The Path of Decisions (27 page)
T
he Preacher and Sean San Ghant huddled around some damp wood
placed into a makeshift fire pit. The late spring rain still kept the distant
Mountains of Gold shrouded in gray clouds. In the plains south of the Twin
Cities sat a copse of trees surrounded by grassland. It was the only place
offering some type of shelter in the area.
Sean sat on his haunches, trying to light the wood with flint and
steel. The wetness of the wood restricted his ability. With a gruff growl, he
threw the steel to the ground.
The Preacher walked over and, with a snap of his fingers, sparked
a fire in the pit. He then proceeded to dry off a log to sit on using the same
power.
“That would’ve been easier in the first place,” snapped Sean.
“But not nearly as much fun as watching you struggle,” said the
Preacher with a large smile on his now red-bearded face.
“You should be a little nicer to me, Preacher, seeing I seem to be
the only man around to help you.”
“Others will come.”
Using the map from Alessandra, the two men had wound their way
through old tunnels and out the back of the castle walls and then eventually
out of the city itself. The ceremony at the coliseum and the festivities
following had allowed them the freedom to move around unnoticed. The Preacher
surmised that the new King would be looking for him closer to Anikari or south toward
Belor.
They had taken some horses and ridden together north from Anikari,
traveling in the dark. They were to meet with some of the Preacher’s other men
south of the Twin Cities, far enough away from Anikari that they wouldn’t be
searched for there.
Sean sat back on a log and pulled some jerky out of his bag. They
had stolen it from a small village north of Anikari. “Why do they call you the
Preacher? You don’t look like a religious man to me.”
“Religion comes in many different forms, Sean. I follow a religion
from the Eastern Kingdoms, one that teaches purity of thought and allows us to
choose for ourselves. I preach to people that they should decide for themselves
what they want. People should not be held captive by others’ ways of doing
things.”
“It sounds good in theory, I must admit. I’ve never liked others
telling me what to do. But I believe someone needs to be in charge. Someone has
to set the rules and hold people to them. Someone has to hold the power.”
The Preacher turned a log over and dried the other side with his
powers. “That is why I brought you along, Sean. You like power.”
“I just want power over our new king.” Sean stood up and threw a
small branch off toward a tree. With his face reddening, he paced around. “I
can’t believe Darius’s luck at being named the King. He didn’t even want to be
a noble.”
“And you?”
“I’ve always wanted to be a noble. I always wanted power. If I had
your power I would crush our new king and bring chaos to the throne.”
“And what would chaos do, young noble?” The Preacher led his new
student forward in his thoughts.
“Chaos brings opportunity. I would step in and take control. They
would gladly give me power at that time. I will be their savior.”
Chills ran down the Preacher’s back. He had found an apt student.
Sean would do nicely. He would listen to everything the Preacher would teach
him. He was so gullible and full of revenge. It was almost too easy to lead him
along, making the thoughts seem like his own, when in fact they were the
Preacher’s.
It was far easier than it had been with Darius. Darius wanted
revenge and was confused, but deep down inside he had self-governing rules
about how to act. Sean, on the other hand, had no scruples about getting his
power any way he could.
“Darius betrayed us all, Sean. I, too, want to crush him and the
royal family. I will bring him down and then hand over the land to my friends
in the Eastern Kingdoms. Then they will reward us for our loyalty and shower us
with praise and glory and power. We will rule the western land.” He continued
to poison the young noble’s mind.
Sean sat mesmerized and only nodded his agreement.
The Preacher looked up. “I hear horses.”
Sean got up and moved silently out of the blinding firelight to
the edge of the trees. Three horses came into view.
The Preacher stood but stayed by the fire. “Welcome them in, Sean.
These are my friends.”
Three men in badly torn uniforms came into view. Sean motioned
them to the fire.
“The others?” The Preacher asked.
The lead man shook his head from side to side.
“Oh well. The faithful will be rewarded. Come sit down. It is time
to plan.”
The five men planned late into the night, the Preacher sharing his
vision and goals with them. They were convinced of his plans, and their eyes
glowed with the fires of rebellion. A hatred of Darius and the royal family and
the greed for power drove them forward.
After talking well into the night, the men all lay down to sleep.
The rain cleared away, and although the night was cool, the air stayed dry.
In the morning they ate a ration of bread and cheese the three men
had brought, fed their horses, and prepared to leave their separate ways.
“Sean, you are an important part in this plan.” The Preacher
stroked the young man’s ego further. He had seen right away the usefulness of
this greedy young noble boy. “While we are busy in Mar preparing for the
Eastern Lords, you will travel to Sur and then make your way to the Kingdom of
Arc. There is a contact who will meet you at Herro on the border. He is a spy
in Arc. The kings there are weak politically and are mostly ruled by the
Conclave of Wizards; however, the spy will have insight and opportunity inside
their king’s inner circle that we don’t have. From there it will be up to you
to convince them of the plan.”
“I will convince them, Preacher. Don’t worry about me,” Sean said
as he accepted a bag of coins from his new benefactor.
The gleam in his eye as he held the gold told the Preacher much
about Sean’s loyalties.
“Good,” smiled the Preacher. “Don’t spend the gold too quickly. I
will provide a way for you to contact me later once the plans are in motion.”
Sean smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
The Preacher stroked his newly formed beard in thoughtfulness. “I
need to take care of a personal matter in Mar, and then I will be in contact
with the Eastern Kingdom. By then your part of the plan should be in full
motion. We will gain power and control from the chaos we create.”
They all mounted their horses. The Preacher felt renewed in the
morning sunshine and felt the early signs of summer already warming his fair
skin.
“Sean.” The Preacher grabbed the young noble’s attention once last
time. “Start thinking of what city you would like to rule. By this time next
year, with the Eastern Kingdoms’ blessings, I will rule the western lands, and
you will have control of a city all your own. Sean San Ghant, Governor. How
does that sound?”
Sean laughed and laughed. “Sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see the
look on Darius’s face.”
The two parties split, Sean going west and the Preacher and his
men to the east. The Preacher spurred his horse on, sharing his power to
increase the speed. His happy mood only slightly soured as he wondered what to
do with Alessandra once he reached Mar. He was sure she would find him there
eventually one way or another.
# # #
Read
The Path Of Peace
,
Part 3 of The Cremelino Prophecy
to continue the adventures of Darius, Christine, Kelln,
Mezar, and their friends.
Mike was born in California
and has lived in multiple states from the west coast to the east coast. He
cannot remember a time when he wasn’t reading a book. At school, home, on
vacation, at work at lunch time, and yes even a few pages in the car (at times
when he just couldn’t put that great book down). Though he has read all sorts
of genres he has always been drawn to fantasy. It is his way of escaping to a
simpler time filled with magic, wonders and heroics of young men and women.
Other than reading, Mike has
always enjoyed the outdoors. From the beaches in Southern California to the
warm waters of North Carolina. From the waterfalls in the Northwest to the
Rocky Mountains in Utah. Mike has appreciated the beauty that God provides for
us. He also enjoys hiking, discovering nature, playing a little basketball or
volleyball, and most recently disc golf. He has a lovely wife who has always
supported him, and three beautiful children who have been the center of his
life.
Mike began writing stories in
elementary school and moved on to larger novels in his early adult years. He
has worked in corporate finance for most of his career. That, along with
spending time with his wonderful family and obligations at church has made it
difficult to find the time to truly dedicate to writing. In the last few years
as his children have become older he has returned to doing what he truly enjoys
– writing!
http://www.amazon.com/author/mikeshelton
