CHAPTER 17
The moonless night was a predator waiting to pounce, its hunger palpable. Riley could almost feel its hot breath against her skin, sharp teeth clawing at her flesh. Shivering, she shook her head to dismiss such fanciful thoughts. Alone on the beach, the eerie silence spooked her. Even the voice of the ocean seemed hushed, as if the volume had been turned down. Brilliant explosions of light shattered the darkness. Blinking in the bright light, Riley spotted Shalimar and Sultan hovering above her head. Drawn by the commotion, Cole emerged from the cabin.
Sultan spun lazily in the air. “Have you agreed to work together?”
Riley took a deep breath, crossed her fingers, and prayed that she could trick the swords into taking her and Cole off the island and restoring their powers. “No. We propose a duel, with the winner gaining possession of both swords.”
“Impossible!” Shalimar cried, spinning around their heads.
Adopting a reasonable tone, Cole asked, “Why? We cannot come to an agreement so our proposal is simple. Only one of us must control both of you. Since neither of us wish to cede our sword to the other then a duel is the only way.”
Shalimar continued to spin, whirling faster and faster, until she was nothing but a blur churning the humid night air.
“Cut that out!” Sultan commanded and Shalimar fell at Riley’s feet, lying limply in the sand.
Sultan’s ebony blade gleamed in the halo of white light spotlighting the quartet on the beach. “You are bluffing.”
Riley picked up Shalimar and adopted a fighting stance. “We are prepared to duel. Just say the word.” Her voice was devoid of all emotion.
Cole reached up to grasp Sultan’s hilt but the sword evaded him, soaring high into the night sky, merging into the darkness beyond the circle of white light, rendering himself invisible to the two pairs of eyes below that strained to spot him.
“What hare brain plan have you cooked up?” Shalimar’s urgent whisper flitted across Riley’s mind. “Be careful. You are playing a dangerous game. I am sure that you know Sultan and I cannot duel. We were created to work together not against each other, as were you and Cole.”
Riley did not respond. Her entire plan revolved on Sultan’s next move. She was sure that he would not call her bluff. Shalimar had just confirmed it. But would he come up with something else that would put her entire plan in jeopardy? Tapping her foot, she waited with barely concealed impatience for Sultan to re-appear. What would he do? What would her counter move be? Her thoughts fused into a seething, jumbled mass causing her head to pulse with pain.
Sultan’s chill voice cut through the night like a guillotine. “You win. We have no choice but to take you back. Shalimar and I cannot be forced to duel therefore we will be useless if you insist on forcing an epic battle. We can only help you if you join forces and work together. Yet you stubbornly refuse to do so. So you are back to square one. You have gained nothing. I am disappointed.”
In one smooth movement, he descended from the sky and Shalimar leapt out of Riley’s hand to meet him. Joining together, in the shape of a cross, the two swords moved directly over Riley and Cole, highlighting them in a cone of brilliant white light. As the light began to swirl, so too did Cole and Riley, spinning faster and faster, until they both fell through endless dark space and landed on a hard surface in a heap of tangled limbs.
Winded, Cole picked up himself up and helped Riley to feet. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, where are we?”
They were lost in a sea of darkness. Shivering, Riley pressed closer to Cole, all her senses tingling with alarm. She could feel an expectant and eager presence, watching them from outside the eerie blackness.
“I think we are back in the tower of the Dark Mages, the Great Hall,” Cole said. It was late and the Great Hall was deserted. He put his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get some sleep. We will have to face the Council tomorrow and we will need to be well rested.”
Stepping out of his embrace, Riley turned to face him. In the darkness, she could barely make out his features. “I am leaving tonight.”
“Leaving? You cannot leave. Nothing has been resolved. We have much to discuss.”
A faint sigh escaped her. “No amount of discussion will help. We are entrenched in our respective positions. I need to know more. Toom spoke of the Isle of Paradisi. I believe that the answers I seek can be found there.”
Stunned, Cole gaped at her. “Are you crazy? No one knows how to get to the Isle of Paradisi. Many believe that it is a fictional place.”
“It exists. I suspect that you know that. Diara will help me get there.” Riley raised her arms. “Diara, this humble supplicant beseeches you. Once you granted me a boon. I claim it now. Please help me get to the Isle of Paradisi.”
Nothing happened. Everything was still. Riley held her breath, picturing Diara in her mind’s eye. Brilliant blue light flooded the Great Hall. Riley heard Cole gasp. Bone white, his face twisting in surprise, he stretched out a hand to her, just as a giant hand reached out from above and whisked her away.
Cole was left all alone, his mind writhing with questions. What happened? Had she really gone to the Isle of Paradisi? Had Diara helped her? How would his plans to rule Avalyss be affected by this unexpected development? Was she in danger? He punched the air in frustration. He needed answers and he needed them now. There was only way to get them. He had to follow her. He had to make sure that she was okay. She had come to mean a lot to him. He dared not explore his feelings further. He just knew that he had to find her. He just had no idea how.
Lying face down in the palm of the giant hand, Riley could hear her heart thundering like hoofbeats. The hand felt light and gossamer, it was like lying on a bed of moonbeams. Terror and excitement had coursed through her as the hand had plucked her out of the Great Hall, then it had moved at a such a fearsome speed, she thought that she might be sick. She had curled herself into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut. She gradually became aware that the hand had stopped moving. She remained motionless for a while longer then pulled herself to her feet and looked around. She was in a land of swirling mists, stretching out endlessly, enveloping her and obscuring her vision. A feeling of overwhelming peace permeated the atmosphere and perfumed air filled her nostrils. Sweet singing assaulted her ears, the melody so beautiful that tears sprang to her eyes. A slight figure stepped out of the mists and approached her. Swallowing a quick sliver of fear, she stepped forward to meet it, her eyes straining to see through the moving mists.
“Welcome to the Isle of Paradisi.” The voice was musical and redolent of summer nights. It belonged to a tall, slight, apparition with reams of platinum hair and aquamarine eyes, dressed in a flowing silver robe.
Riley’s eyes widened at the exquisite loveliness of the being standing before her. Although, it looked like a woman, it appeared to be made of light, not flesh and blood, and floated rather than walked. Smiling, the being said, “My name is Nehe. Come with me and I will help you find the answers you seek.”
Riley felt her fear evaporating in the waves of joy, peace and power that rolled off Nehe. Without speaking, she took the hand that Nehe offered and followed her through the whirling mists. Despite her insubstantial appearance, Nehe’s hand felt solid in Riley’s but it was as cool and smooth as marble. The roaring sounds of a waterfall drowned out the sublime singing with its own divine music. Chanting in a language that Riley did not comprehend, Nehe lifted her arms high and the mists parted to reveal the most glorious sight she had ever seen. A wide, deep, river rushed to the edge of a cliff and plunged thousands of feet below, creating the largest waterfall Riley had ever seen. But its most remarkable feature was its color, a rosy hue like the blush of a rose in springtime.
“The River of Life.” Nehe’s voice, although a murmur, could still be heard over the sounds of the rushing river and roaring waterfall.
“It’s beautiful. Why does it have that red-pinkish color?”
An enchanting and enigmatic flitted across Nehe’s face. “Really? It looks green to me.”
Riley’s eyes snapped towards the river. It was now a brilliant green, the color of sparkling emeralds. Speechless, she gaped at Nehe.
“The River of Life is alive just like you and me. It is a living, breathing entity and can change its color whenever it wishes to.” Nehe answered Riley’s unspoken question. “To find what you seek takes a triple dose of courage. Courage to begin the quest, courage to hear the truth and courage to act upon that truth. Do you possess such courage, Princess?”
Staring deep into Nehe’s dazzling aquamarine eyes, Riley nodded.
“Then follow me.” Nehe dove headfirst into the raging river. Helpless, Riley stared in horror as the rapid current swept Nehe up and tossed her towards the plunging waterfall, she tumbled over the edge and disappeared in water which was now the deep red color of freshly spilled blood.
Riley had no idea how long she stood there, just staring at the river, her feet rooted to the ground, drowning in the flood of fear that washed over her. Her heart beat against her chest like the wings of a thousand caged birds desperate to escape. Blood pounding, mouth dry, she crept closer to the river. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, and tried to think. She had come here looking for answers. Nehe said that courage was needed to find those answers just before she had thrown herself in the river. What options were left to her now? She could go back without any answers. But how? By appealing to Diara again? Would Diara help her if she did not have courage? Perhaps Diara had sent Nehe to help her. Riley rubbed her throbbing head. Or she could stop cowering in fear and follow Nehe into the river. Face set with resolve, she saluted her fear and leapt into the river. The river seemed to reach out and pluck her out of the air. Instead of sinking into a frigid, seething mass of churning water, she was embraced by warmth, the water silky against her skin. The river was now the pale blue of a summer sky. She felt herself floating over the edge but instead of terror, bliss and serenity settled over like a cloak.
The next thing she became aware of was someone shaking her. Sitting up, she found herself on a ledge behind the waterfall, the water plummeting downward in a column of molten silver.
“You have courage, Princess. For an anxious minute back there I did not think that you were going to jump.” Nehe’s voice held a tinge of amusement.
A wry smile tugged at Riley’s lips. “Neither did I. But I have not come this far just to slink away like a whipped dog. I need answers. Can you help me?”
“I will do my best. But you need to know that some questions are not meant to be answered at all. Some answers you will need to find on your own. And others will only be revealed when the time is right.”
Riley frowned. She hoped that Nehe’s answers were not all going to be that cryptic. Sighing, she plunged ahead. “Are you an angel? What exactly is the Isle of Paradisi? Toom said that it is to Avalyss what Heaven is to Earth.”
“Heaven is a concept that means different things to different people. To some Heaven does not exist at all. What I can tell you is that the Universe is vast with an infinite number of worlds. Earth, Avalyss and the Isle of Paradisi are all different worlds. Heaven may or may not be a world. Or it could just be a concept created by humankind.”
Riley’s frown deepened. Staring at the sparkling silver curtain of the waterfall, she mulled over Nehe’s words. Sitting so close to tons of roaring water, she should have been scared but instead she felt safe and protected. Maybe it was intuition or a gut feeling but she knew she could not be harmed in this place.
“So you are not an angel or a goddess?”
Nehe’s sweet smile emphasized her exquisite otherworldly beauty. “The beings that live on the Isle of Paradisi or Avalyss possess powers or abilities that humankind has long attributed to their gods, angels and even demons. All life forms are essentially energy, emanating from the same source.”
“You mean God?” Riley asked.
Nehe shrugged. “Again God means different things to different people. All I am saying is that all life forms come from the same source. You are free to call that source what you will.”
Riley’s head ached as she tried to make sense of all this. It was like trying to carry water using her bare hands, precious drops kept trickling through her fingers.
“Is the battle between the Light Bringers and the Dark Mages a battle between Good and Evil?”
“No. It is important that you realize that not all of the Light Bringers represent the forces of Good and not all Dark Mages are evil. Power, whether of the light kind or the dark kind, can be used for both good and evil purposes. I believe one of Earth’s great thinkers once said ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ That statement accurately sums up the struggles that are currently occurring on Avalyss.”
Riley pushed to her feet and began pacing, her brow furrowed in concentration. “So both white magic and dark magic serve a purpose, both are essential for the continued growth and prosperity of Avalyss. I believe that balance could be achieved if both the Light Bringers and the Dark Mages govern together. But no one will listen, least of all, Cole. What can I do to convince him and the others? If an epic battle is not my destiny then what is?” She sank to her knees, holding her throbbing head in her hands.
“Do you believe that you were created for a specific destiny or purpose? Or do you believe that you get to choose your own? Rest now, Princess. To face the challenges that lie in wait you will need all your strength and courage.”
Nehe laid a cool hand on Riley’s forehead. Immediately, the stinging pain disappeared and her eyes closed.