Book Two: The Spear of Calling — Chapter Five: The Road to the City of Mist

The spirit hovered beneath the surface of the lake.

Its form was almost impossible to understand.

Part mist.

Part light.

Part memory.

Caradawc could feel its presence within his mind rather than merely seeing it before him.

Beside him, Phephe stood perfectly still.

Neither spoke.

Neither needed to.

The Calling had brought them here.

Now they were waiting to learn why.

---

The spirit looked first at Caradawc.

Then at Phephe.

Its gaze seemed to pass through them, as though searching for something hidden beneath flesh and bone.

At last it spoke.

Not through sound.

Through spirit.

You have followed the path.

Caradawc nodded.

"We have."

You have listened.

Phephe stepped forward.

"We have tried."

The spirit seemed almost amused.

Trying is not enough.

The words settled heavily within Caradawc.

He had heard similar lessons before.

The spirits did not reward effort.

They rewarded understanding.

---

The Calling is not a gift.

The spirit raised one translucent hand.

It is a responsibility.

The waters around them began to glow.

Images appeared beneath the surface.

A spear.

Then another.

Both surrounded by pale light.

Caradawc stared.

Phephe drew closer.

"The Spears," she whispered.

The spirit nodded.

You seek them.

"Yes," said Caradawc.

Then you must prove that you are worthy to carry them.

---

Three images appeared upon the surface of the lake.

Three figures.

Three battles.

Each image lasted only a few moments before dissolving into the water.

Caradawc could not identify the creatures.

But he understood what the spirit was showing him.

Three trials.

Three victories.

Three steps along the path.

Three must fall.

The words echoed through his mind.

Only then may the Calling be completed.

Phephe looked at him.

"Where?"

The spirit turned towards the distant jungle.

The City of Mist.

---

Caradawc felt a chill.

The name itself seemed to carry weight.

He had heard of the place.

A ruined city hidden within the jungles of Kunark.

A place where ancient spirits and forgotten creatures lingered among the mist.

"How do we reach it?" asked Izzy.

The spirit did not answer immediately.

Instead it looked towards the shore.

Something was approaching.

---

At first Caradawc thought it was another spirit.

Then he saw the movement of branches.

Someone was coming through the jungle.

A moment later a familiar figure stepped into view.

Break.

Behind him came Cristy.

Both were carrying packs.

Both looked as though they had been travelling for some time.

Break stopped when he saw the group standing in the lake.

He stared at them.

Then at the spirit.

Then back at Caradawc.

"I leave you alone for a while..."

Caradawc smiled.

"You followed us."

Break shook his head.

"No."

He lifted one of the packs.

"We followed the trail."

Cristy smiled.

"And Break was very determined not to lose it."

---

Break stepped closer to the water.

"So this is what you've been looking for."

Caradawc nodded.

"The spirit has sent us to the City of Mist."

Break's expression became serious.

"Then you've found the right place."

Phephe looked at him.

"You know about it?"

"I know enough."

He lowered the pack to the ground.

"And I brought something you are going to need."

---

Break opened the first pack.

Inside were carefully wrapped objects.

Caradawc recognised none of them.

"What are they?"

"Pieces."

"Of what?"

"Things the Frostraiders have recovered."

Break looked at Cristy.

She nodded.

"The Hole."

Then Break continued.

"And the Plane of Fear."

The names seemed to change the atmosphere around them.

Even Molasar looked interested.

"You went there?" he asked.

Break nodded.

"Not alone."

Cristy smiled.

"We rarely go anywhere alone."

---

Break began laying the components out upon the ground.

They were strange objects.

Fragments of things that seemed to belong to different worlds.

Ancient.

Powerful.

And clearly gathered with purpose.

"We've been working on this while you've been following your own trail," Break explained.

"The Frostraiders have not been waiting for you."

Caradawc smiled.

"I didn't think they had."

"They haven't."

Break looked at the two complete medallions hanging from Caradawc's pack.

"And I see you've been busy too."

---

Caradawc removed the medallions.

The Kunzar.

The Nathsar.

The two ancient objects caught the light filtering through the jungle canopy.

Cristy stared at them.

"So those are the ones Ganak told you about?"

Caradawc nodded.

"We found them after the Frogloks attacked us."

"Have you returned them to Ganak?"

"Not yet."

Break considered this.

"Then keep them safe."

"We will."

"They can wait."

Caradawc looked towards the spirit.

The spirit remained silent.

Waiting.

---

Break looked between Caradawc and Phephe.

"You two were sent to Frostraiders as new Shamans."

Phephe nodded.

"By Break," she said.

"I remember."

He smiled.

"I wondered what would happen."

Caradawc looked at him.

"And?"

Break looked towards the spirit beneath the water.

"I think we're finding out."

---

The spirit slowly began to fade.

Caradawc felt a sudden sense of urgency.

"Wait."

The spirit looked at him.

"What happens after the three?"

The spirit's answer was simple.

Return.

"Here?"

Here.

Phephe stepped closer.

"And then?"

The spirit looked at both Shamans.

Then you will know.

The light beneath the water began to diminish.

Follow the path.

Then the spirit disappeared.

The lake became still.

---

For several moments nobody spoke.

Cristy looked at Break.

"That was helpful."

Break smiled.

"Very."

Kabuki stepped from the water.

"So we know where we're going."

Izzy nodded.

"And what we're supposed to do."

Molasar looked across the lake.

"No."

Everyone turned towards him.

He pointed into the jungle.

"We know where we're going."

He paused.

"We don't know what is waiting for us."

Kabuki grinned.

"That sounds more like an adventure."

---

They packed their belongings.

The components from the Hole and Plane of Fear were secured carefully.

The two medallions were wrapped and placed safely within Caradawc's pack.

The group was now larger.

Stronger.

Seven Frostraiders travelling together.

Caradawc.

Phephe.

Izzy.

Kabuki.

Molasar.

Break.

Cristy.

For the first time since leaving Freeport, Caradawc felt that the journey no longer belonged solely to him and Phephe.

It belonged to the fellowship.

---

They began walking.

Break took the lead.

Cristy stayed close behind him.

Kabuki and Izzy travelled together.

Caradawc and Phephe walked near the centre.

Molasar brought up the rear.

The Emerald Jungle closed around them.

Within minutes the lake had disappeared behind the trees.

---

The jungle was different now.

Caradawc could not explain why.

Perhaps it was because the spirit had spoken.

Perhaps because he now knew what awaited them.

Or perhaps Kunark itself seemed to know where they were going.

The trees grew taller.

The paths narrower.

Mist drifted between the roots.

Occasionally they passed ancient stonework half buried beneath vegetation.

Broken walls.

Collapsed pillars.

Fragments of roads.

The remains of something much older than the cities they knew.

---

Cristy examined one of the ruined stones as they passed.

"I wonder how old this place is."

Molasar looked at it.

"Old enough."

She laughed.

"That's not particularly helpful."

"It wasn't meant to be."

Break glanced over his shoulder.

"Keep moving."

Cristy smiled.

"Yes, boss."

---

They travelled for hours.

The heat became oppressive.

Then suddenly it vanished.

Cold air moved through the trees.

Caradawc stopped.

Phephe stopped beside him.

"You feel that?"

"Yes."

The spirits were still there.

But distant now.

Very distant.

Almost silent.

Caradawc looked towards the mist.

"We're getting close."

---

As they continued, the jungle began to change.

The trees became less dense.

The ground beneath their feet became harder.

Stone appeared beneath the mud.

Then an ancient road emerged from the vegetation.

It disappeared into a wall of mist.

Break stopped.

Everyone gathered behind him.

Molasar stared into the white haze.

"What do you hear?" asked Izzy.

He listened.

For several moments he said nothing.

Then he shook his head.

"Nothing."

Kabuki frowned.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

Molasar looked genuinely unsettled.

"The dead aren't here."

---

They followed the ancient road.

The mist thickened.

Shapes appeared within it.

Ruined towers.

Broken walls.

Ancient statues.

For a moment Caradawc thought he saw movement between them.

He stopped.

The figure vanished.

"Did you see that?" Phephe asked.

"Yes."

Break looked back.

"What?"

"Someone."

Cristy scanned the mist.

"There's nobody there."

Caradawc looked again.

Nothing.

Only the ruins.

Only the mist.

---

They continued.

Then the road rose slightly.

The mist began to thin.

And the City of Mist appeared before them.

Ancient walls rose from the jungle.

Broken towers disappeared into the white haze.

Huge stone gates stood ahead.

Dark.

Silent.

Waiting.

Nobody spoke.

---

Caradawc felt the Calling one last time.

A faint presence.

A whisper.

Then nothing.

The spirits were gone.

Not lost.

Not defeated.

Simply absent.

The trial was now theirs.

Phephe stood beside him.

She looked towards the gates.

"This is it."

Caradawc nodded.

"Yes."

Break stepped forward.

The seven Frostraiders stood together before the ancient entrance.

Behind them lay the Emerald Jungle.

Ahead lay the City of Mist.

Break looked at each member of the group.

"Whatever happens beyond those gates..."

He paused.

"We stay together."

Kabuki tightened her grip on her weapon.

Izzy raised her shield.

Cristy checked her equipment.

Molasar stared into the mist.

Phephe reached for Caradawc's hand.

Then, somewhere beyond the gates, something moved.

A deep sound rolled through the ruins.

Not a roar.

Not quite.

Something older.

Something waiting.

Caradawc looked at Phephe.

She nodded.

Together, the Frostraiders stepped towards the gates of the City of Mist.

The mist swallowed them.

And the trial began.