Suddenly, Jace seized Lannon's tunic in one huge hand and pushed him against the wall. "Quiet and listen," he whispered, his eyes gleaming down at the boy. "We should consult with the Divine Essence."
"What?" Lannon gasped, wondering if Jace was joking or insane. The giant sorcerer seemed suddenly menacing to Lannon. "That nearly got me thrown out of the kingdom the last time I tried it, and a Squire died down there. No one but the Lord Knight is allowed to speak to the Divine Essence!"
Jace shrugged. "Being a Knight isn't everything. In fact, I'm rather glad I'm done with the whole affair. Too rigid, with those Sacred Laws and all. I value my freedom, and so should you. Anyway, we have to break a few rules if we want to get anywhere."
Two Blue Knights stepped into the room, hands on sword hilts. They gazed at Jace with suspicion. "Is there trouble here?" one of them asked Lannon. "Speak truthfully, Squire!"
Jace released Lannon and backed away, smiling. "The boy is fine. We were just having a heated discussion. Agreed, Lannon?"
Lannon hesitated, then nodded. "Everything is okay."
The Blue Knights glanced at each other. They were lean men with sullen eyes. One of them was a Birlote. Lannon had seen them many times in the East Tower, but had never spoken to them. "Why did the sorcerer have his hands on you?" one of them asked.
"As I said, it was a heated conversation," Jace replied. "Right, Lannon?"
Lannon gave a slight nod. "He wasn't attacking me."
The Blue Knights continued to stand there watching them.
"I need to get settled in," said Jace. He learned toward Lannon and said quietly, "Tomorrow we shall act. Be prepared."
With that, Jace bowed to the Blue Knights and strode from the room. Lannon stared after him in disbelief. He wondered if the High Council members of Dremlock knew what kind of man they had hired, for Jace seemed to have lost his wits at some point in his excessively long life. It was their first brief meeting, and Jace was already suggesting the unthinkable.
Chapter 4: Altar of Blood
The next day, Lannon couldn't find Jace. He wandered around the kingdom asking about him, while two Blue Knights followed along. They were content to trail after him everywhere in silence. In fact, they didn't say a word to him the entire day. Lannon was grateful he was being guarded, but it also made him feel odd and drew many stares. But Lannon was determined to try to talk Jace out of his plan to visit the Divine Essence. However, no one seemed to know where Jace could be found. It was as if the former Knight had simply vanished from Dremlock.
Lannon searched all day long until the evening shadows grew thick, walking from tower to tower, and then finally he gave up and returned to his room, with the two Knights standing guard outside of his door. It had been a slow, boring day. Lannon sat on the bed and sighed. He missed his routine, his training, and he felt detached from everyone in the kingdom. He wondered if he would ever be allowed to go back to his lessons. He was caught somewhere in between being a Squire and a Knight. He didn’t have the experience or status to command respect, but his skills were so valuable to the kingdom he couldn’t function as a true Squire either.
Lannon hoped that wherever Jace was lurking, he'd gathered some information about the demon man's gauntlet. Vellera had tried to kill Lannon once already, so Lannon assumed he would try again at some point-and Lannon doubted the pair of Blue Knight guards could stop him. He felt the only thing that could protect him was the Eye of Divinity (though the fact that it had failed him during the last encounter with Vellera did nothing to shore up his confidence).
He noticed a folded piece of paper on the bed next to him. He hesitated, dreading the words it might contain. Then he read it.
Lannon,
When you hear me talking loudly outside your door, put some clothes under your quilt and make it look like you’re sleeping. Then, leave your room (you will find that I have distracted the guards and led them away) and meet me on the trail, in the woods, that leads to the Temple. When the guards return to check on you, they will think you’re asleep under the covers. Good plan, don’t you agree? Of course you agree! Now listen for my voice.
Jace the Wanderer
Lannon groaned. It was hardly a good plan. Would the Knights really be stupid enough to think a pile of clothes under a quilt was a person? Lannon wasn’t sure about this Jace fellow at all. Aside from being a good writer, Jace seemed to have few respectable qualities. He'd been thrown out of Dremlock, and although cheerful in personality, he was a bit odd-perhaps even insane. But Lannon had not forgotten Furlus' words-that he should take the fight to his foes if he hoped to survive. Hiding out in his room would not save him. He needed to take action.
Moments later, Lannon heard loud conversation outside his door. Reluctantly, he stuffed clothes under the quilt. Vorden and Timlin-the only Squires who shared a room with him-were asleep, but Lannon accidentally knocked a book off a stand while he was arranging the bed and woke Vorden up.
"What are you doing?" said Vorden, yawning.
Lannon motioned for him to be quiet, and Vorden gave him a knowing look. "Good luck with whatever you're planning," Vorden whispered. "Need any help?"
"Not this time," Lannon whispered back. He would have welcomed the company, but he didn't want any of his friends to get in trouble.
Lannon entered the hallway. As Jace had predicated, the guards were nowhere in sight. Lannon hurried downstairs and left the keep. The East Tower usually appeared unguarded, but Lannon knew that hidden spies were watching. However, he was not restricted to the tower, so he wasn't breaking any rules. At least not yet.
The night was very dark, aside from a scattering of stars in the heavens. Lannon had no light source, and when he entered the forest of Knightwood, he was moving along almost blindly. He knew he shouldn't be stumbling along in darkness when he possessed the Eye of Divinity, but the fear of using it gnawed at him and so he left his power buried. He was also terrified that the demon man might be lurking in the woods, waiting to ambush him.
Lannon had left the relative safety of the East Tower and exposed himself to attack because he knew he needed to do anything but hide in his room and wait to be assassinated. Yet he still felt like a huge fool.
As usual, wolves howled in the woods. A shadow momentarily blocked out the stars above-some large winged creature soaring above the forest. Knightwood held a powerful, ancient feel that was both captivating and fear inspiring. It seemed that anything could happen in that forest. The pines were enormous, with trunks as wide as cabins, their huge, knotted roots making the trail uneven.
In spite of his fur cloak, Lannon shivered in the chill spring air. He tripped over a root and skinned his knee, and in his anger and frustration, he nearly summoned the Eye of Divinity. But then he noticed torchlight drawing closer from the way he'd just come. He hoped it wasn't the guards.
It was Jace. "Ah, there you are," said Jace. The tall sorcerer was breathing hard. "I told you I would distract the guards. And I've managed to catch up to you as well. Not bad for an old man, wouldn't you say?"
Lannon shrugged. Jace didn't look like an old man. "I'm just thinking this plan isn't wise, considering what happened last time I tried this."
Jace waved dismissively. "I know the story. The Divine Essence gave you knowledge, so the venture was actually a shining success. And we need knowledge now-so very desperately, my friend. I believe if we sneak down there, the Divine Essence will speak to you again and tell us how to proceed. I think it would love to converse with you. It's silly that you cannot visit Dremlock's god. This kingdom secures its own doom with its foolish laws. But we will ignore those laws tonight and good things will come of it."