Kel must have noticed something, too. His eyes traveled the table before stopping on Zenora. “Soon. Farrell must possess all seven Gifts before he confronts Meglar. But given yesterday’s events, we shouldn’t put that off any longer than necessary.”
“Why do you need a ship?” Horgon asked. “Can’t you just fly?”
“Rastoria is in the middle of the Kessan Ocean.” Farrell chewed and swallowed his food. “Flying as fast as we could, it would still take us hours to reach that spot.”
“That isn’t beyond either of your abilities,” Heminaltose said.
“I’m not sure why everyone thinks there is something nefarious in our motives.” Kel’s irritation matched Farrell’s. “Just because we can do a thing, doesn’t mean we should.”
A speck of an explanation began to take root in Farrell’s mind, but he didn’t want to dwell on the source of the testy exchanges between Kel and Heminaltose. “The flying is only part of the reason. Once we begin our descent, we’ll need to maintain the breathing spells for hours. It’s a long way down to Rastoria. Why tire ourselves needlessly before we arrive?”
“That also isn’t as big an issue as you’re making it out to be,” Sanduval said. “So far you’ve given little reason why you need to go to Trag first.”
Farrell sat back and glared at them. “Food.”
“Food?” Heminaltose looked at the others. “You want to get food from Trag before you go?”
“No, master, I’m pointing out something so obvious that you can’t see it because you’re searching for something that doesn’t exist.” Farrell ignored his mother’s angry look. “Once we engage the spell, it will be impossible for us to eat until we get back. Every minute we waste getting to Rastoria is that much longer we’ll need to go without food.”
Kel smiled at Heminaltose and the others. “Lest you feel bad, I didn’t think of it, either, until Farrell mentioned it to me.”
“That makes perfect sense,” Horgon said. “But at the risk of reopening a wound, why Trag? Why not get a ship from Dumbarten?”
Kel chuckled before answering. “Have you ever dealt with the Dumbarten bureaucracy? It will be easier to secure a vessel from Trag once we let them know who I am.”
Farrell waited for anyone else to ask a follow-up and hearing none, changed topics. “Since I have you all here, I want to ask your opinion on something.”
“My opinions are always available,” Kel snorted. “To any who will listen.”
The others echoed the first part of Kel’s statement. Farrell pushed his plate back and leaned his elbows on the table.
“Why do the Six want me to collect all the Gifts?” Farrell looked each of them in the eyes. “Is the sum of the parts greater than each one individually?”
Kel shook his head. “The simple answer to both questions is, I do not know. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever seen all seven in a lifetime, let alone had all seven in their possession at one time. This is a whole new area of study.”
“Anyone care to speculate why it’s necessary to have them all?”
“Conjecture and assumptions are of little value,” Sanduval said. “Why do you assume there is any reason other than the obvious?”
“Which is?” Farrell asked with as little attitude as he could manage.
Sanduval raised his eyebrows for a second. “Each Gift bestows upon you an ability that is useful in the fight against Neldin.”
“But I can’t use the Hand, and the Heart doesn’t have any obvious benefit in a fight.”
“Is that so?” Kel asked mockingly. “Why do you believe you can’t use the Hand?”
“It’s linked to Neldin. I might as well paint a target on my chest to announce my presence.”
Kel didn’t appear swayed by his answer. “Why is this a problem? When the time comes to face Meglar, he won’t need help finding you.”
Farrell started to speak, but Zenora cut in. “You believe it’s safe for Farrell to use the Hand of Neldin against His servant?”
“I do.” Kel closed his eyes, and a book appeared in a flash of light. “Neldin cannot interfere with the use of His Gift any more than He can strike you down during your fight with Meglar. Any direct action on His part would evoke a swift and devastating response from the Six.”
“That didn’t stop Khron from destroying Neldin’s temple in Trellham,” Miceral said.
Kel flipped through the book absently. Everyone stared at the small tome, but Kel set it down without comment. “And His one act nearly destroyed Trellham and the world. The Six are waiting for Neldin to make the same mistake so They can wipe out His followers.”
“The Six found a way to undo Khron’s mistake. Why couldn’t Neldin?” Horgon asked.
“Perhaps, but remember it’s Six against One. The ‘rules’ protect Neldin more than the Six. Neldin is shrewd. He understands the ramifications of His actions. He’s also eternal. Even my long life is a blink of an eye to a god. Should Meglar fail, Neldin will be disappointed, but He’ll regroup and make plans for another attempt. Much like a chess match, He’ll reset the pieces and play again. It might take millennia for a new match to begin, but what are a few thousand years to a god?”
“Forgive me if that fails to comfort me. It’s my life that would be snuffed out if he acts.” Farrell laughed, but his point was true.
Kel shook his head. “The Six are poised to act swiftly and decisively should Neldin give Them the opportunity. Neldin would suffer a setback that might last long enough that even a god would take notice. And of more importance, Neldin is aware of this. For good or ill, both sides must allow the events to play out as they will without divine interference.”
Farrell ran his thumb along the rim of the stone table. “Do the Six have a contingency plan should I fail?”
“Let’s not talk about failure.” Kel raised an eyebrow and waited until Farrell nodded. “But yes, they do. The world is vast, and it would be a long time before Meglar could conquer it all. Long enough for another to become the new Champion.”
“Geena?” Miceral asked.
“Perhaps, but as I said, the world is vast.” Kel shrugged and slid the book across the table. “Who can say what plans the Six have made?”
“What’s this?” Farrell turned the book over, looking for information.
Kel pointed to the small leather-bound tome. “It has all the information I’ve been able to find on the Gifts. I tried to separate facts from fiction, but having not had possession of all seven Gifts, there is much I couldn’t test.”
“Of course.” Farrell put the book aside and drummed his fingers on the cover. “I’ll read it when we get back.”
“Speaking of back,” Horgon said. “How soon is ‘leaving soon’?”
Farrell and Kel both shrugged. “We hadn’t discussed it yet, but the third morning from today is what I was thinking.”
“There is nothing pressing I need to do, so that is acceptable,” Kel said.
They discussed the particulars of the trip, how long they’d be gone, and what to do next. Zenora agreed to draft a letter to the grand admiral of Yar-del’s navy. “Just in case” someone remembered Kel hadn’t been king in two thousand years, she’d said. Farrell asked what his former masters planned to do in Honal and Pelipan, but his mind was on his coming trip more than their answers.
Miceral and Horgon left soon after to hold the afternoon council session. Heminaltose and Sanduval used their departure as an excuse to go pack. Zenora needed to go back to Belsport, so Farrell and Kel walked with her to her quarters.
“I’ll have the basic framework for your new rooms ready when you return,” Farrell said. “We can make the modifications together.”
“You don’t need to do that.” Zenora’s protest didn’t fool Farrell.
“Perhaps, but not only do I want you closer, I want the children to know their grandmother.”
Zenora put a hand on his cheek, and Farrell covered her fingers with his. He missed the tiny bits of time they
’d had once. They dropped their hands but kept them clasped as they walked. “You and Miceral are wonderful parents. I’m so proud of you both.”
Farrell snorted. “We don’t have a clue what we’re doing. If Lisle and the nannies weren’t there, we’d ruin them for certain.”
“If living with me didn’t negatively affect them, nothing will,” Kel said. “It’s been more than three thousand years since I was a parent to children that young. You at least can remember being a child.”
Forcing a laugh, Farrell silently vowed never to let Geena and Bren have anything resembling his childhood. “May I ask you both something?”
“That sounds serious.” Zenora pulled them to a stop. “Is it about the children?”
“No, nothing like that.” Her question derailed him for a moment. “During the last two days, it occurred to me that we’re underestimating the strength of Meglar’s other wizards, aren’t we?”
“What makes you say that?” Kel asked.
“Before Agloth, we didn’t know about Vedric or Brezlaw or Petres. Plus Meglar has two other children who might be powerful.”
“Only one is powerful enough to matter.” Kel said.
“But you said he had two more—”
“Yes, but only one has made it beyond master”
“Still.” It didn’t matter for his question. “Now Tixel has reemerged after centuries of hiding to do Meglar’s bidding. Finally, when Mother, Heminaltose, and Sanduval reappeared, it seems logical to assume Meglar has more wizards we don’t know about.”
Kel nodded. “That is a logical conclusion.”
“Are there more?” Farrell asked. “Powerful wizards, not children.”
“Yes,” Zenora said. “Meglar’s uncle, nephew, and two cousins on his mother’s side are quite strong. Maybe not grand master strong, but powerful.”
“Is one of those cousins Brezlaw?” Farrell asked.
She shrugged. “I never knew his name, but that’s possible. Especially since Brezlaw called Vedric his cousin.”
“I would caution against assuming we know all his allies,” Kel said.
No one spoke until they approached Zenora’s quarters.
“Are you going back today?” Farrell asked.
“No, I thought I’d spend the rest of the day and night with you and the children, if you don’t mind.”
Farrell smiled. “Oh, it will be a terrible burden, but we’ll manage.”
“Thank you for your sacrifices, my son.” She reached out and they hugged. “I’ll come visit in an hour or two. I want to make sure I don’t forget anything.”
After leaving his mother, Farrell accompanied Kel back to his rooms. Farrell spent the walk thinking about what he wanted to do, and Kel seemed content to leave him alone. At the door to Kel’s apartment, Farrell withdrew a small medallion from his pocket. The smooth white stone was cool between his fingers. He offered it to Kel.
“I made this for you.”
Kel accepted the offering and rolled it around with his fingers. “I see you followed my instructions perfectly.”
“Your . . .” Farrell realized how foolish he’d been. “Of course you came up with this. My apologies.”
Kel chuckled and handed the amulet back. “Rather than be sorry, tell me why you made it for me?”
“I thought that since we were going to Rastoria, you could . . . that it would help us speak mind-to-mind while we’re underwater.” He stuffed the amulet back where he’d gotten it.
Kel slid his fingers inside his tunic and pulled out a similar pendant that hung around his neck. The seal of Yar-del was visible. “As you’ve surmised, I have one of my own.”
“So I don’t need to waste time trying to convince you of the benefits of speaking mentally to each other?”
“No.” Kel smiled. “But it is preferable that we speak as normal people do unless it’s necessary.”
“Agreed.”
“You do know that we don’t need these to speak to each other in private?” Kel waved the worn stone medallion once before stowing it inside his tunic.
“We don’t?”
He pushed his door open and invited Farrell to go inside. “Everyone possesses the ability to speak with their mind.”
“How can that be?”
“Though it is rude to answer your question with one of my own, I shall do it anyway. If we didn’t possess this talent, how is it possible to speak to a peregrine or a unicorn?”
“But they speak to us.” “And people without a pendant can speak back.” He pointed to the two chairs arranged opposite each other. “Typically a unicorn or a peregrine will create the path between them and the person they want to speak to. And as you’ve learned, you can use magic to link two people using an object—the amulets you and Miceral share, for example. However, with practice, he ought to be able to speak to anyone he can establish a connection with.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“Isn’t it?” Kel leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of him. “Consider, you communicated instantly with the Arlefors. You didn’t know they existed before you met Argus, so you couldn’t create a link between you both. If you lacked an innate ability to hear and speak with them, you wouldn’t have heard him when he called out to you. Everyone else has that same ability.”
Although he understood Kel’s argument, Farrell had no way to prove or disprove it. “Why have you kept this hidden? This would be something that could change how people live.”
“Yes, it could.” Kel rested his chin on his thumbs. “But would it be for better or worse?”
Farrell chewed his lip. “I don’t know.”
“Neither do I.” He pointed toward a shelf, and a thin book flew into Kel’s hand. “I’ve recorded my thoughts on the topic in this. You should consider it well before you make it public.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Did the children eat everything?” Lisle tousled Farrell’s still-wet hair.
He ran his hand over his head and wondered what had her in such a good mood. “Everything? You realize you’re talking about Fussy Eater Geena and Throw My Food on the Floor Bren? How was I supposed to do that?”
“You’re a wizard,” she said and spun on her heel. “You should have thought of something.”
“Why did Lisle want us to eat all our food?” Geena asked.
“Because you start school today, and she wanted to be sure you have a full tummy.” Farrell patted her stomach. “Oh yes, that’s one fat little tummy.”
Geena giggled and moved back a step. “Am I going to school because I have emphamy?”
Farrell laughed, and when he saw how serious her little face was, he laughed harder. He controlled himself and knelt down. “Yes, dear, but it’s called empathy. It means you can feel what others are feeling.”
“Is that bad?”
“Bad? Oh my no, it’s quite rare and wonderful.” His daughter smiled. “But you need to learn how to use it properly. Just like I had to learn how to use magic.”
“Is Bren coming, too?”
“No. He’s too little. Lisle is going to take him to meet some of the other children his age.”
Geena’s smile disappeared. “I wish I was going to play.”
“I know, sweetie, but Master Heather promised you’d get plenty of playtime and she’ll make sure you get to take a nap.”
“But I don’t want to take a nap.”
He drew her closer and scooped her up. “Why not? Everyone should take naps. Lots of naps.”
“Not you, Daddy. Miss Lisle says you sleep too much.”
“Did she?” He flipped her over and let her land on her feet. “Well, I think I sleep just the right amount. But why don’t you want to take a nap?”
“Because you and Grandpa Kel will be gone when I get up.” Her sad face and the way she told him tugged at Farrell’s heart.
“I don’t want to go, either.” He hugged her tighter. “I’d rather stay with you, Bren, and Daddy, but Grandpa and I need
to go find something. I promise to come back soon.”
The Door opened, and Farrell got his first glimpse of Trag. Markus’s description had been accurate; it was barely more than a hunk of rock stuck in the middle of the ocean. Scrub bushes and stunted trees dotted the bare escarpments on the western side of the island.
Farrell put the Eye away and motioned for his grandfather to join him. “I assume that’s Trag?”
Kel nodded. “It would appear to be, yes.”
The sky was nearly cloud-free, but the breeze blew salty air into Kel’s apartment. Farrell flew through the Door and hovered over the choppy water of the eastern Kessan Ocean. Atop the highest peak on the island, a tall, slender stone tower stood a lonely watch.
“We need to go north to find the harbor and settlement,” Kel said when he joined Farrell.
“Are you sure we don’t want to hide our presence until we arrive?” Farrell shut the Door and knew it was already too late to avoid detection. The guards in the tower had to have noticed them. As if to answer his fears, a bell pealed across the small island.
“Markus will have alerted them to our visit.” Kel moved north, forcing Farrell to follow. “Showing up unseen will not make it easier for them to trust us.”
Why should they trust us at all? Farrell wondered. Zenora was supposed to be dead, her son killed as a toddler, and Kel hadn’t been seen in two thousand years. Admiral Norman ought to attack them first, ask questions second. Dumbarten sending a ship to alert Trag of Kel’s arrival was the only reason Farrell agreed to do this Kel’s way.
The coast suddenly plunged due south, curving slightly inward until it turned east and ran for close to a mile. Unlike the almost circular shape to Belsport’s harbor, Trag’s port resembled a large, shallow bowl. Piers, dry docks, warehouses, and fortifications lined almost every inch of the harbor’s coast. Homes and other buildings were set farther back but were predominantly on the northern spur.
Just south of the harbor, along the eastern arm, a plateau stretched almost to the southern edge. Dumbarten intelligence said this was the only arable land on the island, and it was too small and not fertile enough to support the population.
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