Chapter 15 ("Mahal's Falling Down")

To Chapter 15 already! We're nearing the end.

Chapter 15

Ben and Daran stared at each other for a moment in the room surrounded with flames. The silence was interrupted only by the crackling and whooshing of the fire. Ben gripped his sword tighter, observing the throned man.

That is, if he could be called a man. His hair was black, and he had no beard or moustache. His skin was an unusual mix between red and black. Maybe a faint burgandy. And his eyes were blood red, with unsettling white orange pupils. Ben shivered.

Daran opened his mouth to reveal his teeth, which were long fangs. "Ahhh, so you have come at last." He stood up to his full towering height, several heads taller than Ben, and stepped down from his throne. "I have been expecting you. Sent by that miserable Adonai, I presume?"

Ben didn't say a word, just readied his sword and slipped the bottle of blood into his pocket. Daran stepped closer until his dancing shadow fell over the boy. Then he drew his sword. "You came to fight." It was not a question.

"Yes, I did." With an effort, Ben returned Daran's stare. "And not only to fight, but to win."

The evil king threw his head back and laughed, a sound that put Ben's teeth on edge. "To win!" he shrieked. "Are you that confident?"

"With Adonai, I am."

Daran circled his young opponent, grinning all the while. "And what makes you so sure that Adonai will help you? What if he backs out? Why didn't he stop my Ogres when they fired their arrows at you, long ago when you and your sister first came to my land."

"He just won't," Ben replied stubbornly, turning to keep his back from Daran. "He's not that sort of person. And he's way more powerful than you are. His blood can melt chains!"

"And mine can poison, kill, and devastate! Which is more strong?"

"Adonai's, of course."

Daran stopped circling. "Adonai's cannot poison and destroy!" he rumbled. "Your Adonai upholds love and unity and all that other mush. And everyone knows hate is stronger than love!"

Ben was puzzled, but only for a second. "Who says?" he asked defiantly.

For answer, Daran roared and lunged at Ben, his sword flashing in the fire-light. The boy barely got his own sword up in time to deflect the blow. The fight had begun.
---- ---- ----

Kaela looked up at the steep climb with dread. How could she be expected to climb the tower? And she didn't have much time, too. Soon the Ogres would spot her and that would be the end of it.

Something made her look to the left slightly. Oh, how foolish! That was there all along! Or was it? In the tower was a door.

Kaela opened it, and to her delight she saw a staircase winding up into the tower. There was no light coming in, so it was dark. When she stepped on the first stair, she found it was also wet and slippery. Having her sword light the way made it a little better, though.

She cautiously crept up, on the alert for Ogres. Only once did she look back down, and that was when she was half-way up. She grimaced at the far fall and from then on stared straight at the stairs.

Kaela had almost neared the top when she heard a rustling up ahead. She froze. The rustling grew louder, and then the source stepped out into the light. From Yev, Klii, and Learka's description, she knew right away it was a Vakir.

The Vakir pumped it's leathery wings and screeched, then launched itself straight at her. For a moment, Kaela was paralyzed, and then light shot from her sword burning the Vakir's wing. It screamed louder and once again made a bee-line for her, now maddened by it's injury.

Kaela brought her sword up and slashed into the Vakir's belly. To her surprise fire shot out of the wound, and the Vakir fell to the ground and shriveled up. Kaela stepped over it and continued up to the steps.

She reached the top of the stairs a few seconds later. It ended right at a door, solidly barred. Kaela raised her sword and brought it down upon the metal bolt, neatly severing it. Concerned that her blade had gotten nicked, she examined it. To her delight, it was un-damaged. Whoever made this knew what they were doing!

Then she pushed on the door. It didn't open, to her surprise. She checked to make sure it was completely unlocked, and then pushed again, and then pulled. But it still didn't work.

The password! Kaela scolded herself. How could I have forgotten about that! She leaned close to the door and whispered, "Agblith!"

The door swung open on it's own, and Kaela stepped in and looked around. The room was larger than she had expected, with people scattered all over the place. They were of many sizes and colors, but they all had two things in common. They had a blank, un-intelligent, empty expressions on, and they all wore chains.

"Hello?" No one moved, only continued staring at nothing. Kaela stepped into the middle of the room and raised her voice. "Hello!" When she got no response, she shrugged, and then opened the bottle of blood she held. So, I guess I just sprinkle it over everyone?

She dipped her fingers into the surprisingly warm blood, and then sprinkled the droplets on the people, taking care she didn't miss anyone. Then she waited for the results.

Almost immediately, the chains began to shrivel and melt away, until they became mere shadows that soon disappeared. All around, people were waking up and rubbing their eyes, and then staring around at each other in bewilderment. And then suddenly they all started talking and laughing at once. Probably the last thing they remembered was being enslaved by Daran. That's right, Kaela realized. Daran. Ben should be fighting him right now. She looked over all the people. How could she tell them that they had to fight, right now? She wasn't that skilled in public speaking.

All at once the words came to her, and before she knew it, she was talking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, as you all probably know Daran has taken over Elandai."

Everyone turned around to look at the speaker, and was surprised to find that it was a nine year old girl. Still, Kaela talked on. "But now the time has come for us to overthrow Daran. With Adonai's help, an organization of followers, lead by Adonai's appointed leader, Nolan, have made it very far to regaining Elandai. My brother is fighting with Daran himself, while Nolan and the followers are fighting with the Ogres. And Nolan is in need of men." He is? I didn't know that. And why am I saying this?

The crowd began to stir. "Then let's help them!" a man called out.

"Aye, why are we sitting here lollygagging while honest men are fighting for us?"

Kaela smiled. It was encouraging so see that they were enthusiastic about this. "Well then, follow me!"
---- ---- ----
Nolan had a worried expression on his face as he looked over the battle-field. The fight was not going very well. His men, outnumbered at the beginning, now had suffered many casualties. The Ogres had the advantage of being high up on Mahal's walls, and they used it. They shot arrows down at the followers, and poured boiling oil when Nolan's army got too close. The followers had tried building catapults, but all the trees around were dead and rotting; not that great for catapults. But what they really needed was re-enforcements. Especially now, because the Ogres had just issued a direct, face-to-face battle. They had streamed out of the gates of Mahal, closing the gate too swiftly for the followers to get in, and had then begun wreaking havoc among the army. Nolan was just now taking advantage of a brief lull in his part of the battle to take a break.

He wrinkled his forehead as he saw another one of the followers fall with an arrow stuck in his neck. I thought you wanted us to do this, Adonai! He cried inwardly.

Suddenly the gates creaked open again. Nolan tensed, thinking that it was more Ogres. But to his surprise, regular humans came out, brandishing make-shift weapons and yelling like crazy. Nolan gasped as he saw the leader of the new party was Kaela. Re-enforcements! Praise Adonai! Then he joined in the battle with a will.

The surprised Ogres were cut down very quickly with the new soldiers. And then the gates were swung open; this time to let the followers in.

To their surprise, there were not that many Ogres left in Mahal. It took only a minute for them to find the last of them and kill them. Nolan met Kaela afterwards.

"Do you know where Ben is?" He asked.

Kaela shook her head. "No. I think he's supposed to be fighting Daran, though."

"Then do you know where Daran is?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly, but I have a suspicion where." Kaela pointed to the red-glowing building in the center of Mahal. "There."

---- ----- ----

Ben sweated freely as he parried Daran's blows. He was constantly on the defensive, as his opponent was much more experienced then he was. He could feel his strength failing, and he missed several chances to strike. Daran's smirk was growing bigger.

Suddenly Daran stuck out his foot and tripped Ben. With a cry, he fell to the ground, his sword spinning out of his hand and out of reach.

Daran placed a heavy foot on Ben's chest. "So, you came here to win?" He asked smugly. "Turned out that I won. Guess Adonai did chicken out, after all. And now no one will be able to interfere with my rule. Too bad for your team."

He gave Ben an obnoxious smile. "I can be sure of my triumph when I've chopped off your head, boy."

Sure of his triumph! That's when I throw the bottle at Daran! Ben scrambled around in his pocket, searching for that bottle of blood. It seemed to evade his grasp.

Daran lifted his sword over his head. "Time to say goodbye, Ben!"

That was when Ben found the bottle. Barely even stopping to un-cork it, he threw it up into Daran's face.

His scream pierced the very walls of the building, making then tremble. Daran's face appeared to be melting, turning black, as the blood dripped down it. His whole body shriveled up into a whisp of shadow, which floated to the ceiling and disappeared. His sword, laying on the ground, also was gone.

Ben looked at the bloody, smashed pieces of the broken bottle, and then was startled by the rumbling sound he heard. Mahal's falling down!

He picked up his sword and made for the only exit, which was the door to the tunnel. But when he opened it, he found he was looking out into the city of Mahal. It was trembling, just like the fiery building. To his surprise, he saw no Ogres, only Nolan, Kaela, Learka, and a bunch of followers all running around the streets.

"Ben!" Kaela screamed as she ran toward him.

But Ben didn't waste time on reunions. "Hurry!" He yelled. "We have to get out of here--Mahal's falling down!"

All the followers streamed out of the quaking city, and then when they were a safe distance away, they turned and looked back. Mahal shook for one last moment, and then suddenly debris flew up into the air. The flames exploded higher, and then were gone. Mahal had fallen.
-------------------------

Izori