The Estian Alliance

CHAPTER 2

31st August - The City of Te’oull - Siatol

The Battle of Dassilliak was over. Somehow, despite the incredible army ranged against them, the Estian Alliance warriors and the civilians from the great city had managed to avoid what had looked like certain annihilation. Now, at the end of a long and arduous retreat, the extended lines of exhausted survivors trudged wearily through the open gates to the walled city of Te’oull. Their extraordinary escape was the stuff of fairy tales and legend. Dassilliak, or the tunnels underneath the mountains which surrounded it on three sides, should really have been their graveyard, their final burial ground. Everyone knew it and, as they poured into the city and at last had the opportunity to reflect on their astonishing good fortune, shattered warriors and civilians alike could scarcely believe their miraculous deliverance from the powerful forces of evil they had faced. Privately, when they were trapped in the deepest recesses of the mountain with no apparent route of escape, almost all had come to accept the fact that they were about to die. They had lost all hope in that moment and had moved way beyond despair. But now they had actually achieved the impossible and reached the relative safety of Te’oull, the survivors had a fresh glimmer of hope shining in their eyes once again, a tiny flicker of optimism which was fuelled by a shared feeling inside that they had all been saved for a purpose, or higher calling. More than anything, amongst the exhausted Estians now, there was a new and growing confidence, a very real belief they all shared that even the impossible was achievable where the young Keeper, Jake, was concerned.

The dishevelled lines of fugitives cast a thankful glance at their comrades, the friends they had around them. In most cases, this natural and instinctive reaction to reaching the walled city was followed almost immediately by an anxious look towards the north, at the distressing and exasperating sight of the dustclouds which were gathering in the sunlit sky. It was nearly midday in Siatol. The journey to Te’oull had taken three days to complete and during that time no one had been able to sleep. Everyone was utterly exhausted, and many could barely stand. Jake, Princess Zephany, Caro and Tien were at the rear of the extended columns. The small group of intrepid leaders, those who were primarily responsible for the army’s survival against all the odds, were therefore amongst the last to reach the gates. Once there, they too stopped to check upon the telltale signs of a lethal and determined pursuit. Their hearts immediately sank as it soon became clear that their worst fears were about to come true. There would be no respite from the chase. King Vantrax would afford the Estians no time to rest and recuperate before the next attack.

“Dragh! Well, I suppose we all knew it would not take them long?” stated Princess Zephany, bitterly disappointed. Despite her frustration, she spoke in a matter of fact tone of voice that contained no hint of emotion. The young royal was now every inch a warrior Princess, given all the many heroic deeds she had performed on the battlefield at Dassilliak. Zephany had fought valiantly and proven herself several times over to any who doubted her, she had led from the front, time and time again placing herself in harm’s way, and doing more than any other warrior or commander to ensure the survival of the Estian Alliance in its bleakest hour. “…By the look of things, they will be here by nightfall. That affords us little time to prepare.”

“No. You’re right, Princess, it doesn’t,” replied Jake, sharply, “but that’s the position we’re in and we just have to deal with it, don’t we?” He smiled warmly at her, staring wearily into her bright and beautiful eyes.

Zephany made to reply but hesitated, uncertain how to take his remark and considering whether or not she should challenge him on it. After a second or two though, she decided to let it pass and smiled back. “Srr… Yes, there is no point avoiding the issue. Let us speak plainly; we cannot run any further, we have given our all. So… Here is as good a place as any for what is coming. The decision has been made for us… My friends, the next battle in this war will be fought here, at Te’oull. On the outcome, rides the future of our world, of all we know and love. I shall go now and make our preparations. Come Caro, let us see what we have left of an army, and decide how best to use it.”

Lord Caro nodded dutifully and followed behind the impressive new Leader of the Estian Alliance as she headed purposefully into the city. Jake and Tien remained outside the city walls. When he was certain that they were alone and no one could hear him, Jake spoke quietly to the old wizard, all the time staring with mounting concern at the northern sky. “Err… Okay then, it’s just you and me now… Tell me the truth. It’s not looking too good for us, is it? We’re no match for them. They have way too many soldiers compared to ours, and they are stronger, more experienced. It’s… Well, it’s a real life David and Goliath thing we’ve got goin’ on, isn’t it? Hmmph… Actually, if we’re comparing, let’s hope it’s more like Tom and Jerry, eh? At least the mouse always wins in their fights?”

The wizard was quite obviously confused by Jake’s words but he remained strangely silent. Jake thought it odd that Tien gave no reply. He sighed deeply before continuing. “…Err… Is this where it all ends? Have we had our chips? Are we all gonna die here, Tien?” the youngster asked, seeking a straight answer for once.

The fifteen year old was perfectly calm, speaking without any sign of fear. He just wanted to know. He was hoping to hear a pearl of wisdom from the old man of Estia which would help somehow, searching for a small nugget of knowledge, or some hitherto unspoken advice, anything he could use to their advantage, to try to even the impossible odds they faced. Tien though, had no words of comfort for him. It pained the wizard to speak, even though he knew that he had to reply. He wanted to be able to give meaningful support to this new Keeper, just as he had provided to all the others he had served before. After all, ‘that was the main purpose for his existence, wasn’t it?’ He desperately wanted to be the one to bring him the smallest speck of hope, when it seemed to them all that they had already used up their full quota.

In the end however, all he could do was shake his head slowly and reply to the youngster in a deeply apologetic tone. “I am sorry, Jake. I have not been of much use to you since you came to Estia, have I? Not much use at all in fact. I wish I could have done more for you. I assure you that I have served others better… Aghh! By the stars and all I hold to be sacred and true, I wish I had more to give!”

“Hey, stop that!” answered Jake, sharply. “I need you to be strong for us right now, not wallowing in self pity. And you’re wrong, very wrong. You’re so wrong you’re off the scale in fact. You’ve done plenty for us. You’re forgetting that it was you who made all of this possible, you who set us on this path, you who allowed us to escape. Without you, we would all be dead, buried under the mountains of Dassilliak. We would all have been killed in there, if you hadn’t opened up that tunnel when you did. Always remember, Tien that it was you who gave us an escape route, when everyone thought it was over and King Vantrax had won.”

“Kah, yes… But, in performing that spell, was I just delaying the inevitable? Did I only succeed in prolonging the agony? I do not mean to sound defeatist, but the facts cannot be denied; the creatures and beasts we face now are far too powerful, too numerous and strong. I wish I could… Why can I no longer see the future? Dragh! The truth of the matter, however much we try to avoid it, is that a tiny flea cannot down a dragon, even if it does have the will to fight. It is simply not strong enough. It is not equipped for the task. Some battles are lost from the very beginning, Jake, before the horns sound to begin the attack. The scales are already tipped too far in one direction, they cannot be won and it is pointless to fight. Have we been blinded by faith, you and I? Are we engaged in such a struggle? The army we face is…”

“Hey! Hang on a minute!” interrupted Jake, realising all of a sudden that extreme fatigue now had the better of his normally upbeat guide. He suddenly sensed the need to take a leaf out of his best friend’s book for once. “…I’ve just realised what you said. Are you really calling us fleas? Ha ha… It’s a good job Ben’s not here, he’d…”

He stopped himself in mid sentence. “Oh, Tien… Ben! If they’ve managed to come after us so quickly, they have to be chasing him, don’t they?”

The look of pure concern that quickly spread across Jake’s face was unmistakable. His emotions were all over the place, up and down like a rollercoaster, as they had been since he found the stones. He was suddenly drained of all colour. He had already lost his best friend once and that experience was without doubt the worst of his relatively short life to date. The memory of the pain it wrought still burned fiercely within him, for although it seemed like a lifetime right now, in reality it was only a few days ago. The thought of the very real possibility that he might lose Ben a second time, horrified him beyond measure. It was absolutely unthinkable, unbearable.

Tien’s mood changed instantly as he sensed his panic. He placed a reassuring hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I… I would not trouble yourself too much on this just now, Jake. Something tells me that young boy is indestructible,” said the old wizard, smiling slightly in an attempt to comfort the distressed teenager.

It worked. Jake seemed to immediately regain a little confidence. “Eh? Yeah, I s’pose you’re right. I mean, he’s survived this far, hasn’t he? Actually, short of being blown up, there’s not much he hasn’t faced, is there?”

Tien chuckled. “Ha ha… Quite. Now, shall we rejoin the others? Even though the gift of foresight appears to have deserted me once more, for reasons I do not know, I am as certain as I can be of one thing; the future will reveal itself to us in time, when it is ready, and no matter what we do.”

Jake nodded in agreement. The two companions began to turn in order to follow the rest of the army into the city. But, from out of nowhere, a soft echo of a voice suddenly sounded within the confines of their minds at exactly the same time, stopping them both in their tracks.

“Keeper! Tien! Hear me now, my warriors. Concentrate upon my image, I beseech you. Draw it forth from your memory, and I will appear. I am Sereq of the Heynai and I would come to you now, if you so wish? I have something important to say which cannot wait.”

Jake looked straight over at Tien to satisfy himself that the wizard had heard the voice too. Tien’s eyes spoke for him, reassuring the young boy without the need for words that he had. ‘Well,’ Jake thought, ‘if the Heynai themselves think it’s important, I guess this is one conversation I definitely need to have.’

They each turned back around and returned their gaze to the patch of dry earth in front of them. Clearing their thoughts completely, they concentrated in unison and gradually, a faint, hazy image appeared.

“Sereq!” cried Jake. He was now an excited boy again and he responded to seeing the spirit automatically, without thinking. “There you are! What’s happening? Why did you leave us back there at the city, eh? Where did you go? Why did you leave me? Why Sereq, when you said you would always be there?”

Tien shook his head slightly at the young Keeper, clearly disappointed in him. ‘That was the reaction of a child. It was immature and impulsive,’ the wizard reflected. Jake blushed immediately his eyes met with Tien’s. He knew straight away what he had said, and how it might sound. He wished at once that he could take it back, though he knew he couldn’t.

“Jake, it is not for us to question the ways of the Heynai, nor the decisions they make,” Tien stated, softly. It was not a rebuke, more like fatherly advice, the kind of thing his grandfather might say.

“No, Tien, leave him. He has the right to ask such questions. He has earned it,” Sereq stated, halting the conversation without delay. “…Jake, time is short… But then, this is perhaps a conversation which must be had? Yes, I will try to explain to you the best I can… In the midst of battle, and also in the run up to war, there were stark choices that had to be made. Right now, with the benefit of hindsight, I am not certain that we always made the right ones. We may not have chosen the right path. The truth is, when the time came, we realised quickly that we could not help you all. We were not strong enough. So, in our wisdom, we decided to help your friends, knowing that it meant leaving you to fend for yourself. Whether we were right or wrong only time will tell, though you have to know that our actions at Dassilliak most certainly saved their lives. We also managed to bring you some respite from the onslaught, with the warriors that King Vantrax reassigned to counter the threat to his rear. So, we did achieve something. That cannot be denied.

However, as I have said, we could perhaps have done things differently, chosen another way. As it was, we acted as we thought best at that time. The result was that we were left powerless for some considerable period after we intervened. We were unable to help you further, and we have still not recovered our full powers. We are weak, Jake, and the situation you face is as grave as ever. I apologise if it seems to you that we abandoned you. I suppose we did in essence, but…”

“No, Sereq,” interrupted Jake, humbled by the fact that he was receiving an apology from such a surreal source, “you saved my best mate. That’s exactly what I would’ve told you to do, if I was asked. I see that now. I’m sorry for my reaction, it was stupid of me. Anyway, life’s too short for regrets, innit? As me granddad used to say, ‘There’s no use crying over spilt milk’. We have to move on. So, what happens now? Ben, can you help him? And what about us? Are you gonna help us to fight?”

“Srr… Yes… And no. That is why I appear before you now, to explain our decision,” replied the spirit’s ghostly image. “Jake, prepare yourself, for you may not like what I am about to say. You may not understand.”

“What? What does that mean?”

Jake was not the only one present who was confused. Tien also cast a puzzled and enquiring glance at the ancient spirit. “Yes, what are you saying? You have lost me completely. Why will he not like it? Something is wrong here, I can feel it. What are you neglecting to tell us?”

Sereq looked down upon the old man who had served him and his kind faithfully for over three hundred years. His eyes were brimming with sympathy, compassion and sorrow. “You have been a trusted and noble ally, wizard. We Heynai thank you for all you have done on behalf of our people. Your service to us and them, your supreme sacrifice, shall never be forgotten. I am afraid that we are not destined to meet again, my friend. Our time on Estia is finally at an end. We must leave you.”

Tien and Jake were both too stunned to reply. However, it was abundantly clear that they were thinking the same thing; ‘The spirits are immortal, aren’t they? How can they die? And how can they desert their people at such a time? Why now, when they need them most?’

Jake shook his head slightly when he failed to come up with the answers to his own questions. Sereq felt his concern and saw his shock and dismay. “We must leave you all, for good. It is not something we do gladly, for the battle is not yet won. But, it is for the benefit of all of Estia, for the future of all our worlds. This decision has not been taken lightly, Jake. There has been much heated debate surrounding it. We do not wish to leave with the fight still raging, the outcome unknown. It has to be this way. You have to trust me on that. Now, listen to me once more, please?

Our parting gift to you all will be time. If all goes well, we will afford you the time you need to prepare your defences and restore the power in the box of stones. They are central to our cause and you must not be distracted from your efforts to repair the box. It will be the key to victory. Use this time we win for you wisely, Keeper, I beg you?”

“But, why Sereq? You have not explained and I need to know. And how? How are you going to do it? How long can you give us? Whatever you’re going to make happen, how long will it last?” cried Jake. Words flowed freely and swiftly from within the youngster now, riding on waves of differing emotions he could barely control.

“Keeper… We have lived a long, long time we spirits, on our journey through life and death. We have seen much that we would rather forget and in the final analysis, I am ashamed to admit that we have failed our people. As hard as we tried, and you have to know that we fought against evil with all our heart and soul, we could not protect them from the pain and suffering they endured, not as we would have wished. Those who opposed us were too strong and our powers were not sufficient. We eventually won the wars we fought, but we lost many a battle along the way. And there were casualties, many, many, innocent victims. For that, we are deeply sorry, more than you will ever know.

However, there is a chance now to end all of the suffering. You are here with us and the final war has finally begun. This is the only way we can see to help them. They can survive without us now, for they have you and Princess Zephany to lead them, to protect them. They are frightened and lost at this moment in time, but they will take comfort from the fact that they have proven their mettle on the field of battle these past few days, and they were not found wanting. Their hearts are strong. They are not as helpless as they might have believed before you came… Jake, we Heynai can do nothing unless the advancing hoards are halted. That is the plain and simple truth of the matter. As I have said, the box of stones is the key to everything, the weapon which will defeat them. It is not yet fully restored, but it has to be!

The eternal flame of energy which fuels us, that which allows us to remain with you, still burns brightly, Jake. It came closer than ever before to being extinguished at Dassilliak because of the risks we took, but it survives. That fire is the most powerful force in this land, or beyond. It is the very essence of life itself. And it is ours to give.”

Jake immediately shook his head, vigorously. He just couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he determined that he had to object. “No, no, no! Give? By ‘giving’, you’re talking about suicide!” he raged, as he realised immediately exactly what Sereq was saying. He refused outright to accept the sacrifice on offer, failing to realise that he was seeing things totally from a human perspective, looking at the problems they faced with a young boy’s eyes.

But then, ‘he was a boy, wasn’t he? He had his whole life ahead of him. So why shouldn’t he react like the youth he was?’ It was hard for Jake, hard to appreciate the fact that the spirits were already dead. They had lived on borrowed time for hundreds of years. He was awash with emotion and it was clouding his judgement. There were lasting moments as a Keeper when he could suppress and control such feelings, but this wasn’t one of them. Just as he was about to say more, Tien placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Let him speak, Keeper. There is more, and we need to know,” he said, understanding that the leader of the Heynai was impatient to finish what he had begun, and state all that he had come to say.

““What? More? How can there be more?!”

“Keeper… You will need to remain calm and focussed from hereon. Though your youth and background will hinder your development, you must control your inner feelings so that they do not affect your thinking. Be assured, you are the one spoken of in legend. You will…”

“Prophecies? Yeah, I know. I’ve heard it all before, how I am ‘The One’ who will make everything right. Ever since I got here it’s been, ‘prophecy this, and prophecy that…’ That’s all very well, but no one has told me what they actually say!”

Sereq smiled a little, amused by Jake’s response. “Kah, the impatience of youth. I wish I could say that I remember it well… Listen to me, Jake. Tien will explain all to you in the fullness of time, if he has the chance. Trust me, when you really need to know, you shall. Though, it may not form part of this particular journey. Too much knowledge too soon can be… Counterproductive, shall we say?”

Jake was not at all happy with that statement. He accepted though, that there was probably a very good reason for all the mystery and he could see that right now, with all the uncertainty and danger that lay ahead, his opinion on things was not that important. Anyway, this was one decision which had already been made, so any further debate was futile. “Well, okay, but I don’t like it, Sereq. I want you to know that right now. I need you. I don’t think I can do this thing without you. Besides, you said you’d always be here with me?”

The ghostly image of the spirit nodded to acknowledge his own mistake. “I know. I should not have… A promise is a promise, and it is not something to be taken lightly. Events can overtake us sometimes, they can spiral out of control. I did not foresee this. Only by leaving you now, do we have any hope of stopping the wizard and his army of warriors. I am certain of that. If we stay, if we fail in our efforts to delay their march, you will all be killed.

…Listen to me. Do not be alarmed, all is not yet lost. We will create a shield between you which cannot be breached. Be warned though, we have no way of knowing how long it will last. However, I promise you now that we will hold it until the last ounce of strength is drained from us. You will have days at most, enough time to gather your forces and complete the quest for the fourth stone, I hope. That will then just leave the final gem, the last battle with the wizard. It is a fight you must win!”

“I see,” said Tien. “Then, this is goodbye, Sereq. Or am I leaving too?”

Jake’s fear suddenly intensified. The hairs on the back of his neck shot up and stood rigidly to attention, as an icy cold shiver ran down his spine. The thought of losing the old wizard as well as the Heynai was too catastrophic and terrifying to contemplate. To be left completely alone with no one to guide him? That was his worst nightmare.

But, to his immense relief, Sereq calmly shook his head. “No, Tien, you will remain until victory is won and the forces of evil are defeated for good. That was the vow you made long ago and nothing has changed.”

Tien nodded obediently. Then he looked straight into the eyes of the young Keeper by his side. “So be it. I will serve you to the best of my ability, until the end of time if I have to. “

“Err… Thanks. But I thought you were tired of all this?” replied Jake, greatly relieved to hear it. Tien did not reply to his question for he sensed that time was running out. Jake sensed it also and they both turned to the spirit once more. “We’ll all do what we can, what we must, I promise. But, what about Ben and the others?” asked Jake.

Sereq now looked more like a businessman who had just missed his train than a ghostly spirit, he appeared worried and anxious. He answered nevertheless. “The warriors of King Vantrax pursue them hard. Even as we speak they are hunting them down. Despite the dragon’s best efforts to slow them, Ben is still very much in danger. He is not yet safe. We shall do what we can for him. Now, I really have to go for I have lingered too long. If all goes well, Ben will join you soon and you will be protected from further attack until our strength fails us, until we are gone. If we are not successful in our endeavours, if the spell does not work, the full force of the enemy will be upon you before sunset.”

“Oh, that’s just great, cheers,” replied Jake, sarcastically. “…You really know how to raise someone’s spirits, don’t ya? Ha ha… Hey! ‘Raise someone’s spirits!’ D’ya get it? That’s good that. Even Ben would be proud of that one… Oh ‘eck, I’m turning into my best mate!”

Sereq shook his head slightly at the suddenly very immature looking ‘saviour of worlds’, but he did not reply straight away. Jake’s laughter subsided naturally and not a sound could be heard. Tien and Jake looked at Sereq, waiting impatiently for him to speak. Despite the urgency, the leader of the Heynai seemed to be taking his time deciding on what to say as his final farewell. He took one last look around at the surrounding landscape, staring with tear filled eyes at the land he loved and was willing to sacrifice everything for. When he was at last ready, he spoke. His voice was calm but for the very first time since the boys had appeared on Estia, it was laced with pure emotion.

“Look after our people, Jake. Protect them, as a member of your family has done since first we met with your ancestor. We were right to place our trust in you and your kind. Your family have proven to be courageous and loyal. We Estians are a good people when given a chance to prove it. We can be brave, gracious and kind, when shown that there is an alternative to war. We just need reminding of that fact from time to time. It is not our people’s fault that these virtues are now buried deep within their souls, that it sometimes takes the appearance of a Keeper from another world to unearth them, for many have known little else but conflict and pain in their lives. They have witnessed the dark magic before and they are scared. They need you to show them that they can prevail, to lead them to victory.”

And with that, Sereq’s image vanished. The most powerful of the Heynai, the greatest ally the Keeper had, was gone. Jake looked instinctively at Tien, waiting for the old wizard to say something, but once again Tien had nothing to say. He was dumbfounded and he just shrugged his shoulders, genuinely lost for words.

Jake West had no such issues. Once it was clear that Tien was not going to speak, he knew exactly how to respond; in the same manner that he faced all challenges put before him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

“Well, here we go again, eh? In for a penny, in for a pound. Game on!”

Tien couldn’t help but smile at hearing the familiar turn of phrase. He still shook his head in disbelief though. ‘Kuh… It is hardly the awe-inspiring rhetoric of a great warrior and leader,’ he thought. ‘…But then, it is typical of the way in which these two young boys from a far away land seem to approach every problem they face? In fact, it is the kind of frivolous response and attitude with which they seem to approach life itself. Kah! By the spirit of Nitrii-Hebul, how I envy them!’

The more he thought about it, the more the wizard came to realise that, ‘…Actually, those words, and that reaction, will do nicely.’

Jake spotted a faint smirk appear on the old man’s face. “What?” he asked, as they turned around and strode purposefully through the gates to the city. “What you grinning at, eh? Was it something I said? Yeah well, I’m sorry if you don’t approve but that’s just me, innit? What good is worrying gonna do? As me granddad always says, ‘Smile in the face of adversity, deal with what’s in front of you and laugh at disaster when you can. If you do, you’ll come out smelling of roses in the end.’

To be fair, he’s full of all kinds of crap like that, me granddad. Ha ha…”