For the first few hours there were several riders close behind Dack. As time passed, the number dwindled as the distance increased, but he knew some were not going to give up the chase. His horse was strong, and it would be able to handle the stress of the pace until it reached the Shadow Cult forest. He hoped he could hold on without resting as the miles blurred past.
“Orex! Valay!” he began to shout when he thought he was getting close. Almost one full day had passed and the sun had not fully risen, leaving most of the forest in a shroud of darkness. He managed to make it as far as the forest, but he knew he would have to rest, possibly change horses if he was going to make it to the middle of the island where the portal area fortress was located. “Orex! Valay!” he continued to shout, as he was sure he recognized the area.
Suddenly, he noticed dozens of guards appearing as if out of thin air, rapidly approaching the horse. He struggled to remember what Theterm had told him earlier. “Minwa par Orex!” he shouted, but still they came. He stopped the horse and said, “Please, it’s Dack.”
“Orex is waiting,” a familiar voice said in the dark.
“Valay?” Dack asked, trying to pinpoint his location.
Valay was standing close with the other guards. “I am right here, Dack. Is everything all right?”
“No, it’s not,” Dack began. “The Scarlet Brotherhood is being wiped out by the king of the Northern Territory, and I fear he will turn next to everyone in the Central Territory. There are riders coming now who are probably hours away. I’m not sure if they will come here or continue south to the fortress where the Way was opened. Either way, they must be stopped.”
Valay shouted some instructions to the guards and they vanished into the darkness in the direction of the king’s road. “Those riders will not pass here, but we must talk with Orex to determine what to do next.” Valay turned; Dack dismounted and followed him. When they entered the thicker woods, more guards came out to meet them. “You can leave your horse here; we will meet with Orex now.”
Dack was very weak, and he had difficulty focusing enough to see clearly in the darkness. Several times he stumbled, but eventually he made it to the throne with Orex standing nearby. “Dack, welcome back,” Orex said with great enthusiasm as he motioned for Dack to sit on the edge of the throne. “I hear you’ve brought visitors this time,” Orex said seriously.
“I am so sorry to have to tell you this, but the Scarlet Brotherhood is probably all dead by now. They sacrificed themselves to rescue me and give me a head start to the portal area,” Dack said sadly.
“Why are you going there?” Orex asked, looking intensely at Dack.
“Our only hope to bring this island together is if I can figure out how it works,” Dack said strongly.
Orex began talking to Valay in their language as Dack sat watching. Dack was trying not to show his fatigue, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could sit upright. “Are you okay?” Valay interjected, concerned as he watched Dack trying not to fall off the throne each time he began to fight sleep.
“I need to sleep. I rode here for your help, but I have to sleep soon. I am so sorry, but I have to stay ahead of the armies and I can’t do it alone,” Dack said, holding himself steady. “Too many are counting on me, I’m sorry.” He collapsed roughly on the throne.
“Dack?” Valay called as he nudged Dack’s unconscious body. Valay called several guards to take Dack to a hut and put him in a comfortable bed. “Orex, what has he done?” Valay asked as they watched Dack being hauled off. Orex’s eyes glowed red briefly before he and Valay began seriously talking about what they were willing to do in order to help Dack.
Hours later Dack awoke confused. His head was pounding and his stomach was rumbling. He looked around the dark room, trying to remember where he was. “Valay?” he called when he recalled talking to him last. After no response, he sat up, then tried to stand. A wave of dizziness made him sit roughly on the bed.
Later, when he had regained some of his strength, he exited the hut to find that it was dark outside. Guards were running past and he could hear the sounds of war. Looking around, he could not tell which way the throne was, so he stumbled along, hoping to find something familiar.
“Valay! Orex!” he began calling after he knew he was lost. Guards rushed up to him and pulled him along. “Orex?” he asked. They nodded, and soon he was inside another hut with Orex, Valay, and what looked like more guards in heavy armor. There were numerous lanterns shining brightly, but Dack had to squint until his eyes were adjusted. His head still pounded when he sat down.
“Dack, what have you done?” Orex demanded as he glared at Dack.
“The armies of the Northern Territory are trying to stop me from opening the portal area. I am sure the other kings are being told to march there too. The king of the Northern Territory tried to make everyone believe I was going to be worse than Lucan,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“And there will be no help from the Scarlet Brotherhood?” Valay asked.
“They kept them busy while I escaped. I am sure they will have reduced the ranks significantly, but they are no more,” he concluded sadly.
“So we are left to stop the coming forces alone,” Orex said calmly.
“You don’t need to stop them, just slow them down. Take out the riders, that should give me enough time to get there and figure out the Way,” Dack said, looking at Orex.
“It has been twenty years, little one, and you still have hope that the humans will embrace someone with that kind of power? I don’t see how it will help,” Valay cautioned.
“Any better ideas? How about you live in fear, cramped in these dark forests until you die?” Dack shouted. “I believe this will work. If you don’t want to help, pull back and let the humans pass.”
The others looked at each other, and Orex spoke, “We will stop the riders, but I cannot guarantee anything more.”
“When this is over, everyone will know that your people helped the Scarlet Brotherhood. I hope this time the humans will see you as equals,” Dack said as he stood. “I think it’s best that I get going. There’s still another day’s ride ahead of me.”
“Are you capable of doing that?” Valay asked, concerned about Dack’s current condition.
“I will be fine once I get something to eat and splash some cold water on my face,” Dack said as he grabbed some meat and fruit off the table. “Thank you for everything,” Dack said as guards motioned for him to follow.
“We will die like the Brotherhood,” Orex said quietly.
“But we are finally doing something to help,” Valay said as they began planning how to stop as many of the humans as possible.
Dack checked his bag to be sure he had all four keys before mounting his horse and getting ready to ride. He finished the food and started toward the king’s road leading south. As he rode he debated whether he should stop at Theterm’s keep or continue on to the portal area. The keep was roughly halfway between the forest and the portal area, but slightly east off the king’s road.
“Where is Theterm?” Dack wondered aloud. “Sleeping under the stars again,” he said as he pictured him in his mind’s eye. I will stop even if it’s to say goodbye, he thought. I owe him at least that. He smiled as he thought, Maybe he’ll actually help.
Dack nudged the horse to a full gallop, and they rode off in the night toward Theterm’s keep.