The crystals were beautiful, translucent stone daggers. They were as large as butcher knives, with the sharp, precise edges, crisp, straight facets and lines of cut jewels. Theus grasped the two named colors from an arced holder that displayed a dozen bands of the colors of the spectrum. They were astonishing in their beauty, breathtaking in appearance. And the feel of them conveyed profound sensations of strength, longevity, and endurance.
Hold the crystals, one in each hand, and drop into the pit now, Limber told Theus.
Is it deep? Theus questioned. He couldn't see the floor of the pit in the dark shadows.
It is deep in more ways than you can comprehend, Limber's voice whispered. Do not question this – obey.
The boy sensed that some bridge had been crossed, rendering the ritual unstoppable. And the evil within him seemed to come to fearful, snarling awareness that its existence was in peril; Theus felt it battering at the barrier which contained it, exerting itself within him more fiercely that ever before. He felt it at last begin to penetrate his protective barrier and to begin to infiltrate his soul while incorporating itself as a part of the uttermost core within him; waves of spiritual pain began to ripple through his psyche.
Jump in the pit now! Limber thundered.
Theus closed his eyes, and stepped off the edge of the chapel floor.
He began to fall. There seemed to be no floor to the pit. He fell for far longer than he expected, far longer than a few feet of depth would require. He fell, and fell, and fell.
Theus forgive me if you suffer a loss, he heard Limber softly moan. Hold on to the crystals no matter what happens; do not let go.
And then the agony struck.
The dark walls of the bottomless pit suddenly glowed with brilliant light, the pit became a furnace of unbearably intense heat, and Theus was immersed in molten stone. He felt searing heat scalding every inch of his body. He tried to scream, but there was no air. He felt his fingers clutching the two crystals in agony, and he was sure he was indenting them with the shape of his grip.
And Donal's evil succubus in Theus’s shoulder felt the agony as well. Theus heard its agonized screams within his soul, and its writhing pain only increased his own. The evil clutched onto his soul, until it suddenly could withstand the pain no longer, and dissipated, blazing away into nothingness. It was gone; burned away by the overwhelming power of the heat and energy that had once carried out the resurrection of a god.
But as the darkness went, Theus sensed it clutch something in his core and it ripped that elementary kernel of his soul away.
Theus felt the ruby pendant upon his chest give a keening wail, then it lurched, and it fell silent.
He was still encased in phenomenal pressure and heat; he was still in agony, but he felt the absence of the evil taint. It had now been seared away from his body and soul.
But it had taken something with it. Some part of his fundamental person had disappeared in the grip of the evil.
And then, after a long time, or perhaps no time at all – he found he could no longer distinguish – the heat no longer existed. The light no longer existed. The pressure no longer existed. Theus sensed that he was standing behind the altar in the chapel once again, the crystals in his hands, the plate in place upon the pit, and the ruby pendant gleaming upon his chest.
He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Chapter 10
Theus awoke, chilly and confused. A single candle burnt in a sconce on the wall of the chapel, providing one of two sources of light. The other was the ruby pendant on his chest, whose deep heart held a glowing point of light, too dim to illuminate anything beyond the facets of the lovely jewel.
Theus stared at the ruby, trying to piece together the circumstances that had placed him in a small, dark cell.
Then memories flooded upon him and he realized and remembered where he was and what had happened. His eyes widened in anticipation. He turned his body so that his left shoulder was best lit by the candlelight, and he looked at the muscular joint. There was no black stain. There was no glowing boundary. There was only a white, heart-shaped scar marking the damage that Donal had done to him, at least the physical damage.
Theus held his hand up before his face, it was trembling with anticipation, he saw. He mentally murmured the words of a white magic incantation, and his finger began to glow. There was no pain, no anguish, no sense of the poison of the demon plane involved in his magic. He was free of the poisonous infection! Limber’s drastic purge had worked! Feeling sanctified through the ritual, Theus carefully returned the two crystals he had held to the container in the rear of the altar.
He turned, opened the door to the small chapel, grasped the candle, and left the place where he had been purified. After he walked through the crypt he climbed the stairs, and entered the first of the formal side chapels he passed.
"Thank you, Lord Limber, for setting me free," he prayed. It was painful, he squirmed with the memory of the suffering he had endured. “Now I am able to use the white magic once again. Thank you,” he repeated.
Theus, Limber replied, you are strong to endure such an ordeal, but I did not doubt that you would. And you are stronger in another sense as well, the god added in a tone that sounded almost jovial.
You now have flesh and bones that have absorbed a portion of the strength of my mountains, Limber told him.
Theus gingerly rubbed the fingers of one hand along the flesh of his other arm, trying to discern some difference in the feel of his flesh.
You cannot casually feel your body's new strength, the god's words froze the movement of his hand, but you will find that swords and weapons will hardly penetrate or harm you now.
Theus cocked his head in puzzlement, then smiled in comprehension. The gift would be a boon as he undertook his quest to defeat Donal and Ind'Petro. The new character of his flesh might not protect him from magical attacks, but it would free him from worries about battling Donal's mortal forces.
And Theus, there is one thing more, the boy swore he heard a momentary catch in the voice of the god. As the evil was exorcized from your soul, it clung to the very core of your heart tenaciously, Limber paused. It held on to you with such grim determination that when it was severed from you, it took a portion of your heart with it, a piece of your soul that was central to your identity.
Theus squinted his eyes as he tried to comprehend the veiled warning.
“Are you saying, my lord, that I have no heart any longer?” He asked.
You have most of your heart, most of the goodness, a great deal of the compassion and servant’s mentality that shape you as a leader, Limber gave him some relief.
But the evil took away the portion of your heart that you had given to a woman, to the Great Forks noblewoman named Coriae. You have lost the love and memories and passion you held for her.
“Who?” Theus asked. He delved through his memories and found no recollections, no images, of such a girl. “If there was any memory of such a girl, I do not know it, and I don’t feel any poorer for the loss. Did I love her?” He asked in a low voice.
Yes, Limber answer with the single word.
Theus knelt in silence, digesting the stunning revelation.
“Can it be reversed?” He finally asked in a faltering tone.
Not in any way that I know, Limber said gently.
Theus was silent again. Perhaps it didn’t matter. He didn’t love the girl, and that was all. He could go about his business in pursuing the death of Donal without a girl to worry about. And, he reminded himself, he now had indestructible flesh besides.
Theus, the people of the city are worried for you, Limber spoke. Your ordeal has lasted for a full day, and they do not know where to find you. You should return to the palace and put their minds and hearts at ease.
Theus accepted the advice. He rose from his knees and left the temple. Crystal the granitine immediately spotted him as he left the temple, and raced over to meet him. “My lord marshal Theus!” She exclai
med. “We have been sorely pressed in our search for you, and now you appear in plain sight!” She emitted a low humming sound that Theus recognized was a message to the other granitines, a message conveyed through the stones of the mountain.
“The queen will be most pleased,” Crystal told him. “Let us go to the palace and prove to her that you are alive and well. She was about to cancel the ball scheduled for this evening, and I am told she was most displeased at the thought of doing so.”
The pair walked together to the palace, and Theus was immediately ushered into Thera's suite, where she was adjusting a gown for the ball.
“I'm glad to see you alive and well, dear brother, but where have you been?” She immediately asked, looking at his reflection in her mirror, as she and her mother and a maid studied her dress. Her words were relatively calm, but her voice betrayed her stress at his disappearance.
She looked older and more worldly to Theus than ever before, as he saw her in such a gown for the first time. It would be appropriate to think of her as a queen of a nation when viewing her in such an outfit, he told himself.
“I went to Limber's temple,” he replied, all eyes focused on him. “Limber took away the infection that Donal's wound held.”
“You're feeling better? I'm glad to hear that,” his mother looked at him as she spoke.
“You could have let us know,” Thera rejoined. “We searched for you last night, including in the temple.”
“I was in a small chapel in the crypt,” he spoke casually. He saw no point in revealing any more about his ordeal.
“Well, you need to get ready for the ball. It's to begin in just a couple of hours,” his sister told him, then dismissed him so that she might focus on her gown.
Next door, back in his own chambers, Theus found that clean clothes had been prepared and laid out for him. It was something he'd never considered, a luxury and convenience he'd never even known to ask for. It seemed both extravagant and pleasant, he idly mused as he soaked in a bath. It was a relief to see his own torso, and for the first time in several weeks, not see the black stain on his shoulder.
He rested and relaxed in his bath, recovering from the ordeal at the temple, relaxing so well he fell asleep until Rocky awoke him.
“The ball has begun and the queen wishes to see you in attendance,” the granitine informed him.
“And master,” the creature spoke in a more intimate tone, “the others and I are curious about where you were in the temple? We believe we know that building better than any human ever will, but we did not see you in the crypt.” The granitine spoke from injured pride, Theus realized with a smile as he toweled himself dry.
“Rocky, don't worry. It was only a small chamber, easily missed,” he tried to comfort his friend.
He quickly dressed, then whimsically decided to wear his ruby pendant outside his shirt, visible to be seen. It no longer needed to be worn against his skin, since he was healed, and it was a gift from Limber himself.
“Where's the ball being held?” Theus asked Rocky as he pulled on his boots.
“It is here in the palace, and I am directed to lead you there,” the creature spoke as he moved towards the doorway, ready to deliver Theus as assigned.
They walked to another wing of the palace, one Theus had paid little attention to before. As they walked along the main corridor, they passed other granitines running errands, and they heard the notes of music playing. The music was unusual, Theus thought, unlike the orchestras he had heard play at festivities in Stoke.
He paused.
“Let's keep moving, my lord, we're almost there,” Rocky urged.
But Theus was puzzling over his memories. He had heard orchestras at balls, he knew. But he could recollect nothing about the balls themselves. His memories were empty, and it made no sense.
“My lord?” The granitine prodded him again.
“Sorry,” Theus mumbled his apology as he resumed the journey, his mind still turning over the unresolved mystery.
Rocky stopped at a large set of doors. The music was perfectly audible from the other side, and Theus thanked his guide, then entered the room.
A long table sat atop a dais at one end, but other than his mother, few sat there.
Theus immediately spotted Thera's gown, as she danced with Holco among a colorful collection of other dancers on the floor. He spotted Forgon and Amelia, Montuse dancing with a girl Theus knew from the Jewel Hills, and others he recognized. Several dozen granitines stood atop tiered bleachers, making the unusual music, each servant providing a sound of its own, but the whole blended together seamlessly.
“May I have this dance?” A Jewel Hills girl immediately invited Theus, and so they joined the others on the dance floor.
He knew the girl, Autumn, a girl whose family had been prosperous by Jewel Hills farming standards. They talked as they danced to the music. Autumn danced well, and Theus found that if he didn't consciously think about what he was doing, his feet could dance adequately without direction, though he had no memories of dancing before.
“The music is familiar,” Autumn mentioned to Theus.
She was right, he realized. The tune played by the granitines was familiar. It was almost one of the tunes played at social events in the Jewel Hills. There were some subtle differences, but a large part of the song could have been matched by a Jewel Hills fiddler.
They discussed the song and social events. When the music ended, they were in the center of the dance floor.
“You're supposed to sit up there,” Autumn helpfully pointed to the head table on the stage. “There was only one empty seat when several others all sat down at the start, next to the man in blue,” she indicated Forgon, who was moving with Amelia towards their seats. “I’m sure that seat was meant for you.”
“We'll dance another dance, won't we?” She asked.
“I promise we will,” Theus gladly agreed. “Thank you,” he gave a half bow.
“Such gallantry!” Autumn smiled prettily, and then they parted.
“Thank you for joining us,” Thera murmured as he passed behind her on the stage while he headed to his seat. “Was that Autumn I saw you dancing with?”
“It was,” he slowed down to whisper his agreement. “And you danced with your instructor, I saw?”
“It was just a dance,” she said primly and then Theus was past her.
“Theus, we missed you the past day!” Forgon said brightly.
“But he's here in time for dinner,” Amelia smiled. “He was usually pretty good about finding food when we were traveling together. I couldn't have found a better guide,” she said. “Unless it was you,” she added apologetically three seconds later, patting Forgon's hand on the table.
“We both know you had the best,” Forgon dismissed the polite comment pleasantly.
They chatted amiably during the dinner. Twice, the conversation faltered.
“I wish Coriae could be here to see this,” Forgon spoke between courses of food. “To think that we're at the very first ball in Limber,” he spoke in a satisfied tone.
“Forgon,” Amelia growled at him.
“Oh Theus, I'm so sorry!” Forgon took the meaning of Amelia's warning.
“There's nothing to apologize to me about,” Theus said assuredly.
“It's just that she takes such interest in events in the world,” Forgon sought to explain.
“It makes no difference to me,” Theus assured him. “I don’t know anything about it.”
Forgon gave him an odd look, then turned to Amelia and struck up a new conversation.
Later, after the meal was finished and everyone from the head table had danced a set of dances, then returned to the table, Thera stood at her seat in the center.
The room grew hushed as all eyes focused on her.
“I thank you all for joining this festive event,” she addressed the gathering. “We have worked long and hard to bring our city back to life, and you all are to be congratulated for your work and success
,” she pronounced. “We are seeing new people arrive constantly, and we are bringing in as much new material as we can find wagons to carry for us.
“But none of this would have been possible without the heroic work of our marshal, my brother, Theus. Let us all applaud his work.”
The crowd of revelers cheered loudly, as Theus began to blush.
“Theus, please tell us about your time here in the city, and how long you'll stay with us,” Thera urged her brother, catching him by surprise.
“Go on, stand up,” Forgon elbowed him with a friendly prod.
Theus stood, unprepared and uncertain.
“Thank you, my queen,” he smiled at her. “I haven't really spent much time in the city, so I can't say much about all the work people are doing, but it does look wonderful.
“As it happens, the truth is, I'm not going to stay very long this time. Lord Limber has given me an assignment that requires me to leave again, and he has made me ready to go. So, I expect that I'll leave tomorrow.” He hadn't expected to announce his departure so publicly, but Thera had put him on the spot, and he had perhaps said more than he needed to.
A smattering of shouts from the audience protested, and advised him to stay.
“I really have to go,” he replied. “And,” he looked at some of the guests at the head table, “I imagine some of you probably have responsibilities out in the world too, and need to leave as well,” his eyes momentarily locked with Holco's, who looked away.
“So anyway,” Theus knew he wasn't contributing to the festive atmosphere that Thera wanted, “everyone enjoy the evening, have fun dancing, and thank the granitines for their work.” He hastily sat down, and realized that his forehead was damp with perspiration.
“Very nice, Theus,” Amelia leaned in front of Forgon to politely tell him.
Thera was speaking again, urging everyone to enjoy the night, then called on the granitine orchestra to play more music.
The members of the head table descended to dance; Theus looked down and saw that Autumn was standing before him, beckoning him down.
Tangled Engagements (The Memory Stones Series Book 4) Page 12