“I cannot accept any of it in good conscience,” Luke claims, letting a charming smile appear on his face. “Besides, this much money is nothing more than extra weight to a wanderer like me. I request that you send the emerald to my family in Haven and the rest of the money to the temple of Uli in Gods’ Voice. They will put the money to better use than if it stayed with me. Even if you refuse to do what I humbly request, I will not accept the money or the title.”
The Duke strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Do the rest of you follow Sir . . . I mean, Luke’s example?”
“I think the reward money deserves to go to people who need it more than we do,” Aedyn agrees with an approving nod to Luke. “Even if I stop my wandering, the money will be wasted on me. Like many priests, I have taken an oath to keep only what I need to survive, so this amount of money is too much. I will deliver the sun quartz to my temple as a donation before I leave Gods’ Voice, but I request that the rest of my reward go to the daughter of Fritz Warrenberg. He was more of a hero than I was during our travels and those who love him should reap the rewards of his actions.”
Aedyn reaches into the sack to remove the sun quartz and places the yellow gem in his pocket. The priest closes the sack of money and carries it to one of the halfling servants. Without another word, Aedyn puts the sack in the hands of the confused halfling and quietly returns to his pillows.
“What about you, Nyx?” Luke asks without looking away from the Duke.
“Even though that ruby is very tempting, I agree with Luke and Aedyn,” Nyx says, her voice not entirely convincing. “I request that my reward money go to the repairs and reparations of Hero’s Gate. It is the least I can do considering what I did there.” She creates a gust of air that launches her bag of money to the foot of the dais. The caster takes a final, forlorn look at the bag before taking her seat.
The Duke loudly applauds the heroes and his guards immediately join in. “I am truly impressed with all of you. It is rare that young people commit such selfless deeds. Now, I believe that our business is completed. I offer you an invitation to a mid-day banquet in your honor. It will be a minor affair to which the local nobles and clergy have been invited. I request that all of you will attend and enjoy yourselves.”
“We will be happy to attend,” respond Nyx and Aedyn. They look up at Luke who is still standing in front of the Duke. His fists are clenched and they can see an all too familiar look of determination on his face. Aedyn and Nyx give each other a quick, helpless glance before bracing themselves for Luke’s outburst.
“Our business isn’t over yet,” Luke snaps.
“I had a feeling that there was something else on your mind,” the Duke calmly says, standing for the first time since the young heroes entered the room. He cracks his stiff neck and stares down at the much shorter half-elf who refuses to step away. The guards are about to grab Luke, but they are waved away by Duke Solomon. “Know that continuing this meeting is not something I would normally do. You have simply awakened my curiosity.”
“I want to know why you used us as bait without telling us,” Luke demands, his voice tainted with fury. “I don’t like being used as a decoy and I don’t see any reason to hide the fact that I disagree with your actions.”
“You aren’t much of a strategist, Luke,” Duke Solomon says, folding his arms across his barrel chest. “The answer is very simple. If you knew that the Kellia you were protecting was a fake then you would have acted differently toward her. Our enemies would have noticed the change in your behavior and realized that they were chasing a decoy. The safety of my daughter depended on the Lich and his allies not seeing through our tricks. I am sorry that I had to trick you too, but all other methods of transporting Kellia were too risky.”
“What about teleportation?” Luke asks.
Nyx coughs to get everyone’s attention. “Ever since the Great Cataclysm, teleporting another person has carried a high risk of failure. Even when the caster goes along for the ride, they can’t guarantee that the non-caster will arrive at the correct location or intact. Dragons and demons are the only species capable of casting flawless group teleportations. For the rest of us, there are more dependable spells that resemble group teleportation, but they have pricey ingredients and there is still some risk. I agree with Duke Solomon’s assessment that traveling by non-magical methods was the safest choice.”
“He didn’t have to make us bait too,” Luke contends, still glaring at the Duke.
“Look, Luke,” Nyx says in a softer voice. “I’m not happy with being used as a decoy either, but there is nothing we can do about it. The mission is over and there is no reason to dwell on the role that you played.”
“I suggest that you listen to Lady Nyx,” the Duke sternly advises the stubborn warrior. “There is no reason to argue with me about the choice I made.”
“You still haven’t told me why you used us as bait instead of someone else. I want to know why and I want to know now!” Luke demands, his voice rising.
The Duke’s broadsword leaps from its scabbard at Luke’s final word. Light glints off the tip of the weapon as it settles against the half-elf’s chin and draws a trickle of blood. The Duke notices that Luke’s hands went to where his sabers would be hanging if they weren’t laying on the floor behind him. The old knight holds back a sigh of relief over not having to fight the faster warrior.
“Watch your words, Luke. I am not beneath throwing you in the dungeon for a few days to teach you respect,” the Duke coldly warns the forest tracker.
“If your answer is good enough then we won’t have a problem,” Luke states defiantly. He crosses his arms and looks down the pristine blade.
“It appears that the reports of your defiance toward superiors were not exaggerated by my daughter and Selenia. You are truly wild and unrefined,” says the Duke, lifting his sword from Luke’s chin and resting it on his shoulder. “We considered many other plans before we adopted the idea of sending you with the decoy. Originally, I wished to send an escort of royal guards with the doppelganger, but I realized that this would fail. In order to direct all of the Lich’s attention to the decoy, it was necessary to make her escort believable. This required that those who protected Kellia at the academy be put with the decoy. I also had promised Lord Cyril that I would utilize his favored apprentice who he felt was ready to leave the city. She was to be your advantage since the Lich had never encountered her before.”
“I think I get it, sir,” Luke interrupts him with a small bow. “It would be more believable with an elite escort instead of regular guards.”
The Duke nods, but his face remains stern. “That is part of the reason. As I previously said, the entire plan would fail if the doppelganger were to be uncovered too early in your journey. Kellia convinced me that all of you would be able to keep her doppelganger alive long enough to get her to safety. You proved that my daughter’s faith was not misplaced by preventing the Lich from uncovering our trick until it was too late.”
“Are you satisfied, Luke?” Aedyn asks.
“I hope that the next time you ask for my help, you think of me as more than a decoy, your majesty,” Luke requests, defiance still in his eyes.
The Duke sheaths his sword and puts a vise-like hand on Luke’s shoulder. He snaps his fingers and the three halflings hop to their feet. They silently walk over to Aedyn, Fizzle, and Nyx in order to lead them out of the throne room. One of them moves to pick up Luke’s swords, but Nyx stomps a foot in his way. The halfling looks a little confused as Nyx pushes him along in front of her. Luke watches his friends follow the halflings through the double doors, leaving him alone with Duke Solomon and the royal guards.
“I admire your courage even though you have yet to learn that there is a time and place for defiance, Luke,” the Duke admits, releasing his grip on the half-elf’s shoulder. “Sadly, I think this is the last time that I will ask anything of you. I look forward to meeting with you socially, but I will never give you another mission.”
Luke is confused and upset as he looks at the Duke. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“You are not sorry about what you said,” the Duke accuses Luke, a proud grin appears below the large man’s moustache. “You felt that I treated you with disrespect and voiced your frustration. There are few who would do so in front of someone of my station. It demonstrates that you seek to do what you feel is right. A person like you cannot be utilized as a royal agent because there would be times that my decision would conflict with your personal beliefs. You would be unable to accomplish those kinds of tasks because you hold to your beliefs no matter what. Now, I hope you will come with me to the banquet where I can enjoy being your superior one last time.”
“What do you mean by one last time?” Luke inquires. Duke Solomon is already off the dais with his guards marching behind him in an arch formation. Luke leaps off the dais to pick up his sabers and rushes to catch up. The guards instinctually start to draw their weapons when Luke passes them to get to the Duke’s side. A smile crosses the Duke’s face while he watches his guards glare at the oblivious forest tracker.
“I can see the social potential of most people that I meet,” whispers the Duke, so only Luke can hear him clearly. “Their demeanor and actions can be examined to tell me how influential they will become. It would not surprise me if, upon our next encounter, I will have to acknowledge you as my equal. I can say the same of Lady Nyx. You see, Luke, I am merely the ruler of a kingdom. The only people who are greater than rulers are the people who work for all of Windemere. They are the people who do noble deeds for the sake of doing them. From what Kellia has told me, you and Lady Nyx are setting out to help us all. I have the utmost respect for those who act so selflessly. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Luke carefully thinks for a few seconds. “I think you’re saying that wandering heroes can be considered the equals of rulers.”
“More or less. There was once a time when the fate of Windemere was paved entirely by wandering heroes,” says Duke Solomon, increasing his pace. “You are in good company, young man. Now, please relax and enjoy your stay in Solomon Castle. It might be a long time before you attend another banquet like this one.”
Luke nods silently as he lets everything the Duke has told him sink in. He doesn’t notice that he is trailing behind the Duke and his guards by the time they reach the ivy-fringed door to the central garden. Even the wall of noise from the nobles and clergy attending the banquet fails to wake Luke from his thoughts. He wanders into the lush garden without anyone noticing him because of the attention that Duke Solomon gets from his grand entrance. Luke finally snaps out of his thoughts when a strong fist hits him in the back.
“Cheer up, halfer. You’re missing the good food,” Kellia teases.
*****
“I guess this is where we say good-bye,” Kellia says, leaning back in her chair.
All of the guests have left Solomon Castle and the servants are busy cleaning the garden. Two male elves move through the flower patches and berry bushes carrying large watering cans. The occasional sound of dead leaves being snipped is the loudest noise that the stoic gardeners make as they go about their business. Aedyn lazily waves to them from the small island in the middle of a pond. A table of brown stone is built into the floating, circular slab, which connects to the shore by way of speckle-colored stepping-stones. Kellia, Luke, Nyx, and Aedyn relax in the red cushioned chairs of dark iron. Glasses of wine and a half-eaten platter of fruit and pastries are all that is left of the great banquet.
“I never liked that word,” Nyx lazily sighs. “There’s nothing good about saying bye.”
Luke stretches his arms and balances his chair on one leg. “I don’t mind it. The word doesn’t really have a permanent sound to it.”
“This coming from the guy who was depressed for days after saying good-bye to his girlfriend,” Aedyn mentions. He flashes a friendly grin at Luke.
“That was different. If I have to explain why then you aren’t as smart as I thought you were,” Luke says, sticking his tongue out at the priest.
“My life is going to be so boring after today. Are you sure that you have to leave this evening?” Kellia sadly asks.
“It’s probably best that we leave soon. Gods’ Voice is in danger as long as Luke and I stay here,” Nyx replies, her tight voice revealing her dismay. She points her finger at a piece of apple and lances it with her nail, which she magically lengthens and sharpens. A flick of her wrist sends the piece sailing into the air as she leans her head back to catch it in her mouth.
“Mine!” exclaims Fizzle. He leaps onto Nyx’s face and hungrily snaps the apple out of the air with his tongue.
“Get off my face,” the caster growls. Fizzle crawls onto Nyx’s lap where he goes back to sleep.
“I am worried about Fizzle. He has been sleeping a lot these past few days and his scales are losing their shimmer,” Aedyn points out. He leans over to get a closer look at Fizzle, but quickly pulls away when the drite begins to cough. Aedyn is barely able to get away from the small rainbow cloud that pops out of Fizzle’s nostrils.
“It’s probably the dragon hibernation period, which helps them maintain their bond with nature,” Luke casually explains, reaching out to scratch Fizzle on the top of the head. “Large dragons sleep for a season every ten or twelve years. I heard that due to their small size and continuous use of energy, drites have to sleep for a few weeks every year. There are even rumors among forest trackers that drites can gain new powers while sleeping. Nobody has known a drite long enough to discover the truth. We could be the first unless Fizzle doesn’t return to us after he wakes up. Drites can be fickle when it comes to wandering and their companions.”
“Fizzle go tonight. Fizzle will return,” the drite promises.
“Another parting,” Aedyn whispers with a sad sigh.
“It’s only for a few weeks,” Luke states, his voice upbeat and positive. “We can make a steady journey along the northern routes to Visindor Forest as soon as I finish my business in Haven. Then, we can pick up Fizzle and say hello to Selenia and the rest of the academy. After that, we can head north to the Belbarut Mountains to meet the dwarves.”
“When did we agree to this?” Nyx inquires.
Luke laughs nervously. “I figured that you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t want to go north. I want to go south to Bor’daruk and see a desert. We can reach it by going through the southern jungles,” the caster emphatically argues. An excited glint appears in her eyes as she imagines the adventure.
“Those areas are rather brutal, Nyx. Are you sure you can handle places like that?” Kellia asks while she sips on her fruit drink.
“Of course, I can. I’m starting to get the hang of this adventuring lifestyle,” she claims with a grin.
“As long as you don’t have to ride a horse,” Luke teases.
A clap of thunder shakes the garden once Nyx gets to her feet. All of the royal servants stop what they are doing to watch a dark cloud form above the caster’s head. Her violet eyes shimmer as harmless bolts of lightning flash across her glaring face. Aedyn is already casting a shield spell around himself when a wind starts to whip around the table. The remaining food is scattered across the ground and everyone rushes to rescue their wine glasses. Luke keeps smiling until the wind grows strong enough to lift a few gallons of water out of the pond. He watches the water swirl in the air in front of him and he prepares to dodge the spell. A snap of Nyx’s fingers condenses the wind and water into a gusher that rockets toward the forest tracker. Luke grabs the back of his chair and flips over the blast at the last second. He balances himself on the back of the chair as the spell passes under him and hits Kellia in the face. The dark cloud above Nyx dissipates into the air and Luke carefully drops back into his seat.
“Oops. Sorry about that,” Nyx sheepishly apologizes.
Kellia wrings the water from her hair. “I don’t think I’m going to miss you as much as I thought.”
“Aedyn can cause trouble too,” Luke contends. He hands Kellia a scrap of cloth from his pocket, which she uses to wipe her face.
“I can’t believe you can say that with a straight face,” declares Kellia in surprise and amusement. “Aedyn wouldn’t know how to cause trouble if you gave him written instructions.”
“Should I be concerned that such a statement does not make me feel insulted?” asks the priest.
“Don’t worry, Aedyn. It’s for the best,” Luke says with a slap to his friend’s shoulder. “If you caused trouble then I wouldn’t have anyone to help me get out of my messes. The gods only know how many times I would have died without your common sense.”
“I cannot argue with that,” Aedyn agrees, a proud smile on his face. “Still, keep in mind that a day might come when I am not around to get you out of trouble. When that time comes, you will have to develop your own wisdom and caution.”
“How soon will that be?” Kellia inquires curiously. Nyx and Luke notice that the heiress’s eyes light up as Aedyn prepares to talk.
Aedyn shifts in his seat uncomfortably. “Within a few months.”
“I’m a little lost here,” Nyx declares, her violet eyes filling with worry.
“Kellia offered me a future position on her royal council,” the priest says without looking directly at Nyx or Kellia. “I believe that I will take her up on her offer after we visit Haven and return to Visindor Forest. I can ask Fizzle to teleport me just outside Gods’ Voice when it is time for me to return.”
“When were you going to tell us this?” Nyx asks with annoyance plastered across her face.
“Who cares? We would have figured it out eventually,” Luke casually mentions.
“Nyx has a right to know, Luke,” Aedyn claims, his blue eyes tearing up slightly. “I was going to tell both of you when we stopped for camp tonight.”
“You know, Aedyn, the position won’t exist until my father retires from the throne,” Kellia points out. The others can see that she is happy and her words are really meant to calm Nyx before the upset caster launches another spell. “There isn’t anything stopping you from traveling with Luke and Nyx until that time.”
Legends of Windemere: 03 - Allure of the Gypsies Page 10