Chapter One: A Meeting with the King

It began with a knock at the door. As Baelisk was frantically running around his room, in a mad rush to put on his best suit of armor, there came a sudden pounding on his chamber door. "Baelisk!" called a voice from outside.

"Just a moment!" he panted in response, quickly tying his hair back and putting on his helmet. The knocking started again. Ready to leave, Baelisk opened the door and went out quickly. He looked briefly to see that the one who had been knocking was Avaezal, a brawny, flat-faced guardsman.

"Oh," Baelisk puffed, exasperated, "I'm sorry, Avaezal. I'm in a terrible hurry." Then he started trotting briskly down the corridor. Avaezal jogged forward and started trotting alongside the flustered captain of the guard.

"Why are ya in such a terr'ble hurry?" asked Avaezal.

"Well," replied Baelisk, a little breathless and not slackening his pace, "I'm due for a very important meeting. You know me: always trying to be punctual for a meeting! Especially one with the king. I should hope anyone would want to be punctual for that!"

"What?" Avaezal blurted, suddenly stopping and grabbing Baelisk's arm to stop him, too. "The king? What business have ya got with the king?"

"Really, Avaezal, I'll tell you when I get back." Baelisk said, braking out of the guardsman’s grasp and starting down the hall again. Avaezal was tempted to pursue some more, but Baelisk was obviously too hurried to discuss. He watched the captain with wonder and annoyance as he disappeared down the corridor.

Baelisk, on the other hand, was not thinking about his talk with Avaezal. Much more important was his meeting with the king. Somewhere over his head, the great-voiced bell of the Hymn to Dammon Cathedral struck the hour.

4'o clock! Baelisk thought with horror. I have less than half an hour to get to the castle!

He was sprinting at top speed now, toward the closest stable. It wasn't far, and the caretaker was outside brushing a catamog’s fur. Baelisk ran up to the caretaker, wheezing.

"Ineedamount--now!" he panted.

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