Gallorn, who was a short, brown haired man, sat wrapped in shadows as he watched the trio enter the palace doors. He knew the man in the middle because he had seen and heard him enter through those doors many times, though he wasn't sure whether to believe that he was the new king or not. The other two were, however, new to him. The last man turned around and looked in the general direction of Gallorn, then After shaking his head, he entered the palace and the Twins Closed the doors behind him and returned to their pedestals. Gallorn, while surprised, did not tense up, for such an action would certainly reveal his location. Gallorn waited for a few minutes so as to insure that no one was around, and then released the spell that he cast to wrap nearby shadows around him which would render him virtually invisible, however, if he moved he would be revealed for all to see until he became still again. He had been sent to watch the man who called himself Nardock after the Shadowmancers had been notified that the palace doors had been opened for the first time in a thousand years. He stepped into the shadow of a ruined building and bent it, creating a Shadow Path . The tugging of his navel told him the spell was successful. The speed and darkness of the Shadow Paths was a sensation that Gallorn was still unaccustomed to, even though he had been using shadow magic since he was a child. When he exited the Path, he was at the foot of a marble building with a gray tattered banner that said Daldabor Intelligence Office with the Telmar family crest as its background. The building itself was located in a cavern whose entrance was at the top of the cliff that was directly behind the palace, which had the only way to said cavern, for the city walls surrounded the cliff itself.
When Gallorn entered the doors the bored drone of the Guard said, “ Identify yourself .”
Gallorn felt a tinge of pity, but went with protocol, “ It is I, Gallorn Telmar, son of Sorn Telmar, Chief of the 1st division.”
“Alright, enter Master Telmar,” said the Guard with more vigor, obviously aware of who he was dealing with. Gallon winced, because no matter how many times he tried, he was still treated differently because he was the family head’s son. The guard noticed and replied “I know how you feel about people calling you that, but its protocol.”
“I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”
Gallorn walked down the main hall and nodded to the secretary and showed his badge to her as he passed her desk. He knocked on the door to the Council Room.
“Come in,” said a voice he recognized, his father’s. Gallorn opened the doors and walked in. He stopped in front of his father's desk and then stood in salute.
“At ease my son” said Sorn, “ What news do you have for us today?”
“The one whom we suspect is the new king entered with two companions and I have found out his name, it is Nardock Reeden.”
An elder then spoke to Sorn, “ Well, if that is true, then the royal family has returned to the throne and in such an occasion we must respond in kind.”
“I agree Halvoth, but we must exercise caution concerning this matter,” replied Sorn
“I suggest we send someone to greet the man who claims to belong to the Reeden Family,” supplied the only female elder at the table.
“I second Elder Myrlin’s suggestion” said Halvoth
Sorn looked to be in deep thought and a long silence ensued. Only when he came out of his stupor, did the silence break.
“I also agree with this notion, ” said Sorn, “but I suggest that you, Gallorn should be the one to do this”
The elders had murmured their approval, however, Gallorn looked at his father in shock, but before he could reply, Sorn said “ You have asked me, as well as the rest of the council, to treat you as we would treat your peers, well this is your chance, but remember as the next Head that if you fail it will not be our trust that you lose, but the trust of all who exist in the lower branches of the families’.”
“Yes sir, I understand sir,” replied Gallorn
“In that case, when you get there send a report back, and unless you have anything more to tell us, you are dismissed” said Sorn
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Gallorn saluted, then turned and left the council room. That evening Gallorn packed all his equipment and all of his meager belongings and set off that night. He went out the main entrance to the cave so as to not cause the palace’s new inhabitants any undue alarm. When he made it down to the foot of the cliff he set up camp and thought about how he would approach Nardock and his companions. He slept that night with that thought bouncing around in his head.
That morning Gallorn went through the door designated to DIO and Telmar Family members. The door led to the Throne room, and what greeted him there was the surprised and weary faces of Nardock and his companions.
“Who Are you?” asked Nardock after quickly composing himself
“ I am Gallorn Telmar, Son of Sorn Telmar, who is the family's current Head ,” answered Gallorn, “ I am also the highest ranking officer in the Daldabor Intelligence Office as well as the Telmar family’s young head. And I am here to discern whether or not you are who you claim to be. And if so to properly Crown you ”
Nardock understanding what Gallorn meant and then replied with, “ Go ahead if you must but I will say that I am the last of the Reeden Family direct descent, and I do not know if there are any of my bloodline left or not, for a disease wiped out much of our family long ago.”
Gallorn went behind the throne and brought back a stone and explained its purpose saying that it lit up at the touch of the rightful king and held it out to Nardock. Nardock took the stone and it Shined with such blinding brilliance that those present had to avert their eyes. When the light went away, there laid in Nardock’s hand a crown in the place where the stone once had rested.
Gallorn then looked Nardock in the eyes and said “ Do you swear to defend this country and its people?”
“I swear to defend this country and its people,” replied Nardock
Gallorn then asked, “Do you swear to be fair in your dealings concerning your people whether they are criminals of the lowest birth or the highest?”
“I swear to be fair in my dealings concerning my people whether they are criminals of the lowest birth or the highest,”
“Then as the one last remaining Representative of the old Council I hereby Crown you King Nardock,” said Gallorn with finality
Nardock then placed the crown on his head and both the tall Daldaborian and Gallorn knelt and said in unison, “ Long live King Nardock Reeden,”
The other man had an exasperated look on his face and in the common language said, “If you guys are going to have a ceremony then at least do it in my language”
The tall Daldaborian chuckled and replied “ And you, my friend, are going to have to learn this language so as to not be left behind.”
“ As my liege, I now am allowed to tell you that I was told to report back to my family’s council when I was done here,” said Gallorn
“Go on, but before you do I’d like to introduce my companions to you” said Nardock in the common tongue so as to include Jerry in the conversation, “ the stick here that has yet to learn our language is Jerry, and the Scholarly man to his right is Ryon”
“Hey…” said Jerry in mock protest, grinning wide.
Ryon bowed and said, “ A Pleasure to meet you”
“Nice to meet you sirs ,” said Gallorn with a bow, “ especially you Sir Ryon, if what the books say is true.”
“ I’m sure it would be if the Telmar historical archives are as up to date as I suspect they are,”
Gallorn then bowed to Nardock and turned to the door he entered and exited the room. When Gallorn did that, Nardock Relaxed a little, taking off his crown and looked at it with both curiosity and wonder, however he was not surprised by it. This was because he had had a feeling that when he first looked at the stone, something inside him was tugging toward it, like the stone was tugging on the core of his being. It was only when he looked up that he noticed his companions' expressions.
“Hey what’s with the awe in your faces I'm no different than before, that is, a ruler of a people that has fallen far from its perch.” He said humorously
“But still a ruler” countered Ryon, “ no matter how far from our eerie we are. ”
“Yes but I will not be seen as a man completely apart from my people but instead one that my actions will be based on their will.” re-countered Nardock., “ and I want that to start with you two and even mister Telmar who left here, though I think that's going to be a bit hard based on what I've read about that particular family.”
“Never has words been more true,” chuckled Ryon, “ if anything they are loyal to their protocols though that particular man might understand your situation more than most”
That night Nardock had a hard time sleeping but when he did he dreamed of the scent of lavender lingering in his nose, and the feeling of hair brushing his face and the warmth of someone beside him then he smelt death and felt something ice cold beside him.
He awoke in a cold sweat and then fell back into a fitful sleep.