by Dean Cadman
The door to his room suddenly burst open, startling Lusam so much, that he banged his head on the table when he quickly stood up from recovering the dropped cup.
“Ow!” he said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, then turning to see Neala standing in the doorway beaming him a smile.
“You’re awake!” Neala said, running at him, and almost knocking him off his feet as she enveloped him in a tight hug.
“I heard the bang, and I thought…” Neala began to say, but dare not finish her sentence, just in case she somehow invoked the dragon again by naming it out loud. Then she realised something else. She pushed Lusam out to arm’s length, and looked more closely at his face.
“You don’t look ill at all,” she said, almost sounding disappointed.
“Thanks… I guess,” Lusam replied sarcastically, not knowing if that was supposed to be a compliment or not.
“How do you feel?” Neala asked, still searching his face for any signs of nausea.
“I feel fine, thanks. But I’m still a little tired,” he replied, stifling another yawn.
“Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yes, I’m sure. You sound like you expect me to be ill or something.”
“That’s an understatement,” Neala replied, chuckling to herself. “With the amount of Nodding Silk-weed you used, you should have been feeling absolutely terrible, at least for the next few days.”
“Maybe it didn’t make me ill because I removed the toxins from my body every day,” Lusam suggested.
“That does seem the most likely reason for it. Anyway, I’m glad you’re not ill, and I’m glad you managed to finally get some sleep, too,” Neala replied, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.
“Yeah, me too. But I can’t help wondering why the dragon didn’t attack me last night? I was wondering if it had anything to do with the Nodding Silk-weed.”
“I thought the same thing at first, but you have been asleep for almost two days, so the Nodding Silk-weed should be long gone from your body by now,” Neala replied.
“Two days! No wonder my tongue felt like a lump of leather in my mouth, and my stomach felt like it was eating itself when I woke up,” Lusam said, a fresh wave of hunger washing over him at the thought of food.
Neala shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. “Typical. Even with everything else that’s been going on, your first thought after waking up is about food. I should have known,” she said teasing him. Lusam simply grinned at her, recovered his boots, and another few personal items, then headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Neala asked, as she watched him head towards the door.
“Seeing as the dragon is gone, I thought I’d move back into your room,” he replied grinning at her.
“Wouldn’t it be best to wait a few nights before assuming it’s gone for good? Besides, I thought you were still tired,” Neala said.
“Not that tired,” he said, winking at her as he disappeared through the door.
Neala found herself shaking her head and rolling her eyes for the second time in as many minutes.
It was just after midday when Lusam and Neala returned to the barracks after eating their lunch in the mess hall. Neala had brought Lusam up to speed on the safe return of Renn from his mission, along with fifty potential new magi for the High Temple to train. Lusam seemed genuinely happy that Renn was finally back, and was eager to catch up with him as soon as possible. He didn’t have to wait long, because almost as soon after they arrived back at the barracks, a knock came at the main door, followed by a familiar face appearing in the opening.
“Renn!” Lusam called out, as he hurried down the hallway towards him.
“It’s good to see you up and about, lad,” Renn said with a smile. Lusam clasped arms with him, and Renn pulled him in closer, patting his back roughly in greeting.
“It’s good to be up. I take it Neala has already explained what’s been going on since you left?” Lusam said, moving to one side and allowing him to enter the barracks.
“Aye lad, she did. And I have to say, I’ve never heard anything like it before,” Renn replied.
Lusam nodded, then said, “That’s exactly what the High Priest said. Speaking of whom, I really should drop by and thank him for allowing me access to the High Temple’s library. I know it’s normally restricted solely for the use of the priests and acolytes, but he allowed me full access to search for any information regarding my dragon nightmares.”
“Yes, you’re right lad, it’s highly unusual that anyone outside the clergy is granted access to the High Temple’s library,” Renn agreed, then he added, “actually, I have some business at the High Temple myself, maybe I can accompany you there?”
“Of course, I’d be glad of your company,” Lusam replied smiling at him, but he noticed that Renn had a concerned look on his face, as if he wanted to say something else. “Is there something wrong?”
Lusam could tell that Renn was carefully choosing his words before he spoke.
“Lusam, Neala told me about your mother. She also told me that you intended to try and rescue her from Azmarin. I’ll be honest lad, I came here hoping to change your mind about that. The last thing any of us want to see, is you being killed or captured by Lord Zelroth. I once told you that I didn’t know your mother personally, but I knew of her, and knew she was a good, well respected woman. Knowing that, I’m certain she wouldn’t want you risking your life to try and save her.
“When you were born, she believed even then that she was sacrificing her life so that you could live. And she was happy to do so. Think of how devastated she would be, lad, knowing her sacrifice had been for nothing should anything happen to you,” Renn said, almost pleading with Lusam to heed his words.
Lusam felt angry and disappointed at first, that Renn would even consider asking him not to try to rescue his own mother. Then he began to understand it from Renn’s point of view. How it would seem an impossible thing to achieve, and that he was only considering what might be best for him. He had no right to be angry at Renn for simply wanting to protect him, nor anyone else for that matter. Now that he had seemingly overcome the problem of the dragon nightmares, he would be focusing solely on rescuing his mother, and he now realised that it was bound to cause some apprehension amongst his closest friends.
“Renn, I understand your concerns, and I thank you for it, but please, listen to me. I know that I can defeat Lord Zelroth and rescue my mother if she still lives, and nothing is going to stop me from doing that,” Lusam said calmly. He suddenly realised that Neala was standing quietly beside him, and when he turned to see her face, he could clearly see the worry it held for him. He expected her to mirror Renn’s sentiments, but she remained silent and simply listened to their conversation.
“How can you possibly be so sure of defeating him, lad?” Renn asked.
“Because I felt his power when we were in Coldmont, and now that I have read the Guardian book here in Lamuria, I know that I’m more powerful than he is. Also, the Guardian book in Lamuria gave me something he doesn’t possess: the ability to see and draw magic directly from an enemy. So, as you can see, defeating Lord Zelroth won’t be a problem for me.”
“Over confidence has been the cause of many a lost battle, lad, and you would be wise to bear that in mind. You would be facing him on his own terms, and on his own ground. That alone makes him a far more dangerous foe than you are giving him credit for,” Renn said, with concern clearly evident in his voice.
“That may be, but I still believe I can defeat him, even inside his own stronghold,” Lusam replied.
Renn considered Lusam’s words for a few moments before he spoke again.
“Okay, let’s say you’re right about that for a moment, and you can defeat him in battle. How do you even intend to get to Azmarin in the first place? Because I doubt even you could levitate all the way there,” Renn said.
“I’ve already petitioned the King for the use of a ship,” Lusam replied.
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“The King?” Renn said, raising his eyebrows at Lusam, “And he has agreed to give you the use of one of his ships?”
“He said we would discuss my request after the unveiling of my statue, yes,” Lusam replied, knowing exactly what Renn was implying by the look on his face. “What? Are you trying to say the King won’t allow me the use of a ship after I saved both him, and all of Lamuria from the Empire invasion?”
“Far be it from me to say what the King will, or will not do,” Renn replied, holding both his hands up in mock submission.
“But you think he won’t, right?” Lusam pressed. Again Renn paused in his reply, thinking of the best way to answer Lusam’s delicate question without being treasonous towards his King, or disappointing a friend. It was a hard thing to do.
“Lusam, try to think of it this way. Imagine you were the King, or even a citizen of Lamuria for that matter, and you had seen that army of Empire magi arrive to destroy you. Then imagine you spent days watching their numbers grow in strength, knowing that you had no way to fight them, let alone survive their inevitable attack. An attack that everyone knew was coming sooner or later, and no one expected to win. Then you arrive unexpectedly, and single-handedly defeat their entire army. Don’t you understand, lad, you’re not just the hero who defeated the Empire’s invasion, you’re their insurance that there won’t be another one in their lifetimes. Even if the King wanted to let you go, he couldn’t,” Renn said, sounding genuinely sorry that he had to be the one to tell him.
Lusam’s mind reeled. How could the King, or anyone else for that matter, try and control what he did or didn’t do with his life? He remembered the prophetic words of warning from the High Priest, that the King, and everyone else who had the chance, would seek to use him to their advantage at any given opportunity. He thought the High Priest had been simply referring to political gains, such as the nobles gaining status amongst their peers by being seen to associate with him, but now he understood it went much deeper than that. He had inadvertently become nothing more than a game piece on their political board. Apparently a very important piece, and one they would not hesitate to wield at their own behest if they could.
Lusam felt sick to his stomach that he might have been played like that, and suddenly realised that he would have to tread very carefully if he wished to rescue his mother now. For a brief moment, he even considered that his dragon nightmares may have been the King’s doing, intended to stop him from rescuing his mother, but he quickly dismissed that idea as highly improbable. He needed to speak with the High Priest, and not just to thank him for the use of the library.
“There’s more, I’m afraid, lad,” Renn said, breaking Lusam out of his reverie. “I didn’t realise the importance of it at the time, but while I was visiting the coastal towns and villages in search of survivors and potential new magi, we weren’t the only ones there from Lamuria. Three times we came across regular troops posting an official King’s decree on the local notice boards. It was a decree prohibiting anyone to leave the coastal waters of Afaraon under the punishment of death. Not only that, it strictly forbade any boat owner from chartering a boat out to anyone until further notice, again, punishable by death should they disobey. When I read it, I simply thought it was a misguided overreaction by the King to the recent events along the coastline, but now the real reason for it seems clear. I’m truly sorry to have to be the one to tell you this Lusam, but no, I don’t believe the King will grant you the use of a ship. Not now. Not ever. To lose you to the Empire would simply be unthinkable, and the King could never allow himself to take the blame for that.”
They spent the next hour discussing what the King may, or may not, do to prevent Lusam from leaving Lamuria in the near future. None of it seemed very plausible to Lusam, but having heard what Renn had just told him, coupled with what the High Priest had told him before, now meant he believed anything was possible. Eventually, time inevitability moved on and Renn claimed that he needed to visit the High Temple before the evening prayers began. Lusam agreed to go with him, and they were soon on their way there.
Chapter Nine
When Lusam and Renn arrived at the main entrance to the High Temple, they found the large doors wide open awaiting the evening congregation. As they made their way through the huge main chamber, Lusam couldn’t help wondering if any of the massive statues there were of people who had found themselves in his situation: a virtual prisoner, under the illusion of freedom.
As they passed through the long stone corridor and into the room beyond, Lusam noticed the High Priest speaking to one of his acolytes further along the opposite corridor. He seemed to notice Lusam and Renn’s entrance and cut his conversation short with the young acolyte, then started to walk in their direction.
“Good evening gentlemen,” the High Priest said in greeting.
“Good evening, Your Grace,” Renn replied, bowing his head in deference. Lusam followed his example, even though he never usually greeted the High Priest so formally, and suddenly wondered if he should start doing so.
“I have to say, you are looking much better than the last time I saw you Lusam. Did you manage to find a solution to your… problem, in the library?” the High Priest asked cautiously.
“No, I didn’t unfortunately, but I’m glad to say the problem seems to have resolved itself. Or at least I hope it has. I’d like to thank you though, for allowing me to use the library. It was very kind of you, thank you.”
“You are most welcome, Lusam. But I sense you have not come all this way to simply thank me for allowing you access to our library. Is there something else that you wish to discuss with me?”
“Actually, yes, there is. It concerns the question you asked me the last time we were in your office,” Lusam replied cryptically, hoping that the High Priest would remember that he’d asked Lusam if he intended to try and rescue his mother from Thule.
“I see,” the High Priest said nodding his head slowly. “Then may I suggest we retire to the inner sanctum to discuss the matter further. I would be grateful if you would join us too, Renn. I have a feeling that what we must discuss will also involve you.”
“Your Grace, if I may, I must beg your leave and go find acolyte Benson. I have a very large order from the paladin quartermaster that I need to discuss with him before he leaves the High Temple this evening,” Renn replied bowing his head.
“Rest assured, Renn, I will ensure that brother Benson remains within the High Temple walls until after our discussion with Lusam is concluded. Then you may seek him out and conduct whatever business you need to undertake on behalf of the paladin quartermaster with him,” the High Priest replied, leaving Renn in no doubt whatsoever that his presence was required during the meeting.
“Of course, Your Grace,” Renn replied, bowing his head once more.
“Please excuse me for a moment, gentlemen,” the High Priest said, as he went to intercept a passing acolyte. After a brief discussion with the acolyte, the High Priest returned to where Lusam and Renn were standing. “Brother Benson will be waiting for you in the attaché office once we are done, Renn.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Renn replied.
“Now gentlemen, if you would so kind as to follow me,” the High Priest said, turning, and leading the way towards the inner sanctum.
Lusam knew that the inner sanctum was the most sacred part of the High Temple, and that only the High Priest and his most senior members of the priesthood were usually allowed to enter it. He also knew that whatever was discussed within the inner sanctum, could not possibly be overheard by anyone outside of it, due to its unique combination of magical protections and blessings from Aysha herself.
Lusam had discussed many things with the High Priest in the inner sanctum during the relatively short time he had been in Lamuria, mostly concerning the complex politics of Afaraon society, which Lusam had known absolutely nothing about when he had first arrived. If it had not been for the High Priest privately schooling him in such things, he h
ad no doubt that his current situation would have been far worse than it was now.
When they arrived outside the inner sanctum, the High Priest produced a large iron key and placed it in the lock of the heavy dark oak door. The lock made a resounding click, and the door creaked open to reveal the now familiar sight to Lusam. Although Lusam had been there many times before, he could never get used to the sparseness of the room. There were absolutely no ostentatious furnishings whatsoever. Instead, apart from the large bookcase and portraits which hung on the walls, only a simple writing desk and several basic chairs occupied the entire room. Not even a carpet or rug covered the cold flagstone floor, and rarely had he ever seen a fire burning within the plain looking stone fireplace. In fact, the only thing of note within the whole room, was the beautifully crafted stained glass window which depicted various images of the world’s creation in exquisite detail.
The High Priest took his usual seat behind the desk and indicated that Lusam and Renn should also sit opposite him. Then he gave them a moment longer to settle down before he spoke.
“So, I presume you wish to discuss matters regarding the rescue of your mother?” the High Priest enquired.
“In a way, yes. Renn has already pointed out to me the reasons why he thinks the King would never allow me to leave Lamuria and attempt to rescue her. If he’s right, that would also mean the King never intended to grant me the use of one of his ships. Something I think you already suspected when we last spoke in your office, but didn’t tell me,” Lusam said. The High Priest nodded his head slightly to Lusam’s words, but thought for a few moments before answering him.
