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Chapter 6
There was nothing Elias could do but watch. For all his knowledge and studying, he had never experienced anything like this. Avi's death would be on his hands as much as anyone's. None of the spells he had spent hours and days committing to memory seemed to be of any use in the moment. His stomach churned as he waited for the inevitable, unable to even look away. The beast, having had its appetizer, prepared for the main course.
A shrill cry rang out across the swamp. Not from Avi however, as Elias would have expected, but from the air. A cry he had heard before. It was the piercing screech of a bird of prey. A massive blur of brown seemed to fall from the sky, right on top of where the deadly swamp drake swam hidden just below the surface. Water shot high into the air as once again the massive jaws appeared from the depths in a powerful snapping motion. This time however, they closed around nothing but empty space.
Avi screamed as the massive reptile crashed back into the water mere feet from where he struggled to get away. As it did, Elias thought he caught a glimpse of red streaming from the creature's eyes. Looking all around and up above, Elias briefly saw the shape of a great bird wheeling overhead before it dove once more at alarming speed down toward the pond.
The swamp drake saw it coming or sensed its approach because it reared its jaws again before the giant bird was upon it. Like an arial acrobat, the bird spun to one side, its wing clearing the massive jaws before they could clamp shut with a resounding clip. This time however, before the drake could retreat back underwater, a soft thud was heard, and the shaft of an arrow appeared suddenly in the soft scales beneath the creature's jaws.
The water monster hissed and roared and rolled its body away. With a loud splash it disappeared beneath the murky water and did not resurface. The huge bird overhead screamed in triumph.
Finally able to wade far enough through the thick mud, Kole reached out a hand to the frantic Avi and yanked him in, throwing him over his shoulder none too gently. Elias, dazed and numb, looked around.
Standing not far away, stowing a bow back over his shoulder, was a boy that looked only about a year or two older than Avi. He was dressed in simple leather and furs. Plain but not primitive. Silky mid-length strawberry-blonde hair hung down almost in his eyes but was gathered in a single long braid down one side of his face. His skin was pale, even more so than Elias.
Kole sloshed his way to solid ground and gently dropped the sobbing Avi in a heap near the base of the tree before falling to his knees in what must have been sheer relief. Elias didn't dare try to speak. His voice he knew would sound as timid and ashamed as he felt.
The strange boy observed silently before, to Elias's surprise, the great bird that had been circling overhead dropped gracefully down to the ground next to him. It was an impressive creature. It stood almost five feet tall, far larger than any bird Elias had ever seen. It was brown except for its sharp hooked yellow beak and intelligent golden eyes. It cocked its head as it seemed to look right at him.
"Are you hurt?" The newcomer eventually spoke up, slowly coming forward. The giant bird stayed behind and began preening itself casually.
Kole looked up and heaved a heavy relieved sigh before shaking his head. "He'll be alright. Thanks to you."
Even though Kole didn't look his way, Elias felt the sting of the implied accusation.
"You've picked up some leeches." The boy pointed out. Sure enough, several long thin black worms hung from Kole's arms. Several clung to Avi as well who was curled up in a ball lamenting his lost friend.
"I can... heal the bites if... necessary." Elias mumbled awkwardly, drawing attention for the first time.
"Can you?" Kole challenged, making Elias's face go red.
"Yours must be the magic I've felt." The boy spoke to Elias. He had an odd lilting accent that Elias didn't recognize. "Are you a wizard then?"
Elias frowned in surprise at the boy's perceptiveness. He nodded awkwardly. Yet again, he determined that now was likely not the proper time to reveal that he was still in fact only an apprentice.
The boy reached out a hand to Kole who hesitated before taking the boy's small hand in his much larger one. Elias felt a flash of some strange emotion as the boy pulled gently on Kole's arm to get a closer look at the leaches attached to him.
Very gently, the boy touched the slimy worms with one finger from his other hand. Instantly, the creatures detached from Kole's arm and fell wriggling to the ground, squirming to find a way off the dry land. The boy repeated the process one by one on Kole's other arm, then knelt next to Avi who was still sniffling uncontrollably.
When all the leaches were gone, the boy finally stood and wiped his hands on his trousers before extending a hand once again for a proper handshake. "I'm Dain, of the Tor." He bowed slightly as he introduced himself in his foreign brogue.
Kole accepted the handshake but frowned. "The Tor? The tribe of the Verduin Isles?"
"Aye." Dain acknowledged with a soft smile and a nod. "First among the tribes in fact." He stated proudly.
Stepping forward now, his curiosity overcoming his shame for the moment, Elias looked the boy up and down. "The Verduin Isles?" He had seen what young Dain had done with the leeches but unlike the other two, he had felt the flicker of magic as it happened. "You're a druidic mage."
Dain gave Elias a half-smile before nodding again. "That is what mainlanders call us, yes." Now that he was closer, Elias could see that Dain had thin vine-like tendrils of green done in paint or perhaps tattoo reaching up his neck to the base of his jaw.
All of Elias's other emotions, his fear his shame and embarrassment, were overwhelmed for a moment by his curiosity. He had never met anyone even remotely practiced in druidic `natural' magic. It was a closely guarded secret of the dwellers of the western isles. A million questions sprang to mind all at once, but Kole spoke up before he could voice them.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?"
With a shrug, Dain turned his gentle smile back to Kole. "Not much more than you are, I'd guess."
"Maybe not." Kole conceded. "Did you come all this way on your own?"
Dain gave him a confused look. "Alone?" He looked over his shoulder at the giant bird that seemed perfectly content to ignore them. "No. Gwynoc has been with me all along."
Elias had read theories about the druidic connection to nature and their seeming ability to communicate with certain animals, but he had certainly never seen it firsthand.
Before Kole could give word to the puzzled expression on his face, Dain continued. "He says that he is sorry," He turned to Avi. "for the loss of your companion. He wishes that he had been here sooner."
Avi sniffed and looked up at Dain in surprise. "You mean... Tibbs?" His face twisted in grief at the mention of his little pet.
Face softening in compassion, Dain took one knee and offered Avi his hand. Hesitantly, Avi allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, still wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Maybe I can help." Dain motioned for Avi to follow him to the edge of the pond.
Avi looked at the dark water skeptically and Kole had a nervous expression as the two neared the pool. Dain did not step out into the water though; he stood at its edge and closed his eyes. Elias looked on, practically holding his breath in curiosity.
Putting two fingers to his lips, Dain whispered something, then he knelt and touched the very tips of them to the surface of the water. A ripple moved out across the still pond. No one spoke. Silence held sway over the marshes, and for a time nothing happened.
A sudden indignant quack caused all of them except for Dain to jump and turn around. Just behind Avi, waddling quickly in circles, was Tibbs, though there was something different about the little duck. Elias found that, if he looked closely, he could see the ground on the other side right through the small animal.
Avi didn't notice or didn't care. "Tibbs!" He cried ecstatically, dropping to his knees, fresh tears streaming down his face. He tried to gather the bird up in his arms, but his hands moved right through it. Tibbs honked and moved closer to Avi, giving his finger a gentle nibble that once again passed through without contact.
The overjoyed expression on Avi's face faded to one of slow understanding. He swallowed hard before looking up at Dain. "Why can't I pick `im up?"
"He is actually `she'." Dain revealed, retaining his soft knowing smile. "And she can't come back. Not like that. But she wanted a chance to say goodbye."
It looked like Avi was going to begin sobbing once more, but in an impressive display of maturity, he blinked his watery eyes several times, sniffled and then turned back to Tibbs and held his hands out to the intangible animal.
Tibbs nipped playfully at Avi's fingers, her bill passing right through him, and Avi gave a choked giggle. As touching as the scene was however, Elias felt a sense of discontent growing within him as he looked at the spectral bird.
"This is sorcery..." He eventually breathed, just loud enough for the others to hear.
Avi of course paid no attention. He was busy placing a hand on the ground and waiting for Tibbs to peck at it before moving it to another location and repeating the game with a mix of emotions moving across his face. Dain though turned to Elias with a slightly raised eyebrow. It was the closest thing to a challenge that the soft-spoken boy seemed likely to give.
"Would you prefer not to ease your friend's grief?" Dain questioned. "Nothing ever truly dies. You must know this."
Elias was speechless for a moment. His idea of those that practiced sorcery consisted of shadowy fallen wizards with a lust for forbidden power, similar to the one they were searching for in the swamp. "Druidic magic is... supposed to be part of the elemental school..." He formed his words carefully so as not to offend the boy, but his confusion was evident.
A smile of understanding crossed Dain's face. "It is what we prefer for mainlanders to believe." He gestured toward Tibbs. "Some might misunderstand."
"Come away from the water, Avi." Kole instructed quietly herding Avi farther onto dry land. Tibbs flapped her wings and half waddled half flew after him.
"You have nothing to fear from the swamp drake." Dain assured. "Unfortunately, it's passed on also."
Kole frowned and shook his head. "No way one arrow took down something that size. They're notoriously hard to kill."
Dain nodded before pulling an arrow out of his quiver and showing it to Kole. Its tip was slightly discolored. "The tribes of Verduin brew a poison from the sap of the hallaghan trees. It is very fast and painless and does not taint the meat. Its recipe is closely guarded."
"I'm glad it's dead." Avi put in darkly, still playing with his spectral companion.
"The beast was following its nature." Dain told him in an understanding tone. "All death is tragic."
Elias suddenly remembered where he had heard the piercing screech before. "It was you. Your bird." He blurted out quickly. "The other day in the foothills. It chased the treggans away."
The huge raptor made a distinctly aggressive clicking noise and took a single hop forward, angling its head again so one golden eye stared directly at Elias.
"Gwynoc doesn't like being called it'." Dain replied with a slight wince. "Or bird' for that matter. He's a Verduin herding hawk. And yes, that was him. He told me there were travelers heading for the swamps, but I thought he was mistaken."
Gwynoc croaked and shuffled his wings. In his own way, he was equally as terrifying as the swamp drakes. Magnificent and intelligent certainly, but also decidedly a predator.
"You can talk to it... him?" Kole corrected himself quickly.
Dain gave a quiet lilting laugh. "Of course. Anyone can if you learn how to listen."
"I guess that means we're in your debt twice over now." Kole looked between Dain and Gwynoc. "But I've heard that the Verduin Isles are beautiful, vibrant, and green. What brings you away to this dead place?"
Elias had been wondering the same thing. What kind of people were these Tor if they would send a boy and a hawk into one of the most dangerous places in the Five Kingdoms? Dain seemed to be able to handle himself, but disaster was only one small mistake away as they had found out.
"It is a pilgrimage of a kind." Dain answered. "The rites are sacred to my people and they would not approve of me sharing them." A knowing smile crept across his face. "There's a saying in Verduin translated as `friendliness asks few questions'; so, I won't ask about your journey into a dark place like this either."
Something about this boy rubbed Elias the wrong way. It was true he and his bird had saved them more than once, but his air of perpetual calm and serenity Elias found to be rather infuriating. Not to mention, it felt like Dain was going out of his way to stand close to Kole, offering him those soft graceful smiles. It couldn't be jealousy surely. After all, Elias had knowledge of almost every known form of magic and this boy only had one. What did he have to be jealous of?
Yet again the voice in the back of his head reminded him that, for all his considerable knowledge, when the time came to act, he had been frozen. When the treggans attacked, he had been able to save them, but it was only his own forgetfulness that allowed them to get close in the first place. Elias thought when he set out on this adventure that he would be ready for anything that was thrown at him, yet it seemed to be demonstrated again and again that he was woefully underprepared.
"Did the treggans do that to you?" Dain asked Kole, pointing at the bandage around his neck.
Kole nodded and winced as he rubbed a hand along the wound. "It's not as bad as it looks." He assured.
Dain frowned. "May I see?" Elias did not like where this was going, but Kole eventually nodded and undid the cloth around his neck.
Immediately, Elias could tell that Kole's wound was much worse than he let on. Even days later it was seeping grotesquely with the edges beginning to take on an ugly dark color.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Elias demanded with a note of concern. Kole gave him a raised eyebrow but said nothing.
"Hmm." Dain nodded. "I worried about that. Treggans do not have venom, but they are so unclean that it is rare for their bites to not become infected." He looked up at Kole again. "You might beat the infection on your own, but it would be smarter to let one of us help you." He gestured between himself and Elias.
Kole grumbled discontented but eventually nodded toward Dain. "Fine. Go ahead."
Despite trying to pretend he didn't care Elias felt a bit hurt. Kole had insisted he did not need healing but now he was ready to let this boy they had just met give him treatment.
Moving over to the tree, Dain crouched down and scrapped some of the thick moss off the bottom of the trunk. Holding the chunk of moss in two open hands, he closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly the spongey green patch began to move slightly as if it was caught in a powerful miniature windstorm.
Dain stood and moved back to Kole who eyed the softly swaying mass skeptically.
"I've asked it to help." Dain explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "It will eat the infection and help seal the flesh up again."
Wrinkling his nose, Kole slowly and haltingly leaned down so that Dain could reach his neck. Gently, Dain applied the slowly writhing mass like a poultice before wrapping the cloth back around it to hold it in place. Kole squirmed uncomfortable as the strange sensation tickled him.
"It will be ready to remove in an hour or so." Dain informed him with a smile.
No, Elias definitely did not like the way that Dain smiled at Kole and he couldn't even decide why he felt that way. It was totally illogical. Whatever the reason though, he would be glad when the young druid was gone.
"You're welcome to travel with us for a time if you'd like." Kole was saying before Elias could stop him. "It couldn't hurt to have another spell worker around since it seems like our wizard is prone to stage fright." Just more salt in the stinging wound in Elias's pride.
To Elias's relief however, Dain was already shaking his head. "Thank you but I can't. Gwynoc and I have to do this alone."
"Wots gonna `appen to Tibbs if ya leave?" Avi asked, troubled. His ghostly waterfowl was now amusing herself by running through him in small circles while he tried futilely to grab at her.
"She will have to make the crossing eventually." Dain told him gently. "She isn't meant for this world anymore. She might remain for a short time but soon the call of the next life will be too strong to resist." Avi gave a dejected look and Dain continued. "You wouldn't want to keep her here if there's something better for her, would you?"
Avi sniffed and looked down at his little friend. "I guess not..."
Giving him a smile, Dain offered Avi a hand to his feet which the younger boy accepted. "We'll be on our way. We have a way to go before the sun sets."
"Is there no way we can pay you back for all of your help?" Kole asked. "I've got a little coin. It's not much but we owe you something at least."
Dain shook his head. "Think nothing of it. Maybe we'll meet again someday. Fate is strange that way." Abruptly he let out a shrill two-toned whistle.
In response, Gwynoc gave a soft cry and with a beating of great wings he took to the air. The hawk grew higher and higher and his silhouette shrank until he looked much more like a normal sized bird of prey. With a final goodbye, Dain took off at a gentle run, his delicate legs leaping gracefully across the mud and soggy ground, hardly making a sound as he disappeared into the tall grasses of the marsh.
Kole shook his head in wonderment as even Gwynoc circling overhead faded slowly from view. "I've never met anyone from the Verduin tribes. They don't spend much time on the mainland."
Elias knew he had to say something. Offer some sort of excuse or reason for his catastrophic inaction. He could come up with nothing though. Eventually, defeated, he looked to Avi, who was stepping in exaggerated circles to let Tibs run between his legs.
"I'm sorry, Avi..." He said in a low voice. "I... lost my head."
Avi looked up in surprise. His eyes were still wet and red, but after a moment he nodded. "s'awlright..."
Kole wasn't willing to let things go quite so easily though. He gave Elias a glare. "You've got quite the opinion of yourself." He pointed out. "Your high and mighty act and all your books might have taken care of you back in Erania, but out here it's a survival game. Do better."
Being accosted this way by Kole would have left him absolutely incensed only a few hours ago, but the fire of his arrogance had been all but extinguished for the time being. He couldn't even meet Kole's eyes. Elias expected greatness from himself, and for good reason he thought. These were just flaws in his calculations, he could correct them. Surely, he couldn't be expected to anticipate every situation.
None of these rationalizations though did anything to alleviate the guilt he felt when he looked at the image of Avi's pet that even now began to look even less tangible, or when he thought of the look of sheer terror and panic in the boy's eyes when the swamp drake was closing in. He could have prevented all of it. They could have continued on as they were before, and instead of feeling like a useless burden he could have been the hero. Kole would probably even have been forced to compliment him. Elias didn't know why, but that thought stuck with him.
Kole took up the lead again as they moved on, though he stayed much closer now. As Dain had predicted, the ethereal outline that was Tibbs began to fade away slowly. Surprisingly however, Avi barely seemed to notice. He continued to make occasional comments to his pet duck as if he could see something the others couldn't. Elias worried that maybe Avi's method of coping was pretending that Tibbs was still there, even after she had truly moved on from this life.
As Elias thought about their encounter with Dain an idea occurred to him. One that would help them to guard against future interactions and hopefully keep his traveling companions safe. When night began to fall and Kole called for a halt, Elias gathered up a quantity of thick mud. The other two watched him wordlessly as he worked, Kole with bored disinterest and Avi with his usual curiosity.
Avi still carried his grief plainly on his young face, but Elias was glad to see that he did not seem to have sunk into a depression and still displayed his innocent interest in the things going on around him. Part of that however might have had something to do with the fact that Avi continued to pretend that Tibbs was there, even though the ghostly duck had faded entirely to nothing hours ago. One problem at a time though, Elias thought.
Using his meager alchemy supplies, Elias heated the mud almost to a boil, then added several ingredients from his satchel. This was not a spell from one of his books but a bit of improvisational magic. For someone with less skill, improvising one's spells could have potentially disastrous outcomes, but Elias was extra careful this time. If he made another blunder, he didn't know how he could live with himself. He made sure to work only with ingredients that he knew every possible function of and every way they would interact with one another.
Adding some powdered gemstone gave the mud a reddish tint to it as well as fortified the spell. Elias then left it to cool a bit.
"So?" Avi eventually could contain his curiosity no longer. "Wot is it?"
"Would both of you remove your shirts please?" Elias asked awkwardly when the mud had cooled enough to touch without burning.
Avi did as he was asked without question, wrapping both his arms around his skinny frame, and inching closer to the fire when he was done. Kole on the other hand frowned and looked between Elias and the steaming mud.
"Do you remember the green markings that Dain had on his neck?" Elias asked. "I've no doubt they continued down to much of the rest of his body. It is a spell. Maybe it protects him, maybe it makes him harder to detect. This one..." he pointed at the reddish mud. "Will draw on your energy to protect you from physical harm."
Kole still didn't seem convinced. "Will it work?" He asked skeptically.
Ignoring the questioning of his abilities, Elias nodded confidently. "I know that it will. It isn't foolproof but it will help."
After a moment, Kole stood from where he had been sitting and began to remove the clothing from his upper half. Not really sure why, Elias swallowed hard as Kole's well-defined torso came into view yet again. Blinking to focus himself, Elias decided to start with Avi. For some reason he wanted to put off painting on Kole's bare skin for as long as possible.
Dipping his fingers into the makeshift paint, Elias motioned Avi closer. The slender boy nervously let his arms hang to his sides. Starting at the shoulders, Elias began the runic inscription he had made up in his head.
"Stay still, Avi." Elias reprimanded gently when the boy twitched almost causing Elias to ruin one of the runes.
"I'm tryin'!" Avi complained. "It tickles."
Elias tried to keep as soft a touch as possible so as not to cause the small boy discomfort. He painted the runes down Avi's sides, gently running hands along his smooth pale skin. The process took some time, but eventually Avi's chest, shoulders, torso and back were painted with an inscription of protection. Avi looked down at himself, turning slowly in the firelight to examine the runes.
"Wait for it to dry completely before putting your shirt back on." Elias warned before turning to Kole.
Once again, Elias found himself strangely captivated by the sight of him. It was hard to look away, and Elias could not entirely define why. As he approached with the mud paint, Kole gave him a consenting nod of permission to go through with the inscription.
With a slight shudder, Elias dipped his fingers into the paint and then pulled them out to place on Kole's chest. Why was this so difficult? His eyes moved beyond his own control across Kole's body, taking in the powerful arms, the broad shoulders, his toned chest, and his lean but firm abdomen. Elias had to force himself to breathe evenly.
"Don't get too excited..." Kole teased softly.
Elias's face flushed deep red as he realized he had been caught staring. "I'm just... thinking." He said lamely. "You're bigger than Avi. I need to plan the runes."
Though he thought this was a perfectly reasonable excuse, Kole's only response was a low chuckle of disbelief. This caused Elias's blush to deepen and he looked down at the ground. If Kole was able to read what he was thinking however, then wouldn't he have reacted in a more strongly? Kole was treating Elias's obvious hesitation as one big joke, while to Elias it was an internal struggle to put a name to the thoughts.
Elias thought back to that morning early in their journey, at the little pool near the road to Brilling. He remembered that, even then he had found himself looking more at Kole than was strictly necessary. He also remembered that subtle but nagging desire to peak behind him while his companions dressed themselves.
Tossing his head and shaking his shoulders, Elias forced his mind back to the inscription he was trying to paint. Moving his fingers gently across Kole's torso as he worked did nothing to help the steady onslaught of foreign thoughts that continued to intrude on him. In Erania, and even before, his life had been devoted to his training. There had been little time for exploring thoughts like these, or what they might mean.
It took much longer to complete Kole's runes than it had for Avi. Partly it was certainly because there was so much more space to cover; but Elias also had to take regular pauses to compose himself as he moved his hands over Kole's muscular form. To Elias's embarrassment, certain parts of him had started to come alive, answering the call of these treacherous thoughts. He did his best to hide it, but felt like it was almost too obvious as he stood so close to Kole.
"There..." Elias finally said breathlessly, pulling his hand somewhat reluctantly away. "Just let it dry." He met Kole's deep amber-gold eyes for a moment and caught that quick spark of mischief that made him feel like Kole could see right through him. Quickly he looked away and retreated to the far side of the fire.
"Wot about you?" Avi asked Elias, "oo's gonna do yours?"
In response, Elias reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out two pendants that hung around his neck. Each one bore a runic inscription not unlike the ones he had painted on his companions.
"This one is like the runes you're wearing now." He explained picking up one of the pendants. "It draws on my energy to protect me." He picked up the other one. "This one though can store energy and draw on that for protection instead."
They were two simple chams he had made himself. He was rather proud of them though he chose to omit the fact that he had not been storing as much energy in the second pendant as he probably should have been throughout their journey. It always seemed like he never had much energy to spare when they settled down for the night, or he just forgot entirely.
"Hmm... You've got plenty of plans." Kole commented. "It's a shame you can't always put them to use when the time comes."
The inexplicable feelings he'd felt looking at Kole dropped away and were immediately replaced by anger and frustration. The shame Elias had felt earlier had faded somewhat and his pride had rushed in to fill the gap. Certainly, he had made mistakes, but how was it fair for him to take the entire blame?
Swallowing hard, he tried to push his feelings down. "I am sorry." He said again. "For the mistakes I've made. It's true I am not used to working my magic under such pressure." It took a great deal for Elias to admit this and it humiliated him to say it aloud.
Kole's face softened however, and he even offered half of a sympathetic smile. "You've got talent." He said quietly. "I've known some spellcasters and I can tell if we live through this, you'll do great things."
Elias enjoyed the compliment but tried not to show it. "We're doing great things now." He answered solemnly. Looking between the two of them he made his decision to share what he knew. "We are moving into danger, and I think the time for secrets has passed."
Abruptly, Avi did a turn in a circle while looking down at the ground and gave a playful giggle, as if watching something only he could see. Sensing a change in the mood though, he looked up at Elias, then to Kole, then quietly took a seat by the fire. Elias looked at him curiously with a hint of worry but eventually shook his head, deciding that Avi's possible delusions would have to wait until they were safe once more.
"We are heading for danger." Elias repeated. "Likely greater danger than either treggans or swamp drakes. The sorcerer that inhabits these swamps must be the reason this place is so dead and feels so evil."
"Wot sorc-er!?" Avi demanded in surprise.
Taking in a deep breath before releasing it slowly, Elias started from the beginning. "I was given a divine vision, back in Erania." He recalled that night in Master Sato's house and how confident he had been at the time. "One that warned of the end of the world if I did not prevent it."
Kole gave a scoffing laugh at the words `divine vision' but held his tongue, a fact that Elias was grateful for.
"I was told in this vision to travel to the Koval mountains, where there sleeps a terrible evil." Elias recounted. "A creature so ancient and powerful that it could cover the Five Kingdoms in darkness should it awaken. I was tasked with destroying this creature before it wakes."
Kole frowned thoughtfully. "So, what does that have to do with these blasted swamps or our wicked sorcerer?"
With a nod, Elias continued. "The sorcerer is but a servant and vassal of the evil that dwells in the mountains. He resides here to be close to and protect his master. He alone possesses the weapon to end this creature once and for all. But he will not give up this weapon willingly."
"You never said noffing `bout fightin' sorc-ers an monsters an that!" Avi declared indignantly.
Again, Elias nodded, giving Avi an apologetic half-smile. "It was my intention to keep my mission to myself as long as possible. But as we are nearing the end of our journey one way or the other, I think you both have a right to know. Of course, I do not ask you to accompany me into this confrontation." He turned to Kole. "All I need is to get close enough to find the remaining way on my own. After that, I will either return or I will not."
Kole was surprisingly stoic through Elias's story, gazing into the fire. "So," He finally spoke up. "The sorcerer is only a means to an end."
"I am sure this land will benefit from his death." Elias affirmed. "But the whole of the Five Kingdoms could be at stake if this evil is allowed to awaken. Possibly more than that even."
Kole gave a single grunt of acknowledgement but said nothing in response.
"So," Elias continued when no one else spoke up. "Now it is all in the open. You know as much as I do. But I have questions for you as well." He waited for Kole to say something or make any indication that he had heard him. When he did not, Elias pressed on anyway. "Every guide and traveler in Erania avoids these swamps like the plague itself, and yet you seemed nearly eager to take me here. So eager in fact that that you did not even ask for a contract or a payment. And you have so far guided us through these dangerous lands with familiarity. You've been here before."
Elias's last statement was not voiced as a question, but it still was somewhat surprising when Kole eventually nodded. "Several times." The big man confirmed. He fell silent for a long time after that one utterance. The entire time he kept his eyes fixed fully on their modest campfire.
"I was probably only a year or two older than you are now." Kole finally continued. "I ventured into these marshes with... someone that I was very close to. We were young and strong and confident. The rumors of danger and evil were just wives tales to us." He sighed heavily and drew his knees in to rest his arms on them as he continued to stare into the blaze.
"The first time, we were cautious." Kole went on. "The second time we were confident. And the third time we were practically boastful. Masters of a dangerous land that no one else could traverse. But our fourth journey we traveled farther, deeper than we had ever been before. Not much deeper than we are now."
His voice took on a thoughtful tone as he looked around at the darkness of the swamp. "You know that feeling you got as soon as you set foot into the mists of this place? That sense of dread and darkness?"
Elias nodded. That same feeling had been wearing on him since, but he had not realized it was affecting his companions as well.
"We had become used to it. Tuned it out." Kole explained. "We didn't notice when it grew heavier. Thicker almost. To the point that it's like a song, whispering horrors into your mind."
Kole shivered slightly and Elias realized with some shock that the big man was afraid. He had good reason to be, but it still caught Elias off guard.
"There is a structure." Kole spoke again. "A small hut surrounded by a wall of thorns that the evil feeling seems to flow from. That is what you're looking for, I have no doubt."
Kole fell silent and the other two waited patiently, Avi holding his breath, sensing there was more to the story. When it became apparent that Kole was not going to continue, Elias was content to leave the man's past where it lay. Avi however was less tactful.
"So, wot `appened?" His eyes were as big as dinner plates.
Giving a breathy snort of silent laughter, Kole smiled sadly. "My friend did not make it back. The thorns are enchanted of course. We should have suspected. The moment he began to cut at them, they ensnared him. I tried to help but was nearly caught myself. He..." Kole's eyes dropped to the ground. "He took his own life to prevent me from going after him."
Even though he knew this story could not have had a happy ending, Elias still felt for Kole, who obviously sill mourned the loss of what must have been a close friend. Surprisingly however, Kole spoke up again.
"I will always remember though... Until my dying day. The laughter. The damned laughter from the other side of the thorn hedge. I could not see him. But I could feel that he was there." Kole shuddered again. "Watching and laughing at us. So, I swore to him, on the life of my friend, that I would come back some day. And when we met face to face it would be the end for one of us." He gave another humorless smile. "All those dangers, and then done in by a bloody plant..."
Neither Elias nor Avi spoke after that. They let the moment hang in the air. Elias however picked up on Kole's implication, and a few moments later, Kole confirmed what Elias was suspecting.
"So, I will not be taking you up on your offer." He said to Elias with some of his charisma returning. "This meeting has been a long time coming, so I don't plan to stay behind." Kole patted the sword by his side. "Not sure how much use I'll be against magic types, but maybe at least enough to provide a distraction."
Elias was impressed. This had been Kole's plan all along. He had not said anything about payment because he had not planned on returning. That kind of bravery was rare in the noblest of men, much more so in a common drunkard.
Pulling something out of his pocket, Kole handed it to Elias. To his surprise, Elias saw that it was the map of the swamps he had purchased before leaving Erania. He had not even noticed that it was missing from his bag and was irritated to know that Kole had gone through his belongings at some point. That was until he saw that the map had changed. The ill-defined lines and shapes had been touched up and adjusted in spots. Several dark `X's marked places to avoid. It was not professional work, but the map now detailed an easily followed route through the dangers of the swamp. Kole had obviously been marking it up as they travelled.
"In case anything happens, that will get you both out of here." Kole informed with a cheeky grin. Hidden underneath the handsome smiling face however, Elias now saw what he had missed before. The steely determination of righteous anger. A warrior on a mission.