Dwarven Ruby

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “And we shall,” smiled Arik as he walked over and hugged Tedi. “I am so happy for you Tedi. We will find a way to get her out of there.”

  “How does Bin-lu know it was Tedi’s mother?” asked Alex as Tanya appeared from the darkness.

  “She recognized the necklace,” Bin-lu explained. “She also knew Tedi’s name. There can be no doubt about it.”

  “We will need information on the palace,” responded Alex. “You do realize that we may not get out of there alive? This will not be like sliding into Tagaret. We are foreigners here, and we will easily stand out.”

  Tedi broke his embrace with Arik and stared at Alex with fury in his eyes at the suggestion of doubt. Alex’s face remained impassive, and Tedi finally nodded sadly.

  “You are right, Alex,” Tedi said softly. “It is wrong to expect the Rangers to jeopardize their mission for the sake of my mother. Placing Arik on the throne is far more important than any of our lives. But I cannot leave Lanoir without her. I beg you, Arik, to release me from my pledge. I will not be able to live with myself if I abandon her.”

  “You take me wrong,” Alex declared. “I am merely pointing out the dangers that we will be facing. I do think that Arik should not be involved though. He is the one person we cannot afford to lose. Perhaps I can go in myself easier than a bunch of us.”

  “I am going with you,” stated Arik. “If it was my mother I would expect everyone to go. Why shouldn’t Tedi have the same right?”

  “Because he is not destined to be the King of Alcea,” interjected Tanya. “Fulfilling the prophecy is more important than all of our lives. I am not saying this to be mean, Tedi. The fact is that the world depends on our success. We cannot risk it.”

  “So I should abandon my mother because it is inconvenient?” snarled Tedi. “Have you no heart at all?”

  “I have a heart,” Tanya replied firmly. “And I am not suggesting that we abandon your mother. What I am saying is that the prophecy is more important. If you have doubts about that, ask Alex and Jenneva. They abandoned their child to find Arik. Do you think that was an easy thing for them to do? Do you think that was any less painful than the situation you are in?”

  Alex stiffened his body as he glared at Tanya, but she ignored him and continued, “Arik is essential to the prophecy. There is no way we can risk his life for your mother. Alex and Jenneva have devoted their lives towards seeing this prophecy fulfilled, and Arik needs them to guide him. That leaves you and me, Tedi. If you want to rescue your mother, I am all that you have. We are expendable.”

  “Are you saying that you will go with me?” a bewildered Tedi asked.

  “I am,” nodded Tanya as Jenneva, Niki, and Wylan joined the group. “Alex may be right about a smaller party succeeding anyway. Plus I have some skills that Alex and Arik do not.”

  “This is all unnecessary,” interrupted Bin-lu. “Master Khatama already has a plan. We have been working on it the whole time you were on the Island of Storms. The Rangers can continue their journey, and we can catch up to them in a few days.”

  “Perhaps we should get Master Khatama and find out what his plan is,” suggested Jenneva. “I never saw him leave with all of the commotion.”

  “I will get him,” offered Niki as she turned and headed down the path towards the wagon.

  “Who is supposed to go to Ongchi with this plan?” asked Alex.

  “Just four of us,” answered Bin-lu. “Master Khatama, Niki, Tedi, and myself.”

  “Do you even know how to fight?” frowned Alex as he stared at the young, thin Lanoirian.

  Bin-lu smiled as he rose and picked up a coconut from the beach. He turned and tossed the coconut to Alex. As Alex reached out his arms to catch the coconut, Bin-lu twirled swiftly. The Lanoirian’s leg rose chest high as he twirled and his foot smacked into the coconut just as Alex managed to get a grasp on it. The coconut went sailing off into the bushes.

  “Can you handle a sword?” grinned Alex.

  “I have no experience with a sword,” admitted Bin-lu, “but I can make use of other weapons well. A staff or a couple of small sticks can be deadly weapons.”

  Alex reached into his pouch and pulled out a Lanoirian Star and handed it to Bin-lu. Bin-lu grinned as he picked up another coconut. He handed the coconut to Alex and indicated that he should throw it into the air. Alex tossed the coconut high and Bin-lu casually tossed the Lanoirian Star after it. The coconut fell to the ground near the fire and Alex walked over and pulled the Lanoirian Star out of it.

  “I will take that as a yes,” nodded Alex. “Still I would feel better if you had some time to train with us first. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of that time right now. I do not want to meet Sarac’s Ravens in this city. Too many innocents would die in the course of the battle. It is imperative that the Rangers leave Barouk soon.”

  “Does this mean that you will let me join the Rangers after we free Tedi’s mother?” grinned Bin-lu.

  Alex smiled at Bin-lu and turned to look at Arik. Arik grinned and nodded his head. Everyone’s smiles quickly disappeared when they heard Niki’s scream. The Ranger’s dashed along the path and came to a halt beside Master Khatama’s body, which was lying face down in the sand.

  “Is he dead?” Wylan asked as Jenneva and Tanya knelt beside Niki as she leaned over the magician’s body.

  “No,” answered Jenneva. “Neither is he conscious. Help me roll him over, Tanya.”

  Tanya and Jenneva rolled Master Khatama’s body over so that he faced upward. Jenneva felt his pulse and pried his eyelids open.

  “Was Boris doing any magic tonight?” Jenneva asked.

  “Not that I know of,” answered Niki. “The last I saw him was when the Sword of Heavens pierced the Darkness. I lost track of him after that. Why do you ask?”

  “Because he appears to be suffering from magical shock,” replied Jenneva.

  “What is magical shock?” queried Wylan.

  “It is like an overload,” answered Tanya. “As if he was channeling way too much power through his body. I cannot believe that Master Khatama would ever make a mistake like that.”

  “Nor can I,” agreed Jenneva. “Although he has been acting rather strangely recently. Is it possible that his memory loss could cause him to make such a mistake?”

  “Even if it was possible,” answered Niki, “what magic would he have been performing as he walked back to his wagon? It doesn’t make any sense. He is losing his memory though. When I started traveling with him, we used to talk about Fredrik and me. Yesterday I mentioned Fredrik and he had no idea who I was talking about.”

  “How about an overload from someone else’s magic?” asked Alex as he silently drew his sword and looked around the wagon.

  “I don’t see how,” speculated Jenneva, “unless….”

  “Unless what?” asked Tedi.

  “Unless he was somehow tuned to the Sword of Heavens,” responded Jenneva. “The Sword of Heavens emits tremendous magical energy when it pierces the Darkness. It can be felt for hundreds of leagues away. Normally I would say that it would not affect a magician, but Boris is not just any mage. He is THE mage. Who knows what ties he has to the Sword of Heavens?”

  Chapter 2

  Awakening the Mage

  “You should take the opportunity to catch some sleep like the rest of the Rangers are doing,” Jenneva said to Tanya. “I will do what I can for Master Khatama.”

  “I do not doubt your abilities to aid him,” answered Tanya. “I do want to watch you work though. I have never actually seen a case of magical shock. It was something that Master Khatama always warned me about when I studied under him.”

  “That is acceptable logic for avoiding your real reason for staying,” smiled Jenneva. “Believe me, I know how attached you have become to him. I, too, studied under him. I know I can bring him out of this, but I wish I could figure out why he was shocked in the first place.”

  “You don’t really think it is the Sword of Heavens then?�
� quizzed Tanya.

  “I don’t know,” frowned Jenneva. “It is possible that he has some deep attachment to the ancient artifact, but I still have doubts. His memory loss has been gradual from what I can tell. Yet the Sword of Heavens has not been around him for long. How can we connect his problem solely to the Sword of Heavens then?”

  “It could be two different problems that he is facing,” suggested Tanya. “The memory loss could just be from aging, and the overload from the magic of the Sword of Heavens.”

  “Possibly,” murmured Jenneva as she cast another healing spell over Boris.

  “You don’t sound convinced,” Tanya said softly.

  “I’m not convinced,” admitted Jenneva. “How does aging affect someone who is thousands of years old? One would think that if he were to have gradual memory loss that it would be spread out over a longer timeframe. His life span is unlike anything we are used to, but his senility has progressed rapidly. Have you talked to him recently about your earliest memories?”

  “I tried to,” frowned Tanya. “He does not really remember much about me.”

  “But he can remember ancient things like the Breastplate of Alcea,” nodded Jenneva. “It does not make sense. I would quickly say it was the last fight he had with the demon, Alutar, if Prince Midge had not informed us that there had actually been no fight.”

  “Why would a fight with Alutar cause his memory loss?” asked Tanya.

  “I am not sure why,” admitted Jenneva, “but it happened to him before. When he fought Alutar a thousand years ago, he lost so much of his memory that he did not know his own name.”

  “What brought his memory back?” queried Tanya. “How did he finally remember things?”

  “He regained some his memory gradually,” replied Jenneva. “Still he did not know who he was until we went through a Junction to another Universe. That was when he rediscovered who he was.”

  “Do you mean he walked through the Junction and his memory suddenly returned?” questioned Tanya.

  “Not exactly,” Jenneva answered as she invoked another healing spell. “He was confused and terrified when he came through the Junction. He passed out.”

  “How do you know he was terrified?” asked Tanya.

  “That was the first time that I mind-probed him,” frowned Jenneva. “His fear was quite tangible. It gripped my mind. I actually saw Alutar in his mind. He was fairly quiet about it when he awoke. Several days later he mysteriously disappeared. We did not see him again for some time. When we did, he seemed to remember everything. That is when we learned about the Ancient Prophecy. He came back to warn us to prepare for these days.”

  “If going through a Junction can aid him then can’t we do that again?” suggested Tanya. “Surely you know how to create one.”

  “I do,” admitted Jenneva, “but we cannot do that. Alutar might escape through a Junction. It is far too dangerous to the world for me to attempt it. Alutar might seek revenge enough to destroy the only Universe left. I cannot comprehend what would be left if he did that.”

  “It is hard for me to accept that Master Khatama does not remember me,” sighed Tanya. “How can you accept his not remembering you?”

  “I focus on his well-being,” replied Jenneva. “Even if he does not remember me, I still care for him so much that it seems more important that he get better than remember me. I suspect it may be harder on you because of your youth. Do you have fond memories of your earliest years?”

  “Very much so,” Tanya smiled warmly. “He was the only family I have ever known, but I do treasure those memories. I doubt he was my real uncle, but that matters little to me. He could not have been kinder and gentler if he had been.”

  “I, too, was brought up by an uncle who was not a real relative,” nodded Jenneva. “Uncle Hasra still meant the world to me. I still miss him after all these years. Did Master Khatama have memory problems in your early years?”

  “Some,” Tanya offered after a moment of thought. “Not anymore than everyone else though. I think the first time I ever saw him confused about a memory was when I was five or six. Somehow we got on the subject of my parents. It was a subject that always gave him pause, but at that time I think he looked bewildered. As if he should know more than he could remember. Master Khatama was such a good a parent that I do not think his silence bothered me much. I really could not have asked for more. He indulged my every whim.”

  “Did he ever reveal anything about your parents?” pressed Jenneva.

  “Not really,” replied Tanya. “I had the very strong feeling that he knew them though.”

  “Do you think they still live?” asked Jenneva as she cast another spell.

  “I doubt it,” frowned Tanya. “At first I thought our traveling was designed to find them. Master Khatama would often alter our course on a moment’s notice as if he had a thought of where to look for something, or someone. I do think he was searching for someone, but I now realize that it was not my parents he was searching for. I think it all had to do with the Ancient Prophecy. He does seem to be tied to it somehow.”

  “And all of the training he gave you,” inquired Jenneva, “was that meant to satisfy your whims, or was he preparing you for some part in the Ancient Prophecy?”

  “I don’t know,” Tanya replied as a puzzled frown grew over her face. “I mean I certainly wanted the training. I begged for it in most cases. But sending me off to travel with you has always puzzled me. I wanted very much to remain with him instead. Here in Barouk I offered to leave the Rangers and return to him. I thought he needed my help. He dismissed my desire instantly. Now it is as if he does not remember me. I know he needs help.”

  “You have become an integral part of the Rangers,” smiled Jenneva. “I do not know how the Rangers would fare without you, but I would support your desire to be with him if you want me to.”

  “I would prefer that we all travel together,” responded Tanya. “I feel very much at home with the Rangers, and yet I fear for Master Khatama.”

  As Jenneva cast another healing spell, Master Khatama’s eyes opened and he groaned. Jenneva and Tanya held their breath as the old merchant struggled to sit up. He stared at Tanya for a moment and then turned to look towards the wagon.

  “I appear to have missed my bed by a fair distance,” quipped the old mage. “What day is it?”

  “You have not been out that long, Master Khatama,” smiled Jenneva. “Perhaps a normal night’s sleep had you retired early enough in the evening. How do you feel?”

  Boris stared at Jenneva for a moment and then turned his attention back to Tanya. His face held a puzzled frown as if he wanted to ask a question but feared to.

  “Shall we help you to bed, Uncle Boris?” asked Tanya.

  Slowly a smile spread across the old man’s face. Jenneva sensed Master Khatama’s predicament and intervened.

  “Tanya and I would be pleased to help you to your bed,” offered Jenneva.

  “Tanya,” echoed Boris as he continued to stare at his niece. “Yes, perhaps that would be a good idea.”

  Tanya and Jenneva helped Master Khatama to his feet and led him to the wagon. When they had him in his bed, he shooed them away without further conversation. Jenneva led the way towards the Ranger campsite and halted on the trail through the bushes.

  “At least he is alive and healthy,” Jenneva offered.

  “I cannot leave with you in the morning,” sobbed Tanya. “I had hoped that his memory would come back when he awoke, but he still did not remember me. Someone has to help him and that is my job.”

  “I will not argue with you,” consoled Jenneva. “Let us get some sleep before dawn arrives. We will discuss the problem with all of the Rangers and see if we can come up with a plan that both protects Master Khatama and also moves us out of this city.”

  “Thank you,” smiled Tanya. “I am glad that you love him as much as I do.”

  The two mages walked back to the campsite and settled in for the night. It seemed like they ha
d just closed their eyes when Tanya awoke to smell of frying fish. The sun was already visible and she bolted upright. Everyone was sitting around the campfire where Bin-lu was cooking the morning meal. Tanya rubbed her eyes and joined the rest of the Rangers. She prepared herself for the sharp barb that she would receive from Tedi for oversleeping, but it never came. Everyone simply nodded to her as she sat down, and Bin-lu handed her a plate of fish.

  “I am sorry for holding everyone up,” Tanya said softly. “It won’t happen again.”

  “It is not you that is delaying us,” smiled Alex. “We are all concerned about Master Khatama, and I figured you could use the extra rest. We were trying to convince Master Khatama to travel with us for a while at least. So far he has refused, but he has demanded that we do not leave until he arrives here. I think it is too dangerous for us to dally, so I just sent Niki to inform him that we are leaving within the hour. Take your time with your food.”

  “Thank you, Alex,” Tanya smiled warmly. “Is there no way we can force him to travel with us for a day or two?”

  “He may be losing his memory,” frowned Jenneva, “but he has not lost any of his stubbornness. If he decides to stay, the Rangers will not be able to force him to do anything.”

  Tanya looked up as Niki sauntered into the campsite. The young redheaded magician smiled and sat down.

  “Master Khatama will be along shortly,” Niki announced. “He is in good spirits this morning and begs your indulgence for the short delay.”

  “Does he remember you, Niki?” asked Tanya.

  “Of course he remembers me,” Niki declared. “Why shouldn’t he? I am his favorite student.”

  “Is he still feeling well enough to go to Ongchi?” Tedi asked anxiously.

  “I am feeling fine, Tedi Markel,” replied Master Khatama as he entered the campsite. “Quite well enough to travel to Ongchi.”

  “How do you plan to rescue Tedi’s mother?” asked Alex. “I wouldn’t mind hearing your plans before we leave Barouk.”