Here, There Be Dragons

Chapter Eighteen

The Final Battle

At noon the Black Dragon arrived.
It eased along the eastern edge of the island, safely in the lee of the pull of the falls, where the Winter King could take stock of the allies before making his way to where his army was massing.
“They will attack within the hour,” Charys said to the assembled war council, which was still reeling from the defection of the Goblin King.
“How can you be sure?” said Bert.
The centaur indicated the motion of the sun across the sky, moving westward, and the council saw what Charys had surmised. The terminus of the void, the edge to the darkness beyond, was only a few degrees away from the sun’s position and would soon engulf it.
“That’s why they have the fires and torches lit in broad daylight,” said Jack. “The Winter King is used to being here and knows it’s going to be dark soon.”
Charys nodded. “We will be in absolute darkness, and it will be difficult to separate friend from foe, much less counter the attacks of the Shadow-Born.”
Aven volunteered to start gathering torches, or anything that could be assembled into torches, from the ships, taking with her a company of fauns.
“Despite the stated intentions of Uruk Ko,” said Bert, “we must remember that the Winter King has another agenda. He plans to attempt to summon the dragons back to the Archipelago.”
Eledir gave what amounted to a restrained snort of derision. “Impossible. Only the High King has ever known how to do this. Even my own ancestors, who were confidants of the great Samaranth, did not know the secret.”
“Yes,” said Falladay Finn. “When Archibald offended them, the dragons left the Archipelago forever. We need to deal with the army that has been assembled here and now, and not the imaginary one we worry may come.”
“With respect, I disagree,” said John. “The secret of the summoning is in the Imaginarium Geographica, which was stolen and is now in the possession of the Winter King. He also has Archibald’s Ring of Power, which the Geographica says will allow the summoning to take place.”
“Even I have a Ring of Power,” snorted Falladay Finn, extending his hand, which bore a ring identical to the one Magwich had stolen.
“As do I,” said Eledir, “as do my lieutenants. Rings of Power, as you call them, are symbols of office and fealty, nothing more. My ancestor Eledin received his at the same time as the High King Arthur, and he never saw a difference in the two.”
“It doesn’t matter if we believe it,” said John. “The Winter King does. And if he’s right, then we’ll be lost. But if he’s wrong, then maybe we can divert his attentions away from the battle long enough to gain an advantage.”
The kings and captains exchanged knowing glances, and John realized that there would be no advantages to be gained by a distraction. Once joined in battle, the opposing force would be irresistible and would flow over the assembled forces of the allies like a wave.
“We still do not know the real scope of his army,” said Falladay Finn. “As yet, we have not seen any of the Shadow-Born among the assembly.”
“That’s a concern,” Eledir said. “Perhaps greater than the Trolls and Goblins, who can still be killed.”
“May I say something?”
The council turned to look at the speaker—Artus, who had not ventured an opinion since they’d begun, instead allowing John, Jack, or Bert to speak for Men and Paralon.
Charys nodded. “You are the heir to the Silver Throne,” he said. “Speak, and we will listen.”
“Well,” Artus began, “I’ve been thinking—Ordo Maas told us that the Shadow-Born were created by that magic kettle, right?”
“Pandora’s Box,” Eledir said. “A myth. Nothing more.”
“Ordo Maas didn’t think so,” said Artus. “And besides, the Shadow-Born came from somewhere, didn’t they? Do you have a better explanation?”
Eledir remained silent and indicated with a nod for Artus to continue.
“If my grandfather—King Archibald—started creating the Shadow-Born by opening the box, and the Winter King created more of them and began taking over the Archipelago by keeping it open, then why don’t we just do what Aven suggested, and find it, and close it?”
This suggestion was met with a resounding silence, which was then shattered by Charys’s booming laugh.
“By my body and bones, that’s either the most kingly thing I’ve ever heard, or it’s the single stupidest plan on Earth,” he said, laughing and stomping his hind legs.
“If that is the source of his ability to create Shadow-Born,” Artus continued, “then by closing it, we can prevent him from creating more.”
“That’s a good plan,” said Nemo. “I wonder what effect closing the box would have on the existing Shadow-Born?”
“Also,” said Artus, growing bolder with each comment of support, “it’s probably here, on the island. The Winter King wouldn’t have risked losing it to combat or weather by keeping it on board the Black Dragon, so if this is really his base, it’s probably somewhere around here.”
Bert, Nemo, Eledir, and Falladay Finn exchanged glances of unabashed admiration over the boy king’s conclusions.
“If he does possess such a weapon,” mused the Dwarf King, “he would keep it here. There may be something to this strategy after all.”
“Right,” said Artus. “So all we have to do now is go into his camp, sneak past all the goblins, trolls, Shadow-Born, and Wendigo, find Pandora’s Box, and close it. It’s simple, really.”
Charys slapped his forehead. “Ah, boy,” he said, resigned. “You had it going so well, up until the end.”
“But he’s right,” said Charles, who’d been listening in from the perimeter of the council. “That’s exactly what needs to be done.
“Look,” he said, gesturing at the island beyond. “It’s a natural battlefield—everyone is expecting that both sides will meet in the middle, and the Winter King’s side is expecting the cover of darkness to be to their advantage. So no one would be looking if someone went behind their camp to snoop around while all their attention is focused on us in the center.”
“That sounds like a plan,” said Charys. “Good luck.”
“What?” Charles said, his face suddenly gone pale. “I-I wasn’t really volunteering. I’m not a soldier.”
“Not many here are, lad,” Nemo said. “But we’re going to do what we can, all of us, nevertheless.”
“We’ll do it!” came an excited voice from somewhere nearer the ground. “Master Charles an’ his faithful squire, Tummeler, vanquishing foes and, uh, closin’ boxes!”
Charles blinked, then grinned. “I guess we’re the stealth force,” he said, looking down at the exuberant badger. “God help us all.”
“The torches are ready,” said Aven, approaching the council with several in hand.
“And just in time,” said Nemo, shading his eyes and looking up at the sky. The sun was half-covered in Shadow. In minutes the island would be plunged into darkness.