Eclipsing the Darkness (The Dragon Chronicles Book 5) (2 page)

As Farouk’s mind began to become aware of Jodocus, the boy quickly stood and turned to exit the room. Traegus stood in the doorway, smiling slyly and wagging his finger.

“You run the risk of breaking the rules, my friend,” he said.

Jodocus walked past him, grinning. “Rules were made to be broken,” he whispered. “You know this as well as I.”

Traegus glanced at Farouk again before following Jodocus to the lab where Allora had been resurrected.

“I break the rules all the time,” Traegus agreed. “I will not chastise you for that. My only concern is whether Farouk’s mind can handle all of this information. That is the reason for the rules in the first place.”

“I believe he can handle it,” Jodocus said. “His mind is incredible.”

“I do not doubt that,” Traegus said. “He is the first of us to be able to teleport into a region that was unfamiliar to him.”

Jodocus chuckled. “That was easy,” he said. “The method for doing so was right there on his map.”

“Yes, but it was he who figured out how to translate those markings into musical notes.”

“Exactly,” Jodocus said. “No one else would have known to do that.”

Traegus furrowed his brow. “Are you arguing for or against his intellect?”

“Both,” Jodocus replied, walking away. “And neither.”

Traegus stared after him in confusion. He thought for a moment, straining to understand Jodocus’ meaning, finally shaking his head.

Jodocus definitely took after his namesake.

“My friend,” Traegus said, going after him. “Leaving Farouk aside, I do have one concern.”

Jodocus stopped. “What is that?”

“I wonder if removing the spirit of Theia from this realm will have a negative effect on Earth.”

Jodocus considered the wizard’s words. “Well,” he said. “I had not thought of that. Her presence has influenced many things, to be sure. But she did not belong here anyway. On the other hand, her presence may have made it possible for life to begin here in the first place. The Moon had a hand in creation; I know this. If not for its presence, our seasons may have become too extreme for Gaia to maintain life. Of course, Theia herself had nothing to do with this.”

“That was my thinking,” Traegus agreed. “And that brings another question to mind. If Theia and Gaia had not collided on Alvheim, then how did life there remain stable?”

“Different universe, different rules,” Jodocus replied, shrugging.

“Good point,” Traegus agreed. “Very good point. I hope Farouk will allow us to accompany him when he takes Theia to her new world. I would very much like to see how a Mother spirit joins with a new planet.”

“It will be interesting,” Jodocus said. “And I am sure he will want us to be present to assist in any way we can. You, however, will probably be busy.”

Traegus nodded. “Well then, I suppose all that is left for the moment is to wait until we are ready to travel to the mainland.”

Jodocus smiled. “How about a game of Rings, then?”

“Of course!” Traegus exclaimed. “But no cheating this time. And I’ll know it, too!”

Chapter Two

Night lay like a comforting blanket of peace over Garret’s resting form. He stared up at the stars, his eyes tracing the intricate, imaginary lines that made up the constellations. Though he kept his focus on the beauty above, in the back of his mind, he went over the revelations of the past few days.

He had learned the hard truth of what had happened in his past life. He learned that his queen, Siobhan, had asked him to assassinate her twin sister, Queen Maebh. He learned that he had rescued a young woman from the hands of the Jindala and returned her safely to her father. He also learned that he, himself, had been killed by the hand of his own son; with his own dagger, no less.

But the most damning revelation of all was the fact that he had killed Siobhan herself. Through some trickery on the part of Maebh and the Prophet, Siobhan had been placed in Maebh’s stead. Thinking he was fulfilling his mission, Garret slid his dirk into her back. Her identity was only revealed when he lowered her to the floor and looked into her eyes.

They were Siobhan’s eyes. He had murdered his queen.

Garret sighed as he contemplated her last thoughts. What did she think of him? Did she know that magic was at work, or did she believe that he had murdered her? Was her heart broken?

He could not clear his mind of her image; that last look into his eyes that reflected her horror. Even in death, her beauty had mesmerized him. And now, as he lay alone and in anguish, her image was burned into his mind; her lovely face in all of its perfect dimensions, her long crimson hair, and eyes that were the color of the most perfect emeralds.

She was a goddess—his goddess—and he had murdered her.

Garret closed his eyes as a choking feeling rose in his throat. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to let his rage loose. He breathed in and out forcefully, desperately trying to stifle his anger.

It was not your fault, Garret,
the Great Mother spoke.
I know this, Eamon knows this, and Siobhan knows this.

“How can you be sure?” he asked. “There was so much betrayal in her eyes.”

She was dying, my child. It was not betrayal. It was fear.

“I failed her.”

No. She knew at that moment what had happened. She knew that it wasn’t your doing. She knew… you did not murder her.

Garret wept then, covering his face with his hands in shame.

Garret, if this pain is too much for you to bear, I will take it away.

“No!” he shouted. “No! It is
my
pain. It is mine to bear, and mine to cherish.”

You needn’t go on this way. You have done all that I have asked. Your mission is over. You may come home now.

“I am home,” he replied, sitting up. “At least until this is over—until Akharu is dead and the Lifegiver is gone. Then I will be ready to move on. I must make amends.”

When you are ready, call upon me and I will bring you home.
Until then, accept this gift from me. It will aid you in your quest.

Garret looked down at his boots as a warm feeling spread over his feet. As he watched, the sigil of queen Siobhan—a dove—appeared on the ankles of each boot. It was gray in color, and shone with the faint glow of Earth energy. Garret smiled, standing.

May this gift speed your way, my child.

Garret moved forward, standing on the edge of the cliff. Below, the valley stretched eastward toward the sea. Somewhere out there, he knew, the final battle was coming. He would join when the time was right. But now, his first priority was clear.

He must destroy Akharu.

Garret gazed out over the landscape below, looking for a good place to land. It was quite a distance, but not too far that he couldn’t see the details in the dim moonlight. Holding his arms out, and closing his eyes, he leaned forward. With a quick breath, he pushed off the cliff, gliding down into the shadows below.

Maedoc sat hunched over the Dragonstone in his make shift study. Traegus had provided him with a private room in which to commune with the servants of the Dragon, and the seer was now in communication with Khalid. From the expression on the priest’s face, Maedoc could tell his need for counsel was urgent.

“Has something happened?” he asked.

Khalid’s face came clearer as he spoke. “There was an assassin at Tel Drakkar earlier this morning,” he said.

“An assassin?” Maedoc repeated. “From the Brotherhood?”

“It was a demon. He was apparently after a man who is currently in our care.”

“Who is this man?” Maedoc asked.

“He is named Jax,” Khalid replied. “He is an innkeeper whose business was just to the north of Tel Drakkar.”

“Why was this assassin looking for him?”

“Jax came to us after an encounter with the same assassin a day earlier. He was wounded with a dark blade; one that left a festering hole. I assume the demon came to finish him off.”

Maedoc leaned back, contemplating the news. There was already one mysterious assassin lurking the kingdoms. But it was one that had been helping the resistance behind the scenes. He wondered what this new assassin’s purpose was. The fact that Khalid described him as a demon was unsettling.

“What did this assassin look like?” he asked.

“He looked like a demon,” Khalid said, shrugging. “He was red, with black hair and glowing red eyes. He was dressed in strange armor that appeared to change shape as he moved.”

“Did he say his name?” Maedoc asked.

“He did not. But I got the strange feeling that he is here for reasons other than a simple innkeeper. He is a demon—I know this—and demons do not concern themselves with simple innkeepers without a reason.”

Maedoc nodded in agreement. “I will commune with what sources I can,” he said. “As you know, the Dragon is currently unavailable, and possibly dead. If I find anything useful, I will contact you.”

“Thank you, my friend. In the meantime, a small force of soldiers would be appreciated if this demon decides to return with his cohorts.”

“Very well,” Maedoc replied. “I will dispatch a company of rangers immediately.”

Khalid bowed his head, smiling. “Excellent!” he said. “Please send Jhayla’s company. I hear she is quite the feisty one. I would love to meet her.”

Maedoc chuckled. “She’s young enough to be your daughter, Khalid,” he said. “And feisty she is. You would be wise to take care around her or she’ll put you in your place.”

“She wouldn’t be the first,” Khalid joked.

“I will speak with Adder as soon as I can,” Maedoc said. “He will no doubt be willing to assist you.”

“Very well,” Khalid replied. “I will await their arrival. Take care, my friend.”

Maedoc smiled, covering the Dragonstone with a silk cloth.

The seer contemplated the situation. The news of the assassin was grave, indeed, and there was definitely the need to send troops to help protect Tel Drakkar. He would need a messenger to do so, however, and messengers were scarce at Southwatch. Perhaps a Druaga, or maybe…

Titus!

“Ah, yes!” Maedoc exclaimed. “Fleet of wing and discreet as they come.”

He left his quarters to find Traegus, whistling as he sought out his friend.

Gentle night winds caressed Allora’s face as she and Aeli sat cross-legged in the forest nearby. The Alvar’s eyes were closed, and she breathed in the scent of the forest with a content smile. Aeli was glad for her. The mage had spent an eternity on a dead world, and an even longer time trapped in limbo before finally being freed.

And it was all because of the druids of Eirenoch. For that, Allora was thankful.

She leaned back, opening her eyes to see Aeli looking up at the stars. She could feel the woman’s spirit; almost as if it was reaching out from her body. This was an amazing thing to feel for the Alvar. It was a characteristic that told her how closely Aeli was connected to the world around her.

Perhaps she could help Aeli increase this connection somehow.

“I have met many humans during my travels, Aeli,” she said. “But none so attuned to their world as you and Farouk.”

Aeli turned to rest her head on her hand, propping herself up on her elbow. “Jodocus the Elder saw my connection with the Earth, and helped me to understand how to use it. But without Farouk’s guidance, I may never have fully realized it.”

“Farouk is a great druid, somehow in tune with spirits even higher than your Great Mother. You, however, are right at home, as I presume you always have been.”

Aeli nodded. “I never knew that my inherited abilities were that of a druid,” Aeli explained. “Neither did my mother, or her mother before her.”

“Surely they must have known something about them was different,” Allora suggested. “After all, your mother and grandmother lived much longer than their peers.”

“And so have I,” Aeli replied, smiling. “I am much older than Farouk. But the higher powers chose him for some reason.”

“Because they know you belong here,” Allora said. “You have been selected to protect this land. The spirits themselves chose you to follow in the footsteps of your teacher. They still speak his name, but they speak highly of you as well.”

Aeli smiled. “And someday, Jodocus will take my place.”

“Perhaps,” Allora said. “But I have the feeling that he is destined for something else.”

“Like what?”

Allora pursed her lips. “Farouk spoke of a great blending of fabrics of time and space,” she began. “But he reasoned that if Theia’s spirit could be used to restore the balance of both our worlds, then the Great Mother would be able to rest for a time and rebuild her strength naturally.”

Aeli nodded.

“But,” Allora continued. “While she sleeps, there must be those who remain awake on this world to help with the restoration. I believe that Farouk, Traegus, Jodocus, and possibly some others we have not met will be those people.”

“And what of Maedoc?”

Allora’s eyes saddened. Aeli knew the answer to her own question. Maedoc would grow old and die as any normal man would. He would live longer, however, since he had the Dragon’s blood in his veins, another lifetime, perhaps. But, ultimately, his fate was the same as any man’s.

“It will be a sad day when he passes,” Aeli said finally.

“It will. He will be missed by his family.”

“And what of the people?” Aeli asked. “When the Great Mother sleeps, what will become of them?”

“I do not know,” Allora said. “When that time comes, I imagine Farouk or Jodocus will have the answer. I am sure you will have some part to play, if the fates allow you to remain for that long.”

Aeli nodded, accepting that there were no answers for now.

“Tell me something, Aeli,” Allora said, changing the subject. “This Onyx Dragon, King Eamon. Tell me about him. What kind of man is he?”

“He is a great king,” Aeli replied. “He is very much like his grandfather, who was also known as the Onyx Dragon. Eamon inherited his honor, and his bravery.”