The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 (38 page)

The room was too small. Her growing agitation was too big for it. Pacing wasn’t helping. She needed to walk. Walking would help. She didn’t have a robe, but she threw her cape over her pajamas and left her room to walk around the hallways barefoot. Yesterday, she would never have dreamed of prowling the hallways in the dark. It seemed like she was asking for trouble if not actively looking for it, but if she couldn’t face hallways, she wasn’t going to survive long outside of the school. She walked down one hallway, then another, down a flight of stairs, and up another flight.

Lucy did not encounter anyone else while prowling the hallways. Somehow, she thought she would see more student activity. There were always night owls in every group. There had to be insomniacs as well. Despite early morning classes, she couldn’t be the only person up at this hour. She wandered aimlessly around the school. Walking helped make her feel less manic, but it did not make her feel more ready. Eventually, she found herself in front of a door with a green leaf on it. It took a minute for her to register what she was looking at and where she was; she shrugged her shoulders and knocked. A moment later a sleepy looking, tousled haired, bare-chested Justin answered the door. He blinked at her as if wondering if she was real or not, at the same time taking in everything from her wild looking hair to her bare feet.

“I don’t think I’m ready for this,” she announced and walked into his room, plopping herself down on his recently vacated bed.

“Come in?” he said as a sleepy afterthought as he closed the door and turned to look at her. “I’m sorry, but before I can convince you otherwise, I think you need to expound on what this is.”

“This,” said Lucy motioning with her hands in a way that didn’t help him one bit. She looked desperate.

“Lucy, calm down, and tell me what’s bothering you,” he decided that was the safest thing to say since he was still unsure about what she was talking about and didn’t want them to be talking cross-purposes. An easy thing to do with a semi-undressed female on one’s bed at this time of night.

“I don’t think I’m ready to go tomorrow,” she said.

Ok, thought Justin, this was fear he could deal with.

“Why don’t you think you are ready?” he asked.

“I don’t know enough.”

“Who can say what enough is?”

“Don’t play that game. There are so many classes I haven’t taken. There must be someone better qualified.”

“There are people who have taken almost every class that is offered here who are less qualified than you are.”

“Yes, but some of the classes offered would certainly be useful. Despite Gavin’s training, I still have weapons I haven’t even tried yet, and I wouldn’t consider myself a master of any of the ones I have tried. I haven’t taken any of the night fighting courses or the tracking courses, or the survival courses. I haven’t learned how to track magic, scry, or teleport. I haven’t learned Eric’s door trick. I’m still working on blocking my mind. I’m not very good at healing. I’m barely proficient in the Kinowenn trade language much less anything more complex, and there’s no way I know enough of any of the societies to blend in. And I’m still not proficient at verbal spells, just to name a few.”

“Don’t worry about all that. One of the reasons you are qualified is that you have a ton of magic power and potential and you learn quickly. Some of what you listed can only come through experience, even if you have had the classes. Some of it we’ll teach you as we go along. Gavin has had the survival classes and the tracking classes. He’ll be more than happy to teach as we go if you are interested. Maya knows almost everything there is to know about languages, customs, religions, and politics. She’ll get us all through. The whole point of sending a group is so we can balance each other out. No one can be proficient at everything. You’ll learn, and we’ll learn. This is kind of a trial by fire experience.”

“Aren’t you worried at all?”

“Of course, that’s one reason I picked such an obscure object. We’ll have to travel around and learn first hand about the land and its people. By going after something obscure I’m giving us a learning curve so to speak. No one else should be looking for the object we are looking for, nor is it likely that anyone has possession of it unless Kleth is inhabited. We aren’t going to arouse suspicion and opposition in searching what we are searching for because most people won’t even take us seriously. In fact, even if we find the Eye, we can still claim we are looking for it as we quietly journey home to safety. Besides, since it isn’t in the hands of anyone actively using it for evil, if we fail, it’s not the end of the world or anything like that. We can come back here for more training, regroup, change dynamics, or abandon the idea altogether if we have to.”

Lucy studied him for a moment. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.”

“Let’s say it makes you feel better.”

“Why?”

“Because then we can go back to sleep.”

“I suppose I did wake you up. Sorry about that. You did say I was welcome anytime.”

“I did,” though this was not exactly any of the possible scenarios he had envisioned when he said that.

“You’re sure you want me in the group and think I’m ready?”

“I’m not sure anyone is ready to do what we are going to do because again, none of us have any actual experience. I do think we are about as ready as we are going to be without actual experience. Yes, I definitely want you in the group. We couldn’t do without you.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t smile, but she did look a lot less agitated.

“No problem. Now, can we go to sleep? We are leaving after breakfast and that is going to come sooner than any of us want.”

“That’s true.”

Lucy stood up and went to the door.

“Goodnight,” she said as she left.

“Goodnight,” Justin responded as he collapsed onto his bed. He had been sleeping soundly, but now he wasn’t sure he would sleep at all.

Lucy padded back to her room and fell into bed. She had emotionally worn herself out and fell asleep quickly. Justin was right. She would learn as she went. She had people to help her and protect her. She hoped she was up to the task of in turn protecting them.

Morning did come sooner than Lucy wanted it to, but that was what steaming hot showers and invigorating shampoo were for. They met in Eric’s office after breakfast while everyone else was at class. They were each dressed in appropriate travel clothes and carrying packs. Gavin, despite Justin’s protests, looked like a one man army. Maya was not wearing any weapons, but she had a short sword tied to her pack. Lucy wondered what all she had decided to pack. She also looked fabulous. Lucy wondered how many days they could travel before Maya looked anything less than perfectly put together. Lucy hadn’t bothered to pack a mirror. Justin had a staff in one hand, and Lucy was sure there were a few throwing knives hidden on his person somewhere. He handed Lucy a staff that was shorter than the one he carried. Lucy had a knife in her boot and had packed a belt that held ten more in her pack. She would have to talk to Justin about the best way to wear it without being conspicuous. Although, compared to Gavin a band of brigands would look less deadly.

“Good morning,” Eric greeted them. “Does anyone have any final questions?”

“None that you can answer,” said Maya trying not to sound too petulant.

“Are we going to communicate our progress to you at all?” asked Lucy.

“I have a glass that I will be able to watch you in from time to time so I will have a vague idea of what you are doing, but there will be no verbal communication,” replied Eric.

“How are we getting back here?” asked Lucy.

“Each world has anywhere from one to multiple portals. The best way for you to get back is to return to the portal I will send you through. I will give you each a ring that will activate the portal and bring you back here.”

Eric handed each of them a plain silver band. Lucy placed hers on her left pinky finger.

“The safer portals have a gate guard of sorts. If you lose your ring, the guard may be able to help you, but I suggest you try not to lose your ring. Now, if you are ready,” he motioned towards his own door and opened it.

On the other side of the doorway was not the hallway that they had come to expect. Instead they were looking at a grassy knoll covered with wild flowers.

“Good luck and enjoy,” said Eric.

They shouldered their packs and walked through the door. Eric closed it behind them. Lucy turned to look back and saw the rocky base of a mountain. The whole thing seemed rather abrupt. Lucy wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but this seemed brusque. Oh well, she shrugged, better this than a parade.

“Ok, so, anyone have a good idea of where to start?” asked Lucy. She was immensely glad she was not on her own. She would have had no idea what to do next and would have felt incredibly lost.

“I think we should start with the gatekeeper. That cabin looks promising,” said Justin with a hint of a smile in his eyes that Lucy did not understand.

Lucy followed the direction he pointed and saw a picturesque cabin a couple of hills over backed by trees. They walked down the hill they were on and up the next one. As they neared the cabin, Lucy saw smoke spiraling out of the chimney as well as flower beds and an herb garden that looked well tended. As they neared the cabin, a young man approximately their own age came out the door to great them. He was thin but not very tall with reddish brown hair that fell over his blue eyes. He gave them a quick smile that Lucy thought looked very familiar. If she didn’t know any better…

Her suspicions were confirmed as the man gave Justin a hug and grinned at the rest of them expectantly.

“Friends, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to my brother, Taran,” said Justin with great aplomb. “Taran, this is Maya, Gavin, and Lucy.”

Taran shook hands with each of them in turn.

“Welcome to Kinowenn and welcome to my home, such as it is. I hope you will all be comfortable here even though your stay will be short.”

As he led them the rest of the way to his cabin, Lucy studied the similarities and differences between Justin and his brother. They had the same hair, though Taran’s was slightly browner and Justin’s eyes were brown, not blue. Taran was taller and slimmer, and Lucy suspected that he was in good shape. She couldn’t tell which one was older. The smile was similar, but Taran’s had an innocence about it, whereas Justin’s had a slightly ironic feel sometimes.

Taran’s cabin was small, but then there was only one person living there so it didn’t have to be large. There was a kitchen area whose ceiling was strung with drying herbs. A small table held four chairs. Beside that was a sitting room with two beautiful rocking chairs facing a fireplace. Behind that, there was a bedroom and a bathroom. Taran had managed to engineer running water from a flowing spring out back. Lucy was wondering where they were going to sleep when Taran took them back outside, around to the back of the cabin and showed them a ladder that led to a second floor. Guests were few, but if they turned up late, they could climb up without bothering Taran and they could leave very early in the morning. They all climbed up the ladder, picked bunks and put their packs down. Sitting on benches out front they all looked at each other in silence for a moment before Lucy began to laugh.

“I have so many questions I’d like to ask you, I almost don’t know where to start.”

“I feel the same,” Taran admitted with a smile and a sidelong look at Justin.

“I think I’ll ask the most pressing question,” said Maya getting right to her most important question. “Do you have any old maps or other documents?”

“A few, not many. What I have are in a trunk in that corner of the cottage.” He motioned towards the southeast corner. “Help yourself.”

Maya went into the cottage and opened the trunk. There, she began to sift through Taran’s map collection looking to see if she could find anything indicating the possible whereabouts of Kleth.

“Old maps?” asked Taran, cocking an eyebrow.

Justin cocked an eyebrow back at him as if daring him to continue.

Gavin looked from brother to brother and said, “Justin mentioned something about horses. Where would those be exactly? I think I’ll look them over if that’s alright.”

“Certainly,” said Taran. “There is a small stable and paddock yonder,” He motioned north of the cottage, and Gavin took off in that direction.

“He’s probably going to see if it would be possible to fit more weapons on the horses,” said Justin with a smile.

“Likely. I noticed he seems to have a fondness for weapons. He’s going to attract trouble that way,” added Taran.

“I’m sure he is. Unfortunately for any trouble he attracts, he also knows how to use all those weapons. Proficiently.”

“Yes, like you said, unfortunate for them.” Taran studied Justin, and Justin let him. Finally, Taran shook his head and sighed, “Let me guess, you’re looking for Kleth.”

Lucy wondered if Taran was that perceptive, or if Justin had had an obsession with Kleth for some time.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where it is by any chance, would you? You could tell us and save us a lot of time and trouble,” said Justin.

“Do you have an interest in Kleth?” asked Lucy.

“I had an interest in the possibility of Kleth. I’ve come to the conclusion that some things are hidden for a reason, and whether you understand that or agree with that, you should respect that.”

“What do you mean by ‘had an interest in the possibility’?” asked Lucy slightly confused.

“From a philosophical standpoint, I like the idea of a city that appears in different places on different maps, and only for certain people, and usually not more than once for any specific person. That is what I find interesting. Kleth, however, was created by, with, or for depending on the tale, the Eye of Elicion. I consider the Eye of Elicion a highly dangerous magical object, and therefore, I think that Kleth has to be highly dangerous by default. I do not have the skills to face anything I would consider highly dangerous and survive. Now, if you think you have the skills and succeed in whatever insanity you are planning, I’d love to hear the ending tale,” finished Taran.