The Binding of Delnath

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 15370

Fred shook his head in bewilderment. How was it that so mighty a mage could not see something that seemed so obvious to Fred himself? But, even so stressed as he was, he knew that he could not continue to openly contradict the Archmage of the Order of the White Hand, any more than he could defy the will of the King or of his father the Duke.

So he let himself be led once more into the chamber that the mages had appropriated for their own use, and where the ritual of the Binding of DelNath would be carried out. "We mages shall join our forces," Urlathe told him, "and through our combined efforts and with the assistance of a little of your blood, we all - but especially Britainnie, who is the most skilled in this divination - will be able to see your spirit clearly."

Even though Fred's head was in a whirl, he spotted an apparent inconsistency in this. "How can my blood help you?" he asked. "If only my head is my own, as you have said, then is not my blood another's too?" "Whatever your blood's origin, it will have long since become yours, become imbued with your spirit. Trust me on this."

So a sharp knife was taken, and a cut was made in the ball of Fred's right thumb. Some drops of his blood were squeezed into a bowl, and the appropriate incantation was said. Then, using his little finger, Urlathe applied a drop of the blood from the bowl to the forehead of each of the mages, including himself. Following this, Britainnie took Fred's right hand in her own left hand, Orkney took her right hand in his left, and so on, until the circle was completed by Urlathe taking Fred's left hand in his own right.

Then the mages closed their eyes and appeared to go into a trance. Fred had expected to feel something himself as a result of the ritual, though he had no idea what. But he felt absolutely nothing.

After a minute or so had passed, the mages opened their eyes. "Well, it's absolutely clear now," Britainnie said. "Yes, it is," Faith agreed. "Then let us call in the Duke and give him the news," Urlathe said, taking a cloth and wiping the speck of blood from his forehead. So the Duke was called in. "My Lord, we have reached a unanimous decision," Urlathe told him.

  1. "It is as follows..."
  2. Decisions, Declarations, and a little bit of Gossip

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JH

3/11/2001 10:40:27 AM

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