by Philip Blood
"Prophecies aren't worth the paper they are written on," Niler opinioned.
"Please, keep your opinions to yourself. You can have your say when I am through," Mara said in a pleasant voice.
Niler considered her tone, then nodded his acceptance of the bargain.
"But you said we have departed from that path, and are now in the Dark Prophecies," Aerin noted, getting back to the discussion.
"Yes, we are charting a dangerous path through a set of prophecies that describe doom in multiple details. Again, for reasons that I have discerned, it has been important to keep certain details from you lest by knowing them you make them happen."
Gandarel looked at her sourly. "But that is the opposite of what you just said about the Prophecies of Gold, you can't have it both ways."
"Actually, I can, you see I haven't kept everything from you, just the parts that would hurt you. I've done this in different ways with both prophecies. In the end, I even tried telling Gandarel information from the Prophecies of Gold in hopes that, against my better judgment, by knowing you, would decide to listen to me. That failed, but we have not lost, yet, the future is not set. It can still be changed from its primary path of possibility, much as it did when the Prophecies of Gold were changed to the Dark Prophecies. I still have hope."
"I bet this is where you are going to tell me something I don't want to hear," Gandarel guessed.
Mara smiled. "It is, indeed. If we continue up this pass to the capitol right now, it is written in the Dark Prophecies that you will... disappear. I don't know how, or why, but you cannot go to the capital until you have passed through the Wall of the Chamber."
"Wall, Chamber... what is this about?" Gandarel asked darkly.
Instead of answering his question directly, Mara asked him a question. "Gandarel, you know why I came to Strakhelm, and why I have been teaching you, don't you?"
"This NexLord business… you've mentioned it more than once. As I understand it, you have this idea that I am to be this new wondrous NexLord, but I don't share your belief. I know everyone reveres the last NexLord, Ragol, but I think he was just a good commander. Calling me a NexLord isn't going to change who I am."
"But that's where you are wrong, Gandarel. There is a power in the Nexus. You missed some of your training, but we can fix that. This power was put there in ages gone by to fight the power of the Dreadmaster. It is written, in more than one vision of the future, that you will be the new NexLord."
Aerin spoke up, trying to help Mara. "It's true, Gandarel, you know my father was a scholar, he was bringing us to Strakhelm to document your story."
"You mentioned some Chamber, is it the Chamber of Stone?" Gandarel asked.
Mara’s eyes tightened slightly, she didn't know where he had heard that, but there were various popular legends about it, so she ignored the nagging feeling tugging at her mind. "Yes, that is the heart of the Nexus."
Gandarel was silent as he recalled the dark words he had read that night he opened the box in Mara's room, he could see them now as clearly as when he first read them. “...and inside the Chamber of Stone, he will know that his failure has killed his best friend..."
Gandarel stole a quick glance at Aerin; there was no doubt in his mind that Aerin was his best friend in the entire world. He couldn't go into that Chamber if there was any chance... he just couldn't.
"Mara, I understand, but tell me this, should I have left Strakhelm with you when you asked?"
"There is no doubt of that, but that is passed and now we go on to make the future better. I understand your reasons for staying, misguided as they were, you were thinking of your people."
Gandarel nodded, "I'm glad you see it that way because I'm not going to this 'Chamber of Stone'. We'll just have to figure a way to get past it as well."
Mara became angry, "Gandarel Trelic, you don't realize what you are doing. Let me tell you about the real power of a NexLord."
"I think it is my turn at this point," Niler said, sensing victory from Gandarel's standing up to her on his own.
"Milord, Bluecoats!" one of Gandarel's Guardsmen called to them, interrupting Niler.
"Gedin save me, why can't anything go right?" Mara growled.
Up the Eigen Pass they all saw a group of about twenty Bluecoats coming at a full gallop.
"Why are they pushing those horses?" Mara asked, more to herself than to the others. "Yearl, we move up the canyon, NOW!" Mara yelled.
Tocor and Yearl had been preparing some food packs and warm clothes; at Mara's yell, they both sped up their preparations.
"You men," Mara yelled to the Guardsmen, "quickly strap on those packs, your future Warlord's life depends on it!"
The Guardsmen started picking up the packs, and Gandarel and the other students crowded around Mara. "What's wrong?" Aerin asked.
"Those Bluecoats wouldn't be galloping those horses up this steep pass if there wasn't a damn good reason, Togroths, most likely."
"Togroths!" Lor exclaimed.
"Or worse," Mara muttered.
"What are we going to do?" Dono asked.
Mara shrugged, "Much depends on what they tell us, but I want to be ready to move in case the news is bad."
"Are we going to make a run up the pass?" Katek asked.
Mara shook her head as she said, “They would catch us if they are this close to the Bluecoats, and it looks like their mounts are just about done in. We'll head up the secret canyon, its right up there, past the marker tree."
Gandarel scowled and said, "Toward the Chamber of Stone."
"Yes, but you can make your mind up about going in when we survive this, all right?" Mara said
"I'm not going in there," Gandarel muttered darkly.
Niler stood behind him and put a hand on his shoulder to show his support.
Mara didn't have time to discuss it further; the Bluecoats were galloping up to the wagon.
Gandarel went with Mara as she headed for the group of dismounting riders and their heaving mounts. Because of the cold mountain air, each exhalation the tired horse's breath showed as twin streams from their snorting nostrils.
As they arrived at the group of riders, Gandarel was surprised to see Enolive among them.
"What news?" Mara asked, getting right to the point.
"A large group of those creatures is right behind us," the Corporal answered, looking back over his shoulder down their back trail.
"Pull yourself together, how many of them are there and how far back are they?" Mara demanded.
For a second the arrogance of the officer shown in his eyes, but the fear was too strong and his shoulders drooped again, "I'm not positive, a thousand of them, at least. I think they will be here in less than an hour, but I can't be sure."
"Tocor?" Mara asked, turning to consult with the Quarian.
He was leaning down on the ground and pressing his ear to the earth. "Thirty, maybe forty minutes, no more. His count may be correct; there are a lot of them."
The soldier's started trying to remount their tired horses, but Mara stopped them. "Wait; there is no need to panic. Besides, your mounts are near collapse. If you ride them any further you will only kill them and then you'll be caught and eaten by the Tog before nightfall."
"Then what are we going to do?" a Bluecoat soldier demanded, fear very evident to Aerin, who was watching with interest.
"There is a small canyon just over there by that group of trees. I've been through it before. It leads to a group of caves that can be defended, if necessary, or we can possibly just lose them in the maze. It's pretty high up, so we'll have to lead the horses and carry rations from the wagon. Tocor will divide up what we need and pass it out to you. Now act like soldiers, we leave here in fifteen minutes."
With someone obviously in charge, with a plan, the soldier's fears settled down and they managed to get the rations divided. Tocor spent a few minutes unhitching the team and tying items onto them as pack horses. Then they all led their mounts toward the trees.
The canyon path started climbing quickly, headed upward toward the snow-coated heights.
Aerin was walking in line behind Dono. "Hey, this must be the part where you get to see snow."
"Great, next time I think I'll pass on snow if it means being chased by a thousand hungry Togroths up a narrow canyon," Dono replied.
"Hey, nobody ever said Mara didn't know how to have fun," Katek said, as he turned around to smirk at Dono.
As they followed the path it became evident that it was mostly man-made. What at first seemed like a natural path eventually cut into the very rock and began climbing up the sheer side of the granite cliff to their right. It was chiseled out wide enough for the horses to be led. When they reached a place where the path crested over the top of the cliff they began entering patchy areas of snow. They crossed a meadow and then wound back down until they entered a hidden valley. The mouth of the valley was obscured by fallen rocks until Mara led them through a path through the large boulders that led into another narrow canyon. As Aerin walked through the boulders he noticed that the sides of the boulders were worn smooth from the passing of a lot of horses and people. The stones on the ground itself were also worn smooth from travel, yet moss covered much of the stone now as if the once used path had not been traveled in many years.
"Any sign of the Togroths?" Aerin asked when they stopped at a widening in the path.
Tocor listened to the rock for a time. Aerin put his ear to it as well, but couldn't hear anything.
"They're coming up the pass," Tocor replied.
Niler whirled to face Mara and exclaimed. "Gedin save us if they trap us in here we’re finished!"
Mara shrugged, "You didn't listen very well. I never said they wouldn't follow us up here. I told you that there is a cave network where we can hold them off, or possibly even lose them. Much depends on if it is just Togroths."
The Bluecoat Corporal stepped forward. "You say that like there is something worse than these devil spawn."
"Oh, Corporal, there are. The Togs are just the dogs of the Dreadmaster, but his real killers come in many other forms. Wraiths, Dreadbeasts and others," Mara noted.
"Dreadbeasts, those are just monsters made up to scare children," the Corporal scoffed.
"Hey, we saw one, and you're right, they do scare children… and just about everything else," Dono added. "You don't ever want to see one of those things, trust me."
The officer ignored him.
"Well, let's get moving. I want to be inside this cave before the Togroths kill us all," Niler said, getting his horse ready to move.
Gandarel looked very troubled, but he followed the rest further up the canyon.
Soon they came to a wall across the canyon; at the base was a black opening. Strange symbols were carved into the rock around the opening, but nothing barred them from entering.
"So this is the cave," Niler noted, stating the obvious.
Gandarel was visibly sweating as he stood looking at the dark opening.
Aerin came over and put an arm on his friend's shoulders. "Relax, Gandarel; Mara says it’s all right. Besides, I'll be right there with you all the way."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Gandarel said quietly.
The others were unpacking the torches Mara had brought from the packhorses, and no one was paying attention to the two boys standing before the opening of the cave.
"What does that mean?" Aerin asked.
Gandarel dropped his eyes. "You know how I joked with you a long time ago about reading some of Mara's prophecy papers?"
"Yes," Aerin answered, drawing out the word.
Gandarel shrugged, "I was waiting for her in her room one time and glanced at one of her prophecy papers. It had a section in it that described me and this Chamber of Stone."
"And what else did it say?"
Gandarel still couldn't look at Aerin. "It said I would kill my best friend."
"What?" Aerin said, releasing Gandarel's shoulder.
"You heard me, and you are my best friend, Aerin."
Aerin nodded. "Yes, and I know you would never hurt me, Gandarel."
"I know that, and you know that, but the prophecy says differently."
"Then it is wrong."
Gandarel was quiet for a few moments.
Aerin told him of his own vision in which Mara and Lor both died and explained how it hadn't happened that way.
"Still, that was something you saw, not this great Prophecy that Mara believes in so much," Gandarel noted, anguish evident in his voice.
"It won't happen; you and I will make sure. In fact, you can be sure I'LL make sure," Aerin said with a short laugh.
Gandarel smiled at his joke, but he was still scared.
Mara arrived and started to lead the way into the cave. Gandarel stopped her. "Tell me the truth, Mara; is this the opening to the Chamber of Stone, or is it further inside?"
"The actual Chamber is further in; this is just the beginning of the caves."
"Will you tell me before we enter the Chamber?"
Mara looked into his eyes and wondered what had him so scared. "All right, I'll make sure you know before you get inside."
"Fine, let's go," Gandarel exclaimed, feigning bravado, but Mara knew his fear was barely under control.
Mara gave him one last penetrating look, and then lit her torch from the one Tocor held and led the way into the cave.
As they walked Aerin noted that the ground was perfectly smooth. The cave was natural, but the thousands of people that had once walked through had worn the passages smooth. He noticed torch marks on the walls where past travelers had burned their names in soot. Soon the passage started to branch, but Mara knew where she was headed, without hesitation.
"What happened to Yearl, Mara?" Aerin asked as they traveled down a new passage.
He noted that his voice echoed strangely through the cavern.
"I left him to watch back at the first branching. I don't want to be surprised by our enemies."
Gandarel was still walking near Aerin and Mara, and now he stopped. "Isn't this far enough, Mara?"
She called a halt, and handed her torch to Aerin, before leaning both hands on her cane and contemplating the nervous Gandarel.
"No, but let's rest for a time. We need to get to the bottom of this fear you have of the Chamber of Stone."
"I'm not afraid of the Chamber," Gandarel defended.
Mara raised both eyebrows, "Aren't you?"
He frowned and paced a few feet over to one wall, where he pretended to study one of the soot marks someone had left.
"No, I just have my reasons for not wanting to go there."
The two councilmen joined the discussion. Niler spoke first. "If Gandarel does not wish to enter this Chamber, then we will not go there."
"Yes, he will," answered Mara. "Let me tell you a little of what was, and what will be."
"We have no time for school lessons, woman," Niler growled.
Mara ignored his comment and said. "Perhaps you can help; you seem to be a scholarly man. Do you know the history of this place? Of how every free human left came to these caverns to create a place where the power of their beliefs in freedom, without fear, could forge a person into a weapon to stop the Dreadmaster?"
Niler waved his hand as if to dismiss her words. "Those are fairy tales, myths, all exaggerations of the truth, and I know the stories as well as anyone."
"Obviously not so well as you think if you believe them myths. You stand near the Nexus now, all of you. This place is no myth and few, if anyone, have traveled these halls since the first days of Ragol, the NexLord, and that was over three hundred years ago."
"But why me?" Gandarel finally asked. "Why do I have to be the one to go into this Nexus? Isn't it enough that I am heir to the Seat of Stone? Isn't being Warlord of the Dragonback sa
crifice enough?"
Mara's voice was very soft and kind as she answered the pain in Gandarel's voice. "I'm sorry, Gandarel, but no. The world demands a larger price from you, though it is your choice whether you give it or not. I can bring you to the Chamber, but I cannot make you take the test. However, if you value your friend's lives, if you value the freedom that we have enjoyed since the Dreadmaster was last defeated, if you would not have the world fall back into the darkness of fear, you must enter the Wall of the Chamber. Once within you must pass the test and become a NexLord."
Enolive answered though it had not been him whom Mara had spoken. "I know some of the histories of this place. You are not telling him the full story, tell him the rest, woman, tell him of the test and of failure."
Mara looked at Enolive for a moment but returned her attention to Gandarel. "The test is of your character and commitment, and of your bond to your fellow man in friendship. You must face it without fear for yourself. You must enter the Wall alone, and face this test alone. But if your heart is true, Gandarel, if you do not go into this test with thought to gain personal power, then you will prevail and come out a NexLord with all the powers that entails. I am here to teach you how to use these powers."
"You say I cannot go inside to gain powers, but that having done so I will gain them, this is confusing," Gandarel muttered.
"Yes, in a way, but look at it like this, the test is to find out if you will abuse the powers you would gain, and place yourself above your friends and the other free humans of this world. It is designed to stop the creation of another Dreadmaster."
"All right, but you still have not answered my first question: why me, why not Katek?"
Mara’s face was grim. "It has to be you; you are the one that has been foretold as the savior of the world. If Katek became a NexLord it might help to fight the Dreadmaster, but we would not defeat him. You are the one foretold to defeat the Dreadmaster. And, Gandarel, if you fail, this time, there will be no return from the darkness, it will claim you, and then all of your friends, until the world is under the Dreadmaster’s grip of terror for all time."
