The Final Storm

  THE FINAL STORM

  Copyright © 2006 Wayne Thomas Batson

  Third in a series of three novels.

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts in reviews.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Tommy Nelson®, a Division of Thomas Nelson®, Inc.

  Visit us on the Web at www.tommynelson.com.

  Tommy Nelson® books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

  ISBN-10: 1-4003-0783-X (hardback)

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-0783-8

  Printed in the United States of America

  06 07 08 09 10 QW 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To the one true King, the battle rages on,

  but victory will be yours.

  CONTENTS

  PRINCIPAL CAST

  PRINCIPAL SETTINGS

  MAPS

  CHAPTER 1 INTO THE STORM

  CHAPTER 2 CHAINS OF THE ENEMY

  CHAPTER 3 THE STONES OF OMEN

  CHAPTER 4 CALL TO ARMS

  CHAPTER 5 CLOSE CALLS

  CHAPTER 6 THE SKILL OF THRIVENBARD

  CHAPTER 7 PRINCIPLES OF POWER

  CHAPTER 8 THE DEPARTURE OF SIR AELIC

  CHAPTER 9 THE FIRST MOVE

  CHAPTER 10 LEGEND OF THE THREE

  CHAPTER 11 A VISITOR FROM THE THREAD

  CHAPTER 12 THE KEEPER OF POWER

  CHAPTER 13 WHEN LIGHT AND DARK COLLIDE

  CHAPTER 14 KALIAM’S CHARGE

  CHAPTER 15 THE BATTLE OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

  CHAPTER 16 TO SEEK WHAT IS LOST

  CHAPTER 17 IN KING BROWER’S PALACE

  CHAPTER 18 BEYOND THE GATE OF DESPAIR

  CHAPTER 19 TWISTED PATHS

  CHAPTER 20 MEMENTO

  CHAPTER 21 A FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS

  CHAPTER 22 THE DOOR WITHIN

  CHAPTER 23 KINDRED SPIRITS

  CHAPTER 24 TESTED AND PROVED

  CHAPTER 25 PENNATH ADOR

  CHAPTER 26 THE GOOD CONFESSION

  CHAPTER 27 THE BLACK BREATH

  CHAPTER 28 A SUPERIOR FOE?

  CHAPTER 29 KING’S FOREST

  CHAPTER 30 THE HIDDEN VILLAGE

  CHAPTER 31 THE SCROLL OF PROPHECY

  CHAPTER 32 A GREATER MISSION

  CHAPTER 33 DRANG’S GAME

  CHAPTER 34 A TIME FOR ALL THINGS

  CHAPTER 35 AN OLD FRIEND WELL-MET

  CHAPTER 36 THE COMING OF DARKNESS

  CHAPTER 37 ENEMY WITHIN THE WALLS

  CHAPTER 38 FALON’S WRATH

  CHAPTER 39 THE FINAL STORM UNLEASHED

  CHAPTER 40 THE THREE WITNESSES

  CHAPTER 41 BATTLE AT THE SEVEN FOUNTAINS

  CHAPTER 42 SHADOW’S BANE

  CHAPTER 43 THE OFFER

  CHAPTER 44 THE KING’S ARMY

  CHAPTER 45 ALL THINGS NEW

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  PRINCIPAL CAST

  AIDAN (AY-DEN) THOMAS

  When Aidan’s parents move the family to Colorado to take care of his wheelchair-bound grandfather (Grampin), the teenager discovers the Scrolls, which start him on an adventure of a lifetime.

  ANTOINETTE (AN-TWA-NET) LYNN REED

  A believer in King Eliam and friend of Aidan’s in the Mirror Realm.

  BALDERGRIM

  A warrior from Yewland.

  BOLDOAK

  A warrior from Yewland.

  FALON

  The elder of all mortiwraiths, who are enormous, venomous underground serpentine creatures.

  FARIX (FAIR-IX)

  Glimpse warrior, who does not wear armor.

  HALBERAD

  Apprentice tracker to Sir Thrivenbard.

  KALIAM (KAL-EE-UM)

  Glimpse warrior, who is also known as Pathfinder, and is the fourth Sentinel of Alleble.

  KING BROWER

  Blustery King of the Blue Mountain Provinces.

  KING ELIAM (EE-LEE-UM)

  The noble and wise monarch of Alleble, who invited Aidan to his Kingdom.

  KING RAVELLE

  ruler of mithegard.

  LADY MEREWEN

  Once a follower of Paragor, a capable silver-haired swordmaiden in the service of Alleble.

  LORD RUCIFEL (ROO-SI-FELL)

  Paragor’s Lieutenant, who wields two swords.

  MALLIK (MAL-ICK)

  Glimpse warrior, who wields a massive warhammer.

  NAYSMITHE

  Second Sentinel of Alleble; master swordsmith.

  NOCK

  A highly skilled Glimpse archer and warrior from Yewland. Twin of Bolt, who died in The Door Within #1.

  PARAGOR (PAIR-AH-GORE)

  The first Sentinel of Alleble, who now rules over Paragory. He intends to defeat Alleble, and make himself king of The Realm.

  ROBBY PIERSON (PEER-SON)

  Aidan’s best friend in Maryland.

  THE SEVEN SLEEPERS

  Seven powerful ancient enemies of King Eliam, buried in the Blackwood forest.

  SIR OSWYN

  Herb-meister, skilled with potions, cures, salves, and unusual battle-potions.

  SIR ROGAN

  Tall blond warrior from Mithegard. He carries a broad-bladed battleaxe.

  THRIVENBARD

  Alleble’s finest woodsman and tracker.

  TRENNA SWIFTFOOT

  Yewland Glimpse held in bondage by criminals in Baen-Edge until rescued by Antoinette.

  WARRIANT

  First vanguard and ruler of forest village of Balesparr.

  THE WYRM LORD

  The firstborn dragon in all The Realm, the lord of all wyrms.

  ZABEDIEL

  The scribe for King Eliam when this world was new. Sometimes called Zabed.

  PRINCIPAL SETTINGS

  ALLEBLE (AL-EH-BULL)

  The first Kingdom of The Realm. After The Schism, Alleble remained the center of The Realm.

  BALESPARR

  A hidden village, nestled at the roots of the great trees in King’s Forest.

  THE BLUE MOUNTAIN PROVINCES

  Mountainous region inhabited by the stoneworking Glimpses of Mallik’s kin.

  CANDLEFORGE, FROSTLAND, INFERNESS

  Cities across the Cauldron Sea in the far west of The Realm, and Paragory’s three secret allies.

  THE GATE OF DESPAIR

  A huge pair of black iron doors built into the side of the Dead Mountains. The entrance to Paragor’s castle.

  THE GRIMWALK

  A sprawling wasteland at the foot of the Dead Mountains.

  PARAGORY (PAIR-AH-GOR-EE)

  A kingdom built by Paragor and his army.

  THE SACRED REALM BEYOND THE SUN

  The eternal dwelling place of all servants of King Eliam.

  Adventures are

  funny things.

  Many are merely happy

  accidents—

  a single spark that ignites

  an unexpected chain of events.

  But some adventures are meant

  for you and you alone.

  And whether you want them or not,

  they seek you out of a great crowd and

  take you somewhere

  you never thought you’d go.

  Often, these unlooked-for adventures

  require a sacrifice too great

  to imagine.

  1

  INTO THE STORM

  Aidan searched for Gwenne’s image in the thunderclouds. But the aircraft banked hard to the right and threw him back into the seat. No, not into the storm! Aidan thought urgently. He grabbed the armrest and tried to pull himself back up to the window.

&
nbsp; “Aidan!” his dad yelled. “Aidan, sit back!”

  The airplane was steering directly for a massive black cloud fortress. Lightning rippled across the cloud, turning it the color of an ugly bruise. And there in the center of the massive thunderhead was a hollow of darkness.

  The plane began to shudder and bounce like a speeding boat on rough surf. Lightning lit up the cabin. Passengers shrieked and gasped. The engines screamed, and the plane banked back to the left. Everything shook. It felt as if the cabin would break apart under the strain.

  Then, just as suddenly, the plane leveled out. The lights came back on. Hundreds of passengers sighed.

  “You okay?” Aidan’s dad asked.

  Aidan wasn’t sure. He wasn’t hurt, but he didn’t feel okay exactly either. “I saw Gwenne,” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “When the lightning flashed, I saw her in the window. She looked scared, Dad. I think she’s in trouble.”

  “You’ve been thinking a lot about Antoinette being in The Realm, and Gwenne is her Glimpse. They look alike . . . maybe—”

  “Dad, I saw her,” Aidan replied. “Something has gone terribly wrong. The clouds outside . . . the storm—it wasn’t normal.”

  “This is your captain speaking,” came a tinny voice from the speakers. “Sorry about the bumps back there. The thunderstorm to our south intensified. We’ve, uh, adjusted our course to keep our distance.”

  “Well, duh!” someone said in the seat behind Aidan. “That sounds like a plan!” The passengers nearby laughed nervously.

  “We will be beginning our initial descent into the Baltimore/ Washington area in about a half-hour,” the captain continued. “We don’t anticipate any more problems.”

  “That’s a relief,” said Aidan’s dad. The other passengers buzzed with conversation. A little blond girl in the next row tugged at her mother’s sleeve. Aidan nodded and turned to look back out of the window. Intermittent bright flashes of lightning illuminated the dark clouds bubbling in the distance.

  Why did I see you, Gwenne? Aidan wondered, closing his eyes and picturing her beautiful pale face. Was it a foretelling as so many of his visions had been? Had something happened to Antoinette in The Realm?

  A strange noise from the rear of the plane interrupted Aidan’s thoughts. It reminded him of the buzzer for the dryer that lets you know when the cycle was done. He turned, unclasped the seat belt, and looked back over the headrest. A muffled boom followed. Then a sharp cracking sound. The plane shook. Some of the passengers cried out. A businessman’s laptop skittered into the aisle.

  “Aidan, sit down and put your seat belt back on,” said Aidan’s father in a quiet but commanding voice.

  Aidan sat down hard and clasped his seat belt. He looked up at the flight attendant, who was still buckled into her own seat behind the cabin. An older gentleman had gotten up and peppered her with questions. Finally she ushered him back into his seat. She belted herself in again and grabbed an intercom mic. The last thing Aidan saw, before the curtain hid her from view, was her colorless and terror-stricken face.

  “Dad?” Aidan asked. But suddenly, there was another cracking sound from behind. And then the hissing sound of air from all around. Passengers became frantic, looking from face to face for answers. The lights flickered, and the plane lurched forward with such force that Aidan hit his head on the back of the seat in front of him. He fell backward, disoriented and frightened. There were screams and people shouting at one another. Aidan turned and saw his father slumped in his seat, his head flopped down at his chest.

  “Dad!” Aidan yelled. He grabbed his father’s shoulder. “Dad, wake up!” The airplane began to shake. Aidan gently lifted his father’s chin and tilted his head back. A welt was already forming in the center of his dad’s forehead. “Dad, oh no! Please be okay! Dad!” But his father did not answer. The plane lurched again. The lights went out and did not come back on. Aidan heard the plane’s engines whining, and the plane dipped down.

  This can’t be happening! Aidan thought. We’re going to crash. Lightning flickered and lit up the cabin. The other passengers were frantically grasping at their seat belts, their chairs—they too had come to the grim conclusion that the airplane was going down.

  2

  CHAINS OF THE ENEMY

  Antoinette heard the jangle of keys, followed by a metallic click and the groan from the hinges of the chamber door. “Kearn!” she called out to the darkness.

  “Yes, m’lady,” Kearn replied, stepping forward into the moonlight. “I have brought you something to eat, but a moment, please. This darkness will never do.” Kearn placed a tray on the one chair in the chamber and disappeared into the hallway. He returned bearing a large torch, which he placed in a holder on the wall.

  “There, now we can look upon each other.” He grinned as he placed the tray on the floor by Antoinette’s cell. “Please, eat, m’lady.”

  “I’m not your lady!” Antoinette growled.

  “Be that as it may,” he replied, “you must have something. The meat is cured, the bread is fresh—it is all unspoiled. The mug is full of water from snowmelt. You will find it quite refreshing.”

  Antoinette was starving. Well, if they wanted me dead, they could’ve done that long ago, she thought. She reached through the bars and grabbed a piece of bread. At first she took only a tentative nibble. The bread wasn’t just good—it was fantastic. Feathery-light texture, sweet, and still warm! Antoinette tore off a large hunk and jammed it into her mouth. She kept eating until the plate was clear.

  “Excellent, Antoinette!” Kearn laughed. “Now it is time for a little exchange of information.”

  Antoinette eyed Kearn suspiciously.

  “Nay, m’lady. I guess your mind,” Kearn said. “Fear not. I have not come to pry from your lips King Eliam’s secret battle plans, for they matter little to my master.”

  “Then why are you here?” Antoinette asked pointedly.

  Kearn’s eyes flickered red. He stood and paced near the cell. “I am . . . troubled,” he whispered. “Your actions thwart every reasonable explanation! You hunted me across a hundred leagues, and yet when I was snared, you did not kill. Thrice you placed your life in jeopardy to save mine—even when I made it perfectly clear that I serve Paragor and no other. Tell me, are all the beings from the Mirror Realm so stubborn?”

  Antoinette actually laughed. “No, I’m about the most stubborn person I know.”

  “I doubt it not,” Kearn replied. “But there is also courage . . . and strength. The very mention of my name strikes terror into the hearts of my foes, yet you stood up to me . . . to me! And while I can dispatch most knights five at a time, I could not defeat you without guile. Even though you are my enemy, I do respect your strength.”

  “It is not my strength, Kearn,” Antoinette replied.

  “Nonsense!”

  She stood as best she could, hindered by the chains around her ankles. “I have strength and skill because King Eliam willed for it to be so. While most other girls in my world were playing with dolls, I was taught to fight with a sword. And I have the advantage. I attack without fear, for I know that if I die, I will go to the Sacred Realm Beyond the Sun.”

  “There is no such place.”

  “You said yourself that those who served Paragor well will be remembered in the world to come. You must believe something happens after you die,” Antoinette said.

  “Yes . . .” Kearn hesitated. “It is as I said. Paragor will ultimately triumph over Alleble and hold dominion over all The Realm. On the rubble of Alleble, Paragor will create a new kingdom where those who served the master well will have riches and be revered by all those beneath us!”

  “Paragor promises you power and fortune, if you’ll serve only him. It is the same thing he promised the kingdoms of Mithegard, Acacia, and Clarion—right before he destroyed them. It is his way. If I had my Book of Alleble I could show you.”

  “You mean that worn-out leather volume over there?” K
earn asked, pointing to the corner of the chamber far outside her cell. Her book lay open, facedown in the shadows. “The guards no doubt cast it aside.”

  “My book!” Antoinette replied eagerly. “May I have it . . . please?”

  Kearn looked over at the book and back at Antoinette. “Nay, you have your head already too full of Alleble’s harvest tales. Let it lie there and mock you.”

  “Kearn!”

  “No, you have said your piece!” Kearn roared. “Now, I will say mine. You came after me, you say, to see me turn from my master and bend the knee to King Eliam. That is your wish?” Kearn turned his back to Antoinette for a moment and continued. “You say to me to leave the riches, adoration, and power I have here to be a common knight in the Kingdom of Alleble? Betray my master simply on your word, and let my eyes reflect back the weak blue of King Eliam’s servants . . . that is what you are asking, is it not?”

  Antoinette stared at his back.

  “Well, m’lady of the Mirror Realm,” he said, his voice deep and stalking. “I give you what you ask.” Kearn turned around suddenly, and as Antoinette looked into his eyes, she swayed as if she might fall. For Kearn’s eyes flickered blue as only the eyes of those who follow King Eliam do.

  “How can this be?” Antoinette asked.

  Kearn laughed and held up a small corked vial. He took out the cork and sipped from the bottle. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they flickered red in the manner of Paragor’s servants.

  “Yewland,” Antoinette gasped. “That’s how you fooled Queen Illaria in Yewland, isn’t it?”

  Kearn nodded. “Yewland and so many other places! It is remarkably easy to turn King Eliam’s allies against him. You would think they would be more . . . devoted.”

  “Trickery!” Antoinette yelled. “Deceit! Don’t you see, Kearn? That’s just another example of Paragor’s way!”

  “Silence! How easily you cast out such accusations. Do you think your own King, the noble King Eliam of Alleble, is without guile? Would it pain thee then to know that he has kept hidden his true purpose for you in The Realm?”

  Antoinette stood very still.

  “Oh, yes, your good King has very interesting plans for you, m’lady . . . for you and the others. But Paragor has plans for you as well—much better plans,” Kearn said. “You see . . . they are out there. My master knows, and he will find them before King Eliam. And in that moment, Alleble will be utterly destroyed.”