in his eyes that he had the
answer, but he was unsure of himself. “It’s the only place where gods and demons meet?”
“Yes. But it’s more. It’s the only place
where gods , demons, and mortals meet. And too, there is also
a special significance to mortal existence, for we mortals are the
only beings that have within us the power to walk beyond our own
plane of existence. It is possible for us to walk the highest
levels of the Celestial Plane , and the lowest levels of the Nether Plane . It takes great power to do so, enormous power,
and the further one ventures the more power that is required, so
much so that there are few alive today who can venture even one
level out of the Mortal Plane. And yet, the ability to walk all
levels is inherent within all of us, as it is forever forbidden to gods and demons.”
She looked closely at Morgin, a little boy
who wanted desperately to understand, and within her something old
and arcane made her speak. “Someday you will walk the netherworld,”
she said to him. “I can sense that within you. I do not know how
far you will venture, nor for how long, but beware, for the
netherworld is a trap for those who are ignorant. And if you are
caught, you will suffer its Hells for all eternity.”
Chapter 4: To Glimpse the Man
“Hurry, Morgin,” JohnEngine shouted. “We
mustn’t be late.”
“I’m hurrying,” Morgin shouted back,
frantically tying the laces of his jerkin. “Go on without me.”
“I’ll wait,” JohnEngine said. “But hurry.”
He returned to his cot, sat down to wait, and but for the two of
them the boy’s dormitory was empty.
With his jerkin laced, Morgin sat on his cot
to pull on his boots. They were working boots, steel shod, with
heavy soles and thick leather about the toes. Roland had paid a
high price for such fine craftsmanship, and Morgin was proud of his
new boots, presented to him on his twelfth birthday only the month
before. Actually it had been JohnEngine’s birthday, and JohnEngine
had received a pair of boots of his own. But since no one knew
Morgin’s birthday, and the two boys were of an age and were
inseparable, they were treated as twins.
Morgin jumped to his feet. “I’m ready. Let’s
go.”
They rushed out of the dormitory, down a
long flight of stairs and onto the main floor of the castle. They
cut through the kitchen, out a side entrance, then through a narrow
gap between two buildings. Bursting into the main castle yard, they
crossed it at a sprint and joined a small cluster of boys seated on
the ground there.
Breathless, and seated among their fellows,
JohnEngine leaned toward one and asked, “Are we late,
Dannasul?”
“No,” Dannasul said. “What kept you?”
Morgin answered. “Mother kept me at my
lessons.”
Dannasul gave a knowing nod. Everyone knew
that the Lady AnnaRail gave Morgin special tutoring. It was no
secret that Morgin could barely read and write, so they all assumed
he was slow. They didn’t know that the tutoring was in the arts of
magic, nor would they have guessed, since such training was not
normally begun until manhood was attained at the age of twelve. And
Morgin, who considered his magic a sickness to be kept quiet, was
not going to be the one to enlighten them.
“Hush,” someone said. “Here they come.”
Old Beckett, the weapons master, approached
from across the practice yard. He was followed by Brandon, DaNoel,
a tall stranger, and many of the older boys. The old man stopped
several paces away and said, “Stand. And form a straight line in
front of me here.”
The younger boys rushed to comply. Beckett
grumbled some then continued, “Now. You boys are here because you
have reached, or will soon reach, your manhood. As
men . . .” he looked aside with a sly grin, letting
it be known that he considered them men only by clan law,
“. . . you’ll no longer practice with wooden swords.
This year you’ll use steel, dull and pointless steel, but steel
nevertheless.
answer, but he was unsure of himself. “It’s the only place where gods and demons meet?”
“Yes. But it’s more. It’s the only place
where gods , demons, and mortals meet. And too, there is also
a special significance to mortal existence, for we mortals are the
only beings that have within us the power to walk beyond our own
plane of existence. It is possible for us to walk the highest
levels of the Celestial Plane , and the lowest levels of the Nether Plane . It takes great power to do so, enormous power,
and the further one ventures the more power that is required, so
much so that there are few alive today who can venture even one
level out of the Mortal Plane. And yet, the ability to walk all
levels is inherent within all of us, as it is forever forbidden to gods and demons.”
She looked closely at Morgin, a little boy
who wanted desperately to understand, and within her something old
and arcane made her speak. “Someday you will walk the netherworld,”
she said to him. “I can sense that within you. I do not know how
far you will venture, nor for how long, but beware, for the
netherworld is a trap for those who are ignorant. And if you are
caught, you will suffer its Hells for all eternity.”
Chapter 4: To Glimpse the Man
“Hurry, Morgin,” JohnEngine shouted. “We
mustn’t be late.”
“I’m hurrying,” Morgin shouted back,
frantically tying the laces of his jerkin. “Go on without me.”
“I’ll wait,” JohnEngine said. “But hurry.”
He returned to his cot, sat down to wait, and but for the two of
them the boy’s dormitory was empty.
With his jerkin laced, Morgin sat on his cot
to pull on his boots. They were working boots, steel shod, with
heavy soles and thick leather about the toes. Roland had paid a
high price for such fine craftsmanship, and Morgin was proud of his
new boots, presented to him on his twelfth birthday only the month
before. Actually it had been JohnEngine’s birthday, and JohnEngine
had received a pair of boots of his own. But since no one knew
Morgin’s birthday, and the two boys were of an age and were
inseparable, they were treated as twins.
Morgin jumped to his feet. “I’m ready. Let’s
go.”
They rushed out of the dormitory, down a
long flight of stairs and onto the main floor of the castle. They
cut through the kitchen, out a side entrance, then through a narrow
gap between two buildings. Bursting into the main castle yard, they
crossed it at a sprint and joined a small cluster of boys seated on
the ground there.
Breathless, and seated among their fellows,
JohnEngine leaned toward one and asked, “Are we late,
Dannasul?”
“No,” Dannasul said. “What kept you?”
Morgin answered. “Mother kept me at my
lessons.”
Dannasul gave a knowing nod. Everyone knew
that the Lady AnnaRail gave Morgin special tutoring. It was no
secret that Morgin could barely read and write, so they all assumed
he was slow. They didn’t know that the tutoring was in the arts of
magic, nor would they have guessed, since such training was not
normally begun until manhood was attained at the age of twelve. And
Morgin, who considered his magic a sickness to be kept quiet, was
not going to be the one to enlighten them.
“Hush,” someone said. “Here they come.”
Old Beckett, the weapons master, approached
from across the practice yard. He was followed by Brandon, DaNoel,
a tall stranger, and many of the older boys. The old man stopped
several paces away and said, “Stand. And form a straight line in
front of me here.”
The younger boys rushed to comply. Beckett
grumbled some then continued, “Now. You boys are here because you
have reached, or will soon reach, your manhood. As
men . . .” he looked aside with a sly grin, letting
it be known that he considered them men only by clan law,
“. . . you’ll no longer practice with wooden swords.
This year you’ll use steel, dull and pointless steel, but steel
nevertheless.
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