by Dean Cadman
Chapter Fourteen
Lusam soon found himself back inside the Guardian book room in Lamuria. He collected his library books from the floor, took a deep breath, and activated the door opening mechanism using his magic. As soon as the door was open enough to slip through, he entered the long corridor outside and immediately set the door to closing again. As he had done every day, he checked for any signs of the King’s spies, but found none. If they had ever managed to follow him so deep into the High Temple, they had done a good job of staying hidden.
As Lusam entered the High Temple library, he was met by a young acolyte carrying a large assortment of scrolls.
“Sir, the High Priest wishes for you to join him inside the inner sanctum,” the young acolyte said.
“Thank you. I’ll just return these books first, then I’ll go straight there,” Lusam replied, hefting up the pile of books a little.
“If sir would care to leave them on that desk, I will ensure they are returned to their proper places,” the young acolyte offered, nodding towards one of the many writing desks.
“Thank you,” Lusam replied, placing the books on the desk. He nodded to the young acolyte and set off towards the inner sanctum. No doubt the High Priest wanted to discuss the events of tomorrow with him. But he couldn’t think of anything he would like do less right now. He just wanted the whole thing to be over and done with, so he could move on with his life, and rescue his mother.
When he reached the large oak door of the inner sanctum, he took a deep breath and knocked three times. A moment later the door opened and the High Priest’s face greeted him.
“Lusam. Please, come in,” the High Priest said, opening the door fully to allow him access.
“Your Grace,” Lusam replied, bowing his head slightly. As he did so, he noticed another person in the room, and his heart fluttered nervously in his chest.
It was Renn. And he didn’t look happy.
Lusam stepped inside the room and the High Priest gently closed the door behind him. His heart began pounding in his chest in anticipation of what Renn was about to say. Renn’s words could, and would alter what he did next. But more importantly, his words would determine if he had a chance to save his mother or not.
The High Priest took his seat behind the large desk, and indicated for Lusam to take the seat opposite him. The anticipation was too much for Lusam to handle, and he found himself blurting out the question to Renn.
“Will they do it?” he asked, almost panting for breath. His heart felt like it was going to explode through his ribcage at any moment. Renn turned to face him, the grim look on his face told him it hadn’t gone as well as he’d expected.
Then he spoke. “Aye lad, they’ll take us alright. But the price and conditions they set were… extreme, to say the least.”
Lusam’s legs felt weak under him, and it was a welcome relief to sit down on the chair next to Renn. His mind raced at Renn’s words, but only part of what he’d just said caught Lusam’s attention: the Nauroe had agreed to take on the mission. Then he suddenly remembered the rest of it.
“What conditions?” Lusam asked, dreading the reply. Renn took a deep breath and sighed it back out, obviously not looking forward to delivering the news to Lusam.
“Well, there’s no way to sugar coat this for you, lad, so I’ll just come out and tell you. The Nauroe have agreed to get us to Thule, but not to actually take us there,” Renn said, holding up his hand for Lusam to remain silent so he could explain. “They will take us to their floating city, but not all the way to Thule. They have agreed to sell us a boat capable of reaching Thule, but they are not willing to sail it there. They believe your mission is doomed to failure, and therefore will not risk a single man or vessel on it. But more importantly, they believe that Lord Zelroth will hold them personally responsible for the attack, and they’re probably right.”
“Lord Zelroth won’t be holding anyone responsible for anything, because he’ll be dead,” Lusam said vehemently. Renn nodded slowly to Lusam’s words, obviously not wanting to rile his mood any further.
“That may be so, lad. But the Nauroe believe differently I’m afraid, and no matter what I said, I couldn’t convince them otherwise. Believe me, I tried, lad. The problem is, because they believe Lord Zelroth will seek revenge on them, the price they have requested is nothing short of extortionate.”
Lusam’s heart began to hammer in his chest once more. He barely dared ask how much the Nauroe wanted for the mission, but he knew that he must.
“How much?” he asked, looking at Renn’s troubled face. Renn seemed to look at him for an eternity before answering. Almost as if he was scared to end his dream of rescuing his mother. He watched the resignation flood Renn’s face, as he closed his eyes and finally replied.
“They are asking for three hundred and fifty gold, plus an additional one hundred and fifty for the purchase of the boat. Five hundred gold in total. I’m sorry, lad.” The High Priest gasped at the outrageous figure, but Lusam simply smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief.
He had enough gold, and could now finally rescue his mother.
“Okay,” Lusam said, breaking the brief silence.
“Okay what?” Renn asked confused.
“Okay, I’ll pay the five hundred gold. When do we go?” Lusam said smiling at Renn. Renn looked shocked, and glanced at the High Priest for an explanation, but he simply shrugged his shoulder, equally confused by Lusam’s statement.
“Are you saying that you actually have five hundred gold, lad?” Renn asked, obviously amazed even by the possibility.
“Yeah, I do,” Lusam replied, grinning widely at the look on Renn’s face. “So when do we go then?” he repeated.
“To be honest, lad, I never expected you to have anywhere near enough money. So I haven’t made any firm plans yet. My contact in the Nauroe will be waiting for us whenever we get there, so we don’t have any time restraints on that side of things,” Renn replied.
“Good. We go tomorrow night then. After the statue unveiling ceremony, as soon as it gets dark,” Lusam said confidently, then he faltered a little. “Wait a minute. Who is going to sail the boat?”
“I was thinking about that on the trip back to Lamuria, and I’m glad to say it was one of the easier problems to solve. I don’t know how much Neala has told you about my mission to Prystone, but several of the people we rescued there were fishermen. They’d been out at sea when their homes and families were destroyed. One man in particular that I came to respect, was a man named Durlan. He was responsible for brokering the deal we now have with the coastal town elders. A deal that will see a small but steady supply of new trainee magi for the High Temple.
“Anyway, he lost everything to those Empire magi, his family, his home, and even his livelihood. I don’t think it would take much to convince him to sail that boat for us, lad. Especially not when he discovers your intentions regarding Lord Zelroth.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. Tomorrow night it is,” Lusam said, feeling more positive than he had in days.
They continued to discuss the finer details of their plan for another two hours or so. And those plans also included what Lusam would be expected to say and do at the statue unveiling ceremony tomorrow. Having already attended the grand banquet in his honour, he wasn’t surprised to learn that he would be expected to make yet another speech at the statue unveiling ceremony. What did surprise him, however, was the length of the speech that the High Priest handed him: it was huge. He had read entire books with fewer pages than the speech contained.
The speech was mainly comprised of the usual thanks and praise associated with such things, but several of the other subjects confused Lusam somewhat. There were strange references to his continued commitment for the protection of Lamuria, and Afaraon as a whole. And promises that he would always remain visible within Lamuria while he was able to fulfil those commitments. As well as several other references to the importance of friends and family over all else. Lusam felt str
angely guilty about reading out a speech that promised he would stay in Lamuria, when he knew full well that he wouldn’t.
The High Priest assured him that key elements of the speech were intended to reduce many of the options available to the King. He would be declaring his intentions to protect Lamuria, only if he was there and visible to the general population. And only if it didn’t conflict with the protection of his own friends or family. In other words, if he vanished suddenly, or he felt that his friends or family were in any kind of danger, the deal was off, and the King would have to deal with the consequences.
Lusam wasn’t sure that threatening the King, even indirectly, was the right thing to do. But he also knew that the High Priest was far more adept at playing the political games of Lamuria, than he would ever be. So he accepted the speech with thanks, and bid them both goodnight, leaving Renn and the High Priest to discuss other High Temple business.
As Lusam entered the main chamber of the High Temple, he suddenly stopped mid-stride. Where there had been a gap that morning, now stood a covered statue of himself. He stared at the huge hidden stone figure, wondering if it was a true likeness of him or not. He hoped not. Then he might eventually be able to lead a normal life, unrecognised by everyone who passed him by. Realising that was probably too much to hope for, he shook his head slightly, and continued on his way to the barracks. Tomorrow he would set off to rescue his mother, and all this would soon be behind him.
***
When Lusam had returned to the barracks the previous night, Neala had not been there. At first he had been panic stricken by her absence. He thought the King had actually abducted her, and planned to try and use her against him, just as the High Priest had predicted he might. But a few minutes later, he had heard scuffles coming from inside one of the back rooms, and after slipping into his mage-sight, he had been incredibly relieved to see Neala climbing in through one of the rear windows.
It turned out that Neala had been to visit her new friend—the Hedgewitch—for a potent sleeping powder. She explained her plans to Lusam, of how she intended to drug the King’s spies’ food, and render them unconscious while they quietly slipped away from the city. A plan he entirely supported.
Lusam spent well over an hour reporting everything Renn had said, as well as explaining what their plans for leaving the city would be for the following night. He had expected Neala to be a little apprehensive at the thought of going to Thule, but she seemed almost enthusiastic about leaving Lamuria as he was. He suspected it had a lot to do with the fact that the King’s spies were constantly outside, attempting to watch her every move. But whatever the reason, he was glad to have her so positive about the trip.
***
The day of the statue unveiling ceremony finally arrived. It had been an incredibly long twelve days for Lusam, and only Renn’s recent news had managed to lift his spirits much lately. It seemed like his mind had been tortured on a daily basis with thoughts of his mother, and what she must be enduring at the hands of Lord Zelroth. But now he knew that he would soon be able to do something about it. All he had to do, was wait until it got dark outside, then he would finally be on his way to rescue her.
The unveiling ceremony was scheduled for midday, so after eating breakfast, Lusam and Neala returned to the barracks to relax for a while before it commenced. As they approached the barracks, they saw a tall man standing outside with two parcels in his arms, knocking at their door.
“Can I help you with something?” Lusam asked as he drew closer.
“Ah, yes sir. It is the King’s wish that you both should wear these new garments for the ceremony today,” the man said, handing Lusam the two packages of clothes. “If sir desires, I may return later to assist you in dressing?”
“No. No, that won’t be necessary. Thank you,” Lusam replied, maybe a little too forcefully. The man raised a single eyebrow at Lusam’s blunt reply.
“Very well, sir,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “And madam? Would she like me to arrange a lady’s maid for her?”
Neala shook her head and politely declined his offer, “No, I will manage just fine, thank you.”
“As you wish,” the man replied, bowing his head once more. Then without another word, he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Lusam holding the packages of clothes. Neala noticed that the top one had her name on it, and quickly retrieved it from Lusam’s arms. She was actually quite excited at what might be inside, unlike Lusam.
“I don’t know if I even dare open it, after last time,” Lusam said quietly to himself, staring at the brown paper package in his hands. Neala overheard him and burst out laughing. She remembered quite clearly how ridiculous he’d looked at the grand banquet, wearing his peach coloured suit with its knee-length trousers and long white stockings. She hadn’t said so, but she had often found it amusing to think about it since.
When she finally stopped chuckling at the image in her mind, she managed to straighten her face and say, “Well, if you don’t like what’s in the package, you could always wear the one from the grand banquet.” She almost cried with laughter at the look on his face, and all but fell through the door when she opened it. Lusam, however, didn’t seem to find it at all amusing.
He sat on the bed and stared at the package for a long time before plucking up enough courage to open it. When he did, what he found was a massive improvement over the last outfit he had been forced to wear. This one was a dark blue colour, instead of the feminine soft peach of the last one. It comprised of a white silk shirt, dark blue jacket and full length trousers. There was also a matching dark blue cravat and cummerbund, plus a pair of shoes which looked like they might actually be possible to walk in, unlike the last pair.
“Not bad,” Neala said, looking over his shoulder at the clothes laid out on the bed. Lusam turned around to agree with her, and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.
Neala was wearing the most beautiful short sleeved, ankle length dress made from the finest red silk. It hugged her perfect figure almost like a second skin. Her golden hair, loose of its usual bindings, flowed freely over her shoulder and down her back. And when she smiled at him, his world instantly brightened. She looked absolutely incredible. He couldn’t help himself, as he stepped forward and pulled her close for a passionate kiss. The soft silk slid over her smooth skin as he caressed her body. Both slightly breathless, she pulled away from his tight embrace and held him at arm’s length. She smiled at him with that twinkle in her eye she always had at times like this, then said, “Easy tiger. I wouldn’t want you spoiling my new dress. Besides, shouldn’t you be trying on your own clothes to see if they fit?”
“We have plenty of time left for that,” Lusam replied grinning, as she walked away from him swinging her hips hypnotically as she went.
She reached the doorway and looked back over her shoulder at him, winked, then said, “I’m sure we do. But we’ll have far more time to fill after the ceremony is over.” Then with a smile, she disappeared from view, leaving Lusam with nothing more than her stunning image and her seductive words in his mind. He sighed loudly, then fell backwards onto the bed with his eyes tightly closed, hoping to hold on to that image for just a moment longer.
It seemed that the tailors must have kept a record of his measurements, judging by the almost perfect fit of the new garments. He had to admit feeling very relieved when he realised they did fit, knowing that he wouldn’t have to wear the previous set of clothes instead. The shoes nipped a little at his toes, but they were still a marked improvement over the old ones. At least he could walk in the new ones without tripping over his own feet.
It was less than an hour before the start of the ceremony when a knock came at their door. Lusam went to answer it, and was greeted by a King’s guard in full dress uniform. Sensing movement outside, he poked his head out through the doorway and saw at least ten other guards, all dressed exactly the same as the one standing in front of him.
“Sir, we are to accompany you to the H
igh Temple,” the guard reported. Lusam was about to reply when Neala startled him slightly by placing her hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t heard her walking up behind him, and when he turned to face her, she took his breath away. She looked even more beautiful than she had done earlier. Her lips had been painted red to match her dress, and her hair had been arranged in an ornate braid that tamed her fringe, but left the length of her hair free to flow across her neck and shoulders.
“You look amazing!” he gasped, completely forgetting about the guards outside the door.
“You don’t look too shabby yourself,” she replied, grinning at him, then taking hold of his hand. As they walked through the doorway and into the street outside, Lusam knew it wasn’t only his eyes that were fixed on Neala. He might have felt more than a twinge of jealously, if he hadn’t been filled with so much pride instead.
The statue unveiling ceremony passed without much of a hitch. The crowds seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing Lusam unveil his own likeness in stone; and a good likeness it was too. The attention to detail was quite staggering. Even every hair of his head seemed to have been intricately carved into the huge block of stone. The pose they had chosen for him, was one of him looking off into the distance, chin held high, and a look of deep concentration etched onto his face. One which bordered on the edge of looking stern, Lusam thought. Apparently it was to represent him looking out over the city walls at the invading Empire army. Lusam thought it just made him look as if he was lost, but he didn’t say as much.
He had no idea how the sculptor had managed to create such a good likeness of him. Not until someone informed him that the King had employed an artist to sketch him constantly during the grand banquet, and those images had then been used to create his statue. He supposed it made sense when he thought about it. After all, he had never sat for any sculptor to take his likeness, so how else could they have known what he looked like?
