by D L Goddard
The staff was ready to return home, they were waiting on the twins and the little mistress to depart. Then, they would all leave; it would be one more mystery people had to sort out. Everything would be gone including the ornate gates and the long winding drive ending in the unicorn rearing on its hind legs as water poured from his open mouth to the fountain base in white marble over two feet deep and twenty feet in diameter. The fountain was ten feet high and so lifelike Anya thought it was alive at times.
Anya was surrounded once more by not just the house staff but the entire contingent that worked for the twins. Anya had always known that hundreds of people worked in the home and estate grounds. And of course there were those that worked with the livestock … cattle, sheep and goats, chickens and ducks, with the kennels and the odd cat or two. Not to be forgotten were the stables with the finest horses the nobility had ever seen and grooms, stable boys and veterinarians.
They had many farms on the estate and their father King Aica had asked them to bring back these animals to see whether they were compatible with Serenor. The twins had grown very fond of their horses and hoped they would thrive in their world; Anya too loved her lovely palomino mare and really wanted to go for long rides with her discovering their new world together. But in spite of what Anya knew and saw people constantly coming and going, she had no idea there were this many people working on the estate.
The basement she had been in before had been folded outward somehow until it was large enough to hold five thousand people. The room was enormous with that many bodies inside and when they all flamed, Anya felt warmed to her core. Their flames poured into the center of the ceiling and seemed to disappear into nowhere. Then a blue circle seemed to shimmer into being almost like a smoke ring of sorts. The flames poured into the center until the portal filled the room. Mir and Val looked up making sure the portal was in place. They had to make sure their people would be fine. The portal would not linger in this world because it was tied to their home; it disappeared after it transported their home into their world.
When the twins saw the portal was ready, they turned to Anya.
“Are you ready my love?”
Val smiled as he took her left hand. She nodded nervously handing her right to Mir. She had learned there was meaning in the way they approached her and the fact that Mir was always on her right and Val was on her left. They never varied … it was always the same. Mir told her it was his flame was light and Val’s was dark, the light half of our soul was the right and the dark was left. Somehow they became the perfect symmetry aligned this way. It meant they were always in harmony with their elemental side and kept them connected even when they weren’t touching merely standing on the left or right. Even when the twins were ten feet away, as long as they were standing on the right symmetry, Anya could feel their flame as if the light and dark flames were actually burning inside hers. It was a wonderful feeling.
She now knew how the twins kept the Beast and herself level and sane. Because the twins were so strong and they complemented the indigo flame, it channeled strength into Anya, being very strongly tied to her after the flame blending. It pulled the Beast’s indigo flame into their circle and enabled them to channel strength and health into him as well. Effectively, the twins were keeping all four of them alive while Anya kept them healthy through her love. It seemed strange and rather convoluted but … it worked well.
Reassured by Mir and Val beside her, Anya slowed her breathing and concentrated on what they needed to do. She had never done this before and the twins were honest with her; they did not know how the flight would affect her pregnancy. The baby would be protected by its own fire sac but beyond that … no one had ever flamed while they were pregnant. But Anya knew that the only way to get to her Beast quickly was by flame; she had no other options. If they went by portal, they would end up at Serenor then, even if they stepped in another portal, it could be weeks or days or hours later; there were no guarantees. Time was always anything up to a month later. It was so difficult to tell. The portal was a great way to travel if you didn’t mind your when.
Looking up at her beloved twins, she smiled nervously.
“I don’t mind flaming, I am just worried about my son. It makes me reluctant. You seem to be trying not to be telling me something and because you both are unhappy, it is making it impossible to do this. So please my loves … tell me all you know and leave the decision to me, okay?”
Val made up their minds for them. It was a relief really, but they were worried it might have some lasting effect.
“Flaming will not harm the child per se but what it can do is bring the baby full term and you could go into full blown labor. You might go into birthing labor just as we have to fight the Enchantress. We are worried she might harm the baby especially with what you told us what she wanted to do if she had you in her power.
Anya’s eyes flared indigo flame … she had finally released her blocks as she grew angry.
“That monster is not getting her evil claws on Arahir or my son; she will find them torn off if she tries anything. I am not letting anything harm our child.”
Then, Anya smiled happily bursting into indigo flame. Immediately … the twins did the same blending with their center. The ball of light burst from the front door held open by Emerson. The flaming ball of swirling color shot into the night sky. Seconds later …..The estate had completely vanished leaving smooth rolling hills behind where the mansion and its ground had been. It made Anya sad to see the grounds so empty and lifeless.
**********
The home of the Living Light was listening intently for the sounds of an army trying to break through the almost paper thin barrier that prevented the portals from being accessed. The Light missed the Keeper, their daily commune and magical interchange. Even so … the castle had been trying to keep him from disintegrating into the worst the curse could do to him. For a whole year Castle Barshael had expended precious energies hunting for its Keeper then, finally finding a trace of him. For that whole year … it could not keep his Beast at bay and the bond between them had stretched and finally broken.
It caused a massive weakening of the castle’s defenses and meant it was unable to protect the Living Light and its magic as it should. The protection of the Light and its magic was the Keeper’s job and it was impossible that Lord Arahir had been abducted from the castle itself. The last ‘guest’ that the castle took care of was responsible, using magic from the Enchantress to bind the Keeper. But the Enchantress had managed to enter the castles grounds and together the two villains stole the Light’s protector away.
The portal stretched … but held. Soon … the magic would give and allow the Ogres and the Wizard trying to enter the castle through a portal in the main hall. These portals were the windows to different worlds and only those with pure intent could pass through. This was the Keeper’s duty … he truly saw what each one’s heart was really like. It was his task and his gifts. The Keeper kept the peace and the harmonic balance between all worlds. He did not interfere in a world’s business, only in their interaction between other worlds. The peace would be kept, if the people of one civilization wanted to destroy one another … that was their prerogative, but if they wanted to attack folk of another world … that then, was the Keeper’s business.
The magical attack on the portal in the castle’s great hall was from Arnosta, the world of Lirima the Enchantress. She had told her second in command, the Wizard Keplin to begin a weakening spell on the portal and to continue attacking it until the barrier to her dreams was gone. Keplin had brought the remaining two hundred Ogres that had survived the attack on the Troll world of Argolis, to be the force that fought anything in the castle that provided them with resistance and to help look for where the Living Light was hidden. The castle was simply enormous and they needed to find the Light quickly. The Enchantress wanted the castle’s magic to take over the other world’s beginning with Serenor and she had realized the Light was powerful enough to do just
that.
Her Wizard Keplin however, had been a busy man while she had fortunately gotten herself stuck on the human world. There was a lot of resistance against the Enchantress’ rule; she was ruthless and cruel and the people of Arnosta were glad to see her go. But recently a message had gotten through that she was returning and she would bring other worlds under her tyrannical rule as well. In response to the dispatch, the people rose up against her rule and had a bloodless revolution and had placed the kindly Wizard Keplin in her place as their King.
Keplin was overjoyed. The people of Arnosta had convinced Lirima’s guard and those that truly believed in her that the land was better off without their beautiful Enchantress. Since she had been gone, the men began to see the Enchantress for what she truly was … a monstrous beast who dressed up in glorious skin. But all the murders, the missing people as well as those she used to achieve even more power by sacrificing the innocent children who were stolen, never to be seen again, while the parents were sleeping.
Since Lirima had been gone … no one mysteriously vanished. Children were happier and life had finally returned to the beautiful world. It was then that the Arnostrian populace decided to ensure the Enchantress never came home again. The remaining troop of elite fighting Ogres, along with the Wizard Keplin, decided to break through the portal. They would hijack the magic of the Light for themselves; defeating the Enchantress once and for all. So, without waiting for the signal from Lirima; they began the attack early in hopes of beating her to it. It was a race against time, and their only hope of winning was to start before her.
The castle collected every remnant of its magic remaining; even the smallest part attached as a marker on the Keeper and drew it back inside itself. The room that contained the Light was strengthened against attack. The Light felt grief at losing the light touch it had always had on the Keeper knowing for the first time since Arahir had come to it, the Light had left the Keeper on his own for the very first time. As the castle felt the portal open, it sealed every area that led to the Light knowing it was able to be reached, but only through very particular ways. It could not seal the Light away completely; the castle would die. But if the group that entered hoped to just find it by searching the castle one room at a time … they were in for serious disappointment. The castle felt the Ogres traipsing all around the great hall; it shut them out knowing their search would prove fruitless.
**********
Alone in his cell Arahir felt as if his heart was ripped from his body. He felt pain explode in his skull, so excruciating that for one moment he couldn’t see a thing. When he could make out objects and people clearly, it was as if he was looking through a red haze. The beast felt a snarl rumbling in his chest. A sound … almost unheard … triggered a crouch and the beast was absolutely frozen, ready to attack. Seeing a shadow … the beast leapt, aiming straight for the throat of the huge creature only to slam painfully into the bars, dropping like a stone.
The Troll had watched the entire performance wondering what had happened to change the Beast so suddenly. It was as if his soul had been ripped away and replaced with a mindless, savage beast. He was amazed at the change in Arahir’s eyes, they were black and flat and the spark of intelligence was totally gone to be replaced by animal cunning. The Troll realized suddenly that he had run out of time; he vowed he would keep his promise to help the Beast escape and return to the castle. Because if anything could return Arahir as he was, it was the Light. Alexandros knew now the trip would be incredibly difficult, but once the King gave his solemn oath, he kept it, no matter how hard the task had become.
Alexandros faced the snarling once Hidden One in the cell watching the rage in his face. He wondered if there was some way he could get through to him the way he had before. Opening his mind to the Beast, he kept calling him by name trying to get through. But to his great dismay all he heard was a confused growling and roaring in rage. Alexandros was saddened; the once beautiful lilt of the man’s voice and the wonderful intellect he found in the Keeper’s speech was totally absent. He was about to break away when he heard a faint call … a cry of desperation.
“I am here … please … please … don’t leave me … here … don’t forget your promise.”
The voice was almost impossible to find and follow but Alexandros persisted; determined more than ever to free the Keeper. Somewhere in that terrible rage was the gentle Keeper and the High King was going to find him. The Troll felt a terrible urgency and decided that tonight was the last possible time to escape. It had to be tonight; any later and not only would the castle fall, but the Keeper would be lost to the curse of the beast … forever.
**********
Anya felt the scream that ripped through her beloved Beast, almost causing her to fall from the air. If she hadn’t been cradled by the two brothers; Anya would have hit the ground … hard. She was weeping in her heart, weeping at the bestial creature her Arahir had suddenly become. His mind was filled with such wild rage; she felt her flame burn fiercely, more fiercely than ever before drawing power from the twins, helping them to flare like a comet in the sky. They flashed through the night sky aiming for the most recognizable place they knew … Castle Barshael.
They had decided the castle was the best place to begin. The twins realized that Anya was calling the beast to the castle to destroy the work of the Enchantress. Only in the castle would he become whole. And the castle was also the safest place to leave Anya while the twins decided to rescue the Keeper. They knew roughly where he was and that the Enchantress and Lord Savage would take him to seek the Living Light anyway. All parties were headed to the castle and it was probably a good idea to plan how to take Arahir from their clutches as they arrived and were not expecting any kind of attack. The only unknown was the very large, very dangerous Troll. They would have to decide what to do about him when they encountered him. ‘What in Seren’s name was a Troll doing in this world? And how did he get here?’ The Troll was a great big unknown.
They flamed faster and faster across the night sky, watching the darkness grow fainter, knowing the trip was tiring Anya. They couldn’t stop; she would be too tired to do this without being fed fully once more, and without sustenance themselves they would not be able to feed her as she needed. So, the twins pushed their sweet mate onward until as the dawn finally broke in slashes of deep pink and pale violet, they saw the first shimmer of Castle Barshael’s turrets. They were almost there.
As soon as Anya saw her first glimpse of the castle, her heart sent out a call of such deep longing and yearning for his love that the beast, even through his wild rage, heard her. His head flicked up and intelligence for one moment clearing, lighting up his beautiful blue eyes. Arahir saw Alexandros watching him intently and he whispered “The Castle … we need to go to Castle Barshael.” Then, he roared, such anger and fury as his eyes lost their sanity and became black hateful pits that looked at the Troll with such malignance, even Alexandros shuddered.
Anya sped straight to the highest turret. She felt something calling out to her; it was distressed and frightened. And most of all; it needed her. Anya felt the terror of whatever was drawing her in … she followed her heart knowing something that felt so pure and so good could not intend to do her harm. So blindly … Anya followed the pull as it drew her faster and faster toward the very highest turret. Speeding toward the castle, faster than her eyes could really track; Anya knew she was riding the magic calling her on instinct alone. Grateful the twins trusted her; she drew them unerringly toward the stone of the unbroken smooth side of the castle wall. They were going to hit the castle … hard.
Just when they began to panic, desperately trying to stop the onward pull hurtling them toward instant death; the castle shimmered … before their relieved eyes a large arched window appeared directly before them. They flamed through the archway and bounced several times as if someone had suddenly placed a soft surface all around them. Landing on their feet, the three separated, reforming, and looked around. They were in
Castle Barshael and the Light was urgently calling them. Heavy footsteps could he heard directly beneath them. The trio ran.
**********
Chapter Seventeen
Alexandros did the only thing he could think of … He slammed his fist into the beast’s face. The beast collapsed, totally out to it. The Troll King hoped he would be unconscious for a very long time while he bound and gagged him, giving them a chance to escape while the Enchantress and Savage were sleeping of their acrobatic sexual adventures. The pair was absolutely exhausted and looked to have consumed a great deal of wine, assuming the beast was safe and secure in the Troll’s care. Alexandros grinned making his frightening face look even more terrifying as he showed all his sharp pointed teeth. No one would even consider him an intelligent educated soul; he looked savage and dangerous … and for once … Alexandros was glad.
He bound the Beast’s hands and feet steering well clear of the deadly sharp claws on both. Finding a soft, but flexible strip of leather, he tied the gag very firmly around the Beast’s mouth knowing they would need silence to escape. After they had gotten some distance away; he would untie the gag. Then, Alexandros adjusted his battle harness; a concoction of leather straps that meant he could sling any weapon to his body and have others in hands and mouth. The harness was also strong enough to hold a wounded, unconscious comrade securely to his back, even if the body writhed in pain or delirium, without fear of falling; something the Troll King had done in battle many times before. The Beast was the weight and size of a ten year old youngling and the only worry the Troll would have carrying him would be the ferocity and savagery of the creature as it tried to escape him and his bonds. In his savage state, the Troll’s friend would not know he was being given the very thing his heart so desperately desired.
