Sanctuary

The identity of the benefactor remained a mystery to Hytanthas, but he had made another discovery he considered of such importance that he had prematurely aborted his mission and returned to Khurinost. The discovery concerned one of Sahim-Khan’s hired sorcerers.

The Khan had a variety of mages willing to do his bidding. One in particular rumored to be a rogue wizard, was a secretive fellow about whom little was known.

“The very few who’ve seen him in the streets say he’s rather nondescript. He wears ragged, heavy brown robes and walks with a limp. His name is Faeterus,” Hytanthas said. “I believe he is an elf.”

This statement left the Speaker and his advisors speechless for several seconds. Lord Morillon recovered first.

“What is the basis for this wild speculation?” he demanded.

The haughty tone annoyed the captain. “It isn’t speculation. Well, not entirely.”

Hytanthas admitted there were a great many stories about Faeterus. Gossip was rife about his antecedents, and the “experiments” he was said to conduct in his secret abode, and it was never said aloud that he was anything other than a human. However, one city-dweller, ancient by Khurish standards as he was more than eighty years old, had confided to Hytanthas his theory that the sorcerer was laddad.

“According to this human, Faeterus has been in the city since before he himself was born.” Lord Morillon opened his mouth to protest, and Hytanthas rushed on. “The mind of this old human is still sharp and clear. The other Khurs are dismissive of him, but I found him extremely persuasive.”

The name Faeterus was unknown to any in the room. Hamaramis noted it could be an assumed name, perhaps a corruption of the mage’s true identity. The closest Silvanesti equivalent would be Faetheralas, and in Qualinesti, Fanterus.

“Could this sorcerer be the benefactor of the Torghanists?” asked the Speaker.

Hytanthas did not know, but all agreed that an elf who had so turned his back on his Own kind that he could hire his services out to a tyrant like Sahim-Khan certainly was capable of anything.

“Make inquiries,” the Speaker ordered. “Someone, somewhere, knows this Faeterus.”

Planchet brought up the Nerakan emissary who had been seen skulking about the Khuri yl Nor. He asked Lord Morillon, who had been to the palace more often than anyone else, to describe the human in detail. As a lifelong courtier, the Silvanesti didn’t miss much in his own milieu.

When Morillon finished, Planchet stood frowning, gnawing his lower lip in thought. Gilthas prompted him to speak.

“There was a man, a Nerakan, a vassal of that wretch Redlance,” Planchet finally said. “He was dark, as you say, and had a very rough voice. It’s been years since I thought of him, but I believe his name may have been Hengriff.”

During the fight for Qualinesti liberty, a special group of Nerakan Knights was formed to track down the Lioness. Their leader, Lord Liveskill, stood high in the councils of Morham Targonne, master of the order. Liveskill left the dirty work of hunting the Lioness to a hardened warrior named Vytrad Redlance, who led a band of ninety-nine Knights. Their paths crossed Kerianseray’s three times. The last time, Vytrad perished fighting her in single combat. Only a dozen or so Knights of this special band had survived, and they never returned to hunt the Lioness again. Given Targonne’s lack of patience with failure, the remnants of Liveskill’s band might easily have been dispatched on the least pleasant duties the Order could arrange-such as emissary to the desert wastes of Khur.

Vytrad’s second-in-command at the time of his death was a brawny, bull-voiced fellow who chose to preserve his men rather than let them die trying to save the fanatical Red. lance. Fighting his way out of the trap that cost Vytrad his life, Hengriff single-handedly killed four of the Lioness’s best warriors. When he rode away with the survivors of Vytrad’s command, Kerian was only too willing to let them go.

“So who is directing the Torghanists, Neraka or the renegade wizard?” Morillon wondered.

The Speaker shrugged. “In either case, we can’t allow treachery to undermine our place here. Peace and goodwill are vital for our survival.”

“Sahim-Khan is no friend of the sect of Torghan-worshipers, sire. If they challenge his authority, he will stamp them out most ruthlessly,” Morillon said.

“Unless their efforts are part of some deeper intrigue between the Khan and the Knights,” Planchet said. “He may be using them against the Knights-or perhaps the Knights are using the Torghanists against the Khan.”

Hytanthas shook his bead. “What murky times we live in.”

“Every time is murky when you’re in the midst of it,” said Gilthas, smiling faintly. “In any event, the ‘benefactor’ of the Torghanists must be identified. So must the Khan’s rogue mage.”

What they would do with this knowledge once they had it was something the Speaker preferred not to worry about just now. For the moment, they would concentrate on uncovering their enemies.