by Jason Kenyon
‘Don’t be tricked by his foolish exterior,’ Neurion said. ‘Within him beats a heart of darkness.’
‘Terrible, isn’t it?’ Obdo said. ‘Can’t help what you’re born with, though.’
‘Sometimes we cannot choose our demise either,’ Neurion said.
‘Neurion, I think it may be time…’ Archimegadon began.
‘Not yet,’ Neurion said. ‘He still has a chance at redemption.’
‘Right.’
Their wanderings took them to the edge of the trees, and light greeted them like a great wall of magic power, blinding them and making their eyes water. Days in the forest had done little for their day vision. Once they had become accustomed to the light again they beheld a small valley, and there, filling the very centre, was a great wooden construction crawling with little figures moving this way and that. Bridges spanned great gaps between rickety towers, smoke rose from forges and armed soldiers manned the walls.
This was the less-than-subtle base of the Dusk Alliance.
‘We made it,’ Neurion said. ‘Our enemy stands before us.’
‘I see,’ Archimegadon said, feeling a little ill. This was no regular thieves’ base. It was a fortress, and it looked as though the Dusk Alliance was arming itself for war. He had fooled himself into thinking that this thief alliance might be fairly small in scale, despite the threat they posed, but from the look of things sneaking in would be a bigger problem than anticipated.
‘Question,’ Obdo said.
‘Go ahead,’ Neurion said.
‘How are we going to get in, kill their assassin leader and get out again unharmed?’ Obdo asked. ‘Just a thought. Security looks kinda tight.’
‘That’s no problem for us!’ Neurion said.
‘We couldn’t beat a bunch of spiders,’ Obdo said.
‘Minor hiccup,’ Neurion said. ‘This time I will not have you in my way when I cast the Spell of Holy Fury. With that alone I could defeat the entire base.’
‘I hope we don’t have to rely on that,’ Archimegadon said.
‘Why don’t we just burn it down?’ Obdo asked.
‘If it was that easy then Lord Bartell would be here with an army of knights,’ Valia replied. ‘Our target is Akarith. She’s the foundation of this entire thing. Without her they’re just a bunch of thieves and mercenaries out for themselves. That’s why only a band of adventurers was sent to deal with this. We cannot afford to scare Akarith off. We need her dead, not alive to fight another day.’
‘I’m not really all that comfortable with killing people,’ Obdo said. ‘Can’t we just capture her or…’
‘Silence, oaf!’ Archimegadon said. ‘You’re a Thug for Hire, not a weakling! This is how life goes when you take up the sword… or club, or whatever weapon you choose. Did you miss out on the last war?’
‘Yes, since it was before I was born,’ Obdo replied. ‘I guess that was the one against Tel Ariel. I forget these things. Why, were you there?’
‘Indeed I was,’ Archimegadon replied. ‘Albeit not as a mage, in those days.’ He frowned. ‘Nor as a soldier, really. I delivered food and all sorts to troops.’
‘So you took the coward’s job?’ Obdo asked.
‘Armies cannot function without food,’ Valia cut in. ‘Cargo transports are big targets, too. Wagon runners were brave people.’ She glared at Archimegadon. ‘I cannot see you being a wagon runner.’
‘Ever a charmer,’ Archimegadon said. ‘However, that was back in my handyman days. I was indeed a wagon runner, delivering to people all across Valanthas. They even sent things to attack us.’ His conversational tone faded a bit at this last comment.
‘I’m surprised you don’t have more backbone, old man,’ Valia said.
‘Bah, you don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Archimegadon said, looking surprisingly irritated. ‘But my handyman days are over. I am Archimegadon, Mage for Hire, not some useless, gullible fool.’
‘Uh… anyway, the thieves,’ Valia said, changing subject quickly. ‘Yes, Obdo, we do have to kill Akarith. She has committed treason by raising an army against the King, and rulers rarely forgive that sort of thing.’
Neurion blinked. ‘Does anyone get the feeling that we’re being watched?’
‘No,’ Archimegadon replied.
‘Just me, I guess,’ Neurion said.
‘Right, let’s have a look at this base,’ Valia said, searching through her backpack and pulling out a little spyglass. She lay down on her stomach at the edge of the forest and looked through. ‘Akarith will probably have a big central building to act as her quarters. Knowing our luck, her real quarters will probably be underground well out of sight and reach.’
‘The way of thieves,’ Neurion said, hiding out of sight with the others behind a tree next to Valia.
‘It’s something to look for, anyway,’ Valia said, ducking behind the tree to join the others. ‘We need to somehow find out where Akarith is. Who here could disguise themselves in order to fool these thieves?’ She looked at them all expectantly.
‘Ah, well here’s the problem, Valia,’ Archimegadon replied, feeling very happy indeed. ‘The three of us were ambushed by Felick Broadblade and some of his men – the Barkers, did you call them? - in Salien. Therefore, it would be far, far too risky for one of us to adopt any sort of disguise. We would be spotted in an instant.’
‘Broadblade was imprisoned, you claimed,’ Valia said. ‘And his group is called Broadblade’s Breakers.’
‘By the Salien guards,’ Archimegadon said with a laugh. ‘A mercenary would break his way out of there within a matter of minutes.’
‘I’ve been to Salien,’ Valia said, her eyes narrowed. ‘You might be right.’
‘But who of us four would be able to go in, then?’ Neurion asked. He was having trouble with numbers, but Valia probably didn’t realise to judge by the look she gave him.
‘I am a noble knight,’ she said. ‘Such scum would notice that I was out of place.’
‘You’ll fit right in,’ Archimegadon said. ‘You can pretend to be a thief and sign up. Within minutes they will accept you into the very centre of their operation.’
‘I think you’re being a little optimistic here, old man.’
‘Not at all!’ Archimegadon gestured at Uldraxios, which was leaning against another tree. ‘Offer the glaive as something they could auction off to one of their rich clients in Aldrack.’
‘I’m not giving up this glaive,’ Valia said, grabbing it and hugging it to herself. ‘It’s a family heirloom! It’s the only thing I own that is actually worth something.’
‘You’ll be able to buy something else,’ Archimegadon said, raising an eyebrow. ‘You have five relorans, for heaven’s sake! Besides, if we’re going to destroy this operation, we can just steal it back! It isn’t stealing if it’s from thieves, remember?’
‘That wasn’t anywhere in my training,’ Valia replied.
‘He’s right, you know,’ Obdo said to Valia. ‘There’s going to be rich pickings in there!’
‘All magical items are to be given into the hands of the Mage Schools,’ Neurion said. ‘Only Orgus Alhamis and the mages of Valanthas will be able to decide what needs to be done with these artefacts.’
‘Only who?’ Obdo asked.
‘Orgus Alhamis,’ Archimegadon replied. ‘Head of the Order of Mages, you imbecile!’
‘Wow, you actually know something,’ Valia said with a wry smile.
‘I have a certificate signed by him personally,’ Archimegadon said.
‘It probably isn’t actually signed by him, you know,’ Valia said.
‘What isn’t signed?’ Obdo asked.
‘He’s talking about his Mage School certificate he got when he “passed” his course,’ Valia replied. ‘Right, old man?’
‘Shut up,’ Archimegadon replied. ‘We were talking about you becoming a thief, anyway. It will be entirely necessary for the success of our mission.’
‘We don’t have to sne
ak in using a disguise, you know,’ Valia said. ‘That was just one suggestion. And I bet you were planning on having me do the assassination by myself too.’
‘Now, Valia, be reasonable,’ Archimegadon said.
‘You three have to earn your pay too!’ Valia said.
‘We would never have escaped Mesellanillian’s curse without my help!’ Archimegadon said.
‘I wouldn’t have been caught in it without you either!’
‘Bah, that is entirely irrelevant,’ Archimegadon said.
‘Can we get on with this?’ Obdo asked.
‘Of course,’ Archimegadon replied, glaring at Valia. ‘The basic bottom line is that Valia will have to disguise herself as a thief and infiltrate the enemy base. Once she has scouted it out she shall return here to report on the layout, and we shall then plan our attack accordingly. Of course, should an opportunity to defeat Akarith present itself beforehand, then it will be up to Valia to take this opportunity.’
‘Good plan,’ Neurion said.
Valia just looked at Archimegadon.
‘What?’ Archimegadon gestured at her with the Staff of Antagules. ‘Get going! There’s a mission to be carried out.’
‘I am not doing all your work, old man,’ Valia said.
‘I was assigned leader,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Now do as you’re told.’
‘No.’
‘Yes!’
‘No.’
‘Neurion, explain to her,’ Archimegadon said.
‘Come on, Valia,’ Neurion said. ‘The rest of us are known to the Dusk Alliance.’
‘To a handful of them,’ Valia said. ‘And stupid ones, it sounds.’
‘Why don’t you summon a great fire to burn the place down?’ Obdo asked Archimegadon.
‘You oaf, I want to be sure to kill Akarith,’ Archimegadon lied. ‘If I used such a vast spell, we would never be able to see if the assassin was dead.’
‘Yeah, but the Dusk Alliance would be finished,’ Obdo said, shrugging.
‘We weren’t hired to destroy the Dusk Alliance,’ Archimegadon said. ‘As such. We are here to defeat their leader.’
‘We’ve already been paid,’ Obdo said. ‘Let’s just destroy everything and move on.’
‘Silence, oaf!’ Archimegadon kicked Obdo for good measure. ‘Now then, Valia, disguise yourself and head in.’
Valia looked from the Dusk Alliance base to Archimegadon and the other two. For a few seconds there was some defiance in her eyes, and then she wilted. She rested Uldraxios against a tree and folded her arms.
‘Very well, mage,’ she said. ‘I know that I cannot place the fate of Aldrack in your hands. Nor Obdo’s.’
‘What about me?’ Neurion asked, looking hopeful.
‘You’re stupider than them both!’ Valia replied. ‘But less corrupt, at least.’
‘How unfair,’ Obdo said.
‘This is our only real way to proceed, I suppose, given what we have to work with,’ Valia said. ‘But I am not going to be killing Akarith, you understand. I am going in, finding out the base structure and getting out.’ She pointed a finger in Archimegadon’s face. ‘Then you can do your job.’
‘I am doing it,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Now go and do yours. We will await your return.’ Although he didn’t await it with any relish.
‘My travelling clothes should do for now without much changing,’ Valia said. ‘I should probably get rid of the signets and sigils of my order though. All I need to do is look a bit like a ruffian.’
‘Well, get on and disguise yourself,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Don’t stand there yammering about it.’
‘I’m going to make sure you earn every one of those five relorans you got,’ Valia said. ‘And if you don’t… well, I have influence, old man.’
‘Balls,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Now begone. Away with you.’
‘I have half a mind to join them for real,’ Valia said with disgust.
*
And so it was that half an hour later Valia, Knight of Valanthas, found herself approaching the great base of the Dusk Alliance. She held Uldraxios tightly, possibly in the hope that it would fly her out if things went wrong. The thieves guarding the base’s entrance watched her with a certain amount of distrust, but at the same time they dismissed any threat since she was approaching their base without much sign of fear. Nobody sane would walk up to their base like this if they were an enemy.
Unfortunately, they had not reckoned on the insanity of Archimegadon.
Nor had Valia, who, it had to be said, was not in the best of moods. She knew that Archimegadon was probably watching, and it aggravated her to know that he was probably laughing at her this very moment. If not, then he was probably lazing about without a care in the world, which aggravated her even more.
She stopped before the gates of the Dusk Alliance’s base. Although the base had been built in a rush, the workmanship was quite competent, and Valia imagined that the gates would withstand some moderate bombardment. There was quite a noise from metalworking coming from within, and Valia pondered whether this Akarith was in fact creating an army to assault Aldrack. If that was the case, then it didn’t really bode well for her or her hopeless companions.
‘Who the hell are you?’ one of the guards asked.
‘My name is Valia,’ the knight replied. She had debated at length whether to assume a different name, but since it was possible that Neurion would have to disguise himself too at some point she had decided against it. There was no way she was going to trust Neurion to remember an alias.
‘And what are you doing here?’ The guard looked to the other to see if he had asked the right question, but the other just shrugged.
‘I am here to join you,’ Valia replied.
‘You want to what?’
‘Join you,’ Valia replied. ‘I’m a mercenary too. I want to help out. This is the biggest organisation for miles around, and I want in.’
‘Yeah, well…’ The guard paused to think of what he was going to say. ‘Uh, that is… I guess we could do with another hand on deck.’
‘If this was a ship,’ the other guard added.
Valia sighed. It was like talking to her companions. ‘Great. What, is that it? Isn’t there an induction ceremony or anything?’
The guards looked at each other. The first one scratched his slightly fuzzy chin. ‘Dunno. We’ve never had anyone coming here an’ asking to be let in.’
‘Ah, let her in,’ the other guard said. ‘Welcome to the Dusk Alliance, missy.’
‘Less of the missy, please,’ Valia said, her eyes narrowed to slits.
‘Ma’am,’ the guards said as one.
‘Here, I’ll open the gate,’ the first guard said, leading her towards the grand gateway.
For a moment Valia thought she was going to have the huge doors opened for her, but it turned out that there was a tiny little door in one of them that the guard unlocked and shoved her through. The entire Dusk Alliance opened out before her. This was it. Valia was inside, in the heart of the enemy. With her doing the work, nothing could go wrong. In a way, Archimegadon had been right.
Valia smiled to herself and headed towards the central building.
*
‘You’re a real hero, Sir Mage,’ Obdo said. ‘Then again, so am I. Hey ho.’
‘Silence, Obdo,’ Archimegadon said. ‘You are spoiling my enjoyment of this knight-free area. Now be off with you.’
‘She’ll be fine,’ Neurion said, staring across at the Dusk Alliance base. ‘Look, she’s going in.’
Archimegadon turned and watched the distant figure of Valia approach the gates, and Obdo joined him. ‘Akarith’s fate is sealed,’ the mage said. ‘This plan is perfect.’
‘Not quite,’ said a voice, and the three companions turned as one. They also, as one, saw the brief image of Felick Broadblade and several of his Breakers holding clubs before everything exploded into pretty light and then rather bemusing darkness.
Chapter Thirteen: Oops and Ouc
h
‘Wake up, Ardon,’ the voice called. ‘Wake up.’
‘Gaah, what the…’
Archimegadon tried to stand up but his hands slipped on rough sand. He glared and looked around, only to see that he was no longer near the Dusk Alliance base, nor was he inside it. He knew this place. He’d been here before.
It was one of the dream islands of Filikis. That is, what he assumed his mind thought the Isles of Filikis would look like, since he had never been there.
His legs got tangled in his robes and it took a few efforts to stand up. The medallion of the King banged against his chest and made him jump. He cast his eyes about, but there was no sign of the Staff of Antagules.
‘Good,’ the voice said. ‘Here, Ardon. By the waterfall.’
Archimegadon turned away from the beach and its endless blue horizon and beheld the very same waterfall that he had approached before, although that time he had been wearing a crown. He stopped at the edge of the pool and looked up at the rocky outcrop from where the water was falling. Atop it stood the mirror image of himself, although the doppelganger was wearing Archimegadon’s old red robes.
‘Oh, it’s you, knave,’ Archimegadon said. ‘That spirit. Why am I here again? For that matter, am I actually here this time?’
‘You are here,’ Archimegashade replied. ‘As to where here is, it is not for me to tell.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it annoys you more this way,’ Archimegashade replied.
‘Bah, fool,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Now let me go.’
‘Oh, no,’ the shade said. ‘I cannot do that. Not just yet.’
‘Say what you want to say and begone!’ Archimegadon said. ‘I cannot abide all this cryptic nonsense. You brought me here, so you can tell me why.’
‘It was a mere whim that brought you here,’ the shade replied. ‘Don’t make more of it than you must.’
Archimegadon picked up a pebble and threw it at the Archimegashade. ‘Clear off, then! I haven’t got time for this. As far as I can remember I was just captured by that dull mercenary.’
‘Broadblade is irrelevant,’ the shade said, waving a hand and stopping the pebble in midair. ‘Your enemy is more powerful than you may realise, and he comes in many guises.’