that
the Cremelinos first spoke to me? They said I would meet the wizard they had
felt come into his power. I am meant to be with him. I can take care of the
Cremelinos for him.”
Haman looked at Darius.
“It would be practical training
for him in becoming the next master caretaker,” Darius said to Haman. “He will
be paid well and protected. If you can do without him here.”
Jakob’s mother, Nhila, wiped a
sleeve across her eyes and laid a gentle hand on her husband’s arm. “Haman, I
think this is right. This is what Jakob was raised to do. As they said, times
are changing. Wizards walk the land again, and these Cremelinos are meant for
them. Jakob is well-trained.”
Haman agreed. They all made
arrangements to meet in town the following day with Jakob and the six Cremelinos,
including Tali’s. Darius and the group began to walk away when one more message
came to him from the lead horse.
Christine says she loves you,
my King Wizard.
Darius was taken aback. “ How
do you know that?”
Lightning has told us. We can
communicate across distances together through the power of our wizards.
“But Christine isn’t a
wizard.”
No, but Lightning is special,
and Christine has enough old wizard blood in her from the farmlands to make the
bond work. Lighting was born as part of the prophecy.
“Ah. The prophecy,” Darius said
out loud. “Why do I sense sometimes I am just a puppet in everything I do?” He
didn’t say the words in anger, only a feeling of being overwhelmed by what was
required of him. Did everything circle around him and this prophecy?
* * *
Deep in Mar’s underground, a
young, beautiful woman met with the head of Mar’s Guild of Thieves. Her mission
was the same as her father’s when he’d met with the governor two weeks before:
They wanted him to help sponsor a new guild for certain favors in return.
Alessandra El’Lan was following
her father’s commands in order to find her mother. He had told her the Guild of
Thieves might know where her mother was, and so she went along with his plan.
The outcome of the Preacher’s plan was to sow discontent and anarchy in the
Realm. Soon he would be meeting with representatives of the eastern kingdoms to
finalize their support. Alessandra knew all this, and felt bad for Darius and
the Realm, but she needed to take care of herself. The Realm hadn’t done
anything for her. Except Kelln.
That is what hurt her the most.
Her betrayals and dishonesty with him. He was so open, honest, and likeable
that Alessandra had found herself falling for him at their first meeting. It
had been a year and a half since she had first met him. Even with her
shortcomings and ties to Belor, he liked her, and all she did time and time
again was betray him. She was a horrible person. She knew that. She didn’t
deserve him. But that didn’t mean she didn’t think about him. But once again
she was betraying him.
“And what will you do for us?”
the guildmaster asked.
“We will remove the ambassador
from Mar. We know you almost had him the other day.”
The guildmaster frowned at that.
“How will you do this? You are new in Mar. You have no ties.”
“My father and I share a past . .
. let’s say a relationship with his royal ambassador. With him out of your way,
you can take down the governor and his powerful Trader’s Guild, correct?”
Alessandra had to be firm.
The guildmaster sat back in his
big soft chair. The man had survived now more than seventy years, controlling
the guild for thirty of those. Alessandra let him think about it.
She looked around the room, the
den of a large mansion. Antiquities from around the world filled cases around
the room, almost in a cluttered look. It was as if the guildmaster wanted to
show off everything he had ever taken. His glory, his life, was filled with the
things he stole. His soul was his mansion.
“There is one more condition,”
Alessandra added. “We are looking for a woman about twenty years older than
the Cremelinos first spoke to me? They said I would meet the wizard they had
felt come into his power. I am meant to be with him. I can take care of the
Cremelinos for him.”
Haman looked at Darius.
“It would be practical training
for him in becoming the next master caretaker,” Darius said to Haman. “He will
be paid well and protected. If you can do without him here.”
Jakob’s mother, Nhila, wiped a
sleeve across her eyes and laid a gentle hand on her husband’s arm. “Haman, I
think this is right. This is what Jakob was raised to do. As they said, times
are changing. Wizards walk the land again, and these Cremelinos are meant for
them. Jakob is well-trained.”
Haman agreed. They all made
arrangements to meet in town the following day with Jakob and the six Cremelinos,
including Tali’s. Darius and the group began to walk away when one more message
came to him from the lead horse.
Christine says she loves you,
my King Wizard.
Darius was taken aback. “ How
do you know that?”
Lightning has told us. We can
communicate across distances together through the power of our wizards.
“But Christine isn’t a
wizard.”
No, but Lightning is special,
and Christine has enough old wizard blood in her from the farmlands to make the
bond work. Lighting was born as part of the prophecy.
“Ah. The prophecy,” Darius said
out loud. “Why do I sense sometimes I am just a puppet in everything I do?” He
didn’t say the words in anger, only a feeling of being overwhelmed by what was
required of him. Did everything circle around him and this prophecy?
* * *
Deep in Mar’s underground, a
young, beautiful woman met with the head of Mar’s Guild of Thieves. Her mission
was the same as her father’s when he’d met with the governor two weeks before:
They wanted him to help sponsor a new guild for certain favors in return.
Alessandra El’Lan was following
her father’s commands in order to find her mother. He had told her the Guild of
Thieves might know where her mother was, and so she went along with his plan.
The outcome of the Preacher’s plan was to sow discontent and anarchy in the
Realm. Soon he would be meeting with representatives of the eastern kingdoms to
finalize their support. Alessandra knew all this, and felt bad for Darius and
the Realm, but she needed to take care of herself. The Realm hadn’t done
anything for her. Except Kelln.
That is what hurt her the most.
Her betrayals and dishonesty with him. He was so open, honest, and likeable
that Alessandra had found herself falling for him at their first meeting. It
had been a year and a half since she had first met him. Even with her
shortcomings and ties to Belor, he liked her, and all she did time and time
again was betray him. She was a horrible person. She knew that. She didn’t
deserve him. But that didn’t mean she didn’t think about him. But once again
she was betraying him.
“And what will you do for us?”
the guildmaster asked.
“We will remove the ambassador
from Mar. We know you almost had him the other day.”
The guildmaster frowned at that.
“How will you do this? You are new in Mar. You have no ties.”
“My father and I share a past . .
. let’s say a relationship with his royal ambassador. With him out of your way,
you can take down the governor and his powerful Trader’s Guild, correct?”
Alessandra had to be firm.
The guildmaster sat back in his
big soft chair. The man had survived now more than seventy years, controlling
the guild for thirty of those. Alessandra let him think about it.
She looked around the room, the
den of a large mansion. Antiquities from around the world filled cases around
the room, almost in a cluttered look. It was as if the guildmaster wanted to
show off everything he had ever taken. His glory, his life, was filled with the
things he stole. His soul was his mansion.
“There is one more condition,”
Alessandra added. “We are looking for a woman about twenty years older than
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