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Chapter 4
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Rhian had no idea how long she was kept in the cell. She lost all track of time in the dark of the dungeons. Then one day, Rhian heard Alg’s voice as he approached. He was speaking to someone. The darkness of the dungeon grew lighter as he approached holding a torch. Shadows flickered to life then receded as he approached. Rhian closed her eyes against the bright light of the torch. Her eyes were unaccustomed to the light after being in the dark for so long.
Algwad stopped before the cell and unlocked the door. He was accompanied by someone who wore a hooded robe. Rhian watched the person through her narrowed eyes. Their gait was slower and more elegant than Alg’s. Rhian could not see the face of the person beneath the hood but she believed it was a woman. Judging by the robe and hood she wore, Rhian believed she was from an order of priests or monks. The robe was a regal purple made from material that looked like velvet but it flowed as if it was as light as silk. The cuffs of the sleeves and the edge of the cloak were trimmed with gold embroidery of the highest craftsmanship.
Alg opened the door and stepped aside letting his companion in first. They advanced into the cell but his companion stopped abruptly when they drew near enough for the light from his torch to light Rhian’s face. Rhian heard his companion breath in sharply. It was definitely a woman. Then she spoke. “You were right when you said I needed to see this.”
Rhian was angered at being referred to as “this”. It was as if she were an object. She was confused too. The woman’s voice sounded just like her. Then the woman pushed her hood back and it was Rhian’s turn to inhale sharply, unable to contain her surprise. She was looking at herself, or her twin, or..…
The woman walked around Rhian slowly appraising her from all angles. “How is this possible?”
“It must be sorcery your majesty. There can be no other explanation. Her likeness struck me as amazing too. She has not told me about her world yet and how she came to be here which leads me to believe her intentions are not honorable. Especially when she looks like you, my Lady.”
Rhian took offence to being spoken of as an object or as someone who was not present. “I can hear you,” she said angrily.
The women stopped before her and smiled. “You finish your sentences with “Majesty” when speaking to me.”
Rhian was taken aback. “Who are you?”
“I am the queen to be.” Her gaze made Rhian uncomfortable. Rhian felt as if she were staring into her soul. She decided not to argue the point but bowed her head and curtsied as she knew to do. “Majesty” she replied.
The woman lifted her chin. “That’s better. I am glad we understand each other.”
As Rhian looked at the woman who was her double, she silently cursed Andy. This woman was his creation. Andy had created this world and he must have created this woman with her likeness. The woman held Rhian’s gaze.
Her long black hair was tied back in braids. Her eyes were green and smiled. Yet the smile that Rhian saw in her own eyes when she looked in the mirror was different to the smile that looked back at her from this woman’s eyes. Her eyes smiled with arrogance and perhaps evil. She exuded confidence. Evil confidence. As Rhian watched her, she noticed how similar her movements were. She was the same height and had the same build from what Rhian could ascertain. “Alg has told me much about you but even so I am astounded by the likeness. Did you come here to try and usurp my position using the sorcery you command?”
“I am not a sorceress,” Rhian replied indignantly then added hastily, “Majesty.”
“Then how is it that you travel at will to and from this world? What are your intentions? How is it that you look exactly like me? Am I to believe that your intentions are honorable?”
“I have never ventured beyond the rainbow lake Majesty. I only ever sought to visit that place in this world. Algwad should know from the number of times he watched me before capturing me. I never made any move to leave the lake.”
“Perhaps it was not time yet to leave the lake. And the fact that he found you there is even more concerning. The rainbow lake that possesses magic no-one understands and so chooses to stay away from, you frequented with joyous regularity.”
“I brought nothing. I have no weapons.”
The woman stepped closer rapidly and slapped Rhian as she shouted, “A sorcerer needs no weapons! Do you think we are fools? Why have you come here? And where is your respect?”
“I told you I only came to visit the lake. I have no intentions beyond visiting the lake. Majesty.”
The woman slapped Rhian again. “Lies and deceit! There is no place for this now.”
She turned to Algwad. “I want the truth from her. Torture her until she speaks. If she does not speak before she dies then she was never going to speak anyway. And when she is dead leave her body at the lake where you found her so any from her world who have the arrogance to venture here receive a message on their arrival. Her presence here is dangerous and places our plans at risk.”
Alg nodded, his lips pursed tightly together. “Yes my lady.”
The woman turned with a sweep of her robe and left. As the echo of her footsteps diminished and eventually evaporated into the darkness beyond the cell, Alg stood in silence looking at Rhian. He seemed to be pondering something.
When he was certain that the woman was out of earshot he came to stand in front of Rhian, his eyes staring coldly at her.
“That did not go entirely as I had hoped,” he whispered.
“And what were you hoping for?” Rhian asked angrily. “That we would have a reunion of long lost twins across worlds?”
He ignored Rhian’s ire and sarcasm. “I had hoped she would see more potential in you and the situation. Your presence holds much possibility and to waste it with your needless death would be a real pity. I could save you however, if you were open to discussing the possibilities with me. Until then I will have to carry out my orders though and start your torture. I assure you that I do not relish the idea especially since I shall have to do it myself and torture is an art I am not skilled in so it will be more painful and messy than necessary.” Alg paused for effect, “For you that is.”
With that he turned and left the cell. He closed and locked the door leaving her with a parting comment. “Think about it. It’s not too late. Yet.”
Rhian wanted to scream at him but bit her tongue. She needed to try to stay calm and think. What could she reveal which would keep her alive without giving him the Holy Grail, the knowledge to travel to earth? She could picture how they would mobilize an army to try to conquer earth but of more concern and perhaps selfishly so, was that they would gain instant access to Andy and Shay since their point of arrival would be her home in San Diego.
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Alg returned the next day seeming cheerful. He greeted Rhian with her breakfast and sat next to her as she ate.“Did you think about what I said overnight?”Rhian nodded as she ate.“And?”Rhian had given much thought to what Alg was asking. “What is it that you really want? If you can be honest and clear with me I can be honest and clear with you.”Alg was silent. He considered his words carefully. “Very well Lady. Since you will not leave here without my permission, I shall be honest with you.” Alg paused letting the meaning of his words sink in before continuing, “As you well know, the lady you met yesterday is to become queen. Her name is Maica. She does not love the king. In fact she
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Shay was tired but sleep eluded her. Her mind spun from her meeting with her mother. Try as she might she could not understand how her mother might change so much. There was no telling when Andy would wake. And now, more than ever, she needed him to wake up so she could tell him about this. She did not wish to stress him with the truth of their situation but she doubted she had any choice. There was no time to waste. Until then she had only one option. She fetched the book from the chair where she had fallen asleep the night before. There might be something in the book which could give her insight into her mother’s change. After all her mother was now, she believed, a character in the book.Shay tried to flip forward from where she had read up to the night before but found herself reading every word for fear of missing anything. She found mention of Lady Maica and the marriage with Fiere’s father. There wa
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Algwad saw Shay break and start to circle the statue. His face became a mask of disbelief. He could not believe that at this critical juncture Shay chose to attack. Algwad hesitated a moment glancing at the drop as it ran down the thread. It now seemed to be gaining momentum as it was drawn downwards by gravity. He made a decision. The drop would fall on the jewel in any event. All he needed to do was make sure that he got the jewel and to do so he had to kill this bothersome girl. He turned from the statue then and advanced in the direction that Shay was taking. He would meet her attack squarely and finish her now. But again, he was fooled. As soon as Shay realized he was committed to moving she spun around and lunged for the statue. She grabbed the back of the statue and hooked her arm around it long enough to swing her body around to reach between the statues where the drop was falling. But Algwad was quick and he realized Shay had feigned her attack. He s
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Shay had a sense of drifting or being carried. Savar was with her and spoke to her. She did not have enough time to reach the point of the Jewelling in time and so Savar would deliver her there ahead of Algwad. Beyond that, he could do no more. She would have time to study the jewel, the statues, their crossed weapons known as “The Crossing” and all that she possibly could before Algwad arrived. Savar reiterated that she needed to believe in herself and believe that the impossible was possible. When Shay awoke, she was alone. The effects of her sleep dissipated quickly but her dream remained crystal clear in her mind and she remembered everything that Savar had said to her. She drew her sword and held it ready at her side as she moved around and explored. She wondered briefly how Savar had taken her from the soldiers who were with her but then she suspected he had used the power which none of them were aware of. She was on the top of a mountain which was circled by r
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The man had spoken from next to her. She had not seen him move from his place on the other side of the cabin and there was no displacement of air to warn of his approach, as fast as it had to have been. The man placed his hand gently on her arm, calming her and encouraging her to sit again. Shay sat hesitantly. “How do you know my name? Who are you?” “Those questions are of little consequence Lady Shay. There is little I do not know. I knew your father too. I was guided to him and rightly so. Sometimes you simply need to trust your instincts. But your mind will demand an answer to your questions so I will tell you this. I am your servant. I am here to serve you. I will offer you guidance and share what I may with you in the hope that you can defeat the man who passed this way yesterday. You must defeat him. This universe depends on it. I serve everyone and all that is and right now I serve Ethlerry and seek its survival.” “That does not answer my question, go
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Shay was troubled by the fact that they might be outnumbered. Try as she could, she could not shake the feeling that she would be the one who would face Algwad in the end. She believed that she would be the one to face Algwad alone. While the team’s objective was to catch Algwad and his men and stop them, Shay suspected that Algwad would leave his men as a rearguard while he went on alone to get the jewel. Shay had to try to get close enough to Algwad and his men so that she could catch Algwad when he was alone. She also had no idea what it was that Algwad was looking for. What it looked like. She wished she did. It could make the difference between her getting the jewel before Algwad as she doubted that he even knew what it looked like. She had heard of statues and so was keeping an eye out for statues. Shay and her men thus needed to follow Algwad’s group undetected if possible until they arrived at the point where whatever he sought was. The trail became rockier and harde
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Fiere hardened his voice then. “Shay we can argue about this all we like. Nothing will change their thinking. Are you willing to pursue Algwad and try to stop him from getting the power of Dwarveln?” Shay was quiet a moment. “Very well Fiere. But this is the last I want of anything. After this, I am to be left alone. Forever. Grant me that as future king.” Fiere was quiet. “Do it!” Shay shouted but Fiere maintained his silence. “Why can’t you do it Fiere? What? What is the problem? Can I not be free?” “There would be no more reason to need your service after this Shay. It stands to reason that you will be free and left alone.” “Then say it. Decree it. Right here. Right now!” “I can’t do it now! I am not king yet!” Fiere argued. “Then say you will do it when you are king! Give me that much Fiere!” Fiere was silent again. Damn you Fiere. Go to hell!” Shay had had enough. She had done all that she could in
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When Shay arrived back at her cabin after spending time at her mother’s grave, Fiere was waiting for her. His horse was tethered nearby. He had about twenty soldiers with him. Shay ran to greet Fiere and they embraced for a long time. Then finally she held him at arm’s length. “Is it over? I had no idea you came back.” “Part of it is over. Algwad’s army has surrendered. But Algwad is still free. We believe he is headed into the Ischlo Mountains seeking the jewel that will grant him almost unlimited power. He must be stopped.” “If he has the jewel he may not need an army,” Shay commented feeling unease in her stomach at the thought. “Tell me first, how is your mother? I heard all about the fact that your mother was in the dungeon. I can only imagine how relieved you are that your mother was not Maica after all. I hope you can forgive me for the judgment I made of you believing that your mother was Maica.” Shay looked away trying unsuccessfully
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Galwin watched as the army gathered outside the gates. Overnight Algwad’s army had disappeared. How they had done so was beyond Galwin. It was as if they had disappeared by magic. If the army had marched away his men would surely have heard it yet none of the guards had reported hearing anything. Nevertheless, if they were marching he was sure they would be tracked by the army that now stood just beyond the reach of the catapults. A lone rider had approached on horseback bearing a white flag. He rested within range of the archers on the walls and waited for someone from the castle to meet him. Galwin studied him for a while trying to ascertain whether this man was a ruse to get them to open the gates and make an attack or not. The man waited patiently saying nothing. Finally, Galwin decided he was there under a genuine flag of peace. He turned to his second in command, Jolyph. “You’re in charge. I am going to meet the soldier.” Jolyph looked s
