Taking a deep breath to calm his body and spirit, Jhond closed his eyes and, drawing on the power at the center of his being, reached out. Immediately, he sensed Ninian's talent being opened up for his use, and, swirling their power together with the magic of the sigils, he sought any other magistry in the vicinity. All at once, he felt the talent of Remelin, sensing just how much raw power she possessed. He understood now Ninian's surprise when he finally met her, for Ninian had never given the impression her talent was that strong until they met. Yet, still Jhond felt something more. Something that somehow felt out of reach.
Sending a message to Ninian's mind through their merged power, Jhond warned him he was aware of something untoward and to be prepared.
::Ready and waiting,::
Ninian sent straight back.
Jhond pushed his power out beyond the confines of the cellar they were in. It was obvious the room had been dug out of the mountain on which the nunnery had been built. He felt a distinct difference between the manmade structure and the natural rock, and he found himself relaxing as he searched through the majesty of nature. Then, almost like colliding into a solid surface, he was stopped in his tracks.
He felt it instantly, of course, but he couldn't understand why he'd had no prior warning. How could he be completely unaware of such a force, such an entity? Such...evil? For there was no doubt that, whatever this thing was, its energy was purely negative. Jhond had only ever experienced a high level of negative energy once before and that had been in a man, the mage Suvran, and even he had not been possessed of purely negative energy. All living creatures possessed a mixture of positive and negative, but in Suvran's case, the negative talent had far outweighed the positive. But this...being had no positive energy at all.
Before he could really react, something slammed into him and Ninian yelled,
::Lords!::
Jhond was annoyed at his own distraction and shocked by the power of the attack. He immediately strengthened his defenses, creating a shield completely surrounding him and the cellar. At the same time, he sent a bolt of energy at whatever was attacking him. In response, he
felt
the entity roar with anger, together with a thrust of immense power at his shield, which thankfully held.
::Retreat!::
Ninian cried in his mind, and Jhond knew his friend was correct. They needed to regroup and try to discover what exactly was hiding in this mountain. He immediately began to withdraw, pulling his shield back with him until he passed beyond the wall and back into the cellar. Once there, he pulled back into his body in the center of the circle, leaving his shield in place around the cellar.
When he opened his eyes, it was to find Remelin collapsed in front of him, and though he ought to have expected such a reaction from an untrained mage, he was concerned for her. Ninian was sitting rigid in his place between the two circles, though he relaxed when he saw Jhond was back.
Ninian was about to speak, but Jhond raised a hand to forestall him. Briskly, he spoke the words to extend his shield to encompass the whole ruined nunnery before allowing himself to gasp in deep breaths of air.
"Well, I gather you found whatever it is," Ninian commented.
"Yes." Jhond leaned forward to check on the young woman.
"I think she just fainted, overcome by the power of that thing," Ninian said.
"Yes, she's coming to now," Jhond confirmed, as a low moan came from Remelin, an unexpected relief washing through him that she was all right.
"Is it safe to end the protection spell?" Ninian queried, bringing Jhond's thoughts back to the problem at hand.
"Yes. I've encircled the entire building with a shield. Now it's time for more questions and lots of research. The first one being what in all the hells
was
that?"
Ninian quickly dismissed the protection spell and stepped into the center to kneel by Remelin, who was now looking around with total confusion.
"What...what?" She met Ninian's gaze and relaxed. Jhond offered her his water flask, and she took a gulp. She frowned at Ninian and said, "I thought you had to stay between the circles?"
"When the spell is in force I do, but I've withdrawn it now. What do you remember?"
She glanced at Jhond and then back at Ninian. "Not much. It's all a bit hazy. Jhond cast his spell, and I discerned his touch." Her eyes widened. "I felt him in my mind. It was odd, but I wasn't afraid. I was aware of you, too, Ninian, but faintly. Then it was as if I was being carried along, but I couldn't move or anything. Suddenly, a sharp pain and blackness."
"A sharp pain, you say. Did you feel any pain, Ninian?"
"No, nothing. Just the...barrier and a sense of immense power." Ninian stared at him, and Jhond saw his uncertainty. "I'm not sure, but I sensed only negative talent. And anger, terrible anger."
"You're correct," Jhond told him.
Remelin frowned. "I don't understand."
Jhond gripped her chin, pushing down his concern for the young woman and drawing on his apprehension for whatever it was they were facing. He turned her to face him, his gaze holding hers. "You're certain there's nothing you're keeping from us?"
"I...I don't understand. I've told you everything I know."
Jhond continued to stare deeply into her eyes, but he sensed no deception from her and was filled with relief. He relaxed and released her, surprised at his own reaction. What was wrong with him?
To Ninian, he said, "We need to study these books she found." He stepped to the opening in the wall and removed the nun's journal, feeling Remelin's eyes on him as he did so. He schooled his features to hide the strange feeling that overwhelmed him as he touched the nun's journal.
"Go back upstairs. I'll remove the circles and follow you," Ninian said.
"Remove the circles?" Remelin said curiously.
Jhond took hold of Remelin's forearm and led her to the steps. She glanced back over her shoulder to watch as Ninian began his spell to clear the room of the signs of magistry.
* * * *
When Ninian arrived in the library, Jhond was already sitting in the chair behind the desk, watching as Remelin bent over to retrieve the book from the bottom drawer. The nun's journal had been placed on the opposite side of the desk, and Jhond glanced up at Ninian, raised an eyebrow and then looked at the journal. He didn't say anything, but Ninian understood all the same. Just then, Remelin put the history book in front of Jhond.
"I'll arrange another couple of chairs," Ninian said, but neither of them responded as Jhond turned over the first page, Remelin leaning over his shoulder.
It took but a moment for Ninian to recite the spell bringing two chairs into existence, and he pushed one closer to Remelin, encouraging her to sit. She glanced up at him with an unconscious smile, and Ninian had to admit she really was a pretty girl underneath all her anger and self-pity. Not that he truly blamed her for either attitude. She'd not had an easy life, and someone with her inherent power should have had a considerate person to teach her, instead of being forced to move through her life as if her feet were stuck in mud. Ninian smiled at the thought that she was no longer alone and couldn't have better teachers.
Ninian pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the desk to Jhond. While Jhond learned about the history of the nunnery, Ninian could investigate this little journal from the cellar. He picked up the nun's journal--Ninian froze as the sensation slid through him, glancing up at Jhond, who raised his head to meet Ninian's gaze. Ninian sucked in a breath, but nodded he was in control, and Jhond returned his attention to his book. Ninian then found himself gazing at Remelin's confused visage. Noticing his disquiet, she opened her mouth as if to speak, but Ninian just shook his head. She closed her mouth again, looking no less confused, but returned her attention to Jhond and the history book.
Ninian doubted he could have explained the strange sensation to her anyway. He'd never felt anything quite like it. He'd been aware at the moment of contact that there was something very wrong about the journal. It was reminiscent of the feeling he'd had whenever he'd been in the vicinity of the evil mage, Suvran, but this was different. In one way, it was stronger, while at the same time it felt more distant, separate almost, which didn't make sense. He put the question to one side for now. Perhaps the journal would provide the answer, or at least point them in the right direction.
Ninian opened it and began to read.
* * * *
Jhond closed the book of the nunnery's history, surprised to see how much time had passed since they'd begun to read. He saw an old battered candelabrum had been set up on the corner of the desk, the four candles already half burned down. He glanced at Ninian, but saw his friend was still absorbed in the journal.
He'd almost forgotten about Remelin's presence until she stepped into view. "I didn't want to interrupt either of you; both of you were so...involved with your reading. I've always kept this close by," she said, indicating the candelabrum, "and thought it would be of use now."
"Most helpful, thank you."
Ninian looked up. "Oh, you've finished."
"I expected you to finish first. The journal appears much shorter."
"Perhaps, but looks can be deceiving," Ninian replied with a smile. "Sister Eurebia begins simply enough, but as time passes, her writing becomes much smaller and more secretive, both in nature and in language. She writes in three different ones. It's lucky I'm well travelled, so I was able to understand all three. Toward the end there are comments--and spells--in the ancient magi tongue. Give me another ten minutes and I should finish."
"When Ninian has finished with the journal, we'll discuss what we've both learned." He frowned. "I know you were reading over my shoulder for a while, but I'm not sure--"
"It wasn't easy to read it from where I was sitting." She shrugged. "I didn't get past the first chapter, though I already knew most of that part."
"No matter. I have to explain it to Ninian anyway."
Ninian closed the journal then and looked up at Jhond. The look in his eyes told Jhond enough that, as he'd expected, he had been correct to be concerned.
"I think some refreshment would be welcome just now," Ninian said, causing a tray of food and drink to appear in the center of the desk.
"I wish I had your ability," Remelin said, as she took her seat. "I wouldn't have had to go without so often."
"You have the ability were it trained," Jhond commented.
Remelin looked very pleased to hear that.
"But even I have to spell the Judral stone to make it work," Ninian added.
"Can I?" She paused, staring at Ninian intently. "Can I have a look at the stone? What did you call it? Judral?"
Ninian smiled at her and nodded. "It's named for the first mage who created one. I'd never be without it." He slipped a hand into his pocket and took out the stone. As he passed it over to her, he glanced at Jhond, who watched her just as closely as she picked it up.
"Oh, it feels warm," she said, turning the stone over in her hands. "I hadn't expected that."
"Do you feel anything else?" Jhond asked.
She looked confused for a moment. "Yes, I can, though I'm not sure what." Then her face cleared. "I think it likes me." She glanced up then, looking shocked. "How can I say that? It's a chunk of rock."
"Before I became the Eynan, I could sense nothing at all from the Judral stone, not even warmth," Jhond admitted.
"I felt its warmth and its welcome from the moment I picked it up," Ninian said. "Each mage's talent and area of expertise varies. You--and we--will learn more about that."
Remelin's expression was a mixture of excitement and puzzlement.
Very appropriate, Jhond thought. But now, it's time for other things.
Jhond leaned back in his seat. "If you're ready," he began, his gaze taking in both of them, "I'll give you a précis of the nunnery's history."
Remelin passed the Judral stone back to Ninian, who quickly stowed it away, and then nodded their readiness to Jhond.
"The story begins about eight hundred years ago. It starts simply enough, rather dry in its description of the formation of the nunnery fifty or so years after the wife of the local landowner, on whose land the village of Lumera was built, arrived. She told them she had been sent a message in her dreams instructing her to create a shrine in Quiera's name. In her dream, Lady Emeldis Thail had seen a cavern inside the mountain above Lumera where a river split either side of a slab of stone."
"Thail?" Ninian queried. "Perhaps there is an answer in all of this somewhere."
Jhond inclined his head, but otherwise didn't respond to the comment. Remelin looked from one to other, puzzled.
Jhond continued, "She was to build an altar on that island of stone surrounded by the water of life. The river emerged from the mountain as a waterfall that irrigated the land below before it joined the sea. With support from her husband's coffers and help from the villagers, Lady Emeldis built the shrine, with a bridge across the river to the altar, where she placed a golden statue of the goddess.
"Gradually, word of the shrine spread, and people visited in increasing numbers. Eventually, a nunnery was built, quite a small one at first, paid for by Lady Emeldis' daughter, who became its first mother superior. As the years passed and word of Quiera's beneficence spread farther afield, followers flocked to worship and entreat the goddess for good luck and success by praying for beneficial dreams for their family and friends. Of course, not all prayers were answered, but enough that people came in hope they would be one of the lucky ones. In time, the village became a small town to cater to the visitors as the once little known goddess became the new fashion, particularly at the two high holidays for Quiera each year."
"Two high holidays?" Ninian queried.
"The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, is Quiera's most important day of celebration. The second one is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year; the day when Quiera came into being. She was drawn from the body of the Enumbra, the goddess of darkness and light. The legend says Enumbra decided that mankind needed some respite from the darkness and sent part of her light to the world through Quiera in the aspect of dreams."