A light wind sent ripples across the lake, breathing softly on the waters before dancing over the stones of the shore before slipping in between the trees of the great forest. The grass bent slightly and the leaves were scooped up to dance briefly before coming to rest on the forest floor again. Across the meadow, the wind tumbled, still carrying the chill and the smell of the lake, mixed with the scent of an awakening earth.
The wind came to the fortress, running up the massive walls before falling back on itself, and swirling down the great tunnel to run in circles in the courtyard, a few errant leaves being carried from outside the walls and other leaves being chased into the corners of the yard.
The breath of air washed over Cailin as he worked the sword in the early morning. The heavy blade spun and flashed as he moved around the practice circle, the forms of thrust and parry coming and going as smoothly as fresh honey. In the time Cailin has lived in the fortress, he had grown in physical strength and dexterity, progressing from training with a standard short sword to his current weapon, with a broad, heavy blade which was 4 feet long.
The broadsword moved in his hands as if alive, steady as stone and quick as a viper, and Cailin smiled at his progress. 3 weeks ago he could barely lift the weapon, and today he could claim mastery over it. Working the broadsword still put a strain on him and set him to sweating rivers, but he was able to regulate, control and endure it for longer and longer periods.
Gaia sat on a nearly post, watching him, as she normally did when he was practicing with the sword. The sprite continually confused him, a state she thoroughly enjoyed, and would go out of her way to provoke his consternation. He had a brief flashback to her latest bit of mischief, conjuring an image of herself in the wooden door to the bathhouse, so he would see it only when he rose from the bathtub. He had a few strong words for her later that evening and she, in typical fashion, laughed in his face.
She had not changed at all, of course. Kal had taught him that they can and will assume any form they wish, any species, and any sex, but for some reason, Gaia chose her name and form. Cailin considered again, as he guided the blade around in a downward arc, to ask her why she chose as she did and exactly how old she was, but decided against it. He didn't exactly feel like being laughed at this early in the morning.
He ended the session as he customarily did, with the sword upright before him, clenched in both hands, eyes closed and his head bowed to the blade. He took three deep and slow breaths, and on the third exhale relaxed, letting the blade hang by his side. He opened his eyes and looked directly into Gaia’s deep green ones.
“You know she’s going to give you a talking to again, don’t you?” the little sprite giggled. Cailin sighed as he turned away from her and walked over to one of the racks to replace the sword, hanging it with the others, before snatching his shirt up from the post where Gaia had been sitting on it. As usual, it smelled like the forest after the rain when he pulled it on, a scent he found particularly pleasing.
He brushed his now shoulder length hair back with his fingers and tied it into a tail with a leather thong before turning back to Gaia. She was still grinning at him, a little impish smile that had him smiling after a few moments. He walked over to her and scooped her up. “I won’t tell if you don’t, little one…” he grinned at her as he walked towards the main door of the fortress he had come to call his home. He went up the steps two at a time with the sprite in his arms and jogged down the massive entrance with the red columns, then climbing a few flights of stairs to the floor containing one of the large kitchens.
He dropped Gaia as he entered, and stepped over to where Jana, the cook, was stirring a pot of porridge. “Morning Jana”, he smiled at the woman, grabbing a bowl and leaning over her shoulder. She yawned and flicked a cloth at his face. “Morning, Cailin. Dry yourself off before you sweat into our breakfast.”
He smiled as he took the cloth and dried his face. Jana was a squat lady with hair greying from auburn, which she usually wore in a bun, and while she was not overweight, she was definitely heading there. Must be all the tasting… Cailin thought to himself. But he had to admit, the food Jana prepared was amazing.
He finished drying off to find that she had already filled his bowl for him. He thanked her before making his way out to the eating area, which was filled with long tables and benches and was open to the outside world on the eastern side of the room. He seated himself at the end of one of the long tables, pouring some honey over his porridge and stirring it in as he waited for the food to cool down a little.
As he sat and stirred, he looked out over the trees outside the fortress walls, with the sun clearing the escarpment in the far distance and the light bringing life to the treetops as it marched over the forest between the fortress and the cliff. He smiled a small smile, letting his thoughts drift as he started eating. About halfway through his meal, a shadow fell over him and he let out a quiet sigh.
He dropped his spoon and turned to the new arrival, a gaunt man who stood two heads taller than Cailin himself. He wore faded and filthy leggings, a tunic with more stitched up tears than whole cloth, also filthy and a brown leather hood that he always wore pulled up. His hair and beard were completely gray, and matted together into a single clump that left only his eyes, forehead and parts of his cheeks visible.
In spite of his appearance, this man was held in very high regard in the fortress. Cailin rose and turned to the man, folding his hands over his middle and bowed deeply to the man. “Master Petram. I bid thee good morning.” Cailin said. He tried to shut the smell coming off the man off but was only partially successful.
Petram returned the greeting quickly, before grabbing Cailin’s arm and leading him onto the balcony. He glanced around at the empty balcony before leaning in to to Cailin, his voice just above a whisper. “Cailin, I need your help. And I need it now!” Cailin tried not to let his surprise show on his face, and only partly succeeded.
“Master Petram, I am honored to be of assistance, but how can I possibly…” he swallowed the objection as Petram waved a hand. “No time, will explain on the way, we have to go now!” Petram grabbed Cailins arm and started pulling him through the kitchen towards the exit. He bustled Cailin through the fortress and into the great courtyard, muttering all the way about time running out.
Cailin was thoroughly confused, unanswered questions tumbling around in his mind like dice. Petram, radiating a deep concern, pushed Cailin ahead of him down the entry tunnel, the two bursting out into the early morning sun outside the walls. Petram spun Cailin around and held a grimy finger up before the younger man’s face.
“I need your help in tracking something in the forest. It keeps getting away from me, and I fear it poses a danger to us. I can’t see it long enough to get a hold of it with my powers.” Petram’s words tumbled out in a rush. Cailin opened his mouth but Petram waved his unspoken question away. “No time! We must go!”
With that, he started jogging to the forest, calling to Cailin to follow. Cailin stood for a moment, then broke into a slow run as well, catching up to the magician at the edge of the forest. Petram’s unease slowly infected Cailin as they made their way through the woods, to the point where Cailin started seeing shadows flitting through the trees around them.
They reached the Open, crossing the meadow at a fast walk as Petram explained to Cailin hat he think he saw, and where he last saw it. Cailin stayed silent, letting the master tell him every detail, feeling a hunch and building a mental picture of what they are hunting. The forest swallowed them again, and he was immediately overcome with the feeling of being watched.
Cailin put his hand on the magicians chest, bringing them both to a halt. Cailin slowly turned a circle, looking deeply into the shadows beneath the ancient trees. A slight blue glow sprang up next to him as Petram summoned his power. Cailin kept turning, trying to pierce the permanent gloom under the trees with his eyes and ears, allowing the feel of the world to flow into him.
He felt it almost immediately. An immense intelligence, just off to their right. At the same moment he felt the creature, it started running, a huge dark shape bounding through the forest while making surprisingly little noise. Cailin took off after it as a whip of blue light cracked behind him, snaking through the trees, seeking to ensnare their target.
Cailin ran through the trees, ducking under branches and leaping over low bushes and fallen trees. He could make out the massive animal he was chasing, and could hear the magician following as quickly as he could, judging by the crashes and curses coming from behind him.
Cailin could see a light coming from ahead, and picked up the pace, closing the distance between himself and the animal as much as he could. He burst into the clearing and skid to a halt, almost falling over at the sight that he beheld.
The only thing he was certain of was that it was a type of cat. It was as big as a horse, but it was most definitely a cat. The beast was standing before a fallen tree, its back slightly arched with its tail standing straight out behind it. The tip twitched in what Cailin could only interpret as a warning. A low growl came from deep within the cat’s chest and Cailin was greeted by the sight of incisors the length and thickness of his middle finger.
The cats golden eyes never left Cailin, even as Petram came crashing into the clearing next to Cailin. Cailin grabbed the magician and pulled him back and behind himself, murmuring that Petram should stay back. The fur on the feline’s back stood on end, rippling up and down its spine, and Cailin could tell that there was a lot of muscle underneath that animals skin.
Cailin started circling to his right, keeping his eyes locked on the beasts’. Petram started moving to his left, inch by inch, until the cat turned its head and looked straight at him, the growl in its chest becoming a rumble with a slight hiss mingling in. Cailin took advantage of the distraction and took a long step to his right, moving slightly forward in the process.
The beast turned its face back to the man, a full warning howl and hiss bursting from its open mouth, displaying its intimidating teeth to full effect. Cailin stopped dead as the cat hissed at him, not breaking eye contact. From the corner of his eye he saw Petram raise his hand, palm up, towards the animal.
“Petram, no! It’s protecting something!”, Cailin hissed at the magician, thrusting his hand out towards the other man. “No threatening movements…” Cailin edged a bit further to his right, trying to keep the animals attention on him, as much for the animals protection as for Petram’s. He started snapping the fingers of his other hand in a broken rhythm, the giant cat focussing on that as it slowly lowered itself to the ground, seeming to almost disappear into the long grass.
Cailin had almost gotten a line of sight to what was on the other side of the tree when the cat launched itself straight at him. Time seemed to slow for Cailin as he saw the embodiment of death gliding through the air towards him, its massive paws spread open and its claws fully extended.
He threw up his hands at the last second, just managing to grab hold of the beast’s paws above the joint, but he was thrown off balance by the sheer weight and power of the animal and was driven into the round, straining with all his strength to keep the claws away as he rolled his head to try and avoid the cat’s jaws snapping at him.
The weight suddenly slacked off as Petram threw lines of light around the animal, binding its jaw and legs together and lifting it off the panting man on the ground. Petram gently laid the struggling cat on its side, then jumped over to Cailin and helped him to his feet. Cailin leaned over with his hands on his knees, gulping in air as he fought to get his breath back.
When he had sufficiently recovered, he staggered over to the fallen tree, leaning over to see what’s on the other side and Petram caught the look on his face, the sense of understanding. He too went to the tree and peered over the trunk. He gasped as he saw what was behind it.
A second cat lay there, easily twice the size of the one Petram had tied up a few moments ago, with white fur banded in black from the face to just below the shoulders. There were great tears in its coat, and the beast lay panting in a pool of its own blood.
The first cat was thrashing wildly against its bonds, panicked yowls filling the air. Cailin looked back at the cat, then at Petram, who was still staring at the injured animal. “Master Petram, we must help this creature. Is there anything you can do?” Cailin asked, still looking at the thrashing animal behind him.
The magician scuttled around the tree quickly, stretching his hands out over the injured cat, a light mist seeming to drop from his palms to disappear into the wounds. As Cailin watched, the wounds began to close, slowly knitting together and leaving pink scars visible where the fur was gone. Petram eventually lowered his hands and sat back on the grass, sweat disappearing into his beard.
“That’s all I can do for now, boy. We must get it back to the fortress, if we want to save this animals life.” Petram was sweating from the power he had used, and Cailin could see the cost in his eyes. “We can’t carry it. Not even between the two of us. So how do we get it back there?” Cailin asked, eyeing the massive cat. Petram squatted down, gently laying the palm of his right hand on the animals chest, and his left over its face.
“Dragging it is also out of the question. Which leaves one way…” the magician sighed as he rose to his feet. He rubbed his hands over his face, muttering about needing to take a bath, before looking at Cailin. “There’s one way. A spell, rarely used, very powerful but very dangerous. It’s called a doorway, but it requires a lot more power than I have right now, even for so short a distance.”
Cailin frowned at the magician. “How much power does it need?” he asked, more than slightly perturbed. The filthy magician had a strange look in his eyes, absently digging into his matted beard to scratch at his neck. “Enough power to kill me if I don't do it right…” he muttered. “But you have more than enough for this spell…” he said, coming back to himself. “I can share the knowledge with you, if you are willing, and we can move this creature to the fortress in a heartbeat.”
Cailin hesitated for a moment. He still was very uncomfortable with being able to use magic. The fact that everyone who has taught him has made more than a passing mention at his immense potential wasn’t helping his discomfort. Then he thought about the dying animal on the ground before him.
“Show me what to do.” he said as he sat down, folding his legs and laying his hands, palm up on his knees. The other man sat down in the same posture, leaning forward and laying his palms over Cailin’s. “Very well. Open your mind to me. You have the power, and you have the skill. You need but the knowledge…” he said. He and Cailin took a deep breath together and as they exhaled, Petram released the knowledge to Cailin, and Cailin in turn absorbed it. For several minutes, they sat across each other, as the magic flowed between them, a slight white glow flowing between their palms.
As the glow faded, Cailin opened his eyes, the knowledge of the spell settling in his mind. He rose with Petram, and Petram conjured a disk from woven grass, and as gently as possible, lifted the wounded animal into the air. “Hurry, Cailin. I can't hold this for very long”, Petram panted. Cailin wondered briefly what had exhausted the powerful magician so much, but shook it off and focused his mind on the task at hand.
He held up his hands, his thumbs and first fingers pressed together to form a diamond shape before him. He pulled in a deep breath, and as he let it out, he built a picture of the courtyard in front of the stables in his mind's eye, picturing everything, right down to the smell of the dust and hay.
As the picture built and gained clarity, tendrils of light drifted into the diamond he shaped, and a slight crackling could be heard, snapping at the air. The light became stronger, the tendrils snapping out into the air before him, slowly at first, still gathering strength. Cailin’s brow drew down in concentration, pulling more power from within himself.
The tendrils snapped out, cracking branches and hitting an invisible wall before him, running over it and shaping a doorway before leaping off and disappearing into the grass or skittering out of existence on the bark of the trees. Cailin pressed his fingertips together harder, willing the light to open the way for him. And with a snap, the light blasted out to the wall, completing the door and forcing it open. Thunder rolled over them, shaking the trees and grass around them.
“Hold it open, boy!” Petram cried over the thunder as he started pushing the floating disc ahead of him. “Don’t let go, whatever happens!” The disc was through the doorway now, floating towards the stables, and Petram threw out a hand, a blue rope of light sizzling out to snag the other creature and pull it after him. “Come on! We made it through, you need to come after us!” he was frantically waving his hand at Cailin, motioning for him to follow.
Cailin was sweating rivers, the immense power and focus the spell required putting strain he was not used to on his body and mind. He staggered forward, the gateway just ahead and beckoning. Step by step he forced himself forward, until he reached the gateway. As he stepped through, it felt to him that he had been pulled through an ice cold waterfall.
As he stepped onto the flagstones of the courtyard, he turned to face the gateway again, forcing his palms together, forcing the gate closed. Once it was closed, he turned his palms downward, and pushed the sizzling gateway into the earth. Inch by inch, it sunk into the ground, slivers of light sputtering and jumping away onto the hard stones.
Finally, when the last of the light had died away, Cailin collapsed onto his knees, panting and soaked in sweat. He slowly tumbled onto his side, watching the dust dance before his face on the gusts of his breath. He felt himself being rolled over onto his back, with an anxious Petram hovering over him, one hand over his forehead and the other over his heart.
“Gods boy.” the magician muttered. “Had I known what this would do to you I’d have let the animal die!” Cailin tried to speak but could not get words past the dryness in his throat or the hammering in his head. The strain of the spell was immense and he was paying the full price for it. His body was wracked with a deep searing pain, and he had trouble breathing and seeing.
The filthy magician dug into a pouch at his waist and pulled out a small blue stone. He placed the stone on Cailin’s forehead, and Cailin could feel alternating heat and cold radiating from the stone. The hot and cold sensations flooded through him, starting at his head and moving down. It made him feel uncomfortable, for some reason, and he tried to move away from it, but the magician held him down. “No! No, you musn't move!”, Petram growled, as he held Cailin’s head and wrist while stepping on the other. Cailin groaned as he tried to roll away from the stone.
Again, Petram restrained Cailin. “Stop fighting it! It’s life-force! You’ll die if you keep on fighting it, Cailin!” Petram was having some trouble keeping the younger man pinned down. Cailin could feel some of the pain receding but still felt the need to fight the stone and the energy flowing into him. It felt wrong, somehow, alien and unwanted.
At that moment, as the realization of why he disliked the stone blossomed in his mind, Kal appeared in the courtyard, running towards them, with Gaia close on his heels. Gaia flew past Kal, sliding to a stop next to Cailin and making a pushing motion with one hand toward Petram. He reeled as if struck with a hammer, and Gaia slapped the stone away from Cailin’s forehead.
Kal also slid to a stop on the smooth stones, between Kal and Petram, his eyes as cold as winters heart as he faced down the other magician, who was still somewhat crosseyed from Gaia’s push. Gaia placed her hands over Cailins face, fingertips on his forehead and temples. Cailin caught the briefest of glimpses through her fingers of a darkening sky.
“Cailin, can you hear me?” Gaia’s voice floated through the pain in his head like a candle through the mists of early morning. “Cailin, hold on. I can help.. Just hold on!” He could feel her energy flowing around him, caressing his body and mind, cradling it with warmth. He relaxed as he felt the pain begin to lessen, and eventually fade away.
After what felt like an hour, Gaia sat back on her heels, looking spent, and Cailin could sit up, though his body still felt heavy with little aches and fatigue. Gaia looked pale and exhausted. He reached out and took her hand, pulling the young girl into his arms. “Thank you, little sister…” he thought to her. She smiled as she stroked his hair. That smile faded into stone-faced fury as she looked over his shoulder at Petram, sitting in the stable yard next to the two captured animals with Kal looming over him, looking like so many avalanches waiting for a pebble to give way.
Gaia slipped out of Cailins grasp and practically flew over to the other two men, her anger written plainly on her little face. She leaned in close to the man on the ground, whispering something in his ear and snapping her fingers once. The look on his face spoke volumes as Gaia straightened up and walked over to the captured animal.
As Gaia moved away, Petram stared up at Kal. The master of the fortress folded his arms and stared down at the other magician. When he leaned down and spoke, his voice was laced with venom. “Where did you find that stone, Petram? And how could you possibly think that using it, on Cailin, would be a good idea?” his eyes blazed. Petram stammered, still not recovered from the shock of Gaia striking him.
Kal let him stammer for a few moments before waving him to silence, then he bent over and retrieved the stone. It was dark brown, almost black, flecked with red and completely smooth. Kal held it up to the light filtering through the gathering clouds, squinting up into its depths. The stone seemed to catch the light in disturbing ways, making it seem like it was filled with boiling blood.
“This thing can never again see the light of day…” Kal muttered to himself as he slipped it into a pocket of his robes. “Now then…” he turned back to Petram. “Where did you find it, Petram? Tell me now.” Kal loomed over the other man. Petram looked into Kal’s eyes, seeing the grim resolve burning there.
“The cave! I found it in the cave!” he groaned. “Please, Kal, I thought it but a stone and would never…” Kal cut him off with a wave of his hand, and he sighed as he straightened. “We have spoken of this many times, Petram. You are very powerful, but you lack judgement! Your lack of wisdom has led you down darker paths before, to places where your power isn’t enough to protect you!” Kal ground his teeth, trying to get his temper under control.
He glanced over at Gaia, on her knees beside the wounded animal. He head was the size of its paw, yet Kal felt no fear for the sprite. She was far more powerful than she let on, so she was in no danger. Kal looked back at Petram. “And these?”, he asked, waving his hand at the two great beasts. Gaia was inspecting the larger of the two’s wounds, and Kal himself sent a small tendril of power into the animal to check if it was alive.
“It was Cailin’s idea. He said we should save them instead of destroying them.” Petram muttered. Petram was picking at his robes, hovering between embarrassment, fear and sullen anger at being dressed down in public. Kal glanced at him as he asked, “Where did you find them?” Petram sighed before answering, “I was tracking them through the forest. I think they followed me out of the cave…”
“What cave?” Kal asked. “I know this land as well as any here and there are no caves.” Petram stole a glance at Kal. “I found one. On the eastern side of the great cliff. There was a landslide up there a few weeks ago. I tried to find out what triggered it, so I went up there. I didn’t find the cause of the slide, but I did find the cave.” Kal stood, stroking his beard, as he listened.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“You will take me there. Tomorrow morning. I need to see it for myself…” Kal’s anger had died down by then, and he was already analysing the situation, looking for threats to their existence. If this cave held other creatures such as the giant cats, and other artifacts such as the stones, then an investigation was more than warranted, he mused. “For now, however, I think you should get cleaned up for a change. While I see to these animals.” He was already moving away from Petram, who merely nodded as he rose to his feet.
“Oh, and Petram…” Petram turned back to Kal, waiting for the tirade. Kal glared at the other man as he spoke, “The next time you find something like this stone, bring it to me before you decide to use it!”. Petram nodded quickly, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. He nodded again before turning to the fortress and heading inside.
Kal watched the magician hurry away, then turned to Gaia. He knelt next to her and reached out, into the mind of the animal that was still lying on Petram’s grass disc. He inspected the wounds carefully, gently probing with his power, touching the animal’s mind as softly as he could. He started, a little surprised at what he found there. “It’s female…” he breathed. He turned slightly to the other beast, still wrapped in Petram’s magical bonds. A hair thin tendril of magic snaked out to the other animal. “It’s his mother… That explains a few things.” Kal rose, tapping Gaia on the shoulder. “Do what you can, Gaia. We might need them both. I’m going to deal with the other one.”
She nodded and bent back to the injured animal as Kal stepped over to the bound feline. He crouched down and laid a hand on the cats massive head. I’m not going to harm you, and i will release you from the bonds that hold you. We will do as much as we can to save your mother. You have nothing to fear here…
The giant cat looked up at Kal, and Kal drew the magic of the bonds away slowly, just in case it was necessary to restrain the feline again. He had never seen any member of the cat family this massive before. When the bonds had dissolved completely, the cat rose up and stretched, shaking himself once, before laying down before Kal. The animals shoulder easily came up to Kal’s own.
Kal stroked his beard as he looked deep into the giant cats eyes. That there was intelligence there was without question. The cat looked back at him, the great golden eyes shining faintly in the fading light. For several moments the two merely stared at each other, then the cat rose up and padded over to his mother, laying down beside her and gently licking one of her numerous wounds.
Cailin came to stand behind Kal. Neither men spoke as they watched Gaia working on the wounds of the mother, gently knitting together flesh and bone, the great rends in her skin slowly beginning to resemble scars. The great cats breathing seemed easier that it had in the forest, but Cailin couldn't be sure of that. But he was content that he had done what he could to save the life of the mother cat.
At last, though, Cailin could not control his curiosity any longer and leaned close to whisper to Kal, “Master, I need to know. What was that spell, and why did it almost kill me? And what was that stone Master Petram used on me? It felt… wrong, somehow.” Kal glanced over his shoulder at the younger man, seeming to weigh his words carefully before answering.
“The gateway spell is very dangerous to use, and very very difficult. If done wrong you could end up in an alternate plane of existence. It is a spell restricted to only the strongest magic users who can completely control their power because if you pull too deeply, like you did, it starts feeding on your life-force. That you were able to use the spell and that you survived is a miracle, and one that I will still discuss with Master Petram, at length.” Kal spoke softly, watching Gaia work on the wounds.
Cailin remained silent, shocked at the implications of Kal’s words. He knew it was a dangerous spell to use but did not for a moment consider it life threatening. He had used powerful magic before in his training, and knew that all magic use carried a cost. But this cost was too high.
Kal glanced at Cailin again, then turned to face him, pulling the stone out of his sleeve, and holding it out for Cailin to see. The red flecks glinted in the fading light, crimson flashing from deep within the stone. It was smaller than Cailin had thought, roughly the size of a large walnut. As he looked at it, he could feel something radiating from it. Something not altogether benign…
Cailin reached out to touch it, but Kal closed his hand around it, slipping it back into his pocket. “I would not recommend it, Cailin… You've had too much contact with it already. This needs to be put in a safe place until we can properly identify it. Then we can make a decision regarding its existence.” , Kal looked directly into Cailin’s eyes, his voice hardening slightly, “and if need be, I'll destroy it myself.”
Cailin looked at Kal, nodded and moved over to Gaia. He crouched down next to her, his hand on her shoulder. “Is there anything I can help you with, little sister?”, he asked softly. She glanced at him, flashed him a quick smile and asked him to go get the stable master. He nodded and got up, still feeling the pain from the magic he had spent and went off to search for the stable master.
Cailin tracked him down in the tack room, busy with repairs to a saddle. The stable master was a small, mousy-looking fellow named Cade, with tousled brown hair and dark, almost black eyes and a furtive manner that earned him the nickname Mouse. But a more caring and knowledgeable person when it came to animals did not exist. Cailin knocked on the doorframe before stepping inside and greeting the small man.
“Hello, Master Mouse. We have a problem we need your help with, if you have a few moments?”, Cailin asked. The little man set aside his stitching and got up to stretch before shooting Cailin a friendly, if timid smile. “Of course, my friend. Lets go.” Cailin and him had grown quite fond of each other in the time Cailin had spent at the fortress, and would often help Cade clean the stables, the gear and the animals residing there.
Cailin led the small man out into the courtyard but stopped when he heard Cade gasp behind him. Cailin turned back to Cade to find him staring at the two giant cats lying in the courtyard. Cade stood stone still for a moment, then took off running towards them, his leather apron flapping around his legs.
Cailin caught up as Gaia was asking for a place for the giant cats to take shelter. Cailin looked up at the gathering clouds, and a fat raindrop landed right on his forehead. Cade was busy explaining why they could not take shelter in the stables, and that there was a small outbuilding behind the stables which would serve quite well. Gaia motioned to Kal, who bent down, ran his hands over the grass disc, then smoothly lifted it with his own magic before following Cade as he scurried back to the stable area.
“Well, I'll give you this, Cailin. You chose a good spot to open a doorway..”, Kal mentioned as he passed Cailin, the disc floating ahead of him and the other cat walking beside him. Cailin turned and fell in beside Kal and Gaia. The little sprite took Cailins hand, pulling him to a stop. “Please carry me…”, Gaia’s voice was so soft and weak that Cailin could barely hear her, and he was surprised by how little she weighed as he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lay her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep.
Cailin caught up with Kal as the latter rounded the corner of the stables. The two men walked in silence for a few moments, before Cailin asked a question that had been nagging at him for a while. “You don’t seem overly surprised at the appearance of these two cats, Master. May I ask why?” Kal looked over at Cailin, then laughed softly. “So formal, my friend. And to answer your question, I am not terribly surprised. The mountain cats are incredibly hardy and intelligent animals, so I suspected that news of their extinction was a cleverly constructed subterfuge.” The male cat, who had been walking quietly next to them, turned his ear toward them.
Kal smiled in thanks as Cade help open the sheds double doors. The shed had a high roof, which extended quite a way from the walls, so the interior would remain dry, even in the event of a storm, should the door be opened. The inside was cozy, with the smell of old leather and fresh hay hanging in the air. A few shelves were backed up against the walls, leaving a relatively large open space in the middle of the floor. Cade had come ahead and put down a thick layer of hay on the open space, and Kal gently settled the disc onto it. The giant cat slunk into the shed, sniffing cautiously until the disc had settled, then curled up around the wounded cat, and started bathing her.
“Cade, will you ensure that they get fed, please.”, Kal asked as he turned around. The small man nodded as he walked out behind Kal, and closed one of the doors. As he made to close the other one, Kal held up a hand to stop him. “They aren't prisoners here, Cade. And if the big cats want out, they will tear that door apart… Let’s rather leave it open, shall we?”
Cade nodded, then walked off, presumably to fetch food and medicines. Cailin stole a last glance into the shed, and found himself staring into the giant cats huge golden eyes. The cat blinked slowly, as if to give thanks, then settled his face on his front paws and closed his eyes.
Kal smiled. “Frighteningly intelligent animals, the mountain cats… Come, let's get you two inside before the storm breaks.” As if on queue, another large drop hit Cailin on the top of his head, and then another on his shoulder, and he nodded. By the time they had reached the side door of the stables which would lead them into the fortress, the rain had started coming down in earnest, and Cailin was thankful that the two felines were safe and for the moment, dry.
The following morning, Kal and Petram set out for the cave, accompanied by Cailin and Gaia. Petram, who had taken Kals words the previous day to heart, had cleaned himself up and was wearing a fresh robe, with soft leather boots. He had drawn up his hood, hiding his freshly scrubbed and trimmed hair and beard. He and Kal were discussing the stone in somber tones as the four of them walked through the forest.
Cailin wore light leather armor and a sword. When Kal had looked at him with amusement while he was strapping it all on, Cailin said that he’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Kal had merely smiled before heading down to breakfast. Now as they walked, he checked that the sword was loose on its scabbard strapped across his back.
Gaia had joined them as they left, after checking on the cats. The wounds on the mother had begun to truly heal, and she was awake and eating, but very wary of the humans, but less so of the sprite. A look of understanding had passed between the massive cat and the sprite that Cailin had found interesting, and he was planning on asked her and Kal about it on their return.
The rain from the previous day still threatened, with thunder rumbling sullenly in the far distance. A light but gusty wind pulled at their clothes and hair, and Cailin had to tie his with a thong, while Kal hid his within his hood. A strange sense had emanated from Kal from the moment Petram had joined them by the great gate. Kal had looked the other man up and down, a slight frown on his face at Petrams radical change. He said nothing, but watched intently.
Cailin was also taken aback by the change, not only in appearance, but also in the manner of the other magician. He was still as arrogant as ever, but beneath it was fear, and anger. His eyes, too, looked different, slightly wild and darting from shadow to shadow under the trees. Cailin decided that some words had been had between the two elders during the course of the previous evening, and that had led to the changes in Petram.
All three men carried provisions, as it was a long way to the eastern cliffs, where Petram had claimed to find the cave. Gaia, however, needed none, and she walked along with them, carressing flowers and touching trees. She looked much recovered from the wan little girl she had been the previous day. Cailin decided to keep an eye on her anyway.
The sun had climbed two thirds of the way to its apex when they finally reached the cave. Its entrance yawned at them from a third of the way up a massive cliff, and was made relatively easily accessible by the remainder of the landslide which had, evedentally, revealed it in the first place. Kal had looked up at the cave mouth for several long minutes before deciding to go up there.
They made the climb swiftly, and gathered at a small flat space just before it. Kal had stopped them from going in and stood watching the entrance for several more minutes before nodding to himself. He waved the rest back as far as he could, then raised his hands, calling forth his power, and formed a ball of pulsing light. The ball slowly spun on his palms for a few moments before flashing into the cave and out of sight. Occasional flashes came from deep in the cave.
Kal sat down before the opening, folding his legs before him, and held up his hands again, palms towards the cave mouth. Wisps of light occasionally drifted from the opening to his palms, melting into his hands. After about ten minutes, he laid his palms on the stone he was sitting on and pressed down. Bits of light flashed over the stone, and when he took his hands away, a map of the caves interior was carved into the stone.
Petram and Cailin leaned over the map, and Petram pointed out one of the chambers. “There,” he said. “That is the chamber I found the stone in.” He seemed nervous, rubbing his hand over his short cut hair and beard. Kal was stroking his beard, staring at the map while Cailin memorized it as best he could. The elder stood up and turned to the opening in the cliff. “Gaia, please wait for us out here.”, he asked, though his tone suggested otherwise.
Gaia didn’t argue, and made herself comfortable on a large stone a short way from the entrance. Kal let Petram lead the way, the latter conjuring a flame in the palm of his hand to light the way, with the other elder following at a short distance, his own flame dancing on his palm. Cailin threw Gaia a wink as he checked his sword again, before ducking into the darkness.
The stone was damp, glistening wetly in the flickering lights, Cailin could hear water dripping from somewhere deep in the earth. Petram’s silhouette bobbed ahead, his mutterings echoing back to the other two. The route they followed made a slight turn to the left, and all three of them dodged stalactites hanging from the low ceiling. The dripping of the water was accompanied by the scraping of their boots on stone and Petram’s muttering.
Before long, the path dropped sharply to empty out into one of the chambers shown on the map. When Cailin stepped into the chamber, he gasped. The chamber wasn’t very large, but it had a very high ceiling. The flames reflected from a perfectly smooth floor, slightly sloped into the centre of the chamber. Long lines of a suspiciously familiar red stone swirled through the floor and the walls, disappearing into the shadows above. The lines on the floor lead towards a pedestal, set in the middle of the chamber.
And on that pedestal floated two more of the red and brown stones. They slowly circled each other, a dull red flashing from one or the other. Cailin felt a chill roll through him every time one of the stones flashed. Petram had moved back from the pedestal, his mutterings increasing but unintelligible. His flame had shrunk, and he couldn't take his eyes off the stones.
Kal had stepped down to the pedestal, glaring at the stones. Cailin stayed within the circle of light made by his flame. The elder stood before the stones for several minutes with only the incomprehensible muttering from Petram to break the dead silence in the chamber. Cailin turned in a slow circle, to keep himself from looking at the stones. He still felt the flash of cold whenever they flashed, though.
Kal drew the first stone of his sleeve, and held it over the pedestal. He let it slip through his fingers, and it fell into sync with the other two stones, slowly drifting in a circle with its to mirror stones. The flashing had become a dull red glow, bathing the area around the pedestal with a menacing crimson light. Kal held his fist over the stones, and Cailin could feel his power building. Wisps of a brilliant white light had started to gather into his fist when Petram screamed.
“No!!”, Petram screamed, throwing his hand out, a fireball erupting from his fingertips, sizzling through the air directly at Kal. But Cailin was already moving, his broadsword slithering out of its scabbard, curving through the air to slap the fireball to the ground, where it shattered, scattering shard of flame in a wide circle.
Petram screamed again, his other hand coming up with twin blasts of fire scorching across the chamber at the younger man. Cailin spun out of the way, drawing a throwing knife from under his scabbard and flicking it at the magician. The spinning blade flew threw one of the streams of flame, instantly turning white hot and slamming into the stone next to Petram’s face, sending hot shards of rock flying into the magicians face.
Petram screamed again, filled with rage and laced with pain, his hands instinctively going to his face. Cailin changed course, sprinting directly at the magician, his sword arm cocked to deliver a killing cut. The magicians hands came down, covered in his blood, and Cailin had a glimpse of Petram’s face. Stone had cut his scalp, bathing his face in blood, and his right eye was a bloody mess.
Cailin dove to his left, but the lightning caught the sword in his right hand, the impact numbing his arm to the shoulder as the second bolt caught him square in the chest, throwing him back. He slid and tumbled over the floor to fetch up against the opposing wall. He lay there, panting at the pain in his chest.
A detonation shook the chamber. Kal had raised his fist, the light blazing through his fingers like a white sun, and he slammed it down onto the stones and the pedestal beneath it. The pedestal disintegrated, and the stones shattered, engulfed in a white pillar of pure light, the pieces of both being sucked into the vortex raging in the centre of it all. The pillar grew, engulfing Kal as well.
The pillar shot through the caverns ceiling, drilling through the stone to shoot into the clear blue sky far above them. Then the pillar began to shrink, pulling into itself until it was merely a point of incandescent light spinning in Kal’s palm. And then, with a crack that was felt more than heard, and a shockwave that threw both men back into the walls, that too, was gone.
Petram lay panting, whimpering about the stones being gone, as Kal slowly got his legs under him, and started to push himself up in the gloom. Light was filtering into the chamber from the new hole in the ceiling, and dust was swirling everywhere. Petram forced himself up, hate burning in his one remaining eye as he started staggering towards Kal, who had reached his feet, but still leant against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
The magician raised his fist towards the elder. “Fool! We could have ruled the world!”, he hissed, a wicked red gleam starting to coalesce around his clenched fist. “With all three stones we could have had anything we wanted! How could you destroy them!”, he screamed at Kal. The space between them was shrinking rapidly and Petram was determined to get answers. Answers, and then blood.
Kal had raised his left hand, his breath still not fully recovered, a slight blue glow around his spread fingers. “It has corrupted you, old friend. Can’t you see what it’s done to you?” The glow was intensifying by the second. “Don’t do this, Petram!”, Kal yelled at the magician, who was still advancing. Petram had passed the point where the pedestal had stood, the red gleam intensifying into a crimson spike he held ready to stab the elder.
Petram was beyond reason, the stone he had carried driving him mad with a lust for power. Kal could not deny it any longer, and knew there was one way in which to save his own life. He pushed away from the wall, his hand not wavering and the blue glow growing brighter as he started walking towards the magician.
Kal’s face was a mask of resignation, Petram’s was stony with a raging hatred. The two came together in an explosion of light and noise. The red spike slammed into the blue glowing nimbus again and again, the screams of madness reverberating with the grunts of effort, running around and around the chamber before escaping out through the ceiling.
The pair separated, and Kal threw shining rings at Petram’s arms and legs, trying to trap him and bind him. But the magician threw both arms up, a wall of stone erupting from the ground before him, the rings harmlessly bouncing off of it. The wall crumbled to rubble a moment later and Petram threw his hands out, the rubble shooting towards the elder at incredible speed.
Kal had a moment to throw up a shield of pure force, the small stones and dust flashing towards him crashing into it like a wave, enveloping him in swirling earth. He clenched his fists, desperately seeking a weak point in the magic with his mind. If he could break Petram’s concentration for but a moment, he could break free. He felt the next attack the moment before it splashed into his shield.
Petram was hanging in the air, a column of red fire streaming from his outstretched hands to was over Kal’s shield. He could see the elder through the flames, his arms up and crossed over his head, the sweat streaming into his beard and the shaking of his knees. He screamed in victory, pouring all his hate into the fire streaming from his palms. A sudden sensation crossed his throat, a flash of hot-cold pain and then a peculiar warmth spread from his throat down to his chest.
Kal could feel the magic beating at him start to slacken, and dared a glance over his arms. He was almost spent, the spell he used to destroy the stones exacting as heavy a cost as was needed, and to destroy the stones needed almost all he had. He saw the crimson flames splashing on his shield grow weaker, flickering and sputtering, their force almost spent. Then he saw Petram, hanging still in the air as the last of the flames died away, drop his hands, and then fall to the ground with a final sounding crash.
Cailin came to, rolled up against a wall, a bright white light shining down from the roof, his broadsword glinting from the shadows and immense pain throbbing in his chest and his shoulder. He tried to sit up, his ears ringing as he began to remember, the chamber, the stones and Petram attacking Kal.
That brought his mind to focus, and he scanned the chamber, spotting the magician hanging in mid-air with a crimson column of fire blasting into a dome of some kind. He was confused for a moment, then realized it was a shield, and who was under it. Rage ignited in his heart, with the sting of betrayal pulsing through it. He gathered his feet under him, using the wall as support, and pulled another throwing knife from under his scabbard with his left arm.
He flipped it up to grab it by its point, gritting his teeth against the pain, then pulled his arm back. For a moment hesitation stayed his hand, but it was burned away by his rage. His arm snapped forward in a horizontal line, the knife leaving his hand, flashing in the red light cascading around the chamber, and found its mark, slicing across the magicians throat before bouncing off the stones beyond him.
Cailin watched as Petram’s fire died out and his arms dropped. He seemed to smile as he pitched over, falling to the floor to lay there unmoving. Cailin forced himself away from the wall, scooping up his sword and sliding it into the scabbard on his back with great difficulty. Kal had lowered his shield and was on his knees, panting from the effort spent, as Cailin made his way over to him, collapsing next to his master.
For several minutes the two men caught their breaths, frequently glancing at where the pedestal had stood and at the body of the magician. Eventually Cailin sat up and hung his head as he said softly; “I am sorry, master Kal. I had no choice but to kill him.” His hair hung down, obscuring his face.
Kal laid a hand on his shoulder. “Do not apologize, my friend. You saved my life, and protected us all from something more dangerous than you realize.” Kal heaved himself to his feet as he continued; “The stone had corrupted him, Cailin. It would have corrupted you too, had Gaia not broken the link and flooded you with her life-force.” Cailin had an icy flashback of the day before in the courtyard, with the stone on his forehead and Petram holding him down.
“But to what end…”; Cailin mused. He reflexively rubbed his forehead, where the stone had been. He rubbed his numb arm as he also got to his feet, flexing his fingers as feeling began to return to it. “Why would Petram wish me harm?”
Kal stroked his long beard for a moment, deep in thought. “I doubt it was aimed at you directly, Cailin. Perhaps not even at me, or anyone else here at the fortress. I believe that chance played a part in this, albeit a small one…”; Kal’s voice tapered off, and his eyes took on an unseeing look that Cailin recognized.
He left Kal to think and walked over to Petram’s body, squatting down and rolling him onto his back. He saw the ruined eye, the small cuts across his face from the stone chips and the cut across his throat. Reminded of the throwing knife, Cailin held out his left hand, calling the blade back, setting it to skittering across the floor and jumping into his hand. He slipped it back into its sheath, sighing softly.
Kal surfaced from whatever he was pondering, and walked over to stand beside the young man. He laid a hand on his shoulder, his voice soft in the gloom. “Let's take him home, Cailin. He deserves that…” Cailin nodded and took Petram’s wrist, pulling the body up onto his shoulders. Petram’s body weighted surprisingly little in death, and Cailin turned to follow the elder into the passage that lead outside.
They emerged into the sun an hour after it’s midday peak. Gaia merely looked at Cailin carrying the body of the magician, sighed and turned to lead the way down from the landslide. The shade of the trees, when they entered it’s embrace, carried a somber chill, and the walk back to the fortress was a slow, silent one.
When they reached the massive walls of the fortress, Blake, the blacksmith, was waiting at the gate. The sun had fallen below the cliff, and the massive man was leaning against the open gat, smoking his pipe while he filed a piece of iron. He looked up at the rustle and snap of branches at the edge of the open space before the walls, put away the file and iron and had picked up an imposing warhammer by the time the party came into sight. The hammer thudded into the ground and the smith leaned on it, watching them approach.
Without a word he took Petram from Cailin, and led the party inside. At the gate, Gaia stopped, and turned back to the forest. She looked up at Cailin when he stopped next to her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a squeeze of understanding, before carrying on down the tunnel. A moment later, he heard Gaia running back into the trees, and sighed.
When he entered the courtyard, Blake and Kal were speaking quietly by the great entrance. After a brief exchange, they parted ways, Blake heading to one of the side entrances and Kal slipping inside the entryway. Cailin hesitated, then went to check on the cats. As he turned the corner of the stable, he was stopped short by a pair of golden eyes floating in the shadows right before his face.
The giant cat stood right before him, his broad face blending into the shadows like melted wax. Only the eyes shone, catching the last of the light. The cat sat down, wrapping its tail around his feet, his head rising a full meter above Cailin’s, and he saw his rough tongue glide over his lips. The cat tilted his head, and his voice echoed through Cailin’s mind.
What is it you seek, human? Cailin was stunned for several moments, and the golden eyes drifted closer in the gathering shadows. Has rudeness spread through your race as disease? I asked you what is it you seek! Cailin took a step back, his mouth hanging open for several more moments before he could gather his wits to reply; I merely came to see if you and your mother are faring well, great cat. The eyes closed and opened above him as the cat lifted his head and rumbled deep in his chest. Cailin recognized the sound after a moment. The cat was purring in a rhythm that could only be a laugh.
Great cat indeed…; he rumbled in Cailin’s mind. No need for such formality, human. You have saved us all from a fate worse than death. For that alone, I owe you gratitude. For what you have done for US, I owe you much more. The rumbling purr continued for another minute, and his voice sounded in Cailin’s head again.
I am named Kuro, human. What name is yours? Cailin was still a little rattled by a speaking cat, but he was getting to grips on the situation. I am named Cailin, Kuro. I am honored to know your name. He finished the introduction with a slight bow, then frowned. What did you mean, a fate worse than death?
The golden eyes faded as the sun at last gave way and night threw it’s shroud on the fortress. The head, a black shape in the dark, floated down to Cailin’s level. He blinked once, studying the human in the darkness, before replying. Tomorrow, when you are rested, seek me out. Then we shall talk.
The cat abruptly curled up, in front of the open shed door, and lay there, staring at Cailin. The young man understood the gesture, and turned back to the fortress. As he was walking back to the fortress, he decided that he liked the cat. But he had a gnawing feeling that something was happening. He stowed his weapons in one of the armories, taking the time to clean them all properly, before heading to a bathing area.
When he finally slipped into his bed, the quarter moon was high in the sky, bathing the world in a weak white light. He lay staring at the moon as it drifted past his window, recounting the events of the past day.
When he finally fell asleep, a storm had begun to build on the horizon.