by M. D. Grimm
Master Ulezander nodded. “You want that for Aishe.”
“No. I want that for us.” I swallowed hard at the sudden truths flooding out of my mouth. It was as if Master Ulezander had used that strange truth spell on me. “But you know nothing I do will change their minds.” I pointed to the Tower, realizing most of the mages were entering it. The inquiry would begin soon. “Nothing I do will change how they think of me or how they see me.”
Master Ulezander stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. The grip was firm and heavy, and I felt it acutely.
“This is not about them. This is about you. Who are you? Who is Morgorth? Find that answer, and you will find your truth. You are not a creation of your father. This is about the you now and the who you will be in the future. Not who you were or where you came from. Remember that.”
He stepped back and I knew myself to be an idiot for even suggesting he would turn against me. Everything he ever did since taking me on as an apprentice was to make me better, to show me what my life could be if I allowed myself to love and trust. He’d put his neck on the line for me more times than I could count, and I was certain there were moments he’d done so that I knew nothing about.
Master Ulezander waved his hand, and the shield around us vanished. He gestured to the Tower. “Come. It’s about to begin.”
Chapter Four
Aishe
“A spell?” I said.
After taking an investigatory sniff of the water in the goblet, Morgorth took a sip before grimacing at me. “I’m not happy about it, either. Master Ulezander will cast it on you and Olyvre. I didn’t know until just now.”
He then handed the goblet to me, and I took a sip.
We stood in an enormous hall with an arched ceiling on the first floor of the White Tower. To enter it, one had to walk through a small greeting area just inside the front doors before coming to even larger doors. Tall, wide columns rose high to support the balcony of the second floor, one which led to other areas of the Tower, mostly sleeping rooms. The balcony as well as the hall was standing room only except for the Council of Mages. The elders sat at a long table at the far end of the hall. Conversations echoed off the smooth walls, and robes rustled as mages fidgeted. I wondered if the chamber was spelled against body odor, since, considering the amount of bodies packed together, it would soon turn rank.
Mages from all over the world were in attendance, their coloring and hair styles indicative of their varied societies and cultural practices. I found the diversity fascinating and slightly intimidating. The continual glances and stares our way didn’t help.
The mages, our audience, were packed close to the walls, leaving a large oval of clear space in the center. That center was where I stood with Morgorth, and on our right stood Elorn with Olyvre.
Elorn stood tall, his lean, fit body obvious even under the voluminous purple robes. His long, silver hair and beard gave him a distinguished look, and his superior attitude told everyone he deserved their admiration and respect. His eyes were cold, a dull green that, though presently blank, had shown disgust when they looked at Morgorth. His face was sharp and angled like a bird of prey. To my mind, he resembled a vulture.
I shifted my gaze to Olyvre. He and Morgorth might be brothers, yet their coloring and stature were noticeably different. Though they shared the same dark brown eyes, Olyvre was stocky and muscled, his strength coming from manual labor as a farmer. His skin was pale and his open, honest face was slightly ruddy from years spent under the sun, and his hair was a pale, sandy blond, probably bleached lighter by the same sun.
Elorn and Olyvre stood a noticeable distance apart, and I wasn’t surprised by the space. We weren’t allowed to talk to Olyvre, though Morgorth and I exchanged smiles and nods to him. He held up well despite the obvious nerves. I hoped Master Ulezander had explained everything he could to poor Ollie.
I could see how hard it was for Morgorth to keep his distance from his own brother. Hunter’s Bow, it was hard for me and we weren’t even blood. To see Ollie stand so near Elorn left a bad taste in my mouth. I left my bow and arrows back at the inn after a heated argument with Morgorth, and now wished for their comforting weight. I still had my short sword attached to my hip and two smaller daggers tucked into my boots. I had to admit it was for the best to leave my bow behind, since the temptation to shoot an arrow through Elorn’s eye would be too tempting.
When the two wardens at the door had tried to take my weapons, Morgorth made a compelling argument that since I wasn’t a mage, I should be given the ability to protect myself. Despite the hands clasped behind backs, I was surrounded by mages. The wardens had reluctantly acquiesced. Though, how much damage a sword and two daggers could do against wielders of magick had yet to truly be tested. I still felt better with the steel.
I saw Suvar moments before, and maiming him would have given me pleasure, as well. But now my attention was diverted because Morgorth said I’d be put under a spell.
A young female seela, an obvious servant, stepped closer with a tray, and Morgorth set the empty goblet on it.
“Master Ulezander?” I said. “You’re certain?”
“Positive.” He touched my arm for a moment. My shoulders eased, though I continued to stand with my arms crossed over my chest. The wait was long, as if never-ending, then also too short at the same time. When all the doors shut with resounding booms, every conversation stopped like a knife across a throat.
I swallowed hard. Glancing at Morgorth, I could see he was paler than usual, and his mouth was set, his stance determined. I made sure my own expression was as stone.
Nine mages sat at the council table, the men and women on opposite sides, with one chair at the men’s end being vacant. Elder Elorn would have filled that seat, and it struck me hard that this was probably unprecedented—an elder essentially on trial? Caught in a scandal? And not with just any mage, the seventh son of a seventh son? No wonder so many mages gathered, waiting with impatience. Vultures.
I didn’t see Elissya anywhere, yet I knew her to be there, just one in a crowd of many. I’d hoped she would make her way to the front but, considering her petite stature, that probably wasn’t possible.
Master Ulezander sat near the middle of the table. There were four males and five females. I knew Master Ulezander and Elder Elorn were part of the Hand, but I didn’t know which one of the others were as well. All wore purple robes of the finest silk, each with an emblem of seven gold rings creating a triangle on their chests: three at the base, two in the middle, then the last two stacked on each other. I tried to see through their blank expressions but my gift for seeing wasn’t always reliable. Sometimes I could control it, yet more often it came unexpectedly. My gift used to be stronger as a child, but the older I grew the dimmer it became. I wondered if I would eventually lose it altogether.
One of the male mages stood. He was tall and skinny as a pole, with a sallow face and blinding white hair. His eyes, though, were keen and sharp and black as onyx.
“I bid you all welcome,” he said in a strong, resonating voice. The acoustics carried his voice across the hall for all to hear. “I am Elder Kyller, and I have the honor of leading this inquiry. The inquiry will be done in the common speech, since we have many mages here from all over Karishian, and we wish that all gathered have complete comprehension of all that is said and done. Let the record show the presence of the following elders of the council: Elders Ulezander, Zynd, Byar, and Elders Lyssa, Gwera, Flendra, Wendala, and Juna.”
That was when I noticed an excited young female mage sitting on the far right of the council’s table. She held her hand over an unrolled piece of parchment. Next to her were stacks of more rolled parchment. I focused on her and, because of the distance between us, I only felt a hint of her magick. She was the record keeper, then.
“Everyone here will follow strict protocol,” Elder Kyller said, “including the defendants and their witnesses. Only those of the council have the authority to ask questions, and onl
y the defendants and witnesses will answer. All those gathered are here only to bear witness to these proceedings. Should this become a problem, those not part of the inquiry will be dismissed, and the inquiry will continue in private.”
He paused to let that sink in. I glanced around to see many were still eyeing me and Morgorth, and giving Olyvre a few interested looks. I felt like a worm on a hook being eyed by hungry fish. My stomach was nothing but knots, and it was a struggle to keep my nerves in check and not let them show.
“The purpose of this inquiry is to shed light upon the activities and motivations behind the events that transpired in the Kingdom of Zentha during the month of Auter, over the course of five days, from the eleventh to the fifteenth. It is the fourth age, year three hundred and three. We shall learn whether laws were broken during the duel between the two defendants, Elder Elorn and Lord Morgorth.”
I didn’t hear any inflection in the elder’s voice when he said Morgorth’s name. He didn’t look at either Morgorth or Elorn as he spoke. His attention was for those gathered. I wasn’t sure how to interpret that. Maybe this inquiry would be fair... to some extent.
“We will hear first from Elder Elorn.” Elder Kyller gestured, finally looking at Elorn. Then he sat and set his hands on the table, his fingers linked.
Elder Elorn smoothed out his purple council robes, clearly flaunting his stature despite, or because of, his position at this inquiry, and stepped forward. Olyvre watched him with narrowed eyes, loathing evident as he stared at the mage who had tried to kill him and his daughter. His hands were clenched into fists, his jaw clenched tight. I wished I could say something to him.
“I first wish to thank the council for convening this inquiry,” Elder Elorn said as he bowed to them. “The events that transpired in Zentha, my own kingdom, were quite disturbing and in need of investigation.”
He straightened. My eyes narrowed. What game was he playing?
“As I reveal what I assure you is a faithful accounting of events, you will learn of the mistakes I made. Yes, I admit it. I made mistakes in my dealings with Lord Morgorth, and I am here to humble myself before the council and those gathered, and take full responsibility for my actions. Though I cannot undo my actions, I hope to make amends for them.”
My eyes widened, and it took most of my strength not to shout at the elders to not believe the lies he spouted. I turned my head slightly to look at Morgorth, and I was likely the only one to catch the spark of fury in his eyes, the tightening of his jaw. His knuckles whitened as his grip tightened, and I was sure he was struggling to keep his magick controlled.
Elder Elorn’s words dripped with humility and shame. If I didn’t know he was faking it, I would have believed him. That worried me.
“Some would say my reasons are mere excuses for my reckless behavior,” he said as he continued. “At the time, however, I thought my mind clear and my purpose pure. The Mother and Hunter know I am not perfect, and neither would I dare to try and reach their level of perfection. At the time, I saw myself as blameless and completely in the right.”
Then he took a breath and began his version of events. It started out mundane enough, and as far as I knew, he spoke the truth. “I heard rumors that one of the Pferun Dulleriin had been found. I investigated, determined to find the truth to this. I knew if a mage had found the stone, then he or she would have reported it to the council. I sent a querian to Elder Lyssa to ask if she had received any reports from a mage concerning a newly found stone. She had not.”
Elder Lyssa was a masculine female with warm, reddish-brown skin, stone gray eyes, and dull brown hair pulled into a ruthless bun. “I confirm the communication.”
“I immediately used the resources at my disposal to discover more,” Elorn continued. “At that time, I was not in a position to leave Queen Zyla’en’s side. There was discussion of war, and she was in need of my council. When I received reports that one of the larger towns in the west counties had been destroyed and burned to the ground, however, I immediately journeyed there. I felt the foul presence of a stone of power, recognized its stench, and knew the rumors to be true. Then a week passed without another incident, and I was greatly puzzled. It is known the stones transform their holders, addicting them, making them uncontrollable.”
There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd. A couple of the elders also voiced their agreement for the record.
“I was determined to find the location of the possessor before another town was destroyed. But war was imminent, and my queen needed me. Then it happened. My worst fear. Another town was destroyed. No one survived the onslaught.”
Elder Elorn bowed his head. I had to wonder if he truly felt grief for the citizens lost. Did he feel affection for those in his kingdom?
“I shall admit to the council I became obsessed at that moment. I had to be the one to find the stone, to find who was using it so ruthlessly. They were killing my citizens, those under my protection. I was duty bound to bring them to justice. That was my state of mind when Lord Morgorth came to my kingdom.”
And here, I thought, here is where it comes.
“I must elaborate to the council that I was unsure of even the species of the possessor. I suspected it to be a seela, yet had no evidence to confirm my suspicions. I was always one step behind him or her. Then I learned his identity when Lord Morgorth entered my kingdom. His sudden presence let me know everything I needed to. I researched, used my resources, and discovered the truth. You see, it was Lord Morgorth’s father who found the stone.”
The hall filled with excited murmurs before Elder Kyller called for silence. I suspected rumors had emerged and flourished after our time in Zentha and many in the crowd were eager to hear which were pure fantasy and which were truth.
I realized only a handful knew about Morgorth’s past, and they were all on the council. How detailed their knowledge went I didn’t know. Yet now all his abuse would be exposed. I nearly spoke, I was so close to opening my mouth and stopping Elorn, then a hand grabbed my arm. I jerked my head at Morgorth to see his brown eyes filled with resignation. He shook his head marginally before letting go and turning away. He was going to allow this to happen. He was going to allow his childhood to be presented as evidence against him. I dearly hoped he had a plan. My near outburst didn’t go unnoticed by the crowd but their attention wasn’t my main focus.
“Lazur Freydsson was the seventh son of a nobleman,” Elder Elorn said. “He didn’t amount to much, yet it was evident his thirst for power was all-consuming. He produced a seventh son himself, a son he named after himself. A son you all know as Lord Morgorth, the Dark Mage of the East and Dark Mage of the North.”
Revenai spawn.
“When he realized he couldn’t control such a son—for who could?—he searched and eventually found Ellegrech. With the cursed stone, he rained destruction down upon my kingdom, upon the innocent. When his son came to my shores, what was I to think? Lord Morgorth is the seventh son of a seventh son, and power hungry himself.”
I bit my tongue against a scream of denial. My hand rested on the pommel of my short sword, and it took the awareness of where I was, of who surrounded me, to keep me from using it. It hurt to have Morgorth’s pain exposed like that, so coldly and so calculated. Used against him as if he carried a disease. His pain was my pain, and he had to be hurting something fierce.
“My worst fears became even darker,” Elder Elorn said. “I was certain his goal was to join forces with his father. I could not allow that to happen, it would be the death of us all. Why else would Lord Morgorth come to my shores? It is rumored he has a collection of stones in his dark castle, and he has made no secret of his disdain for the Council of Mages, flaunting our laws whenever he can. Now, not only did I have one deranged seela with a stone of power, I had a dark mage intent on joining him.”
“Why did you not contact the council, if this was indeed the case?” Master Ulezander said, his eyes a frigid blue.
I could only see the back of
Elorn, and it appeared that he stiffened, as if thrown by the question, his rhythm fractured by the interruption. He recovered quickly. “As I said before, Elder Ulezander, I saw it as my duty to protect my kingdom and her citizens. I thought myself powerful enough to handle one seela possessor and his dark mage son. To my way of thinking, at the time, the council’s involvement was unnecessary.” He paused. “I admit to my bad judgment and obsession. No other outcome was acceptable to me. I wished to do it all by myself.”
“I agree it was bad judgment,” Master Ulezander said, “especially when you consider who Lord Morgorth’s mentor is.”
The utter silence in the hall made me wonder if everyone was holding their breath. I certainly was. Everyone knew Master Ulezander was Morgorth’s mentor. Everyone was aware of Master Ulezander’s reputation, his power and honor, and his selfless acts of protection over his long life. Morgorth told me Ulezander had probably saved more lives on his own than all the other council members combined. The folly of Elder Elorn was made even greater with that recognition.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the barest hint of a smirk on Morgorth’s face. Then his expression was blank again.
“Elder Ulezander,” Elder Kyller said, “Elder Elorn has admitted to his folly. Please allow him to continue.”
Master Ulezander fell silent, his expression remaining frigid. Elder Elorn continued to stand straight and tall, but I sensed he shrank a little inside. I hoped he did.
“As a result of my assumptions as to Lord Morgorth’s motives, I had him followed. I feared for the safety of his brother, Olyvre, and took him and his daughter into protective custody. I also wondered if Olyvre knew what Lord Morgorth and his father were planning. I had to find more answers. I had to eliminate the threat before it grew too large.”
Olyvre grunted. I could easily see his indignation and rage. The few mages closest to him fidgeted and whispered to each other. I wished Olyvre didn’t look so alone.
