“It’s possible my father, Lourn Adair, is king of Ardenia right now?”
“If King Noeed Arden passed from this life, aye, Lourn Adair is king of Ardenia.” He took a deep breath. “Now for the bad news. Since the highking’s death and the usurping of the throne by Naneden the Mad, there is nothing or no one to prevent the Arasyth family from the neighboring kingdom of Sythia to mount an invasion and try to take Ardenia. According to the messenger, they have been amassing knights and infantry on the Sythian-Ardenian border. It is possible that should your father ascend to the throne, he will be defeated and killed by an invading army.”
Dorenn pounded his right fist into his left hand out of frustration. “The fools! The Trigothian knights should be rallying to help retake Lux Enor and the Sacred Land, not fighting amongst themselves.”
“Forgive me, Master Dorenn, but I think the Sythians have little interest in regaining the Sacred Land. The knights of Trigothia do not see Naneden the Mad as a threat.”
“Naneden the Mad is only a pawn,” Dorenn said. “I went to the Sacred Land not long ago, and it isn’t Naneden the Mad who has a hold on the power there. I couldn’t tell if it was Toborne either, to be honest.” He looked at the somber face of Durn. “I have not divulged that to the others yet. Keep it to yourself. I don’t want anyone else to know that I suspect a greater threat from some, as for now, unknown force.”
“You suspect Toborne is not the mastermind of the peoples trying to usurp the power of the Sacred Land?” Durn asked.
“Aye, that is what I am telling you. When I arrived in the Sacred Land, what I felt was not Toborne. But as I said, speak of it no further.”
Veric entered the inn and placed his pack near Durn. “I should like a room as well.” He flipped a shiny silver coin to Durn, who caught it easily.
Durn looked at the silver piece. “Sir, this is far beyond the price of a room.”
“Put it against my bill. I will be bathing and eating in the common room as well. You can deduct what I use and what is left at the end of my stay you may keep.”
“Thank you, sir.” Durn bowed. “With your leave, sir,” he said to Dorenn.
“Of course, attend your duties.”
Durn had a lad come and take Veric’s belongings as he and Dorenn exited the inn. Veric had the Tome of Enlightenment that Dorenn had given him to study under one arm.
“I thought we could talk in the Village Council of Elders chambers,” Veric said. “Council chambers are designed for privacy.”
Dorenn nodded, and they made their way to a building about fifty paces from the inn. Veric opened the door for Dorenn and followed him inside. After entering the main council room and securing the large, wooden double doors, Veric placed the tome on the rectangular council table.
Dorenn opened the Tome of Enlightenment and maneuvered it where he and Veric could both look at it. The Council of Elders chamber was dimly lit, so Veric pulled one of the candelabras closer. He thumbed through the tome, stopping on certain pages for a protracted amount of time before moving on.
“I can read most of the tome; however, it is correct that the tome only reveals the information that you need. The words keep shifting in the passages the gods want to keep hidden. There is much here about the use of essence and how it needs to be handled. I will need to read those sections to you. There is also a vast portion written on the ways of mindwielding that I will need to impart to Rennon. There is something else here, which could be important to you. This tome was handed to man by Fawlsbane Vex, the same god who created the gold and silver dragons. The lesser dragons were all created by the god twins Breannan and Xeian.
This last passage tells of another book written by the golden dragon Myradon. It chronicles the story of the greater dragons’ creation and magic system. It’s called the Myradon Codex.” He looked at the tome closer and noticed the ink. “This passage looks to be written much later than the others.” He pointed to a looking glass on the table. “Hand me that magnifier.”
Dorenn slid the looking glass to Veric. “Are you checking the handwriting?”
“Aye.” Veric examined the writing. “It’s the same. Vex has revisited it lately. Possibly to give you a personal message since he came to you to find the tome in the first place. The passage reads: “Find the codex in Lux Amarou, guarded by my ancient people. I require this of you.”
“Why didn’t he just tell me that when he appeared to me instead of taking the time to write it in a tome I can’t read?”
“I don’t know. He is a god and we are not.” Veric closed the tome. “Perhaps he revisited the tome after he had already appeared to you. Who’s to say what a god has on his mind.”
“Good point. I’m sure he had a reason.”
“There is a lot here for you to learn, but I am not sure I will be here to teach you. My one quest is to find Sylvalora. If we can find her, then I will be at your disposal, but only if we find her and rescue her.”
“You’re going to have to help me with that; I know she chose me to find her, but I have no idea how to proceed.”
“I will help you as best I can. Sylvalora’s ways tend to reveal themselves when they need to. I am certain you will know what to do when the time comes, even without my help.” He put his hand on the tome. “Dorenn, there is something else I find perplexing. Of all the elders you have traveled with, Ianthill couldn’t read the tome because he is an elf and Fawlsbane Vex is the god of man. He would not impart his language to anyone not of the ancient Amar. The same goes for Sanmir of Darovan. Sheyna will be able to read it once I pass the ability on to her, but Morgoran, he is more of an ancient Amar than I am. He can surely read the tome. Why does he deny this?”
“Do you think he is another Drasmyd Duil infiltration?” Dorenn said.
“No, he is not. For one, the smell is not there to give him away. He wears nothing to mask it.”
“They solved that particular problem since the Drasmyd Duil of your time. They no longer have the odor. In fact, they are nearly perfect in every way to the original. They are extremely difficult to detect now.”
“Well then, how do you explain he has knowledge a Drasmyd Duil would not.”
“Again, they solved that issue, too. We need to find him. I may be able to tell with essence. I’ve done it before.” Dorenn picked up the tome and put it in his knapsack. “Do you remember where he was going?”
Veric thought for a moment. “He and Shey were going to eat breakfast at the Tiger’s Head Inn.”
Dorenn opened the door to the council chamber and almost ran headlong into Gondrial.
“Where are you headed in such a hurry?” Gondrial asked.
“To the Tiger’s Head Inn to see Morgoran.”
“No need, he and Shey are right behind me. We were coming to check on your progress. Did you find something urgent?” he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
“We found some interesting passages.” Dorenn calmed down and let Gondrial pass. “Please, come in and sit down.”
Gondrial took a seat at the council table. Morgoran and Lady Shey appeared in the hallway soon after.
Dorenn took a seat at the head of the table, and Veric sat immediately to his right. “Come in, Morgoran and Lady Shey,” Dorenn said.
Morgoran sat on Dorenn’s immediate left, and Lady Shey sat next to him. Gondrial moved to sit on the opposite end of Dorenn.
“Well?” Gondrial said. “What have you two discovered?”
Dorenn reached into his knapsack and pulled out the tome. He placed it in front of him on the table. He needed something to cause trauma to Morgoran. With every instance he encountered a Drasmyd Duil, they always reverted out of their mimicry when caused considerable pain. He fumbled in his knapsack, but he had nothing with him to inflict any kind of pain. He glanced to Veric’s right and noticed that the tunic he wore contained a few dragon spines in the stitching. He hurriedly reached for one, and before Veric could stop him, flung it into Morgoran’s hand. The wizard stood up, yowling in pain, knocking his chair back onto the floor, but he did not change form. He was indeed Morgoran.
“What in the name of the gods are you doing!” Morgoran pulled the dragon spine out of his hand.
Veric took the spine and examined it. “We need to get him to Sanmir’s shop immediately.” He scowled at Dorenn. “I wish you would have warned me what you were going to do. I might have been able to tell you the spines I wear on this tunic are newly poisoned! He took the full dose, which means he will be dead in minutes!” Veric took one of Morgoran’s arms and wrapped it around his shoulder. “Carry him. The less he moves, the slower the poison will work through his system.”
Gondrial complied and wrapped Morgoran’s other arm around his shoulder to carry him.
“At least you got him in the hand. That might buy us a few minutes,” Veric said.
Dorenn held the door open as they raced to get Morgoran to the apothecary shop. Dorenn wished Vesperin was near. He would know what to do. Sanmir could cure him as well, but he was also absent. Lady Shey gave him a contemptuous look when she passed him but said nothing.
Dorenn had been avoiding Seandara since his arrival in Brookhaven, but he couldn’t avoid her when she was standing in Sanmir’s shop with an archer of Endil. Gondrial and Veric put Morgoran on a cot Sanmir kept in an examination room.
Sanmir’s replacement, Jindara, instantly went to Morgoran’s side. “What is it?”
“Curichan,” Veric said. “I have the antidote, but it’s too far away to save him. Do you have any Huristan root?”
Jindara waved him off. “No need. It’s too late for antidotes.” She put her face very close to Morgoran’s.
It’s odd how simple things stand out in a crisis
, Dorenn thought. Jindara’s golden hair glistened in the sunlight coming through the window. Dorenn was not thinking about Morgoran; he was thinking about how soft Jindara’s hair might be. He glanced over at Seandara. Her jet black hair also glistened.
It is impossibly black
, he thought. Morgoran’s whole hand was glowing now. Jindara had whispered something to Morgoran, and the nature magic was working. A few moments later, Morgoran was screaming as the poison was passing through his skin and floating into the air, congregating in a small floating mass. Dorenn realized Jindara was singing a magic song, making the poison do her bidding. She captured it in a dram vial.
Dorenn took the vial of poison from Jindara and looked at it carefully. It was a thin, clear liquid that behaved a lot like plain water. Dorenn was astonished how much liquid the small dragon spine carried. He felt euphoric, as if Jindara’s spell somehow worked its magic on him as well. His brain said not to speak, but his mouth opened anyway. “Well, now we know Morgoran is definitely not a Drasmyd Duil. Who would like some cake? I think I saw one at the inn.” Dorenn heard the words leave his mouth, and he knew they were the absolute wrong words to say. He intended them to lighten the mood, but he knew as soon as he uttered them that they had the opposite effect.
Lady Shey turned to him with fire in her eyes. “What did you just say?”
“I would like some cake,” Gondrial said.
“Don’t get mad at me!” Dorenn said to Lady Shey. “I didn’t know they contained so much poison. Who wears poisoned clothing anyway?”
“Are you going through some kind of secondary essence sickness I have never heard of?” Lady Shey said. “I hope you are because I can’t imagine anyone being so callous.”
“Relax, Shey. Morgoran would have wanted to make sure just the same if the roles were reversed. Besides, Morgoran loves cake.”
“Shut up about the cake, Gondrial!” she spat. “Dorenn probably learned his ill manners from you.”
Veric moved between Lady Shey and Dorenn. “This is my fault. I caused all this. It was I who was suspicious of Morgoran.”
Lady Shey stared at him for a moment. “What are you saying, Father?”
“I put the doubt in Dorenn’s mind when I told him Morgoran should have been able to read the Tome of Enlightenment, and yet, he denied he could.” He bowed his head. “I did not know of what measures Dorenn would take or I would have stopped him.”
“He might not be a Drasmyd Duil, but he is something . . . unusual,” Jindara said. “His face is changing.”
Dorenn rushed to Morgoran’s side. His skin was turning from a pale man to a tanned, youthful face. “Rennon! Will he wake soon?” Dorenn asked Jindara.
“Soon enough. I can’t be sure when,” she answered.
Dorenn addressed Veric. “Now I remember Rennon on the wagon when we were traveling down into the valley. Strange, I never noticed he was gone. In fact, up until right now, I forgot he even existed!”
“I didn’t notice him missing either. He is not a shifter, is he?”
“No, Veric. He’s not.”
“It’s an illusion. Our minds are being manipulated by an unseen mindwielder,” Lady Shey said. “We have seen Rennon as Morgoran since By’temog.”
“That makes no sense. I saw them both at the same time.” Dorenn concentrated on Rennon in the bed, and he suddenly looked like Morgoran again. “That
is
Morgoran I poisoned there on the bed. Someone was trying to make us think he was Rennon. Where is Rennon?”
Slowly, Rennon appeared before Dorenn’s eyes, waving his hands and yelling. “I am here. I am right here in front of you. Can’t you see me? I am right in front of you. The whole village is under an illusion!”