THE REQUIEM: THE WORLD IN A DOWNWARD TILT
PART ONE: MELCENA
Chapter Ten: Pawns of Prophecy
Sithli awoke with a start to dawn light spilling in through a pair of high windows, bathing her in an orange glow. She was in a bed and in the morning light she recognized the medical wing in the university's main building. The room was distinguishable by the long rows of curtained beds. The ones on the bed next to her were pulled back and when Sithli glanced over she met Urgar's brown eyed gaze.
"It's about time you woke up." He said casually.
"I see you got your clothes back." Sithli replied, equally casual, as if nothing out of the usual had transpired.
Urgar smiled and plucked at the front of the white tunic he was wearing. His hair was messed, his skin was sickly pale, and there was a blood stained bandage on his neck, but he looked in fair shape all things considered. Although his manner seemed unchanged by his time as a cat, his smile didn't reach his eyes, which were heavy. Sithli glanced around the room.
"Where's Eridis?" Sithli asked.
"She was called to The Dean an hour ago. No doubt to give him the same explanation she gave me once I came to."
"And Menary? Is she…" Sithli left the question to hang.
Urgar's eyes turned very grim, his mouth becoming a hard line, and he shook his head. "Dead? No. Or at least, not the last time anyone saw her. She escaped while she was with the physician. She was badly injured though. That hair she was so proud off is gone now and her left ear was practically burned away."
There was no sympathy at all in Urgar's voice. Sithli similarly found that she couldn't dredge up any either. "What happened to you?"
The Murgo boy sighed heavily and pressed a hand to the side of his head. "I was careless and a bit too arrogant. I have no excuse. Even suspecting what she could do, I didn't act cautiously. It was foolish of me."
"Suspecting what she could do?"
Urgar turned his head to give her a serious look. "Do you remember what that girl from The Happy Wench told us? About that sailor, Maxim, and his broken arm."
"Yes."
"Well, I noticed that she specified that the physician was a 'her' and not a 'him'. There aren't that many female physicians in this area. In fact, there are only two that deal in anything other than herbal cures. So I went to see them. The first one I spoke to told me that the maid knocked that night, but that she refused to go because she was pregnant and wasn't suppose to be putting to much strain on herself. The other I went too see had died two days prior to when I visited. Her husband told me she'd been severely ill for several days, to the point that she hadn't even been able to get out of bed so there's no way she could have called on Maxim that night. That roused my suspicions even more so I started asking around the town more. Finally I found a beggar who told me he'd seen the maid bring a tall girl in a cloak to The Happy Wench. He said she kept her hood up, but it slipped once when she stumbled. He told me she was a fairly young girl, very pretty with long gold hair. After she left The Wench, he said he saw her head back up the main road to the university."
"Menary." Sithli said, as ice slid down her spine. She hadn't thought she could be any more surprised that day. It turned out she was wrong. "So she posed as a physician, went up to Maxim's room, changed him the way she did you, and then killed him."
Urgar nodded grimly. "I didn't have any solid proof that it was her, but Nathalie said that she knew the sailor so even if my guess was wrong, she had some connection to him. I went to confront her. One second I was making accusation and the next I had four legs and fur. She kept me in her room. Sometimes she liked to taunt me, other times she enjoyed treating me like a pet. Sometimes she ignored me completely and threw tantrums." He smiled at Sithli tightly. "Those were largely your fault."
"Mine!?"
"Nathalie was right, she doesn't like you. She hates you."
"Good. The feeling is mutual." Sithli said, with heat.
"She wanted that prophecy you found. Badly."
Sithli sat up very straight and stared at Urgar. "How much did Eridis tell you?"
"Everything. Even more than Menary inadvertently told me." He smiled at her startled expression. "She'd rant when she threw her tantrums. About some prophecy, about you getting in her way, about ruling the world. Sometimes she'd talk about getting more power from something she called The Void. I didn't understand any of it until Eridis told me what the two of you had been up to while I was missing. What's wrong?" Urgar asked abruptly, when he saw the expression on her face.
His mention of 'The Void' had made her remember the strange dream with the shadows and their games. But it hadn't been just a game. It had been instruction. "I need to talk to Eridis."
"It's about the prophecy isn't it? You're leaving the university." He smiled in amusement when she looked over at him again. "You talking in your sleep."
"You're the one who originally found the prophecy. You made a melody for it, so you should know, roughly, how it goes. I'm one of them. I'm The Dreaming Princess. They kept throwing hints at me. I was so overwhelmed at dealing with a prophecy at all that I didn't even think to wonder if I was in it."
"Where are we going?"
"West. I'm supposed to go west to tell—" She stopped and gaped at him in astonishment. "What do you mean we?"
"That's obvious." Urgar said flippantly, reclining against his pillows. "I'm going with you."
Sithli frowned. "I appreciate the sentiment Urgar, but I already dragged Eridis into this. I can't do the same to you."
"Technically I'm the one who started it. Like you said I did find the prophecy first. Second of all, it isn't you dragging me. Eridis showed me the prophecy and it says I'm supposed to go with you."
"It does not!" She protested.
"Mmhmm." He leaned over and from the table on the opposite side he picked up a small, red leather book. The sound of old, dusty pages being turned was like the sound of sand shifting. "The Thrice Prince, The Witch, The Dreaming Princess, And the Beloved Architect, Summoned are to tourney." He read.
"So?"
"You're The Dreaming Princess. I'm The Thrice Prince."
Sithli stared at him. "How do you figure that?"
Urgar shrugged casually, closing the book. "You actually happen to be looking at someone with connections to three royal houses." He said off handedly, polishing his nails on the front of his shirt.
Sithli frowned at him, finding her old exasperation at Urgar's deliberate difficulty returning. It felt pleasant, comforting to slips so easily back into familiar patterns. "Urgar, I have spent the last several weeks dealing with obscure messages and backwards phrases. So if you don't spell this out clearly for me, I can't be held accountable for my actions."
The Murgo boy laughed. "If you insist. You already know that I'm the crown prince of Cthol Murgos. My mother, Queen Prala, is a princess of the House of Cthan, so by descent I'm a prince of that same house. What isn't known outside of the family, however, is that my father's father wasn't Taur Urgas. Actually he was Prince Khellan of Drasnian, the younger brother of the late King Rhodar. My father is the half brother of Prince Kheldar of Drasnia. Strictly speaking that makes me a member of the Drasnian royal family." Sithli gaped at him. Urgar grinned. "It's a bit of a stretch, but that means I do happen to be a prince, three times over. It's a wonder this bandage on my neck is stained red instead of bright blue."
"If Menary had known that," Sithli said. "she would have killed you."
Urgar grinned. "I imagine she'll be very upset with herself when she finds out, don't you think?"
Sithli caught his hilarity and she grinned back. "I certainly hope so."
"That does, however, still leave The Witch and The Beloved Architect."
"Me." Neither Sithli nor Urgar had even heard Eridis enter until she spoke, gliding across the floor towards them. Her face was serious, gave almost, and she looked very resigned.
"You?" Urgar asked.
Eridis nodded. "I'm The Witch. You should know Urgar." She said to him pointedly. "You've been suspicious of my advanced education for months now."
"I thought you were learning sorcery." Urgar replied. "Not witchcraft."
"I didn't have the aptitude for sorcery, but it was clear I displayed a talent of some sort. That's why The Dean sent me out to wait at the base of the tower; it was a communion with nature of sorts. The earth spoke to me and that was when I realized what my brand of talent was."
"Wait a moment." Sithli interrupted, feeling as if she'd been left behind. "Is there a difference between sorcery and witchcraft?"
"Yes." It was Eridis who answered. "We've poured over more than enough of the works of Belgarath and Polgara and Beldin to know how sorcery functions. Witchcraft is a very different sort of talent. It's rooted in the natural world. Aside from that it often requires incantations, ceremonies, sometimes ingredients or preparation. It also has more limits. Witchcraft is rooted in the earth, the natural world, and the supernatural only as it pertains to the natural world."
Sithli sighed. "I don't think I follow."
Eridis smiled patiently. "It's hard to explain." She shook her head. "It's strange to think I spent several weeks researching my own destiny."
"You two don't have to go." Sithli said as a wave of guilt rocked her. Even as she said the words, however, she knew that she was wrong. The look that her friends gave her said the same thing.
"After the time I spent on that ridiculous song, I'd go along for the sake of curiosity alone." Eridis said firmly.
Urgar released a long, tragic breath. "I suppose there's no way for me to slip out now. At least my title is flattering. The Witch makes you sound fearful Eridis."
"Speaking of that," Eridis said, casting a baleful look at the Murgo boy before turning to Sithli. "you said you know who the prophecy is speaking of when they say The Unchosen God?"
"Yes. I suspected when you connected the burning sphere to Aldur. Now that they told me to go west I'm sure of it."
"What do you mean 'they told me to go west'?" Urgar asked.
Sithli groaned. She had completely forgotten to tell them about her dream. Things were moving so fast, she barely had the time to keep everything in order. Her gaze moved to Urgar. "Did Eridis tell you about my shadow visitors?"
"She told me what she could." He replied, sharing a glance with Eridis before looking back to Sithli. "Since she doesn't understand it all that well I imagine I understand it even less."
"Alright then, let's start from there." She spent the next several minutes bringing Urgar up to date with what he'd missed in the passed weeks, and Eridis to what had transpired during her dream.
When she was done, Urgar whistled. "Complex. Then this…dreaming is how you broke Menary's enchantment?"
"That's what they told me." Sithli replied. "I don't fully understand what they mean by dreaming and they wouldn't tell me anything that wasn't a riddle."
"Go west, was fairly straight forward." Eridis chimed in.
"Which is where we'll find whomever The Beloved Architect is." Sithli said. "Someone else who'll be dragged into this mess."
"It's not as if you're the one who chose them…us." Urgar said, lifting an eyebrow. "You should really leave off feeling guilty. Eridis and I wouldn't let you go alone regardless. We are your friends. We're also exceptionally nosy. But it's probably mostly because we're your friends."
"We'd have to leave the university anyway." Eridis added. Sithli and Urgar both looked up at her.
"Why's that?" Sithli wondered.
Eridis look startled. "Didn't I mention? We've all been expelled. The three off us—four if you count Menary, although she's already fled. The Dean expects us to be away from campus by noon."
It was half past five; Sithli, Urgar, and Eridis had set them selves up at an inn in town called The White Fleece and had already hired a boat to take them across to the mainland. The boat was scheduled to leave that evening and from Peldane they could hire a carriage to take them across to the Dalasian coast and from there travel north by sea to Mallorea. Sithli had mapped their route, while Urgar took charge of hiring the boat and seeing their luggage safely moved.
After Eridis' announcement of their expulsion, Sithli had made an attempt to see The Dean but had been refused admittance to his office. In the end she'd been forced to pack up her room and transport her belongings down into town and off the university lawns.
She was feeling guilty as she observed the path she'd planned. They had chosen not to say goodbye to Malden or Nathalie or Airi. Goodbyes would take up too much time they couldn't sacrifice and would be full of questions that none of them could answer. Even worse she knew her friends would want to follow, even if it meant abandoning their own education. That thought doubled her guilt, even why it made her more resolute to leave before the trio discovered they were leaving.
They'd written a letter, she, Urgar, and Eridis, and left it for Malden whom they knew would share it with the other two. It was apologetic at best and not very explanatory, but there wasn't much justification that they could honestly give and it felt wrong to use lies.
Sunset was approaching and she, Urgar, and Eridis were all gather in the room they'd rented, preparing to depart from Melcena when the soft knock came at the door. Urgar answered it and the maid on the other side curtsied nervously.
"There's a man downstairs who asked me to fetch ye." The maid told them.
The three of them exchanged glances. "A man?" Urgar asked.
The maid nodded. "An older gentleman. I believe he came from the university. He's wearing scholar's robes."
Again they glanced at each other. Sithli sighed and set her map aside, rising from her chair determinedly. "We might as well. At worst it might one of the tutors wanting us to turn in final assignments."
The maid led them down to the lower floor of the inn, into one of the sitting rooms. The fading sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the rooms in orange light. As they entered the pallor Sithli saw the man sitting alone by the window, dressed in the long robes the scholars wore, and nursing a cup of tea. He had a sober face and there was a glint of steel in his manner. It was The Dean.
Surprise brought Sithli up short and she realized, belatedly, that it had done the same to her companions. The Dean, as if sensing their arrival, turned towards them. Despite what had passed, his customary expression of calm indifference was still in place.
"Don't just stand there." He said placidly. "Sit down, the three of you."
After months, it was almost instinct to obey. The chairs of The White Fleece were deep, ornamentally upholstered, but not very comfortable. Sithli rigidity as she sat, however, was not entirely due to the chair. Urgar and Eridis sat on either side of her and The Dean directly across. It was like being at inquisition, but Sithli wondered why she should feel so nervous; she'd already been expelled, what more could be done?"
"I imagine my calling on you is a surprise, considering your summary dismissal from the university." He said directly, sweeping a look over the three of them. "I received the full transcript of the events that transpired and it seems to me that the brunt of the blame falls on the shoulders of Menary Cacoelle."
"If you know that," Sithli said without thinking, "then why were Eridis, Urgar, and I also expelled? Why Urgar at all? If anything he was merely the victim."
"That's insulting." Urgar said out of the corner of his mouth. "I hate being 'merely' anything."
The Dean gave them a severe look. "One might have wished you had grasped the subtleties of language in the time you spent at the university." He reproved them. The scolding tone was so nostalgic that Sithli almost smiled. She saw Urgar also stifling a curving of her lips. "You were expelled because you cannot remain at Melcena."
"Do you know?" Eridis spoke. Her back was very straight and her demeanor had that unruffled poise that only Eridis could affect at such a moment. She was, in Sithli's opinion, a true student of the university.
The Dean looked at her. "As one of the Talents of the university, you should know best that there are certain resources at campus that allow me to have information others might not." His gaze passed to Sithli then Urgar and back again. "I may not know exactly what it is you three are embroiled in, but I know it is gravely important. I ignored my instincts prior, in allowing Menary to progress where she should not have. She showed great promise and so, despite complaints and indications of her viciousness of mind, I allowed her to advance her studies into areas of sorcery. I erred. Grievously, it seems."
"Menary is a sorceress then?" Urgar asked. "And not a witch, like Eridis?"
Eridis looked at him. "No. Witchcraft can't be used for transmutation of that kind."
"That's true." The Dean agreed. "But it's clear that her sorcery had advanced beyond what she was instructed in at the university. Her brand of magic as well it's also far different than any other sorcerer or sorceress—any other magic user—I've ever come across. Sorcerers draw their power from within themselves. Witches take it from the natural earth. Menary, however, seems to draw from another source entirely."
"The Void." Sithli murmured and saw both Eridis' and Urgar's expression turn grim. She looked up at The Dean. "Do you know where Menary's gone?"
"No. When I sent people out to search for her I was informed that she'd taken a ship from the harbor this morning. As far as I can ascertain she was headed to the northwest." The Dean frowned slightly. "I won't ask exactly what's going on. It is, I believe, better left unknown by those such as I. For that reason I've announced your expulsion. It's the only cover for an abrupt and mass departure from school." Sithli had not thought of that. She felt the feeling of resentment and injustice that she hadn't even recognized dissipated.
The Dean had turned his attention to Eridis now. "Only a few years ago we allowed only men to study at the university. You are, however, proof that our decision to allow women to enter the university was well made. I regret that necessity has required you to leave are halls and I hope that we have adequately prepared you for the task you go to." The Dean looked at Sithli and Urgar. "Has adequately prepared all of you." He set down his tea cup and rose to his feet then. "I won't keep you any longer. I'm certain you will wish to leave as soon as possible."
Sithli, Urgar, and Eridis had also risen and Sithli was surprised to feel a rush of affection for the old, serious face man in front of her. "Thank you." She said simply. There was nothing more to say.
To her amazement The Dean smiled at her and then he bowed to the three of them. "Your imperial highness. Your royal highness. Lady Eridis." He said by way of farewell, before leaving the inn.
It had been months since she had heard 'your imperial highness' and the title had a complete finality to it. Students of the University of Melcena had no need for rank or its trappings. With a deep pang of regret she realized that she was no longer Student Sithli. She was, once again, Imperial Crown Princess Sithli of Mallorea.
They left The White Fleece a scant few minutes after sun down and from the deck of a ship called The Winnow, they watched the coast of Melcena fade against the night sky as the stars illuminated the sky over head. Urgar had left them to pay the captain and now he emerged out on deck again to join her and Eridis against the railing.
"We'll be in Peldane soon. Did you want to sleep at an inn or get an immediate start?" He asked Sithli.
"Let's get as far as we can tonight. I want to make it to Mal Zeth within the month." She breathed in the mild night air. "I'm glad it's spring. Winter would have made it miserable."
"That was probably deliberately timed." Eridis observed, her arm dipped down towards the smooth waters below them. "Is Mallorea as far west as we go?"
Sithli shook her head. "No. I need to talk to my parents and to Eriond. It will be easy to get to our ultimate destination that way."
"Which is?" Urgar prompted.
"Riva." Sithli said.
"We're going to Aloria? What's in Riva?"
"Crown Prince Geran. The Unchosen God."
- END PART ONE -