Soulbonder

Chapter 42 - The Areathellum (2)

The onlookers craned their heads and crept forward to get a better view. Perplexed expressions and confused mutterings ran through the hall, like a wave. It was plain they all thought the same thing.

This is it? This little thing is at the heart of this prophecy we have feared for so long?

The Haeryn's expression, however, was unchanged. There were no signs of disbelief or disorientation. There was simply a man, willing to listen. "What do they want with it?" he asked.

"They want to open something," Shale said.

"Something?"

"We're not sure," Daziran said.

The mutterings escalated into mocking chastisements.

"Come now, please be quiet until we hear them out," the Haeryn said. "High Mastari Mazaric, as an exceedingly rational man, whom we all respect and trust, I must ask your opinion on all of this."

The High Mastari's attention remained fixed to the amulet. "I cannot attest to the significance of this trinket. But there were things in that passage."

"Things?"

"Unnatural creatures. Were they Shaedri? I don't know. But there is no question in my mind that they were a great enemy, a greater evil than these folk who stand here now. I could feel it, somewhere deeper and primal."

His fellow Mastari balked.

Those who were bickering were stupefied into silence. From what Shale had read, she knew the High Mastari was a pragmatist, a man who always spoke his truth. He was usually dismissive of all things fantastical. So to hear him speak so openly about such things was causing some people to doubt. Perhaps it was enough to at least persuade them that the coming army was more than it seemed.

"I can see two Stargazers among your party," the Haeryn said. "That is rather unusual. How did the pair of you become entangled in all of this?"

"In the time that the prophecy was seen," Karlar said, "Our Order was unanimous in the idea that an unnatural war could come to our realm."

"That's correct."

"Now that is coming to pass, not in the form of Magizyra, as we originally anticipated, but in the form of an older enemy. A minority of us saw something else in the tapestry, something that shook the foundations of previously held beliefs. Tershar and I became the most vocal advocates of this viewpoint."

"Which was?"

"That to win the war, the Hekkari had to seek out the moral magical folk of the realm and form an alliance against our common foe."

The entire hall erupted into angry outbursts. The loudest and most vehement came from the other Stargazers.

The Haeryn leaned back, wearing an amused smile. When he held up a liver-spotted hand, the shouting slowly petered out. "I can tell few in the Order liked that."

"It was an unpopular opinion," Karlar said.

"High Stargazer Valarin branded us traitors and removed us from the Order," Tershar said.

"As he had every right to," the High Lightserver said, bounding to his feet. His face was as red as his robes.

"Please, Zeiman, be seated," the Haeryn said.

Reluctantly, the High Lightserver obeyed.

"So you're not actually Stargazers?" a bald Mastari said. "You further insult the Order by donning the robes of gold and green?"