The Hero's Chamber

by Ian Newton

  Chapter 20

  Sunrise

  As the light brightened their shining faces, the air around them began resonating with a deep hum.

  “Here we go,” Jacob whispered.

  Standing between them, Kaya joined hands with Andrew and Jacob.

  “Here we go,” she said.

  Jacob pointed due south at what use to be the open desert, and they marveled at the transformation.

  The desert sands had been replaced by rolling hills of green, and the ocean shore was now just miles away. As they stared in amazement, the humming grew louder.

  When the sun cleared the horizon, the spire began to glow. The stone blocks beneath their feet transformed into transparent crystal and each one channeled the blue-white Light of the Kingdom until it erupted from the top of the platform. Soaring into the early morning sky the endless tower of Light was brighter than the sun.

  With a hopefulness equal to the brightness of the Light, Andrew thought to Kaya and Jacob, “The Beacon is lit!”

  With the sound and splendor of the Light engulfing them, Jacob thought back, “I never thought I would live to see the day.”

  The humming unexpectedly fell away and in the silence, the spire pulled the Light out of the sky, back down through the clear blocks and into the ground. The spire returned to its stone-like appearance and the ground rippled with the energy of the Light. The ripple of energy traveled across the landscape like a pebble hitting a quiet pool and a “BOOM!” shook them to their core.

  As quickly as the Light had faded, it returned with its deep resonating hum and exploded from the spire, illuminating the sky above. It flowed around them, and they watched as a second ripple of energy traveled across the land. With nervous excitement, they felt another “Boom!” calling out to the world.

  While the Beacon thundered its deafening rhythm and rippled its powerful flowing energy throughout the Valley of the Crescent Moon, Andrew, Kaya and Jacob watched as two parallel lines of Light appeared in the distance.

  Andrew pointed, tracing the lines from the southern border all the way to the Spire Mountains in the west.

  With each resonating pulse of the Beacon, the lines of Light grew from the ground.

  “It’s the walls of the Kingdom! It’s got to be,” Jacob thought aloud.

  “They’re growing right out of the ground?!” Andrew thought back.

  “With every pulse of the Beacon they’re growing,” Kaya responded.

  “Wow!” Jacob said in awe.

  They were transfixed on the scene below as it rippled in rhythm with Kaya’s heartbeat. Jacob cheered when the archways of the inner and outer wall started taking form.

  “This is incredible,” Kaya thought, squeezing both of their hands.

  “Amazing,” Andrew yelled over the hum of the Light.

  When the walls were half of their final height, the Light pulsing into the ground began to illuminate the outline of buildings.

  Jacob let go of Kaya’s hand and stepped over to Andrew.

  “It’s just like the map on the floor of the Defender’s Portal,” he said, placing his hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

  “Did you ever imagine we’d be seeing the real thing?”

  “I’m still in shock,” Jacob said, dropping his hand to his side.