Esrahaddon chuckled, “It doesn’t make any sense. Religion never does. Anyway, have you heard the tale of how Erebus raped his daughter Muriel?”
“More or less.”
“How his sons banded together and killed him for it?”
Hadrian nodded.
“Well, the Cult of Tur, or Kile as it is also known, insists that a god is immortal and cannot die. This strange group of people appeared during the imperial reign of Estermon II and began circulating this story that Erebus had been drunk, or whatever equivalent there is to a god, when he raped his daughter, and was ashamed. Erebus, the story goes, allowed his children—the gods—to believe they had killed him. Then Erebus came to Muriel and begged her forgiveness. She told her father that she would only forgive him if he were to do penance for his crime. The penance she set for him was to do good deeds throughout Elan, but to do them as a commoner, not as a god or even a king. For each act of sacrifice and kindness that she approved of, she would grant him a feather from her marvelous robe, and when her robe was gone then she would forgive him and welcome him home.
“The Kile legend says that ages ago a stranger came to a poor village called Tur. No one knows where it was, of course, and over the centuries its location has changed in response to various claims, but the most common legend places it in Delgos because it was being regularly attacked by the Dacca and, of course, because of the similarity in names to the port city of Tur Del Fur. The story goes that this stranger called himself Kile, and entering into Tur and seeing the terrible plight of the desperate villagers, taught them the art of weapon making to help in their defense. The weapons he taught them to make were reputed to be the greatest in the world, capable of cleaving through solid iron as if it were soft wood. Their shields and armor were light and yet stronger than stone. After he taught them the craft, they used it to defend their homes. After driving off the Dacca, legend says there was a thunderclap on a cloudless day and from the heavens, a single white feather fell into Kile’s hands. He wept at the gift and bid them all farewell, never to be seen again. At least not by the residents of Tur. Throughout the various reigns of different emperors there always seemed to be at least one or two stories of Kile appearing here and there doing good deeds and obtaining his feather. The legend of the village of Tur stood out beyond all others because the poor village of Tur was now famous for its great weaponry.”
“I’ll have to agree with the wizard then. I’ve never heard of a town making anything that fits that description,” Hadrian said.
“There’s more. Supposedly, the village was inundated with requests for arms. The Turists didn’t feel it was right to make weapons for just anyone, so they only made a few, and only for those who had a just and good need. Powerful kings, however, decided to take the god given craft secrets for themselves and prepared to battle for control of the village. On the day of the battle, however, the armies marched in to discover the village of Tur—all its inhabitants and buildings—were gone. Not a trace was left of their existence except for a single white feather that came from no known bird.”
“Any dwarf in Elan would give his beard for the secrets of Tur, or even the chance to study a Tur blade.”
“And you think Alverstone is a Tur blade?” Hadrian asked.
“What did you call it?” Magnus asked his beady eyes abruptly focusing on the fighter.
“Alverstone, that’s what Royce calls his dagger,” Hadrian explained.
“Don’t encourage him,” Royce said, his eyes fixed on the tower.
“Where did he get this, Alverstone?” the dwarf asked, lowering his voice.
“It was a gift from a friend,” Hadrian said, “right?”
“Who? And where did the friend get it from?” the dwarf persisted.
“You are aware I can hear you?” Royce told them, then seeing something, he pointed toward Avempartha. “There, look.”
They all scrambled up to peer at the outline of the fading tower. The sun was down now and night was upon them. Like great mirrors, the river and the tower captured the starlight and the luminous moon. The mist from the falls appeared as an eerie white fog skirting the base. Near the top of the spires, a dark shape spread its wings and flew down along the course of the river. It wheeled and circled back over the falls, catching air currents and rising higher until, with a flap of its massive wings, the beast headed out over the trees above the forest, flying toward Dahlgren.
“That’s its lair?” Hadrian asked incredulously. “It lives in the tower?”
“Convenient isn’t it,” Royce remarked, “that the beast resides at the same place as the one weapon that can kill it.”
“Convenient for whom?”
“I guess that remains to be seen,” Esrahaddon said.
Royce turned to the dwarf. “Alright my little mason, shall we head to the tunnel? It’s in the river, isn’t it? Somewhere underwater?”
Magnus looked at him surprised.
“I am only guessing, but from the look on your face I must be right. It’s the only place I haven’t looked. Now in return for your life, you will show us exactly where.”
———
Arista stood with the Pickerings on the south stockade wall watching the sunset over the gate. The wall provided the best view of both the courtyard and the hillside beyond, while keeping them above the turmoil. Below, knights busied themselves dressing in armor; archers strung their bows, horses decorated in caparisons shifted uneasily, and priests prayed to Novron for wisdom. The contest was about to commence. Beyond the wall the village of Dahlgren remained silent. Not a candle was visible. Nothing moved.
Another scuffle broke out near the gate where the list of combatants hung on the hitching post. Arista could see several men pushing and swinging, rising dust.
“Who is it this time?” Mauvin asked. The elder Pickering leaned back against the log wall. He was in a simple loose tunic and a pair of soft shoes today. This was the Mauvin she most remembered, the carefree boy who challenged her to stick duels back when she stood a foot taller and could overpower him, in the days when she had a mother and father and her greatest challenge was making Lenare jealous.
“I can’t tell,” Fanen replied, peering down, “I think one is Sir Erlic.”
“Why are they fighting?” Arista asked.
“Everyone wants a higher place on the list,” Mauvin replied.