The Destiny of Amalah (113 page)

‘Garrick, my friend,’ Michael said enthusiastically. ‘I am glad you are back – you are back aren’t you?’ Michael asked, making sure that his friend did indeed intend to return.

‘Yes I am back.’

‘Good,’ Michael said, nodding his head in approval. ‘It is good to see you.’

‘And you too,’ Garrick said, hugging his friend. ‘And I am ready to take back command of the guard.’

‘There is nothing to take back,’ Amara said. ‘You were always in command,’ she told him.

‘Thank you,’ he said appreciatively.

‘What made you come back?’ Michael asked.

‘I had a visit from Callan Knight,’ Garrick answered.

‘She must be very persuasive,’ Amara said.

‘Yes she is,’ Garrick agreed.

‘Well I am impressed,’ Amara said. ‘I should send her to speak on my behalf in future.’

The three of them laughed and they sat down to talk, they talked as friends at first and then they returned to business. Michael and Amara told Garrick what had been done and what needed to be done and they went from there. Garrick stood up and went and went to take command of his guard, he returned to his office and then went in search of his remaining officers and from then on in, he worked tirelessly – as did they all.

That day was the new beginning and from then on in, the light came back. Amalah and the nations were rebuilt, new members of the council were elected and many people returned home for the first time in a long time. Some stayed on at the palace and in the city and some of those who had joined the guard, remained with them and as the days went by, the hurt, grief and anger; turned to love, friendship and hope, and as the nations were on the mend – so were the hearts and minds of the people.

Michael and Amara remained together and in love and they remained at the palace, leading and working with Garrick. The days passed into weeks and the weeks into months and then a year passed. The minds of the people were at rest and once again, they looked forward as another year passed.

One mind was not at rest though, in fact it was positively ill at ease and that mind belonged to Dale of Parades. At first, when she was asleep she would have a feeling of foreboding that would remain with her when she awoke. Night after night, she would have the feeling of foreboding in her sleep and then she would have dreams. In her dreams, she would see pictures of time; a time far away from her own and then she would see pictures of that time. For days she would have those dreams and even though they appeared harmless – they troubled her deeply and she did not know why.

She could do nothing but wait for her dreams to fill in the missing pieces and night after night, she would fill in the same dream: the foreboding, the time, the future and then it came – a flash of Rakan. She woke up in fright and tried to breathe as she brought herself out of her dream. She got out of bed and went to her bathroom and splashed water on her face, she pulled herself together and made her way back to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her pillow, not daring to lie down and go back to sleep.

‘It cannot be,’ she said to herself. ‘It cannot be; they have gone.’

When she calmed herself down, she thought things through logically and convinced herself that it could not be and when she felt better; she lay back down on the bed and went back to sleep. As she slept, Dale of Parades saw the dream in full.

It truly was the future, far from her time. Rakan had broken through his world after all of that time and found his way back to their world. After Rakan came Waldon, then Kenaz and then Bryce, followed by Rufus and Luxor; and the six of them stood tall and powerful in their world. In that time there was no one to stop them; there was no magic, no seers and no great warriors and so the six walked among the earth and conquered it, as they had set out to do all those years ago – in her time. The six stood on top of the world, content with the destruction they had wreaked and they laughed; they laughed hard and they laughed long and then – they laughed at her.

‘NO!’ Dale screamed, as she jumped out of bed in fright. ‘No!’ she said again.

She scrambled to her feet and lit one of the candles that were by her bed. This time, she knew she was not going to return to her bed and sleep, so she got to her feet and lit all of her candles, alighting her room with the flames. She pulled her robe and slippers on and stepped out of her room, she made her way to the kitchens and on the way, a maid stopped her and asked her what she required.

‘Some herb tea would be nice,’ Dale said.

‘As you wish madam, can I get you anything else madam?’ the maid asked, clearly concerned for Dales health for she looked as white as a sheet.

‘No thank you,’ Dale said distantly.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Please, just the tea, thank you,’ Dale said.

‘Very well,’ the maid replied as she turned and made her way back to the kitchen.

Dale of Parades returned to her room and thought for a while, she had not been there long when maid arrived with her tea.

‘Thank you,’ said Dale. ‘That was quick.’

‘Pleasure madam,’ the maid replied. ‘If I can get you anything else at all?’

‘That’s very kind, but no thank you.’

‘Very well then madam, I’ll bid you good morning,’ the young maid said, before she walked away and left Dale alone.

Dale drank her tea and then began to move around her room. When she could pace no more she took a long hot bath and dressed herself for the day. At first light she went to the kitchens and the cook prepared something for her to eat. She waited patiently until she was sure that the Empress would be up and then she sent a maid to her room. The maid went to Amara’s room and when she got there, Amara and Michael were half dressed. Amara went to her door and opened it and the maid bowed and greeted her.

‘What is it?’ Amara asked.

‘Dale of Parades has requested to see you urgently Empress,’ the maid said.

‘What is wrong?’ Amara asked.

‘I do not know,’ the maid replied. ‘She said she wishes to see you, Advisor Michael and the Guard Commander and she said it cannot wait.’

‘Very well, I will come and Michael will come with me,’ Amara told her. ‘Send word to Garrick, he is at home.’

‘Dale has long since sent the riders.’

‘Right,’ Amara said, a little surprised by Dale’s actions. ‘Well thank you.

‘If I can be of any further service Empress?’

‘No, thank you,’ Amara said pleasantly. ‘Please tell Dale we will be with her shortly and she is to wait in my study,’ Amara said.

‘Very well,’ the maid replied and then bowed and walked away.

Amara closed the door and Michael was at her side.

‘I wonder what Dale of Parades wants?’ Amara asked.

‘As do I,’ Said Michael.

‘We should go to her.’

‘Yes we should, but I think we should finish dressing first,’ Michael said, winking and smiling at Amara.

‘Oh Michael,’ she said laughing and tapping him on the chest.

‘Well we don’t want to frighten the poor woman do we?’ he said, taking hold of her hand and moving closer to her.

‘No we don’t,’ Amara said, smiling at him.

‘No we don’t,’ he said as he moved in to kiss her.

Amara wrapped her arms around his neck and the two of them kissed as they leaned against the door. When the kissing stopped, Michael looked down at Amara and a mischievous smile crossed his lips.

‘Instead of dressing we could be undressing,’ he said with the same mischievous grin.

‘Michael,’ she said coyly. ‘Dale wants us urgently.’

‘I want you urgently,’ he said playfully, as he gently pinned her arms against the door.

‘Michael,’ she said, looking up at him in a mockingly demure way. ‘You are so bad,’ she said teasing him.

‘I know; you make me that way, especially when I want you,’ he said, as he leaned in and kissed her neck.

Amara felt her body grow hot and she knew if they carried on and Michael continued to kiss her neck, they would not be seeing Dale of Parades any time soon. Amara leaned forward and kissed Michael on the lips and he kissed her back and then she pulled away from him and Michael pouted as she moved away.

‘Dale of Parades,’ Amara said reminding him. ‘Remember, she wants to see us urgently,’ she said gently.

‘I remember,’ Michael groaned and pulled a face that reminded her of a little boy and she laughed softly.

‘You’re so sexy when you pout,’ she said kissing him on the lips, before she slid out from in between him and the door and went to get dressed.

‘And you’re sexy all the time,’ he said following her.

The two of them got dressed properly and they made their way down to Amara’s study and when they arrived, they found Garrick and an ashen-faced Dale already waiting for them. Garrick and Dale rose when Amara and Michael entered and the four of them greeted each other and Amara beckoned them over to a group of chairs. The four of them sat down and Dale looked at Amara. Amara looked on at Dale with grave concern, because she had never seen the young woman look so pale.

‘What is wrong Dale?’ Amara asked.

‘Rakan,’ Dale said, and as she said his name, the other three stopped moving immediately and looked at each other.

‘What about him?’ Michael asked.

‘He will return from the world we banished him to and enter ours once again,’ Dale answered.

‘That cannot be so,’ said Michael. ‘The gods opened the portal that sent him there – how can he possibly return?’ Michael asked in disbelief.

‘I know not Michael,’ Dale said. ‘But I know that he will return – he and the five others, they will return.’

‘Are you sure?’ Amara asked.

‘Yes,’ Dale replied.

‘When?’ Garrick asked who had remained silent until now.

The three of them looked at Dale and waited for an answer, not daring to breathe until she spoke.

‘Not in our lifetime,’ Dale said.

‘Thank god,’ said Garrick, visibly relieved; for he knew he could not fight another war, not one involving his son at any rate.

‘So when?’ Amara asked.

‘Far into the future,’ Dale answered. ‘We would have long since gone and the world as we know it would have changed beyond recognition.’

‘Why the alarm?’ said Michael. ‘Would they too not be dead, or at least very old?

‘No. They will look how they looked when we last saw them. For some reason they are ageless; even though it is many years from now, they will be the same.’

‘But years from now our magic should have grown and so should our knowledge,’ said Garrick.

Dale told them of her dreams and then translated them to the others and then she went on.

‘When they return, magic would have gone from our world, so will the seers and the empaths and there will be no one strong enough to face them. When they return they will conquer our world and no one will be able to stop them.’

‘No!’ said Amara in shock and in horror.

‘It cannot be,’ said Garrick. ‘My son, my friends and all of the people who died could not have sacrificed their lives for nothing.’

‘They did not,’ Michael said vehemently.

‘No they did not,’ said Amara.

‘I am sorry to bring you news of this.’ Dale said genuinely remorseful for having to tell the three. ‘I truly am sorry.’

‘You were right to come to us Dale,’ Amara said.

‘The question is what do we do?’ said Garrick.

‘What can we do?’ asked Michael. ‘When they return – if they return,’ he said correcting himself. ‘We will be long dead if Dale is correct.’

‘I do not know yet,’ Amara said. ‘But Dale has seen what she has seen for a reason and there must be something that we can do,’ she said with conviction.

‘Is anyone else to know?’ Garrick asked.

‘No,’ Amara said decisively. ‘For now, only the four of us should know until we know what to do.’

The three nodded their heads in agreement and Amara got to her feet indicating that the meeting was over. The others also stood and Amara looked at Dale.

‘Thank you for coming to us Dale – you did the right thing. If your dreams should tell you anything else, then please tell us immediately.’

‘I will,’ said Dale, as she bowed her head and bid Amara, Michael and Garrick a good morning before leaving them.

‘I know not of what to do,’ Amara admitted to the two men.

‘Nor do I,’ Garrick said.

‘Nor I,’ Michael said also.

‘Then we can only go on as we have been doing, until we know what must be done,’ Amara said.

‘I agree,’ said Michael.

‘And I do too,’ said Garrick.

The three of them stood in silence, they were stunned by Dale’s news and they felt bitter, angry and disappointed that the fight they had fought had not been enough, and the sacrifices they had made were not enough. They stood for a while in stunned silence, each of them understanding what the others felt – for they felt it too.

‘I have work to do,’ Garrick said, suddenly breaking the silence. ‘Unless you need me?’