Everville: The Rise of Mallory

by Roy Huff

  “We believe he is about to use the power of the dragon to take control of all realms. If we don’t find a way to stop him soon, it will be too late. The only way is if I can reach The Third Pillar of Truth. Varstock is the only Keeper that knows where it is. We need his help,” Owen said with urgency.

  “He’s not going to help you,” the eunuch slipped.

  “So you do know where he is,” Asher replied.

  “Now I’ve said too much. Please leave me. My master will be disappointed if he finds out I’ve told you,” the eunuch continued.

  “Listen. I understand your concern, but the situation is very grave. We must speak with him. Your life, Varstock’s life, our lives, and everyone else’s in this realm are at risk if we don’t stop Mallory soon. Please, help us,” Owen pleaded.

  Owen was about to take another dose, but the eunuch capitulated.

  “Fine, but he’s not going to be happy.”

  They were guided through a complex series of passageways. Even with the elixir, it was likely they wouldn’t have been able to find it on their own. Deeper and deeper into the mountain they went until they arrived at an inconspicuous depression on the side of a dirt wall. The eunuch pushed through, and an expertly camouflaged door opened.

  “What’s this?” Varstock said angrily.

  “Please don’t be upset. They made me do it.”

  “Get out of here right this instant. Get out! Get out!”

  “Wait, Varstock. A great evil has taken root, an evil far greater than Them and the armies in The Other In Between. If we don’t stop it soon, it will be too late,” Owen pleaded.

  The Keeper Varstock had done away with all forms of power and connection. He no longer possessed access to a portal or any objects with unique properties; only the power of his presence remained. He had isolated himself in order to prevent others from finding him and to prevent the temptation of intervening in world affairs on the behalf of others.

  “Listen, I have no way to help you. I have no portal. I have nothing. I live a simple life,” Varstock replied.

  “But there is a way. I was told by The Second Pillar of Truth that I must find The Third Pillar in order to stop Mallory. The Keeper Carwyn has sent us here to find you. Mallory represents a far greater evil than Everville has ever known. All we need is for you to tell us the location of The Third Pillar of Truth,” Owen begged.

  Varstock sat down on his stool. He had gotten rid of his staff and the garb that is worn by other Keepers. He wore an old tattered cloth covering that made him resemble a beggar. He stroked his chin and was deep in reflection.

  Varstock sighed.

  “Let me get you some stew,” he said.

  Owen looked at Asher and the others somewhat perplexed at his off topic statement, but he thought it was at least progress that Varstock was willing to sit with them.

  “Sure. That would be great,” Owen replied.

  Varstock signaled to the eunuch to get some stew from the small kitchen in the back. A few moments later, the eunuch brought a tray holding four bowls of stew, which he then placed in front of each of them.

  Grenmar and Felix were the first to start eating.

  “Mmmm,” said Felix.

  “I’m glad you like it. It’s made from quidring droppings and mountain lizard tongue,” Varstock said.

  Owen paused for a second after hearing the contents, but Asher dug in.

  “It’s delicious,” replied Felix.

  Asher’s facial expressions confirmed the sentiment, so Owen reluctantly took a small sip.

  Soon, all four of them were eating the soup, failing to notice Varstock had stepped out of the room.

  Owen looked up.

  “Oh no! He left,” Owen said.

  Moments later, Varstock returned with a small parchment.

  “You didn’t think I had left, did you?” he asked.

  Varstock laid the parchment on the table, and Owen and the others saw that it contained a map of the surrounding region. He took out a piece of black chalk made from the soil of the mountain and marked two x’s on the map.

  “We are here, and way over here lies The Third Pillar of Truth. You will have to travel to the mountain pass, down the abyss, and take the Black River to the edge of the Black River Valley. At the entrance to the valley will be a forest marked by two large trees. You will know them when you get there. Walk a thousand paces past the tree on the left, and you’ll find a small bluff. The bluff is just an illusion. Walk into the bluff, and you will find the entrance to The Third Pillar.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” Owen said with gratitude.

  “You can thank me by saving the universe. If Mallory is as powerful as you say, it may not matter. I sense that you have the power to transport between worlds. Return to The Keeper, Carwyn, in Everville, and then return to your home. Say your goodbyes and kiss your loved ones. Now be on your way, and do what needs to be done,” Varstock said sincerely.

  Owen took heed to those words, but he didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of them or what they would soon mean for him.

  Owen was indeed able to transport between worlds, but his companions were not. They would have to wait for his return.

  Owen transported himself into The Keeper’s Workshop.

  “Keeper, I have great news. I’ve discovered the location of The Third Pillar of Truth.”

  “That’s excellent, Owen, but I have something that I need you to do as well. Before you journey to The Third Pillar of Truth, go back to your home and then bring Zee to Everville when you return. There is a matter that I wish to discuss with him. It concerns his father Samil.”

  “I’ll do that,” Owen replied.

  “Now good luck. I have faith in you, Owen. If you trust your instincts, victory will be your reward.”

  CHAPTER 6

  THE RETURN.

  Owen willed himself back to earth. He was transported to the exact time and place as when he left; the bus on the way back to Easton Falls University. At this moment, the bus ride felt like a luxury. The chilly atmosphere was balmy compared to the mountains beyond The Valley of Darkness, and he was beginning to miss his New England environs. The bus ride would take a while, but Owen almost immediately fell asleep.

  Owen had missed the entire ride and woke to the voice of the bus driver. After grabbing his luggage, he started walking to his dorm, which was only a short distance from the bus stop.

  There were only a few weeks left in the Fall term before Winter break, but it felt so much closer. Owen was happy to see the white, snow-covered campus and Christmas decorations as he walked along the path to his room. It reminded him of home.

  When Owen arrived, he was pleased to see that his friends Dante and Anika were waiting patiently in his dorm room hanging out with his roommate, Adamo.

  “Hey guys. How was your vacation?” Owen asked.

  “Mine was uneventful, which was a nice change of pace,” Anika replied.

  “Same here.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Dante and Adamo said in succession.

  “I did, however, have quite a bit of make-up work I had to do, but not before getting my fill of turkey and stuffing,” Dante continued.

  “What about you, Adamo? Did you have a big thanksgiving dinner,” Owen asked.

  “My family’s Italian. What do you think?” Adamo quickly replied.

  Adamo and Anika helped Owen with his bags, and when they finished, they prepared to head back to their respective dorms.

  “I’ll catch you later, Owen. I’ve got a ton of make-up work to finish.”

  “I’ll walk back with you,” Anika responded. “Catch you later,” she said as they shut the door.

  After settling in, Owen opened the mail that he’d received at the dorm over the Thanksgiving break. One letter, from the dean, caught his attention.

  Owen read the first few sentences and realized it was in regards to his visit to Jacob’s house when they had taken the beetles that contained the element. After reading the
letter, he felt a knot forming in his stomach. He called Drusilla on his phone.

  “Drusilla, I just got a letter from the dean.”

  “Yeah, I got one, too. Our meeting is in a few hours.”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Drusilla.”

  “Yeah, well. What are you going to do? It is what it is. I have no regrets, and I assume neither do you. We did what had to be done,” Drusilla said.

  “Well, let’s do our best to deal with the fallout,” Owen responded.

  Owen sat there for the next couple of hours thinking about his mom and what he was going to tell her if the situation went sideways. More importantly, he had wanted to talk to her about his experiences in Everville and find out more about what the situation was with his father and The Second Pillar of Truth. Dante and Anika had taken the whole thing well, but he was concerned how his mom would take it.

  After thinking it over, he decided that he would make a decision after the meeting with the dean. It made sense, anyway. If there were any major consequences, he would have to come clean with her or else risk looking like a hoodlum who likes to steal things from rich people’s homes.

  Half an hour later, Drusilla and Owen had both arrived and were waiting in the lobby by the dean’s office.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to say if he asks what we were doing there?” Owen asked Drusilla.

  “At this point, I don’t think it matters. I’m pretty sure they’ve already done an investigation and he’s probably already been greased by the deep pockets of Mr. Hughes,” Drusilla replied.

  “Please, come in,” Dean Swifthouse said in a stern tone shortly after they had arrived.

  “We’ve been made aware of the situation at Jacob’s and Mr. Hughes’ home, and we’ve done an investigation. After careful deliberation, we have come to a decision, but if there is anything you would like to say before we make it official, please go right ahead,” the dean said politely.

  “Jacob is a jerk. He is a thug, and he attacked both Owen and Cleophas. Jacob had something that didn’t belong to him, so we took it back. It’s that simple. He should be investigated for assault for what he did to Cleophas,” Drusilla quipped vociferously.

  “I’m aware of your allegations regarding Cleophas, but we haven’t found any evidence of that. Though, we have uncovered some other troubling facts. As far as the confrontation with Owen, my understanding is that Jacob was trying to get back what was taken from him.”

  “Like I said, it wasn’t Jacob’s to begin with,” Drusilla snapped back.

  “And what was that exactly? What our investigation found was that an antique hand crafted metallic beetle was placed inside Jacob’s specially designed bo staff used for the Roundabout games. You guys came in and attacked Jacob, breaking his staff, and stole the antique beetle inside of it. Does that sound about right? Or am I missing something here? Are you saying that the staff wasn’t Jacob’s? Because I can tell you right now, I know who created the darned thing and he works right here at the university.”

  “Dean Swifthouse,” Owen interjected. “I can assure you that it’s not what it seems. I think you should talk to Avery and Cleophas about Jacob’s confrontation with us and with Cleophas.”

  “Owen, I am not amused. I am well aware of the fact that Cleophas has dementia. I am also aware that you have tried to plant in his mind this bizarre scenario to cover your tracks and somehow shift the blame to Jacob. We have spoken with Cleophas, and how should I say this? Let’s just say, the man isn’t thinking clearly.

  “What is clear, however, is that you both were in Jacob’s room without permission. Fortunately for you, the local prosecutor has chosen not to pursue this case, for reasons I’m not completely aware of. Due to the fact that there will not be a criminal prosecution, and due to the fact that this crime occurred off campus, the administration has agreed not to expel you.

  “What we have decided is to place you on academic probation this semester and bar you from attending classes in the Spring. You are more than welcome to attend summer session to make up your lost classes and return for next Fall. You can finish up this semester as usual, but if your grades falter below the required minimum or if there is any more behavioral misconduct, you’ll both be expelled.”

  Owen was speechless and Drusilla was indignant, but there wasn’t anything they could do. Owen was grateful they weren’t expelled, but he was still crushed by prospect of not attending classes in the Spring. It was clear to him now that he had to tell his mom everything.

  Owen already had a lot on his mind. He had to talk with Zee and bring him along back to Everville, and then he would still have to journey to The Third Pillar of Truth. Before that though, he decided to take Varstock’s advice. He needed to talk with his friends, his mom, as well as Avery and Cleophas regarding both the situation in Everville and the situation on campus.

  After giving himself some time for his nerves to settle, Owen called his mom and told her the situation. He also hinted about his father and Everville without being too specific. She didn’t sound upset or surprised, to his amazement, but she did decide to pay him a visit and would be on her way the next day. In the meantime, Owen had called Dante, Anika, and the new leader of the Echo Club, Dante’s uncle Avery, to discuss the situation at the Echo Club in a couple of hours.

  An hour later, Owen and the rest of the crew had arrived at the Echo Club.

  “Listen guys, I’ve got some pretty sucky news about two different situations. The first issue is that Drusilla and I have both been put on academic probation and we won’t be allowed to attend next semester. The dean did an investigation about the issue with Jacob and said that we stole the antique beetle from his home and attacked him. He even said that we fabricated the story about Jacob attacking Cleophas.”

  “I’m really sorry to hear that, Owen,” Avery said.

  “Yeah, man. That really sucks. Are you sure there isn’t anything you can do about it?” asked Dante.

  “It sure didn’t seem like it. From what I gather, he already spoke to Cleophas and I think Cleophas may have told him about the whole artifact and element thing. He must think that Cleophas is even in a worse shape than he actually is. We certainly can’t tell him the truth, and that fact that Mr. Hughes is a huge contributor to the school isn’t helping much either. I think we’re just going to have to take our lumps and make up the classes over the summer,” Owen replied.

  “I wish I could do something, Owen. That really is lame. Jacob definitely needs to be taught a lesson. There’s gotta be something that can be done about it,” Anika said.

  “I really appreciate the support, but for now, it is what it is. I’ve already called my mom and she’s on her way tomorrow. I’m not sure if she wants to talk with the dean, but I have decided that we need to tell her everything we know about Everville, and that brings me to the next thing,” Owen finished.

  “What’s that, Owen?” Avery asked.

  “Just before I returned, I was contacted by The Second Pillar of Truth. He had the image of my father.”

  “Oh my god! Really?” Dante interrupted.

  “I know, right! I have no idea what that means yet and that’s definitely something I want to talk with my mom about, but that’s not the thing.

  “The Second Pillar told me that Mallory escaped with one of the juvenile dragons and was going to raise the dragon and use its power to gain absolute power over the entire multiverse,” Owen said

  “Can he do that?” Dante asked.

  “Apparently, there was a reason why destroying the worms was a last result. The element is free to float anywhere in the universe if it’s not properly contained. Mallory, Jacob, or anyone else who has a makeshift container with the right properties can collect the element if they can find it, but it’s worse than that,” Owen said with concern.

  “How can it be any worse?” Anika asked.

  “Well, since The Keepers made modifications within Brackenbone to allow the worms to a
utomatically channel all the element from the multiverse, the fact that only one worm remains—”

  Avery interrupted before Owen could finish.

  “The juvenile dragon that Mallory took will channel all of the element in the entire multiverse,” Avery said, finishing Owen’s thought.

  “You got it. Since the element is continuously created as a byproduct of the expansion of the universe, every moment that goes by the dragon grows more powerful. If Mallory has the dragon’s allegiance, then he will possess the power to control the entire multiverse,” Owen added.

  “So what’s the plan? Did The Second Pillar of Truth say anything else?”

  “Yes. He said that in order to stop Mallory and defeat the dragon I would have to find The Third Pillar of Truth. While I was on the bus ride home, I transported back to Everville. Time was standing still in the earthly realm as usual, and while I was there, I met with The Keeper.

  “I went to the location of another Keeper named Varstock, who knows where The Third Pillar of Truth is located. I’m going to go there tomorrow after I meet with my mom.

  “Another interesting thing was that The Keeper wants me to take Zee along when I return to Everville and discuss something regarding his father Samil. I’m not exactly sure what that’s about, but I assume it has something to do with his role in the first battle against the armies of Them in The Other In Between.

  “I do have some good news, though. While I was on my way to find Varstock, I met with Borak. He, along with about twenty of his men, survived the battle. I just wish he hadn’t lost the other men in The City of Worms,” Owen finished.

  “Wow, that sure is a lot to take in. How does that time thing work anyway, and why doesn’t everyone in Everville get really old when you return?” asked Dante.

  “I don’t know, to be honest, but when I first met with The Keeper he said that Everville was a place between here and there, sometime between yesterday and another day. I think maybe since we have connections there, time is affected differently somehow,” Owen replied.