How to Find your Way in the Incomplete Archives

Nine

It was little wonder that their expressions could not hide the disbelief.

Fremont confronted their scepticism, "I understand my looks and age don't add up but I can explain. You must promise to hear me out before you react."

"Alright" the Princess helped herself to a ladle of vegetable stew, "This better be interesting,"

"It is," he relaxed his shoulders, "Long ago, the Darkness reigned supreme over the world. The residents of the Darkness lived peaceful days free from want and discomfort. But they also lacked the will to live. When the first Light was born, others around her were drawn to the brightness. She promised them a world of motion, excitement and hope that no denizen in the Darkness had experienced before,"

"Fremont, every man, woman and child has heard the tale of the Founding. What does that have to do with you?"

He swallowed back an embarrassed flush, "I'm getting there. So then, the Light established their own realm within the Darkness. And those whose days in the Light had ended were welcome to return to the Dark. Umbrapolis was established in an ancient pact to maintain the balance between the world of the Light, the Living and world of the Dark, the Departed. The rulers of the Shadow Kingdom form the core of this pact and were tasked to maintain the delicate balance. They live on the borderline, acting as physical tethers between the two realms. Slower ageing is a side-effect of the two forces interacting within them,"

"Interesting indeed. So are you implying ...?"

"I'm the current ruler of Umbrapolis, the one called the Shadow King,"

The barbarian warrior nearly dropped her spoon, "That's a tall claim from a wee boy,"

"Hey, not everyone has the bloodline qualities," he stopped mid-rant, "I am who I claim to be. The Holy Army named me the Crown of Evil. When they took possession of the city, Archmage Juvela, activated the Abyss of a Thousand Worlds to buy us time. That's how my knight, Aster, was able to help me teleport to a safe location,"

"You mentioned a lot of things, most of which are hard to accept without proof," Archaea re-filled her bowl, "Archmage Juvela I have heard of but so has anybody else that grew up listening to the adventures of the Shadow King,"

"My adventures?" he looked excited for a moment, "What manner of stories are they?"

"They are secondary. And even if you are who you claim to be, it is just that – a claim with no value,"

"Value?" his words carried a muted agony, "I do not have any resources now but you can use me as you see fit. Will that suffice?"

The sudden change in tone alerted his listeners. Fremont had a habit of bargaining for the shorter end of the stick, a habit that could only have been born out of desperation. The weighted words were far beyond the experiences of the youthful face.

The Boglanders remained silent.

"I will do anything you ask," he looked down at his hands, "Anything at all. My luggage and weapons are everything I have right now. You can take those too. Won't that be enough?"

A gentle pat on the back brought him back to reality.

"Hush," the Princess dismissed his offer, "We're not looking for that sort of value. What you can do is start by explaining what happened at the castle. Tell us what is this Abyss of something that you spoke of?"

The kind refusal took him by surprise. Their intentions were clear. His hosts may or may not have believed him but they were willing to give him a fair chance.

He accepted, "Listen carefully. You've already heard about the maze of the Shadow Castle,"

"Bane of thieves, the legends would call it,"

"Aye! That very same maze. It is not a physical construct. It's a 'spirited' maze housed within the walls of the castle,"

Arlan recognised the term, "You mean it is a living entity contracted to a mage?"

"Yes, and Juvela was its current master. When the enemy attacked us, she activated the Abyss of a Thousand Worlds spell. That spell commands the maze to create an infinite spiral out of the paths. Once someone enters, they can only see one road ahead of them. But the path folds space back on itself, so each infiltrator will be secluded in a tiny never ending loop."

"Wait, that means the castle is basically impenetrable,"

"In theory, yes, as long as a strong mana source is available, it will never fail,"

"But is there a limit?"

"A thousand days with the existing sources at our disposal,"

Archaea made frantic calculations in her head, "Taking into account the number of days it has been since the Holy Army reached the Umbrapolis, the castle should not have been breached,"

"That would be the ideal scenario but," the young man looked crestfallen, "There is another simple and effective, albeit dangerous, way to dispel the maze,"

"Which is?"

"To break down the castle walls,"