The Nomad - By Simon Hawke Page 0,96
his waist. He was very tall, and very thin, with long and bony fingers. His frame had proportions like a villichi, except that he was male. His forehead was high, and his face was deeply lined with age, but he had bright blue eyes that sparkled with the vitality of youth and intelligence. There was something strange about those eyes, Sorak realized. They had no pupils, and around the sapphire blue of the irises, the whites were faintly tinged with blue, as well. And as he moved, his hair swayed slightly, and Sorak noted his large and pointed ears.
“You see, Tak-ko?” the old elf said to the pterran. “You have lost your wager. They have succeeded after all, just as I knew they would.” He turned toward Sorak and held out his hand. “Greetings, Sorak. I am the Sage.”
“The Sage?” said Sorak, staring at him with disbelief. After all this time, it seemed difficult to accept the fact that the long quest had reached an end at last. The Sage continued holding out his hand. Belatedly, Sorak realized it and stepped forward to clasp it with his own. “But… you were the Wanderer? I had always thought the Wanderer was human! Yet, you are an elf!”
“Yes,” the Sage replied. “I trust you are not disappointed. You have gone through so much trouble to get here, it would truly be a shame if you were.”
He turned to Ryana. “Welcome, dear priestess,” he said, extending his hand. Numbly, she took it. “And Kara. How good to see you again. Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable. Tak-ko, some hot tea for our guests. They look chilled.”
As the pterran went to get their tea, Sorak glanced around at their surroundings. “Where are we?” he said. “Surely, this cannot be Bodach!”
“No, it is not,” the Sage replied. “I… I do not understand,” said Sorak. He glanced at the pyreen. “Kara, how did we come here? What has happened?”
“That is the true treasure of Bodach,” Kara said. “The old lighthouse tower is a magical gateway, a portal to another place and time.”
“So that is why the defilers have never been able to find you!” Ryana exclaimed, staring at the Sage. “You exist in another time!”
“And even if they suspected that, they would never think to look for the gateway to that time in the city of the undead,” Kara said. “It would be the last place a defiler would expect to find preserver magic.”
“Please forgive me for having tested you so harshly,” said the Sage, “and for having brought you on so long and arduous a journey. However, I fear there was no other way. I had to be absolutely certain of your commitment and resolve. I trust you have brought the Breastplate of Argentum?”
Sorak removed it from his pack.
“Ah, excellent,” the Sage said, taking it from him. “And the Keys of Wisdom?”
Ryana removed the gold rings that were the key seals from her fingers and handed them to the Sage.
“Excellent. You have done well. Very well, indeed,” he said with a smile. “You have walked the true path of the Preserver. Mistress Varanna would be very proud of you.”
Tak-ko brought them their tea. It was steaming hot, brewed from a delicious, fragrant blend of dried herbs.
“I have done all that you have asked of me, my lord,” said Sorak.
“Please… there is no need for such formality,” the Sage replied. “I am merely an old wizard, not a lord of any sort.”
“Then… what do I call you?”
The Sage smiled. “I no longer use my truename. Even speaking it aloud poses certain risks. Wanderer will do, or you could call me Grandfather, if you like. Either one will serve. I rather like Grandfather. It is a term of both affection and respect. That is, of course, if you have no objection?”
“Of course not, Grandfather,” Sorak said. “But, as I said, I have done all that you have asked of me, and—”
“And now you have something that you would like me to do for you,” the Sage said, nodding. “Yes, I know. You seek the truth about your origin. Well, I could help you find the answers that you seek. But are you quite certain that you wish to know? Before you answer, I ask you to consider carefully what I am about to say. You have made a life for yourself, Sorak. You have forged your own unique identity. Knowledge of your past could carry certain burdens. Are you quite sure you wish to know?”
“Yes,” said Sorak