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The Arrival
an illustrated tale
page 1

    "This looks bad..." Greylen said slowly, looking up at the Tower of Olyian.  The stone tower was now totally enveloped by the dark storm clouds.  Lightning danced about, illuminating the area brightly, bringing stark contrast between the now dark sky.
    "We'd better go inside and see what's going on," Demonclaw looked at the two.
    "Yes," Garalt muttered, "whatever this is, can't be good at all..."
    The three men hurriedly walked up to the main platform of the tower, watching the dark clouds pouring across the countryside, bathing the land in almost total darkness.  Only the lightning gave any light to speak of, Garalt could barely see a few yards in front of him.
    "Greylen, hurry, activate the portal," Garalt said quickly, noticing the worsening environment about them.  Greylen quickly waved his wand and spoke a few words.  Suddenly the whole platform was bathed in the portal's soft blue haze.  The three darted through, and it wasn't long before they made it up to the roof.
    "My God..." Garalt gasped.
    "How is this possible?  There is no one here..." Greylen looked about hurriedly, "Someone is....?"
    The master portal was ablaze in lights, the many crystals about it were shining and glimmering, most from the lightning, some from their own power.  A soft blue haze filled the portal gate.
    "Activating it from the other side?" Demonclaw finished.  The three looked at each other and then quickly ducked behind the tower's small lookout towers.  Garalt climbed up on top of the tower and peered between the ramparts just in time to see a dark figure step through the master portal's gate.  Then another, and another.
    Garalt jumped at the visage of the first man to walk through.  At first glance the young knight was convinced it was Ethelred, but under the cowl of the man's cape was not the same, vile face.  Somehow, this face was even more gruesome.  The second man to walk through was dressed in a medium plated armor, and carried two halberds as if they were sticks.  Certainly he was possessed by some magics to give him such strength.  The third man, however, was quite different.  He was dressed in full plate armor, midnight black, and was covered in large horns.  He carried a simple sword and shield, but there was an air of great skill about the third man.  Just as the third man appeared, the dark clouds and lightning about the tower slowly began to fade away.  Garalt moved back farther behind the ramparts of the tower as he saw the first man begin to speak.

    "Ahh... Kahlan..." the shrouded figure said slowly, his voice seemed evilly pleasant.
    "Ethelred has failed," the deep, sinister voice of the heavily armored figure spoke, "we must find him and remove him from his seat of power.  The Council so orders."
    "And if Ethelred refuses to obey the Council's orders?" the shrouded man said slowly.  The man with the halberd's seemed too distant to even care what the two were saying.
    "Ethelred is aware of the consequences of disobeying the Council."
    "And will you return Ethelred to the Council once you have him in custody?"
    "No, we must stay here and finish what we came to do."
    "Damn,  I was hoping I'd be able to go back, this place does not agree with me.  'Tis too green."
    "The Council sent a watcher with me to keep tabs on me, to make sure I did what Ethelred did not.  And you will do your job, watcher, so watch.  Get in my way, and you'll go home.  In pieces."
    "As you wish..."
    "Bounty hunter!" the armored man addressed the man with the two halberds, who turned to face him, "We will not be able to take down our prize without more help.  Find Mala, but do not confront her.  You know what happened to the last agent who tried."  The man with the two halberds nodded.
    "I shall report back to you in Zol when I have found her," the gruff voice of the man with the halberd's said.  With that, he ran and jumped off the edge of the tower!  Garalt shuffled quietly and looked over the edge to see the man land effortlessly on the ground and begin running away.  Garalt swallowed hard and then looked back at the two remaining men.
    "After Mala went rogue she wanted nothing to do with us.  How do you know she will want something to do with you?" the shrouded man coyly said to the heavily armored man.
    "I have an ace up my sleeve, worry not.  The Council will be most pleased with my prizes after this trip."
    "And what of the people of this land?"
    "If the kingdoms of Kahlan stand between me and my prize, then they shall be obliterated along with it."
    With that, the man in the heavy armor raised his sword and then swung it down quickly.  Instantly the two men vanished in a puff of thick, black smoke.  Garalt looked down at his comrades and was about to speak, when the other portal from the inner chamber of the tower activated.  Garalt cowered down once more to await what was to come.
    Garalt could hear the voices first before he saw anything walk through the portal, one of them seemed oddly familiar.
    "What the hell...?" Garalt whispered under his breath.
 


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