“Why—why me and why bring me here?” demanded Jacob, wanting to know what his fate had now become. “You don’t need me!”
“What I’m about to tell you is common knowledge boy, everybody knows it except you. And you’re the one that should know it the most, but they keep secrets from you don’t they boy! Among the great ones, there are those that have tremendous power, greater magic than all the rest. I am one who has this power, because this innate privilege is given only to the first-born males who are chosen as the sovereigns to rule the Enchanted Realm. That is why no one was able to stand against me; no one that is, until you were born!”
“Me!” exclaimed Jacob, stunned over the troublesome revelation. “Why me! I can’t beat you!”
“Maybe not now, but as you mature so will your powers. And the day will come when you will eventually face me. You Jacob are the first born of a king, slotted to be ruler over the enchanted realm, the hope of your people!”
“What are you talking about! I don’t want to fight you? I’m not the one everyone thinks I am?”
“It’s inevitable boy, you and I must battle, unless you die an early death or become my slave. Soon my power will be spreading to all the living dimensions. Until now the sentinels have managed to slow me down; but with you by my side I will be able to corrupt the sentinels, and easily expand my darkness to all the dimensions of the living.”
Suddenly Jacob realized that everyone thought him as some kind of deliverer, their champion warrior to someday send up against Lacsar and regain the realm. He couldn’t restrain his anger any longer; it was too much for him to bear. He raised his arms and pointed his palms towards Lacsar, hoping to blast him with a fudazzlement. “Only if I can,” he thought, holding back tears of anger and disappointment, “then I’ll grab my orb and get out of here and go somewhere where no one will ever find me again.” A tingling sensation began building up within himself, his power was starting to swell, and his ring began to glow brighter.
“Boy,” said Lacsar with a smile and a wave of his hand. “Haven’t you realized it by now, I control you and your power.”
Instantly the glowing ring dimmed and Jacob felt his power drain from him. “By-Gum!” he thought, in a panic. “Just my dumb luck again! Now what am I gonna do?”
A dark warrior holding a long hollow spear in one hand unexpectedly entered the room and bowed before Lascar, waiting for him to signal an approval to speak.
“Yes, what is it?” demanded Lacsar impatiently, without breaking eye contact with Jacob. “This had better be good for interrupting me!”
“My Lord, intruders are in the palace’s hall of justice,” said the warrior in a raspy voice.
“Intruders! Well, well Jacob,” said Lacsar with a wide grin, “it looks like we’ll have to forgo our getting acquainted for the time being. There is a rescue attempt for you happening, so we’re about to have some afternoon entertainment.”
Jacob looked up at Lacsar and bluntly stuck out his tongue.
Lacsar grinned back and then looked at the warrior. “After we’re in place,” he instructed, “take the palace guards and dispose of the rubbish.” Still holding his smile he turned toward Jacob and said, “You my boy will accompany me, and we will view the festivities from a secure balcony.”
The dark warrior promptly saluted and whirled around to leave the room, while surprisingly Lacsar turned and walked the opposite way, making his way towards the back wall of the enclosed room. Another warrior stepped forward and brutally prodded Jacob in the back with painful jabs of his hollow spear, forcing him to unwillingly follow Lacsar. As they approached the wall, it rumbled and slid sideways, revealing a dusty stone stairwell that spiraled upward. Together they ascended the narrow stairs illuminated by candles on the walls that magically lit as they passed underneath. Midway up, the stairwell opened and they stepped through a narrow doorway out onto a terraced banister that was at least two stories above the floor. Jacob saw before them an enormous chamber that stood at least four stories in height, and he wondered if this was the same great hall that the Lynex had told them about before. It had a light gray granite floor, tall marble columns supporting an artistic mosaic roof, and decorative white statues of men and women lining all four walls. Thousands upon thousands of colored tiles were placed across the ceiling, portraying a picture of a bustling village street similar to Dallanbach. As Jacob marveled at the enormity and detail of the artwork, movement at the opposite end of the great hall caught his eye. Immediately he looked down and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach, as he saw Mr. Pitts with Buckburne Scurvey crossing the hall. Lacsar stepped forward to the marble rail and the warrior behind Jacob prodded him painfully in square of his back, constraining him to step up beside Lacsar.
“This is all my fault,” he thought. “They came here looking for me! And now they have no chance at all. They are trapped here!”
“JACOB,” suddenly shouted Mr. Pitts, immediately spotting him. “DON’T WORRY WE’VE COME TO SAVE YOU! LASCAR CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING, LET MY APPRENTICE GO!”
“Wave to him boy and tell him that you don’t want to be saved,” demanded Lacsar.
The jewel’s glowing light on Jacob’s ring suddenly dissipated and Jacob felt his craving for dark energy return with a vengeance, only this time it seemed ten times worse than before. He buckled to his knees in pain, and then with only sheer will power he forced himself again to stand, trembling as he broke out in a drenching sweat.
“I told you to tell them you don’t want to be saved,” demanded Lacsar again. “If you refuse again you will never feel the pleasure of my dark energy return to you.”
Jacob couldn’t stand the thought of losing the satisfying and relishing feeling of Lacsar’s wonderful dark energy. His craving was hurting so bad that it felt as if he were doomed to die on the spot, he had do something, anything just to bring some relief. Slowly he raised his hand and waved back at Mr. Pitts, shouting. “NO MR. PITTS, I’M OKAY WITH LACSAR NOW. I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP. I WANT TO STAY WITH HIM, GO HOME.”
“OF COURSE YOU DO, BUT WE’RE COMING TO GET YOU ANYWAY!” shouted back Mr. Pitts.
Jacob’s ring began to glow again and he could feel the pleasing dark energy once more, sweetly caressing through him. The ecstasy of the moment almost brought him to his knees again, as he realized for the first time just how much control Lacsar now had over him.
At the four-corners of the hall, the doors flew open and scores of dark warriors rushed in. Battle cries brutally echoed throughout the chamber as the advancing warriors closed in upon their prey, discharging their hollow weapons while they ran. The dark energy rays pelted Mr. Pitts and Buckburne from every angle, and with each strike they violently flinched. The vexatious flow of entering warriors continued to grow until there were well over two hundred monsters. Mr. Pitts and Buckburne dropped to their knees in pain, but despite the intensity of the strikes they miraculously staggered to their feet again and tediously made their way forward.
“WE’RE COMING—UHG—OUFF—JACOB, DON’T YOU—UFF—WORRY! WE—ARRRGH—ATE PROTECTION WAFERS!” cried Mr. Pitts.
Unnoticed in the commotion, a door at the end of the hall opened and Emalynn with Hobble and the Lynex boldly marched in. The trembling Lynex stood next to Emalynn and angrily pointed at Lacsar, “YOU WILL NOT HARM MY PRINCE!” he boomed.
Lacsar gave a sudden waive of his hand and the dark warriors immediately ceased their attack. The hall fell silent and everyone turned, staring at the undersized team of reinforcements. The Lynex quickly darted behind Emalynn and squatted down cowering. “EMALYNN WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!” cried Mr. Pitts, looking shocked. “FLEE NOW! GO!”
“SURRENDER OR WE WILL TAKE YOU DOWN!” bravely cried Emalynn.
Several warriors began to laugh while others paid them little attention.
Again Emalynn furiously shouted, “THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! SURRENDER NOW OR REGRET THIS DAY!”
This increased the guffawing among the warriors and a number of them hysterically buckled over holding their sides. Jacob glanced to the side and saw Lacsar sniggering along with his warrior guards.
“EMALYNN,” pleaded Mr. Pitts, sounding desperate. “PLEASE TAKE YOUR FRIENDS AND LEAVE! LET US WORK OUR PLAN!”
“YOU WILL NO LONGER LAUGH AT US!” screamed Emalynn lividly, ignoring Mr. Pitts.
The floor suddenly began to vibrate with an overpowering supremacy, and the walls forcefully began to shake as if the palace were breaking apart. Instantly the dark warriors’ ceased their laughter as their eyes widened.
“KABLOOM!” an explosion louder than dynamite roared through the great hall, rocking the entire palace’s foundation. The force of the explosion was so powerful that it shook everyone to their knees. Huge chunks of stone flew everywhere, punching into the throngs of warriors and falling many to the floor. Dust permeated the air and the hall turned deafly silent. As the haze began to settle, giant green Leshy standing twenty feet tall could be seen stepping in through huge gapping holes that they had kicked in the walls. Without hesitation the Leshy guardsmen advanced, taking massive steps directed at mashing dark warriors under their feet. Panicking warriors in defense chaotically discharged their hollow weapons, but the dark connecting rays bounced off the Leshies’ huge body like water off a duck’s back. The guardsmen answered back with powerful kicks, booting many warriors clear across the long hall. The masses of fleeing warriors crowded through the corner doors, while unrelentingly the Leshy continued to squash any remaining warriors. Within only a matter of minutes the entire hall was cleared of all dark warriors.
Hobble stepped over two bodies with a frown. “They left none for me,” he complained. “Why did ye hab to bring the Leshy!”
Kicking the remains of a mashed dark warrior the Lynex replied, “I am sorry about that Hobble, I just got carried away.”
“Humph!” responded Hobble with a scowl. “I wish someone twould eh carry ye away!”
“ENOUGH,” screamed Lacsar, red in the face. “NOW YOU SHALL FEEL REAL POWER; MY POWER!”
He leveled his arms and powerful dark rays flew out of his palms towards the giants. As the blasts struck the Leshies they slid across the floor, managing to remain on their feet. But their expression quickly grew confused and they began to stagger, and slowly one by one they fell to the ground immobilized.
“STOP,” cried Jacob, fearing for his friends’ lives.
Lacsar grinned and then fired off another dark ray. It struck Emalynn directly in the stomach and she flew high into the air landing with a thud flat on her back.
Jacob turned to attack Lacsar. “NOOO!” he screamed.
The dark warrior behind him raised his hollow spear and brought it down hard with a swift “CRACK,” striking Jacob’s head. Rigidly Jacob fell to the ground stunned. His head throbbed in pain and he felt warm blood spilling over an ear as it dripped down his face.
“EH SLICED TYRANT TIS WHAT YE SHALL BE!” cried Hobble red in the face. He planted his feet and gave a mighty thrust of his arm, heaving his axe toward Lacsar. It tumbled across the long hall end over end in a flying blur. Just before contact, Lacsar’s hand flashed forward and he blasted the axe with a dark energy ray, splitting it in two. He then flicked his wrist and fired another black shaft of energy, striking Hobble in the side and flipping him in the air to land sprawled on his stomach.
With blood dripping from off his jaw, Jacob grappled with the banister and pulled himself to his feet. Holding his hand to his head to stop the bleeding, he looked over the grim scene feeling helpless and utterly ashamed. His heart sank to a new low. He could see Emalynn, Hobble, and all the Leshy lying dead across the floor, and he couldn’t bear the thought that he had caused all this, it didn’t seem possible that they were really gone. But it was real, all too real, and it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been so stupid and returned to the dark realm, just so he could feel good with dark energy! He looked to his side at Lacsar, watching the tyrant stupidly grin with a sickening satisfaction, and a new more powerful hatred pulsed through his heart. More than anything he wanted to tear Lacsar apart, run him over with a wagon, burn him at the stake, and then bury him under an avalanche of boulders. Anything and everything, just to stop the tyrant and pay him back for what he had done to his friends, his family, and to every citizen of the realm. Without thinking he struck his fist against the lower wall under the banister and began to drag his ring over the rough stones. Just as the man in the cell had predicted, the crystal easily shattered and the ring expanded, falling from off his finger. Instantly, as if he were struck by a bolt of lightening, he felt the surrounding dark energy’s horrid and depressing force once again burning deep into his soul and body; a sign that Lascars’ control over him had been broken. Mournfully, and in pain, he looked back over the massacre of bodies and saw the Lynex with Mr. Pitts and Buckburne kneeling over Emalynn. With his mind now free from cursed cravings, he knew exactly what he had to do. With a renewed determination to save his remaining friends he reached into his pants pocket and found his money clip, courageously tapping it three times with his finger. After feeling confident that he had done it right, he next felt for his amulet, securing it tight in his hand. He closed his eyes and with all his concentration he wished for his guardian elf. As he felt the amulet grow hot, he shouted as loud as he could cry, “HERE MR. PITTS CATCH!”
Whipping his hand out of his pocket in one smooth motion, he threw the amulet towards Mr. Pitts, who was kneeling on one knee with Buckburne over Emalynn. Mr. Pitts looked up, extended his long arm, and caught the amulet in mid flight, dropping it instantly onto the floor and rubbing his palm. The searing hot amulet rolled around the floor to settled a few feet from Emalynn’s’ head, growing brighter and brighter.
“What did you do boy?” demanded Lascar.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” replied Jacob with a scowl.
“You could never hurt me boy,” said Lascar coolly, as he glowered at the remaining rescuers and barked, “SURRENDER NOW AND I MAY SPARE YOUR LIVES!”
“YOU FIND IT EASY TO BULLY AN INNOCENT GIRL, AN UNTRAINED DWARF, AND FOREST LESHY. BUT YOU’LL NOT FIND SENTINELS SO EASY!” cried Mr. Pitts. Both he and Buckburne simultaneously rose to their feet.
“WE SAW WHAT YOU DID TO THE BOOK OF GALEEKY, AND YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED IN YOUR CORUPTION!” cried Buckburne. “REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU TANGLED WITH US! WE SENT YOU SCAMPERING LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE!”
“HE’S ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID TO FACE US SENTINELS,” came a cry from the back of the room.
Jacob looked to the back door and saw Uncle Clair boldly standing in the hall. Lacsar’s mouth fell open and his hands began to tremble.
“CLAIR! I’VE WAITED YEARS FOR THIS MOMENT! YOU’LL REGRET SHOWING YOUR FACE AGAIN TO ME!”
The glowing amulet began to expand into a bright ball of light and suddenly Loralmel appeared standing near Mr. Pitts.
“A GUARDIAN ELF? IMPOSSIBLE, THE ROYAL GUARDIAN WAS LOST!” cried Lacsar.
“IT’S TIME THAT YOU SURRENDER,” hollered back Uncle Clair.
“He’s a on thee runesy!” exclaimed Loralmel holding up his arm, as five white threads shot from out of his fingers. The first thread magically attached itself to Lacsar, and then in subsequent order one each connected to Mr. Pitts, Buckburne, the Lynex and Uncle Clair. In a flash they all vanished as the fleeing coward transported himself and Jacob from the hall. The magical thread pulled everyone else along, and together they all reappeared just outside the palace.
As Loralmel, Mr. Pitts, and Buckburne circled around Lacsar, Uncle Clair lifted his arm, levitating Jacob and the Lynex safely away from the group. “This is not your fight Jacob,” said Uncle Clair, turning to join in the skirmish.
Jacob looked on, longing to be included in the battle. He had his fudazzle power back now, pure undefiled, and maybe he could do something to help.
Lacsar tersely scowled, furious to see that he had been followed. Immediately he countered by raising his arms and closing his hands, swiftly drawing them down. A loud boom sounded overhead, the air vibrated, and large fireballs roared down from out of the heavens, exploding like meteors over the rescue team. The sounds of the blasts were horrific, and similar to an erupting volcano, smoke and dust shot up completely blanketing the area. It took several minutes for the dust to settle, and as the events unfolded Jacob tensely waited, staring into the fading cloud with his hands covering over his mouth and nose. Bit by bit he could make out a flaming crater with Lacsar standing to the side of the hole.
“Well Jacob,” gloated Lacsar, “It looks like I blasted your friends to oblivion. If you care to search the area you might be able to find a piece of Clair for a keepsake.”
“Their not dead!” exclaimed Jacob angrily. “They can’t be!”
“You underestimated my powers Jacob, and that is your first and biggest mistake,” boasted Lacsar.
“THEY CAN’T BE GONE,” he furiously shouted back, feeling his eyes moisten as he tried to force back the tears. “YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS! I DON’T KNOW HOW YET, BUT I’M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY!”
“You’re just a boy! What do you think you could ever do to me?”
“Righteoo, that was rather fun, wasn’t it Clair?” echoed Mr. Pitt’s voice from above.
“I must say that I’ve seen better!” came Uncle Clair’s voice.
Jacob looked up and saw a circular sphere with Mr. Pitts, Buckburne, Uncle Clair and Loralmel inside; a sentinel shield had somehow been deployed, and as they descended Jacob could see Mr. Pitts inside the sphere tightly gripping his shield’s handle.
The sphere began to glow brighter and brighter, until Jacob had to hold his hand up over his eyes to shade them from the intensity of the light. Then markedly the sphere split apart into four separate glowing suns, each one housing a rescuer. Smoothly they descended to surround Lacsar.
“You want to test me!” exclaimed Lacsar in a rage. He held up his open hands and instantly a thick black shadow enveloped him. The murky silhouette grew darker until he completely vanished in the blackness.
“No, test is not the right word, defeat is the proper way to phrase it,” answered Uncle Clair.
The light from the circle of sentinel shields pushed inward upon Lacsar’s blackness, sandwiching him inside a taut press. As if in response, Lacsar’s darkness grew thicker and blacker, and began to stretch outward, encroaching back on the light. The onslaught of their light energy and dark energy forces clashed in an unbelievable contest, intensifying to opposite extremes to crush each other out of existence. Jacob knew that only the strongest could survive, and anxiously he watched the wrestling match. In the blink of an eye the blackness finally gave way, shrinking back into a shadowy haze until it dissipated into the light completely. Then with a loud, “Bang,” the bright light vanished, the shields all popped like balloons. The four defenders stood steady as Lacsar staggered to the side, bleeding from his ears and nose.
Loralmel then raised his palms upward and a circling tunnel formed above them. Similar to an upside down twister it spun as its maw opened wider, channeling into broad purple abyss.
Jacob stared up into the inside of the inverted funnel, watching colorful streaks of red, orange, and blue circle through the lining of the coned whirlwind.
“That is thee doorwayesy ta external darkesyness. Et is where we elves anciently banishesyed all who fellsy ta thee evil use of darkesy matter. An’ et is where Ayes will be sending ya ta be imprisoned for eternitesy!” cried Loralmel, with a voice that boomed augmented loud enough to drown out the shrill whistle of the vortex.
Lacsar’s eyes grew round, as he gaped up into the endless tunnel. “NOOOOOO!” he cried, and then without warning, he suddenly vanished from their sight. The abyss closed and then disappeared.
“Lacasr’s gone!” thought Jacob, finding it hard to believe that Loralmel had so easily banished him into the abyss. But as he thought on it, he realized that Lacsar’s disappearance appeared all too sudden, more like an orb transport. Lacsar than had successfully fled from them, right from under their noses.
“HOW COULD YOU!” he screamed, realizing that their golden opportunity had unjustly eluded them. “YOU HAD HIM! HOW COULD YOU LET HIM ESCAPE!” It was disheartening, Loralmel had sensed Lacsar’s flight earlier, but now he just let him go free. This was their chance to end it all! Angrily he pressed his teeth together, livid over their bungled battle. “Why, why didn’t you banish him?” he cried again.
The group fell to ground laughing.
“Did you see his face?” laughed Uncle Clair snortingly.
“Oooh, that aye did. Aye thought he was going ta poopesy his pantseeny,” chuckled Loralmel.
“Clair you did marvelous,” cried Mr. Pitts.
“You weren’t so bad yourself there Theadore,” laughed Buckburne.
“Why didn’t you banish him?” demanded Jacob wanting an answer, as his face grew hotter with anger. “This was the chance to end it all!”
“Jacob there’s no external darkness, it doesn’t exist,” chuckled Uncle Clair grinning. “Loralmel just made that up.”
“What do you mean made it up? But what about the portal, I saw it? And the ancient wicked elves that were banished there?”
“Thee portal was only an illusioneeny,” replied Loralmel. “An’ elves were never so evil ta as floodesy the world with darkesy matter.”
“We used an advanced sentinel method of extending our shields to crush an enemy,” said Mr. Pitts. “It was Clair’s and Loralmel’s powers that released the light energy force.”
“That’s right Jacob,” added Uncle Clair. “But Lacsar is much stronger than both of us combined. He outlasted us; we have no more energy left for enchantment. Our sun ploy took tremendous power; and we gambled from the start using it to frighten him. We used up all of our power in the first attack. Simply put, we ran out of magic. If he had known, he could have easily destroyed us all. That’s why it was necessary to fall back to deception.”
“An’ by thee lookesy on his face,” laughed Loralmel, “he’ll be running from external darkesyness for somesy time.”
“T-Then— ”, stammered Jacob, choking up. “Shall—shall we go back into the palace and bring home our dead.”
“What are you talking about Jacob?” asked Mr. Pitts with a puzzled expression. “Nobody cashed in here, the protection wafer’s we all consumed insulated everyone enough to save our lives. Some may have fallen unconscious from Lacsar’s powerful strikes, but they’ll all recover just fine.”
Loralmel got to his feet first and snapped his fingers. Instantly they all reappeared back in the grand hall. Jacob could see Emalynn stirring and quickly ran over to her side where he knelt down and took her hand. She looked up at him and then weakly asked, “I knew we would win. This time we beat that bum didn’t we?”
“Yes Emalynn, this time we won,” replied Jacob.