by Casey Knight
“Tokem, have you or anyone on your team had time to check the camera footage to see if the spy has been around, and check the other surveillance feeds?”
“Not yet, but I’ll get right on it. I’ll report in as soon as we review everything,” he added as he flew from the room.
Chapter Nine
“We may as well review universe number two if you are ready, Corbin.”
“I am. As everyone already knows, it is in the desert. It is a cross between the sets of Dune and The Mummy. I’m having our team sweep it before tomorrow’s games. We’ll also have them check for the runes we spotted earlier.”
We went over our individual assignments for the next day, then reviewed the four challenges the design team had put in place. Corbin was right about the Dune and Mummy analogies. This place had sand storms, demonic worms and scorpions, and a desert fortress, which had more ways to discourage invaders than the temple. It would be a miracle if no one lost their life. I had the final challenge again, and was tempted to check it out, but before I could, Tokem reported that he hadn’t overheard any new conversations, but our spy was still moving among us.
I didn’t like that one bit. There had to be a way to detect our unwanted guest without moving our entire operation to council’s headquarters. There might be a way if I could get the right spell. I transported myself back to my office and studied my Grimoires. If I could veil a room in the building, maybe we wouldn’t be exposed to undetected intrusions. I read on until I found what I was looking for, then went to work. I assembled the necessary ingredients and began to work the spell. It took me a while to get it right, but it was worth it. Now we would not be spied upon without us knowing it. Plus, I had a special surprise for the team and the spy.
I transported back to the Four Courts to gather our team. Once everyone arrived, I passed a note to each of them with instructions. They read them, looked at me like I was crazy, then we all filed out. I went ahead to make preparations. They would join me in half an hour, giving me plenty of time to set things up. I moved out into the gardens and walked steadily through them until I reached the quay on the eastern side of the Four-Courts. I had cloaked myself to be certain I wasn’t followed. Then I drew my circle, stepped into it, and surrounded it with salt.
Next, I worked the spell I’d prepared earlier. I drew a circle on the side of the stone wall that held the river in its banks. Then I created a small pocket room under the river. I walked in, sealed the room behind me, and expanded the space until it was large enough to hold the entire team. I added a shower of running water at the entryway and surrounded the floor around it with sand. Satisfied, I went to get my team. They were waiting for me at the entrance to the small pocket I created in the river’s bottom. I asked them to come cloaked and have their protective shields up. It took only a matter of minutes to move everyone inside and seal in. Then everyone dropped their cloaking spells and we got to work.
“You’ve outdone yourself this time. Neat idea and the water shower and sand are nice touches,” Tokem added.
“Yes, if our spy manages to get in here, he will leave footprints and we can grab him. I have something else for everyone to use. I’ve made your amulets specific to each of you. If you notice Tokem, yours has a sprite on it, Corbin’s a bat, and Traygen’s a dragon.”
“Yeah, but what is surrounding it?” Tokem asked.
“My Uroborus bracelet.”
“Lauren, I’m touched but you know I don’t…”
“Relax, Tokem, it isn’t a feminine symbol, and besides, it is a portal to me. If you get in trouble, open it and call for me. Are we ready for tomorrow’s second challenge? Corbin, anything new to report?”
“No, we’re set. I’ll cover the first challenge and Tokem will handle the second, Traygen the third, and you have the final one. We will again remain invisible, keeping an eye out for the familiars and the runes.”
“Jason, have you heard anything from any of the delegates?”
“The lycan are grumbling, but were warned about all the hazarders. Just stay alert because whoever is trying to sabotage these games is still running loose.”
Traygen and I headed home for a little rest before tomorrow’s second challenge. We didn’t get much rest but it was worth it. Apparently, my favorite dragon liked the idea of me opening a special portal for him to transport through. By the time we showered and dressed for our desert excursion, it was time to teleport back to the Four-Courts.
“I see some of our team didn’t get much rest,” Tokem quipped.
“They’re newlyweds. Give them a break or find your own little sprite.”
“If you two are finished, let’s get down to business. We will follow yesterday’s routine. You have your assignments. Remember to keep your shields up and stay cloaked. You will still be visible because the hovercraft will blow the sand if you are close enough to the ground. And if you need to, you can teleport to me by calling me through your amulets.”
We headed to our hovercrafts and departed to the area of our respective challenges. I did a little reconnaissance since I had the final challenge. It would be a while before anyone got near it. I was excited to try my latest spell, a dynamometer with a GPS device of sorts able to detect magic and guide me to the source.
I flew my hovercraft high enough not to interfere with anything on the ground, then touched my bracelet and uttered the spell. I didn’t feel anything right away, but eventually felt the pull of magic. Now I needed to follow it and make sure it belonged in this universe. I guided my hovercraft toward the magical signal. The closer I got, the louder it pinged. When I was almost directly above whatever was emitting the magical signature, I hovered and searched, using my eyes and magical senses. Yes, there below me was the first of the challenges. It looked like it belonged there, so I moved on. I continued using my feelers to scan for any type of magical energy, hoping to find the same energy responsible for sucking me to the bottom of the oasis. Dark magic has a different taste and feel to it. It is an acrid taste with a slimy feel making my skin crawl.
I was at the second challenge when I got a hit, and again, it was as it should be. There was nothing out of the ordinary. I continued along then felt it batter my senses, making me shudder. Still, I forced myself to follow it anyway. It veered off to my right and away from the second challenge. I couldn’t see anything. Luckily, I sensed the source getting closer. Unable to see what caused the disturbance, I brought my craft down and landed it on the sand to get a better look. I made sure my bracelet and staff were set on high. If this evil confronted me, I would fry it first and ask questions later. You know what they say, it is better to seek forgiveness then to ask permission.
I had landed on the top of a large sand dune. There didn’t look like anything but sand as far as I could see. I could barely detect a small group of rocks and trees a hundred yards or so below my dune. Where are you? I know you are here. I turned to get back on my hovercraft when a shadow passed over me. I looked up in time to see a giant vulture diving at me. I threw myself to the left and narrowly missed being hit by the giant predator as it dove right at me. Damn it, there weren’t any birds of prey in the plans I’d seen.
I scrambled up and dashed toward my hovercraft. Whatever that thing was, it could see me. My cloaking either had no effect on it or it was tracking me another way. No worries. I have a few surprises for you, bird brain. I jumped onto my hovercraft, hit the throttle, and pulled it up into a steep climb. I looked around to find the vulture circling and coming my way again. I waited until it got twenty feet from me, then blasted it with my staff. Energy pulsed from my staff and struck the bird squarely in the chest. It screamed but kept coming right towards me. Shit. I dove and just missed being raked by its talons.
Enough of this, it was time to end this feather duster. I reached into my pocket for one of my ball bearings. I nosed the craft higher until I was the same height as the vulture. Then I waited until it flew towards me, then throttled up and sailed right toward it. Playing c
hicken with a vulture was not smart, but I needed to get close enough to throw the bearing at it, and besides, no one ever accused me of being smart, sexy yes, smart no. We were closing fast on one another and it opened its mouth to scream in defiance. I wouldn’t get a better opportunity. I threw the bearing and dipped my hovercraft, flying right under it as it sailed by. I didn’t wait around to see if I had gotten it, because if I was anywhere near it when it blew, the concussive force might knock me from the hovercraft. A thunderous explosion and a blinding flash told me all I needed to know. I needed to get in place for the fourth challenge, so had no time for a victory lap.
I made my way over to the fort built into the rocky hillside. This place was amazing. The original tribes had carved the city into the sandstone covering the desert. It was a good thing I was using a GPS or I never would have found this place. The entire city was built into the rocks and accessed through a series of tiny fissures in the rocks. This crevice was narrow and surrounded by steep, sheer cliffs at least a hundred meters high. The design team had done an excellent job of making this place look like an ancient city. In fact, it looked like a stage set out of Arabian Nights. The only thing missing were the tribes. I maneuvered my hovercraft over the city and waited to see who would show up first.
There was plenty of activity from scorpions, beetles, and God knew what else. I circled around the outer walls, then landed and walked into the city proper. I didn’t like the idea, but needed to walk to the buildings. Most of this place was below ground, so I landed near an entrance. I cloaked myself, but couldn’t escape the fact I left footprints in the sand. Scanning the immediate area, I looked around until I found a palm frond and cut it from the tree. I used it to cover my tracks until I got to the steps, then tossed it aside and went down the stairs. The solid stone would not give away my presence.
I was under the city, illuminated only by torches spaced along the outer walls. It was still dark but I saw well enough to walk. Halls branched in different directions, but I continued forward in the same hall. The plans indicated a large room ahead I believed was the treasury, one of the largest and most impressive of the halls. The place was starkly bare, and I had no idea how they could hide anything from view. However, I was relatively certain things weren’t as benign as they seemed. I just knew the design team had hidden challenges for the competitors. I mean, who was I kidding - this design team could have been nicknamed Torturers R Us.
The treasury sat empty except for the stone guardians standing on either side of the entrance. They were at least fifteen feet tall, appearing menacing as they loomed over the area. The room made a perfect circle. There were no corners. The other odd aspect was the irregularly placed square holes cut into the stone walls. They looked like small windows, except they didn’t open to the outside. Some sat high on the walls, others only a foot off the floor. As I walked around the room, I noticed a clear stone inlay two feet wide set into the floor serving as a path or border following the wall around the room. Worn sandstone covered the rest of the floor. The clear stone of the path looked almost translucent, almost like ice or an opaque piece of glass. I didn’t know enough about stone to identify it. Interesting, this wasn’t a good sign. I didn’t have time to explore further before I heard a scratching sound in the hall. I moved closer to the wall and waited to see what was coming.
It didn’t take long before the wolf barreled into the room. A shimmer and an audible pop told me the lycan had changed back into a man. He looked around the chamber before he entered, and then he approached the statues. The man surveyed the immediate area. He ran his hands over the surface of the statue on the right, obviously searching for something. He touched the statue’s arrow quiver, then all hell broke loose. Arrows filled the air from every irregular window. I flicked my shield up as my jaw dropped. The lycan dove for the doorway, but not before he took a few in his backside. Ouch, that will leave a mark. First, yesterday’s lycan lost toes, then this guy’s ass looked like a pin cushion. These guys weren’t Mensa material.
As soon as the lycan dove out of the room, the arrows stopped as if they had never been fired. The whole thing was creepy, game or no game. I began to think the design team was seriously twisted, and they had clearly graduated from Tormentors Anonymous. Before I could ponder the twisted nature of the designers further, I heard footsteps pounding down the hall and the vampire burst into the room.
He also studied the area before entering, then carefully entered the room and made his way around the circular chamber. I saw him look into a few of the windows and stoop to look at the floor. He again pulled out his instructions and appeared to be studying something before he refolded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. Cautiously, yet purposefully, he moved up to the statue on the left. Interesting. Much like the lycan before him, he ran his hands over and around the statue. I couldn’t see what he was doing. From my vantage point, it looked like both men had been frisking the statues. I was so not going there. Before I could ponder it any further, I heard a grinding noise. Just as the room started to turn, the door swung shut and sealed the room. Great! It was now too dark to see my hand in front of my face, and I was suffering from motion sickness. I had no flippin’ idea where I was, and no way to find out.
The room revolved for a time until the screeching of stone upon stone announced our final destination, then abruptly stopped, and the pathway with the clear stone illuminated the room with an eerie glow. I felt a shot of adrenalin, as I watched to see what happened next, anticipating God only knew what. After the lycan’s experience, I knew to keep my shield up and my head down. The only thing different in their methodical approaches was which statue they’d touched. The vampire seemed to be considering his options when he stepped over the illuminated tiles into the room. It looked like he was counting them as he moved to his right. When he was halfway around the room, he stopped again, pulling out his paper to scan it.
He returned the paper to his pocket before he stepped onto the nearest illuminated tile. His foot hadn’t settled on the step for more than a second when the tile exploded upward. It had been shattered by a row of spikes that had blasted upward when he stepped on to the tile. The vampire had been speared by one of them, which immediately set off the alarms. He was now out of the competition. He would be lucky to walk again. His foot was impaled by at least two spikes. Shit, this design team was getting spiteful. He would live but would limp. Then I heard the stones grind and felt the room rotate back the way I originally found it. When it stopped, the door opened and a team of medics came in to recover the vampire.
They got him on a gurney and out in five minutes or less. I understood everyone had to stop and stay still until the all clear signal allowed the games to continue. They all had tracking devices on, so if they cheated they would be disqualified. They didn’t have long to wait before the all clear signal sounded to announce the resumption of the games. The evacuation team had barely cleared the area. I slid down along the wall to wait for the next competitor to enter. It was a matter of minutes before the next challenger ran into the room. The wizard stopped just inside the doorway. He didn’t hesitate as he walked up to the statue on the right. All I could think was, here we go again. As if on cue, the arrows again rained down on everything in the room. The wizard wasn’t as fast as the lycan, and took an arrow to the thigh, but he escaped the room. I doubted his wound was serious enough to eliminate him.
The elf was the next competitor to enter and scan the room to study the clues before walking around the exterior. When he again faced the statues, he stood and examined them. Finally, he walked toward the statue on the left. Like the vampire before him, he managed to find the spot on the statue that caused the room to rotate and the tiles to glow. Unlike the vampire, he moved into the room and appeared to be counting the small squares on the wall. He walked around the room until he was in almost the same place the vampire had been when he triggered the spikes. However, unlike the vampire, he stepped over the tiles and reached into the small window
directly across from the spear-sprouting tile.
He pulled his hand out and held whatever he recovered up closer to his face to get a better look at it. From my vantage point, I couldn’t be certain what he was holding, but it was small. He carried the object he found back toward the statues. For several minutes, he walked around both statues, thoroughly inspecting them. Finally, he approached the statue on the right, placed the object on the statue, then stepped back. Anticipating what, I didn’t know. Then the spot where he placed the object began to glow. The object got brighter. It appeared to vibrate, shimmering more brightly with each second until it erupted, releasing a beam of light that illuminated the wall on the opposite side of the room. The design team would give the producers of the Indiana Jones films a run for their money.
The elf jogged to the spot aglow with the light from the statue. I watched as he ran his hands over the place where the light hit the wall. Whatever he was looking for, it didn’t seem like he had found it. There was a brief flicker and the area where the light hit the wall slid down into the floor, exposing a small compartment. I needed to get closer to see what was inside. Inching slowly forward, I moved silently along the wall, not wanting to startle the elf. When I was close enough, I saw a dagger and a jewel of some sort inside. I paused to see which one the elf would choose. I had no idea what the clues were, therefore had no inkling what the right choice would be.
However, if it had been me, I would have taken both in case my first choice was wrong. Apparently great minds think alike, because the elf snatched both and stepped back to consult his notes. He slid the dagger into his belt and put the jewel in his pocket. Then he stood there so long I thought he had nodded off. Finally, he moved back to the statues and again he approached the left one, circling around until he stood in front of it. Then he leaped up and grabbed onto its outstretched arm. He swung up and around the arm until he was close enough to reach its face. Then he took the jewel out of his pocket and pushed it into the empty right eye socket on the statue. I was preparing to dodge another barrage of arrows, thinking he made a mistake. With my luck, the next volley of arrows would be directed at me. I thought he made the incorrect choice when the statue began to glow. I backed up, preparing for the worst, certain he made the wrong choice. The elf hopped down and watched as the statue slowly sank into the floor until it disappeared from view. The elf seemed satisfied, smug even; but he hadn’t witnessed the wrath of this room. Again, he considered the remaining statue, moving toward it before walking slowly, alertly around it. He circled the statue several more times, then returned to stand in front of the remaining statue. The Elf reviewed his notes before he once again advanced toward the statue, stopping momentarily to remove the dagger from his belt. He sat back on his haunches in front of the statue and ran his hands along the dais at the base of the platform.