by E J Gilmour
Eben looked again at the dark gate of the fortress as they passed by. Something in his heart stirred. He knew that this was his last chance to face the Prince of Shadows. A sorrowful cry, deep within, beckoned him toward the shadowy gate.
‘Stella, wait,’ said Eben. Stella stopped and looked back. ‘I have to face the Prince of Shadows. If I return now to Faircastle I will never have this chance again.’
King Ignis shook his head. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Eben. The Sword of Light has been destroyed. There is no way you can protect yourself against him.’
‘Eben, we have to get out of here,’ said Red hastily, not wanting to delay their escape.
‘Red. I know this is my one and only chance to stop him.’
‘But how? We could not even stop Callidus,’ said Stella. ‘Eben, we have to get back to the safety of Faircastle.’
‘Eben, please, I do not want to lose you again,’ said Princess Apherah.
Eben looked to Apherah. Her eyes pleaded for him not to leave.
‘Apherah, I have to go. I have to try to save our world.’ Eben lifted her hand and gently kissed it. He then turned away toward the dark gate.
‘Then we are going with you,’ said Red, turning to follow after Eben.
Eben stopped in his tracks and looked back at Red ‘I must go alone.’
‘Why?’
‘Red, please trust me. If I go alone there may be a chance.’
‘Eben, take this,’ said Quade. Quade handed Eben his Vastorian sword. Eben nodded to Quade and the others before turning toward the central fortress.
He walked across the gravel and came to the dark gate. A gloomy shadow shrouded the entire entrance. He stepped forward, and his eyes found it difficult to adjust to the intense darkness. There was no one around. The murky gloominess of the place pressed down upon his spirit and sickened his heart. He walked through the gatehouse and came to a large entrance chamber. Four Skatheans stood guard at a large iron door on the opposite side. Their eyes were fixed on him the moment he appeared.
‘My name is Eben Ecorian. I request an audience with the Prince of Shadows,’ he announced firmly.
The Skatheans stepped forward and drew their swords. The palest and most deathly Skathean approached him. His blue piercing eyes examined Eben for several moments.
‘The Lord of Veredor has been expecting you, Ecorian,’ hissed his stony voice; a deathly grin appeared on his thin lips. Eben was shocked by the revelation. How could the Prince of Shadows know that he was coming? Was he walking into a trap? ‘Follow me.’
Eben expected them to take the sword that Quade had given him, but the Skathean turned and walked toward the large iron door without another word. One of the other Skatheans opened the door and revealed an entrance hall that was lined with dark pillars. The floor was covered in black marble. Small lanterns lit the way, but the light did little to push back the oppressive gloom.
The Skathean led Eben down the hall to a second door which was made of bronze and depicted carvings of horrific creatures: dragons, wyverns, ghouls, muckrons, serpents, and other evil creatures that Eben had never seen. The Skathean turned and looked back at Eben.
‘Beyond this door you will enter the Hall of Zarkanor. At the far side you will see the throne. There you will find the Lord of Veredor. From here you must go alone.’
The Skathean opened the bronze door. The hall beyond was far larger than any hall Eben had ever seen. He stepped forward and looked up at the towering ceiling hundreds of yards above. Mighty black pillars rose along the edge, and high above, large portholes revealed the darkening sky beyond. Black polished marble covered the entire floor of the hall. The hall was over a hundred and fifty yards in length. At the far side a group of wide steps led up to a stone platform. In the centre of the platform was a throne of twisted metal. The metal turned in on itself and rose up to form six large metal horns above. Sitting on the throne was the Prince of Shadows, adorned in his full dark armour, with his face covered by a visor.
Baramak stood directly beside the Prince of Shadows. At first Eben didn’t notice, but he suddenly became aware that ghouls were standing at intervals around the walls. There were at least forty of the living shadows. Their red glowing eyes watched Eben as he entered.
Eben walked across the black marble toward the steps that led up to the throne. He knew that without the Sword of Light he was no match for the Prince of Shadows. He remembered the words of the Star King. He remembered what Casimir had said in the depths of the ocean. All the lessons he had learned on his journey whirled around in his mind. Walls, barriers, weapons, and power. Men desire power; they seek it all their lives. Walls, barriers, armour, weapons…power. His mind raced. The riddle pulsed through his being. What kept men from forming a relationship with Veredor? Why couldn’t men control the Cosmic Gate? Walls, barriers, armour, weapons…power.
Eben reached up and unlatched his armour at his shoulder. He removed his chest plate as he continued to walk across the floor. He then removed his gauntlets and chainmail and dropped them as he continued. The Prince of Shadows stood up as he approached. Eben looked at Quade’s curved Vastorian sword.
‘Power,’ whispered Eben as he drew the sword and examined the finely crafted blade. He then raised his eyes to the Prince of Shadows. The Prince of Shadows, fully armoured, stepped forward to the edge of the stone platform and stared down at Eben. Eben cast the sword aside and it slid away across the marble floor. He then walked forward to meet his enemy.
The Prince of Shadows clapped several times. ‘This I did not foresee,’ he said, his hissing voice was difficult for Eben to bear. ‘Finally you see that surrender is the only way.’
Eben walked up to the edge of the platform and stared up at the Prince of Shadows, who was only several feet away. He focused his full attention on the dark metal visor that covered his enemy’s face.
‘I have not come here to surrender,’ said Eben boldly.
The Prince of Shadows stared at him for a moment. He then leapt down from the platform, landing directly in front of Eben. Eben held his head high and stared directly into the Astarian’s face.
‘If you have not come to surrender then what have you come for…death?’ Suddenly the Prince of Shadows struck him with the back of his armour clad hand. The impact was heavy, and Eben was knocked to the ground and dazed for a moment. Eben took a deep breath and shook off the pain. He gathered himself and slowly stood back up. Again he looked defiantly at the Prince of Shadows.
‘What happened to my parents? What did you do to them?’
The Prince of Shadow stared at Eben and pondered the question before answering. ‘Your father was captured by Baramak and Callidus. He was brought here in chains. I kept him in the dungeons. When it became apparent that the Fiorians wanted to rescue him I had him executed for resisting my right to rule Veredor. I could not allow an Ecorian the chance to be free. He was a threat to me.’
Eben looked down and felt his heart fall in his chest. A deep grief took hold of him. For several moments he couldn’t speak. ‘And my mother?’ asked Eben, almost whispering.
‘Your mother infiltrated Zarkanor to rescue your father. She arrived not long after I had the Ecorian executed. Kaloren presented a problem for me. She was an impressive warrior and carried the Sword of Midlight. I was forced to lie to her; I told her your father still lived. I promised her that I would reunite her with your father, who she loved, if she gave me the Sword of Midlight. She agreed to exchange the Sword of Midlight for your father. When I had taken the Sword of Midlight from her I had her executed for challenging my right to rule Veredor. She tried to resist, but without the Sword of Midlight she stood no chance.’
Eben fell to his knees; his hands covered his face. His heart burned inside his chest. He dropped his head and bent forward. The pain in his heart was unbearable. The Prince of Shadows stared coldly down at him.
‘Such is the fate of all who choose to resist me. You, Ecorian, do not have to choose such a path. Return
to Faircastle and convince men to fall down upon their knees and worship me. If you do this I will allow you to live. Serve me and you shall be revered by men, mer, and muckrons. You will have power over all.’
Eben didn’t raise his head. He remained on his knees and stared down at the cold marble floor. His heart was in so much pain that he could barely move. The hope he had carried for so long was ripped away. Slowly he lifted his head and looked up at the Prince of Shadows, the murderer of his parents. The Prince of Shadows then removed his helm, revealing his deathly pale face. His eyes were sunken and devoid of any light, and his mouth turned sharply down at the edges. His head was completely bald, and an expression of bitterness was etched into his features.
‘Before I killed the Gerish Oracle she told me that an Ecorian would kill my dragon. Until that moment I thought the Ecorians were extinct. This is how I came to know of your existence. I allowed you to kill my dragon because I knew it was your destiny. I then sent Callidus to banish your friends into the outer darkness. I could not allow them to get in the way of my great plan. Unfortunately Callidus failed; most of your friends have escaped my grip, but this does not concern me because you are here as I planned you to be. Your destiny has brought you to me.’
‘You do not know my fate,’ said Eben defiantly.
‘Yes, Ecorian, I do. I have foreseen all this. I knew this day would come.’ The Prince of Shadows clapped his hands and laughed gleefully. ‘Yes, I also saw that you would one day kneel before me as you do now.’
Eben lifted himself up and stood, not wanting to give the Prince of Shadows a moment more pleasure.
‘I will never kneel before you. I will never serve you! You have nothing. Your power will only bring you loneliness. Your strength is an illusion. Nothing you have is eternal. Everything you possess is worthless. The truth has no place in you.’
The Prince of Shadow sneered at Eben. He then reached up and grabbed Eben by the throat and squeezed tightly. Eben couldn’t breathe. The pain was excruciating.
‘This doesn’t feel like an illusion,’ he roared as he slammed Eben heavily into the ground. Eben almost lost consciousness and lay on the ground in a heavy daze. A moment later he felt a heavy boot crunch into the side of his face. Eben could feel blood dribbling down the side of his head. The dark figure stood above him, gloating with a grin from ear to ear.
‘Ecorian, you have nothing to protect you. You are completely alone. You have no armour, no weapons, and no walls to hide behind. I have taken all your power from you. Look on me now; you will see my power is complete. You, Ecorian, are the one who has nothing!’
Eben opened his mouth and tried to speak, but little more than a faint mutter came out. ‘…Such is…’
‘Speak up, boy, or do you also lack the power to speak,’ said the Prince of Shadows, his mouth twisting into a smirk.
Eben, heavily stunned, lifted his eyes and looked up to a porthole situated high in the wall above. Two bright stars drew his attention. They shone intensely in the darkness. For some time he watched the stars shimmering in the distance. A glimmer of hope returned to his heart. He turned his head and stared at the cold black marble for a moment. ‘Veredor,’ he whispered, ever so quietly. ‘Let there be no more barriers between us. Please, in this moment receive us.’ For a few seconds there was nothing but silence.
‘If you will not serve me you will die!’ said the Prince of Shadows as he drew the Sword of Darkness.
Eben, with his last remaining strength, pulled himself up off the floor. He struggled to stand and looked directly into the eyes of his enemy. The Prince of Shadows held the Sword of Darkness, ready to strike.
Eben took several breaths before speaking. ‘Prince of Shadows, you are not welcome in Veredor. I banish you and all those who serve you into the darkness beyond!’
The Prince of Shadows threw his head back and laughed deeply. ‘I would expect such words to come from such a fool as you.’
A moment later the ground started to tremble. The Prince of Shadow’s frantically looked around. ‘What have you done!’ he cried, his eyes widening as he realised what had just occurred.
‘Fiora’s Bridge has been crossed!’ whispered Eben.
Suddenly a great rift appeared at the centre of the hall as the Cosmic Gate opened. Bright white light lined the edge of the gateway and lit up the darkness. Eben looked back as the Cosmic Gate formed a large opening into the darkness beyond Veredor. A howling wind blew through the hall. First the ghouls were all sucked into the rift. Baramak grabbed hold of the throne, but his fingers could not hold on, and he tumbled across the floor. The Northern Sorcerer screamed hysterically, and a moment later he was drawn into the darkness. The Prince of Shadows resisted with all his power and struggled against the force that was dragging him across the marble floor.
‘This is my world! Veredor is mine!’ he moaned, his rasping voice full of terror.
‘Whilst men and mer live in Veredor you shall never return.’
The Prince of Shadows, losing control, staggered back toward the gateway. He stared at Eben, howled deeply, and then was gone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Stella was the first to step through the gateway from the dark basement. Instantly she found herself in a quiet grove full of tall golden elm trees. A little light of day remained. The gateway was formed into a gnarly rock wall. Red and Quade, carrying Meara, who was still unconscious, instantly appeared. A moment later King Ignis and Princess Apherah stepped through.
Red and Quade lay Meara down on the soft grass. ‘What do you think Eben was planning?’ asked Quade.
‘I don’t know, but if he’s not here in a few minutes I’m going back for him,’ said Red.
‘I’ll go with you,’ said Stella.
‘No, it’s much too dangerous. Zarkanor will be crawling with muckrons by now. Both of you should stay. Too many of us have already been killed,’ said King Ignis soberly. ‘We must trust that Eben knows what he is doing. He said that he had to go alone. I do not understand what Eben is planning, but I trust his judgement.’
Meara suddenly stirred and opened her turquoise blue eyes. She sat up and scanned the company and her surroundings.
‘Where are Eben and Cassiel?’ she asked in a broken and weak voice.
‘I am sorry, Meara. Cassiel is gone,’ said King Ignis. ‘He sacrificed himself to save us from Callidus. The Astarian opened the Cosmic Gate and attempted to force us out of Veredor with his magic. Cassiel saved us, but he fell through the Cosmic Gate into the outer darkness.’ Meara closed her eyes, her pale face revealed her pain at the loss of her friend and apprentice.
‘And Eben?’ she asked.
‘He went on alone to fight the Prince of Shadows,’ said King Ignis.
‘Alone?’ asked Meara, shocked at the revelation.
‘Yes, we were prepared to go with him. He insisted that he go on without us,’ said Quade. ‘At first he was going to go without a weapon. I had to give him my sword.’
‘What about the Sword of Light?’ asked Meara, her eyes narrowing.
‘The Sword of Light was destroyed when Eben killed the dragon,’ said King Ignis.
Meara’s shock was clearly evident. She looked toward the gateway. ‘Then perhaps he has learned a way to cross Fiora’s Bridge, because without the Sword of Light he cannot defeat the Prince of Shadows.’
‘I still think we should return to Zarkanor to help him,’ said Red.
‘Red, you have done everything you can to stand by your friend. He has chosen to go on alone. It is a bridge only he can cross,’ said Meara.
Suddenly the shimmering gateway fizzled and began to close. Within seconds all that was left was the rock wall.
**
Eben stood in the silence of the Hall of Zarkanor. He was completely alone. The shadow had lifted, and the gloom had all been sucked away. He looked up to the ceiling high above and saw through the portholes that the stars were shining brightly in the night sky. His eyes scanned the surroundings; not a
single monster remained. He walked over and picked up Quade’s sword. A thought of Cassiel being forced out through the Cosmic Gate entered his mind. He had to try to save his friend. Lifting his hands he cried out.
‘Open!’
Suddenly a bright shimmering light appeared directly in front of him. In moments the light formed a gateway into the darkness. Eben stepped forward and instantly found himself in a barren and rocky desert. A subtle orange light lit his surroundings. All about him there were red rocky hills and sandy barren valleys. Nothing grew in the desolate wasteland he had entered. There was no sun; only a dark orange sky above which gave off a little light. As far as Eben could see there was no one around. His eyes searched the rocky hills, but he couldn’t see a single soul.
‘Cassiel!’ he cried, his voice echoing off the hillsides.
There was no reply, only complete silence. Eben looked back at the Cosmic Gate shimmering in the air. He wondered where he was and what had become of Cassiel.
‘Cassiel!’ he cried out, again there was no reply.
Eben walked ahead into the desert and came to the side of a large rocky hill. He made his way up the slope, hoping to get a better view from the top. Several minutes later he arrived at the summit. The desert stretched on endlessly into the distance. In every direction there was nothing but sandy valleys and red hills.
Suddenly a cry echoed out across the plain. Eben looked up and saw the dark shape of a giant bird of prey circling high above. The bird was many times larger than a man. It descended quickly and landed on the rocks about fifty feet from Eben. Its bright yellow eyes had a glow about them and they were staring directly at him. Eben could see that it was a giant falcon as he had often seen falcons in the hills around Clemensdale.
‘What do you want?’ asked Eben, his hand going to the hilt of Quade’s sword.
