree, and using it to replenish itself! That is how it could recover so quickly. And that is why the Tree is dead." And indeed, the Tree was looking even worse now. The branches were beginning to break off, and the bark was crumbling. "It tapped the Tree of its powers and used it for itself, but not anymore, for the Tree in nearly dead. If we were to attack it, it will be a tough battle, but at least we know that it no longer has its main source of energy anymore."
Hines led them back into his house. "So does that mean the Barlog cannot reach into the minds of Kiltan or Malady anymore?" Helena asked. But Hines shook his head. "Unfortunately not. The Barlog has little energy left, but still enough to launch an attack against us. I can still feel some of its evil energies around us. I highly doubt an attack from Malady, but once again this might be a trap to draw us away from our town. However, for the moment it seems to only be interested in suppressing Bull from waking up."
"So, will Bull be fine?" Lazarus asked in concern of his great leader. "He is not dead." Hines replied. "He is simply being held back by the Barlog. Now all we have to do is destroy that foul creature." He gave a weak smile, and turned back to Bull.
But then, a loud shout broke the calm silence. The group was taken aback in shock, as the shout echoed loudly within the small enclosed house. It was Kiltan, and he was sitting straight up. His eyes were wide open, staring blanking in front of his. He was now silent, and simply sat on the ground and did not move. Heera ran forward to him, but Hines held her back. She called out his name repeatedly, but there was no response from him. He simply sat still, his palms pressed against the floor, and his forehead covered in tiny beads of cold sweat.
And then he spoke in a deep, slow voice. "I can see it. I see the devil. Help me. Somebody help me!" And then he screamed again, louder this time. Hines picked up his staff, and walked over to him, while Helena held Heera in her arms. Hines raised his staff over Kiltan, and began a soft chant. Slowly, Kiltan's voice died down. But then, he turned his head, ever so slowly, and he looked straight at Hines. The group could not see what was happening, but they heard Hines chanting ever louder, and with greater strength. And then, Kiltan spoke again, but not with his own voice. He spoke in an even deeper voice, like a low rumbling growl, that seemed to mock everyone around him, laughing at their fear. "You pathetic fool. You cannot beat me." And then he laughed. So deep and evil, that it chilled them all to the bone. His laugh echoed in the room, surrounding them all.
"Be gone, you evil demon! I cast you away from my kingdom!" Hines cried out over the terrible laughter. And he struck his staff against Kiltan's forehead. Immediately, Kiltan cried out in pain, and fell flat on the ground, his hands clawing at the staff. But Hines held it firm, and slowly, Kiltan stopped, and his eyes closed. Hines stumbled back, breathing heavily, and the Dark Lord helped him to his chair. Heera ran up to Kiltan, holding him tightly, pressing her teary cheeks to his face. "Be strong." She softly said in his ear, not only to him, but to herself as well.
Still panting, Hines said, "It was the Barlog itself. When I saw his eyes, I could remember them. They were the same stare as Malady's. Clouded with evil, but deep within, desperately trying to fight the beast." Heera turned back to Hines and ask, "Is he going to be alright?" Hines nodded. "I can feel the powers of the Barlog slowly fading away, but only for now. What it may do in the future, I do not know. But for now at least, we are safe."
"You should all go and rest now. One of you, help me call for Sabatrima, and send him to me. Heera, you can stay here with Kiltan if you wish." And so the rest of the group left, but Leiguin stayed behind with Heera. Soon, Sabatrima came up, and he set up a small clay stove to boil his herbs. Leiguin sat and talked with Hines, while Heera sat besides Kiltan the whole time. As the night drew on, she soon felt sleep coming over her, and lay down besides Kiltan. She stroked her hand across his cheek, and closed her eyes.
It was still late at night, when she felt herself being shaken lightly on her shoulder. Opening one eye, she looked up around the dark house, and saw Kiltan looking over her. Immediately, she got up. "Kiltan, you are back!" She shouted, and hugged him. As she did, the lights came on, and Hines came from his room. He smiled as he saw Kiltan.
"What is happening to me?" Kiltan asked, with his face full of confusion and fear. He started to ask more questions, but Hines shushed him down. "I will tell you everything when you are feeling better. But for now, you need rest. I promise I will answer all your questions in the morning." And so, with Heera besides him, Kiltan slept. For many days, the Barlog had hounded his mind, but not today. He did not know why, but he felt that Hines knew the answer. He no longer felt the dark cloud of the Barlog in his mind, and so he slept peacefully.
The next day, Hines told Kiltan everything. In the afternoon, the elders and the rest of the heroes went down to the plains, to the Tomb of the Elders along the eastern side of Ellinia, the final resting place of great leaders of the past. Hines laid his hand on the cold stone of the tomb, and softly spoke, "You were a great man, and leader of your fellow mages. You will not die in vain."
For three more days, they stayed in Ellinia. Kiltan and Heera paid regular visits to Elmithir, who was now able to walk, and was recovering well. In his house, Hines said to the rest of the elders, "They are ready. There is no more time to waste, we have to leave now." Helena nodded, and watched as Hines and the Dark Lord left the house. They gathered the men they had chosen, a total of about a hundred men from different classes. The last nine heroes dressed themselves in their best amour, and sharpened their weapons. They stood besides Hines and the Dark Lord, and looked back at the group of men assembled on the fields, all suited up for battle.
"All of you men of Victoria! This is a war that was constantly being fought for over a hundred year. Now, we go and claim what is rightfully ours! March onward, and let us end this battle in victory!" Hines shouted with a great booming voice, and all the men cheering in high spirits. And so, as the sun bore down on them, they marched over the bright green fields of Ellinia, down towards Henesys, and off to Sleepywood.