Chapter 26

By Erik Brown

Skabar walked through a large room, which looked very much like an inside of an old church. He looked up and stared in awe at the overhanging eves and strained to see what might have been murals painted on the ceiling. His steps made loud echoes across the entire room, and again in looking he saw what seemed to be Oregon pipes.

The air was musty and full of dust, and through the air sailed spiders on drifting strands of cobwebs. All was darkness, but before him was light. A shaft of light had penetrated the darkness, and the light spilled across the floor in colors. There in the center of the circle of light stood an old raccoon.

"Fuiko," Skabar called out to him. "Have you seen the others?"

Sagely the old raccoon turned his head to look at Skabar, and in doing so his face left the light and was cloaked in darkness. While his eyes reflected the light in a warm glow, the rest of his face was changed and hung like a monster from a nightmare. While he tried not to, Skabar couldn't help but jump back surprised.

"Are you so sure you'd want to see your friends in this horrible shadow? Now that you have crossed the threshold into the Emperor's throne, your perception is altered by his."

He thought about it. "Then the light… what is it? It seems to pierce the darkness."

The raccoon chuckled to himself. "This light I stand in, it is the tip of a feather of an angel's wing. Even in such putrid darkness, such a light shines brightly."

"The others," he said slowly, "have already been here?"

Fuiko nodded. "Yes, I sent them to their homeland."

Skabar smiled. "I would have liked to see them off."

"Aerot was near death, so I had to act fast. They wanted to say good bye to you too, of course." Fuiko sighed deeply, looking at the glint of battle in Skabar's eyes, he knew what the warrior really wanted to do. "Let me send you to your home, Skabar."

He shook his head in reply. "I am true to my word, I want to help Rei. Do you know where he is?"

Turning away the raccoon sighed again. "Yes I do, but you cannot follow him there."

He couldn't take that as an answer. "This isn't just for my wife, Rei is a comrade. A friend. Yes, I'd rather never swing a sword again, but for him…"

Fuiko turned around quickly and gave him an angry glance. "You'd go mad before you found him! The shadows grow thicker and thicker the closer you get to Tero. Even now he's warping the ground beneath this castle. His shadow grows and grows."

Skabar nervously reached for his sword. "All the more reason for me to help Rei!"

"This runs much deeper than comradeship… Rei has to fight against a hurt inside of him that runs deeper than anything. Right through his heart. There is nothing you can do. Your death, your fight, would be meaningless."

He let go of his sword, and punched the wall as hard as possible, splitting the skin on his knuckles. "I have to do something!"

The raccoon smiled softly. "If I send you back, Rei will know. And if he knows, he'll be happy because of it. That will be all the help he'll need, and he knows that it'll be all you could do."

He didn't want to agree, it wasn't in him to turn away from a fight. It didn't matter that the odds were against him. Though, if this was all he could do, then he should do it shouldn't he? "If I died, it wouldn't do any good at all, would it?"

Again Fuiko smiled. "Just step into the light, Skabar, and close your eyes. In a few moments, you'll be with your wife."

He walked to the circle of light, and despite Fuiko's kind gestures, Skabar eyed it with caution.

"That's it, just one more step." The smile began to creep across the kind old face, and a deceptive look crossed his brow.

Skabar held his hand up to the shaft of light, and sweat began to pour down his forehead. It was burning hot. He realized none of this was true, it couldn't be right. Something was behind him, about to strangle him!

"What's going on? You're not Fuiko, are you!"

The smile became that of a devil. "Why would you say that, Skabar?"

"If I put my foot in this light, I'll be cast into fire, and if I take a step back, some beast will snap my neck."

Fuiko nodded in calm defeat. "Very deductive of you. Though I really am Fuiko."

"Then why? How could you kill Aerot, a comrade of yours? And Sera, she loved you like a father!"

The raccoon dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "No emotion can compare to the might of the Emperor. Bury it in a shadow, and live free of worry and pain! That's all that happens when you open yourself up to emotion!"

He felt like reaching for his sword, but saw Fuiko's eyes focus on his sword hilt. "I know that you killed Bresen with that, but don't think you can kill me the same way." He rubbed his chin with his thumb and finger. "In fact, that's not such a bad blade. Think I might take it."

He began to shake as he watched the wrinkled hand reach for his sword. Then he realized what it was! The metal that was his sword was his wife, and it was what would someday be a family! It was his soul. And if Fuiko took it from him.

"Don't touch my sword! You can't have it!"

Laughter filled the fake church hall. "Think that'll stop me! Your panic and worry can only strengthen me! Now it's mine!"

The clawed hand wrapped around the sheath, and instantly Skabar felt himself drained of life. Then he watched as Fuiko's hand turned to dust and fell to the ground. He turned to his right, and there he saw Rei.

"Back, demon."

There the gold bird stood, an aura of light around him. The light merely blinded Skabar, and was having an interesting effect on the surroundings. Skabar looked around, and saw the dust and grime roll back to reveal beautiful paintings all around the hall. Rei just stood there, with his hands in his pockets.

Fuiko shrunk back into a corner, and his eyes gleamed with an intense hatred. He hissed at Rei as he climbed upwards into the corner of the now gleaming hall.

"You fool! How can you possibly defeat the Emperor! Why don't you run away before he deems you unworthy to live!"

Calmly Rei looked up, smiled, and said with an utter serenity, "Be gone."

The raccoon turned to dust, and the dust had vanished before it hit the ground. Skabar felt his life return to him, and felt the shackles of worry fall off.

"Rei," he cried in happiness. "Oh Rei, thank you!"

He smiled so calmly at Skabar, it would have been eerie if he wasn't blazing with such light. "Skabar, they say in all lies there is some truth. You've been a great help to me, but only I can run this last lap. You do understand, right?"

The weasel nodded. "Yes, Rei. I've done all I could for you, please, send me back to Lily."

Rei nodded, and Skabar vanished.

…

Aerot walked through a fevered dream.

His entire body felt weak, and he could barely stand, which made him wonder how he was walking.

"Gosh, where am I?" He said, though could barely muster the interest.

"You're walking though a shadow."

"Hmm, so where's Sera? Wasn't I walking with her?" Pain cut though his midsection. He groaned. "No, she was carrying me! I was dying!"

"Calm down, Aerot."

"Then I'm still dying, aren't I?"

"Be calm, Aerot. I had to separate the two of you briefly, together you might have killed each other."

He tried to calm down, but he felt the eyes of death on his neck. "Am I dying?"

"Think of Sera, and calm down. I can send you to a hospital somewhere, but you must trust me."

"What? Why? Who are you?"

"I am Rei."

"I don't know anyone named Rei."

"Yes, you do Aerot, but you're losing your mind to the shadows and the pain. Just trust me, and you'll live."

"No, I won't!"

"When I first met you, I trusted you. I saw a goodness in you, I saw it in the shine of your sword."

"When did I meet you?"

"At Sieve, when you were a secret agent. Remember that?"

"I remember, a wife. I remember a job. Glasses. Yes, I'm an optometrist, not a secret agent! Ridiculous."

"How can I make you trust me, Aerot?"

"I'd be surprised if you could."

"Then I will have to think very hard."

Aerot laughed at him.

"Whom do you trust, Aerot?"

He thought about it. "Myself… my wife I guess."

"How about your customers? The ones who buy glasses from you?"

"Trust them? Why would I?"

"Because if you didn't, then you wouldn’t be able to help them solve what was wrong with them. A doctor's trust, even if you were an optometrist."

"Yes, so."

"Then trust me, it would make me very happy if I could send you to somewhere safe. It would heal me to know you were safe."

"How do I know if where you send isn't worse than here?"

"Look around, could it be?"

Aerot thought this was sound advice, and decided he might as well trust the voice. "A little trust goes along way, send me away."

"Thank you, Aerot. I'll see you again sometime."

And Aerot was gone.

…

Servan dragged Aerot's body, which was oddly wrapped all in yellow bandages, up another step. "I can see light ahead, we just have to reach it."

Aerot said nothing.

"Just a bit further, and we'll be free of this hell."

She felt as if she had been climbing stairs for an eternity. Thirty more passed with out a word, and then she looked back, and felt that she hadn't gone anywhere at all. Looking up, at the light still far away made her despair even more.

With a sigh she sat down on the step, next to Aerot. "I feel like I'm thirsty, but when I bend to get a drink, the water escapes from me."

She shook her head. "No, that's just life I guess."

"When this is all over, I wonder what I'll do?"

"I don't know, I don't know."

"Aerot, why don't you say anything?"

"Are you dead?"

"What?"

She strained to look upwards or downwards.

"Where did the stairs go?"

"Do you hear thunder?"

She felt like she was falling, and when she reached to grab anything to hold onto, she found nothing.

"No! Is that Bresen in the distance?"

"Is he coming back?"

"Didn't we kill him?"

Falling, she was falling.

"No, he killed you!"

Ground rushed up to meet her body.

"He killed me!"

Then a spear was thrust though her.

"I'm bleeding, straight from the gut."

She opened her eyes, and she was sitting on the floor in darkness. Nothing was around her, except the stench of death.

"The land of the death? This can't be!"

A voice like a cool breeze floated to her from the darkness. "Sera, it's okay."

"Rei? Is that you?"

A light suddenly shone in the distance, and she could feel this time she could really reach it. She began to run towards it, and it did grow nearer to her. Yet still despair clung to her heart.

"Where's Aerot, is he dead?"

"No, but he's very weak."

"Please, let me see him."

"I cannot, but if you come to me, I can bring you to his side."

"Please."

Still running, and still gaining ground, she was suddenly worrying again as silence filled the air. "Don't leave me!"

"Oh Sera, I wouldn't leave you. I was just thinking… you have changed for the better. It is very nice to see."

"Me?"

"Come to the light, Sera. And, bless you."

Then she was gone as well.

…

"Hey Rei, look up at the stars. Aren't they beautiful?"

Rei was six again, and on his back looking at the stars in the woods.

"Yes they are, Tero."

"They can send people into space, and when I am old, I want to go to those stars. I want to go to that star."

He strained his eye to follow where his friend's hand was pointing. There a star winked at them. It was very far away.

"It calls out to me, it wants to speak with me. It wants me to play there, in the dirt there."

Rei looked to his friend. "Can I come to?"

Tero nodded. "Yes, of course."

…

His presence was losing its effect on the tower and the shadows. While before, like in the church hall, he had wiped it clean of malfeasance, now the two opposing forces were muting themselves into a dull gray. A monotonic shell that was either a twisted work of art, or a patch of marred wood or rough stone made beautiful.

"I'm coming, Tero. I hope you've left me something too."

He had walked through countless halls, and flown up innumerable flights of stairs. Higher and higher he had climbed the tower. Servan had nearly been right; it did go up into the sky almost forever.

Stairs came into his path again, and he stopped in front of them. It was just an illusion, they weren't really there. He waved his hand, and the shadow was gone. Instead there was a door. "Not up in the sky, but upon the earth is a door."

"I open the door, and look into the room. What will I see?" He smiled. "I will find my old, and once very dear friend."

His hand reached for the door, and he turned the knob. "I just pray now, that all was not for nothing. That at least someone was brought into the light from all this. That someone tasted salvation."

The door was swung open.

"Childhood friend."

A room lay before him, all made of rich cut, and dark toned, marble. There across the room was a throne, and upon that throne sat Tero. Indeed he was an imposing tyrant sitting atop that golden seat, with a cloak stained bright red about him, and a bare sword in his hands.

Rei nearly laughed. Had he ever been in such a position before? What are the first words spoken between two friends who have not seen each other for twenty years? Or was it fifteen hundred?

He couldn't stand it, he laughed before he said the words that needed to be said. "How are you, Tero?"

Tero looked at Rei oddly, and shook his head in disgust. "How can you?"

He wanted to laugh, but knew he shouldn't. "How could I what, Tero?"

The red bird stood up from his throne, and swept his cloak across his shoulders in a noble fashion. His wings behind him were folded neatly on his back.

Upon closer inspection Rei was a bit surprised by Tero's appearance. The cloak that had at first appeared regal was tattered and stained black. He could see deep bags under the red bird's eyes, and his wings were molted and falling apart. Tero was thin and gaunt, and seemed on the verge of death from starvation. The armor he wore hung around him loosely, seeming to almost be falling off.

"Having been eating much, Tero?"

This caused him to look down at himself. "I have purified my body, if you must know. No filth is inside of me. I am pure and clean."

Rei shook his head. "You don't look well."

The red bird tried to stand up straight, to act as menacing as possible. It almost brought a tear to Rei's eye, that he should see his friend try so vainly to be more than he was. "That is hardly your concern! Now, tell me! Why did you come here and disturb me!"

It was almost as if Tero didn't recognize him. "You called me here, Tero. I followed your voice."

"I remember no such thing."

Rei smiled a disarming smile. "Remember me, your friend? Rei Kiljrow?"

Tero stepped back, and placed stood bowlegged, and he then took firm grip with both hands on his sword. Then he started laughing. "Of course I remember you! How could I forget you? Even after fifteen hundred years I remember everything. I even remember more than that! I've gone so far back into my mind that I have seen the face of my real parents."

This was something, as far as he knew, that he did not know. "You were adopted?"

The Emperor loosened up a bit. "Of course you wouldn't know, would you Rei? Your parents were the ones who found me, out on the beach that night long ago. It didn't really matter, my parents were just some decadent people, just dust in the wind. Not like you, though.

"You remember how we would look at stars, right? The sun you see above this world, I thought it was calling to me, but it was calling to you! This is your real home, this is where you belong! Not me!"

Rei shook his head. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying."

Tero laughed. "When I first got here, do you know what happened? The North World wept for me? I was a lost soul, lost in the vastness of the cosmos. The people who had adopted me on our old world, they didn't care about me, and the North World knew it! The North World adopted me, took me as its own. I could not come to harm, it was not allowed."

"What's your point?"

He sneered at Rei. "Why didn't you look for me? After everything that happened? I was so sure that you'd find me."

Rei stared blankly at Tero. "How could I? There was nothing I could do?"

"Don't tell me that, don't give me excuses!"

He was about to say something, and then he stopped and clapped his hands. "We've gotten off on the wrong foot, Tero. I'm sorry."

"Hah! You act like you can ask for forgiveness now! Absurd! I've been trapped here for fifteen hundred years! I saw how you looked at me; I am a wraith of my former self. I am a shadow of what I could have been!"

Rei took a step towards him. "If I ask forgiveness, can we find a way to fix that? Is there a way that you would forgive me?"

Tero smiled, and nodded slowly. "See in my hand? I hold the Eclipse Sword. It's power runs through me, and is me! The same is with you and the Eclipse Stone."

Now he took a step back. "You want the Eclipse Stone, from me?"

"Yes."

"What would you do if I gave it to you?"

As if it were nothing, Tero waved his arms. "I could then make everything better."

"How?"

Tero was struck dumb by the question. "How? My way, of course."

Rei slung his head down. "I missed you, Tero. Even at so young an age I went to your funeral and cried. I knew there was no body, and I couldn't be sure if you were dead, but there and then I prayed for you."

"Give me the stone."

"We can fix things, Tero! Together!"

"Give it to me!" Tero raised his sword in the air.

"They're of a matched set, we can work together. Why not?"

Higher and higher the sword went. "Don't make me do something in anger! Give me the stone, now!"

Rei raised his hands in front of himself. "Swing your sword, and you'd destroy both. Two actions brought together in such opposition… please, forgive me and we can start anew!"

Tero lowered the Eclipse Sword, and reached to his belt for a knife. "No! That's just an attempt to forget the past! I won't do that! I can't!" Tero tapped his head with his free hand. "It's all here! All driven deep into my mind! You would expect me to forget, wouldn't you?"

"The path you are on now leads to ruin! Do you want that instead! Soften your heart."

Tero sighed. "Give in, or I will regret what I do next."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Kill me if that's what it takes for forgiveness!"

Rei reached inside of his jacket, and felt a handle of some sort of blade. Then he looked Tero in the eyes. What could he see there? Coldness? Warmth? Hate or despair? Love or hope? A void, he saw nothing but a bleak vacuum.

One of them spoke.

"This dagger, right through your heart!"

"Then do it! Maybe your eyes will be open then!"

Why?

Tero struck his knife right through Rei's heart.

Why could he do such a thing? They were friends, or had been friends, had they not?

He pulled back the knife in shock, and looked to see that he had been stabbed instead.

"Of course, like striking a shadow. Its not the truth," he muttered to himself.

Tears began to pour down Rei's face. "What? Why is this?"

Tero turned and began to stagger across the room. He reached the throne, and fell to the ground, then stood himself up with his back to the throne. He looked to Rei, and then clutched his heart. "I'm sorry, Rei."

Rei stared bleakly, and somewhat angrily at Tero. He said nothing in reply.

"Don't do this now, Rei. Forgive me! I think I can see clearly enough now."

He shook his head, and then reached to his eyes and pulled away cobwebs. Had they been there the whole time? Then he began to cry. "I do forgive you, Tero. Is it really you?"

The red bird nodded weakly. "Yes, yes it is. But, I'm dying now. I really am dying."

"I'm sorry too, that after so long I gave up on you. I should have fought to save you. Should have given everything of me for you. That's a true friend, not one such as I."

"I'm going now. This body… is losing its grasp…"

"Forgive me, Tero?"

Words could not come to him, but Tero nodded, and then mouthed the words, "Of course. Of course."

Then his eyes closed, and he stirred no more.

The only sound in the room, was Rei crying.

But that can't be where the tale ends.

Rei would not allow that.

He cried for a very long time. How long did he cry exactly? As long as it took. To wash all of the hurt away. He cried until the worry, the despair, and the pain was gone. He cried it all out. The tears ran down his face, and then down his arms, and down his chest, and down his legs. It made him clean, and it made him whole.

Then, when it was all dry. He walked to Tero's body, and picked up the Eclipse Sword. It was dead through and through. Whatever hatred and greed had been inside of it before was now gone with Tero.

"One last thing to do, Rei." The voice was hauntingly familiar, but he could tell there was much sadness in it.

"Valgain, come to haunt me once more?"

For whatever reason, Rei could just make out Valgain's body. It was an ethereal specter, yet it stood tall and proud dressed in shining armor. "Yes, Rei. For there is one last thing I want to see done! I want you to take the Eclipse Stone from where you hid it, and I want to you to smash those two infernal weapons! Destroy them once and for all."

Rei nodded. The Eclipse Stone was then in his left hand, and the Eclipse Sword in his right. Nothing could stop him from destroying them. There was no greed in him that lusted for their beauty, and there was no hunger the power they might promise. All he had to do was bring them together, and let them cancel each other out of existence.

"To destroy, and to create. The cycle that never ends. Revenge is the same, but beyond the grave such as I, I will see an end to it."

Closer and closer he brought the silver together, but stopped abruptly when an evil presence filled the room. Appearing at the opposite side of the room of Valgain was a tall rat ghost dressed in golden armor. Rei blinked, and though he had never seen the thing before, he knew who it was.

"Beuter," he roared at the ghost. "See that I am about to destroy that which you lusted so much after!"

The ghost drew his sword, and angrily scowled at Rei. "It is good for me that you are in such a shadow! I can kill you even as a ghost!"

Rei laughed. "You can't defeat me when I have these! And I wouldn't let you for what you've done to my friend!"

Valgain floated to stand in between Rei and Beuter. "This is the last battle, dead King! When that lad brings those weapons together, you and I will cease to be!"

Now the dead king laughed. "I'll kill him before then! Chop off his arms and stab him through his heart!"

The turtle ghost drew his own sword. "No, you won't. Rei, do it!"

But he found himself somewhat hesitant. "Valgain, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"If I destroy these, then you'll not go to heaven."

The turtle laughed. "What do you mean?"

"The vengeance inside of you for so long, you'll go right to hell."

"I thought you didn't think of those things? Just destroy them, and then I can rest!"

"But…"

"Do it! Heaven and Hell are for the living to decide! Destroy those weapons and I can be rid of them for good!"

Rei sighed, and brought the two silver weapons together. The light in the room began to grow bright with a blue glow. Above him the ghosts whirled about like a cyclone, and for a moment he saw Valgain's face.

Valgain cried out to Beuter, "I'm dragging you to Hell! Once and for all!" The light grew so bright after a minute that Rei wasn't able to see his hand in front of his face. And when the light faded to a steady white, he knew it was all over. The room did not reappear before him; everything was a cool white, with the exception of him and Tero's body.

He let out a sigh of relief. "It really is all over."

A haunting voice lifted up into the air. He didn't recognize it that well, but he knew that he had heard it before. "Is it, Rei?"

In horror Rei watched as thick black smoke began to drift out of Tero's eyes and mouth, and began to cloud above him. In a moment the visage of a wolf dressed in black armor appeared before him. He knew who it was; it was the second dead king.

"I am the King Nacon! Blacksmith Lord who built the Eclipse Sword and Stone, and until now, the Emperor of the North World living in Tero!"

Rei was shocked. "That can't be! I left you in limbo."

A booming laughter filled the air. "I followed you out, but was drawn to that moment that Beuter was killed! Sensing that I could enter into him, I possessed Tero! Ever since then we have ruled the North World."

He was silent. What could he do? "What do you want now, dead king?"

Again it laughed. "I shall enter into you now, and reclaim my kingdom."

"What if I resist?"

The ghost drew a sword from its belt. "Then I shall kill you, take your soul, and enter into your lifeless vessel!"

Rei had his turn to laugh. "And if I kill you!"

Nacon fell silent. "You wouldn't."

"I could!"

"I'm not that easy to kill."

He began to count on his fingers. "I've killed beasts, dragons, and demons! Like heck I couldn't kill a ghost like you."

"Do so and lose your mind!"

He raised his hand and laughed. "As opposed to losing my soul! Be gone ghost! Let loose your grip on this earthly plain!"

The ghost's hand flew to his chest, as a beam of light pierced his body. "No! Don't do this, Rei! We could rule the North World together. We could build a new Eclipse Sword and a new Stone! A utopia!"

He laughed a bit. "Pathetic lies."

Now the ghost laughed back at him. "Well, at least you are dying as well!"

Rei coughed and felt to his heart. "Blood, on my shirt? How? Is this a trick of your Nacon?"

The ghost smiled as he disappeared in one last laugh.

Rei fell backwards exhausted. "This is it then? Now its really over…"

He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and relief poured over his body. An angel had come for him. He looked above himself and saw the creature of light stare at him. He couldn't make out a face, but bright vibrant blue eyes looked at him amidst bright golden hair. It wore armor of white, and perhaps wings did flow from its back, besides the sword it held it was hard to discern anything.

"Hello, Rei," it said to him. "You know I have come for you."

Rei nodded. "Yes, I know. But there's something I want to ask you."

"Oh, what is that?"

He jerked his head towards Tero. "Don't send Tero to Hell, I'll go in his stead if necessary. He just wouldn't deserve it."

The angel laughed. "Do you think he would be there? How could Tero be corrupted by the world, if he had never really been there."

Rei smiled. "So, Beuter was in him for that long?"

"He was almost the one you called friend." The angel frowned a bit, if it could. "You don't want to let go of life here, do you?"

"I had a good time, what can I say."

"There's something more, isn't there?"

He nodded. "I want to see my friends one last time."

The angel shook its head. "I can't let you do that, Rei. Besides, you sent them to safe places yourself. You know that they are all well."

He sighed. "Then there's one other thing."

Darned if the angel didn't know, but it played dumb. "What is it, Rei?"

"This letter," he said as he reached into his coat pocket. "This is a letter for a girl I liked, but there's no way I can get it to her. It's a good bye letter."

"Why, Rei?"

"Because I couldn't be with her, and I wanted to say I loved her before I left. It's too late now though, isn't it?"

"If you brought the letter to her, would you then come home with me?"

"Yea, that'd be great."