“As for who or what Creed is, I know very little,” Carriok began. “Other than that he is ancient and unfathomably powerful. Also exceedingly rude.”

“I can vouch for that,” said Shon.

“Speaking of rudeness,” said Carriok, quickly jerking his head to Shon, “I will tolerate no more interruptions until I finish!” The sharp squawk was loud enough to make Shon flinch in his chair.

“I warn you not to take anything lightly that I tell you here tonight,” he continued. “Creed’s reach is long and his memory is longer. I put myself at great risk even now to tell you what little I know.” Carriok paused for a moment. He had not intended to speak so candidly, sharing truths he would not easily admit to himself. Yet it seemed that once he began speaking, his tongue had been loosed to make good on his promise to share all he knew. He shuddered at the thought.

Despite the pause, no one else had interjected, apparently heeding his demand for no more interruptions. So he continued. “As for Creed’s plans, I know little of those as well, though I do know that they span centuries. He may very well be older than I am, for his power seems not to belong to this age of the world.”

“Still, he saw a use for me, and so had to share at least a portion of his plans. After all, if he expected me to mold, mentor, and guide Vdekshi into being one of his enemies, I would have to know enough to advise him.”

Shon kept his mouth closed, but he couldn’t stop a question from escaping his mind and echoing through the room. “Why would anyone bother to prepare enemies for themselves?”

Ignoring the unintended interruption, Carriok continued. “As for why Creed would want a smelly, useless, simpleton like Vdekshi as his enemy, I couldn’t say. But I know Creed saw something in him that he thought could endure more than a hundred years of war against Creed.”

“You see, Creed wants a war greater than any war this world has ever seen. Greater than the wars of waged by living legends in the Third Age. Greater than the wars of the Immortals and other mythic beings in the Second Age. He wants a war that will mirror the violence and upheaval not experienced since the very acts of creation that ushered in the first age.”

“But such a war cannot exist if only one side is actually able to contend. Without anyone powerful enough to stand against him as worthy opponents, his war wouldn’t last more than a day. And since he knows of no being in the world powerful enough to rival him, he decided to establish many who could contend with him from all sides.”

“He intended for Vdekshi to play the role of ‘the Healer in the Valley.’ As he called him.”

“What do you mean?” Seth asked. Carriok looked at the look of determination on Seth’s face and decided it wasn’t worth his time to scold him for speaking. Besides, his words now seemed to be swept up in a river of truth that he couldn’t get to the shore of. He would see this confession through, even if this river ended in a waterfall.

“There was a poem in Creed’s mind when he spoke to me the first time,” replied Carriok. “He didn’t seem to share it with me intentionally, but it was so fixated in the front of his mind that I don’t think he could help it. It seemed to be some kind of list of the enemies he was seeking.”

The General in the Mountains

The Healer in the Valley

The Wizard from Across the Sea

The Master of Green Who Dwells in the Woods

And the Desert’s Champion who Yet Eludes Me

“Most of those lines meant nothing to me,” he continued. “But as the monastery where my prison was kept was in a deep valley between snowy mountains, I assumed that line must refer to his plans for Vdekshi.”

“There were other times when I felt his presence in the years preparing for my escape, but it was not directed at me. Simply nearby. That caused me to guess that ‘the General in the Mountains’ likely dwelt in the very mountains that Vdekshi lived in the shadows of. Though I never mentioned to Creed that I knew this.”

“I thought nothing of the other three lines, until I saw Tarun protected by the opal flames. That’s when I realized that he must be the Dessert’s Champion who Creed had yet to find. The one who threatened to disrupt his plans the most, and who he had the least control over.”

“Tell us what you know of the opal flame,” said Tarun. Carriok jerked his head to the side and squawked.

“No,” he said. “The bargain was for me to tell you what I know of Creed, and I’m under no obligation to tell you more. The only thing I know that the opal flame has to do with Creed is that it opposes the obsidian flame, which is the power that Creed uses to orchestrate his war from afar.”

Having denied Tarun’s request, Carriok was feeling more in control of his tongue and found his way out of the swiftly moving river of truth before falling over the edge. “I have told you all I know of Creed, and I will tell no more,” he said. “I have upheld my end of the bargain. It’s time for you to do the same.”

“You don’t really intend to follow through with it do you?” Tarun asked, ready to resume his fight with Carriok.

“What bargain?” Mendoji asked.

“I wouldn’t have made the offer if I didn’t intend to follow it through,” said Seth. “I have to do what’s right.”

“Then get on with it already,” squawked Carriok, snapping his beak.

“Very well,” said Seth. He lifted his shillelagh in one hand and his lantern in the other. “As promised, through my authority as acting patriarch, and strengthened by the word of The Ancient One, I adopt you into my clan Laronius.”

He stretched out the shillelagh in offering. “Hareth.”

***

Laronius looked around and found himself standing in a field of golden wheat. The wind blowed peacefully and the sun warmed his skin. He couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed the warmth of sunlight so much. Was he allowed to do this? Wasn’t he supposed to be afraid of the sun?

He looked down at his hands. They were not the hands of a vampire. Neither were they hands of concrete, demonic flesh, or claws. They were the hands of a man. They were his hands. Then he noticed that at the wrist below his right hand was a golden arm band. There was a golden chain attached to it.

Following the chain with his eyes, he saw an enormous golden birdcage in the distance. He began to walk towards it and found that the chain became shorter as the walked. As he got closer he saw what appeared to be a monstrous crow with terrible claws and teeth, trying to tear its way out of the cage. When it spotted Laronius it shrieked at him. “Traitor!”

Laronius jumped back, terrified to be chained to such a terrible thing. He felt a strong, gentle, and reassuring hand on his back. He turned and saw the face who was both a stranger to him, and yet as familiar as his own family. “Don’t worry,” the stranger said. “You’re safe, and I’m here to teach you how to keep the rest of the family safe.”

“Who are you?” Laronius asked. “Where am I?”

“Folks around here call me Friendly Seth,” he replied. “I’m a clan patriarch, like you are. This is a place of healing. You can call it the homestead. You’re home, Laronius.”

“What are you going to teach me?” Laronius asked.

“How to be a patriarch, among other things,” replied Friendly Seth. “You didn’t have much time to learn it for yourself before you arrived here. The first lesson is that a patriarch has a duty to keep our clan safe. Such as protecting them from things like that poor creature in that cage over there.”

“That’s Gravine,” Laronius said slowly. “I’m starting to remember. I made a bargain with him and offered my soul as payment. He owns me.”

“No he doesn’t,” said Friendly Seth matter-of-factly. “In this family, your soul belongs to the clan and the land first and foremost. Each of us belongs to each other. And that claim is a lot older than any deal you may have made with Gravine over there. If he wants to try and cash in, he’s going to have to take it up with the entire clan.”

“What’s the cage for?” Laronius asked.

“Well, you came here willingly,” said Friendly Seth. “But he’s only here because he’s attached himself to you. He could choose to move on, but he doesn’t seem willing to let go of you and do that. So to keep everyone safe, you created that cage for him when the two of you arrived. Pretty impressive for your first act as a new patriarch.”

“I can do that?”

“You can do a lot, Laronius. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

There was a squealing sound coming from the cage. Laronius looked and saw that Gravine had grabbed the bars of the golden cage with his claws and was bending and warping them. “You think this insulting little cage can hold me?!” he shrieked. “I’ll destroy you and raze this whole place to the ground! I’ll rot your soil and choke your rivers with stinking death! As soon as I’m free I will rule over everything I see, and this little haven you’ve made for yourself will become your prison. Your torment will be my sport!”

“What do we do?” Laronius asked in alarm.

“Hm. Well for now we’d better do this.” Friendly Seth bent down to the ground and picked up a scythe that must have been hiding out of sight under the tall stalks of wheat. “Better stand back, son,” he said. He then swung the scythe in a wide, smooth motion that cut a hundred stalks at once. But instead of falling to the ground, the golden wheat rose into the air. Laronius looked back at Friendly Seth and saw that the gentle-looking man was directing the wheat with his hand.

More wheat sprang up from the ground and rose into the air to join the wheat that had been cut. Within moments Laronius could hardly see the sky because of the thousands of stalks moving above them under the command of Friendly Seth. Just as it looked as if Gravine was about to break out of the golden birdcage that Laronius had built, Friendly Seth closed his fist, and the flying wheat closed in. Despite the farmer’s friendly demeanor, Laronius could see now the strength he truly possessed. He saw the sculpted muscles in his hands, arms, and shoulders that had been built from a lifetime of hard, honest work. And he saw something else too. There was a determination there that had seen droughts, pests, floods, frosts, and a hundred other setbacks, and refused to surrender to any of them.

Friendly Seth squeezed his hand tighter and it began to glow with a golden light. The wheat that had formed a tight sphere around Gravine and his cage now began to crisscross and intertwine with each other stalk of wheat next to it, forming tight, reinforced strands of gold. Then those strands intertwined again. And then again. The process repeated faster than Laronius’ eyes could keep up with, and when Friendly Seth relaxed his outstretched arm again, he saw that Gravine was held in what seemed to be a solid sphere of shining gold.

“That was amazing!” Laronius shouted, feeling the thumping beat of his heart in his chest. “You’re amazing! You saved us!”

“Now hold on there, Laronius,” said Friendly Seth, wiping sweat from his brow. “I’ve bought us some time, and that’s plenty important. But I’m not fool enough to think that any cage, no matter how sturdy, is going to hold a fellow like that forever.”

“So we keep building new cages around him?” Laronius asked.

“Oh we can keep doing that for a while,” replied Friendly Seth. “But sooner or later we’ve all got to face our demons. Like it or not, Gravine will be getting out, and we’ll need to be ready for him.”

“I’m scared,” said Laronius. “I’m scared that you and I won’t be strong enough to defeat him.”

Friendly Seth let out a joyful laugh. The kind of laugh that could never be forced because it only came from happiness that came overflowing out of a person. Instead of making Laronius feel embarrassed or angry, it lifted him up. He smiled a real, genuine smile. “What’s so funny?” he asked Friendly Seth.

“Of course you and I can’t defeat Gravine alone,” said Friendly Seth. Then, seeing the smile fade from Laronius, he put a hand on the young man’s shoulder and added. “Haven’t you been listening to what I’ve been telling you? You’re a part of our clan now, Laronius. There is no challenge you’ll ever have to fight alone again.”

For the first time, Laronius could see an enormous fortress up on a hill in the distance. It looked similar to the fortress where he’d dwelt for decades, and yet like its complete opposite. Its stone walls stood tall and resolute in the sunlight, radiating strength and protection. And from the direction of the fortress, he heard hundreds of voices singing. And their voices were getting closer.

“What’s that?” Laronius asked.

“That’s our clan’s stronghold,” said Friendly Seth. “Its gates had been locked for a long time, and it was hard for any of us to go in or out. Now the gates are open wide, and we’re the ones holding the keys. You had a hand in that, you know. Do you remember how you came into our clan, Laronius?”

Jumbled scenes, only half remembered, started to come back to Laronius in pieces. “There was another Seth,” he said. “He was claiming his birthright as patriarch. He called himself Seth the Fourth. He said he was son of Seth the Liar, who was the son of Seth the Thief, who was the son of Seth the Traitor.”

“Here, we’ve started calling him Seth the Guide,” said Friendly Seth. “Those other three names are expired though. They’ve been wiped clean and they’ll be finding new names for themselves.”

The singing grew louder and clearer. “Is that who’s coming?” Laronius asked. “Is that Seth’s family? Are they coming to help us?”

“That’s our family, Laronius,” said Friendly Seth. “And yes. Now that the entire clan is free again, they’re eager to join together and lend their strength. Each generation is being led by the patriarch of their day, and they’re all on there way here now. This clan is a sight to behold when we’re all gathered together.

“Though I have to say,” he added, “in the past we’ve always lent that strength to the patriarch who’s wielding the sword on the other side. We’ve never needed it on this side of things before.”

“Will it be enough?” Laronius asked, realizing now that the family he just gained would be fighting because of a threat that he had brought to their door.

“We’ll find out soon enough, my boy,” Friendly Seth replied. “Cheer up. Have courage. Our strength has always been enough in the past as long as we stick together. I think Gravine is about to face a lot more than he ever bargained for.”

***

Tarun, Shon, and Mendoji stared in confusion and amazement at the sphere of green and golden light hovering in front of them where Carriok had stood just moments ago. Seth smiled, and Krall laughed until he coughed.

“So you tricked him after all!” Krall exclaimed, struggling to try and stand.

“Not at all,” said Seth. “I upheld my end of the bargain and gave Laronius everything I had promised him. Even the parts he didn’t know he wanted. Like a family, a purpose, and a chance to heal his soul.”

“And Gravine?” Shon asked. “What did he get?”

“A chance to finally move on,” said Seth. “But it doesn’t look like he wants to take it. That green energy there is his essence. The sum of his soul and all the power he’s accumulated over the ages. And it’s not ready to let go of its grip of terror on the world anytime soon.”

“And the gold light?” Mendoji asked. “I recognize that aura. That’s the same energy as whoever constructed the original protections on this room.”

“That’s right,” Seth replied. “That’s my family. The soul of every member of my clan that’s ever lived is tied to the strength of this land and to each other. In the past they used that strength for the benefit of the living. Now that strength is being turned against Gravine to keep him under control.”

“So I finally failed to keep him contained,” said Mendoji as he hung his head in shame. “Is there anything we can do to help them in their fight?”

“I think the first thing we can do is leave the Sword of Wheat where it is for now,” said Seth. “The clan is going to need all their strength to win their fight against Gravine, and I don’t think it would be wise to use up that strength through using the sword.”

“I suppose that’s not too difficult since none of us knows where the sword is anyway,” said Shon. “Anything else we can do?”

“Yes,” said Seth. “We can grow the clan.”

The others gave him odd looks and Seth’s face turned red. “No not like that,” he quickly added. “I’m not talking about adding to the clan through new births. I’m talking about growing the clan through adoption. With Gravine gone and Mendoji no longer needing necromancy to keep him alive, there are many souls left lingering in the stronghold and the surrounding area who are left wandering with no purpose. I’m going to offer their souls adoption into the clan for any who will accept it.”

“In that case,” said Krall, finally able to stand again, “I’d like to volunteer to be the first.”

“What?” Tarun exclaimed. The pain and disappointment on his face was clear for all to see. “But now that you’re back I thought that Seth could heal your wounds and you could stay with us.”

“No amount of healing is going to change the fact that I died, Tarun,” said Krall. “I’m mortal. I died. It’s alright. I was fully prepared to accept that and move on. I need you to be strong and do the same thing.”

“Then why did you choose to come back?” Mendoji asked. Everyone was silent. It was the first time that he had spoken to Krall since the orc had escaped his enslavement so many years ago. He took a deep breath and continued. “We both know that no one could have forced you back if you had chosen to move on. What convinced you?”

“My friends needed my help,” said Krall, looking into the minotaur’s eyes. “Fellow dragon hunters who died by my side. Laronius had ensnared them in one of his deals, and I didn’t want him to have them, so I made a trade. He would get to preserve my body for you to study, and I would give him one mission to give me. In exchange, he had to promise to hand over their souls to you as soon as he returned.”

“I remember those two souls,” said Mendoji. “A dwarf and an elf. I thought it odd that Laronius should hand them over to me so willingly when I didn’t even know to ask for them.” He walked to a cabinet in the room and pulled out a piece of gnarled wood and a broken pig femur. “He brought them to me bound to these objects. I found it curious, so I kept them here to study further at another time. You… entrusted them to me?”

“I hated you for a long time,” said Krall. “Hated what I had to endure here, and hated what you made me do. But it was also clear to me that you took no personal pleasure in any of it. Though you were cruel at times, I knew that at the very least you wouldn’t torment them for your own amusement like Laronius would have.”

“I’m… honored,” said Mendoji.

“Don’t be,” retorted Krall. “I still hate you, and hold you responsible for all the pain you’ve caused.” He looked around at Tarun and Shon. “But it seems you’ve proven useful to those I care about as well. So how about this. You promise me right now that you’ll do everything in your power to help these two in whatever they’re facing, and I’ll accept that you’re not as bad as I thought. At the very least you’ll know there’s one less orc soul out there still hating you.”

“It’s more than I deserve to ask for,” said Mendoji. “Of course I’ll promise it.”

“Good, now hand me those pieces of garbage that Laronius shoved my friends into,” said Krall. “Seth, I want you to adopt me into your clan. My friends too. I’m certain they’ll accept.”

“You’re certain?” Seth clarified. “You said before that your soul had been prepared to move on. This will mean jumping from one fight right into another.”

“I’m counting on it,” said Krall. “Punching Laronius tonight felt great, so I can’t wait to do the same to the creep who started all this. Any message you want me to pass along to your clan on the other side?”

“Maybe you could ask them if there’s any way to move their fight out of here and down to the tunnels below where there’s less chance of interference?” Seth suggested.

“I’ll see what I can do when I find the person in charge,” said Krall. “Shon, I never had a chance to say goodbye to you before. It was an honor traveling with you and learning from you. You’re a world-class dragon hunter. Tarun, saying goodbye to you a second time is too hard and I don’t want to do it. So I’ll just say, take care of Shon and the others on this side, alright? And I’ll do what I can from the other side.”

“Alright,” said Tarun with tears down his cheeks.

“Goodbye Krall,” said Shon.

Krall stood proudly on his feet one more time, and held the relics with the souls of Solimar and Piggy within. Seth raised his shillelagh. “Hareth.” There was a light, and then three dots of light moved to the sphere of swirling green and gold energy floating in front of them. A moment later, the sphere moved to the tunnel behind the bed frame, and then disappeared out of sight.

“Krall must have delivered your message quicker than we expected,” said Shon in surprise.

“Something tells me that time moves differently for souls than it does for the living,” Seth replied.

“Speaking of time,” said Mendoji, standing up. “Would it help hasten your efforts to extend adoption to the willing if I help locate and gather the souls that are still wandering about? I have a promise to keep after all.”

“I’m sure it will help a great deal,” said Seth. “But first there’s one more point I want to mention regarding what we can do to support my clan in their fight against Gravine.”

“The third and most important thing we need to do is trust them,” said Seth. “They’re strong, honest, and most importantly, they’re united. They learned a long time ago that there are threats in this world that no one can be expected to take on alone.”

“Would that I had learned that lesson sooner,” said Mendoji. “Much suffering may have been prevented.”

“Then let’s learn that lesson now,” said Seth. “We’ve gained valuable information about Creed and the war that’s coming. But I think Gravine told us more than he realized. If I understood the meaning between his words, I think Creed’s plan is to prepare his own enemies so each of them is left fighting him on their own. That’s how he plans to drag the war on for so long.”

“You’re right,” said Tarun. “I don’t know how I know that, but you’re exactly right. As soon as you spoke the words it felt like I was learning something I already knew.” Seth nodded at him in understanding. “Creed wants his enemies strong, but divided,” Tarun continued. “He doesn’t want his enemies to even know about each other, let alone to unite with each other. I believe now is the time for me to try and find the rest of the enemies of Creed.”