by Clark Bolton
“CLICK”
The door opened inward with a push and soon the three were ascending the stairs. Reaching the chamber at the top he repeated the spell on its door and proceeded into the dark chamber. The curtains were always drawn so not even starlight illuminated the Dieknotkow.
Haspeth and Castor left the door open just a crack and stood by it as they watched Autbek proceed now with his candle to the man-bird’s rack.
“He’s going to get us killed. The master is going to turn us all into birds and toss us out the window where some hawk is bloody well going to eat us,” Haspeth hissed into Castor’s ear.
Castor only grunted as he tried to listen to what Autbek was saying to the Dieknotkow. He could not make it out but it was a short conversation after which Autbek stepped back and cast a spell directly onto the Dieknotkow.
“Gods!” Haspeth moaned at the sight.
After casting Autbek called the two over to help him unbind the Dieknotkow. The spell he had cast on the man-bird would make him light as a feather he hoped, and so they could easily transport him down the stairs to the library.
Descending the stairs turned out to be a bit more challenging than they had thought as the Dieknotkow remained largely rigid, making each turn of the stairs difficult.
“Careful now!” Autbek hissed at Haspeth who had the Dieknotkow’s feet. They had brushed the wall again despite the fact that they could hold the man-bird up with two fingers.
“Ok, ok. Just remember it’s your idea … your command as Vis Mage-Councilor, and me and Castor are just following orders!” Haspeth hissed back.
“Shsh” Castor scolded as they came to the door at the foot of the stairs. He opened it, stepped through then motioned for them to follow.
The walk to the library seemed agonizingly long in the dark but finally they arrived. They choose the closest room to start with though it was the room most familiar to the librarians they knew, as they had separated the scrolls into three main rooms. The first was the ones that had been closely read, the second room contained mostly those they had not and the third was largely filled with unknown scrolls and tomes.
Autbek had the trembling Haspeth hold up the Dieknotkow at first but the fellow looked so pathetic with the way he turned his head away from the creature that he moved in to take his place. “Here I’ll hold him and you go over there and look at whatever he points out!”
Haspeth gladly relinquished the feather light Dieknotkow to Autbek and stood ready. Castor moved to his side to do the same.
Whispering softly, Autbek asked the Dieknotkow, “Please find what we seek for Castor.” The boy frowned when he said it, no doubt feeling the weight of the situation should they be discovered by their master.
The Dieknotkow twisted its head around, showing that it could do so far more than any human could. It repeated this several times while softly clicking and whistling to itself. Then finally it softly hissed, “Noooo,” followed by loud clicks and whistles.
Autbek hopes started to sink. Was it refusing to help now after agreeing back up in the tower. “Please … or wait … do you mean there is nothing in this room?”
“Yesss” The Dieknotkow hissed followed again by more clicks.
“Ok, whew! Now let’s go to the next room.”
Moving to the next they repeated the procedure. Again the man-bird indicated nothing. In the third room they found a mess of semi-sorted scrolls, tomes and even small books. The Dieknotkow did its head turning and made its clicks as before. Then it stopped and proceeded to wave its head slowly from side to side.
“It didn’t do that before!” Haspeth commented as he tried to figure out where it was looking.
“Maybe you should move him closer.” Castor asked.
“Maybe … but he does not see as we do. Haspeth backup out of the way for a moment.” He waited until Haspeth was far to the side of the room. “Sir, can you please move your head up and down when Haspeth gets in front of what you see? Now Haspeth walk slowly in front of us.”
Haspeth slowly walked across the room while all eyes were on the Dieknotkow. Passing a cluttered box of scrolls they got the first head nod from the man-bird. Squawking and clicking the Dieknotkow violently nodded its head.
“Is it in the box sir?”
“Yesss.”
“Gods, there must be fifty in here!” Haspeth said in frustration as he grabbed one and proceeded to unfurl it.
“Just hold it up!” Castor demanded impatiently.
“Ok, ok!” Haspeth replied. He then held the scroll high up to see if the Dieknotkow said anything, when it did nothing he placed the scroll aside and grabbed the next.
Autbek could feel the Dieknotkow suddenly increase drastically in weight as his spell of levitation wore off. “Ugh!” he grunted as he slowly sank to his knees.
“You need help?” Haspeth asked with concern seeing that the Dieknotkow was halfway on the ground with its thin legs splayed out on the floor in front of it.
“No! Just keep looking.” Autbek demanded figuring they almost had what they were seeking.
Near the bottom of the box of scrolls when all that remained were a few odd looking ones bound tightly in deteriorating hemp they got their second reaction from the man-bird.
“Yesss Haspeth!”
Hearing his name from the creature's mouth made Haspeth’s eye widen in terror. “Oh gods! Did he just talk to me!” He turned sharply from Autbek to Castor in disbelief.
“Yes! Now what do you have?” Autbek said loudly. The heavy man-bird and the fear of discovery were really getting to him now.
Haspeth looked at the scroll in his hand for a moment then proceeded to unravel the hemp. After removing the first piece of hemp he let the scroll tip in his hand as he worked the next with trembling fingers.
Autbek and Castor watched in horror as an object slid from the scroll and dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Haspeth then reached down and picked it up to examine it.
“Tell me it’s not broke!” Autbek pleaded as he sank to his butt with the Dieknotkow firmly in his lap now.
“Gods!” Haspeth exclaimed as he held up the piece of red drawing chalk.
Shivers ran up Autbek’s spine as he watched Haspeth hand it to Castor. “Wow! Is there more he asked?”
“Wait don’t open it here!” Castor demanded as he carefully relieved Haspeth of the scroll.
“Yeah, take it.” Haspeth exclaimed, after which he wiped his hands several times on his pant legs.
“Ok, now help me up so I can cast the spell again.” After they helped he cast the levitation spell again and the three of them carried the Dieknotkow backup to the tower.
Closing the door behind them Haspeth suddenly asked in a loud whisper. “How do we lock the door?”
Turning to Autbek, Castor asked, “Don’t you have a spell?”
“A lock spell? Actually no.” He had not thought of it. “Damn!” he hissed, everything had been going pretty well to this point.
“It’s ok I got it.” Castor said as he climbed back up to the door.
“Don’t tell me you can cast spells … because I will bloody well kill you.” Haspeth hissed.
Autbek began to have doubts too, maybe the kid could. It turned out though that Castor knew a few things about locks. Producing a thin piece of iron about the size of a key he proceeded to fiddle with the lock while the door was open. Then satisfied he stuffed the front end of his shirt between the door frame and the door while he slowly closed the door. Then with a “CLICK” he pulled his shirt free and proceeded to calmly walk past the two spell casters.
“Sneak-thief!” Haspeth hissed in earnest as they followed him down the stairs to watch him work on the next door.
“Looks to be illusion magic,” Autbek announced as he sat back in his chair. He had spent a good part of the next morning examining what they had taken from the library. Turned out there were three scrolls rolled into one. Two larger scrolls wrapped around a much smaller scroll that was itself wrapped a
round three sticks of chalk.
None radiated magic but Autbek was not buying it. He knew there was ways to shield magic and sure enough, the detect magic cantrip he and Haspeth both used showed nothing but sticky-iron powder showed it was. The black powder worked much like iron with a magnet, but instead was influenced only by magic. Fortunate for them their master had some in his inventory of powders.
After proving the three pieces of chalk and the smaller scroll were magical he worked to try and identify the arch-type of the magic involved. That proved much harder due to the masking spells placed on the items. In the end he was stumped and was talking himself into casting a potentially dangerous identify spell when he guessed that he just might narrow down the arch-type by testing to see what the item most definitely was not.
His reasoning seemed to work though it was excruciatingly tedious and required running through the battery of tests a total of six times. Then he was sure he was onto something but guessed he could not really be certain.
“Illusion!” Castor said with awe as he carefully lifted up each of the chalk sticks. There was a red one, a yellow one and a black one.
“Best I can tell for now. Only the illusion tests come up completely negative … and so I think that is exactly what in fact it is!”
Castor smiled at his conclusion, obviously impressed.
“What! That makes absolutely no sense, Autbek.” Haspeth announced from the doorway. He had been carefully watching Dasring this morning to see if the man noticed anything amiss. He was to stall Dasring and notify Autbek immediately if he did, hoping Autbek could bluff the servant into saying nothing to their master with his new authority as Vis Mage.
“Yep … and that’s why I’m sticking with it. Now did they notice anything?” He asked Haspeth, referring to the servants who cared for the Dieknotkow.
“Nope, doing what they always do.” Haspeth replied as he sat down on his bed to watch Castor doodle with his new chalk pieces.
Autbek noticed it too. “Not sure you should play with those.” He said with apprehension.
“Are they cursed?” Castor asked as he began drawing something on a fresh piece of parchment.
“No, don’t think so.” Autbek replied, happy to see the boy intent on something for once.
“Maybe you should do that somewhere else.” Haspeth said with concern.
“Maybe you should go somewhere else.” Castor countered. He smiled a little as Haspeth got up and walked out.
Chapter 9
“The lord Vis Mage-Councilor of Astrum, and fourth squire of Runeholden!” The doorman announced loudly as Autbek waited impatiently to enter the large dining hall. He was very near the front of the line for introductions which he knew meant he was pretty low on the list as far as impressive titles went. The nobility believed in saving the best for last, or at least the most important.
This party was being put on in the palace by a group of barons who had apparently some financial interest in common with the Earl. The hostess was the Baroness Imeldacy he was told though he had no idea who that was. His master had accepted the invitation and then promptly informed him he would be attending in his place.
Walking forward now he followed a servant to his assigned seat but then was notified it was not yet time to sit, so following the man’s suggestion he wandered off into the small crowd of those unfortunate enough to have a title lower than his or none at all.
“Greetings my lord Vis Councilor, my name is Serben.” A young gentlemen said as Autbek made eye contact.
“Oh, please call me Autbek … and pleased to meet you Serben.” He replied not quite sure if he was following protocol. As a Runeholden he had been at his share of fancy parties but nothing as ostentatious as this one, and he understood it to be in the smaller of the main dining halls.
“Let me introduce madam Ressa, and madam Tolle.” Serben added as the two women each extended a limp hand to Autbek.
He kissed their hands quickly and lightly. “Pleased to make your acquaintance madams.” He hoped that was right … he thought it was. At least close enough not to get his master upset at him.
“Are you a mage then my lord?” Ressa asked hesitantly. “I mean I’m not so sure what that is.” She laughed lightly.
“I am of sort’s madam.” He answered; proud that he had not called himself a lowly apprentice.
“Oh, then you do …” Ressa asked innocently.
“Um …. well …,” He began as the three watched him intently, making him think back to Runeholden and the fact that there he would never say anything like what he was about to say. “... magic!”
The three seemed thrilled at his answer but also looked clueless. He looked carefully about to see if perhaps there was some other group he could find to be a member of.
“Excuse me please, I’m going to walk about a bit as I’m afraid I’m not much good at conversation.” He told them, and was pleased when they did not object.
He walked about for a few minutes politely nodding at lords and ladies and occasionally looking to the dining table to see if it was ready yet. Not so much because he was hungry but because he felt very uncomfortable at the moment.
As the doorman called out “His lordship, the seventh Earl of Astrum,” Autbek turned expecting for a moment to see the Earl himself walk out but then realized the title didn’t quite fit. The person who did walk out surprised him as it was Fesmbol, who got a strong reception as he waved and walked into the crowd.
Autbek quickly looked about for somewhere else to be that would make it less likely he would have to greet the man. Berdtom had hinted that some of the nobles within the palace had attempted to contact him by letter, and so he figured if one had been Fesmbol then he might not be too happy to see him.
Fortunately a large group had assembled at one end of the hall with their backs to him. They were laughing in unison at someone or something so he decided to head that way so as to blend in and thus avoid confrontation.
“Ugh,” he gasped as he approached a gap in the crowd. “Oh dear!” He muttered to himself, for there was the acrobat again. None other than Castor dressed in some brightly colored pantaloons complete with a flashy hat and face paint was entertaining the crowd somehow.
Castor had been working with his newly found enchanted chalk sticks for several weeks. To his credit the boy had discovered he could appear to make his drawings come to life. Drawing a dog an inch or two long allowed him to animate it to the point where it would walk about the parchment, though he never could get any sound out of his creations.
Here he was now with great red spots on his face grinning foolishly at the crowd composed of about twenty now. Autbek could not see yet why they had cheered so loudly, until the boy reached up his hands to his face with fingers splayed and then proceeded to move the spots about as if they were stuck to his fingers.
Autbek let out a “Hmph” as Castor first made one pattern then another which delighted the crowd. Then to his amazement Castor did a handstand after which lifting his head up as high as he could he began to rotate it causing the seven or so large red spots to rotate of their own accord. “Magic!” Autbek muttered with clenched teeth, “He’s doing magic in front of people!”
The crowd went wild at this letting out obnoxiously loud “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs!” The little acrobat, back up on his feet now, continued to twirl the spots first one way then another then hiding his face for a moment under his arm he exposed his face again but with yellow spots this time.
“Oh my, how does he do that?” Someone called out. Another person asked loudly “Is that … is that magic!”
The acrobat then proceeded to run up to people and stick his face into theirs, which was a little bit of a stretch for the kid. This frightened the target for a few moments but thrilled the crowd to no end.
Autbek found himself stepping just a bit forward of everyone else as he thought desperately how to stop Castor before it went too far. Suddenly he became the target of the acrobat who leaped into him
causing Autbek to step back half a step. Looking into the boy’s face was mesmerizing for a moment as the yellow dots danced and swirled.
“Your share!” Castor said to him just loud enough for Autbek to hear and then he was off again to terrorize someone else.
Autbek felt a bulge left in his shirt where the acrobat had grasped him for a moment. Reaching into his breast pocket he discovered a small collection of copper and silver coins. “Shsssst!” He hissed angrily, now he was a party to the little pickpocket.
Castor’s spots had now turned from yellow to black which he used to make big frowns followed by big smiles. The crowd continued to cheer him on. At this point the entire hall had gathered to form a huge circle about them.
Autbek felt he could not just stand there and let the boy pick the pockets of everyone at the party. He attempted to grab the kid but he skipped easily away. Autbek knew from experience that the boy was way faster than he was so he did the only thing he could think to do at the moment. He cast the levitate spell he had cast on the Dieknotkow some weeks ago.
He waved his hands and chanted the spell then cast it at the acrobat who attempted to dodge but to no avail. Then concentrating with his hand outstretched Autbek proceeded to levitate the boy, hoping that if he just got the kid a few inches off the ground Castor would start flailing around and so he could grab him and drag him from the room.
Things did not go as planned, though the boy flailed for a few moments he then managed to twist his body parallel to the floor. Reaching his hands to his face he produced spots of all the three previous colors, red, yellow and black. Then covering his face a second time for a moment he pulled his hands away to reveal the colorful face of a fish.
“Wow!” Autbek said as he stood frozen with his hand outstretched staring at the most impressive looking fish-face he had ever seen. No longer a part of the crowd now and so everyone it seemed now assumed he was part of the act.