Menin frowned. ‘My advice would be to say nothing. It is not our place to hurt this girl further, which this revelation certainly would. It is better that she endure her pain for now; it will ease in time.’
Coinin considered Menin’s response and nodded his agreement. ‘I agree, I have no wish to cause her more pain.’
‘Then it is settled. We shall breakfast and welcome home our hero, and then question him on all that has happened so that we may know our enemy better.’
‘Speaking of which, I could find no record of Lordich Secracar in the library codex. Is there perhaps more information held elsewhere?’ Coinin asked.
Menin seemed unprepared for this question. ‘I was hoping that the temple’s biggest secret would wait until you were further into your training. I will show you the Library of Ages later today, where you’ll find the information you seek.’
Coinin’s heart leapt. A secret library within the temple sounded exciting, and he could not wait to explore the treasures it held.
‘Thank you Laliala. What time do we eat?’
A gong sounded in the distance, calling all to breakfast.
Menin smiled. ‘Now,’ she chuckled. ‘I thought you knew that nothing is ever straightforward in this temple, and things occur when you least expect them to. I do believe the temple has a mind of its own sometimes.’
‘Well, I am just beginning to learn that. May I escort you to breakfast?’
‘Lead on, young sir.’
Coinin and Menin entered the great hall as the last trickle of brethren entered. She was pleased to see Jericho seated at his usual spot and gave him a polite smile. She waited for Coinin to be seated before she addressed the hall.
‘Brothers and sisters, as you can no doubt see, Brother Jericho has returned to us. We are thankful for his safe return and shall pray to Rindor in thanks. Please join me.’ Menin bowed her head and offered a silent prayer.
The others lowered their heads in supplication and offered their individual thanks to Rindor.
❖
The heads of the guard, including generals and captains, had gathered in a room adjacent to Archmage Menin’s study. Coinin and Menin had organised the meeting to discuss General Jericho’s assertion that Lordich Secracar was alive. Each of the gathered was sitting around a long wooden table with Menin at the head.
‘Gentleman, I thank you for coming. Our task today is to gain as much intelligence as we can about General Jericho’s little trip away. What some of you will not know is that Dareth maintains that Lordich Secracar has returned and is the one responsible for the attack on the temple.’
Some of those assembled took sharp intakes of breath and immediately began to chatter amongst themselves.
‘Yes, thank you, gentlemen,’ said Menin loudly. ‘If we could have some quiet and permit the general to speak. Dareth, please tell us in your own words what happened to you.’
Dareth Jericho stood and faced his assembled peers, gave a slight cough and then addressed them. He told them about the wizard upon the cliff who turned out to be his wife, how they were whisked away in the middle of the night by a dragon and imprisoned in the black tower, before his wife Eraywen was killed and he was brought before Lordich Secracar, whom he had thought was long dead. This caused a stir among his friends and outrage from others. He finished with the story of his escape and sat down.
Menin stood and placed her hands on the table and looked solemnly at each of those gathered. ‘Gentlemen, I cannot begin to tell you how grave our situation is. On the one hand, we have Lordich conspiring with Death to destroy our Brotherhood, and then the ever-increasing threat of destruction of our world if we fail to meet our Maker’s demands. It is evident we have a choice, and that is why I have called you here today.’ Menin paused briefly. ‘We have a choice to make. Do we make our priority the quest for the Swords of Cerathil, or do we hunt Lordich Secracar and bring him once again to justice? It is a hard choice, and not one I can make alone.’
‘If I may, Archmage?’ Coinin said and stood up. ‘I made a promise to The Brotherhood to bring whoever had attacked the temple to justice, but I see a problem with that right now. We are less than five years from the potential destruction of Er’ath. My personal view after hearing what Dareth had to say is that obtaining the swords takes precedence.’
‘I agree, the recovery of the swords is the priority,’ General Jericho concurred.
‘Nonsense, Lordich may attack the temple again at any moment,’ General Torith chimed in.
A rumble went around the room, and Menin held her hand up for silence. ‘The fact that we are missing one of the swords must be highlighted and be a factor in our decision today.’
The occupants of the room looked at each other in disbelief. This was bad news indeed, and an air of doom circled the table.
‘The squad sent to recover Trenobin’s sword returned two nights ago empty-handed. They report that the sword is gone. They spent time searching the nearby villages and towns to no avail. I, therefore, believe our priority should be to obtain this and the remaining swords before it’s too late,’ said Menin. ‘It would be folly not to try to find them considering the lateness of the hour. I think we should vote on this difficult choice. All those wishing to obtain this and the remaining swords say aye.’
A murmur of ayes swept the room. Only Torith refused to vote.
Menin nodded. ‘It seems we have a majority in favour of finding the swords. Now it was Archmage Orodor’s belief that there is still a sword being held by the houses of Astanoth and Madorine. I think we should start with Mador. It is likely that the ruler of the clans, King Curlicca, keeps the sword. Our strategy should be to secretly enter this land and locate it. Generals, I ask that you come up with a workable plan to execute this.’
Menin excused herself and indicated that Coinin should follow her. He excused himself too and found that no one was listening; they were already busily arguing strategies.
Menin led him outside and into the gardens at the rear of the temple, followed by their ever-present guards.
‘The generals will be busy for some hours, and I thought you should see the Library of Ages. You wanted to see it, did you not?’ said Menin quietly.
‘Yes, of course,’ Coinin replied, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Menin stopped walking and turned to Zaruun and Aniol. ‘I need some time alone with the Curator. You are excused.’
Aniol began to object and was silenced by a strong hand on her shoulder.
‘Yes, milady, we shall await your return.’ Zaruun saluted and walked away, clicking his fingers for Aniol to follow. With one last look at Coinin, she followed the older guard.
Menin smiled. ‘She’s feisty, that one. You’d better watch yourself.’
Coinin nodded in agreement. ‘Where are we going?’ he asked.
‘Not far, but it’s best that the location of the library is kept secret. This way,’ Menin prompted and crossed the dewy grass, only to regret wearing sandals that morning. Coinin jogged after the tall woman, eager to see the new secret, and was surprised when she stopped in front of the fountain of the wolf, the same structure he had passed a few days ago.
‘We had to think of a way of guarding our most treasured possessions, and we knew that any invader would assume we had built a stronghold under the temple. It is true a bastion has been constructed, and it is underground, although not under the temple.’ Menin looked about her, making sure no one was watching and leant forward to press the chiselled eye of the wolf. Like a button, it retracted into the eye socket, and almost immediately the water ceased flowing and dried up. With a rumbling of marble, a set of spiral steps leading under the fountain appeared as the base slid away.
Coinin stood there with his mouth open. ‘This place gets better and better.’
‘Follow me,’ said Menin, and stepped into the fountain and onto the top step. She began her descent, followed by Coinin, who marvelled at the temple architects’ ingenuity to build such things.
Torches lit the way, yet it was still dark enough to make him wary of slipping.
‘Where does this lead?’ Coinin asked, noting how cold it had become.
‘A little further down we will come to a secure room and within is the Library of Ages,’ Menin called back over her shoulder.
‘Why’s it called the Library of Ages?’
‘Because it’s been here for ages.’ Menin laughed heartily, and even Coinin had to laugh.
‘Are you serious?’ he asked.
‘Very, it’s been here since the time of Soliath Wulf, so you could say that’s ages.’
‘I’m quite disappointed, I thought it would have a profound meaning.’.
‘You may be disappointed at the name, but not what’s inside,’ said Menin mysteriously. ‘We’re here.’
Coinin rounded the last turn of the spiral and stepped off the last of the steps into the darkness. He groped forward, and a few seconds later, torches secured in holders attached to the rock wall magically flared up and cast a flickering light into a high cavern.
He blinked at the light and ventured deeper. To his left, a simple door had been cut into the wall and was closed, and to the right, a new tunnel ventured off into the gloom.
He followed Menin who strode into darkness through the cavern. More torches lit and extinguished as they made progress. It was two or three minutes by his count before she stopped in front of a large metal door. It glinted in the light of the torches and Coinin could see that it was studded for strength.
‘Here we are. This is the single most secure door there is. It has been designed to withstand any attack,’ Menin announced grandly. She stepped forward and removed a key from her cloak and inserted it into a small opening in the rock wall. If you had not been looking for it, you would not have noticed it. Next, she held her hands open, palms facing the door, and recited a spell. With a groan, the door shifted a fraction and then finally gave with a long creak. It opened on thick hinges, running on a thin track set into the floor. It opened completely with a clang, and dust fell from the cavern roof.
Menin, without hesitation, walked through the doorway and into a second cavern, only this had been hewn from the rock with more care and was vaguely rectangular in shape. Coinin joined her and was surprised at how much light there actually was. The rock itself seemed to emit a pale blue crystalline light, and the torches around the new space paled in comparison. He looked left and right and saw row upon row of wooden shelves that ran off into the distance. Upon each shelf, hundreds of items and books gathered dust.
Menin ventured further into the strong room and beckoned that Coinin should join her. He did so, yet slowly, the items on the shelves were too intriguing.
‘Come on, Coinin, we don’t have all day, you know, and there is so much yet to see,’ Menin urged.
‘What is all this stuff?’
‘There’s plenty of time to show you, but suffice it to say, some of these objects are dangerous in the wrong hands, others are gifts from kings, and still others are cherished possessions of former Archmages.’
Menin headed up a short flight of steps that led to a small platform behind which a set of beautifully crafted wooden doors filled a void in the wall. A panel in each of the doors had carved into it a representation of the gods. A fourth panel appeared to have had a carving removed, rather crudely judging by its appearance. The platform held a simple bookcase and a lectern cast in gold. Coinin rounded the podium and noted that it had upon it a thick leather-bound book, held closed by a more complicated locking mechanism than that of the codex in his study. The book was embossed in gold leaf with the symbol of The Brotherhood.
‘Is the information I seek in here?’ he asked, placing his hand on the book.
‘Yes. You will need a key to open it, however.’ Menin reached into her garments and removed a second key and tossed it to Coinin.
He caught it expertly and inserted it into a small keyhole within the lock, then twisted it clockwise. With a snap, the two halves of the clasp separated, and he excitedly peeled back the front cover. The page was blank. He thumbed through several more pages and looked up at Menin questioningly.
Laliala was smiling. ‘You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? That book contains our most delicate secrets, information we would never want to fall into the wrong hands.’
‘You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Coinin asked.
‘It’s funny how the cycle of events is replayed. Orodor showed me the same thing, and he sat giggling like a girl when I discovered the pages were blank.’
‘So how do I see what is contained in the book?’
Menin smiled and raised a brow knowingly. ‘Turn the book over and read it backwards, all will become clear. The book will recognise you as Curator and reveal its secrets to you.’
Coinin scrunched his eyes and rubbed his temples. A headache seemed to be returning with ferocity.
‘Are you feeling unwell?’ Menin asked worriedly. She knew only too well how draining the ritual he had endured was. ‘Perhaps we should go and allow you to rest, we can return later.’
‘No, it’s just a headache, I’ll be fine, thank you,’ Coinin replied. His voice sounded strained. He did not feel fine. In fact, he had begun to feel steadily worse from the moment he had arrived. His head felt like it was on fire, although in his stubbornness, he was ignoring it, and beads of sweat had begun to pool on his brow.
He turned the large book over onto its face and opened the backside cover. Inside he again saw that it was blank. He looked up at Menin, believing she had been joking, and then something on the page caught his eye. A black dot about the size of a pea had appeared in the centre of the page. He looked closer, and to his astonishment, it grew larger and sprouted tendrils that spawned across the page. It was not long before he realised it was ink and it had begun to form an image. He stepped back to take in the whole picture, and a minute later he stood with his mouth open. There on the page was his likeness staring back at him. He closed his mouth, and to his surprise, the image did the same. He looked left, and the picture followed, only from his viewpoint it appeared to look right. Underneath the drawing of himself, a scroll had been drawn, and on it was his name ‘Coinin Wulf - Curator of The Brotherhood of The Wulf’.
He looked up at Menin. ‘This is fantastic,’ he said.
‘It startles you at first, but then you realise the book is tied to you. As Curator of the library, only you can view and edit its contents. You are welcome to read up on Lordich Secracar, or you can come with me and see something breathtaking.’
‘There’s more?’
‘Oh, yes. I wish to show you the Scroll of Life, the most sacred of items in our library.’
Coinin’s head throbbed excruciatingly; he cricked his neck and rubbed his aching temples, trying to relieve the pain inside. He had begun to shake and put it down to hunger. Hiding how ill he felt, he motioned for Menin to lead on.
She swept past him and approached the carved doorway behind the lectern. He joined her seconds later, the excitement building within him. This was where the Scroll of Life was kept, the very document into which Death wished his name to be rewritten.
Menin addressed Coinin without turning back. ‘Inside is the house of Rindor, and his might protects the Scroll of Life. Only those worthy to enter may do so. It would mean a certain terrifying death to venture inside without a blessing from Rindor.’ Archmage Menin knelt before the doorway. She bent her head in prayer.
‘Lord Rindor, I beseech you. Please grant us favour and safe passage into your dwelling that we may humbly look upon the scroll. I offer this prayer and my devotion in an unending service to you all the days of my life. Amen.’
Coinin also bowed his head. ‘So be it.’
Menin stood and smiled. ‘Ready?’ she asked.
Coinin looked about him, expecting something to happen. ‘Ready for what?’
Menin just smirked. ‘The best bit.’
It was no sooner than she h
ad said this that Coinin’s stomach felt as if it had jumped clear into his throat. A small portion of the floor had given way, just enough for him and Menin to stand on, and was hurtling downwards with them upon it at high speed. The rock walls sped by at an alarming rate, and Coinin made a conscious decision to keep away from the edge. The rush of wind was deafening, and he saw that Menin was saying something, yet he could not hear her. He cupped a hand to his ear and shouted at her to repeat what she had said, just as the platform stopped suddenly. He crumpled to the floor, yet Menin stepped off as if nothing had happened.
She turned back and raised her eyebrows. ‘I said, bend your knees.’
Coinin looked at her mutinously and propped himself on his elbows. ‘You could have said that beforehand.’
‘As I keep saying, where’s the fun in that?’
Coinin didn’t join in with her mirth. He felt considerably annoyed, his head was on fire, and a slow burning aggression was building inside him. He stood and steadied himself against the wall of the shaft before following Menin, who had charged ahead.
‘Every time I come here I get so excited, it’s not everyone who gets to see what you are about to. Prepare yourself for a shock,’ said Menin. Her eyes were wide, and she appeared younger somehow.
She led him into an impossibly high chamber with walls that shone brightly. The light came not from the walls, they were reflecting the light from the most beautiful tree he had ever seen. It appeared to be made of gold and was the tallest, most bountiful of trees he had ever set eyes upon.
There had to be millions of leaves sprouting from the thousands of branches that grew from its massive trunk, and many hundreds of thousands of golden apples swung lightly as if caught in a breeze. Every now and then, Coinin noticed that an apple would fall with a crump to the ground and be absorbed into the grass, and a new fruit would begin to grow in its place.
Around the base of the tree a patch of green grass grew on a small island, and around that, an underground lake filled the expanse, the water gently lapping against the shoreline.
The Aduramis Chronicles: Volumes 1-3: The Definitive Collection Page 30