Chapter 42 Kerik
KERIK
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, ISMAGAAR
Perl came for him. And Perl is so beautiful.
The witch Perl feared so much, blamed himself for, lies dead on the cavern floor. Pale and surprisingly small without the glow of power all around her.
Kerik feels weak. His body feels full of magic, but empty of anything else. The physical strength that he is used to. He feels his legs go soft. He’s falling. “Perl.”
It isn’t meant to be a command, but Perl is there, moving fast across the cabin to catch Kerik in his arms.
Kerik looks up at Perl. Perl’s face is soft, overwhelmed with love and relief. “What happened?” Kerik murmurs. “I feel so strong. So full of power. But so weak.”
Perl smiles. “You are full of the power you took from Lyr. But you still are not adept at using magical power without depleting your physical power. You used all your strength to kill her before you used what you had from Lyr.”
“Oh,” says Kerik. “Can you fix that? Teach me not to do that?”
“We can work on it.”
“So,” Kerik says to Perl. “Did you know you are bound to obey me?”
“I had noticed, yes. “
Across the cavern Lyr is helping Damon to his feet.
“Do you think he looks like me?” Kerik says.
Perl looks at Kerik, confused. “Who?”
“Damon. People say he looks like me.”
“I suppose, yes,” Perl says, sounding slightly annoyed. “That was a very impressive piece of magic you just did. The fainting right afterwards notwithstanding.”
“Wasn’t it? But when I touch Lyr, I feel like I can do anything.” He can still feel it. The power he drew from Lyr is still inside him. It feels like lightning striking over and over again.
Lyr stands up and walks over to them. Damon’s arm over his shoulders. “Kerik,” Damon says. “It is good to see you safe.”
“Brother,” Kerik says as Damon takes him from Perl’s arms into an embrace. Kerik grunts in surprise. But it feels good. He does not think Damon has ever embraced him before.
Behind him, Perl says in a soft tone, half to himself. “The Books of Alios. Truly.”
Kerik turns to see that Lyr has dropped his fur cloak and lifted his chiton. Perl reaches out and touches what appear to be tiny letters all over his back.
Kerik steps up behind Perl and slides his arms around Perl’s waist. “You have them back. Can you read it?”
“No. But it is Ur-Ambolk. We will find someone.”
“We know someone,” Damon says. "But he is in the Rose Palace and bound not to leave.”
“Jemel?” Perl says.
“The Hare,” says Damon.
“Yes,” says Perl. “His name is Jemel. And there’s something you must know about him.”