Early Spring - M-1893, Part 5 Temple of Aodh (II)

Guardian's Key

Part 5
Temple of Aodh

II

Kerrin walked forward and tried pulling the chains that bound Telaan; still nothing happened. Xavier moved closer to Adrostos and raised his sword. “Adrostos, try striking the chains again. Kerrin, pull as soon as they glow; I’ll use my sword as well.”

A deep, rich voice began chanting softly and Lessa realized Telaan was casting a spell as Adrostos and Xavier struck the chains together. As soon as they glowed even brighter than before, Kerrin pulled. The energy coming from the chains pushed him back, but he didn’t let go. He locked his legs, bracing himself and pulled harder, the strain making his face red. Before the glow could dim, Adrostos and Xavier struck again. This time, the power of the silver swords, Kerrin’s strength and Telaan’s spell released the chains, and they fell from his wrists.

Telaan rose slowly, obviously stiff legs fighting the change in position. He stumbled just short of falling and Lessa and Nanda reached for him at the same time.

Suddenly, Lessa felt as though a hand forcibly pushed her as she and Telaan were both knocked to the floor. Pain radiated up her back as she landed hard against the marble floor. Stunned, she couldn’t speak for a moment while she forced her lungs to work again. “Why did you push me? I was only trying to help,” she tried to keep the hurt out her voice, but was sure she hadn’t succeeded. It wasn’t her fault Nanda came along. The woman was grown; she could make her own choices.

Kerrin’s anger reverberated through the room as he said quietly through clenched teeth, “I told you she didn’t bring Nanda along, dammit.”

Telaan’s voice was just as confused as Lessa felt. “I didn’t push her, dammit, she pushed me.”

“Hum, I wondered what would happen if they touched in here.” Xavier commented.

“In this case opposites do not attract, they repeal,” Nanda said with a smile. Kneeling beside Telaan sprawled on the floor, she continued, “And coming here was my choice alone, my love; I made them bring me along.”

“Stubborn woman.” Lessa was sure his anger was fighting his amusement by the way his lips quirked up at one corner. “It appears I’m not the only one that can’t keep you from doing something stupid once your mind is made up.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Kerrin asked Xavier, ignoring Telaan and Nanda.

“Why did that happen?” Lessa asked as the pain began to subside. Thankfully her healing powers still seemed to be working even if her magique wasn’t.

“Because you both have blood of the spirits, only Telaan’s is Shadow and yours, Sundara,” Xavier said.

“What?” Lessa asked taking Kerrin’s warm hand and rising. “I’ve touched others of the Shadow and that never happened.”

“You were never standing in the temple of a revered Supreme Ruler. Fallen or not, her presence is strong here,” Xavier smiled sardonically.

“Why do you say I have Sundara blood? As far as I know, my father is merely a Wizard and my mother a Sorceress. They have no hidden talents, although I suspect my mother of making Elixir of Life since I can understand no other reason for their being so young.”

“They haven’t told you everything then, I’m afraid,” Nanda said. “I heard my mother once say you were spirit-touched. When I asked what that meant, she said your grandmother had been a Sundara Spirit who asked the Guiding Queen for release so she could join with the mortal she loved. It was granted.”

“Why don’t I know any of this?” Lessa felt lost and confused, desperation to demand explanations from her parents burned through her. How could she not know that her own grandmother was a Sundara Spirit? Why would they keep this from her? What was so wrong with her that they couldn’t even share her heritage with her, a heritage that apparently Nanda’s mother knew? That Xavier, a stranger, knew. She felt tears of anger forming, but brushed them aside, refusing to let them fall.

“I don’t know, Lessa, your parents must have had a good reason, you’ll have to ask them,” Nanda said softly.

She looked at Kerrin standing close enough to protect her; but he’d dropped her hand once she’d appeared stable enough to stand alone. Ever since he’d told her he couldn’t help her, he’d kept his distance. Where did he fit into all of this? “I have many things to ask my father about, I’m beginning to learn.” He would tell her exactly who and what she was, that was a promise she made to herself.

“I, on the other hand,” Telaan said as Adrostos and Xavier helped him to rise once again, “am from the taint of a fallen Supreme Ruler and have nothing to ask my bitch-witch mother.”

“What happened to your hair?” Nanda asked as reached up and ran her hand over the back of his short wild hair. It looked as though someone had hacked it off without a care. Lessa remembered the few times she’d seen him; his black hair had always been pulled back into a long ponytail that reached his waist. Oddly enough, even the mess his hair was in couldn’t detract from either his extreme good looks (he had the almost beautiful features of both the Elf race and the spirits) or from the softness that entered his face when he spoke to Nanda.

She’d seen that he could be hard, it’d come across loud and clear earlier; and with Eris as his mother, he could be no less. But Nanda he treated like something delicate and precious. Lessa knew from experience she had a determination and stubbornness that rivaled her own, but she was happy to see he really did treat her friend with the love and respect she deserved.

Telaan pulled Nanda into his arms and gently caressed her cheek. “Ah, Eris didn’t like that I hide her beloved mark. I’m just grateful she only used the knife on my hair and didn’t miss in her blind frenzy.” He turned to face the rest of the group, tucking Nanda close against him. His smile was like a young boy who liked to defy his parent. “And I do mean blind. However, I do rather wish she hadn’t told her freaky priestess to make me look better, I preferred the hacked mess Eris left me with. The priestess was a little too friendly. I think beating the shit out of me and watching me bleed turned her on.”

“If you can walk,” Adrostos said, moving toward the door, “We must leave before the handmaidens realize we are here.”

“It’s too late for that, child of Chandra, they’re on the move,” Telaan said taking Nanda’s hand moving forward with Adrostos.

“Then now is the time. Can you dispel them?”

“I can try, but I haven’t eaten since Eris chained me here, and her bleed spell has left me weak. I should have been able to heal, but the bleeding hasn’t stopped. There would have been blood everywhere if it weren’t for her damned handmaidens keeping her sacred temple and me clean. I’m hoping once I leave here, her spell will lose its power and I can heal. Also, my magique’s not as effective as it could be against them. I’m afraid I tend to remember Aglaea’s teachings more than what Eris tried to quite literally beat into my head, but I’ll do what I can. Your swords should also be effective.”

They opened the door to five of Eris’ handmaidens. At first glance, Lessa thought they were all the same woman; but despite the same black hair, same almost colorless eyes, same black pieces of fabric that barely covered them, and Eris’ mark prominent on their stomachs, there were subtle differences in them.

In unison, all but one raised their hand and a red glow emanated from their fingers. One, however, cowered back, away from Kerrin as he raised his sword. Telaan waved his hands and a ball of pure white light shot forth and struck two of them, causing them to break apart; at the same time, Adrostos, Xavier and Kerrin swung their swords and removed the heads of the other three. They, too, broke apart and dissipated into nothing more than mist.

“Okay, if they don’t come in any bigger groups, we’re set,” Xavier said.

“And you think that’s going to happen, Wizard? These were just the warm up; the rest will follow very shortly,” Telaan said, holding onto Nanda’s hand and moving into the lead.

Part 5 - Temple of Aodh I

Part 6 - Return to Cronus I