"I have never seen such a sight," answered Jenneva, "but proceed with caution. They are not the type of birds that a Black Devil would choose to imitate."
"Understood," nodded Alex as he watched the approaching birds without appearing to. "Still, they are watching us intently. I must be prepared to strike swiftly."
"There is little they can do in their present form," Jenneva reminded Alex. "Our only loss would be of secrecy, and I do not think that matters right now."
"So you do think they are magical then?" asked Alex.
"Without a doubt," nodded Jenneva. "I can feel the vibrations of their spells. Let's just watch and see what they do."
As the two birds got closer to the ship, the seagull began circling in a wide arc while the dove cautiously headed lower. The dove approached from the stern and appeared to focus on Jenneva.
"It knows me," Jenneva whispered to Alex. "The dove is peering directly into my eyes. Put down your bow and let it land."
Alex nodded and obeyed, although he remained wary and ready for anything. The dove flew right up to Jenneva, causing her and Alex to step back a pace. The rest of the Knights of Alcea realized that something was happening at the stern of the ship and began to crowd around as the dove transformed into a petite female elf magician.
"Podil!" smiled Jenneva. "What an unexpected surprise. What are you doing out here?"
"And who is the seagull?" asked Alex.
Podil waved her arm high and summoned the seagull to land.
"I was a bit fearful of my reception here," smiled Podil. "It is a rare person who has not heard of the ability of Alex to snare a bird in flight. My companion is friendly. His name is Balamor."
The seagull glided smoothly onto the deck of the Song of Alcea and transformed into a gaunt human with flaming red hair. He nodded his head in a cordial greeting.
"Podil! Balamor!" greeted Fredrik.
"Where is Master Khatama?" asked Niki. "Why did he not come with you?"
"We do not know what happened to the Mage," declared Podil. "We were part of a group of six who were chosen by him to steal the Darkness from the sky before King Arik restored the Sword of Heavens. When the Amethyst of the Gods was reunited with the Sword of Heavens, the Mage was swallowed by the Ocean's Sewer."
"So I restored the Sword of Heavens too early?" the king asked.
"No," Podil smiled sadly. "You did as the Mage expected you to do. He would have been proud of you."
"But I did not allow you time to gather all of the Darkness," frowned King Arik. "I know because Alutar started to reform inside the Mountain of Death. Surely, I spoiled the plan of Master Khatama."
"Not in the least," Podil shook her head. "The idea was to split Alutar in half so that he could not become whole again. Your half is where you left it, but the Mage's half was channeled into the center of the planet by way of the Ocean's Sewer."
"What happened to Egam?" asked Jenneva. "Tell me."
"The Mage was suspended over the giant whirlpool known as the Ocean's Sewer," Podil began. "The rest of us channeled the Darkness to him in wisps that we gathered. He sent those wisps into the whirlpool to be splattered around the planet's core. When the lightning came, it sheared the mast that held the Mage. He disappeared into the whirlpool. Before any of us could react, the whirlpool stopped accepting water. The currents streaming into it bulged into a dome and the sea became erratic. Our ship was dashed upon the rocks of a nearby island, and we managed to get off the ship before the whirlpool began sucking water again. There is nothing else to report. Balamor and I were just on our way home when we saw your ship and recognized it for what it was."
"So Uncle Boris is dead?" sobbed Niki.
"I do not think death is possible for the Mage," answered Balamor, "but I cannot speculate on his fate. He may be in the same shape as Alutar for all we know."
"Balamor is correct," Podil nodded sadly. "Whatever his fate, the Mage knew that he would not be returning with us. I sensed as much from my conversations with him. He was at peace with his decision."
"So you have done well, King Arik," Balamor smiled as he bowed to the king. "The Mage had great faith in you, and I can see why now."
"But Mustar led me to believe that Master Khatama did not want the king to restore the Sword of Heavens," frowned Fredrik. "Why didn't Master Khatama tell me the truth?"
"Mustar misinterpreted what the Mage wanted to do," explained Podil. "The Mage decided to let the deception stand because he feared that Alutar might learn the truth of his intentions. He felt confident that King Arik would not abandon his quest to resolve the Ancient Prophecy. His faith in the king has been vindicated."
"What of the other mages?" asked Jenneva. "Galdan? Doryelgar? Mustar? Kroto? Did they all survive?"
"You are well informed," Podil smiled with a look of curiosity. "Yes, they all survived. After the shipwreck, our mission was complete. We split up to return to our homes. Balamor and I chose to travel together. Our homes are not that far apart."
"We are heading to Mount Kalas to confront the Dark One," stated Jenneva. "Your help would be greatly appreciated. Will you join us?"
"I am not one for warfare," frowned Podil as she looked expectantly at the king, "but I feel the Mage would want me to help in any way that I could, especially when the request comes from Valon."
"I would be grateful," smiled King Arik. "I am anxious to put this evil to rest, and your help would hasten the end of the Dark One."
"Then it shall be so," smiled Podil.
"I will do what I can to help as well," offered Balamor. "I look forward to a time when peace is restored to this world. I have a village of fishermen to nurture. Perhaps peace will bring about a bounty of food in the sea."
"A bounty is coming," smiled Tanya. "King Arik has spoken to the gods. Risa and Leda will increase the fish of the sea. Your fishermen will do well when this is over."
"Spoken to the gods?" mused Balamor as he nodded approvingly. "There is much about this king I wish to hear. I trust there will be time to talk and refresh our bodies on this journey?"
"There will be time," the king smiled broadly. "Let us get you something to eat, and we can all begin to understand what each other have been going through recently."
* * *
Lattimer looked up at the ceiling of the library as he slammed shut the book that he had been reading. He mumbled a curse under his breath and shook his head.
"Another failure?" snarled the Dark One from behind Lattimer.
Lattimer nervously jumped to his feet, knocking over the chair he had been sitting in. He turned around sheepishly and gazed into Sarac's eyes. He could not hold the glare directed at him. He lowered his eyes to the floor.
"Why would this fool king be continuing the restoration of the Sword of Heavens if Fredrik is dead?" the Dark One demanded to know.
"I do not know," admitted Lattimer.
"Surely, you felt the restoration of the Amethyst of the Gods a little while ago?" questioned the Dark One.
"I did," Lattimer nodded barely perceptibly. "Our spies attended the funeral of Fredrik in Tagaret. Alex, Jenneva and the girl, Tanya, were also buried. I do not understand why the boy king continues with the Ancient Prophecy. It should be clear to him that the game is over. Perhaps he just seeks the power of the Sword of Heavens for himself?"
"Or the boy king is more clever than we give him credit for," posed Sarac. "I want someone to uncover those graves and verify that the bodies exist."
"They are buried at the Royal Palace," protested Lattimer. "That will be impossible."
Sarac's black eyes burned into Lattimer, and his lips turned upward in a snarl. He raised his hand, and Lattimer felt his body being propelled backwards until it hit the wall of the library. As Lattimer's body was magically held against the wall, the Dark One strode forward menacingly until he was but a pace away from Lattimer's face.
"Nothing is impossible when I demand it," spat the Dark One. "I must know that Fredrik is dead. You, Lattimer,
will see to this yourself. You will bring me the head of Fredrik from the grave at the Royal Palace. Without that head, I will not believe that the danger of the Ancient Prophecy is past. Do you understand me?"
"I understand and obey, Master," quivered Lattimer.
"Good," sneered the Dark One as he released the spell holding Lattimer immobile. "I am glad that we understand one another clearly."
Lattimer's body sagged as the spell was released. The Black Devil shivered with relief as the Dark One turned and strode away. Lattimer took only a few minutes to compose himself before climbing the stairs to the platform atop the castle on Mount Kalas. Without delay, Lattimer transformed himself into a raven and took flight over the Boulder Mountains.
His mind raced over the implications of the restoration of the Sword of Heavens and what it meant for himself. If Fredrik was alive, King Arik was soon to be marching on Mount Kalas with an army to defeat the Dark One. While the castle at Mount Kalas was practically impregnable, the boy king had impressive allies. That had been shown at the battle of Tagaret. Lattimer thought briefly about not returning to the Dark One, but he quickly dismissed the notion. Lattimer was a Black Devil, and he was magically bound to follow Sarac's orders. He could not disobey his orders if he wanted to. He cursed the fact that Sarac had ordered him directly on this mission. If he had been ordered to send someone else, Lattimer would have been free to flee from Mount Kalas without fear of disobeying his master.
It was nighttime when Lattimer arrived in Tagaret, a city he had not been present in for years. He landed on the roof of a large building and transformed into a human. For several moments he gazed over the lip of the roof at the city below him, wondering how he would gain entrance to the Royal Palace. He hurried down the steps and entered the nearest inn.
Lattimer ordered ale and sat at one of the tables listening to the city gossip. There was a lot of talk about the recent battle, but nothing about the lost heroes. He finished his ale and headed for the wharves where he might find some unsavory characters to do his bidding for him. Lattimer knew he had to obey the Dark One's commands, but that did not mean that he had to dig up the graves himself.
So it was that Lattimer found himself in a seedy tavern called the Empty Keg in the port area of Tagaret. The only thing worse than the vermin scurrying around the floor and walls of the Empty Keg, were the two-legged vermin that sat in the common room chugging their ale. Lattimer sat with his untouched mug of ale, gazing over the unsavory characters and wondering how to approach a few of them to do his work. A new customer walked in the door, his shifty eyes immediately scanning the patrons before he fully entered the room. His eyes met Lattimer's with a flicker of recognition. The man hesitated, apparently undecided about whether to enter or retreat. Another patron behind the man made the decision for him. The burly patron loudly pushed his way through the door, shoving the cautious man into the common room as he passed. The cautious man shrugged and walked across the room and sat across from Lattimer.
Chapter 29
Lavinda
As the cautious man sat down across from Lattimer, his eyes locked appraisingly on Lattimer's.
"I'm surprised to see you in this city," the cautious man said to Lattimer.
"I am surprised to see you alive, Zorn," replied Lattimer. "I would have thought you had died along with Dalgar. You always were his man. Sarac will be pleased to know that you still live."
"I see no reason to trouble Sarac with such news," retorted Zorn as he glared threateningly at Lattimer. "In fact, I could not allow such word to travel back to Mount Kalas."
"You dare to defy the Dark One," hissed Lattimer. "You cannot do that. You are magically bound."
"Do not tell me what I can do," countered Zorn. "Dalgar learned the truth of it long ago. The fact is, we are bound to obey Sarac's orders. Why do you think none of Dalgar's people have dared to set foot on Mount Kalas in years? The Dark One is bound there and cannot leave. If we do not go there, Sarac cannot give us any orders to obey. The Black Devil spell is meaningless without Sarac."
"I speak for the Dark One," declared Lattimer. "I have the authority to give you orders."
"Try it," sneered Zorn. "The spell only demands obedience to Sarac, not his underlings. All you are doing is digging your own grave, Lattimer. By threatening me, you are asking to die. Have you any doubt who is the stronger between us?"
Lattimer began to sweat profusely as he stared at the Black Devil across the table from him. Finally, he appeared to come to some decision about his predicament.
"I will make a deal with you, Zorn," offered Lattimer. "You do something for me, and I will forget that I ever saw you here. We can part company as friends."
"Black Devils have no friends," Zorn snorted. "We have only acquaintances. What do you want done?"
"I need bodies uncovered," declared Lattimer. "I need to retrieve the head of Fredrik from the Royal Palace."
"You have an impossible task then," chuckled Zorn. "You will not find the body of Fredrik in this city."
"What do you mean?" Lattimer asked skeptically. "My spies reported his death and burial here, along with Alex and Jenneva."
"And the one they call Tanya," nodded Zorn. "I know. It was an elaborate deception. None of them died."
"How do you know this?" inquired Lattimer.
"The garden at the Royal Palace is a wonderful sight to see," smiled Zorn. "It is full of flowers and trees and birds. So full, in fact, that nobody would ever give a second glance to a raven sitting in the trees. I watched the farce in its entirety. They buried empty coffins."
"This does not bode well for Sarac," frowned Lattimer. "The Amethyst of the Gods has been restored to the Sword of Heavens. Do you know what this means?"
"Of course I know what it means," smiled Zorn. "It means that I will soon be free of this accursed Black Devil spell. When the Dark One dies, so does the compulsion of the spell. I will be free at last."
"Is that all you can think about?" questioned Lattimer. "Do you realize that it also means that our grip on the world will be broken? You should want to hurry to Mount Kalas to help defend against the coming armies."
"Do not take me for a fool, Lattimer," scowled Zorn. "It has always been Sarac's grip on the world, not ours. I was young and foolish when I cast the Black Devil spell. I am neither young nor foolish any more. I will celebrate the death of the Dark One. You would be wise to do the same. Those armies that you speak about have already left the city, Rangers and elves and dwarves. While Sarac's castle is quite defendable, I will not stake my life on the outcome of that battle. You would be wise to flee while you can."
"I can't," frowned Lattimer. "My orders came straight from the lips of the Dark One. Where will you go? What will you do?"
"I am not sure," admitted Zorn. "I will make no plans until this spell is lifted off my shoulders. I suppose that I will just fade away. Tagaret is not a safe place for me any more."
"If the Dark One dies," nodded Lattimer, "it will be hard to find a safe place in all of Alcea. Everyone you ever met will be quick to point you out."
"I have not left too many of them behind," sneered Zorn. "I will survive. You had best worry about yourself, and make sure that you hold your end of our bargain. If you betray me, I will hunt you down and kill you."
"I will keep my end of the bargain," declared Lattimer. "The last thing that I need right now is another mission from Sarac to hunt you down. I never saw you here tonight."
Zorn nodded skeptically and rose from his seat. Without a further word, he turned and slipped out of the tavern. Lattimer was troubled over the revelation that the Knights of Alcea were still intact. The Dark One would be furious with the news from Tagaret, and Lattimer needed a way to direct that fury onto someone other than himself. He sat and pondered his predicament for some time before a smile appeared on his lips.
Lattimer rose and left the Empty Keg. He wandered the streets of Tagaret until he returned to the building that he had landed on. He climbed to th
e roof and transformed into a raven. As he flew back to Mount Kalas, his mind developed the plan that would save him from the brunt of Sarac's fury.
When Lattimer landed on the platform atop Sarac's castle, he sent a runner to summon a certain Black Devil to the library. He walked down the stairs to the library and sent another runner to get Sarac. When the Black Devil arrived, Lattimer asked him about the funeral procession that he had reported seeing. The man repeated his report, and Lattimer noted no deviation from the prior report. He engaged the man in idle conversation until he heard the Dark One approaching.
"You have failed our master," Lattimer shouted before the Dark One entered the library.
The Black Devil looked around in confusion to see whom Lattimer was yelling at. Too late did the Black Devil see Lattimer's hand approaching his face. Lattimer's fingers dug deep into the Black Devil's eyes just as Sarac walked through the door to the library. The Black Devil screamed in agony.
"I am blind," the man cried. "What have you done to me?"
"You eyes provided false reports to our master," scowled Lattimer. "You disgrace the Black Devils and endanger the Dark One. He shall decide if you are to live for failing him."
"What is going on?" questioned Sarac as he stood behind Lattimer.
Lattimer turned as if he had not known that Sarac was behind him. "This fool provided false reports," accused Lattimer. "Fredrik is quite alive. So are Alex, Jenneva, and the girl Tanya. The funerals were a deception."
"I thought so," snarled Sarac as he glared at the blinded man. "That means that we can expect the boy king to arrive here with his armies at any moment."
"We have a few days," Lattimer offered. "Rangers, elves, and dwarves have already departed Tagaret, but it will take them some time to get here. What shall we do with this fool?"
The Dark One's hand rose swiftly and pointed at the blind man. Flames flew from Sarac's fingertips, and the man burst into flames. Lattimer smiled inwardly at having discharged his duties without being harmed himself. Now he could make plans to escape before the Dark One issued him another direct order.
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