The Destiny of Amalah (110 page)

The council members and everyone else rose to their feet and hurried out of the room. Amara, Michael, Garrick and Ellora remained and when everyone had gone, they looked at each other.

‘If the gods do not answer?’ Michael said questioningly.

‘They have to,’ Amara said flatly.

‘And if they do not?’ said Garrick, pressing her for an answer.

“I remember the promise I made to you Garrick and I will uphold it,’ she said looking at him intensely and he nodded as he held her gaze. ‘As for everyone else, you heard Dale, and I agree with her, they cannot live on this world.’

‘Amara no,’ Ellora said in horror.

‘No Ellora, we will try to banish them ourselves if the gods do not respond, but beyond that – please do not push me for an answer.’

Ellora looked at her sister and was unsure of what to say and so she said nothing.

‘I will leave now,’ Garrick said. ‘I need to check that the prisoners will remain secure and that everything else in the city is in order.’

‘Very well,’ Amara said.

‘I will accompany you Empress,’ Michael said.

‘Thank you,’ Amara said.

‘I will meet you there,’ Ellora said to the three of them. ‘Do not wait for me to begin the ritual for there are things I must attend to first.’

‘If you are sure,’ Amara said.

‘I am sure,’ Ellora answered.

The four of them left the Crest Room and went their separate ways. Garrick left the palace immediately and Amara went to her room to change, as did Michael. Ellora made her way to her room and when she arrived, she locked the door behind her and took some time for herself. She thought about everything that had happened so far and then she thought about Rakan for a while and then she began to get ready. She unlocked her room and then went to gather her things together.

As everyone began to leave the palace; Rakan, who had made his way back to the palace gardens, remained out of sight and watched as the people left. When he was sure that most of the people had left, he sneaked into the building unseen. He steadily made his way around the building and when he came to Ellora’s room, he hesitated for a few seconds, before he knocked on the door.

‘Come in,’ her voice said in a friendly tone and as she did Rakan obliged.

Rakan entered Ellora’s room quickly and swiftly closed the door behind him, pulling his hood down as soon as he was inside. When Ellora turned and saw him she screamed with fright; Rakan was at her side in and instant and he covered her mouth to stifle her screams, Ellora struggled against him but Rakan seemed immovable and so she became still. The two of them stayed that way until Rakan was sure that no one was coming to Ellora’s room and when he was satisfied that they were not, he spoke to her.

‘Do not scream Ellora and I will not hurt you or anyone else,’ he said in a warning tone. ‘Do you understand me?’ he asked. Ellora nodded her head slowly. ‘Good,’ Rakan said, before he took his hand away from her mouth and stepped back so that he was facing her.

Rakan half smiled at Ellora and she looked at him with a mixture of hate, contempt and pity.

‘What are you doing here?’ she said, almost spitting the words at him.

‘I am here to put an end to it all,’ he said looking at her.

‘How?’ she said.

‘All will be revealed in time princess – all will be revealed in time.’

‘Why are you here – in my room?’ she said with the same hostility.

‘I came to see you.’

‘There was no need. I have nothing to say to you,’ she said angrily.

‘Ellora…’ Rakan began.

‘Ellora nothing!’ she spat. ‘When this all began I defended you, said something or someone must have done this to you, for you would never do this of you own volition, you would not kill willingly and in cold blood – but how wrong was I,’ she said bitterly. ‘Right before my very eyes I saw you, murder your own brother; my lover – the love of my life in cold blood. I watched as my dearest friend killed my soul mate and I watched as Kalon’s life slipped away from him in the knowledge that the brother that he loved so dearly, was the person who killed him so brutally. So what – what can you say to me? Why did you come to me? I don’t know, because I don’t see Rakan standing before me and
I don’t see a friend
. I see a monster, an evil monster and nothing you do or say, will change that.’

‘You are right Ellora,’ Rakan said still holding eye contact with her. ‘I am a monster and I have done monstrous things and I will probably continue to do more monstrous things in the future. I do not regret the path my life has taken, but I do regret one thing – killing Kalon. He was my brother and despite what you may think, it cut me like a knife when he died by my hand. Not only did his death pain me deeply, but so did the look on your face when you saw me kill him and the pain I know it caused you.’

Ellora turned her back on Rakan, for she could not hold back her tears and she did not want him to see her cry.

‘I can never forgive you,’ she said through a choked voice.

‘I know,’ he said. ‘Which is why it makes this easier for me.’

‘What?’ she said turning around to face him.

‘
Crelo
,’ he commanded and on his command, Ellora froze on the spot.

Rakan went to where she was and stood in front of her. He undid his cloak and reached for the sack that was hanging over his shoulder. He delved into it and pulled out some twine and bound Ellora’s hands with it and then he reached in again, took some more twine and gagged her. When he was satisfied that the twine was secure, he took out the cloak that Adriel had made for him and put it onto Ellora and fastened it securely, her hands still bound inside. Rakan unfroze Ellora and she began to scream and struggle, but her screams were stifled by the twine and her struggle was hopeless against it.

‘Hush Ellora,’ Rakan said smiling wanly. ‘If I cannot have your forgiveness then it matters not from here on in, what I do.’

Ellora began to struggle again and shake her head violently and beg and plead with Rakan as much as she could. Rakan took hold of her head in his hands and held it steady.

‘Fear not princess,’ he said smiling again. ‘I will not harm you,’ he said nodding his head. ‘But your sister on the other hand…’

Ellora began to cry and shout ‘no’ through the twine, but her screams only came out muffled. The mention of Amara only made Ellora more distraught and panicked and she fought once again as hard as she could to break free, but the twine and Rakan held her firm.

‘Don’t fight me Ellora,’ Rakan said chiding her. ‘It is hopeless in any event. Now, when I pull the cloak’s hood over your head your face will become invisible to everyone – except those who wear the cloaks, and you know that regardless of how much a person tries, only the wearer can remove the cloak from the neck down – which, I’m afraid leaves you in an unenviable predicament as your hands are tied – literally. Now when I am done, I will use my magic and unbind you from the ropes and you may remove the cloak by yourself.’

Rakan pulled the hood over Ellora’s head and her head disappeared from sight as it covered her. He fastened his own cloak and pulled the hood over his head and he took hold of Ellora’s forearm and guided her forward. Ellora resisted at first and Rakan spoke again:

‘Do not resist me Ellora, if you do I will be certain to kill your sister or Michael or my father. Follow me now and I promise I will not, I swear it.

Rakan put his hand over her arm and his grip was vice like and Ellora felt powerless, for she did not want Amara, Michael or Garrick to die by Rakan’s hand and so she moved forward with him, reluctantly.

By now everyone had gathered at the temple of the gods and all of the sorcerers were dressed from head to toe in white. Amara and the eleven sorcerers were now at the temple, she stood dead centre of it and the eleven stood in a circle surrounding her and joining hands to make a magic circle. They called on the gods using their powers and after the longest time the goddess Callandra came forward.

‘Who calls me?’ she asked, quite indignant at the fact that a human had summoned her.

‘We do,’ Amara answered. ‘Mighty goddess,’ Amara began.

‘Callandra,’ she interjected.

‘Mighty goddess Callandra,’ Amara said, as she and everyone else fell to their knees. ‘We call on you and beg and beseech you for your help.’

‘Why?’

‘The god Salwar has walked among us and left devastation in his wake.

‘You know of Salwar?’

‘Yes goddess. We know he sought to fight a war with you on this plane, to reverse your law of non-interference.’

‘Then you know I cannot help,’ Callandra said.

‘No, I do not know. I know a god walked among us, contrary to your laws and left chaos, death and destruction in his wake and I know that no god came to help us.’

‘Do you question the gods?’ Callandra said, feeling rather indignant again.

‘No, I simply state what has transpired on our plane. Now, the army who fought for the god Salwar are defeated and remain in our magic prison, but we cannot hold them forever.’

‘What do you seek from me?’

‘To help us to put right what Salwar made wrong, we ask that you send his army to another world and banish them from ours.’

Callandra looked down at the people in Amalah City and thought for a split second.

‘Very well,’ she said. ‘I will open a portal to another world, send your prisoners through it and once there, the barrier will cease and they will remain banished in that world forever.’

‘Thank you Mighty Goddess Callandra,’ Amara said.

‘The portal will open east of the temple – be ready,’ Callandra said, and with that she was gone.

The sorcerers wasted no time, they brought the magical prisons forwards so that they were side by side and facing the temple. The temple was raised from them and the prisoners watched as Amara, Michael, Garrick, Thaddeus and all of those who had fought, faced them.

‘Soldiers of the dark army,’ Amara began and as she began to speak; Luxor, Waldon, Bryce, Kenaz and Rufus came to the front of their prison and watched and listened. ‘The people of the nations have defeated you. Now that the war is over we wish to go on with our lives, but we cannot as long as you remain on our world. Therefore, from this day forth, you are to be banished from this world and this realm.’

‘She cannot do that,’ Luxor said disbelievingly. ‘They do not have the power.’

‘Then why say it?’ Rufus asked.

‘Because she means it,’ Bryce said.

‘From this day forth you will enter a new world and once there you will be free of this prison that we created for you, but you will remain on your world for an eternity, with no way to come back.’

The soldiers in the army began to make groans and sneers and Waldon, Kenaz and Rufus ordered them to silence which they obeyed. The two sides stood facing each other for what seemed to be an eternity frozen in time. As the two sides faced off, Rakan made his way to the temple and as he moved forwards, the guard shouted and alerted everyone to his presence. Rakan pulled his hood down and, Amara, Garrick, Michael and everyone else gasped in shock.

‘I have not come to attack,’ Rakan shouted, as he walked towards the temple. ‘I do not come to fight,’ he said as he brought Ellora forward with him.

Garrick looked at Amara and Michael and Amara stared back at Garrick, with a look of fear and anger.

‘It is your call Garrick,’ Amara said. ‘But, decide as commander of the guard and not as a father,’ she urged him.

‘Stand down guard,’ Garrick commanded, which they did on his command.

Rakan continued to walk toward Amara and the others and as he approached them, the portal began to open. At first there were crackles in the air and the sound of electricity could be heard; then came the slivers of red and black energy that grew bigger and bigger until they joined together and then a black hole in the air appeared. Both sides looked upon it and were mesmerised by it, for they had never seen anything like it in their lifetime and they doubted that they ever would again.

Rakan walked to the prison that held Rufus, Luxor and Bryce and he took Ellora with him. He spoke softly with them and the four of them nodded and agreed, before Rakan shoved Ellora into the prison with the three brethren. Rakan turned away form the three men and Ellora, and walked towards Amara, Michael and his father. When he was feet away from them, Michael ordered him to stop.

‘As you wish,’ Rakan said calmly before he smiled.

‘Father,’ Rakan said.

‘Do not call me that,’ Garrick snarled.

‘You taught me well father,’ Rakan said ignoring his father’s orders.

‘The army fought well, and now in defeat I share the same fate as my men and stay with them to the end.’

‘And Adriel, where will he stand?’ Garrick asked.

‘Adriel!’ Rakan spat with contempt. ‘Adriel stands nowhere, he is dead, he died by my hand because he was under the delusion that I would bow to his will for all time.’

‘So you killed your mentor?’

‘Indeed but now that is enough talk of Adriel for I grow tired of hearing his name. Now I return to my fate and the fate of my men and to follow them with honour.’