Tarak knelt and took three small leaves from a pocket in his cloak. He placed one leaf in front of each tunnel. He stepped back ten feet and pulled a small pinch of blue-grey powder from another pocket. He put the powder in the palm of his hand and whispered an incantation. The powder began to glow slightly. Tarak softly blew the powder into the air. The three leaves he had placed on the ground began to glow as well, one more brilliantly than the rest. Tarak retrieved the leaves and placed them back into their assigned pocket.
Tarak followed the left tunnel which was marked by the finding spell. The tunnel went straight for a short distance before veering to the left. As Tarak travelled along he could not help but ponder at the fact that there was always a faint glow off in the distance. It was just enough light to make his way but never bright and never changing. He knew that it was magic but still it intrigued him.
The tunnel began to rise slowly and the walls began to get smoother as did the ground. Soon Tarak was walking down a corridor with perfectly smooth walls and floor.
Tarak counted the seconds as he walked to try and gauge the scale of the complex. He had been walking for ten minutes before the corridor changed again and flattened out. There were corridors that led off to side rooms. Tarak crept carefully but there was no life to be seen.
Tarak went from room to room but there was nothing of importance that he could find. The rooms were all filled with crates and barrels. Tarak opened a few random barrels and found they were filled with dry and preserved food stocks.
“What kind of a place is this?” he wondered as he went farther down the main hall, thoroughly checking every side corridor and room.
He came to a chamber at the end of the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a large iron door. Tarak searched the area but could find no indication of how to open the door. He inspected the door but could find no key hole or apparent weakness. The hinges had been set on the other side.
Tarak pulled the necessary ingredients from his cloak and cast a spell of reveal.
Nothing happened.
Tarak cast the spell again but had the same result. Tarak was confused by this result. If the door was enchanted by even the weakest magic his spell would reveal it.
For the next half hour, Tarak cast a variety of different spells to open the door but with no success. Even his strongest magic was repelled by the iron door. Frustrated Tarak retreated back the way he came until he came to the original fork in the tunnel.
“Garron help me,” he muttered before casting the finder spell again. This time the leaf that glowed the brightest was in front of the right tunnel.
He followed that tunnel which turned out to be a mirror copy of the first tunnel and also ended with an impassable door of iron.
Tarak again made his way back to the fork. It took a great deal of effort to keep his frustration in check. When he reached the fork, he sat down and pulled some dried meat from a pouch. He leaned his back against the wall and bit off a good size hunk of meat. He let his mind rest as he chewed the seasoned snack.
“She said this was a test. I am failing,” he thought as he swallowed. He bit off another chunk and thought back to his studies. There was nothing he could think of that would help him in this situation. He had tried all the spells that he thought would be of some use but all had failed. He was failing.
Tarak took a deep drink from his canteen and got to his feet.
“Here we go,” he mumbled under his breath and headed down the center tunnel.
The corridor went straight for some time before it began to decline. The path gradually got steeper and steeper. Tarak began to wonder if he could climb back up but with his knowledge of levitation spells it should not be difficult. The walls and floor of the corridor got smoother as he went as they did in the two previous hallways. After couple hundred yards, the walkway flattened out but continued on arrow straight.
Tarak began to get nervous the further he went. He warrior instincts began to go crazy when he realized that, unlike the previous hallways, this one did not have any additional hallways to provide cover should a battle break out. He paused for a moment to check his weapons and defensive spells.
The hallway continued straight for another kilometer. As Tarak walked along he noticed that he was now getting closer to the glow. Excitement grew inside of him as he got closer and closer. Finally, he could see a room at the end of the hallway from which the glow was originating. As he approached the room though his heart sank. Even from a distance, he could see the foreboding iron door that stood at the end of the room.
Sure enough, when he reached the end of the hall it opened up into a small room about ten feet square containing nothing except for a door identical to the two that he found before it.
“Garron curse this place,” Tarak growled as he felt anger rising inside of him. This was one of the few times in his life that he wished he had learnt some sort of elemental magic. Perhaps he could just melt the door or freeze it to the point it would shatter.
Again, pushing back his feelings of frustration Tarak pulled out the necessary ingredients and cast a reveal spell. This time the floor began to glow faintly. Tarak drew back in shock. He truly was not expecting a different result than he had gotten the first two times he had tried it.
“But now what?” he asked himself with a chuckle. Now he knew there was something there but he had no idea what it was or what to do with it.
As he had done at the first door he tried a variety of different spells. Incantations of opening and spells of splitting but nothing worked. He cast spells until he felt he could no longer cast any more. He crumbled to the floor defeated. He laid his head on the ground and pulled off the leather mask. His face was drenched in sweat. The mask hit the ground as he passed out.
Even though his body had shut down his mind was still active. His dreams were filled with giant black dragons setting fire to the world around him.
He woke with a start and found himself still in the small glowing room. He rubbed his face with both hands then retrieved the mask and replaced it on his face. He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall. He thought about his predicament for a while. Zena had not given him any information on what do once he got here. He could feel the frustration eating away at his brain but he did not know what to do about it.
“There must be a way in,” he said out loud to himself.
“Ah, but there is.”
The voice startled Tarak. He leapt to his feet and drew his twin bone dagger as a reflex. His eyes darted around the room but could find nothing but smooth rock walls. He looked down the hallway but could see nothing but the soft glow reflecting off the walls.
He sheathed his knives and quickly cast the spell of reveal again. The floor began to glow softly again as it had before.
“Your magic is pathetic.” The voice was definitely that of a woman but it had a deepness to it that disturbed Tarak.
“Where are you?” Tarak could hear the fear in his own voice. In all his days, he had never met anyone that could hide from him like this.
“Right here.” Tarak tried to follow the voice but it seemed to be all around him. A trick, he thought to himself. She was using the acoustics of the room to create an illusion. A simple trick that the elders of the Brotherhood used to scare and excite the young members of the church. He did not enjoy being treated like a child.
“Show yourself,” he said. “Who are you? What are your intentions? If we are to do battle let us do it with steel and spell.”
The voice laughed. “I’m right here, priest. Are you not the high magician of your faith? Is your magic so weak that you cannot break the barriers to see me?”
Tarak also did not enjoy being mocked. He pulled some ingredients from his cloak and cast a powerful spell that was only to be used in reserve, in times of desperate need. The spell silenced all magic within its radiance, including his own.
“And you still cannot see me? What a waste of a mana.”
Tarak was at his wit’s
end. What could he do?
“Okay. You’ve bested me,” he said, resigned to his defeat.
The voice laughed again. “Do you know why your magic did not work and why you cannot see me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Because you are weak and your pathetic magic is weak.”
Tarak sighed. “So, says you.”
“Yes, I do say.” The voice sounded amused. “because it is true.”
“Then teach me.”
Laughter filled the room again. “Bah. Why would I waste my time?”
“Because I will use the power you grant me to purify this world.”
“I’ve heard that before. Many times. The mages of old gave me that line as well but they could not fulfill their promises. They just used the power I gave them to sweep the problem under the rug. But now! A hundred years later the problem has returned. It was an unfulfilled bargain. A bad deal. A mistake I do not plan on making again.”
“If you are so powerful why don’t you kill the dragons yourself?”
“You think you are clever, priest, but you are not. There are reasons but you may not know them.”
“Why?”
“Because of your weak, pathetic magic.” The voice laughed.
“My resolve is much stronger than that of any who came before me. My life’s work is to rid the world of the filthy lizards and pave the way for the return of Garron.”
“Hmmm. Perhaps. You are still but a babe in this war but you may still have your place. A test then. Let us see just how strong your resolve truly is.”
Instantly the walls faded into smoke and Tarak found himself in the middle of a huge chamber. His eyes were instantly drawn to the fifty-foot tall effigy of Garron that stood before him. He had heard tales of the statue but never thought that it was real. The statue showed Garron drinking the blood of a dragon from its torn-off head, while its lifeless body lay at his feet.
Tarak had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the chilling but awe inspiring statute. He forced himself to look away and take in his surroundings. The chamber was huge, much wider than it was long but much taller than either. Tarak wondered if it was a natural cave or one that was carved by the hands of man. Or something else for that matter. The statue took up a great deal of space. The rest of the room was filled with bookshelves and tables. It was obviously lit by magic as there was no sign of candles or torches. He also could not see an entrance or exit. He walked around the statue a couple of times but still found no one.
He placed his hand on the statue but immediately removed it. The sensation he felt when he touched it was unnatural, one that he had never felt before.
“What is the test?” he said, anger seeping through in his voice.
“Do you believe that uncontrollable frustration is the best way to prove to me you are capable of wielding great power?” said the voice but this time it clearly came from behind him. Tarak spun around to a find a figure wearing a familiar cloak. It looked exactly the same as the one that hung in the closet of his chambers at Castle Pornoux. The hood of the cloak was raised so he could not see the face of his host.
“My apologies. It has been a long night. I fear I let my fatigue take hold of me.”
“Yes, well. You are going to have to learn to do better if you are to survive the battles that are coming, Tarak Kader.”
“You know me?”
“Of course. I have known you for nearly all your life. I know your father as well.”
The figure moved towards Tarak. He felt a fear like he had never felt before. He tried to move away but he could not. His body was paralyzed. A pair of gloved hands reached out towards him. Every fiber of his being wanted to recoil but his muscles would not comply. The hands placed a thin gold chain around his neck. On the chain was pendant made from a chunk of black crystal. The crystal had been cut into the shape of a lower arm including the hand. The figure took the hanging pendant and tucked it into Tarak’s collar so that the crystal could touch his skin.
“The test then.” The figure moved in close but still Tarak could not see the face under the hood. “You need to capture the power of the dragonbloods within this amulet.”
Tarak immediately had questions about this request but found that he was still paralyzed.
“You are wondering how that is achievable. I will not send you in blind as Zena did.” The figure laughed. “I will give you the knowledge you need to complete this task but it will take great will and power to do so.”
Again, Tarak tried to reply but still could not.
“This is the Hand of Garron.” The figure placed a hand on Tarak's chest and pushed the pendant against his skin. “It is similar to the mask you wear to show that you are High Priest. The true power of the Face of Garron has been forgotten to time, even though the Brotherhood was charged with the job of keeping its knowledge. Your predecessors saw the mask as a mark of station where it is truly a great weapon if one only knew how to use it. Great power pissed away by foolish men.
“This amulet will let you capture the spirit of an A’kil. Only once the spirit has been forced to leave the body will the amulet absorb the energy. This will be your test.”
Tarak was still frozen as the figure moved away. Finally, his body released and he was once again in control of it. He fell to one knee as a strange sensation past through his body. His breath grew heavy, as did his head. He fell to the floor and his last sight, before the world went dark, was the cloaked figure disappearing into the shadow of the statue.
19
“Good afternoon, milady.”
“Good afternoon,” Isabella said as she passed the woman carrying a large basket filled with oranges. Isabella knew the fruit came from the special growing rooms inside the tower. “Would you mind?” she asked as she pointed the delicious treats.
“Of course,” said the woman as she put down the basket and chose the fattest orange from the top of the basket. She handed the fruit to Isabella and picked up her basket and headed back in the direction she was originally walking.
Isabella placed the orange in her own basket. It was filled with rare herbs that she and Sisera had collected from the top of a mountain. After a quick bath and a change of clothes, Isabella was now on her way to deliver the bounty to Rosalie at the infirmary.
She walked slowly down the hallway. Even after two years the way the walls lit up and the roof displaying moving scenes still amazed her. She knew it was her own connection to Sisera that made the magic happen but it was still truly a sight to see.
When she arrived at the infirmary, she found it to be overfilled. There were people sitting out in the hallway waiting to get in. Isabella had to step over and around a good number of people just to get into the big rooms they used for a hospital.
The infirmary was one of the first places that were expanded when they first settled in the tower. In the wake of the great battle with Kosal, it was decided by the council that they must prepare for a great siege should any army decide that they want to attack the dragonborn and her beast. Defenses and support infrastructure were made a high priority.
On the west side of the tower was the original infirmary, but it was small and was in great disrepair. Amelia decided that this just would not do so a plan for a new one was born. Barracks were built to house the Daxrah and the rooms on the second floor that were abandoned were converted into the hospital space. Work began on expanding the space by digging into the mountainside shortly after. It was a beneficial operation as the stone that was removed from the mountainside was used for a great number of other projects that were started around the tower.
When Adina was satisfied that the infirmary was in good enough condition that she did not have to continually oversee the progress, she began a new project. She converted the old infirmary and adjacent warehouse into a workspace and began construction of the special hot house.
As Isabella made her way through the room, she could feel that all eyes were on her. It was a feeling that she was famili
ar with. Her dragonscale had spread and covered much of her body now including a good portion of her face. Most people were used to the sight of the gold-purple scales as they were becoming accustomed to seeing Sisera, if even just from a distance, but it still came as quite the shock to those who were not accustomed to seeing it on a human girl.
Isabella smiled sweetly at everyone she passed, nodding and whispering hellos. Many she recognized but there was a great deal that she had never seen before. The village did not have a hospital of its own, so all those that came to live and work at Mara still had to come to the tower for medical attention. That was something that Amelia was worried about but there were too many projects on the go already that it was put away for the time being.
“Rosalie,” Isabella said when she found the older woman busy administering some sort of brown liquid to a young girl about Isabella’s age. “What is happening here?”
“Oh, Lady Isabella.” Rosalie’s face lit up into a smile when she saw the young noble. “I don’t know what happened but they started arriving soon after sunrise. Many are complaining of stomach problems but there are all manners of different maladies. What a time for Adina to be gone. I feel like she would have these people dealt with already.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Rosalie finished feeding the liquid to the young girl. She held her neck as the girl lay back down on the makeshift bed and applied a towel drenched in a salty liquid that would relieve her head pains. She got up and scanned the room.
“I have six girls already but we can use all the help we can get. If you really want to you can help those patients against the far wall.” Rosalie pointed to a group of men who were sitting all in a row with their backs against the wall. They all had their hands wrapped in cloth. “They just need to have their bandages changed. Can you handle that?”
“Consider it done,” Isabella said, immediately heading to the supply area to get a bucket of fresh water and some new bandages.
Working in the infirmary was not new to Isabella. She often came down to talk to Adina who put her to work as she filled the young girl's head with knowledge of plants and herbs. It was by her request and instruction that Isabella and Sisera would venture off to find rare plants they needed to make certain remedies and potions. Isabella would often sit in on Adina’s lessons as she trained Rosalie and other young women in the art of healing.
Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood Page 12