Cathy laughed. It’s too late for ‘Larry’. The stick is planted too firmly up there.
I chuckled softly and kept climbing the stairs.
I have a quick question for you.
Ok, Cathy replied.
When I was fighting the possessed Mage, you were worried that we would both die...
Of course... Cathy said waiting for my question.
But if I died, wouldn’t your soul be free from mine because it is immortal?
I could feel Cathy hesitate before she finally answered. I’m not too sure that it would. Our souls are intertwined and therefore could be treated as one soul. There is a real possibility that when you die, I die.
Really?
Yes, Cathy said.
So I shouldn’t throw myself off these stairs?
Only if you plan on surviving the fall, Cathy answered.
At the top of the stairs, the castle loomed over us in a more welcoming tone then the first time we visited. The setting sun reflected off the white castle with a blinding light as I walked towards it. Opening the great door and entering the castle, I was struck with momentary blindness until my vision cleared and the looming figure of Captain Larson stood in front of me.
“Don’t you have a cure for that?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s called ‘leaving at night’,” I answered as I blinked my vision back into focus.
“What brings you back?” Ser Larson asked.
“I have evidence that Balendar wasn’t involved in the kidnapping of the Nesqian Princess,” I answered.
Ser Larson raised an eyebrow as a smirk broke out on his face. “Oh? This should be good.”
“I’d like to talk to the King now,” I said starting to doubt the situation.
“How do I know this isn’t some hoax?” he asked.
I pulled out the rolled up map and document from my pocket and held them up so Ser Larson could see.
“Interesting,” he said with genuine surprise. “May I inspect them?”
So that he can take them to the King and claim the credit? Cathy asked.
“I believe our agreement was that I discovered the evidence, and then I got to talk to the King,” I said as I stretched out with my mind.
“I still need to verify the information before I allow you to pass,” Ser Larson said extending his hand.
Feeling around with my mind, I doubted that I could trick Ser Larson with a simple Illusion spell but I could feel the energy from the plants and trees that decorated the Main Hall. It would be enough to get where I need to go.
“I can’t hand over the documents,” I said as Ser Larson sighed. “But I CAN give you this.”
The plant closest to Ser Larson lashed out at him, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards it. He called out and the other guards in the area turned to see what was going on. With Larson wrapped up, they didn’t waste any time advancing on my position. As they walked past plants, I made them grab at the guards as well. I ran across the room and up a small set of stairs that led to the throne room.
The throne room was just as open as the Main Hall with two long dining tables and the thrones of the King and Queen along the back wall. The guards stationed in this room saw me enter in a hurry and immediately drew their swords and started advancing on me. The guards from the Main Hall had broken free of the plants and blocked the exit out of the room. Ser Larson broke away from the crowd with his sword pointed directly at me but stopped as the sound of laughter filled the room. The group of guards in front of me parted as the smiling face of King Victor the 2nd joined my little circle of popularity.
“Well, now,” he started. “I’d like to say this is a surprise but it seems to happen at least once a month.”
The King continued to smile like the whole incident was a refreshing change from his day to day activities. With his freshly shaven bald head and grand beard he looked more like a friendly grandfather then ruler of an entire kingdom.
“My liege,” Ser Larson said with a mini bow. “Allow me to introduce you to Second Keeper Holcombe. We spoke about him the other day.”
“Ah, yes,” the King said as he dismissed the rest of the guards with a wave of his hand. “The one who promised to bring back proof that Balendar isn’t involved with the kidnapping. You’re still alive so I take it you have good news.”
“Yes, your majesty,” I said with a bow before pulling out the document and map and handing it to him.
The King immediately handed them to Ser Larson. “Are they accurate, Ser Larson?”
Ser Larson quickly scanned the map and document then handed them back to the King. “I recognize Mongoose’s handwriting.”
“Excellent,” the King smiled. “Ser Larson, if you will.”
“My liege,” Ser Larson said with a bow before exiting the room.
“Mr. Holcombe,” the King said turning to me. “Please join me at my throne.”
The King walked back to his throne at a leisurely pace, sitting down next to the Queen with a groan.
“Second Keeper, my wife, Queen Anne,” the King said motioning to his wife.
“It’s rare to host to a Keeper,” Queen Anne started with a slight bow of her head. “I see we are off to a wonderful start.”
“You’ll have to forgive my rude entrance,” I said with a bow. “It was urgent for me to see the King.”
“Isn’t it always with you, Mages?” the King chuckled as he lowered the document. “Why is it that Mages don’t trust the normal folk?”
“Because we grow up with other Mages,” I answered. “You get used to thinking everyone is out to get you.”
The King smiled. “Well, you can trust us out here in the real world. Life is hard. If you can’t trust other people to help you, it will only make it harder.”
“I will have to remember that,” I said.
“Maybe then my guardsmen won’t have to chase you around my home again,” the King chuckled.
I heard the sound of armour shuffling behind me and turned around to see Ser Larson approaching holding a large white staff.
“Ah, Ser Larson, good timing,” the King said before turning back to me. “He and I had a little wager to whether you could pull this off. Looks like I lost.”
He refolded the map and documents and handed them back to me.
“Take these with the staff and head down to Nesqa,” he continued. “I need you to present this evidence to Emperor Naliwa so a truce can be called. We won’t be able to talk peace until the Princess has been found but at least the borders will be open for trade again.”
“Yes, your majesty,” I nodded.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, there is much work to be done,” the King said.
“I’ll lead you out,” Ser Larson said as I turned around.
He led me out of the throne room with one eye always on my hands. At the front door of the Main Hall, he stood as far away from the plants as possible and handed me the staff. “I believe this was the deal,” he said.
“That was quick,” I said as I took the staff and admired its shine.
“We know how you Mages work,” he said with a smirk. “We always have one ready.”
“What’s it made from? I’ve never seen a white metal like this,” I asked.
“And you never will,” he answered. “It’s just folded steel, but the Forge of Kings is something else. Nobody has ever been able to figure it out. There is just some ancient magic that makes it stronger.”
“Thank you and I apologize for the earlier commotion,” I said.
He shrugged. “Happens more than you would think. First time being tied up by plants though.”
“Glad I could do something new for you,” I chuckled.
“Good luck out there,” Ser Larson nodded then turned around and left.
“You too,” I muttered as I left the castle.
So congratulations on the staff, Cathy said as I stepped outside.
There you are. I thought you had fallen asleep or something.
<
br /> I almost did with all the proper and polite conversation, Cathy replied. Let’s go kill some bandits now and wake up.
The polite conversation is needed sometimes...not all the time, but sometimes.
That’s why I didn’t interrupt, she said as I started down the Stairway of Kings. Now let’s gather your friends and go kill someone.
I headed down the stairs and crossed the market to the meeting spot at the docks. It wasn’t a long wait before Natalie and Aaron returned.
“Nice staff,” Natalie said as they approached.
“How’d it go?” I asked.
“I have a buyer,” Natalie said happily. “I can live up to my promise.”
“What’s the plan now?” Aaron asked. “Back to the Tower?”
I shook my head. “I have three more items to gather. I’m heading to Nesqa.”
“Good luck with that!” Natalie exclaimed. “Word is you can’t even get past the border.”
“Yeah, we will,” I smiled.
Aaron chuckled awkwardly. “Unfortunately there is no ‘we’. I have to go back to the farm. I’ve already been gone long enough. My parents are going to be worried sick.”
“What about you, Natalie?” I asked.
“No way am I going to Nesqa,” she said. “I’m more wanted there then here. Only they won’t string me up to a tree and leave me for the Lagoona Monster here. Besides,” she smiled and looked at Aaron, “I agreed to escort him back home.”
Aaron blushed slightly and smiled.
Ooh la la, Cathy laughed.
I chuckled. “Good luck you too. It’s been fun.”
“You’re a weird guy, ‘Demon’,” Natalie said. “But better then most.”
“Right back at you,” I smiled. “Nate”
“It’s been one hell of an adventure,” Aaron said.
“You’re going to miss out on the rest of it,” I said.
“That’s a choice I can live with,” Aaron chuckled as he pulled out a short sword and handed it to me. “You’re going to need this more then me. We won’t be around to save your life anymore.”
“You keep it,” I said. “I have a staff.”
“Use both,” Natalie suggested.
“A staff and a sword?” I asked. “What am I? Some white bearded wizard leading an army into battle?”
“Now THERE’S a mental picture,” Natalie chuckled.
Aaron insisted with the sword and I took it and watched them board the ferry. After I secured the sword to my waist, I waved as the ferry left the dock.
So they are really going to try that whole love thing? Cathy asked.
Looks like it.
It won’t last long, Cathy said.
That’s harsh.
But true, she replied. He’s a stay at home farm boy and she’s a wild girl adventurer. She’ll grow bored and leave him.
I suppose that’s true, but you never know.
Right, Cathy said. ‘Love is delusional’
I thought the expression was ‘Love is blind’.
Same thing, she said.
I laughed and pulled out the map the Keeper gave me.
If we leave now we could make it to the village of Rooksbend by nightfall and head for the border in the morning.
Think the next item will be easy? She asked.
This one was tough so the next one should be easy to average things out...right?
No comment, Cathy answered.
Chapter 21
Climbing the stairs two at a time, I had to reach her door before it is too late. They were coming for her and if I failed...
No, I can’t think that way. She’s still alive.
Please be alive, my love…
At the top of the stairs, I slammed through the door into the bedroom. She stood in the middle of the bedroom glowing like an angel, long brown hair, bright blue eyes and pale skin. She truly was a vision to behold.
I approached her and fell to one knee and bowed. “You are safe, Princess. We must get you out of here.”
“You’re dreaming, Andy,” she replied. “Snap out of it.”
I stood up. “I don’t know what you are saying, my princess.”
“We don’t have time for you to figure it out on your own,” she said as she hurried across the room to close the door. “Think carefully. Who am I?”
I studied her as she walked back to the other side of the room furthest from the door. There was something about her and the more I thought the more a name kept popping into my head.
“Cathy,” I said.
“There you go,” she smiled weakly. “I knew you could do it. Come on, hit me with a Dispel.”
A pounding sound came from the bedroom door as shouts for blood filled the night.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Now’s not the time,” she answered worried. “I rather not go through this again. Hit me with a Dispel.”
Power flowed to my hand and I launched a Dispel at Cathy. The world started to shimmer as the bedroom door exploded off its hinges. Cathy and I took a couple of steps back as the horde of fading guards rushed at us. The dream world dissolved leaving us in the open field of my subconscious.
“HA!” Cathy exclaimed. “It worked.”
“You didn’t think it would?” I asked worried.
“You can never know,” she answered. “With dreams it is difficult to be sure.”
“Well, it’s handy to know that if one of us is having a bad dream we could always end it,” I said.
“I don’t think it will work for you,” she said as she sat down on the ground under the tree. “Because I am a magical being by nature you can disrupt me with a Dispel and gain control of your subconscious again. But because you are human you can’t stop your own subconscious.”
“So, that was a previous memory of yours?” I asked as I sat down beside.
“Yeah, and a really unpleasant one at that,” she said.
“But you will still tell me about it,” I smiled.
“Only because you’ll keep bugging me about it,” she smiled back.
“We know each other so well,” I joked.
She chuckled. “Here it goes. One of my possessions was a daughter to the King. This was way back at the end of the first era or beginning of the second era. The Tower was in power and anyone with magical capabilities was sent to the Tower at a very young age. The old King was too proud for his daughter to be taken away from him so he kept her powers secret. During her first Demon dream, I possessed her.”
“That must have been back before people really understood Demon possessions,” I said.
“Possessions have been around forever,” she replied. “But yeah, the formation of your Tower was a way to fight back against us Demons.”
“Then over time they became corrupt,” I said.
“It’s hard not to become corrupt when you have so much power,” Cathy pointed out. “But anyways, I possessed the Princess of Balendar and wanted to celebrate my accomplishment. Unfortunately because of a lifetime of hiding her magic she wasn’t very strong and the King was a bit of a controlling tyrant. I ended up just being a prisoner in the castle.”
“Who was I in the dream?” I asked. “His…emotions seemed too complex to be just a dream shadow for me to inhabit.”
“Are you sure they just weren’t YOUR emotions,” she teased. I just gave her a look. “Fine, yeah, he was a real person, one of the princess’ personal guards. He was so deeply and madly in love with her and she was in love with him. I actually used that to possess her in the dream. I was proud of that one, it was the first and only time I successfully possessed a girl.
“Well I thought it would be fun to mess with his emotions but the girl’s emotions were so strong that I could never bring myself to hurt him. And besides, he was the only fun in that bloody castle so we became close friends.”
“Close close?” I asked giving her a nudge.
She laughed. “Nothing physical. Just friends.”
“Alright,”
I smiled. “When did it get found out that the Princess was possessed?”
“Almost an entire season,” she answered. “I was making the girl stronger in her magic so I could finally get some freedom. When I finally used the magic against him, he was outraged and claimed I was possessed. ‘No daughter of mine would ever raise a hand against me’ was his proof. I think that even if I didn’t possess this girl, the day she finally stood up to him would have been the day he killed her either way. Poor girl.”
I just shook my head.
“So the King gets upset,” Cathy continued, “I tried to fight my way out but kept getting pushed back until I was cornered in the bedroom. I had been in this situation many times before and knew I was going to die. But then Lover Boy shows up wanting to defend me. I tried to get him to leave and save himself but he refused. When the guards broke through, he was cut down quickly. My…” she stopped and looked at the ground, “the girl’s heart broke and a powerful wave of emotion ripped through the body. I was executed in the room by the King.”
I nodded slowly. “Do you think that maybe you were a little more attached to him then you thought?”
Cathy hesitated and looked up at me. “I’m…not sure. Being in her body with Human emotions made me feel like it but after I was killed and I looked at it again it was just simple foolishness. He should have run away and saved himself but he didn’t. He was just a fool.”
Cathy looked back down at the ground and we sat in silence for a second. “What do you think now?” I asked
“Having Human emotions again and being in the dream has made me look at it again,” she answered. “Before you ask, ‘did I love him’ the answer is no. Did I like him though? Yeah, he had become a friend and it was because of me that he was killed. Part of me wishes that I could leave your body so I could stop feeling this… guilt.”
“Guilt is a part of life,” I said. “It helps us grow and learn responsibility for our actions. It’s easy to screw up your own life because only you suffer the consequences. If you start to drag other people into your mess, you are responsible for whatever happens to them.”
“It’s just easier to be alone,” Cathy said.
The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 Page 17
