Dreamer: The Eighth Key book 1

The Old Way

Diraimeir did not know when they got into the plains of Soraen. Nor did he know how worried Tathlyn had been about his welfare since leaving the farm. The Fai certainly did not allow such a trivial thing to show in the way he carried himself. The Illitar had slept for a full three and a half days without waking. Three whole days in which Tathlyn fret over his wellbeing like a mother hen. Chet is going to gut him over this. I really should have listened in the first place.

 Diraimeir now rode Ch’nuino, tucked between Tathlyn’s arms as fever overtook him. There was nothing he could do for it save for sweat the last bit of the poison out. Tathlyn already made him swallow some watery tea-like medicine and swaddled him like a baby under one of the Mare’s saddlecloths. Diraimeir must have been a child in his eyes, after all. Though Illitar had long lives and Diraimeir was considered to be in his adulthood, he had nothing on how old Fai elves could be. Tathlyn surely knew the ways of the world. The road was no place for someone as naïve as the nymph.

When he had come back around to the realm of the living, it took Diraimeir quite a while to coax his eyes into focusing in the dim twilit night. Both himself and Tathlyn rode at a slow, steady pace while they traversed through a dense black forest. The ground was at least even, so Ch’nuino seemed sure of her steps. Tathlyn glanced down at Diraimeir, loosening the grip around his middle. “It’s about time, kid. Scared me half to death with your antics. I told Chet you were far too young to journey like this.” The Fai huffed. “He always did think he knew everything. Don’t you dare go off like that ever again, you little deib’aouni!” Tathlyn grumbled.

“I’m fine. Really.” Diraimeir tried to reassure him as he yawned. All that did was earn him a look from Tathlyn that could shut any grown man up. “Wait… You and my Haun talked about this? How? I left the city before I met you.”

“No. You are not.” He replied sternly. “Do you have any sense in that head of yours? You were almost killed! If I was just a little longer…” He had to stop himself and swallow thickly as he looked down at the boy. “Look. You are important. Even someone as dense as you should have figured that out by now. You also attract trouble more than any other person I have ever met. Stop once in a while and think. What would you have done if that woman killed you?” He snapped in concern. “You take no caution in the things you do.” If Diraimeir couldn’t understand by now, perhaps he never would. “And yes. We both have scrying glasses tuned to each other’s magic. They still seem to work these days.” He said, putting an end to the conversation before his anger took over or the kid asked more.

There was a long pause of silence before the Illitar piped up again. “Can we stop? I’m hungry.”

“No. Not yet.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“Eat these and hush. This is not a good place to camp. We need to find better cover.” Even Diraimeir should be able to see several signs of passage like the way the ground was bare of leaves, suggesting that this path had seen travelers already that day.

A small bag of seeds was fished out of one of Tathlyn’s pockets and plopped into Diraimeir’s hand. The seeds were yellowish gray and smelled charred to hell and back, about the size of his pinky nail each.  Diraimeir dumped a hand full of them into his mouth hungrily and quickly chewed. The nymph's face went green. “Uhg. Bitter… Why didn’t you tell me? What are these anyway?” He gagged.

“Twistroot seeds. Just eat them. They are good for you.” Tathlyn smirked.

Diraimeir looked at the bag and then up at the Fai. “No way. You eat them.”

“Unlike you, Princess, I happen to like them. We are not going to stop right now just because you feel the pangs of hunger. There is not a good place to camp along this path for another few miles. You can last till then. I promise you are not going to fade away.”

Did he just…? Diraimeir glared at him. “I am NOT a princess. You are such a jerk.”

Tathlyn grinned, smugly satisfied with Diraimeir’s reaction. “I’m not the one sitting in somebody’s lap with both legs over one side of their horse, complaining about a perfectly good source of nutrition. No matter, quiet down”, Tathlyn shushed the boy. “We are coming into the old country. It’s best not to create a spectacle out here, or we will run the risk of unwanted attention. Thieves in this part of the world ran rampant and unopposed. More often than not, in gangs. It’s the reason why we are heading through the woods rather than sticking to a perfectly good road.”

Tathlyn helped Diraimeir dismount when the terrain became hilly as the woodland thickened, turning into the type of forest that you could not walk through freely without brushing branches away. With Tathlyn leading, the Nymph helped the mare around patches of overgrowth or through gaps between the trees. Soon, they came to an old stone wall that stood about two feet tall and spanned as far as the eye could see. It really was not that far, considering the forest grew wild and free. The wall marked the actual border of an old kingdom known as Annun.

 “Nobody’s come this far in a few days, at least by my reckoning. It’s unlikely that someone else would come now that it’s nearly dark.” Tathlyn said. Old Annun was more ominous than it should be at any given point during the day, yet when Diraimeir tried to light a lantern,  Tathlyn advised against it. “Don’t. And stay close. I don’t need any more trouble out of you.”

 Diraimeir watched with a pout as Tathlyn headed out a short distance to scope out the area. Once he was satisfied, the elf returned, then he led down into a shallow ravine with a loud running creek at its bottom. “This is as good of a place as any we could have hoped for. Be careful on the way down.” The spot they found was covered from the wall, the small clearing would do nicely. It even had that stream that seemed relatively clean though rocky and remote. Its babbling should be enough to cover any noise they could make setting up camp.

Tathlyn must have been an expert in these matters. Instead of making a formal camp, he instructed Diraimeir how to use the natural elements around them to provide adequate camouflage. A shelter was formed by carefully bending the thick brush over and tying it down with thin ivy-like vines, creating a covered thicket. Diraimeir smiled brightly. This should make it impossible to tell there are people down here should anyone try to look. They even managed to fashion one large enough to allow the horse to be covered as well.

With that out of the way, he helped Tathlyn set up a fire pit, but it was only to be used while the sun was still up. With woodlands this thick, the smoke would be hard to see. It also could be mistaken for fog in the distance. “Come nightfall, I will have the pit covered. We will use the embers for cooking what we manage to catch for supper. The heat like that will make a decent oven. Besides, we are not going to need a blaze this night for warmth.” Tathlyn explained to the boy. “Soraen’s spring is always pleasant and cool. We can use the dead leaves around us for bedding.” Tathlyn pushed piles into the thicket, motioning Diraimair to do the same. Coupled with their cloaks, that would be enough for them to combat any drop in temperature. Diraimeir found Tathlyn’s tips rather clever.

Diraimeir collected wood and dried kindling under Tathlyn’s instructions. He was told to stay along the stream, though, so he did not dare to wander too far from the camp they made either. Forests like these were easy to get lost in. The banks of the stream narrowed just a little farther up before it fell into a pond below where the land broke away into a massive crater.

Oh. Diraimeir thought. It looks like there is something special hidden away over there. It shouldn’t hurt to take a peek. Diraimeir pulled back some of the foliage just at the brink of the falls. Ah. Just as I thought. There’s more old stonework here. It looks better preserved. Maybe it’s a part of that city Tathlyn mentioned.

 Another low wall ran over the stream inches from where he stood, forcing the water through a duct and guiding it to rush out of the other side noisily. It was kind of like a brick dam meant to control flooding should rain bring the stream into the crater as it rose too high for comfort. With a little more effort, the Illitar managed to climb up on to the wall. He was able to raise his head just above the slope of the forest’s canopy. What he found was nothing short of amazing.

It was an old city. The ancient capital to be exact. Diraimeir gasped softly as he peered downward. By the looks of it, the entire town had been seized and burned nearly to the ground long ago. The cold grey-brown stone was covered in scorch marks along with any surviving wood. Most of the structures caved in overtime, becoming a  part of the living forest. He had half a mind to go explore it. In fact, Diraimeir had been just about to climb down the opposite side of the wall when a hand found his shoulder, making him jump. Diraimeir knew who it was already, groaning as the Fai cleared his throat in displeasure. Tathlyn did not even have to speak. He could feel that look boring into the back of his head already. “… I was just…” He began but let the words drop off.  

“Just what? Trying to get yourself into trouble again? Can’t you hear that?”  Tathlyn snatched Diraimeir off the wall quickly. The boy frowned. With a little bit of concentration, he heard what the Fai was talking about. They weren't alone. Voices lifted from down below the falls, filling the air. That place was not as abandoned as it would seem though it certainly looked it. “It’s too late in the day to find out who they are. It’s nearly dark, Diraimeir. I would have thought, being one of Chet’s pupils, you would know how to ere on the side of caution or at least learn to. We’ve already discussed this, Dira. Can’t even give it an hour before finding more trouble, can you?” He sighed as he tugged the boy behind him back up the creek before he got himself spotted. “We don’t need anyone to see us. You are still weak, and I don’t have the energy to follow you to your death tonight.”

Diraimeir frowned, looking back over his shoulder at the wall. “I felt something. We should go into the old city.” He insisted. It was almost the same feeling that took him over when he went after the sword in the Everdark. Though the feeling certainly was much less commanding than before. Tathlyn was right, though Diraimeir knew it well enough. That did not stop the disappointed look from flooding his face immediately.

Tathlyn considered the old castle for a bit, eyes sliding over to the Illitar. “Oh, for the love of the Goddess… Look. Tomorrow, we will go and take a look if you really feel you must. Tomorrow. Come. It’s time to eat.”

Better than nothing. Diraimeir glanced once more towards Annun. Sharn sure was full of ruins these days, wasn’t it? Though it felt like certain ones on this journey called out to him, begging for him to come forth and collect their secrets. He could not help but wonder why that was. Was it not strange? Back to the camp, he trotted, using the sight of Tathlyn’s back to guide him mindlessly, leaving him to drown in his reveries.

Tathlyn already covered the fire pit up in its entirety, leaving four small holes exposed to vent the embers and feed them air. Underneath the pile of loose dirt, some of the wildlife Tathlyn caught while Diraimeir was away cooked. The meal was nothing special. Two fish and a handful of wild onions had been wrapped up in a large leaf and tied closed with a green vine. This and a few of the Twistroot seeds were set between a river washed flagstone and placed over the coals. Makes as good a super as any they were going to get.

“Bring the wood over here.” Tathlyn pointed to a spot just outside of the thicket. “We will need it for our breakfast.” The collected bundle was sparse but workable. Tathlyn already gathered more than that since Diraimeir dumped half of what he initially collected when he had his mind set on going down into that city. It would do. Diraimeir wiped his arms free of debris as he took a seat on a fallen oak tree.

“Do you know where we are?” Tathlyn asked, trying to soften the sour mood lingering around the camp.

“No. Why would I? This is my first time out of Cidraedell, let alone this far down south.” He said begrudgingly, leaning forward and planting his chin into his palms.

“It’s a pretty well-known story. I figured maybe you would like to hear it since you are bent on going down there.”

“Really? I think I should like to listen if that’s the case.” He replied with a pinch of sarcasm in his voice. Though now that he gave it some thought, maybe it would answer some of the questions rolling around in his head, refusing to keep quiet. “Well?”

Tathlyn lay back against the same log, making himself comfortable. “We are on the doorstep of the old city-state, Annun. Nowadays, it serves as a little refuge for beggars and thieves, but this was not always so. Many years ago, way back before the Great War that covered the whole of Sharn, it was a magnificent kingdom of its own that claimed this and the surrounding forests. Maybe even beyond that towards the sea. Annun was one of the very first settlements built by the draconic elves after its discovery by the dwarves in the First Era. These people, called The Anu, came across the Tempid sea from lands we have not been able to reach in hundreds of years.”

“What happened to it? And them?” Diraimeir asked, leaning forward a little bit.

“Annun was quite a prosperous kingdom in its time. Its people had an affinity for working Gya’a’s magics into beautiful crafts and a love of all things that glittered. Gold. Diamonds and emeralds. A dangerous combination of greed grew like a wildfire. All the kings of Annun collected vast amounts of riches, be it from the earth under our feet, or brought from across the sea. They flaunted it.

 Its people also lived wild and carefree in that variable paradise for nearly an era, they say. No worry nor hunger befell them. They grew arrogant. I think it was because of that, the city inevitably made itself an easy target.

Even Annun’s high stone walls couldn’t keep out all those who wanted a little piece of its wealth. For there was much to be had and low resistance. So became that of this new world’s theme: Plunder and death.

Sad, really, if you think about it. Annun only saw four kings before its fall, the last of which was as naive as they come. Kind of like you.” Tathlyn teased, sparing a playful glance in the direction of the boy. When it was answered with a pout instead of protest, a rich but low chuckle escaped his lips before he continued. “He was a good man but a terribly foolish king. He trusted far too quickly for a man of his station. All around him, he watched as other kingdoms sprung up from the earth, and he allowed them to grow envious of Annun’s resources. In fact, he proudly pushed showcasing the nation's riches to all that could see. Annun quickly became known for the most magical festivals in that time, garnering even more unheeded attention from its advisories, particularly across the sea.

One starless night, a woman came to him from deep within the heart of the wood. She was dressed all in white and silver, like the kiss of a moon’s beam on the water. Her eyes were akin to the missing starlight, her hair as black as an oncoming storm. He stood in awe of her, unable to speak in her brilliance. When she spoke, her voice was like a finely tuned bell that rung out clearly into the night. He was bewitched by her, basking in her everlasting glow.

The woman called herself Avsha. She claimed she was lost. That she was a star, fallen out of the very heavens. And he was all too eager to believe her without question nor reason. In a blink of an eye, she charmed her way onto his court and into the kingdom’s treasury. The foolish king allowed her to council him in every aspect of his reign. He was nothing but a puppet under her thumb, but Annun prospered regardless.

Not long after this, citizens began to go missing in the small hours of the morning. Children mostly. Even a well-placed, well manned night watch could do nothing to stop the disappearances from happening. Other mysterious things started after that. The food stores were suddenly emptied out. Weaponry. Armor. Even the simplest of tools vanished without a trace. It all played a vital role in the day that ended the first Era, the resulting event not only effected Annun but the entire continent. The sacking of the city… It’s widely believed that Avsha let the brigands in.

Later, they claimed she was not from the stars above at all. Rumors started flying around. They said she was a great enchantress sent by another clan of people, later to be called The Vale, who followed the Anu seeking revenge. As far as I know, the reason they thought so has been lost to time. Perhaps there has always been a feud between the two clans. Or maybe they were not even different from the beginning.

Anyways, the city was destroyed in a rain of fire and of death at the hands of the Vale before it was left to rot away with time. Not all was so black and white about the destruction of Annun, though. The missing were found hours after. They were left unharmed, but they had supposedly been convinced to travel back across the seas from where they came from. Probably to live out the remainder of their lives in servitude or assimilate into the culture of their original forefathers.”

Diraimeir cleared his throat a bit. That was quite the story. “No wonder these woods seem empty and sad.” That may be why so many of the unfortunate flock into the ruins. “You know what I mean?” It still did not explain the otherworldly pull he felt deep down in his heart. “What happened to Avsha then?” He asked, running his fingers over the sheath of his sword idly.

“I don’t know. Some say that she went back home, carrying all the riches left in Annun away. Others insist that she was killed along with the city’s defenders to atone for her crimes. It’s not really that important. It’s just a story anyway. Though there is probably some truth to the tale, I doubt most of it’s true. Stories like these tend to become twisted as time ebbs on. It’s a good story, Dira. But that is all it is. Do you still want to go into those ruins in the morning?”

“Yeah. I can’t explain it. It’s calling me. Maybe Avsha is calling me…” He said, eyes planted on the ground as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I sound silly.”

That was an odd conclusion to draw, and Diraimeir knew it. Tathlyn unearthed the coals, which begun to die out to check on the meal. The smell of it suggested that it should be just about ready. It made the boy’s mouth water. “Be careful with those types of thoughts. They are of a dangerous sort.” Tathlyn muttered, unsure why that statement didn’t sit right with him. From the very beginning, neither of them had even half of the necessary information on why it was so important to get Diraimeir safely to Cree. With all that's happened thus far, traveling was quickly turning out to have become way more than they had bargained for.

 “This was why I hated owing favors. It’s not that dislike you kid or anything like that. I’m actually quite fond of you. You remind me of your Haun. But…” The Fai would have declined traveling half the continent had he known about the troubles they had already come across. He let his words trail away, eyeing Diraimeir. “Just wait till morning.” The two of them ate quickly in silence and readied for bed just as the very last little bit of light faded away to the sounds of the forest’s nocturnal creatures.