Land of Shadows (The Legend of the Gate Keeper Book 1) (19 page)

Berkeni rubbed his hands together in quick, rapid strokes, then turned them palms up as he began chanting. “
Nopida... gorina... opritta... judicia.
” His chanting continued as the pearl began to swirl with a light milky fog. However, the mist did not stay contained; instead, it seeped from the pearl and floated upward. The soft, gray mist began to form a mini tornado that swirled above the table.

Jacob had to use every ounce of self-control not to do or say anything as this mystic scene unfolded before his very eyes. He gave careful consideration to Eric’s words and kept his mouth shut.

Eric, on the other hand, continued to watch with emotionless calm. It surprised even him how unruffled he was by the freak show.

Suddenly, their bodies seemed to fall into the illusion, as if they were floating into the projection while getting a skyward view at the scenery below, even though they were still physically seated within the safety of the palace.

A dense, green forest came into view far below them. The view zoomed in closer and closer, and their vision, unencumbered with physical bodies, seemed to penetrate the thick vegetation. Deeper and deeper it went, until the magical view fell upon a small village in the middle of the forest. Small huts assembled from some sort of black rock were scattered about the immediate area. They seemed rather primitive due to their small square shapes and green and brown roofs which appeared to be made of some sort of bamboo.

In a flash, the image propelled them forward once again, deeper into the heart of the village. Everyone in the room gasped as the view became clearer.

Large humanoids walked the dirt pathways between the black huts. The humanoids wore very little clothing, exposing many large dark spots all over their bodies. Most had no hair whatsoever, although a few had long, white, thin hair flowing down from nearly completely exposed heads. Humanoids... No, crytons. They lived!

A bright blue flash radiated from the floating image, consuming everyone in the room for a split second. Everyone let out a sharp blast of air as the feeling of being dunked in ice water flowed through them. They all began panting in short bursts, trying desperately to catch their breath. The jolt of energy that cascaded from the image was a magical sense of understanding. Their very thoughts had just been implanted with a knowledge that was not there before. Each one attained a full understanding of the images they had just witnessed.

The magical images floating above the table began to change once more as they were sucked back into it against their will. Everyone, still trying desperately to catch his or her breath, was forced to fly across the desert sky. Skulls and rocks blurred past them down below as they flew at an unbelievable speed. A small speck off in the distance came up on them in a heartbeat. They jolted to a sudden stop. Up close, the small speck turned out to be a dark crystal tower, somehow existing in the middle of a beautiful oasis. Colorful birds flew around and through a raging waterfall. Then, in a flash, the image changed once again, as they were now viewing the crystal tower from within. They appeared to be floating above a room filled with filthy naked men and women, all rocking back and forth with a strange, constant sway. Their eyes were completely white. Nearly invisible golden threads seemed to float off their bodies, giving them the appearance of animated puppets. Standing right beside them was a terrifying sight: a towering demon with a nose like a pig and the eyes of a cat. He was commanding the humans and preparing them for war.

As the image faded from their artificial view, the bright flash consumed them once again. The feeling of falling into a frozen lake flowed through each one, and they all gasped at once; each one was breathing heavily, unable to pull enough precious air into their lungs. Jacob actually fell out of his chair. It was hard to tell if it was from the intense feeling of cold or the surge of knowledge related to the magical image, the sickening understanding of what had happened to those poor souls, and the knowledge of what the puppeteers were capable of.

Ilirra and Jade both began to weep softly at the pure sickness of what they had just witnessed.

Jacob finally got to his knees, but didn’t stand right away. Although he made no sound, his eyes were no drier than either of the girls’.

Eric remained seated still as a statue, wearing an unreadable expression, but not his eyes—they burned with pure hate. Eric had always kept his emotions in check, never overreacting to anything, but what he had just witnessed was truly unforgivable.

Berkeni pulled back his chair and slowly stood up. “I’m so sorry I had to show you that,” he said with his hands spread wide and his voice full of sadness. “But you see why I had to do it this way? Words themselves could never describe the level of evil that has fallen upon us. It had to be experienced.”

He walked behind the queen, placing his hands on her shoulders as she softly wept. “The only ones who can stop this madness are in this very room. You three must go to the dead forest and show the crytons,” he paused for a long moment before pointing at Eric, “who this man really is!”

The old man released the queen and continued to pace around the room. “They are not animals, my friends. Far from it. They are aware of the prophecies. They have also awaited the coming of the Gate Keeper.”

Normally, Eric would have protested. This was the sort of attention he had been trying to avoid, always deflecting the subject every time it came up, but this time he said nothing as he stared at Berkeni with eyes full of savage hate.

Berkeni walked over to him and put his hands on Eric’s cheeks before moving in close. “I promise you, my boy. They will see exactly what everyone else sees,” he whispered in his ear. He released him and went to stand by the door. “Now you have all seen what I needed to show you. If you will all excuse me, I must rest. I will need all my strength to prepare the gateway you will need to make the journey.” He motioned towards the door and said, “You must all prepare to leave by tomorrow.”

The queen and the three companions walked from the room in a solemn mood. Ilirra barely made it to the hall before vomiting on the floor.

Jade rushed to her side and began rubbing the Queen’s shoulders. She whispered in the Queen’s ear, “We will not fail you, I promise.”

After doing their best to shake off the supernatural experience, there was one order of business left: To attend the games and see this warrior that had haunted Jade’s memory for so long. The three friends had mixed feelings about attending such a thing, but it couldn’t possibly be worse than what they had just seen...could it?

* * *

They walked the clean-swept streets with their small escort of two soldiers. The day was hot and humid, and the sun beat down on them mercilessly. As they drew near the great arena, the crowds began to grow thick. They originally thought the two guards would be nothing more than a distraction, drawing too much attention, but now they were glad they were here, as folk were quick to part a clear path for them. No one wanted to get in the way of armored men wearing the colors of Taron.

The strangest people seemed to have come out for this event. Priests of various faiths stood on large wooden blocks outside the arena, preaching loudly to the crowds who gathered around them. They wore long, flowing robes that were always one solid color. Some had helpers who were dressed the same way, swinging smoking lanterns from a cord back and forth like a pendulum as they chanted away like they were possessed. It didn’t take long to understand the colors worn represented the deity of the priest.

Midgets wearing black leather outfits covered with shiny metal spikes ran in circles as they pretended to attack one another with purposely fake-looking wooden swords. They would stop their obnoxious game now and then only to stand behind one of the priests and mock their every word as they waved their hands in the air. When the mob began to laugh, they would run away and return to their ridiculously amateur-looking swordplay.

The soldiers were instructed to wait at the bottom of the ramp for the companions’ return and then escort them back to the palace.

Eric could not help but appreciate how massive and spectacular Moxis was up close as they ascended the ramp. That is, until they got to the top and took a few steps inside. The first thing Eric thought was that three times the entire population of Bryer had to be in here.

The friends stared in awe at the sheer size of the crowd, having never seen this many people in one place. Rows and rows of sanded wooden benches circled the whole arena. Huge, elaborate, white stone columns held up the platforms above them. Far down below, the sandy floor of the arena was being smoothed out by a horse-drawn mesh.

The benches were almost completely full with nearly naked men and women who cheered and whistled at nothing. The mob resembled a chaotic circus. These were not exactly the upper-class people of Taron, just as Ilirra had warned. It was like another world, a world with virtually no law.

Bare-breasted women were waving their hands in the air while all the men in the area groped them. The women acted as if they didn’t even notice. Everywhere the three companions’ eyes wandered, women were committing acts of fellatio to any man that presented himself. Eric considered covering Jade’s eyes for a moment, wondering how she might handle the wild scene, but she seemed quite entertained by the issuing orgy. She even pointed and laughed several times, making Eric very uncomfortable. When he looked to Jacob for support, he realized his friend was being even worse. He was grinning and pointing all over the place while elbowing Jade in the ribs constantly, begging her to look this way and that.

There was a fat bald man to their left with three women fighting to remove his pants. Three! Jade poked Eric in the ribs and pointed at the man, whose shirt was fighting a losing battle to keep his huge belly hidden. “He is either
very
well endowed or very rich,” she whispered in his ear. As soon as one of the girls seemed to be the clear winner, Jade leaned back over again and whispered, “Rich it is!” Even Eric couldn’t contain his laughter that time.

They found seats as close as they could get to the front. Listening to the varied conversations around them, it was clear the crowd was so big because word had already leaked that Morcel would be appearing for the last time tonight.

The folks at the other side of the arena began to stir a bit, then started clapping and whistling for some reason.

The three friends stood up like everyone else around them to see what the commotion was. To their horror, a wooden platform with wheels was being pushed to the center of the arena from that direction. It took five large men to push it through the sand, as the wheels sank in constantly. Four fat nooses were tied to the wooden beam that ran across the top.

Shortly after the platform was left at the center of the arena, the bloodthirsty crowd roared when four men were brought out, all tied together at the neck and walking in a line. Well, three men and what appeared to be a boy no older than fifteen. People in the stands threw stones and other projectiles they were able to sneak in with them as the four men were marched up onto the platform.

Cheering and whistling filled the air as the nooses were set around their necks by the executioner. The large man wore a spiked leather wristband and a sleeveless black leather vest that fit tightly over his large, broad shoulders. The man was required to also wear a black hood over his face for many reasons, not the least of which was because he had to live among the citizens in the city and no one could know his true identity. It was ironic, really. The thugs that came to these games would probably think him a hero and buy him drinks.

The ropes were set shallowly so the drop would only be a foot or so. The knots were set directly behind the heads of the four tied men as opposed to the side. If they were placed to the side, their necks would break, and the entertainment would end far too early. Placing the knots behind the head would ensure they would be strangled slowly.

Who knows what the four men had done to deserve the fate thrust upon them this day. It was probably the single least
-
asked question by anyone at the games. Nobody cared if the victims deserved it or not. That would just add unwanted morality to the morbid fantasy that was the games. There was no place for rational thinking here, just public sex and violence—the grand orgy of violence that had made the slavers’ trade prosperous.

Jade buried her head in Eric’s shoulder, and he and Jacob averted their eyes as well. The only way they knew the hanging was done was when they heard the roar of the mob around them.

Eric looked up too soon, his eyes going instinctively to the young boy hanging on the rope. He didn’t have the body weight of the other men, so his strangulation was slow. He continued to kick the air long after the others were no longer moving.

Eric quickly looked away again, knowing that image would surely haunt him forever.
This is what the Queen warned us about
.

* * *

“The maggots is been hung, Morcel,” came the high-pitched voice from the other room. “You gonna be next. I hear da boss gotta big surprise for youzz. Betta says you prayers! He not very happy with you.”

Morcel sat on his usual bench in his usual spot. Slow, rhythmic breathing followed as he concentrated on the images floating around in his mind. The raging river roared along as violent rapids sprayed high with white foam and mist when the water crashed against the rocks. Steel striking steel rang through the air as warriors charged against one another with completely reckless abandon. The sounds of primal battle echoed through the surrounding forest as screams and clanging steel became one continuous song of war. Then, one by one, the warriors began to disappear into thin air. As the violence slipped away into the shadows, the river began to slow its pace as well. Soon, roaring rapids became a bubbling brook as the water trickled along smooth rocks.