"Shadowpath: The Saga of Aarian" : 'Purpose Part I'

submitted by aarian on Apr 4th, 2007

“Shadowpath: The Saga of Aarian”

“Purpose Part I”

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”
--Og Mandino

“Get up already would ya, this ain’t no boarding area” A stern voice cut through Aarian’s slumber.

Aarian struggled to open his eyes against a bright and blinding light. A tall man stood before him, dressed in armor and armed with sword and shield.

“Are ya getting up or do I have to get you up myself, I assure you I have a fail proof method” the guard said drawing his sword.

Aarian reacted out of instinct, scurrying to his feet and retreating from the guard. Realization struck as he stared at the man. His body reacted, strong and sturdy. His wounds were gone and the light. A bright sun burned in the brilliant blue sky above. His clothes were new, no signs of blood or combat and a small dagger was attached to his hip along with a small satchel of berries.

Confused Aarian looked to the guard “Where am I?”

The guard looked down at Aarian and smirked. “A little too much wine in the hot sun eh?”

Aarian heard a chuckle from behind him; he turned and looked shielding his eyes from the blazing desert sun. Behind him stood two other individuals laughing at him, mocking him. Neither was guards, but rather wore clothing much like any other citizen of the area.

“I was in a cave, and” Aarian thought about what his next words would be. What would he say? Could he tell the guard he was in a cave in the middle of nowhere because some old man put him there to test his abilities at necromancy? Should he tell the man before him about the horrifying creature that nearly ended his life? Aarian sighed and looked down at the dirt. “I fell asleep, and now I am here. I don’t know how I got here, or where here is”

The guard kneeled down before Aarian; taking his chin in his hands the guard lifted Aarian’s face and stared at him, examined him. He turned Aarian’s head to the left and then to the right, pulled his lips apart and checked his teeth like some kind of animal. Aarian swatted the guards hand away.

The guard huffed and stood. “Well you don’t seem all that worse for wear, you don’t appear to be a vagrant. You were in a cave you say? What cave would that be?”

Aarian thought for a moment. He wasn’t even sure where the man’s house was let alone the cave that ran beneath it. “I’m not sure. I was staying with my teacher out in the hills.”

“Teacher eh?” the guard said curiously. “And what sort of instruction were you taking?”

“I was learning nec” Aarian quickly thought of the possible reaction to the word “sorcery sir. I want to be a sorcerer and he was to teach me”

The guard looked at Aarian dubiously, it seemed as if he did not change his word quick enough and the guard was not as dumb as Aarian would have hoped. “Sorcery eh?” The guard said, beginning to pace in front of Aarian. “Well, we don’t have any use for Sorcerers here so I suggest you gather yourself, get yourself something to eat, and continue on your way.

“But Sir I” Aarian began and the guard cut him off sharply

“You don’t understand, this isn’t an open offer. I suggest strongly that you gather yourself, get something to eat, and continue on your way.” The guard said sternly glaring at Aarian

Aarian stood and dusted himself off “Of course sir, thank you” he said begrudgingly and slowly began to walk away.

He had walked a little bit down a steep dirt and rock hill and when he was sure he was out of sight of the guards behind him he stopped to look around. To one side rose steep rocky cliffs, and to the other was a drop off. A crude fence stood more as a reminder not to walk off the edge than a barrier to prevent such an act. Aarian looked around to make sure the guards were not watching him and approached the fence. He rested his hands on the ropes and looked out over the cliffs.

He could see for miles and in no time his vision cut through the dense fog below to reveal the ocean and the city he knew so well. Sprawled out below him was the grand city of Khal, the gateway to Qalia, his home. He looked around a bit more to get his bearings and a sudden calm overcame him. It took him only a few more moments to realize where he was but still did nothing to let him know how he got here.

So there Aarian stood, leaning against the fence high in the Clefts above Khal, the city and region he called home, and yet in his familiarity he felt a strange sense of separation. His mind began running over the incidents of the day before. Or was it the week before, he suddenly realized he no more a sense of time than he had an idea of how he got here.

What was he to do, and where the hell was the old man?

Aarian’s emotions began to run wild. Confused, abandoned, and left for who knows what purpose he began to formulate a plan. He knew he couldn’t go around telling everyone about his new found abilities or aspirations so he must keep them closely guarded. At least until he found the old man to find out just what this was all about.

With a sense of purpose about him, Aarian took one longer look at the city below him. He would make his way there shortly once he gathered some food and perhaps some better clothing. He wouldn’t stay long however, he couldn’t. He needed to find the old man and make him explain himself; explain why he was dumped here without even a hint as to what he was to do.

“They have fallen!” A loud voice boomed against the wind. Aarian jerked his head towards the cry and found a middle aged man in long brown robes and cream colored head wrap shouting, pointing frantically down the hill. The man was just on the other side of a small stand of tents and buildings; he could barely make out features, but could hear him clearly.

“They have fallen, we must get to them!”

Aarian ran down the hill towards the man, by the time he reached him a small gathering of people had formed all staring down into a small valley.

Aarian stared in shock. The valley floor seemed alive as dozen of scorpions, some as large as a man crawled along, around and over each other in a chitenous writhing orgy of insect frenzy. In the center of the valley floor he saw the bodies of 3 men. All dressed similarly to the men standing around him, long cotton robes and wooden sticks. Their skin a sickly blue with cuts and gashes and large gaping wounds in their chests.

Some of the scorpions hovered over the bodies, tearing pieces and feasting on their victory.

“Someone must stop them or they will come to the village!” The man yelled again. At this point several people began loading up their carts, muttering in a frantic rush about leaving the hillside to the scorpions. Others in another area of the small makeshift village were gathering sticks and small daggers, planning an attack on the overgrown insects.
“They will die” a familiar voice said near him

“They will”

Aarian looked around, he knew the voices. They were the ghosts from the cave, but where were they. He looked all around him but could not see them.

“It is day and he looks for us”

“He should focus”

“He should”

“Focus” the voices said in harmony

“Focus on what?” Aarian asked the invisible voices

“They will die, you can help”

“You can help, or they will die”

“Help? Do what? Become scorpion food? I think not!” Aarian snapped and began to walk towards the tents.

“You have power, they do not, and you can help”

“You should help”

“Practice”

Aarian continued to look around him for the voices, he knew what they looked like from the cave, but here in the blazing desert sun they were invisible; but he continued to look. As he did, he caught sight of a young girl on a nearby rock. Head in her hand, sobbing.

Aarian tried to ignore the child, but something inside him refused to allow it. With a defeated sigh he approached the child.

“Are you hurt?” Aarian asked, glancing over the child’s body for signs of injury

The child looked up at Aarian, eyes red and swollen, streams of tears flowing down her cheeks. She looked towards the scorpion valley and then back to Aarian. “My brother, he went and he won’t be back”

Aarian felt his heart sink. He looked up from the child and to the village folk gathering to go into the valley.

“They will fail” the invisible voices said in chorus

Aarian knew they were right, and something inside told him he had to do something.

“It will be okay” Aarian said the child rubbing his hair before walking towards the crowd. He firmly parted the crowd; the villagers stared incredulously as Aarian approached the ramp leading down into the small valley.

Without taking his eyes off the disgusting writhing mass he took a deep breath, adjusted his tunic, and made his way towards the valley floor.

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