The Exodus Sagas: Book II - Of Dragons And Crowns (38 page)

“The holy land is in the north, the first temples of Alden that still stand in Altestan
, Khi’ Va to be precise
. They are ancient and protected as holy sites, one of which is where he lost his wings and ascended to heaven. It makes no sense
, what holy places are there here on Agara?
” James was fighting his frustration at all he had studied at the church in Chazzrynn.

“Annar says that his brother’s wings were torn on
this
continent, and there is a gorge where proof is buried. Perhaps what you have grown to believe is not true, James. Either way, it says much to the fact that many will not believe what is written, though I have no reason to doubt it.
As I am now the carrier of the will of Annar, it is written that I must see certain things done.
To prove it, I must have the touch of the Go
ddess upon my brow and
some undeniable
truth will appear. Whether it is true or not, and whether you believe it or not, I will do as I w
as asked in the scroll and rebuild a
temple to Annar someday. I feel that
I must, though I do not like the fact that something is making me feel against my will. This is probably just nonsense anyway, but for some reason I am repeating it.
” t
he horned gladiator walked toward the entrance to get
some sun on his hide. He had shared enough for today, but had left out much detail of the stories in the scroll. Particularly the fact that this task
, assigned to only him
since he was imbued with the will of Annar, would claim his mortal life. Saberrak thought it best not to share those details at the present time.

“Well then, until you find a way to construct a temple to a forgotten God of savages, we should talk of traveling west. Azenairk needs our help and-“ James was cut off as Saberrak approached him quickly.

“He was also the God of giants, men, the ogre, and my kind it said! Why must what you were taught be the only way? Tell me James Andellis, tell me why you are so against anything different? Why would someone of far more belief and wisdom than me, be so set
against the chance that this could be
true?
Is the idea that the devils and demons, saints and angels, Gods and whatever all being from the same creator or family
is
so disturbing that you have to ridicule me for reciting what I read?
!
” Saberrak got right in the knight’s face with his own, angry that he defied the only knowledge of religion or history the minotaur had ever heard.

James reached up his hand to Saberrak’s head and smiled. “
Yes, it is offensive, and far from any truth I have ever heard.
I think all that reading
it
has
filled your head with too much-“

The light from the hand of James Andellis glowed as bright as a blue sun, and melded with the same blue light that rose from the eyes of Saberrak.
James had reached up to touch the head of his minotaur companion in jest as he spoke, but then it happened.
Neither man had tried
to cause it to happen, nor was
aware of it.
The light was blinding to everyone present, even Ansharr had to turn away. Warm and tingling, louder than any sound, but a sound of perfect peace and harmony that could not be described with any words erupted in the cavern. Cristoff dove for cover behind a stalagmite, shielding his eyes with his hands. Shinayne and Zen fell to the ground and covered their heads and ears. Gwenneth crouched low, squinting and holding her staff, trying to mutter an incantation to protect them, but no words came from her mouth. The dragon turned her neck away, attempting to do much the same as the wizard and bring forth arcane energies to shield them, but even her powers failed. Saberrak stared at James, who stared back, the two of them not believing what was happening, nor understanding it. The glow lasted for an eternity, but was over in moments.

Each of them heard words, many words in booming yet soft tones, each of them save Gwenneth and Saberrak who heard nothing. The light was gone, sound returned from the vacuum of noise that had been there, and
everyone looked at one another.
It was as if heaven itself had just descended upon them, spoke, and was gone a moment later. It was
an
undeniable
truth
.

“Did everyone hear that?” Shinayne spoke first, looking around the ceiling for where the light or noise had gone.

“I heard something in dwarven
, it was a man’s voice.” Azenairk replied, touching the stone wall to see if it felt different, or if he felt different.

“I heard words in draconic, they told me little, but I heard them sure enough.” Ansharr looked to Shinayne, James, and Cristoff who were all nodding in agreement of hearing a voice.

“I heard nothing. You are all under a spell or something of a powerful nature. I will do my best and try to have it removed.” Gwenneth had heard nothing, cared not to, just to see what matter of potent arcane energies had just erupted and how. She focused her arcane sight, and saw the auras from the treasury of Ansharr. She saw glows from the scroll, but nearly gone now, and from various things that her allies carried. Gwenneth Lazlette put all her will and concentration into her power of sight, but there was nothing, not even a trace of what had just happened. She was speechless, for that was impossible.

“I heard nothing, but I felt what I must do inside, like a silent voice that was beyond sound.
My voice.
” Saberrak bowed to the ceiling, to something, he knew not what but did so anyway.

“The voice I heard in Agarian was the voice of God.” James was tearing, his hand shaking, confused to say the least. “But it was
a woman? That is not possible, is it? Why did I hear a woman
s voice?
”

“Mine was in Agarian as well Sir James, but it was definitely a man’s voice
, almost childlike
.” Lord Cristoff got on his knees and bowed his head.

“What did yours say to you, what did you hear, Lord Bradswellen?” James felt like breaking down and forgetting this whole thing. He wanted to go to church and confess this
occurrence, as he felt that he had sinned by just being here. He felt that this was some form of witchcraft or demonic power, or that he was cursed. He breathed deeply, trying to remain calm as the shadows of the clouds passed over the light of the sun, darkening the cavern once more.

“He said,
Seek and you may find the life, follow and be true to yourself, love without hesitation in all you do, and bring honor to those of the moon and earth.
I have never felt anything like that, but a divine sign cannot be
ignored. Alden be praised.” Cristoff looked around at
the others. “What did you hear
, good priest of the dwarves?”

“The same, exactly the same words down to the last syllable. Elf?” Zen was amazed, but had far more acceptance for such things than mos
t, being raised a priest for the majority
of his life.

The highborne noblewoman turned toward Azenairk, “The same.
It was a soft mans voice, speaking in elven, comforting and smooth like a song in a temple.
”

“I could not have said it more perfect. I know not for certain who it was, but it was speaking to me dir
ectly and in my native tongue.
James?” Ansharr looked to the troubled knight of Chazzrynn, for he seemed confused to say the least.

James looked at them all, having heard something entirely different, not just in the soft voice of a woman, but in message as well. “She told me, abandon what you know, believe in what you do not understand, feel with my blessing upon
thee, I await your spirit to unite
with mine. It was not Alden, it was not what you heard, and I do not care to talk of this any further.
She told me that pain and suffering--
” James walked outside, hoping the cold breeze would bring some clarity to his foggy mind.

“I will
have my servants from within the mountain bring you food, let us rest.” Ansharr walked over to the passage to the stairs beyond her treasury, scroll in hand.
She stopped, the blue light rising and fading as if to say good bye. The dragon unrolled it, looked down and gasped. In every place that Annar was mentioned, every psalm and page, a name was written that had not been there before. Saberrak.

She whispered something in her tongue, and handed the scroll to a man with an outstretched hand, hidden from the rest save for his shadow on the wall from flickering torchlight. The shadow of the man bowed to the dragon,
and she bowed her head in return.
He kept hidden at the top of the steps.

“There is one among them that should be one of us, great dragon. We have heard the name whispered since they arrived. The stones, the wind, they all speak o
f it.” t
he man whispered to Ansharr.

“Should I tell him t
o meet with you then, Larens?” s
he asked in a presumptuous whisper.

“No. You know that we must be sought out after the calling and much pain, as unfortunate as that may be. When he comes to us and in what matter is up to her, not us. I will have food set here on the steps, some f
or now and for their journey.” t
he man called Larens bowed again, and
walked down the stairs with the holy artifact
, the scroll of Annar, in hand
.
“Annar is coming, we have heard him and so has She.”

“
I pray He
comes soon, and
that S
he perhaps keep her eye on all of them, not just him.” Ansharr went to her treasury, admiring the things she planned to give away, and maybe never see again.
Thoughts of divine intervention went through her wisened mind. Never in her two thousand years had she felt or seen anything like what had just occurred. She thought it best to stay calm and keep that fact to herself. Ansharr worried now, much more
so, for these brave souls than
she had already.

Exodus II:X

Road to Saint Erinsburg, Harlaheim

Four soldiers protected the former lord of knights and the rescued king and queen; they were silent and nervous, not knowing what to make of what had transpired. The morning sun beamed in large rays over and through the misty pine forests and farmlands near Saint Erinsburg. The uneasy quiet was not just the men from Cristoff’s army, but Savanno, Richmond, and Rosana as well. There was a tension that would take a mighty axe cut to break, none of the three felt all too comfortable in the current situation. Savanno had held himself back from kissing the queen, and Rosana restrained herself as well. Richmond seemed scared and nervous, perhaps due to them and the fact that he was out of power in his own kingdom.

“We near Saint Erinsburg, I need one soldier to ride ahead and send word that we are here, and another to fall back and see if we are being trailed.” Savanno motioned his hand to the front and rear of the foggy road they traveled, and two of his four remaining soldiers did as they were told. “Almost there my love, then we leave for Shanador
, the house of Azarris
, together.”

“Savanno, I must tell you something.” Rosana turned her tan angelic face toward him, her long dark hair wisping across her face and eyes. She smiled and reached out her hand to his as the horses kept at a walking pace next
to one another. “I am with
child, three months or more.”

“I know my queen, I know.” h
is hand reached hers and he returned the smile, his shaved head and face still splattered with small spots
of blood from the fight a half
day behind them. Savanno turned to see Richmond stop his horse and bow his head. Despite his love for Rosana, the fact they were free now
and safe, the former knight felt shame at showing his love in front of the king. There was still the sense of fear and guilt that much of what had happened was his fault for not taking his wife from Caberra years ago and avoiding all of this. He let Rosana’s hand go, and turned his horse around to meet with the troubled king who had stopped on the road. “Protect the queen a
nd carry on men, I will be
back.”

Rosana smiled still, having no lost love or care for Richmond, king of Harlaheim or not. Somehow she had known that Savanno knew she was with child, just an intuition that he had been waiting for her to tell him
out of respect and great patience. The fogs lowered and drifted off into nothingness slowly as the sun warmed the ground, and for the former queen of Harlaheim, the daughter of the king of Caberra, and the wife of a former lord of holy knights, Rosana felt the world stop with the joy of her beating heart.

It was shortly sped up once more, as the screams of the soldiers and thuds of crossbow bolts into them broke the brief perfect peace and serenity she had been gifted.
The two Harlian soldiers in front of
her fell with their steeds,
a dozen projectiles through their armor and horses alike. Galloping back toward her on the road was the man sent ahead to the city, his sword raised as he charged in to save the queen. Before he reached her his chest was showered with arrows as well, and he fell off the side of his brown mare that continued on, dragging the dead soldier as his foot caught in the stirrup. From the forests
and fog came the forms of twenty
footmen from ahead, and both sides. Rosana turned her stallion around to flee back to Savanno, and then she saw him. On the ground beside his horse, sword in hand, riddled with arrows; her husband struggled to get to his feet.