Mandala's Catalyst (Gardone Trilogy)

by Warren R. Henke

  He wanted to tell China he was okay so she’d move away but if he tried to talk, he knew he’d lose control. He could push her away, but no, he didn’t want that either.

  “Len.”

  He turned to see Rudolfo who had tears streaming down his face.

  “I thought I’d lost Jewell. Sometimes it hurt so bad I just wanted to die. I felt like it was my fault she was gone. I felt like I hadn’t done enough.”

  Ruldolfo put a hand on his shoulder. Several tears finally spilled down Len’s anguished face.

  “We don’t know for sure. Come with us. We’ll find a way through the mountain and we’ll see them again. I always had a feeling that Jewell was still alive. What about you? Is Tari still out there?”

  Len nodded and felt a little stronger. He sat up and China released her hold on him.

  “Is she?” China said.

  He nodded again, “Yes.”

  “Say it, Len,” She said. “Tell me.”

  He swallowed. “Yes,” he said in a quick raspy tone.

  “Yes what?” she said.

  “Yes,” he said in a stronger voice and with another deep breath, continued. “She is still alive and I’m going to find her.”

  China smiled.

  Len wiped his eyes. It felt good, he didn’t want to stop. “She is on the other side of the mountain with Jasper and I’m going to go find them. Then, I’ll return and find Delorah.”

  China nodded. “And we’ll help you do that, we are all in this together.”

  Len smiled and looked around the room. Rudolfo, Horvold, Thamus, China, and Endell. Each of them looked back at him sympathetically. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He cried. China held him and he several hands rested on his back and arms while he sobbed and, strangely, it didn’t matter the others were seeing his weakness. Something about it soothed him.

  “Thank you,” he said when the tears stopped. And with his burden lifted, his concern turned quickly to the others and their dire predicament. He looked to Endell. “How are you feeling?”

  “Not bad, but my memory is a bit hazy…”

  “I’m glad to see you alive,” he said, and asked Horvold. “What do we do now?”

  Horvold raised his bushy eyebrows. “You didn’t hear the plan? Did you blank out on us?”

  “Sorry…I must have.”

  “You are going with Rudolfo, China, and Thamus through the caverns to the other side of the mountain to join up with the Resistance there. Then you will travel south and search for a pass through the mountains. We will all meet at a place called Lake Mandala>.” Horvold motioned to China. “China knows where it is. When Endell heals, the two of us will bring Rudolfo’s other daughters and meet you there.”

  Len nodded. “And then what?”

  Horvold paused. “We’re going to live there.”

  Len was surprised. “But I can’t leave Gardone. What about the Resistance…and Delorah? What about everything we have talked about?”

  “For you, the Resistance will continue there,” Horvold said. “There are other groups here to keep it going. But none of you can stay here. Thamus is wanted dead or alive as a known member of the Resistance and Endell is thought to have caused the explosion. Rudolfo wants to be with his wife, so it makes sense. We will continue our work in Mandala and we will find a way to save Delorah. I will travel regularly between both places to keep contact with the others and help recruit new members. Believe me, Len, this is the best way.”

  “Can we survive at this place?” Len said.

  “Yes,” China said. “It’s ideal: plenty of water, food, and animals. Plus it’s strong in magic.”

  The knot in Len’s stomach loosened. “How do we get through the caverns?”

  Horvold stood. “I’m going to find Trask and figure that out. You all stay here. Rest and get healed up. Thamus, Len, and Endell, under no circumstances are you to leave because the guards are hunting for you. Rudolfo, go tell your girls about the plan and have them wait there until I’m ready in a day or two. Then you come back here.”

  Everyone agreed.

  “China, come outside with me.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “It’s about Char, we need to speak in private.”

  Len watched them leave. What were they up to? What about Char?

  Chapter 14

  False Security

  Delorah couldn’t open her eyes. Her body was heavy and warm, too comfortable to move. But it felt late. This wasn’t the first time she had been awake today but it was the first time she’d even considered opening her eyes. Strange how every time she slept here in this bed she wanted to sleep all day.

  She took a deep breath and her head spun. She took several more breaths and her mind floated in the clouds, drifting away. It was wonderful. She could do this all day long, and would if she didn’t force herself to stop. With one final deep breath, she opened her eyelids and let the bright light from the windows bring her to reality.

  She rolled to the edge of the bed and pulled herself up with the bedpost. Why was she so groggy? She staggered across the room to the water bowl and splashed her face and neck. That helped. A fresh set of her clothes were always here for her and she dressed in them. Then she walked to the door.

  She pulled on the latch and the door swung open. She walked out onto the Guide’s private balcony where breakfast would be waiting for her. The table was set, as she expected, but it wasn’t breakfast. The Guide was standing on the edge of the balcony with his back to her, looking out at the city. He turned around.

  “Delorah. I trust you slept well?”

  “Yes, as always, thank you.”

  “Please sit and enjoy your breakfast, or lunch as it may be.”

  “Lunch?” she said, feeling guilty.

  “Yes, but don’t worry. Today was a good day for you sleep.”

  The serious tone in his voice concerned her. “Why?” she asked.

  “Sit down and we’ll talk.”

  A shiver, like a single drop of cold water, crawled down her back. Why was he acting so serious? What was wrong? It made her feel important. She was about to be trusted with significant information.

  “Delorah, several years ago we learned about a group of people here in the kingdom who did not agree with our laws.”

  She tensed and frowned, to show she disapproved.

  “Sir Knudson tried to join this group to learn more about them, they said horrible things about Nix and me.”

  “You, but why?”

  “They wanted to take over the kingdom. They didn’t want Nix to protect us anymore, which meant the wars would return.”

  “Why would they want that?”

  “Men are strange creatures, Delorah. Sometimes the desire for power is so great they completely forget their humanity. They had secret meetings and wore black capes and hoods to hide their identities, even from each other. Sir Knudson tried to find their leader but they realized he was a spy and tried to kill him. It was a terrible shame, we were planning an ambush that would have destroyed them.”

  She cringed.

  “But Knudson was able to capture many of them. We questioned them and tried to find out who their leaders were, but even the members didn’t know.”

  “What happened to the people you caught?”

  “They were banished, of course. We took them far away so they could never to return and told them if they tried, we’d throw them in the dungeons.”

  “And they never did?”

  “No.” His eyebrows lowered. “We thought we’d stopped them because for two years we’ve heard nothing. There were no clues they were still meeting and even though we hadn’t found their leader, we thought it was over.”

  But they didn’t and something happened. Now she could see where this was going.

  “But we never stopped looking and just recently we found out they were growing stronger. So, as you can imagine, I have been very concerned and worried. The guards have been on high alert. I have been afraid, Del
orah. Afraid they were up to something very bad.”

  She put her hand over her mouth. Something awful had happened. He was about to tell her bad news.

  “Delorah, today these people, a group called the Resistance, attacked our city. They killed innocent people, including children.”

  He put his hand on her knee. “Life will never be the same for Gardone again. We are fighting a war, not against the dark ones, but against evil people who live among us. I don’t want to scare you but you have to know that what happened today will change the life of every man, woman, and child in our kingdom.”

  A tear found its way down her cheek.

  “Delorah, I will be here every day and every moment to help you. Your kingdom needs you more than ever because of this.”

  She nodded her head; yes, of course the kingdom needed her. She would be strong.

  “They created a magical explosion in the marketplace, a horrendous device that killed hundreds of people.”

  “An explosion? In the city, but how?”

  “Come with me.”

  Together they walked to the edge of the balcony and looked out over the city. Far below, she saw a large, black stain in the marketplace. Rather than crowds of people trading, bartering, and visiting, there was destruction.

  Now many tears fell from her eyes.

  “I’m afraid they are going to try and do this again.”

  She looked at him, terrified. This couldn’t be happening, not in Gardone. Nix had always saved them, always protected them…

  “Our guards are patrolling the city, searching for anyone who might be responsible. We will find these people and we will bring them to justice. They will pay for this.”

  Delorah nodded. Whoever did this would be tortured and executed.

  “Let’s sit back down.”

  She followed him and sat again at the table.

  “There is one more thing I have to tell you, the most difficult thing of all.”

  Her heart began to pound. More difficult than this? Then it had to be something about her family. Had they caused this? No, they would never. But had this happened because of what she had told him last night? Or, worse, had they been down there?

  “No!” she said. “No!” She shook her head and began to cry.

  “They specifically targeted the queen and king in this explosion. Your mother and father were both killed by these evil traitors.”

  She screamed. “No! You’ve made a mistake...” an image of Mother’s laugh and Father’s smile flashed in her eyes and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Thoughts and feelings zipped through her mind — regret for the argument the night before, a memory of Mother brushing her long hair, pain, fear, anger...she lived an entire lifetime as images flashed through her mind. This was all a sick dream; it had to be. It wasn’t happening. It wasn’t possible…

  She cried. She screamed words that didn’t make sense. Hands pulled her and she rested her head on the Guide’s shoulders.

  “I’ll keep you safe; I am your family now. We’ll hunt every one of them down,” he said.

  She sobbed and wailed until her body couldn’t continue and she collapsed into restless slumber.

  * * * With Delorah asleep on his shoulder, the Guide sighed relief. His plans had turned out well. Some areas could have gone smoother, of course, but finding Len in the marketplace had been a nice bonus. He was probably dead, no more a problem. But ZieZee, he shook his head. What a disappointment. A simple task; hold Endell, and she had failed. Had he stayed just a moment longer, the box would have ripped through both Endell and Len, guaranteeing their deaths. And many more people would have died.

  But even with her failure the plan had gone well. Knudson had issued his decree and the entire nation was terrified and burning with rage against the Resistance. It was perfect to keep them all in line and doing his work.

  Delorah’s body jerked, an unconscious reaction from her slumber. She was a sweet girl. Part of him regretted having to sacrifice her to the dragon. Some years he couldn’t wait to rid himself of an obnoxious princess and her family, but he would be sad for Delorah. But if he had learned anything in his thousands of years of experiencing life as a human, it was that sacrifice was essential. And the power needed to control the dragon required this; there was no way around it.

  Thoughts of the dragon made him smile. Gardone worshipped Nix. They had no clue as to their real master. It had taken two lifetimes for he and ZieZee to find and charm the powerful beast. With the dragon enslaved, it had been easy to end the wars and gain control of the humans and ataiki. Now they had almost unlimited resources to experiment with magic in ways they had only dreamed possible.

  Everything had even been for the best, for everyone. The wars had ended the bloodshed. Both nations prospered; it was the perfect arrangement. He had brought peace and prosperity to two mighty races on the verge of destruction. They owed him everything and yet he asked so little. Such pathetic, greedy, selfish humans. But the human mind could not understand the true nature of things. Their shallow experience of the world kept them locked in ignorance. It was up to him to tell them the things that would keep them happy and working for the greater good…while he tolerated their idiocy.

  Someday he would return to the life he preferred, the solitude of his den. But right now he was carving his future. When it was time for the Guide to die and he took another body, he would spend the next lifetime alone: studying, researching, and preparing for his final task — the one that would free him. But until then he needed to work this system.

  Delorah quivered again, and he stood and carried her to bed. Then he left his quarters to check the progress of the Royal Guards. As he walked through the hallway, he recognized the face of one of the lesser, but seasoned guards.

  “Good day,” he said.

  “Your Highness,” the guard nodded.

  “You were with the group that took Jasper yesterday, correct?”

  The Guard glanced quickly to the side. “Yes, I was.”

  “Everything went well?”

  “Yes. Jasper tried to run, but we stopped him.”

  “He tried to escape?”

  The guard nodded, clearly avoiding direct eye contact. “Yes, Gorath clubbed him, though, stopped him in his tracks.”

  “But you didn’t kill him?”

  “No sir, at least not as far as I know.”

  “What do you mean, as far as you know?”

  “Well, I mean—”

  “—Look me in the eye soldier.”

  The guard made eye contact, sweat formed on his forehead. “Well, we were exhausted so Trask took him down to the cliffs on his own. But it went fine. He chained him to the wall and—”

  “—He what!” he yelled, for perhaps the first time as the Guide.

  The guard stammered, his hands quivered in fear. “Yes…well… he told us to stay at the cave. He almost always does. He says we get too violent and it’s easier if he does it himself.”

  “None of you except Trask can actually verify that Jasper was chained to the wall?”

  The guard shook his head and looked aside.

  His face suddenly burned red hot. The Guide was supposed to be kind and gentle, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was furious and nearly slapped the guard. His breathing increased and he fought against it, trying to sound calm. “So none of you accompany Trask to the cliffs when you escort the banished?”

  “No…”

  The Guide pushed him aside and stormed down the hallway and turned out to the balcony. Knudson was sitting at the table looking at something.

  “Where is Trask?” The angry voice came out again.

  Knudson looked up, surprised. “I sent him to check on Marchello, as you requested.”

  “Who went with him?”

  “He went alone, we couldn’t spare anyone else extra because of our patrols in the streets. What is—”

  “—Did you know that when Trask takes the banished to the wall he goes alone?”

  �
��Alone?”

  “Yes, he tells the other guards to wait at the door and goes alone, to the wall.”

  Knudson swallowed. “No, they all take the prisoners to—”

  “—No they don’t. Get me Trask. I want him, now!”

  “He won’t be back until this evening with an—”

  “—Send three armed guards through the cave to get him now. I want him brought back immediately.”

  “I’m sure there is an explanation. Trask is an honorable man.”

  The anger burned and he just barely cut off his harsh words. He’d already shown too much hostility, he had to calm down. With a deep breath, he spoke slowly. “I’m sure you are right. But he has not followed orders and I want an explanation. We expect nothing less than strict discipline, as you know.”

  Knudson nodded. “I’ll send a party at once and notify you the moment he returns.”

  “Good.”

  He studied Knudson’s face; it was solid — not too shaken. Maybe the angry outburst was already forgotten. But he had to be safe. He needed to get Knudson thinking about something else. “Have you learned anything more about the attack?”

  He could see Knudson struggle to change his thoughts, but he waited. Finally, Knudson shook his head.

  “Nothing new yet, we are still searching the city. The death count looks to be around four hundred from what we have learned so far.”

  “How could this have happened…” He frowned and contorted his face to look stressed. Knudson needed to see him in anguish. “I’m sorry for being so angry about Trask, it’s just the stress of this day. Trask probably has a good explanation but everyone must learn to follow orders. Otherwise, how can we keep our people safe?”

  “Yes,” Knudson nodded. “I agree. We can’t take chances.”

  “Good. I’ll be in my quarters, send him immediately upon his return.”

  Knudson nodded. The Guide gave him a quick pat on the back and turned around. Then the anger returned. Trask was either a traitor or completely unreliable; either scenario required action.

  * * * “I’m fine, stop worrying. Just stay here and talk to me,” Mother said.