Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Morality

At dawn, Cadderly was immersed in meditation, performing visualization movements.One at a time, he spread his arms out to the outside, vigorously agitating his muscles one by one.When he was moving, he was looking at the book spread out on the table in front of him, and he heard the sound of the song in his mind at the same time, feeling extremely coordinated with it.Sweat covered his bare chest and flowed down his cheeks, and the young priest felt all this clearly, his senses sharpened in a meditative state. Cadderly finally finished his meditation, feeling extremely tired.He looked at the bed, then changed his mind, because he felt that he had been in the room too much for the past few days.Today's weather will be quite sunny and warm.Outside the window, Lake Impesque was shining in the morning sun.

Cadderly closed the Book of Universal Harmony.However, when he looked at the calm and dynamic lake, he could still hear the sound of the song clearly in his mind.Now, the time has come for him to take the knowledge (and emotional power, he so hopes) he has gained from the book to the outside world; the time has come for him to see how his newfound clarity can help When I'm surrounded by people who are struggling to get by every day. Cadderly was afraid to face it.He must see shadowy images dancing over the shoulders of the people of Calladon again. Can he control them?Furthermore, is he able to interpret their meaning "correctly"?He recalled what had happened the night before, when he had chased the young man out of the room because he was afraid of the meaning of the shadow flailing over Brennan's shoulder.

The young priest washed and dried himself, resolute in his resolve.The options at hand seemed clear: get out and learn to assimilate his newfound knowledge, or stay in his room and live the life of a hermit all the time.Cadderly thought of Belisari who lived alone in the tower.The magician would die there, alone, and most likely, his body would sit there for weeks without being found. Cadderly did not want such a tragic fate to happen to him. ※※※ The ghost, still in Brennan's body, stood absent-mindedly on the ladder, replacing the lowered chandelier candles, watching the young priest leave the "dragon's fig leaf."Earlier he had heard Cadderly telling Federja that he would be late today, and the ghost thought it was good news. The "Masks of the Night" have entered the city and are deployed, and the ghosts will meet them today.Maybe when little Cadderly returned in the evening, he would find a not-so-pleasant "surprise" waiting for him.

A patient assassin, an artist, the ghost wanted to wait a day or two longer before committing his assassination, he wanted to get closer to this wonderful young man, to learn everything about him, so that things would be safe.Especially the potential problems caused by the arrival of the other two priests made the killer feel that this was very important.It is said that priests with high abilities can resurrect the dead, and under normal circumstances, ghosts will take their time to figure out what kind of magical abilities these new priests possess—especially the priest with the title of patriarch .Could it be that after the Mask of Night killed Cadderly, Avery found his body and revived him?

Plus, Porg Reese makes things even trickier.What is this arrogant magician up to?The killer couldn't help but wonder.Pogue had talked to another lesser priest last night, and that wasn't a good thing. Ghosts don't like side effects.He is a top-notch professional who prides himself on being clean and never leaving any issues unfinished.But even though the mission had been messed up, he wanted to believe that he could avoid—or eliminate—the problems.Now a new ripple disturbed the already painted picture, for the ghost aroused a new desire to justify his carelessness, at least in his own mind.The ghost felt life in the extremities, felt the violent urges characteristic of adolescents, and remembered the joy these urges can bring.

He didn't want to give up this new body. But he also knew that he couldn't keep playing riddles like this.After just one meeting, Cadderly already had suspicions that something was wrong, and the ghost knew that those suspicions would only increase as time went on.Furthermore, in this body, the ghost is bound.His other body is still alive, and it won't die unless the killer lets himself go and takes Brennan's body for himself.But before this task is completed, it is very risky to do so.And as long as that other weak body is still breathing, the ghost cannot use weapons to ambush anyone else.Even to occupy his specially chosen van der, the ghost would have to return to its own body first, and doing so would free Brennan.

He knew that once Cadderly was dead, everything would be so much easier.The ghost had considered trying to take action last night, holding a knife inches from Cadderly's bare chest.If he had aimed well enough, the whole thing could have ended right then and there; he could have had the gold, and seriously considered the urge to take this new, vibrant body, and kill him while he was still in his room. the soul of the trapped young man, and remove the magic ring from the foot of the corpse.It only takes a few days for his soul to adapt to his new body, and he can use his weapons freely again.His youthful vigor will be his again.

But hesitation cost the killer his chance.Before he could make up his mind to act, Cadderly was wary of him again.The unresolved ramifications—his lack of control over Cadderly's power, and his lack of knowledge of the abilities of the other two priests—kept him off. "Brennan!" Fedegar's cry jolted the killer out of his contemplation. "What are you waiting for?" the innkeeper yelled. "Get the chandelier back in place, quick! The lobby needs to be cleaned too, boy. Go now!" This is an extra bond that ghosts in young bodies would not welcome.The ghost didn't even make a protest. The Mask of the Night is not far away - he's had plenty of time to get in touch with them - and to be honest, he's glad these unexpected delays have occurred, because that way he's better able to sort out the underlying problem, and Many interesting questions.

An hour or so later, the killer was even more content with being restrained in the inn, as a young woman—goldberry-colored hair bouncing nimbly around her shoulders—entered the "dragon's fig leaf." ", asked for Cadderly by name, and introduced himself as Miss Danica Maupassant. Another ripple appeared. ※※※ "Here comes the kid!" Ivan yelled, pointing back in front of the "Dragon's Fig Leaf," and roughly turning Pikel in that direction as well. "Ooh!" Pikel screamed when he saw Cadderly, but he was more focused on taking Ivan's hands off his shoulders so he wouldn't turn around.The dazed, green-bearded dwarf staggered unsteadily, struggling to straighten the pot's helmet.

Ivan started to walk toward Cadderly, who hadn't noticed them, but Danica put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.The dwarf turned his head in surprise, but when he saw the pleading look in Danica's eyes, he understood immediately. "You want to go find him yourself." Ivan reasoned. "Is that okay?" Danica asked. "I don't know how Cadderly will react when he sees me. I hope..." "No need to say more, miss." Ivan growled, "My brother and I have a lot of things to do, and it's getting late. I'll find us some rooms in that store." He pointed to an inn two houses away, which was also cooler than the Dragon's Fig Leaf. "Just come to us when you need it."

"And you can bring this thing to Cadderly for me and my brother, too," Ivan continued, pulling the stiff frisbee from a deep pocket.He started to offer Danica something, but then withdrew it, looking rather embarrassed.As stealthily as possible, the gruff dwarf wiped a piece of flesh from the weapon, part of the cheek of the weapon's first victim.But Danica saw the action anyway.Ivan shrugged helplessly and threw the Frisbee to her. Danica bent down and kissed the thoughtful dwarf on the forehead, making Ivan's face flush. "Hee hee hee," Pikel chirped. "Hey, what are you doing?" the flustered dwarf asked Danica.He slapped the snickering brother on the shoulder, and they ran off together, away from the inn and Cadderly.Ivan knew that if the young scholar saw the three of them, he would invite them all in together, ruining Danica's expectations. Danica stood alone on the bustling street, watching Cadderly step by step into the "dragon's fig leaf".Across from her, the waters of Lake Impasque shimmered in the afternoon sun, and she almost wanted to follow the dancing lights and shadows, to escape her fear.In fact, Danica really didn't know how Cadderly would react, whether or not their separation in Simista Forest would be forever. If Cadderly rejected her now, she really didn't know what to do with herself. Never has it been more difficult for this young monk who has faced many challenges and enemies.It took Danica every ounce of courage to do so, but she still made it to the inn that was waiting for her to enter. When Danica entered the inn, Cadderly was on the stairs, slumped up.With his familiar cane hooked on one elbow, he read some crumpled parchment documents, apparently oblivious to what was going on around him. Light and silent as a cat, the monk crossed the room and up the stairs.She noticed a boy about fifteen years old watching her curiously as she passed, and she thought the young man might prevent her from going in, since she was not a guest at the hotel.But he didn't, and soon, still buried in the parchment, Cadderly, oblivious to her presence, was only two flights of stairs away from her. Danica studied him for a moment longer.He looked thinner than he had been a few weeks ago, but she knew it wasn't from a lack of diet.Cadderly's boyish frame had taken on the appearance of a mature man; even his steps seemed more steady, barely straying from the line he had chosen to walk. "You look good," Danica said suddenly, almost without thinking.Cadderly stopped abruptly, staggering before stepping up or down.Slowly, he lifted his gaze from the parchment.Danica heard him gasp. It seemed like several minutes passed before the young priest finally found the courage to turn and face her, and as he did so, Danica literally looked into a bewildered face.She waited for Cadderly to speak back.But apparently he either couldn't find his voice or had nothing to say. "You look good," Danica said again, thinking she must be completely insane. "...We, came to Kara Dun..." She paused, unable to speak at the look in Cadderly's gray eyes.Danica had looked intently into those eyes many times, but she saw something new in them now, something sad from a painful experience. Again, what seemed like minutes had passed. Cadderly's cane fell on the stairs with a loud crash.Danica looked at it curiously, and when she looked up again, Cadderly was beside her, wrapping her arms around her so tightly that he nearly crushed her. Independent and strong, Danica is arguably one of the best fighters in the land, yet she has never felt so safe and warm.Tears rolled down her smooth cheeks, but there was no sadness in her heart. ※※※ The ghost, still occupying Brennan's body, watched the couple from the bottom of the stairs, sweeping absently with a long-handled broom.His insidious mind was working as it always did, drawing up new plans and amending old ones in detail.The ghost knew it had to move faster now.This matter has become more and more complicated. The seasoned killer who is also an artist is not afraid.He liked a challenge, and, compared with the many heroes he had killed in the past, this operation, this target, Cadderly, seemed less of a problem. ※※※ Danica. Cadderly hadn't seen her for more than five weeks, and while he hadn't forgotten what she looked like, he was overwhelmed by her beauty.She stood in his room, in front of the closed door, her head tilted patiently to one side, her golden raspberry hair dancing on one shoulder, and her brown exotic eyes, full of emotion, gazed at him softly and thoughtfully. He was the one who broke up.He was the one who left—leaving Danica, War, and Simista behind.He still didn't know why Danica had come to see him, but whatever the reason, Cadderly knew it was his time to speak, to explain. "I didn't expect you to come," he said, moving around the desk and gently closing the book of Universal Harmony.A nervous chuckle escaped his mouth. "I'm afraid I'll receive an invitation to go to Simista Forest to witness the wedding of Danica and Aberes." "That's not fair to me," Danica replied, keeping her beautiful voice in a calm, steady tone. Cadderly threw his hands up helplessly. "I deserve it if that comes true," he admitted. Danica took out Ivan's gift and threw it to him. "From the dwarf brother," she explained, as Cadderly caught the heavy frisbee. "They started doing it a long time ago. This is a gift for the hero who saved the Moezhi Library." Cadderly could feel the power of the weapon, and it frightened and shook him. "Always a weapon," he said resignedly, before tossing the Frisbee to the ground at the foot of the bed.They hit a small clothing box, dented the solid wood, and came to a stop inches from Cadderly's newly enchanted staff. Cadderly nearly laughed out loud as he surveyed the matching image, but he wouldn't let Danica's apparent distraction stop him from saying what he had to say. "You love the elf prince," he told her. "He's the King of the Elves now," she reminded him. Still, Cadderly noticed, she hadn't responded to his accusation. "You did... still love Abereth," Cadderly said again quietly. "Just like you," Danica replied, "a dear friend, and one of the finest and most honorable men I have ever had the honor of fighting alongside. For Simista's Elf King, I would sacrifice my life, just like you." Cadderly understood what she was saying.All this time, behind his fears, he knew the truth about Danica's relationship with Albereth, and he knew that her love for the elf—and that was love—was different from her feelings for Cadderly.Danica and Abeles are connected by a common goal and are fighters with common values.If Cadderly loved Danica -- and he did love her with all his heart -- then how could he not love Albereth too? But there was still a lingering question, a lingering doubt, and it had nothing to do with Danica. "You would have given your life for him," Cadderly replied sincerely. "I wish I had the same courage." Danica's smile wasn't meant to be sarcastic, but he felt it. "I escaped from there," Cade reminded her immediately. "You didn't run away when you were needed," Danica replied. "Neither I nor the elves have forgotten what you did in Hildriki Tree and at the most critical time of the war. Tinteg because You survived. It was because of you that Simista was able to return to the hands of the people of Aberes." "But I escaped," Cadderly argued. "There's no denying that." Danica's next question—with its innocent and genuine unease—caught the young priest off guard. "Why are you running away?" She put her traveling coat on the little table beside the bed, and went to sit on Cadderly's bed while he turned and looked out the window at the lake, still gleaming in the fading light.Cadderly had never asked himself that question so bluntly before, and never thought about the reason for his depression. "Because," he said after a while, and then he paused again, not clear enough in his head.He heard the bed creaking and was afraid for a moment that Danica was walking towards him because he didn't want her to see the pain on his face.The bed creaked again, and he realized she had only changed positions, not stood up. "So many things swirled around me," he said, "the war, the magic, my dilemma when Dorigen was unconscious, and the fear that I made a mistake not killing her, and in my ears The constant wailing of the dying." Cadderly forced a chuckle, "and the way you looked at Abereth." "But it's all supposed to make you want to stay with the one you love, not run away," Danica said. "This feeling of driving me crazy has been building up for a while," Cadderly explained, "maybe even before the evil priests started attacking the Moezhi Library. Maybe it's been in me since I was an adult." No peace—I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case." "I have to face the things that bother me and move beyond them," he continued, casting a sneaky glance over Danica's shoulder. "I understand that now." "But, I still feel..." Danica began, but Cadderly cut her off with a hand outstretched, facing the lake again. "I can't face them next to you, can you understand?" he asked, pleading in his voice, hoping she would forgive him. "Back in the library, whenever I was overwhelmed by these questions, I just had to run to Danica, my love. Be there for you, watch you, and there would be no entanglements, no What an unresolved question." He turned to face her and saw the relief on her beautiful face. "You're not the answer I'm looking for," Cadderly admitted, and the light faded from Danica's face, and he flinched as a sharp pain filled her almond-shaped eyes. "You're not my antidote," Cadderly tried to explain quickly, regretting the words he said in the first place. "You are a consolation, a temporary relief." "Your plaything?" "Absolutely not!" Cadderly yelled from the bottom of his heart, pouring it out with the certainty that Danica needed to hear. "The whole world and my life is beautiful when I'm with you," Cadderly went on, "but of course it's not, and Simista is a solid proof of that. When I am with you, and I can hide behind my love. You, my Danica, have always been my mask. When I wear it, I can escape even the horrors of the ongoing battle. I That's for sure." "But you can't escape yourself," Danica interjected, beginning to see what he meant. Cadderly nodded. "There's an anguish in this," he explained, pointing to his heart and head. "They will follow me until I can disarm them, or until they destroy me." "And when your mask is here, allowing you to hide behind, you can't face them," Danica reasoned, her calm voice carrying no resentment.She genuinely sympathized with Cadderly's situation, and asked softly, "Have you found the answer?" Cadderly almost laughed out loud. "I found more questions," he admitted. "The whole world has only become more confusing since I started exploring myself." He pointed to the book of Universal Harmony. "You won't believe what kind of scenes that book showed me. Although, whether those images reveal the truth or are just well-disguised illusions, I can't be sure." It was only when Danica made a gesture of avoiding him that Cadderly realized that he had just said something straight from his heart.He waited a while for Danica to respond, to join him in what he had discovered. "You question your faith?" she asked bluntly. Cadderly turned away, his eyes finding the fading light on the lake again.She was right, he only realized then.He, a Denierian priest, questioned the visions and magics revealed to him by the holiest book his gods had given him? "I do not question the tenets espoused by the Denierian cult," Cadderly said firmly. "That's God itself," Danica reasoned in disbelief. "You question the existence of God?" Her voice cracked with every word. "A man who was raised by priests, and who saw so many priestly spells manifest, claims to be an atheist?" "I'm not claiming anything," Cadderly protested, "I'm just not sure about anything!" "You have seen magic given by the gods," Danica argued. "You felt the magic yourself... when you healed Tinteg." "I believe in magic," Cadderly reasoned, "that's a real fact of what's happening in this land of Faerûn. And I do feel that power, but where does it come from, I wonder." unconfirmed." "The blind spot of wisdom," Danica spat out sarcastically.Cadderly looked her over his shoulder again. "If you can't prove something beyond all doubt, you can't believe it," she said to him. "Does everything have to be concrete? Doesn't it allow space for faith?" A gust of wind blew across the lake.The waves hit the shore, their crests carrying the last gleam of day. "I really don't know," Cadderly said.He looked at the tumbling lake, trying to find a suitable symbolic meaning from its fading light. "Why did you run away?" Danica asked him again, and he knew from the firm tone of her voice that she was determined to press for an answer, no matter what it might cost them both. "I'm scared," he admitted, "I'm scared of more killing, I'm afraid you'll be killed, and I won't be able to take it.” Cadderly paused, swallowing hard, forcing himself to accept this unrecognizable heart idea.He remained silent for a while, and Danica dared not interrupt his train of thought. "I'm afraid I'm going to die." That's it.Cadderly had just admitted his cowardice.His arms hanging at his sides were tense, afraid of Danica's sharp retort. "Of course you're afraid," she said, without a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You question your beliefs, question whether there is anything beyond the real world. If you believe the answer is no, then what's the point of honor? Courage is driven by a divine mission, Cadderly. You are willing to give for Abereth Life, you have proved it. And if a spear were pointed at my heart, you would gladly take it for me. I do not question it." Cadderly was still looking out the window.He heard Danica move again on the bed, but this time too focused on her wise answer.He watched the last rays of sunlight ride the waves, ride the crests, and he understood what Danica was saying.In Simista he was afraid he was going to die, but only because the justification for continuing this war came from the creeds they believed, and those creeds existed in faith when they looked back.And the reason he's so mad at Danica, Aberez, and the others is that he's worried about them, and can't accept that they're so committed to these higher creeds that they're willing to go so far as to make the way of their own death. "I'll block that spear," Cadderly decided. "I never doubted that," Danica replied.There was something different in her voice, something softer and mysterious, and Cadderly turned to look at her. She lay comfortably on his side on his bed, her clothes in a mess beside the bed.Even if Cadderly lived to be a thousand years old, he would never forget Danica's appearance at this moment.Her head was resting on her hands, her elbows, her rich golden raspberry hair cascading down her arms, dancing on the single pillow.The dim light accentuated the curves of Danica's soft skin and the shimmer of sculpted legs. "I haven't had any doubts for weeks," she said. Cadderly felt a slight tremor in her voice, but still thought she was amazingly brave.Without blinking, he unbuttoned his shirt and walked towards her. In no time, they bonded together.The song played again in Cadderly's head.No, it wasn't like that, he felt it, thumping eagerly all over his body, guiding his every little movement and telling him it was the right thing to do in his life. A violent whirl of thoughts and feelings raced through Cadderly's mind.He thought about the possibility that Danica might have been pregnant with his child, then considered the meaning of death. But mostly, Cadderly's thoughts were on Danica, his soul mate, and he loved her even more.Maybe she had been his safe haven for a while, but only because he defined her in that position.Now, Cadderly was revealing his vulnerabilities, his deepest fears, and Danica accepted them, and he, wholeheartedly, and sincerely wanted to help him through. Later, when Danica fell asleep, Cadderly got up from the bed and lit a candle on the table next to the Book of Universal Harmony.He didn't bother to get dressed, and turned to look at Danica on the bed, feeling love flowing through him.This sense of security gave Cadderly more strength. He sat down and opened the book, hoping that the truth revealed that night would make him listen to that song differently. ※※※ Hours before Cadderly had lit the candle, the ghost had slipped through the young priest's door.After eavesdropping, he was quite confident that the arrival of Miss Danica Maupostant would not deviate much from his perfect plan.In fact, the ghost decides that he might be able to use Danica -- at least her body -- to greatly enhance the thrill of the assassination attempt. If he could possess the body of Cadderly's lover, he would be able to deal with the young priest when he was most defenseless. But even as his itch raged, the ghost wisely understood that things were becoming dangerous and complicated as he rubbed his hands and walked back into the room. Poor and battered Brennan was still strapped into the little space between the bed and the wall, looking up imploringly. "I'll let you go tonight," the ghost promised. "I've decided it's too risky to keep your body—although it's a pity, such a good body!" Brennan tried desperately to hope, even managed to smile, until the ghost's hands - Brennan's own - closed his borrowed throat.This time, for the beleaguered innkeeper's son, there was no pain, just darkness. After the action was completed, the ghost sat on the bed, untied the frail body, and waited impatiently for the moment when he could retrieve the body.He regretted that he had to give up the opportunity to occupy this young and good body, but he reminded himself of the imminent task and the existence of danger again.He promised himself that soon he'd find another suitable body, just waiting for Cade to die.