A World Within Read online

  Percival tightened his grip around the neck of the Wolven. The mountainous man had the beast in a head-lock standing at its shoulder. Percival cinched up on his powerful arm as much as he could, crushing the wolven’s trachea in a vice-like grip. The beast’s tongue dangled from its mouth and finally all tension in its body relaxed. Percival dropped the body when he was sure it wouldn’t suddenly recover.

  Captain Blackborne, Marissa, Percival and both pantheras had survived the slaughter. The cherubs, Bob and Mickey, had met their end during the wolven attack. Meineke and Daniel had escaped with a pack of wils on their tail and Louie behind them all.

  “We’ve got to find Daniel,” Marissa said as she tried to gather up what supplies she could.

  Percival and Nathaniel followed suit, gathering what they could carry in food, water, and weaponry. “At least it’s only a few wils chasing them now,” Nathaniel said.

  Marissa gave him a concerned look. That fact didn’t appear very comforting to her.

  “It was only a few wils who caused all of this,” Percival added.

  Nathaniel gathered what he could and started to lead the way through the forest. “Come on, we’ve got to hurry.” Marissa followed after him with Percival bringing up the rear. They could now see Mt. Doom beyond the tree tops towering over them. If Daniel and the others had gone into the mountains, there would be much more to fear than a few wils.

  MT. DOOM

  Daniel had been walking for several hours. The sun peeked just above the mountain, but the morning was still cold at this higher elevation. On the mountain above, he saw the snow line extending below the cloud cover which hid the higher peaks.

  Daniel felt thoroughly exhausted. A lack of good sleep and the fight with the Wolven and the wils had sapped him completely of physical strength. Looking at the mountain before him threatened to destroy his determination. It appeared hopeless. How could he ever hope to find his friends? And even if he did, how could he ever hope to defeat the mighty black dragon which had taken them?

  “It’s a long way up, isn’t it?” a voice said from behind.

  Daniel whirled around with his sword ready. William Harding sat upon a nearby boulder, blowing into his hands and rubbing them in an effort to warm them. Daniel relaxed and smiled. It pleased him to see William, even if he was only a Mem.

  “I thought you couldn’t get cold?” Daniel said as he watched the Mem bristling at the cold weather.

  William stopped and smiled. “Your right, I can’t. Just empathizing with you ole buddy.”

  Daniel walked over to the boulder and sat down next to William’s Mem. “Thanks a lot. William, what am I supposed to do. I can’t do this. I’m just a kid,” he complained.

  “Iam’s truth isn’t always an easy thing to understand.”

  “Who’s this Iam?”

  “If you really want truth, Daniel, all you have to do is seek it with all of your heart, but it often takes some digging beneath the surface.”

  “I don’t understand, William. I’m fighting for my life!”

  “More so than you realize, Daniel.”

  “And who is this Mortis? Everyone keeps telling me that he’s the enemy. Is he the one doing all of this to me?”

  “It’s true, Mortis is an enemy and he knows who you are. I can only tell you this, Daniel, we must all face Mortis, but we can have the victory over him.”

  “But how do I defeat him? I’ve never even seen him,” Daniel said, cupping his face in his hands.

  “There is only one person who has defeated Death, Daniel. I’ve told you before.”

  “I just don’t understand, William.”

  “If you want truth, you will always find it in the Rock.”

  When Daniel looked up again, William was gone. Daniel tried to decipher what the Mem had said to him. He looked back to the mountain towering above him. “I don’t have time to deal with riddles,” he said, frustrated. Meineke and Louie were depending on him. The way Daniel saw it, he was the only one who could save them.