by J. D. Netto
“I see that you are still awake.” I glanced over my shoulder and caught sight of Adawnas walking in my direction.
“And I see you are not yet in bed.” My face turned away from her.
“I apologize for my absence during tonight’s meeting. I heard it was most eventful.” She walked over to where I was standing.
“Where were you during the meeting?” I questioned.
“I had some errands to run,” she responded coldly. I ignored her insolent response completely. My mind was occupied, thinking about the Lesser.
“Do you know about them?” My heart beat faster at the mention or even the thought of these creatures.
“The Lessers?” she asked as she looked up into the sky. “Indeed I do. I have not yet seen one though.”
“They could change our fortune in this war. Imagine the Lessers and the Shadows fighting together.” I pointed to the Lesser that slept in the garden. The creature seemed to have some sort of blending ability, causing it to be almost invisible.
Adawnas gasped; her eyes widened, captivated with amazement.
As quick as shadows, we drifted from the balcony down to the garden. The Lesser was curled up, sleeping near one of the water fountains. I admired him, intrigued by every detail of the wondrous creature’s body. To know that it was a part of Corbin’s mind inside of it, causing it to breathe and roam about, was mesmerizing.
Without warning, the Lesser coiled itself upward and let out a ferocious growl. It stood on all fours and focused its bright yellow eyes on Adawnas and me. I noticed the remaining scales that were on its skin raised throughout its entire body as it growled.
“I suppose despite having human features, you are still a mere animal,” Adawnas said, approaching the Lesser.
“I watching.” There was a low hiss behind the words that proceeded from its mouth. “I watch this.” It pointed to the castle.
“Watch it?” I asked the creature.
It walked toward the darkness ahead of us. “Enemies there. Many strong.” Its neck twitched and its legs wobbled as it walked about, pointing in the direction of the invisible wall.
“Do you know what lies beyond the darkness?” Adawnas tried to touch the Lesser, but it deviated its head from her hands.
“Yes. Desert places…sleeping ones.” It continued to make its way toward the obscure landscape. I heard water splatter when its feet touched the riverbank.
“Where are you going?” I asked it. “Are you unaware that we must stay here in the castle for now?”
“Enemies approaching.” It screeched loudly. “Approaching from the darkness.”
“Enemies,” Adawnas muttered. “But beyond the darkness, there is only one enemy that could be coming.”
I heard faint voices in the air; the wind’s chill grew colder. From the darkness, small dim lights appeared. They shone bright in many different colors, flying around like a flock of birds in the sky. They gathered together as one and then exploded into thousands of smaller particles, scattering themselves in the air, and then they rejoined each other and took the shape of a phoenix.
In all my years of existence, I had never seen a sight so…unexplainable.
From behind the phoenix, a shadow rapidly approached. As it drew closer, the illuminated creature gazed at me with inviting eyes.
“Who are you?” I asked the enlightened being.
“Eldon—one of the gatekeepers from Tristar.” At the sound of every word, the light particles glistened, exuding many colors.
Suddenly the unexpected: a loud explosion took place. The shadow collided with Eldon, causing a great cloud of smoke to rise. Growls and roars resounded like clanging cymbals. The Lesser was agitated; it stumbled around the garden, howling loudly. The battle between the shadow and the lights was intense. The illuminated cloud of smoke formed by their ongoing collision continued to fall into the river and out again several times.
“I shall leave this place,” said a voice from inside of the shadow.
“Return to your resting place. You shall never be permitted to cross this border.” Eldon flew around the shadowed being, scattering small particles of light. From the moving shadow, a face appeared. It was Lucifer.
“My lord,” I muttered in shock.
“What is taking you so long for my awakening?” he shouted as he combated against Eldon.
“Away with you, Lucifer. Go back to slumbering in the Wastelands. Your spirit may move about freely but your body will remain imprisoned forever,” Eldon shouted.
“Let him through,” I yelled as I released pain. I was tossed with brutal force against the water fountain. Adawnas ran in my direction.
“I won’t be locked in the Wastelands for long, Eldon. Nephele, where are the book-bearers?” His voice was echoed in the atmosphere. “My spirit cannot endure transporting itself like this much longer, I need a body of my own!”
“Be gone, Lucifer,” Eldon shouted as the light particles turned into flames.
Lucifer’s face vanished and the shadow receded. The clouds moved above, forming a circular funnel as a storm raged. Lightning and thunder ripped through the sky and the wind gained strength.
Flashes of light came out of Eldon. The glares from the phoenix-shaped lighted form dissipated like mist on an early morning. All that remained of him was the flicker of a dying flame that hovered above us. Shortly after, the flame diffused itself and the storm ceased. The Lesser calmed down and crawled back to its resting place.
“He suffers…Lucifer is suffering,” I said bitterly. “Adawnas, we must act fast. The book-bearers need to be found.”
“We will find them all,” Adawnas affirmed. “They are vulnerable and weak.”
Silence settled. The quietness of the garden made it seem as though nothing of great importance had taken place. Amidst the silence, I heard the sound of branches snapping. I used my mind to read my surroundings and I felt another’s presence.
“Someone is here,” I whispered, diligently searching around. I stood motionless, surveying every corner of the garden.
Breaking the silence, Adawnas yelled aloud, “We know you are here! You cannot hide.”
The sound of crackling twigs and footsteps drew nearer to us. I focused my mind on the direction from which the noises and energy were coming from and released pain. There was a loud scream followed by a hard thud.
“He is one of them,” I alleged as I laid my eyes on the young boy. He was dressed in rugged clothes, his boots ripped, and he was engulfed with dust. As he writhed in pain, I thoroughly analyzed his features. His eyes were as light as honey; his hair was a light chestnut brown. Cuts and bruises marred his face.
“Where have you come from?” Adawnas yelled. I increased the pain, injecting it inside his body, striking every organ. Blood seeped through his nostrils.
“Stop,” he yelled. “Please.”
“Not until you tell me where you have come from and how you got here,” I said.
He tossed himself about in torment.
“Are you ready to tell me now?” I inquired.
The screams ended abruptly. Though his body twitched and turned, there was a lack of expression on his face. Sweat dripped like water down his face.
“Let us take him inside of the castle. He could not have come this way on his own. He will eventually give in and tell us how it is he got here,” Adawnas remarked.
I halted the attack. With my mind, I tried to search his mind and see if I could find any answers. To my surprise, I was not able to uncover anything. There was a shield protecting his thoughts from my view.
“What do you have with you?” My patience was waning quickly. I could tell he was fighting with every ounce of willpower he could muster to keep his eyes open. I slapped him.
“I…carry…nothing,” he mumbled faintly.
“Liar!” I tossed him into the waters of the river. “What do you carry with you?”
“It is no longer with him,” Adawnas said as she hurriedly scrambled to the place he
had fallen. “It is here.” She lifted his bag from the ground and began searching inside of it.
“Well? Anything?” I asked eagerly.
Her eyes glistened. “Indeed.” She took out what seemed to be a book wrapped in old black pieces of cloth from inside of the bag.
Slowly, she removed the old black cloth, exposing the coveted book within the wrappings.
“The Third Book of the Destroyer.” She dropped the bag as she embraced the object.
“Let’s take him inside,” I declared.
XVIII
The boy did not dare try to escape our grasp. Adawnas walked beside him as I walked in front of him, making our way back to the castle.
“Where should we take him?” she asked as we walked inside the dining hall.
“We need answers.” I looked over my shoulder; his gaze encountered mine. “I will take him to the interrogation room, inside the Prison of Despair. Call Mordred and Athalas. Do not take long,” I commanded.
Adawnas nodded and walked up the staircase, heading in the direction of the rooms. The boy looked distraught. His drooping eyes showed signs of weariness; his heavy breathing denoted that the pain inflicted upon his innards from my attack had subdued his body.
“How are you able to shield your mind from my powers but you cannot protect your body from my attack?” I asked as we marched along the dark alley that led to the Prison’s entrance. He remained silent as we crossed the iron gates, entering the prison.
“I could make it more painful inside of you until you answer me.” He remained silent so I applied more pressure until I could hear his pitiful grunts and moans.
“Stop…” he managed to squeal through his clenched teeth.
I anxiously hurried inside the cold prison. His heartbeat accelerated as his eyes beheld the concealed chambers of torture. My footsteps echoed through the prison, in unison with the sound of the continuous dripping of water from the ceiling. Soon, all sounds merged with that of the river that flowed inside the prison.
“Are you ready to talk now?” I prodded him. “We don’t have to walk all the way to the interrogation room.” He shot me a cold look.
“Very well,” I acquiesced. “Have it your way.”
I took him inside one of the rooms. The subzero temperature caused his body to shake. An opening in the ground disclosed another set of stairs leading downward.
“You see, after we walk down these stairs, your real questioning begins. I can save you from suffering great pain if you only tell me who sent you, and how it is that you can shield your mind from mine.”
He dazedly stared at me with weary eyes. He took in a long deep breath and bowed his head.
I maliciously grabbed his arm. “Let’s go, sweetheart. We have much work to do,” I avowed impatiently, as we grappled our way down the stairs.
As we descended, the gargoyle statues that stood in the corners of the somber room were lit with torches. The room had been built to recognize the presence of anyone who entered it. As the light increased its strength, I caught a glimpse of an old wooden table and two chairs.
I released my hold from him as I strolled my way to one of the chairs.
“Please, do sit,” I gestured, taking my seat.
He tossed his debilitated body into the chair; weakness had overtaken him so that he was barely able to keep his head up.
“I know you are suffering. I know you do not wish to go through this pain any longer, but there is a way out.” He let out a low groan. “All you have to do is answer my questions. Can you do that?”
The boy glanced back at me with weary eyes.
“Yes,” he shuddered.
A soft smile spread across my face. “Very well, what is your name?”
“Ba…Ballard…Ballard Radley,” he stammered with great difficulty.
“Ballard, who has sent you and how did you find this place?”
He coughed. “I was not sent by anyone. I was told of this place by Raziel and Devin.” He coughed again. Blood squirted from the corner of his lips.
I slapped him. “Do not toy with me, boy. I could kill you right now with my bare hands.” I approached him, stopping inches away from his face. “I think I understand your plan now. You did come on your own, didn’t you? You wanted to be brave…”
“I don’t have the need to prove bravery to anyone. The only things I care about are the books you have in your possession,” Ballard disclosed with a broken voice.
“I care not about what it is that concerns you, boy. How did you get here?”
“My…my book…showed me the way to Justicia…”
“Your book led you to Justicia. How?” These meaningless answers angered me.
Silence!
“Stupid boy. Do you really believe that I won’t kill you right now?” He squealed like a pig as I inflicted more pain into his inner organs. “I could easily slaughter you like an animal and toss your remains to the Desert Dragons.”
A blaring screech permeated the walls throughout the Prison. It sounded like an animal being tortured. I was highly alarmed. The sound was unfamiliar to me. I felt my heart beat pounding in my chest.
“Who is there?” I hollered, while making sure to keep my eyes on Ballard. The screeches grew louder; I felt the temperature rise.
“You’s may not do this…I isn’t lettin’ you,” a voice whispered.
Adawnas, Mordred and Athalas stepped inside the interrogation room the moment the voice spoke.
“What is that voice?” Mordred questioned.
“Death,” Athalas replied with a raspy voice.
Inside the room, a grotesque creature sprang up from the ground. It came as a shadow. Its golden yellow eyes gazed at me. A snakelike tail was exposed as it moved swiftly across the room. Its arms were disproportionately long.
Athalas frowned as he set eyes on the creature.
“Go back to the bottom of the Prison, Death. You have no business here,” he ordered.
“Immortals think theys can cheat me, heh? No…immortals wrong, yes.” Its voice was thunderous.
“Your master has ordered you to go away,” I shouted in a loud voice. My patience was already growing scarce.
Its laugh was eerie and dark; there was a soft glow emitting from its body. “I no master any longer.”
“How dare you?” Athalas’ voice implied rage. “I have graciously ruled over you since the dawn of days and this is how you repay me?”
Its body was fading. “You lost authority the day ones greater than yous took me.”
“I am ordering you to return to the bottom of the prison,” Athalas declared. His hands tightened into fists.
“I belongs to you no longer…” Its voice trailed off as its body vanished into thin air.
“How dare—” Athalas did not get the chance to finish his sentence. Death reappeared engulfed in flames and smoke. Like a blanket, it wrapped itself around Athalas. He yelled in desperation.
“Long you owned me…long you tell me what to do. Not now…no more,” it growled furiously. “One came and conquered me to him. I belongs to you no longer.”
“Do you hear that?” Mordred asked me. Sounds of human screams filled the room. The walls of the room trembled. I looked to my right and caught sight of a doorway contoured by a dim glow slowly being outlined on the wall.
“You come with me now. My master awaits.” Death’s chilling voice reverberated as the doorway opened.
Death brusquely grabbed Athalas’ body, dragging him in the direction of the doorway. He screamed vehemently. Even though he was chosen to serve the Dark One, I could not deny that I felt relieved to see him being taken. The fact he was still human didn’t allow me to trust him wholeheartedly.
“Please, don’t let me go where Death takes me,” he screamed as he clawed at the floor, fighting so he wouldn’t be taken. Fingernails and bloodstains dripped on the cold floor, trailing back to the direction of the doorway.
“Come away, come away to world of shadows…here you dwell,�
� Death whispered as it dragged Athalas through the doorway.
There was silence among Adawnas, Mordred and me. None of us dared look upon one another’s face. As the doorway disappeared, I wondered who had conquered Death. The Creator himself had given Athalas authority to rule over it and now this authority had been taken from him.
A bright light shone upon me. I looked at Mordred and was shocked to see that his body was illuminating the light.
“What is happening to you?” I asked in despair. He pressed his hands against his head, falling to his knees. He rolled around the floor; torrents of blood gushed from his nostrils and ears. The light had taken him over, enveloping his body, shining out from his eyes and mouth.
“Adawnas, where was Corbin when you called Athalas and Mordred?” I asked, frightened that my suspicions might be correct.
“He wasn’t in his room. Once I arrived at his room, I did not have the chance to—”
“Go find him.” I clenched my hands together tightly. “This is impossible,” I whispered, fearing the worst.
The flashes of light coming from Mordred’s body ceased. His still body lay on the floor.
“What is going on?” I asked Ballard. “Do you know what is happening?”
He gave me an innocent smile. “You are never going to achieve what you so desire. The conqueror of Death has come.”
Where is Corbin? I kept asking myself as I tried to make sense of all the chaos.
“He-he has indeed returned,” Mordred stated as he stood to his feet.
“Mordred,” I said dazedly. “Are you alright?”
“Mordred?” I looked into his eyes and I knew Mordred was no longer inside this body.
“Isaac?” I said fearfully. My question was answered with a snide grin.
I was awestruck. This was impossible. I was the one who performed the Soul Exchange; I was the one who poured his blood over the book. His soul could never return. It lingered on in the Wastelands.
“Leave this body now,” I commanded, gritting my teeth.
“No,” he responded, his eyes coldly staring deep into mine.
