The Marenon Chronicles Collection

Chapter Twenty





Julian Hobbes, Nalani Geldwin and Garland Ainsley had been waiting at the meeting point for more than an hour before the first words of doubt came to any of their lips.

“Perhaps they were caught,” Nalani said trying to read Julian’s stone face.

“If they were, they will be killed tonight; if they haven’t been killed already,” Garland answered.

The thick forest of surrounding trees provided enough cover to remain inconspicuous, but he hoped that its dense foliage had not caused the other party to lose their way in the thick branches and the dark night. Julian had not spoken the entire time. He waited and decided to plan nothing more until the group arrived safely with the medallion.

“Are you sure of the meeting time?” Nalani asked, much to his annoyance.

It was a futile question and something Nalani should have known not to ask. Julian would not have mistaken the time. What it came down to was they had either taken the down payment and run, which would cost them their lives, or they had been killed in the attempt to obtain the medallion. Of course, they could have just run into complications and were running late. In any case, Julian was prepared to camp for the entire night and wait.

He sat with his head against the trunk of a tree while Eden rested her giant beaked head next to him. He had felt uneasy about being accompanied by anyone on this part of his journey, especially Nalani. He knew she could take care of herself, but it was a worry all the same. He also wasn’t quite sure if he trusted Garland Ainsley. The man had conveniently shown up in a critical time for The Reckoning, and yet Julian could not help but feel that it was entirely inconvenient.

Julian knew that this man had created The Reckoning. He also knew that Garland Ainsley had been one of the most feared enemies of the Stühocs. There was no way that he was in league with Ward Holden. At least Julian was fairly certain of it. There was also no way Julian trusted the man enough to tell him about what he had seen and heard from Holden’s meeting with Maroke and Spencer, even if that meant the old man wouldn’t know his grandson had been killed on Earth and was probably somewhere in Marenon.

Julian and Nalani were the only ones that knew of the evil plot within the Dunarians. This included knowledge of Kaden Osric’s imprisonment, Silas Ainsley’s presence in Marenon, and a secret union with Humans and the Stühocs. This secret had to be kept because Julian had no idea who else may be working with Ward Holden. He hoped that the others were as oblivious to Holden’s plot as he had been only a day before.

If there are others on the council working with Holden, Julian thought, then there’ll be a lot of mopping up to do.

His thoughts drifted to his brother. His death had been Julian’s fault. He let it happen. He knew that Holden would discover Julian’s involvement, but he would have to pretend ignorance as not to give himself away. Secrecy abounded and it was beginning to fatigue Julian.

I’ve uncovered their plot, now I just need a way to sabotage their plans.

He watched Garland from the short distance. The older man had been through a lot recently. He had just died a few days ago and was now trying to help finish a mission he had started seventeen years before. Julian did feel sorry for the man. He knew what death was like, and he knew about the transformation from life to death to life again. Garland had experienced it more than once somehow, and the thought baffled Julian. But they were all in the same boat. He just hoped Garland Ainsley wasn’t on the mutinous side of the boat.

Julian’s thoughts of him brought about a curiosity that he could not suppress.

“I suppose it’s no surprise that the famed Barton Teague made it through the gauntlet fairly easily,” Julian said. “I suppose you weren’t expecting such brutality upon entering Marenon for a second time.”

Garland waited a moment, seemingly reflecting on the past few days.

“Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to escape the wrath of the king’s gauntlet,” he said somberly.

“How did you manage that?”

Garland smiled, but it was not a smile of haughtiness or pride, but of thankfulness, it seemed. “All this has been planned from the beginning,” he said. “The Gatekeeper never breaks his promises.”

Julian was about to inquire further when a faint rustling in the distance interrupted them.

He and the other two instantly grabbed for their weapons at the same moment. The sarians simultaneously lifted their large heads in search of the source of the noise.

“Who’s there?” Julian shouted.

“I’ve got your stinking medallion,” came the voice of Alric Thirsk.

*****

Silas Ainsley shuffled behind the rest of the group. In front of him Lorcan still supported Inga by the waist as the other two led the way. The group had been walking at a quick pace for more than an hour before the silence was broken by a shout from a man hidden behind the trees beyond them. All of them stopped walking abruptly when Alric yelled his reply. He then turned to the group to give his orders.

“Lorcan, I want you and Coffman to come with me and make sure we get the money he owes us for this job,” he said. “Silas do you mind staying back with Inga?”

“I’m alright,” Inga said. “I can handle myself.”

“I know you can,” Alric replied. “So you can be our surprise reinforcement if this guy doesn’t hold up his end, alright?”

Inga nodded dejectedly and slumped down with her back against the tree. Silas was more than willing to stay with her. The other three made their way to the group waiting for them. Their voices could be heard, but only slightly.

Silas wasn’t sure if sitting next to Inga at such a small tree would be welcome, but the look in her eyes made him confident that it would be fine.

“I know you don’t need me to be your bodyguard,” Silas said. “He just doesn’t want me in the picture at all, I don’t think.”

Inga smiled. “Alric’s embarrassed by you.”

“Embarrassed?”

She nodded. “In the planning of this mission you were never more than a stick figure used to help us draw up a strategy. Leaving you as a scapegoat was the perfect plan for getting the rest of us out of there alive. But when that stick figure showed up at our door it was hard for the rest of us to accept the arrangement.”

“But not Alric,” Silas said.

“You have to understand Alric,” Inga explained. “There are a precious few he cares about in this world. For the most part he figures people have already had their chance to live in their first life. Their second chance isn’t his problem, except for those that he is close to.” She sat contently in thought for a moment. “Alric would take an arrow to the heart for someone he cared about.”

“I’m just glad it’s over.”

They both sat in silence for a moment. The voices from the meeting carried on just ahead of them, out of sight. Silas didn’t know what kind of conversation they could be having. They just needed to get paid and go, right? But the medallion was not what concerned Silas at the moment.

“So what about you?” Silas asked. “How did you die?”

Inga shifted slightly, acknowledging that the subject was uncomfortable.

“You know, that’s a really intimate thing to ask,” she said. “A lot of people might find that question offensive.”

“I’m sorry,” Silas said. “I didn’t think about it, really.”

“I came into Marenon when I was six years old,” she said. “Back then there was no gauntlet to keep people from coming in; we came through to the top of the mountain, just as everyone else does, though. Others, who were new like me, helped me. I came through into Canor, and there a man found me. He was a Sorcerer. Sorcerers are rare, you know. But he took me in and took care of me. He told me that I had a natural ability for the use of magic. His name was Silandrin.

“He trained me and taught me for eleven years and I was becoming experienced and skilled. Then, three years ago, he said he had an important quest to make.” Inga took a deep breath. Silas could tell this was a painful subject. “Then he left. He told me that he couldn’t take me with him and that he had to do it alone. He was gone.”

“What did he go to find?” Silas asked sincerely.

“All he said was that it was something that would change the tides for the future of Marenon. It seemed completely random and he never said any more than that. I waited for months, but he never came back. I tried to search for him, but he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he just disappeared.”

“That’s rough,” Silas said after a moment.

“I was only a year or two from becoming a fully trained Sorceress. When I gave up hope of finding him I started looking for work. That’s how I came upon Alric and the others. They’ve been my family ever since.”

Silas nodded, lost in thought, wondering what it was like for her to spend so long here while he had only been here a few days. It then occurred to him that she never answered the question he originally asked.

“So, how did you die?”

She turned her head and looked at him with her dark green stare, gripping his attention. “I told you,” she said with a slight grin, “that’s a very intimate question. We will have to spend more time getting to know each other before you learn that piece of information.”

“I see,” he said, looking down at his feet, feeling awkward. “Do you think you’ll try to look for him again?”

After a long pause, Inga answered. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think so. We had a connection, a bond that only a teacher and apprentice of sorcery can have. There are times when I can feel him near me. It’s almost as if I’m standing there next to him. I think it means that at some point he had crossed the same path as I. But I don’t know for sure. In those moments it feels like I’m in the presence of my teacher even though I do not see him.”

“When was the last time that happened?”

“Only a month ago,” she said. “We were on a job in Berato when I felt it. I started to get visions and feelings. I can’t explain it. But since we were working, I didn’t have the chance to explore where the feelings led.”

“Must be frustrating.”

“It is.”

The two of them sat in silence a bit longer. Silas turned his head slightly, straining to hear what was taking the others so long in their discussion. He could hear Alric saying something about the staff of Uriah and that it was none of their business that he had stolen it too. But then there was another voice, one that sounded distinctly familiar.

“All we’re saying is that by stealing the staff, you’re stirring up more trouble for us in the future,” the voice said.

The voice was faint, yet Silas was sure he knew whose it was.

But… Impossible!

He stood from where he sat and looked toward the group ahead. Coffman covered most of the area, blocking Silas’ view of the others.

“What’s going on?” Inga asked.

“Something,” Silas said mindlessly as he walked toward the group.

“What are you doing?” Inga called out, but her cry was ignored.

Silas took each step as if he were walking on glass, partly to remain unheard, but also out of nervousness. When he had made it almost half way, Alric glanced behind and saw him.

“Go back,” he mouthed, but Silas ignored him too. This caused Lorcan and Coffman to turn, and when they did, Silas could see the others that they were talking to. There was a younger man, a few years older than Silas, a beautiful red headed woman next to him, and then… Silas’ heart nearly stopped. Standing there looking him in the eyes was the man that he thought would be impossible to find. It was his grandfather.

“Grandpa?” Silas said.

For a moment Garland stood there with a shocked stare, his lips began to quiver. “Silas!”

“Grandpa!” Silas yelled as he ran to embrace the man that had died in his arms only days before.

“Oh my goodness, boy!” Garland said during their embrace. “What are you doing here? Let me look at you!” He held Silas out at arms’ length studying him from head to toe. “You seem to be in good health, considering.” Garland’s expression became serious. “So, they got to you. Was it Marcus or Theron?”

“Kaden killed me because Maroke caught up to us,” Silas answered.

Garland said nothing for a moment seemingly lost in thought. “Then what happened to Kaden?” he asked finally.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think he was taken. He wasn’t killed that I know of.”

“Oh my,” Garland said thoughtfully. “This is serious indeed. That would mean Maroke has the blue medallion and Kaden’s their prisoner.”

Julian held his tongue on this issue. This was not the time to let Garland know about what he had seen in Farlaweer.

“Excuse me,” Alric said. “You want to let us in on your little party here?”

They were interrupted by Inga who came running from where she sat.

“Sorry to break in,” she said, “but our hunting party is catching up with us I think.”

Alric went white. “Really could have used those horses,” he said giving Lorcan a long look.

“Forget it,” Garland said. “You can fly with us.”

Julian gave Garland a stern glare. “They aren’t coming with us,” he said.

“Of course they are,” he retorted. “Everyone get on the sarians. The four of you won’t stand a chance against a horde of angry Anwyns.”

Without question each of them got on the sarians with little complaint from the creatures. They were more than capable of carrying a heavy load, even with extras as big as Coffman.

“I expect the full payment after we get out of here,” Alric said.

“You’ll get it,” Julian snapped.

Silas sat on Skarret’s feathered back behind his grandfather. There was much to talk about and much that needed explaining. Finally, it was time to get some answers.