Deke Brolin Rhol (8 page)

“Please Jayden. I have made you a plate of food. You
must eat,” requested the mother who Jayden knew as Cordelia. 

Jayden took the plate thanking her as she sat down beside him
. “Let me remove the quills from your neck,” Cordelia said. 

Before Jayden could answer
, she was already digging away at them as her young son eagerly watched. 

Cordelia grimaced
, “The quills are embedded deep Jayden. This will take some time.” 

“I don’t think your boy will
mind Cordelia. He seems amused,” laughed Jayden.

“Keagan, do not bother Jayden,
” his mother scorned.

“It is quite alright
, Cordelia. I would not have been much different at his age; Keagan, that is a fine name!”

Th
at acknowledgement was all the encouragement the boy needed to blurt out the questions he had so patiently waited to ask, “Sir, I heard Kaelyn mention that we must go to the Valley of Aura to summon the Pegapires. I have never seen one, but I have heard they are magnificent animals. Can they really fly? How many are there? What…?”

Jayden laughed
, “Well, so many questions and I can understand why. They are extraordinary animals. The Pegapires are a proud breed, and they are fiercely loyal to the Lealians, as we are to them. Would you like to hear about them, the way my father told me?” 

Keagan nodd
ed his head up and down several times. 

“Very well, then.
”  Jayden chuckled.

“In ancient Rhol
, the Pegapires were worshipped by all inhabitants. They are elegant creatures, ivory white in color. They resemble a horse, but they have white wings spanning twelve feet on either side of their long muscular bodies. Their wings are so strong that they can fly great distances in a matter of moments. 

“The only other colors visible on the Pegapires are their long graceful tails and their eyes. Their tails are jet black. Their eyes are a bright yellow. It is said that their eyes can hypnotize any creature that gazes into them. Their hypnotic power enables the Pegapires to attack their enemies effortlessly, and leave them standing, staring into emptiness for eternity. 

“
The Pegapires lived in Tamon, which is a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. No man or woman has ever stepped foot in Tamon, except for a very few Lealians of whom one was my father. Tamon cannot be accessed by foot, only by flight. Over the years, many have tried to enter the Valley of Tamon, but they met their deaths from the freezing cold temperatures and unpredictable weather high in the mountains.

“
My father once described Tamon to me. He said that the valley was lush and green, with abundant streams of crystal clear water. The streams flowed freely over small pebbles and sand, which always kept the water pure. Many Orler trees grew there protected from the ravages of people who would destroy them all, just for the chance of using their magical powers. I don’t know whether my father was exaggerating or not, but he claimed there was one Orler tree in Tamon that was over forty feet high. He said that tree kept the strain of the Orler trees alive. I have never seen an Orler Tree even a quarter of that size, but my father rarely joked about such things.”

The conversation brought many memories of Jayden’s father rushing back to him
, and it made him pause momentarily before continuing to describe the Pegapires for the boy.

“The Pegapire
s are ferocious fighters who have sharp jagged teeth which they use often in battle, swooping down over their enemy biting down, and carrying them high above the ground before releasing them to plummet to their death.  They are loyal only to those of good nature. Pegapires used to roam throughout Rhol in abundance. They had no natural predators, and rarely fell to enemies in battle.               

“
When Solharn started the Great War in an effort to take over Rhol and defeat Queen Elissa many years ago, he was surprised at the loyalty the Pegapires had to the Queen.

“
He was even more surprised by their ferocity and stamina in battle. After two years of steadily losing men to the Pegapires, it was said that he created the black plague specifically to eliminate them. The plague took its toll, and the Pegapires along with many inhabitants of Rhol suffered great losses. The Pegapires numbers dwindled from thousands to a few hundred and it was widely thought that they would soon be extinct.

“
It was my grandfather, Corceran, who managed to save the last few hundred Pegapires. In his day, Corceran was the most powerful warrior in Leal. He fought many brave battles and he was admired throughout Rhol. Corceran’s bravery and skill soon came to the attention of Palto, who was one of the most respected warriors within the Pegapires ranks. Corceran and Palto were destined to fight together and soon became battle companions.

“
It was in the Great War of Aura that the alliance between the Lealians and the Pegapires was forged. Corceran and Palto were engaged in a ferocious battle with Solharn. Together they had slaughtered hundreds of Solharn’s army. They were mounting a second attack, when Corceran looked behind him to see Palto lying motionless on the ground. Three Kaltaures were approaching Palto, and Corceran ran toward his friend. When he realized he wouldn’t make it in time, Corceran took his last three Orler arrows from his satchel and placed them on his bowstring.

“
Firing them in one shot, the arrows found their mark ripping through the heads of the three Kaltaures, killing them instantly.  The lifeless bodies of the Kaltaures fell on top of Palto, and one of their tusks ripped into his side causing a deep gash. When Corceran reached Palto, he threw the Kaltaures bodies aside and began to tend to his wound.”

Jayden paused and continued the story trying his best to mimic his grandfather’s voice
, along with Palto’s. 

‘
You will be fine my old friend,
’ Corceran assured Palto.

“
Very weakly Palto responded
. ‘It is not the wound that ails me, Corceran, but the plague. I cannot move and I will die shortly where I lie.’

“
Corceran would hear nothing of it, ‘
No, no. It is not the plague Palto, you are too strong. This will not be your last battle.’

“
Palto laughed.
‘My friend, you have been a loyal and faithful companion for many years, and we have fought many battles together. You have saved my life many times, and I yours, but you cannot save me now. We will see each other again Corceran, but you will have many more battles to fight in this world first.’

“
With that, Palto stopped breathing and Corceran screamed. In anger he began to punch at one of the Kaltaures soldiers, whose life he had just taken. In doing so, he fatally wounded himself by slicing his wrist. Blood spurted from him and covered Palto. In a matter of seconds Palto arose from the ground having no ill effects of the plague.

“
Turning to Corceran, Palto said, ‘
How did you…,’
but abruptly stopped himself as he looked down upon him.

“
Corceran grimaced and managed a smile.
‘It is fate Palto. My blood…, Lealians are immune to the plague. When mine mixed with your wound, it cured you my old friend, and for that I am honored. If one man must die to save an entire race, it is well worth it. Go and save the rest of your kind Palto.’

“
Before Palto could respond, Corceran died.  All Palto could do was to honor his friend’s last request. He flew all over Rhol spreading word of the cure to the suffering Pegapires. Because of Corceran, the Lealians managed to save the remainder.

“
The mixtures of blood would form an undying loyalty between the Pegapires and the Lealians. In battle, a Lealian is the only race that is allowed to ride on the back of a Pegapire. Prior to this no creature had ever even imagined such a thing.  

“
Their union was a formidable one, making them the most valued and respected warriors Rhol had ever seen. Unfortunately, by this time Queen Elissa’s armies had been decimated by Solharn and he was well on his way to destroying the empire. 

“
It was then that Queen Elissa used the last of her power to create the Sacred Realms of Solace, Leal and Tamon in hope that Rhol would live on. 

“
Queen Elissa told my father back then that we would know when it was time to leave the Sacred Realm of Leal. I believe it was no coincidence that the protective force field disappeared today. It was the sign my father was waiting for. It makes me think that the one surrounding Tamon, the home of the Pegapires, is also gone. We have waited a decade to avenge Queen Elissa and Rhol, and that is why we must reunite with the Pegapires.”

Jayden looked down at the boy whose eyes were wide in anticipation for the next part of the story
. Jayden did not get the chance. Cordelia was ushering the boy away saying something about rest, and Jayden’s eyes suddenly felt too heavy to keep open. As they shut he thought of what awaited Oisin, Palvoy and Kaelyn in the Valley of Aura. 

Deke could not take his eyes away from the Pegapire, and as they drew closer to the rustic cottage he began to hear a voice in his head. 

“The holder of the amulet, it is an honor. We have waited a long time for your arrival.”

Deke looked at Deo somewhat confused. “Did you say something?”

“It’
s the Pegapire, Deke. She speaks to you. The Pegapires can communicate through telepathy or by spoken word.”

Deke turned to the Pegapire. Although it was a beautiful animal
, its jagged teeth were a little intimidating. The only thing he could think of saying was, “I’m Deke, Deke Brolin.” 

“
And I am Lorca, Deke. I am Kiran’s protector. She has been eagerly awaiting you.” With that Lorca led them the remainder of the way to the cottage.

“Come.” Lorca motioned to the door with her nose. 

Deke nodded and both he and Deo entered the humble cottage.

The cottage itself was much bigger inside than he would have thought
, and was very tidy but rustic. The inside was planked in a rich wood much like pine. Pictures of great cities, beautiful rivers and waterfalls adorned the walls. A small kitchen had pots and pans hanging from the planks of wood. The furniture was sparse, but there were several wooden chairs surrounding a large stone fireplace. To the left of the fireplace an older woman of around eighty sat staring at the roaring fire. She seemed mesmerized by the licks of orange and blue flames crackling away as they devoured the wood.

Deo was the first to speak
, “Kiran, we’re here.”

The woman stood and without saying a word walked across the floor toward them and stopped. She had tears in her eyes as if she had just been weeping. Deke was a little surprised when she suddenly reached out and hugged him.

“I am glad you found your way here safely Dietrich Brolin. We did not know what Solharn would have in store for you, but it seems his plan of attack has failed for now.”

She
released Deke from her embrace and spoke once again, “Oh my, where are my manners. I am sorry Dietrich. My name is Kiran. Please, we have much to speak about. You and Deo come and sit with me by the fire.”

Kiran walked toward her chair
with Deke and Deo following. Deke was still mulling over how Kiran could have possibly known his birth name of Dietrich. He never used it, and nobody aside from his mother ever called him by that name. That was usually when he was in trouble “Dietrich Jonathan Brolin, come here!” she would yell. When they were all seated Deke decided to ask Kiran how she knew his real name.

She did not really answer the question when she spoke
, “I am sure you have many questions Dietrich some of which Deo has answered for you, and others...well, I am here to help you with.”

“First and fo
remost, let me explain who I am,” and with that she leaned back in her chair and began to speak. Only the crackling of the fire interrupted her soft voice. 

“I grew up in Rhol
in the small mountain town of Charn. The town itself was quite quaint and was located at the top of Mount Sibileo. This is the second largest mountain in Rhol of course, next to Mount Kartago where Queen Elissa lived,” Kiran seemed to fall into a trance, as if remembering happier childhood times before clearing her throat and continuing.

“Sorry, what I was saying? Oh yes, Charn was my home. It might best be described as a fishing village where modest wooden houses surrounded a small mountain lake which we called Shimmer Lake. It was abundant with fish, as well as two of the almost extinct Balane. Oh, the Balane were a wonderful animal who lived i
n the depths of the lake, but could also fly very short distances. Unfortunately for them, the nearest lake was a long distance away which is why I am quite sure they never left,” Kiran laughed. Deke giggled along with her, not at what she had said, but because of the way Kiran laughed at her own joke.

             
“I am kidding of course. The Balane were probably the only ones who loved the lake more than I. I can remember many mornings waking up to find the lake smooth as glass, so much so that the reflection of the trees in the water almost looked as if another forest had suddenly sprung up overnight in front of you. At the far end of the lake you could barely see the shore for the light mist that floated in the cool air. On mornings like those the Balane would eventually appear. You could see them slowly floating across the water side by side, diving every once in a while for a taste of fresh fish. It was a spectacular sight. They were enormous animals stretching at least seventy feet long. Their glimmering black skin was only outdone by their red bellies, which they showed every time they did a roll in the water. This in turn also exposed their long black wings that looked almost painted to their bodies, perhaps because of the lack of use. When they came back around for another breath of air, their long curved necks would arch out of the water as if trying to taste the sky. So gentle a creature they were that, if I had any fish to offer, they would slowly swim right up to me and gently snatch the treat from my small hands, grumbling a soft long moan to thank me. Personally, I thought they were more curious than hungry. They could have caught ten times the fish I offered them with a simple dive.