“Is that true?”
That was all Amber managed to say, she was so staggered by emotion.
“Of course it’s true,” replied Béah Jardun indignantly. “Your mother and father loved you, so did Jean and I, and others, and that’s what made you different, Amber.”
Then the woman fell back into a stupor from which nothing, not even Amber’s desperate questions, could rouse her.
Meanwhile, the man had taken up his story again.
“This town is inhabited exclusively by healers, like myself, and by professional magicians. We use only a rudimentary form of magic to give the necessary strength to our potions and ointments. We’re fine, peaceful people! But they showed us no mercy — they took our food, our few bits of jewellery, and they burnt our houses. I could save only a dozen potions. Today they returned to destroy almost everything that was left and sealed the town.”
“Sealed the town?” repeated Jade. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s what they do in every city and town they invade: they mark it with the Seal of Darkness so that no one will be able to leave for an entire year. We’re condemned to die of hunger, and we’ll suffer atrociously until Death’s strike is over.”
“That’s despicable,” gasped Jade.
“And of course, nobody ventures into a town sealed by the Army of Darkness — they’re afraid of reprisals, or simply of ending up a prisoner like everyone else!”
“Which means that we are now shut up inside your town,” observed Opal evenly.
“Yes, but…” The man began to cry. “From the moment you entered, there was nothing I could do,” he sobbed.
“We have a little food that will last us for a few days,” said Opal brightly. “We’ll find a solution.”
Jade was furious. “Great, another trap!” she fumed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
No Way Out
WHILE JADES AND Opal discussed the situation, Amber was silent. She was having trouble following the conversation because she could think of nothing but the words of Béah Jardun.
“So why did this Army of Darkness attack you?” Jade asked their host.
“They spare the villages and fields because they are a waste of time. The people there will never resist them and so pose no threat in their eyes. In certain towns like ours, however, they strike without mercy. They’re trying to intimidate us because they know that we’re against them and that when the Chosen One comes, we’ll be at his side.”
“You were just saying that this Chosen One doesn’t exist, that you were raving,” observed Jade dryly.
“Right, of course! I’m — not feeling well,” stammered the man, trying to cover up his mistake. “I don’t know what came over me, I’m talking utter nonsense. The Chosen One? I’ve no idea where that came from.”
He pretended — without success — to be having a fit of madness.
“By the way, who are you?” asked Jade, abandoning the hope that she might learn any more from him about the mysterious Chosen One.
“My name is Amnhor.”
“All right, Amnhor,” announced Jade. “What we need to do now is find a way to liberate this town.”
“No way,” said Amnhor bluntly. “Don’t you think we’ve tried everything? Once a town is sealed by the Army of Darkness it is doomed. The spell they have cast over us is extremely powerful.”
“Well, we’re going to try anyway, since I have no intention of staying here more than a few hours,” replied Jade.
The three girls exchanged knowing looks and got out their Stones. Amnhor sighed resignedly, convinced that they would fail. Jade, Opal and Amber concentrated their thoughts on the fine black mist enveloping the town: the Seal of Darkness. As communication was established among the Stones, the three girls became one. They felt that familiar gentle warmth and with increasing intensity chanted to themselves: “Break the Seal, break the Seal…”
But nothing happened. The Seal was much too strong for them. They had to admit defeat and put away their Stones in disappointment.
“I warned you,” scolded the healer.
Opal began to feel feverish and noticed that she was trembling. She had been having headaches ever since discovering her Stone before the appointed time, although she hadn’t attached any importance to this because the pain wasn’t usually very serious. Now, the additional pain of her wound meant her head was really throbbing.
Seeing that Opal was unwell, Amnhor asked what was wrong, then left the room, returning with a small pot of ointment and a flask containing a transparent liquid.
“This is the simplest potion there is,” he explained, “but it’s good for all fevers and headaches.”
Opal swallowed a mouthful of the cool, refreshing liquid and felt better immediately.
“Take this for your wound. This medicine is rare, but very effective,” continued Amnhor, handing her the pot of ointment.
Opal thanked him and applied some immediately.
“You’re fortunate that all three of you came away unscathed from your struggle against the Seal,” observed Amnhor. “Dark magic is quite dangerous.”
“I’m still not giving up,” announced Jade grimly. “I’ve got to go and see Oonagh, and I will!”
“You might be better off looking for a way to survive for a year without food,” replied the healer sadly.
“You look for it, if it amuses you,” said Jade, “but I’m definitely going to destroy that Seal.”
“So am I,” agreed Opal.
“Wait a minute!” cried Jade excitedly. “Amnhor, you said there are magicians in this town, right?”
“Yes, but they only practise magic on a very superficial level,” explained the healer. “They would never be able to break the spell of the Seal.”
“Summon them anyway!” ordered Jade imperiously “If they can’t do it by themselves, then we’ll manage to do it all together!”
“In any case, we’re better off trying something than patiently waiting to starve to death,” concluded Opal.
Amnhor left, returning in an hour.
“The magicians are in the main square. I have explained to them that you intend to break the Seal. They aren’t particularly optimistic but they came anyway. Follow me.”
A mournful silence reigned in the large, crowded square, for the men and other creatures assembled there were overwhelmed with sorrow and discouragement. Jade addressed them in a loud authoritative voice.
“I know what you have endured, but you cannot let yourselves give up! We can still try to break this famous Seal, and in the end, we will. Alone, no one can do anything, but all together, we can succeed!”
Her listeners seemed unconvinced, and remained silent.
“Sorcery is not practised collectively,” Amnhor explained to Jade. “No one would dare to do that — it’s contrary to our customs.”
“So a custom’s more important than our lives, is it?” snapped Jade.
The crowd just stood there.
“It will be a difficult and risky undertaking to try and attack the Seal,” continued Amnhor.
Jade struggled to control her temper.
“They don’t want to listen to me,” she grumbled under her breath.
“Let me speak to them,” said Amber.
She stepped forward shyly. She wanted to show this crowd that she wished to help them, to understand them, but she wasn’t sure how to do this. Her audience stared at her impassively, unimpressed by her friendly expression and fiery red hair. They didn’t want to hear any more talk about the Seal because it terrified them and they could not imagine ever attacking it. Although Amber felt discouraged, she did her best to smile.
“I would like to help you,” she began faintly. Taking a deep breath, she continued with more determination. “We have a common enemy. Whether it’s the Army of Darkness or the Council of Twelve, they want to rob us of the same thing: our freedom.
We cannot let them succeed, we cannot accept their domination. There have always been
those who opposed them and fought back: thanks to them, there have been years of peace. Today, we must resist the oppressors! They have killed your loved ones and they killed my mother, whom I never knew. It’s in the name of that injustice, in the name of those who have suffered, that I ask you to attempt to break the Seal.”
Amber had spoken movingly, with tears glistening in her eyes at the mention of her mother, and the passionate sincerity of her words had touched the crowd.
“They came a week ago,” called out a voice. “They sacked the town, they killed everything in their wake… Then they returned just a few hours ago to burn what was left of our houses and place their Seal on the town. If we manage by some miracle to break the spell, they might come back again and this time their revenge will be much worse!”
A murmur ran through the gathering.
“You cannot refuse to fight, that would be refusing life itself,” said Amber stoutly.
While those gathered in the square were talking things over quietly, Jade whispered to Amber, “I didn’t know your mother was killed by the Army of Darkness — I thought she died of an illness!”
“She was killed by the Council of Twelve,” explained Amber. “I’m talking about my real mother, the one who bore me. Béah Jardun told me about her.”
“What about my mother and father?” asked Jade. “I’ve got a right to know what happened to them! Would Béah Jardun know anything about that?”
“No, I’m sorry, I don’t think so,” sighed Amber.
Finally, turning to Amber, Amnhor spoke for everyone in the square.
“The magicians will follow you.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know how to break the Seal,” Amber confessed to the crowd. “You must each attempt this in your own way, and if we all try together, something will surely happen.”
There was a ripple of assent. The three girls got out their Stones, gripped them tightly, and concentrated on the Seal. With one accord the magicians began to recite an incomprehensible spell.
“The Alypiûmm,” muttered Amnhor to himself. “The most powerful, the most difficult spell, and the most dangerous…”
However, even joined with the strength of the Stones, the magicians’ power was not enough to attack the Seal. Nothing happened.
“What if we simply tried to walk through the Seal?” asked Amber.
The crowd seemed to freeze in horror, and no one would look Amber in the face.
“We would die,” said Amnhor.
“But Death is on strike,” Jade reminded him.
“Yes, but that wouldn’t change anything. If we crossed through the Seal whatever happened would be worse than death.”
“I’m convinced we can break this Seal,” insisted Amber. “Don’t you believe in the impossible, all of you? Have confidence in yourselves and in me! I promise you we can succeed.”
All eyes were on Amber. Everyone waited.
“I have an idea,” she said.
Signalling to Amnhor to come closer, she whispered a few words into his ear.
“That will never work,” he told her. “You’re going to lead this entire town into disaster!”
“If we do nothing, it will be a disaster anyway.”
Resigned, Amnhor gave in. He and everyone else knew that Amber was right: they had to try something. But he also knew what fate the Seal reserved for those who dared to oppose it.
“Are you sure about this?” Jade asked Amber softly.
“No.”
“That’s exactly what I thought. Well, fine, it doesn’t matter anyway, and it’s better not to worry yourself with too many questions.”
Minutes seemed to turn into hours as the instructions Amber had given Amnhor were carried out. Joining hands, all the inhabitants of the town formed a great circle that included the three girls, who held their Stones tucked into their palms.
“Now what do we do?” asked Jade.
“Nothing,” replied Amber. “No magic formulae, no magic at all. We don’t let go of one another and we walk through the Seal just as we did with the magnetic field protecting Fairytale. If we’re convinced that we can cross through it, then we will. If you believe in the impossible…”
“And you’re sure this will work for the Seal as well?”
“We’re about to find out!”
Soon the human chain was so close to the Seal that everyone could smell its acrid odour. They were only two steps away from leaving the town, but between them and freedom lay the Seal.
“We have to believe,” repeated Amber.
Her faith ran through the crowd, swelling everyone’s heart with an insane hope, and the warmth of the Stones enveloped them all. There were thousands of them, but they now formed one single person determined to break the Seal. First they managed to sweep aside their fears and then they all stepped forward as one. The black fog engulfed and immobilised them, but they never doubted their victory for a moment. An invisible battle began.
Evil and hunger for power were seeping into everyone, paralysing them with hatred, fear, rage, and most of all, pain. Their struggle continued, however, for all the inhabitants resisted as one, setting their conviction, their hope, and all the goodness within them against this stifling wickedness.
Amber was gasping for breath and felt herself change, as if enslaved by a ruthless and irresistible force. Then she realised something obvious:
“Just as Janëlle infected us with her hatred,” thought Amber, “this Seal is filling us with evil — the feelings of the one who created it, one who clearly carries something dreadful inside himself, something destructive: that famous Gift of evil. And the Seal is only the reflection of its creator’s soul.”
All at once, Amber understood the Seal. She had the impression it had actually spoken to her, confided in her, but she would never know whether this was true.
“The Seal injects evil into those who wish to overthrow it, and that’s why they die. But Death is on strike, so instead of succumbing, we’re all absorbing what’s coming from the Seal. It’s overwhelming us, even transforming us into people possessed by evil, in the service of that Army of Darkness. That’s why the spell is so powerful!”
Overcome with exhaustion, The girls felt beaten. The choking, sickening odour of the enveloping fog made them feel like giving up, and as the Stones started to slip from their grasp, their eyelids began to droop slowly… But they didn’t give up, they couldn’t give up. Good and evil were battling mercilessly in their hearts, just as the Seal of Darkness was fighting the inhabitants of the town. These opponents were evenly matched, but everyone was suffocating and the unbearable pain was making it harder and harder to resist the Seal. And yet a glimmer of hope still lived in every heart: they would conquer the Seal. They could not resign themselves to defeat.
They all called on their last reserves of strength. The Seal would resist, of course, but they had to try. All together, they took another step forward.
The Seal did not resist: it shattered abruptly and vanished. They had believed that they could break it and they had broken it.
Jade, Opal and Amber fainted with exhaustion.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Dark Horseman
“LOOK! SHE’S WAKING up at last!”
Amber opened her eyes and saw the faces of Jade and Amnhor hovering over her. She was in a room, and everything was spinning… It was some minutes before she fully recovered consciousness and managed to sit up.
“The Seal — is it broken?” she asked eagerly. “Did we succeed or not?”
“Hush, hush,” said Amnhor gently.
He held a flask to her lips. She took it, swallowed a mouthful of a nauseating liquid, and felt herself grow calmer.
“You’ve been unconscious all night and most of the morning,” explained Jade.
“That long?” exclaimed Amber, who remembered nothing since the moment she had collapsed while crossing the Seal. “The town — is it still sealed shut?”
“Of course not,” Jade reassured her
. “We broke it! Just as you said, we simply had to believe we could do it, all of us together!”
“And you? And Opal? You didn’t faint when we went through the Seal?”
“Oh yes, but thanks to Amnhor’s care we woke up a few hours later.”
“When the Seal was broken,” added the healer, “a number of people collapsed with exhaustion and many still haven’t come round. We’re looking after them, however, and they are out of danger. Thanks to you, everything will return to normal.”
Opal came into the room and smiled when she saw that Amber was awake.
“Right,” declared Jade, “now we can leave this afternoon.”
“We have put extra provisions in your saddlebags,” said Amnhor, “to thank you for freeing us.”
The girls spoke for a long time with the healer, and then they all sat down to a delicious lunch.
“Wait a minute — whatever happened to Béah Jardun and the children?” asked Amber suddenly.
“The children were orphans,” said Amnhor, “and families have taken them in. As for Béah Jardun, I can only tell you that she left right after the Seal was broken. In the general confusion, no one paid any attention. That’s all I know.”
When they had finished their meal, the girls felt that it was time to leave. Amnhor went to get their horses and also gave them a magnificent stallion, a surprise gift from the grateful magicians.