The Legend Of The Wizard's Apprentice (Book 1) (26 page)

Just then a goblin came rushing into the fray and stabbed the cyclops in the thigh. Celie, having just had a small sword penetrate her right thigh, came back to reality very quickly. Remembering her training, she swung her sword in a roundhouse manoeuvre and caught the goblin just above his left ear, taking away half of his face with that one blow. Just as the now dead goblin collapsed to the ground, the ogre saw its opportunity went in for the killing blow. But before he got close enough to stab Celie, blood splashed from his chest as a scimitar pierced through his back and came out through the front of him. Just then a very angry husband, and brother in-law then lifted the ogre off the ground. Byamee grabbed hold of the ogre where the scimitar had penetrated and reached into his back, tearing the ogre in half with his bare hands. Having been given super strength as well as super speed, Byamee had no problem with this feat.

Elden seeing one of the last ogres turn to flee, threw his spear. With deadly aim his spear penetrated the ogre’s throat bringing, it’s run to a tumble then into a roll of waiting death.

The goblins seeing that they no longer had the upper hand all fled in different directions, trying to find safety deep within the forest. The two remaining ogres looked at one another and followed the goblin’s suit.

Kerwyn feeling sick to his stomach about seeing his friend die in such a horrible manor filled himself with the One Power and cast his spell
“Incendia Orbis!”
out from Kerwyn’s hand flew a fireball that was glowing white hot and streaked towards the two fleeing ogres. The fireball caught both of them in the exploding searing heat and all that remained was two chard spots on the ground where the ogres used to be standing.

Kerwyn turned to see Celie bent over her brother’s form and saw that she was weeping uncontrollably. He didn’t know what to do or what to say. So he just sat down where he was and started to weep as well. He was thinking back to all the fun times that they had throughout their travels and how much the cyclops had loved the bow and arrows the elves had given him. The memories of his face as that final blow took Baldred’s head would haunt Kerwyn for the rest of his life. Never before had he seen a friend die this way, and it changed a man to see it. The young boy that was now became a man. He now realized that life was very precious and no one lives forever, unless they were an elf or a god.

Master Sernett came up behind them all and said, “Baldred was a great ally and friend. He is going to be missed. Let us bury him and say our farewells.

Celie, my dear, you have my most sincere condolences. I would understand if you, Byamee, Elden and Durin want to leave our little group. Bad things seem to follow us and Kerwyn and I need to get that acorn back for the good of the world. But after having to watch your brother die, Celie, I would not ask any more from you or your family.”

“Master Sernett, we have all lost something or someone throughout our lives. My brother knew that what you and Master Kerwyn are doing is for the good of this world. Without you our world will be lost and nowhere will be safe from the evil that is coming. I thank you for your kind words regarding my brother, but I will not disrespect his memory by quitting what we all have started. My family and I will stay and finish this.” said Celie.

“Very well. Kerwyn and I will help you dig a hole so we can properly bury your brother,” Master Sernett said.

After digging the hole and saying a few final prayers to send him off to the gods, Master Sernett held a vigil for him.

“Baldred’s memory would live on in the hearts of those that he left behind. He was a friend, a brother and a comrade in arms. He was the best marksmen with a bow I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and he was always smiling. Baldred, you will be missed but never forgotten,” said Master Sernett.

With that Master Sernett drew in on the One power and, using his staff, he cast a spell at the grave and from the ground there arose a crystal pier that glowed with an inner light.

Master Sernett continued, saying, “From this moment and for the rest of eternity, this pier shall burn with an inner light to mark the spot where our fallen comrade is buried. All who stop to look upon the light of this pier will see the mighty and friendly Baldred as he once was. This will be a beacon of hope and will guide any friendly traveller towards the light. Kerwyn, please come here.”

“Yes, Master,” Kerwyn said, moving up to his master.

“I want you to draw on the One Power and use you nature magic, please. Infuse this pier with Mother Nature's magic,” said Master Sernett.

“Ok, Master, I will try.” Kerwyn started to gather in the One Power and focusing on his nature sight he concentrated on a spell
“Pier of Tutela”
and once Kerwyn’s magic took hold of the pier the glow became a green colour and shone bright enough to penetrate the dark of the forest. Kerwyn reached out, feeling the pier with his hand and then turned to say that it was alive.

The pier would protect all who came here in peace and it would give travellers a place to sleep free from any worries or fears. It would also protect Baldred’s grave for all eternity and know any of his family should they ever come that way. Celie, walking over to place her hand on the pier, opened her eyes wide and looked at Kerwyn. “You have placed Baldred’s spirit in the crystal pier. He talks to me and tells me to not worry over him, that he is safe and with the gods now. How have you done this? Baldred is gone yet I can still talk to him,” asked Celie.

“I haven’t trapped his spirit Celie; he is with Mother Nature and she is allowing him to communicate with you by using the crystal pier. Mother Nature loves all of her children and has granted you a place to come and talk to your brother anytime that you need to. Also, your family, for generations and generations to come can come here and seek Baldred’s advice. This place is now sacred and no evil can approach it,” Kerwyn told her.

Celie so overcome with emotion, reached out picked Kerwyn up, hugging and kissing him. She put him back on the ground and, once she had composed herself, Celie dropped to one knee with her hand on her heart and said to Kerwyn and Master Sernett, “You both have done my family a great honour. I pledge my life to yours and as long as one of my family lives, you and your families will be known as “Sanctus Abbas", holy fathers among the Cyclops. It is the highest honor that any cyclops can ever obtain. Higher even then any Cyclops Clan leader can obtain. You have the total power over all Cyclops people and when and if you ever need the Cyclops nation to stand with you, use that name and call for us. You both are now the Ultimate Rulers of all the Cyclops Clans and all must heed your call.”

“Now it is you who honour us. We are not worthy of such a high honour as this,” said Master Sernett.

“You both have honored our dead brother and the pledge has been made by my wife. I, Byamee, Leader of the Cyclops of Alberic also pledge to you,” and both Byamee and Elden dropped to their knees and made the pledge of “Sanctus Abbas.”

“Well if that’s what you want, then we must accept your gracious honor. Now please stand, my friends, and never kneel before either of us again. We are friends and, as friends, we will always help each other,” Master Sernett said.

Gathering up Baldred’s equipment, Elden asked to have Baldred’s bow and arrows, saying that he'd like to honour Baldred by learning how to use them.

Celie agreed to this and kissed Elden on the cheek saying that he was a good friend to Baldred and the rest of them. Elden smiled and started looking for the trail for the changeling again. He found it hidden just off the trail and it looked like the changeling knew that the goblins and ogres had been hiding in wait for any passer byes. Back on the trail of the changeling, the party made good time, almost like they had a new reason to catch up and get the acorn back.

Over the next hour they weaved in and out of the forest underbrush as it looked like the changeling was trying to confuse them with its tracks. Elden proved as good to his word about being the best cyclops tracker that had ever existed. There were many times that Kerwyn could not see any hint of a track but Elden seemed to always find the way even through shrubs and over mossy sections. With Elden tracking it, there was no way this changeling was going to get away.

As the day settled into night, Elden was having a harder and harder time following the tracks. Eventually he said that he could no longer see them. So Master Sernett called for a halt for the evening and to set up camp just off the trail.

Not wanting to draw to much attention to themselves, they tried to go into the forest a bit and hide behind a bunch of shrubs for cover. Byamee and Durin took up the first watch. They woke Kerwyn and Celie up for the second watch and reported that there had been some weird noises in the forest but nothing came to harass the little group.

Kerwyn and Celie both took up different spots around the little sleeping group. Looking out into the forest, Kerwyn could hear all the different creatures that run around at night but it wasn’t these creatures that he was worried about. Turning on his nature sight, he could see possums, deer, foxes and mice. Looking into the trees he could make out birds sleeping and bats fluttering around, eating the different types of insects that were also out in the forest at nighttime. He could even see a few dryads hiding up in the branches of their trees, looking down on the sleeping Cyclopes. Too shy to come out and talk to Kerwyn, they stayed hidden up in the canopy of the forest.

Kerwyn could sense that the forest was uneasy; almost like a part of it knew that another part had festered and died. The forest was one big living, breathing entity and Kerwyn could almost hear in the wind all the trees talking and asking how far the evil had spread. Kerwyn was sure that at one time a tree did answer his question and was told that the evil was moving closer to this section and then he thought he heard the other trees say
don’t get involved in human affairs
even though he was the tree brother, they were saying that if they don’t get involved maybe the evil will go away and leave the trees alone. At one point throughout the night, Kerwyn thought that he even saw one of the forest herders; that looked like the trees they protect but when he looked again, it was gone. As the time slipped away, Kerwyn and Celie went over and woke master Sernett and Durin for their shift.

Kerwyn lie down and shut his eyes but before his thought even made it to sleep, Master Sernett’s light spell lit up the clearing shouting and the fighting started again.

Up jumped Kerwyn and before he even knew what they were being attacked by, he saw the head of a massive of dog. Its eyes were glowing red and flames licked at the edges of its mouth. He tried to get his brain to work but all that would come were thoughts of sleep, wonderful sleep.

“Kerwyn look out!" Shouted Master Sernett.

These were Hell Hounds and ever so slowly the hound that Kerwyn had seen first was coming around the tree and focusing on Kerwyn. Kerwyn saw the dog squint and get ready to pounce. Throwing up his arm and saying
“Veneficus Requiro”
five magic missiles flew out from his outstretched arm, blasting the first Hell Hound in the face. Sparks flew up from where they had hit the Hell Hound, but it did little else other then stall it for a few seconds. Seeing that his spell had had hardly any effect all, Kerwyn felt his stomach knot up with panic and he started to back away from the creature.

“Kerwyn!” Master Sernett was calling out to him, “the Hell Hounds are almost impossible to kill using magic. They are naturally magic defensive as they are still a part of Hell. We have to use our magical or silver weapons on them.”

Kerwyn, remembering his knife the Ghost Hunter, reached into his belt pack and grabbed the handle of the knife. Holding it up in front of him like a sword when all of a sudden the Hell Hound pounced at Kerwyn. Kerwyn panicking, for this was his only defence, was surprised when he felt the knife penetrate the underbelly of the hound and heard it yelp in pain. He was knocked to the ground with the hound on top of him, and Kerwyn was sure that his life was about to end. Opening his eyes he saw that the Hell Hound wasn’t moving and that it was lying on top of him, trapping him.

Master Sernett had a Hell Hound of his own to worry about holding and was holding his staff like a club getting ready to swing. Meanwhile Byamee and Celie were attacking the third Hell Hound and, out of nowhere, Durin swung his massive hammer, catching the beast in the ribs. There were crunching sounds and the Hell Hound was pushed away and retreated a bit. Growling at Durin, the hound jumped at him before he could swing the hammer again. Catching Durin in its jaws, it started to shake the little dwarf. Durin losing his grip on his hammer couldn’t do anything but hope that his Elvin armor would hold up against the creature.

Master Sernett was the only one close enough and free to attack. He swung his staff like a club and caught the Hell Hound square in the face. A flash of green lightning exploded from Master Sernett’s staff and the Hell Hound dropped the dwarf and was thrown back into a tree. A sickly snapping of bones was heard throughout the area and the hound didn’t rise again. Durin, also getting caught in the lightning, was lying on the ground unconscious but still alive. With a spin swing and his super speed, Byamee took the head off the third and final Hell Hound.

Kerwyn was still trapped under the Hell Hound and called out for help. Celie came over and picked the animal off of Kerwyn. Looking down, shocked, she said to Kerwyn, “Whatever you did to this critter, you can do to any others that we run into.”

Kerwyn, not understanding what she meant, stood up and looked down at the Hell Hound. What he saw shocked and horrified him; the skin of the beast was taunt like it had been dried over a fire for a week and the eyes were all but gone and shriveled. Kerwyn looked down at his knife and now understood what the Ghost Hunter could do. It absorbed the life-force of a creature and stole its spirit.

While they were all checking themselves over for any damage, the sun started to rise.