“Aunk has become an evil place, and I do not think it is because of ghosts. I feel great anger and hatred coming from there, though I do not know the source of it,” replied Arconn.
“Do you think we are in danger?” Alex asked, looking into the darkness around the camp.
“I cannot say for sure. But I feel both watchful and
nervous.”
Alex put his books away, troubled and uneasy. He looked to the east and felt the mysterious shadow that had been following them since leaving the Brown Hills draw closer.
“Rest, my friend,” said Arconn. “Tomorrow we will pass the ruins, and soon we will meet my kinsmen in the dark
forest.”
Alex turned slowly back to the camp. He walked to his tent, glancing east once more, before ducking inside. The nervous feeling continued to grow in his mind, and he remained fully dressed as he lay down on his blankets.
It was still dark when Alex woke with a start. The sound of Andy snoring next to him was comforting, but his thoughts remained troubled. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but his mind buzzed with strange thoughts and he didn’t feel tired anymore.
Quietly, Alex got up and stepped out of the tent. The clouds in the sky blocked any light from the moon or the stars. The ashes of the campfire were gray and cold, and when Alex looked around, he couldn’t see any of his companions on watch. Sensing trouble, he wondered if he should wake Bregnest when a soft voice broke the silence.
“Your companions are tired,” the voice whispered. “They have failed to keep the watch.”
Alex turned toward the voice and saw a tall, dark figure
standing a short distance from the dead fire. He opened his mouth to warn his friends, but something inside kept him from speaking.
“You have chosen strange companions,” the figure continued. “I would not think that one as great as yourself would be seen in such company.”
“I didn’t choose them, they chose me,” replied Alex. “And I am not great, I’m only a first-time adventurer.”
Soft laughter came from the dark figure, but it was like nothing Alex had ever heard. His skin crawled at the sound of it, making him feel like hundreds of tiny pins were sticking him.
“If they chose you,” the voice continued, “it was only so they could use your power.”
“What do you mean?” Alex questioned.
“I mean you could be great—far greater than any of these who call you friend,” the voice sneered. “You need only find your true self and your true friends. Friends who will help you to greatness.”
“These are my friends,” Alex replied defiantly.
“Friends,” the voice scoffed. “Friends who take treasure that should be yours. Friends who laugh at you behind your back.”
“They have taken nothing but their fair share—less than that at times,” said Alex, anger building inside of him.
“But it was you who killed the troll,” the voice replied softly. “It was you who defeated the bandits, and it was you who returned the lost bag to its heir.”
“We have an agreement,” Alex said. “I only did what had to be done. As any of them would have done.”
“Do not be deceived, my young friend,” said the voice in a soothing tone. “None of them could have done what you did. When you faced the troll, where were they? Hiding in the bushes, no doubt, waiting to see if you would survive.”
“They were searching for our horses,” said Alex, his thoughts returning to the night he’d fought the troll. He remembered now that the others had appeared suddenly, once he’d defeated the troll.
“And did not your leader offer to take the so-called burden of the bags from you?” the voice asked. “Did not this leader seek to take your honor and glory?”
“He did it as a favor to me,” answered Alex, only half-believing his own words. “He said the reward would be mine, even if he carried the bags.”
“He has said many things, but that does not make them so,” the voice hissed. “Did not the elf say that Bregnest is seeking to fulfill a prophecy? Yet the company has not heard what this is.”
Alex thought for a moment, confused. Bregnest had said the company would have no secrets, yet he knew nothing of Bregnest’s prophecy. Were the others using him for their own purposes? Could it be they were only pretending to be his friends? His mind felt clouded and he was having difficulty focusing his thoughts.
“Your true friends would be more open,” the voice continued. “We would tell you what we seek, and what we could do for you.”
“And what is that?” Alex questioned. He felt a coldness creeping into him, like ice-cold claws tearing at his insides.
“We want you to be great,” said the voice. “We know you can be the greatest wizard who has ever lived. You can be the greatest king in all the known lands.”
“And what price would you ask for this greatness?” Alex asked, more to himself than to the shadow.
“A small thing that another has asked of you,” replied the voice. “The simplest of things to look at, though it is strong in magic.”
“What?” Alex demanded.
“The crystal the Oracle would claim as her own,” the voice hissed. “It was not stolen as she pretends, it was taken by its rightful owner.”
“But I have sworn an oath,” said Alex. He remembered Iownan’s face, her kind words and her smile that made him feel safe and happy.
“An oath to a liar has no meaning,” said the voice. “And with the crystal we can show you the way to greatness. The Oracle saw what is in you, but she said nothing. We will tell you all.”
“The others have sworn an oath as well. They believe what the Oracle told them,” said Alex, his mind feeling more confused and muddled. Was it possible the Oracle had lied to them? Could an oracle tell a lie? Alex didn’t know.
“You do not need the others,” answered the voice. “Your true friends will take care of them. Then you can recover the crystal for us. When we have the crystal, we will tell you why you are so great.”
“What do you mean—take care of?”
“We will drive them away. Once they are gone, you can fulfill your destiny,” said the voice urgently. “It is your destiny to slay the dragon. Only you can do this. We will help you. We will guide you to victory and greatness.”
For a moment, Alex could see himself in a strange dream, sitting on a beautiful golden throne, crowds of people bowing and cheering for him. He could see every wild wish he’d ever had coming true, his every desire fulfilled.
“Leave the others and come with us,” the voice said, low and persuasive. “We are your true friends. We are the ones who want to see you become all that you can be.”
“But the others . . .” Alex said. “What will become of them? What will they think?”
“They will think whatever you tell them to think,” the voice replied coldly. “They will do as you command, or they will die.”
Alex’s hand automatically grabbed his sword. The cold feel of Moon Slayer under his hand helped focus his mind, and the magical fire began to burn inside of him, clearing his thoughts as the dreams of greatness slipped away.
“Slay your enemies,” the cold voice said softly. “They mean nothing. Only your greatness matters. We will help you. All creatures will know you as their king.”
The words rang inside Alex’s head as the heat of the sword grew more intense. Bregnest and the others were not his enemies, they were his friends. They had not taken advantage of him, but had shown him great kindness.
“Slay them and join us,” the dark voice screamed in Alex’s mind. “Together we will rule all the known lands.”
Alex drew his sword, looking around as the magic heat burned like a raging fire inside of him. There was not one dark figure standing beyond the cold ashes of the campfire, but many. They stood motionless, watching Alex as though they were made of stone. But the sound of their evil laughter filled the air around him.
“I will slay my enemies!?
?? Alex yelled back at the dark figures, the flaming heat of his magic sword burning away his clouded thoughts and doubts. “I will destroy them all!”
Jumping across the cold ashes at the dark figures in front of him, Alex saw Moon Slayer shining like a blue flame in his hands. He swung the sword at the figures closest to him, and as the blade passed through them, they melted away like mist. Terrible screams and howls of pain filled the air as he moved forward, swinging his sword at any movement.
Alex felt like he was on fire, but the power of the sword kept him on his feet, moving and hacking at the dark figures that surrounded him. The screaming grew louder, though the figures did not try to fight back or run away. Soon only one figure remained. One last shadow standing tall, waiting for Alex in a dark mist blacker than any night.
“Join us,” the cold voice begged. “We are your path to fame and glory. If you stay with them, you will become nothing. There is much more in you than you know. Only we can show you what you really are.”
“You lie!” Alex yelled back in anger. “You are full of hate and lies!”
Alex rushed forward, swinging Moon Slayer with all his strength at the last of his enemies. As the sword passed through the last shadow, a terrible shriek ripped through the air, filling Alex’s mind completely. The heat that had been burning inside him went out like a light, and he felt like his insides had turned to ice. He was so cold—so very cold and tired.
Alex tried to remain standing, but his legs felt weak and unsteady. He remembered the dream that had scared him out of sleep in Telous so long ago, the painful cold that had filled him. Struggling to turn back to camp and his friends, Alex stumbled and fell forward with his sword under him. He remembered nothing more.
chapter sixteen
The Dark Forest
“Alex,” a voice called from far away.
He was so comfortable and didn’t want to answer,
but the voice kept calling. Maybe if he ignored it, the voice would go away.
“Alex, can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Alex answered reluctantly.
The voice seemed to be coming from the strange light behind him. Alex didn’t want to look at the light because his eyes were tired and the softly shaded land in front of him looked so pleasant. If he moved forward, across that low stone wall, then perhaps the voice would leave him alone.
“Alex, you need to open your eyes,” said the voice, desperate and worried. “Turn to the light.”
“Very well,” Alex said slowly, his brain struggling to remember the words as he spoke.
He turned away reluctantly from the gray lands and the low wall. Facing the light, he discovered it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. The light was gentle, soft and warm. Perhaps he would feel warmer if he moved toward the light.
“Alex, open your eyes,” the voice pleaded.
Slowly Alex obeyed, blinking several times to bring things into focus. He saw Arconn’s worried face above him. He looked old and sad, not at all like himself.
“Can you sit up?” asked Arconn wearily.
“I think so,” Alex answered, the words coming slowly.
With a great effort he tried to sit up, but his body felt so heavy. It would be easier to go back to sleep—back to the gray lands, the strange wall, and what was beyond.
“You need to get up,” said Arconn, lifting Alex to his feet. “You need to move around.”
“Very well,” said Alex, forcing himself to think about standing. For a moment he felt dizzy, and then he felt sick. His stomach lurched as he tried to move his feet, and he would have fallen if Arconn had not caught him.
“Come,” said Arconn softly. “Over to the fire, then you can rest for a bit.”
Alex struggled to walk, dragging his legs and feet forward as his stomach churned inside of him. He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind, but everything still seemed blurry.
“Drink this,” said Arconn, pressing a cup to his lips. “It will help with your dizziness.”
Alex sipped the sweet liquid and after a moment he felt steadier and less dizzy. His mind cleared a little as he sat down near the fire and wiped cold sweat from his forehead with his shirtsleeve. Things slowly returned to focus, and he could see the worried faces of his friends all around him.
“What happened?” Alex asked.
“We were hoping you could tell us,” said Thrang, looking at Alex in concern.
Alex suddenly lurched forward, his stomach retching and his whole body shaking with cold. The memory of the shadow figures returned to him, and a sudden cold stabbed at his insides.
“Shadows,” Alex managed to say through clenched teeth. “Shadows of darkness were here last night.”
“Wraiths,” said Arconn, nodding grimly. He wrapped a blanket around Alex’s shoulders, gently pulling him back into a sitting position.
Alex could see that his companions’ faces had gone white when Arconn had named the shadows, and they looked afraid.
“They are gone now,” said Alex, trying to cheer his friends. “They are gone, forever.”
“Can you tell us what happened?” Bregnest asked, deep concern for Alex showing in his face.
“I woke up in the night,” said Alex, shaking so hard his teeth chattered. “Nobody was on watch. I was about to wake you when they spoke to me.”
“You spoke with the wraiths?” Arconn questioned softly, his voice troubled.
“They wanted me to join them,” Alex said, nodding. “They wanted me to bring the Oracle’s crystal to them and join them.”
“And you refused,” said Arconn, looking into Alex’s eyes.
“They said if I joined them I could be great,” Alex stammered. “They said you were not my friends and that they would drive you all away so I could get the crystal from the dragon. They told me that you would do as I said or you would die. When they said that, I reached for Moon Slayer. I was on fire. I knew they were lying to me. I attacked them. They didn’t even try to run away. When I attacked the last one, the fire inside me went out, and I . . . I felt like I had turned to ice.”
“Enough,” said Arconn. “We will not speak of this here. We must press on to the dark forest at once.”
Bregnest nodded, motioning for the others to finish packing up their camp.
Alex remained by the fire with the blanket wrapped tightly around him. He felt cold and weak, and he was having trouble focusing his thoughts. Arconn remained with him, silent and watchful.
“Will he be able to ride?” Bregnest asked in a worried tone.
“I think so,” Arconn replied. “And I think the rest of us have little to fear from Aunk now. The darkness that I felt has gone.”
“Where has it gone?” Tayo asked from behind Bregnest.
“It is simply gone,” answered Arconn. “I believe that Alex has driven it out completely.”
Alex wanted to ask what Arconn meant, but he couldn’t remember the words. His mouth felt dry and empty. His stomach continued to turn and twist inside of him. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything. He was so tired. So cold.
“Drink a little more of this,” said Arconn, lifting the cup to Alex’s lips again. “It will help with the cold.”
Arconn carefully helped Alex onto Shahree’s back, wrapping the blanket tightly around him. Even though the sun was bright and warm, Alex shivered under the blanket. He thought Skeld and Andy rode next to him, but he couldn’t be sure. He wanted to tell them not to worry, that Shahree wouldn’t let him fall, but the words disappeared before he could speak.
The day passed in fits and starts. Every time Alex managed to look around, the landscape had changed, his vision blurring and all the colors turning to gray.
As the sun began to set, Alex felt his insides growing colder. The blanket was an icy weight around his neck, and he could feel his legs shaking wildly. He wondered if he would ever be warm again.
“The forest is near,” said Arconn as darkness covered the land. “We must press on quickly an
d hope to find my
kinsmen.”
“If they are there, we will find them,” said Bregnest, sounding determined.
Alex felt so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep so the cold would go away. Maybe he would dream of the gray lands, the shadowlands that beckoned. It would be nice to sleep, to dream, to be warm.
He didn’t know when the dream took him away into darkness.
* * *
A soft breeze blew and Alex turned slowly, standing high on a hill, looking out over the soft gray lands that spread out in front of him. The low stone wall stood at the bottom of the hill, promising rest and relief.
Slowly he made his way down the hill, the wall growing larger before him as he studied the land beyond. How pleasant it would be to explore those lands, to find a spot to rest and leave all of his troubles and worries behind.
“Alex,” a voice called from behind him. “Alex, please stop.”
Alex turned to see who had spoken. To his surprise, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was walking down the hill toward him.
“Who are you?” Alex asked as the woman drew closer.
“I am Calysto. I have come to call you back to the land of light.”
“Why would I want to go there?” Alex asked, turning to look at the wall. “The land beyond the wall looks so nice. The light isn’t very bright, but you can see for miles and miles just the same.”
“It is the land of shadows, Alex,” said Calysto. “If you go there, you can never return to the world of light.”
“If I go there, all of my troubles will be forgotten,” Alex answered.
“All the good that you may do will be lost,” said Calysto in a worried tone. “Come. Return to life. There will be time for the shadowlands another day.”
“No,” said Alex. “I want to go beyond the wall. Come with me. Let’s explore this new world together.”
“I do not belong there.”
“Come with me,” Alex repeated, turning to look back at Calysto. “Together we will find a peaceful place to rest.”
Slowly Calysto moved forward, her feet dragging across the ground as if reluctant to do as Alex asked. Calysto looked beyond him into the shadowlands, and he could see the fear crossing her face.