AC2:Announcements - 2004/04 - Lost Champions
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April Episode: "Lost Champions"
Exothen stood outside the door of Theoter's small study for a moment, his hand on the latch. No matter how many years passed, he still felt like the young boy he'd been when he had first met the man. He remembered his grandmother leading him by the hand down the halls of the Shelter, repeating over and over that Theoter was one of the greatest geomancers the Lugian people had ever known, that Exothen hardly deserved such an illustrious tutor, and that Exothen had best be quiet and respectful if he knew what was good for him. Still, Exothen only realized how great this man must be when his grandmother knocked timidly at Theoter's door, for Grandmother Gethuk never did anything quietly. He almost broke down into tears then and there.
After a very long delay, the door had opened, and young Exothen had found himself facing a tall, imposing Lugian who regarded him with an annoyed scowl. His grandmother quickly shoved him into the room and backed away from the door, muttering “thanks for this honor” and “apologies for the disturbance, lord.” And then Exothen was alone. The child's eyes were wide with terror as his tutor impatiently described his duties—where he would sleep, how often he would report to “the Order's foremost expert in the geomantic arts,” as Theoter called himself, for instruction, and the first of an endless, ever-growing list of chores to perform. Exothen cried that entire night, his fear of Theoter's harsh words driving all sleep away. However, as the many years of tutelage passed, Exothen realized those words were empty of any real malice. Eventually, friendship had grown between him and his once-feared master. He now considered Theoter one of his closest friends, even if his fifteen years of tutelage were hard to forget.
Taking one last deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in. Theoter stood within, looking down at a map on his desk.
Finally noticing his visitor, Theoter looked up and said, "Ah, there you are, my boy. Took you long enough." A smirk crossed his face. "Was that you hovering outside my door for the past five minutes? I would've thought you'd learned by now that I don't bite."
"Nothing of the sort, sir," Exothen said. “I was...lost in thought.”
"Ha! I'm sure. Have a seat. Your wife, Tehoken, how is she? The woman must have been touched by Ghanna herself to be able to put up with the likes of you."
Exothen made his way to one of the small, uncomfortable chairs in front of Theoter's desk. "She's fine, sir, except for a few nightmares over the last few nights. What she tells me of them is quite disturbing. She tells me she has dreams of horrible creatures wearing my face."
Theoter frowned and seated himself on a corner of his desk. "She's only been out of the Shelters for a few weeks, yes?" Exothen nodded. "I wouldn't worry, then. She's probably just adjusting to life in Dereth. I recall feeling a bit of panic when I first saw Au blazing on the horizon. There's such a difference between hearing tales of the sun and actually seeing it for the first time."
After a thoughtful pause, Theoter straightened himself and said, "Well, I suppose I should explain why I asked you here. You felt that tremor a few days ago, yes?"
Exothen nodded. "Yes, I did. For a moment, I thought that the roof might come down on us! It took a few hours to settle Tehoken's nerves after that."
"We were fortunate that there wasn't any real damage done. Physical damage, that is. But Lady Nalicana sent word that she sensed a strange magical flux during the tremor. She asked me to use my geomantic skills to investigate."
A smile on his face, Exothen interrupted, "Because you're the Order's foremost expert in the geomantic arts?"
"Ha! I knew I was a bad influence on you, boy! And it only took fifteen years to drive out all those lessons in Lugian stoicism your grandmother taught you." Still chuckling, Theoter stood and gestured towards the map that covered his desk. "Here, take a look at what I've uncovered so far."
Exothen stood and leaned over the map, studying its contours. Theoter continued, "See there? The stress lines and fracture points suggest the southwestern coast of Osteth or the northeastern coast of Linvak Massif as the center of the earthquake. But I can't find out what caused the disturbance by staring at maps all day. I need information from the field."
Theoter paused for a moment and rested his hand on Exothen's shoulder. "This is important, boy—I owe Nalicana a favor, and she doesn't often call on my services. Yet I'm far past the age for tromping about in the field, fiddling with Theodolites and hunting for ley lines. I desperately need to send my best student out to finish this investigation. Can I call upon you to do this?"
As he heard Theoter's question, a strange feeling passed over Exothen. He wasn't sure what to call it, but it brought to mind the tales his grandfather told of Lendek's Touch. In those tales, Ghanna the Shaper forged the fate of the world's heroes from the fires of creation, then handed their fates to her companion Lendek to be quenched in the ice of the Great Void. Their fates now cold and immutable, each hero was blessed or doomed with whatever fate Ghanna had crafted. Shaking off the odd memory, Exothen replied, "Yes, of course, sir. I would be honored."
But Theoter had noticed the strange expression on Exothen's face, and his normal grin was replaced by a look of concern. He asked Exothen, "Are you alright, boy?"
"I'm fine, it's just.... I'm troubled by the magical disturbance that Lady Nalicana felt. Did she have any idea what the nature of it was?"
"'Dereth is full of wonders...and most of them want to kill you,'" Theoter said, grinning once more. "It seems you learned that lesson well! No, she didn't say what was behind the disturbance. I suggested that the Shadow Kingdom or the Dominion might be up to something, but she seemed convinced the answer lay elsewhere. I don't doubt she had suspicions of her own, but she didn't seem willing to reveal them at the time."
Exothen nodded. "I see. Will I have any sort of protection in the field?"
"That has already been taken care of. I have requested a large contingent of the Order's Knights to accompany you and the other scholars on this expedition. I'm sure some of those Knights rolled their eyes when they got the request from eccentric old Theoter, but I have enough influence that they'll do what I ask."
The concerned tone returned to Theoter's voice. "Now, are you sure you're up for this, boy? While I need you in the field, I hate to send you away from Tehoken so soon, especially if she's having bad dreams. I wouldn't blame you if you refused."
Exothen shook his head vigorously. "No, sir! I won't let you down."
Theoter grinned once again. "Well, I'm glad to hear it!" He began carefully rolling up the map. "With the Order's bravest knights accompanying you—and many of our brightest young scholars, as well—I'm sure you'll be quite safe.The equipment you'll need is being gathered in Cragstone. You'll leave tomorrow at the first light of Morningthaw.
Theoter extend the rolled-up map to Exothen. "Now, since you may be away for a while, I recommend you spend the rest of the evening alone with your mate." His grin growing wider, Theoter continued, "Although I suspect that's not something I need to tell you, now is it?"
Exothen felt a blush rising to his cheeks as he took the map from his old friend and mentor. "No, sir, I don't believe it is."