by Lucas Flint
“It wasn’t on purpose,” said Aster. “We didn’t know he would try to burn the place down. Besides, if we hadn’t put him here, he would have done far worse damage to far more people. It was for the greater good, even if we didn’t fully anticipate just how crazy this guy was.”
Bolt held up hands. “Slow down. Give me the story from beginning to end. I’m out of the loop here.”
“Fine,” said Aster. “About ten years ago or so, the Spirit and the IEA were on good terms. The Spirit allowed IEA agents to use the Endless Forest as a natural multiversal hub of sorts. We liked the Endless Forest due to how it is connected to every universe imaginable. In fact, our own dimension-hopping tech is based on the natural portals which exist in this place. It was a way for us to dimension-hop without having to use our own tech all the time, which has a tendency to overheat if it’s used too often.”
“What happened to sour relations between you guys?” said Bolt.
Aster’s expression darkened. “It happened ten years ago when the IEA came into conflict with a being who called himself Zaarlak the Conqueror.”
Captain Galaxy shuddered. “Oh, god. Please don’t say his name. That man was a monster.”
“Never heard of him,” said Bolt.
“Same here,” said Hypno. “Sounds like the name of one of those old pulp villains.”
“He was anything but fictional,” said Aster. He grimaced. “Zaarlak the Conqueror was the biggest threat the IEA had faced up until the Dread God. He was an interdimensional conqueror with delusions of grandeur. He wanted to make himself the Emperor of the Multiverse and he had raised a trillions strong army to do it. He managed to conquer quite a few universes before the IEA took him down, but only after losing many of our best agents.”
“I was just a Cadet when it happened, but I remember him all too clearly,” said Captain Galaxy. “I wish I didn’t, though. He was reprehensible beyond words.”
“I was a Captain myself at the time,” said Aster, “but I clashed with his forces a few times. Anyway, we got really desperate to stop him, so we put together a plan to banish him to the Endless Forest. We thought that if we could separate him from his army, then his empire would fall apart and the universes he conquered would regain their independence again. And the plan worked. Zaarlak ended up in the Endless Forest and, in the absence of his strong leadership, his empire crumbled to dust seemingly overnight.”
“Let me guess,” said Bolt, “it didn’t quite work out as well as you’d hoped.”
“Unfortunately, yes,” said Aster, nodding. “Zaarlak got really angry that we managed to take down his empire. So he began trying to destroy the Endless Forest purely out of spite against us. He burned down quite a bit of it before the Spirit managed to kill him, and even then, he got in a good few hits on her before he died. We also tried to help, but unfortunately, even our best agents weren’t much of a challenge for Zaarlak’s might.”
“And then Mommy banned you,” said Kyra. “She said you weren’t allowed back here ever again.”
“More or less,” said Aster with a shrug. “Chief Nebula tried to reason with her, but she wouldn’t listen. She just told us that we couldn’t come to the Endless Forest anymore for any reason and that she would personally kick out any agents who tried to get in. She was quite serious about that because the agents we sent to help her take down Zaarlak learned that day.”
“Ever since we have not been allowed to enter the Forest,” Captain Galaxy finished. “That’s why we were so reluctant to come here. We didn’t think that the Spirit would be willing to listen to us, much less let us into her realm. And she still might not be willing to listen to us, assuming she survived the Dread God.”
“She won’t,” Kyra assured her. “Mommy doesn’t like you people. You should leave.”
“Are you saying you don’t want our help?” said Bolt. “Are you saying you’re a big enough girl to handle this all yourself?”
Kyra began playing with her hair again. “Well, you can stay, because you’re good, but they have to go because Mommy doesn’t like them.”
“Sorry, but they’re staying,” said Bolt. “They’re my allies and I’m going to need their help if we’re going to find your mom and stop the Dread God. If they go, I go, too.”
Kyra pouted, but said, “Fine. I’ll let Mommy decide what to do with you guys if she’s still alive.”
“Excellent,” said Bolt. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s head to the Castle and see if the Spirit is there or not.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I need to die?” said Beams, staring up at Scorius in disbelief. “What?”
“It’s a trap,” said Shade, looking around in alarm. Shadow blades flashed into existence around her forearms. “I knew it. They brought us here just to kill us. Monsters.”
Scorius did not look alarmed by Shade’s statement. He merely put his hands together and said, “We have no intention of kill any of you, at least, not unless you fail the Gauntlet.”
“The Gauntlet?” said Beams. “What’s that?”
Scorius pulled a scroll out of his robes and unfurled it, displaying a drawing of a warrior who looked an awful lot like Arius standing in front of a giant open cave mouth. “You see, we don’t run these ‘DNA’ tests on people, whatever that means. Whenever someone claiming to be a son of Arius comes along, we put him through the Gauntlet. Only true sons of Arius can pass the Gauntlet, which also doubles as a test to see if they are worthy of wielding the God Slayer.”
“The Gauntlet,” Beams repeated, this time as a statement than a question. “What, exactly, does the Gauntlet consist of?”
“It is a series of challenges designed by Arius himself,” said the female Elder sitting next to Scorius. “Each challenge will test you in an area that Arius was a master in. If you can complete all three challenges, then you will prove yourself to be a son of Arius and will be worthy of wielding the God Slayer.”
“That seems like a dumb way to prove someone’s ancestry,” said Shade. “Just because you can pass a bunch of challenges doesn’t automatically mean you are genetically related to the guy who designed it.”
“Woman, you speak of that which you do not understand,” said Scorius. “In all of the eons that the Gauntlet has stood, not a single challenger has ever managed to pass it. Some have come close—some very close—but no challenger has ever completed all of it. Only Arius himself ever completed it, and even then only with great effort on his part. You do not understand the Gauntlet or why it is such an effective way to prove a man’s true ancestry.”
“So if I complete the Gauntlet, then I will get the God Slayer?” said Beams.
Scorius nodded. “Yes, but that is quite a large if. As I said, no one has ever completed it aside from Arius.”
“What happens to people who fail it?” said Beams.
Scorius chuckled. “They die. Failure to complete even one challenge always results in death. There are no do-overs, no second chances. And once you are inside, you cannot leave. You must either complete the Gauntlet—and prove yourself worthy of being called a son of Arius—or perish in the depths of the earth. Alone.”
Beams gulped. “You mean there’s no other way to get the God Slayer?”
“You could try to steal it from us,” said Scorius. His white grin appeared under his hood. “But I doubt you would survive the attempt.”
Beams understood Scorius’ meaning. The hunters surrounding him, Shade, and Mr. Space could easily slaughter them without a second thought. He could tell that they were bloodthirsty and angry at the presence of intruders in their city. It would take just one order from Scorius and they would be on Beams and his friends in an instant.
“Or you could leave,” said Scorius. “Go back to wherever you are from and never come back. Forget about this city and the God Slayer and never mention it to another soul. We normally do not allow intruders to leave, but just this once, I feel like showing you mercy, if only because I sense that you are different from other intruder
s and are not very likely to return with a much larger group in order to invade our city and get what you desire.”
Beams bit his lower lip. He looked over his shoulder at Shade and Mr. Space. Unfortunately, their masks hid their faces, so he couldn’t quite tell what they were thinking, but he could imagine that they were not happy at the thought of having to go home. It would be better than being executed for ‘invading’ Ariopolis, perhaps, but it would also leave them no better off against the Dread God than they were before.
I suppose we always could go and help Bolt find the Starborn, Beams thought, but somehow that seems like a cop-out to me. I told Bolt I would find the God Slayer and that he should focus on the Starborn. And I still mean to do that.
But Beams hesitated. It sounded like he was going to have to complete the Gauntlet alone. He might never see his friends or family ever again. He would not be able to tell his parents or his brother or his boss goodbye. If he died in the Gauntlet … well, Shade and Mr. Space might survive and be able to tell his family what happened to him, but he still found it a hard thought to accept.
Yet I am a son of Arius, Beams thought. Arius himself told me so. If only a son of Arius can complete the Gauntlet, then I should have this in the bag. Besides, it sounds like the Dread God is trying to get the God Slayer, too, and there’s no way I will ever allow that to happen.
“Okay,” said Beams, nodding. “I accept your challenge. I will enter the Gauntlet and complete it, proving my ancestry and that I am worthy of wielding the God Slayer.”
Scorius nodded in return. “Very good. I did not expect you to accept it, for most outsiders would have chosen freedom but I see that you are braver than most. Or maybe just greedy enough to risk your own life for the God Slayer. We shall see very soon which is the case.”
Beams nothing to that. He just felt a mixture of relief and worry. Relief that he might be able to get the God Slayer, and worry about what would happen, both to himself and the others if he failed.
At that moment, someone burst through the doorway and came to a stop, panting hard. From what Beams could tell, the man who had entered was another hunter, similar to the ones escorting him and his friends, except this one was smaller and nowhere near as bulky as the others.
“Elders!” said the hunter, his hands on his knees. He gestured behind him. “She’s gone!”
“Who is gone?” said Scorius sharply.
“Pesa,” said the hunter, still breathing hard. “She was out by the Temple trying to catch her cat and they got her.”
“They?” Joga repeated. “You don’t mean—”
“The Darzens,” said the hunter, nodding rapidly. “They emerged from the ruins of the Temple and grabbed her before she could do anything.”
“Where did they take her?” said Scorius, though he did not arise from his throne.
“Into the Ruined Temple,” said the hunter. “Some of the other sentries have already pursued them, but we do not know if they will catch them or not.”
“Garus,” said Scorius to the old man standing beside Beams. “Take your hunters and head into the ruins of the temple. Retrieve Pesa at all costs.”
“But sir,” said Garus in a slightly fearful voice, “the ruins of the Dread God’s temple are well known for being dangerous. If we go in, we might not come out.”
“Neither will Pesa if you insist on making up excuses as to why you will not save her,” said Scorius. He pointed at the door. “Now go, or else.”
Beams held up his hands suddenly. “Can we help save this Pesa girl, whoever she is? We hate the Darzens just as much as you guys and we’re willing to help you save one of your own, especially if it will make things more difficult for the Darzens.”
“This is a job for the sentries, outsider,” said Joga. “You and your friends should stay here, where you can prepare for the Gauntlet, while the rest of us go and rescue one of our own.”
“I agree with Joga,” said Garus. “This is not a job for outsiders. We will save Pesa on our own. We do not need your help.”
“I understand, but surely it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more allies, would it?” said Beams. “My powers might be useful for saving her from the Darzens.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” said Joga, eying Beams suspiciously. “How do we know that you three aren’t secretly working with the Darzens to take us down from within? It is awfully suspicious that the Darzens would kidnap Pesa at the same time you three show up.”
Beams’ hands balled into fists. He knew that if he could save this Pesa woman, whoever she was, then that would go a long way toward winning the trust of the Ariopolitans. But it was obvious to him that this would be an uphill battle, given how the Ariopolitans did not trust him or his friends to help.
“The outsider may go with you,” said Scorius suddenly, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.
“What?” said Joga, stepping forward. “Elder Scorius, did you just say that the outsider can help?”
“I did,” said Scorius, nodding. He pointed at Beams. “But only the boy. The other two will stay here, to be kept prisoner, and will not be released until Pesa is rescued and brought back to safety.”
“But why?” said Joga. He glared at Beams. “He’s an outsider. We can’t trust him.”
“True, which is why we are going to hold his friends captive,” said Scorius. “I don’t trust the boy any more than you do, but I sense an honesty in him that I rarely sense in most outsiders. I could be wrong, of course, but trusting my instincts has rarely led me wrong in the past.”
“What if we want to go with him?” said Shade, looking up at Scorius. She raised her bound arms. “It wouldn’t be hard to break free of these ropes and get out of here.”
Suddenly, one of the hunters pressed the tip of his spear against Shade’s throat. Shade suddenly went very still, her eyes darting to the spear against her throat.
“It depends,” said Scorius. “Are you fast enough to free yourself before our hunters kill you? Our hunters have very quick reflexes. They’ve killed far stronger and faster beasts than a young woman before.”
“It’s okay, guys,” said Beams to Shade and Mr. Space. “I won’t be gone long. Once we save the woman, I’ll come back and free you guys.”
“After you complete the Gauntlet, of course, which will take place after you rescue Pesa,” said Scorius.
Beams frowned. “Right.”
Garus sighed and turned around. “Well, we might as well get going. There is no telling what those Darzen monsters may be doing to her right now even as we speak. We have no time to lose.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
It didn’t take long before Bolt and his friends, led by Kyra, reached the Castle of Dimensions. If the Castle had been impressive from a distance, it was outright majestic upfront. It looked, in some ways, like a European medieval castle of old, with towering walls and ramparts that provided excellent defense against invaders. A long, deep moat surrounded the walls, which was so deep that Bolt could not even see the bottom of it. The drawbridge, which was currently drawn up, appeared to be made out of the finest wood and metal in the multiverse and seemed to be about as big as the trees in the Endless Forest surrounding it.
The Castle itself was huge, maybe as big as a skyscraper. It had six towers of varying heights and sizes, ranging from one tower that just barely peaked over the walls to the one that towered over even the massive trees of the Endless Forest. The roofs of the towers appeared to be made of gold and silver, shining brilliantly in the sunlight above. In the windows burned flames of various colors and intensities, while the main body of the Castle reminded Bolt of a king sitting on its throne gazing down upon his subjects.
“Wow,” said Hypno as they stopped at the edge of the moat, staring up at the massive Castle. “It’s even more majestic than in the pictures Aster showed us.”
“I’ve never even seen it in person before,” said Captain Galaxy, her voice full of awe. “How big is it?”
“I do
n’t know,” said Kyra. She spread her short arms as wide as she could. “This big, no, bigger. Big enough for Mommy and me, anyway.”
“It’s pretty cool,” Bolt agreed. “Who built it originally and how long has it been around?”
Kyra shrugged again. “Don’t know. Mommy says the Castle started off very small, but it’s grown over the years to its current size. She said she was around when it was first created.”
Bolt raised an eyebrow. “’Grown’? You’re talking about the Castle like it was a tree that bloomed from a seed planted in the ground.”
Kyra frowned. “That’s not how buildings are created? Weird. I thought buildings were like trees.”
“They’re … not,” said Bolt.
Kyra shook her head and smiled. “Never mind. Looks like the Castle is safe. At least, I don’t see any of those mean, scary monsters, though I don’t see Mommy, either.”
“How do we lower the drawbridge from here?” said Aster, gesturing at the drawbridge. “Looks like it’s already drawn up.”
Bolt snapped his fingers. “I know. I’ll just fly across the moat and lower it from the other side. I’ll be back in a flash.”
Bolt shot into the air. He heard Kyra calling him back, but he ignored her. She was probably just startled by his ability to fly, which was a common reaction most people had whenever they saw him take off into the air like a bird for the first time. It always amused him and even put a smile on his face now as he thought about how surprised Kyra was at his—
Bolt hit something solid and was thrown back by an invisible force that he couldn’t see. He landed on the ground next to Kyra, lying flat on his back, stunned from the impact.
“What was that?” said Captain Galaxy, looking up at the Castle again.
“That was the barrier, silly,” said Kyra.
Sitting up and rubbing his back, Bolt looked at Kyra in confusion. “The barrier?”
“Yeah,” said Kyra, nodding. “The Castle is protected by an invisible barrier that Mommy made. So if you try to fly in or shoot something over the walls, the barrier will catch you and throw you back. Just like what happened to you just now.”
