Robert Keller - The Heart of Shadows

"What do you mean?" she asked again.

He lit his pipe. "Never smoke a pipe, Squires," he said, licking his lips. "It's nasty and unpleasant and will contaminate you."

"Then why do you do it?" said Jerret.

Jace shrugged. "Never follow my example, if you have any sense."

"Well?" said Aldreya.

Jace gazed down at her. "As I said, never do what I do. I'm a poor role model-too self centered and such. Be like Taris or Shennen. Rigid fellows, true, but very wise and precise. As for myself, I'm sloppy and given to strange fits." He blew a wobbly smoke ring. With a disgusted bellow, he batted it into ruin. "See what I mean?"

"I don't care about that stuff," said Aldreya. "Tell me about the Trial of Shades!"

"Taris will tell you all about it," said Jace.

"I would rather know about it now," said Aldreya.

"It's a dangerous business," said Jace, in a low, ominous voice. He pressed his face close to hers, until his long nose nearly touched her own. "You could lose your mind, my dear, for a time. But even worse, if you fail you will be drained of your ability to summon sorcery forever. You either pass the test, or you fail completely. It's a very harsh trial, but it is an honored Birlote ritual. If you want to be Taris' apprentice, you'll have to risk everything."

"I'm sure Aldreya will pass it easily," said Galvia. She sat down on the other side of Jace and smiled up at him. "Don't you agree, Uncle Jace?"

Jace glanced at her with one eyebrow raised. Then he said, "Who knows?"

Aldreya felt a bit of irritation toward Galvia for her use of the term Uncle Jace. That was Aldreya's term for him and Galvia had stolen it. She liked Galvia, but she found herself wishing the Dwarf would sit somewhere else.

Jerret rolled his eyes. "When are people going to start calling me Uncle Jerret? Why don't I get any respect like that?"

"You're too young," said Galvia, winking at Jerret. "Jace is two-hundred years old, remember? But I do think of you as a little brother."

"A little brother?" said Jerret, frowning. "I believe I'm a year older than you."

Galvia chuckled. "But I'm stronger."

Jerret had no reply for that.

Jace patted Galvia on the back. "Glad to see you're looking better, lass. You've got a nice healthy glow to you. I take it you have been meditating on your wounds?"

Galvia nodded. "Day and night."

"Good," Jace mumbled. "Very good. We'll need everyone healthy in our battle with the sprawling monstrosity known as Bellis."

"Can we really prevail?" said Jerret, looking skeptical. "Or are we just riding to our deaths? I think we deserve to know the truth."

"Taris plans on us winning, obviously," said Jace. "If he thought we were going to lose, he wouldn't be sending the White Flamestone into battle. Instead, he would send it to Dremlock. But Taris is only human, and his confidence is no guarantee of victory. We'll be riding against the most powerful army on Gallamerth. Most of Bellis' Knights do not possess sorcery like Dremlock's Knights-but they do possess advanced weapons along with outstanding combat skills and strategy. And their siege engines are rather amazing. Bellis knows how to win wars, my young friends. It's what they do best."

"So you think we're going to lose?" said Vannas, with a smirk.

"I didn't say that, oh prince," said Jace. He puffed at his pipe and then sighed. "But in all honesty, I was insinuating it. It will be a tough battle. We must use the White Flamestone wisely to have any chance."

"You could always skip the battle," said Lothrin. "You're not a Knight, Jace. You're here because of your knowledge, not your fighting skills."

Jace scratched his head. "I've considered that. However, I don't want to see this entire continent enslaved by Bellis-as that could open the way for the Deep Shadow. Yes, that little problem again." He gave a wry smile. "Thus, I am obligated to fight."

The reality of the situation weighed heavily upon Aldreya. If Dremlock lost the war with Bellis, the Deep Shadow might prevail at last. The world could be stripped of its independence and made an extension of Tharnin. Most plant and animal life would be corrupted into something akin to the Bloodlands. People would be forced to live under brutal Tharnin law. This was a fight for the survival of purity and freedom.

Jace glanced at her and nodded, as if reading her thoughts. "Yes, this is a rather important battle. That's why I'm here. I didn't join forces with Dremlock because I needed the money, though the pay is certainly welcome. We're facing an enormous threat-possibly equal to that faced by Olzet Ka, the great Birlote King, when the Barloak Demons were trying to destroy or subvert all life on Gallamerth. The only difference is that Bellis is unpredictable and likely has a shaky alliance with Tharnin. Still, the threat is dire."

"I am a descendant of Olzet Ka," said Prince Vannas, looking thoughtful. "According to the ancient legend, he used a Flamestone to defeat Tharnin."

"Yes," said Jace. "The Crimson Flamestone-the Blood of the White Guardian. In his hands, it was the ultimate weapon. The armies of the Deep Shadow could not withstand the Crimson Fire, and the Barloak Demons were driven back into Tharnin. We don't possess power on that scale, but the White Flamestone is nothing to sneer at."

"Where is the Crimson Flamestone these days?" asked Galvia.

"Didn't you pay attention during history lessons in the Temple, Galvia?" said Vannas. "We've all heard the story more than once."

Galvia shrugged. "My mind always wandered."

"I seldom paid attention either," said Jerret, with a laugh. "I hate history lessons. Takes valuable time away from training."

"The Crimson Flamestone rests far to the north," said Jace. "After Olzet Ka won the war, he placed the gem on a bed of straw and no one has since been able to remove it. The Flamestone is guarded by an evil sorcerer known as Carth Lang, the oldest man alive according to some accounts. He endlessly seeks to possess its power, but cannot remove it from the straw. It is rumored that only a certain descendent of Olzet Ka, bearing a divine birthmark, has the power to pluck the Crimson Flamestone from its resting place."

Lothrin smiled. "Just a silly legend? Or a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled?" He tapped his cheek. "I have a strange birthmark."

Jace gave him a piercing stare. "Yes, you have a mark-but your mark is shaped like a leaf that does not burn. So close…yet not the same."

Lothrin touched his birthmark. "It is supposed to be a leaf that burns?"

Jace nodded and sighed. "You're almost the one, Lothrin. Almost. But the mark you bear is slightly different. I believe the time is nearing when a descendant of Olzet Ka who possesses the sorcery of old will be revealed-someone who can lift the Crimson Flamestone from its bed of straw and use it against the Deep Shadow."

"So who is the one?" asked Lothrin. "Someone from Borenthia? From the Royal Family?"

Jace shrugged. "Perhaps he or she is not born yet."

"Perhaps he or she will never be born," said Vannas, with a dismissive wave. "The Crimson Flamestone may be lost forever in its resting place. But we have a powerful stone in our possession and someone chosen by the Divine Essence to use it. Why worry about ancient legends when we have something real on our side?"

"Because we must keep all our options open," said Jace. "But rest assured, my good prince, that your importance to Dremlock is not underestimated. The White Flamestone offers hope in the face of overwhelming odds."

"And the Eye of Divinity?" asked Vannas.

Jace frowned. "Too unpredictable to rely on."

"Will Lannon succumb like the Dark Watchmen did?" asked Jerret. "Be honest, Jace. As his friends, we deserve to know what you think."

Jace glared at him. "When am I not honest, Dragonsbane? I don't shy away from giving my opinion, sometimes to my chagrin."