William closed his eyes and bowed his head. Teresa held his hand in hers for a moment then he pulled away.
Chapter 20
A servant awaited them outside the door to the guest chambers. He escorted them to breakfast with the council. They filled up a great dining hall with servants running to and fro delivering plates of hot food. After the meal Juxta asked, "How's Kirl?"
The elder council member said, "He's unconscious still."
William said, "We hope he recovers."
One of council stood up slamming his staff down hard. "Only a necromancer has the power to steal another's vortex!"
Juxta hesitated. "I've never been shown how to summon one."
Teresa pointed with her fork at the eldest council member. "We want to know more about this Chosen One legend."
"The legend is a footnote in many of our oldest books," the elder man said. "In one, he is the harbinger of doom upon the world. In another, he peacefully unites the continent. In one, he is a great necromancer, in another, a great druid serving life. In others, he fights great evil. We believe Juxta will have to choose his own fate."
"What about the fate of my people?" William asked. "Will you help break the siege? Will you fight?"
A large number of council members shook their heads no, and the elder spoke in a low tone. "We'll fight, if the druids will fight. You must beseech them."
"So be it. We leave for the Forest of Life this morning," and he turned and left the great hall. Juxta, Simon, and Teresa followed.
Once out of earshot, Simon cursed. "Cowards! They know the druids won't take sides. The druids never do."
"Perhaps they will this time. We've little choice but to try," Teresa said.
*
They set out on the western road leading away from the city. The paved road ended after 50 miles, and the mile markers stopped at 100. The terrain changed from a spattering of farmland to grove upon grove of ancient trees. On the third day a torrential rain started, and they took shelter in an inn. The rain stopped in the night, and the four of them rode out the next day. Within a week the great Druidic capital loomed on the horizon. An ancient wall of white stones surrounded the city. From afar, the city looked more like a walled grove then a bustling city. As they drew closer, they could identify houses and shops poking up in between the trees. They went to what appeared to be the front gate and announced themselves to the guards. They summoned their lieutenant to escort the troop to the druid leadership.
Many of the trees still showed their spring flowers. They encountered no beggars. No purse thieves darted down alleyways chased by angry victims--a daily sight in the larger cities. They didn't pass any women milling about aimlessly alone near pubs and inns. The guards led them to an open aired temple of sorts with a dais in the center and amphitheatre-like stone benches. The lieutenant bid them to wait while he went and assembled the druids. After about thirty minutes druids started to appear in the amphitheatre one by one. They dressed similarly in long white robes and carried wooden staffs. An elderly one approached the dais. He had a leather belt holding his light blue robe tight. His staff was twisted and misshaped. His face and hands were wrinkled, and his hair was white. "My name's Quann. I bid you welcome. State your names."
The prince said, "William," first. Simon, Teresa, and Juxta followed suit.
Quann said, "We've awaited you, Juxta."
Juxta tilted his head to the side and frowned.
"Why, Quann, what's so damn special about Juxta?" William asked.
"When he forged his staff, he kicked up enough wind to carry seedlings all the way here. We've grown and nurtured the seedlings. They're now young saplings. They ask of us, ‘when will Juxta visit'." The old man turned to look at Juxta. The Druid held his hand out to Juxta with the palm up. "We'd like to test you. Is that ok?"
Teresa stepped forward. "We've traveled far and are in haste. The people of Lynken are besieged. They require aid against the evil Tercia. It's pressing on our agenda."
"There's great evil behind Tercia's invasion, and it grows in strength now that it has reclaimed its sword. We hoped the evil was gone, but it isn't. It pulses with life and power even after an eon." Quann's eyes shifted from one young person to the next as he spoke the words. "It must not be allowed to gain its crown. Juxta, the test is a simple use of ‘true sight' on you. May we begin?"
Juxta hesitated.
William said, "Humor them."
Juxta nodded to Quann.
"Stand in front of the altar," he said. Juxta complied. Quann started incanting very quietly as did the other druids at the assembly. The druids pooled their power and penetrated Juxta with it. The tendrils of magic explored into his very soul. The druids were of one mind.
He's an apprentice, yet wields incredible power.
He has killed many upon many.
He lost his family, his king, and his master.
He's a life-leech. Each time he kills with magic he grows stronger…
He must not be told!
He must be convinced not to kill again!
Assassinate him! Kill him before he grows even more dangerous!
Quann's voice thundered in the temple. "No!"
The druids collectively sighed.
They began to whisper. We must fight his war for him.
Quann and the other druids quieted their chant. Quann patted Juxta on the shoulder. "We need to talk in private. I'll introduce you to your lost seedlings. Prince William, we'll mobilize our forces against Tercia, but you must go to Kergia and rally their army of cat-riders." Quann raised one eyebrow and peered into William's eyes. "Unless you would prefer I send a messenger?"
William reached over and squeezed Teresa's hand. "Thank you, Master Quann. We'll carry the message personally to Kergia."
Quann led Juxta away from the altar towards Quann's home. Simon asked about lodging for them, and they were given directions to an inn near the center of the city. On the way to the inn, William said, "This will be the last time we stay in an inn. I only brought so much travel money with us, and that damn Weslan travel pass cut into it sorely."
"I brought my diamonds. We could sell some of them," Teresa said. "Or trade some of Simon's gold from the Lost City. See, I told you I'd be useful."
"Nobody ever even asked to see the damn thing. I just carry the sealed parchment in my backpack everywhere we go now."
Teresa laughed.
Simon hit William on the arm with his fist.
"After we secure our lodging, we'll look for a jeweler," William said.
Simon's cheeks flushed red. His mouth dropped open and out came the words, "Hey, those were presents!"
"Still, it would be a good time to get more coins. We could ask the druids for it."
"They already agreed to fight in our war. I think that should be enough." She turned to Simon and poked him in the chest. "Don't you, Simon?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I meant my complaint in good fun. Sell all the diamonds. I could care less for them. They only got me in trouble."
Teresa winked at him. "It was cute how you tried to buy my love."
"Not what you said at the time!"
"I've thought about it a lot since then," Teresa said, with a yes, I am the cat, and I see the mouse, grin.
They found the inn and acquired rooms and stable space.
Juxta and Quann found their way to a moderate wooden house surrounded by a large block of open green space with manicured grass, small shrubberies here and there, and even the occasional weed. Juxta found himself in a quiet garden. Centered in an open space three saplings stood about as tall as he was. Quann spoke softly. "Go ahead."
"I don't know what you mean," Juxta said.
"Wake them up like you woke the tree that gave you your staff." He recited the incantation for Juxta. Juxta remembered and started to chant pouring power into it.
Break the Peace, Awake
Wake the Ancient, Take
Three tiny voices shouted in unison in his mind, Juxta.
<
br /> "Hello," he said.
We knew you would come see us.
"It wasn't planned, but it's nice to see you. Are they kind to you here?"
Yes. Feed us, Juxta, feed us.
Juxta looked over at Quann. "They want me to feed them. How do I do that?"
"The third chant." Quann recited it for him.
Green of Spring, to be Seen
New Life, from Strife
Juxta began the incantation and poured power into it. The saplings began to visibly grow. Juxta's heart filled with joy. They said, More, and Juxta summoned more and more power channeling it through Dragon's Fire and his amethyst staff. Time began to distort, and the sun tracked quickly across the sky. The saplings grew into trees right before Juxta's eyes. At the height of twenty feet, they started to bloom in brilliant shades of blue, and then they said, Enough.
Juxta released the power back into the grey abyss from which it seemed to come. They said, Thank you.
Quann clapped Juxta on the back reminding him of the here and now.
"Thank you, Master Quann, for caring for my trees."
"They won't let anyone else feed them. You should stay with us. Become a druid."
Juxta's eyes narrowed into tiny beams. "My country is at war!"
"Many master wizards will be taking up the cause. You're an apprentice still although powerful. You need to finish your studies."
"I won't abandon my prince to the hazards of the road." Juxta's mouth bent all out of shape into a crazy slant as he said the words. "I won't abandon my friends."
"I'll send a master druid to accompany them on their journey, so that you can stay and finish your training."
"No."
"I'll send two master druids. Stay in the forest of life. Study our ways. Learn our beliefs."
Juxta very quietly and very slowly shook his head no.
"You must promise me something…" Quann said. "You must never kill again under any circumstances."
Juxta couldn't believe the old man could say such words with a straight face. "I can't make that promise, and you know it."
Quann shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I had to try. The Druidish faith abhors killing. You must consider your education, and the toll violence takes upon the spirit before you make a final decision about what path lies before you."
Juxta inadvertently planted the base of his staff into the ground with a thud. "My final decision is made. I'll stand by my prince."
"So be it. Don't let your rage blind you."
Juxta walked away, through the garden, and onto a cobblestone street. He made his way to the inn where his friends should have been. They still bartered for a fair price for Teresa's jewelry, what they planned to sell of it. Juxta sat alone at the inn. He waited. After a time William, Simon, and Teresa arrived.
"So, Juxta, what did Quann want with you?" William asked. "More fairy tales and prophecies?"
"He wanted me to stay here and study to become a druid." Juxta let out a low little sigh that may have in fact bordered on a whimper. "To finish my education. He also wanted me to swear off on killing."
"You only kill when it's necessary," Simon said. "Quann has to know that."
Teresa began to reach for Juxta's hand and then pulled back. "Did he say why?"
"Something about Druidish faith is all," Juxta said.
Chapter 21
Juxta, Simon, and William were just starting to wake up when they heard a knock on the door. Simon's bed was closest to it, so he answered it. "Master Quann," he said.
Quann was wearing a light red but definitely not pink robe, and he carried a thin, leather bound book in one hand. An ornate wineskin, with cryptic Druidic writing burned on it with brands, hung from his shoulder. He smiled at the young men.
William said, "Can we help you?"
"I've brought a book detailing the perils of the great swamp," Quann said. "I also have Druid's wine for you."
Simon squinted just his left eye. "What is Druid's wine?"
"I've heard of it," William said. "We have to watch for entrants to the trials consuming it before their match."
"Yes, it gets the blood flowing so strongly that your skin will be parched red as if you'd been in the sun for too long on a bright day," Quann said.
"What does it do?" Simon asked.
"If you drink enough of it," William said. "You'll be able to run fast for a day straight. Horses love the stuff. Some say, if you drink enough of it before battle, you'll go into an incredible frenzy…"
Quann shook his head and tapped on the cap to the wineskin with his fingertip. "Use it very sparingly. If you need the added strength, drink but a capful each, and give a capful to your horses."
Simon stared into one of the corners and slowly shivered.
"We must take this gift," Juxta said. "There's no peril in the Druid's wine."
Quann held out the book and wineskin to Juxta. He took them and set them on the table.
The three young men looked to Quann.
Quann nodded his head and withdrew a round, short metal canister. He lifted the lid off the thing and held it out in front of him. Then he moved it left and right staring at the top.
William asked, "What is it?"
"We call it a compass. Our map makers all carry one," Quann said. "They require a special kind of metal that we have only found a very small amount of. I think we have seven of the compasses in total."
William spat out the word, "What?"
"They point true north, my liege," Juxta said.
William and Simon turned to stare at Juxta.
"Yes, Hebron told me about them. There are more than seven of them in existence, but I've never seen one before."
Quann nodded and held the device out to William. "Take it."
William grabbed it and started facing different directions staring at the thing's top. He smiled wide and turned to face Quann. "It's priceless."
"We serve life. Anything we can do to help. We would send men-at-arms or druids with you if you requested it."
"The larger our party, the more likely Rivek could find us and meet us on the road, in the dark," Juxta said.
"Rivek becomes more powerful with each passing day. I expect you'll encounter him on the road soon enough."
William said one lone word. "Idiot."
Juxta looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, my liege. I knew of the legend, but I didn't believe. He killed Hebron."
"It's not his fault," Simon said.
Quann looked from one man to the next. "That's all I brought for you."
William nodded. "It's more than we could have asked for, Master Druid."
"May your journey be a safe one."
William smiled.
Quann left the inn.
"Let's get some breakfast and ride," William said.
They heard another knock on the door. They looked at each other. Juxta answered the door. Teresa stepped inside carrying a tray of steaming hot food, with a serving wench following behind her with even more food. William smiled wide. They feasted in their room.
They headed west for The Great Swamp and Kergia. They had no road or trail to follow. They traveled through a great forest all of the first day and made camp under the moonlight. Juxta read from the book. "The Black Adder is the first entry. It's a deadly poisonous snake. It makes nests in the Ruku Shrub. Oh, there's even a picture of both the snake and the shrubbery." He showed the pictures to the others. "The book says, they're only aggressive towards humans, if you invade their nests. We need to avoid the nests at all costs.
Juxta continued, "Oh, wow, there are snakes in the great swamp big enough to eat a man. Very rare it says, and if you have to kill one, the meat is best spiced with coarsely ground black pepper and salt."
Teresa said, "Is this a cook book or a book of perils?"
Simon laughed.
Juxta kept reading. "A breed of poisonous spiders live in the swamp that grow as large as a man's fist, but typically they didn't venture far from their webs. The book
says to avoid the webs, of course."
Before Juxta could finish his narration, Teresa interrupted, "Are we sure we don't want to take the ocean route, and go around the great swamp?"
Juxta said, "I'm not even finished yet."
"The ocean route will add two more weeks to our journey," William said. "The war can't wait that long."
Simon looked into Teresa's eyes and whispered, "Scared?"
Teresa said, "Yes!"
Simon shrugged his shoulders. "So far, the perils seem avoidable, if we watch our step."
"Yes, like most wildlife. Let me see what else this book warns of," Juxta said.
Teresa fidgeted a bit and held her hands out to the warmth from their campfire.
He started skimming the pages. "Hmmm, lizard men seem to be the last entry. Apparently they're half-crocodile half-man beasts… Afraid of fire, it says… Skilled hunters, hunting in packs…"
"What other manner of beasts can we expect?" William asked.
"Wild boar, rats, deer, rabbits, fox… Most everything we'd see outside the swamp, except no wolves or large cats."
Juxta put the book away, and they slept. They woke early the next day and rode hard. By noon the forest thinned out to prairie, and farms started to dot the landscape every few miles. After two days, they found themselves at a small town directly on the edge of The Great Swamp. Securing rooms at the town's only inn, they inquired with the innkeeper about flat-bottom boats to traverse the swamp.
"They're easy enough to find here. I've one I'll sell you or trade for your horses. It's big enough for the four of you," the innkeeper said.
Four horses seemed like a lot for a flat bottomed boat, and Prince William said so. The innkeeper continued, "Well, you can't be planning to take the horses into the swamp with you. You won't find a big enough boat to take the four of you and the horses."
"Will you sell us the boat and lodge our horses until our return, Innkeeper?" William asked.
"If you have enough gold or silver, yes. How long are you going to be gone?"
"Less than a month, hopefully, will five gold pieces cover it?" William asked.
"Five, eh? Yeah, I don't know what I'll do with that much gold, but I'll hold your horses for three months and give you the boat for that price." The innkeeper rubbed his chin and looked over the four young people. "Are you going to hire a guide to take you through the swamp?"
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