Part CXXVIII: The Door of the Void
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“Augger Island approaches,” Ranvier said. “I have sent them a signal to let them know that it is I. We should have a smooth landing.”
“Our destiny approaches then,” Jroldin muttered. “And we walk straight into the trap prepared for us.”
“Iraina was counseling us about this yesterday,” Astrid said. “We may have gotten here before Jaigran and we have the entire island on our side. We have nothing to fear.”
“I’m still not so sure how much I trust Iraina’s advice over ex-Governor Astrid’s…” Jroldin muttered. But he said nothing else as the island drew near.
“I don’t suppose this is normal?” Flek asked. They had just landed and opened the door to exit the ship when they were met by a small army of auggers, waiting at the end of the gangplank.
“I’ll check in with them,” Ranvier said, pushing past him. “Hail fellow Auggers! Your ambassador has returned with half of the legendary Xavier Team to investigate the Noon-Stone!”
“The Xavier Team!” Whispers spun throughout the small army.
“You come at a most inopportune time then,” Grandine, leader of the auggers, said, stepping out from the group. “You will forgive our show of arms, Ranvier. It’s only that this morning we were attacked by a group of elves and did not know whether to believe your message or not.”
“A group of elves?!” Flek cried out, a sinking feeling in his heart.
“It would appear that Catan the Silent isn’t as silent in regards to political affairs as he may seem,” Grandine replied, turning to Ranvier. “He and his ancestors have planted a whole defense system on our island without us knowing. Upon spotting their ship, Catan the Silent let loose a whole barrage of missiles at them as they came near, which he thought would have most certainly destroyed them. The ship, on the other hand, either magically repulsed, or dodged the missiles that were sent at them, made it through Catan’s extensive defense system, and then landed on top of the Council building.” He gestured toward a large circular building with a flat roof in the middle of the city. “Two of the occupants of the ship then proceeded to make his way down into the chamber with the Noon-Stone and disappeared into the domain of the Watcher while his companions took up nest on the top of the roof to shoot us down. Although the elves are all slain, nine of our kind have fallen today, a most grievous woe.”
An augger swiftly made his way toward Grandine from outside the army. Grandine turned to see him and narrowed his eyes as the augger rapidly made gestures with his hands.
“That’s Catan the Silent,” Ranvier murmured as they slowly moved out of the ship. “He’s mute.”
“This is our ambassador with the legendary Xavier Team,” Grandine snapped as he glared at Catan. “They are not more threats for you to depose—or people to turn into threats like you did with the others!” More gestures emerged from Catan.
“You have no proof they were planning on attacking us before you tried to murder them,” Grandine snapped. “But we’ve already been through this discussion. Once the lawgivers set a time for the trial, we will see what defense you really do have against these allegations.”
“If I may intervene,” Ranvier said, stepping forward. “Although I cannot get involved directly with this discussion, being absent from the circumstances that led up to this attack, what did these elves look like?”
“One was short with black wings and a circlet of gold. Some claim to have seen four of the Golden Corsha Weapons on him,” Grandine replied. “The other was tall, and some say the sun shone through him.”
“Then we are already too late,” Ranvier replied. “With due respect, Grandine, these two elves are the leaders of the elven forces. You say they went into the Door of the Void?”
“Yes.”
“Where is our Golden Corsha Weapon?”
Grandine paused as his glance flickered from Jroldin to Reynyagn, both carrying Golden Weapons. “It was… It was in the Council Chamber—the Chamber of the Noon-Beam,” he slowly said.
“Is it still there?”
“And so Jaigran has remained a step ahead of us,” Astrid said bitterly as she stared at the empty rack on the wall of the chamber of the Noon-Beam. “They have all five now.”
“Then they can unleash the Watcher,” Flek whispered. “They have what they need. It’s over.”
“Unleash the Watcher?” Grandine asked. “Do you mean—are they planning on awakening him?”
“Yes, Grandine, but it isn’t what you think,” Ranvier said as he turned toward him. “The elf who seemed translucent? He’s the Watcher—and he’s not on the good side anymore. He’s allied himself with the elves to destroy us.”
Shock was apparent on Grandine’s face. “But… but-”
“We don’t have time,” Reynyagn said as he looked toward Grandine. “Where is the Door of the Void?”
“There—but why?” Grandine asked as he pointed.
“Because we’re going to do the only thing we can do,” Reynyagn said as he turned. “We’re going to follow him.”
“But you can’t!” Ranvier said as he moved after them. “That’s the domain of the Watcher! No one has set foot within those doors and lived!”
“Jaigran did, if he went through,” Reynyagn replied as he continued walking. “And as the Xavier Team, we’ll be protected, although I don’t suggest you go with us, Ranvier.”
“I understand,” Ranvier said. “Do what you must do, then. I’ll update Grandine on the situation.”
The Xavier Team quickly walked down to the other end of the room where the two double doors sat. They paused in front of them.
“Well,” Jroldin said. “I guess this is it. We might be walking into immediate death.”
“Everyone else that went into the door may not have immediately been killed,” Reynyagn replied. “And what other hope do we have? If the Watcher is unleashed, we’re all doomed.” He paused, and thenm turned. “Are you with me?”
“We follow, if only…” Astrid paused as her throat caught. “I… I’m not ready to face death.”
“No one ever is,” Jroldin said quietly.
“No, but—but this is it,” Astrid said. “I… If I die… I die guilty of my murder.”
“Must you die guilty?” Flek asked as he gently laid his hand on Astrid’s shoulder. “I think… I think Monty’s told you what you have to do.” Astrid was silent, breathing deeply. Slowly, one tear trickled out of her eyes before she finally looked up.
“I—I see it!” Astrid suddenly cried, leaping back. “I see it!”
“You see what?”
“I see the circlet—I see the sign of the Priest-King!” Astrid cried out, pointing to his head. “I see it—I believe!”
“I have waited so long for this day,” Reynyagn said, embracing her, as they moved together, carried along by the joy of the conversion.
“I… I’ll be able to do it,” Astrid said. “But come on—we have to go. Jaigran won’t stop just because I’m converted. We need… We need to take it one final step. To follow the lead of the Great One and enter the domain of the Watcher.”
“And so the Xavier Team embarks on its last quest,” Reynyagn said, opening the door. And silently, the four members of the Xavier Team moved past the door into the void and into the domain of the Watcher. And the door slowly shut behind them.
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
“Augger Island approaches,” Ranvier said. “I have sent them a signal to let them know that it is I. We should have a smooth landing.”
“Our destiny approaches then,” Jroldin muttered. “And we walk straight into the trap prepared for us.”
“Iraina was counseling us about this yesterday,” Astrid said. “We may have gotten here before Jaigran and we have the entire island on our side. We have nothing to fear.”
“I’m still not so sure how much I trust Iraina’s advice over ex-Governor Astrid’s…” Jroldin muttered. But he said nothing else as the island drew near.
“I don’t suppose this is normal?” Flek asked. They had just landed and opened the door to exit the ship when they were met by a small army of auggers, waiting at the end of the gangplank.
“I’ll check in with them,” Ranvier said, pushing past him. “Hail fellow Auggers! Your ambassador has returned with half of the legendary Xavier Team to investigate the Noon-Stone!”
“The Xavier Team!” Whispers spun throughout the small army.
“You come at a most inopportune time then,” Grandine, leader of the auggers, said, stepping out from the group. “You will forgive our show of arms, Ranvier. It’s only that this morning we were attacked by a group of elves and did not know whether to believe your message or not.”
“A group of elves?!” Flek cried out, a sinking feeling in his heart.
“It would appear that Catan the Silent isn’t as silent in regards to political affairs as he may seem,” Grandine replied, turning to Ranvier. “He and his ancestors have planted a whole defense system on our island without us knowing. Upon spotting their ship, Catan the Silent let loose a whole barrage of missiles at them as they came near, which he thought would have most certainly destroyed them. The ship, on the other hand, either magically repulsed, or dodged the missiles that were sent at them, made it through Catan’s extensive defense system, and then landed on top of the Council building.” He gestured toward a large circular building with a flat roof in the middle of the city. “Two of the occupants of the ship then proceeded to make his way down into the chamber with the Noon-Stone and disappeared into the domain of the Watcher while his companions took up nest on the top of the roof to shoot us down. Although the elves are all slain, nine of our kind have fallen today, a most grievous woe.”
An augger swiftly made his way toward Grandine from outside the army. Grandine turned to see him and narrowed his eyes as the augger rapidly made gestures with his hands.
“That’s Catan the Silent,” Ranvier murmured as they slowly moved out of the ship. “He’s mute.”
“This is our ambassador with the legendary Xavier Team,” Grandine snapped as he glared at Catan. “They are not more threats for you to depose—or people to turn into threats like you did with the others!” More gestures emerged from Catan.
“You have no proof they were planning on attacking us before you tried to murder them,” Grandine snapped. “But we’ve already been through this discussion. Once the lawgivers set a time for the trial, we will see what defense you really do have against these allegations.”
“If I may intervene,” Ranvier said, stepping forward. “Although I cannot get involved directly with this discussion, being absent from the circumstances that led up to this attack, what did these elves look like?”
“One was short with black wings and a circlet of gold. Some claim to have seen four of the Golden Corsha Weapons on him,” Grandine replied. “The other was tall, and some say the sun shone through him.”
“Then we are already too late,” Ranvier replied. “With due respect, Grandine, these two elves are the leaders of the elven forces. You say they went into the Door of the Void?”
“Yes.”
“Where is our Golden Corsha Weapon?”
Grandine paused as his glance flickered from Jroldin to Reynyagn, both carrying Golden Weapons. “It was… It was in the Council Chamber—the Chamber of the Noon-Beam,” he slowly said.
“Is it still there?”
“And so Jaigran has remained a step ahead of us,” Astrid said bitterly as she stared at the empty rack on the wall of the chamber of the Noon-Beam. “They have all five now.”
“Then they can unleash the Watcher,” Flek whispered. “They have what they need. It’s over.”
“Unleash the Watcher?” Grandine asked. “Do you mean—are they planning on awakening him?”
“Yes, Grandine, but it isn’t what you think,” Ranvier said as he turned toward him. “The elf who seemed translucent? He’s the Watcher—and he’s not on the good side anymore. He’s allied himself with the elves to destroy us.”
Shock was apparent on Grandine’s face. “But… but-”
“We don’t have time,” Reynyagn said as he looked toward Grandine. “Where is the Door of the Void?”
“There—but why?” Grandine asked as he pointed.
“Because we’re going to do the only thing we can do,” Reynyagn said as he turned. “We’re going to follow him.”
“But you can’t!” Ranvier said as he moved after them. “That’s the domain of the Watcher! No one has set foot within those doors and lived!”
“Jaigran did, if he went through,” Reynyagn replied as he continued walking. “And as the Xavier Team, we’ll be protected, although I don’t suggest you go with us, Ranvier.”
“I understand,” Ranvier said. “Do what you must do, then. I’ll update Grandine on the situation.”
The Xavier Team quickly walked down to the other end of the room where the two double doors sat. They paused in front of them.
“Well,” Jroldin said. “I guess this is it. We might be walking into immediate death.”
“Everyone else that went into the door may not have immediately been killed,” Reynyagn replied. “And what other hope do we have? If the Watcher is unleashed, we’re all doomed.” He paused, and thenm turned. “Are you with me?”
“We follow, if only…” Astrid paused as her throat caught. “I… I’m not ready to face death.”
“No one ever is,” Jroldin said quietly.
“No, but—but this is it,” Astrid said. “I… If I die… I die guilty of my murder.”
“Must you die guilty?” Flek asked as he gently laid his hand on Astrid’s shoulder. “I think… I think Monty’s told you what you have to do.” Astrid was silent, breathing deeply. Slowly, one tear trickled out of her eyes before she finally looked up.
“I—I see it!” Astrid suddenly cried, leaping back. “I see it!”
“You see what?”
“I see the circlet—I see the sign of the Priest-King!” Astrid cried out, pointing to his head. “I see it—I believe!”
“I have waited so long for this day,” Reynyagn said, embracing her, as they moved together, carried along by the joy of the conversion.
“I… I’ll be able to do it,” Astrid said. “But come on—we have to go. Jaigran won’t stop just because I’m converted. We need… We need to take it one final step. To follow the lead of the Great One and enter the domain of the Watcher.”
“And so the Xavier Team embarks on its last quest,” Reynyagn said, opening the door. And silently, the four members of the Xavier Team moved past the door into the void and into the domain of the Watcher. And the door slowly shut behind them.
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