Fate (Inner Space Adventures Book 1)

by J B Forest

  “I would not put too much emphasis on the depth of your wisdom brother,” laughed Ionoe. “But you have settled down and at least consider the consequences of your actions before leaping forward without thought.”

  “Enough of this sibling banter,” he waved as he sat across from his sister on the bench and stretched out his legs. “How did the Council receive your plan?”

  “At first they were hesitant to believe that a serious threat exists. But there were some present who also felt the disturbance and could not explain its origins. I arranged for the mages to be present and they confirmed that the mostly likely explanation for the tremors was a rift in the astral plane from within the Fae Dominion. This confirmation seemed to satisfy most of the Council. There were two holdouts; the same two who are opposed to any new or different ideas.”

  She got up and crossed the room to the table. She reached for a goblet and poured the contents from the pitcher into it. She took a sip and frowned, “do you have anything other than wine to drink?”

  “Sorry, I was not expecting any guests,” smirked Tristen. “I will have some water brought in and some of the food left over from the evening meal. I am rather hungry.”

  Tristen stepped outside the bedchamber and beckoned to a palace courier who was passing in an adjacent corridor. He gave the courier instructions to have water and food brought to the room. Then he returned to his seat on the bench.

  “The Council agreed with our plan to send someone into the Unseelie domain to determine the extent of involvement and identify the perpetrators. I dismissed the main body and kept the Inner Council members to discuss the details. I wanted to minimize the risk that this information would spread any farther than necessary.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “Not even the Inner Council members know the identity of our chief spies, but they do know that such a cadre exists. We agreed that I would dispatch two of our senior spies to the Unseelie domain to accomplish the mission. Only you and I are privy to their identities.”

  “Have you issued the orders yet?” asked Tristen.

  “No, I wanted both of us to speak with them to emphasize the importance of the mission and the need for stealth and speed. We have not had much work for the cadre outside of the simple domestic intelligence issues for quite some time.”

  “Very well, once I fill you in on my plans, I will find them and we will meet in your quarters. I will use the inner passages so that our movement will go unnoticed.”

  “Caution is the best approach,” agreed Ionoe. “I do not think that Mogran has spies in my palace but I would rather take precautions just in case he does. Now tell me your plan of action.”

  Before he could begin, there was a knock on his door. A kitchen maid brought in a tray with the food and water he requested. He cleared a space on his table and motioned for her to set the tray down. She did not notice the presence of the Queen until she turned to leave the room. She caught her breath and curtsied quickly. “Forgive me Your Majesty, I did not realize you were here, I did not see your sentries in the corridor,” she apologized.

  “No apology is necessary, Asha, my sentries rarely accompany me when I am not on official court business,” Ionoe reassured her. The maid nodded to Tristen and closed the door quietly as she departed.

  Tristen made sure the door was secure and turned to his sister. “The girl looked absolutely mortified when she noticed your presence, is your reputation among the kitchen staff so bad?”

  “I believe the rumors of what I will do are worse than reality brother,” laughed Ionoe. “Now bring me some water and waste no more time sharing your plans.”

  He brought his sister the pitcher of water and a clean goblet to replace the one with wine that he noticed she had not touched after her initial sip. He then took a plate and selected some meat, bread, and fruit from the tray. He balanced the plate on his lap and shared his findings and plans between bites.

  “It seems that you were thorough with your plans, however, there are still many uncertainties.” Ionoe was impressed with the level of detail her brother employed with his plan of action. He truly had grown wiser over the centuries, but she would never let him know just how impressed she was with him. A little too much praise would only swell her brother’s already inflated perception of himself.

  “That is the risk I will have to take, there is no time to conduct anymore research.”

  “When do you plan to leave?”

  “I want to spend a little more time determining my exact point of entry before I leave at first light. I will meet you in your quarters once I locate our ‘emissaries’,” he smiled. “Make sure that the passage is not blocked.”

  “Ionoe hugged her brother tightly and then left his bedchamber.”

  Tristen placed the tray with the remains of his meal in the corridor. He did not want someone from the kitchen to come to his bedchamber to retrieve the tray and find the door barred and the room empty. He put away the things that were still scattered on the table before pulling aside the tapestry with the battle scene and stepping into the inner passage of the palace.

  The access points to the palace’s inner passage were a closely held secret. There were many rumors around court about the secret passages, but most did not believe that such passages existed. Tristen travelled the familiar hallways that wound throughout the palace. He was on the opposite side of the palace when he reached his destination, the scholar’s quarters.

  The ‘intelligence cadre’ as it was known by the ruling monarch and trusted advisors was imbedded within the university. A handful of select students and scholars were chosen to join the cadre from time to time to assist with clandestine missions for the ruling king or queen. Ionoe and Tristen had cultivated a small group from within this cadre since the time of the Unseelie conflict. They were proven and trusted to perform the most sensitive tasks. Tristen tapped softly and then entered the private chamber of one this group.

  “Tristen, what brings you to my chambers this evening? It has been a long time since you entered through the wall,” smiled the senior scholar.

  “Justin, it is good to see that you are well and that I still cannot take you by surprise no matter what my mode of entrance.”

  “I heard rumors that something was afoot and the Council was stirred up. I suspected that it would be a matter of time before I received some communication or a visit from you. It must be rather urgent for you to visit me in this fashion.”

  “Yes, it is my friend. Is August in his chambers? I would like the two of you to accompany me to Ionoe’s quarters to discuss the details.”

  “Yes, we sat together during the evening meal and he mentioned something about retiring to his room to prepare for an upcoming lecture. Have a seat while I fetch him. There is wine in the pitcher and a clean goblet on the shelf,” he pointed to a shelf on the wall beside the fireplace.

  Tristen made himself comfortable and waited for the two spies to return. He did not have to wait long. Justin entered with August trailing closely behind and closed the door quickly.

  “It seems that August anticipated your visit as well,” stated Justin as he secured the door. “We are both eager to serve the Queen and her Counselor. It has been a long time since we went on a serious mission,” he smiled.

  “Follow me, we will use the inner passages to access Ionoe’s quarters. It is better if our movements were not observed by others,” said Tristen.

  As they stepped through the hidden entrance, August remarked to Justin, “this must be very serious if the royals are using so much precaution.” Justin nodded his head in agreement.

  Tristen knocked softly before entering his sister’s chambers with the two spies in tow. Ionoe greeted the two spies warmly. “It has been a long time since I have had to call on your services in this manner my friends,” she greeted them. “I hope that you will be able to help us in this endeavor.”

  “We will do whatever we can to help Your Majesty,” Justin replied as he bowed in respect.
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  August bowed as well and inquired, “What do you need us to do Your Majesty?”

  They all settled into chairs in Ionoe’s private conference room and she and Tristen described the nature of the problem, their plan of action, and the role that the two spies were to play in completing the mission. “Do you have any questions regarding your responsibilities?” asked the Queen.

  They each asked several questions regarding the details of the plan. “I believe that we fully understand the task Your Majesty, when do you want us to leave?” asked Justin.

  “As soon as possible, I know that you have preparations to make, but I would prefer that you leave within the next day or so. The sooner we find out who is behind this, the sooner we can do something to stop it,” responded Ionoe.

  “We should be ready to depart within two days,” replied August. “We will plan to leave under the cover of darkness.”

  “Good,” responded the Queen. “Touch base with me before you leave. If I am not in my quarters, leave a note in the urn on the table in the corner.” She nodded toward a small table containing an urn and other small personal items.

  They left shortly afterward to return their quarters and make the necessary preparations. Tristen turned to his sister once the pair was gone. “I thought it best that we only share what was necessary, no need to involve others with the rest of our plan.”

  “I agree completely,” responded Ionoe. “We will need to provide an excuse for your absence from Court.”

  “I will announce during the morning meal that I plan to travel to our boundaries with the Unseelie domain to see if there are any visible disturbances. This will reinforce any concerns that you shared with the Council and distract others from trying to uncover the identity of our clandestine associates,” he replied.

  “Be careful brother, in the human world and especially with the Elves. They are a distrustful and arrogant lot. I fear that convincing them of our innocence and willingness to help stop this assault will be a nearly impossible task.”

  “I will take care, sister. This task is too important to the future of the Fae Dominion to risk failure. Besides, I have a rather high value of my life and do not plan to see it end anytime soon.” He hugged Ionoe tightly and left the same way he came.

  Tristen returned to his chambers and finalized his plans for venturing across the astral plane. He felt confident that the minor rift he would make would go unnoticed if he employed additional safe guards.

  They next morning, he announced his plans to travel to the boundaries with the Unseelie domain at the Queen’s bequest. Some of the princes at Court volunteered to travel with him but he declined their generous offer mentioning that he might take some personal time on the return journey.

  He left the palace and rode far into the forest before stopping to ensure that he was not followed. He made a set of false tracks that could be followed if others came later to trace his movements. He then, circled back to the hidden entrance to a cave in the forest. The cave was not only a handy hideaway, but also held a secret entrance that led to the palace’s inner passage.

  He returned to his chambers unnoticed and prepared to venture through the astral plane and into the human world. Something he had not done in centuries.

  Chapter 12 – 10th Century – Alba (Scotland)

  The journey through the rift was seamless. Seth’s group appeared in the human world moments after the first group. No one appeared to suffer any adverse reactions from the journey. He noticed that some of the troops had fallen to the ground, but that could have been a side effect of the draught they administered. Others were standing upright. The spell worked as planned. He gave little thought to the vibrations they experienced during the testing because those traveling through the rift did not feel them.

  He quickly found Jerard and instructed him to gather the other mages to check the troops to make sure that all was in order. Then he went to search for Zehn. He found Zehn conferring with his lieutenants a slight distance away from the main gathering of troops.

  “Zehn, could I have a moment of your time?” he asked the officer.

  Zehn turned and strode towards the senior mage. “Seth, is all well with the min.., er troops?” He had to remember not to refer to them as minions anymore.

  Seth stifled a smile; he had made the same mistake several times over the past days. “Jerard and the other mages are checking their status now. At initial glance, it appears that everything went as planned. Is our location accurate?”

  “My lieutenants and I were discussing that when you approached us. It appears that we are very near to our projected arrival point. If our information is correct, we should be about an hour’s march away from a river that runs along the edge of a forest. I would like to assemble the troops and move to that position as quickly as possible. We will make camp in the forest so that we are not so visible.”

  “I will inform the other mages and we will mingle within the troops to ensure that everything goes well on the march. We will remain in the background as much as possible and let you and your lieutenants organize and lead the troops. We are here for support and to address any problems with the transformation. If we can assist in any other way, just let me know.”

  Zehn was impressed by the mage’s words. He wondered if they would try to interfere with the mission or his decisions. He also suspected that Mogran sent the mages to spy on him and his lieutenants although he willingly agreed that having them along to deal with any problems was a good idea. He would have his hands full with the logistics of troop encampment, engaging the humans, and developing battle plans.

  “Your presence to address any non-military issues with the troops is greatly appreciated. It will free me and my men to carry out Mogran’s plans. Now if you will excuse me, I will finish conferring with my lieutenants and we can begin our journey to the camp area.”

  Seth returned to the larger group and found the mages walking among the troops who stood in close clusters. The troops were calm and silent, waiting for direction. He waved to get Jerard’s attention and the two met off to the side of a cluster of troops.

  “Zehn wants to move the group to the area where we will make camp about an hour’s march from here. I told him that we will work in the background to ensure that there are no problems with the transformation. Inform the others that we should travel within the ranks during the march to watch the troops. But first, I would like to take a moment to use the scribing mirror to contact Rahim and inform him that the journey went as planned. I am sure that Mogran is eager to have news.”

  The two mages moved a little further away from the troops and settled near a large rock formation. Seth retrieved the mirror from his satchel and laid it carefully upon the flat surface of one of the larger rocks. As he prepared to open the portal, Jerard walked around the rock formation.

  “This is an interesting clustering of rocks, it is almost as if they were placed this way for a specific purpose. See here how they are arranged in a circular pattern? They are similar to the circles we draw when casting spells,” he noted mostly to himself since Seth was absorbed in his preparations.

  “Come, I am ready to open the portal,” said Seth, looking up to find Jerard wandering around the rocks. Jerard joined Seth and they both inhaled deeply to settle themselves. Seth placed his hands on the large stone on either side of the mirror and began a soft chant to open the portal. The mirror began to shimmer and the surface turned murky and then smoothed out. After a few seconds, the reflection gave way and became a black pit. Suddenly they could see what Seth recognized as Mogran’s chamber and he could see Mogran pacing in the distance and Rahim with his back turned.

  “Rahim!” Seth called out. He had to call the mage’s name several times before Rahim turned his attention to his mirror. Based on his view of the chamber, Seth could tell that the mirror was propped up against a far wall and sitting upon one of the many tables that lined the perimeter of Mogran’s chamber. He knew that sound did not carry very far when
communicating in this fashion and he suspected that Rahim sensed his presence more than heard his calls.

  Rahim approached the mirror and turned quickly to call Mogran to his side when he saw Seth and Jerard on the other side. “Did everything go as planned?” he inquired as Mogran approached.

  “What took so long for you to make contact? Is all in order? Where is Zehn?” asked Mogran anxiously.

  “Sire, everything went as planned, we have only been here a few minutes. I wanted to ensure that all was well before contacting you. Zehn and his men are preparing the troops to march to the area where we will make camp. It will take us about an hour to complete the journey. The other mages are with the troops ensuring that no problems occur. We did not want to wait until we arrived at the campsite before contacting you,” replied Seth.

  “Very well, arrange to have Zehn contact me through this portal once you are settled in camp. I would like to get his opinion of your situation as well.”