* * *
Charley swallowed. His mother seemed to be trying to bore holes into both Renwick and Rafe with just her eyes. Renwick stared back with amusement while Rafe didn't seem to care one way or another.
Charley looked at Nina and made a face of discomfort. She sent him a similar look. Everyone's parents had arrived, tromping into the room like soldiers going to war. They immediately pulled their respective children into hugs.
They were no exception, as his father pulled him in for a manly hug that lasted just a few seconds. Charley smirked, as he saw that Riley and Abe's father had apparently not gotten the Accepted-Teenage-Hug-Time-Limit memo.
The parents released their children and gave each other looks. Charley's father took the lead. “I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, but first I need to explain some things. Many of your questions will most likely be answered then. First I actually have a question of my own: have any of you done anything extraordinary? Something that would normally be impossible.”
“What do you mean by extraordinary?” Riley asked. “Something like this,” Renwick replied and flicked a hand. Books rose off of their shelves and began to dance around in the air before returning to their resting places.
Riley nodded. “I– I think I can.” He repeated Renwick's motion and several books rose, though not nearly as many as Renwick had been able to lift.
Renwick took a half-step forward, his eyes narrowed. “Interesting. You're already more powerful than I thought. If only I had time to run some tests.”
His mom grabbed Riley's shoulder. “He isn't one of your experiments, Renwick.”
He backed off, hands up in the air. “It was just a thought.”
“Another question then– How exactly did you four find your way to Renwick in the first place,” Charley's mom asked.
Charley reddened and his parents zoomed in on him. “Have something to say?” his dad asked. He cracked and told them, starting with spying and then finding Renwick.
His parents didn't even blink at the news. “You're not mad?”
His dad shrugged. “You were going to catch us talking about it someday. It was just a matter of time. We didn't want to have to tell you yet, but you were always going to have to know– Okay, I suppose I should start at the beginning.”
Rafe barked a laugh. “We'd be here for half a year. Please, simplify if you would”
Charley's dad laughed. “You're right.” He turned to the four of them, “We are a race known as The Children. We don't know why we are called that. Probably the oldest and most powerful of the Ancients, among a few others, know,” he said, sending Renwick a quick glance.
“What's an Ancient? Some old dude?” Abe asked.
Rafe laughed. “Something like that.”
“What it meant to be one of The Children is that we were the mediators and protectors of a world known as Undermire and also Earth.
“Thousands of years ago,” he continued, “Earth and Undermire were connected. That is where many myths and legends come from. It isn't because they were legends, it was because they were real– Still are, actually.”
“Why did we need protectors? Couldn't the worlds protect themselves?” Riley asked.
Charley's dad shook his head. “Not from the threat that appeared. You see… the Ancients are a race of very powerful beings, usually taking the form of giants. They are the only known inhabitants of Underdeep, a world beneath that of Undermire.
“That is when The Children, in a way that we do not understand, were created to combat the Ancients that had turned against those they had sworn to protect.
“The problem with that was that The Children of that day were not able to defeat the Greater Ancient that led the charge. Eventually, he was the only remaining Greater Ancient in all of Undermire. We don't even dare say his name here so we won't draw his attention.”
“Greater Ancient? What, are they just bigger?” Nina asked, skepticism clear on her face.
“Some of them, yes,” Rafe replied. “Not all of the Ancients were giant, not even most.”
Charley's father nodded. “Right. Now as I was saying– He was forced to sign an armistice stating that neither side would ever attack the other side– There was one problem with that…”
“What was the problem?” Charley found himself asking. “It favored him greatly. As time went on, the bloodlines were diluted, and the power of The Children started to fade. We called it the Wilting, as the same thing was happening to all of Undermire. The magic began to go out of Undermire,” he said.
Charley's mother picked it up then. “That's enough on ancient history. Now, for the much more recent history. Around fourteen years ago, a prophecy was made. We have a portion of that prophecy. When word reached the Greater Ancient, he broke the armistice and killed every Child he could find.
“You see, the prophecy foretold of one of The Children being capable of ending his reign.” His mom turned to Charley. “The prophecy spoke of you, Charley.”
Charley felt his stomach hit somewhere around his feet. “What? I don't even like fighting… let alone killing…”
His mother didn't seem to hear him, her eyes glazed.
'In the land mired in misery and hate,
The one of two will be born who may slay the eldest one.
Descended of ash, he will deal in fate.
To cut away the ancient sickness, Ash will battle Bone.
Can the hero save his light
or be doomed to fall to darkness?'
“But why? Why would I want to kill anyone?” Charley asked, grasping at anything to free himself. “And what's that about me 'falling to darkness?' I mean, seriously.”
“Because if you don't– well, let's just say it wouldn't be good for anyone. Not here on Earth, and definitely not on Undermire,” Rafe said.
Charley watched his dad turn beet red as he glared at Rafe. One of Rafe's eyebrow rose. “I'm just telling him how it is, Tomas. They need to know this isn't a game.”
Renwick raised his hands. “You too, remain civil. Remember who you are.” There was a silence as the two of them looked at each other, a silent agreement passing between them.
Renwick nodded and then turned to Charley. “And you shouldn't read to much into prophecy. It could mean a number of things.”
Abe looked around at the adults and then calmly asked, “So when do we go?”
The adults all gaped at him, while Rafe barked a laugh. His mother looked at him uncertainly. “Abe– You could get hurt or even d– d– die,” she said, breaking into uncontrollable sobs. Abe's father wrapped her in a hug.
Abe looked ashamed for a moment. “I know this won't be a game. I just want to protect everyone, no matter the cost.” The feeling of tenseness was tangible to Charley as Abe said his beliefs aloud. He felt the air in his lungs drawn away.
“What was that?” Charley asked after he was able to breathe again.
“I'm not sure, but it was powerful enough to break my wards,” Renwick said, glancing at Abe. “I think that if you survive, you will become very powerful one day.”
“As for when we leave,” Rafe said, “We will not be taking everyone. Only six of us…”
The parents looked outraged at first, but then they just looked sad as they looked at the four of them.
“Who? When?” Charley found himself asking to break the silence.
“Myself, Renwick and you four. Two days from now.” “Why would you come? You're just the Barghest,” Riley said, barely a whisper.
Charley froze and turned to Riley. “What do you mean? He can't be… But he's not a dog.” Charley said in confusion, turning to see amusement in Rafe's eyes.
“Yes, Charley. I am the Barghest. I must apologize for hurting you. That was not my intentions.” That was when he remembered where he had heard the name from before. When I was spying.
Charley shook his head. “I don't want you to come.”
Rafe smiled. “You might change your mind one day. You see, I'm to
be your trainer and protector.”
“No! I can't even trust you. How do I know you won't try to take me out? You've already attacked me once.”
Rafe grimaced. “I did not attack you. I got bored. It was a mistake.”
“Great. That makes me feel much better. Now I know the person meant to protect me gets bored and jumps on kids as a giant black wolf,” Charley said.
“Like I said, one day you will want me there to save you.”
Charley's dad grabbed Charley's shoulder. “Charley, I know this is hard. This really is the best plan of action. With Rafe training you, you have a chance of living long enough for it to matter.”
Renwick tapped Rafe on the shoulder and whispered to him. Rafe nodded. “It seems I'm needed elsewhere. I know this will not be easy. I'm sorry.”
As he walked out Charley's parents nodded. “I think we're going to head home too. Come on Charley.”
Five
A Dark Shadow
“Are the shadows born of the light, or is it that the light struggles against the existence of the dark?”
- Councilman Warren
Castor ran up the ramparts of the castle keep as the second boom thundered. He looked out to the battleground below. He saw a man he had considered an ally, Earl Calloway, ordering his mean to bombard his first ballast wall.
Castor cursed himself. Why you, Calloway?
Besides his horde of men, Calloway's ranks were swollen with Volens, fleet cat-men that wielded spears and cudgels. Castor also spotted several groups of Salans, muscular lizard-men with filed nails and teeth. They also sported a sword at their hip, and some of them even had long wooden rifles across their backs.
Though Castor owned a vast stretch of land, his army was small, relying on the military might of his allies and the defenses of his keep.
His trump card was his team of Shadow Men, wispy creatures that could choke the life out of living beings and add to their ranks from the spirits they consumed. The problem with them was their uselessness during the day and that they cost so much, he could only afford four of them.
Castor signaled for the bowmen behind the second ballast wall to fire on the first ranks as they came pouring through the holes they had made in the first wall.
With a sweep of his arm, they fired, and a score of humans and Volen fell in the bottleneck opening. None of the Salans did, as they lived, breathed and ate war. They knew when to raise their shields almost by instinct.
He called for a second volley from the riflemen who had just arrived at the third wall. Thanks to the inclined slope that Castor's city, Drunnel, sat on, the riflemen could shoot over the heads of their comrades and still fill the opening with bodies.
Soon the original holes the men had punctured in the wall were clogged with bloody corpses and acrid gunpowder. Only a handful of Castor's men took wounds, mostly powder burns from their own rifles cracking under the pressure.
The attackers were soon forced to withdraw, so more holes could be made when the Creep approached the angry Castor. “Do not worry, my lord. He is the least of your allies. I sent word to Duke Calais as soon as I had reports of the army approaching. He will come in support against young Evan. We must hold them off until first light. After that, all will be well.”