Myths and Gargoyles Jamie Hawke (i read a book .TXT) 📖

Ebrill grinned. “Exactly. And the Liahona is the key to its magic. If you watch closely, they’ll attack soon.”

“We shouldn’t waste time,” Aerona said.

“It’s dusk, it won’t be long.” Ebrill pointed to a group that had started moving toward the wall. “There, see. Must be a new group.”

As we watched, they began their assault, only to be surrounded by a thick fog of purple that swept down on them from the hills. Screams rose from below amid the clang of steel on steel, and Ebrill pulled me close.

“Are they… fighting themselves?” I asked.

She nodded. “The magic defends us, as long as we control Avalon. Which means, as long as they don’t get their hands on the Liahona.”

“I saw how the magic destroyed them. I don’t see why we should be worried.”

“We’ve been successful, for now,” Ebrill said. “But they’re bringing in everything they have, including some sorcerers of great power.”

“Surely, nothing we can’t handle,” Aerona said, flustered.

She led us on again. Soon we were at a wall of wooden posts that was sharpened at the top. It was much smaller than anything I would have expected from a place like this, but as we entered I got the impression we were not at the home of the magic but more of a forward operating base. The inside was made up of crude buildings, a larger one with a standard out front showing a tree surrounded by a spiraling golden light.

A woman stepped out from beneath this banner, power emanating from her hands as they motioned me forward. The power resonated outward, her orange and yellow robes flowing back from her like the sunset incarnate.

“Rianne,” Ebrill said, voice almost a whisper. “This is her.”

For a brief moment, my heart seemed to freeze as Rianne’s eyes met mine. A flash of orange and yellow crossed her eyes and then was gone. She motioned us forward and we approached, others now appearing behind her who might have been there the moment she stepped out, or might have been there the whole time—I couldn’t tell.

We stepped up to meet with Rianne. She stood tall but looked at me as if we were old friends.

“If we don’t save the Liahona, all of civilization will come to an end,” Rianne said, as if she had been able to hear our conversation. She turned to address her followers. “Or, that’s the story we’ve all been told.”

“What do you mean?” Ebrill asked, looking at her with wide eyes. “I was under the impression that this was our last stand. Where we would defend it to the end.”

“There’s more to this man you see before you,” Rianne said, indicating me. “I’ve foreseen his coming, and he will be the one to usher our world into an age of light. An age where the enemy only exists in shadows, in stories people tell at night to scare their friends and children. You will take the Liahona, Jericho, and in so doing will banish their kind from our world… for now.”

“I don’t understand,” I admitted.

“They’ll find a way to return, but it will be far from now, at a time you are familiar with. At that time, you must be ready. We are weakened, too far gone already and, as you might know, we have traitors in our midst.”

“There has to be a way we can fight,” Aerona growled. “It can’t end like this—”

“It won’t,” Rianne replied. “You will return to fight. Stronger, more powerful. But first, you must do as I say. I’ve seen every possible outcome. While I cannot guarantee success, I can guarantee that every other way ends in failure.”

“What do we have to do?” Ebrill asked.

“Bring the Liahona to the edge of Avalon while I hold off the enemy. There, a spell will be cast to end the presence of darkness on this planet, by removing Avalon and the Liahona.”

“Aside from you, only Gertrude knows how to cast such a spell,” Aerona said.

“Gertrude?” I perked up at that, thinking no way could it be the same person. But when a flap to a back room opened and she stepped in, I had no doubt. “How…?”

She looked younger than the version of my aunt I had known, but not by much. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“This… this doesn’t make sense.” I turned to Ebrill for help, but she shook her head, lost.

Rianne, however, spoke up. “It will, in time. For now, go with it. Gertrude will accompany you with the rest of the team acting as your guide. You all must reach the Heart of the Mountain, where it will all make sense. Reach that spot, and the enemy will not be able to touch you—although, you might find a new enemy.”

“Meaning?”

“Legends… a legend of a protector under a curse.”

My eyes went to Ebrill, as I knew from the future that she had a special way with curses. She, however, looked lost.

“But… you won’t be coming?” Gertrude asked, taking Rianne’s hands in her own. There was an intense intimacy there, one that made me see my aunt in a whole new light. Also, standing there with this woman from an ancient, magical time and place, made me realize that maybe referring to her as my aunt had been wrong all along. At that point, though, it had been so long—even if she wasn’t my real aunt, I didn’t care. Thinking of her in any other way felt wrong and confusing.

“I will defend our position here, keep them off your trail as long as possible,” Rianne said, and kissed Gertrude on the forehead. “We may see each other again one day, but… under very odd circumstances.” She looked around. “It’s settled, then. Gather the others and prepare to make the push through the pass. You must reach the heart of the mountain by morning.”

Aerona nodded in firm confirmation but Ebrill’s eyes showed worry. This wasn’t some simple escape the house mission, it was much more complicated. Whatever I had just become involved with was part of