Posted by admin on November 2, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Sometime later I woke as Pascalli brushed dust from my clothes and armor. My bones ached. My hands and neck felt raw, and breathing was painful and difficult.
“You’ve bruised your chest somehow,” said Pascalli. “I didn’t get all of the details of what happened in there. You’ve been asleep for nearly an hour.”
“Are we safe?” I asked.
“You did well, my boy,” said Pascalli when I could finally stand. “We’re safe enough for now.”
“I survived,” I said.
“Which is more than the opposition can say,” replied the wizard with a wink and a smile. “And you rid the world of a power that was never meant to be.”
I smiled to myself. “Perhaps,” I admitted. I looked around. The end of the corridor had collapsed completely. Rubble piled to the ceiling. “Any idea how to get home?” I asked.
“Several,” replied the wizard. “However if you would like to get there without starving to death then I’m afraid I may come up a bit short.”
“I was afraid of that,” I said. “At least I had one good hot meal.” I looked around again, and asked, “Where’s Golgaron?”
“He’s in the study. He said he’d wait for you there.”
We found the statue waiting for us in the center of the room, silently guarding the books he had guarded for centuries. For a few markets afterwards I had difficulty breathing, and my hands turned numb from time to time. I remembered only portions of the visions I had while in the Key to the Stars, but often bits of knowledge came to me unexpected. The voices of the world sounded clearer to me than before. I slipped the rings from my hands and put them carefully into my pocket.
“Are you hurt, master?” he asked.
“A little,” I replied. “It’s not serious. Do you know how to get back to the palace?”
“There is a secret way that Davmandius used,” said the statue. “There is a staircase hidden here in the study that emerges in his chambers.”
“Lead on,” I said, “I’d like a warm meal and a real bed again.”
We emerged from the depths of the dark stairs at night. I yearned for the touch of wind against my skin and the change of smells carried by the summer breeze. After so many markets in isolation my skin had turned as pale as snow, and the starlight dazzled my eyes. I noticed my own body odor when we reached the fresh air and realized how long it had been since I bathed after passing though so much blood and mire.
“I think you’ll find the palace feels differently now,” said Pascalli. “Your time below will have changed you. I think you will also find that those we left behind have changed.”
“I nearly forgot their faces,” I replied. “I don’t want to go back down there for a long time.”
Pascalli laughed softly. “I’m afraid you may not have a choice in that. There is still a great deal of work to be done here. Danger and loneliness may create one kind of a man. Building a town makes another.”
No servants dwelt in the Palace before we entered the darkness, for Pascalli had deemed it still to dangerous, though I had slept there from time to time.
The silent dark corridors seemed a welcome relief, though I longed to see my friends again.
“I would like a bath,” I told Pascalli.
“And a shave,” said the wizard. “I will find us some clean clothes and soap. I wonder if the bath house is still in order.”
Pascalli left for the baths, leaving me alone with Golgaron.
“Much has changed since I have been gone,” observed the statue. “These halls were filled with laughter and happiness.” His tone showed no emotion. I do not believe he felt the same way about things as a person usually does, but I knew that he did not like what he saw.
“There will be laughter here again,” I promised. “I’ll need your help to make that happen.”
“I am your servant,” he replied.
“Then I would like you to go each night, into the upper halls of the palace and drive out or slay the evil creatures that have come here. When that is finished, go into the city and clean it out as well.”
“Yes, master. Will you continue your training?” He asked.
“Yes, everyday,” I replied. “Train me as you would train any of Davmandius’ generals or sons. This is my home now. I would like to defend it properly.”
“Then we will begin at dawn.” He left me alone and hurried into the upper portions of the palace. Somebody had gone to great pain to clean the chambers and halls. Not only had the baths been repaired and put in order, but the royal apartments were clean and furnished. The place felt more a home than I remembered it, and I could not help but compare it to the burned out house on the farm.
I found Pascalli and bathed and put on fresh clothes. Pascalli produced a shirt and trousers, clearly made by a fine tailor. I do not know where he found them. “It will take your body a few days to re-adjust to a regular day and night,” Pascalli told me. “It will be easier if you stay awake tonight and all day tomorrow. I think I will look around the city a bit and see what has changed.”
“I hope they finished the rest of the planting,” I said.
“I’m sure they finished that much. Twoleaf already had plans to clear herself a plot beyond the walls. We’ll need industry to establish trade. I don’t think Delvin has given much thought to reopening the mines or harvesting the timber that grows so freely, but Thorn promised to scout the old traces for me. The city will need all of these things and much more if you want it to survive.” He caught the distracted look in my eyes. “We can talk about all of these things tomorrow. Let your mind rest for now.”
I did not feel tired, only lonely. I was also curious about the city. I really had no idea how long we had been absent, but I did not feel like wandering around alone. A small garden is hidden away behind the palace, planted with ancient oaks and wildflowers. Although it had not yet been fully restored, I found it beautiful. I went there when I felt like thinking. That night I wandered out to greet the stars. The moon showed only a sliver in the sky, but the stars twinkled brightly and the night felt warm. I found an open place and stared up, thinking. Some memory of the Key returned, and I looked down quickly.
I smelled her before she spoke, though I had not seen her in the shadows. “The summer nights are beautiful here,” she said.
I stood for a moment, drinking in her scent, my eyes closed, trying to forget my journey. “No more beautiful than you are to me,” I said, turning to face her.
Dina had changed little. The air of confidence and responsibility weighed a little heavier on her. She did not carry her bow, but her face remained the same as I remembered.
“In many dark moments I missed you,” I said, and pulled her close. I held her tight, and she wept into my shoulder, sobbing away the grief and longing.
“Some of them have given up hope that you would survive,” she said. Then she smiled. “Here you are, looking none the worse for wear.”
I chuckled a little, and then coughed as my chest hurt, and smiled back. “Hardly unscathed,” I said. She frowned, and curiosity leapt to her face. “Some other time,” I cautioned. “Much has happened. Much that I cannot explain, and that I do not wish to remember.”
We talked the night away beneath the stars and trees. I did not wish to dwell on the dark times or discuss the violence we had faced. Instead she told me of the city. Many buildings had been repaired, crops planted. They were clearing the land around the lake, erasing the carnage of the Kaarum. Some of the adventure seekers had disappeared with a small treasure, all they could pack. The loss of horses would be worse than losing the gold. “We have plenty of gold.” She laughed. “But nothing to spend it on.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “There is more treasure below. I want to build the city. I want to make this a place where people can live. We can cut timber and send it south along with furs. Our gold will buy equipment, tools, everything we need. This is my home now. I want to build it into something we can be proud of.”
“And is the lord of Darnuth Keep to have a lady?” she asked, her eyes sparkling in the starlight.
“A fitting question.” Laural stepped from the shadows. The moonlight highlighted the paler tones of her hair. Laural wore a tight fitting buckskin vest. I noticed for the first time a tattoo on her upper left arm. Something in her eyes betrayed a change I had not previously recognized. “I saw the wizard and thought I might find you here. We’ve had a fair bit of trouble since you’ve been gone.”
“At least I had a good rest,” I replied. My tone was more than slightly condescending. Dina pulled away from me slightly. She stared at Laural with steely anger.
“You’ve no business here tonight,” said Dina.
“Neither have you,” replied Laural. “The palace belongs to the king alone.”
“Then at least I have the right to be in my own gardens,” I replied. Laural stopped short, avoiding my eyes. “I also presume I can have guests if I choose.”
“I’m sorry,” replied Laural. “We are all curious about what happened. Everyone has been on edge lately.”
“No doubt a great many tragedies trouble you, young ladies,” said Pascalli. Laural jumped at the sound of his voice. “I am certain that Delvin has not allowed either of you the freedom you would have preferred, though I imagine you have still found ways to create mischief. I do not think you will find Scratch in the mood to deal with your squabbling at the moment.”
I found Pascalli’s intervention both reassuring and annoying. Though I felt refreshed simply breathing clear air again, my mind felt tired. “You are right. I don’t need arguing right now.”
Pascalli began to usher the women out of the garden when I caught Dina’s hand. The wizard noted my motion and wrapped an arm around Laural’s shoulder. “Have you ever seen a crystal garden?” I heard him ask Laural as they left.
“You asked me a question,” I said to Dina when we were alone. I slipped one of the matching rings from my pocket. “In the darkness you brought me hope. I want to share that hope with you now, and forever.”
Somewhere in the starlight our lips met, and I pulled her into an embrace I hoped would never end.
THE END
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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Posted by admin on October 26, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
I freely admit that I was not prepared for that confrontation. I had steeled myself to face the kind of horror that would spawn the grotesque lizard creatures and that would consort with demons of the sort we had fought all along the way, but I was not prepared to face her beauty and majesty.
No hint of the previous struggle touched her face. If I expected a demonic apparition with grotesquely revolting features I could not have been more mistaken. No horns. No fangs. No claws. She stood arrayed in a mix of tight fitting red leather and sashes. Her beautiful locks of coal black hair braided like tempting snakes about her shoulders. Except for the hint of a red glow behind her pupils and the overwhelming sense of power, she appeared no different than any other beautiful woman. Her otherwise creamy skin held a faint hint of green. A short, broad-bladed sword hung at her belt.
I stood for a moment, transfixed. I had known some pretty girls, but at that tender age I had never before seen such an overwhelmingly beautiful woman, and certainly not such a magnificent personality. She captured my attention and my imagination. For several seconds I waited, unable to fully take in the room, or even to notice my companions.
“Who are you to enter my domain unbidden?” her voice rang out firm and commanding, yet somehow alluring at the same time. I felt compelled to answer, but for the moment I was too overwhelmed to speak.
“Be wary, boy,” I heard Pascalli speaking hoarsely. He sounded small and insignificant. His voice seemed distant and weak.
I had no answer for her. I stepped one foot cautiously into the blue circle, my spear lowered. An unknown fear gripped at my heart, not the fear of pain or of death, but the fear of being completely lost to myself and the world. Part of me wanted to lose myself, to let go of my own will and subjugate myself to the dominating influence that stood before me. I felt my spear slip from my fingers and clatter noisily on the stone.
“Fight it,” I heard a voice echo, as if from beneath water or from a deep cavern.
My second foot crossed the blue circle and searing pain burned through my hands where the rings touched my skin. I felt my body burning, as if consumed by a raging fever. Sweat poured from my brow. For the first time I noticed the gold medallion hanging at Asmordreda’s neck. The medallion burst into light, and I glanced down at my hands to see the diamonds on the rings shining with powerful energy. Before me the demon’s confidence wavered. I saw the burning amulet at her neck, and I knew that she felt the same pain that coursed through my body.
Suddenly the circle around us burst into light and a shimmering translucent blue wall of energy surrounded us. Dimly I could see Pascalli struggling in a fight with foes I had not before noticed. Golgaron stood transfixed to my left, apparently unable to move before the awesome power of the chamber. A second wave of pain rushed through my hands and body. The sounds of my scream were swallowed up by Asmordreda’s cries as she grasped furiously at the amulet around her neck. Her confidence and majesty waned, and her beauty seemed to begin to slowly melt away.
A great wind suddenly whipped at my face. Swirling torrents of light and energy began to race through the circle, buffeting both of us. The ground trembled. I felt transfixed, unable to force myself to push through the agony. Though I could dimly see Pascalli battling, no sounds crossed the barrier. What had Pascalli told me to do? My mind raced against the pain, grasping at memories that should not have seemed so distant. Send her back. I had no power beyond my hopes and my will. Send her back, the thought came powerfully.
I held that thought, and suddenly she staggered, as if struck by some unseen force. A thin trickle of black blood appeared at the corner of her mouth. She bellowed with animal rage as she lunged at me, her soft white fingers suddenly becoming razor claws hungry to tear my flesh.
“No!” I shouted, and held up my hand. She stopped short, as the force of my will created a barrier between us. “Go back!” I said, and swung my hand as if to push her away. The force of energy struck her, and she fell to one knee. Her perfect skin had begun to slowly dissolve away, revealing a scaly black hide beneath, though her body retained its perfect proportions.
“Never!” She lashed back, swinging one hand with a backhanded blow that sent a ripple of energy my way.
I raised my left hand to ward the blow, and with my right hand grasped a bolt of fire as it roared past, using its momentum to spin me around, out of harm’s way and then redirecting it at my adversary. The fire caught her directly in the chest, and she flew back from the force of impact, slamming into the translucent barrier.
“You cannot win, child,” she hissed. Her voice had lost all of its charm and majesty. “No mortal weapon can destroy me.” Her hair had become a tangle of writhing serpents. Her eyes flared with red fire. She struggled to her feet. As she did, she clawed at the energy around her with both hands, preparing a new attack. A massive force caught me suddenly in the chest and lifted me from the ground. As I slammed into the barrier behind me, I heard something crack. The acrid smell of smoking hair suddenly surrounded me, and I felt hot charges like lighting shooting down my back.
I slumped to the ground, rolling weakly away from the barrier. I cannot truly describe the heavy despair that overcame me then. My weaknesses and failings seemed to be spread before me like cards on a table, each to be measured and counted. What a foolish boy I felt. That I should stand before one of the great powers in our grand universe seemed ludicrous. Across the circle Asmordreda crouched. Though disheveled and shaken her incredible sense of power had not completely disappeared. The outward mantle had largely crumbled, but she still carried a sinister alluring beauty that I no longer felt the strength to resist.
“Join me,” she whispered. Her voice carried an icy, dangerous tone, but her manner did not threaten so much as invite. “This chamber holds the key to the universe. Together …” somewhere her voice faded.
I lost my sense of space and time. I felt my mind drifting into nothingness. Asmordreda stood now, speaking to me, beckoning, but I could not hear her words or see her clearly. The fire from the rings burned my hands until my fingers curled into twitching balls of agony. I felt a fiery pain in my chest. I coughed, and the spasm caused me to vomit. In my delirium I saw the blood mixed with bile and knew that I was bleeding inside. Death was certain. Few recover from such wounds, and only with careful care and expert attention.
At my feet I saw my father’s spear. Dumbly I grasped it in my hands. My fingers felt wet and slipped a little as I used the spear to lift myself from the ground.
As I stood, suddenly everything zoomed into clarity.
“Don’t be stupid,” she said. “You can’t kill me.” I saw her raise a hand to throw another bolt of energy, and I waited.
Time slowed. I saw her hand come down, and in my mind I knew it was a useless gesture. I saw the energy form, heard it resisting her will but compelled by the power of the chamber, and I understood. With my mind, I reached out and told the energy to stop. The bolt dissipated. Asmordreda stood confused, angry.
I willed my body to become whole. I felt and heard the elements within my flesh crying their resistance. I asked them to ignore the natural order of death and return my organs to their proper function. They obeyed. I ordered the burning in my hands to cease, and it stopped. A rush of power such as I had never felt consumed me. I saw with absolute clarity the world around me. I heard the breathing of Pascalli as he cowered in a corner, overwhelmed by the surging power of the chamber.
“Give me the amulet,” I said. I did not recognize my voice for the power that it carried. Asmordreda cried out in horror and rage as the amulet suddenly tugged at her neck, pulling her towards me. She clawed at it, tried to pull it back, but it burned her hands. The searing power of it scorched her neck. She cried out in agony until she finally pulled her head away and the amulet flew to me.
I put the amulet around me neck and suddenly the entire room filled with blinding white light. The circular barrier vanished with a thunder-crack. At the back of the room a swirling circle of blue energy played against the wall. Within its depths I saw vast angry mountains behind a horde of demonic enemies.
“Go back,” I ordered and pointed to the portal.
“Never,” she spat.
She raised her hands in fury and began to call for help or power, but to no avail. “Go back,” I ordered again, and with my mind I pushed her unwillingly through the portal. Screaming, she was dragged, her claws leaving deep scratches in the stone, into a world of demons. She disappeared into the blue depths.
“Colter,” I heard a small, insignificant voice. “Destroy the portal.” I looked around, and saw Pascalli in the corner pointing at the gate to another realm. He seemed so much smaller, like a child. “You must destroy the portal,” he repeated. “Remember the plan.” He begged. He sobbed. “Remember who you are.”
Who was I? No longer a child, I held all the power of the universe in my hands. What did I need with him? What of the Kaarum? I could destroy them if I wished. What of Dina, my mother, my sister? They were beneath me now. Even the emperor had no power to rival mine. With a glance I willed the portal closed. I did not need it.
“You must give it up, boy,” said the voice again. “It wasn’t meant to be.” I turned to face the wizard. I felt contempt, but no malice. “Look into the future. This is not your destiny.”
Of a sudden my mind filled with visions of battles. Great armies of men surged against my might, but I flung them away carelessly. I destroyed them as a child might kick down an anthill. The horror of it overwhelmed my senses. Still the power of the chamber coursed through me, the power to save, to grow.
A thought came unbidden. A memory of our farm when I sat after a long day toiling in the fields hoping beyond hope for a crop at the end of the season. I heard and knew and felt the elements around me, and I missed the mystery and longing to see things grow of their own will and nature. Though I could bend the world to my will, I could not love it in the way I had once loved it. I saw my mother and sister, Dina, Iven, all those I loved fleeing from me. A part of me scorned them, reveling in my own majesty. A greater part of me hated it.
I took off the amulet, and held it in my left hand. “Get out!” I said to Pascalli. When he did not move I grabbed his arm and pushed him to the door. “Get out while you still can!” Golgaron quickly followed the wizard, and I found myself alone. I went to the center of the circle, and raised the amulet high. As I flung it to the ground I willed the earth to swallow it. The chamber rumbled as a crack opened in the floor. I turned and fled the chamber, running as fast as my tired legs could carry me. Behind me the chamber collapsed, and I was thrown to my face by the wind and dust.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fifty Eight
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Posted by admin on October 12, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Knowing that a person has a key is one thing. Knowing what the key goes to is something else. Perhaps most important, however, is the will to use it for its intended purpose knowing full well the consequences.
I held no illusions that facing Asmordreda would be a simple affair. Pascalli’s grim demeanor served as ample warning to the serious nature of our dilemma.
“Do you know how to defeat her?” I asked Pascalli, contemplating our options.
“No, but we might get lucky.” He chuckled grimly. “We’ll need luck.”
I failed to see the humor, but I suppose that after centuries of seeing so much of the world one begins to find something funny with everything.
“The power of the Key can destroy her,” said Golgaron. “She cannot be defeated with mere weapons of steel.”
“So we just walk up and ask her to hand over the amulet?” I asked. At this point sarcasm had become my only lifeline to sanity. “Please Miss Asmordreda, could you just hand that over so we can blast you to oblivion?” Now it was my turn to laugh. I laughed a hollow, dry laugh, but I wanted to cry.
“We could try that,” agreed Pascalli with mock seriousness. “Or we could take it from her.”
“Sure, you hold her I’ll grab the amulet,” I said.
“We might not need the amulet at all,” he said.
“We still have to activate this Key of the stars, don’t we?” I asked.
“Of course, but we may not need to actually be holding the amulet to do so,” replied Pascalli. “I’ve no idea how this works, but the three keys may only need to be in the chamber, not necessarily held by the same person.”
“Wouldn’t that give everyone in the chamber access to the same power?” I asked.
“Maybe.” Pascalli’s reply did not comfort me. “Perhaps only those holding the tokens will have access to the magic. It doesn’t matter. We don’t have any options anyway. I think you’ll find that simply doing what needs to be done is often challenge enough.”
“I’m not here for the excitement,” I said. I gathered the last of our food and refilled our canteens. “I’ll finish what needs doing so that we can go home.”
“That is an excellent plan,” agreed Pascalli. “I look forward to a bit of rest myself when this is all over.”
“She waits,” said Golgaron. I knew he sensed something about our enemy that neither Pascalli nor I could understand.
Somebody had taken the effort to extinguish all of the lanterns in the corridor outside of the study. They remained functional, however, so we took the time to light them again. Really there was no point fumbling around in the dark when the enemy already knew we were coming.
Golgaron took the lead. “I know where she is hiding,” he said. “I have no need for light.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me,” I agreed. I had no intention of being the first target for a surprise attack.
“I see you’ve inherited some of your mother’s common sense,” replied Pascalli. “No point getting killed if you don’t have to. Davmandius didn’t spend so much of his life crafting Golgaron to see his talents go to waste.”
Despite our preparations, the first ambush surprised me. Golgaron dispatched the three enemies before I became aware of the attack. Although I had spent hours practicing with him, his efficient brutality and effortless violence still surprised me. The fourth spawn of Asmordreda attempted to flee, but my fire stone burned through the scaly hide into its spine.
“Perhaps Golgaron should scout ahead,” suggested Pascalli. “He could clear the path for us with less danger while we light the lanterns.”
I agreed, and we sent the statue to clear the corridors back to the hidden door at the temple. We found the secret doorway shut and the lever to open it had been jammed in some way.
“We’re trapped,” I said. “We only have a few days of food left.”
“There may be another way out,” smiled Pascalli. “It doesn’t look like any more of them will be coming down anytime soon,” he added.
With my hope diminishing, we moved carefully into the other corridor. The brief scrape of stone on stone alerted us to the second ambush. I expected another rush of Asmordreda’s children, but instead a sudden force extinguished the lanterns, and I was left momentarily blinded while the sounds of battle sprang up in front of us. I am certain that without the aid of Golgaron in that corridor we never would have survived. I had not yet mastered the elements sufficiently to instinctively maintain our lighting. It took me several seconds to locate a lantern and light it again, and in that time the battle had nearly ended.
Golgaron still faced one skeletal figure, though it could not hold off the statue’s merciless onslaught for more than a few seconds. The creature’s pale skin clung to its bones, as though no muscle or sinew held it together. Its vacant eyes stared listlessly into space, and I knew that it needed no light to find us. A second creature of the same type lay at our feet, its chest and skull crushed, apparently from the butt end of Golgaron’s spear.
“Do you know what they were?” I asked Pascalli when it was over.
“Some sort of minor demon,” he replied. “Creatures from another world.”
“How did they get here?” I asked.
“That is a very good question,” responded the wizard. “One which I am sure will be answered before we are through.”
We faced a half dozen or so more ambushes, but Golgaron proved an unstoppable force. The corridor made no branches, and there were only a few rooms to either side before we finally reached a stout wooden door. The door itself was indistinguishable from any other in the place, but an out of place silence gripped the area, and our light seemed to disappear as we approached it.
“No question we’ve found something powerful,” observed Pascalli casually. He didn’t bother to whisper, and I believe I detected a hint of a grin on his face. When I scowled at him and held a finger to my lips, he responded. “They already know where we are. We’ve been making a racket out here for hours. I’m sure they heard us long before this.” He broadened his grin and sinisterly added, “There are other methods of detecting us besides listening.”
When I reached for the handle, Pascalli stopped me. “Just because the end is near does not mean we need to rush into it unprepared,” he warned. “We’ve been at this for nearly a day now, I think, and we will need all of our strength to confront Asmordreda. We can leave Golgaron here to ensure that nothing leaves that door to surprise us while we, or more specifically you, get some rest. As I recall there is a snug little room not too far back.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fifty Six
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Posted by admin on October 5, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Time seemed to stand still in the study. We ate, we rested, we slept, and we searched, but we had no way to mark the passage of days or hours.
During this time I discovered that Davmandius had created Golgaron as a sort of weapon practice machine, but that the statue grew in intelligence and ability over the winters until he had a life of his own.
“Davmandius was a great weapons master,” said Pascalli. “His skill became so great that many came from all lands to learn from him. In order to share that skill he poured all of his knowledge into Golgaron, until he had created an unstoppable killing machine, and the perfect practice partner. You will practice each day with him now.” He gave me a wink. “And let the old man have a rest.”
The library contained a number of books detailing techniques for applying elemental magic, combat and strategic information, as well as mathematics, history and scientific experiments. As I feared, Pascalli kept me studying for hours on end. The tedium of constant study, practice, and study nearly drove me mad. We had packed enough food for several markets, but had not used much of it since arriving at the underground city, choosing instead to live off the edible fungi, moss or animals. A natural spring and a sort of indoor latrine were available in a small adjacent room, and Pascalli seemed perfectly content to remain imprisoned until we found some sort of answer.
My thoughts often returned to Dina, and to the city above. I longed to be plowing my own fields, and to hunt beside her again. She was the kind of friend you find only once in a lifetime, perhaps twice if you are lucky. I ached for our journey to be ended.
“There is nothing in these books that I do not already know,” said Pascalli in exasperation.
“Then obviously the secret Golgaron is guarding has nothing to do with them,” I retorted. We were both ornery from the confinement. I had meant the remark to be sarcastic, but Pascalli cracked a smile for the first time in a long time.
“I do believe you are right,” he said.
“Uh, I am,” I asked.
“Davmandius was trying to protect this place from me,” said Pascalli. He gave a furtive glance to Golgaron, and added, “Or people like me. He had no idea about Asmordreda, although I imagine he would want her kept out as well. Which means that whatever he was protecting had to be something utterly powerful, something magical. There would be no point guarding these books from wizards, I have a similar collection at Gratterskeep.”
“Golgaron, do you know what it is you are guarding, or where it is?” I asked.
“No, master,” he replied. “I was brought here and commanded to guard.”
“Search the room,” suggested Pascalli.
“You search it,” I retorted. “I’ve already done that, in detail.” For emphasis I showed the book on the nature of water I was supposed to be studying.
“It’s not in there,” he said grumpily.
“There is nothing here but books,” I replied. “Besides, if he meant the secret to be guarded from you, then shouldn’t you be looking for it? I wouldn’t even recognize it if I found it.”
“Right you are Scratch, my boy, right you are. You go ahead and enjoy your reading. I’ll have a look around.”
As intrigued as Pascalli seemed with our new companion, I was put off a great deal by the wide berth he gave Golgaron, and put off even more by the fact that no matter what I asked the great statue immediately complied. I was completely unused to servants, and I had the uncomfortable feeling that the statue expected me to know a great deal more about my position than I did.
“Golgaron, what exactly did Davmandius order you to do?” I asked.
“He brought me here and said, ‘stand and guard my secret. Do not let the forces of darkness take it at any cost.’ Then he left,” answered the statue.
“Sounds like a wizard,” I said sardonically.
“Indeed,” replied Pascalli. “A most worthy puzzle.”
“Where does that leave us?” I asked.
“Right here,” laughed Pascalli. “The same place you’ve been for several markets.”
“I mean, what then in this place could Golgaron possibly be guarding, and note that he said secret, not secrets, so whatever it is there is only one of it,” I said.
“Of course, so it is not, as we determined, the books,” continued Pascalli. “Though I think you would do well to keep studying them.” I wilted, but the hint of a wink in his eyes let me know he was only half serious at the moment. “What else is there?”
“Some shelves, a table, two chairs, and of course Golgaron,” I listed, yawning.
“Right,” agreed the wizard. “Also, of course there is the room itself.”
“Right,” I agreed, but only half-heartedly. We had been through a similar debate already, and I was bored to the point of insanity. “I don’t think it’s these chairs, they look comfortable enough, but after a while it’s easy to find the hard spots. The table is out too, nothing there but solid wood. That seems to narrow it down to either Golgaron or the room itself.”
“Or something Golgaron knows,” said Pascalli.
“He already said he doesn’t know the secret,” I replied.
“Perhaps he doesn’t know that he knows,” said the wizard wryly. “Davmandius poured a great deal of knowledge into him, and he has seen much that has changed the world.”
“So you think he’s the secret. He’s been guarding himself for thousands of winters and didn’t know it?” Some part of me found the thought amusing.
“No, I don’t,” said Pascalli. “It is possible. I admit that I did not know what happened to Golgaron, I wasn’t even sure he still existed until we came here, but his existence before the breaking was hardly a secret.”
Pascalli seemed to grow thoughtful again, and I was nodding off into my book. “Time for more practice,” he suggested. “You are getting sleepy.”
My muscles resisted. I had not worked so hard in a long time, and I dreaded the exacting drills that Golgaron imposed. Sparring with the statue could be physically brutal as he fought without fear and without tiring.
“You learn quickly, master, but your thinking is too narrow,” he said. “Knowing and understanding your forms is crucial, but you must learn to approach combat in a broader sense. It is not enough to combine moves into fluid movement with an exact chain, but you must plan your kill from the very first feint.”
“What do you mean? How can a feint kill someone?”
“The feint does not kill,” he replied. “You feint, or you thrust, and it forces me to move. I have very few options with how I can parry or dodge. You already know those options, so you calculate the strength of your thrust and then calculate my positioning in order to avoid that thrust. Then calculate the positioning you will need for your next move, and so carefully you draw me into a vulnerable position.”
“You are talking about mere fractions of centimeters in split seconds,” I replied. “That’s impossible.”
“It was possible for Davmandius,” he said flatly.
“It is also possible for me, though I admit I am not as good as my brother,” said Pascalli. Something in his tone hinted that he was not just speaking of weapons.
“If Davmandius was always thinking ahead, then couldn’t this all be some trap,” I said. “Couldn’t he have just left Golgaron here guarding nothing at all? Maybe that’s the secret.”
“Possible, but unlikely,” agreed Pascalli. “Davmandius would not lie. Nor would he employ his most trusted servant to guard nothing more than a lie.”
“Then let’s try a different tactic,” I said. “Think back to when Davmandius was around. What did he have, or was rumored to have, that you would have wanted, or that he wouldn’t have wanted you to have?”
“I think a better question would be what did he know that he didn’t want me to know,” said Pascalli.
“Same thing, but have it your way,” I replied
Pascalli merely looked annoyed. “Fair enough. I would say that there are two things we wouldn’t want me to know about. One would be that he knew how to defeat those who opposed him, utterly. The other would be that he had found something even more dangerous than me, which he wanted to keep hidden from the world because he was afraid he could not control it. Golgaron is neither of those things, so that rules him out.”
“That leaves us looking for a powerful weapon designed to destroy wizards,” I said, again falling into sarcasm.
“Or the key to such a weapon.” Pascalli’s eyes brightened as he spoke. “There was a rumor, a bit of research we all took as nonsense by a young and rather inexperienced wizard about something he called ‘The Key to the Stars’ that was supposedly an incredible source of power. Nobody really took him seriously, but Davmandius had a way of rooting out the most obscure knowledge.”
“What is the key anyway?” I asked. “Do you know what it looked like?”
“All I know is that it is an object designed to forcefully channel the energy of the heavens into a wizard’s control,” said Pascalli.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
“The most potent kind of magic is the magic that the gods wield,” he said, assuming his lecture tone. “That priest of Tylos who healed you did so using that magic, but only because Tylos willed it so. The key to the stars is supposed to call that magic and force it to your will, allowing for unimaginable power. But the key was supposed to be a contained in a chamber, a small room activated by certain controls.”
“So maybe this is the room,” I said.
“No, it doesn’t fit anything I read about his research, and surely you would have felt that kind of power. More likely a critical controlling component is here,” he said.
“Or the key to a key to the key,” I said.
“What?”
“What if the critical component was somewhere else, and all that could be found here was the knowledge of that component, which could then be taken to the chamber?” I impressed myself with my own deduction. “Golgaron, come here.”
The statue came and stood beside me. I fished out my rings and held them up to his breastplate. On it the crest of Darnuth Keep was engraved, an inverted triangle with diamonds at the points of the base and a circle at the tip. I held the rings up, and one diamond in each matched the diamonds in the crest.
“The final token is the medallion,” said Golgaron. “You will need to defeat her to get it.”
“No wonder she did not return,” said Pascalli. “You did not have the rings as she expected. At some point during your battle she must have guessed what the crest means. Davmandius obviously expected Golgaron to defeat anyone who entered here. I wondered why we hadn’t seen the crest anywhere else in the palace or even in the city. In any event, we hold the keys, and she is likely waiting for us in the chamber itself.” With a wry smile he added, “Never keep a lady waiting, Scratch. We’ve tarried here long enough.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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Posted by admin on September 28, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
I was rather nervous about what we might find, and also somewhat let down. The room was essentially a library. Shelves lined the walls, packed with neatly arranged books. My first thought was that Pascalli would have me reading them for the next hundred winters whether I felt inclined or not. There was a sturdy table and two padded chairs. A lit candelabrum adorned the table, and lit lanterns hung from the ceiling in each corner of the room shedding a remarkable brilliance. In the center of the room an amazing life-like statue of white and blue marble gazed back at us.
The statue was an angelic figure, bold and strong, arrayed for battle with both spear and sword. I could just see the edges of great wings folded at his back. The face held an expression that I found both stern and defiant. His polished armor reflected slightly in the brightness of the room, and I found myself reminded of lord Kelsin as he charged into battle, though this figure far out measured Kelsin in both nobility and strength.
Pascalli gave me a soft nudge and I stepped into the room. “Take a look around, Scratch,” he suggested. “Be careful, there is something odd here.”
I crossed the room and reached to touch a book. As I reached out, a voice suddenly spoke. “The secrets of this place are the master’s alone.” The voice was strong, deep, and carried a hint of stone grating against stone. Of all the sounds a person can hear, hearing a sound such as the world has not known in a thousand winters may well be the most remarkable.
I immediately withdrew my hand and spun around. On reflex I brought my spear into a defensive position. Across the room Pascalli bolted the door, and laughed, “It appears you’ve found a new friend, Scratch.”
The statue, which had been facing the door, now stared at me. It raised its spear for a thrust.
“Only the master may touch the treasures of this place,” said the statue.
“Who precisely is your master,” asked Pascalli, his tone carrying only a hint of arrogant mockery.
“Silence, Betrayer!” boomed the statue as it spun with lightning speed to face the wizard. “My parlay with you will come soon enough.”
To my shock, Pascalli held his tongue. Something about the statue’s tone hinted at recognition of some kind between them. It turned to face me again.
“Who are you that comes with The Betrayer into my master’s realm?” it asked. I felt an icy edge to its tone.
“I am Colter Halfspear,” I replied, and then as afterthought I added, “Lord of Darnuth Keep.”
“Show your tokens,” he said.
I admit I was at a loss. I had no idea what it could be looking for, and I began to stall by fumbling in my pockets for anything.
“Surely the master has his tokens,” said the statue coldly. Pascalli caught my eye and mouthed the word rings, and encircled one finger with his other hand.
“Yes, of course,” I stammered. “Right here in my pocket.” I pulled out the pair of rings we had found in the great hall. I held them out for the statue to examine.
“Then you have not yet taken a bride,” he said. I blushed slightly and put the rings back in my pocket. “You should wear your tokens proudly. I will not ask for the medallion, for she has it.” He lingered for a moment at the unnamed enemy. “Nevertheless, you will prove yourself by test of battle.”
With no more warning, he sprang to the attack. I quickly discovered that I was very much outclassed. His movements were perfect and inhumanly fast in every way. Although I could now slip effortlessly through the forms that Pascalli had drilled into me, I could not match the speed, strength, or accuracy of this opponent. I felt the spear torn from my grip, and he hooked my off-balance heel with his foot. As I fell, his spear point followed, stopping a hair’s breadth from my throat.
“The young master is truly skilled,” it said with a humility I did not expect. “I am Golgaron, arms master of the Legion of Davmandius.” He extended a hand and helped me to my feet. Though the hand was hard as stone, it was not cold. I could feel the life inside him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I guard the secrets as Davmandius commanded,” he replied.
“How long have you been down here?” My curiosity was boiling over.
“I do not know,” he said. “Only one other has opened that door since Davmandius left. Time has little meaning for me.” He turned to face Pascalli, raising his spear again. “Explain yourself, Betrayer.”
“I prefer Pascalli, or wizard,” he replied. “Many things have changed since Davmandius died. I am a friend of your master.”
Golgaron turned to me. “Is this true, master?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “He comes as a friend and ally. I have a lot to learn, Golgaron. Tell me what has happened here.”
Pascalli and I sat at the table, grateful for the chance to rest in a quiet, warm place, and shared a simple meal of dried meat and water while Golgaron explained.
“During the last war, Davmandius brought me here to guard this place. He warned that its secrets must never fall into the hands of his enemies. Then he left and did not return. I felt him die, but that was long ago. Then she came?”
“She?” I asked. “Who is she?”
“Asmordreda,” replied the statue.
“The concubine of Delvor?” asked Pascalli incredulously.
“Yes.”
“That is very bad news,” said Pascalli, his face far more serious than I had ever seen it before. He saw the questions in my eyes and did not wait for me to voice them. “She is a very powerful demon queen. How she came to this world I can only guess.”
“She arrived shortly after the death of Davmandius, and has been spawning her children ever since. I feel their desecrating hands all over this once fair temple.”
“We killed a few on the way in,” I explained. “There are still a lot left, though.” I frowned. It was going to be a long fight to get out of there.
“Please go on.”
“She tried to come in here only once, but I killed many of her children and faced her as well. She was not able to destroy me, but I have been a prisoner here as I cannot allow her to reach these secrets.”
“By now she will know or guess that we are here,” I said. “What do you think she will do?”
“She will wait,” said Pascalli. “She will want Golgaron to leave here. She will expect us to fight, and she will know who wins, and then she will strike the weakened victor.”
“I see that The Betrayer has a cunning mind,” said the statue. “You were a most fitting opponent for Davmandius.”
“That was an old battle, and long ago,” replied Pascalli, his voice tired and suddenly very sad. “A victory I shall ever regret.”
“What happened,” I asked, but immediately regretted the question.
To my great surprise Pascalli answered without hesitation. “The last battle Golgaron refers to happened when those of us who no longer wished to follow the old code of magic rebelled against those who held to the ancient traditions. The battle began the breaking. I used cunning and artifice to lead the traditionalists into a trap. I was known ever after among wizards as The Betrayer, even by my closest friends.”
“Did you know Davmandius well?” I asked.
“He was my brother.” Pascalli stood up and faced the books, and we did not talk of those sad things again.
After several minutes, during which I think I must have dozed, Pascalli said. “You must find the secret Golgaron is guarding, Scratch. Asmordreda must be defeated.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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Posted by admin on September 21, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Pascalli woke me with a nudge, and I followed the direction of his pointing finger. A robed figure was moving north along the street, deeper into the occupied city.
We avoided the light of the mossy gardens as much as possible, and followed the creature. The dwellings had no windows, but they also lacked doors, each having but one opening to the street with no covering. Our greatest risk would be that we might be spotted as we passed on of these openings, but we had to match the pace of our quarry. Fortunately the chase did not last long. The main street ran in a straight line due north, and for some reason all of the locals were keeping indoors. The street ended in a wide courtyard featuring another small fountain and a wide lawn of glowing moss. The robed figure climbed a short set of stairs that made a porch before entering a large doorway.
Unlike other areas we had found so far, the courtyard was entirely lit due to the large spread of glowing moss and the large glowing mushrooms. We paused in the shadows just outside the courtyard. None of the surrounding buildings seemed to be a residence. Several creatures were talking around the fountain, or just inside the various buildings. All told, I counted twenty-one. To my surprise I saw that only two of them had visible weapons, they stood lazily guarding the entrance to the building we presumed to be the temple. The guards carried only the same shabby spears that we had encountered before. The rest of them appeared completely unconcerned about any kind of danger.
Crossing the courtyard would take several seconds at least. Pascalli pointed to my bow and then to the guards. I prepared an arrow carefully, taking my time, and set a second arrow close by where I could reach it instantly. Once the attack began we would have very little time. I loosed the second arrow while the first was still in flight, not waiting to watch my arrow pierce the left guard’s throat. We withdrew immediately to the shadows while confusion engulfed the courtyard. Two of them ran to check on the guards while the rest scattered to the cover of the other buildings.
I wasted no time killing the two that remained in the open, daring any of the others to venture out.
“Send a firestone ahead of us into the temple,” said Pascalli. “They already know where we are.”
I heated my stone as hot as I could, and sent it into the temple. When it reached the doorway Pascalli sprinted into the courtyard with me at his heels. We paused long enough to push the bodies out of the way, and followed the dim red glow of the stone inside.
For the first time I felt neither fear nor nerves as I entered a battle. I performed as ordered without hesitation. Either the winters of travel with Pascalli or the unrelenting days of strain in the darkness had edged cold calculation into my heart. I saw my movements clearly, as if watching another person.
The guards we had slain appeared to be all of the immediate fighting force. The temple itself must have originally been dedicated to Tylos, for its general construction and layout followed the pattern of all her temples, but it had long since been desecrated. The symbol of Delvor had been cut prominently into the back wall above the altar, and the place stank of rotting meat. Behind the altar I noticed a small pile of coins mixed with bones, but I was not hunting treasure or trophies. We saw two exits from the main hall, one directly at the back of the room, and a side door to our left.
“Which way?” I asked.
“You’re leading,” responded Pascalli sardonically.
“To the back then,” I replied. I hated when Pascalli chose moments like this to make me think. “What are we looking for anyway?”
“A way out,” said the wizard.
Pursuit could not be far behind, and they would certainly outnumber us. We hurried into the next room to find the priest waiting defiantly with his spear. As he hissed a warning, I sent the red-hot stone immediately to its eye, but he ducked at the last second. His movements proved futile, however, as I crossed the room in two quick steps and thrust my spear into its chest.
“Search the room for clues,” suggested Pascalli. “Go ahead and pocket any coins you find. We’ll need money to buy more supplies with when we return to the top.”
I turned up a handful of ancient coins, and a hidden lever in the back corner.
“Don’t just stand there,” commented Pascalli. “Pull the thing.”
It didn’t occur to me until much later that the lever might be trapped or guarded. In any event, we proved lucky, and a hidden staircase opened behind the back wall.
The lanterns that hung from the ceiling in this portion of the temple remained intact, a strong indication that the lizard creatures had not come here, at least not often. As we proceeded from place to place we lit each one. The ceilings and walls of this lower section were highly polished so that the light reflected much further than expected, giving the place an almost pleasant feeling after being in near total darkness for so long. I squinted dumbly into the new light for several moments, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Then I just stared dumbly as if I had forgotten light altogether.
“I almost forgot what light was,” said Pascalli lightly.
The main passageway split off after a very short while with a hall to the left and a hall to the right. Doors were visible only to the left.
“Left or right?” I asked. Pascalli simply shrugged, and I led us down the passage to the right.
The corridors and rooms beneath the temple of Delver were completely free of dust and debris. In the underground city almost everything left footprints or other sign as they passed through the fungus gardens that allowed us to track or be tracked. Here the place appeared locked in time. No sounds broke the silence, other than our soft steps and gentle breathing. I wanted to voice my opinion about these changes, but didn’t dare draw attention to us in the thick quiet.
The door we found, for the corridor ended quite suddenly, had been intricately inlaid with gold and silver lettering of the same kind found at the entrance to the cellars. I studied the writing silently, waiting for Pascalli to explain.
“It just says, study,” said the wizard. “Although it’s obvious this is a place of more importance than others we have visited.”
I studied the door a moment longer. “Do you think it’s safe?” I asked.
“No,” he replied firmly. “Especially not after the noise we’ve been making. But you’ve no choice. Open it and be prepared.”
I wanted to suggest that he open the door instead. I always seemed to be opening doors or charging in first, but I relented. To my surprise, it was locked or bolted.
“Definitely important, though it might be a trap,” said Pascalli. “Did Blackhand teach you how to pick a lock?”
“He explained it once,” I said. “I’ve never had a chance to practice, and I don’t have the tools he described.”
“I’ve the tools you need here,” replied the wizard. “I shall guide you. No time like the present to learn.”
As I took the tools, I wondered why Pascalli hadn’t taught me before.
“It takes a thief to catch one, or so the saying goes,” said Pascalli. “Or you can’t cheat an honest man, or something. At any rate, I’ve picked up a few tricks like this over the winters. Just remember that there are easier ways of getting rich than breaking into treasuries.”
“I’ve no intention of breaking into anything,” I replied. “As far as I can tell gold only brings trouble.”
Pascalli laughed long and hard, and a sudden comfort came over the both of us. His humor had brightened considerably in the light, and I began to feel as if we were finally nearing the end of that dark journey.
After several minute of painstaking effort and considerable noise, I managed to get the mechanism to move.
“Very good, Scratch,” said Pascalli when he heard the click. “Now hold onto that spear and let’s see what’s inside.”
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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Posted by admin on September 14, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Judging distance in that half-light was intolerably difficult. I imagine we followed the path for less than a kilometer, but truthfully we judged time and distance only by the changes that happened to our surroundings and by the degree of weariness our bodies felt.
A distant scrape of something hard against the stone brought us up short.
Ahead and to the left grew a small grove of giant mushrooms, a few of them shedding a dim orange glow, while to our right was nothing but blackness. I called a gentle breeze to blow our scent behind us, away from the sound, and Pascalli and I took cover behind two of the lager stalks.
I am sure we made no sound while we moved, but I knew better than to rely solely on sight and sound. After a moment of tense waiting, the breeze brought the unmistakable scent that constantly surrounded the scaly green lizard-like bipeds. A group of three slowly emerged from the black shadows. Their animal faces reflected dimly in the mushroom light. Each carried a short spear in one hand, and it was obvious from their slow, calculated movements that they were searching for something.
Cautiously, I willed the breeze to change slightly. I did not want them to wander downwind of us. The instant they caught our scent we would have to fight.
I had planned on hiding and waiting for them to pass, but as they drew nearer Pascalli suddenly leapt from hiding and set about them with amazing speed. His staff was a whirlwind of motion, and they were caught by complete surprise. He had cracked two skulls before they turned to face him, and the third was down before its spear could even be brought into play.
“There is no point trying to hide from a group this small,” he said. “Search them. There may be more clues.”
Obediently, I began rifling through the pouches and pockets, ignoring the stench they brought. Each carried a small earthenware jar of water as well as a small packet of either fungus or dried meat. “Just food and water,” I said.
“They were hunting for something,” replied Pascalli. “Either us or food.”
“Either way we are closer,” I said. “We should probably avoid the path as much as possible. There will be more of them.”
“Very well, but we will let none of them escape that we find,” replied the wizard. “Fear is a great tool, and if enough of these things disappear to unknown enemies they will take the defensive and stop venturing out. The less they know about us, the better.”
The patches of giant fungus slowly became a forest though which the stone path meandered carelessly. Though there was little undergrowth like we would find in a forest above the ground, we moved at an excruciatingly slow pace. Each sound carried too far for comfort, and neither of us trusted the black mushrooms as safe.
We dispatched two more groups of the creatures as well as a large lion. We cut the lion into strips, risking a little light to work by. “We need food,” I complained.
Pascalli nodded his agreement. “We can risk a day to jerk some of it, though the smell may attract predators. I don’t know how much longer we will be down here.”
The dried out mushrooms burned poorly, and they gave the meat a bitter taste, but at least it would no longer spoil. Though the ceiling was high, the smoke still clouded and smoked more than we wanted, and I eventually had to use magic to create a breeze to carry it away from us.
“Blow it back the way we came,” suggested Pascalli. “No point giving any more warning than we need to whatever lies ahead of us.”
Eventually we saw another glowing fountain ahead of us and to the left. This one was much less impressive than the water we had rested near, but its glowing bubbles remained a thing of beauty. Careful to make no sound, I took out my canteen and motioned to Pascalli. He nodded his agreement, and handed me a second canteen.
The lizard scent wafted suddenly very strong as I approached the water. I slipped quietly back into the shadows to watch. Several small patches of moss glowed dimly around the pillars that marked the buildings in this area. The sound of shuffling feet brought us up short, and we waited in silence for the sound to pass. Two quiet figures came to the fountain and filled large earthenware pots with water. Their manner was casual, even careless, and they hissed to each other in a strange whisper, like the wind in summer grass.
They filled their pots and turned to leave. I waited just long enough for them to turn their backs before approaching the little lake. I quickly filled my own vessels. Pascalli startled me as I turned to leave.
“We have to follow them,” he whispered. I nodded and handed him his water bottle.
Careful to keep downwind, we followed them as they carried their burdens back to a tight cluster of dwellings. All of the buildings on the north side of the fountain seemed to be occupied, and a wide street ran from the fountain north through a passage between dwellings. We held to the shadows, moving as silently as possible until we reached the street and passed the first open stone houses. Then we found a quiet alley, and sat to rest and wait.
I am not sure what Pascalli expected to see, but I was waiting for one or more of the creatures to come along that looked or acted differently from the rest. In the meantime I was content to learn their habits and rest my tired feet.
Without exception each family dwelling had a large patch of glowing moss somewhere near the marking pillar. By this means we were able to discern which pillars marked homes, and which marked public buildings. Several times two or three came out for water, returning with their pots sloshing gently, but on the whole the place was very quiet. They spoke to each other with a muffled hissing language whose sound carried only a short distance.
After a short period of hiding we determined that nobody in the area knew of our presence. Pascalli signaled to me that he wanted me to take the first watch, and he drifted into silent sleep. When he woke some time later I had no recollection of how much time may have passed, and I had not seen anything of interest happening. I reluctantly lay down in the shadows and drifted again into uneasy sleep.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fifty Two
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Posted by admin on September 7, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
We discovered that a second city had indeed been built in the depths beneath Darnuth Keep, probably as much for protection from invasion as anything. We managed to piece together enough of the layout to recognized residences and community areas as we stumbled about hoping to find clues.
Although we faced trials at nearly every step, not everything in those dangerous dungeons was horrible. The initial rooms were merely larders and cellars beyond which lay the great underground city. Within the city, buildings were marked with pillars, usually with a family name or crest, but often these marks had been removed. Remnants of ancient artwork, either of stone or crystal still decorated many homes. Some vast crystal gardens remained. Untended in centuries they had formed a wild beauty unmatched by human skill or imagination.
The open spaces of the city proved to be both more dangerous and at the same time easier to navigate. Many portions of the city were lighted, either by glowing fountains, iridescent mushrooms, or patches of moss that grew like ghostly lawns emitting a soft red or yellow light. None of the living, moving inhabitants ever carried a light, so we naturally followed suit, hesitant to attract attention. We moved about very carefully in the city, trying not to betray our presences in that foreign world. Fortunately the remaining inhabitants of that place were equally wary. Nothing moved about without great silence, and we often witnessed violence between various unsavory creatures.
In the center of that city lies a great fountain surrounded on all sides by a wonderful garden of strange and exotic mushrooms. At all times the water of that fountain glows with a soft green or blue light. We later determined that the shifting color matched the strength of the sun, green for day and blue for night, but to us at that time it was simply a beautiful refuge in an otherwise unfriendly and very dangerous place. At regular intervals the fountain shot a wild spray high into the air that would fall down in a radiant shower of sparkling light. The pool at its base was perhaps a meter in depth and six meters across. All around the courtyard stones had been worn smooth from the falling water drops, and a few tiny channels had been worn where the water collected on its way to the hidden drain. Most of the local inhabitants seemed afraid of any light, and we found the relative calm of the place a welcome respite from our journey.
I felt lost in another world as I sat, resting beneath the stalk of a mushroom as tall as a tree. Everything around me bathed in a pale green light. As usual the quiet seemed to stifle even my thoughts. The only sounds I heard were the rippling of the water and my own breathing. My family seemed so far away, a world, a lifetime in the past. I pulled my knees to my chin, holding in my body’s warmth, though it was not particularly cold. In my right hand I held my spear. As always, my sword was buckled across my shoulder. I still preferred to use my spear, but Pascalli had ensured I thoroughly understood the use of the sword. My bow lay beside me. In addition I hid a balanced throwing knife in each boot, and my hunting knife was tied down in a scabbard on my left. My weapons were so much a part of me that I hardly noticed them, but I never took them for granted.
A few meters away Pascalli sat, smoking a pipe, and taking in his surroundings. “Where do you think we should go now, Scratch?” he asked. His voice was a muffled whisper, but I knew the sound would carry a great distance in the empty darkness.
“If I knew what we were looking for, I might have an idea,” I replied. Then I rested. My dreams were fitful, almost nightmarish. The smothering darkness made me all around uneasy. I felt an unseen power watching me with hatred, beckoning me to enter some as yet hidden trap.
Later I woke and traded with the wizard. As Pascalli rested, a few creatures came to drink at the fountain. I remained still and silent, careful to always keep our scent away from possible danger. Once, a large lion attacked one of the scaly green creatures and killed it. As the lion dragged away its meal, a little pouch fell to the ground, and I heard the distinct jingle of coins.
That there would be treasure here I did not doubt, though at the moment I had no use for gold. When I moved to retrieve the pouch, one of Pascalli’s eyes opened, but he did not try to stop me.
The pouch held an assortment of coins that I did not recognize. In addition I found a few bits of bone and hide, as well as a small piece of iron poorly shaped into a half moon with a spike in the middle.
Since Pascalli had awakened, I tossed him the piece of iron and asked. “What do you think that is?”
“Think,” laughed Pascalli, with a wink. “I do not think it is anything. Rather I know exactly what it is, although how it came to be here, or perhaps the better question would be why it came to be here is more of a mystery.”
“Well what is it?” I asked as my frustration mounted.
“It is the symbol of Delvor, an ancient evil god who delights in bloodshed and pain.” His face darkened as he spoke. “I fear the evil here may be more potent than I first imagined.”
“Well, whatever those creatures are,” I said. “They are at least intelligent enough to worship. And at least some of them understand the value of money. All of them that I have seen were wearing nothing more than a loincloth, but this one had a sort of robe.”
“Which suggests what?” prompted Pascalli, his eyes gleaming slightly in the darkness.
“My guess is that this one was a priest of some kind. This means that either these creatures came here at the direction of an evil outside force which knows how to organize, or that they were already here and then enslaved and corrupted by such a force. It also suggests that they have some central leadership, as well as a temple or shrine of some kind.”
“Very well done, Scratch, you’ve come a long way.” Pascalli’s rare compliment seemed genuine, and I admit a grin slipped onto my face. “So, if we want to find the source of the curse, what do you suggest?”
“We should either look for the temple or the treasury,” I said. After a moment of thought, I added, “Although they are probably the same place.”
“Lead on,” replied the wizard. “I think we’ve risked too much time resting in one place already.”
Naturally I had no idea where to go. In essence we were following the same wild chase we had been following before, but at least now we had a clue. I decided to try to backtrack the creature’s approach to the water. It had to live somewhere, and I figured that the more organized groups would be living somewhere in larger numbers. They would probably use the large city buildings, and it would likely be reasonably close to water.
Pascalli agreed with my reasoning, but was hesitant to make a light to track with. “Telling the world we are coming may not be the best course of action,” he argued. “We know they outnumber us, and after our recent attacks they are probably already looking for us.”
In the end he consented. We didn’t really have any other options. “But only until we have an idea which direction it came from,” he cautioned. “I still don’t want to walk into an ambush.”
Telling direction beneath ground was never a great strength of mine, but I had made a few mental landmarks. Pascalli had brought some paper and ink, and I began making a crude map, using the fountain as a reference and judging which way we had come. I called the entrance stairs ‘south’, and put the fountain as ‘north’. In any event, the tracks went off in the direction I had decided was west.
Determining where the creature had come from turned out to be a rather simple affair, as our dim light showed the tracks merging onto a small path that headed generally westward.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
On to The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep Fantasy Novel Chapter Fifty One
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Posted by admin on September 2, 2009
Speaker’s Child
By
Kelly D. Tolman
Almost with awe, the young mother held her first child to her breast. The smile she wore was bright despite the sweat that clung to her forehead, and the exhaustion that wrapped her body in silence. In her arms the baby slumbered, and for one moment the darkness and chill of the night were swept out of the little one room cabin.
“How do you feel now?” asked Alaina, the young midwife with fiery hair and quick eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. “He put up quite a fight, didn’t he?”
“He’s so beautiful, I never imagined he would be so . . .” Gerna trailed off as the grandeur of the moment overcame her.
“The first one’s always the worst,” said Belna from where she sat across the room. Gerna’s old grandmother smiled also as she remembered the lost moments of her own children’s births. “After that, they all come a little easier. But then, each is a little different in their own way, and you certainly can never tell how they might turn out in the end.”
“Carn,” began Gerna on a wisp of thought, “will be a fine farmer like his father. Honorable and good to the land. He will always have water, and the High One will bless his heart with the courage to face the light and not burn. He will be a fine man.”
“Of course he will,” agreed Alaina heartily. “But that is a long way off still. For now, you should rest and recover your strength. Brand will return soon with a Speaker, and you will need to be strong for him then, and for the Speaker. Belna and I will see that all is in readiness.”
With those words, Alaina immediately began making her way around the room, reordering the already impeccable cabin. Brand would likely come with the dawn, and would expect everything already arranged for the Speaker. Even if it were no more than a tiny farm near a tiny village, appearance and custom were important for the city grown Speakers. So when Gerna finally dozed a little, Alaina carefully put little Carn in the cradle that Brand had so laboriously made months before, and lit the guardian candles on either side. The speaker would not be pleased if homage to the High One was not properly paid. As if the High One had ever blessed the village with more than famine. As if the Speakers did more than take their children, or steal their hard earned harvests. Alaina paused a moment as she realized her knuckles were turning white with the force she used to grip the dust cloth. She felt the lump in her throat, and the burn begin to build in her eyes.
As if reading her thoughts, Belna asked, “how long has it been now? Not yet a year?”
“A year next month, yes, since they carried off little Stev.” A tear trickled down Alaina’s fair chin, and she turned to face the mantle, letting the heat of the flame cover the rush of blood she felt in her face.
“I am sorry that you were reminded like this. They will not take Carn.” Belna trailed off. Gerna would be hurt too badly. She could not have that, not after all she had faced. No more, not after losing Father and Mother, and already a widow once.
“The gift,” murmured Alaina, interrupting Belna’s thoughts.
“What, child?”
“They said that he had the gift. Strong and clean. He would be strong as day, they said. The gift is rare, they said. The High One had blessed our house, they said. They said so much, and still I live with need, without my Stev. You will have others they said, but I do not want others. I want my boy, my darling. That is the blessing I wait for from the High One.”
“One day,” was all the old woman could respond, and Alaina slipped into her own mutterings. On the bed, Gerna slept quietly. Would she wake for the Speaker? Please, as the water runs, let her sleep. Then Belna too slept in the old chair her own hands had helped create years ago.
The sound of horses woke Alaina just as the first parts of sky were turning gray in the distance. She sat up slowly from the place she had taken next to Gerna, careful not to wake the young mother. She checked the infant in silence, and added a new log to the fire. The teapot was quickly set to heat, and a half a loaf of good brown bread and half a round cheese were set out to serve as breakfast. That will have to do, she thought, may the Speaker be pleased. No, not pleased, just content.
Brand held the door as the Speaker entered. A short man, shorter even than Alaina, with a close cut beard of graying black whiskers, and thick curls on a round head. The familiar black garb of the Speakers seemed to fit him, seemed appropriate even from the way he walked. His boots were silent on the wood floor, and his dark eyes shifted and danced to take in the entire room even as he smiled and greeted the woman beside the fire. “May the rain fall always on your house, mistress,” he said in a very formal voice, “and may the light shine only to guide your path.”
“And may the rain follow you, Speaker of the Prophet, and may the High One open your tongue to the prophecy,” Alaina nearly choked on the words even as they came, but somehow the years of form and custom overcame the hatred she had been breeding inside herself. “A meal is ready, Speaker, and every comfort should be satisfactory.”
“That is the woman,” more an observation than a question. He looked a moment at Gerna’s tired face and still form in the bed. “She has strength,” he said after a moment, “great strength. She will have born a strong child, and has the strength to bear many more. The High One has blessed this house much already.” The dark little man took his breakfast, and made pleasant company. Brand seemed ready to collapse after the long midnight journey, but made every effort to hide his exhaustion and be a pleasant host. None of them noticed Benla slumped in her chair near the bed.
“Shall we see the child?” suggested the Speaker as he finished the last of the loaf. “The sun rises already, and soon travel will be difficult. I must make an early start.” Without waiting for a response, he rose and moved to the cradle between the two long ceremonial candles. “Your devotion to the Goddess will not go unnoticed, ” he observed quietly. May the daylight burn you and your Goddess until they cannot find even your ashes, thought Alaina as a foul taste entered her mouth. “You were the mid-wife,” the Speaker said, casting a glance at the flame haired woman.
“Yes.” She kept her voice cool.
“Was it a normal birth?”
“Everything was normal. He came out strong and feisty.”
“How do you mean feisty?”
“She was in a great deal of pain. The labor took longer than expected, but he did not seem to suffer from the struggle. He did not whimper, just clung to his mother’s breast and eventually slept.”
“Was there anything else?”
“No.”
“Are you quite certain?” Alaina nodded finally, and he turned to Belna. “And her? Who is she?”
“That is my wife’s grandmother,” offered Brand helpfully.
“Wake her, I must know what she saw.”
Brand softly shook the old lady in an effort to wake her easily, but his blood froze when he felt the cold of her skin and saw that the gleam in her eye had gone.
“What’s the matter, Brand?” asked Alaina. “Is she ill, it was a difficult night for all of us.”
“Not ill, Alaina,” mumbled Brand. “She has returned to the shade of the Goddess.”
“The High One protect and comfort,” echoed the Speaker.
Alaina sat down at the table, her stomach turning. She felt dizzy, but even as the room swayed, she found herself and managed a little control. The Speaker seemed to ignore Brand and Alaina, and turned once more to the child. Kneeling beside the cradle, the Speaker raised his arms and began to pray, “High One, Goddess of the Shade, shed now the guidance of thy shadow on this thy Speaker’s tongue. What may become of this thy newest child?” Though Alaina neither saw nor felt anything, the Speaker seemed to tense where he knelt. His voice took on a monotone when he continued, but a hint of pain, and what seemed fear or anger edged his tone. “This child, blessed of the Goddess, has born within him the greatness of farmers, the strength of legends, and many precious gifts. Carn, Child of Shade, come to dwell beneath the sun filled with the gift of cool healing, long running, and the power of legends long dead. Thy heritage will not be thine to keep, but thine to give. Blessed child of the High One, thou shalt face the day, but do not flinch, the light does not burn the gifted.” Suddenly the Speaker sloped forward. He let out a long sigh, as if breathing for the first time, and clutched his chest. Alaina almost sprang from her chair. Brand’s face had turned to ash.
“Will he be taken, then?” asked the farmer.
“Yes,” choked the Speaker as his breath returned. “There is no other way to ensure his training and safety. I will take him with me.”
“What about his mother? What will we tell her?”
“She is strong, she will have others. The gifted are few, and never have I seen one with so much strength, so much power of the Goddess.”
“Never?” questioned Alaina, her face filled with skepticism and anger.
“There is a rumor that another with great strength was found near here a year or so ago, but I have never seen the child, and I can not say, but I doubt he could be stronger, or even the equal of this one. This house will be blessed for its sacrifice.”
Alaina felt sick. Her legs were weak and the burning in her cheeks told her that her rage was visible. With a harsh grunt she lifted herself and stormed out the door. She did not hear Brand call after her, or see the shock in the Speaker’s face.
Alaina stumbled blindly past the horses and began running toward the thin road that lead to Trickend. The sun had risen but the dawn was yet cool and grey. The hard, baked earth felt cool beneath her feet. Alaina did not stop running when she reached the road. The broken stones cut her feet in places, but her senses were numb to all but the image of the Speaker. That man, standing there with his easy smile and devotion to the invisible Goddess. His Prophet’s religion, his search for the faithful, all caused her stomach to turn. The sound of hooves on the road ahead brought her to a walk. Sweat had formed on her forehead, and the subtle sting in her feet quickly became a nagging throb. How long had she been running? She was standing near a cluster of rocks at the only place the road curved until it reached Trickend. Around the corner emerged a heavy set man in his middle years, dressed gaily in a bright red shirt, and driving a slow team of four horses. “Ho, Alaina,” he called when he saw her. Apparently he did not notice her feet or sweaty brow, for he continued in the same pleasant tone. “Coming from Brand’s? So, she finally had him? It is a boy isn’t it?”
“Yes, Master Tooksn, it is a strong baby boy. The Speaker is with them now.” Alaina’s tone was colder than she intended, and she could feel herself losing control again.
“Oh, perhaps then I should wait before I see the new parents.”
“That would be wisest,” agreed Alaina as a new thought entered her head. “I was just on my way to Trickend to get a few things for the child, but if you wouldn’t mind, perhaps you could go to the widow Harla, and tell her of the birth. The Speaker should be done before you return.”
“Harla you say? Will you need anything else?” Master Tooksn looked for a moment into his wagon, and said, “I was just bringing along the ceremonial gift of the silver knife and wisdom cakes. It wouldn’t do to have them in the sun, if you would take them ahead for me.”
Alaina accepted the small bundle of cakes, and the silver sheathed knife graciously, and turned back toward the homestead. The beating of hooves faded with the creak of the wagon, only to be replaced by the sound of another horse coming from the farm. Alaina composed herself quietly, and looked up to greet the Speaker. He held the child close to his breast, and rode only as quickly as care and good sense would allow.
“We meet again, miss,” said the Speaker when he saw her, “I see you have the gifts for the Goddess, I shall take them if you please.” When Alaina didn’t respond, the dark man dismounted carefully, his silver earrings reflecting quickly in the growing light. The baby whimpered softly as he balanced the bundle on the saddle. The cry was quiet, and not prolonged, but the sound reached Alaina, and as the memories of her own Stev’s quiet cries returned. The Speaker looked at her with a slight frown. Beads of sweat had begun to form on his forehead, and he seemed oddly uncomfortable in the dark clothes beneath the morning sun. Alaina barely noticed as the ceremonial knife slipped from the silver sheath, and she didn’t see the paleness come over the Speaker’s face, or hear his final gasps.
Alaina left the child with Brand, whom she found sobbing quietly in a corner of the tiny cabin. His eyes brightened briefly at the sight of his son, but became once more grave as the midwife left, and he put the boy on his mother’s breast.
THE END
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Posted by admin on August 31, 2009
The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is a fantasy novel describing the adventures of Colter Halfspear as he becomes a man and an initiate of magical powers.
Beneath Darnuth Keep lies a vast maze of passages and chambers, each originally built with a purpose long forgotten. Long since, those passages were covered in darkness and lost to human memory. We found them still and quiet. Fear gripped the occupants as they battled a silent war for survival in a place with few resources. I recognized immediately that we would be short of water and food without luck.
“You will probably need to try to gather water from the air,” suggested Pascalli. “As for food, we have some and the rest will be luck.”
The absence of light was unimaginable. Though I had lived with the Veldmen, delved in their caverns and dwelt underground for a long period of time, I did not expect that darkness. The thick blackness surrounded, smothered, threatened to completely consume us. I had no idea that such dreadful horror existed. The feeble glow of our lantern did little to push back the shadows.
Our first encounter came upon us suddenly. Though my senses were sharpened from long summers of careful travel and study I was not prepared when an unseen attack suddenly hit our lantern and I found myself facing an unknown foe in complete darkness. Not only was I completely blind, but whatever danger waited ahead of us came silently.
True horror grasped me. I felt as helpless as a babe. At my side Pascalli made no move, no sound. With great care and a steady motion I brought my spear to bear. I gripped the shaft and as I did a calm fell over me, for I had trained many times blindfolded or with my eyes closed. In that moment I closed my eyes and shut off the world of sight. I took a deep breath, slowly. Quite suddenly I caught the scent of our attacker.
Though it feared our light and could hear our every move, after long winters of solitude the beast no longer recognized its own scent, which reminded me of the smoke from burning buffalo chips.
The attack on the lantern had been sudden and precise, but there was no immediate follow up. I surmised that it had thrown or shot something at the lantern, and therefore must move closer. I took a half step backwards and away from Pascalli, putting a little distance between us.
I concentrated for but a moment, to beg the air to make a slight breeze so that we might be upwind of our adversary. Almost instantly the air gently began moving past my face, and I caught that odor again. Also on that breeze I caught a faint whisper of breath, more nasally and louder than Pascalli. If I could hear the breathing it must be very close now.
With a prayer to Tylos I thrust my spear in the direction of the sound, hoping Pascalli would not be in the way. The wizard, who was more adept than myself at stumbling in the dark, had created even more space between us, and just as I thrust I heard the dull thump of his staff connecting with something. My spear caught flesh, but any damage done was hard to assess, as my enemy remained utterly silent.
“Make a light,” said Pascalli. “If they are any still alive they will know where we are anyway.”
“The lantern is broken,” I replied.
“Use your head boy,” retorted Pascalli. “Or better yet use magic and that silly rock of yours. Heat it up enough to glow.”
By now I was so used to Pascalli’s remarks that I didn’t waste any time on anger. Instead I heated the rock until it glowed a dull red, though I sent it to hover an arms length away from me in case anything should try to attack it the way they had struck down the lantern.
By the dim light of the stone I could tell that the lantern had been hit with a small rock, probably a piece of rubble from some fallen wall. I said as much to Pascalli, and he replied, “Petrified dung.”
I don’t know that he saw my incredulous look in the half-light, but I held my tongue. The attack destroyed the lantern beyond repair. Not far away lay the body of one attacker. Its body was covered with green scales, and the short, squat creature reminded me of the Barak-dun. But it did not bleed red, but rather a green slime oozed from its wounds, and its eyes reflected a pale yellow.
“There will be more,” said Pascalli. “This kind is capable of breeding.”
Naturally Pascalli was right. Whatever those creatures were, they had multiplied tremendously in the darkness, and at every turn for what seemed like an eternity we crept along step by step expecting yet another attack. They huddled in the shadows, afraid of any light we brought, and attacked without warning.
Although we found many lanterns hung along the walls or from the ceiling most of them had been broken long before. The lamps were supplied with oil by some intricate system of pipes, but without wicks or shades, most could not function. Those that we could use we lighted, leaving a dim trail behind us.
“It will take a long time to clear this area this way,” I complained at some point.
“We aren’t here to clear the cellars,” stated Pascalli. “We’ve much more important business at hand.”
“And what would that be?” I asked.
“There is a curse upon this place, which does not belong here. Surely you have felt it,” he replied.
I had felt something malevolent since we entered the darkness. The lamps we lit gave off far too little light, and I was becoming more discouraged with each step.
“How will we lift the curse,” I asked.
“How should I know,” laughed Pascalli. “I’ve never been here before.”
I’m certain he winked at me in the darkness. I only half believed him, but because I had never known him to lie, I decided we were in more trouble than I had first guessed.
A mixture of the scaly green-blooded creatures we had first encountered, and a more tame variety of twisted animals occupied the first rooms. At least one boarger had ventured into the darkness, and a few large cats. In general the animals left us alone so long as we did not bother them. We would have time to come back and trap them or hunt them if we needed to later.
I can but imagine the countless hours that must have been spent carving and building these vast corridors. By comparison, the castle above us was a relatively small dwelling. The complex of tunnels and rooms loomed nearly as large as the city above us. Here and there water had been channeled down to run into pleasant fountains. These were always closely guarded, and our brief moments of respite were hard won against those who protected their way of life.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
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