The Dragon's Champion (22 page)

Lady Dimwater
stood once again and regained her composure. “I underestimated you, Jerutho,” she
said. “But you will not walk away from this battle.”

“No, Lady
Dimwater, I won’t. I already know that,” Jerutho said. “I accepted that fact
long before you stepped through that magical mirror of yours. But, I promise
you that you will not leave this courtyard alive.” Jerutho clapped his hands
again and a slew of Blacktongues poured into the courtyard. There were well
over two hundred of them. “Blacktongues are immune to charm spells, witch,”
Jerutho said.

Lady Dimwater
steeled her nerves. She knew that there was likely no way out of this. Still,
she kept a few tricks up her sleeve. She clapped her hands and all of the air
around her erupted in an invisible fire. The magic flames leapt out, following
her outstretched hands and taking down men by the dozens. The souls of the men
were ripped from their bodies, adding strength to the invisible magic flames.

Lady Dimwater
snapped her fingers and Silverfang appeared at her side. She whispered a
command to him and the wolf bounded off, ripping at enemies as he tore through
the throng. The wolf and the fire took down three score men before Jerutho
could react. Finally the warlock moved to counter the fire spell by summoning
forth a torrential downpour from the previously clear skies.

Water fell down
in heavy sheets, drenching everything in the courtyard. Lady Dimwater’s dress
clung to her skin as she walked toward Jerutho. Her magical fire roared around
her, cremating any soldier or Blacktongue that got too close. “Foolish
warlock,” she chided. “Water does nothing to the Flame of Souls.”

Jerutho’s face
turned red. “You can’t possibly control such a spell! It is beyond your grasp.”

Lady Dimwater
flicked her finger at Jerutho and one of the invisible flames licked his face,
making the skin burn intensely. “What is your opinion now?” she asked. “Does
the spell seem to be beyond my grasp?”

“But, that spell
can only be cast by a Shadowfiend!” Jerutho howled as he clutched his face.

“So they tell
me,” Lady Dimwater said with a sly smile. She finished Jerutho with another flick
of her finger. Then she turned her attention on the rest of the courtyard.

Blacktongues had
overtaken all but a handful of the men she had charmed. She worked fast,
sending the flames around the charmed men, protecting them from the
Blacktongues. The fire grew more intense with each new victim it claimed. Soon
it swallowed the rest of the Blacktongues and only the few charmed soldiers
remained. The fire extinguished itself, as it had no more fuel to use.

Lady Dimwater
slowly sank to her knees, breathing heavily. She called the charmed soldiers
over to her. She could hear the clanking of armor coming toward her as the
soldiers rushed to obey.

“What can we do,
milady?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Carry me back
to the front gate, where my magical portal stands. I must flee.”

“Yes My lady,”
the soldier said as he hefted her into his thick, muscular arms. The other
soldiers formed a protective ring around Dimwater as shouts erupted from inside
the castle keep. A howl drowned out the shouting for a moment, and then died
down. Lady Dimwater perked up and looked around the man carrying her to see the
door. She exhaled only when Silverfang leapt through the doorway. Blood
streaked across the animal, some was undoubtedly its own, she knew. The beast
bounded up and placed an amulet in her waiting hand.

Lady Dimwater
pulled the amulet up and smiled weakly at the sight of Lord Hischurn’s blood on
the golden image of a ram. “The traitor is dead,” she said to no one in
particular. She waved her hand and Silverfang was dismissed back to his home
plane.

An arrow took
one of the soldiers in her escort down to the ground. The shaft protruded from
the man’s back. A hail of arrows assailed them as archers poured out of the
keep. Lady Dimwater was too weak to stop the arrows. She reached up and grabbed
the face of the man that carried her.

“I need to get
home,” she pleaded. “Don’t stop running, even if you are hit with an arrow.”

“I won’t stop
milady,” the man promised. At that instant another man in the escort turned and
leapt behind the man carrying Dimwater, taking an arrow in the chest and buying
Dimwater a few additional precious seconds.

As they passed
through the gateway two more men fell out of the escort. Lady Dimwater felt a
sudden jolt and the man carrying her lurched forward a bit. She could tell by
the look in his eyes that he had been struck. She thought it was over, but true
to his word, the man didn’t stop running. He reached the magical portal and shoved
Dimwater inside. He then turned around and spread himself over the portal,
ensuring that no arrows could follow Dimwater through it.

The blinding
light of the portal passed in seconds and Dimwater found herself lying on the
floor of her study. She hoped she would be safe enough to rest and recover. She
barely managed to summon Silverfang before darkness clouded her vision and she
slipped into unconsciousness.

*****

“Why have you
asked to speak with me, Marlin?” the prelate asked.

Marlin regarded
his superior with respect. The energy of the man’s aura was intense, almost
blinding in fact, as the prelate had just finished meditating in his private
chamber. “Forgive me for disturbing you, but I must speak with you about Erik.”

“I heard he
actually made it through the gauntlet,” the prelate said evenly.

“Yes, he did. He
also made it back through in order to shut off the gauntlet,” Marlin replied.

“Most
impressive,” the prelate commented. “I have not seen nor heard of the likes of
his power in all my years at the temple.”

“That is why I
must speak with you,” Marlin persisted. “We can not allow Erik to take the
Exalted Test of Arophim.”

“Good heavens,
Marlin, why not?” the prelate demanded. “Do you have any idea what gathers
against us right now outside these temple walls? Do you understand that Nagar’s
Secret is being sought after by our enemies?”

“With respect,”
Marlin began. “The boy is indeed powerful, but he has no control over it. The
exalted test will rip him apart.”

“Nonsense,” the
prelate countered. “The boy has a pure enough spirit, I’ve seen it. The test
will find him worthy of the gift.”

“I must remind
you that the test does not simply look inside and find a person pure or impure.
It also tests the limits of that person’s natural powers. Erik has a great
gift. In time he may learn to control it, but if we rush him into this his
power will be unleashed in full. It would be a miracle if the experience only
made him mad, but I fear it will tear him apart.”

“Your fears are
irrelevant, Marlin,” the prelate replied. “The boy must take the test. There is
no other way for him to become the Champion of Truth. You know this, Marlin.
Use your head.” The prelate walked forward and poked Marlin in the chest, hard.
“I am sorry that you have grown fond of this boy, but he has a destiny of his
own. He must be allowed to fulfill it or we will all die.”

“What if he
dies?” Marlin asked.

“Then he is not
the right one,” the prelate replied soberly. “Men have come before who have
failed the exalted test. They were also killed. Why do you think I allow this?”
the prelate demanded. Marlin said nothing. “I allow it because small sacrifices
must be made in order to save the whole of the kingdom. This boy must take the
test. If he has power as great as you say and he dies, then maybe it is just as
well that he is not alive when the power of the book is unleashed on us all.”

“He is just a
boy,” Marlin replied. “He doesn’t understand the things that are happening.”

“Alright
Marlin,” the prelate said quietly. “If you don’t want the boy to pass through
the exalted test, find me another candidate. You and I both know that the
Champion of Truth must be named in order for us to have any chance of
overcoming the forces of darkness that are massing against us. The boy is our
best hope right now. He will take the test, even if he doesn’t want to.”

“Forgive me, but
I can not allow this to happen,” Marlin said. The prelate turned away for a
moment. His energy coursed yellow and orange. Marlin knew the prelate was
becoming very angry. Orange was the color of anger. “I gave my word that I
would not allow him to be tested unless he chose the test of his own free
will,” Marlin explained. “I must act in accordance with temple laws.”

“That was a
promise you had no right to give,” the prelate said. The orange energy grew
brighter.

“The Ancients
commanded us to never subject any to the test unless the candidate willingly
chose to go through it and was prepared. I am afraid that Erik will not choose
to go through the test, and even if he did choose it there
is
no way I can prepare him for it in days. His power will consume him.”

“You will do as
I tell you to do,” the prelate replied. “The boy will go through the test. That
is final. I am willing to accept the risks to him because the risk to us all is
much greater. The commandments of the Ancients must bend from time to time.”

“I can not let
that stand,” Marlin replied evenly.

“Watch yourself
Marlin, I am still Prelate here. I will not tolerate dissent.”

*****

“Is something
wrong?” Erik asked Marlin when he entered the training room. Erik could see the
tired expression on Marlin’s face. He knew there was something nagging at him.

“Nothing I can’t
figure out for myself,” Marlin replied. “Don’t worry about me right now. We
have another challenge for you today.”

Erik nodded. He
was tired of the challenges. The past week and a half had been more grueling
and taxing than any one month he had spent with Master Lepkin at Kuldiga
Academy. Erik waited on the stool as a slew of temple guards filtered into the
room. Each of them carried rattan swords.

“What is this?”
Erik asked.

“There is one
last task that you must learn before the test,” Marlin said. “I will explain
this one plainly. There are twenty temple guards. All of them are armed with
rattan swords. You must select fifteen of them. Once you have made the
selection, the fifteen chosen guards will leave the room. The other five will
remain in this room with you.”

“What is the
catch?” Erik asked.

“Fifteen of them
have been instructed to attack you, and the other five have been instructed not
to attack you. After you have chosen and dismissed fifteen guards, the five
remaining guards will reveal themselves. If the five that remain are the
correct guards, the ones who have not been instructed to attack you, then you
pass the trial. But if even one of the five remaining guards has been
instructed to attack you, you fail that trial.”

“Is that it?”
Erik asked. He sensed that there was more.

“If any of the
five remaining guards are the wrong guards, they will attack you with their
rattan swords. You are not wearing any protective armor, and you have no sword,
so this would be a grave mistake on your part. You may defeat the guard in
combat only by making him fall to his back or stomach.”

“If one of the
remaining guards is the correct guard, may he help defend me?” Erik asked.

“No, but he may
give his sword to you.” Marlin walked toward the door and folded his arms.
“Remember, if you choose wrong, the guards will attack you with full force.
They will stop only once you are on your back. Choose wisely. You may begin
when you are ready, and take your time. No guard will attack until after the
fifteen have been dismissed.”

Erik sighed. He
tried to harness his power and search out the room around him. First he checked
to see if all of the guards were real. They were. Then he checked to see if
Marlin was really telling the truth and standing by the door. He was. There was
no lie in the instructions. There was no trick with the number of soldiers. The
trial was as straightforward as Marlin had promised. There was no magic to
defeat here. Erik had only to look into the hearts of the guards.

Erik
concentrated his mental energy, trying to discern the intent of each guard. He
looked in their glazed eyes. He tried to feel their intent with his mind, but
nothing worked. He studied all of the guards for more than three hours before
he made his first selection. The selected guard bowed his head and rushed out
of the room. Erik hoped he hadn’t just made a mistake.

The process
continued painfully slowly. It took Erik six hours to select the fifteen guards
he wanted to dismiss. Once he had each of them selected five stood before him.
He prepared his body for a fight if need be, all the while praying to the Gods
that he had chosen right. Rattan swords were made to be non-lethal, but they
could easily pound him into oblivion in the hands of these guards, he knew.

One guard fell
to his knees, dropping his rattan sword on the ground in front of him. Erik let
out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. The other four suddenly rushed
forward, hacking and slashing their rattan swords at him.

“Sword!”
Erik shouted as he somersaulted away from the four
attacking him. The kneeling guard slid his sword to Erik. Erik jumped to his
feet and launched the best defense he could. He never connected with any of the
other guards. He was on his back in less than ten seconds, squirming around on
the floor. Welts and bruises were already forming where he had been struck by
the guards.

“Enough,” Marlin
shouted to the guards. They all instantly backed away from the boy and the
other fifteen returned to the room. “Erik, I am sorry to do this to you, but
there are still two hours left in today’s training session. We will repeat this
trial as soon as you can stand.”