by C. F. Cooper
“Keep watching,” said the gatekeeper. The Ice King appeared in the figures. He was in a suit and tie and stood in front of reporters. He was surrounded by soldiers in uniform listening to him and nodding in agreement. “This shows the future not the past.” Gary turned at looked at the gatekeeper who was staring at the animated figures. “The Ice King will rule the earth.”
A sound of commotion came from the entrance to the cavern. Smallgrass and Smallgrass appeared, panting and out of breath.
“Smallgrass, how did you get past the guards?” asked Daisy.
“There were…” one of them said, taking breath. “There were no guards. The city is completely empty.”
Octavia shook her head, “We saw them, we fought them.”
Smallgrass shook his head. “No, all an illusion. The bridge collapsing, all of it an illusion,”
“What are you talking about?”
“The bridge was there when we opened the gate. It was still there. We were all seeing an illusion. We reached the tower just as you entered it. The army dissolved into thin air as soon as the door was closed. The bridge re-appeared as soon as you left the gate. Do you see?”
Gary turned to the gatekeeper. “You are the Ice King”
The gatekeeper seemed to stand slightly taller, no longer so innocent looking despite his small frame. “Bravo young badger.”
Calico leapt at the king, knife drawn. The king put his hand up as if to block him. Calico hit an invisible barrier. He crashed to the ground.
Gary tried to make a move for the king, but he was frozen in place. The others were the same. They could not move.
“Please don’t mistake my size for my power,” his voice now sneering. He lifted his hand and clenched his fist. A knife drew itself in the air in front of him. It plunged down and into Calico. The king repeated a stabbing motion and the knife mortally wounded Calico. “Don’t talk yourself down either. You did indeed fight my guards. They were very real. Just like the knife that has killed your friend. They were real for as long as imagined them to be. The bridge did disappear, again for just as long as I imagined it to be true.”
“Why did you bring us here?” asked Gary. “You could have left the gate shut. Why did you let us in?”
The king shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I was just feeling playful. Wanted to meet the famous Gary and his merry band. It would have been such an anti-climax to leave without saying goodbye, don’t you think?”
“Leaving?” said Sasha.
“Yes, I meant what I said. Does that surprise you? This is all yours. The four lands can go back the boring little existence it has enjoyed. For the time being anyway. Just until I finish my business in Uffern.
“I have spent a lot of time understanding this place and your world too Gary. The old myths, they are just that. Talking animals didn’t leave Uffern out of the goodness of their hearts. The magic and the mundane separated. Magic left your world because the two could not co-exist in peace. The mundane were of greater number and they were hunting down and slaughtering the magical, the lycanthropes, because we were different. We didn’t leave your world to leave the non-speaking animals in peace, we fled and hid in this domain to protect ourselves. We are in hiding.”
“I don’t understand,” said Gary. Why did you try and take over the four lands?”
“Did I? I took over people. Then I could drain a little of their lifeforce to me. Call it a tax for the king. I accumulated power with every person I controlled. Much more efficient than merely making love. Yes, thank you Sasha. I took some of your lifeforce too. And it fed my power. Do you realise how powerful our magic can be? We have hidden here out of sight and not only that, we have forgotten our own true power. This lifeforce that we possess can reach out and shape the world. It is meant to reach out. That is why it leaks from us. It is not meant to be imprisoned in this physical container,” he patted his chest. “I refuse to live in a corner.”
“You’ve been to my world, haven’t you?”
The king laughed. “Your world? It’s not your world. I have been yes. Many times. There are some of us that pass between the worlds, but we must always hide our magic. The council forbids public displays of our power. But no more. I can now take my rightful place there and put aside this depressing little prison.” The king waved his arms in a circular motion creating a ball of light. He then pulled his arms wide and the light stretched and formed into a portal. “Make yourself at home, invite your friends round, redecorate, whatever” he stepped through the portal. “I would tell you to keep in touch but I’m not sure that’s practical.”
“Quick,” shouted Gary realising he was no longer frozen. He ran for the portal throwing himself through it closely followed by Daisy and Sasha. Smallgrass leapt towards the opening bouncing off the barrier as it rapidly shrunk in size. Gary saw Smallgrass and his disappointed face just before the portal closed completely.
Chapter 21
Gary looked around and realised that they were in a tunnel with a narrow walkway over a river of putrid liquid.
“Have we entered the bowels of hell?” said Sasha screwing up her face at the smell.
“Not hell, just a sewer.” Gary looked for signs of the king and saw a large heavy metal door slowly closing. “This way,” he said, running towards the door. Pulling it open he stepped through into a stairwell. Above him he could see the king climbing the stairs. The king looked down and cursed. He lifted his hand and swept downwards. A streak of lightening fell towards Gary and the others. Instinctively they put their hands up to protect themselves and a shield of light appeared above them. The lightening bounced off the shield and struck the wall. The three of them looked at each other. “I guess we have some magic at our disposal too.”
“Let’s get him,” said Daisy.
Gary bounded up the stairs closely followed by the others. The sound of the king’s footsteps clanged above them then suddenly stopped. A clash of metal sounded above them. As they reached the top of the staircase, they found a second large metal door. Gary pushed on the handle, but this one didn’t budge. He leaned his shoulder into the door and pushed with all his might. Still no movement.
“Damn, I can’t shift it.”
“Not with physical force,” said Sasha. She raised her hands in front of her and faced them inwards towards each other. She was copying the movements of the king and it worked. A white light appeared as a ball between her hands. She thrust her hands forwards, throwing the light towards the door. It shook but remained in place. She looked at Daisy and Gary. “Together.” They nodded.
Standing in a semi-circle facing the door they all raised their hands and concentrated. A ball of light appeared in front of each of them. “On the count of three,” said Gary. “One, two, three.” They pushed their hands forward towards the door. The lights thrust forward hitting the door simultaneously. A loud groaning sound followed, and the door bent away from the force. The metal doorframe began to screech as it too bent, then the door popped out of the frame falling away from them. There was a deafening roar as it clattered on a marble floor behind it. As the dust settled a figure emerged standing completely still and relaxed. It was an older man with a white moustache and a pinstriped suit, complete with waistcoat and a watch chain emerging from a side pocket. He held a watch in his hand, looked at it, then at them.
“Greetings travellers. Welcome to the Arch Embassy Hotel. My name is Morven Berthou and I am the manager, but you may call me Morven.”
“Right,” said Gary, looking at Daisy and Sasha. “My name is Gary, and this is….”
“Ah, Gary. Professor Wiseman’s young protégé?”
“You know the professor?”
“Yes indeed. He asked me to look out for you.”
Gary shook his head. He had expected that when he had finally returned to his world, the real world, everything would seem normal again, but this was not what he expected. “The king, we are looking for the king.”
“Indeed,” said Morven. “He has
just passed this way. Seemed to be in a hurry. We’re all rather worried by his recent behaviour here at the Embassy.”
“You know the king?” asked Daisy.
“Come,” Morven turned on his heals and walked off. The companions followed him. Looking around they were in a basement corridor with pipework covering the walls. At the end of the corridor they reached an old-fashioned lift with a lattice metal sliding door. Morven opened the door and ushered the friends in. He pulled on a leaver and positioned it to the letter G. The lift began to creak and move upwards. “Most of our guests, indeed most of our employees, are not aware of the, how shall we say, unique nature of this establishment. We find it easier to continue our work that way.”
“What work is that?”
“Well, just as the name suggests we are an archway to the other worlds and an unofficial embassy for the connections that do exist. Ah, reception. Please, act… well… of this world.”
“Other worlds you said. Not other world, but worlds?”
The door opened onto a grand reception area with a floor of black and white chequered marble floor tiles, a high ceiling with a chandelier and a long, ornate reception counter with a row of grandfather clocks behind it. These showed the times of several cities around the world. Morven walked towards reception counter looking back at his guests who were taking in the scene.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Daisy. “It’s beautiful.”
“Indeed. We pride ourselves on the hotel décor,” said Morven. “Keep up.” As he approached the desk a man behind the counter nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Alex, can you book these guests into the presidential suite. Gary Smith and his companions.”
“Daisy.”
“Sasha.”
“Gary, Daisy and Sasha Smith,” said Morven. “Now come with me. He lifted the counter and gestured them to follow. “Please come into my office.” He opened a door and they walked into something that looked more like a Victorian drawing room than an office. “Now then, let’s see,” he mumbled to himself as he opened and closed drawers in a large sideboard. “Yes, this should do.” He handed each of them a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and some basketball shoes for their feet.
Daisy held up the jeans and looked at the back of them. “But what about…”
“A small unobtrusive slit at the top of the garment. I think you ladies may want to wear this too.” He handed them each a longline open front cardigan. “Blue for you Daisy and green for Sasha. Matches the eyes and will hide any emergent appendices from those not accustomed to seeing such features.”
Sasha shook her head. “What?”
“I think he means it will hide your tails.”
“Indeed, that was my point. These may also be of use,” he said opening a glass cabinet and removing three short swords.
Gary held up the weapon. It was no more than a foot long, more like a large knife than a sword.
“It’s more powerful than it looks. Now please get dressed quickly. I do not believe we have much time.”
“Where is the king? Do you know where he went?” asked Gary as he removed his tunic and pulled on the jeans and t-shirt.
“Yes, of course. He’s on the roof preparing to open the gates of three worlds to ours. All rather urgent that you stop him really.”
Gary stared at Morven wide eyed and confused. “Then why are we wasting time getting changed into jeans and t-shirts? Are you crazy?”
“Ah, well he is just preparing, and I thought you needed time to catch your breath and acclimatise. Can’t really start till midnight which is still…” he pulled his watch out from his waistcoat pocket and held it away from himself as he tried to focus. “Must get some new reading glasses. Yes, yes, five minutes. You’ve got five minutes. Let’s go.”
Morven led the three companions back out of the office and over to the lifts. A guest followed behind them ready to enter the old-fashioned cage. Morven turned and politely pointed them to the more traditional lifts on either side of the one they were about to use. “Any other lift sir. This one only stops at various service locations.”
“Ah,” said the guest. “The unglamorous side of the hotel.”
Morven smiled and twirled one side of his moustache. “Indeed sir, indeed. We need to maintain the air of mystery.” Morven pulled open the door and beckoned Gary and the others in. Shutting the door after him he wound the dial forward as far as it would go. Music was playing in the background. “Pachelbel, very calming isn’t it?”
“I guess,” said Gary as the lift travelled upwards.
“If you survive, the presidential suite will be ready for you. If not, well… best not dwell on that.” The lift travelled to the top of the building and stopped. They were in a small room with a single door. “This is where you get off. Good luck. You are wedded, aren’t you?”
“Wedded?” repeated Sasha.
“Oh, you’re not. Might be an idea. Off you go then,” he said shooing them out of the lift. He closed the door and began the descent. As he was disappearing from view he shouted. “I’d wed if I were you.”
Gary, Sasha and Daisy stood at the door to the roof and looked at each other. “Ready?” said Gary.
“Let’s do it,” said Daisy, pushing through the door. The door opened out onto a rooftop garden with views across the night sky of London. Daisy gasped, “It’s beautiful.”
In the distance a figure turned towards them. The king, although small, had a loud booming voice. “Welcome, welcome to the end of the world. Welcome to the rebirth of the world.” As he spoke, he began to grow. “Behold the true power of our people.” He doubled in size and the face now matched the one that Gary had seen in the sky. “Do you see? Daisy, Sasha, do you see? Our lands are not a sanctuary, a paradise. They are a prison that contains our magic. Here we are not kings, we are gods. Freed from our prison see what power we have.” The king raised his arms and clasped his hands together above his head. A white sphere formed around him and then shot up into the night sky. Exploding in the air above him, fractures appeared like the cracking of a panel of glass. One crack burned green, one red and another blue. “We can rule this world before it rules ours.”
Gary walked forwards towards the king pulling out his short sword as he did so. “Why does anyone rule have to rule anyone else? We don’t want to rule you.”
The King laughed. “Look around your own world. When has there ever been peace? I have visited your world many times Gary. This world of yours is rushing towards the future, developing weapons and technology as it does so, becoming ever more powerful ever more dangerous. It is only a matter of time before it discovers our world and destroys us. We must strike before you are too powerful.”
The King shaped a ball of light in his hands and threw it towards Gary. Gary raised his sword in defence. The light smashed into the sword throwing it out of Gary’s hand. Another ball of light hurtled towards him. Sasha and Daisy ran forward and held their hands palm up towards the missile. Shields of light formed in front of them but the light from the king pushed the shields apart and it hit Gary square on the chest. Gary was lifted off his feet and thrown backwards across the roof. He landed with a thump on the ground and slid backwards. Chased by Sasha and Daisy he reached the edge of the building putting his hands down to try and stop the sliding with little effect. Looking backwards he saw the streets far below, cars passing by, oblivious to the battle above. Then he was in mid-air, falling. He stopped with a sudden jolt. Looking upwards he saw Sasha and Daisy holding onto a leg each. He saw more balls of light being thrown into the sky, the fractures increasing with every explosion. As they dragged him onto the rooftop Gary tried to sit up but was still winded.
Loud booming laughter came from the king. “You cannot stop me. I have the lifeforce of a thousand concentrated in my hands. Lifeforce that wields magic in this world. Every doomwalker I controlled was connected to me, wedded to my lifeforce. The true believers of Winterhaven drank the remaining elixir before you entered the city. The
city was empty because every one of them gave their remaining lifeforce to me. Gave it willingly.” The King threw a ball of light at the three companions. Daisy grabbed Gary and Sasha by an arm each and leapt out of the path of the light. It exploded behind them.
“He was never trying to take over the four lands,” said Sasha. “He just wanted to harvest us. Harvest our lifeforce.”
The King turned away from Gary and the others dismissing their threat. Shaping balls of light, he threw them into the sky once more, expanding the openings to the other worlds.
“We can’t stop him,” said Daisy. “No-one can.”
Another ball of light shot into the sky and exploded. This time the cracks were wide enough to show what was behind them. The green light gave a view through to Winterhaven and the Crystal City.
“Wedded,” said Gary, recovering his breath. “Their lifeforce was wedded to mine. That’s what he said.”
Another ball of light shot into the sky. This time the blue crack widened, and a fire breathing dragon was visible, throwing flames into the sky as it passed the fracture.
“That’s what Morven meant. We must be wedded to each other. One wedded lifeforce to have the strength to fight him.” Gary pulled himself to his feet and put his arms round Sasha and a Daisy pulling them close to him in a tight circle, their heads touching. “Let yourself go,” he said. Gary cleared his mind, no longer Gary but part of something bigger. Sasha and Daisy followed his lead. Looking into their eyes he saw himself reflected then Sasha then Daisy. His sense of self melted away and he became aware that he was looking through three sets of eyes. He was Daisy and Sasha and Gary, they were him. “Now and forever,” he said.
“Now and forever,” said Sasha.
“Now and forever,” said Daisy.
The King threw another ball of light into the air, this time exploding on the edge of the red crack. Demons and smoke and fire bled out of the opening in the sky. “Join me,” he shouted at the sky. “Join me to reclaim our place in the world. The exile is over. Let us sweep all before us.”
