SORCEROUS SIGNALS
Written by TJ Dipple / Artwork by Lee Worthy
Worthy




























Dale plunged his sword into the earth and knelt before its bloody blade. Silently he prayed for those that
he had killed. His years of fighting had led him here to Valernwith. The Crystal Chambers.

Blood stained his beard and still dripped from his finger tips. The battle was over. His enemies were
dead. Dale's dry and cracked lips finished the prayer songs, the words drifted into the air bringing peace
to a place that had seen fifty generations of blood and death.

"Sir Dale!" He heard his squire treading onto the shards of crystal littering the chamber.

"Stop!" he commanded, his voice echoed. "Watch your feet squire; you step on sacred ground when you
walk these chambers. The crystals are to be protected; they are the tears of the gods. Do not break
them."

Juan slowed and looked at the broken trail of crystal behind him. Hurriedly he made the sign of
protection and apology.

"Lord Dale," he stared as his master removed his great helm.

"The area is secure; we have chased away the last of the Culaidians. The way is clear, lord."

"Excellent, Juan," Dale smiled and placed a hand on his squire's shoulder. "This is a great day for the
kingdom. Come, let us begin the path."

The knight and squire walked deeper into the crystal chambers. The fabled Cave of Emeralds was where
the final battle had taken place. Six attacks by the enemy and Dale's men had stood like boulders against
the onslaught. The prize would finally be his.

They saw thousands of themselves walking through the caverns reflected from the gems. The glistening
stones twinkled with light. They were magnificent in their beauty. Dale and Juan passed through The
Cave of Rubies, then The Cave of Sapphires and finally The Hall of Diamonds.

A small retinue followed at a distance. They knew their master would not welcome their company, but
their task was protecting him. The best man the kingdom of Balladan had to offer. It had been ten years
since the challenges had been attempted. The last knight to try, like the others, had not returned.

The kingdom hoped the same would not happen to Dale.

He had been raised for the task of retrieving the gem. The crystal was not only magical but it was an
ancient symbol of the seven kingdoms. Whichever king wore the stone would rule them all.

Dale had begun stripping himself of his armor in The Cave of Rubies. He left the pieces behind him like
markers. The shedding of armor was what he had been taught by his masters. It was a symbol of
humility, before the gods, and faith. By the time they reached the crystal wall Dale was wearing only his
boots, breeches and cotton shirt. His sword he had left in the first chamber. He would not allow the
blood on his blade to be so close to something so pure.

Juan helped him wash the blood from his body in The Pool of The Faithful. His master had been training
all of his life for this moment. The moment where he would be judged on behalf of his kingdom. So many
people believed Dale was the one.

That was what started the war with the other kingdoms.

They knew if they did not stop him then succeed he would.

The crystal wall was another part of the test. One that was simple enough to overcome. It was a test of
faith. Still wet from the pool, Dale faced his squire. Juan looked around nervously and would not meet his
eye.

"Do not be afraid for me, Juan," he said. His arms were stiff, a sign of age. He saw his greying beard
reflected in the crystal wall. "I will see you again soon enough. And when I do, I will have the stone."

"Nobody knows what tests, lie behind the wall, Sir Dale. No one has ever returned. I still believe you
should take a weapon."

Dale shook his head. "Faith is the only weapon I need. You have been with me for five years now; you
should at least know that. We waste time here. Wait until the sun sets. If I have not returned by then, I
doubt I will return at all."

Juan knelt in front of Sir Dale. "Good luck to you, my lord."

The knight laughed. "Luck is a tool for the faithless, squire. You still have much to learn."

Dale ran towards the crystal wall and hurled his huge frame into the air. Juan watched as he passed right
through. The wall rippled as though someone had cast a stone at a still pond. Then it became solid once
more. Juan approached and placed his hand on the crystal. Now, his master's faith would truly be tested,
and he would have to face the trials alone.

Dale was amazed and confused. He had jumped through the crystal wall expecting to arrive in a similar
chamber. Instead, he found himself in what looked like a house. A crackling fire brought warm light to the
gloomy room, there were two chairs, and beside them two glasses filled with wine. He turned around and
could see the crystal wall; Juan sat on the ground unaware that Dale could see him. The knight spun
back around when he heard a voice.

"Don't be so surprised," an old man said. He stood by the fireplace. "The magic of this place has survived
for over a thousand years. You don't really think I'd want to live in just a cave for that long do you?"

Dale dropped to his knees and made the sign of the gods with his hand. "I humbly bow before your
migh..."

"Get up, man," the command was impatient. "If I wanted people to bow before me I wouldn't be living
here, would I? Sir Dale. I know why you have come. You seek the stone, and the trials that will lead you
to it, yes? Well, seat yourself and we can get started."

"Started with what...sire?" Dale remained on his knees.

"The trials," the old man replied as though it was obvious.

"Or would you rather more conversation first? Those that came before you just wanted the stone. I can
read your mind, Sir Viery Dale. What takes place here and now has nothing to do with your temple, or
your religion."

"But...sire," Dale said. He stood now and moved closer to the old man who almost collapsed into one of
the chairs. He was balding and seemed worn in the face, as though he had just woken.
"Who...are...you?"

"I am your judge, Sir Dale. I am the one who will decide whether you are worthy. You may call me Gallid.
Sit down, ease your body, you have had a long journey. The wine is perfectly aged. Would you like food?"

"No, sire, thank you," Dale sat down, his confusion dominated his mind. His masters had warned him to
keep a clear head. To keep his faith, he looked at the wine. "This is...not what I expected."

"I imagine not," Gallid sipped from his glass and grinned.

"But then, none to enter here have ever left to speak of the trials, have they? Your superiors spent all
that time training you, and they didn't even know what for."

"My faith is my greatest training," Dale said. He looked at his glass and held it to his lips. It had been a
long and bloody day. "Do I have to fear you?"

The old man's green eyes darkened. "That depends on whether you are worthy."

"Then tell me what I must do, and I will see it done!"

"So sure of yourself, a typical trait of knights I've noticed. So then, Sir Dale. Let us begin. You seek the
crystal, yes?"

"I do, sire."

"Call me Gallid. I am no king. You seek the crystal, for what purpose?"

"I seek it for my kingdom, and my king."

"And what will they do with it?"

"They will bring peace to the seven kingdoms. They will stop the wars."

"A stone will do all that? Amazing. But why do you want it?"

Dale frowned. "For my kingd..."

"Yes, yes, yes. For your kingdom and your king. You've already said that. But you're lying. I don't want
to know what the priests told you to say. I don't want to hear doctrine. I want to know about you, Dale.
Why should I give you the stone? Why do you seek it?"

Dale hesitated. The old man could read his mind so he already knew the answer. "To prove myself."

Gallid nodded. "Prove yourself to whom?"

Again he hesitated. "To myself, and my family...and all of the people who built me to be what I am."

"And what are you?"

"A tool," he replied without hesitation. "A way of getting them what they want."

"What do they want, Dale?"

"...Power."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Your king and the priests sent you here to get the stone. Why do they
not come themselves?"

"The king has the kingdom to keep safe," Dale said confidently. "The priests have to look after the
people. Neither can give their time to the quest."

Gallid looked bored. "A bit convenient, don't you think? Don't be stupid, Sir Dale. I told you I don't want
doctrine. I don't want to hear what you've been taught. Anyone could walk in here if life was that easy. I
want to know the reality. You know it; I can see it in your head. Tell me. Why do they not come?"

Dale's throat was dry. There was something in the room that made the air feel heavy. He put the glass
to his lips once more. "Because...," his voice became a whisper. "They know they would fail..."

Gallid put his hands together as though he were praying. "So now we come to the bigger questions.
Why should I give you the stone if you are going to give it to someone who is unworthy?"

Dale's head was spinning. "Gallid..." he started, his tongue felt swollen. "I am not one to judge my fellow
man. And certainly not my betters. What I do know is that the stone will bring peace. For the first time in
a hundred years the kingdoms will unite. There is no cause greater than peace. That is why you should
give it to me. For peace."

Gallid laughed. "There is so much wrong with that statement I don't even know where to begin. You say
you are not a judge? Those men out there today, the ones whose blood is staining the floors of my
caves. You judged them as unworthy. What makes you better than them?"

"They don't believe in the gods..."

"Wrong. They don't believe in your gods. But they do believe. Now we come to a debate that has
spanned the ages. The difference between faith, and religion. I have seen much of the latter in you, Sir
Dale. Your entire life has been led by religion instead of faith. You fight because a priest tells you to.
They tell you people deserve to be slaughtered because they don't conform to their way of thinking.
Your whole system is built on the blood of those you call 'heathens'. I have news for you Dale. Those
men out there believed, and believed hard. Your people want power, which is why they want the stone.
This war you wage is for their lust for power, not some quest to save a holy bit of rock."

"But..."

Galid's voice was calm, though his anger was clear. "So tell me, Sir Dale. What makes you better than
any murderer that has come here before you?"

"I serve my people," Dale replied carefully. "I serve my king. And most of all I serve my gods. Everything I
have done in my life I have done for others. My heart is pure."

"You are not pure," Gallid smiled as though he were enjoying himself. "You think just because you follow
your own teachings you're pure? Let me tell you something about the gods. They do not require that
you fight for them; they do not ask that you take money from the poor in their name. But most
importantly they do not want you to kill for them. I know your faith, Dale. I know all faiths. Yours says
the gods believe the stone belongs to your kingdom, and that they can kill to secure it."

"I have followed my faith," Dale said. "I honored the gods. I have done everything I could to make myself
worthy."

"Men worthy of this stone's power do not kill. You, Dale, as you are, are not worthy."

"Not...worthy?" He could hardly believe the words in his ears.

"I've spent my entire life working towards this...who are you to judge me?"

"I am the keeper of the stone. I am its creator. Who else did you think would decide who is worthy to
wield it?"

"I...I thought..."

"The gods? The gods don't care who holds the stone. I do. I refuse to give my power to someone who
will misuse it. "

"By your word, no one would be able to wield the stone. You say men want power, and they are
unworthy. Who then, would you grant the stone to?"

"You know the answer."

Dale was taken aback by the smile. Then he understood. "No one can be worthy, can they?"

"The stone is too powerful. I cannot destroy it, and out there people would come by the thousands to
try and claim it."

"So you hide in here, where you can control everything. Making it a legend and a quest to be feared,"
Dale felt a rage echoing around his gut. He gripped his glass of wine and squeezed until it shattered in
his hand. "You have made our faith a lie."

"I have done nothing. You did that yourselves," Gallid stood and stepped back to the fire where he had
first appeared. He pulled a stone from inside his tunic. "You came searching for my stone. You found it.
And so we have come to the end of your trial, Sir Dale."

"So now you kill me?" the knight asked. He stood and flexed his shoulders. "Just like the rest."

"I can't have you telling the rest of the world," Gallid pulled the sword out from over the fireplace. "Why
do you think the crystal wall will only let you through unarmed? I cannot have my secret getting out. If it
helps, Sir Dale, you have been the best yet."

Gallid lunged with the blade. Dale stood there in almost shock before he knocked the blow aside and
struck the old man in the face. Gallid's momentum carried him to the floor. Dale kicked the blade away.

"I worked my entire life for this moment," the knight said through gritted teeth. "I will not have it taken
away from me."

"But..." Gallid's voice was full of panic. "The wine...you can't be."

"I am pure of heart," Dale said calmly. He bent down and picked up Gallid's sword. "And I am pure of
body. I drink no wine, not ever. You should have watched what I was doing instead of what I was
thinking. I came for the stone. I will not leave here without it."

"Dale," Gallid said; his voice breaking as he did. "You don't know what you're doing. This stone can't be
released from here. It is too powerful. Your king won't be able to control it."

"It's as you said," Dale raised the sword. "They are not worthy to wield it themselves. That is why they
send people like me."

"You can't, Sir Dale. It'll destroy you."

"I gave my life to it years ago. It's worth it."

"Sir Dale! No...!"

~ * ~

"Sir Dale!" Juan stood quickly as Sir Dale returned to the world through the crystal wall. His master
looked different. His eyes seemed to glow with madness. "Are you well? What happened? You have been
gone hours!"

Dale grunted. "I am well, Juan. Merely tired. It has been a long day."

"Sir...you have returned...does that mean?"

"Yes, Juan. I have the stone."

"Sir, that is wonderful news. The kingdom will rejoice!"

"No they won't."

"Sir...?"

"We're not going back."

"But...Sir..."

"I met a man in there who hid the stone from the world for a reason. People have sacrificed their lives for
it for too long. I am a knight. The protector of a kingdom governed by faith. That faith is a lie and I
intend to destroy it. I will not let the stone be used to unite the kingdoms. They will know the folly of
their ways."

"But, Sir...the king."

"Is not worthy to hold the stone, nor its power."

"I don't understand. What happened in there? What came of the trials?"

Sir Dale looked back to the crystal wall and saw Gallid smiling at him from the other side. The blade was
replaced above the fire and the old man was seated in his chair with a glass of wine.

"I was judged worthy." Dale said. He walked away with the stone safely in his tunic, and his faith and
conscience renewed.
Thomas Dipple is a writer living in Stourbridge, England with his wife. He
works full time as a science communicator and writes in his spare time. He
has had a love of fantasy fiction from a young age, especially sword and
sorcery, it is this style of writing he enjoys most.