"Am I dead?" Elwin wondered out-loud. Puzzled, he did not find the thought all that frightening. If anything, he felt at peace, and he was no longer in pain, tired, or even hungry. Strange as it seemed, Elwin could feel the light smiling at him. As if the light could read his mind the voice responded. "No, your time has not come." The soft sing-song voice filled Elwin with wonder. "You have much to do. For that I am sorry. Too many have suffered.”
"Who are you?"
"You are my champion," the voice went on not answering the question. "The Hall of Fire awaits you. You are to be crowned High King of Kambrya. Take the crown and return to Acair. There you will be crowned. There you must be crowned. Learn to control the power that lives with in you. Gather close those who will help you. But remember, you are the one I have chosen. You are now one empowered with the earth, sky, and seas, and their song while guide you. You must learn to trust yourself and to trust the song of earth. Neither one will betray you, yet beware of the mad ones. They will try to stop and mislead you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Shortly you will know. You must learn to control the magic within you, or the madness will take hold, and it will control you. You have only a short time, or the madness will win. The crown will help you in this so hurry back to Acair. You have no time to lose. You must be crowned in the ancient halls of your ancestors. It must be on the throne of your forefathers, the Dias of the Sun."
"But the throne is here! … Who are you?"
"Take the Crown, Elwin and return to Acair. I will then place it upon your head, and all will know that you are my Chosen One you are my Champion."
"Who are you?" Elwin repeated.
There was no answer.
The light dimmed then it was gone.
Elwin found himself once again lying in the dark corridor. His face in a puddle of cold water. Unsure of what had just happened; he opened his eyes and sat up. Thankfully, the ghost was gone. It left me for dead. Or maybe it was only a dream. I am becoming delirious. There are no ghosts.
He looked down at his hands. They seemed normal, if a bit dirty. "My hands?" he exclaimed as the realization hit him. "I can see my hands!" A dim light filled the hallway, and it was not the light of the ghost, nor was it the gentle white light he had floated upon. Rather it was a yellow light, like that of a summer day. Elwin looked up. Just a few feet away stood a pair of large arched doors. From beneath the doors, a thin line of yellow light spilled out into the corridor. Finding his sword lying next to him, Elwin weakly pushed himself back onto his feet. He felt wobbly, but he did not fall. A new strength and source of energy was keeping him going, if only barely. He stepped forward and leaned against the doors, they easily swung inwards, and Elwin was bathed in a warm light.
Covering his eyes, Elwin let them slowly become adjusted to the first natural light he had seen in days. After a brief moment, he looked up. Elwin caught his breath. Before him was a magnificent hall. The floor was covered in golden mosaics of abstracted organic forms, silver leaves and vines intertwined in a bed of gold. Great pillars thrust upwards from the golden floor. Painted yellow, the pillars were as wide as trees that soared upwards to a vaulted ceiling that was also covered in more golden tesserae. The golden ceiling was so high above, it seemed to be floating among the clouds. Light passing through glass windows bathed the hall in a golden glow, which reflected and danced across the golden room. How can there be glass windows and sun light? I must be deep within the earth. Yet there it was.
"It’s like a glowing fire." The words froze on his lips. "Fire," he breathed at last. "The Hall of Fire!"
Grander than any cathedral he had ever seen, the Hall of Fire was staggering in its beauty.
Awed, Elwin stood in wonder. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. If he had not known better, he would have sworn that the sun was streaming through the windows above him. But I am deep within the earth. Aren't I?
At the far end of the cathedral a narrow beam of white light streamed down from above. Far brighter than the rest of the light within the grand hall, the white beam of light stood out like a ray of intense sunlight. In the far apse of the cathedral, the beam of white light bathed an altar. Elwin took a step forward.
The hall was warm, he could feel sensation returning to his hands and feet. Feeling somewhat rejuvenated, Elwin took another step toward the apse. Something was on the alter. Within the beam of light a silvery and gold colored object gleamed in the intense sunbeam. He took another step. Like some grand ceremony, taking one step at a time, Elwin proceeded down the nave of the Hall of Fire. Dwarfed by the size of the place, he walked in astonished bewilderment and respectful silence as each step echoed like the soft ringing of a crystal bell. Then he saw it. Resting on a red silken pillow, a pillow that appeared to have not been touched by the passing of hundreds of years. Not even a layer of dust touched the brightly colored cushion. And there, resting on the pillow, was a crystal stone -- a stone the size of a small boulder. Elwin studied the crystal stone and was amazed to discover that with in its translucent surface was something else. Incased within the glass-like stone was a gold and silver crown.
"The Lost Crown of Kambrya," he uttered in total disbelief. Slowly, taking one step at a time, he approached the altar. Reverently, he stared down at the crown as if it were a holy relic.
"So, you have come again," said a dark voice. Elwin spun around.
In the center of the hall stood a shadowy figure. Floating, it appeared to hover just above the floor. Its voice echoed as if it came from the bottom of a deep well. The voice rippled up Elwin's spine. Upon the dark form rested a red crown inset with black glass like stones.
"I was told you were young," the shadow went on. "But I did not expect a child." The creatures eyes were like dark pits. Its form was like shifting black smoke that swallowed any light it touched.
"Do you not recognize me?" spat the shadow.
Trembling, Elwin stepped back away from the thing, putting the altar between himself and the shadow.
"I have been waiting for you. Yes. So long have I waited, but I have not forgotten you." The shadow stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Did you think I would not remember? Did you think that I would give up?" Elwin fell back against the far wall of the apse. He could feel a dark hand upon his heart.
"Maybe I look different? Yes? I am different. I am stronger then I was before. I am much stronger than the last time we met. I have shed off my physical form for one of pure power. The darkness in which you imprisoned me has made me strong. Is it not ironic? The place you thought to confine me for all time has made me more powerful, and that power will set me free. I am now stronger, stronger than you could ever dream.”
Elwin realized the shadow thing was no longer talking to him. The shadow seemed to be talking to the empty space, or perhaps to the walls themselves. “You have made me what I am. You have made me one with the night." The shadow laughed, filling the cathedral with its haunting sound. "It is you who has given me the power. The power that will bring you to your knees and you will beg to serve me."
The shadow took a step up towards Elwin who cowered at the base of the altar. "Already have I won! Too young has this one come. My servants have served me well. This one will fail before he even starts, and finally, I will be free!" The shadowy thing raised its arms above its head. A smile flickered across its dark, featureless face. Then it began to change. First, its legs joined together. Then it started to grow wider and taller. Bulging upwards, the growing shadow swallowed the red crown that rested upon a changing ill-formed head, then its arms vanished within the growing shadow. In moments, the thing had completely lost its human form, and now it appeared more like a formless black thunder cloud that was cast across the cathedral floor. Expanding, the shadow continued to grow. The black cloud spread out like the coming of a storm and still the shadow grew. The light in the hall dimmed, like a hand reaching out. A shadowy night began to fall across the cathedral.
Horrified, Elwin could feel the
shadow. It was killing the light, devouring the light. The hand on his heart started to squeeze, and Elwin felt his heart began to slow.
Once the shadow had covered the cathedral floor it started creeping up the steps. Elwin's heart felt as if it was being crushed. He could not find the strength to fight any more. Sliding to the floor, he waited to die. The shadow crept closer. It was almost touching him. Then something with in him snapped. Elwin felt a great wave of Earth Magic surge upwards. The song roared within his ears. Desperate, he reached out for his atman and the Song. It came easily. The song of Earth Magic raced through his veins like a raging river. Its wondrous beauty singing out to him. Elwin was not sure how he did it, but he was filled with the power. Then a blue light flashed near him. Elwin was certain he had not created the light. The light grew rapidly brighter and began pushing back the shadow. The dark hand upon his heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and Elwin leaped back to his feet. Unbelievable power surged, pulsing through him. Then he felt it. Elwin was not alone. Someone was here with him. He raised his sword to the shadow, yet before he did anything more, a ghostly blue knight formed beside him. The armor burned with a blue fire that seemed to come from within, shining out like a burning sun. It was the same ghost knight that Elwin had encountered earlier, yet it was very different. Its ragged robe was now a cloak of shimmering light. Its strange blue armor was polished and clean. Legs now formed beneath its body where nothing had been before. The once translucent nature of the phantom now looked solid and all too real. The Earth Song raged within Elwin, yet Elwin did not know what to do with it, how to turn it against the darkness. So, he stood there in awe and fear. Unable to control the Song, a clash of powers started to unfold before him. Then he could feel the knight, he did not feel the ghost physically, but rather their two minds touched. Elwin looked into the soul of the Blue Knight and trembled. At that moment, Elwin knew who the knight was. The Blue Knight had another name, it was Tuatha, the God of Light, and the god was possessed by a burning hatred. Elwin tried to fight the god but he could not. The knight, Tuatha, grabbed hold of the Earth Song pulling it from Elwin like a toy from a child. Elwin tried to hold onto the Song, but again he did not know how. In the breath of a moment, the God of Light had the power and Elwin was helpless to stop him. Now with the Earth Magic, the knight pushed Elwin back with a flip of his armored hand. The blow sent Elwin reeling backwards as the now solid and very real knight blazed with Earth Magic.
Seeing the shadow rise before him, the knight raged with a searing anger. Though Elwin could not control the Earth Song, he was still connected to it. He was also linked to the god-like knight. Elwin could feel the great burning hatred that filled the knight. It was a hatred of everything dark; a hatred that had burned within the god since the beginning of time; a hatred that was filled with unreasoning madness. Exploding, blinding light leaped from the knight's sword. The twin of the sword that Elwin still held uselessly before him.
The dark voice of the shadow laughed, echoing with its own hatred. "Fool! Did you think I would come here as myself? To here, of all places? This is only my shadow. Or did you forget? I am still in Ban-Darn. But soon I will be free. The Chosen one will free me. Even you cannot stop it now.”
The Blue Knight did not seem to hear the God of Night. Blinded by a mindless rage, the knight attacked anew, wave upon wave of thundering blue fire crashed across the cathedral. The ground shook, and walls of the white and yellow marble hall exploded as rubble flew across the room, and columns came crashing down.
Thrown to his knees, Elwin dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around his head trying to fend off the collapsing ceiling. With each new blow of the knight more of the Hall of Fire crumbled. Several of the smaller pieces bounced off Elwin, and he screamed out in pain. Cowering against a wall, Elwin was sure the whole place would soon come down burying him alive.
"Elwin," the dark voice called above the thundering power of the Blue Knight. The voice seemed to echo with in Elwin's head. "Now you know, the Blue Knight is none other than Tuatha, the so-called God of Light, and now you know he is mad. If he is not stopped, he will destroy the world. He has tried to destroy the world before. Long ago, before the walls of Ban-Darn, Tuatha tried to bring down this world. However, it was I who saved the world. At that time, I could only save the world by allowing both of us to be imprisoned. But now I am stronger. My servants tried to warn you, Elwin, but you would not listen. However, it is still not too late. Come to me, Elwin. Come to Ban-Darn. Come, before this mad creature before you can destroy the world. I can free the world of the Mad God. Come, Elwin, I am your friend. I am the world's friend, I can help you."
In the blink of an eye, the shadow was gone as if it was never there. Now that the shadow had disappeared, the blue light burst once more across the cathedral. Suddenly, the knight staggered backward as if he had been hit in the chest. Quickly he regained his footing and stood frozen for a moment, as if confused by what had just happened. Then slowly he turned. Cold eyes, partially hidden under his blue helmet, stared at Elwin. In his out stretched hand, the knight pointed his sword towards Elwin. “Do you know me?” The knight’s deep voice echoed like thunder in Elwin’s head, and Elwin trembled before the shimmering god.
“You are… the…. god Tuatha,” Elwin stuttered. Shaking, the young prince was terrified to be before such a being of such daunting power. But there was more. Elwin could truly see the god of light, not just his blue knightly form, but his very soul. When the god had reached out and snatched the power from Elwin, it allowed Elwin to see into the mind of the blue knight, to touch his soul. Elwin now knew that the god was indeed mad. The God of Light was possessed by an overwhelming desire to destroy the darkness; all forms of darkness. Nothing else mattered to the god, only the destruction of the god Beli, only the destruction of all things dark. It was an all possessive obsession and it was the sole reason for the god’s being. He never thought of anything but destroying the darkness. The God of light was mad with hate; a burning hate, an all consuming hate. Elwin could feel the heaviness of that hate, and he was finding it hard to breathe under the weight of the god’s bottomless well of anger.
"Yes, I am the Light, and I will destroyed the darkness. All darkness is evil and must be rooted out. There is darkness in you too. I can see it within you. None can hide the darkness from me; NONE! But I will not kill you. At least, not today. You have freed me from my prison." He spread out his arms gesturing to the hall, which was still bathed in the god's shimmering blue light. "For that, I shall spare your life. Now I must go and search for the hiding place of my dark brother and destroy him."
He pointed a finger at Elwin. "It was your ancestor who tried to hide him from me. I see that, too. Do not think that I do not know. I know all. He, like you, had the stain of darkness about him. I would kill him too, but death and the tomb have taken him from my reach. But I will find Beli and then I will turn on this world and cleanse it of all darkness. I will remake your world into a world of my light. You have until then to purge yourself of the darkness in you. Repent the sins of your ancestor which stains your soul. It is the one gift I will give you. It is your only chance.”
Then in a flash of blue light, he too was gone. Elwin felt the Earth Song surge back under his control. Then he let it go. Gasping for air, Elwin fell to the floor. The golden light of the hall returned. Now chunks of marble, shards of glass, and dust lay across the once beautiful and shimmering room. Still, a single beam of white light streamed from the only window that was left unbroken, bathing the crown that remained, still resting on the alter. It was the one and only thing that had not been touched by the god's rage.
Thinking the nightmare had come to an end, Elwin let himself relax. Taking long deep breathes and only after his racing heart began to slow once more did he sit back up. He rested against the back of the altar. His eyes wandered across the ruined and shattered hall.
Looking down at himself he discovered that his clothing was torn and filthy, and he was also ble
eding from several places. He reassured himself that nothing seemed broken, and he did not appear to be bleeding to death.
“Both gods are mad,” he realized in despair. “And, I have set free the mad god of light, but how? I did nothing” It does not matter, by coming here I have doomed the world to the god of light’s madness. Despair took hold of Elwin as his fear released its grip on him. Everything had been for nothing. Tuatha, the god of Light, could not help the world. Instead, he would destroy it. The Guardians of Light were worshiping a monster and did not even know it.
Elwin rubbed his leg were a piece of marble from the ceiling had crashed into him cutting a deep gash along his thigh. Other than torn clothing, a few deep cuts, Elwin was surprisingly in one piece. However, he was not sure he should be thankful for being alive; he let his tired head sink forward upon his chest. And I am trapped down here, I will die down here with no way to warn anyone of what I have set free upon the world.
In his despair, Elwin almost did not hear the doors to the hall open.
To his dismay, the great double doors at the end of the hall started to swing open. For a moment, he thought perhaps the mad god was returning. He feared that the crazed God of Light had changed his mind and returned to kill him after all, but it was not. Elwin stared at yet another figure. An old man was silhouetted in the doorway. He hunched slightly as he closed the door gently behind him. The old man wore a stained and worn white robe with a green belt around his thin waist and with slow, deliberate steps, he walked down the nave across the golden mosaics and towards Elwin.
Elwin knew he should be surprised, but he was simply too tired and sore to be surprised or even care anymore. Will this never end, thought Elwin. For days, I have lived in darkness and alone. Now everywhere I look someone appears and in a place where there should be no one. And each time it is never good.
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