CHAPTER TEN
A Passing
Jacob pointed accusingly at Akroma and walked towards her. As he neared, slowed. He lowered his hand and looked at her, her eyes lowered away from his. She was withering away, aging right before Jacob's eyes.
"Akroma, what's happening?" he asked gently. Akroma leaned on her scepter. She sighed and looked up at him, her eyes full of sorrow.
"You left the book." Akroma said weakly, "In doing so, you unleashed a horror beyond anything upon your future."
"Isn't there something we can do?" Jacob asked.
"Yes." She took a deep breath, her voice failing her. "You must travel through time and gather four shards of that weapon you hold." Jacob looked at the broken sword in his belt.
"What's so special about this sword?" Jacob asked. Sarah, Derek and Anastriana walked over to Jacob. A spark of hope lit in them when they heard there was something they could do.
"It's the one sword capable of vanquishing all evil. It is the Master Sword." Akroma lowered her head, her face wrinkling. "I don't have much time. With my remaining power, I grant you armour and weapons to aid you on your quest."
She held her scepter before her. Rings of blue light appeared over the four companions. The rings lowered over them, and in place of their original garbs, they found themselves in different outfits.
Anastriana found herself in a tight leather tank top and a pair of loosely fitting white pants. Her right hand was gloved and in it held a long rapier. A belt around her waist and a sheath on her side. She looked herself over and smiled. She reached up and felt her necklace around her neck.
Jacob wore a black undershirt, over which was a dark leather tunic. A belt over his waist held a beautiful gold and blue scabbard. The Master Sword's hilt locked into it. His dark pants went into his high boots. Flowing down his back was a deep green cloak buttoned around his neck with an emerald leaf.
In a chest plate worn over a leather tunic stood Derek. Leather gauntlets that sported brass knuckles on the gloves protected his forearms. From his belt hung a large war axe. His high boots folded over at the top, half their length covering the other. He picked the axe up and held it in his hands. He balanced it, careful not the drop it.
Sarah was in a tight leather body suit, a low hung belt across her hip and a quiver of arrows on her back. She held in her hand a long bow carved into a beautifully detailed art of vines and leaves.
Akroma lurched forward. Slumping into Jacob's arms. She coughed, and then spoke. "The time is distorted, Ashla no longer has control, and I am dying, it is up to you, gatekeeper." She looked up at him and the others. " And all of you to stop this."
"Akroma, how are we supposed to travel through time?" Sarah asked as she knelt down next to Jacob, a tear streaming down her cheek.
"With this." She handed the scepter to Sarah. "The Chronoscepter, with the help of Ashla, will guide you to each time where a shard is hidden." She tensed and Jacob held her to him, her last breath contained to words: "Good luck."
Sarah set the Chronoscepter down and took Akroma's body from Jacob. She held her in her arms. "What did we do to deserve this?" Jacob did not answer. He stood up and walked to the edge. Derek followed.
"Derek, we can't do this." Jacob whispered. "I can't do this. In the past twenty-four hours, we've lost everything. This is too big."
"Jacob," Derek said, he laid his hand upon his friend's shoulder. "You won't be alone. We'll be with you. We have to do this. I refuse to go back to that... hell."
"I guess you're right."
* * *
They placed Akroma in the center of her platform; Jacob removed his cloak and placed it over her body. He stood over her head and spoke a silent prayer. Afterwards, his companions stood ready to leave, he leaned next to her and spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry we couldn't do anything more for you, but by doing this, maybe we can change this." He placed a hand on her forehead. A single tear fell from his eye. "Thank you for everything." He stood and walked over to the others.
He took the Chronoscepter from Sarah and held it before him. "Ashla, Goddess of Time," he whispered, "Guide us to the shard of the Master Sword."
The hands of the clock atop the scepter began spinning, a column of light dropped upon them and they vanished.
* * *
Sarah opened her eyes and found herself looking over a forest in the horizon, fire raged through it. She could hear people screaming all around her. She cupped her hands over her ears and fell over onto her knees.
Jacob pointed accusingly at Akroma and walked towards her. As he neared, slowed. He lowered his hand and looked at her, her eyes lowered away from his. She was withering away, aging right before Jacob's eyes.
"Akroma, what's happening?" he asked gently. Akroma leaned on her scepter. She sighed and looked up at him, her eyes full of sorrow.
"You left the book." Akroma said weakly, "In doing so, you unleashed a horror beyond anything upon your future."
"Isn't there something we can do?" Jacob asked.
"Yes." She took a deep breath, her voice failing her. "You must travel through time and gather four shards of that weapon you hold." Jacob looked at the broken sword in his belt.
"What's so special about this sword?" Jacob asked. Sarah, Derek and Anastriana walked over to Jacob. A spark of hope lit in them when they heard there was something they could do.
"It's the one sword capable of vanquishing all evil. It is the Master Sword." Akroma lowered her head, her face wrinkling. "I don't have much time. With my remaining power, I grant you armour and weapons to aid you on your quest."
She held her scepter before her. Rings of blue light appeared over the four companions. The rings lowered over them, and in place of their original garbs, they found themselves in different outfits.
Anastriana found herself in a tight leather tank top and a pair of loosely fitting white pants. Her right hand was gloved and in it held a long rapier. A belt around her waist and a sheath on her side. She looked herself over and smiled. She reached up and felt her necklace around her neck.
Jacob wore a black undershirt, over which was a dark leather tunic. A belt over his waist held a beautiful gold and blue scabbard. The Master Sword's hilt locked into it. His dark pants went into his high boots. Flowing down his back was a deep green cloak buttoned around his neck with an emerald leaf.
In a chest plate worn over a leather tunic stood Derek. Leather gauntlets that sported brass knuckles on the gloves protected his forearms. From his belt hung a large war axe. His high boots folded over at the top, half their length covering the other. He picked the axe up and held it in his hands. He balanced it, careful not the drop it.
Sarah was in a tight leather body suit, a low hung belt across her hip and a quiver of arrows on her back. She held in her hand a long bow carved into a beautifully detailed art of vines and leaves.
Akroma lurched forward. Slumping into Jacob's arms. She coughed, and then spoke. "The time is distorted, Ashla no longer has control, and I am dying, it is up to you, gatekeeper." She looked up at him and the others. " And all of you to stop this."
"Akroma, how are we supposed to travel through time?" Sarah asked as she knelt down next to Jacob, a tear streaming down her cheek.
"With this." She handed the scepter to Sarah. "The Chronoscepter, with the help of Ashla, will guide you to each time where a shard is hidden." She tensed and Jacob held her to him, her last breath contained to words: "Good luck."
Sarah set the Chronoscepter down and took Akroma's body from Jacob. She held her in her arms. "What did we do to deserve this?" Jacob did not answer. He stood up and walked to the edge. Derek followed.
"Derek, we can't do this." Jacob whispered. "I can't do this. In the past twenty-four hours, we've lost everything. This is too big."
"Jacob," Derek said, he laid his hand upon his friend's shoulder. "You won't be alone. We'll be with you. We have to do this. I refuse to go back to that... hell."
"I guess you're right."
* * *
They placed Akroma in the center of her platform; Jacob removed his cloak and placed it over her body. He stood over her head and spoke a silent prayer. Afterwards, his companions stood ready to leave, he leaned next to her and spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry we couldn't do anything more for you, but by doing this, maybe we can change this." He placed a hand on her forehead. A single tear fell from his eye. "Thank you for everything." He stood and walked over to the others.
He took the Chronoscepter from Sarah and held it before him. "Ashla, Goddess of Time," he whispered, "Guide us to the shard of the Master Sword."
The hands of the clock atop the scepter began spinning, a column of light dropped upon them and they vanished.
* * *
Sarah opened her eyes and found herself looking over a forest in the horizon, fire raged through it. She could hear people screaming all around her. She cupped her hands over her ears and fell over onto her knees.