Opon Hul By RLL

8/14/2019 Opon Hul By RLL

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OPON HULFROM





Opon Hul 3

Opon Hul



4 Opon Hul

Untamed skies swept over The Mountain as silkenwater flows upon submerged stones. Streams of cloudscaught the wind on their march across the land. The airwas gold with the morning glory gilding its soul. Stringsof fragrance drifted upwards from the beds of meadows,where flowers grew and opened their hearts to the sky.Sunlight shone upon the pale summit of The Mountain

and glistened as white gold does when finely polished.Being the only spire in the land, The Mountain

was sacred and only traversed by Staff Keepers whomaintained the border of peace –– a boundary thatcould not be broken by the soldiers of evil.

A new dawn settled over the quiet land of Dathzon, and with it spread a new terror from

The Land of Dark Dirt. A new beast unlike anythingin the land. The only creature that could fly. And itspread its wings as the ill feeling of its presence spreadtoward the hearts of people.

Twenty small villages surrounded the foot of The Mountain. Ten large castles lay scattered after theedge of a forest. These citadels stood erect upongrasslands extending beyond the trees.

At the top of The Mountain rested an old temple,built before the coming of humans; old as The Mountain,

yet strong nonetheless. ‘Twas the long-forgotten placewhence The Dark Dirt was produced and cast upon theland to smite all. A large waterfall graced the entrance,tumbling over green marble walls to land in a flurry of froth at the foundation of the peak.

There was but one way up The Mountain.A long and dark stairway commenced at the base,behind the great waterfall’s landing. It climbed through

The Mountain’s core and surfaced near the temple. All the

other slopes were too high, too graded for any to climb.Sheer height secured the safety of Temple Berghope,

which maintained the border of Magic across the land,defending against monsters that prowled the perimeteralong The Land of Dark Dirt.



Opon Hul 5

Morning mists hovered above the villages andcastles finally beginning to cast down its fogged walls anddissolve into the day’s new light. But there was no moremist upon The Mountain’s top. There, the warmth of day was cradled.

Heavy silence clung to the moist marble staircaseleading into Berghope as two men scaled the steps.A lethargic breeze blew trees into a sway. Gilt leavesdrifted to the floor around the Staff Keepers. Their eyeshad the flame of youth still ignited within, and their wideopen hearts felt the feelings far adrift the wind.

“A very lovely dawn it seems. Dost thou agree,Kelpreen?” said one to his companion.

“Indeed, ‘tis a fine morn upon The Mountain.

Beauty hath awoken hither.” The second monk hesitatedthough, his face worried. “A fine day, yet it has a sense of something amiss. Something hides in the folds of theclouds.” He carefully judged the winds and sunlight,poised on the uppermost step. “Something comes.I will return.”

“And I will be here.”Kelpreen walked around the corner of Berghope’s

main building and peered at the passage to the landbelow. Everything was still for a long moment. The eyesof him gazed down like a watching father upon his family.Yet, the forest thence lent no secrets to his searchingvision.

Kalpon, the other lad, stood listening. His headtipped to a side, feeling the air’s voice against his cheek.Behind the deep murmur of the wind, candor in villas

yonder and tree’s rustle, there was another sound. Greatwings flapped hard and fast, and they became louder ashe listened.

“Something comes, indeed, Kelpreen. Ill-fated noise,not of this land, nor of the land beyond. ‘Tis a new soundthat finds my ears. It brings dread to my mind.” Kalponsquatted down in the shade and turned his sharp gazeskyward. Clouds sailed forth, and the Sun turned theirdew to rainbows. “What evils hide in this beauty?”



6 Opon Hul

Kelpreen too cast his eyes skyward in hopes of catching the sound with a glimpse of its creator.

“I see naught, my friend,” said Kalpon after a bit of watching.

“Neither do I, my friend. But something is about.Something rides this way. I think we should go insideBerghope, for this ill sound may be coming hither for

The Staff.”“Let us go in then.” The watchers quietly stole

inside and bolted the door. As the entry was closed,the room grew dark. Calmness resided in the air.

“Let us have some light, Kalpon. What do theesay?”

“Blaze those torches, brother!”

Kelpreen ambled to the other end of the room, hisfeet guided by the soft glow of The Staff of Hope in thecenter. He removed a crimson stone from his pocket. Ithad a flame in its core that did not go out, but flickered asa candle would in the wind as his breath brushed itssurface. He touched it lightly to a torch that was fastenedto the wall. Light sprang and leaped to the walls andslowly crawled around, lighting any torch it fingered untila bright light enveloped the circular room.

The white marble floor glinted and the black marbleroof twinkled as light reflected off certain parts, like starsin the night. The round wall that ran around them glowedof jade-colored marble.

“ That is much better,” said Kalpon as he felt thewarmth of light touch his heart.

“Indeed.” Kelpreen stowed the red stone and stoodthere, but did not see the fire’s performance. His friend’swords of an ill sound lingered to trouble his mind. “Let ussit and absorb the aura of The Staff to get rid of this ill

feeling.” Kelpreen led the way to the middle of the room. There rested a column of water that stood to the

ceiling. It suspended The Staff of Hope in the center of thepillar. The Staff shone and their moods elevated. As themusic of the wind blew through the cleansing walls, theirears were deaf once again to the sound that bothered theirminds earlier.



Opon Hul 7

Tranquility consumed all. The two men stoodmotionless beside The Staff and column of water. But thefeeling of danger had taken it’s hold inside Kelpreen andrefused to retreat. It kindled there, a great torrent of fear.A moment later, The Keeper stumbled back and his formleft the blue glow.

“Art thou okay, my friend?” asked Kalpon after hisfriend paused outside The Staffs light.

“ That ill feeling hath come back. I cannot shake itfrom me. I am afraid, Kalpon, I am afraid somethingcomes.”

“Return to the warm light of The Staff, my friend.You will become serene again.”

Looking hopeful, Kelpreen took his friend’s

advice and advanced into the glow. His negative feelingdiminished but did not entirely withdraw. It grewa second time and thrust him out.

He slid across the smooth, polished floor, finally stopping at the wall. His head hang down in dismay. Ithurt him to think he had been tarnished by evil. “I cannotbe healed,” he muttered. “This feeling consumes meentirely. The Staff will not allow me entry. I should notstay in here any longer. May the Magic guide thee well,Kalpon. For me, I fear I must leave the temple room.I have been touched by the darkness.”

“But wait! Give the Magic time to heal thee. Give ittime, my friend. There is nothing that hope cannot heal.”

Kelpreen stumbled toward the hard door that couldscarcely be discerned from the wall. “My hope has gone.

There is nothing that can banish this horror I feel within.I must go. Farewell.”

“Farewell. May you find strength again to be atpeace!”

Kelpreen opened the door and sunlight coursedinto the large round room, as if the wind had turned togold. The Staff glittered and its glow became even morebrilliant. Kelpreen strode outside and gazed aloft. Kalponcame to the door and peered out at his friend withconcern.



8 Opon Hul

“Oh, Kalpon, ‘tis terrible!” cried Kelpreen, his eyesgrowing wide. A shadow passed over their heads. Thefeeling within him at that moment can only be imaginedby the depth of wordless thought. For if any were to try towrite in word the horror, it would be but a slight mockery of truth. Yet, as he cowered there, with darkness coming,he screamed a last phrase, the words known to few.“Opon-Hul!”

Kalpon listened in confusion. While he watched, theshadow bore down upon Kelpreen and consumed him.

The Keeper was gone. The shadow condensed into a great winged beast.

Its long thick wings spread, like the night spreads over theland. A night with no stars or moon to bring hope of

light. The wings folded as the creature approached thedoor where Kalpon stood frozen. It’s silver glazed eyesstared at him, and then the beast hissed in a foul breaththat darkened Kalpon’s hope.

“Zafthic,” it hissed through long, jagged teeth.Kalpon ran quickly away from the door and the

ghastly beast that loomed there. He stepped lightly andtrod ground with much haste as he made his way to theentrance of the stairway leading to forest below.

He descended the long shady stair but then paused,as if a sword was horribly thrust into his stomach he criedand tears flowed his face. A dark deed had just beenperformed at the summit and Kalpon could feel it.

The Staff had been disrupted from its resting place, theonly thing that kept all the evils away from humans.

The Keeper continued his decent toward Ettron Forest infear. He could not do anything about the creature along.

At long last as the day waned, Kalpon beheld thegleaming waters of the waterfall through the doorway of

the staircase. The evening’s grasp clutched the flowingwaters but could not take the crystal sheen that dancedits droplets across the stones.



Opon Hul 9

Upon any other day, Kalpon would have smiled indelight to see the mist-covered landing of the falls, butthis eve he leapt out and silver water needles pricked hisback. Wet and cold he took to the road, bent on findinga town.

As the night gathered its strength, Kalpon could seewhat had happened high up the slope. The familiar glowof The Staff that would shine outwards from the templewas not in sight. Berghope’s walls remained dark green,no light emanating from their core. The creature stoodatop the temple’s roof, shrieking a terrible yell andstretching its dark wings.

“Alas, The Staff has fallen. What a disaster thisis becoming,” he muttered in the chill breeze. Kalpon

stepped lightly, and through the night he arrived ata town. As the moon shone upon his tired face, heshouted with all his might.

“Opon-Hul! Opon-Hul!” Over and over he didshout until a large crowd gathered around him in thedark of night. They all stared at him with wonder andbewilderment. None knew what he was saying.

“Opon-Hul? Why, that is not our language,” saidone.

“He is just saying nonsense,” accused another.“Indeed, ‘tis easy enough to see, the man is a loon!”

laughed a third.Even though he was laughed at and he himself did

not understand what he said, Kalpon knew the wordsmust be uttered if ever peril came.

And only an old man in the town knew what thewords meant. His name was Guthuahn. He camehobbling from a house, eyes ablaze with surprise anddread.

“Clear the way, you fools!” he cried at the villagerswho had gathered. They scowled in anger but obeyed him,for he was one of The Word Keepers. Guthuahn walkedright up to Kalpon and peered into his frightened eyes.

“Repeat that which you said,” requested Guthuahn,his voice commanding. He had heard the words, butneeded to make certain he spoke what he heard.



10 Opon Hul

“Opon-Hul! Opon-Hul!” cried The Staff Keeper ina terrible fright, not knowing what else to do.

Guthuahn did not know what the danger was, butnow realized what needed to be done. He turned to theamassed town population and gazed off into the far treesof the forest.

“ Tonight The Words of Old have been uttered!” heproclaimed. “Opon-Hul! Now go to bed, all of you, for ‘tismy job to carry these words to those who must listen.Good night, my fellow people.”

“But what does this mean?” asked a villager.“It means you should all lock your doors tonight

and hide your sheep! It means, danger is about. I musttell these words to the castles yonder so we can prepare

for what comes!” He then quickly headed for theCastle Greensky, not even bothering to close the doorof his house, leaving everyone with troubled faces.

Guthuahn traversed the forest floor with speedunseen in an old man such as he. Yet at his heelsremained Kalpon, who sought answers for his misery anddeath of fellow monk, and for the meaning of the words.

“Wait there, Word Keeper!” called Kalpon as the twoneared the shadow of a castle.

“Yes?” Guthuahn paused and turned towardKalpon.

“I must know what they mean. The words. Pleasetell me.”

“It is not for thee to know. I am a Word Keeper, andthou art a Staff Keeper. Let us keep it at that.”

“My friend Kelpreen died upon that summit! Hislast words were those which I spoke earlier. Please,I shan’t tell anyone else. I must know.”

Guthuahn thought a moment, his face twisting with

impatience. “Why did your friend die? Is there some trueperil for all of Dathzon or did he merely tell you thesewords upon his death bed?”

“A peril you could not imagine. Now I demand toknow what those words signify.”

“A peril, eh? Very well. Come closer.”



Opon Hul 11

“ Thank you kindly, sir.” Kalpon bowed low, thenleaned closer to hear.

“Opon-Hul means ‘We Summon’,” whisperedGuthuahn into Kalpon’s ear. “It must be chanted in

The Bergwarn tomb to bring forth Lastenberg.”“Lastenberg? Is that not the name of a mythical

archer who comes to save Dathzon from destruction?”“ That is correct. And he is not a myth, he is real.

His tomb lies in that castle yonder. If there is a greatdanger as you claim, we must summon him quickly.However, in order to do so, there must be a certain fivepeople present.”

“Why? Can you not summon him?”“Nay! Well, perhaps I could, but no one has ever

tried to do it alone. We do not know what would happen,and frankly we have not the time to spare. It was five heforesaw in his chamber last time he was awake, and thus,it is five that must be there now.”

“Very well, let us gather them in haste. The Staff of Hope is out of its pillar. Soon the evilthings will come past The Land of Dark Horizons. As soonas the magic wears off. And those lands shall be of Dark Dirt, and this spot we stand on shall see a horizonof evil shadows.”

Guthuahn hesitated for a moment, pondering thisnew information. “The situation is very bad. How couldsuch ill things have happened? What use are youStaff Keepers if you allow it to fall out of its place?”

“It did not just fall out! Something came. I do notknow how.” He paused. “It walked through the air.Unlike anything I have ever seen. And it hissed somethingto me. Perhaps thou might know what it means. Thebeing hissed, ‘Zafthic.’ That is all. Is it too an old word?”

“No, I do not know what that means. Come, wemust locate the five people.” As they continued their walktoward the castle, Guthuahn kept talking. “Walkingthrough the air, you said?”

“Yes, some strange creature The Land of Dark Dirtconjured.”



12 Opon Hul

Guthuahn was now troubled with the images, andquickened his pace for the castle.

They had journeyed until a brilliant sun glimmeredthrough the tree cover. Before them were the low wallsand deep trench of a castle.

“Who art we coming for? If I may ask.” Kalponstood gazing at the imposing palace.

“ The king. He is one of the five we must collect.A Staff Keeper and the three Word Keepers are the otherfour. You shall be The Staff Keeper and I am one of

The Word Keepers. Thus, we will have three of the fiveneeded once the king joins us.” Guthuahn shuffled toa bridge over the trench.

Two guards stood in gleaming green armor and

white capes that flowed like they were the wind blowing. The soldiers recognized Guthuahn and let the menthrough. Boards rattled while they walked, crossing tothe castle.

Guthuahn strolled to the base of the wall, shouting The Old Words again. “Opon-Hul!” His voice echoedbeyond the gateway, into the high and hidden chambersof the central keep. Ears all round heard the words withwonder.

Moments passed. Kalpon stood uncomfortably astownspeople stared at them, wondering why Guthuahnhad yelled so strange of words so loudly.

Then the doors to the keep opened and out steppeda king. Many years and many a trouble burdened themonarch’s visage. He stepped alone and silently as if hehad been called to the spot by Guthuahn’s cry. Indeed,he did not stop walking until he faced Guthuahn no morethan a few feet away.

“Welcome, my friend,” he said in a soothing voice.

“Or perhaps I should not welcome thee, for I shan’tenjoy your company this day. Why have you said

The Old Words?”“Greetings, Lord Nofflore. How have thou been?”

asked Guthuahn.



Opon Hul 13

“I know you come to me not worried of the troublesof my days past. And I know that thou would notarticulate The Words without reason. Be hasty to thepoint, my friend, for there may be not time to delay. Letus hear the trouble, then.”

“Well, troubles are nigh. Perhaps greater than any you have faced before. The Staff of Hope has beendisturbed,” said Guthuahn.

“Disturbed how?” Nofflore asked.“ Thrown to the floor! And The Staff Keepers are

being slain in their temple!” exclaimed Kalpon. Thenremembering he was speaking to a king he added witha slight bow, “My lord.”

The king’s face turned southwest, toward the dark

horizon. “They will come, is that not right, Guthuahn?”“Indeed, all of them will come and destroy until

naught is left. Devour all the shines and all that has life.However, we could summon Lastenberg to save us. Hehas never failed to rescue those who call upon him.”

Nofflore’s eyes glanced at the keep, then settledback upon Guthuahn. “Lastenberg has never fought allof the darkness at once. Last time he gave us The Staff to protect us from those ill shadows, and we cannotallow The Staff to fall and then call upon Lastenbergand think he will fix all that is wrong on Dathzon. If hecould, do you not think he would have destroyed

The Land of Dark Dirt long ago, so that no one wouldhave to live in this fear?”

The other men were silent. The king continued.“We are very selfish if we think Lastenberg will

repair the rifts that we create.”“We did not make this problem, my lord. A creature

that swam through the air caused this,” argued

Guthuahn.“What? Nonsense. To be in the air is impossible.”“ The Land of Dark Dirt creates new things to

infiltrate the magic shield. It has made things that fly .We can call these new fiends Zafthics,” said Guthuahn.



14 Opon Hul

“ The flying Zafthic,” muttered Nofflore. His eyesclouded with worry. “Let us then summon Lastenbergbefore ‘tis too late, before The Dark Dirt covers all.

The fellows strode to the wall top. A blossomingnew day glistened in their eyes, but they looked to thewest where the dark horizon met a dark blue sky.

“What if it is already too late, my lord? What if Lastenberg cannot save us?” murmured Kalpon watchingblack clouds amassing.

“If The Archer cannot, we shall make a stand sopowerful that no wind can ever uproot our kin.” Thenturning toward the two others, Nofflore added, “We shallshow Lastenberg, when he comes, that he fights notalone. He has friends in this world.”

High over their heads the sky was being painteda brilliant light blue by gentle strokes of the air. Yet darkclouds blew closer from the horizon, threatening to washaway the picturesque morn.

The king’s gaze strayed to a nearby guard. “Setablaze the signal sentry! It is now the time we preparefor death, or a new freedom!” Nofflore took Guthuahnand Kalpon to the stables whilst the guard climbed tothe summit of the keep.

The torch carrier’s hands trembled as he reachedout to light the kindling that had never felt the warmth of a flame before.

Up stretched the fire into the unrestricting sky, andone by one, the fire spread by the eye of guards fromcastle to castle until all around Ettron Forest was fire,atop every stronghold’s keep.

Back in Castle Greensky, Nofflore and the twoKeepers had piled into a carriage and rode off to pick upthe final two Word Keepers, Iwan and Kefra.

Iwan was the youngest of The Word Keepers.A fine woman of the northern town of Inbild. She wastedno time to join the three in their task of gathering the fivewho must summon Lastenberg.



Opon Hul 15

The last member they lacked was Kefra. A worthy old chap of Castle Redmir. Hither did The Dark Dirt driftclosest. It was not a scarce wisp upon the horizon’spalette but a dominant landscape view for the people whodared to dwell that close.

The king of the castle had been forming his troopsever since the signal fires rounded the forest bends. By the time the group of Keepers and Nofflore arrived there,the army was nigh ready for the battlefield and wereawaiting the orders of their king. Nofflore stepped up withthe king of Redmir to help kindle courage in the hearts of the people.

“ This will be the first place to be assailed!” calledNofflore to the army who had gathered in the courtyard.

The red-trimmed silver suits of steel shone of bravery andthe red capes that flowed behind the soldiers were theircarpets into the field of conflict. “The shadows will comequickly and shall carry no mercy for our kin! If we wishto live, we must fight!”

“You, my fine warriors,” continued the king of Redmir, Gildwin. “You will be the first steel these fiendsshall encounter upon Gonith Plains! Let them feel thewrath your swords were forged to imbue! Let the firstblood be that of the monsters! Fear will be riding with youthis day, but do not let it ride against you! The Dark Dirtshall fear you for we shall fight today a fight worthy of remembrance!”

Dusk’s shadows loitered upon the doorstep of thecastle and the army marched to the plains to meet theirfoes. Hordes of creatures, hidden by the dense cloudedroof that barred all skylight from feeling the grassesfingers, crept forth from The Dark Dirt which blew evercloser to the walls of Redmir.



16 Opon Hul

The golden fields turned brown and died a mile erethe coming of The Dark Land’s tendrils. The dieing landturned everyone’s spirits bleak for perhaps soon, they would be lying dead like the plants around them. Thesoldiers drew their swords and stood shoulder to shoulderin defiance. Their king, Gildwin stood before them allwatching the dust clouds advancing towards them. Hugewalls of blackness where eyes and forms crawled from.

“ This may be the last eve man stands upon theseplains, but it shall not be the last night of man! For uponthe morrow, wherever the sun rises again, life will springanew! Life will live on!” Gildwin’s words, gave hope to hismen whose eyes screamed with terror at the horrors thatdrew closer, ever so slowly. But he had no hope himself,

for he knew within, that no mortal-made weapon couldwithstand the fury of these evils.

Whilst the valiant stood to fight, Nofflore led The Keepers in his carriage through the woods toCastle Greensky. Their journey was a path away fromthe battle that commenced there, yet, their hearts feltfor those who bravely fought there.

Castle Greensky still had a sunrise to light itsstreets and the sky above its high wall, but Redmir inthe north was already covered by the black clouds of theenemy’s land. Spirits and steel was broken there ina bloody conflict. Black grains of soil had begun to blowover the city, slowly covering its glory.

Nofflore knew he had little time to protect his ownpeople, thus he hastened The four Keepers into the heartof the castle. Down they trod, stairways with no light, andseemingly no way out.

“ The Bergwarn,” whispered Guthuahn as thesolemn five filed into a chamber.

“Long have I wondered of this room. Long haveI desired to step upon its stones.” Kefra lightly touchedthe stonework that had been carved ages ago in a timethat none knew of. For whilst the mountains, valleys andstreams changed, The Bergwarn remained the same.



Opon Hul 17

“Long have these stones stood hither, in this hiddenabode, yet as with the sun, they still gleam like they werecarven yesterday!” Iwan stood in awe, her eyes wide withastonishment.

“Long have I thought this room to be fable!” jeeredKalpon. “And now I stand within its walls, within the very heart of a fantasy!”

“We have not much time,” muttered Nofflore as hearrived near the center of the room. “If Lastenberg is tosave us, we must give him time. Without time, a herocannot even achieve victory. Now chant with me!”

Together they all chanted. Their words ringing outlike icicles plunging into a bed of steel.

“Lastenberg, opon hul! Lastenberg, opon hul!” they

chanted, and the sounds broke upon the stone perimeter,falling into the floor. “Lastenberg, opon hul!”

The surface of the rock chamber was smoother thananything that could be made by the meek people. A roomso finely crafted that not even Temple Berghope couldclaim victory over.

The white marble ceiling and floor were stainedby the hue of gold. The absolute black granite wallsfashioned in an elliptical length so smooth that nocreature no matter the size could climb them and in thecenter of the floor was a white gold circular step, polishedto a mirror glint. It is from this base that Lastenberg rose.

As the five people chanted the words of old, they joined hands and waited for their hero to rise.

The eyes of Lastenberg opened over the white goldstep, six feet high they looked to his hailers. A light mistfloated from the floor and gathered in the center.Lastenberg’s ageless body was forming in front of thespectators.

Lastenberg stood before the group, a man not tobe perceived as older than forty, with a bow in hand andquiver hung behind him. His bright clothing shone neaththe links of a clear chain mail vest.

“W-welcome, L-L-Lastenberg, sir, I mean, sire, my lord,” stuttered Nofflore, who was the only one who barely found the strength to utter a bit of words.



18 Opon Hul

“My friends, it seems it was just the night ereI went to sleep hither, and now you summon me. It isso as I saw, a king, two male Word Keepers, a femaleWord Keeper, and a Staff Keeper. Now, courage opon hul,for there is peril lurking this land. How long has pastsince last I woke?” Lastenberg stepped from his stand yetstill was an imposing height to the common man.

“I beg you pardon me, my lord,” began Nofflore,a tad more composed of his kingly self.

“Lastenberg is my name, king. I am no ones lord.”“I ask forgiveness, Lastenberg, we come at a dark

hour when The Land of Dark Dirt is nigh upon us! Timefor talk is not amongst our pleasures. Please aid us!”King Nofflore bowed to The Archer. “We are at your

service.”“If time runs to an end, then I must hurry.

The Staff of Hope is tainted by the claws of a beast –– I cannot see where it is. All is dark around it,” saidLastenberg with his eyes closed.

“It flies,” croaked Kalpon.Lastenberg peered at The Staff Keeper. “Flies?

Then my arrow shall fly after it!” The Archer hastened upthe stairway and as if he knew already the lay of theworld, he made his way to the walls of Greensky. “Theregoes the creature.” He pointed to the sky and passing intothe shadow of the dark clouds was the Zafthic, grasping

The Staff of Hope in its claws.“How did you know where it would be?” asked

Guthuahn in surprise.“I have more powers than to merely live forever,

Guthuahn. I know all of what I need to know of. Thesecrets of the world come to me when I need them.”Lasterberg then turned his attention back to the current

danger that flew yon.“It takes The Staff to The Land of Dark Dirt! Alas!

It is too far already, we can do nothing to it from here.”Nofflore’s gaze fell in dismay.



Opon Hul 19

“Your arrows may not reach the fiend, but minecan.” Lastenberg pulled back his bow with an arrowpoised and a ray of sunshine broke the cloud cover abovethe Zafthic, stunning its eyes. It hesitated but a moment.

Lastenberg let fly his arrow. The snap of thebowstring was so sharp it would have gashed the handof an archer less then he. The arrow was gone ere any could see its straight take off. It flew like a shooting starof sparkling white light across the sky, and before theZafthic could again take off flying, the dart had pierceddeep into the dark monster’s cold form.

The Staff of Hope fell from the clutches of theZafthic.

“No!” screamed Kalpon as The Staff landed in the

dusty swirls of The Dark Land. “The Staff must nevertouch The Dark Dirt!”

“Do not fear, Staff Keeper. You, and even The Dark Land, do not know everything of The Staff’spowers. Watch the horizon. It burns a new light.”

And, indeed, Lastenberg spoke truth. Far away the horizon shone strong light like no one had ever seenbefore, save Lastenberg. It glowed like the days of old,when The Land of Dark Dirt was but a grain of sandin the future’s path. When Dathzon needed not

The Staff of Hope to hold away evil. The horizon shone with the sun’s light as it had

done when humans roamed all the land –– all of Dathzon.“ The Staff shall cleanse the soil of evil,” said

Lastenberg. “By night’s coming, there will be stars gracingthe sky everywhere, and golden grass marching to thehorizon’s edge. Fear not the darkness, for it passes.Shadows can always be won by light, if you only havehope. What you must now fear is yourselves. You have

the land once again, do not release evils upon it that youcannot control.”

“But, if you knew The Staff you had made to keep The Mountain, forest and plains safe from those evilscould rid the world of The Dark Dirt, why did you not tellthat to the kings of old? Why did you allow The Dark Dirtto consume all but us?” questioned Nofflore.



20 Opon Hul

“Last time I came, the world needed cleansing. Evilmonarchs ruled over all those lands and magic-wieldingmen released The Dark Dirt to kill their enemies. Thewar-mongers did not care for the safety of the world. If they could not control the weapon they brandished, they should not have used it. By the time I had forged

The Staff to fight The Dark Land, there was hardly anything left to fight for.” The Archer glanced to

The Mountain.“ That mountain was the only one untainted

by the evils that consumed the rest of Dathzon. I let The Dark Dirt bury the wicked men in their own evils,for in the shadow of this mountain I gathered the lastsurvivors of the rebellion of fair-hearted people. Do not

worry, my friends, the land out there is new. A canvas for you to paint many beautiful memories and wondersupon.”

Lastenberg strode from the wall and to thecourtyard. “Let this be the day of a world reborn. A day that you learn from the errors of an age long gone, anda day that shines like no other.” The Archer bowedto the king and The Keepers. He then led them all into

The Bergwarn chamber, his tomb for a few hundred more years.

“Lastenberg? How did you know from your visionlong ago, we were Word Keepers? We do not exactly haveit written upon us,” asked Kefra when they stopped in theroom’s glow.

“ The same way I knew where the Zafthic would be.My vision sees more than the sight of an eye. However,I must admit, sometimes even my gaze cannot catch every detail.”

“Can you not stay? To protect us always?” asked

Kalpon.“Nay, I cannot. I must rest now, for my powers need

meditation. ’Twas short my part in this time, but long doI hope the effects will last. Now before I bid thee farewell,I must give you my prophesy.”



Opon Hul 21

Lastenberg closed his eyes and saw to the future,to the next time he would open his eyes. “Heed my words, for the future people of the land depend upon it.I summon a knight, a beggar behind bars, a queen, a bird,and a child. I summon these to The Bergwarn to summonme.” Lastenberg then dissolved into the room’s torchlight,whispering a farewell to the five.

Silence and stillness mingled in the room. The herowas gone now. As quickly as he had come to save themhe left them to face the future. A future Lastenberghimself had helped carve.

“I will go write what he said.” Nofflore left the fourothers and hurried to not forget those words the futureneeded.

“ They are an odd bunch, the next group who shallsummon Lastenberg,” said Kalpon.

“Indeed, and what is a bird?” inquired Kefra.“Only the future will know what to make of those

words.” Iwan placed a hand upon Guthuahn’s shoulder.“Come, let us ensure that The Old Words survive the trailof time as well. They who live in the future will need‘Opon Hul’ one day.”



Opon Hul By RLL

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