The Guardian's Apprentice (Beyond the Veil) (31 page)

Keegan had never seen Acamar this agitated before; the man was pacing back and forth across the study like a caged tiger.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, Acamar,” said Keegan with a shrug of his shoulders.
 
“I was furious at what they were trying to do.
 
My grandfather saved them all, but none of them gives a damn – they just want power for themselves.
 
Everything became so clear; I just knew what I had to do.
 
I could feel the energy swirling about me and I just told it what to do, sort of…”

“
Sort of?
 
You shatter a thousand-year old granite table, confront a group of spellcasters who have been practicing magic since before you were born, and your explanation is that you ‘
sort of’
told the magic what to do?
 
Incredible!”
 
Acamar shook his head in disbelief.
 
Looking at Keegan, he gestured at the Oracle-jewel hanging around the boy’s neck.
 
“And what about
that
?
 
The Oracle should have incinerated you!
 
What happened to you when you were just staring at it?”

Keegan shook his head as if he were trying to shake off cobwebs.

“I don’t know, exactly, Acamar.
 
It spoke to me; at least I think it did.
 
It was like a thousand voices, all whispering to me at the same time.”

Acamar’s eyebrows looked like they were trying to crawl up his forehead as he leaned against the desk and stared at Keegan.

“And just what did these voices say to you?”

“The time of the Council is at an end.
 
You alone will seal the rift.”

“Well, by ‘rift’ I assume they meant the Great Seal that was opened by Ducat,” mused Acamar.

“Acamar?”

“Yes, Keegan?”

“There was one more thing,” he said cautiously.

“Yes?”

“I think I heard my grandfather’s voice when the Oracle spoke to me.
 
I can’t be sure, but I could swear I caught his voice mixed in with the others.”

Acamar, who didn’t say anything at first, just furrowed his brow and stared at the rug.
 
After a few moments of pondering, he finally spoke.

“It is possible, I suppose.
 
No one really understands the nature of the Oracle, nor do we fully understand the nether-regions beyond the gateway.
 
Although I assumed your grandfather was killed in the shockwave that sealed the gateway, perhaps it is possible he still exists in some form on the other side.”

“So, what do we do next?”
 

“I’m afraid I don’t know just yet,” sighed Acamar.
 
“None can enter Pahret T’pur now unless we wish it.
 
Not even the most powerful of the Council members can break the wards that guard us here.”

“Then why fear Ducat?
 
Surely he alone can’t break the wards either, can he?”

“He
alone
, probably not.
 
However, if he is truly a servant of the Shadow, then his powers are likely far beyond what they once were.
 
There is also the matter of Brimstone, the rogue dragon that is still on the loose.”
 
Acamar paced over to the balcony, crossing his arms and looking out across the valley.
 
“If Ducat has command of the dragon, things become even more complicated.”

Keegan put his head in his hands.
 
It all seemed so hopeless!
 
Things were so much clearer back in the Council chambers when his anger overtook him.
 
He had known instinctively what must be done and had seized upon it.
 
Now that he had time to consider the possibilities, it seemed impossible.
 
They had to track down and stop Ducat, find a way to banish the Shadow and finally, find and capture a rogue dragon!

“You should rest for today, Keegan.
 
We shall begin our search for Ducat tomorrow.
 
I’m sure you are exhausted after our confrontation with the Council,” said Acamar, who had walked over and placed his hand on Keegan’s shoulder.
 
“I must tend to the Blackstar and check the Veil for signs of disturbance.
 
If you need me, use the summoning charm I taught you.”
 
Smiling sadly at him, Acamar turned and left the room, leaving Keegan to be alone with his thoughts.

***

Keegan watched the study door close as Acamar left the room.
 
A few moments after hearing the soft snick of the latch, he hurried over to the door and tried to remember the locking charm he had learned a few days ago.
 
Sketching the glyph in the air around the doorknob, he muttered what he hoped was the right incantation.
 
As he traced the lines in the air they began to shimmer slightly and he was rewarded as the door shuddered ever so slightly and the glyph wrapped itself around the handle and disappeared.
 
Moving quickly to the bookshelves behind the desk, he extracted a large leather-bound volume entitled
“The War of the Shadow,”
laid it open on the desk, and began to read.
 
Keegan knew that he must find and neutralize Ducat quickly, rather than wait for him to come out of hiding.
 
He scanned the book for any reference to the Great Seal that Ducat had opened and was soon rewarded when he found the following entry:

…After the construction of the first portal at Pahret T’Pur, the leader of the Black Order decreed that a second gateway should be built that was outside the control of the Guardian.
 
This portal would be assembled at Talith Nor, a stronghold in the far north that lay deep in the heart of the territory controlled by the dragons.

“Talith Nor; that has to be the place.
 
But how do I find it?”

“You could ask someone who has been there before
,” came the voice of Nekk’ar in Keegan’s mind.

“You?”
he thought back.

“Hmph.
 
I lived for centuries before you were born, youngling.
 
There are few places on this world that I have not been.”

“Then how do I find Talith Nor?”

“I could guide you, but by foot the journey would take far too long, and you would be discovered before you reached the mountains.”

“What about teleporting?
 
I could open a portal, couldn’t I?”

“Not directly, no.
 
There are wards there similar to the ones that guard this citadel. Only the most powerful of wizards could breach them.
 
You will need a key.”

Keegan was getting tired of this banter.
 
The dragon spirit enjoyed toying with him, and did not like to volunteer too much information at once.

“And where do I get this key?”
thought Keegan with a distinct edge in his mind’s voice.

“Why, from the owner, of course,”
chuckled Nekk’ar, enjoying his game.

“Wait a minute!” cried Keegan aloud.
 
“The book said Talith Nor was constructed by the head of the Black Order!
 
That means Master Thornback has the key, doesn’t it?”

“That is correct, young one.
 
You will find the key ensconced in a place of honor in Cedric’s study.
 
All you need do is go to his chambers in the capital, collect the key, and go to the main portal gateway.
 
When you place the key in the portal stone, it will allow you to pass safely to Talith Nor.”

“You make it all sound so easy.”

“I make
what
sound so easy, dear?” quipped a female voice from behind him.
 

Startled by the nearness of the voice, Keegan very nearly fell out of the chair.
 
He spun around to see Mrs. Hoskins smiling at him, a mischievous twinkle dancing in her eyes.

“Um, nothing.
 
Nothing at all Mrs. Hoskins – I was just talking to myself,” he stammered, trying to regain his composure.

“If you say so, dear,” she said, still smiling as she bustled about the room tidying up.
 
She paused just for a moment and looked Keegan directly in the eye.
 
“Now, you’d best be off, before
Whiskers
gets wind of what you’re up to.”

“What?
 
But… I’m not up to anything – I was just reading through this history…”

“Now, young Master, I’ve been caretaker here far longer than most would believe.
 
I’ve seen a great many things in this lifetime, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that a wizard doesn’t use a lock-charm unless they don’t want anyone to know what they’re up to.”

“But…”

Mrs. Hoskins held up her hand, silencing Keegan.
 
She shook her head and frowned.

“Now, that’s
enough
, young Master.
 
You know as well as I what must be done, and you also know that
Whiskers
won’t like it, so I suggest you be off.”

Keegan nodded solemnly and closed the book on the desk.
 
Rising from his chair, he took up his staff.
 
Before he could go, however, Mrs. Hoskins handed him a small black tablet of stone, about the size of a playing card.

“What’s this?”

“A runestone, dear.
 
It contains a map of the Council chambers, including the private offices of each member.
 
It might come in handy someday, should you ever need to locate one of the Council members,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
 
“Just say
erkennen
to activate it and
skjule
to clear it.”

 
“I can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Hoskins.”

She nodded and smiled warmly at him, and then returned to her chores.
 
Keegan pointed his staff at the wall and opened a portal that would take him to the Council chambers once more.

###

Chapter 36 – A Thief in the Night

Keegan’s portal snapped open in the main courtyard, disgorging him in a heap.
 
Although he was beginning to master opening portals, he
really
needed to work on landings.
 
He picked himself up and dusted off his robes, looking around to see if anyone had noticed his abrupt arrival.
 
At the moment, the courtyard was empty, but he knew his arrival would probably not go unnoticed for long.
 
He quickly made his way through the archway into the main building and found a secluded corner behind a large statue of a rather severe looking wizard, its arm reaching upward towards something unseen in the heavens.
 
He settled down to wait until nightfall, although the castle was largely deserted already.
 
The breaking of the Council had become the news of the day, and word had traveled quickly throughout the magical world.
 
The members of the Order of White had pledged their support to the Guardian, much to Keegan’s relief.
 
The Gray and Black Orders, however, had fractured.
 
Many of the Gray had fled to the relative safety of their homes, however many had openly allied themselves with the Black, sensing an opportunity to seize more power for their Order.
 
Portia’s command of the Black Order had widened, as she had incinerated several of Cedric’s more vocal supporters on the spot.
 
Since no one had seen Cedric in some time, he was presumed to be captive or worse.
 

As night began to fall, Keegan noticed the red wisps coming to life around the courtyard outside, and pale golden ones lining the inside hallways.
 
Taking out the runestone, he muttered
‘erkennen’
and a silvery map sketched itself along the obsidian surface of the tablet.
 
Peering closely at the stone, he noticed a tiny silver arrow blinking at what he presumed to be his position on the map.
 
Keegan was scanning the map for some indication of Cedric’s chambers when he noticed a set of dotted lines flowing outward from the arrow symbol.
 
They were apparently blinking in the direction he needed to go.
 
He grinned and whispered a silent thanks to Mrs. Hoskins – he did not know how she knew his plan and right now, he did not care.

The journey to Cedric’s chambers was uneventful as most of the castle was deserted.
 
Keegan approached the door warily; unsure if anyone was inside, he edged closer until he noticed that the door was ajar.
 
He peered carefully through the opening, but the room appeared to be deserted.
 
Carefully he eased into them room, shutting the door behind him.
 
Pocketing the runestone, he began searching the room for the key to Talith Nor.
 
Moving beyond the first room, he entered the study where Cedric’s desk was – surely something as important as the key to Talith Nor would be kept close at hand.
 
Keegan glanced at the desk and was about to move to the bookshelf behind it when he noticed something odd.
 
A small, crystal orb the size of a tennis ball was sitting in the middle of the desk – which he thought was just a paperweight until he noticed a faint shimmer surrounding it.
 
After picking it up for a closer look, he noticed that it was warm to the touch and there appeared to be something suspended inside.
 
Moving closer to the wisp hovering above the desk, he held the sphere up to the light and saw the tiny black shape of a raven!