The four companions went into the bustling street and Garret steered them north through the masses of people. They traveled straight down the main street, always heading north, always walking uphill. Even from the inn they could see that the street ended, some distance ahead, at a massive stone structure. Garret had told them they needed to walk twenty-three blocks north towards Castle Valdadore, then skirt the castle wall following it to the east, and then north again six more blocks.
As they traveled up the road, they watched the castle before them grow as they had previously watched the city grow. The castle sat upon the top of the hill that Valdadore was created upon, and from its vantage point it looked down upon the city surrounding it. It was a giant stone structure consisting of massive towers and walls. Behind the walls arose dozens of large spires with stone staircases spiraling around them all the way to their pointed tips. Upon each spire’s pinnacle flags blew lazily in a breeze that was not evident upon the streets below. Several of the spires were joined by arched breezeways that hung perilously in the air, looking dangerously fragile from the street below. Upon the walls and twisted staircases and even the breezeways, small figures could be seen walking or rushing from one place to another.
The stone of the castle walls was not painted as was the city wall. Instead it was polished to a shine, revealing hidden flecks that reflected the sun in hues of gold, magenta and silver. The small flakes of metal in the stone made the entire structure appear to shimmer and sparkle as the sunlight struck its surface. The castle was a wondrous sight to behold, and as each of the four companions took their last steps from the street into its courtyard, each of them held their breath while admiring the glorious creation that stood before them.
Directly across the courtyard from where they stood was a massive gate. To either side of the gate stood at least half a dozen guards, each fully armored and fully armed. Several stories above the road, through narrow slits in the wall, several dozen more armored men could be seen watching the street below them. From this perspective, using the armored guards on the ground as a reference, Seth estimated the wall to be approximately fourteen stories tall, the gate itself rising for nearly eight of those. The towers and spires rose over a dozen stories higher than the wall. The towers were spaced behind the wall at regular intervals and all appeared to be equal in elevation. The spires, on the other hand, appeared to have been built irregularly, each of them soaring into the air to different heights, and sometimes clumping together in pairs and trios. A couple of the spires jutted out from the towers themselves and rose alongside them into the air. It was an amazing sight. Some of the stone structures appeared to be defying gravity itself as they spiraled off into the sky, attached to the other structures by thin, spidery walkways. The four stood staring at the castle before them in awe of its glory, the rest of the city forgotten to them for many minutes.
After they had finally absorbed as many details of the castle as was possible from this vantage point, they continued around the castle’s wall to the east. They counted eleven roads before they came to the corner of the castle’s wall. Turning north once again they paralleled the castle’s easternmost wall and continued down the road for six more blocks. Garret had been leading them, Ashton at his side, when he came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the street, nearly causing Seth and Sara to run into them. Garret turned this way and that, peering all around him in every direction. He looked around the square as far as he could see. He also looked down the road that they stood near, the sixth road they had counted since the corner.
“It should be right here,” Garret stated, still looking around.
“What should?” Seth asked his twin.
“The knight’s training grounds,” Garret answered. “Sasha said it was almost six blocks down this side of the square.”
“What did she mean by almost?” Seth again questioned his brother, putting emphasis on the word.
“I’m not sure, but I didn’t ask either. I assumed we would be able to see it easily enough,” Garret shrugged.
Seth turned around, looking back the way they had come. He sized up the space between them and the previous road they had passed and looked all along the side of the square in between. None of the buildings there appeared to be anything near large enough to train knights in, and so Seth continued his search. But looking back to the castle wall, Seth found what he was looking for. They had been so busy looking away from the castle wall, counting roads and such they had missed another gate in its wall. This gate had no guards around it since it had no need of guarding at present. The portcullis had been lowered thus closing it to all traffic, but the castle within could be seen through the iron bars. Seth began to wander back towards the gate holding firmly to Sara’s hand. Garret, seeing his twin set off towards the castle, shrugged his shoulders to Ashton and the two followed to see what it was that Seth had noticed.
Approaching the iron-barred gate, Seth could hear the clangs of steel on steel and the grunts of men’s exertions. Pulling Sara with him even quicker than before, Seth led them straight up to the bars. Peering between them, Seth gasped in surprise and reeled back from the sight. Sara, curious as to what Seth had witnessed, also pressed her face between the bars. Seeing what lay beyond she too gasped and stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. Garret and Ashton were just approaching as they saw both Seth and Sara’s reaction to something beyond the curtain of iron. Both of them too looked beyond the bars into the clearing beyond. Both of them inhaled loudly and took a step back to look at one another.
“Did you see...?” Garret asked, unable to finish his question.
“Yup,” Ashton replied. “I have never seen it before, though my mother described it to me. I have to admit, I was not sure if she was just telling me tales to keep me quiet, but now I see for myself the stories were true.”
“But what…err…who are they?” Garret managed to ask.
“Those are Valdadorian Knights, the blessed of Gorandor,” Ashton informed him.
“But they can’t be human, so what are they?” This time it was Seth who posed a question.
“They are human, Seth, well, at least those two are.” Ashton inclined his head in the direction of the iron bars. “Their size is part of the blessing bestowed upon them by their god. The first man to receive this blessing was the original King Valdadore, and if you remember what that storyteller in Stone Haven said, then you will recall that the first king was able to become four times the size of a man.”
“So the crazy old bastard was telling the truth?” Garret asked amazed.
“So it would appear,” Ashton replied.
They each again approached the bars, and pressing their faces between them, observed the giant men within performing some sort of battle practice. After a few moments Garret pulled back from the bars, and the others, noticing his absence, turned to relocate him.
“Those guys are two and a half times as big as me, I would guess. Their swords are about as wide as I am, for crying out loud. Yet you’re telling me that they get even bigger than this? Where would they live?” Garret bombarded Ashton with questions.
“Well, let me see if I can explain this well enough. Wait, I have a comparison,” Ashton began, and with a deep breath continued. “OK, you know how I pray, then I repeat words in another language and then I glow when I am healing?”
Ashton’s three companions nodded to his question their individual acknowledgements.
“Well, the knights do something similar. They are usually normal size, like you and me, but they pray to their god and he blesses them with incredible size and strength. My mother told me the largest of them still alive was the king himself, and he can become nearly five times a man’s normal size.” Ashton said taking another large breath as he finished.
“Do all Valdadorian Knights get the same blessing?” Garret asked, yet another question popping into his mind.
“No, I don’t think so, but each of them is blessed by Gorandor, and each of them receives some sort of blessing to make them better on the battlefield,” Ashton again answered.
Garret seemed to think about the answers he’d received for a moment as his face twisted in upon itself momentarily. Apparently coming to some conclusion, Garret’s expression once again smoothed out and he leaned his head into the bars again for another look. His companions followed suit.
Two enormous men stood in the manicured field opposite them. Both of the giants were armored from head to toe in gleaming, polished steel armor. Each of them held a massive sword the length of a man and a half, and a shield of equal extent. They lunged back and forth, landing blow upon blow on each other. Most strikes glanced off their shields, but scratches and dents on the giants’ armor bore witness that many blows that had gone unchecked. With every step of the giant men, the companions could feel the iron bars reverberate with the impact the ground was forced to endure. Garret was soon daydreaming about how hard it must be to forge a suit of armor so large, when he realized the bars pressing to his head no longer vibrated. Snapping his attention back to the field before him he witnessed one of the giants raising his hand to halt the other’s advancement. The men squared shoulders and, touching their swords together at the tips, they bowed their heads to one another. Lowering their massive weapons, they exchanged words and each of them nodded as if agreeing on something.
That was when things got interesting again. Garret and his three companions watched as each of the giants began to shimmer. Their bodies began to lose shape as they appeared to lose definition around their edges. The more the shimmering encompassed the men, the more unstable they appeared, and with two large booms wind gusted heavily into the four friends’ faces, forcing them to close their eyes momentarily. When the wind vanished, as quickly as it had come, they reopened their eyes to reveal two armored men of average height walking away from them, across the field beyond the gate. Each of the group watched them go, each of them wishing they had been able to keep their eyes open to see the transformation.
They continued to watch for many minutes in hope that more knights might appear, but no more being forthcoming, they eventually stepped away from the gate and decided to carry on to their next location. Garret and Ashton led the way as before, following the eastern wall of the castle towards the north, all of them talking excitedly. Sara, clinging tightly to Seth’s hand, slowed for a moment to put some space between them and the pair ahead of them. Seth, curious about Sara’s change of pace, looked to see her expression, and again he found the teasing smile upon her lips.
“Oh no, what now?” Seth asked jokingly.
“Well, I was thinking it’s probably safer if you don’t receive that particular blessing,” Sara stated.
“Why is that?” Seth asked her in return. “It seemed pretty amazing to me.”
“Yes it is amazing, but look at it from my perspective. Let’s just say that in the near future we are joined, as we both hope we will be. Following that I will finally be able to give myself to you, and who’s to say that one day I don’t bed you so well that you start saying things like “oh god, oh god” and then kaboom, I get split in two and die in our bed.” Sara tried in vain to look serious as she explained.
Seth started laughing so hard he snorted, and Sara, unable to contain herself any longer, giggled both at her own words and then at Seth’s snort. They were laughing so hard they had stopped walking. Realizing they had fallen some distance behind, they rushed to catch up with their companions. Seth was so taken aback by Sara’s descriptive narration, that every time he thought of it or even looked at her, he would start laughing again, and this would cause Sara too to start laughing anew. Several times they shared a look, followed by laughter, and received questioning looks from their companions in front of them. Each time they would wave it off explaining that they could not explain why they were laughing.
They walked to the northernmost corner of the castle and turned back to the west, still following the castle’s wall. After making the turn, Garret and Ashton walked a few dozen more steps and came to a stop.
“Well, here we are,” Garret announced.
“Where is here?” Seth asked his brother.
“Temple Row.” Ashton was the one to answer as he turned to point opposite the wide street of the castle. “Sasha told us the temples span from here all the way to the western wall of the castle. There are supposed to be nineteen gods and goddesses represented here, each with their own temple.”
“So what do we do now?” Seth again asked.
“I am going to visit the temple of my goddess,” Ashton stated.
“I have to go learn about Gorandor,” Garret added.
“What about you, my angel? Is there any temple you care to visit?” Seth asked Sara.
“Not particularly, my love, I will come with you if you have one you would like to see,” Sara answered.
“Well, I had just thought to walk the street and admire them, but I suppose if one should stand out I might go inside,” Seth said and then added in a whisper for Sara’s ears only, “After all, we have to get joined somewhere. We might as well pick a place.”
Sara nodded happily and smiled lovingly to the man she adored. They said their farewells and agreed to meet back at this corner in a couple of hours, and then they parted ways.
Seth and Sara watched Ashton lead Garret away down the wide street where they eventually vanished among the other people traveling up and down the road. Losing sight of his brother, Seth tightened his hold on Sara’s hand and led her slowly in the same direction his brother had gone.
Seth took them to the nearest temple, almost directly across the street from where they had separated from Garret and Ashton. The building was a magnificent structure covered from the ground to the highest arch with intricate stone carvings. Each of the carvings that sprawled up the walls depicted scenes of nature and various animal and plant life. The door to the temple sat between the trunks of two large stone trees. The trees’ branches were interwoven above the door, and at the door’s peak was carved a nest. Standing inside the nest was a majestic bird, its stone gaze peering down at the two people in the street who stood gawking at the temple. The building was beautiful. It was as if it were a part of nature that had petrified here beside the road. However, as beautiful as it was, the stone gaze of its protector made Seth uncomfortable and so he decided to move on.
With Sara walking beside him Seth again traversed the street to where the next temple sat. Though the buildings were large, they were placed so close to one another that it was not long before they again paused to admire another temple. This too rose majestically from the ground, covered with carvings and sculptures of its own. It looked much like the first temple in design, only here the scenes of nature were replaced by various symmetric symbols carved into the stone walls. Above this door was a carving of two hands. The hands reached palms out toward one another, holding between them an open eye. This too unnerved Seth but even so he waited until Sara was done admiring the building before leading her once again to another.
Sara and Seth visited the doorstep of temple after temple to admire the painstaking detail that was poured into building each one of them. Even after stopping to admire each and every temple on the street, they realized they still had a significant amount of time before they were to reunite with their companions. After they had inspected the last temple thoroughly, Seth once again turned to walk away, this time in the direction they had just come. But before he could take a step, Sara squeezed his hand, asking for his attention.
“Did you see any you were interested in?” Sara asked, her amber eyes pleading.
“I’m afraid none of them really stuck out,” Seth replied. “But there are a couple that seemed more appealing than the others,” he added in an attempt to not destroy Sara’s hopes.
“Really?” Sara asked enthusiastically. “Which ones?”
“There was the one with the teardrop above the entrance. That one felt the least uncomfortable. Then there was the one with the weird symbols and the eye. It was a little creepier, but it was kind of intriguing. Then after that one, I think I quite liked the temple with the big dragon statues at the entrance,” Seth told her honestly, letting his discomfort with the temples be known.
“I know the gods and worshipping isn’t anything you hold in high regard, Seth, but would you stop to take another look at those three for me?” Sara asked, still clinging to the hope that he might choose one and in doing so allow them to make plans to be joined.
“For you, my angel, I would do anything,” Seth answered earnestly.
Sara led Seth back the way they had come, a slight bounce in her step. Seth couldn’t help but notice the happiness mingled with hope in her eyes as they walked. He did not want to disappoint her so, as they walked, he again gazed upon every temple they passed. They stopped at the temple guarded by the immense stone dragons. Nothing on this temple made Seth feel awkward. The dragons did not stare at him with empty eyes. They did not menace him with bared teeth. The thing about this temple that Seth did not like was the fact that dragons were fairytale monsters used to frighten children into obeying their parent’s rules. Seth imagined if the temple was inhabited by people worshiping a god that was depicted by a dragon, then he must assume that their religion had a lot of strict rules the followers were frightened into following. As Seth reached these conclusions about the temple, he could not help but notice Sara watching his reaction. She seemed to recognize his decision before he could speak it, seeing something in his face he had not intended to show.
Knowing Seth did not like the temple, Sara pulled him down the road to their next stop. She still had a bounce in her step, though it had diminished somewhat. Seth hated that he was making her unhappy, and could not stand to look upon her in his guilt. He instead chose to look to the temples they were passing. It was then that he noticed something he had missed previously. The temples were exactly the same as before, but as they walked away from the dragon temple and approached the next one, Seth noticed a structure between them.
It was nothing magnificent, it was not even large. No grand statues or carved scenes marked its entrance. Nothing wrapped its walls at all. The building between the two grand temples was as plain and bare as the road beneath his feet. Looking down to actually make the comparison, Seth realized he had stopped. Looking up from his feet he found Sara staring at him with a questioning look in her eyes. Smiling to reassure her he hadn’t forgotten how to walk, he gestured towards the small stone structure between the temples.
Sara scrutinized the building hiding in the shadows of its neighbors. It was made of bare stone with a wooden door. The door had a word carved into its surface, but from this distance she could not make it out. Besides the door, no other detail marked the front of the building. Sara marveled at a sudden realization. She knew instantly that Seth would want to inspect the building further because, Sara felt, was a lot like her. It was small and plain, it appeared all but forgotten by the people who once took care of it, and nothing about it was remarkable. Like her, the building was a lost cause. Seth seemed to like lost causes, after all he loved her. This in mind, Sara returned her gaze to the man she loved and smiled at him, already guessing his decision.
“You want to go take a look,” Sara stated more than asked.
“How did you guess?” Seth answered with a look of surprise.
“I think I know you well enough,” Sara replied honestly.
“Well then, let’s go have a look,” Seth smiled.
Seth led Sara to the door, their hands clinging tightly to one another. As they reached it, Seth paused to read the inscription upon it, but found he was unable. The characters of the word were alien to him. Written in a different time, perhaps in a different language, the word’s meaning was lost upon the two attempting to decipher it. Seth turned and looked deeply into Sara’s eyes, and seeing her hope once again blazing in their depths, he grasped the handle. With a loud sigh Seth pulled the door open and warm air rushed past them from within. The scent of jasmine and other various spicy scents tickled their nostrils as they stepped into a small room.
Letting the door close behind them, they examined the room they found themselves in. It was empty except for two torches that were held in iron bands fastened into the walls to either side of them. Ahead of them, the only structure within the room was a staircase. Stone stairs led down into the earth and ended at another lighted room below. Besides the fact that the room below was lit, no other detail could be ascertained from the top of the stairs. Without speaking Seth and Sara went down the stone staircase. They descended slowly towards the light, attempting to see what lay beyond. Reaching the foot of the stairs, they peered into this new room, blinking frequently as their eyes adjusted to the bright light. The air here was thick with incense, and Sara coughed lightly, trying to clear it from her throat. Even her cough reminded Seth of an angel.
The room was larger than either had expected. It was not elaborate, having no furniture or decorations. The walls hung bare except for more torches running its length on either side. The room too was bare except for stone pillars that stood at regular distances supporting the ceiling above them. Looking across Seth noticed one single statue standing at its far end, looking back at them. Seth noted a familiar feeling about the statue, and wanting a closer look, he began to cross the room towards it leading Sara by the hand. The back of the room was not as well lit as the entrance had been and so the statue was cast in shadow. Seth noticed that even as he was growing nearer, he could not see the statue clearly enough to discern its details.
As they reached the halfway point across the room Seth thought he heard a foot scuff on the stone somewhere and slowed his pace to look around for its source. Spying nothing but the stone pillars, Seth decided he must have been mistaken and turned his head once again toward the statue. He stopped abruptly before colliding with his intended target. Regaining himself, Seth looked to the stone figure before him and gasped in realization. The stature before him was of a person he recognized. Not only did he recognize the stone features, but he remembered the voice that belonged to the stone woman before him. He remembered it because it had only been a handful of days since he had spoken to her in a dream.
Before Seth stood a stone statue of a woman bearing a stark resemblance to his mother. Where before the woman’s hair had been braided in tight rows to her head, now it hung loosely across her shoulders. The statue stood, a calm look upon its face, its eyes fixed on Seth, who returned its gaze. Seth could not believe his eyes. In fact, he closed them briefly, only to reopen them revealing the same face as before. Without thinking about what he was doing, Seth reached out to touch the statue, a strange compulsion guiding his hand. Pressing his fingertips against the cool stone figure, Seth heard a whisper. Removing his hand he turned to look at Sara to better hear her words, but Sara stood silently watching him with a curious and hopeful look upon her face. Thinking this odd, Seth returned his gaze to the statue in front of him. Again his hand rose as if of its own accord. Touching the stone, again Seth could hear the whisper, only this time it was louder and more coherent. He closed his eyes to focus better upon the sound and found himself in a familiar stone room. The room was circular with no windows or doors, just as it had been in his dream. He turned in the room mentally, conscious that it was simply a vision in his mind. Finding nothing out of the ordinary he again tried to listen for the whisper. No whisper came. Instead, as if standing directly before him, he heard the woman’s voice from his dream a few nights before.
“Seek me out amongst the oldest buildings of Valdadore,” the disembodied voice said into the room created by Seth’s mind.
“I have,” Seth replied, not knowing what else to say.
“Go then. Call to me when you have need of me. Serve me and I shall reward you,” the voice said, almost as if it were a command.
The circular stone room vanished, taking with it the voice and leaving Seth within the darkness of his mind. Seth’s eyes fluttered open and he found himself shaking as if from cold. Sara had come to support him, wrapping her arms around him gingerly from behind. Seth twisted in her arms, attempting to turn to face her. Realizing his intentions, Sara loosened her grip upon him so letting him turn. Still in Sara’s embrace, Seth sought out her angelic face. Looking into her deep amber eyes, Seth smiled to reassure her. Sara released his waist, taking a step back to analyze him further. The shaking had ceased and Seth watched as Sara looked him over from head to toe.
“I’m OK, Sara,” Seth reassured her.
“What was that all about?” Sara asked with a concerned expression.
“I’m not sure I can explain it exactly, but I will try.” Seth tried to plan his explanation so that it would make the most sense.
Just as Seth began to speak, a movement from something behind Sara caught his attention. Leaning slightly to his side he peered over her head to see a man cloaked all in black just a few paces away from them. Instinctively Seth sidestepped Sara and brought himself between her and the man who was now approaching slowly. Seth placed his hand on the hilt of his sword in silent warning.
“No need for that, young master.” The man spoke with a thick accent, causing his words to sound akin to a hiss.
“Why do you sneak up on us then?” Seth demanded.
“It has been some time since we have had a visitor to the temple. I was trying to see if you were vandalizing the statue,” the man hissed again.
“We mean no harm to your temple, sir. In fact, we were just about to leave.” Seth added the last part as an afterthought.
The man again stepped forward towards them, as if to get a better look. He was staring intently into Seth’s face when he froze in place with a loud gasp. Then the man bowed low to the ground.
“Forgive me, sire, for I did not recognize you. Nor was I aware you would be arriving with a guest.” The man spoke quickly which made his hissing hard to interpret.
Seth was thoroughly confused at this point. Obviously the man was mistaken
“I am afraid you must have me mistaken for someone else,” Seth stated his thoughts.
“No sire, though you may not know it, I have been expecting you. The mistress showed you to me and told me to await your arrival. I should never forget your face she told me, and I have not. She also told me to give you something,” the man said quickly without stopping for a single breath.
“Who are you and what do you speak of?” Seth asked, demanding an answer.
“Forgive me, master, my name is Borrik. I am the last surviving follower of her holiness Ishanya.” The man motioned towards the statue behind Seth. “She showed me a vision of you in the very clothing you wear now. She told me you would come and she sent me to retrieve an ancient relic for you. I have it here with me now.” Borrik reached one of his hands deep inside his robe.
With his free hand, Borrik pulled back his cowl, revealing his withered face and greasy black hair. He was neither old nor young, but somewhere in between. Around his eyes were dark circles that made it appear as if he had not slept for many days. His face was nearly clean shaven except for a small patch of hair beneath his lower lip. His nose had a distinct knot in it where it had been broken long ago and had not mended properly. His eyes were charcoal gray, and his pupils abnormally large, as if unable to focus.
Borrik took another step towards Seth and pulled his hand from his heavy black robe. Within it lay a small book which he presented to Seth. The book looked to be nothing of great value. The black leather cover had a tear in it, and its edges were worn or missing altogether. The edges of the pages that were visible through the ruined cover were stained shades of yellow and brown. Seth did not reach to accept it.
“What is it?” Seth asked Borrik.
“It is a book, sire, a book penned in the hand of a powerful servant of Ishanya many generations ago. It is a catalogue of sorts of his many services to the mistress, a journal of his powers, of his creations. That is what the mistress told me though I am unable to read it for myself,” Borrik stated, remembering the words of his goddess.
“What of Ishanya? What is it she wants from me?” Seth demanded.
“This I know not, master. I know only that she told me you would seek her temple. She told me to get the book for you at any cost, and so I have. She says for me to serve you now, master, for you will soon do her will upon Thurr. That is what she told me, master. That and nothing more, I swear to you,” Borrik proclaimed with honesty.
Sara had come to stand beside Seth with a look of concern mixed with confusion. Seth took his eyes off Borrik only for a moment to meet her eyes. He could see she was afraid and he wished to ease her fear. Seth did not trust the gods. He felt what was near to loathing for them. But now it seemed a goddess had taken interest in him. This, Seth knew, could not be a good sign, though Ashton had a goddess. A goddess he loved and worshipped and which seemed to make him happy. All this Seth contemplated before speaking again.
“Do you have a place we can sit and talk?” Seth asked Borrik, still refusing to accept the small book.
“Yes master. Past the statue there is a hall. Through the hall there is a room with a table and some chairs.” Borrik gestured towards the darkness.
“Will you take us there?” Seth asked, unwilling to enter a dark room first as it could be some sort of trap.
“Yes sire, I will do as you command.” Borrik again bowed low to the ground.
Borrik walked past Seth and Sara. Circling around the statue he continued into the darkness. Seth followed next with Sara behind him. They traversed the short hall and stepped into a room where a single candle sputtered upon a table. Borrik plucked the candle up from where it sat and used its small flame to ignite several torches that clung to the walls of the room. As the light increased the room was revealed. There was a long table with a dozen chairs situated around it. There were two ways out of the room. The first was the hall they had entered through, the second was a wooden door across from the hallway that at this time remained closed. Deciding it was safe, Seth pulled out a chair and gestured for Sara to sit. She quickly sat in the chair he offered, wanting to learn what was going on. Seth then waited for Borrik to seat himself before sitting beside Sara. Organizing his thoughts, Seth looked at Sara before he began to speak.
“Many nights ago I had a dream. Only it was not like a dream, it seemed more real than even when I was awake. In the dream I was at first alone in a round room with no doors or windows. I could see plainly but there was no source of light. I searched for a way out but there was none to be found. Giving up my search, I turned around and before me stood a woman. I know now that the woman was Ishanya. She told me to seek her out in the oldest buildings in Valdadore. I did not know that she had meant a temple, and thinking it a dream, I had no intention of pursuing her wishes. When we came here to the temple, I recognized the statue, and when I touched it I could hear her voice. She again spoke to me. This time she told me to leave. She told me to call upon her when I had need of her. She said that if I served her, she would reward me.” Seth told his tale looking always to Sara and waiting for her to respond.
“So the Goddess spoke to you in your dreams, and even though you did not intend to, you found the place she wanted you to come to?” Sara asked to confirm her understanding.
“Yes,” Seth stated simply.
“Then you touch the statue and she tells you to serve her and in return she will reward you. That must be when you started shaking,” Sara said to Seth.
“Yes, that’s right,” Seth answered.
“Then you, Mr. Borrik, say that the goddess sent you on an errand to fetch a book to give to Seth because the goddess told you that he would serve her. Now you bring the book to him, and tell him that you are to serve him instead of the goddess?” Sara queried.
“Almost m’lady,” Borrik hissed. “I serve the goddess by serving him.” He gestured towards Seth.
“What do you get in return?” Sara asked, knowing a piece of the puzzle was still missing.
“The mistress told me that in time my new master would be able to reward me with a great strength and lasting life,” Borrik answered quickly.
“May I see the book?” Seth asked.
“Yes, master, it is yours to protect now.” Borrik held the book out for Seth to take.
“Please call me Seth,” Seth replied taking the book from Borrik’s extended hand.
He carefully opened the cover to expose a badly stained but otherwise blank page. Flipping to the next page, he found it too was blank. Seth quickly sifted through the entire book letting the pages flip open, one after another. Each and every page was free of ink.
“The pages are blank, Borrik, what kind of trick do you try to pull here?” Seth demanded rising to his feet.
“No trick, Lord Seth, I assure you. I cannot read the pages either M’lord, but maybe if you ask the mistress, she will reveal its contents to you.” Borrik sounded certain he was correct.
“Where did you get it?” Seth asked.
“It was hidden among ancient books in a secret library protected by those who know its origins,” Borrik replied.
“Who are they? And if no one can read it then how may they know its secrets?” Seth asked, still standing.
“I know neither what they call themselves nor who they serve, Master Seth, but I assure you there are several fewer people who know about the book than there were before I sought it out.” Borrik pronounced the last part proudly.
“You killed for this?” Seth cried, aghast.
“Yes, Lord Seth, it was the only way to retrieve it. They would not have given it to me freely.” Borrik said, a determined expression upon his face.
“What is so important about it then that people would die to keep it safe?” Seth again demanded.
“As I said, master, I know not what it contains but I can tell you this much. The man who wrote the invisible inscriptions that the book is said to contain was once nearly seated where the king sits now,” Borrik said. He was the one and only worshipper of Ishanya remaining who knew the book’s history.
Seth mulled all the details over in his mind. The goddess had gone out of her way to choose him for some reason he was unaware of. If ever he did call upon her perhaps he could use this knowledge as leverage. She chose him, not the other way around. She had also given him a book containing something important, but being unable to read it, that seemed pointless at this time. These details were important, of that Seth was sure. More important, however, was the reward Borrik was promised, a reward that Seth was supposed to eventually give him consisting of some sort of strength and lasting life. The details swirled in Seth’s mind and he filed them away to dwell on later. He glanced at Sara and noticed that she too was wrestling with all the unexpected events and information. As Seth watched, her face suddenly lit up and she smiled widely.
“What is it, angel?” Seth asked.
“Well, it seems you do have or will have ties to a religion,” Sara began, leaving the thought unfinished.
“Hardly something to be happy about, Sara. You know how I feel about worship.” Seth did not grasp her point.
“I know, love, but it also means that in some way you will probably belong to a temple and so we can be joined,” Sara beamed at him.
“Well, there is that,” Seth admitted, returning her smile.
Seth was amazed that with all this news surrounding the unexpected revelation, Sara was able to find a silver lining. She never ceased to amaze him. Stuffing the book in his tunic, he addressed Borrik.
“So what of us now, Borrik?” Seth asked the man.
“I cannot tell, master. I imagine it is up to you to decide when or if you will call upon the mistress. Then maybe you will see more clearly what it is she wants or requires,” Borrik answered.
“What of you then, Borrik? What shall you do in the meantime?” Seth asked.
“What do you wish of me Master Seth? I am to serve you.” A questioning look appeared on his face.
“What is it you would normally do?” Seth asked.
“I live here at the temple, master. I am its sole keeper,” Borrik replied.
“Then I suppose you should continue your duties here for now, Borrik,” Seth told him. Then added as an afterthought, “I do have one service you could provide for me, if you are so inclined.”
“What is it you would have me do, master?” Borrik asked, happy to serve.
“I want information. Gather up any book or scroll that contains information about Ishanya or those who served her and deliver them to me at The King’s Herald,” Seth commanded.
“You shall have all you wish before night falls, Master Seth,” Borrik vowed to the man he now served.
Seth was still on his feet when he bid Borrik farewell. He helped Sara from her chair and they quickly left the temple. Returning to the sunlight, Seth and Sara stood outside the wooden entrance to the temple dedicated to the goddess Ishanya. Seth did not make as to return to the street. Instead he turned to Sara with a look of defeat upon his face.
“I don’t think we should mention this to my brother or Ashton,” Seth said quietly.
“Why is that, my love? Don’t you think that perhaps they might have some insight as to all that has occurred?” Sara asked, her face a mask of concern.
“They might indeed, angel, but I would like to know more myself before burdening them with my troubles.”
“If that is what you want, then I will not mention it,” she promised. “So what do we do now?”
“It appears to be about time to meet the others so I guess we will go do that.” Seth noted the sun’s position in the sky. “Later, after Borrik delivers the information I asked for, I suppose we will have some reading to do. I don’t think it will look suspicious if we retire to our room early tonight do you?” Seth asked, with a crooked grin on his lips.
“No indeed, my love. In fact, if we are to be spending a lot of time in our room then perhaps we can do more than read,” Sara said with a giggle, her teasing grin appearing briefly.
Seth took Sara’s hand and they walked from between the temples into the street ahead. Rounding the corner to the left they quickly navigated through the throngs of people and worked their way down the long street. Seth guided them on instinct alone, all the while sifting through the details of his conversation with Borrik. He found it discomforting that a goddess had sought him out. Why would a goddess choose him over another person? What was it the goddess wanted of him? Seth knew enough about the gods to determine that they did not act on a whim. Ashton had stated that the gods needed followers or worshippers to exist, though it was not a proven fact. If it was a worshipper Ishanya wanted she had chosen the wrong disciple. Seth was not inclined to blind worship.
The gods were each known to grant special blessings to their most devout followers. Seth had witnessed this with Ashton and again earlier this same day with the enormous knights inside the castle. A god’s blessing could come in any form, ranging from the most mundane ability to amazing feats of immense power. Seth recalled how it had felt to wield the power of Ashton’s goddess. The power had not been his to wield, but none the less Ashton had loaned the power to him in a sense, allowing him to feel it course through his body. Seth recalled the feeling as if it had only just happened. It was a feeling he had enjoyed immensely. It was both pleasurable and intoxicating. It was a feeling Seth secretly hoped to experience again. If this goddess wished to grant Seth a blessing of magic he could not imagine himself refusing it. However, he would not lower himself into a position of mindless worship for the blessing. Of this much Seth was certain.
Feeling Sara’s pace slow, Seth refocused himself on the world outside his mind. Finding they were near the predetermined meeting point, he too slowed his pace to match that of the woman he loved. They walked slowly, hand in hand, the last remaining steps to the corner of the castle wall. Stopping at the corner Seth and Sara took turns looking around to try and spot Ashton or Garret. It was a futile search as the street was now growing very crowded. The sun had passed its apex and people were out in masses ready for the evening’s festivities. Small booths were beginning to spring up in various locations down the street and people crowded around them. Seth had never seen so many folk before in one place and the feeling made him uneasy. Seth liked to keep an eye on people. Naturally he was a bit untrusting of others with a few exceptions. He found it difficult here to relax with so many wandering around aimlessly. Feeling uneasy was a treatable ailment, however, and knowing well the drug he needed to ease himself, Seth pulled Sara snugly into his arms. He held her there in a tight embrace gazing down into her liquid amber eyes. He was instantly soothed, the anxiety stirred by the crowd washed away, leaving nothing but her eyes. Seth was an addict and Sara was his drug of choice. Seth continued for some time gazing into Sara’s eyes, losing himself in their honey colored depths. The world unfocused around him and he was temporarily lost within her gaze.
“Have you no shame?” Garret hollered from a short distance. “You two have a room. Use it will you?” he joked loudly.
Seth pulled himself from the depths of Sara’s eyes and turned his head to watch his brother and his friend emerge from the crowd, smiling to them in welcome. Releasing his grip on Sara, Seth again took her hand in his and they both turned to face their companions.
“How was your exploring?” Sara asked Garret in her angel’s voice.
“It was very informative. Thank you for asking,” Garret replied, smiling.
“How about you Ashton? Was the visit to your temple a good one?” Sara again asked.
“Yes, it was Sara,” Ashton answered, a boyish grin on his pale face. “The temple here is beautiful and many followers took time to speak with me. My mother’s description did not do it justice.”
“What about you two? Did you visit any of the temples?” Garret asked.
“We visited them all briefly,” Sara answered honestly.
“How was it then?” Garret asked, his gaze now fixed upon his twin. He knew well his brother’s distrust of the gods.
“It was much the same as yours, I should think, bro. It was very informative.” Seth answered with honesty but was careful not to hint towards further detail.
“What do you suppose we should do now?” Garret again asked, looking as before towards his brother.
“I had thought to return to the inn to eat,” Seth said, making up his plans as he spoke.
“Do you not want to see the festivities, brother?” Garret asked. “There will be plenty of food out here,” he added as if to persuade his twin.
“To be honest Garret, I do not feel well, and I suspect that I would not be good company. I think I will return to the inn and retire early tonight. Perhaps I can witness the festivities tomorrow.” Seth knew well his ailment was of a mental nature rather than a physical one.
“You want us to join you?” Garret asked with real concern.
“No need for that. Enjoy the festivities, perhaps take note of some things you think I will enjoy and tomorrow you can show them to me,” Seth said, well aware that his brother did not want to return to the inn.
Garret nodded solemnly, realizing his brother’s mind was already made up.
“Well, if you are certain then I guess I will see you in the morning,” Garret nodded and then added with a smile, “Don’t keep him up all hours of the night and wear him out too much, Sara. We need him to feel rested tomorrow.”
Sara replied with a playful scowl, and waved as Garret and Ashton turned to once again join the masses of people milling about in the street. Watching them vanish among the crowd, Sara turned to face Seth.
“Not feeling well? Perhaps I can perk you up a bit.” She stepped close to Seth’s body.
Rising on her toes, Sara pressed her lips to Seth’s. She kissed him more passionately than was appropriate for a public place, but she cared not what others might think of the display. Letting her lips fall from his, she shrank back down off her toes and took his hand in hers. Seth smiled appreciatively before turning to walk back the many blocks to the inn.