“It is possible that rescuing them could avert the coming war,” answered Garth. “If there is any chance of avoiding such massive bloodshed, I must take it.”
Chapter 36
Prince Samuel
Wylan sat on a rock in the forest just out of sight of the monastery. He made a point to leave the building two or three times a day to safely talk with Twerp. The fairy had been indispensable in gathering information and recording secret conversations, and that knowledge allowed Wylan to cause Samuel to question his allegiance to the brotherhood, but so far the prince’s doubt had not been strong enough to break away from the others. Wylan sighed as he realized that he was running out of time. Any day now, Brother Nicholas might return.
“The prince is coming,” Twerp said as he swooped down and landed on Wylan’s shoulder.
“Is he alone?”
“Yes.”
“Patrol the area. Let me know if anyone else comes this way.”
The fairy leaped off Wylan’s shoulder and disappeared among the trees. A few minutes later, the Knight of Alcea heard the approaching footsteps.
“I thought I would find you out here,” Brother Samuel said in greeting. “May I join you?”
“That would please me,” smiled Wylan. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Thinking about me?” the monk asked as he sat down next to Wylan. “I am hardly worth thinking about. You should be praying and demanding that the gods repent.”
“Every man is worth thinking about,” replied Wylan. “How long have you been a member of the brotherhood?”
“Eight years,” answered the monk.
“So you have spent almost half of your life following Brother Nicholas. Have you managed to impress the gods yet with your calls for justice?”
Brother Samuel frowned. “Why do you ask questions when you know the answers?”
“To make you see the truth. You are an intelligent person, Samuel, yet you are far blinder than I. You stand in a dark tunnel, and you can see light ahead of you. You trudge towards it, believing that it is the only path to exit the tunnel, but you are wrong. Turn around, my friend. There is another exit, but you have been steadfastly ignoring it.”
Samuel’s frown deepened and he shook his head in confusion. “You appear angry with me today. What difference does it make which exit I use from this tunnel?”
“Because one exit leads to life, and the other leads to death. You are on a path to oblivion, Samuel. I am trying to lead you in the right direction, but my words are falling on deaf ears, and I am almost out of time.”
Brother Samuel rose to his feet. “You are much too angry today. I think you need time alone to meditate. I will return to the monastery.”
“No, Prince Samuel,” scowled Wylan. “You will stay and listen to me.”
The monk’s jaw dropped, and he stared at the blind man with a look of horror. “You know who I am?”
“It is because I know who you are that I am here. Sit down.”
“How did you know?” the prince asked nervously.
“I learned of your location by way of the Creator. Sit down. I am not here to harm you.”
Prince Samuel’s horror gave way to curiosity, and he sat down on the rock. “Why are you here then?”
“To educate you. The gods have not forsaken Spino. You were born in the year of the Collapse. An evil magician named Sarac caused the Collapse of the Universes, not the gods. When the Universes combined, a desert that existed in another Universe covered Sirocca. The Darkness that blotted out the sun and the stars was also caused by Sarac.”
“These are fairy tales,” interrupted Samuel. “There is nothing recorded in history that validates such tales.”
“But there is,” retorted Wylan, “and I can prove it all to you, but let me finish first. There was an ancient prophecy that foretold of the Collapse, and that prophecy foretold the rise of a boy king who, with the help of others, would slay the evil sorcerer and restore the world. Do you remember a few years ago when the sun and the stars returned to the sky?”
“I remember that day clearly,” answered Samuel. “Brother Nicholas said that we were finally getting through to the gods.”
“Hogwash. That boy king accomplished the clearing of the skies, and he did it in seven stages. Each time he restored a gem to the Sword of Heavens, another portion of the Darkness rolled away until all the skies were clear. I should know because I stood by King Arik’s side when he did it.”
“King Arik?” frowned the monk. “Who is he?”
“King Arik is the King of Alcea.”
Samuel leaped to his feet again. He nervously backed away from Wylan. “You are Alcean?” he gasped.
“I am,” admitted Wylan. “Does that scare you?”
“Yes. You are an enemy of the Federation.”
“I am indeed,” smiled Wylan. “Aren’t you?”
Samuel frowned in confusion. He looked at the blind man smiling at him. Wylan made no move to get up from his seat, and Samuel started to wonder what he was afraid of. He could easily run back to the monastery before Wylan could do anything to stop him. As his limbs stopped shaking, the monk stared at the blind man curiously again.
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“To help you see the truth,” answered Wylan. “I asked you a few days ago what you would do if you had the ability to help the people of Spino. You said that you would feed them, clothe them, and heal them. I want to give you that opportunity to make the world a better place.”
“I cannot do any of those things. I am no longer the heir to the throne. You should already know that.”
“I was informed of that, but it doesn’t matter. If you had the opportunity to do those things for your people, would you truly do them? That is the real question.”
“Of course I would,” Samuel answered without hesitation, “but that will never come to pass. Even if I was given a chance at the throne, the gods would still forsake this land.”
Wylan sighed deeply with frustration. “For eight years you have been letting Brother Nicholas do your thinking. Now, I am asking you to think for yourself. I know from our talks that you are beginning to suspect the truth about Nicholas and the Cult of Everlasting Bounty, or I would not be exposing myself to you. Take that last step, Samuel. Stand up for your people and heal your country.”
“I would like nothing better than to heal their misery, but I just cannot believe your stories. They are nothing but fairy tales.”
“Fairy tales?” echoed Wylan. “What do you know about fairies? Have you ever seen one?”
“You play word games with me,” Samuel sighed. “You know what I meant. Your stories are unbelievable. You must expect me to be rather gullible.”
Wylan extended his hand straight out before him and whistled. Twerp immediately responded by landing on Wylan’s palm.
“Is this more believable?” smiled Wylan.
Samuel’s eyes grew as large as coins as he stared at the little man. “What is it?”
“It?” scowled the fairy. “Do I call you an it?”
“His name is Twerp,” chuckled the Knight of Alcea. “He is as real as you and I. Ask him about King Arik if you still have doubts. The fairy people call King Arik the Bringer, for he fulfilled their prophecy on his way to restoring the Sword of Heavens.”
“Our sapphire was the first gem restored to the Sword of Heavens,” boasted Twerp. “We were the Bringer’s first allies.”
Samuel could not resist. He moved closer to Wylan and sat on the rock next to him. He stared at the tiny man with undisguised wonder. “I must be dreaming. This is not possible.”
“Can I pinch him?” Twerp asked excitedly.
Wylan laughed. “I do not think that will be necessary. Samuel, fairies have several unique talents. They can fly, as you just witnessed, but they can also recall their memories and display an image of them. I am going to ask Twerp to recall an image for us. It is an image of Brother Louis and Brother Nicholas
speaking privately just before Nicholas left the monastery. Twerp?”
The fairy leaped off of Wylan’s hand and hovered in front of the two men. The air shimmered beneath the fairy and an image soon formed. Samuel immediately recognized Brother Nicholas’ office, and he listened intently as the two monks discussed Wylan and his gold. When the conversation turned to Queen Samir and Samuel, the prince’s jaw tightened with anger.
“Stop! Enough!”
The vision winked out of existence.
“How do I know that this vision is real?” Prince Samuel asked, his anger quite evident.
“Twerp has been spying on everyone in the monastery,” answered Wylan. “It was the only way that I could feel safe within those walls. I can understand your suspicions regarding a conversation that you were not privy to, but Twerp can prove his abilities to you. Twerp, show us a private conversation that Samuel had with someone today.”
The fairy immediately called forth another vision. It had been a chance encounter between Brother Samuel and Brother Dominik, and the prince recognized it immediately.
“Would you care for another?” asked Twerp.
The prince shook his head and turned to stare at Wylan. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“Three things,” answered Wylan. “I want you to keep all of this secret from the monks here. I want you to voluntarily leave this monastery and come with me, and later, I want you to lead the people of Spino in the manner that you said you would.”
“I will keep your secret,” promised the monk. “As for leaving the monastery, I doubt that Brother Nicholas will allow that.”
“What Brother Nicholas wants is of no concern to me,” replied Wylan as he flipped the fairy into the air so that Twerp could return to his patrol. “Will you come with me of your own free will?”
“Where will you take me?”
“Someplace where you will be safe. I can say no more at this time.”
“You do not trust me?” frowned the prince.
“I believe that you will keep a secret if you have pledged to do so, but if you choose not to come with me, Brother Nicholas will get the information out of you. I cannot afford to have such knowledge in the hands of my enemies.”
“So you do not think of me as an enemy?”
“No, I don’t. I think of you as a victim of wicked people who have used you to enrich themselves. I have, however, met men like Brother Nicholas before. I fully understand what they are capable of. Should you choose not to leave the monastery, I will simply go on my way. Brother Nicholas will never be the wiser that we shared secrets with one another, and you will remain safe, at least as safe as you would have been before I arrived here.”
“Which doesn’t exactly sound safe anymore,” frowned the prince. “I cannot believe that I have been so foolish. I am willing to leave the monastery, but I must be honest with you. If Queen Samir finds out about my leaving, she will spare no expense in having me hunted down.”
“You will be far beyond her reach,” promised the Knight of Alcea. “Does this mean that you will leave with me?”
“No,” Samuel shook his head. “I said that I am willing to leave, but I cannot fulfill your third request. I am no longer in the line of succession. I will never get the chance to do anything for the people of Spino.”
“You will get your chance,” Wylan smiled. “You merely have to accept my offer.”
“I do not know why,” Samuel replied nervously, “but I believe you. I will go with you, and I recommend leaving immediately. Once Brother Nicholas returns, he will do everything he can to stop me from leaving.”
“We must wait for him to return,” stated Wylan. “It is important that he knows that you are with me. You must trust me on this, but you will truly understand what Brother Nicholas is made of when it comes time to leave.”
* * * *
Wylan was in the dining room having the evening meal when Brother Louis approached him. The Knight of Alcea knew what was coming next because Twerp had already reported the return of Brother Nicholas.
“Brother Wylan,” smiled Brother Louis, “Brother Nicolas has asked to speak with you in his office.”
Wylan nodded and pushed his plate away. He rose slowly and turned, catching a glimpse of Brother Samuel on the far side of the room. Using his staff to test the ground before him, he made his way to the office of the head monk. Brother Louis followed him and opened the door to let him into the office. Louis followed him into the office and closed the door. As Wylan crossed the room, he let his staff slip from his hand. He quickly bent over to pick it up, letting Twerp escape from his pocket. The fairy hid under a nearby chair, waiting for a chance to hide under the door.
“Welcome back, Brother Nicholas,” Wylan said with cheery smile. “I trust your journey was a pleasant one.”
“It was not pleasant, Brother Wylan, but a monk’s life is never meant to be easy. Brother Louis, pull the chair up for Wylan.”
“That is not necessary,” Wylan said quickly. “I have been sitting far too much lately. It feels good to stand. In fact, I am thinking that it is time for me to be moving on. I am grateful for the hospitality your order has shown me, but I yearn to be under the stars once again.”
Brother Nicholas frowned at Brother Louis, but his words were directed at Wylan. “I am disappointed that our order has not been deemed worthy by you. I called you in here to offer you a chance to formally join the Cult of Everlasting Bounty.”
“That is an honor that I am not worthy of,” Wylan smiled thinly.
Twerp saw his chance as the two monks exchanged worried looks. He darted towards the door and slid under it, flattening his body so he could continue to listen to the conversation.
“I would not be upholding my commitment to the people if I let a blind man stumble about the Bloodwood by himself,” stated Brother Nicholas. “Especially in the winter. Surely you will stay until spring at least?”
“The monastery depresses me,” said Wylan, “but your concern is appreciated. Perhaps you would be kind enough to offer one of your monks as a temporary traveling companion for me?”
“That is out of the question,” Brother Nicholas replied without hesitation.
“I would be willing to pay for the services,” offered the Knight of Alcea. “I am sure that the monastery would make good use of the gold, so your monk would be performing a great service to the order by accompanying me.”
The mention of gold caused Nicholas’ eyes to brighten. “How much gold are we talking about?”
“I receive an allowance of fifty gold a month,” replied Wylan. “I would be willing to assign those monthly payments to the monastery for as long as the monk travels with me.”
Brother Nicholas smiled as he saw a way to get Wylan’s gold without having to suffer another body in the monastery. It was the very gold he had been after in the first place. “Which monk did you have in mind?”
“It hardly matters,” lied Wylan, “but I would prefer chance to choice. If you are agreeable, let us agree to the first monk to enter this office.”
“I think that will be agreeable,” smiled Brother Nicholas. “How long do you think you will need the services of this companion?”
Twerp heard the agreement, and he quickly slid out from under the door and into the corridor. He shot into the air and soared near the dim ceiling as he maneuvered the corridors to the library. He shot down and landed on Samuel’s shoulder.
“It is time for you to go to the office,” whispered the fairy. “Do not dally or someone else might get there first.”
Brother Samuel quickly rose and headed for the office. Twerp shot on ahead to use a sleep spell on anyone else heading towards the office, but it was not necessary. Brother Samuel arrived and knocked on the door. The voice of Brother Nicholas gave permission to enter, and Samuel opened the door and walked into the room.
“Welcome back, Brother Nicholas,” Samuel said pleasantly. “I wanted to ask something, but I can see that I am interruptin
g. I will return another time.”
“Good,” snapped Brother Nicholas as he cast a wary glance at Brother Louis.
“Brother Samuel?” called Wylan. “Is that you?”
“It is, Brother Wylan,” Samuel answered innocently. “Is there something you need?”
“There is,” Wylan nodded. “Come in and close the door. We were just talking about you.”
“We were not talking about Brother Samuel,” scowled Brother Nicholas as Samuel entered the room and closed the door behind him. “He is not to be the one. Leave us, Brother Samuel.”
“If he leaves,” Wylan warned angrily, “it would leave me with a troubled feeling about the worth of your word, Brother Nicholas. I would have to return this pouch to my belt and leave here without an agreement.”
Brother Nicholas noticed the fat pouch in Wylan’s hand for the first time. He stared at it greedily. “What is in the pouch?”
“The monthly allowance I spoke of was meant to compensate for the personal services of the monk who would accompany me,” answered Wylan as he opened the pouch and placed five one-thousand-gold coins on the desk. “I had planned a much finer gift for the Monastery, but if you are not interested…”
“I did not say that I was not interested,” Brother Nicholas said quickly. “I was only suggesting that a more suitable companion be found for you. Brother Samuel is quite young. You deserve someone with more experience living under the stars.”
“I am a strong believer in fate,” smiled the blind man. “While almost any monk would do for a companion, it was Brother Samuel who walked through that door first. Now, I will accept no other. Either way, I am leaving immediately. Do we have a deal, Brother Nicholas?”
The head monk stared at the gold coins with desire. Brother Louis moved away from the wall he was leaning on and started inching toward the coins. Wylan moved his staff and placed one end on the desk, blocking the monk’s attempt to get close enough to grab them.
“I have excellent hearing, Brother Louis. Please do not disgrace your order.” Wylan reached with his free hand and scooped up the five coins.
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