Mythborn: Rise of the Adepts (43 page)

The king scanned the pages again. "This boy is from an order of monks who still use magic. They call themselves ‘adepts’, and their leader is known as a ‘lore father.’ The boy himself is under the training of someone named Silbane, his master. Last he saw him, his master battled a dragon in the form of a knight, in the desert—a contest of flame and fire."

At the mention of the title "lore father," Ash looked up. His jaw clenched and he asked hesitantly, "You’re sure he’s called a lore father?"

The king nodded, not looking up from the notes. "Yes," he acknowledged, "evidently this group has been around since the battle against Lilyth, centuries ago."

A strange look came over the armsmark, one missed by the rest of the room.

"Why was he brought along?" Niall asked. "Why include him in something so dangerous," the prince added hastily by way of explanation.

The king nodded and said, "Strange... but who knows what this group considers dangerous? He seems to be on a scouting mission. Ash did say he was well trained."

Ash looked up from his thoughts with a start. "What?"

"The boy is well trained?" the king asked.

Ash looked at the king for a moment, catching up, then nodded. "Apprentice or not, he’s not in any danger in single combat. One of the best swordsmen I’ve ever faced." He missed the resentful look he received from Niall. "There was a report of something involving fire in the desert... a battle?"

"A contest of fire and..." the king replied. "Perhaps the same reported from last night. Tell the others what you told me this morning."

Ash looked at the group and said, "Last night, a fireball was seen, a day’s ride to the east."

"I’ve seen the report," Jebida said. "What else?"

The armsmark continued, "The king ordered me to deploy scouts, to reconnoiter the area for anything strange. I stationed four teams in a line between the reported fireball and the nomad encampment. Early this morning one team reported a small group of nomads hauling two figures back to camp. One was a gargantuan black knight."

The king looked at everyone and said, "Arek claims his master and a dragon in the form of a
knight
fought. Now two prisoners matching this description are being taken to the nomad camp?"

Jebida scoffed, "What does that mean? They are likely dead. What good is that?"

The king’s eyes narrowed. "Did you see this entry about a Finder?"

The firstmark nodded and replied, "Of course."

"Two men, described just as Arek says," the king added. "And now reported by our scouts. An amazing coincidence."

"So you think his master is captured?" retorted Jebida. "An apprentice nearly bests Ash and his master falls to simple nomad barbarians? What sense does that—?"

"The Finder is the key," the king interrupted. "When broken, it can transport the user through a portal to the location of the other half. The boy has one half, his master the other." The meaning was instantly clear to everyone in the room, but could it be that simple?

The king locked eyes with Ash, this last bit of news welcome in light of the dozens who would die in a frontal charge to cover their infiltration. Bernal continued, "If Silbane has been captured and taken to the camp, he may be very close to your target already."

"Or you may appear in Bara’cor," remarked Jebida, clearly frustrated. "His capture is doubtful, and he may have continued here trying to save his apprentice. Did you think of that?"

The king held up a hand and said, "According to Arek, his master was trying to send him back to their island when they were attacked by the dragon-knight. Arek managed to escape and thought his master was right behind him. Because we have the scouting report, I think it fairly certain the two taken to the nomad camp are Silbane and this dragon-knight."

Yetteje piped in, "So he fell to a dragon and it’s just a matter of using the Finder."

"Perhaps, if the Finder works at all," huffed the firstmark, still clearly not liking the idea of trusting magic, Arek, or anything that had to do with him.

Yetteje looked up from her thoughts and said, "Will it work for us? I mean, what if only he can use it?"

"How would we even know how to activate it?" Niall asked. "Do we break it again, or maybe there’s a key word or phrase?" The prince looked around the room. "We don’t really know it can take more than one person, either. Do we?"

The king shook his head, reading from the report. "It says the Finder works by breaking it again, and so long as Silbane lives, it will continue to glow." He held up the charm, which clearly sparkled with its own light. "I think he’s alive, but you are right, it may be tied to this boy. If so, we cannot take the chance of losing it." He shook the sheaf of papers. "Nothing else is mentioned. If there’s some detail we still need beyond this, we’ll have to ask Arek."

The group realized with dismay that they would still need the cooperation of their prisoner, something he would not be favorably inclined to, given his recent treatment.

Ash thought about it, then offered, "The only thing of value we can offer him is his freedom."

"He can’t be happy in his current situation," the king agreed. "If we let him go to his master with the agreement he must take us with him, it could work. If I were him, I’d want to get as far away from us as possible."

"And just how would we enforce such an agreement? He could just as easily make himself disappear without Ash and his team," Jebida grumbled. "This is a fool’s quest."

"Perhaps..." Ash countered, "but his master would not have left him something too complicated. From what the king described, this charm is easily activated." Ash paused for a moment, thinking. "With regards to him just disappearing, how would such a charm determine that? The report says it creates a portal? Perhaps the portal stays open until the charm holder goes through. If that’s the case we could take an entire division through, so long as Arek went last."

"What about his foot?" asked the firstmark. "He can’t walk."

The king gestured again to the notes they had bought with Arek’s pain. "The sword he carries, Tempest. He says it can heal. We could offer him the chance to use it,
if
he takes our team in with him."

"If I held onto the sword," Ash added, "then he would have to take me along. It’s the best insurance I can think of, since his healing would require it."

"And give up a weapon just like that?" The firstmark snapped his meaty fingers. "Why don’t we just give him some of our rations as well?" Jebida looked to the king and said, "Bernal, think about what you’re suggesting. Even if our team gets to Silbane, he has certainly been captured and may have been killed. How do we even know what it glowed like when he was alive? Ash’s team could appear in whatever serves as their prison," Jebida turned to Ash, "or a fire pit, where they dispose of their dead."

He paced around the table coming to stand before his king. "You understand that anyone might see this portal? It could attract their entire army down on Ash and his team. You cannot be taking this seriously."

The king measured the firstmark’s words. He was right, they were making many assumptions without enough information. Still, what was their alternative?

After a moment, he asked just that. "The Firstmark speaks the truth. However, I believe his master still lives or, according to our prisoner, the charm would not glow at all. What other choice do we have? We have a chance to surprise the nomads with a small"—and he looked meaningfully at Ash—"but deadly team. They have the chance to kill the nomad chieftain and end this siege."

The king then asked Ash, "Do you think your chances are better trying to sneak past the nomad lines?"

Ash thought about it, then said, "I think his master is captured and they will not be expecting our arrival. It could be an easier way in, regardless of where we appear. Remember, we will be dressed as them."

The firstmark stepped forward and faced Ash. "Forget betting your life. Are you willing to bet Bara’cor’s life? If you are wrong, the mission and our best chance, ends with you."

Ash met the firstmark’s eyes, his mind clearly in turmoil. He drew a breath, then ticked off with his fingers his reasons. "This talisman seems designed to bring Arek and his master together in an emergency, which would be done with little noise and fanfare or the idea of maintaining a stealthy mission would be lost. If Arek thinks the sword can heal his foot, then he will have no choice. I go first through this ‘portal’ with the sword, then the team follows. The boy stays here till our return." Ash paused then added, "It gives us a way to get back here without going through the nomad lines."

"You’re suggesting leaving the portal open?" the king asked the armsmark.

"Only if we can adequately guard it from this end," answered the armsmark. "I think Stemmer can hold that line until our return, assuming she recovers."

"Girl has a hard head," remarked the firstmark, "she’ll be fine."

Ash nodded, then added, "Of course, we might be able to close it by tossing the charm through without Arek."

"And once you’re in, you’ll be wherever this Silbane is. Jebida is right, what is your plan?" asked the king.

"Remember, if he is one of those seen by our scouts, he was captured while trying to defend his apprentice. He’ll no doubt recognize Tempest, proof we have Arek. I think he’ll help us, if for no other reason than that. Furthermore, if Arek is this formidable, imagine what his master must be like."

"Even better," Jebida retorted, "now there’ll be two of them." The firstmark moved over to the table, looking at the relief map and thinking. "And what if he refuses to help, but instead wants to return here, to see to his apprentice?"

"I suppose I’ll let him return, Ash replied. "I never expected to have his help in the first place, but getting in without daring the nomad line is help enough, right? Besides," Ash added with a smile, "why would Silbane abandon me? Aren’t I charming enough?"

"Not funny," retorted the firstmark. "Clearly I’d have better luck talking sense to Bara’cor’s walls." After a moment he shook his head and said, "At least this plan is better than the one that had men dying to get you in."

"I agree," Ash replied.

The firstmark shifted his feet uncomfortably, then looked to the king. "I am not against this plan, it’s just..."

When the firstmark trailed off, the king asked, "What? You may speak freely here."

Jebida shook his head, then threw his arms open and said, "Trusting magic is forbidden, by your very own forefathers! It was a decree that held our people safe, and now you would flaunt that. I say we’re better off without the boy or his master. Nothing good will come of it."

The king faced his firstmark and said, "I rescinded that decree years ago, Jeb. The Magehunters are disbanded. If they operate, they do so outside my law. Persecuting an entire class of people because of how they are born is wrong. Who are we to judge the good or ill a man may bring to this life?"

Ash stepped to the firstmark’s side and said, "Dead is not better off. Not for us. Not for the people of Bara’cor." The armsmark laid a hand on his commander’s arm, "Many will be taken again by these demons."

The firstmark shrugged off his second’s hand, "You presume too much, armsmark," he said gruffly.

He looked back to the king and said, "You may have chosen to overturn your family’s law and I do not question that. You are correct, it is your law and your judgment and I will always follow. I just don’t have to like it." He paused, about to say something else, then instead said, "If I may be excused, sir? We’ll need to get the boy bandaged and cleaned up."

The king nodded, empathizing that Jeb's mind must certainly be on his dead family. He was surprised Ash had taken that route to try and convince the firstmark, but these two had a way of communicating that the king trusted would lead to a good end. "Yes, see to it. I’ll finish up here with the others."

With a nod and salute, Jebida left the room and an uncomfortable silence followed. Finally, Yetteje, said in a quiet voice, "So, where does this leave us?"

The king watched the back of his retreating commander and said, "We need to speak with Arek."

Journal Entry 11

Of the Titans and gods I know to walk this world, I have seen a few. I thought I saw Lilyth in the distance, the Lady of Flame in all her splendor. I’ve seen Petra, and mighty Heraclyes. Each ignore me as if I do not exist. Am I too inconsequential? If they are the creation of our legends, truly powerful in the Way, perhaps it is better not to come to their attention. Still, what kills a god?

We cannot stop the creation of new Aeris, but they are not the true danger. They are consumed by incantation or spell. They are fuel, and while they create problems in diplomacy with the Aeris Lords, they are not the true reason for our downfall.

It is these Aeris Lords given life by our thoughts, who concern me. We cannot stop their Shaping so long as we believe higher powers are at work and a god heeds our prayers. It is a difficult problem to solve, especially in the face of the masses who sit cow-like, chewing their mental cud and praying for divine intervention. I sigh when writing this.