Chapter Eighteen: A meeting with a God
“What do anda mean, a being from Skrath Island?” Gunnar snapped.
“Someone who isn't human and whom every person on this world should know.”
Skye grimaced slightly at the annoyed expression on Gunnar's face.
“Well, I still don't know who you're talking about, so why don't anda enlighten us?” Gunnar folded his arms.
Skye sighed in defeat. “Fine, I'll just tell anda then. Their acquaintance is... our God” the magician bowed condescendingly.
Hylyr did a double-take.
“Our... what?” he growled.
“Our God, the Stardust Dragon, Jakyro'yah, the God of Wisdom.”
“He's coming here, but why?” Gunnar questioned in wonder, for he had always wanted to meet the God face to face.
“Probably to destroy Altran; I mean why else would our God come here, where we're meant to be fighting Altran?” Skye mused quietly.
“Skye has a point, why else would he come here of all places if it wasn't to put Altran out of his misery” Hylyr spoke casually.
“Yeah,” Gunnar nodded agreeably; “although I don't think its really necessary for the God to come here though and he can't hurt Altran anyway.”
Skye turned violently around, accidentally knocking the cup out of Hylyr's hands; “what do anda mean, he can't hurt Altran?”
Gunnar looked solemn.
“He can't take the life of anyone of the world of Corath, which means he can't kill Altran. The Dragonlord mentioned this to me during the siege of Trergom, because I foolishly asked why the God didn't just come and destroy Altran and his men.”
Skye scowled with disappointment.
“Back to square one then, so how am I going to kill Altran?” the fair-haired man wondered out loud. “The same way anda were going to when anda decided to come to Counquan?” Gunnar berkata questioningly. Skye glared at the stocky officer; “I didn't know how I was going to kill Altran, I was just going to try atau die in the attempt.” Hylyr grimaced, “brave but foolish Ser.” Gunnar butted in swiftly; “ah, Ser? The Dragonlord will be able to help anda destroy Altran.” Skye slapped his palm into his head. “Of course, now why didn't I think of that” the magician said, feeling rather foolish. “You can't think of everything Ser, you've been trying to do too much and its clearly showing. anda need to get some rest.”
Skye gave himself away oleh letting out a massive yawn.
“Okay anda got me, I'll go rest and we'll discuss the defensive tactics when I'm finished.” Then Skye walked out of the lounging-room and headed in the direction of the dormitories.
On the way Skye noticed that the sky was beginning to darken immensely and the sunset was redder than the breath of the dead dragon, Kandahar, who had been a Flame Breath Master. Skye almost collapsed into the bunk, not even removing his Magi'Ir robes, atau underclothing, before falling into a deep, patterned sleep.
Gunnar woke him up after about four glasses. “Ser,” the Commander-Captain shook his shoulders lightly. “It's time to wake up” Gunnar continued and finally the exhausted magician opened his eyes, blinking a few times to clear them.
“How long have I been asleep?” Skye asked the other. “You've only been asleep for four glasses Ser, but I had to wake anda up earlier than expected. It seems we have visitors and I'm willing to bet that you'd like to be there to greet them yourself.”
Skye followed Gunnar out of the dormitories and through the lounging-room. “So, are the visitors the ones that we had been expecting?” the magician questioned the blond officer. Gunnar shook his head. “Not quite.” Skye blinked with confusion; “what do anda mean, not quite? Who are our visitors then?”
Gunnar shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know, Ser. They are from another part of Corath, although I don't even know which part of Corath.
I think they called themselves the Hylua, but I don't know anything of them.”
Skye frowned.
“The Hylua. They are an ancient race of Corath, probably even lebih ancient than the Elven. I've actually studied a book about the Hylua and they are certainly an interesting race of people.”
They reached the exit-way and left the dormitory block, heading towards the Counquan Gate.
On the way Skye continued to tell Gunnar about his knowledge of the Hylua; they weren't the Hyluan, atau the Hylua people, just simply the Hylua of Kylarh.
“The Hylua are berkata to be the guardians of an ancient prophetic stone, the Eye of Skuadi, which grants the bearer foresight and the power to make changes to the future.”
Gunnar frowned while they were walking; “that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”
After a few lebih moments they reached Counquan's gate.
“Why didn't Lord Treylk simply let them in the city?” Skye wondered when he noticed the small band of prophet-protectors.
Gunnar shrugged as if to say 'I don't have the answer to your question, and certainly wouldn't answer anda here.'
Skye glared at the Commander-Captain, then walked over to the garrison commander and the Hylua.
Lord Treylk watched him walk over and say something quietly to one of the Hylua, presumably the leader of their group. This man was old and his hair was grey, but he bore a look of wisdom and he held himself with incredible posture and certainty.
The leader of Hylua nodded in greeting, then bowed graciously.
Skye blinked, then bowed back, trying not to laugh.
“You must be the Mage-Advisor of Kaladacia. I'm afraid we are here with bad news, regarding the theft of our most sacred artifact.”
This wiped the slight grin off Skye's face.
“What?!” the magician berkata disbelievingly; “this can't be, the Eye of Skuadi would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Who mencuri it?”
The prophet-protector merely grimaced; “the Skull-Bearer of Skart, he sent a master-thief to steal it. I'm afraid that one of our youngest and inexperienced Hylua was unable to detect this master-thief and, as a result, the Eye of Skuadi was stolen.”
Then the Hylua leader blinked.
“How did anda know about the Eye?” the grey-haired prophet-protector asked in wonder.
“I've studied your people. We had a whole shelf of buku on the Hylua and the Eye in the universitas of Koren, since I am originally from Argate.”
“What's your name young Mage?” the prophet-protector asked curiously.
“My name is Skye Ferra'hia, of the Magi'Ir in Argate. And yours?” Skye returned.
“Nerat, of the Hylua. Pleasure to meet anda Skye, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask an enormous favour of anda and I think anda may even know what I speak of.”
Skye sighed.
“Yes, I think I have an idea of what anda speak and I'm not sure if I like the sound of it, but since I know the power that the Eye is capable of, I will consider it.”
“Thank anda Skye, but I hope anda choose to help otherwise Ryo'Alegal will destroy the world. It just so happens that we have a spy within the empire of Skart and he confirms that the Skull-Bearer will call upon the Eye and that he will eventually use it's powers to somehow call upon the Dark One, and that is something we cannot let happen.”
Skye deflated abruptly.
“Okay, I'll help. But I need time to destroy Altran, and I'll also need to go back to Kaladacia first. There're things I must do and I need time to study lebih of the Foundation, otherwise I won't be able to stop anyone.”
Nerat nodded.
“You'll have that time, Skye. Ryo will be preoccupied bringing the Salendorian peoples under his control, which will give us the time we need to prepare.”
“You and your people better leave now. Altran is coming with his horde and I don't want any innocent people getting hurt.”
Nerat looked over at his fellow Hylua; “as anda wish Mage-Advisor, but how will we get in contact with anda after this battle is over?” the grey-haired prophet-protector asked, looking blank.
“You will make your way to Kaladacia and await our return.”
The other agreed to this plan and strode over to the other Hylua, who were paused in congression oleh the iron gate. He spoke quietly to them, telling them of Skye's plan and waited for their imminent agreement.
After a short moment the rest of the Hylua looked like they were in agreement with their leader and Skye, so Nerat plodded back to Skye, bowed graciously and then he and his Hylua took their leave from the city of Counquan.
Gunnar appeared from behind the subsequent pillar. “What was that about?” the blond officer questioned with curiosity. “Tell anda on the way back to the dormitories.”
So they strolled back to the halaman awal comfort of the dormitories, while Skye told Gunnar the story of what had happened on Kylarh and the continent of Rynstad. “You remember what we were talking about on the way to the gate, yeah?” Gunnar paused momentarily, eyeballing a young Kernese woman, then grinned and turned back to Skye.
“Yeah, I remember. We were talking about the Eye of Skuadi, and how the Hylua protect it from being used for evil.” The magician confirmed this with a wink from his left eye. “Well, anda see, the Eye was stolen oleh a master-thief and is now in the possession of the Skull-Bearer of Skart.” Gunnar halted abruptly. “Oh?! So basically before I berkata it would be very dangerous in the wrong hands and now it's in the wrong hands. That's so inconveniently ironic!”
“I have to recover it. So after this battle I have yet another task to do and with this one the fate of everyone in Corath rests in my hands.”
Gunnar frowned.
“Why, you? Did the leader of the Hylua even say why?” Skye shook his head. “No he just asked me if I would do it and I agreed, except I told him I needed time after the battle against Altran.”
The Commander-Captain rolled his eyes. “What?” Skye snapped. “Nothing, it just seems rather convenient that they happen to find anda here, about to fight against Altran.”
Skye shook his head wildly. “You know, Gunnar, you're rather cynical for a young man. It's not good to be so cynical of the world.”
“Hmmmphhh.”
They walked back in silence, Gunnar brooding about his so-called cynicalism and thinking about the meaning behind the incident of the Eye. Skye was also thinking, but instead of the Eye, he was again thinking of his friend, Ferral, and his beloved, Kleryssa.
Once they arrived back at the dormitories, Skye found himself yawning once more. “I'm going back to sleep, wake me up when the Dragonlord and his acquaintances get here.”
Skye had asked Lord Treylk to refer the visitors to the lounging-room, so he could get a minuscule amount of sleep before they arrived.
They would probably be anxious to meet him, and plus, Skye wanted to appear capable in front of the God and well rested, lest the Stardust Dragon thought he wasn't fit to command against Altran.
Thus Skye fell, fully robed, onto the make-shift tempat tidur in the dormitories and went to sleep almost instantly, thinking of nothing but to be back in Kaladacia with Kleryssa and Ferral.
“What do anda mean, a being from Skrath Island?” Gunnar snapped.
“Someone who isn't human and whom every person on this world should know.”
Skye grimaced slightly at the annoyed expression on Gunnar's face.
“Well, I still don't know who you're talking about, so why don't anda enlighten us?” Gunnar folded his arms.
Skye sighed in defeat. “Fine, I'll just tell anda then. Their acquaintance is... our God” the magician bowed condescendingly.
Hylyr did a double-take.
“Our... what?” he growled.
“Our God, the Stardust Dragon, Jakyro'yah, the God of Wisdom.”
“He's coming here, but why?” Gunnar questioned in wonder, for he had always wanted to meet the God face to face.
“Probably to destroy Altran; I mean why else would our God come here, where we're meant to be fighting Altran?” Skye mused quietly.
“Skye has a point, why else would he come here of all places if it wasn't to put Altran out of his misery” Hylyr spoke casually.
“Yeah,” Gunnar nodded agreeably; “although I don't think its really necessary for the God to come here though and he can't hurt Altran anyway.”
Skye turned violently around, accidentally knocking the cup out of Hylyr's hands; “what do anda mean, he can't hurt Altran?”
Gunnar looked solemn.
“He can't take the life of anyone of the world of Corath, which means he can't kill Altran. The Dragonlord mentioned this to me during the siege of Trergom, because I foolishly asked why the God didn't just come and destroy Altran and his men.”
Skye scowled with disappointment.
“Back to square one then, so how am I going to kill Altran?” the fair-haired man wondered out loud. “The same way anda were going to when anda decided to come to Counquan?” Gunnar berkata questioningly. Skye glared at the stocky officer; “I didn't know how I was going to kill Altran, I was just going to try atau die in the attempt.” Hylyr grimaced, “brave but foolish Ser.” Gunnar butted in swiftly; “ah, Ser? The Dragonlord will be able to help anda destroy Altran.” Skye slapped his palm into his head. “Of course, now why didn't I think of that” the magician said, feeling rather foolish. “You can't think of everything Ser, you've been trying to do too much and its clearly showing. anda need to get some rest.”
Skye gave himself away oleh letting out a massive yawn.
“Okay anda got me, I'll go rest and we'll discuss the defensive tactics when I'm finished.” Then Skye walked out of the lounging-room and headed in the direction of the dormitories.
On the way Skye noticed that the sky was beginning to darken immensely and the sunset was redder than the breath of the dead dragon, Kandahar, who had been a Flame Breath Master. Skye almost collapsed into the bunk, not even removing his Magi'Ir robes, atau underclothing, before falling into a deep, patterned sleep.
Gunnar woke him up after about four glasses. “Ser,” the Commander-Captain shook his shoulders lightly. “It's time to wake up” Gunnar continued and finally the exhausted magician opened his eyes, blinking a few times to clear them.
“How long have I been asleep?” Skye asked the other. “You've only been asleep for four glasses Ser, but I had to wake anda up earlier than expected. It seems we have visitors and I'm willing to bet that you'd like to be there to greet them yourself.”
Skye followed Gunnar out of the dormitories and through the lounging-room. “So, are the visitors the ones that we had been expecting?” the magician questioned the blond officer. Gunnar shook his head. “Not quite.” Skye blinked with confusion; “what do anda mean, not quite? Who are our visitors then?”
Gunnar shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know, Ser. They are from another part of Corath, although I don't even know which part of Corath.
I think they called themselves the Hylua, but I don't know anything of them.”
Skye frowned.
“The Hylua. They are an ancient race of Corath, probably even lebih ancient than the Elven. I've actually studied a book about the Hylua and they are certainly an interesting race of people.”
They reached the exit-way and left the dormitory block, heading towards the Counquan Gate.
On the way Skye continued to tell Gunnar about his knowledge of the Hylua; they weren't the Hyluan, atau the Hylua people, just simply the Hylua of Kylarh.
“The Hylua are berkata to be the guardians of an ancient prophetic stone, the Eye of Skuadi, which grants the bearer foresight and the power to make changes to the future.”
Gunnar frowned while they were walking; “that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”
After a few lebih moments they reached Counquan's gate.
“Why didn't Lord Treylk simply let them in the city?” Skye wondered when he noticed the small band of prophet-protectors.
Gunnar shrugged as if to say 'I don't have the answer to your question, and certainly wouldn't answer anda here.'
Skye glared at the Commander-Captain, then walked over to the garrison commander and the Hylua.
Lord Treylk watched him walk over and say something quietly to one of the Hylua, presumably the leader of their group. This man was old and his hair was grey, but he bore a look of wisdom and he held himself with incredible posture and certainty.
The leader of Hylua nodded in greeting, then bowed graciously.
Skye blinked, then bowed back, trying not to laugh.
“You must be the Mage-Advisor of Kaladacia. I'm afraid we are here with bad news, regarding the theft of our most sacred artifact.”
This wiped the slight grin off Skye's face.
“What?!” the magician berkata disbelievingly; “this can't be, the Eye of Skuadi would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Who mencuri it?”
The prophet-protector merely grimaced; “the Skull-Bearer of Skart, he sent a master-thief to steal it. I'm afraid that one of our youngest and inexperienced Hylua was unable to detect this master-thief and, as a result, the Eye of Skuadi was stolen.”
Then the Hylua leader blinked.
“How did anda know about the Eye?” the grey-haired prophet-protector asked in wonder.
“I've studied your people. We had a whole shelf of buku on the Hylua and the Eye in the universitas of Koren, since I am originally from Argate.”
“What's your name young Mage?” the prophet-protector asked curiously.
“My name is Skye Ferra'hia, of the Magi'Ir in Argate. And yours?” Skye returned.
“Nerat, of the Hylua. Pleasure to meet anda Skye, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask an enormous favour of anda and I think anda may even know what I speak of.”
Skye sighed.
“Yes, I think I have an idea of what anda speak and I'm not sure if I like the sound of it, but since I know the power that the Eye is capable of, I will consider it.”
“Thank anda Skye, but I hope anda choose to help otherwise Ryo'Alegal will destroy the world. It just so happens that we have a spy within the empire of Skart and he confirms that the Skull-Bearer will call upon the Eye and that he will eventually use it's powers to somehow call upon the Dark One, and that is something we cannot let happen.”
Skye deflated abruptly.
“Okay, I'll help. But I need time to destroy Altran, and I'll also need to go back to Kaladacia first. There're things I must do and I need time to study lebih of the Foundation, otherwise I won't be able to stop anyone.”
Nerat nodded.
“You'll have that time, Skye. Ryo will be preoccupied bringing the Salendorian peoples under his control, which will give us the time we need to prepare.”
“You and your people better leave now. Altran is coming with his horde and I don't want any innocent people getting hurt.”
Nerat looked over at his fellow Hylua; “as anda wish Mage-Advisor, but how will we get in contact with anda after this battle is over?” the grey-haired prophet-protector asked, looking blank.
“You will make your way to Kaladacia and await our return.”
The other agreed to this plan and strode over to the other Hylua, who were paused in congression oleh the iron gate. He spoke quietly to them, telling them of Skye's plan and waited for their imminent agreement.
After a short moment the rest of the Hylua looked like they were in agreement with their leader and Skye, so Nerat plodded back to Skye, bowed graciously and then he and his Hylua took their leave from the city of Counquan.
Gunnar appeared from behind the subsequent pillar. “What was that about?” the blond officer questioned with curiosity. “Tell anda on the way back to the dormitories.”
So they strolled back to the halaman awal comfort of the dormitories, while Skye told Gunnar the story of what had happened on Kylarh and the continent of Rynstad. “You remember what we were talking about on the way to the gate, yeah?” Gunnar paused momentarily, eyeballing a young Kernese woman, then grinned and turned back to Skye.
“Yeah, I remember. We were talking about the Eye of Skuadi, and how the Hylua protect it from being used for evil.” The magician confirmed this with a wink from his left eye. “Well, anda see, the Eye was stolen oleh a master-thief and is now in the possession of the Skull-Bearer of Skart.” Gunnar halted abruptly. “Oh?! So basically before I berkata it would be very dangerous in the wrong hands and now it's in the wrong hands. That's so inconveniently ironic!”
“I have to recover it. So after this battle I have yet another task to do and with this one the fate of everyone in Corath rests in my hands.”
Gunnar frowned.
“Why, you? Did the leader of the Hylua even say why?” Skye shook his head. “No he just asked me if I would do it and I agreed, except I told him I needed time after the battle against Altran.”
The Commander-Captain rolled his eyes. “What?” Skye snapped. “Nothing, it just seems rather convenient that they happen to find anda here, about to fight against Altran.”
Skye shook his head wildly. “You know, Gunnar, you're rather cynical for a young man. It's not good to be so cynical of the world.”
“Hmmmphhh.”
They walked back in silence, Gunnar brooding about his so-called cynicalism and thinking about the meaning behind the incident of the Eye. Skye was also thinking, but instead of the Eye, he was again thinking of his friend, Ferral, and his beloved, Kleryssa.
Once they arrived back at the dormitories, Skye found himself yawning once more. “I'm going back to sleep, wake me up when the Dragonlord and his acquaintances get here.”
Skye had asked Lord Treylk to refer the visitors to the lounging-room, so he could get a minuscule amount of sleep before they arrived.
They would probably be anxious to meet him, and plus, Skye wanted to appear capable in front of the God and well rested, lest the Stardust Dragon thought he wasn't fit to command against Altran.
Thus Skye fell, fully robed, onto the make-shift tempat tidur in the dormitories and went to sleep almost instantly, thinking of nothing but to be back in Kaladacia with Kleryssa and Ferral.