The Rawn Chronicles Book Three: The Ancarryn and the Quest (The Rawn Chronicles Series 3)

by P D Ceanneir

  Powyss put his finger on it a few days later. After all, he had been with the prince at the birth of the Blacksword and watched him grow; even he was confused at people’s comments and reactions.

  ‘It’s as if they are disassociating you with the Blacksword in some way, maybe because of their love for you or your fame, or even fear of you and Him. They have come to realise that the things that the Blacksword has done have nothing to do with you, two minds sharing one body,’ he said.

  The prince was not so sure that his friend’s explanation was enough.

  This strange phenomenon enhanced further a few days later on Varthing’s Feast Day. Powyss had decided to carry out an experiment. He would start by talking about Havoc and the Blacksword to his friends in general conversation. He would deliberately mix up events in the past, which were accomplished by Havoc but instead remark that they were done by the Blacksword or vice versa. The glazed look in people’s eyes and confused frowns left Havoc and Powyss dumfounded, especially when people always corrected Powyss for his mistakes.

  ‘It’s like they can’t make a connection between you and the Blacksword. I bet if you were to change into the Blacksword now,’ said Powyss as he picked at his chicken leg at a crowded banquet table they shared with guests and nobles, ‘they would be surprised, and wonder where He came from.’

  ‘Or where I had disappeared to,’ said Havoc.

  In the end, they came out with a name for this phenomenon. They simply called it the “Identity Block”, and it was contagious, soon the entire citadel had it. This meant that the whole continent was not immune to its effects. He had theories to the cause of this strange incident, though, which he kept to himself. He concluded that the Muse Orrinn on the Sword that Rules was more powerful than he first realised. Havoc was left wondering about the psyche of the human mind and what a strange thing it was to be manipulated so.

  Lord Ness, Lady Vara and Shanks arrived in Sonora Harbour a week after Molna’s liberation from her captors. They stayed there for one day then moved onto another ship. They gave the reserved, but amiable Captain Danyil and Lord Ketrigan a fond farewell as they sailed back to Dulan-Tiss. The Rogun spy wished to see the effects of their, and Molna’s, escape on King Kasan and his people in the Vallkyte citadel.

  Their new ship sailed to a hidden cove on the north coast of the Sky Mountains where they met a secret flotilla of battle ships commanded by Uriah, the Rogun Admiral. From there they travelled to the Rouge Keep to stay for a few days. The Red Duke was away on duty at the Pass in his capacity of Acting High Warden of the Central March so the aging, and still retired Factor, Azzen, gave strict orders to the servants of the castle to make the trio’s stay enjoyable.

  At first Vara was a little mystified with Shanks, even though his true identity was not revealed to her by Ness Ri, she realised that he was important to the Ri and watched them both meditate together on the long sea voyage. She eventfully found Shanks very good company; clever, insightful and humorous. He divulged to her that he had suffered brain damage and as a result could not use the Rawn Arts and the Ri was helping him to control his headaches by meditating them away. It was a good enough lie to convince Vara.

  Azzen organised an escort of fifty of the Prince’s Legion to accompany them on their way to Aln-Tiss. Vara joined them, hoping to see King Vanduke and Queen Molna together after so long apart. Lord Ness had the presence of mind to send a messenger to Prince Havoc warning them of their arrival. His note was short and to the point.

  We are on our way with Shanks. The bridge you and your mother mentioned is about to be crossed.

  The De Proteous and King Vanduke talked at length about the forthcoming quest in his large study, but secretly it was Havoc’s idea to make sure that his father and he were alone while his mother received Lord Ness, Vara and Shanks personally and brought them before the king. They had arrived that very hour and were now on their way to the palace apartments. Havoc had noticed a change had come over his father since his wife had returned to him. He was like an excited teenager smitten by an older woman and he rarely let Molna out of his sight. Therefore, getting them both apart for a short time was extremely difficult. His mother, however, was not complaining about her husband’s paranoid attention. Everyone that worked in the palace noted her constant half smile and far away look, even Havoc blushed at the talk spread by the palace servants when he was in earshot.

  There was a knock at the oak doors of the study and Molna breezed in followed by Ness Ri and Vara. The king was happy to see them and embraced them both, so too did Havoc while Molna led Shanks, by the hand, into the room and closed the doors.

  There was a strange ominous silence as everyone stayed quiet, apart from Vara and the king, who chatted away together for some minutes going over the events of the Ancarryn. It was the king who noticed that his wife, son and Consul were standing in silence beside a tall man with long grey hair wearing the white Robes of a Ri and carrying a white birch shepherd staff, his straggly grey hair covered most of his face.

  ‘What is wrong?’ he asked his wife whose face was one of sadness, ‘who is this?’

  ‘Lord Ness and I brought this man out of Dulan-Tiss where he has been incarcerated for over forty years. He goes by the name of Shanks, but you will know him better by another name,’ said the queen in low, but calm tone.

  The king was frowning. Vara was looking from one face to the other. Havoc, Molna and Lord Ness had crowded around Shanks as if protecting him.

  ‘Who is he then?’ asked the king.

  Shanks lifted his head and combed his fingers through his hair, revealing his face.

  ‘Hello, your highness,’ he said, ‘it has been a long time has it not, old friend?’

  King Vanduke stared for a few seconds then walked closer to Shanks, his eyes were wide and watchful, but his bearing calm and relaxed; it certainly was not the reaction Havoc had imagined.

  ‘Good gods! It can’t be?’ whispered the king.

  ‘He has much information that could prove useful,’ said Molna in such a way as to placate the king in some fashion. Vanduke continued to frown and stare at Shanks.

  After a while he said, ‘I dare say he has, my dear. Unfortunately, he has put it all into my head, just in case he died,’ he tapped the side of his head for emphasis, ‘and it seems he hasn’t.’

  Havoc, Lord Ness and Molna were a little shocked at that fact.

  ‘I had a feeling you were alive,’ said the king shrugging dejectedly, ‘because the dreams told me so,’ he looked from Shanks to Havoc, ‘did you put something inside my head so it would pass to Havoc. You did, didn’t you?’

  ‘I needed to hide information and you were the only option at the time. Unfortunately I left something else, I am sorry,’ said Shanks.

  ‘Oh you’re sorry, you’re sorry! What about all those thousands that died in the War of the Pyromancer, my father included?’ shouted the king, ‘killed by your army, Telmar!’

  There was a gasp behind them as Vara heard the true name of the baron. The king continued his rant.

  ‘Kasan and Cinnibar, did they fake your death?’

  There was a quiet nod from Shanks.

  ‘Throw you into a cell and lose the key did they, or were you working with them?’

  ‘Stop it Van, that’s enough!’ snapped Molna, ‘Telmar has come willingly to see you, he knows the hurt he has caused and the devastation of lives he left behind, he knows he can’t make amends and he is plagued by his own guilt. Listen to his story!’

  ‘Father I have forgiven him’ said Havoc quietly, ‘because as a Pyromancer I understand what he went through.’

  The king’s angry frown disappeared as he gave this some thought.

  ‘I have been helping him also,’ said Ness Ri quietly and calmly, ‘his Pyromantic powers are weak, those energies he does have can be dispersed through meditation just like Prince Havoc’s. He was once my apprentice, sire. I feel it is my duty to help him. A duty that I failed in all of those years ag
o; you know this to be the case, you were there. In a sense the War of the Pyromancer is partly my fault, because I was too weak to stand up to the strongest in my order.’

  Hearing his consul and friend talk like this made Vanduke pause for thought.

  He sighed and looked at Baron Telmar, an old man weak and inoffensive, standing in-between his wife and son like a lost child.

  ‘Will you be able to give me back my lost memories?’ he asked him.

  ‘I am no longer capable of using the Rawn Arts, although with Master Ness’s help I think I can, yes.’

  The king nodded and stroked his beard.

  ‘I emulated you in my youth, looked up to you as my godfather and I promised father to respect you, as he did,’ he shrugged his broad shoulders and indicated for them all to sit down, ‘say what you have to say and we will tackle the rest one step at a time.’

  Part Two

  The Quest

  And the

  Assassi

  “Seek me, and I shall run

  Touch me, and I shall scream

  Hound me, and I shall cower

  Threaten those I love and I shall ensure your oblivion!”

  Oath of the Desert Princes

  From the Jalfrin Scriptures

  1602 YOA

  “Death overcomes all obstacles

  when the Gods clear his path.”

  The Ode of Grendal Wayfarer

  From the Hinterland Sagas

  670 YOA

  “And Death shall reach over the barren desert

  And discover the Lost City of the Devine Children

  There, he shall confront the Brethac in the dark pit.”

  Excerpt from the Shako War Mantle Prophecies

  By Ulna Gi’Almut

  Summerland Amon

  Circa 2569 YOA

  Chapter 13

  Farewells and Enigmas

  Tia gripped the railing as the Pollmion lurched in the turbulent warm currents rising from the earth. She looked over the bow and had to shift to one side so she could see past the unicorn figurehead. There on the ground, hundreds of feet below the Sky Ship’s hull, was its large black shadow rippling smoothly over the rugged contours of the Dulan Plain. Tia always marvelled at the Pollmion’s simple ease of travel, she thrilled at the wind brushing though her short brown hair and smiled when her stomach flipped as the ship hit another pocket of warm air that rose up from the mountainous land below.

  One of the young sailors dared to attract her attention and looked pale with fear as he did so. Even though the mainly male crew ogled at the beauty of her and Serena, none would dare attempt to make any advances upon them for fear of reprisals.

  ‘Mmmistress...’ he stammered as he toyed with a line of hemp rope coiled around tow holding pins near the railing, fidgeting from one bare foot to another, ‘ah...Mistress Tia, the queen would like to see you in her quarters.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, giving the hopeless boy a friendly smile. It was just as Serena said; the power of the female sex is unique. She was starting to believe her.

  As she made her way across the busy deck of the Sky Ship, Tia thought back to the events of the last couple of weeks while they were still fresh in her mind. The Blacksword’s intervention at the Ancarryn and his escape was always on her thoughts, why, she did not know. Something about the end of the tournament confused people and every time she heard them talk about it her mind became clouded about the event like everyone else’s memories. However, the dragon played a huge factor in the king’s attitude the following day.

  The Ancarryn was a big success overall. Many unfavourable enemies had been despatched and the king was finally rich enough to fund his flagging war effort. The death of Mad-daimen and his kin still angered him; even though Raimen’s youngest son, Borath, was now the Overlord of the Nithi it was rumoured within those closest to the king that Borath was far too young and inexperienced to rule the Wildlands. Overall, the plan to capture the De Proteous had failed. Added to that, Queen Molna, along with the Blacksword, had escaped on the back of the dragon. That part was the most confusing for everyone who witnessed it as the story differed with each telling. None could be sure that the Blacksword was actually there or even if the Rogan De Proteous made an appearance.

  Later, the king shut himself off from the world; admitting no one except Tia’s mistress. His aides explained to those who wished to see him that the king was personally organising a State Funeral for his friend and Champion, Lord Udren. Unfortunately, he flew into another rage when he found out about the escape of the mysterious convict from cell number forty-two. Cinnibar also lost her temper at the news and organised an emergency meeting with King Kasan.

  ‘With Shanks gone the plans for the Order will have to be brought forward now!’ Tia heard her say to the disgruntled king before the door closed and Tia and Serena stayed outside acting as guards, neither of the two spoke. If Tia saw any twinge of curiosity from the stone faced Serena then she hid it well. Her companion never questioned the events of Queen Molna’s escape or this mysterious prisoner and Tia never mentioned it to her.

  The citadel's politicians and councillors were called together in the long halls of the North Rooms. The North Rooms housed the constituency seats inside the parliament building that sat near the shore on the north east side of the Hub. The king presided over many issues of state that had subtle connotations relating to the enhancement of the army and navy. However, the rising of taxes and landowner reforms did not go down well with some of the nobles, making him many enemies.

  Tia knew that those of his supporters who welcomed the changes in the laws belonged to the Brethac Ziggurat and luckily they were in the majority. Tia also recognised that Kasan and Cinnibar were effectively bringing the Brethac to power and cutting off those who were not part of the secret order. This had happened before, in the days of Telmar’s uprising, but this time they would get it right.

  The Queen of Sonora left Dulan-Tiss shortly after the meeting at parliament once she was sure that the plan had been advanced to her satisfaction. Now her voice answered softly as Tia knocked on the door of the Pollmion’s regal rooms and the Havant Priestess entered.

  Two surprises were in store for her as she walked across the threshold of her mistress’s quarters. One was the fact that Cinnibar was not an early riser these days, yet she was sitting at her dressing table with her gown barely covering her modesty, brushing her hair.

  The second surprise was Serena lying naked in the queen’s bed eating grapes from a fruit bowl.

  She was so shocked she actually gasped aloud, yet Serena merely gave her a mocking expression. One corner of the white sheet covered her hip as she lay on her side eating the fruit, the dark nipples of her pert breasts were erect and her hair was unkempt as if it had just been unruffled in the heat of passion.

  ‘Ah Tia, good morning, I'm glad to see you are up and about,’ said the queen without showing any guilt about having Tia’s partner in her bed. ‘I have a mission for you to attend to as soon as possible.’

  ‘What mission, your Highness?’ Tia kept her voice calm as she dragged her eyes off Serena’s body and looked at Cinnibar with interest.

  ‘I wish you to represent the Havant interests on board the Cybeleion.’

  ‘The Quest Ship?’ replied Tia incredulously.

  ‘Yes, my spies tell me it is due to launch at any time; I want you on board to be my eyes and ears.’ She reached into her sea chest and brought out a Lobe Stone and handed it to her, ‘I will need weekly reports, understood?’

  Tia took the offered white stone apprehensively.

  ‘Understood mistress, but how do I get aboard?’

  ‘I’m sure that you will think of something,’ sighed the queen disapprovingly, ‘you are, after all, a Rawn Master.’

  ‘You can try using your tongue,’ scoffed Serena, ‘you have always been quite good with it.’ Cinnibar’s dry chuckle and her lover’s cold laughter followed Tia out of the room as she left with bitter tears
stinging her eyes.

  The heat from the rising sun meant that the morning was going to be a warm one if only the mist, which flowed over the Isle of Carras, would burn away. Havoc watched from the window of his apartment as the wisps of vapour ghosted around the feet of the standing stones. A tall figure in a white cloak and grey hair stood in front of the towering monoliths. All he seemed to be doing was staring at them. Havoc watched with some concern and then made a decision to join him.

  ‘Good morning, Prince Havoc, I see you enjoy early mornings as much as I do.’ Shanks had an unnerving habit of knowing who was behind him purely by the sound of their footfalls. He did not even turn around when Havoc walked up to him quietly treading on the soft grass.

  ‘I wondered what you were up to?’ he asked as he stopped next to him.

  ‘I was just reliving old times, my Lord. It was here in my youth that I first toyed with the ability to control the Drift and its wonderful potentials.’

  This stunned the prince, who thought that he was joking, however, his face was deadly serious.

  ‘The Drift can only be controlled by Ri’s,’ explained Havoc.

  ‘Well, that is what they tell you, but you and I are unique.’

  ‘How is that so?’ The prince frowned at the old man next to him. Shanks had been taken into the care of Ness Ri, who attempted to heal his damaged mind. The repair would be long and tedious and some of the damage inflicted by Cinnibar’s probing, and those received after the Battle of the Firelands, were irreparable.