Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4)

by Melinda Kucsera

  After the tunnel’s darkness, the sunlight blinded Robin for a moment. “Do you see anyone, anything?”

  Sir Maxwell poked his head out and rubbed his eyes. “So far only a grove like the one we passed through on the other side. No people, no monsters.”

  “Let's move forward then but with caution. Prop the doors open should we need to make a speedy exit,” said the king.

  Looking to the left, the right, and behind as well as ahead, they advanced. The grove opened to a meadow. Dark shapes moved in the distance. Silhouetted by the sunlight, Robin couldn't say for certain what they were.

  “Before we go further, Sire, I propose to climb a tree and see what I can see.”

  The king waved the young knight on.

  Sir Maxwell made quick work of ascending. “Only domestic animals in the field, Sire. Cows, horses, goats, sheep. I see nothing ominous. That isn't to say there couldn't be snakes in the grass or plants that are poisonous, but … Beyond the field, I spot a settlement.”

  “Fine. We will inquire there if anyone can tell us where Hewnstone is.” He grumbled. “That port has become as elusive as this fabled Perooc.” They had yet to meet anyone who had heard of Hewnstone much less his kingdom of the Chalklands. They had been to Here and There but where in Creation were they? He suppressed a groan.

  Buildings came into view and Dame Deidre said, “It appears to be a hamlet like the others.”

  “In size, perhaps. But quite different.” Robin noticed right away the presence of monuments and statuary such as were absent in Here. The houses were not only similar to those in Here and There, but they were also similar to each other. The more he examined them, the more Robin could see the edifices were as identical as human effort could make them, as homogeneous as those in There were varied.

  Unlike the stark structures of Here, these bore ornamentation. A carved wooden emblem, a white ring with a dark outline, adorned each building, affixed on the exact midpoint of walls, posts, and railings.

  Like the buildings, the inhabitants' costumes lacked variation. Men wore neutral-colored leggings and tunics open at the neck. All were devoid of trim save for the round emblem embroidered over the chest of their tunics. Long-sleeved dresses cloaked the women from neck to ankle while hoods covered their hair and shadowed their faces. Of the same shade, fabric, and design as the men’s, the women’s garments were plainer yet, lacking the circle emblem. The inhabitants' outfits were as close to uniforms as they could come without being regimented.

  “Sire, the people … are they drugged or spellbound?” murmured Sir Maxwell.

  “You thought that too.” The inhabitants not only wore clothes like uniforms but they also moved like soldiers on parade. Neither fast nor slow, their steps were metered. They walked in straight lines and turned at right angles.

  “They move so rigidly. Are they entranced?” said Dame Deidre.

  “We can't tell,” Robin said, although if he watched any longer he might become that way. The movement created a hypnotic rhythm. However, the people paused and conversed with each other, entered and exited the buildings. “They just seem to be …” Robin groped for a good description, “… focused. Like they give consideration to how they move.”

  “They don't appear to be dangerous,” said Dame Deidre.

  Robin agreed. None brandished armaments nor was there anywhere to conceal a weapon of any size in their clothing.

  “Should we investigate further?” Sir Maxwell asked.

  “Yes, we will.” Meeyoo shifted in the sack but Robin determined she best remain undercover until they got the measure of these people.

  Charging the two knights to walk unhurriedly so as not to draw attention, Robin led them to where people congregated. As they moved into the crowd, they adopted the inhabitants' measured stride. The locals made no eye contact or gave any indication that they noted the newcomers’ arrival.

  At last a man approached them, albeit with stately steps. He was dressed like the other men. However, his tunic was tinted a pale mauve and his posture and bearing suggested to the king that the man might hold a position of authority. The opening in the neck of his tunic revealed a tattoo of a circle centered under his chin, the round shape ringing his Adam's apple.

  “Welcome, strangers,” the man said. He did not extend his hand in welcome but pressed his palms together as if in prayer and bowed from the waist.

  It seemed a suitable greeting; his hands held no weapon. “Is this Perooc?” Robin asked.

  Turned inward, the man's gaze was vacant as though he was lost in thought but he answered with a gentle smile. “No, this is not Perooc. This is Near.”

  “Then we are close to Perooc?” Sir Maxwell said.

  “We certainly hope so. I am Enono. I am the sentinel. But you ask about Perooc. You are seekers?”

  “We are. We seek not Perooc but Hewnstone. I am King Bewilliam of the Chalklands and the Palisades.” As he had to the sentinels of Here and There, Robin explained their predicament.

  “I regret to say those places are not known to me and so I can give you no guidance in that regard.”

  “Perooc, then? You've heard of it? You say it is near.”

  “No, this is Near. As for Perooc, yes. All of us here have heard of it and we seek it.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It would do no good to tell you. You could neither enter it nor obtain the treasure unless you have merit. You are welcome to join us. We will instruct you in the Laws. When you are worthy then you may aspire to attain it.”

  “The Laws?” Robin's chest tightened. Had they already violated some law for which they would be punished? He clutched the hilt of his sword.

  His eyes still turned inward, Enono's expression was indulgent. “The Laws. If you do not know and follow the Laws you cannot hope to acquire the treasure of Perooc. To attempt would be futile. Through years of study and discipline, we have developed a regimen that observes the Laws in everything we do.”

  Sir Maxwell asked, “You have had ‘seekers’ who achieved that? They have followed the laws and found Perooc?”

  Enono tipped his head to one side. “I cannot personally attest to that. I have not met anyone who has been to Perooc and returned to tell of it. If they did not assiduously study the Laws and follow them, likely they died in the attempt.”

  Or they did reach Perooc and made off with the treasure, Robin thought. Woe to anyone else who came behind to find the sought-after riches plundered.

  Enono gave another gentle smile. “You travelers must be in need of refreshment. We were about to dine. Come.”

  Robin's mouth watered at the prospect of ale and a roast. “We would appreciate the hospitality.”

  They followed Enono to the town’s center, which while it appeared to be Near's common area was round rather than square. A circular table sat at the center of a round gazebo. Several men ringed the table. They stood, hands folded, eyes downcast, an empty wooden bowl and spoon on the table before each one. Each wore a tattoo on his neck identical to Enono's. Robin realized every male in the settlement bore the same mark. If the women did as well it was hidden under their dresses’ high collars.

  At Enono's approach, the men bowed. They swiveled their heads toward Robin and his knights and bowed. Enono bowed in response. Robin noticed they all had the same inward-turned gaze.

  Enono motioned for Robin and Sir Maxwell to take a position to his left. Without speaking or moving their heads, the men sidestepped to make room.

  Enono bowed to Dame Deidre. “At the risk of being inhospitable, I must ask you to wait outside.”

  Dame Deidre frowned and looked Robin a question. He nodded and mouthed, “For now.”

  “I will stand there where I can keep my king in sight,” Dame Deidre huffed. She descended the stairs from the gazebo and stood at parade rest facing the structure's center.

  Enono sat, at which point the men took their seats. Robin and Sir Maxwell followed suit.

  A woman approached, bowed, an
d set a large round wooden tureen in the table’s center. With another bow, she backed away. Though no one spoke, the men's lips moved. Robin assumed they recited a grace-before-meals. He hoped the growling of his stomach could not be heard in the silence.

  At last, Enono stood, ladled food into a bowl, and passed the bowl to the man at his right. The man exchanged the filled bowl for the empty one of the man to his right who did the same with the man next to him. In that painstaking way, a filled bowl made its way around the table to every man. All would be eating from the same tureen so Robin thought it would be safe for consumption. Eager to dig in, Robin picked up his spoon.

  The repast proved to be undeserving of his enthusiasm. The flavorless gruel had gone cold by the time a filled bowl navigated its way to Robin. He hoped the potage was but the first course of a sumptuous meal but nothing else was served. He recalled the spare diet on which he had once survived and also that lately his subjects fared no better.

  The men ate in silence. Robin stole a glance at Enono. He seemed innocuous. Yet his men were so obedient as if they had surrendered their will to Enono. Robin didn’t want to think it but “bewitched” described it. He didn’t doubt they would do whatever Enono commanded and wondered what endowed the man with such power. Enono was not to be underestimated.

  When the men had emptied their bowls, they laid down their spoons and folded their hands.

  The woman appeared at Enono's side holding an empty tray upon which she placed the tureen. One by one, the empty bowls got passed around the table to Enono. He handed them up to the woman who carried it all away. The men remained seated, eyes downcast and again took to muttering.

  To Robin, Enono said, “Now that your hunger has been sated, the afternoon service is about to begin. You are welcome to join us.”

  “We would not wish to intrude.”

  “In that case, I beg your leave.” Enono's shoulders tensed. “I must not be late.”

  Robin held out his hand. “Lead on.” He followed Enono down the gazebo's stairs. At the bottom, Dame Deidre fell into step behind him. Robin heard Sir Maxwell whisper “You didn't miss anything” to her. “Neither did you,” Robin muttered to Meeyoo who shifted in the sack.

  Enono hastened toward a building taller than any surrounding it and crowned with a dome. A circle emblem was centered under an arch over the door. Though otherwise unornamented, the building had an august appearance leading Robin to think it might be the site of official offices or perhaps a church. Men filed into the courtyard in front of the entrance. Standing evenly spaced, they formed a circle and stood, their inwardly-directed gaze making them appear cross-eyed.

  Enono gestured for the king to join the circle. “You, Your Majesty. And you,” he said to Sir Maxwell. To Dame Deidre, he said, “You are welcome to wait inside” and pointed to the church.

  Her lips pressed into a thin white line, Dame Deidre glared at the man. “My lord's safety is my responsibility. I will not leave His Majesty’s side.”

  Enono's face was impassive. “Women are not permitted to participate in the service,” he said.

  Chapter Two

  Robin realized all the people in the courtyard were men as had been the case at the meal.

  “Women are not permitted?” Dame Deidre fumed.

  “Let us not provoke discord,” Robin cautioned her. “Honor the local customs.”

  “I will guard the king,” Sir Maxwell assured her.

  Enono pushed open the solid wood door. Her lips pursed, her brow furrowed, her back straight, Dame Deidre stepped into the building and Enono followed.

  A few moments later, Enono returned carrying a round tray in the middle of which was a basin rimmed by round wafers. Placing one foot precisely before the other, he walked to the circle's center. He turned to the man nearest the courtyard's entrance and bowed. The man returned the bow, selected a wafer from the tray, dipped it into the bowl, and put it in his mouth. With precise movements, Enono served each person in the circle who helped himself to a wafer. At last, he stood before Robin.

  No one had dropped dead or otherwise suffered from ingesting the wafers and liquid so with a mental shrug, Robin dunked a wafer and ate it. The wafer proved to be a thin fragile cracker, the liquid something sweet. He no sooner put it in his mouth than the morsel dissolved. It didn't sting or burn and he felt neither dizzy nor nauseated. He glanced at Sir Maxwell. With a nod, he wordlessly communicated that he experienced no ill effects.

  Enono walked backward into the building. He returned with leather-bound volumes, again entered the circle, and handed one to each man.

  Beginning with the individual nearest the entrance, one by one they trailed their leader, again maintaining equal distances between each other. Robin and his knight followed suit, adjusting their gait to keep pace.

  Taking a left at the courtyard’s, the silent procession made its way through the settlement to the meadows bordered by tall trees through which Robin and his knights had just passed. The men moved in cadence, each placing his foot on the spot where the one in front of him had stepped. The king surmised they had the path memorized as they held the books open, reading and subvocalizing as they walked.

  Robin opened the volume he had been given. Calligraphy in black ink flowed across creamy vellum pages but Robin couldn't read a word of the unfamiliar language.

  Fixed on their books, none of the men moved his head to either side and Robin took care to keep his face lowered, looking out of the corners of his eyes only.

  At Robin's back, Meeyoo wriggled and whined in the pack. “Shh,” Robin hissed. “You must stay put for now.”

  The procession continued in silence to the outskirts of a settlement and Robin realized they had come full circle to where they started. When they reached the church-like building, the king assumed the march would end but Enono strode past it. They continued the silent solemn walk. Though they again arrived at the starting point, the procession did not end. Robin's patience, however, did.

  “Sire,” Sir Maxwell breathed, “We have been going in a circle.”

  “We agree, Sir Maxwell,” Robin whispered back.

  “He calls himself the sentinel. If he is a guard, there must be something to guard. A path somewhere, perhaps to Perooc.”

  They continued for a few minutes. “Enough of this,” Robin muttered. “This is not getting us closer to Hewnstone. Let us return to the church, collect Dame Deidre, and return to There. Hang back and allow the men to leave us behind.”

  When the men had moved out of sight, Robin did an about-face. “This way,” he whispered. He and the knight hastened back to the church.

  Sir Maxwell took the two steps at one bound and knocked on the sturdy wooden door. After a few moments, he knocked again. “Dame Deidre. It's Sir Maxwell here with the king. Come out, we're moving on.” When he received no reply he pounded on the door. “Dame Deidre,” he yelled. “Open the door.”

  Concerned the women might be at prayer, Robin was about to caution his knight when behind him a voice said, “The women are sequestered. They are not to be interfered with.”

  He spun to find Enono. Beyond the courtyard, the men had completed their circuit and begun another.

  “We meant no harm.” Robin and Sir Maxwell handed back their books. “We appreciate your sharing these with us. We could not read them.”

  Enono gave him an apologetic smile. “No, I did not expect you could. It is written in the ancient form of our language. Our citizens study so as to be able to read it.

  “That was but one of our practices. As we walk we review the Laws, we recite them, the better to fix them in our mind. We evaluate our behavior, how many Laws we have followed, how many we have failed to follow. Perfect adherence will make us worthy. We will teach you the Laws. We will teach you the ancient language. You may practice with us.”

  “Thank you, no. If you would bring out Dame Deidre, we will be on our way.”

  “As you wish.” Enono went into the church. A few moments later he em
erged, Dame Deidre behind him. Over her clothes, she wore a robe like the other women.

  “She wishes to stay,” said Enono.

  “She does not,” Sir Maxwell sputtered.

  “Is this true?” Robin demanded.

  Dame Deidre would not meet the king’s eyes. Instead, with her head and her gaze lowered, she nodded. “There is something here to learn, Sire,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Deidre!” Sir Maxwell cried.

  “Your Majesty, you and your knight are also welcome to stay and learn. Otherwise, you must leave Near as you will be disruptive to our practice.”

  “We will stay until our knight is ready to accompany us.”

  Enono shook his head. “At the risk of seeming inhospitable, I must insist you leave. Your presence will be troublesome. We can have nothing interfere with our practice.”

  “We will not intrude.” Sir Maxwell planted his feet shoulder-width apart and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Even with his eyes crossed, Enono managed to look menacing. “Leave. Leave now.”

  Having completed a circuit, the men strode into the courtyard and formed a semicircle around Robin and Sir Maxwell. The sand crunched as step by step they tightened the circle. No one spoke but Robin could hear panting and low throaty grumbling. Though their eyes were downcast, their brows were knitted, their lips pulled back from gritted teeth. They clenched and unclenched their fists.

  Robin’s breath shortened and his pulse raced. His muscles tensed in readiness to flee or fight. Not long ago, he had faced a similar throng of angry men with crazed expressions and deadly intent. “We will go,” Robin said.

  “But Sire,” Sir Maxwell protested.

  Robin silenced him with a scowl. “Let us be on our way.”

  With a nod, Enono escorted Dame Deidre into the church. The semicircle of men parted to allow the king and his knight to leave the courtyard, ushering them out with growls and grunts.

  When the two had reached the settlement's outskirts, Sir Maxwell blurted, “Sire, with all due respect, we can't leave Dame Deidre there.”