G. Kelly - Sword and Circle

“Eventually though there were fewer and fewer wanted to flee, because those who did never returned and now we know why. The Tals always guard what’s theirs with fierce jealousy, Serres, but ten years ago the darkness began.”

Again, Jaxon paused for drink, and he drew in a deep breath.

“At first we heard stories. Stories of strange people going about the land preaching of the coming of some ancient god named Ramoth. We laughed, we couldn’t believe it, who would?”

Gawain glowered darkly, and feeling his muscles tense, Elayeen squeezed his hand under the table. “Who indeed.”

“The overseers said that everyone laughed at them at first. And in one province, in the north, up by the mountains which can’t be crossed, not only did folk laugh, but the Tal of the province ordered his guard to butcher the Ramoths and put an end to it. So they did. Then they said about a month later, another group of them arrived, chanting and such. And so the Tal sent out his guard again. But this time, a great winged beast swept over the guards as they advanced, a dark creature upon its back showering black fire down upon them, destroying them utterly.

“They say that the beast and its rider then turned, and followed the road to the great house of the Tal, and it made pass after pass, raining down the black fire, until the house and all within were destroyed. Soon, these Ramoth were everywhere, they said, in all provinces. And any who opposed them suffered the same fate.

“Later, we heard that in one of the far western provinces, the Talguard brought down one of these winged creatures with a storm of arrows, and destroyed it, and though they suffered great losses, finally destroyed its rider. There was a great celebration, word spread that the winged death wasn’t immortal or invincible. More and more Tals ordered their guards to arms against these Ramoths, burning their towers, and with great bows fashioned to shoot mighty arrows high into the skies, began bringing down the beasts all over the empire when they came to defend the Ramoths or exact revenge.

“Even in our own province, we heard that a tower was fired, and that the Talguard destroyed the winged revenge sent by this so-called god.”

Gawain shared a look with Allazar, which did not go unnoticed by Tyrane.

“But then everything changed. In the north, guardstones appeared, encircling whole provinces. No-one knew what they were to begin with, until of course they were crossed. As soon as they were, the darkness came. Often, it was winged riders. But they were vulnerable. More and more, instead of dark riders it was strange creatures, dark wizard-made. The overseers said that they were made in the Ramoth towers still standing, and unleashed to patrol the guardstones, to destroy any that crossed between them.

“Sometimes, the guardstones failed, they said, you could tell because they turned to dust, or crumbled like stale cake. Then they could be crossed without alerting the darkness. Mostly though, to cross between them meant death.

“Swords and arrows were no use either, as they were no use today, though in truth none of us have ever seen such a creature as today, looking like a man, deceiving us all. Over the years the talk of Ramoth and strange gods ceased, but the towers stood and those within the towers commanded the darkness, made all manner of evil and with it began to hold all Goria in thrall.

“They say that the Emperor lives in a vast walled city of gold, called Zanatheum, as far to the southwest as anyone can travel. They say that when the darkness first came the Tals sent word to the Emperor begging for help from his legions, but none came. Later it was said that the Emperor closed all the city gates, and that no-one can leave or enter except by ship at the sea gate. I wouldn’t know about that, slaves of Armunland never travelled except within the province, we only know what was told to us.

“About three years ago the darkness spread. Copses, woodlands, marshes, even thickets and brambles might become home to it. A copse where once it was safe to roam or hunt or take shelter from the weather would suddenly become home to the darkness, and anyone foolish enough to venture near would be destroyed by whatever lurked in there.

“At night, first sheep and then shepherds would be snatched away by some flying shadow. Soon even the Talguard shared tales with us of what they had learned from merchants or seen with their own eyes. We all lived in fear, even the guard, and slowly all of us together began looking to the mountain in the east.

“But then we got word from the Talguard that guardstones had appeared along the banks of the Eramak which marked Armunland’s eastern border, and we knew our only hope of escape had been cut off. A few days later, a great winged beast, bigger than anything we thought could possibly fly, landed in the courtyard of the Tal-house, a rider on its back. We saw great streamers of lightning rise up from within the walls, though there were no clouds and no rain. Then, later, the great beast and its rider rose up from within the walls, and flew towards the wild forests in the southwest.

“The Talguard said this was the Salaman, one of the great makers of the darkness, come to command fealty from the Tal. To cross the Salaman’s guardstones would mean death. But there were fifty-six of us, Serres, who planned to flee, including our overseers and half a dozen of the Talguard. The Talguard brought weapons, slowly, stockpiling them in the sheds where we kept our tools, not far from the fields we worked. We could see the Eramak from there. We made our plans, deciding we would take a chance, all of us together. We knew the darkness, whatever it was, might get some of us, but the rest would make it across the river, and from there, to Raheen.”

Jaxon stopped, and took a long pull from his tankard. The air in the room seemed to grow chill, night was falling, and Allazar moved quietly to light the lamps and candles. Amazingly, he left the Dymendin staff propped against the wall by his chair while he did so.

“Sorry, Serres, I’ve not spoken so many words in longer than I can remember.”

“You speak well, Simayen Jaxon.” Gawain said encouragingly. “Which is your preferred name? The first or the last?”

Jaxon smiled nervously. “Friends just call me Jaxon. Simayen is the worker-family name given to me by the overseers. Simayen was the name given to the lands I worked. We are all Simayen, all of us who fled, and all of us who survived. The Namayen worked the lands to the north of the Tal-house, the Osmayen to the west, and the Talmayen worked within the walls of the house itself. ”

Gawain nodded as the wizard took Jaxon’s tankard, refilled it from the barrel at the bar, and returned to sit at the table.

“Thank you.” Jaxon said, and took another sip before continuing.

“So. We made secret plans to rush through the stones, and charge across the river. Packs and bags were made for carrying food and spare clothes, the Talguard even got new boots for us all, a gesture of good faith they said, and we knew it to be so. Not even the cruellest of guards would waste good boots to set a trap for slaves.

“Then, when we were gathering to decide which day would be our last in Armunland, a great gasp of dread went up, and we looked south towards the sea, and saw the Salaman, riding his great winged beast. We thought we had been betrayed, all of us, but the maker of the darkness flew high, clear across the Eramak, towards Raheen!

“That was when we decided to go, there and then. We fetched our packs and bags and food and weapons, and with our new boots upon our feet, all of us together fled through the guardstones and into the waters of the Eramak. We thought perhaps the darkness might be awaiting us in the waters, but in all the stories we had heard, we never heard of water-creatures. When we emerged on the free bank, all of us, none lost to the broad and swirling river, we thought then that the darkness would take us there on the dry land.