Everville: The Rise of Mallory Read online

  EVERVILLE

  THE RISE OF MALLORY

  Roy Huff

  This book is fiction. Any resemblance to real names, events, persons, or organizations is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Todd Barselow, Ocean’s Edge Editing, and Siina Vieri.

  Cover by Damon.

  Published January 2014 by Roy Huff. All rights reserved.

  Visit Roy Huff on the World Wide Web at

  www.owensage.com &

  www.goodreads.com/evervillefans

  This book is dedicated to my mother as well as the students and faculty at James B. Castle High School.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Winter Wonderland

  Chapter 2

  The Meeting

  Chapter 3

  Connections

  Chapter 4

  Return of the Giants

  Chapter 5

  The Search for Varstock

  Chapter 6

  The Return.

  Chapter 7

  Growing Pains

  Chapter 8

  Consequences

  Chapter 9

  The Journey

  Chapter 10

  The Alarians

  Chapter 11

  Construction

  Chapter 12

  The Agreement

  Chapter 13

  The Arrival

  Chapter 14

  The Third Pillar of Truth

  Chapter 15

  Alliances

  Chapter 16

  The Attack

  Chapter 17

  The Return

  Chapter 18

  The Rise of Mallory

  Chapter 19

  Undone

  CHAPTER 1

  WINTER WONDERLAND

  A heavy blanket of newly fallen snow clung to the grounds of the Easton Falls University campus. Signs of Christmas decorated more than half of the dorm room windows, and several maintenance crews were busy stringing lights on the enormous trees that lined the main walkway leading to the campus center, a typical occurrence just after the Thanksgiving holiday.

  Dante’s roommate, Tesla, had just returned from the holiday break and he was already busy studying for one of his engineering courses before classes had even begun.

  “Hey, Tesla. Studying already?” Dante said as he walked through the entrance and saw Tesla’s face buried in one of his textbooks.

  “Yep. The second half of the course is the toughest, so I want to make the most of the free time while I have it,” Tesla replied without any hesitation.

  “That’s smart. I wish I had the luxury. I still have to make up the work I missed when I was in a coma. My professors gave me until the thirtieth to finish, and I’ve got most of it done, but I still have a couple of papers that I need to finish,” Dante replied.

  “I admire you for jumping back into things so quickly. Most people would have just taken the semester off, and no one would have though any less of them, but you… you just dove right back in without giving it a second thought. I’m not sure I could have done that. You’ve definitely got my respect, and I’m sure your friends feel the same. Speaking of friends, are Owen and Anika back yet?” Tesla asked.

  “Not yet,” Dante responded, cutting himself off before he said too much.

  “Anika should be back soon, but Owen said he was going to stay home for a couple more days. He wanted to spend a little more time with his mom,” Dante continued after a brief deliberate pause.

  Dante reflected on what Owen might be doing and how he might be handling the events that had transpired over the past few months.

  Owen had taken The Keeper’s advice to take a break, but it wasn’t easy. He had to force himself to relax after his victory in The City of Worms. The events that occurred there were a constant source of mental distraction, but spending time with his mom and the change in scenery helped keep him from thinking about what happened. The holiday, however, was almost over, and Owen found it increasingly difficult to prevent his mind from drifting back to The Second Pillar of Truth and the destruction that he had initiated. Despite the challenge, it was his last weekend home, and he was determined to do absolutely nothing of consequence.

  Owen reclined on his comfortable couch wearing an old white t-shirt and a pair of well broken in blue jeans. He flipped through the television channels until he found the movie he was looking for, A Christmas Carol. It was his favorite Christmas movie, and it was just getting to the good part.

  “I’ve always loved this movie,” said Owen’s mom, Amelia, as she walked in from the kitchen after hearing the familiar dialogue.

  “Yeah, me too,” Owen responded.

  Amelia sat down next to Owen and started watching the movie with him, but not before she purposely messed up his light brown hair with her hand after sitting down.

  “Hey! Quit that,” Owen said with an irritated expression on his face.

  Owen then reached over and did the same thing to her. She chuckled, turning her attention to the television screen.

  ‘You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There’s more gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!’

  Owen lost himself in the screen, as he often did when watching something he was interested in. He imagined himself as Ebenezer Scrooge looking upon Marley’s ghostly face. Marley’s face morphed into the image of Owen’s father, the same image that was the face of The Second Pillar.

  Owen shook it off and got up to go grab some leftover turkey from the refrigerator. He reached in and pulled out a leg and some moist dark meat with a bit of gravy and stuffing. He popped the plate of food into the microwave for a minute and then returned to the comfort of the couch.

  Marley’s ghost had returned to normal, and Owen continued to watch the movie with his mom for the next forty-five minutes.

  After the movie finished, Amelia turned to Owen and said, “I’m really going to miss you. It’s been lonely here without you. It was nice to have you back, even if it was just for a short time.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, but there’s no need to worry. The university isn’t that far away, and I can always come home for the weekend if you’re feeling really lonely. All you need to do is ask.”

  “I know, I know, but I need to be strong. You’re a grown man now, and I need to let you live your own life. I want you to know that you’ve always been a great son and I’m really proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Mom. You’ve always been proud, even when I didn’t always deserve it.”

  Owen and his mom reminisced a while longer as they continued nibbling on the Thanksgiving leftovers.

  “I better stop before I get too stuffed,” Owen said as he patted his stomach. “I’ll be right back,” he continued.

  Owen closed the bathroom door and proceeded to wash his face and brush his teeth. Just before he finished, the heated water fogged up the mirror. Owen wiped the mirror with a washcloth, and as he did, his father’s face replaced his own reflection and then it started to speak.

  “Owen, you will soon be called upon once again. The traitor, Mallory, succeeded in acquiring one of the juvenile dragons just before the destruction of the city, and time continues to march forward in Everville and The Other In Between.”

  Owen paused for a moment, distracted by the physical features of the image staring back at him, and then he asked, “Are you my father? If you are, how did you get to be The Second Pillar? I don’t understand.”

  “What’s important for you to know is that you are inextricably linked to both worlds—and so am I. So are all The Pillars of Truth. Mallory’s decision to rescue the dragon from its destruction has set in mo
tion a chain of events that cannot be stopped, but what can be changed is what happens in response. It has taken time to see how those affected would respond to those events. Soon, it will be time to take action.

  “Jacob is now working with Mallory, and together they hope to concentrate as much power as possible by forging alliances and creating conduits across the vast expanse, which will allow them to channel the element. His possession of the dragon is of grave concern, both because of its innate power as well as its fierce unpredictability. If Mallory can pull off gaining the dragon’s cooperation, he will succeed in gaining both the power of creation and the power of destruction in varying amounts, so long as that cooperation exists.”

  “My god! How we can we fight against that?” Owen asked.

  “The situation is dire, but it’s not hopeless. Mallory and Jacob’s arrogance is their greatest weakness. You must use it against them. You must discover the Third Pillar of Truth if you are to be victorious in exploiting that weakness. The Keeper will guide you along the way. As one of The Pillars of Truth, I cannot assist you further. You must discover that on your own.”

  Before Owen could ask any more questions, the image vanished. He had been wise to take The Keeper’s advice to rest. With the grave warning from The Second Pillar, Owen would need to be at his best in order to fight against the growing menace he was about to face.

  The traitor and former Fron, Mallory, stood on one of the border worlds in the vast expanse between Everville and The Other In Between. It was an ice planet with a never-ending Winter. Grey clouds covered the sky, and the blanket of white, snow-covered surface was interrupted only by the black and brown from the occasional exposed rock or cave.

  The planet provided Mallory the opportunity to raise the dragon in solitude. It was now taller than Mallory and quite capable of destroying him with a single fiery breath, but Mallory was deliberate in his treatment of the beast in the hopes of preventing such an unfortunate occurrence.

  Possession of the juvenile dragon along with the element inside of it gave Mallory the power to travel between worlds, and very soon, the ability to shape the environment around him. As the dragon grew larger, the element within it increased as well. That meant that Mallory would soon possess the power to transform the ground beneath his feet and eventually, the entire multiverse.

  Mallory looked at the dragon pensively as he fed small strips of roasted animal flesh to the creature. He picked off a few pieces for himself and leaned against the growing belly of the beast as they ate together sitting on the ground next to the inside of the cave wall. He stroked its scaly, impenetrable skin as he peered deep into its eyes.

  It peered back. Puffs of smoke escaped its nostrils, and Mallory was content with its apparent loyalty. It was impossible, though, to tell what it was thinking. The blank stare in its glassy eyes gave no hints as to what was on its mind.

  After the dragon fell asleep, Mallory walked outside the cave and looked up at the sky. A break in the clouds lasted just long enough to reveal the three large moons that orbited the planet. One of them was significantly larger than the other two and reflected a dim, blue light from its distant binary star, around which the planet orbited.

  After only a few seconds, the bone-chilling air began to burn Mallory’s lungs, forcing him back into the shelter of the cave to get warm. A few moments later, he walked towards a large flat section of the cave wall and starting digging into it with his sharp fingernails, drawing symbols that were burned into his mind during the battle at The City of Worms. The slime that dripped from his fingers froze quickly as he continued to dig into the cave wall.

  When he finished, the symbols revealed a map of his location within the multiverse. He was far from Everville and The Other in Between. He was deep in the heart of the border realms within the current home of the race of creatures that seeded the dragons.

  Mallory stood there shivering. The slime that oozed out of his skin was constantly freezing, forcing him to periodically break it off. He had done it so frequently that it had accumulated into a small pile where he was standing, but he didn’t care. After he finished carving the map, he just grinned, revealing his rotting teeth along with the mental plotting of his next deed.

  CHAPTER 2

  THE MEETING

  Back at Easton Falls, the dean of the university was patiently waiting in his office, ready to have a meeting with Jacob and his adoptive father.

  “Please. Come in Mr. Hughes,” said Dean Swifthouse.

  The dean was pale, slim, and stood just over six feet tall. He wore an expensive grey suit and blue silk tie. The wrinkles in his face revealed his age, but the dean was insecure and did his best to conceal it with black hair coloring and expensive face creams, though that did more to stink up the room than to slow the signs of aging.

  “How can I help you?” the dean continued, motioning with his hand for Mr. Hughes to come closer and sit in front of his large black work desk.

  “I wanted to bring to your attention to something that happened at my home while I was away. It involved two students here, Owen and Drusilla, both of which I understand were recently involved in another disturbance on campus,” said Carmine Hughes, Jacob’s adoptive father.

  “Yes, I believe I’m familiar with those students,” the dean said.

  “My son Jacob said that Owen and Drusilla had come to my home under false pretenses and then searched Jacob’s room looking for something expensive to steal. Jacob said that they damaged some of his property and stole an antique artifact. My butler confirmed what Jacob told me, and Jacob thinks some other people at the school may be involved as well,” Mr. Hughes continued.

  “That sounds terrible, Mr. Hughes,” Dean Swifthouse replied. “I can assure you that we will look into this matter immediately, and we’ll take any and all appropriate action necessary. We have a zero tolerance policy against criminal activity at this university. While I am limited in what I can do regarding occurrences outside of the campus, if there is any connection with a disturbance on campus or other illegal activity that occurs related to the crime, then I will have more discretion with the punishment. If Owen or Drusilla are found to have engaged in what you have discussed, rest assured that there will be swift consequences,” the dean exclaimed.

  “That’s good to hear,” Mr. Hughes replied.

  “I’ll start an investigation right away, and I will get back with you as soon as I’ve find out anything,” the dean said.

  “Thank you. I’ve been a generous contributor to this school over the years, and I wouldn’t want Easton Falls University to get a bad name from a few rotten apples like Drusilla or Owen Sage,” Mr. Hughes said with derision.

  “I can assure you that we don’t take these kinds of issues lightly. Your contributions to this school are very much appreciated. We’ll do everything that we can,” the dean finished.

  “Thank you,” Mr. Hughes said as he shook the dean’s hand.

  As soon as Mr. Hughes left the office, the dean spoke to his assistant and asked him to contact several staff members who handled such matters. For the time being, he put everything else on hold while he followed up on the leads provided by Mr. Hughes.

  Meanwhile, at the bus station near Owen’s home, Owen and his mom were waiting patiently for the bus to arrive.

  “I’m going to miss you,” Amelia said lovingly, while squeezing him uncomfortably hard.

  “I’m going to miss you too, Mom,” Owen said with some difficulty, while being suffocated by her over-affection.

  A few moments later the bus finally arrived, and they began putting Owen’s luggage in the cabin underneath the bus. When they finished with the last suitcase, Amelia gave Owen one last hug.

  “I love you, Owen. Please be safe.”

  “I love you too, Mom,” Owen replied as he boarded the bus and took a seat.

  Owen didn’t care much for bus rides. Most of the buses that he rode were usually bumpy and inadequately heated, especially for late November. It was th
e perfect time for Owen to check out, transport himself to Everville, and visit The Keeper. Time would be frozen in place in the earthly realm anyway, giving Owen some time to discuss with The Keeper what The Second Pillar had warned him about regarding Mallory.

  Owen transported himself to The Keeper’s Workshop in Everville. He wasn’t looking forward to preparing for another battle or finding a way to defeat Mallory, but the massive interior of The Keeper’s Workshop was starting to grow on him. He gave himself a moment to take it all in, looking at all of the endless antique books and objects in the room.

  The moment was stolen as Owen’s attention was quickly pulled away by the ceaseless movement of the creatures who were busy scurrying in and out of the doorway, with what appeared to be purposeful intent. To what end, though, Owen was not sure.

  “Ah, Owen. It’s good to see you again. I figured you’d be back soon. Activity is starting to pick up around the border realms. What have you uncovered?” The Keeper asked.

  The Keeper stood towering over Owen with his long grey beard and the usual attire of The Keepers—a long dark robe—and resting his staff on the side of the table while reading from a dusty, antique book.

  Owen looked up at The Keeper and replied, “The Second Pillar appeared to me when I was at home. He said that Mallory took a baby dragon from The City of Worms and is going to use it to concentrate and channel his power. He also said something about Mallory setting in motion a chain of events that can’t be stopped and that the only thing we can change is how we respond to those events.”

  Owen’s voice gave away his concern.

  “That is indeed very troubling, and we must act quickly, but we must also employ careful deliberation. I will assemble a meeting of The Keepers later today. In the meantime, why don’t you go have some lunch with the Fron. I know they will be very pleased to see you,” The Keeper replied.