“He lives,” Kaylia answered. “But not for long if he doesn’t get help.”
“Dina said a healer is coming. She also told me you plan to take him to Valshara tonight.”
Kaylia nodded.
Lee stood there for a long moment, considering. “You need to tell me exactly what happened. I’m sorry, but I need to know before we leave.”
Kaylia recounted what happened. She was unable to hold back her tears when she told him of the fight between Gewey and Harlondo.
“Then I should make ready,” Lee said once she finished. “Harlondo may be dead, but there’s no guarantee he’s alone. I’ll gather your things as well. Don’t worry, he’s strong. He’ll make it.”
“Thank you,” Kaylia said, wiping her tears. When the healer arrived, she told everyone to get out.
Kaylia resisted, but Lee assured her it was for the best.
“I need to treat his wounds before he is moved,” the healer explained. “Otherwise, the wounds may open on the road and he’ll bleed to death. How he’s alive now, I have no idea, but don’t worry- I won’t leave him until he is stable.”
“Then you will accompany us,” Kaylia said flatly. “We leave in two hours.”
“You’re joking of course,” she said, not amused.
Lee reached into his belt and pulled out a pouch. “This should compensate you adequately,” he said, handing her four gold coins.
The woman stared at Lee and then the gold. “Well then. My name is Ezmerial, from the temple of Helenasia, goddess of Healing and Knowledge, and I am at your service.” She bowed. “Now get out.”
Lee, Dina, and Kaylia waited just outside while Ezmerial went to work. Ertik left for his home to gather his belongings.
“It must have taken great strength to carry him to the city gates,” Lee remarked. “Let me find you a chair, you must be exhausted.”
“I don’t need to sit,” Kaylia said, as she anxiously paced back and forth.
“Please,” Dina said, grabbing Kaylia’s hands. Kaylia winced in pain. Dina saw the burns made by Gewey’s sword.
“It’s nothing,” Kaylia said sharply, shaking herself free of Dina’s grip “I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not nothing,” Dina replied, then turned toward Martin. “Please, bring us some water so that we can get her cleaned up.”
Lee brought a chair from the next room, and Dina sat Kaylia down to clean the dirt and grime from her burns.
“How will you be traveling, my lord?” Martin inquired. “Should I ready your horses?”
Lee thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. Gewey, Sister Ezmerial, and I will ride in the carriage. Ertik can take my horse for now. The one remaining will stay here until it can be sent back to Lord Broin.”
Martin nodded curtly and left.
“How were you captured?” Lee asked Kaylia.
Kaylia scowled. “She must have had something on her gloves; she took my hand just before she led me outside. By the time I got to the door, I could barely stand. The next thing I remember is lying on the ground, bound and gagged, in a clearing.”
Lee nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. It could have easily been Dina or me. You couldn’t have seen this coming.”
“I should have,” she spat, shrugging off his hand. “The bond between Gewey and me has blinded me.”
“That bond is what gave you the strength to save him,” Lee said. “While I don’t understand elf ways, I do know that with injuries like those, Gewey should be dead right now. And if it wasn’t for you … he wouldn’t have made it.”
“If it wasn’t for me, he would have never been there in the first place,” Kaylia shot back. “They used me to get to him.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Lee scolded. “They would have found another way. We are lucky that you were there to help him. If he had been alone, he would still be out there…probably dead by now.”
Kaylia looked up. “It won’t happen again,” she said with determination. “He will never have to fight alone ever again.”
“I understand,” Lee said. “But still you must not blame yourself for what happened. What’s done is done. All we can do now is hope he’ll recover.”
Dina finished cleaning Kaylia’s wounds. “Please, don’t get up. We need you strong if we’re leaving tonight.”
“No doubt,” Lee agreed. “If Harlondo wasn’t alone, we may have another fight ahead of us.”
Hours ticked by as Ezmerial tended to Gewey. Kaylia checked on her progress several times, but the woman kept telling her to leave her alone to work.
Finally, the door opened. The healer stood in the doorway and sighed heavily.
“How he still lives, I can’t imagine,” she said. “I’ve never seen a man as injured as that, who didn’t bleed to death.”
“Will he live?” asked Lee.
“I don’t think so,” she replied somberly. “He’s beyond my skills to heal. I would say that I managed to stop the bleeding, but I don’t see how he has any blood left. I’m sorry.”
“We’re moving him to the carriage,” Kaylia instructed. “Now! You will ride with him, healer.”
“My dear,” Ezmerial said gently. “There is no hope. It’s just a matter of time now.”
Kaylia stepped menacingly toward the woman. “I said now.”
“As you wish,” the healer replied. “I will try my best to help him.”
“Is Ertik back?” Lee asked.
“I am,” Ertik replied as he walked in. “I was just getting the horses ready. All our things are packed.”
Lee gave Martin a letter. “Give this to Lord Ganflin,” he said. “It will explain everything. I will send his carriage back as soon as possible.”
Martin nodded and put the letter in his pocket. “May the gods keep you-especially your young friend.” They carefully lifted Gewey and brought him to the waiting carriage. His skin was pale, and he looked as though life had already left him. Lee climbed into the driver’s seat and took the reins.
“If anything happens, stay close,” Lee advised the group. “We will not stop until morning. Ertik will take the lead once we’re outside the gates.”
Without another word, Lee snapped the reigns and the horses bolted forward.
The gate was still open when they approached. They ignored the guards that were motioning them to halt, nearly running them down as they passed. Screams of alarm faded as Ertik led them west toward the Abyss.
“By the gods!” screamed Ezmerial. “You’ll get us killed.”
Lee ignored her and pushed the horses to move faster. Time was running out. Somehow, he could feel it. If they didn’t get to Valshara soon, all would be lost.
Chapter 31
The landscape flew by in a blur as they raced into the night. Ertik led them west for ten miles, then north along a less traveled road. They kept going until an hour before dawn, when Lee called for a halt.
“Why are we stopping?” Kaylia demanded.
“The horse you ride could keep running for much longer, but if the ones pulling the carriage give out, we’re in trouble,” Lee answered. “We need to rest them for a while.”
“And I need to check the boy’s wounds,” added Ezmerial. “And I can’t do that when he’s being jostled about.”
Kaylia grumbled angrily. “One hour. Then we move on.”
“You heard her,” Lee told the group. “One hour. So rest while you can.”
“Kaylia, my dear,” said Ezmerial. “I need your assistance.”
Kaylia jumped into the carriage without hesitation. The healer told her to hand her dressings and a sweet-smelling salve. “This should help keep the wounds closed,” she explained. “If you would, I could use your help when we stop. I don’t know what’s keeping him alive, but I believe that the power of love and prayer heals. It’s obvious you care deeply for him; I see it in the way you look at him. Your love for him is giving him strength somehow.”
Kaylia stared down at Gewey’s ghostly f
ace. He looked peaceful, as if merely resting. Ezmerial touched Kaylia’s hand.
“I’m sorry for not giving you more hope back at the manor, but I spoke truth. Now, I’m starting to believe you won’t allow him to die. Take comfort and stay strong… for him.”
“You are kind,” Kaylia said. “But you were right not to give false hope. I am bonded to Gewey in a way I am too inexperienced to fully understand, and I feel him fading.”
“Bonded how?” she asked in a whisper. “Tell me, my dear. I will keep it to myself.”
“He spoke the ancient words of my ancestors to me, and my spirit reached out and joined with his. He is a part of me in a way you couldn’t understand; even I don’t fully comprehend it.”
“Then perhaps your bond is helping him hold on,” said Ezmerial. “I have no other way to explain it, but you should be grateful for it.”
Kaylia squeezed the woman’s hand. “I pray you’re right. Thank you.”
By the time they finished tending Gewey’s wounds, it was time to move on again.
“We are heading north until we reach the Stone of the Tower,” Ertik told them as he mounted his horse. “Once we get there, stay close. The road that leads to the temple is hidden, and winds through a labyrinth of jagged rocks.”
They hurried on, only stopping when they had to rest the horses. Kaylia rode close to the carriage and assisted Ezmerial at every stop.
“You should try and sleep, Sister,” Lee told the healer. “There’s room in the carriage for you to lie down.”
“Not until we reach this temple of yours,” Ezmerial replied stubbornly. “Is it really the Temple of Valshara?”
“It is,” Lee assured her.
“It’s said that within the Order of Amon Dahl there is knowledge of healing, unknown to anyone else. To think, I may get the chance to watch them and learn.”
“You keep him alive, and I’ll see to it you will,” Ertik promised. “Perhaps I can even arrange for you to stay on for a while.”
Ezmerial’s eyes brightened. “That would be a dream come true,” she replied. “The things I could learn there, the knowledge I could pass on to my order…” Ezmerial worked with renewed vigor. “Don’t worry; if it means I have to stay awake for a week, he’ll be alive when we get there.”
It was dusk when they saw the silhouette of the Stone of the Tower in the distance. It was flat at the top and stood fifty feet tall. The sides were smooth and round, as if they had been carved by a stone worker of unimaginable skill.
“What a strange sight to see on the plains,” Ezmerial remarked as they came near.
“Legend says it was carved by Hephisolis, the God of Fire, as a present for his wife Islisema,” said Lee. “It was once covered in gold and jewels, but Dantenos, God of the Dead, coveted Islisema, and told his followers to strip it bare. Only the stone remains.”
Ertik smiled. “Your knowledge of lore is impressive, Starfinder.”
“My library is extensive,” Lee replied. “And life in a small village gives me a lot of time to read.”
When they reached the Stone, Ertik called for a halt and began searching for the trail. “It’s been some time since I’ve been here, and this way is rarely used.”
He returned after about ten minutes and led them around the far side of the tower, toward what appeared to be nothing but a pile of loose rocks. As they approached, they could see that the rocks staggered and turned, revealing a well-disguised trail.
“We’ll need to lead our horses for a while,” Ertik instructed. “About two miles from here the path gets easier. We should be at the temple by dawn.”
When they finally arrived at Valshara, they came upon a natural stone archway that served as the entrance to the temple. Two men in black robes stood at the threshold, each wearing a sword. Ertik halted and got off his horse.
“Stay here until I call you over,” he told them. “We’re unaccustomed to visitors.”
He walked over to the men and talked to them for several minutes. Finally, he motioned for the rest to approach.
“You must leave your weapons,” said one of the robed men. Lee and Kaylia removed their weapons and handed them over.
Dina retrieved Gewey’s sword and kept it with her. “I must show this to the High Lady,” she explained.
“Then Ertik must carry it, Novice,” the man growled. “And you must surrender your arms as well.”
Dina nodded and handed the sword to Ertik, then removed her dagger. The man motioned for them to continue.
Once past the entrance, a broad stone path led up an incline to a large wooden door. The walls of the temple were plain gray stone and twenty feet tall, extending for several hundred yards in either direction. Ertik pulled a rope that hung from the top of the door, and a bell echoed loudly in response. Moments later, the doors slowly swung open, revealing a massive courtyard. Multicolored slate formed a walkway around the outer edge of the yard, enclosing an inner yard of well-manicured grass. In the center stood an eight-foot tall golden sword, its point buried deep into a marble slab. On either side of the courtyard were covered walkways that led deeper into the temple grounds, and at the rear was another double door, nearly as large the first.
There were at least a dozen men and women walking about the yard. None of them wore ceremonial dress or anything else that might indicate they were part of a temple, and all of them stopped and stared at the newcomers suspiciously. From the far left corner, a young woman began walking rapidly toward them. She went directly to the coach without saying a word to the rest of them and looked carefully at Gewey.
“You’re a healer?” she asked Ezmerial.
“I am,” Ezmerial replied.
“You two,” the woman said, pointing to Ertik and Lee. “When the stretcher arrives, bring him to the healing chamber. You do remember the way, don’t you, Ertik?”
Ertik nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment. “I haven’t been away that long,”
The woman harrumphed, unimpressed.
A moment later, a young boy came running across the yard with a stretcher on his back. Lee and Ertik carefully placed Gewey on the stretcher, and followed as the woman strode off. It only took a few seconds for them to lose sight of her, but Ertik did in fact know the way.
“How did she know about the boy?” asked Ezmerial. “She walked straight to him.”
“Many of our healers can feel when someone is sick or injured,” Ertik replied. “Wileminia is extremely sensitive. I’m sure she has had them preparing from the moment we got to the archway.”
“Amazing,” she whispered.
Ertik led them through a series of stone hallways to an open door. Inside was a bed, several tables with various bottles and plants, and a stone basin in the center.
Three women were busy at the tables preparing medicine while Wileminia waited by the bed.
“Lay him down,” she directed. “Then Ertik will show you to your quarters. The Sister that has been tending the boy will stay and help.”
Lee and Ertik put Gewey on the bed and began to leave, but Kaylia refused to go.
“I will not leave him,” she said defiantly.
“My dear, you must,” Wileminia said with a much softer tone. “The High Lady of Valshara herself will be here in a moment to personally tend to him. She has commanded that you all be removed until it’s over. He could not be in better care anywhere in the world, I promise.”
Kaylia stood silent for a moment, looking at Gewey’s nearly lifeless body, and then lowered her head. “Please tell me the moment you know something,” she pleaded.
“You shall be the first,” Wileminia promised, placing her hand over her heart.
Lee stepped forward. “Before you attempt to heal him, there’s something you must know. Gewey isn’t an ordinary human. In fact, he’s not really human at all. He’s a God.”
Wileminia looked at him, her eyes skeptical and slightly amused. “If you mean he’s like you, then you needn’t worry; treating a half-god is no diff
erent than treating a typical human.”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” Lee insisted. “He isn’t half anything.”
The realization of what Lee was saying struck her. “I see. Are you certain?”
“I am,” Lee replied. “There is no doubt.”
Wileminia looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “I will inform the High Lady. Now if you would please go, we have work to do.”
Ertik led them to a large, empty den with several couches and chairs angled around a lit fireplace. “Please, sit and rest while I attend to your quarters.” They sat in silence until a young woman in a blue housedress entered, giving them each a cup of honeyed water.
“No one wears robes here?” Lee asked once the girl had left.
“Only during certain ceremonies,” Dina replied. “Our order is very informal when it comes to things like that. Only the guards wear robes at all times.”
“The High Priestess,” Kaylia said pensively. “She is a skilled healer?”
“She is most skilled among us,” Dina replied. “However, you should refer to her as High Lady. We have no priests or priestesses. The order does not center on rank as much as others do. After you advance past novice, you become either a cleric or a knight, but there’s nothing above that, save the High Lady.
“A knight trains as a guardian of the order; they are among the finest warriors in the world. If you achieve the rank of cleric, you choose a focus of study that you spend the rest of your days trying to perfect. For example, I intend to become a temple historian.”
“What does a historian do here?” Lee inquired.
“They travel to different cities, towns, or temples to observe and record events as they unfold,”
“Sounds like an enjoyable life,” Lee said with approval.
“Yes,” she agreed, a touch of sadness entering her voice. “But with the way things have turned out, I doubt it will ever be.”
“Why would you say that?” Kaylia asked, trying to keep her mind off Gewey. “You are part of one of the greatest stories in known history. Who better to record and tell about it?”
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