“I’m going,” Gewey said hotly. “I can make this decision for myself.”
“Indeed you can,” Millet said. “But you need to trust in our experience.”
“Listen to him,” Kaylia advised Gewey. “We are trying to out-maneuver a possible predator in her home territory. You need to watch and listen. One day it will be you making these decisions, and when the time comes, you will need to know how.”
“I’m not a child,” Gewey protested. “You act like I don’t know anything.”
“You don’t,” snapped Lee. “You are a child, regardless of how old you may look- and you’re too important for me to let you discover that fact on your own. Until you’re ready, you’ll do as you’re told.”
Gewey crossed his arms and glared furiously at Lee.
“I need you to pay attention tomorrow,” Lee instructed. “If Salmitaya is up to something, we need to know what.”
Kaylia handed Gewey a flask of jawas tea. “Drink this,” she said. “Now that it no longer knocks you out, you can use it to relax and help you sleep.”
Gewey took the flask and drank. Immediately, the tension left his body and he felt his troubles begin to lift away.
Kaylia returned to her room and Lee, Gewey, and Millet went to bed. Gewey, aided by the jawas tea, went right to sleep, but Lee and Millet stayed awake talking for a while longer.
“If I might be so bold, my lord,” said Millet, “you should remember that the boy has been on his own, without a father, for more than two years. He may be still little more than a child, but he’s been treated as a man for quite some time.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Lee. “The boy must learn, and I don’t know how else to teach him.”
“I think that perhaps you should trust the boy’s instincts from time to time,” Millet responded. “The fact of the matter is you intended to let him go with the High Priestess all along. I think all he wants is to be consulted.”
“Funny that you should talk about trusting his instincts,” Lee remarked. “When I first met Kaylia, I told her that it was the one thing I did trust. Still, he is inexperienced. Instincts are no substitute for good judgment. I hope mine is good enough.”
“You do show wisdom, my lord,” yawned Millet. “Occasionally. But you should learn to accept that some things are beyond your control.”
Lee chuckled. “Anyway, we’d better get some rest. Goodnight, Millet,” said Lee.
“Pleasant dreams, my lord,” he replied.
Chapter 10
Gewey woke up early and donned his robes. Millet and Lee were still sleeping. Not wanting to wake them, Gewey went to look around the temple. He wandered the narrow corridors for a while until he found his way back to the main hall. The dawn light shone dimly through small windows set high on the surrounding walls. The gold statue of Ayliazarah glowed eerily. As Gewey approached it, he felt a cold chill that made the hair on his arms stand up.
“I was just about to wake you,” said Salmitaya, appearing from the direction of the staircase. “We’ll leave in just a bit. Would you like breakfast before we go?”
“No, thank you,” Gewey replied.
“You should eat,” she insisted. “Please join me.” She motioned for Gewey to follow, and led him back to the same chamber in which they had eaten the night before. Waiting at the table were a bowl of porridge and a glass of apple juice.
“Good to see another morning person,” Salmitaya said with a smile. “Poor Celandine and Maybell simply hate an early rise.” She pointed to the food. “Please, Brother. I hope you don’t mind porridge. Last night’s fare was more lavish than we usually have. I’m afraid this is a bit more like what we’re accustomed to lately.”
Gewey nodded. “This is perfect, Holiness. I love porridge and juice.”
“Before these dark times plagued this place, I had good friends here,” she said. “In private, they called me Taya. I would have you do the same. Maybell refuses and Celandine, well…to get that girl to speak more than a few words would be a miracle.”
Gewey blushed. “I would be honored. What are we going to do today, Holi-Taya?” he asked after swallowing a large mouthful of porridge.
“The same thing I always do when I see Governor Mattlin,” she answered. “I’ll ask for the littlest thing, and he’ll act like I just told him the city is on fire.” She suddenly looked dismayed. “How’s your porridge, Brother Gewton?”
“Delicious,” Gewey replied, but even as he said it he began to feel dizzy. He tried to stand up, only to stumble into the wall.
Salmitaya made no move to help him. She smiled a sinister smile. “Is something the matter, my child?”
“You…” was all Gewey could manage to say before he collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Salmitaya got up and stood over Gewey. “Such an attractive boy,” she said, as two city guards entered the room. “Bind him, and take him to my carriage.” The guards nodded and dragged Gewey away.
“Such a pretty, pretty boy,” she said and laughed softly.
When Gewey finally awoke, it was to utter darkness. He feared he had been blinded until he realized he’d simply been blindfolded.
He couldn’t initially remember what had happened to him, but then it suddenly came rushing back- Salmitaya! She must have drugged him. But why? His body was seated upright, and when he tried to move, he found that both his hands and feet were shackled. He tested them, but they were too strong for him to break. As his head cleared, he could sense that he was in a wagon or carriage moving steadily along.
Gewey’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Salmitaya’s voice. “I see the young prince has awakened. Wonderful! I was getting lonely.”
“What’s going on here?” Gewey asked angrily. “Why did you drug me?”
“Why, why, why. With youth, it’s always why,” she mocked. “It’s actually the how that’s more interesting to me.
“One bite of that porridge should have been enough to put you to sleep for twelve hours,” she continued. “But you, my pretty young friend, ate nearly the entire bowl-yet here you are, awake after only six hours. Do you know what that makes you?”
“What?” growled Gewey.
“A mystery,” she replied. “One that I intend to solve before I deliver you.”
“Deliver me to who?”
“All in good time,” said Salmitaya.
‘Six hours,’ he thought. ‘She has a six hour head start. That’s nothing for Lee.’ Then it hit him: ‘They won’t expect me back until after nightfall. By then, who knows where we’ll be?’
“I get the shackles, but why the blindfold?” asked Gewey. “What are you afraid of me seeing?”
“Afraid? I wouldn’t go so far as to say afraid. But given how much moonbane root it took to knock you out, you clearly warrant a little extra caution.”
“This won’t work, you know,” Gewey said. “Eventually, my friends will find me.”
Salmitaya snickered. “Your friends are dead. Lee Starfinder, Millet Gristall, and that wretched elf are all dead. They died the moment you were taken.”
Hearing the names of his friends and her knowledge of Kaylia’s true identity sent fear into his heart. Still, he was defiant. “You lie!” he shouted.
“Of course I’m not lying,” Salmitaya replied. “How do you think I know your true identities, Gewey?”
“How do you know who we are?” he asked, trying not to let the fear show in his voice.
“You keep asking the wrong questions.” she said. “The inexperience of youth is so delicious.”
Gewey recoiled as he felt her hand on his chest.
“Do I make you nervous?” she asked, laughing lightly as she withdrew her hand.
“You make me sick,” he said, his skin crawling. “You’re evil.”
“What does a farm boy know about evil?” she asked. “I’ve seen real evil, child. The elf you were traveling with-you know, the one the guards killed this morning.” Her tone was amused, yet filled with hatr
ed. “She was evil.”
“Kaylia is not evil, you witch!” Gewey raged. “She is good and kind, and a thousand times better than you’ll ever be!”
Gewey’s ears rang as he felt the impact of Salmitaya’s hand across his face.
“Never compare me to an elf again,” she warned. “Or this trip will get very unpleasant.”
Gewey felt a touch of satisfaction at making her lose control.
“How long will this trip take?” he asked.
“Finally,” said Salmitaya, her voice having calmed. “It appears I’ve knocked some sense into you. That is an excellent question. One your mentors would be proud that you asked. Gather information slowly, boy. Don’t ask the big questions right away like ‘why are you doing this?’ or ‘where are we going?’. If you want to try and escape, it’s the little details that will help. Unfortunately for you, I already know this, so you won’t be getting any details from me.”
“It’s not like I can go anywhere,” Gewey said, shaking his shackles. “Why not tell me?”
“I’ll tell you what,” she replied arrogantly. “You get to ask one question and one question only.”
Gewey thought hard, but he couldn’t come up anything he thought would help him. “Who are you taking me to?” he asked finally.
Salmitaya shook her head. “Disappointing. You ask a question you already know the answer to.”
“Tell me,” Gewey demanded.
“I would hate to deny him the pleasure of proper introductions,” said Salmitaya. “So instead, I’ll answer your question with a question: Who do you run from?”
Gewey could barely contain his terror as the realization washed over him. ‘He found me,’ he thought.
Salmitaya instantly picked up on his fear. “That’s right, boy. And he’s very excited to meet you. The only thing I’m wondering is why the Great One would be so interested in a simple farm boy. The answer is obvious: you’re not just a simple farm boy, are you? What is it, I wonder?” She stroked Gewey’s cheek. “You are pretty. And you certainly have a strong constitution. But there’s more, isn’t there?”
Gewey smirked. “You ask the wrong questions,” he said. “You should take your own advice.”
Salmitaya laughed aloud. “And just what is the right question, child? Enlighten me.”
Gewey’s tone became dangerous. “How long will it take for you to die once I get loose from these chains?”
“Such fire,” said Salmitaya. “I wonder if you will be so brave when you face him. Somehow, I doubt it.”
“Why do you serve him?” Gewey asked. “You’re a High Priestess of Ayliazarah; how can you betray your faith?”
“You speak from ignorance,” she answered. “Long ago, I followed the teachings without question, but my faith was misplaced, as you will soon learn. For years, I watched as the world became a cesspool, riddled with corruption and plagued by despair. Did the Gods intervene? Did they make their presence known? Of course they didn’t, because the truth about the Gods is that they care nothing for us.”
“And your master does?” he scoffed.
“My master will set the human race free,” she said. “He will release us from servitude and pointless worship. At last humans will be free to become what they were meant to be: the true masters of this world. When that happens, I will be there to bathe in the glory of my master’s victory. And somehow, you’re connected to that end.”
“I have nothing to do with it,” Gewey bluffed. “I’m just a farmer.”
“I hope you’re better at farming than you are at lying,” said Salmitaya.
“I could take a lesson from you,” Gewey said, his voice dripping with contempt. “You’re the High Priestess of deception.”
Salmitaya chuckled. “Perhaps,” she allowed. “The secret is to mix truth and lies together, like your friend Millet did.”
Hearing Millet’s name infuriated Gewey, but he managed to keep the anger inside. “What’s the real reason the temple failed?” he asked.
“It’s just as I said,” she replied. “The only difference being that I was the one behind the persecution and threats. The governor was very happy to help, especially when he discovered how rich I would make him. Luckily, the king is a weakling and easily bought-much more easily than the governor, in fact.”
“I still don’t get why the other temples didn’t stop you,” said Gewey. ‘Keep her talking, he thought. ‘Maybe she’ll give something away’.
“That’s the best part,” she said. “They are the ones that helped.
A few couldn’t be corrupted and had to be dealt with, but for the most part they were all too happy to sell out.”
“I don’t believe you,” said Gewey.
“Really?” she mocked. “How do you think I knew to be at the door when you and your friends arrived? How do you think I knew you were coming?”
“You didn’t,” said Gewey, after thinking about it for a moment.
“We had to bribe our way into the city. If you knew we were coming, you would have sent word to let us in.”
“Dear boy,” she said. “Had I cleared the path for you, your suspicions would have been raised. No, you had to believe it was your cunning that got you through the gates. Of course the guards informed me that you were here, and I had left them instructions to find a way to let you pass if your friends were too stupid to bribe the captain, but make no mistake-I’ve known every move you made for quite a while.”
“You know what I think? I think you just got lucky,” Gewey said.
“No argument there,” she said. “I knew what to look for, but it wasn’t until you talked to my friend Brother Salvo that I knew you were here.”
Gewey couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Brother Salvo works for you?”
“Not exactly,” said Salmitaya. “But those among him are my eyes and ears outside of the city. I told them what to watch out for, and soon as you were spotted, it was reported it to me. I must admit, it was more than fortunate that you pretended to be pilgrims of Ayliazarah, a deception that brought you right to my doorstep-though I could have arranged a meeting regardless. ”
“I still don’t understand how you know our names,” said Gewey.
“You names were given to me over a week ago, foolish boy,” she replied. “Your name is known by all of His agents. There was never any chance you would escape.”
“How did you know about Kaylia?” Gewey asked. “She’s only been with us a little while.”
“You don’t really think I would provide rooms that would give you privacy do you?” she said, then paused for a long moment. “Smart boy. Keep me talking. But nothing I’ve said will do you any good.”
Gewey suddenly began laughing.
“I’m glad you find this amusing,” she said, her voice showing irritation. “Perhaps I’ll make you grovel a bit before the Great Master takes you.”
“You don’t understand,” Gewey said. “It’s not what you said.”
“What then?” she asked.
“Two things,” said Gewey. “One: I’d bet you didn’t see the bodies of my friends before you left.”
“And what’s the other thing?” For the first time, Salmitaya sounded uncertain.
“The second thing,” he said, “is that you actually thought that your plan to kill them would succeed. You have no idea what you’ve done. You’re in a lot more danger than I am.”
Gewey’s head flew back as she struck him.
“Guard!” shouted Salmitaya.
“Yes, Holiness,” a low, rough voice replied.
“Keep an eye on him,” she said. “I’ll ride up front for a while. If he speaks or tries to escape, make him regret it.”
“As you wish, Holiness,” the man replied.
The carriage stopped, and Gewey could hear the door opening and closing.
“You heard her, boy,” said the guard. “Not a sound out of you.”
Gewey remained silent. He hoped what he said was true. He had to believe that his
friends still lived and were coming for him. He shifted in his seat and smiled slightly.
‘They’re coming,’ he thought.
Chapter 11
Millet woke to find that Gewey had already left. He could see by the dim light of the oil lantern that Lee was still sound asleep.
‘Best to let him rest a bit more,’ he thought. He got up as quietly as he could and began to straighten up the room.
“Don’t bother being quiet,” said Lee. “I’m awake.”
“Good,” Millet said, smiling. “Then you won’t mind getting out of bed so I can make it.”
Lee smiled sleepily. “Did you see Gewey leave?”
“No, my lord,” Millet replied. “He had already gone when I awoke.”
“I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Lee muttered. “I don’t trust that woman.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure the lad can handle himself,” said Millet.
Suddenly, a series of loud thumps sounded from behind the door, followed by a muffled scream. Lee jumped out of bed and grabbed the knife he had hidden under his pillow. Millet rushed to his pack, searching for a weapon, but before he could find one, Lee threw open the door and ran out. Lying in the hall were four city guards, all dead, blood pouring from multiple wounds. Kaylia stood over them, still dressed in her underclothes, with her long knife at the ready.
“How you’ve stayed alive this long I can’t imagine,” said Kaylia.
“I heard them coming from all the way down the hall.”
“Thank the Gods for that,” Millet said from behind Lee. “My lord, we need to find Gewey.”
Lee was still staring at the bodies and the half-naked elf standing over them. ‘How did I miss this?’ he thought. ‘I should have heard them.’
“Pay attention, half-man,” said Kaylia sternly. “Get your things together. I’ll be right back.”
Kaylia ran down the hall to her room.
Millet grabbed Lee by the arms. “Are you alright, my lord?”
“I’m fine,” answered Lee. “Gather our things. Don’t bother with the robes.”
A few minutes later Kaylia reappeared with her pack, still holding her knife. Instead of her pilgrim’s robe, she wore a brown, waist-length hooded riding cloak over the same shirt and trousers she’d been wearing when they met. “This should disguise me as well as the robes did,” she explained, at Lee’s questioning look.
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