The door opened to a mid-sized cave that contained shelf after shelf of some of the oldest scrolls and books that anyone had seen. There were torches hanging on the walls, and orbs of bright lights floating around the room. The group followed Wilhelm into the room of forbidden books and gathered around a table that was situated in the center of the cave and they took a seat at the many chairs around the table.

  Wilhelm greeted everyone and then said, "What I am about to tell you all, is of the utmost importance, because much of what is stored in here has not been seen by man nor anyone else in more than a thousand years." The room was silent as Wilhelm continued with all eyes upon him. "This library contains every sort of magic that is known to all as 'dark magic' and is considered by the order to be too dangerous and/or immoral."

  Wilhelm took a seat at the head of the table and said, "Throughout the centuries, through researching, we have obtained certain knowledges that are to remain lost to all. We keep them here in order for us to know not to pursue such disciplines." He paused and took a deep breath. "There are also certain histories that the kingdom and the order wish to let be forgotten to time. It is one such history that has brought you all here today."

  He pulled an object from his robes and placed it on the table in front of everyone. It was a golden chain with several gems that were set into silver circles attached to the chain. "Before we discuss the matter any further, you must all swear an oath." He placed one of his hands on the chain and said, "This chain will bind everyone here into a sworn brotherhood known as a svari-bróeerni."

  Wilhelm grew more serious in his tone when he said, "The oath that will be uttered by all of you, will ensure that what is spoken and heard here today does not cross your lips whilst in the company of others who are not a part of the svari-bróeerni." The gems began to glow as he said, "This chain will also look into the deepest parts of your heart that lies inside of each of you, and deem if you are trustworthy for the task at hand."

  Wilhelm then asked for everyone to place their hand on one of the gems and to hold on to it. He told them that once the oath was spoken, that the gems would reveal their worthiness and then he cautioned them by saying, "If the light from your gem fades away once you grasp it, you must exit the room immediately and without question, or the gem will draw from your life force until it is no more."

  Everyone in attendance reached for a gem without hesitation. Wilhelm was pleased with this, because what he had cautioned was merely a test of everyone's self judgment. He felt that if they themselves felt uncertainty in their own hearts that they would leave. There would be repercussions if they failed, but death would not be one of them.

  "Speak these words with your heart and soul. Do not waver in your vow, as you say it to us aloud," commanded Wilhelm, and then he spoke the vow that all were to repeat. "Mér er sá eier s?rr, mér er sá eier s?rr, mér er sá eier s?rr!" which means, I will swear to it that it is so. The gems grew brighter and they felt the magic inside the gems begin to wash over them and fill them something they did not recognize. The lights faded away when the spell was cast and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  Everyone began looking around the room. The chain was still on the table, but all of the gems had vanished. Wilhelm, seeing the confusion beginning to show on their faces everyone said, "The gems have become a part of you. They have entered your bodies to prevent you from speaking about what you are about to learn in front of anyone that is not among us. For if you try, you will be unable to do so."

  "What do you mean by this," asked Ryan. Wilhelm replied, "Well, it is simple. If you begin to speak about anything that is said here today, and there is someone or something around you that can hear what is being said, weather known to you or not, your mouth will form the words, but the gems will remove the sound of your voice before the words are heard by the unworthy."

  With the spell cast, Wilhelm began a lengthy tale about the Order's history, but because it was late, he summarized as best he could. Everyone in the room began to grow bored with what he was saying, but he regained their attention when he said, "This enemy of ours was once a member of the Order. He was a wizard, a Grand Master in his own mind, but only held the title of Master. His name was Jemot."

  Wilhelm rummaged through his robes until he found what he was looking for. It was an old book clad with leather. He brought it out and began to untie the bindings as he said, "This really should be added to the collection this in this room, but it is a very old family heirloom that has been passed from wizard to wizard and as far as I know, the council is unaware of its existence, and I would like to keep it that way."

  "I will read for you now, a few sections of what my grandfather, ten generations past, once wrote about him in his journal," said Wilhelm, while he flipped his fingers through the book and scanned the pages until he found the section he was searching for. When he finally found the section that he wanted, he stood and began to read it aloud.

  My student, Jemot, has surpassed his apprentice mates and has advanced to the next stage of his education. He has decided to return to the house of his father and begin to study in solace, away from his peers and away from his masters of the order.

  Wilhelm turned several pages and began again.

  We received word that Jemot has fled to the forest; mourning the loss of his wife and firstborn son. I was sent to find him and try to convince him to return to the Sanctum in order that we may aid the healing of his heart. When I found him, he was nearly naked, lying in a cave. He was weak and appeared as though he had not eaten in many days. He was delirious and burning with fever. I feared that he'd gone mad with grief. I brought him back to the Sanctum with me for the healing.

  Wilhelm turned some more pages and then began to read again.

  It has been more than a fortnight since Jemot had disappeared from the Sanctum. He regained his strength and returned to his studies within a week of his return. He had devoted himself to research and seldom was seen outside of the libraries or his chambers. He left without a trace and not one knows his whereabouts.

  He turned the page.

  After nearly two moons, I discovered Jemot in the room known only to the masters. He was pale in color and barely breathing. We know not for how long he had been there, but it appeared as though he was trying to learn from the forbidden texts. He was lying next to a pile of bones and holding a text on necromancy in his hands. The magic within him was all but gone.

  He turned a few more pages and continued.

  I have just returned from passing judgment upon my former apprentice. He had confessed to his crimes against the Order and the Council had sentenced him to a life in exile on the Isle of Time. As my former student, it fell to me to carry out this sentence. With the aid of Wi?dwyr? the Blue, a magnificent dragon sent to me by Dracus, the King of Dragons, we flew to the island and we left him there to die alone. I gave him a brotherly hug and I left for him an empty book to fill with whatever he wished. It broke my heart to leave him there and I am uncertain if I can live the remainder of my days without possibly regretting what I have done. He was a brother to me and I fear that I will mourn his loss for some time.

  Wilhelm turned to the end of the book and read for them from the final entries.

  I am an old man. I have not written in quite some time. As a wizard, I have lived my two lifetimes, and much longer than I should have. I believe it is due to the bond that I share with Wi?dwyr? the Blue. I discovered by accident a way to become like one of the Bonded. It was in what I had thought to be late in my life. I created an amulet that bonded me to him and he to me; because of this, I have lived long enough to regret something I did in another life.

  Jemot has returned to the lands of Tenroha and has been destroying cities and taking many lives and prisoners. I am uncertain of what happened to him on that island or how he survived so long, but he has vowed to take back what is his. With the help of the Order and all the beings of magic in the land, we made the Attikì Mountains rise to unnatural heights to delay his conquest that is fueled by rage. This act of desperation was done to fulfill a prophecy and I doubt that I will live to see the rest of what was foretold. The effort has drained my magic and that of Wi?dwyr?. I do not believe that I will live to see the sun rise on the morrow.

  I have sent Wi?dwyr? back to his kindred and placed the amulet and its sisters along with him. I am hopeful that this will cause the bond between us to cease and allow an old man to die in peace. I am sure to miss my old friend of these many, many years, but I have already lived past the age of usefulness and I only fear that I would hinder the cause of survival for all.

  Wilhelm closed the book and looked around the room. The eyes that were on him were beginning to fill with fear and shock. No one spoke or even tried to as their minds took in all that had been said. Then Jeremiah asked, "What was the prophecy? Has it come to pass?"

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  Wilhelm looked at Jeremiah and then to the rest and said, "It is one of the oldest and most famous unfulfilled prophecies known to the Order. It was foretold by a prophetess whose foresight had never failed. A few here in attendance have already heard it, but tonight you all shall hear it."

  “Mountains rise, evil slows.

  The man from Time, power grows.

  Ages pass, a child is born.

  freedom alas, from evil’s scorn.

  Friends of foe, heed the call.

  Nine young souls arrange the fall.

  Time grows short. Unite the lost.

  Without support, he’ll pay the cost.”

  "This prophecy has been passed down through the ages. The only truths that are known about it is that Jemot is the man from Time that is mentioned. The only other detail we know is that the Attikì Mountains were raised in a desperate attempt to slow his advancement," said Wilhelm solemnly and then he said, "Many scholars have tried to decipher and unravel the mysteries of the remaining text, but none have been unable to learn anymore. This prophecy is the reason that the Order has the Vareaer, the Watchers. We have been watching for over a thousand years for Jemot's return and it appears that the time is upon us."

  Wilhelm pulled another book from inside the robes that he wore. "This is a book that I have made. It contains every reference that I have found on Jemot in this library. Its contents come from many different authors and from a wide variety of places from around the lands of Tenroha. Within it, I hope to find a way to defeat him once and for all."

  "If Jemot is so powerful and dangerous, why would the Order hide the history of his existence?" asked Ryan, to the nods of many in the room. "The Order," began Wilhelm, "Blames itself for the rise of this evil. They had the power to stop this before it began and they felt shame for letting him live. They hid the knowledge away so the world would forget him. I do not blame the former Council for banishing Jemot, they had no idea of what was to become of this."

  "There are many members of the current Council that feel as I do, but most still cling to the old ways and wish for it to remain hidden from the world," explained Wilhelm. "Why tell us? Who are we to be entrusted with this knowledge?" asked Chloé. "It is because of your gift, young one," replied Wilhelm. "Not more than a moon's time ago, you gave me a vision of the past. You were able to see through another’s eyes and tell me of a former vision that was had by my own daughter. In this vision, the child of prophecy was surrounded by eight comrades in a battle against Jemot."

  He began to look around the table, and at each of the young members of the Brotherhood. He began counting. He named them off as he counted aloud. "Matáo, who is strong, skilled and brave, is one; Jonah, with his quick and steady hands, makes two. Jessie and Joel, the feistiest, most stubborn, and most agile amongst us, make three and four."

  Wilhelm began to walk around the table, he placed his hand on Jeremiah's shoulder, "Jeremiah, with his keen sense and cunning; Chloé with her abilities of foresight are five and six; and Ryan, the historian and fellow linguist; and Nìa whose heart is pure and gifted at healing are seven and eight." He circled the table some more, passing the eldest of the members.

  He paused when he arrived at J?kob and said, "As for number nine, there are several members of the Council and those of us here today that believe that young J?kob here," he gestured towards J?kob with his hand and then placed it atop his head, "is the child mentioned in the prophecy." Everyone around the table began talking, a murmur of voices filled the room with the sounds of surprise, shock, and wonder.

  “That is not all,” said Wilhelm, trying to speak over the commotion, “Please, quite down so I can finish.” "What of the rest of us? Why are we here?” asked Petra and Truwood. “As respected members of your own communities, I thought it would be wise for you to be informed of the situation,” replied Wilhelm and then said, “Rayne and Kara were asked here so that the elves could understand the danger that the land is in.” “The elves know of Jemot. We, unlike the Council, do not hide the truths of the past,” stated Rayne.

  “It is the same with the dwarven nations,” said Petra. “We have known of his presence on the other side of the mountains since it began, but what are we to do about it?” “We need to unite the land under one cause in order to defeat him. We must act as one or he will do to us what he has done to the rest of our lands,” said Wilhelm.

  Protector Bridgewater, who had been sitting quiet and patient throughout the commotion, said and asked, “I, or, we that is, understand this, but if we are unable to speak of the information that we gain from this meeting, how are we to inform the others?” “You needn’t worry about that,” said Wilhelm. “As the leaders of the Peacekeepers and the rest of the King’s forces, you needn’t mention it to anyone. You prepare your troops for war and the rest will fall into place. He has stationed his forces at Oaken Meadow, this is already known, and it won’t be long before Jemot’s ego makes him announce his presence.”

  Wilhelm spent the rest of the evening informing everyone in the room of everything that he had found in regards to Jemot. Rayne and Petra told about what their various histories told about him as well. It was nearly midnight before the session was ended and everyone left to get some sleep. They had all agreed to return the following evening as well to begin working on a strategy to defend their lands from Jemot.

  *****

  Ryan had been searching for Wilhelm most of the morning. He had not arrived at breakfast nor was he in his chambers. Ryan made his way through the corridors and down the long tunnel and had arrived at the door to the secret room. The door was ajar so he opened it. Wilhelm was inside reading from Arryn’s book.

  “Master Wilhelm,” he said as he pulled a parchment from the pocket in his overcoat. “What do you know of these?” he asked as he placed the parchment in front of Wilhelm. Wilhelm looked at the page and saw that it was a rendering of the royal crest. “The Megin Forn-leifar. That was the name given to these relics of antiquity.” “You mentioned one of them last night,” said Ryan.

  “So I did,” replied Wilhelm, with a slow nod of his head. “Does the book mention where he sent it?” asked Ryan. “All it tells is that it was sent along with its sisters to the land of dragons with his own dragon," replied Wilhelm. “What does he mean by sisters?” asked Ryan. “I am uncertain, but it is believed by myself and others that knew of it, that after my ancestor fashioned the first amulet, he fashioned two more as well," said Wilhelm.

  "There are various tales from that time of three power wizards. Each wore on their person an amulet described just as this,” continued Wilhelm, pointing at the amulet on the page before him. Wilhelm then said to Ryan, “In his journal, Arryn mentions having to defeat his friends and take the amulets back by force and to, as he wrote so long ago, “Save them from the madness within,” the only other mentioning of them is in what I read for you last night.

  “What of the other items shown here, do you know of their fates as well?” asked Ryan. Wilhelm stood from his chair and walked over to one of the many shelves in the library and picked a book off the shelf. It was leather bound and much larger than the one that Ryan carried on himself. “This is everything that the Order has collected over the centuries on the items. When I had heard that you were a historian like myself and were as interested in these as much as I, I took it upon myself to fashion this book just for you.” Wilhelm placed the book in Ryan’s hand and said, “Much of the information in this book comes from this very room, but I have placed an enchantment upon it so that no one but you or a member of our svari-bróeerni can read it."

  “Nìa informed me of how your book was laid out in sections, so I did the same for this one so that you would be familiar with it.” Ryan began flipping through the pages and said with much gratitude, “This is amazing, how can I thank you for such a fabulous gift, Master Wilhelm?” “This is not to be considered a gift, but a means of payment, my young prince,” replied Wilhelm and then he said, “J?kob is of my blood, but his brother and sister and their friends are my family as well. I ask that you help them with anything that they require if it is in your power and position. Keep them safe and when this is over, return them back to me.”

  Ryan stared at the book and he placed it on the table. He placed his hand in a fist over his heart and knelt before Wilhelm saying, “It will be my honor to protect the ones that you love. I will pledge my life to them as if they were my own.” His voice began to quiver, “It is to a higher calling that I have always felt that I was to be the one to bring these relics from the depths of lore back into the light of day. I swear to you Master Wilhelm, I, Prince Ryan the twelfth of my name, will find the Megin Forn-leifar, to protect your family and restore the kingdom of our ancestors.”

  He stood and embraced his elder and the two of them sat at the table and began searching through Ryan’s book and the one that Wilhelm had given him, comparing what was inside of each. Wilhelm had suggested that he begin with Náttúra for two reasons. The first of which was that they had more information about its last known location, and secondly, it appeared to be the closest to where they were currently.

  Ryan and Wilhelm were looking at a map of the Crescent Mountains and trying to plan for an expedition into the mountains in search of the famous armor of legend when the rest of their Brotherhood began to arrive. They had been in the room all day studying and planning. Nìa, who hadn’t seen Ryan since breakfast, had assumed that he was in the library and had brought a platter of food for him and placed it on the table. He and Wilhelm thanked her and took some food and ate as they studied the map.

  Jeremiah and Chloé arrived with Thomas. They, along with Truwood, had spent the day preparing a plan for a reconnaissance mission into Oaken Meadow and were eager to discuss it with everyone. Chloé pointed to a spot on the map and said to Jeremiah, “That is where I lived before my mother died,” then she pointed to another spot that was nearby and said, “and this is where she would take me every spring for the dwarven festival of planting.”

  Wilhelm looked up at Chloé and then back at the map. “Can you speak the dwarven tongue?” asked Wilhelm. “I used to know a few words, but I can’t remember much of it,” she replied. She went and took a seat between Jeremiah and Thomas as the others came into the room. Once everyone had entered the cavern, Wilhelm and Ryan put away what they were working on and when asked what it was for, Ryan replied, “A very long shot of alternate plan.”

  Protector Bridgewater stood and began to address everyone with the plan that they had been working on. It was a simple plan for two or three people to sneak into Oaken Meadow and discover what they are planning. It was suggested that Jeremiah, Chloé, and Bridgewater himself go on the mission, because they knew the area the best. Ryan did not think that it was wise for the Protector of the Peacekeepers and a General of the King’s forces to take part in such a risky venture. The rest of the group agreed and began making various changes to the plan.

  By the end of their meeting, the group managed to agree upon a version of the plan that satisfied everyone. Matáo, having already pretended to be one of the enemy to gain information, had volunteered to go in the Protector’s stead and Mrs. Clary had offered to take the place of Chloé. She could use her magic better than Chloé, she was a better healer if it was needed, and because Ryan and Wilhelm’s secretive plan seemed to need her attention elsewhere.

  They finished the evening ironing out the details of the mission and what they had hoped to learn. They would spend the next day preparing for their journey and leave before the Council woke on the following day, and return after no more than three days' time. It was not discussed what would happen if they did not return, but the three members of the scouting party understood that it meant that they might not be able to return.