“Erin, child, you have grown since we last saw you.”
“Yes, Master.” said Erin, entering in a respectful bow.
“What brings you here at this late hour?”
“I have been sent by Tyrius. I was to relay urgent news to you regarding the Forgotten Temple.” she said.
“Very well, the council shall see you now. I believe this is something all of us should hear.” said the old man.
He led Erin and David through the door into a large circular room with a wooden crescent shaped table in the center. There were four other Elders, each resembling the appearance and vigor of the Master Elder only with their own unique characteristics. They were seated at the table with two empty seats in the center: one David assumed was for the Master Elder, the other for Erin’s Master, Tyrius. The council sat silently, waiting for Erin to speak.
“I have been sent by Master Tyrius to deliver a message of great importance.” she began. “We were out walking through the woods near the Forgotten Temple when Tyrius had a strange feeling overcome him. He felt something disturbing the barriers within the temple and decided we should further look into the disturbance. Upon walking into the temple, we noticed something unimaginable - the orb was missing.”
The Elders each looked to one another and nodded their heads as if they were silently coming to an agreement.
“Go on, my child” urged the Master Elder.
“All we know is that the orb was missing. I was told to stay behind and search the area while Tyrius went and alerted the Royal Guards to search the surrounding area. He is currently at the palace speaking with the King himself. But there is one more thing I must report to the council,” she said, shifting her weight uncomfortably to the other foot.
“After Tyrius left to find the soldiers, I came in contact with David” she gestured towards David before continuing. “He said he was knocked unconscious and left for dead outside the Outer Woods in the Great Plains. When he awoke, he was chased by wolf-like beasts into the Outer Woods.”
As Erin paused, the council’s entire demeanor suddenly changed. They were agitated, David could tell, and he suspected it was because of the mention of the wolf-creatures that chased him. The way everyone seemed to react when they were mentioned told David that they weren’t common in these parts.
When their murmuring died down, Erin continued.
“There’s something else.” Erin said, twisting her foot slightly while thinking over the best way to reveal the big news. “I think it is best I just show you. David, go ahead and show them your hand.”
David’s stomach sank to the pit of his bowels as he shuffled uncomfortably, not feeling so up to the task of revealing his hand to the council. He didn’t know these people, what they would do, what they would think of him. Their silence left him uneasy. Why haven’t they said anything about what Erin was telling them?
He hesitated a few moments, thinking it over. He trusted Erin; she was the only person in this world that he knew, so he didn’t really have much of a choice. She did help him before at the temple, she could have just given him away to the soldiers, to the evil man, but she didn’t, she kept him a secret. Finally, he made up his mind. He slowly walked forward and bowed respectively before the Elders.
The council stood silent in wonder before the Master Elder finally spoke.
“What is it you have to show us, child?”
David slowly lifted his arm and stretched out his hand for the Elders to see. The orb slowly pulsed, shining faintly in his skin.
The elders all gasped, eyes wide at what they were seeing, each shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
“So, you are the one spoken of in the prophecy,” the Master Elder remarked after what felt an eternity of silence.
“I don’t know about any prophecy. But if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is this?” David asked, looking at his outstretched hand with the orb pulsing gently within.
“That is the ancient Orb of Power, crafted by the Mystics themselves in a time and age long since passed. It is an ancient artifact that holds extraordinary powers for the one who wields it, though I am not quite sure how it is that you have bonded with it. Anyone who has ever tried to take it from its resting place has not lived to tell the tale!
“There is much prophecy regarding the orb and its chosen master, too much to go over at this time. But know this, David… you have been given a great gift, but use it wrongly, and it will bring us all great destruction! Tell me… how is it that you came about wielding this orb?”
David shuffled his feet for a moment while he considered how to proceed. He had told Erin that he was kidnapped and knocked unconscious. Part of that was the truth, but not the whole truth. He never mentioned to her that it was a glowing glob of goo that had done the kidnapping, or that it had transported him into a completely different world!
He looked over at Erin and gave her a small smile. He knew she would feel betrayed if he told them the truth now, but he felt he had no other choice – no one else would know more about what he was going through than these men he now stood before.
So, David swallowed his pride and his guilt, and told them how he had unintentionally found the portal in his own world, and how he was pulled through it into the world he was in now. He told them of his flight from the wolf-like beast and his trek through the forest up to where he had found the Forgotten Temple.
“And as I walked in, something overcame me. A feeling of sorts…urging me to go inside, to go toward the pedestal. It was like I had no control over my body. And there was this voice in my head, telling me to reach out and take it. I grabbed the orb and then, when I realized what was happening, I couldn’t let go. Next thing I knew I was laying on the floor and it was stuck in my hand. Then you came.” David said, looking at Erin who quickly turned away, a hard look in her eyes.
“But…while I was unconscious, I had this vision.” he continued.
Erin looked back at David, curious to hear what came next, forgetting her anger temporarily.
“I was in a field full of men that were armed for battle, a field like the one I woke up in before. Two armies stood before me, one of light and one surrounded by darkness, they were ready to go to war. And in the middle of the field a man stood laughing. He had this extraordinary power. He tore open these large fissures in the earth with a single strike of his hand…it was terrifying. The darkness…it consumed the army of light. Then…from the depths, this eerie light started to grow brighter and brighter…the man looked at me, and I woke up” David finished.
“And this man, have you seen him before?” asked the Master Elder, a look of concern growing on his face.
“Yes…once before.” said David. “The man in my vision was the man leading the patrol that came to the Temple.”
The Master Elder’s eyes opened wide in disbelief as he quickly rose from his seat. The look on his face filled David with the same fear that now filled Erin.
“But Master, that man was General Krauss!” she cried.
Chapter V
Tyrius Vanderbolt led General Krauss and the company of soldiers through the bustling city streets of Eldergate. The sun was high in the sky still but had already reached its peak and was now starting its long journey towards the horizon. The crowds parted as they approached, leaving ample room for the men to pass with ease. A vibrant murmur ensued as the citizens whispered to each other, quietly speculating what the sense of urgency was all about.
The company walked past the marketplace and down the main boulevard some ways before reaching the palace gate. It was bordered by a wall of ten foot high snow-white stone running East and West as far as the eye could see, with large bronze basins spaced evenly down the walls, each eternal flame providing light along the wall and the surrounding area.
The gate itself was comprised of a collection of thick, twisted iron bars staggering in increasing height and culminating at the highest bar in the middle. There was a large ornate, gold-plated “E” in the cent
er, representing the great city of Eldergate. To each side of the gate stood large black obsidian gargoyles, the ancient guardians of the city, standing as silent sentries against any potential threat that approached the gates. It is said that if the city ever came under siege, the gargoyles would spring to life and defend the palace against her enemies.
As Tyrius and the General approached, the sentries quickly swung open the gates and slammed their fists on their chest plates, saluting the General as he and his company of men passed by. Beyond the gates they passed through a vast garden full of vibrant flowers and elaborate hedging with a large decorative fountain in the center.
The fountain was an extravagant piece of art, gifted to the current king, King Lionel Eldergate XIV, by one of the local masons as a tribute to his remarkable victory at the end of the last great war twenty-five years prior. It depicted the king in his prime, sitting atop his armor-clad war-horse Genova, as he slayed the great King Gerome Greatfoot of the Southern Kingdom in the Battle of the Northern Pass.
That was the last conflict the world had seen and has since been known as the war to end all wars. It was also the primary factor that led Eldergate to become the most bustling, economic center the world had ever seen since its primary Southern rival had all but diminished after its devastating defeat in the war. Since then, every city aspired to be as powerful and profitable as Eldergate; many smaller kingdoms even using its design as a template to start their own sprawling metropolis, albeit not as successful or persuasive.
Eldergate was a shining gem in the world of Hurea, mostly because of its location. It was established during the first Age as a mining outpost, making it one of Hurea’s oldest known cities to still be vibrant and growing. It was nestled in the outskirts of the Outer Woods surrounding the Mystic Mountain, partly because of the historical significance of the location – being the origin of the creation of the Mystics, according to legends – but mostly because of its access to seemingly infinite resources that were found within the Mystic Mountain, Outer Woods, and the fertility of the surrounding lands.
On top of the resources, the location was strategic. It was surrounded on three of its four sides by dense forest, impossible for any army to penetrate effectively, leaving only one side to defend which was heavily fortified by the front gates, said to be impenetrable by many. Nevertheless, none had been foolish enough to try in over a quarter century, leaving the city to bask in its economic prosperity year after year, the threat of war a distant worry of the past.
Finally, the company reached the large stone staircase leading up to the front of the palace. Its sheer size and beauty belittled all that lay before it. The entryway towered fifty feet above the tallest man with thick wooden doors that seemed impossible for any one man to open. Its numerous towers seemed to penetrate the sky itself, rising into the clouds and into the vast blue beyond.
The stone walls were the same majestic white as the wall beyond the gardens, nearly blinding when the sun struck it just right. They were polished smooth and fitted so perfectly together, that not even a sheet of parchment could be inserted between any two stones. No moss or vines grew on its surface, as it was constantly maintained by the hundreds of servants who daily inspected the grounds around the palace, scrubbing even the dirt deposited from the wind on a stormy afternoon.
As they approached, the doors slowly opened in invitation as if beckoned by an invisible force. Tyrius and the General led the company into the grand entry chamber, seemingly unaffected by the staggering height and vastness of the room. They stopped short of a large carpeted granite stairway in the center of the room. The floors were polished white marble and had countless veins of silver ore that ran in every direction, flaunting the mineral wealth of the kingdom.
Suddenly the sound of a door opening and urgent footsteps echoed throughout the room. Seconds later a small stout man with thinning, slicked back hair began briskly walking down the stairs to the company of soldiers.
He was dressed in his usual Royal attire of a black top and bottom suit with white gloves and polished black shoes. His demeanor was that of high-class, although in truth he was raised in the lower parts of the city and had earned his wealth through hard work and the right connections. Now he was the head of the palace staff and commanded a legion of servants who came immediately at his beck and call. A position he much enjoyed and was as source of great pride for him and his family.
When he reached the bottom step, his attention focused immediately on the elderly man at the head of the group.
“What brings you here, Master Tyrius? As always it is an honor.” he said with a slight bow.
“We have found something very curious at the Forgotten Temple.” replied Tyrius, returning a slightly higher bow, as was customary in such a meeting.
“The Forgotten Temple? Does this concern the orb?” asked the man, clearly concerned at the mention of the temple and all too familiar with the prophecies surrounding the mysterious object.
Everyone knew of the prophecies, as they had been passed down from generation to generation since the dawn of time, albeit mostly as a children’s story; but there were some who took them very seriously, especially by the Royal Family and those they were close to.
Tyrius walked up to the small man and began talking in a more serious, hushed tone.
“Gone,” he said. “This could mean only one thing, Master Arjen; the time of the prophecy has come. Our kingdom, no…our world, is going to be facing many challenges ahead if the prophecies are true. I must speak with the King at once” replied Tyrius.
“Very well…I will go and inform the King. Please wait in his study, I presume you remember the way?” he said with a slight bow, and he quickly rushed up the stairs and disappeared down a hallway that led into the King’s personal wing of the palace.
Tyrius walked up the stairs and into the circular study where he was instructed to wait for the King while General Krauss and the others waited in the main entry chamber.
The room was highly decorated with several of the kingdom’s most prized artifacts – armor, swords and shields once wielded in epic battles by the knights of old, still polished to a mirror finish; the most famous of which was donned by the First Knight of Eldergate who, according to legend, had sacrificed his own life fighting off a horde of a thousand demons in the Battle of Salvation, sparing the life of his brother and King – the first King of Eldergate. It was the end of that battle that marked the beginning of the time of man, and the end of the Defiant One’s dominance in the world of Hurea. It also marked the end of the First Age nearly 2,500 years ago.
Priceless necklaces made of the finest jewels stood prominently on display in perfectly polished glass cases. Dozens of portraits lined the walls, each depicting kings of the past, all from the great Eldergate family line.
Out of all these wonders, none interested Tyrius more than the books. Overstuffed bookshelves built into the wall on the far end of the circular room stretched to the ceiling and comprised of worn out tomes and parchments, each possessing the knowledge of the ages and were invaluable to the King and his advisors.
As he slowly paced around the room, running his fingers down the familiar spines of the ancient tombs he had at some time or another read over a dozen times each, Tyrius noticed a book that lay open on a small table near the window in the far side of the study.
The book was ancient and fading but Tyrius knew the script. It was one of the most important books on recorded prophecy, and curiously, it was opened to the pages concerning the orb. He silently wondered to himself why the King was looking into the prophecy before his company had yet arrived to inform him of the recent events.
Absorbed in his thoughts, Tyrius suddenly realized he was no longer alone. He looked up from the book and saw General Krauss standing in the doorway to the study, one hand clasped behind his back, his other resting lightly on the hilt of his sword as it normally was, a familiar habit of a war-seasoned general, he presumed.
“What is it,
General?” said Tyrius, wondering why the General had come without the King.
“How is it, I might ask, that a man of your reputation and…skillset, hasn’t come to know more about prophecy than the sages of old?” replied General Krauss.
“Where is the King?” asked Tyrius, dismissing the General’s strange question. “I have come here to inform him that the time of the prophecy has come. I sense that something big is on the horizon and must discuss our options with him and the Council.” He began feeling uneasy with each passing moment. Something wasn’t right; he could feel a dark presence overwhelming the usually peaceful aura of the palace.
“I assure you the King is perfectly safe while he is in this palace.” replied the General confidently. “So, the legendary orb has gone missing? Very interesting…” he said, slowly running his finger across a dusty shelf and rubbing his fingers together to remove the dust. He was pacing slowly around the room as he spoke and Tyrius noticed the General’s hand still firmly resting on the hilt of his sword.
Something definitely isn’t right…. he mused.
“Yes, which is why it is of paramount importance that I speak with the King!” said Tyrius, agitated at the General’s games. He closed the book of prophecy and walked over to look out the window. He was starting to worry. The sun had already started setting behind the tops of the trees of the Outer Woods.
“Where is Arjen? It shouldn’t be taking this long…” said Tyrius, mostly to himself. Something was wrong. Arjen would know the importance of such an event and would have seen to it that the King was promptly informed. The King should have been here by now.
“Is something the matter?” asked General Krauss, a hint of concern in his voice.
“My apologies, general. It appears my old friend has gotten lost on his search for the King. I cannot wait any longer. I must go to him myself.” replied Tyrius urgently as he began walking towards the door to the hallway.
David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb Page 4
