A Twist of the Sands

by P R Glazier

  Chapter 54. A Bitter Pill to Swallow

  When she awoke the following morning Nar’Allia could hear voices, guarded and whispering. She was back in Deanola’s house again. She could not remember being brought here. Memories came flooding back; she turned on her side, closed her eyes and drew her legs up to her chest as the tears welled once more. The pain was great. Her despair a gulf within her chest. Even though she had suspected it, Nar’Allia still couldn’t believe Minervar had become the dark mage, the Gatekeeper. The Rift, that was it, didn’t someone say it had an effect on people, turned them into something they were not? Is that how the dark T’Iea came about? Did a group of T’Iea stumble across the Rift long ago, or something like it and somehow they were transformed, changed into something perverted. JDC had said as much. She remembered how both her step mother and Deanola had fallen into the Rift. The quest to find Minervar was at an end. She had failed. What was she going to tell her father and the twins?

  She opened her eyes, there was brightness within the house, a bright beam of sunlight shone through the vent in the roof where the smoke from the hearth had filtered through. Even more it was warm in here, yet the hearth was not lit. The chill that seemed to pervade the place was gone. The air felt dryer, fresher. Nar’Allia got to her feet slowly. The entrance to the house lay open and sunlight could be seen lighting the day outside. Voices could be heard coming from that direction. She moved slowly towards the open door. She blinked as the full brightness of the light outside shone into her eyes, she lent on the doorframe shading her eyes with one hand.

  “Good morrow Nar’Allia. I hope this new day finds you well?”

  The voice was unmistakably Jonas’s. She walked forward and stood in the warm sun as it shone down. She looked up into a bright blue sky, a few wispy clouds moved across the vast expanse of sky. It was the first day since their arrival on the eastern continent that they had not seen a landscape shrouded in mist.

  “Aye, Milady, it has gone. According to master Amndo, the mist was linked to the visible part of the shroud that the dark elves placed around the Rift and their city to hide both from outside view.”

  “The shroud? It is no more then?”

  “Not a bit of it remains milady. Seems that Amndo with a little help from a mysterious friend sent it all packing.”

  Nar’Allia walked over to where Jonas stood. “Where is Amndo, I need to talk to him?”

  “Here I am Nar’Allia.”

  Nar’Allia turned and there was Amndo walking towards her followed closely by Alonso and Shanria. Nar’Allia found herself weeping again. She wanted to say the words, ask the questions, seek reassurances that something yet could be done, they could take up the search once more. There had to be hope for Minervar and Deanola yet?

  Amndo knew why Nar’Allia wept; he also had seen Minervar’s fall into the Rift. He had felt her presence, her power in the arcane energies. He was full of foreboding, full of remorse for the whole situation.

  “I wish I could set your heart at ease Nar’Allia, yet I deeply regret I cannot.” He lowered his gaze to the ground, and stepping forward so that he was directly in front of her. He continued, “I wish I could tell you that they yet live, but I cannot. I wish I could tell you what happened, be sure of events. But I cannot. I also saw them both fall. The rift appeared to be deep, at least in a physical sense, based on this assumption even if they reached the bottom alive, I cannot be sure they could survive in such an environment.”

  He stroked her cheek, sadness was in his eyes. He seemed to struggle with his thoughts. But then seemingly coming to a decision he said. “However, there is another side to this in that we perhaps should not view the Rift as it appears, as a great bottomless rend in the earth. I believe that its physical presence belies what it really may be.”

  “What do you mean Amndo, tell me.”

  “Amndo looked at Nar’Allia, “I am almost afraid to tell you this Nar’Allia, for I cannot be sure and further access to the Rift is denied me, so I cannot make further investigations to prove my theory one way or the other.”

  Nar’Allia looked expectantly towards Amndo, “I want to know Amndo, I need to know”.

  He nodded. “While I was held captive by the entity, I felt the presence of another. A T’Iea woman, she helped free me, but she had help from the most unexpected source. This T’Iea, it was Serinae of that I am sure, but not just she, the ancient fathers were there to. I don’t think they were there in a physical sense, only something of theirs remained behind. The power of the ancient fathers was great, very great. So great it belies my understanding. They were able to harness something Nar’Allia, a source of energy that I could not believe was possible to harness. I felt it. I fought with something within the Rift Nar’Allia, something intelligent, an entity full of malice. This thing was able to direct the energies within the Rift. But when Serinae made her presence felt and the power of the ancient fathers flooded forth. The thing in the Rift recoiled, it was weaker than their aura Nar’Allia. Something strange, beyond my imagining happened. If you want answers Nar’Allia then there is one who I think would know. The lady Serinae.”

  Nar’Allia looked up in surprise, Serinae? Where? How? What do you mean?”

   “When I was held by the rift, I saw Serinae. She was definitely present in some form. She was the one who commanded the power of the ancient father’s to dissipate the shroud. She fully understood the powers that were in conflict. For my part I like to think I aided her, but it was she who was able to manipulate the energies within the Rift. She understood how to release me from whatever it was that held me and how to dissipate the shroud hiding the dark T’Iea city. It is this that leads me to believe that the Rift, or something linked to it, is also a powerful portal able to link to other places. Possibly including the place where Serinae is. If we are to believe my suspicions, then Serinae does yet live in another such place, my guess is that this place has close connections with the ancient fathers, for I felt something of them along with the presence of Serinae. No wonder she is able, given the right tools and circumstances to communicate across the void, even if she is unable for whatever reason to physically return to us here. But I believe that the Rift like your bow and quiver, concentrates enough raw power to enable her to partly make that transition, at least in the immediate vicinity of the Rift. If this is the case Nar’Allia then both Deanola and Minervar may be with Serinae now, as we speak. Serinae may have been able to use the Rift as a portal and take them both to wherever she is.” Here he seemed to brighten and make a final decision. “In fact I am certain of it. If this was not the case then I would not have troubled you with my suspicions, I assure you.”

  Nar’Allia felt hope rise within her, she smiled and hugged Amndo tightly. “Can we confirm this? Somehow?”

  “Alas, the dark T’Iea have fled back to their city along with their metal army. The Rift can be clearly seen in the centre of the city for a shimmering column of moving air connects the ground around the rift to the skies above it. The Rift and the natural order I believe are back in balance once more.”

  “Aye,” said a voice behind Amndo, JDC stepped out from behind the keeper and sniffing said, “well milady, you suggested we find the old Pnook city and that we have done, I can see it, with my own eyes, at least what is left of it, not ten kilometres from here, yet I cannot go within, the enemy surrounds it ensuring none may enter, or leave for that matter. There is a ring of Startmektoken, shoulder to shoulder they stand right around the city perimeter. None may enter or leave.”

  Nar’Allia sighed, she wanted to go to the Rift, negotiate with the dark T’Iea, beg if necessary to gain entrance. She had found Minervar. Seen her step mother, she was alive, oh so very alive. She wanted to go back, she wanted to jump into the rift, see if she could go to where Minervar had gone. In her heart she felt that both Minervar and Deanola lived. She so desperately wanted to talk to Serinae, try and find out what had happened, she wanted to ask all of them to come home, come back to them,
back to where they all belonged. 

  Amndo and Jonas, along with JDC escorted Nar’Allia back into the building and to the cot where she slept.

  “We are all with you Nar’Allia, all three of us. We will not stop until we have found her, all the while there is still hope you can rely upon us.” Amndo smiled at her and sat at her side. “I will travel from here back to my home city, back to TeraT’Inu’Itil. I will consult with my masters and see what can be done.”

  “I will return to the lady De’Teinde’s house in Amentura and seek answers in the great library.” Said Jonas as he sat on Nar’Allia’s other side.

  “And I will take the Leviathan, hide it somewhere, or failing this I will fly it from shore to shore keeping the machine away from any who would take it or wish to use it for ill.” JDC also smiled at her.

  “My friends, I ….I,” she felt tired, drained and found her mind repeating her earlier thoughts, Minervar was, still is, a healer, not a murderer. What had happened? She looked at each of their solemn expressions, Amndo, Jonas and JDC, she gave in, sunk into the pillow and let the tears really flow.

  The End.

  Thank you kind reader for taking on this book, the hope is that it has given you immense pleasure to read. Now please take a small amount of your precious time to review the book on the seller’s web site, this is the only way an author can gauge a response to what has been written. All positive comments are highly valued. Or if you wish you can contact me at the following email address:

  Solin.detiende@btinternet.com

  What you have just read is the second book in the series. You will note that throughout the pages there have been many historic references to Minervar’s stories and past experiences. Well, you can read these accounts in the first book, ‘A Twist of Eternity’.

  The final book in the trilogy is titled “A Twist in the Tale” I hope you will download it to find out what happens in the end.

  Book Three - ‘A Twist in the Tale.’

  Coming to terms with her grief and despair following the loss of Minervar in ‘A Twist of the Sands’, Nar'Allia seeks solace back home in the great wood. Many years pass and she thinks she is recovered, at least partially. She thinks herself happy at last; well at least she tells herself so. But when someone from the east, someone she once knew, seeks her out wanting to return something that belongs to her, something from the past. Then when this someone begs her for aid and once more raises old hopes, old and painful memories she thought were forgotten and pushed to one side float back to the surface and she finds herself once more deeply embroiled in adventure.

  This time the whole family are involved, each having to go their own way, each having their own tasks to complete, their own answers to find, their own dangers to face. What awaits them shocks them all to the core, challenges their very beliefs. They must risk everything; even risk the world in which they live for this one chance to accomplish what must be done. To freely offer redemption and unconditional forgiveness for all the transgressions of the past. To right all the wrongs and show compassion to those who are fallen.

  Will they find the courage to do what is required of them? Will they give up everything and face an uncertain future? Will they gamble the safety and security of the whole world to ensure the future benefit of all? Will they willingly face their nightmares and live through their deepest fears? Will they pay the required price in a currency based on their own blood, sweat and tears?

  Even then, if they are successful in all their undertakings, if they should survive, then they know they must finally make the greatest choice of all. Make a decision they never in their wildest moments thought they would have to face. Will they be willing to sacrifice everything they know? Will they be willing to pass beyond all memory and fade into history, disappearing finally to become but myth and legend to those who remain?