Many Hidden Rooms

by S. J. Varengo

  “Kern will depart at sunrise,” said Parnasus. “The journey to Ceekas is a long one. It will take four full days for Szalmi to fly him there, and then there is the task of actually finding this hut by the two rivers.”

  “And then I must somehow convince him not to kill me. And should I figure out that puzzle I will have to talk him into creating a weapon and a suit of armor that I have only seen in a dream and give it to me to bring back to the Chosen One. Nothing to it!”

  Cerah laughed in spite of the sadness and uneasiness she felt.

  They sat by the fire a while, trying to speak of happier things until it was time to start Cerah’s lessons. While they were so engaged, Parnasus happened to catch a slight movement at the edge of his vision. Turning his eyes ever so slightly in the direction of the motion, he saw Zenk lurking in the darkness near a row of cottages in the distance. The wizard was watching them as they rested. Parnasus had been doing his best to keep an eye on Zenk since the Council of Elders. He had included him in the island-wide preparations, and indeed Zenk seemed to be doing what was asked of him, but the First-Elder could not shake the feeling that the scrawny wizard’s animosity toward Cerah would be a problem for them going forward.

  As he watched, Zenk eventually crept off. I need to watch this one, the First-Elder thought.

  Soon after, Parnasus turned to Cerah. “I want you to know that I recognize the effort you’ve been making. You are truly ‘burning the candle at both ends,’ as the humans so eloquently say, though we who conjure magical fire can make candles that burn from the middle as well. Perhaps now that the bulk of your work with the riderless is concluded you will no longer have to work these double stints. However, tonight we train again. Slurr, join us as we walk.”

  The three of them rose from the fire as Kern retired for the evening, his long flight looming in the morning. “Where to tonight?” Cerah asked gamely.

  “There is a secluded glade. We will need to fly there.” They headed to Dragon’s Walk, where they found Tressida and Dardaan waiting for them. Parnasus greeted his ancient match-mate with the usual affection the wizards loved to pour upon their animals. Likewise, Cerah and Slurr gave Tressida loving attention before mounting her.

  As they took off, Parnasus said, “When we arrive at the glade you are going to see some disturbing things. We are going to begin teaching you the healing arts today. Ideally, I would have had Kern join us, as this discipline has ever been his strongest, but obviously his resting is the wiser course of action tonight. Still, I’m sure I will be able to help you in his stead. I suspect you will take to this as famously as you have everything else to this point. Slurr, did she tell you how she outshined me in the casting of Opatta’s bind spell?”

  Slurr thought of a judicious answer. “She mentioned that she had cast it with authority,” he said finally.

  “‘Authority.’ Quite. She made my effort look positively weak. Healing draws from an entirely different shade of your spark, however. The story Slurr told of Cerah the child bringing the dead bird back would indicate that you most likely will be once more awakening abilities which have lain latent in you since your childhood, although there is a point I must make clear at the outset: actual resurrection of the dead is outside the scope of a wizard’s abilities. Either the bird was not dead, as Cerah postulated, or we are once again seeing magic beyond the realm of what is known to us.”

  “Elder, you said we will see disturbing things. What did you mean?” Cerah asked. Rather than answering at once, Parnasus indicated that they had reached their destination. The dragons landed at the edge of a stand of trees. As they dismounted and walked into the glade, Cerah saw the answer to her query laid out before them. The clearing was filled with injured animals. Their maladies ranged from small lacerations to wicked gashes. Some were clearly suffering from broken limbs.

  “I sent two wizards out early today, instructing them to capture these creatures and cause the injuries that you see before you. Believe me when I tell you that as unpleasant as this is to look upon, it was far more difficult for them to actually carry out the task. Wizards despise causing harm, most especially to innocent creatures. But for as long as we have been teaching the healing spells, it has been necessary to have ones upon which to practice.”

  Cerah was very much taken aback by the suffering animals laid out before her, but Slurr was positively appalled. Parnasus, ever observant, saw this at once. “Slurr, your kind and gentle nature must find this truly abhorrent, and I do apologize. But trust me, their anguish will not last much longer.”

  He had Cerah move to the first animal, a sulch who had a minor cut on his muscular hind leg. “The spell for closing open wounds is the same whether the injury is minor, as with this poor fellow, or more severe as with the creature next to him.” Lying beside the sulch was an elant with a jagged wound running the length of his flank. “It is called ‘close,’ I suppose rather anticlimactically. Focus your energy on the two edges of the laceration, and mentally pinch them together. For a small wound like this, you need only manifest a slight gesture of pinching.”

  Cerah was impatient to begin. She wanted to end the misery they were witnessing as quickly as possible. Without further instruction, she reached her hand toward a point between the sulch and elant and commanded, “Close!” She made the pinching motion with her hand and, much to Slurr’s relief, the cuts on both immediately vanished and the elant sprang to its feet and dashed away. Slurr clapped his hands as the now healthy beast vanished into the night. He was equally moved when the sulch hopped to Cerah and rubbed its head against her leg before it too hurried off.

  Parnasus beamed at his student. “Wonderful. The magical sutures are as strong as any I have ever seen. I certainly didn’t expect you to heal both with one casting, though I suppose I should have. Even the great healer Kern worked for decades to develop a level of achievement anywhere near what you just demonstrated.”

  The glade was still filled with bleating and moaning as a half dozen more creatures lay suffering. “The remaining animals are all suffering from fractured bones. The spell to heal these is called “knit.” You are, literally, knitting the bone back together. This spell is different from close in that it requires you to actually touch your subject. You must grasp the affected limb and, as you speak the command, pull upon it to facilitate the proper setting of the break.”

  Like a woman possessed, Cerah walked to each animal, quickly assessing which was the damaged limb, or limbs in the case of some of the unfortunate creatures, and casting the knit spell in rapid succession. Within a few moments all the breaks had been healed, and all the animals had leapt up and raced out of the dale.

  “Thank you, Cerah!” exclaimed Slurr. “Thank you for helping them!”

  “Indeed,” said Parnasus. “You worked quickly, but not sloppily. Each injury was attended to with care, and each was a success. But there is one more task. It is, as I intimated earlier, not one normally taught, for it is not one within the abilities of wizard kind.” He led them further into the glade, where they came upon a large kvarna. It lay upon its side. As they approached, Cerah saw hundreds of ruby-flies buzzing around the creature. It was already beginning to give off a distinctive, unpleasant odor.

  “This animal is dead,” Slurr said.

  “It is. In fact, it perished some hours ago.”

  “But, Elder! You just told me that healing magic cannot bring one back from the dead,” Cerah protested. She was still firmly convinced that the famous bird of her youth had not been dead at all.

  “Cerah, this is not a new challenge to you. At least twice in your life you have apparently conquered the obstacle that no other wizard in history has. Slurr testifies to the return of the bird and Kern to the return of Slurr. We are talking about something of which I have no knowledge. I cannot teach you this, if it is indeed possible at all.”

  “Is there nothing you can tell me?” Cerah asked.

  “I suspect your ability in this task goes far beyond the para
meters of any magic which had been taught across the millennia. So rather than instruct you, I will simply ask you to bring this creature back to life, as you see fit. If it can be done, I believe that you can do it.”

  Cerah was not certain she would succeed at this task. Healing the bird those many years ago had been something she did not even remember doing. And as far as saving Slurr, that had been an act of passion. She had no idea she was healing him, she was merely furious at him for having sacrificed himself. Still, she stepped up to the pink animal. She knelt beside it and placed both of her hands on its cold flesh.

  Now what? she asked herself. For a moment, she simply stared at the carcass, then she closed her eyes, picturing the kvarna stirring, then rising to its split hooves and scampering away. But when she opened her eyes, it still lay before her, unmoving. Her failure made her angry. Not at the lifeless kvarna, not even at herself. She was angry at death. She formed an image in her mind of death as if it was a person, an evil, cruel person who had forced himself upon this victim, and was now dancing wickedly inside of its body. It did not look unlike Surok. With this likeness fully developed, she had something to strike against. Once again, she closed her eyes and she focused the full measure of her mental energy upon the personification. “Out!” she exclaimed, at the same time striking the kvarna, much as she had done to Slurr on the rain-soaked deck of the Marta.

  At once the beast opened its mouth and inhaled deeply. It began to stir. After a couple of seconds, its eyes fluttered, then opened. As she removed her hands and leaned back, it sprang to its feet and, letting out a loud squeal, it ran away. Cerah dropped to one knee, having felt an enormous expenditure of energy. Slurr moved to her side and helped her to her feet.

  Parnasus shook his head. He was speechless. “I have never witnessed anything even remotely like what you just did. You succeeded on your first attempt! Tell me of the experience. Teach me!”

  “To be honest, it took two attempts. First, I merely pictured the kvarna getting up and running away, but that did nothing. Then I pictured death as a being that had forced itself upon the animal, against which I focused my spark, driving it out.”

  “A unique approach. Of course, as you’re the only one capable of doing this, it must be, by its very nature, unique. Cerah, your power astounds me. Although I have never doubted you, I stand before you in awe. Thank you for allowing me the honor of assisting you to unlock your gift. You are most assuredly the Chosen One.”

  “Cerah, that was incredible,” her husband said. “I’m very glad you’re able to do that, and I mean that most selfishly! You kicked death out of me as well.”

  “I suppose I did,” she replied, “although to this day I insist that, in my mind at least, I was only beating you up for being stupid.”

  Slurr and Parnasus both broke into laughter.

  Then Parnasus grew serious once more. “Even after witnessing this with my own eyes, I must insist that you recognize the enormity of what you have done. I do not think you should expect that you will restore the life of every being that falls. In the days ahead of us we will encounter much death. You will not be able to conquer it wholesale. It is foolish to presume that. Even with your great power, death is a formidable foe. And a slain warrior is a far cry from a dead kvarna.”

  “The process was extremely draining,” Cerah said. “I could not do it again without resting.”

  “Imagine a field strewn with bodies. You might succeed in calling back one, but there is no way you could do anymore. To attempt to do so would drain you dangerously. You must use this power extremely judiciously. The cost to you is too great.”

  The trio walked back to where the dragons were waiting. “Let’s get home,” Parnasus said. “Kern leaves early in the morning, and we must be there to see him off.”

  They flew back to the village, and the First-Elder bid the couple good night. As he walked to his cottage, Parnasus recounted Cerah’s triumph in the glade. Then he remembered the lurking Zenk, and his mood darkened. Still, he thought, there is no denying Cerah’s power. I will worry about Zenk. Better to let her concentrate on her lessons. There is still so much to do. I will see to it that she is not interfered with. He entered his home, found a sweet roll which he’d set aside for his bedtime snack, and made quick work of it. As he crawled into bed, he thought one final time, Yes, I will worry about Zenk.

  Chapter 3

  “...Our fears have been realized.”

  A small group consisting of Cerah, Slurr, Beru, Parnasus and a female wizard named Milenda gathered the next morning to see Kern off. Parnasus took Kern off to talk to him by himself for a few moments, leaving the others standing there. In Cerah’s case, the waiting was somewhat awkward as she was not familiar with Milenda. She pulled Slurr aside and whispered, “Why is this wizard here?”

  Slurr laughed and whispered back, “She is Kern’s girlfriend.”

  “Are you serious?” Cerah said, far too loudly.

  “Shh. Yes. They have known each other since Kern was our age.”

  “Why have they never married, then?”

  “Kern said the fact that he’s been gone for almost two hundred years put a bit of a damper on their relationship, but they’re working things out. Perhaps one day we’ll be guests at their wedding, but for now they are taking things slowly.”

  Before Cerah could consider this further, Kern and Parnasus returned. “It is time for us to send our great friend off,” the First-Elder said. “Come and say your farewells.”

  Beru stepped up and shook Kern’s hand. “Thank you for getting us through this difficult period, Kern. You’ve been a great friend to our family for a long time. Please be safe.”

  “Thank you, Beru. Before I go I need to offer you an apology. When we began our journey, I wasn’t very kind to you, but you have done your very best, once you got over your initial temper tantrum.” Beru smiled abashedly at the memory. “I underestimated you. You are a fine young man,” the wizard said.

  Next came Cerah. “I’m not going to get all mushy,” she said. “You have been through far worse things than this little field trip. Just take care of yourself and get back to us as soon as possible.”

  “Indeed, I will, Cerah of Quadar. I would not miss watching you continue to grow into your role for all the gold in the world.”

  Slurr began to step forward, but Milenda rushed past him and threw her arms around Kern’s neck. “You left me once before, promising to be back soon. Please don’t make me wait another two hundred years!”

  Kern kissed her on the forehead and said, “Nothing will keep me away this time. There is no point in my trying to divert the attention of Surok now.” Milenda walked to Szalmi and slung a sizable leather saddlebag over his neck.

  “Those provisions should see you through until you return. Szalmi, take good care of him.” Szalmi chirped in reply, nodding his head up and down. She turned to face Kern once more. Milenda touched his cheek, then walked quickly away.

  Kern stepped up to Slurr. “My dearest friend,” he said. “It is true that you and I have not spent a day apart for many years, but you will be fine without me for this short season. There is another to whom you can turn now, she who you have loved for as long as you could talk about such feelings. Please promise me you will protect the Chosen One in my absence. Keep true to the words you have spoken so often and let no one touch Cerah.”

  “No one will,” said Slurr. He said nothing more. Cerah could tell he was putting his bravest face forward.

  “Well then, I am on my way!” Kern climbed onto Szalmi’s back. Turning to face his friends, he said, “Please do not allow the free people of Quadar to be conquered while I am gone!” And as the others laughed, he gave Szalmi a slight nudge and took to the sky. They stood and watched as the pair grew smaller and smaller, and then vanished from view altogether.

  “His task will not be easy,” said Parnasus, “but there is no one I trust more to complete it. If this Riddue craftsman can be found, Kern will do so. He will fi
nd a way to overcome his distrust of outsiders, for he knows well the nature of men. And he will bring back the tools to make the Chosen One even more formidable than she is now. Keep him in your thoughts, but do not worry about him. Send only positive energy his way.”

  “I feel bad for Milenda,” Cerah said. “I had no idea she and Kern were in a relationship.”

  Parnasus laughed. “Yes. The longest and most interrupted courtship I have ever seen. I can understand her reservations about sending him off again. But we must discuss other matters now. Cerah, have you organized the groups you wish to send to patrol the continents?”

  “I have. There are fifty parties, each with four blues, a red, and a black riderless. That will mean five patrols for each of the ten continents.”

  “Which means we must select fifty escorts.”

  “I’m sure you will choose capable wizards to guide them to their assigned areas,” Cerah said.

  “Actually, Chosen One, I am leaving it to you to select the riders to accompany the patrol groups.”

  “Me? But Elder, the wizards of Melsa are under your authority. They do as you say.”

  “Cerah, the time is coming when not only the wizards of Melsa, but all Free People will be following you. You are the Chosen One, not me. You must begin to lead us. I know that recently you heard me tell Russa and Yarren that you were not yet ready to do this, but my opinion on that matter has changed. Don’t look so horrified!” he said, noticing her shocked expression. “I will be by your side to advise you, and there is much left for me to teach you. But you have come to know the young wizards in your months here. You are more than capable of selecting fifty to fly out with the patrols and bring back the dragons that were left behind when the others returned. It is time for you to begin to trust yourself as you have trusted me, as you have trusted Kern and as you trust Slurr. And as I trust you. We are all important players in this drama, but it falls to you to direct us.”