Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2

by Suttle, Connie

  Tamblin could no longer sort truth from lie, and it made him angrier, still. "I want to leave now," he shouted at the servants, who scurried to pack faster.

  * * *

  Kondar: Sector Two

  "What do you mean, Sector Four has withdrawn support?" Dorthil hissed at President Pragg's assistant.

  "The communication is quite long, explaining all their reasons for pulling away from secession," the assistant handed a tab-vid to Dorthil. "President Pragg desires a meeting with you within three hours. He suggests bringing the Yokarun wizard with you." He nodded to Marid, who stood nearby.

  "Do you need a healer?" The assistant gestured at Marid's nose.

  "Have you never seen a nosebleed before? It is nothing," Marid waved a hand in dismissal. "Arrange the meeting. I will certainly come."

  * * *

  Lironis

  “There is nothing I can do," Kaldill fingered the small plant in his hand. Its leaves were sparse and yellow where they should have been green. The limp stem bent over his fingers, as if it hadn't seen rain in a while. The ground was damp, however, so there was plenty of moisture. The soil itself was the problem. "The poison is too firmly entrenched in the land. Even if it were eliminated tomorrow, I couldn't cleanse the soil and begin again for millennia," he added.

  "I suspected as much," Daragar agreed as he shortened his stride to walk beside the Elf King. They'd traveled a short distance from Lironis to examine the plants and animals outside the city. "Too much damage has been done to this small country, and the fact that it was hidden away from all others had already caused it to go stale."

  "The farmers and herders know little about conservation," Kaldill agreed. "This is a lost cause."

  "I will place that report in the Larentii Archives. May I attach your name to the assessment?" Daragar asked.

  "Of course. It will please me to know that the Larentii trust my judgment."

  "We do."

  * * *

  Quin

  I wanted to keep working on the old physician's quarters, as that would take my mind off Tamblin's decision to attack Lironis. The moment Justis said the one who called himself King was preparing to ride for Lironis, I understood his intentions. If he had his way, Omina and Amlis would die.

  I wondered to whom he'd assign the task of their killings—Yevil was no longer at his side and thirsty for blood.

  I'd spent a long night, either sleepless or experiencing disturbing dreams that I couldn't recall upon waking. All of it left me unsettled and grateful for the dawn. The prospect of hard work would hold my fears at bay—at least I hoped it would.

  Breakfast occurred in the kitchen, just like dinner the night before. Amlis had ordered the large table in Tamblin's suite brought down and the old table that wasn't nearly large enough was removed from the kitchen and stored in my old sleeping quarters.

  Wolter and Reah had put their heads together and food appeared—I had no idea where the eggs had come from but I cared not—they were prepared in such a way that I savored the taste with much pleasure.

  "We brought supplies from Le-Ath Veronis," Reah smiled at me as I gaped at the plate of fruit set near my elbow. "The Queen sends her regards."

  "The Queen of Le-Ath Veronis is my mother," Torevik grinned. He sat across the table from me and then turned his smile on Reah.

  Someday, I wanted to meet her, I think; she cared enough to send fruit and eggs for a lowly vegetarian. "Thank you," I nodded respectfully to Reah and Torevik. "I've never had food I liked so much."

  "You should have food you like every day," Kaldill arrived and took a seat beside me. "Our prisoner on the roof tried to refuse his plate this morning, but the scent of eggs and ham finally convinced him otherwise."

  "What about those in the dungeon?" I asked. In my mind, Varnell, on his very worst day, wasn't half as bad as Yevil on his best.

  "They are receiving food and care—Varnell suffers from joint disease. Ordin has already provided medicines to relieve the pain. They also have clean blankets and pallets, plus a change of clothing every other day," Gurnil informed me.

  "The whole palace is gossiping about us," I said, spearing a fat, red berry and stuffing it in my mouth. The flavor of it burst across my tongue and brought forth an unexpected smile.

  "Many have never seen Avii—either too young or conscripted to work in the palace after Tamblin killed half the servants in the purge following Elabeth's death," Wolter muttered. He set a plate of ham on the table, in case anyone else wanted more before he took a seat at the end to eat with us.

  "That's when you came, isn't it?" I asked.

  "It is. My home was in Vhrist—the same as Chen and Fen's," he nodded. "I knew them before. Chen came with me; Fen followed quickly, at Rath's request."

  "I couldn't stop Chen's death," I hunched my shoulders. "I barely sent mindspeech in time to save you and the Prince."

  "That came from you." Wolter stilled for a moment. "Thank you. I had no idea."

  "You thought me dead—and mute before that," I shrugged. "I'm sorry you ruined a good knife taking Hirill down. I knew he was dangerous, but couldn't tell anyone when I was here."

  "The message you watched us write never left Fyris," Rath hobbled into the kitchen, helped along by Omina and Sophie. "I hear you're well-spoken as well as able to read and write."

  "Any language," Berel, who sat across from me, nodded. In some way, Daragar had given Berel access to the Fyrian language. I had no idea how that was accomplished, but it made me glad—he would understand all conversations about him, which enabled him to relay swift information to his father.

  "You're the one—the son? From the land Tamblin thinks to attack?"

  "Yes, but Commander Justis says he has changed his mind and is now riding this way to reclaim the throne."

  "Has a plan of attack been drawn up?" Rath dropped into an empty chair. Wolter rose to find plates for him, Omina, Sophie and Yissy, who appeared from behind Sophie's skirts with a mischievous smile.

  "He should think twice before attacking ours," Torevik said, spreading butter over a thick slice of bread. "We're here to provide protection, no matter what type is needed."

  "Troops from the ships will also fight," Berel agreed. "Does this Tamblin understand what he may be facing if he attacks?"

  "No," Omina snorted. "He hasn't understood anything for a while. One moment he's ordering my death; in the next breath he's telling me to come to Lironis and hold the throne for him. He's mad and getting worse, I think. Have we gotten any useful information from Yevil?"

  "Nothing we don't already know," Kaldill replied. "Daragar and I wish to set up a laboratory to study the poison consuming your lands. It is our hope to find a way to keep it from spreading too heavily to Siriaa's other continents. Is there a place that might be suitable for such?"

  "You may have the area between the castle and the docks—it will provide easy access to those on the ships—they wish to help," Omina said. "I grant access to any ground you wish to excavate as well."

  "I've had to place a shield about me—I can feel the land groaning with the disease if I don't," Reah said. I jerked my head in her direction—it was exactly what I felt daily.

  "I feel the same," I ducked my head. "There will be no more harvests in Fyris and the people will die." I didn't tell her that in the last two days, the disease affecting the land had gotten worse. I couldn't explain it, so I kept the knowledge to myself.

  "Yet Tamblin thinks to start a war with the Prince and me," Omina sighed. "He focuses on the wrong things and has since he took the throne."

  "I worry that innocent men will die in a war, when we should concentrate our efforts on defeating the poison. If we don't, all of Siriaa faces extinction," I said.

  "Has the poison passed the boundaries of Fyris, then?" Rath asked.

  "It has," Berel confirmed. "My father's best scientists are at a loss as to what it is and how it might be neutralized."

  "Elabeth knew," Justis snapped.

 
He was right—Elabeth had somehow kept it at bay in the past. Now she was dead and the poison threatened everything.

  Again, I wished for the book Jurris kept from all. Perhaps it could tell us what we needed to know.

  Chapter 6

  Lironis

  Quin

  Perhaps I should have expected it—with the Larentii and the Elf King involved. That evening, when I walked out of the old physician's quarters after a long day of cleaning, I could see the top of it past the castle walls. Gleaming in the late afternoon sun, it was constructed of metal and glass, much like some of the buildings I'd seen in Kondar.

  To me it looked pristine—a clear surface upon which a study of the poison could be performed. Berel, walking down the stone path leading to the healer's quarters, offered a smile as he watched me gaze at the new research facility. I knew I was covered in filth, but couldn't help smiling back at him. "Daragar says there are showers in the new building, if you'd like to make use of them," Berel said.

  "Really?" Dena stopped beside me and gave Berel a hopeful glance.

  "Yes—there are several," Berel laughed. "Come. I think clothing can be found for you while you bathe."

  "There are tales that Avii Castle was constructed in a day, but I never really believed it," Dena shook her head as we followed Berel toward the castle gate. "I believe it now."

  "I watched it appear from nothing. Daragar says the Larentii and the powerful can manipulate atoms, so construction presents few problems to them."

  "Atoms?" Dena failed to understand.

  "I'll explain it later," Berel grinned. "Come on, I'm hungry. You must be, too."

  * * *

  "It will take Tamblin fourteen days to arrive with his troops—they cannot travel without rest," Rodrik said over dinner. This time, we'd gathered in the dining area of the new research building, which was equipped with a solar-powered kitchen.

  Kaldill asked Reah to design it, and it was better than anything I'd seen—in Kondar or Avii Castle.

  "I fear he'll take what he wants from the people along the way, and kill them if they refuse," Rath mused. "Whether it be food, beds or grain for the horses."

  "Do you know the origin of your name?" Torevik asked Rath. "My last name is the same, and I wonder if there is a common root word in our pasts."

  "I know little of our past," Rath shook his head.

  Berel ducked his head—he knew something. I merely had to wait until later to find out what it was.

  * * *

  "The people of Fyris have no connection to either Kondar or Yokaru. They do have some connection to the Avii, although you can see the vast differences between the Avii and the Fyrians easily enough," Berel explained while pulling up a private file on his tab-vid. "Father received this information from his science staff."

  Within the information given to Berel was a void, where other information had been removed. That worried me—why was it necessary to remove any information from the report?

  "Did you see what the missing information was?" I turned to Berel.

  "No. Father said it didn't have a bearing in their findings concerning the Avii and the Fyrians."

  Still, I wanted to know what it was but didn't say it. Berel had already given me everything he had, and that was a very kind act of faith. Did Rath and Omina know that they might not be native to Siriaa? After all, that's what Berel thought, and I agreed with his assessment.

  Where had the Avii and the people of Fyris originated?

  How did they arrive, and why?

  With the arrival of a Larentii, an elf and half and whole High Demons, I had no idea how many other worlds there might be, or what the Avii and Fyrians might have been before they were brought to Siriaa.

  I had little information with which to comprehend any of those things.

  * * *

  I began cleaning the old physician's bedroom on the third day, while Dena worked in his library and Ordin began seeing patients in the outer rooms—those who were brave enough to approach a winged healer and his volunteer staff from the large ships anchored near Lironis. That meant he was seeing those who were worst off or in the most pain.

  The old physician had died in his bed, which left a smelly mess behind. Rolling up covers first, I dragged them to the window and shoved them through and outside—I doubted Ordin wanted the bedding dragged past those who waited to see him at the door.

  The old, straw-filled mattress came next, and I was grateful to get the smell of it shoved outside the room. This was the reason I'd offered to let Dena clean his library—the bedroom was an untidy clutter she shouldn't have to clear away.

  We had cleaning supplies courtesy of the ships, and I was grateful as they helped clear away the smells. Next, I began to dismantle the bed—it was constructed of heavy, carved wood and slats.

  That's when I found it.

  The box was smooth on all sides and shut tightly. I might have thought it a child's coffin, except it was made of metal.

  This metal shone in the dim light, letting me know it had been manufactured far from Fyris—they had not the skill to make something of this quality. It bore a strange, flat keyhole, too, but wasn't locked. What had the physician kept inside it? Cautiously I lifted the lid.

  What I discovered revealed some truth about me, but I lacked sufficient knowledge to reason it out completely.

  Within the box lay a strange material, with parts of it removed. The missing part was in the shape of a large doll—or a child. Upon closer examination, I found several hairs where the head would have lain.

  Those hairs were the same colors as mine—gold, copper and silver. Nobody else had hair such as that—these were mine. Sometime in the past, when I was very small, I'd lain in this box.

  Shutting it hastily, I shoved it away from me in horror.

  * * *

  "Quin, you seem distracted," Berel observed during lunch. I'd been forced to bathe after clearing out the bedding earlier, and after my discovery, had to force myself to keep working.

  I'd also never taken anything in my life. I'd done so that day, hauling the metal box up castle steps until I reached Justis' suite. There, I hid the box beneath my bed in the tiny room next to his.

  Nobody thought to stop me; perhaps they imagined the box was for Justis or another in the royal wing. Only servants saw me as it turned out, and they had their own duties. They'd never bothered with me before and that habit continued, although I now wore wings.

  "Just reflecting on the old physician. He cut my wing nubs away when I lived here before," I offered to stave off Berel's curiosity. Yes, I was thinking about the physician, but I was thinking more about the box.

  "Forget those times, Quin. They are in the past," Gurnil coaxed. He sat next to Dena, and they'd discussed what she'd found in the physician's library. Perhaps Gurnil would carry those old books back to Avii Castle with him, or perhaps he already had copies of those outdated medical texts.

  Before, I would have been interested in any book. My mind had been taken over, however, by the mystery of a metal box found beneath the physician's bed.

  I forced myself to pay attention during the rest of the meal, then made my way back to the physician's quarters to finish cleaning.

  * * *

  By the end of the day, Ordin's healing quarters were as clean as we could make them, and more supplies and equipment was ordered. Guards were assigned to Gurnil—both Black Wing and Fyrian. One of those guards was Yann, who'd pledged his loyalty first when Amlis and Omina arrived in Lironis.

  He stood straighter and prouder, now, I noticed. In the past, I'd seldom seen him unless Varnell wanted something from the kitchens outside mealtimes.

  "Quin, I'll ask you to spend time with me," Ordin said after dinner. I understood what he meant—he'd be asking me to heal those he deemed worthy. I nodded—we agreed on those things much of the time. I knew he'd listen, too, if I told him otherwise.

  "Tomorrow morning, Master Ordin?" I asked.

  "Yes, after breakfa
st."

  I found it humorous that there was a balcony outside the third-floor kitchen in the research building—built not just for dining outside on a nice day, but as a landing space for those who could fly to get their meals.

  An elevator was inside for those who had to walk and chose not to take the stairs. I also knew—whether anyone else did—that the research building could become a fortress if Daragar and Kaldill chose to make it so. It was powered by Siriaa's sun and was self-sufficient—including a machine that desalinated and purified drinking water from the sea.

  Work had already begun on the lower levels of the facility and soil samples, brought in by residents of Lironis, were examined with equipment most of them had never dreamed of. They were paid, too, these contributors—with food and clean water kept in reusable metal jars.

  Some of those jars bore a finish similar to that of the strange box I'd found. Storing that information away, I turned to the business of flying from the research building with Ordin after breakfast, to begin healing those we could.

  * * *

  "Prince Amlis, your father is killing many in his path. People are deserting villages far ahead of his army, now that they know he's coming," Justis stalked into Amlis' study, followed closely by Ardis.

  "How do the villages know he's coming?" Amlis shook his head, confused by Justis' words.

  "Two of our guests—Torevik and Kordevik—told them," Justis replied. "I see no reason to stop them; they're saving lives."

  "I agree with you," Amlis rose from his seat and held up a hand. "I don't want people to die, either. Had I an army, perhaps we could convince Father to stop this madness."

  "What would happen if he died? Would his army continue his quest?" Ardis asked.

  "No, not since we hold Yevil," Amlis turned to look out his window. "Yevil would have commanded the army had my father fallen, but without his presence, I imagine that many, especially recent conscripts, will merely desert and ride homeward."

  "Then there's a simple solution to this problem," Justis muttered. "You don't have an army and it will go badly for all if the Kondari are forced to fire upon your father's troops."