Tak

Khalkedon - Part 6

     The audience chamber was large and splendid, with marble pillars along the walls framing tapestries depicting fabulous, mythical creatures. The floor was made of slabs of polished stone, worn in places so that the paths trod by ministers and retainers over the centuries could be plainly seen. The ceiling arched high over Tak's head as he and Gal-Gowan hesitated in the doorway, waiting for the signal that they were free to enter.

     One thing that struck Tak immediately, though, was that the huge room had no windows. All the light was provided by a number of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, each crystal of which glowed with a pure white light. Tak had never imagined that a room above ground level would be deliberately cut off from the air and light of the outside world and he wondered why the King would want things this way. Was he afraid of attack, perhaps? Molos Gomm had shown him images of warfare in his crystal ball, and he remembered seeing warriors mounted on winged horses shooting arrows at people on the ground. He supposed that an enemy flying into the city could, in theory, attack the King through an open window, but surely there were guards posted to prevent such a thing. A whole army of them. Maybe the King just doesn't like sunlight, the wizard thought dubiously.

     The King was sitting on a glorious golden throne at the far end of the chamber and was talking to a man in the dark robes of a minister, probably taking care of a small bit of last minute business. The King was wearing some kind of golden mask in the shape of a handsome man's face. A face with a high, noble forehead topped by a generous mop of curly hair.

     He must have ruined his face, Tak thought, jumping straight to the conclusion. He's a wizard, a spell must have backfired on him. He knew all about backfiring spells. Molos Gomm had taken great delight in filling his head with horror stories of what happened when a spell wasn't cast right, if a word was mispronounced or a component wrongly prepared. Now that Tak came to notice it, no part of the King's body was visible. He wore white gloves on his hands and his arms and legs were covered by hanging folds of cloth. Must have been a terrible accident, he thought in horror. He was half right. It had been no accident.

     The King dismissed the minister, if that was what he was, and looked up, apparently seeing the two wizards for the first time, although neither of them had any doubt that he'd been aware of them all along. He gave a hand signal to the doorkeeper, who announced them with great ceremony and dignity. "Wizard Lord Gal Gowan of Gythlum. Prince of Yarlok. Defender of the Realm. Keeper of the King's Peace. And Wizard Tak Eweela of Nagra. Honoured guest and Holder of the King's Favour."

     Now, for the first time, Tak began to feel the first stirrings of doubt. Gal-Gowan was the King's apprentice. Was he really announced with ceremony and formality every time he went to see his teacher? Or was the King making a deliberate attempt to impress him? And if so, why? The events of this and the previous day began to take on a new meaning in his mind. What had he done to deserve this kind of heroic treatment? Suddenly suspicious, he kept a wary eye on the King as Gal-Gowan led him across the floor to stand before him.

     They stopped a dozen feet from him and Tak was suddenly aware of how cold the chamber was. Goosebumps stood out on his arms and legs and his breath billowed in frosty clouds in front of him. He found himself shivering, and not just because of the low temperature. Suddenly he was very afraid, and his fear was made all the worse by the fact that he had no idea what was causing it. All he knew was that a basic part of him, way down inside, wanted him to get the hell out of there. Right now!

     He held himself under control, though, as the King looked him over, and Tak noticed something new. The mask had no eye holes. How was the King seeing him? Maybe he was blind, and yet everything in his bearing suggested that he could see the young wizard very well. Far better, in fact, than Tak was comfortable with.