Soul Fusion – Chapter 25 – Dangers

Standing there, Kahlan's eyebrows slowly came together as she allowed her mind to come to terms with what she had just found out. The room she had blindly stumbled into, discovering a hidden compartment concealing a beautiful silver chalice, had turned out to be the former office of the wizard-scholar Jellico, the man who had been the most outspoken opponent of the Soul Fusion spell. And it was the incantation and ritual he had recommended for reversing that spell, which Zedd had relied upon to restore Kahlan and Richard back into their respective bodies. It was Jellico's fault that her soul was now permanently separated from Richard, the only man she had ever truly loved.

Blinking, she returned her gaze to the silver chalice in her hands. Jellico had hidden this away for a reason. Narrowing her eyes, she lowered her brow and thought over why such a person as Jellico would hide this particular chalice. Knowing what she did about the man, there had to be a logical reason. It suddenly hit her that Jellico seemed to be highly against the Soul Fusion spell, and from the revelations she and Richard had discovered earlier, Kahlan was pretty sure it had to do with its association with the creation of confessors.

So the question remained: Why did Jellico hide this silver chalice? What was so special about it that warranted its concealment?

Turning it around in her hands, watching as the metal sparkled in the flickering firelight from the torches ensconced in the wall, Kahlan ran a finger along the small holes that had once held precious gems and jewels. Anger stirred in her gut, thinking how Jellico had probably spoiled this artifact by removing those precious stones. Yet, even without them, the chalice was still beautiful. The wizard was lucky he had been dead for three thousand years because Kahlan would most likely confess him out of vengeance for defacing such a beautiful artifact, not to mention the spell he had suggested in his journals for reversing the Soul Fusion spell

Desiring more light, Kahlan stepped away from the door and towards on of the iron cradles that held a torch. Raising it up to the light, Kahlan squinted at the etched words that she had felt earlier. Perhaps they held some clues that she could use to unravel the reason behind why Jellico had secreted the artifact away in that hidden compartment.

Running her finger over the engraved letters, much like she had when she had discovered the placard on the door that marked the room behind it as Jellico's office, Kahlan read off the words.

"Aqua et igni duas animas unum fieri," she read. The inscription was in one of the ancient languages used by the wizards, but thanks to her years of instruction here in the Wizard's Keep and at the Confessor's Palace, Kahlan was able to translate it to the common tongue. "With water and fire two souls can become one."

Kahlan's mind immediately started to jump with the possibilities. She vividly remembered listening to Richard recite off the details of the ritual involved in performing a true Soul Fusion. It had mentioned water and fire, and had specifically noted the Fire Springs as the location in which the ritual should be performed.

Eyes wild, Kahlan clutched the chalice to her breast and darted down the hall, looking for a source of water.

XXX

"So it might not have been Merrit who hid the chalice," Richard suggested, holding up the book and looking over the drawing again. "It could have been Jellico." He returned his attention to his grandfather as he placed the book back down on the table. "You've said it yourself; Jellico rejected a lot of things, and according to his journals, he even thought making the Sword of Truth was a dangerous thing."

"He was right about that, though," Zedd said with a grim expression and a nod of his head. "Such a sword should not be handled by just anyone."

Richard raised a surprised eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Zedd took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've never told you this before, Richard," he said in a serious voice. "But there have been many that have held the title of Seeker."

"Yes, I know," Richard gave a nod. "Remember Gryff gave me that book about the previous Seekers."

"Yes, I remember encountering Shota after that," Zedd nodded, shivering slightly. His hazel eyes glanced around, just in case the mere mention of her name would draw the witch woman out of the shadows.

Richard shuddered himself, remembering the prophecy Shota had revealed, the one that spoke of Kahlan betraying him. At the time they had believed that prophecy had referred to Kahlan leaving Richard, which had rendered him distracted and vulnerable, allowing him to be captured by the Mord'Sith Denna, who had introduced him to the touch of the agiel. Richard had almost succumbed to Denna's training, but it had been Kahlan's unspoken love for him—the love he had seen reflecting back at him in her brilliant blue eyes—that had saved him from that fate.

It was not until after Rahl had been defeated, and even after he had sealed the tear in the veil, that Richard had fully understood what betrayal Shota's prophecy had spoken of. Thinking back to those days, Richard glanced over his shoulder at the reclining couch and the sleeping child that was a product of that prophesied betrayal.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Zedd. "You were saying?"

"Yes, many Seekers," his grandfather inclined his head. "The book that young Gryff gave you had the stories of the Seekers, yes, but only of the Seekers who had been named so by a Wizard of the First Order." He paused for a breath. "There has been long stretches of time in which no Seeker was required, and sadly the Sword of Truth managed to pass between hands more easily than coin."

"How so?"

"If you had enough coin, and the right contacts within the Midlands Council, you could buy the title and sword," Zedd informed him. He huffed and scowled. "Toasted toads, boy! Why'd you think I absconded with the bloody thing in the first place?"

"I thought it was because of the prophecy about my birth," Richard said, a little baffled about all this.

Zedd shook his head. "I had taken the sword and left the Wizard's Keep long before I had heard of that prophecy," his grandfather asserted. "It was not until that blasted witch woman tried to steal the sword away that I learned of the prophecy of your birth."

"Shota tried to steal the Sword of Truth?" Richard laughed, finding the very idea amusing.

"Such a thing is not a laughing matter, Richard," Zedd looked at him with a grave expression. "As I said, the Sword of Truth can be a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. In such hands, such a weapon could cause great harm."

"And how did you know that my hands were the right hands to wield the Sword of Truth, then?" Richard inquired, thinking he had caught his grandfather.

Zedd gave him a smirk, informing him that he had guessed wrong. "You are a true Seeker, Richard," he said, his voice turning into the mentor and teacher. "The prophecy just spoke of you as the one two stop Darken Rahl, it did not call you the Seeker of Truth. It was not until you were about thirteen years old that I suspected you might be a true Seeker."

"Thirteen?" Richard narrowed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened when he was a young teenager. His brows creased and furrowed as he thought. "Billy Trinswald!"

His grandfather beamed wildly with pride. "Yes, my boy, Billy Trinswald!"

Richard let out a breath and shook his head. He had nearly forgotten the incident, yet now he remembered it vividly, as if it had happened yesterday. Billy Trinswald had been big for his age, and would bully the other kids, Richard included, when they attended the local schoolhouse in Hartland. Once, trying to make himself seem better than everyone else, Billy had told a blatantly obvious lie, yet no one was willing to call him on it. Well, no one, except for Richard, who had been small for his age.

When Richard called him on the lie, asking for him to produce the evidence, which Billy had claimed he possessed on his person, the bully had punched Richard until he was too tired to carry on. Billy had kept telling Richard that he would stop punching him if he stopped asking to see the proof, yet Richard had never backed down.

Chuckling, Richard shook his head. "Spirits, did I take a beating that day. Father was furious, and Michael kept asking me why I hadn't swung back."

"It's because deep down, in your heart, you knew that truth would win out," Zedd said with a grin.

Richard smirked. "Well, that and I managed to make Billy Trinswald look like a fool when he failed to produce said proof," he said. "Thinking back on that, I don't see how you could call it proof that I was a true Seeker."

"Oh, come on, my boy," Zedd shook his head. "Isn't it obvious! Never once did you relent in your search for the truth. You knew what was right, and you weren't going to give up just to stop Billy Trinswald from beating you up."

Richard gave a nod of his head. "I'd like to see him try that now," he harrumphed.

"Oh, he wouldn't dare to even oppose you now," Zedd winked. "Last time I saw him, he was quaking in fear when he wasn't able to obtain the turnips his wife had wanted him to bring home for supper."

Not wanting to wake Ashley or Sanya, Richard suppressed the loud laugh that wanted to come out. "I cannot believe you can remember such a minute details after so long," he said, grinning with amusement.

Zedd chuckled softly and wiggled his bushy eyebrows mischievously. "I wasn't named First Wizard for my good looks," his grandfather joked.

"Oh, I can believe that," Richard said, smirking.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I was quite the looker in my younger years," Zedd pointed a gnarled wrinkly finger at him. "I was quite charming and dashing. I could get any woman to eat out of my palm."

"Really?" Richard rolled his eyes.

"Come on!" Zedd groaned. "Remember when that vile witch woman turned me young again?"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about that again?" Richard asked, remembering the incident. It had been greatly annoying, yet at the same time amusing. If he hadn't left Kahlan behind in Aydindril after the screeling attack, Richard knew she would have found it just as amusing as he did. However, after the entire affair, Zedd had sworn him and Cara to secrecy. Zedd was so embarrassed that he had been so arrogant once his age and wisdom had been taken away.

"You know," huffed Zedd, looking agitated. "I think we got off topic."

"Yes, we did indeed," Richard concurred with a nod.

There was a sudden noise from behind them. Richard spun around quickly, worried that Ashley might have rolled off the reclining couch. But when his eyes landed on her, he found her sleeping safe and sound, still curled up in Zedd's orange and brown cloak.

"RICHARD!"

Hearing his name, and the voice that called it, Richard turned and looked up, seeing Kahlan standing in the doorway. He nearly gasped at her appearance. Her beautiful white dress was marred and torn, dirt and stringy bits of cobwebs clung to the fabric. Her hair was tousled and hung wildly about her head. And her brilliant blue eyes had a crazed look about them.

"Dear spirits!" Zedd gasped, pointing to her outstretched hand. "She had the Chalice!"

Richard darted his eyes over and saw it. Its beauty had not diminished, yet the jewels that had once adorned it had been removed.

"Kahlan?" he questioned, subconsciously clutching Sanya closer to him.

"Richard," her wild eyes found him again. "I've done it! I've discovered the way for us to be together forever!"

Spirits, even her voice was wild. She was fidgeting and looked unhinged. Swallowing past the terror that was seizing his throat, Richard shift Sanya in his arms and held up a hand to try and calm Kahlan.

"Kahlan," Richard called. "Give me the chalice."

"No!" Kahlan declared, stepping back. "It is the only way."

"Richard, be careful," Zedd warned, his eyes alert and ready. "She's filled the Chalice with water."

"And how is that bad?" Richard nearly snapped.

"Bags, my boy, I was trying to tell you when we got all off topic," Zedd huffed. "The Chalice of Azmith is no simple cup. It is the most ancient magical relic crafted by wizards. It has magical properties, properties that were endowed upon it by the very same wizards who used the Soul Fusion spell all those ages ago at the dawn of magic. Though we do not fully know why, the Wizard's Council would not have deemed this artifact dangerous three thousand years ago on a simple lark, even if it was just Jellico who thought so."

Richard nodded and turned back to the crazed Kahlan. "You heard him, Kahlan," he spoke cautiously. "Don't drink from it."

"Don't drink from it?" she almost laughed. Kahlan then straightened her back and her wild eyes locked with his. "I already have."