Where Darkness Treads: Book Two—Of Tears & Darkness

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sanctuary

The word was rapidly spread among all concerned. A short time later, everyone stood in line, waiting to lead their horses into the swamp. Those standing at the back of the column, kept a constant watch upon the forested ridge above, where shadows moved. At the front of their formation, were forty-two wounded soldiers, laying upon drags. Many looked like they would not live long enough to see the coming day. Donovan saw the same fear in their eyes, he himself, felt.

Each time Prince Donovan looked at Brenna, her sense of calm managed to set his mind, at ease. "Just trust me." Brenna's words played over and over, in his mind. Donovan had no idea how he kept getting talked into these things. Right now, his mind was screaming, "Are you crazy?" He stepped into the swamp and waited to be dragged down, into its depths.

An instant later, Donovan stood upon the smooth stones of a road, which led to a pair of magnificent gates. The weight of a mountain had been removed from Donovan's shoulders and no doubt, would be removed from the shoulders of those behind him, as well. Immediately, Prince Donovan turned and reappeared in front of his men, where he began to urge those leading the horse-drawn drags. "Come-on men, Brenna has found the sanctuary! Let us get moving, the enemy is bound to be watching us. We need to hurry."

The wounded began to file past at a quicker pace, some with hope written upon their faces, and some who had resigned themselves to suffering a painful death from their wounds.

It was when the last of the severely injured had vanished into the sanctuary, when Donovan heard a far-distant roar split the late evening darkening sky. Without a moment's hesitation, he grasped their desperate situation. Even though Brenna was cloaking all of them from Bemenah's view, the Adumorda Priests had watched them drag the logs for the wall from afar. Sadeene, the Black Dragon was coming, and he was intent on incinerating them in a wide swath of death and destruction.

"Prince Everin, we need to get our men across, or the Dragon is going to kill us all. We have no time to waste. Hurry, hurry!" Prince Donovan shouted. In the darkening sky, a bright pinpoint of bright red light briefly shone, as Sadeene had opened his cavernous maw, then clamped it shut. Another louder roar rumbled across the heavens. For a moment, Donovan closed his eyes, and relived what had occurred in Mern. "NO, NOT AGAIN!" the prince mentally raged.

Sir Alfred rode up to stand at Prince Donovan's side, beckoning to the men. "Hurry men, we have to move, else your future will be as Dragon dung. This is no time to tarry!"

With a great many shouts, Chand and Dawn breaker Mounted Brigadiers galloped past, as fast as their mounts could carry them. As the bellows from their winged nemesis became louder, men, women, and their mounts hurtled past, amidst gleaming leather and steel armor, which reflected a dull fiery red glare.

Girard slowed down, waiting to accompany Prince Donovan across. "Girard, get yourself across, and I'll be right behind you. I am making sure all of us are saved. Hurry now, and I'll see you on the other side!" With a nod and smile, the sword-master spurred his mount forward, and disappeared. The last of the men flashed pass, leaving Prince Everin and Donovan remaining.

"I have never seen such a terrifying beast before, it's huge. It's time for us to go! We need to leave, now." Prince Everin kicked his horse into a gallop and promptly disappeared.

"Yes, it most certainly is!" Prince Donovan shouted. Taking one last look towards the deadly form of Sadeene diving down towards him, he noted an enormous blast of its fiery breath was jetting through the night air towards him. A moment later, Donovan crossed over with an after-image of bright glowing red flame etched within his mind, as he galloped to safety. An instant later, Donovan stood upon the smooth stones of the road leading to a pair of magnificent gates. Their sudden safe arrival had set everyone to excitedly talking.

Donovan tethered Thunder to a tree and patiently waited, as a man who could only be Fenwildre greeted each of them. He stood tall and was clothed in dark-brown colored britches and a fine woven, tan jerkin with long-sleeves. Black leather boots rose to mid-calf and were fastened in place by cords of some sort. His reddish-brown hair was cut just shy of his shoulders and he wore a full beard. His eyes were brown, and his smile and manner began to immediately set Donovan's nerves at ease.

"Hello, my name is Fenwildre, I'm the Keeper of the Sanctuary of the Living Waters. Please sit, for what I must tell you is important."

Donovan and the others seated themselves, for they were eager to hear what this man had to say.

"During the final days of my order, in the beginning of the Great Dying, it became clear we would not prevail. The Sanctuary of the Living Waters held the last hope for the remainder of the four races of the alliance to reclaim this world. The question was, how to deny the enemy from entering its hallowed grounds?"

Everyone gathered around Fenwildre politely remained silent, for they were totally mesmerized by this kind man's, words. All of them had rode long and fought hard, to be able to experience this moment and they were listening to his every word.

"The best answer was to make it impossible to find the Main Gates. A system of wards was emplaced to send the Main Gates and the sanctuary to what we call Set-Aside Space. In effect, it was sent to a past, before the sanctuary ever existed. In its place, a powerful glamour enchantment was wrought upon the land, which gave the appearance of an immense black swamp. The bog looks like, smells like, tastes like, and even sounds like, its namesake."

Donovan listened, though he could scarcely believe a word the man was saying.

"If you set both feet within the swamp, the glamour enchantment would be activated. It would make it appear you were being dragged while struggling, beneath its foul surface," Fenwildre explained carefully. "Those tainted by evil, would be sent to where they could be reaped by the Dark Hag. Individuals, not tainted by evil would be given an altered memory, which entailed they had been attacked by an evil monster and had managed to escape."

"My men, who have disappeared in the swamp, are alive?" Prince Everin asked incredulously.

"Yes, providing of course, they were not evil to begin with. I suggest sending scouts out along the edges of the swamp, once the Dragon is gone. Then, it is a simple matter to remove the false memories," Fenwildre replied with a pleasant smile, while nodding his head.

"Yes, but what about what we just did?" Brenna asked.

"That was a truly ingenious addition to the system of wards which was placed here. Prince Donovan and Brenna, you both have lineage, which leads back to King Kendrick," Fenwildre stated.

"Prince Donovan, your lineage to our current time is by direct progression. Brenna, in the days of King Kendrick your mother had an affair with the king," Fenwildre explained. "You were being carried within your mother's womb when King Kendrick, his men, and your mother fell to Bemenah's hordes in battle. Elliana saved you and sent you far away into the future, to hide you from her brother. She placed you in the womb of a barren peasant, by the name of Denora."

Donovan continued to listen in amazement, with mouth agape.

"Either one of you could pierce the veil of glamour and return the sanctuary back to its natural place. Both of you are required to open the gates. Once the gates are opened, the set-aside space and glamour spells can be cancelled until they are reactivated once more."

"Why did it take this long to locate the sanctuary?" Brenna asked curiously.

"Because, both you and Prince Donovan never ventured close enough to trigger the summoning enchantment, which awaited your approach." Fenwildre's eyes twinkled, as he laughed merrily.

Donovan shook his head. It was funny how luck played such a heavy part in life. Then again, Elliana did have her ways. "They had been so close yet had been too far away to be detected." The more he thought about it, he began to realize most likely luck never was a factor.

"Prince Donovan and Brenna, I believe a world's future awaits. It is time to take back what is truly ours. Both of you, need to place a hand upon the glowing bluish-silver rune upon each gate. One of you, to a gate. Then, insert the key into the slot."

Fenwildre led them to the massive shining gates. "Do not worry, since the enemy is literally just outside, we will keep the protective wards in place for the time being."

"Beneath your hands are powerful wards which have served to protect this place since its creation. Of all places on this world, here is where Bemenah would desire most to send his minions. Beyond these gates is the true heart of this world."

Brenna laid her hand upon the surface of the rune and inserted the key. From within sounded a gentle click, followed by a delicate chime. Prince Donovan stepped beside Brenna, to assist in moving the massive gates. No assistance was necessary. The gates moved effortlessly to his lightest touch, even though each was more than a foot thick.