The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 (7 page)

“
No, the Masters won’t allow it,” Keeper Anderson said sadly.
“We are sworn to secrecy under penalty of Death. Can you imagine if
this stuff got out? It would ruin the Order of Magic and plunge the
world into chaos.”

“
Judging by this room alone, it seems the Order is the centre
of chaos,” I said.

The Keeper
smiled. “I am glad I am not the only one that sees it like
that.”

I paced back
and forth before looking up at him. “Why me?”

“
Why not?” he asked back.

“
Surely you had your pick out of every Apprentice,” I said.
“Why choose the biggest loner out of everyone?”

“
You just answered your own question,” he smirked. “The
Keeper’s life is solitude. We work alone, live alone and don’t deal
with others unless it is to record an event. Who would you choose
for that life? A loner or a social butterfly?”

“
Makes sense,” I said.

“
Also...” he said then sighed. “I see a lot of myself in you.
Back when I was an Apprentice. I’ve been recorded your history your
whole life and no you inside and out. No strong desire for any
School, a strong love of books and smart enough to slip through
danger. I won’t live forever, but at least I know there’s someone
like me to continue my work.”

I smiled and
nodded. “Thank you, I’ll try and make you proud.”

“
You’ll get the hang of all the rules and secrets, kid,” the
Keeper said. “Plus, what’s so bad about being able to read every
event ever documented? We have everything from rituals to the
ancient history of Kalenden. There are even history logs from my
time with the Nao.”

My eyes grew
wide in shock. “How were you able to do that? I was told no one has
seen their city in hundreds of years.”

“
They weren’t always the way they are now,” The Keeper said
sadly. “People change as the world changes.”

I looked
around the room with a little bit more positive outlook. The
ancient rituals part intrigued me. There is a very good chance that
there would be a Demon exorcism ritual in there somewhere.

I hope so,
Cathy
said
. I can’t stand this.

Yeah, I am
shocked you have been quiet for this long.

I was distracted by your emotions,
she said.
Very overpowering. You’ll
have to explain that later.

“
We better head to that meeting,” The Keeper said worried. “We
might have been up here longer then intended.”

“
It’s hard to tell without a window,” I said.

“
Trust me, that comes in handy some days,” The Keeper said as
he headed for the door. “Just let me grab my log and we’ll be off
for your first Master meeting.”

“
Are they exciting?” I asked.

The Keeper
chuckled. “If you call four old men bickering about nothing
‘exciting’ then, yes.”

Chapter 6

The Masters’
meeting room was located in the large office on Master Pryce’s
floor under the Archives. Keeper Anderson explained that the Master
that has been serving the longest gets the topmost quarters. The
order of the Masters went: Pryce, Larose, Gerth, and Baker. But of
course for some, order meant nothing to them. The Keeper and I
settled into a couple of seats at the large circle table. He set up
his scrolls and quills and told me just to watch for this one. The
Masters began filing in with Master Pryce being the last one.

“
Let this meeting be recorded on the 16th of Sun’s Peak in 412
of the 2nd Era,” Master Pryce said mechanically as the Masters sat
down. Keeper Anderson started writing on the scroll. “We also
welcome Second Keeper Holcombe to his first meeting. Keeper
Anderson, could you remind us where we last left off?”

Keeper
Anderson flipped through the scrolls and stopped on one. He
squinted a bit as he read it. “You were discussing the recent
aggressive activity of the Evenawks, and the conflict between Nesqa
and Balendar.”

“
There is nothing more to discuss on the Nesqa – Balendar
matter,” Master Larose said. “I have sent some of my best mages to
instigate a peace meeting.”

“
You did so without the other Masters approval though,” Master
Pryce said. “There was too much to look into still. You are rushing
things and will only make them worse.”

“
At least I’m doing something other than talk,” Master Larose
said frustrated. “That seems to be the only thing you are good
at.”

“
You will watch your tongue, old man,” Master Pryce said
eerily calm.

“
I’m with Larose,” Master Gerth said. “This was a matter that
required action not sitting on our hands.”

“
But there were still too many questions,” Master Baker said.
“We don’t even know why it started.”

“
Do they need a reason?” Master Larose said. “The Nesqians and
Balendians are always at each others’ throats. Our best course of
action is to get the peace treaty signed so we can investigate the
matter without further incident.”

“
IF the peace treaty is signed,” Master Baker said in a snarky
tone.

“
Enough,” Master Pryce said. “Larose, get your Mages out of
there. We need more time before we interfere.”

“
Let’s put it to a vote then.” Master Larose pitched. “All in
favour of my plan?”

Master Larose
and Master Gerth raised their hands.

“
All opposed?” Master Larose asked.

Master Baker
raised his hand and Master Pryce’s face twisted in anger before he
raised his hand.

“
By the rules of stalemate, the matter is suspended until
tomorrow,” Master Larose said smugly.

“
This isn’t over,” Master Pryce said.

Keeper
Anderson scribbled furiously on the scroll and I had to make sure
my face wasn’t showing my shock at what I was seeing.

“
Next is the Evenawk Uprising,” Master Gerth said. “Their
raiding parties are nothing new but there are still the reports
that they have been kidnapping and executing Mages.”

“
If the Evenawks want war with the Tower then we should just
eliminate them once and for all,” Master Pryce said dismissively.
“We have tolerated their kind for far too long.”

“
They are still important to us,” Master Baker said disgusted.
“Ghanlar holds many important ingredients for our potions. A proper
relationship with them is important to our continued
success.”

Master Pryce
scoffed. “If the Evenawks were that important they wouldn’t have
free will. They should consider their continued existence a
blessing and not defy us.”

“
And can you expect them not to with that attitude?” Master
Larose said shocked. “They are still an intelligent species with
their own language, customs and beliefs. They are not some common
dog that you can beat for being bad.”

“
Yet despite everything we have done for them, they still
attack us,” Master Gerth said. “This Uprising needs to be stopped
before it gets worse.”

“
So you would have them eliminated, Gerth?” Master Larose
asked.

“
That is too strong a punishment,” Master Gerth said. “We need
to make examples of the Uprising Leaders. Show our hand, but
without going crazy.”

“
You are still mad to consider any form of aggression,” Master
Baker said shaking his head. “I will not allow such a thing to
happen.”

“
So without even taking a vote, I would believe we are at a
stalemate again,” Master Larose said. “Two for peace and two for
aggression; if I am correct.”

“
You are correct,” Master Gerth said.

“
Then the matter is pushed until tomorrow,” Master Larose said
as he turned to face Master Pryce. “I trust there won’t be any
unauthorised actions on this matter.”

“
You dare accuse me of such petty tricks to get what I want?”
Master Pryce said as his temper continued to rise. “You dare think
that I would stoop to YOUR level?”

“
What I am doing is ensuring peace in the land,” Master Larose
said matching Master Pryce’s tone. “What YOU are trying to do is
oppress it with an iron fist. You may think you rule this Tower
with fear and intimidation but you are wrong. There will be a day
when no one will stand for it and on that day, I will be the last
thing you see.”

“
I will burn this Tower to the ground before you rule,” Master
Pryce said intensely.

“
Masters, I believe our time is up,” Keeper Anderson said
before bowing awkwardly. “Until tomorrow.”

Master Gerth
and Master Baker headed out quickly while Master Larose continued
to stare down Master Pryce.

“
Get out of my quarters,” Master Pryce said.

“
Don’t get comfortable,” Master Larose smiled strangely. “They
won’t be yours forever.”

Master Larose
left the meeting room and Keeper Anderson handed me the scrolls and
grabbed his quills. “Let us hurry,” he whispered to me.

We left Master
Pryce at the table and climbed the stairs to our Archives floor. I
followed Keeper Anderson into his office and he motioned to place
the scrolls on his desk.

“
That didn’t sound too good,” I said dropping the
scrolls.

He chuckled
nervously. “They have been at each other’s throats for years now
and nothing ever comes from it. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
How did you like your first meeting?”

“
Shocking,” I answered. “Nothing happened.”

He chuckled
again sounding more himself. “Get used to it. It takes weeks to get
anything done with them.”

“
Has it always been like that? With the Masters always
disagreeing?” I asked.

“
Some topics are worse then others, but yes,” he answered.
“Sometimes it is just about blocking another Master’s idea. Other
times it is because they actually disagree with the
method.”

“
What were your opinions on the topics?” I asked.

Keeper
Anderson let out a long breath. “We aren’t allowed opinions, BUT,
for the sake of the conversation, I side with Master Pryce on the
Nesqa – Balendar conflict. Something doesn’t seem right with the
whole thing.”

“
But not the Evenawks?” I asked.

He shook his
head. “Ghanlar is too important to us. Master Gerth is right, we
should take out the leaders and the others will fall silent.”

“
You don’t seem too pleased with these events,” I
said.

He smiled
weakly. “You’ve never been outside the tower have you?”

“
No, I haven’t,” I replied.

“
I’ll have to send you on a task soon,” he said. “See Kalenden
for yourself. But until then, why don’t you take the afternoon to
familiarise yourself with the Archives a bit. We aren’t needed for
anything until tonight for the next Coming of Age
Ceremony.”

“
There aren’t any events we need to record?” I
asked.

“
Oh, there are,” he said playfully. “But we can’t record them
until after they happen. I’ll let you know when I get word of
something. If you need my help with anything in the Archives, you
can find me in here, usually. I just have to run down and let a
Teacher know about Thomas’s flower. I’ll be back in a
bit.”

“
Thank you, Keeper Anderson,” I said.

“
Oh, come on now,” he said with a chuckle. “We are going to be
like family now. Just call me Jacob.”

“
Thank you, Jacob,” I said.

“
Good luck in studies, Andy,” The Keeper said as he headed out
of his office.

I followed him
out but headed around the corridor to find the room marked
rituals.

It’s about time,
Cathy
said.

Look, I had to
make things look normal.

Well, I’m bored,
she said.
There is nothing to do here.

I have the
time to go through the books and get you out of my head. You’ll be
back haunting my dreams before you know it.

Tell you what,
she said
as I found the door to the ritual archives. You
get me out of here and I’ll leave you alone.

Really?

Really
, she responded.

I opened the
door and the room was almost an exact duplicate of the Crime room
only instead of tomes being in the bookcases there were scrolls,
lots and lots of scrolls.

It’s a good
thing I have the afternoon.

Why?
she asked.

We are going
to need it.

For hours, I
searched the scrolls getting distracted by the interesting rituals
I saw: Spirit Transference, Resurrection for Smaller Creatures,
Duplicating Item. Finally I had to stop and grab an empty tome from
The Keeper’s office so I could record some of these for future
study. I was a Keeper after all, what would be wrong with me
studying rituals?

You could screw them up and burn the Tower to the
ground?
Cathy pitched.

It was a
rhetorical question, and stop reading my mind.

Stop shouting your thoughts then,
she responded.

I scribbled
the rituals down in the tome as fast as I could but the evening
drew closer and closer. Finally I had found a dusty, ancient
looking scroll containing the ritual on Exorcism of Demons.