Here I am again with another chapter! Getting closer and closer to the end...
05.09.2005: Answers to reviews removed. See chapter 3 for details.
Current Music: Mixed J-Pop, among others Abe Asami, Nakagawa Akinori and Yaida Hitomi
DISCLAIMER: Worlds and characters used are sole property of David Eddings and his publishers. I do not make and do not intend to make profit off this fic.
CHAPTER 27
Zoltach howled like a wounded animal when the unexpected shattering of the magical barrier backlashed at him. In his prison of flesh, even the Elder God had to succumb to the force that hit him. Instead of following through with his plans to bring down the border between the worlds, he fell to the ground, writhing in agony...
Meanwhile, the group had finally arrived at the foot of the large granite ruin which had once been a lighthouse. All of them had recovered from the traumatizing pictures the barrier had shown them – all but Belgarath. For some reason, the old sorcerer stared straight ahead, face haggard and gray. Whatever Zoltach's construct had shown him, it seemed to have hit the innermost core of his being. Dorgatan and Polgara noticed and rode over to him, trying to find out what was wrong.
It took some persuasion to get the old man to talk, but finally, the dam broke. Belgarath still looked straight ahead, when the words started to tumble out of his mouth.
"I lost her again. She died, and I couldn't help her... I was ready to tell the... thing who killed her to be not... I can't live without her, not again, not after thousands of years without her..."
The words lost themselves in mumbling after this, and Polgara saw, astounded and disturbed, how tears streamed down her father's face. Had she ever seen him cry? If so, she couldn't remember. He had vented sadness and grief in bursts of rage, had raved to the point of lunacy or carried himself with stoicism, but cry? Ancient Belgarath?
Polgara leaned over and embraced her father, not quite knowing what to say.
"There, there... She is fine, father, she is at home waiting for you, just like Durnik and my boys are waiting for me... you will see, everything will be alright..."
Thus, she comforted both him and herself, until Belgarath angrily rubbed at his face and straightened in his saddle.
"Thank you Pol. I am sorry I behaved like this, especially in a situation like this. Let us go in and finish it!"
It did not take long for the Gods, the Styrics, the Church Knights and the Disciples to climb the stairs up to the room in which the focus point – and Zoltach – were waiting for them. When they entered the large hall with its glowing pool of light in the middle, the Snake God had recovered from the blow Dorgatan and Aphrael knew had been dealt to him when Sparhawk had broken down his final line of defense.
A hideous grin spread over the face that had once belonged to Ctuchik when Zoltach greeted them in a mocking, hissing voice that sent chills down their spines.
"Welcome, Mortals and... well, I guess we have to call you 'Gods' now," he sneered.
If Aphrael and Dorgatan were offended, they didn't show it. Aphrael, in fact, smiled back at the emaciated figure the Elder God had chosen as his vessel and said over her shoulder:
"Anakha, why don't you teach Zoltach some manners? He's been screaming for it ever since he started his little scheme."
Zoltach feigned outrage – an astounding feat with the old Grolim's visage.
"Oh, but don't you want to know what I am going to do with the two worlds, once I disposed of you?"
Dorgatan stifled a yawn.
"Old news, Zoltach – we figured your little plan out weeks ago. What's up with you? You lost your touch, old boy; your plans were never this clumsy a couple of hundred eons ago..."
The Elder God howled in rage, lifted his arms – and suddenly, his body exploded with a loud "thwap". Polgara grinned into the round.
"He who sits in the glass-house shouldn't throw stones – or, dare I say 'He, who sits in the flesh-house should not taunt people who know Death Spells?"
Dorgatan didn't laugh, but looked at her with a grim expression.
"You only rid him of his prison. Now he is..."
"NOW I AM FREE, THANKS TO THE FOOLISH MORTAL! YOUR DEATH IS AT HAND!"
The voice roared down on them from above. They looked up to the partly broken-down ceiling; a huge cloud of sickly-green fog was accumulating, manifesting there. Lightning crackled through it in short, bright blasts. In a few seconds, Zoltach would unleash his full power onto them...
An aura of the darkest royal blue suddenly surrounded Sparhawk. He lifted his arms toward the gathering green mist that would mean their destruction, and shouted three words, in a voice booming so loudly that nobody could understand what he was saying.
A shrill screech of pain emanated from the amorphous body of the Elder God. Sparhawk – no, Anakha! – looked up at it mercilessly for a moment, then his voice rose over the wailing of the Snake God, shouting in Troll.
"KHWAJ! GOD OF FIRE! ZOLTACH DARED TO PUT OUT WHAT YE MEANT TO BURN FOREVER! COME AND PUNISH HIM, SO HE MAY NOT EVER THWART THY WILL – NOR MINE - AGAIN!"
He did not have to wait long for a response. Not only Khwaj appeared in the suddenly tiny seeming room, no, he brought the other five Troll Gods along with him!
"ZOLTACH WILL NOT PUT OUT KHWAJ'S FLAME AGAIN, KHWAJ WILL SEE TO THAT!" the huge Troll growled, and jumped up to meet Zoltach. The other Troll Gods followed suit, plunged into the green cloud, whose shrieking grew louder every minute. They somehow were able to grab the fog, pull on it, spread it out thinly, until a small red light appeared at its center. Anakha grabbed his mighty broad sword with both hands, jumped up, and forced the blade into the gleaming redness.
The sound of Zoltach's demise was unlike any other sound Belgarath and Polgara had ever heard in their long lives. A strange tearing sound, each second sounding like an explosion, frequency falling until they did not hear the sound, but felt it in their stomachs...
And then, it was gone. Zoltach was defeated. Sparhawk slumped to the floor, left by the immeasurable powers of the Bhelliom. The Troll Gods had left, as well. Silence filled the room, and the low hum of the focus point.
Here is Chapter 27 – and Zoltach is done for! What I will do the next three chapters? Well, Belgarath and Polgara have to get back into their world, and both groups have to get home... Cameos by some "Belgariad"-Characters included! Comments appreciated!