Chapter 34. The Bitterness of Betrayal
Amndo had switched sides once more, it was more difficult this time to push the malevolence that was the Rift side of his psyche, back into its prison cell within his mind. He was surprised at its increased strength. This worried him, for it was plain to see that every time he made the switch he weakened in some way, either that or the Rift Amndo grew in strength. There would come a time perhaps when the Rift Amndo would not be pushed aside any longer and he would be stuck with both characters, he would switch from one to the other, forever locked in a battle for his mind and his sanity. He frowned, should this occur he would become mad, of that he was certain. But for now he was Amndo the keeper and was back in his room within the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran city, he had much to think about.
He instructed Shak’Ee’Roe to leave him. She was reticent at first, complaining that her place was with him, he had almost lost his temper with her, something that surprised him, a sure sign perhaps that the two sides to his character were becoming equally prevalent in his psyche. He had just managed to get his anger under control, shocked at himself for what he was becoming. She had looked at him as if expecting a volley of profanities, almost as if she wanted it, conformation perhaps that he was who he said he was. He told her to go and visit her parents or to amuse herself with friends. She looked confused, but eventually she left the room and closed the door behind her. Amndo hoped she was slowly getting used to his strange ways. He had decided that there was no time to lose. Any delay not only threatened him but he also did not like the idea of relinquishing his mind and body over to the Rift entity again, if it discovered his deception he had the nasty impression that it would take great delight in ending him in the most unpleasant way possible.
A minute or so later Amndo exited his room. He stood in a wide corridor, he looked up and down. chose a direction and walked. After turning a corner he was confronted with a closed door. He opened the door and stepped through. As he did so he was aware of two T’Iea standing one either side of the doorway. He felt panic rising within him, they were heavily armed and wore armour of some black hard material. He hesitated and turned, but the two guards stood to attention and presented their spears towards him in an act of salute. He smiled and waved them away, he didn’t feel confident enough to speak, but he knew from the Rift Amndo that it was not necessary to say anything; he knew that side of him only felt contempt for the guards. He strode off down this corridor and found himself at the top of a flight of stairs. He hesitated, but soon found his feet descending the staircase.
At the bottom there was a wide-open area, a sort of entrance hall he presumed, it was much like any other T’Iea mansion he had ever been into. In fact a lot of the features of the place reminded him of the lady Solin’s house in Amentura. Before he could step forward four figures came into view, a T’Iea in robes and three soldiers dressed much the same as the guards he had passed in the corridor before. They stood before him barring his way.
The figure with the escort strode up to him and after bowing low said, “My Lord Gatekeeper. Do you desire anything My Lord?” He then looked around as if expecting something else to be apparent but missing. “The minion My Lord? I shall find her, she has deserted your side, she will pay for such insolent behaviour.”
Amndo just stared at him trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Then he suddenly realised the minion, he must have referred to Shak’Ee’Roe. But the robed elf was sending two of the three guards away to find the minion and to drag her back here to await punishment. Amndo panicked, he did not want any harm to come to Shak’Ee’Roe, certainly not through any fault of his, so before he could think he shouted, “WAIT.”
The guards stopped immediately and turned, they stood to attention awaiting further orders.
Amndo stared at them. He felt embarrassed, his stopping the guards was one thing, but now he had to think up some compelling reason why Shak’Ee’Roe was not there with him. He hoped his silent indecision did not last as long as it seemed to him. “I have sent the minion upon a personal errand at my express orders; I do not wish her returned yet.” But then he feared that his ignorance may have fallen ill on Shak’Ee’Roe. He felt she should be returned to him so that he could keep an eye on her and prevent anything happening to her. So he gave an order. “No. I have changed my mind. Go find her, when she has completed the task and is ready, then and only then, return her here to me.” He was going to add that she be returned unharmed, but felt that was going a little too far and may raise suspicion in the mind of these T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. He just hoped they would be lenient when they found her.
The three soldiers saluted and went in three separate directions. The robed elf bowed before Amndo and said, “at your pleasure My Lord Gatekeeper.”
Amndo recognised the robed dark elf; he was the mage at the gate when he first arrived through the portal. He felt anger rising within him, so he said to the robed figure, “go, I wish to be alone, I have important business elsewhere.”
The robed elf bowed and turning on his heel went back in the direction he had come. Amndo walked out of the hall into the open air. He once more walked through the city until he stood again upon the narrow bridge overlooking the vast chasm in the ground which held the Rift. He looked into its dark substance, something within him jerked, his mind reeled. He staggered back away from the thing, he felt his wards buckle and bend with the strength of it. The Rift presence within Amndo was trying to rise up. Just at that moment one of the guards returned, he was dragging a small figure behind him, the figure appeared to be trying to hold onto a tray of fruit, but the contents of the tray was being scattered about for the figure was finding it difficult to stand upright. The guard then flung the figure forward and Amndo realised it was the minion, the girl Shak’Ee’Roe, no the MINION! Mental turmoil was going wild inside his mind, he thought he had command of the Rift Amndo, but here above the Rift itself, that part of his consciousness was getting stronger, fighting hard to come to the fore. The minion lay crying and grovelling at his feet. No, not minion, she had a name, she was a person. Amndo’s head started to throb. Anger, great anger rose within him, anger at the mistreatment of one who could not defend herself and anger that something else within him should be trying to make him think differently. The anger rose and rose, as each facet of his character came forward it boosted the anger, but for different reasons, things were getting out of control. Anger rose until he thought he would burst with it, he looked up at the guard, who saluted and sneered at the figure curled into a ball on the ground in front of him. The guard lifted his booted foot and placed it heavily into the small of Shak’Ee’Roe’s back knocking the wind from her lungs; she gasped and cried out as she was flattened against the stone of the causeway. At that moment something snapped within Amndo’s mind and all went black.
Amndo found himself floating, swimming in a sea of darkness. He looked around, could see nothing, he felt numb, distanced from his senses. He was confused, what had happened. Slowly he remembered, remembered great anger, like nothing he had experienced before ever in his life. The Rift entity, it had been trying to break through his ward, had it succeeded? It was possible he supposed that his anger had released it. But he didn’t have the time to gather his real self and hide in the safe place. What then had happened? He then felt a sharp pain, it felt like someone had hit him hard across the back of the head, he turned but only more darkness appeared there. Then he understood, the Rift Amndo had control of his senses, he was just a thought a memory, or would be if he didn’t find some way back and soon. He closed his eyes, felt around for any sense. Sight was not his, hearing neither. What was left, taste no use, smell none, touch? Yes what was that? He felt his fingertips, something there, he immediately plugged all his being into that sense. Then he felt it, a hand in his. A grasping hand a tight grip. He pushed through the darkness towards this feeling. There, yes, another’s touch, he recognised it as the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran girl Shak’Ee’Roe. He concentrat
ed, her intellect was shaped by fear, but it was clear and close. He sifted through the fear, the pain, until he found it. There the broiling black morass of the Rift with the deep malice of the intelligence within. He crept up and imagined the staff in his hand; he held it forward and illuminated the staff. The light shone out like a bolt of lightning. The Rift squirmed, fell backwards, then it seemed to gather itself once more. The moment that Amndo waited for. He severed the mental unity with the minion Shak’Ee’Roe and fought his way back. The mental Rift presence within him faced away from him, looking in the direction in which Shak’Ee’Roe’s presence had receded. It was thrown off balance as it searched for the elusive presence. He imagined bringing his staff up and struck mentally with all his might. The Rift Amndo now stunned sunk to its knees he imagined hitting it once more it felt good so he carried on hitting it. Only when his anger subsided did he open the ward, he flung the Rift Amndo through and closed the ward once more. His senses reeled. They all seemed to come back online together; he felt that his senses had gone into overload for they all pummelled his brain for attention. He stood and took deep breaths trying to calm everything down, it took a few minutes but slowly he managed to separate the inputs going into his brain and calm them to a manageable level. He became aware, a figure lay at his feet, there was a lot of blood on the ground and his heart jumped a beat. He bent down Shak’Ee’Roe was unconscious? Or dead? So he gently picked her up in his arms. He sighed in relief as she stirred and awoke, he held her until she could stand on her own once more. He looked down. Another figure lay sprawled a little further away. It was the soldier. His skull had been crushed, his brains had splashed all over the stones, his face was unrecognisable for his head exhibited massive physical damage. A crimson mess also clung to the end of the staff that Amndo was holding. He retched. But ran, several T’Iea stood around a look of curiosity upon their faces, luckily none of them had a military look about them and none seemed to be carrying weapons of any sort.
On he ran, up the bridge over the Rift, pulling Shak’Ee’Roe along behind him. He reached the black boulder and flung his hand out to touch it. At the same time he released the ward from inside his mind. The Rift entity sprang out at him once more but this time he was ready. Amndo was too quick, he mentally dodged the surge of power as he touched the Rift stone, he pushed. The Rift presence’s momentum was too great, it became overbalanced and Amndo dodged right past it mentally and focussed all his attention into the stone. The Rift seemed to shudder. At the same time Amndo looked into the Rift and saw his way out. The Gatekeeper was just that, the keeper of gates, Amndo was a keeper, an expert on gates and portals. He quickly made the necessary connections. He was about to flick the switch, but something distracted him. He briefly detected a signature presence he least expected, he was shocked to find a portal link already there, already made; a regularly used portal already existed, but how? This threw him completely, it shocked him to the core, he hesitated, faltered in his concentration and he lost the connection in his shock and disbelief, the Rift saw its opportunity and struck at him. He gasped as he felt a physical shock in his chest, something pushed upon him, he overbalanced and fell from the bridge he was vaguely aware that the girl Shak’Ee’Roe grabbed at him, he felt a tug upon his arm and she toppled over the edge with him, she still held onto the sleeve of his jacket.
Amndo opened his eyes, not daring to hope. But yes, he was alive, he checked Shak’Ee’Roe, she was still conscious, her grip onto his arm bit into his muscle and he winced. Best she stayed that way, at least for a while. He looked at the disks in front of him, being presented to him one at a time and he laughed, how he laughed, this was the funniest most amusing thing he had ever seen in his whole life. His amusement was fuelled by relief as well as sudden and total realisation. Why had he not guessed before? He waited until one particular disk showed in front of him, the one that had the depiction of the ognod twins famous in ognod folklore, then making sure he had a tight hold on Shak’Ee’Roe he placed his finger there and thought of a Donal, the energy manifested into a small round disk with the depiction of a slit-eyed face. Amndo released this disk and it stuck there like a badge upon the larger disk that rotated away from his vision and was replaced by another. He recognised this disk, his heart gave a leap and he reached out and touched it. His signature flowed into the disk, confirmation of his racial makeup was made and the connection grew.
When he opened his eyes, he sighed, he was there, he had succeeded. He stood shakily to his feet. He was home back in TeraT’Inu’Itil once more. He laughed, he cried tears of joy, how could he have been so stupid, the Rift, of course he now knew what the Rift really was, well at least to the ancient fathers. His thoughts and suspicions were confirmed. They had tamed the Rift and at the same time they had tapped into its energy for their own purpose, why shouldn’t they, the Rift was a source of the right kind of energy, just because they had subdued it didn’t mean that they shouldn’t use it for their own ends. He smiled at the irony of it, he laughed at the unbelievable irony. The T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran had made a mistake, an enormous oversight, they didn’t know it, only he knew it. They didn’t need a Gatekeeper. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? He in turn didn’t need the black portal stone, at least not to get home. But he should have known this. But then he felt panic. If the Rift entity knew what he knew then they were all doomed. Yet he suspected if it did have this knowledge then they would have perished long ago, no the entity did not know, in all its wildest imaginations it did not suspect. He smiled, for all its intelligence its blind ambitions had hidden this discovery from it. He had to keep it that way.
But then he frowned, now he knew something else, something far darker perhaps. He looked around at the familiar landscape, the green trees. The temple across the fields. But he would never see it the same way again. He remembered the connection, the signature in the portal stone above the Rift. There was a portal link between the dark elf realm and here, an old link that had existed for a very long time, created in ancient days. Not only that but the portal was in fairly regular use. But that surprise paled into insignificance compared to the knowledge he had gained from the portals signature, the Key to the portal, the one who maintained it, he didn’t want to believe, but at the same time he could not deny. The signature was unmistakably that of a keeper. But his thoughts were returned to the present, there was a groan, he bent down and helped the shaky Shak’Ee’Roe to her feet. She cowered seeing his face and said, “Master? Gatekeeper?”
Amndo smiled and said, “ummmm, not exactly. Errr possibly not any more at least. I err, I, well I have a confession to make. Come let us walk, I will try and explain.”
Shak’Ee’Roe looked at Amndo with a sly expression upon her face. “I don’t understand master, you are not the Gatekeeper?”
“Well, yes I am in a way. At least I was. I was met by the Guardian of the Gate and underwent the initiation and was made the Gatekeeper and the Rift accepted me, as a result I have the capability and the knowledge.”
Shak’Ee’Roe nodded slowly, a suspicious look still on her face. “Yet you remain strange, you do not say the words I expect, or act in accordance with what I have been taught.” She shied back a suspicious look in her eyes.
Amndo held up both hands in a gesture of submission. “Listen Shak’Ee’Roe I mean you and your people no harm, quite the opposite in fact. It is true I am not here to exert any authority over you or them, but I am here to aid them, even to teach them perhaps. But what I talk of is not the kind of aid or teaching either you or they will necessarily expect.”
Shak’Ee’Roe, eyed Amndo with great suspicion once more then she looked around at her surroundings for the first time and said slowly and deliberately, “where have you brought us? This is certainly not within the city boundaries, we are no longer in R’Iggorr’Thegoran of that I am certain.”
“No. We are not. We are now in the city of my birth. We are in TeraT’Inu’Itil. The city of the keepers.”
“So yo
u are a spy then. An outsider sent to spy on us.” Then with a sly smile she said, “or is it that you spy on them, the keepers?”
Amndo felt a little sorry for her as she looked hopeful at her last comment. “Shak’Ee’Roe you have to understand I am the Gatekeeper, but I am also something else, someone else. This is difficult to explain. Just understand please that I mean no harm, but also understand that my goals are perhaps not the goals that you may expect.
Shak’Ee’Roe narrowed her eyes and looked sternly at Amndo and said through gritted teeth, “you will send me back now. I wish to return home to R’Iggorr’Thegoran immediately.”
Amndo considered her request, but he needed to know one thing before he made a decision. “If I send you back without me, if you return without your master, the Gatekeeper, what will happen to you?”
“I will be seen to have failed in my duty, they will suspect me of deserting you. They will beat me, punish me, it is likely they will execute me if you do not return.”
Amndo nodded. “Listen to me Shak’Ee’Roe, I brought you here because I wanted to save you, that is the reason we stand here now. I killed a guard back there in R’Iggorr’Thegoran. They will probably execute me as well if I return.”
Shak’Ee’Roe replied. “No they will not. The actions of the Gatekeeper are never questioned. They will not think twice about your killing a guard. They would think you had your reasons, they would not question them.”
Amndo was running out of time, he had to bring this conversation to a conclusion, if Shak’Ee’Roe was not on his side then he was in danger of being unmasked, originally he had thought that the dangers of such a discovery would only be relevant in the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran city, but now he knew that such a discovery also had its dangers here to. “Listen to me Shak’Ee’Roe, what do you believe? Do you believe I am the Gatekeeper?”
Shak’Ee’Roe thought for a few minutes, at least this seemed to calm her. “You have not done anything to make me feel you are not. You are strange though, the way you speak to me as if I am an equal, you have not beaten me or punished me. You have not sought to abuse me in any way. This is not the behaviour I expect from the Gatekeeper.”
Amndo raised his eyebrows in surprise and rubbed his chin, what could he say to that? He glanced down at the floor and shaking his head shrugged as he said, “ok. This is good, then my command to you is that you continue to think like that. You will follow me everywhere and call me Amndo, for that is my name.”
Shak’Ee’Roe, frowned, she seemed a little unsure. Eventually she seemed to come to a decision. “I will do as you ask, but I will call you master, or Gatekeeper as is fitting. As for me, you may call me whatever you wish. But my true title is minion, it would please me better if you called me this.”
Amndo sighed in submission. He looked up in the direction of the city. “Come Shak’Ee’Roe, my traditions do not allow me to call you anything other than your true given name, I’m sorry. But now let us see what sort of reception we may be given. He found himself thanking the Maker that there were no obvious outwardly physically differences between T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran and other T’Iea, only internal sub cultural differences that he hoped he would be able to explain away should the need arise. He was also thankful that Shak’Ee’Roe was a servant girl and not a warrior of any kind; at least her general attitude was one of subservience and not of evil ambition. But in truth he was not sure which one of these he liked the least.
The first place that Amndo headed for was his home. He wanted to get settled in before he arranged a meeting with the Grand Master; perhaps if he acquainted Shak’Ee’Roe with his home surroundings, he may be able to persuade her to stay there whilst he went about other business. He had a spare room and he offered it to Shak’Ee’Roe whilst they were in TeraT’Inu’Itil, but she took all the bedclothes and dumped them on the floor of Amndo’s room, at the foot of his cot, she insisted saying that she could be ready to fulfil his every ordered command. Amndo gave up trying to argue.
The following morning Amndo intended seeing the Grand Master. It would be foolish for him to delay this meeting with his superior, to tell him of everything that had happened since he was last here in TeraT’Inu’Itil. Shak’Ee’Roe was still asleep at the foot of his cot. He decided to try and sneak out without her knowing. Perhaps it was only his own embarrassment at having an over attentive and beautiful female T’Iea as a constant companion that made him feel like this, but he tried to tell himself it was because the presence of a T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran in TeraT’Inu’Itil. So he carefully created a portal that would take him into the entrance hall of the temple, it was a regular way for the keepers to travel within the city, it would not cause any suspicion. The portal formed and Amndo took one last look at the sleeping form at the foot of his bed.
He strode through the portal and found himself within the temple, he quickly closed the portal once more. He then walked in the direction of the Grand Masters chambers. He nodded greetings at various people along the way, but eventually found himself in the anteroom of the central administrative offices of the temple. He sat on a wooden bench within a large square room, numerous doors were set around the walls, each had a similar wooden bench set outside. Most were populated by people waiting. Amndo shared his particular bench with several other people, all of whom he assumed had appointments, or wished to speak directly to the Grand Master on that morning. They all sat there looking straight ahead, some had scrolls upon their laps, others just clasped their hands together. After a while a door opened and a keeper exited the grand Masters office, a temple official by the way he was dressed. Amndo had a fleeting glimpse of the Grand Master himself sitting at his wooden bench in his office. The Grand Master looked up just at the moment the door was closed but not before Amndo had made eye contact with the Grand Master. A few seconds later the same door opened from the inside, the Grand Master himself stood in the entrance way and came over towards the bench on which Amndo sat. The Grand Master held out his hand and came right up to where Amndo sat with the other visitors. They all stood. One keeper forgot he had several scrolls upon his lap and the act of him standing suddenly made them roll off onto the stone floor and roll away in several separate directions. The unfortunate keeper was sent rushing around trying to retrieve his documents.
The Grand Master did not seem to take notice instead he grasped Amndo’s hand and shook it, “Amndo, Amndo my old friend, it is good to see you after so long. Come, come we have much to discuss.” The Grand Master pulled on Amndo’s hand and arm, but Amndo said. “but Grand Master I was not first in the queue to see you, I only sat waiting for a chance at the end of your official meetings?”
The Grand Master looked at him and smiled, “nonsense, nonsense Amndo. I am sure these fine people will not mind a short delay, I have been waiting for your return, I wish to speak with you first before any other formal business. Come.”
Amndo looked in the direction of the others who were still all standing in respect, they all gave a resigned smile and bowed their consent apart from the unfortunate individual trying to retrieve a wayward scroll from beneath a wooden cabinet across the other side of the room. Amndo just looked at them with an apologetic expression.
Once in the Grand Masters office, the door was shut and Amndo found himself sitting across the other side of the wooden bench from the Grand Master. The old keepers expression had changed, he now wore a look of concern, of worry as he said, “so Amndo, tell me quickly where you have been and what do you know?”
Amndo started to explain where he had been in the interim, following their last meeting. He started by explaining his traveling to the Pnook city with JDC and their still having the Leviathan machine. He glossed over these events however, for a more important subject was on his mind, important news that would not be easy to say. He would have continued his explanations but at this point the Grand Master seemed to take a particular interest. He waved his hand in the air in front of him saying dismissively, “yes, yes, yes,” he the
n asked several questions concerning the Leviathan machine and its current whereabouts. In fact whenever Amndo tried to steer the conversation around to his suspicions, the whole conversation returned to questions about the Leviathan machine. Indeed, as far as the grand Master was concerned, the whole conversation seemed now to hinge on information about the Leviathan. It was as if the grand Master sort confirmation about his suspicions over the capabilities of the machine of war. Indeed the Grand Master did not seem at all interested in anything else. Something about this started to trouble Amndo, surely the Grand Master would be more interested in the greater matters that Amndo had to report, the things that effected them all in the long term, the things that had a bearing upon the health of all the races and their future. The things that held great scope, especially one in particular about how in the key stone he had discovered the signature of a keeper and how a permanent link had been made between the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran realm and here to TeraT’Inu’Itil. This was vitally important information concerning the security of TeraT’Inu’Itil, but the Grand Master was not giving him the chance. Amndo started to become a little frustrated.
Suddenly there was a commotion from beyond the door, shouts and sounds of furniture being knocked around in the outside anteroom of the office, a loud crash was heard. Amndo turned and looked at the door to the office. The kerfuffle seemed to get louder as the Grand Master came around his desk heading for the door. But there was a bang on the outside of the office door which burst open suddenly and in strode Shak’Ee’Roe, closely followed by two temple guards. Amndo looked surprised at her, but he groaned in resignation. Shak’Ee’Roe came to stand beside Amndo, she shook her arm free from the grasp of one of the guards and gave him a look like daggers. She turned a look of satisfaction on her face and was about to say something when she made eye contact with the Grand Master and hesitated, the Grand Master in turn was staring at her. Amndo looked up, he was about to try and explain when something took the words right out of his mouth, he was sure he detected a look of recognition pass between Shak’Ee’Roe and the Grand Master.
The Grand Master recovered quickly, he smiled and ushered the guards back outside saying encouraging words to them about how there was no problem, there was no threat. The door to the office was quickly closed. Before Amndo could say anything Shak’Ee’Roe seemed to recover herself and addressing Amndo said, “Gatekeeper, you left without me this morning, I have come as my vows demand to be by your side and at your service.”
Amndo closed his eyes and groaned, he waited for the Grand Master to call for guards, to have them both taken into custody as enemy spies, he groaned again for he wanted to explain things in a better fashion than to have the Grand Master discover them in this manner. He spluttered, “Grand Master, I can explain, I tried to tell you before but you only seemed interested in the Leviathan machine, but I hope this intrusion will change your mind for I have many important things to say. Much has happened and I have learned much, if you just let me ………..” But here his voice trailed away, for the Grand Master was obviously not taking the slightest notice of him.
The Grand Master just stood there, leaning on the door with his back to them breathing heavily and as if churning thoughts over in his mind. Eventually he turned his head and after glancing quickly at Shak’Ee’Roe, he looked back at Amndo and said, “is this true? You are the one titled Gatekeeper?”
“Grand Master, I, well yes in a way, I, please before you call the guards it is not as it seems. We have a plan in place ……” But once more his words trailed away. Amndo was looking at the expression upon the Grand Master’s face. The Grand Master was smiling, actually smiling.
“Grand Master, I …..” Amndo stopped; a sudden thought had entered his head shutting off the words coming from his mouth. Many thoughts actually, things he had, well not forgotten, just pushed to the back of his mind. Pieces of a puzzle were falling into place and they fit, Amndo did not like them. No, not one bit. He thought once again about the identity he had detected in the keystone above the Rift whilst he had attempted to make connection to here. He knew then the signature in the Rift of the person regularly travelling back and forth from here in TeraT’Inu’Itil to the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran city of R’Iggorr’Thegoran, to be the racial signature of a keeper, but though he tried to look further the Rift wouldn’t give the actual personal identity of this person, that information had a close set ward upon it. But Amndo knew then, suddenly in that moment who the identity of the keeper was. So he decided to play his hand and take a gamble on that identity. So he swallowed his shock at the realisation and the abhorrence that it caused. He became the actor once again; only he hoped that this time he was better at it, for this time he had a leading role.
He bowed. “Grand Master, I have come to fulfil the desires and destiny of these people,” he gestured towards Shak’Ee’Roe. “I have come to continue the work of Tezrin my predecessor. He failed, I intend not to repeat that failure.”
The Grand Master looked at him for a long time. Amndo was trying desperately to hold the feelings of panic down within him. He knew he was either going to be executed on the spot or something else may happen.
The Grand Master seemed to reach a conclusion, then strode across the Amndo and patted him on the back. “So, my friend you are full of surprises. I must say you don’t seem quite like your predecessor, but you are a keeper not an T’Iea, you retain your own intellect I see, even though the great Rift has opened your eyes?”
Amndo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but he also was repulsed by this reaction. He brought his thoughts quickly under control. “This is true Grand Master, my desires and ambitions are the same, they run true to my calling as Gatekeeper, but I do not bow to the cruel desires of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran or the necessity of the Rift to enforce my will, I would rather do things, let us say the easy way, my way.” He then looked to Shak’Ee’Roe and said, “the minion will attest to this.”
Shak’Ee’Roe looked from one face to the other, she seemed to come to a realisation and she smiled the biggest grin Amndo had seen her make, in fact it was probably the only grin he had seen brighten her face. She shook her head in acknowledgement, “it is true, my master has a strange way about him, but he is not T’Iea by race. I assume then that his ways are his own. But I will still serve him as Gatekeeper, this I have sworn to do.”
Seemingly satisfied, the Grand Master nodded his head slowly and turned away saying, “how was it you suspected me Amndo?”
Amndo was reticent to answer this, this whole conversation could still be a trap, a trap to ensnare him. But he thought not, he was sure of his suspicions, so he decided to put them to the test. “When I was probing the great key stone above the Rift I detected another’s presence, it was unmistakeably the presence of another keeper. The Rift did not release the actual identity of this keeper, but this did not stop me having my suspicions. I decided to return here and ask your opinion and in that way find out one way or the other. I knew I would either be welcomed as a bringer of valued information, pertinent to the cities security against the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran or as an ally of the true path.”
The Grand Master smiled and rubbed his chin. He then said, “then we are indeed allies Amndo, we shall work together for the true ways and we will be triumphant.”
Amndo then realised he needed a plan, something to convince the Grand Master of his sincerity in the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran desires. He was racking his brain, aware that every second of delay may diminish the Grand Masters confidences in him.
Amndo found himself asking, “can you grant access once more to the machine hall Grand Master? I understood that you had severed all access since Tezrin’s time, but I desire to get back there and assess what he discovered and to perhaps put his plans back into play once more. I believe such a victory shall advance my status with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran.”
The Grand Master turned back and said with a smile, “so you want a quick political victory eh?” The gr
and Master smiled. “Yes Amndo, one way remains, I have not used it, but I am confident that it will work, I have kept this secret awaiting the right time to act. It seems that time has now come. But there is one thing on which I insist. I too hunger for recognition, too long have I languished here, helping in small ways, warning, passing on information. But now I to want to show my true value. So if I help you then you will have to help me. In the meantime we shall keep our meetings secret; we are too close to victory now. Just tell me when and we shall both go through to accomplish what Tezrin started. We will be successful in this Amndo, of that I am sure. The T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran will gain what they wish and we will bask in that glory and gain our long awaited reward.”
Amndo bowed in return and stepped from the room. He decided to walk back to his home. All the way back he was thinking. So, the Grand Master himself is in league with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. Of course how could he be so blind? No wonder Tezrin had been able to accomplish so much, become a Key to a void, be able to freely travel the voids and access the machine hall. Why hadn’t this occurred to him before, why hadn’t it occurred to any of them? It explained why the Grand Master sort the Gatekeepers key and portal in Amentura and sent Amndo to find it. The Grand Master could have become the Gatekeeper, could have wielded all that power. If that had happened the consequences would have been dire. He found himself thanking the Maker that Minervar had found the key and she had become the Gatekeeper. In itself not a desirable thing, but it had stopped the Grand Masters plans at least. When Retta had jokingly asked about his acting skills, he had never thought in all her jesting that those skills may become so important! He only hoped that he had done a convincing enough job. Yet he felt uneasy. The meeting with the Grand Master seemed to go too easily. He was too easy to please, to readily in agreement. What they discussed was complex, dramatic in its intent yet they seemed to have glossed over it quickly and without any real detail. There had to be more to it than this. What was he missing?