Jack Staples and the Ring of Time

by Mark Batterson

  “Please, Mother.” Jack began to sob.

  His mother quickly grabbed him by the shoulders. “He is here!” she said. “The Assassin … it’s not possible! He has come!” When she looked at Jack, her voice was urgent. “You must run, Jack! Go now before it’s too late!”

  Jack turned to see a thousand shadowed tentacles slithering out of the forest. The Shadowfog formed a wriggling cloud at the Assassin’s feet as he stalked menacingly toward them.

  “I won’t leave you!” Jack cried. “You have to come! You have to let me save you!”

  His mother smiled through teary eyes and whispered, “And who do you think will save you, my darling?” She turned to look toward the upstairs windows of the house. “Who do you think will save Alexia? Both of you are sound asleep in your beds, and if I don’t stop him, who will?”

  Jack had no words. His throat caught as his chest tightened.

  His mother’s eyes shifted to the Assassin and then down to the sword in Jack’s hand. “I don’t know if they’ve told you, but the black sword has power. It is both teacher and blade, and when you hold it, the Shadowfog cannot see or touch you.”

  As the Assassin walked toward them, his eyes were locked on Jack. Yet he moved slowly, each step both menacing and mocking. And flowing like an ocean at his feet was the Shadowfog.

  With tears in his eyes, Jack hugged his mother fiercely. She hugged him back just as hard. “Ah, my Jack. Not even death can keep me from my children. Now, don’t come back here again. You cannot save me. I will always love you.” Taking Jack by the shoulders, she turned him around and gave him a push to start him running. And as she turned to face the Assassin, a strong wind began to blow, swirling around her.

  Agartha was crumbling. Oriax, Shadule, and many other horrifying creatures wreaked havoc on the majestic city. Yet Alexia barely noticed. Every ounce of her energy was spent staying alive. The Shadule was quicker than any serpent, and all of its energy was focused on her.

  Alexia had left Wild and Arthur behind long ago. The silly boys had tried to help her, but if she hadn’t lured the Shadule away, she had no doubt they both would be dead by now. So she’d run, leading it away as she leaped from bridge to bridge. The stupid thing thought she was scared, yet all she felt was cold anger.

  Somersaulting onto a small bridge barely a pace wide, Alexia sprinted toward a chamber. As she ran, an Oriax landed in front of her, but she didn’t slow. The beast never expected the girl with the sling to be dangerous. As her stone struck it between the eyes, she sprinted past, not bothering to watch it fall. Flying through the air just behind her, Alexia could hear the wings of the pursuing Shadule.

  If she could just get to the chamber before the Shadule reached her, she would be able to make her move.

  Jack ran blindly, tears streaming from his eyes. He had no idea where he was going, but as he reached the path at the back of his house, he stopped and turned around. The Shadowfog had risen high into the air and was boiling like a black cloud. And standing inside the cloud were the Assassin and his mother. His mother stood in the center of the roiling darkness, a mighty wind whirling around her. As she stretched out her hands, a pure, white light exploded from her chest just above her heart.

  Boom!

  The Assassin staggered as he was momentarily enveloped in brilliant white flames. The Shadowfog shrieked as Jack watched in awe. With all of his attention focused on his mother, he didn’t hear the Oriax burst from the trees behind him. A moment before it crashed into him, Killer, the second lion from the circus, was there. The lion roared as it dove at the other beast, bringing it to the ground.

  Jack turned to see an Oriax with the head and shoulders of a polar bear and the body of a wildebeest. Killer roared, sinking his teeth into the beast’s neck and pinning it to the ground. Yet even as the Oriax howled in pain, it rolled onto its back, freeing itself from the lion’s grasp.

  Jack watched wide-eyed as Killer glanced back at him and growled, as if to say, “Run!” And with nothing but fear in his heart, Jack ran.

  Sprinting the last few paces to the chamber, Alexia stole a quick glance over her shoulder. The Shadule was making its move. Its long arms were outstretched, and its clawed hands nearly close enough to grasp her shoulders.

  Perfect! she thought as she sprinted at the chamber and ran straight up the side of the wall. When she’d run a few steps, she lunged and flipped her body around to land on the Shadule’s back.

  The creature screamed, flapping its wings furiously and rising high into the air. But Alexia held tight, wrapping her arms securely around its neck as it flew ever higher.

  Chapter 24

  A BOY, A SWORD, AND A STREET FIGHT

  When Jack stumbled onto the main street of Ballylesson, he was horrified. He hadn’t realized he was running into town; he’d just been running blindly. A number of the buildings were in flames, and many of the men and women he’d known his whole life had been corralled in the center of town, surrounded by Oriax.

  A Shadule stood among the cowering townsfolk, holding Doctor Falvey by the neck a pace above the ground. Cowering at the Shadule’s feet were a number of townsfolk, some of them clutching at their eyes as if in pain.

  “Where is the Child of Prophecy? Tell me now, and we will leave your pathetic town. If you resist, I will burn it to the ground,” the Shadule rattled. “I will kill every last one of you!”

  White-hot rage boiled inside of Jack. A few buildings were already wreathed in flames. These were his people; they were his friends, and this evil was here because it was looking for him. Doctor Falvey’s legs thrashed, and he began to turn blue.

  “Here I am!” Jack screamed.

  The Shadule’s eyes locked on Jack. It dropped a gasping Doctor Falvey and turned to face the small boy with the sword. One by one the Oriax also turned to face him.

  Jack had never been so angry. And somehow, he wasn’t afraid anymore. All he felt was rage. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked. “Come and get me!” The pommel of the sword warmed. Elion had named the blade Ashandar, and as he held it now, the black blade felt alive in his hands.

  “Take him,” the creature rasped, “but do not kill him. The master wants the child alive.” As one, the Oriax began stalking, slithering, and hopping toward Jack. The townsfolk immediately darted away. Those who clutched at their eyes were helped by the others, and everyone ran into the nearest buildings and locked the doors.

  These beasts were the cause of Jack’s pain; this evil was the reason for everything that had gone wrong. As the Oriax closed the gap, Jack did … something. His hands burned as the black sword called to him. He focused all his rage, all his sorrow into the blade and moved in a way he’d never moved before. He dove under the haunches of an Oriax with the head of a hyena and the body of a zebra, and as he rolled, he sliced down the center of its belly.

  Spinning, Jack dove at an Oriax that was part raccoon and part turtle, twisting Ashandar upward, hitting its mark. As he turned, the five remaining Oriax began to circle him, suddenly cautious. Until now, the Shadule had stood and watched, yet seeing that Jack was not helpless, it dropped to the ground and slithered forward.

  Not far off, walking slowly out from the woods, was the Assassin. When the Assassin saw Jack surrounded by the Oriax and the Shadule, he stopped to watch, Shadowfog boiling at his feet. When Jack saw the Assassin, he knew in his heart his mother was dead. Consumed by rage, he screamed and began to flow between the beasts in a gruesome dance. And one by one the Oriax fell to his black-bladed fury.

  As Jack turned to face the approaching Shadule, the snakelike creature slowed its approach. Screaming in rage, Jack attacked, charging it as he struck out with Ashandar again and again. Yet the Shadule was viperously quick. Each time Jack’s sword came down, the creature slithered aside at the last moment.

  The Assassin watched Jack fight the Shadule with a demonic smile. Th
e Shadule was no longer pursuing Jack; it was now trying to flee from the boy with the black blade. Jack gave himself to his anger. He would kill them all, every last Oriax, every last Shadule. He would kill the Assassin himself!

  In an attempt to escape, the Shadule leaped through the window of O’flannigans, sending glass flying everywhere. Screaming furiously, Jack dove in behind it. The creature rattled as it slithered away, knocking down shelves and shattering everything in the store as it tried to escape. The Shadule darted out the back door and into the alley. But Jack stayed on its heels, quickly cornering the creature between the alley and the outhouse. And as it turned to face him, the Shadule was backed up to the outhouse door. Horror shone in its pale eyes.

  “No!” it cried. “Spare me!” Yet Jack didn’t hear it. With only rage in his heart and his hands burning like fire, he stood before the Shadule and screamed.

  Jack felt hollow as he spun around and swung Ashandar hard. He closed his eyes as the blade struck flesh, and the creature crumbled. Ashandar had pierced through the outhouse door, and Jack had to yank it free. As he turned to leave, he heard someone whimpering from inside the outhouse and felt suddenly sick to his stomach. What did I just do? It was begging for mercy and I killed it! It was a cold thought. He stepped over the dead Shadule and began to shake.

  Alexia held tightly to the back of the flying Shadule, her arms wrapped around its neck and her knees clasped to its sides. The creature screamed as it vaulted through the air, its snakelike body writhing and twisting constantly.

  If there was one thing Alexia didn’t fear, it was heights. No matter how high the creature flew, she kept her wits about her. As they twisted and spun upward, she managed to wrap her sling around its neck. The sling had two purposes. She was able to use it as a kind of reins, as if she were riding a flying horse, while also using it to strangle the creature.

  The Shadule snarled as it flew higher. They had left the city far below, and though they were still underground, they were drawing near the earth above.

  The creature flipped and twisted suddenly, taking Alexia by surprise as she flew over its head. Yet she held tight to her sling, which was still wrapped securely around the Shadule’s neck. The Shadule let out a strangled shriek. Then both girl and creature dropped like stones. Alexia held tightly to her sling as the Shadule, wings fully extended, spiraled down, face-first above her.

  Alexia and the Shadule plummeted past bridges and chambers where the Awakened battled the Assassin’s hordes. And as they drew near the ground, the creature groaned in pain as its wings slammed against some of the nearby bridges, slowing their descent. Just moments before they landed, Alexia pulled hard on her sling, catapulting the creature down even faster and slowing her fall even more. And as the Shadule passed her in the air, she climbed its body and dove upward. Her crimson cloak swirled above her, catching the wind and billowing out.

  Alexia’s cloak wasn’t nearly enough to stop her fall, but it did slow it a little. And as the creature crashed into the earth, a moment later, Alexia landed on top of it.

  Feeling something cold and hollow forming inside his chest, Jack walked out of O’flannigans. His rage had evaporated and was quickly replaced by a bone-deep weariness. As he stepped into the street, he couldn’t stop shaking. Jack fell to his knees, utterly exhausted. All of it was a blur. Had he really killed the Oriax and the Shadule? He’d never so much as touched a sword before, but the movements had felt so natural. Yet even though the evil creatures were dead, he didn’t feel even the slightest bit better.

  As he looked up, Jack was shocked to see the Assassin standing just a few paces away. He waited in the center of the street, watching Jack with admiration in his eyes. At his feet, the Shadowfog slithered and boiled.

  “You are a natural killer, Jack.” The Assassin’s voice was jarring, like two forms of music colliding. “I am proud of you. Only when you give yourself to your rage will you find true power. It is this that makes you strong. We are alike, you and I.” The Assassin’s smile never reached his eyes.

  Jack was fatigued beyond words. His rage was gone, and in its place was nothing. A great void filled him. As he looked down, he saw his hands slick with the milky white blood of the Shadule. He wanted to vomit. Slowly, he stood to his feet. He didn’t want to be on his knees in front of this creature.

  “I am nothing like you.” Jack didn’t scream. He didn’t have the energy for it. “You killed my mother.”

  “I may have extinguished her life, but it was you who brought me here. It was you who showed me how to find her.”

  “No.” Jack shook his head in denial. “You are a liar.” He swung Ashandar wildly, yet nothing happened. The black blade felt awkward and heavy in his hands.

  “My servants have searched for your mother since the first humans were born. They have scoured the earth waiting for the Chosen One, yet it was you who showed me the way. Just as you helped me destroy Agartha”—he spread his arms wide—“all of this is because of you.”

  Jack shook his head as fresh tears sprang to his eyes.

  “When you jumped from the bridge in Agartha, did you truly think I could not follow?” This time the smile did reach his eyes. “You led me here, boy. You have already joined me!”

  Could it be true? Was it all because of him? Jack felt something solid against his back. Though he hadn’t realized he was moving, he had backed up against the wall of the blacksmith’s shop. As he stared up at the Assassin, a small movement caught Jack’s eye. Limping out of the forest behind the Assassin was Killer, the second circus lion.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, boy. I am here to show you the way.”

  Jack crumbled to his knees at the feet of the Assassin, far too exhausted to fight any longer.

  “‘And the child will bow before the Assassin,’” the Assassin whispered. “‘And the child shall destroy the Awakened.’ You have fulfilled the first part of the prophecy.” The Assassin extended his hand as he spoke. “Now, rise and join me in fulfilling the second half. Help me destroy the Awakened once and for all.” His icy blue eyes shifted into endless caverns of fire. “Together we will rule this world!”

  With a snarl, Killer bolted forward and pounced, yet the Assassin moved like lightning. Spinning around, he grabbed the lion by the neck. He snarled at Killer and hurled the lion away. Killer whimpered as he slammed into a nearby wall and dropped to the ground.

  As the Assassin turned to face Jack, the black sword slid deep into the Assassin’s belly. Jack stood before him with both hands clasping the hilt.

  The Assassin’s eyes went wide with shock. As he stepped back, Ashandar slipped from his belly, leaving the sword in Jack’s hands. The Assassin pressed his hands tight against his stomach as dark wind exploded from the gaping wound. Ten thousand voices exploded from the Shadowfog, shrieking in horror.

  “This isn’t over!” he screamed. Black blood leaked from between his fingers, and where it landed, it seared the ground. “This is far from over!” With a final snarl, the boiling Shadowfog whipped around him like a whirlwind, and a moment later, both the Assassin and the Shadowfog were gone.

  Jack stumbled over to Killer who lay unmoving on the ground. The lion looked at Jack and let out a quiet sigh as the light left its eyes. Something cold had formed inside Jack’s chest, choking all warmth from his body. This was the second time a lion had died to save him. And as he stood, Jack felt empty inside. He threw his head back and howled. Elion had told him something terrible would happen if he came back, but he hadn’t listened. With tears in his eyes, he struggled to his feet, turning to look at the burning buildings.

  All of it was because of him. He looked down the path leading toward his house. He knew it was hopeless, but he had to see. In his heart he still held to one last, desperate hope. Maybe his mother was still alive. With Ashandar in hand, Jack ran.

  As he arrived at the edge of the woods outside his house, h
e stopped. There, in the front yard, was his mother lying flat on her back. Jack could see himself, the Jack from the past, lying unconscious on top of her. Sitting beside her body was Alexia, and standing over her was Mrs. Dumphry.

  Jack circled around, being careful not to be seen. As four Oriax burst from the woods, Alexia picked up the Jack from the past, placed him on her back, and ran toward the house.

  Off to Jack’s left, Wild sprinted past. Wild was so intent on the rushing Oriax that he didn’t see Jack. A moment later Arthur stumbled into the scene. He had a cloth wrapped around his head, pulled low over his eyes.

  Jack crumbled to his knees as all hope left him. Through teary eyes he saw Wild loose his arrows at the Oriax and Alexia dive to the ground. Mrs. Dumphry sent streams of fire into two of the beasts, burning them to a crisp. And somewhere far in the distance, Jack heard the ring of Time. A moment before he felt himself flying backward through the air, Jack had one, final thought. I must warn myself not to come back here!

  Chapter 25

  AN ENDING TO REMEMBER

  Jack opened his eyes to the ringing of bells. He was lying on the forest floor, feeling hollow inside. He tried to remember what he had just been doing, but nothing came. As he sat up, he saw himself sprinting through the woods with the Shadowfog pursuing close behind. The Jack from the past wasn’t watching where he was running, but had turned to look behind him. Jack barely had time to think before the fleeing Jack tripped over him and landed flat on his face.

  A moment later the Shadowfog flowed over both Jacks like a mighty ocean. Jack’s mind cleared as he crawled arm over arm, making his way to himself. The black sword was still in his hands and was the only thing keeping the Shadowfog from touching either of the two Jacks.

  As he crawled, Jack wept uncontrollably, unable to find a coherent thought. Yet he must warn himself. He knew he had to say something! Reaching out, he grabbed the other Jack’s shoulder. The Jack from the past cried out in fear as he turned to look at him.