The Dawning of Power

Chapter 11

To enslave that which is free is to invite your own betrayal. -Barabas, druid

Beyond the guardians, the valley walls closed in. The river narrowed, and the current became swift and turbulent. Ahead, fallen monuments obstructed the river, evidenced by the mighty but broken hand that jutted from the swirling water.

"Can't go around that," Kenward said. "What will you do, Catrin? Now that we are here, what will you do?"

"I must find Belegra, even if that means searching the Firstland from end to end," she said. She could not turn back, not after having come so far and having lost so many. She had to complete this journey in honor of those who had given their lives toward that end.

Dark shapes moved within the trees along the shores, and strange, raucous calls rose above the roar of the water. Eyes appeared in the water near the ship, and the crew jumped when an impact left the ship thrumming.

"I can't keep the Eel here," Kenward said. "I'm going to have to keep much of the crew aboard and return to the harbor, but that leaves only a handful of people to accompany you. I don't know what to do."

"You know exactly what to do, fool boy. You just don't want to do it, so you refuse accept it. Do what must be done."

"Thank you, Mother. You are correct; I know. If you are to reach Ri, Catrin, I suggest you take a landing party to shore a short ways back downriver, where the waters are calmer. We'll sail back to the harbor and prepare for the long journey home. When you've achieved your goal, come back to your boat. Light a signal fire-the more smoke, the better-and we'll come for you. There are mirrors in your packs; use those if you can't get a fire lit. I'm sorry I can offer no more."

"Well said, my son."

Uncertainty festered in Catrin's belly. Daunted by the thought of exploring the Firstland with only five people, she set her jaw, her determination bolstered by the commitment of those who stood around her: Chase, Strom, Osbourne, and Brother Vaughn. All stood ready to disembark, and Catrin sensed no fear from them, only the drive to do what must be done.

The land slid by quickly, and Kenward selected what he considered an ideal place for them to disembark. The current was sluggish, and reddish, gritty sand formed a bare shoreline. Beyond, the forest claimed every scrap of land in its emerald grip. When faced with the question of which bank to land on, Catrin let her instincts decide: east. She wasn't certain why. She had no visions or overpowering emotion; it just felt right.

"May the gods bless you on your journey," Kenward said. "We'll wait sixty days. If you do not return, we must sail."

"If you've seen no signal in thirty days, leave. Don't wait for us if it puts your lives in danger," Catrin said, a tear in her eye and a catch in her voice.

"You'll be back in less than thirty, but we'll wait sixty," Nora said with a sharp nod, and Kenward smiled. Catrin wished she shared Nora's confidence. "Your packs are loaded, and we're ready to drop your boat. Travel well and return safe."

Catrin and the others climbed into the suspended boat, and the crew lowered them to the water. The parting was surreal; she found it difficult to believe that she was about to step onto fabled soil abandoned by man more than three thousand years past. Only lightly armed, she doubted her party was prepared for the trials ahead. This place harbored creatures they had never seen before and knew nothing about. Anything that moved was suspect.

Once ashore, they dragged their boat to some nearby trees and covered it with branches, aware that even this task could be deadly if carried out carelessly. Picking through the branches, they found snakes, frogs, and colorful lizards in abundance. Even with great care, there were a few tense moments.

Moving deeper into the forest seemed suicide from what Catrin had already seen; her mind imagined every creature as a deadly and poisonous foe. Given that she had no way to tell which were dangerous and which were benign, it was a healthy outlook, even if unpleasant.

Sailing with the current, the Slippery Eel was soon lost from sight. Any feeling of security Catrin had fled with the Eel, but she led the group as best she could, slowly picking their way into a foreign and unknown land. Using short swords, they cut through obstacles at a crawling pace, but sunlight could be seen on the forest floor ahead, and the group moved with determination.

When they broke free of the tangled mass of vines and thorns, they entered a strange twilight, where the vegetation took on surprising shapes. Despite the dense growth, the outlines of ancient structures could still be seen, and occasional walls still stood, covered completely in growth and looking as if they had occurred naturally.

Chase pulled the vines back from a column, revealing the fine detail that was previously hidden. Gracefully fluted and tapered, they were a marvelous testament to the ancients' stonework and building skills. Farther on, they discovered a field of man-shaped growths that harbored ancient sculptures of men with ideal physiques, their muscle definition conveyed with tremendous detail.

No one spoke as they moved among the eerie shapes, and Catrin couldn't shake the fear that they would all suddenly spring to life and attack. When they reached the far end of the field, they found a low, stone wall. Beyond it was a relatively clear space and another, similar wall. Between, the land was flat and, for a short distance, unobstructed: a road.

"If this is a road, it should lead to Ri, shouldn't it?" Chase asked.

"Your reasoning is sound. We should follow the road," Brother Vaughn said.

Catrin could give no reason for her fear of the road, only that she felt sick whenever she looked at it. Perhaps, she thought, it was because of what she would find at its end. Knowing it made sense to follow the road, she reluctantly agreed.

The rest of the day was spent picking through the less dense foliage that was reclaiming the ancient roadway, but their progress was significantly faster than when traveling through the forest. In some places, larger structures remained mostly standing, and in one case, an elaborate entrance decorated the side of a mountain. Catrin was tempted to explore it, but her gut told her she had not yet reached her destination and she resisted the urge.

"How do you know Belegra isn't in there?" Chase asked.

"It just doesn't feel right," was the only answer Catrin could provide, but it seemed to satisfy him. Crowded between the river and the valley walls were a continuous supply of distractions, enticing places that could hold treasures beyond their reckoning, and only the will to achieve their goal kept them from straying.

When they came to a place where the road was blocked with massive stones and the trees and vines that covered them, they found evidence of a fight, and it looked as if many Zjhon soldiers had died. Pieces of armor and torn bits of uniforms littered the ground, but a nearby mound told of survivors; someone had buried the dead.

Evidence of those Catrin sought should have been welcome, but it only increased her uneasiness; the knowledge of another, unknown foe had everyone on edge, and they moved slowly, scanning the trees for danger.

When darkness claimed the land, they had to stop. They made a hasty camp with a small fire. Beyond the meager light of their fire, Catrin could see little in the darkness. The leaves above blocked the small amount of light the night sky gave through thick clouds.

Shadows moved around them, detectable by only the minute change in the shade of darkness. It was the smell that brought Catrin to full alert. Musky and overpowering, the odor suddenly filled the air. Before she could even open her mouth to give warning, the trees exploded with activity. Even though the attackers had the element of surprise, they did not find the camp sleeping. Wary and afraid, most had been lying awake in their bedrolls, and they sprang to action.

Gathering around Catrin, her Guardians sought to defend her from a foe they had not yet clearly seen. Catrin reached to the sky, searching for distant comets by feeling for their energy. Pale blue light washed over the camp as ropes of liquid lightning arced between her fingers, reaching toward the sky. In that light, the Gholgi were made even more terrifying, looking otherworldly.

With skin like moving granite, they resembled bears with long, feral jaws lined with gleaming teeth. Most of the time moving on all fours, they stood nearly as tall as Catrin, but when confronted, they stood on their hind legs and towered over her and her Guardians.

Their movements were not of a full-on attack, though; instead they charged through the group, splitting them up, trying to separate their intended prey from the pack. Strom and Osbourne took to the trees when they were nearly run down, and one of the Gholgi went down when Strom swung from the branches and kicked it hard in the face. The beast's head snapped to one side, and it crumpled to the ground.

Brother Vaughn rolled away from a charging Gholgi, but when he stood, another swept his legs out from under him.

Issuing her own roar, Catrin unleashed her attack. Streaks of energy struck multiple Gholgi, stunning some and knocking others down, but one still came. Only Chase remained by Catrin's side as she swayed on her feet, and he stepped forward to meet the approaching Gholgi. The beast roared-a sound like distant thunder-and stood on its hind legs. Chase charged in, his sword leveled at the beast's abdomen, even as Catrin drew on every power source available to her. The Gholgi used its height to level a massive blow at Chase's head before Catrin could react. Chase ducked away from the blow but was sent spinning and landed in a heap.

Three Gholgi got between Catrin and her Guardians, and they changed their tactics. Now they had her separated, and they drove her into the forest. Osbourne swung down from a branch, trying to reproduce Strom's kick, and did succeed in blinding one of the Gholgi with his heels before he fell from the tree. Brother Vaughn and Chase tried to reach Catrin, but the Gholgi repelled them.

Followed by two of the beasts, Catrin fled as fast as she could through the dense foliage. Like a sentient being, the forest hindered her every movement, tangling her in its web, trying to devour her. Growing louder as they came, the Gholgi gained on her, and she knew she could not outrun them; she had to turn and fight.

Trying to draw more energy while at a full run proved to be impossible, and she searched for the best place to make her stand. Ahead, where the land rose steeply, two Gholgi stepped into her path, making the choice for her. Moving together, they tried to herd Catrin back into the trees, but as soon as she stopped, she drew deeply and lashed out. Twin beams of energy split the air, and Catrin clenched her teeth, ready for the backlash of her attack. When it came, it was less than she'd expected, and she hoped that just being prepared for the repercussion could somehow lessen it. The Gholgi were momentarily stunned, and Catrin ran for higher ground, away from the forest.

She had taken only three good strides before the Gholgi resumed their hunt with what seemed a renewed sense of urgency. Grunts and growls passed between them, sounding to Catrin as if they were speaking a guttural language. Driven by fear, she climbed, hoping the Gholgi were not skilled climbers. Ahead lay a rocky vale, and if only she could reach it, she would be safe. It was an irrational thought, but it inspired her to even greater speed. Exhaustion threatened to overcome her; her vision blurred and the world took on a yellow haze, but she drew a deep breath and climbed.

Beyond one last boulder waited rich grasses that promised a soft bed. Littered with chunks of granite and bathed in moonlight, the vale looked as if some god had split a mountain into bits and sprinkled them along the valley floor. Reaching up to grab the top of the boulder, Catrin cried out as a Gholgi clutched her leg, pulling her backward, its claws biting through her leggings and into her flesh.

In the moment before she knew she would succumb, the attack suddenly stopped; the Gholgi released its grip and was gone. Exhausted and losing blood, Catrin could make no sense of what had just happened, and she concentrated on simply reaching the vale. In a dreamlike state, she crawled across the grasses to one of the boulders.

Leaning against the rock was more comfortable than she had expected, and she was grateful for a place to rest; she felt safe. Cutting her leggings away from the wounds on her leg, she winced. From deep gashes, some nearly to the bone, seeped her precious blood. If she did not stop the bleeding, she would die, but her meager efforts did not staunch the flow.

Weariness began to overtake her and she thought it might be nice to lie down on the grass and sleep, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her that sleep meant death. She was not ready to die yet; her work was not yet done.

Pulling her eyes open, she realized she was already lying down, the grass pressing against her face. After pushing herself back into a sitting position, she drew a deep breath, and her head spun.

Draw on the life around you.

She didn't know from where the message came, but it was a welcome one, full of hope and compassion. Opening herself up, she allowed the life around her to flow into her, and she was surprised by the power of it. Looking down, she saw blood still running from her wounds, and she knew the additional energy would not be enough to save her. She had to find a way to stop the bleeding.

Despite the warnings, she thought of Enoch Giest and how he had healed himself. The lines of all those he taught to heal themselves had been doomed. Knowing the effects, Catrin concluded it was worth the risk as long as she did not have children or teach anyone else how to do it. Of course, that was assuming she could figure it out herself in the limited time she had left.

Using the last of her strength, she reached out to the comets and drew a trickle of power. Combined with the life energy she still felt flowing around her, she attained clear thought. She knew what her body had to do to heal itself. All she had to do was get a message through the barrier between her conscious and subconscious minds without shattering it in the process.

Somehow, instinctively, she knew where to find the barrier, and she visualized it as a wall of stone and mortar in her mind. Not wanting to take down the entire wall, she chipped away at the mortar around a single stone. With her trusty, old belt knife, which still existed in her memory, she broke away the mortar, and light began to stream through from the other side, blindingly bright and filled with colors Catrin had never before seen.

Determined, she wiggled the stone until it started moving a little more with each swing. Then it broke free with a suddenness that left her reeling. Radiant light poured through the hole, and Catrin approached it with apprehension. Beyond lay an unknown reality, the part of her that truly understood how her body worked yet was somehow blind to her immediate need. She knew her body could create a clot to stop the bleeding and fill the wounds with scar tissue, but it did not seem to realize the imminent need, for her blood still flowed.

Applying her will, she pressed her face to the wall and shouted into the hole, "Stop the bleeding. Heal my leg." She sensed something akin to acknowledgment and pulled her face away. With the stone still in her hand, she brought it back up to the hole, but before she could slide it into place, she looked through and saw a stunningly beautiful face staring back with an equally awestruck expression.

Thrilled and terrified, Catrin stared for a moment, memorizing every detail, every curve and highlight, but then from somewhere came a warning, little more than a sense of danger. Closing her eyes, Catrin shoved the stone back into place. Only then did she realize the damage she had done: None of the mortar remained. Light streamed around the stone. Then the stone wiggled.

It had never occurred to Catrin that her subconscious might want to communicate with her just as badly, but when the stone suddenly fell from its hole, she scrambled to replace it, trying to remember how mortar was made. Perhaps, she thought, if she could think of how to make mortar, she could conjure up some to fill in around the brick. It seemed strange to think of making mortar in her mind for what was only her visual representation of something, but it felt very real to her.

Stuffing the stone back into the hole, she tried her best to imagine up some mortar, and she cheered when she finally succeeded. Just as she reached up to apply her mortar, though, her heart leaped; the stone slowly moved away from her and fell through to the other side.

Light poured through, and Catrin's curiosity soared, but the warnings returned, and she slammed her hands, full of mortar, over the hole. In her mind, she stayed there, guarding her meager barrier and hoping her mental wall would not come tumbling down. Sleep overcame her, and her dreams were filled with visions of Enoch and Ain Giest laughing at her.

Stretching himself between a branch and a rock outcropping, Chase prayed he didn't slip. Keeping himself from looking down was difficult; it was an almost morbid fascination, wondering if the fall below would kill him or just leave him broken and wounded.

With a grunt, he thrust himself across the divide and dug his fingers into the first impression he could find. Slamming his body against the stone, he used his knees and toes to keep his grip. When he gained the top of the outcropping, he leaned against the cliff wall behind him, regaining his breath, and looked down.

Losing himself in the vertigo, he let his mind go where it would. Visions of the Gholgi attack were etched in his memory. Osbourne and Brother Vaughn had both been hurt, and he'd sent Strom back to the ship with them, for protection. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was alone and had no idea of how to find Catrin, if she still lived. Unwilling to believe her dead, he pressed on, staying to the higher reaches to avoid most of the wildlife, though he wondered if the climbing was any less dangerous than what waited below.

Nightfall brought overwhelming despair since it meant he would not find Catrin this day; she was lost to him. Tears dripped from his nose, and he wiped them away angrily. They were not defeated yet. Catrin still lived, he told himself, and he made himself believe it.