Gesturing toward one side, away from the river valley below, the speaker said, “If you are ready, lords and lady, it is important that we quickly get out of sight.”
“Are we in danger?” Eric asked, scanning around them.
“Not precisely. All will become clear in a moment. Please follow us.”
Ryan and Eric went first, leaving Anna beside Matt, whose concerned eyes were on her. She hooked one arm with his as they followed.
Amid the summoning spell, they were always facing each other so far these three times, and sometimes they arrived in that position, but once they had been turned in the same direction so that they faced what she thought of as the opening of a Quest Ring. This is where they went now, and she noticed this ring was once again different from the others in various details. It reminded her of Greek architecture, with white pillars of equal height all around, each one standing on a stone wall and supporting a matching, circular top that was open to the sky. Three steps at the front led them to a marble path. The way continued straight, where the castle waited in the distance, a town before it, but they turned away and followed a branching path into the trees. Twenty paces away awaited a two-story stone building, vegetation partially overgrowing it.
No one spoke on the way, giving Anna time to assess their companions. Her eyes went to a tall, regal, striking woman in tight-fitting red leather that matched her wavy, red hair. She oozed intelligence, sophistication, and strength as she strode ahead of them. Two similarly dressed men trailed her. One wore deep blue, his hair stark white. The other man wore dark green and had brown hair. They seemed to defer to the woman. None of them carried anything, and yet Anna sensed they were very dangerous. She was certain they were magical in some way they would likely reveal.
The wizard who had summoned them had a gravelly voice, a balding head of graying black hair, and walked with a slight limp, but she couldn’t tell much else from behind. His brown wooden staff thumped on the marble as he went, a purple robe brushing the stone.
A slender but muscled man in silver plate mail sauntered beside him, a sword at one hip, a dagger on the other. A helmet with a white plume of feather had been tied to one waist. Short brown hair and a close beard framed a rugged face with sharp eyes. Anna sensed he held a high rank compared to the dozen, less ostentatiously dressed warriors behind her and Matt. No one else was present, including anyone who seemed like royalty. Due to this and the attempt at getting them out of the castle’s line of sight, she questioned whether someone did not approve of their summoning.
As they approached the building, Anna saw several very large saddles on the ground, similar to ones for horses but so large—the size of a compact car—that she wondered what enormous creatures they could be for. The leather-clad trio entered first without a sense of danger, followed by the wizard and the silver-armored knight, the four Earth friends, and finally most of the other warriors, two remaining outside and guarding the doors, which were left open.
The building’s interior seemed comprised of a single principal room, two open doors leading to smaller ones not much bigger than a closet. A staircase ascended to the upper level, old tapestries flying from the walls, no other decorations in sight. The room was functional and from the proximity of the Quest Ring, she wondered if it had been designed specially for them, and whether they had ever summoned the real Ellorian Champions before. No one seemed to second guess their identities, so maybe not.
They remained on the first floor, where a broad, rectangular table with cushion-less wooden chairs around it filled the center. Everyone stayed standing but the champions, wizard, and silver-armored warrior, who spoke first.
“I am Novir, Commander of the King’s Guard,” he began, voice confident until he added with a frown, “or what’s left of it. The wizard is Derin. You stand in the Kingdom of Minari, on the planet Rovell, near Castle Arking.”
Ryan said, “I assume you know us, but I am Lord Korrin.” He then introduced the others and asked, “What happened to the King’s Guard? How many of you are left?”
Novir answered, “The rest of the guard still live, we think, but their minds are not their own anymore. More will become plain as we tell you what has led up to your summoning. Those you see with us here are not the King’s Guard, but the most trusted men from among our other forces.”
The wizard Derin spoke up. “First, I must apologize for our haste in leaving the Quest Ring. The king has not been informed of your summons and would not be pleased, but we have done the right thing and he cannot see it, with good reason.”
“Is his mind also not his own now?” Eric asked.
“Yes. The Orbs of Dominion have enthralled him.”
Anna grew alarmed. Would they find themselves similarly enthralled, whatever that meant? They had already lost control of their physical lives, but now their minds might be taken over, too?
“We are not familiar with these Orbs of Dominion,” Ryan said. “Please tell us more.”
Derin nodded. “Of course. No one is certain who invented the orbs, but there are believed to be two, a master orb and a slave. Legend says that the creator, a wizard, kept the master for himself and sent his apprentice to ensnare rulers with the slave orb, which was mounted atop a staff. This allowed it to enthrall individuals or large groups if it was raised high enough for them to see. Somehow, both the wizard and his apprentice came to ruin, and the orbs passed through various hands before disappearing. Today, it is unknown who has the master, but it has clearly been activated. We know where the slave orb is, and this is what you are here to retrieve and deactivate, by destroying it if possible.”
“How do they work?” Matt asked, leaning forward, green eyes intent.
“The master orb is like a communication orb, allowing the one controlling it to interact visually and verbally across great distances. But it only works with the slave orb, which is called this because anyone looking into the slave can have their mind taken over by the one who controls the master.”
Matt asked, “Does this control continue after the slave orb is removed from their presence or deactivated?”
“Yes. It is permanent or can be until the master orb releases the individual. This happens if the one controlling the orbs dies or relinquishes control somehow.”
Eric observed, “And the Minarin King has looked into the slave orb and is now under someone’s control.”
“Yes.”
“And you do not know who controls him?”
“We do not. But your quest does not include determining this, though it would be helpful to know.”
Eric asked, “How did this happen?”
The warrior Novir answered, “The slave orb was being kept in the nearby dwarven Kingdom of Hamarven, deep beneath the mountains. Only a few dwarves knew this. It was among various rare, precious, or dangerous items under heavy guard. We do not know how long this has been true, and there has been so little mention of the orbs for centuries that many do not believe they are real. Many have never heard of them.
“According to the dwarves, the slave orb suddenly turned on after so many years of inactivity. The dwarves guarding it were so surprised that they mistakenly stepped closer and became ensnared. Whoever took control convinced them to bring other guards nearer, and one by one, those under its control grew in number so that they could walk out of where the dwarves kept it, carrying it before them, ensnaring more as they went.”
Anna inwardly groaned at how easily more people could be affected. It was brilliant and awful. “I can see why these are so dangerous.”
Novir nodded. “Yes. They brought it before the queen and captured her mind. The king passed years ago. We do not know how many among the dwarves the orb enslaved, and there is some question as to how many people can be controlled. It is unknown how the orbs really affect someone, but we suspect that the enslaved just become willing to take orders. We aren’t sure how much they are aware of.”
“Maybe it’s like the orb hypnotizes them,” mused Matt.
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Novir didn’t seem to understand the remark and continued as if Matt hadn’t said it. “Before long, the dwarves arrived in our kingdom with the orb. We are not sure what their intent was, whether they came to ensnare our king or if they only did so on their way north. The result is the same.”
“They succeeded.” Eric surmised.
“Yes. We are on friendly terms with the dwarven kingdom, and so no one thought any harm would come from their request to meet with our king. Once the audience was granted, they unveiled the orb, and all were lost to it. I was not on duty or else I would have been among them. I had heard of the request and was en route to the throne room when I learned something was amiss. There are ways into that room, known to only a few, and I used one. I saw the thrall the orb had cast over everyone. I also heard a voice commanding King Orin and him obeying.”
“What was the command?”
“To assist in the orb’s travel further northwest to a place known as Bolin Hill, where the dwarves were to give the orb to someone else.”
“Who?”
“It was not specified, but we now know, as you will see. The power of the slave orb allowed the dwarves to leave unmolested, due to the King’s Guard members enforcing the king’s orders. The orb did not enthrall all of my men, as not all were on duty. Regardless, in their departure, the dwarves ensnared anyone they encountered, leaving some behind, and taking others with them. Some who departed with them were our finest warriors. I sought Denir at once and on learning of my description of the orb and what occurred, he surmised we are dealing with the Orbs of Dominion.”
Denir spoke up. “As you know, we must attempt to solve our own problems before attempting to summon yourselves, or the Quest Rings do not bring you.”
“What do you mean?” Anna asked. She thought Lorian might have explained this, but she wasn’t sure. So much had happened that she couldn’t retain it all. Then she realized others expected to know and struggled to justify her question, making up something. “What I mean is that there are variations in the way the Quest Rings work. They are not all precisely the same. We prefer not to assume but get confirmation on how a specific one is performing, especially if we use it to return.”
Denir looked intrigued. “I was unaware of this. Thank you. Quite interesting devices.” He looked at Matt, who nodded as if to thank him. “I cast the summoning spell and answered the questions I was asked about the quest and what we had done to resolve the matter ourselves. Upon completion, the Quest Ring’s oracle, I believe you call it?”
“Correct,” said Matt, though the expression was news to Anna and likely him, too.
“The oracle agreed the quest was valid and brought you here moments later.”
“I see,” said Anna, wishing she could see this in action but suspecting she never would. “Thank you.”
“Of course. As I was saying, we explained to the Quest Ring our previous attempts to resolve this. Our first attempt at securing the slave orb was as the dwarves fled, but this led to nothing but more enthralled warriors and we had to back away. We lost over two hundred good men and women to the orb. Our second attempt was another failure, but one that provided insight into how dire the circumstances truly are.”
“What happened?”
Novir said. “We sent a handful of men and one wizard to the rendezvous point, Bolin Hill. They arrived first because the dwarves and our captured men were on foot. It gave them time to see who they were meeting.”
He exchanged a look with Denir, and Anna sensed they had debated whether to reveal something. “We need to know everything you can tell us,” she said.
Denir sighed heavily. “We learned that the Orb of Dominion was bound for the Lords of Fear.”
The Earth friends shared an inquisitive look, and Novir spoke up. “As you were, uh, missing for a few years, you may not have heard of them. They began making a name for themselves since then.”
“Who are they?”
“An assassin, a necromancer, a sorcerer, and an undead knight.”
Eric smirked. “Sounds like a charming group.”
Anna knew he was kidding but had a terrible feeling about this. She had already encountered one undead knight on Honyn when it grabbed her and announced she would be its bride after death. Her skin prickled with goosebumps from the awful cold that had settled in her bones. The memory was one of many that sometimes kept her up at night. She brushed the thought aside with an effort, just as she kept trying to ignore her fears about what had happened to her friends when she vanished from the car. Focusing on the details of the impending quest helped her some. “Why are they called the Lords of Fear? Are they actual lords?”
The wizard said, “Yes. Or they were. Some have been stripped of their titles.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Nothing good. They sometimes assassinate royalty or other prominent figures, or extort them. They have started wars between kingdoms. They have assisted others in achieving evil. And they go after powerful supernatural items like these orbs, so much so that people on various worlds have taken to hiding them from this threat.”
“So they operate across worlds. Are they from this one?”
“They are not, and we believe that, now that they have what they came for, that they are attempting to leave with the orb. It cannot remain in their hands. It is dangerous regardless, but with the Lords of Fear using it, there is indeed much to fear. Their methods are nightmarish and true to their nickname. The assassin is not above poison, for example, whether this is given directly, in food or drink, or on her weapons. Should you fight her, you must be certain not to let a blade slice you.”
“It’s a woman?” Anna asked in surprise.
Denir said, “Yes, and she was the daughter of a countess, her father being an Earl who has since disowned her.”
Eric leaned forward. “Do you know anything else that might help us understand her? We might be able to use the details to our advantage.”
Novir spoke up. “She is known to love both men and women, but same-gender relations carry a penalty of death in Nysuun, even for royals. As teens, her and the princess she loved were condemned. After watching her love die by fire, Kori escaped the same fate and disappeared. There has been much speculation about her history since, but we know she joined a secretive group that trained her in hand-to-hand fighting, weapons, and other skills an assassin needs. But they would not let her seek revenge. It appears she was bound, perhaps supernaturally, by a pledge to them, but she freed herself from it and got her revenge. The organization tried to kill her for this, so she did the same to them, but whereas they failed, she was successful. The group is no more.”
Anna couldn’t hide her disbelief. “She killed all of them?”
“Yes. Kori of Nysuun is among the most ruthless women alive.”
Anna tried to mute her intimidation. If the others were just as deadly, she and her friends might be in worse trouble with this quest than it seemed. Not sure she wanted to know, she asked, “Who are the others?”
“The sorcerer is Lord Garian of Ormund.”
Ryan perked up. “Ormund? On Honyn?”
Novir turned to him. “Yes. We understand you closed the Dragon Gate there recently.”
“We did. We met someone from Ormund along the way.”
“Cirion,” muttered Anna, remembering the dashing man who first tried to seduce her, then interfered with their quest to close the gate. He was trouble of more than one kind. “Hopefully, he won’t appear. Who is Lord Garian?”
Novir answered, “He was the prince and heir to the throne, but no longer. His father stripped him of his peerage.”
Anna cocked an eyebrow. “What did he do to cause that?”
Denir replied, “While magic is not quite forbidden in the kingdom, it is viewed with suspicion and not openly practiced. When Garian discovered he had the talent in his teens, he secretly sought training and received it, but his master had plans of his own.”
A scowling Matt asked, “
To control him?”
Novir answered, “He wanted power over Garian once the prince became king. I suspect the master treated Garian poorly, knowing the prince could tell no one.”
Denir interjected, “Yes, and it is this, coupled with learning dark wizardry, that seemed to alter Lord Garian’s heart. His personality was seen to change even before the truth of his secret life and talent was discovered. Having a member of the royal family practicing magic was not well received, and perhaps it was the impetuous nature of youth that led him to publicly flaunt his skills. We believe he did this to show that it was of no danger to anyone, but the king, his father, did not view it that way.”
Matt finished, “And so they stripped him of his titles.”
Denir nodded. “And banished. I expect he will one day return to claim the throne and abolish laws against magic.”
Matt said, “I can’t say I blame him. He doesn’t sound like he’s that bad of a guy.”
Denir sighed. “He enjoys sympathy in some quarters, but his actions since then leave little doubt that he can only be a hero to unsavory people. He is very charming, as if the spell he weaves is one of seduction more than wizardry. You should know that you will not identify him by a sorcerer’s attire, for he seeks to hide his talents and skills, I think more to surprise people than from shame, though perhaps his past inspires it. Do not look for a wizard’s robe or staff, but a well-dressed man of royal refinement in a tunic and trousers, the ingredients for spells discreetly on his person. He keeps a wand up one sleeve should he need it. Beware the Dragon’s Fire Wand, for it is powerful.”
The Light Bringer: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Novel (The Dragon Gate Series Book 2) Page 6