The Eternal Champion

CHAPTER TWENTY A BARGAIN

WHO AM I?

You are Erekose, the Eternal Champion.

WHAT IS MY REAL NAME?

Whatever it happens to be.

WHY AM I AS I AM?

Because that is what you have always been.

WHAT IS 'ALWAYS'?

Always.

WILL I EVER KNOW PEACE?

You will sometimes know peace.

FOR HOW LONG?

For a while.

WHERE DID I COME FROM?.

You have always been.

WHERE WILL I GO?

Where you must.

FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

To fight.

TO FIGHT FOR WHAT?

To fight.

FOR WHAT?

Fight.

FOR WHAT?

I shivered, aware that I was no longer clad in my armour. I looked up. Arjavh stood over me.

'I wonder why he hated me then,' he was murmuring to himself. Then he realised I was awake and his expression altered. He gave a light smile. 'You're a ferocious one, Sir Champion.'

I looked into his moody, milky eyes.

'My warriors,' I said, 'what…?'

'Those that were left have fled. We released the few prisoners we had and sent them after their comrades. Those were the terms, I believe?'

I struggled up. 'Then you are going to release me?'

'I suppose so. Although…'

'Although?'

'You would be a useful bargaining prisoner.'

I took his meaning and relaxed, sinking back on to the hard bed. I thought deeply and fought the idea which came to me. But it grew too large in me. At length I said, almost against my will: 'Trade me for Ermizhad.'

His cool eyes showed surprise for an instant. 'You would suggest that? But Ermizhad is such a strong hostage for Humanity…'

'Damn you, Eldren. I told you to trade me for her.'

'You're a strange human, my friend. But with your permission granted, that is what I shall do. I thank you. You really do remember the old Code of War, don't you? I think you are who you say you are.'

I closed my eyes. My head ached.

He left the tent and I heard him instructing a messenger.

'Make sure the people know,' I shouted from the bed. 'The king may not agree, but the people will force his hand. I'm their hero! They'll willingly trade me for an Eldren-no matter who that Eldren is.'

Arjavh instructed the messenger accordingly. He came back into the tent.

'It puzzles me,' I said at length. He was sitting on a bench on the other side of the tent. 'It puzzles me that the Eldren have not conquered Humanity before now. With those halfling warriors I should think you'd be invincible.'

He shook his head. 'We rarely make use of our allies,' he said. 'But I was desperate. You can understand that I was prepared to go almost to any measures to rescue my sister.'

'I can,' I told him.

'We would never have invaded,' he continued, 'had it not been for her.' It was said so simply that I believed him. I had already been fairly certain of that.

I took a deep breath. 'It is hard for me,' I said. 'I am forced to fight like this, with no clear idea about the rights or the wrongs of that fighting, with no true knowledge of this world, with no opinions of those who inhabit it. Simple facts turn out to be lies-and unbelievable things turn out to be true. What are the halflings, for instance?'

Again he smiled. 'Sorcerous ghouls,' he said.

'That is what King Rigenos told me. It is no explanation.'

'What if I told you they were capable of breaking up their atomic structure at will and assembling again in another place. You would not understand me. Sorcery, you would say.'

I was surprised at the scientific nature of his explanation. 'I would understand you better,' I said slowly.

He raised his slanting eyebrows.

'You are different,' he said. 'Well, the halflings, as you have seen, are related to the Eldren. Not all the dwellers on the Ghost Worlds are our kin-some are more closely related to men, and there are other, baser, forms of life…

'The Ghost Worlds are solid enough, but exist in an alternate series of dimensions to our own. On these worlds, the halflings have no special powers-no more than we have-but here they have. We do not know why. They do not know why. On Earth different laws seem to apply for them. More than a million years ago we discovered a means of bridging the dimensions between Earth and these other worlds. We found a race akin to our own who will, at times, come to our aid if our need is especially great. This was one of those times. Sometimes, however, the bridge ceases to exist when the Ghost Worlds move into another phase of their weird orbit, so that any halflings on Earth cannot return and any of our people are in the same position if they are on the Ghost Worlds. Therefore, you will understand, it is dangerous to stay on either side overlong.'

'Is it possible,' I asked, 'that the Eldren came originally from these Ghost Worlds?'

'I suppose it is possible,' he answered. 'There are no records, though…'

'Perhaps that is why the humans hate you as aliens,' I suggested.

'That is not the reason,' he told me, 'for the Eldren occupied the Earth for ages before humankind ever came to the planet.'

'What!'

'It is true,' he said. 'I am an immortal and my grandfather was an immortal. Hex was slain during the first wars between the Eldren and Humanity. When the humans came to Earth, they had incredible weapons of terrible destructive potential. In those days we also used such weapons. The wars created such destruction that the Earth seemed like a blackened ball of mud when the wars were ended and the Eldren defeated. Such was the destruction that we swore never again to use our weapons, whether we were threatened with extermination or not. We could not assume the responsibility for destroying an entire planet.'

'You mean you still have these weapons?'

'They are locked away, yes.'

'And you have the knowledge to use them?'

'Of course. We are immortal. We have many people who fought in those ancient wars, some even built new weapons before our decision was made.'

'Then why…?'

'I have told you. We swore not to.'

'What happened to the humans' weapons-and their knowledge of them? Did they make the same decision?'

'No. The human race degenerated for a while. Wars between themselves occurred. At one time they almost wiped themselves out completely, at another they were barbarians, and at another they seemed to have matured at last, to be at peace with their own souls and with one another. During one of those stages they lost the knowledge and the remaining weapons. In the last million years they have climbed back from absolute savagery- the peaceful years were short, a false lull-and I'd predict they'll sink back again soon enough. They seem bent on their own destruction as well as ours. We have wondered if the humans, who must surely exist on other planets than this, are the same. Perhaps not.'

'I hope not,' I said. 'How do you think the Eldren will fare against the humans?'

'Badly,' he said. 'Particularly since the humans are inspired by your leadership and the gateway to the Ghost Worlds is due soon to close again. Previously Humanity was split by quarrels, you see. King Rigenos could never get his marshals to agree and he was too uncertain of himself to make the large decisions. But you have made decisions for him and you have united the marshals. You will win, I think.'

'You are a fatalist,' I said.

'I am a realist,' he said.

'Could not peace terms be arranged?'

He shook his head. 'What use is it to talk?' he asked me bitterly. 'You humans, I pity you. Why will you always identify our motives with your own? We do not seek power-only peace. Peace! But that, I suppose, this planet shall never have until Humanity dies of old age.'

I stayed with Arjavh for a few more days before he released me on trust, and I rode back towards Necranal. It was a long, lonely ride and I had a great deal of time to think.

I was hardly recognised this time, for I was dusty and my armour was battered and the people of Necranal had become used to seeing beaten warriors returning to the city.

I reached the Palace of Ten Thousand Windows and a gloomy quiet had settled on it. The king was not in the Great Hall and lolinda was not in her quarters.

In my old apartments, I stripped off my armour. 'When did the Lady Ermizhad leave?' I asked a slave.

'Leave, master? Is she not still here?'

'What? Where?'

'In the same quarters, surely…'

I still had my breastplate on and I donned my sword as I strode through the corridors until I got to Ermizhad's apartments and brushed past the guard on the door.

'Ermizhad-you were to be traded for me. Those were the terms. Where is the king? Why has he not kept his word?'

'I knew nothing of this,' she said. 'I did not know Arjavh was so close, otherwise…'

I interrupted her. 'Come with me. We'll find the king and get you on your journey back.'

I half dragged her from room to room of the palace until at last I found the king in his private apartments. He was in conference with Roldero as I burst in upon them.

'King Rigenos, what is the meaning of this? My word was given to Prince Arjavh that Ermizhad was to leave here freely upon my release. He allowed me to leave his camp on trust and now I return to find the Lady Ermizhad still in captivity. I demand that she be released immediately.'

The king and Roldero laughed at me.

'Come now, Erekose,' said Roldero. 'Who needs to keep his word to an Eldren jackal? Now we have our War Champion back and still retain our chief hostage. Forget it, Erekose. There is no need to regard the Eldren as human!'

Ermizhad smiled. 'Do not worry, Erekose. I have other friends.' She closed her eyes and began to croon. At first the words came softly, but the volume rose until she was giving voice to a weird series of harmonies.

Roldero jumped forward, dragging out his sword.

'Sorcery!'

I stepped between them.

'Out of the way, Erekose. The bitch invokes her demon kind!'

I drew my own sword and held it warningly in front of me protecting Ermizhad. I had no idea what she was going, but I was going to give her the chance, now, to do whatever she wanted.

Her voice changed abruptly and then stopped. Then she cried: 'Brethren! Brethren of the Ghosts Worlds-aid me!'