“Silence.” Fahn raised his right hand and the noise stopped. “You’re saying that this witch is more skilled at magic than my trusted Elm?”
“I’m afraid so,” answered Slayn, and kneeled once again to indicate he had no more to add.
“More powerful than Elm, considered Larcus’s best pupil? She is a fearsome witch indeed. Do you know who she is, Elm? Her name was Karla, correct?”
“I found Slayn’s story hard to believe as well, so I searched my memories to see if anything came to mind—and I recalled a legend.”
“Of course you did. What was it?”
“Long ago, when an ancient kingdom ruled this land, magic was much more powerful than it is now. Wizards of that time were far more fluent in the ancient language we use for our spells today—we would likely sound like babbling infants to the wizards of long ago. When the kingdom fell, all its wizards shared its fate…except, they say, a single sorceress who managed to escape harm. Her name was Karla. Since then, a sorceress named Karla has appeared periodically throughout Lodoss’s history.”
Fahn shook his head. He raised his left hand from the throne’s armrest and pointed at Elm. “Are you saying that this legendary sorceress is the same witch who kidnapped my daughter? It would be a simple thing for a witch to change her appearance…but if your theory is true, she would be more than five hundred years old.”
“I don’t have proof—only a hunch,” Elm replied. “But now that Professor Larcus is gone, the person most likely to know the truth is the Great Magus Wort.”
Fahn laughed. “That eccentric old man?”
“He may be eccentric, but he is extremely knowledgeable. And I don’t know any other way to ascertain the truth of her identity.”
“I suppose you’re right. But who will go all the way up into the Moss mountains to ask him? The war with Marmo will only get worse—we cannot afford to lose a single soldier.”
Elm looked at the king, his expression serious. “If Karla is truly a survivor of the ancient kingdom, we will be up against magic far beyond what any of us can handle. I heard that Kanon’s Shining Hill fell when a giant meteor dropped from the sky, destroying its walls—even Wagnard, Marmo’s court wizard, doesn’t have that sort of power. We need to know what we are up against.”
“You truly feel strongly about this…” Fahn shot Elm a wry smile, then nodded. “We can’t send just anyone on this mission. The old man never leaves his mountain tower, and he hates visitors. To get there, whoever we send will have to pass through the dwarven ruins to the south—the Tunnel of Evil. It’s infested with ogres and dragons.” He turned to a man with a decorated helmet. “Leonis, I need you to select someone suitable from among the order—”
“I can do it,” Parn chimed in. He hadn’t been sure whether he should volunteer, but once he spoke up, he found himself sure it was the right choice. “If you choose one of your Holy Knights, they will leave a hole in your defense that can’t easily be filled. I could stay here as a mercenary, but that would be much less use to Valis.”
Fahn looked down at the youth kneeling before him and felt young again. “Is that Tessius’s son?” he whispered to Elm.
“It is,” Elm murmured in reply.
Parn did resemble the Holy Knight Tessius in both face and voice—and probably in action as well, as he had just chosen to fulfill a thankless but vital role over honorable service in battle. Fahn had all but assumed that the young man would ask to join the Valis knighthood. Elm had mentioned that Parn was more than willing, and had recommended him as an upstanding young man suitable for the position—though there was much he would need to learn.
His bravery in rescuing Fianna made him worthy of the title, and he was Tessius’s son. But if he were given a knighthood for only those reasons, the young knights who had never heard of Tessius would be upset. They had spent years training as squires, after all, and were only awarded the honor of knighthood once they were recognized for their skills and character. But if Parn fulfilled this ordeal, those young knights would have to accept him. Not everyone knew Tessius, after all, but everyone knew of the southern dwarven ruins. That tunnel was one of the most treacherous parts of Lodoss, rivaling even the Forest of No Return.
“Parn,” the king began, “I am sorry about Tessius. We couldn’t give him a burial with honors, and the stress drove your mother away from Valis. I would like you, at least, to fight with me as an honorable knight. However, you need to pass a test to join our Order. I will send you with a letter for Wort. Show me that you can accomplish this task and I will ask you to serve under me as my vassal.”
“Upon my life,” Parn said, heart practically bursting with joy.
“The journey to Wort’s mansion will be difficult—as I said, you will have to pass through ruins swarming with deadly creatures, and the witch may come after you again. You would still go?”
“Of course,” Parn replied. He felt like a hero—a modest hero, maybe, but that seemed more fitting, anyway.
“Wonderful! I haven’t felt such hope in so long…” The Hero King laughed, stood, and clapped his hands. “This is a great day. First we welcomed a justice-loving desert king and now a brave son of Tessius. There is no doubt in my mind that we will be victorious in this war. Everyone, prepare to feast! We will enjoy ourselves tonight!”
The crowd let out a cheer. The double doors swung open, and servants swooped from the throne room to begin the preparations. When the time came, music rang out and the banquet began.
Kashue, King of Flaim and the guest of honor, was not even thirty years old. He had been known since his youth for his brave deeds, and had defeated the enemy Tribe of Fire and established the Kingdom of Flaim when he was in his early twenties. He was crowned the “Mercenary King” as a nod to his beginnings as a mercenary, but his skills at both swordsmanship and statecraft were incredible. Though his country was less than a decade old, the hearts of his people were one with King Kashue.
The desert savages, worshippers of the Dark God Phalaris, had been constantly at war with both the Tribe of Storm and the Kingdom of Valis. Immediately after the foundation of the new country, the new king had sent a messenger seeking an alliance with Valis, and Kashue himself had come to celebrate King Fahn’s sixtieth birthday in person. Fahn said that his friendship with Kashue was one that transcended age.
The Mercenary King commanded the attention of the entire party—young knights gathered around to hear of his heroic exploits, and noblewomen tried to catch the bachelor king’s attention.
The knights also clustered around Parn, treating Tessius’s son like a long-lost friend, praising his bravery for risking his life to save their princess, and praying for his safety on his journey to the tower.
Crowds had formed around Deedlit and Ghim as well, since elves and dwarves were rarely seen in the Valis court. Questions rained down on Deedlit with barely a pause in between, and she couldn’t conceal her confusion. She answered perfunctorily and wondered how human noblewomen could bear wearing such cumbersome dresses.
Ghim had no patience for the curious stares, but he could distract with his skills as a craftsman. He appraised the ladies’ jewelry and even improved some pieces with a quick tweak to enhance their presentation. It was like a one-dwarf workshop had sprung up around him as the ladies of Valis brought him their jewelry, one after another.
Young ladies also swirled around Etoh, who was now wearing his priestly robes. In Valis, Pharis priests were respected even more highly than knights. He was greeted personally by High Priest Genart and offered a position at the Great Pharis Temple in Roid.
Genart explained that he was in the process of reforming the order of Pharis with King Fahn’s support, but it was not progressing as planned. The order of Pharis stood for discipline and law; as a side effect of that, the organization tended to prioritize seniority and time served over ability—stodgy habits that the high priest was attempting to shake. He asked Etoh to assist, and the young priest gladly accepted. After all, if Parn became a Valis knight and Etoh joined the Pharis order, the friends could keep working together.
Slayn, clad in a brand new Sage’s robe, was deeply involved in a serious discussion with Elm about the witch’s identity, the war with Marmo, and the governing of Valis. Besides teaching magic, the Wizard Academy taught a variety of academic disciplines, all considered necessary to the proper ruling of a country. As the only Academy-educated wizard in Valis, Elm rarely had a chance to discuss such things with a peer.
Elm had hoped to organize a council of wizards at court, but Valis had been wary of magic for an extremely long time. Few young people aspired to be wizards, certainly not enough to form a proper school. Elm was a passionate devotee of Pharis and loyal to Valis, making him an even rarer case. Though he hadn’t originally intended to, Slayn found himself offering advice.
The banquet grew more cheerful and rowdy as the night progressed. But while most of the companions basked in words of gratitude and endless offers of wine, there was one who stood alone.
Woodchuck could feel the stares of contempt and disgust. He could almost hear the whispered discussion of his occupation and wondered, How were my actions any different from Parn’s? as dark embers of resentment flickered in his mind.