The Exodus Sagas: Book II - Of Dragons And Crowns (7 page)

Shinayne, James, Savanno, and Azenairk stepped in front of the Bishop at once. Gwenneth stood next to Kalzarius, both wizards realizing that contending with the church was not a wise choice, they kept their gaze lowered. S
aberrak turned toward the table
and set his axe to lean against it.

“
I think not. A slave freed a slave for this, and you will not take it. But t
hank you for proving to me once again, B
ishop, that human men
are- C
rack, caroom
, thunder shook the tower from outside on a clear morning. As the minotaur’s hand touched the glowing blue parchment
his words stopped. H
e was knocked to his knees from the flash of light. Too bright to see anything but blue, with eyes open or shut, Saberrak shook and trembled, unable to rise to his feet. More thunder rose from the morning air, with no point of origin on any horizon. All was still, no one moved nor breathed. The horned warrior rose to his feet, using the table for support. Blue mist rising from his body, his ears ringing as if the thunder had issued from his own head.
He turned to the left
to see what had happened, slowly
,
as his body did not seem to have the ability to move quickly. He opened his eyes, and all was hued in a strange blue light.
Saberrak looked at his friends, the wizard, the bishop, and the Lord, all of their mouths open and eyes wide. James, the Bishop
,
and Savanno dropped to their knees in silent prayer for something, while the unblinking eyes
of the others
remained focused on the blue glowing eyes of the minotaur, and the blue mist that still flowed from the scroll to his very breath.
Like a stream on the air, noises snuffed out from existence, radiant energies swirled into Saberrak the gray.

The light faded, perhaps minutes had passed, still no one dared move as the thunder fell quieter in the distance. Shinayne watched as the scroll lost its illuminations, as did the eyes of her
horned
friend. Azenairk reached out and touched Saberrak’s arm, now that the trembling had ceased, making sure he was still really there. James and Savanno rose to their feet, in wonder and fear of what had just occurred. The wizards felt the energies around them with their arcane senses, both glancing at one another in bewilderment, neither one saying anything.

“Witchcraft and heathen rituals!
” Bishop Javiel whispered
in fear
, still unnerved and trembling himself. “King Richmond and Queen Rosana will here of this, I
swear
to you.” d
own the stairs he ran, not sure if a curse of hell or a pagan miracle had just unleashed. His anger that it was a horned beast in Kalzarius’ tower that should be involved with such mystery sickened him.
That scroll will be mine, and Kalzarius will burn for his treasons against the church and the king,
he vowed.

“What
was
that, old man?” Saberrak spoke quietly, squeezing his fists tight then releasing. His vision was normal again, yet his breathing felt tingly.

“I do not know, Saberrak of Unlinn. However, it looks like the glow has gone from the scroll.” Kalzarius began to roll the
parchment back on the stone. “I
t
was not anything of the arcane
and I do not know how it triggered either. I assure you, it was not my doing
, but what raw power just entered your body is nothing short of miraculous.
The incantations were readied, but you did not speak one word in the Altestani tongue to release what we had thought lay inside. I have no answers, only concerns now, my horned aquaintence.
”

“I will go to the king
and meet the bishop there to try and discourage any inquisition.” Sir Savanno still stared at the minotaur, not sure what he had seen, but knowing what he had felt.

“As will I.” the old arcane master agreed as he
rolled then
handed the scroll to Saberrak.

“And what are we to do while you are away?” Shinayne spoke up, watching the two men hurry toward the stairs.

Kalzarius stopped, and turned. “Pack your things Lady T’Sarrin, have everyone ready. We must get yo
u to Ansharr.” h
e proceeded down the stairs behind the Lord Knight Errant.

“Wonderful!
Well done, minotaur, now we have to leave.” Gwenneth sto
mped out to get her belongings. “Nearly two months of work, ruined by your pride, my thanks!” s
he had waited too many years to see her old master, and now her anger brewed at having to leave suddenly.

“I am going with Savanno and Kalzarius, I know enough to shed a good light on this.” James headed down the stairwell after them.
Hiding his hand, not knowing why it glowed without him wishing it, James was confused.

“Well I cannot speak for anyone else, but I say it’s about time we left this depressing city anyway.” Zen patted his taller friend on the arm again, feeling better that his stay here was almost over.

“Come on horned one, your moment of glory is past
, time to get ready to leave.” t
he elven swordswoman cheerfully stated, trying to snap him out of his stupor.
Not the time for questions, and she had many.

“Yes, time to leave.” h
e opened the scroll just a few feet, looking at the ancient words, words that he now could read as if he had written them
himself
. “Shinayne?”

“Yes Saberrak, what is it?” she was already half out the chamber.

“What would you say if I told you I could read this?” his daze was slowly wearing off, and he rolled the parchment back up around the cylinder.

“I would be shocked, to say the least. Now let’s g
o, we have to get ready
.” Shinayne paid it little mind, knowing that whatever came from the scroll had the minotaur not thinking quite clearly.

Saberrak shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and walked out behind the rest. The scroll weighed less now, and his mind felt distracted.
Saberrak could not read anything, yet the words mad
e sense when he glanced at them. He put the scroll away, for now.
Whatever it was, he did not care for it.

Angeline II:I

Vallakazz, Chazzrynn

Blonde
curls blew around her face in the freezing wind, winter had hit Vallakazz with a final swing of late season snow and storms. The woman had been summoned to the Academy by Hithins, the snow vulture
pet of incredible intelligence
,
for a bird. The rumors and stories still flew
daily
about the
populace of the
great arcane city. The treason of Dasius
of Caberra
, the Nadderi elf killer, assassins and fugitives that
had fled over a month ago,
all still on the breeze and thoughts of
the people
every cold morning. Captain Shilde had been overwhelmed with queries, cleanup, d
amages and reports for the city,
for
Lady Aelaine, the church, and
even
the court of King Mikhail in the capital city of Loucas. Chazzrynn had been in turmoil from Southwind Keep and the loss of Lady Kaya T’vellon, all the way to an Altestani warship that had been docked south of Valhirst on the other side of the kingdom. There were many questions that needed answers, and they all circled around Gwenneth Lazlette and her allies. Angeline Berren was sure that she was somehow going to be involved, whether she cared to or not.

Her green robes kept her warm with all her armor seeming to invite the cold, her hand-and-a-half sword held tight at her side. Angeline had felt g
reat sorrow and freedom
in this morning’s meditation within her
warm
room. She had anointed herself with
the oil that her small tree
produced, and breathed life and love into its leaves. She always asked forgiveness and guidance, every morning for seven years now with Middir of Kivanis, the great wizard and professor she was sworn to. Angeline felt the earth beneath her feet, the sleet in her hair, the cold winds of the west on her face, and the blessing of yet another day she was grateful to have. She climbed the steps of the southern of the four
arcane
towers, heading for the eighth floor great hall to meet with Lady Aelaine and Middir.

A gush of air flung the door open harder than she would have liked, startling the three at the table. Lady Aelaine bowed, as did the white vulture, and Middir gave her a warm hug as quick as his old plump self could get to her. His braided beard of white and gray was frayed and in need of tying again. The two black robed wizards of the Academy sat back down at the black glass table in an otherwise barren room.
Statues of stone wizards greeted coldly, the torchlight aflame and false with the arcane, Angeline felt a serious matter of emotion in the air.
Hithins
fluttered over to an empty chair, anxious about something. The secretive bodyguard
flipped her braided hair
back over her robes, relieving some of th
e cold moisture. Angeline bowed
and sat at the foot of the table, awaiting what she already knew.

“Angeline Berren, I have to first say that your assistance at the Lazlette Semanarium Arcanum has been outstanding. I do not know your relation to Middir, nor is it my business. However, your skills have helped us greatly with many an issue, big and small, for several seasons now.
Myself, and Vallakazz, offer our gratitude.
” Aelaine was stalling, keeping her composure as best she could.

Angeline nodded respectfully, always remembering her vow of silence. She kept her blue eyes respectfully attuned to Aelaine’s green orbs that darted somewhat nervously.

“Aelaine, go ahead and ask her.” Middir was calm and warm, his eyes bright and peaceful.

“Very well. I have spoken with Kalzarius in Harlaheim, through magical means of course
. My daughter Gwenneth is there
with the other travelers that came through Chazzrynn last month. She has something of great power with her, and there are many people hunting it, and her. I fear for her life, for her inexperience in the world, and that she cannot control the arcane power that she has studied. I want you to track her and bring her back to Vallakazz, by any means you deem necessary.” Aelaine looked to Hithins, then to the table, her eyes full of tears. The only person she had, really had, in her life was Gwenne. She was also the only memory of Arlinne, Gwenne’s father, that she had left. Aelaine had leaned and pressured her daughter too much she was told, especially after Lord T’Vellon
’
s death in the battle of Arouland fourteen years ago. Her guilt, she feared, had drove her daughter to flee into a dangerous journey. “Please bring my little girl back home before something terrible happens to her, I beg you. Middir tells me that your skills are renowned, and that you can find anyone, anywhere.”

Angeline looked to Middir, then to the
sobbing
Lady of Vallakazz.
Tell her I will do this, but I need to talk with you in private, Middir
, her
thoughts traveled along the air
to the aura of her sworn to master.

“She agrees, Aelaine. Now if you do not m
ind, her and I need to talk.” t
he words flowed in and out of the old heavy man, like he had just heard them aloud.

“She is talking to him in his mind, my lady. She does that to
everyone, even me.” t
he vulture spoke up, excited to know what was going on. He
had been kissing up to Aelaine for three weeks now, since she had found out he had taken the long way home after meeting Gwenneth outside of Valhirst. He knew he was in serious trouble with the high wizard of the academy, and that she knew of his side deals with her daughter as well. He was grateful to not have been turned into something else, or into nothing for that matter.

She ignored her pet, “Of course Middir, take all the time you need. Tell Angeline thank you for me. Come Hithins, I have work for you in my study.”
The Lady of Vallakazz got up
and strode out the door with the white
bird of prey right behind her. If half of what her students had found out was true, Gwenneth was being hunted by a secretive organization with hundreds of killers and wizards in its ranks. A mother had to do what was in her heart and protect her daughter, even from herself.

“I
know what you are going to say
my child, but do not worry
.
I will be fine here. Your service to me-“

She spoke, for the first time in over seven years, Middir heard her voice aloud. “I do not feel ready, I do not
feel I have done enough yet.” h
er words even softer than the ones she could send without spea
king, her blue eyes ran deep with
sorrow.

“It was over almost twenty years ago, Angeline, and you were very young then. Kivanis was going through its own religious and civil revolutions, you were as much a victim as myself.” Middir was no longer joyful as the memories flooded back to him.