flat stone tablet. Though I couldn’t tell if the design had been carved there or was only glowing when activated.
Then I watched as two of Carn’reau’s men approached the pathway that led up to the portal. They swung themselves from their beasts and each raised a sword to the top of two large columns that were positioned there at the bottom of the hill, like sentinels guarding the magic. These each held a tulip shaped lantern, that only sparked into life the moment the tips of their blades touched the stone, making a lightning bolt travel up the length until it erupted into a blaze of light at the top. This set off a chain reaction, as every couple of metres or so there was a smaller version of the columns igniting into another tulip of flames that then lined the path.
It was enough that it cast a warm glow over the army, one that hadn’t yet dismounted, making me wonder what they were waiting for? In fact, other than the first two, Carn’reau was the only one to slide from his saddle and start making his way up the illuminated pathway. As for Lucius and I, we continued to make our way to the front as the army started to part down the centre, giving us a clear path.
“Is the army staying here?” I asked, making Lucius tense before telling me,
“They are waiting for blood to be spilt,” he replied cryptically, making me frown in question, but before I could ask any more about it, we had reached the end. I then watched as Carn’reau looked to be chanting something at the portal, before he took his blade and sliced it down his hand and placed its bloody print at the centre where there seemed to be the biggest circle of words. If I was to guess, being the type to question everything, I would have said it was most likely a rite of passage. The blood of the worthy, that type of thing. As the second he did this, he took two steps back as a rumbling of stone could be heard.
“What’s happening?” I asked, making Lucius whisper,
“The portal is opening for its King.” I was about to ask if it only opened for him but stopped in sight of what began to happen next. As now the rock inside the glowing arch had started to crack, starting with the circle of words he’d just decorated with his blood. However, as the cracks grew bigger, instead of the loose rock falling to the floor at his feet, the stone broke away and simply fell away into an empty space beyond. It was as if it was being sucked inside the portal itself, now coming away in broken pieces like a jigsaw falling through someone's hands. Then, pretty soon all that was left beneath was a glowing blue mist, making it impossible to see what was beyond.
Carn’reau lifted a hand and signalled for his men to dismount. Then, before waiting for his men to proceed him, he stepped inside, his masterful form quickly disappearing from sight. I watched as the three McBain brothers seemed to come from nowhere, having been hidden by the trees.
“Where have they been?” I asked. Lucius nodded to Trice who looked over to us with concern, making me wonder what that had been about?
“They travelled ahead of the army to make sure there wasn’t an ambush waiting,” Lucius told me, and also answering another question of mine, as it was obvious now he had been giving Lucius the ‘all clear’… because really, what else would it have meant?
I watched as Vern, Gryph and Trice all dismounted their Manticores, before the rest of the army followed their King’s lead. Then after watching all three brothers disappear through the portal, I knew we would soon be next. So, one by one the armed soldiers passed us, adding to the dark line of bodies that continued up the pathway. This they did until they too reached the top of the hill and stepped into the glowing portal, and Lucius and I were all that remained.
I wanted to ask about the beasts they each left behind, but didn’t get the chance as Lucius had started to dismount. I swung my leg over to do the same and he caught me as I slid down, lowering me gently to my feet. This time there was no playful jokes about me falling, as he was all business, and I don’t know