Chapter 7
Just after breakfast Tyon came into the room with two guards behind him. He bent beckoned Balor, who was again on duty, to him and they conversed quietly by the door. After a brief discussion Balor handed Tyon a key and left the room. Tyon approached her cell with the guards at his heel.
"The King is ready to talk with you," he said. "If you wish a bath may be drawn and fresh cloths provided."
"No," she said proudly as she got to her feet. "I'll meet the King in the manner he has arranged by pulling me from the road."
"Very well," Tyon said unsurprised by her refusal. "We'll need to cuff you to take before the King. I did tell your name to the King and these guards as spelled for the time being with deafness Kimeara so your secret is safe for now."
Without acknowledging this Kimeara crossed and put her hands through the slot in the door to be shackled once again. Tyon wave a hand at one of the guards and once she was restrained they led her out of her cell and back up to the main hall. She'd only seen glimpses of it when they had arrived and now as they crossed through it on their wait to the King's throne room she was in awe of its beauty. Sculpted marble gleamed in the early morning light. Paintings and statues sat at even intervals down the length of the hall, each more beautiful. The last was a small painting depicting the Prince when he was a toddler in the arms of who could only be his late mother. They had the same sandy blonde hair and light eyes while the King had darker hair and eyes.
As they approached the throne room doors the pair of guard snapped to attention and asked what their purpose was.
"I'm escorting this traveler before the King for judgment," Tyon stated.
One of the guards knocked on the door and it opened a crack. He had a brief conversation with a guard within and then the King's voice rang forth, "Let them in."
With that the doors opened and they were admitted into the King's presence. Kimeara looked around the room and was surprised to find in comparatively empty. Beside those accompanying her there were only two other guards on the inside of the doors, the King, the Prince and a small old man in robes that could only be another mage. Once they were inside the two guards whom had been standing guard inside the room left and closed the door behind them.
When they were in front of the King Kimeara decided only to offer him a small bow and not kneel as custom dictated.
"You come before your King yet do not offer the courtesy of kneeling?" the small little mage said from beside the King.
Her eyes still on King Varian she answered the little man, "A bow alone is an enormous courtesy when one is brought before someone who's wronged them."
The little man was completely and utterly shocked and couldn't seem to form a coherent response. The King merely raised a single eyebrow at her statement before offering her a small nod in return. The Prince, standing next to his father looked pleasantly surprised that someone would talk of his father in such a manner. Turning to the Prince, Kimeara offered him a deeper bow.
"Greetings Prince Anduin," she said rising. "How fares your leg.?"
"Greetings Lady, my leg is much better thanks to your potions and attention," he replied offering her a bow in return. "I wish you had come to me, this all could have been avoided."
"Or Your Highness you could have shown you gratitude by leaving me alone. Trusting that by my actions to save your life that I meant you and yours no harm," she replied in gentle rebuke to his suggestion that this was only her fault.
Turning back to the King she kept silent and decided to let the next move in this little game be his. The King studied her for another moment then greeted Tyon like an old friend and they exchanged a few pleasantries with one another.
"This is Mandis a mage and alchemists," the King said pointing to the little man on his right. "I know you've met my son and I'm obviously King Varian."
"Sire," Kimeara responded in both acknowledgement of his introduction of the mage and to his statement of who he is.
"I would ask you lady if I may use your name in front of my son and Mandis? It would make things easier," he said.
With the cat among the chickens she didn't see how it could hurt for her name to be used now so she replied, "You have my permission Sire."
"Kimeara you're here for two reasons that we'll get to in a moment but first I wanted to thank you for the service you rendered to my arrant son," he said throwing a quick look at the boy. "Without you intervention he most likely would have died before other help could arrive."
"I would have done it for anyone I'd come across Sire," she replied. "As I told your son the best thinks you could offer would been to have left me alone."
"I do wish that I could grant you your desire but at this time it is not possible," the King said.
There was a pause in the room while they studied each other for any sign of the other backing down from their position.
"Kimeara I've an entire Kingdom to look after and sometimes that means that an individual's personal privacy must come second. If you had been a known adventurer we wouldn't be here. Put yourself in my position if you can. An unknown and obviously powerful magic user is traveling through your kingdom in disguise and then suddenly they save the life of your son and disappear. Then when you try to locate them they flee and when you tack them down on the road they attack your guards. What would you do in that situation?" he asked.
"Probably the same as you have done Sire, or just maybe I would have taken the fact that they saved my son to heart and decided that it was worth the risk to let them go on their way," she replied hotly.
See that this method was getting him nowhere they King decided on a different tactic and said plainly, "If you answer my questions truthfully you my leave."
"No," was her only response.
"I know from Tyon that your father and mother are dead, do you any other family," he pressed. "I suspect, from the description of your powers, that you are a Warlock. Is that what you are Kimeara?"
"What I am is no concern of yours Your Highness," she replied.
"How did you lose your family?" The King asked.
"My mother died in child birth and my father died twelve years ago," she said hoping that if she gave him a little information they'd not press for more.
"How did he die?" Mandis asked.
"Suddenly," she said in response. She did not want to go into the details of her father's death with these men.
"Kimeara why won't you tell us about how he died?" asked Tyon.
"Because it's none of your business Tyon. None of you knew him, none of you know me. Knowing my past is not a something you have a right too," she said.
"If you will not talk of your past will you tell us why you tried to run instead of seeing the Prince?" The King asked.
"I ran to live Your Highness," she said.
"What do you mean?" The King asked.
This time Kimeara remained silent. She couldn't trust them not to be in league with her enemies. Why had the wanted her to confirm that she was a Warlock? Did they suspect who she was and want confirmation before they handed her over or sold her out to her enemies?
"This will be more pleasant if you would just answer our questions Kimeara," the King said.
"I've giving you more that you have a right to Your Highness," she said. "You know more than almost all others and I'll say no more."
Kimeara met the King's eyes with her steady gaze. For the next twenty minutes he asked her question after question, even small stupid things like what was her favorite food, and she didn't give him a single answer. The King's patience began to wear thin. Tyon tried reasoning with her and telling her that if she trusted them they could help her, that they weren't her enemies and could be her allies. She kept her eyes locked with that those of the King like this was some silent war between the two of them.
"Enough," the King said ending Tyon latest assurance to her that all would be well if she just talked. "If she will not answer on her own there are ways of getting to the truth of her,"
"What do you mean My Liege?" Tyon asked.
"Since you arrived with her yesterday Mandis has been preparing a potion of Truthful Remembrance to use if need," the King said. "With it she will tell us what we wish to know of her past and will have no choice in the matter."
Fear ran through Kimeara's features for the first time and she looked quickly at Tyon who didn't appear to be happy about this.
"Sire I do not believe she is your enemy or means you harm, but if you force this on her that may very well change," Tyon said softly to the King.
"I'll ask you one last time to tell me who you are Kimeara," the King said drawing her gaze back to him. "I don't wish to do this but I will if you force my hand. I'm not your enemy but I do not know if I can trust you and I must know."
Steeling her resolve Kimeara thought about blasting the King with her powers but decided against it. That would surely lead to her death and she was still hoping to get out of this alive and free. She couldn't give into the King though; she would give up her secret.
She looked upon the king with disappointment clear in her face and fear in her eyes. Then she slowly shook her head.
"So be it," the King said sadly. "Mandis do it."
"Father perhaps…" The Prince began.
"Silence!" The King said.
The prince stepped back and didn't offer any more words. He looked at Kimeara and mouthed Sorry.
The little mage moved toward Kimeara and she tried to back away but her guards grabbed her and forced her to the ground. She kicked and struggled as much as she could but in the end they were too strong. Her gaze sought out that of Tyon and she said simply to him "You promised no harm mage. Is this how you keep your word?"
He looked away at her accusation and again quietly pleaded with the King to stop this but the King would not be moved from his course. Mandis knelt by her head and with a wicked gleam in his eyes; he forced the potion down her throat.
The potion hit Kimeara's system like a hammer. She could feel it as it moved through her body and forced its way into her mind to seek out her memories. The potion almost seemed to have a mind of its own because once it had her memories it thrust her aside so she was almost looking in on herself from a third party view, yet at the same time she was experiencing everything first hand.
Against her own will she started reciting her most recent memories to the room around her. She couldn't stop it and as each memory came up she could feel the emotions that went with them like they had felt the first time. She realized that she was telling them of what happened in this very room but from her perspective.
"Tell us about how you saved the Prince", a voice said cutting through her monologue and guiding her in the direction it wanted her to go.
She found herself telling them all about how she was gathering in the woods for herb and how Calthix had been with her. She explained how they had found out about the Prince's situation and described the battle in such great detail that she could fell the ebb and flow of the spells she cast and felt the pain once again of the spear slicing her arm.
"Something's wrong," a voice said in the room.
"What?" another voice asked, she thought the second voice had belonged to the King.
"She's clutching her arm as if in pain and grimacing," the first voice, Tyon maybe, said.
"She was injured when rescuing me," a third younger voice said.
"What does it mean?" The second voice asked agan.
"It means that if we have her recount things that cause her physical or emotional pain she is going to relive them as if for the first time," the first voice said again.
While there conversation was going on she continued with her recollections of how she saved the Prince. She couldn't stop herself if she'd wanted to.
"Mandis," the first voice broke in again. "Did you bind the potion to separate her consciousness from her memory?"
"No," a little wheezy voice said.
"You idiot, that's why this is going wrong! Get out of here before I fry you!" The first voice yelled.
She was aware of someone leaving the room but simply finished her recounting and waited for them to ask her about what they wanted to know next.
"What can we do?" The second voice asked.
"Nothing," the first voice said in frustration. "The spell was keyed to make her tell us about the past she is hiding. Until we ask her to tell us she'll be stuck in this state."
"Then do it and may the gods forgive us," the second voice said.
"Better prey she forgives us," the third younger voice quipped.
"Kimeara," the first voice said softly. "Tell us your full name"
"Kimeara Annaka StarKoff," she heard herself say.
"Kimeara tell us about the past that you keep hidden from us," the second voice ordered.
So she told them about the night her father had died. It was worse that when she dreamed of it. For the entire time she was once again her twelve years old self and all the pain buried deep over time came rushing back to the surface. Her mental barriers couldn't block the pain or the anguish from hitting her and she started crying. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing if she wanted to.
She told them everything leaving nothing out, she cried for almost the entire time as she once again had to relive the horrors of her past. The more she told them the more she could feel the spells grip loosening on her. Unfortunately as the spell loosened the emotions and pains intensified and her hands once again felt like they were still gripping the beam and she felt them burn. She cried out in pain and clutched her hands to her chest, which was something she hadn't done that night. She felt someone's hands on her trying to sooth her but they offered no solace because she was lost in the darkness of her own past and right then she hated them more than she hated her enemies.
When they spell finally ran its course the last thing she had described to them was her time training in the woods with Calthix. When awareness to her surroundings returned to her she lashed out at everyone in the room with her mind, blasting them back away from her. She stuck out like a wounded animal trying to get it's tormenters to go away. Then she scuttled over into a corner and took out the metal pin she'd pried from her cot.
Quickly she drew a summoning circle on the ground and without any conscious thought scribed the inside with runes. She could see the other people starting to regain their sense and was vaguely aware of alarms going off. She drew as quickly as she could, absorbed in the task to the exclusion of all other concerns. Finishing she looked down at what she'd drew she saw a name appear out of the runes and she shouted out "Gorthen" while slapping her hand down on the symbols.
A great power surged from her and within the circle deep impenetrable shadows formed and slowly took on shape. A giant beast made entirely of shadow glided from the void. It was huge and completely blocked the rest of the room from view. She heard the door to the throne room bang open and heard people rush in. Calthix had told her about voidwalkers but this one was even larger that the norm. As it gained its full form, which was about seven feet tall, armor appeared on its shoulders, chest and back.
I am here Mistress; she heard an echoing voice say in her mind.
Who are you? She asked it inside her mind.
I am Gorthen a Void Lord and I'm here to serve you Mistress; it answered.
She couldn't keep her composure anymore so she curled up into a ball and shook while cried like she hadn't cried since she was a child. She tried to bring herself under control but the potion seemed to have stripped everything but the pain away. She couldn't restrain her emotions like she normally could and she couldn't concentrate enough to use her breathing techniques.
The King regained his feet and was shouting for order while Tyon pled for everyone to stand down. Two guards rushed Gorthen with swords drawn and he batted them away like flies, never moving from his position in front of her. The guards hit the far wall and slumped down at the base stunned. A moment later a mage cast a bolt of energy at Gorthen and while it struck it did no apparent damage. Power seemed to flow from Gorthen to envelop the mage who screamed and ran from the room.
"Everyone HALT!," King Varian's voice boomed across the room and all movement except Kimeara's sobs stopped.
"Demon we mean your Mistress no harm," the voice of Tyon broke the silence bravely stepping forward.
Gorthen looked over at Tyon and seemed to communicate with him. When Tyon replied you could almost hear the question the demon had asked.
"No we didn't mean for the spell to cause her pain. It was improperly made and while we realized it near the start the only way to cure her of the potion was for it to complete its purpose" Tyon said.
…
"I know we had no right but she refused to speak of her past and the King made the decision he felt was needed," he said.
…
"No, given what she said about what she went through I wouldn't have talked about it either," he admitted. "May I approach her to see if she is alright?"
…
"Very well, we'll stay back for now," he said.
"What did the demon say," King Varian asked.
"He doesn't trust us and will not let us approach until his Mistress is well," Tyon replied.
"How will she be well if we cannot tend her?" The Prince asked from behind the King.
"We must give her time, she had to relive a pain most cannot fathom" the King said his voice full of sorrow.
A new man entered the room and looked over the situation. Kimeara felt a power from him similar to her own and that was enough to shock her into control of her emotions and body once more. Sniffling and wiping at her eyes she peaked around Gorthen at the new comer.
The new comer was a man in his late mid-years with more wrinkles than a raisin and brown hair. More telling to Kimeara, an imp rode on the man's shoulder. When he looked over at her she saw only compassion in his face. Then he turned to face the front of the room where Tyon, the Prince and the king stood behind a line of guards.
"Sire," he said offering the King a deep bow.
"Sandahl," the King said in greeting.
"We felt the power of the summoning across the city and I came to help," Sandahl said.
"Do you know this woman?" The King asked with gesture to Kimeara who still hid behind Gorthen.
"No but she looks familiar," Sandahl said scratching his head.
He nodded to his imp and the imp flew and tried to get closer to Kimeara but Gorthen blocked all attempts to reach her. When it became clear that it wouldn't reach her the imp returned to its master mumbling things about "stupid mute beast" under its breath. Sandahl met the gaze of Gorthen and then nodded.
"It's highly protective of her right now. He will not allow us past," the King said.
"So he just told me," Sandahl said. "His name is Gorthen by the way. How did this come about?"
"She was forced to relive her worst memories with a potion that was not properly brewed," Tyon said. "It stripped away all her mental and emotional defenses and she had to experience every physical, mental and emotional pain like it was fresh all over again."
"Where's the idiot that screwed up that badly," Sandahl said with red lighting sparking from his eyes.
"He's been dismissed and will be dealt with," the King said.
"You should have come to us in the first place Sire," Sandahl said to the King.
"Remember who answers to whom here Warlock," the King said with steel in his voice.
"We didn't do this injustice to the girl," Sandahl said meeting the King's glare with one of his own.
The King actually had the good manners to look ashamed. The Warlock was right an injustice had been done. Now all the remained to be seen was how much damage was done along with it.
"We cannot undo what has been done," the King said. "We were going to call you when the spell ended since then we knew for sure that she was a Warlock; but before we could she blasted us all to the ground and summoned Gorthen."
"How did you know she was a Warlock?" Sandahl asked them.
"We suspected it from the descriptions of her rescue of the Prince and the magic she used when trying to flee. Then she spoke of being trained in the woods by an imp named Calthix before the spell ended," Tyon said.
"What! What name did you say?" Sandahl said grabbing Tyon.
Tyon and the King were stunned by Sandahl's reaction and couldn't seem to find their word. For the first time Kimeara spoke up.
"Calthix," she said breaking her silence and drawing the eye of everyone in the room. She slowly stood behind Gorthen.
Sandahl let go of Tyon and turned to face her, bewilderment on his face. He slowly approached her with his hands out at his side. When he was about five feet from Gorthen he stopped and looked intently at her face. He studied her for a long time and slowly bewilderment turned to shock, disbelief and wonder.
"Have the guards heard anything about her past or her name?" he asked the King without looking at him. Kimeara could see the wheels spinning in his mind.
"No Sandahl they arrived after the spell ended," the King answered.
"We need to clear the room now," Sandahl said.
"Leave all of you," the King ordered.
Quickly the guards and mages who flooded the room all left, leaving only the two original guards still under the spell of deafness behind with them. On a word from the King, Prince Anduin also left the room to attend his studies. Once the Prince had gone through the doors they were closed, sealing them all in with each other.
Weariness pulled at Kimeara and as much as she would like to stay on her feel she sunk down sitting with her back against the wall. The edges of her vision dimmed a little and she could feel the pull of unconsciousness but knew she couldn't give in.
Sandahl went down to one knee so he wasn't standing over her and said softly, "Kimeara? Kimeara StarKoff?"
Kimeara drew back terrified once again. Someone knew her name without being told, he must be one of her enemies or one of their agents. With her fears fresh in her mind and her thoughts scattered she acted without thinking.
Attack, she silently commanded Gorthen.
The Void Lord started toward Sandahl who leaped back with a grace that belied his age.
"No one move! Do nothing!" he yelled to the others and continued to back away from Gorthen. The Void Lord followed him with an air of such determination that no one doubted the outcome should Sandahl fall into his grasp.
"Kimeara, please call Gorthen off. I mean you no harm," he said calmly while continuing to elude the Void Lord.
"Liar, only my enemies know my name. Everyone else who did is dead or just found out while you were not in the room," she said.
"Please let me explain," he said. "I'll make no move toward you nor will anyone else, just have Gorthen stand down.
Can I trust him? She asked Gorthen mentally.
He hasn't used a spell on me or attacked you My Mistress. With his power he could dismiss me if he chose to yet doesn't, Gorthen replied.
"Gorthen return to me," she said out loud and Gorthen drifted back to her side.
"Now what is the meaning of this?" The King demanded.
"I know who this young woman is my lord and more importantly I knew her parents," Sandahl said drawing a shocked gasp from Kimeara.
"Your father was Liam Star and your mother was Alanna Koff. Am I right Kimeara?" He said.
"Yes, how did you know?" She asked.
"I had the pleasure of teaching you mother when she was about the age you are now," he said. "Also I advised your father on how to hide after you were found out by calling Clathix when you were five."
"You've been summoning demons since you were five?" Tyon asked her.
Kimeara shrugged in response. Couldn't every Warlock? She thought.
"This still doesn't prove that you are not my enemy," she said coldly to Sandahl.
"If you don't believe me summon Calthix and he'll vouch for me," Sandahl said.
"How do you know his name?" Kimeara demanded.
"He used to be your mothers familiar," he answered.
"Does that happen often?" the King asked.
"No, it almost never happens that two people within a generation of another would have the same demon," Tyon said.
"Tyon is correct. As you know Alanna died in childbirth, but what you don't know is that Calthix was with her and she asked him to protect her child if the child was born a Warlock," Sandahl said.
"So he waited and watched until she first drew on her power so he could be the first demon to respond and thus fulfill his promise to his last Mistress," Tyon said as much as asked.
"Correct," Sandahl said.
"This could still be a trick," Kimeara said and then added with more fire than she had. "I'll go along with it for now but if any of you make one move I'll blast you again."
"We shall take no action lady," the King said his word his bond.
Gorthen I dismiss you, she said in her thoughts.
By your command Mistress I depart, he replied and vanished.
"Are they always so formal?" She asked Sandahl.
"Yes, Void Lord's more so than most," he said with a slight smile.
Crouching down Kimeara once again drew a summoning circle on the floor and this time was careful to etch the symbols for Calthix not Gorthen. She found that the pattern for Gorthen was newly embedded in her mind and she knew she'd never forget it. When she was done she stood and lit the outer ring of the circle with green fire. It was getting harder to maintain control of her magic, she was reaching her limits and her power fluctuated while she tried pull on it. She summoned her last bit of control and she grabbed her power and called out "Calthix I summon you!"
Calthix appeared quickly in a ball of flame and as soon as he took in his surrounding he launched himself at Sandahl and clawed the man's cheek before anyone could react. Then Sandahl's imp tackled Calthix and the imp fight was on. Kimeara rushed forward and tried to pull the two apart but it didn't work. She stepped back with her limbs trembling and sharing a look with Sandahl they both said "I command you to stop" at the same time. Instantly both imps stopped fighting and returned to their respective masters. Calthix had a few cuts on him but the other imp had a broken wing and one eye was gouged. Sandahl healed the imp with a spell. Kimeara would have healed Calthix but she had nothing left to give. Summoning him had taken the last of her magical energies and she could barely keep her feet.
"Calthix what was that about?" Kimeara asked.
"He is the reason you father is dead Little Mistress," he said vehemently.
She looked over at Sandahl's face and saw guilt there along with the blood.
"Explain," she simply said.
"He was supposed to take care of those pursuing you and your father. Your father wanted to settle down and give you a more normal life than a life on the run. We contacted Sandahl here and he said he'd take care of it. Whatever he did it didn't work because they found us," he said bitterly flames shooting from his hands to the floor.
"Is this true?" She asked Sandahl.
"Yes. I did everything short of killing them to stop them, but I failed," he replied.
"Why didn't you kill them? Were their lives worth more than mine or my fathers?" She asked.
"No! I had orders not to kill them from their superiors who are the King's allies and are force for good in the world. The men who are responsible for the death of your' farther used to be with the Argent Dawn and their superiors needed them to fight the Scourge so I was ordered not to kill them or it would mean war between the Dawn and all Warlocks," he said.
"Are they still with the Dawn?" The King asked.
"No they split off and joined the Scarlet Crusade, which holds more to their hate filled ideals," Sandahl said.
"Calthix were you my mother's imp? Did Sandahl teach her?" Kimeara asked.
"Yes, to both Little Mistress," he replied.
With that confirmation her shattered mind and torn soul couldn't take anymore. The agony of the potion, the drain of her spell casting and the staggering revelations that followed all caught up with her. She pitched forward and collapsed to the ground. The last thing she felt and heard were strong hands lifting her up and Tyon saying "I've got her let's get her to bed" before she completely blacked out.