Crossing Into Forever

Chapter 45

Several weeks had passed since Ella's and Nicholas's wedding. Erebus was angry that his only chance at defeating his brother had slipped through his hands. He had no reason for catching the girl now and it made him angry. He knew he was still in grave danger of being beheaded by the doctor as that threat didn't end with the wedding. He had to think of a plan to regain some power and status so he would not be stuck in the tiny territory that had been his home for the past eight years. It made him angrier that his brother was living on the planet Warbrotum with power and wealth. There had to be a way for him to move beyond the confines of his miserable home and be able to gain some of his father's powers back from his brother. Then he had a profound thought. He may not be able to use the girl to defeat his brother, but he may be able to use the girl to convince his brother to let him come back to Warbrotum and maybe even share power with him. He knew the Warbrotums would be very interested in knowing about Ella and that she was on the planet Spirotest. He knew Nicholas had cast a spell on their wedding night to prevent the Warbrotums from being alerted that she was alive once her blood was spilled through the consummation of their marriage. If he offered the information, his brother may be able to find Ella even with the spell in place. He would have to find a counter spell to negate Nicholas's spell. Of course, he would negotiate the terms of his reward before the information was offered. Erebus took a great gamble by gathering up all of his strength and entering into Warbortum. His brother could kill him if he wasn't willing to listen to him first. Erebus decided it was worth the risk since he didn't know how much longer he could be trapped in his meager world.

As he crossed into the portal and into the other world, he entered a very isolated area. The chill in the air felt good to him and the dampness hung heavy in the air. The smell of acrid smoke from a nearby fire stung his nostrils and throat. The smoke was emanating from an old structure made of stone that looked as though it was in ruins. It was an old castle that looked as though it had seen better days. Still, someone must have been in there, for there to be smoke coming from the old dwelling. He saw no sign of any person in the area, so he continued to walk on. Suddenly, Erebus was grabbed from behind and a large dagger was placed at his throat.

A voice came from behind him. "Who are you!" the person demanded. What business do you have here. The man was as large as he was and didn't seem to be frightened by the fact that Erebus looked like a creature that had been mutilated in some sort of horrid battle.

Erebus was exhausted and breathing heavily as it had taken all of his ability to come this far. His voice sounded weak. "I am Erebus, brother of Ansgar and I have come to see my brother. I have some information he would want me to share with him.

The large man hesitated, but then took the knife away from Erebus's throat. "I didn't know Ansgar had a brother. You don't look like Ansgar. What is your information?"

"I will only talk to my brother. He may not want to see me but when he finds out what I have to tell him, he will change his mind."

The man decided if this was truly Ansgar's brother, he would want to know he was on the planet. He wasn't sure what type of reaction he would get from Ansgar, but he hoped he would not anger the sorcerer by bringing this person to him. Once they had gotten inside the castle, Erebus could see that a good portion of the structure was standing and inhabitable. Erebus was led down a great hall that was very dark and damp. There was a room at the end of the hall, and you could see the glow of candlelight coming from the room. They continued to walk and once at the room, entered. Erebus could tell the man sitting with his back to them at the table was his brother.

"Sir, I have a visitor here that says he is your brother."

Ansgar's head snapped around as soon as he heard the statement. He had a scowl on his face that did not change when he saw Erebus standing there. "What foolishness brought you here? You were never supposed to set foot on this planet again! I should spill your guts right here and now!"

"Wait brother, before you do, I have information for you that you would want to know. If you kill me, you will never know where she is.", He paused for a second. "Does that not make you curious to know what it is I speak of?

"What information could you possibly have that I would not already know?" Ansgar demanded.

"I ah might have some information about a particular girl. A girl that you may be searching for if you even know she is alive. You may be thinking she is dead, but I assure you, she is not.

By this time, Erebus had Ansgar's attention. "Who is it that you speak of?"

"Before I tell you, Erebus here could use a little persuading. It has been a very long time since I had a decent meal or a nice bed to sleep in. It has been a long time since I had a good drink. I am willing to make an agreement with you, but you will have to pay."

Ansgar looked at the man that brought Erebus in and spoke to him. "Fetch the man some food and drink and hurry up with it."

"Yes sir" the man responded, and out of the room he walked.

"Now, about this girl you are speaking of. If you are bluffing me, you know I will kill you."

"Oh, I assure you brother, I am not bluffing you.

The meeting continued between the two and Erebus told Ansgar about Ella. He told him about the doctor and about how he had placed a spell that would prevent the Warbrotums from sensing that Ella was alive when she lost her virginity to her husband. The spell had worked well, because there were none of them that had any dreams or premonitions of the girl. He had spoken about spells and counter spells. He knew his brother was a powerful sorcerer, because he had gotten his abilities from their father. He knew he could create a spell to negate the doctor's spell, especially since the doctor would not have been aware that there was a counter spell being cast. He would have no idea Erebus had spoken to his brother. It would only be a matter of time before the Warbrotums could find Ella and then Erebus would be living a king's life. He expected his brother would forgive him for all their past disagreements. He expected his brother to be eternally grateful for bringing this news to him, but Erebus had been away for a long time. Living the life of an exiled derelict and not having proper nutrition or shelter had taken its toll on him. He not only had little power for spells, but his intelligence had suffered greatly. He didn't have the ability to make good judgments or make proper decisions. For him to have thought he could expect his brother to welcome him with opens arms, even after delivering such profitable news, was nothing but pure folly.

Soon Erebus had finished eating his meal and drinking his ale. He had told his brother everything he had to say in exchange for the fare.

"So, brother, tell me, what else do you have to tell me? You have done good by coming here. I will forever be indebted to you." His words were friendly, and Erebus was content with his decision.

"That is all I know. I have told you everything. Now what else do you have to offer your old brother for brining you such a useful message?"

"Oh brother, I will be giving you a grand gift. I assure you, you will never forget it as long as you live."

Erebus sat there with a full belly and a quenched thirst and surmised to himself how smart he was. What a grand idea he had had to come to Warbrotum. It was probably the best thing he had ever decided to do. As he was sitting there, he noted out of the corner of his eye a movement that caught his attention. It was his brother, and he was carrying a large sword. Erebus tried to jump up from his seat, but with his first movement he noticed his mind was foggy and the room started spinning. He could barely move as he noticed his brother coming closer with the sword.

The last thing Erebus saw and heard was his brother smiling at him. "Surely you didn't think I would allow you to stay on Warbrotum or share my powers. I told you never to come back to this planet, ever again.

The sword was wielded at the level of his neck and Erebus's world existed no longer.