Trial of Shadow

By N.T. Bergeron

The simple farm boy Tagan grew up as is no longer there. Always different from the time he was a child, Tagan's path through life was altered forever when he met Braulor, a half-brother he didn't know he had. Little did either of them know, their meeting was no chance encounter. No random act of synchronicity. Tagan and Braulor's meeting had been carefully orchestrated by a force unknown to either of them.

Exiled away from Quanna Eresse, the force which brought Tagan and Braulor together is biding his time. Watching and waiting. Waiting for this moment to enact his escape from the shard of reality he is trapped in and continue his dark rule. Getting Braulor and Tagan together had been hard enough with the limitations of his realm. Now he has to make sure they complete their quest, a job growing more difficult with each passing day. For there are others. Other forces hard at work, who have their own agenda's in play. Their own reasons for wanting to see the restoration of the Amber Eye and all are filled with nefarious purpose.

For all the plotting, planning and scheming, one thing happened which no one planned for. An event which wasn't foreseen by any interested party. The staff. Its discovery has invoked an evil from a long forgotten history. A history thought to have been shut away for eternity and like a straw in a drink, the staff stirs once again. In the right hands the staff is a great tool. In the wrong hands, a pathway from the dark recess' of Ta Oandimn. Ta Oandimn. The last stop for those souls filled with evil deed and purpose. Those who dwell there long to be set free and will stop at nothing to get out.

Tagan's and Braulor's once serene worlds have been turned upside down and now they don't even have each other. Torn from one another before they could complete their quest, they must each now traverse different and treacherous routes to find the Amber Eye. Clinging to what little hope they have, Tagan and Braulor must find their way through the dark paths each of them face to find the light they seek. Their world depends on it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: N.T. Bergeron
• Release date: Nov 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9780987929327

N.T. Bergeron

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Book preview

Chapter 1

The pain searing through Ehcim’s legs had long since passed his tolerance limit and couldn’t take the exertion anymore. With a final lurch he came to rest, succumbing to their protestations. Bent over, hands on knees, his gasping breaths were the only noise to be heard as silence descended on him like someone throwing a blanket over the scene. A quiet so pervasive it was like a dome had been placed over him, cutting him off from the world as if he were some sort of admired collectors piece. Even so, Ehcim looked behind him for signs of pursuit. All he could see was his own path, cleaved through the knee-deep white with all the care of a wild animal. Each footfall was an outward explosion of snow, like some panicked beast had rampaged through. If anyone was following him, he should be able to see them without difficulty but he squinted anyway, craning his neck, as his eyes swept the panoramic with piercing scrutiny. He had to. He had been bidden to ensure he return with his prize or... The ‘or’ had never been filled in but that didn't stop his imagination from filling in the blanks. Ehcim's master was powerful and the punishment for failure would be severe. Within his boots, Ehcim's feet burned. A strange juxtaposition from the icy cold they were currently plunged in. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to assuage the feeling, but that just made his feet throb on top of the burning. A sharp pinch in the ribs reminded him of his fall.

He had been high up in the tree, precariously perched, holding on for dear life to the branch like a constrictor squeezing its prey. Ehcim was retrieving the exact section of branch he had been commanded to procure. Why this exact part of the tree was different from any other, Ehcim didn't know. He only knew he had to have that section and he willed himself to scale the heights of the tree, inching his way out onto the spindly branch. He sawed with the care of a surgeon through the soft wood, each stroke making delicate dust of the branch as it worked its way through. The sawdust dropped in small waves into the air below, most drifting off on the wind with a few particles landing on the branch below, accumulating in a tiny pile. A sad reminder of what he was doing that watched him as he worked. He was nearing the completion of his cut when it happened. Ehcim had been so engrossed in his work the grip he had on his perch had relaxed little by little. He was so elated as his blade severed the few remaining tendons of bark he let go altogether to grab the piece he was after lest it fall into the snow below. As he grasped it, he slipped from his branch, his eyes shooting wide with shock as the realization of what was happening ploughed into his brain with the bedside manner of a freight train. Flailing like a baby bird that had been pushed from its nest, Ehcim reached for anything he could grab, his saw twirling in the air for a fraction of a second before disappearing into the tangle of branches below. He maintained enough awareness to not drop the branch he had been after but that only left him with one free hand as he landed back first on the bough beneath him. He bounced off it like a ball, flipping sideways before crashing through three more tiers of wooden pain. The branches scrabbled at him as he burst through them as if they were alive and seeking retribution for the piece of the tree he had removed. The cracking of the branches like screams in his ears. Ehcim was certain he was taking the express route all the way to the bottom and was as shocked as anyone when his hand found a home around a slender but strong and wiry branch. His hand slid along its length, the bark acting like a calliper to the brake shoe of his hand, burning with each agonizing inch before he came to a complete stop. He swayed for a time, back and forth like some sort of live Christmas tree ornament, straining his ears as he listed for the guards he had thus far been able to elude. His heart was pounding in his years, deafening him to any other sound and he gulped as he tried to calm himself. The adrenaline faded, allowing him to tune into his surroundings. There was no noise or commotion that would indicate the Lefirte's guards had been alerted to his unplanned descent. Ehcim let a slow breath out as he took stock of his situation. He hadn't dropped the branch he was after but he had lost his saw. He was about ten feet from the surface of the snow at the moment and blood was oozing from between the fingers of the hand that had stopped him. He bobbed on the branch as he looked around, struggling to accomplish something. He tried to swing his legs up but the branch only bobbed more, threatening to free itself from his grip. Ehcim tried to get his other hand onto the same branch but he couldn't fit his hand around the prize he had come for and his lifeline at the same time. He thought for a brief moment of dropping the retrieved part of the tree but was worried he would not be able to find it again under all the snow. Dropping it was not an option, which only left one more course of action. Ehcim closed his eyes as the realization of what he needed to do set in. He surveyed directly beneath himself. There was one last layer of branches to make it through before the ground level. The branch directly beneath him was particularly thick and menacing. Ehcim was pretty sure the branch knew what he was thinking and was summoning all the strength it could muster to be as painful as possible. If Ehcim could get some swinging action going he might be able to clear it altogether which, sadly, would increase the force he landed with. If there was one redeeming factor, he was landing in snow so that should take the sting out of the fall. Ehcim sighed and started working to get his body swinging. Starting with his feet, he swung them out in front of him and then back behind him. On the forward swing, he put his hips into it, pumping his legs as hard as he could before he swung them back. On the next forward kick, Ehcim was going to let go and he steeled his nerves. His legs swung back far behind him and Ehcim closed his eyes, whipping them forward as hard as he could, putting every ounce of energy he could into trying to make sure he launched himself as far clear of the tree as possible. About a quarter way through the return trajectory, the blood soaking Ehcim's hand came back to haunt him and his hand slipped altogether, throwing his momentum off. His eyes flew open as he realized what was happening but there was nothing he could do but hope for the best. Ehcim's feet continued moving forward even as the rest of his body sort of hung motionless as he watched the branch snap away from his hand like an arrow that had been released. Time seemed to stand still as Ehcim fell backwards once more. In a last-ditch effort, Ehcim tried to spin around, thinking he could get his arms in front of him to take the brunt of the impending impact. It was useless, only his head making it around in time for the crunch of his ribs to have a visual added to it. Ehcim spun on the branch like a rope winding itself around before the branch finally flung him unceremoniously to the ground, glad to be done with him. Ehcim landed face first with a solid flump, light, powdery snow shooting out from the impact site like someone had sneezed. Ehcim shot to his knees, trying to get his breath, the shock of his cold landing taking it away. He sucked in a breath. And then another. His panic fading, Ehcim was able to reach up and wipe the snow out of his eyes with the back of his bloody hand. He could feel the hard branch he had come for still clutched in his other hand and was relieved. At least one thing was going right. He sat back on his heels and looked up at the tree. It was dark and dour, his passage through its boughs marked only by the absence of snow, wiped from the tree where he had passed. He could feel a cold chill emanating from it. Yes, it was cold outside but the tree was adding a chill of its own to the immediate surroundings. It was if it had been wounded and was shunning Ehcim, its trust betrayed, as it tried to regroup. I'm sorry Ehcim thought as he looked solemnly up and down the tree. He knew the Lefirte and hadn't wanted to harm it but he was bound to the service of his master and had to do his bidding. He would pay for his sin against the Lefirte with karma. If he let his master down, he would pay with his life.

Ehcim removed his glove and slid his good hand under his shirt, wincing as his cold fingers touched the skin of his stomach, but he kept going until it found the lumpy source of the pain. A rib, possibly broken, was bulging below the skin, perhaps a hand width below his armpit. He tensed but moaned softly as he rested his icy appendage on his throbbing ribs. A little relief washed over him and Ehcim slumped and exhaled, savouring the coolness on his aching ribs.

Don't move. A voice hissed as the hard edge of a blade slid along his neck like the cold hand of death itself.

Chapter 2

The world came to a stop. Not a grinding or gradual halt but more as if someone hit pause and everything Tagan had come to know changed forever in a flash. Poof. As if a magician waived his wand casting a spell of disappearance and a brother he had barely gotten to know was lost to him. Erased from existence. It took a second or two for Tagan to even register they were gone. His eyes were still processing the residue of Braulor and Kyriu's struggling forms fighting over the staff, wrenching it back and forth, neither of them giving quarter. Then the black cloud that was the Shadowkeeper descended on them, enveloping them in gleeful darkness, like a snake forcing prey into its greedy maw. In much the same way, their fighting visage faded in his mind, like a lonely cloud that happened along in front of the blazing sun and was obliterated. All that met Tagan's eyes now was an empty space which had once housed Braulor and Kyriu. In the fraction of a second it took to blink, they were gone. Tagan dropped the shield he was holding and raced to the spot where Braulor was last, falling to his knees as he arrived. He scattered about frantically in the loose dirt, leaves and a twig, hoping it was some magic trick. That there was a hidden door they had fallen through where he would find Braulor below and be able to come to his aid. But there was nothing. His fingers only found dirt. Tagan was calling out, screaming Braulor's name in a vain attempt to reach him but there was nobody to reach. Braulor was really gone.

Tagan stopped his search and slumped down, sitting on the heels of feet, arms hanging at his sides as if he had lost control of them. He didn't know if he could deal with the feeling of loss welling up inside him. A sickening feeling was building in his stomach, making it lurch, and he wondered if he was going to throw up. His head was spinning and there was a pain in his heart, making it feel as if it had been pierced by an arrow. It hadn't but he wondered if this was what it would feel like. He would rather have the arrow piercing his heart he realized. At least a physical wound was something he could deal with. Something tangible that made sense to his brain and he could reconcile in this world, even if it meant his death. Hot tears streamed freely down his face, through the mud and dirt and grime, leaving tiny streaks of clean, pink skin in their wake. What am I supposed to do now? It was Braulor who had gotten them this far. It was Braulor who fought the guards at the Citadel before their escape into the waterfall. It was Braulor who saved Tagan from drowning in the Jaswulder River. It was Braulor who led him through the mountains to elude the pursuing citadel guards. It was Braulor who got them through the mountain tunnels from Vjeinka Rise and led them here. How could Braulor leave him now? They had found Rean Le and the quest poised to go to the next level. And now? Tagan had no idea where to go from here. How could Braulor leave him to find his own way now when Braulor was responsible for everything to this point?

Tagan reflected on this turn of fate and felt selfish, bemoaning his childish attitude. His brother was gone. Gone to who knows where or maybe not anywhere at all. Just gone. And here he was worrying about what he was going to do like some toddler that lost his mommy and daddy. Braulor would be ashamed if he could see him now.

A slender, gentle hand grasped his shoulder and squeezed. A reassuring touch filled with sympathy for him. Tagan didn't have to look to realize the hand belonged to Rean Le and his flagging heart buoyed the tiniest amount. A ray of hope shone through the dark that was threatening to consume him as he remembered why they had come here in the first place. It was the quest. The quest to find the Amber Eye as Meyu Kwi had instructed. Find it and return it to the Lefirte. With or without Braulor, they had to try. Keep pushing as far as they could. It wasn’t much, tenuous at best, but it was something to lean on; solid ground on which Tagan could plant his feet and look forward. It steeled his resolve and Tagan was grateful. He would honour his brother in the best way possible. They would find the Amber Eye and return it to Lefirte.

We have to get out of here, Tagan. Rean Le's voice was soft and melodious. She didn’t know Tagan or any of the men with him but she felt remorse for him. Pity, they had come so far only to suffer such an egregious loss. Perhaps it was because they were against Kyriu. Fighting side by side with them had bonded them, even if only in a small way. Perhaps it was because there was part of her found Tagan attractive. Rean Le didn’t know but wanted to assuage Tagan’s feelings.

Rean Le was right of course. Braulor was gone and nothing Tagan could do was going to bring him back. He could sit there until the end of time. Until the dirt he was so sure Braulor was beneath consumed him as well but it would change nothing. Still, Tagan didn't want to leave. The resolve he had found was already being tested and he wanted to run to his pack, get his shovel out and start digging. And dig and dig until he found Braulor.

Braulor is gone Tagan. There's nothing we can do for him now. Rean Le was firm now but she could feel Tagan's pain. It was throbbing through him in waves of increasing intensity like a volcano about to erupt but she was certain there would be more men on the way.

Rean Le's voice cut through Tagan's thoughts and soothed his heartache. A heartache he didn't think could be balmed or salved in any way. He wasn't surprised. Nothing would surprise him at this point after everything he had seen and learned. He wondered if anything would be able to surprise him ever again.

With great reluctance, Tagan stood; bristling as Rean Le's hand slipped away from his shoulder and breaking the glorious physical connection he was clinging to for support. How long have I been here? He knew it was mere moments but his knees complained at the strain of standing. Tagan's head swooned as he reached his full height. Embarrassed he had been crying, he couldn't bring himself to look at Rean Le and looked around for Crenoah, Drebos and Stonjsin, hastily wiping his face with the backs of his hands when he was turned away from her.

Crenoah marched up to Tagan, right to the same spot Braulor had last been and stood there staring at the ground, not saying a word. Crenoah's clothes were glistening with patches of blood. Some was his own, flowing freely from some unseen wound on his shoulder. The rest had to be from the unmoving guard he had been battling.

Stonjsin appeared at Crenoah's side within seconds. What happened, Tagan? Where is Braulor? Stonjsin gestured at the ground as if Tagan didn't know what he was talking about.

All Tagan could do was shrug his shoulders in response. He didn't know what to tell them. Being absorbed in the fight, they hadn't seen the dramatic disappearance of Braulor and Kyriu with the Shadowkeeper.

They all stood staring at the non-descript patch of ground for what seemed an eternity, as if by staring hard enough and long enough, it would be enough to bring Braulor back. Draw him back from wherever he had gone with nothing but the power of their thoughts.

What happened to Drebos? Crenoah asked, his neck creaking as he glanced around, disturbing the silence.

All other thoughts went out of their minds and everybody tensed at the question.

Rean Le stepped away from Tagan and with a flick of her arm had her bow at the ready, arrow nocked. Her eyes scanned the area as she stepped gingerly in a small circle.

He was near me, fighting that burly guard but then I lost track of him. Stonjsin's head was bobbing back and forth as he tried to spy Drebos through the foliage.

Tagan was amazed that Stonjsin was able to see what was going on with Drebos even as he fought for his own life.

Spread out, we have to find him. Crenoah grimaced as he stepped away from the group, walking with measured steps toward where the bulk of the fighting had taken place.

It didn't take much urging as each of them was glad to have something to do. A task to take their minds off what happened to Braulor and put their focus and attention on something they could control.

Crenoah and Stonjsin went in opposite directions and were soon consumed by the brush. The faint rustle of tree branches swaying as they moved among them was the only indication they were there at all.

Tagan felt naked without a weapon and lost without Braulor so he tried to stay close to Rean Le as she set out in a third direction. It was difficult though. Rean Le moved quick and lithe through the trees and brush as though they were nothing but air. Tagan stumbled along behind her trying his best to not make any noise.

Rean Le stopped at a few points along the way, crouching down low to the ground, scouring the bush ahead of her with an intense gaze, unmoving. Without saying a word, she would stand again and move on. More than once she gave Tagan a fierce look that reminded him to keep quiet.

Tagan and Rean Le completed a sweep of the area in a large circle but did not find any sign of Drebos. They made their way back to Crenoah and Stonjsin who were standing among the carnage of the recent battle.

He's not among any of these guys. Stonjsin flicked the leg of the closest body with his foot. The leg flopped out at an odd angle and stayed there.

We didn't find anything either. Tagan was slightly concerned that the bodies in the immediate area were not bothering him in any way. Was he too overcome with grief? Or was he hardened already from the carnage he had witnessed at Vjeinka Rise? Either way, it was disconcerting to him and he forced himself to look anywhere else.

There were tracks leading away from here, Rean Le announced, contradicting Tagan's report, heading off in that direction. she said, pointing toward one of the paths she had scrutinized during her and Tagan's search.

Who’s tracks are they? Can you tell? Crenoah's gaze was fixed firmly in the direction Rean Le had indicated.

They weren't made by the boots of your clan. Rean Le cast a quick glance at Stonjsin's and Crenoah's mud caked boots. The tracks were deep and ill formed. If I had to guess, I would say they belong to one of these guards. she finished, nodding her head toward the heap of bodies.

Crenoah's head whipped around and he quickly counted the bodies once again. There are only three guards here, he announced, stunned he had missed this vital fact earlier.

One of the guards must have carried off Drebos. Stonjsin added gruffly. Where are these tracks? he asked, turning to Rean Le.

Rean Le led them to where she had found the tracks and they gathered around to investigate.

Stonjsin and Crenoah crouched down and were silent as they stared at the deep-set prints, each of them running a finger gently around the perimeter of the depression.

The tracks were short lived and only carried on down the trail for maybe four or five steps before they disappeared.

What do we do now? Tagan was genuinely confused as to what course of action they should follow. Braulor being gone was hard enough to deal with and now this. All he wanted to do was curl up into the fetal position and hope everything would go away. Hope everything would take care of itself and he could go back to being a simple farm boy. But he knew that wouldn’t happen. Couldn’t happen. He was in too deep now. He had to see this through.

We go after them. Stonjsin stood up as he said this, the authority in his voice making his intentions crystal clear.

I agree. Crenoah continued to crouch and search the immediate area with a slow, steady gaze. Drebos would come looking for us. It's the least we can do.

Tagan agreed, even though he had little idea what else he was supposed to do. He didn't like the idea of leaving anyone behind if they could help it. He knew if it was himself out there he would be praying for someone to come to his aid. For someone to come find him. Ok. We go after them. he finally said out loud.

I won't be going with you. Rean Le shifted, taking on a majestic and defiant stance, bracing for the arguments she was certain would be coming.

Tagan's mouth fell open while his brain scrambled trying to find the words that would relay his shock and disappointment. Rean Le was the reason he was here in the first place. She was who Meyu Kwi had told him he needed to find because Rean Le could help them recover the Amber Eye. After all they had gone through to find her and now this? He was flabbergasted. When he spoke, his throat was tight and it felt like he had to force his words out. What do you mean you're not coming?

I don't belong in your world. Rean Le shook her head as she said this as if to punctuate what she was saying. She could see the stunned look on their faces, especially Tagan’s, and understood their dismay. Part of her couldn’t believe what she was saying either. But the brief glory she felt as she fought by their sides had faded with her adrenaline and she could only remember the worst parts of the quest which brought her here. Of all she gave up. It was a wound she was reticent to re-open.

Stonjsin shifted as he looked at Rean Le. She looked him in the eye before turning her head and averting her gaze. Stonjsin understood her. Understood what she must be feeling. Their intrusion on her world had been like a time bomb from the past, blowing her peace into smithereens. But without her, this was all for naught. The slaughter of the Greejon clan. Braulor’s disappearance. It would all mean nothing if she didn’t help them. Like it or not, you are a part of this world too, Rean Le.

No. It came out in a scream, raw and throaty. Rean Le reigned in her emotions before continuing. I came here to be away from your world. To shut myself off from its goings on. Rean Le hated to admit it but the mention of the Amber Eye had rekindled a fire inside her she had thought was long snuffed. Even now her mind was racing through the possibilities of what finding the eye would mean. But there were also the hard memories. The fights and battles she had had along the way. The close calls and denials that had demoralized her to the point where she had decided to abandon the quest and live out her life. The two sides were seesawing back and forth in her mind.

But what about the Amber Eye? We need you to help us find it. Tagan's voice was rising and he was sure he had yelled this last statement louder than he intended to but he was scared all over again. Scared, this beautiful woman that stirred feelings in him he didn't even realize he