Stargazer

Chapter 18

My Father, he ran Geldel in a way that he would benefit mostly from. Fame, fortune and power is what he cared about." He stood up from the black beach sand and held out his hand offering me help up as well. "Let's go get some food, I'm starving!" I took it while listening and was lifted to standing next to him.

He continued, "I knew the only way to make changes, is if I didn't let him know my plans." We began walking back to the cliff edge path.

"But if you didn't sign the last rites, what did you sign?"

"Oh, haha! It was blank" he rubbed his forehead in thought. "Only my two closest hands, who have served me my entire life, knew about the plan and switched the document before signing. No one must know yet. If the people of Geldel found out, they may not look up to me as their new king. There could be an uprising."

"Wow, I would've never guessed you'd have the guts to go behind the wishes of your Father like that!"

"Solé, what are you trying to say, that I look like a spineless jerk to you?" He poked my side in jest and I slapped him back, playfully. I suddenly grew sad and quiet in thought as we climbed. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I can’t believe I was about to believe the little info fed to me and kill you. Dru, I was about to end your life, without much care or remorse, either, just because a group of people told me to! And here you turn out to be a much different person than they thought, or told me, anyway. You could be the very key to ending war and saving lives between realms, and I can’t believe I almost ended that."

“But you didn’t," he stopped me from walking and turned me to look at him where I registered a caringness deep in his face. "And I don’t think you would have, even if you didn't feel that way at the time. It’s apparent you’re a better person than the rest of the guild for even questioning what you were told, instead of blindly following like everyone else."

It took me a second to register the kind things he said and realized the truth to them. Maybe I really was a better person than I had given myself credit for. I didn't have anything to say back, but my heart felt warmed and reflected as a smile on my lips back at him.

We continued walking up the sloping path as he continued talking, "And, if I can change the ways of the past, I would like to try, but traditions are very unchanging, I realize. That’s why I need to go back to Geledia. They are needing a leader right now. Everyone must be searching for me throughout the realm. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone ended up here just in case!”

I hadn't really thought about that. I realized I'd been so concerned about Assassin's Guild members finding us, that I hadn't thought of the teams of guards searching for their King, probably ready to start war in order to return him home safely.

"You're right," I responded. "We will need to come up with a plan and get out of here, soon. We can't go back to Geledia yet. I'm sure there are as many assassin's awaiting your return so they can end you as King's guards out searching elsewhere." He gulped and then nodded in understanding. "But maybe there's somewhere else safe we can go."

The smell of the food cooking over the fire greeted us as we got to the top of the cliff where the line of huts looked out at the sea.

We walked over to the largest fire by the biggest huts in the center again and greeted the now Chieftain, Griffith. Dru felt at ease enough to go sit by him on his blanket, but I realized he was a King, after all. It was easy to forget his royalty status when he was so easy to talk to.

I took a seat by Dru on the ground and greeted Griffith as well. I felt silly in my Assassin robes and no shoes as I left my leather shoes off and walked with them in hand. I realized now everyone else had brightly colored fabrics wrapped around their bodies making my tunic, which had once seemed a beautiful color of the sunset, now seem plain. But most others were barefoot or in sandals as well, making me feel more at ease.

"And how is my fainting friend feeling this evening," Griffith regarded me with a pleasant smile.

"I'm doing much better, still pretty confused, though I must admit. I had no idea magic existed. Now, here I am, and I supposedly carry it myself!” Griffith let out a pleasant laugh

“It must have been quite a shock for you.” He stood and pulled a skewer off the fire of what looked like some sort of blackened meat. After he took off a juicy piece, he passed it along to Dru and me. I didn’t ask what kind of meat it was, I didn’t care to know and it was delicious, anyhow. “You wouldn’t have known anything about magic at the Guild.” I fixed my attention to Griffith.

“Why not? If magic isn’t allowed in Sordova, wouldn’t they want the Assassin’s to know about it so they could enforce that rule? And I don’t understand why magic would be banned, anyhow,” I said, in between bites of the meat skewer.

“Ah, questions for the ages.” Griffith held up a bowl of grapes and pulled out a large vine, then passed them along as well. “For a very long time, longer than my own existence,” he continued. “Magic has been feared in Sordova. The power a person can hold cannot be controlled, thus, it is something to fear. There was a time, though, before the fear, that those with magic and those without, lived harmoniously. It is something worth dreaming about.”

“But, that’s not fair! It can’t be helped. It’s not like we chose to have it. And where are all the people that have magic? Are they all in Geldel, then?” I threw all my questions at Griffith, then realizing I could be a bit much.

“Well…” he thought as he popped the purple grapes in his mouth and Dru was busy doing the same. “People with magic are around, but it’s not safe to share. People go missing, you know. Even babies. If anyone gets a whiff of magic from someone then, ‘poof!’next thing you know, they’ve gone missing. The Assassin’s are the culprits, it’s said.” I listened in shock and horror at what was happening.

‘Even babies’ rang in my ears. I couldn’t believe the assassin’s Guild would have anything to do with it. But then again, I had only been part of it, for what, a day? How would I know what their usual quests were and what they were capable of? I thought of all the friendly faces at the Guild, and the ones I’ve revered almost as friends. I couldn’t believe they would do something like that in good conscience. But, there were always lies, I realized.

“If the guild keeps magic a secret, and they’re sending assassin’s out to get rid of people simply for that reason, there must be lies being fed to the Guild. I know some of them, they are good people that would never,” my eyes welled with tears as my voice caught and the tears fell down my face.

Dru put his arm around me and looked at me with concern in his eyes. He got me a cup of water and had me drink as I dried my tears. Griffith continued talking then, in an uplifting tone.

“But you see, don’t worry, Solé. Some of the villages have gotten pretty good at keeping secrets of their own!” Griffith held up his hands and they began to shake. Suddenly, balls of fire shot from the large fire in the center and engulfed his hands in flames.