The Marenon Chronicles Collection

Chapter Twenty-Eight





Silas and Inga walked into the dusty old shack, feeling completely out of place, but their minds were reeling too much to really give it more thought.

So, Silandrin is the Gatekeeper! Silas thought to himself. Though he had suspected this was the case, it still came as a shock. He wondered what Inga was thinking in that moment.

“Would you like some tea?” Silandrin asked them.

They stood next to the kitchen table, not knowing what to say. Had the Gatekeeper just offered them tea? Silas didn’t know what he was expecting to see when he met the Gatekeeper, but he definitely had not been anticipating a normal-looking old man. Perhaps he had built him up in his mind to be this all-powerful being, glowing with an aura of magic all around him.

“No, thank you,” Silas finally answered.

“Please have a seat,” Silandrin motioned to two chairs on one side of the table.

Silas slid out a chair for Inga, and sat in the one next to her, facing Silandrin. The old man pulled out cups and a kettle even though Silas had refused his offer. Without a word, he placed a hand over the fireplace and it immediately erupted in small flames. He hung the water-filled kettle over the fire, and with his shaking hands placed three cups on the table in front of him.

“You’re the Gatekeeper?” Silas asked, trying not to draw attention to the old man’s nervous trembling.

“I am,” he said. His eyes shifted to Inga who seemed to be somewhere else in her mind. “I know I’ve got some explaining to do.” He turned away abruptly, and stood near the fire to warm his hands, avoiding Inga’s hurtful stare.

“You said you would come back,” she said, looking back down at her teacup. “You promised me you’d come back.”

Silandrin sighed heavily, rubbed his eyes with his palms and turned toward them. “I used to be a man of premonition,” he said. “But I did not think that you would be coming here today. I wish there were words to describe how truly sorry I am for any pain that I caused you, Inga.”

“When you left me, you said you had to do something that would change the tides of Marenon’s future,” she said. “What was it?”

He took a deep breath. “I was preparing the way for Silas,” he answered. “I could feel the Stühoc’s power growing stronger. I knew that the time for Silas’ coming was soon. Before I left you, I had found out information on the whereabouts of a Stühoc I had been searching for.”

“A Stühoc?” Inga asked.

“Not just any Stühoc,” Silandrin said. “Anithistor. In the past, he had remained completely elusive, even making some question his existence. I knew better though, because I had captured him years before. Somehow, he had been able to hide his location from me since those days, but he had finally shown himself, and I had to confront him.”

“You fought him?” Silas asked.

“I tried to, but he evaded me,” Silandrin answered. “He is a Stühoc of a great power, but he remained in the shadows for so long because he knew I was too powerful for him. I would have destroyed him. Since my power has been failing me rapidly, he has come out of the shadows, bolder than he has ever been. Especially since his servant Maroke was killed. You left Anithistor without someone to visibly lead the Stühocs when you killed Maroke three months ago, Silas. You have drawn out the beast.”

Silas didn’t necessarily think this was a good thing.

The hot kettle began to whistle, and Silandrin picked it up from the fire. After placing small pouches of tea leaves in their cups, he brought the boiling water in front of the two and poured. The tea smelled wonderful to Silas, and in that moment he truly realized how much he needed the warmth.

“I failed in my mission to confront Anithistor,” Silandrin continued as he turned to Inga and sat down at the table in front of them. “The mission had taken me too long, and you had left by the time I returned to Clover Mountain. By then I could feel my power failing me. I knew the time was near, that the second war was coming. I wasn’t able to look for you and save my strength for meeting Silas. I left trails of my whereabouts with the hope that you would sense my presence and come to find me.” He cleared his throat. “And here we are.” He reached out a hand to Inga’s. “I wish you could forgive me. I didn’t mean to abandon you. You were everything to me. Seeing you now brings me more joy than I know how to express.”

“You never told me you were the Gatekeeper,” Inga said. “You said you were a Sorcerer.”

“And I am, in a sense,” Silandrin answered. “When I found you as small child, I instantly saw the promise you had. My only regret was leaving you.”

Inga looked up from her tea at this.

“The truth about Silas always remained in the back of my mind. Regardless, I continued to train you. I never knew you would become part of this war, but I am sure that you have been and will continue to be a very valuable asset to the cause.”

Silas took a sip of tea, wondering what Inga was thinking.

“I kept training you because I loved you like a daughter, Inga. I wanted you to live a good life here in Marenon. I brought you up the best I knew how.”

Silas looked at Inga, noticing a tear rolling down the side of her cheek. Perhaps she had hoped for a better explanation, or one that seemed more justifiable. He didn’t know what she was feeling at the moment. He wished he could reach out to her and say something that would make her happy, but there was nothing to be said.

“I have been expecting you to come for some time,” Silandrin said, looking at Silas. “It’s time that I told you both the truth regarding me.”

The Gatekeeper took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if to gather his thoughts together.

“I’ve not always been the Gatekeeper,” he said. “I’ve been around for several thousand years, before there were gates, Stühocs, and especially before there were Humans. In fact, I am the reason every Human is here.”

Silas and Inga looked at each other in surprise at the revelation. What did he mean?

“In the early years of Marenon, there were only the Anwyn people and the Erellens. This was before the gates, so I was not known as the Gatekeeper back then. Back then I was known as the Watchman. It was my duty to protect the people of Marenon and to promote harmony between the two groups. The reason the Erellens and Anwyns didn’t destroy each other was because they would often seek my advice.”

“But you’re Human,” Silas said. “How is that possible?”

Silandrin shook his head. “I am not Human. I have taken on the appearance of a Human, but I am a Watchman, appointed by a higher being who assigned me to Marenon. Over the years, I have taken on different forms, but this has been my appearance for a very long time, since not long after the first gate appeared.”

“Which one?” Silas asked.

“The Red Gate in Mudavé,” Silandrin answered, reaching for his cup. “Mudavé used to be a green, thriving land, teeming with life. Then the Stühocs came. When they arrived, I was curious about their origins. They forced the Anwyns out of Mudavé, killing them and driving them underground.

“I became worried about the arrival of these new creatures. I tried to figure out who or what they were. I had confronted their leader, Anithistor. We fought but he was no match for my power. Before he was able to escape me, I questioned him and I was able to find out that he was from a different world. The Stühocs had been through several worlds, taking them over, using up their resources then moving to new lands to continue their destructive acts. I stole the red medallion from Anithistor after realizing that it had been the source of the Red Gate’s power.

“Many of the Anwyns had already been destroyed by this point. Their concern was surviving in their new territory. The Erellens had more to fear. The Stühocs were pushing westward and now posed a threat to them. Their leader came to me, begging me to help his people. I told them of what the Stühocs had done to other worlds, and they did not want it to happen to them. That’s when I decided to create a gate for the Erellens.”

“You made the gates?” Silas asked.

“Two of them,” Silandrin answered. “As the Erellens waged war against the Stühocs, I studied the medallion I had stolen. I was able to replicate it, producing the green medallion. With it I created the Green Gate in Elysium. The gate was never to be used unless as a last resort. To my knowledge, it still has not been used.”

Silas wondered what sort of desperation people would have to feel in order to leave their own world.

“The Stühocs remained in Marenon, continuing to fight the Erellens without regard to the land,” Silandrin continued. “They were parasites. I knew the Erellens would need more than what they had to defeat the Stühocs. There were so many Stühocs that the Erellens would lose in the end. Unlike Humans, Stühocs can reproduce in Marenon, and the Erellens were running out of time. That’s why I created the Blue Gate. To find a way into another world and recruit new soldiers to the cause.”

Silas shook his head. “How did you know it would lead you to Earth? How did you know it would help anything?”

“I didn’t,” Silandrin said. “That was the danger of the gates. That’s why the Erellens were never to use theirs unless it was their last hope. When the Stühocs came to Marenon by creating the Red Gate from a different world, they didn’t know they would be coming here. They had reached a point in their previous home where they could no longer sustain life for themselves. They needed knew breeding grounds.”

"How do the gates work?" Silas asked.

Silandrin sighed, thinking to himself before answering. "The gates are complicated," he said. "They are as complicated as the magic that went into making them. I created the Blue Gate on the mountain near Canor. It ended up opening on a mountain on the world you know as Earth. I didn’t know at the time where it would take me. I just knew I had to find a way to bring others to Marenon.

"When I first passed through the Blue Gate here in Marenon, I found that the gate closed behind me. It was as if the permanent gate in Marenon could only create a temporary gate on Earth. I discovered that once I left Marenon through the Blue Gate, I could not get back the same way I had come. It was a good thing that I took the medallion with me when I passed through, because I might still be stuck on Earth if I hadn't. On Earth I had to create another gate that could lead me back to Marenon. This is the one you and Kaden tried to get to before Maroke overtook you."

Silas remembered the event all too well. They hadn’t made it through the gate before Kaden had been forced to kill Silas.

"Just like the physical gate in Marenon, I discovered that the new gate I created on Earth, always opened at a specific spot on Blue Gate Mountain in Marenon. That's why Kaden killed you, because he knew you would go a different way where Maroke couldn't get to you.”

Silandrin recognized the confused look on Silas’ face. “I know this is hard to understand. Let me sum it up: There is a Blue Gate in Marenon that leads to Earth, and there is a Blue Gate on Earth that leads to Marenon. However, they are both considered to be one Blue Gate even though they aren’t connected directly.”

"But, I didn't go through the Blue Gate?" Silas asked, confused.

“No,” Silandrin said. “You came through a very different passageway. When you died, your spirit was carried to the Hall of Wandering Souls. I created it as a way to bring some Humans to Marenon when they died. Your body on Earth vanishes after a few hours and reunites with your spirit. It is like a new body, carrying no markings of your former life. Although it feels like no time at all, it takes several hours from the time of your death on Earth until you wake in the Hall of Wandering Souls. It was meant to be a place of peace and welcoming for Humans until Judoc and his minions took it over, somehow. Their commitment to Anithistor has a mysterious history that I haven't quite figured out, myself, but I know they came during the war, about the time you were born.”

“What about Humans?” Silas asked. “Why can they not reproduce, but the Stühocs can?”

“Because the Stühocs came here by their own choice,” Silandrin said. “The Humans did not.”

Silas raised an eyebrow at this. His heart began to beat harder in anticipation of what he was about to hear. One of his grandfather’s goals in his life in Marenon was to find out why Humans were there at all, and the Gatekeeper was about to tell him.

Silandrin looked down at his hands in shame. “You and all the other Humans are here because of my curiosity,” he said. “Part of me wishes I had never made the Blue Gate. When I made it, I had no idea I would be stepping into your world on Earth. When I got there, I lived among your people, and studied them. I knew that the Humans could help Marenon, but I could find few that were willing to come back with me. Most in your world thought of me as a lunatic. That’s when I made the treacherous mistake.” He sighed, and then continued. “I sent out my servants, or phantoms if you will. In your world they are invisible, but I sent them with the task to gather in all those who could help Marenon. They were directed to do this until they judged their work to be finished. The purpose was to mark these people so that when they died on Earth, they could live again in Marenon. But the touch had an unintended effect. When the phantoms chose people, they were giving them a mark of death. Every person that was touched soon died before his or her appointed time. Humans began coming in by the hundreds, and through the years became a large part of Marenon’s population, though they could never reproduce. My phantoms also didn’t always select good people. Some were vile criminals, who only thought of themselves. It was a terrible mistake that I could not undo. I have been responsible for placing the mark of death on so many people from your world. It was never meant to happen that way.”

Silas sat silently. He couldn’t believe that all of the Humans were there by an accident. The Gatekeeper had been thoughtless and played with the lives of people who needed to be left alone.

Silandrin turned a tearful eye toward Inga. “Because of me, you died so young. If it were not for my actions, you would have lived. You might still be alive with your family.”

Inga bent her head low, not knowing what to say. What was there to say? He had killed her and abandoned her. The wrongs he had committed against her were nearly unforgivable.

“Why didn’t you stop your phantoms?” Silas said. “Why didn’t you just call them back?”

“I couldn’t,” Silandrin answered. “Once given a task, the phantoms work until that task is complete. I sent them with the purpose of gathering those that could help Marenon, and they continued to gather people by the hundreds, for thousands of years. That is, until Kaden killed you. You were the last person to step out of the Hall of Wandering Souls.”

“There were people in line behind me,” Silas said.

The Gatekeeper shook his head. “None of the Humans behind you ever stepped foot into Marenon. You were the last to come through the Hall, and since then, the phantoms have stopped gathering. I suppose when you died, they considered you all the help Marenon needed from the Humans.”

“What about the Erellen Prophecy about me?” Silas asked. “When did that come into play?”

“It’s not truly an Erellen prophecy,” Silandrin said. “It was my own prophecy.” He took another sip of his tea, gathering his thoughts. “One night after trying to figure out how to fix the problem I had caused, I fell asleep and had a dream. It was a very vivid dream, not like a normal one. These dreams had come to me in the past, and had given me glimpses of what was to come, but this one seemed much graver. This dream told of a coming Deliverer. The dream showed me that a baby with Erellen and Human blood would be born in Marenon. That baby was born seventeen years ago. And here you are. The dream said you would deliver Marenon. So, naturally, when Garland came to me asking for assistance to get you safely to Earth so he could protect you, I wanted to help. I had to use Garland's life to ensure that the Blue Gate remained sealed. I used the magic of the blue medallion, and fused his life with it. It was as if he were holding the key to the gate, a gate that could only be opened if he died. My magic was weakening too drastically to have the power to seal it by myself. When he died, Judoc saw him go through the Hall of Wandering Souls. He must have told Anithistor or Maroke of the event, letting them know that you were vulnerable. That's why they got to you two days later.”

“But what does the prophecy mean?” Silas asked. “No one seems to know who I’m supposed to deliver.”

“I know what it means,” Silandrin said. “I never told the whole prophecy to anyone. In fact, this is the first time it has come from my lips. You are the Deliverer, because you are going to destroy the three gates using the power of the medallions.”

“That’s it?” Silas asked. “That’s what makes me the Meshulan?”

“No,” Silandrin said. “That’s not all. With the power of the medallions, you will take my place as the Watchman of Marenon. You will have the power that I once had, long ago. You will use that power to demolish the three gates, which will, in turn, destroy those medallions.”

“Why do I take your power? Why is your power failing you?” He knew his questions seemed overbearing, but he had to ask them. There were so many answers he needed.

Silandrin sighed. “A long time ago, I was meant to have power forever, but I have fallen. By bringing Humans in from Earth to help protect Marenon, I failed in my responsibilities. I was supposed to protect Marenon, not the Humans. My power has been slowly waning ever since. It must be passed on. And it will go to you, so you can finish what you were meant to do.”

“Destroy the gates,” Silas muttered to himself.

“That’s right,” Silandrin said. “But there’s something else.”

“What?”

“I am the Gatekeeper of the Green Gate and the Blue Gate, because I created them. Destroying those shouldn’t be too difficult for you, though I suspect you will meet some resistance. But you cannot destroy the Red Gate until you have become its Gatekeeper.”

Silas didn’t like where this was going. He waited for along moment for Silandrin to explain.

“There is only one way,” Silandrin said. “You must make it where Anithistor no longer exists in this world. That means you send him back to where he came from, or you destroy him. Either way that gives you the power to destroy the gate.”

He was afraid something like this would come up. He had faced Maroke, a silent assassin, and many other dangers Marenon had to offer, but now he had to face the master of evil, the only one he truly felt could not be defeated. Anithistor.

“But your prophecy says that I will do this, right?” Silas asked hopefully.

Silandrin smiled, but it was not a smile of happiness. It seemed to be full of regret, almost apologetic.

“The prophecy that I have told over the years, that I have led people to believe, is a slight fabrication of the truth. The truth is, the prophecy said you would face the Stühoc Gatekeeper. It never said you would defeat him. It said you were the only one with the power that could face him. The only one that could be the Deliverer.”

Silas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not only had Silandrin been responsible for ushering many Humans to their death, but he had also lied to generations of people about what would truly happen in the end.

Silas sat dumbstruck for a moment, then stood from his chair. He rubbed a hand through his thick blonde hair, not knowing what he should say next.

“I told the Erellens of the prophecy in a time when they needed hope. I had no idea that it would take thousands of years before it would actually happen.”

“So, for all I know, I could face Anithistor and be killed, giving him all the power?”

“Yes,” Silandrin said bluntly. “But you are still the only one who can face him. The only hope for Marenon.”

“What if I fail?”

“You can’t,” Silandrin said. “If you fail, Marenon will eventually be destroyed just like the previous world of the Stühocs. It will become a desolate wasteland, void of any life. All of Marenon will be like the lands of Mudavé. Then Anithistor will go through the Green Gate or Blue Gate and live in another world. You are the only hope for this one, and all the worlds that Anithistor could destroy in the future.”

“I can barely make a shield with magic, how am I supposed to take down Anithistor?”

“When my powers transfer to you, you will have what you need. It will be difficult to control at first. You must not face him until you have control over the magic.” He nodded to Inga. “She will be more of an asset to you than anyone you know. She will be able to help you know how to use your new abilities, and to control them.”

Silas looked at Inga, wondering if she would have the drive to do such a thing after hearing everything Silandrin had said tonight. She looked up at Silas and offered him a slight smile, assuring him she would be by his side no matter what.

“After your first task, you will need to get the rest of the medallions,” Silandrin continued. “When you have them, you must place the medallions in the pedestal in front of Marenon’s Map.”

“Why?” Silas asked.

“The pedestal is a great source of power when the medallions are placed in it, and was never truly intended to be used as a weapon,” Silandrin said. “It’s more than a simple gift to the Dunarians from the Erellens.”

Silas remembered the small table sitting below Jekyll Rock. Kaden had shown it to him only once during his three months of training and said that when all the medallions were found, it would be the best weapon against the Stühocs.

“Anyone with all of the medallions can control every natural aspect of Marenon,” Silas said.

“Which is exactly why you mustn’t let anyone use it,” Silandrin countered. “I left the pedestal with the Erellens for the use of the Meshulan only, but they turned it into a weapon against my wishes. It wasn’t always Marenon’s Map. It was a device meant for you, so you can gain the power you need to defeat Anithistor. I fear your Dunarian friends will want to use it as a weapon of war.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Inga asked.

“No one should have that much power,” Silandrin answered. “When you place all of the medallions into the slots, the powers of the Watchman will be transferred to you.”

“Then, I just destroy the medallions?” Silas asked.

“Destroying the three gates will destroy the three corresponding medallions,” Silandrin said. He held up a finger. “But remember, before you can destroy the Red Gate, Anithistor must be out of the picture completely. Either you send him back to where he came from, or you kill him. When the three gates and the corresponding medallions are destroyed, that will leave three other medallions in Marenon. I think it would be best if you found a way to destroy those before they can be used against you.”

“Why are there six medallions and only three gates?” Silas asked.

“I created the other medallions to give to each people group in Marenon,” Silandrin answered. “It was a desperate time when I thought each group might need their own gate to escape through, but it never came to that. Only the three gates were created, but each group had a medallion of power.”

“Why destroy the extra medallions? Couldn’t they be used for good?”

“In my experience, it is best that we remove all possibility of creating any other gates,” Silandrin said. “In the wrong hands, those medallions could be used as a weapon against you someday.”

“But you’ve been wrong before,” Silas said.

Silandrin blinked at the bold statement, but humbly looked down to the table. “Yes. I have been wrong many times before. I can only hope that I am not wrong about anything else.” The old man seemed truly saddened by thoughts he would never reveal to Silas.

“The pedestal is enchanted,” Silandrin continued. “When you place the medallions in each slot, it will recognize you for who you are and the powers of the Watchman will be given to you.”

“You said I would do this after the first task?” Silas asked. “What is the first task?”

Silandrin looked down at the table for a long moment. His eyes then went to Inga and slowly back to Silas.

“Your first task is to kill me.”