The Blighted Fortress

by David E Dresner

  Traveler started by first verbally highlighting his plan. His enthusiasm and nerves combined to have him talking a little too fast. He saw that Glenda was concentrating on his message and several times it looked like she was going to raise a question or make an observation. Each time she stopped herself to permit him to continue. “OK, so far?” he hesitantly asked, and received a controlled head nod back.

  “Rather than keep talking I’ll show you the written designs for the heart of the plan.” As he presented his detailed sketches, he found he could now calmly explain each part in detail. He then showed how the separate constructs came together as a whole.

  “Well that’s it. That’s the best solution I could find.” Traveler hesitated to say more since Glenda was sitting with a strange look on her face. “Did I bomb out and you’re trying to let me down gently?”

  To answer Glenda rose up, came around to his side of the table and gave him a giant hug. Traveler found his face was covered in a mass of reddish hair while his cheeks were deepening to match the hair. “It’s brilliant, Traveler! Really brilliant! M and Theo would absolutely agree. I’m sure Olaff will sign up. Traveler, I think you have found the solution. I’m ready to shout out ‘It’s Jinn time!’ Let fate deal the cards.”

  Traveler found his heart was beating fast and his face was warm. The throat frog started to croak, then a simple “Glad you like it,” came out. “I wasn’t sure about it and really needed your opinion. You know there are still big risks with the execution.”

  Glenda was sitting back across from him and beaming, “Of course I see the execution risks, but Olaff is our ace in the hole that will make your plan work. You and I alone couldn’t pull it off. By including Olaff’s unique talents in your strategy, it can and will work! That’s what teamwork is all about! Let me repeat, I am really impressed, Traveler.”

  Traveler found his internal dog’s tail was wagging like crazy. He had gotten far more praise than a simple “good boy”.

  At that moment a hulk filled the entry door from the landing. Olaff entered carrying a large sack in each hand. “Knew you two were exhausted so I made a stealth-like trip to the kitchen and picked up fresh food and breads. Let’s eat while it’s still warm.”

  Placing a wide assortment of fruits, breads, and omelets on the table, Olaff handed plates out and sat down at the head of the table. Smiling the giant said, “Don’t wait for me, eat before I make all this disappear.”

  The three began a serious attack on the food. Eyeing the choices, Traveler selected a large pink and orange melon. He cut it open, took a tentative bite then proceeded to devour the sweet firm meat. “Delicious.”

  As he was finishing the melon slice an early childhood memory arrived. He was six years old eating breakfast at the kitchen table before school started. His mother was strongly encouraging him to eat the fruit before heading off. “You should eat fruit first thing in the morning. It wakes your body up and is very healthy. Besides it’s delicious!”

  With the mom memory fresh in his mind he thought, No matter where you are or what you’re doing, Mom’s long arm reaches you. It’s Mom magic. A wave of nostalgia followed the memory, Traveler realized how much he missed his mom and dad. It’s easy to take parents for granted; you think your parents will always be around, but not necessarily.

  “I’m heading to see Mom the minute we get back. I need to visit Dad also. He’s in New York on business and the Big Apple is loads of fun over the Christmas season.” Looking at a forlorn Glenda he added, “Of course you’re invited.” He was pleased to see the big smile that passed over her face.

  Conversation took a needed timeout. The only sound was three sets of mouths chewing and swallowing. Hands repeatedly tore into the offerings. Finally, as if on cue, all three sat back in their chairs.

  “Olaff, we have a plan,” said Glenda. “Actually, it’s Traveler’s plan and he walked me through it while you were foraging for food. He’s surprisingly modest on this, so let me say that he was inspired. He has nailed how to attack and control the creature. Traveler, may I present your plan to Olaff?”

  Traveler went to his notes, came back and handed them to Glenda. Then he sat across from the giant to read his reaction. Glenda began with the same explanation Traveler had given her but she delivered it in a much more theatrical style. She was engaging the giant not just with logic but with enthusiasm.

  Olaff sat in his chair and listened intently. Every school teacher wants that same focus from their students. As Glenda continued, Traveler noted slight nods coming from Olaff. He was absorbing the plan in its entirety before commenting.

  When Glenda finished both she and Traveler looked at Olaff for a reaction. The giant stood, came around to Traveler, and effortlessly lifted him out of his chair. “The princess is right. You have indeed created a brilliant plan. I see where it can fail, but the weak points seem to revolve around me doing my role properly. Believe me, I will execute with great enthusiasm.”

  Chapter 93

  Hidden Passages

  “Can you find the construction material we need?” Traveler asked.

  Olaff gave an affirmative nod, “I know where we keep those supplies. Where do you want me to bring them?”

  Traveler answered, “Given the weight of the larger sheets I think we need to do the construction close to the duke’s living area. One big problem is how we get the materials there without being caught on the staircase coming up. I know that is one of the high risks with my plan. We are dead meat if the creature catches us in transit on the staircase.”

  Olaff gave a sly smile, “This fortress has many hidden passages that even the all-knowing mage is unaware of. Dall and I explored every part of the fortress when we took it over. We received much of the knowledge from an old stonemason who had learned the passage secrets from his master.

  “Our access is better seen than described. You’ll see where we have a secure place to work. Shall we head out now?”

  Both Glenda and Traveler gave quick nods to proceed. Of course they had already explored many of the passageways but they decided to keep this to themselves right now. Olaff was a man, or rather a giant, on a mission. Why take away from his excitement?

  When they got out on their landing pier, they saw they needed to cross the lake in separate boats. As soon as Olaff stepped into a boat the water immediately approached the top of the gunnels. “What does he weigh?” Traveler mused.

  “More than a lot,” was Glenda’s response.

  Once across, Olaff led them up the long stone staircase to the landing. Traveler noticed how easily the giant went up. That’s a lot of weight to take up stairs and he makes it looks easy. At the top both Traveler and Glenda took a moment to catch their breaths while Olaff moved to open the heavy door and make sure their exit was clear.

  Turning to them Olaff gave a hand motion and the three were quickly out, down the quiet hallway, then into the door leading into the armory. Once inside the armory they went to the back and moved the torch holder. The stone wall opened and they entered the stone passageway. As the door was closing Olaff quickly lit the torch, “Follow me.”

  Glenda and Traveler were back on the interior passage they knew well. Traveler broke the tension with, “It’s OK to talk, nobody can hear us through these stone walls. How far do we go?”

  Olaff was aware that his two companions had previously found this passage as he said, “You know where this passage ends with a solid wall and where you could enter the great room from above?” Both Glenda and Traveler nodded together, and Glenda said, “Sure we do. This is a dead-end passage.”

  Olaff smiled, he knew more than them. “Not as dead as you think.”

  In a short time they were standing by the wall facing the great room. Traveler looked down and said, “This is where you can move this lower panel, then you can crawl out onto a wide crossbeam.”

  “We’ve been here already and done the cat walk on the beam. That beam leads to a crow’s nest and gives a big view of the great ro
om, however this passageway is a dead-end. Are you sure this is the passage you remember?”

  Standing in front of the dead-end wall Olaff ignored the question. He reached up to his full height, put powerful fingers into a hidden groove carved into the top stone on the facing wall. He twisted the groove and a portion of the wall began to rotate into the tunnel. An opening of three feet appeared.

  Glenda and Traveler stood with stunned looks. They could never have found the entrance.

  “The old saying of ‘Open Sesame’ doesn’t work in this case,” said a satisfied Olaff. “What’s required is great height and strength, fortunately I am blessed with both.” Looking down at Glenda he added, “Princesses first.”

  Glenda peered cautiously into the darkness. Olaff leaned past her and lit another wall torch. “I like your caution. Looking before committing always makes sense.”

  With the passageway illuminated Glenda took the torch and motioned Olaff to lead ahead. “This is your fortress, so lead on.”

  The passageway was wide enough for Glenda and Traveler to walk together but Olaff’s bulk narrowed it to a single file path. After a few minutes they came to another solid wall. Again Olaff stretched up, put his hand on another groove and slowly twisted. A ray of light now emerged from the other side. Olaff pressed his face against the opening and peered out. “See anything familiar?” he asked as he stepped to the side.

  Glenda pressed her face against the narrow opening and gave a satisfied, “Yes I do! We are close to the alcove furthest from the duke’s quarters. If we went straight out, we’d pass the three alcoves. Continue straight ahead, then a right-hand turn around a corner and we’d be at the duke’s door.”

  Glenda stepped aside and Traveler peered out. “Olaff, you have just solved one of the biggest problems I had with my plan. I didn’t see how we could construct our model without being caught, now I do.

  “We can build the model on this side of the wall, and when we’re ready we can move it out. I’d say our odds of winning just went from five percent to fifty percent. Ambushing the creature is still a big challenge, but we’ve definitely reduced the chance of an early discovery.”

  Chapter 94

  Building the Model

  Glenda turned back from the now closed doorway. “OK, I’m tired of looking at stone walls. Let’s get this show on the road. How do we find the materials to set up shop here?”

  “That’s all on me,” said Olaff. “I know where to find exactly what we need. I will need some help getting it all here.” Smiling at the two he added, “Know any strong, young people who need a fierce workout?”

  The three allies backtracked to the hidden entrance of the armory. They entered the armory then proceeded to the main hallway. Once in the main hallway Olaff made a right turn. “We go this way, it’s less traveled and leads directly to our supply center.” Glenda and Traveler tucked in behind him and followed like ducklings trailing the mother duck.

  When they arrived, they were in front of a thick door. They saw it was solid iron. “Why iron?” Traveler asked.

  “This storage room is a vulnerable spot in our defenses. Once a person is inside and locks this door, they are safe. The door will stop just about anybody from getting in.” Olaff proceeded to raise the solid iron locking bars, grasp the heavy iron handle, and pulled on the door.

  Traveler saw the muscles swell on the giant’s forearms. He noticed arm glyphs seemed to briefly move as though providing increased power to the arms. I never had a chance matching his hand power, he was simply testing me.

  Olaff entered through the doorway and gave a short bow to Glenda. “My lady,” he said as she stepped in to join him. Once Traveler joined them Olaff closed and locked the door.

  Traveler stood in amazement taking in the room. It was cavernous with multiple aisles curving and winding to various supply bins. The bins were filled with building supplies of every need and description. The roof reminded Glenda of huge European cathedrals whose vaulted domes soared up to great heights.

  Thick beams crisscrossed to anchor themselves in large columns and into the sides of walls. The beams supported the massive ceiling weight resting on the walls. The walls were thick stone and could withstand catapults and battering rams.

  “This feels like an oversized Home Depot,” laughed Traveler.

  “Much bigger,” said Glenda, “and much nicer. Just look at the mosaics on the walls and parts of the floor.”

  What’s a home depot? Olaff thought as he proceeded to walk down aisles. Periodically he would pause for a moment, study where he was, then continue. After a series of final turns, he stopped in front of an enclosed brick storage bin with a double door. “If memory serves me, this should be the compartment we want. The Romans built this storage bin and we have had little use for its contents.”

  The doors were held shut by a single crossbar which Olaff easily removed. He then swung both doors open. Next, he lit a large torch that was resting in a holding stanchion inside the entrance. Once lit, a bright flame lit up the room. Using the lit torch, Olaff lit two others. The combined illumination filled the storage room. “Nothing burns in here so we can use multiple torches and save our eyesight.”

  Glenda and Traveler stepped in together and their eyes quickly adjusted to the torch lighting. They were staring at sheets of thick metal stacked against each other. The sheets were organized based on their various sizes. Some of the sheets had holes drilled through them.

  Finally, there were bins containing metal rods of varying diameters and lengths. These rods were intended as holding rods that could join the heavy sheets together.

  Traveler carefully studied the available materials. He made dimension estimates using his own height, arm length and hand spread. “We have found the mother lode,” he said grinning. “Everything we need is here and it’s cut to meet our needs. Our model may be a bit larger than necessary but that’s just fine.”

  Glenda placed her hands on one of the upright solid poles, “Wow, I’m strong but this is really heavy. I can carry a few part of the way, but I see a lot of starting and stopping along the way.”

  Traveler chose not to try a similar pole, no reason to get her started in a strength contest. He lifted a single plate. He strained as he lifted the plate off the floor, grunted, and added, “When you’re right, you’re right. This stuff is beyond what a single man can carry. Of course Glenda and I are a lot stronger than the normal man, but still everything is darn heavy. We can whine a little about the weight but heavy is what the model requires.”

  Olaff watched them with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth; No reason to show off right now, that will come soon enough without even trying. “Should we make a trip back right now with our first load? Are you up for this effort or do you need to think about it?”

  Traveler knew this was not a serious challenge but was a teasing encouragement to get started. Nothing would be easy, so why not step up right now? “Yeah, I guess we might as well start, my muscles are getting tired just looking at this stuff. What do you think, princess?”

  Rather than answer Glenda carefully stacked three of the longer poles across her right shoulder and balanced them with her left hand. She then braced her neck and back, and headed out the door. “Try to keep up, big boy, I can’t slow down with this load.” Traveler ignored the parting shot as he studied how to move the heavy plates.

  “The plates are awkward to carry, use this back harness,” Olaff suggested as he helped Traveler put his arms through harness straps. Next he lifted a plate and secured it to the harness’s carry sack. Traveler was standing up straight when the full weight descended. He was suddenly falling backwards when powerful arms helped him right himself. “Best to lean forward, you’ll find the right carrying angle as you adjust to the weight.” Olaff added a second plate, “You OK?”

  Traveler nodded, “Thanks for keeping me from becoming a turtle lying on its back.” Without trying to talk further he followed Glenda, determined to catch her. I know she
’s faster but I’m stronger, and that should matter in this situation. Heading out of the vast storage depot he thought he remembered the directional turns to reach the main hallway.

  As he proceeded through the maze of aisles, he sadly discovered he was off-track. This pack mule needed a guide. Should have gone left back there, what a bummer. Bet she remembered the turns. No way I’ll admit that.

  Annoyed with himself he accepted his own mistake and had to backtrack. Naturally the load reminded him of his mistake and he leaned forward a bit more and grunted. Two correct turns later he found the exit door into the main hallway.

  He proceeded down the hallway and saw there was no Glenda in sight. Finally he reached the armory door. It was slightly open and he used his foot to open it enough to carry his load through. Sitting in a chair was a smiling Glenda. “Didn’t forget the turns and have to backtrack, did you? Or did you need to stop and rest?”

  Traveler took the weight off his shoulders by resting the bottom of the plates on a tall stool. Still strapped in, he frowned preparing a caustic comeback regarding who carried the heavier weight. Then unexpectedly he started to laugh, “This is sad on so many levels. You know me too well, what can I say. Right turns should have been left turns and I paid the price. I’m not the smartest mule in the herd.”

  Glenda grinned back, “Truth be told, I wanted to stop many times but didn’t want to hear your comments coming from behind. I barely made it inside before putting those poles down; and yes, your plates are much heavier, I know that.”

  A moment later Olaff filled the doorway. Strapped across his back were plates of various sizes. Leather bags hung from both hips and his arms carried poles of various lengths that were bound together by thick ropes. Glenda and Travel stared at the weight in amazement. Neither said a word, what they thought was, That’s not possible.