Everville: The Rise of Mallory (4 page)

“And neither would you, General, because it’s
you
who are our leader.”

“Yes, but
you
are our hero and if I had a son, I could only hope that he would possess but the tiniest amount of valor and character that you have demonstrated since you joined my army.
You
are the closest thing I have ever had to a son, and
you
have made all of us proud.”

The General could no longer hold back his tears. They streamed down his face, but the purple sky and dim light hid the General’s loss of control over his emotion.

The first of the giants leapt into the air. Everyone was relieved, but the marmooks were especially grateful; they didn’t even seem bothered once they left the safety of the ground. Shortly thereafter, they all arrived back in the land of the giants.

It’s true that the Fron’s feasting and celebration was legendary, but the giants were not constrained by the watchful eyes of The Keepers. Today, though, the celebration would be muted out of respect for those who had died in The City of Worms. Borak’s return was a great victory, but the loss of half the army of giants weighed down their spirits too much to indulge in more than a modest meal and a glass of wine. It was a good meal, nonetheless.

Chapter 5

The Search for Varstock

O
wen, along with Felix, Asher, and Grenmar had arrived in land of the giants shortly after the rescue of Borak. Most of the giants had left the table, but Borak and General Varrick still remained when they had arrived.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, General,” Owen said respectfully.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. A pleasure to meet you,” Felix copied.

“Hey, quit that, Felix,” Asher snapped.

“Sorry,” Felix whimpered.

“It’s quite alright, gentlemen. Take your fill of food and drink. Our men have had enough for the evening. Now, please excuse me,” the General said before leaving.

Borak stayed a while longer. The loss of his men in The City of Worms was something he wished to discuss with Owen.

Borak towered over them. Owen and the others had to sit on large crates just to reach the top of the table. The enormity of the room was not lost on Owen, for Grenmar and the Ubaloo even more so.

“I want to thank you for what you did, Owen. I know it wasn’t an easy decision to initiate the destruction of the city with our armies still there.”

“I’m at a loss for words. I am truly sorry about all those who died,” Owen said with deep sorrow visible on his face.

“I know others may disagree, but you did what you believed was best. Say what you will, but if you had not initiated the city’s destruction, the dragons would have destroyed us all just the same. If you didn’t destroy the city, concentrations of power would have been even greater and our destruction total. Your actions, however, allowed some of us to survive, and more importantly, your courage and humility have prevented the destruction of our world by the element,” Borak said with reassurance.

“Thank you, but there is something you may not be aware of.”

Before Owen had a chance to finish, Borak interrupted.

“If you are referring to Mallory and the juvenile dragon, I am very much aware. The General told us moments ago. It is indeed very troubling, Owen, but I have every confidence that you will once again be victorious. You have proven to be a man of great character and wisdom, and that wisdom will guide your path to the best course of action.

“There will always be something. There will always be some evil. Whether it is apparent or not to some, there is darkness within all of our hearts, just as there is good. Even the best among us are capable of despicable acts, and the worst among us are capable of redemption. Mallory is the perfect example. Arrogance and humility are always in a constant struggle inside of us. That’s why we must always remain on guard, not just for those that would see us destroyed, but also for the darkness within,” Borak explained.

“Darkness. Darkness,” whispered Felix.

Asher gave Felix a stern look.

Borak continued, “I must admit that at times I have also been a slave to my emotions. As soldiers we are bred for battle. We are honorable men, but anger sometimes does get the better of us.”

“That’s completely understandable, but you’re not just honorable, you’re also brave and wise,” Owen replied.

“Brave perhaps, but wise is another matter entirely.”

The fatigue had caught up to him, and Borak’s body needed rest. He could go on no further.

“I’m sorry but I must rest,” Borak said as he stood up from his seat at the table

He walked towards the exit, his large size shaking the room and the table along with it. Grenmar almost fell off, but Owen was quick to grab his arm and hoist him back up on the crate.

For a moment it was quiet. Owen sat there, thinking about what the giant had said.

“This is delicious,” Felix said, breaking the silence.

He stuffed his face with roasted morsels of meat that remained on the table. The others joined in.

“It is quite tasty,” Asher replied.

Owen and the others finished their dinner before making their way down the crates onto the floor. The ground was made of hard packed dirt and was not very comfortable, but they were able to find several discarded rags that made adequate coverings for the night. Soon they were all sound asleep.

The next morning they awoke to the trembling ground and the sound of the giants moving about.

“Ahhhhhh….” Felix yawned as he stretched his arms.

The giants had already prepared breakfast, and both Felix and Grenmar were assisting each other in getting back to the table.

“Good morning, Owen. I trust you slept well,” Borak said at a distance as he approached from the outside.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“The General tells me that you’re off to see the Mountain Dwellers in The Valley of Darkness a short time from now,” Borak continued.

“Yes. We need to find clues that will lead us to Varstock, The Keeper who knows The Third Pillar of Truth,” Owen responded.

“Well, before you go, I think you should meet the healer. I think she may be able to provide you with some protection for your journey,” Borak said.

“That sounds great. We’d be grateful for any help you can provide us,” Owen replied.

A short time later, Borak had escorted them to the healer. She was beautiful, with long hair and tan skin. She was taller than Owen, but much closer to his size than that of the giants.

“So, I hear you have a great journey ahead of you in The Valley of Darkness,” the healer said to Owen.

“Yes. I’m not sure where to start looking for clues other than to first find the Mountain Dwellers,” he replied.

“From what I hear, the Mountain Dwellers can be ruthless, but I would watch more closely for the Fwaylan. I’ve had the opportunity to heal some of the soldiers after their attack. I have a few things that should help you on your way.”

There were two medium-sized shelves in the room and a wooden chest. Owen and the others looked around the room and were drawn to the larger of the two shelves that contained dozens of glass jars filled with different substances.

Felix reached over to pick up one of the jars.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” the healer said as she saw Felix from the corner of her eye.

Felix snapped his arm back and drew another angry look from Asher.

The healer took a few items from the shelf, including the jar that Felix was so interested in.

“This here comes from beyond the walls of Vermogen, deep in the heart of Brackenbone.”

“That’s not the element is it?” Asher asked, interrupting the healer before she could finish.

“No, but it does come from a very special place within the cave walls that were once used to contain the element, a place which I’m sure you are aware of,” she said.

“Yes indeed,” Asher replied.

“This elixir will let you see into the minds of anyone who is near. Just put a couple of drops on your tongue and that should do the trick. It will last only a few moments, and be careful not to take another dose before the first one wears off. If you do, others will be able to see into your mind as well for the same amount of time.”

“That should be really helpful. Actually, I think that’s exactly what we needed,” Owen replied with renewed confidence.

“I agree. That should be very helpful,” Asher joined in.

“Very helpful. Very helpful. Helpful. Helpful,” Felix repeated.

Grenmar jumped up in the air and started bouncing around the room. Owen walked over and grabbed him in mid-jump before he inadvertently knocked something over.

“Careful, before you break something,” Owen said while placing Grenmar back down on the ground.

The healer lifted up another jar and said, “This ointment will heal any wound. It may take a while, but it can save you as long as you apply it before the moment of death.”

“Thank you so much, healer. This is more than we had hoped for,” Owen said in gratitude.

“I’m glad I could be of assistance,” she replied.

Owen and the others left the healer and said their goodbyes to the giants. A short time later, just after mid-morning, they were on their way to The Valley of Darkness.

“Do you think the Mountain Dwellers will help us?” Asher asked Owen.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of getting their help now. I think we just need to have them stay out of our way. With the elixir, we can read their thoughts. We just need to stay safe from the Fwaylan until we can get some more clues about Varstock,” Owen replied.

They continued to walk until they reached one of the mechanical conveyer belts, which were used to transport rock and debris within the land of the giants. Owen lifted Grenmar and the Ubaloo onto the top of the belt.

“You better hold on,” Felix said to Owen and Grenmar.

They all grabbed the edges of the belt as tightly as they could. Two of the giants manned the conveyer belt, and when Owen and the others were secure, one of the giants turned it on.

They were jolted high above the ground parallel to the walls of the giant underground structures. Within a few seconds, they could see the gargantuan monoliths that the giants constructed and the enormity of the entire underground land.

“Duck,” shouted Asher.

Owen and the others ducked their heads as they came to several hollowed out tunnels. With each tunnel, they journeyed farther away from the giants and closer to the underground river that led out of the land and into The Valley of Darkness. Before long, they had arrived at the underground river and would need to go the rest of the way on foot.

As the river widened and the tunnel deepened, they came across several wooden boats and smaller transport containers. Most of them were damaged, some partially sunken, but there was one that looked intact and usable. It was small but just large enough to hold all of them.

“Let’s grab that boat over there,” Owen said to the Ubaloo.

They walked a little closer, and Asher carefully descended the wall of the tunnel to the edge of the water and pulled the boat closer to the edge.

“Careful on your way down,” Asher said to Owen and the others.

Once there were all safely inside, Owen pushed off and let the current carry them downstream.

Grenmar and Felix peered over the edge of the boat, taking notice of several long dark objects that were swimming beneath the surface of the water, beasts that would swallow them whole if they weren’t too careful. There were also hundreds of winged creatures above them that flew in swarms near the top of the cave wall, frightening but harmless.

Eventually, they had reached entrance of the valley and exited the cave. All of them were happy to be out of it.

They had arrived at the perfect time, just as sunlight reached the surface of the valley floor, but it would only remain for a short time. Owen and the others would have to hurry.

Owen stepped out of the boat onto the ground then helped Felix and Asher out. Grenmar jumped up, but the movement of the boat landed him back into the water, making a large splash that soaked the Ubaloo.

Grenmar easily made it back to the water’s edge and climbed out on his own, but Felix and Asher had angry expressions on their faces from being splashed by Grenmar. Owen handed Grenmar a cloth from his bag so he could dry off.

“Let’s hurry. The sunlight won’t last long,” Owen said to the others as they planted their feet firmly on The Valley of Darkness.

They continued walking at a brisk pace while remaining on guard for any unexpected visitors. It did take long for them to spot some.

A group of several Mountain Dwellers were descending the concave walls above the valley.

“Felix, grab the jar of elixir. Let’s see what these Mountain Dwellers are up to,” Owen said.

Felix handed over the jar and Owen put a couple of drops on his tongue.

The elixir made him light-headed and his tongue tingle, but the moment quickly passed. He was now able to see into the minds of those that were descending.

Owen could sense that the Mountain Dwellers had not spotted them and that they were on their way to get some food and supplies. He couldn’t gather any other information and knew he would have to confront them directly with the questions if they were going to get the Mountain Dwellers to think about finding any clues to Varstock’s whereabouts.

“Let’s keep moving. They haven’t spotted us yet, but we’re going to need to speak to them regardless.”

“Is that really necessary?” Felix asked Owen.

“They’re not going to think of Varstock on their own. We’re going to have to give them a little help,” Owen replied.

“That’s all fine and well, but I just hope we don’t see any Fwaylan in the meantime.”

The Mountain Dwellers had recently teamed up with the evil armies of Them, but the battle at The City of Worms and the destruction of the dragons had changed things. They were reassessing their alliances, as they frequently did, and Owen was hopeful he could do more than just steal the information about Varstock from their minds.

As they continued up the valley, the Mountain Dwellers finally noticed them. Around the same time, Asher spotted several large animals that were at a greater distance. It was the Fwaylan.

“Looks like we have company,” Asher said.

Grenmar whimpered and Felix grimaced.

“This is not good,” whispered Felix.