Chapter 20
Whur you get dem eyes?
The last fragments of light faded away when Lot, Red, Oggy, Urganox, and Locmire arrived at the long abandoned stone building. Once, it had been home to Arman the Blacksmith, the finest smith in all of Calencia. Dedicating his life to his trade, Arman had no wife or children to leave his forge once he passed, so the building remained mostly unoccupied for the past fifty years. From time to time travelers and outlaws would seek the safety of its stone walls as they passed through the area. From time to time Urganox sent a few of his warriors to clear the building of the foul creatures that sometimes tried to lay a permanent stake to Arman's old forgery.
Arman's forgery was cozy compared to the nights spent on the stone floors beneath Mt. Pizenchaffe. A toasty fire took the chill from the air, and its radiant glow danced along the walls giving life to the heroes' shadows.
Locmire rested on an old table while the others sat around the fireplace deep in discussion. He hadn't opened his eyes the slightest bit since they left from Morgorath.
"Me knew dat da Old One couldn't have normal man's eyes. He be's able to see right through dat thar hood of his," Red said, pulling his hair into a pony tail. "What do ye reckons dem tings are?"
"Some magical device that allows him to see, I suppose," Lot replied.
"Magical devices, eh? I wonder what happened to his real eyes?" Oggy asked. "Is he blind?"
"I have seen a Wizard before, a young one. He had eyes like a man, but I heard tales of Wizards who wear black lenses to cover their eyes. Supposedly, they are the greatest Wizards of them all," Urganox replied.
Lot sprawled out in front of the fire, crossing his legs. "I just wish I knew more about his kind. There is so much secrecy concerning the Wizards and Fogarth," he paused while he made himself more comfortable, shifting from side to side on the wooden floor. What I would not give for a feather bed at this moment. "I mean, why did he collapse after casting that spell?"
"Me not so sure what happen ta him, but he sure did save ar hides," Red replied as he ran the sharp edge of his dagger across his neck, removing the stubbly black hair. Ouch!
"Because I expended all of my magic," Locmire replied.
The group spun to find Locmire sitting on the edge of the table. The Wizard had seen better days, but at least he was conscious.
"Thank the gods!" Lot exclaimed as he stood. "We were beginning to wonder about you."
"Do ya need any ting?" Red asked. Look at dem eyes. I gotta stop starin.
"Just some rest is all," Locmire replied.
"Glad to have you back," Urganox said.
"That was quite the spell you used back there. You saved our lives," Oggy said, humbly. "Thank you, Wizard."
Locmire smiled, "Thank you all for taking such good care of me."
Locmire tried to stand, but he had to sit back down when his knees wobbled. He put his hand to his forehead and rubbed it back and forth. I drained myself to the point of death. "It seems I am much weaker than I thought. Do we have anything to drink? Grog, perhaps?" Locmire asked.
Red handed Locmire his flask. "Me knew dat ye be likin me grog. Dis be's me last drink, and it’s all yours," Red said with his hands on his hips and a large grin.
"Thank you, Red," Locmire said as he drank the last of the grog. "At first, I found it a bit strong, but I must say," Locmire smacked his lips together. "I have grown fond of it. When this is all behind us, you must teach me the way to brew it."
"Dat not be's a problem," Red replied. Iffin me can find da ingredients.
"How long have I been out?" Locmire asked.
"Not long," Lot answered. "A few hours."
Locmire pulled the portation stone from his robes. He held it in the palm of his hand for several seconds. "Thaddeus still has the other stone in his possession. I am hoping by the time morning comes he will have made it to his destination. I fear that time is running short. We must reach the Raptilian Queen soon," Locmire said, tucking the stone away in his robe once more.
"Do you think they are well?" Oggy asked.
"Yes," Locmire answered. I hope so.
"I had another vision earlier," Lot said.
"Of your brother?" Locmire asked.
"Yes," Lot answered.
"What was it?" Locmire inquired.
"I am not sure. It was during the battle at Morgorath. It was just a quick glimpse of Thaddeus. He was in great pain."
"Thaddeus in pain?" Urganox asked. "How is that so? The man has never had so much as a scratch in his life."
"I am not sure. I actually felt the pain. It ran up my arm like spreading wildfire. Needle pricks radiated through my entire body," Lot said, rubbing his arm.
"I am sure he is fine," Locmire replied. "No one is ever invincible or untouchable. Thaddeus is very skilled in the art of war. That is why he has never experienced the sting of steel during battle. I am sure if something, or someone, managed to penetrate his defense, it was only a minor injury," Locmire reassured him.
"I hope," Lot replied. "We need him more than I could have ever expected."
"So," Oggy started. "What is the plan from here?"
"We regroup with the others as soon as possible and make our way to Dead Marsh to seek the aid of Jeszekia Venumroot. After that. . . I am not entirely sure," answered the Wizard.
"What do you mean, not sure?" Urganox asked.
"I know of the prophecy and what must be accomplished to defeat Hasbarie once again. I am uncertain on the course of action," Locmire answered.
"Why not?" Oggy asked. "Have you not planned this out?"
"A prophecy is not a treasure map. Only the details are shown, not step by step instructions," Locmire said.
"Do we defeat him?" Lot asked.
Locmire's face aged instantly. "I am uncertain. This threat is grave. I was revealed two endings to the prophecy. One was our defeat of Hasbarie. The other was of our defeat. No clear path to either end was shown," answered the Wizard.
"Then how do we know we are on the correct path?" Oggy asked.
Locmire hesitated for a moment, "Because I feel this is right."
"You feel this is right?" Urganox asked.
"That is correct," Locmire answered.
The Brazurkin grew silent at Locmire's lack of definite answers.
"Urganox, do you have another course of action?" Lot asked.
"Well, no. I-" Urganox tried to answer.
"Then do not question him so. It is good that we have a Wizard on our side guiding us along, rather than trying to save the world on our own accord," Lot blurted out.
Urganox did not reply. He sat back down near the fire. Fine. See if I try to get to the bottom of this mess again. Figure it out yourself.
It became quiet, but for only a moment. Red was good at breaking uncomfortable silences.
"Aight! Me gots ta ask ye. What happen to yer eyes?"
Everyone was shocked that Red had the nerve to ask Locmire about his eyes. It looked like each of them had just been told that the entire quest was a farce. Never before had Locmire seen jaws drop so far, so fast.
"What?" Red asked, defensively as he looked around at his companions. "We all be wantin to know."
"No harm done, Red," Locmire said as he pulled back his hood. "You snuck a peek under my goggles while I was unconscious?"
"Well, ye always seein like a hawk and got dat thar hood over yer eyes, and dem thar black goggles on. Me wanted to know how in da world ye see through all dat!" Red proclaimed.
"That is a good point," Locmire replied as he peeled the goggles off his head. "If you wanted to look at my eyes, all you had to do was ask."
Even though the group had gazed upon the Wizard's eyes once before, they could not help but to be awestruck. Where one would normally find a white eye with a round colorful circle, the Wizard's eyes were solid. In his scarred eye sockets sat two bright blue, shimmering, perfect cut, crystals.
"Amazing," Oggy said. "I have seen many gems, but never anything
like those."
"Gems?" Red asked. "How much do ye reckon dey be worth?"
"Close your mouth," Urganox said.
Locmire smiled.
"That is because they are only found in Fogarth," Locmire replied. "I am somewhat fortunate."
"How so?" Lot asked.
"My natural eyes were this color of blue," Locmire replied with a smile.
"What happen to yur udder eyes?" Red asked.
"It is hard to explain, but I will do my best," Locmire said as he pulled the goggles back over his eyes. "Crystals to Wizards are like air to everyone else. They maintain our life. Not only do they maintain our life, they give us life."
"Ye be's born from da crystals?" Red asked. "Ye hatched like a lil chick in a egg?"
Smiling, Locmire said, "Something like that."
"Are dey valuable?" Red asked.
"To Wizards, yes," Locmire answered. "To others, not so much."
"Carry on," Lot interjected.
"Wizards use crystals for many things. Crystals can create magical items, heal our wounds, create new life, and in some instances, replace parts of us that no longer work, as is such the case with my eyes." Locmire stood up and stretched his extremities. "My position as a Looker, one who watches the Sands of Seeing and interprets its prophecies, was the reason I lost my eyes."
"How?" Oggy asked.
"I became infatuated with the prophecies. I watched them for days at a time, night and day, weeks upon weeks. Eventually, my eyes could no longer handle the strain and they lost their function. Fearing that I might miss an important prophecy, I removed them from their sockets and replaced them with a set of crystals that had been created to allow me to see once more. With these new eyes, I would never have to stop watching the Sands. There is a downfall, though. Light causes me excruciating pain, and like so many Lookers before me, I must don these black goggles to prevent the pain of their reaction to light," Locmire answered.
"And dey make ye see better?" Red asked.
"Yes, Red. I can see through many types of objects, and in open terrain I can see for a long distances," Locmire replied.
"So ye gots some telerscopes for eyes," Red stated.
"Something like that, yes," answered the Wizard.
"Well," Lot said. "That clears up that mystery."
"I have a question that I must ask," Locmire said. "Did any of you find a Summoner at Morgorath?"
Lot shook his head.
Locmire fell deep into thought. For over a minute no one uttered a word. They sat and watched as Locmire's mind was hard at work.
"Are you sure?" the Wizard asked.
"Yes," Lot answered.
"If a Summoner was there, he would have been close. The fire wave I produced would have extinguished the life of any being in the area," Locmire told them. "This troubles me."
"How so?" Oggy asked.
"If there was no Summoner, then Hasbarie reanimated the bodies by some other means. Perhaps Morgorath is close enough to the Onock that he does not need a Summoner. If so, he is much more powerful than before, even without a crystal in his chest," Locmire replied.
"A crystal in his chest, eh?" Oggy asked. "Was Hasbarie a Wizard of Fogarth?"
"Yes, Oggy. Hasbarie is an exile from Fogarth. He was banished from the desert for practicing the forbidden arts. When he was exiled, the Master Wizards removed the crystal from his chest and took him out of the desert. Without the crystal, he had no safe passage back into Fogarth," Locmire said, recalling all he knew about Hasbarie's exile. "By all means his life should have extinguished without a crystal to sustain him. It is believed that he soon encountered the evil known as the Onock. To the best of our knowledge, the Onock somehow found, or created, a new crystal to sustain his life force."
"Where did the Onock come from?" King Urganox asked.
"No one is sure, but we suspect that he somehow bonded with an entity while he practiced the forbidden arts of summoning and conjuring. The Onock stayed hidden and followed him throughout his exile," Locmire answered.
"What is its purpose?" Oggy asked.
"My best guess is that the Onock had to have a medium to come into our world. My best guess is the Onock is using him to give it that foothold. Hasbarie is providing the Onock its power through the souls of his victims, and the Onock gives him great power in return. I believe that once the Onock is powerful enough, it will no longer need Hasbarie, and he will become just another soulless puppet at its command," Locmire replied.
"Do you have a crystal in your chest?" Oggy asked.
Locmire smiled and said," Yes."
"Let me have a look at it!" Red exclaimed.
"Red!" Lot said, scolding the Pirate with his eyes.
"What?" Red asked. "Me wants ta take a look at it."
Locmire scooted to the edge of the table and pulled his robe over his head. He untucked his shirt from his breeches and slowly raised it, revealing his torso.
"Would ya look at dat!" Red exclaimed once more. "I bet dat be's worth a fortune."
"Red, would you stop it already!" Lot said.
"I have never seen anything like it," Oggy said, standing in awe.
A swirling blue crystal, the size of a melon sat in his chest where his heart should have been. Locmire turned around. The crystal was visible from his anterior and posterior. "This is what sustains our life. This is what Hasbarie so desperately seeks in an attempt to regain his full power," Locmire said, as he pulled his shirt back down and tucked it into his pants.
"Do you know him? Or did you know him? You know what I mean," Lot asked.
Locmire drew a deep breath and exhaled. He began to speak but closed his mouth. He considered the question once more.
"Yes. I knew Hasbarie long ago, but I do not feel like speaking of those times at this moment. Forgive me for not being able to satisfy your hunger," Locmire replied. "It is getting late, and I do believe that tomorrow will be an eventful day for us. I suggest we all try to get rest."
Locmire lay down on the table, turned his back to his companions, and sleep came upon him as easily as breathing.
The silence was unbearable. So many questions remained unanswered, and it seemed that Locmire, at one time, had some type of relationship with Hasbarie. One of which he was not ready to speak, not just yet. The Saviors and Red, did not speak to one another. They each made their way to their own respected area of the forgery and prepared themselves for sleep.
Why must he leave so many questions unanswered? Are we not in this together? I wish he would open up with us and fully explain this entire ordeal, Lot thought as he made himself comfortable in front of the fire once more. It would be so much easier if we knew everything.
Urganox stretched out on top of an old rug. I do not like the fact that he keeps so much from us. I am wondering if he even knows what we are supposed to be doing. I fear I may end up having to take control of this situation. Urganox rolled over on his side and fell fast asleep.
I have never met one as secretive as Locmire. I am sure he has his reasons for keeping parts of the prophecy from us, but it makes me uneasy. What if one of us does not make it and he knows of it? Maybe that is why he keeps parts of it from us. Maybe none of us make it? What if the quest involves the sacrifice of all of us? I hope we meet up with the others soon. Maybe then, he will enlighten us. King Stonefist rolled onto his side and tried to find comfort on the cold, wooden, floor.
Red lay on the floor deep in thought as well, but his thoughts were of a different nature. Me wonders what dem Raptiles look like? Ain't never saw no lizard person bafore. Maybe dey not be lookin so bad. I bed dey got good drink. Da Old One said dat dey be's good at mixin stuff up for healin and such. Me sure dey can make a mighty fine brew. Not so sure how much longer me can go on without any grog or a decent substirtute.
Red rolled over and looked at Locmire. Da Old One sure does find sleep in a hurry. Aint never saw no one who blinked out faster dan me. Sleep should come easy for him, seein dat he got da last bit of me g
rog. Da scallywag sure be's tricky. He knew dat ole Red would give him da last bit of me drink iffn he asked for it. Well, dat be da last time he weasels me drink away and not even give me da answers we be's lookin fur. But dem thar crystals in his eyes be sumpin else. Me reckons dey would fetch a good bit of gold if ye brought em to da right person. Me likes ole Locmire but iffn he finds himself on da wrong end of someone's steel and his life is no more, well den, ole Red will . . . .