Hope every likes where the story is going. The Creed- Part III
Krele Kest waited. With his sword poking into his side, he lay flat on his stomach, looking down from the thatched roof of a small house. He peered over its edge and waited for the patrol to pass. It had been hours since he had killed Jeresh and had fled from the church. The Rites, dismissed that night, set aside, and the people ordered back in their homes. Krele mused to himself, “at least some good came of my acts this night.”
Now, every last church soldier was hunting for him. He had to get to the old tunnels, the ones used centuries ago by the ancient dwarves, long before there was a church or the belief in its dark God; or so the legends say. Very few knew how to enter the tunnels, in fact, not many even knew of their existence, but the Creed had found them years ago when they were looking for a place to hide and a place to learn what they could of the magic. Krele had been brought there as a boy, after one of the Creed's members witnessed him attempting to bring a flower back to life for a girl; Laara. That man, Hared, was amazed by Krele's ability, and he began to teach Krele all he knew of the magic. Soon, his control and ability to withstand the pain associated with the magic's power surpassed even Hared, and the member's of the Creed finally began to consider using their power to overthrow the church, with Krele as their savior. Krele remembered the beatings his father would give him when he would return from the caverns. He took them, knowing even then how important he was to the Creed. He gritted his teeth on the memory and watched soldiers below.
"He's out of the city by now. He has to be. It's been hours." One of the soldiers complained.
"Silence in the ranks!" The patrol leader barked. "Keep your eyes and ears open. He's here somewhere. He's just very adept at hiding." The leader paused and looked around. Krele guessed that some sort of sixth sense was at work within the leader's mind. He pushed himself closer into the thatch of the roof and waited. Tension seized the air around him and he swallowed hard, feeling as though this was indeed the end.
The leader's eyes scanned his surroundings, stopping at the house on which Krele hid. "Search this house!" He barked. "And every house around this area. He is here, I can feel it. Move, now!"
Krele watched as the soldiers scattered to all of the houses. Screams and shouts of alarm filled the night as they burst through the bolted doors, surprising the occupants within.
"Damn!" He whispered to himself. "This is all I need." He was now not far from the house with the wooden floor, but for all these soldiers prowling about it may as well be on the other side of the world. He waited until the soldiers searching the house below him came out, then he inched his way back and slid down its far side. The screams and shouts continued to ring out in the night as he whispered between houses and down back streets.
Then it happened. Only a street away from the house with the wooden floor, he came face to face with two soldiers. They were leaving a house by its back entrance and Krele, for all his stealth, literally bumped into them as he rounded the corner. They didn't realize who he was at first, but Krele quickly jumped back and drew his sword. One of the soldiers shouted triumphantly, calling to others, as he charged forward. The other drew and also thrust towards Krele. The first fell almost instantly as Krele easily slid his sword through the man's breast plate and into his heart. The other howled in rage and charged. Krele's sword clashed with his, causing a rain of sparks. The two fought furiously for what seemed hours, yet was only a matter of minutes. Krele managed to defeat him too, thrusting his sword fatally through the man's throat. Then Krele fled as the shouts of other soldiers filled the night.
He came, moments later, panting for breath, to the house with the wooden floor. He pounded on the door and it opened only a crack. He saw a pair of eyes, and then heard a sharp gasp as the door flew open.
"Krele! You are alright, praise be! We were so afraid when we heard of your flight from the church." Odan said as the two of them clasped hands.
"I must hurry, my friend. I killed two soldiers back there. They know I am in this area. I must get into the tunnels quickly." Krele told the young man standing before him.
"Yes, Yes, of course. Come. Help me with the dirt." Odan said, handing Krele a small spade. They went into a back room and pulled a thick rug away from a spot on the dirt floor in the center. They began to dig, a few inches down they uncovered a wooden trap door. They brushed away the remaining dirt and pulled on the iron ring. The small door, barely wide enough for a man to squeeze through, creaked open. Krele peered inside and saw nothing but darkness. Odan reached over to a small table and took hold of the oil lamp that rested there. "Here." He said to Krele, thrusting the lamp toward him. "Take this. The way is long, as you know, and dark."
"No." Krele said, “I cannot take such a gift.”
“You can, we have another. One is all that is needed. Take it.” Odan pushed the lamp at Krele’s chest.
Krele stared back, then, he took the lamp from Odan's hand. "Thank you, my friend.”
“Yes, yes. You must go.”
Krele nodded. “Once I am down, you must close the door quickly and cover it up again with all speed. The soldiers could be here at any time."
Odan nodded, clasping Krele on the shoulder with a strong grip. "Go well, my friend, and praise to the Creed."
Krele returned the grip. "Stay alive, Odan."
Without another word, Krele, with Odan's help, lowered himself through the small opening. Once he was all the way through, Odan slammed the door, leaving Krele alone in the eerily-glowing tunnel. He waited for a moment as he assessed his surroundings. The ceiling was just tall enough for him to stand erect and the light from the oil lamp bounced off the close, red rock walls. It smelled musty and earthy, and he took a moment just to breathe in the scent of the underground, relief flooding through him. He was on his way home.
He started down the dark tunnel, holding the lamp out in front of him. He had only gone a short distance when it dipped steeply downward, the tunnel narrowing even more, causing him to stoop over. Down it went, deeper and deeper toward the core of the world. The fragrance of the deep earth washed over him the further down he went. He navigated the complex series of tunnels confidently, knowing exactly which passageways to go down. They crossed each other and meandered in all directions. Those not familiar with the passages would soon be hopelessly lost down here, but Krele knew his way well. On he went.
After quite some time, he came to a tunnel that widened into a vast corridor, and leveled off. He could hear the sound of running water. He was getting closer. The corridor twisted and turned with many more smaller tunnels running off of it in different directions. Most of those tunnels ended abruptly, while still others led the way to oblivion or were unexplored by the Creed. He then rounded a long curve and saw ahead of him the faint glow of a faraway light. He smiled.
He began to hear strange scratching noises and a rhythmic thumping. The scouts for the Creed had seen him. He removed his sword from its sheath and tapped the wall of the corridor with the top of its hilt, sending out the code for his name. He heard then a squeal of delight. Laara. She flew down the corridor and wrapped herself in his arms. He buried his face in her auburn colored hair, and breathed in its sweet, earthy scent.
"Oh, Krele. I was so afraid. The scouts say you killed Jeresh." Her voice was muffled by his shoulder.
"Yes." Was all he could say.
She pulled her head back and brought her jade-green eyes to search his face. "Krele, why?"
He sighed and pulled down the hood of his cloak. Laara unwrapped herself from his arms and watched him. He raked his fingers through his hair. "I had no choice."
She stared thoughtfully back at him then nodded. "Come. Father is waiting. He's been worrying about you almost as much as I have these last few hours."
He extinguished the lamp, put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. They walked toward the light at the end of the corridor. "Oh, Laara, how I've missed you." He said.
"I love you, Krele Kest." She whispered.
They entered Creed's Cavern moments later. The cavern was more like a great meeting hall, with chairs and tables, and a great fire pit. Shelves of ancient books and yellowed scrolls lined the walls. Books that told of dwarves and of a people who called themselves mystics; and of magic. Books that told of other gods, and ancient references of wars in far away lands. Such writings were thought all destroyed by the church, being viewed as blasphemy and foul. But, the Creed preserved all that they could find, knowing them to be proof that the church was a lie and that their evil God had not always been the God of the world. Most were found in this very place. Krele had poured over the books and scrolls for hours when he was first brought to the Creed, longing to live in the days told in the stories. He would wonder what ever happened to the dwarves and the mystics, and the other gods; how their evil God had gained dominion over the world, and why would those other gods allow such a horrible thing to happen?
Krele and Laara were met at the mouth of Creed's Cavern by a chorus of cheers and words of relief; instantly surrounded by roughly twenty members of the Creed. There were others, of course, those who had pledged loyalty to the Creed but had no knowledge of the magic. They were those who lived in the city to help, those like Odan, while the ones learning the magic lived in hiding in the tunnels of the ancient dwarves. Krele smiled at his friends and clasped as many hands as he could.
"Krele." A throaty voice then rumbled over all the rest. Krele looked over the heads of his friends and locked his black-eyed gaze with that of the white-haired man who had just called his name. Hared stood on a small, round platform that rose maybe half a foot up from the smooth, red rock floor of the cavern. Krele released Laara, parted the circle around him and walked over to the man who was more his father than any other. Hared watched his approach, his gnarled face wearing an undecipherable expression. "What have you done?" He asked sternly.
“Father, please." Laara said from Krele's side.
"Quiet, girl." He rumbled. Hared pulled his cloak about himself tighter and cleared his throat.
"Hared, I had no choice." Krele said.
"No. There is always a choice. What you did was a rash act of vengeance. It was wrong." Hared moved down from the platform and stood to face Krele. "Now the church knows you. It knows you all too well. No churchman has ever belonged to the Creed. Sar Lok will be enraged. And. They will now search with greater fury."
"Hared, it's all right." Krele said hastily. "I am ready to do what I must. Last night, with the magic, I healed a dying child."
Hared's own green eyes opened wide. "You did this? And you survived?"
"Yes." Krele said, unable to mask the excitement in his voice. "Our time has come. I am strong with the magic now. We can strike our blow against the church and God Himself. We will rid ourselves from this vile life. Let them search, there is nothing to stop us now."
Hared turned away from him in disgust. "Ah, the foolishness of youth! The blatant, confounded ignorance!" He bawled out, his face toward the ceiling and his arms hugging his chest. "Krele, you are far too rash." He murmured, without turning around. "Come. Walk with me."
Krele and Laara exchanged a quick look, Laara then squeezed his hand and nodded, Krele nodded back. He then followed Hared as he went down a back corridor that led away from Creed's Cavern. They walked in silence for aways. Krele, out of apprehension, waited for Hared to begin. He didn't have to wait long.
"Gorgen and Pak were discovered a short way from one of the tunnel entrances. The church will soon know we are here."
"No one will find this place, Hared. We are hidden well." Krele said in answer. He noticed Hared’s gnarled face contort in a grimace, which mirrored the same one he expressed moments earlier in the Cavern.
"Tell me of them." Hared said sadly after another long moment of silence.
"Sar Lok tortured them and then he sacrificed them this morning. Hared, I wanted to help them, but I..."
"Tell me of Jeresh Raul." Hared interrupted.
Krele paused, hesitated, then answered warily. "Sar Lok learned that Jeresh knew about me, and unless Jeresh had me reveal our hiding place, he would be sacrificed. Jeresh appealed to me to tell him, but I refused. I killed him to spare him from being gutted by Sar Lok."
"And to enact revenge for his apparent betrayal."
"No. How can you think that? He was trapped, he had no choice." Krele was stung by Hared's blunt accusation.
"Yes, so it would seem. I told you not to trust him. But, as I said before, there is always a choice. He could have just let you go, denying he knew anything about you. But he chose to place you in the position that inevitably drove you to kill him. Now, Sar Lok knows you anyway. Something tells me that he would not have been put to the knife. He used your sense of loyalty toward him to deceive you into revealing our place."
"Then I had a right to kill him."
Hared lifted an eyebrow. "No, Krele. There is no right to kill. Only the right to defend."
"Hared, you're talking in circles." Krele said then, pained.
"Am I?" Hared said, stopping to look at him. "Tell me, Krele, did you kill Jeresh as an act of defense for yourself and the Creed or did you do it to avenge his obvious betrayal?"
"Neither. I did it out of pity."
"Your pity was wasted. Jeresh Raul would have gouged your heart after learning what he needed from you."
"I don't believe that, I can't believe that."
"That is your choice." Hared resumed walking forward. In a short time they came to an underground pool of water that bubbled, being fed by some unknown source. The pool resided in a high cavern with crystal stalactites hanging from its ceiling. The crystal glowed softly, sending forth a pale, white light. From the moment he had laid eyes on it, as a young boy, Krele had been sure that some form of magic lived within the depths of the crystal. This was his heaven. Here, Krele was at peace.
Hared sat down on a lump of rock next to the water's edge. He rubbed at his white beard thoughtfully. "So. You feel we should do this now." He said with a long sigh.
"Yes. I do."
"Krele, do you know how old I am?" Hared asked suddenly. "I am not as old as I may appear."
Krele looked at him. He seemed odd. "Hared, what's wrong?"
"Everything!" Hared shouted abruptly. "Krele, I am only forty-three years old! This is what the magic has done to me. It has made me old and feeble. It has taken my wife from me. It has taken so many friends from me that I have lost count of their numbers. It is cold and unfeeling, it is ill, ill I tell you. Evil. Our very lives are evil. Yet, we seek to fight our own evil with this evil. Hoping against hope to make something good come of it. Impossible it is! It makes me ache to die! And yet we bear this pain of power. I bear this pain to achieve such a foolhardy end. I have done so all my life! And then you came. You, who wields the magic like no other. You, who never ages. You, who withstands its pain as though it only a mere annoyance. You, who surpasses even me in power, and I have been wielding the magic longer than any other! You are the one to save or destroy us! And it should be me! For no other has sacrificed more for the privilege!”
Krele was taken aback. He gaped at his friend, while pity and pride welled within his heart. "Hared, I didn't know you felt this way about me. You must hate me."
Hared looked pained and sighed long with remorse. "No. Krele, I love you as much as I love my own daughter. Please forgive, I never meant for you to hear those things. It is difficult for me, you must understand. I have spent my entire life trying to achieve the level of power that could bring down the church. And in only six years you have achieved all that I am and more. It makes me feel... inadequate."
"Hared, I would not have come this far without you." Krele told him.
Hared looked at him gratefully. He then straightened and pulled his cloak about himself. Krele waited while Hared regained his composure. The man was an enigma to Krele. So complex, so proud, yet sorrowful and resolute, Krele feared he would never fully comprehend the man before him.
"Well, enough of this." Hared rumbled after a few moments. "Leave the past in the past, there is no help or change for it. Now, we must decide on the future. I believe that the time for preparation is over. The purpose of our lives is now beckoning loudly at us. We can no longer resist its call. Krele, make yourself ready. Your hour is at hand."
Krele smiled then. His mind beginning to race, Hared had given the word to move forward. His resolve began to surge. “When?” He asked eagerly, standing on the balls of his feet, as though ready to charge down an entire army.
Hared gave him a look that made his smile fade. “We must plan, Krele. Your actions of late far too rash.”
Krele nodded, abashed.
They began to hear shouts of alarm then. Hared snapped to his feet, while Krele spun around, drawing his sword and dropping the lamp in one fluid motion, then they flew down the corridor. But, before they reached the main cavern Hared reined Krele in by grabbing his arm. Sounds of fighting echoed down the corridor to them.
"We've been discovered." Hared hissed. "Krele, go back. Hide. You are our only hope. You must not die."
"Hared, no. What of Laara? I can't abandon her! Or you! Or the Creed!" Krele protested, trying to pull himself free of Hared's iron grip.
"No! I will see to Laara. You must go back. Now! If you die, all that the Creed stood for and strived for and lived for will die with you! That must not be!"
Krele and Hared stared hard at each other. Then Krele looked longingly in the direction of the cavern where the fighting had escalated to a raging battle. The Creed was falling. "This is my fault." He said. "Odan must not have had time to cover up the door. I didn’t cover my tracks in the dirt. I didn’t THINK! I was in such a hurry to reach here that I didn’t THINK!"
" Krele! Stop! You have no time for guilt. You must flee!" Hared hissed.
Krele hugged his chest, tears streaming down his face. He was frozen.
Hared shook him. “YOU MUST FLEE!”
Krele snapped then, sobbed out in acquiescence. "Tell Laara I'm sorry. And that I love her."
“You are our last hope, son. You must not fail.”
Krele hugged Hared, Hared gripped him tightly. He then fled back down toward the lake.
