Prophecy's Quest

by A. S. Hamilton

  After a convoluted course, Akileena was finally able to trace the source of empathic aid. From what he could discern, it appeared the thief was aiding the warrior. What a fantastic act! Boldly turning himself in and then healing his partner! It was certainly in line the young pup's personality, all daring and reckless confidence. Yet he was performing this feat rather well, better than many more-experienced healers. A twinge of guilt tugged at him for scolding the young elvan so ruthlessly.

  He should report it. Yet, surely the thief's act was not preventing Nathan from carrying out his will freely... Akileena paused and inhaled deeply, letting the breath out slowly. The Thane's direction had been to prevent the prisoner from changing his will. He had mentioned nothing of policing actions that brought no threat to him. In essence he could still comply with Nathan's wishes while not reporting this. And it did fall into that category Nathan had quoted to Akileena as being 'too much detail...'

  Sariah ground her teeth. So far, she had not made a sound, but she wasn't sure she could keep it up. Her mind fogged again, making her fear unconsciousness. She did not want to appear weak to someone who already considered her race and gender inferior. She fought the haziness, but it was unwavering in its persistence. She felt like she was wrapped in a blanket made of clouds — just like when an empath interceded. By Fate's curse, it was Brynn! It was bad enough he was here because of her. Shame filled her, and she renewed her struggle to have the pain back.

  'Do not take the consequences of my mistake from me,' she sent.

  Brynn did not respond, and the strange numbness continued. Sariah started to lose focus. She could hear the Thane speaking, understood each word, and yet could make no sense of them. Everything was gradually getting fuzzier, and then, she drifted into unconsciousness.

  Akileena's glazed, blue-green eyes cleared, and he looked about warily. He was still walking the perimeter of the camp. He had reached a more heavily wooded area and diverted deeper than he needed, more for the serenity and beauty of the trees than any need to patrol the area.

  The wave of energy that had put him on alert, occurred again. It seemed to be coming from far off, in towards the camp... Yet, at the same time, it felt as if he was close to the source. How could that be possible if the energy was coming in towards them? He was familiar with that pattern, that rhythm.

  It was him!

  The mage who crippled Andarin. But that mage was here, in camp, and the talent rippling the planes was coming from outside the camp. If it was not their captured elvan, then who was it? And who was the elvan in camp? Akileena hurried towards the camp. What was that energy aiding?

  Entering the camp, he paused. Nothing seemed out of place, yet he had expected… well, he was not sure, just… something. A splash caught his attention. A soldier was dousing the warrior with water. She remained unresponsive.

  The energy had faded now. Disappearing entirely.

  Nathan threw the instrument down in disgust. Unconscious already, and he'd paced himself more slowly this time! He spotted Akileena. 'You are just in time, for a warrior, she has no endurance.'

  'She is elvan, my lord,' Akileena replied, 'You've often remarked that our race 'lacks stamina' under such stresses as interrogation.' Hopefully the response appeased the blood-thirsty thane.

  Several of the men guffawed and one said, 'She c'n dish it out, but she don' take much.'

  Like you could, Akileena thought scornfully, though he took care to mask it.

  'So there is no intervention?' Nathan clarified.

  'My lord, I have been diligent in ensuring that none has prevented you from carrying out those actions you desire in your interrogation.' Please do not seek more information, Akileena thought, hoping the Thane was too distracted to pick up on the vagueness of his answer.

  As if Fate heeded his plea, Nathan merely grunted as he considered the warrior. Then, with a sharp movement, the Thane turned towards his other captive, the mage who had interceded on her behalf. 'It seems your partner has not the resilience I estimated, but then, you promise to be far more entertaining. Whether you cooperate is your choice,' Nathan added in a derisive tone.

  'Do you really think I will?'

  'No, and that pleases me,' Nathan said cheerfully. 'In fact, I hope you do not break for quite some time.' The Thane's expression hardened, as did his tone, 'And when you do, know that there is no guarantee I will stop.'

  Despite holding the captive accountable for his brother's injury, Akileena pitied him. He had been forced to watch interrogations before, and knew this thane had a reputation for being thorough. When the former head of 'investigation' had received his promotion to thane, Malithorn had casually informed Nathan that he could take his case with him to Ancoulan. That case had been Nathan's principle method of questioning. And this was just the first session. Once he tested each of them, determined their capacity for pain under the guise of interrogation, the real torture would begin. That would be when the Thane would really use the warrior against the mage.

  Long ago, Akileena had learned the hard way how helpless he really was when an Abbarane mage reported him for using his talent to intervene in a torture. The punishment that followed resulted in the death of the prisoner. Eventually.

  This was why Akileena now unobtrusively slipped into his tent. If he walked away from the campsite and Nathan saw him slinking off, the Thane would likely drag him back and force him to participate. He had heard that the Thane took perverse delight in doing such things. Fate help the young mage.

  The pain was incredible. It was not like the time he had broken his forearm or when he slipped and fell down a shallow ravine. That pain had been controllable. He had been able to school his thoughts, focus on the injuries and apply healing or allow Belon to apply healing while he detached himself emotionally. It was nothing like when he used his empath talent to save other people from feeling pain. Again, the pain was more tolerable because he was in control. He could distance himself, use meditation to free his mind from his body. His body wanted to scream from its many grievances, but he had known that the pain was short term and that death was not hovering nearby.

  This... He could feel the panic pushing to overwhelm rational thought. What if the pain did not end? Why could he not achieve the same detachment he so easily reached when he did this for others? What if he lost consciousness, and therefore, all control? All the illusions, the mind-will, his empath and healing — would it all stop? Would the shields about his mind and spirit hold? Would Colnba and Nisari notice? They would. They were constantly seeking him. He could not afford to lose consciousness, he needed to maintain control… but he could feel it slipping.

  Each time Nathan paused, and Brynn's body had a chance to rest, Nathan was there whispering menacingly in his ear, like a demon taunting his soul, like death persuading him to come within reach. Never had he hated like this before. Never had he hated so deeply, so thoroughly. He wanted not just to kill Nathan. Nor to kill him slowly and with excruciating pain. He wanted to obliterate the Thane. Tear every particle in his being apart.

  And although he had been trained for this, day and night, strategy, defence, mind-will, combat… when it came to it, he found himself helpless because of his own idiocy and over-confidence.

  A soothing warmth passed over him. It felt so unusually comforting, like his body had forgotten there could be something other than pain to experience. Like one of the merfolk returning to the sea, he immersed his mind in the sensation... and found his spirit freed.

  'Torture is unknown to you, be not so unkind to yourself.'

  It was her. The one The Prophecy spoke of as his guardian. But… he was not the Saviour.

  'How are you able to do this? Never before have you been skilled enough to use your empath to do anything but alert me of others in pain or need.'

  'You taught me. Night after night I watched as you aided those suffering terrible torment. I did not observe as one would watch the unchana glide on the thermals, but from within, as if I was the unch
ana. I merely do for you, what you did for them. I cannot heal you, I am not the mage you are. You must use this reprieve to gather your strength, to regain authority of this path from Fate.'

  A part of him, a small part, wanted to snap that he knew well he was more prisoner than ever he intended. That was his ego. That was Brynn, just thirty-eight turns, not even an adolescent in the terms of his people. The mage he had been trained to be could afford no such emotions. He realised, now, that as he made his plans to rescue Sariah he had allowed that emotional self to influence his decisions. Because of this, he had failed to see the flaws, to view the risks with due consideration.

  'You are young still, it cannot be helped.'

  'Thank you. For the reprieve and the permission to still be the child I am but must repress if I am to achieve my goals.'

  'Release your mind to me, at least until the torture stops. Then… Then it will be time for the mage to take over, for the child will not live otherwise.'

  Day 15 – Night

  Sal-Cirus

  Linuk eased herself from the may-en-ghi plane she had used to help Brynn connect with his rahn. She knew the other spirit was his rahn because the connection had been there since he was born. Mages called this kind of connection shaen-duura. Fortunately, such a bond was unbreakable because Brynn had got himself into deep trouble and without his rahn, he might not survive.

  Linuk desperately wanted to help him, but chained as she was by Ko-rayen's wards, even accessing the may-en-ghi plane was very risky. It was also exhausting. She dearly hoped Lariel had managed to escape. Lariel was what humans would call a familiar. She most often took a cat form, but, to be honest, Linuk had no idea what her true form was. Linuk suspected Lariel was some kind of dragon because of her innate talent and above-average intelligence. She had met the small creature in the library of the Temple of Eirra-kaan. Linuk had been hiding in the temple, waiting for the war to end and learning what she could from the library's extensive collection. It turned out that the temple had a number of journals and texts relating to planes-walking and Linuk had learned far more than she ever thought possible on the subject, including how to manipulate time. None of it would do her any good though if she could not escape this fate-forsaken place.

  She recognised now that she had under-estimated Ko-rayen. It came from having known him as an apprentice. She had gotten too used to thinking of him as a child. Linuk was resolved never to make that mistake again. It could turn out to be too costly if Brynn did not recover and overcome Thane Kennelm. She had done all she could for the young mage. At least until Lariel got some help. It was a good thing that Lariel often disguised herself as a piece of jewellery or hid in Linuk's packs, else Ko-rayen would have discovered her.

  Her attack on Ko-rayen when he had first entered her room had all been so she could feign falling unconscious when he retaliated. Ko-rayen may well be a mage and warrior now, but he was still the well-mannered child his parents had raised him to be. Rather than leave her on the floor, he had picked her up and that had given her the chance to transfer Lariel to him. Her familiar had taken the smallest form she could and when Ko-rayen had left the room, Linuk could no longer sense her companion. The question was whether Lariel had been able to get out of the building. It may be warded in such a way that she was prevented from escaping. There was no way to know, the talent woven about Linuk locked her out of all but one may-en-ghi plane. She had been shown the plane by Sala, a may-en-ghi mage, so she could connect with Brynn no matter where either of them were or what condition they were in. She had not communicated with him, just in case. She had simply lead his rahn to him, for she would be able to heal him, to help him overcome the challenges he faced. Well, at least she hoped so, because Linuk was no good to him right now.

  Day 15 – Night

  North Kenar Woods

  'Why does he not react?' Nathan demanded.

  Akileena considered the limp form before him. Lacerations and burns marked the elvan's long torso. More blood covered the pale skin than Akileena thought possible without bleeding to death. The mage frowned a little, the elvan's arms seemed wrong somehow, but he could not determine why. It seemed odd, because he suspected illusion, but he could not fathom why the thief would use illusion on his arms. The question was whether to inform Nathan. But without more than just a vague suspicion, he would merely frustrate the Thane when he asked for details. Best wait until he discovered more.

  Nathan had a good handle on how to create a substantial amount of pain without causing fatal injuries. The elvan's chin rested on his bloodied chest, but he was aware of his environment if not completely conscious. Here, there was more than suspicion, as Akileena could sense that the elvan was aided by an empath. The link was confusing though, it was as if he aided himself.

  'Someone intervenes,' Akileena reported finally.

  Frowning, Akileena closed his eyes, trying to sort out the trail. It didn't make sense! It had to be another mage and not the thief as he had assumed earlier. Whoever it was, they were using old concepts of healing in an entirely new way. Akileena considered with-holding this information for only one mage was capable of this level of talent — the Saviour. It was one thing to want justice for his brother, but another entirely to aid his enemy against the one person who could save his people.

  Nathan's patience at Akileena's silence wore out. 'What kind of intervention?'

  'I cannot say with any surety. I believe it is the work of an empath, my lord,' Akileena replied in as neutral a tone as he could manage.

  Nathan lost his temper, he hated being lied to, and he knew the mage was lying, but he had no way to prove it. 'Trace the benefactor,' he ordered angrily.

  'I cannot, my lord. They are beyond tracking.' It was the first time he had risked directly lying, and he risked so much if he was caught. Akileena held his fear in tight check. He could no longer value his daughter's life above his nation's freedom.

  Fury reddened Nathan's face, and he ground his teeth. 'Trace it!'

  'There is no link, my lord,' Akileena retorted, his voice louder than he intended. He was taut with tension. By all the realms and the gods that kept them, he would not do it, he would not give the Saviour's location to Nathan. Akileena recomposed himself quickly. 'My lord, I cannot understand how it is being done, but I am not able to carry out this direction.'

  Nathan struck him hard, knocking Akileena to his knees. 'You find a way to trace him or I will wring her little neck, personally,' he hissed.

  'I speak truly, my lord!' Akileena exclaimed. 'This benefactor, has skill far beyond mine.'

  Nathan dealt the mage such a blow it drove him to the ground. 'You are incompetent! I cannot fathom why the Great Lord treasures you so.' Nathan struck Akileena again and then abruptly drew back, dragging in a ragged breath. Realising, he couldn't afford to incapacitate the mage right now, Nathan stepped back, hauling in his temper. Besides, it was not all a loss, Akileena had finally lost control. The mage was trembling and there was fear in his eyes. The possibility of breaking the mage looked better than he first estimated. He was going to relish torturing the mage's whelp while watching the father despair.

  When he spoke again, no trace of anger lingered in his voice, instead the Thane seemed amused. 'So, this is a mage better than you, Akileena. Now that is worthy of note, is it not?'

  Akileena stared at the ground in disbelief. He did it! Nathan believed him. Akileena knew now that his lie would go undiscovered. If one of the loyal Abbarane mages had been watching, Akileena would know by now. Thus, now was the time to keep his daughter and himself alive. If the Saviour was truly out there, they had a chance at freedom. That kind of talent, that rhythm, it had to be the Saviour and that was the first ray of hope Akileena had seen on the paths in many turns.

  'Forgive me, my lord thane,' he begged in his most humble tone, cringing from the Thane as a cowed, beaten slave would. 'I can offer a minor note of consolation, my lord. His benefactor will have a limit. When he reaches it, the prisoner will be
vulnerable again. If you use less aggressive methods you can wear the benefactor out,' Akileena suggested meekly. The recommendation was in line with the Thane's biases, if Akileena told him to leave off entirely, then Nathan would do the opposite.

  'You have been pushing the bounds of our good will for days, mage. We will tolerate no more of these outbursts against our person.'

  'I am unworthy, my lord thane. I shall endeavour to serve you better.'

  Nathan simply nodded, pretending to be satisfied with his grovelling. These mages were so disgustingly weak, hit them once or twice and they crumbled.

  'Stay there, mage,' Nathan ordered, moving back to the prisoner. 'You need to learn that despite the privileges you are granted, you are not our equal. You need to remember your place. Do you know where that is?' the Thane asked, his tight, clipped tone betraying the depth of his frustration.

  'Beneath you, my lord, my place is beneath you,' Akileena answered submissively.

  It took every shred of control he had to sound sincere, one trace of contempt and Nathan would turn his attentions to him. This was not the first time Akileena had experienced this, as many of the thanes were not merciful masters. His appointment to Sal-Cirus had been an immense relief, because Thane Curtin had a kind heart. Before then, he had not only been punished, sometimes he also felt the burn of torture. When Nathan continued his work on the other elvan, Akileena breathed a shameful, shuddering sigh of relief.