Tangled Engagements (The Memory Stones Series Book 4)

by Jeffrey Quyle

  Theus visited Currense’s temple and delivered prayers of fervent thanks to the goddess, but for once there were no supernatural occurrences or visitations from the goddess. Theus was satisfied nonetheless that he had spoken to the goddess.

  And after that visit, he was ready to begin the remaining short journey to Limber.

  Chapter 8

  Theus started out on horseback, as he rode at the head of the body of men and women who were on their way to Limber. Theus discovered that the name of Limber was circulating widely in the city of Greenfalls, because so many wagonloads of goods and supplies were bought for and shipped to the city.

  He found that he split his time in the traveling body among various groups. He often rode with the renegade soldiers of Southsand, the men who had refused to return to the homeland where they would have been punished, and probably executed, for being a part of the failed invasion. Montuse and Alamice and the others treated Theus with a mixture of behaviors. They were thankful for his acceptance of their change in allegiance, but as soldiers they were displeased at the fact that he had denied them the chance to engage in a skirmish with the Stoke forces that had besieged Greenfalls. And based on the reports of how he had singlehandedly killed scores of warriors, they also feared him and his use of magical powers; they were too familiar with the dark magic of Donal.

  He also rode with Forgon and Amelia and Holco, and the band of volunteer soldiers who had originally left Stoke to fight on behalf of Great Forks. The nobles were less in awe of Theus than the men from Southsands, but also uneasy about his ability to destroy so many men in a matter of moments, thanks to his magical abilities.

  And much of the time, Theus rode by himself, his hands on the reins of his horse, or idly stroking the pendant that rested on his chest. He reflected on the way the dark power within him had taken control of him, and unleashed its destruction upon the Stoke army. He was scared of what it had done through him. On some nights, he awoke from nightmare memories of the darkness whispering in his soul. The whispers could be enticing.

  The trip from Greenfalls along the trading road to the east was a short trip. When the group turned north, and left the ages-old road to begin travelling upon the smooth, wide new mountain route created by the granitines, the travelers grew impressed and eager. They listened to Theus’ stories about the granitines and asked many questions about the unknown race of stone creatures that resided in and served the resurrected city of Limber.

  “Crystal! Gem! Rocky!” Theus called on the first night the group camped upon the road. A small fire burned where Theus and his acquaintances sat under a cloudy sky, providing enough light for all in the circle to see one another.

  “My lord!” Crystal appeared immediately. “We are so pleased that you have returned!”

  The crowd around the fire gasped in surprise at the appearance of the stocky being, and Amelia shrieked softly as she clutched Forgon’s arm.

  “Crystal!” Theus walked over and knelt to awkwardly hug the creature. Her appearance was a tangible sign that he was approaching Limber, and he was pleased more than he had anticipated. He knew that he would enter the temple of the god who was leading him along his danger-fraught path, and be healed there. But just as importantly, he also knew that he would see his family once again, the people who had lived in such poverty for so long, but had been raised to the height of responsible power. And he would see friends and companions, as well as sights of marvelous beauty and progress in the city’s development.

  “Crystal, these are my friends. They are nobles and royals from other great cities, coming to visit Limber and see the city that you and your friends have rebuilt. Will you go ahead to the city and tell the people to prepare for our arrival?” Theus asked the granitine.

  “Certainly, my lord! The queen will be most pleased to know that her marshal is returning with such august company,” Crystal replied. “The city is prospering, and we hope your guests will enjoy it.” With that, the granitine scuttled out of the light and into the darkness, to disappear from view.

  “What was that?” Forgon asked the question first.

  “That was my friend Crystal, the first granitine I met. She rescued me when I was stranded in the mountains in a snow storm,” Theus promptly answered, happy to talk about the unique race. “The granitines were created by Limber to serve him, and to tend and maintain the city of Limber. Even though no humans have lived in the city for hundreds of years, the granitines have kept the city functioning, and they truly restored it when the time came for humans to return.”

  For the visitors, the encounter added to the mystique of the lost city of Limber, and all looked forward eagerly to reaching the restored metropolis in the mountains. At noon on the second day after the conversation with Crystal, the leaders of the cavalcade rounded a curve on the road, and were greeted with their first view of the city, gleaming whitely in the sunshine that fell on its mountainside plateau.

  “It’s beautiful, Theus!” Amelia spoke first. “It reminds me of Steep Rise, the way some of the buildings rise up the mountainside.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Holco said with shining eyes.

  “This is your new home,” Theus proudly told Alamice and Montuse. “Tell the troops they are almost home.”

  “We couldn’t ask for a better-looking place to settle,” Montuse spoke for them both.

  As the group entered the gates of the city, they found much of the population turned out, lining the main boulevard, cheering their arrival.

  Theus grew increasingly excited as he recognized the city’s landmarks, and many of the people who had migrated from the Jewel Hills to start a new life. He was surprised to see additional people had arrived as well, Jewel Hills residents he hadn’t known had moved, and hadn’t expected to see in Limber. Then, when his crew of travelers came within sight of the palace, he saw his sister and mother standing in the doorway of the palace, flanked by his younger siblings, while numerous granitines were scattered about.

  “There they are!” he shouted excitedly. He felt as though he were a boy once again, a farm boy returning home to the farmstead, and seeing his family waiting. Except for his father, he reminded himself; his father was absent. The man who had worked so hard to allow the family to survive long enough to prosper hadn’t lived to see the miraculous prosperity himself.

  “Theus!” Thera shouted wildly, until her mother gently placed a hand on the girl’s arm to remind her that she was the queen, and had to act responsibly. Thereafter, Thera stood and waved more demurely, without shouting.

  Theus dismounted before anyone else in his group, and he left his mount to a granitine, while he hurried up the stairs, trying to appear dignified despite his eagerness. At the top of the stairs he embraced his mother.

  “Aren’t you supposed to kneel before your queen first?” Thera asked with mock seriousness, before she was swept into his next hug, and then all of the younger children joined him simultaneously in a familial hug.

  “Theus, it’s so good to have you back safe and sound,” Allise told her son.

  “You’ll get to stay with us now, won’t you?” Thera asked.

  “Not permanently; not yet,” Theus replied. “We can talk about that later. I’d like to introduce you to our guests and our new army,” he redirected them, and he led them down the steps of the palace, to be introduced to his traveling companions.

  “This is august company,” his mother told the collective group when the introductions were finished. “We’re humbled to have such visitors travel to Limber as the friends of our Theus.”

  “We’re the ones who are humbled to have traveled with him,” Prince Holco answered for the outsiders. “He has saved our lives and changed our fortunes with his great abilities.

  “You are fortunate to have such a champion for your splendid new nation. And he is fortunate to have such an admirable ruler to sit on the throne he is pledged to,” the prince spoke directly to Thera, and gave a formal bow to her.

>   “After your long trip, I’m sure you all wish to refresh yourselves,” Allise spoke, as she placed a hand on her daughter’s arm. “We have many rooms available for our guests.”

  “Yes, of course,” Thera agreed. “My apologies for not saying so. The granitines will guide you to your rooms, and will take your horses to the stables.”

  “And for those who are not here as guests, let me lead you out to the plaza, so that other granitines can lead you to help you find your new homes in the city,” Theus added. “I’ll be back after the army members are sent out to find homes, and then we can talk about everything that’s happened,” he said to his sister and mother.

  “Vanline is working in the granary, but he’ll be back in the palace soon, and I’m sure he’ll be eager to hear about the outside world as well,” Thera replied, as she bade Theus a temporary farewell.

  Theus walked down the city’s boulevard, accompanied by the soldiers from Southsand, and happened to encounter Vanline while walking towards the plaza in front of the temple.

  “Theus! You’re back! You look a little thin, my boy,” the steward of the palace said jovially. “We’ll have to fatten you up; we’ve got a good amount of supplies stored up already, so it won’t be a problem.

  “And you’ve brought a large contingent of new men, I see,” he said as he scanned the soldiers lined up behind Theus.

  “Vanline, I’d like you to meet our new army, or at least the start of one,” Theus replied as the two men embraced. “This is Alamice, and this is Montuse,” he introduced the two leading officers.

  “This is Vanline,” he told the two men. “He is a former caravan leader, and now the steward for our queen. He’s also the man who taught me how to handle a sword,” Theus added, piquing the interest of the two.

  “Theus was the finest swordsman we found in the palace in Southsand,” Montuse said respectfully.

  “Well, perhaps now you’ve found someone even better, although I haven’t had anyone to practice with since I got here, once Theus took Eiren away from me,” Vanline replied. “Where is my sparring partner, by the way?” he asked.

  “She has stayed in Greenfalls. I’ll tell you all about it later. We need to take these men and start finding housing for them,” Theus promised.

  “That means we probably need to start getting material for uniforms, and we’ll need weapons as well, and a thousand other things I haven’t thought about for supplies,” Vanline spoke introspectively.

  “And we’ll have to formally establish an armory, won’t we?” he added brightly. “Gentlemen, I’ll see you soon,” he bade them farewell, then continued.

  “He’s the best swordsman I ever faced,” Theus confirmed to his companions as they resumed their stroll through the city.

  “We’ll look forward to crossing swords with him,” Montuse observed.

  When they reached the great plaza in front of Limber’s temple, Theus explained to the scores of soldiers that the waiting granitines would be guides and advisors as they looked for housing in the city.

  “So we can live wherever we want? You don’t have dormitories for the soldiers?” a voice in the crowd asked.

  “Wherever you want, at least for now. We don’t have an army at all, so we haven’t made any rules yet,” he admitted. “And hopefully we won’t have need for an army very often,” he smiled, drawing appreciative laughter.

  He watched the eager men pair up with granitines, causing the plaza to quickly empty out. With that accomplished, he turned and climbed the steps to enter the temple. A pair of men immediately introduced themselves at the doorway. He recognized one as a contemporary of his who had also left the Jewel Hills. The other proved to be a former caravan wagon driver, who had been mesmerized by the story of Limber, and become a permanent resident.

  “We’re the first priests of the temple,” they explained. “It seemed like someone besides the granitines should tend to the temple and Lord Limber, so we prayed for guidance, and he welcomed us to his service.”

  Theus was glad to know that there were priests. He thanked the men, then entered the main sanctuary, and knelt before the railing around the great mountain within the chamber.

  “I am ready to be cleansed and healed, my lord,” he prayed softly. “Thank you for the gift of this pendant; I’m sorry I haven’t worn it every moment I’ve had it,” Theus spoke softly, as his hand grasped the stone that dangled on the chain around his neck. He paused, as he thought about the pain he had suffered when he had removed the pendant, not just the physical pain of the infection, but the pain he had felt from exercising the energy of magic, and feeling the consequences of black magic eroding away his character.

  “Now is not yet the time, my son,” Limber’s voice rumbled. “Wait four more days, and then everything will be ready for the ritual. Do not fret over the events that occurred; you were sorely tried,” the god comforted Theus.

  “I will await your command,” Theus said, both slightly disappointed that Limber would not instantaneously remove the evil infection, and satisfied that the god had set a date that would give him a few days to live in the city and enjoy being with his family once again. Once he was healed, he knew, he would be expected to start his next journey into danger, when he would have to face Donal once more, and beyond Donal, the evil god Ind’Petro as well.

  He sighed, then rose to his feet, and slowly walked out of the temple. When he returned to the bright mountain sunlight outside the temple, he found himself thinking of Coriae for the first time in days. And that prompted him to turn right instead of left, so that he could walk away from the palace, and have some time to be by himself and reflect on the world he lived in.

  He hadn’t thought of Coriae during much of the journey. Perhaps that was a good thing. He’d grown busy after his departure from Great Forks, thinking about the men he was leading and the company he was keeping, and then the battle he had waged in Greenfalls. Yet it had been in Greenfalls where he had first seen Coriae; his mind wandered back to thinking about the beautiful girl who seemed destined to be the great lost love of his life. And it had been in Greenfalls that she had seen Klermie, he also reminded himself about the Thuros noble who seemed in no way qualified to claim Coriae’s hand in marriage.

  He stopped walking when he reached a large basin of clear water, elevated several yards above most of the rest of the city. It was the basin he had landed in when he’d first come to Limber – he, along with several granitines who had been propelled along a mountain stream and shot out of a cave and into the city.

  The sound of the falling water provided a peaceful ambience to the area in the city, a place where no other humans were settled. Theus sat upon the stone lip that contained the basin, and looked out over the city. In a few locations, he could see humans working, or signs of their work, but much of the city remained empty and untouched by people. The whole city was likely to fill up someday, he was sure, and become a bustling metropolis.

  Would the success of Limber’s rebirth depend on his success in fighting Donal and Ind’Petro, he wondered?

  From the things he had been told, he gathered that Ind’Petro and the forces of evil had once before focused all their efforts on putting an end to Limber. They had caused earthquakes and plagues and fearful events that had driven away the population and ended the worship of the god of the city, weakening him as a deity. If Theus failed to end Ind’Petro as the god of evil, perhaps the terrible god would once again strike against the city that Theus’s family now ruled.

  Theus felt determination swell in his heart. He would fight for his god and his city and his family. He would fight for Coriae, who would never even know that he was in a battle to defeat a god, so that she and everyone in the world would face less evil. And though she wouldn’t be, she should be thankful, he thought with mild bitterness, given her own brush with evil, when she had faced Monsant and avoided his assault only by fighting back and killing him.

  Maybe, he pondered, that was something they had in common. S
he had fought against evil, and used violence in the fight. He had fought against evil, while carrying the stain of evil within him – and he had let evil carry out the destructive massacre of many soldiers to win the battle on his behalf. She had been justified in her violent self-defense. He might have been too, had he not empowered the dark magic to spill vastly more blood than was needed.

  But again, he told himself, he would never share that observation with her. She would be married and live on Thuros, while he would live or die fighting against evil in Southsand, and if he won, he would return to Limber. Their paths were unlikely to cross.

  The sun moved lower in the west, its direct light blocked by the mountain behind Theus. But its rays reflected off of the snowy cap of the shorter mountain to the east, and a momentary flash of scintillating reflection caught Theus’s eye, rousing him from his pensive reflection. It was time for him to return to the palace and visit his friends and family.

  He walked back down the city street and re-entered the palace, where he asked a granitine for directions to his room.

  “Sir marshal, follow me. We’ll go to the family quarters,” the small being replied, and it smoothly led Theus past ornate rooms and down halls to the same part of the palace he had seen before he had left Limber previously. He remembered visiting the wing with Vanline and Eiren, when they had met his sister and mother. And now he was presumably going to be given a room of his own in the wing.

  “These are your chambers, my lord,” the granitine proved him correct a moment later, as the creature stopped in front of a set of double doors. “We had your belongings brought here from your mount, not that there was much to bring – you seem to travel light.”

  “I haven’t had a chance to travel any other way,” Theus responded absentmindedly, as he opened the door to his rooms and looked inside. He was in a sitting room, the prelude to the rest of his room. It reminded him of the entry to Lady Citrice’s chambers in the Southsand palace, for no particular reason other than it had a sitting room. Letta had been made to wait in that other parlor while Theus had been embarrassingly taken into the intimate setting of Citrice’s bath. He shook his head at the memory, and momentarily wondered what had become of the woman who had flirted with him so outrageously. He felt a sense of fondness for her, and hoped that she had somehow avoided the dangers of life in the palace where the black magician resided.