Dave Smeds: The Sorcery Within

"Stop!"

The voice sounded old and wavered, but it carried. At once, every Zyraii present halted in his tracks. They all knew the speaker, and when he spoke, all in the land listened.

The old man came forward, black robes rustling. He was the only member of the ken in the nation who wore black. He went straight to Alemar and Elenya, his stride bold and steady in spite of his advanced years.

"Give me your names," he told them. "Your true names."

"I am Alemar, of the dynasty of Alemar," came the reply. "My sister is Elenya."

Gast saw the old priest's shoulders shift, as if the burden of his entire life's work had been removed in one moment. Black cloth whirling, he turned to the crowd.

"Let them go."

Silence. Then all members of the ken backed swiftly away. The Po-no-pha hesitated.

"You heard High Scholar Esidio," Lonal said from the forefront. "His word is law." The warriors obeyed, some grudgingly, though in truth the priesthood had more reason to be offended at the violation of the sacred site.

"Let no one hinder their path from our land. If any should molest them, they and all their clan will be banished from Zyraii forever." In a softer, worried voice Esidio added, "They are the hope of all Tanagaran. Without them, the desert will be blackened, and our people killed or enslaved."

The crowd backed even farther away. The only ones left near the twins were Lonal, Esidio, and Gast. The latter produced the twins' clothing, which they gratefully put on. Esidio went to Alemar and Elenya and grasped them both firmly, as if to be sure they were real. "I have waited a long time for you."

"We owe you our lives," Alemar said.

"No. The debt is not to me," Esidio said somberly. He turned to Lonal. "I wish your father had lived to see this day." Without another word, he turned and walked back toward the community. The crowd parted quickly. Esidio had been one of the kindest, and most good-humored, high scholars within memory. He had never before threatened countrymen with banishment, the greatest punishment of all.

"God seems to let you get away with anything," Lonal told Elenya.

Alemar saw that it was time to look the other way. He helped Gast untie his bonds. "I feared for your life, master."

"As did I. But blood is not spilled in Setan, and no Hab-no-ken in history has ever been put to death. It would have taken some time for them to decide what to do with me. Esidio cooled their tempers. He seemed to be expecting all this."

"The aura around him was unlike anyone in the entire group," Alemar murmured.

"Eh?"

The young man held up his gauntlet. "I'll explain later. Whether God is on our side or not, the sooner we are away from here, the better." He nodded toward the still observant assemblage. "They are only part of it. Gloroc knows we are here. That was his spell that attacked us when we came out of the pool. He must have known about this relic for some time, and set an alarm. I found the body of one of his servitors inside."

He turned to his sister. She and Lonal finished a whispered conversation.

"Time to go," Alemar said.

Elenya nodded.

"We located your oeikani," Lonal said. "I will see that they are brought." He left to issue the command.

From deep within the mountain came the rumbles of falling rock. The Zyraii stirred uneasily. Gast shot a quizzical look at Alemar.

"Its job is done," he answered. "Not everything is going to hold together anymore." He stroked the gauntlet. "But what a work it was."

Alemar sighed as Gast tended his injuries. The healer and the twins were a few miles from Setan. Dawn teased the hills. Nearby the narrow tributary of the Ahloorm gurgled over cobbles, its lullaby taking Alemar to other lands, where one never worried about getting enough to drink. Home. That would be their first goal. If the Dragon Sea were impassable, they couldn't deliver the gauntlets to Elandris. Keron would eventually look for them in Cilendrodel. Together they might pursue the lead concerning the temple of Struth.

"What will you do now, master?" Alemar asked, though his attention was on Elenya. She sat at the stream's edge, glancing frequently back the way they had come.

"Do not call me master," Gast said. "Your training is complete. You have been through the rooms of Setan. You are Hab-no-ken now."

Alemar assumed he would be glad when either his quest or his study of healing was fulfilled. Now both had culminated in one night, and he wasn't relieved. "I pray that I do the art justice."

"I rather think you will have more opportunity to practice than most of us. As for me, I have the implied protection of the High Scholar. I will make myself inobtrusive for a season or two, then return to my old haunts. Fear not for me."

They detected the clop of hooves. Elenya sprang to her feet. A single rider appeared around the last bend.

"I was wondering when he'd show up," Alemar said.

Lonal reined up nearby, but remained on his oeikani. They all looked at one another and hesitated, as if reluctant to disturb the dawn quiet.

"I came to say I'm sorry," Lonal said finally.

"For what?" Alemar asked.

"I put many obstacles in the way of your quest. If what Esidio says is true, your mission may mean more to Zyraii than my whole life's work."

"You couldn't have known that. Even we can't be sure it's true."

"Nevertheless it is humbling. I wish that I had been able to give you something as worthy."

Alemar lifted the material of his green robes. Elenya, just as emphatically, held out her scarred wrist. Lonal raised his eyebrows, then laughed merrily. "You are kind. But then, Esidio did tell me that there were reasons why it was necessary for you to become a healer. I suppose we were all following God's plan."

"Or someone's," Alemar said.

Lonal looked at Elenya, and his eyes rested there for a long time. "You are taking my best war-second," he said mournfully, still speaking to Alemar. "Where will I ever find another like her?"

"You'll find many more," Elenya replied with conviction. "Xurosh has seen to that."

"I think you're wrong," he said in a husky voice. "It would take another miracle." He turned to Alemar. "Tell me, are all the women in Cilendrodel like her?"

"None."

"You see? Your brother understands." He urged his mount forward with a subtle pressure of his knees. He and Elenya touched wrists together, joining the scars of thehai-Zyraii. They parted slowly. Lonal headed back to Setan.

"I will not forget you," she called after him. He didn't answer.

"Last night Esidio told him he would becomeopsha," Gast said of the departing figure.

"I don't have any doubt," Elenya said. "I envy him, you know," she told Alemar.

"Why?"

"Because Lonal wants his destiny."

She looked at her gauntlet, which she wore on the left hand. She picked up a small cobblestone and squeezed. It broke. "I have a Fear," she said. "I think you will understand what I mean. I am afraid of a life where I am nothing but a warrior, fighting for causes not my own. Sooner or later I'd be left standing in the midst of open desert, and all the people I've known – friends, lovers, and even you, brother – would turn and run from the killer I've become, leaving me alone, with only myself to fight."

Alemar came forward and held her.

"If you hadn't defeated our ancestor's spell when you did," she said gravely, "I might have died of loneliness."

"I understand." Only after he had said it was he aware that he had bespoken her. The amulets took so little concentration now.

"I don't know what's ahead,"she replied in kind,"but at least we'll be out of this mad country." She pulled off the gauntlet and regarded it. "Let's see if we can put these to good use, after all."

Alemar nodded. They climbed into their saddles and began riding. The lands of the Dragon Sea were calling.