The Fire Gem (2)
Nick had terror set upon him, for he knew that the figure was watching them right now, for Nick cold feel its (what ever it was) eyes watching him. Neither did he like the thought of Joey walking alone in the dark tunnel, with a sagorn or one of the even worse creatures which were carved on the walls, following him into the darkness. "I am Vilovin , Nick Thomas." "What!" "what is it Nick?" "Er nothing, I thought I heard a voice" "You sure your okay Nick" "Yeah, yeah, it was just a-an echo in my mind" "An echo? What echo?" " It was "I am Vilovin, Nick Thomas" "Haven’t you thought that you and him are related?" "What?" "Well, for one thing the grave said Vilovin Thomas and your father goes by the name Gilovin, and its Vilovin is it not?" "But Deasater said that he was a great warrior, and there was nothing else to tell." "Deasater had to think long and hard about what she said." "No. Deasater would not lie to me." Just then, they heard a feint rumble. "What is that?" whispered Richard. "Its not good" Nick whispered back." RUN!" They turned, and ran as Joey came running towards them, with an army of skeletons behind them. The skeletons were gaining on Joey, for he was not a very fast runner. " NO! Not Joey!" Richard got some rope, lassoed it onto a stalactite and swung round over the skeletons. "Come on Joey" he yelled" Jump!" Joey jumped with all his might, and managed to grab on. Richard jumped with Joey and ran , holding tiny Joey. "C’mon" Nick yelled, as they jumped into the chamber. Deasater was not there. So they kept on running through the Chamber. But they stopped as they saw an army of Sagorns facing them. They looked one way, and then the other. There was the skeletons, there was the Sagorns. They were trapped. Nick kneeled on the floor, while a Sagorn aimed an arrow at his head. "Where were you Deasater? Where were you?" The arrow soared through the air. Nick looked up. "Why did Gilovin have to die!" The arrow was a moment away from hitting Nicks head, when a sword swooped down. Nick saw the reflection of his eyes in the sword, saw it gleam in the light, and felt its power. He had never felt such a feeling, a feeling of hope. Gilovin’s sword had given him luck. It had saved his life. He then saw a hand holding the sword. It was the figure he had seen in the shadows. The figure grabbed Nicks hand and pulled him through the grave of Vilovin When Nick came to senses, he saw someone facing him. "Who are you?" The figure just stared at him. "Who are you?" Nick repeated. "What do you want with me?" "To talk you" "About what" "You will find out soon enough" "And the only way you can talk to me is beneath a grave." "I saved your life!" "and stole my sword" "Here it is" "Thank you" "Do you know any one by the name of Gilovin Thomas?" Nick stared at the stranger. "Yes. I did." "What do you mean?" "I mean-I mean-I can not say." "Will you not tell Gilovin’s own father?" Nick was amazed. "What is your name?" " You will know some day" "Well I mean-I mean that Gilovin is dead." The stranger look startled at the news. "Oh . After all these years, I never got to see him again. Then again he was never mine." "What do you mean?" "Let me tell you a story. A very bad man stole a baby boy of Saebane. But the evil man died in battle, leaving this little baby all alone. But a man found the baby, and kept him as a son, for he only had one, and he wished for two." Nick understood. "You are my grandfather. Or my step Grand father." he said. "And I am Vilovin Thomas" "You live under your own grave" "Yes. I do" " My father talked of you, but never told me your name." "I wonder why" "We might never know?" "I thought you were dead. "I came down here to retrieve something" "What" "The very thing you are holding right now." Nick looked at his sword. " I took it from Gilovin when he died" "I told Gilovin never to go here. I should not of told him of the sword." "Why did you not come out of here" "I was trapped. The Sagorns and Skeletons kept me prisoner." "Were you the person watching me in the shadows?" "Yes I was. Er you would like to go er back now" Suddenly Nick remembered what Deasater had said. "Is there nothing else to be told?" "No. I know no nothing more." Chapter Four The Medal of The Sacred Order "She lied to me " "Who?" "I thought I had her trust. Eighteen years I’ve known her, and I never even gained her trust. Man, I must be a failure. If I can’t even gain Deasater’s trust" "Deasater, eh." "Yeah" "Saebanes daughter?" "Yes-" Nick just then took into head that he was Saebanes grandson, that Gilovin was Deasater’s brother, and that him and his father had been lied to from ever since Gilovin had been found by Vilovin. "My father, and me, have nothing to do with you. We are not related to you, and you have lied to Gilovin son of Saebane. He would have been Xasane, if it was not for you. Why did you not return him?!" "I could not have given away my second son. I had to have two!" "Two your lucky number, eh. According to the order, I would have been your favourite, Jaesane the second." "Nick-" "Do not call me that name. For it is not it!" "It is!" "It is not! You know the Sacred order. Jaesane then a whole load of others, then Raesane, then Saebane, then Xasane, then Jaesane the second! That is me! That is my name. Get me out of here, then stay away! When Nick, or Jaesane got out, he saw Richard and Joey sitting in the corner. "Hi" They looked up at him. Then he looked around and saw why they were surrounded by Sagorns. "This is the sword of Xasane. I am Jaesane the second. Here is my Medal of the sacred order to prove it!" Nick held up a Medal of Silver, which he had had since he was a baby, though he did not know how he had got it. On the way up from under Vilovin’s grave, he had asked if this was a medal of the sacred order, and the answer was "Er yes , yes that is" Richard and Joey stared at him. The Sagorns fled. "Where the heck did you get that?" "I’ve had it since I was a baby." "Neat trick man. It is a fake isn’t it?" "No" "Then how the hell did you get it. It is a fake isn’t it Nick?" "I have been beneath the grave of Vilovin - 3 -Thomas and been told what my real name is. It is not Nick." "It’s not Jaesane the second though, is it?. So what is it?" "It is." "But how the heck how?" "My father is Sae bane’s son. The one that was kidnapped." "So did Vilovin steal ‘im. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘e did, looks like the right kind of fella, all hidden in the shadow of a black hood. That’s what a bad guy is in all the good stories" "No. Another person stole Xagane and was killed in battle. Vilovin found him." "Did Vilovin know that Gilovin was er Xagane. "Yes" Joey and Rich both stared at Nick, then kneeled on the floor next to him. "Lord Jaesane, oh my God, it’s Jaesane the second, Holy Mumu, its Lord Jaesane!" "Just call me Nick, could you?" "Sure, what ever, Lord Nick, praise Lord Nick" "No, just Nick!" "Okay, gotcha, Nick." "Finally. Where’s Deasater?" "Dunno I-" "Here I am" "Oh, hello" Nick said coldly "Where you been?" "I went to met Vilovin" "Vilovin Thomas?" "Yes" "I thought he was dead" "So did I, but I have just discovered he's alive." "And where were you before that?" "What do you mean?" "I mean that I met him too. And you weren’t there." "I was following him. Then he disappeared, until he came back." "Oh. You know me and Vilovin talked of many things. Of my past. "Nick" "Of my father." "Please" "Of who he really is" "Listen to me" "And of who I really am. "You do not understa-" "And you said he was a great warrior, and that you knew nothing more. That wasn’t quite Vilovins understandmunt" "Nick" "Did you know? Did you know about who your brother is, and who my step grandfather, and my real one?" Deasater looked at Nick. "Yes. I did." "You lied to me-" "Nick!" "Stay away! I don’t need a guide, who lies!" I always thought I could trust you. But know. I can’t." " If you do not want me to be your guide I shall not." "Nick-" "Shut up Richard!" "Good bye!" For many days they went, without Deasater. Although Nick was not too sure of whether he had made the right choice dismissing Deasater, for she was a great guide, Nick was glad he had got her away. He might have lied about how much pocket money he should have had, but never something quite like that. He would not hurt some one like that. "Hello." Nick turned round and saw a hooded figure. "Are you the person who killed my father?" " Speak that again, Nick Thomas." "You may call me by that, but it is not my real name." "I know. Your real name is Jaesane the second." "How do you know" said Nick, wondering how this stranger could know both his name and his real name. "I have just been told by my father" answered the stranger. "I now am ashamed by him" " Why is that?" "For I am Kilovin Thomas, his son. His only son. I thought differently before now." "So did I. I thought you were my Uncle." "And now will you answer my question" " I will. I said are you the man who killed my father?" "So he is dead then. Grief has been set upon me. Now I will answer yours. I would not kill your father for the whole of Karoma." "What do you want with me?" "To ask to come with you. You have no guide now." "How do you know my guide has left me?" "I have been watching you." "Very well" They walked for many miles. Two months had passed since Kilovin had joined them. Richard and Joey liked Kilovin very much, for he could be mysterious, but also a good laugh. One day Joey said "Will we ever get out of this darkness?" "We will reach the end in two days" said Kilovin "No. We will not. We will be stuck in here for ever" Joey sighed hopelessly. "Do not give up hope. I know you like to eat, and we do not have very much food, but soon you will be rewarded from your adventure through the first two waterfalls, by the merry feasting of the Dwarves of Hotoa" " Yes, just think." Said Joey, his mouth watering. Then suddenly, there was a rumble. "What is that, Kilovin?" whispered Nick. "I do not know but it sounds most like" "Sagorns!" yelled Richard, as a whole army of them came down the tunnel. "Run!" cried Kilovin. Nick stared at him. "Run!!" Kilovin yelled, and Nick ran, with Joey and Richard behind him. A arrow came whistling towards Nick, which he only just managed to dodge, and a few more came, from all around, with a very large and sharp spear with it. Nick noticed what looked like a cave. "In there", he said, pointing to the others, they quickly hid in it, making it look like they were going round a corner. All the Sagorns were surprised when they saw they was no corner. "What about that cave" one said croakily "I’ll look" said another " I haven’t had the chance to kill anything for ages" "Eh, not so fast, I spotted it!" "I say its my turn for once" said yet another, and with that a fight broke out, which (luckily) gave Nick Joey and Richard a longer time to find a hiding place. "Ah, it’s so hard to see in this light" "Yeah, but if don’t find a place soon, will be Sagorn Supper" "Hey, what’s that! There’s a hole there, its not too deep, c’mon , quick!" whispered Nick with terror that they might be found. They quickly piled into the hole, but only just in time. "There not here." "Yes they are you thick Sagorn, there hiding in the shadows some where" "Where then?" "Oh you were right well-" "See! You’re the thickie!" "But they must be in here some where!" "Stay quiet Joey, as quiet as can be!" whispered Nick. However this is the complete opposite of what Joey did "Kilovin!" he yelled "Help us!" "The Sagorns instantly discussed the call. "It came from over there!" shouted one of the Sagorns. "Well lets go and look ‘en, shall we. The Sagorn came and looked. "Ah, theres a hole here, and I think some ones down there" "I can’t see nothing" said another Nick got back into the darkness as much as possible " I can. He’s right down there. Little feller, looks as though we could sacrifice him, an’ he’d be quite nice." Joey was looking up at them with utter and complete fear. "Pretend to be dead" Nick whispered to Joey. Joey took the advice and looked limp and his eyes looked as though they were frozen, for Joey was a good actor. "There dead!"
Copyright © 2002 Hamish Roberts |