The Path Of Peace (The Cremelino Prophecy Book 3) (4 page)

Kelln mulled over all of the
information in his head and finally thought of something Tali said. “You
mentioned new people coming in and trying to form a new larger guild out of the
smaller ones. Why would someone want to do that?”

“Power,” Tali said. “If they can
form a guild equal in power to the larger guilds, they could have considerable
influence in the city.”

“But you don’t know who it is?”

Tali shook her head. “I have not
seen them. Though I have heard descriptions about a large man with short red
hair and a woman with long, dark auburn hair.”

Warning bells rang through Kelln’s
skull. He stopped abruptly and grabbed Tali’s arm stronger than he intended.
When she yelped in pain, he let go.

“What exactly did they look like?
What are their names? Where are they from?” Kelln’s eyes were intent, jaw set
firmly. Had he finally found the Preacher and his daughter?

Tali stepped back from his gaze.
A man and his wife glanced up at them from their front garden. Rapp motioned
for the three of them to move along. They didn’t want to attract attention.

After walking further down the street,
Tali answered. “I don’t know the answer to your questions, but my father
might.”

“Does the man have powers? Like a
wizard?”

Tali’s eyes now opened wide, and
she covered her mouth. “How did you know? I have heard someone mention it in
passing.”

“The Preacher,” Kelln could feel
apprehension, excitement, and fear hit his gut all at once, “and his daughter,
Alessandra.”

“You know them?” Rapp swiped his
long messy hair out of his green eyes.

“Yes, I do.” Kelln’s thoughts
raced back over the last year. Alessandra had taken him from Anikari to Belor
where through misunderstanding and mistrust the Preacher had imprisoned him.
Twice Alessandra had betrayed him to her father, the Preacher. The Preacher
later had been imprisoned himself in the dungeons in Anikari for trying to rule
Belor without authorization from the Realm. His daughter had helped him escape.
Kelln hoped she was manipulated or threatened by her father, but he had doubts
about her motives and needed to find her and get to the truth once and for all.

The man only known as the
Preacher was a wizard who used his powers for evil. Originally, he tried to
convince Belor to separate from the Realm. At one point, Darius had
contemplated siding with him—two wizards together—to fight the Realm and King Edward.
Luckily, Darius had come to his senses and through unforeseen events had
actually become the next King. The Preacher hated Darius and Kelln and had
promised to destroy them and the Realm in his quest for power and revenge.

Tali, Rapp, and Kelln stopped in
front of a larger two story house. The home had a balcony with a view of the
street. A trellis in front had vines with white flowers. A man strolled down
the walkway toward them. He was a man in his forties, trim and well-dressed,
with a comfortable walk. His bright blue hat shaded his face. He approached the
three, removed his hat in greeting, and turned to Kelln.

“Ambassador, I am Governor
Penrose.” He took Kelln’s hand and shook it firmly. “I am sorry I haven’t been
able to meet with you until now. There were important matters that I have been
dealing with.” Looking up and down the small street and deeming it safe, he
motioned for the three of them to join him in the house.

He opened the front door and
proceeded to take them down a wooden-floored hallway to a sitting room. A quick
hand motion from the governor had Rapp scampering away from the group.

“Taliana, could you please find
some refreshments for our visitors?” He smiled at her.

Visitors?
Kelln thought
suddenly.

Entering the room, Kelln immediately
spotted another person standing next to a painting on the far side of the
well-furnished room. It depicted a setting sun over the bay, White Island in
the distance. Before Kelln could think, the man turned around.

“Ambassador now, are we? My, my,
you have risen in rank since we last saw each other.” The tall, large man
rubbed his short red hair and grinned wolfishly at Kelln.

The Preacher!

THE PREACHER

R
appatorian Hume was small for his thirteen
years. In his line of business, it was a benefit. No one stopped to notice a
younger child running around. Without any formal education, Rapp had learned
the ways of the world through listening and selling tidbits of news.
Information was a big business among the guilds in Mar. His father had died
years before from an accident while experimenting with glass. He, his mother,
and his older sister were becoming destitute when Rapp had decided to sell a
secret about the governor. It had been a trap, and he had been caught.

Fortunately for Rapp, the
governor felt sorry for the family and agreed to hire on his mother as a cook,
and Rapp became, unofficially at first, the governor’s newest runner. A runner
would run errands for his master. Now he did all sorts of jobs for the man in
charge, those things the older men couldn’t or wouldn’t do. He had a way of
discerning people’s character and listening without being noticed.

Right now, he judged that his new
friend, the ambassador, was in trouble. He hadn’t known this other man was
going to be at the governor’s meeting house. Rapp had been drawn to Kelln
instantly and would have warned him if he had known. The governor had informed
Rapp, by his hand language, to stay close and alert. The newcomer made everyone
nervous to be around.

Through a hole in the wall in a
nearby room, Rapp could hear and see the three men talking. All three sat in
comfortable high-backed, cushioned chairs. Kelln sat on the edge of his and
seemed very guarded and quiet. The other man, who only went by Mr. El’Lan,
laughed and charmed his way through the conversation, asking questions about
the formalities of forming his own guild. He asked the governor to be his
sponsor in return for favors. The governor did not seem interested in the
arrangement and excused himself to go and check on the food his daughter was
preparing.

That left Kelln and Mr. El’Lan
alone in the room.

“I could have you arrested and
brought back to Anikari to stand trial,” Kelln informed Mr. El’Lan. “I have the
authority to do that now.”

“Oh, you may have the authority,
boy,” the man almost growled, his eyes darkening, “but you do not have the
ability.”

“You cannot threaten me,
Preacher,” Kelln said. “I have protection from the King.”

Rapp was confused as to why Kelln
called Mr. El’Lan “Preacher.”

“But who will protect him?” the
Preacher whispered. Rapp could barely catch the words.

“You will not leave this city
alive, you know. You are still guilty of sedition and treason under my command
in Belor.” The Preacher stood, reaching toward Kelln. “You should still be in
prison, or better yet, dead!”

Kelln jumped to his feet and
backed away. “Leave me alone. You have no authority here or in Belor anymore.”

Blue fire crackled from the
Preacher’s fingertips, and his eyes blazed almost red. “First you and then that
pathetic King of yours. His power is no match for mine or for those I serve.”

“You serve someone?” Kelln looked
to be trying to distract the man. “I would think you are too powerful a wizard
for that.”

The Preacher paused. “You know
nothing of power. I will rule the western lands for the eastern lords.”

“Where is your daughter,
Preacher? What have you done to her?” Kelln spat.

Rapp was having a hard time
following the conversation, but he surmised that Kelln was stalling, trying to
stop the man in front of him from killing him. The man met Kelln’s words with
murderous gaze. Rapp wondered what he should do. This man, Mr. El’Lan, or the
Preacher, seemed to be a wizard from the fire dangling at his fingertips.

Down the wooden hallway, the
footsteps of the governor came closer. The Preacher had only moments to recall
the wizard’s fire back into him before Governor Penrose turned the corner.

“Is everything all right here?”
the governor asked.

The Preacher in an instant
reverted back to his old self. “Oh, yes. The ambassador and I were catching up
on old times.”

The governor turned to Kelln,
“You know this man?”

“Yes. He is a dangerous man,
Governor. I would advise you to have no dealings with him. He is wanted for
treason by the King and escaped from prison there.”

“Ambassador,” Mr. El’Lan jumped
in, “I think the governor can decide for himself whom to do business with. The
prison thing was just a misunderstanding.” Turning to Governor Penrose, he
continued, “Sometimes young people jump to conclusions too fast. I am sure that
you and I can come to a gentleman’s agreement of how things work here in Mar.”

Rapp watched his employer think
things over. He knew the governor, although trying to abide by the law most of
the time, was a shrewd negotiator.

The governor motioned for the
other two to sit down. “I am sure we can, Mr. El’Lan.” As the leader of Mar sat
down, he hand signaled Rapp. Rapp instantly understood the meaning and ran out
of the neighboring room to find Tali before she brought in the refreshments. He
caught her in the hallway and delivered instructions to her right before she
entered the sitting room.

Rapp stood just outside of sight
but within earshot. His heart beat faster. Things were always exciting around
the governor. He heard Tali serve the governor and the Preacher, then move on
to the ambassador.

A small crash erupted from the
room.

 “Oh, I am so sorry, Ambassador,”
Tali said in her most sweet voice. “I was merely being clumsy. I am sure we can
get the stain out of your clothes if you come with me.”

“Sirs,” Kelln addressed the other
two gentlemen. “It seems I need to excuse myself from the conversation for a
few minutes.”

“That is all right, young sir,”
came the governor’s voice. “Mr. El’Lan and I will continue discussing his
business plans. We can catch up later, Ambassador.”

Kelln came around the corner.
Rapp grabbed him by the arm and took him into a back room. Rapp and Tali tried
to clean him off, Rapp offering him some new clothes. When Kelln motioned his
head toward Tali, she got the point and left the room while Kelln changed.

“What’s going on?” Kelln asked.

“The governor signaled for me to
get you out of here fast. The man inside, Mr. El’Lan, or the Preacher from what
you called him, would most likely kill you if he sees you again.”

“That’s probably right,” Kelln
mumbled. “He is an escaped prisoner who tried to take over Belor. I need to
find his daughter.”

Rapp thought for a moment. “We
need to get you out of the house first and on your way somewhere. You’ll need
to leave Mar for a bit. I’ll ask around about his daughter.”

“What about the governor? He’s in
danger, too.”

“Oh, Mr. Penrose? I think Mr.
El’Lan would find quite an opponent in the governor.”

“But the Preacher or Mr. El’Lan
as he is now referring to himself, is a wizard who learned his craft in the
eastern kingdoms,” Kelln explained as he finished getting dressed. “He doesn’t
play by the same rules as others do. The governor is not seriously thinking of
working with him?”

“Of course not,” Tali said,
reentering the room, “but he is wise to politics and the undercurrent of Marian
society.

Rapp pulled Kelln out a back
door. Tali handed Kelln a pack with food and some other items. Kelln put the
pack on. “I need to go to White Island on an errand for the King. I will be
back in about a week.”

Tali took out a cap and placed it
on Kelln’s head. “That’s to hide those famous red curls.” She smiled.

“Just be careful, you two and
your father, Tali. Mr. El’Lan is very, very dangerous.” Kelln turned to leave.

A dog started to bark in the next
yard, and Kelln turned back and gave a nervous glance in Rapp’s direction.
However, what he saw was Tali making circular motions in the air and then the
animal quieting down.

“You?” Kelln stuttered. “You.
Are. A. Wizard?”

“Well, I haven’t received any
formal training to be a wizard, but I do like magic. My father is powerful
also. We usually keep magical things a secret around here, so keep your voice
down. “She put her fingers up to her lips to emphasize the need for secrecy.

“That’s why I said he could take
care of himself,” Rapp added.

“That’s fantastic!” Kelln’s eyes
lit up.

Tali and Rapp told him he needed
to move along. Soon with quiet stealth, he slid between some trees and back to
an open property behind the house. Rapp motioned for him to hurry on his way.
Afterward, he and Tali went back inside.

* * *

The King and Queen’s visit to
Belor and the surrounding villages occurred without any problems or delays. The
political structure in Belor was still being worked out, but Darius had sworn
in a new governor while he was in the city. He had seen Alessandra’s
grandfather to ensure that he had a safe place to stay in the city. He didn’t
have to hide anymore. His wisdom and knowledge of Belor and the Realm would
help the new governor stabilize the area.

The citizens of Belor seemed to
be doing well coming out from under the rule of their former master, the
Preacher. They greeted their new young King with enthusiasm and an almost
overwhelming display of trying to make sure they were forgiven for their
earlier alliance with the Preacher. Darius and Christine had enjoyed their week
in the southern city.

The royal assemblage had spent an
afternoon at Crystal Lake, taking some time to relax before heading toward Mar.
Darius had sent one of his messengers on up ahead to inform Kelln and the
governor of their arrival. The messenger took longer than expected, and Darius
was getting worried.

Roland, newly promoted captain of
the King’s guard convinced the group to stay the night at a small village next
to Crystal Lake. The fresh-water lake bordered the Crystal River, which ran
from the Mountains of Gold to the lake and on to the Blue Sea. Darius, being
closer again to Anikari, had received dispatches from his father. He sat down
next to Christine by the river’s edge to read them. A few guards stood nearby.

“You look flushed, Christine,”
Darius noticed after reading the missives from his father.

“I’m fine. Just all the riding in
this late autumn heat.” Christine smiled. “It’s not usually so warm this time
of year.”

“Mar will be even warmer. The
desert holds the heat later into the evening.” He brought up his hand in front
of her and flourished his fingers back and forth a moment to bring up a cool
breeze. “Here you go.”

Christine laughed. “Oh, thank
you. That’s much better.”

Even after Darius’s hand stopped
moving, a magical force continued to blow a cool wind into the queen’s face,
lifting her curls on the side of her hair.

“What good is being a wizard if I
can’t use the power to help the ones I love?”

A distant sound alerted Darius,
and he stood and gazed around with sharp eyes. His guards noticed his sudden
tense behavior and moved in closer, casting a questioning look at him.

“Someone is coming down the road.
A lone rider at breakneck speed.”

One of the guards went up the
small bank to alert the others. The other two guards stood by Christine and
Darius. The rider was stopped by Roland,
then told him the
need to talk to the King. When the rider removed his hooded cloak, the guards
gasped. It was a girl. She shook her hair and let it fall back down over her
shoulders. Straight, dark hair framed her pale, youthful face. They stood and
gawked a moment.

“Haven’t you ever seen a girl
before, boys?” She mocked them with her sparkling blue eyes but smiled sweetly.
Darius walked to where she was.

She bowed to him, “Your Majesty,
I presume?”

“Yes, and who are you?” He
reached his hand toward her but pulled back before touching her. He didn’t know
what made him decide to keep his distance from the lady, but he did.

“I am Taliana Penrose. Governor
Penrose’s daughter. He sent me to warn you. The messenger that you sent to us
was ambushed after asking for the ambassador. The ambassador had to leave
rather quickly a few days ago after an incident.”

Darius raised his brows but said
nothing. What had Kelln got himself in the middle of this time?

Taliana continued, “The
ambassador ran into some problems. Someone from the Thieves’ Guild was
following him, and Rapp and I saved him.”

“Saved him?” the King asked. He
wasn’t quite following the girl’s words.

“Yes, well, we distracted the man
following him and brought him to one of my father’s houses. My father, the
governor, is a good man, your Majesty, and is trying to clean up Mar and make
things better. He and Ambassador El’Han were going to talk about these things,
but another visitor showed up, a man named Mr. El’Lan.” Taliana paused. “He and
Kelln did not get along well. In fact, I think Mr. El’Lan threatened to kill
your ambassador.”

“Should I know this Mr. El’Lan?”
He regarded his wife and the others. They shook their heads in the negative.

“I believe Kelln addressed him as
the Preacher.”

Darius felt his hand go
involuntarily to his sword, his face flushed, and his power flared up inside
him. The sword began to glow. The girl standing opposite him appeared surprised
at his power surge. She brought her hands up in front of her with obvious
intentions of defending herself. Christine put her hand on her husband’s arm,
and his anger was replaced with the love and concern of her touch.

Darius gave the girl a hard
stare. “Where is my ambassador?”

Taliana finished her report. “We
sent Kelln away a few days ago. He mentioned having to go to White Island for
you. Given the circumstances, my father recommends not coming to Mar at this
time. We will let your messenger rest and return to you when he is feeling
better. He was roughed up quite a bit.”