{"id":156,"date":"2012-07-27T10:30:04","date_gmt":"2012-07-27T14:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=156"},"modified":"2012-07-27T10:30:04","modified_gmt":"2012-07-27T14:30:04","slug":"zervakan-free-fantasy-novel-chapter-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=156","title":{"rendered":"ZERVAKAN – Free Fantasy Novel – Chapter 31"},"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 31<\/h2>\n

Taran felt as if he had just shut his eyes when Fatimah gently nudged him awake.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Taran,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is time to leave.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran groaned, then sat up on the small bed.\u00c2\u00a0 The bed in the empty priest apartment was more of a cot, which explained Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sore back after only four hours of sleeping on it.\u00c2\u00a0 At least he had not dreamed.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You told me to wake you in four hours,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said, rubbing his sleep-crusted eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve just always been a grumpy riser.\u00c2\u00a0 You wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t happen to have coffee in this place?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Fatimah shook her head.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have tea.\u00c2\u00a0 Though very little is left.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran stood.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nevermind.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be fine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

As they walked through the arches on their way to the Heiron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first level, Taran and Fatimah had to weave their way through a line of young Acolytes carrying baskets full of books, parchments, and artifacts from the library.\u00c2\u00a0 Anything that could be carried on the backs of the priests was leaving the Heiron.<\/p>\n

But not all of the Tuathan treasure was to come with the refugees.\u00c2\u00a0 Some artifacts, like the Window or the Crucible, were simply too heavy to carry in the Tuathan dash to the sea coast.\u00c2\u00a0 It was one of the reasons Ollis Gray and a token group of priests and Heshmen had chosen to stay behind.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah had explained to Taran before his nap that Gray also wanted to find the isolated pockets of Tuathans still living throughout the Beldamark who could not flee, or who simply wanted to stay.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran respected Gray\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s courage in choosing to stay in a land overrun with harrowers and Tainted, but knew his fear of the world outside the Beldamark was part of the decision.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran could hardly blame the man\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe suspected most Pathist leaders would choose to stay in the Compact if it were overrun by Mazumdahri than to live in relative peace among the Tuathans, where magic was a part of daily life.<\/p>\n

If all of the pressure riding on Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulders was not unbearable before, it became so now as he entered the large circular room on the Heiron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first level.\u00c2\u00a0 He saw the bedraggled and hollow faces of all the Tuathans gathered there.\u00c2\u00a0 As he walked among them, many old women grabbed his hand and mumbled, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ahura bless you,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d while old men gave him quiet, hopeful stares.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the children were subdued and grim while standing or sitting next to their parents or grandparents.\u00c2\u00a0 Everyone he saw wore as many of their buckskin and woolen clothes as they could fit on their bodies, and stored their remaining possessions in leather packs at their feet.\u00c2\u00a0 Most packs overflowed with more clothes, food, and treasured trinkets.\u00c2\u00a0 Some families even had skinny dogs beside them, some sitting up and staring at their masters expectantly, while others simply lay on their stomachs with their heads on their paws.<\/p>\n

And the smell of all those unwashed bodies in such a close space was as overwhelming to Taran as their stares.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran grew up in a modern, Compact city where bathing was a daily ritual for most people.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the odors coming from his own body were enough to make him grimace.<\/p>\n

All of these people expected Taran to see them safely through the Beldamark and beyond.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran wanted to shout at them that their faith in him was misplaced, that he was no more talented at Wielding than he was with a saber or revolver.\u00c2\u00a0 But he would not.\u00c2\u00a0 If Taran\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s presence gave them hope, better they had some hope to cling to.\u00c2\u00a0 Even if it was a false hope.<\/p>\n

The Tuathans had organized themselves into groups of twenty or so.\u00c2\u00a0 A scarlet-sashed priest shouted out instructions to each group, telling them the route they were to take to the sea and what to do while marching there.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the priests tended to give him sideways glances as they spoke to their groups, and some stopped speaking altogether to watch him pass or to bow their heads.\u00c2\u00a0 He tried returning their respectful bows, but was soon feeling dizzy from all the bowing.\u00c2\u00a0 He simply gave them quick nods.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dr. Abraeu,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said a voice nearby.<\/p>\n

Taran would have missed Edoss if the Speaker\u00e2\u20ac\u201dor former Speaker\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhad not been accompanied by four stone-faced Shadarlak in their green tri-corner hats.\u00c2\u00a0 The top of Edoss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s head barely made it to the shoulders of his bodyguards.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you ready for this, Doctor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What if I said no?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The Speaker smiled.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know the feeling.\u00c2\u00a0 Just concentrate on one task at a time.\u00c2\u00a0 Before you know it, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be done.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the second person who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s told me that today,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said, glancing at Fatimah beside him.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then there must be wisdom in it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss said.\u00c2\u00a0 He extended his hand, and Taran shook it.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if you are what they say you are,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Edoss said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but I know you have courage in you.\u00c2\u00a0 I can see it.\u00c2\u00a0 Whatever happens today, do not quit.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran nodded, felt at least that much was true.\u00c2\u00a0 Whatever he did today, he would not<\/em> quit.\u00c2\u00a0 If he could not get through this, he would never see Mara or Ahdera again.\u00c2\u00a0 It was that simple.\u00c2\u00a0 If he was going to die, he was going to die trying to get home.<\/p>\n

Taran held his head a little higher.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you, Mr. Speaker.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mr. Speaker,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Lee Cursh said, approaching them from where he had been talking with Melahara.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Holy Seat is waiting for us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran glanced at Melahara, who stood near the Heiron entrance where hundreds more Tuathans talked quietly to each other.\u00c2\u00a0 Edoss gave Taran a reassuring pat on the arm, then followed Cursh toward Melahara, where a dozen Shadarlak surrounded them.<\/p>\n

Taran and Fatimah approached the great doors once again, and had to wait while Ollis, Eblin, and the other Circle members made their way through the Tuathans toward Melahara and Edoss.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran saw them trying to give the people reassuring smiles and words, while he knew they struggled to stay calm themselves.<\/p>\n

And then he suddenly wondered how he knew that each Circle member was a roiling sea of fear and anxiety.\u00c2\u00a0 The situation obviously called for such emotions, but they were not apparent on the faces of the Tuathan leaders.\u00c2\u00a0 Did Wielding Ahura increase his empathy toward others?\u00c2\u00a0 It was just one more symptom of Wielding that Taran would not have to endure two days from now.\u00c2\u00a0 Whatever the outcome.<\/p>\n

When the Master Circle had reached Melahara, Taran saw Gray say a few words to Melahara and Eblin.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran had watched Gray argue with the two women many times, but now he saw worry on all three faces.\u00c2\u00a0 Gray quickly embraced each woman, and then retreated into the crowd.\u00c2\u00a0 Melahara looked at Taran, and then gave him a slow nod.<\/p>\n

Taran turned to the four Shadarlak at the door and ordered them to open it.\u00c2\u00a0 Ten Shadarlak took up positions in front of Taran and the Tuathans, their revolvers drawn and aimed at the doors.\u00c2\u00a0 The Shadarlak at the door turned the cranks that unbarred the doors, and then swung the doors open.\u00c2\u00a0 Through the lowered portcullis, the sky was dark, though the sun had an hour to go before it set.\u00c2\u00a0 Roiling black clouds formed ominously above the town and the hills to the east, the direction in which they were about to travel.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tuathans behind Taran began to murmur.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153They know we are coming,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah breathed next to Taran.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a storm,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Taran said.\u00c2\u00a0 He scanned the horizon around the town.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I see no Angra trails.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Even if it is the harrowers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Melahara said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153it matters not.\u00c2\u00a0 We leave today.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran called out to the gate keepers above the portcullis, and they began cranking their gears.\u00c2\u00a0 The portcullis creaked up into the ceiling.\u00c2\u00a0 When the cranking stopped, all was silent.\u00c2\u00a0 Not a sound came from the town, nor a whisper of wind.\u00c2\u00a0 Even the murmurs from the hundreds of people behind Taran were gone.<\/p>\n

Captain Laesh, standing in front of Taran, barked an order.\u00c2\u00a0 The other nine Shadarlak\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding the men who had opened the door\u00e2\u20ac\u201djogged outside the gate and took up positions in a semicircle in front of the door.\u00c2\u00a0 One by one, they all held up a closed fist, giving Taran the all-clear sign.<\/p>\n

Taran clenched his teeth and walked out the door, beneath the portcullis, and into the center of the Shadarlak semicircle.\u00c2\u00a0 Fatimah walked close behind him, followed by the six other priests who would maintain the shield from him once his strength gave out.\u00c2\u00a0 The air outside was fresh, and the smell of rain hung over him.\u00c2\u00a0 It gave Taran a sense of well-being, which he welcomed at the moment.\u00c2\u00a0 He would need all the calm and peace he could muster for Wielding the shield.<\/p>\n

He raised his right hand into the air and repeated the incantation the priests accompanying General Myndehr had used yesterday, while concentrating on the times he loved the most, and the times he felt the most loved.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Shield of Spirit, protect us.\u00c2\u00a0 May no obstacle stand before us…\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

It was getting easier now to empty his mind and concentrate on the incantations and his memories.\u00c2\u00a0 All of his doubts and anxieties washed away as if he had turned off a ringing wiretype.\u00c2\u00a0 When the peace washed over him, he felt Ahura touch him, and then he searched the swirling colors for the Aspects of Spirit and Air that would Wield the shield around him and the hundreds of Tuatha that would follow.\u00c2\u00a0 He found all the Spirit and Air he could gather, molded them together, infused them with all the desperation of their situation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes shot open, and he saw the bubble of blue light expand silently from his outstretched hand.\u00c2\u00a0 It engulfed the semicircle of Shadarlak in front of him, and continued onward, taking in the entire lower half of the Heiron and almost the entire field surrounding the great tower.<\/p>\n

Taran had never felt this much joy.\u00c2\u00a0 Peace surged through him.\u00c2\u00a0 When someone from behind nudged him, he almost ignored it.\u00c2\u00a0 He did not want to let anything distract him from Ahura\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s love coursing through his body and soul.\u00c2\u00a0 He felt the nudge again, this time accompanied by a woman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Move forward, Taran.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

This time a small bit of anger crept into him, and he felt the shield weaken.\u00c2\u00a0 He turned to the source of the voice, and saw Fatimah watching him.\u00c2\u00a0 He suddenly remembered why he was Wielding this shield, and what he was supposed to do.<\/p>\n

The shield of Spirit and Air now encompassed the entire green field around the Heiron, enough to safely contain all of the Tuathans huddled inside.\u00c2\u00a0 He wanted nothing more than to cling to the Aspects forever.\u00c2\u00a0 But thoughts of Mara entered his mind, bringing him back to the whole reason why he was here.\u00c2\u00a0 He refocused his thoughts now on maintaining the shield.\u00c2\u00a0 Maintenance took far less Wielding of the Aspects, so Taran felt most of the peace and joy flooding through him dissipate.\u00c2\u00a0 It was so hard to let go, but he consoled himself with the fact that he still held on to much more of the Aspects than any Tuathan could.<\/p>\n

Taran walked forward, and the Shadarlak in front of him moved out of his way.\u00c2\u00a0 All of them continued to scan the town and the surrounding hills for signs of Tainted.\u00c2\u00a0 But they also glanced his way once or twice, their expressions just as wary of him as they were when they searched for harrowers.\u00c2\u00a0 Where the Tuathans saw a savior, the Shadarlak saw the refutation of all that they had been brought up to believe.\u00c2\u00a0 Taran could not blame them for their fear.<\/p>\n

As he walked down the Heiron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s steps, the Shadarlak took up marching positions around him, surrounding him in a square as their mates were doing around Dylan Edoss.<\/p>\n

Taran saw with satisfaction that the shield moved ahead of him with each step.\u00c2\u00a0 He did not have to look behind him to know that the Tuathans were filing out of the Heiron, for he could hear their hearts beating.\u00c2\u00a0 Wielding the Aspects not only filled him with addictive joy, but also enhanced all five of his normal senses.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do you feel?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Fatimah asked from beside him.<\/p>\n

He smiled.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m alive for the first time in my life.\u00c2\u00a0 Does that make sense?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said wistfully.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But be sure you pay attention to your fatigue.\u00c2\u00a0 If you fall over from exhaustion before one of us can take over the shield\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know what will happen.\u00c2\u00a0 I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let the shield fall.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He knew what to look for: blurred vision, head pains, and an uncontrollable desire to sleep.\u00c2\u00a0 Essentially all the signs of normal exhaustion.\u00c2\u00a0 But while normal exhaustion would be cured after a good night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sleep, true Wielding fatigue might mean he never woke up.<\/p>\n

Taran wondered how he could let go of the Aspects after experiencing this joy, a thought he had each time he Wielded.\u00c2\u00a0 Would he have the strength to know when he had had enough?\u00c2\u00a0 Would he have to fall unconscious to give up the power coursing through him?\u00c2\u00a0 In the short amount of time he had known how to Wield, he had not had the opportunity to test his limits.\u00c2\u00a0 How long could he last Wielding this much of the Aspects?<\/p>\n

Right now he felt like he could strengthen the shield to contain the entire Beldamark.\u00c2\u00a0 But the priests around him could barely maintain the size of the shield as it was, much less a shield hundreds of miles in diameter.\u00c2\u00a0 He forced himself to keep it to the size they needed.\u00c2\u00a0 And nothing more.<\/p>\n

At the bottom of the stairs, Taran stopped and asked Fatimah, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is everyone inside the shield?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He did not want to turn around and check for himself, for he did not want to see anything that would break his concentration on the road in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said, craning her neck to see above the priests next to them.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With room to spare.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Taran nodded, and then started up the road through the abandoned and ruined town.\u00c2\u00a0 The road was deserted, unlike two nights ago when it churned with misshapen Tainted and Angra tendrils.\u00c2\u00a0 In the sky, black clouds continued to creep toward them, and Taran saw green lightning flash within them.\u00c2\u00a0 A peal of thunder soon followed, and Taran knew that rain was going to deluge them at any moment.\u00c2\u00a0 The shield would not protect the people from the rain, so it was going to be a miserable hike to the coast.<\/p>\n

He did not know if it was the Aspects surging through him that gave him confidence, but he stepped onto Fedalan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s main street with steady legs and a courage he knew was not his own.<\/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-156","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\/156","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=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}