“Allow me to introduce you to those who accompanied me during the latter part of my journey...”
“No need,” the head monk said, turning toward Kezthrem. “I’m pleased to see you here among us once again, master of Iretane.”
“Hello again, Ralon.”
The exchange brought to Glaide’s mind the words of Ydref, the protector who had come to visit Kezthrem. He had said that during his own training, Kezthrem had constantly spoken about this place. So of course, it only made sense that he would know some of the inhabitants! Koeris, however, wore a questioning look. Before his gaze, Ralon explained, “It makes sense that you’ve never met this man. You’ve joined us only recently, and since most missions outside of this place are entrusted to you, you are rarely here when we have guests.”
“So, then,” declared Kezthrem, “let me introduce Glaide, my disciple.” The young man and the monk greeted each other, then the master continued, “I’ve brought him here with good reason, but we’ll have time to speak about that later. He has nearly reached the end of his training, but before we part ways, I wanted him to see this place.”
Ralon nodded slowly, then with a start, added, “Oh, but look, we’re chatting away, and I’m completely forgetting my duties as host! Come in, come in, please!”
The three followed him inside, entering a large room with no decorations to speak of. At the back, some sliding panels were visible, much like those in Kezthrem’s home, leading to other rooms, and along the side were a number of windows. The windows to the right looked out on the forest, while those to the left overlooked the mountain. The travelers put down their sacs, and Glaide took off his cape at the same time, then the group moved to the back of the room, through one of the panels, and into a very large square tower.
Against the edges of the tower, stairs and walkways led to external passageways heading toward other buildings in the temple complex. There were also a number of rooms branching off from the tower itself. The entire place was swarming with people scuttling about from entrance to entrance, and up and down the stairs. The hustle and bustle brought a smile to the adolescent as he also admired the beauty of the place. Everything was made of wood, carefully polished and kept up, and the light that entered from the many openings in the walls made the entire place gleam.
From where they stood, the four could lean forward over the railing and make out all of the levels below them. They stood several yards above the ground, and would have to descend several flights of stairs to reach the bottom level. The building itself was not terribly tall, as it was built into the backside of the hill that the entrance appeared at the top of, so it could be no taller than the hill itself.
Once they’d reached the bottom level, they moved into a room that featured a large table in the center. To the right, left, and back of the room, they could see doors that led outside. Ralon, wanting to show the young man around a bit, headed for one of the exits. As they left through the back door to the room, Glaide realized that the room they’d just left had been built into a clearing just behind the hill, so that once you’d left the room, you found yourself in a grassy space bordered to the north by Oclin-Fer, to the south by the forest, and to the east, by a mixture of the two. The young man was surprised to see that the mountains didn’t end in abrupt cliffs, but rather slowly disappeared into the distance, moving farther and farther from the Known Lands. To the south, they slowly gave way to an impenetrable mass of trees and other vegetation.
As they finished the tour and looked about at everything, Glaide wondered how long this temple had existed.
The four stood there in silence for a few minutes, then Ralon suggested they settle in at the table to talk. Once arrangements were made so that Glaide and Kezthrem could stay as long as they liked, they would be free to move on to discuss more important subjects. Ralon took a place at the head of the table, Koeris to the left, and the master and his disciple to the right. The chairs around the table were very comfortable, although they appeared to be very old. Their host opened the conversation, addressing his two guests first.
“If you’ll allow me, before we discuss why you’re here, and before I answer any of your questions, I would like to hear from Koeris about his mission.”
The two nodded in agreement, and their companion began to recite his story.
“Accompanied by the group of protectors you assigned to me, I followed a route south toward the ruins. We came across no one, whether friend or enemy, on that whole journey. However, once we arrived, I found that the place was much bigger than we had anticipated. Nonetheless, the directions I’d been provided with proved adequate for me to find the object of our quest.
“We were not, however, sufficiently rapid in our search, so that by the time we were able to leave, the monsters under the command of Baras had become aware of our activity. Our return proved much more arduous. We sustained a number of attacks, both night and day, though they were all valiantly fended off by the magg and her protectors. We wound up coming across some merchants who were headed to Vlatendire. Hoping that by joining them, we would lose our pursuers, we travelled for a time with them. However, that was not the case, and a few days later, the entire group was attacked on a plateau not far from here.
“It was there that we met our two friends. They suggested that they accompany me from that point on, so I dismissed the magg and her protectors from their obligations. Finally, the three of us were attacked once more just before the entrance to this place.” Ralon mumbled something inaudible at that, then spoke again, more loudly this time.
“So then, these creatures are aware of everything having to do with invocation. That being said, though, the most important thing is that we have it in our possession.”
“On that count,” began Glaide timidly, “Koeris explained to us what was inside the box, but he couldn’t say much about what exactly invocation is.”
“Alas,” sighed the man, “I know little more. I think that it will take years before our magicians are able to use this skill, so it is entirely useless for now. But at least it is safe here.”
The young man was disappointed, because he had hoped to see firsthand what all of this was about. But, according to Ralon, this was a weapon he couldn’t hope to use for now. As Koeris handed over the famous box, Ralon continued, “But, since we’ve covered everything on that matter, let us move on to what brings you here, my friends.” The adolescent was about to reply, but his master proved faster.
“It is a bit complicated, and I see that the sun is already setting. Perhaps we can discuss this tomorrow, once we’re all sufficiently rested. I can say, though, that we are hoping to spend about a week here. Would that be acceptable to you?”
“As I said before,” Ralon replied, “you are welcome to stay as long as you like. How long have you been traveling?”
“About two weeks,” replied Glaide.
“So then, you are in great need of some rest! But before you go to bed, may I suggest we have some refreshments? I could eat a horse!” Kezthrem smiled at that, and Glaide readily agreed as he realized that his stomach was already rumbling in anticipation of a meal. “Follow Koeris, and he will take you to the dining hall. I need to put this box in a safe place. I’ll join you there in a few minutes.” With that, Ralon left the room.
Chapter 8
KOERIS invited his companions to follow him, then he returned to the tower with its many rooms. There, he went through a doorway to the left and, after climbing a few steps made of white marble, the small group found themselves in a large dining hall. Glaide had expected to find himself in a room able to hold hundreds of hungry people, but this room was nothing like that. The ceiling was high, to be sure, but there were no more than four large tables, each covered with tablecloths and glasses of wine. One of the tables was on a raised dais, allowing its occupants to see everything that went on in the room. The room as a whole was well illuminated, thanks to the high windows that let in the fading light of day.
“There
are only thirty of us who live here all year long,” Koeris announced, “But often we welcome friends and travelers here, as well.”
The adolescent suddenly caught a whiff of a delicious odor that made his mouth water. The smell seemed to be coming from the left, where he could see a double door that must lead to the kitchen.
“Come,” continued the monk, “take a seat. Ralon will rejoin us soon.”
He motioned toward the table on the dais, and Glaide realized that it was the place of honor. As they moved toward their table, a few monks began to find seats at the other tables, though not before stopping by the trio, politely greeting Kezthrem and his disciple, and exchanging a few words with Koeris. The young man noted that their companion was well beloved by the other monks, and many of them expressed their concern when he mentioned some of the more perilous aspects of his adventure.
“Ralon should be more careful where he sends you,” murmured one.
“One of these days, you might not return,” fussed another.
It seemed that the constant travels of their companion was a source of great worry for many of the monks. Koeris, however, always replied with a smile, finishing by promising to be more careful the next time. The three finally reached their table, and once they’d sat down, Glaide turned to the monk to ask a question.
“So, then, you are the one who is always sent on missions outside of the temple?”
“Oh, yes,” replied the monk with a smile. “Sometimes I have to recover this or that, like this time, with the parchment that I brought back, and sometimes I have to act as a scout, observing monsters who’ve decided to come too close for comfort. Once, I was even sent out to look for a man who was supposed to be able to see the future.”
“And did you find him?” asked the young man eagerly.
The older man turned his face away as he made his reply. “Well, I found his body,” he replied with a sigh. Within a few minutes, the room was almost entirely full. It was then that Ralon entered. At the sight of him, all of the occupants of the room stood and bowed their heads toward their mentor. He looked over the group and smiled, then moved to join his guests. However, before he sat down, he faced the assembly and addressed them.
“My friends, this week, we have the honor of welcoming our two guests who are seated here. It is not necessary for me to introduce Kezthrem, the master of Iretane to you, who is and will always be welcome among us.” At that, Kezthrem bowed his head to the crowd, who applauded.
“However, you have certainly never before met the young man who accompanies him today. I myself only met him a few hours ago. Let me introduce Glaide, Kezthrem’s disciple.” His words were followed by murmurs of surprise from the assembly, which astonished Glaide. Everyone there fixed their eyes on him.
“Oh yes, my friends,” replied Ralon earnestly. “You heard me right. The master of Iretane has a new student!”
With that, the entire group broke into thunderous applause. Everyone craned their necks to see the boy, pushing against their neighbors, making loud exclamations, and yelling congratulations to the young man, who couldn’t understand what was happening. He gave a careful nod to the monks, then turned to look at his master, who ignored his student’s gaze. An enigmatic smile flitting across his face was his only acknowledgement. Ralon raised his arms, and the clamour abated. He picked up a glass of wine, and everyone else did the same. Glaide had no time to express his astonishment to see a monk drinking alcohol, because Ralon moved to make an announcement.
“This evening, we drink to Iretane, to its master, and to its new disciple, and of course, to the return of our brother, Koeris!” With that, everyone in the room emptied their glasses. Then, amidst the din of moving chairs and conversation, everyone sat back down. Glaide sat next to Kezthrem, facing Koeris. The two older men were seated at the right and left hands of Ralon, who was seated at the head of the table. Suddenly, the adolescent saw the two doors to the kitchen swing open, and five or six people came out carrying different dishes. Glaide, sporting a magnificent smile, immediately dove into what they offered him. A few moments later, once all of the dishes had been served, the young man decided to launch a discussion.
“Tell me, master, why did everyone seem so surprised earlier that I would be your disciple?”
He asked the question loudly enough that Koeris and Ralon could also hear it, so that Kezthrem couldn’t ignore it. He apparently understood exactly what the adolescent was attempting, because a small smile of amusement whisked across his face when he replied.
“That would be because my last disciple was Ydref, and as you know, he is much older than you.”
“In fact,” added Ralon, “it’s been years since Kezthrem has taught anyone. We had thought he never would again.” He turned toward the master of Iretane and added, “But it seems you’ve finally abandoned your incessant traveling to live a more sedentary lifestyle.”
“Once I’ve explained the reason we are here, you will understand my choice,” replied the man.
“Wait a minute,” interrupted Glaide. “What do you mean by ‘incessant traveling’? You weren’t living in the dojo before we met, master?”
This time, the man let out a deep sigh that the younger man couldn’t interpret. He couldn’t think of any reason for it. It was Ralon who replied.
“Does he know what happened?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“Yes,” replied Kezthrem simply, and in a monotonous tone.
“Glaide, after the death of Elowen, your master was entrusted with the task of teaching Iretane.” The boy instantly understood that the monk was speaking of his master’s magg. He listened attentively to what was to come, his face grave. “It was he himself who recounted his story to me the first time we met, but anyway, after the story came to a close, he set up in Shinozuka and trained a number of students. He thought with time, he would be able to forget what had happened. However, after four or five years, he found that the number of disciples he had had slowly dwindled, and so he chose to leave the bustle and noise of the capital. He returned to the dojo, where you met him. It was there that he met and taught Ydref, but he found that when Ydref had finished his training, no other student arrived to take his place, and the old memories resurfaced.”
Kezthrem’s gaze remained fixed on his plate throughout the story, and he ate slowly, without stopping. However, the look on his face betrayed the fact that he was carefully listening to the retelling of his story. Glaide found himself reminded of the words of the peasant that he and his friends had spoken to in Shinozuka, back when they had first been looking for someone to teach them Iretane. The man had informed them that the master of that style had left the city years before.
“So after he taught Ydref, he found himself alone...” the young man said softly. Ralon nodded.
“So, your master left to travel the world, hoping he would one day be able to accept what had happened. During his absence, it fell to his father, Uziere, to once again teach Iretane.”
Glaide nodded, then turned to Kezthrem.
“So when you began to look for me, after the village was destroyed, it was only then that you chose to return from your travels?”
“Yes. But that’s enough about that.” As if in response to his words, the servants appeared suddenly, removing their dishes and serving dessert. Glaide threw himself into the food once again, much to the amusement of Koeris, who exclaimed, “How can you eat so much? Did you forget to bring provisions for your journey?” He burst into laughter at that. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood that night and so the adolescent decided to ask another question he’d been wondering about.
“So, when was this temple actually built?” The question was directed to no one in particular, and it was Koeris who replied, while Ralon and Kezthrem began their own conversation off to the side.
“From what I’ve heard, this place is about five hundred years old.”
“Mm, that’s impressive,” Glaide replied.
“It was Novak and Dzen who
had it built. Over time, successive generations of monks have worked to keep it up, as well as to protect the knowledge it holds. But I’ll take some time during the week to explain to you more precisely what happened between the time of the warriors and this era of decline that is our own, if you like.”
“That would be great,” he replied enthusiastically. “I’ve noticed that very few people are aware of exactly what is going on in the Known Lands today, or what happened in the past. You’re actually the first person, aside from my master, to even mention him by the name ‘Dzen’, instead of calling him a ‘protector whose name has been forgotten’, as I’ve so often heard.”
“That’s true,” agreed the man with a sad smile. “Too many things have been forgotten, and too many alliances have failed.”
“Are you talking about the elves and the dwarves?”
“And the barbarians, too,” exclaimed Koeris. “You should also know that the weapon you carry once belonged to Novak.”
“I did know that. Kezthrem explained how Dzen had forged two, and that he gave one to Bren as a gift.”
“Exactly, and he gave that one to Rackk before he passed away. But we can discuss all of that again, never fear. However, I have found myself wondering just how you came to possess such an object.”
“This time, it is my turn to ask you to be patient. Tomorrow, my master will explain everything.”
“Very good,” the man said with a nod. The conversations continued on to other topics for awhile. Bit by bit, Glaide noticed the other occupants leaving the room, until finally, only he and his three companions remained. Seated so comfortably in his chair and listening to the conversations around him, he found himself wishing the evening could go on indefinitely. However, he soon began to feel the accumulated fatigue of their journey, and despite himself, he found himself yawning. The sight didn’t escape the eyes of the other three, and Ralon chose to end the evening.
Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons Page 6
