Tegus: and the Shards of Solaster

Chapter 9: Sometimes a Man Needs to Lose Everything!

“Wake up lad.” Norsewind said as his beard tickled Tegus.

Tegus awoke quickly. “Now lad what happened, you just went out cold?”

“How long was I unconscious, Sir?” Tegus asked.

Norsewind paused.

“How long!!” Tegus bellowed again

“Maybe an hour, the events weren’t long ago. You getting that shard back meant we could restore Master Ilfirimain. Vakaroth wasn’t powerful enough to destroy him.” Norsewind said through a smile.

Suddenly, the words Vakaroth had said to him hit home.

“Nanny” he cried.

“What?” Norsewind was confused.

The celebration and guests were sent home to their towers by the other teachers. Tegus shot up and ran to his tower.

“Lad! What’re you thinking?” Norsewind followed him puzzled.

Tegus was down with a small bag of supplies in minutes. Norsewind had waited, “Tegus tell me what got you so wound up!”

“Vakaroth is off to kill my family,” Tegus said in urgency, “He means to destroy what I love.”

“Lad wait, and we will go together.” Norsewind pleaded.

“Sorry!” Tegus said bluntly and ran off towards the bronze men as Norsewind struggled to keep up.

“Ocelot, Ocelot!” Tegus yelled.

“Hello young Sir,” came a ground voice.

“I need you to take me home Ocelot”

“Right you are young Sir, climb up”

Tegus climbed aboard and off they went just as Norsewind caught up, followed by Kalthion and the other teachers to try to persuade him not to go. He left before they got a word out.

The journey was long and Tegus never spoke the whole way. Ocelot had been around a while and knew something serious was up, but also knew not to bother him. He after all had his own fair share of secrets. They flew back over mountain tops, and across rivers until they saw the sun rising and lighting up the land as they got close to Tegus’ town. They saw dark smoke rising from the ground. Tegus’ hands gripped the bronze carriage, and his teeth clenched tight as a rage built inside of him.

“How could Vakaroth be so evil?” he thought.

Then Ocelot made Revolver fly in low along the tree line. They approached Tegus’ home from the woods. The Carriage got close to the ground, but before it fully landed Tegus had launched himself off towards the smoking building. He reached the door he had left eight years before, grabbed the handle on the grand door and turned. The door creaked inwards to reveal embers just burning out in the middle. Furniture was piled up in the ashes. The ceiling was caving in, and the whole entrance way was in ruins. He hadn’t even looked far before he saw the thing that really hurt him.

“Nanny!” he yelled.

The person he hadn’t seen for eight years, the main person he had spent the first ten years off his life with, was laid on the stairs holding the spindles of the staircase.

He ran over, perched behind her and lifted her head up.

“Nanny! Nanny!” he yelled, “I’m here. I’m so sorry!”

He closed his eyes and held her as he sobbed.

“Tegus?” her voice said.

“Nanny,” he repeated.

“Tegus, I’m sorry about the house.” she said.

“Nanny its fine, that not what’s important.” he tried to smile knowing she was still alive.

“Tegus” she said weakly and looked at him, “I love you, I’m glad you liked the robes.”

She smiled stroking the sleeve of his clothes and shut her eyes.

“Nanny? NANNY!”

He held her close, “I love you too nanny, I always have.”

He stayed there until the embers finished burning, and the sun was bright through the hole in the roof.

The door creaked open and Grand Master Ilfirimain walked in.

“Tegus,” he started, “all the of the house keepers are alive. Norsewind and Kalthion found them around the woods, and they’re with the other bronze men.”

“Good,” Tegus said relieved, “but what about Nanny?”

“Tegus I will be straight with you. She is gone. Bringing her back would be against all thing’s natural, and even if we could bring her back with powerful magic, she would not be herself, more of a hollow shell that would start to despair.”

Tegus sighed hopelessly.

“Then we must bury her immediately!” he demanded.

“Certainly,” Ilfirimain honoured.

They set about finding the perfect spot in the grounds. Tegus went into the family cemetery at the back of the grounds.

Ilfirimain asked him, “You are sure about your family tomb?”

“Yes,” Tegus replied, “She was more than just my Nanny. She raised me. All that I am, I have her to thank for that. She is the family I had that was not blood. My real parents would honour this.”

Ilfirimain nodded in agreement as Tegus lay her in the stone tomb. The rest of the house keepers gathered around looking battered and bruised, from running away. The teachers stood behind them on alert.

“She was the most kind-hearted person I ever met. She would do anything for anyone.” He kissed her head to say good-bye, put his hand in his pocket, and as he stood back up, he placed an object in her hand.

As he moved his hands away the acorn could be seen between her fingers where he had placed it.

“Good-bye.” he whispered.

Later, the housekeepers went back to their families within the town after Tegus dismissed them telling them there was nothing to do at the house. He sat upon the burnt out, crumbling roof watching the sunset. He heard a man appear behind him slowly. He didn’t flinch, just kept looking out.

“Tegus such a personal loss can hurt. I know.” Ilfirimain said.

“You know?” Tegus spat viciously.

Ilfirimain ignored the tone understanding his loss and spoke.

“Yes I lost my fiancée. We met and were together in the University when we were students. It’s where I asked her to marry me.” Ilfirimain began.

“She was killed when visiting the local town trying to get me a gift, simply for the coin in her pocket. It sent me into a depression for a long time. I even searched for her killer to no avail. Then one day I found a letter she had written me. In the letter she told me what she loved about me, and I realised I was acting the opposite of what she had seen in me and understood she wouldn’t want me to be like that. I have never forgotten her and remember her for what she was. Point is Tegus, though the relationship is different, the principle of living for them is the same. Live for her, don’t dwell upon the fact she is gone.”

“I know you’re right Master.” Tegus said calmly, “Vakaroth must pay!”

His tone had changed in the second part.

“You are correct Tegus. He must, but do not go after him with an angry heart, he must be hunted down without anger, or he will use it against you and win.”

Tegus stayed quiet.

“Come back to the University. I will order for your home to be restored and the housekeepers can return. When you return back to us, we will plan what we will do next.”

“Yes Sir, thank you.” Tegus said with a heavy heart.

“My parting words for you Tegus,” he paused and spoke, “Sometimes a man needs to lose everything in order to find himself!”