Sentinels: Forsaken Knight (14 page)

Anye wiped the tears that had managed to slip down her face, finding resolve in what she had learned. Glenn may yet be alive and her parents had not forsaken her as she had originally believed. She had a reason to fight on, a stronger reason than simply survival. She had a home to return to, people to return to, when she proved her innocence. But there was one more thing she wished to know for the immediate moment.

“Yes, actually,” she said as they started to walk through the room to the door. “Two things; one, I want to know what Amador Astley has been up to. Where he’s been, who he’s been with, and if possible why he was with them, but that can wait until tomorrow. Right now the only thing left I wish to know was what their names were…my parents, that is.”

Lord Taggart smiled. “Jacob and Meredith Schultz.”

______

The feast that had been promised to the champions of the tournament lived up to its reputation. There was enough food present to feed the entire town. Whatever was leftover, Anye was told, would be given to the estate’s workers for their families. It was a kind gesture, one which was quite rare amongst nobility.

The days following the dinner were spent primarily preparing for the journey Anye and Amadi would be taking. Lord Taggart provided Anye with whatever information on Amador he was privy to, but there wasn’t much. The lack of knowledge was discouraging in regards to her plan of returning home. Hiding his movements so carefully meant that he was likely planning more than what Anye initially suspected, which was usurping Delrich’s crown. Unfortunately, having no information didn’t help matters, so she tried to focus on the job she had been hired for until new information could be obtained.

According to Delilah Sturmwind’s diary, the three artifacts of interest were kept in towers at separate locations around the world. The first of which was in the far south-eastern stretch of the Frontier. Amadi and Lord Taggart claimed that it was in a location the tribes referred to as
The Shroud
; a cursed ever-present fog regarded as the land of the dead, where no living soul ever returned from.

The second was to the north, located in the mountains of Toran, surprisingly near the ruins Lord Taggart and Byron had explored many years prior. Due to the presence of the dragon they encountered that day, and accounting for the longevity of a dragon’s life, the governor advised that they not attempt searching that location with the risk that there may be more like it in the area.

Unsettling news of Delrich's military being deployed to Toran while Glenn was still missing, being led by Amador no less, also troubled them. Amador had also somehow been granted the title of Military Advisor to the King. The war between Delrich and Mitus had escalated since the prince's untimely death which Anye attributed Amador’s corrupting influence and scheming. Even more, Lord Taggart's reports didn't indicate what purpose the deployment served. There were rumors that Amador was leading the men into the mountains to look for something, though whether it was one of the artifacts or not, they weren’t sure.

The third location seemed to be the safest and most logical choice. Delilah Sturmwind had written in her diary that the tower had been built on a landmass to the west of what was now known as Delrich, beyond the islands that dotted the foreign coast across the sea. The landmass beyond the Western Isles was referred to as the Sun’s Bed; a giant desert, given its name because of where the sun would set each day. There were no known cities, wandering caravans, or any knowledge of people or any sort of life that lived there. It was believed to be a completely desolate wasteland, and it was Anye and Amadi’s destination.

Before the pair had departed from Bridge Port, Lord Taggart granted them permission to study the artifacts pertaining to Del’Mond in his possession, hoping it would give them some insight on what it would be the pair would face when they found the tower. Delilah’s diary was kept at the estate when they left, but translated excerpts had been given to them if they referred to the artifacts at all. There wasn’t much to go off of, though. The descriptions had been written centuries ago, and many of the phrases didn’t make much sense when translated literally, so some extent of metaphoric interpretation was needed.

What they did learn was that as time had passed from the events of the diary being written, the true history of what had happened with the woman and her companions slowly began to change into the modern version of the legend they all knew. Contrary to the story about the six heroes of an ancient king, Delilah’s diary referred to several monarchs, twelve companions in total, and that most of the heroes did not serve the same kingdom save for Del’Mond itself, which was a separate entity. Also, while it could have simply been an error in Lord Taggart’s translation, Delilah constantly referred to the artifacts as he or she, like one would use to describe a person, instead of it. Anye brushed it off, believing in her initial assumption that it was probably a mistranslation and moved on. It was either that or another metaphor.

Lord Taggart had also recovered several maps and scrolls from the ruined vaults of forgotten countries. Many of them pointed to the locations of other ruins he had excavated, but none of them really contained any significant information and were thus largely ignored during their research. Amadi took some liking to them, but he claimed that there was nothing of value to be found and was simply entertaining himself for a time.

After finding what they could during their week of studying, which wasn’t much, Anye and Amadi decided it was time for them to depart. Lord Taggart provided a pair of horses to carry them south-west through Belrun's countryside to a coastal town by the name of Mark's Landing. A ship heading for the Western Isles had been commissioned for them and was awaiting their arrival. The two rode in relative silence for two days. When they made camp on the third night, Anye judged they were half a day's ride away from their destination.

The two days of quiet riding had given the woman a lot of time to think about all of the information she had been given. She hadn't yet asked Amadi about the magic she had used in the tournament, focusing more on the personal history she had discovered as well as the contract. She thought it would have taken significantly longer to uncover what she had learned, but what she had been told was more than Anye could have hoped for, and she had to admit the truth was a bit overwhelming at first. Still, even though her parents had passed on, she had been given a loving home and knew that her father, however strict and harsh he may have been, only tried to do what was best for her and she loved him for it. She hadn't opened the letter he had sent though, feeling far too guilty for what she had put him through over the years to receive his words just yet.

Amadi sat away from the fire Anye had set up. He had his back to her and was looking at the stars above their heads. He wasn't sitting like he was meditating though, just gazing at the stars. Anye wondered what was on his mind, and the fact that he still had information about her which he had yet to share bothered her. He had promised to explain everything, and now was as good as any for him to do so, especially after having remained silent for two days since their departure.

Anye walked up beside him and took a seat. He didn't seem to notice, or was simply ignoring her. She wasn't sure which. "Something on your mind, Amadi?" she asked him. She didn't look at him as she spoke, but looked out at the stars like he did. "You haven't really said a word to me since we left Bridge Port."

"That is because you have not asked me about what you want to know," he stated. "I am not the only one who has been silent."

"Well, Lord Taggart did tell me about the S
ky Fire
, so I suppose I didn't need to ask you about that," Anye replied. "But you didn't tell me
how
you knew I was trying to find out about it, or how you knew my name. You also haven't told me what it was that I...
did
during the tournament."

"You still do not trust me,” Amadi said coldly. “But if I tell you about these things you will?”

"That depends on what you say," Anye claimed. Although she sat close to the boy to speak with him, her main hand rested on the handle of her sword, and she was ready to draw it at a moment's notice. "Lord Taggart can't protect you right now, so I'd advise you to speak the truth."

"You are a fool to think I relied on him for protection," Amadi commented. "You were not as close to defeating me as you may think. What you faced in combat with me was far from the extent of my abilities." The boy turned his head and stared right into Anye's eyes for a few seconds before continuing on. "But I suppose mistrust is to be expected given the circumstances. Very well, I will explain what I have promised."

Amadi turned his head away from the woman and turned his gaze back to the sky. "When we were waiting for our turns in the tournament, you saw me meditating. It was then that I used our connection to the world to touch your mind. I saw who you were, who you wish to be, and where you come from. I’m honestly surprised you did not feel me do so. The effect is quite potent."

"Yes, I remember you mentioning that before our match," Anye stated. Now she was looking at the boy suspiciously. "But you never explained
why
you did it.”

"As I told you when we first spoke, I felt that you are quite attuned to magical power," Amadi answered. "Very few people are so naturally adept at such things, especially if they are not from Qul'rah."

"Qul'rah?"

Amadi nodded. "It is the word the people of the tribes use to name what you call the Frontier. Many people born there are skilled in the ways of magic, but fewer are as skilled as you or I."

"You're telling me I'm as good at magic as you?" Anye asked skeptically.

"Do not misunderstand, Anye. I have been trained since I was a child to master magic energies in all ways. You have not," Amadi told her. "But you do have the potential to be very powerful, as was shown during your battle with the island monk."

"I see," Anye said. "And what exactly was that?"

"Simply put, it is a state of being. Many elders from my land have trained tirelessly to be able to enter such a state, commonly until death, with little success," Amadi explained. "There is no direct translation for what we call it, but the closest word for it in your language would be
enlightenment
."

Anye remembered the feeling vividly. The power running through her was extraordinary and frightening. It felt like she was being guided by something that knew exactly what her foe was going to do and that her senses had been heightened to a point that she would be able to hear her opponent's foot shift even slightly amidst the sound of the crowd.

"The memory of such a thing is frightening to you?" Amadi asked.

"Yes, it is. What exactly was it? And how was I able to do it without realizing it? I’ve been under extreme amounts of stress before, but nothing like that ever happened," Anye asked.

"The enlightened state can be best described as an overcharge of magic being concentrated within you," Amadi told her. "When under its effects, the caster is granted extraordinary abilities because it draws from not just the magic summoned by you, but the connection of everything in the world, the very essence of magic itself. You become stronger, faster, and your magical capabilities become incredibly potent because you are tapping into the collective power that forms the metaphorical web I described to you."

"If it takes your elders a lifetime of meditation and training to be able to use this…
enlightenment
, then how was I able to do so in a regular moment of panic?" Anye asked.

"I…do not know," Amadi replied with a sigh. "I have meditated many more hours about this than you realize, seeking answers…but none have come to me. All I can do for you regarding this is to teach you how to use it."

"What? But you just said…"

"I don't need to touch your mind to know what you are going to say," the boy interrupted with a slight laugh. "No, I am not able to enter an enlightened state, but it is just like any other form of magic. I am one of the most talented mages from my land. I can teach you how to harness this power more effectively.”

"I see...so, you seemed to have been acquainted with Lord Taggart by the time Byron and I arrived," Anye said, trying to change the subject. She thought she had received her fill of overwhelming news, but was wrong.

Amadi caught her intent, reacting with a slight laugh, but he went along with it. "If you wish, we will begin your exercises in the morning. And yes, I am acquainted with him. He is my uncle."

"What?"

"Uncle Micah is my father's brother," he told her. "He left our tribe long before I was born to seek a life outside of Qul'rah. I normally only see him when he makes his pilgrimage every five years. He was quite surprised to discover that I had left the village and was entering the tournament."

"He didn't try to stop you?" Anye asked.

Amadi laughed again before answering. "He and I are similar in our desires to prove ourselves. He knew I wished to show him my strength. Besides, if someone knew that I was the governing nobleman’s nephew, it may have caused...complications."

"For your uncle?"

"For those who would complicate things," he said. "I have a bit of a temper. Provoking me would not have proved healthy, as I made clear to mister Illenas."

Anye remembered Nitram Illenas, the brutish fighter with the battle-axe who tried to pick a fight with her in the prep area. In the days following the tournament, while they researched Del'Mond and the artifacts, Anye decided to ask some of the workers if they had seen Amadi's fight against him. They described his quick defeat as a ‘humiliatingly beautiful display of Amadi's talents.’ They cited that as soon as the match had begun, Amadi stunned his opponent with a rising chunk of the ground, knocked him on his back with a blast of air, and then lifted him into the air with a vortex that he lit ablaze, finishing the fight by dispelling the fiery column of wind and slamming the brute to the ground with a conjured chunk of ice.