{"id":123,"date":"2012-05-25T11:56:20","date_gmt":"2012-05-25T15:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=123"},"modified":"2012-06-01T12:41:40","modified_gmt":"2012-06-01T16:41:40","slug":"zervakan-free-fantasy-novel-chapter-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=123","title":{"rendered":"ZERVAKAN – Free Fantasy Novel – Chapter 13"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>
Cover by TJ Lomas.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\nI’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan<\/a> above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me at robsteiner01 [at] gmail [dot] com.<\/p>\n

If you’re uncomfortable getting something for nothing, you can hit the PayPal Donate<\/a> button in the Tip Jar section to the right. If you donate more than $3, I’ll send you a non-DRM ebook once the book is published (summer 2012). If you donate more than $20, I’ll send you a printed copy.<\/p>\n

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ZERVAKAN<\/h1>\n

by Rob Steiner<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 13<\/h2>\n

Taran felt more at home on a swaying ship than most of his companions.\u00c2\u00a0 While he stood on the bow, watching the front of the ship rise and fall in the waves, many of the Speaker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aids, and a few Shadarlak, leaned over the side of the ship emptying what was left of their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners into the Gulf of Pagilah.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the Speaker looked ill, though he fought back his nausea stoically.<\/p>\n

Taran shook his head.\u00c2\u00a0 In a relatively land-locked country, where train travel was commonplace, travel by water had become the choice of foreigners and exporters.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran had grown up sailing with his father and grandfather on Lake Maximohr, which could be just as violent and wild as the Gebremeden Sea or the open ocean.<\/p>\n

The journey to Markwatch took little less than a day, compared to the three days it would have taken if the mission had traveled the dirt roads that snaked through the forests of Turicia.\u00c2\u00a0 That country had not yet taken to the idea of modernity, much less trains, and it had taken lengthy negotiations to get them to accept a wiretype line through their country so the Compact could communicate with its embassy in the Turician capital Goray.<\/p>\n

The town of Markwatch was one of the largest towns in Turicia, though it was slightly bigger than Kaneta and much older.\u00c2\u00a0 Stone walls twelve feet high ringed the town\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s northern boundary facing the forest, while Markwatch Keep, a large, multi-spired stone castle, sat atop a hill that dominated the center of town.\u00c2\u00a0 Besides the tall lighthouse on a small island a mile offshore, the castle was the first thing Taran saw as the sloop approached.<\/p>\n

The sloop crept into the town\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dock.\u00c2\u00a0 The crew set the anchor and tied docking lines to rusted metal cleats on the stone pier, all with experienced proficiency.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a little before midnight, so once again the Compact mission entered a town that slept.<\/p>\n

From the railings of the sloop, Taran saw the Lord of Markwatch, Sirucz Ven Demeg, standing in front of three other bearded men who looked thin and haggard.\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg had the same black hair and dark beard as the King of Edellia, but Ven Demeg was just as thin as his advisors and did not have the smiling eyes that King Hamacz had.\u00c2\u00a0 Speaker Edoss descended the gangway to the dock and made the customary bows to Lord Ven Demeg.\u00c2\u00a0 They talked a few moments, and then Edoss said something to General Myndehr.\u00c2\u00a0 Myndehr turned and issued orders to Captain Latish, who then bellowed out to his Shadarlak to begin unloading the ship.<\/p>\n

The Edellian crewmen stood by as the Shadarlak unloaded their gear, not helping as they had in Sydear.\u00c2\u00a0 Rumors of the incident at Kaneta had already spread among the crew, creating palpable tension between the Compact passengers and the Edellians.\u00c2\u00a0 Though Taran loved to sail, he was quite happy to be off the Edellian ship before another incident exploded.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dr. Abraeu,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss called from the dock, motioning him over to Lord Ven Demeg.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran grabbed his large duffle sack, slung it over his shoulder, and walked down the gangway to the Speaker.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dr. Abraeu is the Compact\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only Mystic expert,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss was saying to Ven Demeg.\u00c2\u00a0 The Lord\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes were tired and vacant, his chin pointing more toward his chest rather than held high like King Hamacz.\u00c2\u00a0 With the quiet, exhausted shuffling of the dockworkers nearby, Taran was getting an uneasy feeling about Markwatch.<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg nodded his head, and said in a deep voice, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Welcome to Markwatch, Dr. Abraeu.\u00c2\u00a0 I would be most interested to hear your opinions on the Blessed Ones and\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpointing to the sky\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ahura and Angra.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

There was not a hint of an accent in Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice, which surprised Taran, since Turician and common Recindian were such different languages.<\/p>\n

But Taran was more interested in Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s terms for the Mystics.\u00c2\u00a0 To the Turicians, the Mystics were the avatars of Ahura and Angra.\u00c2\u00a0 Most Turicians had a prophetic faith in the Mystics, that the Mystics would return when the world needed them most.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran assumed the appearance of the rings would be a celebrated event in Turicia.\u00c2\u00a0 But the hollow faces of Ven Demeg and his advisors, along with the dockworkers, told a different story.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you, my Lord.\u00c2\u00a0 I would be most honored to discuss my theories with you.\u00c2\u00a0 I was wondering why\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There will be time for talk at my dinner table tonight.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg turned to Edoss.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Excellency, these carriages will take you and your advisors to Markwatch Keep.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss bowed, then ordered General Myndehr to march the Shadarlak to the Keep.\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg held open the door to one of the carriages for Edoss, who climbed in, followed by Lee Cursh, two Shadarlak, and Taran.\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg climbed in last.\u00c2\u00a0 General Myndehr chose to march with her men to the Keep.\u00c2\u00a0 The carriage lurched forward as soon as Ven Demeg shut the door.<\/p>\n

The town at the foot of Markwatch Keep was eerily quiet, even for midnight.\u00c2\u00a0 In many sections, there were no souls on the streets, even outside taverns and inns.\u00c2\u00a0 There were even sections where many of the homes and buildings had recently burned to the ground.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran gave Ven Demeg a questioning look.\u00c2\u00a0 The Lord of Markwatch stared back at Taran, his eyes in shadow.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The night after Ahura and Angra returned,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said in a quiet voice, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a terrible pestilence began in the surrounding farms, then spread to Markwatch.\u00c2\u00a0 People vomited blood.\u00c2\u00a0 Blood poured from their eyes, noses, ears.\u00c2\u00a0 Oozing sores covered the infected.\u00c2\u00a0 Our healers could not determine how the disease passed from person to person, for there were healers who cared for the sick from the beginning and never developed a single sore.\u00c2\u00a0 But then a farmer on the outer fringes of my lands would develop the disease even though he had no contact with the infected.\u00c2\u00a0 It killed over half the population of Markwatch within a week.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg stared at the empty buildings.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran thought Ven Demeg did not see empty buildings, but the corpses that must have once been piled high around them.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And after a week, the dying stopped, just as suddenly as it began.\u00c2\u00a0 Those who were sick recovered within a day.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

With fevered intensity, Ven Demeg declared, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was Ahura who saved us from the Angra-spawned plague.\u00c2\u00a0 We had not shown proper respect to the gods when they re-appeared, so the Blessed Ones allowed the Angra plague to punish us.\u00c2\u00a0 Once we showed proper repentance, the plague stopped.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg returned his gaze to the empty streets of Markwatch.\u00c2\u00a0 Down one of the streets littered with razed buildings, Taran saw a figure sitting in front of a collapsed house, a lantern by its side.\u00c2\u00a0 The figure rocked back and forth.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What do you mean by \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcproper repentance?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran asked.<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg still gazed at the streets of Markwatch.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was my responsibility to ensure my people were prepared for the return of Ahura and Angra.\u00c2\u00a0 It was my responsibility to ensure they showed the proper reverence for the gods.\u00c2\u00a0 It was my failure, not theirs.\u00c2\u00a0 It was my duty to suffer, not them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

When he turned back to the Compact men, his face was more sunken than it had been moments before.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153In days of old, it was the king\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family that paid for the king\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sins.\u00c2\u00a0 So I put my entire family to the sword.\u00c2\u00a0 Once I did, the dying stopped.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now I understand why the Compact abandoned religion long ago,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ladak said to Taran while washing his face and hands in the bowl of water Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s servants had set out for them.<\/p>\n

The room on the third floor of the Keep was small, maybe five paces by ten paces, but felt like a ballroom compared to the cramped quarters of the bunk Taran had shared with Ladak on the train, and the even more cramped hold on the sloop.\u00c2\u00a0 There were two small beds on either side of the room, both with well maintained quilts and blankets finely embroidered with silver swirls and whorls on dark green fields.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran sat at a small desk next to the paned glass window thumbing through a treatise on Turician theology where it concerned the Mystics.\u00c2\u00a0 Night had fallen, and Taran was barely able to make out the words from the small candle on the desk.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t religion,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said, flipping through the pages of the book.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was desperation and madness.\u00c2\u00a0 There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing in Turician theology that says a king or lord has to sacrifice his family to appease Ahura.\u00c2\u00a0 There are legends that speak of Turician kings burning their families so the old gods\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpre-Ahura\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwould grant them victory in battle.\u00c2\u00a0 Even then there was nothing about killing the royal family to atone for a lack of faith.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Toweling his hands and face, Ladak said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, simply having dinner with the man was enough to make me want to run to the nearest Pathist Teacher.\u00c2\u00a0 He actually believes that murdering his wife and three sons was what stopped the plague.\u00c2\u00a0 What do you think?\u00c2\u00a0 Was it natural or caused by harrowers?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran shook his head, shutting the book and eying the bed through a stifled yawn.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen that harrowers can control the weather and turn living creatures into monsters.\u00c2\u00a0 Why not unleash a plague?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ladak climbed into the bed across the room from Taran, and\u00c2\u00a0 said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do we fight an enemy who can strike us with plagues?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran stared at the dark sky through the clouded window. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With the help of the Mystics.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Only <\/em>they can cure Mara of her own plague.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ladak grunted.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I suppose we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see tomorrow, won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said.<\/p>\n

He felt the familiar surge of excitement over meeting the Mystics, a feeling he welcomed over the constant terror and unease he had felt throughout the journey here.\u00c2\u00a0 Tomorrow he would meet the Mystics.\u00c2\u00a0 Tomorrow he would meet the people who would return his daughter to him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That night Taran dreamed of fire and blood.<\/p>\n

He stood before his house in Calaman.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the only house still intact, for the surrounding block was a charred ruin.\u00c2\u00a0 The stink of burnt flesh mingled with the rotting corpses festering in the ruined buildings and on the street.\u00c2\u00a0 He ignored it all, and walked up the steps to the door to his home.\u00c2\u00a0 He entered the house, saw Teacher Owhn Feshaye sitting on the couch consoling Adhera, who leaned against Owhn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulder crying.\u00c2\u00a0 She was naked.<\/p>\n

Owhn looked up at Taran and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take care of her now, lad.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 He gave Taran a leering smile, then lifted Adhera\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chin and kissed her deeply.<\/p>\n

Taran turned away and climbed the stairs to Mara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s room.\u00c2\u00a0 As he reached the top, he saw a shadow enter Mara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s room at the end of the hall, and then heard her cry.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Papa!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she screamed.<\/p>\n

Taran wanted to sprint forward, but as is typical in dreams, his feet would not move as fast as he wanted.\u00c2\u00a0 He could only shuffle forward in small steps.\u00c2\u00a0 He wanted to yell out to her, to let her know he was coming, but he could not open his mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 All the while he heard her crying for him.<\/p>\n

After an eternity, he reached the closed door to her room, then pushed it open.\u00c2\u00a0 Mara lay on the bed on her back, her sleep clothes stained yellow from recent vomit.\u00c2\u00a0 Blood seeped from her eyes, her ears, her nose.\u00c2\u00a0 The shadow hovered above her, its black wispy, tendrils stabbing at Mara like spears.\u00c2\u00a0 She looked at Taran, her long black hair wet with sweat.\u00c2\u00a0 When she opened her mouth, a gout of blood spurted from her mouth and ran down over her chin.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Help me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she cried in a gurgling voice.<\/p>\n

Taran could not move, but he found his voice.\u00c2\u00a0 He screamed at the shadow, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Get away from her!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The shadow continued stabbing at Mara, but a face formed in the chaotic swirling mass.\u00c2\u00a0 It was not a face that Taran recognized, but it was distinct in its features.\u00c2\u00a0 The nose was long and pointed, the eyes set far apart, and it wore a well-trimmed beard that was barely more than stubble.\u00c2\u00a0 Though the face swirled in a black mist, Taran knew that its hair was reddish.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You want me to stop?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the face asked in a harsh whisper, then laughed at Taran.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So stop me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran could not move or even speak.\u00c2\u00a0 The shadow continued to stab at Mara, and her sudden screams of anguish and horror were like nothing he had ever heard come from a human throat.<\/p>\n

Ladak woke him.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Doctor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said, a hand on Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulder.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have a big day ahead of us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran looked up at Ladak through sleep covered eyes, confused for a moment.\u00c2\u00a0 The dream was still vivid in his mind, and he wondered if Ladak was part of the dream.\u00c2\u00a0 Ladak stared at him.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you well?\u00c2\u00a0 You look pale.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran swallowed a spitless swallow, his throat dry from the night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sleep.\u00c2\u00a0 He blinked his eyes again, then said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m fine.\u00c2\u00a0 Just didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sleep well.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Was this conversation a dream…?<\/em><\/p>\n

Ladak nodded, then sat on his own bed to lace his shoes.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can imagine.\u00c2\u00a0 You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re about to meet the people for whom you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been searching for ten years.\u00c2\u00a0 You must be quite excited.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran slowly swung his legs out of bed and reached for his pants.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes.\u00c2\u00a0 Excited.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

For the moment, his mind returned to the Mystics and how he was about to fulfill a quest that started when Mara was struck down with the Blood.\u00c2\u00a0 But he could not help but feel that the dream had something to do with them, for he felt uneasy about meeting them now, whereas before last night, it was all joy.\u00c2\u00a0 The dream felt more real to him than being awake in this small room in Markwatch Keep.\u00c2\u00a0 What did the shadow mean when it said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So stop me?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 And whose face was in the shadow?<\/p>\n

Taran gathered his gear and made his way down to the stables with Ladak.\u00c2\u00a0 The Keep was ancient, old even before the Faith Wars.\u00c2\u00a0 It had dark hallways made of granite where not even a candle burned.\u00c2\u00a0 There were very few servants in the halls, but the ones he saw were subdued and walked about with lowered heads.\u00c2\u00a0 The horror of the plague and Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was bound to fill the residents of Markwatch with grief and despair.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran wondered if this town would ever recover.<\/p>\n

Taran and Ladak found the stables near the western gate of the Keep.\u00c2\u00a0 Most of the Shadarlak were there organizing themselves into squads.\u00c2\u00a0 There were maybe three dozen Shadarlak now, since the attacks during the journey had depleted them from the fifty that had started in Calaman.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it could be possible, but the men who remained wore harder expressions and seemed more focused than when they had set out.\u00c2\u00a0 They went about their preparations without a word.<\/p>\n

Ladak went to see to his luggage, while Taran approached the Speaker as he talked to Ven Demeg.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Once again I want to apologize, Excellency,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ven Demeg said in the same deep, subdued voice he had last night.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The plague even struck our animals.\u00c2\u00a0 Many of our horses succumbed to the Angra scourge.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss shook his head.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Please do not apologize for events that were beyond your control, Lord Ven Demeg.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran winced, and saw Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes flash briefly.\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg believed the plague was entirely his fault, and Taran knew that to say otherwise was to say that he killed his family for nothing.\u00c2\u00a0 Edoss seemed to catch his error as soon as he said it, and he quickly added, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You are a wise ruler and you have done everything within your power to take care of your people.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face continued to twitch a few moments, and then he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Here are the guides who will take you to the border.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He motioned to two men striding through the Keep\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s open western gate.\u00c2\u00a0 Both wore green cloaks with pins that were molded into the crossed-spears crest of Ven Demeg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s house.\u00c2\u00a0 One man was in his middle years, with gray flecks in his reddish-brown hair, while the other was barely past twenty and looked remarkably like the older man.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran instantly recognized them.\u00c2\u00a0 Judging by the smiles they gave him, they also remembered him.<\/p>\n

Ven Demeg said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ulrike Laneve and his son Alton.\u00c2\u00a0 They own land near the Beldamark border, and they also guide Turician pilgrims to the Markers.\u00c2\u00a0 They will take you along the swiftest route.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Both of the guides bowed to Edoss.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My Lord,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d they said with a heavy Turician accent.<\/p>\n

Then to Taran, Ulrike said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is much good to see you again, Abraeu.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Happy to be back, Ulrike,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said, clasping hands with the older guide.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I only hope this expedition goes better than my last two.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ahura lights your way this time,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ulrike said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Blessed Ones will invite you for sure.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss and Cursh gave Taran questioning looks, and Taran said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Turicians believe that no one can enter the Beldamark without an invitation from the Mystics\u00e2\u20ac\u201der, Blessed Ones.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Cursh asked the two Turicians, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Have you ever been into the Beldamark?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Both looked at Cursh as if he had just asked if they had ever jumped off a mountain top.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, sir,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ulrike said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Blessed Ones not ever invited us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do you receive an invitation?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The two guides looked uncomfortable, and glanced at Ven Demeg, who gave them a blank stare, then nodded.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran remembered how guarded Turicians were about their religion.\u00c2\u00a0 Speaking of Turician theology with outsiders was usually forbidden to common folk, requiring the permission of either a priest or a commoner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lord.<\/p>\n

Ulrike turned back to Cursh.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You die, sir.\u00c2\u00a0 If you have lived virtuous life, then Blessed Ones take you to their realm where your spirit enjoy eternal life.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

General Myndehr approached as Ulrike talked of dying.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have an invitation from those who claim to be the Blessed Ones.\u00c2\u00a0 They asked us to come here.\u00c2\u00a0 Surely they will not try to kill us?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Ulrike shook his head.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Blessed Ones are of truth.\u00c2\u00a0 If they say they want to meet you, they want to meet you.\u00c2\u00a0 If they want to kill you, they will tell you so.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Cursh said under his breath, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a relief.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153General, are your men ready?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He seemed impatient to get on with the trek through the Markwatch wilderness.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran wanted to ask the guides more questions, but he figured he would have time during the march.<\/p>\n

The same carriage pulled up that had taken Taran, the Speaker, and Cursh to the Keep yesterday, with the same driver and the same horses.\u00c2\u00a0 Ven Demeg pulled open the door for the Speaker, who thanked him and climbed aboard.\u00c2\u00a0 Once Taran and Cursh were inside, Ven Demeg closed the door.<\/p>\n

Through the open window, Ven Demeg said to Edoss, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153May the Blessed Ones favor you, Excellency, and your mission.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss nodded, and then the carriage rolled forward through the western gate and into the cobblestone streets of Markwatch.\u00c2\u00a0 The empty buildings in the town soon gave way to empty homes, and then farm fields that were overgrown with a month\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth of weeds.\u00c2\u00a0 Scavenging animals\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand humans\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad already stripped the fields of harvestable <\/em>produce.<\/p>\n

The morning sky was gray and the air was misty, making even the tall green pines covering the surrounding hills look as gray as fresh-spun wool.\u00c2\u00a0 There was no sun to be seen, yet the rings of Ahura and Angra still penetrated the thick clouds.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran still marveled at that, that the rings could be simultaneously of the sky, yet apart from it.\u00c2\u00a0 He tentatively scanned the Angra ring\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe mere sight of which made him cold\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor the tendrils he saw during the Calaman storm and the harrower attacks, but he saw nothing.\u00c2\u00a0 Nor did he see tendrils coming down from the Ahura ring, making him wonder if Ahura Mystics drew their powers from the rings in the same way as the harrowers.<\/p>\n

Ulrike and Alton strode quickly down each winding path and road on which they led the column.\u00c2\u00a0 Often times the hard packed roads became nothing more than two-wheel tracks before turning back into hard dirt again.\u00c2\u00a0 Ulrike and Alton took many turns, making Taran wonder if the Turicians deliberately designed the road to the Beldamark to confuse as many people as possible.<\/p>\n

Edoss and Taran stepped out of the carriage occasionally to walk with the two guides, asking them questions about life next to such a mysterious land.\u00c2\u00a0 Both Turicians were quiet at first, but soon opened up to Edoss when he continued to press them.<\/p>\n

Ulrike\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family had lived on the border for hundreds of years, and not one of them had ever heard of someone entering the Beldamark and returning to tell the tale.\u00c2\u00a0 Many had tried to enter, and were magically turned around, heading back in the direction from which they came, not even remembering that they had turned.\u00c2\u00a0 Those who watch someone walk past the Markers will see that man suddenly turn around with a blank expression and begin walking the other way.\u00c2\u00a0 Unless he is stopped, or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153awakened,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he will walk all the way back to his home without remembering the journey.\u00c2\u00a0 Once home, all feel as though they had awakened from a dream.<\/p>\n

Around noon, the column stopped in a large clearing for lunch and rest.\u00c2\u00a0 Ulrike told Edoss and Taran that the column was making good time.\u00c2\u00a0 Ulrike said that they should reach the Markers in another three hours.\u00c2\u00a0 At first Taran was a bit impatient that it would take them three hours to march another ten miles.\u00c2\u00a0 He was so used to the comforts and convenience of train travel that he quickly forgot that outside the Compact and parts of Edellia, this was how the majority of humanity traveled.\u00c2\u00a0 To Ulrike, the whole column was moving at an astonishing speed.<\/p>\n

Just as Ulrike had estimated, the column arrived at the Markers after another three hours of marching.\u00c2\u00a0 The Markers were simply two stone columns as tall as a man on either side of the two-wheel track that ended abruptly in a clearing in front of the stones.\u00c2\u00a0 Ten paces past the stones were tall pine trees clumped so close together that the light of day could not penetrate much farther than another five paces into the forest.<\/p>\n

They had reached the border of the Beldamark.<\/p>\n

Taran took out his pocket watch.\u00c2\u00a0 It was near half past noon.\u00c2\u00a0 The Shadarlak sergeants shouted orders to the men to form up and secure their flanks, even while General Myndehr told Captain Latish to have his men keep their sabers sheathed and their revolvers holstered if the Mystics should happen to appear.\u00c2\u00a0 But she also ordered him to ensure their revolvers were loaded.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran could not blame them for being cautious, but he knew in his heart that they had nothing to fear from the Beldamark Mystics.\u00c2\u00a0 He could not offer any proof of this, but it was something he was as sure of as he was standing there.<\/p>\n

Taran walked to the Marker on the right and studied its carvings once again, just as he had done on his previous expeditions.\u00c2\u00a0 The glyphs were faded by time and erosion, but they were carved deep enough to view.\u00c2\u00a0 They told him that it had not been the Mystics who had erected these Markers, but the local Turicians.\u00c2\u00a0 They had began simply as markers of the place where the magic of the Mystics turned the uninvited away from the Beldamark, but they soon became religious relics to the Turician pilgrims.\u00c2\u00a0 Farther down, near the base of the Marker were carvings in somewhat modern Recindian, the common language of the continent, asking for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153favor of the Blessed Ones who dwell in the Heavenly Lands.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Edoss came over to Taran.\u00c2\u00a0 The Speaker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dark eyes squinted as he peered into the shadowy forest.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the expert, Doctor.\u00c2\u00a0 Do we wait for them or do we enter?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have to wait, Excellency.\u00c2\u00a0 Any attempt to enter without permission might\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eye caught movement in the forest.\u00c2\u00a0 At first he thought it was a deer or some other animal, but three shapes materialized out of the trees and mist.\u00c2\u00a0 All three were draped in an amalgamation of animal furs, with hoods that left their faces in shadow.\u00c2\u00a0 They held walking staves, though the way they navigated effortlessly through the underbrush of the forest showed a dexterity that seemed to make the staves unnecessary.\u00c2\u00a0 They walked straight toward Taran and Edoss.\u00c2\u00a0 Several Shadarlak rushed over to Edoss to encircle him, but Edoss angrily told them to stay behind him.\u00c2\u00a0 The three tall, fur-clad figures seemed to ignore the Shadarlak, but remained focused on Edoss.<\/p>\n

They stopped right before the Markers, then they pulled back their hoods.\u00c2\u00a0 There were two women and one man, all with pale complexions, red hair, and thin, almost gaunt faces.\u00c2\u00a0 The man was older, with a gray-flecked beard and long hair that fell around his neck.\u00c2\u00a0 He wore a light green dyed sash over his furs that was tied like a belt around his waist.\u00c2\u00a0 The two women, one older and one younger than Taran, wore their hair in a single braid that ran down their backs.\u00c2\u00a0 The younger woman had a scarlet sash tied around her waist, while the older woman wore a light green sash similar to the man.<\/p>\n

Taran was a little stunned at their appearance.\u00c2\u00a0 He had not expected the Mystics to be bathed in radiant light, but nor did he expect them to look like beggars from the Wild Kingdoms.<\/p>\n

Edoss bowed to the new arrivals. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am Dylan Edoss, Speaker of the Recindian Compact.\u00c2\u00a0 Are you the ones who invited me here?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The older man and woman looked to the younger woman.\u00c2\u00a0 She spoke to the other two in an elegant, flowing speech that sent a jolt down Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spine.<\/p>\n

Ancient Mystic!<\/em><\/p>\n

Taran was among the first Recindians in a thousand years to hear a Mystic speak that language.\u00c2\u00a0 He could discern several words, but most were pronounced in ways he did not recognize.\u00c2\u00a0 What Taran could make out was that the younger woman translated what Edoss had just asked.\u00c2\u00a0 The older man and woman spoke to the younger woman, and Taran heard something about Edoss being late.\u00c2\u00a0 Although it could have been something about Edoss being early.\u00c2\u00a0 It was definitely something about Edoss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arrival.<\/p>\n

The young woman turned to Edoss and said in sharp Recindian, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am Fatimah of Kulon Fields, Priest of Ahura, and Servant of the Holy Seat.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran stared at the young woman, astonished that she had such a strong command of Recindian, despite her people being secluded in the Beldamark for a thousand years.\u00c2\u00a0 How did the Mystics stay educated on Recindian languages?\u00c2\u00a0 Surely the language had changed in the last millennium.<\/p>\n

The younger woman pointed an open hand to the man and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is Dornal of Fedalan, Servant of the Worldly Seat.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Dornal nodded to Edoss, and then the young woman motioned to the older woman and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is Ida of Defallon, who also serves Worldly Seat.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

After the older woman nodded to Edoss, the young woman said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Tuatha of the Beldamark greet you, Dylan Edoss, and welcome you into our lands.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cover by TJ Lomas. I’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,28,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-free-stuff","category-novels","category-zervakan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}