THE CAVE OF HELCINON..............

THE CAVE OF HELCINON……….

For ten thousand years I have been here,, waiting…
Always waiting,, waiting for someone to come and release
me so that I might die…
In my mind it is only darkness now,, but I remember a time long ago,, when dragons filled the air,, and faeries gathered in the forest…Perhaps it is only time that clouds my mind,,
and gives me these dreams…For ten thousand years I have had to endure her twisted lies,, her fables and seductive lures…Long ago I pledged my soul to save the ones I loved…

“Why do you not love me?”…”Am I not beautiful?”...
“Am I not your every desire?”…”Release me from these chains so that we may be together”…purred Helcinon…

“No I shall not,, we have played this game many times before,, I would not release you then and I will not release you now,, I can not”…

“You know that I can ease your pain,, and can give you pleasure without measure”…”Look at me,, why are you so afraid?”…

“I know you witch…you are a temptress,, always trying to trick me,, to confuse me”…”Velbadar told me about you”…

“Did he?”…”Tell me your story,, I have forgotten”…cooed Helcinon…

“I will,, I will…if only to have you be quite for a moment”…

“Come closer so that I might hear you”…”I can not harm you”…

“Very well,, I will tell you,, so that I may remember also”…
“It has been so long,, so long”…”Where was I?”…
“I remember now-------“

It was in the half year of Faynur that the Gods decided to lead me here…I was fishing on the river Rulm not far from my home where I lived with my mother,, father and brother… The harvest was done and I relaxing along the river bank,, not really fishing,, I lay there just letting my mind wander as I gazed at the clouds as they drifted by…

“Brother,, brother you must hurry!!”...shouted Augnarr,, my elder brother as he galloped on horseback towards me…
”What is it?”…I said as I grabbed the reigns of his horse…

“The Hetmoor are attacking just north in the village of Skagin,, we must hurry”…”Hurry,, we must gather what we can and flee”…

I had never seen my brother so scared before…
I jumped on his horse’s back and grabbed him tightly around the waist as we hurried towards home…
In the distance we could see columns of black smoke rising on the horizon…As we drew nearer and nearer we could see that we were too late…As we watched we could see the Hetmoor burning the homes and barns,, on the edge of town we watched as our home burned,, its roof was on fire with dense black smoke coming from the doors and windows…we were too late…

“Ahhh,, that is sad”…murmured Helcinon….

“Be quite witch”…

“I am not your enemy,, I did none of those things”…

In the distance we watched as the Hetmoor left with prisoners to be sold as slaves in the markets of Nollaar…My brother wanted to chase after them,, hoping that our mother and father were still alive,, but I held him back,, there were just too many Hetmoor,, and we were just two…We waited on the hill until the fires cooled and then we went into the village…Destruction was everywhere,, our friends,, villagers that we grew up with,, lay slaughtered in the streets…Our home was a smoldering pile of ash and wood…We searched thru the remains,, but we found nothing…Perhaps our mother and father were still alive,, captives of the Hetmoor….

We decided that day to follow them,, there was nothing left for us there…We found a frightened mule in a pasture and gathered up what supplies we could and headed north,, following the trail that they had left behind…North into the land of Ragenvald,, neither of us had ever been that far north,, our parents had forbidden us to venture north…Telling us tales of wizards and demons that would eat the unwary traveler,, tales told to young kids to frighten them…They seemed very real to us now,, as we followed the trail…Along the way we would find the bodies of townsfolk that had been murdered because they couldn’t keep up…We found the body of Brodir there on the road one day,, his head had been chopped off,, a strange sight to see,, his body a crumpled heap of bloody clothing and his head not far away,, his eyes stared at us,, his mouth held open in a scream of terror…
An old man that we had known all our lives,, someone who
would never hurt anyone,, a good man…

We followed the trail for two days,, never catching sight of them,, then the trail split and we decided to follow the one heading northeast,, towards the slave market of Nollaar…The landscape quickly changed as we followed,, farm lands changed into forest and forest changed into mountains…
It was there in the mountains along the river Gamti that they attacked…The arrows came silently though the air,, Augnarr was stuck with three arrows as he rode,, I watched in horror as he fell…
An arrow struck the neck of the mule I was riding and I was tossed onto the ground,, as I scrambled for cover among the rocks near the river’s edge,, one passed thru my shirt…I only escaped because I jumped into the river and the swift current carried me away…

“It is sad about your brother”…”Come lay with me and I will
ease your pain”…the soft purr of Helcinon filled the cave as she spoke…

“Stay back temptress”…”I only speak this tale to remind me of how I came to be here”…”To remind me of why”…

“I can feel your pain,, I see it on your face”…”Please let me help you”…

“You only seek to trick me so that I will unchain you”…

“That is not true,, Velbadar is the one who has lied to you,,
he is the one that has tricked you”…

“Be quite demon,, must you always talk?”…

“I’m sorry my love,, lay beside me and tell me more of your story”…

I awoke many hours later cast up onto the river bank…My body bruised and battered from the rocks…I had nothing left,, only my sword and dagger to help me…I decided then that all was lost,, I would never be able to find my parents and rescue them…My brother was dead and I was lost in the mountains that I did not know…I headed south staying along the rivers edge,, eating only berries and roots that I found…It was during a moonless night that I saw a faint light in the hills,, hidden among the crags and rocks…
I scrambled up the rocks,, cautiously towards the light,, and soon I found this cave,, I thought perhaps a hunter was inside that may be able to help me and lead me out of the mountains…As I entered the cave,, I could only find a small campfire,, its warmth soothed me and I fell asleep beside it…
I awoke to the sound of your voice,, a cooing sweet voice,,
crying in the corner…You pleaded with me to release you,, to break the chains that bound you to this cave…As I struck at the chains with my sword,, the booming voice of Velbadar rang out…”Stop!!”…
I rushed towards him with my sword drawn and was ready to strike him down,, but then I paused…He was just an old man,, older than any man that I had met before…

“You must kill him,, he has captured me”…”And makes me love him,, soon he will take me to the slave market and sell me”…you pleaded…

I kept my sword to his throat and asked him why he had you chained…

“I am Velbadar,, and that is no woman that you see before you”…”It is a demon,, that must never leave this cave to walk among men again”…he replied,, his voice stronger
and steadier than I had expected from an old man…

“I do not believe you old man,, I can see with my own eyes that she is no demon”…

“It is merely a trick that it uses to confuse and sway you with”…”It can take any form it wishes”…

“You lie”…I said as I pressed my sword harder towards his throat…”If that were true why does she not change into a dragon or a mouse so that it can escape your chains?”…

“It is an enchanted chain,, that can only be removed with the key that I process”…

“Again you lie,, there is no such thing as magic,, only tricks
and potions made to fool ignorant farmers into giving their money”…

“Kill him,, kill him,, and release me”…”We can go away together”…

“You know nothing of this world”…”You are just a young
farm boy lost in these mountains”…”Since time began I have
been here,, keeping watch over this demon”…”You know nothing of the ways of true evil”…

“If she is truly a demon as you say,, and has magical powers,,
then how did you capture her?”…

“Put down your sword,, it can not harm me”…

“Kill him,, before he enchants you and enslaves you as he has done me”…”Quickly before he tells you more lies”…

“It was long ago”…Velbadar said…”A great King named Maldarr,, gathered before him a great army of 80,00 strong,, an army bigger than any that had come before,, it had only one purpose,, to destroy three demons that were foretold to him by the oracles”…”Each one more powerful than the last”…”For ten years they fought”…”With each demon that was destroyed the others grew stronger,, from the power that was released and then seeped into their bones”…”She is the last,, and can not be killed”…”In a dream King Maldarr saw what he must do,, so it was that he had his blacksmiths construct those chains,, chains that were made from the broken swords and blood of the fallen,, then enchanted for seven days in the temple of the oracles”…”A great battle took place on the plains of Sturloon”….”Few survived”…”She had changed herself into a great dragon,, and only thru the sacrifice of many brave men was she finally brought down and tied with ropes and nets”…”King Maldarr himself put the chain around her foot and then dragged her up to this cave”…”I was just a young boy then,, not much order than you”…

“He lies,, kill him”…”He is just a crazy old man,, he only
keeps me here so that I can pleasure him,, and then he will
sell me”…”You must help me”…”My family,, I want to return to my family”…

“Be quite demon”… Velbadar yelled in a voice that echoed throughout the cave…

“Why are you here,, old man?”…”Surely if the chains are
enchanted,, she can not escape”…I asked…

“I am here because of men”…”I have watched them thru the centuries,, always striving for more and more power”… ”They have learned much,, but are not very wise”…”I’m the watcher,, the guardian,, the keeper”…”I wait for the day when men shall come and try to free this demon,, so that they may have its power to enslave others”…”As she is now she has little power,, the chains bind her here”…”But should she somehow escape or be let free,, then her wrath will be unstoppable”…”I am here as the last defender against evil”…

“He lies,, he is just and old man”…”He could not even stop you from entering this cave”…”He lies”…

“She speaks the truth old man,, if you can stop a mighty army
from releasing her then how did I get past you so easily,, if you would not have called out,, I would have the chains undone,, and she would be free,, even now”…

“Ha,, ha,, ha,, foolish boy,, the chains can not be broken,,
ten thousand men could not break them”…”The lock must be
opened with a key,, the key that I have around my neck”…
“See it boy?”…”Here it is”… Velbadar explained…

“Kill him!”…”Take the key and release me”…”Please think of my family,, I want to return to my home”…”Take the key and we can go together”…”I will marry you,, if you but release me from this old man”…

“You make no sense old man”…”If you are who you say you are,, then why not leave and hide the key where it can not be found?”…

“I can not leave,, I am bound to this cave for all eternity”…

“Why”…I asked…

“When King Maldarr captured this beast,, the oracles foresaw that if it was left alone that someone would free it,, they then decided to place a guardian with it,, and they choose me”…
“But in my arrogant youth I refused”…”They chained me and then brought forth my mother,, father and sister before me,, and with one stroke of a sword my fathers head was on the ground beside me”…”An oracle bent down and whispered to me,, that if I pledged my soul,, and would be the guardian then my father would be alive again”…”My hearth was broken,, as I looked at my mother and sister I pledged my soul”…”As I entered this cave to become the guardian I saw my mother and sister,, and there beside them was my father,, standing there as if nothing had happened”…

“He lies,, can you not see?”…”No one can bring the dead back to life”…”He lies”…”It is a fable he has conjured to confuse you”…

“You tell a fine mystic tale old man”…”But I wonder,, old man,, why do the chains have a key?”…”If the chains are enchanted as you say they are,, and she can not get free,,
then why have a lock that could be opened with a key?”…
“Why do the chains have a lock at all?”…

“You are wise young man,, I can see why the Gods have brought you here”…”All chains have locks and all locks have keys”…”They are merely symbols”… “Man is being given a chance to choose between keeping evil chained or releasing it”…”Nothing more”…

“He twists your words to confuse you,, do not let him trick you so easily”…”You must save me,, you are my only hope”…

“A chance?”…

“Man must always choose between good and evil”…”The heavens can not exist without them”…”They are like day and night”…”One can not be without the other”…

“Very well old man,, I have another question for you”…

“Please ask as many as you like”…

“You are but a single old man,, here alone in this cave”…”How can you stop an army when it finds this place”…

“With this,, the ring of Valfri”…”With its powers I can cloud
men’s minds and make them see things that are not there,, I can create the illusions of dragons and giant beasts to keep them away”…”With this ring I can make this cave invisible”…

“You lie old man,, I saw the light in your cave”… “Why did you not use the ring on me?”…”To prevent me from finding you”…

“I saw you coming,, and I tried to use it on you,, but it did not work”…

“Why old man,, why didn’t your magical ring work on me?”…

“He lies,, see I told you he lies,, take the key and help me,, he can not stop you”…

“Be quite demon”…roared Velbadar…

“As you slept by the fire,, I too wondered why it did not work”…”Then I realized that the Gods were protecting you,, guiding you to me”…

“Protecting me?”…”The Gods have no interest in me,, I am not a King”…

“The Gods have lead you here for a reason”…

“And what reason would that be?”…”I see no reason here,,
just an old man with a woman chained to the wall”…”Tell me this reason if you can”…

“Since time began I have been here,, and I have grown old and weak”…”My mind is not as sharp as it used to be,, I fear that I can no longer keep my mind free of this demons tricks”…”It never tires of taunting me,, of trying to seduce me,, to trick me into letting it free”…”While I have grown old it has not”…”It is time for me to leave,, and the Gods have sent you to replace me”…

“I have had enough of your lies,, old man”…”I should strike you down with my sword”…

“Do it,, do it,, so we may leave this cave together”…

“Yes,, do it,, your sword can not harm me”…

Then I thrust my sword into his chest,, he did not move…My
sword passed right thru him as if he wasn’t there,, I swung at him again and again,, but my sword did nothing to him…

‘It is a trick”…I shouted…”You are an illusion,, a spirit”…

“No young man,, I am as real as you are”…”Come feel my hand”…”I am protected by the Gods,, for I swore my soul to them”…”Now it is your time,, to give your soul to them and replace me here in this cave”…

“I will not,, I do not believe you,, the Gods have no interest in me”…”I am in search of my mother and father who where captured by the Hetmoor”…”I will leave and search for them in the slave markets of Nollaar”…

“And what of your brother?”…

“He lies dead in these mountains”…”How did you---“

“I could see what happened,, I can see many things,,
the past,, the present,, sometimes the future”…

“How can you see such things?”…

“Come with me boy,, and I will show you”…

“Do not follow him,, it is a trick,, it is how he tricked me”…

I followed Velbadar back deeper into the cave,, and there in the blackest reaches he showed me the well of dreams…

“Look into the water boy,, and think about what is in your heart”…

As I gazed into the water,, an image began to crystallize…The image of my mother and father,, bound with ropes and being led thru the slave markets of Nollaar…Then as the water rippled,, the image changed and I saw my brother lying dead in the forest where I had left him…

“What trickery is this?”…

“It is no trick”…”It is merely an image of the present”…

“I must go to them”…”Let me leave”…

“You can go at any time,, I will not stop you,, but
you will not be able to help them,, you will be captured
yourself and sold as a slave”…”Look again into the water”…

Once more I looked into the water,, and I saw myself bound and chained,, being sold to a copper merchant from Bergsvinn…

“I can change the way things are if only you would pledge your soul and stay here”…”Look again”…

As I did,, I could see my mother and father standing outside
our home,, unharmed and free,, they looked happy as they
went about their chores…”What about my brother?”…I asked…

“I can bring him back to life,, as if no harm had come to him”…“But it is up to you to choose”…

I walked back towards the entrance of this cave and looked
at the clear blue sky,, the trees and rocks of the forest and listened to the birds singing…My heart heavy with grief…
And I made my decision to stay…

“I will stay old man,, if you can change what is and save my family”…”What must I do?”…

“All the things that you saw will come true”…”Your family will be saved”…”From this cave you can watch them,, protect them and guide them to happiness”…”But be warned,, it may be a long time before someone ventures here to replace you,, and even then they may not be willing,, here you must stay,, never to leave,, always being taunted by the demon that is chained here”…”It is not an easy task,, for its treachery and deceit knows no bounds and it can never be set free”…

“I have made my decision,, what must I do?”…

“Kneel before me,, and pledge your soul to the Gods,, that you will be the new guardian”…

I trembled as I gave my soul to the Gods, and watched as
Velbadar’s image shimmered and then faded into nothingness
leaving behind only his cloak,, his ring and the key…

“Such a sad story,, it is sad that Velbadar tricked you”…
“Come let me comfort you”…

“Be quite witch”…”Taunt me no more”…”Someone will come,, the Gods have not forgotten me”…

It is said that in the mountains of Naiddor there lies a cave filled with golden treasure,, men of greed and a thirst for power search for it,, always searching…But the guardian keeps a watchful eye seeking to protect mankind from the evil that lies within……………..