“It’s a disheveled mess inside,” Kelm replied.
Maebus pressed his half-frozen hands upon the glass and peeked through. Papers and books were thrown upon the floor, shelves were knocked into one another, and table surfaces were cracked in half.
“The area inside is smaller than I was expecting,” Kelm continued. “But then again, most things in the Realm usually aren’t as I expect them to be.”
Without warning, Kelm’s right hand began to glow white. Pressing it lightly upon the door handle, the entrance blew open despite being locked. Maebus was startled by the noise and expected to be attacked at any moment. He hadn’t realized his stomach was knotted until it loosened after an attack didn’t come.
Together, they stepped inside. Kelm then relocked the door behind them. The dust within the Annal was incredibly thick. Both Kelm and Maebus held their breath until most of it settled back onto the floor.
“Be careful, Maebus. This floor is uneven,” Kelm said as he helped his friend navigate the litter. The main room was completely dark, save the areas of light that shone in from the street candles. Although dim, there still existed enough ambient light for them to see their way through the Annal.
Holding on to the walls for support, the two made their way across the main room to a flight of stairs that led to a second level.
“We’ll be safer upstairs. You’re going to have to hop on your good leg,” Kelm said. “But hold on for one second…”
The Wizard pressed his foot into the first step. It creaked from his weight, but otherwise felt strong. He then took the next step, and the following, until he reached the second floor. He seemed satisfied with the integrity of the staircase as he went back down them. Maebus threw his arm around Kelm’s neck once more, and proceeded to hobble with him up the stairs.
The second level was just as dusty as the first. Except for a single overturned bookshelf, it was completely vacant of any other books or furnishings. Kelm and Maebus hobbled over to the main window and plopped on the floor underneath its light. Propping his back against the lower portion of the wall, a sense of relief rushed through Maebus. Kelm placed the King’s battle sword and the small travel bag they had next to the wall. Sitting down next to Maebus, he rolled up Maebus’ pant leg and examined the fracture.
“How does it look?” Maebus asked.
Kelm’s eyes softened as he analyzed the wound. “I’m pleased the journey hasn’t agitated it further,” he replied.
Kelm cupped his hands together. Immediately they vibrated a deep healing blue color as he placed them upon the wound. The warmth of Kelm’s hands seemed to soothe Maebus’ throbbing leg.
“It will be a slow process,” Kelm said while concentrating. “But ultimately the leg will heal.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hacking through miles of uncharted woods made Thane extremely irritable and angry. Although the journey back to Centre Pointe from the Hellish South Plains had been relatively easy, the rest of the trek north already had proved challenging, to say the least. Still, Thane and his men traveled without resting, fueled only by their desire to capture King Maebus and his Realmsic Advisor.
Since no roads existed north of the kingdom, Thane and his men were forced to chop their own path through the uncharted North Woods. After crossing the Northwest River, inch by inch, they painstakingly made their way, cleaving with their swords and burrowing through layers of untamed wilderness. Behind them lay a path of freshly cut destruction.
Briefly during the trip, Thane had spoken to Damian again through his mobile device. He was advised to navigate toward the historic Pumice Path. Being the only reliable travel road in a land of dangerously elevated mountains, it was likely the chosen road of the two Realmsic nobles. Damian, aware of Thane’s tracking ability, claimed that the General would have no problems detecting their trail. In the meantime, he would send more Legionaries along their newly created path to assist them.
Along his way to the Pumice Path, Thane concentrated on his surroundings, noting anything that seemed unusual or suspicious. Part of him still felt duped for having traveled south. He vowed not to make the same mistake twice. Much was riding upon his acquisition of the crystal, and he hadn’t made it this far—joining the Legion after losing his brother in the war; rising through Damian’s ranks; and becoming the Warlord’s right-hand man—only to fail.
On horseback, Thane led his men, pushing through the uncharted woods with the same ambition, the same fury that had so far guided his success. No matter where Maebus hid, Thane would find him, or perish in the search.
• • • • •
The first rays of morning light shone through the windows of the Annal, gently waking Kelm. His back was sore from sleeping on the bare hardwood floor, but even that was better than spending another night outside in the elements, especially with Maebus’ leg still badly injured. Kelm was pleased with the progress he’d made last night. Maebus’ leg was far from healed, but at least it showed early signs of a full recovery. He estimated a couple more days was all he needed before they could resume their journey eastward to the Ancient Lands.
With the upper level of the Annal fully illuminated, Kelm got his first real look at their interior surroundings. He whistled softly in awe.
Dilapidated wasn't descriptive enough a word for the decrepit condition before him. Because of the slanted flooring of the building, every object, over time, had slid into a dirty, broken pile in one corner of the room. A heavy layer of dust matted the floor like snow, exposing his and Maebus’ footprints from the previous night. Cobwebs dangled from the ceiling.
Kelm tried to cease his involuntary yawn for fear of breathing the stale air too deeply. Stretching the stiffness from his arms, he positioned his back against the wall beneath the windowsill. Peeking through the pane, he caught a glimpse of the town outside.
Yep, just as bad as the inside.
Surprisingly, a few of the townspeople were out and about, sloshing their way through the mud as he and Maebus had the previous night.
The building received curious glances from the passersby, but nothing more before they went scurrying past and continuing with their day. Their aloofness was interesting to Kelm. Clearly they knew he and Maebus were in the Annal, but he felt no sense of danger.
Still, the morning was young.
At that moment, Maebus awoke with a groan. Ducking back down from the window, Kelm slid a few inches across the floor over to his friend.
“I don't remember falling asleep,” Maebus said. “How long was I out?”
“It’s morning now,” Kelm replied.
“Oh!” Maebus seemed surprised. But Kelm couldn’t determine if it was the time of day, or their shambled hideout that shocked him.
Maebus gently rolled up his pant leg to survey the damage. He groaned again. From how he was now able to bend and stretch his leg, Kelm realized that it must feel much better than before. But, unfortunately, it still looked a tragic mess.
“That will look ugly for at least another couple of days,” Kelm said. He reached in his travel bag and pulled out a handful of berries for Maebus to eat.
“How are we on supplies?” Maebus asked.
“If we go easy, we’ve got enough food and water to last us the duration of our stay here.”
Kelm stood fully and brushed the dust off his robe. “Now that you’re up, I’m going to explore this Annal a bit.”
“Okay,” Maebus said through a mouthful of berries.
“I don’t recommend we leave this building unless we absolutely have to,” Kelm continued. “That being the case, I want to see what’s downstairs, perhaps read some of the documents contained here and get a sense of exactly where we are.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Maebus replied. “I'll sit here and eat.”
“Good! Build and conserve your energy. I’ll be back.”
Kelm grabbed a handful of berries for himself and moved toward the stairs. With the slanted angle of the building, the walk down
was just as precarious as last night’s walk up. The Wizard held tightly to the rickety railing, hoping not to pull it from the wall and fall. Upon reaching the bottom, he fought to maintain his balance.
The floor was littered with papers and books. He reached and picked up a document that crumbled in his hand. Reaching for another, the same thing occurred. Stepping over a few inches more, he delicately grabbed a book, which broke into pieces and collapsed into a powdery substance at his feet. Kelm sneezed repeatedly from the particles that filled the air.
Well, that explains all of the dust.
For twenty minutes at least, he wandered around trying to obtain any information he could, but the records contained within the Annal proved unwilling to cooperate—perhaps as revenge for the decades of obvious neglect.
Kelm returned upstairs to Maebus.
“Learn anything interesting?” Maebus asked.
“Yeah, this place is miserable,” Kelm replied.
For the next couple of days, Kelm and Maebus maintained a low profile, staying in the Annal and avoiding the open windows. The town locals would occasionally walk by. Most continued their quick glances as they sprinted by, while others were brave enough to actually peek into the lower-level windows. At various times, Kelm had the sensation they were actively being spied upon. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Besides, he and Maebus had no place else to go. The next town was probably several miles to the east. Even magic would not help sustain Maebus’ leg during that trip. The only option was to focus strictly on healing Maebus’ leg in the hope of leaving town as quickly as possible.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The night concealed the Legionaries’ arrival. As ghostly silhouettes, Thane and his men floated into the Pumice Path town as swiftly as their horses could gallop. Under normal circumstances, the General would have sped through a town such as this without giving it a second thought. But this wasn’t a normal circumstance.
A chance encounter with a few locals had directed the Legionaries to this location. Since the rise of Damian, many poor Laymen communities in the Northern Lands sought refuge with the Warlord. In return for protection, they provided information or donated what little they had to the Legion. Therefore, it was not surprising to Thane that a number of the locals had traveled out of their way to report suspicious strangers who’d wandered into their town a few nights prior. Aside from it being Thane’s duty to investigate, his instincts tingled with a force that almost made him anxious. Rarely did that happen.
Their horses galloped through the mud-filled streets, splattering filth in every direction. The familiar stench of misery filled the General’s nostrils and flooded his mind with horrible memories from his childhood. Quickly, he refocused his thoughts on the task at hand, reminding himself that the anger of his past now fueled his future.
One of the locals rode with Thane. Locking her feet into his horse’s stirrups and holding tightly to Thane’s waist, she’d guided the General and his men back to her town. Pulling on the reins, Thane slowed next to one of the wooden buildings near the center of town. Behind him, the other riders also slowed to a trot. Dismounting, Thane’s feet sank several inches into the mud. A wave of annoyance surged through his body.
The local woman, still upon the horse, glanced around the area, and furiously shook her hands. “No, no, we’ve stopped too short,” she complained. “We’re still a few blocks away from that Annals place.”
“I know that,” Thane dryly replied. “How many entrances does the Annal have?”
The woman’s contemplative gaze shot in the direction of the structure. “Just the one,” she eventually answered.
“The front?”
“Yes, just the front.”
“How many people are inside?” Thane asked.
“Two … definitely two,” she proclaimed, holding up two fingers.
Thane reached into his belt pocket and pulled out several silver coins. The woman leapt from the horse at the sight of them, splashing even more mud in Thane’s direction, which he dodged.
“For your continued loyalty,” Thane said. He handed the woman the coins. She snatched them from his hands as though they might disappear if she didn’t move fast enough. Clenching them in her fist, the woman ran away. The other Legionaries dismounted as Thane approached them.
He removed his sword from its sheath. “The Annal is two blocks left and one block right from this location. You know what to do. Assume your attack formation and move out,” Thane ordered.
Swiftly, he and his soldiers broke into three pairs of two, and trailed away in various directions. Their strategy this time was simple: storm the building. Thane’s heart pounded as his feet sloshed through the muck. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. Was Maebus in the building? Or perhaps some other Realmsic noble?
Turning the corner, the Annal’s Symbol of Order came into view. The building looked to have one entrance, just as the local woman said. Running as fast as the mud would allow, Thane huffed the night air through his thick beard. His men suddenly appeared a few yards to his left and right. They approached the building entrance. Its double doors were heavy wood, save their large rectangular windows set in the center. Thane focused on the metal portion of the door: the handle appeared to have been weakened by years of rust.
Run faster! He mentally commanded himself.
Each second, Thane inched closer to the door.
Only a few feet away now.
Thane leapt from the ground, thrusting his feet before him. In one fluid motion, he kicked the doors wide open. He landed on the floor hard and slid slightly on the slanted surface. He wasn’t prepared for that. His side ached. Not so young anymore. His men filed in one after another, also stumbling to gain their balance.
• • • • •
A heavy crash awoke Kelm out of his sleep. The noise of wood splintering and glass breaking echoed under the floor. “What was that?” he asked, soaring to his feet.
Startled also, Maebus sat up bone straight. “It came from downstairs!” he replied.
Before either could gain their composure, they heard the thunder of footsteps ascending the stairs.
“I’ll fight them off,” Kelm said as he rolled up his sleeves.
“I can help,” Maebus said.
“How? You’re going to kick them with your good leg? You’ll fall down!”
“No, no. I’m fine. You’ve healed me well enough that I can use it. I’ll not let you face these intruders alone,” Maebus exclaimed, rising to his feet as quickly as he could. “Hand me my sword!”
Before Kelm could oblige, the first intruder appeared in front of them.
“Legionaries!” Kelm exclaimed.
The soldier’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “General Thane!” he shouted, “Maebus and the Wizard are here!”
A huge, bearded warrior suddenly appeared atop the stairs, panting, his deadly eyes focused on Maebus.
“I’ve got you now,” Thane growled.
The General charged Maebus, his arms outstretched like a bear, as though he would sweep him up and slam him to the ground.
Sparkles shot from Kelm’s feet as he ran and slid across the tilted floor. Directing unseen energy from his rotating arms, he lifted a massive bookshelf and flung it across the room into Thane, knocking him off his feet. Several other Legionaries suddenly appeared with weapons drawn, blocking the stairway.
Kelm stepped forward. He stretched out his hand, summoning Maebus’ battle sword so that it sailed across the room and smacked into his palm. At that moment, Thane staggered from under the broken bookshelf, shaking his shaggy head. His smile struck Kelm as that of a fox poised outside a hen house. Thane seemed to be enjoying this!
Breathing heavily, weapons drawn, the Legionaries surrounded Kelm and Maebus within a semi-circle on one side of the room. Kelm pushed Maebus behind him, using Maebus’ battle sword like a wand to wave at Thane and the soldiers.
“Stay back,” he demanded.
Thane took a single step c
loser. “Give me the Realmsic Crystal,” he said slowly and calmly.
Kelm shook his head, pointing the sword tip at Thane. “We don’t have it,” he denied in a dry, raspy voice.
“Don’t lie to me, Wizard,” Thane said, taking another step closer.
Tension was building like a storm cloud filling the room. Kelm’s head pounded in time to his heart in response to the rising pressure. In front of them, Thane and the Legionaries inched ever closer. Behind Kelm and Maebus was the second-story window.
“There’s no way out of here,” Thane continued. “Give me the Realmsic Crystal and I’ll let you keep your lives.”
The odds were against them, Kelm realized. He wasn’t much of a fighter, and a magical blast strong enough to take out the Legionaries could also collapse the building. Kelm exhaled in frustration. He turned his head slightly, taking in Maebus, whose face was beaded with a fevered sweat.
“I’m sorry, Maebus,” Kelm said.
Maebus’ brow creased in confusion. His gaze shot around the room, perhaps assessing their enemy. “What are you—”
Kelm grabbed hold of Maebus’ robe and started pushing him backwards.
“Kelm! What are you doing?” Maebus exclaimed, stumbling backward.
“This is going to hurt … a lot!” Kelm screamed as he shoved Maebus out of the second-story window, letting his momentum carry him after his friend.
A cacophony of breaking metal, wood, and glass shattered the air as Maebus and Kelm fell like two stones sailing from a cliff. There wasn’t even enough time to scream. Kelm shifted his weight as they fell so that his back was toward the ground and would impact first. Kelm’s maneuver cushioned Maebus’ fall when they landed with a tremendous splat in the thick mud.
The impact knocked the wind out of them both. But it only took a second to catch their breaths. Completely caked in mud, they pulled themselves from the ground. Maebus’ battle sword had landed next to them, brown and slick in the muck. Kelm grabbed it.
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