“May I, Shuran?” Moltar asked wanting to pull the rock face away, exposing the room to the outside world.
“I think it best that I do it this time, I am less a novice and this will require some finesse to prevent injuring Bastien.” Shuran felt Moltar’s disappointment. “After we achieve our goal of saving Bastien, you can raze this tower to the ground!” Shuran compromised to Moltar’s satisfaction.
Shuran began to match his Essence to the rhythm of the earth and focused on the rock wall before him. The tower began to tremble and the wall started to crack. With a final push of energies, the wall burst outward and hit the shield Shuran constructed just in time. Inside, he saw Bastien lying alone on a cot.
Moltar flew over and clung to the side of the tower.
Shuran climbed along his body and into the room. He began to approach Bastien and was stopped by a force of invisible power.
“Did you believe it to be that simple, brother?” Salmetu said as she appeared in the doorway. “I must say I do not understand what Isten has been so worked up about,” she continued to walk closer, assessing Shuran.
“It would appear that you have been meddled with as have I. We are what now, seven or eight summers of age? Yet here we are in the prime of early human youth!” She walked closer, but Shuran did not move.
He followed her with his eyes, all the while extending his shi to sense her intentions. He felt it coming before she was able to launch the assault.
Salmetu loosed a ball of undulating dark force directly at him.
Shuran sent a counter attack of electricity that deflected it away.
Shuran and his sister sparred back and forth, testing one another. Neither of them seemed to have been attempting to intend true harm. As much as Shuran wanted to end this, he was hesitant to harm his own flesh and blood. There had to be something of his true sister in there somewhere.
“Why do you fight me sister, you must know your actions only serve Vardoran and he uses you as a tool?” Shuran tried to distract her.
“A tool? To that old fool? Do not disillusion yourself brother. He is nothing! This world is nothing! I have seen the power that fills me and it is eternal!” she said with a mad voice.
Shuran saw a dark mist entering the room through the floor and walls. It was heading toward Bastien. He had to get past this shield of hers. He searched for weaknesses but found none. What he did find was that it did not extend below the floor.
Shuran reached into the energies of the lines and found a way in. He plunged into the line and out into the space beyond the wall.
“Well, that was unexpected!” Salmetu said. She watched him head for Bastien and noticed that Telalsu was arriving to claim Bastien’s prepared body. She made to stop him. “HAZA!” She shouted and Shuran froze in place.
He fought against the spell but was unable to break it.
Salmetu slowly walked around his form and paused in front of him pretending to freeze in place then laugh. Salmetu prepared to spell him again when there was a flash of light just out of Shuran’s limited field of vision.
“You will not hurt him, you evil bitch!” came the familiar voice.
Shuran could see the color drain from Salmetu’s face.
“Leave me alone!” she said and vanished in a swirl of darkness.
Shuran struggled to free himself but could not. The dark mist was now collected and moving toward Bastien. “Tianna, help me!” Shuran said in his mind. She walk into view and smiled at him.
“You know me?” she asked.
“I have spoken to mother, she told me about you and I knew we had met.”
Tianna smiled and then her face saddened.
“I cannot help you from this spell,” she said, passing her hands through him. He could somehow feel it. “You have only to reach out to your worried friend outside,” she said with a sudden smile before she vanished.
Shuran did not know at first what she meant. He then realized, Moltar was his bonded; he could spell him a release from this state. “Moltar can you hear me!” Shuran shouted inside his head.
“YES, no need to shout! I heard the wispy girl also,” he answered. “What do you need Shin’Ar!” he asked anxiously.
Shuran shared the thoughts of the spell with Moltar who had to run it over in his mind several times before he was ready to try it. Then with a determined roar, Moltar let out the spell. “SUBAR!” Moltar directed at his Shuran who was more than a friend and bonded master.
The effect was immediate. Shuran fell to the floor upon release.
Moltar began clawing at the walls trying to widen them so he might climb inside.
“I am fine,” Shuran said as he climbed to his feet. He looked to Bastien and then around the room. He no longer saw the dark mists in the room. He thought, no hoped, that they left with Salmetu’s sudden departure. He ran to Bastien’s side and tried to wake him. “Bastien! Bastien it is me Shuran. It is good now I am here!” Shuran cried.
“Shuran?” he finally heard in a soft forced whisper.
“Yes, Bastien it is I!”
Bastien opened his eyes and looked around the room before his eyes finally settled on Shuran. “Shuran, it is you,” he said.
Shuran squeezed his friend with all the love and joy he held for his lost best friend and sheesh. “I thought we had lost you!” Shuran said.
“Oh, but you have!” was all Shuran heard before he was sent flying across the room by a blast of force. “FOOL! Did you think I left?” The twisted voice of Telalsu struggled against that of Bastien’s. “Oh this one is stronger than expected!” the demon announced. “It will vex you greater to attempt destroying this host we think!” he said with an evil laugh. “We shall meet again when I have gathered my strength, Shuran Shin’Ar!” the demon possessed Bastien said just before dispiriting into a swirl of darkness.
***
The fighting suddenly ended as the death walkers quickly disappeared into the night. They lost two of the magurmu and seven drakkon along with their respective riders. The enemy lost hundreds of their undead army. The flying vessels and drakkon all collected the ground fighters and headed back to the training fields of the Baron’s castle.
They arrived with mixed feelings of victory and loss. Drakkon all gathered to morn the loss of their breed.
Although he had lost two of his new flying ships, Aknard was in high spirits. “We beat those unholy bastards into the ground!” he yelled.
His guild all cheered along with many of the Drakkians, Elves, and Dwarfs. The cheering began to die down as the bulking form of Moltar cast a shadow upon them. When they realized what they saw, the cheering resumed ten fold.
“Shuran Shin’Ar, Moltar, Lugaldur of the Shin’Ar!” they shouted. The crowd spread as Moltar came to land in the center of the gathered masses of mixed races.
“Where is Gregoran?” Fallon asked.
Shuran only now noticed his and Jade’s absence. “We got separated at the Order’s keep.” Shuran said guiltily.
As if upon request, Jade roared and the crowd turned to watch them come it to land.
“What happened to you back there?” Shuran asked. “We saw you had matters in hand at the tower. Jade noticed zealots leaving the keep so we thought to follow them. They got as far as the stone forest before we were attacked.”
We fought for some time before Jade took a wound to her wing and we had to land so I might focus on healing her,” Gregoran said. “I am sorry Shin’Ar but we lost their trail by the time came we could regain the air,” the Drakkian Zidu’Si said.
“They have but one place to go now sheesh, do not call blame upon yourself,” Shuran said as he took his trusted companion in arm.
***
That evening those involved in the fighting celebrated their first victory.
“Not in my lifetime has there been such a joining of even two races toward a common cause Shuran. You represent a new beginning to this world. Perhaps old wounds can find healing with the events of this day!” Fallon said raising a goblet of ale.
Shuran met the toast with little joy.
“What troubles you nephew? I understand the loss of your friend. But it seems there is something more?” Fallon asked.
“I felt something in my sister Salmetu. Something conflicted and at the same time darker than anything I ever felt in Vardoran, Telalsu, or the death walkers,” Shuran responded. “Excuse me Uncle, I must go to my mother.”
Fallon nodded in understanding.
“Mother, are you well?” Shuran asked as he approached her bed. He found it empty.
“I am over here,” she said from the window.
Shuran noticed her standing by the window under her own strength and was happy to find her in better health. “Mother you are up!” he said.
“Yes, I am stronger. Tianna was here, she said you did well against Salmetu.”
Shuran sensed the hesitation in her voice.
“You should have destroyed her!” his mother spat.
Shuran was shocked at hearing this from Sulura. “Mother, you cannot mean this?” Shuran asked.
“She is consumed Shuran, taken by something more dark than we can comprehend,” Sulura spoke to her son as tears ran freely.
“She is not beyond saving,” a wispy voice sounded form behind them.
***
The next morning was full of many emotions. It was a wondrous event to have Dwarf, Human, Drakkian, and Elf, all working together They all however, felt the loss of life.
Shuran was feeling the worst of all, having been forced to witness his friend Bastien, taken from him. “I find little to celebrate, however I see the need to recognize that we took a stand against the dark.” Shuran said and everyone silenced.
“We have come to a point where we take a new path to the history of Aurderia, where future people will judge our actions,” Shuran started before the assembly of thousands. “For too long, we as a people have ignored the plight of others. In ancient times the Anzillu trials lead to the Sikil Mah, this left the lands divided.” Shuran continued.
“NO MORE! I will not allow this to continue. This is not a fight for mixed blood. It is not about the fear of who can wield more Essence,” Shuran paused. “This is about what is right and wrong… no middle ground. We can debate what we once believed, but times are changed and we must change with them or be left behind.”
Shuran paused at the cheers of those in attendance. “It is time we decide here and now! Do we fight for all that is good and worth saving? Then we fight for the survival of Aurderia and all of Ersetu!”
The Zidu’Si left Drakkfoth for their home of Durangug. Elves and Dwarfs were taken home by magurmu with a communication crystal for giving to leaders. These stones would activate with instructions on where next the races must assemble in common cause. It was now a fight for the good of all Ersetu, the world.
***
Shuran had time to spend learning what it meant to have a bond and be Lugaldur, but Moltar made it easy. His youthful exuberance and desire to please Shuran made progress expeditious. Together they learned what it meant to become something new to the lands. Something more powerful, and at the same time feared more than anything seen in millennia. Shuran had his Zidu’Si to rely upon, but they were not yet complete.
Shuran also had time now to check the hidden room in the Vault, which only he could enter. When he approached the wall where the room was hidden behind, he felt a sense of warning. He began to raise his hand to the wall and felt a sense of dread come upon him. He decided to shake it of and pushed his hand to the stone. The wall slid aside and Shuran entered the space as the wall closed behind him.
***
Deep in the tunnels below the Zig’Mada, something stirred…
Abnu Emuq
- Power Stone
Abzu Mu
- deep source of water
Adda
- Father
Agal Kastu
- Mighty Bow /Weapon of gug held by the Zidu’Si elf
Alla
- Evil God
Anse
- Donkey / Ass
Anzillu
- Abomination
Asipu
- Wizard / Mage / Magic Worker
Assinnu Isten
- First of the Order / Cult Leader
Bad
- Wall / Ground
Baduruku
(BA-DUR-UKU)- Water People
Bal
- Transform
Bil
- burn
Bitmu
- Tree house
DAMKIANNA
(DAM-KI-ANNA) - Mistress of Heaven and Earth
Diri
- Huge
Dug
- Heal
Dur
- Jackass
Durani
- Fortress
Ekur
(E-KUR) - House that is like a Mountain
ELITUR
(ELI-TUR) - Sacrilege
Emmuku’Gu
(Emmuku-Gu) Ersetu - Power River (lei line) of Ersetu (World)
Emuku
- Power
Ersetu
(ER-SE-TU) - World
Gabara
(Gaba-Ra-A) - Offering
Galla
- Devil
Gug
- Lodestone
Gugtu
(GUG-TU) \ Zisuragug (ZI-SU)RA-GUG) - Magic Stone
Haza
- Hold (used to immobilize something)