displayed a wide gap in his front teeth. He bowed low before the High King.
"Janst! How good to see you again." The High King frowned.
"The pleasure's mine your Highness. I believe you sent for me?"
"Yes. There are two wizards in my court who need looking after. They are devious and dangerous. I do not know the extent of their power."
"Kaell and Prosty?" asked Janst. He was a small wiry man, dark-skinned with bright white teeth. "It will be my pleasure. How soon do you need them disposed of?"
"Not so fast. I am in no rush. I also need to know who their accomplices are. If you kill them before I find out, I haven't gained much. Indeed, I shall be worse off because I won't know who my enemies are." He shook his head. Is everyone an idiot?
"I see your point, your Highness. How often should I report?"
"Only when there is something important. Oh, see if you can discreetly plant a seed of discord between them."
"When have I ever been indiscreet?"
"Never yet. Do not fail me now."
The small man bowed and departed. Wine, thought the High King. I have not had wine for so long. Was it only yesterday? He glanced at the jug on the table. Was it today?
Prosty could not wait in his quarters and after much pacing, he went to the dungeon. The screams were loud and then fell into a silence that clutched at Prosty and bothered him more than the screams. Finally, Kaell left the cell, walked slowly to the basin, and washed the blood from his hands. He had a strange expression and it unnerved Prosty. Kaell grinned but his eyes were vacant as if he had been in another place. Prosty coughed and turned away to recover himself.
"How goes it?" asked Prosty, as they walked back to his room.
"Fair." His voice was firm. "I have a general idea of the location of the rebels but he is still fighting very well. Gareth must have trained him personally, perhaps used his sorcery on him. Do you think Gareth uses it much? If not, then I underestimated Parean's strength. I will not do so tomorrow." They entered Prosty's room as servants were laying out food.
"Let's have dinner and discuss the attack plans." Prosty began to serve himself from the tray the servants had set out. Kaell sat down and grabbed an apple off the tray. He set it in front of himself.
"I don't think we should discuss that yet. We need to address the High King. He is a more immediate problem. Surely, he will move to dispose of us."
"I don't think so," said Prosty. "We are still too valuable to him. He needs us to destroy the rebels."
"Then he will kill us!" protested Kaell. "You don't understand the threat."
"There is no threat. I have another plan for the High King."
"What?" asked Kaell.
"No need for you to know."
"What?" He jumped up and turned the table over, sending the food to the stone floor.
"I don't know why I try to eat when you are here," said Prosty. "You can talk longer than anyone I have ever met and you allow yourself to get too worked up. And now you have spoiled the dinner."
"Did I stop you from eating?" Kaell snapped.
"But you didn't touch anything yourself. How could I have eaten?"
"You must not think of table manners at this point in your life. You have unmatched power. Why do you care about manners?"
"It must be my upbringing," replied Prosty. "My kind loving parents. Must have been hard to live with the fact that your parents despised you and abandoned you."
"They did not! They died. I was brought up by a kind old wizard."
"Your old wizard was a charlatan and you learned much from him, indeed. You are a disgrace to wizardry. You are a fool. That is why I am in command. My greater power and my true heritage as a wizard. You are a bastard in skill and in life."
Kaell clenched his fists and his teeth ground softly but he did not reply. He exhaled and drank some wine.
"One day you will go too far," said Kaell.
"Perhaps."
Kaell pulled his flute out of his robe and began to play. Sometimes Prosty enjoyed listening to his friend play but lately
"Janst! How good to see you again." The High King frowned.
"The pleasure's mine your Highness. I believe you sent for me?"
"Yes. There are two wizards in my court who need looking after. They are devious and dangerous. I do not know the extent of their power."
"Kaell and Prosty?" asked Janst. He was a small wiry man, dark-skinned with bright white teeth. "It will be my pleasure. How soon do you need them disposed of?"
"Not so fast. I am in no rush. I also need to know who their accomplices are. If you kill them before I find out, I haven't gained much. Indeed, I shall be worse off because I won't know who my enemies are." He shook his head. Is everyone an idiot?
"I see your point, your Highness. How often should I report?"
"Only when there is something important. Oh, see if you can discreetly plant a seed of discord between them."
"When have I ever been indiscreet?"
"Never yet. Do not fail me now."
The small man bowed and departed. Wine, thought the High King. I have not had wine for so long. Was it only yesterday? He glanced at the jug on the table. Was it today?
Prosty could not wait in his quarters and after much pacing, he went to the dungeon. The screams were loud and then fell into a silence that clutched at Prosty and bothered him more than the screams. Finally, Kaell left the cell, walked slowly to the basin, and washed the blood from his hands. He had a strange expression and it unnerved Prosty. Kaell grinned but his eyes were vacant as if he had been in another place. Prosty coughed and turned away to recover himself.
"How goes it?" asked Prosty, as they walked back to his room.
"Fair." His voice was firm. "I have a general idea of the location of the rebels but he is still fighting very well. Gareth must have trained him personally, perhaps used his sorcery on him. Do you think Gareth uses it much? If not, then I underestimated Parean's strength. I will not do so tomorrow." They entered Prosty's room as servants were laying out food.
"Let's have dinner and discuss the attack plans." Prosty began to serve himself from the tray the servants had set out. Kaell sat down and grabbed an apple off the tray. He set it in front of himself.
"I don't think we should discuss that yet. We need to address the High King. He is a more immediate problem. Surely, he will move to dispose of us."
"I don't think so," said Prosty. "We are still too valuable to him. He needs us to destroy the rebels."
"Then he will kill us!" protested Kaell. "You don't understand the threat."
"There is no threat. I have another plan for the High King."
"What?" asked Kaell.
"No need for you to know."
"What?" He jumped up and turned the table over, sending the food to the stone floor.
"I don't know why I try to eat when you are here," said Prosty. "You can talk longer than anyone I have ever met and you allow yourself to get too worked up. And now you have spoiled the dinner."
"Did I stop you from eating?" Kaell snapped.
"But you didn't touch anything yourself. How could I have eaten?"
"You must not think of table manners at this point in your life. You have unmatched power. Why do you care about manners?"
"It must be my upbringing," replied Prosty. "My kind loving parents. Must have been hard to live with the fact that your parents despised you and abandoned you."
"They did not! They died. I was brought up by a kind old wizard."
"Your old wizard was a charlatan and you learned much from him, indeed. You are a disgrace to wizardry. You are a fool. That is why I am in command. My greater power and my true heritage as a wizard. You are a bastard in skill and in life."
Kaell clenched his fists and his teeth ground softly but he did not reply. He exhaled and drank some wine.
"One day you will go too far," said Kaell.
"Perhaps."
Kaell pulled his flute out of his robe and began to play. Sometimes Prosty enjoyed listening to his friend play but lately
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