Egam took the hit from a bolt of lightning and flew through the air. Darkness came to him and Egam was no longer in the battle.
Sarac smiled. So, the old fool was first to go. He had been sure that Kirsta would have fallen first. No matter, she would be next. He could not detect any weakening of Jenneva’s ward yet. She was indeed a powerful foe. A shame, really, he had looked forward to working with her, now he must kill her. Several dozen of his outer ring had died, but there was no weakening of his ward. He could go on for hours like this.
Jenneva was feeling the strain of the prolonged attack. She knew that if they kept attacking like they were, Sarac was sure to win but she must find a way to kill him. She watched as Kirsta was next to fly backwards, smashing her back against a rock. She knew now that she could not defeat Sarac. She had not had enough time to prepare and Sarac would not die today. There was only one thing left for her to do and she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. When she thought about it there was really no choice. If she died next, the entire Kingdom Army would feel Sarac’s wrath.
Jenneva drew from all of her strength, her shield of protection weakening as she concentrated. She struggled to remember the words from the Origin Scroll as she began the incantation. Sarac’s blows were rattling her now. She could not complete this powerful spell and still maintain full protection of her ward. At last she completed the spell and Sarac and his Black Devils disappeared. Mentally drained and exhausted, she collapsed.
When she awoke Alex was shaking her. She sat up and looked around. Sarac and his henchmen were gone. Egam was sitting nearby but looked extremely ill. She looked for Kirsta and saw her in the same position as when she had been thrown. Jenneva got up and unsteadily hobbled over to Kirsta.
“Kirsta,” she began, “what can we do for you? Where does it pain you?”
“Jenneva, what did you do to them? Where have they gone?”
Alex helped Egam over to the two women. He did not want to miss the explanation for Sarac’s disappearance.
They’ve gone to another Universe,” Jenneva explained. “I could not defeat Sarac and I had no other choice. I’m not sure that I understand the ramifications of my act. I only know that I had to move them to save the Kingdom.”
“But the Origin Scroll,” quizzed Kirsta, “How did you find it?”
“I looked where it had to be. It is not important now. You are all that is important to me now,” Jenneva sobbed.
Kirsta looked up with tears in her eyes. “Then you know it all?”
“I think so,” replied Jenneva. “It was Sarac wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” answered Kirsta, “It was. I have behaved so horribly, Jenneva. Can you ever forgive me?”
“It is not important now,” Jenneva said. “What is important is that you get well. I want to spend more time with you on your island paradise, just the two of us, with no great crisis pending. We’ll spend years together and make up for lost time.”
Kirsta shook her head and blood poured out of her mouth. “No, Jenneva, that is not to be. I have reached the end of my time and even your skills cannot alter my destiny. I will leave you soon. Please find it in your heart to understand and forgive me.”
“No,” Jenneva protested. “You cannot abandon me again, Mother! I will take care of you. Please! I do understand and I do forgive you, but don’t leave me again. I’ve just found you and . . .” And Kirsta died.
Jenneva cradled her mother’s head and cried.
Chapter 17
Revelations
Jenneva lay in Alex’s cabin in Lavinda. Lenor’s barn had been converted into a meeting hall. The livestock were taken to pasture and the stalls removed. Large tables were assembled and placed together to form a square, pending the coming meeting. The villagers were scurrying about preparing for a large feast. The King was coming to Lavinda!
King Eugene and his Advisors had been staying in a castle on the Boulder River north of Klandon and would be arriving soon. Colonel Gregor chose the site and placed Alex in charge of the preparation since it was his village. Oscar Dalek was coming from his ship in Bordon and the Commander of each of the Companies in the Army would be attending. The bulk of the remaining Army had been dispatched to Bordon to rest and regroup. The pass was still guarded and lookouts had been posted among the peaks of the Boulders.
The King had requested the meeting in order to assess the state of the Kingdom and discuss plans for pursuing the goblins or redeploying the Army to guard its borders.
The villagers were ill prepared for a great feast, but were determined to do their best for the King’s stay. They had ample supply of beef, turkey, and chicken, but the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables was lacking. Around the village, campfires were roaring and choice meats were roasting. Villagers were doubling up in their cabins so the visitors would have a place to stay. The bridge had been reset and the spikes in the Clear Zones remained, through which a safe path had been provided for the visitors.
Alex had lost many of his new friends to the goblins and was feeling depressed. Still, he reasoned, the loss of many soldiers was preferable to the loss of thousands of innocent civilians. It had always bothered Alex that Targa had devoted so little resources to its Army that civilians on the frontier were fair game to whatever group chose to attack them. The King should spend more of his wealth protecting the citizens instead of lavishly decorating the Palace. He remembered Jerrick who wanted a life in the Army but could not find a sponsor. Perhaps the King was ignorant about the perils of life on the frontier? Alex ran off to find Laman.
“Laman,” he called, “I need to talk with the village leader.”
Laman grinned. “And I to the Great Goblin Decapitator. The stories of Alex Tork are spreading faster than a twig down a spring creek. I particularly like the one where a hundred goblins drowned in their brothers’ blood after you strode through their ranks.”
“Laman, you’re too old to believe in fairy tales, but I do need your help. The King should be arriving soon and it would be proper for the village to have an Honor Guard to welcome him.”
“No problem, Fearless Warrior,” quipped Laman. “I’ll arrange for our best to line his path.”
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” snickered Alex. “I want the youngest able bodies to make up the Guard. They must be proficient with their bow, but I want them young and small. I want the King to see what the villagers have to defend themselves with. Perhaps he will picture their young bodies slain on the field of battle, in place of the strong men who roam the nation looking for work.”
“Alex, the war has changed you. Don’t take life too seriously; it can ruin your lunch. The King has made you a Baron and your rank in the Red Swords has been moving up rapidly. Now you wish to chastise the King for his decisions? You need to slow down before he rescinds your Title.”
“He can have my Title and my rank if he wishes, but I will no longer remain silent about the protection his citizens are lacking. Lavinda and the Gordo Region are parts of Targa and they deserve protection as much as Tagaret. Laman, if you will allow me, I will choose the Honor Guard myself. You will have no liability for my actions. I, and I alone, will take responsibility for my deeds.”
“Your will, Baron Tork. I, as village leader, must accede to your request, but I will choose from the villagers. I have never deserted my Fearless Leader before and I will not start now. This entire village will stand with you, Alex.” Laman looked at the stern expression on Alex’s face and laughed. “Besides, he doesn’t have enough of an Army with him to arrest you.”
Moments later, Oscar Dalek and Larc arrived along with several of Dalek’s guards. Alex went over and welcomed them to Lavinda. “So, you finally decided to visit. Welcome to Lavinda.”
“Alex, it is a beautiful village. I look forward to visiting with many old friends. I am glad to see you well. It was a small portion of the King’s Army that I saw in Bordon. The losses must have been great.”
“They were, Oscar, far too
great. Many good men died. I would consider it a favor if you would keep your guards in the field behind the village until after the King has arrived.”
“You are up to no good, Alex. I know you too well, but as you wish. It won’t be too long, though. We saw the King’s caravan just down the road. He will be here shortly.”
“Then we best get you and your men some refreshment in case the speeches are long,” gleamed Alex.
Ten minutes later the King arrived. Laman had assembled the Honor Guard and they stood solemnly still as the King passed. One of the King’s forward guards sneered at the children and Alex’s hand went for the hilt of his sword. The King halted the procession. “To the people of the village of Lavinda, the Barony of Gandy Valley, and the Kingdom of Targa, I give great thanks for this warm welcome. To the young warriors of Lavinda, I give my admiration and respect.” The King turned to General Clark and quietly ordered the offending guard be removed from duty. The procession continued into the village and was led to the barn.
Lord Habas approached Alex. “I have heard snippets of news from the battle. Are Jenneva and Egam here?”
“Jenneva is resting in my cabin,” answered Alex. “She has been very quiet and wishes to be left alone. Egam has disappeared. No one has seen him since Kirsta died.”
“Kirsta was involved in the battle? Are you sure she is dead? How do you know it was Kirsta?”
Alex hesitated, unsure of where to begin the story when Egam arrived.
“Egam,” Lord Habas called, “what is all this about Kirsta?”
“It is a long story my old friend,” greeted Egam. “A story that requires a certain teller. I still do not know many of the facts and also require some answers. Perhaps we should look upon Jenneva and see if she is well.”
Alex led the magicians to his cabin. Jenneva waved them off and turned to face the wall, hiding her tear stained face. Egam stepped closer and gently laid his hand upon her shoulder. “My dear Jenneva, I can hardly conceive your sorrow. For you to have lost Kirsta so soon after knowing her must be devastating, but I want you to know that you do not grieve alone. While there must be a period of mourning for the passing of loved ones, your task is not yet completed. You possess knowledge of events that escape understanding for the rest of us, yet we will be forced to make important decisions on the basis of these events. You must compose yourself long enough to properly inform us of your knowledge of the Origin Scroll and the whereabouts of Sarac.”
After a moment Jenneva dried her tears and sat up. “You are right, Teacher. I am lost in self-pity and sorrow. I cannot control my grief but you have the right and need of an explanation. I suppose I should start with my first visit to Atar’s Cove. I was among a small party exploring the island for water for our trip to Dalek. I saw a clearing with a hut in it and went to investigate. When I arrived at the clearing the hut was gone and a tiger stood in its place. The tiger was not aggressive as a jungle animal might have been. It was also not afraid. I left the clearing and returned to the ship not sure of whether I had actually seen the hut.”
Jenneva stood up and walked around the room. “Thoughts of the hut and strange animals on that island continued to gnaw at my subconscious. In addition to the tiger, we had seen a camel and a lemur. I thought this combination strange and asked Lord Habas about it.”
“Yes, yes, I remember that,” added Lord Habas. “I told you the natural habitat for each of the animals and speculated on the possibility of finding them all in one location.”
“Indeed you did, Lord Habas. It was at this point that I realized that someone had created his own private zoo. That someone must live in the hut I saw and that it had, indeed, disappeared. A mage with the ability to make the hut disappear was both powerful and desirous of not being found. I assumed I had found Sarac’s hiding spot and arranged with Oscar Dalek to be dropped off at the island. He would have a ship stop to pick me up one month later. I sneaked onto the island and hid myself to observe the magician; only Sarac was not there. Instead, I found a woman magician. Lord Habas, do you remember the first question I asked you?”
“I shall never forget it. This young woman asking me who the five most powerful magicians in the world were. I had no idea of your talent then.”
“Well, you only had one female on your list, so I took a gamble and mentioned her name in conversation. Kirsta stumbled and gave herself away. She was a bitter woman and wanted to be left alone, so I decided to leave. Very suddenly her entire demeanor changed and she welcomed me to stay. It took me a while to figure that out. When she had dismissed me I had told her my name. The only thing that accounted for her turnaround was the familiarity of my name, and how could she possibly know of me being isolated on this island? I suspected, but I needed to delve deeper to verify my suspicions. She mentioned at one point that she had departed for her exile from Balfour almost twenty years ago. Being almost twenty and from Balfour myself, I began to understand what must have happened.”
Jenneva wiped the fresh tears from her eyes and sat by the window. “Kirsta further confirmed my suspicions later when she said that the two that she loved had spurned her and the one that loved her, she had abandoned. I was the one she had abandoned. She did not want to take me into exile with her and left me on Hasra’s doorstep. I read every book that Hasra possessed and I remember one that had the name ‘Jenneva’ written in it. It was a children’s picture book containing artist’s drawings of exotic animals. Hasra scorned defacing a book with writing, so I now understood how it came to pass that I was named Jenneva. Kirsta had left the book with me, her only gift to her only child, one whom she never expected to see again.”
“On that point you are wrong, Jenneva,” stated Egam. “The book was not the only gift Kirsta gave you. She gave you your talent and your compassion.”
“Yes, you are right, Egam. And compassion she had. She knew Sarac would find her and kill her. That is why she abandoned me, so Sarac would never know of me. I don’t think Sarac even knew she was pregnant. She spent years on his quests for the Origin Scroll. She found the scroll, too. She told me she had destroyed it, but I knew she was lying. She admitted that she was not a destructive person and I knew it to be true. She couldn’t destroy the scroll any more than she could destroy Sarac.”
“But what about at the end?” Alex asked. “She was trying to kill Sarac then.”
“She had no chance of destroying Sarac,” Jenneva replied. “She was there to give her daughter a chance to live. She figured that Sarac would want to kill her more than an unknown magician and maybe that would give me a chance to kill him or escape. I hesitated in using the Origin Scroll because I did not know what it would do. I tried to kill Sarac instead and lost my mother and almost my mentor.”
Egam went to Jenneva and hugged her. “You are not responsible for her death, Jenneva. Kirsta was also aware of the Origin Scroll and she had the capability of casting the spell as well as you. As for myself, I would have stood alone against Sarac. Your actions in no way harmed me, in fact they saved my life and the lives of thousands in the kingdom. Do not look at your hesitation as a fault. You acted responsibly for the good of all. If anyone is to blame for Kirsta’s misery, it is Sarac.”
“But where was the Origin Scroll hidden?” asked Habas.
“When I returned from Atar’s Cove I rode up to Balfour and went to Uncle Hasra’s house. There in the library sat my book, the gift from my mother. I removed the binding and was not surprised to find the Origin Scroll underneath. It was the logical place for Kirsta to hide it. Her decision to hide must have been a difficult one for her. She left everything that mattered to her in the same place, her child and the Origin Scroll. She didn’t want Sarac to possess either.”
“So, you have possessed the Origin Scroll for some time,” quizzed Egam. “Why didn’t you come to me with it?”
“I knew then what I must do. I had to become Sarac’s student to determine his level of skill. To do that I had to attract his attention. You are a creature of ha
bit, Egam. After five years of living with you, I know your schedule quite well. I waited until your morning nap and then attacked the goblin army. Sarac responded as I knew he would. I convinced him that I loathed you and wanted to learn more about the Dark Side. I was prepared to deal with his skepticism. You probably don’t remember the morning that I discovered Lothar’s spells, for you were distracted by your thoughts of Sarac. Lothar’s Tongue allowed me to verbally deceive Sarac without his detection. Eye’s of Lothar was especially helpful. It allows one to visually deceive an audience, making them see what you want them to see. Sarac had a test for me to pass. When I looked into his crystal ball, I could see that the test was the destruction of an innocent village. I cast Eyes of Lothar and went on his mission. I imprinted the image of me destroying Lavinda and killing you when you showed up to protest. A strange side effect that I haven’t quite grasped though, is that Mordac was watching through your crystal ball. The ball turned milky white when I killed you. I told them it was probably linked to your lifeblood and they bought it, but I knew you weren’t dead. What happened?”
Egam laughed. “The spell on the ball is an old one. The ball can see any reality you concentrate on. You had Mordac and the ball seeing an illusion as if it were reality. In essence there were two realities and that is a contradiction. The ball could no longer present a reality so the spell was broken.”
“But what of Sarac’s Black Devil spell?” asked Lord Habas. “Surely you had to cast it before he would accept you as a student?”
“Oh, yes,” replied Jenneva. “Fortunately, Kirsta already had that one covered. She had discovered a spell called Fragrance. Fragrance is a Light Side spell that blocks mind control. She used it to avoid becoming a Black Devil and so did I.”
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