Exiles From The Sacred Land (Book 2) (3 page)

Deylia slowly turned to leave. She paused to study him once more, and then she ran off down the alleyway.

Rennon started in a run through the foreign quarter to the inn where he left Ganas sleeping. He uncorked the potion and drank deeply. The thick liquid stuck in his throat and coated it with an oily, foul-tasting ooze. He choked; it was quite different from the tin of herbs Sanmir had given him in Brookhaven. As he reached the foreign quarter, he saw several more men dressed in grey cloaks running down the street toward the alleyway. He hid in the shadows behind a pillar as two Enforcers ran by. One stopped and shouted to another, “What is the mark?”

“An afflicted girl just killed two men near the old shops. Streben captured her running for the docks. They think there may have been another with her, but the messenger I was talking to said they haven’t captured anyone else yet.”

Their voices faded as they moved further away.

Rennon’s head was spinning. They were blaming the incident on Deylia. He moved out of the shadows and started back for the alley. Despite what she had told him, he projected his thoughts to her, but it felt different now. The potion worked fast. What could he do about it now? He headed back for the inn, tears streaming down his cheeks.
I can’t let them just take her. If the Enforcers here are like those in Symboria, they will kill her. What choice do I have now?
he thought. He ran for the inn. A moment later, he was running up the stairs to his room. He burst in, and Ganas stirred awake.

“What the . . . ?” Ganas said.

Rennon recounted the events in an uneasy haste. When he was done, Ganas sat staring at him with an angry expression for a moment.

“So that’s why you volunteered to come here with me,” Ganas said. “You had your own agenda. What were you thinking?”

Rennon suddenly realized that this was the first Ganas had heard of his secret. Rennon chastised himself for letting his guard down without thinking. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. I use the herbs to suppress it, to protect us from it.”

“No, you have jeopardized our mission for Morgoran by hiding it.”

“By hollowed Vex!” he swore. “She has me all befuddled. I can’t believe I blurted it all out like that. The potion—what was in that blasted potion?”

“You are a wielder, and what’s worse, you shunned Dorenn for it.”

“No, I am not a wielder.” Rennon’s anger surged within him. “I am no wielder!” he shouted.

Ganas clutched his own head in pain; blood trickled from his nose. ”Rennon, stop it!” he gasped.

Rennon stared in horror as blood now gushed from Ganas’ nose. He willed himself to hold back, to stop. What was that potion? He pulled the bottle from his cloak and looked at it as if it would tell him something. After a moment, he felt himself regaining control. Ganas sighed and breathed in deeply, his hateful eyes fixed on Rennon. Without warning, Ganas reached for his scabbard and produced his sword, pointing it at Rennon’s throat. “Do that to me again and I will run you through, mindwielder!” he threatened.

Again, Rennon felt his anger rise, but he was able to suppress it now. “How would you know if I was a mindwielder? How would you know anything of the wild magic, being from Symboria?”

“As soon as we deliver Morgoran’s message to Theosus, I think we should part company.”

Rennon nodded.

Rennon did not sleep well for the last few hours of night. His mind would not let him escape the images of the night and the guilt of letting Deylia take the blame for the fallen Enforcers. Since Ganas planned to leave Trigoth without his company, Rennon decided he must take responsibility for his actions. He had to find the Enforcers and offer them his testimony. He opened his eyes to see Ganas sitting up with his unsheathed sword lengthwise on his unmade bed. He eyed Rennon as he prepared to get dressed for the day.

Rennon felt a pang of regret. “Ganas, after we meet with Theosus Fiderea, I will go to the Enforcers. I will offer my confession in exchange for the woman.”

“That is the honorable course to take, Rennon. I will explain to the others when I return what happened, minus the mindwielder confession.”

“Ganas, I wonder, will you tell Dorenn I am sorry for how things turned out?”

“Aye, I will.”

Rennon and Ganas left the inn just after daybreak in search for Theosus Fiderea’s shop. They found it nestled in a corner in the merchants’ square. It was an oddly rounded structure with large round windows inset in wooden trim. The front walk was made of wood fastened tightly together and polished. Ganas entered ahead of Rennon and made his way to a wooden counter near the rear.

“May I help you?” a pleasant-looking man behind the counter with white hair and wearing a long, linen apron asked.

“I am Ganas Nashe, and this is Rennon Parah. We have traveled far to meet Theosus Fiderea.”

“Oh, and what purpose do you have with Theosus?”

“We come bearing a message from Morgoran Cleareyes.”

The old man eyed Ganas with suspicion. “Morgoran Cleareyes? How is that possible?”

“I beg you, good sir, we will explain the message to Theosus. Is he here?”

The old man behind the counter did not move; he eyed both Ganas and Rennon, sizing them up. “He is around, but he rarely receives guests. I will ask him. Come back tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Rennon blurted out. Ganas gave him a stern look.

The old man scowled. “Is there something the matter with tomorrow?”

Ganas put his hands together sympathetically. “No, it’s just that we have come so far and our message is urgent. Could we possibly meet with Theosus today?”

The old man shook his head. “I am afraid not. Theosus is a busy man. He would never agree to meet with someone on such short notice, especially someone he has never met. You will have to come back tomorrow.”

“How do you know he has never met us?” Rennon pointed out.

“Because I have never met you,” the old man said.

Rennon’s apprehension grew. The longer he delayed with this meeting, the more urgency and danger he felt for Deylia.

“Now, if there isn’t anything else, I must get back to my work.”

Rennon stared into the old man’s face. “What time do we return tomorrow?”

The old man looked as if he were taken aback for a moment
. He was not going to set up a meeting. He doesn’t believe we have a message from Morgoran Cleareyes. He thinks we are lying! He believes Morgoran is still cursed.

“About the same time tomorrow, I should expect,” he stated coldly.

Rennon stared at him. “You don’t believe us, do you?”

“What?” the old man asked.

“Rennon, we will just come back tomorrow,” Ganas said.

“It won’t make any difference; Theosus will not meet with us. This aged fellow has no intention of setting up a meeting for us. He doesn’t believe us.”

“Now see here, young man. No need for rudeness. I most certainly will.”

“Um, Rennon, what are you doing?”

Rennon looked harder into the old man’s face.
Theosus is in the back room listening to us. I wasted a whole gold piece on that useless potion!

“I think you two should leave now. I tell you I will set up a meeting, and that is exactly what I intend to do. Tomorrow.”

“Is tomorrow fine for you too, Master Fiderea?” Rennon shouted. “Or would you just rather come out here and speak to us today?”

Two patrons standing near a shelf of multi-colored potions turned at Rennon’s shouting.

“Rennon!” Ganas gasped. “I am sorry. I will take him out of here.,”

“No need,” came a voice from somewhere in the rear of the shop. “Friedan, tend the shop and send them back here to me.”

“As you wish, Master Fiderea.” He cocked his head in the direction behind him. “Take care to use your good manners.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ganas said. Rennon headed straight for where he knew Theosus Fiderea was standing.

As they entered the rear of the shop, Theosus came into view. He was a tall man with white hair, standing facing a shelf away from Rennon and Ganas. His robes were red and black with a strange pattern embroidered on the back. It looked like the back of a black widow spider.

“Greetings, friends of Morgoran Cleareyes.” He turned to face them, and both boys gasped at his appearance. His face was a dark hewn indigo; he had slightly raised ears, and his eyes were as red as his robes. “I am Theosus Fiderea.”

Chapter 2: Hidden

Theosus gestured for Ganas and Rennon to pull up a chair and sit down. “Do you boys play nine cards by chance?” he asked.

“A little,” Ganas answered.

Rennon nodded.

Theosus sat in his chair and pulled himself to a small table situated in his comfortable and cozy back room.

“Good. I think I can come down to your level. Sit, sit.” He gestured again.

“Master Theosus,” Ganas began, “we really don’t have time to play nine cards. We—”

“Nonsense. If you want to speak with me, you will have to do it over a game of nine cards,” Theosus argued.

Ganas set aside his irritation and took his place at the table.

Rennon smirked and shook his head as he reluctantly joined them at the table.

“Now, what is so urgent that you must bother me so?” Theosus said as he dealt the cards.

Ganas took his cards and looked at them intently. “I have been sent to you as a personal envoy for Morgoran. He has instructed me to inform you that the curse put upon him has been lifted and that he has returned.”

Theosus looked at his cards as if he didn’t hear Ganas speak. “Ah, nine of leaves,” he said as he placed a card embossed with nine green leaves upon the table. “My lead.”

“Pardon me, Master Theosus, but did you hear what I said? Morgoran told us that you would know what to do with the news of his return.”

Rennon’s turn was next, and he placed a two of stones onto Theosus’ nine of leaves. “Two stones crush nine of leaves. Three points to me,” Rennon stated flatly.

Theosus scowled. “Lucky card. Your turn, friend,” he said to Ganas.

“What?”

“Play your cards if you have them. Don’t waste time,” Theosus scolded.

“But this is a waste of time. Morgoran says—”

“Yes, yes, I know. Morgoran has reappeared, right? The curse of the Silver Drake—an item made of the power of the gods—has lifted the curse somehow.” His red eyes gleamed in contrast to his indigo skin. “Truly, do you have any idea how many times I have heard that story over the seasons? Most who utter those words think I will reveal the location of some hidden treasure or uncover some forgotten artifact for them. That is, of course, if they believe Morgoran existed at all. He has become somewhat of a myth in the Trigothian kingdoms. Now listen to me, good boy, Morgoran will never return. The Silver Drake’s curse will never be lifted; he left me with no location of treasure or staves of powerful magic. Now, if you have nothing else to say, play a card!”

Ganas sighed at his cards and placed the two of leaves over the two of stones. “Two leaves cover two stones. Three points to me.” Ganas folded his cards in his hand.