“That is acceptable as long as you will heed my advice during the battle,” replied Clint. “I will even state that the victory was yours, but I want to make sure that there is a victory.”
King Mectin smiled. “Come, Forshire. It is time for some delights.”
The king led the general out of the dining room and along the corridor to his suite. Two guards stood outside the door to the king’s chambers, and they nodded to the king as he led the general through the door. The first thing Clint noticed was the thickness of the door. It was at least three times thicker than the average door, and it was padded on the inside. The second thing he saw was a monstrous bed that filled a third of the room. King Mectin noticed Clint’s mouth hanging open, and he laughed as he closed the door.
“I have had some improvements made since you left Ur,” snickered the king. “Sound does not escape from this room. Come and let me introduce you to tonight’s entertainment.”
On the wall adjacent to the entrance was another padded door, and the king walked to it and swung it open. He left it open, and General Forshire followed the king through it. What the general saw in the room sent a shiver of despair rippling through his body. Six women had their hands and feet manacled to the wall, and several of them sported numerous bruises about their bodies. General Forshire stifled a gasp as his eyes fell on one of the women. She was Althea.
“Select one,” offered the king. “Or two if it pleases you.”
Althea’s head rose at the sound of the king’s voice, and she glared at him with hatred. When she finally recognized Clint, her eyes clouded in confusion, and Clint quickly stepped between her and the king so that Mectin would not see her expression. He knew that King Mectin was fairly good at reading people’s expressions, and Clint dared not let the king know that Althea held his secrets within her mind. The king would spare no effort to make her talk.
“I think this one will do,” General Forshire stated while winking at Althea to let her know not to say anything.
“Ah,” the king shook his head. “Anyone but that one. She hasn’t been tamed yet. She will be mine tonight.”
Clint sighed with nervousness and merely pointed to the next woman. The king nodded and unlocked the manacles from both women. He grabbed Althea and shoved her through the doorway. Clint took the hand of the other woman and gently led her into the bedroom. She moved like a broken woman, her movements automatic as if her mind was somewhere else. She offered no resistance, nor did she display any sign of hope. King Mectin threw Althea on the bed. Clint watched in disgust as his hands began to curl into fists. The Ranger wanted to stride across the room and strangle the king, but there was too much at stake. He had to get the A Corps into the keep before attacking the king. If he did not, someone else would step up and seize the throne, and the new king would be less likely to admit the A Corps inside. Clint turned his back to the king and sat down on the edge of the bed. He pulled the woman down to sit beside him, and her body obeyed without thought.
“Get involved, Forshire,” chuckled the king. “The night may be long, but there is no sense in wasting it.”
“I am a slow starter,” Clint said softly, refusing to turn and acknowledge the king.
Clint felt the king jump onto the bed and then he heard the howl. Clint jerked his head around and gaped at the sight before him. King Mectin knelt over Althea holding his hands over his face. Blood ran between his fingers, and two of Althea’s fingers were covered in blood.
“I am blind,” shouted the king. “She stabbed my eyes. Kill her”
Althea moved quickly. She pushed herself out from under the king and rolled across the bed. She pulled a dagger from Clint’s belt and rolled back to the king. Before Clint could tell her to stop, she raised the knife and slit the king’s throat. Mectin’s howling died with him. His body fell limp on the bed, a quickly spreading pool of blood soaking into the sheets. Clint rose and stared at the sight before him, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out a way to salvage the mission. Althea sat up on the bed. She threw the bloody knife towards Clint. It landed on the bed near him, and he picked it up and wiped it clean before sheathing it.
“He was about to let the A Corps into the keep,” Clint said softly. “Now he cannot.”
“Do you expect me to say that I am sorry?” snapped Althea. “Well, I am not sorry. That swine should have died years ago.”
“You will get no argument from me about that,” sighed Clint, “but he would have died tomorrow anyway.”
“So I should have let him abuse me?” scowled Althea. “I think not. Get out of here while you can, Clint.”
“And leave you behind?” Clint shook his head. “I cannot do that.”
“I came here to die,” she spat. “Do not make it harder on me than it already is. There is no way they will let you take me out of this keep. Women only leave here when they are dead. Get out quickly before someone comes in and discovers what I did.”
Clint rose and walked to the large closet. He opened it and peered inside. Rummaging through the clothes, he pulled out a long white robe and threw it to Althea.
“Put that on,” he ordered. “I am going to take you back to my quarters. We can think there without the fear of someone walking in on us.”
“We could stay here and talk,” frowned Althea. “This room lets no sound escape. We might be overheard in your room.”
“Then we shall have to whisper,” shrugged Clint. “I need to get outside so that Peanut can find me. Without him we have no contact with the patriots, and I am not going to abandon you here. Put it on.”
Althea rose and used the basin of water to rinse the blood off her body. She put the white robe on and tied it. When she was done, she walked to Clint who was standing near the door to the hallway.
“Act submissive,” Clint said softly as he reached for the door.
Clint opened the door and pushed Althea before him. Both guards looked puzzled, and one of them peeked through the open door before Clint closed it. All he saw was a woman sitting on the edge of the bed.
“The king is feisty tonight,” smirked General Forshire. “You would think with a bed that big that he could share it, but not when he has three women for himself. I am going to my own quarters. Make sure that no one disturbs the king before the morning. Whatever he is celebrating, he will be busy all night.”
The guards nodded and snickered as General Forshire roughly grabbed Althea and led her away. They passed no one in the corridors, and Clint ushered Althea into his suite. He locked the door and led her to the couch.
“I guess you are not aware of what is going on, so I will explain the current situation,” Clint began. “The A Corps arrived in Ur today, and the 32nd Corps left the city to head southward to battle the Alcean Rangers. The plan was to get the A Corps into the keep and then attack from within and without at the same time. Once King Mectin’s army was destroyed, the A Corps and the patriots would head south and catch the 32nd Corps between us and the Rangers.”
Althea’s eyes widened in surprise. “I knew nothing of this plan,” she said with sorrow. “I have ruined it, haven’t I? I thought the patriots alone were going to attack from outside.”
“That was the original plan,” sighed Clint, “but that attack could stall for days, and we don’t have days if we are to pursue General Marashef. We need to be able to catch up to him or the Rangers might be defeated. As good as they are, Marashef has ten-thousand men and eight battle mages with him. Why are you here, Althea?”
“To kill Mectin,” she answered curtly.
“You have accomplished that,” frowned Clint, “but I find it hard to believe that Karl would send you in to do that.”
“He didn’t send me,” confessed Alcea. “In fact, he does not know that I am here. I finally realized that Karl belongs to another woman and that I could never have him. My life felt pointless, and I sought a way to make it worth something. I thought that killing King Mectin would at least help heal Tyronia.”
&nbs
p; Clint started pacing the floor. “While I admire your courage,” he said, “I wish you had stayed with Karl. I need to find Colonel Craz and see if I can bluff him into thinking that Mectin has authorized the A Corps to enter the keep. I also need to let Peanut find me so I can get word to Karl about the change in plans. We are going to have to strike in the morning before someone discovers the king’s body.”
“It will be discovered long before morning,” frowned Althea. “The priest visits him every night.”
“K’san?” Clint asked in alarm. “Won’t the guards dissuade him from disturbing the king?”
“He does not enter through that door,” replied Althea. “He comes through the prison where I was manacled. His room also has a connecting door to the prison.”
“Then we are out of time,” Clint replied anxiously. “Stay here. Find some place to hide in case someone decides to look for you here. I will be back as soon as I can.”
* * * *
The two red-headed mages stood in the shadows created by the buildings abutting the alley. One of them concentrated on the left of the tower while the other concentrated on the right.
“Perfect,” Balomar said to Theos. “You learn quickly.” The mage from Pog turned and looked at Karl Gree. “The illusions will preserve the appearance of the tower and everything between us and it,” he explained. “The only person who will be able to see you approach the tower and climb it will be the guard in the tower itself. Is that sufficient for your needs?”
“That is fine,” Karl nodded. “His movements are predictable. When he looks away, I will dash to the base of the tower. Once I am there, he will not be able to see me unless he leans out and looks down. He will only do that if I am foolish and make a noise. How long can you hold the illusions?”
“They do not take much power to maintain,” answered Balamor. “We can hold them all night if need be.”
“Unless someone comes near and discovers us,” interjected Theos.
“If you have to drop the illusions,” instructed the Knight of Alcea, “do so. Both of you will be needed for the attack on the keep. Do not endanger yourselves for me.”
The mages did not respond and when Karl noticed the guard in the tower looking away, he dashed out of the alley and across the lawn of the keep. He reached the base of the tower unnoticed and began climbing. The Old Keep was ancient, and there were numerous cracks to get handholds, but the tower was tall. After only a third of the required ascent, Karl began to feel the strain of climbing. While handholds were numerous, footholds were not. When he passed the halfway mark he softly called for his fairy. Thimble stuck his head out of the pocket and looked around.
“What are we doing?” the fairy asked in confusion.
“We are climbing a tower,” Karl whispered. “I need for you to levitate me for a while. I need a rest.”
“Shall I take you to the top?” asked the fairy.
“No,” Karl answered. “There will be a guard at the top. You will need to put him to sleep, but not until I get a lot closer. For now just levitate me so I can rest my arms.”
Thimble shot out of Karl’s pocket and hovered over him. He cast a levitation spell and announced that Karl could let go. The Knight of Alcea put his trust in the little green man and let go of the tower. For five minutes, the Knight of Alcea hung suspended next to the tower. When he was fully rested, he spoke softly to the fairy.
“Now take me up half the distance between here and the top,” instructed Karl. “Keep the levitation spell on me until I nod to indicate that I have a good hold of the tower. Once I am on my own again, go up and put the guard to sleep.”
“As you wish,” shrugged the fairy.
Karl watched the stone face of the tower speed by as the fairy levitated him higher. When he stopped rising, Karl reached out and sought handholds. He found them easily and then tried to find footholds. He found only one, but he nodded to send the fairy upward. As the fairy dismissed the levitation spell, Karl felt the strain of being on his own again. He started climbing. When he reached the crenel, Thimble was standing there waiting for him. Without asking, the fairy levitated Karl over the crenel and set him down.
“I could have levitated you the whole way,” stated the fairy. “Why climb?”
“We will be going down the same way,” answered Karl, “and I wanted to make sure there were sufficient handholds. You will levitate Althea down while I climb down.”
“Althea?” asked the fairy.
“It’s a long story,” sighed Karl. “I will tell you it later. Right now, we have to be silent. This is the enemy’s castle. Remain unseen and scout ahead for me. We need to go down quite a few levels before we get to the king’s quarters.”
Before Karl could leave the tower, another fairy descended out of the sky and landed on his shoulder.
“Is the battle over?” asked Peanut.
“It hasn’t started yet,” answered Karl. “What are you doing here?”
“I have been waiting for the Imperial General to appear,” answered Peanut. “Have you seen him?”
“No,” replied Karl. “We are just entering the keep.”
“We?” questioned Peanut. “Fairies are not allowed inside the keep. There is a demonkin in there. That is why I am waiting for Clint to appear.”
“Clint is here already?” Karl asked.
“He must be,” answered Peanut. “The A Corps is camped in front of the keep, and he is not with them.”
“But I received no word of his arrival,” frowned Karl.
“I was on a mission,” stated Peanut. “It was a very long mission. I have been gone for two days.”
Karl stood and stared at the body at his feet, his mind whirling over the information that Clint had arrived. He wondered if that would complicate the mission or aid it.
“How long will the guard remain asleep?” he asked.
“It varies,” answered Thimble. “Maybe Peanut should stay and keep him asleep.”
“If you are going inside,” scowled Peanut, “I am going with you. I have to find my partner.”
“Well,” sighed Karl, “we are not accomplishing anything standing here. Let’s go find Althea.”
Thimble darted down the stairs while Peanut cast another sleep spell on the guard just for good measure. Karl silently moved to the stairwell and proceeded down the steps. Karl counted the levels as he passed them by. When he reached the level that held the king’s chambers, he eased the door open and peered into the corridor. There was no one around, and he called softly for Thimble who had been scouting ahead. Both fairies shot through the door, and Karl followed them. He pointed in the direction he planned to travel, and Thimble shot off and disappeared. Peanut hovered over the Knight of Alcea in case he was needed.
As Karl passed through an intersection, he saw two soldiers off to his right. He tried to hurry his step to get clear of the intersection, but the shouts let him know that he had been seen. The Knight of Alcea was tempted to run and hide, but he knew that such behavior would just lead to discovery by other soldiers. He walked calmly in the direction he had been going and let the soldiers run after him. He was almost to another intersection when they caught up to him. They called for him to stop, and Karl turned around and waited for them to approach. They drew their swords as they got close to Karl.
“Who are you?” demanded one of the soldiers. “What are you doing here?”
“I seem to be lost,” shrugged Karl. “Perhaps you can direct me to where I am going.”
“I asked who you are,” scowled one of the soldiers.
“I am Karl Gree,” answered the Knight of Alcea.
“And where are you going?” asked the other soldier.
Just then another soldier turned the corner not far away. The officer stopped and stared at the three men before him.
“Karl?” Clint asked with genuine surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“That is just what these two soldiers were asking me,” Karl answered. “I was looki
ng for you, General Forshire.”
The soldiers turned as Clint approached the group.
“When I asked you to meet me at the Old Keep,” Clint began, “I meant outside the front gates.”
“You know this man, General?” asked one of the soldiers.
“He is an old friend,” replied Clint. “As soon as I got into the city today, I sent a message to meet with him, but I did not expect to find him inside the keep. What kind of security is Colonel Craz providing for this castle? How did you get inside?”
“I told the guards that you were expecting me,” Karl offered with feigned embarrassment. “The note didn’t say to wait outside. I am sorry if I have embarrassed you.”
“That is not important,” scowled the general. “I will have a talk with the colonel about this.” General Forshire turned his attention to the two soldiers. “I suspect that Colonel Craz is going to want to test the security after I talk to him about this incident. You will mention this incursion to no one until the testing is complete. I do not want anyone to suspect that a test will be forthcoming. Do you understand?”
“Completely, General,” replied one of the soldiers. “I will escort this man back outside.”
“That will not be necessary,” replied Clint. “As long as he is already here, I will speak with him in the comfort of my own quarters. I will escort him out myself when I am done with him.”
The soldiers nodded and left in the direction they had come from.
“Let’s get out of the corridors,” Clint said softly. “I may not be able to repeat what I just did. Walk with me.”
Clint led Karl to his quarters and opened the door to let him inside. The Knight of Alcea entered and the Ranger followed. The two fairies swept in unseen.
“What are you doing here?” Clint demanded.
“I came to get Althea,” answered Karl, “and I intend on completing my mission. While I appreciate your help with those soldiers, you might have been better off to let the fairies put them to sleep rather than identify yourself with me. I suspect that this keep will be abuzz with alarms before long.”
Alutar: The Great Demon Page 44