by Laura Lond
“That’s a pity. Well, if such is your decision, there is nothing I can do. I will go now. I hear you are a busy man, I will not take any more of your time. If you change your mind though…”
“I won’t.”
“As you wish. Farewell, then. Until we meet again.”
Shabriak left. Jarvi came in in a few moments, to clean up the table.
“May I ask what this man wanted?”
“You. He offered me to name any price for you.”
“And what did you say?”
“I refused, of course. What’s the use? He’d ask for his money back on the next day. Who can put up with such a pest?”
Jarvi snorted.
“Only you, Lord Arkus, because of your unprecedented kindness.”
Somehow, I didn’t get mad, I actually found it funny.
“Well, don’t be pushing it. My kindness has very well defined limits, as you know.”
“Thank you, Lord Arkus.”
I waved him off.
“Go to bed. Do you sleep at night?”
“No.”
“What do you do, then?”
“Haunt the castle and scare folks, pretending to be a ghost. Just kidding.”
***
I continued to train the troops, who deserved to be called so more every day. The warriors were getting stronger and better. One, named Sebastian, had become exceptionally good, no one could last long against him except me and Jarvi. Big, well-built, and quick, this fellow had obvious talent with the sword. I assigned him to train others, but Sebastian kept asking to pair up with me as well, every day. I didn’t mind. It was good for him, he still had a lot to learn.
That day, Sebastian asked me for a match when I’d already had two, and he just returned from an errand, so his strength was fresh. I agreed, certain that I would be able to face him just fine, and I did—until Madame Clementina decided to cry “Bravo!” from the balcony. It distracted me for a split second, but Sebastian used that second well. He hit me in the underarm, where there was a gap in my armor, rendering my left arm useless. I still finished the match and defeated him, but I knew that he got me good. When Jarvi removed the armor, my whole arm and left side were soaked in blood.
“Let me heal it,” the sparkling said.
“Wait. It would announce to everyone who you are, and I do not want that.”
Warriors dropped their training and crowded around me, someone alerted the king who arrived within minutes with his personal physician. I did not like all the commotion, but there was no way of stopping it.
Sebastian stood next to me, white as paper.
“What have I done…” he kept muttering. “What have I done! I swear I did not mean to!”
“I know you didn’t. It was my mistake, I got distracted.”
The physician dressed my wound. King Osmund and everyone else insisted that I go home and stay there until fully recovered. The training could go on without me, the king said, with everyone following the set routine, and I would be able to send new instructions through a courier, as well as receive daily reports.
Since Jarvi was going to heal me, I knew I did not need a long time away. I assured that I only needed a couple of days, which they of course tried to dispute, and left.
The sparkling took care of my wound in the carriage. I was starting to feel a little dizzy from blood loss; he healed that as well.
“Thank you, Jarvi. Did you see it happen? How foolish of me!...”
“I saw it, it was indeed an accident. Madame Clementina knows she is to blame. She fainted.”
“Good.”
I moved my arm. No pain at all, as if nothing was ever wrong.
“Well, Jarvi, it looks like we’ve got a two day break. There is no way they will let me back to the training ground before that.”
“You can use some rest. You know, I have found something very interesting in the castle’s library that I want to show you.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see when we get home.”
“Can’t you say what it is?”
“No, it will ruin it.”
So I had to wonder what it could possibly be for the rest of the ride. Castle Fezar had a decent library, which I had not yet investigated, sending Jarvi for books instead. With his nosiness, he must have left no book unturned. I suspected that’s where he spent his nights.
We arrived to the castle and went straight to the library. Jarvi picked up a thick, leather-bound tome. It looked old; faded golden letters on the cover said, My Life Story. There was no author name.
“Someone’s memoir? Whose?”
“Take a look.”
Jarvi opened the book on the first page. I wanted to take it from him, but he wouldn’t let me.
“No, read like this. I will hold it.”
“You’re weird. All right, let’s see…”
I began to read. After just one line, I was too amazed to continue.
Once upon a time, there lived a sparkling named Tulip. He was bright orange in color, lighthearted and cheerful…
“A book about you, Jarvi?!”
“Just wait, that’s not all. Now you hold it and read.”
He passed the book to me. As it changed hands, something happened to the text: the lines blurred, and then cleared up to show different words.
Once upon a time, there lived Lord Arkus, master of Blackriver Castle. He was a villain and proud of it…
I couldn’t believe it.
“What is this?... How is it possible?”
“I don’t know exactly how it works,” Jarvi replied, “but it appears that the book tells the story of whoever is holding it. Interesting, is it not? I did not expect to find something like this in your world.”
I turned a few pages, still unable to grasp it.
“The whole story? Past, present, and future?”
“No, only until the present day. Go through it until the text ends, there will be blank pages after that. See what the last several lines say.”
I did. There was quite a lot of text, by the way.
King Osmund brought his physician, who dressed the wound, and sent the Lakeland Knight home for at least two days. On the way there, Tulip, or Jarvi, as the knight called him, healed the wound. Then Jarvi told him about an unusual book he found in the library.
“Unbelievable… This book knows everything!”
“Yes. And it keeps writing your story as you live it.”
“Can I read other people stories from it?”
“It does not seem so. Only if you make them hold the book and read with them.”
“Strange… Who would want a book like that? I mean, I know my life. What’s the point?”
Jarvi shrugged.
“Human memory is different from that of spirits. It makes some things fade and leaves other things out. Perhaps the point is being able to go back and remember those. Or maybe the point is to keep in mind that you write the story of your life every day.”
I leafed through the pages. I was not sure I wanted to read it. There were things in my life I would rather not go back to.
“Tell me, Jarvi… Is there some hidden treacherous sparkling reason behind you giving me this book?”
“No. Honest! I just thought it was something very unusual—for your world, that is—and I wanted to share.”
“For our world? Do you mean that you have books like this in the realm of the spirits?”
“Not exactly like this, I have never seen one that switches from one person to another. But yes, we’ve got a book on everyone.” He smiled. “Faradin keeps very good records.”
“Well, thanks for showing me. It is, indeed, amazing.” I put the book back on the shelf. “Let it stay here for now.”
“You do not wish to read it?”
“No. As I said, I know my life.”
I asked for dinner and after that went for a brief walk in the garden. The book wouldn’t leave my mind. I recalled different episodes from my past and couldn’t help wondering wha
t it had to say about this one or that one. Also, I did not like how the book began. Once upon a time, there lived Lord Arkus, he was a villain. I was not born a villain, you know. It’s a fine profession, and I am proud of my achievements, but still, I wasn’t a villain from the start. Did the book go back to the days before that?
By the time I returned from my walk, I knew I had to find out. I locked myself in the library and took the book from the shelf. For a few moments, I just sat there, hesitant to start, then I told myself to go through with it. It was not going to be fun, but for some reason I had to know how my story was told.
I opened the book and read. Yes, it did go back to my early days. The writing was brief, unemotional, just stating the facts. The book offered no opinion on them, neither judging nor praising anything I did. Jarvi was right, I forgot many things. Reading about them was pleasant and painful at the same time, a mixture of warm memories and regret that those days were gone.
I dreaded the moment when Jarvi would step onto the pages. That moment came. It was all there—our first meeting, our friendship, our daring adventures, and his untimely death. Once again, the book wasted no time on emotions or explanations.
Jarvi’s body was found in the ravine. Young Arkus was devastated. He was never the same.
Just like that, brief and to the point.
It stung me, more than I could expect. I guess I was secretly hoping to learn something new—to find out at last what exactly had happened to the only true friend I ever had in my life and why I had to lose him, but the book held no such answers. Just like years ago, I was left alone with my grief, shock, and agonizing questions no one could help me with—questions I thought I had pushed away from my mind forever.
I read past midnight. The monster, Kellemar, the Dolmanians, my journey to the lake, my gormack fiasco, Tulip-Jarvi, Ulkaria, the rescue of the princess, my new status of the Lakeland Knight, Prince Philip, our new meeting with Kellemar—it was all there. In the end, the book had added a few new lines, now the last words were the following:
The Lakeland Knight went for a short walk and then decided to read the book Jarvi had shown him. He spent many hours in the library, reading until the last page.
Dry and detached as it was, the book nevertheless turned my soul inside out. I sat in almost complete darkness, with only one last candle left, and kept thinking, thinking, thinking… What about? Everything and nothing. Running in circles, mostly. Reliving the old pain and wondering about too many things to name.
When I at last came out, I found Jarvi sitting at the library door, hugging his knees, as usual. He looked into my face and rose.
“I am sorry, Lord Arkus. I did not know that this book would upset you so much.”
“It’s all right, Jarvi. You are not to blame.”
***
Chapter 9
I woke up rather late after my sleepless night at the library. It was a nice sunny day, so I asked Jarvi to serve my combined breakfast and lunch at the top of the southern tower. It had a tented roof that shielded from the sun, a table and comfortable armchairs. I liked this place. Busy as I was, I had not had a chance to enjoy it for a long time.
No courier had come from the king, and even the usual crowd of visitors showed some consideration: no one came with requests, people were only asking after the Lakeland Knight’s health.
I noticed a group of horsemen galloping along the road, quickly approaching my castle.
“Consideration, you say? Take a look at those. I bet they’ve got something more pressing in mind than inquiring after my health. What do you think this could be about?”
Jarvi turned to see.
“It’s the king!”
“What?... The king himself?”
I stood up and took a better look. It was indeed King Osmund. He was leading the way, pushing his horse to the limit; the four guards were barely catching up with him.
“Something must have happened. Let’s go down and meet him at the gate.”
King Osmund flew through the gate just as I was coming out of the tower.
“Sir Lakeland Knight, help!” he shouted. “They took Philip! They kidnapped my son!!”
I was swept with instant fury.
“What?! Who dared?! Jarvi, get my armor and horse! Who did it?!”
The king dismounted. He was out of breath.
“The most fearsome creatures… Living skeletons… Bare bones with no flesh, yet they move and fight…”
Shabriak. Oh, he was going to answer for this!
“I know who stands behind it, Your Majesty. I will bring you his head, and those walking bones of his won’t save him. Now, calm down, if you can, and tell me how it happened.”
King Osmund could barely stand on his feet. Jarvi came running with a chair.
“Philip went to see you, this morning. I sent six guards with him. I should have sent more, but what could possibly happen on the road to your castle?! Only five miles from the palace?!”
The king shook his head. I didn’t press him.
“Those creatures attacked at the bridge… They had to be hiding under it. The guards fought, but the creatures defeated them, wounding each one. They grabbed Philip, tied him up, and left with him.” He looked at me, teary-eyed. “Sir Lakeland Knight, I know that you are wounded…”
“I am not. Jarvi healed me, so I’m in the best shape. I’ll get your son back, Your Majesty.” I turned to the sparkling. “Jarvi, go find—no, wait! You can do it much faster! Fly and rescue Philip, bring him here. I’ll deal with Shabriak myself later.”
Jarvi lit up with bright orange light, but for some reason did not disappear. The shining flickered and faded; the sparkling stood before me with a bewildered expression.
“What’s the matter, Jarvi?”
“I can’t… I don’t know why, but I can’t do it.”
He tried once more, this time vanishing in the orange burst—but only for a second. In a moment, the sparkling was standing before me again.
“Faradin forbids me to interfere,” he said. “You must decide what to do, Lord Arkus.”
I had no time to reflect on Faradin’s unexpected trick.
“There’s nothing to decide here, I will go myself. Go tell Captain Zordan to get ready as well; him and —”
“Oh, but you must go alone, my dear knight,” the king interrupted. “That’s what he demands in the ransom note.”
He handed me a crumpled piece of paper he had clutched in his fist. I straightened it up and read.
If you want the prince back, send the Lakeland Knight to negotiate. He must come alone, specifically without his servant named Jarvi. I will wait for him at the Graywing Fortress, no more than three days. Fail to follow these instructions, and you will never see the prince again.
Graywing Fortress… That was quite a way off. And as far as I could remember, there were no white towers there.
“Very well, I will go alone. Jarvi, you got my armor ready?”
“Yes, it is laid out for you in the bedroom.”
“Find me a map, too. I know where Graywing is, but I need to find the shortest route.”
“Please, hurry up,” the king pleaded. “If he wants gold, I don’t care how much, we will pay.”
“I will leave right away, Your Majesty. I’ll just put my armor on and go.”
“Thank you… thank you so much…”
I went to my bedchamber. Jarvi came in with the map and helped me to put on the armor as I studied it.
“Well, Jarvi, it looks like we’ll have to part, for the first time since we met.”
“Yes. Lord Arkus, I want you to take this.”
He was handing me his shining orange sword.
“…Your sword, Jarvi?”
“It is a powerful weapon. You will be able to defend yourself with it… from anything.”
I knew what he meant. The monster hadn’t shown up for weeks, restrained by the white towers, but I would bet he still circled the area. He always did.
“Thank you, Jarvi.”
I wanted to say more, but I was interrupted by a loud cracking sound.
“Tulip, I strongly object!!”
It was Ellar, of course. I recognized his voice before I turned and saw the shining green figure.
“You must not do this!” he went on. “How did you even think about it?! You know what you are risking! If he misuses the sword, you will pay, dearly!”
“I know. But he will not misuse it.”
“How can you be so sure?! Even if you were assigned to a hero, through the normal routine, you should think twice—no, ten times!—before ever letting them get a hold of your sword!”
“I understand all that, Ellar. But that’s what I have decided. He needs it. You know he does.”
I stepped to the green sparkling.
“Ellar… I know we did not have a good start, and you have no reason to trust me. But for what it’s worth, I promise you, I would never do anything that could harm your friend.”
He listened.
“All I want is to rescue Philip. I promise you I will not misuse the sword. Now, tell me, what must I not do? And what exactly is Jarvi risking?”
Ellar threw up his hands.
“See?! He has no idea what you are giving him! Not a clue how to treat such a weapon and what the slightest mistake will cost you!!”
“Well, that’s why I am asking you to tell me!” I was losing patience as well. “How am I to know anything if all you do is speak in riddles??”
“He is right,” Jarvi said. “Let me explain…”
“I will do it.” Ellar looked me straight in the eye. “If he gives you the sword, you must return it unspoiled with evil. That means no fighting for the wrong cause, no matter how big or small. Remember that you do not own it, you only have borrowed it, and Tulip still answers for how it’s used. Don’t you ever let it out of your hands. If someone else gets a hold of it and uses it for bad purposes, the sword will be spoiled just the same. As to what Tulip is risking… Think of it this way: if you spoil the sword, you will kill him.”
