The Cavalier (43 page)

“Yes. To ensure the faith of the candidate, they are tortured for five days. Their bodies are cut, burned, and broken, with the idea that at the end of the fifth day their god or goddess will heal them. The Forsworn are constantly hunting and looking for ways to corrupt or destroy cavaliers. If a cavalier is captured, the tortures that they would endure at the hands of that evil would be incomprehensible. This test will help prepare them for the possibility of that happening. If they keep faith through that intense ordeal then they will pass the test. If not, then they will be healed and released from training, never to be a cavalier.”

“And you went through that?” Jonas asked in amazement.

“I did. The hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Jonas and Kiln both looked at Taleen with newfound respect.

“The next trial is called the Balnock, or dream test. The candidates are put into a trance by their priests. In this trance they are assaulted by various demons and monsters and the candidates must use their powers to defeat them.”

“Are the demons real?” asked Jonas.

“No, but they seem real. In that state everything feels real, including pain. If you die or retreat, you fail that test and are released from training forever.”

“How long does it take a candidate to pass all the tests and become a cavalier?” Kiln asked.

“It takes around six years. As you can imagine, very few make it through all these tests. Candidates must prove themselves in purity, combat, and faith, which very few can do. If we lose all our cavaliers, then it will take too long to train more. We cannot die, Jonas.”

“I don’t plan to,” Jonas said seriously. “What about a cavalier’s steed? I had heard that they are granted a steed from their god.”

“After the cavalier passes all the tests and they are officially recognized as a cavalier, they will usually get their steed, armor, and weapons, but these gifts are given by their god and there is no set rule as to when this happens. I can see that you have already received your armor and weapons. The steed may come at any time. Kormac, my horse, came to me the night before my first mission.”

“And they have powers as well?”

“Oh yes, the cavalier’s steed has powers of strength and endurance. They can run continuously without tiring. They can fight and sense evil as you do. They, too, are always perfectly groomed, their armor and coat glistening like it was recently polished and brushed. It is believed that a cavalier should instill strength and courage in others and to do this they must look the part.”

“We will travel to Annure to get some answers. At that point I may leave you and head to Finarth. I have some unfinished business there,” said Kiln.

“I would like to accompany you to Finarth,” replied Jonas hopefully.

“We’ll see, my friend. You may have a different calling. The council at Annure may have other plans for you.”

“But I swore allegiance to King Gavinsteal.”

“That may be, but your calling as a cavalier supersedes any prior oath to a king.”

“He is right, Jonas,” Taleen interjected. “Cavaliers have no allegiance to any one king or land. Their allegiance is to their gods and to all the people of Kraawn. King Gavinsteal knows this and would not hold you to your oath.”

“I see,” replied Jonas, saddened at the thought that he might not be able to see Fil anytime soon.
 
He had missed his friend over the years and hoped that he fared well.

Kiln suddenly stood up, buckling on his sword belt. “Well, I think it’s time we are on our way.”

“I agree,” added Taleen as she also stood. “To Annure, and answers.”

***

Alerion prepared for the summons with infinite care. The demon he was calling was a pit fiend named Ixtofin, and even though Alerion knew the beast’s real name, he must prepare the spell precisely or risk being torn to pieces by this powerful denizen from another plane.

Alerion was a powerful wizard whose real skill was in conjuring. He was not a battle wizard, and although he did have some offensive spells, his skill was in finding and retrieving information. One of the best, though most dangerous, ways of doing that was to conjure beasts from other planes of existence, beasts that were made of magic that could get information in ways that Alerion could not.

Alerion’s chamber was spacious and lined with book shelves filled with old leather bound tomes. Large thick tables of oak lay about randomly, all littered with various beakers, parchments, books, dried herbs, and other items for magical use. To an observer the room would have looked unkempt, but Alerion knew the exact whereabouts of every herb, parchment, and magical component.
 

The center of the room was empty and that is where Alerion knelt, drawing a four-pointed star with a circle around it. Alerion was not a follower of any one god, but Ulren’s symbol was one of the strongest symbols to use for conjuring. Using a stick of lime to draw the symbol exactly, he made sure that there were no gaps in the lines.

He got up and locked the large oak door, placing the heavy beam down in the locked position so no one would accidentally enter while he was summoning the pit fiend. It could be disastrous if that happened. They could spoil his concentration. Or worse, Ixtofin could use his powers to assault the mind of someone mentally weaker or unprepared, and possess their body temporarily, just long enough to destroy the symbol which acted as the demon’s prison on this plane. A demon cannot leave the interior of the symbol, which was why it was so important that the symbol be drawn perfectly with no gaps.

When the door was locked, Alerion lit four candles made of red dragon fat, a substance so rare and expensive that very few wizards had the means to acquire it unless they were court wizards to a rich king, as was Alerion.

Alerion was kneeling five paces from the symbol as he opened his most prized possession, his book of spells. He had used the spell before, but Alerion did not get to where he was by being careless and impatient. The words must be recited exactly or he would not be able to access the magic of the Ru’Ach and summon the demon. The ancient words he guarded with care and magical wards because if they got into the wrong hands the power of the book could be used for evil, which Alerion would not allow. The wards, spells used to protect the book, were designed to incinerate it if anyone but him opened it. It would be devastating to lose the book, but it would be far worse knowing that his life’s work was being used for dark deeds.

Alerion took a deep breath and began to recite the words slowly and exactly. Words of magic were much more difficult to use than people suspected. Not only did they have to be read correctly, but the inflection and tone must also be perfect for the Ru’Ach to be tapped. His words rolled off his tongue smoothly and perfectly. His voice gained in tempo and power as he read the ancient words from the heavy book.

Slowly a mist began to form at the center of the symbol. The swirling smoke-like mist drifted upwards, meandering back and forth in a cylintrical shape.

Alerion did not look up or falter from recitation of the spell; it could mean certain death. The pit fiend would rip him to pieces and he would stand little chance in stopping the demon. He might also permanently transport the pit fiend to their own plane. Alerion could not let that happen. He continued reading from the book, his voice now booming with power in the large stone room.

Suddenly all the braziers in the room flared and were suddently extinguished, leaving only the four candles in each corner of the symbol shedding any light. The air felt heavy and dark and Alerion knew that Ixtofin was entering their realm.

After reciting the last word of power, Alerion looked up at the drifting smoke. He heard a deep rumbling, like the slow growl of a huge dragon, and the mist began to change and take on the shape of a figure. Alerion could just make out the form of two large bat-like wings slowly opening and expanding to reveal the upper body of a giant muscled torso. The mist slowly materialized into the upper body of the pit fiend, while its lower body was a tendril of smoke that was connected to the center of the symbol.

Ixtofin’s body was colossal, with heavily muscled arms extended wide as if it were stretching. The demon’s clawed hands opened and closed, the massive muscles on its forearms rippling and flexing with each movement. The demon raised its head slowly, exposing two black horns curving upwards. Its mouth opened revealing black fangs as long as fingers. Red eyes, glowing with fury, were set deeply in the demon’s thick bald head.
 
Tendrils of smoke drifted from the demon’s red scaly skin as if it were burning from an immense internal heat.

Alerion felt his resolve flutter as Ixtofin’s eyes flared with malice, centering on him with obvious hatred. The demon’s voice was gravelly and deep, shaking the very floor. “What do you want, human?” spat the demon.

Alerion knew that the demon would tear him to pieces if it could, but as long as his magical barrier held, and he was strong enough to manage the magic, the demon would have to answer his questions.

“Ixtofin!” Alerion bellowed. “I need information.” Alerion purposely used the demon’s real name. Knowing the beast’s magical name gave Alerion some control over the demon and it reminded the pit fiend that he was in control.

The demon growled at the use of his name, the noise causing Alerion’s eardrums to vibrate. “You have two questions.”

“Three, you will answer three questions,” ordered Alerion with confidence.

The demon roared, shooting its giant hands toward Alerion.

Alerion did not move or flinch, concentrating on the task at hand. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he focused his mind on the magic around the barrier. Ixtofin hit the magical barrier and was repelled back toward the center of the symbol.

“You know you cannot break through my defenses, Ixtofin.”

“You will make a mistake, wizard, and when you do I will be there to rip your arms and legs from that pitiful shell you call a body. Now ask your three questions so I can leave this place,” rumbled the angry demon.

Alerion had thought about his questions carefully. He had prepared for this extensively but there was no telling how the demon would react to his wording or how much the beast would answer. It was all a risk and nothing ever went as planned when you dealt with creatures and beasts from other planes of existence.
 
“Has Malbeck the Dark One returned to Kraawn?”

“Yes and no,” replied the demon.

“Explain,” ordered Alerion.

“I answered the question, now proceed to question two.” The pit fiend spoke slowly, its deep and powerful voice reverberating off the stone walls around them.

“You did not answer the question,” replied Alerion. “And if you don’t finish the answer then I will give your true name to every powerful wizard in Kraawn and you will spend the next thousand years being summoned by wizards for their own petty desires. Now answer the question!” ordered the wizard, his powerful voice echoing in the chamber.

The demon’s beady eyes narrowed in anger and it looked as if it were about to attack again, but the fiery demon just flapped its wings in frustration and spoke with a thunderous voice. “When Malbeck was destroyed a thousand years ago only his physical body died. Weapons of steel could not permanently destroy Malbeck’s evil essence, which drifted through the Ru’Ach in limbo, between planes of existence until a powerful follower of his found a way to bring him back. So yes, he is back, but he is not the same as he was. His time within the Ru’Ach changed him, making him more powerful.”

Ixtofin stopped talking abruptly, staring at Alerion with open hatred. Suddenly Alerion’s mind flared with pain as the demon tried to assault him mentally. Alerion instantly brought up a barrier to ward off the attack and the pain in his head abated. He should have been more prepared for the demon’s attack. The beast always tested Alerion, trying to find a hole in his defenses, but Alerion was busy trying to process the new information and his mind had wandered.
It would not happen again
he thought.

“How did they bring him back?” Alerion asked, using up question two.

Ixtofin eyed him menacingly for several seconds before answering. “They found the Shan Cemar.”

The words hit Alerion like a hammer. “What!” Alerion yelled, momentarily losing control. “That cannot be,” he continued, quickly refocusing his attention on the demon. “The Shan Cemar has been hidden for thousands of years. Even the elves do not know its hiding place.”

“Not anymore,” the pit fiend hissed, taking pleasure in Alerion’s distress. “The Shan Cemar was found. The followers of the Dark One have been looking for it for a thousand years and their resolve has paid off.”

Alerion couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The Shan Cemar was a book that held words of power written in the ancient elven tongue, the true language of magic. The book had been hidden thousands of years ago by the ancient elves and most people just thought of it as a legend, a tale told in taverns by traveling bards.

But Alerion knew that the Shan Cemar was real and that many adventurers and powerful wizards had been trying to find its location for many life times. He simply couldn’t believe it had been found. The power in the Shan Cemar was beyond Alerion’s imagination, and he knew that if Malbeck had the book in his possession then the good people of Kraawn were in serious danger.