Book of Tales II- Tales of the People of the Mists

Chapter contents- © April 11, 2007 by dragonwrangler/kjraeside

Chapter Four

Ciorstag was surprised to see Akhenaden and Lord Dartz leaving the Palace as Seth escorted her to her meeting with Pharaoh, but then had to wonder why. The possibility that Dartz was the Ard Righ of legend was more than remote; and his association with the princess meant that he belonged here more than she did.

In the light of a new day, Ciorstag found herself questioning Gaighdon's suspicions as to what might be happening.

Still, she trusted her instincts and they were clearly telling her to be cautious around the strange man. Whether that was simply caused by her unfamiliarity of the situation going or something else she could not yet tell.

Stepping into the audience hall, Ciorstag was also surprised by the people already present. She assumed this meeting would be a private one since much of it would concern Atemu's condition; but she realized it would have been difficult to arrange since she had no true rank in this kingdom beyond that of ambassador- and even that was stretching credibility a bit.

After bowing down to one knee in acknowledgement of Pharaoh's presence, she let Seth lead her over to the Chief Vizier where he stood with one of the court scribes.

"What has happened?" Seth asked in a low voice as he scowled at the group gathered before the throne.

"It seems that a situation has arisen regarding the moving of Amun. The High Priest is on his way to the Palace as we speak." Siamun answered in a carefully neutral voice.

Seth looked at him in surprise. "And Pharaoh is simply waiting for Inherynakht to appear?" the tall Priest responded in a sharp whisper, his voice giving away his astonishment.

Ciorstag could not be sure but Siamun seemed slightly amused by Seth's tone. "The High Priest is acting as Amun's voice in this matter- it is best to remember that fact, Seth, Priest of Wedju." he said calmly.

"Hn." was Seth's response but he did nod once, reluctantly, in acknowledgement of the mild rebuke.

A sudden sound of raised voices outside the audience room heralded the High Priest's arrival. Inherynakht strode quickly up to the foot of the dais on which Pharaoh sat and then stopped, neither bowing nor kneeling, simply standing before the throne as he waited for Pharaoh to acknowledge him. Ciorstag sensed Seth tense beside her and heard a murmur of unease from those within the room; but Pharaoh's only response was to wave a hand and a servant quickly stepped forward with a seat for the High Priest to use.

As Inherynakht settled carefully onto the seat, Pharaoh asked, "What words have you brought us from our brother Amun?"

The High Priest sighed. "He has made it clear that he will not leave the Temple."

Pharaoh appeared surprised and not completely pleased with that answer. "Did our brother mention why he will not leave?"

"No, and it is not my place to ask such a question, great Pharaoh." Inherynakht snapped. His sudden exhale betrayed his frustration as he shook his head. "He will not leave and has proclaimed that Mahado and the one named Gaighdon be brought to him when they return."

Pharaoh frowned then made a slight gesture. Seth stepped forward and Ciorstag followed, kneeling beside Seth once they were before the throne as Pharaoh asked, "Do you know why our brother has requested your cousin's presence, màileachan naomh?"

Ciorstag shook her head and answered as she stared at the floor. "I do not know. I am not familiar with the one you call Amun beyond what I have been told, and Gaighdon would have no more knowledge than I. I can only imagine this summons is a reaction to what happened within the Temple." Unsure if she was making a breach in protocol, she raised her head to glance at the High Priest. "If it is required that Gaighdon be called into accountability for his actions he will be bound by the rules of hospitality to accept whatever punishment Amun demands. You will simply need to ask that he accompany you to Amun, he will not resist."

Inherynakht frowned and shook his head. "I do not believe that is why Amun wishes to speak with him. Distance is of no concern. Amun would not have waited for them to return if it were simply a matter of punishment for the damage that was done within the Temple."

Inherynakht returned his gaze back to the throne. "Amun has stated that they will return and that they are to be brought to him. He has said no more than that."

There was silence and Ciorstag stared at the inlaid tiles of the floor as she waited for Pharaoh to respond. She felt relief hearing that Gaighdon and Mahado apparently made it to Dalriada intact but she was not happy with the fact they seemed to be getting even more deeply involved with the events moving through this land.

Stifling a yawn as Hurenmun and his assistants carefully wrapped new bandages around his midsection before dressing him, Atemu attempted to pull his scattered thoughts into something coherent and logical.

He was a little surprised Ciorstag had yet to make an appearance, considering how the night had gone; he had certainly expected a lecture from the healer if nothing else. He let a frown settle on his face as he considered his actions during the night. He had no defense against any complain Ciorstag had with him; he had taken the healer's warnings to heart but still had allowed himself to get into positions she had asked him to avoid.

That was not like him.

It was also not like him to lose his temper without provocation. He had already snapped without cause at one servant this morning, and had been trying to control his irritation with this familiar morning ritual he had experienced for as long as he could remember with a minimal amount of success.

Absently fingering a green gemstone on a silver chain that had been placed around his neck, Atemu wondered what it was that was making him lose his self control. He hoped it was not causing Ciorstag too much discomfort. He had a feeling he had her to thank for the fact the pain from his wound seemed to be absent this morning.

As the dressers stepped back, Atemu slipped the Puzzle on and turned to find Karim stepping into the room. Atemu raised an eyebrow in silent question as the Priest knelt before him.

"Pharaoh asked that I accompany you to the Palace. He is speaking to Ciorstag and requires your presence when he is done."

With a sigh Atemu nodded and gestured the Priest to his feet as he left his quarters. Part of him wished Seth had been the one to find him. With Mahado missing, Atemu would have liked to have someone to talk to about what happened at the Temple yesterday and though he did not know his cousin all that well he felt more at ease in the High Priest's presence than he did with any of the other Priests of Wedju.

As they crossed the courtyard that separated his quarters from the women's section, Atemu caught sight of Mana perched on the edge of one of the reflecting pools listlessly stirring the water within. Immediately stepping away from the group and gesturing them absently to stay where they were, Atemu approached the girl and said quietly, "Mana, what are you doing out here?"

Mana jumped up, spinning around in surprise and started to take a quick step towards him when her focus moved to the group behind him. She immediately dropped to her hands and knees with a slightly choked, "My Prince!"

Sighing slightly, Atemu turned to Karim and stated, "I will meet you at the Palace entrance in a few moments."

He could see the protest in Karim's eyes at the delay, but all he said was, "Yes, my Prince."

Atemu waited until the group moved out of his sight before reaching down to pull Mana to her feet. As she straightened, she kept her head bowed and Atemu had to tilt her head up to see what he knew he would see. Mana brushed her arm across tear swollen eyes before meeting his gaze.

"He's still alive." Atemu said gently.

Mana's eyes widened as she asked, "How do you know that?"

"He…" Atemu frowned a moment as he searched for the right words. "He protected me against an attack during the night."

"Then he has returned?" Mana asked hopefully.

Atemu regretfully shook his head. "No. He is still elsewhere."

"But why?" Mana cried. "Why did he have to leave?"

Atemu sighed as he answered. "He had no choice. I am sure Gaighdon will bring him back as soon as he can."

He waited as Mana tried to compose herself. The girl struggled a moment then took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes with her arm once more. Atemu let go of her and waited.

"Then I will not worry," she announced then tilted her head and gave him an uncertain smile. "Unless, of course you say I should."

Atemu smiled. "I will be sure to inform you if that is necessary."

"What should I do while I wait?" Mana suddenly asked.

"What should you do?" Atemu repeated, a little confused by the question.

Mana nodded. "I'm Mahado's student now but he hasn't given me any assignments yet."

Before Atemu could respond an angry shout echoed into the Palace. Running to the entrance, Atemu found Karim and, much to his surprise, Akhenaden staring down at a dark haired man pinned to the ground by several guards. Akhenaden stepped forward and snapped, "How dare you profane this place with your presence, thief!"

"I do not think he is entirely to blame for his actions, Iry."

The cultured voice pulled Atemu's attention away from the scene before him to a figure standing patiently at the edge of the group. He immediately recognized Dakhamazu's aide and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Lord Dartz glanced at him, odd mismatched eyes thoughtful as he pointed out, "Can you not feel the being trying to pass through him?"

Frowning, Atemu glanced at Akhenaden as the Iry studied their captive. He sensed the flare of heka from the Millennium Eye and was startled when he felt an echo of that power from the man on the ground.

"What was that?" Mana asked in surprise as she leaned around Atemu to get a better look.

"I'm not sure." Akhenaden answered as he turned to Lord Dartz. "Explain to me how you knew about this." he ordered sharply to the white-haired man.

Moving to stand beside the Iry, Lord Dartz replied, "I have always had the ability to sense heka such as that. As to why I guessed what it was- there was a fragment of ancient knowledge handed down amongst my people that mentioned monsters from the Shadow Realms that had the ability to manifest themselves in this world by passing through certain individuals."

"You are familiar with how a summoning works?" Atemu asked.

"To a certain degree," Lord Dartz answered. "It was said that some individuals have the ability to allow the beings to pass completely through them and the beings would draw on the life energy of the one summoning them to manifest fully in this world. It was also said that others would try to cross into this world and would become trapped." Looking down at the man, he added almost to himself, "This situation would eventually lead a man to do wrong if the monster trying to pass through them is of a chaotic alignment. If the monster's presence could be pulled out of the one it is trapped in, I would think it would cure an individual like this of such tendencies as thievery."

"Is that possible?" At Lord Dartz's curious look, Atemu pointed out, "The only way that we know of to transfer a ka monster from one person to another is in the few moments after the death of the one it is bound to."

Lord Dartz regarded him silently, almost as if he were judging him, before saying, "So you do have the ability to summon a monster into the real world."

"It is not a difficult thing for me to do." Atemu responded.

"Ah. I had heard rumors but did not know if I should believe them," the white haired man said.

Not bothering to respond to that comment, Atemu looked back down at the thief and asked thoughtfully, "Even if the monster can be removed without killing the one they have possessed what would be done? We certainly cannot allow another person to suffer under such influences."

Rubbing his chin, Lord Dartz answered, "The creature's spirit could possibly be sealed into specially prepared stone tablets, I suppose. That might also allow anyone with summoning abilities to call on them since they would no longer be tied to an individual."

"Wow, you know a lot about this." Mana said brightly. Lord Dartz gave her a surprised look then smiled kindly at the girl.

"I've always found such puzzles to be quite interesting to solve," he responded.

Akhenaden gave the man a curious look. "And where exactly did you come across such knowledge as this?"

"There were many texts regarding shadow monsters in my homelands," He pulled a small item from a pocket of his robes and handed it to the Iry. "I'm afraid this is all that I have left of those books."

Atemu recognizing it to be of a similar make to the Book of Millennium Magic when the Iry opened it, the flat rectangular pages somehow bound together in an unfamiliar technique and covered by an oddly illustrated wrap. Atemu glanced up and found an expression of shock crossing Akhenaden's face- an expression that was quickly controlled as he met Atemu's gaze.

"This is something Pharaoh should be informed of."

Twisting the chain to the green gemstone that now rested against his chest beneath the Millennium Puzzle between his fingers, Atemu found he had no difficulty agreeing with that statement.

Gaighdon eventually left the library after talking a little with Ìomhar about the Millennium Ring to find his wife Moira. Leaning into the kitchens, he wasn't surprised when he caught sight of Mahado and Lachlan eating breakfast at the side table.

He felt a little amused as he looked at Mahado dressed in his son's clothing. He also realized the young man was probably not very warm dressed like that and turned to go look for a jacket or cloak for him, but found Moira was already taking care of that.

She smile as she walked up, one of Lachlan's lined cloaks draped over one arm. "Considering how you two were dressed when you got here, I'm guessing it is a little warmer where he is from?"

"During the day, yes."

She nodded. "I thought as much. Boy's too polite to make a fuss and Lachlann hasn't traveled enough to think of such things." She gave Gaighdon a look. "Though, considering he is very much your son, it wouldn't have been the first thing that crossed his mind anyway."

Gaighdon grinned, unable to argue with that. Moira nodded towards the two and said, "I'll take care of them, you go ahead and take care of your duties."

"Actually, I was hoping to have a few moments to talk to you about all this."

A sigh slipped out of Moira. "You don't have time." She shrugged and added, "I knew when I married you this was going to be part of how things would be. As long as you are still standing I will be content."

She then smirked and said, "However, when this is over and you return I expect you to give me all of your attention and to be thorough in your apologies to me."

"I will be sure to do that." he said with a smile and caught her head to pull her close for a kiss.

Only to hear his other son say, "Eww."

Breaking the kiss, he glanced over his shoulder and found Ùisdean scowling up at him as he held the hand of his sister, Màili- who was blinking owlishly, her hair sticking up at odd angles on one side of her head as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Moira laughed. "Oh, just wait Ùisdean, you'll be doing that to some girl soon enough." As Ùisdean repeated his previous comment, Moira reached down to pick Màili up and stated, "We have guest so I expect you to be on your best behavior young man."

Ùisdean brightened. "The stranger who came through the Crosspoint?"

"Yes. However, I need you to remember that he knows the trader's language not ours when you speak to him."

Ùisdean nodded sagely as if this information was of great importance, and Gaighdon had to control his smile as Ùisdean glanced up at him. The smile died away at his son's next words.

"Will you have to take him back home, father?" Gaighdon could hear the barely controlled plea in the question and he knelt down to answer Ùisdean face to face.

"Yes, I will." He could see the frustrated protest forming and he reached out to put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. Ùisdean tensed, an angry expression appearing on his face.

"But…" Ùisdean managed before Gaighdon cut him off.

"Ùisdean." he said sharply. The boy shut his mouth and glared sullenly at him. "Ùisdean, I was the one who brought him here, it is only proper that I return him to his own family."

The boy shook his head. "You are chieftain here and the Righs are here, you are supposed to be here too."

"The Righs?" Moira asked curiously, catching the odd plural to the word.

Ùisdean nodded vigorously as he looked up at his mother. "Ailig is here. I saw him with the Ard Righ." Turning back to his father, Ùisdean scowled and said, "And you can't leave when they are here."

Gaighdon shook his own head, keeping his focus on his son instead of letting it turn to why Ciorstag's brother Ailig would be here. "I must, it is the only way I can fulfill my duties as chieftain, Ùisdean."

Confusion washed over Ùisdean face. "But your duty is to the Righs."

"My duty is to our clan. I must answer to Council and the Righs regarding my actions and I am guided by them but I must always put our clan first."

"But he is not of our clan." Gaighdon did not answer, knowing it was more important for Ùisdean to realize what his answer to that statement would be. Ùisdean stared at him thoughtfully a few moments then said reluctantly, "But he is under your protection."

"Yes."

Ùisdean spoke slowly as he worked his way through his confusion. "And that makes him part of the clan as long as he is under your protection." The boy paused. Gaighdon waited, both proud and sad that his son understood his position.

It had been one thing when he had gone through the Crosspoint the first time- that had simply been a grand adventure in the boy's mind. But the events of last night- and Gaighdon knew there was no way to hide what had happened, Ùisdean would have known something was wrong as soon as he had seen his brother's face, or anyone else's for that matter- meant Ùisdean would have to face the fact that it was his father's duty to protect the clan, even if it mean putting his own life at risk sometimes.

"He is in danger?"

"Yes."

"He is not safe here?"

Gaighdon shook his head. "No, he is not."

"Will you be safe taking him to his home?"

He could see the worry in Ùisdean's eyes, but as much as he would like to comfort him, Gaighdon knew it was best to simply tell the truth.

"No, I will not. But the danger that chases him is one the clan is not prepared to face yet. I must take him back. I cannot protect him or the clan if he remains."

"But if you do not come back, who will protect us?"

Uisdean's voice had risen sharply and Gaighdon sensed Moira take a step closer. He shook his head slightly to stop her. As much as he wanted to protect his children from the harsh reality of a chieftain's life, he could not.

"You will always be safe, the Council and the Righs will make sure of that."

Ùisdean shook his head. "But, if you do not come back…"

Gaighdon gently held his son's head still and met his gaze as he asked quietly, "What would you have me do?"

"I want you to stay." Ùisdean responded, sniffling a little.

"And if I stay? My guest's chieftain put his care in my hands and he trusted me to bring him safely back. I cannot keep him safe here."

Ùisdean tried to shift his head to look down and Gaighdon loosened his grip slightly to let him. "It would break your promise to the other chieftain if you stay?" he asked as he stared at the floor, the tip of one booted foot lightly kicking the heel of the other.

"Yes, it would."

"And you have to keep your promises."

It was not a question but Gaighdon answered anyway. "Yes, I do."

Ùisdean was silent, and Gaighdon pulled him into a tight hug. "I will return, if I am able, I will promise you that, Ùisdean." His son nodded as he wrapped his arms around Gaighdon's neck to hug him back.

They remained like that for several heartbeats, and then Ùisdean began to squirm. Gaighdon let him wiggle his way out of the embrace and pretended he did not notice the tears his son was wiping away with one arm. Moira stepped up to Ùisdean and, holding out Lachlan's cloak, said, "Why don't you take this to Mahado. He's probably a little cold right now."

"Mahado?" Ùisdean asked as he took the cloak from his mother.

"Our guest."

Holding the cloak with both arms, he turned back to Gaighdon and asked, "You will say goodbye before you go?"

"I will be sure to, Ùisdean."

His son nodded, held the cloak a little higher so that he wouldn't trip on it as he walked, and made his way into the kitchen.

Cautiously straightening up, feeling a little drained by the short discussion with Ùisdean, he found Moira giving him a questioning look.

"Did you promise Mahado's chieftain you would keep him safe?" she asked as she shifted Màili to a more comfortable position on her hip. Màili had quickly fallen back to sleep with her head resting against her mother's shoulder, and Gaighdon was glad at least one of his children was finding a little peace in all this chaos.

"Indirectly, yes." He reached out and brushed some of Màili's unruly hair away from her face. "I heard Ciorstag ask Pharaoh if he trusted us just before she ordered me to take Mahado through the Crosspoint. I'm assuming Pharaoh's answer was yes."

Moira sighed. "You'd better go talk to Ailig. It would best he hear about what is happening from you."

Gaighdon wrapped one arm around Moira's waist to hold her close again, and had to smile when he heard a sleepy protest from Màili at being pressed between her parents.

Moira rolled her eyes slightly then gave Màili a tender look. "I still don't know how we managed to have two more children after Lachlann, considering how much they tend to get in the way."

"Persistence?"

Moira hit him lightly on the chest with the back of her free hand. "Go find Ailig, I'll take care of the children." she said.

Gaighdon watched her walk into the kitchen, then turned away to find Ailig.

He just hope the Righ of the Duine-sith was here for news about his sister and not because some new problem had arisen.

He wouldn't be at all surprised if it turned out to be the later though.

Akhenamkhanen did not allow his surprise to show at the sight of his son, Akhenaden, Karim, and Dakhamazu's aide entering the throne room. He did however frown at the sight of the man being dragged in by the Palace guards behind them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked in a voice carefully pitched to show his displeasure at the disruption.

Akhenaden quickly approached the throne and knelt down, bowing his head as he stated, "A situation has arisen that requires your attention, Great Pharaoh."

"What has happened, Iry?"

"It seems this man holds a ka monster within him."

"What?" Inherynakht exclaimed. Akhenaden was clearly startled when the High Priest stood up and turned his back to the throne to look at the struggling man. Glancing down at Akhenaden, Inherynakht scowled and said in an unusually deep voice, "Only those who have been trained have the ability to summon a ka monster. What is the meaning of your words, Iry?"

Akhenamkhanen gave Akhenaden silent permission to speak, curious now to discover what had happened. Akhenaden rose to his feet and nodded to the prisoner saying, "I am saying there is a ka monster trapped within this man."

"How is that possible?" Akhenamkhanen demanded.

"I do not know." Glancing up, ignoring the High Priest, Akhenaden added pointedly, "However, the Princess Dakhamazu's aide believes the monster can be removed without harming the one possessing it."

Inherynakht frowned as he regarded the white-haired man. "And how is it he has such knowledge when you do not Iry?"

Seeing the displeasure on Akhenaden's face at Inherynakht's questions, and guessing as to why the High Priest's voice may have changed, Akhenamkhanen stated clearly, "I agree with the voice of our brother Amun." Akhenaden's face cleared, becoming the calm mask of the Iry as he reluctantly bowed in acknowledgement of his Pharaoh's words. "How did he come across such knowledge?"

"From ancient knowledge handed down through is people, and from this." Akhenaden held out something and Akhenamkhanen had to keep a tight reign on his expression as he picked it up and realized it was similar to the Book of Millennium Magic. Glancing up, he let his gaze fall on Lord Dartz. The man simply nodded in acknowledgement of his attention from where he knelt before the throne.

Looking over at Inherynakht, he noticed that the High Priest of Amun was frowning and that he was not focused on Lord Dartz, but on Atemu. Letting his gaze fall on his son, Akhenamkhanen found him toying with a green gemstone as he watched Lord Dartz.

Not sure why he felt so uneasy, Akhenamkhanen turned to Siamun. "We will continue this discussion in the privacy of our quarters. Bring our son, the Iry, our daughter's aide and the màileachan naomh after we have exchanged words with our brother." Directing his gaze to the guards holding the prisoner he added, "You will remove him from our presence and keep him under guard, unharmed, until we have decided his fate."

Rising to his feet he turned and left the throne room, ignoring the confusion that appeared on the face of the guards as Inherynakht fell in step beside him.

They walked in silence a moment then Akhenamkhanen asked, "How much of what was said out there was Amun's, Inherynakht?"

Inherynakht shook his head. "I do not know, great Pharaoh."

"Our brother is welcome to appear in his true form once we have reached the meeting room."

Inherynakht was silent but Akhenamkhanen could feel power flaring a moment around the Priest. "The heka is out of balance," Inherynakht finally answered in a distracted voice. "He does not believe it would be wise for him to appear at this time."

Akhenamkhanen stopped. "Is that why he wishes to speak with Mahado at the Temple?"

"It may be." Inherynakht said, and then he faced him, his eyes slightly unfocused as he said, "Your Priest carries a heavy burden, and so does your son."

Akhenamkhanen could not be sure if it was Inherynakht speaking or not.

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Righ- King. Each of the main Tuathan clans are lead by a Righ; example- Ailig is the King of the Duìne-sìth clans, while Gaighdon is the family chieftain to the largest clan within the Duìne-sìth. All the Tuathan clans are lead by the Ard Righ or High King.