This floor had lit torches on the wall and I figured that this level must be in use. I paused on the edge of the stairwell where the hallway was and carefully listened for signs of life. I heard nothing, but I smelled the overpowering scent of blood and feces coming from the corridor to my right. The chalk marks showed that I should go to the left. After a few seconds of pondering, I decided to explore the right first.
I crept down the dungeon, cursing that I hadn’t been able to keep either of my swords. The torches on the wall were dark, but the one in my hand still gave me light. I continued another sixty feet across the dingy stone and rounded a corner. There were more cells here, doused torches, and bodies of four men stashed into the farthest cell. As I came toward the barred entrance, half a dozen rats fled away from the corpses in random directions. The dead were dressed only in their undergarments and had their throats slit. The blood from their wounds poured freely into a drain built in the center of the cell floor.
I didn’t recognize the bodies of the men. Their complexions were slightly darker than most of the humans I recalled seeing in Brilla or Nia. They had creased faces from too much wind and sun exposure, and their hair was thick and dark. I guessed that these were Loshers, and that Greykin’s warriors took them by surprise, killed them, dragged them here, and used their clothes. If that was the case, then they did an excellent job; I had seen no scuffs or blood marks on the floor.
I spun around and went down the hallway in the direction of the chalk markings. It turned a corner and revealed another endless corridor with empty cells on each side. I marveled at the amount of space devoted to imprisoning people and wondered why the builders of the castle would have thought they would have needed to contain this many prisoners. I preferred violently ending my enemies. It was less maintenance, and you didn’t have to worry about them seeking revenge. Of course, Malek did choose to make me a prisoner instead of killing me.
Perhaps I should have been thankful for his decision.
A cell to the left looked as if it had been used recently. It contained three beds with mattresses, metal food plates, buckets, and stacks of soap. Lonely shackles dangled from the roof and I wondered if one of the occupants once hung from them. A heavy door swung off its seal up ahead of me and I heard voices bouncing off of the cold stone walls like cymbals carried by the change in air pressure.
“Those fuckers probably went to the bar,” a voice said. Two sets of armored boots tromped down stairs. There was a right turn in the corridor about sixty feet ahead of me and from the sound of the man’s words, I estimated they were almost to the corner.
I sprinted back down the hallway, swinging my torch and channeling Air to extinguish the sputtering flame. It went out, leaving a trail of smoke I hoped was far enough down the corridor so that the men wouldn’t smell the sulfur. One of the torches on the wall hung unlit and I slid into the spot of darkness on my stomach just as the boots crossed the corner a few hundred feet from me.
“She is gone?” the larger of the two guards said. He wore leather armor of light brown. I suspected that he was a Losher soldier.
“This morn’ er medic told us she fella bettar, so da king probby ooved her.” His accent was thick and the words slurred almost to the limit of my comprehension. He wore chain mail, with a sun emblazoned on his tunic.
“Eh. Too bad. Any idea where he would have moved her?” the larger guard asked with a dry chuckle. Both of their hearts beat steady and I assumed that they weren't alerted to my presence.
“Mayabe back up in da castle,” the guard wearing the embroidery laughed deeply. “Let ga, ya hard wha Uritr said, Ancient scared shit out of da king when day dout she would die. If you da anything da her you might half da answer da the king.”
“I’m not afraid of that little fucker.” The man spat on the ground. “No one kicks me in the face. I’m going to put my prick in every hole of that bitch until she’s pregnant.”
“Edder a kick da face dem having you dick ripped off. Dey prob wend up. Let’s go.” The bigger man nodded and they turned around and walked back down the corridor toward the exit.
The exchange confused me. They had mentioned the king but I thought he was dead. Were they talking about Nanos? Who was the woman locked in the cell? Was she lying to the Ancients? The heavy door slammed up ahead of me, and I realized too late that I should have killed one and then interrogated the other. I sprinted down the hallway after them, hoping that the next corridor they went through was another part of unoccupied dungeon.
I listened carefully at the door and caught the sounds of wind, half a dozen voices, footsteps, and distant yelling. This door must have opened to the courtyard in the castle, the way the entrance to my training room did. I contemplated kicking the thick slab of wood out off of its hinges and killing the Losher men. Then I realized that this would trigger the horrible alarm and put Greykin at risk.
After a quarter of an hour, it grew quiet, and I carefully opened the door. The exit led to a stone archway which was part of the Royal Gardens. Wind blew cold from the ocean to the west and I tasted the dew of early morning. The sun looked to be a little past dawn, but the arch sheltered me from its lukewarm rays.
I visited the garden before with Jessmei, so I remembered the way around to the main parts of the castle. The thought of lunch we shared those many months ago gave me a small smile and made my heart ache to see her again. That meal was the first time I met her brother Nanos. The young man had been arrogant, spiteful, and belligerent. I would have preferred to let him rot here with the Losher army and the Ancients, but Jessmei would want to know that he was safe, along with their mother.
Where would Greykin go? Probably the Royal Quarters, which was in the North Wing of the massive fortress. It would be a difficult journey to make with any kind of stealth. I crept through the garden and reviewed my memory of the castle. Perhaps I could scale the outside wall of the tower where the king held his meetings, enter through one of the high rooms, and work my way down to the main levels. It might be easier to do without discovery. Greykin and Danor wouldn’t take the path, but if we both found Nanos and his mother, then we would find each other.
The paths of the garden were still being meticulously maintained, and several gardeners wished me a happy morning as I walked past them. I smiled and nodded in return, and then I realized that I might be able to just freely walk around the castle. I didn’t have any weapons, and wasn’t wearing any sort of uniform. Guards would just mistake me for a poorly-dressed servant, my clothes were almost rags after all the traveling I had done in them. I did my best to appear confident as I opened one of the small side doors that connected the Royal Garden to the wing of the fortress where I had briefly resided.
I didn’t know how much damage had been inflicted on the castle during the siege and resulting occupation, but the inside of the hallways were as I remembered them. The dark wooden beams hung over the thick rugs that covered masterfully cut gray stones. The same paintings and other works of art hung on the walls. Even the indoor plants looked identical to what I recalled.
I worked my way to the familiar stairwell that would take me up to the floor where Paug, Nadea, Iarin, and I had stayed. It seemed so long ago that I roamed these halls. I felt a bit like a prisoner then since the king and Nadea wanted to keep the empress’s spies from finding out about me. Their plan had failed, the empress got me out of the castle for long enough to coordinate a siege, kill my friends, and conquer their home. Anger churned in my stomach as I thought about Paug and Nadea. The two people who had become my new family were now dead.
Time seemed to be a never ending circle. Here I was again, plotting revenge against an Elven that killed two people I loved. Of course, this instance was different. I had been in love with Iolarathe, I knew that now, and somehow I had made a mistake that cost me my friendships and sent me searching after the Elven while my own kind chased me.
I bore no love for this empress. I would rip the life from her slowly and relish every secon
d of her demise.
A servant with a large basket of laundry passed me on the stairs and nodded to me. She dressed in Nia colors and was probably a little younger than Paug. I smiled at her when she went by and felt more confident of my plan.
“Excuse me,” I said to her back. She turned around and gave me a skeptical frown.
“I was supposed to start work today and I am lost. Someone told me to come up here to get my uniform.” I pointed down at my shabby tunic and pants I had worn for the last two months.
“Oh. You are actually in the wrong wing. You need to go to the West Wing and then down to the servants’ quarters in the basement. I’m surprised they told you the wrong wing.”
“They probably did tell me the correct wing. I just got lost.” I smiled at her. “This castle is really big.”
The girl thought to herself and glanced down at her sack of laundry.
“I have to take this to the basement to be washed. Afterward, I can show you where to go.” She pursed her lips nervously and looked around the vacant hallway. “We have to hurry though. I’ll get in trouble if I am away too long.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. What is your name?”
“It’s Bethany. What is yours?” I suddenly realized my mistake, I didn’t have a name prepared and feared she would recognize mine.
“Paug,” I blurted out. I didn’t know if the boy’s name was common, but she smiled and continued to walk down the stairs. I followed her and did my best to look meek.
She carried the basket down to the first floor, walked a few hundred yards down hallways that I tried to memorize, and then took a side door to the basement. There were almost a dozen servants here, washing clothes, folding, and using a furnace to heat air that dried racks of sheets and garments. Bethany set down her basket and turned to an old woman who folded linens with the same efficiency that Thayer handled a sword.
“Paug here is new and got lost. I am going to take him to get situated.” The old woman eyed me suspiciously for a few seconds. I smiled at her and raised a hand to wave shyly.
“Fine. Get back here quick though.” The woman's eyes narrowed. For a second, I thought she might have recognized me. ”Show him where the food is too. He looks like he is about to starve to death,” she instructed the girl before she turned back to folding. I sighed in relief and followed Bethany as she bounced out of the basement.
“It’s on the other side of the castle,” Bethany said to make conversation over her shoulder at me.
“How long have you been a servant here?” We passed two Losher guards and I looked down at the ground. They ignored us and continued to walk in the opposite direction.
“My whole life! There is plenty to do here. That was my grandma. She takes care of me now.” I glanced back at the Losher soldiers as they walked away. I could easily run behind them, pull one’s sword, and kill both in less than a second. My heart beat quicker as I thought about running around the castle, sword covered in blood while I murdered the people who had killed my friends.
“Are you okay, Paug?” the girl gaped at me with concern.
“Sorry. Just got distracted.” She took my scarred left hand in her right and pulled me along with her.
“Let’s go. Don’t look at those soldiers. I try to avoid them. We are almost there. I take a longer way because I don’t want to pass by the entrance to the Royal Quarters.”
“Why is that?”
“There are lots of those guards there, and I don’t like the way they look at me. I also once saw an Ancient!” She squeezed my hand eagerly. We passed another group of guards. Some wore Losher armor, but some wore Nia colors. I looked at the ground and hoped that they didn’t recognize me.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what they looked like? That is what everyone else does.” Bethany ignored the guards we walked past and they did the same to us.
“Sure. What did they look like?” I feigned interest to keep the girl talking.
“It was a woman. She was very beautiful. She had long hair with a gray sheen so it looked almost like metal. She had wonderful smooth, white skin and her eyes were red! Her ears were tall and went up to the top of her head. Can you believe it?”
“I don’t believe it.”
“You should. I never lie.” The girl stuck her tongue out at me. The expression reminded me of Jessmei. But it was just the playful movement. Jessmei was five or six years older than Bethany and many times more beautiful.
“Is it safe with the Ancients and the Losher guards here in the castle?” I asked her. She twisted her mouth as she tried to consider her answer.
“Grandma tells me to be careful around the new guards. There are fewer servants now and a lot more work. Maybe you can help us with laundry today?” I nodded and she smiled joyfully. Children were resilient.
We walked for another ten minutes and entered the opposite wing from the one where I had stayed. I had never been to this part of the castle, but the place had the same rich decor as the rest of the massive stone fortress. Bethany pulled me to a large stairwell that took us deep down to the heart of the fortress, where the servants traveled through the veins and arteries like blood.
The stairway ended in a giant room with three sets of doors on the other side. The entrance to my left was guarded by double swinging doors and servants moved quickly through them and up the stairs past us carrying trays of food. They smelled delicious, and my stomach growled in pain. It had been a while since I fueled my body.
“You look hungry Paug. Let’s get you food before we get you your attire.” I was going to argue, but another servant ran by and I caught the scent of meat, cheese, and bread. My stomach lurched again and I grinned at the girl.
“Sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
“It won’t be as good as the food they are carrying,” Bethany said. “But we may eat stew and bread from the kitchen, as much as we want.”
“As much as we want?” I smiled at her. I didn’t think she knew how much I could eat. She laughed at me and pulled me through the swinging doors.
I stopped as soon as I stepped into the room. This was truly the heart of the castle. Atop ten massive stoves, gleaming silver and copper-colored pots bubbled and steamed with stew, soup and other temptingly aromatic concoctions. The yeasty tang of fresh bread came from five ovens, baking enough loaves to feed an army. Or at least me. Cooks prepared meat, fowl and fish on a long wooden work table while servants chopped vegetables with dizzying efficiency. My salivary glands stung as the scents hit me and I realized how famished I was.
“Everyone is expecting breakfast soon, so they are getting ready.” I smelled eggs in the air and my stomach felt like it was trying to rip out of my skin and devour the food on its own power. In the far corner of the large room were two long tables. A handful of servants sat upon the benches and ate steaming bowls of stew while they whispered to each other.
“Sit down, Paug. I’ll get you a bowl. Do you want some water with it?” I nodded and watched the girl dash expertly between the cooks. I sat down at the table next to the smallest group of servants. Thoughts of Greykin, Nanos, and my rescue attempt were replaced with thoughts of sating my hunger.
Bethany set a bowl of stew, some boiled eggs, and a hunk of bread down in front of me. The scent made my mouth water and I grabbed the bread and dunked it into the rich, oily broth. It was scorching hot and seared the roof of my mouth and tongue, but I healed almost as quickly as I swallowed it down with pleasure.
“Whoops. I forgot water. Let me grab some.” I grunted and devoured another bite. By the time Bethany returned with a full glass I had finished the stew, eggs, and bread.
“Wow, you really were starving. Let me get you some more.” I inhaled the second and third plates as quickly as the first. I still felt ravenous and gave her an appreciative look. She was impressed with my appetite, but did not treat helping me slake my hunger like the irritating chore it was. I worried about the other duties I was keeping her from, but she did not seem concerned.
I figured growing up as a servant in the castle had accustomed the girl to putting others before herself as normal and right.
“You are really hungry! I’ll get you another bowl, Paug. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat that much that quickly.”
“Bethany, maybe it would be more efficient to just bring the pot over to our friend Paug,” a familiar voice said from the other side of the table. I swung around to see the man who spoke. He was hard to recognize because the servant's attire, shaved head, and full beard disguised his usual appearance.
The Duke of Nia was not dead.
Chapter 12-Nadea
“Maerc. If you are reading this letter, then I am dead and with my death our beloved Nia has fallen,” Runir's father paused, cleared his throat and then took a sip of water. He looked over at me to make sure I was paying attention to the dead king’s words before he continued.
“Before I can release you from your oath to our kingdom, I require two tasks of you. The first will be the easiest to perform physically, but the toughest emotionally. If Nadea is still alive I need you to question and possibly kill her.”
“What?!” I shouted in surprise as I leapt to my feet. I forgot about my leg and pain flooded through my body, causing my vision to swim. I felt nauseated and the room began to spin.
“Sit down!” Maerc yelled at me again.
“Fuck you! He didn’t write that. You are lying.” I couldn’t stop my voice from sobbing. I didn't understand why my uncle would want me dead. We had always gotten along and I loved him. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I took breaths in ragged gasps. The parchment in Maerc's hand was close enough, but Runir intercepted my attempt to hurdle the desk and rip the note out of his father’s hands.
“I will show you the letter after I am done reading, Nadea.” Maerc’s voice and face softened. “I didn't believe this myself when I read it; I grew up with your father and the king. We trained together, led troops together, and shared countless memories. I think of them as my brothers and my lords.” I tried to say something but my words came out a garbled mess. How could he want me dead? My chest felt like someone kicked it and I struggled to inhale. The small amount of food I ate earlier wanted to come up out of my throat.
The Destroyer Book 2 Page 16