Aglanthol 1 - The Legend of Khaalindaan - 13. Chapter 13

Neldor looked up and their eyes met. The wizard straightened in his chair.

"I studied the ancient history records right after you had left," Neldor started. "Nothing indicated that the thousands years were over next year in spring. I had guessed that from a date that I had read in a report on Vlamin’s coronation. Vlamin was the first crowned leader of the Aglanthol. He was made king in spring. I had guessed his coronation had taken place right after the Aglanthol had defeated the Bre. The Bre were their last serious enemies. But I found no evidence in the records that Vlamin was made king right after the battle. A fatal error of mine. You can imagine how I felt when I found out about it. I had sent you away with a bunch of false information. I felt inclined to leave the very night. But I told myself to not make another mistake. I studied the legends again."

Qildor gave him a nod. He sat with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Neldor pointed at Gwyn’s map.

"The map," he said. "I came here today and I was looking for you. A neighbour told me that a friend of yours had asked him for snow shoes. He said that the old woman Gwyn had disappeared and that the man was going to look for her. I instantly knew that something was wrong. I went to Gwyn’s house. It was empty. I found this map on the table."

Neldor and Qildor looked at Gwyn’s map.

"A long story," Qildor said. "We asked her to tell us of the legends she knew of. She suddenly remembered that she had hidden a mysterious map. An ancestor got it from a Khalindash man many centuries ago."

Neldor nodded.

"The map shows another continent. I studied the old scripts. But I found little evidence that foreigners had crossed the ocean and had intruded our country. Nothing is mentioned in the historical records. Only a few legends and folk tales allude to it," he said.

"The legend of Murdock," Qildor replied.

Neldor nodded.

"And an older tale that says that foreigners intruded the country and built the ancient town," he said.

"They were killed by the plague," Qildor replied.

Neldor gave him a surprised look.

"You have heard of it?" he asked.

"Gwyn told us," Qildor said. "She knew of the legend."

"Legends," Neldor replied. "Like the legend of Khaalindaan. We now know that it is true. We have found the secret place."

"I thought the wise men knew of the place?" Qildor asked drily. He was still feeling suspicious.

Neldor shrugged.

"I have not found much about it in the scripts. Norlorn’s successors perhaps knew where to find the place. But this knowledge fell into oblivion. I have only found one parchment that clearly alluded to the secret place," he said.

"The map," Qildor said in a sober voice.

"Right. Mine is different from Gwyn’s, by the way," Neldor replied.

"In what respect?" Qildor asked. His eyes rested on the wizard’s face.

"Mine has an additional spot," Neldor said. "It indicates the secret place," he said.

Qildor gazed at Neldor pensively.

"Where did you find the map?" he asked finally.

"It doesn’t matter," Neldor said. "I knew exactly where to find Norlorn’s sword. I was mistaken with the date, however. The place became visible to the eyes a short while ago. That’s why I hurried here at once."

"You wanted to retrieve the sword," Qildor said in a sober voice as if stating a fact.

"Not exactly," Neldor said drily.

They exchanged a long look.

"You said you absorbed Khaalindaan’s energy," Qildor said finally.

"I did," Neldor replied.

He looked into the room for a while. Qildor watched him suspiciously. Neldor turned his eyes back to him. Qildor shot him a dark look.

"It’s not what you are thinking," Neldor said calmly. "Like I said, I had a reason for coming here in time."

The wizard smiled mysteriously. Qildor felt appalled by it.

"Khaalindaan’s energy was aiming at Aglanthol’s destruction. The energy would have killed you and Magath. It would have killed Dran, too. The man was too weak a host for Khaalindaan’s energy. Gwyn would have absorbed the energy. But she would have paid for it with her life," Neldor said. "I was the only one who was able to stop him."

"And you were able to see what was coming. You hurried here in order to save our lives," Qildor said drily. "I can barely believe you made it in time."

He felt disgusted by the wizard’s words. The wizard was praising himself.

Neldor just looked at him.

"I hurried here, in fact. Believe it or not," he said. "Imagine a tree struck by lightning. I channelled the energy through my body into the ground. The ground absorbed it. Now it has vanished," Neldor said calmly.

Qildor stared at the man.

"How did you know how to do it?’ he asked.

Neldor shrugged.

"I studied old scripts," he simply said.

Qildor gazed at the wizard. Neldor apparently hid the truth from him.

"What about the Khalindash?" Qildor asked in a grim voice. "Do they have a powerful leader? Do they come back in spring and attack Aglanthol more forcefully? I need to report to the king."

"This is up to you to find out," Neldor replied. You are a royal soldier. You were sent here to investigate."

Qildor gave Neldor a dark look. He trusted his gut feeling. The wizard was hiding something from him. He was about to ask another question, when they were interrupted by Magath who entered the house with blankets in his hands.

Neldor rose to his feet.

"I will attend to Gwyn and the man. Come here again tomorrow and then take the sleeping man to your house," he said to Magath.

Magath nodded. He handed the blankets to Neldor and the wizard moved to Gwyn’s bed. Magath looked after him, and then turned around and left the house again. Qildor followed him.

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