Raven's Game

by Kerry Adrienne

  The orc turned and walked away.

  She said nothing, but followed him down the marbled hallway that led away from the foyer. They came to two large doors that rose almost to the ceiling and were as wide as barn doors. The orc waited for her to move aside then he pulled the doors open.

  The room was brightly lit from numerous windows along one whole wall, with doors of glass leading outside. Sunlight fell across a giant wooden table with many chairs surrounding it. The other side of the room was mostly empty of furniture except for bookcases that lined the wall from floor to ceiling and a stone fireplace that centered on the wall and thrust a deep hearth out into the room.

  Raven scanned the room then spotted the troll and Rupe sitting at the far end of the long table. She hadn’t noticed them at first glance. She walked closer.

  “Raven,” Rupe said.

  The troll gave her a slight nod. Several orcs milled about like soldiers who’d been told to act natural. It was obvious they were there to guard Rupe. The orc that had brought her to Rupe handed off her sword to another orc who disappeared with it.

  “You look rested.” Rupe motioned her to sit.

  She fought the urge to say something she shouldn’t. She tugged out the chair and sat down. “How’s Ben? Is he here? Can I see him?”

  Rupe stared at her a moment then shook his head. “He’s fine, as I told you he would be. You can’t see him now, but if you win—”

  “Then let’s get this game started and finished.” Raven smacked the table with her hand. “I’m ready to win.”

  “You’ve got to beat me first,” the troll purred. The star tattoo winked and twinkled on her cheek. “That won’t be as easy as you think.”

  Raven scooted the chair closer to the table. “What do we have to do this time? Find a unicorn horn and a merfolk crown? Bring you a ghost’s heart?”

  “No, this task doesn’t involve leaving my house.”

  “What are we waiting for?” the troll asked. “I’m ready to win a trunk of solari and a magic dagger.”

  Raven blinked slowly. Right now, all she wanted was to see Ben and bury her face in his shirt as she hugged him. Even hearing him complain about her impulsiveness would be better than not seeing him at all. She never thought she would miss it.

  She’d taken him for granted and if, no when she found him, things were going to change. She patted her pocket where the lucky coin was. Between that and the help from the Last Druid, she should have all the luck she needed. Now it was time to make things happen, not wait on luck.

  “To remind you, there will be one winner.”

  The troll shook her head. “I’m ready.”

  Raven didn’t say a word.

  “Fine,” Rupe continued. “Today, you will write the verse for me. It’s a verse I’ve been trying to find for a very long time, but I’ve never found the entire thing. Only a partial beginning. I need the Last Druid’s verse.”

  “What do you need it for?” Raven sucked in a breath, realizing she wasn’t hiding her reaction very well.

  Rupe clenched his jaw and his fists, then relaxed. “That isn’t your concern. I need you to write it. Whoever writes it, wins.”

  Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. He’d been so calm throughout the game, but for some reason this mattered to him. This was what the Last Druid was talking about. What Rupe really wanted. Why he created the game.

  But why pick the contestants he did? How did he know someone would be able to solve his riddles? Did he think the Last Druid would appear to help someone? Was that his angle?

  “How are we supposed to just write out a verse when we don’t know what it’s about or anything? This is a stupid game.” The troll leaned back in her chair.

  “I’ll say this much. A hagteller once told me a bit of the verse and that I needed to find the rest so that I could find great magic. She said I’d know the verse when I heard it, as it contains its own magic within the words.”

  “But how are we supposed to know what it is?” The troll shook her head. “This makes no sense whatsoever.”

  Rupe sighed. “I don’t have to remind you, but I will. You signed a contract. If you want to give up now, then say so. I don’t have to explain anything to you, but I will because I need to find this verse. The hagteller said that someone will come to me with this information. Someone who thus far hasn’t made much of a life. But that someone will hold the key to great magic in the form of the verse. I set the game up to try to find that person.”

  “And you think one of us might know this verse.” Raven watched him closely. “Because we’re examples of failures. You needed contestants who were desperate, so that the magic would reveal itself.”

  “Something like that.”

  Raven’s lower lip quivered. She’d lost Ben because she fell into Rupe’s trap? Zelonga had been dispatched to find people who were desperate, and he’d picked up on her plight pretty quickly.

  It was all a setup. Like Ben suspected.

  “I don’t know any verses. I can’t help you.” The troll folded her arms. “Now what?”

  Rupe stood and began to pace in front of the windows. “You’ll have till nightfall to write the verse. Maybe it will come to you.”

  “Like magic?” Raven held back her ire.

  “Exactly like that. You’ll both be in a room where you can focus. I got the feeling that whoever is carrying the verse might not even realize it. I’ve got incense and wine to help you relax. The first one of you to bring me the verse wins it all.”

  “And Ben?” Raven asked.

  “If you win, I will let you see him.”

  “Then let’s get started.” Raven stood.

  Raven had nothing to lose. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. If she couldn’t come up with the verse for some reason, she’d suffer the same fate as Ben, unless she could figure a way out of the predicament first. But she felt confident the Last Druid could help her. He’d helped her so far, and he told her to contact him, so odds were, he’d give her the verse.

  It seemed like a lot of trouble to go through to get the verse, so it must be important to Rupe, and explained a lot about why he wanted it.

  “My men will take you to the room where you can work. You’ll find all that you need there. Make no mistake, I’m deadly serious about this. I may call it a game, but that’s in name only. This is your life on the line.”

  The troll stood. “You think we’re so stupid we don’t know that? We’ve seen three contestants suffer because of your game.”

  “And yet you willingly signed the contract so that you had the chance to win. I don’t see much difference in your motivation and mine.”

  “Of course you don’t,” Raven mumbled.

  Rupe ignored her and motioned his orc guards to escort them to the work room.

  The room Rupe had set up for them was circular, with no windows. All the walls were dark wood, maybe from the Shadowlands, because shadows wove across the panels in shapes and faces. Raven had seen a box once that was made from the wood from the Windtalker Shadowlands. The carved shapes had moved and writhed when she held the box, like it was alive or hexed.

  The walls of the room did the same thing, only the columns and carvings moved slowly from floor to ceiling, making it look like the entire room was floating on a river of faces. Or souls.

  Three tables sat in the room, and two chairs. Paper and quill were on two of the tables and the troll had wasted no time in claiming her table. She was bent over the paper scrawling at top speed already. The third table held an incense censor, with white, scented smoke wafting out the top, and a carafe of wine and two glasses.

  A chill raced through Raven. What if the troll knew the verse, even though she’d said she didn’t?

  “I’m going to go get a drink of water,” Raven spoke aloud. “No wine for me.”

  The troll grunted.

  Raven opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Surprisingly, there were no orcs outside the room so she headed toward the sma
ll kitchen area they’d showed where snacks and other drinks could be found while they worked on the verse.

  She passed a room with the door ajar and she peeked in. Not likely she’d find Ben, but she owed it to him to check. Who knew what Rupe had done with him? She pushed the door and it creaked as it swung open. She glanced behind her.

  No one.

  She slipped into the room and pushed the door closed behind her. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she realized where she was.

  A library. Shelves from floor to ceiling, filled with dusty books and leather tomes and books in other languages. All shapes and sizes lined the shelves and the whole room smelled of dust and paper.

  And on the library table lay her sword. She rushed over and picked it up then fastened the belt to her waist and waited. No sound. They weren’t coming after her.

  She clutched her pendant, waiting on the familiar buzz of its slight magic. If the Last Druid wouldn’t help her with the verse, she’d have to take her chances with the sword. Somehow, that comforted her.

  I see what he wants and now it all makes sense.

  Relief washed over Raven. The druid was there. “Do you know the verse he’s looking for?”

  He’s helping the dragons drain the magic from Oriste. We must stop him.

  “We? How do you propose that?” she whispered, aware that the room amplified every sound.

  Still no footsteps or noise outside.

  He’s not going to let you go free. I had no idea it was so bad. You must promise me—

  “Promise what? I want to rescue Ben. I don’t care about the gold or the dagger anymore.” She clutched the sword hilt. “I want Ben back. Do you know the verse he wants?”

  I do, but I need your word. Promise me you will help my daughter. If you help her, I will promise to help free Ben.

  “Where is she? Right now, I kind of have an important thing to take care of, called saving my life then Ben’s.”

  Rupe isn’t going to let you leave. But you must make sure you get the dagger when you win. With that, I can show you how to free Ben. Once the dagger is in your possession, it can’t be taken from you unless you give it away. Now. Promise me you will help my daughter when the time comes.

  “Okay, okay,” Raven said. “Tell me the verse he wants so I can get out of this house. It gives me the hagchills.”

  Whatever you do, and whatever happens, take the dagger. We are lost without it.

  Raven sat at the table and peeked at the troll. The creature had a pile of wadded up papers on the table and some had fallen to the floor. She didn’t know the verse, after all. Raven had come back to the room without seeing a soul on the way back. The troll hadn’t noticed that she had the sword either, otherwise she’d probably have blabbed to Rupe.

  Things were going well.

  She picked up the quill and dipped it in the inkwell then began to write the verse the druid had told her:

  Leather, silver, and gold,

  Born of one tree's desperate hold.

  A trinity to reunite the flame's burn,

  And unto seven lands peace will return.

  She blew on the ink to make it dry faster. The druid had said that Rupe wouldn’t be able to decode the verse, but he’d know if they tried to trick him with the wrong words. The druid hadn’t told Raven what it meant either, fearing that Rupe might torture her to find out. The words themselves held magic, and the druid said they’d protect themselves from evil.

  Raven trusted the Last Druid. He’d promised to help free Ben and he’d come through on everything he’d told her.

  She felt sure that Rupe would keep his word and let her see Ben once he had what he wanted. He didn’t need any more souls for magic. And he certainly wouldn’t miss the prize money. He claimed to need the verse and that was what she would give him.

  Hag rule them all, she would do her best to win. As long as Rupe said the verse was correct, she had won. Until he announced that she was the winner, she didn’t trust that something wouldn’t come up.

  She pushed the chair out and stood, paper in hand. As she headed for the door, she heard the troll’s chair slide out, then fall over and hit the wooden floor with a thump.

  Raven ran.

  The troll stomped behind her, her heavy steps jarring the house. Raven ran toward the room where Rupe had been, the troll speeding up behind her. She should have known that the troll would try to take her verse if she thought Raven had figured it out.

  Raven pushed through the large doors into the room and stopped in her tracks. Rupe stood in front of her, arms raised.

  He mumbled a few words and just as Raven turned to look behind her, the troll crashed to the floor, shaking the house. Her body wavered then faded from view. Where he’d sent her, Raven didn’t want to know.

  She turned to Rupe and he smiled and held out his hand.

  “You have something for me?” he asked.

  “Well, well, looks like I was right about you after all.” Rupe’s hands shook, rattling the paper. “I wasn’t sure when you showed up with your sidekick, but you’ve proven I was right.”

  “That’s the verse you wanted?” Raven asked.

  “You know it is.”

  “I’m glad it’s what you were looking for.” Raven rocked on her heels.

  She’d see Ben very soon. She couldn’t believe she’d ever been willing to risk losing him for gold or status. Once she had him back, she’d never let him go.

  “Who helped you? I knew someone would come through with the verse, but I didn’t know how.”

  “I don’t know. I was just poised to write, and it came to me in a flash. Must be magic.” She met his gaze, daring him to question her.

  Rupe rubbed his chin. “Must be.”

  “When can I see Ben? You promised to let me see him if I won, and I clearly did win.”

  Rupe paced. “Yes, you won. There’s no one else left.” He laughed. “I guess this belongs to you.” He pulled the magical dagger from his boot and handed it to her. “I’ll send your gold to the inn, with an orc to guard it until you are ready to leave Cliffhold. Congratulations.”

  He walked over to one of the large windows and stared out. Raven clutched the dagger, feeling it hum in her hand. He’d given it to her willingly and that meant he couldn’t take it from her. Maybe he really had intentions of letting her go. Maybe the druid was wrong.

  “Thank you.”

  Raven beamed. Rupe was going to uphold his end of the contract. One of the orcs approached Rupe and whispered to him. Rupe turned, a deep scowl on his face, causing the scar on his lip to curl.

  “There is one thing I’ve just learned…” He turned to face her. “That changes everything.”

  She heard several orcs enter the room behind her.

  “Ben? Where is he?”

  “I’m afraid you won’t be seeing Ben.” Hands behind his back, he traversed the length of the room then turned. “You’ve broken one of the rules of the contract and I’m afraid that means you forfeit your soul to me. As the contract states.”

  “What?” Raven’s mouth went dry. “What rule? I didn’t break a rule.”

  He pointed to her sword. “You went into one of my rooms and took your weapon. You shouldn’t have done that. You were told no weapon here for the third game. And it’s in the contract. We even reminded you.”

  “An orc brought the sword to me when I finished the verse,” she lied. Panic gripped her, and her legs shook.

  “Now Raven, don’t lie to me. I know you went into my library. My personal library. Do you want to know how I know?”

  She shook her head.

  “I’m going to tell you. I don’t want you thinking I’m imprisoning you without cause. I think I’ll keep you around. I like you.” He approached her. “You’re a lot like me.”

  “I’m nothing like you.”

  “You’re more like me than you realize.” His scowl turned to a lopsided smile. “Where’s the lucky coin? The one you were told would help you in the g
ame?”

  Realization hit her in the face. The coin was a setup. A tracking spell. Rupe was using it to track her location. He’d probably made sure the others had one too, not worrying about Ben because he’d be with her.

  She swallowed hard. Hag’s blood, this wasn’t going as expected.

  “I see you have it figured out. You are a smart fairy. So, just so you understand, this means no Ben. No freedom. And no prizes.” He pointed to the dagger. “I’ll take that back now.”

  No, don’t give it to him. He can’t take it from you unless you offer it freely.

  “I’m not giving you anything, you bastard!” Raven yelled and lunged at Rupe, dagger raised to strike.

  The blade plunged into his shoulder and he yanked back, a scream piercing the air and blood spreading across his shirt.

  Raven recoiled. The dagger held power.

  Rupe fell to the ground, writhing and kicking. He began to change, his body morphing into reptile. Wings sprouted from his back and his face elongated into a snout. Scales bricked over him and a long tail formed.

  Orcs grabbed her and pulled her back as Rupe opened his dragon mouth and hissed. Fully dragon now, he pushed his nose close to her and she saw the ragged pink scar that extended to his lip.

  Hag spit!

  Rupe was the dragon she and Ben had encountered on the journey to Cliffhold. He’d been spying on her since she started her journey. All of this was a setup, the game, the coin, Zelonga. All of it. Somehow, he’d known she was the one who could give him the verse.

  She’d fallen right into his trap.

  He stormed to the wall of windows and two orcs opened the glass doors so he could get out of the house. His wingspan cast a shadow over the room, and he sailed off into the air.

  The Last Druid was right. Rupe had no intention of allowing her or Ben to return to Lostmere. He’d planned the entire thing out. How to get her interested. How to play her fears and coax the Last Druid out of hiding long enough to get the verse.