“The Sorceress knows! She is sending her guards after us.”
Three explosions were heard and three shooting stars circled the company. The three faithful henchmen of the Sorceress appeared before them.
“The Elwing is mine, I am going to devour him,” said Zago.
“You will have no-one!” said Antarus, leaping down from a ruined building nearby.
“Antarus!” cried Alexander, happy to see his friend the ice giant.
“Come to me, Orpe of Ice. We shall see just how quickly you melt,” laughed Zago.
Meyffrey seemed tormented. His eyes were frozen and he jolted several times.
“That is enough!” he said at the sight of the ice shield that Antarus was wearing on his left arm. “You will do him no harm.”
Zago and Zgard looked at one another.
“You are not serious, Meyffrey...”
“I have a debt to pay this Orpe, I cannot allow you to kill him.”
“You dare to defy me?” said Zago.
“I defy all who seek to harm this Orpe! Run!” he cried to the children, “I will hold them back.”
“You are a traitor!” said Zgard.
“Wake up, friend. The Sorceress is using us. She wants only to invade the other world and she will kill us all when that is done!”
“I will deal with this traitor.”
“I do not want to fight you, Zago.”
“In that case, it will be all the easier to kill you.”
The two henchmen of the Sorceress exchanged blows. They whirled through the sky which changed colours several times and lightning shot from the fighters’ fists. Meyffrey was seriously injured when a flash of yellow light struck him, but he managed with one hand to squeeze Zago’s neck and lift him off the ground. Zago struggled and fell. He got up, but Meyffrey’s sword pierced his chest from one side to the other. The gleam of wickedness that still emanated from Zago’s eyes disappeared and his body fell to the ground.
“Impressive,” said Zgard, stepping around Meyffrey.
Meyffrey collapsed to the ground and only had enough strength to get back up to his knees.
“You will die, traitor!”
“I know who you are, Jonathan Zgard. You too were human once, but unlike you, the flame of my humanity has not yet been extinguished.”
“But who are you?”
“My true name is Harlan Gori. I remember now. I was one of the first humans to discover Arboria.”
“Whoever you are, prepare to die!”
“If my death can help you remember and become a defender of Arboria, a human being set to combat the madness of the Sorceress, then I will not die in vain.”
“I will never betray our Queen.”
“Then you will die a monster and not a man. Now strike, I will not oppose you.”
Zgard withdrew his sword and drove it into Harlan’s body. A peaceful expression appeared on his face and he fell to the floor. Zgard looked at the body of his former ally, now returned to his human form.
The children had fled through the forest during the fight and continued running towards Sylum. They took refuge between the roots of an uprooted tree. Alexander explained everything that had happened in the castle to Antarus and the girls.
“We have to get to Sylum at once, we have to warn them!”
“I’m with you, Antarus,” said Alexander. “Who was that Meyffrey really?”
“His name is Harlan Gori, he is one of the oldest inhabitants of Arboria.”
“Who is HG?” asked Hope.
“He’s the person who wrote the book,” said Alexander.
“The book that told you how we can get back?” asked Meredith.
“Yes.”
“Alright, then I don’t understand anything anymore,” said Amy.
“Don’t worry, we’ll explain it to you.”
“A long time ago, when I was walking through the plains and forests of Arboria, I heard a cry for help when I was somewhere near Avengard. He was human and he was in bad shape. Three Fire Orpes were trying to kidnap him. I rescued him immediately and he explained to me that he had been attacked by order of the Sorceress, that he was in great danger and that he had to flee. So I took him to the mountains of Sylum. This man was called Harlan Gori, and at that time he still looked like a human and not like some kind of gargoyle,” Antarus said.
Suddenly, Zgard landed in front of the uprooted tree. He prepared to attack but Antarus pulled out his shield and thwarted his opponent’s attack.
“Never has a shield managed to repel any of my attacks.”
“This is not just any shield, this is Ganarock. It was forged in the glaciers of Sylum, it is indestructible.”
“We will see about that.”
Zgard put his arm in the air and a large ball of fire appeared between his fingers. He threw it towards the companions but the ball ricocheted off the shield and returned to him with even more force. It hit Zgard and sent him tumbling several meters backwards.
“Is he dead?” asked Golmuth.
“No, just unconscious,” said Antarus, checking Zgard’s prostrate body, “we should get out of here.”
Several hours later in the castle of Avengard.
“Harlan Gori, you say?”
“Yes, my Queen. He turned on us,” said Zgard, on his knees before the Sorceress.
“I thought that my memory erase spell was permanent.”
“You knew?”
“Of course, it was I who erased his memory.”
“Who was he?”
“An enemy, an old inhabitant of Arboria. I made a powerful ally of him. He knew Werner Gravenstein, the man you have been unable to locate. My machine gave him immortality, just as it did you. I thought that I would be able to access his memory one day in order to find the location of the portal. You said that he turned against you when the Ice Orpe appeared out of nowhere?”
“Yes, my Queen.”
“This Orpe, was he carrying a shield?”
“How did you know?”
“It is the shield Ganarock, the only weapon capable of repelling my magic. When Meyffrey looked upon that shield, it removed my influence over him and dispelled my magic.”
“Did you do the same with me?”
The sorceress did not answer, she only continued to pace in front of her throne.
“Of course not, if I had put a spell on you then it would have been repelled by that shield. Go to Sylum with the army – the Fire Orpes will go with you – and take back that shield. I also order you to recover the sword Vulcaria.”
“May I know what is so special about this sword?”
“It is a magic sword forged in the volcano. It can destroy me and annihilate my immortality. I can no longer trust the Fire Orpes. They are incompetent. I should have never given them the shield Ganarock to guard. Now go, and leave none alive expect the children. Bring those to me.”
“It will be done as you desire, my Queen.”
CHAPTER 10: THE MOUNTAINS OF SYLUM
“Darkness is falling again,” Dongo said, “what does that fiendish Sorceress have in store for us this time?”
“Not to worry, we have arrived,” said Antarus.
Immense fields of ice and snow stretched out before them.
“Brrr, it’s freezing here,” said Amy.
They walked towards an enormous building made of ice. A bluish glow filtered through the shaped and frozen blocks.
“These are the mountains of Sylum and there, at its centre, is our cathedral, the Synerum.”
It was gigantic and adorned with two towers, one at the front and one at the back. It was made entirely of blocks of ice, with not a single trace of wood or stone. The blocks were shaped so perfectly that the whole building seemed to have been carved from a single, enormous shard of ice. Two Ice Orpes immediately came towards them brandishing their ice-tipped spears.
“I wish to speak with your leader,” said Antarus.
“Antarus,” said the guard, “you have been banis
hed. We cannot let you inside the city.”
“I know, but it is imperative that I speak with my father.”
“We cannot let you in. What is more, no stranger is permitted to enter the town.”
“If you do not let us in there will not be any city left to defend. The Sorceress is coming,” said Alexander.
“The Sorceress? What have you done?”
“Nothing at all,” said Amy at once.
“I beg you,” said Dongo, “let us in. We will not stay here long.”
“Very well, follow us.”
The two guards led them through the snow. They crossed a deserted city of ice. The bluish glow was reflected in all the structures. They turned at the corner of a street and came onto a great square on which a giant statue of an Ice Orpe was enthroned. Behind the statue, the imposing building armed with two towers more than a hundred metres high rose up before them.
“This is the Synerum,” Antarus said to Alexander.
They entered the cathedral through the enormous double doors of ice and came into a huge rectangular hall furnished with numerous columns with tribunes all around. These were filled with Orpes who were deep in discussion.
They arrived before the pedestal where the leader of the Ice Orpes sat, and Antarus was surprised to see his brother.
“Glacius, traitor, I know what you have done. Where is our father?”
“Silence, it is you who is the traitor. You were banished and yet here you are before me.”
“I have come to warn you that the fire Orpes are marching here to attack.”
“Nonsense, why would they attack us?”
A gasp of astonishment swept through the great hall when Antarus showed the shield.
“You have taken Ganarock from them, poor fool! Throw them in the dungeon!”
“No, wait! You must hear me, Glacius.”
“Seize the shield!”
The guards were too strong. They took the shield and led the children and Antarus by force to the ice castle’s dungeons to the accompaniment of the cheering crowd. They climbed a tall spiral staircase made of ice and the guards threw them into a cell with ice bars.
“We will never be welcomed happily in this world,” said Dongo, pushing on the bars of ice.
“Geum, Gom, can you change into anything to get us out of here?”
“Unfortunately not, we are surrounded by eternal ice, the same that was used to make Ganarock. It possesses exceptional defensive properties and dispels magic. We cannot transform.”
“There is no way out of here,” said another Ice Orpe in the cell whom they had not yet noticed.
“Father, is that you?”
“Antarus, my son. I thought I had lost you forever.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No, I am fine. Your brother took the throne and tossed me in this cell.”
“That traitor.”
“I know now what he has done, Antarus. The time has come to take back control of Sylum.”
“Allow me to introduce you to my father Celastrus, the true king of the mountains of Sylum.”
“Your brother allied with the Queen and the Fire Orpes, The theft of Ganarock was a set-up. It was through your brother that they were able to take it away.”
“I brought it back, father. Ganarock is back in the Synerum.”
“How is it possible?”
“It is a long story and I was aided by friends.”
“Then you have all earned my trust. It is very difficult to gain the trust of an Ice Orpe.”
“We too have full trust in Antarus. He is our friend.”
“Father, these little humans are not originally from Arboria, they come from another world.”
“I knew a human from your world once upon a time. He was dressed in black, looking for someone named Jonathan.”
“Jonathan Zgard,” said the children.
“Do you remember his name?”
“We called him the man in black. He appeared as if by magic and he said he had searched all of Arboria for a little child.”
“What became of him?”
“We do not know. He set out for Avengard and we never saw him again.”
The sound of a horn resonated throughout the valley.
“What is happening?” asked Alexander.
“It is the alarm, we are under attack,” said Celastrus, “but who is it?”
“The Sorceress and the Fire Orpes,” said Antarus, “I will explain later.”
“How are we going to get out of here?” asked Hope.
“Guards!” cried Celastrus, “you cannot leave us here! Give us the chance to fight by your side and defend this city!”
The two guards looked at each other and one of them opened the ice door to the cell. Antarus knelt and took the children into his arms.
“You must go. This battle is not yours.”
Meredith, Hope and Amy had tears in their eyes. Amy hugged the giant as hard as she could.
“Thank you for everything, Antarus. We will never forget you.”
“Alexander, I charge you with looking after your friends.”
Alexander too came into the ice giant’s embrace. “Thank you, we would never have made it so far without you.”
“Come now, I will show you the way. Run as fast as you can, make for Between-Two-Rocks.”
“I wish there was more time,” said Alexander.
“Do not worry, we will see each other again when the battle is done,” replied the giant.
The children left the dungeons and found themselves in the middle of the battlefield in spite of their best efforts. Balls of fire were raining down from the sky and part of the wall had been destroyed. Fire Orpes were surging through like a wave from the sea. Antarus went down into the great hall of the Synerum to face his brother. He opened the great ice doors and found himself face to face with him.
“What is going on?”
“I warned you, the Sorceress is attacking us.”
“Impossible!”
“Give me the shield, I will use it to repel her army.”
“Come and get it,” said Glacius.
“I do not want to fight you.”
“Then I am leaving the cathedral with the shield. Let me pass.”
Glacius jumped on his brother and landed several blows. Antarus could not react, his brother seemed faster and stronger than him. Giving him a kick in the legs, the giant tripped and fell to the icy floor.
“I never thought that there would come a day when I would kill my own brother, and yet here it is.”
Glacius prepared to land the final blow but Ganarock flew into the air and came to rest beside Antarus.
“What is happening?”
Antarus picked himself up and put Ganarock on his arm.
“The shield has chosen me, do you not remember its story? Our father told us that the shield chooses the most worthy creature capable of quenching its thirst for peace and justice. Surrender now, it is over.”
“Never. You may have Ganarock on your arm but you will never defeat me. I will return one day and that day will come sooner than you think, my brother.”
“Come back!” cried Antarus.
Glacius fled through the huge cathedral doors.
Antarus looked at the shield hanging on his arm. “Thank you,” he said.
Outside, it seemed like the world was ending. Fireballs were raining down everywhere. Entire walls of ice were melting. Several Ice and Fire Orpes were fighting in the heart of the city. The children also saw Glacius fleeing into a tunnel of ice.
“Coward!” shouted Golmuth.
“Follow him down that tunnel,” said Celastrus, “it will take you outside the town.”
“Farewell.”
The children had no time for a longer goodbye; a Fire Orpe appeared from nowhere and combat broke out.
“Quickly, let’s go, we can’t stay here!” said Meredith.
They ran down the tunnel of ice. It led deep into the ground and soon everyone slipped
, one by one, and began sliding all the way down and into a small circular room. Before them were several different paths, as well as Glacius who was debating over which one to take.
“Look who we have here,” he said, stepping closer to the children.
“You will not touch them,” said Golmuth, brandishing his axe.
“Over our dead bodies,” said Dongo.
Glacius laughed. “I knew Elwings were brave but I didn’t know they were stupid.”
Dongo leapt at Glacius and clung onto his body. He spread open the leaves which protected his chest and a strange blue flower appeared. Glacius breathed in the pollen the flower spat out and started to howl.
“My eyes! I am blind, what did have you done to me?”
“That is the heart of Elwing, an extremely powerful poison. You will never see anything again.”
“Aaargh!”
Glacius cried and fell to his knees on the ground, his head in his hands.
“Go, quickly!” said Dongo.
They ran through the rest of the tunnel as fast as their legs could carry them.
“I didn’t know that Elwings had such a poison,” said Golmuth.
“I lied, it is a weak poison that only works for a few minutes. We mainly use it to deal with weeds.”
“Well played,” Golmuth replied with a smile.
The glow of daylight appeared in the tunnel a few moments later. There was no longer only ice, but rock too. The children came out into the open and stopped. In the distance was a tall column of smoke rising from the towers of Synerum. Their sorrow was written all across their faces.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of Dongo and the girls. Golmuth and Alexander did not cry, but they were clearly no less sorrowful.
The road back to Between-Two-Rocks took several days. No news of Sylum came to them. Alexander kept up hope that Antarus had sent a messenger to tell him, at last, that they had won the battle and that they lived, but nobody came. Eolmuth and Gravenstein welcomed the companions warmly, but their hearts were not ready to receive the greeting. Golmuth and the children told the tale of their journey across Arboria, their heads bowed. Alexander showed them the book and the location of the portal, but he was convinced that nobody else should read it so as not to tempt the greed of the Sorceress.
“For our own safety,” Eolmuth explained.
Arboria Page 10