AN: Well readers, this is the last chapter. Thanks for your support over the last few months, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the story. Best Wishes, Liz x.

Chapter 29 – Free

Ziandra turned to her father when the shadow had lifted. “We’re free!” she said in amazement.

“They did it,” said Toren. Everyone around them was shaking their heads in confusion, wondering what had happened. Of the shadow army, there was no trace. Sir Gregory approached them, worry in his eyes. He told them about Samuel. They all hurried into the King’s throne room, and were surprised to see Samuel sitting up and scratching his head in puzzlement.

He saw them enter, and called out to them. “What happened?”

Sir Gregory gaped at him. There was no trace of Fayana anywhere. The King sat upon his throne, his long white beard trailing to his knees, quietly dozing. It seemed he had slept through the whole thing.

“To the doorway!” Toren said, and swept out of the room. Ziandra, Sir Gregory and a fully-healed Samuel followed him.

They entered the tower room to see that the golden doorway was still open. They gathered around it, talking animatedly amongst themselves. Samuel was still wanting to know what had happened, and what were they waiting for here? Sir Gregory had no answers for him, and Toren and Ziandra were not providing any. Ziandra had noticed something, however.

“He’s gone,” she whispered to her father.

“I know,” he whispered back.

Ziandra was worried. “Does that mean…?”

Toren refused to answer. Ziandra wrung her hands and stared at the doorway. Then blinked. Someone was coming through!

“Look!” Samuel said suddenly. “What’s that?”

A figure was stepping out of the golden light, carrying something in its arms. Ziandra blinked as the figure came forward into the room.

“By Jove!” cried Sir Gregory, his mouth hanging open in shock. For, standing in front of the doorway, looking around at everyone with a small smile, and holding Jadelin in his arms, was Dmarik.

Jadelin awoke to find that she was tucked up in her bed at home. She wondered how she had got there. The last thing she remembered was… she closed her eyes again at the memory. Oh no.

“Jadelin?” said a familiar voice. She opened her eyes and looked to see who had spoken. Dmarik was sitting on a chair by her bedside. Jadelin stared at him in amazement.

“How…?” was about all she could manage.

“Don’t ask questions like that. But since you did anyway, I’ll give you Toren’s explanation. You see, his Soul Flute had an intelligence all of its own. It used the Crystal Source of All to make one last soul transfer – me back to my body. Or indeed, my body back to my soul. I ended up in the Celestial Realm, watching as the Soul Flute disintegrated.”

Jadelin smiled. “It took a musical instrument to save a musician.”

Dmarik grinned. “And it took this musician to be unaffected by the Crystal Source of All.”

Jadelin frowned. “How did you manage to break the Greoblin’s control?”

“It was weird. I lost all sense of fear, and then found that the Greoblin had no power over me, Crystal Source of All or not.”

“But… how?”

“You’re asking that question again. Toren had no answers for me. Except one possibility.”

“What was that?”

“That somehow, though don’t ask me how, because I really can’t answer that: my soul is not from existence at all.”

Jadelin sat up sharply. “What?”

Dmarik shrugged at her. “Yeah, I know. Fairly strange. I don’t exist! That’s what he’s suggesting.”

Jadelin looked at him sombrely. “You seem pretty real to me.”

Dmarik laughed and pinched his arm. “Ow! Yep, I do seem real to me, too.”

“You’re the Duagairn,” Jadelin suddenly said.

Dmarik looked up and shook his head. “Not according to Toren.”

“Well, then who?” Jadelin was confused.

“Apparently the Soul Flute never found the Duagairn, because you didn’t play it, Ziandra did.”

“What?” Jadelin stared at him in shock. “You mean we defeated the Greoblin without the Duagairn?”

“It would seem so.”

They fell silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Then Dmarik suddenly brightened. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Jadelin sat at the kitchen table, sipping her tea and talking animatedly with Samuel, Ziandra, Toren, Sir Gregory and Dmarik. Wan’s head poked through the doorway. They exchanged stories and discussed the Realms, existence and all manner of things. Samuel regarded Jadelin with a new respect, and likewise Sir Gregory had stopped his teasing of Dmarik. They continued conversing and laughing late into the night.

The stars shone over the Marnalli Mountains, speaking of infinite vastness and endless mystery. Tonight there was a new star in the heavens. It took its place amongst the twinkling jewels of the night, and from it could be heard the faint sound of sweet flute music.