warm breath on his back. He remembered Nalani’s words from the other day when she told him that she would give him an answer about his marriage proposal. As much as he wanted the answer, now was not the time to ask her again. They were all in danger and Julian did not want his mind plagued by Holden’s betrayal when he brought up the subject again. His thoughts eventually drifted back to what needed to be done next.
Garland’s involvement carried no meaning unless Silas Ainsley was to be found soon. Julian never cared much for Erellen lore, but if the Meshulan that the Erellens prophesied of was truly there, then Silas would be of some definite interest. Heroic tales and exaggerations surrounded the stories of Silas and Garland Ainsley. No person was truly sure of what happened in those last few hours before Garland and the tiny baby he held during a battle disappeared.
Julian couldn’t imagine. It was said that Garland, or Barton Teague as he was known at the time, had rescued a baby that had been hunted by the Stühocs. It was rumored that the baby was the only Human to be born in Marenon. The father had been Garland’s son Will, but the mother was an Erellen. Such a union between Erellen and Human had been prophesied more than a thousand years before. The boy had been fought over because the prophecy had stated that such a union would bring about the Meshulan, which was the Erellen word for deliverer. The only problem was that it never stated whom he would deliver. It was assumed by many that if the prophecy was legitimate then the Meshulan would deliver those he was more loyal to. Therefore, all races and people wanted the boy for themselves. Those who raised the boy could lay claim to his loyalties in the hope that he would recue them from the oppression of the Stühocs that had plagued Marenon for so long. The group with the Meshulan would be the one with the power. As the various groups debated their right to this Human, battles and skirmishes raged throughout the land.
Then one day, in the midst of battle, Garland and the baby disappeared. They went back to Earth, though no one understood how. Now the man who had disappeared seventeen years before was staying somewhere in the same castle he had left behind.
Julian felt foolish about how he had treated the founding father of the Dunarians, but he still held firm to the position that no person should come in and try to take over The Reckoning, even if Garland did start it. He knew at some point Garland would become more involved and would be given more power. There was no denying that this would happen. Julian simply hoped that time would not come soon, so that he could finish his own part of the job without interference. But maybe it didn’t matter so much since Holden’s corruption had already hindered his position. Now Julian didn’t know whether he could even trust Garland. As far as Julian knew, there was no possibility that Garland could have been behind this plot with Holden after all these years. Garland had been the main player against the Stühocs. It was the reason for the start of the Dunarians in the first place. However, he did seem to come out of nowhere. Just when the Dunarians were beginning to act, there was Garland Ainsley, ready to serve. Either way, Julian trusted only himself and Nalani. There was no time to trust anyone else.
With a quick kiss, Nalani left with a promise to see him off before he left to meet with Alric Thirsk. Julian attempted to sleep, but rest was impossible. He tossed and turned until midday, his dreams filled with the threat of his own death and the image of his brother falling from the balcony. He woke again with a start and decided that there was no use in trying to rest his mind. He would get no repose until his mission was finished. It was time to leave.
Julian washed, dressed and prepared all the items he would need for the quick journey. He placed the medallion in his fresh cloak and pulled out his brother’s sealed envelope. He stared at it for a long moment contemplating whether he should open it or not. What could his brother possibly want to say to him? He felt sick every time he thought about reading