Aaron looked up and smiled. “It’s all here, Lorik. Everything, everything that has happened has a purpose, a reason. I understand who I am.”
Lorik placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “We must be going. It’s not safe to remain in this hall.”
Aaron looked up at his friend, tears welling as he considered all that had transpired in recovering the Book of Aleth. Around him the golden hall of the ancient dwarf kingdom was eerily quiet. Only the sound of his three companions broke the silence.
Then Aaron remembered Rayn.
He rushed to the fallen young man. Lying on the floor, blood pooling around his body, Rayn’s life was fading. His short, shallow breaths came in desperate gasps as the unconscious soldier clung to the last remnant of life. Aaron knelt over Rayn’s body.
“What are you doing?” Mari asked with uncertainty.
“Trust me,” Aaron replied. “There is something I can do.” Aaron reached down and placed his hands over the wound in Rayn’s chest. With his eyes closed, Aaron began to speak, his tone low and imperceptible to the other three.
Suddenly Rayn gasped for air like a man coming up from out of a great depth. Aaron removed his hands from the young soldier’s chest and, though the stain of blood showed on his uniform, no wound, not even a scar, remained. His eyes fluttered then opened. Lorik’s stared in disbelief, and Braden simply stood with his mouth hanging open.
“Captain!” Mari exclaimed, stammering with her words. “How…why…how do you have the power to heal?” She paused in thought. “It was said the Great King had given the protector of Celedon such power.”
Aaron smiled.
Rayn, still lying on his back, reached for his chest and felt the place where he’d been impaled. His astonishment was undeniable. No wound, no pain, only a tear in his jerkin to remind him of the mortal blow that cast him to the ground. Rayn’s eyes were wide with fear. Aaron extended his hand to help the young soldier to his feet.
“Get away from me!” Rayn shouted. He brushed Aaron’s hand away. The former private, with great effort, slowly tried to stand, trembling with the effort.
“Don’t be a fool,” Lorik said. “The captain just saved your life!”
“I don’t care what sorcery he used to bring me back. He’s a traitor, and I despise everything about him.” Rayn flared with anger and hatred as he struggled to stand. He glared at the startled group, especially at Aaron.
“It wasn’t sorcery,” Aaron commented as he held up the Book of Aleth. “I simply called upon the power of the Great King to heal you. And for your sake I am very glad He did.”
“Don’t mention that to me! I want nothing to do with it. You once told me it was no more than myth and fairytales.”
“I was wrong.” Aaron said, almost apologetically. “I didn’t know about any of this, it was not knowledge allowed in the empire—and from the emperor’s point of view I can understand why. This…this book speaks the truth!”
Rayn looked around the hall where gremellaks and trolls lay about the room, dead where they fell. “Well you have your precious book! Now let me go or strike me down and finish it once and for all!” Rayn stood straight, staring at Aaron with defiance.
“I’m not going to kill you, but neither will I let you harm my friends.” Aaron held up the sword which still radiated its pale green light from the gem. Mari, Lorik, and Braden each stepped into the encircling radiance with weapons drawn, ready to support their captain. Rayn reached down and retrieved his sword from where it lay then sheathed it at his side.
He stared at Aaron a moment before he spoke up. “You think you’ve won, but you have no idea the power that resides with the emperor. You will not overcome him. I will make sure that he hears of this, and of your plans to overthrow his empire.” Rayn began walking toward the southern passage which disappeared in the shadows of the ancient catacombs. “I promise you this,
Captain—
” His words dripped with anger. “—I will have my day, and on that day you will die.”
Aaron looked at Rayn with a stern determination. “You tell your emperor that the truth is again alive in Celedon. His time is short for his days of deception are at an end. And one more thing,” Aaron said. “You tell Therion this: the captain of the King, the Protector of Celedon has returned.”
Rayn’s eyes widened with fear as he rushed out of the hall and disappeared.
Aaron turned back to his three companions. Each one gave him looks of renewed admiration.
“Well,” Braden quipped, “I’m glad it’s over.”
“I think,” Lorik said, “that our work has actually just begun.”
Aaron smiled. “My friend, you are absolutely right.”
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