Manifestation: the Coming Dark/Chapter 17

"Why do you persist in resisting us, human?" the necromancer said, turning his head so his eyes pierced through me. I felt then as if he was reading my soul.

In the hour since Jano had read the courier's letter, the world had been turned on its head. I wondered not for the first time what had become of the De'me'thar and the casters outside the city.

Their absence did not bode well. Only three things came to mind: they fled in terror, they were destroyed by the advancing hordes utterly, or, the worst possibility, they had accepted service under the Uncreator. I could not deny that that possibility remained. In spite of all of the work that Tralin and I had done to bring the world to peace, the habits of centuries may have been impossible to break. Many had died from our side since their arrival and few on theirs, so though I was reluctant to answer the Brilhado's call for parley, I knew that nothing was to be gained by failing in protocol now. They were not going to be taken off guard if I continued fighting and, by parleying, at least I had time to think.

"You shall not have this city... while even one remains here to hold it against you," I said with a confidence that was entirely artificial.

The Brilhado necromancer laughed aloud; it was already a given that he would attempt to call my bluff. I only hoped that I could back up my claim, a shallow hope for I knew the power of these creatures.

"We shall take the city, we shall take the mountain gate, and indeed we shall take the mountain. We seek the entry to the Deep and we shall have it!"

"What is he talking about?" I asked, turning to Jano. "What is this Deep?"

"I, um...." Jano looked guilty and I knew from previous dealings that this meant that he had been keeping something from me. "It was what I was trying to tell you when we first learned the necromancers were advancing. I learned about it when you were in Vandar. It is an added punishment and enticement of the mountain gate."

"Jano!" I said, frustrated with his slow and evasive answer. He knew as well I we did not have the time to draw the conversation out.

"Long ago, the Drakel mined the mountain, but a great number of beasts came out from the depths unexpectedly. Creatures of myth and legend. Things unlike the world has ever seen. Primal elementals, and some odd paraelementals. Creatures that drew on the rawest power of the elements. Thereafter, they started using the mountain gate to exile prisoners they wished to be kept from the world, for it allowed no escape. The mountain itself is impassible and leaving it means going through the city, unless they brave the ancient passes and the Deep."

"Hah," the necromancer laughed with malice. "Your knowledge of the Deep is better than that, human. Tell your governor what it is... Tell him why it entices the Drakel explorers still. Why they guard it and why we shall have it."

I looked at Jano, knowing that the Brilhado manipulated the situation to his own gain but not caring. If something was being hidden from me, I had to know, and I had to know now.

"What is it...? What are you keeping...?"

"You are mistaken, servant of The'Galin!" came a voice from below, and I recognized it with a start as that of Kithia. What was the queen doing here?

Even as I said it, I recognized who it was that was keeping me in the dark, and it was not Jano, it was the king.

"Jano is not aware of the nature of the Deep, for I have ordered it kept from him," came a second voice, the king's. Tralin too had returned to K'eld Ner more quickly than I could have imagined. I looked down and saw a heartening sight: an army of De'me'thar and Casters as well as the Derenian Guard marched under the king's command. He had brought the cavalry. "You shall not have it.... regardless."

"You cannot stop me, Drakel king. The humans you have chosen to defend and who unaccountably have chosen to hold your banner shall die and, even more assuredly, your own people shall not survive the wrath this time. You would hide what we seek and we shall have it."

"Would someone explain to me what this Deep IS!?" I yelled in frustration.

"Gladly, puppet governor. I shall lay to rest this deception. Where others will lie, from my mouth you shall learn the truth," the Brilhado said with a smirk.

"There was no lie," Tralin said, but the Brilhado was having none of this and merely laughed with even more force.

"The deep is a reservoir of creation," the Brilhado continued. "The Drakel discovered this about 200 years ago. Those creatures are born of the raw elements themselves, working without guidance of the powers. It is a pocket of the very fabric that Lorithia used to fashion the world. A major thread, and we intend to use it..."

"Raw creation?" I said dumbly. "You cannot possibly deal with raw creation! You are an elemental creature. Whatever your service, you are born of the Light Lord, you are light... You may have managed to become necromancers in spite of the illogical nature of that conflict... but you are elemental. Raw creation would destroy you utterly..."

"Of course we cannot, but a creature of the world can. A born creature...."

"The'Galin's avatar... " I said, the dark truth dawning. "The manifestation."

The Brilhado chuckled then, but I could not read the meaning of his laughter.

"This is why he wanted a physical form. So that he could destroy creation from within it..." I said, realizing that the Uncreator himself was somewhere in this army's ranks.

"Very astute, though not entirely correct. The'Galin was always part of your world. He was a born creature. He needed to take a new manifestation for different reasons. Raw creation is but part of the equation."

"This is pointless; you cannot survive the Deep.... The undead may be able to get through the dark, but even the most intelligent cannot help you through the shadow, as you are creatures of light. You shall perish long before you reach anywhere near the Deep, fallen one."

"Very good, Lizard King, our problem exactly. Observation will not save you, however. The'Galin himself will lead us through the shadows."

"The'Galin can twist darkness, but he cannot command the shadows with impunity..." I said, feeling on stronger ground here. "The Shadow Lord will never allow it."

"Indeed not? I think that he will allow much...." but he was called short by something.

"Enough discussion," a familiar voice called from the Brilhado encampment, and I saw a human form move from out of the masses of undead. "The time for talking is done. We shall gain access even if we need to level the K'eld and all within to do it. "

I knew then with sickening suddenness how it was that the Brilhado had come to K'eld Ner so quickly: they had known its location for some time indeed....

"How long?" I said angrily. "How long have you served this fully?" I knew we had been misled. Tralin was made out to be The'Galin's target when it was the Deep he wanted. Tralin had been wrong... I was surprised somehow by this mortality, though I knew I should not be.

"Did they not tell you that the Cold was persuasive? Yet they misled you too... made you believe there was a chance... The Cold had taken me before Draynor died."

"Myr..." Jano mouthed in dismay, and as he drew close, I recognized the Shadow Lord's communicant.

Myr laughed coldly. "I think, Lord Governor, that you will find the shadows obey me quite readily..."