Chapter 21: The Climax

Time may seem linear, but the past influences the present, and the desire for a better future directs the here and now, and forever more the strands of time are connected. We came from the past, we exist now, and our actions carry on far into the future. The beauty and power of it is ... wonderful.

The Grand Master, with the remaining Masters still in the evil fortress, goes to the praise hall to call forth their dark god Zarton. The walls lined with candles light up a brilliantly bright green, and the smell of death and decay comes rumbling through the hall as the Grand Master finishes his incantation of unknown origin and language.

Before the Grand Master can inform his ruler what has transpired, Zarton speaks in a matter of fact voice, "The time of substantiality is upon us. Soon it will be the Full Circle, and we will persevere mightily and rule for a thousand years. Start the attack my minions. Begin the onslaught now, my children, and I will make the necessary preparations so that I can become corporeal in this world, and we will deliver the final crushing blow to the last hope of the ignoble Heavenly Gods."

Zarton spits as if saying the words Heavenly Gods puts a bad taste in his mouth. "Now go forth and carry out my wishes, my minions. Let it be known beyond all doubt that the last ounce of good and hope is about to be eliminated from my kingdom of Owen forever."

Through direct telepathic methods, Grand Master Zomaas sends word to the three Masters along the edge of the Rye Mountains that the prey has flown into the web, and now is the time to converge. Grand Master Zomaas very rarely uses telepathic communication because it takes so much energy to do so, but for all the pieces to be put into play at the needed time it is necessary.

Masters Finlock, Ornak and Spornak mount their hellish beasts and start for the last known direction of the traitorous Companions, hoping to converge on them from three different sides, each with their own small contingent of Clan Soldiers.

Steadily making their way through the rough and steep terrain of the Rye Mountains, the Companions prepare for the inevitable; the attack they all know is coming from the Masters.

They unsaddled their horses and released them, because Maddox knew very soon they would not be able to make the journey.

The general consensus among them is that the Masters know where they are from the feeling Tork and Kyle got as they walked into the purplish mist. As they crossed the Crevice of Souls, they were at nearly two thousand feet in elevation, but very soon they will be at three thousand, and then four thousand, on up to the eight thousand Maddox says the evil fortress is located at. Between the growing elevation and the mist, their energy is being sapped.

Though at first they thought they were not going to be able to see in the mist at all, but it turns out that the further they go into the mist the more it thins out along the ground. Still, towering mountain peaks disappear into the evil mist, and at any given time you cannot see fifty paces in front of you. But the visibility is enough so that Maddox can get his general bearings and point them in the right direction. Hopefully.

It is taking longer than they had anticipated before they are making any kind of positive headway into the last part of their journey. They have no choice but to bend to the will of the mountain. There are no straight passes here. They figure they have been in the mountains for a sum of four hours now.

As predicted, it is starting to take its toll, for they are already tired from their long journey across the kingdom, but now with the high altitude and rough terrain, it is taking even more effort to continue on. Kyle thinks about it a little longer and decides that the mist itself must have magical properties, and it truly is sapping their energy. But they all know that they are not the only ones putting in strength and energy into their trek, for if that were true, they would have failed long ago.

Though you really cannot see it, you can feel it and smell it, and that is that the land around them is void of life. Which breaks Maddox's heart, for he grew up here, amongst some of the most spectacular wildlife in the entire kingdom. But his purpose does not turn to one of revenge and hatred. As is his nature, his entire being flows from his heart and soul and the courage of a Sustos Warrior. This time it will be won with love.

Scouts are sent to all the Alliance Forces of Light to set up a meeting place a half day out of the City of Death. They figure on average the Royal Guard, the Nomadic Clan Warriors, the Stiefelian Foot Soldiers and the Shadow Riders are about two days max from the City of Death. It seems, as all concerned learn that they are getting closer to their destination, that unknowingly their pace quickens and once again their hearts beat to a new, or is it a old, rhythm of pride and honor that this present generation has never felt.

Every individual thinks to himself or herself, "What a wonderful and free feeling this is." And they are feeling it for the first time. Like a teenager in love for the first time, nothing will ever be felt the same way again.

Even if the war is lost, they have won something that can never be taken away again.

Meanwhile, back at the evil fortress, the Masters prepare for their individual spells and incantations to try and take out the intruding, rebellious and pretentious strangers. Master Dobrin is now in the praise hall summoning his own sector of powers, so that he can send forth his spell and attack the enemy. Candles lit, kneeled before the sacred altar, the chanting of the ancient evil rhyme, and finally the execution of the spell.

The Companions steadily make their way through the lifeless mountains. They are steep and rugged, twisting and turning, and with the purple mist covering all but what is right in front of them they are treacherous to maneuver. The Masters have truly made this an inhospitable place.

The destined companions have just cleared a huge ridge when almost immediately Kyle's sword starts glowing a fierce golden array of light that seems to make the purple mist retreat in fear.

The four Companions raise their weapons and take up what positions can be found, and what they think will protect them from the oncoming ambush. With weapons drawn they wait for the enemy to show themselves, but nothing happens and they can hear nothing off in the distance. Yet Kyle's sword is still glowing with a warning and challenge. With the ancient powers that have long been imbued into it, there can be no doubt that danger is coming. They hold their defensive positions for another instance and yet still nothing happens.

As soon as they let down their guard the attack begins. But this is no ordinary attack, for there is no visible enemy to be had. In droves they come crashing down all around them. One nicks Maddox in his left arm and opens a gash that quickly begins to soak his fur in blood. The attack comes from the sky, and from what the Foursome can tell it is hail the size and shape of daggers. But soon it is apparent that they are much stronger than regular ice. When they hit the ground they do not shatter at first, they ricochet until they stick into something, and yes, they even stuck into stones of the mountain itself. Boulders themselves become weapons when they break apart on impact.

Almost instantaneously Kyle raises a protective shield around them, and helplessly watches as some unknown phenomenon goes on around them. Each with several nicks and cuts from the encounter, they wait out what they guess to be the first attack. They notice as time goes on that the dagger shaped hailstones begin to fade as they hit the ground, until finally they dissipate altogether, and they can let down their shield and continue their journey.

In the praise hall, Master Dobrin slumps over from total exhaustion due to the drainage of power that it takes to carry out his spell and attack on the enemy. It will be some time before Master Dobrin can recharge his power enough to carry out anymore long distance spells or incantation attacks on anybody or anything. The worst part, he thinks as he goes into his black state of rejuvenation, is that he does not know if he has succeeded or not.

After the first attack the Companions are on full alert. They are hugging every crack and crevice they can find. They have high hopes to avoid any more battles that will surely sap their energy, taking away from any maximum effort when the time comes for the final battle.

But no such luck. At first it begins as a swirl of the purple mist, then a high screech from a Fire Dragon swooping down out of the sky. The purplish mist being as thick as it is, makes it so they cannot see the Fire Dragon until it is within striking distance. With their hearts pumping adrenaline quickly into their muscles, they dive for cover.

The dragon is coming so fast that neither Kyle nor Tork has time to cast a spell. A nearby peak explodes into flames, but before they can assess their situation another dragon attacks, and yet another and then another, until finally they disappear as fast as they appeared. Fortunately the mist hides the group just as it hid the Fire Dragons, and whatever else lurks in the hellish contraption.

The Companions, getting away with just a few singed hairs and clothing, immediately pick themselves up and try to get out of the area, but before they have even cleared the next turn, a huge explosion of a new fiery hell encircles them. Frozen in their tracks, the Companions are truly mystified at what surrounds them now. It is a wall of fire that shoots so high into the sky that it disappears into the mist. Maddox slowly inches his hand towards the fire to see if it truly is a fire or just an illusion. He notices, as he gets closer to the wall of flame, that he still does not feel any heat, so he thrust his hand into the flames and jerks it back in agony, holding his singed hand. Lynx pulls out some kind of lotion made from roots and applies it to Maddox's hand, and the pain slowly subsides.

"Grand Master, I have a wall of fire surrounding them now. It should hold them until our three Masters converge on them."

"Very good, Master Netho."

The Companions, being hunters in the days of peace, know that they are being herded into some unknown hellish trap. Nobody has to look at Kyle's sword hilt to know danger is closing in. They have to find a way out fast. After looking at each other for the answer, none is forthcoming, Kyle realizes that even though his sword never stops glowing from the first attack, that it is now starting to hum.

Kyle, still not sure of what he is going to do, raises his sword and yields it in his hand as if to ask the Heavenly Gods for guidance, then all of a sudden Kyle thrusts the sword into the flames, with sparks and a violent sizzling noise, the fire finally sputters and then dies out.

Back at the evil fortress the Grand Master is watching Master Netho carry out his spell. Then all of a sudden Master Netho screams, shatters, and then explodes into millions of tiny pieces, some flying onto the Grand Master. His fury deepens and he prepares to carry out one of his own spells.

The Shadow Riders arrive first and take up positions, waiting for the other three factions to arrive. One by one the Royal Guardsmen and Nomadic Clan Warriors start to appear from out of the thinning forest. They maneuver their forces to join up for the final leg of their journey to the City of Death, and then on to the evil fortress. Once there, they will hopefully link up with the stranger, the last Mystic Wizard and the other heroes. The stranger, who has come upon this land like an answered prayer, revives life and pride in the people once more.

General Cantorso often wonders and worries about the young Mystic Wizard named Tork, for he feels that although the stranger has started all this, it is the boy who holds the key to the destiny of Owen. Plus he knows his daughter is in love with the young Mystic Wizard.

The leaders of three of the forces wait for the fourth faction to arrive. Knowing that the Stiefelian Foot Soldiers are, of course, walking, that they will be a little behind the rest of the forces. They wait and wait for the Stiefels to show up. They even send out scouts to try and find them, but to no avail.

So Generals Cantorso, Stolks and Banyon have no choice but to hold their meeting that will lay out the plans for the final assault on the City of Death. They briefly go over ideas for their last leg of the journey to the evil fortress, somewhere in the beginning of the Rye Mountains, but they do not want to get too far ahead of themselves. They will discuss that in more detail after they defeat the City of Death. The word is given for all forces to ride at double speed, so that they will arrive at the City of Death within a half-day's time.

They lay out the tactics that they will use for the assault on the city, but they will wait for advanced scouting reports about the enemy troop movements inside the city before they commit themselves to any absolute plans. With all the commanders and men informed, all the forces pull out and start double timing it to destiny. As they are riding off, General Cantorso keeps looking over his shoulder in hopes of getting a glimpse of the Stiefelian contingent, knowing that they are going to need every able-bodied man possible.

They may be on foot, but the Stiefelian Foot Soldiers have just crossed over into the Rye Mountains, a full day ahead of the other allied forces. With honored thoughts and concern for their kin to speed them on their way, they will not let down their fellow Stiefel, Lynx. If you were to see them pass by it would seem as one huge white blur of a line, for they move as a single unit, and they are of course as stealthy as they are deadly.

"Grand Master, another force just went through our detection field along the rim of our mountains. What are your orders, Master?"

"Already? The main enemy force should not be this far into their journey. But no worry, we will deal with the young Mystic Wizard and the stranger first, then the people's efforts will be meaningless. Masters Finlock, Ornak and Spornak should almost be in position to carry out their attack on the troublesome wizards. Have Master Akmora stand by with his Fire Dragons. They will attack in conjunction with each other. If this attack fails, then Zarton himself will come to this plane and destroy the threat. Now I must go and plan my own attack, for the end is truly near for the trivial traitors."

"Another full day until the Full Circle. Will we have enough time to reach the evil fortress and begin the attack?"

"Though I not sure exactly where it is, I do believe we be there in time for the Full Circle, my young friend." A sigh of relief exits from Tork's lungs, as he was holding his breath in expectation of the answer.

The spider's web is set and waiting for the fly to foolishly wander in to its death. This web, however, has three spiders and they call themselves Masters.

The mountains seemed to flatten out somewhat as the Companions continue their progress. They soon realize that they are on some kind of road or trail and they know that is not wise, so they immediately make to turn off and head back deeper into the rugged mountains, but it is too late, they are surrounded. Power bolts come flying from three different directions, accompanied by dozens if not hundreds of arrows. As the power bolts hit and explode, they leave small smoking craters in the ground, throwing shrapnel of smoldering rocks everywhere.

The Companions, being surrounded on three of the four sides, have nowhere else to go except the nearby rock formation just behind them. They dive for dear life, and just as Lynx moves a power bolt hits and explodes where he had just been, and it sends him flying through the air and he hits hard on the side of a boulder. With a grunt he slides to the ground, but quickly gathers his composure and is soon sending his own arrows into battle.