The Children of Calm

by Smith, J Michael

  “It figures,” Tresten said. “Where do I even begin? So much has happened today…”

  “Indeed, much has transpired,” Altan said softly. “Things that need to be known by those who have the ability to do something. I fear the exiled Aesid are on the brink of discovering a way to break free of their prison.”

  “Do you mean their underwater apparatus?” Tresten asked. “Do you have any idea what it could be?”

  “I cannot say. A facility, or possibly a vessel. If it is a vessel, which seems most logical, then I am afraid that somehow, whether through deep tunneling or by some other method, the Aesid have gone beyond the barrier that the Aedaar placed to imprison them. If that is true, then there is the possibility that they have already escaped Khragzul itself. We have no idea how far apart the gates are we used to escape the palace and return to Khragzul.”

  “How was it possible for them to have access to that level of technology?” Tresten asked. “One can easily see from the ruins that their resources are not exactly overflowing with abundance.”

  “The Aesid are incredibly powerful and advanced,” Altan said. “They have survived these millennia seemingly on their pride and knowledge alone. Who knows how far they have advanced the Forbidden Artes during this time?”

  “Did you see the things connected to Fornrihgula in the temple?” Rylek suddenly asked. “They looked like tubes and wires.”

  “No, actually I did not,” Altan said. “Can you tell me anything about them?”

  Rylek shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. They just looked like they were connected to his back and running into the rock wall behind him.”

  “Curious, curious,” Altan said softly. “This may be vital information. Allow me some time to dwell on this for now. We will continue our discussion in a short time.”

  ***

  As they neared the cave tunnel that led to Altan’s cottage, Rylek perceived a plethora of moods in the group. Altan was so deep in thought he seemed not to notice anything else around him. Lana walked silently and dejectedly like a condemned criminal. Selenor was also quiet but elusive, avoiding Rylek at all costs. He himself felt bewildered, exhausted, and unsettled. None of them were interacting with each other. Tresten alone seemed to be in good spirits. He walked beside Rylek with a slight bounce in his steps, occasionally whistling or engaging him in conversation. Rylek wondered how he could be oblivious to everyone else’s moods.

  “I knew we were good, but I had never allowed myself to believe we were that good,” he eventually said. “It was difficult to judge properly while we were only in Calm. And truthfully, there is not much serious competition there. But today it seemed Silran and I moved along together to some previously choreographed dance - the steps were laid out before us, the angles were predetermined. Everything felt so natural.”

  “Yeah,” Rylek said, half-listening.

  “And though we have neglected our workouts for a handful of days, it appears to have not slowed us. I would venture to say we will not have any problems once we enroll in the Academy. They’ll be fortunate simply to have us! Soon we will be rising to the top of our class, and be appointed into the elite ranks…”

  “You’re unusually talkative right now,” Rylek muttered.

  Tresten looked at him. “I suppose I am a little bit excited. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing. I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

  “Sorry I rained on your parade,” Tresten said coldly.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Rylek said, instantly feeling remorseful for his words. “I mean, I think you’re right and all. There’s just so much to process. Tresten, I’ve killed five people today - and it’s just the early afternoon. When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t exactly thinking to myself ‘Hey, I wonder if I’ll get to kill some Aesid today.’”

  “Yeah,” Tresten said softly. “I hadn’t really thought much about it. But you have to remember – we did it to protect ourselves and the girls. If we hadn’t done it first, they would have killed us all.”

  “I’m not so sure. That Empress of theirs didn’t seem so set on being rid of us.”

  Tresten was quiet for a moment. “That entire sequence of events is a little hazy to me,” he finally said. “I can’t explain why, but whenever she came around, this intense excruciating pain would ignite in my head and down my spine. I have never felt anything like it, Rylek. I swore my head was going to explode. But when Altan spoke, the pain was driven away.”

  “I wonder if that was what happened in the first place,” Rylek said. “I mean, in the temple. Because out of nowhere you just let out this hair-raising scream which alerted the Aesid to our presence. So I wonder if she had at that moment walked into our vicinity.”

  “I have no idea. Maybe it was merely coincidence in the timing of everything.” Tresten paused for a moment. “She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he said so softly Rylek could hardly hear him. “No matter what I do, I cannot shake the image of her from my mind.”

  “There was some sort of power at work there,” Rylek said. “Even now I feel the same as you do. It’s as though her voice is still echoing in my ears, and her beauty is burned into my brain.” As he said the words, Keona’s seductive form appeared in a vision right in front of him.

  “I know,” Tresten said. “You yelled out ‘The Empress is mine!’”

  “I said that out loud?” Rylek asked, as he shot a quick glance at Selenor who was ahead of him. “I thought that was just a thought in my head. Oh wow…”

  “Ridiculous, isn’t it?” Tresten snorted. “I know she said things to control us somehow, but all one needs to do is look at her to see that she is too…” He drifted off for a moment. “As though she would ever really have either of us…” he finally said before tailing off again.

  Rylek looked over at him. He seemed to be in some other world, brooding over dark thoughts. “Don’t let her take root within you,” Rylek cautioned.

  “She’s not,” he answered dejectedly. Then he sighed, and it looked to Rylek that he formed the words mine yet on his lips.

  ***

  The rest of the journey was passed in near silence, which Rylek appreciated since he was absorbed within his own internal conversations and debates. There were so many unanswered questions running through his mind that he assumed each one was like a puzzle piece, and if he arranged everything correctly he would be able to see the bigger picture. Maybe that, in turn, would provide the answers he was seeking.

  Based upon what Caenar and Faltir had told him, he was fairly certain he knew what Altan really was. But that was the only somewhat safe answer he had. Who, or what, was Keona? What of the large orb Tresten had picked up? Or the amnesia the others were displaying concerning it? Did Andulibar or one of his people do something to make them forget about it? What was Celek up to? Why did Caenar really want the four of them to go on their Finding together? Why was the escape from Khragzul seemingly not as difficult as it should have been? They had been grossly outnumbered. What of the Dawnstone and Twilightstone? Or the odd secret room where time had seemingly stood still, and the hooded figure that had followed them to the door?

  A sickening knot tightened in his stomach, and for a moment he had the feeling the figure was trailing them yet again. Instinctively he looked behind, but saw nothing.

  Maybe I’m just paranoid about everything, he thought. Maybe they are all unrelated and purely coincidental.

  Something inside his gut told him otherwise. The longer he dwelt on it, the more he gave credence to the idea they had been swept into a conspiracy theory instigated by people they had trusted. He silently cursed the Oathbinder as he longed for the opportunity to share his ideas with someone, anyone.

  What if the Oathbinder is a lie? he found himself thinking. I have no real way of knowing whether it actually works or not, unless I tell someone what I know. But that’s a terrible risk…

  He looked at Selenor as she walked ahead of him and helplessness weighed on
his heart again.

  I can’t, I just can’t.

  But the guilt in his heart could not silence the voice in his head that was telling him they were being played. Anxiety and frustration ached his head.

  His eyes settled again on Altan, and he noticed that the further they went, the more stooped the old man stood. By the time they were back in normal light in the cave tunnel, Altan stumbled often over his own feet. But he pressed on, leading them ever closer to the cave’s mouth.

  ***

  Eventually sunlight could be seen ahead of them and the rushing sound of water filled their ears. They naturally found themselves hurrying along even faster until they emerged from behind the waterfall. Altan rushed out into the sunlight and lifted his head to the sky.

  “Home, home at last!” he said, and his color immediately returned to his face.

  Rylek found it odd that he briefly felt a cold breeze pass him by, and his old paranoia returned.

  But before he could think more on it, Lana suddenly cried out in horror, and the others looked in the direction she was pointing. On the other side of the stream, on the edge of the tree line, a tall thick stake was driven into the ground. The body of the horned mare they had seen early that dawn was driven into it like a skewer. The stake entered its body low in its midsection and came out of its mouth. Its body and the grass leading down to the stream were coated with a dark silvery-black color.

  They rushed over the stream, and then Altan said “Be wary! Do not touch anything!”

  He slowly approached to examine the body. Rylek drew Faldrahil and quickly scanned the area, but could see no trace of any other living being.

  “Her horn has been removed,” Altan said. “And there is a puncture wound here under her ribs. I would hazard a guess that whoever did this killed the mare with her own horn in order to drink of her blood, and then set her upon this stake as a warning of some sort.”

  “Why?” Lana asked between tears. “Why would someone do this?”

  “In the darkest circles of the Forbidden Artes,” Altan said in a daze, “it is said the horn and blood of a horned white mare are ingredients of an elixir that when prepared and mixed properly will provide the consumer with regenerative health for as long as her blood remains in his blood.

  “Rylek, Tresten, take the girls into my cottage while I take care of the mare. You will all be safe there.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need a hand?” Rylek asked.

  “Yes,” Altan said. “I shall bear the weight of this deed alone.”

  Rylek looked over at Selenor, who instantly turned away from him and walked over to Tresten. He put his arm around her as they went in the direction of the cottage.

  “Oh, Rylek!” Lana said, as she tightly embraced her brother. “What a horrible day this has been!”

  “I know,” he said as he led her away from the scene, watching the back of Selenor’s head as he walked. After a few seconds he lowered his gaze and watched the grass pass him by in silence.

  ***

  Inside the cottage Lana and Selenor sat at the table, holding each other as they wept, while Tresten paced the floor. Rylek stood at a window, looking in the direction of Altan and the mare’s body. But the angle of the canyon walls prevented him from seeing anything. No one said a word as they waited for Altan to return. There was nothing to say.

  After some time Rylek saw Altan come around the corner and approach the cottage. They exchanged glances through the window, and then Altan slowly shook his head. He then walked in the door, poured himself some water, and sat at the table with the girls silently for a minute.

  “It has been quite some time since an unwelcome person has set foot on this land,” he finally said. “It gives me reason to feel somewhat anxious, especially in light of the reason this person was here. They know of the Forbidden Artes, which is especially rare among Aenosh today. I cannot imagine one of Andulibar’s people doing something like this. Tragic, tragic waste…”

  His voice wandered off for a moment.

  “We will depart in the morning for Perdeisolen,” he continued. “After a couple days of rest there, I will escort you back to your home. I do not trust the paths right now for you to go alone, and it has been far too long since I have made my presence known in Calm. If you can stomach it, I urge you all to eat. And if you wish, ask of me whatever is on your minds. I am sure you have had time enough to organize your thoughts, and surely there is much you desire to know after the…unexpected events of the day.”

  Rylek looked over at Tresten, who was too wrapped up in himself to look back at him. He made a decision.

  “I wasn’t sure if it was paranoia or something else,” he said, “but I’ve had moments all day long where it’s felt like someone or something has been following us.”

  Tresten looked up at him but did not say anything.

  “And you’re just now telling us?” Lana asked. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “No one else seemed to notice,” he said.

  “If you are correct, it is odd that I did not pick up on it,” Altan said. “Before we had returned here I would have counted it as nothing but paranoia. But I have been easily distracted today, and my mind is not as it normally is.”

  “Do you think it’s the same person that killed that poor mare?” Lana asked.

  “Maybe, but how could we know?” Rylek said. “I even felt something odd brush past me both times we used the Twilight Gate.”

  “That could just be an effect of the gate itself,” Altan said. “Its energy field warps space. It is bound to have unforeseen effects on our physical bodies.”

  “Maybe,” Rylek said again, unconvinced.

  “But why would someone be following us?” Lana asked. “Where would they have come from to find us? It’s not like we’re in possession of anything valuable.”

  “Don’t tell your parents that,” Tresten said.

  “Didn’t Selenor tell you the Dawnstone and Twilightstone were taken from them?” Rylek asked.

  “No,” Tresten said slowly. He looked back and forth between the girls. “For Mira’s sake, I told you it was foolish to take them!”

  “I know!” Lana said, shooting an icy glare at Rylek. “Believe me, I know! We feel awful enough without having to hear you say ‘I told you so!’ The Aesid took them when they questioned us. What else were we supposed to do? If you hadn’t started yelling in the middle of the temple, none of this would have happened. Why in the world did you do that?”

  “If it had felt like someone was stabbing your head and back with hundreds of knives, I would wager you would have reacted in the same way!” Tresten said hotly. “Don’t blame me for something that was beyond my control.”

  “I suppose you’re going to say that witch of an empress made you do it,” she said, rising from her stool. “Go on, blame it all on somebody else so you don’t have to take any responsibility for your own actions!”

  “How dare you say that?” he countered. “You just blamed me for your losing the stones, and now you accuse me of blaming someone else? You hypocrite! And yes, I do think the Empress might have caused me to react the way I did.”

  “She wasn’t even in the temple!” Lana said.

  “How could you possibly know that?” Tresten asked.

  “To be fair,” Rylek interjected, “she did appear to have some kind of power working over me, too, though I didn’t experience the pain Tresten did.”

  “How convenient,” Selenor said softly but tersely.

  Altan had been sitting silently, observing the fight unfold. “ENOUGH!” he finally called out in his commanding voice. The others instantly stopped and looked at him. “Each of you sit here at the table,” he told them, and they unquestioningly obeyed. “What has happened today goes beyond the initial shock your naiveté has provided you. There is much more going on than you can possibly imagine: things more pressing than lost jewelry – though that is of some consequence – headaches, and hurt feelings!” He pause
d as everyone lowered their eyes. “There will be no more baseless, self-righteous accusations flying rampant around this room. Do I make myself clear?”

  Rylek raised his eyes to look him in the face. “Yes sir,” he said. The others nodded in agreement.

  “I told you before that if you have any questions, or accusations for that matter, address them to me,” Altan said in a gentle but firm tone. “I do not want you to think I care nothing for your personal concerns. However, I want to make you aware of the bigger picture. And yes, Keona has had her way with each of you more than you can possibly know. Her voice is powerful and can illicit charms on the unsuspecting. She is a vocamancer.”

  “What’s that?” Lana asked.

  “Someone who uses the Forbidden Artes to empower their voice as a weapon. The power does not necessarily dwell within the words, but the voice itself. She has elicited the Artes to enable herself to seduce men with her poisonous voice, while in women it stirs up bitterness and jealousy. So, in a manner of speaking, each of you has been charmed to a certain degree. Even now the effects of her powers still linger in your minds, as evidenced by the venomous tones of your previous argument.”

  “Why didn’t you succumb to her spell?” Selenor asked.

  Altan sighed. “I’ve been around long enough to see through charming ways such as she possesses. It took every bit of concentration I could muster to resist, but The One granted me the grace to do so.”

  “You acted like you knew each other,” Lana said. “Had you previously met?”

  He sat silently for a moment as though he were considering something. “The time has come,” he eventually said. “I had never met her before, but we know each other. I did not even know that I knew her until I looked her in the eye. But it was then that I discovered who she truly is – or partially is, I should say.”

  Rylek had kept quiet throughout the conversation. His mind was running wild with his conspiracy theories as he believed he was on the brink of finding the one missing piece that would tie everything together. The fog had been lifted from his brain and he was beginning to see things clearly. It was as though he were able to take several steps back from all that had happened to them in order to better observe the past few weeks. What he was seeing, if he were correct, angered him deeply. He was so close, but needed to know for sure before he said anything.