Garinor decided that the prince’s deeds had earned him his death and so he opted to keep his soul and face Tomli directly.
“I will continue to live,” he said.
“Very well, Chosen One,” spoke the Voice, and then it faded away, never to be heard again.
The rubies inside the scepter faded and turned to a deep black color. The other colors accepted the lost light and then they burst forth in a shower of brilliance. Diamonds and topazes swept up the light of the sapphires and they reached through the chamber and spread out in all directions. Garinor couldn’t follow the light, but he had the sense that it was spreading across the land to inform the kingdom of what had transpired; that the prince was dead and the true heir had been found.
All at once the light faded and the scepter exploded, showering the occupants with glittering dust and then vanishing forever. At last, Tomli’s frozen state was removed and he stumbled toward Garinor with a strange look in his eye.
“I understand why,” he said sadly, “but I don’t agree with what you did.”
The disappointment in Tomli’s voice made Garinor shrivel inside himself. From that point on, there was a strain on their friendship that no words or actions could ever correct.
At last, the two guards led them from the cavern and they returned to the Daggerfist camp. Tomli was welcomed by all as their true and honest leader. He welcomed them into his service and then he carried out his first official act as king. He knighted Terrian and bestowed upon him the title of captain of the king’s guard. Many of the Daggerfists were later taken into service properly and they served their king well.
Song’s injuries eventually healed and he spent a bit of time with Garinor, who found himself feeling like an outsider. His act of pushing the prince into the scepter and therefore killing him had weighed more heavily in Tomli’s heart than he was willing to admit. Tomli offered Garinor a high-ranking position in his court, but the ghost of disappointment always loomed between them and so Garinor opted to journey with Song, seeking other adventures.
Tomli’s reign was marked by good and bad times. A pervading illness raked across the land and Garinor always felt that in some way the spirit of the prince was the cause of it. But Tomli rose to the occasion and ensured that medicines and food were given where he could. The people enjoyed their new king and appreciated the ways in which he handled the strife that was set upon them.
The previous king, Vehn, had stepped aside respectfully and Tomli had offered him a place in the palace to remain through the rest of his days, but the he left the kingdom with his family and returned to the neighboring country from where he had originally come. Hearing of this uncharacteristic retreat, Garinor and Song hunted after them and learned that they were hatching plans to invade Tomli’s kingdom in order to restore their own power.
They were discovered and they fled with haste. Stealing horses, Garinor and Song sprinted across the country, desperately seeking the king to advise him of the danger. In their flight, Garinor’s horse stumbled and he fell, but he urged Song onward. Garinor did not survive the following encounter, but Song reached the king in time to warn him of the evil plan.
The kingdom went to war with its neighbor, which taxed the citizens and strained resources, but in the end Tomli’s nobility reigned supreme. He captured the invading king and returned him to his homeland under sworn promise never to return. The neighboring king accepted the terms, exacting his own justice for the risk his brother had taken in jeopardizing relations with their neighbors.
The years went on and Tomli grieved the loss of his best friend. He found himself a brilliant and lovely wife and they had several children together. Tomli named his firstborn son Garin, and though he dearly missed Garinor, he knew he was keeping the best of Garinor’s spirit alive for all time.
You have come to the end of Garinor’s adventure, but there are other paths to explore. Start over and guide Garinor again along his journey.
The End…