The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3)

by Michael Foster

  Marrag Lin shook his head. ‘I have lived my life. I have no wish for another. I will fade from existence gladly. To return to the Pattern—that is all I have wanted for a very long time.’

  ‘But I have done all of this for you,’ Samuel declared, exasperated.

  ‘And assuming you are successful, it will be worthwhile, but I will not walk upon this earth again, no more than a grown man or woman would relish playing with the toys of children once they have grown. My time has passed and I will cease to be. Being freed of my task is enough, Father. That is all I could hope for.’

  Samuel nodded gravely. ‘Then if that is what you wish, so be it. You did a great thing and I am sure history will recount the great sacrifice you made.’

  ‘I do not want recognition, or even understanding, Father. It was only penance for my sins I seek ... and forgiveness from you and Mother. Besides, history has long since passed me by. The world has changed. All there is to judge me are the lives I leave behind.’

  ‘That is enough,’ Samuel told him, then his voice changed subtly in tone. ‘I am ready.’

  ‘And what of the Old Ones within you, Father? I sense many. Granting them such power is courting danger. It is exactly what they want.’

  ‘I will deal with them.’

  Marrag Lin accepted the statement without doubt. ‘Then come. What was mine ... is yours.’

  The weight of a hundred mountains fell upon his shoulders, and Samuel suddenly had the power of a god. He could feel everyone and everything around the world and almost at once, he felt dark things probing at its edges, far beyond the boundary of the sky. They grew excited as his defences waned, but he rallied, pushing with his power, his self—so vast that it surrounded the world—and the dark things pulled away to hover just beyond his reach.

  More demons writhed inside him, pouring into him from the unseen gateway in his heart. He had the power now to burn them away, but he did not. Banishing them now would do nothing towards his goal. He called to them instead and they filled him, jabbering with glee at being given such free rein into the world.

  He opened his eyes to find the figure of light before him fading. And for the first time since his thankless task had begun, Marrag Lin smiled.

  ‘Thank you, Father,’ he said. ‘You have freed me. My time is ended. I am sorry for causing such grief. Forgive me.’

  ‘I do forgive you,’ Samuel stated sincerely.

  And Marrag Lin vanished.

  ****

  The world began to turn once more and Samuel found that the others were staring at him, only an instant having passed for them.

  ‘You cannot do this!’ Lomar declared, running in from the dark, his robes flapping around him.

  Samuel turned to him sedately. ‘You are too late. It is done already.’

  Lomar laughed. ‘You fool! You have become the protector of this world, but you are full of demons—bursting at the seams with them! They will overcome you. They grow stronger by the moment. How can you be so stupid? You have condemned us all to damnation! You are even worse than me!’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Samuel said, and stepped closer to the taller magician and spoke candidly. ‘Lomar, I need your power.’

  On hearing that, the taller magician calmed. He waited, shivering with anticipation as Samuel reached towards him. He flinched on contact, but Lomar did not run, as the man who had inherited the responsibilities of a god laid his hands upon his shoulder and began to draw his life.

  ‘Yes!’ Lomar hissed. ‘Finally. It ends here. Take me. Take me before the demons come.’ He continued to laugh hysterically as his essence was dragged away.

  But Samuel halted before absorbing the last shreds of his life, and Lomar stopped laughing, looking at Samuel with horror. ‘What are you doing?’ he demanded to know. ‘Why have you stopped?’

  ‘I have your magic,’ Samuel replied. ‘That is all I need.’

  ‘But I have more! What about my life?—my flesh, my blood! Take it all!’

  ‘You can keep them,’ Samuel said.

  Lomar was mystified. ‘But—but why?’

  ‘Despite what you say, Lomar, I am not a demon, and I will never give in to them again. You are just a man, fallible as myself, as flawed as anyone. I remember when I counted you as my closest friend, Lomar, and for that I want you to live.’

  ‘That was all lies!’ Lomar declared. ‘I was using you! Surely, you must realise that by now.’

  ‘I do,’ Samuel said. ‘But I will always count you as my friend, no matter what you say. I want you to live, Lomar. I forgive you.’

  The man was stupefied. ‘You … forgive me?’ he said meekly.

  ‘You are free; free of Cang and Poltamir and everyone else who used you. You now only answer to yourself. I give you back your life. Do with it what you will, but from now on, you have only yourself to blame for what results. Find no fault in anyone else for whatever your fate may bring.’

  ‘My branches have all burned, Samuel,’ he said, hanging his head low, ‘but yours have grown and flowered into something beautiful and beyond belief. What a sorry waste I have been.’

  ‘Nothing is wasted,’ Samuel told him. ‘And you still have time to grow.’

  The dark-skinned man opened his eyes in wonder as he imagined the possibilities.

  ‘It is time,’ Samuel said. ‘My guests grow impatient.’

  ‘What will you do?’ Lomar asked.

  ‘I will finish what I started.’

  He looked at the others, all waiting, observing events as Captain Orrell bled to death on the floor.

  ‘It is all right, Samuel,’ Leopold stated. ‘If you need us, we will join you. Take our strength. It is little price to pay for saving everyone else.’

  ‘That is not necessary, young friend,’ the magician responded. ‘I have another plan.’

  ‘Your skin!’ Kali said, pointing to him with an outstretched finger, for ghoulish mage-fire was once more dropping from him.

  ‘The demons are looking to escape,’ Samuel said. ‘We must be quick. Daneel, ready your sword. I must hold myself here until my plan is done. This body is falling apart under the strain of such power, but I must hold myself within it, so that I remain mortal. To become a god now is to hand evil my soul on a platter.’

  ‘Kali,’ Jessicah said, calling the Koian warrior woman down beside her. ‘Help me.’

  Kali did as asked, placing her hands over the captain’s wounds, leaving Daneel free to do as instructed.

  The one-eyed man drew his sword, the rain running down his face. ‘And what would I do with it?’

  ‘You will use it as swords are meant—quick and strong.’ He pointed to his neck to demonstrate what he intended, and Daneel nodded in understanding. ‘Just keep it ready,’ Samuel told him. ‘I will call you when required.’

  With that, he raised his arms sideways away from his body and summoned his magic.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Lomar asked, but Samuel was too busy to respond.

  Far above, a bright light appeared amongst the stars. It coursed westwards, a meandering shooting star, but it did not fade or burn away. Another appeared beside it, following the first, then another far away. As they watched on, the cloudless rain ceased falling, leaving the air filled with the smell of fresh precipitation.

  ‘What is it?’ Leopold asked.

  ‘The stars are moving!’ Daneel exclaimed.

  ‘Starfall?’ Lomar guessed at a whisper. ‘No. Something else ...’

  ‘I always wondered what the stars were,’ Samuel uttered, his eyes closed tightly. ‘Now I know, and it is even more beautiful than I imagined.’

  The lights continued to grow in number, ringing the sky with their fiery light. More and more points appeared in the heavens, burning pure and white and bright, following each other, twisting and curling in succession, like snowflakes wandering the heights. The sky was full of them, until the background stars were rendered invisible by comparison. Then, the points began to join, pale scars like spider silk c
reeping out and interweaving between them all, forming an undulating lacework above their heads.

  ‘Can you not see it, Lomar?’ Samuel said, eyes still closed. ‘This is my power—my self—and now it surrounds this world. Everything within it is within my reach, to do with as I will. This is what I have been waiting for—all the pieces I needed to put this, my greatest spell, together and venture where we have never gone before.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Lomar asked with disbelief.

  ‘Come to me!’ Samuel demanded of his evil. Blazing fire poured from his skin as the demons rallied.

  The brilliant latticework of stars grew brighter. Everyone shielded their eyes, then, reaching a crescendo, the creeping threads completed their work, the blinding lines joined together.

  A brilliant flash. Blackness.

  The stars, the moon and the demon fire upon Samuel all vanished and the world was bereft of light.

  ****

  At first, it seemed as if they had vanished from existence, but the wind still breathed in their ears, proving they were alive.

  ‘What has happened?’ Leopold asked, hearing his voice in the void.

  ‘Are we dead?’ asked another—Kali.

  But then, as their eyes became used to the dark, the stars became visible once more high above.

  ‘We’re alive,’ Daneel whispered, easily audible in the silence.

  They could see each other now, dimly in the starlight, as when they had first appeared upon the plain of glass.

  ‘The stars have changed,’ Kali declared, her chin pointed up as she browsed the heavens in wonder. ‘I have never seen these constellations before.’

  ‘The moon has disappeared,’ Jessicah whispered. It was true. The great white orb and its reflection were both missing.

  ‘No, it is where we left it,’ Samuel said and they saw the magician drag himself to his feet. The fire around him had also diminished to near darkness, burning faintly with its bluish hue.

  ‘Have you vanquished the demons?’ Jessicah asked, still kneeling over Captain Orrell.

  ‘No. They are merely startled. They don’t know where they are. Like you, they whisper to each other—unsure, anxious.’

  ‘How did you change the stars?’ Kali asked in wonder, gazing at the heavens. Her hands continued their pressure on the captain’s wounds.

  ‘The stars have not changed. It is our world that has moved.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ she questioned, looking at the magician with puzzlement.

  ‘I have moved us, and the entire planet with us. I have journeyed us far away from where we were. I have thrown us an unimaginable distance. We are now across the universe—hidden amongst the darkness where evil can never find us. More importantly, the demons within me can never find their way back to their home. I have broken the link to their realm—sealed it shut forever.’

  ‘How could it be?’ Lomar asked in awe. ‘How could you move a world?’

  ‘I have used every mote of my power,’ Samuel said. ‘It is all gone … the strength of a god. There is no magic left in me. Only this glass around us, once the body of a demon itself contains any shred of power, and that will quickly fade now the gate to its home is gone.’

  ‘But how—?’ Lomar began, before putting two and two together. ‘But you still have the demons within you,’ Leopold said, looking at the blue fire dripping from the man—the only source of light apart from the stars, like a blue-tinted campfire in their midst.

  ‘Yes,’ Samuel confirmed with a nod. ‘But their whispers have turned to screaming. They are now the ones who are afraid. They are trapped within me and they are alone. They do not know where they are, and they cannot return to their home. They have lost their doorway and have nowhere to retreat. They are lost in the darkness and shall soon be vanquished. But we must be quick.’

  ‘What do we do?’ Leopold asked.

  ‘You must kill me before they overwhelm me. They have nowhere to escape. In killing me, they will die also. We have won … almost. Unfortunately, all has not gone as I expected,’ Samuel admitted guiltily. ‘Our victory is not complete. We have one significant problem.’

  ‘What is it?’ Lomar asked with bewilderment.

  ‘There is no sun,’ Samuel revealed. ‘We did not reach the destination I intended. I was short of power by just a little. I thought leaving the moon behind might make up for it—a great sacrifice in itself—but it was still not enough.’

  ‘Was it because—’ Leopold commenced, glancing towards Kali, but the magician ignored him, talking over him.

  ‘It does not matter why, Leopold. It is done.’

  ‘Samuel,’ Lomar said, aghast. ‘You sent us here with no idea of what would be awaiting us? We are doomed!’

  Samuel ignored the man’s ranting. ‘Ready your sword, Daneel. It is time. You must be swift. I have no more spells to protect me. I am defenceless. You can kill me easily enough.’

  The night air had them shivering and the cold wind seemed to be growing stronger. A savage grumbling sounded from afar and the ground shook.

  ‘What is that?’ Daneel asked, holding his weapon readied, but unsure.

  ‘What is happening?’ Kali also asked with alarm.

  ‘The world is in peril,’ Lomar replied. ‘The change has been too much. The earth will tear itself apart. No sun! No moon! What have you done, Samuel? You have saved no one!’

  ‘What can we do, Samuel?’ Jessicah asked.

  ‘Nothing,’ he said with an abject shake of his head. ‘I—I have failed us.’

  Vibrations ran through their feet. Immense rumblings echoed across the land as it voiced its discontent.

  ‘But at least the demons shall not have you,’ Samuel continued. ‘That is a victory in itself, and countless other worlds will be saved, never to be consumed by the demons we now destroy. I am sorry ... to all of you. I failed. You will not last much longer than I, but at least your souls shall be free. Your spirits will return safely to the Pattern, as they should. Daneel ... it is time.’

  Daneel shifted his weight, preparing to strike, but Jessicah’s voice caused him to halt his nervous hand.

  ‘All is not lost, dear cousin,’ she said, with a rising hope. ‘I know what to do. I can save us.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Samuel asked, labouring to speak as the fire grew steadily upon him.

  ‘I can save us,’ she repeated with excitement, still kneeling beside her loved one. ‘I have had this power inside of me all my life, but I never had the courage to face it. Now I know, and Rei opened my eyes to it. I can save us! I can do it!’

  ‘How can that be?’ Samuel asked.

  ‘Why ask such things, silly man?’ she said with a smile. ‘I can feel it inside me, as if this was what I was always intended to do. There is a light inside of me, and Rei unwittingly helped me to discover. It is a warmth, an energy, that sings with the strength of our world.’

  ‘It is not possible,’ the magician stammered.

  ‘Come, Samuel. I know you felt it. It has been in me all along, but you would not admit it. You always wanted me to be your loving cousin, not some heartless witch full of magic, but it is not the kind of magic you expected. It is not the magic forged by man, or granted by demons ... it is something else entirely: a gift. I want this. I need it, Samuel, to save us all.’

  ‘I—I,’ he faltered. There was no point in arguing. ‘You were always my goddess,’ he said, struggling to form a smile. ‘How ironic that it should turn out to be true. It seems to be providence or coincidence or destiny, but the world saw fit to place her faith in you, Jessicah. How could it be?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ she said simply, still smiling, ‘but I am very glad for it. The warmth inside of me has given me comfort all my life. I always felt sad for you, dear Samuel. I could feel the loneliness and darkness inside of you that I could not banish despite my best intentions. I did not know how ... until now. Now I know how to return the light. My own voice inside me tells me the way.’

&
nbsp; Samuel tried to laugh, and choked upon it as it rose in his throat. ‘Salvation ...’ he gasped, then his joy turned to misery. ‘But why did it have to be you?’

  ‘It has always been me. I can feel my purpose at hand and I can barely contain myself. It is bubbling to the surface, as if this was always meant to be.’

  ‘But ... we need a sun!’ Samuel declared. ‘The cost is too great. It would cost you your life.’

  ‘I do not think I will die, Samuel. I will change into something else; something wonderful and beautiful, ever looking down upon the world. That is not death. It is the birth of a new life. I give myself willingly for such a fate. Most of all, it is the only way to save him.’

  All eyes turned to Captain Orrell, lying before her.

  ‘You cannot save him, Jessicah. I can see the shadow enfolded around him. Death will take him, and then only crossing the Boundary can bring him back—but I no longer have the strength for that. Do you?’ he asked her, amazed as he considered the possibility.

  ‘Oh, Samuel,’ Jessicah returned, as if correcting a child. ‘Have you not realised yet? Our destinies are never set in stone. Do not let your demons dictate what should happen. Let me show you.’

  She hugged her captain tightly to her, letting Leopold and Kali remove their bloodied hands.

  ‘Wh—what is happening?’ he asked, choking, unsure of his surroundings.

  ‘I need to ask you something, David ... my love. I must go away and I want you to come with me.’

  ‘Where will we go?’ he asked distantly, straining to see her through his fading vision.

  ‘Not far, but we will go together. To save everyone ... to save the world.’

  ‘Of course ... I would do anything,’ he stated wearily, ‘just to be with you, beautiful Jessicah.’

  Weeping tears of joy, she looked back to her cousin. ‘Samuel, I can’t thank you enough for loving me. You can’t know how much it meant to me. All the while the witch possessed me, I felt your faith.’