Part II

First I want to say congratulations to Taylor Swift for winning the Horizon Award. Second if you have not read the previous post STOP RIGHT HERE don't go on until you read the Previous post. Third, I said that this story would be two parts, well, it grew, so this story will go on until it ends (Probably next post).
Enjoy...

"So this was your father's home." said Emmalynn to her son, Inger, as they looked across the barren and desolate land that lay before them. "I pictured a more fertile and beautiful place for some reason."
"It has been over sixteen years since he died, who knows what the king has done to his lands." Inger explained, "It was probably a lot different in his day."
Emmalynn stole one more look at the departing ship that had brought them to the shores of the land where her husband, Octolivius, was born and had died. She hesitated for a moment before starting after Inger into the fire-burnt and bone-strewn land of Dearst.
Three days they wandered around the countryside finding no one alive, but they continued traveling north, towards the capitol.
"You fools, get out of the open." Said a man as Inger passed his hiding place, "Get in here."
Emmalynn and Inger entered into the man's hovel hoping that he might have food and drink to spare because theirs was running low.
"Do you not know that king Iotorth has ordered the outlying lands emptied, if you had been seen by any one but me you would have been shot without question. Who are you?" asked the man.
Emmalynn dared not tell this stranger who she was and hoped that Inger would share her caution. Inger on the other hand felt that this was a person who could be trusted, and though he knew his mother's ever-present fears, he took a first step to fulfill his dreams.
"I am Inger, son of the Lord Octolivius who was killed in this country sixteen years ago." He said as his mother gave a faint whimper and the man fell to his knees.
" I am Kingston Arley," said the man as he got up from his knees, "I knew your father when he was a boy. It has been my hope for years that Octolivius had a son, and today you have made me a very happy man."
"Please Mr. Arley, might you have any food to spare?" asked Emmalynn in a slightly relieved but still cautious voice.
"Yes of course, you may eat, but then we must talk." replied Kingston, who proceeded to lay out dinner for his guests.
After dinner was eaten Kingston took a book from his shelves and laid it on the table.
"This is the only extant volume of the annals of the kingdom in the transition of rulers from Sorachael to Iotorth, it holds the answers you are looking for about you husband's death, I assure you he was an innocent man, the part incriminating Iotorth in his uncle's murder was destroyed before I managed to get this." Kingston said to Emmalynn, who brushed her dirty golden hair out of her weary face as she bent to read the account of Octolivius' death.
"His brother killed him?" asked Emmalynn.
"Yes, Octolivius was accused of murder and his brother, Sorachael, would not give him brotherly trust and belief, and so killed him, but he learned the truth immediately afterwards. Iotorth was your husband's cousin, he killed your husband's father and framed your husband. After many years of planning he killed your husband through Sorachael and then killed Sorachael himself. Iotorth took the kingdom for himself and executed your father as a political enemy."
Emmalynn sat back in her chair and thought for a moment before asking; "What can we do?"
"Ah, that is Inger's job." Said Kingston as he turned to Inger and place his hand on Inger's shoulder, "What say you, Inger, do you wish to free you father's land? Ahh, that is what you came here for, is it not."
"I wish to do whatever I can for the land of my father and its people." said Inger.
" You're a good strong boy, but your strength alone will not save this land, you need an army at the very least, I know of some men who have waited for sixteen years to go to war against the king, I will gather them. You on the other hand have a very important job to do."
"What do I have to do, Mr. Arley?"
"Your father lost the battle after the Sirens turned on him, they were bought off by Iotorth and betrayed your father when he needed them most."
"So I have to buy off the Sirens."
"No chance of that, they're too well guarded. Iotorth has the Sirens, you need something to counter them, something stronger."
"What is stronger than the Sirens?"
"I have heard of only one thing, a creature called Manifeithel, He lives in the bowels of the earth and he could very well destroy the Sirens, or any enemy he is set against."
"What must I do, Mr. Arley?"
"There is a cave about two miles northwest of here, it is said to lead into the far reaches of the earth, you must descend into this cave and search for Manifeithel, and once you have found him bring him with you to the surface as an ally. But, now you must rest."
Inger did as he was bidden and slept as Kingston Arley and Emmalynn talked about the short life of Octolivius.
Kingston Arley's not so gentle hands woke Inger long before the sun began to rise.
"Get up, you must be on your way before the sun rises." Kingston said as he handed Inger a satchel of food and showed Inger and his mother to the door, "Stay hidden, tread lightly, and move quickly. You won't miss the cave."
"Thank you, sir" Inger said to the darkness where Kingston Arley had just been standing.
Emmalynn and Inger flew across the desolate scrub prairie under cover of darkness hardly making a sound. They reached the mouth of the cave as the sun began to rise, lighted a torch and started in.
The torchlight offered little light as they descended into the oppressive darkness. Inger lost track of time in the painful silence but he estimated that they had walked for around three hours when they came upon a small crawlspace that opened into a spacious cavern. The cavern would have been impressively massive if it wasn't full of the biggest creature Inger had ever seen.
"What are you doing here?" the creature growled without moving.
"Are you Manifeithel?" asked Inger.
"Do not reply to a question with a question, Inger son of Octolivius." the creature roared, "Again I ask, what are you doing here?"
"I am searching for Manifeithel, and how do you know who I am?" asked Inger
"You have found Manifeithel, and I know your name, not who you are, who you are is yet to be found."
Inger watched as Manifeithel shifted himself to look at the new comers to his cave. The powerful muscles of his body shown in the dim torchlight as did Manifeithel's broad tusked face.
"Why do you seek out Manifeithel, son of Octolivius?" asked Manifeithel as he studied the two faces before him.
"We need your help, we need you to fight for us against my father's cousin and his Sirens." Inger answered.
"And why should I fight for you?"
Inger was at a loss but Emmalynn managed to answer; "Have you ever left this cave? Have you ever felt the sun's warmth or the spray of the sea on your face? Have you ever been free?"
"No."
"Come with us and we can give you freedom, we can let you live a life with pleasure." Emmalynn said.
Manifeithel looked around at the cave that had housed him since creation and let his old desires for freedom come back to him.
"I will go with you, I will fight for you, but first you must fight for me. I cannot go the way you came, there is only one way I can go, but the way is blocked. Tarous the keeper of Annonia holds everything in the bowls of the earth in, and I am now, as I have always been, his prisoner. For me to fight for you, you must get him to let me go." Manifeithel said.
Inger looked at his mother before answering; "We will fight for you, take us to Tarous."
Manifeithel hauled himself up onto his feet and started down a tunnel to Annonia. Along the way Manifeithel called out to unseen creatures who joined the growing procession to Annonia.
"What is this, what is going on here?" bellowed the minotaur, Tarous, as he rushed out of his gatehouse beside the golden fences of Annonia, the gate of the abyss.
"We are going to freedom, foul warden." roared Manifeithel in return.
The procession gathered around Manifeithel's great form and stood defiantly before their jailer, Tarous.
"You will go nowhere, Annonia is unbreakable." Tarous said to the crowd, "Return to your holes and make no more trouble lest I find the need to dispatch you."
"You will let them go free." Inger said as he stepped alone in front of the crowd.
"Who is this boy who dares come and stand alone before Tarous, keeper of Annonia?"
One of the bolder among the crowd attempted to run to Inger's side, but was held back by Manifeithel, who said, "This is the son of Octolivius' test, let him alone."
"I am Inger, and I have set these free, step aside, gatekeeper!"
Tarous was infuriated by the words spoken to him by Inger, and without thinking drew his sword and charged at Inger. Inger deftly sidestepped the attack and delivered a cut across Tarous' back with his own sword.
Manifeithel watched as the duel ensued, contemplating if this boy becoming a man was a person Manifeithel wished to follow.
Shortly after the fight had run ten minutes Inger removed the minotaur's head and the gatekeeper's body fell to the subterranean dust. The crowd gave a cheer as Inger took the keys from Tarous' body and threw open Annonia. They rushed out past Inger and his mother standing at the gate with grateful cheers and finally light spirits.
"Close the gates and lock them behind you." Manifeithel said to Inger, "You have not released everything down there, and most of what's down there needs to stay."
Inger locked the gate and threw down the key.
"Mount up, my liege, you have earned it, and there is quite a ways to go yet." Manifeithel said to Inger who did as he was instructed and mounted Manifeithel with his mother. Once they were secure Manifeithel's powerful limbs drove them to the surface until at last they burst from a cave into the sunshine followed by the army Inger had gathered at Annonia.
"Where to, Inger?" asked Manifeithel.
To Be Continued…

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