The Battle of Evermore

The Battle of Evermore

‘The armies of Darkice have captured Trece’ Galatians said standing before the king of Gandriar. The king listened to the sage’s words carefully trying to figure out some plan to defend the fortress everyone has fled too for protection. The Tower of Gandra was made of black stone. It had three tiers, each set back from the next like steps. The sheer sides faced northwest and southwest and formed a bastion pointing westward. At the top of the fortress was a round tower that could be seen above the pass.
A road ran down from the pass and skirted the fortress alongside a sheer precipe before turning southward to join the Trecdra Road. The Tower of Gandra was surrounded by an outer wall that was 30 feet high. The sides of the wall were smooth at the top was overhanging stonework that prevented anyone from climbing over it.
The main gate was in the southwestern side of the wall. It was guarded by the Two Watchers – statues seated on thrones. Each Watcher had three joined bodies facing inward, outward, and toward the other. The heads were like eagles with white, glittering eyes.
Within the outer wall was a paved courtyard. There was a great door on the southeastern side of the Tower of Gandra. A passageway ran back through the fortress with rooms on either side. At the far end was the arched door of the under gate - a back entrance to the Tower that opened onto a tunnel.
To the right of the under gate was a winding stairway to the upper levels of the fortress. At the top of the stairs was a domed chamber with doors facing east and west leading out onto the roof of the third tier. The roof was about a thousand yards across and was surrounded by a parapet. On the western side of the roof stood the tower of the fortress.
The tower had slitter windows facing westward and eastward through which torchlight glowed like blue eyes. A winding stairway led up to a passage running through the middle of the tower. The king’s room was at the top of the tower, also called the Amos Tower after one of the three angels of Avalon.
People from all over Gandriar have taken refuge in Gandra, the last stronghold of men in the east. The power of Darkice has grown to vast powers with help from the kingdoms of Toran and Maldarian. The king grew qualm over the ages as the days grew darker and the nights grew longer.
‘Never before has an enemy breached the Gates of Gandra!’ the king cried out. The guards hearing this felt elation for a short time. This feeling faded fast as lighting came down from the sky.
‘This is no ordinary foe King Deldrian. This foe has no equal in Igros. The shadowghouls will strike fear into the hearts of anyone surrounding them…even their own men fear the shadowghouls, the reapers, the shadows’ Galatians said. Christian quivered back in fear for he knew the reapers far to well. Beings of shadows that were once great sages but they were greedy and sold their souls to Serrago for a power but they were tricked. All five former sages became shadowghouls.

‘For seven hundred years I have heard many people say that a foe will breach these walls and none ever have! What makes Serrago’s forces so different?’ the king questioned.
‘Serrago has tens of thousands of dai-orks (dai-orks looks like men but are faster and stronger and are a dark green color with sharp yellow teeth) at his command. Not just dai-orks, but men of Toran and Maldarian. He outnumbers us twenty to one.’ The sage responded to the king’s questions. At that moment most of the guards believed the end is near. ‘And one has come that I fear.’
‘Not the dark Lord?’ Christian cried out. Each time he came to the Amos Tower before the king he was silent but hearing that someone has come that Galatians feared troubled him.
‘Nay’ the king said. ‘Serrago doesn’t have enough strength to break free of the Black Hole just yet. But even in the darkness of the void he is a terrible being that can spread his hand over the sky like dark clouds that not even the sun can penetrate. The valley below us will be flooded in darkness but we will outlast them.’
‘Do you actually believe that your men can stop them? Fongon, Uplian, and Hyland have given us an extra ten thousand men all together but that still isn’t enough. Jaromor is holding his forces in Trece trying to buy you enough time!’ Galatians shouted.
‘Jaromor (the king’s youngest son) is no great captain like Joran (the king’s oldest son who died trying to save the twins Christian and Cameron) and will not hold long even with the finest five hundred soldiers I gave him’ Deldrian said in anger.
‘Joran would not have done any better! The very shadows will engulf all the light and even force you to give weight to the opposing armies of darkness!’
‘I have heard enough!!’ the king yelled out. The entire throne room fell into silence. ‘I would rather be tortured for ten thousand years then to let some sage tell me how to protect my people. You are no great sage Galatians! Solomon the Wise would have helped me instead of give me grief!’
‘I overthrew Solomon the Wise because he betrayed Igros for the sake of Serrago!’ Galatians cried out. (Solomon was not killed by Galatians but no one knew if Galatians would have actually won that battle for Solomon was weakened by the Mountos that attacked Ethian)
‘Leave me!’ the king shouted. Galatians and Christian turned and left. They hurried down the stairs in a rush to the gate. Soldiers were gathered around the tower awaiting Galatians.
‘What hope is their Galatians the Wise?’ Bradon, a captain of Gandriar asked the sage. ‘Is their any hope for the east?’
Galatians did not answer and his silence was more then enough for the answer. Soldiers lowered their heads and walked off leaving the sage to stand alone with Christian. The sun sank over the west and smoke Rose from Trece.

‘Pull back! Pull back!!’ Jaromor yelled to his men in the ruins of Trece. Dragons circled above flying down and killing at will. The men of Gandriar mounted onto their horses and rode out of Trece in fear and panic. Five shadowghouls gave chase to the men mounted on dregins (lesser dragons that can’t breathe fire and ninety five percent don’t have wings but they make it up in great speed. The dregins are three times the size of horses) and attacked the fleeing knights.

Even belf riders (a belf, or belves is a wolf the size of a bear) rode at the group. Orcs rode the belves with axes and swords and spears and slain anyone in their path. Some knights with bows fired upon the belf riders and killed a few. The shadowghouls were cloaked in black robes with a hood hiding their faces but every now and then you could see their faces, a decaying skull.
The reapers drew long menacing swords and stabbed and slashed at the knights. Finally rode a group of catlons (a race of women with cat ears and tails) riding kiltons (a fox a little smaller then a horse) in nearly two hundred numbers and saved the knights. When the reapers saw the catlons they pulled back with their belf riders.
The kilton riders joined the fleeing knights towards Gandra where nearly five hundred more catlons went too to assist the race of men. The main gates opened and allowed the men to enter. When the last knight rode in they closed the gates and fortified it the best they could.
‘Jaromor, it is about time you returned’ Princess Jennifer of the catlons stated. She dismounted her kilton, Cloudspeed (Cloudspeed is the largest kilton and leader of them)
‘So this is were the fate of Igros is decided’ Cloudspeed said.
‘That it is’ Jaromor told them. ‘We left with five hundred men to Trece and now we have less then a hundred. If you hadn’t come when you did princess, then myself and my men would have all been slain by those shadowghouls and belf riders.’
‘Do not count on staying alive prince of Gandriar’ Jennifer said. ‘The Celestial War isn’t over and hope has completely faded from us. I see no way to win this battle but we must try and win.’

Hope does in fact remain. For at this moment, Elijah and his cousin Sheldon have just entered Darkice with the Pendant that could seal Serrago away forever and banish all his dark creations into the abyss. The Pendant: Celestial.

‘I want archers on the walls. Brace the gates for they will break upon us like water on rocks. Make sure no battering rams can make it to the gates. Load up are trebuchets will boulders and prepare to fire as soon as possible’ Jaromor told his men. At once they headed off to prepare for battle.
‘Jaromor!’ Amanda, Jaromor’s younger sister yelled out and ran to her brother. ‘So few have returned…’
‘The enemy forces outnumber us too greatly. I do not think we can hold them here but incase we fail, you will go out through the back gate and into the tunnel with the women and children. Do you understand?’ Jaromor told her and Amanda nodded. The sun faded in the west and darkness ruled over the land. The time has ultimately come to decide the fate of Igros.

The Reapers or Shadowghouls as called to some were once five great sages of power. Malachi the Brave (his main color was Red), Titus the True (his main color was Grey), Colossians the Quick (his main color was Yellow), Habakkuk the Strong (his main color was Black), and Deuteronomy the Kind (his main color was Violet). Serrago appeared as the Wise Sage (his color was White) and became the greatest sage in the year three thousand and twenty four. Serrago the Wise (some refer to the sages based on their color) established his realm in Darkice.

Serrago, in the year two thousand five hundred and fifty two went to the Sole Mountain in the far south and entered the Tower of Celestial. Serrago faced the fourteen trials of Avalon and was successful. The sage toke the Pendant with these marks engraved in it (translated into common tongue of man):

Three Angelic powers in the night sky,
Five Demonic auras in the burning flames,
Six Sages strength in the land doomed to die,
A Tower built by mortals to house the light.
A Pendant of endless strength, a Pendant of power,
A Pendant that cannot be stopped and it is called Celestial.

Celestial was said to be created by the Gods of Igros and they sent from Avalon the fourteen protects to guard the Pendant. Serrago used the Pendant to give him power greater then any others and called forth the powers of shadow and created an army of dai-orks.
The five sages saw his power grow and they wanted to be stronger then the angels of Avalon. Serrago agreed but they would have to give up their souls. With greed in their hearts, they expected. The sages fell into shadows and lost their skin, their life, and their free will and became shadowghouls or reapers.
When the angels of Avalon rallied the men of Igros and even the catlons, the greatest war Igros ever had begun in the year one thousand three hundred and seven. For six years the war lasted until finally, the angels sealed Serrago away in the only thing that can forever seal away the Pendant: the Black Hole.
The sages (now shadowghouls) and dai-orks faded from Igros but in the year twenty seven, Serrago’s power was returning and so did the reapers and dai-orks but he was not free from the Black Hole and only the Pendant could free him…or it could be his downfall if someone throws the Pendant into the Black Hole. Elisha found the Pendant while traveling with Galatians and hid it from the sage.
Ten months ago, Elisha vanished and left behind the Pendant to his twelve year old son, Elijah who embarked on an adventure with his cousin, Sheldon and the twins Christian and Cameron and they traveled a long way. They met the ranger (and prince of Hyland) Striker at Irony who took them to Port Town were they met up with Galatians the Blue (or Wise), Bradon, Joran, and Alextor. These nine traveled to cast the Pendant into the Black Hole but sadly Galatians was separated from the group in the Mines of Peril to face one of the five demons, Barathus.
Joran was killed by Kenya (lead orc of Ethian) and took the twins with him but Striker, Bradon, and Alextor saved them. Elijah and Sheldon evaded their attackers and traveled to Darkice alone.

‘We were outnumber father’ Jaromor said standing in front of the king. Deldrian was seated on his throne with his daughter at his side (which normally the queen would sit at but the queen died fourteen years ago when Amanda was four). ‘We couldn’t hold with so few in numbers. If we didn’t pull back then none would have returned to defend Gandra. All my captains pleaded to me to pull back and after seeing are forces whipped out…I ordered the retreat.’

‘You lost the last defense to the enemy…a city your brother defended for two years straight and not once did the enemy breach his line’ the king stated. Galatians stood next to Jaromor. ‘So it comes down to this. For two hundred years no enemy has ever pushed us back to Gandra and now this happens.’
‘It is as it should be’ Galatians said stepping forward. ‘Are you so heartless that you would risk your son’s life just for your name to be written down as a mighty ruler in the archives?’
‘I would rather have my son dead then to be called “the weak king” Galatians!’ the king yelled out. The words he yelled were true for he blames Jaromor for the death of his wife for she was killed by orcs while trying to save him. ‘Why didn’t I send you to your fate instead of Joran? At least he is a mighty leader that would never leave his post.’
Jaromor bowed and left. The night has become long and Galatians followed the prince a moment later. People were asleep in their homes and houses and some even slept on the ground. Galatians entered his house where Christian and Cameron were fast asleep. Striker was still up.
‘I take it the king was not too happy?’ he asked.
‘Of course not. Greed has taken his heart and he doesn’t care about anything anymore. I would deliver him to the dark throne of Serrago if I had the chance’ the wise sage said. ‘Sometime in the morning…the Battle of Evermore will begin (Evermore comes from the old name of Gandra which was named Evermore) and hope has faded away.’
‘Maybe not’ Striker said. ‘Maybe Elijah can still save us and if that is so then your task will be completed. For you, as well as the other six sages have eternal life until Serrago is forever banished but yet you can still be killed by a sword.’

The six sages of today are:
Solomon the Wise (Main color is White)
Galatians the Wise (Main color is Blue)
Philemon the Brave (Main color is Red)
Obadiah the True (Main color is Yellow)
Leviticus the Strong (Main color is Black)
Ephesians the Quick (Main color is Green)

‘I wish my task was complete for I wish I could rest in peace Striker. For over a thousand years I have dwelt here on Igros and saw both the good times of man and the bad times’ Galatians said. Striker stood up and walked to the balcony of their room.
‘I can see the smoke rising from Trece, soon the battle will begin and all may be lost’ Striker said softly. Someone came knocking at the door and Galatians opened it. Amanda stood there with a blanket folded up in her hands.
‘It is a cold night, I thought the boys may get cold’ Amanda said and handed the blanket to Galatians. ‘I heard many people say that the age of men is over. Will the dark One truly return to Igros and rule Igros for a thousand years?’
‘It may be so at this rate’ Galatians said. ‘Nothing can escape Serrago’s wrath if he escapes. His six deadliest warriors are in Trece, the shadowghouls. Foolish sages that gave up their soul for power. Wait, I sense…something. Something I haven’t felt for since…’

Galatians ran out of the room and too the gates of Gandra where Solomon the Wise stood in shinning white robes.
‘What brings you here Solomon!? Do you wish to take revenge on me!?’ Galatians questioned in an angry voice.
‘That I do not’ Solomon said in his usually relaxed voice that could persuade anyone to do his bidding. ‘I have come to help man and to redeem myself so I can return home to Avalon. I have searched for the other four sages but they refused to come and I decided that two sages is still better then one.’
‘I thank you for your help Solomon…my old friend’ Galatians said bowing down. ‘With your powers we may have hope yet.’
‘I cannot turn the tide of the battle Galatians the Blue for the shadowghouls have released their king’ Solomon informed Galatians.

‘I know’ Galatians said. ‘The very shadow of Serrago. The King of the Reapers, Lord of the Shadowghouls, Ruler of Diablen.’
‘Both are powers combine cannot defeat this foe. He is too strong’ Solomon said. ‘Let us use this time to rest for tomorrow morning at dawn…the enemy will be upon us. My armies that Hyland defeated wouldn’t even make a difference in the outcome of this war.’
The night was hard for Galatians to fall asleep. When he did a dream occured to him of Elijah and Sheldon fleeing from dragons in Darkice. Struggling to make it to Mount Vovlian.

‘Darkice is approaching! Darkice is approaching!!’ Tower Guards yelled and at once every soldier in Gandra was equipped and armed for battle. They all rushed to the walls and soon nearly twenty thousand soldiers were gathered on and behind the walls. Drums echoed in the valley and soon thousands among thousands among thousands of dai-orks surrounded Gandra with a lone figure standing in front of the gate…the Reaper-King.
He appeared to be a normal shadowghoul expect he wore a great grey helmet that formed into a crown at the top. A single dai-ork, Momthor, walked up and stood next to the Reaper-King. Deldrian stood over the arch of the gate and looked down at the two.
‘King of Gandriar! Come down and fight the Reaper-King one on one!’ Momthor yelled and the king did not move. ‘If you manage to defeat him we will leave your kingdom and every other in the east in peace from this day forward! You could save thousands!’
Soldiers of Toran and Maldarian stood behind the armies of Darkice with knights and archers on the backs of mighty war elephants. The king ordered the men to open the gates and Deldrian stepped out to fight the Reaper-King. He stopped a few feet away from the ghostly lord.
‘I expect your challenge’ Deldrian said.
‘Fool, do you not know death when you see it?’ the Reaper-King asked and drew his long blade. The king drew his. Time seemed to have frozen as the two faced off and at once the Reaper-King thrust his blade at Deldrian who dodged it, barely. The king tried to stab the Lord of the Shadowghouls in the torso but he caught it and snapped the blade off the hilt and tossed it aside. Deldrian fell to the ground in fear and got on his knees. His eyes widen and he was beheaded by the Ruler of Diablen. At that moment Momthor thought the men guarding Gandra would flee.

None moved at all and at once they sung a song:

Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morn-ing light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight
And time will tell us all.

Oh, throw down your plow and hoe,
Rest not to lock your homes.
Side by side we wait the might
Of the darkest of them all.

I hear the horses’ thunder
Down in the valley below,
I’m waiting for the angels of Avalon,
Waiting for the eastern glow.

The apples of the valley hold
The seeds of happiness,
The ground is rich from tender care,
Repay, do not forget, no, no.

Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The apples turn to brown and black,
The tyrant’s face is red

Oh the war is common cry,
Pick up your swords and fly.
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know.

Oh, well, the night is long
The beads of time pass slow,
Tired eyes on the sunrise,
Waiting for the eastern glow.

The pain of war cannot exceed
The woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall,
The reapers ride in black!

‘Lay siege to the city’ the Reaper-King said to Momthor. ‘Do not cease the attack until it lies in ruins.’
‘What about the sages in Gandra?’ Momthor asked. ‘They will not fall as easily as mortal men.’

‘I will break them’ the Reaper-King stated and mounted his winged-dregin. Momthor gave the single and catapults flung large boulders into Gandra. Trebuchets fired back at the foes and whipped out dai-orks and even some catapults. Trolls ran to the gate to bash it down but archers killed the beasts before they could get close.
Many trolls ran away but returned pushing towards the walls of Gandra, siege towers. Wooden towers on wills which can attach itself to the side of a wall and allow opposing forces into the fortress. Some trebuchets manages to destroy a few siege towers. Archers lit their bows with fire and burnt a few tower as the rolled closer.
Soon the towers attached themselves to the walls and hundreds of dai-orks flooded in. Soldiers rushed to the walls and held them back the best of their abilities. Jaromor led his forces bravely on top of the wall and Galatians rode on his horse slaying the dai-orks in his path. Solomon was no where to be seen.

Christian and Cameron, along with every other woman and child in Gandra were gathered at the Amos Tower. Striker charged bravely with his fellow Hylanders into battle. Jennifer and her catlons, along with kiltons, forced the enemy back but it seemed that for every dai-ork they killed, two more took its place.
Galatians drew his sword and sparks of lighting surrounded it. He pointed it to a siege tower and released a wave of lighting which whipped out the tower and the trolls pulling it. Dragons now circled Gandra and destroyed the trebuchets while catapults still destroyed many homes. Trolls returned carrying large spheres and placing them next to the gates. Four large spheres sat in front of the gate with small spikes surrounding them. A dai-ork with a torch threw the fire into the hole in the top of the spheres and it exploded forcing the other three to explode.
The gates was completely destroyed and rubble fell from the sky. Jaromor was thrown back by the explosion and fell into the courtyard below. Dai-orks stormed the breach in the wall and slaughtered all in their paths. Galatians saw the slaughter of the forces and looked up at the dark clouds. It was a little pass high noon and still the sun was blocked.
Men, kiltons, and catlons held back the forces of Darkice. Striker helped Jaromor to his feet and together they led the charge against the advancing forces. Galatians rode across the wall to get to the breach but the winged-dregin landed in front of him with the Reaper-King mounted on it. The soldiers of Gandriar and even Darkice fled from the two.
‘Return to the abyss creature of shadow!’ Galatians yelled with his sword in one hand and his staff in the other.
‘Fool…death awaits you and every man of the east’ the shadowy figure said and lifted his sword up. Flames surrounded the sword and the staff of Galatians exploded into many shards and the old man fell off his horse. The horse fled from the winged-dregin. Galatians lifted himself by his elbows and looked at the Reaper-King in fear.

Alextor and Bradon held the southern wall from forces all around, Jaromor and Striker kept the enemy from advancing through the breach in the walls and in the northern part of the wall the Reaper-King had Galatians at his mercy. The winged-dregin approached but a maiden blocked his path. She wore a green and white dress and had long golden hair that glittered in the darkness. She did not budge from the Reaper-King or his winged-dregin.

‘What’s this?’ The Reaper-King asked. ‘A woman protecting a sage? Fool, no one can stop me.’
The dregin went to attack but was blinded by a bright light. The woman spread her arms out and behold! Large white wings emerged out of her back and shinned brightly. The dregin jolted back knocking the Reaper-King off. The dregin flew away. The woman was the maiden of Silence Woods that Elijah met long ago near the start of his adventures before meeting Striker. Her name is Rose, a half-angel and a half-human.
‘Rose’ Galatians said looking upon her.
‘Return to the nothingness that awaits you Reaper-King’ Rose said. The Lord of the Shadowghouls stood up and faced her Rose. He was much taller then she was. The Reaper-King held his dark sword in his hand.
A loud cry emanated from the Ruler of Diablen so loud no other noise could be heard. The Reaper-King swung his sword and Rose jumped aside. The Reaper-King swung his and Rose was forced to jump aside. The light of her wings were fading as the dreaded spirit forced her to her knees.
‘Die’ the Reaper-King said as Rose was pushed down. Galatians stood and tried to stabbed the reaper but his mighty power pushed Galatians off the wall and into the crowd below.

‘Pull back to the Tower!’ Jaromor and Striker said. Alas, the forces of Darkice begun to push back the soldiers of Gandriar. All of them fled back into the tower a thousand yards back. War Elephants marched through the gap in the wall and archers on their backs fired volleys of arrows into the retreating army that had lost more then half their forces. Soldiers carried the wounded Galatians with them.
Bradon and Alextor led their soldiers back to the Amos Tower in fear as trolls scaled the walls and charged into the fleeing group. Dai-orks, trolls, war elephants, belves, and even men stormed the fortress.
The Reaper-King lifted Rose by her throat and stood into her eyes. ‘Perish half-angel; perish with every man of Igros. You should have stayed in Silence Woods.’
The Reaper-King held his sword up and Rose grasped for air but at that moment a terrible cry came echoing through the valley. The armies of Darkice, including the Reaper-King and the shadowghouls turned and faced the east. A red beam of light emerged over the land and separated the dark clouds. The shadows faded and the sun emerged. The beam turned from red to blue and the ground begun to shake.
The Reaper-King fell to his knees and a crackling noise came out of him and he faded away…only his robes and helmet remained. Same thing happened to all the shadowghouls and to the dai-orks and even to the dregins and belves. Soon only armor and weapons remained. The soldiers of Gandriar cheered and shouted for victory and the remaining soldiers of Darkice fled out of Gandra.
A tear ran from Galatians’ eye as he gazed at the ray of light in the west as it begun to fade away. Striker lifted his sword up and shouted ‘Elijah’ over and over again. The soldiers begun to sung:

At last the sun is shining,
The clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The sunlight blinds his eyes.

The sun was shinning brighter then it ever has done before. Rose was laying on her back on the wall and Jaromor helped her up. The people in Amos Tower came out to see the sunlight and all of them cheered.
‘Rose…’ Jaromor said. ‘I’m glade you finally saw the good in man and came to are aid. Alas, the dark days are over. I can only hope I can be a better king then my father.’
‘You will be’ Rose said and kissed him. Solomon appeared to Galatians near the tower.
‘Where have you been?’ Galatians asked angry.
‘Someone had to protect the women and children’ Solomon said. At once it appeared that Solomon changed and he pushed Galatians five feet back with his power. He revealed to the sage his new staff and laughed. ‘My power shall end you Gal…’
Solomon fell to the ground dead, for many arrows pierced his back. To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Solomon a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the tower. For a moment it wavered, looking to the west; but out of the west came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing.
Galatians stood up and said, ‘so ends Solomon the Wise…never will he ever return to Avalon for his treachery.’
Amanda stood at the tower’s gates and saw the corpse of Solomon. She pitied the old man for he was once a great man that aided Gandriar well. She walked over next to the body of Solomon, bent over and took his staff.
‘I noticed your staff is missing Galatians…take his’ Amanda said and handed the staff to Galatians. The wizard smiled and bowed. Striker walked over to Princess Jennifer who was gathering up her catlons.
‘Malady? Leaving so soon?’ Striker asked.
‘Nothing remains for me here Striker’ she said but Striker took her hands.
‘There is more here then you think’ and Striker kissed the princess. Galatians walked over to the breach in the gate.
‘We ride to Darkice!’ he yelled.
‘What for?’ Alextor asked.
‘To find Elijah and Sheldon. Go get Christian and Cameron for I can tell you this, they miss their old friends just as much as they miss them’ Galatians told them. Alextor ran off with Bradon to get the twins. Galatians mounted up along with Striker, Jaromor, Rose, Jennifer, and fifty knights, thirty were soldiers of Gandriar and Hyland on horses and the rest were catlons on kiltons. Alextor and Bradon mounted up and Cameron rode with Alextor and Christian with Bradon.
At once they moved out heading west towards the ruins of Trece and the evil land of Darkice…

THE END

The End of All Things

‘Look’ Sheldon said pointing to a large black mountain. It towered over the lands of ash and lava and rubble. A large tower sat at the summit of the tower that held a red light at the top between two pillars. ‘That must be Mount Vovlian Elijah.’
‘I see it Sheldon…but the Pendant seems to be growing heavy on me…it seems it wants me to use it’ Elijah said standing back up. Sheldon looked down the mountain side and the two stumbled down the path. They could see thousands among thousands of dai-orks sitting around.
‘How do we get by them Elijah?’ Sheldon asked. Elijah made no answer for he saw no way to reach Mount Vovlian. Elijah sat down and felt the Pendant that was concealed under his tunic. The boys have traveled many months and now they wish more now then ever that they were back home.
Sheldon looked up and saw the blackness of the clouds. No sunlight could breach those clouds. Elijah coughed over and over and grabbed his pouch and tried to get any drop of water out of it but none remained. Sheldon handed him his that was half full and Elijah took two mouthfuls of water.
‘We can’t stay here forever’ Sheldon said. Sheldon gazed back over to Mount Vovlian. Mount Vovlian was about four thousand five hundred feet high. The base rose about three thousand feet; its long grey slopes were rugged and broken and covered with ash and slag and burned stone. The central cone had sheer sides and was about half again as high - or one thousand five hundred feet tall. There was a jagged crater at the top from which smoke, fumes and lava issued. Beneath the mountain was a subterranean core of intense heat and undying fire.
A road led to Mount Vovlian from the Diablen Pass southwest of the mountain. It was a broad road paved with rubble and ash and it was repaired and maintained by orcs. Serrago's Road climbed the eastern slopes on a causeway and circled up the mountainside from south to north and back to the eastern side. There high on the central cone was a doorway facing the Dark Tower. Inside was Totlsanna Valon, the Chambers of Shadow, where a great fissure called the Gates to Valon led down to the vortex of Vovlian at the mountain's core.

‘Move out scum!’ a voice echoed across the land. ‘We march to Gandra! I want all soldiers to come! We received word that men from the south are approaching Gandra!’
The dai-orks and trolls and belves marched off towards the only opening of Darkice in the northeast. Sheldon smiled and said softly to Elijah, ‘the dai-orks are marching off Elijah. We can make it to Mount Vovlian and be rid of this fowl thing forever.’
‘I can’t move Sheldon…the darkness has engulfed me’ Elijah said. No matter what Sheldon did, Elijah did not move. It appeared that he was fading from this word and Elijah’s eyes widen in fear.
‘What is it?’ Sheldon asked. Elijah pointed behind Sheldon. Sheldon turned and there stood a mighty dragon looking at the two boys. Sheldon backed up as the dragon roared over the land. The young lad knew what he had to do and so he drew his sword, Swift and faced the dragon. ‘Go away beast!’

The dragon tried to bite Sheldon but the boy stabbed the lizard like creature in its eye. The dragon roared and moved back a bit and Sheldon went on the attack. Elijah stood up and ran towards Mount Vovlian with all his speed and might trying to reach the mountain and the Gates of Valon.
Sheldon stabbed the dragon and then gave it three slashes to the neck and its head fell off. Sheldon laughed and turned. His smile faded as he saw Elijah missing. He looked around in panic and then turned towards Mount Vovlian and saw Elijah running towards the mountain.
Elijah fell to the ground at the foot of the mountain and saw the red light at the top. The light was spreading the dark clouds across Igros forcing the light to vanish. Elijah pulled himself up the mountain a bit but could no longer contain the weight. Sheldon lifted Elijah and held his head up.
‘Elijah…it is almost October, that means the Festival of the Moon is about to begin back home’ Sheldon said. ‘Can you believe that a year has almost passed since are adventures begun. It started pretty nicely in Silence Woods but now I wish I was back home in my own bed…enjoying Mrs. Goodman’s apple pie. Do you remember her apple pies? The most famous pies in Gravince.’
‘I’m afraid I do not remember her apple pies…nor roast chicken or the feel of grass’ Elijah said. ‘I see Serrago…laughing and holding the Pendant in his hands. I see the very shadows killing every free man of Igros…I-I-I cannot go on!’
‘Yes you can! And you will!’ Sheldon yelled no longer caring what happened. Elijah stood up with Sheldon’s help and they ran up the steps of the mountain. It was a few hours before sunrise and Elijah was determined to finish his quest.

Elijah almost fell down once or twice but Sheldon caught him and helped him climb the mountain. A howling voice echoed through the land, ‘stupid little children should not play on the mountain!!’
And out jumped five orcs who blocked their path. The orcs all held swords in their hand and they wanted man flesh to eat today. Elijah drew Dragon’s Bane and Sheldon his sword and they charged at the orcs. A bright light blinded the orcs and the boys killed them all.
‘What was that light’ Sheldon asked looking around. Elijah looked at his finger and saw the ring Rose gave him in Silence Woods. It was shinning dimly but is was the cause of everything and Elijah remembered what Rose said:

‘When all darkness has engulfed you Elijah son of Elisha, when terrible spells have over whelmed you…when there is no hope left, this ring will shine brightly and give you hope and strength to complete any task…no matter how big or small that task may be, even the worse of tasks.’

Elijah smiled and continued up the mountain but felt something grab his foot. He turned and an orc pulled him back and yelled, ‘no one will stop Lord Serrago!’
‘Sheldon!’ Elijah shouted trying to brake loose. Sheldon turned and saw his cousin at the hands of the vile orc and rushed to save him. The orc drew a knife and held it to Elijah throat.
‘Stop or I’ll cut his throat’ the orc demanded.

‘Fine…’ Sheldon said stopping. The orc smiled and approached Sheldon. Elijah was afraid that Serrago would now get the Pendant. The orc walked over with Elijah over to Sheldon and demanded his sword and Sheldon threw it down.
‘That’s a good little boy…no need for sharp toys like that’ the orc said. He moved the knife away from Elijah’s neck to grab the sword but Elijah jolted back and knocked the orc off him. Sheldon bent over quickly and picked up the sword. ‘Stupid lit…’
Sheldon tossed the sword and it stabbed the orc between his eyes. The orc fell over and Elijah ran up the stairs followed by Sheldon who left his sword seeing no more need of it. The opening to the Gates to Valon was now in front of Elijah and he gazed into it for no light came out of the entrance. Elijah closed his eyes and saw him and his father standing in an open field with Rose and an angel of Avalon, Rubian:

‘It is time for Elisha to bid farewell to this world and come to Avalon’ Rubian said. Elisha looked at Elijah.
‘Well my boy…’ he said. ‘This isn’t the last we will meet but it will be the last we shall see one another in this world of Igros. I go now to Avalon and to see my fathers…and my wife.’
‘Fear not Elisha’ Rose said steeping forward and spreading her wings out. The wings shinned brightly like the morning sun. ‘For your son has his dear cousin to watch over him, the twins Christian and Cameron to guide him…and Destinie to love him. Elijah will live a happy life until he meets you again in Avalon.’
‘My daughter is right’ Rubian said. Elisha stepped forward and Rose stepped back for Rose was not going to Avalon for she was to merry Jaromor and become queen of Gandriar. ‘Come now Elisha…say your last good-bye.’
‘Farewell father’ Elijah said.
‘Good-bye my boy’ Elisha said and hugged him. Elisha kissed him over his brows and stood next to Rubian. A great tornado picked Elisha and Rubian up and the skies opened and took them into Avalon. Elijah watched them go up until they vanished and stood their for a bit longer.
‘Time for you to return home Elijah’ Rose said. Elijah nodded and mounted his small horse and Rose mounted her white horse. They rode down the path and headed back to Mayton where Elijah would live the rest of his life…

‘Elijah?’ Sheldon asked. Elijah opened his eyes and looked at Sheldon. Tears ran down his face and Elijah smiled.
‘Sheldon…thank you for coming with me’ Elijah said. Sheldon smiled. Elijah ran into the Gates to Valon followed by Sheldon. The ring on Elijah’s finger shinned brightly and revealed the path. They walked down following it for about thirty steps took them down into the mountain’s core. They came at last to their final destination.
Sheldon stopped at the bottom step and Elijah continued across the narrow bridge. The bridge ended twenty feet away and curved into a semicircle and down below was a great black vortex. Nothing could escape the force of the Black Hole. Elijah looked down into it and pulled off the Pendant and held it over the pit.
‘Let it go!’ Sheldon cried out. Elijah gazed deeply into the Pendant as though it was calling his name.
‘I don’t think I can!’ Elijah shouted.

The markings on the Pendant begun to glow red:

Three Angelic powers in the night sky,
Five Demonic auras in the burning flame,
Six Sages strength in the land doomed to die,
A Tower built by mortals to house the light.
A Pendant of endless power, A Pendant of strength,
A Pendant that cannot be stopped and it is called Celestial.

‘I can’t do it Sheldon!’ Elijah shouted again.
‘Just let it go!’ Sheldon yelled. ‘Be done with it so we can go home’ Sheldon begun to cry a little, ‘let us go home! Let us see Mrs. Goodman, let us enjoy the Festival of the Moon and watch the fireworks! Let us see Galatians and the twins Christian and Cameron! Let us see Destinie again!!’
‘Destinie…’ Elijah uttered softly and dropped the Pendant into the Black Hole. It was engulfed by the vortex below. The entire mountain begun to shake and crumble and the Black Hole vanished in a ray of white light. Elijah turned and ran out. Sheldon and Elijah ran up the steps and out of the Gates of Valon.
The two heard a terrible cry as though Serrago himself was crying out and the two looked up. It seemed to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell.
The silence was taken away when a red ray of light emerged out of the mountain and rose into the black clouds and begun to cast away the shadows. The light turned to blue as the darkness was fading away and then it faded. The entire mountain was engulfed in flames and the two boys sat upon a boulder surrounded by flames unable to escape and the fire was rising.
‘So…this is it’ Sheldon said. ‘I wish I had just one more year to live…to learn more about Igros and its people and to see many places far and wide. I wish I could enjoy the fireworks of the Festival of the Moon one last time.’ Tears fell from Sheldon and he begun to weep. ‘I wish I didn’t have to die here.’
Elijah sat up from the boulder and wrapped his arm around Sheldon’s shoulder. Elijah looked about seeing the flames and he couldn’t help but shed a few tears and said softly, ‘my dear Sheldon, I’m glade that you are here with me…at the end of all things.’

THE END