said.
“ That’s a frightening
revelation, Foreboding,” Jeremiah noted.
Jeremy sighed heavily. “We gave up all
we had ever known long ago. Who is to say what we should have
expected?”
“ That is true, old friend,”
Arthur said. “Where is the Halfling?”
“ Which one?” Jeremy
asked.
“ I think we all know who I
refer to, Lord Jeremy of Winterpast. I speak of the God’s most
humble servant, son of Winterpast and the Realm of Angels. He who
is destined to end the rule of the Empire of Axis, and restore
balance to all the Realms of Good and Evil.”
“ But he doesn’t even
realize . . .” Jeremiah began.
Arthur raised his hand and the elf
stopped in mid-sentence. “We all know the truth and our destiny. We
are tied to him, whether we like it or not, and whether he is up to
the challenge or not. If the forces of darkness should prevail,
that is God’s Will, not ours.”
Jeremy stared ahead and replied, “He
entered a fold with the emperor.”
“ That is unfortunate, but
not surprising,” Arthur noted. The other three gawked at him in
disbelief. “You look at me as though I’m saying something
unbelievable. If we know his destiny, you can be certain that the
emperor knows as well. Are they still together?”
“ No, the emperor has fled
from the Abbot of the Temple of Light, and the Chosen One has taken
sanctuary at the temple,” Jedidiah said. “As long as he is there,
we have hope.”
“ We should bring him here!”
Jeremiah exclaimed. “Here, he is truly safe. I still do not trust
the trehbor. He relies on the grace of the emperor to avoid
slaughter. He could turn on the abbot in order to save his own
skin!” Arthur raised his hand for quiet. “I apologize, Lord
Foreboding.”
Arthur sat silently for a full minute
with his eyes closed. When he finally opened his eyes, he said,
“Things continue to move within the current of God’s Will. I sense
terror in the heart of our beloved emperor and intense fear in the
Chosen One. Heinrich is a man of his word. He will help the Chosen
One to re-learn the skills he needs. He will also help the trehbor
learn that the universe has another possible future, one that will
bring joy to most, and an end to tyranny.”
“ And what exactly are the
odds of that?” Jeremy asked with a smirk on his face.
Arthur sighed heavily and said, “Not
very good, I’m afraid. And since you ask, will our wives’ family
intercede on our behalf?” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, causing
Arthur to laugh. “Then perhaps our odds are more like
fifty-fifty.”
Jerry still held his hand out to touch
the obelisk, but he was no longer in the broken village. He was
standing near the center of a large courtyard surrounded by low
thatched roof temples and other buildings. The area was paved with
an intricate mosaic, displaying what seemed to be visions of the
various realms of the universe. Under his feet, the tiles showed
his own home in San Diego, which he found very ironic. Twenty feet
away, in the center of the courtyard was a large fountain. Nozzles
on the outer edge shot streams of water toward the center of the
pool. Ten feet above the water floated a ten-foot diameter mirrored
globe that reflected everything. Spaced out throughout the
courtyard were green spaces with grassy lawns and short fruit-laden
trees. Families and groups of friends sat conversing in several of
the green spaces. The temple was built into the side of a mountain.
To his left, he could see the temple gates a couple hundred yards
away. To his right just past the opposite wall, the mountain
continued upward another half mile or so to its snowy peak. He
heard someone clear their throat behind him and spun around. A
beautiful young woman stood smiling at him. She wore a long pink
robe. She had red hair, very fair skin and her eyes were deep
blue.
She bowed ceremoniously and said,
“Lord Winslow, it is an honor to have you with us.” Still bowed
down, she looked up at him and said, “It
“ That’s a frightening
revelation, Foreboding,” Jeremiah noted.
Jeremy sighed heavily. “We gave up all
we had ever known long ago. Who is to say what we should have
expected?”
“ That is true, old friend,”
Arthur said. “Where is the Halfling?”
“ Which one?” Jeremy
asked.
“ I think we all know who I
refer to, Lord Jeremy of Winterpast. I speak of the God’s most
humble servant, son of Winterpast and the Realm of Angels. He who
is destined to end the rule of the Empire of Axis, and restore
balance to all the Realms of Good and Evil.”
“ But he doesn’t even
realize . . .” Jeremiah began.
Arthur raised his hand and the elf
stopped in mid-sentence. “We all know the truth and our destiny. We
are tied to him, whether we like it or not, and whether he is up to
the challenge or not. If the forces of darkness should prevail,
that is God’s Will, not ours.”
Jeremy stared ahead and replied, “He
entered a fold with the emperor.”
“ That is unfortunate, but
not surprising,” Arthur noted. The other three gawked at him in
disbelief. “You look at me as though I’m saying something
unbelievable. If we know his destiny, you can be certain that the
emperor knows as well. Are they still together?”
“ No, the emperor has fled
from the Abbot of the Temple of Light, and the Chosen One has taken
sanctuary at the temple,” Jedidiah said. “As long as he is there,
we have hope.”
“ We should bring him here!”
Jeremiah exclaimed. “Here, he is truly safe. I still do not trust
the trehbor. He relies on the grace of the emperor to avoid
slaughter. He could turn on the abbot in order to save his own
skin!” Arthur raised his hand for quiet. “I apologize, Lord
Foreboding.”
Arthur sat silently for a full minute
with his eyes closed. When he finally opened his eyes, he said,
“Things continue to move within the current of God’s Will. I sense
terror in the heart of our beloved emperor and intense fear in the
Chosen One. Heinrich is a man of his word. He will help the Chosen
One to re-learn the skills he needs. He will also help the trehbor
learn that the universe has another possible future, one that will
bring joy to most, and an end to tyranny.”
“ And what exactly are the
odds of that?” Jeremy asked with a smirk on his face.
Arthur sighed heavily and said, “Not
very good, I’m afraid. And since you ask, will our wives’ family
intercede on our behalf?” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, causing
Arthur to laugh. “Then perhaps our odds are more like
fifty-fifty.”
Jerry still held his hand out to touch
the obelisk, but he was no longer in the broken village. He was
standing near the center of a large courtyard surrounded by low
thatched roof temples and other buildings. The area was paved with
an intricate mosaic, displaying what seemed to be visions of the
various realms of the universe. Under his feet, the tiles showed
his own home in San Diego, which he found very ironic. Twenty feet
away, in the center of the courtyard was a large fountain. Nozzles
on the outer edge shot streams of water toward the center of the
pool. Ten feet above the water floated a ten-foot diameter mirrored
globe that reflected everything. Spaced out throughout the
courtyard were green spaces with grassy lawns and short fruit-laden
trees. Families and groups of friends sat conversing in several of
the green spaces. The temple was built into the side of a mountain.
To his left, he could see the temple gates a couple hundred yards
away. To his right just past the opposite wall, the mountain
continued upward another half mile or so to its snowy peak. He
heard someone clear their throat behind him and spun around. A
beautiful young woman stood smiling at him. She wore a long pink
robe. She had red hair, very fair skin and her eyes were deep
blue.
She bowed ceremoniously and said,
“Lord Winslow, it is an honor to have you with us.” Still bowed
down, she looked up at him and said, “It
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