The Marenon Chronicles Collection

Chapter Seventeen





Word had spread all throughout Jarul about Silas’ coming, and it had been no accident. Kaden had sent several messengers ahead of their group to announce to the king that the Meshulan was on his way.

Expecting Jiaros to try and keep it quiet because of Silas’ obvious intentions, Kaden had instructed the messengers to also spread the news around the city.

Silas, Inga, Kaden and Darius rode the sarians like horses as they led the group of a few thousand soldiers through the Gated Passage and into Elysium.

Silas felt drained for some reason. Ever since he had passed out after destroying the Blue Gate and dreamt about his father, he had not been able to gain back his strength. The magic was still in him, but he felt like it wasn’t as powerful. He had tested it again by walking outside the city walls of Jekyll Rock and blasting away trees. He was glad to have Inga help him learn effective ways of switching between different forms of magic quickly. But he didn’t know what was draining him. He almost felt like he needed to sleep more, though he knew that wouldn’t solve his problem.

He had decided not to speak of the dream – or at least not yet. Despite what his ‘father’ had said in the dream, he knew that it was likely little more than random bursts of thought. Perhaps the face of the man in his slumber was someone he had come across in this life or the last one, and he had just forgotten it.

But there was no reason to worry other people. It had been two days since the dream. If it happened again, then he might mention it. But he didn’t expect he would have the same dream twice.

As they neared the city, Kaden pointed out that a small group waited for them up the road. The three figures sat tall on their steeds, and when they neared they could see that the one in the center was Jiaros. Silas recognized one of the guards as Teymus, the one who had been assigned to him when he had been to Jarul previously.

The army of Dunarians came to a halt at Darius’ command. Silas and Kaden prodded their sarians forward to be nearer to the Erellen king. Inga held tight to Silas’ waist as she sat behind him.

Jiaros seemed almost displeased with their arrival. His long face was smiling, but Silas could tell it was just a mask.

“King Jiaros,” Silas called out. “I see our messengers have not failed us.”

“It is good to see you alive, Silas Ainsley,” the king said. “And yes, your messengers were more than adequate, though I cannot speak highly of their ability to be discrete.”

Silas was tempted to look at Kaden and smile, but he held his composure.

“When the crowds learned that the Meshulan would be here today, they insisted on festivities. My people wish to honor you.”

“I’m honored just to hear of your people’s generosity,” Silas said.

Jiaros prompted his horse to move closer to Silas and spoke lower so his voice would not carry.

“You have something that belongs to us,” he said.

“Actually I don’t, because as Gatekeeper, the medallion belongs to me.”

“It is done then? You have accepted the responsibility?”

“I have,” Silas assured him.

“Then I only ask that you allow the Green Gate to be destroyed after you have defeated Anithistor.”

“That is a request I cannot grant. I’m sorry, Jiaros, but you know there is a certain order of things. After so many years of fear, why do you resist the completion of my task? You knew this day would come, didn’t you?”

“I care only for the well-being of my people.”

“Then you must trust me. You’ve got to come out from the shadows and stand with us; fight by our side in Mudavé.”

Jiaros said nothing to this, and Silas interpreted his silence as a contemplative decision not to go with the Dunarians.

“Why won’t you fight with us?” Silas asked him?

“Silas, I…”

“Meshulan,” Silas interrupted. “That is the name the Erellens have for me?”

“Yes.”

“Then believe in me.”

“I will not risk the lives of my people with a march on Mudavé. My son Daewyn has told me of what he saw in Voelif. The mindless slaves, the Nestorians, the Stühocs. There are too many.”

“But Silas now has the power that the last Gatekeeper once had,” Kaden said. “He will be there to help us fight.”

“Then why do you need my army?”

“Because I want Marenon to unite as one!” Silas shouted. “Your people deserve the chance to stab a sword into the heart of the Stühocs. You’ve been hiding away for seventeen years and your people have forgotten that there is a reason to fight.”

“No,” said Jiaros. “They have not forgotten. They haven’t forgotten the blood of their loved ones shed in their own lands! They have not forgotten the endless torture inflicted by Anithistor and his disgusting servants. My people wish they could forget.”

A long moment stood between them. Jiaros may not want his army to charge into Mudavé, but his people might. And the Erellens would want to hear from their Meshulan.

“Inspire the masses and you will get the support you need,” Kaden had told him yesterday.

Without another word, Jiaros turned toward the city, expecting the others to follow. With the opening of the city gates, came a flood of cheers. Hundreds, maybe thousands of Erellens lined the streets shouting out, blowing horns, and throwing confetti.

For many, this had been the first they had heard that the Meshulan had returned to Marenon. These simple citizens didn’t know what Silas knew. They didn’t know that Silas had only just been handed his magical power instead of being born with it. They didn’t know the grueling work it had taken to come to this point. They didn’t know that Silas could die, as could their hope of deliverance.

The sarians trod behind the king’s horses, and the Dunarian soldiers followed proudly on foot. Darius rode to Silas’ left and Kaden to his right. Inga sat straight on the back of Skarret, holding onto Silas.

“Do you want me to get off?” she asked him. “They’re cheering for you. I wouldn’t want to steal your thunder.”

“I would never hear of it,” Silas told her. If it weren’t for you, I’m sure I would have died on several occasions. I’m proud to have you ride with me.”

They traveled for what felt like miles until Jiaros finally led them to a grand stage at the center of the city. The platform did not look like it had been merely built, but rather grown from the dirt for leaves and flowers covered the entire area. The Erellens surrounded them as Silas stepped onto it.

Darius instructed the Dunarian soldiers to stand to the side so the Erellens could gather closer to Silas. Kaden and Inga also stepped back as Jiaros introduced the Erellens to the Meshulan. The Deliverer.

With all eyes on Silas and the crowd falling into silence, he again found himself in a position completely new to him. The crowd would hang on his every word, for even the Erellens craved to hear what he had to say. He only hoped that he wouldn’t disappoint them.

*****

Kaden was impressed with how Silas carried himself in front of the Erellens. He was also surprised at how much they seemed to adore him. They had been waiting for him for so long. All of them felt that it was time to finish the war.

As Kaden watched the young man speak, he thought about what Silas needed to do. They had discussed this while traveling to Elysium and now it was all up to Silas to follow through.

First, Silas had to make the Erellens want to fight the Stühocs. Second, he had to make them realize that destroying the Green Gate was a key step in succeeding. The boy had done well at Jekyll Rock a few days before, but the Erellens were unpredictable. However, it looked good for the Dunarians, given there had been a parade in Silas’ honor.

Somewhere along the time when Silas mentioned his appreciation and gladness at his reception, Kaden felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned, and hadn’t expected to see Jiaros so close to him.

“I shouldn’t have let you leave my city the other day,” he said. “Now your Meshulan will send thousands of my people to die.”

Kaden would never forget leaving Jarul to try and save the council members in Farlaweer. That had been one of the most trying days in his life.

“He’s your Meshulan too, Jiaros,” Kaden answered back.

Jiaros said nothing to this and focused his attention to Silas who had amplified his voice to reach all that wished to hear it.

“Doing nothing only brings the Stühocs to your borders,” Silas said. “Is that what you want?”

There was a loud and resounding “No!” from the crowd.

“It pains me to see them like this,” Jiaros said.

Kaden turned sharply. “Your Highness, please follow me.”

Jiaros turned to his guards and instructed them to wait while he spoke with Kaden privately. Kaden stormed away from view of the crowd and behind the platform with the king close behind him.

Kaden closed his eyes with his back to the king, muttering to himself that he had to control his emotions so that he would not strike the king. He spun around to face Jiaros.

“What do you want, Jiaros? What do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve tried to have a calm temperament with you and anyone else that has had doubts about Silas, but enough is enough! We’ve come too far for you, of all people, to be against us.”

Several guards came around behind the platform and started to draw their swords when they saw the hotly animated Kaden.

Jiaros held up a hand and waved them off.

Good, Kaden thought. He’s ready to talk.

“I’m not going to apologize for caring about the well-being of my people.”

“I never asked you to do that. All I’ve asked is that you believe in Silas.”

“I do believe in Silas! Of course I do. But I don’t want my people to believe a lie.”

“How can you say that you believe in him if you think he’s nothing more than a lie?” Kaden asked.

“Because the prophecy is false.”

Kaden was unable to reply. He had heard such claims made from doubt or fear, but never had he hear them expressed with such conviction.

“Silandrin told me this himself,” Jiaros continued.

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s why I didn’t want Silas to leave and go after the Gatekeeper. That’s why I held all of you here.”

“Why?”

“Because Silas can die! The prophecy never guaranteed Silas’ victory. It only pointed to the possibility that he could be the one to defeat Anithistor. Silandrin told me this so I would be prepared in case Silas was killed prematurely.”

“If this is true, then why didn’t the Gatekeeper just meet Silas here in Jarul? Why did he go off to a shack in the middle of nowhere?”

“Because he required isolation,” Jiaros said. “Or he requested it. The plan had been for my guards and me to escort Silas to Silandrin, but we were concerned about a dragon sighting. If Silas had waited only a day, we would have gone with him. He would have never been captured by the Sleeper, Marcus.”

Kaden snorted. “And he wouldn’t have gotten the orange medallion, and Jekyll Rock would have been destroyed. Looks to me like sneaking out of here was the best plan after all.” But he knew he was only trying to convince himself.

He couldn’t believe what Jiaros told him was true. This whole mission, everything the Dunarians had been built on had pointed to what Silas would accomplish.

“And what exactly did the Gatekeeper instruct you to do if Silas is killed?”

“He told me not to try and fight a war. He told me to go through the Green Gate with my people.”

Kaden wasn’t sure if he believed Jiaros. Could the Erellen king be lying out of fear? Kaden thought that would be very unlike him.

But if what Jiaros said were true, then they were all in trouble.

Kaden remained in a reflective silence, remembering all the times Silas had come close to death and escaped it. How close had they been to losing everything?

So you see why I hesitate to send my people to war?”

Kaden thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

“No. I don’t see why. By failing to support us, it becomes more likely that he will die. With meager support, there is little chance he will face Anithistor.”

The two stared at each other as Silas’ voice belted throughout the city.

“The existence of the Green Gate shows that we’re afraid!” his voice sounded. “Let’s show them we are confident enough to burn our bridges of escape; that we only move forward, and never backward!”

The crowd gushed with applause and chants of preemptive victory. Though their king may have not been ready, the rest of the Erellens were. Kaden placed a hand on the king’s shoulder and squeezed.

Today, the Green Gate would be destroyed, with or without the king’s approval.

*****

The Erellens insisted that the parade continue to the Green Gate. They were ready for a fight. As Silas and Inga mounted Skarret, he caught Kaden’s eye and noticed the man seemed a bit distant, though Silas couldn’t understand why.

The gathering had a mix of Humans and Erellens, all wishing to see the same thing. Once they made it to the caves, there were obviously too many people to fit inside at once, but most were content to stand and wait for the news that Silas’ job had been finished.

Silas had been pleasantly surprised to have this much support so quickly, but it just proved that the Erellens were ready to live a peaceful life and reclaim their place in Marenon. They no longer felt a need for a possible escape.

The group that entered the cave consisted of Silas, Inga, Kaden, Darius, Jiaros and several guards. The large crowd of would-be spectators awaited the Meshulan on the grassy plains above.

Jiaros rode ahead of the small group that travelled through the cave. Silas knew the king thought destroying the gate was reckless, but Jiaros would not go against all of his subjects. He would publicly appear as a supportive king.

Inga rubbed Silas’ back affectionately, letting him know that she was happy to be near him.

The Green Gate looked similar to the Blue Gate except this one had been made into what seemed to be a shrine or a memorial. He was surprised to see a lush, green environment that surrounded the blank wall. The light above them shined like the sun, though the source had to be an enchantment of some kind. The sight took Silas’ breath away.

“Where’s Daewyn?” Kaden asked Jiaros.

His eyes went from Kaden and landed on Inga. “He’s back at the castle,” he said simply. His focus turned to Silas. “So, how does this work?”

“First I want to know I have your support,” Silas said.

“I am here aren’t I? Isn’t that enough support?”

“You were forced into this,” Silas said. “I know what position you are in, but I want to know that I have your support.”

Jiaros sighed deeply, then for some reason glanced at Kaden. “You are the Meshulan. You will deliver us from our enemies. Of course you have my support.”

Silas bowed low to the king and turned to face the blank wall on the other side of the giant room.

When he stepped forward, he felt completely alone. He walked to the wall and placed the medallion into the slot at the bottom. Like the Blue Gate, streaks of light slithered across the wall, only this light was a dark green color. Those streaks then spiraled until all of the people in the room could see clearly to the other side. Nothing stood between them and the other world. Only air.

This was a world that no Human, no Erellen, nor anyone else had ever seen before, though all that was visible was a dark cave that probably resurfaced to a land similar to their own.

After destroying the Green Gate, the Erellens would have no place to go should they need a way of escape.

Silas turned back and looked at Jiaros one more time. The king responded with a reassuring nod. Silas then looked back at the gate and closed his eyes.

He needed to say the words of destruction. His mind instantly drifted to the dream of his father. The man had said that the words that destroyed the medallions were the same words used by Anithistor and Silandrin to create them. To have them float through his brain was a supernatural power, proving he was the Meshulan.

Silas had forgotten the words that had brought down the Blue Gate into a crumbled pile of rock, but when he started to focus, the words came back to him.

“Osh tü lorminan, Kül vorheesh-sellan.”

The ground beneath them began to rumble.

“Osh tü lorminan, Kül vorheesh-sellan.”

The others fell to the ground as the rumble turned into a violent shaking.

The Green Gate’s light began to fade, and loose rocks from around the cave began to break off and fall in tiny pieces all around them.

“Osh tü lorminan, Kül vorheesh-sellan!” Silas shouted.

The medallion at the ground exploded into tiny shards and the wall crumbled into a heap.

I forgot to have someone catch me, was the last thought that went through Silas’ head before he blacked out.

*****

Another dream. He was near the mouth of a cave, but he couldn’t see in very clearly. Studying his surroundings, he recognized the red rocks of Mudavé, though he still seemed to have shown up near a more isolated spot.

“I found a good hiding place,” a voice from behind him said.

Silas spun to see who was talking to him.

“Father!”

“So, you believe it now?” said Will.

“I believe that you are a dream that claims to be my father.”

Will grinned. “I wish I could convince you that this is more than a dream. It’s a message.”

“You said you found a hiding place?”

“I have. It’s right under their noses. The Stühocs will never be looking for you at the Red Gate. They’ll patrol much farther up the path.”

“I’ve destroyed the Green Gate,” Silas told him. “All we have is the Red Gate now.”

“I’ve waited a long time for this moment, son. Soon we’ll be united together and we can finish this. What is it your grandfather called what you’re doing? The Reckoning?”

Silas nodded. “It won’t be long now. I just wish I could believe that you are real.”

Will looked frustrated for a moment, but Silas could tell that he tried not to show it.

“When you became the Gatekeeper, you gained a lot of power didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then perhaps you can search the mind of someone who knew me; Kaden perhaps. Search his memory for my likeness. When you find it then you’ll know this isn’t just a dream.”

Silas studied Will’s features for several moments. His dark hair and blue eyes did nothing to support his claim that he was Silas’ father, though Silas could tell he was Garland’s son.

Sensing Silas’ thoughts, Will said, “You took many of your features from your mother. Except for her pointed ears, of course.”

Silas smiled at this, finding it funny that he would look more like his mother, yet have only Human features.

“Look for me when you get here, Silas. I will show you to the Red Gate. I will lead you there.”

“If you are more than a dream, then I will be glad to find you.”

Will smiled at this, then looked away. “There’s one more thing that I must tell you before you come here.”

Silas waited.

“I think destroying the Red Gate might kill you,” Will said.

“What? Why?”

“Did you feel any loss of power when you destroyed the Blue Gate?”

“Maybe a little, but I thought I had just exhausted myself.”

“Maybe so, but I fear the same has happened since you’ve destroyed the Green Gate. And I think the same might happen when you destroy the Red Gate.”

“You think I will die?”

“I don’t want that to be the case, but your power is not your own, Silas. It has been given to you. The power comes from the medallions and their gates. Your life has been fused to them.”

Silas didn’t know what to say. He still couldn’t understand why his father would know all this information.

“Though you are meant to demolish the gates, the one thing that the Gatekeeper never told you was that you would have to sacrifice yourself in order to destroy them.”

“So, destroying the gates and medallions will be the end of me,” Silas said to himself. He hadn’t expected it, but he couldn’t say that he was surprised. This contradicted what Silandrin had told him several days before – that Silas would have to take the place of Watchman – but he could have been lying. It wouldn’t be the first time that Silandrin had bent the truth.

“I will be here for you, every step of the way,” Will said. “I can’t wait to see you.”

Silas smiled. Whether this dream was more than a dream or not, it was comforting to have someone who claimed to be his father, someone who seemed so loving toward him. He realized he missed having a parental figure in his life.

“It’s time to wake up, Silas,” Will said. “Wake up!”