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They woke up at the same time, early.

Kyra?

Yes?

Are you awake?

You know I am.

Today is the day we may meet Jolus the Malignant, he thought.

Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn’t.  Pass this mountain range is the waste lands, and on the other side is his lair.  I don’t know how far it is, but I’m pretty sure we won’t reach it today.  It could still be a few . . .

No, it’s today.  We’re going to reach his . . . his l-lair – he didn’t like saying the word – today.

How do you know?  But she knew he knew; he was the Guide.  Don’t answer that.
    
I know I told you before, but just because I’m the Guide doesn’t mean all I do is lead you there, and that’s it for me.  I have come with you this far, no just as a Guide but as a friend.  A good friend.  I’m going to fight with you.  Against him.  We’re going to beat him together.  I care a lot about you Kyra.  And I want to be with you after we defeat him.  I want to get to know you better and hear about the world you came from, your history.  And if you can’t remember, I’ll do what I can to help you remember.
    
Kyra was speechless, her eyes wide, her mouth open.  Her hands were gripped together tightly, as if they might do something drastic if set free. 

Thank you, Doci.  It means a lot to me, knowing I’ll have you at my side.  We didn’t find one sword in that cave, we found two.  I think that means something.  And if I’ve learned anything by now it’s that everything happens for a reason.  There were two swords there for a reason.  One for each of us.  And after we have killed Jolus the Malignant, I will tell you what I can of my past.  But there is still so much I don’t remember. 

Maybe there’s some way to take you back to your world?  Doci thought.  I mean, Marie went there to find you, maybe you can go back to help you remember.
    
Kyra felt a streak of excitement run through her.  There had to be some way to get back, she just hadn’t figured it out yet; maybe with Doci’s help she might.
    
They heard the tinkling of a soft bell, but didn’t know what it meant, and then received a thought:
    
May I enter, Ketu’s voice spoke in their minds.
    
Yes, they thought in unison.
    
They were now sitting up and watched as the brown door-shaped layer that had formed when the bell rang become transparent and they saw the tall thin form of Ketu.  He was smiling as he stepped into the room.

Good morning my friends, he thought.  Breakfast is ready and waiting in the dining hall.  Another meal fit for a king, as Eadmund is sure to let you know.
    
They grinned at this.

If you would come now, you can join the king for breakfast and then he has requested to have a meeting with just you Kyra.  As for you Doci, Ketu thought, looking down at him, still smiling, we will have our own little private meeting.  Eadmund has let me know that you are very interested in the history of the Echolans and Mesolans and Aisis Lip in general.  I would be happy to discuss this matter with you.  Now, please, let’s head for the dining hall, as the king awaits.
    
As they left, the beds began to make themselves behind them.

    
Breakfast consisted of some type of meat that had the color and texture of bacon, but wasn’t as salty, along with freshly baked biscuits and gravy.  The meal was like many others Kyra had eaten in Aisis Lip: some foods she recognized, others she didn’t, but discovered that they tasted familiar to her.

This has to be one of my favorite breakfasts, Eadmund thought.
    
Kyra and Doci both looked at him, shocked at seeing an emotional aspect to Eadmund that they didn’t know existed.  He seemed a bitter and changed man after dueling with Jolus the Malignant in The Bloody War.
    
My cook serves it to me often these days.  I suppose I should take that as a sign that my days are truly numbered, Eadmund thought, his lips formed in a slight smile.  But enough idle conversation – biscuits and gravy have a way of making me do that – we must address the important matter at hand.  You two will soon be meeting Jolus the Malignant - it may be today, or perhaps in the next few days - you will cross the great desert and reach his Castle of Pain.
    
Kyra choked on a bite of biscuit after hearing this, while Doci’s mouth hung open.
    
Eadmund noticed their faces.  Do not worry my friends, this is what Jolus calls his abode, it is nothing more than a name.  Jolus the Malignant is the one you must find and stop; you should not be distracted by what surrounds him.  While I have only dueled with him once – how I would have liked to have had more opportunities, my only experience is in the Bloody War – he appears to have but one weakness.  Sadly, it is nothing so simple as a spot behind his left ear that if pierced would kill him. 
    
Eadmund took a bite of his third biscuit; this one more covered in gravy than the other two.  There was something satisfying about watching an old man enjoying the food he was eating, though it was also quite disgusting. 
    
His only weakness I have discovered is his over-ambitious nature; his fervent belief that he will undoubtedly defeat his opponent.  As for you Kyra, he thought, looking directly at her.  He will be even more certain of his victory over you.  While he knows you are the Chosen One, you are still just a young girl to him, and he will consider you an easy taking in the first step of his conquest of Aisis Lip.  That is your advantage over him.

And you, Doci, Eadmund said, turning to him for the first time.  Will you be fighting by Kyra’s side?  As the Guide, you are only obligated to get her to her final destination, this Castle of Pain; after that your quest is fulfilled and you by all rights can return to your home.  What will you choose to do?  Do you even know yet?
    
Doci didn’t hesitate.  I will be by her side at all times, he thought.  I will fight with her until Jolus the Malignant is dead.  We have become very close in our quest, on the trails we have followed, together.  We will fight and defeat him together.
    
Good, Eadmund though, now smiling.  I had little thought otherwise.  You then, Doci, will have an even greater upper hand, for while I am unsure whether Jolus knows you are with Kyra or not – I would suspect he does know – he will consider you simply the Guide as foretold, and that your services will be rendered complete once you reach his castle.  He will expect no attack from you, and it is this advantage you should use to the best of your abilities.  Play into his thoughts and ideas, then, when he does not expect it, strike!  By fighting together, as two who know each other, using your telepathic abilities, Jolus will have little chance to defend himself.
    
The three enjoyed the rest of their breakfast, now with more hope for the future, engaging in idle conversation.  Kyra had a feeling Eadmund’s cook fed his King this meal more often for this reason and not that he believed he would soon die.  The man seemed energetic and full of life, vastly different from the day before.  Having new friends to talk with might have had something to do with it.
    

And now we must separate.  Ketu should already have let you know that I will be having a private meeting with Kyra and the Seeing Mirror.  While you, Doci will be having your own meeting with Ketu.

With this last thought complete, servants came from hidden passages and began clearing away the plates and food.  Ketu entered also, signaling to Doci who stood and joined him.  Kyra stood and walked slowly with Eadmund as they left the room.
    
Doci followed Ketu down another passage.  It was completely dark, but the Echolan had a light blue glow about him that gave the Guide direction in this labyrinthine palace.  On each side were cloudy walls, leading to any number of rooms.  Ketu stopped and turned right, facing the wall.  The doorway appeared before him.  He entered and Doci followed into a large room that was different from any he had yet seen.  On each wall, including the one they’d just entered, were shelves upon shelves reaching from floor to ceiling with rows upon rows of books, all ancient and timeless looking.  The only space on any of the walls was the small doorway through which they’d just entered. 
    
Doci’s mouth fell open and he wondered if Ketu heard his lower jaw hit his chest.  The history of the entire planet had to be contained within this one room.
    
That smile was back on Ketu’s face.
    
As you can see, we have a most extensive library here in the fortress of King Eadmund.  The King decreed it so shortly after the end of the Bloody War that such a library needed to exist to preserve as much of the past of Aisis Lip as possible.  The Bloody War was a very terrible thing that is best not remembered by those who were there, nevertheless it needs to be remembered to prevent such an incident from ever happening again.  It was from this library that the Echolans and the Enchantans learned of the prophecy of the Chosen One and you, the Guide.    
    
Doci continued to stare around the room.
    
“This place is truly amazing,” he spoke.
    
And yet, Eadmund has never read a single book within this room, and while he may know a lot about his people, he has learned it all orally.  I on the other hand have read everything this room has to offer, and add to it whenever I can.
    
He walked to a specific shelf low on the ground and pulled out a thick book that looked newer than the others.

I have been adding my own knowledge and history to this ledger for the past fifty years, increasing the volume of information in this room.  When I am gone I do not know who will take my place, but I hope that he or she will continue the legacy that I have tried to maintain.
    
He looked to Doci.

Maybe you could be the one to fulfill that role, once Jolus the Malignant is gone and once I am no longer.
    
Doci smiled.  Perhaps, was his reply.  We have to defeat Jolus the Malignant first.
    
He looked around, studying the books in their multitudes, reading the titles on the spines, and his eyes settled on a thick black tome on a shelf level with his head.  He walked over to it, on the far wall, and saw three words engraved within the spine.  They were dark and covered with dust.  He rubbed his thumb against the spine, clearing away the dirt and grime of ages passed, and revealed the three words:

JOLUS THE MALIGNANT
    
He pulled the book from the shelf, feeling the awesome weight, and used both hands to free it.
    
You chose wisely, Ketu thought.  I will leave you to your peace and reading.  If you need me, send me a thought, and I will return. 
    
Ketu turned and disappeared through the doorway. 

Doci watched as the transparent wall filled, not with gray clouds, but a piece of bookcase almost identical to the shelves and books surrounding it.  Doci didn’t want it looking perfect, otherwise he would never find his way out of this place.

Knowing where the doorway was with its slightly off color and artificial appearance, he sat in a green armchair.  He cracked open the cover and a cloud of blackness rose and reached for his face.  He waved his hand through it a couple of times and it disappeared.  Doci knew this was a book, and while it was filled with bad memories and terrible nightmares, he knew it was still a book and couldn’t harm him.  He began reading, as fast as he could, skimming where necessary, knowing that his time was short. 

He and Kyra would soon have a desert to cross and an evil demon to slay.

    
Kyra followed Eadmund, not seeing much, but using his ethereal glow, an emerald green.  He stopped, finding the doorway he wanted; the wall turned into a brown doorway and he entered the room, Kyra following. 
    
It was the same as the one she, Doci, and Eadmund had been in before, when they’d first seen the Seeing Mirror, but Kyra could have sworn that while the room was the same, it wasn’t in the same location in the fortress as it’d been before. The rooms in Eadmund’s palace were apparently in motion, changing their locations constantly.  Eadmund and the Mesolans who lived here must possess some ability that allowed them to know where each room was and where it had moved.  Kyra would let Doci know about this, he would find it interesting.
    
But what held Kyra’s attention at the moment was the Seeing Mirror, at the end of the room.  On the other wall was the Telling Globe, so this was something new.  It sat upon a raised platform, flat, looking up and reflecting whoever looked in it.  Eadmund stood over it, looking in it, and then looking at Kyra, he signaled her to come over.
    
Kyra paid no attention to the rest of the details in the room, not caring.  It seemed as if the Seeing Mirror possessed a magnetic force, drawing her irrevocably towards it.  As she reached Eadmund, he took her hands in his and looked into the mirror; she did likewise. 
    
For what we are about to attempt, we need something stronger than the Telling the Globe, and the Seeing Mirror is the most powerful talisman I have, as ancient as the Echolans, created in a time when magic and wizards were powerful and feared.

They stared at each other, Eadmund smiling, making Kyra smile.  Eadmund tightened his grip on her hands and then began concentrating. 

The mirror changed, becoming an eye through which they could see anything they wanted, if they concentrated hard enough.  The first sight was of the magnificent palace of Enchantus, its great twin turrets reaching high into sky, passing through layers of cloud.  The next image was of Queen Anita, as she sat on her throne conversing with, Orcus.  She seemed worried.  Kyra knew why.

The mirror shimmered and shined, changing, and they were looking from high on above, down at the lands of Aisis Lip, zooming across the hills, fields and rivers, at an amazing speed away from Enchantus.  The movement stopped and she could now see Eadmund’s palace; where they were in relation to everything else.  The image began moving again, like a bird taking flight and soaring over the land.  Picking up speed, they whooshed across the mountain range and past the destroyed lands, so fast that Kyra was unable to make out any detail.  But she knew where this would end.

Kyra sucked in her breath.

Slowing down to a crawl, the details now became stark:  she was looking at Jolus the Malignant’s castle for the first time.  It was hideous and black.  She could smell the rot of flesh and the decay of things unknown.  The Seeing Mirror took them along the rough ground and rose up the side of one of the turrets a short way and then passed through an open hole that was meant as a window. 

They were inside.

Kyra was breathing fast, fighting to control her fear.  Eadmund was holding her, letting her know that he was with her and she was in a safe place.  She couldn’t be harmed here.

The Seeing Mirror took them through dark passageways, around shadowed corners, and crept amongst hidden shapes that Kyra didn’t want to see. 

Kyra could feel tension building in her, like an unstoppable swelling within her chest.

They entered a tunnel that possessed little light and she could see the cold gray stone surrounding them as they passed through into a wide room, which had more dark corners than lit ones.  What little light there was came from a fire in the hearth at one end of the room, making Kyra yearn for complete darkness.

Jolus the Malignant sat on his throne of skulls upon the floor of living flesh.  He sat staring at the fire with an evil grin as malicious thoughts formed behind his black eyes.  The Seeing Mirror stopped in front of him and Kyra looked into his eyes in the full light.

She gasped.

There wasn’t a thing in this world or in Kyra’s that was as hideous as this creature.  It was no wonder that its only impulse was to hurt, destroy and maim.  As Kyra held her breath, she felt what could only be pity for Jolus the Malignant.  Then her mind began working and her memories unfolded like an opening flower that had remained sealed for a long time.  The details of the dark eyes, the jutting sharp chin, the wooden cross earring.  This king of evil looked familiar to her.  It was . . . it was . . .

“My brother,” Kyra spoke in a whisper.

Jolus the Malignant lost the blank stare in his eyes as they focused on the fire once more, then he turned his head, looking around, searching for something.  He turned his head one side, then the other, passing across the mirror each time.  He began again, slower this time, until he was looking straight at them, and stopped.

Kyra started shaking, feeling Jolus the Malignant’s eyes on her.  Eadmund reassured her with soft thoughts that Jolus could not see them and that the power of the Seeing Mirror was only one way; they were safe.

There’d been a look of shock on Jolus’s face when he first looked their way, now that look was gone.  A grin began to stretch itself across his face, changing into a jagged sneer.

“He’s looking at me, he sees me,” Kyra whispered.

“No!” Eadmund spoke the only word Kyra ever heard him speak.

But the sneer was there, revealing an ivory fang resting on the purple lip, ready to bite and take hold.  And those black eyes, boring into her.

Before either of them could react, Jolus the Malignant lifted his hand with its ready talons and threw his arm out towards them.  The Seeing Mirror that was one way cracked apart as a greasy, hairy arm smashed through it and reached for Kyra.  She was just out of its reach, but the index finger extended like an arrow and scratched her cheek, drawing bright red blood.

Kyra screamed at the touch and jumped back.

Eadmund just stood there, not believing what he saw.

Jolus the Malignant’s arm pulled back, cutting the skin on the sharp glass, and was gone.

Eadmund finally found his strength, pulled himself together, and looked under the mirror, seeing the cracked glass and the stone platform beneath.  He looked for Kyra and saw her on the floor, her legs pulled up to her chin in a fetal position.  She was crying and rocking back and forth.

Eadmund just stood there, not knowing what to do.

Jolus the Malignant sat back in his throne of bone.  She was coming closer now and would be here soon.  He was ready for her.