by Victor Kloss
“You arrived!” the girl said in a suitably young, enthusiastic voice. She clapped her hands in excitement. “Good! For a while, I thought you might not make it. The doors here can be really horrible.”
Despite the lack of danger the child appeared to pose, Ben and the others approached her cautiously, stopping a good twenty feet away. If she was part of the test, then she would have something up her sleeve. But, once again, Joshua intervened before Ben could begin to properly formulate a plan.
“My name is Joshua Wistletop. I am the Guardian of the Shield, which I have come to claim,” Joshua said. He tried to sound authoritative, but Ben could see he was having trouble talking sternly to the child. It was as if her cute demeanour was acting as a kind of shield, softening all those around.
“Joshua,” the girl said, nodding. “Very nice to meet you. My name is Alaya, and I am the second gatekeeper for the shield.” She turned to the others and, for a moment, Ben felt a most peculiar tickle in his mind, but it disappeared as soon as it had come.
“Let me see,” she said, pointing a dainty finger at each of them. “Ben, Charlie, Natalie, Abigail, Krobeg, and Dagmar. Am I right?”
“You got it,” Ben said.
“I thought so,” Alaya said with another clap of the hands. She gave them a cute pout. “Now, why are you all standing while I'm sitting? Please, sit down. I don't have any more cushions, but the carpet is nice and fluffy, just like Iggy, my poodle.”
Ben sat down, but he was one of the few who did. Krobeg, Dagmar and Joshua remained standing.
“We're in a bit of a rush, actually,” Joshua said, sounding a little impatient. “We're looking for Elizabeth's Shield. Are you able to help us or not?”
Alaya gave a small frown, a subtle crinkling of her smooth brow.
“I asked you to sit down,” she said, pointing a reproachful finger at him. “How can we talk if we can't see eye to eye?”
Joshua gave a startled cry, and his legs were taken from under him, his backside landing on the carpet. Krobeg and Dagmar went down at exactly the same time.
“That's better!” Alaya said with another delighted clap. “Now we can talk properly, can't we?”
Joshua immediately attempted to get back up, but a horrified look crossed his rapidly paling face. “What have you done? I can't move my legs.”
Alaya clucked her tongue. “You were being naughty, so I had to take over. You'll get them back once I see you're being good again.”
Ben exchanged a quick, alarmed look at Charlie, who was seated next to him. He very gently tried to move his leg. Nothing happened. He tried again, harder this time. Panic threatened to set in, but he forced it back. What was going on? Somehow he had lost access to the muscular function in his legs. He was sending the order to his brain, but it wasn't being carried out. Ben tried his arms, but they too would not respond.
“Are we all settled now? Everyone comfortable?” Alaya asked, giving them a sparkling smile.
“Where is the shield?” Joshua snarled.
Ben was impressed by his display of anger rather than fear. Ben himself had to hold back a spark of anxiety that threatened to unleash itself every time he tried to move his limbs. The idea that he couldn't move his body made his hairs stand on end.
“Oh, the shield is close by,” Alaya said, waving a hand vaguely. “However, it is my job, as a gatekeeper, to stop you from getting the shield.”
“What are you going to do to us?” Ben asked.
“Oh, nothing nasty,” Alaya said, putting her hand to her chest, and sounding genuinely shocked. “You will stay here. Indefinitely. With me. I think you'll enjoy it. In fact, I know you will.”
“Indefinitely?” Krobeg asked. Ben could see he was still trying to struggle to move, shifting his torso, while his arms hung limply by his sides.
“Why, yes,” Alaya said. “I could never actually kill someone.” She gave a little shiver. “However, after a few days, you may find yourself getting weak and hungry. And if you do pass away, that would be your own doing, you see.”
“You're mad,” Joshua said.
“Oh no, I'm not,” Alaya said, shaking her head, so that her thick, wavy hair danced and bobbed. “I'm quite the opposite!”
Alaya turned and ran a critical eye over them all, stopping at Natalie and Charlie. “Now, before we begin, I see a couple of people who aren't Guardians.” She clucked her tongue again. “You two shouldn't be here. You must have seen the sign in front of Lord Samuel's house.”
“We saw the sign,” Natalie said grimly. “We just chose to ignore it.”
“Oh no, you shouldn't have done that,” Alaya said, shaking her head and sounding grave. “We will have to correct that mistake now, won't we?”
“Try your worst,” Natalie said, giving Alaya a murderous look.
Alaya gave a light shrug. “Oh, I don't need to do that. However, we can't have you here, so it's time to say goodbye to your friends.”
It took Ben a moment to realise what Alaya was suggesting. He cried out in desperation and tried to move, but his body simply wouldn't respond.
Alaya gave a little smile and pointed her finger towards Charlie and Natalie. They suddenly rose several feet into the air. They still had no control over their limbs, but they could use their vocal cords, and they did, extensively, especially Charlie.
“Stop!” he shouted. “There's got to be a solution to this. Can't we discuss this properly?”
Alaya ignored their protests, and gave them a little finger-wave. “Bye bye!”
Charlie and Natalie accelerated at an alarming pace and, with a mighty crash, smashed through the window. Ben cringed as they landed with a thump, somewhere outside the house. Immediately Ben heard groans and curses from Charlie, and even more vocally, Natalie.
Ben cried out in anguish, and then anger, but no matter how furious he became, his body wouldn't respond to his orders. After a minute of cursing violently at Alaya, he realised he should be aiming it at himself, not her. He was the one who had made the call for them to come in, despite the “Guardians Only” sign. How could he have been so irresponsible? Natalie had been very convincing, but there could be no excuse for jeopardising his friends. None. He thought of the final journey to Suktar, which only solidified his resolve. At least now he knew what course of action to take. Should they make it out of here alive, Charlie and Natalie would most certainly not be coming.
“I'm glad we got that unpleasantness out the way,” Alaya said. “I am a gentle soul and I do so hate using force, even when it’s needed.”
Ben was watching her very closely now. Even though she looked like a child, it was clear she wasn't one. What did she have planned for them? Whatever it was, they appeared powerless to stop it. They couldn't even move, let alone act.
Alaya gave them a little dainty wave, and a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Well, this is it. It's time to go to sleep. Good night, sleep tight!”
Ben had a second to wonder what she was going on about, when he collapsed onto the floor, and the world around went black. It was an odd feeling; he was awake, but his body was clearly sleeping. He could hear the rhythmic beating of his heart, and his breathing, which had slowed as his metabolism function began to slow. He wanted to do something, but he was stuck inside his body, unable to wake it up. Ben tried again and again, but to no avail. He felt strange, wrong almost. He wanted to scream, but, of course, his vocal cords didn't work while he was asleep. There was nothing he could do – he was completely trapped inside his body.
“Don't try to fight it.”
Alaya's voice seemed to come from afar, but he heard it clear enough.
“It will be more relaxing if you descend into unconsciousness. Trust me, you'll find it easier.”
Alaya's voice was soft, almost hypnotic, and for a moment Ben almost let himself go. The idea of just relaxing and not having to think or be conscious of the tiny space inside his body was extremely tempting. But he caught himself
just before he entered the black hold of unconsciousness. Don't be an idiot! Stay focused. But it was a lot easier said than done. He concentrated on just being aware, and not dropping off into oblivion.
“Don't fight it, Ben,” Alaya crooned again. “ The others aren't.”
But fight it Ben did. Every minute, every second, he made sure he was aware and didn't drift off into the blackness that loomed before him. Time lost all sense of meaning – minutes could have passed or it could have been days. Slowly, very slowly, Ben started winning the battle, and the blackness became less menacing, and further away.
Alaya started singing just as Ben was starting to think he was getting on top. It was a soft, crooning noise, almost like a bird humming, and Ben immediately found himself relapsing. The song was hypnotic, the perfect piece to fall asleep to. Ben fought like crazy, but he was tired now – mentally tired – and he didn't have the energy. He needed a break. Just a small break, then he would try again. Surely that made sense, to re-gain his energy?
“Ben!”
Abigail's voice came to him loud and clear inside his head, temporarily breaking the hold Alaya's soft singing had on him.
“Abigail, you reached me just in time. I was almost gone.”
“I can't reach the others,” Abigail said in a worried voice. “Not even Dagmar.”
“That's okay. We'll wake them together, once we've dealt with the girl.”
Ben could feel Abigail's anxiety, even without hearing or seeing her.
“She's strong, Ben. Really strong. I'm not sure I can overcome her.”
Of course. This was Abigail's trial. It was obvious, when you thought about it, but Ben had been too pre-occupied to give it any thought.
“You can do it,” Ben said. “You've done so many incredible things already. You're so strong.”
There was a slight pause, which Ben hoped was due to his words sinking in. When Abigail's thoughts came through again, they did feel a little stronger.
“I know what I have to do. I have to break free of this trance, and then knock her out.” She paused for a moment, and then continued with remarkable calm. “If I fail, I will be stuck in here, forever.”
“You won't fail,” Ben said sternly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You might be able to,” Abigail said after a moment.
From out of the darkness, a glowing ball of light appeared, bathing Ben in warmth and contentment that made him want to groan, had he a body to do so.
“That is my 'soul’ or essence, I guess you'd call it,” Abigail said.“When I attack her, she will attack back, and try to destroy me. I need you to focus on my essence, and try to keep it strong. You cannot restore it or make it grow, but just putting your attention on me will act as a kind of shield. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. You can rely on me,” Ben said. “I'll make sure the crazy girl doesn't take you down.”
Ben felt, rather than saw, Abigail smile, and some of her inherent courage seemed to return.
“Okay, here I go. I will project my thoughts, and hers, to you, so you know what's going on.”
The glowing essence that was Abigail didn't move, but Ben could tell she was no longer focused on him, but somewhere else. He placed his attention on the essence, and immediately saw a thin white halo surround it. He concentrated, and the halo became thicker.
“Oh goodie, you made it. For a while I thought you might leave little old me by myself. I was starting to get despondent.”
Alaya's thoughts came to him, via Abigail, right down to her babyish tone. A black ball of energy appeared, just feet from Abigail's white one. They were of comparable size, though Ben thought Abigail's might be a fraction bigger.
“I am going to give you one chance to let us go,” Abigail said.
Alaya gave a titter. “Don't be silly. I can't do that, nor would I want to. You are all now my play things, and are very precious to me.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” Abigail said.
Ben felt surprise emanating from the black thing that was Alaya, but she didn't have time to reply, because Abigail attacked. A streak of white energy lanced out and latched on to the black mass, like a bolt of electricity, forming a permanent connection that flickered and pulsed.
“Oh, you tricky thing!” Alaya said. Her voice was still soft, babyish, but Ben detected just a hint of anger behind it. She fired back, and suddenly half the energy flow turned black, so it looked as if they met halfway, crackling with power.
Immediately, both the white and black balls of energy started shrinking. Ben, who had been distracted by the spectacle, re-doubled his efforts to focus. Immediately the shrinking of Abigail's ball of energy slowed a fraction.
“Cheater! You have help,” Alaya said. “ He won't save you. I am too strong. See?”
Indeed, the black mass, having shrunk a little, seemed to be maintaining its size, whereas Abigail's continued to shrink. It had started off approximately two feet wide, and was now half that, and shrinking. Ben knew instinctively that if it disappeared, Abigail would too.
“Do you know what it’s like not to exist?” Alaya said, almost conversationally. “Some say it’s impossible, but they've never had their life force wiped out. It's a peculiar feeling. I've heard it’s like you never were. Can you imagine that?”
Ben was pleased when Abigail didn't reply. He could feel Alaya's annoyance, and her black mass started to shrink just a fraction quicker.
“I might consider saving a fraction of you and adding you to my collection, if you plead towards the end,” Alaya said.“I can do that, you know – keep a bit of your soul in a glass container. Glass is a wonderful thing – so pretty, but it also has useful properties for holding energies. Then, if you're a good girl, I'll let you out every so often.”
Again, Abigail didn't respond. The black mass had now almost shrunk as much as Abigail's white ball of energy; both were now less than eight inches in diameter. For what seemed like forever, the bolts continued to push against each other, black and white sparks flying like fireworks into the darkness.
They were both shrinking slowly now and at the same pace. Ben calculated that at the current rate of deterioration, one of them would be extinguished. Alaya must have recognised this, because he felt a sudden shift in her presence.
“You can't win this, you stupid girl,” she said.
Ben was almost caught off-guard and nearly let his shield down. Gone was her sickly sweet tone, replaced with a snarl.
“I can, and I will,” Abigail said, the very model of calm.
“I will not be destroyed! I am immortal. You cannot defeat me.”
Though Alaya appeared to be panicking, Ben was concerned. There was now just six inches left from both of them. What would happen if they both extinguished at the same time? Ben had a feeling the one that was microscopically bigger would survive. He threw the last of his reserves into the shield. Had he a voice, he would have been screaming with effort.
Five inches.
Three.
Two.
Abigail's was now fractionally bigger. Or was his mind playing tricks on him?
One inch. Both were now just specks of intense light, white and black and, for a moment, neither refused to vanish, both throwing forth one last effort to stay alive.
And then came the explosion. Even outside his body, Ben felt the lounge shake, and heard bits of furniture break, and god knew what crash onto the floor.
The black speck was gone. The white one had returned to its former glory.
— Chapter Thirty-Five —
Krobeg's Call
Ben sat up, just as the others did the same, though their expressions of bemusement suggested they had been oblivious to Abigail's heroics.
Alaya was gone. In her place was a frail old lady, clothed in black, lying lifeless on the floor.
“What just happened?” Joshua asked.
Ben got to his feet and moved cautiously over to the old lady, spellshoot
er in hand. Her skin was horribly pocked, and she had a peculiar double-boned chin. There was a horrible rotting smell emanating from her. At the risk of contaminating his shoe, Ben poked the lady, softly at first; then he gave her a kick, which he rather enjoyed. She didn't move.
“She's not there,” Abigail said softly, looking down at the lady. To Ben's surprise, she looked upset; her lips were even quivering a little. “I've never killed anyone before. I didn't really like it, to be honest.”
Ben immediately stepped in and gave her a hug, and spoke softly into her ear. “It was you or her, remember? You didn't have a choice.”
Abigail's face was buried in Ben's chest and Ben could feel a little dampness. She gave a nod, then pulled away and wiped her eyes.
“What happened?” Dagmar asked.
Abigail was clearly in no state to re-tell the incident, so Ben did, resisting the urge to highlight Abigail's incredible strength and bravery, knowing it would only embarrass her. Nevertheless, the bare facts of the story had them all staring at Abigail with a mixture of astonishment and awe; Dagmar was smiling with satisfaction. Before Abigail knew what was happening, they were hugging and thanking her. Even Joshua came in and gave her a hug, full of gratitude.
“You saved us,” he said simply.
Dagmar was looking at Abigail like a proud teacher. “Your learning is complete.”
“Really?” Abigail said. “You think I'm ready?”
“Ready or not, when the student surpasses the teacher, it is time to move on.”
Ben's elation was suddenly and dramatically cut short the moment he remembered what had happened to Charlie and Natalie. He ran over and looked out of the broken window into the garden. They were nowhere to be seen. Part of him wanted to jump out the window and find them, but he knew that could jeopardise their entire mission.
“They're fine,” Krobeg said, appearing by his side. The others quickly followed, their eyes scouring the gardens.