View source for Chapter Seven - The Book of the Dead

'''Title: Chapter Seven - The Book of the Dead '''

'''Author: The Amanuensis '''


In the days after, 
Lord Tanthazarus 
would speak very 
little of his 
whereabouts or his 
practices.  He was the 
Traitor, and all must 
believe it to be true, 
most of all, Silvaria.  
He could trust no one, 
for he knew that 
there were those who 
had long ago been 
purchased by the 
Drow, and should 
word reach them that 
he had played Silvaria 
for the fool... He 
knew he would be 
tortured like no man 
before him.


However, it pained 
him greatly to see his 
Brethren.  Their eyes 
darkened when they 
saw him.  They 
wanted desperately to 
kill him again, yet 
Sovereign forbade it.  
This was his 
punishment for the 
crime committed: to 
live in exile, not 
sentenced to death.  
Death was never 
permanent.  Being 
marked as an Outcast, 
however, could be.


Tanthazarus had to let 
them know.  He had to 
leave them a clue.  He 
could not stand another 
moment of them 
depising him for the 
ploy he concocted.  
Tanthazarus had 
performed the 
ultimate of sacrifices: 
He had died so that the 
Brethren of Light 
might turn the tide 
against the wretched 
Drow.  Then he 
sacrificed his own 
heart and spirit by 
allowing them to 
banish him in their 
hot-blooded hatred.  
Two deaths at once.  
Surely a feat that none 
other would care, or 
dare, to suffer.


He pulled out some 
rather shoddy 
manuscripts.  They 
were ancient 
translation tools he 
had stumbled upon, 
quite by accident, 
while researching the 
history of the Bregan 
D'Aerth.  "What more 
convincing way to 
leave their minds in 
turmoil," he thought 
aloud.


Quickly his quill met 
the blank parchment:


<blockquote> ''Usstan uil elghinyrr, quin usstan z'hin. Dos talinth usstan uil natha og'elend. Dos phuul xusst.<br>
''Vel'drav lil draeval zhah ghil... Dos orn zhaun jal. Hwuen zhahn, dos talinth usstan uil elghinyrr. <br><br>
''-Tanthazarus the Betrayed''
</Blockquote>


And off he went to 
his old home to the 
south of Yew, finding 
Nicholas the Tamer 
and Sky, a newly 
initiated mage.  In 
fact, Tanthazarus had 
been the Questioner at 
Sky's initiation only a 
few short days ago.  It 
felt like years.


"I am unarmed.  I come 
only for my vendor."  
Tanth had uttered 
those words many 
times since his exile.  
His vendor was 
becoming quite 
profitable as of late.  
Maybe it was due to 
the fact that all the old 
scribe had was idle 
time to prepare 
scrolls.  But it was 
never the true reason 
for his visits.
In fact, he secretly 
enjoyed taunting 
them, knowing full 
well they would never 
raise a hand to him 
again.  Lord Nitsiar 
had left a standing 
order to leave him be.  
Tanth liked to imagine 
that they all still 
respected him enough 
not to raise arms, but 
he had lost confidence 
in even that fantasy 
recently.
Sky was working 
away at his magery.  
He was a very learned 
man of the arcane, and 
summoned daemons 
with ease.  Tanth 
knew that this was a 
man to be reckoned 
with... At least as far 
as his magic were 
concerned.  It was now 
time to test his mind.


"I am unarmed.  I come 
only for my vendor."  
Tanthazarus paused 
as he saw yet another 
daemon appear.  Sky 
had not ordered them 
to stand their ground, 
and they loomed ever 
closer to the Traitor 
dressed in black.  "Call 
thy daemons off me, 
Betrayor.  I've no 
business with thee."



"I should have them 
kill you for even being 
here," he replied, a 
stern command to his 
voice.  Niltsiar 
brought it to Tanth's 
attention that Sky was 
a very quiet fellow.  
He knew that, 
someday, the two of 
them might become a 
strong pair of mages, 
and under Niltsiar's 
leadership, be feared 
by even the Drow.


"I am unarmed," he 
repeated with a subtle 
grin.  "I come only for 
my vendor."  He never 
made eye contact 
while saying this, but 
he couldn't resist the 
taunt.  "And mayhap to 
bring ye a gift."  He 
chuckled.


"I shall take nothing 
from thee," Sky spat.  
"I want nothing thou 
hast to offer."


"Oh, of course... Of 
course... But ye do 
seek Truth, aye?"


"You speak only lies." Tanthazarus laughed.  


The fact of the matter 
was, even now, he had 
not uttered a single lie 
to his Brethren.  He 
may have minced 
words a bit, and he 
may have even been 
completely deceptive, 
but he admitted to all 
that he was accused 
of.  Why, he even 
denied the fact that 
Ieon witnessed him 
place the letter in the 
armoire.  Ieon was, 
after all, lying, not 
Tanth... Tanthazarus 
had placed it in the 
reagent box.


"Thou'rt afraid of 
what ye'll find in 
these pages, aye?"


Sky was quite visibly 
tested at this point.  "I 
fear nothing."


"Ye should," Tanth 
responded curtly.  He 
then extended a hand 
which held the 
freshly inked tome.  
Sky hesitated for a 
long while, then 
finally accepted it.  He 
could see the look of 
bewilderment and 
confusion on the face 
of the newest addition 
to the Brethren of 
Light.  Sky had never 
seen Drow before.
"In there," Tanth 
continued, pointing at 
the book, "be a hint of 
Truth.  If ye seek 
Truth, thou shouldst 
translate it.  'Tis thy 
duty to do so."
Sky tried to shoo him 
away with his eyes.  
The old mage, 
ex-warrior, only 
chuckled.  


"Heed my 
words, friend.  There 
be more to this than 
meets the eye.  Much 
more."  And with the 
exchange of a few 
more words, he was 
off, returning to the 
cabin where he longed 
to be with his 
Brethren again, but 
more, to be with his 
Love.



<!-- Future Categories:  -->

----

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapter 7 - The Book of the Dead }}
[[Category:Eight Days In Exile]]