Raulin's Oath

A day passed with denied access to Palidonaya, and Arietta knew how much could change in a day. With a numb rock in her chest, she wondered just how much had happened. Around eight o’clock, after the sunset on the next day, there was a stir in the world and a rise in her chest. Deep inside, she knew that the gate had finally opened. She scrambled through the drawer in her nightstand, extracting the coin, then jumped in bed.

She tucked into the sheets, squeezing her eyes shut, and closed her hand around the coin. That all-too-familiar chant echoed through the chambers of her mind, and her hair whipped behind her.

The wind was brutal, and sand pelted her cheeks. The heat melted her, and she took time to open her eyes. The light stung, but the slow adjustment eased its steady assault. Where on Earth--well, Palidonaya--was she? She was nowhere near the lush grasses of Equus, couldn’t smell the ports of Waterhaven, no woods within sight. There was only sand as far as the eye could see and a beautiful, crystal blue sky. She was delighted when Nova and Jerry appeared to the left and right to her. She immediately wrapped Jerry in a hug, nearly tackling him, and to Nova she gave a high five. Their eyes immediately set on a small, run-down hut sitting alone amidst the ocean of sand. It was its own oasis. Arietta led the small group to the door, knocking thrice and waiting in anticipation.

“Come in, hurry now,” Arkas muttered conspiratorially. The hut was much bigger on the inside, filled with plants and potions. The color scheme was mainly yellows and browns, and while Arietta had figured the house would be hot, the temperature was perfect. Her eyes fixed on a bubbling Erlenmeyer flask on a small heater. “Don’t mind my potions,” he said dismissively before ushering them to sit at the small wooden table at the center of the room.

“Where are we, and how did we get here?” Nova questioned, her human form much less intimidating than her wolf form. Her short stature mixed with the soft smile was not the recipe to a threatening being.

Arkas smiled. “Your first question is...a little complicated. You are in the Great Beyond, though it is really difficult to tell exactly where we are at this time, as the lands are ever changing. I have been on the move, working on a way to open the portal long enough to bring you back.” He directed the last bit to Arietta. “I need your help to free Gustoff.”

“How long has it been here?” Jerry questioned, and his heart raced. He was beyond worried; he had grown to like the elderly man, and while he hadn’t known him long, Gustoff was the father he never had.

“Gustoff has been missing for two months. I know that he is somewhere in Draconis. I don’t know his exact location, or his state of being,” Arkas explained kindly.

“He is in Draconis? Isn’t that where all of the dragons live?” Arietta asked to double-check her suspicions.

“Yes, and that does present a problem,” Arkas answered.

“Yes, it does. We couldn’t even deal with two dragons. What good are we going to do against all of the dragons?” Jerry added.

Arietta continued, “Is there anyone who can help us? I am not leaving my Grandpa there, but I really don’t think that we would last long against them.”

“There is someone that may be of some use. We can ask the Keeper of Records,” Arkas said warily, and Jerry narrowed his eyes. He could tell the man was being cryptic on purpose, baiting one of the children to ask the inevitable “what’s the keeper of records?”

Nova, a slightly timid girl, fell into the trap. “Who’s the Keeper of Records?”

“All answers come in time.” He gave a mischievous wink to Nova. “We need to leave soon, preferably after the sun sets. That should only be a few hours from now. Would you kids like dinner?” Arietta’s eyebrows rose as he lifted a boiling pot, revealing a bubbling, thick brown liquid. It made Arietta’s stomach turn looking at it; however, she was hungry.

Arkas scooped portions into wooden bowls. There was a meat of sorts, which the brown liquid was poured over. Nova’s eyes portrayed something of horror as Arkas dug into the messy meal with his fingers, a food that she had decided was definitely not finger food. Her nose scrunched up, but she figured she’d be hungry later should she not dig in as well. “Desert hare is quite scrumptious, don’t you think?”

“This— this is rabbit?” Arietta instantly felt guilty at eating (and enjoying) the meat, and she was surprised at Nova, who had to take care not to devour the bowl.

Jerry stared at Nova. The once-hesitant individual, who hadn’t wanted to dirty her hands, now had to restrain herself from licking the bowl. They finished their meal, relaxing and trying to get to know this odd old wizard named Arkas.

Arietta sat pensively as Arkas finished cleaning the dishes after eating. “Arkas, has anyone ever killed a dragon?”

The small hut was filled with silent anticipation as Arkas turned and considered the question. “Yes, a long time ago. Unfortunately, the weapon that was used has been lost, so there is no known way to slay a dragon.”

“Wait a minute, when you say that there is no known way to slay a dragon, you mean that we can’t kill them, right? So that means that we can’t beat one of them, and there may be thousands! Why did you bring us back here!” Jerry raised his voice.

“There was a prophecy that spoke of a dark time when all hope would be lost. It foretold of a drawing of three from a distant land that would bring light to the darkness. I believe that you are the Chosen and that you will bring light to the dark.”

“Oh, that makes total sense!” Jerry was beginning to get angry. “Let me see, we have a kid who is dying of cancer, one with arthritis so bad that she can barely walk down a hallway, and . . . uh, Nova, what are you like on Earth?”

“I have leukemia.” Nova couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with Jerry. She really didn’t like it when people started yelling.

“Oh, fantastic!” he drawled. “Another sad little dying kid. We are not a group of heroes. As a matter of fact, where I come from, I am a zero. I can barely take a crap without someone helping me to the restroom and wiping my butt.” Jerry was losing it, and Arietta needed to calm him down.

“Jerry, we each have different abilities here. Whether I am one of the Chosen or not, I have to help Grandpa Gus. I really don’t see where we have a choice anyways. Do you know how to get home, because I sure don’t.” This did not have the desired impact. Jerry’s face turned red, and he continued to rant. Tears streamed down his face.

Arietta then began to sing, “Peace comes over my heart, when I am near you. You bring joy to my soul when I am blue. When my face begins to frown, I know that you will never let me down.”

Jerry’s face lost the redness. His breathing settled, and he smiled at her.

“Are you trying your witchcraft on me?” He then said, “Okay, I’m done. Now, let’s find this library.” He turned to Nova. “So, Nova, what kind of abilities do you have?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Even after the outburst, she was starting to like Jerry. Her first impression was not good, but there was a lot going on in Belamoris. There would be time to show him exactly what she could do in this world, and it sure did beat the sterile hospital environment.

Arkas had finished cleaning the dishes and sat in a rocking chair facing the trio. “What is your home like?” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small pipe, filling it with an odd-looking tobacco.

Jerry’s eyes seemed to glaze over at the mention of Earth. “Back at home, I’m sick, really sick. Honestly, I think I might die soon,” he said gravely, but then shook his head. “Sorry about that. Hate to bring down the table. I’m sure being back in Palidonaya will make me a little better.” Arietta’s hand clamped on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

A somber silence filled the room. Arkas lit his pipe as blue smoke drifted from its end. He took a deep pull, wondering how sick children could possibly be the Chosen Ones that would lead Palidonaya back from ruin. Well, who was he to question fate? “Get some rest; we have a long journey ahead.”

***

Across the desert and into the desolate, cold, and unforgiving mountains was a broken man. His once white, beautiful hair matted into a grimy, dull gray. His eyes stared at nothing. His heart shattered, the hope he once had nowhere to be found. There was dirt and blood on his face. Clarette, the woman that visited him every other day, brought a simple glass of water. This time he was careful to pace himself. Last time he had been so foolish, he ended up vomiting up nearly all the water he had greedily drank.

While olfactory fatigue had always been a blessing, it didn’t seem to apply here in this hell. He always smelled the blood and the scent of excrement that hung heavily in the air. It was suffocating. Gustoff had been through a lot, but nothing could compare to this. He had daily sessions with Lucius, some lasting hours. Most of his fingernails were gone, and his arm had been shattered, then healed in several places. A few of his ribs were broken as well. His shoulders had both been dislocated, then relocated, which was done solely for the excruciating pain. There was no light here. There was nothing to hold on to, and the only thing in this bubble was suffering and darkness.

***

Arkas sat up with a start. He was beginning to feel frantic. He quickly packed the last of his supplies. He turned to the three Chosen, who were finishing up their meals, and said, “We must hurry, he knows that you’re here.”

“How could anyone know that we are here?” Nova cocked her head to one side. “We just got here.”

“Lucius knows that you’re in Palidonaya. I can feel him. You don’t get it; the only reason I have not been captured is that I keep moving my hut. He is getting better at finding me. I barely had my stuff packed last week before I sensed them approaching. With your arrival, he will have sent them out after us.”

“Okay, let’s leave, but you have to fill us in on the road.” Arietta didn’t understand what he was babbling about, but the fear in his eyes spoke measures. Either they were on their way, or he at least truly believed that they were. With that, the four headed out the door. Arkas stopped at the doorway and spoke a few words, and the hut shrank into a miniaturized version of itself. He quickly bent over and placed it into his bag.

“We will start heading northeast. I have done the calculations, and the Hall of Records should be appearing just off the coast in two days’ time.”

“What do you mean that it should be appearing?” Jerry did not like the sound of this one bit. “Do you mean that you don’t know where we are going?”

“I mean that the Hall of Records is not always in the same location. As a matter of fact, it is rather difficult to find. No worries, I have found it before, and I know that it will be there. We just need to keep moving.”

The trip across the desert known as the Great Beyond was not an easy path. The sand was ever shifting, and the sun appeared to be moving in circles through the sky. Arkas would stop every hour or so and pace in a circle to get his bearings. More than once, the children asked him if he knew where he was going. Each time he nodded and would continue marching.

Jerry pulled up beside Arietta during one of these hourly sessions. “Ari, I’m pretty sure that we are lost. Look, he is headed off in the direction that we just came from!”

Arkas looked up at Jerry and exclaimed, “Which of us has been traveling this desert for the last two months evading the Dragon King? You would do well to be quiet so that I can get my bearings. The land is constantly in motion, as is the sun. I, and I alone, can get us to where we need to go!”

With that said, Arkas turned and strode off, with the others following behind. Arietta managed to catch up with him. She needed to diffuse the situation. “Arkas, I know that he can be frustrating, but we have never been to a land like this. It goes against our sense of direction. Now, can you tell me how you escaped and what has happened since we were last in Palidonaya?”

Arkas turned to Arietta and his expression softened. “I will do my best to fill you in on the last two months. Once you three had vanished, I turned to the incoming army and realized that there was no hope of me defeating them and rescuing Gustoff. I disapparated and appeared outside the city. I have been on the run since. I was able to gather bits of information as I made my way into Casparnia. By the time that I had crossed to the Silent Forest, Casparnia had fallen. My only choice was to flee to the Southern Sea, where I was able to book passage to the lands east of Draconis. My only safe haven was the Great Beyond. I fear that all of the Kingdoms now belong to Lucius and his army of the dead. With no known way to slay a dragon, his numbers are growing. There are rumors of a great nest that houses hundreds of eggs that are nearing maturity.”

Arietta walked beside Arkas, taking in all of the information, then said, “We need to find a weapon. Do you think that the Hall of Records can help us?”

Arkas smiled, “The Record Keeper can either tell us where the weapon is, or he can tell us how to make a new weapon.”

***

There was a rustle deep inside of Lucius’s serpent’s brain the second that the Chosen had been called. It turned into a searing pain when the three had stepped through the gateway together. He staggered, covering his eyes with the palms of his hands. With his eyes in total darkness, he could almost see them. He knew that they were with the Wizard from Belamoris. He had been tracking this wizard through the Great Beyond, and the old man kept one step ahead of him. He summoned Clarette as soon as the vision faded.

“Yes, My King.” Clarette dropped to a knee as she entered his chambers.

“Rise, Clarette.” Lucius had a way of drawing out the ‘s’ so that everything he said came off as a menacing whisper. “I need you to send hunters to the wastelands east of Draconis again. He has called the Chosen, and they are with him. I feel that they are searching for something.”

“Give the word, and I will have the hunters find it, My Lord.” Clarette began to turn away, and he held her with his gaze.

“I cannot see what they seek, though we must prevent them from finding it.” With that, Lucius dismissed Clarette to send the hunters. They would find the meddling old man and end him. Then he would finish the conquest of Palidonaya, and all would kneel before him! Lucius made his way to the dungeons, where the wizard Gustoff was held. He unlocked the gate and slithered into the room.

“Wizard, you will tell me what the Chosen seek.” He placed the palm of his hand on Gustoff’s forehead and focused his power there.

Gustoff’s limbs began shaking uncontrollably as Lucius’ power flowed into his brain. Spittle ran freely from his lower lip as he screamed in pain. Lucius was slightly impressed with the fortitude of the old man. Most would not resist him for this long. As he tried to force his way into Gustoff’s thoughts, he again encountered a barrier that he could not penetrate. He doubled his focus, and the old man screamed.

“Tell me what I want to know!” Lucius bellowed as his focus intensified. Sweat began to snake its way down the scales where a human’s temple would be located. His emerald eyes squeezed so that only a sliver was seen by Gustoff.

Through all of the pain, Gustoff held fast to his barrier. Lucius pulled back, sensing Gustoff either didn’t know or wouldn’t share the information he required. Lucius’s hand ripped back from Gustoff’s head and then crashed into the side of his face in a hard, open-handed slap that gashed his cheek where the talons had torn. With that, Lucius left Gustoff’s cell, and Gustoff collapsed to the floor, completely drained of strength. A tiny spark of hope burst in his heart. Arietta, Jerry, and the wolf girl had finally crossed back into Palidonaya. At least he knew they were safe...for the moment.