Authors: Laszlo,Jeremy
Daniella nodded and quickly knelt down beside Philip. Praying to her goddess her hands immediately burst forth in holy light and she reached up to place them upon his chest. Closing her eyes briefly she focused on her task and in moments she reopened her eyes. Still praying she stood and walked to where Zorbin sat stroking Xanth’s muzzle. Without so much as a second’s hesitation she again knelt to the ground and this time placed her hands upon the dwarf’s side. He watched as small beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and she began to shake lightly. Her eyes closed once again, this time for much longer as she mended several of his smaller wounds. I was a peculiar feeling, being healed in this manner. Zorbin could feel the her power coursing through him and its euphoric effect. He could feel as the fibers of his muscles stretched to rejoin those they had become severed from. He felt as each wound grew hot as any sign of infection was burned away and watched as his flesh moved, undulating and growing to seal each of the wounds. Her healing ability was amazing and Zorbin found himself quite impressed.
Many minutes later she removed her hands from Zorbin’s torso and without repositioning or opening her eyes she reached over to touch Xanth’s body. This time her face scrunched up slightly, showing the strain of her concentration. The sweat on her forehead became apparent on her face and arms as well. Several more minutes passed and finally, her task seemingly complete, Daniella stopped her quiet prayer. As she did the holy glow around her hands dissipated and she opened her eyes and stood once again, her smile returning as she rocked slowly from side to side as if dizzy..
“I hope you are finished for the day as I fear I will be unable to do much more without some rest,” she then stated.
“I believe we are finished here, m’lady. If you would care to take your leave of us for the day, feel free. We will need you well rested once again tomorrow here on the field,” Philip told the young woman.
“I will be here and ready, m’lord,” Daniella replied.
Without another word the young woman walked away in the direction of the vast stone courtyards of the castle. Philip watched her go for a moment before turning and offering a hand to Zorbin. Zorbin accepted the offer gratefully and with Philip’s assistance rose to his feet. Xanth apparently had no intentions of being left behind, and he too stood to walk beside his master. They crossed the field in silence, seeking out the comrades who now remained sitting in the blood-stained grass.
“How did your match go?” Sirus asked Philip as they approached.
“It was a bit unmatched in the beginning, and terribly unmatched at the end,” Philip replied with a sarcastic grin.
“How did it end then?” Sirus continued his questioning.
“In defeat, as most battles do.” Philip again danced around a specific answer.
“So you defeated Zorbin. That is fine. How did he perform and how serious were his injuries?” Sirus persisted.
“Most of his injuries were minor, however, two would have needed immediate attention on an actual field of battle. But you might find it surprising to know that he was not the one defeated.”
“Indeed I am surprised. He bested you in battle?” Sirus asked with raised eyebrows.
“Let me explain. The fight started much as you and I assumed it would. I was able to maneuver around his attacks fairly easily, until he got creative, that is. After tormenting him a while he decided to crush my sternum with his fist which, might I add, is quite unpleasant but not unbearable. Then I decided to stop my charade and end the fight. After I landed a few more crucial blows, I was caught by surprise by his ally here.” Philip gestured towards the giant wolf just paces away. “The tables turned dramatically. Xanth pinned me to the ground and then I made the biggest mistake of the battle, or perhaps the best decision. I lashed out and injured Xanth, which in turn caused Zorbin to receive his blessing from Gorandor. But wait, that is not all.” Philip paused, seemingly for effect. “Not only is Zorbin blessed but so is Xanth. It’s unbelievable! I have never heard of Gorandor blessing an animal before. I wish you had seen it. I was caught completely off guard as well as poorly protected against such a force,” Philip recounted rapidly, clearly showing how much the event had excited him.
Zorbin listened and grinned at the retelling. It was not perhaps the way he would have told the story, but it would certainly suffice, At least for now. Shaking away his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the conversation between his comrades.
“Truly Xanth is blessed as well? That
is
amazing. Well, as I was unconscious at the time, I must enquire what gift have you been blessed with, Zorbin?” Sirus asked, his own excitement hard to contain.
“First I think it is much like yours. I am granted size and strength. But there is something more and I think I now have a grasp on how it works,” Began Zorbin. “I think in some way Gorandor has linked my mind with Xanth’s. From time to time I see flickers of images from his point of view. It just started today. I do not know its limitations but I hope to test them. Also, I do not believe Xanth has been blessed so to speak. I think that because we are somehow linked, when I assume my blessed form he receives the blessing as well. At least at this point that is how I understand it,” Zorbin explained as best as he was able.
“Truly this is astounding. No matter how it works, your blessing is two-fold. I have never heard of such a thing in any of the histories. We must strive to learn your full capabilities and limitations as soon as we are able. Perhaps with some experience you will be able to communicate with Xanth more precisely,” Sirus said before pausing briefly as if imagining the possibilities. “Care to guess at how big you got or how strong you are in your blessed form?”
“It is hard to tell, Sirus, to be honest. I know I was much, much stronger. In size I would say near double which, compared to a tall human, wouldn’t be extremely large. But for a stout dwarf, nine feet is gargantuan!” Zorbin replied.
“We shall definitely set aside plenty of time to learn your limits. However, it will have to wait a few days. We already have plans for tomorrow,” Sirus concluded.
“Well I have to ask,” Philip began with a cocky grin. “You know of our battle, but how did yours go?”
Zorbin looked on, curious himself, as Sirus turned back to Garret seated just feet away from him and they shared a smile before Sirus answered.
“I would say we were fairly evenly matched. What I had in experience, Garret made up for with ambition. It was a draw if I could call it anything. Had it been an actual battlefield with overworked healers all the way behind the rear lines, I doubt either of us would have survived. Our sparring ended with me spilling Garret’s guts upon the ground and him nearly cleaving me in two from top to bottom.” Sirus stated the facts finishing with a grin. “He is indeed a quick learner and continually adapted to my fighting style, no matter how I altered my tactics.”
Garret could not help but blush at the compliment. He knew he was intelligent and he enjoyed this sort of training. It suited him. Mostly, however, he was happy to not have disappointed those who were doing the teaching. On the other hand, Garret could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the fact that Zorbin had received a blessing before he had. He was certain that he would get one too. At least he had been. Now he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been judged and found lacking.
As Garret and Zorbin were learning the art of battle from their mentors, Seth memorized tome after tome of magical lore. Sara helped Seth whenever she was able, but often during the days she was preoccupied with other tasks and errands assigned to her by Judilanthaliz.
Jud, it turned out, was a very patient man. But even patient men have their limitations, and Seth feared time for him was growing short. If he was unable to show Jud any sign of a blessing very soon he and Sara would have to run. Sara had already seen to their escape plans, notifying the ever loyal Borrik of their situation. She had returned with news that all was prepared in the event they sought an escape from the city.
Seth didn’t want to run. The thought of spending the rest of their days hiding because of his inability to come to terms with things set in motion before his birth left him feeling empty. Trapped. Alone. Sara deserved better, and though it went against his better judgment, Seth had already decided on a course of action to ensure that Sara and he were able to remain in service to the king.
Weeks had passed with Seth reading every document he was able to get his hands on. He was fairly certain at this point that he had read everything written on the subject of magic that existed here in the castle city. Now he felt it was time to put the knowledge he had gained from those countless tomes to work.
The sun had already faded from the single window in Seth’s small room. Sara had already visited, exhausted from her day of errand running, and had retired to her own room to start again in the morning. Lighting a single magical candle, Seth knelt before his small desk, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. Unsure if his plan would work, he took deep breaths to relax himself before his attempt to summon a god. He had always been fearful of the gods and the way they used people like pawns in a big game, but Seth felt that for some reason in this particular venture he had the upper hand.
It seemed to Seth that the goddess had chosen him to carry out some task for her, thus giving him something to bargain with. If he could manage to stick to the plan, in the presence of an all-knowing immortal, he knew that he could keep himself and Sara safe within the walls of the castle, and more importantly, keep them together. Closing his eyes, he imagined himself in the stone chamber with no doors or windows where he had first seen the goddess. Focusing on the image in his mind and the goddess he wished to summon, Seth called out with every fiber of his being.
“Goddess Ishanya, I seek you out.” Seth prayed into the openness of the world around him.
A long moment passed, where in Seth’s mind he remained alone in the exit-less stone chamber. He began to second guess his attempt at summoning Ishanya.
“Open your eyes, stop groveling on your knees, and face me like a man worthy of my presence,” came the goddess’ voice, stern yet musical, startling Seth into motion.
Actually jumping from surprise at the reply, Seth was quick to regain his composure and do as he was commanded by the goddess. Gone was the stone chamber from his mind. As his eyes opened to gaze upon the goddess once again in all her glory, he was unable to contain a gasp of shock. She was as beautiful as was possible for a woman in mortal flesh to be, but it was not her beauty that enthralled him. It was her attire. The goddess stood before him, a slender, petite woman with all the right proportions, only this time she came to him dressed for battle. She was covered from toe to neck in polished black armor. So polished was the armor its surface reflected the image from his solitary candle a million times, but so black were its depths that it seemed to suck what light there was in those reflections into itself, leaving the room feeling like a blackened abyss. Her hair hung loose about her shoulders, and in her hand she held a helmet of the same polished metal adorned with two large, curling horns. At her hip was strapped a long, thin blade, much like Seth’s own sword, only hers was obviously the better. The overall image would stay with Seth for all his days, both beautiful and menacing, Ishanya was a force to be reckoned with.
Seth gathered himself, putting all his jumbled thoughts back into place, before preparing himself for what knew he must do. Taking a deep breath once again, Seth began with mock confidence.
“Goddess you honor me with your presence,” Seth stated looking her directly in the eyes before going on. “I have thought long and hard about your offer to serve you, and though I think it may be in both of our best interests for me to do so, I have some concerns that must be addressed before I can make my decision.”
The goddess stood without moving as if a statue newly erected in Seth’s quarters. No hint of life escaped her body but for the hint of a small smirk upon her lips. She was amused, and thus replied.
“Go on then. I have eternity at my disposal but forgive me if I do not wish to spend it here waiting for you to get on with it,” Ishanya snarled.
“I am sure you well know my disposition towards the gods, m’lady. They ask much and give little, they demand tribute and prayer, and much more from those who serve them,” Seth continued.
Ishanya’s smirk turned into an all-out smile at this point. Seth could not help but feel that he was playing right into her hands. He didn’t think it long, however, and being impatient as she was for an immortal being, she seemed to finally decide she had heard enough.
“Listen to me boy,” the goddess interrupted. “I know your heart, as it was I who created it. I know your soul as it is I who gave it unto your mother’s womb. I know what it is you want and I know what it is that you desire, and that being so, I have no more time to listen to your petty grievances. This is what I offer you and it should be much to your liking. I desire no prayer from you. As if I want to listen to your constant grumblings! You need not call to me each time you require the power to perform. You need not erect temples for my worship or wear garb depicting my image. Your miracles will be created at your own hands, and you have no need to ever thank me for granting them.” The goddess paused to let the boy with his inferior mind catch up.
“What is the catch, m’lady?” Seth responded immediately.
“What I offer you is a nearly unlimited source of power, though it will take a strong mind and a strong heart to use it. You already have the capacity for its use, I have seen to that. I only need show you its source. I will give you the world as we gods see it and you may do with it as you wish,” the goddess stated in her melodic voice, the smirk returning to her lips.
“And what in return?” Seth asked bluntly.
“In return for the gift, I ask only this…” The goddess Ishanya paused briefly and stared ahead as if looking through him to something unseen to his moral eyes. “You need not pray to me or erect altars or temples as I have stated, however, when you perform any miracle of magnitude where there are witnesses, simply tell them it is by my power and in my honor that you perform them. Also, if asked by anyone whom you serve, you shall tell them simply that you serve the goddess Ishanya. Does that suit you, young Seth?” the goddess asked, her smirk vanishing.
Seth thought it over a moment. This was basically the exact outcome he had hoped for, yet he did not have to plead nor bargain to reach it. He could not help but to feel all the more uncomfortable to think about it, but the goddess had said that she knew his heart, and as such he should have predicted her terms would be agreeable to his.
“So you do not require my devoted worship, but hope to gain followers through my actions?” Seth asked, already knowing the answer.
“That should be obvious,” the goddess replied. “So have we reached an accord? I have things to do.” Ishanya stated impatiently.
“I agree to your terms, Ishanya,” Seth said simply.
“Then it is done,” declared the goddess. “Go forth into the world and spread my glory through your deeds. If you should have need of me again, servant, then call upon me. But only if the need is great.”
With that Ishanya was gone from the room. No mystical swirls of smoke, no flash of light, nothing but emptiness returning. Seth felt no different, and searching his mind he found nothing different there either. The goddess had told him to go out into the world, but it was getting late and he had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a long day. He quickly undressed and climbed into his bed. Passing his hand over the solitary candle in the room, its light snuffed out and all was left in darkness.
Many long moments passed with Seth daydreaming about having endless magical ability without having to ask for it each time. Remembering the rush he felt on both occasions when he had channeled through him the power of another god, Seth could not help but feel excited. Tomorrow he hoped would be the beginning to a long, happy life with Sara. Now he just needed to decide how to tell her of his decision and discover this great source of power the goddess promised him. One daydream swirled into another as sleep overtook him.
Seth awoke with a start. His eyes popping open, he sat up in bed and realized that no light was yet streaming through the lone window in his high tower room. Sitting perfectly still, listening to the silence around him, it startled him slightly when the handle on his door turned and Sara glided nymph-like into the room. Though he was always taken with her beauty, nothing could have prepared Seth for what he saw of her this morning. It was a vision, like Ishanya a few hours previous, that would be burned into his mind for the rest of his life.
The realization struck Seth instantaneously of what the goddess had told him the night before. He now had the vision of the gods and could see as they saw. Sara was there, the same as always, with her own natural beauty, only this time Seth was seeing her like he had never seen her before and the sight literally took his breath away. The only visual comparison Seth could imagine was the rainbow hue of lamp oil spilled in a puddle of water. It was as if a veil of millions of tiny gems in brilliant colors had been draped over Sara and infused within her very being. The image was astonishing. The vibrant hues appeared to pulse in rhythm to her heart and course through her veins, illuminating her entire body with such a myriad of colors Seth could not even begin to name them all. Finally able to regain his composure, Seth realized his eyes were watering, his chest was tight, and although his mouth hung wide open at the sight of Sara, he realized he had not taken a breath for several moments.