Sadoul lay crumpled on the ground, vacant blue eyes staring straight up at the sky in genuine shock. His mouth hung open, caught in mid speech. The ground around him was splattered with droplets of blood from subsequent injuries from the spinning three swords.
Kazyr stood, mouth agape not unlike Sadoul, in mute surprise at the event. Once he recovered himself well enough to move, he found his expression mirrored in that of Sandor and his friends.
Lynx's tongue had halted in the midst of his spell as if he had been the one struck down rather than his opponent. P. J. had done a spectacular imitation of a fish. And Sandor had returned to sitting on his rump on the wet morning grass.
Ghaleon's sword had coalesced, now impaled in the damp earth about two feet past Sadoul's head.
Kazyr moved his mouth, thinking of something to say, but remained unsuccessful in his attempt to speak.
Ghaleon waved his hand negligently, and the sunken sword returned to his outstretched palm. As he slid the golden-hilted blade back into its sheath, the others around him come to life.
"Why did you...?" Sandor finally asked.
Ghaleon turned to face Sandor, his cloak whirling gently behind him in the light morning breeze. "Why?" Ghaleon repeated. He brushed back a few strands of stray silver hair from his face. "He would have kill you otherwise."
"But what are we to you?"
"Nothing more than I am to you," he replied. "I have no quarrel with you. And I do not want Sadoul to ruin any peace this land can find. I once fought to protect this world, and I shall continue to do so."
"Why?" asked Lynx. "I don't think you were one of the Five Magicians of Vay, but-"
Ghaleon shook his head. "I fought for this world while it was still a lifeless waste and the armor of Vay but a distance glimmer into the future." He turned to look up at the sky, catching a glimpse of Lunar in orbit. "And it looks like I've been given yet another chance to fight for this world and its moon."
The former Magic Emperor stepped forward and picked up Sadoul's sword. He slipped the blade into the dead man's sheath and slung Sadoul's body over his shoulder. "I don't suppose any of you know the way to Krager's library, do you?" he inquired.
Sandor and his friends glanced back and forth at each other.
"Well, I think I do," admitted P. J.
"I thought one of you would," Ghaleon said with a nod.
"But why should we take you there?" asked Sandor.
"Powerful forces are at work here." Ghaleon adjusted Sadoul's weight on him before turning to face the king of Lorath. "The three of us have some sort of destiny to fulfill that a being called the Maker seeks to prevent us from achieving. I aim to find out what that is. Getting to the library could be an important step in doing just that.
"Besides," he added, "I saved your lives. Helping me is the least you could do in return."
"But why are you taking Sadoul's body..." Sandor trailed off.
"We may still need him," Ghaleon said as he started off in a direction P. J. had vaguely indicated. "Leave his care to me. I know what I'm doing."
"I should hope so," muttered Kazyr. "I should hope so."
Sadoul fumed and ranted in the angry yellow glow of his afterlife. How could he let such a stupid thing happen? He should have known one of those two would have tried something, anything! Of all the rotten... A thousand fifty-two years of life and he managed to get himself killed not once, but twice within the last week of it. And to top it off, those two should know what he's going through! After all, were they not great bastions of evil in their own time?
The spirit whirled with rage. He would not be denied! When, yes, when he returned to life he would not let Ghaleon's treachery go unchallenged.
He chuckled to himself, a deadly calm surrounding him. The spirit knew it would not be his destiny to remain here for long. Ghaleon wanted to learn more about this Maker, and Sadoul's incapacitation would only serve to please that ancient being. If Ghaleon cared about this world for even half the amount he claimed he did, he would have to bring Sadoul back to life.
The spirit laughed. Yes, it would only be a matter of time. For his own sake, Ghaleon had better not let his guard down.
Once the five of them, six if one counted Sadoul's dead body, reached the foothills near Hayhill Downs, P. J. directed Ghaleon and Kazyr to the entrance to Krager's library. She warned them of the monsters that have likely laired within, but added that she was certain that they would not be a problem for someone like Ghaleon. Kazyr felt slightly indignant in that P. J. hadn't included him in that remark. Ghaleon wasn't the only powerful mage around.
After they reached the mouth of the cave, Ghaleon told Sandor and his friends to leave. They seemed surprised, as if not entirely certain that Ghaleon was letting them go.
"Go on," Ghaleon said. "This is not your fight. Sadoul is dead. That's what you came for, isn't it?"
Sandor nodded.
"Then go. This business with the Maker is something Kazyr and I have to take care of. I don't think you should get involved. And you have your kingdoms to look after."
"True," Sandor agreed, "but if you don't mind my asking, what is this Maker you're so worried about?"
Ghaleon sighed. "I'm not certain myself. All I know is that he's gathered some powerful allies and that he intends to 'correct' mistakes made long ago." He turned away to look deeper into the cave. "I have a feeling this 'correcting' is going to cost our worlds more than it's going to help."
"I understand," murmured Sandor. "Lynx and I will alert the other kingdoms of the situation. I don't know why, but I trust you."
Ghaleon solemnly met Sandor's eyes and shook the hand that he offered him. "Thank you, young king. Your words will not be forgotten."
"But I should let you know though, that your troubles are not yet over."
Ghaleon nodded. "I have never assumed that they would be."
"Jeal is on his way to Mount Bole. He will be in the area within a couple of days. He was the one who told us where we would find you, and I know he's out for Sadoul's blood. I have no way of contacting him now that he's left Danek Castle. He has no knowledge of Sadoul's death. And I have a feeling he won't care to listen to your story."
"He already knows it," Kazyr said quietly. "But he's chosen not to listen."
"I see," murmured Sandor, with a slight nod of his head. "I'll see if we can't get a messenger to intercept him. But if not, you had best finish your business here before too much time has passed."
"Believe me, we have no intention of staying any longer than necessary," Ghaleon assured him. He took a step into the cave, and then gave a final glance over his shoulder at the young king. "Now you'd best be going. None of us have much time to spare."
Sandor swung his arm out in a farewell salute, and headed back down the rocky path with P. J. and Lynx in tow. Ghaleon watched them leave before taking a few more steps into the darkness. Then he set Sadoul's body on the ground.
Kazyr looked inquiringly at Ghaleon.
"If the golden charm around his neck is removed and replaced, he will return to life. Is that correct?" Ghaleon's statement indicated that he only wanted a confirmation out of Kazyr, nothing more.
"Yes, that's right," replied the white-haired mage. "But I wish you would tell me your plans before you execute them," he added as Ghaleon pulled off Sadoul's pendant.
"That wasn't the time. If I said anything Sadoul might have heard."
"Sadoul was so absorbed fighting Sandor and company that he didn't even hear you casting your spell until the last second!"
Ghaleon turned to look at Kazyr. "That's because he was busy casting his own spell," he replied impatiently. "What was I supposed to do? 'Kazyr, I'm going to kill him!' and then throw my sword? You would have been just as shocked anyway."
Kazyr frowned. "Sadoul will never tell us what he's up to, although we already know it's nothing good. And you never tell me anything either. Neither or you trust me with anything!"
"I'm sure you have your own secrets, Kazyr," Ghaleon replied. "Feel free to use them when you wish. It's not like Sadoul and I trust each other either."
"Why do we need Sadoul back anyway?" Kazyr meandered a little further down the passageway.
"Information," Ghaleon said simply. "That and because as I mentioned earlier, we may still need him. If Jeal does catch up with us, we know the two of them will get into a fight for certain. He could be a valuable ally then."
"Perhaps they'll kill each other and leave us both free to do what we want," Kazyr remarked coldly, leaning an arm against the wall of the tunnel.
Ghaleon mentally agreed. But he sensed that wasn't something inclined to happen.
He toyed with the golden charm in his hand, looking at the small ivory chip. And a thought occurred to him. From the scenes Jeal had shown them, Kazyr had obviously killed the woman who loved him. Had he loved her in return? Ghaleon was inclined to think so. He realized he knew so little of Kazyr's past beyond his travel through the stars, but if these charms had the ability to resurrect the dead, why hadn't he used it on her? She was wrongfully killed and probably deserved her life back more than Ghaleon and Sadoul did.
Ghaleon looked at Kazyr, who waited with his back to him further down the tunnel. Kazyr's bundled white hair trailed almost to the ground, almost like some sort of tail. Perhaps Ghaleon was being too harsh to him. Just how long had Kazyr lived anyway? And how many of those years were spent when Kazyr was not even in control of his own mind? While Sadoul's long years were spent with thoughts of conquest, had Kazyr's been in sorrow? Perhaps regret? Now all the white-haired wizard could do was wander the stars in his prism ship, alone. What kept the man going with a future like that?
Ghaleon considered not bringing Sadoul back, knowing the friction that would no doubt pervade the trio once he returned. But Lucia had once chosen Sadoul as one of this planet's saviors. She must have seen something in him, just as Althena had seen something in Ghaleon that he hadn't known he possessed. Could he trust what had been her judgment over a millennia ago?
I fight for you again, Althena. Perhaps this one will fight for Lucia once more as well.
And he slipped the charm back around Sadoul's neck.