‘But then … how did I end up at your chapel? How did you convince them to let me be your deacon?’
Sodar smiled. ‘It would be easy to say I used magic, but the truth is I was well informed, I was very persuasive, and I had a lot of luck.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The witwomen keep a tally of the infants they’ve stolen – they even keep a small book that describes the age of each infant, who stole it, and who its parents were. They mark each infant with a number, so they know which infants were taken from where. You had no such marking, though, and no entry, which caused a bit of an administrative stir – the witwomen are not supposed to make mistakes – and I chose that exact moment to intervene: I approached the headmaster and asked if one of the reap might be spared to be trained as a deacon.’
A half-smile crept onto Annev’s face. ‘They chose to give me to you because it was an easy way to fix their records.’
‘I’m sure that was part of it. Your reap was also quite large, and I think they liked the notion of not having to care for one more infant. I suspect Kiara or Tosan would have objected, but the death and disappearance of the two witwomen still had their attention. I had to convince Winsor, though, and that was difficult enough. We compromised and agreed your time would be split between training at the Academy and training at the chapel.’
‘That part I understand,’ Annev said. ‘But why did you choose to save me in the first place? You risked yourself for me, that day and every day since. Why – and why are strangers hunting for me?’
‘Do you remember when I first showed you this banner?’ He tapped the red cloth with the gold phoenix.
‘Yes. You said it belonged to a Halcyon Knight named Breathanas, and that I’m named after the phoenix on the banner.’
‘That’s all technically true, but I didn’t actually name you after the phoenix. Rather, the phoenix is your family name. The name of the line of Breathanas.’
Annev’s mouth dropped open. ‘I’m a descendant of Breathanas? The man with the lightning eyes in Tosan’s study?’
‘The Halcyon Knight who fought in the Battle of Vosgar, yes. The dalta who took up the Staff of Odar when Keos struck down the leader of the Halcyon Knights.’
‘Breathanas,’ Annev breathed, ‘the knight who killed Keos.’
‘The very same.’
Annev carefully picked up the crimson phoenix banner and re-examined the gold stitching. When he caught himself holding his breath, he let it out slowly.
‘This was his?’
Sodar nodded. ‘This is the banner that flew overhead when Breathanas slew the God of Earthblood, protected by magic from the ravages of time.’
Annev stared, astonished. ‘That would mean … this is more than two thousand years old.’
‘Closer to twenty-two hundred.’ The old priest smiled as Annev carefully folded it up and replaced the cloth on the table, eyes wide. ‘Annev, how old do you think I am?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. A hundred?’
Sodar laughed. ‘Do I look that old to you?’
‘Well, no. But I always thought you used magic to stay young. I can’t remember you ever looking different to how you do now … and I heard Arnor call you an ageless one. That sounded like more than just a title. Besides,’ Annev finished, ‘you don’t fight like an old man – and don’t tell me that’s down to hard work and prayer. You always say that, and I hate it.’
Sodar pulled the shortsword from its scabbard and ran his thumb along the dull edge of the blade. ‘It is more than a title. I knew Breathanas when he was just a squire, and Garlock – leader of the Darite armies – as well. I fought alongside both of them during the Siege of the Kuar.’
Annev snapped his mouth shut. ‘That’s impossible.’
‘Are you calling me a liar?’
‘No …’ Annev said, answering evasively. ‘But that would make you more than two thousand years old. Nobody lives that long.’ He paused. ‘Do they?’
‘Few have ever lived that long,’ Sodar corrected. ‘Aside from Bron Gloir, only the ageless ones—’
‘Bron Gloir?’ Annev interrupted. ‘He’s real … you know him?’
Sodar smiled. ‘Yes, and yes. It’s been over a century since we spoke, but he’s still alive. He’ll probably outlast us all.’
‘And Bron Gloir is an ageless one … like you.’
‘No, no,’ Sodar corrected. ‘Bron is the last Halcyon Knight. He survives … well, you know the stories. The Man with a Thousand Faces?’ Annev nodded and Sodar shrugged. ‘Well, that part of his tale is true. Whenever Bron dies, his soul enters the body of the nearest living person. They move on to the afterlife and Bron continues in their stead.’
Annev shook his head. First Sodar said he, Annev, was a descendant of Breathanas, then he claimed to be two thousand years old. Now this business with Bron Gloir. It was all too incredible. The priest had to be teasing him.
‘Sodar, if this is your idea of a joke—’
Sodar slapped Mercy on the table, his eyes fierce. ‘This is no joke, Annev de Breth. You insisted, no more secrets. Well, if you want to know my story – your story – then listen: the Battle of Vosgar was less than a month after Keos abandoned the Black Wall, broke the Siege of the Kuar, and crossed the river with his host.’ Sodar slid Mercy back into its scabbard and placed it on the table next to the axe. ‘I suppose that’s a good place to start.’
Chapter Forty-Four
Sodar leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands. ‘It was a dark day,’ he began, ‘when Cohanuk, the leader of the Sons of Keos, and Klaklanrai, the stone golem, ordered their armies to redirect the flow of the Kuar River.
‘The armies of Western Daroea had been camped on the edge of the river, holding the line against Keos, for a hundred years. But with the river redirected, their flanks were exposed and overcome by the rush of monsters flooding in from the north and south.
‘The vampyr Dortafola and Yarnach the iron golem led the battle in the south, while Keos and his flesh golem Fyoldar led the charge across the Kuar River. Terror swept the ranks of Churchmen as they fought man and monster alike. Through it all, the Halcyon Knights held their ground.’
Sodar sighed.