Coming of the Darkstar

Ch3-5 Call of Duty

By the time Cecil reached the guest quarters, Golbez was gone.

He pushed aside the heavy bolted doors to reveal a tousled and empty bed that huddled in the dim light of the filtering sunset. The Paladin's initial panic was instantly quenched at the sight of his uncle's hunched form residing within the chambers. The ancient Lunar was calmly holding a hushed conversation with a little boy dressed in Baronian page attire.

If FuSoYa is not alarmed, then all must be well. But that shockwave of energy... it had to be Golbez!

Cecil stopped himself, waiting politely at the door for his presence to be acknowledged. To his amusement, it only took a matter of moments before the page boy glanced his way. As realization flooded the child's face, his body shifted from a position of caution to outright awe.

"Your... M-Majesty?" The way the page's eyes grew round, it was obvious that he had never met the Paladin King face to face before.

Cecil's own expression sharpened.

Golden eyes? The boy of golden eyes. He is the page that was assigned to watch over Golbez's activities.

"I hope that I am not intruding?"

If the two of them are here... where is Golbez?

"Ah, Cecil," FuSoYa turned slowly to regard his nephew, eyebrows bristling. "What took you so long, boy?"

The page glanced quickly at the Lunar Sage, blinking at the lack of formality in the greeting. Cecil's face remained pale with neutrality.

"Uncle..." The Paladin dipped his head forward in attempt to cover the tension in his voice.

"Where is Golbez?" the old Lunar finished, filling in the lingering question. Like a dragon swooping upon its prey, FuSoYa was right on target. Just as he always was.

Cecil lifted his green eyes to gaze on his Uncle's grizzled face. "It was him, wasn't it?"

"Elaborate?"

"The spell. I'm not all that magically inclined. But even I felt that spell as it was released," The Paladin pursed his lips before continuing, "Then I discovered that Palom and Porom had been cured."

"Indeed?" FuSoYa's tone of voice spoke with little surprise.

"Uncle... we've been giving the children the best of Baron's best in curative remedies and absolutely nothing has been able to heal them. Don't tell me that one spell from one wizard could do what dozens of our mages could not!"

"He is Golbez," the Sage nodded slowly.

Cecil swallowed, running his tongue over his lips.

"You act as if this is a bad thing? I could see making a fuss if he had cast something to harm someone. Did you not want the children to be cured?"

"Of course I did! It's just... I'm not sure I understand. What exactly happened?"

"I have not actually talked to Golbez about it. We got him to bed to let him sleep off the backlash," FuSoYa explained slowly. "When he woke up, he said he needed some fresh air and silence and that he wished to go to the battlements for a while."

"You let him go alone?"

"Why not?" The Sage's expression was sharp. "He knows his way there and back."

"Yes... yes... of course..." Cecil gave a nervous frown.

"But I did talk to this young man here... he seems to have a pretty clear idea of what happened," the Lunar made a motion towards the page.