“That may be, my friend, but back then the fate of the world didn’t depend on my making wise choices.”
“All the more reason to be generous with your forgiveness.” Teberus bared his pointy teeth and bowed. “We will keep the water flowing until the last of us has left. Heal quickly, young Chosen of the Blessed Mother, and learn from your mistakes.”
Kel opened a Door and motioned for Farrell to go first. When he stepped into the infirmary, he stifled a groan and used his uninjured hand to extract the water from his lungs. He gathered it into a ball and tossed it through the Door before Kel sealed the portal.
“Master Heather, this is Kel. Farrell is severely injured, and we need your help.” He fixed Farrell in a deadly stare. “I do not want to hear a single complaint. Your foolishness brought you here.”
Master Heather and a trail of healers quick walked into the room. “What happened?”
“Wait!” Farrell tried to raise his left arm and almost passed out. “If Geena is here, please send her home.”
“She’s out with the other children right now, but I’ll see that she goes home from there.” Heather nodded toward a novice, who ran off. “Now tell me what happened.”
Forty-Five
Farrell listened to his grandfather recite the barest facts of his encounter at Kentrish. Heather listened with a look Farrell couldn’t discern. Finally she nodded and looked at him.
“Take off your armor and tunic. I need to examine you.”
He pulled in the power to do as she asked and growled in pain. Wincing, he pushed the magic through his staff and felt the cool air wash over the burns on his bare skin. Two of the assistants gasped, and Heather shot them a look.
“Are you a wizard healer, Master Kel?” she asked.
“No, but Zenora is. I’ll fetch her.” Kel waved his hand, and the Door reappeared. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“Thank you, Grandfather. I wouldn’t have made it had you not come for me.”
Kel looked at him with something more than disgust. “I’m not so sure. You had them flailing about. Had you planned it a bit better, you might have destroyed the entire city. Since you did not plan at all, it was, as you said, nearly fatal.”
“I’m sorry for being so stupid.”
“I know you are, but we can talk more when you’re healed.” Kel spun on his heel and disappeared through the Door.
“I’ve seen worse, but these are bad enough.” Heather touched his skin, and Farrell jumped. “I bet they hurt like a demon.”
“Three demons,” Farrell said through clenched teeth.
“Tell me what happened.” Heather didn’t seem interested in his answer. She ran her hand over the injured flesh. Twice she motioned her assistants closer. When he stopped talking, she shook her head and stepped back to confer with the others.
“There’s no magic clinging to your wounds, at least not that we can tell. If we run into any, can you assist us until your mother arrives?”
Farrell nodded. “I think so.”
“Good,” she said. “Now lie on your right side so we can start.”
She and her team went to work, and soon the throbbing pain eased to a dull ache. He knew from scanning his body that his arm was the least injured and the side and lower back were the worst. Heather and two assistants worked behind him, while a young male and older female healed his arm. From their conversation, the male was new to his robes and was still shadowing his mentor.
They’d been working on him for about half an hour when Kel returned. He led Miceral, Horgon, Heminaltose, and Zenora into the infirmary. Miceral’s angry glare turned to something akin to fear when he saw the five healers.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said to Miceral.
“Don’t . . . don’t lie to me. Kel told me what you did. Are you insane?”
After what he’d done, he wasn’t sure how to answer.
“What in the name of the Six were you thinking?” Heminaltose asked.
Zenora pushed him aside and moved next to Heather. He couldn’t see her face, but he heard her suck air through her teeth. “Can I help?”
“We didn’t see magic clinging to his wounds, but if you’d check again, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course.” She walked around the table. Zenora looked on the verge of tears as their eyes met.
“I’ll be fine, Mother. Please don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry! Are you serious?” Zenora looked ready to break down, so Farrell pushed aside the pain and sat up.
“What are you doing?” Heather asked.
“A moment, please, Master Heather.” Farrell shook his head when she looked like she’d protest. He reached out and took his mother’s hand in his. “I’m sorry to worry you like this. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“You went to Kentrish alone. What else did you mean to happen?”
“I intended to sneak in and out without getting caught.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I did great at sneaking in, but my getting out without being caught needs work.”
She snorted, and a smile snuck onto her lips. Unable to hold back, she hugged him. Farrell started to hug her back, but his left arm protested when he moved it. He settled for using only one arm. “Farrell, I was so worried.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He stroked her hair to comfort her. “If it helps, I promise not to try that again.”
Her soft laugh was devoid of humor. “Some promise. Of course you won’t do that again, but it’s the next new crazy thing you’ll try that worries me.”
Heather cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to finish.”
Farrell sat upright, legs over the edge of the table, while his mother examined him.
“Now that we’ve gotten you to agree not to do something that stupid again, can you explain why you did it this time?” Heminaltose asked.
“I told you, we’re being deceived,” Farrell said. “Meglar has far more troops than we thought. Had I used the Eye sooner, we’d have known the truth.”
“What does that matter?” Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled. One of the healers jumped, and Farrell grunted when they touched a raw patch of skin by accident.
Heather put her hands on her hips and stared Heminaltose down. “If you don’t stop yelling, you’re leaving.”
“My apologies.” He returned his attention to Farrell. “If we knew sooner, it would have changed nothing.”
The conversation was going about as well as he’d expected. “It should. We’ve planned as if he still needs years to recover his losses.”
“Again, that’s not the point. How did finding out now turn into you attacking Kentrish alone?”
“If you had seen the numbers, you’d have done the same.”
“No, I would not!” Heminaltose’s outburst earned him another look from Heather. “I’d have taken a more measured approach.”
“No surprise there.” Farrell didn’t try to hide his disdain.
“Don’t get smart with me. I’ve tried for years to instill some sense of caution in you. Despite my best efforts, you seem Neblor-bent on attempting every crazy stunt you can dream up.”
“Just because I’m not content to sit and wait in a cave without taking the fight to the enemy doesn’t make me inferior to you. Ouch!” he yelped as Heather touched a nerve.
“So you think I’m a coward?” Heminaltose asked. “No, but I don’t think your way is correct.”
“And you think confronting Meglar was the right thing to do?”
“I did when I left.”
Kel stepped in front of him and held up a hand to prevent Heminaltose from responding. “At Yar-del, I told you the Six expect you to fight Meglar at Haven. I thought you understood the folly of deviating from Their plans. Perhaps now you value the importance of dictating the terms of the engagement.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Don’t say ‘Yes, Grandfather’ if you don’t mean it,” Kel said. “I’m too old to be pat
ronized by a foolhardy young wizard.”
The constant berating was wearing on his already frayed nerves. “Sometimes doing the unexpected gives us the upper hand. Waiting to be picked off like low-hanging fruit is begging for defeat. Doing what Meglar expects us to do has never yielded an advantage.”
“Would you charge the hordes of Meglar armed with just a meat cleaver? That would be highly unexpected. Would that give you an advantage?” The absurdity of the question didn’t warrant an answer. “Doing the unexpected in a measured, well-thought-out manner is sometimes the best strategy. Taken to its extreme, you see the sheer folly of following such an approach.”
Farrell shook his head. He thought Kel at least would understand. “I’ll concede going to Kentrish alone wasn’t wise, but you’ll not convince me attacking his city was a mistake.”
“That’s a start.” Kel smiled.
“No, it’s not,” Heminaltose said. “It proves he hasn’t learned a thing from his stupidity.”
“I’m not stupid!” Farrell stood up and moved away to the consternation of the healers. “And I don’t answer to you.”
“Farrell, calm down,” Miceral said.
“No!” He shook his head and stood face-to-face with his former master. “You don’t like what I did. Fine, I heard you. But show me the same respect I show you. If you can’t, then we have nothing else to say to each other.”
“Farrell!” Zenora said. “That’s—”
“He’s correct,” Kel said, drawing the ire of Heminaltose and Zenora. “He has earned at least our being civil to him. And I’m as much to blame as any.”
“Back on the table, or you can heal yourself.” Heather interrupted and pointed her finger at the bed. She winked, and Farrell thought he detected a smile before she turned away.
“Yes, Master Heather.”
The room had gotten quiet as he returned to the required spot. Kel broke the silence with his staff clicking on the stone as he approached Farrell.
“As I said, I’m as guilty as anyone. I said things outside Kentrish I ought not have. For that I am sorry. What you did was foolish, but you will not hear my words if I wrap them in anger and scorn.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.” He pretended to be interested in what the healers were doing to avoid looking at the others. Another jolt of pain caused him to close his eyes. Someone muttered an apology, but Farrell focused on the footsteps coming closer.
“I owe you an apology as well,” Heminaltose said. “Like Kel said, what you did was reckless and poorly thought out, but you deserve better.”
He kept his eyes closed another second before opening them and peering up at his mentor. “At least we agree on two things: it was reckless and poorly planned. I’m sorry to you and everyone else. I truly had the best intentions.”
“You had to know it was going to fail,” Zenora said. “Why would you do it?”
He shook his head, embarrassed by the notion. “I didn’t. I thought I could get in, do what I had planned, and get away. I didn’t expect Meglar would be able to put together such an organized counterattack so fast.”
“That’s because everyone underestimates him.” A green nimbus surrounded her hand, and she focused her attention on his left forearm. “He’s much smarter than people think.”
“No, dear, he’s not,” Kel said. “Meglar sat in his palace and hurled balls of energy. His uncle, nephew, and cousin were leading the group at the shield trying to keep Farrell in place. I’m reasonably sure they were the ones who devised the strategy to capture him.”
Kel leaned on his staff and looked Farrell in the eye. “But I want to get back to something you said earlier today and just a moment ago. Meglar’s forces are so much greater than who knew? The Six? Honorus? Me? Or you?”
“You knew?” His surprise was pushed aside by anger. “How and why didn’t you tell us?”
“I don’t have exact numbers, but I never thought we’d destroyed his forces like you and the others seemed to believe. But more importantly, nothing you saw using the Eye was unknown to Honorus and the Six. They may not be able to tell you, but you can trust They know. And They devised Their plans with that information.”
After speaking to Neldin, Farrell knew Kel spoke the truth. “Yes, Grandfather, I do accept that.”
“Good.” Kel smiled. “I hope that is well and truly settled.”
Heather stepped back and walked around the table. “Power burns heal faster than sword wounds, but they are extremely sensitive to heat or cold. I suggest you avoid any extreme temperatures for at least three days. And since I know you’re fond of that large tub of yours, use warm water or else you’ll be sorry.”
“Yes, Master Heather.” Farrell wanted a warm bath and his soft bed after everything that had happened. “Thank you again for your help.”
“I’d lecture you, but the others did that already.” She glanced around the room. “And if you promise to be cooperative, I won’t give you a sedative. I don’t want your partner to risk having to sleep in the barracks by getting him to sneak it into your water.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you,” Miceral said, and Heather chuckled.
“If it’s still sensitive to hot or cold on the morning of the fourth day, come back and let me look at it.” She motioned him off the table. “Now go rest.”
“Come,” Kel said. “I’ll escort you home.”
The Door Kel opened led to his rooms, not theirs. Farrell knew it the moment it sprang to life but didn’t want to argue in front of the others. Kel wouldn’t have made the detour by accident, so Farrell assumed he had a good reason.
“Please sit.” Kel pointed to a set of leather chairs in a side room. “I’ll get us something to drink.”
Farrell avoided Miceral’s gaze. Nothing he said would calm his partner, and he didn’t have the strength to argue. Kel returned with three cups and a pitcher of citrus juice and sugar.
“I want to reiterate my displeasure at what you did today.” Kel handed Farrell a cup and waited until he looked up. “That’s not to restart that conversation, but I want you to keep that thought in your mind for what I’ll say next.”
“Yes, Grandfather.” He doubted Miceral was going to give him the same leniency when they were alone.
Kel served Miceral and set his drink on a table next to his chair. “May I borrow the Eye, please?”
The request struck Farrell unprepared. His immediate reaction was to decline, but Kel waited expectantly. Tamping down his resistance, Farrell removed the purple bag from his pocket and handed it over.
“Hard to part with, isn’t it?” Kel smiled. “When it came time to put it and the Arm in a safe place for you, I wasn’t sure I could. It didn’t take divine intervention, but it was a near thing.”
Farrell laughed, and to his ear it sounded as nervous as he felt. The admission left him afraid Kel would seek to take possession of the Eye again.
“Fear not, Grandson. The desire to not let anyone else touch it has long passed.” He settled into his chair and slid the gem from its pouch. “I asked to borrow it so I could show you the results of today’s actions.”
“Is that wise?” Miceral asked.
“‘Done is over,’ as they say.” Kel stared at the Eye for a moment and looked up. “It’s important we get an accurate accounting of what happened.”
“Why bother?” Farrell had little interest in the results. “As everyone pointed out, I failed.”
“I never said that. I told you what you did was foolish, not a failure.” There was a spark in Kel’s expression. “From what little I can see inside the castle, you have everything in an uproar. That alone makes your attack a success.”
“How so?” Miceral asked.
“Meglar rules by fear,” Kel said. “Farrell dared to attack Kentrish. He breached Meglar’s shields, attacked the Chamdon pens, and flooded parts of the city. In sum, he pierced Meglar’s invincible armor.”
Kel raised the Eye, and a moment later an image fi
lled the space between the three. The city street was strewn with debris and bodies. Seagulls flew in and scavenged the area. The view got blurry and zoomed out until it covered a wide area of the city.
“This is what the northern section of Kentrish looked like yesterday,” Kel said. A wooden fence stretched as far as their view permitted. It was divided into sections, and each had at least one long military-type structure built into a corner. Tarps and tent-like structures covered most of the ground. Underneath, thousands of Chamdon lay motionless, one next to the other.
Kel whispered and the scene changed. The devastation made Farrell blink. Pools of seawater, some the size of small ponds, covered the ground. The tents and tarps were strewn around, the fences gone, and the barracks—the parts that still stood—smoldered and burned in places. Gone too were the neat rows of Chamdon in stasis. Charred corpses and drowned bodies testified to the effects of Farrell’s two-pronged attack.
The image shifted and they moved around the city. Everywhere they stopped, they saw a repeat of the first staging area. Kel commanded the image to pull back, and they were able to see Kentrish from above.
By all Farrell knew, under King Falon, Kentrish had been a thriving city, much nicer than Spagrom or Jerdam. Now all but the inner city had been torn down. Meglar had turned his city into a fortress.
The part that survived Meglar’s war machine encircled the palace. A thick wall surrounded the enclave, and an inner fortification ringed the royal home. Water filled the outer circle. They saw men wading through waist-high water. In some spots it appeared the ocean was chest-high.
Sited on the highest part of Kentrish, the palace should have survived the flooding. But even here, the ground looked wet and there were small pools of water.
“The wave Teberus and his wizards forced through my opening was trained on the palace and its surroundings,” Kel said. “The walls built by Meglar’s ancestors clearly drain better than the new ones he had built.”
“You destroyed Meglar’s armies?” Miceral asked.
Champion of the Gods Box Set Page 167