Alright, guys, just like with ITW, this is the first part of the three-part finale. See you in 8 hours!
Luke looked over at the dark line on the horizon that was Dueglestein. He knew how close they were, and his anticipation and excitement only grew the closer they got to Dueglestein.
“She is there,” he thought he heard a voice say, and goosebumps appeared on his arms as he realized it was the same voice that had first guided him through the woods, urging him to follow the deer. The one that told him to go to a nearby clearing where he first met Skylar.
His eyes widened as the realization hit him.
“She’s there,” Luke whispered, looking at the horizon with a smile, and hope was filling him once again.
“Who?” Helen asked, who was standing next to him.
Luke glanced down at her, knowing she’d understand. “Call me crazy, but I just know Skylar’s there.”
Peter cleared his throat behind him. “Luke, I love ya. But please, like I’ve said many times before, don’t give into-”
“I know,” Luke interrupted, “But trust me, Peter. Just this once, I know I’m right.”
Peter shrugged, obviously still unsure that Luke was right, but didn’t want to argue further.
Luke turned away from looking at Peter and went back to staring at Dueglestein again. “I’m coming, Skylar,” he whispered, “I’m coming for you.”
…
As they got closer to Dueglestein, they began to run into a problem.
“I…don’t know vhere to land,” Adalene said, looking at the approaching shape of Dueglestein, “Everywhere I look zere are Dueglesteiners.”
“Just…try to find one with fewer Doodoosteiners,” Luke said, evaluating their situation as well.
“Zat’s ze problem,” Adalene responded, “I don’t know vhere zere are fewer Doodoostei- I mean Dueglesteiners.” Adalene had cleared her throat after saying and corrected herself with Dueglesteiners.
“Hmm,” Luke thought, “What if we go for that cape over there?” Luke asked, pointing to a nearby landform that formed a natural crescent in the landscape of Dueglestein’s aquatic border.
“It could vork,” Adalene said, although she still seemed very on edge by how close they were to the Dueglesteiners.
“She…is there…” Luke heard the voice say again, right in the back of his mind. Luke’s heart started beating faster, excitement and anticipation filling his heart. Maybe he was hallucinating it, or going crazy, but either way he wanted so badly to be back with Skylar.
Then something strange happened.
Goosebumps filled his arms, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. What was happening to him? He looked at the others who were standing still, eyes widening.
Helen inspected her arms, looking at the goosebumps filling her arms as well.
“Guys?” she asked to nobody in particular, and Luke watched as everyone else started to feel the feeling he was.
“Why is it so…cold?” Peter asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Luke looked to Adalene, the oldest and wisest of the group. She seemed to be in a daze, but then her eyes widened.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“Adalene?” Luke asked her, “Do you know what’s going on?”
Adalene looked up at Dueglestein, her icy blue eyes wide with fear.
“She is back.”
Luke walked over to her, the hair still sticking up on the back of his neck. “Who’s back?”
Adalene turned to look at him, and Luke had never seen her so scared. She was usually so brave and unaffected by anything, that the fear in her eyes terrified him.
“Her,” Adalene said, and as she said it a cold wind rushed through towards The Bowen.
So, a voice in the wind said, the children of the prophecy have come to my home.
There was a cackling laugh, one that sent shivers down Luke’s spine. And as he heard the laugh, Luke realized who it was.
“No,” Luke said to himself. That laugh was the one that had haunted his dreams, woken him in a cold sweat.
As Richard heard the voice he immediately covered his head, screaming in pain and fear. There was a high whistle that everyone heard, and Luke covered his own ears.
“It’s her!” Richard shouted, “It’s her!”
Luke felt his head throbbing, the voice of her speaking in his mind.
Luke Doogan, she taunted, son of Nathaniel Doogan. You are a resilient one. A little birdy told me that you are quite the leader in your little group of yours. But hear this, you will be mine soon, and you cannot escape my clutches once you are. This is my country, and I have power here. You will no longer be protected, little Luke. Prepare yourself to be in the real world.
The high pitched whistle sounded again and Luke screamed in pain as his head felt like it was splitting.
He felt like his head would explode, the pain was so intense. He wanted to end it all, he just wanted the pain to stop…
And then it was over.
The wind had stopped and everything was quiet. There was no more whistling and he didn’t hear the voice of her again.
He looked up at the others, who were just as surprised as he was.
“What…” Peter was the first to say, “What just happened?”
Luke looked to Adalene again, whose face went white. Her eyes were wide, and Luke saw the fear she was desperately trying to hide.
“Zat is her,” Adalene said, her voice shaking, “She is ze one who led ze attack against ze elfes so many years ago, a battle vich my mother defended against. She is a powerful sorceress, one who has lived for hundreds of years.
Her sister, Andromeda, is also a powerful sorceress, one who deals in more ze craft of eternal life. She shared zis gift vith her, and she used it to keep her alive for hundreds of years.
She is a dark sorceress, and deals in ze darker side of magic. She can conjure ze dead, making a nearly unstoppable army she used against my own kingdom.
She vas only stopped twenty years ago, by a sorceress from Bellona, Nimue. She defeated her vith a powerful veapon vithout a name. But zat vasn’t enough to kill her.
So, Nimue imprisoned her in a prison of her own making, one surrounded by her own magic. Zat vas ven ze prophecy vas made a few years later, one zat has been anticipated since ze beginning of Iddenu. One zat could either save Iddenu, or destroy it.”
As Adalene said those words, a shudder passed through the children. Luke himself felt quite scared now that she’d told the chilling story of how they were pulled into this mess.
“It seems,” Adalene continued, “Zat she has broken out of her prison. And zat is vy ze Dueglesteiners are trying to find you. Zey vant to sacrifice you to her, making her nearly immortal again.
“She deals in blood, so she needs blood to give her power. If she has your blood on her hands, it vill make her nearly immortal. It vill destroy the world,” Adalene said quietly.
“Why haven’t you told us this sooner?” Richard asked, furious that this information had been kept from him.
“Because I knew it vould terrify you,” Adalene said, not daring to look at him, “I knew you vouldn’t vant to come to Dueglestein, and I didn’t even know myself zat she vas zis powerful already to be able to communicate vith us from hundreds of miles away. I knew something vas vrong, but I didn’t know vat. I had my suspicions, but I vasn’t sure. Forgive me.”
“Well,” Peter said, “I guess no pressure then.”
“Yeah,” Luke agreed, “No pressure.”
…
As they landed in the cape, Luke looked out across the land. There was a short beach, and then a thick forest. He thought he saw some movement, and as they began walking off The Bowen Luke realized why.
As he walked on the beach, he looked at the figure standing before him.
Luke saw the figure in a cloak, standing not much shorter than Luke. They were standing on the beach, their back facing Luke. They were staring into the forest, and a wolf was sitting by their heels.
Could it be?
“Skylar?” Luke asked, hoping against hope...
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