Lattimer halted abruptly in the corridor of the castle prison, high atop Mount Kalas. He shuddered as he felt the strong disturbance in the magical fold of the world. Lattimer ground his teeth as he realized the significance of the disturbance; King Arik had just restored the Emerald of the Elves to the Sword of Heavens. Sarac would be furious. Lattimer worried that the Dark One might kill most of the garrison to alleviate his frustration in foiling the Ancient Prophecy. After all, Sarac had been getting nastier with each passing day.

“Lattimer!” Sarac shouted from his distant office.

Lattimer bit his lip and closed his eyes as he heard the Dark One calling. Mindful that he might be the next one to die, Lattimer hurried to Sarac’s office. Half expecting to see dead bodies strewn across the floor of the office, and Sarac in a murderous rage, Lattimer was surprised to walk through the door and find the Dark One sitting calmly at his desk.

“I felt it, too,” sighed Lattimer. “The lad’s luck is uncanny.”

“He does seem to live a charmed life,” Sarac nodded. “That is something that we must change. What gem is next?”

“The Dragons’ Onyx,” answered Lattimer. “We never expected him to get this far.”

“He has had great help in getting this far,” scowled Sarac.

“From the beginning we expected Alexander and Jenneva Tork to be involved,” nodded Lattimer. “They also appear to be charmed.”

“I don’t mean them,” interrupted the Dark One.

“Who do you mean then?” questioned Lattimer.

“I am not sure,” frowned Sarac, “but someone more powerful than them. When I felt the disturbance a moment ago, it was like someone had just taken a cloth sack from over my head. The Emerald of the Elves has defeated whoever was interfering with my powers. We are lucky that our men were not successful in destroying it.”

“I am confused,” admitted Lattimer. “Are you saying that someone has been in control of your mind?”

“I am not sure what I am saying,” Sarac shook his head. “Haven’t you noticed that I had become confused and disorganized lately?”

“And more prone to violence,” Lattimer nodded cautiously.

“It is not like me to be disorganized,” sighed Sarac. “And never can I remember being confused. I have always known what I wanted and how to get it, until recently that is. Someone or something was affecting me. I felt the magical force lift off of me at the moment the Emerald of the Elves was fitted to the Sword of Heavens. That action broke the spell.”

“But all that should have happened is the destruction of the Darkness,” posed Lattimer.

“Yes, the Darkness,” spat Sarac. “That is what has been affecting me. I am sure of it now. I felt more burdened every time a gem was recovered. I thought it was the stress of losing the battle of the Ancient Prophecy, but I have never been one to buckle under stress.”

“But the Darkness is your own spell,” Lattimer pointed out. “It could not conflict with your own goals.”

“Couldn’t it?” retorted Sarac. “You forget who taught me the spell.”

“Alutar?” exclaimed Lattimer. “You think the Great Demon tricked you into casting a spell that would degrade your powers?”

“That is exactly what I think,” nodded Sarac. “I was an eager fool to trust Alutar. Looking back, there is absolutely no way that Alutar would trust me to release him. He is using me as a puppet.”

“I don’t understand,” Lattimer shook his head. “You are the only chance of escape that Alutar has. Why would he deceive you?”

“A number of reasons,” explained the Dark One. “First, Alutar has never known honesty. Deceit is his nature, and it should be expected of him in every instance. As for being his only chance of escape, I think we have overlooked something. There is no way that Alutar is going to wait patiently as a captive for a thousand years while I rule the world. He is using me in someway to accomplish his escape. The Darkness spell is the key to his plans. I eagerly used it as he knew I would.”

Lattimer gazed out the window while he pondered Sarac’s words. Slowly, he began to nod.

“The Darkness affected your abilities,” Lattimer began. “Now that the Darkness is gone, it no longer affects you. How can Alutar benefit from that?”

“I am not sure,” replied the Dark One. “It is almost as if Alutar was present in the Darkness. Now that the Darkness is gone, he can no longer affect me.”

“But the Darkness is not really gone,” mused Lattimer. “It has just been removed from certain areas.”

“Yes,” frowned Sarac. “That means that Alutar still exists and still plans to escape somehow, but how?”

“If he truly exists in the Darkness,” posed Lattimer, “what happens when the last gem is restored to the Sword of Heavens?”

“That is the moment of his escape,” declared the Dark One. “If he IS the Darkness, than it will congeal into the Great Demon.”

“That is also the time of your prophesized death,” Lattimer pointed out.

“Alutar would surely help King Arik to dispose of me,” scowled Sarac. “If I live, he is bound to let me rule for a thousand years. If I read Alutar correctly, he will not be willing to wait that long.”

“But if you can stop the Ancient Prophecy from being fulfilled,” smirked Lattimer, “Alutar’s escape is foiled.”

“It would serve him right,” cackled Sarac. “So let’s get to work on this problem. You have managed to sway one of the stronger dragons to my side?”

“Not one of the stronger dragons,” grinned Lattimer. “The strongest, meanest dragon of them all is on our side. He will try to force the other dragons to aid us as well. Even Jenneva’s magic will be put to the test to deal with him.”

“Excellent,” nodded Sarac. “I also want Emperor Hanchi’s army for my own. What have you managed to find out about it?”

“Not much,” Lattimer admitted. “I have sent men in, but they have never been heard of again. Hanchi must have a powerful mage in his employ.”

“Find out who this mage is and destroy him,” ordered the Dark One. “Once that is done, demand that Emperor Hanchi submit to my rule. If he refuses, kill him and use Reflecting Pool to replace him. What about Sarac’s Ravens?”

“Hagik has proved to be a disappointment,” reported Lattimer. “I have ordered his death. He will be replaced by Calastano.”

“Calastano is capable,” nodded Sarac. “Do you have faith in him?”

“I do,” nodded Lattimer. “His first request was for replacements. Hagik lost quite a few good men, but Calastano request revenants as replacements. That indicates to me that he will aggressively pursue King Arik.”

“Good,” responded Sarac. “It would appear that the Ranger assault on Mount Kalas was a ruse.  Is that how you see it?”

“Undoubtedly,” agreed Lattimer. “Still, we could not take the chance that it was a ruse. This is our last stand. We could not afford to have our defenses destroyed.”

“I understand,” Sarac said. “I want those troops sent to Tor. The Castle of Man WILL fall this time. I am tired of always being one step behind King Arik. After the Castle of Man is destroyed, I want that entire army to march on Tagaret. I also want to be in control of the Lanoirian army by then so it can march northward at the same time.”

“Isn’t that a bit of overkill?” questioned Lattimer.

“There is no such thing as overkill when my life is on the line, Lattimer,” declared the Dark One. “I want Tagaret crushed so badly that nobody will ever remember a city as having been there. Hopefully the dragons will put an end to King Arik, but I am no longer going to take chances. We attack on all fronts with everything we have. I want this Ancient Prophecy ended. Afterwards, we can figure out a way to make Alutar suffer for his deceit.”

“It shall be as you command,” assured Lattimer. “Do you need anything else while I am here?”

“Yes,” smirked Sarac, “I want to review the defenses of my castle. You have five minutes warning. I trust you have been keeping my forces on alert. Now I shall see how well you are doing in that area.”

Lattimer swallowed hard and backed swiftly out of the office.

* * *

Fredrik practiced his sword skills by fighting against an imaginary foe. It was an exercise that he had seen Alexander Tork use many times, but as much as Fredrik tried to imagine an opponent, he just could not get the grasp of fighting nothing but air. Finally he stopped and shook his head in displeasure.

“Why are you stopping?” asked Niki who had been watching from a log near the campfire. “That was hardly long enough to be good practice.”

“I know,” sighed Fredrik as he walked to the campfire and sat next to Niki. “I just can’t make an imaginary foe work for me. It all seems so childish.”

“But you need to be good with a sword,” protested Niki. “Remember that the whole world is depending upon you. You have to kill Sarac with the Sword of Heavens. Nobody else can do it.”

“I know,” Fredrik snapped testily.

“Don’t get mad at me,” retorted Niki. “It is not my fault that you are Sarac’s descendent.”

“I know,” Fredrik sighed. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at you. I guess I am just frustrated. I find Master Khatama’s magic lessons challenging and enjoyable, but I do not think I am made of warrior material. I would much rather kill the Dark One with my magic.”

“That won’t work,” frowned Niki. “You know what the Ancient Prophecy says about that. Only the Sword of Heavens can slay the Dark One, and only when yielded by his descendent. That is you, Fredrik.”

“I understand the Ancient Prophecy just fine,” assured Fredrik. “That is why I even bother to practice with a sword, but I need an opponent to properly practice. I can’t just fight imaginary foes.”

“Don’t look at me,” protested Niki. “I am not going to spar you with a sword. Alex tried to teach me to use a sword. He gave up quick enough. I have no desire to use a weapon. Maybe Master Khatama will spar with you.”

Fredrik turned and gazed at the old merchant who was sitting on the seat of the wagon, staring off into the desert.

“What is bothering Master Khatama?” Fredrik asked. “He sits all day and stares into the desert. Even when he is teaching me spells, I can tell that I don’t have his full attention. Has he said anything to you?”

“Barely a peep,” frowned Niki. “I am worried about him. I have never seen him like this. We never stayed so long in one place either. Why do we have to camp next to a desert?”

“It is as if he is waiting for something to happen,” mused Fredrik.

“I can’t imagine what could happen here,” shrugged Niki. “This is the most barren place in the world. I can’t even find any decent animals to talk to.”

Suddenly, Master Khatama smiled and climbed off the seat of the wagon. He strode purposely towards the campfire with a grin on his face.

“Stoke the fire for dinner,” ordered the old merchant as he reached into the back of the wagon and pulled out a large turkey. “We are having a guest tonight.”

Fredrik looked quizzically at Niki who was staring at Boris. The young mage shook his head as he stooped and shoved a few logs into the fire.

“Who is coming?” asked Niki. “Do we know him? Should we be prepared to defend the campsite?”

“Defend the campsite?” Boris echoed. “Heavens, no,” he chuckled. “An old friend of mine is coming. I doubt you could defend it from him anyway.”

Fredrik straightened and looked at Boris with curiosity clearly evident in his eyes. “Is he a warrior or a mage?” he asked Master Khatama.

“A mage of course,” replied Boris as he prepared the turkey. “One of the finest mages alive today. Both of you must show the greatest respect to Master Mustar when he arrives. Perhaps he will agree to give you lessons, Fredrik.”

“I could hardly impose upon his short time here to ask for lessons,” Fredrik shook his head. “That would not be very respectful of me.”

Master Khatama halted and stared at Fredrik quizzically before chuckling. “I am sorry,” he apologized. “I guess I forgot to tell you. Master Mustar is not just coming for dinner. He is coming to join us. He will be traveling with us from now on.”

“Is that why we have been waiting here?” asked Niki. “We were waiting for him to find us?”

“He does not have to search for us,” explained Boris. “He knows exactly where we are camped. We have been waiting for the Emerald of the Elves to be restored to the Sword of Heavens. Did you not feel it this morning?”

“Feel it?” questioned Fredrik. “I didn’t feel anything strange. Do you mean that you can feel when a gem is found?”

“Why were we waiting for that?” asked Niki.

“Of course I can feel it,” answered Boris. “Sorry. I forget sometimes that others cannot feel it. As for why we were waiting for it to happen, Niki, Mustar and I had a theory to validate. It could only be validated when the next gem was restored to the Sword of Heavens. Mustar and I will compare notes tonight to see if we observed the same things.”

“What were you supposed to observe?” inquired Fredrik. “Maybe I can help with the observations.”

“You are not ready just yet,” smiled Boris. “It is a theory about the character of the Darkness. That character changed this morning when the Emerald of the Elves was inserted into the Sword of Heavens. If Mustar agrees with my assessment, then we have a long journey ahead of us.”

“Where are we going?” asked Niki.

“Here he comes now,” announced Master Khatama as a distant figure emerged from the desert.

Fredrik squinted at the figure coming from the desert. He saw an old man with thin gray hair. The man was rather short and certainly was not the imposing figure one would expect for a powerful magician. Fredrik thought that the man would look right at home on the porch of an old cabin rocking in a wooden chair and swatting flies with a rolled piece of cloth. As Mustar got closer, Fredrik noticed the old man’s eyes. They showed none of the age evident in the rest of the man’s body. Mustar’s eyes were young and alert, and they swept the campsite carefully, cataloguing the inhabitants and swiveling enough to verify that nobody was lurking about in the sparse vegetation surrounding the wagon.

“Welcome, Mustar,” greeted Master Khatama. “These two are Niki and Fredrik. Dinner is almost ready.”

“Fredrik is the descendent of Sarac?” responded Mustar as he entered the campsite and stood near the back of the wagon.

Fredrik frowned at Mustar’s knowledge of his identity, but Boris nodded and smiled.

“He is a talented young man,” Boris stated. “I mentioned that you might help with his lessons while we travel.”

“While we travel? So you have already reached a conclusion from your observations?” questioned Mustar with raised eyebrows. “I would have thought that we were meant to compare findings before you decided a course of action by yourself.”

“Can you refute my observations?” questioned Boris. “I do not mean to exclude you from any discussion of findings, Mustar, but surely you understand the urgency that is required for this task. We do not have time to deal with hurt feelings. Am I wrong in asking you to join me?”

“I am sorry,” Mustar shook his head. “My findings obviously match yours or I would not be here. I have spent so long in isolation with only my student that I forget all need for manners. Forgive me. I can think of no greater calling than to join you on this quest. I consider your invitation an honor.”

“Let us eat,” suggested Boris. “We should retire early tonight so we can get an early start.”

The group of magicians gathered around the campfire and ate silently. Niki and Fredrik stole glances at Master Mustar, but neither of them was willing to offer small talk during the meal because of the rocky edge of emotion that Mustar displayed earlier. At the end of the meal, Boris rose.

“I am going to bed,” Master Khatama announced. “It will be crowded in the wagon until we find another horse. I suggest that we all get some sleep.”

Without further words, Boris walked off. Niki rose and gathered the utensils and took them to wash in a bucket. Mustar glanced at Fredrik and caught the young mage staring at him.

“I do not bite,” declared Mustar. “Not often anyways. I take it that you have not been informed of our mission?”

“I did not know we were waiting for anyone until you appeared,” replied Fredrik. “Where are we going and why?”

“It is not my place to say,” Mustar responded after a moment of hesitation. “I was ill-mannered when I argued with Master Khatama earlier. This journey is his. We are only along for what we can offer in aid to him. Do you understand who he is?”

“I have heard about the Mage,” nodded Fredrik. “I am not sure that I fully grasp who he is though.”

“At least you are honest,” smiled Mustar. “I feel the same, and I have been a Master for many years. The Mage is eternal. Some say that he is a child of the gods themselves. Others say his life is without beginning or end. Over the years I knew him as Egam. He was a Master when I was but a child.”

“Have you never asked him?” questioned Fredrik.

“I would not be so presumptuous,” smiled Mustar. “His answer in any event would likely be beyond my comprehension.”

“Master Khatama mentioned that you were involved in some type of experiment dealing with the Darkness,” offered Fredrik. “He said that he was waiting for the Emerald of the Elves to be restored before he could determine what to do next. Is that what this is all about? Are we on some quest to deal with the Darkness?”

“That is as close an answer as I could give,” nodded Mustar. “Master Khatama believes that the Darkness is the essence of Alutar, the Great Demon. I was skeptical at first, but I now concur. My analysis today only confirms my worst expectation.”

“But the Darkness will not matter much longer,” shrugged Fredrik. “King Arik will banish it entirely before long. He has already restored five of the seven gems required. It is my understanding that the seventh gem will eradicate the Darkness entirely.”

“That is what we are supposed to believe,” frowned Mustar. “In fact, King Arik must be stopped. He cannot be allowed to restore the Sword of Heavens completely. That is why I have come to assist the Mage.”

“Stop King Arik?” Fredrik blurted out. “I don’t understand. Everything we have been doing has been in support of Arik. I am supposed to kill Sarac with the restored Sword of Heavens. I do not believe your words. You must be trying to test my loyalty. Know that I stand firmly behind King Arik and his quest.”

“If you think this is a test of your loyalty,” scowled Mustar, “then you should wonder about who you should be loyal to. Does a young human king take precedence over an eternal Mage? Can you possibly believe that Arik’s quest is more important than Egam’s? If you do, you have no comprehension of the world or its history. Have you ever heard of the Great Demon, Alutar?”

“Alutar is the demon who anointed Sarac as the Dark One,” Fredrik replied hesitantly. “He is locked away in another Universe without any chance of escape.”

“So we were led to believe,” sighed Mustar. “Were that true, following King Arik would be the right thing to do. Unfortunately, we have all been tricked, including Sarac.”

“Including Sarac?” echoed Fredrik. “You are saying things that make no sense. You must explain yourself.”

“I am told that you are an intelligent and talented young man,” retorted Mustar. “Let me pose a dilemma to you and see what your conclusion is. You have been present at least once when the Sword of Heavens banished the Darkness?”

“Yes, I have,” nodded Fredrik.

“Where did the Darkness go?” inquired Mustar.

“It rolled away,” answered Fredrik.

“But to where?” pushed Mustar.

Fredrik hesitated and finally answered, “Back to the areas still covered with Darkness, I suppose.”

“A valid assumption,” agreed Mustar. “And where will it go when the last gem is restored to the Sword of Heavens? There will be no other Darkness for it to roll back to.”

“I don’t know,” admitted Fredrik. “I have never thought about it.”

“Nor has anyone else until just recently,” Mustar pointed out. “You see, that is the trick that we have all fallen for. The Darkness must go somewhere. At first it was thought to have been destroyed by the Sword of Heavens, but we now know that that is not true. The effects on Master Khatama’s memory proves that the Darkness is concentrating in areas that have not yet been cleared. So if it is not destroyed, but rather concentrated, what happens when the last gem is restored?”

“I suppose that someplace in the world there will be a dense cloud of Darkness,” offered Fredrik. “Is that so bad? If the place is known, could it not be charted and avoided?”

“Given the mass of the Darkness,” lectured Mustar, “when it finally gathers in that small dense cloud that you mention, it will no longer be a cloud. It will be solid.”

“Do you mean like a rock?” queried Fredrik. “If so, that would make things easier. It would be easy to dispose of.”

“You are slow,” Mustar shook his head. “The Darkness is alive. In fact, the Darkness is made up of the essence of Alutar. The trick that Alutar played on Sarac was to ensure the Great Demon’s freedom. When the seventh gem is restored to the Sword of Heavens, the Darkness will coalesce into Alutar himself.”

“But he is imprisoned,” argued Fredrik.

“He is imprisoned in the sense that he cannot see Junctions,” corrected Mustar. “His Universe is the only one that did not collapse, therefore we expect that he is imprisoned. Consider for a moment that Alutar would have no reason to trust Sarac. Add to your knowledge the fact that Alutar taught Sarac the spell that called forth the Darkness. By infusing himself into the Darkness, Alutar is not really in the Universe that we thought he was. Oh, his shell of a body may indeed be there, but a body means little to the Great Demon. I would not doubt for a moment that Alutar has been helping young Arik in some way. His goal, you see, is for Sarac to die. For when the seventh gem is fitted to the Sword of Heavens, Alutar is free at last.”

“But that would be catastrophic,” gasped Fredrik. “He surely has greater powers than the Dark One.”

“By many magnitudes,” declared Mustar.

“How can we rid the world of Sarac then?” asked Niki who had finished her chore and had listened silently to the exchange between Mustar and Fredrik.

“There is no need to kill Sarac,” proposed Mustar. “We let King Arik restore six of the seven gems. We let the armies of King Arik destroy Sarac’s creatures. All you have left is a mad magician held captive in a prison castle. Alutar cannot be formed until the seventh gem is restored, and it never will be restored. Do you understand now?”

“And what if King Arik is intent on restoring the seventh gem?” questioned Fredrik.

“He cannot be allowed to succeed,” stated Mustar. “Your job, Fredrik, is to ensure that he understands that.”

“My job?” asked Fredrik. “Why would he listen to me?”

“Because his life depends upon believing you,” replied Mustar. “The Mage will never let him succeed in his quest. Surely you can see that now?”

“If what you say is true,” agreed Fredrik, “but I find it hard to believe that Master Khatama would ever hurt Arik.”

“His responsibilities are to the world,” cautioned Mustar. “While it would pain him to destroy Arik, believe me that no power in the world could stop him. Do you know the transportation spell?”

“I have not learned it yet,” answered Fredrik.

“Then you shall learn it now,” Mustar declared as he rose. “You are to go to Tagaret and inform Arik of the Mage’s demands.”

“Shouldn’t he wait until morning?” interrupted Niki as she thought of Fredrik being away from her. “Shouldn’t Master Khatama give the instructions to Fredrik?”

“You could wait for morning,” Mustar nodded to Fredrik, “but there is no guarantee that Egam will want you to inform Arik. He may suspect that Arik can be stopped without his knowing why. I, however, see no harm in King Arik knowing exactly why he must not succeed. He still has an essential part to play in the Ancient Prophecy, but his efforts should be directed at destroying Sarac’s minions instead of Sarac himself. That is, after all, what will make this world a more hospitable place.”

“Would Master Khatama really destroy Arik?” asked Fredrik. “I cannot fathom that he could ever do that.”

“Truthfully,” Mustar sighed, “I do not know.  He might be able to thwart Arik’s plans without harming the lad. Perhaps he could protect the seventh stone in a way that makes it impossible for Arik to obtain it. It is not something that we have discussed. Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if Arik knew what was going on and agreed to the limitations? The Mage is not known for taking life casually, but there have been times when lives were taken for the good of all. When the Mage battled Alutar in Sagina, hundreds of elves were called upon to spend their lives in Egam’s defense. It did not bring joy to his heart to ask that of the elves, but it was necessary. It will be no different this time.”

“You should wait for Boris to get up in the morning,” pressured Niki.

Fredrik stared at Niki and then at Mustar. “No,” he finally said. “Mustar is correct that Master Khatama may not let me go. I am sure that he does not wish to contemplate Arik’s downfall until there is no other choice. Perhaps he feels that he can achieve his goal another way, but maybe that other way will fail. Arik needs to be informed. The chance of Alutar returning is too dangerous for us to worry about offending people. Teach me the transportation spell, Master Mustar.”