Quest's End: The Broken Key #3

by Brian S. Pratt

  Moving to the top of the steps, Wagon Master Coric looked down to see about his slow footed porters. He saw several men at the base of the steps beginning to make their way up. “About time,” he said.

  All of a sudden, the view to the bottom grew obscured. He wasn’t at all sure what it was. Then a wind began blowing forcefully out of the canyon. “What?” he asked himself just as a wall of yellowish fog rolled over the cliff’s edge and enveloped him. He only had a moment to wonder at this strange occurrence before consciousness left him.

  “Nice,” commented Bart.

  Above them, Kevik had cast half a dozen of his sleep clouds. Then he had cast his wind spell to blow its vapors up and over into the stockade. With any luck, by the time he and the others reached the edge of the vaporous clouds, everyone in the stockade would be unconscious.

  With the winds blowing, Bart led the way up the steps. Behind him came Chyfe then Riyan. Kevik followed closely with the twins and Chad bringing up the rear.

  “Watch out!” Bart hollered as a dark shape plummeted down toward them from the top. It was a body, probably someone who had been too close to the edge of the cliff when the vaporous cloud of sleep had rolled over the top. When the man hit the side of the canyon wall on his way down, he failed to make any noise. He struck three more times before finally coming to rest at the bottom.

  Riyan glanced upward to the top where the vaporous cloud of Kevik’s sleep spell was being whipped by his wind spell. Other than the movement of the cloud, the area was still.

  “Come on,” Bart said as he resumed his climb to the top. Moving quickly, he took the steps two at a time as he flew to the top. He continuously cast glances for any movement up there, and was glad to find none. Bart finally came to a stop when he was within ten steps of where the vaporous cloud began. At this point, the wind of Kevik’s spell was blowing fairly strong.

  On the steps far below, he could see Kevik bringing up the rear as he ascended very slowly. The magic user wasn’t in the best of shape for this kind of exertion, his kind rarely were. Already, Chad and the twins had bypassed him.

  “Kevik!” Bart yelled down but his words were lost amidst the sound of the wind. When the magic user failed to respond, he grew frustrated. Just then, the wind spell came to an end.

  With the roar of the wind gone, Bart was about to yell again when he saw the yellow cloud of the sleep spell begin falling toward him. Without the wind pushing it upward, the vapors began moving downward. “Kevik!” Bart yelled as he backed down the steps, his eyes glued to the wall of yellowish fog growing ever closer.

  Ten steps further down, he heard Riyan yell, “Kevik! Cancel the spell!”

  The fog was beginning to pick up speed and was rapidly overtaking Bart. If it hit him while he was on the steps, his fate might be the same as the man who had plummeted to his death.

  Then it was gone. Glancing back down the steps he saw Kevik wave to him. Waving back, Bart once again took the steps quickly to the top. Riyan and Chyfe weren’t far behind. Then came the twins and Chad, with Kevik fifty steps even further down, huffing and puffing as he tried to keep up.

  Two at a time, Bart raced up the steps toward the top of the cliff face. When he was ten steps away, he slowed his pace. From previous times Kevik had used his sleep spell, he knew that once it was dispelled, those caught within it would begin to regain consciousness. It could take up to ten minutes before they would completely rid themselves of its effects, but some overcame it faster than others.

  Bart clutched a dart in his right hand, another three were gripped in his left. The top of the cliff was still deserted, and so he crept up the last few steps until he came to the top.

  “Be careful,” advised Riyan from where he crouched on the step below his friend.

  Not taking his eyes from the top, Bart nodded in reply. Then moving carefully, he edged forward and peered over to the top of the cliff.

  Within a wide arc starting at the top of the steps, men who had been knocked unconscious by Kevik’s spell were beginning to stir. The fifth wagon they had seen in Kevik’s bowl, stood not far from the top step. Its two horses were weakly struggling in their traces to regain their feet since the sleep spell had affected them too. The driver lay across the buckboard, his head lolling to one side as he moved about feebly.

  Movement caught Bart’s eye and he saw a group of seven men far off to the right. They were staring at the men lying on the ground with fear on their faces. The vaporous cloud must not have reached where they had been. Other than those seven men, everyone else looked to have succumbed to its effect.

  Bart turned to Riyan and pointed off to the right. “Seven men,” he said.

  “Guards?” Riyan asked as he peered over to see.

  Peering over the top again, Bart looked and saw that only two were armed. “Two,” he said. “The others could be workers.” Beyond the seven men he saw a sight that filled him with joy. Four horses stood in a small corral. He would have preferred seven, but four was better than nothing. The rest of the horses that had been in the camp, including the draft horses for the wagons, had all been affected. They couldn’t afford to wait for them to recover, as by that time, everyone else in the camp would have too.

  “Ready?” asked Bart.

  Riyan nodded and gripped the hilt of his sword.

  He turned his gaze back to the seven men. One of the two armed men was now kneeling at the side of another who was coming back to consciousness. In fact, the whole camp was stirring. Two men by the gate had already regained their feet and were shuffling about trying to help their comrades.

  “Let’s go,” Bart said. Leaping from his crouched position, he landed on the top of the cliff and bolted to the right. Before he had taken his second step, the first dart was already on its way toward the kneeling man.

  Bart saw one of the unarmed men take notice of him but it didn’t immediately register that he was a threat. But when the first dart struck and the man cried out, they knew.

  “Attack!” one cried out. “We’re under attack!”

  A dart struck the second armed man just as he was drawing his sword. Moving toward Bart, he only took three steps before the dart’s poison hit the blood stream and began to take its toll.

  Bart threw another dart as the man stumbled and hit the ground. “Get the horses,” he yelled.

  When the unarmed men saw the second man drop, they fled toward the far edge of the stockade. They didn’t stop until they reached the drop-off.

  Not being a threat, Bart didn’t waste any time in subduing them. Glancing back, he saw Chyfe standing at the top of the cliff with sword in hand as he quickly took in the camp.

  Bart got his attention and shouted, “Stay there and protect the others.”

  Chyfe nodded. Moving to the top of the steps, he took position there to guard those still on the steps from any threat. Chad joined him after he reached the top.

  Riyan was already saddling one of the horses when Bart joined him. Nodding over to a tent situated nearby, he said, “Saddles and tack are in there.”

  “Right,” replied Bart. Hurrying within the tent, he soon emerged with a saddle and blanket. As he began to saddle one of the horses, he saw Seth and Soth appear at the top of the steps. They glanced in his direction and he pointed over to the gate. “The gate!” he yelled.

  Seth nodded, then he and his brother raced through the rapidly recovering men on their way to get the gate open. One soldier tried to reach out and grab Soth’s ankle as he passed, but Soth easily avoided him.

  At the gate, men were shambling about as they continuously worked to overcome the affects of the spell. A couple even had their swords out and were moving toward the twins.

  “I’ll take ‘em brother,” Seth said as he drew his sword. “You get the gate.” As Soth raced for the wooden beam keeping the gate closed, Seth moved to engage those who had shaken off the affects enough to become a nuisance.

  Chad turned toward Seth as the clang of sword striking sword was
heard. Glancing back down the steps, he saw that Kevik had paused twenty steps from the top to catch his breath. The magic user was leaning heavily upon his staff and breathing laboriously.

  “Hurry up!” Chad hollered down to him. “The affects of your spell is wearing off fast.”

  “I’m…” Kevik said, then stopped to gasp as he took in air, “I’m going as fast as I can.”

  Chad and Chyfe watched as Kevik moved a foot to the next step and resumed his climb to the top.

  “Think we should go down and carry him?” asked Chyfe.

  When Chad looked to him, he saw the Catha-born fighter grinning. He shook his head. Then he drew his sword and pushed Chyfe aside as he blocked the downward swing of a sword gripped in both hands of a guard. “No,” Chad replied as he knocked the sword to the side. “We have other things to worry about.” Kicking out with his foot, he sent the guard sprawling backwards.

  Behind the guard, a dozen other individuals had regained sufficient equilibrium to walk and draw their swords. Five of them were on their way to the corral where Riyan and Bart were busily saddling the last two horses, the other seven moved toward Chad and Chyfe. Further back in the camp near the buildings, one man in armor was shouting as he ordered his men to their feet. At least that’s what Chad thought he was doing as his speech was so slurred, the man’s words couldn’t be understood.

  “Oh…man,” a breathless Kevik said from behind Chad. Glancing back, Chad saw the magic user standing but four steps from the top.

  “Give me a hand,” Kevik said. “I…” All of a sudden, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, his face turned pale, and fainted.

  Chad immediately raced down and reached him just as the magic user was about to roll off the steps and plummet to the ground far below. “Kevik!” Chad yelled as he dragged him securely back onto the steps. Once Kevik was no longer in danger of slipping off, Chad raised one of Kevik’s eyelids and found him unresponsive. He put his ear to his chest and thankfully heard the lub-dub beat of Kevik’s heart. “Thank god you’re alive,” he said.

  With sword once again in its scabbard, Chad picked up the unconscious magic user and his staff and carried them the remaining distance to the top. “Guess we should have carried you after all,” he said softly to himself.

  Kevik had had little time to recuperate from the ordeal of passing through the Wrath of Hennon before he had been asked to cast spells. Then the time spent beneath the ground searching for the key, more spells, followed by an arduous climb to the top of the canyon walls. No wonder he had passed out. He simply wasn’t cut out for such exertion.

  As Chad topped the cliff with Kevik in his arms, Chyfe was embroiled with two combatants not ten feet away. Easily blocking their attacks, he deflected one man’s sword to the side. Quickly following through with a thrust to the other, he took him between the ribs. He had to kick out with his foot in order to dislodge the man and barely recovered in time to block an overhand hack by the first. Using the crossguard of his sword, he trapped the man’s blade.

  “Finish it!” hollered Chad.

  Chyfe glanced back and saw Chad carrying Kevik. With a deft twist of his blade, Chyfe jerked his opponent’s blade from his hands. Then with a well placed kick, broke the man’s knee. A cry of pain was torn from the man as he crashed to the ground.

  “Chad! Chyfe!”

  Riyan and Bart were riding toward them, each holding the reins of another horse. As Riyan drew near, he saw the state Kevik was in and asked Chad, “What happened to him?”

  “Over exerted himself,” he said.

  Riyan came to a stop and reached for the magic user. With Chad’s help, Kevik was soon slumped before him on the horse. Chyfe had already mounted one of the spares, and he and Bart were racing for the gate.

  Swinging up on the horse Riyan was leading, Chad was quickly in the saddle.

  A group of armed men led by the man wearing armor were moving toward the gate. Seth and Soth had their swords drawn and were set to meet them. Behind the twins, the gate stood open.

  Bart and Chyfe were almost upon the men. The leader had taken notice of the approaching riders and set half his men to meet them, the other half continued toward Seth and Soth.

  “We better hurry,” Chad said to Riyan. Indeed, more and more of the men within the stockade were regaining their feet.

  Riyan had one arm around Kevik’s chest while the other held the reins. “Lead on,” he said, then he and Chad began making their way toward the gate. Ahead of them, they watched as Bart and Chyfe raced for the waiting men. Then at the last minute they swerved to the right.

  Racing around the men, they bolted for the twins and soon reached their side. “Seth!” Bart yelled, reaching a hand down for him.

  Seth quickly sheathed his sword and grabbed Bart’s hand as he came close and swung up behind him. At the same time, Chyfe was doing the same with Soth.

  Chad and Riyan were taking a more circuitous route through the stockade on their way to the gate in order to avoid coming close to the leader and his men. When they rounded the building situated closest to the gate, they saw Bart and Chyfe with the twins.

  Bart saw them appear and turned his horse toward the gate. Before he could get his horse in motion, a man came out of nowhere and charged with a knife. By the way he was dressed he had to have been one of the wagon drivers. Seth saw him first and kicked out as the man approached, catching him in the jaw.

  Then with a cry, Bart kicked his horse in the sides and bolted for the gate. A split second later, Chyfe did the same. Riyan and Chad reached the gate the same time as did Bart and Chyfe and together, they fled from the stockade.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  __________________________

  The road leading from the stockade was little more than a dirt path cutting through the hills. Bart didn’t slow until the stockade had disappeared behind them. Even then, he had them keep a quick pace. For he knew that once the horses still in the stockade recovered from the affects of Kevik’s spell, the chase would be on.

  “How’s he doing?” asked Bart, glancing back to Riyan.

  Riyan shrugged. “He’s alive.” Kevik remained unconscious.

  Bringing his horse to a stop, Bart turned around. “See if you can bring him around,” he said to Riyan. “More than likely we’re going to need his magic before long.”

  Riyan nodded.

  Chad quickly dismounted and moved to help his friend in easing Kevik to the ground.

  Bart dismounted, then said to Seth, “Range on ahead. See if you can find somewhere we can acquire more horses.”

  “You got it,” replied Seth. Moving forward on the horse, he took his place in the saddle Bart had just vacated.

  Soth dismounted from where he had been sitting behind Chyfe and went to his brother. “Here,” he said. Taking the ring which allowed one to communicate magically with the bearer of the other, he handed it to his brother. “This may come in handy.”

  Taking the ring, Seth slipped it on his finger and said, “Thanks.”

  “You be careful,” Soth warned his brother. “Don’t make me have to explain to father why you didn’t come back.”

  Seth gave his brother a grin then kicked his horse in the sides. As he rode off, he hollered, “I wouldn’t do that to you brother!”

  Bart watched Seth leave then turned to Chyfe. Indicating the last rise they had crossed, he said, “Go and keep an eye out for pursuit. It’s only a matter of time before they come.”

  “Very well,” replied Chyfe and was soon on his way to the rise.

  Bart and Soth came to where Riyan and Chad were working to revive Kevik. “Any luck?” Bart asked.

  Riyan had Kevik’s healing gem out and was holding it against Kevik’s forehead. The gem remained quiescent. “It’s not working,” he said.

  “It may be that he isn’t injured,” suggested Soth. “It could be he’s simply exhausted. We’ve been through a lot with little rest.”

  Bart observed their ineffectiv
e measures and sighed. Finally, he removed his water bottle, opened it, and upended it above Kevik’s face. No sooner had the water hit the tip of Kevik’s nose, than the magic user’s eyes flew open and he begun sputtering and flailing his arms about. “That should do it,” he said as he restoppered his water bottle.

  “Wh…what?” Kevik asked, glancing to the others.

  “How do you feel?” Riyan asked with concern in his voice.

  “Thirsty,” he said.

  Handing the magic user his now half filled water bottle, Bart said, “We were worried about you.”

  Kevik took the bottle and drained its contents. When he was done he glanced around at their surroundings. “How did we get here?” he asked.

  Riyan summed up what had happened after he passed out on the steps. “…and so, we are about five miles from the stockade with only four horses between us. Seth’s gone ahead to scout for more and we expect pursuit to develop any time.”

  Kevik returned the empty bottle to Bart. “Thanks,” he said.

  “Any time,” Bart replied.

  On the rise behind them, Chyfe still stood watch which was a good sign. How long Seth would be gone was anyone’s guess. Bart just hoped he would have the good sense to stay near the road so they could find him.

  “Can you ride?” Chad asked Kevik.

  Kevik nodded. “Yes,” he replied. As he started to get up, Chad handed him his staff. With its support, he was able to stand.

  Riyan went to his horse and mounted. Then with Chad lending his help, Kevik was able to make it up onto the horse in front of Riyan. “Sleep if you need to,” Riyan told him as he wrapped an arm around his chest. “You’ll not fall,” he replied.

  Bart hollered for Chyfe’s return and swung up behind him when he arrived. Chad and Soth rode together on the last horse. “I hope your brother finds more horses,” Chad commented to Soth.

  “So do I,” came the reply.

  Once everyone was mounted, they again headed west along the wagon wheel rutted dirt path. As before, they maintained a fast pace that covered miles quickly.