Cassius was attracted to Saerle the moment she arrived at the Guild and openly pined for the woman for many years. Saerle had brushed away his advances with playful banter and had never asked for anything more than friendship from him. When Cassius discovered that his closest friend had become physical with the woman he had desired for so long, he felt it necessary to use Pulaar’s death as a tool to remove him from the Guild. Sajiix knew this. He knew that Cassius could not legally remove him due to petty jealousy. It would go against his view of the knightly virtue he held so dear. The truth of the ugly affair was this: Cassius, Sajiix’s closest friend, rallied the other Guildsmen and had him kicked out of the Guild over a woman.
The thought of that day, the anger that came with it, clouded Sajiix’s conscious mind as he walked across Center Road. He did not notice the four paladins approach him until he nearly walked into them. One of the four was a high-ranking officer. His shoulder armor came up sharply in the shape of diamonds on either side, their edges honed like razors. He also wore a long white cape of fine wool, its edges framed with gold silk.
“Sajiix Mirhan,” said the officer’s melodiously deep voice from within his polished helmet. “You are requested at the behest of Chancellor Vius Tevic, Speaker of the Light for the mighty Diathanos.”
“Am I?” Sajiix replied, his anger still evident. “Tell Tevic that I will try to visit him the next time I’m in Kaalé. Another ten years should suffice.”
Sajiix had taken two steps away from the paladin officer when he heard four blades being drawn. “Chancellor Tevic,” the officer said with the same calm, baritone voice “will see you now, whether that be conscious or unconscious.”
The Magi turned back to the officer, his foci crackling like the sky above. The wind began to whip down the street, keeping anyone who might have been out this morning safe and dry in their homes. “You dare threaten me?” Sajiix snapped. “You may frighten other Magi with your militaristic bullying, but you are nothing to me…a bug wearing a tin can. I will…”
Sajiix never finished his sentence. He fell hard to the cobblestones after one of the Palidiamos struck him in the back of the head with the pommel of a sword. The officer bent over the Magi’s prone body and yanked the now dormant foci ring from his finger. Tossing the amethyst ring in the air, the officer deftly caught it and tucked it into a small niche in his armor.
“Unconscious then,” he smiled as he gestured to his men to carry the Magi toward the high temple.
***
The first thing Sajiix thought when he awoke was that his hands had been cut off. As he regained more and more of his senses, the Magi came to realize that he was still upright, chained by his wrists and hanging against a chill stone wall. The iron manacles had cut off the circulation to his hands and as he adjusted his footing, the blood came rushing back in painful waves. The second thing Sajiix thought was that fifty Bornosian silversmiths were dancing on the back of his skull. He attempted to reach and feel the throbbing lump on the back of his head for any blood, but the short chains would not allow him to do so. Sajiix concluded that one of the paladins had struck him from behind and the others had brought him here – wherever here may be.
The room was small and lit with only one guttering torch halfway down a narrow arched hallway. The floor was rough-hewn stone, unlike the moisture-slick walls of steelstone that surrounded him. Sajiix deduced he was imprisoned underneath the High Temple of Diathanos. Glancing up and twisting his right hand, Sajiix saw that his foci ring was gone.
He was in trouble, indeed.
The Magi shut his eyes, trying to clear his mind, but the incessant pain from his head made it difficult. He could hear nothing, not one echoing voice down the single hall. Opening his eyes, Sajiix scanned the small room he was chained in. Four smooth walls and an uncluttered floor. A small, sturdy wooden table and chair were placed near the center of the room. All of it was clean and sterile – much like the lifestyle of a priest of Diathanos.
Sajiix tugged his arms forward, attempting to gauge how secure the manacles were to the wall. After two grunts, he guessed they were secure enough. Sighing irritably, Sajiix leaned back, trying to relax his arms as much as possible. With his foci gone he would not be able to use magic to escape and no one knew he was here, save for Magi Dominus Bey. Alas, Sajiix had already completed the master Magi’s request. Anyone inquiring towards his whereabouts would simply assume he was in the forests of northern Kaalmoore. He had only one outside chance of escape, but that all depended on the abilities of his apprentice.
The sound of leather boots thudding against stone echoed toward him from the hall. Sajiix forced himself to remain relaxed, but inwardly prepared for whatever awaited him. The Magi had to admit he was more curious to discover why paladins of Diathanos were taking Magi off the street. For whatever reason, there would be much the church had to answer for. That is, if he were able to leave with his head intact.
The first figure entered the feeble torchlight. Sajiix recognized him as the officer who questioned him before he was struck down. Although his face had been covered, the man’s build was the same: tall, broad-shouldered, molded as a fighter. Waves of blonde hair fell from a central part to touch his shoulders. Intelligent eyes the color of winter clouds sparkled with humor as he viewed the once haughty Magi. A long mustache of dark yellow, neatly trimmed, covered his upper lip, decorating a somber face. The man bore a strong chin and a prominent, aquiline nose that hinted at some form of royal bloodline. The paladin had removed his cherished armor, wearing a white long-sleeved tunic and thick woven pants tucked into simple leather boots. Sajiix also noticed he still wore his sword along with a thin stiletto on his right hip.
“You were saying,” he said with his perfect voice, “you were going to do something to me…to this ‘bug wearing a tin can’. Would you care to resume that conversation?”
“Return my foci to me and I will be happy to oblige.” He smiled at the paladin, not showing the slightest amount of fear over being chained to the wall. This took some merriment out of the paladin’s delight.
“Ah, the powerful Magi, see how weak you truly are!” he said, moving his perfect face close to Sajiix. “We who worship Diathanos have no need for such trinkets! We can wield our power without jewels or blasphemous adornments.”
Sajiix focused his eyes upon the oval disc that hung from the paladin’s neck. Made of silver and etched with the plain shape of a diamond, the holy symbol of Diathanos gleamed in the flickering firelight. “The power you wield is borrowed; given only after begging to a selfish God.”
The Paladin responded by shoving Sajiix against the wall. The Magi’s head and back slammed hard into the stone, causing him to grunt loudly. “How dare you speak heresy against the Light-Bringer! It is you and your kind who are the selfish ones, taking the gifts of the seven gods, using them for your own debasement without giving praise to the ones who make it so.”
Sajiix smiled against the pain in his head, laughing at the growing rage that shone in the paladin’s eyes. The Magi knew he could best the man without the use of his magic. It was a simple matter of control over one’s emotions. The disadvantage would be, however, that the paladin would more than likely beat him bloody. Luckily, Sajiix was spared such violence by a calm voice from the shadow-filled hall.
“Anton, step away from him. Do not allow our guest to taunt you so.”
“Protector Anton D’ghelle,” Sajiix whispered to the paladin. Anton stepped away from the Magi, surprise lighting his features. The Magi then focused on the silhouette in the hall. “And you would be Chancellor Vius Tevic.”
The Chancellor came into view and was everything Sajiix expected. The man was of average height and build for a Kaalmoorian, his oblong face was creased with lines of age and station. A mop of white-gray hair was combed forward and cut along a straight edge over his thick eyebrows – much akin to the style of many religious scholars. Vius was clean-shaven and perfumed. He wore a sleeveless gray tunic of soft leather
over white robes of the finest cotton. The Chancellor’s hands were slightly raised as if he were afraid the very air would get them soiled. A platinum disk bearing the etched diamond symbol was glowing with its own soft white aura, no doubt attributed to the diamond dust that lay on its surface. Tevic was, in Sajiix’s opinion, the quintessential stereotype of spiritual prominence.
“Sajiix Mirhan, Magi of the Amethyst Order, and co-founder of the Defender’s Guild,” Tevic said with a languid tone. “I am surprised we have not crossed paths before this moment.”
“It seems my luck has run its course,” Sajiix returned flatly.
A smile formed on Tevic’s lips as he stepped closer. “In all honesty, I thought it would be more difficult to bring you to our House. How disappointed I was when I learned that a simple blow to the head would suffice.”
“I was a victim of an unprovoked attack by four of your Palidiamos,” Sajiix said warningly. “You may think you are above the law in Kaalé, but there are others who will see this for what it is. You will answer to the Elementai for this, Tevic, and for any other offenses committed against the Magi.”
Ignoring the slight against his title, the Chancellor leaned even closer, his breath touching the Magi’s cheek. “Above the law? In Kaalé, I am the law. As to the Elementai, that collection of elderly gem-misers has no jurisdiction within the city’s walls or within the eyes of Diathanos. I could keep you here forever, and they could do nothing about it.
“Alas, I am not going to keep you here, Sajiix. I only wish to ask you a few questions about a specific hobby of yours,” he said. “Tell me, what do you know of the Gemstones of Val’Cryys? I understand you are an expert on the subject.”
“I know a bit about them,” Sajiix answered, suddenly becoming aware of who might be behind the diamond’s theft. “Seven large, uncut gems representing each order of magic…”
“Representing each House of divinity,” Vius corrected.
“Whichever side of the carriage you sit on,” the Magi countered. “The gemstones are highly potent and incredibly powerful for one who has the ability to awaken them. Legends state that each gem is the patriarch of any and all traces of gemstones found on Vasalius…that these stones were torn asunder by a Magi known as Val’Cryys…”
“A priest,” Vius corrected. “He was not a Magi.”
Sajiix smiled. “I suppose that depends on who tells the tale. As I was saying, these stones were torn asunder by …someone known as Val’Cryys who then hid the sacred remnants throughout the realms – never to be found for fear of invoking the wrath of the Seven Sentinels.”
“Your teachings are not far from my own, Sajiix,” Vius said kindly. “The Luminous tells us that Val’Cryys is the father of all gods and that his seven children were given the power to create this realm and its people. Only three of his children could create life: His eldest son, Diathanos; his wise daughter, Ethaea; and his youngest daughter, Sarashae. They created life, while their siblings formed the world we live in.
“So proud was their father, Val’Cryys gave the children a gift for their creation and their show of ingenuity – the seven gemstones. So great was this gift, the seven siblings gave a part of themselves over to the gems and sent them into the living world, for all to share.
“Sadly, their creations were a greedy lot, and they fought over control of the precious gifts. Val’Cryys intervened and…”
“And sent the seven gemstones into hiding, never to be found or fought over again,” Sajiix finished with a sigh. “Yes, Chancellor, I have heard this version, as well.”
Vius leaned in close. “Only they were not hidden very well, now, were they? You have seen two of them, have you not?”
Sajiix’s mind jumped into the past for a moment, recalling the moment he saw the Nightgem and then to when he and his companions had discovered the Purestone. He remembered holding the diamond in his hands, feeling its rough edges and the warmth of its promised power.
“One lost in an explosion, the other given to the Zynnashans to hold off a war.”
“A choice not sanctioned by House Diathanos!” Vius shouted in his face. “But now…now…we are given another opportunity! We know the Eye of Diathanos has been stolen from the realm of Zynnasha. It seems the Zynnashans are quite irate over its theft and have even crossed into King Jalled’s lands searching for it.”
Sajiix could not hide his astonishment. Vius only nodded with a condescending smirk. “Yes, House Diathanos has its own sources of information. It was quite fortuitous that you arrived to warn the knights. They shall be a perfect distraction for the Zyn Beasts while we reclaim what is rightfully ours.”
“The Zynnashans have been the caretakers of that diamond for decades,” Sajiix reminded him. “You cannot just take it from them. They will fight for it, no matter where it goes.”
“You spout such hypocrisy,” Vius laughed. “I am quite sure that your precious Elementai have ordered you to search for the Eye and if not, I am certain you would attempt to retrieve it for yourself, if your situation were different.”
Sajiix twisted his manacles, giving the Chancellor a sour look.
“The Zynnashans will be easily dealt with once the Eye is in my possession,” Vius continued. “If I am not mistaken, you have seen the benefits of its power.”
Sajiix nodded, his mind recalling an image of a dozen battalions of boorsliig warriors succumbing to wave after wave of pure light energy. Some of them began to flee back to their swamplands, others tried to run to any dark hole they could find, while some went completely mad, hacking and slashing at their comrades or themselves. Tevic had every intention of driving the Zynnashans back with their own diamond.
“What do you need of me?” Sajiix asked defiantly. “Why do you question me?”
“I wanted to know if you were the one who arranged for its theft,” Vius grinned. “Had it have been you, it would have simplified our search. However, by the look of shock and surprise on your face, I see you have no more knowledge of its current owner than we do.”
“Then release me and be quick about it!”
Vius and Anton laughed. “Oh, no, I’m afraid not. The Eye of Diathanos will bring glory to our House once more,” Tevic told him. “Once that is done, then you will be released to do as you wish.”
“The Zynnashans will rampage through the countryside searching for the Purestone,” Sajiix remarked, using the Magi’s title for the diamond just to irk the Chancellor. “What will happen when the people discover that you are responsible for those they kill or the villages they destroy?”
“Responsible? We are merely taking advantage of a situation presented to us,” Vius said with sincerity. “We are not thieves. And even if we were, the people will rejoice for our recovery of the Eye of Diathanos. They will see us drive the wild beast men from their lands and they will praise the work of the Light-Bringer! And you, Sajiix Mirhan, you will have to come to terms with the disparaging truth that, once again, a Gemstone of Val’Cryys has slipped through your fingers.”
Sajiix felt his jaw clench in frustration at the Chancellor’s mocking tone. He and the Protector turned to leave when the Magi blurted, “Why?”
Tevic regarded him with raised eyebrows.
“After all of these years, why does House Diathanos suddenly want the diamond?”
“Suddenly? We have always wanted the diamond, you blathering idiot. For years we sent delegates to Zynnasha, hoping the Highlord would have the wisdom to see where the Eye belongs. And it is here, Magi,” Vius answered. “Every house needs a cornerstone and this house will be complete once the diamond rests within its walls.”
Sajiix eyed the Chancellor carefully and then shook his head. “No,” he said. “There is more to it than that, Tevic. The Purestone is a weapon, not a conversation piece. I’ve seen its power, its potential. It was why the Zynnashans were allowed to take it. In their hands it remains guarded. In the hands of the Magi or House Diathanos, it becomes a tool of domination.
�
�So, tell me why, Tevic. Why does House Diathanos need the diamond so badly?”
The Chancellor only smiled, urging Protector D’ghelle onward with a gentle push. From the hall, Sajiix heard Tevic loudly comment, “Your theories are quite interesting, Sajiix. Perhaps you should stay with us so that we can discuss them further. I am certain that after a number of years down here, you will come to see that our intentions are quite noble.”
11
Tair’Lianne pushed her aching arms further, knowing that their destination was soon to be reached. She sat in the front of a narrow river boat, using a wooden oar to help push the boat along the smaller tributary that bypassed the river. The Tebis’non has many such offshoots, most of which lead to shallow, rocky pools. But a few, like the one she and Myst knew about, circumvented the Tebis’non and flowed swiftly to another point further down the rushing muddy waters, creating a shorter route. It would take the Zynnashans three days to reach Joram’s Bend. Tair, Myst, Laridiya, and the refugees of Tabaan could reach it in two.
From the wreckage of Tabaan’s waterfront, they were able to scrounge the debris and find three of the low, narrow boats and one flat skiff large enough to hold the children and two adults. Three of the other adults paddled along the river with ease while Laridiya and two women glided close to the children’s skiff. Myst and Tair shared their own boat, leading the ragged group along the river. They stopped only once, eating what they had left to bring, resting aching muscles, and each worrying whether they would find a home in Joram’s Bend. The children were anxious, the younger ones wanting to know when they would see their parents again, while the older children were somber, knowing their parents were gone forever.
Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1) Page 11