The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

and give descriptions of some things that hadhappened over the past thousand years or so of history, inparticular the war with Balinthor and the destruction that hadcreated the Gulf of Garulon. Lyralliantha was patient throughout mylecture, stopping me at times to ask pertinent questions or getextra details when she needed them. She never asked me to repeatanything, and it was quickly apparent that her sharp mind retainedeverything she heard. In her eyes I could see her thoughts moving,and I suspected she had insights into some of the events I relatedthat were unknown to me.

“After examining you, I realized thatthe only way to remove Thillmarius’ spell-weaving so that I couldrelease you from the stasis enchantment was to sacrifice myselfbefore completing my other goals, but I felt you were the only hopefor stopping Mal’goroth,” I said, finishing my summary.

“And yet you are angry with me forrecreating the magic that keeps you from passing over,” sheobserved. “Your goals and emotions are not entirely in agreementwith each other.”

I sighed, “The hope of ending myunfortunate condition was a relief to me. I’m ready to lay myburden down. I have little left to contribute to my family, asidefrom pain.”

“Your family?”

The expression on her face bespoke acombination of humor and sadness. I knew she hadn’t forgotten myrecent summary, so her question made little sense. “Considering thegeas you’ve already put upon me, I am beginning to suspect you havelittle sympathy with my situation.”

A silent shiver ran through her body,and her face contorted in sudden pain. After a few seconds whateverhad caused her discomfort passed and she relaxed, unclenching herfists. “I have more sympathy for your people than you realize, andhaving heard your tale I understand that I owe Mordecai Illenieland his family a considerable debt.”

Although her body languagewas odd, it was her words that concerned me more, “What do youmean his family?”

Her body stiffened for a moment beforeshe answered, “You told me you were unable to enter this dwellingthrough the normal doorway, because of its magical protections. Youwere able to do so before your change, yet now it no longerrecognizes you. Have you considered the implications ofthat?”

I watched her carefully. She appearedto be experiencing some sort of cramps. “I assumed that mytransformation had made me unrecognizable to the identityenchantments,” I replied. After a second I added, “Are youalright?”

“Not really,” she answered, “but thisis to be expected. I will need to return to stasis soon. Will yoube able to recreate the enchantment?”

“If required, of course I can. What’swrong with you? We still need your help with Mal’goroth, or atleast your knowledge. I won’t restore the enchantment until you atleast tell me how to control him,” I insisted.

“You are arrogant, but you will doexactly as I command,” she shot back with a spark of anger in hereye. “You will receive the knowledge you desire only after myorders are completed and I am reunited with my Kianthi. Only thenwill we help you to stop Mal’goroth.”

As she spoke, I noticed somethingstrange about her feet, her toenails seemed too long, or perhaps itwas the toes themselves. She closed her eyes, and her fingers movedin delicate circles, forming something from her magic that had theappearance of a small green bird. When she had finished it flewaround her twice before darting away in the direction of the opendoor to the chamber. Once it was gone she began climbing back intothe stone sarcophagus.

“What was that?”

“Just a bit of magic to tell myKianthi where I am, one way or another we will be reunited,” shesaid simply. She arranged herself comfortably in the same positionshe had been when I first found her.

Her husband, my most distant ancestorand the first human wizard to bear the name Illeniel, couldn’tpossibly travel. Thanks to her earlier command, I had seen hisfate. Sometime after he had placed her in the original stasis, hehad transformed himself into one of her race and soon after that hehad found an isolated place to take root. He was a tree now,assuming nothing had happened to him in the two thousand yearssince.

“Trees can’t move,” I toldher.

“Then you must take me tohim,” she stated, “Otherwise he will send the Kriteck to find me.”

The word brought forth another set ofrecollections. The Kriteck were the guardians, soldiers, andwarriors of the She’Har. Unlike their normal children, born of themother-trees, the Kriteck were created as needed by thefather-trees. They were unable to take root or reproduce themselvesand their lifespans were limited to a period of only two or threemonths. “But only a father-tree could… Oh!” I answered in my mostintelligent fashion.

My ancestorwas a father-tree now,even though he had originally been human.

“After you have restored the stasisenchantment, you will use your best judgment to get me to where hehas taken root. Do not let the Kriteck have me unless you havespoken with him. Once you have, you will treat his words like myown. Obey him utterly. You will make this your first priority,taking precedence over your other plans. You will not remove thestasis from me again until I am near him. Once he and I arereunited you will be free from my service.” Her words felt like astraightjacket settling around me, and I knew I could not disobeythem. Reaching out, her hand produced another tiny object, a smallgreen stone. As far as I could tell it had been made purely frommagic alone.

She continued, “This will destroy thespell-weaving that binds Mordecai Illeniel to this world. It willalso unmake you, giving you the death you desire. You may use itonly after my first commands have been fulfilled. You may not shareit or reveal its existence to anyone else until those commands havebeen satisfied, nor may you find any other means to circumvent thespirit of my orders. Do you understand?”

I wanted to scream ather, No, I don’t understand a damnthing, but unfortunately her true questionhad been whether I understood her orders. “Yes, I understand,” thewords issued from me without my volition. After my answer my voicewas my own again, so I spoke quickly before she could command me toremake the stasis enchantment.

“Wait, I still don’t understand what’swrong