First Comes The One Who Wanders (18 page)

"That's part of what I see."

"And when I face this darkness, what is my fate?"

Solein looked into the fire rather than at her. "The mists are unclear," he repeated again.

"Not so much unclear, as you aren’t willing to tell me," retorted Leilas. This was where the conversation always ended. "So, I’m not going to keep asking. Instead, tell me what you know of Rengailai."

"Hmm," murmured Solein as he worried the meat from a small bone. "I think perhaps I can do that without violating my oath."

"Your oath to whom?" Leilas tried again to find out who sent Solein to watch over her.

"That would be a story for another day," replied Solein, throwing the bone into the fire. "There is a song about Rengailai, though it's old and not sung much anymore. A few of us still know it."

Leilas settled more comfortably against the stone she was leaning against as Solein pulled a small harp from its skin case and ran his fingers over the strings tentatively. She liked when Solein sang his songs to her. It left her with a peace that was rare in this place. "It's been quite some time since I’ve sung this song. I hope I can remember it."

"You never seem to have trouble remembering what you want to remember."

"You're beginning to know me too well, child. I suppose that means our time together is almost done."

Leilas felt a pang of loss at his words. Solein had been a friend, her first friend in her mind. How could she let him go? How could she endure this place without him?

She didn’t respond to his comment. Instead, she prompted him. "Rengailai, Master of Darkness. Is that the name of this tale?"

As Solein ran his fingers along the strings in a progression of chords, he chuckled. "You know we never name anything so blatantly. There is the balance to consider after all. No, this is ‘The Creation of Ceryk.'"

Leilas started at the name. Solein noted the reaction, but chose to ignore it. Closing his eyes, he began to chant in a melodious baritone, while strumming chords to keep time.

The Creator looked down upon Preterlandis from Jeru and said to those in his court. "It is done, and is exactly as I want it to be.

"There shall be no more creation and no destruction and Preterlandis shall always continue as it is now."

But among those in his court, there was one who was loathe to agree. He had not been offered the opportunity as had the others to add to the creation

Anhj had added the Crystal Caves of Anhjou.

Crog had added the Volcano of Crogmanland.

Sylph created Kreel the Leviathan of the sea.

Solein added the comets in the night sky.

But Rengailai had added nothing to Preterlandis. There was no deed recorded for him.

He had waited for the Creator to ask, patiently at first, then impatiently.

But the offer never came and Rengailai keenly felt the injustice of it.

He had been slighted in front of the others, his honor wounded, his pride offended, for no reason that he could understand.

Still, he held his peace until the others had gone. Then, believing his case just, he approached the Creator.

"You wish to question me, Rengailai?" asked the Creator as he approached.

"I do not understand why you passed over me?" replied Rengailai. "For eternity the creatures of Preterlandis will sing of Anhj and Crog, of Sylph and Solein. But there will be no song for me."

"I have other plans for you, my dear Rengailai. You must accept this and in time, all will be made clear."

But Rengailai was not happy with this answer. He went away angry and resentful. The Creator knew what he would do, but gave Rengailai the choice to do it.

After thinking for an age about the offense that was committed against him, Rengailai stole away and made his way to Preterlandis. There he hid himself away among the people, creating doubt in them about the Creator. How could one, who would deny one of his own, be worthy?

The Creator watched as Rengailai sowed his seeds of doubt, discontent and fear. He watched and waited for the proper time to punish Rengailai for his disloyalty.

After another age, many people had succumbed to Rengailai’s insidious message and turned away from the Creator. Instead, they turned to themselves. More and more, evil crept into Preterlandis, murders, greed, jealousy, lust. Sadly, the Creator knew that he must act to rein in his misguided crafter.

Calling Rengailai before him, he demanded an account of his actions, which Rengailai was delighted to relate.

When he finished, the Creator shook his head and banished Rengailai from Jeru forever. "Those you have corrupted are yours for now, but there will come a day when I will require them of you."

Rengailai turned his back on the Creator and left, never to return. But he began to gather his minions together and plan. There would be a day of accounting, but it would not be as his Lord expected.

The hate inside Rengailai grew with every day he was away from the Creator, and his evil grew stronger in Preterlandis.

He was no longer content to leave the people who worshiped him to their own desires. He wanted to see them suffer the way they made others suffer. It amused him to reward his loyal servants in this way.

One day, Rengailai went to the mountain of his father’s volcano and began to speak his creation, the one his Creator had denied him.

With his words the earth shook beneath his feet, a crack appeared.

Rengailai continued his invocation and the ground split, a chasm formed and deepened until it reached the center of the world. The shaking continued until the whole of Preterlandis was affected by it. Many good people died that day as did many evil people. Few were left to continue after the cataclysm.

Only when the chasm reached the center of the earth did Rengailai cease to speak. Looking first at his handiwork and then toward Jeru, he shook his fist. "Now have I, Rengailai, added to your creation and my servants shall be destroyed within my creation. I have added to your creation and I shall also take away from it."

The Creator knew that Rengailai would do all that he did. Still, he let him choose to do it. And so, the Chasm of Ceryk was created, a place of immense beauty and also of great destruction.

For now, the Creator allows Ceryk, but it will not always be so. And on that day, Anhj, Crog, Sylph and Solein will mount the fight against Rengailai.

A glorious battle for the Creator will ensue and Rengailai shall meet his destiny.

In that day, the power of the Creator will be shown and Preterlandis shall return to what it was meant to be.

Solein grew silent and his hands ceased to move over the strings of the harp. "That is enough of Rengailai for today, I think."

"Once Rengailai was as you are."

"Yes and no. He was one of the first crafters that resided with Jovan. He wasn’t one of the four who were with the Creator in the beginning. That honor and responsibility belongs to Sylph, Crog, Anhj and myself," said Solein solemnly. "There was a time when we existed outside of Preterlandis. The four have always been loyal to Jovan. Rengailai chose to defy him. Everyone has the right to choose. No one can know for certain how a man or woman will choose except Jovan. The rest of us can only see what is shown in mists. Even those of us who were with the Creator in the beginning spend an eternity trying to know and understand."

"You are more than a crafter then, since you were there in the beginning?"

"I'm not more than a crafter. Nor do I want to be more than I am."

Leilas didn’t understand how that could be, but she let that strain of the conversation go. "But Rengailai did, want to be more than he was?"

"Yes, he wanted more. He wanted to be placed on the same level as the four, to be honored, remembered, and revered."

"Are they such bad things?"

"That is for you to choose, Leilas. But keep in mind the path down which those desires led Rengailai."

Leilas fell silent as she considered the story she'd just heard and tried to piece it together with the vision she'd seen in the cave with her family and Joshuas. Solein left her to her musings and began to softly strum his instrument.

Leilas moved her finger from the ring and once again she was in the room Rengailai had provided for her. What was it he wanted of her? What were the prophecies concerning the Chidra? Solein hadn't told her any of the prophecies, telling her she'd have plenty of time to learn them.

But they might have helped her in this meeting. Because it seemed clear to her, this meeting was about her being the Chidra. A knock at the door brought Leilas out of her musings. Before she could answer, Marlette pushed the door open, her hands laden with a tray that emanated tantalizing smells, and walked to the table near the window. Leilas wasn’t far behind as Marlette began setting out the meal.

"The master will want you at dinner, but thought you might appreciate a bite now. After you finish, he said to take you to the library." Marlette paused a moment, "How did he say it? Perhaps you’ll find what you're looking for there."

Leilas cursed silently to herself and shrouded her thoughts. She definitely needed to be on her guard here, no matter how nice the master was being. She needed to remember what his people had done to Brenth, Joshuas and her mother. He was their leader. They didn't do such things without his consent. The story Solein had related, he told to prepare her for this meeting. She just wasn’t sure what he expected her to encounter.

"It smells wonderful, Marlette. Thank you and perhaps I will find what I'm looking for in the library. Your master seems to think of everything."

Marlette shuddered slightly. "So he does." She picked up the heavy tray and made her way back to the door. It opened immediately for her, but Leilas could feel the force repelling her from leaving.

Shrugging it off for the time, she attacked the food set before her. Savory stew, fruits, breads, wine, a feast after her time in the woods and the years of memories in Neothera. She thanked the Creator for his protection and for the food. She thought she felt the room shake and heard a low guttural rumble, but she couldn’t be sure.

Marlette appeared as if by magic just as she finished the last of the bread and the wine. "If you're ready, I’ll take you to the library."

Leilas didn’t bother to offer to find her own way. It was apparent she was on a short leash, even if it was a comfortable one.

Marlette shuffled into the dark hallway and disappeared into the gloom. Leilas hurried her steps until she was close enough to see the old woman as she turned down this hall and then another on her way to the library. She did her best to keep track as Marlette led her in the darkness.

Leilas was tempted to ask why they had no torches or lamps, but decided to keep her questions for later. If she wanted to see the hallway, she could always conjure a light another time and study them. That was, if Rengailai ever let her wander unaccompanied.

Wondering what Marlette would do if she cast a light, Leilas kept close to her escort as they descended a stair to the floor below.

The light from the library was almost blinding as Marlette threw open the door and allowed Leilas to step inside. But it was also a welcome relief to the oppressive darkness of the hallways. The light streamed in through a heavily curtained window, which had the curtains drawn back. On the wall opposite the window, was a staircase that led to a second story of books and scrolls and parchments. There were chairs scattered around the room in little alcoves with their own lamps. In the wall facing the door was a large fireplace, with a fire burning. Everywhere other than the door, window and hearth was floor to ceiling books. It must have taken many lifetimes for the master to collect this treasure. And a treasure it was to a crafter. For to a magik, knowledge was power.

"The master said he would collect you at dinner time. Until then, you're free to explore." Marlette stumbled a bit over the phrase and Leilas knew those were the master’s words. She had to wonder how often Marlette actually had to worry about visitors.

"Thank you again. I’m sure I can find plenty here to keep myself occupied."

Marlette bowed her stooped body to the floor again and shut the door behind her. Leilas heard the whisper of the mechanism as the door was locked.

Rengailai didn’t need to go to such extremes to keep her here. She'd given him her word. She would stay for now. Moving to the wall by the fireplace, Leilas began to pull books and scrolls from the shelves and look through them. It wasn’t until she reached the first alcove that she realized Rengailai had left the books she was looking for on the table there. Turning up the lamp, and settling into the comfortable armchair, Leilas opened the book that spoke of the Chidra. It became apparent quickly that this wasn’t the book of prophecy, but a collection of writings about the book. At least it was a place to start.

Chidra meant chosen. She already knew that. The word was from the ancient tongue and had a different meaning then, although the writers couldn’t all agree, it seemed to have been in reference to marriage or soul mates.

Greyan had taken this word and used it in his book of prophecy to mean the one who was chosen to hold the balance and proclaim the beginning of the battle between Rengailai and the Creator.