The Marenon Chronicles Collection

by Jason D. Morrow

  Confused looks spread across hundreds of faces.

  “Although he isn’t with us at this assembly, I think we should thank him.”

  Silas led them in a round of applause, and the cheers eventually caught on, becoming louder and louder. After a few moments the crowd began to chant the king’s name in unison.

  Silas couldn’t help but notice Darius’ angered expression when the man realized that the king would have to be set free. Whether they knew it or not, the Dunarian people had just secured Julian’s release.

  *****

  Nalani had broken away from the crowd shortly after Silas began talking about Julian. She hadn’t seen him for a long time, and she was now going to see him behind bars. She didn’t exactly want to be alone with him. She knew Julian would want to talk about their past relationship, and rightfully so.

  It had gone from good to bad to worse. They had been so happy together when they were just members of the Dunarian Council. They were best friends and they easily found themselves in love with each other. Both of them knew that The Reckoning would be concluded somewhere in their future, but they had no idea that it would take such an emotional toll on the two of them. They could never have predicted that it would drive them apart.

  Though she didn’t want to talk to Julian about it, she felt she had an obligation to face him.

  Recognizing her immediately, the guards saluted her as she came near and allowed her to pass into the compound.

  Her heart sank when she saw Julian in the outdoor cage. She knew his goals had always been noble, but she also knew that he could be impulsive in his methods. She knew he had the inclination to act first and think later, but his intentions were always for the best. Julian had felt trapped these past three months. Surely after the betrayal of Ward Holden and the discovery of the memory orb that implicated others on the council, Julian had felt alone.

  Nalani had been no help to him then. She had abandoned him. Maybe it had been his callousness at the death of his brother, or perhaps she thought Julian was becoming too power-hungry. Either way, she didn’t feel comfortable around him. She felt like her life was in danger just by being near him. This wasn’t necessarily because of Julian directly, but his reckless decisions seemed to affect everyone around him. As they had only days before.

  There would be no speaking of this, however. She knew Julian. He would never forgive himself for what happened to the council members, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from trying to finish what he started.

  He jumped to his feet when he saw Nalani walking toward the compound. The sound of the energetic crowd carried through the air as Silas continued to rally their support.

  “Nalani,” Julian said, brushing the dirt from his clothes. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “Likewise,” she said, standing back from the bars. “That is, I didn’t know you were coming last night.”

  “I had no idea there would be a battle raging at Jekyll Rock either,” he said.

  “You saved us all. Me. My parents. All of us. We owe you.”

  “It doesn’t make up for what I did to the council.”

  “We have to move past that, as horrible as it was,” she said. “Silas has the Dunarians loving you right now.”

  “I heard them chanting my name. I had hoped that they weren’t calling out for my execution.”

  Nalani shook her head.

  “We’re going to need a scout team,” Julian said, changing the subject. “We must see what we’re up against in Mudavé, and I want to lead it.”

  “But you need to bring your soldiers from Farlaweer.”

  “I can send a messenger to Robin. He’ll bring all the soldiers from Farlaweer. And I can send more messengers to Hanzad and Canor to gather what reserves they have, though there will be few from either of those places.” He started pacing his cell as though Nalani wasn’t even there. It was like he was talking to himself. “Silas will move first to destroy the Blue Gate, I’m sure. Then he’ll march to Elysium to gather support from the Erellens, but they’ll have to agree to allow him to destroy the Green Gate. But when he gets their support, they’ll march with us to Mudavé.” Satisfied with his assessment, he smiled and looked up at Nalani.

  “Who do you want for your taskforce?” she asked.

  “You and the mercenaries,” he said.

  “Inga will want to be near Silas. They’ve been training together and Silas will need more guidance with his magical powers.”

  “Fine. All of you minus Inga.” He seemed disappointed.

  “What else are you planning?”

  “I need to look into something in Mudavé,” he answered. “I killed Mintuk last night, so that should only leave two Sleepers, Marcus and a man named Damon. They’re planning something against Silas, I know they are.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Because, I would if I were one of them. It will be their last stand. They’re going to bring everything they’ve got to take him down.”

  “You know Darius won’t be happy that we’re planning to release you, much less let you lead a group to Mudavé,” she said.

  “I know,” he said, looking down at his feet. “I had the man strung up to be executed. He has the right to wish I’d rot. But if he wants the support of Farlaweer, then he doesn’t have a choice.”

  A long pause stood between them. Julian was right. The Dunarians needed all the help they could get. Imprisoning Julian had only been an act of fleeting anger. It was unrealistic to think Darius would be granted his retribution in a war like this. Julian was one of their biggest allies, despite his ignorant conflict with the council members.

  Even though their romantic relationship could never be rekindled, she couldn’t help but miss what they used to have. Being near Julian brought up old feelings that she no longer wanted from him though. He used to make her feel safe, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

  Julian looked at her with regret in his eyes, and a longing that he should have known she could not fulfill. “We can make it work, Nalani. It’s not too late for us.”

  “But it is too late, Julian.”

  “Why?”

  She stepped a foot backward.

  “Nalani, we’re about to win this together! Soon, this will all be over.”

  She moved another step backward. For some reason she felt hot liquid sting her eyes. She had not imagined this would be so difficult.

  “Nalani,” Julian called out.

  “I’m sure someone will be by later to let you out.”

  “Nalani!”

  She turned sharply and walked out of the compound before he could see her tears fall.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Silas woke up the next morning feeling rested, but his mind continued to run wildly. The next part of his mission was clear. Today, the Blue Gate would be destroyed.

  After breakfast, Dublin took Silas to where the others had assembled. All the leaders were together, including the previously imprisoned Julian. Silas was glad, yet somewhat surprised to hear that Julian would lead a reconnaissance group into Mudavé. Darius had been livid at the revelation, but ultimately decided to focus his rage on the fight to come.

  It had been decided that Silas should go to the Blue Gate as discretely as possible, so he would only be accompanied by Inga and Kaden. Lorcan had wanted to join their group, but to Silas’ relief, Kaden reminded the Erellen that he was a wanted man in Elysium, and that would be their next destination after the Blue Gate.

  Coffman placed a large hand on Lorcan’s shoulder. “We’re not going into Mudavé yet. We’re just checking it out.” Lorcan said nothing, probably knowing he would come across as weak as he had three months before when he had been too afraid to enter the Stühoc city. Silas remembered the tale told to him by Inga, that Lorcan had been captured and tortured by the Stühocs when he was a child. Whenever the demon-like creatures came near him, the warrior became nearly useless.

  “Inga, we could really use your help out there,” Julian
said.

  “Silandrin was insistent that I help Silas,” she said. “But I’m sure we will see you very soon.”

  Julian nodded, knowing there wasn’t much use in trying to convince her to come. Her abilities would have come in handy though.

  Darius Umar remained behind at Jekyll Rock as his soldiers continued to burn the bodies of the Fallen Dunarians. Honor was rarely given to the dead in Marenon, but Darius had instructed that the bodies of the dead Dunarians were to be burned separately from the Stühocs and Nestorians.

  From the looks of it, Jekyll Rock would need extensive rebuilding before it would ever return to its original glory. Silas did not envy the soldiers and citizens charged with such a task. In the distance, he could see Dink and his wife Emma helping soldiers with the cleanup. Dink noticed him looking and gave a short salute. Silas smiled and reciprocated.

  Silas strapped the staff of Uriah to his back and mounted Skarret, glad to see the sarian still alive. Inga sat close behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist to steady herself. For the first time, Silas found it pleasing that Skarret refused a saddle. Kaden mounted his sarian, Cole, and waited next to them.

  Julian, Nalani, and the other mercenaries each rode a separate sarian, leaving one left to stay with Darius should he need one.

  Dublin had ensured that everyone was given a wristband before they departed. The green jewel strapped to their wrists could provide instant communication from any part of the land if they needed it. The old man had nearly been in tears when he saw them off.

  “Don’ yeh be makin’ any foolish decisions, yeh hear?” he said to Silas. “Yeh might be the most powerful person in Marenon, but tha’ don’ give yeh an excuse to be reckless!”

  Silas assured the old man that they would not do anything foolish. Silas checked his cloak pockets to make sure he still counted six medallions. Satisfied, he gave one last wave goodbye to Julian and the others, and they were off.

  Traveling to the Blue Gate wouldn’t take long, but none of them knew what they might encounter. Stühocs may have been dispatched there before the battle at Jekyll Rock with the prediction that Silas would be traveling that way. For all they knew, they could be walking into a trap laid by a thousand or more soldiers. Silas had a suspicion that this would not be a problem given his new magical ability, but he knew he was untested. He hadn’t yet been given the chance to see what kind of power was stored within him.

  Silas, Inga, and Kaden flew high in the warm morning sun and scanned the ground below them as they glided over Canor. The city seemed relatively quiet as the people went about, unaware that the tides were changing. Marenon would become a very different place in the coming days.

  As they passed the city, Blue Gate Mountain loomed in front of them and the snowy top lent unpleasant memories to Silas. He couldn’t look at it without thinking of the fear and pain of his first day in Marenon.

  It dawned on Silas that he had not actually ever seen the Blue Gate from the side of Marenon. On Earth, he had seen the Blue Gate begin to open when Kaden had placed the medallion like a key in the cave wall. But Silas had died before ever getting a chance to step through it. And now he was ready to destroy it.

  They circled around the west side of the mountain and glided toward the battered remains of Silandrin’s old dwelling. It had been left in ruins, mostly due to Inga’s magic. A few bodies of the dog-men remained at the scene, but most had been dragged away or eaten by animals.

  Inga looked from Silas to Kaden as they dismounted.

  “Do you remember where it is?” she asked him.

  Kaden scratched his beard and thought for a moment. “It’s been almost eighteen years. Garland and I followed the Gatekeeper from this house.”

  Silas held out a hand when a feeling struck him. “You don’t have to show us the way,” he said. “I can feel it. It’s not too far.”

  It was as though a magnet pulled him toward the gate, like it wanted him to find it.

  Past the broken house lay a dark wooded terrain filled with large evergreens and boulders that had broken away from the mountaintop years before, making a home for the moss and ivy. The birds chirped back and forth to one another loudly, but no other sound could be heard.

  Skarret and Cole patrolled the sky above the trees, which gave Silas the assurance that no army waited for them in the distance.

  They moved forward, step-by-step, following Silas down the flattened path. The ground seemed as though it had been trodden on a consistent basis, but Silas couldn’t speculate as to who would have traveled the road this much.

  Silas could feel the gate drawing him as they began to veer off the path and into the thicker part of the woods. They walked for several minutes, and with each step, Silas could feel the indivisible hands, pulling him toward the gate. He had thought at first that the sense had only been in his mind, but he could undoubtedly feel a physical push toward it.

  They continued as it drew them east around the mountain and they found themselves walking down another long pathway. This one was straight and led to the side of the mountain where a bare, smooth wall stood.

  No ivy or plant life crept up the wall.

  Silas barely noticed that the gate had stopped drawing him in once he realized that they stood only a hundred feet from it. They stared at it in wonder, though there was nothing wondrous about it.

  “So much magic has been put into making these gates, yet they are most unassuming,” Silas said. “No art, no grand entrance. Just flat, gray rock.”

  “I think Silandrin meant for them to be uninviting,” Inga replied. “Though without the medallion, no one can pass through, I don’t think he wanted anyone near them. They weren’t something he was proud of, I’d say.”

  Silas stepped forward and his right hand began to vibrate just before his staff transformed into a broadsword. Kaden drew his sword, and Inga threw up her hands to ready themselves for a coming attack, though nothing happened.

  Silas closed his eyes as he called on the magic to reveal the danger that lurked near them, but he could see nothing. He opened his eyes, and searched around him frantically. That’s when Judoc appeared from behind a set of trees and stood in front of the gate.

  “Anithistor told me you would be coming here soon,” Judoc said. “He told me to be ready.”

  “And do you think you are ready?” Silas asked.

  “I think if you are here to destroy the Blue Gate, you will find that you are outmatched. We will never let you touch it. You should have come with more men.”

  “So you haven’t heard,” Silas said. “You haven’t heard that there is a new Gatekeeper? You now stand before him.”

  Judoc lowered his stare, then reached for his small spectacles with his furry hand. He folded the sides that had clung to his pointed ears and placed the glasses in his cloak pocket.

  “Gatekeeper or not, you will not touch this gate today,” he said.

  Seemingly from nowhere, a hundred or more dog-men appeared from the shadows of the trees.

  Silas could feel his two companions tense at the sight of so many beasts wanting their blood, but he felt calm in his heart. He was the Gatekeeper. It was time to act like it.

  “I’m giving you one last chance for you and your servants to stand down,” Silas said. “If you do not, you will die.”

  Judoc didn’t respond with words, but with a ferocious bark and growl, he called out for his servants to attack. Each of them sprang into action, but Silas was ready.

  His mind had never felt more aware. The first group of dogs jumped at the small band, but Silas was able to pass a sword through them in one fluid motion. He threw up a large green shield around Inga and Kaden with one hand, and with his sword, he shot out a web of lightening bolts, electrocuting ten of Judoc’s minions at once. One after another, they jumped at Silas, but he found that he could now change the staff to become any weapon he desired.

  The first one, he sliced through with a sword. The next, he smashed with a hammer. He turned to
face three others. With Silas’ desire, the hammer changed into a flail. He barred his teeth as the flail caught fire. In one mighty swing, Silas smashed through the line of them, spreading flames and smoke. He turned just in time to see another jumping toward his back, but Silas held out a hand to stop the dog in mid-flight. Next, he smashed it into a tree with a crushing force. He then concentrated on a branch from the top of the tree and snapped it in half. With the sharp end out, he sent it sailing at the attacker, spearing it through the chest.

  Fifty more attacked at once, but Silas threw down his staff and placed both of his arms together and let out a stream of fire that spread in every direction, spewing from his palms.

  The man-dogs let out howls of pain as the flames seared their fur and flesh. Few remained, but those that survived ran off in every direction, thankful to have escaped with their lives.

  Sweat poured down Silas’ face, but he felt no fatigue. Kaden and Inga stood in awe after witnessing his mastery of magic.

  He allowed the green shield to vanish and he turned to face Judoc. He called the staff to float to his right palm.

  Judoc swallowed hard as Silas approached. He knew there would be no fight. Silas was unbeatable.

  “Just make it quick,” Judoc said. “I’ll die at the hands of Anithistor if you don’t kill me now. I imagine he will be less than civil with my execution.”

  “Why would you waste your time with him?” Silas asked. “Why did you serve the Stühocs?”

  “They provided me a home here,” he answered. “Anithistor allowed us passage here from the old world.”

  “You are a fool.”

  “A realization I made a long time ago. If you will please be done with me now, Mr. Ainsley, I would appreciate it.”

  “I’m not going to kill you. You will be my messenger.”

  Judoc stood silently waiting.

  “Tell Anithistor he has awoken a giant. Tell him that I’m coming for him.”

  He stared at Silas, then glanced at Kaden and Inga who had walked up from behind. He nodded slowly and walked away without another word.