97 The Passenger Talisman
"You never know who among all the people out there are travelers", the king softly said. "Ha.. have you completed what you came there for?", he asked the priestess.
"Yes, your Majesty. The apotropaic spells are now surrounding Brandenburg with its protective light. We also made additional protections in some alleys nearby the academy", Yereah assured the pertrubed king.
"Stronger spells I suppose", King Silvius said.
"Indeed", Yereah answered. "Palace Priests were sent to every town in the kingdom to extend the palace's generosity of cleansing with apotropaic vapors as ordered", Yereah said.
"What of the castle?", King Silvius asked.
"You were right, my King. My associate here, Syria, have looked into the protection of the palace, and found each of our rooms no longer protected. Someone has been practicing dark magic", Yereah revealed. She looked to the side and gave a nod to her apprentice encouraging her to explain further.
"Fortunately, the apotropaic spells in Your Majesty's private chambers, the chapels, the oratory and this very chancellery have the strongest ancient proctective spells that can't be easily abolished", Syria said as she fix her black velvet choker necklace with a black stone in the middle. She's the next high priestess after Yereah with their exchange of positions coming up after her training. With her red long curly hair tied on the back, she showed her bare face with freckles on the cheeks to the worried King who couldn't hide his anxiety.
"Are.. are you sure Harlan is dead?", the King stuttered at the saddening news.
"Certainly", Yereah said. "He was found headless by Lord Callaghan", she added.
"And they claim Haelan killed the lord?", the King knitted brows as he ask more.
"That is… what the General believed so", Yereah said it suddenly came to her mind what the King is thinking.
Later, the king tossed the trinket that he found under his bed across the table near the priestesses. "Have you also found about this?", King Silvius asked.
Syria leered at the piece. "Your Majesty", Syria called. "According to the books, that object is a passenger talisman.", she said withouth breaking her gaze.
"Passenger talisman?", the King asked.
"Written in the most restricted dark arts tomes of the witches, that talisman is kept close to a person to attract a passenger. Eventually a soul will attach to your body", Syria explained. "It's harmless, though. And it will not own your Majesty's body, it's just present and unknowing like a stranger hitching a ride. It will come forth only when it's called", she explained as she shift her gaze to the King.
"Do you expect me to sit here and share my body with another soul? Throw it out", the king ordered.
"It is not as easy as that, King Silvius", Syria said. "As soon as the passenger have attached to you, it would take a stronger dark magic to detach its soul from its host. We do not perform that", she said as she draw near the king. "May I?", Syria offered her hand to take the King's.
The king hesitantly gave his hand. He never liked being touched my other people. But to kill his curiosity about the passenger, he reached for Syria's hand. As soon as their skin touched, the young priestess gasped and felt a spark as if she was electrocuted. She immediately took her hand back and rubbed the part where she got stung. "It has fully latched on to your body, your Grace", she breathlessly said.
The King grunted at Syria's bizarre revelation. "Then, you better start taking it out. I don't care who's soul is it. Do what it takes to remove this darn soul", he said.
"Uh.. Yes, Your Majesty", Syria answered with a slow nod and hesitation. Then, she walked back beside Yereah.
"Have you retrieved the Traveler's stone from the Holy Land?", the King asked Yereah.
"The stone is safe in the keepsakes of the Land of the Priests, my King. No traveler can easily break in", Yereah said.
"Make sure it's still there. I don't want it to be in the hands of the travelers", the King said.
"We will look into it, my King",Yereah answered softly.
"You may all leave", the King said as he leaned back on his throne chair with his eyes closed.
Yereah and Syria left the King's chancellery at once. They decided to proceed on seperate ways for Syria needs to read more in the palace library upstairs, while Yereah will have to continue making more spells in the potion room at the far end of the castle.
As the high priestess make her way through the corridors, her brisk steps turned to slow ones as she feel uneasy unanticipatedly. The deafening silence in the grandiose hallway heightened her unexplained feeling of fear and solicitude. She clasped her hands together as she couldn't measure the depth of her unsettling emotions. As she make a few turns, she heard a familiar clanking of metals… something that made her heart race even more.
Suddenly, General Rowan appeared giving a face to the clinking sounds. They nodded at each other as she continued to walk. She never liked the General, or any man that carries deadly weapons. To her, violence is something should never be encouraged. And so, carrying swords, bows or a labrys, stirs up the calls for blood and hurting.
As the high priestess walk farther, she decidingly looked back at the general who surpsingly proceeded to the palace chancery. The priestess found it odd… for the General only goes where the King is.
Just when she turned, she was startled at the sudden appearance of Lord Nero escorted by Bjorn, who were already standing few inches from her. "Lord Nero", she gasped. "I apologize, I didn't see you there", she said.
"You are blocking my way, Wiccan", Lord Nero said. His golden eyes pierced at the priestess as if she have done something wrong.
Without much word, Yereah moved to the side of the corridor and let the dark blonde Lord in royal blue and ivory brocade doublet go. He oozed with a strong scent of tobacco and alcohol.