A Question of Power (The Fire Chronicles Book 2)

by Susi Wright

  Luminor remained silent, thoughtful. The beautiful creature had inhabited and enriched part of his soul for a short while and he had hoped in vain to keep it with him. What he wished for was sometimes at odds with what should happen – consequently, he actually wondered the same thing. The mystery was, that even though he had seen Ra leave with his own eyes, should have some idea where he was through the Link, he had not felt the leaving in his senses, though he could no longer detect the presence of the wraith. It was an odd feeling, as if the dragon was still right beside him, but elsewhere at the same time.

  Without a great deal of contemplation, the answer was bound to escape him, so he gave Sumar his humble reply. “Dear brother Sumar. . .I have no idea!”

  As they turned the corner to enter the stable, Saria was outside to meet them, with Melu right behind her, both eager to greet Lord Luminor for different reasons.

  “So! This is Saria.” Luminor’s statement didn’t require much of a response, but sensing the man’s hesitance, Luminor turned a sudden probing look on him. Challenged, Sumar tried valiantly to hide his innermost feelings with a bare modicum of success, pasting a blank expression on his face that was nothing, if not suspicious.

  Feeling the block but deciding not to pursue the issue, Luminor’s eyes flashed with acknowledgment and a message. We will discuss this later!

  Luminor had already seen the problem with Xandor. Now it seemed there were two of them to take to task about the matter! This was not the time. He would give it more consideration and deal with it in private. As with many things, given time, it might well sort itself out!

  “I am pleased to meet you at last, Lady Saria. You are safe under Sumar’s protection for the time being, and you have mine also – if you choose it!”

  “Thank you, my lord. I am simply unable to decide anything at all, right now. I do know that to be safe would be a blessing!” She downcast her eyes respectfully, without glancing in Sumar’s direction, then stepped back to allow the patient but excited Melu his own greeting. Just one word in Morvian and a painfully strong arm-hold with Luminor conveyed Melu’s great pleasure at seeing his lord again, before he hurriedly led the way in to the stable.

  Saria had gone ahead of them into the building, so Luminor spoke quietly aside to Sumar as he moved to follow Melu. “You know that you have my leave to take Saria to the palace right now, if you like – ” he regarded Sumar with a thoughtful gaze, which insisted Sumar return the eye contact, “ – but, if you prefer, I will accompany you there, after I have finished here.”

  Sumar responded with an uncertain smile, which wavered between apprehension and gratitude, as he realised his immediate choices had been limited by his own flaws. Despite his best efforts to mask his intention, Luminor could sense the tiny stirrings of his heart and had probably already read Xandor like an open book! He thought Luminor had just offered some degree of support, an encouragement to believe that he could rely on his new lord’s wisdom to prevail in the matter, knowing his future happiness would no doubt be decided by his strengths, not his failings.

  He decided to accept the offer. “I would dearly like to see my friend Churian treated, perhaps improve a little, before we leave here – with Lady Saria’s permission, of course!” He cast Saria a questioning look, trusting her gentle nature would allow the delay, but willing to concede to her wishes if they were otherwise.

  “Of course!” she echoed without hesitation, grateful to be given the freedom to make this choice on her own. She was equally matched to Sumar in kindness and forbearance, notwithstanding her great personal trials. “I have interest to see this healing also! I understand, Sumar, your loyalty and concern, your hope to witness an improvement. From what you have said about him, he must certainly be a revered mentor and friend to many. It would not do to lose him!” She settled herself down against the stable wall to watch.

  Luminor crouched beside Churian, noticing several human soldiers and Gaian warriors had crowded into the wide doorway, vying for a view of the proceedings. Others were craning their necks behind them. He sighed heavily, calling out a warning to all those in earshot. “Do not expect too much, my friends! I have to tell you. . .there will be no miracle here! Even when I have my strength, my healing experience is limited. I do not know how much I can manage to do here. I too, can only hope Churian will survive.”

  Satisfied he had laid an honest footing for his next actions, he began to focus. It bordered on painful to draw on the Supreme power again so soon after the rigours of battle, almost like a sore muscle after overuse. As he bent to the task, he was forced to push the nagging pain in his ribs far to the edge of his awareness, so he could concentrate properly as he placed a hand on either side of Churian’s head. Slowly, the channel to the Eternal Flame opened to him and he was gratified to find it had been replenished by the missing portion, now returned to its source. His strong desire to help Churian served to counteract his lingering weakness, enabling him to draw and direct a gentle flow of healing Fire into the wound. Fortunately in this case, as in many applications of this element, less was more, so the trickle that flowed was just enough to do its delicate job. He allowed it to continue for several minutes.

  Not much could be seen, though some of the observers at the doorway remarked when they thought they saw Churian’s eyelids flutter briefly. From their close proximity, Sumar and Melu saw the physical sign, both of them also perceiving a distant stirring of Churian’s consciousness as his brain soaked up a little more healing. Then stopped.

  Suddenly, with a tired sigh, Luminor withdrew his hands. “That is enough! I can do no more – and he can take no more on this occasion. Time will be the healer until the next treatment!”

  The human audience quickly dispersed, slightly disappointed, despite Luminor’s warning that no amazing magic would be seen here tonight. Knowing the subtle ways of Healing, the Gaians had understood, leaving with the others; they were presently not inclined to attempt to explain these finer arts to their human counterparts. Everyone was battle-weary and eager to find some well deserved food and rest, wasting no time in doing so.

  Luminor accepted Sumar’s offered hand to aid him to his feet, wincing slightly. He managed a wan smile. Reaching the other hand out to rest on the Morvian’s shoulder, he projected mental energy to aid communication. It was a formal address. “Brother Melu, I must leave now with Sumar and Lady Saria. I leave Churian in your capable care. . .but please take a break tomorrow evening. Leave him for just two hours in the hands of the Baramese medics. Come to the celebration, to represent your family – and your people! Starting from tomorrow, your first diplomatic engagement, I would like you take up the appointment as Assistant for Foreign Affairs. You are the best communicator I have ever met! Language is never a problem for you. You can communicate so well, tomorrow night it would simply be enough to mingle at the celebration. In time, you would be able to give official speeches in many dialects, help the uncertain ones we might encounter to understand. It is time humans and other Gaians outside of Baram, opened their eyes and their hearts to new things! The Alliance is not only for them!” Luminor’s gaze lingered in kind appeal on the Morvian’s face.

  Melu’s large black eyes showed obvious reluctance at first, flicking protectively back to his patient, but he knew duty wore many noble hats and he was happy to don any one – or all – for the Alliance! He owed Lord Luminor and the Alliance his life and his loyalty in equal measure to that which he owed Churian. He had great respect for a leader who wielded such power yet retained enough humility to make most orders sound like irresistible invitations. Confirming this willingness to accept the position of Morvian representative and minister for Foreign Affairs, at Luminor’s side, his face broke into his signature grin. Ear to ear.

  Luminor returned the smile, content that he had not coerced Melu in any way. He liked and respected the Morvian, having come to know enough about the man’s character to know he would not refuse. Even in his youth, Luminor had never favoured subterfuge
, though he had been forced to use it in the past. He preferred to leave as much as possible to the power of freedom of choice and conscience. His intuition told him that true power lay in tranquility of heart and giving hope to the hopeless.

  Every great quest, every victory, had a way of serving up its own humility.

  CHAPTER 43

  Arrival

  The palace was quiet when Luminor, Sumar and Saria arrived by air-cloak, well after midnight. Most of the people within its walls, exhausted from recent events and hungry, had partaken of a small meal and gone to find quarters to share or a floor-space in which to sleep. As anxious as she was to be reunited with them, Saria concluded that her parents would be asleep by now and she did not want to wake them because they were both quite frail. The morning would be soon enough to see them, with only a few hours left now for some sorely needed rest.

  Saria showed her companions the way to the palace kitchens, finding a simple meal for them of dried bovino jerky and panna. The remainder of the tisane that had been made during the evening was still warm, the teapot hanging over the hearth where the embers from the cooking fire still glowed. She held the pot with a cloth and swirled the contents, then poured three cupfuls to accompany the food. When they finished eating, Saria insisted on attending to Luminor’s wound. “Come, my lord. Let me see this injury of yours! Even you cannot hide that it pains you still!” She ignored his protestations and proceeded to examine and redress the gash which had reopened during the last few hours. Satisfied he was reasonably comfortable, she added with a small smile, “Now you can see to healing yourself, if you will lie still and allow it. . .I am sure someone has left a chamber empty for you. Let’s find some rest!” She led the way to the sleeping level, quickly finding an empty room that Luminor and Sumar could share, before making her way to her own chamber, trying bravely to shake off the memories it held.

  A minimum guard patrolled the wall, two Gaian, two human. The sentries could hear the soldiers snoring loudly in their tents outside the walls. This continuous contented rumble was interspersed with the occasional snort or stomp of a samblar hoof, as the six hundred tired animals, their bellies full of grain, rested in their hobbles around the perimeter. The camp was situated in a swathe of open ground surrounding the palace, a small city of tents. In shadowy relief, the empty, dark ruins of what had once been the great city of Salmat sprawled out beyond that, all the way to the distant hills; the small fires that had still been burning earlier that day had finally snuffed out, leaving an even deeper void in their place.

  One of the Baramese guards elbowed the Gaian warrior next to him as they stood together surveying the scene, watching for any sign of life, good or evil. They both knew there was much hard work ahead of them in the days to come. The human soldier remarked as sagely as he could, trying to impress his new Gaian brother, “Tomorrow will be. . . what a new day is!” The Gaian merely nodded patiently.

  Sumar was up before dawn. He crept quietly out of the room, leaving Luminor still sleeping off his deep exhaustion. He was anxious to search out Xandor. He had not seen his friend since before the battle and wanted to catch up on his account of it, before the hustle and bustle of the morning began. Equally as important, he wanted to determine by sense-sight, what Xandor’s intention was concerning Saria, before their inevitable meeting today. He searched the rows of sleeping warriors and humans in the corridors and out in the square for an hour, but turned up nothing. Disappointed, he passed by the amenities building where a dozen younger women were starting work in the kitchens, making tea and huge pots of thin porridge. Theirs, was the enormous job of feeding the several hundred people in the palace. Portions would be small in order for it to go around.

  Outside, in the Baramese camp, soldiers were beginning to rouse from their tents, splashing their faces in the troughs and tending to their samblars before collecting a cup of water and dry biscuit to break their fast. They soon joined their Gaian counterparts, who had slept out under the stars, in various early morning duties. Sumar did manage to find Zenth, greeting him with a broad smile, pleased to see him alive and in one piece. “Brother Zenth! I am heartened to see you survived the battle, unscathed!”

  “Well met, Sumar!” Zenth’s smile faded. “How is our Lord Luminor? I know he was badly wounded.”

  “I think he is surprisingly well, brother. He yet sleeps, which is unusual for him, but he was injured and these are unusual times, wouldn’t you agree?” Sumar didn’t wait for Zenth to respond. He was becoming a little impatient to find Xandor.

  “Have you seen Xandor? I have looked everywhere – I need to speak to him urgently!”

  Zenth shook his head. “Not this morning. Last time I saw him was at supper. There were a few men rallying an urgent hunting party, late in the evening. But I was so tired, I went to find sleep in the square. Perhaps he joined them.”

  Things were quickly becoming hectic, people scurrying back and forth all over the palace, portending a full day of organised chaos leading up to the celebration in the evening. It seemed that the opportunity to discover his friend’s whereabouts had been lost.

  Xandor was nowhere to be found.

  So. . . he has neatly dodged responsibility. . .once again! thought Sumar, feeling more than a little irritated, not convinced it was mere coincidence that Xandor had chosen now to go on an extended hunt. Conversely, he was more than a little pleased that he would have the opportunity to find some more valuable time in Lady Saria’s company. Without complication. He would seek her out presently, guessing he would find her with her parents, helping in the kitchens. He looked forward to meeting the old couple and helping with the menial chores. There would be several hours when he could work alongside her this morning and many more until the men returned from the hunt.

  His musing was disturbed by a sudden sense of apprehension, followed by a shout from the one of the sentries on the ramparts.

  “Twenty men, armed and mounted, approach! They will be outside the gates in a half-hour!” came the warning, though with the army and warriors surrounding the palace like a swarm of bees, twenty newcomers posed no real threat.

  “Where is Lord Luminor?” called someone loudly from the gatehouse. “Do we leave the gate open . . .do we let them in?”

  Except for Luminor’s own warriors, who never forgot the ideals of the Alliance or their lord’s wishes, there was a certain amount of conjecture about what should be done. Despite the assurances given by Luminor’s men, fear or suspicion, coupled with lingering ignorance, had caused some from both races to forget or ignore the instructions of the previous day. Many were in favour of closing the gates or taking the newcomers into custody for questioning; the suggestion circulated that they could be human mercenaries. The worst kind!

  Commander Stolis stepped out from one of the parapets, where he had been viewing the approach of the riders. They were travel-worn, but uniformed and well-armed with spears, bows and swords. In his opinion, they didn’t have the look of mercenaries, but in dire times – who could tell? Making himself visible to his soldiers on the ground, he issued an order to form up a guard of fifty in front of the gate as a precaution. The Baramese contingent was still under his command in military matters, though he would not presume to take up leadership of the Gaian warriors; neither did he have any authority or diplomatic experience to receive the newcomers. He sent two men to accompany Zenth and a Gaian elder to fetch Lord Luminor.

  The four of them hurried along the corridors to Luminor’s chamber. In minutes they were outside the door and Zenth knocked loudly.

  No answer. Another rap. No sound from inside. Zenth looked to the elder warrior beside him, his hand hesitant on the door handle. At a firm nod from the older man, he went ahead and opened the unlocked door, the four of them crowding quickly inside the small chamber.

  Luminor was spreadeagled on the straw mattress, eyes firmly closed, apparently still sleeping. His chest was rising and falling with strong breaths; his skin had usual colour. It was a mystery w
hy he had not already been roused by the commotion all around the palace. His warrior reflexes and training would not normally have allowed such lack of awareness! Even now, with their presence in the room, he remained motionless.

  The sentient elder, Zelor, stepped forward to examine him more closely with a series of speculative noises. “Mmm . . .” he methodically checked the wound, “Aha. . .”, as he perused every other part of Luminor’s body. With all the prodding and poking, and a few firm shakes, they hoped he would wake up, but he did not stir, even once. Finally Zelor stepped back with an unreadable expression on his face.

  The other three waited expectantly for a diagnosis of some kind. If Lord Luminor was too ill to attend to his duties and Xandor, his right hand man, was missing, someone would have to be appointed to receive the visitors on their behalf – and quickly! Despite Zenth’s recent improvements in perceptive ability, he regarded the inactive form of his lord with doubt. He couldn’t help thinking that things were not going as they should.

  Zelor, whose experience in Gaian lore spanned two centuries, put a wrinkled hand to his chin rubbing thoughtfully. “I do not sense danger, but in all my days of observing and healing injury and illness and I might add. . .various states of being . . I have never seen anything quite like this! He is well enough, but impossible to rouse. It points to something astral – but, even then, the subject can amost always be woken.”

  The call went out for elders to receive the newcomers in Luminor’s stead. None of those newly-joined felt ready to represent the cause in a diplomatic capacity, so it was left to two highly-respected members of the group who had been with Luminor from the beginning – Zelor, who rushed from Luminor’s bedside with the report of his condition, and another named Taris. They were at the gates in no time, joining Commander Stolis to meet the approaching party.

  The majority of the people inside the palace would not see the coming exchange, many of them nervously preferring to hang back from any possible conflict. They waited with bated breath for an outcome, praying it would not involve any more bloodshed.