The Knights of Erador (The Echoes Saga: Book 7), page 19
That’s what he had been hand-picked for. He was the wand in the Archon’s collective hand. They believed he had but to be aimed and fired to see their will done. There was certainly a compliment in there somewhere, given the pair they wished for him to assassinate. It was impossible to focus on, however, since he had been reduced to naught but an expendable weapon.
Then there was the question that continued to present itself. Shouldn’t he serve the Archon as they wished? He was a Keeper after all, a sworn protector of Valatos and its mages. The masters were equally sworn to them all and their choices only served the interest of Valatos. If they told him to kill the Galfreys in cold blood, shouldn’t he do it?
Kassian’s fingers dug into the mattress, creasing the sheet with white knuckles. He could already picture the blood on his hands, their bodies at his feet. Reyna Galfrey was looking up at him with her impossibly green eyes, now lifeless.
“Kassian?” Clara’s tone dragged him back to the present. “Is everything alright?” she asked, stroking a single finger through the sweat on his bare back.
The Keeper swallowed hard as he blinked before turning to flash his wife a beaming smile. “I’m fine,” he lied, desperate not to burden her with his troubles. “Bad dream is all. I would make you some tea, my love, but I have to go…”
Clara gripped his wrist as he rose from the bed. “Are you sure?” she pressed, referring to his dream.
The Keeper offered her another smile before kissing the back of her hand. “Of course. Have a good day. I’ll see you later…”
Returning to the hall outside the Galfreys’ suite, Kassian dismissed the Keeper who had replaced Jovus, and knocked on their door. They were scheduled to meet with three of the Archon today, a response to their complaint that meeting with only one master was an insult.
Had he not heard of the Archon’s schemes, he would have rolled his eyes at another day of tedious talks but, since the memory haunted him, he was more than nervous to face the Galfreys. He had no doubt that Reyna had been in that attic space, hearing exactly the same thing he had.
How would they react? Would they confront the Archon? Perhaps they would leave Valatos this very day to avoid the confrontation. To express their knowledge, however, would tip their hand and reveal their true intentions had been to spy on the masters all along.
Kassian took a long breath, hating the politics of it all.
Hearing no response to his knocking, the Keeper began to wonder if the couple had already fled in the night. Relief was beginning to flood Kassian’s spirit when the door opened to reveal Nathaniel Galfrey.
“Knocking today, are we?” he remarked with a tight smile.
Kassian couldn’t think of any suitable reply but to bow his head and avert his eyes. The old Graycoat moved past him into the hall, closely followed by Reyna. The elven ambassador locked eyes with the Keeper as she glided into the hall. It was all there in her face. She knew there was a plan to murder both herself and Nathaniel, and she also knew that Kassian was in possession of that same information.
“Good morning, Keeper,” Reyna greeted pleasantly.
“Ambassador,” he replied with a bow. Looking her in the eyes made him feel guilty for an act he hadn’t even committed yet.
The word yet hung in his mind for the remainder of their journey through the central hall. He could feel them both staring at his back the entire way, drawing more sweat to the surface of his skin.
Sitting with three of the seven masters - still an insulting number if Nathaniel’s remarks were anything to go by - the Galfreys started their talks like any other. Kassian had been moments away from allowing his concerns to distract him when the tone changed and a palpable tension overtook the room. Tuning back in with greater focus, he quickly came to realise that the ambassadors were changing their approach.
They were becoming aggressive…
“There are factors you simply aren’t taking into account,” Reyna said simply. “Valatos exists inside a kingdom. It’s ruled by one man, not a council. There will be no campaign, no vote, and no debates. King Vighon will not tolerate separatism, especially if it poses a threat to the realm as a whole. The people have been through too much to see the landscape of Illian changed again.”
Nathaniel leaned forward in his chair and jabbed his finger into the table. “We have presented you with plenty of options in the hope of appeasing your need for independence, and you’ve had enough time to reconsider your position. It’s time to lay all of our cards out. You don’t have the power to resist an order from Namdhor. If Valatos continues to press for independence or shares such views with other provinces, it will be pulled down brick by brick.”
Kassian looked from the ambassadors to the three masters. He had no way of gauging their reactions through the reflective fabric that masked their faces, but their body language suggested they weren’t deterred by the proclamation.
The squat female of the three masters gestured to the table between them, as if their plan was laid out. “Is this to be your new line of dialogue? Threats?”
“Call it what you like,” Reyna replied. “We’re bringing an end to this now, before it gets out of control.”
“I would argue that it has already gone beyond your control,” the master countered. “As we speak, Grey Stone is enforcing the ancient laws of its land once again. The banner of the bear flies in the west. And Velia, this very city, has whispers of unrest. Lord Carrington would have Alborn returned to a kingdom in itself, as it was for a thousand years. How long before Lirian and Tregaran desire independence from a northern king?”
“The provinces and their lords will be addressed in due time,” Reyna responded evenly. “The fact is: the loudest voices are coming from Valatos. The king demands that you submit to his reign and cease and desist your campaign for independence.”
The female master interlocked her fingers, pausing before speaking again. “Just so we’re clear, Ambassadors, how will King Vighon be enforcing his command?”
“The banner of the flaming sword still holds sway over Velia,” Nathaniel replied with a menacing tone. “Even if Lord Carrington has ideas beyond his station, the soldiers of Alborn will be called upon to forcibly disband Valatos. If they aren’t enough, soldiers will be called upon from Lirian, Tregaran, and Namdhor itself.”
“And what of your daughter?” the master questioned. “Will the Guardian of the Realm bring her dragon to bear?”
“Inara serves the people,” Reyna reminded the master. “If she deems your efforts a threat to the realm… Athis will melt the stone.”
Kassian couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Why were they being so aggressive now? If they knew a plot was being hatched to eliminate them, why weren’t they smoothing everything over in Valatos’s favour?
The three masters stood up, led by the smaller female. “Tell me, Ambassadors, do you know what happens when an unstoppable object collides with an immovable one?”
Reyna glanced at her husband before answering, “I can’t say that I do.”
The master shrugged her rounded shoulders. “Nor do I. I suspect, however, we are soon to learn…” With that, the three members of the Archon left the office.
Reyna was the first to rise from her chair and face Kassian. “I don’t expect us to be receiving any further invitations from the Archon. Perhaps, Keeper, you would be best escorting us back to our room.”
Without a word, the Keeper led the ambassadors back to their suite. He wanted to turn around in the passage and fire one question after another at them. After today, the Archon would be calling for their heads on spikes instead of making them disappear.
Arriving back at their room, Reyna paused in the doorway after Nathaniel had entered. “Kassian.” Her voice was soft and melodic, drawing the Keeper in. “For all of the oaths and promises one makes, however just that cause may be, there should be nothing that clouds your judgment. We always have the power of choice. You just have to know what is right… and what is wrong.”
Kassian made to speak but he closed his mouth again. He couldn’t decide whether to play ignorant or to accept her advice and acknowledge his awareness of the awkward yet serious situation they found themselves in.
“I would very much enjoy another trip to the gardens this evening,” the ambassador spoke for him. “The scent of flowers after sunset is most pleasant. If you could return, I would appreciate the escort.”
Kassian straightened up. “Of course, Ambassador Galfrey. I shall return after dinner has been served.”
After walking away, Kassian arranged for another Keeper to wait by their door. Every second he spent around them was making his head spin all the more. He could still smell Reyna’s sweet scent. Just keep walking, he told himself. He needed every moment he could get to pin down his thoughts and emotions on the matter.
“Keeper?” The voice guided Kassian to a familiar master. “You look distressed. Is everything alright?”
Kassian tugged on his long coat and lifted his chin in the master’s presence. “Of course, Master,” he lied for the second time that day.
“Glad to hear it,” the master purred, stepping closer so that Kassian could see his distorted reflection in the mask. “Would you care to walk with me?”
“It would be an honour,” the Keeper replied naturally and without consideration.
The master had set the leisurely pace of a stroll, but he was most definitely steering the pair through the central hall. Kassian soon found himself standing on a balcony, looking out over Valatos, and Velia beyond its high walls.
“Unlike our youngest,” the master began, his voice slightly muffled by his mask, “you can recall this sight from the end of The Ash War.”
Kassian didn’t have to think too hard in order to recall the black smoke that rose up from Velia in thick columns, pluming into the ash clouds above. So many of the buildings were ablaze and torn to pieces. Screams carried across the city from east to west, mixed with the roar of the orcs. It was the darkest of times, fraught with death and despair.
“Live long enough,” the master continued, “and you come to see that war is inevitable. Like the seasons, it sweeps across the land again and again, changing everything. Whether the next war is in our lifetime or not, it will return to claim as many lives as possible, especially the innocent ones such as those you see before us. It is our job, yours and mine, to ensure that Valatos remains protected. Our predecessors in Korkanath underestimated the threats posed, both foreign and domestic. They thought a dragon could watch over them. Then, they thought the kingdoms could shelter them. Trusting the Dragorn to keep them safe was their final mistake; one that cost many lives…”
Kassian looked down at the master’s hand, embracing the stone railing. The knuckles were flat and the skin from nail bed to wrist was white with old scarring. It had been the worst of burns, leading the Keeper to the likely conclusion that this particular master had been a student at Korkanath when Malliath razed it to the bedrock.
“The only way Valatos will ever be safe is if we are unburdened from the chains of our northern king. We will reside outside of any petty rivalries that arise between provinces. Mark my words, Kassian, at the first sign of a skirmish, our magic will be called upon by Namdhor to enforce the peace. The Archon will not have it!” He beat his fist into the railing. “Without the king’s restrictions on our studies of magic, we will learn of new ways to keep ourselves safe, maybe even the entire realm. But we need our freedom first, and before civil war forces us all to fight.”
Kassian clenched his jaw and felt all of his muscles tense. The master was clearly building up to that fateful order and the Keeper had to appear swept away with his speech.
“You were in the room earlier so I don’t have to repeat the ambassadors’… remarks. The king sent them here to make such bold statements, as if their threats would be enough to see us heel like dogs. The Archon agrees that the ambassadors would make an equally powerful statement in our favour, if certain measures were taken.”
Kassian’s heart began to beat like thunder in his chest again. “Should I expel them from the grounds, Master?” he suggested innocently.
“Ah, but it would be the manner in which they were removed that would send the right message. I would task you, a Keeper of Valatos, with taking that last step on behalf of us all and ensuring our independence.”
“I live to uphold the oaths of my order,” Kassian said, his words hollow in his mouth.
“That is most reassuring to hear,” the master replied, his smile evident in his tone, “because the ambassadors have threatened us. Your duty would have you respond accordingly. See to it that the Galfreys never threaten Valatos again and your name will be etched into the history of our people for all time.”
There it was. The Archon had given him the command to kill two people in cold blood. He had hoped that when he heard the order, he would feel a sense of duty and know that he was serving for the betterment of Valatos, for his wife and future family. Instead, he heard an order that made him feel like a murderer.
It was just wrong…
The master tilted his head to make contact with Kassian’s eyes. “What say you, Keeper? Will you do this and see our defences made stronger? Will you spill blood for our people?”
Kassian took a deep breath to steady his voice. “I serve as the Archon commands. I will see it done.”
The master placed a warm hand on the Keeper’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “Very good, Kassian. Very good. I leave the details to you, but make certain the deed is complete before the arrival of our next guests.”
“The king?” Kassian had almost forgotten that the king was apparently coming to Valatos in person.
The master paused, his concealed face directed towards the Keeper. “Have you told anyone of the arrival?”
“No, Master.”
“Very good. Your task is singular - stay focused and you will not waver.” The master held up a finger as if he had just remembered something. “Here, something to keep your mind steadfast.” From within his robe, the master produced a fine golden chain with the clasp of a snake’s head. “Allow me,” he said, wrapping the necklace around Kassian’s collar. “Keep that tucked away now. Feel it against your heart, where you hold Valatos so dear.”
Kassian pressed the golden chain into his neck as it slipped down his shirt. “An honour, Master.”
“A mere token really,” the master remarked casually. “Your deeds will see us all rewarded, Kassian.”
Only moments later, the Keeper was left alone on the balcony, prey to his own conscience. That fine necklace felt very heavy around his neck. He made to leave until his well-trained eyes spotted the auburn hair of his wife in the grounds below. She was escorting one of the younger classes back to their teaching room - she didn’t notice her husband. He thought that was just as well, since his face was likely ashen.
He would avoid Clara for the rest of the day, he decided. She would know something was wrong and press for the answer. Instead, the Keeper spent the afternoon in the Sanctorum, busying himself with wand and sword routines.
As the evening set in and an ocean of stars began to emerge, Kassian remembered his promise to Reyna and put his legs in motion, hoping they would see him returned to the ambassadors’ room without thought. His mind was crowded like a battlefield, two sides warring for victory. The fact that he imagined an army of orcs fighting for the Archon was very telling.
The Keeper felt the necklace bouncing against the top of his chest and it brought one word to mind: duty. For all that sounded wrong, the master was right about war. How long would it be before the next one? As the finest magic wielders in the realm, wouldn’t Valatos be called upon to fight for one side or the other?
Reyna Galfrey opened the door and Kassian blinked, unable to recall his journey or even knocking. The elf smiled warmly, her cloak already fastened around her shoulders.
“Shall we go?”
Kassian collected himself and looked past her. “Is the ambassador to accompany us?”
“Oh no. Nathaniel would rather read a book than simply wander around some gardens.” Closing the door behind her, Reyna hooked her arm inside Kassian’s, the action appearing natural but allowing her to guide him away from their suite. He had but a moment to flash the guarding Keeper a look, one which told him to stay at his post and watch the door.
In the south-west corner of Valatos, a series of lush gardens had been maintained by magic for many years. The trees were thick and tall, their branches full of green leaves that currently stretched for the moonlight. Hedges lined the paths, directing visitors from one grove to the next so that they might admire the flowers, many of which changed colour from one moment to the next. It was truly enchanting…
Reyna, graceful in her every movement, retrieved her arm and slipped between the hedges to walk on the grass, between the trees. Kassian subconsciously checked their surroundings, making certain they were alone. It was sheltered here, under the canopy and between the maze of hedges and trunks.
The ambassador strolled and skipped here and there, the elf in her coming alive within the embrace of nature. She cupped flower heads, ran her fingers across the bark, and inhaled the scent of it all carried on the breeze. This was not the same ambassador who had recently threatened the Archon, nor could Kassian envision the warrior history spoken of.
“Do you ever visit here?” she asked.
The Keeper gave the question a second’s thought. “It has been some time, I’ll admit. My duties keep me busy.”
“Isn’t that always the way,” Reyna mused. “We have a beautiful home on The Shining Coast, just south of here. It has been too long since I tended my gardens there. Duty has a way of tying us down, doesn’t it? Or at least it creates the illusion. To have a duty is to simply bind yourself to an ideal or, in most cases, someone else’s ideals. I am duty-bound to the realm and its people. As a result, I have a duty to the king, so long as he serves the realm. You are duty-bound to Valatos and the mages therein. Consequently, you have a duty to the Archon… so long as they serve Valatos.”
Then there was the question that continued to present itself. Shouldn’t he serve the Archon as they wished? He was a Keeper after all, a sworn protector of Valatos and its mages. The masters were equally sworn to them all and their choices only served the interest of Valatos. If they told him to kill the Galfreys in cold blood, shouldn’t he do it?
Kassian’s fingers dug into the mattress, creasing the sheet with white knuckles. He could already picture the blood on his hands, their bodies at his feet. Reyna Galfrey was looking up at him with her impossibly green eyes, now lifeless.
“Kassian?” Clara’s tone dragged him back to the present. “Is everything alright?” she asked, stroking a single finger through the sweat on his bare back.
The Keeper swallowed hard as he blinked before turning to flash his wife a beaming smile. “I’m fine,” he lied, desperate not to burden her with his troubles. “Bad dream is all. I would make you some tea, my love, but I have to go…”
Clara gripped his wrist as he rose from the bed. “Are you sure?” she pressed, referring to his dream.
The Keeper offered her another smile before kissing the back of her hand. “Of course. Have a good day. I’ll see you later…”
Returning to the hall outside the Galfreys’ suite, Kassian dismissed the Keeper who had replaced Jovus, and knocked on their door. They were scheduled to meet with three of the Archon today, a response to their complaint that meeting with only one master was an insult.
Had he not heard of the Archon’s schemes, he would have rolled his eyes at another day of tedious talks but, since the memory haunted him, he was more than nervous to face the Galfreys. He had no doubt that Reyna had been in that attic space, hearing exactly the same thing he had.
How would they react? Would they confront the Archon? Perhaps they would leave Valatos this very day to avoid the confrontation. To express their knowledge, however, would tip their hand and reveal their true intentions had been to spy on the masters all along.
Kassian took a long breath, hating the politics of it all.
Hearing no response to his knocking, the Keeper began to wonder if the couple had already fled in the night. Relief was beginning to flood Kassian’s spirit when the door opened to reveal Nathaniel Galfrey.
“Knocking today, are we?” he remarked with a tight smile.
Kassian couldn’t think of any suitable reply but to bow his head and avert his eyes. The old Graycoat moved past him into the hall, closely followed by Reyna. The elven ambassador locked eyes with the Keeper as she glided into the hall. It was all there in her face. She knew there was a plan to murder both herself and Nathaniel, and she also knew that Kassian was in possession of that same information.
“Good morning, Keeper,” Reyna greeted pleasantly.
“Ambassador,” he replied with a bow. Looking her in the eyes made him feel guilty for an act he hadn’t even committed yet.
The word yet hung in his mind for the remainder of their journey through the central hall. He could feel them both staring at his back the entire way, drawing more sweat to the surface of his skin.
Sitting with three of the seven masters - still an insulting number if Nathaniel’s remarks were anything to go by - the Galfreys started their talks like any other. Kassian had been moments away from allowing his concerns to distract him when the tone changed and a palpable tension overtook the room. Tuning back in with greater focus, he quickly came to realise that the ambassadors were changing their approach.
They were becoming aggressive…
“There are factors you simply aren’t taking into account,” Reyna said simply. “Valatos exists inside a kingdom. It’s ruled by one man, not a council. There will be no campaign, no vote, and no debates. King Vighon will not tolerate separatism, especially if it poses a threat to the realm as a whole. The people have been through too much to see the landscape of Illian changed again.”
Nathaniel leaned forward in his chair and jabbed his finger into the table. “We have presented you with plenty of options in the hope of appeasing your need for independence, and you’ve had enough time to reconsider your position. It’s time to lay all of our cards out. You don’t have the power to resist an order from Namdhor. If Valatos continues to press for independence or shares such views with other provinces, it will be pulled down brick by brick.”
Kassian looked from the ambassadors to the three masters. He had no way of gauging their reactions through the reflective fabric that masked their faces, but their body language suggested they weren’t deterred by the proclamation.
The squat female of the three masters gestured to the table between them, as if their plan was laid out. “Is this to be your new line of dialogue? Threats?”
“Call it what you like,” Reyna replied. “We’re bringing an end to this now, before it gets out of control.”
“I would argue that it has already gone beyond your control,” the master countered. “As we speak, Grey Stone is enforcing the ancient laws of its land once again. The banner of the bear flies in the west. And Velia, this very city, has whispers of unrest. Lord Carrington would have Alborn returned to a kingdom in itself, as it was for a thousand years. How long before Lirian and Tregaran desire independence from a northern king?”
“The provinces and their lords will be addressed in due time,” Reyna responded evenly. “The fact is: the loudest voices are coming from Valatos. The king demands that you submit to his reign and cease and desist your campaign for independence.”
The female master interlocked her fingers, pausing before speaking again. “Just so we’re clear, Ambassadors, how will King Vighon be enforcing his command?”
“The banner of the flaming sword still holds sway over Velia,” Nathaniel replied with a menacing tone. “Even if Lord Carrington has ideas beyond his station, the soldiers of Alborn will be called upon to forcibly disband Valatos. If they aren’t enough, soldiers will be called upon from Lirian, Tregaran, and Namdhor itself.”
“And what of your daughter?” the master questioned. “Will the Guardian of the Realm bring her dragon to bear?”
“Inara serves the people,” Reyna reminded the master. “If she deems your efforts a threat to the realm… Athis will melt the stone.”
Kassian couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Why were they being so aggressive now? If they knew a plot was being hatched to eliminate them, why weren’t they smoothing everything over in Valatos’s favour?
The three masters stood up, led by the smaller female. “Tell me, Ambassadors, do you know what happens when an unstoppable object collides with an immovable one?”
Reyna glanced at her husband before answering, “I can’t say that I do.”
The master shrugged her rounded shoulders. “Nor do I. I suspect, however, we are soon to learn…” With that, the three members of the Archon left the office.
Reyna was the first to rise from her chair and face Kassian. “I don’t expect us to be receiving any further invitations from the Archon. Perhaps, Keeper, you would be best escorting us back to our room.”
Without a word, the Keeper led the ambassadors back to their suite. He wanted to turn around in the passage and fire one question after another at them. After today, the Archon would be calling for their heads on spikes instead of making them disappear.
Arriving back at their room, Reyna paused in the doorway after Nathaniel had entered. “Kassian.” Her voice was soft and melodic, drawing the Keeper in. “For all of the oaths and promises one makes, however just that cause may be, there should be nothing that clouds your judgment. We always have the power of choice. You just have to know what is right… and what is wrong.”
Kassian made to speak but he closed his mouth again. He couldn’t decide whether to play ignorant or to accept her advice and acknowledge his awareness of the awkward yet serious situation they found themselves in.
“I would very much enjoy another trip to the gardens this evening,” the ambassador spoke for him. “The scent of flowers after sunset is most pleasant. If you could return, I would appreciate the escort.”
Kassian straightened up. “Of course, Ambassador Galfrey. I shall return after dinner has been served.”
After walking away, Kassian arranged for another Keeper to wait by their door. Every second he spent around them was making his head spin all the more. He could still smell Reyna’s sweet scent. Just keep walking, he told himself. He needed every moment he could get to pin down his thoughts and emotions on the matter.
“Keeper?” The voice guided Kassian to a familiar master. “You look distressed. Is everything alright?”
Kassian tugged on his long coat and lifted his chin in the master’s presence. “Of course, Master,” he lied for the second time that day.
“Glad to hear it,” the master purred, stepping closer so that Kassian could see his distorted reflection in the mask. “Would you care to walk with me?”
“It would be an honour,” the Keeper replied naturally and without consideration.
The master had set the leisurely pace of a stroll, but he was most definitely steering the pair through the central hall. Kassian soon found himself standing on a balcony, looking out over Valatos, and Velia beyond its high walls.
“Unlike our youngest,” the master began, his voice slightly muffled by his mask, “you can recall this sight from the end of The Ash War.”
Kassian didn’t have to think too hard in order to recall the black smoke that rose up from Velia in thick columns, pluming into the ash clouds above. So many of the buildings were ablaze and torn to pieces. Screams carried across the city from east to west, mixed with the roar of the orcs. It was the darkest of times, fraught with death and despair.
“Live long enough,” the master continued, “and you come to see that war is inevitable. Like the seasons, it sweeps across the land again and again, changing everything. Whether the next war is in our lifetime or not, it will return to claim as many lives as possible, especially the innocent ones such as those you see before us. It is our job, yours and mine, to ensure that Valatos remains protected. Our predecessors in Korkanath underestimated the threats posed, both foreign and domestic. They thought a dragon could watch over them. Then, they thought the kingdoms could shelter them. Trusting the Dragorn to keep them safe was their final mistake; one that cost many lives…”
Kassian looked down at the master’s hand, embracing the stone railing. The knuckles were flat and the skin from nail bed to wrist was white with old scarring. It had been the worst of burns, leading the Keeper to the likely conclusion that this particular master had been a student at Korkanath when Malliath razed it to the bedrock.
“The only way Valatos will ever be safe is if we are unburdened from the chains of our northern king. We will reside outside of any petty rivalries that arise between provinces. Mark my words, Kassian, at the first sign of a skirmish, our magic will be called upon by Namdhor to enforce the peace. The Archon will not have it!” He beat his fist into the railing. “Without the king’s restrictions on our studies of magic, we will learn of new ways to keep ourselves safe, maybe even the entire realm. But we need our freedom first, and before civil war forces us all to fight.”
Kassian clenched his jaw and felt all of his muscles tense. The master was clearly building up to that fateful order and the Keeper had to appear swept away with his speech.
“You were in the room earlier so I don’t have to repeat the ambassadors’… remarks. The king sent them here to make such bold statements, as if their threats would be enough to see us heel like dogs. The Archon agrees that the ambassadors would make an equally powerful statement in our favour, if certain measures were taken.”
Kassian’s heart began to beat like thunder in his chest again. “Should I expel them from the grounds, Master?” he suggested innocently.
“Ah, but it would be the manner in which they were removed that would send the right message. I would task you, a Keeper of Valatos, with taking that last step on behalf of us all and ensuring our independence.”
“I live to uphold the oaths of my order,” Kassian said, his words hollow in his mouth.
“That is most reassuring to hear,” the master replied, his smile evident in his tone, “because the ambassadors have threatened us. Your duty would have you respond accordingly. See to it that the Galfreys never threaten Valatos again and your name will be etched into the history of our people for all time.”
There it was. The Archon had given him the command to kill two people in cold blood. He had hoped that when he heard the order, he would feel a sense of duty and know that he was serving for the betterment of Valatos, for his wife and future family. Instead, he heard an order that made him feel like a murderer.
It was just wrong…
The master tilted his head to make contact with Kassian’s eyes. “What say you, Keeper? Will you do this and see our defences made stronger? Will you spill blood for our people?”
Kassian took a deep breath to steady his voice. “I serve as the Archon commands. I will see it done.”
The master placed a warm hand on the Keeper’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “Very good, Kassian. Very good. I leave the details to you, but make certain the deed is complete before the arrival of our next guests.”
“The king?” Kassian had almost forgotten that the king was apparently coming to Valatos in person.
The master paused, his concealed face directed towards the Keeper. “Have you told anyone of the arrival?”
“No, Master.”
“Very good. Your task is singular - stay focused and you will not waver.” The master held up a finger as if he had just remembered something. “Here, something to keep your mind steadfast.” From within his robe, the master produced a fine golden chain with the clasp of a snake’s head. “Allow me,” he said, wrapping the necklace around Kassian’s collar. “Keep that tucked away now. Feel it against your heart, where you hold Valatos so dear.”
Kassian pressed the golden chain into his neck as it slipped down his shirt. “An honour, Master.”
“A mere token really,” the master remarked casually. “Your deeds will see us all rewarded, Kassian.”
Only moments later, the Keeper was left alone on the balcony, prey to his own conscience. That fine necklace felt very heavy around his neck. He made to leave until his well-trained eyes spotted the auburn hair of his wife in the grounds below. She was escorting one of the younger classes back to their teaching room - she didn’t notice her husband. He thought that was just as well, since his face was likely ashen.
He would avoid Clara for the rest of the day, he decided. She would know something was wrong and press for the answer. Instead, the Keeper spent the afternoon in the Sanctorum, busying himself with wand and sword routines.
As the evening set in and an ocean of stars began to emerge, Kassian remembered his promise to Reyna and put his legs in motion, hoping they would see him returned to the ambassadors’ room without thought. His mind was crowded like a battlefield, two sides warring for victory. The fact that he imagined an army of orcs fighting for the Archon was very telling.
The Keeper felt the necklace bouncing against the top of his chest and it brought one word to mind: duty. For all that sounded wrong, the master was right about war. How long would it be before the next one? As the finest magic wielders in the realm, wouldn’t Valatos be called upon to fight for one side or the other?
Reyna Galfrey opened the door and Kassian blinked, unable to recall his journey or even knocking. The elf smiled warmly, her cloak already fastened around her shoulders.
“Shall we go?”
Kassian collected himself and looked past her. “Is the ambassador to accompany us?”
“Oh no. Nathaniel would rather read a book than simply wander around some gardens.” Closing the door behind her, Reyna hooked her arm inside Kassian’s, the action appearing natural but allowing her to guide him away from their suite. He had but a moment to flash the guarding Keeper a look, one which told him to stay at his post and watch the door.
In the south-west corner of Valatos, a series of lush gardens had been maintained by magic for many years. The trees were thick and tall, their branches full of green leaves that currently stretched for the moonlight. Hedges lined the paths, directing visitors from one grove to the next so that they might admire the flowers, many of which changed colour from one moment to the next. It was truly enchanting…
Reyna, graceful in her every movement, retrieved her arm and slipped between the hedges to walk on the grass, between the trees. Kassian subconsciously checked their surroundings, making certain they were alone. It was sheltered here, under the canopy and between the maze of hedges and trunks.
The ambassador strolled and skipped here and there, the elf in her coming alive within the embrace of nature. She cupped flower heads, ran her fingers across the bark, and inhaled the scent of it all carried on the breeze. This was not the same ambassador who had recently threatened the Archon, nor could Kassian envision the warrior history spoken of.
“Do you ever visit here?” she asked.
The Keeper gave the question a second’s thought. “It has been some time, I’ll admit. My duties keep me busy.”
“Isn’t that always the way,” Reyna mused. “We have a beautiful home on The Shining Coast, just south of here. It has been too long since I tended my gardens there. Duty has a way of tying us down, doesn’t it? Or at least it creates the illusion. To have a duty is to simply bind yourself to an ideal or, in most cases, someone else’s ideals. I am duty-bound to the realm and its people. As a result, I have a duty to the king, so long as he serves the realm. You are duty-bound to Valatos and the mages therein. Consequently, you have a duty to the Archon… so long as they serve Valatos.”
