Land of Shadows (The Legend of the Gate Keeper Book 1) (21 page)

The others knew exactly what this thing was. Berkeni’s dark, magical journey had revealed the demon and his full intentions to them.

“Fools,” said Dragot as he continued laughing at their feeble efforts. “You can’t hurt me as I stand now.” His eyes continued to scroll around the room. When they fell upon Eric, his yellow eyes narrowed with disgust. “I see you have the man-child who dares to fantasize of saving mankind from its promised fate—a fate that is written in the stars, that cannot be altered by any mortal.” His booming, wicked laugh shook the walls. “When the stars are aligned, Krytoes will enter your pathetic world and show you the
real
meaning of power. The human world will tremble before him!”

Eric glared at Dragot as uncontrollable, roaring hatred flooded through him. He felt no fear or intimidation. All he could feel was black, searing rage. Just at that moment, something changed deep inside him. It was as if he was no longer inside his body, but instead was watching himself from a distance. He moved towards the demon without hesitation, unable to control his own actions.

“Written in the stars, you say!” he exclaimed. His voice began to gain intensity as he marched methodically towards the floating image. “The world of men
will
unite against the darkness, demon!” He raised his hand into the air when he stood right in front of Dragot. His voice boomed far too loudly for any human. It was deafening and echoed off the walls. “You think humanity fears your pet Krytoes? That we will tremble before him?”

Dragot’s eyes held the look of panic. He drew back, but he had nowhere to go.

“HE...WILL...TREMBLE... BEFORE...ME!” Eric clenched his hand into a fist and twisted it in the air. Whatever connection Dragot had to this room, whatever gateway he had been using, was instantly severed. The image disappeared in a blinding flash of green.

Eric instantly collapsed to the floor. Everyone rushed to his side.

Jade sat next to him and placed his head on her lap while urgently calling out to him. After a minute or two, his eyes fluttered open. She hugged him so tightly he thought he might pass out again.

“Do you remember anything, child?” asked Berkeni in a rush. “How did you do that? Forming a gateway is difficult enough, but to sever it so easily… How did you do it?”

“I...I remember everything, but it wasn’t me,” Eric replied with a puzzled look on his face.

Everyone now shared the same confused expression. That is, everyone except Morcel. This whole time his face had remained quite level and calm. You would have thought he had seen this before.

Eric continued, “Well, it
was
me, but I couldn’t control my actions. I didn’t know what I was saying or doing.” He stood up, still a bit wobbly, and dusted himself off.

“There is something else here in the room!” said Berkeni in a sudden panic. Weapons were drawn once again within seconds of the urgent notice. Heads were on swivels as they tried to look everywhere at once, not looking forward to any more surprises.

Azek was taking all this quite seriously now, after what he had just witnessed. He could no longer deny his own eyes.

“It’s alright,” said Eric, his eyes calmly scanning the ceiling. “It just wants to use you as a vessel. Everything will be fine, I promise.”
Why did I say
that? Why do I know these things all of sudden
?

Berkeni eyed him with a sheepish look and a tight smile. He could now clearly feel the presence, and agreed with Eric’s assessment. “You certainly have the gift, don’t you, child?” said Berkeni, placing his back to the wall and closing his eyes. He stood there for a moment, not moving or saying anything. Then, after one or two blinks, his eyelids began to flutter rapidly, faster and faster like a hummingbird’s wings, until they just stopped.

Eric motioned to Jade with a nod of his head in the direction of Berkeni.

She hesitated at first, but when Eric smiled at her, she knew it would be fine. Jade crept over to the small man, looking into his glazed-over eyes. Then, as his head slowly turned towards her, his eyes seemed to clear, as if seeing her for the first time.

“Jade, sweetie, is that you?” came the quiet voice with a familiar tone, a voice she thought she’d never hear again.

“B-Ben?” she said in choked whisper. Her lip began to quiver, and a single tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

“Sweetie...I’m so sorry, but I don’t have much time.”

Jade’s mind spun relentlessly. There were so many things she wanted to say and to ask, forgiveness being the first.
Is this real
?

“Sweetie, I just need you to know that I’m alright. More than alright. Everything is fine, and I don’t want you to ever worry about me.” The voice began to lose strength, as if it were being drawn away.

“Ben? Ben, please don’t go!” she yelled as she shook Berkeni back and forth by his shirt.

“Never blame yourself for what happened that night, Jade. You coming into my life was the best thing that ever happened to me,” the voice said as it faded away.

Jade turned away, her eyes filled with tears. But not every tear was born of sadness. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. When she turned, it was Ilirra, whose eyes were no dryer than her own. She knew it was inappropriate, not the proper way to behave in the presence of a queen, but Jade couldn’t help herself, and embraced Ilirra in a tight hug that was returned with just as much warmth.

“Ladies, it’s time,” came a soft, patient voice from behind. Berkeni put a hand on each of their shoulders.

Jade reluctantly let go and started to move towards Morcel, whose face still looked as if he had been watching clothes dry. “I can’t imagine how all this must seem to you, so I won’t hold you to your oath. If you don’t want to accompany us, I understand,” she said as she nervously poked a finger into her palm.

“Little lady, after what I’ve just witnessed,” the warrior said with one eyebrow raised, “you couldn’t possibly stop me!”

Jade smiled and clapped her hands together. The chants by Berkeni started up behind her.

Berkeni kept up the mindless song as a blue spot began to form on the wall. The spot began to grow and grow until it gave the appearance of a giant mirror. But instead of the room’s reflection being shown, they could see the dead forest. It was crystal clear, and seemed so close. “Hurry now. It won’t last long.” he groaned in a strained voice.

Morcel grabbed a handful of bags off the floor and was the first to jump through. Eric and Jacob each gave low bows towards the queen, who in turn touched her forehead, then her heart—a show of high respect and honor. The boys leaped though the wall without a moment’s pause.

Jade picked up the last bag and turned to the others.

Berkeni threw her a silver ring, which she juggled briefly before putting on. “As long as you wear that, I can always find you, my dear. Now go!” he said with a smile that was at odds with his sad eyes.

Jade did not bow or curtsy. She just tilted her head, flashed a warm smile followed by a wink, then leaped through the gate. Once she passed through, it snapped shut almost immediately. It was done.

The three adults stood silently, watching the wall that no longer seemed special.

Finally, Azek slid over to face the Queen.

Her eyes stayed locked on the spot the others had just traveled through.

“It was best you did not tell her, my lady,” he said in a voice that was hard as stone. “Always remember, it was for the greater good.”

Ilirra’s eyes burned white hot as she turned to meet his gaze. “For the greater good, you say?” she hissed in a soft, dangerous whisper. Then, like lightning, she struck him across the face with a closed fist. “For the greater good?” she screamed, striking him yet again. She shrieked the phrase over and over again as she continued to land rights and lefts. She seemed crazed, like she had just lost her mind.

Azek took every hard blow without ever attempting to cover his face, fully accepting the onslaught.

The queen collapsed in his arms. Limp as a noodle, she leaned all her weight into him.

He held her close with tender care, yet did not utter a single word. No mere words could possibly soften her agony. His eye was swelling shut, and warm blood ran from his mouth and nose. Still, he embraced her with a sense of complete understanding.

She found just enough strength to raise her head, then looked into those dark hawk’s eyes. “How many times can one endure losing the thing they love most in this world?” she said in a shaky voice so weak it could hardly be heard. So full of pain it was. The fire in her eyes was gone, replaced by pure suffering and anguish. “How can you be so calm, so cold?” She embraced Azek tightly as she inched her way up his body to whisper in his ear, “Taken from me again… I’ve sent
our
only daughter to her doom.”

* * *

The gateway snapped shut behind the companions just as Jade jumped through. She opened her mouth to speak, but it simply remained that way as her gaze followed everyone else’s to the awesome sight before them.

The legends of the Mogan Forest were more than true. The sight was beautiful yet terrifying all at the same time. The tall trees were massive, with dark green leaves each the size of a man’s head. Only centuries of existence could yield such size. Their thick trunks were covered with dark, peeling bark as black as coal.

They weren’t actually in the forest, but standing in a field on the perimeter. The tall grass they stood in seemed to go on for miles behind them, leading right up to the edge, but where the forest began, it became instantly dense. There was no progression of trees becoming closer and closer to each other the farther in you went. The field just led up to a wall of vegetation. It seemed so unnatural.

The complete silence was also unnerving. No signs of life could be heard or seen, not a butterfly, cricket, or any of the smallest clues that anything lived here. Morcel gripped his great axe as he eyed the wall of trees. “Everyone ready?” he said, and began moving eagerly without waiting for an answer.

At first glance, the forest seemed too dense to enter anywhere. There was no obvious path at all. The companions figured they would have to walk along the wall of trees and bushes until they found a break someplace, but after covering the mere fifteen feet or so, the path became obvious. It seemed impossible they couldn’t see it before. It was as if the trees moved to the side to allow them passage.

No light escaped from between any of the leaves or vegetation, just black outlines around the branches. It seemed as though the forest would be pitch-black, so they pulled torches from their packs, but upon entering, they found they could see rather well. It fact, the trees were nowhere near as close together once they entered the forest. It was as if the outside layer was nothing but a thick, living wall for protection.

The air here was very different from just outside the boundaries, where it was fresh and cool. The forest was hot and humid; the air seemed thick and hard to breathe. But even with conditions that seemed perfect for swarms of swampy insects, not a single one made itself known. The silence was so unnatural, given how green and lush the plants were, it simply didn’t seem possible.

“Well, I must say, if someone told me I would be traveling with you through the Dead Forest years after we first met, I would have had a hard time believing them,” said Morcel to Jade, winking at her. “Funny how I’ve been fighting for years now with no real reasons other than to please a mob, and perhaps my own survival as well. All the time, I didn’t care much if I survived or not. Somehow I always managed,” he said with a chuckle. “But I’ll tell you guys something.” He stopped walking and turned towards everyone. “When I woke up and realized I had won my freedom, it didn’t feel like I thought it would.”

He looked at Jade, who seemed a bit bewildered, wondering where he was going with all this. “Don’t get me wrong, little lady. I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me. It was just that,” he paused and stroked his long beard for a moment, “I felt like...like I had no purpose. I really didn’t know what I was going to do next.”

Now everyone looked bewildered except for Jade, who seemed as though a little light had gone on in her head. She knew what he was talking about.

“I was going through life, never knowing when my end would come,” Morcel said as he began leading them on once more, “but when that threat was no longer present, I lost my simplest goal. Survival! What is a warrior without the constant threat of danger?” he said as he stopped again, this time turning to look at Eric. “I don’t know if you are what they say, but if you are, and I die while trying to protect you…” he said as his eyes narrowed.

Eric’s eyes met his and matched their intensity easily.

The arena warrior’s stare softened. “Then I would have given my life for a true purpose, and I welcome that honor,” he concluded.

The warrior drew his axe from his back. Everyone jumped a bit, not understanding what he was attempting to do. He then lay it down beside himself and dropped down to one knee in front of Eric. “Eric Aethello, I swear to defend your life with my own. In the eyes of the gods and all who stand with us, I will see your mission completed or die in its defense.”

Eric’s eyes almost popped out of his head. He had no idea what to say or what to do.