Prophecy's Deception: Book 1: Andarean Realms Prophecies Series

by AS Hamilton

  This drew a decidedly deadly look from Nathan. 'Are you insinuating...'

  'Of course not, my lord,' Regen hastily assured the Thane. 'I meant only to convey my fears regarding the guile of the elvan. If they point you in the direction of this gemstone, it leaves a myriad of other directions in which they can make a move.'

  It was a persuasive argument, Nathan conceded as he considered a second glass of brandy. 'You think the rebels will rally behind this prophecised pair to make a direct attack on our Great Lord?' The Thane's lips quirked to one side as he gave the notion some thought. 'No, I do not think there are enough of them to seriously endanger our Great Lord.'

  'What of the silent death?' Regen countered.

  'As in the fabled may-en-ghi?' Nathan shook his head in a dismissive gesture. 'They have not been seen for centuries; the reference is symbolic.'

  The Thane decided against the second drink and placed the brandy snifter on the edge of the table by his side. As he did, his gaze drifted to the ghellan set on the table. The game required one of four opposing sides to take control of the other's territory. Absently, he picked up a finely-carved piece, running a finger over the smooth, silver-threaded stone. The general was a dragon, the army; lion-like dragons with scaled coats and horns; may-en-ghi. May-en was Elvan for silent, and ghi meant death. Literally translating to sound-no-death.

  'As legend has it, the may-en-ghi would not come near elvan or human, making it unlikely that they would come to this saviour, let alone face our vast forces.' Nathan placed the piece back on the table. 'No, like the dragons sculpted into buildings, the virtuous one-horned horses or sage golden-horned deer on tapestries, and the saints in church windows, they are a fable. If they ever existed, the may-en-ghi are extinct now.'

  'Mayhap silent death refers not to the may-en-ghi, my lord, but that other legendary silent killer; the assassin,' Regen ventured cautiously.

  Nathan paused. 'You mean the Saviour himself?'

  'As you say, my lord, the may-en-ghi are long extinct, but if the reference is to an assassin, it makes sense to focus us on this gemstone in Sal-Cirus and send the Saviour to Denas where our Great Lord temporarily resides. Your search along the routes to Sal-Cirus may be entirely in vain, my lord.'

  Nathan's expression became shrewd. 'I will not abandon the search, not on your word. But I will advise our Great Lord regarding this matter.'

  Regen dipped his head. 'My intention was not to influence you either way, my lord, merely to illustrate that The Prophecy does not hide all from us.'

  The Thane huffed again, of course all his points were valid, in the short time he had known Regen, they always were. Regen was worse than any other mage he knew, always spouting some rubbish such as; 'Never assume that just because something seems obvious — it is'. Still, the mage completed all the trials Nathan put him through. All this bore more thinking, and some re-strategising.

  Nathan nodded to the mage. 'Go back to your task. There is a more detailed version of this prophecy. If we can get this much out of the verse, we can gain multitudes from the real thing.'

  Regen bowed and then hesitated.

  'What?' Nathan snapped.

  'I wish permission to go to Sal-Cirus, my lord.'

  'What, in the name of the great sages, for?'

  'I have been communicating with the archivist in Sal-Cirus, my lord. Their collection holds several journals written by the well-known journey-walkers of the House of Falkon-kai.'

  'The significance of which is?'

  'Many of these journals,' Regen swept his hand over the contents on the desk, 'are written by Falkon-kai members.' Regen caught the exasperated look on his lord's face. 'I see you know of journey-walkers, my lord, but this is significant. You will know that they are a cross between a bard and a story-teller and fulfilled roles as teachers, historians and entertainers, which is unremarkable, I agree. What is remarkable is that they have talent. They linked with the minds of their listeners and gave them the equivalent of a first-hand view of the tale they portrayed.'

  Nathan arched his brows and sneered. 'As far as I am concerned, Regen, this is still unremarkable.'

  'Please, my lord, bear with me.'

  Considering the insight the mage had provided thus far, Nathan nodded.

  'Journey-walkers do not just gather their tales and histories as standard bards or tale-tellers do. Journey-walkers will also move through the planes of the past to view the actual event.'

  'Go on,' said Nathan, interested now.

  'By using this method they can share the experience of other key persons. For example, a journey-walker in Sal-Cirus on the day his lord Keldon invaded may not have been in the room where the Crown Caradon and Diannra were executed, but by viewing the event through the planes, they can put themselves in that room, as has been done in the journal you have here.'

  Nathan consider that.

  'I have found evidence that a Falkon-kai actually tried to reverse Toormeena's vision. That is, he tried to view an event in the future as if he was seeking a past path. This would be like a seer calling forth a specific vision, which they cannot do. They can seek possible futures to gauge the likely outcome of an action, but nothing as specific as a prophecy — they occur unbidden. It is true that, once seen, a vision becomes like a path to the talented and can be sought out through what mages call the planes of memory, but House of Toorian hid the path of The Prophecy. By seeking the actual events, not the vision itself, this Falkon-kai could effectively see what Toormeena saw and more.'

  Regen had his full attention now.

  'No mage had ever achieved this, but, it is said that this Falkon-kai did. I believe the act was more just to see if it could be done and no one took his attempts seriously until his success. Once his house learned of it they ordered him to never speak of it, but as all journey-walkers kept personal journals, it is possible he kept a private record. It was a stunning achievement, my lord, and I cannot believe he did not record it. From my discussion with the archivist in Sal-Cirus, I discovered that there are several Falkon-kai journals there. One of them may belong to this journey-walker. I did not tell the archivist of my suspicions because I did not want to risk word leaking to the rebels.'

  'This journal, it would contain everything that happens?'

  'Mayhap, my lord. I believe the lead is worth pursuing.'

  'Leave today,' came the curt instruction.

  'Oh, well, my lord, I have yet to prepare for—'

  'Today, Regen.'

  Regen bowed again as he left. 'As you will it, my lord.'

  Nathan stared at the empty doorway for several minutes as he absorbed the meaning of Regen's request. That journal could contain information on where the Saviour was hiding, where he'd go, how he confronted the Great Lord and where his rahn was.

  Picking up his empty glass, Nathan reconsidered refilling it. There was a long evening ahead and it had already been a long day. He still had to reallocate the forces searching for the Saviour, get a message to the Great Lord about fortifying his personal guard, and warn him to ensure that those guarding against assassins be reminded to maintain their vigilance.

  There was still time to ferret this Saviour out, if it was done properly. This thought prompted an idea; perhaps he should participate in the search himself. An accomplished hunter, Nathan was sure that once he located the trail of the rider on the white and grey horse, it would only be a matter of days until he caught the Saviour himself. It was certainly better than watching an overconfident boy-mercenary leader and a bunch of incompetent scouts let the cursed elvan walk right by!

  Regen would take several days retrieving the journals. As the mage said, it was safer to keep his trip low-key, if the rebels heard the vaguest whisper of Regen's goal or suspicions, they would interfere. In the mean-time, he could lead the scouts himself. He could dedicate a sennat towards tracking the quarry and if he had no success, he could return to see what Regen's journals revealed.

  Nathan smiled maliciously. Daniel had c
eased to be useful.

  Chapter 2

  Day 1 – Sunset

  Alarus Forest

  The sun was just setting, but Brynn would not stop any time soon. The delays avoiding his pursuers and the extra distance they had to cover to go around heavily-patrolled areas was costing him time and making both Sershja and him weary. This mission was actually one of several that the rebel command had planned, and its success would contribute towards the accomplishment of a greater plan. Two other apprentice mages had been sent out at the same time to contact Toormeena. Brynn was to make the first attempt, however, if he was unable to succeed, one of the others would take over and while Brynn was making his attempt, the other two apprentices had their own missions. In a way, they all backed each other up.

  Other precautions had also been put in place with rebels disguised as servants or placed in other strategic positions to give aid. One of those supports was a rebel who was trailing him in case he needed additional talented aid. With the situation with the patrols becoming problematic Brynn decided he needed that help. In order to hamper the coordination of the patrols he had just finished setting off a series of events to divert the Thane of Ancoulan's attentions. Next, he would have the rebel he had called in lead the patrols along a false trail. With Fate's blessing, these two manoeuvres would succeed in opening a safe route to Sal-Cirus.

  Day 1 – Dusk

  Ancoulan

  Daniel leaned on the balustrade of the stairs leading into the main forecourt of Ancoulan Palace. This was the first 'city' built in Andarea and it was several centuries old. Before Keldon and Malithorn, Ancoulan had been surrounded by forest, the buildings and towers wound through the trees like a river, following the curve and shape of the land. But Keldon had cut almost all the trees down, clearing wide tracts of land to cram in large square rows of buildings he had constructed in their place. Even after this desecration the original city still looked magnificent. Well, to human eyes it did.

  White and gold stone formed the sweeping walls and paving of the forecourt and there was good use of coloured marble and stone throughout the city. Deep greens and blues, rich wine-coloured reds were used to compliment furnishings or emphasise design. The main feature of the city though was a series of canals, which were half-filled with flowers and plants and half-filled with water. Sometimes these canals would branch off in different directions, with one branch filled only with plants and the other with just water. Often this was when the canal with water was diverted to fill a fountain or water feature. Somehow the water fed the plants, but the design was hidden within the structure of the canal. They circuited the entire city, throughout buildings and around them, expanding into park areas, and forming fountains and waterfalls. Even some of the banisters had been formed from them, with glass tops enclosing them in smooth, rounded curves.

  The forecourt also demonstrated the skill of elvan designers. In the early morning, just as the sun rose, and in the evening, when it was about to set, the forecourt was filled with a misty, golden light. It had a very mystical effect. Daniel had seen it twice, now. The first day he had arrived, a few sennats ago, and just a short while ago as he waited for the last group of patrols to return from their rounds. Daniel was reluctant to let go of the feeling of peace, but as the horses clattered into the court, he resigned himself to it and turned his mind to the grim matters before him.

  The patrols would have met at the river crossing at the southern end of Vehana Lake and proceeded to the city. The riders looked ragged; the dirt of eight days riding and seven nights sleeping in the open showed on their clothing and skin. In order to meet Nathan's requirement to have searchers out thirty-two hours a day, eight days a sennat without completely exhausting his men, he had nine lots of twelve patrols on a rotating roster. Each patrol consisted of eight men and had a day of rest before heading back out. Many went straight to the barracks and the showers before they moved on to the dining hall. One of the advantages Keldon had recognised in taking over Andarea was that they had advances like showers and heating and cooling systems among other technology. It was, for those not native to the land, a bit confusing, because the elvan refused to apply this technology in many places, for instance, there had been no roads here originally, something to do with their desire to preserve nature. But they did have a sophisticated transport system that was run by talent using underground tunnels. They had disabled the transport system so Keldon couldn't use it to move his troops around, along with removing or disabling other technology, but they had not had time to do a thorough job of it.

  Seventeen elvan were brought in with these patrols. Nathan would be in a markedly better mood, Daniel thought. At least until the Thane realised that the elvan he sought was not amongst them. Daniel already knew this without even seeing the poor, wretched creatures dragged into the forecourt, ropes strung about their necks as if they were beasts. As he had pointed out to Nathan, if any of them had come across the prophecised Saviour, a messenger would have been sent to herald the news. Still, Nathan would insist that every one of them was interrogated.

  Daniel's mood clouded even further as he heard the approach of the Thane, the heels of his boots snapping against the marble floor. Nathan used to be a military man and he still marched, left, right, left, right. Daniel tensed his jaw and then released it, repressing any indication that he was less than pleased to be in the Thane's presence. He turned and bowed, this time making himself pause. After this morning's tense discussion, he decided he should appear a little more subdued. He did not smile, that would merely irk the Thane. Nathan would not abide faked friendliness and was quick to strike at those who proffered any falseness, be it a smile, a compliment undeserved, or a straight out lie.

  'My lord,' he greeted the Thane formally.

  'They are early. At least that is in your favour,' the Thane remarked archly, brushing by.

  Daniel raised his brows and followed the Thane down into the forecourt. The mercenary leader signalled to his men, dismissing them as Nathan's soldiers dispersed themselves around the court — Nathan was very clear, in Ancoulan, Daniel's men were to leave the handling of prisoners to Nathan's soldiers. The most senior of Daniel's men, Paulson, approached and handed his report to Daniel before dipping his head and leading the mercenary group out. Daniel considered the group of prisoners. Some had collapsed because they were so starved or exhausted they were unable to bear their own weight. The rest knelt as they were trained to do.

  'Report,' Nathan directed.

  Daniel was tempted to remain silent and force the Thane to turn and address him politely, but he sensed that such mischievousness was too dangerous this evening.

  'These seventeen were all travelling in the patrolled areas,' Daniel relayed as he scanned the report Paulson had just given him. 'Nothing more stands against them. Eight are slaves assigned with tasks, four are farmhands, three are merchant assistants, and two, cannot be categorised.'

  'Rebels?'

  'That has not been established.' Daniel kept his tone neutral.

  Nathan's head darted towards the end of the line, easily picking out the two in question. 'Before me,' he ordered.

  Four soldiers dragged the unwilling elvan in front of the Thane. Daniel reflected that one of the real reasons elvan were made to kneel was to diminish the advantage of their height. Standing, Nathan's nose would have trouble reaching the upper chest of a short elvan. The two elvan, did not quite cower before the Thane, but they kept their heads bowed. They had been stripped of their weapons and gear, the dirt leaving distinctive lighter areas on the pale skin where bracers had been worn. One was listing slightly to the side, probably nursing broken ribs — a common injury among slaves. The second elvan... there was something about him Daniel could not quite identify. There was a... dignity about him. He'd been dragged through mud, beaten, and who knew what else, yet Daniel felt like he was before a person of real status, not the façade Nathan put on. There was nothing Daniel could point to and say: That one is a lord. Daniel had see
n it before, often he discovered they had once been high up in the elvan ranks. What worried him was that these elvan often spoke a certain way without realising it, and Nathan would pick up on it. He would hear that he was inferior to them just by the way they spoke. Often, if they were fortunate, Nathan killed them outright.

  'Explain your presence,' Nathan demanded.

  'It is a rather amusing tale,' the uninjured one replied darkly, raising his head.

  The move made Daniel's blood run cold. Nathan would not, would never brook a slave meeting his gaze so defiantly. He'd been right about the voice, too. Not imperious, but the elvan was used to being in authority. Defiant copper eyes met Nathan's without fear.

  'We were on our way to our herds when your men jumped us, pummelled us well beyond a tender pound of meat and threw ropes about our necks before dragging us behind their horses.'

  Nathan's hand whipped out, striking the elvan hard across the cheek. Most men would have crumpled under such a blow. Elvan were not men. In battle it took a lot to get one down, especially in hand-to-hand combat; something both Abbarane rulers avoided, ensuring their patrols were mounted. Almost all attacks on larger groups of elvan contained at least two riders for every man on foot. As well as a lot of lances and spears. The elvan barely flinched from Nathan's blow, but his head did drop to one side. Daniel could swear the position allowed the elvan to keep the Thane in his peripheral vision while not provoking another blow.

  The Thane's eyes narrowed. 'I will not bother clarifying my question. Do you know whom you kneel before?'

  'A thug...er...thane,' the elvan retorted.

  The insolent captive was kneed in the stomach by the soldier at his side. As he crumpled with the blow, his silent friend pressed himself up against the soldier nearest him on the other side. It was a peculiar gesture that Daniel thought he was meant to mistake for cowering fear. Instead of casting him off the soldier just looked down with an odd look on his face as he exhaled sharply. Daniel knew that look, it was the look of a man who had just been stabbed. He'd seen it in combat and in one particularly memorable tavern fight, there was no mistaking it, the elvan must have had a knife hidden on him somewhere, but there was no time to say anything. The elvan was already surging up towards Nathan, the bloody, slender blade in his hand striking his friend beneath the ribs, and then slashing back in a move to cut the Thane's throat.