“Before they relinquished their powers, Illiana made one request: to build a mausoleum where she and her descendants would lie. They built it around where they knew the portal to be. When they finished, they wrapped Illian’s body in a shroud and buried him inside. Illiana hid the onyx and the three of them spent the rest of their lives as mortals. When they died, the portal became visible long enough for their souls to pass through.
“You see, Daniel, when Cornelius said the fourth would come, he was speaking of you.”
Chapter 28
Meruzilak
Joshua looked around in amazement, stunned by the opulence and wealth on display. Now, this is what I call rich! Whoever lived here did not sleep on an iron grate or eat berry bags for food. Whoever lived here was rich. Filthy rich. Probably even a millionaire.
Joshua observed the polished floor and jeweled-stone ceiling, quick to notice a row of marble busts lining the hall. The faceless sculptures were placed on pedestals, each standing freely in front of a large mural, painted with flawless detail. The mural that caught Joshua’s eye was of a tall, long-haired man in a robe like Ralmaghar’s. He was flying through the air, riding on a giant cicada-like bird with clear-veined wings and a horned beak. They were flying over a battleground, or at least Joshua assumed it was a battle. Brandished steel and blood on the ground are unmistakable signs of war.
The hall was nearly a football field in length. Velvet-cushioned stools were uniformly placed beside each pedestal and brass candelabras were built into the wall. Nothing was out of place, not a detail overlooked. The owner of this place was meticulous and orderly, and definitely not someone to mess with. The walk grew more solemn, as with each step, Joshua realized the gravity of the situation. He was about to meet the person in charge of bringing him here. Who was he, and what did he look like? Could he do magic, too?
Joshua studied Ralmaghar, walking ahead. If someone placed an ad in the paper that read, “Wanted: big, ugly, half-human, half-monster henchman goon,” he’d be hired on the spot. It was hard to imagine meeting anyone more frightening, yet Joshua got the sick feeling he was about to.
Joshua passed another statue. There were now more pedestals behind him than in front. He saw a huge archway supported by four sets of columns. The entrance was closed from view with a green draping, ornamented with gold embroidering. He tried to imagine the person behind the curtain and his imagination ran wild, creating a ten-foot-tall half-locust monster shooting streams of larvae out of its mouth. The larvae wrapped around Joshua’s legs like a lasso, binding him. Okay, that’s it, he thought. I’m not going to stick around this place so he can turn me into pork sausage.
Joshua turned and was ready to make a run for the door when he saw there was no door. It had disappeared. What! I just came through there. How can it be gone? Joshua wanted to sink into the ground. It seemed every move he made, Ralmaghar was one step ahead of him, making doors appear and disappear, stairways circle through the air, and walls catch on fire. He was really starting to hate this guy.
They approached the entrance to the archway and Joshua stood before the curtain. Ralmaghar stepped to the side, out of the way, and raised his arm. Before Ralmaghar could open his mouth to speak, Joshua knew what he was about to say. Yeah, I know … Go.
Joshua took a deep breath through his nose and nervously peeled back the curtain.
***
What he saw when he entered was a raised dais, two feet or so off the ground, decorated with a banner cloth similar to the curtain in stitching and design. Sitting on the dais was an empty throne.
First, Joshua was extremely grateful to find the throne empty.
Second, this was the most unusual throne he’d ever seen.
Living in Grisby, he didn’t come across too many thrones. It wasn’t often (never, in fact) families decorated their homes with them. But Joshua had seen enough in the history books to know this one was unique. Its arms rose in a gliding pattern and tapered at the top, as two gold scepters were grafted into the wood. At the end of each scepter, a pair of eagle’s wings was forged. The throne’s back was broad at the base, coming to a sharp point in the middle. The wood was red and aged, adorned at the edges with gold trim. A middle compartment was dug out, leaving a hollow cavity underneath the seat, and inside the compartment was a metal dish, empty, and rounded in the center.
These features were unusual enough, but what caught his attention were the legs of the throne. Dragons! Joshua was unable to control his excitement. Four solid gold wyverns served as chair legs, all splendid in their detail. Even from where he was standing, several feet away, Joshua discerned the eagle claws on the tip of their wings and the shovel-shaped hook of their tails.
Joshua looked around to make sure he was alone then took two steps forward. But before he reached the dais, a scenario came to his mind, one that made him reconsider. What if he’s making himself invisible and has been sitting there watching me the whole time? Joshua grew self-conscious about how he was standing, how he was holding his hands, whether or not he’d done anything stupid since being there. He crossed his arms and tried his best to keep still, but he was scared and couldn’t help fidgeting, especially if the bad guy was using his power of invisibility and watching. I really need to get out of here.
It wasn’t until a few seconds later that the room exploded.
Sound-wise, the explosion was deafening, like a Humvee full of M-80s all blowing up at the same time. Sight-wise, it was even more extraordinary. Hues of red, orange, and deep yellow exploded before his eyes, as a cloud of smoke engulfed him. Joshua shielded himself, waiting for it to settle. Once the smoke cleared and his ears stopped ringing, Joshua lifted his eyes to greet the man sitting on the throne, who lowered his to look upon the nine-year-old boy from Grisby, California.
First impressions being what they are, Joshua was confused, to say the least. This was definitely not what he expected. He was glad, of course—it was a lot better than the larvae-spewing monster with yellow eyes and green skin. It was unexpected, that’s all. The man sitting in front of him was, well … good-looking.
He looks like an actor, Joshua thought.
The man wore his long hair tied in a ponytail. His features were delicate and his skin smooth. He had a moustache and goatee, which came to a sharp point at the chin. He reached out his hand and curled his fingers. One by one, the vines fell from Joshua’s lips. “Ralmaghar can be rather impetuous,” the man said. “It’s one of his more invaluable qualities.”
Joshua put his hands to his mouth to check for holes. He opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out.
“Don’t try to speak. It will do you no good.” The man spoke in cold tones and looked at Joshua with pointed eyes. Joshua, standing under the weight of the man’s gaze, wondered which was worse, the creature he’d invented in his head or the man sitting before him now. He was beginning to think he’d be better off with larvae and lassos.
“My name is Meruzilak. You are a prisoner here. If you do as I say, you will remain a prisoner. If you disobey, you will die. Either way, it makes no difference to me. I will get what I want, regardless.” He signaled with his hand and Ralmaghar entered. “Take him away,” he ordered. “Then prepare for the journey.”
Joshua wasn’t scared anymore. He wasn’t anything. There was no more feeling to be felt. To recap his day thus far—imprisoned, released, muted, led away, faces in the fire, almost died, didn’t die, disappearing doorway, exploding throne room, and now this, the ruler of the castle threatening to kill him. Oh, don’t forget the lizard creature and henchman goon. Joshua turned and followed Ralmaghar through the curtain. He hadn’t the strength to do otherwise.
Chapter 29
Morning Visitors
The dream began pleasantly enough. Daniel was camping. He wasn’t sure of the location. It might have been Yosemite, Big Basin, or the woods behind his house. All the important people were there, though. His mom, Joshua, Stevie—even Stevie’s parents had made the t
rip.
Daniel smelled smoke, so he grabbed his flashlight and scurried from his tent. He saw a light in the distance among the trees. Fire, he realized. The woods were burning. He sprinted from tent to tent, waking everyone, telling them to get their stuff and to hurry. Each person grabbed his (or her) essential belongings and followed Daniel from the campsite.
The other campers realized what was happening, and it became a chaotic scramble of people running for safety, hoping to make it to their cars and drive away. When they reached the parking lot, Daniel turned around. Everyone was there. Hold on—not everyone. Where was Joshua? He must have fallen behind.
Daniel raced back to the campsite. He looked everywhere—the tents, the picnic area, the lake—but couldn’t find his brother. “Joshua!” he screamed, but his voice was trampled beneath the sounds of crisping leaves. That’s when he saw him.
Joshua was standing at the edge of the woodland, still wearing his pajamas and a groggy, sleepy-eyed expression on his face, oblivious to the flames licking the ground behind him. He reached up to scratch his head, and from Daniel’s viewpoint it looked like flames were shooting from his arm. Again, Daniel shouted to his brother, but Joshua didn’t hear. Daniel put his arms up to block the heat and made a run for his brother. It was his job to save him.
A slight breeze blew across his face, as smells penetrated his senses. Daniel lay still a moment longer, wanting to let the dream wear off. Even now, he still felt the heat coming from the fire. Daniel opened his eyes, and his heart nearly stopped.
He was staring into the eyes of a real-life dragon.
“A-A-Alistair,” he sputtered, shuffling away from his sleeping bag. He lost his balance and fell back upon the ground. “Uh, uh … Alistair.”
Though it wasn’t as big as he might have expected (movies tend to exaggerate things like dragons), it was the biggest and most frightening creature imaginable. Its tail had a jagged hook on the end and its claws looked sharp enough to rip a tree from the ground. Daniel felt its breath on his skin and wondered how long before a gush of fire would follow. “Alistair!” he said.
“Did you call for me?” Alistair put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder to steady him. He seemed (as always) to appear out of nowhere.
It took a moment for Daniel to find his voice. “Dragon, big dragon,” he sputtered.
“I presume you have questions about the wyvern.”
“Get rid of it, please.”
Alistair motioned to the wyvern. The wyvern, in turn, lifted its tail high, its wings spread wide enough to block the morning sun. It took several steps and, as gracefully as an eagle, lifted itself onto an invisible cushion of air and flew into the distance.
“Come along,” said Alistair. “Breakfast is getting cold.”
Alistair returned to the campfire, leaving Daniel speechless. His knees were still wobbling and he was sure he hadn’t taken a breath in about five minutes. If he’d been able to formulate speech at that moment, he would have scoffed at Alistair’s words. Who could think of eating breakfast at a time like this? Between the dragon and Alistair’s habit of sneaking up on him, it was a miracle he hadn’t suffered a heart attack. As his nerves settled, Daniel joined Alistair by the fire.
Alistair handed him a plate of eggs. Daniel kept one eye on his food and one eye on the lookout. Alistair noted his concern. “The wyverns are the guardians of the land.”
“Are they friendly or mean?”
“You will find they are neither. In regard to humans, they are indifferent. Their purpose is to protect the land, and their loyalty rests there. They have no allegiance to man or Magical.”
In the distance, the wyvern spread its wings and flew deeper into the woods. Daniel watched its descent, awed by its gracefulness.
“They are the oldest living creatures,” Alistair said. “As long as history has been recorded, the wyverns have always been.”
They finished eating and walked into the valley, where Daniel was shocked to see at least a dozen more wyverns. While they seemed to know Alistair and not mind his being there, if they noticed Daniel it hardly showed. Walking among them, Daniel’s jaw stayed dropped the entire time. They were something out of a storybook, but they were standing two feet in front of him, as real as could be. He didn’t see them breathing fire (was glad, actually) but everything else was there—the scaly skin, the razor sharp teeth, and an enormous tail that could flatten an alligator. The one difference, he saw, was they didn’t have arms.
Alistair slowed for a few minutes, perhaps to give Daniel the opportunity to take it all in. “Are you ready?” he asked.
Daniel nodded. He was still blown away.
***
They left the valley and made their way up a steep hill. Stones littered the path and the ground was rough under their feet. Daniel fastened his pack to his waist to keep it from jostling. They didn’t speak much along the way and Daniel was glad for it. Why talk for the sake of talking? For Daniel, the silence allowed him the chance to sort things out in his head.
He’d gone to bed the night before protesting what he heard. It was crazy; stupid, even—curses, spells, souls being kept prisoner. I don’t believe it. It’s as simple as that. But then he heard the whisper in his head, “There are so many things I need to tell you,” and knew it wasn’t that easy.
It was not only possible, it was true, and that’s what made him angry. But it was a good angry, an angry that gets things done—an angry even his mom would understand, and definitely one his dad appreciated, with his love for boxing and being tough. Daniel felt tough, and it felt good. It wasn’t a school bully tough. It was a real kind of tough, one that fights for those getting picked on and doesn’t care about the opinions of others, as long as it’s doing what is right.
Daniel remembered something Alistair told him earlier. “Life never happens like you want it to. The sooner you figure that out, the sooner you can get back to what you need to be doing.”
Alistair’s right. There are a lot of things we don’t want, but we get them, anyway. It’s a matter of what you do with them. That’s what makes a man. Daniel pumped his fist. He knew exactly where he’d heard that before.
Alistair said they were going to the summit of the mountain. Daniel didn’t know what he meant at the time, but he did now. It was impossible to miss, looming in the distance. The mountain peak disappeared into thick thunderclouds, while lightning flashed around it. Daniel knew the lush valley would soon be replaced by wet, frigid rock. They were heading straight into the storm.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he climbed with laser-like intensity. Alistair walked at a steady pace, which Daniel appreciated. Actually, he was beginning to appreciate Alistair for who he was. The more time they spent together, the more he liked him. They hadn’t known each other long, but in the short time they had, Alistair had been a good friend. No, he’d been a great friend. One of the best.
Daniel heard something overhead and nearly jumped out of his shoes. He saw a strange birdlike creature in the distance. Alistair motioned him behind a large rock. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “It’s not looking for us. Keep still, though.”
Daniel watched it draw closer. It looked like a gigantic insect, perhaps some kind of fly. He couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, it was disgusting-looking and he couldn’t imagine how something grew to be so big—or so ugly.
“What the heck is that thing?” he asked.
“It’s called an Oren. It is a servant of Meruzilak.” Alistair crouched lower and whispered for Daniel to do the same. “The Oren take the departed souls and deliver them to the chasm of the summit, where they are held prisoner. Meruzilak has just killed someone, which means he is angry.”
Daniel watched the Oren slowly disappear from sight and asked, “Are you sure it didn’t see us?”
Alistair nodded then stood and collected his things. “We must get moving. There is no time to waste.”
As they pushed ahead, Daniel was quick to notice Alistair walked wit
h a little more hurry to his step, and that the air had suddenly cooled. It was hard for him to believe the weather and landscape could change this much in such a short period of time. Sure, it had been several hours, but to go from warm sunshine and green grass to freezing wind and slippery rock so quickly was not normal. Of course, what was normal? He wasn’t sure he knew anymore. Would something he did in Grisby be considered normal here, or would Alistair think it was weird? What if he put a piece of gum in his mouth and blew a bubble? Would Alistair poke fun at him? Maybe normal depends on where you live, Daniel thought.
The closer they got, the faster time seemed to pass, and the more the knot in his stomach tightened. Daniel tried to occupy his mind in whatever way possible. He tried making up songs. He thought about the last movie he’d seen. He even caught himself working math problems in his head; but still, he couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen when they reached the mountain.
He saw it more clearly now, its tall peak surrounded by gloom, the way its jagged ledges stuck out like bayonets. Its presence was the most awe-inspiring in the land, but the most chilling as well, dissuading any kind of cheer while inviting every form of trouble. And they would be there within a few short hours.
Be strong, Daniel reminded himself. Just keep walking. Don’t stop.
From out of nowhere, a vicious crack of lightning struck, threatening to split the sky to pieces. “He wants us to know he’s here,” Alistair said. “He’s trying to scare us.”
“Yeah, well, it worked.”
Alistair came to a stop. Cupping his hands behind his ears, he scanned the area, watching and listening for anything—the slightest sound or rustling in the brush.
“Alistair, what is it?”
“Shhh,” he whispered, barely breathing. “Perhaps nothing.”
Alistair reached into his pocket and took out a small glass vial. “Don’t move,” he said. He removed the stopper and turned the vial upside down, spreading fine dust over Daniel, then in a wide circle around him.
Chasm Page 16
