TITLE: Deception
AUTHOR: LOTSlove®
CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Cara / Zedd / Nicci / Original Characters
RATING: R / M
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
TIMELINE: Anything up through S2 season finale (Tears)
DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!
SUMMARY: Sequel to me fic Revelation, Richard and Kahlan fight to solidify the D'Haran Empire when a new threat rises threatening to destroy all that they have worked for.
Chapter 22
Caelinus paced back and forth in the large main room, his feet scuffing softly across the wooden floor, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His wiry graying hair stuck out here and there creating an air of insanity about him when in reality he was far from it. His mind was just as sharp as it had been years ago when he had been a young Wizard at the Keep in Aydindril.
He mumbled something to himself, his mind trying to work through what Zedd had just read to him. They had divided up into two teams, Zedd and Frederick plowing through one stack, Caelinus and Sister Deryn tackling the other.
Zedd had stumbled across something that had sparked a distant memory that seemed from a lifetime ago, something that Caelinus had shoved back into the dark recesses of his mind to be pulled out later if needed. Unfortunately, it was needed now, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Read that last part to me again," he finally said, pausing to look at Zedd.
"Which part was that?"
"That last part about a binding spell," he told him, his hands finding his bony hips as he waited.
Running his finger down the page, Zedd searched for the last part Caelinus wanted to hear again. "Hmmm…you know this would a lot easier if your handwriting wasn't so terrible," he grumbled. "It's difficult to decipher."
"My handwriting is just fine! It's your eyesight that is beginning to fail," Caelinus huffed in indignation. "Just find the last part again. There was something about a binding spell."
"Here it is," Zedd mumbled before clearing his throat to reread the passage. "I am curious about the extent a binding spell can be useful in healing. If a Wizard is able to bind a person in a Wizard's Web, then why can't a disease be bound in the body using the same concept?"
Caelinus stood tapping his bottom lip with his forefinger as he rolled the concept over in his mind. He vaguely remembered beginning to pursue that line of thinking, but had given up on all of it soon after losing Erilyn and being ostracized by the other wizards for his so called "wild theories" about magic and healing.
After several long moments, Zedd finally broke the silence. "Don't we already do this when we use our magic to heal?"
"Well, yes in a way we do, but not the way I was looking at it," Caelinus replied, scratching his head thoughtfully. "I was trying to expand on the concept, find a way to broaden it to encompass diseases afflicting the entire body if I remember right."
"How so?" Zedd asked, his white eyebrows knitting together as he attempted to follow his old friend's logic.
"Look at it this way. Let's say a wound gets infected," Caelinus began. "You use additive magic to pull the infection from the wound before you can heal it."
"Alright, but how does that apply in Frederick's case? Or even Michael's?"
"It won't…well, definitely not to Michael," the Wizard scowled. "That's the problem. Frederick's disease is in his blood which supplies every single part of the body. Trying to use magic to remove it is a losing battle. It's all over from head to toe. But if we could find a way to draw the disease all together into one place and then bind it in a Wizard's Web, we might be able to save him."
"I see what you're saying, but that's going to take some mighty powerful magic," Zedd shook his head. "You would not only have to draw out the disease itself from the entire body, but you'd also have to have the strength and magic still left to be able to go back and repair the damage the disease had already caused before it kills him."
"And that's the other problem," Caelinus said. "You'd also have to erect a protection shield around yourself at the same time to make sure that you didn't inadvertently draw the disease into yourself."
"Bags!" Zedd hissed. "It's impossible!"
Setting the journal down on the table, Zedd leaned back in his chair. He wearily rubbed his eyes. He was tired and frustrated and they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Every time they thought they had gotten somewhere, they found themselves running headlong into a wall, a wall that refused to budge.
Just then the door opened, Frederick and Sister Deryn bringing in the rest of their supplies. They had been replenished their food stock while in town just in case they ran into any trouble finding Caelinus.
"Do you mind if I use your kitchen to make some spice soup? I'm hungry and more than ready to eat a hot meal for a change," Deryn stated. "Besides, it's the least that I can do for you for helping us and allowing us to stay here."
"I think it's the best idea I've heard all day," Zedd lit up, rubbing his hands together with the thought. "I'm famished!"
"When aren't you famished, you old Wizard?" Caelinus rolled his eyes. "Help yourself, Sister. It'll be nice to eat someone else's cooking for a change. I'm afraid my cooking is nothing to really speak of."
"Well, spirits know you could stand to put more meat on those brittle bones of yours, Caelinus," Zedd huffed as he stood to his feet and stretched. "I've never seen a man look more frail in all my life."
"I'll have you know I'm in perfect health," the man objected, crossing his arms against his chest. "I could still take you on!"
Zedd chuckled as he reached into his pack to retrieve an apple to hold him over until dinner. "I highly doubt that," he scoffed. "You were never able to beat me at anything."
"I was too!" Caelinus scowled in indignation.
"Have you two bickering again?" Frederick asked, slipping his cloak off.
"Yes," both wizards replied in unison.
Frederick chuckled to himself, heading into the kitchen to see if he could help Deryn. He rubbed his forehead, fatigue threatening to take over again. He couldn't afford to have another spell like the one he'd had in town. Not now, not when they were growing close to finding what he so desperately needed.
"So tell me more about your theories with this binding spell," Zedd suggested as he picked up the journal again.
"I told you all that I can remember," Caelinus insisted. "If I remembered more, don't you think you would be the first one that I ran to tell?"
"Bags!" Zedd groused. "You move into the mountains and turn yourself into a hermit with no memory and no food to speak of! I'm going to be as scrawny as you are by the time I leave for home."
"Quit your complaining," Caelinus huffed, throwing his hands up into the air. "I don't remember ever inviting you to come here in the first place."
"Let's just keep looking," Zedd replied. "Maybe we'll come across more notes you jotted down about binding spells."
"I'm telling you a binding spell is not the answer," he heatedly said, plopping down in a chair beside Zedd. "We're going to have to come up with some other way to remove the blood disease."
Taking a bite of his apple, Zedd turned his attention back to the journal open before him. Things weren't going quite like he had hoped or expected, but he had to admit it was good to see his old friend again.
He had missed him deeply over the years, their sudden anger-filled parting after Erilyn's death more than painful. He had secretly carried that heated confrontation with him all of this time, burying it deep inside with hope that time would help erase the wounds.
Fortunately for them, it had. Now if they could only find the answers that they still so desperately needed.
XXX
Kahlan felt a tremble of dread ripple through her as she looked down at Sangria's extended hand, stunned by the sudden revelation. She'd had no idea that the mysterious woman who had been at the heart of their questions was the Ambassador's twin sister.
She numbly shook the woman's offered hand, her mind racing with questions not to mention fear for her family. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she finally said, forcing a small smile. They still didn't know if this woman was truly a threat yet or not. Seeing her here now, Kahlan had a terrible feeling that she was.
"The pleasure is all mine," Sangria replied with a smirk.
Kahlan felt a warm tingling sensation violently rip through her, her thoughts instantly becoming fuzzy. A wave of dizziness washed through her in that brief moment of contact, causing her to momentarily close her eyes. She felt paralyzed, unable to move or respond.
"I think it's time the Mother Confessor finally found out the real reason for our being here, don't you agree Sabinus?" Sangria pleasantly asked her brother, keeping her voice low.
"What do you want?" Kahlan murmured, her throat suddenly dry as she tried to make her mind work.
"Why your daughters, of course," Sangria informed her with a wicked gleam in her eyes as if their presence had been so obvious all along.
Sabinus suddenly grabbed hold of her other arm, releasing his magic into her as well. "I'm truly sorry to do this to you, Kahlan," he softly said, regret filling his voice.
Sabinus quickly released his hold on the Mother Confessor before she could even begin to think about releasing her magic into him. He turned and nodded to the three representatives from the Midlands were standing close by waiting for the signal to act.
Kahlan felt as if her knees were about to buckle, her body becoming boneless as she fought to catch her breath. "No, stay away from my babies," she cried, but it came out as nothing more than a hoarse whisper. She frantically searched the courtyard for any sign of Richard, anyone who could protect her daughters as she fought to find the ConDar that slept deep in her core.
Before anyone noticed what was happening, Sabinus grabbed Sangria's hand. Holding it tightly in his, they raised their joined hands, unleashing a powerful blast of magic that tore through the courtyard like violent blasts of lightning.
Guests shrieked in panic at the sudden attack, running in all directions as the ground suddenly split open right before their eyes creating a massive chasm down the middle. Stone began to crumble as the ground shook, walls collapsing and sending deadly shards of rock flying everywhere.
Frinhill and Gorrim were suddenly there, grabbing Paige and Priya. The four Mord'Sith assigned to the girls were thrown back with another powerful blast of magic that nearly leveled the entire courtyard. Kahlan remained frozen by magic as Holland leapt back up onto his feet, drawing his sword as he raced towards them.
From across the courtyard, Richard watched with mounting worry as the woman standing beside Sabinus Dorst lowered the hood of her cloak, revealing her straight silver hair. It was the woman who had been following Kahlan in the market place.
"It's that woman…from the market place," he heard Nicci gasp from behind him.
Before Richard could even make it half-way to Kahlan, Sangria and Sabinus suddenly joined hands, calling down powerful magic that immediately ripped through the area like a fierce tornado, knocking everyone off of their feet and creating mass chaos.
Grabbing his head, he felt the shockwaves of their combined magic rattle through him, vibrating in his chest as he gasped for breath, fighting to stay conscious. A thick haze of confusion gripped him as he attempted to stumble to his feet, fighting to keep his balance. Gary smoke and clouds of dirt and dust filled the air, cloaking the entire area in a shroud of chaos.
He lost sight of Kahlan and his daughters in the confusion as people frantically ran in every direction, trying to escape the sudden attack. Richard cried her name, but his voice was quickly swallowed up by the terrified screams of their guests as well as the rolling thunder that resounded in the air despite the clear blue sky above.
The stone floor beneath his feet began to tremble, collapsing as he tried to run towards the last spot that he had seen Kahlan and his daughters. A sudden powerful hand on his shoulder abruptly jerked him back just as a fissure split through the earth, the ground disappearing where he had just been.
He landed hard on his back in a heap, knocking the wind from his lungs. He quickly rolled over to find Garren lying on the ground beside him, panting hard.
"I have to get to Kahlan," Richard angrily hissed, ignoring the fact his friend had just saved his life. Kahlan's life and the lives of his twins were far more important to him at that point to think of anything else.
"Not that way you're not!" Garren shouted over the rumbling din, pointing in the direction that the Seeker had just been heading.
Turning, Richard's heart suddenly stopped, his blood turning to ice water in his veins as a shiver of dread raced through him. The entire courtyard had been completely split in two, a vast chasm keeping him from getting to his wife and daughters.
"Kahlan," he softly whispered in stunned horror as he leapt to his feet, racing towards the fissure.
Peering over the edge, Richard found nothing but a black bottomless hole in the earth. He quickly scanned the area for signs of his family, but the air was thick with dust and smoke, keeping him from catching even the slightest glimpse of Kahlan.
"You can't jump over it. You'll never clear it," Garren warned him, knowing exactly what the Seeker was thinking.
"Kahlan!" Richard screamed at the top of his lungs, desperation ballooning inside of him as he clenched his fists in helpless panic. "I have to get over there!"
The only sound that greeted him was the screams of people as they fought to find a way of escape, the cries of the injured and dying. Unfortunately with the way the walls had fallen about them and the ground had split open, their side of the courtyard had them completely trapped. It was as if they were on their own private island now with no way of escape.
Sweat began to trickle down Richard's face, leaving tracks in the dirt that was streaked across his face, tears threatening to form as fear pierced deep into his soul. His heart was like stampeding horses as panic began to devour him whole.
"I have to get to them!" he growled, horror of what was happening stealing his breath away.
"Garren! Richard!"
Both men spun on their heels at the sound of Nicci calling their names, Garren's heart leaping into his throat at the sight of the sorceress's arm wrapped securely around his wife, Cara bent over grabbing her belly. She was breathing hard, her face etched with obvious pain.
"No…" he gasped in shock at the site of his wife in labor. "No…not yet!"
Richard and Garren quickly raced to Cara's side, helping to guide her to an area clear of rubble and rock. They gently eased her to the ground, Garren settling in next to her.
"Cara, are you alright?" Garren asked, his hand coming to rest against her cheek.
"What do you think?" she snapped in irritation. "I'm in labor!"
"You can't…" Garren cried, turning his attention to Nicci kneeling before Cara's bent knees. "She can't!"
"Well, I am!" the Mord'Sith growled, clenching her teeth and grasping hold of her knees as she tried to ride out another contraction. "This baby is coming…now!"
"Can't you stop it?" Garren begged Nicci, his eyes wild with panic. "Make it stop!"
Ignoring him, Nicci used her magic to check on the baby. "I'm afraid this little one is coming now whether we like it or not."
"But…it's…too soon…" Cara panted, sweat breaking across her brow. "I can't lose my baby!"
"Look at me, Cara," Nicci firmly said, placing a calming hand over hers. "It's going to be alright. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that you and this baby are going to be alright."
Staring into the sorceress's eyes, Cara slowly nodded her head, a sense of calming tranquility drifting through her. Garren leaned in, kissing her temple as he took her hand in his.
"I'm right here, Cara," he gently told her. "We'll get through this together…I promise."
Standing behind Nicci, Richard tried to make sense of all of this, fought to make his mind work. He couldn't believe this was really happening. Cara was in premature labor, the courtyard destroyed and he had no idea where Kahlan and his daughters were or if they were even still alive. His entire world had literally just collapsed right before his very eyes, threatening to steal his life.
Terror trembled through him as blinding rage began to take control. His chest heaved as he seethed with the fury and anguish that inundated him, his need to find Kahlan and his daughters hardening like steel in his heart.
Racing to the edge of the gaping abyss again, Richard called out for Kahlan once more, desperate to find her. The air was still thick with dirt and debris, smoke concealing whatever was happening on the other side of the crevice. He didn't think he was going to survive another moment without finding his wife, his children. The only comfort he could possibly take in any of this was that Aiden was still asleep up in their suite.
The thought of having to live without Kahlan, having to raise their son alone nearly dropped him to his knees. He couldn't bear to think of a life without her, without his beautiful daughters. His family was his whole life, his everything.
The idea of never seeing his daughters again, of never seeing Kahlan in their little faces or being able to watch them grow up to be Confessors like their incredible mother caused tears to pool in his eyes. He couldn't stand to think of a future without his Kahlan, of a future that no longer included her. It was beyond comprehension, unimaginable.
But now, they could possibly be gone from his life forever.