Chapter 9
Shooting pains started in Rhaldan’s knees as they climbed the hill to get to the tower the Protectors chose as their residence in this dead city. Thick drops of sweat poured down his cheeks by the time they reached it. Rhaldan chose a room on the ground floor, a sort of servants chamber, he assumed, but hardly cared. As the Ulnath promised the soft bed had been summoned for him, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He called Kae to him as soon as his knees stopped aching.
The Protector came almost immediately, but refused to take a seat in the chair Rhaldan pointed to. Likely the boy was still wary from their last private encounter, when Rhaldan tried and failed to place a block back over his ability to use the Life Force. But Kae needn’t worry about that anymore, at least not while they were in this strange shadow world. The boy’s heightened ability to use the Life Force would certainly prove useful here. The Ulnath may have spies watching their guests, but what Rhaldan planned would be invisible to the eye of any creature.
Rhaldan leaned against the table and stared at the Protector. “You will send your separated self to Oos and follow him. Listen to his conversations until he reveals exactly why he has brought us all here. The more information you can give me, the better.”
Kae nodded and looked at the wall on the opposite side of the room. A surge of warmth evaporated, leaving only the cold air, which cooled the Head Priest’s sweaty back uncomfortably. Rhaldan hardly expected the boy to hear anything worthwhile so quickly and opened his mouth to tell him to leave, and just report back once he did.
“Oos and two guards are leaving the room, they are going to take your proposal to Morzu,” Kae said, his voice sounding rather hollow.
So Morzu is the leader, not Oos.
“Follow them,” Rhaldan said.
A few minutes passed in silence. Kae stood motionless by the door, his hands clasped behind his back in exactly the same pose the Protectors always assumed. Such a loyal and predictable bunch they were. Even this boy fell right into line, despite all his ability to use the Life Force in ways none had mastered in centuries. Which is how it should be. The only real purpose of the order of Protectors was to serve and obey their priests, masters, and Rhaldan above all.
“Oos mentioned your proposal to Morzu, but they seem more interested in other things,” Kae finally said. “Morzu does not think any of those called here can be truly trusted.”
Rhaldan rocked forward in his chair, almost losing his balance. “What else are they speaking of?”
“He mentioned a stone of sorts, something they need, like a weapon,” Kae said. “But it seems Morzu is the only one that can control it.”
They lied to me!
The room pivoted in front of Rhaldan’s eyes. He came here hoping to obtain a power that would allow him to defeat King Ardnan and dispose of the monarchy once and for all. But clearly the Ulnath had lied. And now Rhaldan was stuck here, and worse he had made promises to the creatures.
“Now Oos seems to be comforting the boy about the power, saying that once he has it to wield all the Ulnath will accept him as one of theirs,” Kae said. “Apparently Morzu was only raised as an Ulnath even though he is a human, but he is not yet truly one of them. They are in his chamber now, and it is full of books and artifacts.”
Rhaldan’s breath caught in his throat, and his heart started beating faster. “Never mind all that! Did you say Morzu was just a human?”
“Yes,” Kae said.
“You’re certain?” Rhaldan asked. Morzu may not have had green skin and his features were those of a human, but he seemed almost exactly like any other Ulnath.
“It looks like Morzu has dedicated his whole existence to the teachings and the history of the Ulnath. I think, the way he dresses and the color of his hair isn’t natural to him, he dresses that way to fit in with the Ulnath. When he is alone with Oos he speaks with less confidence than he did when he greeted us near the altar. He seems like a child wanting to please his elders, especially Oos,” Kae continued in a detached, toneless voice.
Rhaldan clapped his hands and laughed. This was his chance. Morzu was ultimately a puppet, and one controlled by Oos. Yet Rhaldan was a master of pulling strings especially if they were tied to a regular human. He could still use his power of convincing to influence Morzu, and get the weapon for himself. All he had to do was get close enough to Morzu. It no longer mattered what Oos really thought about his original proposal.
“Good, call your separated self back for now. You did well,” Rhaldan ordered.
The warmth returned to the room with a whoosh. If for nothing else, this boy could be useful as a furnace. Rhaldan chuckled at the thought.
“Why are you making pacts with these vile creatures?” Kae asked suddenly, his warmth in the room rising in pitch. “They have no life inside them, and crave only death and destruction.”
“You will not speak to me in that tone, Protector!” Rhaldan barked.
“I helped the King of Ebulon fight off a hoard of monsters not that long ago,” Kae continued, ignoring the command. “And now you force me to join these creatures who are even darker and more dangerous than the Confederation of Orcs?”
Rhaldan stood up and advanced on the boy, but stopped short of grabbing his arm. Cowing this boy with his Life Force would not work. Well it might, if Rhaldan showed him his precious First Captain Entan, killing his mother and father. But that revelation would likely render the boy useless, and Rhaldan needed him.
“You will not question the decisions or actions of the Head Priest!” Rhaldan yelled instead. “Leave now but be ready for my summons again.”
Kae opened his mouth again, and the heat in the room rose.
“Leave!” Rhaldan barked. “You will obey me and not question me!”
Kae turned on his heal and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
As soon as they were back home, Rhaldan would give him over to Father Moregh to be trained as one of the Pure Ones. That should quell his burning hot power soon enough and make him a much more compliant tool.