King Of The North (Book 3) (8 page)

"If I am to be your Queen," she began, continuing down his chest. "Then there is but one obstacle."

Eogan grabbed her hand, pulling her close to glare at her face to face. "My mother?" he hissed.

The Prophet flattened her palm against his chest, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I can do much more for you than she ever could," she reminded him. "I have much more experience in many, many things."

Eogan grinned, knowing full well that she spoke the truth. Though Maebh was a ruthless and villainous Queen, she did not have the fear of her people. They would fear him, there was no doubt about that. But he wanted his Queen to be equally feared and respected. The Prophet would be that, and much more.

"What do I need to do?" Eogan asked.

The Prophet turned, striding provocatively to her bedside and lying down sensually to entice him. "Kill her," she said. "Plain and simple. Kill her, and you shall have this for all time."

Eogan grinned, climbing onto the bed to join her. For an eternity of kingship with
The Prophet at his side, he would do anything.

His mother would die by his hand.

Jodocus found the small cottage in the forest near the southern shore. He had followed the homunculus' residual trail, and traced it backward to find its source. He smiled in delight as he saw the tiny house. It was as beautiful as his own cottage; perfectly kept, clean, cozy, and covered in ivy and other flowering vines.

He hoped its owner would be just as pleasant.

Still smiling, the old Druid knocked lightly on the door. As he waited, he noticed several cats lounging around the area, paying little attention to anything but their grooming. They did not see Jodocus as a threat, it seemed. When there was no answer, he knocked again, this time just a little louder.

Still nothing.

"Hmm," Jodocus hummed to himself.

Aeli crouched near her wood stove, frightened at the sound of the knocking at her door. No one ever knocked on her door. Ever. With the hunters out and about, and the strange creatures she had seen, she was wary of anyone who would have the gall to knock upon her door.

"Hello?" a voice came from outside. It seemed pleasant enough. It was an old man's voice. A very old man, perhaps. Still, she was hesitant.

"I mean you no harm," the voice said. "I ran across your little friend a while back, and I wanted to meet you."

So, the old man had met Belo, and wasn't the least concerned about his nature. What kind of person was this at her door?

Jodocus knocked again, knowing that someone was indeed within the cottage, but was hiding from him. Being a good natured fellow, that fact upset him to a small degree. Never had anyone feared him. Not to his knowledge anyway. Why should this person fear him? Especially one who had the power to create complex life forms from inert matter.

"My name is Jodocus," he announced. "I am a Druid. Please open the door and speak to me. I won't hurt you. I promise."

He waited patiently as he heard shuffling from inside.

Aeli gripped the door handle and turned it slowly, not knowing what to expect. The man said he was a Druid, and she was curious. She had never met a Druid before. Hesitantly, she pulled the door open.

She chuckled as she saw the old man. He stood there on her porch, smiling ear to ear. His face was round as a melon, and his sparse hair was sticking out in every direction. His eyes were kind and wise, she noted, and his posture bent and crooked.

"Hello, my dear," the old man said, still smiling ear to ear.

"Well met, sir," she greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh," Jodocus exclaimed. "I wanted to meet you. I've heard rumors of your clan, and I can honestly say I've never met a person of your...power?"

"A witch, you mean," she said.

"Oh no," he corrected her, kindly. "I would not say that. But we should talk. May I come in? I have lotus."

Aeli grunted. "That's an odd thing to say," she said. "That's like offering candy to children."

"Oh, I give candy to children all the time," Jodocus said, laughing. "Children love candy, and I love to see them smile."

Aeli smiled at him. He seemed friendly enough. But she still wondered why a Druid would seek her out. Perhaps it had something to do with the dark warriors she saw, or the horde of undead that slithered around the countryside at night.

Curious, she stepped aside and let him in.

"I felt their dark presence several days ago," Jodocus said, taking a puff from his pipe. "I came to investigate, and that's when I encountered the armored warriors. They almost seemed to sense me as I was hiding, and I don't know why or how. But then as they left, I met your homunculus."

"Yes, I know," Aeli said. "I saw your face through his eyes. Well, most of it anyway. I did not know who you were. But I suspected you were a Druid. My mother and grandmother had told me tales of the Druids all around the world, but I never thought they were true."

Jodocus smiled, holding his arms out at his side. "Truth," he said, simply.

"Who are these armored Knights that came to shore?" she asked.

"They are known as the Enkhatar," Jodocus replied. "Thousands of years ago, in the land of Khem, there was a group of fighting men known as the Keynakin. They were noble warriors, Knights in service to the ancient kings. They protected the people of Khem much as the Mordumarc did Eirenoch, and the Knights of The Dragon do now. There were twelve of them, and their leader, Sulemain. He was the man who became the first human prophet of Imbra."

"Was this a tradition passed down through their generations?"

"Oh yes, there were many generations of Keynakin throughout history. But, when The Lifegiver arrived, he claimed to be Imbra himself, and ordered the people of Khem to drag the Keynakin from their compound, and murder them. Then, their bodies were put on display near Sulemain's tomb. The Lifegiver would later have them brought to his Great Pyramid, and would raise them from the dead. He took their souls, and enslaved them in darkness. Now, they do his bidding."

"Why are they here?" Aeli asked.

"Oh," Jodocus began. "For many reasons, I suppose. To help defeat the Onyx Dragon. To seek out the weapons that the Knights of The Dragon carry. Particularly the Sword of Sulemain, which is carried by one of the Knights."

"What do they want with these weapons?"

"With the Sword of Sulemain, he, himself could be enslaved to lead the Enkhatar. The sword is the only key to his tomb. As for the other weapons, I do not know. Most enchanted weapons in this land come from the same source; the nearby mines. Even the Serpent's Tongue, which Prince Eamon carries, was forged by The Dragon himself of that very same metal. It has properties that The Lifegiver fears."

Aeli nodded, remembering the stories she had heard of iron that fell from the sky. It always seemed to have properties that normal iron did not. She had used it several times in the past to fashion small trinkets for her spells.

"The mines are under Jindala control now," Aeli said. "Last I heard anyway."

"No, not anymore. The High Priest of Tel Drakkar has liberated the mines. He and his priests will rebuild the temple soon, when their crusade is complete."

"I would like to worship at the temple when it is opened again," Aeli said, longing to be in the presence of The Dragon again. "I have been a faithful servant my whole life."

"Yes, I know," Jodocus said. "The Dragon is the source of all of your power. I can teach you to use that power with even greater potential."

"I could be a Druid?" she asked, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"You already are, my dear," Jodocus replied. "In a sense. You serve
The Dragon and the Great Mother through your magic. You are attuned to the land itself, and you commune with all of the life around you, do you not?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then why not use that power to protect the land, and all life that walks upon it?"

Aeli felt the excitement build within her. All of her life, she had lived alone, being looked upon with suspicion and fear. Simply because she was a woman who practiced natural magic. She now had the chance to show the people that she was on their side, and not a practitioner of the dark arts. She could heal them, counsel them, and earn their respect.

"Yes," she said, excitedly. "I want to learn. Teach me."

Jodocus smiled. It was settled. He would teach Aeli the arts of the Druid. She already possessed great power, and with the right training, she could become almost as powerful as he. If not more so. Besides, he would need to pass the tradition on to a new student. Farouk was gone now, and Jodocus would not live forever. He needed an heir, and Aeli had been found at just the right time. The outcome was quite obvious.

Jodocus had his new apprentice.

"That's a nasty wound," the healer told Adder. He brushed the debris out of the cut with a soft cloth, chuckling as the thief winced. "Oh, stop," he said. "A grown man shouldn't behave that way."

Adder rolled his eyes, glancing at Jhayla, who stood with her arms crossed nearby. She grinned as her friend eyed her. She was clearly enjoying his plight.

"He's always been a big baby," she teased. "He can dish it out like a berserker, but he can't take it."

The healer chuckled again, applying a small amount of salve to Adder's shoulder. "I've treated little girls who were less whiny."

"Can we focus on patching me up?" Adder cursed.

"Where did you get this, anyway?" the healer asked.

"From someone who claimed to be the Prince," Jhayla answered. "But he got the worst of it."

"The Prince?" the healer repeated, raising an eyebrow. "The Prince of what?"

"That was my question," Adder replied. "Queen Maebh doesn't have any children that anyone knows of, and I know it wasn't Prince Eamon."

"Well that goes without saying. I treated him a few days ago. Last I heard, he was off to Morduin to bury his mother."

Adder nodded. "So I hear," he said. "Queen Siobhan was a good woman. Quite the opposite of Maebh."

"Oh, I agree. I've met them both. Maebh is more like their mother. Siobhan, definitely their father."

"Where is the former Queen?" Jhayla asked.

The healer thought for a moment, reaching for his sutures. "I couldn't tell you, dear," he answered. "Somewhere on the mainland, I suppose. With all the rest of the witches."

Adder glanced at Jhayla for a moment, realizing that they were both thinking the same thing. "Who is The Prophet?" he asked. "Do you know?"

The healer shook his head. "Can't say I do. Never met her. Seems to have taken a liking to our land, though. Almost as if she were..."

"Raised here," Adder finished him.

The healer stepped back, locking eyes with the thief. He slowly smiled as the thought came to him. "That would explain a lot," he said. "Now that I think about it, she does resemble both Siobhan and Maebh, only younger."

"And with The Lifegiver's magic," Jhayla added, "she could retain her youth indefinitely."

"Well, well," the healer said. "You two are quite the inquisitors."

"We're thieves," Adder smiled. "We know things."

The healer laughed. "I don't care what you do for a living, young man," he said. "As long as you pay me."

"What is your name?" Adder asked.

"Lucas," the healer replied.

"Well, Lucas," Adder began, then winced again as Lucas' needle entered his arm. "Have you treated Queen Maebh for anything?"

"Never," Lucas replied. "The Queen has her own, personal physician. Someone from the mainland, I believe. I couldn't tell you his name."

"If I could remove him from service, is there any chance you could take his place?"

Lucas looked up from his work, eyeing Adder suspiciously. "What do you have in mind?" he asked. "And remember, I'm an old man."

Adder chuckled, looking to Jhayla for support. "If I could get inside the castle and either kill or incapacitate Maebh's surgeon, what are the chances you would be chosen to replace him?"

Jhayla shook her head. "Fordran, you are not an assassin. You are a thief. Are you insane? You'll get yourself killed."

"Alright," Adder said. "We'll hire someone. Someone we trust."

"There are no assassins we know of," Jhayla protested. "Only Scorpion, and he's dead."

Lucas cleared his throat as he finished his last suture. Both thieves looked at him with anticipation. "Something to add?" Jhayla asked.

"I may know of someone," Lucas said.

"Who?" the thieves asked simultaneously.

"There is a man here in Argan I suspect is some sort of bounty hunter or assassin. He calls himself a mercenary. I treated him a few days ago for arrow wounds."

"What is his name?" Adder asked. "And where can we find him?"

"You didn't hear this from me," Lucas warned. "But as far as I know, he resides at The Salty Dog near the town square. The Thieves' Guild here in town could tell you more. He told me his name was Turin. Turin the Gray."