Fogle Eric - Forge of the Gods 01 - The Last Knight (V1.0)

by 5kops

  ****

  When Elyana had first met Areck in the Bre'Dmorian Academy, her divine spells had not agreed with him and he'd shaken off her spell. This time she relied on more powerful magic, the arcane, which combined hand gestures and reagents to invoke her desired answers. Though she had not come to Aresleigh for any reason besides information, Areck intrigued her. In fact, she felt the familiar weave of divine presence within the young man. That was why she had allowed him to capture her, hoping that with patience she could regain the upper hand and deflect the topic back in the direction she wished it to go.

  Not that her prodding had helped much. So far he had answered each of her questions with one of his own, which she then deflected to another topic. She asked him another question, waiting for her spell to complete itself by branching out and testing the strings of fate which surrounded all mortal races. She did not know what to expect. From all appearances, the young man was as normal as any other Bre'Dmorian squire she had ever met, but she could not help but feel drawn to him.

  With a last flick of her fingers, the spell came together and sped eerily beneath the table—wrapping itself around Areck's legs, spreading slowly upwards. To her satisfaction, Areck did not appear to feel the spell nor re­sist it. Satisfied that her spell was working, Elyana turned away another question regarding her identity, stalling for time so her spell could finish.

  As the spell's aura enveloped Areck's head, he shivered and began look­ing around the room as though searching for something.

  Elyana was speechless. She tried to utter something, anything . . . but nothing came out. She could hardly comprehend what had happened—the moment her young squire had felt the spell, it had vanished. No mere man could shake off an arcane divination spell unless he was either prepared for it magically or sealed away from the tapestry of time.

  "I am assuming your astonished look means you felt it as well?" he asked quizzically, shaking his head with a quick chuckle.

  "It felt as if something entered the room." She lied and tried an experi­ment which would involve her casting a clerical spell. "I do not feel it any­more, though."

  She was about to draw upon her innate ability- when he spoke.

  "Whatever you are about to do, I can feel it," Areck said. "You are a di­vine magic caster. I felt it in the Academy, and I can feel you pulsing with it now."

  Elyana let the spell's pulse slip away. Her instinct had been right! The boy could feel divine magic, which is why he was able to resist it. Her lips pursed in thought. How had he been able cut the tether of her arcane spell?

  "What does this feeling tell you?" she asked.

  "I do not wish to talk about it."

  "You would not have mentioned it if you did not wish to discuss it, Areck. Now what does this feeling tell you? Can you actually^/ the spell's weave being constructed?" she asked again.

  After a moment of silence, Areck clarified that since childhood he had been able to sense powerful divinity, including her divine magic. He ex­plained that the feeling was not a good one, as it made him sick.

  "If we had met under different circumstances, I think I could have helped you," she interrupted, pouring another glass of wine.

  Areck nodded. He understood their current circumstances meant that he could never accept her help, even if she had been willing to give it.

  ****

  Areck silently saluted Elyana. Although the wine had stained her cheeks pink, the woman's mind was still keen enough to take control of the situa­tion. With only a brief thought of why he accepted a third glass of wine, Areck realized that his mind was becoming numb and that Elyana had quite possibly gotten the better of him.

  He had not expected to find an intricate portrait behind such a beautiful face. When he looked into her eyes, he knew that he would allow her to go free without procuring any information. He mulled over the feeling of fail­ure as he sipped the wine.

  "I think . . . that . . . thish coveshatien ish . . ." As he put the cup down Areck begin to notice his speech slurring and the room began to spin. Un­derstanding cut him to the core. He had studied the effects of various poi­sons and was mostly aware of their effects. "I wassss aboot to . . . let . . ."

  He struggled to get the words out as the poison known as dagweed coursed through his mind, numbing coherent thought.

  To all appearances, the poison created the illusion of a severely drunken stupor and even created a headache in the morning. It was often used by thieves when marks were drinking heavily in public.

  Areck's mind raced to find a crack in the poison, fighting with all his willpower to stop its effects which included loss of speech, movement, and equilibrium. After a minute, his body succumbed to the toxins and the world faded away. He tried desperately to grab onto her arm.

  Elyana easily broke the weak grasp and moved into his lap.

  "I know you would have let me leave on my own accord, young one," she purred, "but who is to say that you wouldn't have followed me? I do apologize for the headache in the morning." A painted nail circled his face. "You are truly an amazing young man and I wish I had more time to talk. However, I need to be on my way. Alone."

  To make the act seem real, Elyana gave Areck a quick kiss on the cheek, which many of the surrounding patrons cheered. With a coy smile she pushed herself off, pulled her hood up, and once again started for the doorway.

  She only got a few steps away when a strong hand grabbed her from be­hind.

  The shock of the touch made her stagger into another man. She re­gained her balance and turned around to see that Areck, stumbling and nearly blind with dagweed, had followed her before finally passing out. She had no idea how he had taken a single step, drugged as he was. The impor­tant thing was that she knew he was no normal man and he merited special interest.

  "I know you can hear me, Areck," she whispered into his ear. "We will meet again, I promise you. Know that you have piqued my interest and that I shall ever be watching."

  Against her better judgment, Elyana asked the man she had run into for help dragging the unconscious Areck back to the table. With a last thought­ful look, Elyana neared the door, took a deep breath, and sauntered into the night air of Aresleigh.

  9

  AS DAWN approached, the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from the lower levels of the Twisting Oak Inn. Each morning the owner of the inn, Gimbal Inntrader, made it his duty to awake before dawn, stoke the fur­naces, and begin the baking of his famous sweet bread, a western society favorite. The cherubic innkeeper knew business was good—he saw count­less patrons who had become too inebriated the night before start make their way home.

  With a smile, Gimbal opened a draft chute and allowed the smell of de­licious round rolls, Almassian spices, and sausage to wake his blurry-eyed guests. He figured that since they had passed out in his inn, offering an early breakfast would be another great opportunity to make some coin. This was the morning ritual in Aresleigh: merchants drank all night and then passed out. All woke just in time to either wander back to their homes or eat a filling meal in his inn before beginning another day of bartering in the streets.

  It was just before sunrise when the bustle of mercantile traffic woke Areck from dreams filled with a beautiful woman dodging questions and plotting his ultimate demise. With sluggish movements he rolled over, put­ting his cheek in a puddle of drool. Disgusted, he sat upright, wiping his face. Trying to get his bearings, he ran his hand through his hair, feeling several pressure lines zigzagging across his face. When he rubbed his eyes, a dull pain shot through his skull and he collapsed in nausea. His stomach growled.

  As his vision swam, Areck gradually pieced together his thoughts and brought the spinning room back into focus. The aromatic smell of food filled the room, replacing his initial thoughts of sickness with hunger. Slowly he sat back up and looked around.

  To Areck's amazement, he was not in his personal chambers at the Academy. Rather, he was in a room which contained furniture and a small window that all
owed the dim light of the brightening sky to leak in. At first glance, nothing looked out of the ordinary. However, when he looked to the right, he noticed a second bed filled with two figures wrapped around each other and snoring loudly.

  Areck grimaced. The young courier had won the beautiful serving maid over during the night and had procured a room. As Areck looked down, he noticed several piles of garments littering the room and flushed at their im­plied meaning. Several memories flooded his senses ... he vividly remem­bered passionate moans. Once again his stomach rolled and he fell back on the bed.

  What would his superiors think? To all appearances he had filled his belly with too much wine and had passed out. They would think that he was unable to make it back to the Academy, for Starsgalt's sake! To make mat­ters worse, he had been in the room during a couple's most private mo­ments. How could he possibly explain his actions?

  A soft moan and a gentle touch made Areck jump off the bed and roll across the floor in a panic. A slender face regarded him with wide eyes as wild thoughts flew through his mind. How in Starsgalt had he not noticed her lying beneath the covers, half curled around him? With his hand out­stretched in defense, he backed towards the door. His mind raced frantic­ally, trying to recall why the woman was in his bed! Unfortunately, one of the drug's side effects was a lapse in memory.

  Is she here on my behalf. . .?The thought trailed off in a plethora of possi­bilities. What have I done? There are only a few reasons why women hide themselves in a man's bed.

  Horror pushed away all thoughts of sickness and fear gripped his heart. If he had taken the young lady outside of union, especially as a squire, there would be nothing to stop the Academy from sending him into the cold, bereft of all possessions.

  The girl regarded Areck with a look of determination as she pursed her lips, pushed the covers away, and stood on her knees, revealing her perfect nakedness.

  Areck realized that her action was meant to call him back to bed, to whatever they had been doing before. He averted his eyes and put a hand up to conceal her nudity. There was no mistaking that she was there for him, and that he had participated. His heart raced as his mind devoured the possibilities.

  I have just thrown away my entire career! There is no way to explain this!

  The thought of losing ten years of military service, and his shattered honor, induced waves of despair in Areck's soul.

  His mind raced.

  Would it be better to tell them that he had knowingly allowed a criminal to escape justice because he wished to talk with her, or that he had solicited sex from another? He could try and explain that his poor judgment had led to being drugged by the woman. Although it would make him look inept, there was a possibility that the Council might understand such a mistake, allowing him to clarify the entire evening.

  Arawnn's voice cut through the morning chill. "What in hell's name are you doing, Areck?" He yawned, rubbing a hand down his face.

  The royal courier became alarmed when he took in the scene of the still-naked woman darting under the covers and Areck pinned up against the wall, hand outstretched to block his vision. However, Arawnn chuckled when he realized that the woman posed no threat. The laughter was loud enough to bring another head above the covers.

  When Areck finally regained some composure he dropped his eyes and regarded the laughing couple. He could tell that his own partner was mov­ing, but he dare not glimpse her nakedness again, less he further his own embarrassment.

  "Do the three of you have no decency?" Areck managed, doing his best not to look at either woman.

  "After your little drunken escapade with Lady Elyana, you would lec­ture me of modesty?" Arawnn said, tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks.

  "There is more to that story . . ." Areck began, stopping when he real­ized how stupid he must be look, pinned against the door.

  "I hope you understand that we were forced to rent this room for you," Arawnn responded, "because you were so drunk that we couldn't move you."

  "I think I was drugged," Areck said, no longer caring if he offended anyone.

  "Oh, without a doubt, my friend!" Another burst of laughter lit Arawnn's face. "We call alcohol the drug of choice, here. At least we now know that you cannot handle firewater without consequences."

  He does not believe me!

  The sound of feet on the floor brought Areck's attention back to the young woman sitting on his bed, lacing up rugged leather sandals. She no longer paid him any mind and tears slid down her face. Areck could tell that his reaction had offended the young lady. He had acted like she was be­neath him, when in reality he was no longer pure enough for her.

  The woman's gaze lifted and she noticed that everyone staring at her. With a curt nod at the squire she turned to Arawnn and rubbed her eyes. "I would like to take my leave," she said, dipping into a small curtsy, "unless you have need of me, my lord!"

  Arawnn regarded her with a warm smile and politely refused her offer. He then pulled a silver piece and placed it in her hand. The action made Areck's heart sink even further. The monetary gesture assured that the woman was a servant, most likely a prostitute.

  "This is all?" asked the woman. "We agreed upon a gold piece!"

  "Your part was not fulfilled; exactly what do want payment for?" Arawnn asked.

  "I did what I could!" the woman responded defensively. "He is impo­tent or has some . . .problems, because he was unconscious the entire night. And now that he has woken, it appears he does not care for me at all."

  Arawnn frowned at Areck but conceded the woman's point, handing her a single gold coin. With a snort she snatched the gold, looked at Areck, and stormed out of the room.

  Understanding settled on Areck: his friend had purchased him a whore. Without much thought, Areck pulled a dagger from his hip, completely oblivious to the fact that he was still fully clothed.

  "Tell me the truth, Arawnn," Areck said. "What happened between that woman and I?"

  Arawnn's body stiffened as his gaze moved from the dagger to meet Areck's questioning stare. His companion had pulled the covers over her head and was hiding.

  "I hired that woman to spend the night with you, my friend," Arawnn said nervously. "I felt remorse for losing you an opportunity with Lady Ely-ana, and wanted to make it up to you." Arawnn explained that he had hired the prostitute as a friendly gesture, hoping she would compensate for the loss of Elyana.

  "I am not interested in your intentions, Arawnn!" Areck's voice began to crack with anger. "Now answer the question. What happened last night?"

  It dawned on Areck that his pure intentions with the noblewoman had been perceived as anything but! Worse, he had hired a woman to perform indecent acts with him.

  "Areck, my friend," Arawnn said, allowing his cautious grin to become a light chuckle. "Nothing happened between you and that woman last night. Can't you see that not one piece of your clothing has been removed?"

  The courier was acting like he didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Areck guessed that Arawnn thought it strange that any man should be so upset over one night spent with a woman. After all, Areck wasn't pay­ing for it!

  With force, Areck shoved his dagger back into its sheath and took a deep sigh. "If nothing happened, then why did you pay her?"

  "It wasn't her fault that you couldn't . . . perform," Arawnn said, grin­ning from ear to ear. "Besides, she at least tried to seduce you. You were so drunk that it took all three of us just to get you up here, and onto the bed! How does your head feel, by the way?"

  With adrenaline subsiding, Areck's skull pulsed with pain. "Fine ... I feel fine," Areck breathed as he sat on to the bed. "I just need to lie down for a second."

  "You'll need more than that, I'm afraid. It might be a good idea to . . ." Arawnn was cut off by the ringing of the nearby Starsgaltian Cathedral's bell, chiming in the dawn hour.

  Dong!

  Areck leapt out of his bed and made sure all of his clothes were in place. "Get yourself dressed, Arawnn, we
need to go. Now!" In nearly ten years at the Academy, Areck had never been late for anything until this moment, when it became obvious that his bad situation had just gotten worse! By all accounts, dawn had broken.

  Dong!

  Areck was so engrossed in thought that he did not notice Arawnn's mistress remove herself from the covers. When he looked up, the woman was slipping a garment over her bare breasts. He glanced at her face in em­barrassment to see if she had noticed and was met by a wink.

  "I will wait for you in the hall," Areck could barely speak. This entire situation was quite overwhelming. "Please hurry," he blurted, closing the door behind him.

  Moments later, Arawnn emerged with a bright glow in his eyes.

  "What a night, huh, Squire? Sorry you missed most of it," Arawnn pat­ted Areck stiffly on the shoulder. "You have a great city here—such lovely women and good drink. This next week is going to make you wish you hadn't missed out."

  "But I was not . . ." Areck began to protest but found it useless. "We have little time."

  Areck hurried through the inn and to the stables. As much as his head hurt, he could only imagine what punishment awaited him once the knight­hood found out about last night's fiasco. Even if they believed that he had been drugged and unconscious the entire night, he had ignored his duty and allowed a criminal to outsmart him. Truly, the pain in his head was the least of his worries.

  ****

  Lord Bowon Silvershield was the first to arrive at the Academy's stables, in his usual early morning, partially drunken stupor. Although he was known for his excessive drinking, several squires—who were now running after him—had decided to test the theory by knocking on the commander's door. The result was that Bowon had answered, still half asleep, with direct orders to take in the morning air with a run.