Nethron (3)
Chapter 7 The Goblin I n the following days, Nethron and Muisick learned so many things about Magic, that they thought he might get them mixed up, and do something wrong. But they didnft. They learned how to cast a spell that would make boulders fall on the person that was the target of magic. They learned how to cast fireballs. They learned how to make their sword, or, in Muisickfs case, teeth, long as a tree, yet light as a feather. They learned how to blind their opponent, and heal blindness if they were the one blinded. They learned how to freeze and thaw someone. They learned so many more things than they thought could be possible. After one of these lessons, Sabian sat down to rest. gI will now tell you something very important about magic.h He paused. gEvery magician has a limit to how much magic he or she can do in a day. They do not know this limit, until the Ilya Istya Ingole tells them. When you are told, you will feel a slight pain pressing against the back of your eyes. Your eyesight will get blurry, and your head will feel cold. You will hear a voice in your head, telling you how many more spells you can cast until midnight. At midnight, your limit will be restored. It is always different, so be wise with your magic in battle.h gWhy didnft you tell us before?h Nethron asked. gYou would have not reached your limit.h Sabian answered. gOnefs limit is always at least fifty spells. They can reach up to ten thousand.h gWhat happens if you do magic after your limit is reached?h Muisick asked. gNothing.h Sabian answered. gNothing at all.h Three days later, Sabian brought Muisick and Nethron outside. gWe have another journey to take.h He told them. gWe travel this time to the home of the goblin.h gWhy?h Nethron asked. gWe will capture one to fight with you. You need experience with goblins, for you may meet many in your travels.h gAre they experienced with magic?h Muisick asked. gYes, but I will disannul his magical abilities.h Sabian paused. gAnd you are not to kill him, for if you do, we will have to capture another one for you to fight with.h He then said: gTana orco mar.h The ground split in two, and they started falling through blackness. The black then changed to brilliant light. They settle slowly onto the ground, which was strangely wet. Sabian hid behind a rock and said, gWait here with me.h They waited for hours. When Nethron thought he might ask what they were doing, to the south he saw a shape. It walked slowly, with a slight limp. It came closer, and Nethron could now tell what it was. It was a goblin. Sabian growled without moving a muscle. The goblin drew his sword without a noise and stood at the ready. Sabian jumped out from behind the rock and roared a huge roar so loud Nethron was tempted to plug his ears. But in midair, Sabian said, gLar!h and he stopped moving and settled onto the ground. gFornair?h He asked with a shaking voice. gYes! Is it you, Sabian?h The Goblin asked in a gravely voice. gYes.h Sabian answered. He turned to Nethron and Muisick. gThis is Fornair. I and Demoer trained with him. We became friends with him, which is very rare with Goblins. Demoer broke his leg, and, as you can see, he has had a limp ever since.h Nethron was feeling at a loss for words. gSo Sabian,h Fornair said. gIs it true that there is a new Roccar around?h gYes.h Sabian answered. gWhere is he?h Fornair asked excitedly. gYou see him in front of you at this very moment.h Sabian answered, motioning toward Nethron. Fornairfs mouth dropped open in surprise. gDoes he tell the truth?h He asked Nethron. gYes.h Nethron answered. gI shall be your trainer for the time being.h Fornair said. gNow let us go from this place into your place.h Sabian said something, and they all started rushing upward. The light turned into black. And then they were back in front of the door of Sabianfs cave. The ground closed in under their feet, and they were standing on solid ground again. Fornair taught Nethron and Muisick how to fight a goblin, and how to block its powerful spells. One day, Sabian addressed Nethron. gI have but four fortnights to live.h Nethron recalled that all Er Collindo Feryas can only live two thousand years after their Roccar dies. gIs there nothing you can do about it?h He asked. gNothing.h Sabian said sadly. gBut I can go with you for the beginning of your journey.h gWhere to this time?h Nethron asked. gThe last battle of the age.h Sabian replied. gI have seen it. It begins in nine weeks. You must be there to help. If you do not win against Xenith, no one else will.h Nethron started packing up the bare necessities for the journey. He and Muisick were saddened that Sabian would die in eight weeks. They were delighted, though, to hear that Fornair had decided to come too. gIfll be helpful in battle.h He said. Two days later, they started on their journey. Sabian gave Nethron a scroll before they left. gIt is the scroll of Human tongue translated into elvish.h He said. gYou and Muisick try to read it all, though I doubt you can. Anything you say in the elvish tongue will happen with magic.h gThank you.h Nethron said. gI will read as much as I can of it.h To Fornair, he gave a map that would help them on their journey. Fornair looked at it and traced their path. Nethron concluded that Goblins were good with maps. Sabian turned to Muisick and said, gAnd do not think that I forgot about you, my friend.h He took a huge suit of armor that matched Nethronfs and gave it to Muisick. gIt is as strong as dragonfs scales, yet as light as a feather. It is elf made.h gThank you,h Muisick said. gI shall cherish it.h The armor was the same color as Nethronfs, and left no place unprotected, except the tail. On Muisickfs neck was a belt with a place for Nethronfs sword and axe. Daggers were strapped on to the left side, and Jomonderfs bow on the right. When Nethron mounted, he noticed that it had been crafted so that everything was easily reached from the sitting position. Sabian lifted a paw to the west and said, gAnd now, my good friends, onward.h He led them west through the woods and fields, valleys and mountains. After twelve hours, they stopped at the city of Helont. This is where I was trying to get in the first place! He thought. Muisick had to stay outside of the city and meet them on the other side, for Xenith had soldiers in the town. The town was an excellent place to buy supplies. When they rejoined Muisick on the other side of the town, Muisick had a story to tell. gI was walking from the side opposite us to this side, when a shadow passed over me to my left. I looked left and saw a man riding a tiger. It was Xenith.h Nethron gasped. They had been discovered! But wait, Muisick had more to say. gI acted like a dumb hyena.h He said. gI went crazy and ran west. I think that I fooled him. He said to Zildian, eHyena, just a normal hyena.f But again, he might have said this to fool me. Either he is very good at tricking people and hyenas, or he didnft think me to be a Collindo.h gLetfs hope the latter is the case.h Sabian said grimly. gWe hope not to have them on our trail. We need the time that we travel for practicing.h They followed Fornairfs instructions to go north, and started their journey again. That night, they practiced with swords and Magic, and this time, Nethron learned how to throw the daggers that were in Muisickfs armor. After that, Nethron fell into a fitful sleep. Chapter 8 The Ror desert F ornair proved to be an excellent map reader. He never missed the slightest turn or curve, and they were soon halfway through their journey. There were many cities along the way, perfect for getting supplies. And when they were halfway through their journey, they encountered a huge desert. gThis is the Ror desert.h Sabian said. gIt should take us about a week to cross.h gHow will we get water?h Muisick asked. Fornair turned to Muisick and said, gMagic.h He took out his water skin and dumped it out. gNen!h He yelled. He turned the water skin upside down, and the water came pouring out of it all over again. gSee?h He asked. Nethron opened the saddlebag and got out his dictionary. He looked up water, and, sure enough, there was the word eNenf. gCool!h He said. They started on their journey, cutting northwest across the shortest part of the Ror. On the night of the second day of their journey, Sabian turned into a rabbit with giant ears and put his head to the ground. After a few moments, he said, gTheyfre after us. A group of about a hundred goblins are coming from the northwest, going southeast. They have a giant animal, probably a troll. No wait! Two trolls.h He lifted his ear from the ground and said, gTheyfll meet us tomorrow.h gWhat are we to do?h Nethron asked. gLet me think.h Sabian answered. Sabian thought for an hour, and then another half hour. Then he cried out, gIfve got it!h He stood up and yelled as loud as he could, gLELYA!h The ground shook, and there underneath Sabian was a tiny sprout. Sabian moved, to give way to the quickly growing plant. When it was about a mile in front of them, he yelled, gLar!h And it stopped growing. When the plant was fully at a rest, Nethron could see what it was. It was the blue moss from the mossy mountain. gBrilliant!h Nethron said. But Fornair didnft think it that brilliant. gWhen the first rows of goblins are eaten, the rest will not go on it.h A silence hung in the air. Sabian broke the silence by saying, gI will tell the moss not to eat them, until they are all on top of it. By the time they notice what is happening, they will be eaten.h gBrilliant!h Fornair said this time. They waited at the far edge of the moss for the goblins. After a half an hour, they saw a thin vibrating line on the horizon. It moved closer and closer until they could see the grotesque shapes of the goblins they were moving at a terrifying speed, and Nethron wondered how they cold keep it up. Fornair explained that goblins had high metabolisms. When the goblins could see them, Sabian told the others to act like they were afraid of the goblins. They all ran with the goblins close on their heels. When the goblins were all on the moss, Sabian said gMata!h The goblinfs feet kept moving, but their bodies stayed put. When they noticed this, they released a volley of arrows at Nethron and Muisick. They obviously wanted him. Nethron said, gLar lelya!h and the arrows stopped and went back at the goblins. This went on for a few minutes, until the moss let out a low groan, and the goblins started sinking into it. They sunk down until only their heads were visible. They were roaring and screaming, but there was nothing they could do. When only their hair was showing, the moss opened a huge hole and all the bones came spewing out, went twenty feet up, and stopped. They cracked in half, and started falling again. The bones stuck in the ground with the cracked ends facing down. gThis happens to all who get eaten by the moss of the mossy mountain.h Sabian said. gAfter two years, the bones are thrown upwards into space where they are broken by comets.h They continued their journey for another two days until they came to a river. gThis is the Mourning River.h Explained Fornair. gIf you dive to the bottom of it, the water ends and the world of the goblins begins. Be careful not to go too deep.h They swam across the Mourning River, careful not touch the bottom. On the other side, the river did not end in a slope, but cut off sharply. Moss grew on the rocks, making their journey easier. More and more plants grew on this side of the river, indicating the desert would end soon. To pass the time, Sabian talked about the plants. gThat green one with the blue flower on top to our left. The flower will heal any injury.h He picked a flower off the top of one of the plants. gCut your self on that briar, Fornair.h He said. Fornair did as he was told. Sabian squeezed the flower and a drop of juice went into Fornairfs mouth. The cut on Fornairfs hand put itself together and became normal skin again. Sabian stashed the flower in his pack. gIt may come in handy.h He said. Their discourse went on in this manner. Sabian talked of a small purple cactus that had spikes that would pierce dragonsf scales. He talked of a brown plant with hair growing so fast you could see it move. And lastly, he talked of the fine line of where the Ror ended. gThe sand of the Ror ends abruptly, and after that line grows tall pink grass. If you ever stand on both the grass and the sand at the same time, you will die instantly.h Nethron was surprised at the many interesting things in the Ror. There were so many things to learn. That night, Nethron was reading his dictionary, when he came across the word live, or the elvish equivalent, mare. gSabian,h He said. gCan you bring someone to life after they are most definitely dead?h gUsing magic?h Sabian asked. gYes.h Nethron replied. gNo!h He said with surprising force. gNever, never ever, do not try raising someone from the dead.h Nethron settled down to sleep, thinking of what Sabian had said. eNever, never ever, do notcf Ifll remember that. Chapter 9 Gemore N ethron awoke the next morning to a bright sunrise and a shining desert. He was the first one to wake up, so he decided to get breakfast for everyone. He lit a fire, found a pan in Sabianfs pack, found some meat, and found an edible plant that Sabian had told him about. The plant gave off a wonderful smell when it was cooked. Muisick awoke second. gGood morning, Tiny.h He said drowsily. gGood morning.h Nethron replied, tasting the plant that he had cooked. It was done so he started spooning it into bowls. gCan you wake everyone for me?h He asked Muisick. Muisick didnft move. He said something under his breath, and two pebbles lifted off the ground and one hit Sabian, and the other hit Fornair. They both woke up with a start. gWhofs throwing pebbles at us?h Fornair said quizzically. gIfm afraid that would be me.h Said Muisick, gBreakfast is ready. Come and eat.h While they were eating, Nethron thought of something. gSabian,h He started, gWhere will this battle take place?h Sabian took a bight of his meat before answering. gThe last battle will take place at the palace of Gemore. It is a greatly fortified city and fortress. No army has ever successfully invaded its walls. But on the other hand, no army as big as the one about to attack has ever tried.h Their meal went on in silence, until a crow squawked from overhead. It fluttered down and landed in the middle of the table. gNethron, Muisick, Sabian, Fornair, you must listen carefully.h It said. Nethron wasnft surprised he had spoken, he was used to it by now. gXenithfs troops are two leagues away from Gemore. You must hurry to the Palace before the enemy gets there.h Nethron started to pack up, but Sabian stopped him. gHow can we trust you?h He asked. The crow lifted her right wing and showed a place where no feathers grew. It was the shape of a throne with a lion and a cheetah on either side of it. Sabian set to work. gIt is the sign of the king of Gemore. Anyone who bears it must be loyal to the king or they will die.h When all was packed up, Sabian told Fornair to mount him. Nethron mounted Muisick, and the crow flew in between them. gI am Horm.h She said. They started off, going at a terrifying speed. They passed many plants that Sabian had not told them about, but he did not talk of them. He only tuned into a cheetah, and ran faster. He turned Muisick into a cheetah too. Soon, everything was a blur. He could just barely make out the line of the end of the desert, flying past. Horm kept up easily, without a sign of tiring. When Muisick told Nethron that he could go only a little bit more, Nethron spied on the horizon a glowing golden spot It was the golden gates of Gemore. They shone like the sun coming over the horizon, bringing a new day. The gates were gold, while the rest was gold and silver with gems embedded in its borders of bronze. Horm flew ahead and soon was alerting the gatekeepers to open the door. The door opened and they entered the palace. It was even more beautiful on the inside, yet more delicate and fragile. Servants brought a bucket of water for Muisick and Sabian, but they refused. gAfter we see the king.h Sabian said. A page ran as fast as he could to a hall where Nethron couldnft see; it was dark in the passage. Soon two robed characters entered the room. They had black and white robes on. As they drew closer, Nethron could see two things: they were women, for one. And the second thing he noticed was that one of them had no arms, and the other had only one arm and no toes. They approached Nethron and said, gHeal us!h Nethronfs mouth dropped open. He was a Firya Roccar, not an elessa! But soon he remembered what Sabian had said. gNever create things with magicch If he gave them what they wanted, he would be creating arms and toes. gI cannot.h He answered. gI would be disobeying the rules of magic.h Sabian gave him a glance that seemed to mean, gDonft let them fool you.h The two women looked at Nethron and said, gYou are wrong.h The one on the right brought out a scroll and gave it to Nethron. She opened it and pointed. Nethron looked where she was pointing, and read it. gOnly fools say that you canft create things with magich It read. gDonft let fools deceive you.h Nethron put the scroll back into the womanfs hand. gI have two questions for you.h He said. gFirst, are you trying to kill me and make Sabian look like a fool? And second, who wrote this scroll?h gThe answer to your first question is no and no.h said the first one. gAnd the answer to your second question is the good scholar Mear de Hurlt.h gThen I shall see him later.h Nethron replied firmly. gAnd now, if you would excuse me, the king is coming.h It was true. A man with a golden crown studded with rubies and diamonds was walking in. He wore a serious expression on his face, and his eyes never faltered. His garb was unusually plain for a king. gWelcome, Nethron, Muisick, and Sabian.h He turned to Fornair to look him over, and then turned back to Sabian. gWhy, did you bring this beastly creature?h He asked harshly. Fornair stood still for a moment, trying to hold in his anger. Nethron watched as his face seemed to explode, and he said slowly, gI am not a beastly creature! And Ifm not afraid to prove it!h He said this last part while drawing his sword. Sabian looked at Fornair and said, gI will handle this.h He turned to the king and said calmly, gFornair was I and Demoerfs trainer to help us conquer the goblins. He is now Nethronfs. He shall be good in battle, for the enemy goblins will not know why Fornair has turned on them. Now, will you tell us your name? I do not keep up on the kings of Gemore.h gI am Plenermty.h He said. Then he turned to Fornair and said, gMy apologies, Fornair.h Plenermty led them up some steps that where to their left. They came up on to a pinnacle, overlooking the land surrounding Gemore. Out to the east, they saw Xenithfs troops coming toward them, miles away. Down and a little to their left was a wall with a large, flat top. Soldiers stood on top of the wall, ready with bows. Catapults stood at regular intervals, ready and waiting to destroy the enemy. Hot tar was in buckets over a fire, waiting for a man to throw them over the wall. Horm flew up to them. gThe leader of the Goblins wishes to speak to you safely.h gHe shall have it.h Plenermty said. They waited at the gate for the goblin. He came after a while, and the gate was opened and shut behind him. gI am Wik, General of the goblins.h He said. gI ask for your surrender.h Plenermty shifted uneasily. gNo. But I do ask for yours.h Wik frowned. gNo. I can now leave.h The gates opened and Wik left, running quickly back to the other goblins. As the goblin army moved closer and closer, they could see more details. They had ten trolls, each pulling a battering ram. Five smaller trolls carried maces, swinging them with every stride. The goblins stretched for miles. They were at least a mile in length, and there was no telling how far they went. As they watched the goblins move closer, portion of goblins on the right side fell dead on the ground, arrows sticking in their chest. On a hill on the same side was a large band of centaurs, shooting bows and dodging arrows with inhuman speed. When a large portion of the goblins were dead, they ran on their horsefs legs toward the castle. When they came to the castle, Plenermty ordered the gates to be opened. When all the centaurs were in the castle, the one in the front came forward and addressed Plenermty. gFor many years, we have hidden in the forests and mountains, not showing ourselves to men. Since the last battle is at hand, we came to fight. On the way here, we picked up more to fight.h The castle doors opened again, and there on the outside stood a whole multitude of animals and creatures. There were fawns in the back, carrying no weapon but a large troll claw. Next were dwarves. They carried hammers and axes. After them was row after row of animals. There were beavers, skunks, badgers, squirrels, possums, groundhogs, rats, dogs, and giant mice. On one side of the small animals was a bear, and on the other side was a leopard. The animals and centaurs were welcomed, and they found positions. All the animals wore armor, and bore swords of unnatural proportions. As Nethron passed them, they gave him big toothy smiles, laying their sword at his feet. Nethron recognized this as a sign of allegiance, showing they would be faithful to the very death. When he came to the dwarves, they all bowed. Nethron frowned, but then he remembered what to do. He laid his sword on their soldiers, showing he accepted their proposal to fight for him. After a while, the ground trembled. It shook, softly at first, but then harder and harder, until even the strong dwarves were holding on to the floor. Nethron looked over the wall, and the ground moved on the outside of the city. It broke in lines, forming the shape of a huge man. It moved upward, and the hands came out, forming fingers. The arms did the same, and then the strong abdomen, and then the head. It was the huge shape of a giant. The giant sat up, one big eye as high as Nethronfs small one. The giant smiled at Nethron, and bowed his head. Nethron felt a sense of awe that he had met a giant. gI am Quin, the giant of the underground.h The giant said in a deep voice. He got up out of the dirt and pointed at the spot where he had lay. gAnd my wife is about to come.h A smaller giant rose out of the ground. Her hair shone red, and her cloths were wonderfully crafted. gI am Quept.h She said. The giants were found positions, given a club, and told to wait (giants are very impatient creatures). When the goblins were very close, one of them released an arrow at one of the Centaurs. The Centaur yelled, gLar lelya!h and the arrow sped back at the goblin that had shot it, and struck him through the heart. gFinally!h Quin muttered. Chapter 10 The Final Battle T he battle was fierce. The animals were excellent fighters, all having their own technique. The skunks sprayed the goblins, making them drop their sword and plug their nose. When the goblins did this, the skunks killed them with their sword. The badgers disarmed their opponent, in some mysterious way. They then killed the goblin. The squirrels got on a goblinfs head a thrust their fingers into its eyes. They then left the goblin to be killed by another animal. The leopard was just plain mean; he jumped on goblins, bit them and got another one. The bear had a very strange way of killing goblins. He would rear up like he was going to claw them, but then just fell flat on to of them, crushing their bones, and the broken end of their bones would do the work on their heart. After a while, Nethron saw why the bear didnft just bite or claw them; he had no claws or teeth. Nethron used everything he had learned in this battle, sword and magic. He did not use very much magic, he needed to save it for when he fought Xenith. Nethron was surprised at how good he had gotten. He had not noticed how he could do so much until now. The goblins fell like flies. Nethron did not ride Muisick, for he thought that they could cover more distance. Muisick saved his magic too, and used his teeth and claws. He noticed how sharp his teeth were, for he had never had sharp teeth when fighting Sabian. Goblins could not stand up to his fury. Sabian fought strangely. He would go up to a goblin and bare his teeth, and then he would change into another animal. When he did this, the goblins would be surprised and stunned for a second. Sabian would seize the chance, and jump on them instantly. Fornair would use magic and his sword. He would always use the same spell, for it seemed he could kill two goblins with one spell. In his spell, two goblins would get lit on fire, and then fell on the ground, dead. The giants could not use magic, only their clubs. Their giant clubs would kill at least four goblins at once. When the goblins had met the club, they were almost flattened. There were casualties on the good side too. A giant mouse was down, with two goblins lying dead around him. One centaur was down, killed by a troll. The troll was wounded too. Two badgers were down, squirming on the ground. A fawn was down, a rat was in two parts, and one possum was wounded but still fighting, another one dead. When an animal of one kind would die, the other of the same kind would get angry, and fight more and more fiercely. Fifty soldiers were dead, ten wounded.
Copyright © 2007 Adam Robinson |