King Arik turned and walked out of the common room. Many of those who had come with him also left, but Fredrik and Niki did not. They moved off into a corner and started talking to each other in hushed tones. Jenneva stood staring at Alex as if he might magically disappear, and Tanya, lost in thought, began pacing around the empty table.
Suddenly, Tanya stopped and stared down at the small box that King Arik had absently left on the table. She moved towards it hesitantly and then swiftly scooped it up. She stood there for a moment, as if fighting some internal battle. Finally, she sighed and opened the box. Tanya frowned with a sharp intake of breath as she saw the two empty vials inside the small box. Her fist clenched as she closed the box with a snap and set it back down on the table.
"What is bothering you?" Jenneva asked softly. "Did Arik leave that for you?"
"Not for me," Tanya snapped in a whisper as she slid the box across the table to Jenneva. "I had almost convinced myself that I could give up my thirst for travel to settle down with Arik. What a fool I would have made of myself."
Jenneva picked up the box and opened it. She sighed sadly and closed it again, placing the box on the table. "Tanya," Jenneva smiled weakly, "is the elixir what you are after, or is it Arik?"
"It is not the elixir," scowled Tanya. "It is not Arik either, I guess."
"If it is not the elixir then why are you angry with Arik?" asked Jenneva. "He must use the elixir for the good of Alcea. Surely, you do not think you are the only person that he could think of to give it to?"
"I do not know why I am angry," admitted Tanya. "I have no right to his affections. In fact, I have refused to even acknowledge that I love him. I cannot blame him for giving it to someone else, yet I feel betrayed somehow. I guess it is just so soon after I refused it that he found someone else to give it to. It is like I were a pair of comfortable boots that was discarded for a new shiny pair. I cannot explain it."
"You just have," comforted Jenneva as she walked around the table. "You want him to love you as much as you love him, and you see the elixir as a love offering, even though you have no desire to drink it."
"I suppose that you are right, Mother," sobbed Tanya as Jenneva put her arm around her daughter. "Maybe if I had told him how I felt about him, he would have noticed me more."
"That would have been hard to do," Jenneva smiled thinly, "when you refused to admit your love for him even to yourself."
"I know," sniffed Tanya.
Chapter 18
Uncharted Waters
Along an isolated stretch of the Cordonia coastline, Boris halted the party of mages in a small cove. He sat on his horse as his eyes gazed over the small lagoon at the edge of the forest. He smiled as he nodded approvingly.
"We make camp here," Master Khatama announced. "It is to be a permanent camp."
"Permanent?" questioned Kroto as the dwarf from Cazra dismounted and stretched his aching body. "What do you mean by permanent?"
"I mean that we will not be following the coastline any longer," answered the Mage. "This is the place that I have been searching for."
"It is a beautiful place," smiled Balamor as he slid off his horse and stretched his arms high over his head. "It reminds me a bit of home."
"There is sand here," Mustar grumbled at the Mage, "but it is a far cry from home. What is it that you brought us to this forsaken land to do? Are we to wonder about your intentions until our dying day?"
"Be still, Mustar," smiled Podil as the female elf gazed up at the towering trees of the forest. "We will be told what we need to know when we need to know it. You should know by now that the more you show your curiosity, the less the Mage will reveal. All will be known in good time."
Doryelgar was quiet as he dismounted. His large dwarven nose rose and sniffed the air as he inhaled deeply. "There is a certain euphoric feeling in the scent of the ocean," he remarked. "It is invigorating."
"There are old elven tales of the magical properties of sea air," remarked Galdan as the elf tied his horse to a tree. "A soft ocean breeze is said to be an elixir for the troubled mind."
"Perhaps that explains why we are here," Mustar snapped tauntingly as he gazed at the Mage. "It is as good a reason as any that has been divulged so far."
Master Khatama sighed with exasperation and turned to face Mustar. "It has not been my intention to treat this group of distinguished magicians as a passel of children," he stated, "but even the most skilled mage often says things that can have disastrous effects on the mission he is committed to. Such loose lips can convey information to enemies, and even allies, that can endanger the very work that we are about to partake of. You, Mustar, should be well aware of those dangers by now."
"I thought Fredrik and Niki were part of what we were to do," Mustar retorted defensively. "If you do not explain your plans, how can you expect others to understand what is going through your head?"
"If I do not elaborate on my plan," countered the Mage, "there will be no need to worry about who knows what. Each of you will know exactly what to do when the time comes. Whether or not you survive the coming ordeal will depend upon your strength and skill. I have chosen each of you for those qualities, as well as some others."
"Not to interrupt," interrupted Kroto, "but Mustar does have a point. You are asking for our lives, and each of us has accepted for reasons of our own. With such devotion shown to you and your cause, at least we should be informed of what awaits us."
"Life or death awaits each of you," replied the Mage. "I have chosen each of you with an eye towards your survival, but I cannot foresee your future. As to the purpose of our mission, the fate of your world rests upon our success. There is no more important chore for any of you than the one on which we embark."
"Egam, my old friend," Galdan smiled slightly, "you know that I would follow you blindly, but you forget the very nature of a mage. It is to seek challenge, to mull options, and to question the unquestionable. I think what my colleagues are trying to say is that your secrecy only invites examination. Magicians are not creatures that are capable of wandering into the dark without some thought of illuminating that which is around them."
Boris sighed and nodded. "Your point is well made, Galdan," conceded the Mage. "Very well, I will illuminate what I can at this time. Gather round."
The mages secured their horses and gathered around Master Khatama. Boris opened his pack and produced a thick stack of papers. He stooped and spread the papers out carefully upon the sand. The gathered mages stared at each piece of paper as it was carefully positioned by Master Khatama. The magicians began to murmur amongst themselves.
"It is a ship," remarked Galdan. "What are we to do with drawings of a ship?"
"We are to build it," smiled Boris.
"Are you daft?" scowled Mustar. "We are mages, not ship builders. If it is a ship that you desired, why not just buy one?"
"This is no ordinary ship," Balamor declared softly.
"Absolutely correct," the Mage nodded to the gaunt human. "Your familiarity with ships and sailing is what brings you to this assemblage, Balamor. That and your impressive skills in other areas."
"Still," Kroto shook his head, "we are not sailors nor ship builders. We do not have the skills to build such a vessel."
"Ah, but you do," countered Master Khatama. "Galdan, you know as much about the nature of wood as any elf. You shall select the trees needed for this endeavor. We have an ample supply in the forests about us. Balamor will instruct you as to what he needs to comply with my drawings. He will specify the nature of the wood, the thickness of the planks, and the type of preparation each piece requires."
Galdan turned and gazed at the surrounding forest for several moments before returning his eyes to the drawings. Finally, he nodded.
"If Balamor can adequately describe what he needs," Galdan declared, "I can magically fell the trees and trim the wood needed for the ship."
Boris smiled. "Doryelgar," the Mage continued, "you are a master of metal smithing. Nobody bu
t a dwarf could fulfill the task of magically creating the fastenings that we will need, and your work is among the finest that I have ever seen. Many of the fabricated pieces will need special properties associated with them. Podil will let you know which piece requires your magic touch and what properties are to be associated with it."
Doryelgar smiled approvingly and nodded, but Podil was silent as one of her eyebrows rose questioningly.
"In time, Podil," the Mage grinned, "I will explain how you will come to know what is required for this endeavor."
"You know of my patience," the elf magician replied.
"And your steadfast devotion to a project," Boris nodded. "You and I shall speak afterwards."
"What am I to do?" Kroto asked impatiently.
"What is it that dwarves excel at?" Master Khatama asked rhetorically. "The building of a ship requires an intricate system of buttressing and support, as much as any tunnel. Additionally, the planks that Galdan produces must be fitted with expertise, and I might add that the fit for this ship must be the tightest ever accomplished. The stress that will placed upon this vessel will be intense. It is your expertise, Kroto, that will ensure that we all live through this phase of our journey."
Kroto's chest swelled with pride as he nodded. "The techniques that I have developed will withstand any challenge," he declared, "whether it be in the mines or in this ship."
"I have no doubt about that," smiled the Mage.
"I know nothing of ships or sailing," grumbled Mustar, "nor do I wish to."
"No," agreed Master Khatama as he stood and gazed towards the lagoon, "but you know more about shifting sands than any mage alive. To build a ship is one thing, but to safely get it to sea will be another. What makes this location so special," he continued as he pointed towards the inlet of the lagoon, "is the potential to create a dike across the lagoon's entrance. If you can block out the sea, we shall have a natural boatyard within the lagoon. Further, you can use your knowledge of the desert to fashion a natural support for the keel and continually alter it to allow for Kroto's buttressing."
Mustar rubbed his chin and stared at the lagoon and its inlet. "I can do that," he finally agreed.
"There is more," responded the Mage as he stooped and tapped one of the drawings. "There is also need for a special glass chamber. This task also falls into your area of expertise, Mustar. This glass container must have certain magical qualities that are extremely important."
"Your coffin?" mused Mustar as he examined the drawing. "I can well imagine the special properties that you will wish it endowed with. That will be difficult, but I will attempt it."
"There is no room for failure in any of our endeavors," sighed Boris. "You can do it, Mustar. Of this I am sure."
"In Southland," asked Balamor, "you asked me to obtain canvas and have it fashioned. I now recognize the need for that canvas. You had me arrange to have it shipped to an address in Cordonia. Is that place anywhere near where we are now?"
"The town is but three leagues away," nodded Boris. "I remembered this cove from some of my earlier travels, although I was not entirely sure of its exact location. You will need to go and fetch the canvas when the time comes."
"Where are we going to sail this ship to?" asked Kroto.
"Somewhere under the Darkness," Mustar replied. "Otherwise there would be no need for the glass coffin."
"I thought the Darkness was gone," frowned Kroto.
"Mustar is correct," stated Master Khatama. "The Darkness no longer exists over the land of Alcea, but it does exist over the ocean. Our journey will take us under it. The Darkness has somewhat of a special effect upon me. I must be protected while we travel. Although I do not care to call it a coffin, the glass chamber that Mustar will create is going to be used to house me when we pass under the Darkness."
"Why glass?" questioned Galdan.
"I must be seen during the journey," answered the Mage, "and I must be able to see what is around me. You will learn more after we depart this land."
"More secrets?" posed Mustar.
"There is more to this than you will ever know, Mustar," the Mage replied cryptically, "but much will be revealed to you in due time. Now we must establish our camp. In the morning, we begin to build our ship."
"One more question," posed Balamor. "Where is this ship going to take us?"
"That is a valid question," Boris smiled thinly, "seeing as it is coming from the ship's captain. We are going to be sailing to uncharted waters. I cannot answer more explicitly at this time, as I am not sure of our destination. I will know it when I see it."
"Very interesting," Balamor said as his eyebrows rose with interest.
Master Khatama gathered his papers as the other mages began the task of setting up the camp. As he put the papers into his pack, Podil approached him.
"How am I to know the special properties that are to go into the things that you have requested others to create," the elf asked, "and why is that the only task given to me? You know my talents far exceed what you have assigned."
"In others I would call your self-assessment boasting," smiled the Mage, "but you know your capabilities well. You are not under any delusions as to your skills and limits. While Balamor is to be the captain of the ship, you, Podil, will be the leader of this expedition."
"The leader?" Podil asked skeptically. "I have no greater clue as to our purpose than Mustar does. I do know my capabilities well. Now I wonder if you know them."
"I know them well," grinned Master Khatama. "In time our purpose will become clear to you. You have the steady temperament to see this task through to its completion, and the cunning to keep the others in line. Mustar will be a particular problem, but you have already shown that you have a calming effect on him."
"Mustar is like a wayward child," Podil giggled softly. "Kroto may prove to be more of a challenge. He fancies his skills to be much greater than any of the others."
"That is true," Boris frowned, "but his engineering skill is extraordinary, and he does wield considerable power. He is necessary for this endeavor. Everyone here is."
"I assumed as much," Podil nodded. "You were never one to randomly select people for their tasks. I can accept your silence on many things, but one thing I must know. Is it our task to confront Alutar?"
"In a sense, yes," frowned Boris after a few moment's pause. "Alutar is present in the Darkness. When King Arik restores the Amethyst of the Gods to the Sword of Heavens, what will happen to the Darkness?"
Podil thought a moment before answering. "I do not think anyone truly knows," she frowned. "The six previous gems rolled the Darkness away from the area of the Sword of Heavens, but I feel the last gem will be different."
"Indeed it will," agreed Master Khatama. "There is no place left for it to roll away to. My assumption is that it will coalesce into the Great Demon himself."
"A very disturbing assumption," sighed Podil. "Many elves died in the past to help you imprison the Great Demon. I would not care to see such a thing happen again."
"Nor would I," agreed the Mage. "That is why this journey is so important. This time, I wish to act before the Great Demon is strong enough to battle me."
"I understand the gravity of our mission," nodded Podil. "You act as if King Arik will definitely restore the Sword of Heavens. From my talks with Mustar, I was led to believe that he probably would not complete the Ancient Prophecy. Why do you think differently?"
"Mustar does not understand the people who are a part of the Ancient Prophecy as I do," answered the Mage. "One of the reasons for my secrecy is the mistake Mustar made in the beginning of this journey. King Arik is sworn to fulfill the Ancient Prophecy. While he knows of my identity as the Mage, that alone will not deter him from completing his vow. You must understand that King Arik does not act for his own benefit. He would gladly walk away from his position as king, except he has accepted his place in saving the world and will not forsake the vow he has made. All Mustar has done, is to make King Arik's job toughe
r for him. There are others that King Arik depends upon who will see my path as one that is opposed to King Arik's. In fact, my plan depends on the warrior king living up to his word."
"Why did you not send word to King Arik about this then?" inquired Podil. "Surely word from you would have solidified his support?"
"It would have indeed," nodded Master Khatama. "The problem with that is that I do not know the extent of Alutar's consciousness. I cannot afford for him to learn of what we are doing. In essence, Mustar's mistake may have misinformed Alutar, and that is worth the extra trouble that King Arik might experience. Do not underestimate King Arik. He has performed far better than anyone could have expected. I am pleased with his success."
"I am glad that you shared this with me," smiled Podil. "I have felt a great burden because of my misconception. My people have sworn fealty to Valon, and that includes me, yet my obligation to the Mage is overwhelming. I have felt torn apart over this division. I shall sleep much better this night."
"You may sleep better," smiled the Mage, "but not before I teach you some things. You are to be my connection with the world for the next few days. It is time that we learned to communicate properly."
* * *
The king's carriage halted in front of the Gateway Inn in Tagaret. An open wagon halted immediately behind it, Red Swords unloading the four burial coffins to the ground. King Arik stepped out of his carriage, and a tall blonde female warrior exited the carriage after him. She was clothed all in white and looked impressive with a two-handed sword strapped to her back. A bow, quiver, and staff were also fastened to her body. She looked around warily before following King Arik into the inn.
The people in the common room of the Gateway Inn all looked towards the door as the king and his new bodyguard entered the room. Tanya's eyes opened wide as she stared at the new woman. Before anyone could speak, Red Swords carried the four coffins into the room and placed two of them on the tables.
"Your day of burial has arrived," announced King Arik to the four Knights of Alcea who were to be buried. "Who wants to be first?"
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