Aglanthol 1 - The Legend of Khaalindaan - 17. Chapter 17

They left the following morning and rode on silently. They were lingering on their thoughts. There was not much left to say anyway.

They reached the edge of the Western Mountains ten days later. They moved slowly and rode one after the other. They followed a narrow path that led up the mountains. Luckily, the ground was hard and dry as it had not rained for a couple of days. The days were warm, but the nights were cold. They spent the night in a cave they had found on the way. They wrapped themselves in several blankets, but the night was uncomfortable and they rode on as soon as the sun had risen. The path grew more and more impassable.

And then, finally, they spotted the castle. It was half built in the rocks. The path had almost disappeared meanwhile and only the trained eye of a scout could make it out. They dismounted and went by foot, leading their horses. They arrived at the castle in the afternoon and stopped in front of a small door. Qildor knocked at it. But there was no response. They looked up the walls of the building. There were only two tiny windows. Each opening was covered by a cloth. The castle looked deserted.

~~**~~

The Castle of Saelethiel was high up in the Western Mountains. It was built in the rocks and only a keen eye could see it from afar. The castle had been built in ancient times by the early inhabitants of the land. The first powerful magicians had initiated the construction. The castle had been the centre of knowledge and wisdom from that time on. But only the wisest of men knew of its existence.

The most gifted and talented magicians completed their education in the Castle of Saelethiel. They left the castle as immensely skilled and powerful wizards. The magicians kept the secret for many centuries. An average man was not able to find the castle. He would not have seen it even if he stood right in front of the building because the castle was not only built high up in the mountains; it was also protected by mighty wards. No unworthy man had ever entered the castle.

Inside the building were many rooms and chambers with all sorts of magical tools and equipment. There was also a large library and a few smaller rooms with plenty of books on every aspect of magic. The wizards and magicians had written down their knowledge over the centuries. The Castle of Saelethiel had become a powerful centre of magic. Many aspiring magicians had visited it over time to complete their training.

A few magicians and wise men lived in the castle constantly. They guarded the castle, the magical tools, and the books.

~~**~~

"Deserted," Qildor said in a disappointed voice.

"I don’t think so," Neldor replied. "The castle has existed for centuries. A few men always live there. It is a secret place. You can’t expect them to open the door to just anyone who knocks at it."

Qildor gazed up the walls again. He did not reply. He was wondering what to do. He thought of breaking into the castle. He had not come here to just gaze up a wall. Neldor raised his hand. Qildor gave him a questioning look.

"Haven’t you heard?" the wizard hissed.

Neldor knocked at the door and then he listened carefully. There was a knock on the other side of the door, yet nobody opened the door. Neldor narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. The wizard was thinking.

"The code," he said suddenly. "I remember now. I need to knock in a specific way."

Qildor cast him a look. Neldor ignored him. He stood motionless and focused on the day when he had arrived at the castle in company of his master. The memories returned and finally Neldor saw the images clearly. He watched his master walk up to the door. What had he done? Neldor concentrated. And then he heard the knocks at the door. Neldor recognized the pattern. He blinked and looked at Qildor slightly confused for a moment until his mind had entirely come back from the past. Then he knocked at the door like his master had done. The door opened instantly. A very old man stood in the doorway.

"Welcome, wanderers," he said.

"Good day," Neldor replied. "It was not easy to come here."

The old man smiled and made a gesture with his hand. He turned around and moved back inside. Neldor and Qildor followed him. The door was closed behind them. Qildor glanced back, but he did not see anybody. The guard, or whoever it was, was perfectly hiding in the shadows. Neldor paid no attention to it. He followed the man eagerly.

"What about the horses?" Qildor asked as they moved along the dark and mouldy corridor.

"Someone will see to them," the old man said without looking back.

He turned around a corner. They reached a staircase and the old man ascended the steep stairs. It was even darker there than in the corridor. A torch shed a faint light from the top of the stairs. Their guide moved quickly. Neldor and Qildor hurried to follow him. They reached the end of the staircase and entered a hall. Only a torch illuminated the room. The air was stifling and they were barely able to breathe. Qildor coughed. He felt uncomfortable. Neldor, however, seemed not to care. Excitement radiated from the old wizard.

"Welcome, wanderers," their guide said again. "What is it that brought you here?"

"A quest," Neldor said.

Qildor remained silent. His gut feeling told him to not interfere.

"Many are on a quest," their guide said, "but only few reach the end of it and find what they are looking for."

"My quest started here, although I did not know this when I came here with my master so many years ago. I was a young man then, eager to learn and find out about all the secrets of the world," Neldor said.

"And you still have not found what you are looking for?" their guide asked.

"No, I have not. And I do not regret. What would I have done with my life if I had found it all too soon," Neldor said.

Their guide chuckled.

"I doubt you will ever find the ultimate answer. I have also studied for many decades. But each time I found one question answered, ten new questions arose," he said.

"It is a never-ending task," Neldor agreed cheerfully. "I have only little time left. I will die as an old man who is not much wiser than the young man was when he started his quest. And yet, I came here to find another answer."

"You hope to find it here?" their guide asked.

"I could have found the answer back then when I visited the castle so many years ago. But, unfortunately, I did not ask the appropriate question," Neldor replied.

There was silence for a while.

"If you had found the answer without asking for it, it would have been useless for you," their guide said.

"In fact," Neldor replied. "Like the key that the master of the library gave to me. I kept it in a hidden place for all these years. I found it only recently and it spoke to me."

"The key," their guide said thoughtfully.

And then suddenly light fell from outside into the hall. The old man had removed the cloth from the window. Light illuminated the room. Neldor and Qildor looked around. The floor and the walls of the hall were made of rock. The hall was empty. Their guide looked at them.

"Then light shall enlighten the darkness," the old man said. He studied them.

"The master of the library, who gave you the key, died three decades ago," he continued. "But I know of the key that he gave away to a young man. He said that once the time was right that man would return to the castle in order to find an answer. Master Odegar was a wise man. He had a trained eye. He was able to see through a man. He was able to see a man’s ultimate goal."

Silence fell. Qildor did not dare to move. The two old men impressed him and it dawned on him that a true wizard was not an imposter but a man who explored the most hidden places and who walked the most impassable paths of life.

The two old men looked at each other.

"My name is Leandor. I will show you to the secret chamber," Leandor said to Neldor. "But I fear your companion must stay outside."

Neldor nodded his agreement. Qildor was not even asked his opinion.

"I will be back in a minute," Leandor said to Qildor before he led Neldor out of the hall.

~~**~~