When the dust settled and the air cleared, the two magi stared at the rear wall, rather, the rear wall of the room was half missing and the early morning light was pouring in along with a stiff cold breeze.
“Damn! I wanted to study that spell,” Ja’tar cursed, turning to chastise his friend. “What the halla was that?”
“That went better than I expected,” Zedd’aki grinned.
Ja’tar looked down at a yawning hole in his new robe and swore, “What do you mean that went better than you expected?”
“Well, for one, we are still alive…” Zedd’aki chuckled. “I only gave us a forty-sixty chance.”
“You crazy old ...” Ja’tar sputtered.
Zedd’aki cut him off, “Did you think this was going to be easy?”
“Well, no,” Ja’tar said stoically.
“Nice box,” Zedd’aki said, grinning at his friend. “Where’d you get it?”
“Huh?”
“The box, where did you get it? It has a very intricate weave about it.” Zedd’aki said, reaching for the container. “Is that the box I told you to make that’s detailed in the journal?”
Zedd’aki’s comment completely caught Ja’tar by surprise. “What? Yes, of course. You made it!”
Zedd’aki laughed out loud, “Right, as if! Let me see.”
Ja’tar slapped his hands away. “Seriously? You made it. You said my father taught you.”
Zedd’aki looked blankly at Ja’tar, “Are you telling me the truth?”
Ja’tar gave him a disturbingly odd look.
“I don’t remember making it,” Zedd’aki said, wrinkling his brow.
Ja’tar looked at the gaping hole in the wall, “I suppose we should fix that.”
Zedd’aki cast a spell, gathering the shards of rock and then pulling from the surroundings to refill the hole. Ja’tar watched as the rock grew from the edges of the gap in toward the center.
“You used the old magic,” he observed.
Zedd’aki looked at him with confusion, “Of course! I told you the box would work.”
“Two minutes ago you didn’t even know anything about the box.”
“Why would I say that?” Zedd’aki asked, baffled.
Ja’tar pushed himself to his feet and scratched his head, “It’s just ...”
Zedd’aki stared at his friend waiting for him to finish his sentence.
“Oh, never mind. We need to get this closed up and put this box in a safe place.”
“Are you ready to try climbing back?” Ja’tar asked, standing up, and holding his arm close. “I’m not sure I can make it without help.”
Zedd’aki frowned, “Climb? I’d rather go through the door.”
Ja’tar shrugged, “We couldn’t get it open last time we were here. Don’t you remember?”
Zedd’aki grunted, and then stared at the spell, “Doesn’t seem that difficult. Looks like the standard spell we’ve always used to ward. Maybe it was stronger when the orb was feeding it.”
Ja’tar wrinkled his nose and lifted a brow, “Are you sure?”
Zedd’aki sighed and rolled his eyes, “I’m pretty sure, I am a SpellCaster you know.”
Ja’tar waved him on throwing up his hands, “Go ahead ... spellcaster. Give it your best.”
Zedd’aki went to the door and after a short while, chanted and extended his hand letting the magic flow over the door. Satisfied, he reached for the latch and his body convulsed as his hand touched the metal clasp and energy pulses raced across his body. Ja’tar saw his eyes fade and glaze over.
Ja’tar jumped up, mouth wide open in horror as he desperately reached for his friend.
“By the Ten, I told you…” he screamed.
Zedd’aki let go of the door and bent over, laughing so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks. He gasped for air and no sound escaped his lips.
“You ... you ... bastard!” Ja’tar cursed, finally realizing it was a ruse.
“You should see your face,” Zedd’aki said, between gasps, while pointing at his friend. “Royal! Just royal!”
Ja’tar indignantly threw his head to the side raising his nose high in the air as he harrumphed.
Zedd’aki pulled the door open as it squeaked loudly on nearly frozen rusted hinges. He grabbed it with both hands and pulled hard as the rust broke loose.
“What? You expected something else?” Zedd’aki said, with confusion written on his face. “You didn’t expect the door to open at all, did you?”
Ja’tar scowled and walked out the open door while Zedd’aki was left shaking his head in disbelief.
“What do we do with the roof,” Ja’tar asked.
“Leave it. We can fix it later, it faces the outside of the Keep, no one will see it, just cast a spell to keep the rain out,” Zedd’aki suggested and then mumbled under his breath.
“What?”
“I said, who cares if someone sees it. The spell is broken, it doesn’t matter.”
“Matters to me,” Ja’tar said, nodding. He cast an assembly spell over the hole in the roof. The light glow of the spell let him know it was in place. He grabbed the window and pulled it shut.
“Can we go now?” Zedd’aki asked impatiently.
“Shouldn’t we lock the door?”
Zedd’aki turned and cast a hasty spell over the door, “There. Are you happy now?”
“Are you going to be like this all the time now that you have your memory back?” Ja’tar asked quietly.
Zedd’aki’s head shot up and he bit back his response. After a little thought he replied, “No, I guess not. I’m tired. It’s been a long night. I just want to get done with this and get some rest.”
Ja’tar paused before he turned to go down the stairs. The two made their way down the steps and while they were walking down the long hallway Ja’tar asked, “Where should we put the box?”
“I’m thinking it should go down in the cave,” Zedd’aki said, after some reflection.
“Sounds good,” Ja’tar said, as they exited back into the main Keep, quickly shutting and sealing the great arched doors.
The halls were still empty.
“I don’t think we should take the box there now. I don’t have the keys or the balls we need to get inside.”
“I guess we can go later tonight,” Zedd’aki agreed. “But you should keep the box in your quarters.”
Zedd’aki handed the box to Ja’tar, “I’m going to get some breakfast and then I’m sleeping for a week.”
“I’ll be down as soon as I put this safely away. You can sleep as long as you wish so long as you’re ready to put this in the cave tonight,” Ja’tar finished.
Zedd’aki grunted and turned to enter the dining room.
Ja’tar continued down the hall and made his way to his apartment. After letting himself in, he placed the box in the drawer of his desk and cast a ward. He cast a healing spell on his arm and winced as the damage was repaired.
He knew it would still take time before he could actually use it, but at least the damage would be taken care of. He was surprised that neither of them had thought of it when the accident happened. He stepped back to the hall and sealed his room, watching the glow around the door dissipate.
Zedd’aki was already eating when he arrived. He stood by the fire, waiting for Gretta to scoop out a ladle of hot cereal. Gretta smiled kindly and gave him an oversized portion of porridge with dried berries and nuts. He smiled back as she handed him a separate plate of fluffy biscuits and pork gravy. The smell made his mouth water; he hadn’t realized how truly hungry he was with all the excitement, but now, his stomach growled loudly demanding to be fed.
He slid his plates down on the table next to Zedd’aki, who was working on a big mug of mead with a smile on his face. His eyes were puffed and tired, the events of the past night playing heavily on his face.
“Feel better now?” Ja’tar grunted, sitting down and filled his spoon.
Zedd’aki nodded slowly, “Exhausted, but better. S
o, have you noticed that the Keep looks different?”
Ja’tar set his napkin into his lap, “Different? How so?”
“Maybe it’s just me, but I think the place looks run down and dirty. I swear that I never noticed that doors don’t hang straight; the windows are cracked and have soot on them. A lot of little things ...”
Ja’tar looked around. He hadn’t really paid any attention before, but he had to admit that the place was a little shabby, “Sure. I guess it’s a little worn.”
“I think the glamour made us not notice that things were wearing out and falling apart. Do you remember the last time we cleaned up or did repairs?”
Ja’tar thought back, “Not really. Maybe we should make a list of things we see that are different. It shouldn’t take us long to straighten things out. What do you think?”
“I agree. Shh! Here comes Qu’entza.” Ja’tar said, sharply, taking a big bite of biscuit, dripping with the thick sausage gravy.
“Ja’tar? You have a second,” he said, sitting down.
The rotund man barely fit on the bench and grunted loudly when he tried to squeeze his belly past the table. He gently folded his stubby little fingers and cleared his throat after checking around to see if anyone was watching.
Ja’tar chewed and swallowed, “What can I do for you, Qu’entza?”
Qu’entza leaned close and lowered his voice to a quiet whisper, “I’m concerned for the young mages. I’m not really sure how to say this, but I’ve caught some of them doing some strange magic. You noticed anything strange?”
“You say they were doing some strange magic?”
Qu’entza threw out his hands, “Yes. I couldn’t figure it out, but it was working. It just doesn’t look like magic, that’s all. The weaves are incomplete. Sloppy. I have no idea how they could possibly get the spell to take.”
Ja’tar thought for a moment, “Perhaps you could observe their behavior and give me a better report later this afternoon?”
Qu’entza sighed, “I guess I could do that. They were just so blatant about it, I swear they didn’t care if I caught them or not.”
Well, if that’s the case, you should be able to get quite close and find out more.”
Qu’entza pushed himself back from the table. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said, standing up and quickly heading into the kitchen to rustle up another plate of biscuits and sausage-laden gravy.
“I suspect we’ll get a visit from Rua’tor soon,” Ja’tar commented, leaning in toward Zedd’aki with a smirk on his face.
“Suspect so,” Zedd’aki mumbled, his beard covered with foam from the mead. He drained the mug and held it up high in order to get the last drop.
“We need to get the box down to the cave.”
“Do you want to wait until later?”
Ja’tar grunted, “It can wait. I think we should head down to the map room and see what we have. I have a feeling that we don’t have a clue where all the travelers are.”
The corners of Zedd’aki’s mouth turned up, “I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose you are right.”
They stood up and headed out the door. When they got to the main hall, Ja’tar took a look around. Zedd’aki was right, the place was a mess. He closed his eyes, wove three spells in quick succession, and let them loose. The dirt, dust and grime all dissolved, the windows brightened and the doors all re-hung themselves.
Zedd’aki grinned and got in on the action, weaving his own. He spun his arms in wide arcs and twirled in a circle, his robe billowing. The magic shot from his fingertips. He straightened the paintings, polished the floors, removed the cobwebs and fed energy into the wood, which was dry and checked.
“Better?” Ja’tar asked, nodding in Zedd’aki’s direction while he watched the weathered wood come back to life.
“Better.” Zedd’aki grinned, putting his hands on his wrist. “But we have much work to do.”
“You have that right!”
Ja’tar spun a weave and watched the floor tiles ripple and level themselves.
“Makes me want to break out my wand and give this place a thorough cleaning,” Zedd’aki chortled.
Ja’tar smirked and coughed loudly. “Do you even know where your wand is?”
Zedd’aki took on an indignant air, pushed his chin out and his nose up, “Of course! Do you know where yours is?”
“I know about where it is.”
Zedd’aki snorted loudly. “About? What does that mean?”
Ja’tar grinned and slapped his friend on his back. “It means it is somewhere between here and there, but definitely in the Keep.”
Zedd’aki snorted. “That’s what I thought ...”
They continued casting their spells as they wandered down the halls to the map room. Ja’tar used his ring and let them in. After a short time, the map appeared.
Ja’tar maneuvered the map, finding Dra’kor and Men’ak in Three Rivers, but as he continued his search, he came up nearly empty handed. He couldn’t find Grit. It wasn’t long before he came to the same conclusion as Zedd’aki. There weren’t many travelers in the near realms. Although he hadn’t searched all of the realms, he had only found one in Five Peaks and knew that he probably wouldn’t find many more.
“This is bad,” Zedd’aki grumbled, setting his hands on the granite top and stared at the map.
“It’s worse than I expected,” Ja’tar added, glancing over at his friend.
“Now what?” Zedd’aki asked.
“I’m not sure. We don’t even know who is plotting against us,” he said, as he continued to stare at the empty map.
“I think it’s the Ten,” Zedd’aki suggested angrily, throwing his fists down hard on the table. “They had access to the Keep, the tower, and they were powerful enough to do it.”
Ja’tar expressed sadness. “I’m afraid you are right.” He shook his head. All indications are that they were involved.
“It still doesn’t make any sense to me,” Zedd’aki grumbled, turning away from the map.
“What doesn’t make sense?” Ja’tar asked, trying to read Zedd’aki’s expression.
“Well, for one thing, where the halla are they? Why go through all this effort and then disappear?” Zedd’aki swore, throwing up his hands in frustration.
“You’re right, you know. It doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Ja’tar said, after reflection on Zedd’aki’s observation.
“Either way, we should pull all the travelers back to the Keep.” Zedd’aki suggested.
“I hate to do it, but I guess it would be for the best,” Ja’tar said. “At least we can face whatever is coming together. If we’re scattered, they can pick us off one by one.”
“Do we need Qu’entza’s help, or can we do the Calling on our own?” Zedd’aki asked, raising his brow.
“We can do the Calling on our own,” Ja’tar confirmed.
“Then we should head down to the Chamber and get it over with. I’ll feel better once I know everyone is back here at the Keep, safe,” Zedd’aki blurted out.
“I’ll need to go to my quarters and review the spell. I haven’t done this in centuries and I don’t even remember the words to start, let alone command the return,” Ja’tar said, blushing.
Zedd’aki chortled, “I guess we can forgive you that transgression, but next time ...”
Ja’tar joined him with an uneasy laugh, dismissing the map. They left the room and walked down the hall. They reached the junction where Ja’tar had to leave to go to his apartment.
“I’ll see you in the Chamber within an hour,” Ja’tar said, walking off down an adjacent hall. Zedd’aki watched him go and then turned to make his way down into the bowels of the Keep.
Forgive Me
The next morning To’paz was up with the sun, its golden glow shined on her campsite. She broke her fast with hot cereal and honey. She didn’t bother to get dressed, there was no point! She sat cross-legged on the wool blanket and began to chant.
Sweat began to pour from he
r skin, she glowed with perspiration. Her eyes twitched and her hands shook. She went into a deep trance. She sat there, eyes rolled up so that only the whites showed. Her breasts heaved her breathing was course. A soft guttural groan came from her lips.
Her smooth stomach churned, rippled and throbbed as she grew her child. She collapsed around dinnertime into a deep sleep. She awoke late, cold and hungry. She stood shivering and gazed down at her day’s work. Her tummy bulged out slightly. She waited. She felt a sharp stab and knew her ….son had kicked her.
She looked down at her bracelet. All five stones still glowed. She smiled as she prepared her dinner. She ate everything she had prepared, and three cups of herbal tea. She couldn’t stay awake and fell back asleep, half in, half out of her heavy blankets.
As the days came and went, little changed except the size of her stomach. She figured she was five months pregnant the day the second jewel stopped glowing. Each day she was more exhausted. Each day it took her longer to recover. By the end of the week, she was too weak to walk to the stream to wash in the morning.
She knew she had to slow down. She slept. She ate. She slept some more. Nine days had elapsed, her time was due. The child was ready. She had spoken to him, tried to reassure him that all was well. She got water ready, and she waited. Around mid-day the first pain came.
She was in full labor two hours later, clutching at the ground, screaming out to ease the pain. The child came at the end of the fourth hour. She heard his cry. It was a good strong cry. She pushed herself upright and gently sponged him clean. She tied off the cord and cut it with her knife. She pulled the babe close to her breast and pushed herself back into the blankets. They both slept the entire night, the child somehow knowing his mother required her rest.
In the morning, she ate and cleaned. She still had two stones that glowed, but she was weaker now, and older. She knew she was older, she could see it in her skin. Her skin wasn’t as smooth and supple now. It was thinner, had small age spots, freckles. It was dry.
She rested, waking only to nurse the child. The child continued to quickly grow. That was to be expected. She had fed a lot of power into the boy. The child had his first birthday at the end of the week, just five days after his birth. To’paz was glad she had brought as much food as she had. The child didn’t nurse much now and was starting to require solid food. One more week was all the time she could afford. She would have to get back to town. She still had things she had to do.
The Third Sign Page 28
