The Elderine Stone (23 page)

“
It’s not trust me, there are a lot of bad things too, and not all our
machines
do good, some could destroy the entire world or large parts of it. I suppose we live in a world of fear too. I don’t know much about this place but I’d say things are a lot better here”

They both stopped talking when they heard someone screaming, someone screaming and heading their way. It sounded like a boy. They heard another scream, although it sounded different than the first, perhaps someone else. What was it? They weren’t sure, but they would soon find out, the screaming got louder and closer with each second. Jason and Emily pulled themselves up, they felt no fear, but bewilderment, what was it? They kept asking. The screaming was very close now, they could hear the snapping of branches on the ground, and leafs being rustled. The nearby branches began to sway back and forth, within an instant a figure burst out of the darkened woods out into the open, carrying a small bag in his left hand, the boy was followed by a strange looking creature, it looked human, but looked like it was made from the earth and wood, but it still had an pleasant eminence.

Jason and Emily stood astonished as the two figures, the one with the bag in his hand and the other earthly creature ran passed, and they continued to run, screaming as they went. Jason and Emily watched as they ran passed them then stopped, the boy quickly turned back to see if they were still being chased, they weren’t. He gasped a sigh of relief then he caught sight of Emily and Jason in the corner of his eye, standing at the edge of the wood watching them. Devon grabbed Grimble and jumped behind a rock, in a feeble attempt to hide.

Devon sat with Grimble still grasping tightly to the bag containing Sherbit, who was now kicking and screaming for help, in an aggressive fashion. Devon knew they had been spotted, and that hiding now was useless. They waited for Emily and Jason to walk over, their cover was now gone.

Emily and Jason looked at each other, still in shock at what they had just witnessed. They wondered why these two strange characters had run and hid behind a rock. Who were they hiding from? Emily was the first to make any movement towards the rock, which was neatly hiding the bodies of the two figures, but neglecting to cover the head of the earth like creature. Jason followed Emily, walking closer to the rock.

Emily reached the rock and looked over to see the boy crouched as low as his body would allow, still holding the bag that was now squirming about and still shouting help, the earth like creature wasn’t putting as much effort into the crouching, but still sat as low as he could.

“
Hello” Emily said “Umm who, may I ask, are you?” sounding puzzled.

Devon looked up into Emily’s face, not knowing what to do in this situation; he had to think fast, he couldn’t think of anything but the truth, to answer with. He was still quite alarmed from his experience and lucky escape in the woods.

“
I’m Devon. This here is Grimble, my protector.”

“You have a protector?” Emily asked, knowing that only wealthy citizens or those who were of high importance had protectors.

“
I’m Devon of Haspar” Devon repeated again, clearly not answering Emily’s question, the fear in his voice was evident as he gasped of air. He was slowly calming again, he was catching hold of his senses, and his surroundings, and he was now able to think clearly, and think of excuses that would help them come across as those who would want to help Emily and Jason on their quest.

Emily noticed the bag moving about. An arm would push the sack cloth up from within, and then a leg would kick another area, the calls of help could still be heard coming from the bag, but Emily had only noticed it now.

“
And what is in that bag?” She asked looking down at Devon’s arm which was still grasping tightly, though shaking slightly.

“
Oh it’s a little creature we found on our way here.” Devon said clearly thinking of an excuse that would hide the fact that they had been purposefully following the two friends, and had kidnapped the little creature at Emily’s house.

“
It’s Sherbit!” Jason cried, finally picking himself up from what had just happened, “It certainly sounds like him.”

As soon as Sherbit heard Jason’s voice he started to call for him.

“
It is him!” Emily yelled “Devon why have you captured him?”

Devon couldn’t think of an answer, he hesitated, then thought of something, that could maybe save them, save what little was left of their plan.

“
We found him wandering aimlessly when we were heading north, we thought he was lost, or looking for someone, maybe you two. So we tried to make him come with us but he wouldn’t. He would only have been hurt or, or... he could have starved, poor thing, so we had to bring him with us the only way we could.” Devon had now fully regained control of himself, he spoke as if he truly cared for Sherbit, he was trying to convince Emily and Jason that he was concerned not for himself but others.

“
He lies” Sherbit yelled from within the cloth bag “Captured me, I’d no choice.”

“He is confused, It has been a long journey” Devon replied nervously.

Jason thought for a moment, he had been wondering about Devon’s answer, why was he coming north in the first place.

“
Devon, why are you here? How did you know Sherbit was looking for someone?”

“
We over heard Emily talking about your quest to the North and your plans to destroy the Dark Lady, in a bakery back in Haspar. We were interested and thought that we could help, or rather that we should help.” Devon had twisted the truth slightly, he couldn’t tell them his true plans, or who he truly was, who’s son he was. If Emily and Jason knew this they would surely cast them aside and continue with their quest alone. Now that they had been spotted their only other option was to join forces, Devon didn’t want to spoil this chance.

“
There was no one else in the bakery.” Jason argued.

“
No trust me we were there, sitting in the back corner in the shadows. No one could really see us.”

Jason thought back to that small cosy bakery, true as Devon said, there was a corner in the back of the shop, there was a table and stools there and it was covered in shadow. It could have been possible for them to hide there, it could have been possible for them to hear what Emily had spoken about and not be seen.

“
We don’t want to harm, or get in your way. We just thought we could help with your quest.”

“Well I guess as a start you could let Sherbit out of that bag” Emily said pulling back from the rock.

“
Of course” Devon said as he undid the draw strings around the bag slowly opening the top. “We meant no harm, you do understand?”

Devon set the loosely opened bag on top of the rock. Slowly Sherbit came out and rubbed his eyes, he looked happy to see Emily and Jason, and then he noticed where they were, he looked towards the mountains, the ruined temple with the flickering lights, and he smiled, a hidden smile. He then looked back towards Emily and Jason.

“
We’ll there isn’t much we can do now, you are here now, there is not much point sending you back, and I doubt you would go if we told you to. I hope you know what you are getting yourself into.” Emily said as she walked back towards the campfire that she had lit moments earlier. Emily was good during times like these at acting as a mother figure, even though she was still considered young in age. She could still be very strict and voice the opinion that would matter most. Jason followed Emily back to the campfire, followed by Sherbit hopping along as usual.

Devon pulled himself up and looked at Grimble with an expression of relief, they had overcome two obstacles in that short period, that beast, whatever it was had been outrun, and they had now been accepted by Emily and Jason. Devon didn’t want to think about what stopped that beast from chasing them further, though he believed that the presence of evil emitted from the temple at the foot of the Mingus Mountains had frightened it off. The thought scared him. The evil had even frightened a beast such as it.

All five sat around the blazing fire, every so often Jason would throw a piece of dead wood that Emily had collected earlier on top. It was now dark; the moon shone in the sky over the mountains, often blocked by passing clouds, there were few stars in the sky this night, as if they were aware of the evil too and had fled south.

The five were quiet, yet they all had so many questions they wanted to ask each other. They had plans to make, they didn’t know what to expect. All that they knew were the many rumours and tales that they had been told by their parents and tutors. Jason knew nothing, only that he was labelled as this so called hero that would defeat the Dark Lady and put an end to the Lord of Darkness’s reign of evil.

Devon sat quietly he had been thinking considerably about what he should do, what his previous intent was, and how he could carry out any actions now that he was with Jason and Emily. He felt drawn to this group of adventurers. He could even feel a slight aura of power from Jason. He was starting to wonder if Jason could actually be the hero that had been spoken of, and prophesised, and although this would go against everything he had been taught, he still felt that this idea was closer to the truth. Perhaps he thought it would be better to help them now rather than work against them. The realisation of what actually lay ahead frightened Devon. Whatever resided in that temple had frightened the beast in the forest. Perhaps the Dark Lady was far worse, maybe the only person who could defeat the Dark Lady was Jason, and if it was true, then Devon wanted to be able to help in any way he could.

Grimble and Sherbit were happily chewing on some food that Emily had brought with her, Grimble wasn’t that concerned with what was going on. He was Devon’s protector, but right now Devon was safe. Sherbit on the other had was still staring at the temple in the north, as if it was calling to him, earlier he had been afraid to look north, but now that they were so close, it was as if he had gained a new power within, he was not afraid of what lay ahead. He had been there before, he had seen what the Dark Lady did to her prisoners, but he didn’t show any signs of fear, he looked onward and smiled.

Emily was the first to speak up as she gazed into the dancing yellow and orange flames of the camp fire. She felt that they had to discuss what they were going to do, they would soon be at the temple and they would soon face the Dark Lady. If any time would be best to sort out a plan of attack it was now.

“
We have to think of what we will do when we reach the Dark Lady, I don’t know what to expect” She looked at Jason “I believe that Jason is the only one who can defeat her, but we have to be able to give him some time, time to work out what he has to do”

Devon looked up. “We can help fight, I don’t have much, I’m no wizard or warrior, but I do have a summoning stone, it isn’t much I know, but it may help.”

“
Devon anything will help. Grimble and Sherbit what about you two?”

Sherbit turned around slowly and with a smile that almost looked evil said

“
I can help.”

“Ok, Grimble?”

“He will help too” Devon replied, “He is pretty strong when it comes to fighting.”

“
Ok, well that should help, I can cast a few spells, and hopefully they will help. Help give Jason enough time to work out a plan.”

Jason looked at the ground, he couldn’t think, he didn’t want to think. What could he do that would destroy the Dark Lady, and bring peace back to these lands. How could he alone destroy the evil that had haunted so many people in the past and present? He had to think of a plan, what would happen to his friends and himself if he couldn’t think of something that would destroy this Dark Lady when the time came. His thoughts were broken when Emily started to talk again.

“
We should rest soon, it will be a hard task getting to the temple, we have to climb the base of the Mingus Mountains, and I am more than sure that the Dark Lady will be watching and have prepared an abundance of defences. We will have a fight on our hands that none of us could ever imagine. It will all start tomorrow.”

Each of the five looked at each other. They had been brought closer together through the knowledge that they had one common enemy, an enemy that they had known about from an early age, an enemy that they were coming to battle. They all knew that tomorrow no matter what happened they would have to face the Dark Lady and her minions, hopefully the prophecy would ring true, and Jason would be the true hero. If he wasn’t… they couldn’t think of the outcome, they didn’t want to imagine what would happen to them. They were sure that if things didn’t turn out as planned they would have a much worse fate compared to that of the prisoners that the Dark Lady experimented upon.

One by one each of the five companions lay down, trying to think of happy memories so that they could veil the dark and haunting scenery that lay in front of them. The fire cracked and continued to dance in the night, warding off any beast that would come their way. Jason rubbed the pendant that the mysterious lady had given him back in that dark alley in Haspar, it throbbed an unseen glow, tucked under his shirt. Jason’s eyes grew weary and soon he passed into a world of dreams, the stone stopped glowing.