The Branches of Time

by Luca Rossi

  For the good of the island.

  He knew there had always been more than one priest, but he had never wondered why. Before allowing his wife to leave him forever, he wanted to at least ask her why. He wouldn't object, he wouldn't try to stop her, that was for sure. One never questioned orders from the priestess. But when it came to his wife and her decisions, he felt he was almost entitled to a more detailed explanation.

  The priestess seemed so nice when she spoke to Lil. Bashinoir hoped that she would be equally open and communicative with him.

  He no longer had the strength to stay awake. He fell into an anxious, restless sleep.

  19

  Lying in bed, Beanor observed the perfect body of the woman stretched out, nude, alongside him. He had just taken her savagely, and now he was hungry. The girl picked up a tray overflowing with berries and handed him one.

  Beanor's eyes lingered on her breasts: they weren't very large, but they had an imperious bearing to them which drove him crazy. Added to her dark complexion and incredibly green eyes, she was quite the rare pearl in the kingdom. Since he had chosen her for a concubine, he had preferred to keep her in his bed more than any of the others.

  “My Lord, may I come in?”

  “Aleia?” Beanor exclaimed, surprised.

  The woman entered. She was tall, with her auburn hair swept back. Her body was dressed in a red tunic trimmed with gold.

  “What can I do for you, darling?”

  The girl lying in bed was surprised: it was rare to hear the king speak so gently to someone. Embarrassed, she pulled the sheet up over her body, though it wasn't the first time Aleia had ever seen her naked.

  “I want to talk to you.” Aleia announced, heading towards the bed.

  She's still a beautiful woman, Beanor reflected. It's been a while since I've ridden her, but it'd be strange to do it with a woman that...old. Though I have to admit she still has something about her. Maybe one of these nights, who knows. Subjugating her would also help her to remember her place: he had heard rumors that, among the concubines, she acted like a queen and forced the others to cater to her desires and serve her needs.

  Aleia patiently waited for the king's focus to move from her body back to her face.

  “I'd like to talk to you. In private, if that's at all possible.”

  Beanor shot her a dirty look. He wanted to respond rudely, but instead turned to the girl: “I don't want you getting cold, so stay here in bed like a good girl. If you repeat a word of what you're going to hear, I'll cut your head off. Understand? Now give me some of that wine.”

  The girl, humiliated by the threat, reached for the chalice of wine on the bedside table and handed it to him.

  “Come here, Aleia. Have a seat on the bed.”

  Beanor moved over to make room for Aleia, pushing away the concubine, who didn't protest. As his first wife sat down on the edge, he passed a hand over her rear end, thrilled that the flesh was still firm.

  Aleia waited. When Beanor finished his inspection, the woman went straight to the point: “My Lord, I know what you've asked your advisor to do. He went down to the prison to request the services of old Obolil, who now, together with the apprentice, is again hard at work looking for a solution to the barrier.”

  Beanor looked at her, astonished. Then, in a sarcastic tone of voice, he started teasing her: “Well, well, well. You know so much, don't you? I thought you only worried about the pussies of your little girlfriends.”

  “Your Majesty,” she exclaimed, her pride wounded. “You would be surprised to hear of all the duties that have fallen under my responsibility. Who do you think looks after the royal palace while you're busy with other things?”

  “Now, now. Don't get upset. I know you take care of a lot, and I'm happy to entrust you with such responsibility, considering how diligently you perform your duties. But tell me: why are you interested in these affairs?”

  “Because, your Majesty, I'm not so sure it's the right thing to do!”

  Beanor looked at her, intrigued, as if he only now saw her for the first time.

  “Listen,” she continued. “We've already had two failures under the orders of the advisor. Do you think that's merely a coincidence? But now there's another, more important question. The advisor came up with the idea to put the old wizard back to work, the same one who already failed. Why did you go along with such an idea?”

  Beanor didn't like it when people implied things through their words. “What are you trying to say? Say what you mean!” he yelled, raising his hand as if he was going to slap her.

  “Your Majesty, I'm being very clear! I think that Tuirl is giving you bad advice, because he actually doesn't want the barrier to be broken!”

  A few seconds later, Beanor burst out into raucous laughter. “Women! Sometimes I wonder if they have any brains at all. Give me your hand,” he ordered her, but instead of waiting, took it himself and placed it on his penis.

  “I remember that you used to be very good at these sorts of things...”

  “But -” she objected.

  “Do you dare refuse your spouse and king?”

  “Of course not,” she replied, aware that nobody within those walls was immune to the king's rage.

  “Very well. So just use one hand, like how you used to. I'll give you an evening all to yourself, if you're good, and then we can play with our mouths and all the rest.”

  Resigned, Aleia started to move her hand down slowly, gently squeezing his penis.

  Beanor leaned against the pillow and closed his eyes.

  “Oh...” he let out. Yes, that's it...that's exactly what I remember.

  Aleia continued her slow strokes. Beanor, panting with pleasure, licked his lips. “Uhhh...” he groaned. He grabbed the girl with his arm. “You, come stand over me. I want to have a little taste of you. But turn around. I want you to watch my first wife. You need to learn how to do the same thing.”

  Thoroughly annoyed, the young concubine obeyed and pointed her rump towards him. He started first by breathing in her sex, then forcefully grabbed her hips, pulled her to him and penetrated her with his tongue.

  20

  Bashinoir rubbed his face, opening his eyes. It had been a restless, dreamless night. Still low on energy, he had tried, not without difficulty, to sit up. Once his feet were on the floor, he struggled to stand up on his own. His head immediately started to spin but, keeping one hand on the bed, he was able to pull himself upright and took a few cautious steps, moving as far as the fireplace.

  When Lil came into the room, she was surprised to see him standing up. Her heart beating wildly, she ran towards him and, without saying a word, threw her arms around his neck. Both felt the urge to kiss one another but stopped, then backed off, keeping an arm's length of distance between them.

  But Bashinoir didn't want to hold back. She's my wife! He lifted her chin with one hand and their lips united in a deep, intense kiss. Lil didn't want that moment to end: her desire for that contact had been burning for far too long.

  “Good morning, Bashinoir. I see you're doing much better,” Miril greeted him as she came into the room. She appeared peaceful, even tired. The scene did not seem to disturb her, but Bashinoir and Lil still felt guilty for being caught in such an intimate embrace.

  “How about we all have some breakfast together?” Miril suggested.

  Lil sighed. She already knew what the priestess wanted to talk about over their meal. However, once they were sitting around the table, the priestess instead started discussing more practical things.

  “Alone on this island, we need to make a few changes if we want to survive. It would probably be best to build new stables for the livestock, closer to the Temple.”

  Bashinoir and Lil listened, stunned, to what Miril had to say. They never would have imagined that a priestess would pay any attention to such basic, pragmatic things.

  Miril continued: “It's a practical consideration, sure, but it also has to do with magic. I think that at
this point, it would be best to create an area around us over which we can extend the protections of the Temple, which are the most powerful protections we have.”

  Bashinoir had many questions he wanted to ask her, but he didn't feel comfortable talking to the priestess. She, however, had perceived his desire and encouraged him: “Please, Bashinoir. Ask me what you want to know.”

  The man felt as if she had read his thoughts.

  “Do you mean to say an area where those...rock shards can't fall on us?”

  “Exactly, Bashinoir. The protections that have, until recently, covered the island may no longer be enough. Or they may have simply been overcome by the magical powers of our enemy. But I do know that the protections of the Temple are strong enough to resist any attack and hide us from everyone's sight.”

  “But why can't we protect the entire island?” Lil objected. Her husband looked at her, stunned. How dare his wife address the priestess so rudely?

  “I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's not possible, at least not now. The rituals would become so complex that it would require the assistance of several priests. And...there aren't very many of us.”

  Lil and Bashinoir understood that the conversation had reached the point both of them wanted to avoid.

  Bashinoir tried to be brave. “Priestess, if it's necessary for Lil to take on the duties of a priestess, I'll be happy to take care of all the practical tasks myself. I'll start moving the animals as soon as I can.”

  Miril smiled: “I'm sorry, Bashinoir. Believe me. The magical protections around us require the support of at least two priests, who take turns and also work together on the main rituals. The initiation phase will be very hard for Lil, as well as tiring for me. As long as she remains a novice, I'll do my best to carry on the rites myself. But I have to be honest with you: I won't be able to last for very long.”

  Upon hearing those words, Bashinoir realized how Miril, speaking so calmly and naturally, looked as if she were being crushed by a heavy weight. It was just dawn, and yet her face was worn, as if she had stayed awake the entire night. We need to help her any way we can.

  The priestess smiled kindly: “If you agree, we can rearrange the living quarters to accommodate all of us. I'll stay where I've always been. Lil will have the novice's quarters and you, Bashinoir, can stay in the guest rooms. The area for priests is more comfortable and better heated, but the energy level of those spaces is not suitable for someone who hasn't taken the oaths and right now I don't have the resources to make the necessary adjustments. When we get a chance to perform that type of ritual, you can move. We can take a look at your new quarters now, if you'd like.”

  We've finally found a bigger house, Bashinoir thought, watching his wife get up to clear the table. But at what cost?

  21

  Tuirl removed a large key from his pocket and pushed open the heavy door, revealing a long sequence of stairs spiraling down into the darkness. For the thousandth time, he looked around, furtively. He had taken every precaution to make sure nobody saw him, yet he felt a gnawing sense of anxiety whenever he went down to that place.

  The torchlight illuminated the stairs, which appeared to trail on into infinity. As he walked down, the temperature gradually dropped. Spiders and flies crawled about everywhere. Tuirl stared at the wall to his right, searching for a stone with a slightly rosy hue.

  When he finally found it, he counted down another twelve stairs, then bent down to push the third stone from the ground. Nothing happened. Did I count wrong? After a few seconds, part of the wall started moving back, creating just enough space for a man to walk through. Tuirl entered and, pressing a stone to his right, activated the mechanism to close the wall behind him.

  Using the flame from his torch, he lit the lamps hanging from the walls and studied the room. It was exactly how he remembered leaving it. On either side there were dusty bookcases full of scrolls and ancient-looking volumes. A faldstool stood in the middle of the room, with a stone basin full of black liquid in front of it. Every once in a while, a drop fell from the ceiling straight into the bowl. The liquid overflowed, dripping down the side opposite the entry door. There were no partitions in this room, just empty space and, hanging below the ceiling, a thick layer of fog. The liquid dripped down into the abyss. Tuirl looked around yet again, full of an unjustified disquiet. Nobody knows this room exists. No curious eye has ever seen what lies behind these walls.

  He knelt down, took a deep breath and held his hands over the black liquid.

  She's going to be very, very angry.

  He had done all he possibly could to keep postponing their meeting, but he knew he'd eventually have to explain things to her, and now he couldn't buy any more time. For a few seconds, he thought maybe he should turn back and run away. He could come back the week after next, justifying his repeated absences with court engagements and his duties as advisor. No, if I keep putting her off, I could end up with some unpleasant consequences.

  Resigned, he dipped his hands into the liquid.

  Kneeling down in front of the altar, Miril immediately sensed the contact. She rose to her feet and headed towards the inner chambers of the Temple. She entered a small, square room, closing the door behind her. Lil would never come to this area of the Temple, and Bashinoir isn't even allowed here, but it's better not to run any risks.

  She placed her hands in the black liquid of the rocky hollow and immediately the image of Tuirl materialized in front of her, first faint, then growing more clearly defined.

  “Why did you wait so long to contact me?” she reproached him drily.

  “Priestess, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, but my engagements at court did not allow me to come here earlier.”

  “Engagements at court, or fear of facing me?”

  Tuirl felt an icy chill travel down his spine. As he had expected, the priestess was incredibly angry with him. How could it have been otherwise? The advisor understood punishment was in order, and that, this time, it would be very harsh.

  “Priestess Miril, I understand what happened cannot be justified -”

  “The entire population of the island has been exterminated. My people. Do you understand what that means?”

  “Yes, priestess. I'm aware of the situation, and I still don't understand how the old wizard Aldin was able to pull off such an extensive magical operation. He always seemed to be completely incompetent, and I never failed to perform the acts of sabotage you ordered me to.”

  “So what happened, then?” Miril was barely able to contain her rage. Tuirl had never even heard her raise her voice before.

  “I...I don't know. Aldin may have worked secretly on a few spells, without my knowing.”

  “How could that possibly have gotten by you? I ordered you to go through that laboratory every single night! You had very precise instructions. You were to report to me, in advance, on any spell Aldin was preparing to cast.”

  “Priestess, believe me, that's what I always did. I never kept any information from you.”

  “And yet, you were so careless as to let the preparations for a spell – a spell that exterminated an entire people – get right past you!”

  Miril was beside herself with anger. Tuirl started to fear for his own life.

  “Tuirl,” she began again. “The preparations for a spell of that magnitude require years, if not decades. Are you sure you never noticed anything?”

  “Priestess Miril, please, believe me. I reported every ritual, spell, and magical action that the wizard Aldin undertook, directly to you. You had information on the progress of every spell he cast to break down the barrier and, as a matter of fact, following your orders, I was able to alter the composition of the elements, without raising any suspicion. He was so sure of his success that he decided to set sail on the same ship, taking on someone else's appearance. And when the ship crashed, he died along with the rest.”

  Aldin is dead? The priestess, who had been deprived of this precious contact with Tuirl for weeks, wasn't aware of
that particular detail.

  “So, the court wizard is no longer alive?”

  “Precisely, priestess. And, if you'll allow me to continue, it's also partly because of me.”

  For once he followed the instructions properly. “So what has the king decided to do now? Will he give up on these designs?”

  “Actually, if you want to know the truth, upon my counsel, he decided to call old Obolil back into service.”

  “And what made you suggest such a thing to him?”

  “I don't trust the apprentice, young Ilis. We don't know what he's capable of. I thought if the king gave him the time and resources to go ahead with his own experiments, maybe he would have learned something that would prove to be dangerous for us. But, on the other hand, if he's under the guidance of the wizard Obolil, then there's no way anything is going to change. As you know full well, Obolil never had any talent to him. Besides, he's exhausted, after spending twenty years locked up in a cell, kept company by his own excrement. His memory is weak and he's full of hatred for the king. In other words, under Obolil's guidance, we can be sure that Ilis isn't going to get very far with his studies.”

  Though Miril understood the logic behind Tuirl's plan, she knew he was prone to making major errors of judgment.

  “So you went ahead and set all of that up without asking for my approval?”

  Her menacing tone of voice washed away the tiny bits of confidence Tuirl had managed to recover. “Priestess, please, forgive me. I was afraid that King Beanor would act upon his own initiative. You know better than I do that the monarch is so proud that he'd never back out of a decision made by his own volition. I had to improvise.”

  “Tuirl, you are a follower of the Goddess. I am her manifestation in this world. She will not grant you permission to make any more mistakes, for any reason whatsoever. If your lack of obedience creates any further problems, you'll pay with your life.” But not now, because you're the only spy I have.