Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (31 page)

Seth

The next two days passed much like their second day in Valdadore had. They explored the city, sometimes splitting into pairs to go their separate ways. Seth and Sara used this time alone to reread the scrolls and books brought to them by Borrik, and they visited the temple of Ishanya each day to speak with him of the goddess though this led to no new answers. Borrik, each time they visited, asked Seth for orders to carry out though Seth had none. Seth now had a loyal servant that at present he had no need for, but he had a feeling that in time his link to Borrik would be one of much more substance.

Seth spent the days drowning in mixed emotions. The knowledge of his seemingly inescapable future disturbed him and left him feeling empty and burdened. Yet having Sara all to himself made him feel relaxed and focused. Her presence filled him with such adoration he knew he would never be able to fully express his feelings for her in words. It was a strange mix of emotions that caused his mood to swing frequently negative, only again to have Sara light the way back to normalcy with her depthless amber eyes and disarming smile.

Garret and Ashton too visited the temples. Ashton went each day to pray to his goddess, while Garret went to visit the temple of Gorandor, trying to decipher the meaning of his multitude of dreams.

Each evening Seth and Sara would return to the inn, forgoing the city’s festivities to instead spend quiet time together. Garret and Ashton, however, spent each night enjoying the multitudes of performers and indulged themselves with foods from around the realm. Garret continued to drink his fill of rum and ale each night, but he had gained a new respect for the effects of alcohol and so drank more responsibly. The time passed quickly, and before any of them were ready, the day had come that had been their purpose in travelling to the castle city of Valdadore.

Seth

Seth lay staring at the ceiling above the bed he and Sara shared. He was exhausted. The revelations of days past had been eating at him slowly, making sleep a nearly unobtainable commodity. He could not recall actually waking up and he wondered if at any point he had ever fallen asleep. He slid carefully to the edge of the bed and stood to dress, moving slowly as to not wake Sara. As he pulled from his pack the special clothing he had been given for this day by his friends back in Vineleaf, he noticed Sara standing opposite him, across the bed, watching him.

“Good morning, angel,” Seth smiled at the beautiful woman before him.

“G’morning, my love,” Sara replied.

Smiling momentarily at one another they then dressed quickly and Seth sat down upon the edge of the bed. Sara joined him as he pulled on his boots and she smiled at him provocatively.

“What’s gotten into you?” Seth asked.

“You look very handsome in those clothes, love,” she said, gesturing towards his outfit. “You look very important as well,” she added.

“You think so?” Seth asked raising one eyebrow.

“Yes I do. I just hope none of the other girls at the ceremony notice,” Sara smiled slyly.

“No matter if they do, Sara. I will never want any other than you,” Seth told her honestly.

Sara smiled proudly. Seth rose from the bed and pulled Sara into his arms. Today he knew would be a life changing day. Today was The Choosing. It was a day he was sure he would never forget, and he hoped now that he would be making good memories. If it did not go well, however, he would return here to the inn to meet Sara and they would run away together to somewhere the kingdom would not care to look for them. The plan was made, the day had come, now all there was to do was see how it played out. The ceremony was scheduled to start two hours after sunrise, and sunrise was already upon them.

Gathering their belongings Seth removed the small black tome from beneath the bed and placed it within his shirt, tucking it firmly at his waist. Then without a look back, he and Sara left the room and headed to the dining hall.

Garret

Garret and Ashton both awoke feeling renewed and well rested. They were excited about the coming ceremony, both of them fairly certain what it held in store for them. They rushed to dress and gathered their things before leaving their room. Taking the stairs two at a time and skipping the last few altogether, they made their way to the first floor and down the hall to the dining area. They were amazed to see the room full of people. They had hardly even been aware of other guests up until now, but this morning the dining hall was filled nearly to capacity. It took Garret a moment to scan the dozens of faces who looked up at him as he entered the room. Looking from table to table, Garret at last located his brother and Sara and led Ashton across the room to join them. It was not their normal table they attended this morning. Instead they had to sit at one against the wall. They all greeted one another as Garret and Ashton sat themselves with their companions. Looking around Garret noticed that most people here were their own age. Each of the four companions, anxious for their own reasons, waited impatiently for Felix to arrive.

After some time Felix appeared, accompanied by a young woman. They each carried large trays filled with plates of food which they delivered to different tables. That done, the young woman and Felix then gathered empty plates from those guests that were finished and also from tables that now were deserted. Having gathered everything there was to gather, Felix sent the woman back to the kitchen, her arms heavily burdened with plates and bowls, before turning to approach the four’s table.

“It appears you are a busy man this morning,” Seth smiled to Felix.

“Indeed I am, Master Seth,” Felix replied. “And good morning to you all.”

They greeted Felix, and when he asked what they would be having for breakfast, he was not surprised when Sara spoke for the group.

“Felix, you should well know by now that you can prepare for us anything of your choosing, as no one has better taste in food than you.” She beamed a giant smile at the man.

“Thank you for your kindness, all of you,” Felix said, looking to each of them one by one. “It is a shame your stay could not be longer. I truly hope to see each of you again,” he added in earnest.

They responded by thanking Felix for his delicious meals and friendly conversation, promising they would return as soon as they could and assuring him nothing could keep them away from his cooking. Felix left their table giving them a smile and a wink before he left, his limp more marked than it had ever been in days past.

As the group waited hungrily for Felix’s return, they spoke briefly about the ceremony that awaited them in less than two hours’ time. Both Garret and Ashton talked boisterously, unable to restrain their excitement. Seth and Sara tried to sound as excited as their companions, but neither of them was able to quite mimic the others’ mood.

Before long Felix returned. He placed a plate and mug before each of them and wished them an enjoyable meal before he left to see to other customers. Upon each plate stood a large muffin, the largest one any of them had seen. Its top had been cut away and hollowed out to hold a pool of thick syrup blended with raspberries. The entire muffin was also drizzled with melting frosting, crisscrossing the top in milky white lines that ran down its sides and formed small pools of sticky sweetness upon the plates. To accompany the muffin Felix had brought each of them a large mug filled with milk blended with orange juice. It was a simple meal, but even so Felix had seen to it that it was a delicious meal. Each of them ate quickly, knowing that time was growing short, and they still had to walk the distance to the castle which would take nearly half an hour. They finished eating in record time and instead of waiting for Felix to return, they decided to leave the inn. Pushing back from the table the four of them rose, and grabbing their belongings, they headed into the street.

Seth

Entering the street Seth was amazed to find that, like the inn, it was bustling with people in a way he had never seen before. Hundreds of people of all ages crowded the street, all moving in the direction of the castle. Merging into the crowd the four headed like everyone else toward the castle in the center of the city. Garret and Seth walked side by side down the street. Sara walked on Seth’s other side, their hands entwined tightly, each of them afraid of what might lay ahead. Ashton walked on the other side of Garret from Seth, and he had stated earlier that today he would follow in the footsteps of both his mother and his older brother. Nothing could please him more. Seth noted that Garret walked more quickly than was usual. Being almost guaranteed that he would be joining the ranks of the elite Knights of Valdadore, he rushed on to his future, a future he was happy to embrace, a future sure to be filled with honor and glory. Seth wished he could feel the same, but the whole day seemed foreboding something ill at best.

Seth and Sara walked quickly just to keep up with their companions. Neither of them really wanted to attend the ceremony, both of them fairly certain it would turn out badly. Sara had told Seth that she did not care what she would be chosen to do. It mattered not at all so long as she would be able to stay with him. This he knew was unlikely, but he hoped for much the same. Sadly, if Garret was to be chosen for the knighthood, then so too was Seth likely to be.

But Seth was not afraid. He had already made plans with Sara in the event they should be separated. That being done he was comfortable in the fact that they had foreseen the possibility and prepared accordingly. Seth was also not afraid of the ceremony itself. He knew it was probable that he, like his brother, could be chosen for one portion of the army or another. Though this was in no way what he wanted, it did not worry him. Seth had no energy for fear now. Instead it now seemed as if the ceremony really held no relevance to him, what with the recent revelations. Seth was almost certain his path would lead to one predetermined point, regardless of what was to happen today. All that mattered was that Seth should pay attention, watch for signs, gather information and knowledge in his plan to regain control of his fate and untangle himself from the goddess’s schemes.

Following the crowd like mindless sheep, Seth and his companions finally emerged into the square surrounding the castle. The crowd did not dissipate, but instead clung to the edges of the square leaving the majority of the road open to those actually traveling into the castle for the ceremony. The gate stood open and today the normal guard had been doubled. They walked slowly toward the giant gate that now resembled a massive iron maw that occasionally ate a person or group of people who dared enter. As they approached, the guards looked them over, and thus determining their age and purpose allowed them to pass unquestioned.

The companions passed through the portcullis into the stone entrance of the castle courtyard. Just inside the massive walls to either side of them stood a pair of stone staircases that appeared to be a reflection of one another across the paved street. Each set of stairs ran parallel to the massive wall up its side to a higher level. Upon that level, spaced evenly at each slit in the stone, stood lightly armored soldiers. They held a bow with an arrow already in place to draw and fire at a moment’s notice. The archers spanned the wall as far as the eye could see in either direction. It was an impressive sight.

Upon passing the stairs that led to the upper levels of the outer wall to the castle, the group arrived in a giant courtyard. Here stood massive towers and spires of varying height and size. Each of these rose great distances into the sky above, casting long shadows across the paved courtyard. Above them, spanning great distances, elegant web-like catwalks ran between the giant structures, crisscrossing the sky this way and that. Flags and pennants waved in the early morning breeze at various locations and levels among the towers and spires. The entire castle was awe-inspiring and the four companions could not help but gawk like tourists as they walked.

Walking between two giant towers, they came to an even larger portion of the courtyard. This consisted of several levels. The paved courtyard ran for hundreds of feet before rising three steps and then running another couple hundred feet to yet another set of steps. The trend continued with a large, open expanse rising steadily a few steps every so far, as if smaller and smaller courtyards had been stacked one upon another, creating dozens of layers. At their very center sat the castle proper. The actual castle was not as impressive a sight as the group had expected. It was a large building for sure, but it stood small next to the towers and spires that had been built around it. It rose only a few stories higher than the massive outer castle wall, but was dwarfed by some of the towers by nearly a dozen floors. It was still some ways off, but at this distance it was not as magnificent as any of them had expected.

The companions noticed that people were gathering on the next tier of the courtyard and so they continued towards the steps ahead of them, assuming that this is where the ceremony would be held. Topping the five steps that rose to this tier, they looked around at what lay before them. This level held no towers or any other structure for that matter. In fact, besides the small groups of people gathered here and there, the only other item upon the tier was a small canopied tent that stood across from them at the opposite edge where the steps again climbed to the next tier. The tent had no walls, consisted only of poles supporting a roof, and beneath its canopy more than a dozen people stood speaking, though they were too far at this distance to see clearly let alone hear. Looking around at the others inhabiting this level of the courtyard, it was apparent that those gathered were here to be chosen as well. Realizing they had come as far as they needed to, the four companions stopped, and not knowing what else to do, they waited for some sort of instructions.