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Author's Note: Comments and feedback are appreciated. I would like to thank Mike for helping me by editing these chapters starting with 11. - Robert - robertx5sf@yahoo.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters portrayed in this story are fictional and not representative of anyone living or dead. (c) 2012 by robertx5sf@yahoo.com, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced in any form without the author's consent, with exception of the license granted to Nifty.org per Nifty's terms of use.
The Squires of Telisan Keep - 14
WILRIK
The hooting of the owl woke Wilrik. He had no idea how long he had been asleep on the floor of the barn. The horse was still in its stall but was quiet. He got up and went over to the door of the barn. He turned his ear towards the door and he thought he could hear the very faint sounds of movement outside. Then his stomach gave a lurch and he felt dizzy so he sat down. When his head cleared and he felt a bit better he was sure he heard sounds through the door of the barn, it sounded like the crunching of leaves under someone's feet as they walked along a leaf strewn trail. After a while, the sound stopped.
"Marsella?" said one of the voices Wilrik had heard yesterday.
A few moments later, a female voice responded, "Durren? It's been a long time. You must need something. Let me guess, it probably has something to do with the unconscious child in your arms."
"Yes, I have come to ask for your help with this boy. One of Nzaropon's demons possessed him. I was able to remove the demon but the boy's soul is walled off inside his mind. I was hoping you could help him," answered Durren.
"Well come in then. Lay the boy down over there and let me have a look," said Marsella. Inside the barn, the owl flew down from the rafter where it had been resting. It landed next to Wilrik and stared at him for a moment. Then it flew over, landed next to the horse, stared at it for another moment and then it flew out of a small window that was high above the door.
"Very interesting," said Marsella. "There appears to be a small area of his mind that has been carved out and made into a safe place for the boy's consciousness to reside. It is not of his own creation. It feels like the work of my Mistress. I also took a look at the rest of his mind. I have no doubt that to heal him is beyond my power. Now normally I would be inclined to argue that it would be an act of mercy to let those that have been possessed by demons die but, in this case I think we should try to save the boy. And I am not saying that just because I already know that you desperately need to believe that boys such as him can be saved. I do not think my Mistress would have intervened in this case if She did not also want this boy saved."
"If you cannot help him, then who can?" asked Durren.
"Only one of my Mistress's true children can hope to save him," said Marsella.
"By coincidence do you happen to know where I might find one of the Night Hunter's children?" asked Durren.
"Yes, and you know as well as I do that there are few coincidences when the Gods are involved. I believe you will find him in a brothel in Astavala. His mother was from one of the desert tribes, so he has their look, dark hair, brown eyes, very light brown skin. He will appear to be around thirteen or fourteen, but age is harder to determine with the 'God born'. I was also given an image of the brothel owner. He was pale, rotund, and dressed all in purple. I got the sense that he was a eunuch. Hopefully that will help narrow your search," said Marsella.
"Astavala? Hmmm...can you look after the boy here for a few days? I will need to return this host to Telisan as he has business to attend to there. I believe I still have a host in Astavala that I can use, if he hasn't died of old age yet. Thank you for your help Marsella. I am in your debt again," said Durren.
"Yes, I will look after the boy until you return, but Durren I worry about you. Every time you visit you seem a bit more remote. Hosts? You used to call them by their names. Answer one question for me, how many more lives are you willing to risk in your quest to redeem one soul?" asked Marsella.
"As many as it takes," replied Durren. For a moment there was silence inside the barn, then the horse woke up, let out a horrific scream and started bucking against its chains.
MIKEL
While he ate his breakfast, Mikel examined the book Durren had left him. The text of the book was written in the same foreign script as the title on the front cover. Not exactly sure what he was looking for, he flipped through the pages quickly. They were all written in the same script except for the last page, which was blank. Next he pulled out his prism and shifted his sight and checked the book and pages for magic. He could not see anything magical but when he tried to detect magic on the blank last page, it gave him a headache. Frustrated at getting nowhere, he set the book down.
Earlier that morning, Sir Valen had told him that he was going to be gone most of the morning as he and Durren were taking Wilrik to try to get him some help. His Master had also told him that Rynil might be stopping by with the sword and that if he did; Mikel was to invite him in and make sure the boy stayed there until he returned. So, after he finished eating, Mikel started practicing some of his cantrips to pass the time. The newest one that he had learned was the most basic form of a light spell. It conjured a small ball of light that would follow him around for a few minutes. His Master had also shown him that the ball of light could be affixed to an object but Mikel had not yet mastered that portion of the magic.
It took him about an hour to master summoning the light. Next Mikel started working on merging it with another object. After countless failed attempts, he was again concentrating on the ball of light and trying to force it to merge with the book. This time the ball of light joined with the book and the book started to glow. Mikel relaxed his concentration and waited to see if the ball of light separated from the book. When it remained fused with the book, the young apprentice jumped up from his chair and shouted in triumph. It was then that he heard a loud pounding knock coming from the tower's main door.
Mikel rushed to the door and opened it. Outside was Rynil, his sword case under his left arm and his right hand raised to pound on the door. "Rynil! Hope I didn't make you wait too long," said Mikel.
"I was just about give up. I thought no one was here," said Rynil.
"Yeah, sorry about that, I was working on a spell and must have been so focused on it that I tuned everything else out. Come in, my Master said you might be visiting this morning. He's out right now but should be back soon." There was an awkward pause as both boys stood in the doorway looking at each other. They wanted to talk about yesterday but they were both afraid to bring it up.
After a moment, Mikel broke the silence, "I can give you a tour of my little area of the tower while you wait for him. That is if you want," said Mikel as he led Rynil through the entrance way and into his combination study and living room.
"Sure, I have been curious about your living quarters ever since you told me you could not tell me anything about the tower," said Rynil in an amused tone.
"Well I had to promise Sir Valen that I would not discuss anything about the tower or what happens inside here when I am outside the tower. But we aren't outside the tower now, so I can finally tell you all about it," said Mikel. "There are so many amazing things I want to show you!" Mikel led Rynil downstairs and showed him his room and the magical lights. Then he lead him back upstairs and showed him the bathroom with its self filling tub, magical linen cabinet, and the mysterious waste hole. Finally, he showed him around the main room and explained how the pantry worked as well as the magical timepiece built into the mantle. He ended with telling Rynil about the bookshelf with his reading assignments. At this point Mikel had filled two of the five lower shelves of the bookcase. The entire time Mikel was showing Rynil around the tower he was looking for an opportunity to hug his friend but Rynil carried the sword case in his arms, using it as a shield against getting close.
At the end of the tour, Mikel offered Rynil a seat at the table in the main room, "Wanna sit down? My Master should be back soon."
"Sure," replied Rynil. He set the sword case down on the table and sat down in one of the chairs. Immediately Mikel came over, leaned down and hugged him from the side. Rynil stiffened a first but then after a moment relaxed. "What is this for?" asked Rynil.
Mikel broke the hug then sat down in the chair across from Rynil. "That's to say thank you for saving my life yesterday. If you hadn't come with your sword and stabbed the demon, it would have killed us all."
Rynil looked down at table, his blond bangs falling down and covering his eyes, "Well you were only in danger because I left the castle."
It was Mikel's turn to look away, "No. I was in danger from the demon before you left the castle. It was there because it was looking for me," said Mikel. "I've never told you the full story about the night my family was killed. I wasn't alone in the barn. I was there with a friend. A pair of the orcs came into the barn and took my friend away while I hid. Apparently the orcs thought my friend was me. They had been sent by a demon to take me so it could be turn me into a demon. Instead it turned my friend into a demon."
"That demon yesterday, it was your friend. After I stabbed it with the sword, it recognized you and called out your name," said Rynil.
Mikel looked up and met Rynil's gaze, "Yes. It was, is, my friend Wilrik. The demon that took Wilrik and made him into one of them and is still searching for me. So yesterday was not your fault. Durren the bard was telling me that the Gods have been giving us hints about what is going to happen. Sometimes events are out of our control."
"Sir Valen said something similar to me last night. He said that there were powers at work here that were beyond my control. I guess I have known that for a while now, ever since I first started having that dream," said Rynil.
"Dream? Durren said that you had a dream. He didn't tell me anything about it. Just that you needed help to prepare for what was to come."
"Durren? Who is that and how does he know about my dream? I have only told Sir Alred, Lord Velarik, Sir Valen, Sir Balren, and Brothers Yoris and Barton about it," asked Rynil, upset that someone he had never heard of knew about his dream.
"He says he is just a minstrel but I think there is something more to him than just that. He is a friend of Sir Valen and an ally of the War Mages. Sir Valen must have told him about your dream. Rynil, what is this dream you've been having and what is so important about it?" asked Mikel, his concern for his friend evident in his voice.
Rynil looked down at the box as he answered, "Well, in the dream, I am standing in some type of field. It is nighttime and the only light is coming from my sword, the one in that box. I am being attacked, out of the darkness, by some wolf like creatures that seem to be made out of shadow. When the sword hits them they disappear. As the sun is starting to rise, a man with a demon's head, similar but older than the one from yesterday, approaches and then he shoots flames out of his hands. That is when I wake up. Sir Alred and Sir Valen seem to think it is some sort of vision of the possible future."
Mikel could tell that Rynil was holding something back but decided not to press his friend. Mikel heard the door at the top of the stairs leading to Sir Valen's quarters open. "My Master's here," he said to Rynil.
A moment later Sir Valen entered the room. "Squire Rynil, I am glad you decided to visit," said Sir Valen. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Now can you please open the sword case and we can start our examination." Rynil nodded and opened the case by reciting the command words in his mind. "Squire Mikel, would you please use your prism and analyze the magic present in the sword and its case?"
"Yes Master," replied Mikel as he pulled the prism out of a small pouch on his belt. He held the prism between him and the sword and shifted his sight. As soon as he did, he went limp, dropping the prism and falling out of the chair to the ground, unconscious.
Rynil leapt to his feet, knocking his chair over as he did so, "What happened?"
"Do not worry Squire, he is just momentarily stunned," said Sir Valen. He walked over to Mikel and lifted the boy back up into the chair. He lightly slapped his apprentice's cheek a few times until the boy started to stir. As Mikel regained consciousness, Sir Valen held the boy by his shoulders. "My apologies. That was a harsh lesson for you, but an important one. The magic of the sword is very powerful and very ancient. It was created by the Elders. The first few times you are exposed to the power of an Elder artifact, it can be too much for your mind to handle. It is a bit like staring at the sun. If you are not paying attention and look at the sun, you can be blinded. But eventually you learn how to look at the sky without staring directly at the sun. It will be the same with magic of this power. Practice it enough and you will learn to look away before it overwhelms you. Squire Rynil, please pick up the sword and stand over by the fireplace," ordered Sir Valen.
"Master, who are the Elders?" asked Mikel as Rynil did as the wizard requested.
"The Elders were the absolute masters of magic. A couple thousand years ago they lived in great magical cities. Then one day, full of hubris, they challenged the Gods. The few elves left in the world today are the descendants of the Elders that the Gods spared," answered Sir Valen.
Once Rynil was in position, Sir Valen walked over and stood a couple feet in front of him, "I believe when I entered you were telling Squire Mikel a bit about your dream. Your dream ends as the demon attacks you with conjured flames. You assumed that the dream ends because that is when you die. Yet yesterday the lesser demon you faced sent flames against you and they did not harm you. Do you know why?" asked Sir Valen.
"I believe so Sir. It is the sword, it stopped the flames," answered Rynil.
"You are correct Squire. So long as your will holds, the sword will protect you against unwelcome magic," said Sir Valen. He then spoke a word of power and lightning arched out from his hands towards Rynil. The squire stepped back and raised the sword to a guard position. The lightning disappeared as it reached the sword. Sir Valen spoke another word of magic and missiles of pure force streaked from his hands towards Rynil but again vanished as they reached the sword. "While the sword will protect you from direct harm by magic, it is not absolute proof," said Sir Valen. The wizard cast another spell, motioning his hand towards the bowl of fruit that sat in the middle of the table. As Sir Valen made throwing gestures with his hand, the fruit in the bowl seemed to launch itself at Rynil. He was able to block the first piece of fruit, an apple, with his sword but the next one, a peach, struck him in the face. Rynil held the sword perpendicular to his body and shielded his face with his forearms as the rest of the fruit followed.
"Master, how'd you overcome the defense of the sword?" asked Mikel.
"I used the magic on the fruit. Once the fruit was in motion, there was no longer any magic for the sword to counter. If we had been in a forest, I could have used magic to uproot a tree and the sword would be no defense against the tree falling. Squire Rynil, I do not give you this lesson just to scare you. It is important that you know the limitations of this tool as well as its benefits. Your dream ends where it does not because you die, but because what happens after that is entirely up to you. The Gods are giving you a vision of what is likely to come not to scare you, not to give you a chance to prevent it, but to give you a chance to prepare for that moment. Do you understand?" asked Sir Valen.
Rynil looked at Mikel for a moment then looked back at the wizard, "Yes Sir. I think I finally understand."
"Good. Now I would like to ask for you for a favor. You cannot carry the sword or its case around with you at all times and I do not feel it is safe for you to leave the sword in your chambers. If you would be willing to leave it with me for a few days I believe I can find a way to keep it safe yet allow you to summon the sword when needed," said Sir Valen.
"But Master, I thought magic couldn't effect the sword," said Mikel.
"It is affect, not effect. And while magic cannot affect the sword, it can affect the sword case," replied Sir Valen.
Rynil smiled at the way Mikel blushed when being corrected by Sir Valen. He nodded to the wizard and placed the sword back in the case on the table. "I will leave the sword with you Sir," he said.
"Thank you Squire," replied Sir Valen. The wizard then waved his hand in the direction of the box and it responded by closing.
Rynil looked shocked. "Last night you said that only I could open and close it because I was its true owner," he exclaimed.
"Hmm, I guess I was wrong," said Sir Valen as he winked at the boy. He then picked up the sword case and headed to the stairs. "Oh, Squire Rynil, Lord Velarik asked me to tell you he wishes to see you when you are done here. Squire Mikel, I believe you have some more reading awaiting you." Two more books appeared on the top shelf of the bookcase. A moment later the boys heard the door at the top of the stairs open and close.
"Well I guess I better be leaving then," said Rynil as he headed out of the room towards the front door of the tower.
Mikel followed him to the door, "Yeah, I am really glad you came by today."
As he got to the front door, Rynil stopped and turned around to face Mikel. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed the back of Mikel's head, pulling him in for a kiss. Mikel froze in shock for a second before kissing Rynil back. After a couple of seconds, Rynil released his grip and broke the kiss. "What was that for?" asked Mikel.
"That was to say thank you for risking your life to come look for me yesterday," said Rynil with a smile on his face. He then opened the door and ran down the hall, passing Page Kenton who was standing there, asleep on his feet again.