Champion of the Gods Box Set
Page 165
“I want to say two things. I would appreciate if you let me finish before you comment. I promise to listen and not interrupt when you reply.”
Kel eyed him suspiciously and nodded.
“First, there’s no need for you to waste any of your strength when I can do this. You say it won’t burn up your life force, but you don’t know that for certain. There are going to be times, many times, when we are going to need all you can do and more. Today is not that day.
“Second, and more important, I, not you, need the practice working high magic. Under your eye, I have the chance to learn from someone much better than myself. Instead of grousing about being shunted to a supporting role, watch what I do with a critical eye. Tell me what I can do to improve. We both know you won’t be around for much longer. Every day you refuse to help me get better is a day less I’ll have to benefit from your greater skill and knowledge.”
He didn’t like talking about Kel’s death, but they needed to stop with this silly dance. Kel needed to accept the role he gave lip service to, and Farrell hoped his argument finally drove that home.
Kel made his fingers into a steeple and tapped the tips together. “You’re correct. My role is to teach you, not show that I’m still capable of doing things like before. In my defense, I’ve been a wizard so long, it is my nature to do it rather than ask someone else.”
“But I won’t learn as much if you do it.” Farrell smiled at the success of his words.
“No, you won’t, and you will continue to do many things wrong.”
“Wrong?” The smile faded, and he was crestfallen.
“You did say you wanted to benefit from my greater skill and knowledge,” Kel said. “You may regret being so forceful in your demand.”
Several weeks passed, and Farrell and Miceral fell into a more structured routine. The dwarves, it turned out, didn’t need or want nearly as much time as Aswick suggested. Miceral handled most of the duties, and Farrell would take his place at irregular times. Not knowing which king would show up encouraged the dwarves to handle things themselves.
After his latest turn in Trellham, Farrell escaped to the sanctuary of his workroom. He’d been uneasy the entire session. The end of the war was coming fast. Nothing had changed, but he felt it.
Kel had told Meglar when he was ready to fight, to meet him on the Plains of Gharaha. Did Meglar believe Kel was his enemy, or did he suspect a new Champion? Despite Kel’s bravado, Meglar had made some telling points. If Kel had been up to the challenge, he’d never have permitted Meglar to conquer Yar-del. How Meglar read that sign remained unclear.
The challenge to meet at Gharaha had announced a willingness to fight, but only on Kel’s terms. Would Meglar accept? Given his personality, it seemed likely Meglar would, but only when he was ready. The return of Heminaltose, Sanduval, and Zenora would make Meglar more cautious—so much so, he might not come at all.
Farrell stared at the page he’d been trying to read for the last half an hour and shut the book. The biggest unknown was still whether Meglar knew about him. If not, showing up to fight one of the others and finding someone else might unnerve Meglar. Finding out it was his son might be more upending. Of course, that assumed he didn’t know.
No one had an answer to that question, and the Gifts were blocked from seeing what Meglar did or said. Even Kel’s spy spells didn’t help. Like it or not, Farrell had to plan as if Meglar knew and be ready to use the surprise to his advantage if he did not.
He reopened the book but didn’t expect to learn much. The first five pages did nothing to dispel that notion. He nearly set the book down, but when he turned the page, a passage on Doors caught his attention. The chapter was short, and he read it several times before he succeeded in casting the spell.
Pleased with what he’d learned, he replaced the book on the shelf and opened a second one. He had an hour before he had to meet Kel and he had plenty to read.
Standing outside the door to Kel’s rooms, Farrell hummed softly. It took less time than expected for his grandfather to answer.
Kel looked rested and hale when he opened the door. “What has you in such good spirits?”
“I was studying and found some interesting information.” He knew it wouldn’t last. Kel and Heminaltose seemed to look forward to meeting, if only to trade barbs with each other.
“That’s astounding.” He feigned shock. “Normally you want to skip the studying and go straight to the doing.”
“Sometimes I like to do it the right way just to see how others do it.”
“I’ll see how long this phase lasts.” Kel laughed and pulled the door shut. “Are you ready for the meeting?”
Farrell’s good mood vanished. “No, but I’ll manage.” He started toward the council room.
Kel grabbed his arm and gently pulled him to a halt. “What does that mean?”
“I dislike them. Can we leave it at that?”
“I could, but then I wouldn’t know what troubles you.”
Farrell shook his head. “These meetings usually end up with you and Heminaltose bickering. Lately you’ve both risen the level of acrimony. It’s not fun for the rest of us to be there. More importantly, the meetings are not productive.”
“Your former master needs to remember I’m neither his student nor his underling.”
“Sage advice. Perhaps you should keep it in mind when you deal with him.”
Anger clouded Kel’s face. “You think I’m to blame?”
“Not entirely, but you bear some of the fault.” The conversation hadn’t gone as he’d planned, but having arrived at its gates, he needed to push through. “I agree he initiates many of the arguments, but your responses are sharp and pointed. They escalate the exchanges.”
“Do you suggest I ignore him when he is rude?”
Farrell knew there was only one correct answer, but it wasn’t the one Kel expected. “Yes, but since I know I couldn’t follow that advice, I won’t ask you to do that. Perhaps you could tone down your responses.”
“Child.” That one word told Farrell how well this was going. “His role and mine, while not in conflict, do have some overlap. Where he seeks to comment on how I handle my task, I will not remain silent.”
Farrell nodded, still hoping to avoid an argument. “Nor would I suggest you keep quiet in the face of unwarranted criticism. But can’t you respond without insulting him? Last time you said ‘pathetic’ and ‘novice from a minor noble family.’ Can you tell me you didn’t choose those words to get a reaction?”
Kel didn’t answer immediately, but he wasn’t angry, at least. “Perhaps my responses can be a bit less confrontational. You might, however, have this conversation with him as well.”
“I did, but you can see how well he listened to me. I’ll try again, but I’m not sure it will be effective.” He was sure it wouldn’t be any more fruitful than the first time.
“That’s because he still thinks of you as his student.”
“But I’m your student now, and you listen to me when I ask.”
Kel smiled and rubbed Farrell’s head. The show of affection signaled they were good again. “My perception of you is different than his. You were already one of the greatest wizards to walk Nendor when we met. Heminaltose still remembers when you were a novice learning the basics.”
“I haven’t been that child in ten years. If that’s how he still sees me, he needs to change his perception, or I’ll stop consulting him.”
“Before you take any rash actions, remember he has a thousand years of experience and is a valuable resource.”
“Yet you insult his intelligence in ways you never speak to me.” Farrell knew his response was counterproductive. “Sorry, we dealt with that already.”
“We did.” Kel smiled. “I agree to be more restrained in my comments.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you being reasonable.”
Kel chuckled. “See that history portrays me as such. Right now I’m seen as a tyrant.”
“I’ll do my best, but you’ve left a lot for me to overcome.”
“If I left you easy tasks, you’d run out of things to do in the long life ahead of you.” Kel winked, and they resumed walking. “So what interesting information did you stumble upon in my absence?”
“When I left, I was reading about the ribbons of energy I’ve seen you use.” He hadn’t finished it, so he marked the book for later. “What gave you the idea to create those?”
Kel laughed, to Farrell’s surprise. “It was the product of a failed attempt for a different result. I’d sought to create something akin to the claws of a crab.”
“A crab?” Definitely not what Farrell expected.
“One day I came upon a crab trying to pry open a mollusk. I thought if I could duplicate that power, I’d be able to force my way into magically sealed places. The result wasn’t quite what I envisioned.”
“Did you ever perfect the spell you wanted?”
“No. When I saw what this could do, I spent time perfecting it. After that, I’d forgotten my original motivation and moved on to other areas.”
“Interesting. If I set my mind to something, I’d keep at it until I found what I wanted.”
Kel raised his eyebrows. “Even at the expense of something better?”
“Of course. If I knew what I wanted, I’d stick with it.”
Kel stopped walking. “Even you must recognize how absurd that statement is.”
He replayed the conversation and didn’t see anything wrong. “What?”
“If your attempt produced a superior result, but came in a form other than you hoped for, why would you keep at it?” Kel stared at him as if waiting for an answer. “What matters is what the spell does, not the form it takes.”
A sheepish grin broke across Farrell’s face. “I’m embarrassed by how foolish I sound. But in my defense, I’ve never faced such a situation. Either my spells worked or the results were not superior to my expectations.”
“For one so young, I’d not expect anything different.” Kel started walking again. “Enough of that. Tell me what you learned so far, that I might assist you better in mastering this spell.”
“Miceral won’t be joining us,” Horgon said when Farrell asked. “The clans of Arvendia requested Nerti and Klissmor’s presence, and Miceral went with them. Darg’s life partner gave birth to a son, and they wanted Nerti there for the naming.”
“How is everyone?” he asked Nerti.
“Mother and child are doing well. Darg has been sent to fetch water to stop him from scaring the child.”
“Send them my regards.”
“Of course.”
“Boy.” Heminaltose’s voice reminded him where he was. “Stop having private conversations when we’re here for your benefit.”
“Tell Miceral he owes me.”
“Go deal with your meeting, Little One.”
“Sorry,” he told the others. “I was checking on Darg’s son.”
“That’s thoughtful of you.” Glendora frowned at Heminaltose.
“What have you two been up to in your secret room?” Zenora asked with a smile.
“Today or in general?” Farrell asked.
“Both.”
“Studying for the most part.” Farrell knew they wanted more, but he didn’t have some great breakthrough to announce.
“It’s been a month since your return. Has your time been productive?” Glendora asked what Farrell expected the others wanted to know.
“Farrell has done very well,” Kel said proudly. “I’ve managed to keep ahead of his impressive ability to absorb information—barely.”
“Is it your intent to read the entire library, my exceptional son?” Zenora tousled his hair, and he swatted her hand away.
“No.” He smoothed his hair and frowned. “Just the worthwhile ones.”
“I would think every book has something of value.” Heminaltose cast a glance at Kel. “Why else would it be there?”
Kel laughed at the comment. “I wish that were true, Master Heminaltose, but some of my early ‘discoveries’ were less than ideal sources of information. I’ve been too lazy to go through and weed out the undesirable ones.”
The discussion soon moved from him to what Meglar was doing—or more specifically what he wasn’t doing. Since the attack on Yar-del, Meglar had barely made a sound. They speculated on why Meglar hadn’t attacked, what preparations he was making, and how many troops he’d have at his disposal.
Farrell lost track after just a few minutes. He thought about the anxiety Christian and his people must be experiencing. Without meaning to, his hand found the Eye of Honorus. He turned the velvet bag around with his fingers and realized he might be able to answer some of the questions everyone was speculating about.
Pushing the taut fabric open, he wrapped his fingers around the jewel. He kept it in his pocket and out of sight.
“Show me Meglar’s Chamdon pens in Kentrish.” He wasn’t sure it would work and was pleasantly surprised when an image formed in his mind. The good feeling evaporated when the picture came into better focus. He directed it to move around, and his heart raced at what he saw.
He rephrased the request to make sure what he’d been shown was current and asked to see the troops available to march today. The results were nearly identical.
His mother spoke, and he realized she’d asked him a question. He ignored it and pushed the Eye to pull back so he could see the troop strength in relation to each other.
The others started talking louder, but he didn’t let it distract him. There were pens all around the city; some covered large sections of the city. He asked the Eye to extrapolate the information and show all the Chamdon as if assembled on the Plains of Gharaha. The image shimmered for a moment and then came into focus. The Chamdon filled almost the entire valley.
The shock of all those troops broke his concentration. He scanned the anxious faces in the room. “By the Six! It’s worse than we suspected!”
“What’s worse?” Heminaltose asked. His annoyance poked at Farrell’s anger.
“Honal is in grave danger. We all are. Neldin and Meglar have played us for fools.”
“Farrell! What are you talking about?” Zenora grabbed his hand, and he heard the concern in her voice. Her expression begged for reassurance he couldn’t give.
“We’re such fools, Mother. All the damage we’ve inflicted on Meglar is nothing more than a minor inconvenience, a mosquito sting instead of the wolf’s bite we believed. Meglar allowed us to think we’d depleted his forces, but we never made a meaningful dint.”
“Calm down.” Kel raised a hand and moved it up and down. “Let’s talk about what you saw.”
“No, Grandfather. We’ve been careless.” He stood and backed away from the table. “We allowed ourselves to be lulled into thinking we were hurting him with our attacks. He’s been pretending to keep us placated. He could overrun Honal and Pelipan and still have enough creatures to lay siege to Dreth.”
Spinning, he found the frame of the permanent Door in his mind. He activated it and pulled himself forward at the same time. Before he could blink, he was floating over the ocean a hundred miles west of Trag. Using the sun to orient himself, he headed west.
He’d opened a Door far enough away that he hoped it went unnoticed. If not . . . he didn’t want to think about that. He’d only get one chance at what he’d planned, and he had to hope Meglar didn’t know he was coming.
Forty-Four
Zenora heard Door magic and turned toward Farrell. His body blurred for a moment and then he was gone. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a Door power down, but since none had been activated, she couldn’t have seen that.
“What just happened?” Heminaltose asked. Everyone turned to Kel for an answer.
“Farrell is a better student than I believed.” Kel walked to the wall. “He’s learned to move between places.”
Heminaltose waved his hand. “What nonsense are you saying?”
“But it’s not . . .” Zenora almost said “not activated,” but that explained what happened. “How did he use that Door when it was never activated?”
“I don’t have time to explain. Farrell grabbed the dormant permanent Door and pulled himself through. The Door did open, but only for the barest of instants. And in the split second, Farrell jumped to a new location.”
“That can’t be safe.” Zenora knew she spoke as a mother and not a wizard or queen.
Kel shrugged. “Like all difficult high magic, if executed correctly, there is no danger.”
“What demon possessed you to teach him that spell?” Heminaltose asked.
“Didn’t you hear me? I did not. He taught himself. Something you’d know he’s very good at if you’d stop looking at him like a child.”
“I don’t care how he learned it. How do we find him?” As Cylinda, she’d watched him run off many times and couldn’t react as his mother. Now she gave in to her panic, knowing her son did this so the others couldn’t stop him. “I fear what he’s planning.”
“I can find him,” Kel said.
“Good! Let’s go!” Heminaltose moved toward the Door.
“No.” Kel walked away from the wall. “I’ll handle this myself.”
Zenora moved closer to him. “Out of the question. In your weakened state, how can you be sure you can handle whatever he’s gotten into?”
“Let me cut this argument off before it goes any further,” Kel said. “If what he’s planning kills him, you two are the only ones left who can confront Meglar. We can’t risk everyone on a rescue attempt. As you’ve pointed out, I’m expendable. I’m the logical choice.”