Chapter 25: Unavoidable?

The door at the end of the hall was large and made of steel, impenetrable for almost everybody. The soldier took out a key and opened the door, standing to let the others pass. They filed into a room and sat around a large circular table. Darren looked around. Maps decorated the walls, huge suits of armor stood in the corner, and only two entrances into the room were visible. The soldier slammed the steel door shut, and left through an ordinary wooden door, saying “Please wait here for the king.”

Fraydon turned to Darren. “What’s the king like?” Darren shrugged. “Don’t know for sure. I never actually met him face to face. He’s making an appearance to seven people; that’s a huge event that only the Stone could make happen.” Legerra nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask what plans the king has for the Stone. He gonna destroy something big?” Darren shrugged again. “I really don’t know. He only told me to get it, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t expect to have it so soon.”

A trumpet sounded. “Make way for the king!” Everyone rose to their feet instinctively, pushing back their chairs. The door opened and soldiers walked in, lining the walls. The king stepped in, and everyone bowed deeply to the man they had never seen. He stretched out his hands helplessly. “Please, sit. I consider you friends.” The soldiers were visibly shocked. The king could not have friends.

They all sat back down around the table, the king sitting in a higher-backed chair and looking from person to person. “My name is Adytlan, king of all Shirn. I sent Darren on the quest to find the Stone of Naugan. He chose six companions, apparently. As he sits before me, unless something grave has come up, I imagine he is victorious.” Darren smiled. “I have indeed, Your Highness.” The king’s eyes visibly brightened. “Darren, you have done much for this country, this kingdom, and me. Even more than you can fathom. May I have it?”

Darren hesitated. “Sire…I think that the exchange and the…conversation we should have about it would best be done in private.” Adytlan leaned forward. “You do not trust my guards, or those around you?” Darren chose his words carefully, weighing them heavily. “It is not a lack of trust that guides my actions, Sire…rather; it is an overabundance of caution. And some things are better left unknown to most, for ignorance is bliss.” The king nodded slowly. “I trust your judgment.” Darren dipped his head. “You do me great honor, Sire.”

Adytlan stood, and all present stood with him. “You deserve much of it. You all have done what none have done before, and you will be rewarded greatly because of it.” He turned to his soldiers. “Guards, show them to the reserved hall.” He turned back to the group. “You will be given private rooms, each to yourself. Any special requests?” Darren bowed and gestured to Sara. “I would prefer one room for the lady and myself.” The king smiled, not noticing the glances the group gave Darren and Sara. “As you wish. I will see you all in the morning for the reward ceremony.” He turned and walked out the door, all but two guards filing out and surrounding him.

Fraydon turned to say something to Darren, but he was already up and following the first of the two guards out the door. They were led down another hallway filled with maps, down stairs flanked by huge tapestries and bright red curtains, and through another hallway lined with portraits to a large square room built of stone, three doors in every wall except the hallway wall, where there were only two. One soldier left while the other pointed out the two doors on either side of the hallway leading to the library. Thendat, Fraydon, and Milar took the three doors on the left. Darren and Sara, Acerin, and Legerra took the three on the right, directly across from the other three.

Darren held the door for Sara and slipped in after her, closing the door quietly. She dropped her gear on the floor next to the bed and turned to face him. “We have to talk.” He chuckled and looked at her. “Ah, the words every man dreads to hear.”

“What were you thinking? There’s only one bed!” Darren shrugged. “So I’ll sleep on the floor.” She put her hands on her hips. “What will the others think?” He smiled. “Let them think what they want.” She shook her head. “Darren, just because I was…overcome with emotion on the roof doesn’t mean we’re going to be sleeping in the same bed.” “I know.” She sighed, frustrated. “Then why did you request the same room?”

He put down his gear and crossed the room, looking around. A full-length mirror stood next to a large armoire. A huge glass door led out to a balcony, the view of the town unobstructed. The bed was large for one person, but small for two. He stood in front of her, speaking gently and without sarcasm. “Let’s say I hadn’t, alright? So we each get a separate room. And let’s say in the middle of the night someone knocks on your door. It’s an order from the king to see him immediately. You can’t refuse him; he’s the king. He can’t sleep, and wanted to get to know you better. After talking to him for a while, he likes you. So he makes you his Queen, you can’t refuse, and what happens to us?”

Sara spoke hesitantly. “We’d be separated.” Darren nodded. “It would hurt…very badly…to lose you. I would be required to show you even more respect than him, and I certainly couldn’t make you have an affair.” Sara grew bolder. “So…you were jealous? Possessive?” Darren looked at her. “Jealous of his ability to have any woman he wants? No. Possessive? Perhaps...I’m protecting both you and me from getting hurt. This way, he knows without a doubt that he must be respectful of boundaries. If that makes me possessive…so be it.”

Sara mulled over that while Darren spread out some of his gear on the floor and started tinkering with it. She walked over to him and leaned down, slipping her arms around his chest. “Thanks, Darren.” He looked up over his shoulder and smiled. “If I didn’t do anything, what kind of person would I be?” He raised a finger. “Ah. Don’t answer that.” Sara grinned mischievously. “Then I won’t.” The gear was quickly forgotten.
~
Legerra and Acerin sparred in the large lobby. Acerin usually won, albeit unfairly with the help of some magic. Thendat, Fraydon and Milar wandered through the library for most of the time. Thendat found a book he liked and brought it over to a table to read. Milar joined him with his own book. Fraydon searched harder, still not finding anything interesting. Finally she pulled up a chair next to the other two and sighed. “Nothing good…what’re you guys reading?”

Milar glanced at her over the top of the book. “Early techniques of the sword masters.” Fraydon shook her head. “You’re always on the job, even when relaxing. What about you, Thendat?” Thendat laid the book down flat. “Mine’s more of a history book. It’s rather interesting, actually. Shirn’s an older country. But every inhabitant thinks that North and South Shirn are the only continents. Searches have been done…but even now, in the fifth century of Shirn’s existence, we still haven’t found any clue as to how we got here, what we’ve been doing, or even how we were founded.”

Fraydon slid the book over so she could read it. “So it’s currently the summer of 441, in Shirn. I’ve been away so long I forgot what year it was…” Thendat smiled. “Yeah, Milar and I always guess on how close it is when we come back from a long journey…he usually wins. The hourglass could be wrong, though…and no-one would notice.” Fraydon nodded. “It’s scary when you think about how much we rely on the king and his officials to tell us what’s happening…” Thendat grimaced. “Tell me about it.”

The day passed slowly, Darren showing Sara through the palace, pointing out various place of interest. The others grew tired of the library, and they spent much of the afternoon in the lobby swapping stories. The king’s chancellor came and gave them outfits to wear for the ceremony the next morning. They spent about an hour going over the ceremony with him, making sure they would get it right. The sun dipped below the horizon. One by one the travelers went to their rooms and slept.

Darren unrolled a blanket and laid it out on the floor. He was asleep within seconds. Sara rolled her eyes as she changed. All that power must have taken a lot out of him. At least I don’t have to ask him to turn around. She climbed into the bed, sinking down into the comfortable softness. What happens now? We get rewarded…but do we travel on another quest? Stay here? Settle down and raise a family? What would I do if I could choose? She stayed awake for a little longer pondering those questions and more, and then succumbed to sleep.
~
Sara woke later, unsure why her sleep had been disturbed. The moonlight streamed through the window. She sat up and looked around, checking for intruders. After getting up and making sure the door was locked, she headed back to her bed, stopped by a slight noise. It seemed to be coming from the ground.

Darren lay on the floor, still asleep, twisting and turning in his covering until it was wrapped hopelessly around him. He moaned spun around, trying to free himself from the blanket. Sara started to hear fragments of words in another language, but she was unable to piece them together.

Darren arched his back and opened his mouth in a silent scream. Sara knelt beside him, trying to hold him down and feel his forehead at the same time. His temperature was normal, so it was definitely a dream. He quieted suddenly and stopped thrashing. Sara let him go and moved back a few feet. She couldn’t tell if it was over or not.

Darren’s eyes snapped open, yet he still did not wake up. He cried out a single word, “Iclkethe!” closed his eyes, and fell silent, sleeping peacefully the rest of the night. Sara tossed and turned for a while longer, finally resolving to ask him about it in the morning.

She woke up when the sunlight hit her face, squinting and sitting up. Darren was already gone, but his gear was still there. She got up and picked out the dress the chancellor had given her, looking at it in disbelief. It’s a bit…fancy. She was almost done, trying to zip up the back when she heard a knock at the door. “Come in!” Darren walked in, noticed her trouble with the zipper, and walked over. “Not much different from the armor, eh?” She ventured a smile. “Except this offers much less protection than armor.” He smiled back as he finished zipping it up. “It can’t be that-”

Sara turned around and Darren whistled as he saw the dress. “Whoa.” The dress was expensive and high-class, definitely offering no protection and not too much clothing either. Sara reached out and tilted Darren’s head up. “Talk to my face, Darren.” He coughed. “Right. Sorry. Bit of a shock, you know.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course. And now every male in the court is going to stare, forget what they’re talking about, and gawk.”

Darren shook his head. “You enjoy that, don’t you?” She grinned. “I figure I only get the chance to do this once, so I might as well enjoy everything about today.” He nodded. “Wise words.”

Sara tilted her head to the side. “Why aren’t you ready?” Darren smiled and took off his cloak. His hair was less wild than usual, but not combed completely. His well-pressed uniform of black and navy blue fit well. Sara looked him up and down, nodding in approval. “Very nice. Keep that pose and I might begin to think you enjoy dressing up for this kind of thing.” Darren smiled. “For a day or two, sure…but not every single day for the rest of my life. That’s another reason why I chose to become a Guild Guide. Uniforms every day…not for me.” He began packing his gear.

Sara noticed the blanket and was reminded of the night before. “Oh, Darren, last night you were moving all over the floor, twisting and shaking…and you mumbled something in another language.” Darren looked concerned. “I hope it wasn’t magic…that could have been bad.” Sara shook her head. “It was all pretty low…except at the end, when you yelled one word and then went back to sleep.” Darren looked at the floor where he had slept. “And what did I yell?” Sara looked at him. “You yelled, ‘Iclkethe!’ and quieted.”

Darren paced the room in thought. “Strange…I should have remembered the dream.” Sara watched him for a while, and then asked him what it meant. “It’s the old language of Shirn, that much is certain. If I remember the old language correctly…it’s a singular noun…can be applied as…hmm…I’ll have to study this some more.”

Sara nodded slowly. “Alright.” Darren shrugged. “I would think that I was probably in some sort of nightmare. But, no matter. It’s over; the others are waiting.” He offered her his arm, and she took it. “Ready?” Sara nodded again, and they left the room.

The group was stunned speechless. Milar and Thendat smiled and nodded, while Legerra and stared for a bit long. Acerin wasn’t there, to Darren’s surprise. Fraydon laughed with delight. “Wow, that’s something else! They said if I didn’t wear one, I couldn’t come to the ceremony. So…here I am.” Sara barely contained a smile at Fraydon in a dress, and everyone else was having a tough time too until Fraydon threatened violence upon them all.

The chancellor entered and bowed to them, making sure they were all presentable. He stared at each of them in turn, staring at Sara a bit longer than the others. He shook his head and led them down the hallway they had entered from, and through a large set of wooden doors, into a long rectangular room with red carpet leading up to a large chair. This, then, was the throne room. They were directed to sit in a row near the front, facing the king.

The ceremony extended well into the afternoon. One by one they came up, were given riches and honor by the king, and went down. Long speeches were made, but to Sara it was blessedly cool and occasionally the speeches were interesting. The whole event seemed to be for a select crowd of people: the rich and famous. She leaned over and asked Darren about it. “The common people don’t know why we’re being honored,” he said. “They would ask questions…and thieves would probably come for the Stone. The rich have no need to steal.”

A shadow passed over them and they looked up. The sky was cloudless. She and Darren looked at each other, but Darren shrugged it off. {The king has guards, Sara. And I’m told he’s good with a sword.} She pinched him in the side. {I’m sure that’s a euphemism.} Darren grinned. {And there’s plenty more where that came from.}

The skylight directly over the king shattered suddenly. The crowd of nobles gasped collectively and shrank away from the falling glass. A man dressed all in black and carrying a long knife fell towards the king, weapon outstretched for the killing blow. The king’s guards ran forward and Darren leaped up to help, but stopped at the king’s command. Adytlan stood from his throne, aura shining and hand pointing at the assassin, holding him paralyzed. Darren sat back down and looked at Sara. {I didn’t know he could use magic…that’s something new.}

The assassin was quickly disarmed and taken away to be interrogated. The ceremony finished up soon after, with dancing and music. Sara tugged on Darren’s sleeve. “Darren, if you’re going to talk with the king, who will I dance with?” “Milar. Thendat.” He winked. “Any of the hundreds of rich men who would love to get one dance with you.” She sighed. “But that’s just not…good.” “I trust you and your judgment. Do what you feel is right, Sara.” He smiled reassuringly and made his way through the people after the king. Sara looked around, frustrated. I hate when this happens…forced to be social.

Thankfully, Milar, Thendat, Fraydon, and Legerra came over and waited for others to come to them. “After all,” said Legerra, “we’re the heroes. They come to us." And come they did. They were soon surrounded by admirers, giving out handshakes and exchanging flatteries.

Darren followed the king down to the dungeon. The assassin was stripped of almost all clothing and chained to a wall. The questioning had been quick and efficient. The king turned to Darren, worry showing clearly on his face. “We’ve got trouble.”
~
All the people, including the guests and musicians was ushered into the private bedrooms except for the six in Darren’s group, the king and his chancellor, and a few of his guards. The king was only a middle-aged man, but when he paced back and forth he looked far older. “There is a cult in this city, called the Kre’path, or Night Brothers. They’re a group made up entirely of assassins and evil men. They’ve convinced a large number of the people, using magic and persuasion, that I am evil and trying to get rich off their labors. The assassin told everything, including that they’re planning to storm the castle any minute now.” Darren jerked his head at Milar, who grabbed a few guards and shut the main door, securing it with various weapons and pieces of furniture.

The king continued speaking. “If we kill any townspeople, we will surely be done for. If we don’t defend ourselves, we will die.” He sat in his throne, weariness showing plainly in his features. “I fear we have no other option than to flee for an indefinite period of time.”

The chancellor stepped up. “Sir, there is one option. We do have the Stone of Naugan.” Darren stepped forward quickly. “I would highly advise against this, Sire. What other use is there for the Stone besides killing and destruction?” The chancellor spoke again. “There are uses that are known to the king, and the king alone.” Adytlan nodded slowly and stood. “We have known of…alternate uses for some time. We will use it against the Kre’path, and no-one else. Darren, I will need you. We’ll need people to defend this hall, however.”

Darren glanced at his group. “Sara, you’re going to have to make a magic barrier to prevent anyone from getting in. The rest of you…if Sara’s barrier doesn’t hold, you’re all going to have to defend the king.” They nodded.

Loud yelling reverberated through the halls. “Come this way! The traitorous king is here!” Sara stood a ways back from the door and raised her arms. A translucent wall appeared just in front of the door. The wood of the door was splintered apart in minutes, but her barrier kept them from coming inside.

The king and Darren placed the Stone on a small table next to the throne, both laying hands on it. The magic slowly filled them, the king changing it into what he needed, Darren following his example. The concentration required for the Stone was tremendous. Sara’s arms began to tremble as the tremendous number of people began to strain her concentration. “I can’t hold it much longer!”

Acerin jumped through the broken skylight and ran to her side, adding his strength to the barrier. He glanced at her. “Nice dress.” Sara rolled her eyes. Hardly the time. “Thanks. Darren thought so too.” Acerin grinned. “I’m sure he did. But you realize you’re going to have to change out of your sleepwear soon. The women in town are complaining that you’re robbing them of their customers.” She resisted the urge to smack him on the side of the head and kept concentrating on the barrier. He kept muttering to himself just loud enough for her to hear. “…didn’t know they allowed that kind of clothing…must be illegal or something…”

Darren took his hands off the Stone of Naugan. There was nothing more he could so, so he stumbled over to the pair. “Good work, Acerin. But where’d you go?” Acerin glared at Darren. Darren raised his hands in mock-defense. “Easy, tiger. I was just asking.” Acerin shrugged it off. “I was out in the town, looking around in case something like this happened.” Darren nodded. “A wise thing to do.”

The barrier was blasted apart by a huge fireball, throwing all three backwards to the ground. The crowd poured in, heading for the three magic-users first. Darren, Acerin, and Sara scrambled back to protect the king, and the mob hesitated. After all, he was the king, and killing him was considered one of the worst offenses to commit. Darren looked at the king, who was still clutching the Stone. He ran to his side. “Sire! You’re putting too much effort into the spell!”

“Darren…if I don’t make this perfect, we all will die…and my friends might too…” Darren clenched his fists, but couldn’t touch the king to pull him away. Adytlan looked at Darren kindly. “Darren, please…try to understand. If I die, but I save my subjects…I have done the greatest thing a man can do…lay down his life for others.”

The king finished the spell and raised his eyes to the setting sun. A single stream of power flew from his hands, spreading from person to person, stopping the mob in their tracks. Adytlan smiled as if in a heavenly dream, and then crumpled to the ground, a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. Darren knelt beside him and felt his neck. He shook his head and closed his eyes. The king was dead.

The magic that the Kre’path had used on the people dissolved, leaving a stunned crowd with weapons in their hands. They saw the king and cried out as one voice, listening furiously when the chancellor told them what had happened. The mob focused their anger on the Night Brothers, beginning to eradicate them one by one. They were easy to take care of without their magic.

Darren closed the king’s eyes. “He was unafraid to die for his people. Rest in peace, noble soul.”

- posted by Nick @ 5/18/2004 11:50:00 AM