“You said that you were sent by someone we know. I think that I can guess who it is, but I assume that you'd rather I not mention his name?”
“That would be for the best,” the dragon agreed. “He has become a thorn in the side of the dark gods and even saying his name out loud might get their attention.”
“You mean...” Malcolm started to say excitedly.
“Shush!” Aiden exclaimed quickly. “Don't say it, Mal. And don't say anything about any of this to Tamara and the others, okay?”
The big man frowned down at him.
“Of course I won't say anything. Gees, Aiden, stop treating me like a kid.”
“Then stop acting like one,” Aiden replied with a wide smile.
Both of them laughed together and then they looked at Esmiralla.
“It seems that your decision has already been made,” she said.
“I suppose it has,” Aiden told her. “I'm not really afraid to die, you know. But a chance to fight back against the evil creatures who destroyed my world can't be passed up. I accept your offer, lady.”
“Excellent. Now, before we leave, we must set a convincing scene for your friends. It would not do for Aiden to disappear right after I had visited this place.”
As both men watched, Esmiralla made a gesture and the twisted corpse of a goblin appeared at her feet.
“What are you going to do with that?” Malcolm asked as he stared at the body in disgust.
“I believe that humans used to call it 'window dressing',” she replied with a low chuckle. “We will use this to trick your people into thinking what we want them to think.”
Her enormous blue eyes glowed briefly and the corpse shuddered and quivered for a moment. As the light faded from Esmiralla's eyes, at her feet lay, not the body of a dead goblin, but an exact duplicate of Aiden; burns, missing hair and all. Even the torn and splotched chain-mail trousers were the same.
“My God, do I really look that bad?” Aiden gasped.
“You always look great to me,” Malcolm said gallantly.
Aiden snorted but he grinned up at the big man.
“Good answer,” he told him.
“I thought so.”
“And now we must go,” Esmiralla said, interrupting the moment. “We have only a few moments left before the energy that I gave you dissipates and you pass from this world.”
Both Malcolm and Aiden stopped smiling and stared at the silver dragon.
“So soon?” Malcolm asked plaintively.
“Yes. We cannot risk your friend's life.”
“Very well.”
Malcolm pulled Aiden closer to his chest and both men stared intently at each other.
“Kick some ass when you meet those bastards,” Malcolm muttered.
“You bet I will,” Aiden replied softly.
And then Malcolm stepped forward and carefully settled Aiden into Esmiralla's waiting arms.
As she was turning away, he spoke one last time.
“Lady, will I ever see him again?” Malcolm asked her.
The silver dragon looked back and smiled coolly.
“Of course you will,” Esmiralla told him. “If we win.”
And with that, she turned and walked away across the fields. As she moved into the distance, Malcolm saw the woman fade as if she'd only been part of a dream. And then she and Aiden were gone.
The big man was left alone staring down at the body that looked so much like Aiden's. But he felt nothing for it, because he knew that it wasn't real.
Malcolm began to walk back towards the castle and he resisted the urge to smile or whistle. He had to look grief-stricken when he saw Tamara and the others and he had to be convincing. If they suspected anything at all, it could jeopardize the outcome of the great war that was approaching and, more importantly to Malcolm, risk Aiden's life. And he could not let that happen.
But inside he was singing. Aiden was alive! And perhaps one day, if the lords of Light prevailed, they would be together again.
With that thought tucked away in the deepest recesses of his mind, close to where the beast within struggled to break free, Malcolm re-entered the courtyard and prepared to face the Council.
Epilogue
Aiden woke up slowly. He rolled over and sat up, his mind still fuzzy from sleep. He actually felt like he'd slept for a week and wondered briefly why Malcolm hadn't woken him. Surely he wasn't late for duty, was he?
What day was it, anyway?
He irritably pushed his hair out of his face and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned slowly and looked around.
Aiden was sitting in a field covered with tall grasses and colorful wildflowers. The scent was so strong that it was almost intoxicating, but he ignored it as he jumped to his feet in surprise.
“Where the hell am I?” he said aloud.
“I can't really say where you are, but what you are is late.”
He spun around in surprise. A dozen yards away, at the top of a low hill, stood a woman.
She was dressed in shining plate armor from her neck to her feet, with only her head bare. Her dirty-blond hair was cut short but lifted and fluttered in the warm, gentle breeze that blew across the tops of the flowers.
Aiden gaped at her and the woman laughed in return.
“You look like a fish out of water,” she said, her words touched by a faint Russian accent.
“Liliana?” Aiden gasped. “Is it really you?”
The paladin laughed again.
“Of course it is me. I was sent to meet you. It is good to see you again, Aiden. And I am pleased to see you suitably dressed as well.”
“What?”
Aiden looked down at himself and was astonished to see that he was wearing full chain-mail armor. A sword hung from his belt and, when he shrugged, he felt the weight of a shield resting across his back.
“How did this happen?” he asked, feeling foolish as Liliana continued to smile down at him.
He walked toward her up the low hill and when he reached the top, the paladin did something that she had never done before. She hugged him warmly.
Aiden returned the embrace with delight and then stepped back.
“I thought you were dead,” he said soberly.
Liliana's smile faded as she nodded.
“So did I. But Esmiralla came to me just after I attacked the primal red dragon, while a spark of life still flickered within me. She brought me here and gave me a second chance to strike back at the Darkness. It is the same chance that she gave to you.”
Aiden's memories came flooding back as soon as Liliana mentioned the silver dragon. He staggered for a moment, feeling slightly dizzy, before regaining his balance.
“Ah, now I remember,” he said thoughtfully. “I was dying and Esmiralla offered me a place in the war to come, the war between Good and Evil.”
He ran his fingers through his thick hair with delight. It seemed that he was entirely whole again.
“Yes, she made me the same offer,” Liliana told him. “But the silver dragon is really only an emissary. She's been sent to find people like us, those on the edge of death who might be useful in the upcoming conflict. We are few in number so far, but time does not mean very much in the Void and there is no hurry.”
“The Void?”
Aiden looked around doubtfully.
“This looks like Earth to me,” he said.
“Of course it does,” Liliana replied with a smile. “That's the way it was designed. But I doubt that we would survive for long on Earth without a sun.”
Aiden looked up into the blue sky above them and scanned it from one horizon to the other. He was shocked once again. Liliana was correct. There was no ball of light in the sky.
“How?” he asked her.
“Powerful magics, my friend,” the paladin replied. “Beyond my understanding. If you really want answers, then you'd better speak to the architect of this domain.”
She turned away and walked down the hill. Aiden followed alon
g behind her, looking around as he went and trying to accept the fact that he was no longer on Earth. It was a lot to take in.
They climbed up the slope of another hill, this one higher than the last. As they reached the summit, Liliana turned to Aiden with a smile and gestured down the opposite slope.
“Look, there he is now. He's been waiting eagerly for your arrival.”
Aiden moved up next to Liliana and looked in the direction that she was pointing.
Down the slope and across another wide field of rolling grasses stood a tower. It was four-sided and rose up about forty feet over the surrounding fields. At the base of the tower were some steps leading to a wooden door and, at the bottom of the steps stood several figures.
There was a slim young man wearing several pieces of mismatched armor, with a long sword on his hip. For a moment, Aiden was sure that he saw the weapon glow with an ethereal blue aura.
“Bobby Cornell,” Liliana said. “He carries the legendary sword Nillanos, a relic from ancient times.”
“He's one of us?”
“Yes. He is a Changling,” she told him. “One of the children who began to Change before the dragons returned.”
Aiden stared at the distant figure in amazement.
“I remember them. The news was full of stories about kids mutating into all kinds of things. And then technology failed and I forgot all about them. They survived?”
“Some of them did, yes. And back on Earth, the forces of evil are going to make their acquaintance very soon, and they will come to regret it.”
Aiden glanced at the paladin and saw her smiling a rather nasty smile.
Beside Bobby stood a tall chestnut stallion and next to him was a huge black wolf.
With a smile, Aiden looked at Liliana.
“Your friends?” he asked gently.
“Yes, I was granted that grace by the goddess,” she replied, her voice filled with joy. “Valiant and Grom willingly sacrificed themselves to save others and for that they were chosen to fight alongside us in the great war to come.”
Beside Bobby stood two small figures, vaguely man-shaped but definitely not human. One appeared to be carved from dark rock, while the other swirled and bobbed as if floating on an invisible sea.
Aiden laughed in delight.
“Ah, I remember those two. The elementals, Kronk and Aeris. Constantly arguing and yet the best of friends.”
And standing at the base of the steps leading into the tower stood a tall slender man wearing a long blue robe. His hair was now almost completely silver, but his youthful face was unlined and appeared almost innocent.
“Simon O'Toole,” Aiden said softly. “My God. I never thought that I'd see him again.”
“Yes, the architect himself. The great dragon, Argentium, created this safe space in the Void, but Simon redesigned it and made it into the beautiful sanctuary that it is now. And as time passes here, he continues to expand and improve this little world of his.”
She punched Aiden playfully on the shoulder.
“Just wait until you get a chance to explore. There are wonders here beyond description. You'll see.”
Even across the wide fields, Aiden felt Simon's eyes lock on him, and he somehow felt welcomed.
“I'm expected,” he said with assurance.
“Oh yes, that you are,” Liliana said as she began to walk toward the tower. “Come along now. We have a lot to do and plans to make. The great adventure is just beginning.”
Aiden waited a moment. He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with sweet air. An image of Malcolm floated up before him and he gazed at it lovingly.
We will meet again, Mal, he assured the image. I'll win this war single-handedly if I have to, if it means that we can be together again. But until that time comes, stay strong and watch over our friends.
He opened his eyes again, threw back his shoulders and began to descend the hill.
A great adventure, Liliana had called it.
He couldn't wait to get started.
The End
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