Deliverance Read online

  “He mentioned that. I hope she does figure it out because he’s a tremendous blessing to this entire town,” Tilvo said handing her back a few silver he owed her in change.

  “Thank you for the supplies and the kind words,” Tessla said with a smile as she left the shop.

  **

  That afternoon, Tessla began to prepare the stew. She started with cutting and slicing of all the ingredients she was going to be using. Beef, cloves, onion, carrots, sage and parsley would all be going into the hearty stew for the Vivac family. Every few minutes, she’d go over to the window in the kitchen and push back the drape to see if Illadari was heading down the cobblestone street back to their house.

  I hope his heart is okay… I could never handle raising Kessler on my own without him. I’d be a wreck, a mess, I’d surely shrivel up and die on this floor, I am sure of it. Kessler would end up as a beggar in the town square without a father. I could never let that happen. she thought to herself as she picked up the pace in cutting the carrots. What if that’s why he isn’t back yet? Maybe he’s getting something done to his heart? She began to panic while she diced the cloves.

  Startling Tessla, the door swung open and it was Illadari. Quickly staggering over to the kitchen counter, he scooped water up out from the pail, wetting his tongue. After a few handfuls of water, he relaxed, but kept breathing heavily as he clenched onto the sides of the pail. Concerned, Tessla placed a hand on his back.

  “Illadari?” she asked leaning in near his face. “What is wrong love?” she asked concerned.

  “I sprinted from Quin’s office to here!” Illadari said sternly as he lifted himself off the pail and took a seat at the table. “I was running late to Quin’s and then I knew you were waiting for me… So I made haste getting here!”

  Warmed by Illadari’s affection and concern for how she felt, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “Don’t hurt yourself on my account love. Especially when it’s not needed,” she said.

  “I’m sorry,” Illadari said with a nod.

  “It’s okay. What did Quin say?” Tessla asked curiously as she sat down at the table across from Illadari.

  “She said I need to take this Hilted Banes Leaf,” he said pulling a pouch of green colored leaves out from his robe pocket. “Twice a day. She said it’ll help heal the insides of my chest. She said there’s something in there that isn’t right and probably infected, so the Hilted Banes Leaf should attack it from the inside. She even said my episodes could stop almost immediately.”

  Reaching across the table, Tessla grabbed Illadari’s hand. “I’m sorry you have to take that. I had a maid in the castle that had to take that every day, she let me sneak a taste one day and it was disgusting.”

  “Oh joy… But it’s okay,” Illadari smiled. “Quin had me taste it also to see if I would have a reaction to it. My only reaction I had was disgust.” Illadari cleared his throat, with a disgusted face thinking about it, he said “If it helps, I’m okay with it… I suppose.”

  Kissing his hand, Tessla said, “My maid was only on it for a year. So I’m sure you won’t be stuck taking it forever.” Standing up, Illadari nodded, acknowledging her words.

  “I’m going back to the Halls,” Illadari said coming around the table, he kissed her cheek. Glancing over at the prepared ingredients, he smiled and said, “I can’t wait for stew.”

  “It’s going to be delicious,” Tessla said smiling. Illadari left back to the Halls.

  Chapter 4

  Arriving at the Halls, Illadari promptly made his way into the alter room finding Ponio overwhelmed with resurrections of the adventurers. Illadari quickly made his way over to the cleansing water and dipped his hands as he prayed, Omad… Provide strength, power and healing to the weak and afflicted adventurers.

  Getting behind the summoning rock, he reached over to the wall behind him, and grabbed a glowing medallion. Placing it onto the rock, he bowed his head and began to cast the prayer of resurrection.

  This adventurer seeks his resurrection Omad, please grant him life reborn. How many lives does he have?

  Opening his eyes, Illadari saw the number five bleed out of the medallion and onto the rock. Bowing his head again, he prayed.

  Please use one of his five lives to bring him back, through your grace, he is reborn.

  Illadari placed his hands out in front of him and focused his concentration onto the medallion, channeling the power from it to summon the adventurer that had fallen. After a few minutes, the channeling had stopped and a large light blinked filling the room. The light partially blinded Illadari and Ponio for a moment, just as each time the prayer is casted.

  Blinking his eyes open, Illadari found a young man curled up in a ball with nothing on. Shielding his eyes, Illadari threw a gray robe from the stack between himself and Ponio to the man. Standing up as he put the robe on, the man came up to Illadari and embraced him with a hug.

  “Thank you! Thank you!” he said excitedly.

  “This must be your first time,” Illadari smiled warmly.

  “It is! I had just recently graduated up from Haden’s arena ranks and joined the adventurers… I was fearful of the dying process, regardless of how well I’ve heard it works. I have heard the horror stories about some of the adventurers not finding grace with Omad and dying! I was fearful that I might not find his grace.”

  “If Omad doesn’t see that person as worthy of continuing the good fight, he won’t resurrect them. But be of good cheer, it rarely happens.” Glancing over his shoulder and seeing two more glowing medallions, Illadari turned back to the boy and said, “Be on with you now, I have more of your comrades to summon.”

  “Thank you again!” the young man said scampering out of the alter room and out of sight.

  Working through the rest of the medallions from the group of adventurers, Illadari finished his final summon. As he blinked his eyes open to see who it was, he was surprised to see it was Olesk. One of the veteran adventurers that rarely would fall in combat.

  Helping the muscular man up to his feet, Illadari handed him a robe. “What were you and your men fighting that would cause you to be slain?” Illadari asked curiously. After sliding into the robe quickly, Olesk pushed back his straggly brown hair and hocked a giant wad of spit at the stone floor.

  “My men were ambushed by a pack of disgusting and vile creatures I have never seen before in my life. They had faces like that of rats and moved with quickness I have yet to see in Belstrom!” Olesk glared over at Ponio. Illadari wondered to himself, like rats? Could it be the Kobolds?

  “Where were you and your men?” Illadari asked, with a raised brow.

  “We were in the Northern part of the Darkwood Forest, we were on our way to get supplies from the human fortress we had spotted,” Olesk said, keeping his eyes locked on Ponio. That sounds like the Kobold fortress that Tessla and I heard about, Illadari thought.

  Illadari was about to tell the adventurer what he knew of the creatures, but fear stopped him in his tracks as he realized there would be no reason why a High Priest in the Halls would have such information.

  “Hey Priest!” Olesk shouted at Ponio, as he was cleaning his summoning rock.

  “Yes?” Ponio asked with a confused look on his face.

  “Keep your daughter away from my son, he is training in the arena ranks and cannot spend valuable training time gallivanting around the Limestone Shores with a girl.” Olesk quickly left the alter room in a fit of rage which all seemed directed at Ponio.

  Watching as Olesk stormed off, Ponio looked over at Illadari. “He thinks I can control my daughter?” Ponio laughed. “She’s but a teenager, and there is no controlling that girl,” Ponio said, as he continued to scrub his summoning stone clean with the cleansing water soaked rag.

  Illadari recalled his and Tessla’s beginnings as teenagers a decade ago. “You‘re right Ponio, kids are hard pressed to be controlled by their parents. The best we can do is direct them and show them the right paths.” Po
nio nodded and Illadari grabbed a cloth and dipped it into the cleansing water, then proceeded to begin washing his summoning stone.

  “You took off so quick to Quin’s earlier, you never told me what happened when you met with Oren,” Ponio said, looking over at him as they both scrubbed their summoning rocks. Should I tell him? Illadari wondered. I don’t want him to get jealous that I got selected for the arena summons this year… after last year and the whole goat in my house stunt… But… I best tell him, he has to find out eventually.

  “I got selected for the arena summons…” Illadari said gently trying to be considerate of Ponio’s feelings on the matter.

  “What? Again?” Ponio said standing up. “That’s stupid. You did it last year…” Ponio said tossing his cloth against his rock. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Really?” Oren said stepping into the alter room.

  “Sorry Oren,” Ponio said, returning to cleaning. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “You weren’t chosen because your channeling summon still takes over five minutes, while Illadari is down to two minutes flat. The arena master, Haden requests Illadari for his speed. It’s nothing personal and it’s definitely not stupid.”

  Ponio looked to be ashamed of his words, and said, “I’m sorry… I should have known that was the reason. I keep practicing, but I’m unable to drop the speed below five minutes. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.”

  Oren walked slowly into the room and stood towering behind the two of them while they washed their rocks. “Maybe if you were to work on your focus a bit more, you’d be able to drop the times.” Illadari knew what Oren was speaking was truth. Ponio often could be found in his spare time resting, eating and having fun, while Illadari would tend to the needs of the people around town, and the sick animals in the forest, all which fortified his focus and healing abilities.

  “I suppose what you speak is true…” Ponio said reluctantly. “Maybe by next year I can get my times down.”

  “The adventurers will be attending the arena battles tomorrow, so you will not be needed in the Halls, Ponio,” Oren said. “You on the other hand,” looking at Illadari, Oren continued, “You will need to report to the arena by ten o’clock.”

  “I will be sure to be there,” Illadari said.

  “Be sure to bring your summoning necklace with you, and stop by in the morning to make sure no adventurers died this evening,” Oren said. Illadari nodded acknowledging his request, and Oren returned to the Bishop’s quarter.

  Chapter 5

  Barreling through the front door of their house, Kessler dropped his bag next to the door, and quickly ran into his room, shutting the door behind him. Tessla thought to herself, He seems to be in quite the hurry. Following him into his room, she opened the door to find he was not there.

  “Kessler?” Tessla asked as she looked around the room. “Come on out Kessler…” she said glancing at his closet. “Were those kids at school mean to you again?” she asked. Opening the closet door, she found Kessler with his knees up to his chest and pouting. “What’s wrong dear?” she asked dropping to her knees and placing a hand on his cheek to wipe the tears from his eyes.

  “Nothing…” he said with a choked voice as he patted his eyes dry with his burgundy sleeve.

  “Was it Iko again?” Tessla asked as she patted her son’s head softly. He nodded and embraced Tessla with a hug. “What did he do?”

  “He said I’ll never be able to fight with the adventurers because of my size…” Tessla pushed his hair back and kissed his forehead.

  “That’s not true honey. You can do whatever you want to do! You are an amazing little boy and super smart!” Tessla said smiling at him. Hearing the stew boil in the other room reminded Tessla that dinner was about to be done. “Come help me with the stew,” she said standing up and helping Kessler up.

  The both of them went into the kitchen and Tessla had Kessler blow out the flame on the stovetop. Smiling up at her, Kessler hugged her side firmly and said, “I love you mother.”

  Bending down, she gave him a hug and said, “I love you too.” Getting a parchment out from his bag, Kessler got up to the table and began to do his school work, while Tessla finished preparing the stew in bowls, and the gymer bread for supper.

  **

  When Illadari arrived home, Kessler immediately leaped from the table and latched onto one of his father’s legs as he walked into the bedroom. Tessla’s heart warmed as Illadari pulled Kessler from his leg and launched him in the air. Kessler’s going to be an amazing man someday… Just like his father, Tessla thought with a smile on her face.

  “I’ve missed you son, now run along and go finish your school work you have before we eat mother’s delicious stew.” Ushering him back to the table, Illadari went into the bedroom and shut the door behind.

  A few moments later, Illadari returned out into the kitchen wearing his casual blue robes, and took a seat at the kitchen table. “How was the rest of your day?” Tessla asked.

  “It was pretty good. I’m going to be doing the arena summons tomorrow,” Illadari said as he glanced over the school work that Kessler was working on.

  “Wow honey! I’m so proud of you!” Tessla said smiling back at Illadari from the stove.

  “Thanks love,” Illadari said. “Do you know where I put my summoning necklace?”

  “I haven’t seen it here at home,” Tessla said as she finished pouring the stew into bowls.

  “That’s strange. I guess it doesn’t get much use,” Illadari said perplexed. “Didn’t we use it on that gentleman we found outside of town in the forest? He was dead and we resurrected him since we had a couple charges left in it.”

  “Yes, but you took it back to the Halls the next day to recharge. I promise it’s not here,” Tessla said as she brought over a bowl of stew for Illadari. “Put your school work away Kessler,” Tessla said as she returned back to the counter to grab his and her bowl of stew, along with the gymer bread slices she had prepared.

  “My head still feels strange,” Kessler said as he returned to the table from putting his school work away. “I don’t know if I can eat my food…”

  “Sit up to the table and eat,” Tessla said with forceful motherly eyes. “Whether your head feels strange or not, this is your supper for the evening.”

  He remained silent, resting his head against his hand, as his elbow sat on the table.

  “Elbow off the table son,” Illadari said as he took a bite of his stew. “Yummy…” Illadari said looking over at Tessla.

  “Oh wait! Your Hilted Banes Leaf!” Tessla said jumping up from her seat. She ran into the bedroom and grabbed a leaf from the pouch that Illadari had brought home from Quin’s. Returning to the kitchen, she handed him the leaf, “Here you go.” Turning around, she grabbed cups and scooped water into them for the three of them to drink with their meals.

  “Oh goody, you remembered,” Illadari said with a look of disappointment. Even the aroma the leaf gave off made even Tessla a little queasy in the stomach. Chewing the leaf, he shoved a giant spoonful of stew into his mouth to help dull the bitterness. At least he loves my stew… Tessla thought as she brought a spoonful of stew to her lips.

  **

  After supper was finished and cleaned up. Illadari excused himself. “I’m going to search for my summoning necklace.”

  “I said it wasn’t here,” Tessla said annoyed. “You will not find it.”

  “I’m going to search for it anyways, so I can mentally cross it out of my mind as a place it could be,” Illadari insisted.

  “That’s fine love, waste your time,” Tessla said as she fished Kessler’s school work from his bag. Setting the parchment back down in front of Kessler, she watched as Illadari started to dig through the cupboards. Tessla’s patience for his ignorance began to grow thin. “Even if it’s here, which it’s not, it would not be in the cupboards in the kitchen!” she snapped at him.

  “Okay, okay,” Illadari said as he closed the cupb
oard. Looking around, he saw the bedroom door and proceeded to go in there shutting the door behind him. Turning her attention back to Kessler’s school work, she continued to help Kessler.

  I don’t want him messing with all the clothing in our closet, Tessla thought. “Go brush your teeth after you finish that last bit of school work,” she said to Kessler as she left to go into the bedroom. When she opened the door, she found Illadari sitting on the edge of their bed, staring at something intently, but she could not see what it was, for his back was to her. She placed a hand on his shoulder which caused him to jump almost a foot into the air from being startled.

  “Tessla!” he shouted. “You about killed me! You can’t scare me like that… I have a heart condition now!”

  “Oh hush,” she said joining his side on the bed. Glancing over at his hands, she saw a piece of bark. It wasn’t just any piece of bark; it was from the Great Tree. They purchased it from a traveling salesman for fifty pieces of gold. They wanted something as a reminder of where they had come from.