Manifestation: the Coming Dark/Chapter 13

Without Sigarin to open the gateway back to K'eld Ner, we had no choice but to make the long journey on foot to Stone Deep and catch a boat from Vandar to Deren. The knowledge that even as we walked the Brilhado knew the location of K'eld Ner was disheartening. Over and over again I replayed in my mind the horrible way in which Sigarin had met his death. The thought of such foul necromancy unleashed upon Lore filled me with a sense of paranoid dread. Every snap of a twig or fluttering of a bird filled me with a sense of horror.

The trip across the Vandar mountains took the better part of two weeks, and though Xander was a skilled hunter, I often found myself unable to eat. By the time we boarded the ship, I was tired, hungry, and ill. I spent the entirety of the trip back to Deren brooding in my cabin and fighting horrible sea sickness, an unusual situation for I was well used to ocean voyages. When we put in to the port at Deren, I moved immediately to the castle. The city itself seemed unusually normal, the merchants going about business without concern, the farmers well into the spring planting season.

"Lord Darin!" Giliara said, surprised at my presence. At the sight of the Brilhado, I gave a shudder in spite of myself. Such a pointless waste, I could not even say that the journey served any purpose. We had not found Myr, we had only been led on a wild goose chase designed to entrap us.

"I need to see the king at once," I said with a weary sigh.

"Tralin is not in Deren," Giliara said. "He has gone to K'eld Ner. When you did not return as expected, he went to shore up Jano's rule there."

"Wonderful," I grunted in frustration, for every moment my message was delayed was another moment of advantage for The'Galin's forces. "What of Lady Kithia?"

"The queen, too, is in K'eld Ner."

"Well, who is in charge? You?"

"The prince rules in his father's stead...."

"Fine...then send word that you are needed to fly me to K'eld Ner.... I would not propose to use you as a common mount, but my need is pressing. What I have learned in the next world is horrible indeed... the king and Jano must be informed immediately..."

Giliara looked at me with concern and I looked at him squarely and considered for a moment the charge and machinations of the Brilhado to this point. Though I knew with assurance that Giliara was a servant of the Light Lord, for I had seen the temple torn asunder with my own eyes, I was still given to dark thoughts. I knew that this was the work of The'Galin. Even in his absence, he sowed doubt.

"Why did you not tell us your people had necromancers....?" I said, looking him in the eyes for any sign of treachery.

Giliara shuddered. "They are only a legend used to scare children into loyalty to the Uncreator. A horror story invented by our parents...."

"I wish with all my heart that that was true, Lord Giliara..."

"What? You mean you have seen them....?"

"I saw them... They killed Sigarin... but not before they learned the location of K'eld Ner."

"THEY KNOW WHERE THE K'ELD IS!?"

"And they have at least a month's lead on me... so I suggest you hurry and deliver my message to the prince. We have no time to delay."