Chronicles of Espiria Season 2
Episode 6 – The Nightlander
Written by the Dude
Banner Image by Stormrider
Ulmus stood in a clearing in the Dark Forest, admiring the young trees that he had tended for so many years. He was conversing with a sapling when a pair of Dreafs ran between his feet. Most denizens of the Dark Forest were unnerved by these strange flower beings and tried to avoid them as much as they could; the Dreafs seemed to recognize that they made the other Wilders nervous and tended to keep to their own corner of the forest to avoid confrontation. So these two making so bold was quite unusual. As the Dreafs disappeared into the brush, Ulmus heard a sinister laugh seeming to emanate from all directions. He looked around and soon saw a strange darkness closing in from all directions. Any life touched by the darkness shriveled and rotted to dust in mere seconds, the only evidence remaining that they once lived being the caved in soil left behind by their roots. Unable to escape from the darkness, Ulmus braced for what seemed to be inevitable...
Ulmus started awake in the middle of the clearing, breathing heavily from the fright he just experienced. His dreams had been growing steadily darker for weeks; lately, he could no longer close his eyes without seeing another nightmare. He uprooted himself and started toward the home of Arden, hoping for his advice on this matter, when he found himself face to face with the ghastly form of a decomposing treant reaching out for his throat...
Ulmus started awake with a shout next to Arden's house. His dreams had been growing not only darker, but more bizarre with each passing night. Moments later, Arden emerged from his home to see what the commotion was about.
"Ulmus?" Arden said, still trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Ulmus did not answer; he was still struggling to get his bearings after his nightmare. Arden eventually grimaced as he realized what was going on.
"You had a nightmare, didn't you, old friend?"
Ulmus just nodded.
"You are not the first to complain to me about having excessive nightmares." Arden continued. "I suspect a Hypogean plot, but I cannot imagine how their magic could be penetrating our barriers."
"Perhaps it would be wise to consult the priests again." Ulmus suggested, having recovered his bearings some. "They aided us well the last time they were here."
"Perhaps." Arden answered as he considered the idea. "They can do no harm in any case, and it would be nice to see them again. I will consult Yggdrasil in the morning. You, my friend, should talk to Solise in the morning; perhaps she has some potion that will help you."
"I will. Thank you, Arden."
Arden nodded, then returned inside. Ulmus leaned against the house, trying to fall asleep, but proving unable.
The next day, Ulmus was walking through the forest on his way to Solise's house, having difficulty concentrating through his lack of sleep, when Kaz brushed against his leg. She was running full speed in the opposite direction, and seemed surprised that Ulmus wasn't heading her way too.
"Hurry up, Ulmus, we got Hypogeans on the edge of the forest!"
Ulmus stood still as he worked to process Kaz's news. He was startled out of his thoughts as Ira landed on his shoulder much harder than usual.
"You alright?" she asked as she settled into a comfortable nook in Ulmus' shoulder.
"I'll be fine." Ulmus answered with a yawn. "Did Kaz say that Hypogeans are attacking again?"
"Yeah, they're trying to cut through the brush to the south." Ira's gaze fell on Ulmus' drooping eyes. "Are you sure you're okay? You look wiped."
"I've not been sleeping well the past week."
Ira leaned in and whispered, "Lyca's been having nightmares too. Solise makes a potion that's helped her the last few nights. You should see if Solise can help you too."
"Arden suggested as much last night. I will see her once this battle has ended."
Having woken up a little from talking to Ira, Ulmus picked up the pace to the battle, Ira riding on his shoulder.
When Ulmus arrived, Lyca, Kaz, and the rest of the Dusk Patrol were already in the heat of combat. Kaz and Eletha were assassinating Hypogeans hacking away at the brush wall that blocked entry to the forest, while Aerin was perched in a tree above them, firing arrows at any unarmored Hypogeans, all while Lyca barked orders to everyone on the battlefield.
"Kaz, don't forget that you can bleed as much as they can! Aerin, we need more cover to the left! Nice hit, Auran!"
Lyca turned and smiled wide when she noticed Ulmus approaching with Ira on his shoulder.
"About time you two showed up! Ira, I need you to cover Mikyana and Flince; they're going over the brush!"
Ira glanced down at the two recent Dusk Patrol initiates, an owl girl armed with a wooden stiletto knife and a weasel boy wielding a Lightbearer greatsword, and nimbly made her way to a sturdy tree branch to give herself the best vantage point from which she could cover them.
"Ulmus, there are some ogres in the back line with catapults! If they can fire those, our brush wall will crumble like dead leaves!"
Ulmus looked over the encroaching Hypogean forces for a moment until he spotted the ogres Lyca was talking about. Never taking his eyes off his target, Ulmus thrust his legs deep into the forest soil, rooting himself in place; he then reached into the earth, dragged out an impossibly large rock, and hurled it at the ogres. The rock just barely missed the ogres he was aiming for, instead rolling over a group of Hypogean mages near them. The next one, however, splintered two of the catapults and crushed the ogres that carried them. Ulmus continued to hurl rocks in this way even after all the catapults were destroyed, being extra careful to avoid Mikyana and Flince, who moved all over the battlefield seemingly at random, leaving a trail of dead Hypogeans wherever they went. Finally, the Hypogean commander called a retreat, and the battlefield was soon empty, save a few imps still limping away and Mikyana helping an injured Flince back to the safety of the forest.
"Well done, everyone!" Lyca said as Flince settled down next to Nemora. "Kaz, your recklessness still worries me, but you stopped so many axes from breaking through the brush. Ira, you and Ulmus showed up just in time to turn the tide. Mikyana, Flince, you'll be getting special honors from Arden himself for your courage today, just as soon as Flince is healed."
"It's only a scratch!" Flince shouted, though it was obvious from the blood stains on his pants that it was much worse than a simple scratch.
More congratulations were passed around, then everyone reported back to Yggdrasil to update Arden on the victory. All except for Ulmus; he knew that Solise would be by soon to collect the Hypogean bodies for her composting, so he decided to wait for her and talk to her about his nightmares. As he waited, exhaustion overtook him and he fell into a deep sleep.
He found himself in a clearing, Dreafs darting about as if this was their territory. Ulmus heard a sinister laugh seeming to come from all directions, followed by a scream that always came from behind him no matter what direction he faced. Soon he noticed a shape floating toward him, eyes ablaze. The shape seemed to have no definite form, making it difficult for Ulmus to decide where on the thing's body he should strike to defend himself. The smell of the shape was of no help either; it was like that of a Graveborn, but had a malevolent quality he had never smelled before. The shape reached out for Ulmus, but before it could grasp him, a calming blue mist fell over the clearing; the shape melted away, the laughter fell silent, and all was still. In the stillness, Ulmus began to calm down and even relax, when he heard another voice, this one seemingly distant, call out for help from the mist.
"If anyone can hear me, please, answer me!"
"Who are you?" Ulmus called out.
"Please, whoever you are, sound the call of the Nightlanders!" the voice answered. "I will explain everything!"
At that moment, Ulmus awoke to find Solise standing over him.
"Ulmus, what are you doing here? Never mind. Since you're here, would you help me load up these Hypogean bodies?"
"Of course," Ulmus answered as he stood up, "but as soon as we return to your home, I'll need supplies for an incantation."
"What sort of incantation?"
"I'll explain on the way."
Once the bodies of the fallen Hypogeans were loaded into Solise's cart, they started back toward Solise's home. As they walked, Ulmus described his dream to her.
"So what is the Call of the Nightlanders?" Solise asked after Ulmus finished his story.
"It is a spell that I learned as a sapling for times of great distress. I was taught only to use it if I knew that my life was in grave danger, for the creatures it summons will not brook being summoned lightly."
Once they arrived at Solise's home, she gathered the supplies Ulmus listed, careful to gather only the finest ingredients she had, while Ulmus unloaded the cart. Once all was in order, Ulmus and Solise took the ingredients to the Spring of Life, a small pond in the southeast of the Dark Forest. By the time they arrived, the sun had set, and the only light available came from the fireflies dancing over the surface of the pond. Ulmus sat on the shore and carried out the incantation with careful precision, even momentarily putting aside his aversion to fire to make sure all was done right, though he did leave the actual setting of the fire to Solise.
After Ulmus finished, he and Solise opened their eyes to find a small flower along the shore that neither of them remembered being there before; though it glowed merrily, it's petals had yet to open. As they gazed on this curious wonder, the petals began to slowly open, finally revealing what appeared to be a fairy sleeping in the middle of the flower, no larger than a human thumb. Ulmus was amazed; there had been no fairies in the Dark Forest since the first Hypogean war, and here was one just resting in a flower.
Presently, the fairy yawned and sat up cross legged. She took in her surroundings for a moment, allowing her delicate wings to air out as she did so, before noticing her legs. She gasped in surprise, then stood up and began to examine herself more closely. This was when she noticed Ulmus and Solise.
"Are you the ones who summoned me?" the fairy asked.
"We are." Ulmus answered.
"Thank you. And thank you so much for my lovely body. I've never had a real body before."
"Um, I'm sorry, but who are you?" Solise asked, still trying to understand what she was looking at.
"My name is Tasi, and I am here on a mission of vital importance."
"Then you should meet my friend Arden as well." Ulmus offered. "He is wise and learned; whatever your task, he will surely be able to help you."
Tasi flew up and gently alighted on Ulmus' shoulder. "Take me to him."
One hour later, the three of them were sitting in Arden's home, Arden regarding Tasi with great curiosity.
"My name is Tasi. I am a Nightlander."
"A pleasure to meet you, Tasi." Arden said as he looked Tasi over curiously. "I don't believe I have ever met anyone quite like you."
"I imagine. No Nightlander has entered the waking realm since the age of Dura."
"Sorry, but what is a Nightlander?" Solise asked, suddenly feeling like the least intelligent person in the room.
"A Nightlander is a denizen of the Nightlands, what you might call the dream realm." Ulmus answered. "The dreams that mortals have here in the real world are given flesh in the Nightlands for a time."
"We tend these dreams to ensure that they do not get out of hand." Tasi continued. "We turn nightmares into lullabies and sweet dreams into disturbing ones, whatever our needs are. That is, we would if all was as it should be."
"Is something wrong in the Nightlands?" Arden asked.
"We know all too well about the Hypogean invasion; many people are suffering from terrible nightmares because of their concern about what may happen if the monsters come to their lands. We have worked hard to bring peaceful sleep to these poor dreamers, but it is not enough; there is always someone else plagued by nightmares anymore."
"You can hardly blame us." Solise chimed in. "These things are scary, especially in groups."
"We do not, and if it was only the fear of these creatures causing these nightmares, we might be able to control the dreams. But there is something else; I am certain that one of the Hypogeans has found a way into the Nightlands."
Each of the three Wilders had a slightly different response to this suspicion. Solise was saddened at the thought that another land was suffering from Hypogean invasion. Arden was more concerned because he better understood the consequences of the dream realm falling under Hypogean control. Ulmus, knowing more about the Nightlands than any but Tasi, likely had the most appropriate reaction: shock.
"But there are countless spells and blessings on the Nightlands blocking entry by any but the purest of hearts!" he objected.
"We do not know how he managed it either," Tasi admitted, "but he has proven to be very powerful and very cunning; it takes all our effort to undo the horrors he has committed, leaving us little if any time to tend to the dreams of mortals." Tasi was downcast a moment. "I am sorry for that."
"So why did you leave the Nightlands?" Arden asked.
"We all determined that we could only do so much from within the Nightlands. One of us had to find a way into the waking realm and battle the Hypogean from this side; in short, you need a champion so that you can sleep more soundly."
Solise looked at Tasi incredulously as the fairy stood on the lip of a teacup. Tasi noticed Solise's expression. "Is something wrong?"
"Well..." Solise held up her hand with her thumb and pointer finger extended, approximating Tasi's height.
Tasi puffed out her chest and planted her hands on her hips defiantly. "Are you judging me by my size?!"
"No offense," Solise answered apologetically, "but you're smaller than a human thumb. If you stand up to a Hypogean, it'll stomp you into a grease spot."
"Do not underestimate a Nightlander," Ulmus warned. "We do not know the limits of her power."
"Well said, old friend." Arden chimed in. "And I would rather not find out her limits in the middle of a battle. We will speak with Yggdrasil in the morning and devise some tests to..."
Lorsan burst into Arden's home before he could finish. "They're back!" he shouted. "The Hypogeans are back, and they have reinforcements!"
Solise gasped at this news. Arden asked, "Have you told the Dusk Patrol?"
"Kaz already knows; she was with me when I heard them coming! She said she would get the others! The Hypogeans are making for the same part of the forest as before!"
"We will meet them there." Arden looked up to Ulmus. "Old friend, I will do my part if you will carry me there."
Ulmus scooped Arden into one of his arms while Tasi took a place in a knot on Ulmus' shoulder, then Ulmus started walking as fast as he could toward the edge of the forest. Lorsan followed soon after.
"And it looked like Kaz was really starting to enjoy herself, too!" Lorsan pouted.
When Ulmus arrived at the indicated place, he found Lyca, Kaz, and Ira already there, watching the army approach. It would still be some time before the army reached the brush wall, but the Dusk Patrollers could still tell that it had grown substantially in the few hours since being driven off.
"Ulmus, I'm glad you're here!" Lyca said when she noticed Ulmus; she had yet to notice Arden or Tasi. She turned to Lorsan, who had run up just after Ulmus. "Lorsan, are the others coming yet?"
Lorsan perked up an ear as he caught his breath. "Mikyana and Flince are still recovering from the last time. The rest are on their way."
"Will they get here in time?" Arden asked, slipping free of Ulmus' grip. "Or should we attack the Hypogeans now to slow their advance?"
"Either way is fine by me." Ira said. "They're too far away right now for my arrows to be that accurate, but it's dark enough that I could probably sneak in range without them noticing."
"Yeah! Let's go stabby stab!" Kaz shouted.
"I don't like it." Lyca said. "I'm afraid there are too many for just the few of us."
Lorsan perked up his ears again. "I think she's right. Every time I listen, I hear a few more sets of footsteps. I don't know if all the Dusk Patrol together could handle that many at the best of times."
As the others continued to debate, Tasi whispered in Ulmus' ear, "I want to help."
"Nothing stops you." Ulmus whispered back. "I do not believe anything can."
Tasi smiled at Ulmus, then, unnoticed by the others, flew from her perch away from the forest toward the Hypogean army.
After a few minutes, she halted her advance and hovered above the army, hidden from their view by her small size. She took a moment to consider the size of the army and the ferocity of its members; no wonder the mortals feared these monsters. Soon, she began to fly to and fro over the army, scattering a blue dust wherever she went. The Hypogeans were unsure at first what to make of the blue mist, but soon, wherever the mist fell, they began to drift into a peaceful, pleasant sleep. It was not long before the entire army was fast asleep. It was the sound of the loud snoring of so many Hypogeans that alerted the Wilders to this turn of events.
"What happened?" Kaz asked, astonished.
"They fell asleep." Ira answered, her snark emerging for a moment. "I'm surprised I have to point that out to you."
"Whatever happened, we need to take advantage of it." Lyca concluded. "Ira, Kaz, let's make sure they don't wake up."
The three Dusk Patrollers jumped the brush wall and began the long and silent task of assassinating the Hypogean soldiers before they could wake. As they worked, Tasi landed gently on Ulmus' shoulder, apparently exhausted.
"Are you all right, Tasi?" Ulmus asked, concerned.
"I'll be fine after I rest; I didn't realize how much that would take out of me."
Tasi leaned on Ulmus' cheek for a time, catching her breath, until she reached up and hugged his chin.
"Thank you for believing in me, Ulmus."
After she released Ulmus' chin, she curled up in a knot in his shoulder and fell asleep. Ulmus smiled back at the fairy in his shoulder as the rest of the Dusk Patrol arrived.
"We came as soon as we could!" Eletha shouted. "Where's Lyca?"
"She, Kaz, and Ira have already engaged the enemy." Arden answered in as urgent a voice as he could muster. "She left orders that you should join her immediately upon your arrival."
Without another word, the Dusk Patrollers jumped the brush wall, ready to repel whatever the Hypogeans could throw at them. Ulmus and Arden chuckled a moment when they heard Aerin call out, "What the..."