The Summoned
The Gatekeeping Rod
The Dark Plane: Troop Camp 51
"Again, leave the talking to me." Seeker advised,
heading down the path. Asa nodded as he walked behind.
"We are nearing Troop Camp 51." Seeker said,
more to pass the time than to actually inform Asa. "This camp is
a little unlike the others. For example, we can expect to actually
find soldiers at this one. A great relic is buried underneath the
camp, and it's in that relic that we're going to get your rod. I
don't think that Norax would leave such a relic unguarded."
Asa nodded. He didn't like it at all, but
since it was the only way he was going to be able to help his friends,
he would go along. He was fairly certain Seeker would be able to
handle whatever guards there were for the relic, but he didn't like the
sound of the relic itself. Out of morbid curiosity, he asked "What
is the relic?"
Seeker hesitated. "It is... an old place,
with old knowledge. A library of sorts, if you will. When we
arrive there, you must not read any of the books that you will doubtless
discover. To do so... will cause you to remain there forever."
"You've been there before, haven't you?" Asa said.
Seeker nodded. "Once, a long while ago, when
I was still an apprentice. I did not stay for long, but Luther had
business there." he paused. "I don't know what it was, however.
And I'm not sure I want to."
For once, Seeker's impression of surety had faltered.
Asa didn't say anything, and after a moment, the man turned away and continued
down the road.
Asa followed silently after.
A short while later, the two passed a sign which
read simply "Troop Camp 51". One man stood beyond it, dressed in
combat armor and holding a sword. He looked at the travelers disinterestedly.
"Hello there Zal." the guard said in a monotone.
"You here to relieve me?"
"Yes I am." Seeker replied, "Are any
of the other guys here?"
"Nah. The General wants 'em all for that raid.
I was the unlucky one who got left behind."
"Yeah, me too." Seeker nodded. "Well,
off with you. I've got guard dutying to do!"
The guard laughed. "That's a lark. As
though anyone ever comes down here. Nobody even knows we exist!"
With that, he gave Seeker a final salute and walked back the way the wizard
had come.
Asa made sure to wait until the man was out of sight
to speak again. "What was that? He thought you were a guard?
You? A guard?"
Seeker glanced back at the young summoner as he
started walking again. "Is there something wrong with that concept?
Do you not agree that I would make an excellent guard?"
"Well, you would, but it's just that you don't look...."
"Looks don't matter. Come on, come on, this
way. We don't have long until that man's actual relief is going to
appear."
Asa sighed and started to follow the old man once
more.
The Light Plane: Darren's Keep
"Celeste?" Paul touched the young woman's
shoulder tentatively. "Are you all right?"
Celeste looked up through clouded eyes at the young
mage. "Paul? Yes, yes, I'm fine." She turned her face
away and again covered it with her hands.
Paul hunted for something to say - at times such
as this, he wished he had the eloquence of his master. Any sort of
eloquence would do, actually.
"Have - have you seen Leo?" the young woman had
turned to face him again.
Paul looked away from her eyes. "Yes...."
he answered. Celeste nearly jumped to her feet.
"What's wrong?" she demanded. "What's happened
to him?"
Paul stammered an answer. "He - he was injured
in the last fight.... That is what I had come to tell you."
The woman sighed and looked down. "This is
what I had feared. I don't even know him that well. It's simply
that we'd spent some time together before you and he and your other friends
journeyed to the Nexus... and when he came back, there was simply no time
- what with the battles and all. I was afraid that he might be killed,
and I would never get to truly know him."
Paul nodded his understanding. "He's still
alive though. He's one of the best fighters that King Darren has,
and there are at least two clerics constantly looking over him. He
will be fine. You've been invited to sit in the Healing Wards with
him, to await his awakening. Most of the priests estimate it won't
be more than a few hours from now."
"Thank you Paul...." she managed a small smile.
The Dark Plane: Underneath Troop Camp 51
Asa shivered to himself as he followed Seeker through
the increasingly small cavern. The aged wizard had pointed it out
to him, and said that the relic was there. One thing was certain
- it was cold underground. The surface temperature was already chilly,
down here he was likely to freeze to death if he stayed still too long.
Which, considering the pace at which the Seeker was moving, would not be
a problem. The old man was again displaying a capacity to move beyond
what most would believe from a man of his age. Asa hoped it was out
of a need to accomplish their task quickly, not out of nervousness.
Because if there was something down this cave that made even Seeker nervous,
than Asa knew beyond any doubts that he did not want to be involved.
Of course, he had no choice in the matter. Better then that Seeker
want the task over and done with.
The cave finally began to widen after some time,
and Seeker eventually put the glowing orb which had served as their light
source away. There was light now - emanating from a room just ahead.
The wizard moved more slowly, motioning for Asa to do the same.
The room was enormous - Asa's entire home village
could be put in it, and there would still be room left over. Torches
which burned with a constant light shone high above them. And shelves
of books were everywhere. Asa turned to look at some of them near
him.
"No!" Seeker moved in front of Asa's line
of vision. "You can't read these books Asa." his tone, usually
jovial, was completely serious. Asa thought he could detect a bit
of something else in it - fear? Asa nodded his understanding, and
followed the wizard across the room.
Books. More knowledge than any library he
had ever seen. The repository here put Darren's to shame. He
caught some titles as he went by: "Abhorrent Trinity", "Fall of the
Sorcerers", and "Higher Path".
Asa shuddered as he realized what the books were
about. They were histories of the Triad, and if the last book was
any clue, detailed instructions of how to access the Higher Path magic.
The forbidden magic - the magic that would most likely turn him into some
misshapen demon if he were to even consider using it.
"Seeker" he called out in a harsh whisper.
"Do you realize what these books are?"
"Of course I do - that is why I cautioned you away
from them."
"But - such knowledge! It frightens me away
- I probably couldn't handle that kind of power. But what about you?
I've no doubt you could handle it... doesn't it tempt you?"
Seeker laughed. "But I have that knowledge.
I don't need any of these books."
Asa stopped in his tracks. "You mean... you
use the forbidden magic?"
Seeker turned to his friend. "No, I do not.
You misunderstand me, I said that I have the knowledge. All planeskeepers
know how to use forbidden magic. It is their test that they withstand
doing so. We do not choose our apprentices indiscriminately - we
find those we believe can resist the temptation. Occasionally, we
fail, and the rogue must be eliminated."
"Kanaos. The one that Norax killed because
he knew the Higher Path.... Was Kanaos one of yours?"
The wizard nodded. "He had apprenticed Luther
- my teacher. But the temptation, over time, had proven too great
for Kanaos to withstand. Luther learned of his practice, and in the
process, learned of the secret. Luther proved trustworthy, and Kanaos
did not. We dispatched him, as we have dispatched those who have
failed in the past."
Asa shivered. "I'm just as glad I know nothing
of this magic. Becoming a demon is not to my liking."
"Well said. I believe Paul said something
of that sort when he learned of this fact."
"Does Paul know... how to use the higher path?"
Asa asked, unsure of whether or not he actually desired an answer.
Seeker shook his head. "He is close, however.
He may discover it in our absence. Then again, I suspect he has many
other things to attend to, rather than research."
Asa stopped talking, reminded suddenly by Seeker's
speech of the ongoing war in his home plane. Would he ever get back
there to help? Where was this relic that Seeker had spoken of?
"Ah, right here." Seeker said, as though reading
Asa's mind - a feat which Asa did not put past the wizened man. "Help
me with this."
Asa moved across from Seeker, who was attempting
to lift the lid off of some sort of container. The two of them managed,
after a time, to remove it. Inside, there lay a Rod - shaped like
a double sided trident and glowing a faint white. Asa recognized
it immediately.
It was the Gatekeeping Rod of the Light Plane.
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