Deke Brolin Rhol (4 page)

After se
veral seconds Deke opened his eyes, wondering why he had not already felt his body crash down upon the rocks. He was astonished to see he was now flying over and in between rock caverns. A large falcon was gripping onto him, struggling to keep them both afloat.

Deke
looked behind him. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at. It just couldn’t be and yet, it was. A dragon was relentlessly pursuing them. It was enormous. Two horns protruded from behind its pointed ears followed by three more on each cheek. Its huge eyes looked like two black pools of water and its forked jagged tail swung madly to and fro. It was gradually gaining on them as it maneuvered easily through the sky. The creature’s wings were a shiny turquoise on top with a brilliant red underneath, and were far larger than its scaly body. Claws protruded from the farthest point of each, which the dragon used to destroy anything that came into its flight path. Every few seconds, a stream of flames shot from its gaping jaws, causing the trees around them to explode in a torrent of fire and sparks. The falcon was screaming for Deke to hold on. Deke didn’t quite understand why a bird was talking to him, but at that moment he didn’t really care.

“We must make the waterfall, it’s our only chance!”
the falcon screamed. 

Deke could see the waterfall in the distance. There was a long way to go
and the dragon was gaining ground. It was relentless in its bid to destroy them and soon; they would have to leave the cover of the now burning forests.

The
falcon carried Deke between the last of the trees that would provide them cover. They were now flying in the open air. The dragon roared and fired an orb of flames so large it covered the entire sky behind them. Deke could feel the air becoming hotter. The beast’s fiery breath was almost upon them and he braced himself in preparation for what was to come. A loud hissing noise startled Deke causing him to lose his grip. He hurtled toward the ground enveloped in a thick fog. Deke did not see the boy who appeared in front of him in time to stop himself from crashing into him.

Deke
sat up and took in his surroundings. The fog still made it difficult to see. In minutes, he realized it wasn’t fog at all, but steam caused by the dragon’s fire striking the waterfall. The falcon had dived into it to escape the dragon. The hissing noise had simply been the sound of the fire screaming its last breath as the water devoured it. 

“We made it!” Deke shouted. 

“Yes, barely,” Deke heard someone answer.

Deke turned and stared at the boy he had crashed into. Th
e boy looked the same age as he and was roughly the same size. His eyes were an ashen grey unlike Deke’s, which were blue. His hair was to his shoulders and was a sandy blond color. The boy was covered in bruises and cuts and had a noticeable gash on his forehead over his right eye.

“Where is the falcon?” Deke enquired
while backing away, not quite sure what to expect next. 

“The fal
con is gone,” the boy replied.

“Who are you?” Deke nervously asked
.

“I am your
Paladin. My name is Deodatus but you can call me Deo for short.” 

Deke had no idea what a
Paladin was and was sure he had never had one before. 

“
My Paladin, what is that?” Deke asked. 

“In short Deke, a
Paladin is another name for a protector, a defender or guardian angel. I have been at your side since you were born.” 

Deke just stared at the boy. He was obviously daft.

“It’
s complicated, Deke but just because you couldn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t there. You will now be seeing things you have never seen before; perhaps things you only imagined existed. You have much to learn.”

“
More like, much to understand about what just happened.” Deke thought. The monster in the field, the incident in the cave, his father appearing out of nowhere, a falcon that talked and a dragon whose only purpose was to burn him alive. 

“What exactly is happening, where am I and how did I get here?” Deke angrily shouted.

“Deke, I will explain everything to you but right now you must trust me. We have to go.  The dragon, Phanthus, will be alerting ground patrols as we speak. This place is no longer safe.” 

Deke yelled in frustration
. “I’m not going anywhere! I want to know where I am!” 

“You’re in Rhol, Deke. Now quickly
, follow me.”

The clouds soaked up the last remaining sunlight making the evening sky radiate in a brilliant orange. When lines of red began to form on the horizon,
Phanthus knew it would be dark in a matter of moments. This wouldn’t have bothered him normally, but on this day he knew that the sooner the darkness came, the sooner he would have to face Solharn, the Dark Angel. 

Solharn would not be pleased when Phanthus conveyed the message
that the little human had escaped him. In all of his years on Rhol he had never seen a creature such as the one that had saved the boy. In the end, it wouldn’t matter. Solharn would not accept any excuse. Still, he would have to report something. 

He was pondering this when he caught a glimpse of Kaltaures soldiers
scouring the ground near a fallen village. By the sight of the smoldering lumber strewn about, Phanthus surmised the attack must have taken place that morning. Phanthus watched as they scoured the village for anyone that may have survived their attack. What vile creatures he thought. They had no respect for the fallen. A true warrior respected even the death of his enemies.

Ω

Leal was located on the outskirts of the Valley of Aura. It was a beautiful village, surrounded by several miles of field and dense forest. Its quaint streets were lined with log houses built from trees in the neighboring forests. Pipher grass surrounded the area, kept short by several hundred Garin, which freely roamed the fields. Garin were small creatures, but with unusually wiry hair, that was bluish grey in color. Their tails were longer than their bodies and they liked to use them as a whip on predators, or for that matter, any unsuspecting person whom they found to be annoying. They were used mainly for grooming the fields. Because of the Pipher grass their milk was a light blue color. It was quite tasty but not easy to come by. The Garin were very irritable. Most Lealians preferred to drink water rather than endure the sting of their tails.

Colorful wild flowers of all shapes
and sizes grew in and around Leal from the farthest fields to the doorsteps of their homes. The Garin didn’t like the taste of them, which was fine with the Lealians since the Garin helped themselves to everything else. 

In the middle of the village stood a tall
building which had been erected centuries ago by Lealian masons. It was said that every rock used to construct its hallowed walls was blessed before having been carefully positioned into place. It was a sacred temple to the Lealian’s and easily housed their entire village.

Lealian
s were different than most other inhabitants of Rhol. They had a life span of five hundred years or more and that had allowed them to gain great knowledge over the years. Their populace was not large, for a Lealian woman could have only one child in her lifetime.  Because their numbers were small the Lealians had an unwavering loyalty to one another; there was no bickering between them, no stealing, and no unfaithfulness. They lived together, helped each other, and they tolerated no disrespect.

They were peaceful people willing to help anyone in need
, but when provoked they were fierce fighters. Over the centuries they had fought in many wars to protect the world they lived in. With those wars came a profound knowledge of life that was passed down to their children, who passed it on to theirs. The Lealians were famous archers and swordsmen who handcrafted all their weapons. Bows and arrows were made from Orler trees indigenous to their village. The lumber of an Orler tree was the most sought after wood in Rhol, not only durable but strong. Many believed it contained magical powers. The tree itself was small, never growing more than eight feet tall and a few inches around. In many parts of Rhol the Orler tree was thought to be extinct, but the Lealians had nurtured several over the centuries and hidden them throughout the forests of Rhol.

Even afte
r the kingdom fell, the Lealians maintained the utmost loyalty to Queen Elissa, the ruler of Rhol. While many other inhabitants of Rhol hid themselves far and abroad, the Lealians continued to wage war against Solharn. Even after Solharn created the black plague, killing thousands, the Lealians had refused to surrender in their bid to defeat him. They were powerful warriors who instilled terror into anyone who would fight for the Dark Angel. Solharn created the black plague, in the hopes of diminishing their numbers, but it was not to be for the Lealians were immune from it.

Not a Lealian living today would ever forget the day they were told to retreat. It was not in a Lealian’s heart to sheath their weapons while a war still raged on
, but they would be forced to do just that. Solharn’s power was becoming too great. Queen Elissa knew she would not be able to sustain her Rule much longer. With this in mind she protected the Lealian village by surrounding it with an impenetrable force.  She ordered the Lealians never to leave the boundaries of Leal until the time was right, lest it would be the end of Rhol. She did not explain how they would know when this time was, just that they would. The Lealians knew their Queen would be helpless without them and that Solharn would control their world. Despite this, they reluctantly obeyed her orders, for their faith in her words far outweighed their pride.

Their
prediction held true. Without the Lealians Queen Elissa’s armies were quickly dispersed, but before she was overtaken by the Dark Angel she used the last of her powers to save what she could of Rhol. In doing so, she ordered the mighty Pegapires to retreat to Tamon where a second force field was created. The last and final field would protect a small portion of Solace and became widely known as the Sacred Realm. It was a safe haven for any of the inhabitants of Rhol who could find their way to its doorsteps.

Without Queen Elissa, those who could not find shelter
were helpless against Solharn’s rage. They were ordered to follow him. Any who resisted had their villages burned and their lives terminated. 

Many had refused and remained loyal to Queen Elissa but this rebellion was short lived
. Thousands were murdered in vicious attacks and thousands more suffered horrific deaths after falling ill from the black plague. The plague was a long painful death. Anyone suffering from its ill effects was forced to endure endless days of crippling pain. The inflicted could be easily discerned for their skin would turn black and slowly wilt away from their body. Eventually, after weeks of torment they would meet a welcome death. The only one who could protect them against the plague was the very person who had created it. This alone persuaded many to join Solharn’s ranks. Many were enslaved and compelled to serve him. Many others, less loyal to Queen Elissa, agreed to join his armies rather than become slaves in his quest to take over Rhol.

The Lealian
s had waited almost a decade for their chance to avenge Queen Elissa, but in that time they had become far too comfortable with their surroundings. Neither friend nor foe could penetrate the field that protected Leal and over time guard posts dwindled. Only a few still remained and they were housed only when the villagers entered the temple once a week to worship Rhol and Queen Elissa.

It was on this day of worship that Solharn had instructed the K
altaures to attack. The Lealians were not yet aware that the force protecting their village was no longer. When the Kaltaures armies struck, the Lealians were unprepared. The few guards that had been posted in and around the temple were killed instantly by Kaltaures archers. The remainder of the village was trapped within the temple. 

The Kaltaures army was relentless;
they surrounded the temple and ran through the village burning down everything in sight.

Only
Roland, an elder Lealian, had noticed the advance, which had allowed him the time to bar the temple door.

“Open the door Lealian or your who
le town will burn to the ground,” screamed Abednego the feared leader of the Kaltaures army.

“We can see it
is too late for that, Abednego,” replied Roland. He would not get a response and so he continued, attempting to delay the inevitable. 

“What, surprised I know your name filth? I have fought many wars against you and your beloved Solharn. I would not soon forget the voice of the command
er of the army that so cowardly follows the Dark Angel.”

“Ah Roland, I thought you died bravely defending your Queen. It appears you survived after all
and took refuge in Leal, leaving her to fight a losing battle. How does it feel to know the suffering others have endured, while for years you and your people have hidden safely away as if nothing is going on? And you call me a coward.” 

Roland did not reply. He ha
d prepared himself for this day, the day Queen Elissa had foretold. He was quickly ushering his people to a gateway in the floor which led to an underground tunnel. Roland and a select few had dug the passageway over the many years of waiting. It would lead them to the Valley of Aura.