Farrell maintained his position, but the water felt less thick and oppressive. He didn’t have time to investigate. A pair of bare feet—human feet—stepped into his field of vision.
“Rise, Chosen, and look at Me so we might better speak.”
The Goddess towered over him and Burcia, forcing Farrell to crane his neck up to see Her face. She was dressed in a long robe that fluttered in the water behind Her. Arritisa’s face was similar to Lenore’s, only paler and framed with hair the color of kelp. Her smile sent a wave of calm washing over him.
“I am pleased you have returned to My realm. It is right for My people to aid you. My brother has wronged all the beings of Nendor.”
“Surely His touch has not reached Rastoria.”
“No, thus far His evil is focused on those who live above the waves. But His taint is felt in the waters that give life to My people.” Arritisa paused, and Farrell stood mesmerized by the gentle movement of Her robes. “Why have you come?”
She had to know why. “I’ve come for Your Gift, Blessed Mother. I have the other six and need only Yours to complete my task.”
“Who set you this task?” Although Her tone was still calm, Farrell knew she was testing him.
“Your sister Seritia told me I needed to hold all seven Gifts before I confront Neldin’s Champion.”
“Though My sister is dear to Me, She does not speak for Us all.” Arritisa sounded amused.
“In truth, Most Holy, I have ever been uneasy possessing the Gifts. If it is Your will I not take possession of Your Gift, I will gladly leave.”
“And what of the task My sister set for you? Will you abandon it?”
“It is not for me to challenge Your will, Most Holy.” He bowed his head. “Even if Your sister commands me otherwise.”
“You are correct. It is not for you to challenge, only to serve. Yet I am left to wonder why you so easily forsake a task you believed to be the will of My sister.” The hint of humor in her tone disappeared. “You see no value in My Gift, isn’t that correct?”
“Your Gift has value, Holy Mother. I just don’t know how it will help me defeat Neldin’s Champion.” Farrell’s anxiety grew. His answers lacked substance.
“Do you expect to suddenly have an epiphany that will explain why you have been tasked with gathering Our Gifts?”
“I truly do not know what to expect.” Exasperated by the conversation, Farrell’s answer tumbled out in a harsher tone than he’d intended. “You and Your siblings have taken my life in Your hands and pushed me in whatever direction You’ve seen fit. If I’ve displeased You, I humbly apologize. But I hope You know I’m trying my hardest to do Your will.”
Farrell feared he’d be struck down for his insolence. Finally, Her face softened and She smiled.
“We are most certainly not displeased. Quite the opposite. But you do not understand your true purpose. Until you know why you need My Gift, I deny you access to it.”
Farrell struggled to understand what he’d heard. Burcia’s shock mirrored his own. “Most Holy, how can I be given a task but not be allowed to complete it?”
“The task set for you can be achieved, but there is a reason My Gift is the last you will recover. You are correct. It will not help you see or hear. You can’t use it to gather power or increase your fighting skills. It won’t help you find love or wisdom. But you still need it.
“Don’t ask Me why, because you know I can’t tell you. But I can tell you this: My Gift is the lifeblood of My people. It is not for you, but you must use it to defeat Meglar. Take the time to learn why you need it and the other Six and come back to ask Me again.”
“Time is in short supply.” He didn’t expect to change Her mind, but he didn’t want to fail to do something that would have given him his prize. “I fear our enemy will soon renew his war against us.”
“You must find the time to complete your task.” Her voice was firm.
“If that is Your will, Most Holy, I will do my best to comply.” He averted his eyes to avoid looking at Arritisa.
“There is more you wish to say.”
“Nothing that is proper to voice in Your presence.”
“You wish Us to find another.”
He looked up to ask why She read his thoughts, but under Her piercing stare he could only nod in agreement. To his shock, Arritisa shrank until She was no taller than Farrell.
“There can be no other. Only you.” Her voice was gentle yet firm. “Much have We asked of you, and there is still more We must require. Though it is of little comfort, We ask no more than We must. The fate of the world is in your hands. There can be no other.”
“It’s too much.” He shook his head and let his doubts out. “I will fail and doom the world to darkness.”
“You are more capable than you know.” She touched his chin and tilted his head up. “I believe in you, Halloran. You will not fail.”
“You honor me, Holy Mother, but . . . I . . .”
“You will not fail, Halloran, but you must believe in yourself to succeed.” Her smile restored some of his flagging confidence.
“May I ask a question?”
“You may. I do not promise I can answer.”
“Time is short. When I find your answer, I would like to come here with no delay. Will You permit me to open a Door from my home to Rastoria?”
Arritisa held out Her arms. “Give me your hands.”
Keeping his eyes on Arritisa, Farrell reached out and touched the two pale hands before him.
Arritisa’s touch was as real as his mother’s. Farrell smiled at the sensation of peace that washed over him. The warm feeling of Her skin on his was comforting until he realized Arritisa had dissolved the shields that allowed him to survive beneath the water. Panic seized him, and he tried to withdraw his hands.
Arritisa’s grip could have held a mountain, but still he struggled to free himself. Without thinking, he inhaled and sucked in a lungful of icy-cold water.
“Do not fear, Chosen, I would never harm you.” She moved closer and placed her lips over his. Darkness and a blinding flash of light washed over him at the same time. He felt as if he were in two places at once. Soaring upward one moment, crushed under the weight of a mountain the next. Arritisa’s lips prevented him from expelling the liquid in his lungs.
“Relax, Halloran. I have you.” Her voice cut the darkness and lifted the weight. “Breathe.”
He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes, and he opened them to stare at the face of the Goddess. She still had his hands in Hers.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Though you were unique before, now you are truly so.” She squeezed his hands. “You are now one with My realm as well as those of My Siblings. May it aid you in completing your tasks.”
In his shock, he realized he’d been breathing normally. Aware of his condition, he held his breath until it burned and then he inhaled deeply. Water tickled his nose as it moved in and out and his lungs felt heavy. But as he exhaled, he felt as normal as if he’d been standing on the Plains of Gharaha.
Arritisa let go of his hands and turned to Burcia. “Allow Halloran access to this temple so he may come and go as needed.”
Before Burcia could say, “Of course, Holy Mother,” Arritisa disappeared. Farrell shook his head. He had no idea what had happened or why. And he doubted he’d find out anytime soon, either.
Chapter Nineteen
The sun hung low on the western horizon when Farrell stepped onto to the rocky ground. As witnessed by the diminishing daylight, they’d spent nearly the entire day in Rastoria.
“Why Trag?” Kel asked, when they exited the Door.
Farrell tried to answer, but he spit up seawater instead. He opened his mouth, put his finger to his lip, and flicked toward the ocean. A thin line of water left his body and returned to its home. He coughed to be sure he’d gotten it all and took a deep breath to refill his lungs. “That’s nasty.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to do
that.” Kel dismissed the spell he’d used to travel to Rastoria. “It looks unpleasant.”
“It is.” He took another breath, held it, and exhaled. “We’re here because we need to warn Admiral Norman about Meglar’s new tactics. Admiral Cameron won’t be back for days.”
“Are we going to Dumbarten next?”
Farrell shook his head as a squad of soldiers and two wizards headed toward them. He hoped they asked questions before attacking. “Someone noticed us.”
“I’d be upset if they hadn’t,” Kel said. “Are you planning to go see Markus next?”
“No, I thought Norman could send a ship with a message. I’d like to stay tonight.”
“Really?” Kel raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to go back to Haven?”
“Not yet. You realize if we go back, everyone from Miceral to Heminaltose, even my mother, will try to stop us from going.”
“You make a good point.” Kel smoothed his robe and stood tall. He positioned his staff so the sun reflected off the red crystal. “But we both know that isn’t the reason you don’t want to go back to Haven tonight.”
“I’m not finished with this leg of the trip.” The wizards must have recognized Kel, as the squad moved with less urgency. “I want to find an answer for Arritisa first, and I don’t think that answer will be found in Haven.”
“So where are we going tomorrow?”
“Agloth. I want to speak to Jolella.”
The soldiers reached them before Kel could respond. They bowed and displayed the proper respect for one of Kel’s status. Farrell enjoyed someone else being the center of fawning, though he had to admit he missed it just a bit.
Norman met them right away and convened an emergency meeting of the council when he heard their news. Kel had a better command of naval strategy than most wizards. He reminded Admiral Gail that he’d commanded Yar-del’s navy for over nine hundred years when she questioned his advice.
Farrell listened closely, hoping to learn something. When they agreed to send out ships in pairs, his mind drifted to the danger they’d put Cameron in by using his ship. As the others debated what else to do, Farrell made contact with the Eye and asked it to show him any ships within three hundred miles of the Dauntless. He expanded the range twice and finally asked the Eye to show him any of the ships allied with Meglar in the Kessan Ocean.
The few he saw were no threat to most fishing boats, let alone the Dauntless. He relaxed a bit, but then he wondered why he cared. Though he’d have been concerned about any crew he put in danger, he admitted this went beyond that basic unease. Yet he knew for certain he didn’t want anything romantic with Cameron. He wished he had Nerti around to help him decipher his feelings.
After an hour, Farrell saw signs his grandfather was tired. He told Admiral Norman that he needed to eat and then go to sleep. Kel caught on to what Farrell had done and suggested they couldn’t continue without Farrell, so they should break and reconvene in the morning.
As the guards led them back to the quarters they’d used a few days earlier, Kel put his hand on Farrell’s shoulder. “I appreciate your attempt to spare my dignity, but you did not need to lie to Norman.”
“I should have done it sooner, but I wasn’t paying close enough attention during that eternal meeting.” Farrell shrugged. “And I took the blame because right now everyone believes your return means Meglar will soon be defeated. They wouldn’t have the same confidence if they knew it was I, not you, who will fight that battle. This way the legend of Kel is preserved.”
“Though I know you are greater than I, your assessment is likely accurate.” Kel yawned. “You weren’t exaggerating when you said those spells take a toll.”
“Not having to maintain the spells made it easy for me to forget the effort needed.”
“Speaking of that, how do you feel?” Kel asked
“No different than before.”
“I’m not sure that is good or bad.”
They reached their building, and the guards took positions by the door while Kel and Farrell went inside. From outside their quarters looked like a standard military barrack. On the inside they had been altered to create private sleeping rooms, a separate dining space, and a sitting area. The sturdy furniture fit its function but was hardly the décor for a king. Farrell remembered all the times he’d grumbled about formal settings and stifled a complaint.
Farrell pointed to the door once the soldiers closed it. “Don’t they realize that whatever could threaten us would brush them aside?”
“They keep unwanted visitors away.”
“Not so.” Farrell flicked his left hand and removed his armor. He stacked it neatly against the far wall. “They don’t answer to either of us, so many of the ‘unwanted guests’ could merely order them to the side.”
“True.” Kel walked over to a large chair but stopped and faced Farrell. “Pick that up, please.”
“What?”
“With one arm and without using any magic.” Kel held up his hand. “Wait until I sit before you lift it.”
Shaking his head, Farrell bent over and grasped a leg of the chair. He prepared himself for the jolt of trying to do as asked and almost threw the chair—and Kel—into a wall. “How did you know?”
“I suspected.” Kel stared at him for a moment. “You may put me down.”
Farrell placed the chair back on the floor. “I didn’t expect it to be that light.”
“As Teberus suggested, you are an Arlefor in more ways than one.” Farrell looked at his hands and let out a sigh when he confirmed they hadn’t changed. Kel laughed and shook his head. “Silly child. Arritisa didn’t alter your appearance, just your abilities.”
“Is that possible?”
“All things are possible. I want to know how this was allowed.” Kel considered the question before he settled back into his chair. “That is something to ponder in the future. For now, tell me why we’re going to Agloth and not back to Haven.”
“I need answers, and I think they are there.”
“You think Mother Jolella knows why you need the Blood?”
“Maybe not, but Seritia is the one who told me to get all seven Gifts, and She had you retrieve the Hand. Since it’s Her task I’m carrying out, I thought it as good a place as any to start.”
“I’ll admit, I didn’t see the connection until you said it like that.” Kel smiled and nodded. “It is a good place to start. And it allows me more time to spend alone with my successor.”
“How many times did you think you’d found your successor?”
Kel released his staff, and it floated to the wall beside Farrell’s armor. “That’s an odd question.”
“I just meant, you say I’m your successor, but you must have thought that before and been wrong. Maybe I’m not the one.”
“There is a difference between heir and successor,” Kel said. “I’ve had many heirs, but you are the only successor.”
“How do you know the difference?”
“Honorus told me I needed to stay alive to train my successor. He couldn’t tell me when you would show up, only that I’d know when they chose a new Champion. I knew after my fight with Krendrew, however, that it would be soon.”
“Because things were heading toward a new war?”
“No.” Kel’s expression changed. “After Dragash, I should have died. Only Flemin’s efforts prevented my death. Either my successor would come soon, or I would not meet him.”
Farrell remained quiet as he considered Kel’s words.
“Do not grieve for me, child.” Kel smiled. “I’ve lived an extraordinary life, one blessed by the Six.”
Farrell let out a soft snort. “I just met you, and I’m going to lose you.”
It wasn’t fair, but he kept that to himself. He should be grateful he had any time with Kel, and he was. But why had the Six kept him alive only to let him die so soon afterward? Kel moved and put a hand on his shoulder.
“You are so like Everard,” Kel said, fondly.
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“Everard?”
“Doubtful you would know him. Not unless you studied our family history intently.” He walked to the small dining area. Kel waved his hand over the table and a pitcher appeared. Locating two cups, he filled them both and handed one to Farrell. “Fruit juice.”
Farrell accepted the goblet and looked inside. “Thank you.”
“Everard was my third son and probably my favorite, though it is never good for a parent to admit having a favorite.”
Farrell took a sip and nodded as he swallowed. “Most of what I read was about Kelmis and his line. There wasn’t much written about your other children.”
“A pity.” He hid his face behind the lip of his cup. “When Yar-del was young, Everard, more than Kelmis or Havis, was my confidant in many things. He was strong, smart, funny, and gifted. Spending time with him was one of my great joys, especially after his mother died.” Kel sighed. “Another thing. he and I shared was our admiration of the dwarves. He would delight in examples of their ingenuity and enjoyed their culture. As gifted as he was, however, he never achieved grand master status. He aged far quicker than I had hoped.
“When he felt his death approach, he returned to Fracturn to live out his remaining days. The dwarves afforded him a burial with all the honors reserved for a king.” A smiled returned to Kel’s lips. “Your position with the dwarves only adds to the similarities I see in you both.”
“I wish I could have known him,” Farrell said.
“He would have enjoyed meeting you as well.” Kel put his cup down. “Unless there is more you’d like to discuss, I think I’ll go to bed early.”
“Of course.”
Kel left without acknowledging Farrell. In the short time he’d known Kel, he hadn’t seen this pensive and wistful side. He watched Kel shut the door to his bedroom. The large room suddenly felt too close, so Farrell left the building to get some air.
Farrell let Kel sleep late and didn’t push them to leave. With the time difference between Trag and Agloth, they arrived later than he’d planned, but it had been worth it. Kel’s melancholy mood was gone, and he seemed his old self.
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