Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 2

by Brandon Varnell

  The guards at the gate had let them in without a fuss once they’d learned who was inside of the carriage. She and Fellis had been given some looks, but no one had questioned them.

  Stopping inside of a massive courtyard, the butler hurried to open the door. As Enyo stepped out, she looked at Avant Heim. She couldn’t tell how many stories it was, but it must have been several dozen at least. A massive spire rose in the middle, ascending to form a point that seemed ready to pierce the heavens.

  “Come along, you two,” Kindness said, gesturing for her and Fellis to follow.

  They strolled past several columns, which appeared to have no purpose other than decoration. When they reached the front door, a massive thing made of burnished wood, Kindness announced herself to the two guards stationed in front of it.

  “I’m Kindness of the White Council. I’m here to see Queen Alice.”

  The guards saluted and opened the door for them. Kindness looked at her again, gestured, and then walked inside. She, Fellis, and even Alexander followed her into the castle.

  “This is my first time here,” Alexander confessed as they wandered the halls. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Enyo agreed.

  They walked along a marble hall. Beautiful columns supported an arched ceiling. To one side, glass windows made up almost all the wall, allowing an outside glimpse of the gardens. To the other was a beige wall decorated with artwork hanging from it and statues lining it at even intervals.

  Enyo was surprised that no one had come to escort them, but as Kindness walked with a confident gait, she assumed that the reason was because they didn’t need one.

  “Kindness? Is that you?” an old man asked, walking out from around a corner. He wore the armor of a paladin, and despite his obvious age, he held himself with the confidence of an experienced warrior.

  “Bayard,” Kindness greeted. “I had not realized you were here. I thought you’d gone in search of the one who stole the otherworld gate key.”

  Enyo tried not to shift at the mention of the otherworld gate key, which still rested against her chest.

  “The trail has gone cold, I’m afraid,” Bayard admitted. “Besides that, unusual things have been happening. Monster sightings have been on the rise, and we’re not getting reports from any of the towns bordering the Tenebrae Mountains. I’ve come back to report this to Queen Alice.”

  “I see. Trouble abounds everywhere, it seems.”

  As they spoke, Bayard looked back at her and Fellis. Confusion glazed his eyes. “I haven’t seen any of these people around the palace before. Are they friends of yours?”

  “No, we just met,” Kindness said. “However, these two young women saved my life last night.”

  “Is that so? I guess there really is trouble afoot. It is a good thing there are still some kind people in this world.”

  “Indeed, there is. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we really must speak with Queen Alice.”

  “I understand. I’ll speak with you later.”

  Bayard left and the group continued on their way, until they reached another set of double doors. On the other side was a greeting room of some kind. The spacious interior contained the same opulence as everything else, but it was a bit more bare. Several meters away, on the opposite side of the room, sat a desk, and behind that desk was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

  The woman, who could only be Queen Alice, looked up as they approached her desk. Standing beside her was another woman, and her eyes widened when they landed on Enyo and Fellis.

  “Kindness,” Queen Alice said. “I am surprised you’ve come to speak with me like this. You’ve never done so before.”

  “Yes, I try not to bother you since I know how hard you work. However, events beyond my power to deal with have transpired, leading me to come and inform you of them,” Kindness said, bowing.

  Queen Alice frowned. “Tell me of these events, please.”

  Enyo listened intently as Kindness explained what happened before she and Fellis had arrived. “It happened while I was eating dinner; one of my maids became ill. She started coughing up blood and then she died. Soon after, all of my knights began dying as well. It appeared that someone had poisoned the well we use for water. As I had ingested the poison during dinner, I would have died myself, but I managed to use my magic to slow the poison down. I was attempting to reach the castle when I was attacked by wraiths. I would have died last night had these two not saved me.”

  “I see. I believe I understand the situation much more clearly now, and you two—” she directed her gaze toward Enyo and Fellis “—you have my thanks for saving Kindness.”

  “You’re welcome,” Enyo said. “Fellis and I were happy to help.”

  Queen Alice sent them a smile before redirecting her attention to Kindness. “It seems a lot has been happening as of late. The poison that you ingested must have been what killed the other White Council members. However, we have no proof to show how they died. Not even an autopsy revealed the secrets of their death to us.”

  As she listened to everyone speak, Enyo realized that there was a lot going on. Assassins killing off White Council members, wraiths attacking people, and the knowledge that monster sightings were becoming more frequent. Would she even be able to rescue Jacob with all this commotion happening?

  “Do you have any idea who could have done this?” Queen Alice asked at last.

  Kindness shook her head. “I do not.”

  For just a moment, Queen Alice appeared exhausted. Her shoulders drooped, her body seemed to sag, and Enyo thought she saw bags under the woman’s eyes. She must have been under a lot of stress.

  The moment soon left, and Queen Alice straightened, as if she’d gained new life. Her eyes contained a determination that even Enyo found herself admiring. “We might not know who caused this, but we at least know how, and if we know how, it means we can neutralize the methods they are using. With luck, making it so they cannot poison anyone else should force them to confront us directly. When that time comes, we’ll be ready.”

  “As you say.”

  “Now then…” Alice turned back to her and Fellis. “I hate to ask this of you, but as Kindness has vouched for you both, I would like to ask for your assistance. We could really use the help.”

  Enyo needed a moment to think about her request. If she helped out Queen Alice, she’d be close to Jacob and the otherworld gate. It would certainly up their chances of success. On the other hand, she’d be in constant contact with people who were essentially her enemy. If they found out that she had the otherworld gate key on her, then she was all but dead. In truth, it would probably be safer for her if she didn’t help them, but…

  Maybe… if I can help them with this, they’ll let me and Jacob use the otherworld gate…

  It was a long shot, but regardless, she wanted to believe in them, believe in the people who Jacob had saved when he was younger.

  “We’ll help you,” Enyo said. Fellis looked at her with a frown but didn’t say anything.

  Alice’s relieved smile made her feel like she’d done the right thing. “Thank you. Since you’ll be helping us, I would like you to stay here in Avant Heim. I’ll have Listy take you to a room. Once you’ve had a chance to freshen up, we’ll all meet again and come up with a strategy to deal with this.”

  At the mention of her name, Listy stepped forward. “If you two could come with me, please.”

  Enyo looked at Fellis, who looked back. As Listy began walking, they quickly followed her, leaving behind Kindness and a completely out-of-his-depth Alexander, whose expression reminded her of someone after they’d been kicked in the balls.

  The door closed behind them, and Listy walked off at a brisk pace. Enyo and Fellis quickened their stride to keep up.

  “I didn’t expect to see you again,” Enyo said to the woman, who nodded and smiled.

  “So you recognize me? That’s impressive, considering I was wearing a cloak when we met.” Listy p
aused for only a moment. “I had not expected us to meet either. It’s strange how circumstances have brought us together once more. I almost feel as if it is fate.”

  Enyo wouldn’t have gone so far as to say it was fate, but she said nothing about that. “So, you work in Avant Heim?”

  “I am Queen Alice’s personal maid,” Listy said. “It is my job to do whatever Queen Alice asks of me, and also to make sure she does not overwork herself.”

  “She sounds like an overachiever,” Fellis said.

  “Queen Alice always works hard for the good of her people, but she has a very bad habit of neglecting her own health,” Listy said as they ascended a flight of stairs.

  Enyo glanced at the crimson rug underneath her feet. It was so soft her feet sank as she stepped on it. Even though she was used to living a life of luxury in the mansion that had been her prison, she was astounded by the sheer lavishness of Avant Heim.

  They entered into a large hallway. As they did, Listy continued speaking. “With the nobles and many of the White Council not approving of Alice as a monarch, she has had to work three times harder than a king would have.”

  “Why a king?” asked Enyo.

  “Because a queen is generally considered unsuitable for the position of monarch,” Listy admitted. “The White Council claims it’s because the last queen Terrasole had nearly led them to ruin after someone from the Dark Clan managed to infiltrate the upper echelons of our society and killed several important nobles at the time. However, the truth is that they simply do not approve of a female ruler.”

  Enyo had not realized that humanity also had this issue. The Dark Clan was typically a patriarchal race. That was why every Dark Lord without exception was male.

  “How does Ali—Queen Alice deal with it?” asked Enyo.

  Listy’s smile was quite vicious as she said, “By putting the people who talk down to her for being a woman in their place. She’s become adept at derailing every fallacious argument or dirty comment about her gender since accepting the crown. Those who continue to display belligerence are sent far away, where they cannot hinder her. You won’t find a better ruler.”

  The room they were lead to was far larger than any room either of them had been in. It had two massive beds and several pieces of expensive furniture.

  “This will be your room for the duration of your stay here,” Listy said. “I’d love to speak with you both some more, when we have some free time, but for now, please enjoy yourselves.”

  “We will. Thanks!” Enyo said cheerfully.

  Listy gave them one last smile before leaving. As the door closed behind her, Enyo went over to the bed and flopped down. She nearly shrieked when the bed tried to swallow her whole. Lying on a cloud would have been harder than this!

  Fellis whistled as she slowly walked into the room. “This place really is nice, isn’t it?”

  “Nice is an understatement,” Enyo muttered as she flipped onto her stomach and buried her face into the mattress. “How rich must someone be to have something so soft in a room they probably rarely use?”

  “Well, this is Avant Heim,” Fellis mused.

  “Must be nice being a queen,” Enyo said.

  “Sounds like a pain in the katoosh if you ask me.”

  “I’m not even sure what a katoosh is,” Enyo admitted before her thoughts shifted from light hearted to serious. “Fellis, once night comes, I want you to find Jacob.”

  “What shall I do if I find him?” asked Fellis.

  “For now? Nothing.” Climbing off the bed, Enyo strolled over to the window, and set her hands against the sill as she looked out. “We’re in enemy territory now. We can’t afford to act suspiciously.”

  “Besides, you also want to help them with their problems, right?” Fellis said with a knowing smile.

  Enyo didn’t deny Fellis’ accusation. It was true. She wanted to help.

  Looking out the window, Enyo could see practically all of Alyssium. The setting sun cast brilliant rays of orange and red light on the city, giving the sprawling community the appearance of a city on fire. It was beautiful, but the sight also made Enyo feel uneasy.

  Somehow, she couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

  ***

  After Enyo and Fellis had been given a chance to settle in, Listy had returned and guided them to a dining room. There, Queen Alice and Kindness were waiting. Dinner had been served after they arrived, and the group discussed what to do about the current situation.

  Unfortunately, there really wasn’t a whole lot that could be done. The problem was that they had no idea who was behind these murders, so even if they knew how the White Council was being killed off, there was no way to catch them. That said, Queen Alice had sent out her knights to grab the remaining White Council members and escort them to the palace.

  “If nothing else, I’d like to protect the White Council members who remain,” Queen Alice said when Enyo asked about her decision.

  The rest of their dinner had consisted of Queen Alice asking questions about themselves, but sadly, Enyo hadn’t the foggiest idea of what to say. Fellis understood. It wasn’t like she could tell Queen Alice that she was the daughter of the former Dark Lord.

  Fortunately, Fellis had been prepared to field such questions.

  “Lady Enyo comes from a small province near the Tenebrae Mountains,” Fellis had told them. “Our home was attacked and destroyed, and so we’ve been on the move ever since.”

  Queen Alice had been touched upon hearing their story. She promised that Enyo and Fellis could stay in Avant Heim for as long as they needed. It seemed as if the queen was something of a bleeding heart.

  Later that night, when everyone else had gone to sleep, Fellis had done as requested and snuck out of the bedroom that she and her charge shared. Because the door was guarded, Fellis had to sneak out through the window.

  They were on the sixth floor, in one of the towers. As Fellis lowered herself out of the windowsill, she tried not to look down, already knowing what she would find.

  The tower wall was made of large bricks. Despite there being numerous crevices, that did not mean she could climb down so easily. Locating places where she could find purchase was hard work. Her muscles strained as she slowly, cautiously, worked her way down the tower.

  There were no guards at the bottom, which Fellis was thankful for, though that didn’t mean she could let her guard down. While there might not have been any waiting at the tower’s base, there were several patrolling the gardens and inside of the castle. Fellis used extra caution as she slipped past several guards. She was fortunate that the hedges were so large she could hide behind them.

  Now, if I were a prisoner, where would I be?

  Fellis didn’t think the dungeon would be inside of the castle itself. It was probably located in a separate building. As she darted from hedge to hedge, always being sure to keep out of sight, Fellis eventually found what she believed might be the dungeon.

  It was a tower, smaller than the one she and Enyo were residing in, though no less imposing. This one also looked a lot older. The bricks were faded and worn, moss grew around the bottom, and the whole thing seemed slightly dilapidated. Despite this, two guards were standing by the door.

  What could be hiding in there, I wonder…

  After centering herself, Fellis put on a seductive smile and strolled out from behind the hedge. The two guards started as they saw her. Fellis did not let them see her concern. She strolled forward with an exaggerated sway of her hips. Her smile widened when she noticed how both men were either staring at either her hips or her chest.

  Men are so simple.

  “Excuse me,” Fellis said, putting on her best I’m an innocent maiden voice. “I’m Queen Alice’s guest, but I seem to have gotten lost and can no longer find my room.” Her eyes began to glow as she trapped the two men with Mind Manipulation. “Do you think you can help me by pretending I was never here? I’d be rather embarrassed if Queen Alice found ou
t about this.”

  “Sure,” the guard on the left said.

  The other guard nodded. “We’ll do anything you ask of us.”

  “You’re too kind,” Fellis said. “In that case, would you mind if I asked whether or not this place is where Jacob Stone is currently being held?”

  The left guard nodded. “It is. He’s currently being held in the lowest level of the dungeon.”

  “Thank you,” Fellis said. “Now, I would like it if you two could forget that this conversation ever took place—oh! And could you please let me inside?”

  The right guard opened the door for her, and she walked past them and inside. Fellis took a moment to look around. She was in a staircase. One side went up and the other down. The guards had mentioned that Jacob was being held in the lowest levels.

  Down it is.

  With her footsteps sounding ominously loud as she walked down the stairs, she traveled in a downward spiral until reaching a small wooden door. She opened it a crack and peeked inside. There were two guards. They were sitting at a table, playing what appeared to be a game of cards.

  This is going to be more difficult than the other two guards.

  Mind Manipulation was tricky in that it could be broken if the people you were controlling suspected that something was wrong. Of course, she could overpower their minds, but that still required time to enact her magic. Being in a dungeon when she wasn’t supposed to was definitely suspicious. There was a good chance that her mind magic wouldn’t work, or wouldn’t work effectively, especially since she needed to ensnare them both at the same time.

  I can’t afford to knock them unconscious either.

  She might be able to slip past them. Neither of them were paying much attention to anything but their game. If she could somehow make them focus completely on each other, or maybe start fighting each other, then she—

  “Who are you? What are you doing here?” a voice behind her asked.

  Fellis spun around and, her heart hammering in her chest, she smiled at the armored knight before her. “Hello, I’m no one important. I’m just looking around.”

  It was interesting to see someone resist her mind control. Their fingers would twitch and their eyes would flutter as if fighting against a headache. This man was no different. However, since she was only focusing on him, and his will didn’t seem terribly strong, he eventually succumbed.