The World of a Lesser God Ch6

6 – A Gathering1

The Royal group and Slyne reached Fairwell on the afternoon of the fifth day. Aland wanted to get on with court business and catch up with the news but Slyne insisted on speaking with him first.2

The castle at Fairwell was not the beautiful structure that Saptor was, for it had been built as a military base, by the Tartag, Aland's forebears. They had journeyed north in a great trek and had found empty ruins at Fairwell. There had been many buildings, although nothing on the scale of Saptor, but of the people who had lived there before they had found no trace, just a few scattered documents in the old tongue.  Saptor had been the same but it had been years before they had used the castle.3

Labour, skill and money had been very short when they built Fairwell castle, but they had erred on the cautious. The walls were three meters thick in places but it lacked any kind of style. It was really no more than a vast pile of rock, but much had been done to improve the interior, in the four hundred years that had elapsed since its building. 4

The room Aland took Slyne to was cosy and well furnished. The bare rock of the wall covered with tapestries and pictures. It appeared to have been used for meetings or recitals, for there were a number of chairs and a low platform at one end but Slyne appeared to take no notice of the surroundings.  5

"I believe the others are here so I will tell you about the last person - I want Karon to come with us."6

If Slyne had hit him, Aland could not have been more surprised. "Karon - my Karon?" 7

"Yes, he fits the missing part of my team and after all you should have some stake in this venture, apart from the proxy of your guards."8

"But Karon, why him and not Dane?" Aland asked, surprise still written on his face.9

Slyne’s face bore a half smile, half sneer. "I have a good reason why Karon suits my needs better and besides, I do not wish to take the heir to the throne, for I would hate to undermine all your preparation - I mean all the time you've spent teaching him not to use his mind." Slyne’s smile had faded as he spoke and Aland was unsure if he was joking. "It won't bring you too much trouble if you have a second son who can think for himself though."10

Aland paced up and down. "How much danger is there? Just because he isn't my first born it doesn't mean I don't love him and he is still young."11

Slyne shrugged. "What difference does that make? If the Starfire isn't safe here nor is your son and he will have three of your best swordsmen with him."12

"Where are you taking them?" Aland asked, his eyes narrowed in thought.13

"Wherever the trail leads."14

"But further than Veenor?"15

The corners of Slyne’s mouthed turned in a half smile. "Oh yes, I think so."16

"No, I don't like it. I won't risk him." Aland shook his head.17

"You make me sick!" Slyne was on his feet, his words hard and measured. "You were going to take thousands of sons into Veenor - you knew that dozens, maybe even hundreds, would not come back but now it's one of yours at less risk you quail! You little leaders are all the same!" Slyne advanced towards Aland, anger, disgust and something infinitely more terrifying shone from his no longer boyish face.18

Aland felt a cold chill run through his veins and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He backed away, instinctively turning his head, as if to avoid a blow.19

Slyne abruptly turned and sat back down, yet Aland felt like he had faced some awful monster.  A trickle of sweat ran down his brow, his hands trembled and his heart beat wildly against his ribs.20

Slyne’s voice was cold. "He has reached his majority; let him attend and decide for himself." Slyne turned to look at Aland.21

"Who are you? What are you?" Aland gasped.22

Slyne chuckled mirthlessly. "What's the matter farmer? Use your wits, if I intended to harm you or yours I could just do it here and now, how would you stop me?" Slyne sneered. "Oh, it must be so uncomfortable to find your power and position; your Elite Guard, Army and Navy are nothing!" Slyne shivered, but his face was once more the young man’s. "Still there are worse things than to be a farmer; at least you create rather than destroy… but look to your business and leave mine to me!"23

Aland shook his head, he was recovering now but it had been a very rude awakening. He didn't know if Slyne was bluffing or not, but after the brief demonstration of power, it was not a bluff he felt inclined to call.24

"You did well not to run in panic, now go and tell Karon to come to the garden - the others are there, I think." Slyne dismissed the King.25

Aland still wanted to object further; he didn't want to see his son sent into danger but saw Slyne’s point. He as King, would order people into harm’s way, how could he balk at sending one to save many; even if the one was his own.26

The garden had been made from the drill yard of the castle. It had been three hundred years since the castle had last been involved in a battle.  There had been many skirmishes in and around the town but never anything organised enough to take the castle. Then Aland's grandfather, Tartigan the Great, had organised the military, starting the Elite Guard and forming a regular army. The bandits that had been the scourge of the three friendly countries had been eliminated and then the pirates that plagued the sea trade had been hunted and killed, by the newly formed navy. 27

In the wake of the peace that had followed, the main army had been moved outside the castle, leaving just a select part of the Elite Guard inside. It had been Aland's grandmother who had started the garden, and in the years since, it had matured into a beautiful haven of peace that contrasted sharply with the ugliness of the rock fortress. 28

Slyne looked down on the garden from a window. Yane was sitting talking with Haag and Taarg, the Teen twins. Slyne nodded, they looked at ease but Slyne was not fooled; they had even sat so they could see all three entrances to the garden. They looked much as Slyne had expected. The crystal was not always so clear in detail. Haag and Taarg, whose close cropped blonde hair and uniforms, made it almost impossible to tell apart. 29

Yane was a handsome woman rather than pretty, for her hard training had left her lean and muscular, rather than slim. Her short fiery auburn hair contrasted with her brown skin and was just a little longer than was usual for guards. All three of the guards had worn their formal, yellow and black dress uniforms – rather than the usual leather practise armour, that had become almost everyday dress for them.30

Darg was sitting cross-legged by the water of the pond and looked even bigger in the flesh. 31

Cleothele was wandering around, looking at the plants. Her waist length brown hair, falling over her shoulders like a waterfall, as she bent forward. She was dressed in a long, flowing gown, which seemed to almost match her hair’s liquid form. 32

Salom was a little away from the rest and looked ill at ease. Slyne shook his head. Outwardly she looked just like a middle aged, fairly plain woman, suddenly thrust into important company. She looked even more nervous as Aland and Karon entered the garden from the castle. Slyne watched for a moment more, as they all stood and bowed to their King and then for the first time came together as a group. With a smile he went to join them.33

As Slyne entered the garden, the group turned to look at him. Darg however gasped and fell to his knees, bowing his head forward until it touched the ground. The wide-eyed group watched in surprise as Slyne strode over to him.34

"Thank you Darg Methalik, but there is no need. Come, rise, and be at ease."35

Darg rose quickly as if poked but still seemed very uncomfortable, his shoulders hunched and his eyes downcast - he looked like a penitent in his grey habit. He would not look at Slyne, even though the top of Slyne's head reached no higher than the middle of Darg's chest.36

"A fine entrance. You can go now farmer - we have things to discuss." Slyne's and Aland's eyes met briefly.37

Aland thought for a moment about making some retort but instead simply nodded and left, leaving Karon open mouthed in surprise.38

"You show little respect for our King, Slyne." Haag said, a smile playing around his eyes at the name.39

"Your mother must have loved you dearly, to give you a name like that." Yane grinned openly.40

"My mother?" Slyne seemed puzzled by the joke and for a long moment, he stood, his eyes narrowed, introverted, as if trying to work out a difficult riddle.41

Yane nudged Haag and pulled a face. He shrugged back.42

"There are things which Aland cannot do by force,” Slyne seemed to lurch into speech. “This is one of them. If he took an army into Veenor, as he was considering, thousands of lives would be blighted for generations to come and the scars would last. 'You did this - but only because you did that.' and so on. It is a very easy thing to start a war, it is quite another to stop it. The Day Wars barely touched your people, but to the people that were here then, and to many elsewhere, the crimes and bitterness are nearly as sharp today, as five hundred years ago when the wars were being fought. We, as a group, have a chance to stop that before it starts. There maybe dangers, even with my special talents, there are things I cannot gauge. Much more is involved than a simple stone but on the bright side, there is something for each of you." Slyne smiled. 43

"Haag - Taarg, you wish to serve - what better way than to save the lives of hundreds of children yet unborn? Cleothele what would you give for a bag of king's gold? Or maybe a plant of crow root? I think we will even find things that are new to you. Yane, you would like to learn to use a sword properly. I will teach you."44

Yane was laughing openly. "That is such a kind offer, lessons in swordplay from a boy jester. I shall not live long enough to see a better, I think."45

Slyne smiled back. "If I beat you in twenty breaths, will you come?"46

Yane laughed out loud. "If you beat me in twenty breaths, I'll be your student and wear silly clothes too!"47

Slyne nodded and moved into open space.48

As they came on guard, Yane realised there was something awkward about Slyne's stance but couldn't work out what it meant, until the lightening quick backslash came. It was only her amazing reflexes that gave her a chance to block but Slyne was not aiming at her but her sword. His foil sliced through her blade as if was a stick, a few fingers above the hilt. The contest was over in less than a breath.49

Yane looked at the hilt. The metal had not been snapped but cut cleanly. She shook her head. "Nice blade, you want to try best out of three?"50

"Yes, it was a trick but it was to make a point, and if it had been for real - how would it have ended?"51

Yane nodded. "True enough, but unless you intend to give me that blade I don't think your trick would help me much."52

"We could try again with ordinary weapons but you are quite good, I'll need a little more time."53

"We'll do it again sometime but you can count me in anyway; you've got my interest." Yane smiled.54

Slyne bowed deeply to Yane. "Great wisdom as well, that is unexpected but not unwelcome." 55

"How about you Darg Methalik, do you want to come with us?" Slyne had to grab Darg's arm to stop him falling to his knees again.56

"M-my Lord - your word is my command." Darg would still not lift his eyes to meet Slyne's.57

"I'll take that as a yes then - now we come to the tricky ones. Karon, I need a person of the royal line - there are a lot of things about the Starfire even your father does not know." Slyne shrugged. "It's a long story and I'd rather not start it now - it need not be you but there are qualities about you that make you the best choice but if you do not want to join us, I could find another?"  Slyne turned his head sideways, inquisitorially.58

"I'm not sure what to say for I don't think father wanted me to go, but Dane has done so much and…" Karon ground to a stop.59

"We would be glad to have you with us Prince Karon." Yane told him. Yane had met the Prince several times and she felt sorry for him. Dane, his elder brother got his father's entire attention and Clarion, his younger sister, got his mother's. He was a likeable lad but a bit young for his age.60

Karon flushed at Yane's words and nodded rapidly.61

Slyne shook his head. "I'm going to end up owing you more than I can pay you." he told her.62

"Put it on the slate - we'll sort something out." Yane gave him one of her thin smiles.63

"Salom - I don't know what to tell you; I would like you to come although I'm not sure what I can offer you."64

"Why me - have we met, sir?" Salom looked torn between curtsying to, and cursing Slyne.65

"No no, I haven't met any of you before but I chose you all for things I know about you – some things that even you do not know about yourselves - that's especially true of you Salom."66

"Bull! I'm just a cook, a middle aged spinster, you need cooking you can pay me. Anything else, well, I've got a fair right cross but the only thing I can do with a sword is carve the meat so…" Salom shrugged.67

Slyne smiled then broke into laughter. "You are so wrong - of all of you here you are the rarest. You have a gift that is only given to one in a generation or less; sometimes there is not one of your kind anywhere in the world…."68

Salom was beginning to lose patience; one thing she hated was subterfuge. "I don't know who you are, that you can talk to the King as you did, fight against our new Sword- Master and get such devotion from the priest but don't hand me bullshit! You want me to come and cook, I will, there's nothing to keep me here but don't try to make me out as something special, I'm not and never will be."69

Slyne clapped his hands together and laughed out loud. "Good enough for now but before you are much older I'll prove you wrong." Slyne gave her a firm nod.70

"Well, now we know who’s going, would you care to tell us where and what all this gibberish about the Starfire and saving a war is?" Yane asked.71

"Yes… and no." Slyne’s smile disappeared. "We will set off tomorrow, heading towards Harpen. The trail is very cool but not cold; when we get there I'll have to try to pick it up again, but if I'm right, it should be south."72

"Gargafell! You should have said before - we've never been that way." Taarg slapped his brother on the shoulder.73

"And the Starfire?" Yane prompted.74

"It has been stolen, but I can't tell you more about it now; when we get closer I'll explain." Slyne seemed to have lost interest in explaining anything now they had all agreed to go with him.75

It was clear that it was a surprise to them all that the Starfire was missing.76

"We are a pretty unusual group; we're going to attract a bit of attention in Veenor." Yane smiled.77

Slyne nodded as if he had given it no thought. "I think you'll have to leave the uniforms. What would be the best cover for a band like ours do you think?"78

"A large blanket!" Yane laughed. "You gather a group like this and think you can pass it off as what? Traders? You don't get out a lot do you? Look at us, probably half the people in the three countries would recognise Haag and Taarg and as for 'little brother', I should think anyone who has ever seen him would recognise him from a thousand paces or so." Yane smiled and shrugged.79

Cleothele pulled a face. "What about a travelling show?"80

Yane nodded. "Better, what sort, I can't juggle - boys?"81

Haag and Taarg laughed. "We could do a knife act if you can get plenty of assistance." Taarg chuckled.82

"I can juggle." All eyes were turned to the Prince and he blushed.83

"We'll talk over dinner about it, but I have other things to do right now." It was almost as if Slyne had suddenly changed personalities. "Come with me!" he snapped at Yane and stalked off towards the hold.84

Yane stood up from where she was sitting on the wall and adjusted her uniform but made no move to follow him. "You have a bit to learn about working with people; you'd be surprised how far a please and thank you go." she threw at his back.85

"Just come!" Slyne turned and blazed out as he had at Aland, Yane didn't even flinch, but the others all backed swiftly away. The brothers' hands went to the hilt of their swords. Yane held up an open hand to them.86

"It's a nice trick but you called us here and since I don't think it was to eat us...." Yane gestured with open palms. 87

Slyne shook his head. "You're sharper than your sword, and that's saying something. I've never met anybody that could ignore their emotions by the use of logic before."88

"Why thank you, but if you run a dog chases you and fears are the same; the only way you can escape is by facing it out - mind you, I'll probably end up by being eaten when I could have run away." Yane chuckled.89

Slyne gave her a wry grin. "I somehow doubt it. If you would be kind enough Sword-Master De Saquee, would you come with me please?"90

"There, I bet that didn't hurt too much."91

"You know the way down to the dungeons?" Slyne asked, once they were out of earshot of the others.92

"Sure, but they aren't used much. A couple of the upper levels are used as temporary gaols and storage but the lower levels have been empty for years - decades."93

"That's just what we want." Slyne nodded.94

Yane led the way down through the narrowing corridors. They passed a few guards loitering about but at the sight of Yane’s uniform, they suddenly remembered they should be elsewhere. 95

Yane nodded at the guards’ backs. “Was that why you wanted me along?” 96

Slyne chuckled. “Only partly.”97

After passing down another stair they reached the end of the upper levels, which were used. The lowest levels had been empty since Aland's grandfather’s day. They continued a little further along the lower corridor until they reached a wide unlit section, the arches of the ceiling and the far wall were lost in the gloom.98

"You want me to go and get a torch? How much farther do you want to go? The air might not be too good lower down."99

"No, this will be fine."100

Yane watched as Slyne took a flat oblong from the pocket of his robe. He moved something on the side of it and it began to glow, slowly increasing in intensity and sending the shadows scurrying back, to reveal a door that had at some earlier period been bricked up. "Better than fine," Slyne smiled. "Perfect! Watch and be amazed." 101

Slyne placed the glowing oblong against the adjacent wall and it somehow stayed there when he took his hand away. Delving once again into his robe he took out a cloth roll which he unrolled to reveal a series of pockets. From one of these he took what looked like a rod of grey metal and used it to draw an arch within the door arch, including a line along the bottom just above floor level. The rod left a silver trail, like a slug's, that shone in the cold white light from the oblong. Slyne then drew diagonal lines criss-crossing the arch until there were no gaps bigger than the palm of Yane's hand. With a flourish Slyne stood back to view his work.102

"Very pretty, but I find leaded windows look better with glass than stone in them - and when they have a view outside." Yane chuckled.103

Slyne looked around at Yane and shook his head. "Are you sure you don't read minds - you don't realise how close you are, just bear with me a little longer and you'll see."104

Yane shrugged. "Don't worry; I'm far too intrigued to go anywhere."105

Slyne took another small, flat, grey oblong from below his robe and having filled in a silver area on the wall, placed the oblong on it. He then made sure it was fitted flush to the stone, like the light it stayed in place when he removed his hands.106

Yane could just make out tiny faint red runes, covering the grey oblong but it was not in any language she was familiar with or had ever seen before.107

"Good, very good." Slyne muttered to himself. "Nearly there." he commented to Yane, over his shoulder, as he took another rod out of the cloth roll. It appeared to be made of gold, glistening in the light but had many silver rings down its length. Slyne began to turn the rings, working his way up the rod, and it seemed to Yane he was being guided by the runes for after each couple he glanced up at the oblong.108

"Ready?" Slyne asked.109

"Yes?" Yane shrugged.110

Slyne adjusted the last ring.111

At first nothing seemed to happen, then Yane realised that the runes were beginning to glow. For a moment they seemed to standout like red hot wire then the oblong turned black and slowly over the course of the next few breathes the black spread out across the silver network leaving the whole arch as dark as a starless night.112

"Come here Yane - please." Slyne added as an after thought.113

"Touch it." he gestured at the arch.114

Yane looked at Slyne for a moment then reached out to the now jet black arch, and continued to reach. Her hand met no resistance where the wall should be and even as she slowly reached further she could feel nothing. Her arm seemed indistinct as if the light had little power to pass where her hand had.115

"So what is it?"116

"You were so close - not a window but a doorway."117

"To where?"118

"My home, a very great distance." Slyne sounded quite wistful for a moment. "But we won't go through this time, I'll take you later but I want you to see this, grab that stick."119

A small fillet of wood was lying in the dust a short distance away. Yane picked it up and a cloud of dust swirled around in the light.120

"Hold it into the door, but make sure your hand is clear." Slyne checked from the side and nodded. He swivelled a ring on his hand that had looked like a thin band, to reveal a small milky white stone. Despite its small size, as Yane looked at it, it seemed to expand out of all proportion, shapes moving within. Yane had the strange image of white clouds scudding across a clear sky in summer, yet after she blinked in surprise the stone was much smaller than the width of Slyne's finger.121

He touched the stone to where Yane guessed the oblong had been placed and between one heartbeat and the next the blackness disappeared and the stone was back.  Half the stick in Yane's hand had gone. She turned it over in her hand and looked at the end; it was cut cleaner than she could have done with a sharp sword. "And if my arm had still been in there?"122

Slyne nodded. "Better than any surgeon could dream. Can you still see it?"123

Yane looked at the arch closely but warily keeping her hands away from the wall.124

"It can't hurt you now, it's only as the door is closed, anything on the other side stays there," Slyne gave Yane a firm look. "Anything."125

The wall didn't look quite right but Yane couldn't work out what it was, it seemed like the faintest heat haze was in front of the wall, but of the silver lines and the oblong nothing could be seen. "I'm not sure - something's not quite right, yet I can't put my finger on it."126

"I really am very impressed you know, I had reason to expect you had talent, but you have much more and with your sharp mind I shall soon be looking for another job."127

"So what is your job Slyne?" Yane asked, softly.128

Slyne went very still, then bent and began to roll up the cloth. The silence dragged on until he had once again slipped the roll below his robe. "I shouldn't have spoken of it, I would like to tell you but I can't yet, maybe in time but not yet, forgive me?"129

Yane gave Slyne one of her thin smiles. "Tell me, don't tell me - it makes no difference, but you can't expect me not to be curious after all this."130

"The important thing is that you now know of the doors, we'll work on your seeing them more clearly, one day it may save your life. Yours and many more too." Slyne's words were carefully measured. Retrieving the light, he smiled. "Let's go and see if Aland's table is equal to his boasts."131

Yane took one backward look to where the arch was once again veiled by shadow, for a moment she thought she could see some faint shimmering in the dark, like an after image of a bright light, but she couldn't be sure and with a shrug followed Slyne. 132

They had only walked a few paces when a sudden thought came to Yane.133

“Slyne, wait up a moment. You said it was a door, does that mean people could come through into the castle?”134

Slyne shrugged. “It means I can, yes, others no. Why?”135

Yane’s eyes were narrowed. “The idea of the thick walls of a castle is to keep people out; it seems to me, that you have just knocked a big hole in one of the walls.”136

Slyne’s surprise seemed genuine. “Ah, I see what you mean.” He sighed. “I’m not sure how I can convince you but there is no threat to your castle, in fact it might be quite the reverse and it is for you and your friends, it may save many lives. Trust me now, no-one but me can use it, and you will be with me but if you wish, when we come back from our trip I will remove the door, deal?”137

Yane pondered for a moment, it could be that they would return to Fairwell to find it under new management but Yane somehow doubted that Slyne would have needed to go to such lengths. His knowledge and skills were so far ahead of anyone she had ever met or even heard of, she felt that if that had been his intention, the first they would have know of it was when it was all over. “Okay deal.”138