by L. R. W. Lee
“The two are related?” Fides replied. “I do.”
“Wait! Don’t phoenix tears heal?” Hannah exploded.
Everyone turned their heads.
“Do you think its tears could cure Abaddon?” Hannah worried.
Hans shrugged and Fides raised an eyebrow.
“If that beast regains endless life…” Andy thought aloud. “We can’t let him!”
The officers had been quietly taking in the conversation, but hearing this, Sergeant Terric sat up and bellowed, “What can we do?”
“Find a way to fix the stones!” Yara demanded.
“Now you understand. So much depends on the ring being restored, yet I know of only two possible ways to accomplish this, although only one is remotely realistic.”
Questioning gazes focused on the keeper.
“We need to repair the ring by hoisting the lintel stones up and aligning them.”
“That’s impossible!” Hannah objected.
“Do you know how the builders did it?” Captain Baldric inquired.
“I do. In fact, it’s what I’ve been attempting for the last month, but with Abaddon and his minions running about, I have yet to succeed.”
Shoulders slumped.
“There’s no other way?” Sergeant Fulk intoned.
“Well…”
As Fides uttered the word, Calum lurched on Alden’s shoulder like a bird possessed and let loose with a loud, Terwit terwoo, oop-oop-oop. Terwit terwoo, oop-oop-oop.
Everyone grabbed a weapon, whirled around to face the entry, and assumed a ready position. Several tense seconds passed but nothing happened. All strained to hear discordant sounds in the quiet.
Hooh-hrooo, the dove sounded a minute later, nesting again on his host’s shoulder as if nothing had happened.
Furrowed brows and frowning faces turned toward Alden who studied the bird. “No idea,” Alden dismissed, shaking his head.
The company relaxed and holstered their weapons. Andy retracted his blade and turned back for the benches, but Fides hesitated before approaching, his eyes wide.
“Would you show me your sword?”
“Sure,” Andy agreed, handing the hilt to the keeper.
Fides’s mouth fell open. He beheld the item in his open hands. “Methuselah,” he finally whispered and dropped to his knees.
Everyone paused. Glances ping-ponged around the space.
The man spoke softly as he studied the golden object. “The sword that divides good and evil. This is the very blade whose fire created the phoenix. It has not appeared for generations.” He caught Andy’s eyes, lifted his palms upward, and murmured, “I am your humble servant.”
The memory of Father doing the same when he discovered Methuselah flashed through Andy’s mind. He recalled the King’s words, “For the blade to show up now, and to you…I don’t know what we’re up against.” He remembered fleeing in fear then, but now he took the hilt and helped the keeper stand.
Out of the corner of his eye, Andy caught Yara holding a hand over her mouth. The officers stared as he replied, “Methuselah came to me three years ago.”
Fides nodded slowly. It seemed the man knew more than he let on. “I was despairing of finding a way to repair the ring, but this changes everything.” A smile burst forth on the keeper’s face.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Chosen
“A text from long ago reveals a possibility to fix the ring if we have Methuselah,” Fides confided. “But never in my wildest dreams would I have expected the legendary sword to appear at such a time as this.”
“Really? There’s something written about my sword here, in Cromlech?”
The keeper nodded, “Oh yes. More than you know.” He then recited:
“When the heart of the Land
Bends low, is broken,
Seekers tested alone
Are found worthy and Chosen.
Methuselah’s blade,
Aray the token,
The Ring to restore,
Its power unbroken.”
As Fides began quoting, Andy jerked back and shot a glance between Alden and Hannah, then mouthed, “It rhymes!”
“What’s it mean?” Yara wondered.
“Is the Aray mentioned here the same as the original phoenix?” Hannah questioned.
“What does ‘seekers tested’ mean?” Alden intoned, creasing his brow. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
Fides laughed and held up his hands, pleading for mercy at the onslaught of questions. “One at a time, please. Scholars have studied this passage for centuries and contemplated these same questions.”
Everyone ricocheted looks as the keeper continued.
“Many an interpretation has been offered and dismissed. While I cannot say with certainty, I will share with you my speculation, which, based upon Methuselah’s unexpected arrival, is evolving even now.” As he spoke, Fides seated himself on a stone bench and the others followed.
“Now then, the passage speaks to a terrible calamity, one that incapacitates the power of the ring. I think we all agree this is such a time.”
Heads nodded around the circle.
“It also makes reference to Methuselah being part of the solution. As I said, I never expected a literal fulfillment. But it also names Aray. And yes, I believe it’s referring to the princess who died and was reborn as the phoenix all those years ago, as another component of restoring the ring’s power.”
“It’s hard to believe that’s her flying around in the ring above us right now,” Yara murmured.
The keeper nodded, a sparkle in his eyes.
“But if Aray is ‘the token,’ how are we supposed to capture her?” Andy asked.
“I am not sure, but I am confident a way will be provided. You all are proof of that.” The man smiled.
“The stones of Mount Mur Eyah,” Hannah whispered in awe, drawing a nod from Fides.
“As you pointed out, Alden, the text also speaks to seekers being tested and found worthy. This portion has caused the most controversy over the years. No one has come up with a plausible explanation, at least not one that is agreed upon.”
“Then what do we do?” Captain Baldric queried. He rose with his jaw set, one hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
As if in answer to the question, Methuselah’s blade extended and lit. Andy nearly dropped the sword, so unexpected was its behavior. The space buzzed with yelps, gasps, and squeals.
“Looks like Methuselah’s going to show us,” Andy declared. He held up the illuminated blade and, just as it had on previous occasions, it dipped, pointing the way.
In silence, everyone followed out the doorway. The blade directed right when Andy reached the passageway. We haven’t been this way yet.
Fides and Yara, then Hannah and Alden, followed by Hans and the five soldiers trailed the beacon for several yards until the tunnel abruptly ended in a dirt wall.
“Now what?” Yara questioned.
The officers twitched hands over their weapons and surveyed the situation. Andy stepped aside to allow Fides access. The keeper applied open palms to the barrier as he had before, but nothing happened.
“I believe one of you, as a seeker, will have to do the honors,” Fides speculated, stepping back.
Yara took a tentative step forward. “I’ll give it a try.” She brought her hands up and placed them against the wall. “Please open,” she pleaded.
Everyone waited in hushed expectation, but again nothing happened.
“Other suggestions?” Alden invited.
Hannah stepped around Fides and Yara. “Remember how the dwarf door worked?”
“Yeah, we had to believe we could step through,” Andy offered, receiving a nod from his friend.
Hannah turned toward the barrier. “Here goes.” She raised her chin high and strode toward the wall.
“Where’d she go?” Yara squeaked a second later. Sergeant Fulk bounded forward and the other officers cried out.
Fi
des smiled broadly and winked at Andy, “A chosen seeker.”
“Yara, you try it,” Andy encouraged.
The princess raised her brow, then exhaled as she stepped forward once more.
“Believe,” Alden coached.
Yara nodded, squeezed her eyes shut, and took a step.
The officers’ alarm grew as she too disappeared.
“Hans, you’re next,” Andy nominated.
The healer smiled, approached the barrier without hesitation, then vanished.
“Alden, after you,” Andy joked.
The neon-green-haired boy and white ringdove approached the barrier, but his foot found substance and he slammed into the wall.
“Ow! That hurt.”
“Perhaps leave Calum,” Andy offered.
Fides reached for the bird, drawing a question from Andy, “Aren’t you coming?”
“I’m a keeper, not a chosen seeker. Of this I am sure,” he replied as he lifted Calum to his shoulder.
“I don’t like this!” Captain Baldric declared. “They’re unprotected.”
“I believe that is the point,” Fides countered, grinning, to which the captain ran a hand through his hair and exhaled forcefully.
“Ready?” Andy asked Alden.
His friend nodded and strode forward without incident.
“Wish us luck,” Andy entreated as he took a step, Methuselah forging the way. Fides and the officers faded from sight and his surroundings went dark. He took several more steps and heard Yara worry, “Where’s Andy?”
“He’ll be here,” Alden’s voice reassured.
Andy broke through into a dimly lit earthen cavity. It resembled the others the group had encountered, but the ceiling rose twice as high and had no timbers supporting it. Movement drew his gaze to where a host of glowing spheres the size of soccer balls floated as if drawn on a lazy river. Half a dozen steps ascended a circular white stone platform about twelve feet in diameter that rose in the center. A larger glowing sphere hovered above it. A curtain of blackness hid what lay beyond the platform, and a feeling of dread crept into Andy’s consciousness. He shuddered before catching Hannah’s glance. She feels it too.
“What is this place?” Yara quaked.
“Where we will be tested,” Hans replied matter-of-factly.
“Now what, Methuselah?” Andy questioned.
The blade directed him toward the platform before retracting.
Andy advanced and the others followed close. As they climbed the steps, the sphere hovering over the center brightened and a table about the size of his parents’ dining room table materialized.
Whoa.
Its highly polished surface reflected the ceiling and floating lights. Everyone exchanged glances but remained silent.
Chairs appeared, two on either side and one at the head, drawing a whimper from Yara and widened eyes from Hannah.
“Are we to sit?” Andy threw the question out.
Four pairs of silver goblets materialized before the seat at the head of the table, begging investigation. The five approached, each reaching for a chair. But when Hans, who stood along one side, tried to pull out his chair, it would not move. Andy experienced the same problem at the head of the table.
“I guess I’m supposed to sit there,” Hans deduced.
The healer wrung his hands as he and Andy exchanged positions.
Once seated before the drinking vessels, Hans swallowed hard as he reached for the first pair. He drew one then the other under his nose and sniffed, repeating the process twice before looking up. He furrowed his brow and explained, “It seems I’m to identify which cup bears poison within each pair.” He held up the goblet on the right of the first pair. “This one is water.” Nodding at the other he added, “And this one is hemlock.”
“How do you know?” Hannah inquired.
“The smell. It’s rather disagreeable.”
He set the cup down and exhaled, then glanced around the table. “I’ve always feared I might accidentally hurt a patient and be unable to save them.” He shook his head slowly. “Based upon the fact that there are four pairs of goblets and four of you…”
Everyone inhaled sharply and exchanged looks, reluctant to accept what the healer postulated.
“We trust you, Hans,” Hannah interrupted the silence.
The other three looked to the healer and slowly nodded.
“Thank you. While I appreciate the sentiment, I think your confidence in me is greater than mine, at least in the field of poisons. He blew out a series of short breaths. Without warning, the goblet Hans had identified as water began to slide across the table of its own accord.
“What?” Andy stammered.
Hans began rubbing his brow, Yara drew a hand to her chest, and Alden’s mouth fell open. Hannah covered her mouth with both hands as the vessel stopped before her.
“I guess we’re going to see just how much you trust Hans,” Yara observed, receiving a scowl from Hannah.
With shaking hands, the maiden grasped the cup. She glanced around the table, then squeaked, “Okay, here goes.” Bringing the goblet to her lips, she took a sip, then closed her eyes for several seconds. She took another drink, then another, finally allowing a smile to crawl across her face. “Hans is right. It’s water.”
A collective exhale emanated around the table.
“One down, three to go,” Hans murmured, drawing everyone’s attention back.
The healer pulled the second set before him and took a whiff of the chalice on the left. After sniffing the pair several times, Hans sighed. “I believe there’s a trace of belladonna in this one,” he declared, giving a half smile.
As before, the goblet identified as non-toxic slid down the table. It stopped in front of Alden this time. The Cartesian reached for it, held it up, and looked back to Hans for reassurance.
The healer nodded. “This one was harder to tell, but I’m nearly certain I’m right.”
Alden brought the drink up, then tipped his head back and emptied it, setting it down with a sigh. “Water.”
“Halfway there,” Andy encouraged, to which Hans nodded.
Hans brought the third set close, then picked up the cup on the right and ran it under his nose. He did the same with the other. After repeating the procedure four times, with the furrow on his brow growing deeper each pass, he scratched his head and pushed back. Several cleansing snorts later he again approached his test. Andy, Yara, and Alden shifted in their seats. Hannah bit her lip.
“I think I detect the slightest semisweet musky odor in this one.” Hans held up the left chalice. “I believe it’s foxglove.”
The other slid over to Yara who scrutinized it with wide eyes. “You’re sure?”
“As sure as I’ll ever be.”
The princess exhaled, staring the vessel down. She extended a shaking hand and grasped it around the stem, then circled the table with pleading eyes.
“You’re the only one who can drink it, Princess,” Hans affirmed.
“But you weren’t sure.”
“I’m fairly certain.”
“Just drink it,” Hannah admonished.
Yara directed a scowl toward her traveling companion, then took a calming breath. She closed her eyes, brought the goblet to her lips, and took a tentative sip. Seconds later she set the vessel down and stared at it.
“Well?” Alden queried.
“If it was poisonous she’d be convulsing,” Hans informed.
“You okay, Yara?” Andy asked, a concerned tone coloring his words.
The princess gave a timid nod as she continued staring at the goblet.
“Let’s finish this diabolical trial,” Hans growled.
Andy followed the healer’s every move, a foreboding rumble ricocheting inside his stomach. Hans again sniffed both vessels numerous times, shaking his head and clenching his jaw.
It’s taking him longer this time.
“I don’t know! I can’t tell!” Hans finally exclaimed, bringing a fist down
sharply on the table. The healer took several breaths and began rubbing one arm against the other.
The kids all stared. Andy wanted to say something, but what?
“I’ve failed,” Hans moaned. He shook his head. “It’s my worst fear come true. I’m supposed to be a healer, yet I have no idea which one will kill.”
Andy locked eyes with him. “You’re a good healer. Remember when Alden was poisoned by that dart? You figured out the antidote. And you’ve fixed me up plenty of times.”
The healer tilted his head, contemplating. “But what good is it if I poison you, Andy?” Hans gave a heavy sigh.
“Take your best guess.”
“That’s not good enough! I won’t risk killing you!”
“Maybe part of this test is to get beyond your worst fear and believe in yourself.”
Hans considered that.
“I trust you, Hans. I know you would never hurt me on purpose. Follow your gut. The ring can’t be fixed if you don’t choose.”
“You’re willing to sacrifice yourself?”
“If it means the ring can be fixed so the healers of Cromlech can again do their work, yes.”
Hans returned his gaze to the vessels and nodded. Sniffing both once more, he held up the one on the right and declared, “This is the one with poison.”
The left goblet slid before Andy. Without hesitating, he grabbed it, brought it to his lips, and downed the contents. Everyone held their breath. Seconds passed, then minutes.
“I feel fine.” Andy moved to stand, then crumpled to the floor, eyes wide.
A collective gasp rose and Hans rushed to attend him. The group circled Andy’s form, hoping. As the healer knelt and studied his eyes, Andy whispered, “I knew you’d choose right”—and smiled.
Hans jumped and brought a hand to his chest, exhaling loudly.
“You’re taking too many lessons from those gnomes,” Yara harrumphed.
“Woohoo!” Alden celebrated. He extended a hand and pulled Andy up, giving him a quick squeeze.
Hannah hugged Andy. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Then Yara moved in and Andy felt his mouth go dry and his pulse quicken as they embraced. Hannah adopted a sullen look.