Читать книгу The Return of the Ancient Ones - Gary Sr. Caplan - Страница 16

Gideon enjoyed when his class went on field trips. They were usually to some ancient site that had spiritual or mystical significance. Some of the trips were optional, and this particular one was too, but he had heard about it from Ragan and he was going to be one of the instructors taking those who wanted to go. The field trip was one of the more dangerous ones, as well. Today, they were going to the Vale of Crystal. First they would travel to a border town near the Vale. Gideon learned from his friend the earth giant Rektar that the Vale was actually an extensive area. Only a few groups would be going, and they would stay in groups of four or five and look at different areas. The groups would be required to make class presentations later on the areas they visited.

Gideon was close to journeyman adept status, now; he had perhaps two months or so and he would graduate. Among his remaining tasks, he still had to finish two imbued projects, and he chose to enchant a staff and a ring. He had already finished crafting and constructing other miscellaneous magic devices, but the devices he was starting would be multifunctional. He was also happy about the fact that one of his distant cousins in the Gilad family whom he had met once before would be transporting a portion of his class in his skyship, the Wayfarer, to the edge of the Vale of Crystal.

Gideon had packed a satchel of clothes and another of books to read, since the round trip between the Vale of Crystal and Tyl University would take several days. The Wayfarer was docked at the University’s private skyship dock. Those going on the trip were given a time to board, and Gideon decided to go a little early so he could talk with his distant cousin, Captain Ross.

As he was climbing onto the docking platform, he looked at all the skyships, as he continued to move toward the Wayfarer’s dock. Many of the masters had their own skyships for travel or just to spend the day away from the university. In movement, many of the skyships reminded Gideon of zeppelin airships from an earlier century on Earth. Others he had been on were faster moving, more like jets back on Earth. Some were huge warships like the Talanadil with many weapon types, including cannons that discharged powerful imbued energies almost like shooting lightning bolts, combined with fiery or icy explosive forces, depending upon the particular type. Those cannons were capable of destroying thick stone walls in a single blast. Some skyships were capable of carrying several squadrons of flying creatures like the Griffons of the Order to which he belonged.

The Wayfarer was a cross between a cargo and passenger skyship and a warship. Captain Victor Ross wanted it that way and had the ship designed to meet his specifications. Over time, Gideon had occasionally written to his cousin. In a return letter, Victor even wanted to hear about Gideon’s recent visit to Earth, a place where he too had been hidden for a time. One of Gideon’s main reasons for coming early was to talk with Victor.

As he asked permission to come on board the Wayfarer, the first officer Fiona greeted him; she was a capable and very pretty redheaded lady and part Elven. She took him below and, after he secured a bunk, he was taken to the captain’s quarters. Gideon had been to his quarters once before and remembered the richly decorated yet practical cabin. Victor Ross was sitting at a desk secured to the wall and he was writing in a logbook. He looked up as Gideon entered.

“Finelen, it’s good to see you. I liked that you wrote on occasion to let me know discretely of your further adventures,” Ross said as he rose to shake Gideon’s hand and clasp him on the back in greeting. Captain Ross was a vigorous man with Alor lineage; he had blue eyes and brown hair. He wore a captain’s uniform with his shirt partly unbuttoned as he had been relaxing in his quarters. Like Gideon, he had been augmented by the pools of transformation but in slightly different ways.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the few letters I wrote. I had to be careful in my wording of things,” Gideon said, as Ross smiled and nodded. “You look no worse for wear; I think in the last letter I got from you, you mentioned you were attacked by some Urshkaar, Victor.”

“Yes, it’s a good thing the Urshkaar are not that frightening,” Ross replied. “That, and I have a good crew and also the physical augmentation I got from the Pool of Anthir on the edge of Orloon Province and mental augmentation from the Pool of Saltheryn in Ophidia helped a great deal when I have to physically fight any foes or resist mental attacks.”

“I know what you’re saying. The special waters of the Pool of Tetherin have helped me a great deal too. We have both had our share and more of problems. So how did you get this particular field trip?” asked Gideon.

“It was up for bid like most of the others, and I have, on occasion, done services for the university. Of course, Tyl University is good for reimbursement for damages. I was thinking of an overhaul to install faster motivators,” Ross said. “By the way, I heard that Ragan the Red, Osric the Green, and Anila the Indigo will be instructing. Now, if you ask me, that’s more Tauri than is needed for a field trip. There must be some Tauri ‘business’ involved.”

“Are you saying this class trip is a pretext for something else?” Gideon asked.

“Aye, that’s what I am saying,” Victor replied. “I recently got the travel plans, and it includes some low, and for me, perhaps, a bit too-close flybys near the Crystal Peak Mountains, and a particular section of the Vale of crystal before we land.”

“I’ll ask Ragan, since I’m more familiar with him,” Gideon said. “You may be right. The last time I saw a few Tauri like Ragan and Osric together they were battling Darkspawn.” As Gideon finished, the first officer Fiona poked her head in the doorway.

“Your classmates and a few Tauri are arriving,” she stated. Gideon nodded and spent a few more minutes with his distant cousin and then headed to greet his friends. The blue-eyed balding human second officer of the Wayfarer, Lieutenant Zull, whom Gideon had met before, was helping the other students, and Fiona was helping the three Tauri get settled.

Some of Gideon’s classmates with whom he was friendly joined him on the deck. There was Rektar from the Earth giant race. Rektar was relatively young but older than Gideon. He was about twelve feet tall and strongly built and had light-to-medium brown-colored eyes. Another of his closer classmates was Lyndra, who was a human girl from Khand, a satellite city of Taros. She had green eyes and reddish-brown hair; she was fairly adventurous and liked to go on most field trips. Another friend Gideon had made while at the Tyl Academy was a Bashann named Panx. Bashann resembled a fusion of something manlike with the larger jungle or savannah cats. Although not quite as large as a full-sized earthly lion or tiger the Bashann were larger than most menfolk or Alor.

The other students settled in a few groups proctored by a master instructor from Tyl Academy or one of the three Tauri. After they were underway, it would be a few days’ travel before arriving, even with the Wayfarer’s fast speed. During the evening meal, some of the students, who were now only a few months away from journeyman status, were talking about joining an order. After asking Captain Ross about working with some of the militant orders, he said, “I’ve supported a few different orders’ missions, and they usually pay well and, normally, they provide good educational opportunities.” Those interested also briefly asked Gideon about the Order of the Platinum Griffon.

“So far I like it,” Gideon answered. “I get to do and see a lot of things I would not otherwise have been able to.”

Lessons were conducted onboard, including introductory information on the Vale of crystal. “It is known that during the first War of Dominion that Lord Dormas brought forth a great army,” Tauri Osric the Green explained. “Dormas had also created many creatures and darkspawn in the Underthaurnan. While others he had gathered as allies from other dimensions or had acquired via a pact from Sorgoth.” Gideon noticed Osric spoke the name of the Great Lord of Chaos with disdain.

“That army moved to several places and caused many problems for the Alor in the ancient days,” continued Osric. “Dormas and his generals had become bold and decided to cross lands that were temporarily in the control of the Lords of the Balance. It is said that Lord Tar’thos, Keeper of histories and Lord of Balance, was contemplating in the vale when the creatures and entities of Chaos beset him. He asked them to leave, but they did not. The attacks onTar’thos were futile, as the entity in theVale was a precept of a greater entity. As Dormas brought more creatures across, the world was put in jeopardy. Eventually, Tar’thos decided that this imbalance should be corrected and he caused matter and time to flow differently there.”

“The result is that the Vale essentially crystallized, not only those who were crossing the Vale, but those who would later enter,” Ragan added. “The entrance of so many of the forces of Chaos to Illúmaril was disruptive, and Tar’thos acted to preserve the Key World of Illúmaril.”

“Dormas was unaffected by Tar’thos, as he was protected. Dormas was able to free only a small part of his Darkspawn army; although, from time to time, it is said a Valharri is able to extricate one or two of the greater demons or entities,” Tauri Anila the Indigo finished. “Later, the Vale became a place of danger and a prison for those who would tarry there too long.”

After several hours, when he could get Tauri Ragan alone, Gideon asked, “Is there some other reason why three Tauri are going to the Vale? I could see one, but three? I hope you’re not all here to guard me.”

“No, not actually to guard you, and yes, we do have some Tauri business to conduct. You may assist if you like,” archmaster Ragan replied.

“I realize that sometimes ‘Tauri business’ is somewhat secretive. I learned that your order tries to root out dark forces for the good of the community, but what is really going on?” Gideon asked. Ragan nodded and looked as if he sensed someone might be scrying him.

“We believe that some Urshkaar archmasters and grandmasters, and perhaps at least up to four Valharri, may be involved with occasional recent attempts to restore some of the Darkspawn frozen in the Vale of Crystal,” Ragan replied. Gideon nodded and agreed to help the Tauri in some way.

Eventually, Wayfarer stopped near Alende, a town on the safe border of the Vale of Crystal. The entire region was not affected; roughly a third of the area near the mountains was dangerous to stay in for long, as the residual of the spellweave thatTar’thos used could have the same stasis effects on those traveling the affected region. The town of Alende was small, with only several thousand people. Many were farmers and some seemed to Gideon to be more like rangers that watched for some kind of trouble. After splitting the students among the Tauri and the two master instructors from Tyl, the groups set off to explore. They would discuss what they had found the next day. Gideon teamed up with Lyndra, Panx, and Rektar, with Tauri Ragan as their instructor.

After moving through the dense woods, they came into an opening, an extensive gray-hued glade with scattered trees and other shapes as far as they could see, and they felt a sensation of power. Gideon felt it as they moved through the woods and got closer. When their group arrived, they could almost see the still-active spellweave hanging over the region.

“We can stay only a few hours, lest you succumb to the weave. I have some resilience, but I have my time limit as well,” Ragan said, as they moved into the glade and deeper into the Vale of Crystal. To Gideon, it appeared that Ragan, in addition to teaching about the Vale, was tracking something. Along the way, they saw monstrosities frozen as if crystallized or petrified.

“The spellweave residue here reminds me of the place Lord Talmor and Quadain took me to get the sword from Lady Ista,” Gideon said to Ragan as they walked.

“Yes, Tar’thos is related to Lady Ista. He is the elder, and both entities choose balance and to serve the greater good,” Ragan replied. The group walked for several minutes into the valley. As they passed the strange creatures, Ragan described details about them. Gideon noticed that the creatures were all some kind of Darkspawn or some type of demon, except the few animals that they passed, like birds and insects, which also seemed to be frozen in time. Everything had a grayish hue, even the grass. Once they passed a stream, the water itself was still, although not really frozen; it only appeared crystallized.

“Tauri Ragan, what is that creature?” asked Lyndra.

Ragan looked where she indicated. “It appears to be a greater Rûhk in the process of transforming; it may have thought it could escape by flying away.”

As time passed and their field trip was nearing an end, Ragan appeared to be looking around as if he had found or sensed something he did not like. They had been moving in a surveying circuit pattern and, after a point, their group had moved back toward the edge of the Vale, back toward the town of Alende. “I would like all of you to head back to town; the path is that way,” he said, pointing. “Join up with your other classmates back at the town. I have some Tauri business to attend to. Gideon Finelen, you can stay to assist me if you want.” They all moved away, heading back to the safer area, all except Gideon. The others looked back briefly as Gideon went with Ragan deeper into the Vale.

As they walked, they heard an explosion. “I sense Anila is battling someone farther in. Let’s make haste to assist her.” Ragan could run about as fast as a horse and, with the augmentation Gideon had received, he easily kept up. As they ran, Gideon noticed that they passed areas that appeared to have impressions of where Darkspawn had stood. Gideon noticed the trees and grass had been preserved with the same type of spellweave, but he did not recognize the pattern, although the power emanated clearly enough.

Ragan stopped as he got his bearings. “In the old days, this army had more brute strength than sophisticated spellweaving ability; the more educated, present-day spellweavers could handle many of them. I now sense Tauri Osric is in another area. He too is also involved in duel arcane.”

“Why do the other Darkspawn want to resurrect the crystallized Darkspawn, then?” Gideon asked.

“As you can see, they are essentially intact warriors and any could make good breeding stock or be used as deadly soldiers if released,” Ragan replied in a teacher-like fashion. Now, follow me. Anila, even though she is a powerful archmaster spellweaver, may need my help sooner as she has been battling longer.” They both ran rapidly toward a grove of trees and saw the battleground. Evidently, Anila had summoned air and earth elementals loyal to her for support.

Gideon had brought his enchanted long sword and his enchanted katana. Both weapons were imbued with enough mystical forces to deal with most Darkspawn. Drawing upon his previous military training, both on Earth and his previous battles on Illúmaril, Gideon readied himself for a fight. Now that he was almost a journeyman spellweaver, he was able to prepare and release a spellweave to generate a salvo of fireballs. As they got closer, he sensed Anila was using mentallic forces, along with spellweaving to coordinate her attack on the Darkspawn.

Ragan moved toward a huge Darkspawn that towered over even his seven-foot height. It was a vaguely animal-like demon called a Rûhk originally brought forth by Dormas that later reproduced on Illúmaril and lived with the other Darkspawn. Ragan began a spellweave with precision and speed, as several bolts of lightning in succession stuck the demonic Rûhk creature. At about that time, Gideon released his fireball salvo at another twisted, catlike demon. Ragan moved around the thing and saw the ones responsible for the release. A few Urshkaar archmages and the Valharri High Lord Karth were working to either release the Darkspawn or to send them through a gateway portal.

Tauri Anila approached Ragan. “I noticed them after I sent my students away and prepared to attack them while they were occupied,” Anila said. “I could not attack Karth and the Urshkaar archmasters alone, so I called on several elemental allies. He has already defeated many of them.” A nimbus of energy surrounded Ragan as a blast from the Valharri High Lord Karth knocked him backward.

“Yes, together, we are strong enough to attack him.” Ragan made a gesture and symbols appeared then moved to the ground and, within moments, stone elementals pushed up from the ground and moved to defend them from the nearby Darkspawn that Gideon had injured and two others that were heading toward them.

“I have made attempts to close the gateway, but Karth is expending great amounts of energy to actively keep it open against my collapsing attempts,” Anila said.

“Even he cannot do that for long with the White Council’s teleport interdictions in effect surrounding the Vale,” Ragan responded.

“Just maintaining it is costing him tremendous effort,” Anila said. “Effort he can not relinquish to deal with me.”

A few Darkspawn and two Urshkaar archmasters moved forward to defend the gateway, now that they had dealt with most of Anila’s elementals. Ragan guided the several stone elementals he created to attack the Darkspawn.

Anila began a spellweave and concentrated on one of the Urshkaar. She released a draining effect to dampen the magic used by the Urshkaar wizards. Gideon noticed she was very quick; she had clearly honed her battle casting skills over millennia. He realized from his training that Ragan had molded a temporary construct from the earth and infused them with both earth and air elemental spirits. The stone elementals were more like moving mounds of pumice rock but were very mobile.

“Tauri meddlers,” Karth said from near the gateway, beginning an offensive spellweave drawing upon the essence and some elemental forces, as he ushered through the gateway the remaining Darkspawn he had released. An acidic blast spread like a geyser toward a few of Ragan’s elementals. He also began a type of summoning keening.

Gideon dodged a jet of the acidic spray and leapt into the air, turning to strike one of the Darkspawn with his sword, cutting a large gash in its side. The Darkspawn moved quickly to hit him, but Gideon was extremely agile and had already moved away and out of reach. Meanwhile, Ragan had set up a floating barrier that transformed the continued jets of acid to water.

Karth had succeeded in destroying or neutralizing most of Ragan’s elementals and realized that his acid type of attack was now voided. His keening had summoned eight elite Charachau warriors. Then he smiled and drew his sword. Anila had been using counter spells and was frustrating two of the Urshkaar wizards, opting to bring things to a draw with them. The last Urshkaar archmaster continued trying to release another Darkspawn. Karth moved forward and poured energy into a pure essence blast at Ragan.

The blast of pure essence struck Ragan in the chest and exploded more than twenty feet around him, yet he pushed forward. The ground and area around him was engulfed in a bluish fire for a few moments. Gideon felt the blast and was knocked back by the peripheral effects. With his mystic sight, he could see the edge of the weave of the searing energy. One the Urshkaar archmasters almost called down a swarm of fiery meteors, but Anila was able to counter it in time.

Ragan began a spellweave and conjured forth another group of elementals, this time twenty appeared. “So you want to escalate things, Karth,” Ragan said. His elementals swarmed the Charachau and Karth, keeping them all busy for the time being. Ragan realized that Karth was actually more skilled than even he was at spellweavings, but Ragan had pacts with many elementals and he called upon some of them now to even the odds.

“Finelen, strike the one Urshkaar wizard while I have him confused,” Anila said. Gideon could sense that she had used some kind of mental strike, which would not likely last long on the Urshkaar archmaster. He moved rapidly and stuck the Urshkaar in the chest, but his sword struck a barrier. Gideon then used a barrier-breach maneuver that one of his friends and mentors, Gil Gallow, had taught him and called forth the rune and power word for shattering barriers. Gideon realized his long sword was not enchanted for a full barrier breach, but he decided to forcefully strike the Urshkaar spellweaver’s head and render him unconsciousness or stun him with a partial breach and his notable strength. The rune released and Gideon coordinated the strike using his enhanced strength, and the Urshkaar wizard fell, stunned. Gideon rapidly moved back as one of the Charachau headed toward him. As he was moving, Gideon also saw some of the townsfolk, those who had appeared as rangers or wardens. They were closing the distance to take aim with arrows or spellweaves.

Karth was generating a powerful sphere that appeared blue white, and waves of coldness emanated from it. He said a word and the Charachau moved back to the gateway. Several arrows from the rangers, most enchanted with deadly energies, stuck him or his barrier, but he continued to hold his spellweave. Gideon watched as Karth began to weave a complex spell combining several elements including air, water, earth, and perhaps aether. Gideon had not experienced or sensed such power since the last time he had crossed the path of the Valharri High Lord Valestran.

Ragan was tossing a Charachau that was larger than him into the air and belted another away with a strong martial kick, while he guided his elementals. “No! He’s generating the ‘Heart of Winter.’ Gideon, run as fast as you can toward the wardens; tell them to leave NOW!”

“Ragan, I have not been able to counter spell the weave he is building,” said Anila. “I should have used something similar on him earlier before your arrival.” The last few Darkspawn were released and guided by the other archmaster toward the portal, even though a few wanted to fight.

“This could be painful,” Ragan stated to no one in particular, “Anila, you should leave to warn and set protective wards for the others.” Karth was about to release the extremely powerful spellweave. Ragan called to his remaining elementals to protect themselves and they returned to the aether.

Tauri Anila moved backward as she saw the Urshkaar were gathering their wounded and moving toward the gateway. She released one spellweave she had prepared earlier and directed it at Karth. She had tried a temporal halt but it was minimally effective and only slowed him briefly. Using those few moments, she used additional energy to forcefully teleport the distance to where Gideon, the rangers, and warders were. She then set and raised a dome barrier around the group to defend against Karth’s powerful spellweave. “Hopefully this will work,” she said. “I have not had sufficient time to prepare a better defense.” Gideon looked up and saw Captain Ross’ ship in the sky approaching the area.

Karth’s spell detonated near Ragan, a huge blue-white explosion followed by a harsh freezing wind that froze the ground and crystallized water droplets out of the moist air. The wave of energy reached Gideon and the others, and even through the barrier, Gideon felt the icy cold of winter. The effect spread for at least a mile in all directions from the point of impact. As Gideon looked around, he saw that some of the men appeared to develop a rime of frost. Even the Wayfarer was affected in the sky.

When it cleared, Karth and most of his allies were gone. Only two Charachau who evidently were too injured to get to the gate remained, and they appeared flash frozen. A few minutes later, Anlia allowed him to go, after verifying it was safe. Gideon went to where Ragan was standing almost like a statue. He was rimed in a frost. He looked at Gideon, moving very slowly as a glow radiated around him.

“If I was not an Erradan, I would be frozen solid,” Ragan said. “I sense Osric and master Earendar may need our help. They are losing their battle. Get on board Wayfarer; I wanted to absorb some of the energy so you and the others would be minimally affected. I will join you in a few moments once I heal myself.” Gideon looked closely; everything radiated cold, especially the ground. He headed toward the skyship and, by the time he climbed up the boarding ladder, Anila the Indigo had evidently already used a spellweave to move nearer to Tauri Osric. Once Ragan was aboard, the Wayfarer moved rapidly at top speed to where Osric the Green was last reported.

While Gideon was on the bridge of the Wayfarer, he heard Captain Ross say, “Place the charged crystals in the lance cannons if we’re up against a similar level of magical energy. As I have recently witnessed, we will need to soften up the enemy with several salvos.” He looked on the deck and noticed that Ragan now appeared to be healed. He recalled that Ragan could take a good beating; he was one of the indigent powers after all.

The scene upon his arrival was different. He could see that master Earendar was severely injured, as an Alor would not be taken down that easily. At one time, Gideon would not have been able to far see before he had been transformed back to having Elven eyes after his great aunt Faiella removed a spellweave that kept him safe, but had made him essentially human and restricted his senses.

One of Captain Ross’ crew who was a master spellweaver tried to teleport to help the Tyl instructor off the battle area, but she could not work her spellweave past the interdicting teleport wardings. Ragan noticed and was about to teleport. “Gideon, help me get master Earendar back to safety. I will create a temporary portal, and you and I can travel where he is on the ground. Then you carry him and take the portal back before it closes.” Gideon nodded and watched as Ragan spent tremendous energy to open a portal, using his incredible spellweaving skills and excess power to make a short local breach.

“Tauri Ragan, we need to leave here soon; the energies of the Vale of Crystal will begin to affect us,” Ross said.

“Once you have master Earendar back, send that salvo of cannon fire you have prepared at the enemy, then retreat,” Ragan said, as the portal began to open and he motioned Gideon to join him at the aperture.

“Aye, it will be done,” Captain Ross said.

When Ragan and Gideon arrived at the exit aperture of Ragan’s portal near the fallen elf Earendar, they could see several Darkspawn and demons moving about the area. A few Darkspawn were already down, probably having been defeated by Earendar or Tauri Osric. The enemy forces were not as organized as the other group. Evidently, a few remaining elementals that Earendar had summoned were guarding him, but they allowed Ragan to approach. Ragan hesitated when he saw the damage to the trees and ground and looked at the perpetrators as if seeing evil ghosts or an abomination.

Gideon could see Osric grappling with Darkspawn, and Anila was having problems battling some kind of greenish tentacled entity that radiated Unlife. Gideon shivered. He had never liked the things of the Unlife. Once, not that long ago, he had been severely injured by a deadly toxin deliverer by the Unlife, manifesting as tentacles from the ground in the Misty Marsh of Urzan. When Gideon looked up close, his magical sight saw masking spells over the Darkspawn. Anila was not faring much better against that undead creature than she had against the Valharri Karth. The thing seemed to be a spellweaver, as well, and had just released a devastating burst of pure essence energy entwined with unlife in a fashion Gideon had not previously seen. The attack was effective against Anila, and she was forced back. In the distance, Gideon saw there were strange creatures that were not Darkspawn, guiding the recently uncrystallized Darkspawn through a gateway.

“Galvarex...and Neston. How can it be?” Ragan said, in as despondent a voice as Gideon had ever heard him voice. He then looked over at Gideon. “Get our friend master Earendar to safety,” his voice now edged with concern.

Gideon noticed the Alor master was injured but communicating with the three greater elementals that were guarding him. As Gideon approached, they moved slightly away. “Master Earendar, I will help you to the gateway aperture,” Gideon said.

“Yes, it is best I leave. I spent a great deal of energy dealing with foes who should not be.” Gideon saw a look of distaste on master Earendar’s usually happy face. As Earendar got up, he made a spellweave that created a floating creature-sized hand that moved and grasped the Darkspawn heading toward them. Not far behind was another Darkspawn, which lumbered forward and attacked. It reminded Gideon of a Chaos beast that he had fought about a year before. Gideon struck the creature with his enchanted blades, fighting with long sword in one and katana in the other. He used another martial arts maneuver that one of his mentors, Gil Gallow, had taught him during one of the renowned ranger’s visits to Tyl University. It was more of an enhanced strike using a martial arts maneuver and a spellweave to cause a brief paralysis after being struck by the sword.

Gideon’s strike landed well and the creature fell, temporarily stunned. He and master Earendar moved to the gateway and, after Earendar entered, Gideon saw Ragan battling with the other of the undead warrior wizards. Gideon could see with Ragan’s help they were finally beating back the two undead sorcerers. As he looked over at the Galvarex and Neston, he recalled his lessons, noticing that they were some kind of possibly unique greater undead. They reminded him of Urwraith sorcerers he had fought before, but now that he was closer, these two emanated much greater power and negative spiritual energy. Each appeared in rune-inscribed robes and an unfamiliar style of what appeared to be branil or zetheric armor. He wanted to help but realized that Captain Ross was waiting for him to return so he could use the ship’s enchanted energy cannons to open fire on the Darkspawn and the gateway portal across the field. Gideon moved though the aperture, sensing the wavering energies of the transfer portal back to the ship.

Captain Ross ordered the discharge of the cannons, and lightning blasts hurtled down. Gideon watched as some of the Darkspawn got away, while others were blasted by cannon fire. Ragan, Osric, and Anila seemed to be minimally affected by the nearby blasts, since they were, after all, Erradans.

“They must be achandars or have very powerful barriers,” Fiona said, looking at the two powerful sorcerer warriors after they too appeared to be somewhat resilient to Wayfarer’s cannon fire. A few Darkspawn were blasted, and others, like the tentacled entity, seemed minimally injured as it retreated into an enemy gateway.

As Gideon watched from Wayfarer’s deck, he saw an unusual spellweave released by the enemy that he had no previous familiarity with, and then, after a few moments, there was a powerful flash and an explosion as the terrain below became distorted. After the spellweave ended, they were gone and so was their gateway.

Captain Ross gave the order to head for the safer area of the town, as his ship was rocked by the blast wave. “We need to go back to the town. I don’t want to become a crystal statue.” Shortly afterward, looking like a disheveled group that got the brunt of the blast, Ragan, Osric, and Anila were back on board the ship, and they immediately checked on master Earendar’s condition and that of their students.

Tauri Osric was somewhat disheveled after the battle and seemed to be contemplative. Gideon walked over to where he, Ragan, and Anila were talking. “I expected to find a Valharri or perhaps one of Dormas’ blessed Urshkaar grandmasters,” Osric stated. “Instead, we found Galvarex and Neston and that bodes ill.”

“That two of the Twelve awakened could mean something more dire,” Anila said as she paced a few steps.

Ragan seemed in deep thought. “Osric and I were at the battle where the wizard Mordru released energies he warped with his own spellweaves from the Quellien crystal,” Ragan said. “I sensed those energies spread, so it is possible that is what awoke Galvarex and Neston. “Let us hope that no more of the Twelve are also active.”

“That may not be a reasonable hope,” Osric said. “We can at least surmise they were also gathering aid from the collection of Darkspawn and other creatures in the Vale as was Dark Karth.”

“Yes, we will have to report this to our respective lodge leaders as well as the White Council,” Anila said.

“I believe this to be direr,” Ragan said. “I had a brief vision over a year ago that there would be yet another Advent of Darkness before the Dark Lord’s return.”

“We must also inform the Erradan Lords if they do not already know,” said Anila. Ragan and Osric nodded in agreement.

“I agree. I too had a brief vision of another forthcoming advent of darkness,” Osric said. “Those two servants of the Ancient Ones were masking themselves and were clearly not pleased to have been discovered.”

“How did this start?” Gideon asked.

“It was believed that, long ago, Sorgoth the Chief Lord of Chaos and Entropy had arranged for an avatar of Nossus-Thoth and one or two other great lords or Ancient Ones, as they were sometimes called, to hide among the dark elves and the Eldren during the early second age,” Anila replied like a teacher but in a more hushed voice. “Sorgoth was responsible for converting the Erradan Lord Dormas during the first age and, though him, gained access to the Key World of Illúmaril. It was the Eldren, during the second age, who summoned other Ancient Ones to Illúmaril, and that opened the door farther for the Lords of Chaos and Entropy.” Anila paused and looked concerned.

“OK, and if I have my numbers right, that was a several million years ago,” Gideon said.

“Yes, that is correct,” Osric said, now also taking an interest to inform Gideon. “It was later in the second age. The Ancient Ones were defeated and banished, mostly by the Erradans and the Alor, as was Nossus-Thoth. The Eldren involved at that time realized the error of their ways and worked against the Lords of Entropy, along with the Alor people. More recently, because of the vigilance of the Greater Guardians and the White Council, the Trans-dimensional doors were blocked, and there were interdictions and barriers set in place to prevent their re-entrance.”

Gideon watched as the Tauri went into a meditative state as the Wayfarer headed to land in the town to resupply and repair. Gideon realized the Tauri were communing with their fellows to pass on this information.

Afterward, Gideon decided to ask Ragan about the Twelve. Ragan began in a teaching mode and included the other students in his lecture. “The Twelve were offspring of several powerful Ancient Ones who were kin to Nossus-Thoth and mostly Eldren and some dark Alor,” Ragan said. “Originally, they secretly gained entrance to Illúmaril and prepared the way for their leaders.” Gideon got more information than he had bargained for from the short lecture.

Later, as the Wayfarer left the region, only Tauri Anila stayed onboard. Osric and Ragan left on Tauri business. Earendar and Valen, the other master from Tyl, continued the lessons on the journey back to Tyl University. Gideon even discussed what had happened with a few of his classmates. Afterward, Gideon decided it was time to make an entry in his journal and to write letters to some of his older friends, including Laurelin Leaflock, Almaren Arangul, Glade Gilding, and Gil Gallow.