Many Hidden Rooms (Cerah of Quadar Book 2)

by S. J. Varengo

  Before the awestruck Zayan could respond, Parnasus and Slurr appeared from the forested edge of the village. Kern rushed to Slurr and embraced him warmly. “My dearest friend! How good it is to see you.”

  Slurr squeezed the wizard so hard that the words “good to see you,” had actually sounded quite strangled. “I have missed you, Kern,” he said when he finally released him.

  Parnasus, too, was given a warm greeting by his student. “My mission was an overwhelming success,” Kern said.

  “I consider it a success that the Riddue did not kill you,” the First-Elder said. “Am I to believe my eyes? He came back with you?”

  “Yes,” said Kern. “It was the payment he demanded for fabricating Cerah’s tools. He wished to meet the Chosen One.”

  Slurr stepped forward and extend his hand to the Riddue. “I am Slurr, Cerah’s husband. I thank you for using your talents to protect her.”

  Zayan’s face wore a conflicted expression. He had been instantly overcome by Cerah’s beauty and presence, and he didn’t want to like the husband of the Chosen One. But confronted by his open and pleasant nature, the Riddue’s resolve faltered. He accepted Slurr’s handshake and said, “If indeed she is to lead the forces of the free against the evil from the Frozen South, then I am honored to be of assistance.”

  Slurr turned to face his wife, examining her new staff and her form-fitting garment. He was always somewhat in awe of Cerah. That had been the case since they were children. But seeing her now, he found himself feeling unworthy to be in her presence. He felt the old feelings of shyness and insecurity creeping back. But Cerah, having grown highly attuned to her husband’s emotions in the months since she had discovered her love for him, and even more so since they were wed, would have none of it.

  “Come here, my rock,” she said to him. “I need you to hold me for a moment.” His fears melted away as she wrapped her arms around him. She lifted her lips to his ears and whispered, “Now it begins in earnest, Lug. Stay beside me.”

  “Always,” he whispered back.

  When she stepped back from Slurr, Cerah turned to face all those assembled and said, “Come with me to Harrow’s Hall. I seek your counsel.”

  They moved as a group to the meeting place. Zayan moved forward and said to Cerah, “Do you wish me to come as well? I do not know what counsel I can offer you.”

  She smiled at him. “Your part in what is to come is just beginning. Your decision to come here was not a random one. It was the will of Ma’uzzi.”

  Zayan fell back, again unable to stop looking at her. Initially, he had experienced an intense physical attraction to this woman, but now his feelings could only be described as reverential. There can be no question: she is the Chosen One, he thought as he followed her.

  Upon reaching Harrow’s Hall, it was Cerah who conjured the charmed portal and opened the doors to the meeting place. Kern looked to see Parnasus’s reaction, as traditionally it was the First-Elder who opened the seat of the Elders’ Council. He saw nothing in his mentor’s face but complete acceptance of Cerah’s ascendancy.

  Once inside, Cerah again broke tradition by asking everyone to sit at the Elders’ table. Never before had a non-wizard taken one of these seats. She addressed the issue at once, and bluntly. “To the wizards here among us I say now that the time for ancient traditions has passed. Quadar is standing on the precipice. Very soon it will either be born again, or it will be destroyed utterly. I need you all seated with me. It is time to plan our offensive.” Cerah waited a moment for this to sink in, then she continued.

  “The armies of the ten continents are nearly ready to march. Yarren reports that a mere two weeks will be all that is required for every fighting man and woman to be armed. The riders who were sent to make this happen are worthy of great praise, but such honors will have to wait. I am setting them a new task. Russa and Yarren, you must gather the riders and instruct them to travel to every port on the ten continents. They are to commandeer every ship they find there docked.”

  The young wizards’ eyes grew wide at what they were being asked. There were hundreds of ships on the seas of Quadar, and on any given day thirty or more could be moored.

  Seeing their reaction, Cerah said, “I am aware that this will be a major undertaking. If the sheer numbers do not present challenge enough, I would not expect that many captains will be eager to freely offer their vessels to our cause. Use any means necessary to convince them, even if it means physically seizing the ships. I authorize the full use of your craft to achieve this goal.” Russa and Yarren turned to Parnasus, but the First-Elder merely nodded in agreement with the Chosen One.

  “Once this navy has been formed, I want no less than two-thirds of the warriors from each continent to be loaded aboard. The other third will remain in defense of their homelands. Once loaded, all ships are to head to the Port of Harundy on Illyria. It is the largest seaport on Quadar. Even it will not be large enough for every ship to dock. It is not my intention to moor them, merely to bring them all together to discharge the fighters. Once the entire army is gathered it will be reconfigured into battle groups. No longer regiments of the ten continents, it will be made into the grand Army of Quadar. And then the soldiers will be placed once more aboard the armada.”

  Everyone looked at Cerah, completely captivated, as she revealed her ultimate plan. “Once our forces are thus assembled, we will set sail for the Frozen South. We will attack Surok. I aim to wipe him from the face of the planet before he has the chance to set foot on any inch of free land. I do not know the readiness or current size of his foul army, but I sense that he will not be prepared for an attack upon his own stronghold, especially one of such dimensions. Parnasus, can you lead us to his lair?”

  The First-Elder nodded. “I could never erase the memory of that place. But you must know: the great ice shelf that covers the frozen lands is vast, and the mountain in which Surok dwells is higher than any you have ever climbed. It is taller by far than Quarada, which as you know is the highest peak on the ten continents. It is a treacherous ascent to the cave entrance. To march an army the size of the one you are bringing will require great tactical skill.”

  “The general of my army will lead them.” She turned to Slurr. “Lug, it is time for you to rise to the full stature of your greatness. I am placing into your hands full command of this force.”

  Slurr was speechless. “Cerah,” he finally managed to say, “I have no military training. You want me to lead your army?”

  “You are the bravest man I have ever met. You are practical and not given over to contriving a complicated solution when a simple one is called for. You are a natural leader and have a mind capable of great organizational and command skills. You do not even know your potential. But I do. I have seen you lead in my dreams and visions. And I will be with you.

  “Parnasus, you shall serve as our guide and my confidant, but it will fall to Kern to drive the wizards’ force. I have nothing but respect for your instruction and the counsel you have given me but being First-Elder on Melsa has meant that the greatest portion of your life has been spent as a teacher and an overseer. I do not wish to diminish your service in the ancient conflict, nor your firsthand encounter with the enemy we once more must face. You will ever be by my side to advise me, but Kern will command.”

  Parnasus smiled and lowered his eyes in respect. “I serve the Chosen One,” he said.

  “Kern, you shall fly at the head of the dragon riders. Your war experience has prepared you to lead both the veterans and the untried.” He, too, nodded in acquiescence.

  “Tressida and I will fly ahead of all with wings, and above all at sea. She will aid and direct the dragons, especially the riderless, all of which shall fly with us. Kern and Slurr will take their orders directly from me. No action will be initiated without my approval.”

  When she had concluded there was silence for several minutes.

  Finally, Kern said, “Cerah, this will be the greatest military action in the
history of Quadar. Never has an army of this size been seen, and never before has the full complement of wizards gone to war. It is my sincere belief that the vision you had of Surok in his lair showed that the forces of evil have not yet reached readiness. Your plan to conduct a preemptive strike is…brilliant. There is no other word. I will echo the words of my mentor: I serve the Chosen One.”

  “Our immediate task is formidable,” said Yarren. “I do not relish the thought of commandeering every ship harbored across the planet, but neither do I entertain even the faintest thought of contradicting you. I serve the Chosen One.”

  “As do I,” said Russa.

  “Zayan, I hereby commission you as First Armorer of the Army of Quadar. I must put your skills to bear once again. I need you to make for Slurr a weapon and armor as great as you have created for me. My general must stand ready for war.”

  Zayan stood. “Two weeks ago, I was living alone in the jungles of Ceekas, unaware of the evil that faced the planet. I neither cared for nor involved myself in the worries of human society. Today, I serve the Chosen One. Your husband’s tools will match your own.”

  Finally, Slurr rose from his seat. “I have served the Chosen One since long before anyone had the faintest notion of who or what she was. She has honored me with her love and now her trust in me. Yes, I too shall serve the Chosen One. Because no one touches Cerah.”

  Cerah took her husband’s hand and beamed at him. He returned to his seat, still unable to suppress a blush.

  “We move tomorrow. Yarren and Russa will return to Nedar, where the lead riders are still gathered. You will send them off immediately. A modest detachment of wizards will remain to see to the defense of Melsa. The rest of us, wizards young and old, the riderless, as well as the General and First Armorer, will fly to Harundy to await the arrival of the army. But first I must visit Onesperus one last time.”

  For the first time Parnasus’s face took on an expression of doubt. “Cerah, I do not advise this action! Your last encounter did not go well, to say the least.”

  Cerah held her hand up to the First-Elder. “I appreciate your concern. But I will not be dissuaded. I will tell you my intentions plainly. I will speak with my mother in the Hall of Whispers, and then I will use the Sarquahn. But hear me now: it will not toy with me as it did when I was a child and sat before it. The last vestige of my childhood died when my brother was murdered. Nor will it oppose me as it attempted to do to Kern when last he Went Within. The Sarquahn will know the will of the Chosen One, will fully experience the Greater Spark, and it will do as it is commanded.”

  Parnasus looked at her for a moment, then nodded his head. “Yes. You are right. I sense that the Sarquahn can no longer defy or assault you. But I have one final question.”

  “Speak, teacher.”

  “What of Zenk? Shall we abandon the search for him?”

  “Zenk has left Melsa,” Cerah said. “I know in my spirit that he has departed, though I sense we have not seen the last of him.”

  “Then it is settled. The War for Quadar begins on the morrow,” Parnasus said. The others nodded in agreement, but Cerah shook her head.

  “No,” she said. “The war began when the Silestra scum ripped my brother limb from limb and devoured his flesh. Surok struck first, but now we take the war to him. And we will do so with a fury that will pale even him.”

  Tressida did not speak as they flew to Quarada. In fact, Cerah found her silence deafening. “Have you nothing to say at all, my precious queen?” she asked the golden dragon.

  “Cerah, I cannot tell you anything now. Your mind is made up and we both know what you’re about to do. The last time you made me fly here I was convinced that you were making a colossal error in judgment. But you are not Cerah the student anymore. You are fully and totally Cerah of Quadar, the Chosen One of the prophecy, the Savior of our blue orb, bearer of the Greater Spark of Ma’uzzi.”

  “And you are my match-mate, first among the dragon-kind. From this point forward, everything I do, you will do with me. As close as we have become, we will now be nearly a single being.”

  Tressida sighed. Cerah heard the sound above the wind. She also felt it within her spirit. “I know this to be true. You and I are joined. But you bring with you a spirit that has melded with another. You give me Slurr’s spirit as well. He does not understand how important he is to me, to us.”

  “No, he doesn’t. He knows how deeply I love him, but he does not yet know what a great power he is. And he knows that you love him as well, but he does not know that we three are one force. But he will learn. It will be undeniable before all is said and done.”

  The three peaks loomed before them, and Tressida made hard for the tallest. Unbidden, the memory of her dream of Quarada’s destruction returned. It no longer frightened her, as it had when first the dream had come. Now it angered her. Deeply.

  Ten minutes later, Tressida had landed at the perch she now knew so well. Cerah slid down off her back, then immediately threw her arms around the great queen’s neck. “I will be gone for several hours. Do not worry after me. You will see that everything will be as I wish it to be.”

  Tressida pressed her head firmly against Cerah. “I know, beloved. I know. I will not even tell you to be careful. I will just tell you to return to me as soon as your business is done. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.”

  With a final pat of affection Cerah left her match-mate and began the climb to Onesperus. The once strenuous scramble now took her only a few minutes. Indeed, she made the climb faster than she ever had, and when she reached the cave opening she felt not winded, but invigorated. She marched into the entrance.

  Cerah crawled into the antechamber, then passed into the Hall of Whispers. She quickly sat herself in the vast chamber. Within seconds she heard a chorus of voices welcoming her. After a moment, one voice rose above the others.

  “Hello, my perfect angel.”

  “Hello, mother. Have you found Beru?”

  “His spirit came gently to the Next Plane when you and your people honored and released him. I greeted him atop his pyre. He is at peace now, and is very, very proud of his little sister.”

  “I go to war tomorrow, mother.”

  “I know. We all know. All the spirits are in agreement that you will lead your army to victory. Still, I shall keep you in my prayers. You are the Chosen One, but you are also my child, my baby.”

  “It is that truth that makes me who I am, what I am. I covet your prayers and your presence.”

  “My spirit will go out with you. If ever you need me, look to the North. I shall shine in the sky to remind you that you are loved, and you will prevail.”

  Cerah smiled. “Slurr and I have seen you there before. Thank you, mother. Thank you for passing your spark to me. Thank you for everything.”

  “It is my joy to have brought you into the world you are now charged with saving. I only wish I had more time to be with you on your plane. There is much I would have told you, much I would have delighted in sharing with you.”

  “I wish it too, but we cannot dwell on past things now. I would sit with you for the remainder of my time on Melsa, but I must go to Ma’uzzi’s Rest now.”

  “I know. Go Within. Do what you must. I love you and bless you.”

  “I love you too. Give Beru my love and my blessing. We shall speak again one day. Goodbye for now.”

  “Goodbye,” the spirit of Jul said. She spoke in the gentlest of hushed tones, but it was laden with care and respect, and more than a little sadness.

  Cerah stood and made her way to the distant back wall of the vast hall, then into the passage that led to the small chamber where dwelt the Sarquahn.

  When she arrived, the sacred being sat as always in the center of the cavern, but it did not move as she approached. It sat completely still as she settled herself into the depression. Its flames showed brightly but did not flicker. The Sarquahn was waiting for her, humbled by her presence. It was as though it sat at attentio
n. She did not wait for it to reach out to her. Instead she thrust her mind toward it and grasped it tightly. She mentally shook it. She squeezed it. She pushed it flat against the ground. In her mind she clearly heard it whimper.

  “You are here at my pleasure,” she said to it aloud. “You will do exactly as you are instructed and not one iota more.” She felt the Sarquahn attempt to pull itself away from her. It feared her very being. “Do not run from me. You are mine now. Take me again to Surok.”

  Instantly, she was transported to the icy lair. Everything looked as it had the last time she had Gone Within and seen it, except that a new group of creatures were now visible. Cerah knew at once that these were the first born of the human-Silestran hybrid race. They were arrayed in row after row, standing ramrod straight, with the eyes peering up at Surok. Their faces looked exactly as they had in her dream aboard the Marta, so long ago.

  The humans were still visible in the cages, and there were still thousands of them, but she could see that their numbers had decreased. Among those still living were scattered the bodies of many more who had not survived. She saw sad confirmation that her intuition regarding the fate of the warriors’ mothers had been correct. Their tattered and torn bodies were everywhere. Cerah did not rest her sight on any of this for long, however. Her target was the beast himself. She pushed her mind forward and upward until her vision hovered inches from the horrid face of Surok. With every ounce of hate in her being she bore her presence into his blood red eyes.

  “I’m coming for you, you son-of-a-bitch!” she said.

  Surok’s eyes flickered momentarily and she felt a sliver of fear in them…in him. But then his mouth curled into a wicked smile.

  “Hurry, whore! I am waiting,” he said, his voice clear in her mind, and more horrid than any sound she had ever heard. And then the vision was gone. Cerah shook her head, then her fist. The demon had cast her out.