The Hall of Doors

by Phillip Locey

  “Aw, but look at this view … I bet it’ll be even more impressive once spring takes hold.” Dyphina’s enthusiasm was not curbed by his lack of it.

  “Hopefully we’ll be far from here by the time it does,” Thaelios said, turning back toward the palace at the sound of new footfalls upon the stone steps.

  “The chamberlain says you should be admitted,” the returned guard announced. “Erm, sorry for the delay,” he added, sounding unsure whether he should apologize.

  “Wonderful!” Dyphina skirted up the steps past Thaelios and wrapped an arm around the elbow of a surprised Uther.

  The guard who’d apologized stared sternly at Thaelios as he ascended after Dyphina, though made no move to follow. Thaelios was content to let Dyphina draw attention to her and thus, away from him. Between her natural beauty and escalated exuberance, she was doing a fair job of it. Courtiers stared as she vibrantly pointed and ooohed at features of the palace as they progressed to meet the chamberlain.

  Thaelios wasn’t immune to being impressed, either. The entryway bore an extravagant array of pools, with fountains and falls of moving water. The hall beyond was wide and bright, with rose-colored glass casting streams of tinted light along their path. Most of the stone was a polished white, and high ceilings showed off a set of winding stairs that branched toward the series of towers above.

  Descending those steps, and nearly to the bottom, was an agèd man with a dusting of white hair on his head and a short beard. He used a tall staff to help him navigate the stairs, though his eyes rested firmly on Thaelios. His gaze was kind – not the judging stare of the guard they’d left behind. He wore pristine white outer robes over a vest of green and waved at Uther with his empty hand.

  “One moment, one moment. Don’t make me run, lad!” The elder man nevertheless quickened his pace once he’d reached the ground floor. Uther stopped and Dyphina withdrew her arm from him, turning to assess the newcomer.

  Thaelios caught up and stood beside Dyphina with his arms crossed, still scanning the periphery of the great hall to see if everyone else was staring at him as well. People seemed to be carrying on their own conversations, but he spied a few glimpses in his direction all the same.

  “What have we here?” the white-haired man asked a little louder than necessary, coming to a stop and leaning heavily on his staff a few paces away. “An Eladrin in the prince’s palace? Although, I suppose there is no longer a prince in the palace. Have you come to see me, I hope? Or are you bound for an audience with the Grandmaster?”

  Thaelios was about to answer that he hadn’t any idea who the man asking him was, but couldn’t get a word out before he was cut off.

  “And oooh, what a beauty you are, m’lady.” The man had already shifted his attention to Dyphina, who extended her hand at the compliment.

  “Why, thank you, kind sir.”

  The talkative fellow stepped closer to accept her offered hand and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her knuckles. “An exotic look, you have. I’ve never seen hair … in such a color.” He turned back to Thaelios. “Both of you are quite striking, really.”

  “And, who might you be, sir?” Thaelios asked, suddenly less confident in his Illanese.

  “Ah, of course! Where is my sense of decorum? My name is Willem, though some simply know me as the Shaper of Selamus. And who might I have the honor of speaking to?”

  Dyphina withdrew her hand and placed it on her throat while straightening her posture. “I am Dyphina, this is Thaelios, and we’re also Shapers!”

  “You’re Willem the Shaper?” Thaelios asked. He remembered the name from what Cauzel shared of his correspondence.

  “I am,” the man responded with a smile. “I take it you’ve heard of me? I suppose that puts me at a disadvantage, but I am absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance!”

  Uther the guard coughed to gain their attention. “Master Willem, I am escorting these guests to the chamberlain. Shall I leave them with you instead?”

  “Of course, of course,” Willem squinted his eyes shut while waving his empty palm. “I suppose everyone has something better to do than stand around and chat with an old magpie like me. I will take them the rest of the way if you are eager to return to your post, sir.”

  Uther bowed slightly at the Shaper of Selamus, then to Dyphina, and headed back toward the palace entrance. Thaelios watched him recede for a few moments before realizing that Dyphina and Willem had already continued onward, speaking softly to one another as they walked with arms entwined. With some distance now between them, Thaelios seemed to hear the chatter of the humans around the room more clearly.

  “I think it’s an Eladrin. What is he doing here?”

  “Is this an ill omen?”

  “Are we preparing for war again? I’ll send those devious elwise back into their forest holes.”

  Some of them were openly pointing at Thaelios as well, and he started to feel like the once vast hall was closing in on him. His breathing became ragged, and he scurried to catch up with Dyphina.

  “And you traveled here all the way from Ifelian? How is that old boy, Cauzel, doing these days?” Willem was saying as Thaelios drew closer. Dyphina looked over her shoulder at his approach, her eyes wide with doubt on how to answer the question.

  Thaelios felt more at ease within proximity of his friend, but still oddly claustrophobic. He didn’t possess the clarity necessary to guide such delicate matters. He shrugged, leaving it up to Dyphina to handle the situation.

  She stopped walking and turned to face Willem, placing the hand of her unencumbered arm atop the Shaper of Selamus’s. “I am sorry to be the bearer of such news,” she said, all of the previous mirth drained from her voice. “Our master, Cauzel Blackfeather, perished in the desert outside of Zeblon.”

  Willem drew a sharp breath and his brows fell. “Oh my. I was not expecting such news.” He looked to Thaelios with glassy eyes. “I am so sorry for your loss.” His attention returned to Dyphina. “Both of you. Cauzel was a good friend and a great teacher. I am certain you have a solid foundation in Shaping if you learned from him.” He cleared his throat and cast his gaze around the hall. “I do not wish to detain you from your business, and I have some letters to write. But it would please me greatly if we might have another conversation soon. I trust that, after your long journey, you will be staying a while?”

  Thaelios had not yet considered that, though for all its splendor, he would be happy to leave this city as soon as possible. “We are not sure how long we might be here. I suppose that depends on our audience with the Grandmaster.”

  “Well, at least for the night, yes?” Willem nodded for them. “Why don’t you join me for breakfast in the morning? The stairs are good for the constitution. I’m up at the top,” he pointed upwards, “and will make all the arrangements.”

  “That would be lovely,” Dyphina answered. “We’ll look forward to it.”

  “Excellent, my dear. Now, the chamberlain is just ahead.” He pointed again, this time across the intersection of another wide hallway, at a middle-aged man with short, brown hair. He wore a crisp suit of blue with gold embellishments and was in the midst of explaining something to a servant carrying a covered tray of polished silver. “My task takes me in the other direction, and you’d save me some steps if we parted now,” Willem continued.

  “We’ll be fine,” Dyphina assured him. After another pat on his hand, she untangled their arms and waved back as he parted down the adjacent hall. “He seems nice,” she said absently.

  “Well, he might be the only one,” Thaelios replied. “I don’t think anyone here has seen an Eladrin before.”

  Dyphina considered him with an empathetic look. “Perhaps you better understand Cauzel’s decision to wear an illusion? Come along, the faster we get this meeting over with, the sooner we can return to Ifelian.” She locked elbows with Thaelios just as she had Willem, and led them directly toward the chamberlain.

  Thaelios felt an odd sense of protection in
her closeness, and wondered if she had some lingering enchantment cast that he hadn’t noticed before. Whatever the case, the chamberlain looked up when they were within a few paces and his eyes grew wide.

  “Ah, yes,” he said, doing an excellent job of concealing his surprise at Thaelios’s appearance. “You must be the delegation from Ifelian. Grandmaster Luminere was expecting your arrival, but I’m afraid it came sooner than we thought. I apologize for not having the proper preparations in place to receive you.”

  “Oh, that’s quite alright,” Dyphina answered, her previous enthusiasm returned. “We look forward to meeting the Grandmaster.”

  “Of course. He’s finishing up an audience with the Countess of Goldenshire, but I can escort you to the throne room and he shall be with you as soon as he’s concluded business with the Countess.” With a bow of his head, the chamberlain spun on his heels and proceeded toward the end of the hall with a stiff gait. Two pairs of guards, draped in white tabards, stood at attention on either side of a set of wide doors with bright metallic handles toward their center.

  “What do you think Jaiden looks like?” Dyphina whispered. “Saffron knew him, but didn’t seem to want anything to do with this visit.”

  “He’s probably a terrible bore,” Thaelios whispered back. “With warts on his face,” he added as they paused for the chamberlain to crack open the door.

  Dyphina giggled at his comment but stifled it when the chamberlain waved them into the throne room. She gasped when they entered, taking in the scene before them.

  The central portion of the room had a domed ceiling, which was painted to look like the night sky. The mural was interrupted, however, by four slender windows extending most of the way to the top of the curved ceiling, allowing ample light to bathe the room. A dais in the center of the space rose in several graduated steps, with a white throne perched upon the top level. A young man, not far into adulthood, sat upon the throne, surrounded by a sphere of glimmering, golden-green light. His eyes were dark brown to match his thick hair, and they were staring intently upon a woman who was speaking from the floor beyond the edge of the dais.

  To either side, short antechambers branched off, ending in a series of doors. A dozen or so courtiers crowded together in the antechambers, watching but keeping a respectful distance from the throne. The man, who Thaelios presumed to be the Grandmaster, did not have a face covered in warts. In contrast, it was smooth and attractive, leaving Thaelios to wonder how one so young attained such a prominent stature.

  Grandmaster Luminere wore a white tabard as well, bearing the same purple crescent as those donned by the guards. He wore a golden chain around his neck, but no crown or other obvious symbol of power. His clothes beneath the tabard were dyed the color of the moon upon his chest, but not otherwise remarkable.

  The woman speaking to him, however, was dressed in an expensive-looking gown of a bright, golden hue. Tiny crystals were beaded upon it in intricate designs, causing the entire outfit to shimmer as her body moved with her speech. “…and for this reason, as well as the many others I’ve discussed with you previously, I believe I am the best choice to help this province further heal from the wounds of recent war.”

  “Lady Goldenshire, you make excellent points, and I shall take them all under consideration before making my recommendation,” Jaiden replied.

  “And when might that be, Grandmaster? I feel as if all of Dawn’s Edge has been holding its breath, awaiting your decision.”

  Jaiden allowed a short laugh. “Believe me, Countess, I don’t want this choice hanging over me any longer than necessary.” His eyes passed above her head and landed on Thaelios. “I am just about to receive guests who may be able to facilitate a conclusion.”

  Countess Goldenshire turned at his remark and laid eyes upon Thaelios and Dyphina as well. So too did the rest of the gathered courtiers, it seemed, for a rush of whispers filled the pause in the primary conversation. The Countess did not address anyone else, however, turning back to Jaiden before speaking. “You are putting this decision, so integral to the people of your homeland, in the hands of outsiders?”

  Thaelios felt the symptoms of claustrophobia return with the attention and wondered if he might just slip back out of the throne room, unnoticed.

  “Not at all,” Jaiden responded, undaunted. “These are emissaries from my Goddess, and I will always trust Criesha to guide me. Certainly there are no doubts about her affection for the Seven Provinces after she helped deliver them from the grasp of Chelpa?”

  Dyphina crossed her arms defiantly and whispered to Thaelios, “Ooh, nicely done.”

  Thaelios had to admit the Countess was placed in a tough position, even if he didn’t appreciate her original take. His anxiety at the previous scrutiny lost its traction as his focus shifted to Jaiden Luminere stepping down the dais in his direction. The globe of light stayed with him, and Jaiden advanced close enough to the Countess to take her hand.

  “I am grateful for your visit, my Lady, and do hope to have an answer for your soon. If you will excuse me, now, my other guests have been through much to reach me, and I must give them my full attention.” Jaiden bent to kiss her palm and she acquiesced.

  “Of course, Grandmaster,” she replied, a slight sense of defiance still tinging her voice. “I will await your endorsement.” Countess Goldenshire withdrew her hand and lifted the skirt of her gown so as not to trip as she walked toward the antechamber on her left. A pair of attendants separated from the crowd to join her, and once they did, the group moved back toward the main entrance.

  Thaelios and Dyphina stepped further into the room to give the entourage space to exit. “Here, why don’t you let me take that?” Thaelios said as he helped remove the pack from around Dyphina’s shoulders. “You look more ladylike without the encumbrance.”

  “Thank you,” Dyphina whispered as she shifted her posture to let the backpack slide off.

  After Thaelios put it around his shoulders, the pair stepped closer to the Grandmaster, who seemed to be waiting for them with his fingers intertwined. Thaelios was wary of stepping within the circle of light, but he didn’t feel any differently after doing so.

  “Welcome to Selamus, my friends,” Jaiden said in a conversational tone, quieter than he’d used to address the Countess. “Criesha told me of your coming, and that you had need of my abilities.” He thoroughly assessed each of them in turn, but didn’t give away any of his conclusions. “If you prefer, we can have a more private conversation in one of the council rooms…” Jaiden said, gesturing to the sets of doors to his right.

  “Yes,” Dyphina answered, blushing as she dipping into an abbreviated curtsey. “That may be better for everyone.”

  Thaelios nodded and shrugged. He didn’t object to getting out of the view of gawkers, but suspected Dyphina had other motivations for getting the Grandmaster behind closed doors.

  “Excellent.” Jaiden smiled. “Please, follow me.”

  Once they were inside the adjoining room, which held a long, narrow table of polished wood, surrounded by a dozen, high-backed chairs, Jaiden closed the door behind them. He offered them seats and they took a moment to introduce themselves.

  “I’m sorry for that business out in the throne room.” Jaiden sighed and put his face in his hands. “With the prince gone, the other dukes are demanding a new Duke of Dawn’s Edge be named to maintain balance. They want me to choose between the local nobles since I still hold the good-will of the people. But seeing them preen and parade and squabble is exactly why I don’t want anything to do with it. No matter who I pick, I’m guaranteed to make enemies.”

  Dyphina looked at Thaelios, then rested a hand on Jaiden’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll do a fine job.”

  Thaelios coughed and gave his best look of disapproval to his companion. He should have known she’d try to flirt her way through their interview. “Might I ask what enchantment surrounds you, Grandmaster? Is it some sort of protection magic?”

  Jaiden lifted his hea
d and looked around as if searching for what Thaelios spoke of. “Oh, you mean this?” he finally said, lifting his palms slightly above his shoulders. “It’s an Aura of Truth – keeps people from lying to me. I use it when I’m holding court to put people in a forthright mood. Before they caught on, I heard plenty of interesting things.” He looked at Dyphina and she mirrored his mischievous smile.

  “Oh, well now that’s a handy trick,” Thaelios admitted.

  “I won’t lie to you,” Dyphina offered. “Go ahead – ask me anything.” She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs under the skirt of her dress.

  Thaelios rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how much your Goddess has already communicated to you, but we came to ask for your help on a very important quest.”

  Jaiden nodded and adopted a more sober look. “Criesha told me to expect a pair of foreign Shapers, who would come asking my assistance. She said I should hear you out, but that the decision was ultimately mine.” He paused to frame his next words. “So let me start by asking a question of you: we’ve never met, and you’re not from the Northern Provinces, so why me?”

  “Saffron said you were the most capable person she knew, and she hoped you would help us,” Dyphina blurted before Thaelios could form an answer.

  “You know Lady Saffron? What else did she say?”

  “She said she’d rather milk a goat until her hands blistered than have to travel with you all the way to Ifelian.” Dyphina covered her mouth as soon as the words were out and her eyes became saucers.

  Jaiden chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I suppose we know the Aura still works.”

  Dyphina dropped her hand and gave a toothy grin. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “None taken,” Jaiden assured her. “Now I have no doubts that you indeed know Saffron.”

  Thaelios sighed. “Grandmaster, we were apprenticed with Saffron under the same Shaper, but we have very little in the way of martial skills. We’re trying to stop a cult, led by fiends from the Abyss, from releasing the Spawn of Raug, which were responsible for widespread destruction before the Banishment.” He had to pause to catch his breath and wondered if the Aura of Truth was causing him to try and say everything at once.