by Dan Zangari
Solidin looked sternly at Cornar. “You shouldn’t trust him. Kaescis is not what he claims to be.”
Cornar wanted to spit in Solidin’s face. What a hypocrite! How dare Solidin lecture him about trust?
“Anyway,” Solidin continued, “I ordered my scouts to follow the Mindolarnians. That’s when the earthquake struck. We went looking for our scout—the friend I said was crushed—and found you in that pit.” The elf beamed with excitement. “I recognized you from the tavern in Kretin. Cornar Dol’shir, the most renowned adventurer of Soroth. The man with the impeccable sense of direction. At first I thought that finding you in that pit was some cruel trick of fate, as no one could survive such a fall. But to our surprise, you were alive and unharmed. How, I don’t know…
“But I didn’t want to find fault with this gift I had received,” Solidin grinned. “I knew you could lead me here. Thank you.” The elf put a hand to Cornar’s shoulder, gripping him tightly.
“You used me,” Cornar growled.
Solidin shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it that. We helped each other.”
Cornar reflected on that moment when he’d met Solidin in the cave. Those faint noises he heard were these elves watching him. He had been so gullible—trusting Solidin, seeing him as another stranded adventurer. Blast!
A few elves stepped through the crowd and handed some armor to Solidin. It was white plate armor with the emblem of the Sapphire Guard emblazoned in blue across the breastplate. Another elf handed him a belt with two sheathed daggers strapped on either side.
“What are you going to do with us?” Cornar demanded.
Solidin didn’t answer until he was fully armored. “Ask for you to join me,” the elf said frankly. “There’s no point in wasting talent such as yours. You shouldn’t be working with the Mindolarnians. They are as much my enemy as they are yours.”
Solidin stepped to the edge of the ledge. Light surged down along the veins in the cavern, descending into that abysmal pit. Cornar watched as a beam of light shot from the darkness, striking the gigantic stalactite that housed the temple. White light arced across the chasm toward Solidin, transforming into a glistening bridge.
Once the bridge was formed, Solidin strode across it. The elf holding Cornar urged him forward, and they followed after Solidin.
Cornar wondered if he could shake himself free of the elf, but every scenario he ran through his mind resulted in him falling off the bridge. He’d have to wait…
They were across the bridge within minutes. Cornar hadn’t noticed a waist-high wall hemming part of the alcove. The bridge emptied into a stone courtyard, shaped like a rounded triangle. The courtyard looked like it could hold a few hundred men.
Solidin walked straightway toward the temple’s towering double doorway. Twenty symbols adorned the doors, ten on each slab. A strange-looking emblem marked the top of the door: seven sharp points protruded from a hendecagon, all arrayed above three claws clutching a circle.
Light shone from beneath Solidin’s breastplate. The elf removed the necklace, letting it dangle against his armor. A beam of light shot from the gemstone and struck the strange symbol, causing it to glow.
The symbols upon the doors also glowed, and then the doors swung open on their own. Words echoed from within the temple. They sounded Elvish. Previously unlit sconces burst with light, further illuminating the alcove-courtyard.
Cornar glanced over his shoulder, seeing his men herded across the bridge. Kalder and the others were surrounded by two hundred members of the Sapphire Guard.
“Kaldarin, let go of Cornar,” Solidin said.
Cornar jolted forward, shoved by the elf. He staggered, but dropped into a battle stance. Cornar instinctively grabbed his weapons, drawing them with lightning finesse.
“I wondered if you’d do that,” Solidin mused, eyeing Cornar warily. Kaldarin glowered.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cornar glimpsed the elf approaching. Cornar spun, kicking the elf in the gut. That sent Kaldarin tumbling backward. Rebounding from the kick, Cornar landed and squared off with Solidin.
Was he really attacking? What madness… Solidin grinned. “That’s why I like you, Cornar,” he said, extending his hand in a placating gesture. “Come with me. Let’s discover the secrets of this temple together, and perhaps we can leave as allies.”
Cornar held tight to his weapons. He expected that elf, Kaldarin, to attack again, but Kaldarin didn’t advance. He just stood there. Cornar glanced back at the elven army, worried for his men. He couldn’t face the elves all on his own. He had two choices, accept Solidin’s offer or succumb to defeat. If he fought, that battle would end in captivity or death. The latter seemed less likely.
But Cornar had to protect his men. Perhaps he could bargain for their release.
In one swift motion, Cornar twirled his weapons, sheathing them in a showy display. He stepped up to Solidin, and they entered the Keepers’ Temple together.
* * * * *
Kaescis stopped at the center of the boneyard, before the dried corpse of an elemental. The remains of Wildmen and what they called Sleepers were strewn all across the ground. It looked to be the site of a massive battle.
“Oh,” Gevistra said with a gasp. “This… this can’t be.”
The Wildmen who had come with Kaescis muttered woeful sentiments. They were all in disbelief.
“The Time of Doom is not yet come,” Bhrane muttered. “Why, why do these lie here?” The high chieftain was referring to the apocalyptic battle mentioned in their whimsical tales about the future.
Krindal stepped up to Kaescis amid the Wildmen’s discord. The scholar held his tevisral, projecting the map of Klindil’s under-depths. “We need to keep going that way.” Krindal pointed at the elemental husk in front of them. “There is a tunnel there, an access to the lower parts of this labyrinth.”
Labyrinth was a good term for it. The underground workings of ancient cities were always a mess to navigate.
“Let me see,” Kaescis said, extending his hand to Krindal. He grabbed the tevisral and studied the map. They still had a long way to travel. Beyond this massive chamber they’d have to move in threes. That would delay them further, as they had nearly a thousand men. Most of the Wildmen were on the surface, guarding the entrance to this labyrinth, as Krindal put it.
“Where do you think they are, Your Imperial Highness?” Krindal asked.
“Don’t know,” Kaescis said. He hoped the Sapphire Guard was behind them. He didn’t dare think of what would happen if those accursed elves were ahead of them. If they were at the temple—
Death… The word lingered at the back of his mind. Destruction…
Kaescis handed the tevisral back to Krindal and picked his way across the boneyard. Nordal—the temporary leader of Mister Dol’shir’s band—was right behind Kaescis. The man had stuck close after their encounter at the collapse. That was not the reaction Kaescis expected, especially after brandishing his Ko’delish blade. Most men feared that magic, but Mister Dol’shir’s band didn’t even bat an eye at it.
Troubling, Kaescis thought, passing another elemental husk.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty,” Nordal said, his tone mocking. “Why don’t you send us ahead? We’re good at exploring this type of terrain.”
Kaescis looked at the man. He was Losian, wasn’t he? Losians… vile Losians. Murderers. Butchers.
Death…
Nordal simply raised a brow, confused.
Had Kaescis shown his reaction to that voice in his head? Nordal looked at Kaescis as if receiving a scowl.
“That’s fine,” Kaescis said. “Study Krindal’s tevisral before you leave.”
Nordal nodded and hurried back to the rest of his band. Kaescis, however, returned his attention to the voices. They were growing stronger and appearing more frequently. He felt a familiar drive every time he heard those words of annihilation. A surge of fury ignited within him each time his thoughts were turned to his enemies.
I can use
this to my advantage, Kaescis thought. The Sapphire Guard will feel the fiery indignation of Mindolarn. When I see them, I will strike with the fury of a thousand suns.
“A traitor will guide the Harbinger to the truth.”
- Prophecy of Soron Thahan
The Keepers’ Temple wasn’t like anything Cornar had ever explored. Its architecture was totally foreign. The walls were so sleek, made of polished stone that reflected light shining from lines in the walls and ceiling. Cornar walked with Solidin across a hendecagon-shaped room, probably a foyer of sorts. Seven of the walls held alcoves, each with a statue within it. The statues were almost lifelike depictions of men, women, and elves. Each statue stood twice the height of an average man. Though they were made of stone, they were crafted with exquisite detail.
Two hallways branched off from the foyer, three sides away from the main doors. If one were to connect the entrance with these hallways by lines, it would look like a shallow Y-shape.
Solidin led Cornar toward the right hall, stopping beside the statue next to the opening. “You know, we’re the first people to step on this hallowed ground in over a thousand years.”
Cornar said nothing; Solidin’s deception still upset him. He also felt a growing anger towards Krindal and the others. If they had only told him the truth, he wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Solidin shouted something in Elvish. The members of the Sapphire Guard poured into the foyer, hurrying down the other hall.
“They listen to you,” Cornar said coldly, referring to the elves. “Are you their commander?”
Solidin nodded. “I’ve led the Sapphire Guard for the last ninety-six years,” he said. “I am well respected. My father was one of the Guard’s founders—he taught me everything I know about the arts of fighting and leadership. He was a Protector of Merda when our people were driven from our ancestral home.” Solidin looked solemn, falling into a reverie.
Cornar didn’t know much about the ancient elven city of Merda. It lay on the eastern side of the Isle of Merdan, the same island which was home to the city of Keth; Solidin’s hometown. Many people attributed a variety of horror stories to the forlorn city of Merda. No one ever ventured to it and returned. Merda was taboo among adventurers.
“These,” Solidin said, pointing to the statues, “were the first Keepers of Truth and Might. That one”—he waved to the center statue opposite the entrance—“was their founder, Dusel Nadim.”
Intrigued, Cornar stepped closer to the statue. It depicted a man wearing an odd-looking long-sleeve shirt and equally strange pants. The statue’s hands were clasped over his waist. The expression chiseled into his face was kind and confident, with soul-piercing eyes.
“Come,” Solidin said.
Cornar complied, and the elf led him down the hallway which soon flowed into a four-way intersection. They turned left, ascending a short flight of stairs. They soon entered a large circular room. Six other hallways branched off, totaling seven ways to access the room.
“This is the central chamber,” Solidin said. “Each of the other temples had similar hub-rooms like this, although they weren’t as grand.” The elf smiled. He was being so cordial, undoubtedly trying to win Cornar’s trust.
Cornar remained silent. He studied the circular room, which looked to be about seventy or eighty phineals in diameter. It was also vaulted, rising seven stories. The higher three floors tapered toward the center. A stained glass–looking window adorned the center of the ceiling like a skylight. The window was primarily made up of that same symbol, seven sharp points around a hendecagon. Being so far beneath the surface, the window was obviously lit by a tevisral or lightstones.
A group of elves filed into the central chamber from another hallway. Soon, Kalder and the others were hauled inside. They were no longer under the mind-controlling spell, but Igan and Vargos were still gagged with the magic-inhibiting scarves.
“This way,” Solidin urged, stepping past Cornar. He walked across an elaborate circular painting on the ground. It looked like a diagram, annotated with sharp-looking symbols.
Cornar remembered seeing a diagram similar in shape and pattern within one of Iltar’s books. It was a depiction of all the Channels of Magic, showing how various spells were connected to each other.
Solidin was already halfway across the room before Cornar followed him. Cornar glanced at his men, and Kalder gave him a nod that said everything was okay. The elves seemed to be treating them fairly. Cornar caught up to Solidin, who stood waiting for him at the entrance to another hallway. If Cornar recalled the layout correctly, this hall was aligned with the foyer and the temple’s entrance.
“The room I need is this way, I think,” Solidin said, turning down the hall. “At least the other attunement chambers were arranged similarly.”
Attunement chamber? Cornar wondered. Was that the room in Krindal’s tale where he discovered the gem and the mapping tevisral?
“How much do you know about this temple?” Solidin asked. They reached a set of stairs leading to the second floor.
“Not much,” Cornar said. “Just that it’s the twenty-first location of a series of shrines across the world.”
“Ah, shrines is a good word to describe the other temples,” Solidin said.
They reached a triangular landing, shaped much like the courtyard outside. Two flights of stairs branched off from either side of the first staircase. Solidin once again took the path to the right.
Cornar, however, paused, eyeing the landing. An oval stained glass window curved along the landing’s outer wall. The window had the same symbols as the main doors, all arrayed around that symbol with the seven sharp points .
“Admiring the architecture?” Solidin asked, partway up the stairs.
“Just looking at the symbols…” Cornar said, and stepped away, joining the elf on the steps.
Solidin hummed with amusement. “Do you know what those are?”
“No.”
The elf grinned wryly. “They represent the ancient Orders of the Kaldean Alliance.”
The Kaldean Alliance? Was that some ancient coalition?
“Never heard of them, I take it?” Solidin pursed his lips. “That saddens me, Cor.”
Cor? How dare Solidin call him that? Especially after his deceit.
“Too familiar?” Solidin chuckled. “Well, no matter.” He continued up the stairs. “Twenty Orders were organized during the last couple hundred years of the Thousand Years War, when the Kaldean Alliance was pushed back to Kardorth. They were called the Guardians of Kalda, founded by elven generals. Each Order was dedicated to certain disciplines of war. Some say the first classes of mages were birthed with the Orders.”
Cornar listened as Solidin continued his history lesson. “The generals, known now by the title The Twenty, perfected the disciplines over the course of a hundred years. They selected men and elves to join their Orders’ ranks. The Guardians of Kalda were partly responsible for turning the tide of that war.”
“And what war is this?” Cornar asked. None of the terms or titles were familiar to him.
“You might know it by another name,” Solidin said as they turned a corner, walking down another hallway. “The Dragon Wars.”
The Dragon Wars? Cornar fought back mocking laughter. That war was just a fable, with thousands upon thousands of varied iterations, some contradicting. Everyone had heard of the fabled Dragon Wars, but no one believed the events had actually occurred. Besides, no one had ever seen a dragon, or draconic remains. Sure, people claimed seeing drakes and wyverns in the Black Mountains, but those were not dragons. Cornar had been around enough of the world—seen plenty of dig sites—to know that dragons were a myth. Old Amendal claimed otherwise, but his encounter was probably a hallucination, a result of his accident in the Abodine Wasteland.
“You don’t believe me?” Solidin asked, sounding amused. “And here I thought you’d be more open to truth than other men.” The elf sighed and rounded another corner, ascending another f
light of stairs.
“There’s no proof of the Dragon Wars,” Cornar said incredulously.
“This temple is proof,” Solidin said, gesturing in a wide arc. “Tevisrals are proof.”
“Don’t elves claim to be the creators of tevisrals?” Cornar asked. He was referring to arguments made by Mainland elves.
“Not all of them,” Solidin shook his head. “I know dragons are real, Cornar.” There was conviction in his words. “That’s why I’m here, to discover where they and the Keepers disappeared…”
They climbed the stairs in silence and walked through another maze of corridors. This temple was massive.
“Dragons were common in Kalda until the rise of the Karthar Empire,” Solidin said. “And so were the Keepers of Truth and Might. But one day they all disappeared. Our world has suffered in their absence.”
Cornar listened as Solidin went on about the follies Kalda had experienced since the reign of the Karthar Empire. The elf believed these atrocities would not have occurred if the Guardians—the Keepers of Truth and Might—were still among the inhabitants of the world.
Solidin gave a brief history, saying that several years after the end of the Dragon Wars a man named Dusel re-founded the Twenty Orders. This Dusel called them the Keepers of Truth and Might. This time, dragons were included among their ranks. The Keepers watched over Kalda, ensuring peace. They were the reason no conflicts had occurred after the Dragon Wars. That was until the rise of the Karthar Empire. A war of conquest was waged across the world, and Kalda became subject to Emperor Karath the First.
The Keepers, according to Solidin, were supposed to stop such things from ever occurring. Solidin was determined to discover why they’d failed, and if possible, re-found their Orders.
