Chapter 10: You can do what I could not

  Roshana didn’t speak to Amos on the way to the Sanctum but Ninah continued to talk aimlessly to E’Tar who seemed lost at having so much attention placed on him, particularly around his size. “Tell me, did you have to eat a lot to get that big? You must have quite an appetite if you are such a large person, then again, I can eat a good deal myself and look how small I am.”

  “Well…I…”

  “And did you always have such large muscles? I find that many people that are tall are thin as well. But you are so well proportioned!”

  “Um…thank y-”

  “But how good are you at using them? Are they just for show or are you really good at fighting and lifting heavy things? Could you carry me if I was injured and needed you to carry me?”

  E’Tar didn’t even bother responding as she kept right on going. “You know, I don’t think I have ever seen someone of your size before. I just like looking at you. You are so big! That doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable, does it? I so often do or say things that seem to upset people and I don’t know why.”

  E’Tar’s face would have given the answer to anyone paying attention. Amos murmured to Roshana, “I think your friend is going to break my friend in a few moments if she isn’t careful. He is very self-conscious about his size.”

  “Indeed. I have only known her for the span of…this afternoon but she seems determined to be a friend. I don’t think she has much experience with society…”

  “Really? Are you not friends with her then?”

  “I’m…not sure. I never had anyone come out so forcefully and say they want to be my friend. But she isn’t the worst person…I could learn to accept that position.”

  Amos smiled as Ninah engaged in another conversation that caused E’Tar to wince. “And doorways! Stairs! How awkward it must be for you to go through buildings in general! I imagine most things aren’t built for someone your size!”

  “You are…Amos? I heard your brother say so. I am Roshana.”

  Amos nodded. “I am Amos.”

  “No family name?”

  “I could say the same to you.”

  She smiled and nodded.

  They reached the towering height of the sanctum and stepped through the open doorway as the guardian at the gate bowed to Roshana in greeting. “Minister.”

  Amos looked at her. “You are one of the Order of Ministers. I have heard of that order but never met one. It is a pleasure! Your order does splendid work.”

  She smiled sadly. “Not as much as they should as of late. They prefer to remain in hospitals in cities instead of doing missionary work as before. And you? Are you an Athelward?”

  “Not officially, no, but I do possess their power. Oh, but it’s supposed to be hushed. I don’t use it. If I do, I shall be either taken to the United House capital and the Tower of the Sun for training or indoctrination, whichever you prefer, or I shall have to join this order here and never leave the Sanctum.”

  “That is…unfortunate. It is probably best that way though. Once people know you have the power, they will either fear you or try to use you to their advantage.”

  Amos stopped. “You speak as though you have experience.”

  She glanced sideways at him. “I do.” She bowed her head and curtsied. “Good day to you, Amos. I think you will find the man you need to speak to is asleep in that chair beneath the tree over there.”

  She gestured across the courtyard and, sure enough, Torun sat on a wooden chair, sound asleep in the midday heat in the shade of a tree. Amos bowed to Roshana. “Thank you. Peace be with you.”

  “And with you.”

  Ninah stopped her chattering long enough to see the groups leaving. “Oh…what do you suppose we should do? Do you want me to still follow you, Roshana?”

  Roshana seemed unable to answer, her mouth twitching and eyes darting between Amos and E’Tar. She shrugged and slowly shook her head. “I’m feeling…tired. I think perhaps I should rest and you can…”

  “I can meet you here tomorrow,” Ninah suggested.

  “Oh…I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “I’ll be out here at first light to meet you. Have an excellent day!”

  Roshana smiled and walked indoors. E’Tar glanced at Amos, his look imploring. Amos shrugged. “I have to speak with Torun. You could…sit by and wait if you want.”

  “I’ll come with you!” said Ninah. “There are some chairs over there in the shade. It will be nice to sit after so much walking. Not that walking bothers me. I’ve walked all day, many leagues. Have you traveled far, E’Tar?”

  E’Tar walked resignedly with Ninah toward a bench across the courtyard as Amos approached Torun. He cleared his throat and the old man started in surprise. “Hmm? What? Oh! Amos…you are here at last.”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  “Forgive my late arrival. I was…preoccupied.”

  “No matter! Come! Sit beside me.”

  There was no chair so Amos sat cross legged on the ground beside his mentor’s chair and looked up expectantly into his face. “You wanted to tell me why you train me as you do.”

  “Of course! But first, let me tell you a story about myself I have never shared.”

  Amos sat up with interest. Torun noticed the expression and chuckled. “Yes, I know I have told you much about my past. Well, listen well, for few have heard this story and most who were there are no longer with us.”

  He settled back in his chair and his eyes seemed to grow distant, as if gazing into the past. “Long ago, when I was like you, young and brash, I too had powers that were formidable and I learned to use them within the Athelward order.”

  “So, you were in the order,” said Amos. “But, weren’t you brainwashed? How did you escape? I thought they didn’t allow people to leave the order.”

  Torun smiled at him. “I was part of the order before it was fully corrupted. Oh, things were not going well and the seeds of corruption were sprouting, but there was still order. There was still a Keeper.”

  “What? Wait a moment…” Amos appeared flustered as his eyes narrowed. “That was over seventy-four years ago. And you were a young man then? You must be nearly one hundred then!”

  “Older, my boy. I was in my young adult years when I first left the order to go on adventures, many years before the Keeper vanished.”

  Amos started. “Torun…are you a Great Son?”

  Torun looked at him and nodded slowly. “I am.”

  Amos sat back, his expression shocked. “Well…I never guessed. So, you will live longer than any of us.”

  “Then many people, yes, but not you. Your family has some Great Son blood as well, though it is mixed. You will also live for quite some time, I imagine.”

  Amos stared at him, confused. “What? Father never told us that…”

  “He didn’t think it was important. He feared it would cause his children to put on airs.”

  “Our wealth saw to that, regardless of our bloodline.”

  Torun smiled. “Perhaps, but your father still thought it best. The obsession with bloodline is a serious issue within the United Houses. Now, if I may return to my story.”

  Amos sat up straight. “Of course! Tell me more!”

  “As I was saying, I was a young Athelward, full of conviction and idealism. I saw the slowly rotting corruption within the Athelward as they became heavily involved in the politics of the United Houses and decided to leave before it became worse. It was highly frowned upon to leave the order, even at that time. To many rogue Athelward usually meant that purges of those who used their power to harm others or, at the very least, examinations of how they used their powers, would be commonplace and it was difficult for the Athelward to keep track of all who left, even the Keeper. And he was becoming more and more involved in politics himself, embroiled in the conflicts of the noble houses.”

  “Isn’t that their job though?” asked Amos. “The Athelward are meant to be arbiters of dispute.”

  “In the name of justice, yes,” said Torun. “To ensure that justice and peace were achieved and the RIGHT thing was done. But politics has a way of blurring the lines of right and wrong and pushing the boundary of justice to its limit. And so, it was with great excitement and sadness that I left the order, pursuing a life of adventure on the outskirts of society. There, I became…shall we say, a bit wild. I was a vigilante, working justice in whatever way I believed to be right…and I learned many hard lessons that way. Some lessons I still struggle to learn.”

  He went silent for a moment, pondering. Amos interrupted. “It is surprising that the Athelward did not have an issue with you then.”

  “They might have,” said Torun. “However, they were in no position to deal with renegades as they themselves were falling apart from within, or so I heard. A coup from within was one rumor even flying around…that the Keeper had been ousted as he hadn’t been seen in some time. All I know is in those days…renegades weren’t uncommon and I had my fair share of fights with them.”

  “You’ve been in an Athelward duel before? Some say that they even fight with blades made of pure energy! Is that a difficult skill to master?”

  “Peace, young Amos! If I go into all the details of my life, we will be here for days! Suffice to say, there were duels…some wild and uncontrolled fights. All of this is secondary to what finally happened.”

  “When did you mend your wild ways?” asked Amos, smiling.

  “Oh, this event I am about to tell you of did not mend my wild ways. On my travels, I met an Athelward in a mountain cave, wounded and close to death. He was full of shame and regret though he wouldn’t tell me all the details. He wished to entrust me with a gift…a secret to greater power with our order. With this power, I would do what he could not and save the Athelward order and society in general.”

  “That isn’t daunting at all,” said Amos, sardonically. “What power was it?”

  “That…I will tell you when my tale is over.”

  “Did you accept it?”

  “I did…and I didn’t. I accepted the gift, but not the responsibility that went with it. I used the power to my own advantage, becoming stronger and more skilled in the Athelward abilities as I learned greater secrets but did not use the power to help others as I ought, or to save the Athelward and the United Houses. I had given up on both and instead used the powers in the way I thought best. This came at a terrible price, for such powers are not used to benefit oneself without suffering the wrath of the Creator.”

  “How has it punished you?” asked Amos. “I know that many Athelward are obsessed with finding the power of immortality with their abilities and those always end with disaster. But I see nothing wrong with you.”

  “That is where you are wrong,” said Torun. “I received…a vision. This will make more sense when I explain what power I have. The message I received was this…that I would die very soon and my powers would be given to one who shall be greater than I. One who will fulfill prophecy and bring about the fulfillment of that dying Athelward’s wish.”

  Amos nodded, then froze, his mind clearly working. “What are you saying?”

  Torun sighed and sat back more heavily in the chair. “Amos…I was much like you at your age. But I have seen where your current path leads. One can not give up on all of society and on an institution founded by the Creator himself. Though the people have fallen it is not the institution that has failed…but its members.”

  “What is this leading to, Torun?”

  “As I see my younger self in you, so also do I see hope. You can do what I could not. You can fulfill the wishes of that Athelward I met so long ago.You can take these powers and carry them on to fulfill the destiny planned by the Creator.”

  Amos stood, his expression darkening. “Hold on, Torun. You have not told me what this power is, who the Athelward is or if I even wanted these powers. You had better start making sense. Tell me…who was this Athelward? What did he give you?”

  Torun seemed to struggle to find the words. “That Athelward…though he could not verify it, claimed to have been the true Keeper. And the power he gave me was those conferred in the title of Keeper.”

  “Then…that would mean…”

  “Yes, Amos Sunrider. If he was indeed telling the truth, I am the true Keeper. And I would have you be my successor.”