Chapter 4 of “The Elder Ones: Earth Splitter”
- Chapter 1 – New Horizons
- Chapter 2 – The Heart of Wilderness
- Chapter 3 – City of Lions
The gurgle of Tor’s Landing continues to echo off the mountains as the ancient city continues a slow descent into the depths of the North Sea. The hearts of the five weary heroes dragging their feet through the last snows covering the base of the Dragon’s Spine Mountains are heavy and full of grief. Aurelee and Gaelìn carry both the weight of the loss of the ancient city and the final words of The Last in their mind. The duo know they must decipher the words of Dûsfûn to continue along their path to The Firstborn. Thus far, the only clue they have lies in the mind of what they perceive to be their next enemy in the Elder One known as Ôrûnán.
Before they can hope to encounter the Elder One of Earth, there are issues between themselves and the group they travel with. The Twins, Olaf and Lyra, both with heavy packs on their backs, lead the five-strong group through the twists and turns and curves of the intertwined valleys going on without any end in sight. None of the others question any step either twin makes, since where they now travel is more familiar to the descendants of Tor, if by but a fraction.
Behind the Twins and lost deep in a thousand thoughts is the fiery and vivacious Aby. Her pale leather boots, which serve as common equipment to many assassins, leave deep grooves in the snow underfoot. The brown dirt hidden by the blanket of frozen water provides a stark contrast and, while Aby herself pays little attention to it, the Commander furrows her brow at the symbolism she derives from the imagery.
Aurelee herself is not too far behind Aby, but there is enough distance between the two one might think the tension and anger between them because of recent events is all they have in common. This tension is a radical change for Aurelee, as, because of how terrible her father treated her as a child, she prefers not to show how much even the simplest thing was not to her preference annoys her. The best example Aurelee or her brother can ever recall of such an event is the day their father did everything in his power to keep her from her first lesson with Sir Torvald a decade and a half prior. It is memories like those driving the Commander to strive to be better and show her father how much she does not like his archaic thought processes.
The one person who does understand the strange emotions coursing through the Commander follows the group from a fair distance behind. Gaelìn knows she must come to a decision which will not only affect her future, but the future of all Terrus. For the time being, she focuses on the task thrust upon her by what she feels to be fate. It is rare for Gaelìn to find herself afraid of what she is capable of, yet some part of her does not want to improve upon her now-potent magical abilities. Gaelìn’s greatest fear is what will happen when she comes face to face with The Firstborn again. The thought of this final encounter fills her mind most hours of the day and so, even though the docks of Denarr are visible on the horizon, she feels nothing in the way of joy. Gaelìn knows the danger a place such as Denarr possesses.
The first thing one learns about Denarr is the humble village serving as the sole port north of the Nair River remains so far removed from events occurring around the rest of Kulvaan, it is as though one travels to a different world altogether. For a week, Olaf and Lyra pushed for the group to put as much distance between them and Tor’s Landing as possible. Despite this urgency, the group is unable to force the horrid gurgles echoing around out of their minds. No one in the group can seem to find a logical reason for being able to hear every sound emanating from the place serving as the grave of The Last. The likeliest explanation is each party member left a piece of who they are behind.
They are not wrong when they think this thought, for this reason is the truth of the matter. The power of an Elder One, even one so weak as Dûsfûn, is so incredible, a portion of the souls of all beings in the immediate vicinity of the place their physical body dies, which is often their lair, remains behind in the area for all eternity. The death of an Elder One has the unexpected side effect wherein those affected by this soul trap never receive the opportunity to enter Walhalla (for those from Kulvaan, Elysium for others) and must spend eternity in the infinite expanse of the Ethereal World. If any of the five remaining in the group knew of this, they would think twice before embarking on the next phase of their quest.
‘Gael,’ Aurelee says. ‘I can sense something is on your mind. I know you can feel my thoughts too. We need to talk about what happened. For both our sakes.’
The Commander’s voice causes Gaelìn to jump out of her deep thoughts. She too feels it is time for them to talk about things and try to clear the air. At night, Gaelìn watches Aurelee toss and turn to the same nightmares plaguing her. With a heavy breath and a slow blink, Gaelìn looks to the Commander and tries to give a sweet smile, yet she gets no further than a grimace as she thinks of the burden they now bear and share.
‘Yea, we do need to talk. I don’t what needs saying, though. I mean, we don’t even understand what is happening around us. Look at us. We’re two young women from the Buulan region who are off fighting, well, demigods. How’d this burden fall onto our shoulders, Auri? Why are we the ones who need to save the world? What did we do to deserve this?’ Gaelìn replies.
All Aurelee can provide for an answer is a slow nod. She herself wonders why the weight of half a billion people resides on shoulders far broader than her feminine frame seems capable of having. Aurelee’s subconscious tries to take her mind off any worries she has as she finds her fingers wrap around the hilt of the sword of her original mentor. The feel of the cracked and worn pommel soothes her nerves somewhat.
‘I can’t answer your question, Gael. It’s something we need to figure out. I know you never asked for this. I never asked for this. I doubt anyone asked for any of this to occur, yet here we are trying to save the world. I don’t blame you for anything you do. In truth, I’m glad I didn’t force you to stay away from me in Druusys. I doubt I could have made it this far without knowing you were safe,’ Aurelee says.
The two women round a small curve in the mountains as they continue to follow Aby and the Twins. The mighty Nair River stretches like a scar across the plain to the south. The sight of the vast water system provides an aura of security to the group. It marks the end of the long slog and difficult terrain at the northern end of the Dragon’s Spine Mountains. The path leading down the cliffside is the final obstacle between the luscious green grass of the Denarr countryside and the frozen white waste beyond the Dragon’s Spine Mountains.
‘Wow. This view is magnificent,’ Gaelìn says. ‘I’ve heard tales of the beauty of the Nair, but to see it in all its glory is something else. If we had more time, I’d love to explore the entire length of the hundreds of creeks and streams and lesser rivers constituting the entire system.’
Aurelee smirks. She always found Gaelìn’s inquisitive nature one of her most prominent traits. In the back of Aurelee’s mind, she does wish she could treat Gaelìn, someone she feels to be her true love, to a lifetime of travel and exploration across Terrus. Nothing would please Aurelee more than to see a smile plastered across Gaelìn’s face on a constant basis.
‘I wish we could too. I’ve crossed the Nair once on a boat, though I spent most of the time doubled over. It might be a lazy river, but you cannot deny in the summer, after the thaw in the mountains, the waters flowing along this system are quite turbulent and it is not something one can overlook. I’m sure you do not want to hear such boring information, though. I do love the sound the delta makes as the water meets the ocean. It’s a weird sound, since the Nair sits below the level of the ocean. Of course, only the delta is at such a level, but this location affects the path the river takes and makes it seem unnatural,’ Aurelee says after she clears her throat.
A gentle breeze blows in from the Western Ocean and carries with it a briny and fish-filled scent. For all except Aby, the familiar taste of food provides little relief to the hunger gnawing at them. Their supplies are lower than they would like them to be at this stage of their journey. Each member of the group exchange looks which indicate it is past time for a decent meal. Or, at least as decent a meal as one can have in such an inhospitable place.
Aurelee and Gaelìn sit by the edge of an overhang of the cliff as they watch the Twins go about their lengthy preparations to serve up quite the hearty meal to the other three. Maarlak’s salted pork is the sole protein left in any of the light packs each party member carries.
‘Kulvaan is a strange place and with the way the world is now, I believe it’ll only get much worse the more Dûgán we kill. It might not seem like it, but the world is far different since Dûsfûn fell,’ Gaelìn says.
The faint whine of the wind as it creates a zone of turbulence as it blows up to the sky makes itself heard. The onrush of air brings with it a strong chill. As much as she wants to, Gaelìn resists the urge to snuggle close to Aurelee. An aura of tension between Aurelee and Gaelìn resonates in every fibre of their being. A lot of tension comes from Aurelee’s outburst after the death of The Last, an outburst which contained many comments which would be difficult to prove false.
‘I know what you mean. Well, not all of it, but I can tell things are different, even without the full meaning of those words. The way the clouds move and the power with which the wind blows does not seem natural. Of course, such things might all be in my head, but do we need to try to turn our focus towards one important detail,’ Aurelee says.
What Aurelee refers to is the topic everyone in the group wished to avoid, but when Aurelee mentions it, Olaf and Lyra fall silent. This silence does not stop them from their work, and they continue to put together the meal for this day. A few dried-up leaves serving as a reminder half of spring is already behind the world blow along the dirt with a crinkling sound.
It is several minutes before anyone in the group gets up the nerve to say anything and, to the surprise of everyone, it is not the outspoken Aby who opens her mouth, but the silent Lyra.
‘You’re right. We need to look ahead, and not worry about what goes on behind us. Father used to speak of the dangers of the ancient powers of the world, though I don’t think he could predict how dangerous they could be. I’ve heard tales all my life of how the Elder Ones were these unstoppable beasts of infinite power. I saw one of them fall from the sky and not rise again. Now, I might not know what attacked Druusys, but from what you’ve told me and what I saw back there, it seems to me it is only a matter of time before whatever it is retaliates with an even worse attack. Now, it seems to me we have two options. The first involves us waiting around and twiddling our thumbs as we wait for an inevitable doom. The second option is the one I intend on doing and it is simple: we hunt these things down and end them before they end us. We show them they are no longer the greatest power in this world. You two know what we should do. I’ll say this right here, I’ll follow you to the end of the world until I die, or we finish what we set out to do. Now, are you with me?’ Lyra says.
The passion in the words of Lyra ignites a fire inside those around her. Aby first shares a glance with Olaf. The two exchange sly smiles. Aby next moves her gaze not to Aurelee, but to Gaelìn, for Aby knows Aurelee will follow either herself or Gaelìn, because of a deep-seated love she possesses for each of them.
‘Are you with us princess, eh? We ain’t gonna get far without you and I sure as hell ain’t gonna let you walk away from the future of everyone, eh,’ Aby says.
Gaelìn looks up from the dirt at the four faces staring at her. Olaf’s stern and bearded face shows as much, if not more determination than anyone she can recall showing before. Lyra looks as majestic as ever, yet for the first time, Gaelìn can see the austere gravitas in her posture hearkening back to her ancestors. Aby and her furrowed brow are next in line and in those emerald eyes, Gaelìn sees a mixture of sorrow and fear alongside the infallible resolve Aby is renowned for.
Aurelee is the last of the group Gaelìn turns to. As Gaelìn expects, Aurelee’s face possesses the most concern of all of them. This is standard protocol for Aurelee since she knows to be sceptical and critical of any plan others lay before her. It might seem a pigheaded and ignorant way of thought, but it is a relic passed down from all previous Commanders. More than once has this mindset paid off for Aurelee, and she will swear by it until her dying days.
‘I don’t know. There’s so much to consider, and I don’t know if I can do it. But I do know one thing,’ Aurelee says.
Aby gives a smirk as she has a sense as to what words might leave Aurelee’s luscious lips next. It reminds Aby of one of the first interactions she had with Aurelee before the two became close to each other. The length of time between those twin events renders the details hazy as Aby still feels the aftereffects of the Kaiga venom Ashton poisoned her with.
‘Before you say anything, I got something I need to get off me chest, eh,’ Aby says. The group all turn to focus on her. ‘Well, this is awkward, eh. There’s an ulterior motive for me still being with you, eh. I got orders from up high to, well, dispose of the lot of you, but I can’t do it, eh. We’ve done so much already and many times you coulda left me behind, but you didn’t, eh. Now, I know people like me don’t often hold any allegiances as it breaks any code we may carry, but for the first time I feel like I belong, eh. I won’t say you can trust me but know I can’t bring meself to do anything to harm you, for it would weigh too heavy on me conscience, eh.’
A loud silence follows Aby’s impassioned words, but there is no indication of any tension between the members of the group. Aby’s words burrow deepest into Aurelee’s mind. For the better part of a decade Aurelee has known Aby and she would always hold at least some amount of doubt, yet now all Aurelee finds in her mind is a wave of sincerity. Somewhere deep down, Aurelee feels a burning need to respond to feelings deep inside her she thought long forgotten.
‘Thank you,’ Aurelee says. This causes Aby and Lyra and Olaf to give her a quizzical look. ‘Thank you for trusting us, Aby. I know you do not give out trust on a regular basis. As much as it pains me to say so, you’re all going to need someone like me in the trials to come. I’m with you, for better or for worse. Besides, it can’t hurt to have someone of my status behind you, can it?’
A grin crosses both Gaelìn and Lyra as Aurelee draws Torvald’s sword from its sheathe. She kneels on the hilt and drives the point into the compacted dirt underfoot. It might be a common thing to do in the presence of royalty, yet in a place like this with what most nobles would refer to as commoners, it is a sight unheard of. Aurelee rises after a few silent words and takes a deep breath.
‘Right. So, what is it we do now? Where do we go from here?’ Lyra says.
A wide smile occupies Olaf’s face. On any normal day, he does not show much in the way of emotion, so when he does smile, the result is either a good idea or an idea so terrible, it should never see the light of day. In this moment, he has one of his rare good ideas.
‘I think we eat now,’ he says.
Without any word of confirmation from those around him, Olaf doles out portions of the meal he and Lyra prepared. The others thank Olaf as they receive their small portions. The members of the group sit in a circle as the sun crests the Dragon’s Spine Mountains to the east.
Lyra and Olaf stare across the fields to the south. The Nair River runs as though it were a scar across the otherwise flawless grasslands. In the distance, at the edge of the mountain fog and tucked away in between two arms of a pair of mighty mountains sits the mighty Buulan Fortress whose tallest spire peeks out of the alcove only a fraction for the Twins to see. The city, despite the fame it carries does not look very impressive from this distance.
‘I thought Buulan would be more impressive,’ Lyra says.
Aurelee and Aby and Gaelìn all turn their gazes southward. Aurelee clenches her jaw at the sight of the city in the distance. Aby gives out a small sigh as her face morphs into a half grimace.
‘There it lies, eh. The great jewel of Kulvaan, eh. Do not let the size from here fool you, eh. Buulan appears like a speck of gold in a sea of dirt, though the speck is not real gold but rusted iron, eh. The city is a nest where nobles go because it is the only place where they feel big, eh,’ Aby says.
At this point one might expect Aurelee to speak up since she is a native of the Kulvaan capital, but she remains silent. The only emotion to come from her is a solemn nod as she turns away. She takes a solemn walk a short distance from the group. Lyra furrows her brow.
‘Did we do something wrong?’ Lyra asks.
Neither Gaelìn nor Aby respond give an answer to the question. They understand only Aurelee can provide an adequate answer. All they do is watch Aurelee keep her gaze fixated upon the fortress in the distance. Though they may not know it, there are memories both good and bad from Aurelee’s childhood thought long lost which now flood back into her mind.
‘No, you didn’t do anything wrong, eh. Do you mind giving us some space, eh? She needs someone she trusts to take her mind of things, eh. Don’t worry about it, eh. Get some rest, all of you, eh,’ Aby says and slides past the others.
Rather than talk with Aurelee right away, Aby sidles up close to her so their body heat causes a radiating effect between them. Try as she might, Aurelee cannot help but let a few tears slip down her cheeks and much like the great river scarring the land, the trail left by the liquid glistens in the last hours of the cool sunlight of the year.
‘I’m scared, Abygail,’ Aurelee says after a long silence. She never uses Aby’s full name, so when it slips her lips, then Aby knows Aurelee is demanding full attention, even with her voice on the verge of breaking. ‘For the first time in my life, I’m scared of my past. I never told anyone before, but my father is, well, not my true father. I’ve spent long years hiding the truth from everyone, much like the truth you hide. Don’t deny it; I know who you are, but you have my word I will not tell anyone.’
Aby takes a deep breath as chills run up her spine. She knows what bothers Aurelee, and it is an issue both believed to no longer be of any hindrance to Aurelee’s life. The issue lies in the strange and often horrifying dreams plaguing those of the royal bloodline.
‘The dreams are back and they’re worse than ever before, eh?’ Aby says. ‘What’re they about this time, eh?’
Aurelee decides it is better if she does not tell the truth. With a smile and a shake of her head, Aurelee lowers herself onto a crude rocky seat overlooking the vastness of the Western Ocean. She pats the space next to her. As Aby sits down, Aurelee reaches an arm across Aby’s lower back. The two share an embrace as nothing more than friends.
‘I’m glad you are here. There’s something infectious about you, and you raise the spirits of everyone about you. I’ll tell you the truth soon. I promise. For now, I want to enjoy the view.’
The sentiment is something Aby can agree with. She leans against Aurelee. The pair proceed to stare out over the Denarr region of Kulvaan into the Western Sea for several long moments. The waves break on the shore in the distance, yet they make no noise. The only noise either woman cares about is the slow breathing of the other.
- Chapter 5 – To the Ends of the Earth
Fenrir's Lair 