Entry 13- A Winter Trial

Winter came in heavy, cold, and wet for us this year. Thankfully, we managed to restock and resupply. I healed up for a bit before continuing my trials that the magic pillars put me on. I will be a mystic by the end of spring next year. But this next challenge began during the solstice. The longest darkest night of the year. The sun barely peaks above the horizon before sneaking back down, revealing the stars. These nights are the most brutal for us.

            The night before we lost the sun, I heard the wind howl. Ithella burst into the house and told me to get dressed and ready for a journey. I did just that. Got my staff. Grabbed a bag of salt. Walked out of the house. Parkik was dressed in a baslisk scale armor set. The white scales gleamed in the dull winter sun. On his head,showing off his long curly red hair, was a circulate of blackened deadwood. He looked ready to go into battle. I was wearing a simple tunic, trousers, and leather shoe set. I went beside him, I was a head shorter than him and Ithella looked between us.

            “You guys need to go into the Rift of Edda.” She said. “It’s a cavern deep in the flooded lands. The pillars impart this task to Tallyden because it has something to do with the Order of Sina. Yuda, although valuable, still refuses to give us proper information about their movement through the flooded lands. But the Pillars are calling out in fear. On the winds. In the blood and bones. Between Racha and Me. We have figured it’s coming from a cavern called the Rift of Edda.”

            She raised her hand and spoke some words as the winds twirled around us. I felt her magic tug on us and wrap us in warmth and protection. She looked visibly drained.

            “You’ll travel to this Rift, delve its depths, and stop whatever they’re doing to the iron pillar in the heart of the cavern. It’s not a hard place. But…this is the last trial before your pilgrimage. So, only you may go…”

            Parkik coughed. She looked at him directly, “You’re a given at this point. Tallyden needs your assistance. In fact…” She brought out a red strip of fabric. “Hold out your arms. Tallyden your right and Parkik your left.”

            We did that. Our arms were touching and she wrapped the fabric around both of them. She looked me in the eyes for a second then Parkik in the eyes. “After a few weeks of training, after being together, even after all the horrors of the past, I, Ithella, ask you to be kin in arms. Fight together. Be together until the waters cover your paths and separate you.”

            “I will.” We said in unison.

            The ribbon glowed a bit and I felt the experience of the past flow between us. Then I saw Parkik smile, and I smiled back. We were now companions for my trials, and beyond. The wind began howling hard. Blowing through the magical protection and reminding us of the chill setting in.

            “It’ll take you a day to get to the cavern. You will then have a day to find and take care of the Order of Sina. Something about the solstice is important to them. They are closer to their goals. Which I don’t think are completely pure.” Ithella said. “Can you vow to complete this task?”

            We unbound our arms and I touched my iron ring. “I vow to stop the order of sina in the Rift of Edda. We will beat them again.”

            The iron ring glowed yellow. It vibrated and then shook. Showing me an image of cloaked order of Sina members chanting around a black Iron Pillar in the heart of the infested cave. I then blinked back to the current time and nodded. “They’re using magic to try and destroy the pillar in that cave. It seems to be an important focal point in the flooded lands. I’ve got to leave now.” I said. Beginning to walk away. Parkik followed closely.

            Ithella said on the wind, “May the iron pillars hold strong and watch over your journey.”

            I nodded and set my jaw. Parkik and I went fast. The day was early and I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to any people but the journey was easier than it should have been. Ithella’s protection held strong and anything in nature stayed easy for the boys to traverse. This was in the same area as Steadfast and the Rift was easy to reach. Which is why the Order of Sina probably choose it. They wanted to attack the pillars that controlled the magical abilities of the mystics.

We got to the cavern by nightfall. I looked over the edge of the rift and saw the entrance to the cave that would lead us into the delve proper. We had to scale the cliff if we wanted to save a few hours. I looked at Parkik. His armor looked dazzling. He was red and glistening with the moisture of the swamp. He seemed ready to go though.

            “Did you bring any rope?” I asked.

            “Yeah. But it may not be enough for here. If we walk up the way, we can find a lowe-“

            I cut him off. “No here.”

            He nodded and began to pull out some rope. He tied it to a sturdy tree. Still Rooted into the bog water. And then threw it over the edge. We looked down and couldn’t see how far from the bottom it was.

            He said, “That was my only rope. So…keep that in mind.”

            “Alright.”

            I began climbing down first. Parkik followed me and I felt a familiar pang of worry come into my stomach. My now-kindred friend is going into danger with me. I should be protecting him. We get down and I try to ask him to leave. He says no. Sternly. I didn’t argue but I would find a way to keep him safe if something bad happened under the earth. The flooded lands were brutal to the outsiders, and he was still an outsider.

            The cavern wasn’t supposed to be too big, so we began our entrance into it. We went in together. The cavern walls crawled with little bugs and mites. The roots from many ancient trees came out of the walls. We walked slowly and I used my knowledge of the other ancient sites to avoid any trouble. When we came out, we found we were above the antechamber of the cultists. We were at the top of the chamber and the black iron pillar rose up from the ground in the center. This was a great place, if we could attack from a distance. I really wish I had learned how to use a bow or distance magic.

            We decided to try and sneak further into the cave so that Parkik and I could hopefully get the upper hand on the cultists. As we snuck through the cavern we heard the voices of the cultists. In the distance they said, “Yuda! Welcome back to the Order. Thank you for the information!”

            My heart dropped. Parkik tensed up. Two sets of foot prints walked by us, without seeing us. And I noticed Yuda’s form. I mouthed that I was going to follow. And then began to follow Yuda and the other member. They turned around as I accidently kicked a rock. I stood up and tried to knock out the other guy with my staff. I struck him and he went down. We needed to deal with the body. If another member found it, it would be bad.

            I looked at Yuda and whispered loudly, “What in the Iron’s name are you doing among these people!”

            “I-I was told to spy.” He said.

            I pushed him against the wall with my staff. “Ithella would have told me!”

            “W-Would she have though? You’re just a child.”

            He took a breath and shouted, while I was shocked. “Get them! They’re here!”

            Parkik was fast, he killed Yuda with a quick dagger slash. Not quick enough though. Another order member came. I felt my hands get warm with Yuda’s blood. Then shook my head as his body slumped down. The order member came forward and said, “Listen here boys. You don’t need to fight it. In fact, if you join us. We’ll take care of you. Parkik. If you want to travel the Havens safely, you’ll join. And Tallyden. You’d have to renounce your heretical ways. Like Yuda did being reborn among us.

            “Never.” I said.

            “Good.” The cultist said. “We needed a mystic, to break the chains.”

            He put his hand on the ground and a blue light shot up around me. Magic? But not the same as mine. I was trapped. Parkik next to me. Parkik whispered, “Trust me.”

            Then put his blades to my throat. I felt his body around me. His breath moving under his baslisk scale armor. My body tensed up.

            “Alright.” Parkik said. “I want a promise of safe passage through the Havens to home and I’ll help you to meet your ends. Just let us go.”

            The cultist looked at him with his blades to my neck. Me with obvious fear. Then back to Parkik.

            “O-Okay? But I need you to prove your loyalty!”

            “I have an amulet in my right pocket. I’ve been under cover…getting as close as I could to Tallyden here.”

            He reached into his pocket and I broke free.

            “How dare you?!” I said. He pressed the Order of Sina amulet onto the ward and held his dagger, pointed at my chest, pressing the tip into my shirt.

            The cultist said, “Interesting.”

            “Secret from the top.” Parkik said. “But we got all we could from the little boy here.”

            I went to punch Parkik. It connected, bruising his cheek but he managed to capture me and press me close to his chest with his dagger at my throat.

            “Don’t do that again.” He said sternly. The order guy let the barrier down and Parkik walked me out. First picking up my staff from the ground next to Yuda.

*To Be Continued!*