The Prophecy Chapter Twelve

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Chapter Twelve: Kane

Kris and Lothiniel had left Drearwood and went in search of the warrior-Mage Kane. Kris hoped to be able to learn from the Kane and fill in the blanks in the training his father, Joich, had given him.

"Do you have any idea where we can find find this Kane?" Lothiniel asked.

"Not really," Kris replied. "The last place I saw him was Griffin Keep, but that was fifteen years ago. I do not think that he would use the site of Dantor's fortress for his lair, but we may find some clue to his whereabouts there. After that, we can search Gron, and then we can go to the Black Hills, if we still have not found any leads. Isarak may know where to find him. Or we could find a clue in the town of Fleeds on the way there, since I know Dantor and my father had a secondary lair in Fleeds."

"Do you have any idea where we have may have been in the past fifteen years?"

"I believe he has been on Arda, but that was over thirty years ago, their time, and five years ago on this world. So, that could have been in the last fifteen years, or he could have gotten around the time distortion, which, by the way, I would still like to know who could create a time distortion?"

"The Mage of Time can," Lothiniel replied. "I mean, either one of them could have, although I don't know what motive they would have."

"Just how much to you know about this other Circle of Mages?" Kris asked.

"You mean the Dark Circle. I have worked with them. Leareth is one of them. He calls himself the Mage of Memory, and he can take people's memories away and give them false ones."

"That must come in handy. My father and Dantor used to do something similar, but I think they used a spell. They did that to . . . someone I once considered a friend." Kris thought for a moment. "I wonder if Intathin did that. It would certainly explain Calyna's story."

"Do we have to talk about Calyna? I thought you had finally left her behind, like you told me you were going to do a few years ago."

"I never told you that I planned to leave Calyna."

"Not exactly, but you did leave her. You went along with the plan, which included lying to her about what you were really doing."

"Can we talk about this later?"

"I guess. Or we can not talk about it at all."

They did not bring up those subjects again on their journey. This was the first time Lothiniel had been on Mithgar, so Kris told her a little about the places they passed in their travels, and about some of the history of Mithgar, as he had learned it from the Elves. She pointed out that he was telling the history as it went against their side, but he said that he was also telling the history of her people.

After a couple days of traveling they reached the town of Beacondell, and checked went to the inn. In the common room they bought meals, and then Kris went to speak to the innkeeper.

"I would like a room for a couple of nights," he said.

"Okay. I think we can accommodate you."

"There is a room on the second floor that I am particularly interested in. It is the room at the end of the hall on the left. My father used to use that room for his business, and I would like to use it if it is vacant."

"Yes, that room is currently vacant. Not many people like to rent it, because there are rumors about it being haunted. Supposedly a young woman was murdered in that room by her ex-lover, and she haunts the room as a way of avenging him."

"Interesting legend, if it's true," Kris said. He took the keys to the room, and returned to Lothiniel. "I got us a room for a couple nights. We might be able to find a clue here."

"What kind of clue?" Lothiniel asked. "This wasn't one the places you mentioned that Kane might have been."

"My father and Dantor had a base here. I'll tell you more when we're in the room."

After they had finished eating, and had a couple of drinks, they went upstairs to their room, which was at the end of the hall of the left. Kris unlocked the door and held it open for Lothiniel. When they both in the room, he closed the door behind him and locked it. He pulled out the desk chair and sat down, and Lothiniel sat down the bed. "What did you expect to find here?" she asked.

"This was one of the main lairs of Dantor, and I think it was the one my father spent the most time at. Their lair is actually in the cellar of the inn, but the innkeeper doesn't know there is a cellar. See, they had a secret entrance, which is concealed in this room. This room only rents out when the inn is extra busy, because my father spread a rumor about it being haunted. If I understand the story behind this supposed haunting, the ghost is my mother, who was killed in this room."

"Was that the point of coming here. You wanted to see your mother's ghost."

"No." Kris stood up and walked over to a rug between the door and the bed. He lifted the rug, revealing a trapdoor in the floor. Then, he opened the trapdoor, revealing a flight of stairs leading down the cellar, and the lair once used by Dantor and Joich.

Kris and Lothiniel went down the stairs, and found themselves in a room. At the far end of the room was another door. Along one wall were two cages. Kris looked briefly in the direction the cages, then looked away. He remembered those cages rather vividly. He crossed the room quickly and reached the other door. He opened this door, revealing a tunnel. The two entered this tunnel, and followed it further underground. Soon, they found themselves in another room. This room was circular, and had an altar in the center. Another room opened off the side and appeared to be come kind of laboratory, containing torture devices and several papers. There was no sign of sleeping quarters, but that was the purpose of the room upstairs in the inn.

"There's someone else in here," Kris said, after a few moments. "I can feel a presence."

"Maybe it's the ghost of your mother," Lothiniel replied.

"No. It's someone alive. Whoever's there, show yourself!"

The air seemed to shimmer a little next to the altar, and a man appeared. "Kane," Kris said, recognizing the man he had seen in Dantor's tower fifteen years before.

"Yes. And I assume you are Kristian, the son of Joich and Crystal. And your companion is Lothiniel, the daughter of Nithrar and Renia, of the world of Arda."

"Yes. I was hoping to find you. I want to ask you to teach me, as you taught my father's teacher."

"You have no need of the teachings of the Black Mages, with the training you already have. Unless, you have something special in mind. And first, before I agree to help you, I need to know what I will get out of this."

"Use of the Anachron, for whatever purpose you had when you stole it on Arda. And, if all goes as planned, you will have alliance of the Dark Circle, which will be joined and complete when Kazushe is forced to join them."

"Forced to join them?" Kane asked. "Have you actually found a factor that can influence Kazushe's choice?"

"The same factor it has always been," Lothiniel said. "He can only join the circle that is complete, and that only in a time of war. The Dark Circle has been complete for several years, but the other circle is broken. If a war starts, Kazushe will have no choice but to join the Dark Circle. So, Leareth and Mordel have set events in motion to start a war. I worked with them in the first stage of their plan, and helped them to kidnap the son of Eldarion and Lunea. However, I was unable to kill him, which means that we need him killed before he can summon the powers of Mages of Light, and cause Kazushe to permanently choose that side. We need to get him on our side, and the only way we can do so is to kill Wesley. I already tried once, but he has some power, that we did not know he had. He can create shields, but I do not know what else he is actually capable of doing. He also has the token of power, Tubulentum, and he knows its Truename because he heard me use it. Anyway, Leareth and Mordel need to have him killed. Once he is dead, no one will be able to stop the Dark Circle and Mordel's daughter will become Eldarion's heir. And you will be given the Anachron to use as you need, if you will help us fulfill this goal, and teach Kris what he asks you to teach him."

Kane turned to Lothiniel. "You're pretty confident for a woman having an affair with a married man. Maybe you should just let your lover take charge, although you and your colleagues came up with a good plan. I will help you as you have asked."