No Good Deed (27 page)

They continued to cry while Mordechi packed their bags and took them to the stable. Three women were there, all dressed in acolyte robes. There were also three covered wagons parked near the entrance. No one else was around. These women were going to become wandering priests, going to parts unknown to carry out the message of the Seers. They too were unaware of Mordechi’s overall plan. They only knew that there were children in trouble and needed help.

“This is very important.” Mordechi addressed the children. “I am going to leave. All three of these women are leaving here tonight, never to return. I do not know where they are headed and each of them only knows where they are going. One of them will take you with them, to live wherever they settle. I will have no further contact with them or you. That way, when the assassins come, no matter what they do to me, I will not know where you are and nothing they do can reveal your location. They will constantly be wandering in far away reaches of this planet and will have almost no access to information, this way the assassins can’t ask around and find where you are. However, as a result you will have almost no contact with the outside world. It may be months or even years before you hear something that is happening over here. Finally,” he gave each of them a sunburst medallion, “Now, just to make sure,” he used a spell, effectively fusing the medallions to the children’s chests, “that way no one can remove them. This will make sure the assassins will never find you.” What he didn’t tell them was that the medallions prevented anyone, including paladins, from finding or contacting them . “Now, give me one last hug,” he was beginning to tear up, “I am going to miss you so much,” he said. There was not a dry eye in the stable. The acolytes were not aware of Mordechi’s lies. He turned to them. “When I leave, choose amongst yourselves what to do with the children, then each of you take a covered wagon out of the city, hiding the children. And remember, you can never return here.”

“Understood,” they all said. Each of them was also wearing a sunburst medallion.

Mordechi returned to the church, crying all the way. His handkerchief was soaked with tears. “By the gods,” he screamed to himself, “I hope I have done the right thing.” He pulled bottles of wine from his cupboard and began drinking them as if they were water, all the time wrestling with his decision. “
If this is right, why am I so torn? I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t realize it would be like this. Maybe I can find another way. May be I …
” He passed out.

Two weeks later the caravan arrived. The king and queen were completely unaware of what Mordechi had done.

“So, how was the trip?” the queen asked.

“Uneventful,” said Obidaan, “I’m not sure why I was needed. They could have conducted everything with a normal escort.”

“Well, we just wanted to make sure everything went ok,” the king said. Obidaan got a ping.

“Any other reasons?” Obidaan asked.

The king felt no reason to lie now, especially since it seems the plan didn’t work. “Well, some were concerned about you and hoped the trip would make you want to go back to your paladin duties.”

Obidaan was a little taken aback by the comment. “Who were they to tell him what to do? Why does everyone continue to butt into his business?” Obidaan addressed the king, “I assure you, when the time is right I shall return and be back in full glory. I’m sorry, I didn’t get the adventuring bug, only a longing to see my children.”

“We understand,” the queen said. “I’m sure they’re eager to see you, we won’t keep you.”

The king and queen looked at each other as if to say, “Now what?” It seems Mordechi’s plan did not work.

Eager to see their children, Obidaan and Relina raced over to the church. When they went to their rooms, they were surprised to see only a drunk Mordechi, three empty bottles of wine on the floor and a half—full glass in his hand.

They were both shocked and a wave of fear came across them. “Kim! Kat! Haden!” Obidaan shouted out.

“Scream all y—you want. Zey can’t hear you,” Mordechi said.

“What’s going on?” Relina was frantic, “What have you done?”

“Where are they?” Obidaan was looking dead at him, “Where are our children?” he screamed.

“Gone,” Mordechi said curtly, circling his hand in the air.

“Mordechi Vindishbar,” Obidaan had never addressed him like that before, “what have you done with my children?” he grabbed Mordechi and brought him to his feet.

Mordechi was slumped down, barely able to stand. “Gone,” he said again. “I sent them away. It was for your own good y’know?”

Obidaan threw him back in the chair, “My own good? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Haven’t chu noticced the imbalance la’ely? Haven’ you know how much crazier things has been? True it was subtle, but it has been growin’. When last time you had a vision?” he was barely able to get his words out.

“It’s been a while, but so what? What does that have to do with anything?” Obidaan was clearly confused.

“Everythin’!” Mordechi screamed, “The world is outta wack. And it all you… you’re fault, Obidaan. You’re fault.”

“My fault? How is it my fault?” Obidaan’s anger was overflowing at this point.

“Becass
you
forgot your place! You chose fam’ly over duty. You chose a option you never had. Therefore…therefore it was my place to remind you of your place. There is balance, when you left, imbalance. We need you back, we need balance.”

The Grailannes were enraged. Anger at Mordechi, anger at the world, anger for being duped.

“So you had the king send us on this bogus mission so you could get rid of my children? You sick bastard! I’ll kill you,” Obidaan summoned Mystic and headed toward Mordechi. Relina restrained him, barely.

“No, darling! Wait!” she was crying and angry as well, She turned to Mordechi, while still holding back Obidaan, “Where are they? Where have you taken them?”

“I don’t know. I sent three acolytes out into the world and told them to take the children. I don’t know how they divided the children up or if they did.” Mordechi was quickly beginning to sober up. “And don’t bother tryin’ scrye or send message, I gave them, and the acolytes special medallions so no one can get in touch with them through magic, not even you, Obidaan. Amazing what gods grant their leaders. Still, I needed a paladin to make it immune to you; too bad Takishmore Landseer didn’t know the real reason I was asking. He’s always been willing to do me favors without question. Rank does have its privileges. I had them made months ago, before we lost contact.” It was a well—established fact by now that people lost touch with the gods. He was standing now, expecting a sword thrust through his gut at any second.

Obidaan didn’t want to believe him but he knew Mordechi wasn’t lying. This gave him a sinking feeling with every passing moment. He summoned three doves, whispered messages to them and let them fly. Before they even got going, they faded.

“I’m sorry, Obidaan” Mordechi said tears steaming down his face, “but it had to be this way.”

Obidaan overcame his wife easily but instead of running Mordechi through, he returned Mystic and punch Mordechi squarely in the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. “I deserve it,” was all Mordechi could say.

Obidaan was crying tears of anger. He sat back on the sofa and looked up. “My priest, my friend, the godfather to my children. I trusted you more than anyone, and you betrayed me!” Relina was now next to him, they were holding each other.

Mordechi was still on the floor, spitting blood. It took him a couple of seconds to concentrate and heal himself. This also sobered him up completely, “I’m sorry. I felt what I did was for the best,” Mordechi was getting to his feet. “The world needs you as a paladin. We are in the time of Darkness. Gods can’t help us. It is up to us to resolve this situation. It was your inaction all these years that brought it on.”

“I don’t believe that. That’s your opinion,” Obidaan retorted.

“Maybe so. But you can’t deny that things have changed since you started your family,” Mordechi seemed emboldened in his arguments.

“A momentary time out. I know who I am and what I must do. You had no right to interfere. You have no right to tell me how to do my job. I am a paladin. I don’t answer to you! Only the gods! I have a duty to my family, and you’ve destroyed that!”

“You have a duty to the world, first!” Mordechi screamed, “You chose to be a paladin, in all its glory and sacrifice. Many told you couldn’t balance family and paladinhood, but you chose not to listen!”

“And you chose not to give me a chance. We had time. You didn’t have to do this now! Why didn’t you come to me first? Why didn’t you talk to me, to us?”

“You wouldn’t listen before, why should this have been different? Look. I thought long and hard about this. In the end, I followed my heart, though it broke my heart to do it,” though this was not true, Mordechi believed it to be true so Obidaan received no ping.

“More like followed your head,” Obidaan retorted, “I can’t believe anyone’s heart would tell them to perform such an act of cruelty, injustice, and betrayal.”

“Well, it did,” he was now sitting in his chair, “we have to stop the darkness now. We need you, here, not on the farm. I know you don’t understand, I don’t think I do completely. But something had to be done. I am so sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you did kill me. As a matter of fact, I’m half expecting not to live to see tomorrow.”

Obidaan was beside himself with anger. He could no longer see or think straight. His mind was swirling with confusion and anger. All his life he trusted his church, trusted his preacher, trusted his king, and now in one fell swoop, it was over. “
I can’t believe Gheriballi was right! All this time, he was right! He tried to warn me, don’t get too close, stay above it all, you’re a paladin, and you’re different. All this time he tried to warn me and I was too stupid to listen. I believed in my church, in the king. I believed in this place and in the end I was betrayed by them.
Dam! Damn! Damn
!”
The naiveté had just left him, the niceness and sincerity drained out of him. The constant smile he wore on his face was now turning into a scowl. The Obidaan everyone knew and loved just died inside. He no longer cared about the world, his church, his gods, his status, anything. The one thing that had brought him true happiness, a loving family, was now ripped away from him; ripped by those he trusted most. He would never get over it. Relina and Mordechi noticed that something had just occurred since Obidaan’s mouth was now down turned and he was no longer crying. He now was angry, determined, and obsessed.

Obidaan stood up and began to walk out of the room. Relina followed him, “Honey, where are you going?” She asked.

“I’m back.” He said evenly. “They want me back as a paladin, here I am. But no more nice guy shit.”

“W—What are you going to do now?” Mordechi asked, scared to ask the question.

“You just said this world is fucked.” Obidaan said. “I’m going to unfuck it.” He walked out.

As Obidaan began
to walk out the door, he heard a slap followed by Relina’s voice, “Monster!” Another slap was heard and he turned around to watch the action at this point. “How dare you! How dare you decide
our
fate!” Frustrated and angry, her slaps quickly turned into fists as she pummeled Mordechi. Mordechi couldn’t fight back. Years of adventuring were being demonstrated as blows made solid connections and blood flew. Mordechi barely push her off and got up, but she was relentless, kicking him in the stomach, then a round house to the face. It seems on the side she had been taking unarmed combat lessons from Don. “You had no right.
No right
!” she screamed and lept in the air, putting her foot squarely in his chest and knocking him into the back wall. She grabbed his collar, tears still streaming down her face, “We were more than friends Mordechi, we… we were family. You were the godfather of
all
our children! They loved you! And you took advantage of that! You took advantage of their love, of their trust, ours. You took everything that was good, and pure, and innocent and twisted it you sick bastard! If Obidaan won’t kill you,” her voice got course, “I will!” She began to choke him. He was resisting but years of a sedimentary lifestyle versus years of adventuring were no match.

“Obidaan,” he squeaked out, “please.” His eyes began to close.

Obidaan walked over to Relina and placed his hand on her shoulder. For one brief moment Obidaan was his old self, “Honey, stop.” He said in a soft, loving voice, “it won’t bring back the children.” He then moved his hands to hers and lifted them away from Mordechi’s throat. He began to walk away with Relina in his arms.

Mordechi coughed as air now flooded his lungs. He sank down to the floor, bloodied and bruised. “Thank you,” he choked out, “Thank you, Obidaan,” he said and began to cast a healing spell.

Obidaan turned around, grabbed him with one hand, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him against the wall, disrupting his spell. “You will address me as Paladin Grailann,” his voice was even, stern, and devoid of any humor, “and you will address her as Mrs. Grailann or Priestess Grailann. You’ve lost your privilege to address us any other way. Got that?”

“Yes, Paladin Grailann.” Mordechi said dejectedly

“And finally, you’d better learn your place,” anger began to grow in Obidaan, “I am a
paladin.
I do not
answer to you, ever. But you do answer to me. First and foremost,” Obidaan cast a spell on him, “You will not heal these wounds. They will heal naturally, however long that takes. Any attempts to heal either by spell, by potion, or even plants will only aggravate the wounds and take even longer.” Obidaan dropped him to the floor. “Too many people have forgotten their place in this world; I shall correct that, starting now.” He was leaving again, when the final piece fell into place and he turned to Mordechi. “I finally get it,” he started, “you knew about my detect lie ability, so you had to deceive me with the truth. The line the king said about the caravan having other duties he couldn’t discuss, it was to get me out of here. Brilliant, using the truth against me. How did you discover my ability?”

Mordechi was wiping the blood from his lip, “Don told me. Years ago. Seems he figured it out when you compelled some caravan worker not to talk about something. Didn’t take a genius to realize you had been given a detect lie ability.”

“And you knew, too?” he was looking at Relina.

“Yes,” she said, “we all knew. Once Don had pointed it out, everything fell into place. Certain actions you’d done now made sense. We should have told you we knew but no one thought anything of it and we all for the most part forgot about it.”

Obidaan sighed, “I’m not surprised, had to happen eventually.” Obidaan put his arm around Relina’s shoulder and they walked out of the church.

“What are we going to do now?” Relina asked, “And where is my ‘place’?” she asked.

“Your place is at my side, if you want to be there,” he said. “As for now, I must leave. If I stay I’ll destroy this place.”

All Relina could say was, “My place is by your side, for better or for worse.”

“Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She knew he needed her now more than ever.

While walking back home, a crowd was gathering near the tower; a man was on the verge of jumping. Obidaan walked over.

“Obidaan,” one of the people said, “I’m so glad you’re here. This man wants to take his own life.”

“Why?” Obidaan asked, he was annoyed by the situation.

“His wife died and he grieves heavily for her. We’ve offered to help him, but it’s not enough.”

Obidaan yelled to the jumper, “Why are you up there?”

“I miss my wife,” he yelled back, “we were newlyweds when she was killed in a riding accident. I don’t know what to do.”

“I lost my children,” he yelled back, “you don’t see me up on some roof ready to jump. Stop being a fool, come down and live your life.” The words were cold and not comforting. No one understood the reference but no one wanted to ask.

“I can’t,” he said sadly.

“Then join her, fool,” Obidaan cast a spell causing him to double over and fall to his death. Without remorse, he turned and walked on. Relina and crowd were stunned.

As Obidaan walked away the magistrate asked, “W—Why did you do that?”

“I don’t answer to you,” Obidaan replied. “The next person who questions me can join him. Now shut up and leave me alone.”

He should have lost his status. He should have been judged. Dark clouds gathered but then dissipated.

“Shouldn’t that have cost you your paladinhood?” Relina asked.

“Yes,” Obidaan was assessing himself, “but I guess with no contact with the gods, no judgment.”

“They why aren’t our spells cut off?”

“I don’t know.”

“What does it mean?” she asked.

“It means I can literally get away with murder,” Obidaan said without smiling.

This concerned Relina greatly. Her loving caring husband was now becoming cold, callous and uncaring. She couldn’t let that happen. She put her hand on his cheek, “We will get through this together. I make you this promise, no matter what happens, no matter what you do, I will always be at your side. Until death do us part,” and she kissed him. He returned it and she could still feel the love in him. “That’s my Obidaan,” she said slyly. He smiled briefly. They continued home, where Obidaan summoned the Vanguard and began packing.

“I apologize most humbly, my brother,” Don said, bowing, “had I know such information was going to be used so horrendously, I never would have mentioned it.” Don continued to stay bowed.

Obidaan went over and hugged him. “My brother,” he said releasing him, “It’s not your fault. The information was given in good faith.” Walking around the room, “I hold no one in this room at fault for anything that happened. Mordechi betrayed all of us. What I have to say next though is difficult,”

“Are you ok?” Terry asked, “We can get through this, I know we can.”

“But I don’t want to. I did not want to be a paladin, but considered it an honor when I was chosen. I have been belittled, betrayed, and blasted for my positions. I have defended myself, always with a smile. Always believing in the good of people, trusting even if I wasn’t sure, and where does my biggest betrayal come from? My minister and my king. It is true: No good deed goes unpunished. I have been severely punished for my good deeds; no more! I finally see what Gheriballi means when he says we answer only to our gods. This never would have happened to another paladin. What I’m about to do next I can’t ask anyone, not even my wife, to join me.” Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he continued, “This world is a failure. The different countries, the different government, have failed. The paladin corps has failed. We don’t keep the peace; we merely hold back wars. Countries continue to fight, to squabble over land, over bullshit. They have proven they can’t rule themselves, so I shall rule for them. In direct violation of my oath, I shall begin to conquer lands. Because I am embarking on this fool’s errand, I can’t ask any of you to join me. I willing do this alone, till I succeed or die.”

The others looked at each other with blank stares and near horror. “
This is wrong
” they all thought. He was about to embark on an evil tear, a rip that can have no good ending. This was not Vanguard. The decision was obvious.

“Where you go, my husband, I will be at your side,” Relina said, “If we are condemned to the lowest pits of hell, we shall be condemned together.”

“We started this together; we shall finish it together, my brother,” Don said, “No man should travel the path you have chosen. I shall die by your side.”

“I’m in,” Alister said. “This is going to make one hell of a story.”

“You all would be lost without me.” Terry said with a smile, “I can’t leave you alone, not now, not ever. This is wrong. We all understand this. But we can’t change your mind, so the least we can do is make sure you do it right, if such a thing is possible.”

“Pack your things,” Obidaan said, “and meet here in the morning. Say your final farewells. For the next time we enter this kingdom it will not be as heroes but as conquerors.”