Bjorn did agree to the terms and would stay behind to protect the town. I thought it was the right choice for him. The Captain had lost his ship and needed to settle somewhere. He was part of the town in the past, so it’s only fitting for him to be their Lord.
Sammy and I stayed for Bjorn's ceremony, where he was embarrassingly paraded in front of the whole town; I could tell he didn't like that part much. Elia presented him with a golden necklace, which symbolised his authority and the celebration finished with a strange feast. The food mostly consisted of vegetables and fruit. I suppose it would be quite sinister if they were eating their neighbours; even though the pig family looked quite delicious.
I thought long and hard for my next destination and my only option at the time was to ask for help. I turned to Elia, to ask about the location of the King’s door. He was very helpful and had some knowledge of the path that awaited us.
“It is a hard road to that specific door. It is guarded by a creature who eats its own. It is loyal to the King’s and it will test you somehow.”
“Test me, in what way?” I asked.
“I’m not sure Lucius; I don’t know anyone who has lived to tell the tale. You can leave the Divided High Grounds of the King’s, but you can’t return; unless you are worthy enough.”
“How do I get to this place?”
“Leave Hethenheim by heading south-east and keep walking straight ahead. There is a mound with a monument on top. It is the entrance to the realm that has the king's golden door and the creature. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s not whether I’m sure; it’s that I have to. The King’s Nordaious and Eirik can help us and help me find my grandfather. There are humans and animals in captivity because of me, I need to free them.”
The next day my pup and I said our farewells and left our new friends behind. I couldn't help, but think of the worst, it is only a matter of time before the Darkness comes to Hethenheim and I worried for Bjorn, Thistle, and the townspeople; but Sammy and I kept going forward, as instructed, and it was not long before the mound was in full view.
The monument reminded me of the mysterious Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Grandfather had taken me once and we spent the whole day sketching these large stones in our drawing books. I, of course, got bored and decided to climb the stones, which resulted in being chucked off the grounds. I’ve never seen my grandpa look so annoyed.
We made our way up some large steps and set foot into the circle of large stones. I’d noticed some strange carvings of eerie faces who stared menacingly at me. Each stone had a handle and I wondered which door was the right one…
I looked down to Sammy, “Elia didn’t mention this? What do I do, Sam?”
We sat for a while and analysed each door very carefully. It wasn’t until the very last one that I’d found dissimilarity in a face. A tiny crest of sea and mountain representing the Divided High Grounds was crafted into the rock. I placed my hand upon it and pushed the crest into the stone...
In the middle of the circle, a secret door glided up from out of the ground. This door was made from black marble and the carved face was one, all humans fear. The outline of a tarantula had been engraved into the rock and depicted eating an animal.
“This place isn't very cheery... is it Sammy?”
My dog looked up at me with a low whine and his ears flopped down, as he cowered. I reassured him and opened the marble door. I couldn’t see a thing beyond the next realm, but I stood up straight and walked through with Sam at my heels.
Chapter Nine - The Guardian
We’d walked through the marble door and had been greeted by a large yellow sun. It's strange, I couldn't remember the last time I’d seen the sun. Most of the spiritual realms seemed to have the star invisible in the skies.
I looked beyond and could only see a flat landscape, which went far beyond. The green grass swayed in the wind and we set off towards a small clearing; it was not far off.
The grass was long and touched the bottom of my nose. I watched my dog jump up like fish in a pond; it made me laugh at his silly antics. For a second, I forgot about my troubles and felt like a normal child again.
We played tag in the long grass for a while, until the guilt came back and we wandered on. Sammy was tired from all the jumping around and clearly needed a drink; luckily, Thistle had prepared a long water bottle fashioned out of leaves, which I’d strapped to my back. I let my pup have a good drink, to satisfy his thirst.
After half an hour of constant walking, the light dimmed, and the sun was quickly replaced by a full moon. It felt too quick and weird; the time zone had been very complex.
There was a clearing in sight, and it was not long until we strolled into it and were greeted by a huge hole in the ground. There was webbing everywhere, probably enough to make a webbed sweater. The hole was a perfect circle and a stale draft swept up from out of it. Sammy looked worried again and I didn't blame him, I was scared too, but we had to push on.
We entered the hole and the moonlight faded. We used the strong webbing to cascade down further, while Sam clung onto my shoulder. We got to bottom quickly, and the earth had an illuminated glow that came from hundreds of see-through rocks.
There was a long tunnel in front of us and I could see a golden light at the end. We picked up the pace and entered a huge cave and I gasped at the wondrous site. A golden pyramid had been built within the centre of the cave. El Dorado? I thought.
Whether it was or not, my gaze was disrupted by a large fuzzy creature who crawled across the top of the pyramid. It was huge! I’d never seen a Tarantula that big before; it was the size of a house and probably a man eater…
Sammy backed up into the tunnel and I followed too. I knelt down in a shadowy spot and placed my nervous hand on my dog’s head.
“What do we do Sam? I can’t fight it…” I said, not realising we had something eavesdropping.
“I can smell you, your flesh is very distinctive,” said a cold, low voice.
I turned to meet the gaze of eight large eyes; they glared from hunger. Its head could just fit into the tunnel and I watched its saliva drool onto the floor. “Hello, what’s your name, meaty?” it asked.
I shook and my voice quivered my name.
“L – L – L - Lucius.”
The Tarantulas mood changed and became more inquisitive: “Never heard of a Lucius before? What kind of species are you?”
“I’m a human being,” I answered.
“Human… is it an animal?”
“I’m not an animal. I am classed as a mammal, relation to ape’s in a sense.”
“I am confused,” it said.
“Have you not met a human before?” I asked.
“No… you are the first I have faced. You have strange fur; it looks soft and juicy.”
Those words made me panic.
“I can assure you; I won’t taste great.”
“Why not?” it complained.
“Because we humans have the tendency to have an inconsistent flavour, quite rancid and volatile,” I said with a desperate attempt to sound none appetising to the beast.
“Hmm… maybe so, but I was always taught to taste and judge food for myself.”
I was getting desperate and cut to the chase.
“Is there any way of us entering the Divided
High Ground, without confrontation…
You see the Entity, the Darkness, is free and we need the King’s help. Would you let us through?”
“I'm afraid I can't, you see, my position is to only let the worthy pass and that's determined by combat. King what's his name was quite clear on the subject.”
How could he forget the King’s names? I thought.
“You mean Eirik or Nordaious?”
The tarantula's voice squeaked a little and cleared its throat: “Erm, yes, one of those two...”
I unsheathed my sword.
“Fine, if that what it takes.”
“You are brave
human but foolish…”
I stepped forward out of the shadow and
Sammy followed me at my feet. The Tarantula hadn’t noticed or smelt my dog before, and it looked shocked to see him.
“A beast!” it screamed. “Keep it away! Its eyes are on my throat!”
I couldn't believe it; this gigantic monster had a fear and it was canine! I'm not sure why? I didn't care for the reason and I instructed Sammy to brandish his teeth.
His fangs were quite menacing, although I knew he had a good temperament.
“Please!” it begged. “I was only joking before; don’t let the beast have me!”
“Tell me where the King’s door is, and I might let you go. Although Sammy hasn’t fed in a while.”
“Okay, human Lucius! I will tell you! It is in the pyramid, right at its core. Walk the steps and you will reach the entrance to the Divided High Grounds.
“Are we worthy?”
“Yes! Now let me go…” it squeaked again.
“Okay - now go!” I commanded.
The giant tarantula headed off towards a crack in the ceiling and disappeared within a second. I couldn’t believe our luck: “Good boy, Sam!”
We appeared from out of the tunnel and headed towards the golden steps, but again I had been deceived and conned out of straying from our safe tunnel. The spider had faked his fear, in order to reach his prey.
The Tarantula landed heavily onto the ground.
“Ha-ha-ha, you fool!” it shouted. “Did you really think a tiny dog could scare the great Mantra the Tarantula? Your test has begun; let’s see how far you can get!”
Mantra quickly paced towards us and we ran for our lives. Sammy was fast and made it inside the pyramid before me. The spider was close at my heels and I swung my sword cutting its fat, hairy leg and made it scream with dissatisfaction. White blood spurted all over my clothing and I kept going.
Within a few metres of reaching the pyramid, the Tarantula jumped high and landed in front of the entrance. I picked up the pace and dodged its fangs, as they came crashing down. I ran under its body and stabbed its gut.
“Arghhhh!” it shrieked.
I made it inside and finished by hitting the ground hard. The spider's head appeared through the entrance angrily and hissed with rage, but it was too big to enter, and Mantra knew it.
“No! No! No!” it fumed.
“I guess we are worthy after all,” I gloated, and we headed further into the pyramid, with sounds of Mantra’s yells muffled out into the background.
The pyramid was a lot bigger inside and spacious. The impressive spiral stairs escalated up from the middle and finished through an opening in the roof. Sam and I ran up the stairs and reached the top in no time and there was the King’s door. It was at least twice the size of me, and the gold shone brightly.
In the centre was the tooth and antler crest united in arms. I reached towards the handle, before being stopped...
“Wait!”
I turned to be confronted by a white wolf, its eyes measured me up and it gazed upon my dog. “You are not permitted entry.”
“But we passed the test? And defeated the guardian,” I explained.
“He is not the guardian. I am,” said the Wolf, as she gracefully walked forward, leaving her robe to drag across the floor.
“If you are, who is Mantra?” I asked.
“A sad creature; who has no purpose in life. He housed himself within the cave and found the pyramid. Deserters, who had left and wanted to gain entry to the Divided High Grounds once more, had flocked here without knowing of his presence. He saw it as a banquet and remained to this day...
He lies and manipulates to get what he wants.”
“What is your obligation?” I pondered.
“To test you both, where many have failed.”
My bones felt weak from all the recent violent activity bestowed upon me.
“Will we have to fight you?” I asked, hoping to avoid another confrontation.
“It is up to you, but personally, I would like to test you another way.”
“Not dangerous, I hope, I'm tired of all the fighting.”
“I will test the light in you both and if you are worthy enough, you can pass.”
The wolf's blue eyes transfixed onto Sammy and they both went into a trance. It lasted for a few seconds before my dog awoke.
It was my turn next and I stared into her eyes. I felt a warmth and tranquillity. I felt our heartbeats connect and the rhythm relaxed slowly. I blinked and was out of the trance.
“You - you are both worthy. Especially you Lucius, you have a destiny to fulfil. The road you are on is dangerous, but important. The past and present relies on your bravery and solid heart to correct the balance… All worlds are connected… I believe in you.”
“Thank you,” I said graciously.
“Enter, human, the Kings are awaiting your arrival.”
The door opened to the sound of the ocean and the smell of pinecones was very distinctive. I turned to ask the Wolf of how they knew of my arrival. But she’d vanished.
Once more my shaggy dog and I, stepped into another realm, but this one was the realm of Kings.
Chapter Ten - The Kings of Eve
The golden door had shut behind us and we were greeted by one of the most unusual phenomena’s I could recall, this was completely unheard of...
The sky was the sea and was separate from the earth below. The upside down, huge waves almost touched the canopies of the trees. I looked to my dog and with his newfound intelligence; he looked just as bewildered as me.
Although it was amazing to watch, I felt uneasy, being underneath something, which is completely illogical. I could see boats floating upside down and the animals fishing with ease.
The colours of both plains clashed from the light that met in the middle. A small sun floated between the ocean and land like a painting. The earth was a huge forest, which housed many variations of plant life. It resembled the Amazon rain forest. I had a book at home about a lost traveller and the pictures were certainly close to what I could see.
“Come on Sam, we shouldn’t linger,” I said, as we pressed on through the shrubs.
It was strange to hear the water above us and the waves that crashed together in a small storm, which didn’t affect the sunny woodland. The smell of salt and pine trees was very soothing and made the walk enjoyable; even Sam had his tail wagging.
After a few minutes of travelling Sammy had stopped abruptly and sniffed the air; something was near. An arrow hit the floor right where I was stood, and I toppled backwards.
“Halt!” shouted a high-pitched voice.
“Name yourself or the next arrow goes through your eye.”
“Don’t shoot!” I panicked. “I am Lucius
Domhill and this is my dog, Sammy.”
“Lucius you say. We’ve been expecting you, my lad. Give me one second; let me get out of this tree.”
A large hare appeared and hopped onto the ground. He wore clothing that reminded me of the tale of Robin Hood, but he looked slightly old for a crusader. His fur was wispy and grey; with a slight ginger tint.
“I am Flit, King Eirik’s, third Captain and head scout,” greeted the Hare. “I've been instructed to guide you to the Divided High Grounds palace.”
“How did you know I was coming?”
“The guardian, Agatha had sent word. You are also well known around these parts and your story has been passed on through what’s left of the remaining realms,” explained the Hare, as he scratched his long ear.
“What do you mean what’s left?” I asked.
“The Entity has devoured many realms, since his release. There aren’t many left now,” replied Flit, sadly. “Come now Lucius, there will be plenty more questions when you meet King Eirik.” And I followed his instructions, with Sammy close at my heels.
“Will King Nordaious be there?”
“Yes, him too. The False King,” snapped Flit and I sensed some hatred
towards the Ocean King; understandable really, seems he was Eirik's foe for years. The war must have taken a lot of lives.
We had hurried down a small valley and came towards a river. The water was clear and blue, to my surprise. I was used to green, mossy, discoloured water, enough to make a man ill if he fell in. In the River Thames you find all sorts, including the people who had disagreements with the local London gangs.
There was a bridge not far off and we headed in that direction. The water ran quick under the stone bridge and I could see salmon jumping upstream. There was a group of bears on a hill collecting the fish as they jumped up the small waterfall. They all looked similar to Bjorn except for the tatty clothing they wore. Each time they caught a fish, I was sure I could hear faint voices crying for help. I thought it was quite macabre and I felt a bit sick.
We got halfway across the cobbled path, until an armoured, orange striped cat, had appeared from nowhere. The Tiger wore a battle worn, iron cuirass with marks of the antlers on his chest; he stepped forward, “Flit, is this the human?”
“He’s pink and no fur… What do you think Tidious?”
The Tiger grumbled: “No need for your snarky comments, rodent. If we weren’t on the same side, I would have killed you ages ago.”
“Presume all you want, kitty, but you would have a tough time taking me down,” Flit replied, confidently.
The large cat let out a roar and I expected a brawl to break out, but I was surprised by the wave of laughter. Flit was in hysterics. He left me a bit confused about the situation.
“You three can pass,” said Tidious. “You don’t want to be late, Flit. Our King doesn’t like waiting.”
“I’ll see you soon, my friend,” said the Hare and we passed the cat; heading deep within the woodland.
“What was that about? For a minute, I thought he was going to maul you,” I asked.
“We go way back” explained Flit. “There has always been a healthy competition between us. It’s all in good fun.”
The landscape had changed the further we walked inland. The trees were bigger and seemed to be all lopsided from the rocky hills. Flit had stopped for a moment and pointed up towards the sky. “Here's something you might not see every day. Watch the sun.”
Egbert's World Page 5
