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A few moments later in Arboria.
“I didn’t think we would be back so soon,” said Alexander.
“Time is a matter of relativity, Alexander. For you, it has only been a couple of minutes since your departure. I left Arboria two years after you did. When I crossed through the portal I found myself back in 1940, the year I left that world. It was the only way for me to find you and bring you back to help Golmuth. I hid for nearly fifty years, awaiting your arrival.”
Gravenstein grew visibly weaker as he spoke and sat down on a tree stump. The weight of the years had etched itself into the lines of his face.
“I am sorry children, I am a weak old man now, much older than when last we met. I cannot stand.”
“That’s alright,” said Hope. “Tell us, what happened while we were gone?”
“The Sorceress won the war after your left. Synerum was annihilated.”
“And Antarus?” asked Alexander apprehensively.
“I never saw him again. I still hold out hope that he was able to save himself in time, but he is probably dead.”
“Oh my God, Antarus!” said Meredith, covering her mouth.
The children’s eyes grew wet. It was difficult for them to think that their friend the ice giant was gone.
“And Golmuth? What happened to him? You said he needed our help.”
“He was taken by the Sorceress. I investigated his disappearance and went by Avengard. It seems he is being held prisoner; the Sorceress wants to know the location of the portal.”
“But Golmuth doesn’t know it!” cried Amy.
“I know that, little Amy, but the Sorceress doesn’t.”
“We have to rescue him,” said Alexander.
“And Dongo, Geum and Gom?”
“Dongo left a year after you did in order to found a new colony of Elwings by the name of Numera. Geum and Gom returned to their kin in Kratoa.”
“It’s really strange to know that all that happened during our absence. We were here at most ten minutes ago,” said Alexander.
“I understand, Alexander. It is also strange to me. Those fifty years was a very long wait. Let’s go, we have to get you to Between-Two-Rocks.”
Gravenstein and the children walked for many long hours in the direction of the dwarfen town. Nothing had changed in the scenery, but the path leading to the town seemed to have been abandoned; there were weeds here and there and it appeared not to have been used very regularly. Alexander came across a sorry sight when they arrived at the little town. Part of the two rocks had collapsed. The stone was a dark colour, blackened no doubt by a gigantic fire. Crazed-looking dwarfs were going about their business, but they began to run towards the children with open arms as soon as they saw them.
“What happened here?” asked Alexander, pushing the crowd back.
“Zgard, he attacked the village,” said a dwarf.
“Children, you’re here. Praised be the great stone of Rocaille.” Eolmuth took each of the children into his arms. “Welcome, we abandoned all hope when Gravenstein did not return. Follow me, I have much to tell you.”
Gravenstein and the children followed Eolmuth to his home in the rock.
“First of all, I will tell you what happened several days after you left. We were attacked by some sort of wizards who cast spells from all sides.”
“Wizards?”
“Yes, they spoke magic words, they attacked us by surprise and burned a large part of the village. They were with Zgard. They took Golmuth and we never saw him again. We went in search of Silmaril in order to have him get in touch with Gravenstein and ask him for help. Gravenstein agreed to go and find you in your world; it was the only way to contact you. We know it was a great sacrifice on his part.”
“All the evidence shows that the Sorceress is once more looking for a way to cross the portal,” said Gravenstein.
“Luckily, the book which gives the location of the portal is hidden in your world,” said Eolmuth.
All the children turned towards Alexander.
“Yes, I hid the book in the woods around the portal in our world,” he said in a voice that was hardly convincing.
Hope gave him a sharp look.
“Very good,” said Eolmuth. “Now, we have to come up with a plan to save our friend.”
At that moment, Gravenstein collapsed to the ground. Alexander ran to his side. The unconscious bearded old man was put into Eolmuth’s bed. Alexander decided not to try anything until Gravenstein woke up. He sat by his side day and night, awaiting his reawakening. He did not know what to do. He had lied, he still had the book in his possession and he did not know what to do with it now. Hide it? Use it as currency in exchange for Golmuth’s freedom?
In the days that followed, the children helped the dwarfs rebuild some of the homes that had been destroyed by the fire. Hope, the more talented artist among them, came up with new designs to brighten the wooden windows and the decoration inside the homes. With the children’s help, the whole town seemed happier and a small party was even organised to celebrate their return.
––––––––
Several days later.
“Alexander, wake up!” shouted Meredith.
“Yes,” he said, yawning in the chair beside Gravenstein’s bed.
“He’s awake!”
Alexander opened his eyes wide and saw Gravenstein smiling at him.
“How long was I asleep?”
“A few days.”
“I’ve had enough of all these time changes in the last few days,” he said. “Children, would you leave us? I have to speak to Alexander.”
The children and the dwarfs that were in the room left the abode.
“I’m curious,” said Amy, “what is it they have to talk about?”
“I think I know, but it’s better if Alexander tells you himself,” said Hope, and she moved away from the group.
“She’s just making it up,” said Amy, “I’m sure she doesn’t know anything.”
“We’ll see,” said Meredith, watching Hope go.
“Alexander, you have to get rid of the book.”
“How did you know I still had it?”
“You have seemed troubled ever since you came back. Something is worrying you and your eyes betrayed you when Eolmuth spoke of the book. There is a heavy weight on you; you will have to face danger with your friends once again. I will not be able to go with you this time. My time has come. I will be happy to die in Arboria.”
“What are you saying? You’re not going to die!”
“I am old, Alexander, my strength is leaving me.”
“But I need your help. What should I do? And the book? Should I destroy it? Hide it?”
“Maybe one day somebody will be able to make proper use of it to link the two worlds.”
“Alright, in that case, I will hide it and not destroy it. And Golmuth?”
“You must go to Avengard, into the lair of the Sorceress, and bring him home. You have many friends in Arboria, they will help you fight her.”
“That damned Sorceress.”
“It is time that I explain who she is and why she so desires to invade your world. Her real name is Amareda. Dementia is a name she gave herself.”
“The wife of the Count, the one who jumped from the top of the tower at the castle because he couldn’t bear living without her.”
“I see you already know the tale. I’m impressed.”
“Only a part of it. The tour guide who showed us around the castle told us.”
“She was hunted and persecuted in your world for practising witchcraft. Her trial took place in Durbuy where the kiosk is currently located. The trial was a sham and she was quickly condemned to death without a single shred of evidence. That lit the spark of revenge inside her. When the executioners lit the pyre beneath her, she managed to break her bonds and cried that her vengeance on the town and its residents would be without mercy. She fled along an old, winding path through the woods behind the kiosk. Legend says that when she reached the top of the hill, the spot where a little balcony had been constructed to overlook the whole town, she cast a curse on all the residents. She swore to return one day and take her revenge. She disappeared into the woods forever and was never seen again. Several years later, her husband Count Tiberian, plagued by the circulating rumours, committed suicide by leaping from the highest tower in his castle. I do not know if she knew of the existence of the portal, but she found Arboria just like you did, and we know what happened to her after that. Now, her most sacred vow is to get her revenge on your world. If she finds the portal, she will return to her own time in your world, but with the powers she acquired here. Imagine the consequences for your world. At the head of an army, she would be able to conquer it in little time and reign over it forever.”
“Did she have any powers at the time she left my world?”
“No, she had no powers, she had been sentenced wrongly. So many innocent women were accused of witchcraft by the Inquisition at that time. Her thirst for vengeance must be unquenchable. Under no circumstances is she to cross the portal.”
“My world has a great army and technology that is much more advanced than here in Arboria.”
“No technology can withstand magic, Alexander.”
“Very well, I swear to you that I will never reveal the location of the portal to her.”
“Alexander, you are a brave boy, and I trust you, otherwise I would not have spent fifty years of my life waiting for you.”
“I’m really scared.”
“Alexander, d... I...”
“No, hold on, please. Don’t leave me.”
The old man’s eyes closed and his sigh cut Alexander off. He looked as if he had just fallen asleep, but life had left the body of Werner Gravenstein.
“I will save Golmuth and I will save Arboria, you have my word.”
Alexander left the room and told his friends of Gravenstein’s death. A mournful atmosphere hung over the little town in the days that followed. The dwarfs made a wooden coffin to hold the body of the deceased. A modest ceremony was organised in the little cemetery. It was very windy that day and the dwarfs carried the coffin and put it in the ground. They filled in the hole and carved a cross out of stone, a stark contrast in a cemetery that was otherwise filled with wooden ones. That was their way of honouring the great man who had given them so much.
“Here is the final resting place of Werner Gravenstein, an exceptional man, a great explorer who did not hesitate to sacrifice a great part of his life to save us. We shall treasure his memory forever,” said Eolmuth, welling up with emotion.
Everyone returned to the village to continue the ceremony except for Alexander, who decided to remain a while by the tomb of his friend.
––––––––
Having thought long and hard in the days which followed the burial, Alexander decided to hide the book in a hollow tree. It was an excellent idea because it was like the game of capture the flag that he had once played with the scouts. Each team had a flag and had to hide it somewhere in the forest. Next, they had to meet up and try to find the other team’s flag. The first team to find its opponent’s flag won the game. Alexander’s team had lost the game because the other side had hidden their flag in a hollow tree. What better place could there be to hide a book? Who would think of running their hands along a tree trunk in search of a book? It took several hours of searching in the forest before he found the perfect one: a dead tree of short stature, discreet. He put the book inside the tree and returned to Between-Two-Rocks. The following day, Alexander decided to travel to the Synerum alone.
“You’re mad!” said Hope, “the town is in the Queen’s hands. You’ll be captured.”
“I need to focus. I have to go and see for myself.”
“Fine, do what you want, but know that I don’t approve.”
Annoyed, she moved away from him.
“Tell Meredith and Amy!”
Alexander set off in the direction of the mountains of Sylum. The same thought raced around his head throughout the whole journey... were they all dead? Had his friend really perished? Suddenly, it was night. A comet that was doubtlessly Zgard sped through the sky at full speed. Alexander advanced carefully through the forest. The weather was beginning to change; it was turning cold and the terrain was becoming more and more hilly. Soon, the snow appeared. It was still night, but the moon shone down bluish light on the ground. One of the towers of the Synerum was still visible in the distance, which comforted Alexander. That tower was still standing, which meant that not all hope was lost, he told himself. But the joy was short-lived. The damage done to the town itself was also significant. The place was in ruin. The tower that was still standing was damaged, but the second was in rubble on the ground. All around him, pieces of the ice buildings were blackened, no doubt as a result of the fire from the battle.
“You! How dare you return here?!” said a voice coming from a creature searching for food in the ruins.
“Glacius? What are you doing here?”
“I have been in this town for ten years, it is my town, I will never abandon it.”
“It’s difficult to abandon your town, but your own brother who fought to defend it, that was much easier wasn’t it?”
“I was tricked by that infernal Sorceress. She promised peace between the Orpes of Ice and Fire; I accepted the sacrifice of my brother so that peace could reign at the Synerum.”
“Were there any other survivors?”
“Yes, some Ice Orpes survived.”
“And your father Celastrus?”
“We buried him in the cathedral where all our kings rest.”
“What happened to Antarus?”
“He survived. No doubt he is now the prisoner of the Queen, but I do not know where.”
Alexander was relieved. Antarus was alive. Finally, a piece of good news since we came back, he thought.
“What are you going to do now?”
“We are going to try and take back our civilisation, but there is little chance that we will get our lives back such as they were. The Sorceress dealt us a killing blow.”
“What are you going to do with me? Am I your prisoner?”
“You are not my enemy. My only enemy now is that accursed self-proclaimed Queen the Sorceress.”
“If one day we decide to fight the Sorceress, can we count on your help and the help of the Ice Orpes?”
“It would be a pleasure to fight that terrible Sorceress. You can count on us, even if the fight is a losing one from the beginning. We have nothing more to lose anyway.”
Glacius continued searching the surrounding area and moved away from Alexander.
“Thank you, Glacius.”
Alexander returned to Between-Two-Rocks. At Eolmuth’s home, he told of his journey to his friends and the dwarfs.
“My God, that’s horrible,” said Meredith, “The Synerum was such a beautiful place.”
“The important thing is that the Ice Orpes will fight at our side.”
“I don’t understand,” said Hope, “you want to fight the Sorceress and her army?”
“I don’t know,” Alexander replied, “but we have to cover all the bases.”
“We would have to start by finding Antarus,” said Hope.
“Yes, we have to go and help him,” said Amy.
“We don’t even know where he is at the moment.”
“Is the Sorceress holding him at Avengard?”
“We have no idea.”
“What is your plan?” asked Eolmuth.
“We have to find Dongo and find out if he knows where Antarus is. Dongo always knows what’s going on in Arboria and he can ask the trees if they have seen Antarus.”
“And then?” said Eolmuth, intrigued.
“We know that the Sorceress is keeping Golmuth at Avengard; we will have to get him out beyond its walls, but I don’t know how right now. My friends and I will set out for Numera tomorrow, we have to find Dongo.”
The next day, Alexander, Hope, Meredith and Amy made for Numera. They followed the map Eolmuth had drawn on a piece of parchment. The journey took several days, the rain fell continuously and the water ran in streams along the path and turned them muddy. Their feet were soaked and Alexander’s white shoes were stained brown. They took shelter beneath a tree and fell asleep beside one another.
“My sister is asleep,” said Hope.
“Meredith too.”
“Do you think we will be able to save Golmuth and get home safe and sound? I really want to see my parents again.”
“I know, Hope. Don’t worry, everything will be alright, I promise.”
“Ok, I trust you, you’re a good person Alexander.”
Hope rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.
An earthquake woke the children at dawn. They jumped up. The ground shook again, and a ginger-haired dwarf riding an enormous animal burst out of the ground nearby.
“Silmaril!” cried the children.
“Children, I finally found you.”
He clambered down from his mount and greeted the children. Alexander hugged his friend tightly and stroked the animal.
“I missed you at Between-Two-Rocks. Eolmuth told me everything, and I set off to find you because I have some interesting news for you.”
“What is it?”
“Eolmuth tells me you are looking for Antarus. He is being held by the Fire Orpes at Vulcania.”
“He’s alive! That is good news!” said Meredith.
“Damn,” said Hope, “this is going to be difficult.”
“Yes, it will not be easy. Come on, climb up onto Kira’s back and we shall talk on the way. I will take you to Numera.”
They climbed up onto the animal’s back and it immediately began carving out a tunnel. Several hours later, they came to the surface in the centre of a clearing surrounded by trees. The children were astounded by the beauty of the place. The grass was a vibrant green, the plants were perfectly tended and the paths were bordered by flamboyantly coloured flowers. Trees of all shapes and sizes surrounded the village, as did bushes carefully trimmed into the shapes of various animals.
“This is paradise,” said Amy.
“It’s wonderful,” said Hope, her mouth open.
At the sight of the children, the Elwings stopped working and began to flee in a panic.
“No, don’t go!” shouted Alexander, “we mean you no harm!”
“Have no fear,” said one of the Elwings, “I know these people, they are my friends.”
“Dongo!” cried the children.
They took the little Elwing into their arms and squeezed him tight in greeting.
“No, I do not think I shall ever get used to this human custom of suffocating your friends,” said the Elwing.
“Sorry, but we are just really happy to see you again,” said Alexander.
“Follow me, I will show you my home.”
Silmaril and the children followed Dongo while the Kirantorus allowed itself to be fawned over by the other Elwings.
“Kira, stay here,” Silmaril told it.
They walked to a little hut made from wood and dried plants. The house was incredibly small; the children and the dwarf had to stoop to squeeze through the door. The home consisted of a single room, as the majority of the Elwings generally lived outdoors. Dongo served his friends and strange coloured drink before they sat down to talk.
“That is water collected from a tree called a Humaya, it is very good.”
The children described their journey to Dongo and explained their return to Arboria in detail.
“I also have something important to tell you, children. I have discovered a terrible secret about the Sorceress. She wants the trees to march again, and she wants them to join her army.”
“Is that possible?” asked Meredith.
“An Elwing named Decro told me. You remember him, he was in the group of Elwings we rescued from Avengard. The Sorceress had ordered them to create a potion capable of acting on the roots of trees so that they could move about and fight. She would have a gigantic and unconquerable army. I admit that I do not know why she is doing that; she already rules over all of Arboria, she has no need of such a great army.”
“She wants to invade our world and get her revenge,” said Alexander.
“Revenge on what?” replied Dongo.
“She is not originally from Arboria, that’s what Werner told me before he died. She used to live in our world but she was condemned to death. She crossed through the portal when she was running away through the woods and ended up here. Now she only thinks about one thing... getting revenge on those who condemned her.”
“It is out of the question that we allow her to return to our world with the powers and the forces that she has here,” said Meredith.
“What are you going to do?”
“We have to free Golmuth and destroy the portal,” said Alexander.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Not really,” replied Hope.
Dongo gazed up at the ceiling deep in thought.
“I have one, but it is very risky. I will tell you something that very few people in Arboria are aware of.”
The children listened carefully to Dongo, sensing that he was going to share a terrible secret with them.
“There is a tree called Ramenor, it is the oldest tree in Arboria. It is guarded by the Queen’s soldiers. It is thanks to this tree and the sap she collects from it that she is able to brew the immortality potion that she feeds to her henchmen via the sarcophagus wrapped in roots in her castle in Avengard. If we question that tree, it might reveal its secret and we might be able to put an end to the Sorceress’ immortality. She would be made vulnerable.”
“Where is this tree?” asked Alexander.
“Near High-View, but it is very well guarded, it is impossible to get near. At least not without a diversion... a very big diversion.”
“What do you mean by a very big diversion?” asked Silmaril, who had not spoken until that moment.
“We have to draw Queen’s attention away and lead her army to a spot sufficiently far away from Ramenor so I can get close and speak to it.”
“The only way to get the Queen to move her army is to start a fight,” said Silmaril.
“Exactly,” Dongo replied.
“Impossible, her army is too powerful. We would be crushed in an instant.”
“I did not say that we would have to win the battle, Silmaril. We just have to keep the Sorceress busy while we question the tree.”
“It is too dangerous, not to mention that it is possible that the tree will not tell you its secret. In any case, we would risk losing valiant warriors in combat just for the sake of speaking to a tree. The price is too much to pay,” said Silmaril.
“There is a bigger problem,” said Alexander. “We don’t have an army.”
“Humans really are stupid sometimes,” said Dongo.
“The rock dwarfs will fight, Alexander,” said Silmaril, “and so will the wood dwarfs. I’m sure Eolmuth would approve.”
“We do not need an army because we will have gnomes with us.”
“I don’t understand,” said Meredith.
“But of course, gnomes can change into whatever they want, and there are several thousand of them. They could easily change into warrior dwarfs and make the Sorceress believe we have an enormous army,” said Alexander.
“Exactly,” said Dongo with satisfaction.
“You’re assuming that the gnomes will be happy to fight with us,” said Hope.
“We have to go to Kratoa and convince them,” said Dongo.
“You are forgetting about Ganarock,” said Silmaril. “If the Queen takes the shield into battle with her, it will dispel the gnomes’ magic, and gnomes are no warriors. They do not know how to fight.”
“Very well, in that case, we have to get back Ganarock,” said Dongo.
“That is a plan that’s bound to fail,” said Meredith.
“Not if we can take Ganarock and substitute it for something.”
“What should we do?” asked Alexander.
“First of all, we must go to Kratoa. We will see if the gnomes are inclined to help us. Then we can think about the rest of the plan.”
“There is another sizeable problem,” said Silmaril, “even if you manage to make the Sorceress mortal, we will still have to kill her.”
“Silmaril is right,” said Alexander.
“We will think about this and all the other problems later. Let’s get a move on to Kratoa.”
––––––––
Alexander questioned Dongo on the way to Kratoa.
“How do you know so much about this magic tree?”
“I followed the Sorceress when I was out looking for Golmuth. I was still living at Between-Two-Rocks at the time, when the Sorceress’ forces arrived. I made my way to Avengard and spent weeks observing everything that went on there very carefully, but I was unable to get into the castle because it was too tightly guarded. One day, I followed a troop of soldiers going with the Sorceress. They went to somewhere near High-View and that is where I discovered her secret. I immediately returned to Between-Two-Rocks to report to Werner, and that is when he decided to go and find you. Then, when he did not come back, I went to Numera.”
“Did you see Antarus? Is he still alive?”
“He is certainly still alive, and we have to save him too.”
“The Ice Orpes will fight with us. That will boost our ranks of fearsome warriors.”
“Are you sure, Alexander?”
“Yes, Glacius gave me his word.”
“His word is not the most reliable.”
“I know, but we don’t have much choice. We have to trust him.”
“In that case we will have a formidable army, assuming we manage to rally all the dwarfs, the Ice Orpes and the gnomes together.”
Alexander left Dongo and made his way to Hope who was leading the group.
“Do you really think the gnomes are going to help us?” asked Hope.
“I hope so. We will not be able to defeat the Queen without them.”
“The damned Sorceress, you mean,” she replied. She smiled at him.
“You’re very nice, Hope. You always make me laugh.” Once more, Alexander felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach.
“The entrance to Kratoa is in sight!” cried Silmaril.
There was no need to tickle any rocks this time; the gnomes had kept their usual appearance. All of the happy companions except the Kirantorus went down the long stairway leading into the town. Geum and Gom came to greet their friends. The welcome was a warm one. When the hugs had finally ended, Dongo asked to speak with Gamar.
The talk lasted several hours while Dongo explained his plan to the leader of the gnomes.
“I am sorry, but I cannot accept,” said Gamar. “We risk losing too many gnomes in such a battle.”
“If you cannot help us, nobody can.”
“Even if we gathered to form an army, you would not be able to enter Avengard, it is too well guarded. We would be decimated in just a few hours by the mages and the Sorceress’ soldiers.”
Alexander stepped towards the throne of stone where Gamar was sitting.
“But I know how to get into Avengard.”
“And how is that?”
“The Sorceress uses magic mirrors in Avengard to travel from town to town at the speed of lightning. In just a few seconds she can get to Aronia, Lumenzia or High-View. It would be enough to draw the Sorceress onto the battlefield while a little group went into one of the towns I just mentioned. The group would then be able to get into Avengard easily in order to free Golmuth and retrieve Ganarock.”
“You are forgetting something, Alexander: the guards will notice the disappearance of Golmuth and the shield.”
“Not if two gnomes replace them,” said Dongo.
“None of my gnomes is foolish enough for such a mission.”
Two gnomes raised their hands.
“We are,” said Geum and Gom in chorus.
Numerous heads nodded their approval of Alexander’s plan and whispering started to fill the room.
“Silence!” shouted Gamar, “we still do not know how to deal with the Queen.”
“On the contrary,” said Alexander, “by using the magic mirrors to flee Avengard, we could go directly to High-View to question of the magic tree. The Queen and Zgard would lose their powers and their invincibility.”
“This plan is doomed to failure. We do not know if it is even possible for their immortality to be taken away from them.”
“It is the only plan we have,” said Silmaril.
The gnomes approved and started the chant Alexander’s name throughout the room.
“Silence,” said Gamar again. “I will not be the leader who accepts the extinction of gnomes under the pretext of helping some children to save a miserable dwarf.”
“Then you are no longer our leader,” said the gnomes.
“We’ve had enough of Gamar,” some other gnomes said.
In a single movement, the crowd shot forwards like an arrow in the direction of their chief.
“Throw him in the dungeon!” the gnomes shouted.
“Stop, alright, I agree!” cried Gamar even as he was being dragged away by the gnomes.
“What will happen to him?” asked Amy.
“Rest assured, little Amy,” said Geum, “no harm will come to him.”
“Who is going to lead you now?” asked Meredith.
“That would be me,” said Gom.
“Long live Gom!” shouted the gnomes.
“My dear friends, let us prepare for the battle that will decide the fate of Arboria,” their new chief said.
“Let us not get carried away,” said Dongo, “we still have to free Antarus from the yoke of the Fire Orpes before we step onto the battlefield. He will be a decisive ally in the final battle. We also have to make a plan of attack and decide who is going with whom. If our plan is to succeed, it is essential that we work together.”
“What do we do now, then?” asked the gnomes.
“First, we go to Vulcania to free Antarus. You will wait for us here,” said Dongo.
“Understood,” said the gnomes, eager to face the Sorceress.
Alexander went over to Dongo.
“How are we going to get into Vulcania unseen?” he asked.
“We are going to climb the volcano.”
“Climb the volcano?!” cried Silmaril.
“Yes, it is the only way in. We will take ropes with us and drop in down its throat.”
“The volcano is not active, I hope,” said Hope with a certain fear.
“No, it is hyperactive,” Dongo replied. “There are more than five eruptions every day.”
“Wonderful,” said Hope.
“We won’t force you to come,” Alexander said to the girls.
“No, I would love to fall into the lava of an exploding volcano, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” answered Hope.
“Ditto,” said Meredith.
“I’m going to stay here,” said Amy.
“I warn you that you will only have rocks to eat here, and we will not be back for several days.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Amy. “I’m coming with you.”
Alexander smiled and Hope winked at him.
“Then if everyone is agreed, we shall leave tomorrow,” said Dongo.
––––––––
The next day the children, Silmaril, Dongo, Geum, Gom and two other gnomes answering to the names Gorom and Gorynth set off in the direction of Vulcania. Alexander and Silmaril, as the strongest in the group, carried the ropes that would help them descend into the throat of the volcano. They travelled via a different route in order to reach the land of fire. They could have crossed through the tunnel but they would not have been able to get over the ravine on the little wooden plane as there was only one of them and that had become damaged during its maiden voyage. They decided to cross through the forest while avoiding all the paths in order not to be spotted.
“Is it true what Geum and Gom say about you?” asked Gorom and Gorynth.
“What do they say?” asked Alexander in surprise.
“They say you went into Avengard and that you saw the Sorceress and that you managed to escape.”
“It’s true,” said Alexander, “but I had help. I didn’t do it alone.”
“Incredible!” said the gnomes.
“Can I ask you a question now?”
“Of course,” replied the gnomes.
“Why did Geum and Gom ask you to come with us all the way to Vulcania?”
“Gom said that you will no doubt need us if there is any danger. We are the best gnome warriors and we love a good bit of mayhem.”
“I see the volcano in the distance,” said Amy.
Thick smoke belched out of the mountain and the horrible smell of sulphur clung to their noses. There was not a single tree or plant at the base of the volcano.
“Nothing grows in the land of fire,” said Dongo.
“It is a very strange place to live,” Silmaril admitted.
“I couldn’t live there, it doesn’t smell too good,” said Amy.
“Life in a volcano... it can’t be very relaxing,” said Alexander.
“The other races of Orpes fare much better: the Water Orpes in Lake Vallorness and the Air Orpes in the cloud city of Almeroth. Those place must really be much prettier than this scorched earth.”
“I thought there were only two kinds of Orpes,” said Alexander.
“No, there are four. Nobody has ever seen the underwater city of Atlantea or Almeroth in the sky, but we know they exist,” said Dongo.
“Have you ever seen any of these Orpes with your own eyes?” asked Meredith.
“Never,” Dongo replied, “I cannot breathe underwater and I do not know how to fly either.”
“Would these Orpes be able to help us against the Sorceress?” asked Alexander.
“Forget it, they are immaterial. The Water Orpes live only in the water and cannot come onto land. The Air Orpes are formless and can only materialise using objects, by which I mean they gather them up in order to form a sort of golem, but it is very difficult to contact them as they live in the clouds.”
“What is a golem?” said Amy.
“Imagine that you collect all the stones around you and that you try to make a human with them. That is a golem,” said Dongo.
“Quiet now,” said Alexander, “we’re approaching the volcano. We can’t let them discover us.”
“We will have to climb the wall and cross through that fog. My guess is the air will be more breathable higher up,” said Dongo.
Climbing the wall took them a good three hours. There was no vegetation anywhere nearby, there was a suffocating heat and the steam erupting from the ground in places was almost certainly toxic. Red and orange lava flowed in rivers too wide to be crossed. Hope wanted to sit down against a stone and rest but it burned her backside as soon as she tried.
“Are we at the highest point in Arboria?”
“No, Alexander, the highest point is the rock at High-View,” said Gom, “it is so high that it pierces the clouds.”
Having arrived at the summit, Silmaril glanced into the throat of the volcano: it was not spitting fire for the moment. He tied the ropes around a large rock near the hole, joining each rope together to make on that was as long as possible. Everyone climbed in one by one, grabbing the rope and beginning their descent into the giant funnel. Dongo clung onto Alexander’s back.
“I hate heights,” he said.
“Yes, I remember,” said Alexander, recalling the incident with the cage at Rocaille.
Suddenly, one of the ropes slipped and the group fell several metres in a single second.
“What’s happening?” cried Alexander, hanging in the air and looking towards the top of the volcano.
“I don’t know,” said Dongo.
“I think we forgot a very important detail when we were fixing the rope,” said Silmaril.
“Meaning?” asked Meredith.
“Remember, Hope burned herself when she touched one of the rocks. I think the rope is starting to burn from being wrapped around the rock that I tied it to.”
Everyone looked up towards the top of the volcano and they saw the upper part of the long rope in flames.
“Hurry!” shouted Dongo, “down! As quick as you can!”
They scrambled hurriedly down the wall, hanging clear over the void.
“I can’t look,” said Dongo, closing his eyes.
The fire was drawing near quickly; at that moment it was barely a metre from Silmaril’s hands.
“Jump, the rope is about the break!” he shouted.
Seeing that nobody was ready to jump and feeling the heat of the flames licking at his finger, Silmaril cut the rope. The whole group plummeted and came to a crash landing a short way further down.
“Ouch,” said Amy with a moan, “that hurt.”
“It would have been much worse if he hadn’t had this little platform just beneath our feet,” said Hope.
“You can open your eyes, Dongo. We’re safe now.”
“Oh, yes,” said Dongo with surprise. He poked and prodded at various parts of his body to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.
“Look over there, a door,” said Silmaril. An old wooden door was set into the wall on the platform they had landed on.
“We found it, the secret entrance into Vulcania,” said Dongo with visible relief.
“And it’s open,” said Silmaril.
They went through the door and entered a tunnel. Empty rooms were set out one after the other and there were various patterns engraved into the floor. All around were streams of lava. Everything was in black and red, all of it in exceptional detail. The smallest objects had been carved out of lava. A table, chairs, paintings; the items Alexander had seen when he had been imprisoned by the Fire Orpes were nothing in comparison.
“Strange, there’s no-one here,” said Meredith.
“Do you hear that voice?” said Alexander.
They went towards a window looking out over an immense arena.
“My dear Orpes of fire, the final victory is at hand,” said a woman’s voice.
“It’s her, it’s the Sorceress,” said Alexander.
She was standing in the centre of the arena and the surrounding stands were filled with Fire Orpes listening attentively.
“Soon, I will open a portal to another world, my former home. We will invade and destroy it, and you may take whatever you wish. None will dare to oppose me or you. I will soon be rid of the dwarfs and all the other creatures which infest our world.”
A thunder of applause went up and the room trembled.
“I take with me this Orpe of ice, the last vestige of a civilisation now extinguished,” she said as she pulled on a chain holding Antarus. “He will become a statue in my personal collection of fools who have dared to challenge me.”
“Antarus!” said the children.
The Sorceress left the arena with Antarus in chains behind her, accompanied by the applause of the Fire Orpes.
“What should we do?” said Meredith.
“I have no idea. It changes everything if she is taking Antarus to Avengard,” said Dongo.
“All the better for us,” said Alexander, “now we know that Antarus is alive and that he is in the same place as Golmuth.”
“He is still the prisoner of the Sorceress,” said Hope.
“I know,” Alexander answered. “You, Amy, Meredith and Silmaril will go back to Kratoa and make sure to recruit as many as you can to join us in the final battle. Dongo, Gom, Geum, Gorom, Gorynth and I will break into Avengard to rescue Antarus and Golmuth.”
“And that’s it! That’s your plan?” said Hope.
“Yes. If you don’t hear from us in five days, then either begin the attack or flee back into our world.”
“He is mad,” said Dongo sarcastically, “this child is mad.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing Alexander?” asked Meredith.
“Yes, I have a plan.”
“And how are you planning to get to Avengard without being seen?” asked Hope.
“The same way the Sorceress came here, there must be a magic mirror here. Let’s find it!”
The children searched each of the rooms and climbed ever lower into the depths of Vulcania. Luckily, they had not been noticed.
“Here is the mirror,” said Alexander, pointing to it. It sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by flaming monoliths.
“What is the safest place we can send our friends to?” asked Alexander.
“There is a mirror of this type at Rocaille,” said Silmaril. “The Sorceress has never used it.”
“Good, off you go. Hurry, I hear something,” said Alexander.
The girls and Silmaril walked onto the mirror and disappeared in a flash.
Geum transformed into Zgard and passed through the mirror to Avengard. “Odd,” he said, “there is no welcoming committee.”
He came back. “The way is free.”
The gnomes, the Elwing and Alexander touched the mirror and they too were instantaneously projected to Avengard.
“This way,” said Alexander, “I know where to go.”
They ran in the direction of the little trap door which gave access into the underbelly of the castle and climbed down the vast staircase towards the ancient prison.
“Here is the dungeon, our friends cannot be very far.”
“We have to wait for the Queen to bring Antarus.”
They hid behind a rock. Several long minutes later, Zgard brought Antarus and fixed enormous chains to the rocky wall. Antarus tried to engage Zgard in conversation but the gargoyle didn’t respond. The Queen’s warrior cast a final look of disgust at the prisoners and left.
“Have no fear, you will die soon. Unless the Queen forgets about you and you rot in this dungeon until your death.”
“Our friends will save us,” said Antarus.
“Your friends are very far away,” said Zgard. With a laugh, he left the dungeon and abandoned the prisoners.
“Your friends are closer than you think,” said Alexander, coming out of his hiding place.
“Alexander!” cried Golmuth.
“We have come to save you,” said Alexander.
Golmuth was hanging in the cage that had once kept Silmaril before him. Alexander freed his friends and hugged them.
“I am really happy that I found you,” Alexander said to Antarus and Golmuth.
“So are we,” answered the ice giant, tenderly stroking Alexander’s hair.
“How do we get out of here?” said Golmuth.
“We have a plan,” said Gorom and Gorynth, and they quickly changed into Antarus and Golmuth.
“What’s going on? I do not understand,” said Golmuth.
“We are going to fight the Queen. She cannot know that you have escaped. The dwarfs and what is left of the ice Orpes will join us, as will the gnomes.”
“There will not be enough of you,” replied Antarus.
“We know, but we might have a way to defeat the Sorceress. But now we have to go and we have to take Ganarock with us.”
“Why?” asked Golmuth.
“If the Queen uses Ganarock during the battle, the gnomes will not be able to transform and they will revert to their natural form.”
“The gnomes are going to change their appearance?”
“We’ll explain later,” said Alexander. “Gorom and Gorynth, you two are the bravest gnomes I have ever known. We will come back for you, I promise.”
“We trust you, Alexander. We will wait for you here.”
They left the dungeon, leaving Gorom and Gorynth in their prison, and climbed back up the underground stairway. They ran into Zgard in the entrance room, who was probably on his way to regenerate in his sarcophagus, but he did not notice them. They also bumped into Tobias in one of the corridors. He was grumbling about something.
“Always the same thing. Tobias do this, Tobias do that... Tobias is sick of cleaning that sword and shield, as if I was the castle’s cleaner!”
“The sword,” said Dongo, “it is here too! We have to take it with us, it could tip the balance of the battle in our favour.”
The group followed Tobias at a distance and he stopped in front of a locked door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring filled with keys. He went through the door and closed it behind him. Hidden in the shadow of a wall, Alexander and his friend watched the entrance.
“Let’s wait for him to come out and then we will jump him,” said Golmuth.
“I will not be able to hide forever, I am too big,” said Antarus.
“Shh, here he comes.”
Tobias came out of the room several minutes later and locked the door with a key that he put into his pocket, grumbling to himself again. Alexander and his friends approached the door. Antarus had no difficulty in breaking it down without making a sound. The sword and shield were inside, resting on a gold-coloured suit of armour.
“That was the armour of King Oden,” said Antarus.
“Let’s take the weapons and run,” said Golmuth.
“No, they will notice that they have disappeared,” said Antarus.
“Not to worry. Geum and I will transform into Ganarock and Vulcaria and you can take the weapons with you.”
“That might be very dangerous,” said Dongo.
“Don’t you worry, we will be able to escape when we wish.”
Alexander hugged his friends.
“Go now, if you stay here then Ganarock’s protection will prevent us from being able to transform.”
“Take care of yourselves,” said Alexander.
“We will,” said the gnomes.
Golmuth, Antarus, Dongo and Alexander left the armoury.
“What is the next part of the plan?” asked Golmuth.
“We are going to go to High-View to question the oldest tree in Arboria,” said Dongo.
“What for?” said Golmuth.
“It is thanks to the sap from that tree that the sorceress is immortal. We are hoping that it will tell us how to take her immortality away from her.”
“We risk wasting several days before we reach High-View,” said Antarus.
“We will be there in less than five minutes,” Alexander explained.
He signalled for the others to follow him and they dived into the numerous corridors of Avengard.
“We are going to use the magic mirror that will take us to High-View.”
“Here it is,” said Dongo.
They climbed the little step and disappeared immediately. On the other side, a welcome committee was waiting for them.
“Guards, seize them!” said a voice.
“I would have preferred a warmer welcome,” said Golmuth.
“Me too,” Alexander replied.
Around them, four guards were standing watch before the mirror at High-View. Golmuth and Antarus made short work of them. Antarus sent two of the guards flying backwards and Golmuth pushed the other two off the edge. Alexander moved towards the hole in the wall of the rock which gave onto the void. He stuck his head out, lifted his eyes and saw the point of an immense rock touching the clouds. Dongo put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.
“I didn’t think the rock would be so big.”
“Impressive, is it not?”
“We can’t stay here, they will soon discover what happened to the guards when they wake up,” said Antarus.
Two stairways ran upwards, one which climbed towards the summit of the rock and one which descended towards the town below.
“I’m starting to get tired,” said Dongo, “how much further do we have to walk?”
“At least 5000 miles,” said Antarus.
They stepped out of the rock and discovered a town in a deplorable state. To all appearances, it looked as if nobody had lived there for quite some time. The old castle of King Oden was in ruins. The guards had simply been charged with protecting the mirror.
“Follow me, the tree is nearby,” said Dongo.
Around them, the carefully maintained roads no longer resembled anything, grass grew in the cracks of the pavement, nature had resumed her rights over the constructions of men.
“What a waste,” said Golmuth.
They passed through several kilometres of forest where the trees were considerably older than the rest of the trees in Arboria.
“We are close,” said Dongo. “Look at the trees around you, they have been here for centuries. This part of the forest is extremely old, there are some legends about this place.”
“What legends?” asked Alexander, intrigued.
“Well, the legend of the trees that walk and talk, their battles with men, the birth of Arboria and so on.”
“Halt where you stand,” said the guards, drawing their swords.
In a swift movement, a giant branch came crashing down on the Sorceress’ guards and knocked them out.
“I have been waiting for you for a very long time,” said a voice that resonated like an echo.
“Ramenor,” said Dongo, ecstatic.
A gigantic tree with a radiant face etched onto the trunk greeted the companions. Enormous wrinkles ran down its face and it had large and very expressive eyes.
“You were waiting for us,” said Alexander.
“Yes, for a very long time, Alexander.”
“You know my name?”
“There are no secrets for me in Arboria. I know why you have come.”
“What can we do to defeat the Sorceress?”
“A long time ago, that Sorceress came to me to ask for help. In spite of my wisdom, I believed her words. She wanted to cleanse Arboria of the folly of man. At that time they started burning and cutting trees for their homes and killing animals for their food. I thought that this woman could help men to respect nature, to understand the nature around them. I wanted her to teach respect for animals and men to cherish every creature that nature permitted them to see. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and the time has come for me to fix that mistake.”
“What must we do?”
“You must burn me down. With the aid of Vulcaria, my death will destroy the Sorceress’ immortality. Only a brave and courageous man can make that sword flame, and you are that man, Alexander.”
“Me? Are you sure? I’m just a child.”
“As I said, I have been waiting for you for a long time, as has our common friend and ally.”
“Our common friend?”
A little squirrel appeared in the tree with a hazelnut in its hands.
“That’s the squirrel that stole Amy’s doll! That squirrel is the reason that we found ourselves here.”
“He is the true king of men. It was the Sorceress who transformed him into a squirrel many years ago. Allow me to present King Oden.”
The squirrel climbed onto Alexander’s shoulder and he stroked it gently.
“Alexander, I have chosen you. My roots are deep and connect to all the trees in Arboria, including the ones which make the portal and some of the trees in your world. One day, I saw you the among the trees surrounding the house at the edge of the woods, and I knew that you were the exact opposite of the Sorceress. That is why you are the one who will save Arboria. You have much love in you and you love nature as well. You are the chosen one.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Ramenor lifted a little shoot from the ground.
“I am part of Arboria, just as you are. A part of me will live forever in this little plant. Now, it is time. You will still have to face the Sorceress. She has already made her move, and will attack Kratoa within the next few hours.”
“Few hours? How is that possible?” Alexander replied with fear.
“Gamar escaped and warned her.”
“We will never have enough time to warn our friends,” said Golmuth.
“You must go to Almeroth, the Orpes of air will help you. Hurry now, you will never be rid of the Sorceress as long as I am alive.”
“I will take care of your shoot as best I can,” said Alexander.
“I know,” replied the tree.
Alexander lifted Vulcaria and it burst into flame. He drove the sword into the tree and pulled it out. Ramenor caught fire. Soon, there remained only the trunk and a pile of ashes. The companions were sad to witness such a sight, to burn a tree so noble, but everything was the fault of that accursed Sorceress. They left Ramenor and crossed through the forest towards High-View. Alexander placed Ramenor’s shoot carefully into his pocket.
“I don’t see how the Air Orpes will be able to help us,” said Golmuth.
“Let’s find a way to get up to their kingdom,” said Dongo.
“I know how,” said Alexander.
His friends looked at him with surprise.
“Let’s go back to the rock of High-View.”
They climbed up the grand staircase to reach the summit of the great rock. Alexander remembered the stairs going up to the summit, the same summit that touched the clouds. A few hours later, Alexander’s intuition paid off. A cloud staircase was outlined at the top of the rock.
“I will stay here to cover your backs and guard the mirror,” said Antarus.
“I’ll stay with you,” said Golmuth.
Alexander and Dongo approached the stairway. When they were high above, they discovered an immense city of clouds. There seemed to be no physical object in sight, everything was made of clouds and white dominated the blue of the sky.
“Hello,” said an invisible voice.
“Who said that?” said Dongo.
“I did. My name is Harol, I am an Air Orpe.”
“Why can’t we see you?” asked Alexander.
“Because I am invisible,” said Harol, laughing.
