"I thought you were gone," King Arik said softly.
"That makes two of us," Tanya replied weakly, "but I cannot give up just yet. I promised Alex that I would see you safely to the Amethyst of the Gods, and we are not there yet."
"Why didn't you transform into a bird?" asked the king. "I know that you can do that."
"I would have died," sighed Tanya as she felt a bit of her strength returning. "It takes time to transform. My body would have smashed against the walls of the chasm before the transformation was complete. I would end up at the bottom, half woman and half bird. Sometimes one must resist the urge to look for a magical solution to every problem. A spell at the wrong time can kill you."
"I guess the others will not be following us," the king remarked as he looked across the abyss.
"No, they won't," replied Tanya. "You should be wondering how we are going to get out of here once you find the Amethyst of the Gods. Have you opened the door yet?"
"No," the king answered. "There has been no time for that. Let us rest here a while first. The door is not going anywhere."
"The door may not be going anywhere," retorted Tanya, "but we are. I saw rock trolls below us. They can climb these vertical walls. It will not take them long to decide to climb up here and attack us. Let's get through that door to something other than this narrow ledge."
"You rest," nodded the king as he slid out from beneath Tanya. "I will check out the door."
The king rose and looked at the large black door. There was no handle on the door and no obvious way to open it. Instead of a keyhole, the door only had a large vertical slit in it. The king stooped and peered into the slit. He could see nothing. He tried pushing on the door, but it did not budge. He searched around the edge of the door looking for some type of hidden latch, but he could find no such device.
King Arik turned to inspect the demon statues in the hope of finding some secret mechanism to open the door. Tanya rose and examined the slit in the door. She unsheathed her sword and stuck the point of it into the slit.
"What are you doing?" asked King Arik. "You could break the tip of your sword like that."
"Perhaps," nodded Tanya, "but what else could it be for? It is the only remarkable thing about the door, but it does not seem to work."
"Well, I am out of ideas," sighed the king. "I cannot find any latch that will trigger the door's opening. I don't fancy spending the rest of my life on this narrow ledge."
"Try the Sword of Heavens," urged Tanya.
"What?" asked the king.
"In the slit," prompted Tanya. "This door guards the Amethyst of the Gods, and the Sword of Heavens is a tool to find the gem. Try placing its tip in the slit."
The king shrugged and unsheathed the Sword of Heavens. He maneuvered the point into the slit, and a loud click emanated from the door. Tanya grinned as she pushed the large black door open.
"What would you do without me?" smiled Tanya as she stepped through the door.
"I truly don't know," the king answered so softly that Tanya did not hear him.
King Arik followed Tanya through the black door. The chamber beyond the door was weirdly illuminated by sparkling light embedded in the walls. Thousands of pinpricks of light shone from every surface of the chamber. The walls were close together and the ceiling low. A strange creaking noise permeated the room, as if the mountain was groaning under a great weight. Tanya reached into a pouch and pulled out two ordinary-looking rings. She mumbled some words under her breath, and the rings began to glow brightly. She turned and handed one of the rings to King Arik after she had slipped one onto her finger.
"Wear this," she offered. "It will last much longer than a torch would, and we won't have to breathe the fumes that a torch creates."
King Arik nodded and slipped the ring onto his finger. Tanya led the way through a narrow doorway out of the small chamber. There was a small flight of stone steps leading upward into a large hall. The magical rings spread a circle of light around Tanya and the king, but the room was too vast to be illuminated fully. The walls were widely spaced and barely perceptible in the dim light. King Arik gazed upward in an attempt to see the ceiling of the room, but the walls rose upward to disappear into the darkness. Tanya stepped further into the great hall in an attempt to see the far side, but it seemed endless.
"What do you suppose this place is?" asked Tanya.
"It reminds me a bit of the Tomb of the King on the Island of Storms," remarked King Arik. There was a hall like this one with statues of soldiers from various lands. Let's see if there is anything beyond it."
Tanya nodded and started leading the way across the great hall. After a while she stopped and looked first left and then right.
"The room is shaped like a cross," commented Tanya as she stood at the intersection of two great halls. "Which way should we go?"
"I wish we had more light," murmured the king.
Tanya raised her hand and mumbled under her breath. Suddenly, the room burst into a blinding brightness.
"Sorry," giggled Tanya as she covered her eyes. "I have never tried that spell indoors before."
King Arik chuckled amusingly as he squinted down one of the legs of the great hall. He could barely see a doorway at the far end of the hall. He was about to mention it to Tanya when the mountain began to groan like a giant wounded rock troll. The great hall began to shake and dust drifted down from the ceiling. The king reached out subconsciously for Tanya's hand as the trembling increased.
Suddenly, a great roar emanated from the entranceway the pair had come through. Tanya pulled the king around the corner and to the floor. A great wind surged through the hall carrying dirt and rocks with it. For several minutes the brightness of Tanya's magical light dimmed to blackness as the wind roared. Slowly the wind and the noise subsided. The air of the great hall was clouded with dust still swirling about.
"What was that?" asked King Arik.
"If I had to guess," frowned Tanya, "I would say that our entrance to this room no longer exists. There is no turning back now."
"Did your spell cause this?" asked the king.
"No," frowned Tanya. "My spell is one of light. I suspect it is the Sword of Heavens or the gods that caused this. One of them does not want us to leave here. Perhaps both the Sword of Heavens and the gods desire to keep us here."
"What do you mean?" asked King Arik.
"The Sword of Heavens has driven us forward to complete the Ancient Prophecy," explained Tanya. "It surely does not want us to abandon the quest at this stage. As for the gods, they are entrusted with the Amethyst of the Gods. Surely, they would seek to keep it from your hands. What better way to foil your plan than to make escape from this island impossible?"
"You paint a bleak picture," sighed the king, "but you were right about the Sword of Heavens opening the black door. Regardless of what comes against us, we will retrieve the Amethyst of the Gods and restore the Sword of Heavens. How long before this dust settles so we can move onward without bumping into one another?"
"It shouldn't be long," Tanya replied distractedly as she rose and peered around the corner towards the destroyed entrance.
"What is it?" King Arik asked worriedly as he sensed Tanya's body stiffen.
"I don't know," Tanya replied softly. "I heard something moving. Stay here. I will check it out and be right back."
Tanya rounded the corner cautiously and peered into the dust-laden air. She drew her sword and disappeared into the darkness. King Arik rose and peered after her, but she was already swallowed by the darkness. The light from the king's magical ring barely reached his feet, and all he could see was thousands of swirling dust particles. He cautiously turned the corner and moved slowly after Tanya.
The king concentrated on his hearing, as his vision was severally limited. He heard Tanya softly moving several dozen paces before him. He froze when he heard another noise. He listened carefully and heard a distant noise that sent a shudder through his body. It was a hissing sound that rose
and fell as if it were a breathing entity. The sound of claws upon the stone floor set the king's nerves on edge. His mind flashed back to the statue of the demon on the narrow ledge near the bridge. He recalled the sharp-clawed feet that he had been tempted to wrap the vine around. The thought sent an uncontrollable shiver through the king's body.
"Tanya?" the king called softly.
There was no response. King Arik drew the Sword of Heavens and began moving forward again. He hurried softly after Tanya as the sound of the creature's claws continued to get louder. He silently cursed the darkness around him as he strained to hear the familiar footsteps of Tanya.
Suddenly, he heard a loud growl and the sound of steel clashing. Tanya grunted and the creature spit harshly, but King Arik could not gauge the distance or direction clearly. The sounds of battle grew louder as King Arik tried to locate Tanya. He thought about calling out her name again, but he feared distracting her while she was in mortal combat.
All of a sudden, King Arik heard the sound of claws upon the floor in a different direction. He froze again as he tried to separate the sounds. Worry pervaded his face as he realized that there were at least two creatures in the great hall, and Tanya was between them. Whatever they were, the creatures were trying to encircle Tanya.
"There are two of them." King Arik shouted. "They are trying to encircle you."
"Get back!" Tanya replied. "They are demons, and you are no match for them. Leave now. Hurry. I am too weak to hold them for long."
* * *
Alex heard the scream and raced to the edge of the abyss. He pulled out his scope and looked upward across the abyss towards the black door.
"The bridge is gone," he announced to the Knights of Alcea. "King Arik is already across it and at the black door."
"And Tanya?" Jenneva asked worriedly.
"I see no sign of her," Alex replied softly. "Wait. I do see her. She was on the bridge when it collapsed. She is trying to climb up to the ledge."
Jenneva stepped forward and took the scope from Alex's hand. She raised it to her eye and peered across the chasm.
"She will make it," Jenneva sighed with relief. "I think we all should have gone with them."
"We did not know that we would survive the rock trolls," replied Alex. "Tanya will protect the king."
"At least we should send the fairies with them," countered Jenneva. "Prince Midge could have helped Tanya get out of that gorge."
"We shall send the fairies as soon as they return," responded Alex. "It was important to spread the word to the rest of the rock trolls that we are not here to battle them. Remember, we still have to get off this island alive to destroy the Dark One. Tanya and King Arik will be fine. They are an invincible pair of warriors."
"Bah," scowled Jenneva. "You have never believed that anyone was invincible. You are merely mouthing those words to cloud the truth of the situation. The king and our daughter are in grave danger."
"We are wasting time discussing this," Alex said as he took his scope back and put it into a pouch. "Let us continue along the trail to the bridge. Maybe we can find a way to rebuild it."
"And as soon as the fairies return," declared Jenneva, "we are sending them after the king."
"You will get no argument from me on that," nodded Alex.
A few minutes later, Alex stopped and raised the scope again. His face clouded with worry and Jenneva stepped up alongside him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"They have gone through the black door," Alex said.
"That is not what is worrying you," frowned Jenneva. "What is the matter?"
"The two statues went in the door after them," reported Alex.
"The demons?" gasped Jenneva. "I must transform and go to their aid. They are ill-equipped to deal with the likes of demons."
As Alex was looking through the scope, the side of the mountain rumbled. Huge slabs of rock slid down the side of the mountain. The black door burst from the mountain and flew into the abyss as tons of rock slid down and obliterated the narrow ledge. A great cloud of dust rose from the abyss, but Alex was able to see clearly enough to know that the entrance to the mountain no longer existed.
"Not even a fairy will get through there now," sighed Alex. "The entrance no longer exists."
Jenneva halted her transformation spell and looked sadly across the abyss. "We will find another entrance," she said determinedly after a few minutes. "Sarac will not take another member of my family from me."
"Not while I live and breathe," agreed Alex.
Chapter 25
The Great Hall
Tanya saw the dim outline of the demon before her. It was a grotesque beast with powerful wings and sharp claws. Her mind flashed back to the two huge statues that had guarded the black door, as she heard its claws ring against the stone floor. Her brief encounter with the first demon warned her of the difficulty of her situation. She swiftly erected a magical shield as she tightened her grip on her sword. She knew that she had to keep this demon busy, and attract the one that got past her so that King Arik would have time to flee to safety. As weakened as she was from the ordeal of getting across the ancient bridge, Tanya felt confident that she could keep the demons busy long enough to aid the king in his flight. Suddenly, she heard the sound of clashing steel behind her, and she cursed under her breath.
"Get away now, Arik," she called out loudly. "This is no battle for you. Demons are magical in nature. Run! For the love of Alcea, run for your life."
Tanya had no more time to think about the king as the demon before her tried to dissolve her shield. She felt the strain of the demon's spell as her magical shield started to fold inward. She gritted her teeth and forced more power into her shields, feeling dizzy as the effort brought her closer to total exhaustion. Her sword grew heavy in her hands as she awaited the opportunity to strike out at the beast.
The dim shape before her shifted swiftly, and Tanya's eyes were slow to follow its movements. She shook her head vigorously in an attempt to clear the drowsiness that was threatening to overcome her. She knew that she had to strike soon, or her opportunity will have passed. Gauging her move deliberately, Tanya lunged forward with the point of her sword. She struck the demon squarely in the torso and felt a brief moment of exhilaration at drawing first blood.
Her feeling of triumph was short lived, however, as the demon hissed defiantly and brushed the sword aside. Tanya fought to control her sword as the demon advanced menacingly. Tanya scrambled backwards to keep some distance between her and the demon. She shook her head as she realized that this was one battle that she would not walk away from. She had allowed herself to become too exhausted to defend herself. She knew it had been a fatal mistake.
Tanya dropped her magical shield and summoned the last of her energy for a final attempt at slaying the demon. She dove towards the demon, rolling her body into a ball. With a movement honed by many practice sessions, Tanya sprang to her feet, shoving her sword upward before her. As she felt the sword dig deep into the demon's body, her mind was already racing in an attempt to devise a plan to kill the other demon.
Tanya gasped in shock as the demon's lips curled and laughed at her killing blow. The creature tore the sword from Tanya's hands and threw into the darkness. She heard it clatter to the floor several paces away. She tried desperately to erect her shields again, but her energy was spent. Tanya sighed as she finally knew the taste of defeat. Her dying hope was that King Arik had had time to get safely away.
The tip of the demon's wing slashed forward, hitting Tanya in her shoulder. The pain was excruciating as Tanya's body flew backwards and slid along the floor, her scream echoing off the walls of the great hall. Flat on her back, Tanya tried to get up, but her left arm refused to obey any commands. She heard the steady click of the creature's claws as it strode slowly towards her. Her mind worked swiftly and furiously in an attempt to think of a low power spell that could thwart the demon's final attack. Even as her mind searched for the appropriate spell, her t
houghts clouded with the question of whether or not she even had the power left for such a spell.
The clicking stopped, and Tanya gazed up at the huge demon before her. The demon gazed down at her with satisfaction evident on its grotesque face. It hissed victoriously as it prepared its killing blow.
Suddenly, the dust in the air twirled in spirals as a dark shape leaped over her body and landed between her and the demon. The demon leaped backwards several paces and snarled at its new enemy. Tanya gasped in dismay.
"Arik," she cried, "get away. Why did you not run? I have given my life to protect you, and you are throwing it away. Nothing is more important than your life. You are dooming all of Alcea."
"There are two things more important than my life," the king declared defiantly as he shifted the Sword of Heavens in his hands.
The demon spat a ball of acid at Arik, and it hit the king squarely in the chest. The king's tunic disintegrated in molten globs that splattered on the stone floor, but the Breastplate of Alcea was unharmed. The demon hissed and brought the tip of its wing swiftly forward, hitting the breastplate. Instead of Arik flying backwards as Tanya had done, the demon screamed in pain and retracted its wingtip.
King Arik swung the Sword of Heavens before the demon could block it. The sword sliced into the demon's wing, shredding into two pieces. The demon's howl echoed throughout the great hall. King Arik moved swiftly forward as the demon cringed in pain. His first lunge shoved the Sword of Heavens deep into the demon's chest. The king pushed the demon backwards and yanked the sword out of the creature's body. He twirled in a circle, bringing the Sword of Heavens around in a high arc, where it connected with the demon's neck.
In seconds it was over. The demon's headless body collapsed in a smoldering heap on the stone floor. King Arik turned and knelt by Tanya's side.
"The Sword of Heavens," sobbed Tanya. "I should have known. There is another demon. Forget me and deal with it."
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