"And if I knew where this helmet was, would you let us go?" Heather asked, trying not to show her nervousness.
The King's smile slipped and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that." He straightened up but remained standing on the side of the table. He motioned to the man in the brown robe, who had taken up position on the other side of the table. "This is Agminion. He's the royal sorcerer."
Heather's eyes widened and she glanced at Agminion. She had guessed magician but plainly she had been wrong. She wasn't sure exactly he was capable of and that bothered her. The thought of Dagan compelling the captain of the guard to do as he had bidden flashed across her mind. It wasn't a comforting thought.
"And this," the King said waving his hand in the general direction of the black robed man, who was now standing at the end of the table, "is Laric, my magician."
"What are they here for?" Heather asked. She wasn't sure what they were about to do to her and that was a problem. It was good that Myrus' torturers were not about to start working on her, but the down side was that she didn't know what these men were capable of doing.
The King turned to Laric, "Are you ready?"
"Yes, your majesty," Laric answered with a small bow of his head. He leaned forward and for the first time Heather noticed that he held a goblet. He slowly tilted the goblet and a red gelatinous liquid began to dribble out onto Heather's leg. He slowly proceeded around the table, after the king and Agminion moved out of his way. About half way around the table he began to speak softly. So softly in fact, that Heather could barely make out the words, but she felt certain that she knew what he was doing.
"Is he casting a spell?" she asked, her eyes seeking for and finding the king.
The King nodded. "Yes. Laric is young but very talented. Myrus's ways do work but we have had better luck with this method. You see, Laric's spell will disorient and confuse you and then Agminion's abilities will come in to play. The two of them together like this have never failed me."
Heather watched the liquid being slowly poured on the table around her head. "I don't understand. Is this some sort of torture?"
"No," King Stennis answered. "Think of it as a truth spell, although there isn't such a thing. A sorcerer and magician working like this will almost assuredly compel you to tell the truth." He shrugged, "It is not full proof, but I have never seen it fail. In a matter of minutes, you will be telling me where the helmet is."
Heather less.ionooked down at the table and realized that the liquid was mixing with the powder that had already been on the table. The two were combining and causing a funny smelling cloud to hang low over the table. The smell made her head woozy and she found that she was having difficulty focusing her eyes.
Several hours later King Stennis led his sorcerer and magician from one of the "questioning" rooms and stopped in the hall. There were no guards in sight. The king looked from one man to the other. "So? Any ideas how this happened?"
"No sir," Laric answered immediately.
"How about you?" King Stennis asked of Agminion. "Could they have all been conditioned to resist yours and Laric's spells?"
Agminion shook his head, "I do not think so, your majesty. I had never heard of this," he motioned in Laric's direction, "joining magic and sorcery to force honesty from a person until I became your sorcerer. I doubt there are that many who know of what we do here."
King Stennis sighed. It was true. This particular trick, combining magic and sorcery was very rare and he had never heard of a way to teach someone how to resist. The odds of them all having the natural ability to resist was unbelievable. That left only one possibility. "Agminion. In your opinion, are they telling the truth?"
The sorcerer hesitated a moment and nodded. "I believe so, your majesty."
"Uh, Sir," Laric put in hesitantly, "there's still one more prisoner."
"Yes, but this won't work on him." Agminion said. "He's a sorcerer and a fairly powerful one at that."
The King was silent for several long moments. Laric unconsciously fidgeted but Agminion waited patiently. Finally King Stennis pulled himself up to his full height. "How long until the prisoners recover?"
Laric blinked and began to furiously consider the question, but Agminion answered first. "They all should be awake early tomorrow morning."
The King nodded. "Good. Once they're all alert, take them back to their cells and let me know."
Chapter 20
The four Guardians and Keenan gathered just outside of the main village building, Kara was the last to arrive. The sun was going down and had already dropped below the tops of the trees. The shadows were long but at least the heat of the day had passed. They could see Leela standing at the top of the stairs waiting for them. Derek turned his back to the building and faced his friends.
"All right, listen to me. I'm not sure about what's about to happen but I want each of you to remain quiet and let me speak for us. Understood?" Derek eyed each of them in turn.
Enstorion simply rolled his eyes, which could have meant anything.
Trestus shrugged and nodded and of all of them, he was the one that Derek trusted to be quiet.
Keenan frowned and looked rather grumpy. He was a prince after all and not used to being told what to do. He also wasn't uhere ght="0"sed to letting others take the lead in negotiations.
Kara's right eyebrow was twitching and she most definitely looked unhappy. She crossed her arms under her breasts and began tapping her foot. Not a good sign. "Derek, we need to talk."
Derek shook his head, "Not now. This Master of theirs is waiting for us." Kara just glowered at him.
Derek sighed. He thought longingly of the days when he had been just another soldier, fighting for his life against overwhelming odds. Turning around, he led them up the stairs and stopped one step below the top. Leela stood there, watching them. Her arms were by her sides and she seemed vaguely welcoming.
"Leela," Derek said and nodded his head at the woman. "We have been asked here to meet this lord of yours."
"He's not a lord. He's the Master of the Forest," Leela corrected, but she moved out of the way.
Derek opened the door and stepped into the dark interior. The building was, for the most part, as he remembered it; maybe a little darker. There wasn't a fire in the pit this time, but torches had been lit and hung every few feet on the wall. There was one table in the middle of the room and it was covered with food; this time, there was roast venison as well. The smell of the deer made his mouth water.
Derek walked up to the edge of the table, followed closely by Keenan, Kara, Trestus, and lastly by Enstorion. Leela had entered as well, but she stood off to the side.
Two men waited for them by the head of the table. The first one was Gilbert, the man they had met when they arrived that first day. The second man was undoubtedly the man they all referred to as the Master, but he stood in the shadows.
"My name is Derek Aldanon and I am a member of the Guardians. Your people were of assistance to us when we entered the forest, but since then they have detained us and refused to let us leave. Our business is important and you had no right to delay us. Several more days and we would have been forced to fight out way free."
Both Trestus and Kara looked surprised, but only briefly. Derek knew better than to negotiate from a position of weakness, that was something he had learned being born into a merchant house.
Gilbert looked indignant and looked about ready to speak, but just then the other man stepped forward into the light. He was short and a little pudgy. Certainly not a handsome man, his nose was too big and he had a short but scruffy looking beard. His black hair was peppered with gray and he had the unmistakable look of a man who had never worked a hard day in his life. But there was something about him; a feeling of authority.
The silence in the room was broken by a gasp from Kara. Derek looked at her questioningly, but her eyes were locked on the newcomer. She was most definitely surprised and Derek got the feeling she had met this man before.
"Kara?" Derek asked in confusion.
Kara never took her eyes from the man. "I know him. This is Archbishop Nathan Tanner."
"Archbishop?" Derek repeated, turning his gaze back to the two men. His hand automatically dropped to his belt knife. A sudden and worrisome thought occurring to him. Was this a trick of the Church's?
Nathan held up his handstang. Der in front of him. "Peace. I will not harm you." His voice was a bit nasally and he smiled reassuringly as he spoke.
"He wasn't just any bishop either," Kara continued, still staring at the man. "His primary mission was to gather information on the enemies of the church."
A spy, Derek thought. The Church of Adel was rumored to pay for information. People who openly discussed their anger at the Church had a way of disappearing, as did those who talked quietly about their anger. Rumors said the Church would pay for any information on trouble makers, gossips, or general unhappiness when it came to the Church. It was even rumored that the Church granted certain dispensations so that its informants could do unsavory things to get in good with the subjects of their investigations.
Nathan dropped his hands to his side and nodded. His smile was gone and now his expression was one of guilt. "It's true, I'm afraid. For a very long time, I was one of the most vile men you could ever imagine. I had children interrogated so that I could verify their parents' guilt, I paid whores to ruin the lives of men who disagreed with the Church, and I even blackmailed or threatened men into silence." He paused and took a deep breath, "When those way did not work, I made those men disappear."
"Why do you want to talk to us?" Derek asked. "Why not just let us go?" It seemed obvious to him that they had walked into a trap. He immediately began reconsidering that belief. The Church would not work with the type of people that had found refuge in the forest, unless Nathan was sent here to destroy them.
Nathan looked to Kara. "Do you know the rest of my story?"
Kara looked puzzled for a moment, "I believe you disappeared after earning the High Priest's displeasure."
"I ran for my life from the old bastard." Nathan corrected. His words caused several of the Guardians to start in surprise and Kara even gasped again. "I am no longer in the service of the Church of Adel. I was excommunicated and there is a standing order to kill me as soon as I am found. There is to be no trial or arrest. I am to be killed like some diseased animal before I can infect the other cattle." He paused for a moment, "That's one of the reasons no one was willing to tell you my name."
"Still doesn't answer my question," Derek said firmly. He didn't know exactly what was going on and he wanted to proceed carefully.
"Quite true," Nathan agreed. He motioned behind him at the table loaded down with food. "Please. Won't you join me and I will explain everything while we eat."
Derek didn't like either of the options that he had. He could refuse their host's invitation and try to fight their way free, but he didn't like the odds. He didn't like the second option either, but as it was the lesser of two dangers, he grudgingly pulled a chair back and sat down.
Nathan smiled and moved to the head of the table, while Gilbert sat immediately to his left. Strangely, Leela moved up and sat down at Nathan's right. The other Guardians and Keenan also took seats and for a moment there was silence. Both sides just sat there, staring at each other.
The silence was at last broken by Nathan, "I was very good at what I did. Many thought that I might be the next high priest, but that was a long time ago." He motioned to the food, "PleaAt lbutse help yourselves and I will explain."
Derek nodded his head and there was a clanking as people began to scoop food on to the wooden plates. Derek alone did not eat. He wasn't sure if there was something in the food or drink, but he was determined to keep a clear head. Under no circumstances was he going back to another torture room.
Nathan smiled, as if he could read Derek's mind. "There were many troubling things associated with my job. I was able to dismiss them for a long time, but there came a time when I couldn't overlook them anymore. I began to have doubts."
Derek glanced at Kara, but she was watching Nathan wide-eyed.
"I ignored those doubts for a while but they continued to grow." He paused and took a deep breath, "One night I had a dream. I believe I was given a charge, a mission." He paused again and then he hurried quickly, "I believe that I was given a divine mission from Adel himself."
With a sudden worry, Derek glanced around at his comrades. Several of them met his gaze and he knew they were thinking the same thing that he was, this man's crazy.
Nathan noticed the looks but did not comment on them, instead he continued with his story. "I was unsure of what to do. I confided in a friend of mine. Simon was a lifelong friend, that is until he told the high priest about my doubts and dreams. I barely escaped with my life."
"What was your divine mission?" Derek asked, not really believing any of this rubbish.
Nathan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the edge of the table. "I was sent to this forest and given certain abilities. I was put in charge here and commanded to protect these people. They will be very important in the coming battle."
"What battle?" Kara asked quickly, forgetting Derek's command to remain quiet.
Nathan shook his head, "I do not know, but there is one coming. I believe that you might actually know more about that than I do." He turned his gaze to rest on Keenan. "Isn't that right, Prince of Tizen?"
Gilbert and Leela both started at the question, obviously neither of them had known Keenan's identity until just then.
To his credit, Keenan did not shrink from the question or fidget under all those stares. He held Nathan's gaze for a moment and then nodded. "King Zarum dreams of fighting the Demon Lord War over, but this time he wants to win."
The words had a chilling affect on Derek and he didn't like the way they sounded. "Does he have any wizards? Can they summon demons?"
Keenan shook his head. "Not that I know of, but that man is a secretive little monster. If he did have a way of summoning demons, I'm sure that I would not know about it."
Derek turned back to Nathan. "You think that your mission is to build an army? How many wildlings do you have? Ten? Twenty? That's hardly an army."
"It wasn't too long ago that there were none of us," Nathan answered. "More enter the woods everyday. But I'm sure we will be ready for whatever Lord Adel has in mind for us." Silence greeted these words and Nathan looked around the table at each of them. "I believe that my mission has less to do with raising an army or even piv> d for urotecting this wood, than it has to do with Kelcer." The words sent a collective shiver around the table.
"What do you know about it?" Kara asked, leaning forward.
"The time draws near." Nathan answered. "I believe that Zarum's desire for war is tied in with the prophecy." He tilted his head as he studied her, "Does Flaranthlas have Ossendar?"
Derek opened his mouth to speak, to say they didn't know, but Kara spoke first.
"Yes. He returned to Telur nearly a month ago."
Everyone at the table stared at Kara and, unlike Keenan, she did fidget under their gazes. She turned her attention to Derek, "I found out this afternoon."
"How?" Derek asked, when he found his voice.
Kara looked uncomfortable. "Shouldn't we discuss that later? In private?"
"My dear girl," Nathan said grinning, "I do not know how you got your information, but I too would like to hear it."
Kara glanced at Derek and he shrugged. So she began to tell them the story of what Cassandra had told her. Trestus and Derek both got solemn at the news of Philip's death, although Enstorion's expression did not change a bit. But all of them, including Enstorion, looked shocked at the news of Flare's theft of Ossendar and flight from Telur. Trestus was horrified of the news that his family was in hiding and even more scared of what would happen to them if they were caught. Several things Kara held back. She did not mention the three other items, the helmet, shield,
and armor. She also did not disclose that Cassandra and the others were currently imprisoned in Eled Aminor. She would relay that information, but just not in front of this bishop.
When she was finally through speaking, her throat was suddenly dry and she grabbed a goblet of water and began drinking. The water felt cool and comforting as she drained the glass. Silence descended on the table.
"Well, that was most enlightening." Nathan said after a moment. As one the others turned to look at him. There was fear and anxiety in those faces. "Be at peace," he said simply. "I have never met this elven prince, but you have. Do you really believe that he is the destroyer of the world?"
Several expressions turned troubled but no one spoke.
"The Church has spent the better part of the last two thousand years frightening people with Kelcer, but I no longer believe their version."
"What are you saying?" Kara demanded, fear and indignation plain on her face. "Are you questioning Adel?"
"Absolutely not." Nathan said emphatically. "However, I am questioning the Church of Adel." His face took on a serious expression. "I believe that all too often we confuse the two. The Church is managed by men, and men are prone to error. I believe that our understanding of Kelcer is wrong."
Her skin flushed, Kara was getting angry and looked ready to explode. Derek asked a question quickly to try and divert her anger. "So what do you think the Kelcer prophecy means?"
Nathan sighed. "I'm afraid that I do not know. I know that I believe it is not what we have been taught. It has been uwhat
After a moment Derek shook his head, "No."
"Neither do I and I have studied Kelcer for many years. It's very complicated but I think I have information that may help you."
"Help us? How?" Derek asked.
"Ossendar is one of the first signs of the imminent restoration of the Dragon Order, but there are other less known signs." He grinned, enjoying the feeling of being a teacher with a rapt pupil. "Have you ever heard about the helmet of Ashteroth? It is rumored to be stored in a treasure room in Eled Aminor and I believe that it is another of the signs." Nathan stopped speaking and watched each of them. Derek and Trestus looked confused, Enstorion looked bored, as he had for the whole meeting. Keenan looked thoughtful and Kara looked, he paused, she looked resigned. "You already knew?" He asked her shrewdly.
Valley of the Ancients: Book Three of the Restoration Series Page 23
