Chapter Two in The Rise of the Shar

THE RISE OF THE SHAR

CHAPTER II

The day dawned on a clear late summer morning, and in a particular house, a young half elf paced the floor nervously as his. A healing mage arrived and after greeting her old friends Sarah ushered the husband and his sister out of the room “Don’t worry so much Malek, everything will be fine, you’ll see.” Rydia assured her brother.
He knew she meant to calm him down but Malek was not comforted. He had waited nine months for this moment and now that it had come he felt as though the world had turned upside down. He was going to be a father. “Why don’t you go feed the animals?” She proposed. “It will help pass the time.” Malek agreed and headed for the door.

Outside, Malek walked across the small open field to the barn where his horses were kept. As he approached, he could hear the horses neighing loudly as though frightened. Malek ignored the animals while he filled a barrel with hay from the outer section of the barn for the hungry beasts. “It’s all right, your breakfast will be ready in a moment.” Malek called to the animals. Inside the barn, the animals grew more restless. Finally with a great whinny, Malek heard the crunch of broken wood as one of the beasts kicked its stall. Razalon rushed forward and threw the door open he did not want to repair the stalls. Stepping inside he found his three horses in the far corner. They had been released from their stall. A fourth horse, which he had never seen before stood in the center of the barn. The horse turned and came clumsily toward him it seemed to have a broken hoof, for it was limping on a misshapen leg. “This is a strange sight.” Malek muttered to himself, stepping into the large stall. “Where did you come from old boy? I’m sure I remembered to lock the door. Come here; let me have a look at your leg.” The horse approached cautiously then darted back. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Malek assured the wounded creature. The three horses in the corner of the barn continued to whinny nervously, one attempted to smash through the side of the barn. Something didn’t feel right.

Looking at the horse’s eyes Malek thought he saw a strange red glint in them but when he looked closer it was gone. A great sense of dread and fear swept over Malek. Something was wrong with this creature he could feel it. Darkness filled the barn. It was as though night had come quickly. Malek wanted to shout but nothing would come out of his mouth. He stood entranced, unable to move as the horse began to change shape, taking on an almost human appearance, though its face remained horse-like in a disgusting way. Foam came from the creature’s mouth as it spoke. “Where’s the magic one?” The creature hissed. “Who are you, and what do you want?” gasped Malek. “I will not tell one as young as you who I am, for I have lived long. But as for what I seek, I will tell you.” The horseman replied. “I seek someone who has had or is about to have a child. I have come to take them away.” He replied. In an instant, Malek remembered Vilix, glancing about for a weapon; he spotted a pitchfork leaning against the wall a little to his left. He took a tentative step sideways. “What are you?” He asked again, though he feared he already knew the answer, the thing that stood before him had to be a demon of some sort, his father had once told him stories of the Shar.

“Yes, you have guessed it, I am a Shar. Now you must die!” Malek spun left as the creature rushed forward, sword raised. The blow missed and the half elf closed his hand around the pitchfork’s handle. The creature hissed and struck again, his dark blade met the side of Malek’s weapon. He spun right and caught his attackers sword between two prongs of his pitchfork. Sparks shone in the dark barn. Malek threw his weight against his weapon and drove the Shar back. The creature spun to his right, freed his blade and went for Maleks feet. The half elf jumped, dodged the blow and kicked the demon in the side, sending the Shar staggering back. The creature yelled in anger as it hit the wall, Malek hurled his pitchfork at the creature, hoping to finish the fight before it could recover. To his surprise, the creature made a quick gesture and weapon exploded in midair, sending splinters flying in every direction. Malek covered his eyes and winced in pain as several slivers sliced into his skin.

Next moment the creature whispered something under its breath and made a quick arm movement as though throwing something. An instant later Malek cried out as he was slammed into the side of the barn.
He got to his feet with the wind knocked out of his lungs, but otherwise unharmed. Malek could hear someone approaching from the direction of the house.The creature’s laughter filled the barn. “You think you can defeat me?” He laughed. Raising its hand it muttered something else under its breath and a small ball of fire glowed in its hand. “You have failed to stop me, I will find the woman I seek, and you…will perish. Now take me to your wife!”
“Never!” Malek yelled, braced for death. “Very well.” The man replied and shouting something in a different language he threw the ball of red fire.

A voice cried from the door of the barn in a strange chanting language. The ball of fire hit a wall of faint silver light that appeared in front of Malek then faded as quickly as it had come. The creature screamed in frustration and turned away from Malek, towards the door where Sarah, the healing mage glared from the open doorway. Malek could not be sure if the light radiating around her was from the sun or from her. She was drawn to her full height with a fierce look on her face. The creature raised his hand and whispered the same thing he had said the first time it had hit Malek and made the same swishing movement but with a greater effort as though trying to smash the mage before him. Malek felt his hair stand on end as the force flew past. Sarah cried out in pain as the force hit her but she held her ground and shouted in a commanding voice, spreading her arms out before her. Silver light shot from her fingertips and hit the creature square in the chest sending the demon back a couple of steps.

Howling in anger, the creature started chanting loudly. Malek felt dread and fear spread threw him. Whatever the thing planned to do he knew he couldn’t let it finish its spell. He snatched one of the sharp pieced of broken metal and lunged toward the creature. Malek rammed the tip into the creature’s side. Howling in pain he turned toward Malek, lifted his hands and was about to cast his spell on Malek, when the mage released her own. Blue light surrounded the creature and formed a thick layer of ice about it. Then with a cry she shattered it. The creature vanished leaving a cloud of black smoke in its wake and a small mound of ash. “Are you all right?” Sarah asked Malek with a shaking voice that sounded weary. “I will be.” he replied. “Did you kill it?”
“Yes, the Shar is dead, but that is not important. How it escaped is the real question, I must go to Orlandus and speak with Esidius…I fear…the gates.”
“Come, we must check on the others. You were lucky he did not kill you when you saw him.” She commented as they left the barn. “He wanted me to take him to you I assume.” Malek explained, “He told me to take him to the mage.”

Sarah quickened her pace. “We have a surprise for you.” She explained. “I think I have had enough surprises for one day.” Malek replied. Upon entering the house he saw Rydia through the door to his room. She was sitting beside his wife Vilix. She looked worried. Sarah whispered to Malek that it was Rydia who had heard the shouts coming from the barn and alerted her that something was amiss. Then, speaking loud enough for the whole room to hear, Sarah said, “I think I will stay for a couple of days to make certain the babies are all right.”
“Oh, you have done enough for us already Sarah, I couldn’t keep you away from your duties.” Vilix insisted. “Don’t worry about that, besides helping you is my duty at the moment.” She said, catching Malek’s eye. “I think that sounds like a great idea.” He agreed.

Malek noticed for the first time that Vilix held not one baby, but two. Twins! The thought excited Malek so much he felt he must pass out. Rydia rose quickly and led him to the edge of the bed where he sat, weak all over. Sarah laid one of the infants in his open arms. “This is your daughter, would you like to name her?”
Malek thought for a moment. His eye fell on Rydia, the sister who had helped raise him and was always there when he needed her. “I will call her Ridiah.” Malek said.
Rydia looked at him questioningly for a moment.
“And our son shall be called Razalon.” Vilix whispered. Shortly after, Sarah ushered the group from the room pointing out that Vilix had just given birth to twins and needed her rest.

That night while everyone else was asleep, Sarah lay awake wondering what she should do. “No doubt the twins are important,” She thought. “Why else would a demon reveal himself when they have long been forgotten except by the mages. Why try and kill the babies on the day of their birth.” Then there were the questions of how the demon knew who the babies were when they would be born, and where to find them. She began to doze in a chair in front of the fire. Suddenly, a chill filled the room and the fire went out. Sarah sat up, fully awake. Something was terribly wrong.
She withdrew a stone she had been given by the Cleric Alorah many years before. It pulsed to life in her palm. Quietly, she waited, something darker than the night itself began to ease under the door. Sarah felt her blood run cold as the thing entered the room. Silently, she began drawing runes. The room was now so dark she could not tell where the intruder was. With a yell she raised the stone and pointed near the staircase. The room filled with light and something dark was launched from the bottom of the stairs into the air. The window shattered as the shape collided with it and fled into the night, weak and defeated. Sarah drew a couple Runes and pointed, the window flew back together and returned to its former place. No one seemed to have heard it shatter and Sarah returned to her chair, tired and drained. “That better be the last one or so help me.” She yawned.

Sarah did not sleep for the remainder of that night, but sat awake, trying to unravel the meaning of the days events. There was something special about the twins, in time she hoped to discover what made them so important to the enemy. The following morning when Malek awoke in the morning he found Sarah in deep conversation with Rydia. Upon noticing that he was awake they stopped talking,
“Okay, what’s going on?” Malek asked.
“Sarah thinks it’s best if she returns to her order to discuss certain events concerning the babies.” Rydia answered.
“What will we do if another demon attacks?” Malek asked, he did not wish for the mage to leave at the moment.
“I’ll take care of that.” Sarah replied. “I am going to inscribe runes of protection on your house, so long as the children are inside they will be safe.”
“Have you told Vilix about the attack yet?” Ridia asked Malek
“No, I didn’t want her to worry.” He answered.
“That may be the best course of action for the time being, worried people often make reckless choices. But you must tell her eventually.” Sarah said.

“When will you leave?” Malek asked, wondering what would happen with her gone.
“Tomorrow at dawn, I will be back within a month, unless I am stopped by a force greater than myself.” She replied with a hint of a smile.
Malek and Rydia exchanged glances, both knew that Sarah alluded to the demons.
“You have helped us more than you know, if there is anything we can do that will be of some help let us know.” Malek offered.
“I could use some supplies for the journey, if it is not too much trouble.”
“How could you even say such a thing, you saved my life, help yourself to any provisions you require.”

The remainder of that day Malek worked in the fields while Sarah inscribed runes on the house. Late that night she crept into Malek’s room, approached the cradles and pulled two necklaces from within her robes. They were silver to represent the color of her magic. Both had clear stones in their centers.
Quietly she put one on each of the sleeping babies. The stones in the center began to swirl with many colors. If Sarah was right and the babies did have magical talent the stones would become the color of their magic when they found it for themselves.
The stones would also help ward them from sickness and evil.
She hoped this would be enough, the medallions were not all-powerful and could be bypassed by the more powerful demons. She kissed each of the babies on the cheek and whispered a farewell before going to bed.

In the morning, before the sun rose, Malek, Rydia, and Sarah were saying their farewells. They had decided not to wake Vilix because one of the babies had been up late in the night crying. “Remember, do not tell anyone about the attack, you never know who you can trust.” Sarah warned. “And I would advise you to keep your sword with you at all times. There will be watchers who will try to find out information about them. I shall return as soon as I have spoken to the rest of my council goodbye my friends. And again I warn you to tell no one what has happened. For on unwisely spoken word can destroy all we hope to gain.”
“Do not worry so, I will keep this news secret until your return.”
“Goodbye Sarah, may our paths cross again.” Rydia gave the formal farewell. They watched Sarah depart. Both were unaware that their dear friend would never again return to the Elvensea Islands.

Three months past without word from the Mage and Malek grew more anxious with each passing day. Why hadn’t she returned? Had she met someone who had prevented her from fulfilling her promise? Questions haunted the new father.
At this time Rydia decided she must return to her village. She would leave the island on the next ship to depart for Evalon. The morning before her departure news arrived on an incoming ship that Sarah had disappeared following a short trip to the islands. A villager outside Orlandus had discovered a body badly burned that appeared to be Sarah surrounded by several small piles of ash. It seemed Sarah had met her match.

Malek was stunned by the news. He remembered what Sarah had said. “I will be back within a month unless I am stopped by a force greater than myself.” She had known she was in danger then. Of this Malek was certain. At the time he had thought that she was referring to the demons. But now Malek was uncertain.
‘Had she suspected that someone she knew was going to betray her?’
He found it hard to believe that she would lose in a battle unless she was trapped.
Or had she merrily guessed that the demons would attack her again? Whatever the cause Malek knew it was no accident that Sarah was killed. Rydia wept when Malek told her the grave news. Through tears she asked Malek if she could stay until she had gotten over her best friend’s death. Rydia returned to the mainland in the early spring but continued to visit her brother frequently.