“You won’t be traveling alone.” Traven turned to see Eldridge listening from the front steps of the keep. “I have informed the guardians of your decision to leave and two have volunteered to accompany you. They feel a certain amount of responsibility to protect the wielder of this keep. They are preparing the necessary items for the journey.”
Traven was relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to make the long journey alone. He wondered which of the guardians had volunteered. He watched as the keeper made his way down the steps and shuffled over to him.
“The guardians will lead you east along the route they use when coming to and returning home from the keep. They will also sail you across the gulf in one of our small ships. This will hopefully allow you to catch up to the princess and return to us sooner.”
Traven let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he wouldn’t be too far behind the army after all.
“I see you have restored the energy stone to its proper place,” Eldridge said with a smile, changing the subject. “For that I am very grateful. Faldor certainly would have approved of such an act.
“Now I would like to quickly teach you about defensive magic. The concept is simple and builds upon what you already know. One simple way to counteract anything a wielder casts at you is to form a particle sphere around yourself. Just as the sphere of particles you use to whisper on the wind doesn’t let anything out, a tight particle sphere won’t let anything in. Shall we practice?”
“Sure,” Traven replied. He concentrated and instantly had a sphere of particles surrounding him.
“Have you created it?” Eldridge asked after several seconds.
“Yes.”
“Then we will test it.” The keeper carefully bent over and picked up a clump of dirt. He then threw it directly at Traven’s face. Traven flinched in surprise, but the clump never reached him. It hit the invisible barrier and burst into pieces that all fell to the ground.
“Good,” Eldridge said. “Now a few words of caution. If you hold the sphere for too long you will run out of air to breath. Also if the force of the attack against you is greater than your hold on the particle sphere, the sphere will either break or be thrown backwards. Either one could result in injury to you, so you must be careful. Oftentimes it may be better to create a flat shield of particles to deflect the individual attack.
“Another way to fight against attacks is by using the ambience to create something that will stifle the attack. For example, if a wielder throws a fireball at you, you can create water that will extinguish the flame. If an arrow is shot at you, you can use a gust of wind to alter its course. There are countless ways to counter an attack. I just wanted to mention a few to get you thinking. I wish I had time to teach you more but that will have to do for now. I expect you will practice all of these things along your journey so that you will be prepared when you reach your destination.”
Traven assured the keeper that he would practice them. It seemed like it would not be much different than practicing wielding any of the other things he had learned. He figured that if he continued practicing wielding the ambience along the way to Candus, he would be much stronger and more skilled using the ambience when he reached his destination.
“Another useful trick is the ability to hide yourself from your enemies,” Eldridge continued. “If this wielder in Balthus knows of you, he will definitely want to follow your movements. This trick will not only allow you to keep him from screeing you but will also allow you to stop those nearby from seeing you. A wielder hides himself by creating a particle shield around himself and then wrapping light around the shield. It takes practice to perfect, but I assume you could do a descent job of it right now if you wanted to.”
Traven decided he might as well try it. He quickly created the particle shield around his entire body. He then pulled light around it. The keeper’s eyes grew large and then he smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. Traven let the shield drop.
“Was I invisible?” he asked excitedly.
“Not exactly,” Eldridge responded. “You were more of a shadowy blur, but with some practice you will be able to fully hide yourself. You already have the basic idea.” Traven was a little disappointed at his failure, but eager to work on perfecting invisibility while journeying to Candus. Being invisible could definitely prove useful.
“There is one other thing that I wish I had time to teach you before you go,” the keeper said. “Unfortunately, it’s something that would take you years to master. It is the art of healing with the ambience. It is truly an amazing thing, but one must understand the body in precise detail or else he will do more harm than good. It would be very useful in the field of battle. However, since you do not have the time to learn it, you must make careful use of the healing stone. I presume you have it with you?”
“I do,” Traven replied. He hadn’t had a chance to learn how to use it but had hoped to discover its properties on the journey.
“It is simple to use,” Eldridge continued. “You merely need to place it near a wound and feed it with energy. You will see certain particles rotating around the stone. You feed the stone by creating a flow of those particles from the air into the stone. The stone will absorb the particles and then transfer the energy into the person who is wounded. The stone will allow the wound to heal much quicker than it would by itself.
“However, if the wound is too severe the stone can do little to help the wounded. It would require much more energy than you could supply to it. The stone will drain your energy much faster than if you were healing a wound by yourself, but it eliminates the need for you to understand how to heal.”
Traven pulled out the deep orange might stone and concentrated on it. Time stopped and the air thickened. He could readily see certain types of particles swirling around the stone. He guided them into the stone and watched as the stone let off light. The light began to change to white as he fed more energy into it. He stopped as he felt his strength being drained. The stone glowed for a few moments and then returned to its normal state. It seemed simple enough. He smiled and returned the stone to his pocket.
“That is all I have for now,” Eldridge said. “I think you should finish preparing for the journey, and then we will have an early lunch before bidding you farewell.”
Traven returned to his room with Studell tagging along and offering advice. Studell made him promise to deliver a message to the king about what they had found. He also made him promise to be careful so that he could return, continue his training, and tell him of his adventures. Most of all, he must not get killed. Traven readily agreed. Studell then bid him a safe journey and left for the library.
After Traven finished gathering everything he was taking with him, he paused to look around the room. It was hard for him to believe that he had only been here for less than two weeks. Although the room still seemed too fancy and spacious for him, it somehow felt more like home than anywhere he had been since leaving his grandparents’ house. He smiled at the room, hoping he would be able to return to it soon. He took one last look at the large comfortable bed and left. He knew for sure he would be missing it while he spent the next month or so sleeping on the ground.
When he arrived in the dining hall, he was surprised to find Eldridge already there along with seven of the guardians. Glancing at them, he realized that Darian was the only one missing. They all rose when he entered the room.
“We all wanted to be here to thank you and honor you for restoring the energy stone,” Eldridge said. “We wish you a speedy journey, success in your endeavors, and hope you will return to the keep soon.”
Traven was surprised by all of the ceremony. He had been there less than two weeks and hadn’t done much for those at the keep at all. They had been taking care of him. He felt like he needed to give thanks to all of them. He thought for a moment and spoke to all in the dining hall.
“I would like to thank all of you for your hospitality and support,” he said. “In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve come to feel like this is somewhere I belong. I hope to be able to return soon.” All of the guardians smiled, and Eldridge nodded his head, seeming satisfied.
“Now let us eat,” the ancient keeper said. “The sooner Traven leaves, the sooner he can return.”
Traven sat down next to the keeper and joined the others in eating an early lunch. He was hungry after working the ambience earlier in the day and was glad for the meal. He ate his serving quickly and sat quietly waiting for the others to finish.
“Go ahead and eat Darian’s meal,” Jorb said as he pushed a full plate of food towards Traven. “He won’t come down for some reason.”
Traven wasn’t sure if he should eat the elf’s meal, but after assurances from several of the guardians that it was fine, he decided he might as well satisfy his hunger if Darian wasn’t going to join them. He wondered if the elf was refusing to be present because he still held something against him. He felt bad if he had somehow offended the elf but tried not to worry. He finished his second helping and sat back contentedly.
“I think it’s time for you to set off,” Eldridge said as he stood up from the table. The guardians said their goodbyes to Traven and left for their various chores.
“Who will be coming with me?” Traven asked as he accompanied the keeper out of the dining hall.
“Jorb and Ethan volunteered to go with you,” Eldridge replied. “They went to get the horses and supplies.”
Traven was happy to hear that it was two of the guardians that he actually knew. The trip would be more enjoyable with the two of them. It would also be nice to travel with two others who were skilled with weapons. He didn’t expect to run into any problems along the way but was glad for the two guardians’ expertise just in case.
He waited patiently with Eldridge for the two guardians to bring the horses. He looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath of the sweetly scented air. There was something undeniably special about this hidden valley. He truly hoped that he would be able to return soon.
“I cannot believe you did it,” someone muttered from inside the keep. “You’re really going to go through with this?”
“Where is your honor?” another voice asked tauntingly.
“You disgust me,” a third voice stated vehemently.
Traven and the keeper turned around and peered through the open door of the keep, wondering what was going on. At the top of the stairs, a cloaked figure with his hood up began to descend. He had a pack slung over his shoulder and he walked with purpose. Flanking him were three elven guardians. They all kept shaking their heads and expressing their surprise, horror, and disgust. It wasn’t until the cloaked figure reached the bottom of the stairs that Traven realized it was Darian. He wondered what the elf had done to warrant all of the attention and derision.
He watched with interest as Darian left the keep and walked directly towards him. The other elves all stopped at the door. He stared with surprise as Darian walked right up to him and knelt at his feet. The elf threw back his hood and stared intently at him with burning eyes. The black slash of a tattoo over his left eye had been altered. Drawn delicately within the black were patterns of metallic silver that matched the patterns on Traven’s own clothes. A gasp escaped from Eldridge.
“Master Wielder Traven,” Darian began in a firm voice from his kneeling position. “I devote my life to you. I will live, fight, and die for you. I am yours to command.”
Traven stared back at him in complete shock. What was Darian doing? He had no idea how to respond. He didn’t understand what the elf was saying. Eldridge cleared his throat and leaned over to whisper into Traven’s ear.
“The correct response is ‘I accept your devotion’,” he said quietly.
Traven wasn’t sure if he wanted to say that or not. It made him feel awkward and uncomfortable. However, seeing the way that Darian was staring up at him, he decided that he should follow the keeper’s advice.
“I accept your devotion,” Traven repeated, still feeling uncomfortable. A wave of relief washed over Darian’s face upon hearing the words. The elf rose to his feet, and after bowing to him, walked towards the stables.
Traven glanced at the other elves. All three gave him calculating looks before turning and walking back into the keep. He then turned with a questioning look to Eldridge.
“It is called the devotion,” the keeper said quietly. “I never thought I would see it happen. I am especially surprised that it was Darian. I never would have expected him to chain himself to a human.”
“What do you mean chain himself?” Traven asked worriedly.
“Not literally,” Eldridge replied. He then took on a lecturing tone. “When an elf feels the devotion to a wielder, he makes an oath to do whatever the wielder asks of him. Elves are incredibly loyal to their oaths. They would rather die than break them. Darian will now do anything you ask of him, even if he doesn’t agree with it. He would jump off a cliff if you told him to.” The keeper paused and stared intently at Traven, making sure he understood what was being said. “Before the Wielder Wars, many of the elves performed the devotion ceremony and followed the more powerful wielders. For the last thousand years no elf has chosen to devote himself to a wielder, until now. Consider yourself honored.”
20
Kadrak finished his nighttime ascent up the gradual slope of the foothills. His army was camped outside of Beking and ready to march for the Pass of Banshi in the morning. He had climbed up into the mountains to visit with Shaman Azulk one last time before continuing his campaign into Kalia. He didn’t fully trust the galdak leader and wanted to make sure that the shaman understood exactly what he wanted him to do.
Kadrak stepped up onto a shelf of rock that offered a magnificent view of the land below. He glanced at the entrance of the cave that was set back against the mountain but sensed that it was empty. He turned from the entrance and looked out over the land below. In the distance he could see the city of Beking and just outside its walls, the many campfires of his army. All of it belonged to him. The country of Balthus had fallen even easier than he’d expected. The thrill of victory had left him anxious for more. Kalia would be next. Once it had fallen, he would turn his campaign to the southern countries. He wouldn’t stop until he controlled all of the lands.