{"id":20721,"date":"2019-10-08T07:34:03","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T11:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=20721"},"modified":"2019-10-08T07:34:03","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T11:34:03","slug":"the-whispers-the-story-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/the-whispers-the-story-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"The Whispers – The Story So Far…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Howdy folks.\u00a0 So, over the last couple of weeks, my day job has been keeping me incredibly busy.\u00a0 I’m routinely working until the end of the day without being able to find any downtime to write, and by the time I get home, I pretty much just pass out.\u00a0 So this month things are going to be a smidge different.\u00a0 One of the folks on my newsletter has been incredibly kind over the last several months, and has made me a hobby of hers, spot checking my work for little grammatical errors that I’ve missed.\u00a0 For most of the books, this means I tweak things immediately and make a change to the file.\u00a0 For something like The Whispers<\/em>, a very iterative storytelling experience, once it’s out in the world, I usually just leave things be (although the plan was to incorporate her edit suggestions, as well as those of my other two editors into a finalized book when the story was wrapped up).\u00a0 Now, with a break in the story, I thought this would be a good idea to give people the chance to catch up on the story so far, and for people who’ve been reading to see a more refined version of The Whispers<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I’ll be back and ready to go in November, assuming I can quickly put together this year’s Halloween story.\u00a0 For now, enjoy the first four chapters of The Whispers<\/em>:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Chapter One: <\/strong>The Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The temple\u2019s largest bell sent a resounding note pulsing through the building.\u00a0 The six smaller ones that surrounded the immense bronze bell would soon play their own tunes against the stone chambers they sat within; the melody was known to all the temple\u2019s clergy.<\/p>\n

His eyes fluttering open, Declan stared at the ceiling of his bedchamber.\u00a0 Recent nights had been more restful, he knew, and he breathed out a little sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

He could still hear the whispers, in the back of his mind, like little scratches on the other side of the stone wall beside his bed.\u00a0 Compared to the times in his youth when he heard them with greater clarity, they might as well have been miles away.\u00a0 He heard them still, but they were like grains of sand in a distant hourglass. \u00a0He couldn\u2019t identify what they were saying.<\/p>\n

Declan was sure that in time they would be gone completely.<\/p>\n

Any other day, he would have been ecstatic at the prospect.\u00a0 For far too long they had dictated every facet of his life.\u00a0 While the hushed tones and distant voices offered up cryptic remarks and the odd pertinent suggestions, it was the way the other members of the clergy interpreted them that kept him in place at the temple.<\/p>\n

In time, the whispers grew distant, and in their distance, their instructions grew unclear.\u00a0 Without their direction, there was no sense in relying on the lad as though he heard the commands of the gods.<\/p>\n

With a sigh pushing past his lips, Declan sat upright and swung his legs off the bed.\u00a0 He struck the thin mattress with the heel of his hand.<\/p>\n

There were some things he wouldn\u2019t miss, he mused.<\/p>\n

The young man rose then, shaking the weariness from his body.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much to do to prepare himself for the road ahead.\u00a0 His bag was packed already, for there was no more need for him to live there within the protection of the temple\u2019s stone walls.<\/p>\n

Declan made his way to the crude table in the opposite corner of the room, and plucked up his satchel, slinging it over his shoulder.\u00a0 There was no sense delaying his departure.\u00a0 The clerics had grown tired of him, and rumors\u2014whispers from real people he spent time within the temple\u2014spoke of turning his small chamber into a spare vestry once he was gone.<\/p>\n

With a huff, he took a step back and opened the door to his room.\u00a0 One of the newer clerics, clad in a simple brown robe, sped by, not bothering to give the man a glance.\u00a0 Declan wondered if the neophyte had been listening at the door to see if the room was vacant.<\/p>\n

Making his way into the adjoining hallway, he could hear the bustle in the nave as parishioners made their way into the building. Somewhere amidst the cacophony of voices, he identified one that he was most familiar with.<\/p>\n

As he rounded the corner, the young fellow saw the elder leaning on the pulpit, speaking to the worshippers that crowded him.\u00a0 The morning service had yet to begin, but Benedictus always welcomed his congregation for guidance or prayer.<\/p>\n

Declan hesitated there for a moment, wondering if it would be a good time to take his leave from the temple.\u00a0 If his old friend couldn\u2019t see him leave, there wouldn\u2019t be a need to have a sad farewell, after all.<\/p>\n

His footsteps brought him down the aisle, the open doors sending a breeze into the building that was at once liberating and frightening as it danced across the lad\u2019s skin.\u00a0 The sunlight shone onto the stone and as he walked out into it, it felt warmer than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan?\u201d he heard the man far behind him call out.\u00a0 \u201cDeclan!\u201d<\/p>\n

While he waited there at the exit to the temple, he saw the priest push his way through the crowd, acting as though they were an afterthought.\u00a0 The old fellow panted as he reached the end of the path and came to stand beside the departing young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou meant to simply leave without saying anything?\u201d Benedictus asked.<\/p>\n

Declan sighed before he built up the energy to speak.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is there to say?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cMy time here is done, and I\u2019m being cast out into the wind.\u00a0 The other members of the clergy can\u2019t even be bothered to keep me around to clean the floors or tidy up books in the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elder priest nodded, knowing how hurt the lad was by his dismissal.\u00a0 \u201cYou know why the other brothers of the order have been so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Insistent?\u201d Declan interjected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you were first adopted by the temple, they thought your gift was a conduit to the gods.\u00a0 But as the messages have grown quiet, their interpretations have become vague.\u00a0 More than once it seems the clergy have made ill-advised decisions based on what they thought your distant voices seem to be saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them that I could barely make out what the whispers say anymore,\u201d Declan countered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not certain as to why, but the longer I stayed here at the temple, the quieter they grew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Benedictus mused.\u00a0 \u201cI remember when you first arrived here, and you would clasp your hands over your ears as though that would help.\u00a0 Since then, I\u2019ve seen you grow into a fine young man who follows his own heart rather than the interpretations and suggestions of some old men with their noses buried in some dusty ancient tomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose dusty old tomes are half the reason I\u2019m able to understand half of the expressions you and the other brothers use from time to time,\u201d Declan teased.\u00a0 He thought then of how that friendship had run its course though, and the momentary flash of amusement was stricken from his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome,\u201d the cleric gestured.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll walk you to the crossroads.\u00a0 There is no sense in you waiting there alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man nodded as he followed Benedictus down the path.\u00a0 \u201cTo be honest, I\u2019m surprised I wasn\u2019t already cast into the wagon.\u00a0 I thought he would be here already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a long trip from the guild hall, certainly,\u201d his old friend replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019m sure that there were other things that the Adventurers needed to do this morning besides prepare the wagon to come gather a poor acolyte from the temple.\u201d\u00a0 He paused for a moment and turned to see that his words were not taken in jest as he had hoped.\u00a0 He stood straighter then and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWho knows though?\u00a0 Perhaps as you grow accustomed to your new home, you\u2019ll go on adventures of your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think they want the person who sweeps their pantry to go on any noble quests with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps not at first,\u201d Benedictus conceded.<\/p>\n

As his words were swept away by the gentle summer breeze, he passed a glance down the dirt road that passed before the temple.\u00a0 When the cleric narrowed his eyes, Declan knew that someone approached from further beyond.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is your ride, child.\u201d<\/p>\n

The departing man let his gaze fall upon the road and breathed out a subtle sigh.\u00a0 Before long he could hear the clopping hoofbeats of the ox that drew the wagon, and when he looked up, he could see the cart upon the horizon.\u00a0 A lone traveler sat in the driver\u2019s seat; his cloak drawn up over his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit hot for a hood, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Adventurers of Eladia are known to try and keep their identity secret.\u00a0 Perhaps it is worth the slight discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

After several more moments, the cart pulled up to the crossroads and made a slight turn toward the temple.\u00a0 The driver tugged on the reins, urging the ox to stop.\u00a0 Though the man\u2019s hood was drawn far over his face, both Declan and Benedictus could see the bushy auburn mustache that stretched over his upper lip and came down either side.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis the one?\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

Benedictus, caught off guard by the nonchalant conversation, looked to his departing ward with concern.\u00a0 \u201cThat depends on who you\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The driver took in a deep breath and sent a sharp sigh up between his lips, sending a few of the hairs in his mustache bristling.\u00a0 He tugged his hood back then, revealing his face and the bright red coif that seemed to shine like fire in the late-morning sunlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from the guild in Eladia,\u201d he grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cWe sent word that someone was going to be picking up your lad and that someone named Erik was going to be bringing him back.\u00a0 Well that\u2019s me.\u00a0 I\u2019m Erik.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cleric looked to the young man behind him, but Declan already started forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d the lad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve said your goodbyes, right?\u201d Erik asked.\u00a0 Though the two men on the ground thought they detected a hint of compassion, the fellow from the Adventurers\u2019 guild knocked his fist against the wagon behind him then.\u00a0 \u201cCome on then.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know you can always visit,\u201d Benedictus said as his young ward moved along.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re only half a day\u2019s ride up the road, and you are welcome any time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate the offer,\u201d Declan said.<\/p>\n

Erik grumbled and slapped the reins to the seat and hopped from the cart then.\u00a0 He made his way around to the back of the wagon and pulled down the gate there.\u00a0 \u201cAre you coming or not?\u00a0 The sooner I get you back to Eladia, the sooner I can give you the grand tour of the guild hall and be on my way to the Grey Arches to meet up with the other members of the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess this is goodbye,\u201d Declan conceded.\u00a0 He reached the back of the carriage then as well, and he hopped into place among the other goods that Erik had with him.<\/p>\n

Benedictus helped him lift the gate back into place then.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s only goodbye for now,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make sure to make some time to visit you in the upcoming weeks and see that you\u2019re settling in well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik climbed back into the driver\u2019s seat then, and snapped the reins, urging his ox forward.\u00a0 \u201cBest steer clear of the road, priest,\u201d he called out.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to run over a man of the cloth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benedictus shook his head and hurried from the road then, forced to watch it pass.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t dismiss the dejected look on his friend\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

As Declan drew further from the temple, he bowed his head, wondering what the future would have in store for him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erik pushed open the door and gave it a light tap when its momentum had it swinging back toward the jamb.\u00a0 \u201cRight this way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Declan hurried past the closing door and into the guild hall.\u00a0 The Adventurers of Eladia lived in quite a bit more luxury than the clergy at the temple it seemed.<\/p>\n

Perhaps his station was improving, the lad mused.<\/p>\n

Affording him as little time as he had thus far, Erik moved along through the building, never stopping to speak to any of the other guild members who drifted through the hall\u2019s many rooms.\u00a0 The red-haired fellow pushed straight through until they reached the rear of the building, where grand windows overlooked a vast meadow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this way to the larder,\u201d Erik said.\u00a0 He moved off to a side hall, where a broad door faced them from one direction, and a set of stone steps descended into the ground below the hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t I be stopping at my quarters first?\u201d Declan asked.\u00a0 \u201cI have my belongings to drop off.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since the lad met the guild member, Erik halted, no longer concerned with a hasty pace.\u00a0 He spun about and folded his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cAnd who is to say that you\u2019ll be worthy of your own room?\u00a0 Here at the guild, you earn your keep, and we need to see that you\u2019re capable of that before we set you up with a comfortable cot and a place to rest your bones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think I\u2019m worthy of sweeping the larder?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe brothers at the temple didn\u2019t think you were worth keeping for theirs,\u201d Erik stated matter-of-factly.\u00a0 He proceeded down the stone steps, waving on the newest representative of the guild.\u00a0 Once they arrived in the cellar, Declan realized even the hidden sublevel was quite expansive.\u00a0 Most of it was covered in fine planks of wood, though there were rooms here and there that remained fashioned in stone (yet some of those had been carved with beautiful etchings and stylings).\u00a0 Erik turned to his side and pointed toward an adjacent chamber.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s the larder.\u00a0 You can drop off your things there while I give you the rest of the tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lad breathed out a sigh of relief when it seemed the man would finally offer him some compassion.\u00a0 He opened the sturdy door to the larder and placed his pack on the ground there.\u00a0 He could smell the foodstuffs that the Adventures of Eladia had amassed and considered that he would never have to worry about going hungry while he lived at the guild.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will take a lot of work for you to find your place here,\u201d Erik said as the young man shut the door behind him.\u00a0 \u201cBut if you labor well, and you do so without much complaint, you\u2019ll find there are a fair amount of benefits.\u00a0 No one comes here for the sake of a bed or a fine meal to eat though, lad.\u00a0 People join up with us because these lands still hold a promise of untold lore\u2014of worlds of history that still need to be discovered.\u00a0 You can be an attendant to this building if that is all you seek to be in this life.\u00a0 But the guild leaders thought that with your own odd history, you might amount to something more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan said nothing further, but squared his jaw, nodding in the hopes that the move to this new location wouldn\u2019t break him.<\/p>\n

Erik proceeded on, deeper into the bowels of that place.\u00a0 An acrid scent took to the air, like too much history in one place that hadn\u2019t been overturned in some time.\u00a0 The wooden floorboards gave way to the elaborate carved stones that went underscored by delicate lantern light.\u00a0 As Declan followed the man into the further chambers, he wondered if perhaps the guild hall had been built around older ruins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a great many things for you to do here,\u201d Erik said, \u201cand more than likely less time for you to do them all.\u00a0 There\u2019s the larder, which I\u2019d personally like you to start with.\u00a0 There\u2019s the stable out beside the meadow.\u00a0 You\u2019ll cook and clean and launder the garments for the other guild members.\u00a0 And back this way, there\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He was interrupted by the slamming of a door, and the sudden appearance of one of the other members of the guild.\u00a0 The fair-skinned maiden spun about; a wine-colored cloak was pulled up tight over her head.\u00a0 Even in the soft light of the cellar, Declan could see Erik\u2019s cheeks turning as flush red as his mustache.<\/p>\n

\u201cLady Ilayeth,\u201d the guild member said before taking a deep bow.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow Erik, I\u2019ve told you many times.\u00a0 I\u2019m no more a lady than you are a king.\u00a0 You needn\u2019t place me on such a pedestal.\u00a0 I\u2019m simply a curious archivist, scouring through ancient tomes.\u201d\u00a0 She paused then, and looked over the man\u2019s shoulder, spotting the second man in the cellar with them.\u00a0 \u201cAnd who is this handsome young stranger?\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

The stockier fellow turned about, arching his eyebrow.\u00a0 He pointed with his thumb.\u00a0 \u201cHim?\u00a0 This is our newest guild member, Declan.\u00a0 I\u2019m setting him up with a broom and a mop so that he can prove himself to us before he officially joins up with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that so?\u201d Ilayeth asked.\u00a0 She stepped forward then, narrowing her eyes as she took account of the lad.\u00a0 \u201cAh yes,\u201d she said, holding up her hand as though she were pressing it up against some unseen wall.\u00a0 \u201cYou may begin as an attendant here, but I sense great things in your future.\u00a0 In time, perhaps it will be you who is written about in ancient tomes for future generations to learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled as she sensed a warm glow upon Declan\u2019s own cheeks then.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019ll both excuse me, I have to take my research up into some brighter light.\u00a0 There is some information in this volume that may be of some assistance to Mason and the others if they\u2019re having difficulty proceeding into the ruins.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBest of luck finding something of use,\u201d Erik said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re likely waiting for one of your \u2018miracles\u2019 to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I shall work as best I can to deliver one,\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was nice meeting you Declan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both men watched the archivist leave the hall, and they could hear her make her way up the stone steps to the rest of the building.\u00a0 When the newest arrival turned back to his guide, he was faced with the unhappy visage of the mustached fellow.<\/p>\n

Erik knew that he had been noted, and he folded his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cRemember this one thing lad: she\u2019s more than what she seems on the surface.\u00a0 Ilayeth has been here longer than most of the other adventurers, and even after all the time I\u2019ve been here, I still haven\u2019t uncovered all her mysteries.\u201d\u00a0 He grumbled and waved his hand.\u00a0 \u201cBah.\u00a0 That\u2019s neither here nor there.\u00a0 We must make sure you\u2019re sticking around first before we worry about such things.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I was saying before we were visited by Ilayeth, the room that she came out of needs a bit of care as well.\u00a0 The dust and grime that can build up in there is not good for the old books, so you\u2019ll clean that room as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan nodded, but Erik was already on his way further into the cellar.\u00a0 A chill permeated the air then, as they proceeded on, and the lad paused when he saw a faint, pale blue light emanating from the next chamber.\u00a0 While most of the rooms were rectangular, that one, seeming to sit at the center of the guild hall, had a circular curve about it.<\/p>\n

Though Erik moved on without hesitation, Declan couldn\u2019t help but slow his pace.\u00a0 There, hanging above two pedestals as if held up by hidden strings, were two artifacts that looked impressive and storied.\u00a0 A longsword floated above one, while on the opposite side a staff hovered in the air.\u00a0 The pedestals themselves were awash in the light, and he wondered if it was the plinths or the weapons that held onto that magic.<\/p>\n

His guide turned about, realizing that his ward did not follow him.\u00a0 \u201cI see you distract easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan refused to allow that comment to goad him into moving again.\u00a0 He felt drawn to both of those relics and took time to observe them in the strange light.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are some of the oldest items we have in the guild hall,\u201d Erik said when he realized his words were not met with immediate action.\u00a0 \u201cThey predate any of us that live here\u2014even Ilayeth.\u00a0 Some say they belonged to the first heroes who founded the Adventurers of Eladia, but none can say for certain.\u00a0 But some of the people in the guild will swear they can feel the arcane weaving through this room when they venture through it.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019re one of them.\u201d\u00a0 He snorted then.\u00a0 \u201cStill, you\u2019ve got to earn your way up to a fully-fledged member.\u00a0 In the meantime, we have some more recent artifacts that I want to show you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik waved the young man on, and they proceeded on through the round chamber, until they reached one last large room that Declan was certain sat beneath the entrance to the guild.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the Hall of Heroes,\u201d Erik claimed.\u00a0 He swept out his arm, bringing his new ward\u2019s attention to the various armor stands in the room.\u00a0 The room was awash with somber lantern light, but many of the hauberks and breastplates still sparkled in the darkness. \u00a0\u201cThis is a place of remembrance, and it might be the best place for you to start doing work.\u00a0 There\u2019s perhaps no better place for you to know what you\u2019re going to be a part of.\u00a0 After all, this is the history of the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

No stranger to the concept of the hereafter, Declan took time to observe those stands a little closer.\u00a0 In some places, a helmet sat above the armor, or a weapon rested against it.\u00a0 Each of them had a marble slab situated on the floor, atop the hardwood boards. Upon the closest ones, he saw the etchings of a name carved into gold plates fixed to the stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fallen, yes,\u201d Erik said.\u00a0 \u201cThese are the heroes who helped Novistrus through its darkest hours.\u00a0 This country was a dismal place before the Adventurers of Eladia were brought together.\u00a0 But such a place couldn\u2019t be without its hazards, and not everyone makes it out alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

They stood there in solemn silence, reflecting on the sacrifices that had been made in the name of progress and justice.<\/p>\n

A nearby snore broke them of that deliberation, and Erik passed before Declan, peering into the far corner on the right side of the room.\u00a0 His heavy footfalls roused the other guild member in the room, who woke with a gasp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m up, I\u2019m up!\u201d the fellow said.\u00a0 It took him a moment to settle back into place, but by then, he was already shaken.<\/p>\n

Declan took a few steps to the side as well, watching the stout fellow rise from the ground.\u00a0 Though the few strands of grey in his long brown beard proved he was a great deal older than the newest member of the guild, his head didn\u2019t quite reach up to the young man\u2019s collarbone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter lad?\u201d the stranger said.\u00a0 \u201cYe ain\u2019t never seen a dwarf before?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoping against hope that there wasn\u2019t another like Erik in the guild, Declan stood straighter upon hearing that snippy comment.\u00a0 \u201cThere weren\u2019t a lot of dwarves that came to our temple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d the dwarf said with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the new recruit then.\u00a0 Dirkland, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d the lad clarified.<\/p>\n

\u201cBah,\u201d he replied, eliciting a chortle from Erik.\u00a0 \u201cI liked my name for ye better.\u201d\u00a0 He took a step forward then, clapping the man he knew on the arm before extending his hand to the stranger.\u00a0 \u201cMe name\u2019s Tornig.\u00a0 Sorry if I gave ye a fright.\u00a0 I come here sometimes to clear me mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

He spun about and returned to the corner where Erik had found him and bent down to pluck up a helmet from the ground.\u00a0 He returned to an upright position, an uncomfortable grunt announcing his arrival there.<\/p>\n

When he turned back toward the other guild members, Declan noticed the similarities of the helmet the dwarf had, and the one on the nearest armor stand.\u00a0 Both were fashioned of heavy plate and had downturned horns fixed to their tops.<\/p>\n

Tornig caught the observation and tapped his knuckles against the brow of the helmet.\u00a0 \u201cThis is me older brother,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cHe was an Adventurer of Eladia afore I ever had the inkling of being one.\u00a0 Sometimes I come down here to talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he talks himself into a deep sleep,\u201d Erik grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell it\u2019s boring being the only one with anything ta say!\u201d Tornig retorted.\u00a0 He shook his head before he placed the helm upon his head then.\u00a0 After looking at his friend and passing him a teasing scoff, he turned back to the newest recruit.\u00a0 \u201cListen lad: I\u2019d appreciate it very much if ye took great care of this chamber.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long while since it\u2019s seen some proper attention, and I can\u2019t be the only one ta make sure Gulspire\u2019s mail shines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan returned the dwarf an emphatic nod.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen ye\u2019ll do just fine.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to Erik then, and stuck out his chin at him.\u00a0 \u201cWould ye walk with me for a bit?\u00a0 A falcon came to Yaro early this morning.\u00a0 Seems there\u2019s a new task that might fall to Eladia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m meant to bring supplies to Mason,\u201d Erik said.\u00a0 \u201cBut no harm came from talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least ye\u2019ll respond to me,\u201d Tornig said.<\/p>\n

As the dwarf made his way out of the room, Erik fell into step behind him.\u00a0 He turned to Declan then and gave him a nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, this is as good a place to start as anywhere.\u00a0 When I return, I expect I\u2019ll be able to see my face in the reflection of those plaques.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t wait to see a reaction upon the lad\u2019s face, but left alone in the dimly lit room, all Declan could do was nod.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A glistening sheen of perspiration sat upon Declan\u2019s brow then.\u00a0 He had swept the chamber until he was certain the bristles on the broom were going to fall off, and then moved his attention to more attentive matters.\u00a0 Starting in the corner where Tornig once rested, he set a rag to the golden plaques on the marble markers.\u00a0 His attempts to impress Erik seemed to be going well, because on more than one of those old nameplates, Declan could see his weary face looking back at him.<\/p>\n

More than once, he could hear some of the other members of the guild moving around on the floor above him.\u00a0 The impressive door slammed into the jamb as excited adventurers moved about, hungry for their next quest.\u00a0 Muted voices carried enough for him to hear them, but not enough to distinguish what was being said.\u00a0 He wondered if anyone in the hall even knew he was there below him.\u00a0 How would they react if they saw him\u2014a stranger\u2014in that hallowed place?<\/p>\n

He shook his head of those thoughts, putting some force into his task.\u00a0 The plate he worked at cleaning then, one that belonged to a fellow named Wengert Daggard, was covered in age-old filth, and it didn\u2019t seem to be willing to catch a shine.<\/p>\n

Pressing as hard as he could, Declan suddenly lurched forward, and had to catch himself with the heel of his hand, lest he smash his nose against the floorboards.\u00a0 He looked back to see why he had lost his balance, and his jaw dropped at the sight of the plaque and the stone marker.\u00a0 The rivet that kept the golden plate locked in place had snapped, and the tile had half fallen to the floor.<\/p>\n

Declan sat up, horrified at his blunder.\u00a0 How was he meant to explain that on his first day, he had besmirched the memory of one of the heroes of the guild?\u00a0 He leaned forward then, hoping that he could lay the golden plate back upon the portion of the rivet that remained embedded in the marble, but it fell once more.<\/p>\n

As he fiddled with the nameplate, loud voices rang out above him.\u00a0 So consumed with his mistake, Declan didn\u2019t notice the angry, worrisome cries.<\/p>\n

But he noticed the explosion that rocked the foundation of the building.\u00a0 Dust and streams of dirt fell from the ceiling when it was knocked away from the place it sat for generations.\u00a0 The lanterns shuddered and waved under the odd percussion, and even the armor on the stands surrounding Declan gave off a quiet rattle that sent chills running up his spine.<\/p>\n

The lad stood up then, looking at the woodwork above him.\u00a0 The loud voices\u2014screams and cries and angry shouts\u2014were not lost to him then.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone!\u201d he heard then.\u00a0 \u201cTo arms!\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Declan had never been in an engagement with an enemy that wanted him dead before, he felt heat coursing through him.\u00a0 He knew that even though he had no formal training, he could be of some use to the other adventurers, and he raced out of the chamber, hoping he could remember the way out of that labyrinthine cellar.<\/p>\n

As he reached the strange circular room in the center of the basement, though, something strange happened.\u00a0 The lights emanating from the pedestals seemed to pulse, and glow brighter.\u00a0 The weapons hovering there seemed to spin in place, reacting to the dangers in the guild hall\u2014though Declan considered that perhaps the blast from the ground floor had sent them rotating.<\/p>\n

But he couldn\u2019t blame the explosion on the sudden return of the sounds he thought he had long since heard gone quiet.<\/p>\n

The whispers had returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake the sword.\u00a0 You\u2019re stronger than you know.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Declan.\u00a0 The staff, and untold magic is within your grasp.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy depend on the unknown and the unreliable?\u00a0 Cold steel will never disappoint you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have the power of the arcane flowing through you.\u00a0 All that\u2019s left is to learn to channel it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The young man, who thought he\u2019d dismissed the whispers forever, couldn\u2019t ignore their advice.\u00a0 If danger had come to the Adventures of Eladia, he knew that it was his duty to make a stand beside them.<\/p>\n

All that was required of him was to reach out and grab one of the ancient relics.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Two: Obeying the Call<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The whispers that rattled about in the back of Declan\u2019s head were no match for the next explosion that seemed to rock the building to its core.\u00a0 He lunged forward, catching his balance upon the nearest of the two pedestals.\u00a0 When he shook his head of the confusion, and he managed to look up, it was the spinning sword that was before him.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, whispers urged him to take that long, deadly blade, eager as he set his sights upon the sword\u2019s hilt.<\/p>\n

Then, like a cascading wave, the other voices overpowered the few murmurs that urged him toward the melee weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe staff, Declan!<\/em>\u201d an urgent whisper called.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever is happening above, a single sword will not be enough.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the aether flows through you<\/em>,\u201d another voice clarified.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hold the key<\/em>,\u201d the loudest voice among them said then.\u00a0 \u201cAnd with that staff, you can find the door and open it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan squared his jaw then, righting himself before turning about to stare at the spinning arcane weapon.\u00a0 He could sense the power emanating from it, as though the voices may have been calling from within the staff.\u00a0 As he drew closer to it, a faint hum seemed to fill the room, drowning out the whispers\u2014or adding to them, he thought.<\/p>\n

It felt as though he were looking at it for the first time.\u00a0 Comprised of some ancient metal, the staff looked sturdy despite its antiquity.\u00a0 A pair of lifted ridges sat close to its center, indicating the proper handhold.\u00a0 Further up the length of it, a decorated circle sat fixed at its head.<\/p>\n

Reaching out toward it, Declan felt an even stronger pull, as though the staff reached out to him in turn.\u00a0 Before he could even wrap his fingers around the speckled metal, the faint blue light erupted into a burst of cobalt and cerulean, overwhelming his senses and momentarily blinding him.<\/p>\n

When his vision returned, Declan was outside of that round chamber, with the staff held high and in his hand.\u00a0 He looked to his side, recognizing the larder that Erik had shown him to.<\/p>\n

Without understanding how, he had passed beyond several other rooms that separated the basement foyer from the relic chamber.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t discern whether some magic had taken hold of him, or if, in his disorientation, he had stumbled through the labyrinthine cellar.\u00a0 It he had stumbled about, how much time had passed, he wondered.<\/p>\n

As his vision settled upon the stairs to the rest of the guild hall, he knew that the question could be considered later.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo forth, Declan<\/em>,\u201d the whispers said, almost in unison.<\/p>\n

It was the first time that he had ever heard those voices in absolute agreement, rather than chattering over one another.\u00a0 With that powerful utterance, it sounded more like an order than a suggestion, and Declan thought better than to hesitate.<\/p>\n

Gripping the staff, feeling its energy, he strode forth toward the stairs.<\/p>\n

It had gone quiet on the floor above, the terse voices fading.\u00a0 Declan wondered if he would ascend to witness a horrible sight and nothing more.<\/p>\n

He shook his head, knowing that his focus had to be on what was before him, rather than what the future might hold.\u00a0 Declan looked at the stone steps, thankful that they weren\u2019t made from the same creaky wood as the basement at the temple.\u00a0 If there were any villains roaming about the guild hall, stealth, along with his new staff, would be the only advantages he had.<\/p>\n

Taking in a deep breath, Declan climbed the stairs until he was just below the landing, out of sight of the side hall and the room that overlooked the meadow.\u00a0 The pair of broad doors across from him almost seemed to call to him, offering him some semblance of safety.\u00a0 If he could just push past them, he could race off into the meadow, away from whatever dangers had fallen upon the Adventurers\u2019 guild.<\/p>\n

He forced out the breath he\u2019d taken earlier, hearing the fretful undulation as it left through his parted lips.<\/p>\n

After another step, he turned on his heel and thrust out the staff, attempting to prove he was ready for anything.\u00a0 Looking into the room, its grand windows filling the chamber with sunlight, he knew he had proven himself wrong.\u00a0 The radiance fell upon the injured and the dead in an odd spectacle, illuminated dust particles dancing in the air, lingering from the earlier explosions.<\/p>\n

Declan\u2019s legs buckled, but he leaned against the dividing wall for balance.\u00a0 The near silence was somehow deafening, and the lack of any further guidance from the whispers left him feeling more alone than ever.<\/p>\n

Despite his trepidation, he crept forward, until he could gaze down the long hall that Erik once led him down.<\/p>\n

The front door of the guild hall was ajar, swaying in the soft breeze.\u00a0 Declan couldn\u2019t see any sign of the aggressors there and wondered whether that was a good thing or not.<\/p>\n

Staring into the sunlight, he could barely make out the figure sprawled across the floor into the hallway.\u00a0 As his eyes adjusted, Declan could see the horned helmet that lay on its side beside the fallen dwarf.\u00a0 Though he was far from the smallfolk, he could see that Tornig lay unmoving.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you move again, I\u2019ll rip out your entrails,\u201d Declan heard, then.<\/p>\n

He went rigid, and hid beside the hallway, further weighing his options.\u00a0 As he hid there, he noticed that even without the sunlight glaring through the open door, the room seemed to grow brighter.<\/p>\n

He looked up at the staff and noticed that the circle fixed atop it glowed with the faint blue light he recalled from the relic chamber in the basement.\u00a0 Declan\u2019s eyes grew wide as he reached for the headpiece, and he offered up his own whisper then, pleading for the light to be extinguished.<\/p>\n

As he lowered the staff, peering through the circular fixture, his focus shifted to the far side of the building. \u00a0He made eye contact with the strange being there, a hulking brute in crude armor that was covered from head to toe in matted fur.\u00a0 A canine snout let Declan know that it was not human\u2014nor elf, or dwarf, or any other kind of being he\u2019d seen or heard of.\u00a0 He remembered back to stories Benedictus told him when he was younger.\u00a0 Could it have been a gnoll, he wondered?<\/p>\n

He was not left to consider that for long, for his unexpected foe stomped toward him, grunting in anger.<\/p>\n

Declan held out his hand to placate the gnoll, a plea upon his lips.\u00a0 It was too late though.\u00a0 With rage in its eyes and frothy spit dripping from its snout, the warrior did not seem to care for Declan\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, don\u2019t!\u201d Declan blurted out then.<\/p>\n

Before the gnoll could take another step, a thundering gale of wind whipped through the building, knocking hanging tools and pictures off the wall.\u00a0 When it reached the gnoll, it threw him back across the building, slamming him into the wall with such force that his unsophisticated breastplate came undone.\u00a0 As the wind dissipated, the monstrous warrior fell from the wall in a heap, unconscious before he hit the floor.<\/p>\n

Declan couldn\u2019t celebrate his good fortune or stare in bewilderment at the relic he held in his hand.\u00a0 Another unfamiliar, harsh voice rang out in the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnark, what was that?\u201d he heard.<\/p>\n

As footsteps reported in an adjacent room, Declan clenched his jaw and sealed his lips, creeping down the long hallway toward the open door.\u00a0 He kept the staff lifted off the ground, hopeful to keep as quiet as possible as he made his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnark?\u201d the voice repeated; disdain was audible in the question.<\/p>\n

Declan slowed his pace as he drew closer to the fallen dwarf who was sprawled out upon the floor.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see any injuries on Tornig; there was no pool of blood or markings on the poor fellow. \u00a0It was as though he simply dropped dead where he stood.<\/p>\n

As the gnoll\u2019s comrade investigated further, the newest member of the guild crouched down, observing the area outside the building.\u00a0 It seemed quiet there, and Declan inched toward it, unable to resist the pull of a quick escape.\u00a0 When he lingered by the door, he ventured a glance over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Wide eyes stared back at him, eager and earnest.\u00a0 Ilayeth sat upon the floor beside a damaged low table, her hands bound at the wrists and tied to her legs.\u00a0 She attempted to speak, but was unable to produce a single word, and Declan understood why a moment later.\u00a0 It was as though her lips were gone, covered instead with a thick layer of skin and nothing more.<\/p>\n

Once Declan overcame his horror, he focused more intently on the maiden.\u00a0 She struggled against her bindings, her arms shaking and lean muscles bulging against the stress.<\/p>\n

A nervous breath passed between his lips, and he forewent all thoughts of a hasty retreat.<\/p>\n

Declan stayed low to the ground then and drew closer to Ilayeth, letting the ancient staff fall to the floor.\u00a0 As worry set in, it was as though time slowed down.\u00a0 It was in that brief yet stretched period that he took notice of several of Ilayeth\u2019s other features that he had missed in the guild hall\u2019s basement.\u00a0 With her cloak pulled down behind her neck, he could see dark tresses that fell in a wave upon her shoulders.\u00a0 Disheveled as they were though, they didn\u2019t hide the shallow point upon her ear.<\/p>\n

Ilayeth stamped her feet then, reining in his attention.\u00a0 Declan shook his head, and reached for her bindings, thick lashings of what looked like sturdy vines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnark!\u201d they heard then.<\/p>\n

Startled, Declan sprang back.\u00a0 Even without a visible mouth, he could see the frown upon the half-elf\u2019s face. \u00a0A quiet grumble croaked from within her throat as she strained forward, urging the guild\u2019s recruit to work at her bindings.<\/p>\n

Despite her insistence, Declan drew further away from Ilayeth, looking about the room for something to aid him in the desperate situation.\u00a0 While the maiden worked herself into a tizzy, Declan stepped away, and looked to the fallen dwarf.\u00a0 An axe hung upon Tornig\u2019s belt, a gleam from the opened door landing upon its crescent head.\u00a0 Declan reached for the weapon at once, and returned to the frantic half-elf, steadying her as he arrived there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold still,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

When Ilayeth realized the young man held a blade at the ready, she grew calm, offering an anticipative nod while she closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

Declan worked on the vine-like strands with the axe as though it was a dull sawblade, until he could see a tear in the fibers.\u00a0 The bindings around Ilayeth\u2019s arms snapped with a loud report then.<\/p>\n

The half-elf smiled with her eyes and tried to offer her thanks before she realized once more that she had been silenced.\u00a0 She gave a quick shake of her head and then pointed toward her legs, where another wrapping of the vines kept her trapped.<\/p>\n

Before Declan could move the axe to the lower set of bindings, a strange figure filled the doorway to the next room.\u00a0 Delcan rose to his feet in panic as Ilayeth slid around to look upon the intruder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have we here?\u201d the stranger wondered.\u00a0 He had olive-colored skin, and long strands of greasy, seaweed-colored hair.\u00a0 An opened tome rested in his hand, but he was sturdier looking despite that, as though he had been a hardened warrior earlier in his life.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that there were others within this building,\u201d the goblin said.\u00a0 \u201cI told Ignark as much.\u00a0 But he always was a fool\u2014always looking for treasures more than dangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter,\u201d he went on.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll fall just like all the rest.\u201d\u00a0 He lifted his book before him but needed not look at the words in the tome.<\/p>\n

The half-elf maiden, already familiar with the intruder\u2019s methods, drew lower to the ground, as if to hide from him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSkalagos, dahartha g\u00e4s trendahar,\u201d the goblin intoned.<\/p>\n

Before he could finish his chant, Ilayeth lunged forth, scooping the discarded staff off the ground.\u00a0 She brought it to bear in front of Declan, and the young man reached out and grasped it on instinct and reflex.<\/p>\n

By the time the last syllable rolled from the goblin\u2019s mouth, the circular head of the staff pulsed with a bright light, and Declan felt the power of the arcane implement shaking in his hand.<\/p>\n

After some time passed, it appeared that the goblin\u2019s incantation failed to have an effect, and he tilted his head in confusion.\u00a0 He narrowed his eyes then and turned the pages of the book in his hand until he arrived at a dog-eared entry.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well.\u00a0 I\u2019ll steal the words from your lips as I have hers,\u201d the goblin said, pointing at Ilayeth with his chin.<\/p>\n

The half-elf looked up at her savior, grasping his arm and pleading with her eyes for him to act.<\/p>\n

\u201cRedahin, gorion ath dolwin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan felt a prickle in the air, like static electricity meant to move throughout the room.\u00a0 But as with the goblin\u2019s prior attempt at a spell, that one fell short.\u00a0 That time, however, the enchantment was not thwarted by the staff.\u00a0 The glow within the circular headpiece had faded since the first invocation.<\/p>\n

Once more, Declan heard the rise of the whispers.\u00a0 Like the hissing of dozens of vipers, the whispers layered over one another, all incensed and angered in their tone, though their onset was so quick that Declan couldn\u2019t determine what they were saying.\u00a0 He thought to bring his hands to his ears to dull their strange roar, but he thought better of it when he remembered the axe and staff he held in his hands.\u00a0 Beyond that, he knew that there was no way to quiet the sound so deep within his mind.<\/p>\n

Patience was all he required, it seemed, for a moment later, several of the whispers synchronized, all speaking the same sentiment.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is trying to silence us.\u00a0 He is trying to silence you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan stood straighter as he realized that in his attempt to silence him, the goblin only managed to quiet one of the whispers.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop him,<\/em>\u201d another whisper commanded.<\/p>\n

While the goblin looked on in confusion once more, Declan heaved Tornig\u2019s hand axe, end over end.\u00a0 All three of the occupants of the room failed to hide their surprise when the weapon plunged into the flesh beneath the goblin\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

As the injured intruder fell against the wall and slid down toward his backside, Ilayeth set into motion, crawling across the room to reach him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp me,\u201d the half-elf spoke then.\u00a0 Another bout of surprise reached them when they realized that the spell that had stolen away Ilayeth\u2019s mouth had expired.<\/p>\n

Declan stepped forward but furrowed his brow at her request.\u00a0 \u201cHelp you with what?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to keep him alive,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHe might have information about why he and his friends attacked.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Declan drew closer, he heard the familiar sounds of the whispers in the back of his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s right.\u00a0 You know she is.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is dangerous\u2014too dangerous to let live.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goblin and his ilk attacked this place for some reason.\u00a0 You need to know why.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowledge is only valuable to those that live long enough to use it.\u00a0 If he survives, he will not offer you the same chance.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Once again, Declan felt the weight of the options upon him. \u00a0A trembling shook his hand, and when he looked at the ancient staff, it\u2019s circular headpiece glowed once more, as though it too felt the need for some action.<\/p>\n

As more voices lent their advice to the whispers, Declan knew that he had a choice to make.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Three: Stable Condition<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ilayeth turned to her side, letting the goblin fall from her shoulder.\u00a0 He landed with a thud upon the table, and she worked at lifting his legs upon the furniture as well.\u00a0 The injured intruder was not much bigger than her, and his lean build made it easy for her to transport him to a better lit area.<\/p>\n

Still, when she was free of her burden, her breaths came ragged and fast, when it was a deep sigh of relief that she would have truly hoped for.<\/p>\n

She looked over her shoulder then, toward the opened partition in the room.\u00a0 The newest recruit to the guild bowed his head, looking at the puddle of blood that pooled on the ground where the goblin had fallen.\u00a0 His mop of brown hair covered his eyes as he bent his head lower and lower. \u00a0She saw him raise his free hand, as though he was ready to chant some unknown spell into existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d the half-elven maiden pressed again.\u00a0 \u201cDeclan, I need you over here.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he had heard her at all, it wasn\u2019t apparent.\u00a0 Ilayeth growled and looked back to the goblin cleric who had attacked her guild along with his allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll not die here,\u201d she promised.\u00a0 \u201cIf you die, it will be by my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side of the wall, Declan paced as the whispers in his head argued their points over one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe tried to kill you.\u00a0 Why would you allow him another chance by saving his life?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could have valuable information. \u00a0You\u2019ve already proven you can defeat him if you need to.\u00a0 You\u2019ve disarmed him, so he\u2019ll be even less willing to contest you.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t need the book in order to enact his magic.\u00a0 There is another way.\u00a0 You know now that magic is unpredictable, dangerous, but\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, like a clarion call, as clear as the ringing of any bell, one of the whispers broke through, and sounded as though whoever was speaking was right beside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan, find the goblin\u2019s purpose.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 All at once, it seemed as though all the other voices had grown silent.\u00a0 As if it knew it had reached him, the whisper continued.\u00a0 \u201cLend Ilayeth your hand and do what you can to keep him alive.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He took in a deep breath as the sound of the serene, feminine voice dissipated, leaving him to hear only the maiden\u2019s frantic struggles and the goblin\u2019s ragged, panicked breaths.\u00a0 Declan nodded and looked to his new staff, intent on doing what he could to aid the situation.<\/p>\n

As he entered the side chamber, Ilayeth looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cI know you now,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the one that hears voices.\u00a0 The others who knew about you said that the temple was releasing you of your duties there because you were no longer a conduit to the voices.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Declan replied.\u00a0 \u201cThey did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it doesn\u2019t look like the voices are quiet anymore.\u00a0 What are they saying now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan took another step forward and sent a confident gaze toward the maiden.\u00a0 \u201cSometimes the whispers want different things.\u00a0 But I am the one who decides.\u00a0 When I hear one that rings truest to me, that is the one I listen to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s make sure this goblin lives long enough to regret attacking the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

The long gestating sigh of relief finally left Ilayeth\u2019s lips as Declan drew nearer.\u00a0 She moved aside so her new companion could examine the injured goblin.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what to do here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, luckily when I was at the temple, I didn\u2019t sit idly pretending to be some prophet who only spoke in riddles.\u00a0 While the clergy there always kept an eye on me to see when I would next give them a message from the gods, I kept an eye on them, studying their activities.\u00a0 More than once I saw several of the clerics heal those who were injured.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve never seen an injury this bad\u2014and I don\u2019t have the magic they had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to make do with my magic then,\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cTell me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan glanced down at the intruder and back to his guildmate then.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s not much to tell.\u00a0 He\u2019s got an axe in his shoulder and he\u2019s bleeding to death.\u00a0 We take the axe out and seal the wound as best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhen he recovers, we\u2019ll find out the reason for all this carnage.\u201d\u00a0 She swallowed away her apprehension and wrapped her fingers around the handle of Tornig\u2019s axe.\u00a0 With a fierce tug, she pulled the crescent blade from the goblin\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

At once, blood started pouring from the wound.\u00a0 The goblin screamed in agony at the greater sense of pain before his eyes fluttered and he fell back upon the table, a reprieve finally found in oblivion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s too much blood,\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t see where I need to use my magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t worry about being precise here,\u201d Declan protested.\u00a0 \u201cWho cares if we leave a scar?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth grumbled and swept her hand over the wound, trying to clear off the distracting blood.\u00a0 She cringed as she felt his wound.\u00a0 \u201cThis won\u2019t just be a minor fire I have to summon, Declan.\u00a0 The flames need to be intense and accurate.\u00a0 They\u2019ll drain me beyond my measure.\u201d\u00a0 She looked to him for aid once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan blew out an unsteady breath and looked to his staff, attempting to bring forth its power once more.\u00a0 He remembered the first time he felt its magic flowing through him, and he tried to recreate that sensation.\u00a0 When the circular headpiece began to glow, he knew that he could channel the magic of his own accord after all.<\/p>\n

Still, when he began directing mystically-summoned wind, he could feel it wearing him thin.\u00a0 It was as Ilayeth suggested: the magic was draining him\u2014and without any prior studies, Declan felt like a candle whose flame was close to being extinguished in the wind.<\/p>\n

He gnashed his teeth together and reached out, extending his fingers as he focused on the goblin\u2019s wound.\u00a0 At once, the magic cast the intruder\u2019s blood away from the injury, and Ilayeth set to work.<\/p>\n

Declan couldn\u2019t ignore the warmth on his brow. \u00a0Though he considered that it could have been due to the intense heat that his guildmate spoke of, the thought was dismissed at once, for he could feel his own magic siphoning his energy from him.\u00a0 It was almost, he thought, as though the staff was growing hungrier with every passing moment.<\/p>\n

When Ilayeth completed the cauterization of the goblin\u2019s wound, Declan ceased his channeling of magic as well.\u00a0 Without his energy siphoning out of him, it was as though a new weight was added to him, and he teetered backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d the half-elf maiden gasped as she reached out to him.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t fight back against his lightheadedness. \u00a0Declan thudded to the wall and saw sparks within his vision.\u00a0 As he struggled with his lack of focus, a dark spot appeared before him.\u00a0 Shaking his head, he blinked away his stupor in time to understand he and Ilayeth were no longer alone.<\/p>\n

The gnoll, Ignark, who he had incapacitated earlier was awake once more, just as Declan could feel his own awareness beginning to slip.\u00a0 With Ilayeth likewise fatigued, he knew they were in trouble.<\/p>\n

With a growl slipping from the gnoll\u2019s snout, he stomped forward.\u00a0 Despite his fading vision, Declan saw his half-elf friend extend her hand toward Ignark, but it was too late.\u00a0 He swatted her away and reached toward her small frame.<\/p>\n

Another growl resonated nearby, and Declan wondered if it was perhaps a trick of his fading mind.\u00a0 But when that growl turned into a gruff roar, he knew that there was something else to the noise.\u00a0 A diminutive figure rushed in beside him, and slammed into the gnoll, eliciting a loud, sudden cry.<\/p>\n

Declan couldn\u2019t see anything beyond a series of blurs by then.<\/p>\n

As strange as it was, the sounds of the contest of strength slowly lulled him to slumber.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Silence prevailed once more.\u00a0 With eyes closed, Declan wondered if everything he had experienced was a dream.\u00a0 Life had never been that chaotic or strange.<\/p>\n

Perhaps, he thought, he was still in the temple.<\/p>\n

In the back of his mind, he knew that was not the case.\u00a0 The bed beneath him was far more comfortable, for one.\u00a0 He opened his eyes and took a moment to absorb his surroundings.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a stone ceiling over his head, but fine oaken slats.<\/p>\n

He was still in the guild lodge, he assumed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe\u2019ve got the most adorable little snores,\u201d he heard then.<\/p>\n

Though he was wearier than he ever remembered, he labored to sit up.\u00a0 There, near the door to the room, sat a likewise weary dwarf who wore a wide smile despite it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cTornig?\u201d Declan asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else do ye think it is?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cI thought ye said ye didn\u2019t know many other dwarves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2026you were\u2026\u201d his voice trailed off.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead?\u201d Tornig finished for him.\u00a0 \u201cBah, ye seen me taking a little nap is all.\u00a0 That goblin came in here casting spell after spell and before I knowed it, my eyes were drooping.\u00a0 Down I went,\u201d he said, mimicking his fall with his hand.<\/p>\n

Declan sat a little taller after hearing that explanation.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the rest of the guild?\u201d<\/p>\n

The grin left the dwarf\u2019s face then.\u00a0 \u201cThere are a few of our mates who are gonna have a hard time for a long while. \u00a0Someone else was slinging bottles or canteens that were filled with nasty stuff.\u00a0 But one by one a handful of us rose from our sleep and started to put things back together.\u00a0 My guess is when ye stole me axe and popped the goblin with it, he couldn\u2019t concentrate on keeping us asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan scrunched his eyes, trying to make sense of everything that happened.\u00a0 \u201cThe last thing I remembered, we\u2019d saved the goblin.\u00a0 Ilayeth and I singed his wound shut, and that\u2019s when\u2014\u201d His eyes grew wide when he remembered the gnoll\u2019s sudden appearance.\u00a0 \u201cThe goblin\u2019s ally attacked us.\u00a0 Is Ilayeth alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYe don\u2019t remember me coming to save the day?\u201d Tornig scoffed.<\/p>\n

Still fighting back his fatigue, Declan dug the heels of his hands into his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cThat was you that tackled the gnoll?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, it was!\u201d Tornig assured.\u00a0 \u201cGot him good with the horn on me helmet too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou killed him?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

Tornig folded his arms over his chest and arched his eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYe did see how big that fella was, didn\u2019t ye?\u00a0 I had him yowling like a wolf in a trap, but that little stab wasn\u2019t gonna put him down so easy.\u00a0 That\u2019s what these were for.\u201d\u00a0 The dwarf stuck out his fists and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where are he and the goblin now?\u00a0 Where is the rest of the guild?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising off the chair, Tornig unclenched his fists, holding out his hands to calm the newest guild member.\u00a0 \u201cSettle down there, lad.\u00a0 We have everything under control now.\u00a0 Ye\u2019re just flustered because this happened the day ye got here, but the Adventurers of Eladia have to deal with this kind of thing all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kinds of attacks happen often?\u201d Declan asked in a disbelief.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s\u2014\u201d Tornig grumbled at the confusion brewing between him and the young man.\u00a0 \u201cListen: there\u2019s always something incredible happening in this guild.\u00a0 Whether its adventures to far-off places, or a plea for help from some unfortunate soul out in the countryside.\u00a0 This is the first time we\u2019ve ever been attacked like this though.\u00a0 We\u2019ve made sure the fools \u2018at tried to bump us off won\u2019t be able to do anything again, and we\u2019ve posted up a guard at each entryway to make sure we\u2019re not caught unawares anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for the goblin and his friend\u2026\u201d the dwarf went on.\u00a0 He moved toward the window, sweeping aside the curtain there.\u00a0 \u201cNo doubt Erik pointed out the stable to you when you first arrived.\u00a0 He probably told you the next few months of your life were going to be jumping between cleaning the larder and shoveling after the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t,\u201d Declan replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut I could see him doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince a handful of our leading members are off scouring the ruins of the Grey Arches, it left some room in the stable.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got the bastard intruders tied up in there\u2014on opposite sides of the building of course.\u00a0 We wouldn\u2019t want them working together on a scheme or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat goblin had command over magic, Tornig,\u201d Declan protested.\u00a0 \u201cIf he gets a chance to speak even a few words\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The dwarf waved his hand at the notion.\u00a0 \u201cIlayeth is already five steps ahead of ye, lad.\u00a0 She\u2019s got something stuck in place over his face, and he hasn\u2019t been able to utter a damned word since.\u201d\u00a0 He set his gaze upon the recruit then.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I\u2019m more interested in is the magic that came out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

His deliberate, cleaner accent caught Declan off guard then.\u00a0 He looked at his hands as though there could be some answer there, but a moment later he merely shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he assured.\u00a0 \u201cThat was the magic from the staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but there\u2019s been plenty of people who\u2019ve investigated that staff over the last several years, and nobody\u2019s ever come close to making it sing the way ye did.\u201d\u00a0 Tornig glanced at the furthest corner of the room.\u00a0 When Declan followed his eyes there, he saw the staff with the ringed headpiece there.\u00a0 \u201cEven our artificer, Ezra, couldn\u2019t get that thing to speak to him, and he feels the pull of the aether more than anyone else in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan hummed to himself.\u00a0 \u201cWell, hearing things speak to me is kind of what I\u2019m known for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 Ilayeth told me that she saw ye chattering to yerself or the like when she was trying to keep the goblin from bleeding out.\u00a0 I remember Mason telling us about ye a few weeks ago.\u00a0 So, how\u2019s it happen?\u00a0 What\u2019s your story, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pushing out an unsettled breath, Declan ignored the question and glanced out the window until Tornig stepped in the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m making sure yer head is on straight,\u201d the dwarf said.\u00a0 \u201cHumor me, will ye?\u00a0 Once yer done, I\u2019ll take ye out to the stable and you, me and Ilayeth can find out what\u2019s going on with our new friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how it all started,\u201d Declan revealed.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is that for the earlier parts of my life, I moved around more than a child should.\u00a0 I ended up alone at an orphanage, and it didn\u2019t take long for them to figure out why.\u00a0 I would talk to people who weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cLots of wee ones do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but the imaginary people who I talked to really did talk back,\u201d Declan pressed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd more importantly, they convinced me to do things\u2014things that I shouldn\u2019t have been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trouble did ye get into, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was lucky that I was always found out before I could get too deep into anything.\u00a0 But I remember I tried to break into the headmaster\u2019s office.\u00a0 I tried to break out of the orphanage.\u00a0 One time I brandished a knife and refused to go back to my room.\u00a0 All because the whispers in the back of my mind suggested I do so.\u00a0 Eventually, all the other children knew better than to associate with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan sighed. \u00a0\u201cWhen everyone thought I was too dangerous to remain at the orphanage, they were trying to determine where to send me.\u00a0 For a while, I thought they were going to send me off to a prison or to work in some far off mine where no one would ever see me again.\u00a0 But before any decisions could be made, someone from the temple sent word of wanting to see me.\u00a0 Apparently one of the parents who visited the orphanage had heard of me in passing.\u00a0 When they adopted another boy, he told them all he knew about me, and word traveled, until it reached the temple.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey thought there was more to the whispers than what I could sense on the surface,\u201d Declan went on.\u00a0 \u201cThey thought it was proof that the gods spoke to men, and they were convinced that I was meant to come live with them, to tell them the things the gods wanted them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut ye aren\u2019t at the temple anymore,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that where we just picked ye up from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Staring out the window again, Declan considered the comment.\u00a0 \u201cThe whispers were gone\u2014nearly anyway.\u00a0 The brothers at the temple would come to me day after day and ask me to tell them what the voices were saying, and time and again, they would try to determine what those statements meant.\u00a0 They treated me like some kind of soothsayer, even though I\u2019ve never been told anything other than commands or riddles. \u00a0And I suspect that when I stopped listening\u2014really listening\u2014to the whispers, they stopped trying to tell me whatever it was they wanted me to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut here ye are in our guild, and the voices come right back,\u201d the dwarf said.\u00a0 \u201cFrom what I heared, we were just happy ta get another pair of helping hands in the building, but it seems like ye came with a little bit more than what we bargained for.\u00a0 Only time will tell if the voices are good or bad, I suppose.\u201d\u00a0 He tilted his head and hummed at that thought.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do the voices want ye ta do now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan didn\u2019t realize it, but he was trying his best to keep them silent during his conversation with Tornig.\u00a0 As soon as his question was asked though, it was as though he had opened a sluice in his mind, letting a flood of whispers through.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re still a danger, no matter what he says.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHurry to the stable.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t save his life for nothing.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed away the tension building in his throat and rose from the bed.\u00a0 Shuffling off his fatigue, Declan made his way to the corner of the room, grabbing hold of the staff as though it had always belonged to him.\u00a0 He turned to his guildmate and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if the voices didn\u2019t tell me so, I would want to do this.\u201d\u00a0 He looked out of the window, to the stables, where a handful of other Adventures of Eladia stood watch.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time to see those who attacked the guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Tornig walked ahead of Declan, into the open meadow behind the guild hall.\u00a0 If the dwarf had sustained any injuries in the attack, none of them showed.\u00a0 He almost looked eager to get to the building beside the forest, and when he looked over his shoulder and confirmed that the recruit was still behind him, his gait looked even more determined.<\/p>\n

A tall, broad fellow at the entrance to the stable pointed his chin at the approaching smallfolk and stood up straighter when he drew near.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re bringing the new arrival.\u201d\u00a0 He laid his hands upon the handle of a huge greataxe that rested upon its head on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, I am,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for Declan, ye probably wouldn\u2019t be standing here now\u2014struggling though ye are.\u00a0 And don\u2019t go on pretending that ye weren\u2019t the \u2018new arrival\u2019 not long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan held fast behind the dwarf, standing in the dirt that cast out from the entrance to the building.\u00a0 The horses had trodden over the ground so that no grass would grow there for some time without extra care.<\/p>\n

Turning his attention from the grass and dirt then, Declan took a better account of the man guarding the stable.\u00a0 Tornig\u2019s words lingered in the air, louder than the whispers scratching at the back of his mind.\u00a0 The man was an imposing figure at first look, but Declan found softer, younger features there as well.\u00a0 Long, thick hair hung down over his face, and a scruffy beard hid his cheeks, chin and mouth.\u00a0 He wore a cloak clasped at his shoulder, but it left his bare upper torso exposed to the elements.\u00a0 That naked chest was perhaps Declan\u2019s best understanding of the fellow\u2019s age.\u00a0 Only a tuft of curly chest hairs sat there, the rest of him clean and smooth.\u00a0 The barbarian couldn\u2019t have been much older than he was, he reckoned.<\/p>\n

The man jerked his head to the side, sweeping the hair out of his face.\u00a0 All at once then, he seemed imposing once again.\u00a0 For without the locks to shield his features, Declan could see the terrible scar carved out down his brow and across one of his eyes.<\/p>\n

Doing his best not to recoil, Declan remained there, staring at the bridge of the man\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Orn,\u201d Tornig said to the recruit.\u00a0 \u201cWhat ye see here is his attempts to rattle ye with his purdy eye.\u00a0 It\u2019s also the reason they call him Orn One-Eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan squared his jaw and nodded, not sure what to say to such a thing.\u00a0 When Orn chose not to react further either, the three of them stood in silence for a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shame,\u201d Declan finally said.\u00a0 He swept his free hand behind his back, if only to hide his shaking.\u00a0 \u201cIf you had two working eyes, maybe you would have seen me saving the guild hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though nothing further was said, and it grew silent once more, all three men felt as though another explosion had just gone off.\u00a0 Tornig\u2019s eyes widened as he alternated glances between the two men.\u00a0 Declan waited there in silence, but the dwarf noticed he began leaning back, as if expecting a tremendous incoming blow.<\/p>\n

Orn, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes\u2014both the good one and the scarred one\u2014as his lips scrunched into a pursed frown.\u00a0 Within seconds though, he couldn\u2019t keep it from stretching into a reluctant grin, even his eyes beginning to show signs of uncontrolled satisfaction at the quick jab.<\/p>\n

He gave a subtle bow of his head, and stepped aside, clearing the way for the Tornig and Declan.<\/p>\n

The dwarf tapped his newest companion on the leg and urged him on.\u00a0 Together, the two of them disappeared into the darkened stable.<\/p>\n

Inside, only a few lanterns spread any light.\u00a0 Two more members of the guild, both sturdy looking fellows, stood guard, one at either end of the building, before opened stalls there.<\/p>\n

As Tornig and Declan looked down one long stretch of the stable, they saw Ilayeth step out of the furthest stall on one end, her hand splayed across her forehead.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t acknowledge the guard who waited there, but she stopped in her tracks once she realized others had entered the building beyond the sentinels she had placed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTornig,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe aren\u2019t looking so happy, lass,\u201d the dwarf returned.\u00a0 \u201cEverything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is fine,\u201d Ilayeth assured, but as she proceeded onward, she waved for the two recent arrivals to follow her.<\/p>\n

They followed along, entering the stall that stood just beyond the entrance.\u00a0 She waited a moment, and then she drew in closer toward Tornig and Declan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t seem to wrench any information out of either of them,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gnoll and the goblin?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

Ilayeth nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI want to know why they attacked the guild.\u00a0 But every time it seems like I\u2019m getting somewhere from them, they hush up and lock it up tighter than a treasury vault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBah,\u201d Tornig said.\u00a0 \u201cYe\u2019re just being too soft on them.\u00a0 If I had to guess, ye\u2019ve never tortured someone in yer life.\u00a0 Ye don\u2019t have the stomach for it, lass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dwarf folded his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s needed, I know what needs doin\u2019.\u00a0 And trust me, if I had yer magic flowing through me, I would have already learned what they had for supper a year ago today!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your voice down,\u201d Ilayeth chastised.\u00a0 She let a quiet grumble pass through her lips before she looked at Declan.\u00a0 In the soft light of the stable, she almost missed the sight of his staff.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want magic, look no further than to our new friend,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cDeclan was the one who stopped both of the intruders, did he not?\u00a0 Albeit, the gnoll was not halted for good.\u00a0 Thank you for protecting us in those last moments, Tornig.\u201d\u00a0 She waved her hands then, returning to the point she was trying to make.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps just the sight of Declan will loosen their lips somewhat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig shrugged at the thought. \u00a0\u201cYe could be right.\u00a0 But there\u2019s still two prisoners to question.\u00a0 And they each have means of holding onto their secrets, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 The gnoll is going to be tough as nails, and the goblin knows how to hold onto pain, I\u2019d reckon.\u00a0 He knows there\u2019s a potential to heal himself if he ever gets out of this predicament.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I could interrogate one of them while you both question the other,\u201d the half-elf said.\u00a0 \u201cAny thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we let the fella with all the answers decide?\u201d Tornig posed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you say, lad?\u00a0 What do your voices tell ye now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan could hear the whispers begin to chatter and rattle like messenger birds fighting to escape their cages.\u00a0 Knowing that one of those messages would soon break free, he waited to hear it with new clarity.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t expect to hear their commands offer up different instructions than what the dwarf and the half-elf suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t who you interrogate that\u2019s important,<\/em>\u201d one of the whispers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s how you do it that matters.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThreatening words and actions don\u2019t often yield believable results.\u00a0 But if you give even one of them something that they want\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve proven they can\u2019t be trusted, Declan.\u00a0 Be firm with your interrogation.\u00a0 Fear of repercussions will urge them to speak truths.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan passed alternating glances between the two ends of the stable, as though he could see the prisoners they had bound there.\u00a0 He knew that a choice was to be made, and that the result could give them the clue they had been searching for.\u00a0 One wrong move, though, could topple the foundation of the guild.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter Four: One More Voice to Hear<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The next whispers came on like the faint sound of a distant wind.\u00a0 As though the building offered some respite from a gale outside, he could hear them, but they were ethereal, out of place.<\/p>\n

Declan looked at his companions then.\u00a0 Ilayeth and Tornig stared wide-eyed, as though the instructions the whispers gave him were gospel.\u00a0 They soon realized, though, that the recruit withdrew into himself, his eyes losing focus on them.<\/p>\n

As though the wind had found its way into the stable then, he could hear the strongest whispers swirling around his ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve already been harsh<\/em>,\u201d the powerful undertone spoke into his mind.\u00a0 \u201cThey will expect as much when you meet with them again.\u00a0 Throw them off their guard\u2014show a mercy they might not anticipate.\u00a0 Even an undeserved kindness can be a weapon of its own, and one not easily countered.\u00a0 But neither can you be weak.\u00a0 Prepare to make an example if you must.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost as soon as the breeze had entered the building, it left.\u00a0 Declan looked over his shoulder, shaking his head when he dismissed the thought of seeing one of the stall doors swaying in the wind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe heard them again, didn\u2019t ye?\u201d Tornig asked then.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did the whispers say?\u201d Ilayeth pressed as well.<\/p>\n

Declan let a calm wash over him and nodded as he considered what the whispers conveyed to him.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we\u2019ve been thinking about this the wrong way.\u201d\u00a0 When they sent quizzical looks his way, he waved them off.\u00a0 \u201cYou both talked about wrenching the truth from the goblin or the gnoll.\u00a0 You spoke about torturing them,\u201d he said, pointing toward Tornig.\u00a0 \u201cBut that\u2019s what they came here for\u2014they were prepared for whatever nasty end would befall them if things went wrong.\u00a0 And of course, we\u2019ve already played our hand.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t have to save the goblin when he was bleeding out.\u00a0 Now he knows we put a value on life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig crossed his arms over his chest. \u00a0\u201cSo, what are ye getting at, lad?\u00a0 Ye plan on waltzing up ta one of them and asking them pretty please until they feel sorry for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly.\u00a0 But maybe it\u2019ll be easier to pry their lips open if there isn\u2019t a piece of metal fusing it shut.\u00a0 Perhaps we can make a trade and make their arrangement a little less awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan\u2026\u201d Ilayeth began.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe mean to make nice with the bastards, and we\u2019ve got a few of our own in the guild house that may never wake again,\u201d Tornig growled, every word rising in volume.<\/p>\n

\u201cSettle yourself,\u201d the half-elf maiden warned.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll give away our plan.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed and leaned against the wooden barrier separating the next stall.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t say I like this either, but we\u2019re putting our faith in the voices he hears.\u00a0 Perhaps it is time to let them help us decide on our next course of action.\u00a0 After all, I\u2019ve not earned so much as a complete sentence from either of our two\u2026guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBah,\u201d Tornig said after alternating glances between his two companions.\u00a0 \u201cLad, ye told me that the little birdies chirping in yer ear didn\u2019t always give you the best advice.\u00a0 Are ye sure it\u2019s the best time to be listening to them?\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t get more dangerous than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI feel them. \u00a0They are what has kept me alive.\u00a0 The whispers were the ones who told me to pick up the staff,\u201d he said, raising the magical weapon into the air.\u00a0 \u201cIf I didn\u2019t have this, I don\u2019t know that I would have been able to fend off the goblin while he was putting the rest of the guild house to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig grumbled but bowed his head before finally shifting into a nod.\u00a0 \u201cAlright.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for the birdies, maybe I wouldn\u2019ta woked up from me little surprise rest in there.\u00a0 We\u2019re lettin\u2019 ye take the lead here, boy.\u00a0 What\u2019s the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a deep breath, Declan turned about, looking past the raised walls of the pens along the southern side of the stable.\u00a0 \u201cIlayeth and I will head down and meet with the goblin.\u00a0 We spent a considerable amount of time with him compared to the gnoll.\u00a0 And in a lot of ways, we\u2019ve already negotiated with him.\u00a0 He still has his life, thanks to us.\u00a0 Perhaps that gives us a way in to begin our discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth snickered then, despite her fatigue and the dire straits that the guild was in.\u00a0 \u201cWhile I have the utmost respect for you and your whispers, it seems they don\u2019t always know everything.\u00a0 The goblin is down this way,\u201d she gestured toward the other side of the building.<\/p>\n

Staring at her as though a great secret had just been discovered, Declan waved his hands then.\u00a0 \u201cWhat they offer is more like advice anyway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what will I be doing while the two of ye are off making friends?\u201d Tornig wanted to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came here looking to flex your muscles or show off your axe a little bit,\u201d Declan said.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps you can go and visit the gnoll and see if he responds to someone with a little more grit\u2014and what he might assume is the willingness to use it.\u00a0 You could also let him know that whichever one of the two of them gives us information first might still be of use to us.\u00a0 The other would just prove there\u2019s no hope for cooperation in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tornig tilted his head to the side, observing the lad a little closer.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a smart one.\u00a0 Ye sure he isn\u2019t an old half-elf like you?\u201d he asked Ilayeth.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe they just rounded his ears down a little bit to hide the truth about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan smiled, taking the strange statement as a compliment, as Declan intended.\u00a0 Before he could bask in the praise of his new friends, though, Ilayeth nudged him toward the gate of the pen.<\/p>\n

All their merriment seemed to wash away as they stepped into the long corridor before the stalls.\u00a0 The guards on either end of the building nodded their acknowledgements as a more seasoned member of the guild neared their side of the stable.<\/p>\n

When Ilayeth and Declan arrived there, the guard, a man taller than either of them with striking blond hair that fell past his shoulders, leaned over and opened the way for the maiden.<\/p>\n

She stopped short of entering the pen, or the visible part of the corridor before the swinging gate.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps I should have a moment with him to let him know what\u2019s to come,\u201d Ilayeth whispered as she turned toward Declan.\u00a0 \u201cIf we\u2019re trying to ease his anxiety, surprising him with you may not be in our best intentions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed,\u201d the recruit said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll wait to hear my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth, blowing out a silent sigh, proceeded onward, tapping the guard on the shoulder as an expression of her gratitude.<\/p>\n

The tall, blond guard shifted and stepped away from his post until he sat halfway out of the prisoner\u2019s line of sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Declan, right?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 He had a softer voice than Declan expected.\u00a0 Likewise, he didn\u2019t expect the man to lean over and extend his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Jace.\u00a0 As I understand it, thanks to you all I had was a quick nap instead of something far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad that I could do all I did,\u201d Declan replied, returning the courtesy and shaking the fellow\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cTruth be told, it was all practically by reflex.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for the staff I picked up in the basement, I don\u2019t know that we\u2019d all be standing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jace shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is that when I went down, I thought it was for good.\u00a0 My brother is at the Grey Arches with the guild leader, and without him here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother is another member of the guild?\u201d Declan asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat he is.\u00a0 He\u2019s one of the more popular clerics, and he paved the way for my arriving here several years ago.\u00a0 When my eyes fluttered open, I thought he had returned, but I was told that it was our newest recruit that saved my life, and for that, you have my gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not to say that everything is fine without Nico,\u201d Jace went on.\u00a0 \u201cSome of us weren\u2019t just faced with a forced slumber.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid if my brother doesn\u2019t return from the expedition soon, we may lose more than we\u2019re prepared for.\u201d\u00a0 He waved his hands then.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve still done us a great service, and on your first day here no less.\u00a0 It appears they were right to send for you, whether or not you had some help from an ancient treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan,\u201d they both heard then.<\/p>\n

Jace moved back to his spot against the northern wall of the corridor, nodding to his new guild mate when he arrived there.<\/p>\n

Declan hesitated for only a moment before he joined Ilayeth in the last stall of the stable, allowing his gaze to focus upon the prisoner when he passed the swinging gate.\u00a0 The goblin, already worn down it seemed, kept his eyes trained on the straw-covered ground.<\/p>\n

Free from his watchful gaze, Declan spent a moment observing instead.<\/p>\n

The goblin stood against the wall, his arms held up by a chain that wrapped over one of the building\u2019s broad crossbeams.\u00a0 Not content that his bonds would restrict him from using his magic it seemed, thick, fingerless gloves were affixed to his hands as well.\u00a0 And as though that wasn\u2019t enough, a band of similar material was clasped over his mouth, only a small strip of flesh separating it from his nostrils.\u00a0 It took some effort to remain standing, Declan surmised, for a sheen of perspiration marred the goblin\u2019s brow then.\u00a0 He seemed to rely more on the chain holding him up than his feet.<\/p>\n

Having seen enough, Declan blew out a quick sigh and tapped his new staff against the ground of the pen, casting out a burst of dry topsoil in every direction.<\/p>\n

The action caught the goblin\u2019s attention, and he looked up.\u00a0 His eyes grew wide at the sight of the staff, and wider still at the sight of the man who resisted his magic in the guild house.\u00a0 He stood taller then, easing up the tension of the chains.\u00a0 Whether it was deliberate or not, his visage of hopelessness changed to one of determination.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps it was curiosity or respect, Declan surmised.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember Declan, don\u2019t you?\u201d Ilayeth asked.\u00a0 The goblin sent a sideways glance her way for but a moment before he returned his focus to Declan.\u00a0 \u201cHe turned the tide inside the guild house, in more ways than one,\u201d the maiden went on.\u00a0 \u201cYou were defeated because of him.\u00a0 But it\u2019s also thanks to him that you\u2019re still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t envy you for the pain or discomfort you\u2019re in,\u201d Declan said, \u201cbut then, we were attacked, so you can\u2019t quite blame us.\u00a0 The thing is, you\u2019re doing us little good hanging here from the ceiling.\u201d\u00a0 He looked to Ilayeth then, who urged him on with a subtle nod.\u00a0 \u201cThere are two ways that we can fix that though.\u00a0 I think each one of us here in this pen would regret it if we had to end your life, but if we feel that\u2019s the only way to protect ourselves, we will.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goblin shifted uneasily at that statement.\u00a0 The guild members studied him to see if he believed that statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also can\u2019t just let you go,\u201d Declan continued, \u201cnot without some token of cooperation or assistance.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed then and looked to Ilayeth once more.\u00a0 \u201cRemove that magic gag we\u2019ve placed on him.\u00a0 This one-sided conversation is beginning to trouble me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut his magic,\u201d the maiden returned.\u00a0 \u201cWe know that he intones to focus his spells.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he knows that we outnumber him,\u201d Declan pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re three to one, just here.\u00a0 And if he should manage to step outside the stable, another dozen of our friends would be eager to cut him down if any harm came to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilayeth sent a fierce stare at the recruit, considering whether to invoke her rank and forbid him his plan.\u00a0 After a moment, she shifted her focus to the goblin, and raised her hand.\u00a0 The metal band across his mouth glowed red for a split second and then fell from his mouth.\u00a0 Freedom from that gag had him wincing from the unexpected pain.<\/p>\n

Declan watched as the magical metal slab fell from the prisoner\u2019s face.\u00a0 Before it hit the ground, however, it burned even brighter than before, until it fizzled away like parchment in a fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere,\u201d Declan said when the goblin looked up at him once more.\u00a0 \u201cNow you can speak, and we can listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even being freed from the gag, the goblin sealed his lips and locked his jaw.\u00a0 His gaze alternated between the two casters before him, only sometimes shifting to the warrior who stood sentinel by the gate to the pen.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s start with something simple,\u201d Declan said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is your name?\u201d\u00a0 When he was met with only silence, he laughed and took a step back, so that he could lean against the taller back wall of the pen.\u00a0 \u201cYou already know my name, but I\u2019ll give it to you again.\u00a0 I\u2019m Declan.\u00a0 And in case you didn\u2019t know, this is Ilayeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe already know your associate\u2019s name: Ignark.\u00a0 One of our other companions is talking to him now, trying to glean some idea of why we were attacked as well.\u00a0 He\u2019s been a little bit more cooperative, but I suppose that\u2019s just because he\u2019s a fellow who doesn\u2019t mind hearing himself speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goblin\u2019s brow furrowed, and he looked to his side, where no one stood, as though he could try to hear what he could of his friend on the other side of the building.<\/p>\n

Ilayeth stepped forward and caught his attention again.\u00a0 \u201cWe only need one of you to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGorik,\u201d the goblin interrupted her.<\/p>\n

In that moment, neither Ilayeth or Declan could determine whether the word was said with disdain, indifference or a touch of vulnerability.<\/p>\n

\u201cGorik?\u201d Declan wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my name,\u201d the weary goblin said.\u00a0 \u201cNow we all know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a great start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe now you can give me a little more slack on these chains,\u201d Gorik said. \u00a0The statement wasn\u2019t said with any signs of resentment, and he sighed for good measure, as though he already knew his chances were negligent.\u00a0 \u201cJust enough for me to sit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepending on how our conversation goes, that might not be important,\u201d Declan replied.<\/p>\n

Their conversational dance had the goblin on his toes more than the chain did.\u00a0 Unfortunately for Gorik, he had not mastered the art of concealing his concerns.<\/p>\n

Declan waved away any notion of harm.\u00a0 \u201cIt would be more comfortable inside the guild hall, I assure you.\u00a0 There\u2019s no sense in you being bound out here.\u00a0 If you give us the information we need, you\u2019d be in our company\u2014not our prisoner.\u201d\u00a0 When he saw Ilayeth\u2019s heated scowl, he raised his hands to placate her.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that you would have full access to the building.\u00a0 We\u2019d still have guards watching over you.\u00a0 You attacked us and we need to make sure such a thing doesn\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t supposed to be like that,\u201d Gorik muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that?\u201d Ilayeth asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gorik shook his head then, realizing he had already said much more than he would have wanted to.\u00a0 When he looked up at Declan again, he saw the face of someone who offered empathy, as though he could see him as more than just a monster or a ruthless killer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou say we attacked you, but it was not meant to be like this,\u201d Gorik said, looking straight at the man before him, and not at the maiden who asked him to clarify.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s true, we were planning on coming here and causing problems for you, but we never sought to hurt anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was you that was putting people to sleep,\u201d Declan reasoned.<\/p>\n

Gorik nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the explosions that went off in the guild hall?\u201d Declan wondered aloud.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnark and I didn\u2019t even know they were coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat were they?\u201d Ilayeth asked.<\/p>\n

With a shrug, Gorik looked at the ground.\u00a0 \u201cThey were some\u2026some kind of concoction.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t even tell us she\u2019d made them.\u00a0 And when we neared the door to the building, she\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His words trailed off as he remembered the events that occurred earlier that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is \u2018she\u2019?\u201d Declan pressed.<\/p>\n

Gorik looked up and swallowed away the tension that built in his throat.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve already said far too much.\u00a0 It\u2019s not my\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d Declan went on.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s focus on what you do want to tell us.\u00a0 Are you saying it was a mistake that the guild hall was attacked?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the way that it was, yes,\u201d the goblin insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt was only meant to be a distraction\u2014something to buy us time.\u00a0 But now I wonder if\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could reflect further into his worries about the attack on the guild hall, everyone in the stable could hear the frantic footfalls of someone approaching the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d they heard from outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIlayeth!\u201d a frantic voice called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just go in\u2014and there you go,\u201d Orn conceded.<\/p>\n

Declan watched as Ilayeth hurried from her spot in the pen and stepped past the swinging gate.\u00a0 Even Jace wore a worried look then, wondering what foul news was brought their way.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmilie?\u201d Ilayeth said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

His curiosity wrenching him away from the high wall of the enclosure, Declan spun about and leaned over the wooden post that led to the corridor.\u00a0 There, just a few feet farther down, he saw the hurrying woman who rushed into the stable without any concern for tact or discretion.<\/p>\n

The woman was only about Declan\u2019s age\u2014perhaps even younger.\u00a0 He wondered if perhaps she too could have been an elf, but with her auburn hair pulled into a long braid that fell over her shoulder, it left her ears uncovered, and he could see their rounded tops.\u00a0 Her cheeks were flushed, and she had tears in her eyes, and it seemed that it was all Ilayeth could do not to pull her into an embrace.<\/p>\n

\u201cYaro isn\u2019t doing well,\u201d she whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cWithout any help, Robert says he won\u2019t last into the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jace heaved a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall beside him.\u00a0 \u201cIf only Nico was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan could feel the whispers then before he could hear them in the farthest parts of his mind.\u00a0 The hairs on his arms rose up, and he couldn\u2019t dismiss the chill that seemed to swirl around him.\u00a0 He closed his eyes, hoping to hear what guidance he could muster from the disembodied voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a cleric is what you need, there is one not far from you,<\/em>\u201d a mischievous whisper crept into the pen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know you cannot put your trust in hopes.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guild was attacked.\u00a0 That cannot be forgotten.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone needs aid,<\/em>\u201d another stern whisper pressed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve begun to hold some sway here in the guild, even after so short a time.\u00a0 Will you dare to ask for help that you cannot give?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Declan let the murmurs roll over each other one after another in his mind.\u00a0 After a moment of lingering there, he looked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Just as Gorik had seen it in him, Declan wondered if he could detect a hint of empathy on the goblin\u2019s face.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Howdy folks.\u00a0 So, over the last couple of weeks, my day job has been keeping me incredibly busy.\u00a0 I’m routinely working until the end of the day without being able to find any downtime to write, and by the time I get home, I pretty much just pass out.\u00a0 So this month things are going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146,1951],"tags":[1948,455,1985,1946],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/The-Whispers-Logo.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-5od","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20721"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20721"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20722,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20721\/revisions\/20722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}