The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  Late Wednesday afternoon, right before dinner, Laryn finished going over the last province. She said that they’d spend Thursday and Friday going over the district sorcerers who lived close enough to attend the funeral.

  “I have a question that I’ve wanted to ask you for a couple of days, but I didn’t want to interrupt you to ask it,” Kevin said.

  “Go ahead,” Laryn answered, raising her eyebrows.

  “You talk about these far away provinces as if you’ve been there. Have you actually visited all of them?”

  “Sure, most of them several times.”

  “How? Some of them are on the other side of Terah.”

  “With the key.”

  “The key?”

  “Oh, that’s right. You wouldn’t know anything about the keys,” Laryn said as she fingered a chain that she wore around her neck under her tunic. When she pulled it out, Kevin saw two keys that looked like old-fashioned door keys, one dark, the other silver. They were about four inches long, had a loop at one end, and teeth at the other.

  “This one is the key to Terah,” Laryn said as she fingered the dark key. “And this one is the key to the Gate Between the Worlds. They belong to you now.” Laryn took the chain off of her neck and handed it to Kevin. “All you have to do is think of where you want to go on Terah, hold the key out as if you were going to unlock a door, turn it, and within a blink, you’re there.”

  “What if I’ve never been to the place that I need to go?”

  “Find it on a map and concentrate on its location. If you’re not familiar with the place, the key won’t take you to the center of town, or put you on someone’s doorstep, but it’ll take you to a clear area nearby, usually within a mile.” Kevin nodded, so Laryn continued. “The key to the Gate works pretty much the same way. Just think of the place you want to go on Earth, turn the key, and you’re there. Just be careful. Remember, no one on Earth knows about these keys.”

  “I don’t understand how they work,” Kevin said as he studied the keys in his hand. “Nothing Glendymere taught me would explain them. They’re more in line with the tales of potions and spells on Earth.”

  “Actually, the basic idea is relatively simple. There’s an energy flow around Terah, another around Earth, and one that flows between the two worlds. The keys let you into the flow. The trick was finding a way for the keys to open the door at the right time to let you back out where you wanted to go,” Laryn explained. “A long time ago, a group of dragons, elves, dwarves, and sorcerers worked together to make four keys to the Gate, and each group kept one of them. Pallor has the elves’ key, Palladin has the dwarves’ key, Glendymere has the dragons’ key, and the Master Sorcerer has the humans’ key. Then, years later, the Federation used a similar method to make keys to Terah for all of their members and for the sorcerers on the council.”

  “So, if I wanted to, I could hold this key in front of me, concentrate on Willow Canyon, and go there?” Kevin asked.

  Laryn nodded.

  “Does Glendymere have a key to Terah?”

  “Sure. He’s the dragon’s representative to the Federation.”

  “Then why did we spend hours flying to different places? We could have gotten there a lot faster with the key.”

  “True, but I doubt if you were really in that much of a hurry. It was better for you to get used to the idea of flying and to see a bit of Terah.”

  “Okay. I’ve got another question. I’ll use the key to get to the council meeting, right?”

  Laryn nodded.

  “And Chris goes with me?”

  She nodded again.

  “Then doesn’t he need a key, too?”

  “No, you’ll both use yours. You can take someone with you as long as they have physical contact with you.”

  “We need to try this out before we use it to go to the council meeting,” Kevin said, glancing over towards Chris, who was nodding vigorously.

  “We’ll have time for you to experiment between the funeral and the meeting,” Laryn said. “Now, let’s go to dinner.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  During the day Wednesday, Badec’s other brothers and sisters and their families had arrived at the castle, as well as some of Badec’s close personal friends. Although some of them were staying with friends in Milhaven, they had all been invited to have dinner at the castle, so the evening meal took on a more formal atmosphere and Kevin wasn’t able to slip away afterwards. He had to stay and play host.

  Chris took the notes upstairs, outlined the information, and left it all on Kevin’s desk in the bedroom. Kevin didn’t get upstairs until close to midnight and by the time he skimmed through all of the notes, he felt like his eyelids were made of sandpaper. He covered his glowstones, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

  While he slept, he saw a young girl off in the distance standing near the edge of an empty field. As he drew closer he saw that she was older than he had first thought, probably in her late twenties. She had bright red hair that hung to her waist and eyes that flashed with hot anger.

  Then Kevin noticed an older man standing on the other side of the field. He had red hair too, but it was darker than hers, almost auburn, and his eyes were as cold as those of a corpse. His features were harsh, like they had been carved out of stone. He was not handsome, but he had a powerful aura. His face was contorted with hate, and it was all leveled at the woman.

  As Kevin watched, the two began to fight, and the magical energy was so intense that Kevin couldn’t see what was happening. He awoke with a start before he could see which one survived.

  Kevin sat straight up in bed, dripping wet with sweat. His head ached, his heart was pounding, and adrenaline was pulsing through his veins. He knew that sleep would be impossible, so he got up, dressed, left his room, and walked around in the back garden, waiting for dawn. He couldn’t shake the image of the woman standing alone against such a man.

  After Kevin channeled his pent-up energy into several vigorous magical workouts, he managed to convince himself that what he’d seen had just been a particularly vivid nightmare.

  His day began as soon as he stepped into his office on his way to breakfast and remained hectic all day long as he played host to a lot of people who had known his father but who were perfect strangers to him. By dinnertime, all thoughts of the dream had faded. That evening he didn’t manage to get to his room until well after midnight, and by that time he was so exhausted that he slept without any dreams at all.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kevin, Chris, and Laryn were working in Kevin’s office shortly after lunch on Friday when Ariel knocked on the door to tell him that he had visitors, and to ask if he wanted to receive them in his office, in the entrance hall, or in the dining room. Before Kevin could answer, he heard Kalen’s booming voice in the outer office.

  Kevin and Chris jumped up from their desks to go greet the dwarf, but as soon as they stepped into the reception area, they both stopped dead in their tracks. Duane was standing in the reception area, too, with an older elf on one side of him, and one of the most beautiful women either of them had ever seen on the other.

  Laryn stepped out of Kevin’s office behind them and grinned at the stunned reaction they had to Duane’s wife. Duane was the first person to speak. He stepped forward to introduce first his father, Hayden, and then his wife, Shelandra. Chris spoke to Duane and Kalen, and then told both Hayden and Shelandra that he was pleased to meet them, all without taking his eyes off Shelandra.

  Kevin’s fixation wasn’t quite so obvious. He managed to tear his eyes away from her and look at each of the men as he said, “I’m so glad to see you. Are you going to come to dinner tonight? I know everyone else would like to see you, too.”

  “We’ll come by to say hello, but we won’t stay for dinner,” Duane answered. “We’ll be staying near Milhaven for a few days. We’ll have time to catch up after the funeral.”

  Kalen nodded and said, “We just wanted to stop by for a moment, say hello, and offer our c
ondolences. Laryn, I am so very sorry. I really don’t know what else to say to you.”

  “Thank you, Kalen. It’s hard, but it was time.”

  Kalen nodded. “Well, we know how much work you have to do, so we’ll be on our way. See you tonight.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After dinner that night, Kevin slipped out the back door and wandered down towards the river. “Xantha, are you around?”

  “Of course.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Look up,” Xantha said. “Come on up. We’ll roam around the sky for a bit.”

  Kevin flew up to Xantha and floated beside the pegasus, stroking his neck. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve been around, if not physically, mentally. I couldn’t help but notice that you had a nice reaction to Shelandra. Unfortunately she’s taken, but I’ll be happy to be on the look out for someone for you.”

  “Don’t start that again! I’m not ready yet,” Kevin said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

  “Why don’t you climb on board and let me do the work? You could use a bit of relaxation tonight.”

  Kevin climbed on Xantha’s back, settled in, and enjoyed the feeling of soaring through the night sky. He hadn’t had a chance to fly just for pleasure since he’d left Willow Canyon.

  After about an hour, Xantha landed gently in the garden behind the castle.

  “You seem more comfortable with your role on Terah now,” Xantha said after Kevin dismounted.

  “I guess I am. I still don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m about to get used to that. I just hope I can do some good and don’t end up a grease spot too soon,” Kevin answered mentally.

  “You’ll be fine. Glendymere wouldn’t have let you leave when you did otherwise.”

  “He didn’t have much choice. I had to be here before the April meeting,” Kevin pointed out.

  Xantha shook his head. “When we were there in November, he told me that if he decided that you needed more time, he’d keep you there and fly you out here right before the April meeting, so, since he let you leave in January, he must have decided that you were ready.”

  “He didn’t tell me that,” Kevin answered slowly. “All along, right up to the time that we left, he kept telling me that I wasn’t ready for a challenge, that my only hope was to be just that bit more ready than the other guy.”

  “Well, in a way, that’ll always be true. I doubt if any sorcerer is ever really ready for a duel to the death, but with the reputation you’ve got, I doubt you’ll have to worry about challenges for a while. Was that Glendymere’s idea?”

  “I don’t know whether Glendymere had anything to do with it or not, but I know none of us did,” Kevin answered. Then after a minute, he added, “Or at least, I know I didn’t. Do you think Chris might have been behind that one?”

  “I can find out for you if you really want to know.”

  “No, let it go for now. Maybe later. I guess I should go back inside. I have some more work to do tonight. Will I see you later?”

  “Sure. We’ll be here for a while yet. I’ll be around, especially in the evening. Any time you want to take some time off, just call. See you later,” Xantha said as he leapt up into the night sky.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Saturday morning, Kevin woke up an hour before daybreak. Today would be his first public appearance as the Sorcerer of Camden and he was nervous. After he finished his exercise routine, he dressed in the dark green tunic with the red sash that signified his position. For the first time, he pulled his red opal pendant out from under his tunic.

  While he was getting dressed, he heard a knock on the door. When he answered it, one of his guards told him that Freddy had a message for him, one that could not wait until the day was over. Kevin finished dressing and followed the guard up the steps to Freddy’s tower. After they reached Freddy’s roost, the guard quietly withdrew, leaving Kevin alone with the phoenix.

  “Myron, I feel the presence of an evil heart nearby.”

  “How close by? In the castle?”

  “It’s not on the castle grounds, but it’s close by, watching, waiting,’ Freddy said, ruffling his feathers. “I felt this same presence once before, the day before Badec was stricken ill.”

  “Did you mention it to anyone?”

  “No. By the time I realized that the evil presence might be responsible, it was long gone. There was no point.”

  “Do you have any idea who it is?”

  “Today I opened my mind to his just enough to get a name. He calls himself Rolan. Beware of him, Myron. He means you harm.”

  “Thank you, Freddy,” Kevin said quietly. “If you ever feel him close by again, please find a way to let me know.”

  Freddy gave one slow, deep nod in answer.

  Kevin went back to his room. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. No one had ever actually said that Badec was poisoned, not even his mother, but it was the only thing that made sense if Rolan was involved, and why else would he be slinking around the castle?

  Kevin decided that he would have to think about it later, after he had gotten through the day. He didn’t think he was in any immediate danger, and he felt fairly sure that no one would try anything during the procession, especially not with Glendymere around.

  Another knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, but before he could answer, the door opened and Chris walked in with a mug of coffee in each hand.

  “Today’s going to be a long one,” Chris said as he handed one to Kevin.

  Kevin nodded as he took a sip.

  “Kevin, today’s going to be the first time the other sorcerers actually see you.” Chris paused and sipped his own drink. “Actually, you’re pretty much going to be the center of attention.”

  “I know,” Kevin answered.

  “They’ll be watching your every move, especially at the waterfall.”

  Kevin frowned. “I know, Chris.”

  “I guess what I’m trying to say is, well, this is important Kevin. Don’t screw it up.”

  Kevin rolled his eyes. “You and Laryn. She’s already given me the ‘don’t mess it up’ speech, the other day while we were in the burial cave. Believe me, I do realize how important today is.”

  Chris nodded. “Good. Just remember to make it look easy. And stay loose. As long as you’re relaxed, I’m sure you’ll do fine”

  “Yeah, relax. No pressure at all. Right.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After a solemn breakfast, everyone at the castle began preparing for the trip into Milhaven. The senior castle staff would attend the procession as it passed by the castle, and then they would move Karl and Joan’s belongings to the governor’s house and Darrell’s things to the guard house. The staff at the Governor’s house would take care of moving Wrenn and Jana’s things to their new home, and Captain Lawrence had asked one of the guards to move his few possessions to the guest room that Darrell had been using in the castle.

  By the time the procession returned from the burial site, tables of refreshments would line the road between the castle and Milhaven. The castle staff would handle the area around the castle, but the people of Milhaven would take care of the rest.

  Kevin knew he wouldn’t get a chance to meet any of the council members or Federation representatives that day, but before they left for Milhaven, he asked Laryn to point out Rolan. When they reached the Chapel of Light, Laryn saw Rolan standing off to the side, watching them as they rode up to the front door. She waited until they dismounted to tell Kevin where he was.

  Kevin managed to look back at him without being obvious, turning as if to speak to Chris, but Rolan could hardly miss the look of shock on Kevin’s face as their eyes met. Rolan was the man who had faced the young woman in Kevin’s dream.

  Chris saw Kevin’s eyes open a little wider and his jaw drop a touch. Then a light flush crept up Kevin’s neck and his cheeks reddened as he clenched his teeth and turned back towards the chapel.

  Chris stepped up to walk bes
ide him and whispered, “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Just thought I recognized someone in the crowd, that’s all.”

  Chris looked at him with raised eyebrows, but he let it go.

  A little before noon, the coffin was placed on the wagon, and one of Laryn’s brothers climbed up on the wagon seat. Then Laryn and Corin moved to the front to lead the procession while Kevin and Chris moved their horses behind the wagon. The rest of Badec’s family lined up behind them, followed by the council sorcerers and Federation representatives, with the local officials and emissaries from the various districts of Camden bringing up the rear.

  After everyone was in place, a shadow fell over the wagon and coffin. Kevin looked up to see Glendymere slowly lowering his massive body until he floated about fifty feet above the wagon. Some of the horses pranced nervously, and a few of the mourners standing along the side of the road froze at the sight of the gold dragon, but for the most part, people took his appearance in stride. At precisely noon, Laryn began the slow ride out to the burial site.

  Once they reached the glade, the family members dismounted and gathered around the wagon. Kevin stopped the waterfall, moved the boulder, and lifted the coffin. He floated the coffin to the entrance of the cave and held it there until Laryn climbed the steps and joined her brother’s body on the ledge. Then Kevin slowly rose up to the ledge and stood on the other side of the coffin. Laryn and Kevin entered the cave, with the coffin floating between them, while the rest of their relatives followed.

  Once they were all gathered around the platform where Yvonne’s body had been laid to rest twenty-four years earlier, Kevin floated his father’s body over to its final resting place. The family stood around the platform silently for a few moments, and then began to head back down to the glade.

  Laryn and Kevin were the last to leave. While she walked down the steps, Kevin floated to a point over the center of the splash pool. As soon as she was down, he rolled the boulder back into place across the cave entrance and gently released the water, letting the waterfall cover all signs of the steps and cave entrance. During the entire time that the waterfall had been stopped, no one in the glade had spoken.