by Rick Brown
“Brianna?” I asked in a scratchy voice.
Her eyes popped open. “Lee!” She jumped up and ran to the door. She moved like she hadn’t been injured at all. “Father!” She yelled into the hall, “He’s up again!”
She came back to her chair and pulled it close to me. “We’ve been so worried. You’ve been unconscious for over a week!” A week, how is that possible. Though it does explain my thirst and the pain in my stomach.
Father Yagen came in again. This time I could see Father Pild followed him. “Well well,” Yagen said with a smile. “Look’s like this time he is more aware. Maybe it helps waking up to a pretty girl.” I could see Brianna scoot back on her chair uncomfortably. “You’ve had us all very worried. Especially your friends. They’ve been taking turns sitting with you. One of them has been with you night and day.”
I smiled at Brianna. “Thank you.” Just then Barad walked in behind the priests.
“I heard the princess was awake,” He said with a smile. Leave it to your friends to mock you when you’re down.
"I wouldn't call him a princess," Father Yagen laughed. "Even in his fever, it took two of us to hold him down when he started swinging around. I don't know what you dreamed, but you must have walloped it." I tried to lift my head, but it felt so heavy it just fell back down. "Easy there, I've ordered some broth made. Hopefully this time you stay awake long enough to drink it. Should be ready in a few moments."
“What happened?” I was able to mumble.
"We were hoping you could tell us," Barad responded. I could see Brianna's interest was peaked as well. "I was afraid the priests were giving up on Bri when you just walked in and put your hand on her back. Then the two of you started glowing! It seemed like you were that way forever, but the priest said it was only about an hour. Then you just collapsed. We looked at Bri, and she didn't even have a scratch anymore. Not even a scar! She woke up the next day feeling fine."
"Yes," Said Father Yagen. "I have to admit a deep interest in what you did. I've read about magical healing, but it hasn't been heard of in centuries." Just then, the moment I had been eagerly anticipating arrived. In walked the priest carrying my broth, and he had bread! Yagen followed my eyes and smiled. "There will be time for answers later. Let's start rebuilding your strength. He took the broth and bread came over to my bed. "Excuse me, my dear. Could I use your chair," Brianna blushed, and she jumped out of the chair. The priest sat down and dipped the bread into the broth. "We can't start with too much. We've been trickling broth down you for days. You need to reintroduce food gently." He pulled the sopped bread from the broth and let me take a bite. It was the most wonderful thing I could remember eating. I took a few more bites before my stomach started to rumble.
"Well, there's the sign to stop for now," he said, as he pulled away and stood. "Let's allow your stomach to get used to the idea of food again." Having food in my belly gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, and soon I could feel myself drift off to sleep again.
I believe it was the next day when I woke again. Father Yagen was in the room with me alone. I could smell some chicken broth. “I could tell you were about to wake again. I had some broth and bread prepared for you.” He grabbed another pillow and helped me sit up. “Here we go,” he said as he lifted the broth soaked bread for me to bite. It was still delicious, but I was finding myself craving more.
“Do you have anything heartier?” I asked.
He laughed his response. "Let's eat the broth, for now, maybe tonight we can put some soft vegetables in it." I nodded my agreement as I continued to eat. As I felt better, I took the bowl and bread myself and kept eating.
“So,” Yagen leaned back in his chair. “It isn’t possible what I saw happen in my office. The only people that could heal with magic had died out over three hundred years ago. Even then it was only with exhaustive studies that such a thing could be attempted. Certainly not from some boy hired for his sword.” I knew what was coming. You don’t just heal someone without raising questions. Still, I wasn’t sure that I was ready to share the fact that I was a king and, oh yeah, talking with his god!
"I'm not sure what happened," I tried to explain. "I was praying to Alynon, and suddenly I felt guided to the table. Then I collapsed." That felt right. It was no lie. I could live with that.
Father Yagen nodded. “Alynon. So it was a true miracle, and right before my eyes too.” Then he looked at me. “How long have you prayed to Alynon?”
“That was my first time,” I answered honestly. “Telling the truth, he wasn’t the first god I reached out to. Though I tell you he’ll be the first one I’ll reach out to from now on.”
"Excellent! A convert. I haven't had one of those in years. Now I'll have something to brag about to the priests of Ayisha on card night." He said with a big smile as he stood from his seat. "I'll let you get some more rest." Seems what Alynon said about the card games was true. Not that I doubted a god. It just was nice to have some real-world validation. Then I remembered the coin. I reached under the sheet and felt a round coin near my thigh. Once Yagen left, I pulled out the coin. It was just as I had seen it in my dream. New and shiny. A coin that hasn’t been minted in centuries. It felt warm in my palm. Near the top was a clean hole that looks as if the coin had been made with it. I took the coin and hid it behind my pillow.
That evening I was allowed vegetables in my broth, just as Yagen had promised. The next day I was feeling much better. After some begging Father Pild brought me a cane and helped me to the library. It felt good to move around, but I admit to regretting it once I got there. My energy was sapped, and now I was a long way from my bed. Still, I convinced Father Pild to get me a book on Alsselya. I put my weight on my elbows to rest myself the best I could and started flipping through the book. It seemed Alsselya had treaties with both the elves and dwarves. That would explain the mural I saw in the dream. The trade imported the finest ores from the dwarves that the elves turned into weapons that were works of art. It seemed it was only through the mediations of the royal family that the two agreed to work together. The dwarves constructed the city of Ealinhart itself. Their ability to work stone created beautifully delicate arches and towers that ascended into the sky.
I tried to keep reading but the words begin to blur, and I decided to just lay my head down for a moment. "Just as I thought," Said Father Pild. "Come on, Let me help you back to bed."
Chapter 12
(Lee)
As the days past, I recovered my strength. I started eating in the dining hall again and made my daily trip to the temple library. After another week, I even returned to my sword practice. Father Pild helped every day, and we started going through the book by Cornelius Seins to learn additional meditative exercises.
Barad had started training Brianna and Lenux in the hand-to-hand combat we had learned. I started joining them as well to get those techniques down. Brianna and Lenux excelled in this type of combat. Seems it integrated well with their sneak training. Once they learned about the wealth of weapons knowledge to be found in the library, they started joining me there in the afternoons to learn from the great warriors of the past.
During this time we saw little of Father Yagen. He was spending his time analyzing the ledger that Brianna almost lost her life to retrieve. Apparently, much of it was coded, and he was working to decipher the text.
It had been three weeks since I rose from my convalescence and there was an important task I had yet to fulfill. I left after the morning workout and went to the market. After searching through the stalls, I found a jeweler that sold me a gold chain and a link to hang my coin from. I also bought a particular pair of pliers that he convinced me would be needed to close the link. As I wandered through the market, my nose was captured by a wonderful scent. I tracked it down to a sweetbread seller. I purchased enough for everyone at the temple and returned with my purchases. I was greeted as a returning hero when I brought in the sweetbreads. I snagged one and went to my room.
I pulled out the c
hain and the link. Reaching under my pillow, I retrieved the coin. It felt cold now. I put the link into the coin and around the chain then used the pliers to close it. I admit it would have been difficult without the pliers. I put the chain around my neck, and the coin fell flat on my chest. I immediately felt it grow warm. I made sure that it wasn't obvious that I had an impossibly old coin sitting on my chest and went to join the others for dinner.
Brianna and Barad were sitting close together at the table tonight. I don't think that she has accepted his advances yet, but she wasn't cold like she had been. Lenux was sitting across from them, so I went and sat next to him. "Ahh Lee," Barad said as I sat. "Here, have some wine." The priest had made some stew for dinner. I hungrily dunked some bread in and took a bite. The priests sure knew how to cook.
"Barad, I'm surprised to see you here," I teased. "After Bri flipped you over her back today I wasn't sure you landed yet." Barad rolled his eyes, and Brianna snorted.
“I went gentle on him and only threw him a few feet,” she said while laughing. “Lee, I want to try you tomorrow. See if your size changes anything. I nodded in agreement, though I felt leery. Barad looked a bit sore getting up from his turn.
“Oh, I want to try on Lee too,” Lenux jumped in. I gave him a look. “Hey, it’s a good move to use on someone bigger, and you’re the biggest we’ve got.”
Barad pointed at me and mocked. “Ha-ha. That’s what you get for laughing. I’ll definitely be there to watch that.”
“Good,” Brianna answered. “I need someone to practice my kicks on.” That took the glee right out of Barad. I’ve seen Bri practice kicks. I’ll gladly take the throwing practice if I could avoid that.
“Maybe we should work on some sort of padding,” Barad recommended. Funny how pain leads to inspiration.
“Genius,” I added. “I’ll help you.”
The next day Barad and I found some potato bags and stuffed them with straw. While we were at it, we bought a few extra bales and brought them back to the temple with us. The priests looked on amused as I broke open the bales and made a pile of straw while Barad sewed the potato bags closed. Brianna and Lenux came out to investigate what we had built.
“Ok,” Brianna said with a shrug. Let’s see if it works. Barad took one of the bags and braced it against his side. Brianna spun and landed a kick into the bag that sent it and Barad tumbling back into the straw. Barad sat up for a moment and took stock of himself. Then he smiled when he realized he wasn’t hurt. “Good,” Brianna nodded. “Let’s do it one hundred more times.”
Barad withstood an afternoon of abuse while I was tossed over and over again into the straw. While we were still sore, we were thankful for the straw. We discussed the idea of arm straps and some sort of frame in the straw bag for support. Brianna had the idea of maybe stuffing fabric into the bag so it would be firmer but still supply cushion. Barad and I liked Lenux's idea the most. He recommended creating a wooden frame and wrapping fabric around it to practice attacks and blocks against.
That afternoon we all set out and collected the materials needed. When we met back up, we set out building our projects. Father Pild and some of the priest liked the idea and joined us in the construction. We set up a post with two wooden arms set out on the sides with fabric wrapped around it. It was buried in the ground like a fence post so we could hit it without it falling over. The straw in the bags was replaced with tightly packed fabric. A strap was sewn into the back so it could be braced by your shoulder and arm. We also created bags that could be added to our wooden practice frame so we could kick it with force without hurting ourselves. We spent the rest of the day playing with our new toys until night fell and we all retired to our cells.
That night Alynon visited me again. This time I was at a peaceful pond with a beautiful forest around it. There was a waterfall spilling into the pond from a cliff twenty feet above. When I looked into the water, I could see fish swimming below. I looked across the pond, and I could see Alynon lounging on a flat rock by the water. He looked at me and waved me over.
“It’s about time you put on the coin. I was starting to think you forgot.”
“Sorry. I was caught up in my studies.”
He nodded. “Yes, I saw what you four came up with today. Ingenious. I knew the people that created that fighting style many years ago. The Chakarans. They were one of the first losses to the Dommerians. They were few, but they cost their conquerors with heavy casualties. It is good that you learn their ways." The god nodded. "What I want to know now is why you haven't announced yourself as king."
“It just didn’t seem prudent to tell a man that I just chatted with his god and, oh, by the way, I’m your king.” I defended. “He’d have me locked up!”
"On the contrary. By healing that girl, you did something no one but the king could have done," Alynon countered. "It was the perfect opportunity."
“Well, then I wasn’t the one prepared. I had just learned in a dream that I was a king. That takes time to get used to.”
"Well get used to it fast. The world is moving, and we must be ready to make our claim. Soon you will be traveling to Vennean to see the king. We must let our presence be known."
“Vennean?! Why would I be going to Vennean?”
“Because Father Yagen has recently made some discoveries in the ledger. High-level conspiracies against the kingdom of Vaelin that must be denounced. I’m sure he will take you and Barad. He may even take the sneaks. They could come in handy, especially now that they are learning to fight Chakaran. In fact, you should recommend that when he comes to you. Don’t worry. Yagen isn’t quite ready yet. It will give you enough time to have your suit made.”
“Suit?” This was going too fast for me to follow, but I was sure the word suit was new to the conversation.
“Yes. On page eighty in the book on Alsselya that Father Pild pulled for you. You will find the design of the Alsselyian Royal family’s formal suit. There’s a suit maker named Crowler two blocks from the temple. Take the design to him and have it put together. Take your gold. All of it. Crowler doesn’t come cheap, but he does good work.
“All of it?!" I had saved sixteen gold pieces since the temple hired me. They had been a generous employer, and with that much money I should be able to buy a whole wardrobe, and the furniture to keep it in.
"Yes, there is silver woven into the collar and cuffs. That won't come cheap. And don't try to find someone else for cheaper. The effect will be necessary. You must appear as a king to be believed.
"Also having the talent of a king will help. Healing is useful, but it comes with hazards. Also, you can't depend on someone requiring healing when you need to display your power. Not unless you do something drastic anyway. Still, there are other, more showy things you are capable of. It's time to teach you something new.
"When you healed the plant, you fed it some of your energy, but your power has many uses. In this case, you are going to levitate. Not too high. The further the distance the more energy you expend.
“Reach inside yourself and find your energy.” I thought about how I fed my energy into the plant. I felt my own again. This time it wasn’t the tiny pool I had felt before. Now that I was recovered I could feel the energy pulsing through my body. “Excellent. I can see you found it. I think you may be even more powerful than your ancestors! Ok, now harness that energy and push it through your feet against the ground below. Imagine it as pushing off the ground.”
I gave a push, and I think I felt a little wobble. I tried pushing again and lifted a little then immediately dropped back down. "You'll need more than that if you are going to impress anyone. Give it a good hard push." I did as he asked and pushed hard. This time I was launched into the air. The shock of it throwing me off balance and tossing me into the pond.
“Excellent!” The god said as I surfaced from the water. “Do it again!”
After what felt like hours of practice I was now hovering five feet above the ground. I could feel the pull on my power,
but it wasn't draining at an alarming rate. I could hold this for some time. With a little adjustment to the push, I could propel myself forward and backward. "Very good," Alynon said. "You learn quickly."
“I can see how this could be useful in apple harvest season, but how will it make me king. If anything I feel a sitting target up here.”
“Because no one else can do it,” Alynon said with a frown. “If someone denies your right you float right up to them. If nothing else it will scare the hells out of them. You are right about being exposed though. Let’s work on a shield. It’s more of a challenge because you need to hold a shape. While you remain hovering take your energy and push it out from you. You don’t need to fill the entire void. Just try to project a line of energy about five inches around your body.” I did what he asked and tried to create an energy outside of my body. Alynon took a rock and threw it at me. It easily passed through my barrier and struck me in the stomach. I quickly lost focus and dropped to the ground. “It wasn’t strong enough,” he said, pointing out the obvious. “Use your mind when you form it. Think of it as a wall that my rock cannot get through.
I nodded and once again I pushed myself off the ground. Following his instructions, I tried once more to picture a wall, but I couldn't make it feel substantial. Maybe I was imagining this wrong. This time I thought of a suit of armor around my body. I still couldn't see anything, but I could sense a solid barrier around me. Alynon picked up a rock and threw it again. This time it bounced harmlessly away, but when it struck, I felt a shock on my resources.
“Noticed the drain, didn’t you. To levitate takes energy, same with holding your shield. But when its struck, you drain quickly. You see, a moving object has energy. You have to counter its energy with your own. My throw had some force, but an arrow has a lot of energy focused on its arrow tip. The draw of defending against that is immense. You had best hope they only shoot one.