The Harp of Aleth (9 page)

Julissa shuddered.

“I wouldn’t like to meet the artist that came up with that design.”

“I doubt you’d be able to. He was probably sacrificed after he finished,” Joran said as he pushed the door open.

A wave of black-tinged mist boiled out of the room beyond, over their feet and Qin-Dar gasped. “’Tis a temple to the Dark Deities. Much bloodshed and evil has happened in this room.” She shimmered and changed form, becoming a full unicorn, her pure white coat shimmering and the tall spiral of gold and silver horn protruding from her forehead gleaming with power. She moved forward to the right of the door into the mist. “I must cleanse this place.”

Julissa watched her go.
Why do I feel so numb over her impending death? Qin-Dar has been my companion since I was small and now she’s going off unprotected to face who knows what danger. I should go with her.

Virrinel held up his shield. It shone with bright white light which burned away the mist around him, and illuminated the immediate area.

“The Gems indicate that the harp is somewhere to the left of the door. Julissa, stay close to me, I don’t trust that this place is empty.”

“We can’t just leave Qin-Dar alone…” Julissa’s voice trailed away as Joran stepped up beside her, sliding one arm around her waist, stopping her from moving after her friend.

“She is far more capable of protecting herself than you might think, Julissa. Unicorn Clerics don’t reach that kind of age without gaining both experience and power. Besides, the Harp is nearby. If she needs us, she’ll call us,” Virrinel said trying to reassure his charge.

“Well put, Brother,” Joran said. “There is usually a priest of some sort in these places. We should be on our guard.”

“How would you know?” Julissa frowned at him.
Is he really as good as the goddess suggested in her briefing?

“Dark Temples are throughout the empire. I have entered many in my time. They don’t usually feel this evil, though.” Joran rummaged through his belt pouch and produced a small globe of glass.

“
Ril, Glin, Lhach
.” The globe caught fire in his hand, sending bright beams out through the fog. He waved the other hand over it and sent it spinning up into the air to hang near the ceiling. “
Lhach!”
The globe burned brighter and became like a small sun, clearing the miasma from the room.

Julissa looked around.
Where did Qin-Dar go? If this place is as evil as Joran suggests then she’ll need back up of some sort.
Here and there piles of gems and gold shone in the globe’s light.
I’ll find her in a minute; I have a quest to fulfil.

“Where’s the Harp?”

Virrinel grinned. “There.” He pointed with his sword and the gems on the Harp seemed to catch fire, a rainbow arcing through the air above the instrument. Julissa gasped and rushed forward to catch the harp up in her arms. Despite it being as tall as Virrinel, there was no weight to it and she found that she could hold it in much the same way as a lap harp.

“It’s beautiful.” She ran a hand across the strings, sending a waterfall of pure notes cascading through the room.

Joran and the others felt their tiredness fall away.

“Beautiful indeed,” the Mage said. “Just like you.”

The bard blushed.

Virrinel laughed and the harp seemed to laugh with him as the echo from his voice made the strings vibrate.

Joran moved up beside Julissa, drawn by the sound the harp gave out.

“A truly enchanted instrument.” He laid one hand on Julissa’s where it lay on the pillar of the harp.

She looked up at him, smiling happily.

“This is going to make such a difference to the border war.”

Joran bent down and kissed her.

“Your happiness makes a difference to me.”

“Isn’t that sweet?” a female voice said from the doorway.

Everyone looked round.

“Princess Loriel!” Julissa gasped.

“I thought you might recognise me. Really, I ought to have you killed now, but I want my mother to know exactly how my sister leaving me for dead has doomed the world.” The intruder sashayed into the temple, watching the males unconsciously straighten and tidy themselves up as they turned toward her.

Julissa stood up, holding the harp carefully.

“Highness, your sister had to be dragged away from your body. You lay, unbreathing, for over ten minutes while the rest of the party fought off the creatures around you and her.”

Loriel raised one elegantly shaped eyebrow.

“I seriously doubt that. Liana and Aranok were far too into each other to risk such a battle. I believe they left me to die and I will take my recompense soon.”

Virrinel moved across in front of Julissa as Loriel moved closer.

“Come no closer, ghoul.”

Loriel laughed.

“I am no Ghoul. Do you think I am here to kill your precious charge?” she shook her head. “My Master has commanded me to allow you to leave unharmed. So as long as you leave now and take nothing with you except that harp, I shall do as I am ordered.”

Julissa frowned.

“Princess Loriel, you should come home with us. Your strength, eloquence and charm would end the border war with Franier swiftly.” She stretched one hand out, entreatingly.

“I think not. Chaos in Franier is what my master wished and Chaos is what I shall gift him with. Leave now and I shall cause no harm to you and your autochthon guard.” The woman tilted her head and gazed intently at Joran, smiling. “Leave this one to me, however. Adherents of Kaela Mensha are welcome to my Lord’s service and I shall be happy to take such a handsome… distraction off your hands.”

Joran took a deep breath as she licked her lips provocatively.

“I must decline your offer. I am bound to Lady Julissa through vows stronger than those which bind me to Kaela Mensha.”

“Would you dare the wrath of the Dark Gods by breaking those vows?” Loriel asked, waving one hand toward the back of the temple where the red steel symbol of the Dark Gods shone with an oily sheen in Joran’s magic light.

Joran smiled.

“The vow I took on the altar of the Temple of Fiörna negates all others. I wear these robes as a way to remain undisturbed.”

Loriel gasped and moved backward rapidly.

“You are …” her voice failed as Joran stretched his arms out at shoulder height.

“I call upon the Father to cleanse this place.” A white glow built around him. “I call upon the Mother to heal all wrongs done within these walls. I call upon the Deities of Light to bring just and swift punishment upon the Aracan Katuvana and his armies that threaten the peace and sanity of the Realm of Quargard…”

Qin-Dar appeared behind him, her white coat and mane glowing brightly.

“…In the name of the Mother and those whom I serve. I shall bring a cleansing such as you have never seen.” She shook her head, the magic light surrounding Joran shattering into a thousand rainbows as it hit her spiralling metallic horn.

Virrinel growled, “As the Guardian Champion of the Hero of Keiliare, I say this to you now, Ghoul. You have one chance to flee with your life, I suggest you take it.”

Loriel screamed out a single word, vanishing in an instant.

Joran and Qin-Dar exchanged a sad look.

“She was such a beautiful, peaceful child once,” the unicorn mourned.

“We were friends and I never quite recovered from her loss. I’m not sure what’s worse; knowing that she’s still alive like that or that she has completely rejected her upbringing.” Julissa sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “I must return to her mother with the harp and tell her what has become of her daughter.”

“Virrinel, you and Joran accompany her. I shall find out what became of Tavia and cleanse this dungeon.” The Unicorn touched her greying muzzle to the Harp. For a second, rainbow light played over her white coat and she exhaled noisily with relief.

Virrinel nodded. “Of course.”

Joran snapped his fingers and the globe of light floated softly down to land in his palm.

“It will be my pleasure. I am to offer my services to the Queen of Alethdariel as Liaison between herself and Empress Freya of Elysia.”

“That’s the mission you kept a secret?” Julissa gasped. “Imperial Liaison?”

“When the High King of Franier secured my services for
this
mission, the message from the Empress had only just arrived,” Joran said, shrugging. “I determined that I was the best person to carry out the Empress’s request, and that playing along would allow me to find out what was really going on here in the south.”

Julissa nodded. “I’ll introduce you. Qin-Dar, I hope to see you again.” She wrapped her arms around the neck of the were-unicorn and buried her face in Qin-Dar’s mane, shoulders shuddering.

Qin-Dar said nothing, but after a moment, Joran carefully disentangled Julissa from the cleric and the Unicorn shook herself.

“Farewell Julissa. Have a safe trip home.”

* * *

Hezan held Tavia’s hand as she gazed up at the massive crystal.

“All you have to do is touch it,” he whispered.

“I want to, but my vow to the High King… I would be betraying him,” she sighed.

“You can still return to him,” a female voice said from the other side of the gently throbbing gem. “Our Lord is ever generous to those who are loyal to him.”

Tavia looked into the eyes of one of the most beautiful Elvish women she had ever seen.

“Who are you?”

“One who has seen the light and has the love of the most powerful of all men. Hezan could be such a man, should you join him.” The woman walked around the dais, her long red velvet dress whispering against the polished stone floor.

“Harradine will kill me if the bard makes it out alive,” Tavia whispered, holding Hezan’s hand tighter.

“I can protect you,” the woman said. “Harradine is controlled by one of us, as Hezan has already told you.”

Hezan slipped his arm around Tavia.

“Tavia, I promise no harm will come to you and I will be with you forever.” He held out a ring covered with rubies. “As a token of my unending love for you.”

Tavia smiled and took the ring. “It’s beautiful.”

“So are you, my dear,” the woman sighed. “I wish that my Lord would give me such a token. I am truly envious of you.”

Hezan retrieved the ring.

“Touch the crystal, Tavvie. Then I shall place this upon your finger.” Tavia smiled and he kissed her.

She stepped up onto the dais.

“Tavia!” Qin-Dar’s voice rang out through the dais room. “Your soul will be forfeit if you touch that crystal.”

The cavalier turned to look at the were-unicorn. “My soul is my own, cleric. I say what I do with it.”

“The Crystal is a direct link to He who sits in I’Mor Barad, above us.” Qin-Dar paced forward, placing herself between the woman and Tavia. “When you touch it, you become his, to do with as he will, in Life or Death.”

Hezan laughed.

“You think I haven’t told her of this? I could have tricked her into touching the crystal with magic; I could have possessed her mind and made her touch it.”

Qin-Dar shimmered into her elvish form. “Tavia?”

“He has told me. He has also told me of the good that the Aracan Katuvana wishes to do in Quargard; the peace he wishes to bring to the Heart Kingdoms.” Tavia shook her head. “I am so sick and tired of war.”

“Will joining him bring anything else but war?” Qin-Dar laid one hand on Tavia’s arm.

She shook it off.

“Harradine has no wish except for his own comfort and pleasure. He will do anything he wants to gain his own ends. The Aracan Katuvana will stop him and bring peace to the Heart Kingdoms.” She took a step away from the cleric and towards the crystal.

“Don’t do this!” Qin-Dar pleaded, moving closer to her. “The Deities of Light need you.”

The woman laughed.

“Whatever are you talking about? The Deities of Light have no interest in the running of this world. They are as self-centred as Harradine. At least the Aracan Katuvana will bring peace to man. The deities wouldn’t even intervene in the wars that plague this world.”

Qin-Dar frowned and Tavia placed her hand on the crystal.

The red light within the crystal flared and Tavia gasped, throwing her head back.

“Yes, Yes, my Lord! I accept your offer and will do all that I can to aid you!”

Hezan pushed past Qin-Dar. His face changed into one of ecstasy as he touched the cavalier. She turned in his arms and he slipped the ring onto her finger, then they kissed.

Qin-Dar watched, feeling every one of her nine hundred years and jealous of their evident pleasure in each other.

“You never had such an experience, did you? Born to serve the nobility of Alethdariel, entering the priesthood after your term had ended and becoming a cleric left no time for pleasure.” The woman stood behind the cleric. “And now you are dying in servitude, your time allotted span over without having tasted the joys of Love or foals.”