Chapter 6

"True, you may not have done anything—yet. But there are many unanswered questions Uriel. Many unanswered questions. You have forced us to conjecture. And the conclusions that have been drawn are not at all flattering."

"Such as?"

"Your unusual appearance without any supposed recollection of anything hides your origin. You are a wizard, anathema itself, and an unknown wizard at that. We have sanctioned only ten wizards, excluding Athar, due to the prophecy and you are not one of the ten. And not only are you an unknown wizard but a very powerful, unknown wizard. There has only been one other who was capable of performing the Ritual of Renascence as you did on Ullyna. You know the prophecies, do the circumstances not fit that which was foretold of the return of the Dark One?"

Uriel stood up. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Khyrhyelle looked at him as if for the first time. "You do not, do you?"

Uriel looked away, lowered his head. "No," he admitted.

They were both quiet for a while before Khyrhyelle shifted the subject. "Could you please tell me what happened when you performed the ritual and what you remember afterward?" Her voice was soft, gentle.

Uriel exhaled a deep breath. "I honestly don't remember much. I was upset about the uni—about Ullyna. I was beginning to lose it. Then all of a sudden something came over me. I knew what I was doing and yet, I didn't know. Do you know what I mean? Does that make any sense?" Khyrhyelle nodded and he continued. "I touched Ullyna with my staff, said some weird words and then this pressure built up inside of me, inside my head. It got unbearable and then it became even worse. Then everything went dark." Uriel's voice grew quiet. He was talking to himself now, as much as he was to Khyrhyelle. His eyes grew distant. "I was in the darkness a long time, or at least it seemed like a long time. They were there. Waiting for me. And the goat-man. And he sent those, those things after me." He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Then all of a sudden they disappeared and it was dark again for a while." He turned around then and looked deeply into Khyrhyelle's eyes. "Then I awoke and saw you."