The Druid
By: Dark Shadow
(© 2006 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...


Chapter 9

Reunion

Finally reaching the end of the driveway I felt for the familiar lump in my front pocket. Like many things I carried with me, my pocket knife was always there. I used it for trimming the plants of my garden, but now I had other work for it.

I pulled out the blade and placed it against the fat of my palm and gave a quick jerk. The bite of metal into my flesh was a sudden flash of pain, but I endured it. I folded back the knife and pushed it back into my pocket for safe keeping. Clenching my fist, to promote the flow of blood, I took one final deep breath and began casting the ward. I watched my blood fall from my fist as I circled his house envisioning the barrier that protected it. Each drop was a pillar that held aloft a great impenetrable dome. Nothing that might harm Bry’s parents would ever pass this barrier and survive. There would never be conflict within this circle. I willed it to be as I took each step, and spoke the incantation in my mind.

Blood magick is all but forbidden except for the most extreme situations. It is also the most powerful. As far as I was concerned, this was one such moment. Bry was angry with me and his adoptive parents were in great danger. The problem with blood magick is that you give a little piece of your soul to it. Performed too often, the caster is left an empty withering shell. I closed my eyes and let nature guide my steps. The silken touch of wind pressed against my skin and led me as I walked the circle. As I met the spot where I began, an electric current surged through me. I knelt down, pushed my open palm against the ground and completed the circle.

A clap of thunder rolled overhead and a harsh breeze caught my hair creating little feather like fingers that tickled my neck and cheeks. The ward was complete and the smell of vanilla filled the air.

“What was that?” Bry’s voice came from behind and startled me as I fell to the side.

My body felt heavy and I was exhausted. I suppose shaving off pieces of your soul had more immediate side affects than I realized.

“Ty? TY! Are you alright?” Bry’s voice wavered and I felt the pressure of his hands grip me through numbed flesh.

“They’ll be safe now Bry.” The weak tenor of my voice surprised me, but I was too tired to care.

“Ty!” Bry shook me and my vision blurred.

“Bring him to the grove immediately.” The wind brought what sounded like Galen’s ancient voice, but the words echoed strangely as sleep took me.

“Ty, wake up.” I was content with my dreams, but the words were urgent.

“I said GET UP!” The command exploded in my mind as my eyes burst open and I shot upright.

“Damn! What the hell is your pro-“

“Fool boy!” I had only begun to speak when something struck my side and pushed me off the altar. Do you have any idea what would have happened if the ‘Sanctuary’ failed!”

“Back off old man!” Bry stood between Galen and myself. He moved so fast I never saw it. One moment he was at my side and the next he was yelling at Galen while giving me a cute view of his rear. “He did it for me. Leave him alone!”

I struggled to my feet in time to see Galen’s staff soaring toward Bry’s head. A crackling and crunching sound erupted from behind me as a limb of our sacred great oak blocked the attack. A mist of bark and dust erupted into the air.

“It’s not their fault Galen. Bry isn’t trained, and we never told Ty the old legends.” Mark’s voice was calm and soothing. He spoke with his heart. It was the same tone I heard during my sorrow, and calmed me when I woke from nightmares.

Galen took a deep breath, sighed heavily, and brought his staff back to the ground beside him. The crunch and crackle drew my attention as the great oak pulled back its limbs and rested. It seemed to be soothed by Mark’s gentle words, and let the press of wind sway the ancient branches.

“Well then, I suppose that will have to be today’s lesson.” Galen leaned against his staff, made his way to the altar and sat down.

“Long ago, there was a city called Alantia. It wasn’t a city so much as a meeting place of the oldest things within the multiverse. Advancing cultures came, went, and studied there. It was a crossroads of sorts. This world was new and had become a common ground for problems and solutions. It was a place of ascension, and the stepping stone beyond what we were then.”

Galen’s eyes seemed to glaze over as he recalled the ancient past.

“This world was unstable, and a volcanic eruption was eminent. In the meantime, a foolish young man found his hearts desire in a beautiful woman within the city. They spent many fretful days and nights together until the dangers became too great.”

Galen paused for a moment as a small smile stretched his lips. I could see the city within his mind and it was amazing. Towers of white light stretched to the sky that looked to have been built by the sun itself. Stars traveled about between the pillars of light like our modern day traffic, but Galen’s memories told me those pinprick of floating light were ancient beings.

I felt a nudge and turned to see Bry’s skepticism furrow his brow. I nodded to let him know what we saw in the old man’s head were not delusions, but memories of days long past. I couldn’t begin to imagine what it would have been like to exist in that time.

Galen continued. “The oldest things of that time would not intervene. Many left to allow the natural progression of this world. One young man however, did not.”

The images suddenly flare to life in my mind. Ash rained down from the sky choking the air as the earth shook beneath my feet. The smell of sulfur and burning wood filled the air. A young brown haired man circled the city as he trudged though the now foot deep layer of ash. Droplets of blood fell from a clenched fist as he made his journey. His steps were labored but he continued. Finally finishing the circle, he placed his hand against the earth, but something went wrong. An explosion of bright white light blasted me back to reality.

“I failed.” Galen’s shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “By the time I had finished the circle, I was too weak to control the magick.” His chin dropped at a snails pace as his eyes studied the ground. “My mistake was more destructive than the volcano could ever have been. The order on this world was disrupted, and all was nearly lost. Nature has a funny way about it though. Many decades later, the dust settled. The world was reformed, and new life began.”

“So then, my love and I stayed as penance.” Galen’s eyes lifted to the clouds and seemed to search the horizon.

“So Alantia was destroyed?” Bry stood slack jawed and stared as though he were trying to bore holes into Galen with his eyes.

“There.” Galen pointed to the sliver of white moon that shone in the afternoon sun.

“That is what remains of Alantia. It is a constant reminder of my failure.” His shoulders sank as he rested his weight against his wooden staff.

“Well, at least you get to spend eternity with your love.” I smiled at the thought of it.

“Not quite.” I saw a haunting emptiness in Galen’s eyes as he spoke the words. The wind shifted and a thousand breaths whispered. “Doriana”

“It’s Doris you stubborn weeds. Gods! Why do they never listen?” Doris emerged from behind the giant oak as if she crawled from the shadows themselves. I had never seen anything like it.

There she was, in all her rotund grandeur, picnic basket in hand, walking toward us. Doris passed Galen and her hand swept outward, popping him against the back of the head.

“Hello again you old fool.” Doris didn’t even turn to see his reaction.

Galen jumped up as if struck by lightning. I watched his eyes widen as she turned. For a fraction of a second I saw and felt the most desolate aching need. It was if someone had opened a door with a tornado of yearning just outside. An absolute fury of longing clutched my heart like a vice. Then, just as quickly, it disappeared as if the door had been slammed shut again.

“You could show the slightest bit of respect woman!” He shook his staff as he spoke.

“No one respects a fool Galen.” Doris placed the basket on the ground and pulled out a small blanket. She gave the blanket a quick shake, a snap, and let the air catch it. It settled against the grass like a falling cloud.

I don’t know what surprised me more. That they knew each other, or that she could possibly be his betrothed. I needed more time for my slightly shattered mind to grasp hold of the bigger picture.

Galen raised his staff off the ground and then slammed it into the earth. A white light burned from his center and consumed his entire body. He was transformed as if the blaze of white ate the age from his body. A young man now stood where he had been only seconds earlier. The one thing that hadn’t changed about him was his deep blue eyes. Though now, his back was no longer bent with the weight of time. His white hair was now thicker and a medium brown as it curled down from his angular square face and rested against his shoulders. His body was taut with lean muscle. He was beautiful.

“Oh… so we’re going to do that then. Fine!” Doris stood and a bright blue light burst from her core nearly blinding me.

When my vision returned to normal, I saw a supple young woman standing next to the picnic basket. Doris’ green eyes contrasted her red hair like precious jewels. She stood, seeming almost too thin, barely covered in a sheer gown. The amber glow of the setting sun behind her traced the contours of her delicate body.

Looking at the two of them was like seeing some form of twisted art. The only way I could describe it would be as lustrous hate. I can’t ever remember seeing something so beautiful and yet so frightening.

I watched as they clashed. I’m familiar with the dance of battle, but what they performed was a ballet of power. The way that their forms played against the bend of nature around them amazed me. A limb would fall, and a root would emerge to counter. A giant dirt covered boulder erupted from the earth and sailed toward Doris. She remained still as a massive lightning strike cracked it in two sending the rubble to either side of her. They moved between it all as though the elements were simple extensions of themselves. Instead of the clank of metal swords or gunshots, the wind, thunder, and crunch of wooden branches filled the air. I watched as their white and blue aura flared with each strike and counterattack.

I felt Bry’s arms fold around me from behind as he rested his chin against my shoulder. “I suppose it’s okay to waste time when you have been here for so long.”

The air stilled and the battle halted.

“What did you say?” Doris appeared before Bry and me with Galen beside her. The light shining around them dimmed until only the pink remnants of sunset shown behind them.

Her words weren’t angry as she studied us, but I felt the tension in my own muscle threaten to react as Bry’s arms tightened around me.

“I always knew there was something different about you Doris.” I reached forward and brushed an auburn chock of hair out from in front of her eyes.

Another flash tore trough me as violently as it had when Galen laid eyes upon her. It was that same vicious consuming need. A hollow beneath her chest seemed to pulse and threatened to devour me. ‘He never asked.’ I heard the words in her mind. I pulled my hand back slowly and looked into her beautiful green eyes. It made me smile to think what beauty hid beneath the hulk of a woman I met in the lunch room.

“Doris?” I felt something at her core shake. She turned her head away slightly and diverted her eyes to the ground as she walked toward the still waiting picnic dinner.

“Mind your business boy.” Her voice shook with the threat of tears as she sat on the blanket and began pulling out food.

I was going to push for an answer when I felt her shut off completely. I could only see her form as if she were any other inanimate object or piece of furniture. There was no more emotion.

“So that’s it?” Bry didn’t hide the confusion in his voice.

A much younger Galen patted him on the shoulder as he walked toward where Doris busied herself straightening the windblown blanket. “This is how it has always been since that day.”

“Well, are we going to eat or not?” She was pulling the food from the picnic basket. Her familiar but angry demeanor was a strange contrast to her newly revealed beauty.

I didn’t notice Mark leave, but saw him emerge from behind the giant sacred oak with his arms full. He walked over to where Doris sat and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Like macaroni salad?”

She gave him a weak smile and a nod. “It’s been some time.”

Kent went to join them and Bry and I followed. We sat around the blanket and looked at the spray of food before us. Doris removed the lid from a final bowl and placed it in the center of the many salads. In it was a pile of fried chicken.

I watched in horror as Bry plucked out a chicken leg and tore a thick chunk of meat from the bone with his teeth. He moaned as he chewed and dabbed at a bit of fried batter at that clung to the corner of his lips.

“Well at least someone appreciates my cooking.” Doris grunted with satisfaction before grabbing a piece of the fried chicken corpse and placing it on her plate.

“How can you eat that?” I didn’t mean to say it so loudly, but I was shocked.

Doris tipped her head back and laughed into the coming night. “It is natural boy. You have incisors and canine teeth. They are in your mouth for a reason. Man is omnivorous. You are meant to eat meat and plants. Why would you ever think eating a plant is okay, and eating meat is not? Have they taught you nothing?”

Galen gave a short huff as he dipped a spoonful of coleslaw onto his plate.

“I raised that chicken, fed it, gave it a good home, and then cut off its head. Is it so much different, than growing a cabbage, ripping it from the earth and shredding it under a knife? It is easier for you because there is no spray of blood and no scream?” Doris shook her head and pushed a fork full of pasta salad into her mouth.

I watched Kent’s back go rigid as the words met his ears. I could feel the conflict in him before he finally settled. “She does have a point.”

Slowly, he reached into the bowl of fried chicken, grabbed a finely battered thigh, and brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes, sniffed, and took a bite. I watched him chew and listened to his quiet sounds of pleasure as he savored the taste.

“It’s great Doris, thank you.” Bry dropped his eyes to the ground and blushed.

I suppose his diet had changed drastically since he arrived here and I couldn’t begrudge him his enthusiasm. I gave him a soft elbow to the ribs and smiled. He lifted his green eyes to mine, and the smile on his face was precious. I couldn’t imagine my world any longer without him at my side.

Mark lit a bon fire from the debris and aftermath of Doris and Galen’s battle. I felt the heat brush my skin as I leaned against Bry. We all ate chicken that night, and it was good. We sat in silence for a long time watching the yellow-orange flames lick the sky and listening to the crack and snap of wood as it was eaten by the fire. The smoke rose above us, and the sweet smell rode the air like incense. We were gorged on wonderful food and nestled against those we loved most. A cool breeze brushed our skin but the fire kept the chill at bay. A lazy ache rested in my bones, and I was happy to have Bry to share it with.

A hiss of wind caught our attention as two daggers plunged into Galen’s eyes. He fell against the earth like too much dead meat. A bright blue light flared around Doris and the fire from the pile of wood shot toward the sky like a pillar of anger.

“GALEN!” Her shriek was felt as much as it was heard. Doris rose into the air with her arms outstretched and the earth trembled beneath our feet.

She became a blazing pinpoint of blue light as though a piece of the sun had been cast off and now hovered above us. The entire grove could be seen in the pulsing glow. At each tree of our sacred grove, stood a member of ‘The Circle’.

“We follow someone else now bitch! Finish them off. I need to report the good news.” The shadowy blue silhouette disappeared into the shadows, but I knew the voice. It was the bastard from my first contact with Galen. It was the pompous, too shrill, voice from the shadows that had visited only a week ago.

“I will destroy you all!” Doris’ words crossed the darkness like rolling thunder as giant blue tendrils wound their way outward to the remaining members of the circle..

The blue bands of light writhed and searched out each member of ‘The Circle’ and struck the intruders like a snake. The blazing tethers broke free from her and then wrapped around them completely. It strangled them viciously and I could smell the stench of burning flesh. Their anguished screams filled the night until there was only silence and small piles of ash where they once stood.

“Will you join me?” Galen raised his hand to the stars.

I watched Doris’s waning light drift down and become form as she knelt beside him. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask. Why did it take you so long?” She finished her question as she placed a delicate kiss on his lips.

Galen lay there blind and fading. “I suppose; we all suffer our ego. You should not have given so much of yourself to revenge my love.”

He played his fingertips along her jaw. “I love you.”

“And I have always loved you, old fool.” Her tears crawled down her cheeks as she ran her fingers through the blond hair at his temples.

“Young druids, come quickly. As Bryan has so aptly put, we have no time to waste. You must know what we know. Take my hand.” Doris helped Galen to his feet. He was a horror to look upon as the daggers still stuck out obscenely from his eyes.

“Bry. Ty.” Doris indicated as she took our other hand. “Let’s finish this my love.”

“I could heal you!” My voice shook as sadness gripped me.

“This wound cannot be undone Ty. There are limits.” His breath was labored and I felt him fighting to shield me from his agony.

“My debt to you is paid Ty. Please accept my apologies for your godfather’s death.” I felt Doris and Galen’s grip tighten. They tipped back their heads and let out a long sigh that echoed along the wind.

I stared at Bry as a bright growing ball of swirling light formed in the center of our circle. As the sphere grew and pulsed their forms faded. I could still feel the weight of their hands in my grasp, but it was quickly fading. Suddenly the spheres convulsed and a winding thread of light surged outward and into our chests. With it came a flood of memories that weren’t out own. Many lifetimes passed in a blur as knowledge filed away in our minds. A bright flash of light nearly blinded me. My arms were still outstretched, but Galen and Doris were no longer standing beside us. Between us were two glowing orbs of light. One was white, and the other blue. They circled each other and rose to the sky.

“Farewell and good luck.” Their voices spoke in unison and the two orbs shot upward to the stars.

There’s a responsibility that comes with knowledge and I felt the weight of it on my shoulders. It’s heavy and obtrusive. The sudden realization of the bigger picture worried me and gripped my mind. I busied myself with picking up the mess that was our picnic dinner in some useless attempt to preoccupy my thoughts. I didn’t want to think about the task ahead of us. We now knew the path we had to follow. It wasn’t going to be easy. How were we, teenagers in the throws of puberty, going to unite these creatures for the upcoming battle?

Yet again, too much had happened too quickly. I was numb. The night wind chilled the trails of tears on my face, but I could only feel muted pangs of sorrow and loss in my heart. There is a limit to how much a body can feel and I was well beyond the line. I finished gathering the bowls and containers of left over food and wrapped them in the blanket that had been our table. I knew Galen and Doris were somewhere else now, but I didn’t find any consolation in that knowledge.

“Ty? Bry? Are you okay?” The question touched a tender spot in my heart and my eyes threatened more tears.

I heard the soft foot falls of Bry’s feet as he approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked into his eyes and was met with the same horror I felt. The last vestiges of our innocent had been snuffed out and we mourned the loss. We saw the world differently now. The memories of too much suffering and sorrow threatened to choke me as I gazed into Bry’s haunting green eyes. There was much to do, and our time to do it had just dwindled to a matter of weeks.

“I’ll see you back at the house. I need to let Shadow out.” I moved through the darkness with only the embers of the dying fire lighting my body. I moved through the sacred oak.

The world shifted effortlessly and I emerged from the tree in our front yard. I was a few feet from the front porch that still housed the remnants of my herb garden.

“Damn you Galen.” I muttered the curse as I carried my make shift hobo’s bag and the remains of our picnic to the side door of the house.

Shadow was barking and I could hear the rhythmic thud of her weight as she jumped against the door. At first it worried me. She seldom barked without a reason. I reached out with the fingers of my mind, but didn’t feel anything unusual. There was nothing other than the urgency Shadow felt to get out. I opened the door and watched as she raced into the yard. She barely finished two full strides before she squatted. The poor girl had to go. She was being neglected compared to how I usually doted on her, and I felt guilty for it. I would have to take more care from now on that she got the attention she was used to, and I thought she deserved.

I didn’t see it so much as I felt Bry and the uncle’s arrival. The trees told me of their travels and images flooded my mind as they moved like thoughts along nerves toward their destination.

Shadow finally finished her business and I held the door for her as she trotted passed and into the kitchen. Following her I placed the blanket and its contents on the kitchen table and began putting the leftovers away in the refrigerator. I was nearly done when they walked through the door. Bry was first and Kent and Mark were close behind. Each face seemed as weary as the next and I knew it was going to be an early night to bed.

“We’ll talk in the morning, but for now, I think we’d all best head to bed.” Mark’s voice was weak and worn as though he had spent too many hours cheering for the winning team.

There was nothing I wanted to do more at that moment, than to disappear in the sheets of my bed and Bry’s warm embrace. I was exhausted mentally and physically like some wash cloth that had been wrung too tight and then tossed aside to bake in the sun. I nodded to Mark as Bry helped me place the last of the dirty dishes in the sink. We gathered up the empty blanket and finished our clean up duties.

Kent made the rounds in the house making sure every window and door was securely locked while the rest of us trudged up the stairs to our beds. Shadow led the way with surprising energy. I suppose it was the company of those she loved that added that extra spring to her step.

We made our way to our rooms and I heard the final clicks of light switches as Kent climbed the stairs. I heard a barely audible tap against the bedroom door and then Kent’s muffled voice.

“Good night you two.” The creak of wood followed his steps as he moved down the hall and I heard the thud of their bedroom door close.

We stripped off our clothes and all but fell into bed. I reached out and shut off the lamp on the bedside table. The bedroom window was cracked open an inch or so and I watched the soft breeze play against the sheer white curtains in the moonlight. They almost looked to be waving goodbye as they billowed with the wind. The air was cold and urged me to sleep. Shadow made her final preparations and found a comfortable place near my head on the pillow. Her curly hair tickled my skin, but I reveled in the contrast of cold night air and her radiated warmth.

Bry’s arm snaked around my chest and pulled me in closer. “I love you.”

I gave his strong arm a squeeze and pulled it tightly against my chest. “I love you too.”
 
To be continued...