The Bard of Xalir (Complete!)/The Archer of Adelbern (Complete)/Book 3 (Coming Soon)

"So what are you going to do?" asked Greenspring, stroking his long, white beard. "Do you think Piopus can stop him?"

After making it out of the dungeons, we collapsed in the entrance hall of Valna's mansion. Wanted posters quickly spread through the city streets. Rumors were everywhere. As far as the people knew, three miscreants broke into the dungeons and were wanted for questioning.

Guards combed the streets searching for us. Valna, Greenspring, and Nia took us to Valna's basement where we hid while we recovered. I wasn't there when the guards banged on Valna's door, demanding to search her house, but I heard it hadn't been pretty. Thanks to her position in the Lawmaker's Assembly, she was able to keep us hidden. But that also meant she was expected to join the search looking for us.

A few days after our grand escape, our names were released to the public. How they knew it was us, I didn't know. Perhaps Gunner let the guards know, or perhaps Trafford knew it was us all along. It didn't matter. Only a few people knew that we were staying with Valna, but they didn't keep it a secret for long. To my surprise, it was Richard who defended Valna the most. Perhaps the many years spent building up the church together had given him a sense of loyalty. Or maybe it was a ploy to find our location.

While they searched for us, Trafford's tournament was postponed. Not only because one of his participants was now wanted by the royal crown, but also because one of his associates, Zadona, was wanted as well. Of course, he denounced our crime and tried to sever his connection to us, but that didn't matter to the public. Rumors spread easily through the streets of Adelbern.

I was itching to leave the mansion and go searching for my former master, but it wasn't safe. Everything was moving too fast. We didn't have time to go on a wild goose chase, we had to deal with Trafford now.

Greenspring sat across from me on a storage box containing church documents. Zadona and Beth slept on the floor. We took shifts to watch the door and listen for any sign of danger above. Nia and Valna were upstairs, trying their best to calm everyone. Maybe it would have been better to be captured.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Greenspring.

"I don't know," I answered, sighing. "I don't even know if Gunner was telling the truth."

"If Piopus did know what Trafford was doing, do you think he would be okay with it? And if he did not know, how would he react? He could be the key to taking him down."

"I don't even know where Piopus is."

Greenspring leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "What to do, what to do." He shook his head and then looked at me. "Maybe… We should do what we should have done as soon as we got here."

"What? Kill Trafford?"

Greenspring nodded. "It would solve most of our problems."

"Then you'd be wanted for murder, and I would still be wanted by the king and queen. Even if that was an option, you don't think he's considered that we'd want him dead?"

There was a knock on the door. Greenspring and I froze. There came another knock, and then another five seconds later. We both relaxed as Greenspring stood up to open the door. It was locked from the inside. Since we were hiding from the law, we came up with a signal so we would know it was someone we trusted.

Standing on the other side, with a massive stack of papers in her hands, was Valna. Dark bags hung under her eyes, her skin was paler than usual. Even though she was wearing loose robes, it seemed like she'd lost a bit of weight. I knew she was having trouble dealing with everything, but I hadn't realized how much it had affected her.

She gave me a weak smile as she stepped into the room. "So I was going over some old laws and I think I found a way to help you."

I grinned. "Let me hear it."

Placing the stack of papers down on a nearby box, she said, "Okay, it's a bit tricky but there are ways to get a pardon without the royal seal. All we have to do is perform an official church miracle."

I raised an eyebrow. "Will King Eero and Queen Hilde accept that?"

"They have to. Trafford set up the Lawmaker's Assembly as the official judicial system of Adelbern. Our religious rites supersede those of the monarchy. I think…" Her voice trailed off as she searched through her stack of papers. "Yes, here it is. It was Advocate Despoina who came up with that ruling." She handed me a confusing legal document that I didn't bother trying to understand.

"So how is this ritual performed?" asked Greenspring.

Valna sighed. "That's what I don't know. The ritual is referenced often in our oldest records, but the specifics of how to perform it are lost to time. Buried with the old Adherent, if I had to guess."

I stared at the stack of papers Valna brought in. Something scratched at the back of my mind, something I'd forgotten about. A memory that I had filed away for later. Shrugging, I looked over at Greenspring. He had an excited look in his eyes.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Do you remember the box and scroll you recovered from Richard's office?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they should still be up in my room."

Greenspring smiled at Valna. "Could you bring them here? I believe I can finish translating the scroll now."

With renewed energy, Valna nodded. "Of course!" She sprang up and ran out the door. Only pausing briefly to make sure the door was closed.

Once she was gone, Greenspring went through the pile of papers and sorted them on the floor. "Some of the ancient text made no sense when translated, but that is because I was going about it the wrong way. You see, that scroll you found is written much like these documents here."

"Is it some kind of law?"

He shook his head. "No, it is the interpretation of a law. A legal ruling. If I am correct, it is a court report detailing the first known use of the ritual."

Valna burst into the room, carrying the box and scroll as carefully as she could. Handing them to Greenspring, she sat down on the floor. Together, the two of them worked to untangle the complicated legal jargon. I stood up and locked the door. We were still in danger of being discovered.

After an hour, they'd done it. Greenspring held up the translated scroll and passed it to Valna. She scanned the document carefully, pausing here and there to make quick corrections. I checked on Beth and Zadona. They were still asleep. Nia was still upstairs making sure the guards didn't storm the manor.

Valna rubbed her eyes and yawned. "The head of the Lawmaker's Assembly, that's me, has to publicly ask the goddess to forgive your crimes. If she does, then you're all free."

"That's all?" I asked, a bit skeptical about the whole thing. "And what if she doesn't forgive us?"

"Then… Let's not worry about that," said Valna, setting the scroll to the side.

I stepped closer to her, causing her to recoil back. "What happens if she says no?"

"Nothing bad, I promise! But… Because the ritual must be public, I'll be marking myself as your ally. Privately, I already am, of course. And there are some rumors, but only amongst the nobility. Once the public knows, if Trafford wanted to, he could use his connections in the church to pick another Adherent."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"You don't think he'll do that anyway?" I asked. "I mean, we haven't tried to hide the fact that we've been working together."

Greenspring placed his hand on my shoulder, gripping it firmly. "Thank you for your help, Valna. We appreciate everything you have done for us. You should go get some rest while Norman and I figure out the next steps we should take."

Valna's eyes flicked between the two of us. "Are you sure? I feel fine. Plus, we still have the box to—"

"It would make me very happy if you got some rest," I said, flashing Valna a perfect smile. At least as perfect as I could manage.

It seemed to work, as she nodded slowly and turned back toward the door. "Okay, but Norman?"

"Yes?"

"When all this is done, I want a performance," she said. Then she quickly added, "For the whole church."

I playfully smacked my mandolin. "You got it boss."

With that, Valna yawned and headed back upstairs. Greenspring was the first to speak. "Trafford is going to come here. We have evaded his gaze for too long."

"I know."

"We need to make a decision. Either we kill Trafford, making sure that he can not hurt us anymore, or we leave and hope he does not find us."

I rubbed my neck. "I know."

"Valna has the right spirit, but she can only do so much."

After a few minutes of silence, I said, "I want to do the ritual."

"If things go wrong, she could lose her job, her faith."

I nodded, avoiding looking at the older druid. "If we kill Trafford, her religion dies from lack of funding. If we stop him, her religion still dies. If we leave, she'll be replaced. If we do nothing, she'll be replaced. No matter what we do, she loses. I can't make that decision for her. So let's go with her plan."

"Are you afraid?" asked Greenspring.

"Yes, but a good bard listens to the crowd, his fans. That's what Piopus taught me. Even if he wasn't as great as I thought, he still taught me everything I know. If Valna thinks the ritual will work, who am I to doubt her?"

"Then tonight, we must pray to the goddess and ask for her forgiveness." Greenspring grabbed his staff and headed toward the door. "Be humble, my friend, for tonight you will be judged."

Be humble… What was humility to a bard? Bards are not humble. They preach to the world, begging for fame and fortune. Roaming hordes of fanatics travel the world for the chance to glimpse upon the famous. One who desires that, how could they be humble?

In my family, only Beth made any effort to pray to the gods. Her favorites were the Three Brothers: Hehause, god of the home; Lanstum, god of the harvest; and Undemilie, god of the family. Sure, in Orten I had wanted to give some tribute to Panacea, but that's because I was afraid. Even now, I doubted I could hide my fear. Would the goddess know? Would she know that I wasn't praying to her out of faith, but out of fear?

Getting on my knees, I folded my hands and closed my eyes. I didn't know how to pray. All I could do was mimic what I had seen others do. Songs were what I memorized, not prayers. Not church rituals, or dogma. Nor hymns and psalms. That was the clergy's job, not the job of a simple farmer, a bard.

"Charisse, oh goddess of the… No, that's stupid."

Be humble…

"My name is Norman Benson. Your chosen prophet, Valna of Adelbern, is going to ask for your forgiveness on my behalf. I won't lie to you, I broke the law. My wife, Beth, and my friend, Zadona Meyer, did so as well. We broke into the royal dungeon fully knowing the crime we were committing.

"I'm not apologizing for what I've done. To save the people around me, the people I care about, I had to break into the dungeons. I had to speak with Gunner, former king of the harska. I had to… had to… The death of Despoina was my fault. I cannot apologize enough for that.

"But your prophet is suffering. Did you know that the real leader of your church is a sunset elf by the name of Trafford? If you care at all about your church, about Valna, you'll help us take out Trafford. Forgive us publicly. If not…Then your faith will continue to be led by a false prophet."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Zadona.

While I was busy praying, Beth and Zadona had woken up. I quickly explained my previous conversations with Valna and Greenspring. They listened, but I could tell they were still half asleep. Especially Beth. She seemed to be in another world.

When I finished talking, Beth bit her lip and nervously played with the tips of her hair. "Norman, when you were under the Sapphire Mountains, did you know you were going to come home?"

"I hoped I would."

"I… Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever see our kids again."

I stood up and grabbed her hands. "We will."

"Our fate is in the hands of the gods," said Beth, staring past me. "How can you be sure?"

I looked at Zadona, hoping for her support, but the sad look on her face told me that she didn't have any answers for me. It was up to me to be strong for my family. "Even if the goddess says we are guilty, even if Trafford brings the whole city down on us, I'll bring us home."

Beth nodded, but it was obvious she still had her doubts. I had my doubts. Sure, there were plenty of ways I could get us home, but they all came with sacrifices. Our freedom, our friends, our sanity. The safe path to getting home was unclear. All I knew was that I had made it home once before. It took trust then, so I decided to trust now.

The next day, Valna began the ritual. She publicly announced her intent to ask the goddess to pardon us. People gathered around the cathedral, eager to hear the word of a god. Using illusion magic, I was able to hide at the back of the crowd. No one even gave me a second glance.

Valna, Richard, and the king and queen stood on a makeshift platform in front of the cathedral. Valna was dressed in her finest robes, shimmering like a golden statue above the drab crowd. Richard also shined, though he didn't compare to Valna. Both of their eyes were covered, a symbol of their duty to justice.

King Eero Blackhorn: he had long blonde hair and pale skin. He was dressed in white bear furs, woven together like armor. On his head was a golden crown topped with emeralds. Once he stepped forward, I could see he had a trimmed beard. Compared to Valna, who was fairly tall, the king was huge. It was as if his entire body was made of muscles. If Thrig was a hill, then King Blackhorn was a mountain.

Queen Hilde Blackhorn stood next to her husband. The queen looked so much like Nia it was shocking. Besides the scars that Nia had, and the signs of age the queen had, they could have been twins. She wore a similar outfit to her husband, though her crown was silver and slimmer. Compared to Nia, the queen was a fair bit smaller, less built, though still bigger than me.

I didn't know what had driven Nia away from her family. I suspected it had something to do with her brother, but I didn't know for sure. The fact that they were working with Trafford was enough to make me dislike them. Still, they looked too similar to Nia for me to truly hate them. It was possible they were victims too. That was a comforting thought.

But there was another guest, one that I had expected but never really considered. He stood in the shadows with his faithful guard Thrig by his side. Even in the dark, his eyes shined like white beacons of light. I gulped as he stepped onto the platform next to the king. On his back was a mandolin similar to mine, though his was painted red.

Trafford showed his hand.

"What a wonderful turn out, Adherent Valna," he said, his voice carrying over the now silent crowd.

"Lord Trafford, what brings you here?" asked Valna. She acted surprised, but it was clear it was only an act.

"I wouldn't dream of missing one of the goddess' judgments. Especially after it was lost to time. Wouldn't you agree, Your Majesty?"

King Eero grunted. "This is a waste of time."

Trafford nodded rapidly. "Oh, I agree. Those interlopers trespassed into your dungeons. Even the Adherent recognizes that as fact. What use is there in asking for a pardon? After all, if they were so eager to go there once, surely they'll be delighted to visit once again?"

The crowd laughed. Joy never crossed the king's face. He stayed stoic. "What do you think, councilman? Should we continue with the ritual?"

"If I may, Your Majesty," said Valna, stepping closer to the king. "The Lawmaker's Assembly has the right to sentence or pardon criminals. If you're going to ask anyone that question, it would be us." She gestured to a nearby Advocate Richard, who nervously nodded in agreement.

"The Lawmaker's Assembly only holds power because I deem it so," said King Eero.

"Charisse gives our words power," said Valna.

"Perhaps the Adherent forgets her place," said Trafford, venom dripping from his voice.

"We make the laws, and we enforce them," replied Valna, glaring at Trafford.

"My Adherent," said Richard, stepping between them. "Perhaps we should listen to the king."

"We obey only the goddess."

"So it is treason then? How disappointing," said Trafford.

The crowd murmured amongst itself. People were quickly picking sides, either choosing to side with the church or with their king. I wanted to speak up for Valna, but I knew that wouldn't help. I had committed the crime, I was a criminal. My opinion on the matter wasn't important.

As I tried to think of a solution, I heard a heavy sigh from behind me. "I was hoping I didn't have to do this."

The air was cut by a heavy two-headed axe flying through the air. It landed on the stage, reflecting the sunlight off its polished metal surface. Everyone gasped, then held their breath as another figure took the stage. Nia picked up the axe. Her otter pendant hung from her neck, its eyes seeming to glow in the sunlight. Trafford locked eyes with the pendant and scowled. She glared at her parents, then turned to address the crowd.

"I am Nia Erna Beau Blackhorn, Princess of Denning. First daughter of Eero the Fourth and Hilde the Pacifier. Heir to the throne. Look upon me and see the truth. By my will, blessed by the gods', we will hear the goddess' judgment."