DragonStone- Fatal Winds Read online

  Ardant smiled; giving up on convincing Alys on the conveniences of life he changed the subject. “Is Eryyn still with his books?”

  “Of course,” she replied. “I’m sure he will tear himself away when he sees your here.”

  “He probably already knows I’m here and why.” Ardant gave Alys Cadan’s surprise. “You don’t mind if I see myself to the library do you?”

  “Of course not but, tell him the midday meal will be ready in an hour.” Alys and Ardant exchanged a friendly hug. “It is really good to see you again.” She said. “You should visit more often.”

  “I will do my best.” Ardant released Alys, “I will have Eryyn here in time to eat, I promise.”

  Ardant walked to edge of the meadow in front of his ship; there he found the familiar path made of hand size stones of various shapes. The path itself twisted through the woods and led to a stone building towering high above the tallest trees. He always enjoyed walks in the fresh air; the colony ship had never been able to duplicate the natural air of the Earth. Ardant stepped to the path that would take him to the library he saw in the distance.

  ***

  Eryyn sat upon a high wooden stool and looked around. He was in a large room filled with shelves from one end to the others. All the shelves were filled with large books, books he had written in. He turned his attention to the table in front of him. To his left was a stack of books with empty pages waiting for him to fill them with the knowledge he carried. He picked up one of the heavy leather bound books. While placing it in front of him he opened it to the first blank page. He placed his hands on either side of the book and allowed the thoughts of his mind to flow onto the pages. The book pages turned by invisible hands as each page filled to capacity. The information in his mind had once been the care of the Council of Mages. During the fight against dark forces five years ago the nearly limitless knowledge of the council became his. All of that information resided in the subconscious areas of his mind waiting to burst forth. At first he tried to focus on the words as they wrote themselves to the books, but he could not, it was too much information for his mind to process. Occasionally he stopped and read the words recently written on a page. Two sentences on the page caught his attention. “A sacrifice of blood will herald destruction.” And then again. “A sacrifice of blood will herald destruction.” At first he thought a misprint had occurred since the two sentences were identical, but he dismissed that thought for the moment and continued on allowing more knowledge to pass into the books before him. Hour after hour he completed as many empty books as time allowed, it would be a task for others to read and categorize them, if possible.

  ***

  Ardant reached the end of the path through the woods and stood before the entrance of the square stone building. The height of the library dwarfed the tallest trees around him. The library Eryyn used to store the knowledge of the council exceeded, in size, the meadow where he frequently landed. He opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside. Once the door closed behind him lanterns automatically lit along the corridor in front of him. Each level of the library contained evenly spaced corridors with an endless choice of doors leading to rooms filled with books that his friend had filled with the knowledge of the past. Ardant walked the length of the corridor to the other side of the building and began the climb the stairs leading to the top level of the building.

  ***

  Eryyn closed the large book in front of him. He looked around at the countless books on the shelves. He was in the top level of the library and all the levels below him were filled with similar books. Eryyn knew that with all the books he had written they contained only a fraction of the knowledge in his mind. With a thought from his mind the book lifted itself from the table, passed by several bookshelves and placed itself in the next empty spot. He sensed the approach of a familiar friend and sat with a smile looking towards the alcove where the stairs led to the lower levels. In moments Ardant appeared at the top of the stairs, slightly out of breath.

  “You enjoy making people walk those stairs don’t you?” Ardant sounded only slightly out of breath as he walked over to Eryyn and sat on a stool offered to him.

  “It was the only way I could get so much work done. The readers are too exhausted to talk once they reach the top. Now they wait until I am on one of the lower levels before questioning me about a certain word or phrase.” Eryyn offered his hand and Ardant clasped it firmly. “It is good to see you.” Eryyn paused and smiled. “Ambassador.” He released his hand as Ardant rolled his eyes.

  “Please don’t remind me. I never sought the position and I am sure my wife had something to do with it.”

  “How is she?” Eryyn stepped off his stool and walked to the nearest window for a breath of fresh air.

  “The baby is due any day now.” Ardant replied and followed, looking out the window below the forest seemed endless. “Geva is as anxious as I am to have the baby.”

  “How many children do you have now?” Eryyn smiled.

  “You know very well how many, including the two sets of twins.” Ardant smiled in return. He always enjoyed talking with Eryyn about anything that came to mind.

  “It’s a good thing you both wanted a large family.” Eryyn gave a friendly pat on Ardant’s shoulder then turned to his friend his face appearing more serious. “How are the negotiations going with the Barren Continent?”

  Ardant rolled his eyes. “The negotiations, if possible, are proceeding in reverse.” Ardant said in frustration. “Even if our technology could function in that area it would be useless since they forbid us to approach any closer than three hundred miles offshore. The only island in the Barren Sea we are allowed to meet on is as barren as their continent.” Ardant tossed his hands up in the air. “To make matters worse there is a different representative every time we meet. I am convinced the entire continent is made up of pirates, thieves and swindlers. I am only guessing, but I get the feeling we are dealing with different factions, each of which has agreed to share the negotiations.” Ardant sighed and crossed his arms. “I am not convinced they even want to reunite with the rest of the world, or that we should invite them. Clearly they seem to have little to no interest in reaching an agreement.”

  “Our world needs to be united especially since we are reaching out to other worlds and cultures. I can’t think of any better suited for the job than you.” The way Eryyn smiled reminded Ardant of someone who enjoyed seeing the frustration he felt.

  “Remind me again why you are not involved.”

  “There is not really much to tell. I do know there was a rift between the apprentices here and the apprentices of the Barren Continent a few thousand years ago. Since then the two never came to terms with whatever caused the rift, our apprentices are not welcome, that has been made abundantly clear.” Eryyn gestured to the vast amount of books. “The answer is somewhere there.” Ardant could hear the impatience in Eryyn’s voice when he referred to the books.

  “Eryyn, I know I have already asked.” Ardant said. “But, are your sure when you spoke with EverGreen, he said there was nothing unusual about the Barren Continent?” Before Eryyn answered he felt another familiar presence and looked out the window. Ardant followed the direction of Eryyn’s eyes, as he leaned out the window, looking down he saw the top of a large tree stretching upward. The tree continued to grow and stretch until it reached the window where Eryyn and his friend were standing. The thick branches and leaves parted, and a familiar friend emerged and stepped through the large window.

  “I hope I am not intruding.” EverGreen smiled. He not only lived on the land, as a protector he was also part of it.

  “Why didn’t you use the stairs?” Ardant first met EverGreen when the lost colonists returned to Earth.

  “And become winded?” EverGreen said as he smiled with shallow innocence at Ardant. Ardant knew EverGreen would not have experienced any strain by walking to them.

  “Just how long have you been around here?” Ardant asked with a touch o
f false irritation in his voice.

  “I was watching long enough to see you enter the library and then climb the steps. I actually thought of providing you a faster mode of travel, but since becoming Ambassador you seem a bit out of shape.”

  “Thanks.” Ardant responded dryly. EverGreen’s smile faded and his face changed to a more serious expression.

  “To answer the question you put the Eryyn a few moments ago, the magnetic effect in the Barren Lands is normal, as is the nature of that land, barren and desert like. I know it may not seem natural, but it is, although I do admit the lands were very different before the Great War. The world changed dramatically. How could it not have after facing near destruction and devastation?” Eryyn noticed EverGreen absentmindedly rubbed his right arm. He still bore a scar that reflected the damage still present in the form of the Black Forest. The Black Forest stretched from the Northern to Southern tip of the coast, on the east end, of the continent Eryyn lived on and seemed to refuse to heal. EverGreen looked at his friends. “There is something odd of late. I cannot explain it, but I feel a very subtle shift in the world.” EverGreen said. “Have either of you seen or felt anything unusual?”

  “I can have the colony ship review their scan logs, but to my knowledge nothing unusual has been reported.” Ardant looked at Eryyn. “What about you?”

  “I have not sensed anything different; however I have been somewhat pre-occupied.” Eryyn looked at the endless rows of books.

  “Can you describe what if felt like?” Ardant crossed his arms in concern. He knew EverGreen was nearly an immortal with power beyond what Ardant had ever conceived, but he still seemed very human in many ways. Ardant could see the concern on his face as he tried to dismiss his feelings.

  “It felt like someone opening a door very far away, and then it closed quickly.”

  “Why don’t we go to my house and talk there,it must be time to eat and I for one am very hungry.” Eryyn made his way to the steps continuing to talk. “Later I can search for anything unusual in the background noise normally found within the elements of the planet. I will also search the flow of magic.”

  ***

  Cadan sat in the middle of the meadow watching his mother preparing a meal as she stirred the large pot suspended over the cooking pit. She enjoyed being outside and took every advantage she could to be in the sun. Several wild creatures sat around Cadan, a rabbit, a few mice and a wolf. In his presence, they were harmless to him and to each other. He absentmindedly patted or held each animal in turn. Looking towards the library in the distance he called out mentally to his father to play his favorite game.

  “Father, can we play now?” Cadan said to his father in his mind.

  “In a few moments my son.” Cadan sat as patiently as he could while he waited for his father’s thoughts. Several minutes passed by before he heard his father’s voice again in his mind.

  “OK Cadan. It will only take me a few minutes to get home.” Cadan heard his father's voice speaking inside his head. “See if you can find where I’ve placed part of my consciousness.” Cadan loved this version of hide and seek even more than playing with the other children. The other children could not help announcing their presence and, therefore making it too easy to find them. Cadan started looking around then he closed his eyes and looked with his mind. He continued to search until he sensed his father’s presence at the edge of the meadow. He looked up and saw his father smiling at him as he walked toward him. Uncle Ardant and Uncle EverGreen were walking toward the house while his father walked to where he sat and kneeled on the grass in front of him.

  “I give up” Cadan crossed his arms in a futile gesture of frustration. Eryyn pointed a finger at Cadan’s shirt. When Cadan looked down, his father tapped his nose. Cadan was about to laugh when he realized his father’s hiding place had virtually been under his very nose. Cadan stood and the animals around him scampered off into the woods while Cadan put on the best pouting face he could. “That’s not fair.”

  “A lot of things are not always fair.” Eryyn stood and offered his hand to his son and Cadan took it. “It’s time for lunch, make sure you wash your hands and face before you eat.” Eryyn heard the almost inaudible sigh from his son.

  ***

  After the meal Eryyn suggested that he, EverGreen and Ardant go to quiet room in the storage corridors under his home so as not to be unnecessarily interrupted. As they walked to the far end of the dirt corridor the lanterns lit themselves providing abundant light. Eryyn opened the heavy wooden door at the end. After the three walked through he closed it and led them a few feet before turning right. He opened another door leading to a small room just large enough for the three of them. The room was made of solid stone. Eryyn had fashioned it years before for a place of quiet contemplation. EverGreen and Ardant sat on pillows lining the outer wall. “I have not noticed anything unusual lately, but I will be as thorough as I can in my search.” Eryyn moved to the center of the room, sat down and closed his eyes and searched for the strange event that EverGreen had described earlier in the day.

  ***

  The world around Eryyn changed as he spread his consciousness outward. Gone were the trees, the air, and the ground he walked upon. Instead he searched the forces unseen to the naked eye that made up the planet's gravity, magnetism and then the background current of magic. He probed and moved looking for anything out of the ordinary.

  Ardant was not able to sense what Eryyn was doing, but he could see the change in his face as he explored the unseen world. He looked completely relaxed, his breathing nearly undetectable during the hour he spent searching.

  A deep breath from Eryyn alerted EverGreen and Ardant he had completed his search and returned fully to the confines of his own body. Both looked at Eryyn awaiting a response. Eryyn looked at them, but his face held the expression of a person uncertain. “I could not find anything obvious out of place, but something feels difference.”

  “Could you tell where or what?” EverGreen offered his hand to Eryyn as he stood.

  “No and whatever it was the effect is so vague that I could not isolate it.” Eryyn said. “It may be nothing.”

  “With that I disagree completely.” EverGreen looked at his two friends. “I have come to know you both well enough to recognized the looks on your faces.” EverGreen said bluntly. “Neither of you believe for a moment what Eryyn just said.”

  “EverGreen.” Eryyn sighed. “It seems all we can do is wait.”

  “I don’t like waiting.” EverGreen crossed his arms.

  “Your nearly immortal.” Replied Ardant. “In all of the ages you have protected this world, I would have thought that you would have more patience.”

  “Not when something bothers me. I don’t like surprises or unexplained events that occur for no reason.”

  “What about Ahm-Roth.” Ardant asked looking at Eryyn. “Perhaps the Lord of Dragons might sense something and add another piece to the puzzle?”

  “He will be returning tomorrow. I will ask Syl if she has noticed anything out of the ordinary. I think we should ask the apprentices to pay more attention to any unusual events as well.” Eryyn paused in thought. “Maybe were going about this the wrong way?” He said to his friends.

  “In what respect?” EverGreen asked.

  “You said you felt as if a door had opened, then closed very quickly right?” EverGreen nodded. “It may be what I am sensing now is the after effect of what you felt before, there may be no source to find.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Ardant looked at his friends intently. “If something can occur without either of you knowing about it then that makes me nervous.”

  “We are not all powerful or all knowing my friend,” EverGreen responded. “The world is a very large place.” He paused as he looked more intently at Ardant. “Tell me, if a single hair upon your head falls out do you know?” Ardant shook his head no. “The world is the same for us, many things are occurring on every level of existence. It is
impossible for us to be aware of them all. In the same way a single hair falls out as a natural event, similar events occur in the world.”

  “But this event may not have been natural,” Interjected Eryyn. “Which means it may occur again and we will have to wait and watch for it.”

  ***

  Alys was instructing Cadan on his afternoon lesson in hand and ear washing when Eryyn and the others emerged from the house. “Did you find anything?”

  “Not yet.” Eryyn took her hand in his.

  “Would you like me to search as well?” Asked Alys, “with my talent of finding something or someone lost I could have more luck?”

  “No it is too indistinct at the moment.” Eryyn said. “Without something for you to focus on I would be unable to guide you.” Alys knew her husband well enough to understand he was trying to protect her, but from what he was not sure. Seldom did he refuse her help, if he did not understand what was occurring, then for the moment she trusted his feelings. There was something she did want to share with him, under the circumstances she now felt it had more meaning than earlier.

  “There is something unusual I felt earlier while you were playing your game with Cadan. At first I just thought I was imagining things, but now I’m not sure.” She paused and gathered her thoughts. “I could sense you coming up the path from library and from Cadan where you had hidden a part of your consciousness,” Alys paused again trying to find the right word, her eyes brightened. “I felt some sort of an echo of you Eryyn.”

  “What do you mean?” Asked Ardant.

  “For a moment what I sensed felt like Eryyn, but far away. It was so brief I dismissed it as him choosing more than one place to hide from Cadan. It just felt odd in a way, it was you, but not you.” Alys looked at Eryyn hoping he would say what she wanted to hear. “Were you trying to hide in more than one place?” Eryyn’s face grew dim as he looked at Alys and his friends.