“I will not die like a common rodent!” Mallik roared. And this time, when the Wyrm Lord’s claw barred his way, Mallik brought his hammer down upon it with every ounce of his strength. The immense pulverizing head of Mallik’s hammer crunched down on the creature’s claw, but only for a second. It sprang away as if Mallik had struck a granite boulder. The shiver of the blow shook the hammer free from Mallik’s hands, and he stood as one thunderstruck. The Wyrm Lord drew back the uninjured claw and smacked Mallik across the road. Mallik shook his head and looked up just as the creature started inhaling a deep breath, but then it stopped as a baleful howl rang out from somewhere deep in the forest.
The Wyrm Lord craned its neck high and, with an odd tilt to its head, seemed to be listening.
Mallik stood, saw his hammer at the feet of the creature, and ran for it. Before Mallik could reach his weapon, the great cry from the forest rose in pitch and intensity until it blotted out all other sounds. Mallik could not bear it and fell to one knee. He covered his ears and looked up at the creature.
When the howling noise finally came to an end, the Wyrm Lord seemed to nod as if in agreement. Then, to Mallik’s surprise, it appeared to have lost interest in the three knights.
Suddenly, the beast spread its great wings, and its body began to convulse. The Wyrm Lord roared, gnashed its teeth, and reared up on its hind limbs. It seemed to be gathering strength-drawing on some hidden reserve of power-preparing to unleash some horrific power. Mallik watched in horror as the rigid pattern of scales on the creature’s armored chest and the folds of cracked skin on its stomach began to change. There appeared faces, anguished faces, as if beings were captive beneath the creature’s flesh and, in great torment, were struggling to be released. The Wyrm Lord shrieked, began to moan, and vomited out a shroud of darkness. Like a dense black tide, it poured out of the creature’s jaws and filled the road.
It swept over Mallik, and all went black.
43
ONSLAUGHT OF THE SLEEPERS
R ucifel slashed back and forth with his remaining blade, deftly keeping Kaliam and Lady Merewen from using their advantage. Kaliam hammered away with his broadsword, but always Rucifel ducked out of reach. And still more maddening was the way that Rucifel maneuvered his attackers into each other’s way. Several times Lady Merewen thought she had an opening in Rucifel’s defenses, only to stay her strike at the last moment when he lured Kaliam right into her path.
Their battle ranged all over the road, in and out of the trees, and among the other combatants of both sides, but still Rucifel eluded the two warriors from Alleble.
Then, Lady Merewen thrust her sword at his midsection. He parried it away, but rather than retreating immediately as he had been doing, he stepped forward and struck out at Lady Merewen with a series of quick stabs. It was enough time for Kaliam to circle round so that Rucifel stood between him and Lady Merewen. They pressed in on Rucifel like a vise. Kaliam swept his broadsword at the enemy’s head. Lady Merewen raked her blade at his legs. Rucifel could not evade both strikes. He ducked Kaliam’s long blade and tried to dive. But Lady Merewen’s sword caught him on the back of his leg where there was no armor. Rucifel did not yell, but he rolled to a crouch, stood, and hopped back a pace favoring his left leg.
Sensing victory over their foe, Kaliam and Lady Merewen came on. They drove him backward. Rucifel seemed to give up any notion of offense and used his blade to block and defend. After every swipe, he turned and ran a few paces, always favoring his left leg.
“You run away!” Kaliam exclaimed as he pursued. “You are tiring, Rucifel!”
“No,” Rucifel replied, and he stopped and glared at his attackers with such a strange expression that they pulled up short. It seemed to Kaliam and Lady Merewen that Rucifel had suddenly gone mad, for he was beaten and yet he began to laugh. “Not tiring,” he said and grinned smugly. “Waiting…”
At that moment, a howl rose up as if a sudden storm had come upon the forest of Yewland. But no wind of The Realm any living Glimpse had ever heard made such a hideous sound. Kaliam and Lady Merewen grimaced and covered their ears. Finally, the haunting noise ceased. All noise ceased. No arrows whistled. No blades clashed upon shields. The combatants all around had lowered their swords. It was utterly still and silent… until something advanced toward them on the road behind Rucifel.
Kaliam reflexively stepped backward. A creeping mist? he wondered, but it was inky black and reflected none of the moon’s light. Whatever it was, it began to quicken, devouring trees and road as it came. Suddenly, it washed over Rucifel, and he was gone.
Kaliam and Lady Merewen turned to flee, but it was too late.
Kearn came at Aelic, dealing out blow after blow. Back and forth they dueled. Aelic wanted to avoid killing Kearn if he could, but the way his enemy fought, it seemed there would be no other way.
Kearn lunged. Aelic brought Fury up hard, but their blades locked together. Pressing in toward each other, Aelic and Kearn came eye to eye.
“You cannot win,” Kearn said, his eyes flashing red. “And when you are dead, I will take Lady Antoinette behind the Gate of Despair. If she will not become one of us, I will feed her to my master’s new pet!”
“Don’t listen to him, Aelic!” Antoinette yelled from the locked wagon.
Just then their blades slid apart, but Kearn’s sword came down on Aelic’s forearm. The leather vambrace split, and the sword left a deep gash. “Arghhh!” Aelic yelled. In a rage, Aelic slashed Fury against Kearn’s blade and pinned it against the wagon. Then, he reached around and punched Kearn twice in the side where there was no armor.
“Curse you, whelp!” Kearn coughed and spat. He wrenched his blade away from the wagon, and Aelic leaped back. “Think your skill with that blade is enough to contend with, Kearn?”
Tired, Kearn sprang from the wagon, intending to drive his blade at Aelic’s chest for a kill. But his angle was too low coming in. Aelic swept the wide blade away, and hacked at it again and again, growing stronger with rage as Kearn grew weaker. Finally, Kearn’s guard became sloppy and Aelic’s sword drifted into position. Aelic drew Fury back so that the pommel rested near his chest. He prepared to throw a moulinet to kill.
But before he could move, a frightening cry rose above the clamor of battle. At first it sounded as if it was coming out of the Blackwood. It rose in pitch to a great mournful howl, and Aelic felt his skull would split from the sound. Kearn too was affected, but not as much. He swayed for a moment but seized the opportunity and ran to the huge black horse that was hitched to the wagon. He leaped upon it and spurred it forward. Aelic whirled around and saw the wagon moving. He tried to pursue, but the sound had a crippling effect on him. He dropped his sword, fell to his knees, and clutched his ears.
When the sound finally ended, Aelic grabbed Fury and sprinted up the road after the wagon. But it was already rounding a corner far ahead. Aelic watched helplessly as Kearn’s wagon took Antoinette away.
Suddenly, another howl rang out-this time Aelic was sure it was from the Blackwood side of the forest. Other howls answered-Aelic counted: five, six, seven! And then the ground began to tremble.
Then something dark was upon him. Aelic swung Fury recklessly like a child fighting off a nightmare. But the darkness had a texture like a spider’s web, and it clung to his skin, his hair, and his armor. Aelic calmed himself and realized that he was not bound-he could move through it.
Aelic ran in the direction he thought Kearn had gone. Someone was up ahead. Kearn? he wondered. He could just tell it was a warrior with long hair, a long mustache, and beard. The mist seemed to swirl around him. Aelic slowed a little and blinked. No, it could not be Kearn. The warrior was enormous-far taller even than Kaliam. He had no weapon, but he marched with deadly purpose. The warrior’s eyes were strangely fixed. Aelic stopped and stared as a mist washed past the warrior, clouding the warrior from sight. The mist vanished, and there in the warrior’s place stood a wolvin three times the creature’s normal size. The
hair on its back bristled. Its jaws fell open, and it growled menacingly. Aelic realized with dismay that before him stood one of the Seven Sleepers.
Aelic clutched Fury in front with both hands, and though he had little hope of outrunning the giant beast, he took a slow step backward. The wolvin’s yellow eyes narrowed and it charged. Aelic dove out of its path but was slowed by the grasping mist. He avoided the wolvin’s jaws, but it barreled into him with its shoulder and knocked Aelic aside like a rag doll. Heart pounding and breathless, Aelic leaped to his feet. The wolvin came again, but when Aelic tried to get out of the way, the creature reached out with its foreleg and slashed Aelic’s right shoulder. Its claws tore the armor off and gouged deep into Aelic’s arm. But even as it did so, Aelic slammed Fury down upon the creature’s back. The wolvin howled in pain and began to scratch at its back as if something were still stuck there.
Blood streaming from his wounded arm, Aelic sprinted into the shrouded trees. He had no idea which direction to go. Aelic stumbled up a long hill and heard muffled snaps and cracks behind him. He pushed himself harder, straining against the incline. He toppled over the crest of the hill, and rolled down the other side. Jabbed and buffeted as he rolled, he clutched Fury in his left hand with all his might. When at last he stopped rolling, Aelic gasped for breath.
Using Fury as a crutch, he pulled himself to his feet. But just as he stood, the wolvin crashed into him. Aelic flew backward, the creature on top of him. They hit the ground with a crunch and Aelic’s legs went numb. The wolvin’s teeth came at his neck, but Aelic wedged Fury up into its jaws. It bit down on the blade, yelped in surprised agony, but did not relent. It clamped down on Fury even harder and tore it from Aelic’s hands.
The wolvin tossed the blade aside, and snarled. A mixture of saliva and blood trickled over its jaw onto Aelic’s neck. “King Eliam!” Aelic whispered urgently. “Help me.”
Just as the wolvin went for Aelic’s throat, he heard a high-pitched roar. A shape appeared and smashed into the creature with such force that it was thrown free from Aelic. The wolvin howled in pain. Aelic turned and saw a dragon on top of the wolvin, tearing at it with taloned feet. “Gabby!!” Aelic screamed.
The two creatures grappled and bit, clawed and scratched. Gabby had only one good wing, but she held her own against the Sleeper. Aelic struggled to his knees and began to crawl toward his sword. Again using Fury for leverage, he pulled himself to his feet. Determined to help Gabby, he began to limp back toward the fight.
But the ground went out from under him, and Aelic was falling, falling, falling.
44
THE AFTERMATH
K aliam had not slept for three days since returning from the battle in the forest, and still he waited at the main gate of the city of Alleble. Heralds sounded their trumpets as survivors arrived or were carried in, but there were too few and not often. Lady Merewen was safe, her wounds being tended to by Sir Oswyn in the castle. Farix had made it back as well.
Scouts had come back late on the second day to report that Nock was found still alive. He was to remain in Yewland with his kin until he recovered his strength. And Trenna, reunited with her family, remained in Yewland as well. All told, nearly twenty-five thousand knights from Alleble, Yewland, and Acacia had fought in the forest against Paragor’s forces. Only half of those returned to their homeland. And among those still missing, there were names very dear to Kaliam: Sir Gabriel, Mallik, Sir Rogan, Antoinette, and Aelic. So Kaliam waited by the gate.
It was as the sun went down on the third day that Kaliam saw hundreds of knights ride across the plain on the backs of unicorns. He leaped upon one of the guard’s dragons and flew out to meet them. Kaliam looked at them hopefully as they rode past. They saluted their Sentinel, and he smiled and saluted back, but Mallik, Sir Rogan, Lady Antoinette, and Aelic were not among them.
Kaliam returned to his bench and waited. Then two lone knights appeared on the horizon. As they neared, Kaliam recognized them. Leaping from the bench, he ran to meet them.
“Mallik! Sir Rogan!” he cried. “I feared the worst, but here you are! Praise to King Eliam, you survived!”
Mallik and Sir Rogan dismounted, and each in turn embraced Kaliam. But they were weary and somehow changed. They did not speak much-even days later-but they stayed in each other’s company and exchanged knowing glances.
Kaliam stayed at the gate for many days more, but Sir Gabriel, Antoinette, and Aelic did not return.
45
BEYOND THE GATES OF DESPAIR
T he guards brought Antoinette through many dark, smoky passages and up a long, winding stair. At the very top of the stair, they opened a thick wooden door and entered a chamber that had one small cell within it. They roughly dragged her into the bare cell which smelled of dust, rot, and worse things; locked manacles around her ankles; and chained her to a ring embedded in the cold stone floor. A wall of iron bars divided the chamber, and the Paragor Knights locked her in. Finally, they slammed the wooden chamber door behind them. Antoinette heard a faint metallic click, and she knew they had locked the chamber door too.
There was one small window. When Antoinette dragged her chains to their full extent, she was able to look out. But she found the view inside her cell much more to her liking. For the window looked out upon the Grimwalk in the land of Paragory. Antoinette sighed and twisted at the silver ring the merchant had given her in Baen. At that point in her journey she had still been able to convince herself that going after Kearn was a noble thing. Now, the grim reality was all too clear.
Antoinette had betrayed her commander, her friends, and her King. She had failed to keep her promise to Aidan. Robby’s Glimpse was not willing to turn his allegiance from Paragor and accept King Eliam. Antoinette slid away from the window, dropped to her knees, and curled into a ball. And there she shivered upon the stone until at last she fell asleep.
“A morsel, my dear,” said a voice. Antoinette woke with a start and scrambled to the back of the cell.
“Come now,” the voice said. A metal tray scraped along the stone floor. On it was meat and bread. A dark boot nudged it into the light from the window. “You must eat. You must build your strength for the trial to come.”
Antoinette suddenly knew the voice. “Kearn!”
“Yes, it is I,” he replied. He stepped out of the shadows and peered out the window of her cell.
“What have you done with Aelic?” she screamed.
“What have I done?” he said, turning and walking toward the cell door. “Why, I have done nothing. His fate is a result of your actions.”
“Nooo!” Antoinette moaned and sank to the floor. “Why didn’t you just kill me too?” she whispered.
Kearn stepped out of the cell, locked its door of iron bars, but paused at the huge wooden chamber door. His eyes flickered red, and he replied, “I keep asking myself that same question.”
46
TURBULENCE
S he’s still not back, Dad,” Aidan said, inserting the plane’s phone back in its slot on the seat in front of him. He looked out the window of the plane and watched streaks of lightning crawl among the purple cloud tops.
“Relax, Aidan,” Mr. Thomas said, munching on some peanuts. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“But she’s already been gone longer than I was-earth time, anyway,” Aidan complained. “I thought for sure she’d be back before we landed in Baltimore.”
Mr. Thomas gave his son a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “I’m sure she’s okay. We’re about to land now, but you can call her from the hotel.”
The intercom came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have some storm clouds up ahead. We might be experiencing a little turbulence. Please keep your seat belts fastened for the duration of the flight. We should be on the ground at BWI in about thirty minutes. Thank you for your attention.”
Mr. Thomas stretched and put his arms behind his head. “Just think how surprised Robby’ll be when you show up at his front door!”
Y
eah, Aidan thought. ‘Surprise, Robby! Are you ready to believe yet?’ Aidan shook his head and went back to looking out the window. The plane had already sunk into the clouds. Now it began to bounce a little. Aidan’s stomach tightened. Lightning flickered in the hazy distance outside the window.
One of the flight attendants hurried up the aisle. Aidan watched her buckle herself into a little seat behind the cockpit. The plane shuddered for a second. Aidan’s stomach felt like it did sometimes in an elevator. One of the little overhead compartments popped open. A pillow and a child’s teddy bear fell out.
Aidan gripped the armrests so hard that his knuckles went white. He turned and looked out the window, and there in the reflection, he saw Gwenne’s pale face. Lightning struck, blinding light filled the cabin, and the lights went out.
47
NEVER ALONE
A elic stared up from the bottom of a deep pit. His vision was unfocused, and what looked at first to be dark, feathery hands reaching down from the pale sky above turned out to be layers and layers of massive roots. They burst out from all sides of the deep hole he had fallen into.
“Arghhh!” The pain awakened Aelic fully. His legs throbbed. His arm burned as if a white-hot blade had broken off under his skin. And he felt a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy weight lay on him, compressing his lungs.
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