“When did this registry begin?” growled the Magi.
“The very day after the Palidiamos took control of the city,” Greeve answered apologetically. “Every Magi in the area was rounded up and forced to sign the register. Those that argued or refused were arrested and removed from the city the next morning. Even the Diamond Magi were forced to sign, albeit with a firm nudge instead of a hateful kick.
“Some of your people were treated quite harshly,” the knight said to Sajiix with a gesture at his purple cloak. “A few were even taken to the High Temple…” Greeve let the implications of his words sink in before he continued. “If you are to remain in Kaalé, you must take extreme care.”
Sajiix caught the message Greeve was sending. He found it incredible that the Arcanum had not learned of such an infraction by the House of Diathanos. Imprisoning a Magi for no legitimate reason was cause enough for retribution, let alone a simple investigation. But this was not a situation he could deal with now. For every moment he wasted swimming in the political mud of Kaalé, further the Purestone went out of his reach.
The Magi chose his next words carefully. He knew he had to give warning of the upcoming Zynnashan attack, but with Kaalmoore under the sway of House Diathanos, Sajiix knew that he could not mention the arrival of the Purestone diamond. Any hope of recovering the artifact would be lost as the church would surely expend all efforts into finding it for their own glory.
“I need you to do something for me…” Sajiix began.
“I’m not in the position to do anything,” snapped the knight. Realizing his behavior was less than cordial, the knight continued in a more rational tone. “The knights are gone, spread out over the land. I have no power, no say, nothing. I am watched like an old dog that may try to bite its master. My official capacity is listed as advisor for Protector D’ghelle,” Greeve laughed bitterly.
Sajiix arched an eyebrow at the knight.
“It is a new title given to a paladin of extraordinary skill and faith,” Greeve informed the Magi. “Anton D’ghelle leads the protection of Kaalé so that Tevic can remain free to govern the church. D’ghelle is nothing more than a bully hiding behind the teachings of Diathanos.”
“The head of the Elementai bade me to come with a warning for the King,” Sajiix announced tiredly. “We have received word that the Zynnashans are planning to attack Kaalmoore – in fact, they may already have, somewhere near Valdine.”
The look upon the knight’s face looked almost comical. His rage against the political machine slipped into confusion and then to sheer disbelief. “Zynnashans…” Greeve’s eyes then became focused as he recalled the magical beasts. The Master Knight was a learned man and he knew that the Zynnashans were more than fairy tales and bedtime stories. He also knew what they were capable of.
“What reason do they have for such a bold move?” he demanded to know.
“We are uncertain,” Sajiix lied. “Suffice it to say, the messenger is a reliable source.”
Greeve nodded, his tactical mind working out a plan that would allow him to take action. “I will seek an audience with the King,” he muttered. “I will need someone to alert the garrison near Fhaalvak.” His eyes bore into Sajiix, pleading.
“You ask too much of me, Sivim,” said the Magi, correctly guessing that the knight hoped he would be his messenger. “I am also commanded to intercept them and discover the reason for their attack. You know I cannot go against the orders of the Arcanum.”
“Since when did Sajiix of the Amethyst Order begin following orders?”
Sajiix’s eyes narrowed, but the grin on the knight’s face softened the jibe. For a moment, Sivim looked like his former self.
“I do apologize,” Sajiix told him. “Perhaps one of your messengers or one of your more competent knights is nearby.” The Magi paused, trying to voice his next suggestion in as neutral a tone as possible. “Perhaps Cassius could…?”
Greeve shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “Cassius is too busy trying to reclaim his glory years; although, maybe one of his people could make the journey.”
“One of his people,” Sajiix repeated.
Greeve switched his attention back to the Magi. “Did you not know that Cassius resigned from the knights?”
Sajiix felt as though someone had physically punched him in the gut. Cassius Deveres – once a dear friend and companion. Both he and Sajiix had traveled the extensive lands of Vasalius from shore to shore; together they had sailed to the Stonespire Islands in the south; journeyed to the dark heart of Excelicus and emerged unscathed from the fire valleys of Bornos. Their adventures saw them battle creatures of darkness, men of immoral greed, bandits, thief-kings, Boorsliig nest mothers, unholy clerics, undead warriors, and seductive witches. Together, they formed the Defender’s Guild – a home for uncommon heroes to unite and travel the realms, helping those in need whether they were a common farmer or a wealthy land-Baron. It was the compassionate Cassius, the man with the knightly virtues, who aided Sajiix in obtaining the fame and wealth that were garnered from the Guild.
It was also Cassius who took it away.
“Resigned… why?” Sajiix asked once he managed to find his voice.
Greeve leaned back in his chair with a slow creak of the stained wood. “I’ve forgotten how long it’s been since you were last here,” he said carefully. “Have you not spoken to any of your former companions?”
“I have not,” was all Sajiix said in reply.
Greeve sighed, knowing that he was about to become the catalyst in a very long and personal battle. “Cassius resigned from the knights six months ago and reopened the Defender’s Guild.”
A white flash went off in the Magi’s vision and was then gone. A red hot pulse of rage flared from his heart, coursed through his body, and warmed his fingers and toes. Sajiix concentrated on keeping his jaw unclenched as he locked eyes with the Master Knight. “I see,” he said tightly. “Perhaps Cassius could send someone from his Guild to aid the knights.”
Greeve sighed again. “I am sorry if this news displeases you.”
“It is of no consequence,” said the Magi a little too quickly. “I have complied with the order given to me by my Dominus. I will now depart for Valdine.”
The Magi turned abruptly and walked swiftly to the office door. The Master Knight followed him and placed a thick hand upon his shoulder. Sajiix turned to regard the knight with a cold stare, but Greeve held him firmly with his eyes. “Heed my warning, Sajiix. The Palidiamos are in control of Kaalé and they are most unfriendly toward Magi.”
“Thank you for your concern, old friend,” Sajiix said, clasping the knight’s hand in farewell. “I plan on taking my leave immediately.”
The door closed behind him as Sajiix made his way back to the entrance of Borgam Keep. The Magi moved steadily, having no desire to gamble with the fanatical hatred the paladins had for his profession. He would return to the shadows of the Dragon’s Tale Inn and take the shadowpath to Valdine.
Immediately after he paid a visit to the new Defender’s Guild.
9
The Defender’s Guild stood just west of Borgam Keep and though it was a short walk for Sajiix, the memories that reached from the past to grab him made the distance seem days longer. The Guild was created on a whim, on a suggestion made by him and Cassius eighteen years ago. Sajiix and the knight, along with a handful of recently acquired friends, banded together to create a place where everyone was accepted and anyone could come for help. Sajiix never dreamed that the idea would blossom into something as monumental as the Defender’s Guild.
During the Guild’s first year, it seemed only wealthy land owners or merchant barons wanted their help in culling roving bands of boorsliig tribes from their territory or stopping bandits from raiding small nearby farms. The gold crowns earned helped them erect the building that Sajiix now walked to; it helped feed and clothe the original eight members and allowed them to purchase fine weapons and gear. More often than not, the wo
rk was dreary and the men that hired them were ungrateful louts that seemed to be no better than the targets they wanted removed.
Word spread, however, and soon common folk were asking for assistance against some of the very merchants they had worked for previously. These people rarely had enough money to pay the Guild, but Cassius and Sajiix felt their payment unnecessary, enjoying instead the challenge of fighting off a stronger enemy and doing some good for the downtrodden. It wasn’t long before Kings and Queens of lands both far and near requested help from the Guild in matters both private and public. Even King Jalled began hiring them – so much so, that at one point, he insisted that they build a permanent place for the Defender’s Guild in Kaalé.
The wealth generated from these ventures allowed the Guild to recruit even more heroes. Five years after the creation of the Defender’s Guild, the members climbed from eight to thirty-six. The original members enjoyed wealth, fame, respect, and the adoration of thousands across Vasalius.
They also made plenty of enemies. The Onyx Magi, known as the Nightwalkers, plagued the Guild from time to time. The House of Maalithor, church of necromancy, worshippers of the dark, were also known to despise the Guild for their noble efforts at curbing evil and assisting the weak. Baron Stavimforj, lord and ruler of the realm of Excelicus, was still offering a hefty weight of gold for either Sajiix or Cassius’s head. Yet, none of these villains could stop the Guild. The heroes continued their path and were praised in song and story.
The end came from within. Fame, power, and adoration swelled the egos of many Guildsmen – Sajiix included. During those first six years, Sajiix continued to search for the Gemstones of Val’Cryys. His former friends accused him of becoming obsessed with finding the artifacts. This eventually twisted into accusations that Sajiix became fixated with power and would do anything to obtain it. Jealousy and distrust became commonplace within the Guild. Sajiix, angered and irritated by the constant allegations, vented his frustration by seducing some of the females that were in the group, caring little about the consequences.
After a disastrous attempt at locating one of the gemstones that led to the death of a young Guildsman, Sajiix was cast out by his friends. It was a decision conceived and carried out by the man he trusted most – Cassius Deveres. The Amethyst Magi never returned, not even for his personal effects. The Defender’s Guild went on for another two years, eventually succumbing to the very infighting and mistrust that started with Sajiix. The ideology of the Guild had been forgotten, the message garbled by fame and rivalry. The Guild was disbanded, and the doors were magically sealed.
Twelve years had passed since Sajiix last looked upon the bronze doors before him. The building looked much the same: a two-story, gray and white marble construction with the telltale silver of steelstone framework; a small, white marbled portico held aloft by two smooth columns that adjoined the front entrance; windows of thick glass accented the second level of the building; and crushed white gravel lined the parameter, interspersed with small whitebark trees whose leaves were already burning with the orange-amber of autumn. Marble pedestals stood next to each column, both supporting copper braziers that now burned a welcoming flame.
The braziers were new. It was such a serene and cheery atmosphere – it made Sajiix want to kick over the pedestals and watch the place burn. And he would have, too, if not for the nagging desire to know the truth. He had to know who else was involved in this ‘second coming’ of the Guild. Sajiix was not surprised that Cassius had returned to what he considered his ‘home’, but who else from his glory days had joined the knight to bring this thing back to life? It was exactly how Sajiix viewed it as – a dead thing that should remain buried in the dark earth of the past.
Curling his lip in a derisive sneer, Sajiix approached the doors, ignoring the sickly scent of the burning incense. Grabbing one of the two brass door handles, Sajiix tested the door. It was locked. Not so welcoming as you lead people to believe, Sajiix thought mordantly. The Magi then ran a hand across the cool, smooth surface of the metal just above the door handles. He was not surprised to find the old locking mechanism still in its hidden location. Smiling almost wistfully, Sajiix retrieved a key from an inner pocket of his robes. He often scolded himself for keeping the key, chastising his own sentimentality, but now the adage of always being prepared came to him in a confident rush as he unlocked the doors and returned the key to its place in his robes.
The entry hall of the Guild still remained the same. White marble walls with a low ceiling crisscrossed with thick beams of ancient oak. A wide, yet short staircase led to a center section filled with a small, round table and comfortable chairs of leather. Another wide staircase, a bit longer than the entrance, led deeper into the Guild. A tapestry of geometrical designs done in differing shades of brown covered one wall, while the other held a huge, nearly accurate map of Kaalmoore. A splotchy red ‘X’, followed by the words, “you are here” were scrawled along the area marking Kaalé. Sajiix offered a rare smile, recalling the moment that had been written – much to the chagrin of the map’s artist.
The entire room was lit with a soft, white light coming from six iron sconces that were capped with glowing pieces of round glass. These spheres, a gift from a thankful Diamond Magi, were located all over the Guild. They gave off no heat and remained lit until they were either touched or given a verbal command in the mystical language of the Vhaalians. Sajiix always found them cold and uninviting, preferring instead the blazing warmth of a good fire.
Sajiix moved slowly down the steps, letting the memories flood his consciousness. This was the room where he, Cassius, and the others would come to view the new applicants to the Guild. They would interview them, testing their abilities – all in front of a crowd. Sajiix approached the table, running a hand along its surface, recalling the moments he sat here, voting upon a stranger’s dreams. Looking back on it, he could see how humiliating the process could be, but it was a necessary evil. It weeded out the remarkable from the mundane. The Defender’s Guild was not a place for average heroes. Average heroes allowed better heroes to die.
The sound of footsteps and casual conversation brought him out of his reverie. Two men appeared upon the steps that led up into the Guild’s main hall. Sajiix did not recognize either of them. One wore the trappings of a cleric from the emerald House of Ethaea. He was tall, lanky, and wore earth tones of brown and dark green. His brown hair was combed back from his wide forehead and bunched along his thin shoulders. His face was angular, sporting a sharp chin and prominent nose. A thin layer of brownish-red hair covered his face.
His companion was much shorter and quite stocky. Sajiix immediately recognized the smaller man as being of Bornosian blood; broad shoulders, thick neck, and meaty hands. His dark head was shaved close and his strong chin was adorned with a stalk of black, braided hair. His facial features were short and wide as though he had permanently fallen upon his face. He wore a short sword belted at his hip, a sword that he now reached for as both men reacted to Sajiix in astonishment.
“Who are you? What business do you have here?” demanded the cleric. His voice was confident if not surprised.
“My business is my own and my name you should already know,” Sajiix replied irritably. “I wish to speak to your master.”
“Master?” spat the Bornosian with a thick accent. “We have no master here, shadowmage…unless yer’ talking about Officer Draanyr.”
Tienn Draanyr. One of the original founders of the Defender’s Guild and a former friend of Sajiix. The Magi felt his jaw tighten. So, Tienn was involved with this as well. How many more, he wondered. How many more have returned to betray his memory? Sajiix felt the blood rush to his head as he scowled at the two Guildsmen.
“Where is Officer Draanyr?” rumbled the Magi.
The druid and Bornosian exchanged warning glances as they watched the anger build upon the Magi’s face before them. The druid moved to the right while the shorter Bornosian began edging to the left in an attemp
t to flank him.
“I think you should tell us who ya’ are and how ya’ got into our guild,” the Bornosian said, keeping his deep voice evenly calm. His hand now grasped the hilt of his sword as he moved, switching his dark eyes from the Magi to his companion.
Sajiix was beyond irritated. Here he was in his Guild – his Guild – and two initiates now attempted to subdue him. “I see no reason in telling you who I am, since Officer Draanyr has not already informed you of what should be common knowledge. I can come and go within the walls of this Guild as I choose. Now, stand down before you get hurt.”
Sajiix saw the druid’s medallion flash green a split-second before the Bornosian’s sword was drawn. All clerics and priests of any House are granted special gifts by their particular deity. Most will enhance the power of the individual while some can incapacitate their target. The Ethaea druid used his divine medallion to place a holding prayer upon the Magi; one that would hold Sajiix in place without having to harm him. Sajiix blocked the prayer with a quick wave of his hands, sending a splash of amethyst sparks across the room. It was a quick defensive spell, one used just for this purpose. The Magi turned to face the oncoming swordsman and extended his ring hand. The Bornosian closed the distance quickly, but Sajiix was able to shout out a command of magic that caused his foci to blaze violet. The same burst of energy flared upon one of the heavy chairs before him, launching it into the charging swordsman. It hit him head on, knocking the Bornosian sideways. He struck the marble floor hard, his sword clattering away from his limp grasp.
Hearing words of prayer behind him, Sajiix formed an image of a lightning bolt in his mind and sent a pulse of mental focus into his ring as he whirled to face the druid. A purple band of crackling energy struck him in the chest, slamming him into the wall. Both men were dazed, trying to recover from the attacks. Sajiix frowned in disgust, wishing they knew how lucky they were that he had dampened his focus enough so that his attacks would not kill them.
Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1) Page 9