In the Grip of Time

by Adam Jacob Burgess

  ‘This ought to protect me,’ she said, dubiously.

  ‘Cast again and take the monk,’ said Vadania. ‘He knows this city and will aid your search for survivors.’

  While the mage muttered her spell, the monk narrowed his eyes.

  ‘A problem?’ the elf asked.

  ‘Not at all. I only hope we can find people to bring back.’

  He met Vadania’s intense gaze while the yellow energy coated his body. Then they were gone, behind the rubble and the smoke. Vadania and Sawwse stood in silence once again. The gentle rustle of leaves from the forest behind them was at odds with the defeated quiet of the city.

  ‘Who is she?’ Vadania demanded again.

  Sawwse couldn’t tear her eyes away from a body twenty feet in front of her. He was a young gnome wearing a mauve doublet with a small guitar under his arm. There were no scars or slashes across his body. Life had been taken from him in a split second.

  ‘H-he was a musician, like me,’ she stuttered.

  ‘Who is she?’

  ‘His life gone. Instantly.’

  The gnome hadn’t yet had much cause to think about mortality, but now she recalled her encounter with Alla’fyr in the tomb. She had always thought the rules worked differently for gnomes, and yet here was stark evidence to the contrary.

  ‘Who is she?’ Vadania repeated. ‘And why does she have an idol?’

  ‘Do you think I’ll end up like that too?’ Sawwse muttered. The little gnome’s eyes were glazed over.

  Vadania stared at the gnome intently, remembering when she herself had last been so innocent. It rankled with her.

  ‘You have chosen the path of adventure, Sawwse. Something like this should not hold you in place for too long.’

  ‘But they’re dead. They’re actually dead,’ Sawwse said, tearing up.

  ‘This is not a game. Your innocence is charming, but it is also dangerous.’

  ‘Do you have no sympathy for them?’

  The hunter looked again at the wreckage of the city, and then back at Sawwse.

  ‘We elves have a reputation for being naturally aloof. This isn’t true of all of us. Many of us are simply more attuned to a temporality that extends past minutiae.’

  The gnome was clearly unsatisfied by this answer.

  ‘Minutiae? This is minutiae?’

  ‘Many would believe so. What is this on a galactic scale?’

  ‘There are people lying dead not forty gnome strides away from us, and you can talk of a galactic scale,’ Sawwse said, in disbelief.

  ‘I understand this situation better than you know,’ Vadania said through gritted teeth. Sawwse was oblivious to the anger slowly filling the elf’s eyes.

  ‘How could you know? You’re always off hunting huge beasts on your own, probably for sport.’

  The next thing she knew, the ground had been taken from under her feet and she landed hard against it. Vadania looked as fierce as ever as she towered over the gnome.

  ‘Don’t push me, gnome,’ she said severely. The elf leaned in closer and added, ‘I like you, but I’m not here to babysit.’

  As Sawwse picked herself back up, Ruby returned from the sky. He transformed on impact, rolling forward a few times in his human form.

  ‘I-I saw no one,’ he squawk-stuttered. ‘There’s no movement down there.’

  The gnome was silent, shaken by Vadania’s lesson. She stared at the ground, trying her best not to look sullen.

  ‘This is bad,’ the elf said, retreating to her laconic style. She thought that nothing this side of Esh’areth was able to cause this much destruction. The elf looked back at the drake’s body behind her. ‘Perhaps your cousins,’ she wondered. But no, this clearly had something to do with that strange woman: Mirrah. Power emanated from her.

  Ruby moved next to Sawwse and spoke quietly to her.

  ‘That lady back there, Mirrah. Do you think she did this?’

  ‘No,’ snapped Sawwse, defensively. She kicked a stone across the magical threshold surrounding the city. Yellow sparks buzzed in a nearby cloud of smoke. She looked again at the dead gnome with the guitar and sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know. The Mirrah I met wasn’t a bad person.’

  Appearing from behind one of the split buildings with the monk at her side, Corinne shook her head sadly as she approached the others.

  ‘No one. There’s just no one.’

  ‘Damnit!’ Vadania shouted to the sky. She hung her head and breathed out a long, slow sigh. ‘We should go.’

  They all walked back to Mirrah. She was as they left her, unstirring and still slumped against the tree, the drake carcass nearby. Vadania grabbed at the idol in Mirrah’s hand, but couldn’t wrest it from her clasp: flesh and rock had fused, making it impossible to separate them.

  ‘What on Esh is that?’ the monk asked with raised eyebrows as he stared at Mirrah’s misshapen hand.

  ‘It doesn’t concern you,’ the elf shot back. She drew one of her swords and held it above Mirrah’s arm.

  ‘Stop!’ Sawwse shouted. ‘What are you thinking?’

  ‘The idol is what’s important.’

  ‘Sounds significant,’ the monk said, barely concealing his mocking tone.

  ‘Stay out of this,’ Vadania ordered.

  ‘He might be able to help,’ Ruby squeaked. ‘He might have heard rumours.’

  Sawwse ran to Mirrah’s side and placed her arm in the way of Vadania’s blade.

  ‘Rumours about what?’ the monk queried with a gentle smile.

  Vadania stared at Sawwse with fury. She made to speak, but found that she had no voice. The others tried to shout, but they were also muted. They spun around to find Corinne holding her magic manual open.

  ‘I’m very sorry about that, but I think it’s probably appropriate to return to Rhyddinas as quickly as possible without any further exchange of information,’ she said, waving her hand to dispel the ward of silence. ‘Of course, I share Vadania’s concerns about bringing this unknown individual back to the guild, but let’s let Convener decide the next course of action.’

  Vadania sheathed her sword and heaved Mirrah’s body onto the drake carcass, securing it in place with rope. Once finished, she began hauling both bodies back towards Rhyddinas without another word to the others. Ruby followed swiftly behind, half apologising to the monk.

  ‘Thank you for your help searching the city, and I’m very sorry for your loss,’ Corinne said. She bowed and then followed after Vadania and Ruby.

  The monk nodded and smiled.

  Sawwse felt uneasy. ‘How could he wear such an easy smile after his city had been destroyed?’ she thought. There was something else too. Something almost hostile about that smile. Perhaps it was more like a smirk.

  ‘What will you do now?’ Sawwse asked, suddenly nervous.

  ‘I need to report back to the head of my church,’ the monk lied. ‘But first I’ll stay here awhile, preparing prayers.’

  ‘I wish Zell a speedy recovery.’

  Sawwse quickly bowed her head and hastened after the others.

  ‘In’t that sweet,’ the monk said, once they were out of earshot.

  He took out a cigarette and a match from within a pocket of his habit. His frame began to narrow, and his round stomach shrank. He lit the cigarette and breathed in the sickly-sweet perfume it produced, savouring it. Tilting back his head, he let out a cloud of cyan into the air, and watched it dissipate.

  ‘Well, back t’boss I go.’

  Francesco grinned. He squatted before rocketing up into the air. The monk’s habit and human flesh fell away, leaving a magnificent bird of prey to streak through the sky as Alla’fyr’s loyal lieutenant returned to his captain.

  --

  The sky darkened, folded in on itself and then lashed rain down on them as they walked back through the forest in near-silence. The heavens cried for Zell.

  Each of the guild mates tried to process the destructio
n of the city in their own way. Ruby spent much of the walk shuffling along in the form of a morose badger, while Vadania increased her pace yet again, leaving the others struggling to catch up. Corinne went over the scale of the destruction in her head, trying to remember anything she’d learnt during her studies that might help. For once, poor little Sawwse didn’t feel like singing, humming, or playing any music. She wished she could wipe the image of Zell from her mind’s eye. Whenever she caught up with Vadania, she would check on Mirrah with an attentiveness that surprised the others. Sawwse felt incredibly conflicted about her. Their first encounter had started with a knife to her throat, but had ended with a desire and longing she couldn’t quite describe. To think that Mirrah was capable of destruction on the scale of Zell was surely absurd. But how much did she know about her, really? Sawwse’s thoughts circled and cycled uselessly for the rest of the journey back to The Happy Hearth.

  --

  Grimiser the landlord wasn’t particularly happy about the drake carcass forced through the front door of his pub, and even less happy when there appeared to be a hostage strapped to its back, but after facing Vadania’s glowering look, he thought better of making a fuss.

  Inside, Convener was once again sat in a large wingback chair by the unlit hearth. Rangrim and Osrik sat on stools nearby. They watched as their guild mates trudged into the room, each wearing a gloomier expression than the last. Rangrim missed the obvious social cue and excitedly leapt from his seat.

  ‘Oh wow, you brought something too? Look what we brought.’

  He pointed to the corner of the room where a large coiled rock snake lay dead, a fissure running through its jaw and along its body.

  ‘We have a problem,’ Vadania said, cutting through his good humour. She loosened Mirrah from the drake, while keeping her arms bound, and laid her down on the floor in front of the empty hearth.

  The eyes of Convener’s mask widened as he spotted the idol fused into the flesh of Mirrah’s hand.

  ‘She needs our help,’ said Sawwse, sitting by Mirrah’s side.

  Vadania, Corinne and Ruby sat down near Convener and took it in turns to explain in detail what had happened: finding Mirrah with the idol, the destruction of Zell and the suspicious monk’s account of events.

  As ever, Convener looked pensive while they talked.

  ‘The power to destroy a city,’ sighed Osrik. His eyes took on a bewildered look as he spoke. ‘I’ve seen a lot in my time, but the power to destroy on that scale comes few and far between. But then again, to survive it… who is this woman?’

  ‘Yes, I agree it is concerning,’ Convener said. He held his hands together, pressing his fingers lightly against his lips. The group sat in silence for some time while they waited for his next response. ‘I’ll return to the question of Mirrah shortly, but her entry into this race for the idols is unexpected and unwelcome. However, we should be grateful in some way, because in her hands we find the second map.’

  ‘What do you mean by second map?’ queried Corinne.

  ‘Allow me to clarify. As we already knew, I expect there to be three idols in total. However, I now believe that each idol carries a map within it, concealed by magic. All three of these maps combined should lead us to the exact location of the ancienmākhanā. As of now, we have two of these three maps in our possession.’

  ‘Sorry, but didn’t we lose the first idol?’ Sawwse asked, confused.

  ‘We lost the idol, but we have the map.’

  Convener pulled out a scroll and unfurled it. On it was drawn an intricate design, clearly depicting a landscape of some kind.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ the gnome said, shaking her head.

  ‘He won’t explain properly,’ said Osrik, gruffly.

  ‘We’ve been asking all day,’ laughed Rangrim.

  ‘We keep a spy in the court of Dorienne. He witnessed the magic used to open the idol’s secrets,’ Convener elaborated. ‘We acquired this map based on his memory. It should serve us well. As will the second idol.’

  ‘How did you return the map here?’ Sawwse inquired.

  ‘The spy is my vassal,’ he said by way of explanation. Convener then turned his attention to Mirrah. He knelt in front of her and lifted her head into his lap. As he placed a finger on either side of Mirrah’s face he fell into a trance. After a few moments, a shimmering light appeared above the unconscious woman’s body. The others watched the golden light turn grey and diseased. Convener suddenly began to jerk and twitch, and was finally flung backwards, smacking into the wall.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Sawwse rushed forward to help, but Convener waved her away.

  ‘A curse,’ Convener said quietly. He adjusted his cloak and reclaimed his seat in the wingback chair. ‘You did the right thing in seeking a Zellean cleric to tend to her, but the wound is unimportant now. The curse is severe and…’ he trailed off.

  ‘What are you hiding from us?’ Vadania asked.

  ‘What’s important is that we only have one remaining idol to find.’

  The others were unsatisfied with Convener’s response, but found themselves unable to question him. They sat for a while waiting for further elaboration, but instead Convener rolled up the scroll and left his position by the hearth. As he reached the bar, he slipped a small purse to Grimiser. Turning back to the group, he said,

  ‘Thank you for your work thus far. The landlord will see to your meals and drinks for the foreseeable future.’

  Convener walked back to the hearth and picked Mirrah up, leaving the room without another word.

  Sawwse watched him leave, full of concern for Mirrah. She was still conflicted over her feelings for Mirrah, but mostly she just wanted to know she was alright. Ruby placed a comforting hand on the gnome’s shoulder.

  ‘The Ancient Device allows the user to control time,’ said Corinne out of the blue. ‘If we controlled it, could we not go backwards somehow and save Zell?’

  ‘If something that powerful exists, you think you’d have any say in the matter?’ Osrik growled.

  ‘I know exactly what I would change,’ Vadania said, menacingly.

  ‘Ale!’ Rangrim shouted from his stool, disrupting the serious conversation. ‘Ales all round.’

  The dwarf’s childish enthusiasm for beer made the gnome smile for the first time in what felt like an age, but was in reality more like half a day. Sawwse took a deep breath, chuckled and pulled the lute from her bag. There was no sense in staying miserable when there was little she could do. She began playing a cheery number, thumping the side of the lute to create a beat while she strummed.

  Their spirits were raised by the gnome’s joyful music, the ale, and the hearty food brought in by Grimiser. Osrik explained how the rock snake had ended up in the pub - it mostly involved Rangrim’s massive two-handed sword and an incredible feat of strength. The younger dwarf necked his pint and then beamed at the group, his rosy-cheeks even more flushed than usual and his beard covered in froth. Sawwse, Ruby and the others fell about laughing. Even Vadania stifled a chuckle.

  While the adventurers let off steam, Convener returned to the inn’s cellar. He waved his hands to a blank wall, and the bricks fell away, reforming again once he had stepped into the room he had co-opted as his own. The walls were bare and the only object of any kind was a simple wooden bed. He placed Mirrah gently on the bed and stood over her, staring at the idol.

  ‘Now, let’s try that again,’ he said, placing his hands on either side of her head.

  --

  Beyond the Blue Mountains, night had settled in, in Doriana. The dome’s magnificent glass spire glistened in the moonlight, its refractions dancing upon the surrounding stone. Unbeknownst to most Doriennes, there was a small gap at the cusp of the dome. Through the gap, a platform had been positioned. Perhaps it had been intended as a viewing platform, as it was in the perfect position to more closely inspect the paintings that adorned the inside of the dome: famous battles and moments in Dorienne hist
ory. The stairs leading to the platform had never been finished, so the platform remained mostly inaccessible. Yet there stood Francesco, returned to human form, blowing his colourful clouds of perfumed smoke.

  Francesco had flown straight to Doriana from Zell. He’d soared above the adventurers as they made their way back through the forest. He’d passed the dirty pit stop where he, Mauro and Alla’fyr had ditched the old dwarf Osrik a few weeks prior. And then he flew over the Blue Mountains, not too close, of course, no need to court unnecessary trouble from bandits. Finally, as he reached Doriana, he let out a scream into the cool night air and landed on the platform.

  After a moment, the empty space next to Francesco began to shift, the air to blur. He held his hands out to the distortion and warmed them in the rapidly increasing heat. A moment later the warped space erupted in flames. Alla’fyr appeared through the fire and onto the platform beside him, before waving her hand carelessly to close the portal behind her.

  ‘Boss.’

  Francesco tipped his head.

  ‘Apologies again for sending you to tail the gnome. Not the most interesting assignment.’

  ‘In’t nothing to apologise for. Turned out more interestin’ than you’d think.’

  The shapeshifter explained what he had witnessed, from the drake, to the idol, to the destruction of Zell. He spoke slowly throughout, stopping often to take long drags on his cigarette. There was no amusement in his voice when he spoke of Zell, but no sympathy either.

  Alla’fyr paused to consider the information. She was framed by a huge painting depicting a great Dorienne king of yore. The king held hands with townsfolk from many different races and cultures, and behind them stood the Blue Mountain range.

  ‘This complicates things. Her name is Mirrah, you say? Any sense of who she is?’

  ‘Couldn’t tell.’

  ‘I wonder what her motives are. I’ll sit tight on this for now. We’ll tell the queen in due course. You’ve done well, thank you. Head back to Magnarra and continue your work there. We’ll have this continent before long.’