Dragonlance 10 - The Second Generation by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Authors: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Ads: Link
staircase led down into the sepulcher.
Steel edged alongside Tanis. "What did you do back there?" he demanded, speaking in a low voice, his distrustful gaze divided between the half-elf beside him and the knights marching ahead of him.
"Me? Nothing," Tanis returned.
Steel didn't believe him. "You're not some sort of mage, are you?"
"No, I'm not," Tanis answered testily. They weren't out of this yet, not by a long shot. "I don't know what happened, except I could suppose that you got your sign!" Steel was pale. The awe—and the fear—was plain on his face. Tanis relented toward the young man.
Oddly enough, he found himself liking him.
"I know how you feel," Tanis told him, speaking softly. The knights had come to the iron doors and were handing out torches to light the way down the dark staircase. "I once confronted Her Dark Majesty. Do you know what I wanted to do? I wanted to fall down on my knees and worship her."
Tanis shivered at the memory, though it had happened years ago. "Do you understand what I'm saying? Queen Takhisis is not my god, but she is a god. I'm just a poor, puny mortal. How could I help but revere her?"
Steel made no answer. He was thoughtful, stern, withdrawn to some inner core of himself. Paladine had given the young knight the sign he'd mockingly demanded. What meaning did it hold for him—if any?
The iron doors swung open. The knights, marching with solemn tread, began to descend the stairs.
Chapter Ten
"My Honor Is My Life"
The half-elf's explanation made sense to Steel. Paladine was a god—a weak and sniveling god, compared to his opposite, the Dark Queen,, but a god nonetheless. It was right and proper for Steel to feel awed in Paladine's presence—if that's what had truly happened back there at the gate.
Steel even tried to laugh at the incident—it was too funny, these pompous knights leading their most feared enemy around by the hand.
The laughter died on his lips.
They had begun to descend the steps that led into the sepulcher—a place of awful majesty, holy and sacred. Here lay the bodies of many brave men, among them Sturm Brightblade. Est Sularus oth Mithas. My Honor is My Life.
Steel heard a voice, deep and resonant, repeat those words. He looked quickly around, to see who had spoken.
No one had. All walked silently down the stairs, voices muted in respect and reverence. Steel knew who had spoken. He knew himself to be in the presence of the god, and the young man was daunted.
Steel's challenge to Tanis had been made out of sheer bravado, made in order to quell the sudden aching longing that seared Steel's soul, the longing to know himself. Part of Steel wanted desperately to believe that Sturm Brightblade—noble, heroic, tragic knight—was truly his father. Another part was appalled.
A curse if you find out, Ariakan had warned him.
Yes, so it would be, but… to know the truth!
And therefore, Steel had challenged the god, dared Paladine to tell him. It seemed the god had taken the young man's dare.
His heart subdued, Steel's soul bowed down in worship.
The Chamber of Paladine was a large rectangular room lined with stone coffins that held the heroes of the ancient past and the more recent dead of the War of the Lance.
Following the entombment of the bodies of Sturm Brightblade and the other knights who had fallen defending the tower, the iron doors to the chamber were shut and sealed. If the tower fell into enemy hands, the bodies of the dead would not be desecrated.
A year after the war had ended, the knights broke the seals, opened the chamber, and made it a place of pilgrimage, as they had done with Huma's Tomb. The Chamber of Paladine had been rededicated;
Sturm Brightblade was made a national hero. Tanis had been present that day, as had his wife, Laurana; Caramon and Tika; Porthios and Alhana—rulers of Silvanesti and Qualinesti, the elven nations; and the kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Raistlin Majere, Master of the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas
Steel edged alongside Tanis. "What did you do back there?" he demanded, speaking in a low voice, his distrustful gaze divided between the half-elf beside him and the knights marching ahead of him.
"Me? Nothing," Tanis returned.
Steel didn't believe him. "You're not some sort of mage, are you?"
"No, I'm not," Tanis answered testily. They weren't out of this yet, not by a long shot. "I don't know what happened, except I could suppose that you got your sign!" Steel was pale. The awe—and the fear—was plain on his face. Tanis relented toward the young man.
Oddly enough, he found himself liking him.
"I know how you feel," Tanis told him, speaking softly. The knights had come to the iron doors and were handing out torches to light the way down the dark staircase. "I once confronted Her Dark Majesty. Do you know what I wanted to do? I wanted to fall down on my knees and worship her."
Tanis shivered at the memory, though it had happened years ago. "Do you understand what I'm saying? Queen Takhisis is not my god, but she is a god. I'm just a poor, puny mortal. How could I help but revere her?"
Steel made no answer. He was thoughtful, stern, withdrawn to some inner core of himself. Paladine had given the young knight the sign he'd mockingly demanded. What meaning did it hold for him—if any?
The iron doors swung open. The knights, marching with solemn tread, began to descend the stairs.
Chapter Ten
"My Honor Is My Life"
The half-elf's explanation made sense to Steel. Paladine was a god—a weak and sniveling god, compared to his opposite, the Dark Queen,, but a god nonetheless. It was right and proper for Steel to feel awed in Paladine's presence—if that's what had truly happened back there at the gate.
Steel even tried to laugh at the incident—it was too funny, these pompous knights leading their most feared enemy around by the hand.
The laughter died on his lips.
They had begun to descend the steps that led into the sepulcher—a place of awful majesty, holy and sacred. Here lay the bodies of many brave men, among them Sturm Brightblade. Est Sularus oth Mithas. My Honor is My Life.
Steel heard a voice, deep and resonant, repeat those words. He looked quickly around, to see who had spoken.
No one had. All walked silently down the stairs, voices muted in respect and reverence. Steel knew who had spoken. He knew himself to be in the presence of the god, and the young man was daunted.
Steel's challenge to Tanis had been made out of sheer bravado, made in order to quell the sudden aching longing that seared Steel's soul, the longing to know himself. Part of Steel wanted desperately to believe that Sturm Brightblade—noble, heroic, tragic knight—was truly his father. Another part was appalled.
A curse if you find out, Ariakan had warned him.
Yes, so it would be, but… to know the truth!
And therefore, Steel had challenged the god, dared Paladine to tell him. It seemed the god had taken the young man's dare.
His heart subdued, Steel's soul bowed down in worship.
The Chamber of Paladine was a large rectangular room lined with stone coffins that held the heroes of the ancient past and the more recent dead of the War of the Lance.
Following the entombment of the bodies of Sturm Brightblade and the other knights who had fallen defending the tower, the iron doors to the chamber were shut and sealed. If the tower fell into enemy hands, the bodies of the dead would not be desecrated.
A year after the war had ended, the knights broke the seals, opened the chamber, and made it a place of pilgrimage, as they had done with Huma's Tomb. The Chamber of Paladine had been rededicated;
Sturm Brightblade was made a national hero. Tanis had been present that day, as had his wife, Laurana; Caramon and Tika; Porthios and Alhana—rulers of Silvanesti and Qualinesti, the elven nations; and the kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Raistlin Majere, Master of the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas
Similar Books
