Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 19, Part 1

17 August 2026

We come back to the beginning of the final chapter of Staff of Shigmar, the second book from The Redemption series. We rejoin Klaybear, Thalamar, and Blakstar as our heroes discuss the enigmatic warning and strange actions of the vedem. They reach the hill’s summit, overlooking the gates of Shigmar, and discover the battle is not going well for the defenders. . . . (16 November 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 19, Part 1

Melancholia can be as debilitating as any other mental disease, and in some ways more deadly, for the person so afflicted becomes unpredictable, saying and doing things she would otherwise never say or do . . . the larger the trigger, the more unpredictable the response. . . .

Relana, Headmistress of Shigmar, 2370-2414

“What was that all about?” Blakstar asked as he, Thal, and Klaybear led their horses up the hill, following nearly the same path they used when climbing this hill two days ago. Klaybear had been silent since the vedi had left them.

“I do not know,” Thal admitted. “The vedem are a strange race that remains isolated from the rest of us. They are not evil, but they have never lifted a finger, before now, to help anyone but themselves.”

“So why would they help us, now?” Blakstar asked.

“You heard what he said,” Thal noted, “about their seers.”

“What are seers?” Blakstar asked.

Thal sighed. “They are ‘see-ers,’ and they look into the future, much like the visions of the kailum, or the vukeetu of the maghem, who get glimpses of the future. However, with the vedem, their council of seers is their ruling body, directing the actions of all the vedem, wherever they reside.”

“But why would they tell us,” Blakstar protested again, “to return the staff and not use it, when we have been told over and over again that we need the staff to destroy Gar?”

“No idea,” Thal admitted. “They did not share much with us, only that they had to rescue us, and their opinion that we should not use the power of the staff to save Shigmar.”

Blakstar shook his head and looked around. “We are getting close to the hilltop,” he noted, “I am beginning to hear the sounds of the battle beyond.”

“Yes,” Thal agreed, “we must be cautious.” He looked around. “Should we leave our horses here?” he asked.

Blakstar shook his head. “No, I want them close, in case we need them.” They were coming to the edge of the trees. “Wait here,” Blakstar said, putting a hand on Thal’s arm to stop him. He handed Thal his reins. “I will go ahead, in case there is another company of purem waiting.”

“Or one of the aperum,” Thal muttered.

Blakstar smiled and put one hand on the hilt of his sword. He turned and moved forward up the hill, crouching down and crawling as he came to the edge of the wood. He soon disappeared from Thal’s view.

“What did you think of Neflo?” he asked softly, turning to Klaybear.

The green kailu only shrugged.

“My sentiments exactly,” Thal added. He looked back in the direction the kortexi had gone. “I wonder how the others are?” he asked.

“We could find out,” Klaybear replied, holding up his staff.

“With the morgle on the other side of this hill?” Thal replied, “have you lost your mind?” He smiled to show his companion that he jested.

Klaybear sighed. “You are right; I think I have lost my mind.”

“Hardly,” Thal retorted, “I’ve studied those who have lost their minds: they chew on their own hands or beat their heads against walls; a few are perfectly sane one minute, foaming at the mouth and barking the next. I have not seen you behave in any of these manners.”

Blakstar came back, his face wrinkled.

“What is it?” Thal asked.

“I was right,” the kortexi replied, “there was a company of purem waiting for us.”

“I noticed your use of the past tense,” Thal said.

Blakstar nodded. “The hilltop is covered with their dead bodies. Look at this,” he held out an arrow.

“The vedem?” Thal and Klaybear spoke together.

“Yes,” Blakstar replied, “the vedem.”

“That makes no sense,” Klaybear protested. “Why would they rescue us, tell us not to use the staff, but then clear our path to the place where we must go to use the staff?”

“I am equally baffled by their behavior,” Thal noted, “unless, of course, the clearing of our path was part of the instructions given to their seers.”

Klaybear shrugged.

“We must go,” Blakstar said, “I glimpsed the battle below and things are going badly for the defenders.”

Klaybear looked a question at him.

“The gates are about to be breached,” Blakstar replied.

Klaybear rushed forward, leading his and Klare’s horses up the hill. As he neared the brow of the hill, he released the reins; the two horses were content to begin cropping the grass on the hilltop, having been forced to plod along behind the wagon for most of the day. Thal and Blakstar followed, stopping to untie Klare’s horse from Klaybear’s, and Rokwolf’s from Blakstar’s. The kailu had sunk to the ground at the top of the hill, clinging to his staff. Below, they could see krugle and megatrem carrying a very large, iron-forged battering ram up to the gates; the hail of arrows coming from the walls above bounced off the thick chain mail each of the huge creatures wore. On one side of the gate, purem and ghelem waited, shields held over their heads; on the other side, tall, blue-skinned wedaterem waited to rush forward when the gate was breeched. A red and an orange aperu flew toward the gate, crossing in midair, one flying west, one east, above the walls, each opening their jaws to let fire and acid rain down upon the defenders, but the defenders were waiting for this move; first the red, then the orange, was struck in the chest by one of the ballista on the towers. Two howls of pain, one sounding like roaring flames, the other rumbling like a bubbling cauldron, and the two aperum veered away from the walls, crashing to the ground. A cheer went up from the walls, but the cheer was cut-off suddenly the moment the battering ram, swung by huge hands, crashed into the gates, then a second time, then a third, and on the fourth, the gates crumpled, then crashed open, and the hordes waiting in the wings surged into the city.

“NO!” Klaybear shouted, rising to his feet and holding up breath-giver, glowing brightly in his hand. Thal took out the parchment upon which he had written the words of the orthek, but there was no need, Klaybear had already begun singing them, in his strong, clear, bass voice: “eli-ghende-gwehram-sisogheto-kustho-staurore-aiwamdwo.”

We urge our readers to return on Wednesday and find out what Klaybear has unleashed with Shigmar’s staff! Until then, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!