I went on to describe all of the strange events that occurred since then; the change in my skin and sleep patterns, the gills, my ability to walk with stealth and hear over long distances, the taming of the warbear, reviving Lunaris from what seemed to be death, my strength in helping fight the scorpfang, and my propensity for the combat arts.
Patreus added that there were many other phenomena in Haaret occurring alongside these events and together with my traits. He noted the rapid growth of vegetation near Ahaareta falls, and he pointed out that the Sacred Willow may have returned, and that its growth in the desert is evidence of the return of the Fifth Stone, in accordance with the Hope.
The council agreed with Patreus' presentation. All but the Saubit. They took exception to Patreus' claims, and offered alternative explanations for nearly everything that was mentioned. They were so convincing that one or two other councilmen began to second guess Patreus. Even I did not know what to believe, and I had lived through all of these experiences. Then, the Saubit offered its own theory about who was the Unity.
"We suggest the Unity is not Valdren here, a mere young man," said Ergomet, the Aquidian member of the Saubit. "We believe it is Sindris, daughter of Florian and Candrok. Surely it is clear that she descends from a diverse bloodline."
"Have you forgotten the text of the prophecy?” Patreus asked incredulously.
“No.” Ergomet responded.
“When blood from the impure lines mixes with the pure, the Fifth Stone will return with the blood of all four,” Patreus stated. “Diverse, yes, but Sindris’ body does not flow with the blood of the four. Sindris does not have a Lapisian ancestry. Her mother Florian is Ahaareti, and her father Candrok is Uhuqua; half Aquidian and half Uhaareti," explained Patreus. "Ver’Deiro was clear when he stated that the Unity would descend from all four races, despite the fact that Lapisians are reclusive and left our lands many cycles ago. He did not say the Unity would be merely diverse."
"Valdren has no wings!" Ergomet proclaimed.
"Yes, but his mother is half Lapisian," Patreus responded. "You all know this, just as I know that you are indebted to Candrok. Surely a nod from this council that his daughter is the Unity would win you favor to the extent that he would relieve you of your debts."
Ergomet grumbled. "I take high exception to such a..."
"Is it not true?" Patreus interrupted with a cross tone.
Ergomet did not answer. Instead he became angered. “Never trust the diggers and walkers,” he uttered in reference to the groundsmen, much to the distaste of the rest of the council. Such generalizations were seen as offensive to some.
"Is Sindris not part groundsmen as well?" Patreus asked rhetorically. "Corruption of desires, Ergomet, is the first step down the wide path of impurity," he warned. "What is it you desire?"
"That's enough!" Gerron barked as he pounded his fists onto the table. "It is clear that we are still split regarding the Unity. While I agree with Patreus that Valdren is the Unity, we must have unanimous agreement within the council before we can make such a proclamation. We will address it again next time we meet. Perhaps by then we will have full agreement, but it seems to be too early as of yet. Agreed?" The others nodded in the affirmative, and Patreus and Ergomet begrudgingly came to an accord. "Very well. Then we agree to disagree. Now, what news of Scievah?" He opened the discussion up and changed the subject.
I suspected that Gerron was the head of the council due to his control over the meeting. I was relieved that the attention was no longer focused on me. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, being the root of such a fierce disagreement. I now understood the bittersweet feelings that Patreus and Gerron held toward the Saubit. It was difficult to get all business completed, but there was value in first convincing harsh dissenters of your own convictions before making an important council decision that would effect the lives of many.
"The newest information I have is that the impure have been meeting at the old Earthstone altar. Many make the pilgrimage to worship Scievah and the power stones, so the ruins have been compromised," Patreus explained.
"Scievah has begun to prop up what we believe to be the false Divinae mentioned in the prophecy. The impure pledge their souls to these imposters and then become mindless drones, as if they are the walking dead, only they can be commanded as an army by the Soul Collectors," said Bellock, one of the Uhaareti councilmen. “He is also using dark wizards to locate the Earthstone with their gift. We believe he is close, and will soon try to take it.”
"Is there any proof of this? Where is the stone, where is he going?" demanded Ergomet. I gathered he was the head of the Saubit, since he seemed to take control of all skeptical questioning.
"None of us know the location of the Earthstone. Only the Divinae know,” said Patreus. "Why would you even ask such a question?"
“No one has seen a power stone for thousands of cycles. How do we know if they really even exist?" There was silence for a moment. "Is it true Bellock? About the Soul Collectors?” Ergomet asked.
“Yes. I've seen it with my own eyes down in the underland. The soulless drones even feast on the carrion of their victims, their clothing tattered, their skin pale and rotting. They are dead as much as they are alive. Terrifying. And, what's worse is that Scievah has raised four small winged lizors into immense dragons with the use of dark items and forbidden waters. It is said that the Soul Collectors will ride atop the winged terrors in battle, using them like flying chariots of destruction. If these are his more public endeavors, I loathe to see what he is concocting in secret with the help of the dark wizards," said Bellock.
“Perhaps Valdren is just the opposite of a dark wizard. If he does have the powers of the stones, perhaps they can be used for the army, for good. If there are accidents that cause power to enter the dark wizards, then it could enter a good natured person as well,” Ergomet suggested.
“If such powers came to a mere man they would still only cause destruction. You think Valdren is merely a man. If you believe that then why would you have him use these powers knowing they can only lead to impurity? We all know that only the stone itself or the king can wield the powers of true purity that Valdren has shown. That is why he must be the return of the Fifth Stone.” Patreus tried explaining one last time, while Ergomet was sneering at him.
"How can we identify these Soul Collectors? Who are they?" asked Gerron, returning back to the subject at hand.
"Scievah himself is one Soul Collector. We know another to be Hadlick, and another is thought to be Hadut, although he has not been seen for some time," said Bellock.
"Hadut was spying on my farm, where I kept Valdren hidden after his parents were captured. Felgor warned us of his presence, but he is no longer there now," Patreus explained.
"That would account for Hadut's missing for some time. You should have killed him!" Gerron fumed.
“That thought occurred to me, but Felgor and I decided it would be wise not to draw attention to ourselves and Valdren,” said Patreus.
"So who is the fourth?" Gerron asked.
Bellock whispered with some of the others. His eyes were heavy with concern. "I regret to inform the council. Our information suggests it to be your friend Felgor," he said with sadness. I thought of Erdus and how he spoke of rumors about Felgor.
"But Felgor is our spy," Patreus explained.
"Yes, I know. But his communications with us have ceased, and his behavior has been somewhat rogue and untrustworthy. He is thought to be carrying out orders for Scievah in Uhaaretu," explained Bellock. "Entire towns of pure are said to have been wiped out or converted into drones by his command. Some have simply vanished. Sometimes I wonder if there are even anymore pure Uhaareti left. There are so few of us to begin with,” he lamented.
"When I last spoke to Felgor, he told me that I would not hear from him again until the return of the Divinae. I understand your concern, but I simply refuse to believe his loyalties lie anywhere but with the resistance. Is there any proof of these
dreadful claims?" insisted Patreus.
Before Bellock could answer, Ergomet seized upon the opportunity to advocate against Patreus. "Isn't it possible that your view of Felgor is compromised by your friendship with him?" he crossed.
"It is true. He is a dear friend, but I know in my heart that he is pure," Patreus pleaded.
"Your opinion is biased due to your relationship with him, just as you claimed my motive was corrupt in suggesting that Sindris is the Unity," said Ergomet with much satisfaction in his argument. I could not believe it. Felgor must be pure. He had to be! "Felgor has been turned. You have been deceived, Patreus," Ergomet added.
"We suspected he was straying from the resistance when he stopped briefing us on his findings," said Bellock.
"But I've been briefed by him. I assure you he is still in deep for our cause," implored Patreus.
"I'm sorry, but his actions in Uhaaretu suggest otherwise," Bellock answered. "I understand your frustration, but he and a group of his men attacked a small town of Uhaareti in our lands. To me, that is a clear signal of his alignment with Scievah. We believe him to be an elite war commander, possibly even the fourth Soul Collector."
"From now on, no sensitive information will be passed on to Felgor. However, he cannot know that we suspect him of treasonous activity," said one of the councilmen.
I wondered why Felgor would act one way on Ahaareta but in another way in Uhaaretu. Perhaps it was part of his spy tactics, to make the impure Uhaareti believe he was loyal to Scievah. If so, would he harm innocent people just to keep up the charade?
Patreus was shocked and upset at this news. He was quiet for a few moments while the discussion continued.
"I suggest we begin training our men as soon as possible in preparation for our defense, and pray that the prophecy is soon fulfilled. We need all the help we can muster," said Gerron. "While we may have the Hope's prophecy on our side, hope without action is a dangerous crutch to lean on, for it can become an excuse to sit back and do nothing."
"I propose a different approach, a more progressive idea. Why don't we send an envoy to Scievah to reason with him diplomatically? We all have the gift of persuasion here. We can convince him to stand down in exchange for something; perhaps more land," offered Ergomet. "After all, a few more unskilled soldiers and a prayer will get nothing accomplished. We are clearly outnumbered and cannot win a war if this were to escalate to such an event. Scievah can offer us peace and unity for a price."
"Peace and Unity?" Gerron questioned. "The prophecy warns of such false promises. No. I take high exception to this suggestion," said Gerron. A few of the others joined him as well. "Just because a fight is difficult to win does not mean that we should avoid fighting altogether. I, for one, would rather fight and die than continue to live under this cruel regime. And nothing in Scievah's long and deceptive past suggests that he would keep his word and bind himself to such a hypothetical agreement in the first place," he reasoned.
"Land and trivial items are not what he is after," said Bellock in agreement. “He wants power. He wants the other three stones, and he will not stop his pursuit."
"I find this to be an issue of faith," added Patreus. "The prophecy tells us that we will win, regardless of numbers, skills or odds. Even if our numbers were in the tens, the prophecy says the Divinae will return and help us to win. I remind you of the story of Gareth and the battle at the Junction of the Four Realms. There the pure overcame great odds and defeated the corrupt despite their numbers. We must train, yes, but we must also have faith," he explained. “Few will stand victorious against many.”
"And may I remind you that the pure lost those wars in the end, along with the Firestone, and here we are. Few against many, our hopes resting on a line of drivel from decades ago that we have no evidence to support is actually true!" Ergomet snapped in response.
"Ergomet, I suggest you reexamine your commitment to purity and challenge yourself to confront your doubts of faith with the evidence of the truth that lies before you," Patreus said. “Man tends to suppress the truth that surrounds him to justify following his desires. Your unbelief is motivated more by matters of the heart’s desire than by illogic of the mind. I know you to be a wise man, but what you call progressive and inquisitive, many others see as foolish and dangerous." Patreus lectured him. "What is more disheartening is that a truly pure Aquidian could be so easily corrupted by desire. So, for the reason of lack of purity, at this time I propose to the council that Ergomet be removed from his position, or, in the alternative, that the Saubit be dissolved. To me, the body has become compromised in its honest pursuit of truth.” The idea seemed to be taken as a radical proposal; some of the others gasped in disbelief that Patreus would suggest such a thing. “It is sad to say, but the Saubit is no longer fair and reasonably critical. I propose a vote,” Patreus added.
Only three of the others voted with Patreus, and so it seemed that there were not enough councilmen in agreement to carry the proposal to order. Gerron did not join with Patreus, which had surprised me.
After a few moments, Gerron called the meeting back to order and opened the discussion up to any other miscellaneous topics. "When we defeated the ogre and scorpfang, I recovered a dark talisman from the ogre’s neck," Patreus explained.
"You can enter it into the new log. I copied the old one into a new book, as the old one was tattered and nearly destroyed," said Ergomet.
"I already have, and I placed the item into the hollow book for destruction."
"Very good. Thank you," said Gerron.
"And you checked that all the entries were transcribed accurately into the new book?" Patreus pressed Ergomet.
"Yes, of course," replied Ergomet.
"Is that all?" asked Gerron.
"Yes," said Patreus after a pause.
"Then the council is relieved," announced Gerron.
The councilmen gathered their things and left the temple one by one, making their way back to the feast. Patreus and I walked back with Gerron.
"Gerron, when I last spoke with Felgor, he mentioned that Hadut's dark item was logged into the books here at the temple. But when I checked earlier, it was not there. There was no such entry in the new log book that Ergomet created."
"Why didn't you bring this up at the council?" Gerron asked. "Perhaps I would have voted with you!"
"The reason I didn't announce it is because I suspect him of working with the impure, and I think we should monitor him to see if he is working against our interests. He has become unreasonable, he lacks faith, and he questions everything regardless of how wrong he is," argued Patreus.
"Yes but that is his duty, well, in a way. I understand your concerns but my reasons for worry are different. If he did omit Hadut's item from the log on purpose, then he could be loyal to the enemy, to keep us from sending a party out to retrieve the item and destroy Hadut. Such an omission would allow Hadut to remain one of the Soul Collectors and further Scievah's plan," he explained.
"What should be done?" Patreus asked.
"I will have Algomann, a loyal Aquidian spy, keep an eye on him. I will also get word to Erdus, although he worked closely with Felgor and could be compromised as well," said Gerron.
"I do not share in the concern over Felgor, but I will respect the council's decision to avoid sharing sensitive information with him should I see him. Erdus is not compromised. We saw him on our journey north and he briefly mentioned that there were rumors about Felgor, but he did not elaborate. So I can only assume that Erdus is still trustworthy," explained Patreus. “Perhaps just confused.”
"Very well. Now, try to enjoy the feast," Gerron said as we entered the clearing to see the festival in full swing. Gerron then walked over to talk with an Aquidian, who I assumed was Algomann.
"I don't believe what they say about Felgor," I said to Patreus once we were alone.
"Neither do I, Valdren. He is a trusted friend of many cycles," Patreus responded.
"Perhaps Felgor intentionally misspok
e about the log entry to draw your attention to the idea of an impure spy on the council, to be on the lookout for Ergomet's treason," I suggested.
"That is a very interesting thought, but why not just come right out with it?" he pondered. "Maybe you are right. It does sound like something a cunning spy like Felgor would do. But, come, let's find the others and celebrate the feast of Di'Veridae. Let's not allow bad news and talk of treason to spoil this joyous day!" he cheered.
CHAPTER 13
A variety of cooked meats filled the air with a savory and mouth watering scent, while cakes and breads balanced the air with sugary sweetness. Contests and games were under way in a few areas. There was a large stone throwing competition, where burly Haareti hurled melon sized boulders as far as they could for prizes. There was even a large scale board for playing stones, where Haareti draped in black and white fabrics acted as game pieces.
I placed a few coins onto the table beside the life-sized stones game, and took my chances at winning. My father had taught me well, as he was a master at the game. Within minutes I had my first victory, and I was soon on a streak. I had won so many games in a row that I began to grow tired of it. I took my winnings and received applause from the onlookers, who marveled at my skill but were equally relieved at my gracious retirement from the game. I spent some of my coins on a bracelet for Lunaris. The vendors nearby were selling beautiful hand crafted jewelry made from sea shells and polished stones. I picked the nicest one to give to Lunaris as a gift; something to show her how I felt about her.
A small group of Haareti gathered near a stage awaiting a performance of some kind. I wandered over, taking in all the sights, smells and sensations that surrounded me along the way. I reached the stage area and there were three actors on it that had taken their places to begin the show. Then a small impish Uhaareti trotted out onto the stage and made an announcement to the audience.
The Return of the Fifth Stone Page 18