Chapter Three: From A Boy To A Man

Hearts laden with grief, minds racing to comprehend and the speeding horses, turn the world into a blur of colors, rushing wind and echoing screams from deep within that which makes time incalculable.

By the time they slow down enough to see around them, the ground has started to noticeably transform. The Pheminol Mountains, millions of years of grandeur, rise before them. Once there they should be safer. Of course, that is more a statement of hope than fact.

Tork still lay unconscious, and they have the lifeless body of their friend Tula to remind them of the horror of their first encounter with the Dark Sorcerers. They are saddened by her loss, especially Maddox, but they are encouraged because they found out the Masters can be defeated. Now, if they can only keep the Masters off balance long enough and in small groups of two or three, they might have a slim chance.

Though chance and fortune may seem bleak at the darkest hour, love and hope never shines so bright as when does jewels glitter in her eyes and does the mind shine from her smile. What? The importance of girls is incalculable, and this world's Serene Minor is our Mother and she will care for those who put in a hard day's work.

They continue to ride their horses as fast and as far as they dare, but finally they have to slow down before they kill them. Always must you balance others needs with your own.

As the night progresses, as their despair deepens, they start getting so tired and weary that they can feel it in their very souls. Plus they need to see if anything can be done for young Mister Tork. Very soon they will need to find a place to camp in safety, and to recuperate for a couple hours from the mind-bending experience of not long ago. The best news so far is that the purplish mist of the Masters and the Fire Dragons seems to be heading off in a slightly different direction. It is near impossible to see the purple mist in the night sky, but the flashes of lightning give their enemy's position away.

Maddox says, "They probably heading for the mountain pass city of Thort."

Though the Companions are heading for the same destination, they are taking a roundabout way to get there. Cutting through the edge of the mountains should give them a better chance to stay out of sight.

Finally the need to see what can be done for Tork, if anything, and to give a proper and honorable burial to their friend Tula, takes precedent over there plan of running to the other side of creation to get away from the Masters and the Fire Dragons.

When they come to a rocky outcropping jutting out of what little remains of the rolling hills of the plains, a place where they should be able to stop for a while and not be seen by passers-by, they make camp. Kyle dismounts and starts walking over to Tork to get him down and make him as comfortable as possible.

Maddox whispers, "We must bury Tula with full honors. She would not tell the Masters where you and Tork be."

But as Maddox starts to get down off his horse, he falls to the ground with a heavy thud. From the severe exhale of wind knocked from him escapes sounds of pain.

Kyle runs over and helps him into a semi comfortable position, "Yes, my friend, and I must take care of you also, for the valiant effort that I know you gave to protect her." Then the wizard Whiteknight adds, "Do not worry my friend, she will get an honorable burial with full honors, and unimaginable grandeur awaits her."

With a sigh of relief and gratitude Maddox passes out.

Kyle makes his companions as comfortable as possible. He has to make Maddox's bed right where he fell because he is too heavy to move, and if he uses his powers the Masters might be able to pinpoint their location. Late into the night, after the somber burial of the once brave but now lifeless Tula, he settles down, knowing that she is in a much better place.

Soon, inevitably, Kyle's mind is racing with thoughts of sadness and anger, as he wonders if they would have been better off if he had not come to their land.

Then he remembers back to the time of just before he came to this land, and how the other wizards of the good faith of his land of Parrethia thought it was a bad idea to attack the evil forces of Zarton at this time.

The wise ones pointed out, "Though we are strong with the Heavenly Gods of our world, it takes more than power to send Zarton back to the prison the Heavenly Gods made for him thousands of years ago. It takes a power that comes from the land of Owen, and the last we heard all the Mystic Wizards were destroyed. We should not push the confrontation at this time."

Kyle's thoughts linger as he remembers how he spoke with anger in his voice as he replied, "Are we going to wait until he crosses the Great Sea and comes upon our kingdom and our people? Are we just going to ignore the suffering of the people of Owen?"

One of the wizards Kyle has known for a long time and has much respect for, spoke with great sadness as he said, "Their will is broken. You will get no help from them, and if you choose to go on this journey of yours against our wishes and advice, you will get no help from us either."

Kyle, infuriated beyond showing respect, replied, "I have never been so ashamed to be amongst you all as I am right now." and then stormed out of the Wizards Hall.

As he was leaving, he wanted to turn around and go back in and say that he was sorry and that he is very proud to be a Parrethian, but he dared not, because he knew in his heart what he was about to embark on is the right thing to do.

As the thoughts fade from his mind, he comes back to the here and now and stares at his injured friends for a moment. Then more tired than he has ever been in his life, even more tired than when he had crossed the great Desert of Origin to get to Owen's capital, he lays his head down and falls into a light and watchful sleep. Or at least so he thought.

Early the next morning he wakes with a jolt to the sound of groans coming from Tork. He looks around to see Maddox, but he is not there. Kyle scolds himself for falling asleep as he scans the area and finds Maddox on the nearby hill and rock outcropping, keeping a watchful eye out for anybody who might be looking for them. Maddox notices Kyle moving about and comes back down the hill.

He looks at Kyle and then to Tork, "He seems to be still lost in unconsciousness." then he asks, "Where you bury Tula?"

Kyle shows him where he buried Tula the night before. They stand there a moment with their heads bowed, and Maddox says something in a language Kyle does not understand. Even though it was dark when Kyle buried Tula, it is obvious that a new host of flowers have sprung up around Tula's grave during the night and early morning. The red and white flowers bring with them an odd sense of peace. Their fragrance seems to ease the mind. Kyle does not speak of it aloud, but he hopes it is providence.

Maddox looks at Kyle as they start to turn around and head back to the camp and explains, "That was the language of my ancestors, and it was a farewell eulogy to a very brave and good hearted soul."

When they are back at their makeshift camp, they set to discussing when they should pull out and what if anything can be done for Tork. They eat just enough to keep them going to save supplies. They try to pour some liquids into Tork, but most of it just spills down his cheeks. As the conversation progresses it inevitably comes back to the night before.

Maddox asks, "Did you know Tork could do that?"

Kyle glances over at the inert body of Tork and hesitates before answering, "No! I did not, and I have only seen three or four other wizards with so much power that they get a reddish glow around them while in practice or combat, but it is always under extreme circumstances.

"One is the Grand Wizard, the Protectrant, of our guild in Parrethia. The other two are my father and I, though I have heard of others in the past with the Blessed Aura. I believe one of my forefathers was also so inclined. It seems to run mostly in the same family lines, though it usually skips a generation or two. For some reason it did not skip me. I always thought and felt that I was meant to do something special. Perhaps this is it."

Maddox ponders deeply before asking, "You think we can beat Masters?"

"In truth, I do not know. Although last night was a victory, they were much stronger than I imagined. If they unite their powers and stick together it will be an almost impossible task to beat them, but if we can continue to split them up into small groups, then we have a chance. Divide and conquer as it were.

"However, I will not be able to do it alone. The final blow must come from Owen blood, and as of right now Tork is more of a danger to himself and the innocent people around him than he is to the Masters. But if he gets the proper training and learns to control his powers, he will be a great and powerful wizard. He is only sixteen and is as tall as me, and with proper training he is easily my equal on this plane, but for now he can only do more harm than good. Also I am not sure if I can train him to the level of his capabilities, but I will try."

It is late morning by the time they decide to move on. Tork is still unconscious, Maddox is still sore, but they have to stay ahead of the Masters. They have to continue on. Nothing is ever accomplished sitting on your tush waiting for opportunity to knock

Maddox looks hopeful when he says, "Maybe we get help for Tork in mountain city of Thort."

He had not realized it before, but Kyle starts getting an oddly uncomfortable feeling in his gut, so he turns around and sees that the Masters and their purple mist, which holds the horrors of the Fire Dragons, are back again. It is southwest of them and it looks to be coming their way.

Kyle turns to Maddox and points, "I thought the Masters only come out at night?"

"No, they come out any time. The purple mist is mostly so dragons can come out in daylight."

Kyle swears under his breath at being wrong and childishly foolish, he just hopes it is not fatally wrong. They pick up their pace. Throughout the day they have to dodge a couple of patrols of Clan Soldiers and it seems the mist is keeping pace with them, but now the terrain is getting rougher as they are getting closer to the mountains. Therefore it makes it easier to hide behind the land formations. Every outcropping is a sanctuary, and every shadow is an ally.

At long last it is getting late. The sun is just visible in the sky when Maddox announces that they have just entered the beginning of the Pheminol Mountains.

Kyle asks, "How much further to the city of Thort?"

Maddox answers, "Another half day's ride at the most if we take trail, but I think we stay off trail. It will take longer, but be safer."

Kyle agrees whole-heartedly, so they veer further away from the main trail they have been paralleling.

As the terrain starts getting rougher and steeper they have to dismount their horses and walk them through. They have to tie Tork tighter to his saddle several times, so he does not fall off into the jagged rocks. The moon gives off enough illumination so they can continue on well into the night. They are far and gone away from any trail now, and they find a relatively level place to rest for a bit.

As they are making camp they try stretching Tork out to ease the knots from his muscles, when from out of the canyon somewhere in front of them they hear battle cries and the confrontation of combat. It is never an easy thing to do to pinpoint a location in mountains, for sound echoes randomly.

Leaving Tork under an outcropping of rock, Kyle and Maddox set out in the direction of the noise. As they make slow but steady progress, the noises become clearer therefore they know they are getting closer. As they come up over a rise and turn into a small crevice they see by the moon's light a group of twelve men trying to get to this other man up on a ledge. They are shooting arrows and throwing rocks and curses as they are trying to climb up to the ledge.

One of the men suddenly screams out and falls backwards off the ledge when an arrow pierces his heart. The man on the ledge is laughing and seems to be enjoying himself quite a lot.

Maddox turns to Kyle, "They be Marauders. Them care only about themselves and hurting others."

Kyle simply replies, "Then we must help the man on the ledge. It is our duty!"

They continue towards the battle as stealthily as possible when you have to transverse over rock and earth, but as they are making their way down a steep slope Kyle slips and almost falls the rest of the way down. He catches himself, but when he slides, rocks start to tumble down the side of the mountain. Everybody at once looks in that direction. Though it is night the moon gives off a strong illumination. The Marauders start towards Kyle and Maddox.

Kyle looks at Maddox, "So much for a surprise attack."

Kyle and Maddox hurry to the bottom and a semi flat part of the canyon. It is always an advantage to have sure footing when about to engage bloodthirsty attackers. Kyle draws his sword and Maddox hoists his mighty battleaxe, and although the diamond on the hilt of Kyle's sword is glowing he knows he cannot use his powers, for it might give their position away to the Masters.

As arrows fly and strike close by, the opposing forces close in on each other. While most of the Marauders move towards Kyle and Maddox, the others stay behind to continue the attack on the man on the ledge. As the marauders come closer they put down their bows and draw their swords and the battle commences. It is a mistake they will soon regret.

Maddox swings his mighty battleaxe and a marauder lifts his sword to block the mighty blow, but the ax breaks the sword in half and sinks deep into the skull of the marauder.

As Kyle's and a marauder's sword meet with a big clang, sparks fly and the force knocks the marauder back. Kyle quickly turns and splits another almost in half at the waist.

Maddox gives a fierce battle cry and charges three of the marauders. They turn pale white, which looks ghastly in the moonlight, and run off.

Kyle turns to confront the one he knocked down, but all he sees is the tail end of a man in full retreat. They do not even bother to take their weapons with them or warn their friends that they are leaving in a hurry; they just run off into the mountainside.

Kyle and Maddox notice with the pride of seasoned warriors that about half of the marauders who have tried to get the man on the ledge are lying there dead with arrows piercing through their hearts. As the remaining marauders see them coming, they also run off into the mountainside with their cowardly cohorts.

The man calls down from the ledge, "Who are you people?" It is in a crude and accelerated form of common, but it is mostly understandable.

Kyle calls back up, "My name is Kyle and this here is my friend Maddox, and we were passing through and saw what was happening and thought we would help out and come to your aid."

The man on the ledge snickers, "Lynx does not need help from no one. I had them right where I wanted them!"

Kyle, who has seen those who talk the talk and walk the walk says, "Perhaps you are right. Sorry to bother you." and with a shrug of their shoulders Kyle and Maddox start to walk off.

The man on the ledge yells out as he starts climbing down, "Wait! I must not be so rude."

As the man very nimbly starts climbing down from the ledge, getting closer and closer, Kyle realizes he is not a human man at all. He makes the final leap to come down even where they are.

Maddox says, "Ah, he be a Stiefel."

Kyle looks at Maddox curiously and says, "He is a what?"

Maddox repeats himself, which he really hates doing, "He from the Stiefel race, the other mountain tribe."

And that he looks, thinks Kyle. He is half mountain goat and half human. His bottom half is short and has very stocky hips, thighs and legs with white fur. His upper half is more or less human looking, very muscular, and he has long white hair with an equally white goatee beard and mustache. And he is very short. No more than five feet tall, if that, Kyle figures.

The Stiefel, as Maddox had called him, walks up to Maddox and joyfully says, "Oh, a Minotaur, I thought the lousy good for nothing Masters destroyed you all?"

"Not all!" says Maddox proudly and profoundly sadly.

The Stiefel nods his head knowingly, "Glad to hear it! Glad to hear it! The Masters also chased my people further into the mountains because we would not bow down at their feet."

Maddox feels an immediate kinship with the Stiefel and says, "Yes, that is why they attacked my people also. Our children started disappearing so we went to war."

The Stiefel solemnly nods his head, "Yes." and then stares towards the moon.

After a moment of silence the Stiefel speaks up, "Excuse my manners. My name is Lynx and I am grateful for your assistance. Who might you folks truly be?"

"My name is Kyle Whiteknight and I am from the land of Parrethia."

"I have never met anyone from across the Great Sea before, but the Elders have told stories of such places." and then he holds out his hand to Kyle.

Then Maddox speaks up and says, "My name Maddox. You seemed to enjoy the fight with Marauders."

Lynx smiles impishly, "Oh, yes, those wretches only pick on the weak and outnumbered. They are fun to play with. So, where are you good folks heading?"

Kyle is not sure how honest to be, "We are heading to the mountain city of Thort to get supplies, and then we have a journey we must finish."

Lynx helps them out, "I just came from there. There are Masters and hundreds of Clan Soldiers; they seem to be waiting for something or someone. I heard talk about a stranger and some traitors who killed two Masters in the plains city of Murtz, and almost burned the whole city down. If you be those people I suggest that you do not go to Thort. Instead, for your help I will take you to my mountain village. My home. There you can rest and re-supply in safety."

Maddox and Kyle look at each other for a second, Kyle giving way to Maddox's knowledge of his homeland, and then Maddox agrees, "That be most generous."

Lynx's face lights up with boyish exuberance and says, "Great, let us get started!"

Kyle points out, "First we must go back to our camp and get our horses, and there we have a sick friend who needs attention."

They start to walk back to their camp, and it is not long before Kyle and Maddox realize that Lynx likes to talk, a lot. They are back at the camp now getting everything ready for the hard trek into the mountains.

Lynx remarks, "He is just a boy. What happened to him?"

Kyle thinks about it for a second, deciding whether or not how honest he should be with their new found friend. After a moment of hesitation he replies, "He is a young wizard and does not know how to control his powers yet. When the Masters killed his mother, he unleashed his powers but he could not stop them. He has been unconscious ever since."

"This boy is the one who destroyed the two Masters that I heard talk of? Oh, wow! Wait until the Elders see who I brought home."

As they are talking the mountain starts to rumble from thunder. They all look over their shoulders and see that the purple mist is once again on the move.