Day 84 (62nd)

Day 84(62nd):
We awoke to the sound of bells. Small bells inside the room and large bells outside. Bells rang from towers, from the street, seemingly from everywhere. We looked at each other. Lehand, after the ringing ended, explained.
"It marks the 'official' beginning of the day, the 'official' end of the night. We arrived too late for the night bells. You will hear them this evening."
Lehand was delighted he could share this information with us. A knock interrupted his beaming. Both valets entered.
"Their Royal Majesties request your presence for the morning meal. We are here to escort you to the dining room."
Quickly, we dressed and followed them. Good thing they were guiding us. With all the twists and turns, it would have been very easy to get lost.
After a seemingly eternity of walking, we arrived at a set of ornate doors. Each valet took a handle and opened the doors. They stood in the doorway and announced us. Fortunately, they only used titles, names, and "Sister of the Sword" for the appropriate people. Once finished, they parted and motioned for us to enter. The men led, went to opposite sided of the table, and stood there. The seven of us entered and stood at the end of a very large table. At the other end sat a richly dressed couple, two young men and a girl, also richly dressed, a military man, a female I could not quite place, and the elderly cleric we met in Thantos. He smiled at us. The male from the couple motioned for us to sit. Somehow, Callie and I ended up at the foot of the table, side by side. Once we were all settled, we were introduced to the others at the table. There was an awkward silence. I saw the emotions quickly swirling under calm masks. Only Cleric Mamar's outward features were the same as the white-yellow glow radiating from him. King Droland had a shell like Kendar use to have. His glow was thin and a little dark, but not black or a cloak. Queen Darla had a rose-white glow, no shell, but it did not radiate. Both Prince Vangar and Prince Gavin showed the early signs of a shell. Vangar's glow was redder then Gavin's, who's was slightly blue. Princess Margret radiated blue-white, the largest of the royal family. General Barvann had a steel-hard shell, very thin, painfully white and cold. Guild Mistress Beatrice's was the hardest to look at for more than a second. Cold white covering a dark red glow with sparks of green shooting through it.
Finally, Beatrice spoke, "We are interested to talk with you ladies. Our dear cleric has told us things some of us find a little hard to believe."
"Anything specific?" Alice asked.
The other end exchanged looks. Fear, anger, confusion, and doubt swirled around all of them.
The general answered, "When he said you can see a person's history and heritage, what does that mean?"
"A person's past plays before my eyes, behind the person I focus upon, like theatre. Beyond that, it is like a series of portraits when I go beyond their history to the past generations. Below the portrait is a name. I have gone back as far as eight generations," Alice informed them.
They all nodded, our escorts included.
Beatrice spoke again, "Who is the one that detects the value of things?"
Gretta raised her hand. Beatrice motioned for her to explain.
"As I told Commander Lehand, fake things feel dead, lifeless, and hollow. The more value it has, the more alive it feels. Your jewels, Your Majesties, are so alive to me that they nearly sing."
They nodded emphatically. Princess Margret giggled, Queen Darla smiled, and King Droland puffed himself up.
The general spoke again, "What about strengths and weaknesses? How does that work?"
"Strong things feel stable, secure, safe and whole. The weaker something is, the less complete, safe and firm it feels. Visibly, weak things look like they have holes or missing pieces," Callie responded.
Only the men and boys nodded, the females seemed still confused. They said nothing.
The Cleric Mamar spoke next, "Kayla, are we all shining to your sight?"
I was reluctant to answer.
Mamar read my apprehension, "I take your silence to indicate you see problems?"
"Not problems, sir, just not all of you shine."
"Do not fear, child. Tell us what you see."
I did, exactly as I saw it. I was greeted by a collection of confused looks. I began to explain, but Mamar stopped me. He indicated that my words would be meaningless at this time.
Fortunately, breakfast arrived. So much food! We ate timidly, not wishing to seem crude before our royal hosts. Kendar and Lehand quietly assured us to eat our fill. Except for utensils clicking and cups tapping the table, the room was silent. As we ate, Callie squeezed my leg.
"Leo is not far away. He says he will stay hidden until we tell him that he has permission to land," she told me mentally.
I cleared my throat to get every one's attention.
"Your Majesties, a friend of our's wishes permission to enter the city and palace."
They looked at each other.
King Droland finally spoke, "Why does this friend require permission?"
"He is a dragon and doesn't want to alarm anyone."
All activity ceased. Beatrice went red in the face. General Barvann sputtered, trying to spit out his drink and swallow at the same time. Mamar smiled broadly. Both Queen Darla and Princess Margret fainted. Prince Vangar made a move as if to draw a sword he realized he didn't have. Prince Gavin attended to his sister who was at his side. King Droland just sat there, staring at me, letting Jerome tend to the unconscious queen. Finding his voice, Droland asked, "How are all of you acquainted with a dragon?"
"He is the dragon I pulled Wrath from," Callie replied a little nervously.
"You didn't slay him after getting your sword?" Prince Vangar asked angrily.
"There was no need. He was happy to have Wrath out of his leg and allowed us to sleep in his cave and flew us back to Uncle's house to show him the swords and flew us to Thantos to meet Alice," Callie answered, sort of rambling.
Vangar quietly seethed. Both queen and princess came around. Barvann was nearly as livid as Vangar. Beatrice was shaking, several emotions raging inside her that she was trying hard to contain. Kendar, Lehand, and Markus sat as if this were completely normal. Jerome returned to his seat and mirrored our three soldiers' composure.
Droland broke the silent tension, "Why is he coming here?"
"The Faerie Queen said he could provide information on Maalicus' heritage that was blocked from Alice's sight. Maalicus is not fully human and knowing his ancestry may aid us in fighting him and finding out why he wants the swords so badly," I told them.
Queen and Princess fainted again. Beatrice was close to passing out. All but our four men and Mamar were beside themselves, unsure of what to say or do.
Mamar brightly asked, "Was the Faerie Queen as beautiful as the stories say?"
I smiled, "The stories pale in comparison with the real thing. In moonlight, there are no words to describe such a gorgeous being."
The queen and princess were carried out of the room by servants. Beatrice stiffly left at their heels. Vangar stormed out pass them. Barvann was right behind him. Gavin sat in shock. Droland went out another door and was gone. Only Mamar remained sitting and unchanged. We continued to eat. Callie told Leo to wait as the humans were having trouble understanding our friendship with him, the Faerie Queen, and other things we had told them. Callie said he laughed and agreed to wait.
Gavin came around after a few minutes and also left, leaving only Mamar to be our host. We chatted about small things. Even the swords took part from time to time, not speaking for themselves, but telling us to tell the men something.
A little over an hour after entering, we all left to let the servants do their jobs. Mamar walked us to the gardens. It was a fantastic array of styles, colors, and types. A lot of romance had taken place here, for the residual emotion made a rose-pink haze over everything. We had been out here only a short while when Vangar, Barvann, and other soldiers came running towards us. They all stopped a few dozen paces away. Vangar was glowing fire-red.
"Mamar, step away from them. They are under arrest," he barked.
"Arrest? On what charges, my prince," Mamar asked politely.
"Consorting with dragons and demon kind. We all know the Faerie Queen is really the Queen of the Abyss. I told Father these girls and their swords were evil. Take them!"
"Stay your ground!" another male voice ordered.
Looking around, we watched King Droland exit a large gazebo. Vangar took half a step back. Barvann and the other soldiers bowed. Droland told all of the soldiers to leave. Barvann stayed. Father and son stood arm's length apart.
"Vangar, I am at my wit's end with you. Only one church in all of Raval teaches that all non-humans are products of devils, demons, and the Abyss. Why does that have to be the one authority you pay any heed?"
"Because it is the only one that speaks the truth! Elves, dwarfs, giants, dragons, and the rest are evil and foul creatures of the darkest depths of the Abyss. When I am King, they will be eliminated from Raval, forever!"
I witnessed and tasted a darkness on Vangar but not in him. It was similar to Abigail's darkness. I informed the rest. We knew the soul poison chant would not work. I tested Mamar and found him receptive. I, quickly, filled him in on what I felt. His expression hardened. He knew this darkness.
"You keep up this intolerance and you will not live that long. Anger and hatred make poor armor," King Droland warned him.
"Test them," Mamar interrupted.
"Cleric, I am tired of your ... " Vangar started.
"Silence," Droland cut him off, "If you are certain of their evil, prove it. Your church claims it can detect and remove evil. Do it. If you prove they are as evil as you say, I will expel them from Raval, never to set foot within our borders again."
Vangar stood silent for a second, then smiled, "Fortunately, I sent for the Bishop after I left and he will be here soon. He will prove their evil for all to see," he said smugly.
"They will be out here when he arrives," King Droland told his son.
Vangar left the garden with Barvann hot on his heels. Droland sat on a nearby bench. The sadness rippled his thin, dark glow. I sat next to him. Mamar, Kendar, and Lehand moved to stop me. Jerome gasped.
"Your Majesty, I can see how deeply the Prince affects you. Your glow is very thin and dark and the shell around you is so hard. We are here to help everyone we can, including kings. Tell me, let me know how we can bring light back to your soul."
Droland looked at the men in a way that indicated they should leave. As they went, Sarah sat on his other side while the other five positioned themselves around us and him.
"It is my fault. The nanny who tended him as a child was of that faith. She taught him to believe that way. He refuses to acknowledge any treaties we have with other races. He has harassed three churches into closing. I fear for Raval when he becomes king."
"This nanny, is she still alive?" I asked politely.
Droland paused, "Yes, she is, why?"
We recounted Abigail and her darkness. Then, I told him of the darkness hanging around Vangar. Droland summoned Mamar and asked him about it. Mamar informed us all that the darkness was familiar to him and he believed it was affecting Vangar. Droland sent him and the other men to find the nanny. Droland sat down with us again. His emotions were causing his glow to pulse and writhe erratically.
"What are your feelings towards other races, King Droland?" Alice asked softly.
"We have so little contact with them that I only know them diplomatically. They seemed like good people, but it was a diplomatic meeting so everyone was on their best behavior. I would have liked to speak with any of them person-to-person, not king and diplomat."
"Our dragon friend is close by. he would love to talk with you," Callie said casually.
Droland thought a moment. I saw the increased glow before he spoke.
Standing up, he said, "Yes! Yes, call him. Let my son see a friendly dragon who aid people. This garden should be large enough."
"More than enough, Your Majesty," Callie smiled.
We had not long to wait. Leo landed on an open area of grass. He took in the view before his large eyes found us.
"Hello, ladies. Who is this now?" Leo asked.
"Mars-in-Leo, meet King Droland of Raval. Your Majesty, Mars-in-Leo, Leo for short."
Leo nodded and approached us. Droland made a move to step back, then changed his mind and stood his ground. Leo laid down before us so he would be at eye level.
" 'Droland'? My, that is an old name. Is it a family name?"
"Yes, my father's grandfather."
"Ah, makes sense. So, are we just being social or is this important?" Leo asked off-handily.
"Right now, King Droland needed someone not human to talk with one-on-one without diplomatic airs," I informed him.
"Well, it is nice to talk with a man who does not wish to use my hide to decorate his bedroom. So, Droland, what is it you wish to talk about?"
Droland took a moment to find his voice. 
He replied, "Are all dragons so straight forward?"
" At my age, dancing around the subject is boring. 'Get to the meat', I say."
We all, even Droland, laughed. His glow was slowly clearing and brightening. Droland and Leo spoke for quite a while, discussing all manner of things. Their conversation was interrupted by a shriek. We all looked at the source. Our men had returned with the nanny, who was almost as elderly as Mamar. She screamed until she was out of breath, inhaled, then screamed some more. Droland, finally, ordered her to be silent. Even quiet, her face was a mask of terror. Mamar introduced himself to Leo and he did in turn. Droland addressed the nanny. I could see her thick, dark cloak flapping with the fear she was feeling.
"Nanny Holly, tell me the truth. Have you done anything to Prince Vangar magically or otherwise to corrupt his mind?"
She froze. I could see her trying to come up with a plausible lie.
When all had escaped her, she said, truthfully, "By order of my master, I placed a spell upon him to harden his heart and make him believe only the words of our church. General Barvann helps maintain it. Prince Vangar must be in sight of him, myself, the Bishop, or three other people or it will slip."
Droland fumed, " I am your master! You answer to me!"
Holly laughed, "My true master is far above you in power. Maalicus rules over me."
"He does what?" another male voice asked.
We all turned to see Vangar, Barvann, three soldiers, and a fancy dressed cleric.
"Holly, you follow Maalicus? You are a Baaloc?" Vangar asked.
Holly sputtered, tried to accuse us of bewitching her, that the dragon made her say that. Anger overwhelmed Vangar. He drew a knife, threw it, and it thudded in Holly's chest. In shock, she fell backwards, dead before she hit the ground. I could see an energy backlash on the Bishop, general, and the three soldiers. The Bishop winced in actual pain while the others paled visibly.
"Kayla, did you see what I saw?" Leo asked quietly.
I nodded. Mamar looked at me in a questioning manner. I replayed what Leo and I had seen.
"With Holly dead, the burden of the spell falls to you, Bishop. Can you handle it?" Mamar asked almost as a tease.
"I...I don't know what you mean," the Bishop said, trying to hide the pain, "The woman was senile. She didn't know what she was saying. My Prince, I will prove the evil of these girls, their swords, and this beast."
"Be silent, old man!" Vangar shouted.
He looked at Holly's body, his knife still in her chest. Suddenly, another knife in his hand, he spun and brought it to the Bishop's throat. The Bishop gasped.
"Mamar has never lied to me. Even when I didn't believe a word, I knew it was true. Release the spell or die!" Vangar threatened.
"My... my Prince, control yourself. This is madness!" the Bishop said as he tried to enforce the spell.
It failed. Vangar's anger was so hot, the spell sizzled and died. Bishop, general, and the three soldiers were hit with the full repercussion of the death of the spell. Blood flowed from their noses and mouths. Sarah quietly cried as she watched their health deteriorate very rapidly. Callie and I comforted her. Vangar stepped away as they started coughing and gagging on their own blood.
Before the life left him, the Bishop croaked, "My study... all there... the plan... details..."
I pulled Sarah's face to my shoulder so she would not see them die. Tears soaked my shirt as she felt their lives leave them. Five heavy thuds marked their passing. Vangar stood, looking at the bodies. The darkness was gone. As the red faded from his glow, it grew a little bigger, shell gone, and a spark flitted here and there. He turned and faced us all, face wet and eyes red. He looked at his father.
Soundlessly, he said, "I am so sorry."
At this moment, they were not King and Prince, they were father and son. They walked towards each other and emphatically embraced. They both glowed brighter and cleaner that I had yet to see them. Sarah indicated a malady she had seen was lifting from them. She described that around their hearts had been dark. Now the darkness was fading. Leo whispered that the malady was heartache. We all nodded in understanding.
As they embraced, other voices were heard coming into the garden. Queen, princess, and prince raced out to us. Seeing Droland and Vangar hugging, they were confused. Seeing six dead people at their feet shocked them. Realizing a full-grown bronze colored dragon, a living one, was standing with us, the two females fainted and the other prince's legs gave out, making him thud on the ground. Those three thuds made Droland and Vangar part. Droland ran to Darla, Vangar ran to Margret, and Sarah saw to Gavin. Gavin was staring wide-eyed at Leo, who lowered his head to regard this prince a little closer. Gavin was stuttering, trying to speak. Sarah was trying to calm him.
Leo told him, "Deep breaths, just breathe, everything will be fine."
"It...talks, " Gavin said hoarsely and fainted.
Sarah caught him so he didn't hit his head on the ground. The rest of us didn't know what to do at that moment, so we asked Mamar what to do with the six bodies bleeding over the royal garden. Leo volunteered to cremate them, but Mamar said proper burials would be best. Lisa removed Vangar's knife from Holly's chest, wiped it off, and tucked it away to return later. Mamar went to the door and called for servants to aid us. They were sort of told the truth. They were informed that Baaloc magic had ended their lives. Sheets and branches became litters as we all helped carry them. The Bishop went to his church, the soldiers and general to a military cemetery, and Leo got to cremate Holly, since she had no family and someone might try to use her body for more evil. During all of this, Lisa gave Vangar back his knife.
By the time we were finished, everyone was recovered and we were all starving. The night bells rang and valets came to tell us dinner would be ready soon. Droland had a meal prepared for Leo. He also ordered that dinner be a picnic. While we went inside to clean up, Leo made the bloody grass clean again.
Dinner in the garden was a pleasant affair. The royal family was much more cheerful than this morning. Leo told us of the area he had been hiding. Slowly, they got use to conversing with a dragon who alluded that he wasn't far out of the shell when the swords were made.
During our meal, the real reason for Leo's presence was told. He thought it over as he chewed on the leg bone of the side of beef Droland had the servants bring him.
Setting it aside, he commented, "There are a couple of reasons why Alice's sight would not help see Maalicus' heritage. First, his non-human side may be of a race Alice is not familiar and would be unable to name it. Second, it may not be a heritage thing at all. I have seen people of all races give up their 'humanity', so to speak, in order to gain power. If he has done this, then there is no heritage to see. The 'theatre' of his past would be an empty stage."
We all pondered his words. Since the only two times we have seen him were images only, we still had not "seen" him.
As we ate, a servant came out to the garden. He begged our pardons, but told us that a man matching Maalicus' discription was seen in the city at the dead bishops' church. Droland called for guards and told them to follow the one who had seen him and make sure it was truly Maalicus and not an innocent man who just looked like him. They saluted and took off at a run with the servant. We all concurred that it would be ridiculus for Maalicus to come in person to see any of his agents, even if they were corrupting the heir of Raval. We decided to continue our picnic and wait for word.
We had finished eating, and the servants were cleaning up, when the guards returned. They reported that the man was a Baaloc, but not Maalicus. They decided to detain him until the King told them what should be done. Droland said to bring him into the conference room. He asked if we would join him in talking with the Baaloc. We agreed and followed him to the conference room.
The conference room had a throne and two tables flanking it. We seven, Lehand, Kendar, and Jerome took places at those tables. Mamar stood of to one side. Only the King was there, no other member of the royal family. We were told they only took part when asked by the King.
The guards entered surrounding the Baaloc who was in shackles. I could see red streaks of anger, ripples of hate, and a shell of white pride, rock hard, in and around his black cloak of evil. He had no fear, his pride convincing him he was superior in every way to all of us in the room. Lehand stood when they had placed him in a circle before us.
"State your name, rank, and purpose for being in this city," he ordered.
The Baaloc said nothing. He looked straight ahead at no one. Lehand repeated his order, but received the same answer. Alice touched Lehand's arm and nodded. Lehand sat as Alice rose.
"Barram, son of Ramak, the agents you were ordered to get a report from are dead. The spell on Prince Vangar is broken. He is his own man now. Maalicus has failed."
"Lying bitch!" Barram exploded, "Maalicus is supreme. His plans are flawless and perfectly executed. Prince Vangar is his puppet. No one cuts the strings but Maalicus."
Alice had sat during his tyrade.
As he caught his breath, King Droland asked, "Why do you obey him so? What has he given you to ensure such obedience and loyalty?"
Barram puffed out his chest, "It is not what he has given, but what he will give. When I have proven my worth, he will make me immortal like him."
I could see that he believed every word he said. I let everyone know that fact. Barram looked at me, then went down the tables to look at each of us in turn.
Counting seven, he smiled strangely, "The Seven Sisters of the Swords. Maalicus said you were close. He will be pleased by this news. I will be rewarded greatly."
"Not if you never leave the city," Lehand said grimmly.
Barram's confidence shook at this statement. It never occurred to him he would not be set free. A signal from Droland and the guards encircled him to take him away.
"Wait! Wait! I will tell you anything! I cannot be imprisoned," Barram pleaded.
Droland waved the guards back. I stood.
"What evidence do you have that Maalicus is immortal?"
"He has lived for a thousand years. No weapon can harm him, that I have witnessed. He carries the original words of the faith etched in his skin. No secret can be hidden from him. His is as close to a god as any can hope to be."
Our swords vibrated so much, they were humming.
"The Maalicus we fought had words on his skin. He is the same, I fear," Sloth said, "We need to find out how he came to this power. Only then can we know how to defeat him."
We let the men in on Sloth's words. They decided to hold him a day or two to see what else he might tell us. Barram pleaded as the guards nearly drug him out the door.
Droland suggested that it was time to go to bed, "It has been a long and emotional day. Let us put it to rest."
We all agreed. Valets escorted us to our room and we fell into a deep slumber.