The Road To Kalbakar, Wyrms of Pasandir #1

CHAPTER 19 - A FEW ANSWERS

We gathered on the top of Kambish's Spire; Kellani, Naudin, Amaj with Jem, and Ulaataq.

I looked at the others and my heart was heavy.

'We're going to Seatome,' I said. 'Kellani and Naudin, you two will go back to your own lives. I... would like to thank you for all the help you gave me. Us,' I added, including Amaj and Jem.

Kellani stiffened. 'Not too hasty,' she said, and her eyes glittered. 'I was planning to request for leave to stay awhile longer. You're a foreign people we have no contact with. As a wyrmcaller, you would be a local official, wouldn't you? You could ask Father for my services – if you want them.'

Naudin coughed. 'I still have this internship to arrange. The reclaimers are out, but you might invite me.' He grinned. 'I bet many warlocks would jump at an invitation. You must have all kinds of stuff we don't know yet.'

I stared at them. 'I don't want you to go away,' I said slowly. 'Am I an official? A very minor one, perhaps. Mazuun is the local lord; isn't there a higher authority in the Peaks?'

'Mazuun?' Amaj grunted derisively. 'The keeps always were autonomous. If there was a dispute, they turned to the Kavid Jar for a decision.'

'Teodar?' I thought.

'You called?'

'Yeah, unless I'm goin' out of my mind, I did. Tell me, who is boss in the Peaks?'

'Bodrus,' he said immediately.

'But he's asleep. So who's next?'

'You are.'

I stiffened. 'Me? Not you?'

'Certainly not me. I told you the Kavid Jar is a guide, not a general. In the old times, the wyrmcallers defended the keeps and the lords tilled the land.' He coughed. 'I believe fly-girl said something like that already.'

I winked at Kellani. 'She did call them farmers, not fighters.'

'She was right. From their midst the wyrmcallers chose one to speak for all, the Wings of the Mountains, just like I am the Voice. Then the wyrms lost their minds and the wyrmcaller houses died out – all but Kambish's line. Now you are the only one left, the last Wings and the highest secular disciple of Bodrus in the Pasandir Peaks with the power to defend us all. That, my friend, is why the one-we-won't-name wants you killed.'

I swallowed. 'And you as well. Power for the grabs, Jem said. Is that what he wants? Your power?'

'I'm not sure.' Teodar's voice was angry. 'Perhaps he hopes to replace me as the Voice of Bodrus, thinking the god sleeps and is unaware of what's happening. Only Bodrus isn't unaware. His mind sleeps, but his dreams are wide-awake. It was his dream that spoke to you and guides me. He knows what's going on, but he can't act while he's asleep and he doesn't want to wake up. So he allowed me to rescue the line of Kambish. We need a wyrmcaller to act in Bodrus' stead.'

Slam. The answer was a fist in my face. Me, the runt from Seatome's orphanage, should defend a god?

'You can do it,' Teodar said. 'I must go. You visit those people across the mountains and negotiate as the Wings of the Mountains.'

'What Wings?' I said, desperately. 'I don't understand.'

'Wings to protect,' Teodar said. 'Wyrm wings.' Then he was gone.

I looked at the others and saw in their faces they had followed everything.

'Well,' Naudin said, peering at me shortsightedly without his glasses. 'Now you know your past and your future. How does it feel?'

'I wanna scream,' I said faintly.

'Butterfly is right,' Kellani said soberly. 'You can do it. You've the power and the guts.'

'You will kill Grandfather,' Jem said grimly. 'I know you will. And we'll help, won't we, Amaj?'

'Of course,' the young lord said stoutly. 'Ah, how?'

I sighed deeply, for their trust scared me as much as it encouraged me. 'No idea. I need to know more about these things. Lichs, jinn, they're not a wyrmcaller's fare.'

'Wings, wings,' Lothi-Mo chirped as she landed on my shoulder. 'Wings fly.'

'Of course,' I stroke her head. 'But I only have a broom.'

'Broom not wings. Not wyrm's wings.' The wyrmling spread hers and cackled.

I turned my head to avoid her sharp little claw close to my eye and caught Ulaataq's pensive look.

'We'll go to Seatome,' I said. 'I could use your help, but if you'd rather go back to your mother, I'll understand.'

The technician boy shook his head. 'I will come with you,' he said. 'You're all high level guys going places, and I got a career to think of. I'd be daft going back to bein' junior assistant at a drill site in the middle of nowhere when I could hook up with you fellows.'

I grinned at his candor. 'All right; you're in.'

'If you don't mind the danger,' Kellani agreed, 'we can use a technical type.'

'Now you must think up a non-magical flying broomstick,' Naudin said with a broad smile.

Ulaataq blinked and his face grew pensive. 'Lemme sleep on that.'

We all laughed.

'Let's go,' I said, and flashed us back to Seatome.

____

And that's it. THE ROAD TO KALBAKAR is done.

Thank you all very, very much for following Eskandar's story. I hope you liked it!

The adventure continues with THE PIRATES OF BRISA, available on Amazon and all other online bookstores.

After that will come THE BOKKANERS OF THE NORTH (expected Summer 2017) and I'm working on #4, for now titled THE JINN OF OZZOON.

If you haven't had a chance yet, you could look at my other Wattpad books: SHARDFALL and RHIDAUNA.

Happy reading!

Paul