Valley of the Ancients: Book Three of the Restoration Series (30 page)

"Why do you want to talk to us?" Derek asked. "Why not just let us go?" It seemed obvious to him that they had walked into a trap. He immediately began reconsidering that belief. The Church would not work with the type of people that had found refuge in the forest, unless Nathan was sent here to destroy them.

Nathan looked to Kara. "Do you know the rest of my story?"

Kara looked puzzled for a moment, "I believe you disappeared after earning the High Priest's displeasure."

"I ran for my life from the old bastard." Nathan corrected. His words caused several of the Guardians to start in surprise and Kara even gasped again. "I am no longer in the service of the Church of Adel. I was excommunicated and there is a standing order to kill me as soon as I am found. There is to be no trial or arrest. I am to be killed like some diseased animal before I can infect the other cattle." He paused for a moment, "That's one of the reasons no one was willing to tell you my name."

"Still doesn't answer my question," Derek said firmly. He didn't know exactly what was going on and he wanted to proceed carefully.

"Quite true," Nathan agreed. He motioned behind him at the table loaded down with food. "Please. Won't you join me and I will explain everything while we eat."

Derek didn't like either of the options that he had. He could refuse their host's invitation and try to fight their way free, but he didn't like the odds. He didn't like the second option either, but as it was the lesser of two dangers, he grudgingly pulled a chair back and sat down.

Nathan smiled and moved to the head of the table, while Gilbert sat immediately to his left. Strangely, Leela moved up and sat down at Nathan's right. The other Guardians and Keenan also took seats and for a moment there was silence. Both sides just sat there, staring at each other.

The silence was at last broken by Nathan, "I was very good at what I did. Many thought that I might be the next high priest, but that was a long time ago." He motioned to the food, "PleaAt lbutse help yourselves and I will explain."

Derek nodded his head and there was a clanking as people began to scoop food on to the wooden plates. Derek alone did not eat. He wasn't sure if there was something in the food or drink, but he was determined to keep a clear head. Under no circumstances was he going back to another torture room.

Nathan smiled, as if he could read Derek's mind. "There were many troubling things associated with my job. I was able to dismiss them for a long time, but there came a time when I couldn't overlook them anymore. I began to have doubts."

Derek glanced at Kara, but she was watching Nathan wide-eyed.

"I ignored those doubts for a while but they continued to grow." He paused and took a deep breath, "One night I had a dream. I believe I was given a charge, a mission." He paused again and then he hurried quickly, "I believe that I was given a divine mission from Adel himself."

With a sudden worry, Derek glanced around at his comrades. Several of them met his gaze and he knew they were thinking the same thing that he was,
this man's crazy.

Nathan noticed the looks but did not comment on them, instead he continued with his story. "I was unsure of what to do. I confided in a friend of mine. Simon was a lifelong friend, that is until he told the high priest about my doubts and dreams. I barely escaped with my life."

"What was your divine mission?" Derek asked, not really believing any of this rubbish.

Nathan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the edge of the table. "I was sent to this forest and given certain abilities. I was put in charge here and commanded to protect these people. They will be very important in the coming battle."

"What battle?" Kara asked quickly, forgetting Derek's command to remain quiet.

Nathan shook his head, "I do not know, but there is one coming. I believe that you might actually know more about that than I do." He turned his gaze to rest on Keenan. "Isn't that right, Prince of Tizen?"

Gilbert and Leela both started at the question, obviously neither of them had known Keenan's identity until just then.

To his credit, Keenan did not shrink from the question or fidget under all those stares. He held Nathan's gaze for a moment and then nodded. "King Zarum dreams of fighting the Demon Lord War over, but this time he wants to win."

The words had a chilling affect on Derek and he didn't like the way they sounded. "Does he have any wizards? Can they summon demons?"

Keenan shook his head. "Not that I know of, but that man is a secretive little monster. If he did have a way of summoning demons, I'm sure that I would not know about it."

Derek turned back to Nathan. "You think that your mission is to build an army? How many wildlings do you have? Ten? Twenty? That's hardly an army."

"It wasn't too long ago that there were none of us," Nathan answered. "More enter the woods everyday. But I'm sure we will be ready for whatever Lord Adel has in mind for us." Silence greeted these words and Nathan looked around the table at each of them. "I believe that my mission has less to do with raising an army or even piv> d for urotecting this wood, than it has to do with Kelcer." The words sent a collective shiver around the table.

"What do you know about it?" Kara asked, leaning forward.

"The time draws near." Nathan answered. "I believe that Zarum's desire for war is tied in with the prophecy." He tilted his head as he studied her, "Does Flaranthlas have Ossendar?"

Derek opened his mouth to speak, to say they didn't know, but Kara spoke first.

"Yes. He returned to Telur nearly a month ago."

Everyone at the table stared at Kara and, unlike Keenan, she did fidget under their gazes. She turned her attention to Derek, "I found out this afternoon."

"How?" Derek asked, when he found his voice.

Kara looked uncomfortable. "Shouldn't we discuss that later? In private?"

"My dear girl," Nathan said grinning, "I do not know how you got your information, but I too would like to hear it."

Kara glanced at Derek and he shrugged. So she began to tell them the story of what Cassandra had told her. Trestus and Derek both got solemn at the news of Philip's death, although Enstorion's expression did not change a bit. But all of them, including Enstorion, looked shocked at the news of Flare's theft of Ossendar and flight from Telur. Trestus was horrified of the news that his family was in hiding and even more scared of what would happen to them if they were caught. Several things Kara held back. She did not mention the three other items, the helmet, shield, and armor. She also did not disclose that Cassandra and the others were currently imprisoned in Eled Aminor. She would relay that information, but just not in front of this bishop.

When she was finally through speaking, her throat was suddenly dry and she grabbed a goblet of water and began drinking. The water felt cool and comforting as she drained the glass. Silence descended on the table.

"Well, that was most enlightening." Nathan said after a moment. As one the others turned to look at him. There was fear and anxiety in those faces. "Be at peace," he said simply. "I have never met this elven prince, but you have. Do you really believe that he is the destroyer of the world?"

Several expressions turned troubled but no one spoke.

"The Church has spent the better part of the last two thousand years frightening people with Kelcer, but I no longer believe their version."

"What are you saying?" Kara demanded, fear and indignation plain on her face. "Are you questioning Adel?"

"Absolutely not." Nathan said emphatically. "However, I am questioning the Church of Adel." His face took on a serious expression. "I believe that all too often we confuse the two. The Church is managed by men, and men are prone to error. I believe that our understanding of Kelcer is wrong."

Her skin flushed, Kara was getting angry and looked ready to explode. Derek asked a question quickly to try and divert her anger. "So what do you think the Kelcer prophecy means?"

Nathan sighed. "I'm afraid that I do not know. I know that I believe it is not what we have been taught. It has been uwhat

After a moment Derek shook his head, "No."

"Neither do I and I have studied Kelcer for many years. It's very complicated but I think I have information that may help you."

"Help us? How?" Derek asked.

"Ossendar is one of the first signs of the imminent restoration of the Dragon Order, but there are other less known signs." He grinned, enjoying the feeling of being a teacher with a rapt pupil. "Have you ever heard about the helmet of Ashteroth? It is rumored to be stored in a treasure room in Eled Aminor and I believe that it is another of the signs." Nathan stopped speaking and watched each of them. Derek and Trestus looked confused, Enstorion looked bored, as he had for the whole meeting. Keenan looked thoughtful and Kara looked, he paused, she looked resigned. "You already knew?" He asked her shrewdly.

Once again every head turned to face Kara. She nodded. "Cassandra told me as much, but it was stolen a week or so ago."

"By Flaranthlas?" Nathan asked, not showing the least bit of disappointment that his hard sought knowledge was useless.

Kara shook her head, "No. Cassandra said she thought it was taken by one of Zalustus' lieutenants." She paused and then decided that it was time to tell the majority of the rest of the story. "She also said that the dragon armor called Nerandall is a sign. She said it was lost in the Faerum city of Saprasia during the Third War of the Races. She also mentioned the dwarven shield Ocklamoor, which no one seems to know where it is located."

"You are very well informed, indeed." Nathan said, "However, not everything you just said is accurate."

"Which part are you referring to?" Kara asked.

Nathan grinned, "You said no one knows where the Dwarven shield Ocklamoor is located, but I believe I know where it is hidden."

Chapter 21

Derek's head was spinning. It seemed that as many, if not more, surprises were coming from Kara as from Nathan. "Hold on," he said quickly, "how is it that I've never heard of these 'signs.'"

"When Kelcer was translated into the common tongue, many of the names were translated literally." Nathan said, once again sounding like some sort of teacher. "For instance, Ashteroth literally means 'halo of fire' and that is how it was translated. Those who did the translating did not know that it was a name of an actual helmet. Even most historians today would not know of the helmet. Most of its story has been lost in the centuries and millennia since it vanished."

"Then how do you know?" Kara asked, suspecting that she already knew the answer. "How is it that you have information that even historians do not have?"

"Because, young lady, I was rather highly placed in the Church and certain information came to my attention. Information thatI do eigh I could not just pass on. I began to research these things and the answers I found were almost as troubling as the initial questions."

"The Church knows that the common Kelcer prophecy is a bad translation?" Kara asked incredulously. "Are you saying they actually know that they're lying?"

"Not all of them," Nathan answered quietly. "Most preach as they have been instructed to, all the time believing that they're doing the work of Adel. I suspect that only a few know the truth, Dalin Olliston was surely one of them. I suspect that some of the archbishops know as well."

Silence descended around the table for several moments and Derek looked from Kara to Nathan and back again. Nathan remained calm, accepting, but Kara was flushed and looked ready to explode at any moment. Derek found it strange that the woman was still so ready to defend the Church. It had after all required her to do something which, in the end, she had refused to do. The Church that she so dearly wanted to defend would probably execute her when she returned.
Craziness.

"But you think you know where this shield is?" Trestus asked. It was the first thing he had said since he learned of his family having to go into hiding.

"Yes," Nathan answered simply. "While I was still in the service of the Church, I began to search out these meanings, as I said, and I learned something of immense importance. You see, the Church also knows about these signs. They have sent men to search the ruins of Saprasia, but they did not find the armor. But the Church did find Ocklamoor."

"The Church has Ocklamoor?" Kara repeated in disbelief. Her face, which mere moments ago had been flushed with anger, had now gone very pale. "How can that be?"

"I do not know the details of how they acquired it," Nathan admitted, "but I do know where it is located now."

There was another moment of silence, finally broken by Derek sighing deeply. "All right. Where is it?"

"It is located in the Abbey of Enlightenment."

"What? It's in Elem?" Kara asked surprised.

Derek understood her confusion. Elem was a port city on the western end of Telurian territory, just south and east of the Az'ha'rill mountains. It was a thriving community, where enormous quantities of goods were unloaded from incoming ships before other goods were reloaded for the ships to return to wherever they had come from. The city had a rather dark and unpleasant reputation, as was to be expected with that many sailors on liberty. The Abbey of Enlightenment looked over the city from a large hill just to the north of the city proper. "Are you sure?" Derek asked. "I mean there are so many larger abbeys that are better protected, and why wouldn't the shield be brought back to the Church's seat of power in Telur?"

Nathan grinned and leaned out over the table. "If you knew that the Church had the shield, where would you begin your search for it?"

Derek hesitated at the question. His first thought was
Telur
, followed closely by
or one of the powerful monasteries in the east
. The last thing that came to mind was Elem. The city was more well known for its whores than it was for its abbey. "Surely they would have picked somewhere that's better protected."

"You would be surprised at how well that abbey is guarded," Nathan answered. "In fact, there are so many guards placed there, and priests who were once guards, that I can not imagine how you will get in and then back out without getting caught."