Chapter 26: Strange Secrets

She closed the heavy wooden door quietly, and bolted it securely, being careful to keep the noise to a minimum. She then leaned against the door, sighed wearily, raised her hands and began to chant softly, slowly increasing power to the spells and wards protecting her room and thoughts from her master's attention.

With her privacy increased, she was finally able to think about her concerns. Still, she knew she had to think quietly. Loud thoughts, especially those she shouldn't be thinking, would bring her to his attention. While she had grown quite knowledgeable and strong under his tutelage, he was still far stronger. Her illusions and mental blocks would deceive only a casual inspection. A glance would show her to be busy studying her texts or sleeping. Her thoughts would appear to be focused on her studies and other mundane things. A deeper probe, however, would show her researching magics far beyond her lessons, and show her worries.

With a wave of her hand, torches strategically placed around the room's thick stone walls blazed to life. Exhausted, she lay down on her bed and let her mind wander quietly over her fears. She had much to worry about.

Her master had been growing sicker in mind for a long while. When he'd first taken her on as his apprentice, he'd been like a kindly grandfather to her. Over time, though, he'd grown increasingly absentminded and forgetful. He'd also grown angry. In his fits of forgetfulness he would lash out in frustration when things weren't as he thought they should be. Many times she'd been reduced to tears by his anger; now she quaked with fear. It was presently rare for her master to even remember her.

She had tried every spell and remedy to cure him, but none had worked. Now she no longer tried. After he had violently taken her in anger when he'd caught her trying to cast a healing spell on him, she couldn't find the courage to try again. Still, she tried to help her kingdom, as she knew the consequences would be dire if The Evil One's plans came to fruition.

When her master had first become ill, she'd tried to cover for him by constantly rescheduling appointments, lying about whether he was available, and answering most messages herself, in his name. Still, she had not been able to block The Evil One for long. Once he had gotten to her master, his condition worsened as he poisoned her master against The Church and all things good.

He scared her. He was truly evil, and if he got his way everything she held dear would be destroyed. She never thought his name, for to do so would attract her master's attention, and that would be the end of everything, and most likely get her killed, or worse — probably worse.

Under The Evil One's father foreign relations had collapsed and many close alliances, that had once been by treaty a part of Avonly, had been broken. Her people had suffered under his father, but it could have been worse. It was now much worse under The Evil One. Border skirmishes and raids by dark creatures, bandits, and barbarians had increased greatly.

As horrible as those were, they were nothing compared to the crop failures, drought, plague, and declining birth rates. She knew things would get much worse if he got his way. There would be war, as he would attempt to bring those formerly allied realms back under his heel. There could also be a civil war, as The Church opposed many of his plans. It was the sole obstacle standing between him and the power he sought. She feared the consequences if he succeeded.

She didn't know all of his plans, but she knew enough to be very afraid. She'd heard him and her master discussing them while she acted as maidservant. She'd had no choice but to do so. Her master had transmogrified the maidservant into a half woman/half dog-like creature, and chained her in the cellar for use as a breeding bitch by the growing army of dogerals surrounding the tower. Even now she was carrying another litter of puppies. She'd long since lost track of how many the maid had given birth to. Still, it was better than what had happened to the cook. She'd been fed to a horrible plant that The Evil One had brought to her master to examine.

Though she had many reasons to fear getting caught, she had even more to continue. She knew he'd used her master to steal a holy item from The Church. She'd heard her master tell him that he'd sent it back to The Goddess. She'd had chills when he'd laughed, saying he'd like to watch The Church try to get it back. The Evil One's laughter was even more horrible.