Aveyond: The Lord of Twilight

Chapter 17

They woke up in just a few hours and quickly set off for their destination. The sun was yet to rise and Mel kept her ears perked for any sound, especially that of wings. It was no later than an hour, when Edward stopped and got off his horse. The girls followed. He led them along a small, one man path along the mountain on foot for a few minutes and then stopped.

'Here we are!' he said, turning, waving his hand ahead. They were on a large ledge, where the path ended. In the middle was a rock room, completely sealed from all sides. It looked big enough to hold a hundred men.

'"Nayil Estur" - Naylith Summit' Stella read from the small bronze plate affixed to the room. 'This is it?'

'Where's the door?' Mel said, going around the room again.

'It's right here' Edward said, standing in front of the name plate. 'It's sealed, that's all'

Mel made to speak, but closed her mouth again. Edward carefully ran his hand over the rock and then laughed.

'Wait and watch!' he said, inserting the Excalibur in a particular crack. He picked up a rock and banged it inside till it was halfway in. Grunting, he pulled it to the other side. Throwing up a lot of dust, the old gate appeared as the rock crumbled.

It was Mel who slipped inside first. The room looked old and undecorated from inside, but the walls were smooth as marble. It was completely brown colored and dry, making it feel like a dark sand castle. In the center was a stone table and at one end was an inscribed wall. They reached the stone table first.

The circular rock was carved like a basin with an identical hole, the size of one's palm at the center. Four symbols were etched on the four sides, which Mel didn't recognize. Edward, however, was looking at these very symbols.

'These... what are these doing here?' he said.

'What are they?' Mel said, a question that didn't need to be asked.

He placed his hand on the one opposite to the carved wall. It was a snowflake, with three swords crossed.

'The emblem of the Ice Queen, the ruler of the Istir forest, to the west of where we stand now' he said, nodding. He pointed to the next, an Axe held by two hands. 'The ancient kingdom of Dragthor, where the dwarves lived long ago... Till the drakes came'

He slowly moved to the next and carefully looked at the third, a single curved stained sword held at both ends.

'Orcs' he said. 'The eastern kingdom, actually quite close now'

He moved to the final one, looking disbelieving. It consisted of two crossed arrows and a rapier in the center. It was flanked by what seemed to be a leaf crown on both sides.

'The elves of Venwood' he said, eyebrows raised. 'The mightiest of the elves of Arenda'

He looked at the four symbols again.

'I wonder what could have brought the four races together...' he said, looking struck.

'Look here' Stella said loudly. They hadn't noticed her walk to the carved wall. 'It's in common tongue:

The alliance has won, the key is broken,
Now shall it all end, for the parts are taken

Beware, traveler, of whom you help,
For you know not, what secrets they delve'

Above the inscription was an emblem: a sword with wings, which looked more majestic than any of the others.

'The key...' Edward mused. 'Didn't the Wyvern say...'

'The same thing' Mel completed. 'Yeah, he did. I wonder what it means, but the question is what do we do now?'

Edward didn't speak. He read the inscription again.

'Mel!' he said loudly. 'You didn't answer one question of the Wyvern's. Why do you want to go to Naylith after all?'

Mel stopped. She had been expecting this since the last night.

'Answer one question of mine first' she said. 'Why can't Stella be from Naylith?'

She had done it to distract him, however he plainly answered.

'It's simple!' he said. 'Naylith is a city of the sky, and all dwellers can fly! They have wings, do Stella can't be one of them. Answer my question now'

Mel tried to digest what he had just said, though it didn't seem rational.

'Okay' she said finally. 'I'll let you know, but you wouldn't believe it'

'Try me!' Edward said.

'Here we go: I don't think I ever told you how I came to the academy, did I?

'No, you didn't'

'Okay, so I'll start from the beginning. You already know that I used to work as a thief though I don't usually admit it. Now one day, or rather night, I was asked to steal an heirloom from an old tower near Harburg... That tower incidentally was built by a long dead sorcerer, Modred Darkthrop. Now this client of mine turned out to be a vampire and the heirloom was something he could use to plunge the world into darkness'

She waited for a second. Edward was expressionless.

'Then Tei'jal, a vampress, saved me from this client - his name is Gyendal - and sent me to Thais. Everything was going well, except that Gyendal has this heirloom- the orb of darkness- but he cannot use it without a descendant of the old sorcerer. That is why he needs me, or Stella, to activate this orb'

'So why Naylith?' Edward asked.

'Now there exists another orb, the orb of light, which can be used to counter the other. I think you see where I'm getting at. This orb is in Naylith and it is mandatory that we get to it as soon as possible.'

She stopped and breathed, having said the last part in one breath.

'That's your story?' Edward said slowly. Mel nodded firmly.

He looked at them, one after the other.

'The next time you involve me, do tell these crazy things before we start' he said.

'I never involved you' she said stiffly.

'I gave you a chance to tell me the truth, Mel, and you reward me with this?' he said loudly, turning around. 'I really hope you complete your crazy mission'

He stormed out, leaving Mel slightly shaken. A minute later, they heard the distant neigh of a horse.

'He's gone' Stella said. 'Why wouldn't he believe you?'

'I shouldn't have delayed it this far' Mel said. 'Besides, we no longer need him, and I'm not saying we ever did. He'll return either way, though, from curiosity at least'

She stopped abruptly, unsure how to say what she wanted to, for it had no explanation. She delayed it for minute, examining the wall and table for a last time.

'There's something else... I suddenly feel we need to head back to Harburg'

'You know what,' Stella frowned, looking at her and then at the table. 'I have the same feeling'