"I have Golds," Sulrad said.
"Gold? You'd pay gold for my simple knowledge? Then you are not only a Wizard but also a fool. I have no knowledge worth gold, or I'd not be living here."
"You may have knowledge worth every bit of my Golds." Sulrad hated to beg, but she might be the key. "Please." He reached into his purse, pulled out two Golds and held them out to her.
She carefully took one from his hand and examined it. "Long way from home."
"Yes, I have traveled far. Please. You may have the information I'm seeking."
She took the second coin from him and pocketed them both. She opened the door and stepped back to allow him to enter.
"I'm Theria. What is it that you seek?" she asked.
Sulrad didn't want to come right out and ask, but he had to find out what the woman knew. He described the amulet giving as little information as he could. He was vague about its history and failed to mention anything about its magical properties.
"Why are you looking for such a thing?" Theria asked.
"My Lord Baron is desirous of purchasing such a piece. It is his gold you now hold in your pocket."
The woman laughed as she reached into her pocket and drew the coins out. She rubbed them together in front of his face. "There isn't enough gold in any treasury to purchase something like that. The only way to get the crown jewels is to conquer the King."
"Then you know of it?"
"It is on every painting of every royal in the land. It's part of the crown jewels. Everyone knows what this is." She pushed the drawing back across the table and secreted the coins back into her pocket. She stood up, reaching for her empty cup.
Sulrad held out his hand to stop her. "One more question."
She continued clearing the table. "No more questions."
"Do you know how I might be allowed to catch a glimpse of it? My Lord Baron might be satisfied if I were able to gaze upon it and relate its beauty to him."
"It's kept in the treasury in the castle, I'd wager. I'm not a regular guest there," she said with a cackle.
"Thank you for your advice." Sulrad left the woman's home with more questions than when he'd arrived, but at least he had confirmed that the amulet was in Ryden.
Now all he had to do was to get into the castle treasury.
Amedon
The palace in Rohir shook violently. Pots flew from the tables, plants fell from the walls. A loud crack ripped through the palace, extending along the entire surface of the outer wall.
The water in the pools sloshed violently from side to side. Steaming liquid splashed over the rocks and knocked many of the delicate hanging fingers from the edges of the pools. Fragile white spears shattered on the rock below.
Screaming came from within the palace as decorations crashed to the floor. After what felt like an eternity, the earth settled down. Zhimosom felt the flavor of the magic change around him. It had been altered, ever so subtly. The pools now flowed with water fed directly from the source below. The magic was at the surface and in the water, no longer buried deep beneath the earth.
Rotiaqua stood by with a look on her face that said she'd done something wrong and she was proud of it. Zhimosom turned her. "What did you do? Did you cause this?"
"I channeled some of the power of the pools into the city so that the women don't need to fear the men any longer. They should not have to walk behind them on a leash, or covered in those silly white scarves. I fixed that."
Garlath came running out of the palace proper. "What happened?"
"A spell," Zhimosom said. "Rotiaqua cast a tiny spell." He held his fingers in the air about half a digit apart, and then threw Rotiaqua a glaring look.
"Tiny?" Garlath looked at the crack in the wall.
"Well not that tiny," Rotiaqua said.
"What does it do?" Garlath demanded.
"Balances the power ..."
Before she could explain, there was a screech high above, the likes of which Zhimosom had never heard. He ran outside and looked to the sky.
A dragon circled high overhead. It made wide flowing arcs around the palace tower, descending with each turn. It spread its wings and touched down between Zhimosom and the pools with a gust of air.
The dragon waddled over to Zhimosom and lowered its head, tilting its neck to get a better look at him. Zhimosom stood in silent expectation as the mighty beast examined him.
The dragon turned to Rotiaqua and eyed her just as carefully as it had Zhimosom. Rotiaqua stood still before it, but unlike Zhimosom, she had a look of defiance to her.
Finally, the dragon snorted. "You are ready."
"Ready?" Zhimosom asked.
"I guided you here to show you the magic that will aid you in your quest ... and to test you. I felt your heart and believed that it was good, but I needed to be certain."
The dragon lifted its head, and looked down on them. "If you had left here without being touched by the injustice of this society, you would have proved yourself no better than the Wizard who summons my kind."
It lifted one massive claw and pointed at Zhimosom. "You could not leave without helping. You have a heart that can save us from certain destruction."
"It was not me," Zhimosom said.
The dragon gently touched Zhimosom on the chest with its sharp talon, and then did the same to Rotiaqua. "You share one heart."
"One heart?" Zhimosom asked.
"One heart, and now it is ready." The dragon spat fire into the air. "To Amedon with you. There you may find what you need."
The dragon snorted, took one quick step, and with a single beat of its wings, launched itself into the sky.
Garlath looked at them in shock. "You two certainly lead an interesting life, don't you?"
Zhimosom didn't know how to answer him, but he was eager to get to Amedon. "I think I can access the power of the pools to help us travel to Amedon. Can you guide us there?"
Garlath held out his hand to Zhimosom. "I can show you the way, but I will need to draw power from you. I cannot access the pools as you do, and I do not have enough power of my own to make it to Amedon."
"I'm ready." Zhimosom held out his hand. Rotiaqua took it. Zhimosom followed the slight trail of magic that Garlath laid out for him and pulled them through the void to Amedon.
The threesome arrived just outside of the Wizards' Keep. The gates stood open and no Guards were present.
People streamed in and out while oxen towing wagons and carts vied for space on the road. People carrying bundles of goods on their backs attempted to stay out of the way of the carts.
Garlath ushered them through the gates. Inside, the road continued a short way, and then split into three separate paths. The one on the left wound around and behind the building and emerged again to snake up into the mountainside, ending at the doors to the tallest tower in the Keep.
"Come on." Garlath led them along that path. "This is the way to the library."
The library was located in the tower that stood tall against the mountainside. It could only be reached by means of a narrow rock bridge that spanned a deep chasm between the main Keep and the tower. The bridge was narrow, cut from the mountain by winds and weather. The treacherous span had no Guard rails, or walls to prevent someone from simply sliding off the walkway and plunging to the depths below. The wind whistled out of the mountains and made the crossing dangerous.
Garlath led them across, pointing out rough spots and dangerous breaks until they were once again on solid rock.
The tower was imposing, jutting into the sky. Zhimosom looked up to see clouds zipping by at a rate that made him dizzy and threatened his balance. The tower doors were made of sturdy and solid wood, banded with rusty iron. They were closed tightly.
Zhimosom pulled on the doors but they didn't budge.
"Magic," Garlath said.
"Magic?" Zhimosom asked.
"Magic. You have to prove you have magic or they won't open."
"Aperire et me transire," Zhimosom said waving his
hand in front of the door.
Nothing.
"Why?" Garlath asked. He stood behind Zhimosom with a slight smile on his face.
"Why won't it open?" Zhimosom asked.
"Why do you want to enter the library?" Garlath gestured to the doors. "That has to be part of the spell and it must be a genuine reason or the doors won't open."
"Habere scientiam et potentiam trans fores," Zhimosom said, requesting the doors to open and permit him access to the knowledge that lay within.
The doors swung noiselessly open. The trio walked down a long hallway and took a turn to the library that extended far back into the mountain. The door to the library stood open and inviting.
Zhimosom stopped in awe, blocking the doorway. The entire library was covered from floor to ceiling with books of all size, shapes, and colors. The library shelves stretched as far back as he could see. There were side rooms that no doubt were equally packed. Surely, there was a wealth of knowledge here.
"It's magnificent," Rotiaqua said.
"Where do we start?" Zhimosom asked. He had never seen a library before. Surely, there was some arrangement to all this knowledge that would help them find what they were looking for.
"Let's ask the librarian." Garlath guided them to an alcove where several men sat at desks beside a wall filled with small drawers.
"Excuse me," Garlath announced their presence to one of the younger men.
The librarian held up his hand to stop him as he scribbled a notation. He looked up at the three of them, surveying them quickly. "I don't recognize you. Student, Apprentice or Master?"
"Free Wizards," Garlath said simply.
The librarian held up his hand extending it palm up to Garlath. Zhimosom saw a small tongue of fire lick into existence, and then quickly vanish. He extended his hand to Zhimosom and looked him in the eye. When Zhimosom didn't respond, he said "Fire?"
"He wants you to bring forth fire to prove you're a Wizard." Garlath said.
Zhimosom focused his mind on the man's hand and silently spoke the spell to call forth fire. A fireball the size of his fist appeared in the man's hand. He quickly extinguished it.
"Not one for control, are you?" The librarian reached his hand out to Rotiaqua.
She called forth a simple flame like the one you would see on any candle and just as quickly extinguished it.
"Nice control." The librarian sat back behind his desk. "What can I help you locate today?"
"We need to help the dragons," Zhimosom blurted out.
"Dragons? What dragons?"
"A dragon came to us and asked for our help."
The librarian gave a smug, superior smile. "The dragons are gone. They left ages ago and have not returned."
"We saw one. More than once."
"There are no dragons, and if there were, they certainly don't need help from any junior Wizard."
"He came to us ..."
Garlath held out his arm to stop Zhimosom. "We are looking for something to defeat a summoning or binding spell."
"For that, you'll need to access the spells of war. You'll need permission from the Council. Those spells are dangerous and we don't let just anyone back there."
The librarian returned to his notations and ignored them.
"But ..." Zhimosom started to speak, but Garlath stopped him before he could get it out.
"Thank you for your time," Garlath said. "We will seek the Council's approval."
Garlath grabbed Zhimosom's arm and pulled him back the way they had come. "I know it's important, but you can't make a scene here, in the library. It's frowned upon."
"Why won't they let us search those spells? We need to find a way to save the dragons. Why was he so rude?"
"It's not his fault. All he sees is a young Wizard who was refused access to some very dangerous magic. It's not up to him. We need to see the Council, and it's better that they don't start with a reprimand for breaking Library protocol."
Garlath took them back to the main building and escorted them to the dormitory where visiting Wizards were housed. The rooms looked much more elegant than the hovel where he'd been raised.
"Sorry, you'll have to share a room with several other young Wizards," Garlath told Zhimosom.
He turned to Rotiaqua. "You have your own room. There are no other Sorceresses in Amedon at the moment."
"None?" Rotiaqua asked.
"Besides Uskin, there are only two others, but they are both very senior Sorceresses and have their own quarters outside Amedon. They travel here by magic when needed, but don't live here. Only Uskin lives here."
"Who's Uskin?" Rotiaqua asked.
"She is the head of the Wizards' Council, along with Alwroth. I've made arrangements for you two to meet with them tonight."
"Are Sorceresses that rare?" Zhimosom asked.
"Very rare," Garlath said. "That's why they want to meet with you."
"You mean meet with Rotiaqua." Zhimosom felt uncomfortable around all these powerful folk. He knew Rotiaqua was used to this type of attention, but he found it unsettling. If sorceresses were rare and Rotiaqua was one of the few, and she was the daughter of the Baron, they certainly would want to speak with her, but certainly they didn't want to speak to him.
"Both of you," Garlath said. "Right after the evening meal."
Zhimosom and Rotiaqua followed Garlath to the Council chambers after the evening meal. The clerk instructed them to wait, but they were soon ushered into a room off to the side. Alwroth and Uskin were seated before a small fireplace in well worn and comfortable chairs. It looked more like a sitting room in a wealthy family's home than the chamber of the senior Wizards in Amedon.
Alwroth had a long white beard and flowing hair. His face was wizened and wrinkled. Zhimosom thought he looked much like any other Wizard, but Uskin was a surprise. Garlath had told Zhimosom that Alwroth and Uskin had ruled the Council for decades, but Uskin looked no older than Rotiaqua.
"It's part of her special magic. She doesn't age." Garlath explained.
The clerk motioned for them to sit.
"Thank you for coming back so late in the day."
There was an awkward silence as Zhimosom waited for more. He didn't know what to say. He reached out for Rotiaqua and spoke silently to her over their magical link.
"What do you think they want? Are we supposed to say something?"
"Just wait," came her reply.
The Sorceress leaned over to the Wizard. "They're so young, aren't they?" She smiled at them.
"Tell us about your experience," Uskin said. She leaned forward and looked at Zhimosom, waiting for his response.
"Rotiaqua can tell it best." Zhimosom was embarrassed. He was not accustomed to speaking to mighty ones.
"A Wizard named Sulrad showed up in my father's lands. He set himself up as the Priest of Ran. I've seen him work his magic, and it’s just magic, there's no god, no Ran involved.
"He discovered that we had magic and tried to sacrifice Zhimosom to take his power. That's what he does, kills people for magic. We saw him kill a young Wizard and take the boy's magic."
"And a girl," Zhimosom interrupted.
Rotiaqua winced. Zhimosom knew she still felt the guilt of dissuading Zhimosom from trying to rescue Brill. "An orphan, Brill. She was only ten summers old."
Zhimosom sat quietly and let Rotiaqua continue, but listened intently ready to fill in any details she might have missed.
"We escaped from the Temple," Rotiaqua continued. "All we wanted was to get away from Sulrad and my father, but while we were on our way, a dragon came and told us to go to Tustow and find the Wizard."
Rotiaqua gestured at Garlath. "That's where we met Garlath. Along the way, the dragon came back. He told us that Sulrad had discovered a way to kill the dragons and take their power and that the dragons needed our help."
Uskin frowned. "I have had visions much the same. What you say is true. You must find a way to help the dragons."
"That's why we came here," Zhimoso
m added. "To learn how we can stop Sulrad and save the dragons."
"You have come to the right place," Alwroth said. "We will convene the Wizards' Council as soon as we can and discuss the matter with them.
"We also have another reason for asking you to come see us," Alwroth said.
"We asked you here because the two are paired, and as a pair, there is special training you require that few can give you. Only another pair truly knows what you are experiencing and can teach you what you need to know."
Zhimosom opened his mouth to speak, but Alwroth held up his hand. "I know you're young and you have a lot of questions. You have plenty of time to learn, and you have come to the right place."
He waved towards the main gate. "Most of our students arrive by foot, or infrequently on horseback. It's unheard of to have a student travel here by magic."
Zhimosom squirmed in his seat. He hadn't wanted to attract attention.
"Yes, your arrival was duly noted and reported, as was your request at the library today." Alwroth leaned forward and placed his fist beneath his long white beard, propping up his head. "Tell me about this dragon you saw."
Zhimosom and Rotiaqua related the tale of their encounters with the dragon, and what it had said to them each time it appeared.
"If what you say is true, then it could be very bad. We'll need to meet with the full Council and discuss this. We cannot decide this on our own."
"There's no time!" Zhimosom said. The Council had to act immediately, before Sulrad has a chance to put his plan into action.
"Time is short for one so young. When you get to be my age, you'll realize that time is all you have. I'm sure it can wait. The Council will meet. We will discuss it."
"But it won't wait. The dragon said they were in danger..."
"It will have to wait. The full Council must meet on this. It's out of our hands until they do, but I can offer you access to the library, so you can search for the proper spells in the mean time."
"But the dragons?" Zhimosom wasn't ready to let the matter go.
"Take the offer," Uskin spoke softly to Zhimosom. "We'll do what we can, but you need patience.
Wizard Pair (Book 3) Page 22
