Daisy put an arm around Sasha and hugged her tight. Sasha hugged Daisy back and kissed her cheek. Gary looked at the two women and wondered to himself where it would all end for him. Smallgrass nudged him, “You not going to join in the hugging?” Gary reddened and looked away much to the amusement of the other Smallgrass.

  “Let’s go,” he said walking ahead of the group. There were now eight of them. The five original companions who had left Summervale, Octavia’s husband, Sasha and Calico. They marched in single file, the person in the front creating a path in the deep snow for the others to follow. Every half hour the person at the back would come forward and take the lead. When Octavia or Hannibal led the group, the path to follow was easy for the others. Their size meant that they pushed aside a vast quantity of snow and created a wide clearing. When Smallgrass or Smallgrass led the group, it didn’t help quite as much. They would have been better staying at the rear, but no one liked to tell them that. Their pride was as large as they were small. Besides, they had proved their worth many times on this quest and Gary was not going to belittle them in any way even if sometimes created a little extra work for the others.

  The march was slow and steady and when night fell the castle was still no more than a small dot on the horizon. They cleared a circle and created a small fire from some wood they had collected along the way. Sitting in the dark staring into the fire, Gary thought about the professor.

  “Smallgrass, you remember the professor, don’t you?”

  Smallgrass nodded.

  “I wonder if he ever made it to the four lands. He said he was going to try another portal. There must be many of them.

  “Who is this professor?” asked Sasha.

  Gary explained how he had come to be in the four lands. How the professor was trying to pass through himself and his final words to Gary, defeat the Ice King.

  “But how did he know about the Ice King?” asked Daisy.

  Gary shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been so busy surviving I never gave it any thought. He knew the four lands existed and he knew the Ice King was a threat.”

  “Then surely he must have had some contact with the four lands?”

  “He couldn’t enter the garden. He wanted to but he couldn’t. And he guessed I was a virgin when I passed through the portal.” Gary shook his head again at the memory of it.

  “He knew many things about our land,” said Smallgrass. “But if he had never visited, then there must be some kind of contact between our worlds.”

  “Yes,” agreed Gary. “It was not theoretical knowledge or a myth like the ones you shared with me Smallgrass. He knew the Ice King was a danger and had to be stopped.”

  Daisy pointed to the castle in the distance. Lights flickered and illuminated the walls. Torches were placed around the battlements. “That is where the answer lies. The Ice King talks about the threat to the four lands. He has knowledge of your world Gary.”

  “You’re right.” Gary leaned back and looked at the night sky above. The sky was clear and full of stars. “The plough,” he said pointing upwards.

  “What?”

  Gary pointed to the constellation out and explained which stars made up the plough. He then pointed out other constellations. They were fascinated. They told Gary their names for the stars and pointed out different groups of stars that had names in their world.

  “We are looking at the same sky,” he said. “We’re on the same world. We just see things differently. Different patterns in the sky and different names. Why wouldn’t there be connections between the worlds?” A green wave of iridescent light passed overhead as they spoke. “Aurora Borealis.”

  “The sky river,” said Smallgrasss. “That’s what we call it. Keep watching.”

  Gary sat up and turned around, following the wave of light as it crossed the sky. It passed directly over the crystal city and caused their white walls to turn green as the light reflected on the snow below. The green wave then dipped down and touched the highest tower in the castle.

  Gary remembered back to the professor’s office and jumped to his feet staring at the castle.

  “That’s it. That is exactly what the light looked like in the professor’s office when he created the portal. The professor said I needed to travel to Crystal City to get home. The Aurora Borealis creates a portal to my world and it’s in the city. The Ice King has visited my world.”

  ***

  As the friends made their way up the slopes of the hill towards the castle, they saw no other living soul. Octavia and her husband fanned out to either side of the group and marched ahead, looking for scouts or potential ambushes but there was nothing. Not a living soul disturbed them. Looking up towards the castle that lay before them they could see an occasional glint of light on the ramparts as if they were being viewed from afar by spyglasses.

  “Why don’t they attack?” asked Gary as they paused for a rest.

  “Why do they need to. The castle is virtually impenetrable,” said Sasha. “They could sit in there for years. We may defeat them in the other lands but taking over the Crystal City is a much more difficult matter.”

  “Perhaps we don’t need to enter the city. Whatever the King was trying to achieve by taking over the four lands, he has failed,” said Daisy.

  The friends stood up, dusted the snow from their clothing and began the trek towards the castle once again.

  As dusk fell, they reached the final peak, and the castle could be seen in all its glory. The foundation upon which the castle stood was sheer rock-faced cliffs with a bottomless chasm surrounding it. In one location only there was a large bridge, twenty feet wide and made of rock and paved with polished granite. On either side of the bridge was a sheer vertical drop. There were no walls on either side, and the bridge had a camber that sloped away from the centre. The bridge had a straight line running along the middle. The line was made of deep red stone unlike the grey glistening granite that surrounded it.

  “The one straight line,” said Smallgrass. “It runs from the City to Warrensgate, following the path of the river of life.”

  Gary stood at the edge of the bridge and looked up. Faces could be seen looking down from the ramparts. Eyes staring out from metal helmets.

  “Our journey has ended,” said Gary pulling a bundle of wood he had been carrying off his back.

  “Do we really want to set up camp right here?” said Calico. “Before reinforcements arrive?”

  Gary scratched his chin as he looked up at the castle. “Yes, we can’t get in, but they can’t get out if we guard the bridge”

  “The bridge is designed to be defended by as few people as possible,” said Hannibal. “That is why it slopes away from the middle. Octavia and I could hold an army on this structure.”

  “Then we do it,” said Sasha. She crouched down and began to help Gary make the fire.

  The sun dropped below the horizon and torches on the ramparts came to life again. The fire of the travelers licked the night air.

  “Look,” said Daisy, pointing across the bridge. The gate began to slowly open. The size of it was so vast that the metallic creaking sound of its hinges was deafening. “Prepare to fight.”

  Much to their surprise no-one emerged from the gate. After a few moments of silence a blanket of mist rolled along the ground and made it’s across the structure towards them.

  “Remember who you are,” said Octavia. “Stand firm.”

  As the mist reached them and swirled around their feet Gary felt the embarrassment of being a student failure rise in him. “I am a failure,” he said out loud. “And I’m okay with that.” A vision of his parents appeared before him. You’ve disappointed us so much, they said. “I know, and there’s nothing I can do about that.” Professor Wiseman then appeared before him. What’s taking you so long. Have you defeated the Ice King yet? “No, and maybe I won’t succeed.”

  The visions subsided and face appeared before him. It was the Ice King. “So, it was Wiseman that sent you?”

  Gary shrugged. “I don’t think he intended to send me, it just kind of happened.”

  “That man is a fool, and you are a fool to listen to him.”

  “We are all fools, but at least some of try to do the right thing.”

  “You think you are so superior,” sneered the king. If you enter the city, you will perish.”

  “Probably, but how boring would it be to come all this way and not even try.”

  The king’s face curled up into a knot of disdain and hatred. “I will crush you and your friends and then I will take my rightful place in the land of Uffern. You think you have stopped me? I have all the power I need already. I will be invincible in your world.”

  “For someone that has so much power, you talk a lot. You spend a lot of time persuading others to do your fighting for you. Maybe all I need to do is simply walk into your castle. Maybe you are not as powerful as you say.”

  The king shook his head and his vision melted into the mist. Gary looked around at his friends, they were all standing still, distant and distracted. They clearly had their own visions, but everyone was fine. They were immune to the king’s enchantments. Sasha wiped a tear from her eye.

  “Are you okay,” Gary asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “I’ve done terrible things,” she said. “But I can’t take them back.”

  “Look,” said Daisy, pointing to the bridge as the mist retreated towards the castle. “He knows his enchantments will not work on us.”

  ***

  In the distance they could hear a low thumping sound. Smallgrass lifted his eyeglass and pointed it back down the mountain at a faint trace of lights snaking its way up the hill. “Re-enforcements. Tomorrow we will have an army. Time is running out for the king and he knows it.”

  Gary felt a knot in his stomach. He knew the end was near, whatever that was. Looking up he could see the northern lights begin to sweep across the sky again. They scraped across the tower as they had done the previous night. This time though, they created streaks of white crackling lightning as they did so, like white water created by the wake of a boat as it travels through water. The lightning trailed its way through the green waves of the aurora. The aurora dipped lower until more of it was passing over the tower, the lightning intensified and began to shape the green. The face of the king formed in the sky, as it had done in Autumnfall.

  “You think you are all so clever,” said the king. “But you will not pass into Crystal City. Keep the four lands. Continue to live your petty lives. I have no further use of it. My time here is finished.” The image of the king began to expand until he had shoulders, arms and an upper body. The king reached up into the sky and grabbed streaks of lightning in each hand.

  “Take cover,” shouted Daisy.

  Gary stood his ground staring at the king. The king pulled his arm back and threw the lightening like a Norse god. The lightning struck the bridge. The king then threw his second lightning bolt, hitting the same point.

  “He’s going to destroy the bridge,” Gary shouted to the others. “If we don’t go now, we’ll never get into the city.”

  The king reached up and grabbed more lightning, once again throwing it down. The edge of the bridge where it stuck began to crumble.

  “Come on, let’s go.” Gary ran onto the structure.”

  Smallgrass looked at Smallgrass, “One last battle?” Smallgrass nodded and they both began to run, followed by the others.

  The ground exploded around Gary as he made his way across the bridge. Looking up as he ran, he watched for the trajectory of the lightning bolts changing course as he went. Jumping left, then right, coming to a sudden stop and waiting for the lightning to strike the ground in front of him before continuing on his way. Rocks began to fall away into the cavernous abyss below, disappearing out of sight. The gates began to swing shut as the lightning rained onto the ground. The closer Gary got closer to the entrance the narrower the strip of bridge got as the lightning strikes took their toll.

  “Pick up the pace,” he shouted back to his companions. “I don’t think it will hold much longer.” Gary made one last lunge and threw himself against the gate which had now closed. He turned and looked back. The bridge was beginning to collapse under the constant barrage. Daisy and Sasha reached Gary first and shouted to their companions to hurry. Octavia scooped up Smallgrass and made the last few steps to safety alongside Hannibal. The bridge was now falling from the far side forward, waving from side to side as it did so, like a piece of rope that had been flicked along the ground. Calico and the other Smallgrass were being chased by the collapsing walkway. Smallgrass was starting to fall behind, his small legs no longer able to keep pace with encroaching nothingness. Calico reached back and grabbed Smallgrass by the scruff of the neck. As he took his next lunging step, he threw Smallgrass in the direction of the gate. Smallgrass flew through the air tumbling as he did so and hit the gate above Gary and then fell to the ground in a heap. As he jumped to his feet, he saw the collapsing bridge catch up with Calico.

  “Jump,” shouted Gary. Calico leapt through the air and Gary reached out for him. He grabbed his hand as the ground below dissolved. Octavia stretched her arm out and grabbed onto Calico’s shoulder. They pulled him up from the abyss that waited, onto a narrow ledge, all that remained of the once impressive structure.

  “What now?” asked Daisy looking at her companions. They were standing in front of the closed gate. The only access to the city now destroyed behind them and the large gate closed in front of them.

  Smallgrass got down on all fours and began to dig. After a few sweeping motions he hit solid rock. “Well, it was worth a try.” He stood up. “Anyone got any other ideas?” he said as he banged his fist on the solid gate. A small hatch suddenly opened at eye level with him and a face started out. Smallgrass looked up at Gary and frowned.

  “Yes, can I help you,” said the face behind the gate.

  “I demand an audience with the Ice King as the arbiter of all disputes.”

  “I’m not sure he’s seeing anyone at the moment.”

  “Everyone in the four lands has the right to an audience if demanded, do they not?”

  “Well, technically yes, but it’s a slightly unusual situation at the moment. What with him trying to conquer the world and all that.”

  “Has he rescinded his duty as ultimate arbiter?”

  “Not as far as I’m aware, but I’m not sure what kind of reception you would get.”

  “Let us worry about that. As gatekeeper it is your duty to let us pass unless the king has explicitly forbidden you to do so.”

  “Alright then, but you’ll need to be quiet.” The hatch closed and they heard sliding metal. A small section of the gate opened. It had been flush with the rest of the structure and not visible to them when closed. “Quickly,” said the gatekeeper. “Before I see seen.”

  They stepped through the door and looked around. It was eerily quiet and there was no sign of any other life. The ramparts looked abandoned. Looking up at the sky, the Ice King had gone. They were standing in a large square with roads leading in three directions. One to each side following the wall and one straight ahead to the centre of the city and the large looming tower. Gary looked at the gatekeeper. He was a short slight man with grey hair and deep furrowed brow.

  “I’m not sure I should be doing this. He won’t be happy.” The gatekeeper shivered and a couple of long donkey-like ears emerged from his head. He stroked them and tried to push them back. “Oh dear. This makes me very nervous. I don’t like this one little bit.”

  “Where is he?” asked Gary.

  The gatekeeper shrugged his shoulders. “Probably the tower. He spends most of his time there when the sky river runs over the city.”

  “Where is everyone else?” asked Sasha.

  “There are not many people left. They mostly became Doomwalkers and left to join the war. There are just a few servants and guards left behind to look after the king. He’s not very sociable. A bit of an introvert truth be told. Scary but an introvert.”

  “Why did you stay?”

  “It’s an easy job. Strange hours at times but I’m comfortable with it. I know what I’m doing. It comes with a house too, so there is that. If you go straight ahead, you’ll find the tower. If you see some guards, you’ll know he’s in the tower.”

  “Can you take us there?” asked Gary.

  “Well, I would but then the gate would be unattended.”

  “There’s not going to be anyone coming to the gate,” said Smallgrass. “The bridge is gone. There’s no reason to guard the gate.”

  “But all the same, it is my job.”

  “Okay, one of us will look after the gate for you. Will that work?

  The gatekeeper thought for a second or two, pushing away at his ears that refused to go back down. “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “Two of us will stay,” said Gary.

  “Well, alright then but let’s be quick. I don’t want to be away for too long.”

  Gary nodded to Smallgrass and Smallgrass. “You two stay and look after the gate.”

  “No way,” they both said in unison.

  “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”

  “No.”

  “Smallgrass, listen to him for once,” said Octavia.

  The Smallgrasses reluctantly nodded. Gary stepped next to them and leaned down to whisper. “Once we’re out of sight, open the gates and come after us. I don’t know if anyone can get across but at least the gates will be open.” He stood up and then said loudly for the gatekeeper’s benefit. “Do I make myself clear. Never question my orders again.”

  “Yes sir,” said Smallgrass and Smallgrass.

  “Now, to the tower.”

  The gatekeeper marched straight ahead following the path between large buildings at the edge of the square. “Keep a few paces back,” Gary whispered to his companions. “If there are any guards ahead let them see the gatekeeper first. It will give us a few seconds advantage.” They silently nodded their understanding. As they walked through the empty streets, they noticed abandoned barrels just like the ones that had been used in the conversion ceremony.