�Are you going to answer my question or are you just going to stand there and gawk all day?� She demanded of him, a little harshly she admitted to herself.

�I am Davion,� he said with a voice that sent Ardette into another fit of blushing, �and I have been sent by the Council at Ostandi to request your presence in Aerith at once, if possible.�

�Why, may I ask, does the Council request my presence?�

�You may ask, but I don�t know. The Council simply told me that they needed to speak with you. I didn�t ask why.�

�I see.� She looked again into his eyes and could tell that he was telling the truth, �Well, I suppose if the Council requests my presence, then I should go. Will you be my escort, or am I to make the trip alone?�

�I have been ordered to accompany you back to Aerith and to stay with you during your stay.�

�Very well, we will leave within the hour.� She then turned and walked into the tower. He followed her to the door, but stopped before he entered. She noticed this gesture of propriety. �You are polite to wait for an invitation. You may come in.�

�Thank you for inviting me into your home.� He entered and went directly to the grand hall. �I will wait here, while you prepare for the journey.�

�As you wish. I will be back within the hour.� She went to her room and grabbed her bag. Since she had been planning for her excursion, Ardette really didn�t need an hour, but she liked the idea of having this visitor wait for her. She took her time gathering the last of her things and soon was prepared to leave. She did, however, stop to take a bath and dress more suitably for the trip. She wore a simple robe in an emerald green hue. She felt that this robe would best point out the fact that she was an important person and that she was not to be reckoned with.

It was almost an hour later when she appeared in the grand hall. Davion looked across the table at the young mage, stood, and simply bowed in recognition of her attire.

�Shall we go, then?� Ardette asked the young emissary.

�We shall go now.� He answered with a simple smile. �Will you require a horse to ride?�

�No, I have my own.� She led Davion out to the courtyard where beautiful chestnut horse waited impatiently. �This is my friend, Elvenwing. She has been my companion since I was a little girl. I learned to ride on her and she has always been my dearest confidant.�

�She must be a very special horse to have lived so long and look so young,� Davion commented as he eyed the horse curiously.

�She is an Alduin horse. The Alduin bless their horses and share a common bond. That bond makes the horse live as long as its companion does. Elvenwing was bonded to me when I was two years old. She has stayed with me ever since. Let�s be on our way.�

Ardette strode over to Elvenwing and mounted the horse. Davion gave a shrill whistle and a few moments later a pure black stallion appeared. The stallion stopped in front of Davion and he swung up onto the horse with one smooth motion.

�This is my horse, Highwind. Though I�ve only known him for a few short weeks, he seems to be a good horse. Let�s be off.�

�We do have one stop to make in Wynlary. It will take but a minute.� She led the way out of the Tower. As they left, the wall surrounding the tower closed behind them, as if it knew that the master of the house would want it to do so. Ardette led Davion into Wynlary. The city was quite busy, with people crowding the marketplaces and rushing to this appointment or that business deal. Such was the life in Wynlary, or any trade city for that matter. Ardette stopped in front of a magic shop and spoke to Elvenwing a moment. Davion tied the reins of Highwind and waited for Elvenwing to bolt. Ardette walked away without even thinking of somehow fastening the horse to the post.

�Aren�t you going to secure Elvenwing? She could wander off, or she could be stolen.�

�No one could ride her or make her go where she doesn�t want to go. And as for wandering off, I�ve asked her not to run off and I know she won�t.�

�Very well, she�s your horse.� Ardette ignored that comment and entered the shop. She went up to the counter and rang the small gong to gain the attention of the shopkeeper. The burly, bald man who ran the shop was a very good friend of Ardette�s family and she knew that she could count on him to be discreet about her travels.

�Well, well, well,� The big man said with a big grin, �If it isn�t my dear friend Ardette. How are you, my young rabbit?�

�I�m fine, Ongwyn,� She answered with smile, �I�ve come for the supplies that I ordered for my excursion and five Dragon eyes, emerald if you have them.� She gave the Ongwyn four gold marks, which was twice the price that was agreed on. �That should cover the extra costs.�

�If you don�t mind my prying, I thought you weren�t going to go on your trip on account of your mother�s death,� he paused, �and the betrayal of Darienne.� �Don�t ever mention that name in my presence again, Ongwyn. Do you understand me? That traitor is dead to me and she will be to the world when I find her and get through with her.� The fury she felt had made her lash out at this dear man, who was like a father to her. �I�m sorry, Ongwyn, but I just can�t stand her.�

�That�s quite all right, but you didn�t answer my question.�

�I�ve decided to take my excursion. It is a tradition in the family, after all. But that�s why I need the ogre eyes. I�m going to use them to protect the tower.�

�All right, I will be right back.� Ongwyn disappeared into the back room.

�Are you all right?� Davion�s deep blue eyes were filled with concern.

�I�m fine. It�s just that these last few days have been rather stressful. You don�t have to worry about me.�

�As you wish, my Lady.�

After a few more minutes, Ongwyn returned. He was carrying two saddlebags and a large parcel that was glowing green.

�Here you are rabbit. This everything you ordered and the ogre eyes, too. Have fun on your trip and try to stay out of trouble.�

�I will, Ongwyn,� Ardette embraced the kindly, bald man. She then took the passages and headed out of the shop with Davion stately trailing behind her. She put the saddlebags by Elvenwing and walked purposefully into the middle of the road. She opened the parcel and laid each of the large gems onto the ground in a circle. She stood and concentrated her energies on the crystals. Before she could even utter a syllable of her spell, the green gems came alight with fire and formed a pentagram on the ground. It was as if the mere presence of Ardette�s psychic energy was enough to set things in motion. She pushed the astonishment out of her mind, though, and began to refocus her will. This was no time to contemplate the possible and impossible. She was ready.

�Dracetin Orgenus Vallarum Etin Racum,� she muttered slowly and deliberately, making sure that each word of pronounced exactly. No error could be permitted with this kind of spell. Again Ardette noticed a slight difference in her normal spell working. Normally she would simply feel the power of her spell work and see the results occur like everyone else. But this time, she not only felt her spell take effect, she saw it. She could see the spirits surrounding the gems and using the fire and magic inside them to create a shield around her home. If she wasn�t concentrating so hard on the spell she had woven, she would have contemplated this new difference.

The flame in the gems faded and died, while at the same time a greenish cast of light surrounded the Tower where she grew up. The shield would protect her home until she returned. Satisfied she turned and walked back to the horses and the curious Davion.

�Do you have a question?� She asked mildly.

�I didn�t know Dragon eyes spontaneously created that flame. I thought a spell was supposed to be cast.�

�A spell is supposed to be cast, but for some reason, I didn�t need to recite it. I suspect that I will have to discuss this with the Council when we get to Aerith. Something very strange is happening to my powers.�

�Perhaps they�re growing to the point where the spell doesn�t have to spoken to be cast,� he suggested.

�That can�t happen. Even the most powerful Priestess in the world can�t think their way through a spell. The Arts have to be unleashed with some kind of word or gesture. In the case of Witchcraft, that outlet is a spell.�

�I�d love to discuss this further, but we really should be going.�

�Very well,� Ardette mounted her horse and rode off without waiting for Davion to steady his mount. When he finally caught up with her, he seemed on the verge of complete rage, but then he looked off in the distance, his eyes becoming a blue-gray storm.

Ardette looked over to the open field and her heart sank. A large group of shadows were rising and taking warrior form. Darienne had not finished with her tricks.

�They are shadow-golems,� Ardette told him quickly. �Be very careful. One touch is instant death. The only way to fight them is with the Arts.�

�What do they want?� Davion said in a strangely calm voice

�Most likely to destroy me,� Ardette said ruefully.

�What makes you say that?�

�Those shadow-golems are Darienne�s handy-work. They reek of her aura. She probably is still trying to kill me, but she doesn�t want to risk a confrontation. Here they come.�

The golems ran awkwardly toward the pair. Ardette again summoned a spell without uttering a single word. Her psychic aura seemed to just call the spirits around her hand without the use of any spell. The spirits quickly formed a strong light around her arm and left. Ardette released her light arrow, which shot off into the group and pierced three of the golems. They disintegrated instantly.

�Light kills them,� Ardette shouted to Davion.

Before she could even think of another spell, Davion created a feather of light in his hand. He then casually threw it at the dark mob. The feather divided and multiplied into a storm of feathers. Each feather touched a golem and destroyed it.

�That was a feather fall, wasn�t it?� Ardette was astounded.

�Yes,� Davion said in the same calm voice. �It seemed appropriate for the situation. Do you think the golems will come back any time soon?�

�No, it will take Darienne time to regain her strength before she attempts another spell like that.�

�Good. It�s a good two weeks before we reach An Serid and I�d hate to have to fight those things at every turn. Shall we press on?�

That night, they set up camp and began cooking dinner. Davion seemed like he had wanted to say something all afternoon, but didn�t know how to start. Ardette was beginning to lose her patience, mainly because the attack had made her tired and she wanted terribly to sleep, but she knew that his constant nervousness would not allow her any rest. Finally she decided just to speak up. �Will you just ask what you want to ask? I won�t be offended if it comes out wrong, but I will be if you keep gnawing on it like a puppy with a new bone.�

�I just didn�t know that witchcraft could create such creatures like the shadow-golems.�

�It wasn�t exactly witchcraft. It was a blending of the Natural Arts and a form of the Spirit Arts. In the second to last year of a Priestess�s training, she learns to blend the Arts together to create stronger, more potent spells, such as golems. Golems are rather basic, but very powerful. One can use any element around, including one�s own shadow, though that tends to have a slight drawback. The shadow holds the essence of a person and to use it is to lose a great deal of strength until it returns. Plus, if the golem is destroyed, the owner of the shadow is hurt greatly. I�m sure Darienne isn�t stupid enough to risk her own neck by using her shadow. She probably had to kill a few trees for the golems she needed, but she doesn�t care anymore.�

�You said a Priestess needed a form of the Spirit Arts, but what form besides witchcraft would be powerful enough to use?�

�Witchcraft is the easiest, since the spirits tend to be more tractable, but Necromancy and Divination could work just as well. A Necromantic golem is infused with a ghost and therefore can give that ghost a second chance to finish something they need to do. Divination infuses the golem with an Elemental so that the golem can find something that has been lost and show the Priestess the exact location. Each type of golem has strengths that make it useful and weaknesses that inhibit it, this makes them only as useful as the Priestess who creates them. Her judgment on how to create a golem, gives that golem whatever it needs. Anyway, dinner is ready so just go over there and eat, while I tend to some dishes.�

When dinner was finished, Davion took out a map and began to calculate the distances.

�It�s going to be close, but we should be able to make it to Aerith in a little less than four weeks. That�s two weeks to An Serid, another week to reach An Ardal, two days to reach Ostandi and finally another day�s ride to Aerith,� Davion seemed quite concerned about the time.

�If you�re so worried about getting to Aerith on time, then why didn�t you suggest that we fly there instead of riding?� Ardette stated pointedly.

�What are you talking about?�

�You mean you haven�t figured it out already. I�m a Priestess and I�m well-trained. I have studied the Draconic Arts well enough to know that a feather fall isn�t human. It does explain your aura, as well.�

She noticed that his eyes flinched inward as if he were ashamed of something that had happened a long time ago. She hated herself for mentioning it. Before he could answer, Ardette yawned, a little theatrically, �Well, it looks like tomorrow is going to be another hard day, so I suggest we get some sleep. Good night, Davion,� she stood up and walked to her tent.

�Good night, my Lady,� he lay down and went to sleep, guarding Ardette�s tent out of duty, and maybe more.


Back