knew her."
"Princess Orenda was your mother?" asked Audric. "That explains a great deal."
"What do you mean?" asked Prince Antion.
"Jared's capabilities are strong," answered Audric. "Most with the ability are only fair, but once in a while a strain of exceptional Talent seeps into mankind. Princess Orenda was such a creature. How is it that you have never known her, Jared?"
"She died the night I was born," replied Jared. "My father raised me."
Audric nodded solemnly as his brow crinkled in thought.
"Zalman," the old man said. "Is that your father's name?"
"It is," nodded Jared.
"A good man," smiled Audric. "We used to spend some hours together while your mother was meditating. I am sorry for your loss, Jared. Orenda was a very fine woman."
"You do not seem to keep up with the affairs of the world," commented Prince Antion. "The princess died over fifteen years ago."
"I do not care what happens beyond my little realm," shrugged Audric. "In my youth I was the light of numerous courts, but I found their constant bickering and devious political games tiring. Life is not about who is on top at the moment. Life is understanding the mysteries around us, or at least trying to unravel them."
"Fair enough," Prince Antion nodded with understanding.
"Is this King Garrick filled with the Talent as well?" Audric asked.
"He is not," Prince Antion shook his head, "at least not that I am aware of, but the king's advisor is."
"A king's advisor with the Talent?" Audric cocked an eyebrow. "That would have been quite unusual in my younger days. Most kings had a healthy fear of giving power to anyone who wielded the Talent. It was too dangerous."
"Too dangerous?" echoed the prince.
"Because of the nature of the Talent," explained Audric, "one who wields it should always remain aloof from the trappings of power. Remember that the Talent has a natural draw to the evil side. That is counteracted in most cases by the overriding desire to serve others in a helpful way, such as the wispers do, but dangle power in front of such a person, and the draw becomes magnified. Let us hope that this king's advisor is weak in the Talent."
"I doubt that," frowned Prince Antion.
"Coming from someone who did not know a few months ago that the Talent manifested itself in varying degrees of ability," shrugged Audric, "your doubts mean little to this conversation. You just were not in a position to judge such a thing for yourself."
"I will not argue that point," retorted Prince Antion, "but you just said that you were not surprised that Jared was Princess Orenda's son because he is so powerful. You indicated that such great power ran in the family."
"Of course," nodded Audric, "but I was taking about Jared, not some king's advisor to King Garrick."
"Prince Zinan is Jared's brother," declared Prince Antion, "his twin brother."
The old man's jaw fell open, and his red eyes widened as he stared at Jared. He closed his eyes momentarily and then looked back at Prince Antion.
"Do you know if this Prince Zinan is using the Talent with evil intent?" asked Audric.
"I cannot say," Prince Antion replied. "I do believe him to be an evil person, but my knowledge of his use of the Talent is limited. I know that he tried to probe my mind as you did a short while ago, but you claimed no evil intent in doing so."
"And I meant it," replied the old man. "How do you know that he is evil?"
"He killed men in an attempt to learn my identity," answered the Arin prince. "I also know that he has traveled around the world setting up spies in each major city, but the major reason I know that he is evil is because he is willfully carrying out King Garrick's plans for war, and needlessly causing the deaths of thousands cannot be anything but evil."
"I think I know why you are filled with the Talent, young man," Audric stated, "and why you have formed a bond with Jared."
"Because of the dark prince?" asked Prince Antion.
"An apt name for him," nodded Audric. "You would be
"Princess Orenda was your mother?" asked Audric. "That explains a great deal."
"What do you mean?" asked Prince Antion.
"Jared's capabilities are strong," answered Audric. "Most with the ability are only fair, but once in a while a strain of exceptional Talent seeps into mankind. Princess Orenda was such a creature. How is it that you have never known her, Jared?"
"She died the night I was born," replied Jared. "My father raised me."
Audric nodded solemnly as his brow crinkled in thought.
"Zalman," the old man said. "Is that your father's name?"
"It is," nodded Jared.
"A good man," smiled Audric. "We used to spend some hours together while your mother was meditating. I am sorry for your loss, Jared. Orenda was a very fine woman."
"You do not seem to keep up with the affairs of the world," commented Prince Antion. "The princess died over fifteen years ago."
"I do not care what happens beyond my little realm," shrugged Audric. "In my youth I was the light of numerous courts, but I found their constant bickering and devious political games tiring. Life is not about who is on top at the moment. Life is understanding the mysteries around us, or at least trying to unravel them."
"Fair enough," Prince Antion nodded with understanding.
"Is this King Garrick filled with the Talent as well?" Audric asked.
"He is not," Prince Antion shook his head, "at least not that I am aware of, but the king's advisor is."
"A king's advisor with the Talent?" Audric cocked an eyebrow. "That would have been quite unusual in my younger days. Most kings had a healthy fear of giving power to anyone who wielded the Talent. It was too dangerous."
"Too dangerous?" echoed the prince.
"Because of the nature of the Talent," explained Audric, "one who wields it should always remain aloof from the trappings of power. Remember that the Talent has a natural draw to the evil side. That is counteracted in most cases by the overriding desire to serve others in a helpful way, such as the wispers do, but dangle power in front of such a person, and the draw becomes magnified. Let us hope that this king's advisor is weak in the Talent."
"I doubt that," frowned Prince Antion.
"Coming from someone who did not know a few months ago that the Talent manifested itself in varying degrees of ability," shrugged Audric, "your doubts mean little to this conversation. You just were not in a position to judge such a thing for yourself."
"I will not argue that point," retorted Prince Antion, "but you just said that you were not surprised that Jared was Princess Orenda's son because he is so powerful. You indicated that such great power ran in the family."
"Of course," nodded Audric, "but I was taking about Jared, not some king's advisor to King Garrick."
"Prince Zinan is Jared's brother," declared Prince Antion, "his twin brother."
The old man's jaw fell open, and his red eyes widened as he stared at Jared. He closed his eyes momentarily and then looked back at Prince Antion.
"Do you know if this Prince Zinan is using the Talent with evil intent?" asked Audric.
"I cannot say," Prince Antion replied. "I do believe him to be an evil person, but my knowledge of his use of the Talent is limited. I know that he tried to probe my mind as you did a short while ago, but you claimed no evil intent in doing so."
"And I meant it," replied the old man. "How do you know that he is evil?"
"He killed men in an attempt to learn my identity," answered the Arin prince. "I also know that he has traveled around the world setting up spies in each major city, but the major reason I know that he is evil is because he is willfully carrying out King Garrick's plans for war, and needlessly causing the deaths of thousands cannot be anything but evil."
"I think I know why you are filled with the Talent, young man," Audric stated, "and why you have formed a bond with Jared."
"Because of the dark prince?" asked Prince Antion.
"An apt name for him," nodded Audric. "You would be
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