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+-+--+-+--+-+ VOLUME TEN NUMBER SIX
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| | ==========================================
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+___________+ FFFFF SSS FFFFF N N EEEEE TTTTT
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| ++ | F S F NN N E T
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| ++ | FFF SSS FFF N N N EEE T
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| | F S F N NN E T
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|_________| F SSS F N N EEEEE T
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/___________\ ==========================================
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| | BITNET Fantasy-Science Fiction Fanzine
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___|___________|___ X-Edited by 'Orny' Liscomb <CSDAVE@MAINE>
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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CONTENTS
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X-Editorial 'Orny' Liscomb
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Servant of the Silver Blade Ron Meldrum
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*Cydric and the Sage: Part Five Carlo N. Samson
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Date: 042688 Dist: 631
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An "*" indicates story is part of the Dargon Project
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All original materials copyrighted by the author(s)
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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X-Editorial
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Shifting uncomfortably before his terminal, the young man
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tentatively taps out a sentence, then pauses. Minutes pass before
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another coherent thought is slowly composed, worded, and dedicated
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to phosphor and magnetic media. After several moments of careful
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contemplation, he uses the block delete feature of his editor to
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remove the text, and begins again. The ritual begins yet again,
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perhaps the fifth time today. For the editor of a magazine, there is
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no feeling quite the same as when he views an empty editorial page
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||
with nothing to say. An editorial column is an opportunity to
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communicate directly with your readership, to share your opinions,
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your plans, and a little of yourself, with people who share the same
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interests. Yet it is also an intimidating thing, because there is a
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responsability to inform and be entertaining to the reader, not
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merely pontificate.
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||
After having considered many topics that might be of interest, I
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||
remain at a loss. After all, how interesting would an editorial be
|
||
if it went into detail describing the geogrpaphical distribution of
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||
its readership, or mentioned that there is, on the average,
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approximately two readers per node? And I certainly need not mention
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||
the coming of springtime or impending finals, or that this will be
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||
the last issue in Volume 10 before the summer volume begins. I have
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similarly been unable to shift my responsabilities onto other
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||
parties, after having no response to an offer to Dargon authors for
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a 'guest editorial' column. Well, luckily for me, we have plenty of
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||
good fiction in this issue, and there isn't room enough for a more
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||
substantial editorial. I am quite sure that the two excellent
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stories in this issue will go over very well (hopefully better than
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||
the editorial, I'm sure).
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The figure rests his head in his hands and takes a beep breath.
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He pauses, then reluctantly exits the editor. Now begins the process
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of sending the issue out, which although tedious, at least doesn't
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require any amount of creativity...
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-'Orny' Liscomb <CSDAVE@MAINE>
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<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
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Servant of the Silver Blade
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Durach wiped his greasy fingers across the front of his smithy
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smock, leaving dirty streaks on the crest of Beartas embroidered on
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it. The chicken had been good, especially good since he knew it was
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the last meat he would have for a week and a half. In one smooth
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movement the thin but sturdy man pulled off the smock and stretched
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his arms, then heaved a long sigh, expelling all the worries and
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labors of the day at the forge. He dropped his dirty smock on the
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table and lowered himself heavily into a creaking chair by the hearth.
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Catching sight of a dull glow on the wall above the fireplace,
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he heaved himself to his feet again, the ancient wooden chair
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creaking loudly beneath the force on its arms. Brushing his
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straight, dark hair off of his forehead, Durach stepped over to the
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fire and examined a dull grey sword, the origin of the gleam,
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hanging horizontally above the brick fireplace. He pulled a
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precious, half-used candle from a fixture just below the weapon and
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stooped to light its wick in the flames below. Straightening his
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aching back, he replaced the lighted candle in its fixture. Silver
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light burst from the hanging sword and shot throughout the dim,
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one-room hut.
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"Ahh, better...better," Durach breathed, his wide eyes following
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the length of the blemishless blade. He then returned to the chair,
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which groaned and shrieked as usual when he lowered himself into it.
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Leaning back, he lifted his eyes exultantly to the shining sword.
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Someone was knocking at the door. Durach stared dreamily at his
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beautiful weapon, either not hearing the sound or choosing to ignore
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it. The knocking persisted. Annoyance flickered across his face as
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Durach pulled himself from his reverie. He slowly pushed himself to
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his feet as the knocking continued.
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A small, hooded man, at least a full foot and a half shorter
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than Durach, was standing patiently on the wooden doorstep as the
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door swung open. He wore a long, grey cloak made of a fine material
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Durach didn't recognize, and his hood concealed most of his head
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except his face and a couple of curls of black hair. A strange but
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friendly smile and deep brown eyes, sparkling with amusement, looked
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up out of the hood. It was a starless night, and there was a light
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drizzle falling, but the stranger said nothing. He stood on the
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doorstep smiling, the drizzle clinging in beads to his grey cloak.
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Shaking off his drowsiness, Durach spoke.
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"Enter, stranger," he said with as much hospitality as he could.
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"I don't have much, but my house is warm. If you are hungry I have a
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little chicken broth but nothing more."
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"Thank you," the short man said and stepped past Durach into the
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small hut. His eyes glanced about the room, standing for a moment on
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the sword, then continuing their inspection of the place as Durach
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closed the door. He turned to his host and said, "Well, kind sir,
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where is the broth?"
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Durach picked up a small metal pot of broth from the table.
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"I'll warm it up for you," he offered.
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"That won't be necessary," the stranger said. He boldly reached
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out and took the lukewarm pot from the startled Durach. The small
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man then pulled himself onto the wooden table top and, with his legs
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dangling, put the pot to his lips and drank. Durach watched
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curiously as a small stream of broth trickled down from one corner
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of the man's mouth.
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"Not bad," the man said with a light sigh as he lowered the
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empty pot. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at Durach.
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"So," said the stranger, "what's your name?"
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"Huh... my name? Oh! I'm Durach, the son of Dochas son of
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Gorach. I work at a smithy in town but my father was..."
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"What a nice name!" the man exclaimed. "Durach," he repeated the
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name with a smile.
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Durach, slightly annoyed by the man's interruption, took a deep
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breath, then asked, "What is your name, stranger?"
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"I'm Calman. Calman of Gliocas. You don't know me. May I stay
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here tonight?"
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"Sure," said Durach, a hundred questions coming to mind. "Where
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are you from?"
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"I told you," the man replied. "From Gliocas."
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"I've never heard of any Kliogas..."
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"Gliocas," Calman corrected him, still smiling.
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"Okay, Gliocas. Where is this city?"
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"It's not a city. It's much more."
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"Kingdom, then."
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"It's not a kingdom."
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"What, then, is it?" Durach asked, annoyance in his voice.
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"It's just a place," Calman replied, apparently ignoring the
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other man's tone of voice.
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"Where is this place?"
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"Out there," said the short man with a vague flick of the wrist.
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"It's a long, hard trip and most people never find it. Nice place
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you have here."
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"What? Oh, yes... I mean, it's all I have."
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"Where'd you get the knife?" Calman had removed his eyes from
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Durach, but still wore the smile.
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"Knife?" Durach followed the man's gaze to the sword on the
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wall. At the sight of it, all traces of annoyance and frustration
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were gone, and he began to speak.
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"Oh, Iarann. My father gave him to me. My father, you know, was
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the champion of Lord Uan. He gave him to me before he died. He died
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of a broken heart. When Lord Airgid took over, my father was
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stripped of his rank and soon fell sick. He was given Iarann by his
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father, my grandfather, of course. I don't know where Sire Gorach,
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that was his name, got him."
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"Him?" Calman spoke up.
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"Him, Iarann," Durach said, pointing to the sword.
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"Oh, okay," the other man said, slightly amused. Ignoring him,
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Durach continued.
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"Someday I will carry him into battle and earn him glory as my
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fathers did. I have already, once. During the war with Cumach ten
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years ago, when I was young, I carried him into battle gloriously."
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"No, you didn't," Calman said.
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"Huh?" said Durach, startled.
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"Don't you ever listen? I said 'no, you didn't!' You didn't
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carry the knife into battle." He was still smiling.
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"Well," Durach stuttered, surprised by the other man's
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statement. "I almost did. They trained me, and I was about to go to
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battle when peace was resolved. They trained me, though."
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"How long?" Calman asked.
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"Well, for a day. But that doesn't matter. They trained me."
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"Oh, okay," the other man said, smiling.
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There was silence for a while. Durach stood by the table musing
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over the sword while Calman sat on the table musing over Durach. As
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if reaching some unspoken decision, Calman said, "Okay, I'll go to
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bed now." With that he dropped from the table to the floor in front
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of Durach and walked over to the fireplace. After a glance up at the
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sword and another back at his host, the man lay down and curled up
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in front of the warm flames.
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For several minutes Durach stood wondering about his curious
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guest. Shaking his head, he strode over to the fireplace. Being
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careful not to disturb Calman, he stretched his right arm and with
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one finger extinguished the candle. The interior of the hut suddenly
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dimmed. Leaning over the man on the floor, Durach stoked the fire,
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then walked to the door and bolted it.
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Retiring to the corner where he usually slept, he removed his
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crude wooden sandals and his cloak, then lay down to rest, spreading
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the cloak over him for a cover. Lying half asleep already, he looked
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across the room at the silent, unmoving figure silhouetted by the
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unsteady firelight. He wondered who the stranger was, and where his
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Gliocas was. Durach quickly drifted further from consciousness.
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He awoke just after dawn the next morning. The door was wide
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open, and bright sunlight was streaming in, flooding the room with
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an irrepressible sense of bliss. Someone was humming quietly, and
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the smells and sounds of cooking ham reached the awakening man. He
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sat up, looking around the place. Calman was kneeling in front of
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the fire cooking meat while humming a merry tune. On the table was
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the partially butchered carcass of a small pig. Blinking confusedly,
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Durach looked back at the man by the fire. His eyes raised
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habitually to the sword and his mind cleared. Stretching his
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stiffened muscles, Durach yawned loudly. Calman stopped humming and
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turned to him, wearing the familiar smile.
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"Hello, want some breakfast?"
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Durach looked at him a moment, then nodded dumbly. The short man
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turned back to the fireplace and took up his tune again. Durach
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climbed to his feet and put on his cloak and smock. He never put on
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his sandals before it was time to leave for work.
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"Where'd you get the pig?" he asked.
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"Oh... down the road," Calman replied without turning around.
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The tune became a battle march. Durach's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
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"Down the road?" he asked.
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"Yes, that's what I said. Sometimes I don't think you people
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ever listen." Durach didn't question what he meant by the ominous
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"you people."
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"Did you steal it?" he asked bluntly.
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"I don't steal."
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"Where did you get it, then?"
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"Down the road..."
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"I know that!" Durach interrupted. "Where down the road?"
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"In a shady spot next to the roadway," Calman evaded.
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"Was it just sitting there by the road?"
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"Yes, just sitting there. I simply reached over the fence and
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picked it up."
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"So, you stole it," Durach said, more as a statement than a
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question. His voice was quieter, but still shaky.
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"No, I told you, I don't steal," Calman said, laying some more
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meat in a flimsy frying pan.
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"Then the owner knows," Durach said, relieved.
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"What owner?" the other man asked, still not turning from the
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fire. Durach fell back into frustration.
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"The owner," he said. "The person who owns, or owned, the pig!"
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"I didn't see any owner when I got there. All I saw was a bunch
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of pigs in a fenced-in mud hole, next to a large house."
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"A house!"
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"Yes, yes! Must I repeat everything?"
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Durach dropped the subject and, shaking his head, seated himself
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in the groaning chair. Calman turned and grinned devilishly at him,
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then returned to his cooking and tune, which became a moving dirge.
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The two ate together in silence at the table. Since there was
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only one chair, Calman was more than happy to sit on the table top
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with his legs dangling as he had the night before. The ham tasted
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good to Durach, who hadn't eaten breakfast, much less ham, in many
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months. Then there were those curious white roots. They were
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excellently prepared and Durach couldn't complain about the taste,
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but he was always leery about eating things he didn't recognize.
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After they had eaten, Calman dropped from the table.
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"Well," he said with a sigh, "I must be going now." Without a
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farewell he stepped to the door. Then a backward glance caught the
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sword, gleaming in the sunlight at its station above the fireplace.
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As if suddenly remembering something, he wheeled and said
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cryptically, "Oh, yes. Happiness and glory to you!" He grinned his
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familiar grin, then the smile faded momentarily and his eyes had a
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distant look. Refocussing on Durach, he smiled a subdued smile and
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was gone out the door.
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Durach worked at a smithy in the central district of the city of
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Beartas, which was no more than a mile form his home. Progress was
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normally slow as he walked to work once he entered the city proper,
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for the narrow streets were usually clogged with people. He disliked
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crowds and thus hated the segment of his path that took him through
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the city streets.
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This morning was different, though. Durach was late, due to the
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fact he had eaten breakfast with Calman. Then, after the stranger
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had departed he, of course, had to polish his sword. By the time he
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reached the city he found only a few people on the streets. He
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smiled to himself and decided to make it a point to be late more
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often. At this time the laborers were at work and the rest of the
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city was still asleep.
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Waiting for him in front of the small, open-faced smithy was its
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owner, one of Durach's longtime friends. Durach had taught him to
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read a little, since he himself had been lucky enough to learn his
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letters while his father still held a station at the court. His
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friend, Caraid, had inherited the smithy from an uncle. The place
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wasn't great, but it did have a good location in the central trade
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district and a reputation for quality. The smithy consisted of two
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rooms, one of which was open to the street. The open one had a small
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stone forge at its center. Only Caraid, his twelve-year-old son, and
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Durach worked there.
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Caraid seemed to have been waiting for Durach, for when he saw
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him coming down the street, the forge owner hustled over toward him
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carrying a folded sheet of paper in his huge left hand. Caraid's
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large, smithy-hardened body dwarfed what few other people were on
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the street.
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"Durach," he rumbled in his deep voice, holding the paper aloft.
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"I need your help with this." He apparently ignored the fact that
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Durach was late. Caraid handed the paper to him and the two strode
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back to the smithy where Caraid's son was straining under a load of
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scrap iron. Durach unfolded the paper, the huge Caraid peering
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anxiously over his shoulder at it.
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"What's the problem?" Durach asked scanning the list on the sheet.
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"Well," his friend's voice was subdued, "I recognized the words
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'horseshoes' and 'hammer heads', but what are these others?" He
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poked one of his large fingers awkwardly at the bottom part of the
|
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list, and Durach examined it. His eyes lit up as he read aloud.
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"'Spearheads'! And 'Pikeheads'!" There was a sharp intake of
|
||
breath as Caraid realized the significance of his friend's words.
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"Spears and pikes?" Caraid asked in a low voice. "We've never
|
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made weapons for the Lord before!"
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||
Durach read the heading at the top of the sheet. Indeed, the
|
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order was issued by the treasury of Lord Airgid. His heart jumped at
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the implications of the castle ordering weapons, but he calmed
|
||
himself by saying aloud, "They're probably just refurninshing the
|
||
old armory. It hasn't been refurnished, you know, since before the
|
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reign of Lord Uan."
|
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Caraid didn't look convinced.
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||
"We'd better get started," the big man said. "It's a big order
|
||
and the Lord wants it next week."
|
||
"Next week!" Durach protested, looking down the list again.
|
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"That's impossible! We can't do this much in such a short time! Its.."
|
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"Nor will you have to," a new voice said, emphasizing "nor".
|
||
Durach and Caraid wheeled around to see a clean-shaven man in a dark
|
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blue robe standing just off the road by the smithy. In one hand he
|
||
held a book with several loose sheets sticking out form inside the
|
||
front cover. Before the smiths could say anything, the man continued.
|
||
"I am Searbhanta, third treasurer of his Lordship, Lord Airgid."
|
||
He paused and looked around to see if anyone reacted to his title.
|
||
Seeing no one take note, he frowned indignantly and resumed speaking.
|
||
"The order given you this morning has been retracted. Your
|
||
services are no longer required by his Lordship. He has found the
|
||
larger smithies more suitable to his needs at present."
|
||
"But..." Caraid protested. But the man in blue turned and left.
|
||
The large smith furiously kicked the nearest wall, which promptly
|
||
cracked upon impact.
|
||
Durach's attention, however, was drawn away from his friend by
|
||
another development. There was a commotion in the street. One of
|
||
Lord Airgid's criers, holding a rolled sheet of parchment, was
|
||
climbing off his mount a few yards away. Unrolling the parchment he
|
||
began to read as a crowd formed about him.
|
||
"Hear all! Hear all! Due to crimes committed against the person
|
||
and property of our liege, the Beloved and Mighty Lord Airgid, by
|
||
the blackguards of the Castle Cumach, it is hereby decreed that a
|
||
state of war exists between the people of Beartas and those of
|
||
Cumach. All able-bodied men are required to enlist at the north
|
||
garrison or pay a hundred Gold Royals to buy amnesty. Failure to do
|
||
so will result in imprisonment.
|
||
"Hear all! Hear all!"the crier droned, repeating the proclamation.
|
||
Durach was excited. So much had happened so quickly. This was
|
||
what he had been waiting for all his life. Now he could bear his
|
||
fathers' sword proudly into combat.
|
||
Caraid had recovered from his momentary anger and was listening
|
||
carefully to the crier. He turned to Durach and said, "I guess I'm
|
||
out of business for a while." He pulled off his smock and threw it
|
||
down. "Shall we go to the north garrison together?"
|
||
"I'll meet you here in an hour. Then we can go. I have to get
|
||
Iarann!" Without waiting for a response, he took off running as fast
|
||
as the growing crowd would allow. After passing through the city he
|
||
sprinted, not noticing the strange gazes of onlookers as they
|
||
watched the lean, middle-aged man bound gleefully down the road.
|
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He barged into his hut, lungs heaving, and stopped in front of
|
||
the fireplace. Panting, he reached up and carefully removed the
|
||
sword from the hooks on the wall.
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"O Iarann, I bring you glory!" he gasped.
|
||
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||
Forty-five minutes later he was standing in line with Caraid at
|
||
the north garrison, waiting to enlist.
|
||
"It looks nice," Caraid said gently, knowing fully the
|
||
significance his friend put on the weapon.
|
||
"Yes, he does," Durach agreed, proudly holding the sword, blade
|
||
up at arms length in front of him. The morning sun glinted brightly
|
||
off its silver surface. Surely they would make him a corporal when
|
||
they saw the sword. They would recognize the quality for which it
|
||
stood, and he would tell them that he had been trained before.
|
||
Surely they would make him a corporal, maybe even a sergeant.
|
||
They didn't. Though Durach awaited the assignment with held
|
||
breath, he got just three words out of the man at the enlistment
|
||
desk: "Name...Weapon...Next."
|
||
He was, however, consoled by the fact that he and Caraid had
|
||
been assigned to the same unit. The unit, comprised of fifty
|
||
peasants with diverse weapons, was under the command of a hulking,
|
||
chain-mailed, gauntleted, and mounted sergeant named Duine. Duine
|
||
immediately let his unit know that he considered it below himself to
|
||
work with such rabble, and that he was presently attempting to
|
||
discover what he had done to offend the officials who had assigned
|
||
him to the position. Training lasted half a day and consisted
|
||
primarily of climbing ladders and ropes to the top of a high wall.
|
||
Durach's unit trained side-by- side with five other similar units.
|
||
There was no doubt what their job would be during the assault on
|
||
Castle Cumach, and Durach beamed inside at the thought of scaling
|
||
the enemy's walls, lifting Iarann high above his head, and bringing
|
||
glory to the sword by routing the enemy forces. He awaited with
|
||
anticipation the day they were to move on the castle.
|
||
|
||
That day came too soon for many of the men in the army. There
|
||
were the usual desertions, mostly peasant conscripts, which were
|
||
invariably remedied by an arrow in the back of the deserter as he
|
||
fled. The troops marched in a disorganized throng, moving slowly
|
||
down the dusty road to death.
|
||
Caraid, walking next to Durach, had a worried expression on his
|
||
face. He was carrying the ancient thrusting spear the garrison had
|
||
given him. All conscripts who had signed up without a weapon, as
|
||
Caraid has, had been assigned some relic from Lord Airgid's armory.
|
||
Durach spoke.
|
||
"Why so grim?"
|
||
Caraid turned his face to Durach.
|
||
"I don't want to be a part of this. I just want to go back to
|
||
the smithy. I'm not a soldier."
|
||
"Ah," Durach said. "But look at it this way: this battle is a
|
||
chance to earn fame and glory. Don't turn down the chance."
|
||
"Only the nobles and friends of the Lord will earn fame and
|
||
glory," Caraid mumbled. Noticing Durach's hurt expression, he added
|
||
quickly, "and, of course, you and your sword will. But I have no
|
||
such weapon." He brandished the spear. Its head shook loose and
|
||
Caraid stumbled to catch it before it hit the ground. Ignoring the
|
||
curses from a man behind, who had run into him as he stumbled, the
|
||
big man straightened up and replaced the spear head.
|
||
"That is a disadvantage," Durach sighed. "But your strength will
|
||
carry you."
|
||
Less than an hour later the high walls of the Castle Cumach
|
||
began to rear themselves up ahead of the army. When the force
|
||
finally emerged from around a low rise and saw the castle, the host
|
||
slowed down to a crawl and looked on with awe. It was a large
|
||
fortress, sitting proudly on the top of a low hill, red and green
|
||
banners streaming from its towers. Half a mile beyond, in a shallow
|
||
river valley, was the city the castle was built to protect. No
|
||
troops were seen deployed outside the fortress, but its walls were
|
||
briming with mail-clad warriors. A forest of pikes and long spears
|
||
rose from the battlements, impressively catching the bright light of
|
||
the afternoon sun.
|
||
A noble to the rear of the host shouted, "Dost thou surrender?"
|
||
The answering shower of arrows fell short of the troops but
|
||
clearly expressed Castle Cumach's answer. The order came from the
|
||
rear to storm the walls. The peasant units that had been trained
|
||
with Durach's unit hefted the long, shabby ladders they had carried
|
||
from Beartas and began moving hesitantly toward the ready pikes on
|
||
the walls. Durach's sergeant, Duine, was no where to be seen.
|
||
Several whips cracked somewhere behind and the mass broke into a
|
||
disorganized charge. Durach tried to make his way to the front to
|
||
lead the assault with uplifted sword, but his speed was no match for
|
||
the younger members of the mob. About two hundred paces from the
|
||
wall, nearly half of the people at the front of the charge fell to
|
||
enemy archers. Another twenty or thirty fell at a hundred and fifty
|
||
paces, at least forty fell at one hundred, and another forty or so
|
||
at fifty paces. Then the mass was upon the wall. The ladders were
|
||
thrown up and the attackers began to climb. Shower after shower of
|
||
arrows swept the ladders clean.
|
||
Durach shoved a man out of his way and leapt to the nearest
|
||
ladder. As he began to climb, however, a pikeman on the wall pushed
|
||
the top of the ladder away with his weapon and Durach fell backwards
|
||
onto the ground. He scrambled to his feet and found himself facing
|
||
the sloping field he had just charged across, and was shocked at
|
||
what he saw. Beyond the hundred and more dead and wounded littering
|
||
the field the armored regulars of the army of Beartas were retreating.
|
||
A violent sense of betrayal surged through him. He wheeled and
|
||
yelled to Caraid, whom he had seen nearby a moment ago. Durach
|
||
quickly turned away with tears in his eyes as his friend screamed
|
||
then crumpled under searing, boiling oil dropped from above.
|
||
Durach ran. He made his way across the field to some trees on
|
||
the other side. Most of the others were doing the same now. He ran
|
||
until he couldn't run anymore, caught his breath, then ran again.
|
||
His thoughts were not thoughts at all, but flashes of anger and
|
||
surges of sorrow.
|
||
By the time he reached Beartas' city limits, he had calmed down
|
||
quite a bit. Skirting the city to get to his house, his face assumed
|
||
a stone-like expression and he slowed to a walk, but his eyes held
|
||
shadows of deep loss mixed with anger.
|
||
Arriving home, Durach found he had left the door ajar, and a
|
||
foul odor reminded him that he had left the pig carcass on his
|
||
table. He stepped through the door and looked around. Nothing had
|
||
changed. Slowly he looked up to the empty hooks on the wall above
|
||
the fireplace, then to the sword he still grasped tightly in his
|
||
right hand. Calmly, Durach walked over to the corner of the small
|
||
room to the right of the cold fireplace and dropped the weapon to
|
||
the floor. He stood silently looking at the cold, grey ashes in the
|
||
fireplace, tears welling up in his eyes again.
|
||
A sound behind him caused him to turn. Framed in the doorway was
|
||
a familiar short, hooded figure. Calman pulled back his hood to
|
||
reveal tangled, raven-black locks. His smile was gone, replaced by a
|
||
look of deep understanding. He glanced at the sword on the floor,
|
||
then spoke in a low voice.
|
||
"Perhaps with my aid, you may yet be able to find Gliocas."
|
||
Durach nodded and followed Calman away from Iarann.
|
||
-Ron Meldrum <IO60048@MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
Cydric and the Sage: Part 5
|
||
Author's note: The complete synopsis for parts 1 & 2 can be
|
||
found in FSFnet VOL09N1, for part 3 in FSFnet VOL10N1.
|
||
THE STORY SO FAR: In part 4 (chapters VIII-X), Cydric and
|
||
Corambis head back to the house at twilight, stopping momentarily in
|
||
the temple district so that the Sage can offer a brief prayer to the
|
||
goddess Cahleyna. Cydric questions the necessity of worshipping the
|
||
gods; Corambis seems offended but later accepts Cydric's apology.
|
||
When they arrive back at the Sage's home, they have a light supper
|
||
and prepare themselves for the opening of the Celestial Archway. The
|
||
midnight hour arrives, the Archway appears, and the two step through.
|
||
They materialize in the other realm on a deserted beach. The
|
||
chrysoline ring that the Sage wears points them in the direction of
|
||
the Elder. They do not walk far when they are stopped by an
|
||
invisible barrier. Corambis uses the ring to smash through, and
|
||
suddenly the Citadel of Sorrows, situated on a huge floating
|
||
boulder, is revealed to them. A transportal disc teleports them up
|
||
to the Citadel, and they begin exploring. They notice strange
|
||
translucent stones scattered about the courtyard; Cydric keeps one.
|
||
The ring leads them through an armory filled with rusty weapons, an
|
||
old tapestry room, and finally up into a tower where they find Bahz
|
||
the Elder. Bahz appears incredibly old and decrepit, but when
|
||
Corambis tries to help him stand, the Elder snatches the chrysoline
|
||
ring away from the Sage and laughs. Green flames surround the Elder,
|
||
and his true identity is revealed: he is actually Nephros, mage of
|
||
ancient Quentrellia and the first to physically travel the
|
||
Dreamrealms. He casts a paralysis spell upon Cydric and Corambis,
|
||
and they lose consciousness.
|
||
|
||
XI. The Servant
|
||
The first thing that Cydric felt when he awoke some time later
|
||
was a pressure on his head. He looked around and saw that the room
|
||
was now empty, save for Corambis, who was shackled to a wooden post
|
||
at the other side of the room. He tried to stretch, and found that
|
||
he was similarly restrained. He gave the chains a hard yank, but
|
||
they remained securely fastened.
|
||
"Milord Corambis!" he called, trying to wake the Sage. After a
|
||
few moments, Corambis lifted his head.
|
||
"How do you feel?" Cydric asked him.
|
||
"Quite fine," replied the Sage. "But--" he stopped, and his jaw
|
||
dropped in surprise.
|
||
"What? What is it?" Cydric said, looking around.
|
||
"My goddess has heard my prayers! She has not forgotten us!" the
|
||
Sage said joyfully.
|
||
"What do you mean?" Cydric asked, not understanding the Sage's
|
||
elation. Just then the pressure lifted from his head, and a
|
||
bizarre-looking little creature settled onto his shoulder.
|
||
"Gaaah! What the hellblaze is it!" shouted Cydric, trying to
|
||
shrug it off.
|
||
"Relax, Cydric, it will not harm you. That is the Tozu, one of
|
||
the special servants of Cahleyna." Corambis addressed the creature:
|
||
"Forgive my young friend, O Tozu, for he is not used to being in the
|
||
presence of one so distinguished as yourself."
|
||
Cydric looked closely at the creature. It was very much like an
|
||
owl, except for its human head and tiny pair of arms.
|
||
"His reaction is understandable. I take no offense," replied the
|
||
Tozu in a small, low-pitched voice. "And you are correct, Sir
|
||
Corambis. Mistress Cahleyna has not forgotten you; she has sent me
|
||
to tell you of the important duty you must perform."
|
||
"Uh, excuse me, Zotu, or Tozu, or whatever your name is; could
|
||
you please sit somewhere else?" Cydric said, feeling a little
|
||
uncomfortable with the owl-man on his shoulder.
|
||
"Cydric! Please do not embarrass me," said the Sage.
|
||
"If you don't mind, I'd rather sit here," the Tozu replied,
|
||
somewhat testily.
|
||
"Fine with me, then," Cydric said, shrugging. The owl-man
|
||
flapped to keep his balance and gave Cydric a disapproving frown.
|
||
"First of all," said the Tozu, "let me tell you about Nephros.
|
||
You may know that over a thousand years ago, he was the royal
|
||
sorcerer of the Island of Quentrellia, and that he was the one who
|
||
discovered the Amulet of Hanarn and thus the first mage to
|
||
physically venture onto the dreamrealms. To escape the Fretheod
|
||
invasion of the Island he fled into the dreamrealms and wandered
|
||
about for a time, eventually finding his way to the Nether Realm."
|
||
He paused, seeing the Sage's eyes widen.
|
||
"You don't mean...he made a bargain with an Exile?"
|
||
"Indeed he did. He promised Xothar the chance to escape from his
|
||
prison in exchange for the power to dominate your world."
|
||
Cydric remembered the stories of the Exiles: once they were
|
||
seraphim, living in Lordsrealm with the All Creator, until Xothar
|
||
and his followers revolted and tried to seize power. The All Creator
|
||
crushed the rebellion, stripped them of their astral form, and flung
|
||
them into the Nether Realm where they have been ever since. "Why did
|
||
Nephros wait until now to try and free him?" Cydric asked.
|
||
"He has tried many times before, but with no success," replied
|
||
the Tozu. "This time, however, he may finally succeed."
|
||
"Of course! The harmonic convergence happens tonight,"
|
||
interjected Corambis. "If he has a means of tapping the power from
|
||
the alignment of the sun and stars, he may very well attain his goal."
|
||
"Very true," said the Tozu. "He does in fact have the means--the
|
||
Amulet of Hanarn. Now, Mistress Cahleyna and the other gods have
|
||
appealed to the All Creator, and he has agreed to let them destroy
|
||
Xothar once and for all. But since Xothar is in the Nether Realm,
|
||
they cannot harm him, just as he cannot harm them. The All Creator
|
||
is loathe to destroy any being, but has made an exception in this
|
||
case. So, when Nephros opens the Celestial Archway, the gods shall
|
||
attempt to strike a blow at Xothar. This means, of course, that
|
||
Nephros must be allowed to complete the summoning ritual."
|
||
"Wait, do you mean to say that you are not here to rescue us?"
|
||
Cydric asked, incredulously.
|
||
"As I said, Nephros must complete the ritual in order to gather
|
||
enough power to open an Archway in the Nether Realm. He needs
|
||
your...assistance, for the ritual to work."
|
||
"Well, don't the gods have enough have power to do that
|
||
themselves? I mean, they are gods, right?"
|
||
"The All Creator devised the Nether Realm as a prison
|
||
specifically for gods and other divine beings. No resident of
|
||
Lordsrealm has any power over that place."
|
||
"But mere mortals do? Anyway, what about us? I mean, myself and
|
||
Milord Corambis. Surely Cahleyna will not let anything happen to one
|
||
of her worshippers?"
|
||
"Naturally. But you do understand that if Xothar escapes, he
|
||
will take the rest of the dwellers of the Nether Realm with him, as
|
||
well as the other Exiles. He will make war upon Lordsrealm, and the
|
||
universe shall suffer."
|
||
"But you will help us get out of here after the ritual, right?"
|
||
The Tozu hesitated. "Unfortunately, the Citadel will also have
|
||
to be destroyed. This was once a place of great power, that is why
|
||
Nephros chose it. I can't help you once the ritual is begun."
|
||
Corambis said: "I understand, O Tozu. It will be an honor to die
|
||
for my goddess."
|
||
"She is not *my* goddess," said Cydric. "Anyway, I thought the
|
||
gods were more powerful than any one seraphim. The battle will not
|
||
take all their energy and concentration, will it?"
|
||
"It may. Xothar will undoubtedly have all his evil forces
|
||
waiting, and the gods have to send a combined power strike to insure
|
||
their destruction."
|
||
"So you are saying that it is up to us to make our own escape?"
|
||
"In effect, yes."
|
||
"Some divine being you are!"
|
||
"Please, Cydric, do not speak that way to him," said Corambis.
|
||
The Tozu stiffened for a moment, then said, "Nephros is
|
||
returning from his preparations. The Convergence is near. Remember
|
||
what I have said."
|
||
"We will, O Tozu. Thank you."
|
||
"Blessings of Cahleyna be with you." With that, the Tozu flapped
|
||
his wings and flew off out the window.
|
||
|
||
XII. The Ritual
|
||
A few moments later, Nephros entered the room. "So, my friends,
|
||
did you have a good sleep?" he asked.
|
||
They said nothing. "What, lizard-man got your tongue?" he laughed.
|
||
"Why us?" asked Cydric.
|
||
"Why not you?" Nephros replied, setting the brazier he had been
|
||
carrying down in the center of the room.
|
||
"I mean, why did you go through all that trouble with the
|
||
visions? You could have easily kidnapped us or something."
|
||
"I needed you both to come willingly. Would you have come
|
||
otherwise? I doubt it. I perceived that the old man would be
|
||
interested in the story about Bahz, so I cast my bait, and you came
|
||
right as I expected." Taking a jar of paint and a brush from the
|
||
brazier, he began marking out a large triangle, with Cydric at one
|
||
point and Corambis at the other, humming as he did so.
|
||
"Just what is this all about, anyway?" Cydric asked.
|
||
"You certainly are an inquisitive one, aren't you? Well, I see
|
||
no harm in telling. I am preparing to bring a being of immense power
|
||
onto this plane. In return for that, he'll grant me supreme mastery
|
||
over the world. Lord Nephros, Emperor of Makdiar--sounds great,
|
||
doesn't it?"
|
||
"For you, maybe. Just what do you need us for?"
|
||
"Well, for this whole thing to work, I need a couple of
|
||
sacrifices and a host body for the being--Xothar's his name, you
|
||
know him?"
|
||
"Legends say he was banished to the Nether Realm."
|
||
"Not for long. At the Convergence point, I'll open the StarDoor
|
||
into the Nether Realm, and he'll be freed, along with the rest of
|
||
his friends. And then I'll have powers beyond all measuring--why,
|
||
I'll be able to raze Dargon Keep in thirty seconds if the notion so
|
||
took me!" He put the finishing touches on the triangle and stepped
|
||
back. "Wonderful. Almost ready."
|
||
"What did my vision mean?" Cydric asked.
|
||
"Merely bits and pieces of your dreams and desires. I can't
|
||
remember exactly." He threw the paint jar out the window, then
|
||
brought out a leather bag. He emptied the contents into the brazier.
|
||
"One last thing." He turned to the empty third point of the
|
||
triangle and made some motions with his hands. A wooden post
|
||
appeared in place. He moved to the window and glanced up into the
|
||
sky. "Excellent. The Convergence is nigh." He chuckled.
|
||
Cydric looked over at Corambis. The Sage had his eyes closed,
|
||
and appeared to be meditating.
|
||
"Now where did I put her? Oh yes, I remember." Nephros left the
|
||
room, and came back a few moments later dragging a struggling young
|
||
girl behind him.
|
||
"No! Let me go! Help!" she screamed.
|
||
"A nice virgin sacrifice," Nephros said. "Can't have a ritual
|
||
without one."
|
||
Cydric lunged against his chains. "Let her go, you bastard!"
|
||
"Such fire and spirit. What a strong life-force. Yes, a prime
|
||
sacrifice victim. I'll kind of miss her," Nephros said.
|
||
"Help me please!" the girl sobbed at Cydric.
|
||
"You let her go, or I'll--"
|
||
"You'll what? Kill me?" Nephros smirked. He put his hand over
|
||
the girl's eyes, and her struggles ceased. He placed her up against
|
||
the wooden post and chained her hands behind her. "Xothar will like
|
||
her. More than he'll like the old man, I'm afraid."
|
||
"Not him too--"
|
||
"This is a pretty big ritual, you know. Twice as many sacrifices
|
||
as usual. It had better work this time." He moved to stand over the
|
||
brazier. "Well?" he said, looking at Cydric. "No last minute pleas
|
||
for mercy?"
|
||
Cydric glared at him.
|
||
"No, I guess not. I rather expected you to offer yourself as a
|
||
sacrifice in place of the girl. Your type is always doing that sort
|
||
of 'noble' thing. Well?"
|
||
Cydric started to speak but bit down his reply.
|
||
"I didn't think so. Anyway, I can't sacrifice you, since you
|
||
have the honor of being Xothar's new astral form. I don't think he'd
|
||
appreciate flying around in the body of a tired old man or a
|
||
delicate young lass, now would he?" He grinned. "Now, if there is no
|
||
other business, I say let the festivities begin!"
|
||
A flame appeared in the brazier. Moments later, a cloud of
|
||
purple smoke rose up into the air. Nephros reached into his tunic
|
||
and brought out a small object on a chain. The Amulet of Hanarn,
|
||
Cydric supposed.
|
||
"Spirits of the sun, hear me!" began Nephros. "Movers of the
|
||
stars, attend me!" The smoke formed into a rough sphere. "Powers of
|
||
the void, grant me your strength. As the heavens come together in
|
||
the perfect pattern, let their brilliance shine upon me!" He raised
|
||
the Amulet above his head. There was a rumbling sound in the distance.
|
||
"Oroc criat naestrum. Oroc criat naestrum," chanted Nephros.
|
||
Cydric wanted to cry out, to distrupt the proceedings, but the
|
||
words of the Tozu prevented him from doing so. He saw the Sage,
|
||
unmoving on his post. The girl, a wisp of brown hair across her
|
||
face, stood just as still.
|
||
"Oroc criat naestrum," intoned Nephros with closed eyes. "Sun
|
||
and heavens, moon and stars. Sun and heavens, moon and stars."
|
||
The center stone of the Amulet began glowing. The room grew
|
||
dark. The purple cloud lit up with an inner light.
|
||
"Oroc criat naestrum. Sun and heavens, moon and stars!"
|
||
The rumbling grew louder. The light from the Amulet started
|
||
pulsing. The purple cloud twisted restlessly.
|
||
"The time is near," said Nephros. He released the Amulet, which
|
||
hung suspended in mid-air. He went to the girl, unlocked her chains,
|
||
and motioned her to follow him. Glassy-eyed, she obeyed. Nephros
|
||
made her hold her arm out over the brazier in the center of the
|
||
cloud, and when she had done so, cut her wrist with a dagger. The
|
||
blood mixed into the smoke, giving it a crimson tint. Cydric cried
|
||
out when he realized that Nephros was using his sundagger.
|
||
"Silence!" shouted Nephros. Cydric felt himself go stiff, just
|
||
like the first time.
|
||
Nephros waved the girl back to her post. He went over and
|
||
released Corambis from his chains. The Sage opened his eyes and
|
||
straightened at the mage's command. Nephros mixed Corambis' blood
|
||
into the cloud as he did with the girl's, then motioned him back.
|
||
Taking hold of the Amulet once more, Nephros resumed chanting.
|
||
"Oroc criat naestrum. Oroc criat naestrum."
|
||
The rumbling sound changed to a low pulsing rhythm that kept
|
||
time with the light pulses from the Amulet. The sound increased in
|
||
volume, along with the mage's chanting.
|
||
"Oroc criant naestrum. Oroc criat naestrum! OROC CRIAT NAESTRUM!"
|
||
A beam of light lashed out from the Amulet and struck the center
|
||
of the cloud. There was a sharp crackle, and the Archway snapped open.
|
||
"THE STARS CONVERGE IN PERFECT UNISON! ENTER, O XOTHAR! THE PATH
|
||
IS CLEAR!" shouted Nephros. A strong wind rushed out from the
|
||
Archway, ruffling everyone in the room but not affecting the purple
|
||
cloud that obscured the view into the astral portal.
|
||
"ENTER, GREAT XOTHAR! NEPHROS BIDS THEE ENTER!" Neprhos shouted
|
||
above the screaming wind. Cydric watched in horror as he took the
|
||
girl by the shoulders and shoved her into Archway. She vanished,
|
||
then there was a brief sparkle of red. A dim form began to take
|
||
shape within the Archway.
|
||
As the form solidified, Cydric could make out claws, horns, and
|
||
fangs. Nephros exclaimed joyfully. Suddenly, several other forms
|
||
appeared in the smoke. They were human in appearance, but the
|
||
brilliant radiance surrounding each of them marked them as gods.
|
||
"No! Please, not now! So close!" Nephros yelled.
|
||
The lead god, a woman, pointed at the grotesque form of Xothar.
|
||
A shaft of pure golden light shot out from her fingertips and struck
|
||
the Exile. The room shook with the impact. Nephros lost his balance
|
||
and fell as a wrenching roar filled the air. Cydric slumped forward
|
||
as the paralysis left him.
|
||
Xothar raised his fist and a blast of red energy flared out. The
|
||
room shook again as the fire punched into the group of gods.
|
||
Corambis sprang forward and snatched up Cydric's sundagger where
|
||
Nephros had dropped it.
|
||
The Sage leaped onto Nephros's chest, pinning him to the floor.
|
||
He took a gold key from the mage's pocket, then struck him in the
|
||
head with the pommel of the sundagger.
|
||
Cydric stared at the unconscious sorcerer as Corambis unlocked
|
||
his chains. "Didn't think I had it in me, eh?" the Sage grinned,
|
||
noting the young man's surprised expression.
|
||
The room trembled with the force of the godly struggle.
|
||
|
||
XIII. Escape From The Citadel
|
||
Cydric and Corambis raced out of the room and down the stairs.
|
||
Another explosion rocked the castle, and chunks of stone began
|
||
crumbling from the ceiling.
|
||
"Hurry!" said Corambis, handing Cydric back his sundagger. "The
|
||
whole mountain may fall into the sea at any moment!"
|
||
They ran through the corridors, reached the tapestry room, and
|
||
stopped. Several large lizards lay sprawled across the mosaic floor.
|
||
Upon Cydric and Corambis' entry, they turned and began crawling
|
||
towards them.
|
||
"We cannot go through here!" said Cydric.
|
||
"We don't have time to find another way," replied Corambis. He
|
||
took the bag of dried fruit from his belt and tossed it into the
|
||
center of the room. A small lizard slithered over to it and took it
|
||
into his mouth in one gulp.
|
||
"Shield your eyes, milord," Cydric said, holding the sundagger
|
||
in front of him. When the Sage had done so, Cydric closed his own
|
||
eyes and silently gave the blade a command. A white light flared
|
||
outward from the blade, flooding the room with brightness for a
|
||
brief second.
|
||
Cydric opened his eyes. The lizards had stopped in their tracks,
|
||
but resumed their course after a moment's hesitation.
|
||
"They should have been blinded by that!" said Cydric.
|
||
"They are," said Corambis, "but these lizards hunt by scent also."
|
||
An explosion shook the room. "Then we have no other choice. We
|
||
must find another escape route," Cydric said, turning.
|
||
"Hold on," said the Sage as he took out his pipe and filled it.
|
||
"You do not have time for that!"
|
||
"Call it my final smoke." The Sage puffed, then said "Shafan
|
||
fazar!" He took another puff, then blew the smoke outward. The
|
||
aromatic cloud rose into the air and quickly filled the room. The
|
||
lizards hesitated, then started wandering aimlessly, as if confused.
|
||
"Ha ha! That got 'em!" Corambis grinned. "Come on!" He started
|
||
forward into the lizard-infested room.
|
||
They carefully threaded their way past the lumbering reptiles.
|
||
Cydric was almost to the other end of the room when a particularly
|
||
large lizard caught hold of the end of his cloak. He kicked the
|
||
beast in the head, but it stubbornly refused to let go. Cydric
|
||
swore, then bent down and thrust the sundagger between the reptile's
|
||
eyes. It twitched, then relaxed its jaws as it died. Cydric wiped
|
||
the blood off the blade as he joined the Sage.
|
||
"Nasty brute?" Corambis asked as they hurried down the corridor.
|
||
They reached the armory. Cydric opened the door that led to the
|
||
courtyard and was greeted by a horde of walking human skeletons, all
|
||
made of crystal. He gave a cry of surprise, then shut the door.
|
||
"What is it?" asked the Sage.
|
||
The door shook as the skeletons began pounding on it. "You would
|
||
not want to know," said Cydric. He slid a wooden bar across the
|
||
door, then went over to one of the tables and turned it on its side,
|
||
dumping the rusted weapons to the floor. He and Corambis slid the
|
||
table over and shoved it against the door.
|
||
They paused for a moment to catch their breath. Suddenly, Cydric
|
||
felt a warmth in his pocket. He reached in and brought out the
|
||
translucent stone he had picked up in the courtyard. It glowed
|
||
brightly and gave off increasing heat. Cydric tossed it away. As it
|
||
hit the floor, the stone shattered and a crystal skeleton sprang up
|
||
in its place.
|
||
"Now we know what those stones were," Corambis said grimly. The
|
||
skeleton looked around, then bent down and picked up a sword. At the
|
||
skeleton's touch, the rust on the blade vanished. It glowed briefly,
|
||
then appeared like new.
|
||
"Cydric! Don't let it pick up anything else!" warned Corambis.
|
||
Cydric grabbed a nearby shield and threw it at the skeleton. It
|
||
struck the crystal creature in the chest, causing it to stagger
|
||
back. The skeleton quickly recovered and retrieved the shield which,
|
||
like the sword, was restored to perfect condition.
|
||
"Helldamn," muttered Cydric. He quickly scanned the ground, then
|
||
took up a broadsword that appeared to have the least rust on it.
|
||
Picking up a wooden shield, he strode toward the skeleton to engage
|
||
it in battle.
|
||
They circled each other warily, then the skeleton gave an eerie
|
||
cry and struck the first blow. Cydric blocked with his shield, and
|
||
was nearly driven to his knees by the force of the strike. He
|
||
slashed, and the skeleton jumped back. Cydric regained his stance
|
||
and went on the attack.
|
||
They duelled back and forth in the center of the room, but
|
||
slowly, Cydric found himself being driven back. He briefly reflected
|
||
that the skeletons must at one time have been the flesh-and-blood
|
||
guards of the palace. His shield suddenly splintered to pieces as
|
||
his opponent's sword came down upon it. Cydric barely had time to
|
||
parry the next blow with his own severely notched sword. The
|
||
skeleton easily deflected Cydric's riposte, then lunged forward.
|
||
Cydric avoided the strike and swung his sword at the skeleton's
|
||
head. There was a sharp crack as the skeleton bit down on the sword
|
||
and split it in half. With a look of dismay, Cydric dropped the
|
||
sundered blade and jumped back. He barely avoided the skeleton's
|
||
next slash, then found himself back up against the wall. The
|
||
skeleton thrusted, Cydric twisted, and the blade struck the stone.
|
||
Cydric brought his fists down on the skeleton's back, and it pitched
|
||
against the wall. As it slid to the floor, Cydric gave the skeleton
|
||
a solid kick. It flipped over onto its back, and the sword went
|
||
flying. Cydric stepped over the skeleton to retrieve the blade, but
|
||
a bony hand lashed out and grabbed his ankle. Cydric slammed into
|
||
the ground.
|
||
He tried to kick loose from the skeleton's grasp, but it grabbed
|
||
hold of his other ankle. Cydric cried out in pain as it tightened
|
||
its grip. He desperately stretched his arm out, trying to seize the
|
||
sword that lay just beyond his reach. Just then, Corambis raced
|
||
over, picked up the sword, and plunged it into the skeleton's back.
|
||
The crystal creature let out an inhuman shriek, then exploded into a
|
||
fine crystalline dust.
|
||
"Can you walk?" Corambis asked, helping Cydric to his feet. The
|
||
young man winced, then shakily stood unassisted.
|
||
"I think so. They are only a little sore."
|
||
A skeletal arm burst through the door. Corambis rushed over and
|
||
hacked it off. "It seems our friends are becoming rather impatient."
|
||
Cydric limped over to the door on the opposite wall and opened
|
||
it. Several lizards from the tapestry room were making their way
|
||
down the corridor. Corambis eyed the advancing reptiles, then
|
||
reached for his pipe. Not finding it at his side, he searched the
|
||
rest of his belt pouches but came up empty.
|
||
"My pipe! It must have fallen back there somewhere," he said.
|
||
Cydric shut the door and leaned back against it. On the other
|
||
door, the skeletons were slowly breaking through.
|
||
"What do we do now?" Cydric asked.
|
||
The Sage made no reply as he surveyed the room. Then his eyes
|
||
lit up as he thought of a plan. He handed Cydric the skeleton's sword.
|
||
"Delay them as long as possible. I have an idea."
|
||
"What do you plan to do?"
|
||
"No time to explain, but if it doesn't work it won't matter."
|
||
Cydric took a stand in front of the courtyard-entry door and
|
||
proceeded to chop the limbs off any skeleton that threatened to
|
||
break through. Meanwhile, Corambis shoved one of the wooden tables
|
||
into the corner of the room farthest from the embattled door, turned
|
||
another table onto its side and put it against the first, forming a
|
||
rectangular box. He then gathered up some of the weapons and dropped
|
||
them in a pile at Cydric's feet.
|
||
"Now, Cydric, get under the tables over there. I'll join you in
|
||
a moment."
|
||
Cydric did so. Corambis opened the door to admit the lizards,
|
||
pushed the table away from the other door, then finally hurried back
|
||
to the wooden shelter, dragging a piece of plate mail behind him to
|
||
cover the open end.
|
||
"Now what?" asked Cydric.
|
||
"We wait."
|
||
Through a knothole in the table, Cydric watched as the lizards
|
||
made their way into the room just as the skeletons succeeded in
|
||
smashing down the door. With their eerie battle cry, the skeletons
|
||
snatched up weapons and began to hack the lizards to pieces. As the
|
||
last reptile died, a massive tremor ripped through the room. Cydric
|
||
cringed as the ceiling and most of the walls collapsed inwards,
|
||
crushing the skeletons beneath piles of rubble. Moments later, all
|
||
was still.
|
||
Corambis pushed aside the plate mail and crawled out. Cydric
|
||
followed. "Thank Cahleyna the builders spared no expense in
|
||
furnishing the Citadel," breathed Corambis. "Were these tables not
|
||
made of heartwood, we would surely be under a great deal of pressure."
|
||
Another tremor nearly jolted them off their feet. "I think we
|
||
best get going," said Cydric. They started to climb out of the
|
||
rubble, but after a few moments Cydric was forced to rest.
|
||
"It's those ankles, eh?" said Corambis, crouching down next to
|
||
the young man. Cydric nodded. The Sage brought out a vial from one
|
||
of his pouches and rubbed the contents on Cydric's affected
|
||
extremities. A few minutes later, the pain vanished and Cydric was
|
||
able to walk again.
|
||
Cracks started appearing in the ground by the time the two men
|
||
made it to the front gates. Cydric looked back and saw large
|
||
sections of the once-proud Citadel crumble away into ruin.
|
||
"Hurry, Cydric!" called the Sage.
|
||
They sprinted toward the mountain's edge to where the
|
||
transportal disc lay, but just before they reached it a huge gash
|
||
opened up the ground in front of them. They frantically scrambled
|
||
back as a huge chunk of the floating boulder dropped away into
|
||
space, taking the transportal disc with it.
|
||
Cydric's heart sank. "That was our only way off this helldamned
|
||
rock," he said despairingly.
|
||
"Courage up, Cydric, there must be another way down," Corambis
|
||
said, trying to sound reassuring.
|
||
Just then, a weird cry caused them to turn. Several crystal
|
||
skeletons, apparently survivors of the room collapse, were rushing
|
||
toward them with weapons drawn.
|
||
"I do not think we will get out of this alive," said Cydric,
|
||
raising the skeleton sword.
|
||
"You may be right this time," Corambis said tightly.
|
||
The skeletons drew nearer. Cydric braced himself for the
|
||
onslaught. If he was to die, then let it be in battle. His mentor
|
||
would have been proud.
|
||
Suddenly, a small winged shape swooped out of the sky. "Look!
|
||
It's the Tozu!" Corambis pointed.
|
||
"Jump!" screeched the owl-man.
|
||
"Did he say 'jump' ?" asked Cydric.
|
||
"By the gods! Jump now!"
|
||
"Do it," Corambis said, turning to the edge of the mountain.
|
||
"Are you serious?"
|
||
"Have faith, Cydric. Or face the alternative." The skeletons
|
||
were mere seconds away.
|
||
"But--" Cydric never finished the sentence. Corambis pushed him
|
||
over the edge, then leaped after him.
|
||
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!" Cydric's scream echoed through the
|
||
heavens as he tumbled through empty air toward the beach below. He
|
||
shut his eyes against the sky and ground that spun and whirled into
|
||
a featureless blur.
|
||
|
||
He was still screaming when Corambis landed by him on the beach.
|
||
"Cydric! Stop that! We are safe," said the Sage, shaking him by
|
||
the shoulders. The screaming continued. Corambis gave him another
|
||
hearty shake, then slapped him resoundingly across the face.
|
||
"Cydric! Listen to me!"
|
||
The young man's outcries subsided to ragged gasps. A few moments
|
||
later he sat up.
|
||
"W-we're not dead?"
|
||
"We are very much alive, as you can see. Are you all right?"
|
||
"How?"
|
||
"It was my doing," said the Tozu, coming to a hover nearby. "I
|
||
am not without powers of my own. Now hurry! They are right behind."
|
||
Cydric looked up. The skeletons had jumped off the mountain
|
||
after them and were free-falling toward their position. "Won't they
|
||
be killed when they hit the ground?"
|
||
"The undead cannot be killed, only destroyed," the Tozu replied.
|
||
"I'd suggest you not be here when they arrive."
|
||
"But where do we go? How do we get back to our own realm?"
|
||
"Leave that to me. For now, just get as far away as possible!"
|
||
With that, the Tozu flapped his wings and took off.
|
||
Cydric and Corambis started off down the beach. Behind them, the
|
||
floating mountain slowly disintegrated. Great slabs of rock slid off
|
||
and splashed into the water below.
|
||
The first crystal skeleton off the mountain smashed heavily into
|
||
the ground, breaking all of its bones. The skull, however, remained
|
||
intact; it rose up from the pile of bones and flew off in pursuit of
|
||
the two men.
|
||
Cydric looked back and saw the grisly cranium give chase. Behind
|
||
it, three more skeletons struck the beach and shattered; their
|
||
skulls quickly arose and joined the pursuit.
|
||
Corambis stumbled and fell. Cydric help him up, and they
|
||
continued their desperate flight. Several moments later, Cydric felt
|
||
a pain near his neck. He turned and saw the first skull sinking its
|
||
crystal jaws into his shoulder. He cried out, then whipped off his
|
||
cloak, throwing the skull to the ground. "Keep going!" he shouted to
|
||
the Sage. He drew his sundagger and lunged for the skull, but it
|
||
flew up and hovered just out of striking range. Cydric jabbed at it
|
||
repeatedly, but each time it darted out of reach. Realizing that it
|
||
was too quick, Cydric snatched up his cloak and flung it like a net
|
||
at the skull. The cloth caught the fleshless head; Cydric fancied
|
||
that it looked like a small blue ghost as it darted randomly about.
|
||
Catching sight of more approaching skulls, he retrieved his dropped
|
||
sundagger and took off at a run after the Sage.
|
||
"I can't go much longer," wheezed Corambis as Cydric reached
|
||
him. "I'm far too old for this sort of thing."
|
||
"Where is that damn Tozu-bird?" Cydric cursed. He glanced back
|
||
and counted at least eight rapidly-gaining skulls. He turned his
|
||
attention forward and felt his blood run cold; a short distance
|
||
away, the line of barren rocks that bordered the beach angled
|
||
sharply into the sea. They were out of running room.
|
||
Despair washed over Cydric as they came to a halt at the rocky
|
||
barrier. "Blaze damn," he muttered darkly.
|
||
Just then he heard a familiar flap of wings. The Tozu descended
|
||
out of the sky, clutching the Amulet of Hanarn in its talons. There
|
||
was a blaze of rainbow light as the Celestial Archway materialized
|
||
at the foot of the rock wall. "Enter! Quickly!" the Tozu screeched.
|
||
Corambis leaped through the portal. Cydric paused and looked
|
||
back just in time to see a massive bolt of lightning lance down from
|
||
the sky and strike the Citadel. There was a fiery explosion, and the
|
||
huge mountain of rock began to fall toward the water. Seconds before
|
||
the skulls reached him, Cydric turned and dived through the Archway.
|
||
|
||
XIV. Return
|
||
He landed in the Sage's study. For several minutes he lay there,
|
||
panting and exhausted. After a little of his strength returned, he
|
||
got up and found the Sage lying on the floor nearby.
|
||
"Milord Corambis! Are you all right?"
|
||
The Sage wearily sat up. "I'm fine, Cydric. I simply found the
|
||
floor rather comfortable at the moment."
|
||
"I shall get you some water," Cydric said. He started to rise.
|
||
The study door flew open. A red-haired girl dressed in a black
|
||
tunic and leggings came through, saw them, and whipped out a pair of
|
||
throwing daggers. "Don't move, if you wish to live," she warned.
|
||
Cydric recognized her. "Holleena! What are you doing here?"
|
||
"Quiet!" Not taking her eyes off them, she called over here
|
||
shoulder, "Thuna! In here."
|
||
A nervous-looking dark-haired girl came in, holding a coil of
|
||
rope. "Tie them up," Holleena commanded.
|
||
"But Holleena, I don't think they--"
|
||
"Do it!"
|
||
As Thuna started toward them, Corambis whispered, "It seems that
|
||
we have slipped from the dragon's teeth into the stomach!"
|
||
Cydric grimly agreed.
|
||
|
||
Epilogue
|
||
After Thuna had bound them, Holleena relaxed her stance.
|
||
"Who are you? Why have you invaded my house?" the Sage demanded.
|
||
"Watch it, old man, or I'll do something very painful to you,"
|
||
Holleena said, putting away one of the daggers.
|
||
"You promised you wouldn't harm him," said Thuna, nervously
|
||
glancing at Corambis.
|
||
"You're getting on my nerves, girlie. Now shut up and keep out
|
||
of this!" Holleena shot back. She turned to Corambis. "Now then, old
|
||
man, I understand you own a very valuable jewel. Mind letting me
|
||
know where it is?"
|
||
"What is this, Holleena? You didn't seem like the thieving
|
||
kind," said Cydric.
|
||
Holleena smiled, then delivered a slap across Cydric's face.
|
||
"I seem to be getting a lot of that lately," he murmured.
|
||
The red-haired young woman eyed her dagger, then looked straight
|
||
at Corambis. "The Rainbow Stone, old man. Tell me where it is."
|
||
"I have many stones and jewels. Take whatever you want and leave!"
|
||
"You know what I'm talking about, old man. If you really are as
|
||
wise as they say, you'll tell me where you've hidden it."
|
||
"I have no idea what you mean," the Sage replied.
|
||
"Very well." Holleena walked about casually, then seized Thuna
|
||
by the hair and placed the dagger to her throat. "Does this help
|
||
your memory?"
|
||
"Please, Holleena," Thuna gasped. "I-I thought we were partners."
|
||
The Sage went white. "All right," he said, a tremble in his
|
||
voice. "But please, don't hurt her."
|
||
"I knew you were wise," Holleena said, smiling a sweet, wicked
|
||
smile. Just then Cydric heard a mechanical click, followed instantly
|
||
by a soft *thunk*. Holleena gave a cry of pain and dropped her
|
||
dagger. As she whirled away from Thuna, Cydric saw a crossbow bolt
|
||
sticking out of the back of her shoulder.
|
||
"Well, m'love, appears we made it here just in time," came a
|
||
male voice from the doorway. Thuna backed away, and Cydric saw a man
|
||
and a woman standing just inside the room. The woman lowered her
|
||
crossbow. "Hello, Cydric, " she said, smiling. "Looks like I've
|
||
saved your life yet again."
|
||
|
||
After the woman had freed Cydric and Corambis from their bonds,
|
||
the Sage removed the bolt from Holleena's shoulder and applied a
|
||
healing salve. The crossbow woman's companion then took the young
|
||
red-haired thief upstairs to lock her in one of the rooms.
|
||
"This is the woman I was telling you about in the marketplace,"
|
||
Cydric told Corambis as they took seats around the Sage's table.
|
||
"You don't know how glad I am to finally make your acquaintance,
|
||
Miss Kittara," said Corambis.
|
||
Kittara smiled. "Thank you, milord. I'm glad we could help."
|
||
Just then the man who was with Kittara strode into the room.
|
||
"The girl's doing fine. We should be able to question her in a bit."
|
||
To Kittara he said, "You sure are a dead shot, love. Almost too good."
|
||
She introduced the leather-clad man as her partner, Reyakeen Sylk.
|
||
"Good to know you, sirs," Sylk said as he gripped forearms with
|
||
the two men. "Sorry to trouble you this late."
|
||
"That's quite all right," replied Corambis. "But tell me, Lord
|
||
Sylk, how did you happen to be in this part of town? I do live
|
||
rather removed from the center of Dargon's activity."
|
||
"Just call me Sylk. Actually, milord, it was no mere
|
||
coincidence. Kittara and I had been following Holleena and the girl
|
||
over there for the last few days."
|
||
Thuna, who had been sitting apart from the rest of them, blurted
|
||
out, "You must believe me, milord! I didn't want anything to happen
|
||
to you. She promised she wouldn't hurt you, and she offered me so
|
||
much money, I just--just--" she burst into tears.
|
||
"There, there, my girl," Corambis said soothingly, going over
|
||
and letting her cry on his shoulder. "What is she talking about?" he
|
||
asked Sylk.
|
||
Kittara replied, "You see, milord, Holleena is a professional
|
||
thief. Like she said, she was after your Rainbow Stone. Since Thuna
|
||
is in your employ, Holleena bribed her into helping break into your
|
||
house. They had made a copy of your house key, and were planning to
|
||
carry out the theft last night, but Cydric's arrival made them
|
||
change their plans slightly." She brought out a small pewter key and
|
||
handed it to the Sage.
|
||
"I'm so sorry," wept Thuna. "Please forgive me."
|
||
"Don't worry about it, my dear," Corambis said gently. He
|
||
motioned to Cydric. The young man came over, and the Sage passed the
|
||
weeping girl into his arms. "Take her to one of the guest rooms."
|
||
"Uh, there there, Thuna, please don't cry," Cydric said
|
||
awkwardly as he led her from the kitchen.
|
||
"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Thuna said in a teary voice as
|
||
they entered one of the ground-floor guest rooms of the house.
|
||
Cydric sat her down on the bed, then turned to leave.
|
||
"Please don't go."
|
||
Cydric felt his stomach knot up. "Uh, yes?"
|
||
"I'm very sorry if I've embarrassed you. I want to explain about
|
||
what happened in the booth."
|
||
"Oh, that. Really, there is no need. I understand. Now I--"
|
||
"You don't understand. Please let me explain." She motioned him
|
||
to sit next to her. Cydric hesitated, then sat down a chair.
|
||
"You have someone else in your life, don't you?" Thuna asked.
|
||
"Is it that obvious?"
|
||
"It was when I first kissed you. You held back as long as you
|
||
could. I'm sorry that I had to do that to you, but I thought you
|
||
were just like the rest."
|
||
"What do you mean?"
|
||
"Well, you see, Holleena wanted me to help her steal that jewel
|
||
they were talking about. At first I refused, but then she offered me
|
||
more gold that I had ever seen in my life, and I...I..." She
|
||
swallowed, then continued. "We were planning to steal it the night
|
||
that you arrived in Dargon. I was surprised when you asked me about
|
||
Master Corambis, but Holleena told me she would first find out why
|
||
you wanted to see him. I suppose you didn't tell her anything,
|
||
because the next day she came to the Tavern and asked me to try and
|
||
find out.
|
||
She took a deep breath, then rose and moved to stand by the
|
||
window. Staring out at the moon, she said, "Men would just spill all
|
||
their closest secrets to me when I revealed myself to them. I
|
||
thought it would work on you as well, but you were different. I'm
|
||
sorry if I've made you feel unfaithful to your girl, and I don't
|
||
blame you if you're angry with me, but I just wanted you to know the
|
||
truth." She sighed and turned to face him. "Can you truly forgive me?"
|
||
"Of course, Thuna. Thank you for being honest." He cringed
|
||
inwardly, thinking of how close he had come to falling for Thuna's
|
||
persuasion, just like the rest of her men.
|
||
"I just hope Master Corambis can forgive me as well. How could I
|
||
do such a thing to him, after all he's done for me? I don't deserve
|
||
to live here anymore." Thuna flung herself facedown on the bed.
|
||
"He will understand. I know he will." Cydric tentatively patted
|
||
her shoulder, then quietly left the room.
|
||
|
||
He returned to the kitchen and found the Sage alone. "Where did
|
||
they go?" he asked.
|
||
"Kittara and her friend went up to check on Holleena. The poor
|
||
girl can't be moved just now, so all three of them will be staying
|
||
here for the night."
|
||
"Thuna as well?"
|
||
"Of course. It's too late to take her to the Tavern in any case."
|
||
"Do you still trust her?"
|
||
"I still have hope for her."
|
||
Cydric looked out the kitchen window at the full moon that shone
|
||
brightly down upon the city. His brow furrowed as he turned to look
|
||
at the kitchen water-clock.
|
||
"How long would you say we were in the other realm?" Cydric asked.
|
||
The Sage poured two glasses of wine. "Well, it took us perhaps
|
||
an hour to get to the barrier, and we spent another half hour
|
||
exploring the Citadel. But I can't tell how long we were unconscious."
|
||
"According to the clock, we were gone at most ten minutes."
|
||
"Most amazing! Apparently, time passes at different rates in the
|
||
other realms. That must be why Nephros did not appear to have aged
|
||
very much, though he was certainly over a thousand summers old."
|
||
Cydric took the glass from Corambis. "Did Kittara and that Sylk
|
||
character tell you why they were following Holleena and Thuna?"
|
||
"They said they were on some sort of mission for Duke Jastrik of
|
||
Arvalia, as his 'special representatives'. They even had a gold
|
||
Authority Seal."
|
||
"Did they say what their mission was?"
|
||
"It must be rather important, for they would not elaborate when
|
||
I asked them. Sylk even asked that we not mention their visit here
|
||
to anyone."
|
||
Cydric drained the last of the wine from his glass, then yawned.
|
||
"I think I will go to bed now. It certainly was an eventful day."
|
||
"How right you are, Cydric. Rest well."
|
||
|
||
In the morning, Cydric went down and found the table set for
|
||
breakfast. He took a slice of bread and cheese and sat down,
|
||
wondering why no one else was at the table. A moment later, Kittara
|
||
came through the door. "Good morn, Cydric," she said, smiling.
|
||
Cydric returned the greeting. The chestnut-haired woman piled
|
||
some bread, fruit, and cheese onto a plate, then started to leave.
|
||
"Aren't you eating here?" Cydric asked.
|
||
"This is for Holleena. We're keeping her up in the room until
|
||
we're ready to leave." She put a piece of bread in her mouth and
|
||
left. Several minutes later, Corambis entered alone.
|
||
"Where is Sylk and Thuna?" asked Cydric.
|
||
"Sylk went outside for a while. Thuna will be up shortly."
|
||
As the Sage helped himself to breakfast, Cydric said, "There is
|
||
one thing that I haven't been able to figure out."
|
||
"What would that be?"
|
||
"The vision that Nephros sent me. He said it was made from my
|
||
dreams and desires, but I am still not sure what it means."
|
||
"Well, Cydric, I think you know enough to be able to interpret
|
||
it. For instance, what do you think the golden sea represented?"
|
||
"I don't know; the sun, perhaps? Gold pieces?"
|
||
"Gold pieces, most likely. And why do you think the water lost
|
||
its color when you went to drink it?"
|
||
"You are not suggesting...that my breath has an odor?"
|
||
Corambis laughed. "No, no. Bearing in mind what you told me in
|
||
the tavern, here is how I would interpret your vision: The sea
|
||
represents your father's position as Royal Treasurer, which deals
|
||
with money, gold especially. It turned colorless when you tried to
|
||
drink it, reflecting the fact that you did not wish to follow him in
|
||
his profession. And the shining object on the horizon stood for your
|
||
desire to leave home and have adventures."
|
||
"Yes, it all makes sense. And all of it is indeed true."
|
||
|
||
After Sylk and Kittara had left with Holleena, Corambis said,
|
||
"Well, Cydric, I must be packing, as well."
|
||
"Packing for what? You aren't leaving, are you?"
|
||
"I am indeed, Cydric. This whole experience has made me aware of
|
||
just how fragile our lives are. We could have died many times back
|
||
there in the Citadel; it is only by the grace of Cahleyna that we
|
||
escaped and lived to tell about it. Therefore, I am going to
|
||
Shireton to visit my daughter. I haven't seen her in five summers."
|
||
"Your daughter? I didn't even know you were married."
|
||
"My wife passed away some time ago."
|
||
"Oh, I see. I am sorry."
|
||
"Thank you, Cydric. But perhaps you would like to come with me,
|
||
eh? Trissa and her husband would be very glad to meet you."
|
||
"I appreciate the offer, but I think I will stay in Dargon for a
|
||
while longer. There is much I have yet to see."
|
||
"Of course. Well, you may stay in my house for as long as you
|
||
are in Dargon. Let me show you around first."
|
||
"You are too kind, milord. How long will you be gone?"
|
||
"For the winter, maybe longer. It depends on how Trissa is doing."
|
||
"I shall take care of you house until your return, then."
|
||
"Fine. I am sure you will like living here."
|
||
"There is one thing, though: could you tell me how to get into
|
||
the laboratory?"
|
||
Corambis grinned. "I was wondering when you would bring that up!"
|
||
They left the room, Cydric listening intently to the Sage's
|
||
arcane words.
|
||
-Carlo N. Samson <U09862@UICVM>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
-Carlo N. Samson <U09862@UICVM>
|
||
|
||
|