Eranithia: Prophecies: Chapter 14

Chapter 14

After a couple hours of rest, Garandol said they needed to get going. Mark had barely been able to keep his eyes closed. The attack from the spawn of Tharoth had kept his adrenaline pumping. He knew he'd be feeling it later but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

Arland returned from the river, dripping wet. He'd been searching the past two hours for Mark's lost sword.

“Did you find it?” Mark asked.

Arland shook his head sadly. “I'm sorry, Mark. The river must have buried it beneath the rock.”

Mark sighed, then said, “Thanks anyway. I wouldn't want you to search too long knowing what kind of beasts live in there.”

Mark knelt at Jennifer's side, shaking her gently to wake her up. Sitting up quickly, her face looked pale and she was drenched with sweat.

"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling her head. She was as cold as ice.

"I feel a little sick. I probably just need more rest.”

"You sure?"

Smiling at him she said, "I'll be fine."

“I'll pack your things for you,” he offered.

“Thanks.”

Helping her to her feet, Mark noticed her limping as she walked, but he didn't say anything. He figured she was probably still hurt from first turning her ankle on the dwarf skull, then from getting her foot lodged between the two rocks at the bottom of the river. Either way, Mark didn't think it was a major injury. He took her arm and put it around his shoulders. She looked at him, smiling, grateful for his help. Just because it wasn't a serious injury didn't mean it didn't hurt. He sat her down on the boulder, then quickly packed her bedding for her.

As they followed the river, Arland kept an eye on the water in case another giant serpent decided to try and make a meal of one of them.

Garandol led the way as Arland brought up the rear. Mark supported Jennifer as she limped along. She was in a sad state, but she didn't complain much. Even though a couple hours ago she'd said she wanted to go home again, Mark had a feeling she hadn't meant it, that she had said it merely out of stress due to what she'd gone through.

Jennifer suddenly felt heavier. She wasn't supporting her own weight at all anymore. Mark saw she was even paler than than before. Then she threw up on the rocks in front of them.

"Jen, what's wrong?"

She wasn't answering. Mark laid her down and Arland joined them, kneeling at her side. Mark put her pack behind her head.

“What happened?” Arland asked.

“I don't know, she just threw up. She hadn't been looking good since I woke her up.”

"Garandol!" Arland called him back to them. “What were her symptoms when you woke her?” he asked Mark.

“She was kinda pale, sweaty, but felt cold as ice.”

"Check her for any injuries other than her turned ankle," Garandol said, when he finally rejoined them.

Mark went to her feet, pulled off her wet shoes and socks then set them next to Garandol. Garandol waved his hand over the shoes, drying them instantly. Mark gasped when he saw her foot had turned purple.

“Why is her foot purple?” Mark asked as he felt the blood drain from his face.

Garandol looked at her foot, then lightly turned it over, searching for something. His eyes seemed to rest on two marks on her ankle. Mark looked closer at the marks and saw that they were puncture wounds.

“What did that?”

“The serpent in the river,” Garandol said. “It bit her while she was in its coils. We need to get her to Seth as soon as possible. Only he can heal this. Neither Arland nor I have enough power to heal this bite,” Garandol said urgently. Then he put her shoes in the pack he'd been carrying for Jennifer.

“Climb on my back, sis,” he said.

"I'm sorry," she said in his ear as he lifted her onto his back to carry her.

"For what?" he asked, following close behind Garandol.

"For always being the problem. I'm always getting hurt or into some kind of trouble."

"Jen, if these things didn't happen, I wouldn't be able to help you. It's forcing me to stand up. You were right about me. I'm stronger than I admit.”

She kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For being the greatest brother any girl has ever had."

Mark smiled as he continued following Garandol. If there was one thing he would be grateful for in this adventure, it would be the strengthening of his relationship with Jennifer. They were becoming closer than they'd been in a long time.

About an hour later Garandol pointed and said, "There's the end. Just beyond that light is the foot of the Blood Mountains.”

They began to pick up the pace knowing they were almost to the end. Mark began to sweat, but he didn't complain since Jennifer still felt lighter than she should. He also knew it would make him stronger in the end.

Mark hadn't noticed it himself, but over the week they'd been traveling, the strength he'd felt that first night was beginning to show outwardly. The muscles in his arms and legs had grown and hardened, his stomach was tighter as he began to grow a decent six-pack, even his facial features had seemed to harden. More and more he began to look like a soldier, rather than the teenage boy who fell into a strange land.

It wasn't long before they were at the cave mouth, about to enter the forest again. They all longed for sunlight, fresh air and a softer terrain. The rocks had grown wearisome to them all.

Garandol stopped them at the opening, waving at them to stay back and hide in the darkness.

"I'll make sure it's safe first," he said, then stepped into the light and out of sight.

Arland stood in front of Mark and Jennifer at the mouth, just off to the side, out of the light.

Garandol returned a few minutes later saying, "It's clear. Come, let's find Seth."

As they stepped out into the sunlight, they squinted at the brightness. After two days of being underground their eyes weren't used to such natural light. Mark wished he'd been wearing sunglasses the day they were taken from their world, but they were always underneath an overhang of some sort, so the sunglasses were probably in his backpack.

Mark began to wonder what his and Jennifer's friends were thinking. Did they notice they were gone? Did they care? Of course they were worried about Jennifer, she was popular. He doubted many people noticed his absence.

He even wondered what Rene and his goons thought when he and Jennifer disappeared before they could catch them. He wanted to smile at the expressions they must have had on their faces. Those dumbfounded looks they always wore when he would say something to confuse them. It always made the situation worse for him, but he figured if they were going to pound on him he might as well get some kind of jab in. And mental jabs were his specialty.

Mark repressed a grin since now wasn't the proper time to be thinking about his home world.

Garandol stopped them suddenly, stretching his arm out in front of Mark, as someone stepped out from behind a tree. A man in military clothes. He was from Arnath's army. Garandol looked as if he were going to attack him, but stopped himself as he saw the soldier's hands up in surrender.

"Stay here," he said to Mark and Jennifer. "Arland, come with me. Mark, protect your sister."

“Let me down,” Jennifer said.

Once Jennifer was on her feet again, she pulled out her sword and handed it to him. Sword in hand, Mark scanned the trees around them. Arland followed Garandol, readying his bow.

"Please, don't shoot," the soldier pleaded.

Mark could hear the fear in his voice, but he didn't care. For all he knew this was the one who killed Timberfoot.

"You are Broc, General of Arnath's army, are you not?" Garandol asked, anger in his voice.

"I am, but please. I don't really know what is going on."

Mark wished he could see the soldier's face, but Garandol and Arland blocked him from sight.

"Arland, shoot him. We can't keep him alive.”

Mark was surprised at Garandol's hastiness in wanting the man dead. But he wasn't sure if he disagreed with him either. If he was Arnath's top General, Arnath would eventually send troops to recover him.

“No! Please, have mercy!” Broc pleaded.

Mark stepped forward without thinking and shouted, "You killed Timberfoot!"

"No, I didn't. He's alive," Broc said quickly.

"Liar!"

"No, please, let me prove it to you!" he said.

The silence of the woods added to the already building tension. Finally seeing Broc's face, Mark saw the sincerity in his eyes. He thought this man may be telling the truth.

Garandol must have seen it too, so he nodded to Broc.

Broc called out, "Timberfoot, please show yourself!"

They felt the heavy footsteps of a giant coming towards them and stood ready to take on an evil giant if they had to. Then the giant came out from behind the large rocks that lined the mouth of the cave they had just come out of. There stood the battered, but very much alive, giant called Timberfoot. He smiled down at them even though he had many cuts on his arms and legs, and a black eye. He seemed proud of his battle wounds.

"Timberfoot!" Mark said, almost as if a lost dog had returned to him.

The giant waved with his dumb, kind smile. The others looked back at Broc. They had to believe him. Timberfoot was still alive, the Forsaken were nowhere to be seen and Broc was surrendering himself to them.

"Bind him,” Garandol said. “We will decided what to do with him later. Mark get your sister. We must hurry to find Seth. But first, Arland, search Broc's mind to make sure he's not hiding something from us."

Arland put his bow and arrow away, then walked up to Broc, placing his index and middle fingers on Broc's temples and his thumbs on his forehead, then closed his eyes. A few seconds later he let go, bound him with rope from his pack and brought him to Garandol.

"He was childhood friends with Arnath and helped build an army loyal to him. But he has no memories of the past ten years. Someone has definitely tampered with his mind."

"Thank you, Arland," Garandol said still staring at Broc. Then he turned Broc around and made him march forward. "We will see what Seth wants to do with you."

"But Seth's dead," Broc said with a hint of fear in his voice, turning his head slightly.

"You fool. Do you really believe that's true? You're only remembering the things that Arnath put in your head. He wants all of Eranithia to believe that. He wants them to believe he killed the one responsible for the death of his brother and the queen. But as you know, Arnath was the one who killed them."

"Of course I know that. Anyone close enough to Arnath knows that."

"But what you don't know is that Seth is stronger than Arnath in every way. It was only because of Seth's state of distraught that he wasn't able to kill Arnath and avenge his parent's death.”

Broc walked in silence as Garandol reminded him of this piece of recent history. Then Garandol stopped suddenly, again, holding up his hand to stop them. He held his staff out ready to fight if need be, but then he relaxed as if he knew something they didn't.

"We are friends, the only foe is bound," Garandol called out into the woods, lowering his staff.

Mark looked around at the many trees for someone to come out but no one showed themselves for a long moment. He began to wonder if the old man had finally lost his mind. Then, behind them, a man stood up from behind a large bush. Staring wide-eyed at him, Mark observed his large muscles, rippling as he gripped a large wooden staff, his long scraggly beard, his animal skin clothes. He looked like he'd lived alone for years. Mark felt safe to assume this was Seth.

Garandol stepped up to the man, stretching out his hand. They grasped each other by the forearms firmly.

"Garandol, what brings you to these horrid mountains?" he asked in a deep, sad voice.

"I will explain everything in due time. We have quite the tale for you. First, introductions must be made."

Garandol led the bearded man to them and said, "Arland you know. These two strangers are brother and sister, twins, from another world."

Seth looked at him, then back at Mark and Jennifer.

"They are the twins?" He sounded unbelieving to Mark. But whether Seth was doubting that they were the ones prophesied about or if the prophecy was even true, Mark couldn't tell. Either way, Seth was going to be a tough one to convince.

"Yes, this is Mark and Jennifer. Mark, Jennifer, this is Seth."

Jennifer stood close to Mark. He saw a look of uncertainty on her face. Like she was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"It's nice to meet you," she said.

Seth didn't know how to respond at first but then bowing his head he said, "It is my pleasure to meet you milady. Forgive my staring, but something is familiar about you," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I was thinking the same thing about you," she said.

Mark looked Seth over but didn't see anything familiar about him. Seth then stepped forward and took her hand and kissed it. Jennifer blushed slightly as she smiled back. Neither she nor Mark were used to these kinds of greetings, although, Jennifer seemed to enjoy it at the same time.

Seth then turned to Mark and reached out his hand. Mark went for his hand but Seth grasped his forearm like Garandol had and squeezed. Mark returned the squeeze as tightly as he could but could tell that Seth could barely feel it.

"You have done well protecting your sister," he said. "You must be stronger than your appearance first led me to believe. Forgive me for judging too quickly."

"Thank you, and of course I forgive you. Garandol said you are a healer."

"The old man says many things," he said, sounding bitter.

"Are you?" Mark urged.

"Healer is a title for someone more worthy, but I do have the power to heal wounds that most magic cannot."

"Jennifer was bit by a snake in the Palina River."

Mark saw urgency strike Seth's eyes. He looked at Jennifer's foot and knelt down immediately. Mark saw her foot was turning black. Seth looked back at him and then to Jennifer.

"How long ago?"

"A few hours. Maybe five."

"It's still early, but we should go now," he said. Then picking her up himself, Seth carried her through the woods to his cabin.