by E J Gilmour
‘We! Don’t include me in your plan,’ said Red sharply.
‘I’ll help,’ said Stella.
‘Stella! Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t get involved; it’s too risky,’ protested Red.
‘King Ignis is my king, Red. You’re Silvorian, so it doesn’t matter much to you. I want Ortaria to return to how it was years ago.’
‘I’m definitely in too,’ said Eben.
‘Good,’ said Cassiel. ‘I’m very grateful for any assistance.’
Red stood up and heavily sighed. ‘If Stella goes I’ll have to go too.’ Cassiel smiled at hearing Red’s words.
**
Later that evening they were sitting around a table in the kitchen. Cassiel placed a large piece of parchment on the table top. A few candles were lit and provided a soft light. It was a map of the Citadel of Zyran, which included details of the main gate, diagrams of the academy, and the location of the Dungeons of Zyran.
‘The Citadel is surrounded by an outer wall and has three main gates; it is about a thousand yards in diameter. Only Zyranian Wizards and students at the academy are allowed inside, and the gates are well guarded by a fierce band of guardsmen. Outside the Citadel there is a village beside the docks; it exists mainly to serve the Citadel itself and...’
‘I’ve been there and...,’ said Red.
Cassiel stared across at him. ‘Good, Red, but Stella and Eben haven’t, so let me continue. The Citadel is quite impressive and consists of over one hundred stone towers that rise high into the sky above. Many bridges make a network of pathways between the towers. In the past each wizard was given their own tower to live in; now some of the towers are used for other purposes because there are less than a hundred Zyranian wizards. Trebax, the Gatekeeper of Zyran, lives in a tower near the main front gate. He holds the key to the prison which looks like this.’ He took from his pocket another small piece of paper and unfolded it, showing a picture of an octagonal crystal.
‘It doesn’t look like a key,’ said Stella.
‘It’s an ancient and mysterious amulet which can be used to open any door,’ said Cassiel. ‘Our mission is to enter the Citadel, steal the key, free the King, and escape before anyone knows we’ve been there.’
‘Impossible,’ said Red, shaking his head. ‘I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm, but even getting into the Citadel of Zyran will be a great task in itself, and trying not to be seen will probably be even harder. I’ve seen those towers; assuming Trebax locks his door the only way in would be through the high windows that are a hundred feet above the ground.’
‘I didn’t say it was going to be easy,’ said Cassiel.
‘I can do it,’ said Stella. They were surprised by her words. ‘If we can get into the Citadel then I can climb into those windows. Acrobatics, rope climbing, and trapeze were my specialties in the circus.’
‘Stella, Trebax will kill you if he sees you. I don’t like the sound of this plan,’ said Red.
‘It’s risky for all of us, Red,’ replied Stella.
‘But we still have to get into the Citadel,’ said Eben.
Red started lightly tapping on the table, and they turned and looked at him. ‘When I was a sailor we delivered Silvorian wine to Zyran in big oak barrels. I know a man who may be able to smuggle us inside the Citadel. He’s not the charitable type; he’ll require payment.’
Cassiel took from his pocket a leather pouch and tipped the contents of gold and silver coins onto the map. A gold coin could buy a great deal in Ortaria.
‘Money isn’t a problem,’ stated Cassiel. ‘Assuming we can get into the Citadel and steal the key, we will still need a distraction to get into the dungeons. The prison is guarded by two wizards and there is only one way in and out. If there was only one wizard I could probably deal with it; two make it impossible for me. I’m simply not powerful enough to deal with two wizards at once.’
‘Fireworks,’ said Red with a cheeky grin.
‘Fireworks!’ repeated Stella, shaking her head. ‘We don’t want to wake the whole of Zyran.’
‘Why not? I could create absolute chaos by setting off the fireworks, and everyone’s focus would be on me. No one will have any idea that a prison break was happening. Maybe the guards will leave their posts long enough to investigate.’
‘Hmmmm,’ groaned Cassiel, not liking the idea. ‘Firstly, there is no guarantee the wizards will leave their posts, and secondly, you will be completely destroyed by the Zyranians.’
‘I won’t!’ said Red defensively. ‘I can light them up and run. By the time they start looking for me I’ll be long gone.’
‘Do you know enough about fireworks though?’ asked Cassiel hesitantly, still not convinced by the idea.
‘You’re talking to the unsurpassed master of fireworks himself!’ said Red confidently. Both Eben and Cassiel looked to Stella for confirmation.
‘Yes, it’s true, Red is very experienced. In the circus he was a Fire Master and prepared a display every night,’ said Stella.
‘A man of many talents,’ said Cassiel. Cassiel paused and reflected for a few moments on the idea. ‘It’s possible that fireworks could be used as a diversion within the walls which could help us escape after we free King Ignis. We should definitely bring some fireworks, yet I doubt the wizard guards will leave their posts for anything. We still have to think up a way of getting by them.’
The room fell silent. They all sat in quiet reflection, searching for a solution.
Eben broke the silence. ‘I once hunted mountain deer in a special way. Mountain deer can’t be shot with an ordinary arrow because they are likely to run leagues away before they collapse. I would wait for them quietly in a hidden place. When they appeared I would use a small harmless dart with a tiny amount of the common herbs Ortarian Mugwort and Valerian Root. Within seconds the dart would cause them to fall to the ground asleep. We could use this same method on the wizards.’
‘Brilliant,’ said Cassiel. ‘This is just what we need. If you could approach the wizard guards with a long cloak and hood they would probably mistake you for a wizard, and then before they realised you weren’t...they would be sound asleep.’
‘But how do we escape once we free King Ignis?’ asked Eben.
‘That’s the easy part. The supply gate near the docks is always locked except for when they’re taking supplies in. If we make it that far we will have the key; we should be able to open the gate and walk straight down to the docks to our waiting boat. So that’s our plan. We arrive on the island and pay your acquaintance to smuggle us into the Citadel. Stella will infiltrate Trebax’s tower and steal the key. Eben will put the wizard guards to sleep, and I will then enter the prison and free King Ignis. We will then escape via the supply gate and sail back to Ortaria.’
‘We have a plan at last,’ said Red merrily.
‘Indeed we do,’ said Eben, feeling uneasy at the many difficulties such a plan may entail.
CHAPTER FIVE
They spent several days preparing for their mission. Cassiel had organised passage to Zyran aboard a small trading ship. They had gathered all the required equipment: ropes and grappling hooks for Stella, the herbs and darts for Eben, and Red had organised a supply of fireworks. They had discussed all aspects of the plan in detail, and they knew that if they could free King Ignis he would be able to rally the people and bring back all the good men who had been sent away to Galdir and the Iron Gate Pass. The liberation of Ortaria depended on their success.
Cassiel had purchased some swords for them from a local armourer. Stella now carried a short sword at her side, and Red had a broadsword. Red was in the common room practicing with his new sword. Eben, sitting by the fireplace, watched on and was surprised that Red was actually a skilled swordsman.
‘When I was a sailor there was always the risk of being attacked by pirates on the high seas,’ said Red as he keenly practiced his cuts and stabs against thin air.
Stella sat on a chair in the corner of the room watchi
ng Red. Cassiel had gone to gather some last minute supplies for the journey. They planned to leave the following day at sunrise.
‘Are you any good with a sword?’ asked Red, glancing across at Eben as he continued to practice.
‘My adoptive father taught me how to use a sword when I was young, but I think I am a lot better at archery.’
A moment later the door opened and Cassiel walked into the common room. He quickly closed the door and bolted the lock. His face was flushed, and he was visibly shaking.
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Stella, alarmed at his state.
‘I saw Zarceler on my way back here. I rounded a corner and he was across the street from me. Unfortunately he recognised me and sent his guardsmen after me. I escaped through the back lanes. I managed to lose them, but only just,’ he said.
‘Who’s Zarceler?’ asked Stella.
‘He is a Zyranian Enforcer. He is highly skilled in the art of battle magic. They send him to hunt the enemies of Zyran. He’s not someone you want to meet in a dark alley,’ answered Cassiel. Eben handed Cassiel a mug of water.
‘He was the one who attacked us at the meeting,’ said Eben, remembering that Torela had said his name.
‘Yes, that was Zarceler,’ said Cassiel, before pausing to drink from the mug. ‘Torela’s real name is Meara. Meara has been using the name Torela to hide herself from the Zyranians in Ancora. She’s an Irilian. The Irilians are the largest order of wizards in the Far Western Lands of Veredor. Long ago the Irilians and the Zyranians went to war against each other. After many battles the Zyranians scattered and almost destroyed the Irilian Order. The Zyranian Order has patronised the Irilians ever since those days. Meara came to Ancora to contest the power of the Zyranian Order and to free the lands of the east from their evil schemes, but the Zyranians are powerful and there are many of them. Few wizards are brave enough to challenge the power of Zyran. For a long time the Zyranian Order has been the most powerful order of wizards in Veredor.’
‘How many orders of wizards are there?’ asked Eben curiously.
‘There are four main orders and a few smaller groups of wizards here and there,’ replied Cassiel. ‘The Zyranians are the largest order. The Irilians live in the Far West, and they are mainly based in the land of Dravania. The Fire Order is a small and very ancient order based in the Old Guardian Mountains between Vastoria and Everdon.’
‘And the fourth?’ asked Red as he sheathed his sword.
‘The Northern Sorcerers,’ said Cassiel with a grimace. ‘The Northern Sorcerers are from the Kaznor Empire in the Northern Lands of Veredor. Their magic is very different in nature to the magic of the wizards who live in the South.’
‘How so?’ asked Eben.
‘I can’t easily explain magic; it’s very mysterious. The Irilians, Zyranians, and Fire Order all learn about the subtle potential hidden in their surroundings. They learn to manipulate this power. The Northern Sorcerers are different, they howl deep within; in the process they devour themselves and their bodies wither away, and they often hunger for power.’
‘Which wizards are the most powerful?’ asked Red.
‘The Northern Sorcerers almost always defeat the wizards of the South. Usually several wizards from the South are required to overcome a single Northern Sorcerer, and on several occasions in history a Northern Sorcerer has been so powerful that the entire Zyranian Order has had to fight them. But the magic of the Northern Sorcerers is not refined. They can’t do things like heal a broken arm or open a locked door. They’re much more likely to blast the door open. Thankfully, they rarely come south from Kaznor and if they do they tend to come alone. Two decades ago a very powerful Northern Sorcerer came south with a small army and attacked Zyran. I was a child at the time of the invasion. It was a terrible time for the people living on the island.’
Stella stood up and walked over toward the kitchen area. ‘All this talk of wizards is fascinating, but we will have to have something to eat if we’re going to be at sea for a couple of days.’
**
The following morning they rose about an hour before sunrise and did a final check on their packs before leaving the inn and walking across to the docks. Anchored against a pier was a small weatherworn ship. Sailors and dockworkers were rushing about and completing the last minute preparations before setting out. Cassiel led the way along a gangplank. The old captain, standing atop a large wooden crate, was a fiery man with a bushy black beard and a heavily lined face. He was furiously shouting commands to the sailors below. They jumped and ran about, creating quite a chaotic scene.
‘Come on ya naw good fish guts; work harda. We need da git moven! I aint pain ya to run a social club,’ he shouted, his voice was coarse and guttural.
‘Captain Orstag,’ said Cassiel as he stepped up onto the deck of the ship.
‘Not naw,’ he blurted back, dismissively waving Cassiel away. They stood on the deck as sailors ducked and weaved about them.
‘Git outda da way!’ shouted Captain Orstag down at them.
‘Where to?’ asked Cassiel, surprised at the tone Captain Orstag was taking.
‘Beelow da deck!’
They were a little taken aback by his gruffness, and it looked like Cassiel was going to say something. A moment later the fuming captain turned his back to them and began shouting at the sailors on the other side of the ship. Cassiel thought it better to hold his tongue. Red led the way down below the deck and into a dimly lit and confined area below. Barrels, wooden boxes, and many traded goods were loaded everywhere in the stuffy and exceedingly dank space. A stench of something putrid permeated the entire ship.
‘What do we do now?’ asked Stella.
‘Wait. I assume the Captain will assign us a cabin soon,’ replied Cassiel. That was the deal I made with him yesterday.’ They could hear voices toward the back of the ship.
‘I’ll see if I can find our cabin,’ said Red. He walked off toward the back and was lost from view behind large wooden crates.
Eben sat down on a barrel. ‘This is cosy,’ he said, trying to be positive.
Stella smiled bleakly; she looked down at the floor as two rats scurried around the edge of a crate and ran along an edge, jumping into a gap in the floorboards. Her bleak smile quickly turned to a deep frown, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
‘Were there any other boats?’ she asked anxiously.
‘Don’t worry; they won’t hurt you, they’re only rats,’ replied Cassiel. They could hear voices merrily shouting from the back of the ship. A moment later Red appeared with a wide smile.
‘Hey, come on. A friend of mine is here,’ said Red cheerfully.
They followed him between the crates and made their way to the back of the ship where there was a slightly cleared area. Seated on a small wooden chair was a very overweight middle-aged man, with greasy hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a big grin on his face. He was surrounded by a group of five gangly men, all with swords at their belts. Stella cautiously glanced at Eben.
‘Stella, Cassiel, Eben; I would like you to meet Falsig,’ said Red, indicating toward the overweight man.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Falsig in a throaty voice, a greasy smile crossing his face.
‘Years ago we worked together on a ship called the Gale Blazer,’ said Red, who seemed happy to have met up with his old friend.
‘Those were the days,’ said Falsig, grinning across at Red.
‘Remember when those crazy villagers thought we had stolen a pig. We had to swim five hundred yards out to our anchored ship!’ said Red, laughing as he spoke.
‘Sure do, Red. ’ said Falsig, chuckling along. ‘So why are you heading out to Zyran?’
‘Business,’ replied Cassiel coolly.
‘What kind of business are you in, Cassiel?’ asked Falsig, paying close attention.
‘Trading rare goods,’ said Cassiel quickly. ‘What about you, Falsig; why are you going to Zyran?’ asked Cassiel, turning the topic away fr
om their mission.
‘I work for the Zyranian Order,’ said Falsig casually. ‘I bring the wizards some of the finest spices and delicacies in Veredor. Whilst I’m not travelling I help govern the kitchen in the Citadel of Zyran. I also help a little to manage the Citadel’s guardsmen.’
‘Do you think you can get us into the Citadel?’ asked Red carelessly. Cassiel’s jaw dropped as Red revealed a part of their plan, and he stared harshly at Red, obviously not wanting him to say another word. Red’s realised he had made a gaff and his eyes shifted from side to side.
‘Why do you want to get into the Citadel?’ asked Falsig inquisitively.
Red looked to Cassiel and Eben nervously, not sure what to say. Falsig could see they were uncomfortable about the subject, and he looked up to Cassiel, assuming he was the leader.
‘Why don’t we have a private talk a little later this evening,’ suggested Falsig. Cassiel agreed.
**
The Sea of Zyran was considered by most seafaring folk to be one of the finest stretches of water in all of Veredor. It was often said that the life of a fisherman was that of a blissful dream; however, in recent times few boats journeyed between the coasts of Ortaria and Zyran. It was widely told that a foul curse blew with the wind and scourged every ship that dared to sail the stretch of sea. Many of the once numerous seafarers had sailed away in search of safer waters in the south.
After the ship had set out from Ancora they had been assigned a small cabin toward the front. The sound of the waves and the ocean seemed strangely familiar to Eben, even though he had never been on a boat before. The four of them sat on the floor of their tiny cabin.
‘I shouldn’t have said anything, I know,’ said Red remorsefully.
‘Our plan is already hanging in the balance. If we start giving everyone we meet an idea of what we’re planning we are sure to be killed by the Zyranians before we even reach the front gate of the Citadel,’ said Cassiel angrily.
‘I won’t say another word,’ said Red.
‘It was stupid. You may have placed us in danger and jeopardised our plan,’ said Cassiel.