Excerpt: No title yet

Arkumm stared at Ethos in disbelief. He could not comprehend that one’s brother could turn to do such a thing. There was so much Arkumm didn’t know, this only confused him more and he ran from the state room, through the great stone hall, out of the castle and into the village. All he wanted to do was run away, jump on the back of a horse and ride as fast and as far away as possible. Arkumm sat with his thoughts gazing out into the horizon, his main concern now was his ailing father. Now that Sardor had lost a limb the king would have to look to someone more able bodied to attend to the duties that he no longer could. This frightened Arkumm, he knew within himself that he was not ready to be king, although he wondered too how any body could consider themselves truly ready to be king. He was in such a deep moment of contemplation that he didn’t see Ormond approaching, usually he could hear his gnarled walking stick clacking on the cobblestones or rustle through the dead leaves as he walked. Ormond was an old man, hunched at the shoulders, long wispy white beard and his skin was dry and gnarled much like his walking stick. His strength of body was failing him as he grew older but his strength of mind was still as strong as the mightiest of warriors. Arkumm considered Ormond as the grandfather he never had, no body seemed to know how old Ormond actually was, he could have been closer to being his great grandfather’s generation. Ormond gingerly lowered himself to the ground to sit next Arkumm groaning as he did so.
“Copper for your thoughts young Arkumm,” asked Ormond in his deep rough voice.
“I’m worried about my father and what will be come of me.”
“Become of you? Let me share something with you m’lad. I believe our paths on this plane of existence is not guided by mere chance, we make our own destiny and our own path. For every choice that is made there are countless outcomes.”
“I don’t understand Ormond, your words like everything else at the moment seem like a riddle to me.”
“We are all searching to answer those riddles every day of our lives and that is the very essence of life itself.”
“Why do I feel so lost, why can’t someone tell me what I need to do?”
“That is because if someone told you what it was you had to do it would not be your path you walk but someone else’s.”
“Can I ask you a question Ormond?”
“But of course you can, Arkumm.”
“Ethos has told me that you know the black arts.”
“That is true, although my path has guided me to not using those arts any more.”
“I don’t understand why. Couldn't you command great power? Couldn’t you have every thing you ever wanted or desired?”
“Well, yes, I could. But such a power has corrupted and killed many like me who have come before. You have that kind of power within you - you just may not know it. But beware, there is always a choice that must be made.”
“I have the power of a heretic? Why can’t I wave my hand and solve all these things? Can you teach me these ways?”
“So many questions my young friend. When the time comes the answers to all of these things will be come clear. A wise man quickly learns that patience will often bring the answers that one seeks.”
“But can you teach me?”
“No more questions for now Arkumm there is much to be done, I believe your father is summoning you to his chambers. You should attend to him for I think he has something important to share with you.”
Before he could manage to ask how he knew that his father was calling for him, he watched as Ormond was already slowly ambling his way back to the village.
Arkumm was still confused but somehow felt a little more at ease with the old man’s words striking some chord in the recesses of his mind. Arkumm still sat in place as the sun crept back behind the horizon, the light slowly disappearing from the walls of the citadel. He watched as the torches were lit across the ramparts and the watchtower. Deciding it was time to make his way back inside and find out exactly the reason his father had summoned him, he stood atop the small hill just outside the village wall surveying the surrounds one last time.