“Did you find it, lad?” Levi asked as Ethan came up for air again.
“It’s over there,” he said, pointing to their right, “about twenty feet up on the wall.”
“Did you see any way for us to climb it?” Gideon asked.
“None. But I can carry you up to the drain one at a time.”
They swam the remaining distance to the wall. They could barely make out the drain opening from the water. “I’ll go up and cut through the gate, then come back for each of you,” Ethan said.
Ethan liked knowing the plan depended on him so much. It felt good to be an integral part of what Shaddai was doing against Mordred. He felt like victory might be certain now. He was so close to fulfilling the prophecy.
Ethan shifted to the spiritual realm again and shot up to the drain tunnel. He pulled the heavenly sword from his side, slashing at the bars of the drain gate. An orange streak of molten metal marked where his blade had cut through.
Ethan used his armored foot to smash the two halves of the gate in. Ethan let go of his sword, willing it to his side. The supernatural blade obeyed, snapping back to his left hip.
Ethan dropped down to his comrades still floating in the water below. They were only half expecting it when Ethan grabbed each of them under their arms, in turn, and hoisted them to the open drain gate. Gideon, then Levi, crawled inside the dark tunnel and Ethan followed, coming back to the physical world. “It’s going to be difficult without any light,” Levi said.
“I’ll go for a lantern,” Ethan said. He shot out of the tunnel again, shifting in mid-air. He was getting braver with his gift. Ethan flew to the burning wreckage of the Maelstrom and Mordred’s ships. It was hard to tell which was which by now. Ethan soared through the fiery debris and smoke until he found what he was looking for-two lanterns lying among the wreckage of twisted boards and charred bodies.
Ethan took them up and used a piece of wood, which was still on fire, to light them. One of them had a cracked bell on it, but it would do for their purposes. Ethan returned quickly to the drainage tunnel where his friends were waiting. He handed them the lanterns, then returned to the physical realm.
“What about you?” Gideon asked.
“I think it might be wise if I go ahead of you two and make sure nothing is blocking our way.”
“Good idea,” Levi said, “we could use a scout to keep us on track. This tunnel is supposed to branch out into several directions at some point.” They all agreed and Ethan returned to the unseen.
He was beginning to enjoy being in this form more than in the physical world. Here there were no constraints on him, no gravity-not even a need to breathe and matter became as passable as air. Ethan went ahead of them, up the tunnel like lead shot through the barrel of a musket, his spiritual sight lighting his way.
The drain tunnel wound up through the rock toward the palace. There were other smaller tunnels intersecting with it, but otherwise it continued directly to the palace. Ethan began to get that tingling feeling, which always warned him of the presence of demons. He stopped below the drain gate in the floor of the palace. He did not know what room lay beyond and he wasn’t sure how many demons might be waiting on the other side.
Ethan descended the tunnel again to his friends. He had to hurry. Elspeth had to be here in the castle. If he could only reach her, then everything would be all right. When he reached Gideon and Levi again, reappearing in the tunnel ahead of them, they had not even climbed half the distance, yet. “I’ve found the palace up ahead. There are intersecting tunnels, but this one goes straight to it.”
“What room does it terminate into?” Levi asked.
“I’m not sure. There’s a grate in the floor and then one lower. I didn’t go in yet. I felt demons nearby.”
“Felt them?” Levi said.
“No time to explain,” Ethan said. “We’ve got to hurry. Elspeth must be here in the palace. I’ve got to save her!”
Levi and Gideon looked at one another. “Well, it’s going to take us a while to get to the top,” Levi said. “We have to go the hard way and this isn’t as easy as it looks.”
Ethan considered it. They had a long way to go. Anything could happen in that time. Elspeth might be lost to him already. “You’re right, Captain. We don’t have time to wait. I can go in alone.”
“No!” Gideon said. “You must not face Mordred alone, Ethan. It’s too dangerous.”
“But I’m Shaddai’s Deliverer, Gideon. You said so yourself.”
“Ethan, you need to think about what you’re doing. Let’s pray about what we need to do. We have to let Shaddai guide our steps or-”
“Shaddai is guiding my steps, Gideon,” he snapped. “I don’t have time to wait any longer. The Lord has given me this power, and it’s time I fulfilled this prophecy against Mordred! I’ve got to save Elspeth.”
“But, Ethan-”
Ethan disappeared. He did not wait to see their reactions. Ethan shot back up the tunnel toward the palace. He was going to face Mordred now and he was going to rescue his sister. He had to.
THE WRAITH GENERAL
When Ethan reached the double floor grate, he was still trying to let go of his anger. Gideon was wrong. He could do this. After all, he was the Deliverer. What more did he need to pray about?
Ethan drew his supernatural sword and cut through the two grates. He did not need it cut, but Gideon and Levi would need a way out of the tunnel. Having done this, Ethan rose into the room through the floor.
He found the chamber to be a huge throne room. Ethan had never seen such a massive place. There were many soldiers and civilians moving around inside. All of them seemed to be attending to the man sitting upon a large golden throne at the end of the room.
A huge golden laver stood on either side of the chamber. Ethan had heard something about them being used by priests for purification before approaching Shaddai with sacrifices for sins. They seemed out of place here in the king’s throne room.
But what was even more out of place was what the people were doing with them. A feast was in progress, a celebration of some kind. Mordred is celebrating while a battle rages outside of the city? It seemed impossible to believe.
Servants filled pitchers of wine from the giant lavers. Each giant laver held enough wine to fill a small pond. Ethan’s anger kindled a white-hot flame in his belly. He felt righteous indignation welling up within. This was an insult to Shaddai-using temple vessels for such activities was an abomination.
Many of the people laughed and talked, eating at a large table overlaid with the finest spread of food Ethan had ever laid his eyes on. Servants attended to their every whim. Some of the guests were soldiers of high rank, while others appeared to be merchants and politicians. Many lower ranking soldiers lined both sides of the massive throne room, standing at attention. The entire palace had been constructed of brilliant white granite, which descended the cliffs into the sea. The white walls reflected every bit of lamp light. Still, darkness which could be felt pervaded everything here.
Ethan tingled all over. Demons had to be here somewhere, but he had not seen them yet. At the end of the chamber, Mordred sat upon the throne, attended by one of his servants. He drank wine from a golden goblet and tore the meat from a large turkey leg with his teeth.
Mordred was a large man dressed in black and crimson. His leather armor bore a standard overlaid in gold and a black cape draped down his back over the throne. He wore a gray beard several inches in length and his wavy hair fell just over his shoulders. A large broadsword stood unsheathed against the right arm of the throne.
Ethan stood invisible in the middle of the room between the lavers, looking at Mordred. He raised his sword, ready for the attack. He would kill Mordred according to the prophesy. Then he would find Elspeth and rescue her from this place.