"Well yes young Griff, that should've taken a true healer at least two days." He noticed the look that was on the young boys freckled face and frowned, trying to figure out what he may have said. "What is it Griff, that look seems serious."
He felt tears welling up in his eyes again, he was so scared. "Ralavin, when I was blown back, I couldn't feel my legs to get up and see if you were all right. I couldn't even get my arm to work either, so I called to Davalar and healed myself, and my back tingled.....then I was fine." As he finished the statue started to glow softly, filling the room with light.
Ralavin stared at the representation of his God glowing softly before him, mouth open wide at the implication of both the boys words, and the manifestation before him. "You really are touched by His hands aren't you?" He asked softly, not even meaning Griff to hear him. "I'll guide him I swear. He will learn all I have to teach him and more." He turned to the petrified young boy and placed his hand upon his shoulder. "It will be all right Griff, I'll take a look at you and make sure you're all fixed up. He smiled then, wiping a tear that refused to fall from the boys water filled eyes. He was trying so hard not to cry.
"Now come on, let's clean up this mess and see about getting young Rythal here into his room." He clapped the boy on his shoulder and went about picking up the debris from the explosion. The explosion. In the excitement of Griff's seeming miraculous healing powers he forgot about the way he and his student were blown away from Rythal without a reason. Well at least a reason that he could think of. He was definitely going to have to ask Karsis about this one.
Rythal saw everything, he always did. He screamed again for the thousandth time for his brother, but Innal was dead. His brother was just a pile of ash and dust, and he wouldn't hear anything anymore. It didn't keep him from screaming though, that's all he did now, inside this broken mess that was once his mind. Gone was the fun, care free life he had known with his twin, gone along with his sanity.
That thing, that Incarnation, as he has heard everyone call it, was responsible, and the voice told him that he was to be its downfall. He couldn't even control himself anymore, and anytime he did try to speak, all his body did was recite the words that the voice had told him to. That day, they had both heard the voice tell them to go back to Daelyn and save the people that fought the man in black.
Had he known that he would lose his brother, he never would have. He saw the young boy picking up a statue and screamed for Innal again. It echoed inside of his fractured mind, and seemed to go on forever. He would be free someday, and on that day he would take all his pain and suffering and deliver it to those responsible.
Servants Hall, Castle Everknight
She crept in slowly, slipping around the corner and trying to stay out of sight. If they saw who she was, half of them would bolt, and the other half would prostrate themselves. Maressa, Queen of Everknight sat down slowly, like she was watching wildlife from the bushes, trying not to spook them. The young boys in front of her, eating their meal and talking in hushed tones, were Pages. These boys delivered messages, carried notes, and even cleaned clothing on occasion. They ranged from seven years old to about thirteen, and once they turned fourteen, they were given a stipend of money and went back to their families. While they were at the castle, they were schooled in manners and court etiquette, and even basic reading and writing. At fourteen, with money and being literate, they could do better than most people in the city.
"Well here you are." The man's voice was loud and boisterous, and it turned into a yelp as the Queen stood in one fluid motion and grabbed him. Tanan was quick, but he had not expected attack here in the mess hall. He was pulled down hard, and when he tried to ask what in the Hells was going on, her hand was clamped over his mouth.
Maressa glared at the rogue, with her piercing blue eyes, and held her hand over his mouth. With her other hand she held one finger up to her mouth and made a ssshhhh noise. "Quiet, you'll spook them."
"Mmmm mm mmmmm mm?"
"Oh for Ollian's sake." She released him and continued to glare. Lord Tanan Norhil was dressed in a black silk tunic with black breeches, but his trademark long dark blue cape was missing. Broaches and pins adorned his clothes and his high black boots clicked when he walked. His thin wiry frame was in perfect form despite years of easy living. "But keep it down."
"What is going on?" Tanan whispered. He was into it now, he loved a good sneak play, and once he got into something, well he was all in. "Who's getting nabbed, or grabbed?" He looked at the Queen and silently wished again that she had chosen him instead of Arian. She had curly brown hair, shoulder length, and blue eyes that could read your every move, sometimes before you made one. She was lithe, but her stare could turn aside a dragon.
"I'm trying to observe the pages, in their natural habitat." She was only half joking.
"Ok, I'll bite. Why?" He had a smirk on his face that said he didn't believe her.
She turned to stare at the boys sitting there and smiled bitterly. "Karsis had an idea to use them as a kind of spy network. They hear everything that goes on in this castle you know, and they are practically invisible to nobles." She tried not to sound resentful, but she should've thought about it before Karsis did. That really burned her. She turned to smile at Tanan, then her eyes went wide as he was no longer sitting there. He had started walking over to the pages, very surreptitiously and had hunched himself over to almost look completely different. He stopped a table away from where a couple of pages ate, and sat down once more, pretending to fix his boots.
"One of you chaps have a pin?" Tanan asked in a small voice, almost like he was scared. He watched as the pages gave a start, then calmed down when they saw he was hunched over.
"Here," One of the pages walked over and handed Tanan a small pin, "Have this one, I've got another." The boy was turning around and caught a whiff of perfume. His eyes went wide and he made a small click with his tongue and the others started to move instantly. Perfume like that was only for the nobles or the rich. They packed up their trays, gathered their things, and started to leave the room in three different directions. Nobles in hiding equaled retribution, and they didn't want to be anywhere near that.
"Damn." Maressa swore under her breath at the sight of them fleeing, it was as if they were being hunted. They were well organized, but she might stop them yet, Yes but I wanted to observe them some more, well when the Dark One drives..... She thought, standing and throwing back her cloak. "Hold!" Her voice rang throughout the room, and even Tanan froze where he was. "Stay here all of you. I've got something to say to all of you here, and you can pass it along to the others that aren't." She walked forward and they started averting their eyes. "No no, stop. Look at me please." This last wasn't in the commanding voice of the Queen, nor was it in the lighter tone of a bard. No this was just a woman asking for a favor, and they heard her.
"It's all right guys, we can trust her." It was page Fenton who spoke. He remembered the Queen and how she had asked him where to find the High General that day. No one had ever talked to him like he was a person before. Well except Carana, she always did. The others slowly came back and sat down.
"You all know that there have been attempts on the life of the King, most of the city knows that by now, and I need your help." She paused for effect and let that sink in. She saw Tanan move to the back door silently, as if to cover escape, he was still into this as if it were a job. "You all see and hear more than anyone can possibly know, and proof of that was the help that we got from Page Fenton. His knowledge helped Karsis hold off an attempt that would've killed not just the King, but the entire council." She watched him blush, but stand a little straighter at the same time. He would be the key to getting them all. "So I want to offer this to you, starting with Page Fenton." She turned and bowed her head, going to one knee. "Fenton, please be the first of the pages to join my cause, for I need stalwart heroes that look and listen for King and Queen. You will be my secret hand among the nobles, and I can keep us safe with
your help. What say you Fenton?" She was relying on this boy who had to be all of twelve winters, if that.
He looked down at his feet for a couple of long breaths, feeling the quiet of the room weigh on his little shoulders. He saw what the council room looked like, and he had heard the stories of Grason. He didn't want to get his fellow pages hurt, but at the same time, he wanted so much more than what he had. He looked up at his Queen, and saw her kneeling at his level and the breath rushed out of him. "I'm yours my Queen." He didn't even know he had said it before it was out, but he meant it. He turned to the others, "I know that some of you just want to be invisible, and that is fine, but if you do this with me, we can change things, maybe even help the King." He held out his hand to the Queen, and helped her up, then dropped to one knee. "I pledge myself to you as one of the secret pages...."
"The Queen's Hand." Tanan objected from the back of the room, and his sudden outburst startled five of the young boys. It sounded more like a secret society, but it flowed better than the secret pages.
Fenton didn't miss a beat, "The Queen's Hand." He stood and pulled out another flat pin. These were used to hold fabric in place sometimes, or even just clean under fingernails. Every page had two or three of these on them from time to time. Now he tied a bit of red cloth that he had from one of his clothing repairs to one of them and pinned it inside of his jacket. He showed them all this, then folded the jacket back so it was hidden. Then the Queen placed her hand on his shoulder and spoke to them all.
"Nobles never see you, you're nothing to them. So if they talk, you listen, and when I ask, you just tell me what you heard. No heroics, no fighting, just be where you are all the time. In plain sight." She smiled and of the eleven boys in the room, eight of them were coming forward now. The first two were only seven or so winters. They could get killed, but I need them right now. How much of a monster am I? She smiled through her dark thoughts then she remembered that Arian's new recruits were mere children as well. At least she wasn't the only one. She caught Tanan's eye and he was smiling at her, silently clapping. Somehow having this devious man applauding her made her feel even worse. "By the way Fenton, how did you know Tanan wasn't a servant?"
Fenton kind of smirked, looking at his feet again. "He smelled nice." The young boy looked at the back at Tanan and shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "Like perfume."
"Thank you....I think?" Tanan walked forward now, no longer pretending to be anything but himself. The boys peeled back from him like he was a plague victim out of habit, such was his aura of importance. If they only knew that I had started just like them. He thought of the old days before he ran into Arian that fateful day and smiled. He swirled around to sit, but realized he didn't have a cape so the effect was wasted. "So I was made cause I smelled.....nice?"
"Sorry, but yeah. Servants don't really smell like flowers." Fenton spied Barris coming in the far exit and held his hand up as if to say it was all right. "Not that they are dirty, but even clean we don't smell that good. I thought it was coming in through the windows at first, but when I turned I saw that they were blocked."
Maressa was laughing so hard it hurt. "All hail the Lilac Lord!" She burst out, and when she saw his frown, she laughed even harder. Of all the things to give him away, this was by far the best.
"All right, laugh it up." He was silently amazed at young Page Fenton for noticing something like that. Usually something like that took training, or years of experience at least. He looked around the gathering of young ones to see that they were all smirking and smiling, and finally joined in. He bowed deep in mock acceptance of his new title. "Actually I rather like it, The Lilac Lord. I can be a secret liaison....."
Barris walked over to the happy gathering and was shaking his head. He was never late for a meal, and the one day he was.....the world turned upside down. The Queen, here with them laughing? "What did I miss?" He watched, dumbfounded as the group laughed all the harder now, and it was quite a while before he got the story, and pledged himself as well.
Throne Room, Castle Everknight
Arian walked into the throne room with heavy steps. He was tired and had been dealing with nobles all day. He even had to eat alone since his wife was off sneaking around the servants halls doing Davalar knows what. Now here he was, the King of Lythinall, answering some last minute nobles request at an audience late in the evening. He should've had guards with him, what with all the attempts at ending his life and all, but the Page had used his secret password that only trusted nobles knew, and only a handful at that. To call him here like this was truly important, and could even be a clue as to who was behind all of this. Besides, he could handle himself, as long as it wasn't magic.
He shuddered at the thought of when a sorcerer had taken all the air out of the room, stealing his breath and almost killing him and Maressa. He had felt so powerless. He heard a woman's voice behind him and turned as someone came through the door. His weary, forced smile disappeared instantly.
The man was huge, well over six feet tall, and his corded muscle stood out prominently through his woolen shirt, stretched tight over his barrel chest. He had shoulder length brown hair that always looked like it could use a combing, but no one dared to get close enough to try it, and he was blindfolded. "Tierra are you sure I need to be wearing this blindfold?" Gareth couldn't see anything, but when his wife said it was a surprise, well he hated to disappoint her in anything; Besides, she could get ornery when she didn't get her way.
Tierra smiled, then noticed the King staring at them and shoved her husband into the room and bolted back for the door. "Well have to run, you two play nice!" She turned and slammed the door closed, sliding a chair over and blocking the door from being opened.
Then she remembered the strength of the two men inside and sat down in the chair for good measure, though she hoped it didn't come to that. She had a slim build and long flowing hair that gave an almost dainty look to her short frame. She always kept her platinum blond hair in twin braids, straight back, and set with two-inch steel balls that would click and clack whenever she was about.
Arian frowned deeper and turned to exit the throne room the other way. He wasn't dealing with his past right now, and he was angry that he was obviously deceived. He reached the doors and pushed, but they wouldn't budge. Shaking his head, he shoved harder, thinking they were stuck, but they groaned and creaked, but held fast. The King was tall, well over six and -a-half feet tall, and it was all muscle. His golden locks fell short, brushing his ceremonial armor but lightly, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to hold one's attention involuntarily. Even though he was now past fifty winters, Arian could still keep up with all the day to day activities that came with being the King of Lythinall, yet he could not budge the door. "What foolery is this!" He yelled to the door, "This is your King, open these doors!" He was thinking to give whoever did this a fright so that they would yield a bit and he could shove harder, but then he heard his favorite giggle and knew that he was doomed.
Maressa giggled through the door, quite pleased with herself. "Dear, you two have been avoiding each other for a tenday, get it out of your systems. We will have you healed up afterwards don't you worry." She yelled through the closed doors. She was having a very hard time not laughing, imagining his face right now. She just hoped that Tierra could hold her door until she could get there and use her music to seal it like she had this one. "Love you!" Then she was off, running through corridors that she had practically grown up wandering around.
Arian sighed and turned around reluctantly, seeing Gareth taking off the blindfold and staring dumbfounded at the throne. He shook his head and walked over, putting on his Kingly smile that he used with the nobles he didn't like. "Gareth, what brings you?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but it came out strained anyway. So much had happened since that day, but it was still vivid in his mind.
"What brings me? My wife tricked me, that's what brings me." He stormed angrily back to the door he came in and pushed, but though it gave a litt
le, it didn't open. "That's it." He backed up a good six feet and lowered his shoulder, but felt a hand on his back and snapped around before he could charge. "Don't touch me!"
"Gareth..."
"Don't even try your placating words on me, we both know you don't care." He pushed the King away from him with everything he had, focusing his anger at how powerless he had felt lately with everything, especially his son. The King went backwards, but kept his footing, turning around to try and stay balanced.
"Don't placate you?!" Arian was usually the calm one, but with all that had been going on in the city and against his family, he finally lost control. He rushed his one time friend, anger twisting his features. "You are the one that struck me!" He swung, his fist connecting with the big man's jaw loudly. They were both big men, in different ways. Gareth was shorter, but had more strength, while Arian was taller with better skill. All in all they were well matched.
Gareth took the hit and turned his head with it, never losing a step. He came back around with his own fist as his head turned to glare at his King. He saw the king throw his arms up in front of his face to block the hit, and opened his fist at the last moment, grabbing an arm and pushing out and up with the momentum. This threw the King back, off of his feet a little so that he couldn't keep his footing at all. He stalked after the man and watched him land and roll to his knees to get up, facing away from him. "You're damned right I struck you. You had it coming Mr. High and Mighty, talking down to me like I was one of your subjects." He placed his foot on the Kings back to shove him down, but Arian spun, grabbing the foot and lifted it up high, with everything he had, sending Gareth up in the air and sprawling to the floor. Gareth hit the floor flat on his back, feeling the air rush out of him.
The Darkness Within (A Lythinall Novel) (Book 2) Page 7