The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 46
Oliver reached toward it in a flash but was unsure how to remove the creature. Another howl from above made him flinch.
Larkin made a low noise of pain in his throat.
Havid forced a hand to Larkin's mouth as he spotted what was happening and nodded to Oliver. He slowly reached a hand forward, grasping the thing by the head. It dug its huge pincers in deeper and Oliver was glad that Larkin's mouth was covered as blood seeped from the punctures.
"Yank it," Havid mouthed and Oliver nodded.
Repressing the bile that was rising in his throat, Oliver gritted his teeth and ripped the insect away from the skin. Larkin clapped a hand to the wound and Havid moved forward, keeping his palm forced against his mouth. Oliver flung the bug as far away from him as possible and it scurried off into a crevice.
Oliver dragged Larkin further back into the shadows and Havid released him with a look that warned him to keep quiet. Larkin breathed heavily through his nose, shutting his eyes tightly against the excruciating pain he was clearly in.
In a flash of movement, a warwolf dropped into the gully. Oliver was startled by its appearance, more lizard than wolf. The sheer size of it was enough to terrify anyone but the row of teeth that hung out of its long jaw was something else. Its thin, flat head had two protruding nostrils and though its gait was wolf-like its body was scaly and ice-white in colour.
Billy lunged at it with a knife but Quinn was quicker, sending a wave of fuchsia light at the creature. As the magic struck the warwolf it formed a hazy, twinkling light around its entire head. The animal yawned broadly then curled up and went to sleep.
"Get moving, stay in the shadows," Hector hissed.
They turned and moved single file under the cover of the overhanging snow.
"Are you okay?" Oliver whispered to Larkin.
"Okay? I'm okay. Definitely okay." His voice sounded strange.
"You sure?" Oliver asked, unconvinced.
Larkin stumbled a little and Oliver gripped his coat to steady him.
"Maybe we should stop?" Oliver suggested.
"I'm definitely okay, Olive," he said then laughed. "Olive."
"Havid," Oliver hissed, trying to get his attention but the others were getting too far ahead as Larkin slowed to a dizzy walk.
Oliver glanced out into the gully, took a deep breath then sidestepped Larkin, revealing himself momentarily before hurrying back into the shadows ahead of him.
"Wait," Oliver said and Havid stopped, catching the attention of the others.
"What's wrong with him?" Quinn asked, shuffling up so the line was scooted closer together.
"An insect bit him," Oliver said, looking back at Larkin who had a dreamy look on his face as he floated slowly toward them like he was drunk.
"I thought it was just a nilla grub," Havid said, scratching his slanted nose.
Hector ducked out into the gully, crouching low with a blade drawn. He eyed the snow above as he hurried to stand between Oliver and Havid.
"What happened?" Hector asked.
Havid explained and Hector's face darkened. "Sounds like it was a black marshpede to me."
Havid rolled his eyes. "You don't get marshpedes south of the Nosics."
"They've been migrating," Hector stated.
"If it was a marshpede he would've collapsed by now," Havid said, baring his teeth angrily.
As if on cue, Larkin let out a short, manic laugh then fell flat on his face unconscious.
18
The First Arclite
Xen breathed heavily as he and his soldiers waded through the thick snow. He used magic to blast a path as best he could but it was too dense to do much good. The magic pained him immensely because of the blackening but he was desperate to get to the Nosic Pass before Hector and the others. His hands shook and red blisters glared at him from his palms.
Glancing back, he spotted Nex almost up to his shoulders in the snow, wading behind the rest of the soldiers.
"HALT!" Xen shouted and the ten men stopped.
Nex froze then sunk an inch.
Xen forced his way through the snow to the boy and lifted him into the air. He placed Nex on his shoulders and felt hot breath on his neck as the boy panted heavily. He ripped a fur cloak off the back of one his men and passed it up to Nex who wrapped it around himself.
"ONWARDS!" Xen called as he reached the front of the line.
They continued on, slogging through the snow as fast as they could manage.
After an hour of relentless wading, they reached the other side of Mount War where the snow was shallower. Xen encouraged his men onwards, taking a route around the next mountain. It would take them another day or two to reach the Nosic Pass if they made good time.
A piercing howl cut through the air and Xen stopped in his tracks. "Warwolves," he muttered, pulling out his sword. He weighed it in his hand, wincing as it rubbed his sore palm. "Prepare yourselves men!"
They all drew swords and pressed on down a steep descent. Xen used his sword to dig into the ground and steady himself.
They were making good time when a scream came from behind. It was the type of scream that signified a man's death: a blood curdling, final cry for help before it was cut short. Xen knew it well.
He turned and saw the hulking form of a warwolf ripping into the soldier at the back of the line. Its flat, lizard-like head was bent over, eating in a frenzy.
"KILL THE BEAST!" Xen roared and his men charged it fearlessly.
A slithering tongue lapped at the blood of his fallen man. A flood of adrenaline pulsed through Xen's veins, signifying his lust for a kill. In a change of heart, he sent a wall of magic out to stop his men from touching the animal and they stumbled back as they hit it.
Xen reached up and lifted Nex from his shoulders, placing him on the ground. He trained his eyes on the beast and charged towards it. The forcefield let him through and encaged him and the warwolf inside it.
He plunged his sword into the creature's white, scaly tail to get its attention and it swung around with a yelp, blood dripping from its mouth.
"You're dead," Xen whispered.
He span into the air, using magic to propel himself higher than normal and brought the sword down into the beast's skull. The warwolf fell and his men cheered.
Xen took a deep breath through his nostrils and let it out slowly, calming his pounding heart. He had used too much magic. Pain burned through him like acid blistering the underside of his skin. He was used to the pain it caused but he had to restrain himself.
Xen returned to Nex and lifted him back onto his shoulders. He felt the boy shaking and reached up to grip his leg. "Enough Nex. It's over now."
With a shuddering breath, he stopped shivering and Xen signalled his men to move onward.
They marched on until they stumbled across a vast sheet of rock that must have fallen long ago, landing vertically and leaning against a rock face. The space beneath it provided an ideal shelter for camping. They soon had large teepees set up and Xen lit a fire inside his own.
He lay Nex beside it and pulled a fur blanket over him. The boy had fallen asleep on his shoulders for the last leg of the journey.
Nex rolled over and peeped up at him. "Where are we?" he mumbled.
"We've stopped to camp. You can rest now," Xen said.
Nex closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
Xen removed his coat and knelt on the fur mat next to the fire at the centre of the teepee. He undid the buttons of his thick, cotton shirt and removed it so his bare chest was exposed. His body was covered in marks where a symbol had been burned onto his body countless times.
He took the gold medallion from around his neck, clutching the symbol attached to the end of it in the palm of his hand. The firelight reflected in the gold making it look almost liquid. It was the symbol of the Arc: a circle with jagged bolts of lightning protruding from it.
He kissed it then held the chain by one end and let the pendant dangle into the fire. He searched his body for an unbranded space and found one below his ribcage.
Xen used magic to shield his hand from the heat then took the symbol in his palm and pressed the burning gold to his side. He hissed words through his teeth as it sunk into his skin.
"In darkness waits the timeless one, and timeless man will one day come. And she will appear as light and dark marked upon her of the Arc. Unite the worlds and grant his power to all who stand at breaking hour."
Xen pulled the symbol away from his skin. It had cooled enough to return to his neck so he dropped the chain over his head. He clutched his hand over the freshly branded skin, gritting his teeth against the pain. Instead of healing it with magic, he would leave it to do so on its own as a sign of his devotion to the Arc.
"What are you doing?" Nex asked quietly.
Xen hurriedly pulled his shirt on and redid the buttons. He crawled over to sit beside the boy's bed.
"Did you hurt yourself on purpose?" Nex whispered.
Xen nodded. "What do you know about the Arc, Nex?"
"A little. Daddy- I mean, the man who raised me said the Arc lived in Vale and one day he would come and give us all magical powers so we could defeat the mages. He said the mages stole the magic and we can punish them when the Arc comes."
"That is the Queen's version of the teachings, yes. But mages are not evil as Queen Lacine would have you believe." Xen leant over and reached into his bag. He retrieved a small, tattered black book and handed it to Nex.
The boy stretched out a hand and took it, his grubby fingernails digging into the leather.
"My father gave me this. It's the Arclite scriptures. Can you read?"
Nex shook his head, opening the book to look at the pictures inside. He eyed the symbol of the Arc then looked at Xen's medallion which hung out over his shirt. Reaching for it, he touched the gold metal curiously.
"Then I shall read it to you," Xen said.
Nex nodded eagerly and passed the book back to Xen.
Xen opened it and thumbed through the pages. "Would you like to hear a story?"
Nex nodded, pulling the covers up over his mouth and nose so his wide eyes looked up at him excitedly.
"I will read you: The First Arclite. It is about Dorian Ganderfield's trip to Vale:
Dorian cleaved the sky apart with the incredible power that resided in his veins, revealing a doorway to another world. He took a tentative step into the void, for he did not know what he would find beyond it.
He gasped as he found himself standing on a beautiful lake. The water lapped around his feet but he did not get wet. Birds called to one another from the shore far away where a luscious forest reached up to hills of green grass. Above him the sky was a perfect cyan.
Dorian took a hesitant step forward but his foot did not sink. Looking down he gasped aloud for the water was crystal clear and he could see to the bottom of the lake. Colourful fish swam underneath him and golden weeds stretched up from the pebbly lakebed, swaying in the current.
Dorian moved across the lake towards the shore where he found a perfect, sandy beach. A speckled white horse lay in the sand, eyeing him with interest. Dorian was startled by a voice sounding inside his head.
"Let me take you to the Arc," the velvety, female voice said to him.
Dorian was not afraid. The voice was comforting and kind.
"Who's there?" he asked.
The horse got to its feet and approached him. "I am."
Dorian eyed the horse suspiciously.
"If you ride me. I will take you to the Arc."
"What's the Arc?" Dorian asked, petting the animal's soft nose.
"You will see."
The horse dropped to her knees, allowing Dorian to climb atop her back. He wound his hands into her hazel mane as the horse got to her feet. She trotted up the beach and entered the forest where dappled sunlight slipped through the canopy.
She rode to the other side of the forest and up a steep hill to the summit. Here, she dropped to her knees and allowed Dorian to descend.
"What now?" Dorian asked.
"Now we wait," the horse replied.
Dorian sat beside her in the grass and ran his fingers through the blades. The sun set and orange rays were thrust into the sky. The rays shone so bright that Dorian thought they might touch the ground. They reached and reached until they seemed to tickle the grass. Then a ball of light appeared, so bright that Dorian had to shield his eyes from it. He glimpsed it between his fingers, seeing lightning crackle from the entity.
Then a silhouette of a man appeared in front of it and spoke to him. "I granted you powers, my mage. I chose you and only a few others to have magic. What do you say to that?"
"If that is true then I thank you greatly and ask what I can do in return?"
"I wish for nothing but your allegiance."
"Then you have it," Dorian said, his hands trembling from the encounter.
"One day I shall unite the seven worlds but I must come to them in the form of a man. Are you that man?"
Dorian shook his head, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't think I am, no."
"Then you are not." The silhouette disappeared and the sparkling ball of light extinguished.
Dorian turned to the horse but she was already returning to the forest.
"Wait. Won't you take me back to the beach?" he called to her.
"You are not he and I am meant for him," she said with a whinny and a tail flick.
"But who is he and why am I not him?" Dorian asked, hurrying after her.
"He is the embodiment of the Arc and you are not embodied by the Arc."
Dorian became frustrated by her answers as they reentered the forest. "Then what help can I be to the Arc?"
"You can promise your soul to the Arc."
"My soul?" Dorian asked slowly.
"The Arc thrives on the souls of non-believers but Arclite souls are precious. When their human form dies they will live here as a creature of Vale: a vark."
"And what happens to non-believers' souls?"
The forest around Dorian changed and the horse cantered away out of sight. The light from the sunset extinguished, silence prevailed and the trees leant over menacingly at him. He heard growling from behind him and a new and terrifying voice spoke inside his mind.
"I am the Tarrigin wolf. Those who defy the Arc will deal with me."
The wolf leapt into sight in front of him: a huge, mangey beast. It was almost hairless and drool dripped from its open, fanged jaws.
Dorian backed away from it, afraid. The wolf pounced and pinned him to the ground. Its angry, red eyes glared down at him and drool dripped onto his face. The beast snarled, ready to attack.
Dorian cried out. "I am an Arclite! I believe!"
The wolf disappeared and birdsong started up again in the forest.
From that day forward Dorian pledged his soul to the Arc."
Xen closed the book and looked up at Nex expectantly, glad to see that the boy's eyes were filled with both fear and excitement.
"I thought Vale was a scary place," Nex whispered.
"That is just more lies told by non-believers," Xen said.
Nex nodded then his eyelids drooped.
Xen moved quietly away and made up a bed opposite him. He found himself watching the boy as he slept, hoping that one day Nex would be strong enough to take his place. Xen's eyelids fluttered and his hand crept to the sword that lay beside him. He couldn't wait to plunge it into Hector Rook. The Queen had made him swear that he would try and persuade him to return but she would know only what he told her.
For years, Hector Rook had got away with being impertinent to the Queen because of his skill as a hunter. But Xen was no longer going to allow it. At last, he would put an end to the man. To Xen, that fleeting moment of shock, understanding and fear all at once before a life was extinguished was the most beautiful thing.
He knew it would happen to him one day, perhaps the next day or even that night. As he fell asleep his only thought was of who would take care of Nex if he died on that night, or any night before the boy was old enough to look after himself.
19
The Palace Doctor
Ely lay looking out of the window as he sat up in bed. Snow fell heavily outside, obscuring the view of the city below. He thought about Oliver and May out in the mountains somewhere and desperately hoped they would be alright.
He feared they would treat the task like a game, like the Great Race of Aleva. But there was no one to protect them this time. The journey alone could kill them before they even made it to the gem troll caves.
He reached for the glass beside his bed and sipped at the healing serum. It was sweet and milky. The taste made him drowsy and his eyelids drooped.
He finally felt improved. He would be ready to go to Brinatin when they returned. Although he had faith in them, it didn't stop him worrying. Since Oliver and May had come into his life they had become incredibly precious to him.
May's curse was yet another concern that hung over him each day. He could see the trust in his grandchildren's eyes when he told them that Wallace would help her but he had so much doubt eating at him. He had thought Grelda could help, he had been so sure of it.
Wallace was a much more illusive character and may not even permit them into his home, let alone be willing to help them. He just had to have faith that it would all work out because, if it didn't, he would never forgive himself.
He knocked back the rest of the drink and put the glass on the side table. Nurse Mindy would refill it while he rested.
Ely sunk low in the bed and let himself drift off to sleep. His dreams were troubled and filled with flashes of violence and pain.
He awoke gasping and realised he was in agony. A wave of pain ripped through his stomach, making him cry out.
"Nurse. NURSE!" he called but no one came. "Mindy?!" he tried but she didn't appear.
He ran green light over his stomach. The pain momentarily eased then returned twice-fold, making him groan in agony. "What's happening?" he murmured breathlessly.
Despite the pain, he swung his legs around and forced himself out of bed. He was so weak that he collapsed to the floor and had to pull himself along. A jug of water sat by the window. He was desperately thirsty. Eventually, he reached it and gulped at the jug, splashing it down himself to cool the burning fever that was setting in.
