Chapter 17 – Bright Light.

Hunter Valley was a great place to live. It was all greenery. The villages inside the valley were mainly cultivating grapes for wine production. All over the year, merchants would come to Hunter Valley to buy raisins, wine and fresh grapes to be sent to different parts of the kingdom. I was stationed on the western outskirts of Hunter Valley bordering the jungles. I knew that Elves were living inside the jungles but have never seen one, or met somebody who had interacted with them. My father once was blabbing something about elves though I find it hard to believe to his words alone.

The northern and southern borders of the kingdom were more suited for warriors than western borders. On south they were constantly fighting with demons and on north beast men attacked once in a while. Western border though was just too peaceful. Elves never attacked humans. We were stationed to protect the villages from wild animals that could come out of jungles. I was told that last year only disruption in their peaceful duties was that a panther came out of jungle and left back. I was sent to the only place where I wouldn’t want to be.

Although, the battalion’s name was Magi Vallis which translated from old language as Magicians of the Valley the leader was a warrior called Rahul. He was of a big statue but old in age. His hair was up to his shoulders, and he had long beard with arrow tips hanging from its ends. It seemed to me as he was a great warrior who has been through many battles and was sent to lead the Magi Vallis as a retirement gift. I talked to him, though he didn’t know my father, he recognized my grandfathers and was pleased to know that as a future warrior of Kali tribe I held tribal values higher than anything else, even my life.

I was given a shift time according to which I had to be present at exact time in front of the barracks to be sent to my station where I would be patrolling the area. Shifts changed from 8am to 8pm respectively. If I was on shift from 8am to 8pm today, I would have 1 day free time and tomorrow at 8pm would have to be again on shift. It seemed easy but my sleep schedule was messed up and was feeling like a zombie for the first three-four days.

Around 20th of Elas, my nightmares began to occur again. Each time I slept, wolf was there. Ulfberht was present too but as an observer. Third presence was similar to the one in mount Retnus. Wolf wasn’t attacking the glass cube anymore, but it was walking around its inner border in a slow manner.

Days passed by me going to shifts, coming back to barracks, running, training, improving my magic, meditating and sleeping. On 29th of Elas 5 minutes to 8 in the morning I was stationed in the post. At 13 o’clock had my meal. 5 minutes to 8 at night was relieved of my duty and sent back to barracks. Had a shower, changed my cloths and went to sleep.

This time, glass cube had big cracks on it. Wolf was staring at me and grinning.

[Wolf]: It’s almost there. Are you ready kid?

[Me]: What’s going to happen?

I opened my eyes around 5 am on 30th of Elas. Went to run, after that did some push-ups and pull-ups. Had a shower and went to have breakfast. I was still thinking about what wolf said but couldn’t figure out what it meant. Hand my lunch and had a nap for 2 hours. Woke up and waited to be called for shift. 5 minutes to 8 in the evening of 30th of Elas I was under the defense tower. I changed the mage who was off duty as of the minute when we signed on timetable regarding shift change. The defense tower was made of wood. Was around 8 meters high and had a balcony on it to be able to watch the jungles. Later on I learnt that whenever they made defense tower out of stones they would be attacked by elves to be destroyed. Interestingly, they never attacked wood structures. I was up in the top of tower. Sun was going to be replaced by moon in few hours. It summer and day was longer that night. It was almost sunset when my headaches began. It did hurt badly. Ulfberht turned into a ring and I put him on my pinky finger. I think he was trying to communicate with me but headache was so bad that I couldn’t concentrate to talk to him. It got worse as seconds passed by. Moon was rising from the east. I couldn’t stand on my legs properly. I was going right and left hitting the spindles made out of wood. I was going crazy because of the pain. Something shattered. I felt peace for a moment, lost my balance and fall down from the tower. I came back to my senses but I was surrounded by glass. I panicked and ran to the end and began to kick and smash the glass. Nothing changed.

[Ulfberht]: Calm down, Aslan.

I turned back and saw Ulfberht.

[Me]: What is happening Ulfberht? Where are we?

[Ulfberht]: Inside the cube. Its full moon and wolf took over you.

[Me]: What you mean wolf took over?

[Ulfberht]: Calm down and try to see.

I breathed in and out slowly for a few times and regained my composure. One of the glass walls turned into some kind of mirror and we could see what was happening.

Wherever we were or whatever we were inside, it was moving towards the jungle. In a slow pace. I was watching as if I was in its eyes or whatever it saw was directed to glass wall instantaneously. It was like back when I got out of Temple of Tyre. It was dark but the vision was not affected. In peripheries of the vision you could identify elves. It moved as if not caring about their existence. In an instant, it changed its pace and began to run forward. It jumped in to the jungle and went berserk. It was killing everything moving. Pigs, tigers, panthers, giraffes, gazelles, deer’s; whatever was on its way was brutally killed. A real bloodbath.

It stopped as if it felt something and an arrow passed few centimeters away from it. Turned to right and saw elves again. They were up in trees. It got angry. I could feel the anger. It began to howl. Everything around began to shake.

One of the elves fall down while jumping from a tree to another to get closer to it. It stopped howling and run towards the elf. Few more arrows came down and it dodged all of them. The first elf which I had ever seen was going to be butchered in front of my eyes. It stopped in front of the elf. The elf was terrified. I wouldn’t want to be in that elf’s place or situation. It didn’t killed it rather began to walk around it. It was torturing the elf. It knew, and elf knew that elf is going to be killed. It just gave elf time to feel despair. Was it enjoying that? It stopped again facing elf. You could feel the melancholy of death in elf’s eyes.

A girl appeared out of nowhere, put her hand on its face (maybe nose, I was just inside the glass cube) and flash of very bright light...

P.S: you should not be scared of doing any of these -> rate/review/comment

Next: Chapter 18 - The Night of the Full Moon...