by Des Pensable
‘Are you aware that the Princess Miranda passed through the gateway bound and hooded some hours ago led by an Elendari hunter?’
‘What!’ exclaimed Aquitain. ‘Are you sure? She was supposed to be visiting the Wolf people’s village.’
‘There is no doubt. I have known her scent for years as I have watched her grow from a small child to the confident woman she is today. I would have intervened and asked the hunter why she was wounded and bound but I feared that I might ruin one of her schemes to pass through the gateway. She must have smelt Crin nearby but didn’t utter a word.’
‘Damn.’ thought Aquitain. ‘It looks like someone wants me in Moonmist urgently. I better get a move on.’
So he glanced to see if any members of the Elendari escort were visible at the keep entrance but they weren’t.
‘I need to go to Moonmist.’ he said to Featherdown. ‘Can you give me a gate pass?’
‘I wouldn’t advise going there.’ replied Featherdown.
‘It’s not a nice place. It’s dark all the time. They don’t seem to have a sun like us, only a faint moon. Everything you eat there is toxic and will drain your memory. Time is different too. One day there is roughly equal to five here.’
‘Miranda has been taken there against her will I think.’ said Aquitain.
‘By the Powers, you’ve corrupted her. She used to be such a nice young girl. Since she met you she can’t keep out of trouble! You better go and save your chosen I suppose. I’ll give you a gate pass. You’ll also need a magic item as toll and be careful of the gatekeeper she can be a problem. If you have trouble with her change to your Llanllean form that should help.’
Aquitain wasn’t quite sure whether Featherdown was joking or not so he let it pass.
Quab finished healing the Crin and came over to them.
‘We had better get moving or the real High Druid might appear.’
‘Hello Aquitain I’m glad to see you alive and well. Congratulations on your betrothal. Please tell Miranda that I’m really sorry and deeply embarrassed that I lost faith in her. After Featherdown told me what had really happened, I felt so stupid. It won’t happen again. You both have my absolute trust. Take care. May The Lady be with you.’
‘Thank you Quab, I’ll tell her when I find her.’ replied Aquitain.
‘What do you mean when you find her?’ asked Quab a little alarmed as Featherdown handed Aquitain a hastily written gate pass.
‘This should get you through the guards at this end. The other end is your problem but I’m sure that you’ll find a way.’ he said with a little sarcasm.
‘Before I go something strange happened during the fight. Perhaps you can explain it.’ queried Aquitain and he told them about being attacked by the winged creature wearing golden armour with the big sword. He told them that he had stunned it with a mental attack and it had evaporated.
‘You must have a hidden guardian.’ replied Featherdown.
‘The golden creature you have described is likely to be a holy avenger, a sort of holy assassin employed by the gods. They usually attack under the cloak of invisibility or darkness. The priest probably prayed to his god to send it. You were extremely lucky that your attack immobilized it and it decided to leave.’
‘What would happen if I killed it?’ asked Aquitain curiously.
‘I would be surprised if you could kill it but if you did I would imagine that it would simply be resurrected by its god. However, you would undoubtedly attract the interest of the god that sent it.
‘That’s what I thought might happen.’ muttered Aquitain a little worried.
‘Thank you Featherdown I need to go and find Miranda.’
Aquitain waved them goodbye and ran off towards the gate. The live Crin had formed groups and were carrying their dead. One group after the other teleported away and by the time Aquitain entered the keep the battleground was empty except for the small pools and splashes of congealed blood on the ground rapidly drying in the hot sun.
‘Thank you for saving my life.’ he said using mindspeak to his hidden guardian but got no answer. He would have liked to be able to sit back and contemplate what had happened but there was no time. He now knew he had a hidden guardian. He was quite pleased in some ways. He wasn’t alone anymore.
‘Do you think the death of that holy avenger thing will attract the attention of the Powers.’ he asked.
‘Without a doubt.’ replied a voice. ‘We are being tested. Avoid fighting and they will not be able to gauge our true strength. Now forget about me.’ And all thoughts of the guardian disappeared from Aquitain’s mind.
Aquitain didn’t need a pass. Most of the keep guards had watched the fight and were not prepared to challenge him in any way. They just waved him on. When he reached the gateway he read the sign and was brought back to reality. The gateway was dangerous. He would have to be very careful. He sat down in front of the gateway and meditated for a few minutes, watched by many of the guards.
Refreshed, he stood up and the officer-in-charge asked for his name.
‘I am Aquitain.’ he replied and stepped into the gateway.
‘He’s lying.’ yelled one of the guards.
‘My friend at Twin Towers was with Aquitain when he killed the thunder lizard at the temple. He was a gigantic bear. He would have killed everyone in the fight including the dragon.’
‘Well I heard someone call him Aquitain after the fight.’ stated another. ‘I think it was him.’
‘Why would he fight as a bloody weak little gnome when he could fight as a giant bear? queried another.
‘Maybe he stayed small to give the opposition a chance.’ joked someone and they all laughed.
‘I don’t know how he survived. I’m just glad I wasn’t in It.’ said one seriously.
‘Me too.’ added another and they went back to their normal duties.
Chapter 16 The Gateworld
The pathway was on relatively smooth flat rock and led off into the distance with a slight curve to the right. The way was quite dark being lit only by dim yellow magical light balls that gave out almost no light.
It was unclear whether they were dim from running out of magic or being covered with the dust of ages but it didn’t matter either way as he could see well in the dark.
He set off down the path at a steady but quick pace with the faint hope of catching up to Garrett. The silence was deafening. Each footstep, as quiet as it was from a gnome, seemed unusually loud and his heart rate increased accordingly. He was in another dimension; another world and the place was spooky. His logical mind took over. He silently mouthed a calming mantra and his heart rate returned to normal.
Why didn’t Garret and the Elendari wait in the keep? It would have been safe for them there. Maybe they decided to wait at the other side of the gateway. How was he going to explain to the Elendari Officer to take him along with Garret as Garret’s assistant now?
After a short time he reached a stone statue shaped roughly like a dragon. A magic mouth asked him to place the toll on the tray but the tray was higher than he could reach.
‘I’m not impressed by your dragon statue.’ he said aloud. ‘How do you expect me to pay the toll when the tray is so high up from the ground? Do you expect only tall people to come through here?’
Moments later the statue shrank down to a size where he could reach the tray. He removed a ring from the collection held in the small leather bag slung around his neck and placed it on the tray and watched it vanish. The stone statue resumed its original size. He waited for a minute or two to get some sort of confirmation that he could proceed but none came so he decided to continue on his way.
He had gone no more than a few paces when the lights suddenly became brighter and he saw full sized Llanllean spider approaching him slowly from twenty paces down the tunnel. He looked carefully to see whether it was an illusion. No it was real. He remembered what Featherdown had said and changed into his Llanllean shape and immediately the large Llanllean stoppe
d. It cast a dispel magic at him but he stayed the same.
The spider shrank and shape changed to the form of an elderly Elendari woman.
‘Impressive,’ she said. ‘A high caste Llanllean child that is not from any family that I know. Show me your other form.’
He changed to a purple-scaled little person. Suddenly the floor turned to quicksand and he slowly sank down to his neck then it went solid again. She stood watching him expectantly so he changed to his Logicon form slithered out of the hole and reformed as a gnome.
‘Why do you take gnome form when you know I am a Llanllean? Aren’t you afraid of insulting me?’
‘No. It’s easier to talk in gnome form as I don’t know the Llanllean language.’ he replied.
‘So you admit you’re not a Llanllean.’ she stated.
‘I died recently and was reincarnated as a Llanllean. So I know little about them. One of my reasons for traveling to Moonmist is to find out more about them so that I will know more about myself.’
‘Do you know that there is a divine rule that states that you can only be reincarnated as a creature that lives in the world in which you died? There are no Llanlleans on Mudrun.’ replied the woman. ‘That suggests you are lying.’
Aquitain thought carefully for a few moments then replied
‘Not necessarily. There are at least three other possibilities.’
‘Firstly, I was dead when I was reincarnated. I didn’t pay much attention to how it was done. All I know is the result. Secondly, Mudrun is a very large place connected by a gateway to Moonmist where Llanlleans do live. It is conceivable that another Llanllean perhaps disguised in some way was on Mudrun. Thirdly, if The Lady made the rules perhaps she could also break them.’
The woman considered his response for half a minute then asked.
‘What is your name shape changer?’
‘I am Aquitain.’
‘Really! That is a very unusual name. Who gave it to you?’
Aquitain was suddenly concerned. She was too interested in him.
‘I chose it. It sounded interesting.’ He replied and immediately constructed a Tower of Will just before the domination attack hit. It was the most powerful attack he had ever weathered but his Tower held.’
‘Impressive.’ said the woman. ‘A shape shifting wizard or should I say mind wizard and an Agent of Chaos I’ve been told.’
‘One of the terms of my treaty with both Mudrun and Moonmist is to not allow dangerous persons to enter those worlds through my gateway.’
‘Now if I send you either way I will be breaking my treaty.’
‘You know my name. May I know yours?’ asked Aquitain respectfully.
‘I am Llanlorian, gatekeeper of Astaria.’
‘Well Llanlorian, I don’t think I’m an Agent of Chaos.’ replied Aquitain.
‘I don’t knowingly do anything to cause chaos any more than anyone else. There is a local prophesy on Mudrun of a Time of Chaos. There seems to be many things happening to convince me that that time has come and I am somehow involved. I am not yet convinced.’
‘I have heard that there are some strange events happening on Moonmist. I seek to go there to investigate these and determine for myself whether the Time of Chaos is really at hand or it is all a grand deception.’
‘And what will you do when you learn the truth?’ asked Llanlorian curiously.
‘Learning the truth is the difficult part. I suspect that when I learn the truth I will know what to do.’ replied Aquitain.
‘Very interesting!’ said Llanlorian. ‘Let me invite you for dinner and you can tell me more.’
‘Thank you very much but I would prefer to continue on my way.’ replied Aquitain quickly.
‘Ah but that would be pointless. You see the gateway at both ends has just closed. You might as well stay with me until it opens again.’
‘You’re the gatekeeper, can’t you open them.’ asked Aquitain.
‘Curiously, sometimes I can’t. A long ago someone sabotaged the mechanism. It doesn’t always work properly and I’ve never been able to fix it.’
‘In that case I’d love to stay for dinner.’ replied Aquitain not believing her but at least he might have a meal before she locked him up.
She offered him her hand and they teleported.
They arrived in a large room about fifteen paces long and seven wide that looked remarkably similar to the room in which he has stayed at Snowbelle’s place. It was lit by yellow magic globes and had tapestries of various ancient battles on the walls. At one end of the room there was a large dining table cluttered with all sorts of odds and ends and a few chairs. At the opposite end there was a large bookcase containing hundreds of books and a stack of scrolls.
In the centre of one of the longer walls was a magic log fire, which gave off no smoke. Facing the log fire was a large lounge long enough to seat half a dozen people and on the lounge was a small grey and black striped cat.
‘I knew you were a mind wizard when you stepping into the gateway as I can see every traveller’s spirit aura. You may think that it is unusual but you must understand this is my domain. Nothing happens here, unless I will it to. As it turns out, it has been rather quiet here lately, so I have decided that you will be my guest for a while. After dinner, I will hear your story. What sort of food would you like?’
‘Newman food on a plate would be lovely.’ replied Aquitain.
Llanlorian looked at the table that was empty and a moment later it was covered in dishes of food of all types. There were steaming bowls of soup, large platters stacked with hot roasted meats of several varieties. Steam rose off ceramic bowls stacked with tubers. There were cooked and uncooked fresh leafy vegetables and fruits of all seasons. On one end of the table there were several bottles of fine wine, wine glasses, bowls, plates and golden cutlery.
‘Help yourself.’ she said.
Aquitain in gnome form walked over to the table thoroughly believing that it had to be the best illusion he had ever seen until he discovered that it was real. He took a gold plate and greedily filled it with bits of everything. Then sat down and ate. It was scrumptious, delicious and every other superlative that he could think of, truly a banquet for a king.
After stuffing himself with hot food he went back for the fruits and sweet dishes interspersed with a couple of glasses of a beautiful fruity and fragrant wine.
‘You have a mighty impressive kitchen.’ he said feeling a bit bloated.
‘It comes with the job.’ she replied with a smile.
‘Now you will sit down here with me and you will be judged.’
‘Er … what do you mean?’ asked Aquitain feeling a little apprehensive.
‘You will tell us your story. From as early as you can remember until now. Astaria will listen and you will be judged. If you are found guilty of being an Agent of Chaos you will be destroyed. If you are innocent you will be allowed to enter Moonmist or to return to Mudrun which ever you choose.’
‘To ensure that you tell the truth I will wear an item which will detect lies.’ And she attached a Third Eye of Truth to her forehead.
‘You may begin.’ she said.
Aquitain thought for a few moments chanted a mantra of calming then started from the beginning. His job as he saw it was to convince Llanlorian that he didn’t believe that he was an Agent of Chaos nor was the Time of Chaos immanent. He was going to try his best to make a believable case for his own survival. He had no illusions about someone coming and saving him. He had to save himself.
He started with his earliest memories and over the next several hours gave a succinct outline of his life. He used every bit of guile and cunning and every trick his Grandfather had taught him to present a credible case in his own defence. He even convinced himself that he was not an Agent of Chaos.
He did however fail to mention any instances, which might have incriminated his family in doubtful practices. He also thanked his grandfather for teaching him to actively forget most of the incrimin
ating evidence, which might otherwise have sealed his fate.
After he had finished Llanlorian invited him the have another meal then she asked searching questions for another two hours. She was particularly interested in his knowledge of magic theory and how and why magic essence interacted with materials like crystals.
He didn’t understand how that could be relevant to him being an Agent of Chaos and began to get the feeling that Llanlorian had a hidden agenda. His best guess was the she wanted him to do something for her and was testing his knowledge to see if he might be able to do it.
The cat sitting on Llanlorian’s lap during the story climbed off, stretched, walked across the lounge and sat on his lap and preened itself. He patted it gently and he felt a little less anxious. Llanlorian’s eyes glazed over and she fell in some sort of trance.
He momentarily felt that this was his chance to escape but where could he run in this world totally controlled by the person sitting close to him. Perhaps he could dominate her while she was not in full control of her mind but then perhaps it was a trick to get him to act. In the end he just waited to see what would happen.
After an hour no decision had been made so he went and helped himself to more food and wine then returned to the lounge with some food for the cat. The cat sat on his lap again and went to sleep. After another few minutes Aquitain became bored and drowsy from the food and wine and fell asleep as well and began to dream.
He saw himself as a brown scaled little person standing in a circular room made of rock perhaps 20 paces in diameter; beside him stood a female brown scaled little person with jet black eyes.
‘Who are you?’ he asked.
‘You know me but you have never met me. I am your guardian. My name is Terrin. I have been with you all of your life. I am a servant of your father who is currently based here on Astaria. This can be your home if you wish it to be and nothing would please him more.’ she said in a voice that Aquitain immediately recognized.
