The Final Storm (44 page)
“You have always kept the power for yourself!” Paragor exclaimed.
“That,” said the King as he sheathed his sword, “is because I alone know how to use it!”
Paragor gripped his sword with both hands and raised the blade above his head for a mighty, killing stroke. But with a wave of King Eliam’s hand, Paragor’s sword came free from his hands and toppled over the balcony.
Paragor fell to his knees. The King looked down into his eyes. “You depart now, Paragor,” said the King. “And I grieve for what you might have been if you had chosen otherwise. And how many have followed you?” Tears appeared on King Eliam’s face. “Willingly followed you on the path to destruction? Depart now into the pit, and there, you also will grieve . . . for what might have been!”
Suddenly, Paragor wrenched and contorted. Blue electrical current began to spider its way across his body. It swirled around him and brightened. Paragor screamed. Then, having never once sat upon the white marble throne, Paragor The Betrayer disappeared from The Realm forever. And all those who followed Paragor in life now followed him into everlasting destruction.
K
ing Eliam came to the edge of the balcony and the full light of morning shone down upon him. The prisoners in the catacombs had been set free. The crowd below filled the road on both sides of the fountain. They cheered and roared and wept and laughed. But King Eliam silenced them all by lifting his hands.
“Behold, servants of Alleble!” he cried out. “At last, the debt of innocent blood has been repaid! Now The Schism will be repaired, and with it . . . many hearts as well!”
Aidan and Antoinette stood by King Ravelle and Lady Ariana. They looked up, and the bright orb of the sun began to tremble. The ground shook, and the color of the sky began to change, oscillating between pink and blue, night and day. Robby stood by Trenna and they looked out through the fallen front walls, and it was as if the whole Realm began to turn slowly around Alleble. They watched the plains pass and forests appear. Then mountains and a wide river. The sea came next and snow-covered glaciers.
All turned to see, but they were not afraid. The ground shook, and shadows wheeled around every Glimpse and every person. The turning of The Realm continued, and the watching crowd gasped, because the sights began to change. Images faded in and out. Modern houses, telephone poles, and street lamps appeared in the forests. Mountains faded and skyscrapers rose up. Bridges spanned the great rivers, and boats churned upon the seas.
Aidan watched as something began to happen to the Glimpses around him. Their pale skin began to change. Glimpse and human twin merged and became whole. And the sea of ivory faces turned to a kaleidoscope of color—every color Aidan had ever seen on earth. All turned and looked up at their King. And he looked upon them and smiled.
But his work was not yet complete. Aidan looked outside the city walls, and he was amazed, for the modern houses, the bridges, the buildings—all began rapidly to age. Paint peeled, iron rusted, and stone began to crumble. Soon the forests and jungles reclaimed their land. The mountains could again be seen with nothing in the way to block the view. Upon the oceans there were now no tankers or battleships—just whitecaps and flocks of seabirds. Slowly, The Realm stopped spinning, and as it came to a stop, all saw the dark mountains of Paragory collapse upon themselves. A large forest grew up where the Grimwalk had been, and the plains of Alleble became lush and green.
“It is done!” announced the King. “The faithful who have fallen in defense of me and my kingdom walk now on the grass in the Sacred Realm. The last blot of evil has been sent to its final abode. Look now, servants of Alleble! Look upon The Realm as it was in the beginning . . . only now it is made new with the best of both worlds!”
Several days had passed when King Eliam summoned all members of the Elder Guard, past and present, as well as prominent warriors from every nation, to the garden. He stood before the three-tiered fountain where the paths meet. To his right were Kaliam, Lady Merewen, Mallik, Nock, and Bolt. To his left stood Aidan, Antoinette, Robby, Trenna, Captain Valithor, King Ravelle, and Lady Ariana. The others filled the clearing and lined the paths within view.
“The time has come,” said the King, “for me to go to the Sacred Realm to rule over those who have been faithful to me and to Alleble. I will take with me all those who have fallen for me and my kingdom, and wait patiently for the arrival of those who will come later.”
The crowd was silent, but birds sang in the trees of the courtyard. “To Kaliam and Lady Merewen, I give the rule of Alleble and The Realm,” King Eliam went on. “To Mallik, govern the Blue Mountains, land of your kin. Yewland will prosper under the reign of King Nock. May your judgments be as swift and true as your aim! And all the other lands will be led by their sovereigns, but not in iso-lation! For I will watch over you all. You will never be alone!”
And they answered their King as one, “Never alone!”
Over the next week, many good-byes were said. But on the morning that King Eliam and the fallen were to return to the Sacred Realm Beyond the Sun, many met for a meal in Guard’s Keep, and all farewells took on special prominence.
Elspeth and her workers hustled around the room, filling plates with piles of scones, mountains of fried potatoes, and deep bowls of her famous stew. Everywhere Elspeth went, she put down her trays and hugged someone!
“When you have things back in order in Yewland,” Bolt said to his brother, “visit the forest that now grows where the Grimwalk once was. I think you will find a very special tree growing there.”
Nock looked at Bolt strangely. “What have you done?” he asked.
“Me?” Bolt protested. “Nay! It was Sir Aidan’s doing! But still, go when you can.”
“It is nearly time, my darling,” Queen Illaria said when she came up behind Bolt. He turned and smiled at her, but then looked back at Nock. “I will miss you, brother!” he said.
And they embraced until Mallik came over and separated them. “Did you think you could just leave again without saying good-bye to me?” Mallik grabbed Bolt and crushed him in a bear hug.
Aidan spoke to Kaliam and Lady Merewen nearby. “It still looks funny to see you with my color of skin!” said Aidan.
“It still looks funny to see myself with your color of skin!” Kaliam said, and they laughed.
“The strangest part,” Lady Merewen said, “is having the memories of my twin, mingled with my own. The Mirror Realm was no easy place to live.”
“It wasn’t so bad,” Aidan said, smiling amiably.
“You are a valiant knight,” Lady Merewen said at last, and she kissed him on the cheek.
They shared embraces, and Aidan said, “Rule well, Your Majesties.”
But the hardest farewell for Aidan was with his parents. Aidan stood with his father and mother and they held one another for a long time. “We’re proud of you, son,” Mr. Thomas said.
“Very proud,” his mom echoed. “Now that I know everything you went through—I . . . I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“It’s okay, Mom!” Aidan said. “You came around! And now you two get to rule Mithegard together!”
“The lad has a point!” said Grampin, who was now also his Glimpse twin Captain Valithor. “Not bad for a tardy-gaited puttock!”
Aidan grinned. It was so strange to see both Grampin and Captain Valithor in his grandfather’s gaze . . . strange and wonderful.
The meal ended, and King Eliam signaled it was time to depart. Aidan hugged his mother and father one more time—as did Grampin. And then, together, they left Guard’s Keep.
Antoinette sat on a white dragon steed next to Aidan’s on the great balcony over Guard’s Keep. As soon as he was in the saddle, she leaned over and asked, “Ready?”
Aidan didn’t answer. He looked out past the thousands of other dragon riders preparing for the journey to the Sacred Realm. He looked over the flourishing Seven Fountains of Alleble, out beyond the walls, and into The Realm. The memories came flooding in. “Do you remember when we slid out of that mountain tunnel and landed in the—?”
“Yes, Sir Aidan. I remember it well,” she replied. “Do you remember zooming down the cable in Yewland and falling into the—?”
“Yes!” Aidan laughed. Aidan remembered every detail of all his journeys, both as Aidan and as Aelic.
At last, they maneuvered their dragon steeds to the edge of the ramp. King Eliam and his proud mount were to Aidan’s left. Robby and Trenna were giggling to his right. The mighty King of Alleble was about to snap the reins when he felt Aidan’s stare.
“King Eliam?” Aidan asked
“Yes, lad?”
“Are there adventures in the Sacred Realm?”
King Eliam’s deep blue eyes twinkled, and he looked on Aidan kindly. He saw that Antoinette, Robby, Trenna, and many of the other knights waited to hear his answer. His snowy white mustache curled into a playful smile, and he said, “Beyond your wildest dreams.”
A
dventures are
funny things.
They always begin with
the unexpected,
but they always end
with the promise
of adventures
yet to come.
To my lady, Mary Lu . . . no fairer maiden can be found in all this realm. To think an errant knight like me might be so blessed as to win your favor and share twelve incredible years of adventure with you. If I had it to do all over again, I’d leave a Hawthorne branch at your doorstep! 1C13.
To Lady Kayla, my dramatic swordmaiden: I see stories (maybe novels) in your future. To Sir Tommy, tender warrior for the one true King: You are called to be a hero. To Sir Bryce, champion for good: To you it has been given to defend the weak. To Lady Rachel, great-heart, I name you: Light will shine wherever you go. I am blessed to have my children be my greatest cheerleaders. Your daddy loves you always.
To the Dovel family: Thank you for your endless generosity and for continuing to support my writing. I couldn’t ask for a better set of in-laws.
To Bill and Lisa Russell: You guys SO rock! Thank you for being unpaid editors and publicists for the trilogy!