Joshua spotted the onyx. It landed near the chasm ledge but wasn’t going to stay there long. It had started to roll and was picking up speed. The problem was Joshua couldn’t stand up—it was too slippery and he kept falling. He had to slide down on his butt, steadying himself by digging his fingers into the cracks of rock. He slipped and nearly lost his balance.
“Joshua, hurry.”
“I’m trying.”
Joshua knew he wouldn’t make it. The stone was falling too fast. It was heading straight for the chasm and would be lost unless he did something. There was one thing he could think to do, so he pumped his fists several times, trying to work up the courage to do it. “Here goes nothing,” he said and let himself fall.
Joshua hurtled toward the rim of the abyss, grabbing the stone as he slid past. With his free hand, he caught himself between the splinters in the ground before he fell off. He looked up, his face full of wonder. “I got it, Daniel!”
It was then the world stopped.
Daniel could only watch. What was happening? Meruzilak looked madder than a viper, yet he and Joshua were still alive. Was it Alistair? Daniel raised his eyes, trying to spot their cloud. He couldn’t find it, though he did see two wyverns circling the mountain’s tallest spire.
“Wherever you are,” Daniel whispered to his friend, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but thanks. And keep it up.” He spotted his brother, who’d climbed back onto the ledge. As soon as they made eye contact, Daniel saw fear in Joshua’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” he called. To show him, Joshua held up the onyx.
The stone was glowing in Joshua’s hand. Perhaps it had finally warmed up.
Joshua felt power surging inside him, coming to a boil under his skin. The stone shook in his hand. It burned, but Joshua held on tightly. He didn’t have any idea what was happening (Daniel seemed to know something about what was going on) but he wasn’t about to let go, no matter what.
The pain was almost too much to take. From his arms to his legs, it felt like something was trying to force its way out his body and wasn’t going to stop until it had done so, even if it meant ripping apart Joshua’s flesh. Joshua shut his eyes and tried to ignore the pain. He clasped both hands around the stone and braced himself. This was it.
The onyx exploded with light. It ruptured the sky, blinding everything in sight. Light seized hold of the landscape, filling it with sparks of orange, red, and blue, and shrouded Joshua with luminance so intense that Daniel had to cover his eyes. He realized immediately, he’d seen this before.
Meruzilak saw the light pouring from Joshua’s arms. Everything was slipping away. His plan ruined. How could this have happened, the jewel for his throne lost? The torrent inside him raged, while smoke poured from his temples. “No,” he bellowed. He raised his staff and struck the ground with all his force. “I should have killed you.”
The ground answered in a low roar. Again, Meruzilak raised his staff and struck the earth. “I should have killed you.”
The ground cracked, while the mountain split. The hallmarks of a torn earth.
Meruzilak lifted his arm to deliver a final blow but stopped. The anger left his eyes, replaced by another emotion, one less familiar. The frightened look on his face gave him away, as if he’d seen a ghost. “That’s impossible,” he said. “It can’t be.”
There at the summit of the mountain, surrounding Joshua, stood Illiana, Sebastian, and Cornelius. This time, they didn’t look sad. They didn’t look defeated. They looked determined. Rays of light streamed from the stone, shooting into their fingertips. They were taking their power back. And when they’d done so, the four of them turned on Meruzilak with unceasing fury.
Daniel, through the slits of his fingers, peeked to see what was happening. He saw Illiana’s face and knew right away: Meruzilak didn’t stand a chance. The word that came to mind was fierce. Yes, Illiana was kind, but she was also fierce and was exacting revenge for a death she witnessed many, many years ago. She sent stream after stream, pounding Meruzilak with each one. Daniel almost felt sorry for him—almost, but not quite.
Meruzilak defended himself briefly, but only briefly. As he shrank in size, the dirt and frost fell from his face and returned to the hardened earth. The silvery ooze crusted inside his eyes.
“No!” he shouted a final time. But it was a defeated cry, with no authority behind it. He was powerless, and what’s more, seemed to know it. So when the wyverns circled down on him, he raised his staff as if to destroy them, but it was lip service. And when the smaller of the two grabbed him with its claws, the only thing he could do was blame the boys and yell, “This is your fault!”
Then, as if playing paddleball, the wyvern tossed Meruzilak into the air, while the larger of the two brought its tail down with a heavy thump, catching him and crushing him into the ground. The same ground he destroyed.
Illiana lowered her arms. She glanced at Joshua (who looked to be in a trance), turned, and nodded to the others. She and Cornelius and Sebastian lifted themselves from the ground and flew away. But before she disappeared, Illiana turned to Daniel and smiled. Daniel waved to her. She smiled again, this time wider, and the wrinkles showed near her eyes. A testimony to a life well-lived. Then, just like that, she was gone. Even now, she was as mysterious as when he first met her.
The sky returned to its usual appearance, the earth to its cold barrenness. The heat coming from Joshua evaporated and Daniel was finally able to look at his brother directly. Joshua stood mystified, a confused look on his face.
“Joshua, are you okay?”
“I think so. What happened?”
Daniel made his way over to his brother. He checked to make sure he was safe to touch then lifted him into the air. The boys scrambled to the hole where Meruzilak had been smashed. They looked down into it, though all they saw was an empty spot.
“They really pulverized him,” said Joshua. “Good, I’m glad. I hated him. I really hated him.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Daniel said, mussing Joshua’s hair. “What are you doing here, anyway? And how did you end up with Meruzilak? This is crazy.”
It was all the opening Joshua needed. After all, he’d been trapped for days with no one to talk to.
“Try double crazy. Or triple crazy. The lights and ghosts and caterpillars. And there was this guy, Staggor. Actually, he was more of a lizard but was trying to help me, but I didn’t know about it and Meruzilak blasted him with this light thing and he disappeared. Then I was in this cave and—”
“Okay, time out,” Daniel said. Once Joshua got started it was hard for him to stop. Besides, he heard noise coming from the chasm. Lots of noise, actually. “Get ready, Joshua,” he whispered, turning a keen eye to what was happening. “I’ve got a feeling we haven’t seen anything yet.”
For Joshua, as he watched the spirits rise from the chasm and fly away, it was like walking into a movie that was halfway over. He watched it take place but didn’t feel anything. For Daniel, he couldn’t describe what he was feeling. Every wish, every dream of his for the past year had been for this moment and he wanted it more than anything. He was crying long before his father appeared.
“Dad,” the boys yelled and ran to him.
“Daniel! Joshua!” The boys jumped into his arms. “I miss you so much,” he said.
“We miss you, too, Daddy,” Joshua said, sobbing.
Daniel’s lips trembled. He’d dreamed of this moment for so long and now that it was here he couldn’t stop crying long enough to say anything. Joel held them for quite some time. Though he was seen as a spirit, to the boys he was no less real than if he’d been sitting on the bed reading them a story. With the emotion of the moment, neither of the boys noticed the other man standing there. He was older, of course, but Daniel would know those eyes anywhere. He wiped the tears from his face and said hello to his granddad.
The boys made their introductions. Grandpa Tucker already knew a great deal about them so it saved the awkward p
hase of getting acquainted with each other. They swapped stories until finally there was an uncomfortable silence. They all knew what it meant. Sadly, no perfect moment can last forever.
“Dad,” Joshua asked, “are you coming back with us?”
Daniel and his father shared a look. “I wish I could, Joshua. More than anything. I need you to do something for me, okay? I want you to take care of your mom. Will you do that, Joshua?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Pinky swear?”
Joshua held out his hand. “Pinky swear.”
“Dad,” Daniel said, “did you know about all this?”
“I knew of Cornelius’s prophecy but didn’t know it involved the both of you. At least until the day you found me inside the mausoleum. The night before, I woke up and saw your grandfather standing beside me. I didn’t know if it was a dream or not. He looked just like I remembered him. He told me there was something I should see.
“I met Illiana, Daniel, like you did. But she refused me the stone. She said it wasn’t meant for me. From there, I pieced it together. I was going to tell you. I wanted to wait until you got older. I thought I had more time. I shouldn’t have waited.”
“Maybe it happened the way it was supposed to happen, Dad.”
“I’m so proud of you both. You’re so brave. I love you so much. I love your mother so much. I miss her.”
“She misses you, too, Dad. She hasn’t been the same since you left.”
“I wish I didn’t have to leave. I’d give all the world to still be there and have us together again. I’m so sorry this had to happen.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Dad. We know that.”
“Come here,” Joel said and squeezed them tightly. Even though the boys couldn’t feel anything, it might have been the most comforting moment of their lives. “I love you. So does your mother. You both have so much to look forward to.”
Joel and the boys said goodbye to each other, and there wasn’t a dry eye among them. Then the boys said goodbye to their grandfather, who told them, “See you around.” Daniel wasn’t sure what he meant by that.
Grandfather and father waved goodbye one final time and floated away. Daniel and Joshua remained silent for several moments, each processing what occurred in his own way, but were interrupted by what sounded like an earthquake. They remembered: Meruzilak split the mountain. They’d better get out of there—and fast.
“I guess the way is down,” said Daniel. “Are you ready?”
Joshua looked over the edge. “Oh, man, it’s a long way. How did you get up here, anyway?”
Daniel shook his head. “Don’t ask. I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s get the snot out of here.”
“Right,” said Joshua. “Let’s get the snot out of here.”
A boulder tumbled past them and spilled over the mountainside. Larger ones, they knew, would soon follow. Daniel took Joshua’s hands and helped him down a ledge, and together, the boys made their way down from the summit of the mountain.
They came to a clearing and stopped to rest for a moment. Daniel wiped the sweat from his face with his shirt. “Here, let me see that,” he said. Joshua handed him the stone.
“I’m still in shock over what you did back there. And what’s up with all the light shooting out of your eyes?”
“Did you see the dragons?” Joshua said. “They were the coolest things ever.”
Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve hung out with them before. I’m used to them.”
“Really? That’s so cool.”
“They’re the guardians of the land.”
Out of nowhere, a shrieking sound pierced the boys’ ears. They looked up and saw an Oren heading straight toward them. Daniel grabbed Joshua by the arm and ducked behind a rock. Meruzilak may have been defeated, there may not be any more souls to take, but he still didn’t trust the Oren. It was too ugly to trust.
It landed several feet from them and Daniel peeked from behind the rock, his eyes meeting those of the bird. “Oh, no way,” he said and scrambled to his feet. “Come on out, Josh. I want you to meet a friend of mine.”
Wings turned to hands, talons into feet. Alistair stood beside the boys, wearing a huge smile. “You didn’t think I’d miss out on all the excitement, did you?”
Daniel made the introductions. “Joshua, this is my friend, Alistair. Alistair, this is my brother, Joshua.”
“Pleased to meet you, Alistair.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, too, Joshua. Are you boys ready to go home?”
Joshua’s face lit up.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Daniel answered.
“Then let’s go.” Alistair slowly changed back into the Oren and the boys climbed on its back. The Oren, with a flutter of its wings, took flight.
As Alistair circled over the summit a final time, Daniel recalled seeing the chasm for the first time, his fear as he stood over it and heard the voices calling to him. He remembered his shock upon seeing Joshua with Meruzilak. He thought about seeing his dad, the final words he’d spoken, and tears streamed down his cheeks. It wasn’t a big deal. Besides, Joshua was sitting in front and couldn’t see him. All you take with you, Daniel, are the people and memories. People and memories, that’s all.
Daniel watched the mountain get smaller and smaller until he finally saw it no more. He took a snapshot in his mind. He wanted to always remember.
Even though it had been nonstop craziness, he knew he'd miss this place. He felt certain when he looked back on it a few years down the road, he wouldn’t even remember the danger. More likely, he’d remember Alistair and the cabin, or turning somersaults inside a shape-shifted cloud. That’s what he’d remember, the good things: the breakfast spent with the dragons, rowing the canoe while wearing his borrowed cloak, eating koncheuhs by the fire.
As they flew atop the Oren, the boys recounted their stories to each other, and though Daniel was amazed at all Joshua had been through, he was glad when he finally talked himself out. He needed to have a private conversation with Alistair, even if it didn’t involve words.
“Alistair,” he thought. “Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you, Daniel. How’s the flight?”
Daniel wasn’t sure how he heard Alistair’s thoughts, but he was glad for it. “You were a bit bumpy on takeoff and need some serious padding on this thing, but other than that, it’s great. Alistair, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“It was Joshua who made the stone come to life, so that means the prophecy was meant for him. Did you know that beforehand? You said I was—”
“I’ve been waiting for you to ask that question. I was hoping you wouldn’t because I didn’t have an answer. I still don’t. I’ve only been able to come up with one explanation.”
“And what is that?”
“That Illiana, Cornelius, and Sebastian were more brilliant than we ever imagined.”
“How do you figure?”
“If the three of them knew that when they passed on, their souls would be taken by Meruzilak, they must have suspected he had access to their memories. He would surely learn about the prophecy and what they’d done. However, I think they found a way to throw him off the trail.
“I haven’t spoken much of Sebastian, nor his power, but Sebastian possessed a unique gift. In fact, he was a distant relation of mine. He was a concealer.”
“Concealer?”
“Do you remember after we saw the Oren, when I made the replication of you?”
“How could I forget? It was the best hologram ever.”
“Again, I don’t know …”
“I know, I know. You don’t know what a hologram is.”
“But, yes, similar to that. I was concealing our actual location. But a true concealer is much more than that. He is able to conceal not only actions, but thoughts. Like a blanket thrown over the head of someone trespassing. Sebastian, if I’m guessing correctly, threw a blanket over Meruzilak’s searc
hlights, allowing the three of them to keep their memories concealed, if for a few seconds. They gave the false prophecy to you, then handed the real one to Joshua.
“By giving you the stone, Meruzilak would assume you were the one to whom the prophecy referred. As he traveled to the summit to find you, he unknowingly brought about his destruction by taking Joshua with him. Illiana must have known that Meruzilak’s arrogance would keep Joshua alive long enough to reach the summit.”
Daniel’s grin flattened. There was a deeper concern.
“You haven’t asked a very important question, one I’m sure you have considered.”
“I’m sure there’s more than one. Which is it?”
“Why would they place you in such danger?”
Daniel paused before speaking. “Why would they?”
“There’s no easy answer to that, at least one that will make you feel good. Sometimes things don’t work out exactly like we want them to. There are rough edges to smooth sides. Perhaps they weighed the options and decided the sacrifice was worth it if it meant lifting the curse. Does that upset you?”
“I don’t know. Yeah, I guess it does. I mean, I know on one hand that it didn’t make a difference. If we—or Joshua—didn’t stop Meruzilak, we would have all been sent to the chasm; but on the other hand, I thought Illiana and I ...”
“Were friends?”
“It’s silly, I know.”
“It’s not silly. It’s perfectly normal. You have to trust me; if there were any other way, she would have never put anyone at risk. That includes you especially, Daniel.”
“Thanks, Alistair.” It was a weak response but the best he could give under the circumstances.
The time passed smoothly. Joshua, who’d never seen the land Daniel knew all too well, sat up like a kid on his first monorail ride, wide-eyed, taking in every sight. Daniel allowed himself the moment to process everything that was said and revealed. He doubted he’d tell Joshua, or at least until he was old enough to take it all in. He’d probably tell him twenty, thirty percent, but that was it. The rest might give him nightmares. Lizards and caves are one thing, but souls being taken prisoner are concerns a boy shouldn’t think about until he’s at least thirteen. Of course, Daniel was still a couple of months away from thirteen. Well, for all he’d been through, he was thirteen in experience—probably fourteen or fifteen.