"And who are you?" spoke Borinth.
"Oh, quite right. I apologize. I am Du'tothin Du'Montrag, Royal emissary to the High King," his confidence seemed to grow at the sound of his own name.
"And what does that mean to us?" Borinth again replied. "Correct me if I am wrong, but the King is not in the habit of employing mercenaries to do his bidding."
"Quite right you are. But as I said, these are difficult times. Times that require," he paused searching for a word, "unconventional means to reach his desired solutions."
"What is the nature of The High King’s problem that would require our typical brand of solution," he said, tiring of the round-about undertones.
It was Rony who spoke next, "Demons."
The whole room seemed to grow quite at the sound of this word. It had remained an unspoken topic since that night a little over a week ago. Borinth and Dianali knew the silence would eventually be broken, but they did not think it would be Rony who broke it. As the momentum of life hung suspended, the man across the room lifted his head and turned it to focus upon the boy.
"It appears our conversation has drawn the attention of someone outside of its parameters," said Du’tothin as they all looked in the direction of the single man. "I suggest we relocate to more inclusive surroundings."
"No, we must stay," responded Rony as if his statement was directed towards another's attention.
As a unit, all of them, except Rony whose head remained slightly declined and focused upon a point beyond the table at which he sat, turned and looked again at the single man. As they did, he slowly stood and faced them. His presence seemed to grow as did his size, which gained at least three feet in height and half as much in width. During this transformation, his clothes faded with all remnants of his humanity dissolving into a dark shadow that drank the light from around them.
Bursting in through the door were several men each with various weapons drawn and ready, but when they saw their quarry, they hesitated and looked at each other. "Attack it! Why do you think you are here?" yelled the shrill voice of Du'tothin.
The trained soldiers responded and all lunged at the shadow. The first was thrown against the wall with no visible action from the Demon whatsoever. The second met the same fate, but the remaining men were held fast, unable to move. Emanating from the Demon's outstretched hands was a fine and translucent green mist. The mist purposefully made its way to the ears, noses, and mouths of the soldiers where it visibly entered. Three of the four at the table watched the scene unfold quickly. When all of the mist had been consumed, the soldiers turned their attention from the Demon to the table.
It was Dianali who acted first and had her twin daggers drawn and flashing before the other companions could move. But Borinth was not far behind. He unslung his great sword from his back and charged at the soldiers. His huge swipes that normally would have cleaved the soldiers in two were evaded with a speed surpassing their mortality. Dianali was also having difficulty dispatching the soldiers that would have, under normal circumstances, provided little resistance. All the while neither the Demon nor Rony showed any sign of motion. As the battle raged, neither side gaining advantage, Du'tothin sought shelter underneath the table.
It was Borinth who drew first blood by hacking off the leg of one of the unfortunate attacking soldiers. Bursting from the horrific wound, and in place of the normally bright red blood, was a deluge of mist green slime. As it landed on Borinth's face, he yelled in pain as it began to burn the areas of skin it touched. "Do not let them bleed upon you. It is poison!" he shouted as he fended off three successive sword attacks. Dianali struck next and buried both of her blades deeply and simultaneously into one of the demon powered soldier’s chests, both imbedded in the heart. But because of Borinth’s warning, she was able to evade the green slime by spinning harmlessly away.
It was Rony who acted next. Standing slowly, oblivious and unaffected by the surrounding battle, he turned to face the demon. Borinth shouted between attacks, "Whatever you are going to do, do it quickly!" Again, as it happened a week ago, he smelled an awful putrescence penetrating deep into his existence. And although the stench was every bit as powerful as it had been before, he was able to set his will against it and not fall victim to its gut wrenching nausea.
"You cannot stand against us, little pup. You are yet young and possess not the strength. Feel the power of One Who Is!" the demon addressed him. Slowly seeping from his darkness progressed more of the green mist. It slithered its way toward Rony and attempted to gain entrance to him through the same openings of the soldiers, but it was dismissed harmlessly as if it had struck against an invisible shield. Rony grinned showing his teeth as he was intently transfixed upon the evil standing before him. At the failure of the mist, the darkness of the demon seemed to coalesce into a solid, black shape barely reflective of humanity. It screeched in rage and sent forth large tendrils of its shadowy essence, each attempting to strike at Rony.
As Borinth and Dianali were locked in their own combat, growing more grave with each passing moment evidenced by several small and superficial wounds they each had suffered, Rony's situation also grew in gravity. He was able to repel the first two dark tendrils, but was struck by the third which caused him to stumble backward into the table he had recently vacated. "See, little pup, you cannot possibly stand against the true nature of our power! You and your pack will be no more!" And with the ending of those words, three more black tendrils snapped at him, each with the speed of an expertly cracked whip. Two of the three found their mark and left deep wounds upon the boy. He was flung onto the table top and writhed in pain from the marks. Both Borith and Dianali were being pressed hard, and were beginning to tire.
The demon floated more than walked to Rony, lashing out with several more successful dark tendrils, each producing a reflexive yell from the writhing man. At the last strike, Rony was thrown off the table and against the wall landing him hard upon the floor. As the demon approached, it sent out more green mist toward his fallen victim, but it was repelled once again by the invisible shield. "That does not matter, for you are through. Soon you will see the power we wield. You have but seen only a partial aspect of all we have become. In your quiet rest, we have grown. The Hunt will be no more!" the demon yelled this last part in a triumphant expression of victory. As it gathered itself, preparing for what would be a lethal and final blow, it slowly turned its head to see that both Borinth and Dianali were in similarly desperate positions. Satisfied with their eminent demise, the demon again turned its full will upon Rony, still writhing on the ground.
Instead of three dark tendrils, the demon formed only one and allowed it to hang high above Rony preparing and taking a moment to revel in its triumph. It struck with such force that the very foundation of the tavern shook. The demon was about to celebrate, but paused when it sensed Rony had continued to breathe. Puzzled, but not alarmed, it released the green mist, and this time, it found its entrance. The fallen body of Rony was involuntarily lifted and hung suspended in the air. Both Borinth and Dianali, while successful at dispatching most of the soldiers, were still battling, and growing wearier. They would not be able to last much longer.
"You have grown in strength, but you are still lacking. You will end now and become part of me. You will feed me and I will grow in strength. You are finished," the demon spoke to him as if he was still able to hear with comprehension. Forming several more tendrils of dark power, the demon drew him closer and prepared. Just then, a growl erupted from outside of the tavern door. Bursting through it was Rony's young wolf pup. Without fear or concern, it launched itself at the demon and bit down, sinking its teeth into its dark substance. The demon howled in response and dropped Rony.
As the pup continued to dig its teeth deeper into the dark and shadowy flesh, if it could be called flesh, the demon continued to howl. Frantically it attempted to dislodge the painful bite, but it was unable to reach the pup. Rony looked up, eyes a blank white, faintly glowing. He
stood slowly to face the demon once again. He drew his twin hand axes, measured his aim, and let one fly. Its blade struck deep in the demon’s center causing it to fall to it its knees. A hideous cry exploded from it as it began to violently shake. In its shaking, the pup was thrown against the wall. Rony approached it slowly and deliberately, hand loosely gripping his remaining axe. He looked down upon the demon and without hesitation, spun once to gain momentum and severed its head. In that instant, the remaining soldiers collapsed and withered into the green mist that harmlessly dissipated into the faint breeze. The fallen demon also dissolved away into the wind leaving nothing in its wake.
The following moments saw Rony walk over to his wincing wolf pup, scoop it up in his arms and cradle it. As he did, the pup nuzzled more closely and began to gently lick Rony's hand. Both Borinth and Dianali, while still breathing hard, walked over to Rony, each looking at the wolf pup.
"And who do we have here?" asked Dianali as she scratched behind its ears.
From underneath the table, Du'tothin spoke as he slowly emerged, "As you can see, we are faced with dark and treacherous times." Both Borinth and Dianali slowly turned toward the small man, clearly affected by the wounds they had suffered at the hands of the demon's thralls. As they dusted themselves off, Du'tothin continued, "Your task, should you accept, will be to lead mission to find the truth behind the dark army rumored to be marshalling its forces."
It was Rony who spoke next, "We accept."
"Do you not want to know how much you will be paid?" the King's emissary asked out of surprise, for just as they were well known for their ability with their blades, so too were they well known for their demands of monetary compensation.
"We accept," said Rony as he scratched underneath the wolf pup's neck.
Uulin (Council).
"My young wizards in study, it is not enough to learn of a subject, you must assimilate its knowledge as part of you; and this can be done only when you have studied and studied, and then studied more. When you have rested and think you understand the fullness of any topic of which you seek to know, I am here to tell you that you have but seen only the surface. Only those who can see to new depths can reach distinction within the ranks of Wizards," said the heavy set wizard from the front of the study room. He paused to let his words form enough gravity to sink to the bottom of his students’ oceans of curiosity. Once he was convinced they all understood the gift he had just imparted to them, he continued. "There are thirteen of us on The Council. Only thirteen of the thousands that have walked these halls before you have promoted themselves to such excellence of knowledge they have been trusted to shape the direction of all wizards, including you. Only thirteen of us have understood the basic lesson I am imparting to you today. And with it, we have accepted a weight greater than you can fathom. So the question I am presenting to you is whether or not you will live and learn with distinction. Because if you take time to look around and study the faces of your fellow initiates, you will not find their totals at the end of the first session equal to what they are at the beginning. Many of the faces you see today, you will not see again after this year has ended. Not because they could not learn, nor because they did not possess the skill to manifest their knowledge into tangible magic, but because they remained indistinguishable from the rest of the untalented. Magic alone will not set you apart. It will be solely determined by your value of knowledge and how closely you adhere to its doctrine. For above it, there is nothing."
As the elder wizard, second only to Intellos, delivered his final speech concluding the first session of his Theory of Knowledge seminar for the first year initiates, he exited his door and was met by a thin wizard wearing all black robes lined with golden trim. His waist was tied with a golden metallic sash he claimed to have been spun from pure gold by the legendary silk spinners of the south. From his sash hung his ever present spell book. He carried no staff as the other wizards did, but instead preferred to utilize various jeweled rings to amplify his power. He was casually leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. When Bengrako exited, the thin wizard lifted his head slightly and spoke in a very steady and deep voice, "Any word?"
The heavy set wizard looked at him and shook his head. "It would appear our vaulted leader has undertaken a mission of such importance that its details could not be trusted to even us."
Pausing to take a puff from his smoke pipe, the thin wizard looked to Bengrako, "To what end do you think his actions will lead us?"
"I do not know, but anything hidden from The Council cannot be conducive to its current path. If transparency is without cause, then what cause other than deception can there be if the end is kept hidden?" answered Bengrako.
"Have you been able to gain entrance to the secret room you said he accessed before he left in his haste?" the thin wizard slowly asked.
"I have not. I cannot even locate the door although I know exactly where it is. I wonder if it is linked to the office of the High Wizard?" he asked speculatively more to himself than to his companion.
The thin wizard considered Bengrako's musing for a moment, "That could be quite a possible explanation. Either that, or your study of doors has left you puzzled."
"Now is not the time for idle words of a malformed attempt at humor, Esthinor. Now is the time to get into that cursed room. Without the proof that lies within, I am not sure we can get support from the rest of The Council members to move against Intellos," he said as he crossed his arms in contemplation.
"Are you sure moving against him is a wise decision?" Esthinor asked as he took another puff from his smoke pipe.
"If he continues with his deception of The Council, then I see no other direction. Where did this chamber come from and what secrets are hidden within? It is not the duty of all wizards to hold knowledge and its continued progression in the highest possible position? Hiding knowledge of any kind has long been considered blasphemous and punishable through expulsion. And in two cases, The Severing has been invoked."
"Be very careful, Bengrako, Intellos my possess many of the ideals we others do not leaving him vulnerable to scheming, but his power is unmatched. He will pose an overwhelming adversary should our confrontation lead to battle."
"Oh, I would never presume to stand openly alone against the full power of that wizard. Remember, I have borne witness to several of his legendary feats of heroism. Legends I am almost unable to believe, myself. And had I not been there in person, I would probably not believe them now. No it is not through the contestation of a singular voice, not even a duality of accusations will do. No, Esthinor, we will need more than our two voices."
"There is no precedence for what you are proposing. You will be remembered by history. That much is certain. But I am not convinced if that memory is one you wish to promote," said Esthinor ominously.
"Life is not worth living if it not without distinction, my friend," said Bengrako.
The thin, black-robed wizard nodded in agreement and silently began walking down the hall, but after two steps he turned back, "Why?"
"You know why, Esthinor."
"I know what the reason is, but I do not know why you have chosen to act upon your suppositions without substantial proof."
"Vigilance, Esthinor. As wizards, we bear a substantial weight to protect the continuance of knowledge without pride. Yet, the one whom we are supposed to blindly follow has been twisted by this pride. A pride he has promoted higher than knowledge itself. Knowledge is the vaulted ceiling upon which we worship. It is the unattainable we seek to attain. It stands as the guiding logic behind our successful actions as we silently shape the direction of the land. It is knowledge and only knowledge that stands apart from the ravages of the mortal degenerations of relying on anything but knowledge. If we, as wizards, promote anything above knowledge, then we doom Avendia to an era of darkness from which it will never recover. Make no mistake, Esthinor, it is my vigilant dedication to protect knowledge as the only source of light
. For without it, there is naught but darkness."
Esthinor's expression turned from a slight skepticism to a warm admiration. He took two soft steps toward the heavy set wizard, extended his hand and laid it firmly on Bengrako's shoulder, "You have my support, Bengrako. And I will do my part to ensure you receive the necessary support to move against Intellos, if and when it becomes appropriate."
"Thank you, Esthinor," Bengrako returned with a slight nod.
As the thin wizard turned to walk down the long hallway, Bengrako watched him until he rounded the corner. There was as silent confirmation that what had just occurred, the conversation he had just completed with one of The Council members, was vital to the protection of knowledge. The answer he offered to Esthinor was one that Esthinor needed to hear, and while it was certainly the major influence for Bengrako's movement against the High Wizard, his longest standing friend, it did not stand alone. For reasons he could not readily explain, a silent feeling had been growing within him since Intellos embarked upon his secret mission.
In the beginning, his intuition was nothing more than a thought regarding his friend's odd behavior. Intellos had always been methodical in his methodology regarding every other quest he chose to undertake. So when he jumped into the rushing rivers of a mission he had not sought council for, it was very difficult for Bengrako not to site his friend's behavior as odd. But that was where it ended, at least, for the first week of his friend's absence. But then, innocently, Bengrako asked himself a question: Why? Why had Intellos rushed into a venture before he had explored the totality of its variables and the knowledge contained therein? The more he considered this question, the more possibilities emerged as the answer, and not one of which pointed toward a random laps of an established behavioral pattern over hundreds of years.
Many of the potential possibilities explaining Intellos were innocuous with no greater relevance than that of excitement. Yes, it could be potentially exciting when on the brink of discovering a new aspect of knowledge so much so that the excitement could possibly override normal and rational behavior. Bengrako remembered how excited he was when he broke through a previous barrier and understood the psychology of need and its transition from a basis of want. The understanding of this aspect of basic human behavior allowed him to create a small range of spells to adjust several things, not the least of which were irrational phobias. He remembered the elation at his first attempt. An elation that caused him to overlook the requirement to refine his spells to adjust only those irrational wants and needs. Unfortunately, his spell rendered his current subject void of all wants and needs, including that for food. As much as he tried to reverse the spell's effect, he was unsuccessful and was forced to watch as his small rodent withered away, refusing to eat. It could be the same elation that overtook Intellos, but a wizard of his status should identify and isolate the elation, being able to control and maintain his adherence to proper protocols. After all, Bengrako had been only four years removed from his formal studies at the University and still very young in his journey. It was understandable for a young wizard to lose sight of the greater relevance, but not so the seasoned Grand Wizard.
Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1) Page 64
