Chapter 07: Journey to Entantium

Chapter 7: Journey to Entantium

 

“Finally, we’re here.  I didn’t know the Tower would be guarded.”  Alora said, while they rested after the last attack of Chimeras.

“What did you expect, why wouldn’t it? Especially when Kagain knows what we’re planning.”  Lyra responded.

“What?!?”  Everyone exclaimed as they turned and looked towards Lyra.

Lyra’s face contorted in fear, and shock.  “What do you mean that Kagain knows?  Alora told us her grandfather and Kagain do not agree.”  Gorec questioned.

“Well, why wouldn’t he know?  He is evil, and it was evil who informed us.”  Lyra retorted, with a bit of a sigh of relief.

“I still find it hard to believe that Kagain knows and until I see a sign I will not accept that he knows.”  Dyorn stated with a kingly confidence.  “Now, arguing aside, we must continue.  Kagain’s influence on my throne grows each moment…I can feel it.”

Gorec glanced towards Dyorn seeing the doubt from earlier gone.  “Dyorn is right, if Kagain stays in power all will be lost.”  They continued on towards the Tower in silence all lost in their own thoughts.

When they came upon the Tower they were amazed, not only by the fact that it was over five hundred feet tall, but by the sheer beauty of it.  The metallic gold of the tower sparkled as if new.  The surface shimmered with runes.  “Odd.”

“What is odd Dyorn?”  Questioned Alora.

“The Runes on the Tower.  They serve two purposes, as a spell and a story.”

“Story?  About what?”

“How it was created…and how it will be destroyed.”

“Destroyed?”  Gorec asked, intrigue smothering his tone.

“Yes…I can’t read how it is destroyed, but it speaks of an Evil destroyed which will breed another generation.  The names look familiar but still I cannot read them.  But, if I guess correctly Kagain’s plan succeeds, though it will cause him great pain.”

“Dyorn, do you think my father is destroyed in this Tower?”

“It is hard to say.  But, if he is than you would be the next generation of Evil and from what I have seen Evil has left you.”

Alora smiled towards Gorec, than turned her attention to Dyorn.  “Dyorn, have you noticed that it speaks of the name Andros, yet it is neither you nor Lyra.”

 “I have not noticed that, nor do I wish to ponder the Tower.  Brell’s hands played a part in its creation, and anything we see could be lies.”

“What if they speak the truth, Dyorn, as a mage even you know Runes do not speak false.  Unless they caster wishes great pain.”  Gorec kindly reminded him.

“As correct as you may be, we must still proceed with caution.”  With that said they approached the heavy onyx doors, and with a bit of extra strength they opened them.

“So, the mighty Dyorn Andros is too weak to attack me.  He must travel to find another power.”  Kagain’s cold voice echoed throughout the tower, yet he was no where to be seen.

“Kagain, you coward, show yourself I am not afraid to attack you!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Dyorn.  You should know I do not attack unless provoked.  I hope you find what you are looking for in Entantium…if you ever find the gate.”

“And why would you wish that?”

“Because, as of now, there is no longer an exit from this tower.”  With that his voice, and presence, vanished leaving Dyorn and the others in the darkne4ss with the sound of the closed door echoing around them.

Dyorn pushed forward through the darkness while the others tried, in vain, to open the doors.  He looked back, and seeing the door was still closed his eyes burst into a blazing red.  “Damn that Kagain.”  He turned his attention to Lyra.  “You knew.  How did you know?”

“Anyone could have known since Kagain’s father told us Kagain had to know.  They are of the same blood.  Everyone knows the Blackturner clan cannot be trusted.”

“How can you say that?  If it weren’t for Alora I would have died at the Lake.  Besides, we were assured that her father and grandfather are not on the same level.”

“Assured by a Blackturner.”  Lyra sneered.  “That family perfected the use of lies and deceit.”

“You are forgetting, milady, if Alora wanted us dead she could have done so at the Lake without involving her father.”

“Have you forgotten that she sad idly by and almost let you and Dyorn die, Gorec?”

“She was not the only one, Lyra.”  Dyorn sighed, and stood.  “Alora has proven she wants to help us, not her father.  Now, enough of this nonsense, we have enough to worry about without assuming there is a spy amongst us.  We must find the Gate.”  He muttered something and the hall they were in burst with light, blinding them for the moment.

“Wow.”  Alora exclaimed once her eyes adjusted to the light.  The entrance way shimmered with the same ethereal quality of the Tower.  Portraits of the land before the tower was built, and after, adorned the walls next to a life size portrait of Dyorn’s grandfather.  “Dyorn, I must say I never imagined the Tower would be like this.  Especially with the name being what it is.”

“You, of all people, should know that names can be deceiving.”  Dyorn commented.  “It is named as such to keep thieves and other undesirable types from breaking into the tower.  There are many powerful artifacts here that keep the gateways stable.”

“Speaking of gateways, shouldn’t we be searching for ours?”  Gorec interrupted.

“Yes, we should.  Let’s split up, and when one of us finds the gate they can alert the rest of us.  Just be careful, some of these gateways have minds of their own and could activate themselves.”  Dyorn replied.

 With that said, they split up.  Dyorn and Gorec searching up stairs while Lyra and Alora searched the main floor.  “Lyra, I think it would be easier if you were to search the right side of this floor while I search the left.”

Lyra nodded, than continued off ahead of Alora.  When she reached the first gate it burst to life, without a sound, and drug Lyra into it.  “Where am I?” She took a moment to look around before she realized she was no longer in the tower, but Entantium.  She smiled evilly as she started to walk towards the town.  “This could not have worked better.  I have the chance to find the blade before anyone else, and save Kagain’s sorry behind.”

 

“Dyorn, this seems pointless, all these gates here lead to other parts of Dragonia.  At this rate it could take a lifetime to find the right gate into Entantium.”

“As long as it might take, we must find that gate.  With Kagain knowing of our plans, we must do whatever it takes to retrieve the Blackturner’s Bane.”  Dyorn sighed. “Go on ahead and search those gates, we will meet in the middle.”

Gorec nodded and hurried to the other side of the Tower, searching the gates as he went.  He came to the last gate, and after saying the spell, he gazed into it and saw that it was the north side of the town.  He turned to alert Dyorn but before he could make a sound something dragged him through the portal.  As he stepped onto the dirt road he glanced back, hoping to find the gate still there but it had vanished after trapping him.  “This cannot be good.  Kagain must have planned this, separating us.  With all hopes, I can find this sword and return in enough time so that no one else is separated.”

Dyorn saw what happened and hurried to the gate.  “Gorec!”  He yelled as he traversed the hall as quickly as he could.  When he came upon the gate he saw that it had closed.  “Damn!  How could this have happened?”  He sighed, and said the spell to open the gate.  Again and again he repeated the spell, with the same effect…the gate remained closed.  “I suppose there is only one thing left for me to do.”  He sighed, and searched the rest of the gates.

 

Meanwhile, on the first floor Alora continued to search the gates, not knowing that Lyra and Gorec were both lost in Entantium.  “Lema ed’ ando en’ templa.”  Alora said, the power of the spell radiating in the hall.  A few moments later the gate in front of her burst to life, as did the one behind her though its more subtle arrival went unnoticed.  She glanced into the gate, and saw a courtyard.  It wasn’t the courtyard that made her face widen in shock, it was the shadow lurking by a building.  “Lyra?  What is she doing there?  She was not supposed to go without us. I need to warn Dyorn.”  She turned to run upstairs, and saw the other gate open.  She had just enough time to scream before the portal enveloped her.  Her scream carried on into the street in Carin Fios and everyone passing her looked strangely towards her before hurrying off.  “I must look quickly, Lyra is near the blade, I could feel its presence.”

 

Dyorn heard the scream and he started to rush down the stairs.  As he reached the landing a gateway opened and with his last step he fell through, his own scream of shock and fear echoing throughout the halls.

 

When the portal closed, a figure in a black cloak emerged from the shadows.  “Good work, master.”

“Do not congratulate me yet, everything went wrong.”  Kagain’s voice sneered.

“What do you mean?  They are separated, and in Entantium.”

“That may be true, Jace, but they are all near that blasted sword.”  Kagain paced the hall, leaving the shadows by the first gate.  “That wretch of a daughter is also with them and she can lead them right to it from anywhere. Her blood, and body, feels the presence of it at every moment of every day.”

“How is that possible?  It was created before her birth.”

“It is our curse, which is why it is called Blackturner’s Bane.  It was that sword that created evil in the Blackturner blood line.  All because my father created it to destroy me.  Ever since that day it has brought its pain into our lives, a sharp needle on our skin and acid boiling in our veins.  Its sole purpose is to destroy a Blackturner and until it does every generation will feel its pain.”

Jace removed the hood of his cloak, and looked towards Kagain.  “But, master, it does not seem to be affecting you.”

“You fool, I have lived with this pain almost my entire life, I have grown accustomed to it!”  Kagain glared at Jace.  “I have a new assignment for you.  Go to Entantium and find that sword before they do, especially before Lyra.  Do you understand me?”

“Yes master.”  He pulled the hood up once more and walked into the first portal.

Kagain watched him leave before he sank to the floor, perspiration forming on his brow.  His breaths became ragged as his face contorted in pain.  “That sword must be destroyed before much longer.  Just its presence is killing me.”