by Wright, A L
“Sir,” Clyd was saying “It may be time to start recruiting men from the village close by.”
“If only we could turn them. We need warriors and rangers, not village men with pitchforks and clubs. Nevertheless, it is something to think upon. I trust you and Tynen to clean up as many of those goblins you can. I will try to come up with another plan to help us bolster our numbers.”
“Sir,” Clyd bowed again and walked away. Leaving him to his thoughts again.
Chapter 9
Nikka was walking back towards the keep with Friesa when she saw her Father standing in the doorway.
“He looks broody,” she said to Friesa.
“He always looks broody to me.” Her friend replied.
It was true, her father did look very dark and moody quite often lately. Tonight was more so. There was something definitely on his mind.
“Father,” She called as they approached. “Is everything all right?”
“Well, no. There have been large numbers of goblins spied in the woods tonight. We just don't have forces large enough to take them head on. Clyd will be doing what he can to take them out quietly, but it will be a long drawn-out task. We need more men, this is all coming down on us much quicker than I expected.”
Her father stared past them at the wall that surrounded the keep. She knew he was looking beyond there though. Trying to find answers.
“Can we not recruit from the Village?” Nikka asked.
“To be honest, I want to keep the humans out of this as much as possible. In the last Great War humans were almost wiped out. They were not strong enough to stand against the enemy. No. We need more Nobles. We need to be able to turn more humans into Nobles.”
“Well I am sure there be folks who would volunteer for that.” Friesa spoke up. “I would do it maself if I could, if it meant helpin' ta fight.”
Friesa looked over at her meaningfully, and took Nikka's hand. Squeezing it, Nikka smiled at her. Nikka knew who her friend was thinking of being turned with.
“I know you would. Problem is, we do not have a Chamber of our own. We would have to seek help from The Patriarch for that.” Nikka frowned. “Though I've never traveled there, I am unsure of how far away he is.”
Her Father grimaced. “You may be right, we may need to consult him.”
“Wait now, you would seek out the Patriarch?” Friesa asked.
“He is the leader of the Nobles, though we don't really follow him. He is also my grandfather, but I have never met him.”
Friesa looked over at her in awe. “So ye really are Princess of the Nobles!”
“Yes but we try not to let titles get in the way of what we do here.” Dartein added quickly. “We need to concentrate on the fight, and it is coming sooner than we expected. I will need to send a message to my father and ask him for help.”
Dartein turned and walked into the Keep, to the right side of the main hall. He had a desk and chairs there, with parchment and pens.
Nikka pulled Friesa by the hand along with her, following her father in.
“Who will you have carry the letter, Father?”
“I will send it with Tynen. He will be there and back quickly, as he knows the way.”
Nikka led Friesa back outside.
“What if we went with Tynen?” She asked Friesa.
“Why, what would that accomplish?”
“Maybe we could talk my grandfather into letting us use the Slumber Chamber.” Nikka quieted after she said that, seeing Victor walk out of the Keep and turn towards them.
“Ladies. How are you this evening?” Thankfully he did not say anything about the Slumber Chamber, even though Nikka knew he had heard.
Nikka held up their clasped hands in an innocent gesture. “Just taking a friendly stroll, spending some time with a good friend.” She winked at Victor, playing around.
She was startled when she saw Victor's eyes widen at the sight of them holding hands.
“Well then excuse me, I need to be on my way.” He hurried off, leaving a very confused Nikka behind.
What had scared him off, she wondered?
Chapter 10
Yosan and Hudreia reached the village of the Patriarch in the middle of a very dark night. What little there was of the moon was hidden behind clouds with no breeze to move them away.
It had taken much longer than they wanted to find the right village, as they had expected him to be ruling over the largest of the country villages. This one was rather mediocre in size, but very populous, and obviously much wealthier than all the other villages they had visited.
They did not need directions to the Patriarch's Palace, as they could plainly see it rising above the village.
“He has done well for himself,” Yosan muttered. “Here he has sat being worshiped like a king, and we ran the countryside for the last millennia hunting and killing goblins. “
“He has helped the countryside to prosper, as that was his aim when we left. He has done well for the people as well as himself.” Hudreia interjected.
They soon saw just how well their old friend had done for himself when they came through the open gates into the courtyard of the palace. The yard was very large, to accommodate high amounts of traffic. The out buildings were in good repair. The palace itself was built sturdily out of very large cuts of stone.
The Palace was two levels above ground, with two towers that added another level. As they stood there and looked the place over, a guard approached the pair.
Recognizing them as Nobles, the guard bowed slightly after he stopped in front of them. “Greetings. Do you have business within the Palace?” The guard asked them.
“Yes. We are old friends of Mortul's, err, the Patriarch's. Could you please show us to him?” Yosan asked.
The guard was taken aback. No one ever asked to speak with the Patriarch directly and no one ever used his name. Important matters were usually brought to the Council and then escalated to the Patriarch as needed.
“I can escort you into the Main Hall, where you will need to wait for me to announce your presence to The Patriarch. Follow me, it will be a few moments before I return.”
The guard ushered them into the Main Hall, gestured to them to wait, and hurried off up a set of stairs.
Hudreia looked around at the black marble benches along the wall.
“We may as well sit, Yosan. The guard said it would be a bit.”
Yosan humphed as he sat down next to her. She knew he was perturbed at Mortul's show of wealth in his home. But it had been their choice to run the countryside, making temporary homes as they went. She also knew Yosan held little regard for Lords who flaunted their wealth and power. He had lost his human wife to a wealthy Lord, a Duke, who thought himself above the law. The same Duke who had abandoned their cause and their war. The man had been self-serving and cared only for his own survival.
Yosan had sent his wife and son to live at the Duke's Keep, away from the battlefields. He had not wanted them near the war at all.
He also had not wanted them there to witness his Change into a dark one.
While they were off fighting for the very existence of mankind, the pretentious Duke was availing himself of the women who had sought protection in his keep. He demanded their attentions, or he would threaten to send them back to the front lines of the war where they lived before.
The Dukes favorite lady was Yosan's wife. Yosan did not find out about her treatment until after the war ended and he had ridden to the Duke's keep to gather her and their son.
He had come to the keep to find his wife beaten and dying, misused and filthy in a dark room with only a small mattress for furniture. He had raged throughout the keep until he found the Duke and flung him out a window to his death in the courtyard below.
He promised to punish all those who were involved in his wife's mistreatment, and every single person fled from the keep out of fear.
His wife died a few weeks later, unable to recover from her ordeal. He grieved for her fo
r months, barely able to care for his son. The boy was only six years of age, and was frightened of the thing his father had become. Yosan found a family in a close by village who had lost their children in the war and left the boy in their care.
After that, he and Hudreia fled into the countryside, feral from blood-lust and hungry for another fight.
Hudreia had helped to mend his broken heart some. She knew she could never claim it though. Yosan's love for his wife was still strong. But she had never needed heartfelt love, and was content with having him as a companion and a lover. She had seen too well how emotions could make you weak.
She looked up to see the guard approaching them with a look of curiosity stamped on his face.
“If you will follow me, the Master has requested an audience with you in his Library.”
---
Running his hands through his hair, Mortul waited for the unexpected visitors to come in to the Library. He had also sent another guard to fetch Kurmeina to join them, her discovery of his granddaughter's bloodlines in the front of his mind.
Just as he was about to pour another glass of liquor a knock sounded at the door. Waving at the guard standing next to the door to let whoever it was in, he turned back to the table and finished pouring his drink.
Kurmeina hurried in through the door, packing the large book of lineages with her.
“Sir, I ran here quickly. Whatever can be so important? Oh, you are drinking, that is not a bad sign I hope?”
The corner of his normally serious face lifted in a fraction of a smile. He had no idea his frustrations were so easily noticed by certain court members. Of course Kurmeina was closest to him, but still... he should be more careful.
Setting the glass back down, he turned toward her. “Not a bad sign, just something quite unprecedented. We are to be receiving guests here shortly. It seems that Yosan and Hudreia have come back to our corner of the countryside.”
“That... that is incredible! How very well timed that Yosan would come now, after discovering that you and he share a blood relative.” Kurmeina sat down in one of the many overstuffed chairs in the room, cradling the book in her lap.
Just then another knock came at the door, causing her to jump back up. The guard again opened the door after Mortul signaled him. In walked two ghosts from his past.
Hudreia entered first taking in the library and Yosan followed her. Both walked in practiced silence, and dressed in their long cloaks they seemed to float along the ground. After her quick examination of the room Hudreia turned her attention to him.
Waving the guard out of the room, he walked over and shut the door himself ensuring the privacy barriers were in place. He turned back to his guests.
“Welcome to the Palace of the Nobles. It has been many a long year since I have seen you both.”
Hudreia walked over and took his hand. “It is good to see you again after so long, Mortul. You have done so much to repair these lands and make them thrive.”
Mortul raised her hand and kissed her knuckles quickly before letting go. “I have merely laid the groundwork. The humans are resilient and rebuilt quickly. It was tricky at first. I had good help though,” he said indicating Kurmeina standing nearby.
“My lady. I am glad to see my old friend does not go it alone,” Yosan said, bowing his head towards Kurmeina.
Kurmeina laughed. “Oh, dear. No, I am merely a scholar, a council member, and an old friend. I was never the object of his affection.” She was smiling until she saw the sad look that must have been playing on his face. “But pardon my manners. I am Kurmeina. I was scholar and teacher when we began rebuilding the villages. Now I am a History Keeper for both the humans and the Nobles.”
“So you have records on all that has transpired since our departure?” Hudreia asked.
“Oh yes. That and so much more.” She held out the book in her hands to Mortul.
Not quite sure he was ready to spill out all his bad memories so quickly, he took the book from her. “Please sit, everyone. I am sure my two friends have come for a reason, but I insist that we discuss something in particular first.” He sat down at his desk, laying the book down. “Let me tell you of the woman I did love, long ago.”
Chapter 11
Feeling quite emotionally drained after telling them of his Samana and her ending bringing their son into the world, he stopped talking. Thankfully no one said anything while he wrestled his emotions back under control.
After a long moment, he cleared his throat and continued. “After her death I never let any of our Nobles pick a Chosen out of love. All of the Choosings have been done via contract to promote fairness and to bolster our readiness should we ever face war again. I could not let any other Noble fall for a human and be torn apart the way we had been. A love sealed by Slumber is eternal. And eternal heartbreak is not something I wish upon any Noble.”
Getting up from his desk he walked over to the table where he left his glass. After topping it off, he sat back down. He took a small sip and continued his story.
“It all worked quite well until my son's choosing. I did not know he had come to fall for a human woman, and when he asked to be the next to take a Chosen I was happy to comply. He had been a bit wild and never had taken interest in the contracts or sitting in on the Council. I had hoped he was coming around to learning the way of ruling over our kind. But alas, he and his Chosen fell under the same curse as my Samana and I had.”
Hudreia spoke up. “I take it that she did not survive then?”
“No. It's been almost twenty years since I have seen my son, twenty years since his chosen died bringing forth their daughter. He tried everything he could think of to save her, even after I warned him that nothing would help. The only thing that could have been done would be to alter the spells in my chamber to change her back to human. I had refused to do that, because in doing so we would no longer be able to grow as a race. No longer be secure in a way to protect the lands from the Enemy.”
“You were right in your thinking. The Enemy has indeed returned despite our efforts at keeping them at bay,” Yosan said. “It was very clever, and wise, of you to continue our kind. We will need every last bit of help when they finally break free of their earthly holdings and march on us.”
Hudreia laid her hand on Yosan's knee, silencing him. “I quite agree with Yosan. I do wonder then... since only our blood could open the crypt where our chambers were buried, did your son visit there in his quest to save his lady?”
“Yes, that is one reason we came to you now. We were there on our way through and the triggers had been set off, but there was no sign of forced entry,” Yosan added.
“Of course, I did not think of that then. He came back defeated and miserable. He must have found that there was no way he could move those chambers. Only the creators could move them and neither of you were around. Whilst he was away his Chosen went into labor. He came back just as she gave birth and died. He never stayed long enough after to tell me of what his journey had revealed to him. I do know that he had used the blood secret of our kind. He was crazed when he came upon his dying lady. He took the baby and left that very night, his lady's personal guard with him. I know he is still alive. I would feel it if he were not.”
“Both he and the child must be fairly powerful, then, if they were born directly of your bloodline,” Hudreia said.
“Ah well, that brings me to my main reason for meeting with you in a sealed room. My son was quite powerful, more strong and quick than magical. I do believe had I taken the time to teach him, he could have been fairly adept with magick. But his daughter, now there would be far more potential in that one.” He flipped open the book and turned it towards Yosan. “You see, Kurmeina had just recently traced my son's Chosen's lineage back and found a connection to you, Yosan. More directly, though, to your son.”
The raised brows on Yosan's face were the only indicator of his surprise. He laid a finger on his son's name on the page. “Alton. It has been many a long year
since I have seen or spoken that name.”
“I would not speak ill of your kin, but it seems that he had a knack for magic as well. But with no teacher he abused his powers for small gains. He won over the daughter of a wealthy merchant and after he ensorcelled her to his will and despoiled her, the father gathered some men and hunted him down. After her father captured and killed Anton he found out that his daughter was pregnant. He turned her out of his house and she gave birth in a small convent. The ladies of the church kept the child, but cast her out for having the taint of someone who would succumb to evil magicks. The book shows the rest of the lineage down to the name of my son's Chosen, Josaleene. Their child is of both our blood. And after discovering this, I am in need of finding the child. She could be dangerous.” He drained his glass of its contents, his story finished.
Hudreia stood from her chair. “She may be as you say, dangerous. She may also be our best potential ally. If we could find her and train both her and your son, we would be even stronger than we were in the last war.”
She began to pace back and forth in front of hers and Yosan's chairs. Yosan sat back in his chair, staring at empty space, thoughts of his son flitting through his mind.
“This is what Mordred meant!” She stopped pacing suddenly.
“Mordred?” Mortul asked, confused.
Not hearing him she continued. “She spoke about one who was 'of Mortul' and that he and his bloodline were key to winning this war.” She looked over at Yosan, who nodded after coming back to attention, remembering the conversation with the seer.
“You have seen Mordred?” Mortul prompted her.
“Yes, yes she was at the grounds where the chambers are buried. I thought it odd for her to be haunting that area still. But she sent us to you after we saw your chamber was missing and that the triggers had been set off,” said Yosan.