Amethyst of the Gods

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "I can think of several reasons," replied Jenneva. "To clarify the situation, Boris would have had to disclose his plans. He would be reticent to do so after Mustar's mistake. Boris never liked to spell things out until it was time to act."

  "With the likes of Alutar," interjected Tanya, "that is a prudent way to act."

  "It is," nodded Jenneva. "Master Khatama might also have seen some benefit in misleading everyone, especially if he knew that Arik would not be deterred from the quest in any event."

  "He sort of did know that," nodded Fredrik. "King Arik told me that Master Khatama had until the restoration of the Dragons' Onyx to prove why he would need to stop the quest. I told that to Master Khatama."

  "How did he react?" asked Jenneva.

  "He merely smiled and said nothing," Fredrik replied after a moment.

  "That makes the choice easy for me," smiled Jenneva. "The Mage has the power to stop this quest if he truly feels it is necessary. Mustar's words were misinformation. What do you think, Alex?"

  "I already gave my answer to the king," Alex grinned sheepishly.

  "Why did you not tell me?" frowned Jenneva.

  "This is important enough for everyone to make up their own mind," shrugged Alex. "The rest of you have had very close associations with the Mage. I was not burdened by such conflicts. The right thing for me to do was evident to me. I have spent the better part of my life in search and support of the Ancient Prophecy. I will not rest until it is fulfilled."

  "Does this mean that we are going with the king?" asked Niki with confusion.

  "It does not mean that we have to go," answered Fredrik, "but it does mean that King Arik is doing what is right. Knowing that, I want to go. Your choice is up to you, Niki."

  "I want to be with you," Niki smiled at Fredrik.

  "Then let's go tell the king," smiled Fredrik as he took Niki's hand and led her towards the door.

  "I suppose we should tell the king, too," sighed Jenneva.

  "You two go on ahead," suggested Tanya as her eyes roamed around the room. "I will be along in a bit."

  Tanya crossed the room to where Tedi and Natia were standing. Wylan and Sheri had just left and Tedi appeared ready to leave as well.

  "Are you going?" Tanya asked Tedi.

  "Of course," grinned Tedi. "Natia is coming as well."

  "That's great," smiled Tanya. "How do you like being a gypsy now?"

  "I love it," stated Tedi as he squeezed Natia's hand. "It really feels like family for me. I think I was born to be a gypsy."

  "Do the gypsies have wagons inside the city?" asked Tanya.

  "Hundreds of them," Natia answered. "There is a thriving business to be done here. Why do you ask?"

  "I was just thinking that it might be a clever way to get a certain four Knights of Alcea out of the city undetected," posed Tanya.

  "Consider it done," grinned Natia. "Gypsies can smuggle anything anywhere without being detected."

  "Great," grinned Tanya. "I will talk to you later about setting it up. I need to go and tell King Arik that I am going with him tomorrow. I'll be back soon."

  Tanya walked briskly across the library and out of the room. She felt relieved that the decision had been made, and her mind started thinking about what the trip would entail. Before she knew it, she was outside the king's office. Without thinking, or knocking, Tanya opened the door. Her eyes took in the room instantly. A small table before the king's desk held a long two-handed sword still in its sheath, a quiver of arrows, a staff, and a bow. Seated in the king's chair was not Arik, but Shel, the supposed bodyguard. King Arik was standing alongside the chair, leaning over Shel with one hand on the top of the desk. The king looked up at Tanya with surprise evident on his face.

  "Ah, Tanya," King Arik said. "I didn't hear the knock."

  "I didn't knock," fumed Tanya. "I came to give you my decision."

  "Oh, good," King Arik smiled as he straightened. "I was just spending some idle moments with Shel. We were discussing the Queen's…"

  "Right," snapped Tanya. "I just need to tell you that I will be going with you…your group in the morning."

  Tanya whirled and left the room, slamming the door behind her. The two Red Swords stationed outside the office looked at each other questioningly and shrugged. Tears began to cloud Tanya's vision as she raced down the hall. She slowed and ducked into an alcove to compose herself. Her heart was beating furiously, and she gasping for breath as if she had just run around the palace several times.

  "That vile creature," she said to herself as she bent over and placed her hands on her knees. "Not only did he replace me in the blinking of an eye, but he speaks of her as the queen already. How could I have been so charmed by him?"

  Tanya's heartbeat slowly returned to normal and her breathing eased. She sighed heavily and stood erect.

  "This is not about him," Tanya said softly to herself. "The fate of the world rests upon our small group working together in a professional manner. That is something that I can accomplish without kneeling before that snake."

  Tanya brushed away her tears and straightened her weapons. She strode out of the alcove and returned to the library. The people in the library were huddled around a large table. Tanya walked over to see what was happening. There was a large map spread out on the table.

  "As you can see," Admiral Hill said as he tapped the map with a pointer, "the charts go no further that the Isles of the Sea."

  "That is the island grouping that Atar's Cove is part of," Jenneva said.

  "Precisely," nodded the admiral. "Now, if explorers have gone past those islands, they have not made any charts of the area. I have heard of no such trips."

  "I wonder," Princess Callie mused softly. "As a child in Kantor, I remember hearing a little sailor's ditty about the sea beyond the isles. Do you think there is any truth in those old songs?"

  "The songs are exaggerated," answered the admiral, "but often they have a basis in truth. Can you remember the words?"

  "Goodness no," giggled Princess Callie. "I was a wee lass at the time, but it makes me wonder if men have not already sailed beyond the charts."

  "I have heard such songs in the taverns of Kantor," offered General Fernandez. "In fact, I have heard many versions of the songs. I do not think there is much truth in them. I suspect that there is more ale in the songs than truth."

  "I doubt that Cordonian sailors are much different than Targan sailors," stated Admiral Hill. "When they are at sea they sing of the fair women they left behind, and when they are in port they sing of the dangers at sea and the fears they must overcome. As I said before, I think you will find a great deal of truth in the songs, although they will tend to exaggerate both the dangers and the women. Tell us what you remember of the songs."

  General Fernandez nodded and began humming softly to himself as if trying to remember the songs. "I cannot remember the words exactly," he sighed, "although I've heard them many times. The songs deal with the death of sailors and what happens to their bodies when they are lost at sea. I remember being intrigued by the mention of the Sewers of the Ocean as if sailors' bodies were thrown into some giant sewer, never to be seen again. There was also a portion that spoke of a Mountain of Death as if it was a nautical graveyard."

  "Mountain of Death?" questioned Prince Oscar. "Is there a description of the mountain?"

  "An unbelievable one," General Fernandez nodded grimly as he recited the verses.

  And where should we leave your body, John

  Where will you have it be?

  On the slopes of the icy Mountain of Death

  Or the depths of the deep blue sea?

  Where do you want to die, dear John

  Where do you want to die?

  Flushed to the sewers of the ocean depths

  Or mountain where the demons fly?

  You're just leavings for the Ocean's Sewer

  Or dinner for the serpents of the sea

  The demons of the icy mount

  Will never
let you be

  You've drank the ale and sung the songs

  For a sailor that's a start

  No matter what your captain says

  Sail only on the chart

  Beyond the chart there is no life

  'cept for those that draw no breath

  Demons, serpents, and who knows what

  Waiting eagerly for your death

  "Not a rosy picture," remarked Princess Callie, "but it rings close to what I remember hearing as a child. The songs were quite terrifying."

  "There are more versions of it," General Fernandez stated, "but I cannot remember them. I do recall the icy mountain was also referred to as the Mountain of Gods. At least I think it was the same mountain. Again it was an icy blue mountain with demons upon it. I suppose there could be two of them."

  "Not likely," frowned Jenneva. "Demons lived in the Universe of the gods according to Egam. I can easily see the Mountain of Death and the Mountain of the Gods being the same thing. Gods and demons living together in an uneasy embrace. This journey may turn out to be more dangerous than any of the others. I fear that we will battle things that we have only imagined up to now."

  "Well," sighed Admiral Hill, "it does appear that we will be sailing into uncharted waters. Such a journey will be fraught with danger. There are reasons why those waters are not charted, and it is not because nobody has thought to go that far. It is because nobody has gone that far and returned to draw accurate charts. Let us prepare for the worst as we head into the unknown waters."

  Chapter 20

  King Arik and the Twelve

  King Arik arrived at the western gates of Tagaret astride Chaco. Wylan rode on Kaz, Sheri on Yorra, and Niki on Frea. Prince Garong, Prince Darok, and Bin-lu rode on horses. Lined up on one side just inside the gates were the elven archers of Sorelderal. On the other side were the dwarves of Dorgun and Lanto. The area was crowded with citizens of Tagaret who had gathered to bid farewell to the elves and dwarves who were going home. Last minute gifts were exchanged, and King Arik smiled at the friendship that had grown between the humans and the dwarves and the elves.

  When all of the farewells had been said, King Arik ordered the gates opened. The Knights of Alcea rode out through the gates first. The elves and dwarves merged into a long column two abreast, the elves marching stoically while the dwarves started singing a traveling song. The people of Tagaret cheered as the column exited through the gates.

  King Arik led the procession westward into the forest until he reached the main road heading south. There he bid his own farewell to the elves and dwarves before leading the Knights of Alcea further westward until they came to a small trail leading deep into the forest. He took the small trail and a few minutes later entered a gypsy campsite where the rest of the Knights of Alcea had been smuggled. Alex, Jenneva, Tanya, Fredrik, Tedi, and Natia stood ready to journey westward to Dalek. Admiral Hill had already gone on ahead to choose the crew for the sea voyage. The thirteen Knights of Alcea rode back along the small trail and turned westward on the main trail to Dalek.

  The first day's journey was quiet and uneventful. At camp that evening, King Arik continued the Knights' tradition of practicing after the meal. Breaking from a fierce staff practice session with Tedi, Wylan, and Bin-lu, King Arik sat on a log near the fire. The other men soon joined him.

  "That was invigorating," smiled Bin-lu. "It has been too long since I practiced like that."

  "I still manage to get some good practice with the gypsies," responded Tedi as he gazed as Tanya, Natia, and Sheri as they threw knives and stars at a distant target. "The girls get along well with each other."

  "When are you going to make it official with Tanya?" Wylan asked the king.

  "Official?" blinked King Arik. "I don't think that will happen anytime soon. If at all," he added softly. "She hasn't said two words to me since she was struck in the mage tower incident. I suspect that she holds me responsible for that."

  "Nonsense," Wylan shook his head. "We all take chances during battle. How could it be your fault?"

  "It was my city that we were fighting to defend," shrugged King Arik. "Tanya not only came close to death, but everyone she loves did as well. What other reason would cause her to avoid me the way that she has?"

  "Maybe she is just worried about finding this gem," suggested Bin-lu. "I am sure that it isn't any more than that."

  "The voice of experience," laughed Wylan. "When are you going to settle down, Bin-lu? The girls look like they could use a fourth with their practice."

  Bin-lu smiled thoughtfully as he gazed upon the women practicing their throwing skills. "When the time comes," he finally said, "I want a woman who can match me in fighting, someone who can travel alongside me as an equal."

  "Are you crazy?" chuckled Wylan. "I dreaded the thought of Sheri being along on this journey. I wish she had stayed behind where I know she would be safe."

  "A Knight of Alcea is never safe," Tedi shook his head. "You want to treat Sheri as if she is a fine piece of crystal, but she can take care of herself. Never forget that she killed Klarg, a feat that any of us would have cared to call his own. You should be thrilled that she is skilled enough to come with us on this trip. Use the journey to help her develop her skills even more. I know that I would not want to be separated from Natia, even though I do fear for her safety, but she also fears for mine. I am glad that she decided to come along."

  "I just can't picture her fighting by my side," frowned Wylan. "What if she dies?"

  "And what if you die?" retorted King Arik. "Remember back to when you joined us, Wylan? Would you say that your skills have improved since then?"

  Wylan blushed from the memories of those early days. He had thought himself well skilled, but quickly discovered that was not the case.

  "I agree with Tedi," the king continued. "Sheri has skills that have begun to develop. You can help her develop them better. One thing that Sheri does not lack is courage. Remember what she was doing when we first met her."

  "I remember," nodded Wylan. "She was leading a group of children against the army of Tagaret. You are right about her courage. In fact, she may be more courageous than I am. I will help her develop her skills. She certainly helped me develop my own."

  "You are just trying to avoid the conversation about Tanya," Tedi jabbed King Arik. "What is going on with you two?"

  "Nothing is going on," frowned the king. "She has made it pretty clear that she is not interested in being my queen. That was rejection enough, but now she will not even talk to me. I really don't want to discuss it further."

  Fortunately for the king, the meeting of the mages broke up. Fredrik and Niki left Jenneva and walked over to the group by the fire. The king welcomed their arrival as a chance to change the subject. King Arik gazed at the magical couple, Fredrik with his shock white hair and Niki with her bright red curls. They painted a humorous picture as they walked across the campsite.

  "How did the magic session go?" the king called out as they approached.

  "Very well," nodded Fredrik. "It is always good to compare notes, especially after spending some time with mages who are vastly different from one another."

  King Arik noticed that Niki clung to Fredrik's hand as they walked. He could not remember Niki ever looking as happy as she did now.

  "At one time, Niki," smiled King Arik, "Fredrik promised to make you a queen and put you up in a palace. Have you released him from that pledge?"

  "I am already a queen," Niki smiled. "Master Khatama explained to me that the animals are my subjects, and I am their queen. The animals seem quite happy with the whole situation. So am I."

  Fredrik frowned slightly at the turn of the conversation, but the king continued to smile broadly.

  "And what of living in a palace?" asked King Arik.

  "I don't think the animals understand the meaning of a palace," frowned Niki, "but I know that Fredrik will deliver on his promise."

  "I never promised…," Fredrik began to protest, but t
he king cut him off.

  "I am sure that he will," nodded the king. "In fact, I have not spoken about this to Fredrik yet, but I was hoping that he would accept the position of the Royal Wizard of Alcea when all of this is done. The Royal Wizard gets to live in the Royal Palace."

  "Really?" beamed Niki. "That would be wonderful. Why wouldn't he accept?"

  "There are others with much more skill than me," Fredrik replied softly as he gazed at Jenneva and then at Tanya. "Why would you want me to be in such a lofty position? I have even wavered in my support of your quest."

  "You did waver," King Arik nodded, "but you are here now. I do not seek people under me who always agree with everything that I do. Sometimes dissent is valuable. I do expect my people to fall in line once I have made a decision, though. As for your skill level, I think you underrate yourself. You have learned from a number of the world's most advanced magicians, and they all treated you with respect for your talents. No, Fredrik, this is something that I have thought about for some time now. It is you that I wish for the position. Plus," he added with a grin to Niki, "I suspect that I will be able to entice Niki to be your assistant. Her skills with animals are unique in this world. I think the two of you will add a great deal of prestige to the court of Alcea."

  Niki's grin was as wide as any King Arik had ever seen. She clutched Fredrik's hand with both of hers, and her body seemed to jump up and down without her feet leaving the ground. Fredrik looked at Niki and smiled as he nodded.

  "Then King Arik," Fredrik said seriously, "you have procured the services of a Royal Wizard and his assistant. I am proud to be chosen for such an prominent position, and I pledge my total allegiance to Alcea. Of course, we must all live through the upcoming battle with Sarac first."

  * * *

  The wagon rumbled along the coast road in Cordonia, the driver searching for the faint trail leading towards the sea. He finally found the turnoff as the wagon bounced along the uneven ground. Low branches tore at the wagon and its canvas shell, but Balamor did not seem to mind. A few hundred paces more and the wagon would no longer be needed.