Fifthwind (41 page)

At
the end of the circle, which brought him nearly back to where he had
started, next to the chamber's main door, there was a tiny
passageway. He stepped inside and saw another large chamber filled on
all sides with shelves stuffed with books and scrolls and loose
parchments. The library was old and almost certainly contained
material that the eyes of men had not gazed upon in centuries. He
couldn't imagine having so much knowledge at his fingertips. It was
no wonder that The Fahd were able to educate themselves to a level
higher than most. Though the library was smaller by far, he sensed
that its ancient holdings surpassed even that of the Royal Library in
Kinston. He turned and reentered the main council chamber.

"Correct
me if I'm wrong," Ben started. "You follow no path but your
own... you intentionally have no friends... you are above the law and
you think your decisions are beyond question... and you justify all
this by living at a higher standard."

"Yes."

Ben
had intentionally worded his list in a poor light to see what kind of
reaction he could spur from Cobalius. The truth was that he had never
seen a higher conviction to a set of principles. The Fahd lived
outside of the very society which they sought to protect. They would
never reap the benefits of their actions, nor would they ever accept
any blame. They were the guardians of peace. It was becoming clear
that the title of Fahd would be a great responsibility to hold.

Cobalius
said, "You intentionally oversimplified your conclusions. Was that
to render our laws unacceptable and therefore easy to walk away from,
or was it perhaps to test my commitment to them?"

Ben
moved to one of the benches near the center of the room and sat.
"Maybe a little of both, but mostly the first. I'm not sure if I
can be that kind of man. I'm not sure if I can rise to that level."

"It
is an admittedly difficult path to follow and a lonely one, in which
your decisions will not always be popular. The Fahd are often hated,
and sometimes feared, but never are they disrespected. We are always
careful to live by a higher calling and therefore do not subject
ourselves to cries of hypocrisy. It is our promise to the people of
all lands that we will protect them from those who seek to topple the
balance of power in this world. Be it by war, politics... or magic.
With the Fifthwind rising once more, and with The Core actively
seeking to harness that power for their own selfish desires, our
calling could not be more important than it is now."

Ben
said, "Such principles were undoubtedly born from hard times. It
must have been difficult in the beginning. Tell me more about those
eleven men outside and why they formed the Fahd."

Cobalius
smiled and took up a seat next to Ben. "Let me tell you a tale..."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

For
the next few hours, Ben heard tale after tale of the things that had
happened a millennia before and had shaped the world that he knew. In
a time of magic and myth, when mystical beasts roamed the lands and
both kings and sorcerers wielded great power, the foundations of the
Fahd had been born out of the need to bring balance and peace to the
land. But, rather than provide a peaceful solution to a war fueled by
hatred and greed, The Fahd soon found themselves engaged in a
struggle against the collective sorcery of The Magus Core.

Cobalius
explained that, in those days, at the height of the Fifthwind's
embrace on the land, there were hundreds of men with the ability to
walk in the shadows of Witherscape, and they employed dozens of
skills in the war against the sorcerers. The Covenant did not yet
exist and the word 'Fahd' had not yet been uttered by the Murg.

Both
sides used the Fifthwind as a source of strength and power, but there
was a distinct and undeniable difference in motive. The Magus Core
sought to rule all of mankind, to enslave them, to pit the people of
one land against another in an endless entanglement of bloodshed and
war so that through chaos they might gain power. The Fahd, on the
other hand, fought for the freedom of all men of all lands, with no
regard for personal gain. Peace was their cause, and compassion was
their only motive.

Unfortunately,
there was no reasoning with The Core, and the resulting war ravaged
the land for decades. Though their efforts were legendary, their
skills were not aggressive in nature. The Fahd simply lacked the
firepower to match the might of The Core.

Cobalius
lowered his head and seemed to find it hard to say his next words.
"Until she came to us."

"Who?"

Before
Cobalius could answer, a figure stepped forward from Ben's left and
said, "She had no name, or a least not one that has been
remembered."

The
man had silently appeared from a swirling shadow that had danced for
but a moment in the dim firelight. He was a dark skinned man with
short, black and wiry hair that was dusted with age. He wore a
nut-brown linen garment that draped loosely from one shoulder and was
belted around his midsection; the loose end of the sash hung nearly
to the floor. Tucked in his belt was a curved knife with an
intricately carved, ivory grip, and in his hand was an iron-shod
staff easily as long as the man's six feet in height.

Ben
had only once before encountered men from the many lands that made up
the Aristeed Union, and that had been under less than favorable
circumstances. The fact that they had been hired assassins, and had
killed a woman under his protection, should have tainted his opinion,
but Ben quickly reminded himself that the man standing before him was
a Fahd, and therefore called no land his home.

Cobalius
stood and greeted the newcomer with a strong grip and a brotherly
hug. "Madros! It's good to see you again."

"It
has been a long time indeed my friend." Fahd Madros eyed Ben in an
unimpressed manner and put a casual hand on his knife. "Is he to be
one of us?"

"Time
will tell," Cobalius said, "but he shows great promise."

"His
name?"

"Bennick
Karr," Ben said, standing to offer his hand.

"I
know that name. It is a name that speaks of a painful history not
soon to be forgotten," Fahd Madros said with a hint of surprise on
his voice. He did not accept Ben's handshake, though the act did not
appear rude. "Surely, you have guessed my heritage by the color of
my skin, yet you show no ill will toward me for the deeds of my
kinsmen."

Ben
bowed his head slightly but did not lower his eyes, or the hand he
offered. "The Fahd did not kill Lady Elaine. Why would I hold
contempt toward you?"

Fahd
Madros accepted the proffered hand and threw his head back and
laughed. It was not a sincere laugh, but not sarcastic either. It was
a laugh of delight, not humor. After the echoes of the outburst
settled into the corners of the room, Madros turned again to
Cobalius. "He gives the right answers. But can he keep the beast at
bay?"

Cobalius
leaned into Ben and whispered, "That's his way of asking if you can
put aside your past and all the things that growl from within."

Cobalius
faced Fahd Madros and cleared his throat. "He has a hunter's heart,
and is pure of spirit. His past holds little control over him.
Whether he will follow our path is his own choice, but I believe he
is worthy."

Fahd
Madros looked over Ben appraisingly. "I sense that he is." Then,
to Ben he said, "Listen closely to what Fahd Cobalius has to say,
he is wise beyond his years."

Ben
nodded that he would, and then said, "You mentioned that, long ago,
a woman with no name gave The Fahd an edge against The Core. Please,
finish the story."

Fahd
Madros looked to Cobalius who nodded that he should continue. He
said, "Come with me."

Ben
followed Madros down a short hallway and to a door which opened into
a courtyard of grass, flowering bushes, and sculpted stone. In the
center of the garden was a working fountain of tasteful design; a
three-tiered cascade, devoid of bathing beauties or naked water
bearers. Along the outer walls of the space, tall hedges offered a
softer, more natural experience than the would-be encasement in
stone. Open to the sky, the parklike setting was inviting and calming
to the spirit. As they moved slowly along the garden path, Fahd
Madros resumed his story.

"She
had no name, or a least not one that has been remembered. Taken as a
girl from her family and molded by the hands of hate, she was forced
to serve The Core with both mind and body. I can only imagine the
horrors that poor child was subjected to."

Cobalius
said, "She was tortured for many years. Forced to perform wicked
rites designed to pinpoint her skill in the ways of magic. Unlike the
Warbrides, she was trained to cast a single spell and was to serve
but a single purpose. It was to be her destiny to unlock the power of
the Fifthwind so that The Core might harness its full potential."

"To
them," Madros said, "she was nothing more than a disposable key.
The girl's life was meaningless."

Cobalius
continued, "In the final days, with only twelve of our kind
remaining, and at the brink of defeat, Fahd Phaetalis found her. She
was guarded in a nest of a hundred Warbrides and countless Murg. She
was being prepared for a ritual that would empower The Core and
enslave mankind. All along, The Core had kept her hidden where no one
was likely to look. She was imprisoned directly beneath their feet in
the catacombs of Stonewall."

"I've
seen those tunnels," Ben said. "Most of them have collapsed since
the days you talk about."

"It
was not time that crumbled those passages," Madros corrected.
"During the push to reach the girl, Phaetalis led an assault of
never before seen determination and strength. He and the twelve that
remained cut a path of death through the nest. The Warbrides were no
match for Phaetalis who Drifted and Shifted from target to target
along the dark corridors leaving a swath of bodies, both witch and
Murg, in his wake. As they moved deeper into the passages, they
collapsed nearly every tunnel leading in or out of the Warbride's
nest, isolating the witches from any hope of reinforcements from
above."

"Twelve
men, against so many," Ben said. "That's tough odds."

"But
it was during this assault," Cobalius said, "that the Murg first
begged for mercy. Cowering before the might of Phaetalis they cried
'Fahd'. It is one of the few words they speak. In their limited
language, it means
master
."

"Did
they rescue her?" Ben interrupted, caught up in the excitement of
the tale.

"It
was not their goal to rescue her, but to eliminate her before she
could unleash her talents."

"Kill
her!" Ben gasped. "But, she was innocent... forced to aid The
Core against her will!"

Madros
said, "In war, innocent people often die. As long as she was alive,
The Core would find her and use her to seal the fate of the world. As
unfair as it seems, her death would have bought victory and saved
thousands of lives. She would have been remembered as a savior."

"Couldn't
she have been hidden away from The Core? Prevented from fulfilling
her purpose. Saved from her own fate?"

"When
he finally reached her, Phaetalis could not bring himself to destroy
her. He, too, believed, that she might be spared and kept hidden from
The Core," Madros said with a spiteful edge to his voice. "So,
against the best judgment of his brothers, he took her away and
abandoned the path of The Fahd, vowing to care for her and protect
her from what he called, 'the murderous hands' of both The Core and
The Fahd. He promised that no one would ever see either of them
again."

"It
would have been better if that had been true." Cobalius moved
toward a bench and sat. "While they were away, he fell in love with
her. He cared for her so deeply that he was willing to stay in hiding
to protect her, but he knew that The Core would eventually find her
and tear her from him. So, in his greed to remain with her forever
and protect her from the hands that might bring her harm, he
convinced himself that there was only one way to ensure her safety.
She needed to complete the task for which she had been trained. But,
instead of The Core being the recipient of the unbridled power of the
Fifthwind, he meant to have that power for himself and use it to
destroy The Core once and for all."

Ben
frowned. "Hard times sometimes require hard decisions, but
replacing one absolute power with another is never the answer. Power
corrupts everyone eventually."

Madros
lifted his eyes as if he had just been hit by a refreshing spring
breeze. "So, you do understand after all. This pleases me."

Cobalius
stood and thoughtfully paced as he continued his story. "After
several years, Phaetalis returned and found that the brothers he had
left behind were barely holding back The Core. Even with the loss of
the girl, the combined might of the sorcerers was too much. At first,
Phaetalis' return was not well-received. They had not forgiven his
betrayal, but they sorely needed help. Phaetalis explained his plan
and swore that once The Core was defeated, he and the girl would go
away forever."

Madros
took a seat next to Ben. "In their desperation, they reluctantly
agreed to try. The casting of the spell was going to be exceedingly
difficult. The young woman was the only one capable of channeling the
power of the Fifthwind directly into Phaetalis, but she could not see
the weaving of the spell herself. Phaetalis would have to drift into
the Witherscape and act as her eyes to guide her efforts in focusing
that power upon him."

Cobalius
said, "Then, one of the twelve, a man named Vargas, learned that
Phaetalis had been learning the ways of magic from the girl. Seeking
to use the Fifthwind for destructive purposes was forbidden and the
very reason the Fahd stood against The Core. The Fahd felt that only
non-violent skills relating to the use of the Witherscape were
acceptable among their ranks. The breaking of this unwritten law was
enough for Vargas to question Fahd Phaetalis' motives. The stories
say that Vargas secretly approached Phaetalis and challenged his
claim that the deed was to be accomplished for the sole intention of
defeating The Core. Vargas accused Phaetalis of seeking power for
himself."