***
When Lannon stepped into the hallway, he was surprised to find Vorden standing with his back to the wall. Vorden's eyes were closed, his face bathed in crimson from the glow of a torch that was mounted above him. He looked like an armored statue that had been standing there for time untold.
"I thought you headed to town," said Lannon.
Vorden shrugged. "I was thinking."
"About what?" Lannon asked. "A new sword?"
Vorden's shot him an irritated glance. "No, not that. Just things in general." He sighed. "I was wondering if...if I'm in the wrong business."
"What do you mean?" Lannon was gripped by sudden concern. He always hated to see his friends begin to doubt themselves.
"Face it, Lannon, I'm not who I used to be." Vorden lowered his gaze. "I can't get over what happened to me--how I turned against Dremlock and all my friends. The evil sorcery is still within me, trying to break free."
"But you're extremely valuable to Ollanhar," said Lannon. "You're one of the best fighters we've got. You're a Divine Knight, Vorden. You swore an oath to defend this tower and what it stands for."
"You could release me from that oath," said Vorden. "And as a friend, you would do so if I asked it of you. Am I right?"
"Don't ask it," said Lannon, dreading the thought. "Ollanhar needs you! We're about to go on a long and perilous journey, into lands we know nothing about. I definitely want you at my side."
"But I'm practically useless," said Vorden. "What good is a Knight with no blade?"
Ah, so it was indeed about the sword. Relief flooded through Lannon. This, at least, was something he could deal with.
Lannon nodded. "I'll try again to open the safe. But I can't promise anything. I very much doubt I will succeed."
Vorden hesitated. "I don't know. If you do manage to open it, I'll be compelled to stay and fight on." He stood in silence for a few moments and then added, "Maybe it's time for me to quit, to retire from Knighthood forever."
"How can you just walk away?" asked Lannon, in disbelief. "You're making a name for yourself as a great Knight. You've been given a tremendous honor by being made part of the Council here. Your future is bright, my friend."
"No, my future lies in shadow," said Vorden. "Using my abilities causes me to lose myself. I think I would be better off settling down in some quiet town and avoiding trouble. I'm serious about this, Lannon."
"You're afraid," said Lannon, suddenly realizing the truth. Vorden was feeling the same fear that Lannon often felt--fear of being lost to the Deep Shadow. The darkness was always hungry to enslave souls, and exceptionally talented Knights like Vorden and Lannon were prime targets.
"Yes," said Vorden. "Very much so. I fear turning evil again and causing massive destruction. It haunts my dreams, Lannon. And the Hand of Tharnin whispers to me in the night. I'm constantly reminded that I was once a raging monster."
"But Taris Warhawk has faith in you," said Lannon. "He believes you can resist the evil and use your abilities for a noble cause. I wholeheartedly agree with him. Your will is very strong."
"Taris is a great sorcerer," said Vorden, "and an extremely wise man. But he doesn't know everything. He has been wrong before."
Lannon had no answer, so he simply stood in silence waiting for Vorden to decide. He wondered if Vorden was right. Maybe the only way Vorden could save himself from the Deep Shadow was to stop using his abilities. Lannon faced the same peril--the possibility of losing his soul to Tharnin as the Dark Watchmen had so long ago. Who was he to tell Vorden what choice was best for him?
They stood in silence, as the torch flickered above.
After several moments, Vorden stepped away from the wall and smoothed out his dark hair. He adjusted his armor. "Well, I guess I'll carry on."
And that topic was laid to rest.
Vorden smiled. "So you're going to give it another try, huh?"
"If that's what you want," said Lannon.
"You know it is," said Vorden, patting him on the shoulder. "I only ask one thing--that you believe in yourself. I know you can do it."
"I'll do my best," said Lannon. With each failed attempt to unlock the safe, his confidence diminished, making him wonder if he truly deserved to be the High Watchman of Ollanhar. The glorious treasures within the safe were his for the taking, but only if he was fit to possess them. Somehow, he had to convince himself that he was indeed the High Watchman and not an imposter.
Lannon grabbed a torch and they ascended the stairs past more rooms filled with sleeping Knights, until at last they stood in the tower's Sky Chamber with its smooth marble walls and dome-shaped ceiling. Sixty feet above them was a hole in the ceiling, from which a rope hung down. Lannon placed his torch in an iron holder on the wall and then gazed up at the hole, dreading the lengthy climb, his injury throbbing with pain. The shadows were thick in the chamber, flicking on the marble walls--remaining Lannon that evil sorcery lurked here that would seek to make him fail. But he had made a promise to Vorden and would not turn back.
"Why did you bring a torch?" asked Vorden. "We can both see fairly well in the dark. Why would you ever need a torch?"
"It's the nature of the Eye," said Lannon. "I shift its power around based on what I need. Right now I need all my focus for climbing, so seeing in the dark is out. And if I'm very tired or confused, my vision is obscured. And there have been times when I've been afraid to use it--afraid of what I might see."
"Surely you've outgrown that fear," said Vorden.
"It will never leave me," said Lannon.
Vorden gazed at him thoughtfully. "I'm probably aware of some of the things the Eye shows you--at least the things involving the Deep Shadow. I gained knowledge that will haunt me forever."
"You better go first," said Lannon, wanting to change the subject. "In case I fall. And remember to beware of the dark sorcery here."
"You won't fall," said Vorden. Nevertheless, he removed his heavy armor and climbed swiftly up the rope--seemingly unaffected by the dark sorcery--until he disappeared through the hole.
Lannon grabbed the rope and climbed up. It was unpleasant, but the Eye sustained him--dulling his pain and driving away the menacing shadows that swarmed on him. Charged with divine power, Lannon soon joined Vorden on the next floor--the very peak of Ollanhar Tower.
They stood before the large Glaetherin safe, with its extraordinary wheel lock. The safe dominated the room. Vorden had drawn his dagger and was making it glow crimson with sorcery.
"Careful," said Lannon, "don't melt it."
Vorden gave him a wry smile. "I'm not that inept, Lannon. I can produce fire without losing a blade."
"Then why can't you fight like that?" asked Lannon.
"You wouldn't like the answer," said Vorden.
"I think I deserve to know," said Lannon, "considering I came up here once again to try to open this wretched safe."
"Very well," said Vorden. "In battle, I get consumed with energy and passion. Consumed, Lannon. It's impossible for me to hold back, and my blade burns too hot. That's really all there is to it."
"So you lack control," said Lannon.
Vorden nodded. "I'm not a Dark Watchman like you. I don't have precise control of my emotions in combat. I fight more like a Grey Dwarf, I suppose. There is a lot of anger inside me, if you didn't notice. Sometimes I also go berserk and lose myself to it--just like an Olrog."
"Maybe you could learn control," said Lannon. "Ever thought of that?" He truly had no desire to pit himself against the wheel lock again. He was weary to the core of being defeated by it. And he felt Vorden was exaggerating about his lack of control. Vorden had a strong, rational mind. He was not a raging barbarian like Jerret Dragonsbane.
"I've tried," said Vorden. "It just isn't how I fight."
"I don't believe it," said Lannon. "I think you just want a better sword so you can wield more power. That's what I think."
Vorden scowled. "Are you calling me a liar?"
"Of cou
rse not," said Lannon, backing away from a confrontation with his friend. "But I think deep inside that's what this is about."
Vorden hesitated, then shrugged. "Believe what you want, Lannon. But even if that were true, it is a perfectly valid reason considering the dangers we face as Knights of Ollanhar. Now are you going to open it or not?"
Lannon seized the wheel lock in frustration. He steadied his mind, determined that he would not fail again. He wanted desperately to prove Vorden right for believing in him, but the wheel lock was a mighty barrier. It had been designed to prevent anyone but an elite Dark Watchman from opening it, and Lannon wasn't on that level yet. He knew it in his heart, but that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't succeed. How talented was he? There was no good way to measure it. The Dark Watchmen were long dead, their strengths and weaknesses only revealed vaguely in books.
Using the Eye of Divinity, Lannon peered into the safe. Six spectacular swords greeted his vision--swords made of Glaetherin and charged with sorcery. These were some of the mightiest blades ever forged. But the other items in there caught his interest even more--a large silver chalice inscribed with the words The Essence Cup, a scroll that showed the location of six hidden chambers in the tower (only one of which Lannon had explored), a book about the affairs of the Dark Watchmen and Silverland, a detailed map of the portals to Tharnin that existed in Silverland, and another book that was very thick and titled Shadows of Ollanhar. This book held the deepest secrets of the Dark Watchmen--a book that Lannon could have easily read from where he stood. Lannon, however, had been warned by Taris not to read the book until he was able to open the safe. Taris believed the book would only tell him lies--until it rested within Lannon's hands.
The safe was the ultimate test of Lannon's power. Until he could unlock it, he was not ready for the knowledge contained within. He didn't deserve it. As the last of the Dark Watchmen, the items belonged to him. The very walls of Ollanhar were waiting in breathless silence for Lannon to claim those items and prove that he was, beyond a doubt, the High Watchman.
Lannon drove the Eye of Divinity into the wheel lock, demanding it open. He made three mighty attempts--but each time the wheel finished spinning, no click could be heard.
At last, Lannon bowed his head in defeat. "I'm sorry, Vorden. I'm just not ready yet. Maybe I never will be."
"You surrender too easily," said Vorden.
"Not true," said Lannon, feeling a spark of anger. "I gave everything I had. It just wasn't quite enough. I want this safe opened more than you do. I dream about it almost every night. But I need to develop my skills a bit more. Maybe this journey will help me reach a new level."
Vorden gazed at him in silence for a few moments, then nodded. "I understand, Lannon. You did your best. Try again, after the journey."
Lannon felt sorry for his friend. Vorden had to face the perilous quest with a weak blade. But maybe there was still hope. One of the treasures within the safe was accessible to him--the scroll that revealed that hidden chambers in Ollanhar. In the one chamber Lannon had explored, he had found his extraordinary Glaetherin throwing star. It seemed likely that other treasures could be found.
Vorden started toward the rope, but Lannon grabbed his arm. "Wait a moment. How would you like to explore a hidden chamber? It will likely be dangerous, but we might find something useful."
Vorden hesitated, then said, "I'm guessing all the good swords are in this safe, but...I suppose. I have nothing better to do right now."
Lannon read the scroll and selected a hidden chamber. Chills crept over his flesh. This would be no easy task, and death could be the result.