Third Power

by Robert Childs

  Princess Vessla moved to Steve’s side and took his arm, eyeing each of the newcomers with distrust in her eyes.

  “Steve,” Scott asked, “are you planning to marry this girl?”

  He shrugged helplessly, knowing how difficult it must be for his friend to understand without all the information Steve had only recently come into himself. “It’s a long story—about a thousand years, really—but the prophecy is actually starting to make sense.”

  “Prophecy?”

  “Hold on,” Sonya was saying, “you’re going to marry someone you only met a few hours ago?”

  “Yes,” King Gorium answered for him. “The Third Power is destined to marry into a royal house of Mithal, and my daughter represents that royal house.”

  “How convenient for you,” Sonya retorted.

  A flurry of questions and remarks burst into the air and whenever Steve tried to answer he was either cut off by another, or became confused as to who was speaking to him when. He turned to Kayliss amid all the clamor and sent him a single thought. The tiger obliged with a monstrous roar that silenced not only their small party, but everyone in the great hall.

  “Thank you,” Steve said nodding to the great cat. To the others he then said, “When you all have had a chance to sort this out amongst yourselves please be sure and give me a call.” Without another word, he separated himself from Vessla and left the great hall with Kayliss at his side. All were quiet for some time, as though the Third had somehow taken their voices with him in his departure.

  King Gorium finally broke the silence and said, “Although I’m not sure what, I am left feeling we have all done something wrong.”

  Lurin nodded, looking at the faces of those gathered. “I have to agree.”

  Haze, whom had been silent the entire time, placed a comforting hand on the shoulders of both Haldorum and the woodsman. “The lad has had a rough time of it this day.” He addressed his next comment to them all. “I think perhaps it would be best if you all leave him be for a while. Let him think things through.”

  The old wizard chuckled. Almost to himself he said, “Imagine, a man my age behaving so thoughtlessly.” He then looked up and addressed the small crowd. “It seems we all have much to discuss. So instead of breaking up such a fine banquet, why don’t we all adjoin to the kings table to talk?”

  “You do know,” King Gorium said, “that I have assumed nothing. You believe in the prophecy as much as I do.”

  Haldorum nodded with a sigh. “Yes. I do.”

  Steve closed the door to his chambers, half frustrated, half disgusted with the whole of his situation. His head hurt a little with wine, and the events of the day had wearied him beyond even wanting to think, but there just seemed so much to be resolved.

  He flopped down upon the enormous bed and stared thoughtlessly toward the ceiling. He slipped into a kind of semi-trance as he had often done as a little boy whenever he had felt exhausted beyond sleep. Not hypnotic, but more of a state of mind that left him feeling at perfect ease in just remaining motionless. He rolled suddenly toward the center of the bed as Kayliss’s immense form created a deep depression in its soft depths. He came to a stop with his face buried in the animal’s thick fur. Instead of changing positions, however, he draped one arm over the tiger’s back and lay there beside him. The great cat craned his neck around and nudged him, but Steve only pushed his muzzle away with his free hand.

  “I’m fine,” Steve thought to him. “I’m just tired, confused, lost, and engaged to be married. That’s all.” The sarcasm, it seemed, was not lost on Kayliss, who chuffed once in amusement Steve could feel as if it were his own.

  A short while later, Steve left the bed and then opened the double doors leading to the veranda. The mountain air that filled the room was chill, but not unbearably so. Steve walked to the four foot tall stone enclosure that circled the balcony and peered down on the valley below. Not much could be seen in the dark; just shadows and vague suggestions of what lay out there, but he continued to look nevertheless, finding the emptiness of comfort. He turned his head at the sound of a knocking on his door, and with a slightly upraised voice he said, “It’s open.”

  The latch clicked and Eegrin stepped into the room. He walked past the bed where Kayliss lounged to join Steve out on the balcony. He was quiet a moment as he stared out into the darkness alongside his friend, and Steve couldn’t help but wonder what the Jisetrian contemplated as he gazed into the dark.

  Finally, Eegrin said, “I saw what happened in the great hall.”

  “Yeah,” Steve sighed resignedly. “Me, too.”

  Eegrin smiled and exhaled shortly once through his nose, then leaned over with his forearms resting on the stone bannister. “You know,” he said, “they are all in there now, talking about all that has happened. Those two from your world seem the most disturbed by the prophecy—Sonya especially so.”

  “Why does everything have to happen right now?” Steve blurted suddenly. “I mean, ever since I got here it’s been rush, rush, rush from one crazy, mixed up situation right into another. If it isn’t Azinon, it’s his friends, and if it isn’t his friends, it’s my friends.” Eegrin peered at him intently and after the silence began to reach awkward Steve said, “What?”

  “I am just trying to understand,” Eegrin replied.

  “Understand what?”

  “Whatever it is that weighs so heavily upon you. I think perhaps there is more troubling you than these trivial matters you keep mentioning.”

  Steve cast his eyes down on the valley with an ill-amused smile on his face. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because,” Eegrin shrugged. “Something in your manner suggests you are not so intimidated by all of this as you pretend.”

  “So now I’m pretending?” Steve said with an arched brow.

  Eegrin straightened. “Yes. When we were still chained in that cell you refused to leave until you found that pretty lady friend of yours. And then you fought to save us both, and again to save that farmer—a man you scarcely knew. In the short time I have known you I have seen you act with great courage several times. When confronted with a difficult situation you act—not with concern for yourself, but for all those around you. It is not something you think about, just who you are. No, I think you do know your place here. And your destiny bothers you little, if at all.”

  Steve’s sardonic smile had faded from his face and he now kept his eyes averted. “So what is it you’re asking?”

  “I’m not asking anything; just curious. Curious as to what it could be that makes things so difficult for you here.”

  Steve was silent for several moments, and those moments seemed to trudge by like hours in the still darkness of evening. The two of them remained motionless on the balcony, each pondering his own separate thoughts about themselves and those roles an ancient prophecy had cast upon them.

  “A girl,” Steve said at last. He almost had to force the words from his lips.

  “Someone you loved?” Eegrin asked.

  “No—at least I don’t think so. I did care for her, though.” He stared into the darkness remembering dead, but not forgotten, feelings.

  “She betrayed you?”

  Somehow that seemed like such an understatement.

  “In the worst way,” Steve said with a fragile smile. “I kind of lost control of myself for a while. All that hurt and anger, it changed me; made me something dangerous. But it was Haldorum that brought me back. When he sent me here, with all of my negative emotions heightened, something about the magic of this world restored me. It was kind of like being dropped into the middle of an ocean and it made me remember who I am.”

  “But all those things are behind you now,” Eegrin said.

  “I know,” Steve agreed morosely. “But it still hurts.” He lifted his eyes to the twinkling lights of the stars above, but whatever secret guidance he sought from them remained a mystery. He gave a short humorless laugh. “I gotta’ say, though, I’m really worried somethi
ng like that could happen again.”

  “You see it as a weakness,” Eegrin said more than asked.

  “Yes. One that could get someone killed.”

  “Then work on your weakness.”

  “What?”

  “Every man sees a fault in himself, but it is never something that cannot be bettered in time.” Eegrin placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Your weakness lies in your heart. So long as you remain vigilant, and heed your instincts, you can prevent whatever happened in the past from happening again.”

  “How does someone guard their feelings?” Steve asked. “What’s done is done, but I cared about someone and it turned me into something dark. How can I keep myself from caring about someone else?”

  Eegrin’s look was puzzled. “You ask this because of feelings you have for the princess? Or some other?”

  Steve cleared his throat uneasily. “Never mind.” Deliberately changing subject he said, “You know, something hasn’t been made all that clear to me. If Azinon is such a threat to everyone then why don’t the different races just team up against him? Band together and fight side-by-side?”

  “Impossible,” Eegrin snorted. “Werewolves, dwarves, elves, humans; no one race trusts the other. And the truly ironic thing is each of our kingdoms will be systematically destroyed because of our overweening pride and distrust.”

  “That doesn’t make much sense,” Steve commented.

  “When have political matters ever made sense?” Eegrin returned. “Every other race believes it can hold its own should the Dark One rise against them—and he will, make no mistake of that. It is only a matter of time.”

  “But you yourself don’t believe that way?”

  Eegrin pulled his gaze from the dark valley a moment and smiled briefly. “I am more of a realist than most of my Jisetrian brethren.” He looked again to the valley and added, “But there is naught a lone soldier can do to change their minds—or that of my king.”

  Steve nodded slowly. “I know how you feel. Things on my world aren’t much different in that respect.”

  Eegrin turned his head with a quizzical knit to his brow and asked, “Exactly what is your world like? I have tried to envision it from the bits and pieces I catch in conversation, but I have never known much beyond these mountains.”

  Steve turned around and leaned against the stone bannister with his hands on the rail. “In some ways it’s very different. There are only humans there and we all use science as our means to get things done and advance our knowledge. We travel across the land in carriages that do not need horses, and fly through the air in machines that can move us to the other side of the world in half a day.”

  Eegrin looked amazed. “How wondrous it must be!”

  “I call it home,” Steve smiled, but it faded into a sad grin and he said, “But some things about our two worlds are very much the same. The different nations on Earth distrust each other as much, and sometimes more I think, than the various kingdoms do here.”

  Steve turned around again and the two fell silent once more. Neither knew how long they stood there, watching from the balcony the stillness about them, when Kayliss appeared at Steve’s side. The young wizard followed the tiger’s gaze back into the room, to the old bearded man in blue robes behind them.

  Eegrin saw him too and took that as his cue to leave. “It is growing late, my friend. See you in the morning?”

  “You bet.”

  The winged young man quit the chambers, leaving Haldorum and Steve alone.

  “I apologize for the chaos earlier,” Haldorum said. “Sometimes in my eagerness I tend to forget all of this is rather alien to you.”

  Steve stepped back into the room from the veranda, Kayliss with him, and closed the wood and glass doors behind him. “It’s no big deal. Really. I shouldn’t have stormed out on you guys; it’s just that it has been a very long day. The funny thing, though, is I think I’m starting to get used to it. Care for a seat?”

  Haldorum pulled out a chair from against the wall and Steve seated himself at the end of the bed. “So what’s the game plan?” he asked.

  “That depends,” the old wizard replied. “I would never force you to—”

  “Save it,” Steve said raising his hand. “I know. You would never force me to remain here against my will. Just tell me what it is we have to do next.” The old wizard smiled which, surprisingly, made Steve feel a little better about his decision. “I’ve learned a lot—seen a lot—since you’ve been gone. If I really am the key to all of this badness coming to an end then I cannot just up and leave.”

  “Spoken like a truly honorable man,” Haldorum praised.

  “There is one thing, though,” Steve said. “What about Sonya?”

  “I am afraid her fate is tied to your own. She will have to remain.”

  Steve had already known the answer before asking the question, but to hear it affirmed disheartened him all the same; because of him Sonya was now irreversibly entwined. Scott, he was sure, would have elected to stay either way, but she should have never become involved.

  “It is only for her own safety,” Haldorum continued. “Azinon believes you harbor hatred for Amy—he is even convinced you want her dead. Sonya, however; she is your friend. He would undoubtedly seek to use her against you.”

  Now I know why Spiderman wears a mask, Steve thought sullenly. He shrugged those thoughts into the back of his mind and straightened. “I suppose it won’t do any of us any good to worry about it now. So what we do from here?”

  “In the morning we’ll set out to meet up with The Resistance.”

  “You were able to get King Gorium to buy off on that?”

  “Oh, he was not too happy, rest assured, but we managed to come to a mutually agreeable compromise.”

  Steve was impressed. “You convinced him to let me go without first marrying his daughter? You’ve got a silver tongue, wizard. What did you say to him?”

  “I told him the princess may accompany us.”

  Steve shook his head and laughed. “Of course. I figured neither of them would let me get far from their sight.” He shrugged and added, “Oh well, since I’m supposed to marry her anyway this ought to be a good way to get to know each other.”

  “I imagine you will only have a couple of days for that—three at most. Tomorrow I’ll open a door to the forest of the Granar, where the forces of the Resistance reside. It won’t take them long to find us.”

  “Why not save a lot of time and just open a door to the camp?”

  “Given the level of activity where we are going, let us just say that would be unwise,” Haldorum replied. “Besides, it will give us a chance to scout the area along the way and be certain no redcrests are about.”

  “Redcrests?” Steve asked.

  Haldorum nodded. “Azinon’s soldiers. All those who serve him bear his crest, a blood red moon, above their hearts.”

  Steve remembered the fear his own shirt instilled on sight with the villagers. “Borathis wore that symbol,” he said.

  “Undoubtedly so.”

  Kayliss laid down at Steve’s feet, ivory white fangs showing like daggers as the great tiger yawned immensely.

  Haldorum chuckled, rising to his feet. “Yes, Kayliss, it is indeed late. Steven, I’ll see you in the morning. King Gorium has seen to our arrangements for the night. Tomorrow morning we’ll leave for the Granar.”

  “Good night,” Steve said, and the old wizard departed smiling. He left the bed and moved to the glowing orb hanging in the wall bracket across the way. He looked above, below, and all around, but could not find the means to snuff it out. Finally, he simply reached out and touched the smooth surface and the light died without a sound.

  Chapter X

  Steve laid awake thinking about the convoluted mess that defined his life. Not so long ago his biggest worry was how to squeeze in the time to study for his next math test. Now, in the span of just two weeks, he had a world to save, a princess to marry, and a sorcerer to dethr
one. Not exactly the career path he envisioned after high school.

  Kayliss also did not sleep, and Steve could sense it. It was such a strange and different kind of bond they shared, and Steve himself was not certain yet what purpose the great animal served. So far, magic seemed to work according to a strange logic beyond his understanding, but he was glad for the company of the familiar nevertheless. Whatever ultimate purpose the Memsherar saw for him, Kayliss had already proven a valuable asset, friend and ally.

  Steve reached over the edge of the bed and stroked the thick fur of the tiger’s head. “Maybe that’s the whole point,” he said finishing his thought aloud. Kayliss, being a tiger, could not purr, but growled contentedly. The tiger rose from the floor and then rested his head on the mattress, quietly meeting the human’s gaze.

  Reading his thoughts, Steve nodded. “Yeah, I can’t sleep either.” He sat up, propped a pillow up against the ornately carved headboard and then put his back against it with a sigh. Moonlight shined into the room in slivers, broken up by the imperfections in the glass of the veranda doors. Outside a breeze whispered through the creep vines, but all else lie silent and still. The moonlight and the quiet reminded him of Bareg’s farm—not to mention the barn he all but destroyed in his attempt to control the magic endowed him. Of everything, this he understood the least. Nearly every time he had employed magic, accidentally or not, he overreached. He needed to learn control so as not to release the dam every time he called upon his power.

  Steve glanced around the dimly lighted room and spied the jar of rose leaves sitting on the vanity. The crystal flickered against his bare chest as he focused his will and imagined the jar lifting into the air. He concentrated, easing into it, cautiously approaching the task across several minutes without even a vibration of movement—but the magic was there, the feel of it unmistakable. Steve increased his concentration and inwardly demanded the jar rise into the air, but still nothing. With an explosive sigh of exasperation, he threw his hands up in surrender and the jar shot upward to shatter against the ceiling. Kayliss’s head reared slightly and he gave a disappointed groan.