NexLord: Dark Prophecies (41 page)

“They gathered there one day, all of them;
the majority of all free humans left on the face of the
planet.  For the first, and last time, they met, and the
Dreadmaster learned of it, but he was too late to stop the
meeting.  Together, in this place infused with the
strength of friendship, they were too powerful for him to get into
their minds, and he writhed in anger and hatred, sending his
creatures hunting in the maze, or waiting outside the caverns to
exact punishment.

“The people had created a place of raw power,
but they did not know how to use it to defeat the
Dreadmaster.  It was not
mobile
since the power was infused into the very
rock.  
Eventually,
the
people knew they would have to leave the protection of the caves or
starve.  Then they came up with the idea of infusing the
power into a human.  Oddly, it was the example of the
Dreadmaster's power that sparked the idea.  The
accumulation of all fear was infused into his body and became a
power he could use. 

“And so they decided to enable their power to
inhabit the body of a human who would then do battle against the
Dreadmaster.  But they were worried, what if they created
another Dreadmaster? What if once they bestowed this awesome
power into a man, it was abused?  So, as one, they used
their combined wills to create a test within the
caverns.  It is a test where only compassion,
friendship,
and sacrifice will suffice to
pass. 

"To help identify and honor those who passed
the test, a mark was created as part of the ceremony in the form of
golden chains on their wrists.  These represented the
link between the person and their promise to protect the people of
the land from the oppression of the Dreadmaster.  Those
few who wore the chain marks were named NexLords, for they were the
connection point of many lines of power, as you will learn
presently.

“Then each and every human within the caverns
used their combined emotional power to will the vision of this test
into the very stone of the mountain roots.  Their need,
purpose,
and combined emotion have
never been equaled, and they were successful.  They
created the Chamber and the Wall.

“When a person true of heart is willing to
enter the stone, and can pass the test, they will emerge with the
power of the Nexus within them, but if they fail, they will die
locked within the stone forever.

“This is the power of the Nexus, and over
time,
eight brave souls have
entered the Wall to take the NexLord test.  Seven of them
emerged from the Wall, with the golden chain marks of a NexLord
engraved into their wrists; one was never seen alive again.

“Upon learning of their deed, the Dreadmaster
was furious.  He was the master of all races and these
people had defied him. For days he had been cut off from the nectar
of their fear, and as they emerged from the cavern he viciously
attacked their minds.  Many tried to escape, but he
captured nearly ten
thousand
and
locked them in the vast dungeons below his
fortress
so that he could torture them for their
insolence.  He kept them in fear for many
years
but kept their hopes of rescue alive just
enough that they feared death.  Then he tortured them
until they feared to live.  Finally, he gathered all this
power
and sought within their
tortured minds for their deepest fears.  Using the
accumulated power of their fear, he raised nine of their worst
nightmares.  These were named the Dreadbeasts, though
they are still often referred to as the Risen.  Each was
different, each was powerful, and each was infused with the fear of
thousands of tortured souls.

“These abominations rose from the corpses of
the people whose fear had created them.  The Dreadmaster
converted the tortured prisoner’s bodies into their own visions of
horror, and then he
loosed
these
deadly beings upon the world, as punishment for all those who had
resisted his rule. 

"Eight brave men and women entered the Wall
of testing and seven became NexLords ready to do battle with these
new horrors.  Over time, five of the seven NexLords were
killed along with their bondsmen, but some of the Risen fell as
well and it cost their Master dearly to raise them again.

“At the end of that great struggle, the
remaining free people were led by the last surviving NexLords in a
battle at the Kitrick wall.  Many died, but at long last
the Dreadmaster Maugh was killed."

"But he is still..." Aerin started to say,
but Mara held up a finger to still his voice.

She started again: "
Maugh's
body was killed, and the people thought him gone
forever, but the Dreadmaster's power, the fear that had infused
Maugh, remained.

“Remember,
Maugh
was not the first Dreadmaster, before him there was
Logan.  Long ago, in all but forgotten times, the first
Dreadmaster sought to conquer the world, but luckily the angel
Gedin saved us.  But as time went by, people forgot
Logan's evil, and they grew careless until an evil man took up the
power of the Dreadmaster and nearly destroyed the
world.  Even now, after the reign of the second
Dreadmaster, they haven't learned, for the essence of fear, the
very power of the
Dreadmaster
only
waits
to claim another
person.  
Eventually,
the
Dreadmaster's power of fear will take a new host and the horror
will return."

Mara stopped and there was a moment of
silence.  Her students had never heard the story told
this way, though they had each heard bits and pieces of this tale
through
bards
and song, as well as
stories and poems.

Aerin knew more than the rest of them, from
his father’s books, but this version told the story in a new
light. 

Aerin had a question: "Mara, is that what
came over the wall the night of the battle, one of the Risen?"

Mara appraised him for a
moment.  "Yes, Aerin, you have indeed discovered the
truth.  That was the Dreadbeast known as Insanity; it has
been brought back and has risen again.  With the
Dreadmaster's power crippled, I did not think it could achieve
sufficient fear to raise one of the Dreadbeasts; at least not until
it had found a new host body.  I did not know that it
could achieve such power in this state, so I did not anticipate a
Dreadbeast.  Not only has he brought at least one back,
but the Dreadmaster has shown that he wants Gandarel, and was
willing to reveal one of his most horrible powers to get him."

"But wait, what does he want with
Gandarel?  Does he want to kill him?"

Mara looked away for a
moment.  "Not all of this is clear; there are things that
puzzle me, as well.  I do know that the Dreadmaster
cannot allow Gandarel to enter the Chamber of the Nexus, for he too
must know of the Prophesies of Gold.  However, I believe he
has some other use for Gandarel, for he has not tried to kill the
boy, only abduct him.  This could change at any time, and
perhaps it already has, since the attempts to abduct him have
failed.  The closer we get to Gandarel's test, the more
likely the Dreadmaster will try to have him murdered."

"Wait a minute, what is this you said about
Gandarel in the Chamber of the Nexus?" Lor demanded.

"Gandarel is to be the new
NexLord.  He is destined to battle the power of the
Dreadmaster," Mara answered simply; "you should know that by now,
Lor."

"Gandarel?  He is going to take
this 'test' you spoke of, that was created so long ago?" Lor
demanded.

"Yes," Mara answered directly, looking Lor in
the eye.

"And what of us?  You have been
training us as well.  Are we to enter this
test?  ‘Cause if this is true, I think you should have
told us that..."

"No," Mara interrupted.  "You will
not enter the Wall of the Chamber Lor; not you, Aerin, Katek or
Dono.  You will not enter, and nothing else will be
required of you against your will.  Only Gandarel will go
through the Wall."

"Oh," Lor said and her indignant expression
faded.  Then it was replaced with one of annoyance,
"What's so important about him?  I can take him in a
fight."

"I think Gandarel would have something to say
about that," Aerin noted with a smile for his friend.

Mara also smiled.  "I see that you
have gone from, 'I don't want it' to 'Why can't I have it' quite
rapidly."

Lor looked unhappy.

"It's not a matter of fighting skill,
Lor.  It's more a matter of personality and strength of
commitment.  NexLords are the glue that holds their
people together.  Only those pure of purpose and clear of
their role can enter and succeed.  Gandarel has been
prophesied as the new NexLord, and he will enter the Wall to take
his test, of this I have little doubt."

"Then why are you teaching us?"

"Bondsmen," Aerin said, though the question
had been to Mara.

"Bondsmen!" Lor declared with suspicion in
her voice.  "What does that entail?"

"I don't know that you can all become
Bondsman, it isn’t clear who will and who will not.  I do
know that it is likely that some of you will.  For that
reason,
I have been training you
so that you will be ready if the time ever comes.  As to
what they are, there is time for you to learn your duties and
powers as we progress."

The students chewed on that for a few moments
in silence.

"Bondsman doesn't mean, 'servant', does it?"
Lor demanded at last.

"No, Lor, it means 'friend' more than
anything, but a closer friend than most people ever
find.  Bondsman
give
and
receive, they share in the NexLord's power.  Remember
that I told you of the concern about giving the power to a human,
and their fear of creating a new Dreadmaster, or
worse?  The creators of the nexus built in a check and
balance to the NexLord's power.  He is nothing without
his friend's, and they have the power of life and death over the
NexLord.  Should a NexLord betray and break just one bond
in his life, he will die, instantly.  That is the power a
Bondsman has over the NexLord. When the NexLord makes the bond
he gives the power of his life into the hands of his friend,
forever."

"Wow, you mean if the Bondsman doesn't like
the NexLord anymore..."

"He dies," Mara said quietly.

"I don't think Gandarel will trust any of us
with his life!" Katek noted.

"He will trust some of you, or he will trust
someone else, but Bond he must if he would use the power of the
Nexus, and he must do that or we will all perish," Mara noted in a
serious voice.

Her students
paused
quietly, as they digested all of this
information.  Mara waited patiently.

"When must Gandarel go to this 'Chamber'?"
Dono asked.

"Soon, Dono, though I don't know the
exact time, but it won't be long.  There are certain,
'events' that will take place, and then I will know.  One
of them has passed, and Gandarel did not go, so now we are
on
a new path of destiny," Mara
noted.

"These 'Dark Prophecies' you spoke of," Aerin
noted.

"Yes, they are a set of divinations that I
have worked years to keep from happening, but there is no help for
it now.  Much that I thought would come to pass, will
not, and much that I feared may come true.  It seems that
we will return to the dark time, once again," she added at the end,
more quietly. 

"How do you know these prophecies are true?"
Aerin asked.

"The return of the Risen is one such example
of the Dark Prophecies coming true.  I didn't see its
exact form from the words, but now it is clear.  Prophecy
is often like that, you know what you think it means, but it may
come true in unforeseen ways."

"You said, after the battle, that we would
not like what you will teach us, I think I understand that now,"
Lor noted.

"No Lor, you do not.  For the next
thing,
I must teach you all is how
to face your fears.  You see, during that battle you all
feared the coming of the Risen, but what you don't realize is that
your fear made it stronger.  The Dreadbeast Insanity
exudes fear, which causes even greater fear in people around
it.  It eats the fear emanating from its victims and that
makes it constantly stronger.  The way to diminish its
power is to cut Insanity off from
fear
so that it gives off power with no
return.  That is why I had Yearl send you away from its
presence.  I had no idea we would be facing one of the
Dreadbeasts of old, and you have not been properly prepared to
handle your fear."

"I'm sorry, Mara, I could hardly
breathe.  I don't think I could ever stand up to that
thing without fear," Aerin noted.

"You can, Aerin, and I can teach you how, but
it won't be pleasant, and it won't be easy.  To teach you
not to fear I must take you to the heart of fear."

They didn't like the sound of that.

Lor spoke up bravely.  "You can
try, Mara, but I'm not afraid of anything."

"Except that beast," Aerin noted.

"I can handle it," Lor
stated
with her chin up.

Katek scoffed, "Sure you can."

Mara stopped their
argument.  "Tomorrow we start your new
training.  Please know that I wouldn't do this to you if
I could help it in any way.  Be brave, and remember, in
the
end,
you will be stronger for
having come through the fire of the forge."

"I can tell you right now, I'm not looking
forward to this," Dono noted.

Mara stood.  "Now, since I missed
Gandarel coming to me, I will go to him."

Aerin looked worried.  "But, Mara,
shouldn't you rest first?"

Mara did indeed look tired, but she just gave
him a small smile.  "There is no time for rest, Aerin,
events outpace us, and I have no time left for being old."