The Blighted Fortress

by David E Dresner

  The creature had no emotional reaction to Throbb’s death nor the need to provide a proper burial. It only offered what it knew these warriors expected. The duke continued to gaze out at the far walls, then prompted by the mage he added, “Farewell, my faithful Throbb.”

  Chapter 85

  Cleanup Time

  Traveler and Glenda watched the warriors slowly stand and silently leave the great hall. This was not the typical ending to a feasting night. The alcohol’s effect had quickly worn off following Throbb’s death. Death in any circumstance is sobering and Throbb’s unexpected collapse generated a natural drug in each warrior that sobered mind and body.

  Heads were bowed and there was no gibing between friends. There was an uneasiness that wrapped around the departing warriors like a fog. The evening’s dinner and drink were sour in their stomachs, they were anxious to leave.

  Leaving together one older warrior whispered to his friend, “My father is a farmer. He has many fields and occasionally a field goes bad. Crops fail to develop and simply return to the earth. Dad calls it a ‘blighted field’ and claims it needs to be abandoned. Our fortress feels blighted to me. I know we can’t tell the duke to abandon it, but my dad would say it is blighted and nothing good will live here.”

  His friend nodded, “Your father may be a wise man but I strongly caution you to never mention your thoughts to anyone. There is a change here that started when we returned from confronting the barbarian horde. Maybe the barbarian’s god cursed our duke and fortress as punishment for resisting the Hun’s army.”

  Glenda and Traveler remained in stealth mode as four husky men struggled to carry Throbb’s body across the dais, down the stairs, then out the great room doors. They heard them panting as they passed under their beam on the way out. Throbb was a big man and they thought about how easily he was killed by the creature.

  They remained hidden in place while dozens of servants removed the table settings as well as the various items that had landed on the floor. Finally they swept the tables clear of the remaining meats, bread, cheeses, and spilled ale. The swept-up remains would feed a small village for many days.

  Finally, they heard the main doors close with a solid thump. Traveler was preparing to stand when Glenda squeezed his arm and nodded toward the dais, Traveler instantly froze. Moving out from the side of the dais was a robed leg followed by the body.

  The mage had made a fast appearance back and was surveying the empty hall. His eyes were red flames scanning for hidden intruders. The creature had sensed something early in the evening and was now seeking out the source of the vibration.

  Traveler knew what to do, look away immediately. He squeezed Glenda’s hand and tightly shut his eyes. Glenda felt her stealth cover slipping as her heart was racing. Then she recalled Traveler’s advice when he had been surrounded by the creatures in the museum. “Shut your eyes and focus on your book. The book will strengthen your stealth skill.”

  Glenda had her eyes so tightly closed her eyelids quivered. Suddenly her book came to her mind and she felt herself calming. Time passed then she felt her arm being squeezed again. She forced herself to look out slowly through squinting eyes. The dais was clear and Traveler was wearing a weak smile. She hesitantly smiled back as she took controlled breaths and felt her body relax.

  For a moment she understood why ostriches would seek safety by burying their heads in a hole. When danger is out of sight, we can easily deceive ourselves that it has passed us by. She knew the mage was always a danger even when not in sight.

  Traveler whispered, “Let’s crawl back slowly. I think it’s gone but let’s be prepared to freeze and go stealth if we need to.”

  Last in and first out, accountants call that LIFO for tax purposes, she thought. I’m no accountant but sure am happy to be first out. Traveler followed and stayed focused on her shoes. It was easier for his mind to keep stealth ready when it did not need to focus to the beam. Not quite tightrope walking, but close, he thought.

  While crawling back Traveler’s mind shifted from the scene on the dais to the necessary slow return. The mage’s body clearly contained the jinn and the jinn was a crafty foe, it could still be lurking out of sight.

  He focused on managing the return crawl when his hand hit stone. He realized he had reached the entry point and crawled quickly inside to find Glenda standing up. He stood then slid the shutter back into place. He took a deep breath, then said, “Wow, that was intense.”

  Glenda nodded, “Intense and informative. Now we know what we are dealing with. The jinn creature is inside the mage and has complete control. It clearly has no concern for human life. I guess that’s no surprise but seeing it in action is scary.”

  Traveler said, “It’s worse, much worse. I think it has control over the duke. Did you see how passive he was during the entire evening? He knew Throbb as a man but showed no emotion when he was killed. Besides the duke, I wonder how many other zombies the jinn controls.”

  “Just one more zombie is one too many.” Then she added, “I have to say that I felt sad for Throbb, he did not deserve that ending.”

  “He did not!” agreed Traveler. “We saw brave Throbb at his bear-fighting best and that is how we should remember him.”

  Walking quickly down the passageway carrying their torch Glenda added, “Let’s get back to our safe house asap. I’m out of gas, hungry, and need to collect myself. Stress and stealth take a lot out of me.”

  “Ditto with that,” said Traveler as he hustled to keep up with Glenda’s fast pace. They walked briskly since they knew the return route; going somewhere new always takes a lot longer than returning. The torch was beginning to burn down and throw off smoke as they reached the entry to the armory’s wall tunnel and Glenda quickly quenched it. If smoke got into the armory room it would raise unwanted questions.

  Easing the armory’s access door from the passage open, Traveler cautiously looked inside. “The coast is clear, let’s move.”

  The two moved quickly through the armory then into the hallway. Generally, the hallway traffic was servants coming from or going to the great room. Since it was nighttime the servants were all in bed, but a few guards were awake maintaining a quiet post-feast presence.

  As they passed a candlelit room, they heard guards discussing the evening’s events. They were sitting at a long bench with a soft fire warming and lighting the room. Ale mugs were held tightly in hands as they spoke in quiet voices.

  A few of the younger guards began speculating about Throbb’s death. They commented on the closeness of the mage. They noted that the mage showed no reaction to the large man falling beside him. They questioned whether Throbb’s sudden collapse and death surprised the mage, and if not, why not.

  These talks were cut short by an older guard. He gave each of the talking guards a stern look then said, “Lads, consider the wisdom of the Romans. The Romans had a saying, ‘In vino veritas’.” The young men reacted with puzzled faces, they did not understand the words.

  The older guard replied, “It’s Latin, the language of the Romans. It declares that, ‘In wine, truth’. While the Roman nobles drank wine and we soldiers drink ale, the effect is the same. Judgement is lost. Too much ale or wine and speaking truth can lead to a swift sword to the throat.

  “Watch what you say and who you talk about. Tongues and heads have been removed for less. There is no forgiveness in the mage.” Castigated, the younger men accepted this admonition and focused on their ale steins. No further speculation about the evening’s events were offered.

  Listening to the conversation Traveler and Glenda nodded at each other. These simple soldiers understood that while the fortress was impregnable to an outside enemy, it was now a dangerous place inside. A blighted fortress.

  Chapter 86

  Olaff’s Sanctuary

  Glenda and Traveler moved quickly along the deserted hallway to the door leading down to their safe house. They opened the lock, stepped inside, and again locked the massive door. Once i
nside they breathed a deep sigh of relief. Glenda said, “Tonight was a dangerous discovery. If not for our stealth skill we would be captured and absorbed by the jinn. It would absorb our minds as easily as it did poor Throbb.”

  “So true. Stealth and our books saved the day this time, but if we are discovered and caught, we’re history. Theo is not going to be the arriving cavalry saving us this time.”

  They proceeded slowly down the long staircase. The stairs were lit by flickering wall torches. Dark shadows danced on the edges of each deep step, making the descent dangerous. As Traveler chose a slower descent pace, he chanted, “Go fast and risk a stumble, followed by a killer tumble.” Glenda was mildly surprised at the simple ditty, Oh my gosh, poet boy appears.

  At the bottom they went to their moored boat and were preparing to board when Glenda wavered. “What’s up, princess?”

  “Too much adrenaline, big boy, I need to burn it off.” With that she dove into the dark pool. Coming up she began a controlled mix of a crawl stroke, sidestroke, and backstroke. Grinning back at Traveler she called, “It’s probably too cold for you. You should take the boat. For a Nordic girl it’s a summer swim.”

  Traveler nodded and called back, “I’ll help you climb out on the other side. Take your time,” then he did a strong push-off dive to gain crossing momentum.

  The race was naturally on. Both fell into strong crawl strokes and rotated their heads every third stroke for air. Neither looked at the other’s progress as they were each committed to being first. Less than ten minutes later two hands slapped hard against the rock pier. “Victory!” shouted Traveler as he looked around.

  “Catch your breath then I’ll help you out,” replied a standing Glenda.

  Traveler looked up in astonishment. He started to claim her head start was unfair, then he laughed. “You must be part Norwegian salmon; you definitely swim like a fish. You deserve a fitting prize.” His hand slapped the water sideways and a long stream of water shot out hitting Glenda across her shoulders but missing her head.

  “Poor sport, big boy. If you need a pull up just shout when you have your breath back. See you inside.”

  Traveler pulled himself under then gave a mighty dolphin kick and shot out of the water. Landing on his stomach he flinched, Very cold stone, must get inside. He quickly followed the light coming from the entrance to the great room. Once inside he moved to the roaring fire to stand beside Glenda. “Well done, Ms Norway.”

  Glenda nodded back but likely her nod was just her body shaking. The water was not cold, it was freezing. Traveler was ready for a smart comment until he found himself shaking. “Our stress-relief swim has me close to hypothermia, maybe I’m already there.”

  Glenda nodded, “That’s exactly how I feel right now. Hypothermia is a fancy word for crazy shivering from the cold. We get a lot of it in Norway when we get wet. I know the cure and I’m hitting that hot shower right now. I suggest you strip down, wrap yourself in one of these big blankets and huddle close to the fire.” With that she fast walked through the archway.

  Sitting by the fire and still shivering Traveler thought, As always, ladies first. I’ll camp here and count shivers and fire flames until you get back. Don’t worry about poor Traveler, just take your good old time enjoying the hot water.

  Glenda entered the shower room and pulled the lever down for a hotter mix. Testing the water with her hand she was satisfied. Once under the cascading water she felt her body adjust to the welcoming heat. Of course the fire had briefly helped to warm up her body, but one side was always facing away. Now the hot water flowed over all of her body, offering a much better warming source than the fire.

  After adjusting the lever downward several more times she sat on the large wooden bench. The bench was elevated to a height that her feet never touched the stone floor. For a moment she wondered if taller Traveler could sit and touch the floor, then she promptly dismissed the thought and reached for the soap.

  After several soap scrubbing of hair and body she sat still and reflected on the day. She wondered how she and Traveler could ever defeat the jinn hiding inside the mage. Her mind considered a range of possibilities but nothing worked. Feeling herself getting tired again she thought, Forget it. Traveler and I will figure it out together, but not tonight. I’m hungry and exhausted.

  Wrapping herself in a fresh thick woolen cloth she again created a Roman toga of sorts. She cinched the toga’s waist with a hemp rope and headed back to the fire.

  Her face lit up as she approached the table. There was a roasted ham, cheese, apples, and thick bread. A cup of brown honey promised a sweet topping for the bread. Mugs of clear water offered wholesome libation. Traveler had been busy in the pantry and the results were wonderful.

  “Kudos to Traveler! M would appreciate our feast, simple yet elegant. It is exactly what this girl needs. Thank you, many times over. Now go get your shower, I’ll wait.”

  Traveler felt some of the chill vanishing with the praise. If he were a dog his tail would be wagging and not from the shivering. “I live to serve,” was the cleverest reply he could come up with. “I’ll hit the shower and scrub well so you don’t need to sit at the far end.” Glenda smiled back then pointed toward the shower.

  Once in the shower Traveler felt the stress of the day gradually fall away. He recalled a famous quote from his English class attributed to William Congreve, an English playwright and wit from his 1697 poem, “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.” I’d modify that, thought Traveler, to “Cascading hot water soothes the freezing soul.” I don’t think people back then truly understood the benefits of a long, hot soak. Actually, the Romans did. Score another civilization point for them.

  Traveler felt his shoulders slump and his body relax. He had to jerk upright to fight falling asleep. As he found himself again drifting off, he instinctively put a foot down and found once again the floor was too far below. Adrenaline shot through him as he caught himself and he was jerked fully awake. Whoever built this bench was an idiot, he thought.

  Now awake he soaped and scrubbed hard. The scrubbing massaged the skin. With the cascading hot water, the shivering disappeared. Relaxed, he continued with a scrubbing to ensure dirt and sweat left along with the shivering.

  Finally he felt ready to join the princess for an evening meal. Taking the hanging cloth off the post he wrapped himself several times for modesty but also to retain the shower’s heat. The hemp rope served as an effective belt and he felt like a new man and a very hungry man.

  He walked quickly back to the table and was pleased to see Glenda had created a hanging rack by the fire. As he put his clothes on the rack he said, “I don’t know about you, but right now these clothes are not deserving of our cleanness.”

  Glenda smiled and nodded. “Yeah, but in this world of no washing machines or dryers, it’s the burden we live with. Right now let’s get our priorities straight and dig into the feast you’ve set out.”

  Once seated the conversation stopped. Both focused on the dishes in front of them. The only sound was the tearing of thick bread and muffled chewing. The speed of their intake seemed to declare the table would be shortly cleared. Eat fast, they thought, and they did.

  At last Traveler looked up and said sheepishly, “All this eating has me sleepy.”

  Nodding Glenda stood up, “Yeah, big meals and hot showers do that, not to mention exploring inside castle walls and hiding from an evil jinn. The food was a lifesaver and so is sleep, I’m off to slumber land.”

  As they headed toward the sleeping room, they noted the table was still covered with the remains of the feast. Traveler paused to consider cleaning up when Glenda said, “Relax, Traveler. You prepared so I’ll put everything away when I wake up.” With that they continued toward the sleeping area.

  Coming through the twelve-foot-high arched door they stared again at the elevated platform rising four feet off the stone floor. Traveler observed, “I feel like one of the tiny Lilliputians in Gulliver’s Travels. Lo
oks like a bed for a really big NBA center like Shaq or Yao Ming. Or maybe that duke, he looked at least their size, probably a lot more. Viewing at a distance makes sizes confusing.”

  “Well, this bed would be an even better fit for Robert Wadlow.”

  Traveler wrinkled his nose, “Who’s that?”

  “If you want to feel really tiny let me tell you about Robert. Born in Alton, Illinois he was the tallest man ever medically confirmed. He was an honest eight feet and eleven inches tall and weighted almost 500 pounds. He had an arm span of nine and a half feet. His hand was over a foot long from his wrist to his fingertip.”

  “Wow! How do you know that?”

  “Living in Norway there are a lot of big people. As the sons and daughters of Vikings we are fascinated by them. We studied them in with our Viking history classes. The Viking blood is still with us. You probably know Hafþór Björnsson as ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones. Watch the TV show World’s Strongest Man sometime and you’ll be amazed by his size and strength.

  “Here’s the sad ending to Robert Wadlow. He was a good natured giant but died at age twenty-two. He had a brace designed for a foot problem, but it was not put on properly. The brace caused an ankle blister which got infected and he died.”

  Traveler looked at Glenda with renewed respect. A girl who knows about Vikings and giants, now that’s usually boy stuff. Very impressive.

  “Ladies first,” Glenda said as she dove onto the platform and rolled a couple of times across to the far edge.

  “Bet I’m asleep before you, princess.”

  Glenda’s retort was a fake snore. Morpheus visited both and their bodies and minds went into an immediate deep hibernation sleep. Two bears in bed, and the bear bed was appropriately inside a stone cave.

  Chapter 87

  A New Ally