Chapter Twenty
He repeated the sentence, slower this time. "Blue. killed. my. aunt. How, why, how could this be?"
Aunt Cathy. Cheerful, happy go lucky, Aunt Cathy. She always visited on weekends and holidays, bringing her contagious good mood with her. Young Aunt Cathy, who had her whole life in head of her. How could she be gone? Just like that, in the blink of an eye. Erased from the world, but for what reason?
"Yes Andrew, King Vallidius Blue murdered your aunt. And that is only the beginning of it. The purpose of the Color Realms is the Light—"
"Excuse me sir, but what is the Light? What is its purpose? I asked some Greens this question, and they couldn't tell me."
"The Light brings enlightenment, joy, happiness, and every positive emotion to all of creation, Realms and Earth alike. Without it, we would be lost in despair. It gives hope and optimism to mankind, and to a lesser extent, to the other sentient peoples as well. It is also the source of all life, from whence the Creator sowed the first seeds, so long ago. He then gave over the task of upholding the Light to Man, and it has been his sacred duty ever since. But only when working in harmony with each other can the Colors hope to produce the Light. Disunity leads to imbalance. Imbalance will harm, or even extinguish the Light. In its place, darkness and despair will set in."
Teltibane paused again to sip his tea. A squirrel climbed in the open window and climbed onto his shoulder. "The Colors' purpose and duty is to serve the Light, as they were made to do, so many eons ago. The Light is the inspiration of all creation. But King Blue has turned. He thinks that he exists to serve himself, and himself only."
The gravity of the situation was starting to sink in.
"So you see, Andrew, that this is not my war. If the Light is lost, everyone, every human, and every living being, will be affected adversely. King Blue must be stopped. A hero is needed. A Champion must answer the call."
Andrew figured that if Teltibane wanted to harm him, he would've done so already. And if what he said was true, there was a monster out there who needed to be brought in. He had already killed Aunt Cathy, and probably many others. "I need to think it over."
But Greybeard was still operating under the old plan. He leaped up as he drew his broadsword, and held it to Teltibane's neck. "I got him Andrew! He needs to move his hands for magic. If they so much as twitch, he's dead. What should we do with him?"
Andrew looked at Greybeard's worn face. The rugged face of a valiant adventurer. He then looked at Teltibane's ancient, wise complexion. Who to trust? If Teltibane was right, they needed to work together to oppose Blue. But if he was lying, this might be his only chance to stop the true evil sorcerer, Teltibane himself. Everything hinged on this moment.
"No," said Andrew. "No Greybeard. We need to trust him. I feel he's telling the truth. We have to work together. We need to help."
"Are you sure? We won't have another chance."
"Yes."
Greybeard slowly lowered his sword. "I hope you're right."
Teltibane continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. "You need to think it over, Andrew. That's reasonable. It's a lot to take in all at once. But I must ask you to arrive at your decision quickly. If you are to be the one, we should start your training immediately, without delay. Time is against us. In any case, we should fly to the Citadel at once. If you will not be the Champion, I will return you to your home from there. But that will set us back at least a week to summon another, and to bring him or her here. And Andrew—"
"Yes?"
"Please think of all of the millions of people, and countless other beings that are relying on you to be the Champion, and to stop Blue. And think of your dear friend Katy. I believe that the only way for us to save her is if you stay on and become the Champion."
"Okay."
'Yeah,' Andrew thought to himself. 'Billions depend on you. But no pressure.'
"By the way, you sound as though you aren't sure if I am the real Champion or not. Even with all the signs, right?"
"That is correct. It is impossible to know one hundred percent for sure. Yet. But there is a test. We will talk more of it at the Citadel of the Light. Becoming the Champion will be a long and hard process. If you believe it to be in you, you will succeed."
Greybeard patted Andrew on the back. "I know yeh have it in you, Andrew. You will make a fine Champion."
"What if I fail the test? Who will be Champion?" Andrew asked.
"I will perform the Summoning once more, and another will have to be found."
They walked outside. The Kilon bird was gone.
"You arrived on Shamselle. And Dastelle is also nearby," said Teltibane. He put his fingers to his lips and whistled a series of notes.
Two Kilons appeared, and landed in the clearing. Greybeard and Andrew rode on Dastelle, the larger of the two birds, while Teltibane rode Shamselle. He gave the command to fly to the Citadel of the Light, and they were off, rainbow tipped wings flapping hard.
"Where is the Citadel!" Andrew shouted to Teltibane, who was thirty feet away.
"In the center of the Realm of the Light! It houses the Prism!"
So they were going to the point where all the beams of Color converged each and every day to from the mystical Light. That is where Teltibane wanted him to train to become the Champion. Whatever that meant.
Everything that had occurred to Andrew since that fateful walk in Arbori Park led up to this. His battle with the various rainforest creatures. His journey to Cassara. The expedition to the Five Peaks. The foray into the dark Nenwé mines. The struggle with the cursed treasure, and the ulthar army battle. The path through mist and fire. It was all culminating now, in his meeting with Teltibane, and his decision to become the Champion, or not.
And he had changed much along the way. He went from being a typical teenager, whose worst fear was the occasional pimple. Whose biggest battles were fighting to remove them. Or fighting with his parents to give him a bigger allowance, or later curfew. To a man, who could stare death in the face and fight it. Who travelled through a wild, perilous rainforest, and survived. Who had battled vicious creatures, and horrifying ulthars. Who had been outnumbered, yet prevailed.
And now he was being asked to take the next step. To become Champion and protector of the Light. To not just battle for his own life, but to wage war on behalf of all life. To wage war on the behalf of life itself. To fight for the cause of Good. To be, a Champion.
And yet, he was still a boy. A boy who faced the struggles of a man. But a boy, nonetheless.
Andrew suspected that this next step would be much, much harder than all of the challenges that he had faced already. To go from boy to Champion would be a long, difficult process, like Teltibane had said.
"Wow," said Greybeard over the wind. "We thought that you were merely going to be sent back home. And now you are to stay on to be a Champion. Incredible."
Andrew quoted Teltibane, "the path of the hero is never a lucid one. But I had a gut feeling all along that something big was going down here. Something much bigger than me. I'm not sure if I'm up to the task though."
The sky grew darker as they flew. The sun retreated into her home, giving way for the reign of the stars and moons of the night.
The less obvious are hidden by the obvious. The less prominent, behind the more prominent. That is the way of things. The great, brilliant light of the sun hides the less noticeable light of the stars. Therefore, only in its absence can the stars be viewed.
Would Andrew let the more obvious and prominent side of him, that of the young boy, conceal his less obvious side, that of the heroic man? Or would he push aside the scared boy, and reveal the valiant hero within? That remained to be seen.
Several hours later, Dantelle went into a glide. It was long dark. Andrew could make out in the shadows the silhouette of a tall thin tower, pointing up like a needle from the ground. Near it was a large medieval style castle. It was too da
rk to make out much else.
They came in closer, and Andrew could make out the many towers and turrets of the castle, reaching up like the fingers of a giant hand into the night sky.
They landed in front of the castle. Two men rushed out. One helped Teltibane off his mount, and then did the same for Andrew and Greybeard.
"Timelen, Binneh, show our guests to their rooms please," said Teltibane. "The Thiesden King or Nugvarin Hero suites in the basement will suit Ganvian. They will be decorated to his liking."
"Right away sir." Timelen took Andrew's pack, while Binneh took Greybeard's. "Follow me."
They entered the castle. The entrance hall was an oval shaped room. They climbed one of two elaborate staircases that started to the left and right of the entrance, and curved their way along the wall to the second floor. The hall was lit by an ornate, golden chandelier which dominated the room.
Binneh led Greybeard down to the lower levels of the castle.
"Good night," Andrew said.
"'Night," said Greybeard.
Timelen led Andrew to the third floor. His room was decorated with purple and dark red draperies and rugs, and handsome dark wood furniture.
Andrew collapsed into bed, and was asleep in seconds.
Andrew woke late the next morning, and made his way downstairs, where Timelen was waiting.
"Good morning Timelen."
"Good morning young Andrew. You can call me Tim. How was your sleep?"
"Satisfying. The comfortable bed was a pleasant change from the rocks and trees that I've gotten used to these last several weeks."
"Good. I'm glad you slept well. Only don't get used to sleeping this late, if you are to become the Champion. Come, let me show you to the main dining room. Teltibane is waiting for you to start breakfast."
They walked through a hallway that was decorated with many potted plants. Some seemed to move and wave, as if alive and mobile. Though whenever Andrew would stop and stare, they would summarily freeze. Interesting. Shy plants.
They entered the dining room through a tall arched doorway. The first thing Andrew noticed were the large elegant paintings that adorned the walls, most of them depicting fantastic creatures; chimeras, dragons, griffins. Some also had a figure in armor battling the creatures, others did not.
In the room's center was a large circular table. Light came from three chandeliers that were made of crystals of every color surrounding clear ones in the center, emulating the Realms of Color and the Realm of the Light.
Seated at the table were Teltibane, Greybeard, a dark haired girl Andrew didn't know, a tall proud elf, and a man in a violet suit, who was in the middle of a heated discussion with the old wizard.
The man waved his arms animatedly. "We think that it was the sabotaging elves of Glanedin. If it keeps up, our viden output will decrease by thirty percent. We have every right to attack!"
"Leave the elves out of it, Celd," said Teltibane gently. "Your Queen still bears a grudge against Glanedin for the Forze incident. It is likely just a case of rugu beetles which are ruining your crops. Use the incantation I have prescribed on your crops. The problem will vanish within a fortnight, I promise you."
"And if it doesn't, does the Royal House of Violet have the High King's authorization to attack Glanedin?"
"Yes, permission is granted," said Teltibane heavily. "But it won't come to that, I assure you."
"Thank you." Celd stood up to go. "I was lucky to have found you here."
"Farewell, Celd."
"Farewell, your royal Highness."
Celd left, and Andrew sat down.
"Emissary from Violet," Teltibane explained. "Politics."
They ate a breakfast of scrumptious hot rolls and delicious finlen eggs, with a large variety of jams and cheeses. It was the best meal that Andrew had had since he arrived in the Realms.
Teltibane introduced the dark haired girl. "This is Kiara. She will be training with you, should you choose to become Champion."
Kiara gave Andrew a curt nod, her serious expression never leaving her face. She had a dark complexion, and jet black hair that reached most of the way down her back. A black and grey robe adorned her slim body.
"Pleasure to meet you," Andrew said.
"And this is Finor." Teltibane indicated the elf. "He will assist in your training as well."
"Pleased to meet you." The elf placed his hand on his heart, then stretched it out towards Andrew. "It's a standard elf greeting."
"Nice to meet you too," said Andrew. "The first elf I have ever seen. Wow."
"Oh," said Finor politely. "Interesting. The elves have always been at the forefront of culture and thought throughout the ages, you should know."
"Oh. Nice to know." Andrew forged on through the delicious meal. It was making up for days of dried fruit and vegetables.
Teltibane put down his fork. "Now, please allow me to explain in detail about the conflict between the Royal Houses of Blue and Green. The conflict of the present day has its roots in a far older one. Many, many years ago, when the world was much younger, all things were painted in all colors equally. The sky was not the azure blue we see today, but was rather of all colors, and Earth's vegetation was not the vibrant green it is now, but was a mix of color, as they were made according to the original plan. The Creator wished that all the Colors be of equal strength and influence. But a great war ensued, instigated by none other than our very own King Vallidius Blue. Blue wanted everything. He wanted that the Earth and sky give praise to his name. He wanted to be all-powerful, and that all be painted a lustrous, vivid blue. And so Blue took the sky as his own."
"Did anyone stand up to him?" asked Greybeard.
"An alliance of some of the other Colors, led by Lord Yionaffe Green, stood up to Blue. Green knew that if Blue took the Earth, and its plants and stones as well, then the careful balance between the Colors would be lost, and the Light along with it. He fought to protect the Light. I remember the battle well. A great and terrible day it was. The heavens themselves were rent open. I myself fought alongside Lord Green in that battle. At times it seemed that Blue would have his perfidious way. But the just and faithful prevailed, and Blue was not allowed the domination he craved. How dark it would have been had he triumphed. I shudder to think of it to this day."
"But why are the plants of Earth green today, if they were originally made to be of all colors?" Finor asked. "Did Green take the plants, as Blue took the sky?"
"No. As a reward for his courage, and his support of the cause of the Light, Lord Green was given the greenery of Earth; its forests and its plants. It wasn't always like that. I can still remember the colored Earth of old. But Lord Green was rewarded, and that is why the vegetation that envelops the Earth is green to this day."
"Wow," said Andrew. "I never knew why plants are green. But I suppose that I never gave it much thought either, since that's the way it has always been. But now, it makes so much more sense. Even colorful flowers have green stalks. Logically, if the flower is pink, or blue, why wouldn't the stalk also be that color? Nearly all plants are mostly green."
"Yes," said Finor. "Although if the tree trunks would also be green, that might create an imbalance in the Light, with Green being too dominant."
"Yes Finor, you're probably right." Teltibane continued the account of the conflict. "Ever since the Battle of the Sky, the treacherous Blue has been sending his agents from the Color Realms to Earth, whose purpose it is to take revenge on Green. Their mission is to ruin and destroy the greenery of Earth, thereby weakening Lord Green in the Realms. Although their efforts didn't produce much, for many a century.
"Around one hundred and fifty years ago, Blue's agents grew more cunning. They would never be listened to if they declared outright war of the forests. So they disguised their agenda, and did their work in the name of 'progress', and 'industrialization.' They built factories, to belch black smoke into the air, thereby poiso
ning the atmosphere. They built railroads, to clear the forests. Many of the so-called 'fathers of the industrial age' have really been Immortal agents of King Blue.
"And it's working. Alas, their efforts have started to take hold. The lush forests of Earth are disappearing at an alarming rate. The green environment is being cut up, and tortured. What is done in the Mortal world echoes in this one, when it comes to the Colors. The harming of Earth's greenery threatens a weakening of the Color of Green, hence an imbalance of the Light. Too much, or too little of one color, and the pure, white Light will fail to be produced. Andrew would understand, he's a painter and knows of mixing colors."
Andrew nodded. If the parts of color were equal, they could combine to make white. It made sense.
"Green would be decimated, by the mighty hand of Blue. Something had to be done."
"What about diplomacy. Talking to Blue?" Andrew asked.
"I tried. They were turned away at the gates. Blue in his arrogance would not even grant my representatives an audience. Blue was growing too strong. Several weeks ago, I sent my own agents to Earth, with a mission to weaken the increasing power of Blue. They were to convince the influential fashion designer and supermodel, Miss Edomal Blaize, to place a fashion ban on the wearing of blue for the coming summer season. This would be a big blow to Blue, as the colors that mortals choose for themselves to wear and to surround themselves with have a much greater influence on the power of the Kings and Queens of Color in the Realms.
"My plan succeeded. Miss Blaize would declare blue out-of-style for the summer. But, she added something of her own. She will be hiring airplanes to spray green gasses into the air in many major mortal cities throughout the world, to block out the blue sky, and kick off the start of a blue-free summer.
"Why she chose the color green, I cannot say. But it certainly wasn't because of the influence of our Lord Green. King Blue has found out of this plan of hers, and he believes that it is his old enemy, Green, who is after his power. He believes that Lord Green's agents influenced her to place the ban on blue! The proof, the fact that the skies are to be colored green. Blue believes that Lord Green is threatening his power. And there is nothing in this world that King Blue cares more for than his power."
"What will Blue do?" Kiara asked.
"Blue has been building up his military," said Teltibane. "Troop movements have been spotted by our spies. This declaration of Miss Blaize to ban blue, which Blue alleges was caused by Green, may be reason enough for Blue to wage outright war against the Realm of Green. And this is where you come in, Andrew. I knew that we would probably have need of a Champion, to fight in the war that will surely erupt soon, between the Realms of Green and Blue. I performed the deep magic that was required, and I fashioned the Summoning Books from the Light. That is why your robe, which came from the book, is indestructible. I performed the Summoning ritual, and you Andrew, answered the Calling. You received the book. And you arrived here."
Now it was all finally explained. Andrew wasn't here in the magical Color Realms by chance. Neither was he here at the summons of an evil sorcerer. He was brought here to become a hero, and to fight the people's battle. To help defend Lord Yionaffe Green and his Realm against the might of King Vallidius Blue, and in doing so, protect the sacred and mystical Light.