In A Time Of Darkness

by Gregory James Knoll

  * * * * *

  Shayanne held firm, weaving through the teasing spirits and tormenting clouds that occupied Sayassa, racing her way towards a thin, far off layer—the only visible barrier amidst the chaotic tendrils. When she reached it, she didn’t stop nor did she slow. Simply pressed on, all the while dragging the General with her. The shift was so abrupt, so quick that it momentarily made Gerin nauseous. A feeling that waned the moment he got his bearings, overwhelmed by a glow so bright it forced his eyes to close. Yet still, he felt the heat caressing his flesh, easing his stiff muscles.

  He allowed himself one more moment before prying his eyes open, half expecting a murky world without definition or substance, much like the one he left behind. But when his vision cleared, he discovered nothing of the sort. Rather, he found peace. A long, almost golden trail lay before him, crowned on either side by rare flowers he had never seen before. Reds and yellows alike, their petals un-patterned and unstructured. Their design only growing wilder as the extended out from the bulb, twisting more vigorously the further out they went. As striking as they were, almost like green stems that had been set ablaze, Gerin focused his attention to the right side. Well beyond the flowers were massive redwoods that grew so tall he could not begin to see the tops of them, trunks so wide he couldn't cast his gaze around them. As with the flowers, they bordered the entire trail, well beyond his sight. Each was placed extremely close to the next, so that only a tiny gap existed, but that was still enough space for the sun to break through, blazing down behind the trees, puncturing every hole it could find, dozens—maybe hundreds—of rays angled every few feet. The tiny tubes of light fell directly to the trail, right in the middle, illuminating his walkway. When he first set foot on the solid ground, two birds escaped from either side and crossed in front of him, then another pair much further down.

  The General turned to see the trees, then left to see only fields of flowers, to finally keep his gaze straight forward, taking another step to lead him on.

  When he faced forward again a wall now stood in his path, one he should have seen much earlier. "That was not there earlier." He stated curiously, his feet uncontrollably leading him forward to get a better look. The wall's surface was rugged and uneven, mostly gray with tiny specks of white and black on nearly every inch. The closer Gerin got, the higher his head raised to stare up. "Just like the trees..." He whispered, meaning as well with this he couldn't see the top.

  “Lean any further and you’re sure to fall backwards.” Gerin snapped his head down to find the curly blonde haired woman pressed casually against the wall like a vigilant statue, arms crossed over her chest. “Welcome to your second trial, that which will test your mind.”

  Gerin stared up again, ran his hands over the face of it to assure it was solid then back to his guide. "So am I to figure out a way around this?"

  Shayanne tossed her head back and forth. "Not exactly. Each wall requires a key, or better an answer to a question. If you give it correctly, this barrier—as with those beyond it—will reveal to you a doorway and allow you passage."

  "And if I answer wrong?"

  "Then it will fall..." Shayanne’s face grew grim "forward."

  Gerin glanced up, then side to side. The wall covered too much and not even he was fast enough to get to safety if that were to happen. Again, a streak of anxiety entered his mind, but he wasn't left with much of a choice. "Then... let's begin." He whispered letting out an exasperation.

  Shayanne acknowledged, then reached across slowly as not to alarm the General. Her palm glided along the wall, Gerin still watching the guide's eyes until Shayanne nodded for him to do so with the wall. The moment Gerin's gaze fell on it, a dim purple light flared and held, a tiny glint searing its way down the stone, then a second, a third and then on until there were so many he could no longer count. Each traced and burned in a different direction, some held longer than others, but once all had faded they left behind a scripture carved into the granite, glowing purple and pulsing softly. The General leaned in to read:

  I am the beginning of everything,

  I am the end of space and time.

  I am found in Trees,

  But not in wood.

  I am in everyone,

  Yet do not reside in you.

  What am I?

  Gerin read it twice, then thought about it. "And how do I answer?"

  "Simply speak it..." The guide began, but when she saw Gerin open his mouth to speak, she interrupted. "Love?"

  "Aye?"

  "Be quick."

  "Quick, why on earth can't I ..." He began, but an ear-shattering crack disrupted his sentence, and he was forced to draw his vision back. The sound came from the first tree in the long line, the trunk splintering and shattering, leaning to eventually spin to the ground with a massive force. The tremor rocketed towards Gerin, causing his feet to elevate and grow uneasy. He turned, then, to Shayanne and the guide only looked anxiously at the wall. Another crack jerked his eyes back to watch the second tree hit the ground. When the third had broke, Gerin focused again on Shayanne, only to find she was no longer there. "Damn." He muttered, attempting to focus even as the land shook around him. "E!" He hollered after reading the last sentence again, mostly to the sky. "The letter E!"

  Once the answer had been given, the paragraph flashed, disappearing entirely as the wall shook, a part of it unable to bear the sudden jolt and it cracked, debris tumbling down as a hole appeared, one wide enough for him to get through.

  He wasted not a second in doing so, charging through the gap and down the trail as the ground trembled again. He crossed over thirty feet before he reached another granite wall and stopped, glancing along the bumpy face for the next riddle. It was not to be found, and when Gerin heard the crash of another tree, panic surfaced.

  It took another rumble to jar the General’s memory back to Shayanne running her hand across the face of the wall in order to make the words appear. It was a chance, and he followed the same gesture. A moment and another quake later, a blue light beamed and seared the rock, Gerin watched, waiting however impatiently for the words to appear, then glanced back to see how far away the trees were. The latest had fallen well behind the first wall, and he realized just how far he walked before meeting Shayanne. He had some time, but he did not want to waste it watching, and saw that the second riddle had written itself:

  This old one runs forever,

  But never moves at all.

  He has not lungs nor throat,

  But still a mighty roaring call.

  Gerin thought a bit longer on this one, reading and re-reading it, trying his best to drown out the dull thuds that were growing closer every second. "What runs.... but never moves..." He thought, and went to answer but held back, remembering what Shayanne had warned about a wrong answer. His eyes read one more time, lungs dragged in a deep breath, thankful he had given it a second thought. Gerin's first answer was time, but it was the second part that swayed his decision. "A waterfall."

  The second blockade cracked and split just as the first had, creating another doorway for the General to rush through.

  Once he had set his foot onto the other side, two things suddenly dawned on him. The next wall which contained the third riddle was much closer—now visible from where he stood. Second, was that the trees were falling twice as fast. With less of a distance, that meant less of a gap he had to put between he and the crashing oaks, so he moved without hesitation. Charging his way to the wall and grazing his palm over it, prompting a red blaze to overtake the area his hand had swept. The General didn't look back this time, he felt he had not the time to:

  I view the world in little space,

  Am always changing place.

  No food I eat but my power procure,

  what millions do devour.

  What am I?

  Gerin’s hand rose to drag through his hair, his narrow gaze falling on the words, mouthing them as he read along. As hard as he searched his head, the answer wasn't there
. But it was not to be found in his mind, rather on the wall itself, a patch of light drawn on it, coincidentally from a ray of sun that broke through the trees. Another lumber fell, this one scraping against the back of the wall he had just past. "The sun!" He spoke frantically, ducking down and driving through the moment the entrance was big enough.

  He stood straight the moment he had room to do so, the tip of his boot dug into the ground and it took only three long strides before Gerin was at the fourth wall. His foot had not even planted completely by the time he swiped his palm over the jagged granite, a flaring white light following.

  Time was running short. Gerin didn't need to turn around to know that. He heard the next tree splinter before the first had even hit the ground, and he now felt the breeze caused by their sudden crash. It rushed against his back, forced him to keep his eyes forward and concentrate on the riddle.

  There's not a kingdom on earth,

  But I have traveled over and over

  And though I know not whence my birth

  Yet when I come you know my roar

  I through town do take my flight

  And through the fields and meadow green

  And whether it be day or night

  I neither am nor can be seen

  Gerin thought, but only for a moment. It was all he truly had time for, but all he needed. A waterfall, the sun, a pattern was slowly developing and with that there was only one thing in this world that none could ever see in light or dark. "The wind!" Gerin shouted and a crack, followed by another, rang in his ears. The first came from the wall splitting open. Behind it was not a continuation of the trail as he had seen before, rather a soft white light and empty space. The second shattering sound came from the last tree, the one located right next to him. As it spun and hammered down towards him, Gerin leapt forward, head first. He felt a rumble halfway through, this one caused by the bark scraping against the wall. Gerin hung there, lifelessly, feeling as though he was barely moving. His legs still exposed, helplessly waiting to bear the weight of the tree, but it never came. With all the energy he could muster, the General lunged forward at the last moment, feeling only a shift on his foot as the tree’s edge scraped the toe of his boot on its descent.

  Gerin landed on his knees, then remained for a moment in the mist, much like that Shayanne had led him through. He took a deep breath, shaking off the adrenaline induced by the narrow escape. He cast a look back, but the doorway had already sealed. One last sigh brought him back to his feet, to journey down the long, misted hallway.

  Once the door had closed behind him completely, its color faded, as did those around it. The trees vanished from sight and the trail was clear to the beginning, where Shayanne watched hopefully.

  "You have done well." A gust of wind rushed across the flamed flowers behind Shayanne, and though no one could be seen, the voice could still be heard, resonating all around her.

  "Thank you, My One. I worried he would have stayed here."

  "He may have, but something unexpected released him. Though not planned, it may work to our advantage. Gerin is needed outside this realm of souls.”

  "Aye. I now see why he's so important to you. His light, though, is very deep. Almost lost." Shayanne ran her palm along the garden.

  "That's why I've chosen him. We must make sure it does not fade again."

  "Understood. I will keep my eyes on him from time to time."

  "I would appreciate such."

  "A pleasure, My One."

  The breeze shimmered one last time, then all was silent except for Shayanne whispering a final phrase, her gaze on where the door used to be. "Good luck... Gerin."

  On the other side, the General wandered aimlessly, the same void to plague him and no guide to lead him. All the while his thoughts wandered along with his body, inviting visions inside. Ones of Shayanne, why she was so eager to help him find Fate. If she could truly see inside his mind as she claimed, then she knew why he wanted it and that he would use it for his own gain. There was not even the slightest possibility she would side with that. Such a holy place as this could never allow a spirit like that here, not one that promoted acts like those he would commit with the sword. It was possibly a deception, one meant only to twist his mind and confuse him. But Gerin found no believability in that, at least the second time he had been involved with her. There was what seemed to be sincerity. He could have taken his time with the riddle, perhaps twice as long as he was spending here, to inevitably be crushed. But she had given it to him so easily. He was now further in than he should be, all because of her. Gerin could only wonder why. She spoke of good in him, one that not even he could not see. What plagued the General the most, was that this spirit may know more about him than he did.

  It was still all very strange. For someone to believe in him, or even pretend to. To be away from a world where people were constantly clawing their way towards power. To alleviate from the deception and the manipulation, to have someone genuinely helpful, not for their own purpose or goals, but only because it was the proper thing to do. Gerin found that oddly pleasant. It was not enough for him to forget about Fate and remain here as she asked, if that was truly her intention, but he knew that it may later sway his decision to stay in Kaldus.

  As though the spirits heard his thoughts as he registered them, the once mindless wandering was given a goal, that in the form of a glowing orb, one which would grow brighter the closer he came. This was no spirit nor apparition. It didn’t shift; didn’t move. As he closed the gap, the frame took shape, high enough for him to walk through, though too bright to affirm what was on the other side.

  Like Grahamas, Gerin was fearful and prepared for the worst. Out of instinct he reached to his back, a flutter of shock and displacement riddling him when he was unable to find that familiar handle.

  With a dreadful sigh he pushed further, breaking the blinding glare caused by the threshold.

  Immediately, oddly, he felt serene. Gone were the torments and whispers, the jagged mists and murky surroundings. Now all his eyes could see were lush trees, vibrant flowers growing on either side of a long, tan pathway.

  But it was more than just a change of scenery. It was emotional. Gerin felt liberated, as though any thoughts were now only his own. His hand elevated and fingertips brushed against his face.

  Nothing.

  Only flesh.

  Whatever illusion Sayassa had cast was gone, and with it his mouth. Despite the comfort and confidence having normal features gave him, his defects granted him pride. He felt like himself again and it was enough evidence to prove to him that—though he knew not where—he was at least out of the mists.

  Gerin had past his second trial.

  Only one was left for him, yet his first plan was to wait. Shayanne had mentioned being his guide, and he imagined she would show herself here as well, and shed some sense of light on where he should head next.

  An agonizing minute past, then another, in wait, until Gerin realized that he could not hold for Shayanne’s assistance.

  He considered that the pyramid which lay ahead of him contained some mystery or requirement to ascend, but his strained vision locked on a tiny figure towards the middle tier and climbing quickly. Remembering what Shayanne had said about another seeking Fate—one that had an incredible head start—Gerin decided to move.

  He had made it halfway down the path with no intent on stopping, but his pursuit was halted when a small, almost dismissible glint from the entrance caught his eye. It was not so much the reflection itself that stalled him, but what he found after.

  There, upon an ivy-covered arch, carved into the flawless marble were the words “Set Yourself Free”.

  The General knew he had to hurry, that every second was slipping away, but could not ignore the relevance and how powerful such a statement could be.

  He finally cast it off and, renewed, he pressed on to what he imagined would be his final test.