Do the Gods Give Us Hope?

by Jeff Henrikson

  Valihorn said, “Interesting. I did not know that.”

  Before the conversation could turn to the academic, Rafa said, “So Locus is now in danger because you stopped there for a day. I say again, how long will it be until Jewlian comes under attack by forces trying to steal the ring. You have endangered all of Kentar with your foolishness. Perhaps that was your plan all along, elf.”

  Valihorn kept his head about him. “I am a half-elf, which means I am also half-human. I did not wish to bring harm to your kingdom, but we had nowhere else to turn. Now I have kept my part of the bargain by telling you our story. You said you would strike the ring from my hand under those conditions. Were those just words, or is the Sorcerers Academy an honorable institution?”

  Rafa looked around the room and got a non-verbal nod from each of the Administrators. Seeing that the decision was unanimous, Rafa said, “We are an institution that keeps its word. We will strike the ring from your hand. It will take some time, and it will take all of us working together. Please hold out your hand and do not move it until we are finished.”

  Valihorn stuck out his hand, not knowing what to expect. All fourteen Administrators stood up from their chairs, beginning with Rafa. Rafa closed his eyes, held out his right arm, and began an arcane incantation. He kept mumbling the same three words over and over again. The other Administrators followed the acting High Wizard’s lead. The mumbling gained in strength as they all began to say the words in unison. Valihorn could feel the magical potential building in the room. The voices of the Administrators reverberated off the walls in a cadence that built in volume and power. A white light appeared on the tips of all fourteen wizards. The lights grew in intensity and stretched out slowly from the outstretched hands toward the ring. The fourteen lines of light reached the ring on Valihorn’s hand and enveloped it. At first, Valihorn felt a tingle that almost tickled, but moments later the static tingling grew into a burning sensation. The pain grew to be all encompassing. All he wanted to do was pull his hand away, but he knew he could not. His instincts warred with his common sense. He had no choice but to endure the agony. It was his fault he and his friends were in this situation. Valihorn closed his eyes tightly and looked away as the white light became more intense than the sun on a hot summer’s day.

  The agony continued for an eternity until suddenly it was gone. The pain was gone. The light was gone. Valihorn opened his eyes and looked around the room. The Administrators were all staring at him with fatigue on their faces.

  Rafa turned to a female servant and said, “Take the ring from Valihorn’s hand and bring it to me.” Rafa collapsed back into his chair with exhaustion, and the rest of the Administrators followed his lead.

  Everyone watched as the female servant stepped around the table of honor and approached Valihorn. She was dressed in a gray robe with the hood up, but the layers of clothing could not hide the fact that the woman was the most beautiful creature Valihorn had ever seen.

  She stopped a few feet in front of him and said, “Sir, if you would give me your hand.”

  Valihorn wordlessly raised his hand and extended it toward the servant. She gently took his hand and held it steady; she reached her second hand up and grasped the ring between her thumb and index finger. Valihorn’s hand tingled with pleasure at her touch. She slowly pulled the ring off his finger, and it came just as easily as one would normally expect. She released his hand and stepped back around the table of honor. Valihorn yearned for her to remain and hold his hand a little longer. He observed her curves as she walked away. The woman placed the ring on the table, directly in front of Rafa, and stepped into the background. Valihorn shook his head to clear it of these unholy thoughts and returned to the business at hand.

  Chapter 104: A Dragon’s Final Retribution

  Rafa turned to a female servant and said, “Take the ring from Valihorn’s hand and bring it to me.” Nero watched with everyone else as a woman in gray robes stepped around the table of honor and approached Valihorn.

  Nero opened his mouth and nearly gasped at what he saw. The beautiful woman taking the ring off Valihorn’s hand was Lidea, and she was of the Thirteen.

  Lidea smoothly took the ring off Valihorn’s hand, but Nero could have sworn she glanced at him with recognition. She walked around the table of honor and set the ring gently in front of Rafa. Nero watched with fascination as Lidea retreated to a pillar in the back of the room and wondered at her ulterior motives. Why was she here? It was only a few days ago that he had seen her in the Guildmaster’s quarters, and now she was here. The Guildmaster was one of the richest and most powerful men in Tellus, so it went without saying that he could share his bed with anyone he wanted – and Lidea was easily the most attractive woman Nero had ever seen. He could not blame the Guildmaster for mixing a little business with pleasure. He would do it in a heartbeat if their roles were reversed. Still, Nero wondered how Lidea came to be in Jewlian so quickly after their last meeting.

  Rafa looked carefully at the ring and spoke for all to hear. “The ring is safe. Now that the ring is off Valihorn’s finger, the two portals to the Plane of Chaos have closed. However, monsters from this world and the next will still be drawn to its power. Therefore, the Sorcerers Academy will store the ring in our anti-magic chamber for all time, along with our other ancient artifacts.”

  Nero wondered seriously if there was any truth to what Rafa was saying. Perhaps he and Lidea were planning to steal the ring and take it to the Guildmaster as a gift. If that was true, Nero would have to get in on the theft in order to curry more favor with the Guildmaster. But that was all speculation. The one thing Nero was certain of was that Lidea was at the Academy for more than a basic lesson in magic.

  Rafa continued. “Valihorn, you brought us a ring capable of great destruction. You also brought us a group of elves. As you know, we are currently at war with the elves of the Old Elf Empire. A war that your kin started by attacking our peaceful logging settlement of Endwood.”

  Evisar stepped brashly forward. “I was there when the elves approached the town you called Endwood. We had nothing but peaceful intentions. We simply wanted them to stop cutting down the trees of the forest. We talked with them, nothing more.”

  Rafa pointed at Evisar and yelled, “The attack on Endwood came after the initial meeting with your kingdom’s ambassador! I warned you to keep your mouth shut, elf. Guards!!”

  Nero watched as ten armed Knights of the Order came out of their nooks along the walls and drew their swords. Valihorn yelled over the din as chaos threatened to overtake the room. “There is no need for this, my lord. Evisar is merely arguing that the elves of Armena would never have attacked Endwood in a frontal assault.”

  Rafa said, “I am afraid it has been proven, my young wizard friend. The elven army did descend on Endwood, killing anyone that could not escape. Women, children, and soldiers alike were slaughtered.”

  Valihorn said, “I still do not believe it happened, but even if it did, surely you recognize that we had nothing to do with that attack and have nothing to do with the war between Kentar and Armena.”

  Rafa said, “I want to believe you, Valihorn, truly I do, but there is another matter outstanding that compels me to act against you.”

  Valihorn lowered his voice back to normal and said, “What is that, my lord?”

  “The Master who taught you magic is one of our most wanted criminals.”

  All of the companions spoke out simultaneously. “What?”

  Rafa repeated himself. “The Master Wizard you call Austen is one of our most wanted criminals. We have spent more than a decade looking for him, and you finally gave us his location. Thank you.”

  Valihorn looked confused, and Nero couldn’t say he blamed him. He didn’t understand how Austen was connected to the Sorcerers Academy, nor did he understand Rafa’s personal interest in the man.

  Rafa pointed toward the main entrance behind the companions and said, “Ah, here comes the traitor now.”

  Ner
o spun around and sure enough, walking through the twenty-foot tall wooden doors was the wizard Austen. Austen’s hands and ankles were chained together, and he was surrounded on all sides by four Knights with two wizards in white and purple robes following behind. The companions pushed to either side as Austen’s entourage passed by and stopped in front of the table of honor. Austen hung his head in shame and barely looked at his surroundings.

  Rafa said, “Austen, my old friend. You eluded us for many years, but did you honestly expect to elude us forever?”

  Austen looked up meekly. “I suppose not, but every day I eluded capture is one more day I added to the good in this world.”

  “If you say so. Tell me. We scried magically for your location every day for many years, but our efforts to locate you were never successful until today. Why is that? Why were we able to scry your location today?”

  “I had a magical necklace that prevented anyone from finding my location.” Austen looked over at Xander and then back at Rafa. “Unfortunately, someone needed the necklace more than I, so I gave it to that individual.”

  Rafa smiled and said, “How fortunate for us.”

  “I was in the process of manufacturing another one when your minions came for me.”

  Bristol, two seats to the left of Rafa, said, “Your story does mesh with our own account. After your disappearance, we scried your location every day for many years, but eventually we gave up the search.”

  Austen said, “Of course your account matches my story.” He looked directly at Rafa and said, “Unlike some others in this room, I always tell the truth.”

  Rafa said, “No matter. You escaped our searchful eye for a time, but we found you after your own apprentice gave us your location.”

  Valihorn looked at his master and said, “I am sorry Master. I did not mean to …”

  Rafa said, “It does not matter what you say now, my young wizard friend. What matters is that Austen will sit in our jail until we determine the rightful punishment for his crimes.”

  _______________________________________

  Mestel couldn’t let this stand. Austen had saved their lives on more than one occasion. He had to find out what was really going on here.

  “And what was Austen’s crime?”

  Rafa turned toward the new voice with a scowl. “That is not your concern, archer. All you need to know is that Austen is wanted for crimes against this Academy, and he will receive the justice he deserves.”

  “What!? What crimes are he accused of!?”

  “That is not your concern. Guards, take the traitor away.”

  Mestel quickly went over options in his head. Austen was innocent, that much he knew. He didn’t know how he knew, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind. If the truth of his innocence was not in doubt, then the call of his god came into play. As the chosen of Martel in this world it was Mestel’s obligation to free those who were wrongly imprisoned and had been made the scapegoat for someone else’s crimes. Furthermore, it was his obligation to destroy those who abused their power and authority over others.

  Rafa clearly fell into the category of someone who abused his power. He was second in command of the Sorcerers, and a traitor to the Academy. Who he was really working for, Mestel couldn’t say. All he knew was that Rafa was a double agent for someone else and that he was evil through and through.

  Mestel didn’t have any proof to level at Rafa, and without that proof his fellow wizards would never turn against him. That was a given. Clearly, none of the other Administrators were willing to stand up for Austen’s innocence, either because they believed he was guilty, weren’t sure, or were actively afraid to go against Rafa.

  Mestel quickly decided on a course of action. He took two steps toward Austen. “You’re not taking this man away until I know what he is accused of and what is going to happen to him.”

  Rafa rose to his feet with determination. “That is the second ultimatum you have vulgarly issued in this sacred chamber, archer. Since you are so interested in this traitor’s fate, and are a known enemy of Kentar, you can share Austen’s cell, as well as his fate. Guards, take both of them away and lock them in the dungeon.”

  Six of the ten guards rushed forward and grabbed Mestel roughly by the arms. Mestel pushed two of them away, but more guards came forward until he was overwhelmed. The guards quickly took away his weapons and bound his hands behind his back. Austen lowered his head in shame and did not even put up a fight.

  Mestel looked quickly at his brother, half expecting Evisar to draw Neverlost and start cutting his way toward him in a futile gesture that would get everyone killed. Mestel was instead amazed to discover quite the opposite. Rather than seeing Evisar ready to come to his aid, Mestel instead saw bewilderment and shame on his brother’s face. Mestel was saddened to his core. It looked as though the moment he had been dreading ever since his resurrection had finally arrived. Serving Martel with complete devotion had finally separated him from his brother.

  Mestel shook his head and said, “Don’t worry about me, brother. I know what I’m doing.”

  Evisar shook his head in disgust and said, “What have you done, brother. You’re going to get yourself killed and everyone else along with you.” Evisar took three steps back and said, “I’m finally done with you. Do you hear me? You are not the brother and best friend I grew up with. I don’t know what you are anymore, but from now on you are on your own.”

  Mestel nodded his head in acceptance. “As it should be. A Falcon always hunts alone.”

  Rafa listened to the exchange and smiled. “See this, my fellow Administrators. We cannot possibly lose against the elves of the Old Empire because they are weak and argue among themselves. Never forget that they started this war by attacking one of our towns and murdering our innocent citizens. Revenge will be ours because our cause is just. Guards, take the archer and the traitor away.”

  _______________________________________

  Evisar watched with a broken heart as the Knights of the Order took his brother away. They took Austen away as well, but Evisar wouldn’t shed any tears over the wizard’s fate. From what he could tell, Austen was charged with very serious crimes and had likely earned his fate. Austen had also tricked and used him for his own selfish ends.

  Mestel and Austen were dragged from the hall and Evisar let them go. His brother was too erratic and too unpredictable, and now he was on his own. Evisar’s duty was to look after his companions and find Devin, the First Heir of Armena, and return him to the throne. That was his mission. That was his priority. He didn’t have time to rescue his lost, but oddly devoted brother. Evisar moved forward to make a statement in defense of his companions before Rafa sealed their fate as well.

  “My lords, I would like to disassociate myself from the actions of our archer. His fate is his own. Please do not lump his actions with all of us.

  “You say you are at war with the Old Elf Empire and you rightly fear what will happen if you let us go. Let me assure you of our good intentions. I give you my word of honor that we will not interfere in the actions of your soldiers as they move against my brethren. I myself have been exiled from the elf kingdom and cannot return except under penalty of death. I ask you to let us go on our way, and I promise you, we will stay well clear of the coming war.”

  The entire hall fell into silence as everyone absorbed Evisar’s words.

  Rafa finally said, “You speak with a certain amount of wisdom, my young elf friend. And we are not without compassion. I accept the sincerity of your words, and while I want to believe you, I cannot allow myself that luxury. We are at war with your people, but not with you. Therefore, for our protection, you will be placed under house arrest and held in Jewlian as our honored guests. The guards will now come forward, take your weapons, and lead you to a safe house in Jewlian. You have my word that you will not be harmed and that you will be free to go when the conflict between our peoples is resolved. If you resist, we will have no choice but to destroy you.”


  Chapter 105: A Dragon’s Truth

  Evisar, Valihorn, Xander, and Nero were taken to one of the many wizard towers on the campus of the Academy. The tower had multiple levels, but only one door in and out. To complicate matters further, the tower was made of stone, put together by mortar, and did not have any windows until the fourth floor. Nero found it to be a thoroughly depressing place but had no choice but to accept it as his temporary home. He quickly searched all five levels and did not find anything of interest. The guards told them that this was the second tower built at the Academy by Viscom the Clear’s best apprentice. Nero was a thief, so nothing escaped his notice, but it became very clear that the tower had been abandoned and stripped of anything valuable some time ago. Looking out the windows on the fourth and fifth levels, Nero saw that there were two guards on duty outside the tower door at any one time.

  It was entirely possible they could fight their way through the guards, but they didn’t have their weapons, and the door was locked. Even if they managed to escape, they had been magically examined by the Administrators, and since they had taken Xander’s necklace away from him, Nero guessed that they would have no trouble scrying their location. Escape from this dungeon, it seemed, would take a good amount of planning and coordination.

  After scouting the tower, everyone gathered in the kitchen, which was annoyingly well-stocked, to discuss their situation. After having their fill of food, and a spot of tea to go with it, they decided to get a good night’s rest and come at the problem fresh in the morning. There was no way they could afford to spend the next several moons waiting for the war they had nothing to do with resolve itself. There was no getting around that they were in a difficult situation. In all fairness, Nero felt that Evisar deserved some of the blame for having antagonized Rafa the way he did. Nero also felt that he deserved some of the credit for the companions still being alive. He was fairly certain that if Rafa had not recognized him as one of the Thirteen, all of the companions would have been put to death as enemies of the state. Nero thought it likely that Rafa would find a way to discreetly pull him out of the tower to find out exactly why he was here. Nero smiled to himself as he realized he was essentially playing the role of a triple agent. His allegiance belonged to the Talon Guild, he was an up-and-coming Philosopher agent of Armena, and now he was traveling with the companions as an Agent for the Crown of Armena. Surely, that was some sort of record.