Spirit Riders

Chapter 3 - Trouble on the Horizon

“It is stupid.  I agree son,” Dycom told his son, “but as a member of the Elder Council I must uphold tradition.  The day after the Summer Festival we must pretend to honor the fallen Gods.”

“But why?  It makes no sense.”  Ruscal replied.

“If for no other reason than to learn the mistakes that they made so you do not make them in the future.”  Dycom said hoping to end the conversation.

“What if I refuse?”

“Then you will not attend warrior training nor see your friends Sharon and Théoden for a while.  That’s all.”

“One day none of that will matter anymore.  Fine.  I will go.”  Ruscal complied.

“Maybe one day it will not, but now it does.”  Dycom finished.


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Théoden and Hiss where working on a defense against a riding hobgoblin when Thoruck arrived.

“I have been called to Mother Nature’s Eden for a conference.”  Thoruck told his assistant and his star pupil.

“About what?”  Théoden asked sheathing his Sword of Rayne.

“I do not know, my son, but this is the first time I have had an audience with the Goddess in Eden since she asked my to lead the attack against the Arressgone.”  Thoruck said looking at the blue sky in deep thought.  “I wish I could say I was happy to go and see the Goddess, but I fear it will not be a joyous meeting.”

As Thoruck walked away in the directions of Mother Nature’s underground palace, Théoden could not help but be concerned for his mentor.  He watched the great warrior walk away and hoped this would not be the last they where together.

“Enough of the long fasse.”  Hiss said pulling Théoden from his dream like state.  “Thoruck is our greatest warrior, but he will not be with uss forever.  Sometimess warriorss musst fight and future kingss must train.  Come letss practisse.”

“Yes Hiss I know.”  Théoden said removing his sword.

They continued with their earlier training, the practice of removing a hobgoblin from his mount was not an easy thing to do in practice and certainly not in live combat, but it was an important form to know.  And like most things Théoden quickly picked up the nuisances even when his mind was elsewhere.

“Focuss, boy, focuss!  You musst learn all of thesse thingss to keep you alive in the future.”  Hiss shouted at the boy with the far away mind.  “You need to be always aware not matter what hass happened or who hass died.”

“I am focused enough, demon.”  Théoden said defensibly. 

“Give me your ssword.”  Hiss demanded.

“Why?”

“Give me your ssword!” 

Théoden thought only briefly and then slowly handed his sword to Hiss.  Hiss studied the Sword of Rayne and eyed Théoden, breath hissing from his tongue.  He quickly raised the sword above his head and at the same moment heard voices from behind him.

“Not now!”  Hiss called dropping the sword and quickly slithering away.

“What’s his deal?”  Sharon asked running up to Théoden.

“He doesn’t like to be interrupted in the middle of a lesson is all.”  Théoden explained a question on his face.

Sharon shrugged and said, “Well it looks like practice is over for the day.  Let’s go find Ruscal and Jack and tour the Gods.”


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Thoruck entered Enchanted Eden for the first time in more than fifteen years and it was even more beautiful than he remember in his dreams of the Goddess’s palace.  The flowers on the wall almost smiled at him with their beauty and the animals that wondered the halls were amazing both in their grace as well as their majesty.  Thoruck had almost forgotten his dismay when he entered the Throne Room.

“My subjects are in pain, Thoruck.”  Mother Nature solemnly explained as Thoruck took a knee in front of her.  “They are in need of your assistance.”

“How can I help them, my Goddess?”

“In the Mountains of Lost the mutated humans of the Olden Days are destroying much of the beauty and wonder there.  They are clearing my trees and killing my animals in so large a number that my subjects call out to me.”  She explained a crystal tear falling from her eye.  “My subjects need you.  I need you to go to the mountains and stop these mutates from killing so many of my subjects.”

“I will do as you wish, my Goddess.”  Thoruck replied still on bended knee.  His concerns, he now knew, were well founded.  “I will lead a small team of warriors into the mountains and vanquish these mutates that are destroying your subjects.”

“You are truly my champion, Thoruck.”  Mother Nature said embracing the great warrior who knew he could neither look up nor embrace her in return.


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“Why do we even do this?”  Ruscal asked as the group of four toured the Museum of the Gods.

“Because it is important.”  Théoden stated simply.

“Because we must never go back to those days.  We have to learn about the Gods so they will never again rise to power.”  Sharon explained further.  Knowledge of the past was something she loved almost as much as training.

“What was so wrong with the Gods?”  Ruscal inquired.

“Well I will give you the short version if you like.”  Sharon replied.

“Yes.  Tell us story, Sharon.  Story.”  Jack chimed in a smile on his face.

“Ok,” Sharon said, “here is Krill.”  Leading the group of “students” over to the statue of the God of Water.  “Krill,” she stated, “wasn’t an evil God, but he didn’t like for his waters to be dirtied or over fished.  He would from time to time send great waves of water onto the shores of man killing many in its path.  He would make the fish disappear sometimes just for fun or if he thought he wasn’t being worshipped properly.”  She continued leading them over to the statue of the God of Laughter and Deceit.  “This was Fortude.  He thought it was great fun to break up families.  To make men lie to them and sometimes lie to the entire world.  Fortude demanded worshippers at his temples constantly and in return he would let the world laugh.”

“But that’s just how it was.  The Gods had power, more power than man.”  Ruscal interjected. 

“But you can’t use power for evil.”  Stated Théoden.

“Right,” Sharon said, “just keep listening.  This is Malchus the God of Wealth and Greed.  He caused men to want nothing more than money.  He would make deals with mortals in exchange for power and then take it away.  Just to make another deal.  And this is Rayne, wife of Malchus and Goddess of Metal and Fire.  She is who created Théoden’s sword and several other amazing weapons.  She also created many other things that corrupted mortals and aided her husband in his destructive ways.”

“Do you see yet?”  Théoden asked Ruscal hoping his friend would see the truth and not just view it as a school lesson.

“I see that the Gods were evil, but what does that mean about mortals?”  Ruscal asked.

Sharon walked over and put her hand on Ruscal’s shoulder.  “Just listen,” she pleaded, “the story will tell you.”

“Ok…I’ll listen.”

“This is Mariem,” Sharon continued pointing at the gleaming statue of the Goddess, “Goddess of Love and Passion.  She was a kind God, but she sometimes made the wrong people fall in love because she thought it was nice.  And this,” Sharon said, “is Talless the God of Honor and War.  He would create wars between mortals for his own amusement.  And he was very jealous.  If a mortal man saw his wife they would fall for her without even wanting to and Talless would dishonor them or even worse send him to die in war.”  She paused to walk over to the most important statue of them all.

“Keep telling, Sharon.”  Jack pleaded.

Sharon looked back at Ruscal and pointed to the statue of Cyrus the sorcerer.  “This is the mortal that changed everything.  Cyrus was a sorcerer who wanted to be great but never wanted to hurt anyone.  Malchus came to him one day and offered him great power in exchange for a favor.  Malchus and Fortude were growing bored and wanted to see some excitement.  So, together they made a plan.  Malchus told Cyrus the sorcerer that he would give him great power if after six months he would deliver a message to Mariem the Goddess.  After six months of happiness with his power and with his wife, Cyrus went to the Goddess and delivered the message and as the two Gods had hoped fell deeply in love with her.  The God Talless found out about this and soon dishonored the sorcerer in front of the whole world causing him to lose much of his wealth.  Fortude the God of Laughter and Deceit then came to Cyrus in his time of grief and told him that if he would lie just one time to his wife that Fortude would make everything go back to the way it had been before.  Cyrus took the God’s word and lied to his wife about falling in love with the Goddess.  He lost everything after this lie but his power of sorcery and the Gods laughed.  Cyrus was filled with so much rage and hatred and power he cast a spell so great that it tore through the soulless Gods sending their essence to the cosmos.  Mother Nature was the only God spared and then only because the sorcerer’s spell could not reach her underground palace.”  Sharon finished, hoping her story was good enough to help Ruscal understand and bowed to her audience. 

“I understand now.”  Ruscal said, but Sharon and Théoden thought he was just putting it off.  For what reason they did not know.

“Ok, let’s go have some fun.”  Théoden said leading them out of the museum.  And as they left the Gods behind and walked back out into their village the signs where there, something was wrong.  People where talking in close circle and some seemed to be in a panic.  Ruscal was the first to notice the smoke.

“Look,” he said, “look at all that smoke coming from the mountains!”