-The Summoned-
Meeting With Darren
The Light Plane: City of Dacono
"I'm coming with you." Paul said simply.
Asa regarded him solemnly. "Have I made it
absolutely clear what you're getting yourself into? I mean, I don't
think that I'm getting out of this. That thing out there-" Asa paused
as an involuntary shudder overcame him. "That thing was after me.
There's probably more where that came from. You still want to come
along?"
Paul nodded. "I can't just stay here and wait
for the world to end. If Seeker returns, he will be able to follow
us easily enough. I have to do something. The Seeker would
want it that way."
Asa paused. He had spent most of his waking
hours the day before talking to Paul about what had happened to him thus
far: sharing his life story once more. Paul had listened and
then asked to think about what he had heard. This morning, Asa and
his friends were preparing to depart. Did they really need another
person? Travel was hard enough as it is, and it wasn't as though
they were defenseless. Asa could summon, and could cause a respectable
amount of damage even without summoning Thalla. Still, a sorcerer
might be helpful. There was also the fact that Paul had joined them
earlier without question when they had fought their battle against the
lich. Asa made up his mind. "Very well, you're coming with
us."
Jamie had to get another horse for them, a fact
which she complained about constantly while within earshot, and Elayna
volunteered to gather more supplies for their new party member. The
result was a delay of about half an hour while everything was accomplished.
Paul used the time to talk to Asa about himself.
"You've told me your life story." Paul offered.
"Now it's time you've heard mine."
Asa was interested immediately. Anything involving
the Seeker was automatically the stuff of legends.
Paul didn't notice. "I come from a long line
of sorcerers- though not planeskeepers. My family was mostly enchanters
on my father's side, and elementalists on my mother's side." He smiled
wryly. "I was an elementalist, by the way. Before I met the
Seeker. There was more money to be made as an enchanter- making magical
weapons and armor and all that, but I just couldn't resist the fireworks.
I wanted to march into battle and lay waste to my enemies." He paused
here. "You've probably heard of the Troubled times?"
Asa nodded. "I've heard of them, but not much.
News tends not to travel all the way to the Outerlands."
"I see. The troubled times began about four
hundred years ago with the Summoner's war and lasted until ten years ago.
At least, it's widely believed that they ended ten years ago. I think
that people might change their minds if they heard your story. At
any rate, I was fifteen years old when I decided that I was a talented
enough elementalist to join up with the troops. I lived in a city
named Ksaone, which is east of here. Harriers from what we thought
was an oncoming force had attacked us and we were going to retaliate.
Ksaone wasn't much bigger than this city here, but we thought we were.
So we gathered the troops, myself and my father included, and rushed to
the counterattack. It turned out that the harriers were just bandits,
but there was a rather sizable force from some other city out there.
We attacked them." Paul shuddered, remembering the day all too vividly.
"It was a bloodbath. There were more of them, but we were better
trained. My father darted along the front lines, using his magic
to strengthen us and weaken them. I was throwing fire everywhere.
I think I used more magic that day than I had ever used before....
It wasn't long until I was exhausted. Our people were beginning to
lose, and there wasn't anything that I could do to help. They pressed
the attack, and my father did something- I'm not sure what. I passed
out then, whether as a result of that spell or my own exhaustion, I don't
know. When I came to, everyone was dead. My father, all the
townspeople who had come with us, the opposing army. There was one
person standing on that battlefield, and it was the Seeker."
"The Seeker?" Asa spoke up. "What was
he doing there? You don't think-"
"That he killed them? He didn't. At
least, he told me that he didn't, that that's enough for me. I trust
the Seeker- I don't think the ability to lie is in him. He approached
me that day, and he asked me why all this had happened. He wanted
to know why my comrades had been willing to die, what had driven them.
I told him about the harriers. It all came down to revenge, basically.
The Seeker doesn't fight for revenge- none of the planeskeepers do.
After what I had seen on the battlefield that day, I didn't need any convincing.
He wanted an apprentice, and had looked for me personally. I never
knew why, and I didn't ask. It was enough that I was his apprentice."
Paul shook his head. "That's my story. I've been with the Seeker
ever since, right up until when he left to do whatever he left to do.
Like I said, he can find us if he needs to. I'm an apprentice planeskeeper,
but I'm a very experienced elementalist." He smiled wryly.
"And if my ears aren't deceiving me, Jamie has returned with the extra
horse."
"I can't believe it. Everyone needs a horse,
but does everyone get their own horse? Oh no! Gods forbid!
They must all send Jamie to get the horses. If the entire city of
Dacono needed horses, who would they send? Jamie! Let's send
Jamie! Jamie for the horses!" Jamie complained, leading the horse
toward Asa and Paul. Paul smiled and Asa just felt stupid.
Jamie glared up at the both of them, and presented the horse to Paul.
"Here you are sir, I am proud to give to you the horse that Asa was too
lazy to get for you." She shot an angry glance at Asa. "When
Elayna comes back, we're leaving."
Elayna appeared shortly afterward, carrying an extra
waterskin and a pack. Smiling, she cheerfully presented them to Paul,
who took about ten minutes to gather the things that he wished to take
with him.
"Are we leaving now?" Jamie asked impatiently.
"Because, and this is nothing personal Paul, this city is starting to bug
me."
"Yes, we're leaving." Asa said, keeping his
tone neutral.
"Good. Elayna, up here-" Jamie extended
a hand to Elayna and hoisted her up on the horse in front of her.
"Onward!"
Jamie rode out of the city, followed by Asa and
Paul.
The Light Plane: Darren's keep
Leo was escorted into the courtyard of Darren's
keep by the three riders that had been with him ever since he ran into
the sleepy little town earlier. They had encamped once on the journey,
but other than that the ride had been nearly nonstop. His companions
were not talkative at all. He had tried to talk to them before, but
they shied away. Apparently, being wanted by King Darren was not
a desirable thing. Leo found himself wondering if he had decided
correctly. If Darren did not relay his message to LePaige, the Light
Plane would be caught by suprise. Leo wasn't altogether sure that
the LePaige's army could stand against Norax's forces prepared. If LePaige
was surprised... Leo didn't allow himself to finish the thought.
Now he was in the courtyard of King Charles Darren, mentally preparing
the speech that would either save the Light Plane or spell its doom.
Soldiers, wearing the insignia of the Palace Guard, approached. The
lead soldier motioned the first rider off of his horse and proceeded to
interrogate him.
"What's this about?" The soldier snapped.
"You can't just be ridin' into the courtyard like this! Who's your
company?"
The rider explained briefly that he was a rider
from Naisao and that his company consisted of two other riders like himself
and one member of the Light Guard. The soldier looked surprised and
glanced at Leo.
"'Okay- fine. Put your horses up. You!"
the soldier gestured to Leo. "Come with me."
Leo glanced back at the riders, who shrugged indifferently.
They had done their job. Leo dismounted, gave his horse to one of
the riders, and went to the side of the soldier.
"I'm going to need your sword, sir." The soldier
said, not without a slight amount of nervousness. There were at least
five other Palace Guards within sight, and more would be sure to appear
if Leo attacked, but this soldier seemed to think that Leo might decide
to attack anyway. Leo didn't. Instead, he slowly drew his sword
and handed it to the soldier, who appeared much relieved. "This way."
Five minutes later, Leo was walking down the main
hall of Darren's Keep, flanked by five of the Palace Guard. Apparently,
they were taking no chances when it came to the king's safety. Leo
was walking slowly, taking in every detail of the palace. It reminded
him eerily of the King's hall in Naogon. The King's hall had been
deserted for centuries, and for a reason. Nobody who had gone in
ever came out, with one exception. That included the original owner,
who had begun a cult around a long-dead warlord named Xanek. They
had experimented with magic beyond their means, and it had destroyed them.
According to legend, it had dealt them a horrid death, and their spirits
still inhabited the hall. Leo had entered, and later left, that hall.
Nothing had attacked him, and nothing had stood in his way. The entire
time, however, he had felt watched. It was not a welcome place.
He had the same feeling here. He had no doubt that he was being watched-
archers on a second floor landing glared down at him. Furthermore,
he did not feel welcome. He still had to talk to Darren, however,
and he would do it.
An enormous oaken door opened at the end of the
hall, leading into the throne room. Leo entered, and the five soldiers
joined the three who were already present. An elderly man, who appeared
to be an advisor of some sort, blinked at Leo. Darren himself was
not present.
A door on the side of the room opened, and a young-looking
man emerged. Clearing his throat, he announced simply: "King Charles
Darren."
King Charles Darren, a rather plump man on the threshold
of old age, entered the room. Instantly, every person in the room-
including Leo- went to one knee. Darren seated himself on the throne
and motioned everyone to rise.
"What is his business?" Darren asked of the advisor.
The advisor blinked, appearing to think for a moment.
"He is Leo Eastman, soldier of the Light Guard.
Some riders from Naisao brought him, in accordance with your edict, sir."
Darren nodded and motioned for Leo to step forward.
"Sir Eastman, I understand that you are a member of the Light Guard.
What reason do you have for being in my realm?"
"I was merely passing through, your highness.
I am relaying an urgent message to king LePaige."
Darren nodded again. "I see. I have
known of the movement of your agents to this plane and to LePaige for quite
some time now, and I would know why."
Leo remained solemn. "Your highness, their
was a war being waged in the Dark Plane. I am-" Leo paused, then
corrected himself "I was the leader of the Light Guard. We were battling
against a warlord named Norax, and I come to report that my army was vanquished."
Darren was silent for a time. "You were the
leader of the Light Guard, and you report that you are defeated.
What else?"
"I come to warn LePaige. Norax will march
on this plane next. His armies must be mobilized."
Darren considered, while Leo stood silently, his
piece spoken. Finally, Darren spoke up. "I do not pretend to
understand the scope of what you tell me. However, it seems that
there is a very real threat. I will dispatch scouts immediately to
LePaige and deliver your message. You are welcome to stay here as
long as you wish. It is not often that we have a dignitary from the
Dark Plane. There is a banquet tonight, and you may attend if you
wish."
Leo considered requesting to be sent on to LePaige.
It wasn't that he didn't believe Darren would send the message, it was
that Leo didn't feel welcome here. However, he couldn't refuse a
king's invitation and keep his dignity. "I would be honored."
he said.
"Excellent. You are dismissed." he waved
to everyone in the room and got up out of his throne. Leo stood at
full attention until Darren left the room, and then relaxed along with
all the soldiers in the room. One of them- the one that had met him
in the courtyard- turned to him.
"His highness has prepared quarters for you.
This way."
Leo followed the soldier out of the throne room,
through the hall, and back into the courtyard.
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