Everville: The Rise of Mallory (11 page)

Chapter 11

Construction

I
n the underground land of the giants, General Varrick had just been contacted by The Keeper.

“General, it’s good to see you again,” The Keeper said.

“Yes, Keeper. How can we be of service?” General Varrick replied.

“As you know, since the worms were given sentience and all but one destroyed, the element is being concentrated and sent into that sole surviving dragon. I have called together a meeting of The Keepers where we will discuss the matter of how to stop the flow of the element.

“As preparation for what may come, we need to mine the mineral rocks present in both the land of the giants and in Brackenbone. Regardless of what will be done with the element, we’ll need something to hold it temporarily. We may also need to divert the water within Brackenbone behind the walls. Whatever is decided, we need your men to begin excavating and collecting as much as the mineral rock.

“We will need to place the rock in large piles by the monoliths and prepare for immediate construction once I have the specific plans. I also need the other half of your men to prepare for war. I fear that Mallory will attack with his dragon and perhaps armies from The Other In Between or maybe even with soldiers from other realms. With control of the element and its power growing, I fear an attack is imminent,” The Keeper said with regret.

“I will ready my men, Keeper,” General Varrick replied.

“I’m sorry a likely attack comes on the heels of the battle we just fought, especially with the loss of so many of your men. If I knew of any other way, I would not bother you,” The Keeper said in a mournful tone.

“I know you would, Keeper, but my giants are bred for war. We have been with you from the beginning, and we will be with you until the end. My men are honorable, and we will do the honorable thing by defending our land and our liberty from the evils that exist and from those who seek our destruction,” General Varrick said with sincerity.

“Your men are indeed honorable as are you. Your soldiers have learned from your example and your loyalty is invaluable to our cause. You have our gratitude; Everville is in your debt,” The Keeper said.

General Varrick immediately left his study and called on Borak.

“I trust you have recovered, Borak.”

“Yes, General. How can I be of service?”

“We once again need to split our armies in two,” General Varrick replied.

“First we need half our men mining the mineral rocks both here and behind the walls of Vermogen in Brackenbone. I would like you to lead that half of our men. You will travel through the monoliths and take with you one of the monstrums that we have constructed. The rest of the men under your command will mine the rock from within our land, and together you will pile the rock by the monoliths.

“The other half of our men will need to ready themselves for battle. They will need to gather all the necessary equipment and be prepared to move to any location at a moment’s notice. No one will be spared. All of our men will be called upon. We cannot lose this battle, but our enemy is still uncertain,” the General said.

“I’ll gather the men, General, and we will do what needs to be done,” Borak replied.

After being given his orders, Borak divided the men. He sent a large contingent to retrieve one of the monstrums and ready its transport through the monolith. He ordered several contingents to begin excavating the mineral rocks and piling it by the monoliths. Borak would escort the men transporting the monstrum to Brackenbone, since he was the largest of the giants and would be the greatest help in bringing the mineral rock from behind the wall of Vermogen.

Borak ordered Colonel Consilium, the smallest of the giants, to ready the other half of the men for battle. Everyone would be needed. No one would be spared.

In less than an hour, the entire land of the giants was filled with activity. The ground was in a constant motion as the movement of the giants shook it with each step and each leap.

Borak, along with a hundred of the largest giants, lifted one of the monstrums from its resting position. Because of it’s size, the monstrum was not intended to be moved more than a small distance at one time, which is why so many soldiers were required. It was made of solid metal, with the exception of the massive wooden arms that were only plated with metal shielding.

When Borak gave the order, all one hundred of the giants leapt into the air. Normally, the giants were able to cross a distance of hundreds, even thousands of feet at a time with a single leap. Even with a hundred giants, though, the best they could do was to move it a couple dozen feet. At this rate it would take half the day to make it to the monolith and another day’s journey to the walls of Vermogen in Brackenbone.

The rest of Borak’s soldiers went ahead through the monolith and started mining the mineral rock with their fists and small tools. By the time Borak reached his destination and the monstrum was in place, large piles of the minerals were already growing by each of the monoliths.

Borak helped position the monstrum. His was assisted by the Ubaloo. The Ubaloo made a large chain that helped carry the pulverized rock from the distant walls of Vermogen to the portal’s entrance. The Ubaloo were small, but their muscles were very strong sturdy.

Faine, one of the Ubaloo that fought alongside Borak in The City of Worms, stood at his feet assisting the rest of them. The word had gone out to all the Ubaloo in Brackenbone about the needed mineral rock and the looming battle. Every single Ubaloo came to the aid of Borak and his soldiers. For miles and miles, a long chain of bodies, Ubaloo and giants, stretched as far as the eye could see.

The same thing could be seen in the land of the giants. Word had also gone out to the Fron, the marmooks, and all the friendly races in Everville and all of its surrounding lands. The Keepers who guarded the portals to each realm allowed the races to pass through to the land of the giants in order to assist in the transport of the mineral rock.

In addition, volunteer soldiers from Everville, the land of the Fron, and the eight other realms that surrounded it came to join in the inevitable fight. Armies gathered, half in each realm, and the other half in the land of the giants. This would be the largest battle ever fought in either Everville or The Other In Between. If their world was going to be defeated by Mallory and his dragon, the people of Everville would not go down without a fight.

The Keepers were pleased, as they always were, with the willingness of all the races to support one another and come to each other’s aid. There was deep concern, however, that this war would not be won by flesh and bone. Once enough of it was collected, the power within the element was limitless to whoever wielded it. If they were unable to stop Mallory or the dragon from gaining more element soon, the armies of a hundred multiverses would not be able to stop them. Mallory or the dragon could simply will them out of existence.

The key then for The Keepers was to break the flow of the element to the dragon. The problem was that only special minerals like those found in the underground catacombs could contain the element without damaging those who used it. Like all artifacts, there were repercussions to its use if it was not properly contained.

The Keeper Carwyn spoke up.

“It seems to me that we have a temporary solution. It’s true that the mineral rock in Brackenbone and the land of the giants may not be able to prevent the effects of the element from harming those who come in contact with it. It’s also true that we may not have time to collect enough of the special mineral beneath the catacombs of Everville to prevent that harm. We can, however, use all the portals and all the monoliths to collect the power once we have crushed the rock and extracted the mineral needed to initiate storage. That will break the flow of the element to the dragon.

“Once the flow is broken, the element will be stored in the portals and no one will be able to go through the portals until we’ve found another place to store or dissipate the element. The armies will be cut off and transport will be limited to the eight realms on foot. The land of the giants will also be cut off. The only method of transport between other realms will be through The Seven Pillars of Truth or by the few who can transport on their own.

“In the meantime, we should also collect enough of the special minerals in Everville capable of permanently containing the element safely. The armies and people may be cut off for a while, but those remaining in Brackenbone should be able to build a temporary container within a matter of weeks using the minerals from Everville. The portals can then redirect the element to the location in Brackenbone. We will still have the problem of hiding or dispersing the element, but that is a problem for another day,” The Keeper said.

“I agree,” said one of the other Keepers.

“I am very troubled that once again we will have a great concentration of the element in one location, but our present situation demands that we put a stop to the dragon’s increase in power immediately. Owen Sage will still need to find a way to defeat the dragon even then, but at least the increase in its power will be stopped. We need to be on guard, however, immediately upon reconnecting the portals. If the armies of Them or even some other race make a move against Brackenbone, then we will need to have a permanent solution for safely dissipating the element,” the same Keeper continued.

The Keepers were in agreement. Hooded heads nodded across the room, and those that guarded the portals returned to their places, and The Keepers who guarded Everville returned to their workshops. The decision had been made. The order was given and word went out to General Varrick in the land of the giants and to Borak in Brackenbone. They would continue the construction of added minerals to the monoliths, and when they were complete, the flow of the element to the dragon would be halted.

Chapter 12

The Agreement

B
ack on the former ice planet, Mallory decided it was now time to communicate with Rathlar about his intentions to create an alliance with the Alarians.

“Rathlar, I have something I want to tell you,” Mallory said aloud as well as mentally to the mind of the dragon.

“It’s time you understand where you came from and why you are here with me now. You already know that I rescued you from the evil hand of Owen Sage and the armies of Everville and the giants, but there is more you should know.

“Ages ago, a distant race known as the Alarians, your ancestors, came from a distant place not known to those in our realm. They laid their eggs in The Land of the Worms, and then they made their new home on the large moon that orbits this planet,” Mallory said.

Just then, the eyes of the dragon softened. He did not comprehend everything that Mallory was saying, but he knew that his parents were high above him, and that he was no longer alone.

Rathlar launched himself off the ground and flew as high as he could in the hopes of reaching the moon. Mallory let the dragon fly, hoping it would endear Rathlar to him even more and create hatred for Everville, The Keepers, and Owen Sage. The dragon flew higher and higher until the air was too thin to breathe or generate lift beneath its wings. Mallory could sense that Rathlar was about to use the element to transport itself to the moon, so he continued to communicate his earlier thought.

“Rathlar,” Mallory said, “your ancestors left their world because it was dying. They laid their eggs in The City of Worms because it contained negative energy. Their hope was that their race would continue on after they died. The lands surrounding The Other In Between contained the only type of energy they knew that could sustain them, but they had lived long lives and did not want to use up all of the negative energy before their eggs could hatch. That’s why they resigned themselves to living out the rest of their existence on the moon above until its primitive energy is depleted.

“There is, however, another type of power that could give them more life. That’s the element. They would be able to split apart the element, use what they needed, and discard the rest. I can give them that power. I can give them that energy,” Mallory communicated to the dragon.

“With the help of a great human, Jacob, from a distant realm, I have created artifacts like the one you see around my neck. These artifacts can collect the element for the Alarians, allowing them to live on until the death of this universe. Once they have the element, they will also be able to fight against the armies of Everville, The Keepers, and others that sought to destroy you.

“I’m going to visit the Alarians. I am going to give them the artifacts so they can live on, and then I am going to ask them to join us in the destruction of all the secrets and tricks used by The Keepers that prevent the flow of the element. Once they do that, we will destroy the armies of Everville and those that support the armies, and no one will ever be able to stop us again!” Mallory proclaimed.

The dragon grew excited. It flapped its wings, which now spanned over a hundred feet, and let out the loudest roar Mallory had heard from the beast to date. It breathed out giant flames that reached an even greater distance.

Rathlar was gaining in size and power quickly, and it was mad. Mallory had the dragon completely convinced, and it was ready and willing to do his bidding. Of course, Mallory did not tell the dragon that the element was tied to the very existence of the universe or that the element was the counterpart to entropy. He did not tell him that if the balance between the two was disrupted it would be disastrous and have negative repercussions for the entire multiverse. More importantly, Mallory still had to convince the Alarians to go along with his plan, but to Mallory, those were just petty, minor details.

Mallory turned his attention and growing mental powers to the Alarians. He read the minds of as many of the leaders in the land as possible. He discovered that the two cities had two separate governors, and the politics within each of the cities varied greatly.

The Alarians who lived in one city were resigned to live out the rest of their existence naturally and die off once the energy that sustained them was depleted. The other city continued to search for a way to live on. They were the half of their species that convinced their society to leave their dying universe and bring their species to a new one. They were also the ones that laid their eggs in The City of Worms.

Even within the city that contained a stronger sentiment for survival, the thoughts and beliefs varied greatly among them. Some of the Alarians wanted to extract whatever energy they could to live on regardless of the destruction of other species. Others wanted to find new ways of creating or accessing energy from other areas or universes without harming others.

It was obvious to Mallory that he would have to go to the city responsible for the seeding of the worms and discuss with those likely to be more sympathetic to his ideas about fighting against the armies of Everville. That’s what he did, but before he willed himself to the moon above, he asked Rathlar to stay below on the planet. He convinced the dragon it would be better for negotiations and it would get to see them soon enough once they left together for the battle against Everville. Rathlar was disappointed but obedient.

Mallory arrived on the large moon orbiting the planet and had already found a group of sympathetic Alarians that were willing to listen to what he had to say.

The Alarian’s speech was not like anything Mallory had heard before. Their language was a series of clicks and musical tones that came from the protrusions on the three sides of their upper body, so his understanding of their speech was strictly mental.

His growing power, though, allowed him the ability to transform his own speech into a form that the Alarians could understand and he explained that to them.

“I have a way for you to get all the energy that you need. There exists a substance in this universe know as the element. It provides unlimited power, giving whoever wields enough of it the power to control time and space with mere thought. The more of it is collected, the greater the power will be, but it must be channeled through artifacts composed of special materials that extract the element from the universe as it is being created.

“There is a place called Brackenbone in a land that surrounds the realm known as Everville. The element, for whatever reason, is channeled to a cave deep in the land of Brackenbone in a region called Vermogen. If you possess the artifacts, like the one I am wearing around my neck, then you can extract the element from the cave and channel it directly into the artifact regardless of your location in the multiverse. The element builds up quickly and provides almost unlimited power. You will be able to provide your race with enough energy for lifetimes to come,” Mallory explained.

“What do you want for these artifacts,” one of the Alarians in the crowd asked.

Mallory chuckled and responded to the question from the crowd. “What I need from you is no small task. There is a group of elders known as The Keepers that have appointed themselves as rulers over their realm. They control access to the element and prevent others, excluding themselves, from using it.

“I think you will also want to hear what I have to say next. The Keepers, along with the help of self-appointed oracles known as The Seven Pillars of Truth, began channeling the element into your offspring to prevent others from accessing it. Your unique composition was the perfect container for the energy. Since the eggs were not yet fully mature, they simply dissipated the energy across the expanse preventing others from accessing it in any real quantity.

“A great hero, Jacob, from a realm known as Earth, believed that it was wrong to use your offspring in such a way. He decided to use the element to trigger the development of the worms into sentient creatures.

“The Keepers enlisted armies of the surrounding lands to destroy your offspring. With the help of human, Owen Sage, as well as one of the oracles, they murdered all of your babies. I was, however, able to save one of them. Rathlar is on the planet below. I have raised him during this time and he is very eager to meet you.

“What I need from you is to help me destroy the mineral rocks and the portals capable of preventing the flow of the element. I also need your help in destroying The Keepers as well as the armies that follow them,” Mallory finished.

The crowd of Alarians was shocked. Individual Alarians started shouting different things in outrage against The Keepers in their own language of clicks and notes.

“Murderers!” “Killers!” “Let’s kill them!” shouted different members of the crowd.

The highest-ranking member of the crowd, who held a ranking similar to that of a city councilman, spoke up.

“We must bring this to the Governor, both Governors. I strongly believe that once our Governor has heard what you just said that you will likely get our support, at least from our city. If you don’t get the official support from the Governor, I promise you will still have many who will fight for your cause and give you the army you seek,” the councilman stated.

The councilman decided to let Mallory stay at his residence for the night while he took the issue to the Governor. Mallory graciously accepted, happy that it looked as if he would soon get their support.

The councilman’s home, as with the homes of all the Alarians, was very plain. Mallory felt irritated at staying in a place with such banality, so he took the time to exercise his ever-increasing power to temporarily transform the home into the greatest display of opulence anyone in his realm had ever seen.

After seeing how Mallory had used the power of the element to transform the home of the councilman, he gained even more support. What he had done spread quickly through the city. Many Alarians felt that the power of the element was exactly what their species needed, and others were simply aghast at the notion that their offspring were destroyed for the sole purpose of preventing others from obtaining power.

The following morning, the councilman had convinced the Governor to pay a visit to Mallory. He, too, was impressed with what Mallory had done to the home.

“Mallory is it? My name is Governor Jahal. I have spoken it over with the council and we have decided that we will support you in the battle against Everville and The Keepers. I am also in talks with the Governor of our other city and I’ll hear back from her tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve set up a meeting with the council and I would like you to attend,” the Governor said to Mallory.

“It would be an honor,” Mallory replied.

Governor Jahal introduced Mallory to some influential people in the city, a few councilmen and some powerful businessmen. For the rest of the day, they took the time to take Mallory to the most exclusive and expensive places in the city. Though for Mallory, it was all quite unimaginative and plain.

Mallory felt that the Alarians were a boring species and the luxuries that they had to offer paled in comparison to even the basic natural existence that he had lived when he used to be a Fron, namely, the quality of the food. For a race of species that had outlived its own universe, he found the Alarians wanting and pathetic. He did not believe that they deserved the power of the element, and that it would no doubt be wasted on them.

He was very happy with the idea that once the Alarians had done what he needed them to do, he would take back the element, not just from them, but from Rathlar as well. He wasn’t going to stop at just the element. He planned to take all their energy and snuff out their species for good simply because they irritated him. After all, they had lived long lives. It was time for them to die and make way for a younger, more powerful leader in the universe, namely, himself.

The following day, Governor Jahal introduced Mallory to the council at the meeting.

“Everyone, this is Mallory,” the Governor said, introducing him.

After receiving loud applause, Mallory began to speak. “I wanted to present

these artifacts to the Governor. These artifacts will sustain your race for numerous lifetimes,” Mallory said to the members at the meeting.

Mallory placed one of the artifacts around the arm of Governor Jahal and then handed him the rest. The Governor handed the remaining artifacts to the highest-ranking members of the council. Once in possession of the artifacts, they immediately began to feel its power.

“It’s working already,” one of the councilmen said with excitement.

Mallory explained how the element, once sufficiently strong, could be used by sheer will and thought to create or do whatever its owners desired. Governor Jahal then spoke up and said, “We are in your debt. Now that we have the element, we will be able to provide the energy needed for our society.

“As I have stated before, we have agreed to provide you an army that will support you in your battle against The Keepers. I do regret, however, that you will only have half of our armies. The Governor of the other city has declined to help, in spite of what was done to our progeny. Nevertheless, they will be the beneficiaries of the energy and the power of the element, thanks to your generosity.