The Silver Arrow (16 page)

“How did you escape?” Iseac
asked, seeing the pain in Samuel’s face.

“My father knew of an entrance
into the mines,” he said, sniffling, “and he took us there while
the town was under attack, hoping that once it was safe, we would
head to the nearest town. We hid there until they found us the same
night. I lost my younger brother that day as my father defended the
entrance, giving us a chance to run farther into the mine; he never
joined us.

“They came after me, my
brother, and mother as we ran deep into the mines, and it wasn’t
long before we could hear their growling sounds behind us as they
drew closer and closer. We knew they were going to catch up before
we made it out of the mines, so I had my older brother, who was
very good with the sword, take my mother with him while I tried to
slow them down long enough for them to escape.”

Samuel remembered this caused
some argument, most especially with his mother, who didn’t want him
to stay behind, but he and Faray knew it was their best chance of
getting out alive. Samuel was good with the bow and arrow, more
than an average archer, and they knew it.

“I hid behind one of the
several mounds inside the cave overlooking the main pass and
watched my brother and mother leave, with their light fading into
the distance as I waited.”

Samuel remembered the raw
emotion he had felt at that moment, thinking of Elye, and the anger
burned inside him as he waited patiently.

“It wasn’t too long before the
flickering lights of our assailants appeared, their growling sound
echoing off the walls. I pulled on my bow, watching as one of them
came into view, and let go. The creature dropped to the ground from
the arrow that found its resting place in its forehead, but the
others kept moving, undeterred by their dead comrade as they peered
into the dark, keeping up their pace. Two more dropped down,
squealing, and I moved to a different position, the darkness
providing cover. They did not seem to care as the main body kept
moving, while others searched around. With two more down, they
slowed their pace slightly, but kept marching across the wide
chasm. I decided to move to the back of the group to try and draw
them toward me.

“As I moved in the dark, one of
them spotted me and pointed in my direction. Someone in their group
spoke up in a language I could not understand and several of them
ran to meet me, their drawn blades catching the dim firelight as
they blended into the dark. I had my arrow notched as I moved back,
listening to their growling sounds as they drew closer with an
increasing speed.”

Samuel remembered his sweaty
palms and his heart pounding against his chest as he tried to watch
his blind spot. Death was coming for him, and there was nothing he
could do except face it the way anyone would trying to protect his
family.

“Just then, I caught a dark
figure at the corner of my eyes leaping toward me; I released my
last arrow as I stepped backward, but I wasn’t fast enough. I felt
a sharp pain in my left arm and lower rib as one of the creatures
tried to end my life. I turned and began to run, unsure where I was
heading. Then I heard a splintering sound under my feet and I fell
into a black hole.

“I crashed in, leaning forward,
letting go of my bow as I fell into this abyss. I stretched my
hands in the darkness, hoping to find something, and did. It was
damp and hard, and I quickly held on. I was jerked to a stop as
sharp pains ran from my arms to the rest of my body. They threw in
several spears just to make sure I didn’t survive, but I hung on.
After several minutes, satisfied that I was probably dead, they
left.

“My left arm and side burned
with pain, and I was sure I had broken a bone. But I gritted my
teeth and slowly made my way back to the top. Covered in dirt and
sweat, bruised and exhausted, I made my way in the dark. Every step
sent jets of pain through by body, but I knew I needed to keep
moving. My family was waiting for me. I stumbled upon my bow. Maybe
it was hidden from view, or the creatures did not care.

“I also found my last arrow,
plus another one covered in blood. Armed, I slowly made my way
toward what I hoped was the exit and was relieved to find that I
didn’t get lost. I approached it cautiously and heard a wagon roll
up. I peered through the exit and saw people cramped behind bars.
At the base of the wagon was my mother crying as she cradled my
older brother, Faray, her hands red with blood. She was surrounded
by people I recognized from the town.

“A large creature with gray
skin dressed in a deep blue robe with a gold lace around the waist
stood next to the wagon. It’s back was turned toward me, so I could
not see his face, but I had a feeling that he would pinpoint my
location if I had made any sudden move. So I stayed, silently
watching, my body slowly becoming numb. This creature seemed to
still the wagon horses before raising his hand over his head.

“I’m not sure how to describe
what happened next,” Samuel said, looking down at the ground. He
wasn’t sure if it was a hallucination brought on by his wound, but
he said it, regardless of what they might think.

“The creature wearing the blue
robe raised his hand, and a tiny spark formed at the tip of his
finger. It slowly changed into a fireball that expanded till it
consumed everyone close to him. As the intensity of the flame grew,
the ground began to shake, and they were gone−disappeared; the only
visible sign of their presence was a charred curved ring burnt into
the ground.

“I stayed there marveling at
what happened, confused, tired, and cold, until sleep came and took
me that night. The next morning, I was wandering in the woods,
unaware that I was making my way toward the town square. That was
when I heard the faint clanking sound of horses’ hooves. I ran
toward a tree to get a better view of the strangers that stopped in
the town square. As I stared, wondering who you were, I felt you
looking at me within my mind’s eyes. It was like seeing someone at
the bottom of a stream, even though I could see you weren’t facing
me. I panicked and fired, thinking they had returned to finish any
remaining survivors they may have missed.”

Samuel stopped talking and
looked at Iseac and Mosley for some reaction as silence again fell
on the camp.

Iseac stood up, walked over to
Samuel, and placed his bow in front of him. “We are trying to stop
the creatures that have done this,” he said, “and we will help you
find your family.”

Iseac was lying down, still
awake, as the embers from their campfire went out. He had found the
first of three, drawn to this place by a force he could not
explain, to find the only survivor was the person he was going to
search for in Bayshia.

What Samuel told them confirmed
one thing: the information they had received from Ditra-Vashine
about the fire that consumed its victims without leaving any trace
of their presence was true. The burnt ring formation on the ground,
with the earth shaking, was also consistent with the report.

He had also felt something
extraordinary about Samuel; unlike anyone he’d ever known, Samuel
had felt him when he was using yosterio.

Iseac was beginning to believe
that what happened here was no random act; someone, he thought, was
willing to destroy this town and its people to find the same person
he was looking for. Why and for what reason was still a
mystery.

Iseac knew there wasn’t much he
could do about Samuel’s family, but he needed to get him somewhere
safe before continuing his search for the other two. He also needed
to get some answers from the Council about this new
development.

************

Samuel could hear Elye
screaming as he ran into their home. Half the house was gone,
consumed by a fire that was still burning. He could see the
lifeless bodies of his father and mother lying on the ground in
pools of blood. When Elye again screamed for help, Samuel’s eyes
followed the sound ahead of him, through the field covered in
smoke. He could see the creatures from the mine pulling Elye into
the woods, and he ran after them with his bow drawn. They seemed to
elude him every time he got close, and when he looked again, Elye
was on the ground. He aimed at the one with the spear who is about
to end Elye’s life, when the ground opened underneath him. As he
fell into a black hole, he opened his eyes.

************

Iseac had been watching Samuel
tossing in his sleep just before he jerked himself up with his eyes
wide open.

“Are you okay?” Iseac
asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Samuel
replied, wiping his hand over his face.

“There is someone that can help
us find your family, but we need to go to Kadan’s claw,” Iseac said
once he was done packing.

Kadan’s Claw was on the
southern corner of the Kadan River, which ran through most of the
four Kingdoms.

Samuel gave Iseac a quizzical
look; he didn’t want to leave his hometown even though, in his
heart, he knew there was nothing he could do if he stayed.
Irrationally, he clung to the idea that his family would come back
and that all he needed to do was wait.

Iseac could see Samuel’s
reluctance to go and said with genuine sympathy in his voice, “A
wise man once told me that ‘knowing your enemy is the best upper
hand you want to have.’ I know this is hard, but if you are to have
any chance of finding your family, you need to first find their
captors.”

Samuel remained in the same
spot, looking down, as Iseac continued to speak. “The pale-skinned
monsters that attacked your town are called Agoras.” Iseac secured
one of the loose items on his saddlebag. “We believe they serve
Sullivan, whom we suspect is building an army and planning to take
over the four Kingdoms. What happened here also happened in Utorm,
a small village in the outskirts of Bremah. Most of the people
vanished after a slight tremor. A burnt ring similar to your
description was found on the ground; it was the only thing they
found when they tracked the missing villagers into the woods where
they were herded.”

This information got Samuel’s
attention; it confirmed that what he saw was no hallucination.

Samuel had never heard of
Agoras before, or this Sullivan whom they serve, but what was more
suspicious was how this stranger, who called himself Iseac, knew so
much about them. Samuel knew for now he did not have a lot of
options. He would take Iseac at his word that he was trying to stop
the creatures that had done this.

If Iseac knew so much about
them, Samuel thought, then maybe he could help him find his family
after all. He brushed his side and picked up his bow.

“You can ride on Kenda,” Mosley
said.

“What about you?” Samuel
asked.

“I think I can manage,” Mosley
said as he secured the saddle on his horse.

The bay raised his head briefly
to look at Samuel as he approached; once he was mounted, they rode
at a canter toward Lufgard.

Samuel periodically glanced
behind him as they rode, each time even more amazed by Mosley, who
kept up with them the entire time. At noon, they stopped by a small
stream to allow their horses to drink while they ate some smoked
meat Iseac had packed in his saddlebag with wild berries they
picked on the way. That was the only time they stopped until they
went to bed that night. The next day was about the same, except
that by the end of the day, Samuel had a nagging question. That
night as they sat around the fire picking off the remaining pieces
from the rabbit they were having for dinner, Samuel decided to
ask.

“You mentioned that knowing
your enemy is the best upper hand you want to have. Who is
Sullivan, and why Chartum-Valley?”

“Well, concerning your second
question, we’ll soon find out; but let me shed some light on your
first. Very few people know this, but a long time ago, before the
formation of the four Kingdoms as we know it today, a merchant
named Ryham found what is known as the first key of creation.

“Ryham was a good man with a
pure heart, it was said. He was fair in his dealings and so was
respected by most of the townspeople he dealt with. One day on his
way to the eastern land called Millgran, he saw something flicker
at the corner of his eyes. Whatever it was had blazed like the
star, and even though it was for a split second, it caught enough
of his attention that he stopped. Curious, Ryham rode his wagon
toward the area where he thought he saw the light, stopping by the
side of the road. He walked a few feet into the patched field and
was surprised to discover a crystal gem. Its luster was something
he’d never seen before, and even with the sun behind the horizon,
the object glittered with breathtaking brilliance.

“Ryham stretched his finger out
to touch it with the same caution one would take when touching
something hot; nothing happened. So Ryham picked up the smooth gem
with its unusual shape, staring at it in amazement. It was a
crystal rod the length of a forefinger, with four claw-like shapes
on one end. At the core of the crystal was a silver-like flame that
pulsated.

“As the crystal held Ryham’s
gaze, something opened up within his mind’s eye. A door intricately
designed with patterns of the solar system appeared out of thin air
and was drawn close to him. The sudden appearance of the celestial
door frightened him so much, he dropped the gem.

“Everything around him returned
to the way it was, with Ryham alone and the gem gleaming on the
ground.

“How Ryham’s true self was
revealed, no one knows, but we know he was the first Patron, and he
found the first Anamerian, who formed the group called
Ackalans.”

‘What are Anamerians?’ Samuel
was about to ask, but decided not to; he would do that later, he
thought, as Iseac continued to speak.