Chapter 35

“Well, if Andromeda took her she probably took her to the Old Man. She has as big as stake as any in the coming revelations of the White Sorceress Prophecy.”

“I’m leaving now!”

“I will show you the way to the mountain. After that it will be up to you or the Old Man to show you the rest of the way.”

“I go too!”

“Okay, Braylard.” So Sorbo, Bolo and Braylard head out into the stormy night where the snow continues to fall.

It is only several hours before sun up, but even that time comes and goes without a big difference in the world. The falling snow no longer looks black, but the storm rages on.

“I think it is between these two peaks,” yells Bolo, over the howling wind.

Sorbo very quickly finds himself wishing he had worn a true deep winter coat, but with the thought of what must be going through Dakota’s mind is pushing him on beyond endurance or care.

The day comes and goes and with burning thighs Braylard yells. “We must stop for a bit.”

“You stop. I think I know where I am now. You two return to the town and we’ll be back soon.” Without waiting for an answer Sorbo starts heading between another two peaks.

“Sorbo?”

“What?”

“That way,” says Bolo, pointing off to the right.

Both Braylard and Bolo shake their heads and follow. The years have done nothing to diminish the drive of this warrior. They push their way through the storm and by the time the storm is lessening its attack upon the world, the sun is starting to rise for the second time. They come around the bend of another mountain base and before them opens up a valley that disappears further into the mountains.

“This is it! I remember we stayed in this cave right here. You guys take refuge and I’ll be back with Dakota shortly.” Sorbo disappears into the last of the falling snow.

He continues to climb and climb and just when it appears the valley is leveling off Andromeda comes before him and says, “You can go no further!”

“Actually, daughter, you do not have the right to deny passage to my kingdom.” Andromeda jumps at the intrusion.

She bows. “Father.”

“Andromeda,” says an old man with long gray hair and a long gray beard.

“Father, he was about to defile the White Sorceress.”

“I think, dear child, if you were to ask DAKOTA,” he says Dakota with emphasis. “She would not consider it being defiled. In fact, she has been dreaming and longing for it since she was twelve-years-old and you interrupted her moment.”

“Is Dakota okay?”

“She is fine, Great Protector. I will take you to her in a moment.”

“But, father!”

“Go now, Andromeda, and continue to work on whatever plans you are trying to hatch, but know this, I have talked with Dakota and I will talk with Dakota and Sorbo some more and there will be not a single thing they don’t know.”

“But, father.”

“Go now, child.” And with that she is gone in a flash. “Welcome, sir knight, to my kingdom.” He does a grand sweeping gesture with his arm and all of a sudden they are in a cavern with a giant cauldron with boiling lava in the center of it. Off to the left is sitting Dakota in her regular clothes until she sees Sorbo.

They fly into each other’s arms. “Oh, I was so afraid. Are you okay?” asks Sorbo, relieved.

“Yes, my love, I am fine. Odin has taken good care of me.”

“Odin?”

“Yes, I am Odin, father to many demigods and overseer of this world of Kara.”

Sorbo takes Dakota’s hand in his as Odin leads them over to where Dakota was originally sitting. Sorbo sits down and Dakota sits in his lap. “Thank you for watching out for Dakota.”

“It is my pleasure. She is the sweetest and brightest of them all ever to exist. In fact it was I who created the White Sorceress Prophecy.”

“Sorbo, you have to listen to this. Odin has told me many important things. It appears everybody is trying to use the power of the White Sorceress and her Great Protector for their own purposes before the real reason of the White Sorceress comes to light.”

Sorbo has a million questions running through his mind. “There have been many other White Sorceresses and Great Protectors in the past? The Book of Knowledge mentions only one other time.”

“Time has been going much longer than the written word, my friend.”

“Guess what?”

“What, babygirl?”

“Every single one, but one, White Sorceress and Great Protector has gotten together.”

“No way!”

“Yep.”

“Yes, it is true. Her magic has been influencing you. I designed it that way just-in-case the White Sorceress and the Great Protector were on the opposite sides of the world they would still be drawn to each other.”

“You’re trying to tell me I’m under a spell?”

“Of course not. Look at her! How could you say that?”

“I didn’t! You did!”

“No I didn’t.”

“Boys, boys, we are getting off the point.”

“What is the point anyway?”

“As we speak there is an asteroid rocketing towards our world and it is going to collide with one of the three moons. This time it happens to be the Dark Moon. Every time this happens my children start trying to make the moon that is in danger get hit so they will become stronger. What I haven’t been able to truly get through their thick skulls is all three must be equal or creation will implode.”

“So Andromeda has been working against us?”

“Not working against you so much because there is always a chance the meteor will actually hit the planet too, so the gods want the White Sorceress to protect their sorry butts as well. They are petty children bickering amongst themselves always. So she is not working against you as much as trying to influence you into working for her without you knowing the true intent.”

Sorbo’s head is spinning. “So we can expect continued interference from them until this is over?”

“Yes and no.” Sorbo shakes his head and tightens his grip on Dakota a little more. “I created the Eye of Opalescence for this very reason. Once Dakota has the Eye, her and her chosen will no longer be visible to the gods, and any other magical forces for that matter.”

“Do you know your son Loki is trying to spread chaos through out the humans to the point where when this is long done and over with the repercussions will hurt this continent for generations to come?”