by Casey Knight
“Thanks, Tokem. I’m putting a shield around us. Can you alert Traygen and Jason and let them know we are missing a contestant?”
“Will do, and I’ll search for our missing fae.”
“Corbin, I think it’s better to stick together. The last time we split up, I ended up in Mab’s territory. Besides, the shield will protect us from anything except Armageddon, and if that happens, hovering overhead won’t save your ass.”
“Well, when you put it like that, count me in,” Corbin added with a chuckle, as he strode over to stand by me.
I drew a circle around us both, chanted the proper words and waited for the shield to pop up around us. It didn’t take long for the buffer to materialize and snap into place. I had a good view of the runes and I was preparing to chant the words to explode them. This could prove to be tricky. I had to give it enough juice to blow them up without blasting us to smithereens. We were at least seven stories below ground, surrounded by very soft brittle rock. To make matters worse, the runes were etched into the side of a fire pit that was dug into the floor of the cavern. We were already working in an excavated area and who knew what was below us and how far.
“Corbin, as you know, I’m not usually known for my finesse. In fact, my usual approach is to get a bigger hammer. Unfortunately, a gentle approach is required in this case, so it may take a time or two to get this done.”
“Lauren, all you need to do is envision the Crown jewels. See yourself lovingly polishing and shaping a rough uncut diamond.”
“Leave it to you to think of the Crown jewels. At least you didn’t say family jewels. I’m going to remove one symbol at a time until the ciphers are gone. Keep your fingers crossed.”
I moved as close as possible to the characters, while remaining within shelter of the shield. The first two symbols were fairly generic, and I wasn’t too worried about them. I knew their purpose, and they didn’t pack much energy.
“Two down and two to go. I knew the first two, but I was SOL with the remaining two. I had no flipping clue what the other two did. Never mind what their combined influence might do or be.”
I returned my focus to the remaining symbols and studied their outlines. Then I started on the third symbol and spoke the words to remove it. Like the two before it, the symbol blazed slightly and then disappeared. I uttered the words to deactivate the remaining icon, when I noticed it start to change. Shit. This wasn’t good. Unfortunately, before I could warn Corbin, the fire pit erupted upward in a geyser of fire, dirt and debris. Our shield was holding for now, but the room we were in was filling up with fiery bits of debris and rubble. Not to mention that everywhere the fire hit, another small blaze erupted. We would be next if we got anywhere near inferno.
“Corbin, change into a bat and get help. I’m going to take the shield down before the debris buries us.”
“I have a better idea. Remove the shield. I’ll turn into my wolf. You jump on, and I’ll get us out of here. Lauren, now. Trust me.”
I dropped the shield as Corbin turned into a wolf the size of a pony. I jumped on and he bounded for the stairs. We’d made it up three or four flights of stairs when we ran into Traygen and his team. Thankfully, for all of us, the fires were already going out for lack of fuel.
“Lauren, Corbin, are you two all right?”
I jumped off Corbin’s back and into Traygen’s arms.
“We are fine. Luckily, our shield held long enough for Corbin to get us out of there. Whoever put those runes there was definitely trying to kill me. I’ve disarmed all the other symbols. Since all our meetings were bugged, they’d know I would remove any others if they were found.”
“Let’s see if we can find anything now that the fires have died. This obviously was caused by a spell. There hasn’t been any naturally occurring seismic activity in this area in over a hundred years,” Traygen observed.
“Spell or not, be careful. It is still plenty hot. In fact, wait here, let me fly back and check out the area.”
“Corbin, that’s a good idea. It might not be moving toward us but it still feels hot enough to fry us.”
We waited while Corbin flew off to check the immediate area. While he was gone, we checked in with Tokem who reported they still hadn’t found any signs of the missing fae. Jason was notified, and the siren blared to halt the games until we found the missing contestant. If we couldn’t find him soon, we’d have to stop the games.
“Here comes Corbin. Hopefully he’s got good news,” Traygen noted.
Corbin fluttered into view, landed and changed into his human form.
“What’d you find? Was there any sign of the fae?”
“Whoever set that trap for you was looking only to kill or maim you. There was only sufficient fire and debris spewed from the fire pit to engulf one person. We are both lucky you had the shield up or we might have been killed. It is cooling quickly, but I think it will take some time to clear out the smoke and rubble.”
“Give me some good news, will you? Did you see any sign of the missing fae or where he might have gone?”
“Lauren, there might be. Still, we can’t get near it until everything is cleared out. It looks like there is a tunnel beneath where the explosion initiated. It’s possible our fae was pulled down another trap door and out of sight.”
“Corbin, do you think there is any way you might fly down there and check it out? You wouldn’t have to touch anything, or is it still too hot?”
“Traygen, you make a good point, but it will be at least an hour or more for the area to cool enough for me to fly down to check out the space beneath.”
“Corbin, do you think it’s worth checking from the floor below the fire pit? We can get a good approximation of how many feet from the stairs the fire pit is if the floors are even similar enough to have the same layout.”
“Lauren, I can fly down there and check that out. I suggest the rest of you check with Tokem and see if you can access the area from another direction. I’ll keep my mic on and let you know if I find anything.”
Corbin changed back into a bat and flew off. We contacted Tokem and got directions on how to approach the area from the opposite direction. We needed to go back up several floors and then go across. It would take us more than an hour if we didn’t make any wrong turns. Traygen and I trotted off in the direction Tokem indicated. It was much harder working our way back through the narrow tunnels. We made several wrong turns even with Tokem’s guidance. There were so many small passageways branching off, it was hard to know which ones to take. Still, we worked steadily back up and then off to the east.
It took us another thirty-five minutes to find a space approximately one floor below the fire pit. I had no way to gauge the thickness of the floors. We entered another section analogous to the floor we’d been on before. It didn’t have a large open area or agora. Still, there were storage spaces and numerous rooms branching off like spokes in a wagon wheel.
“I think we will need to wait for Corbin to get us closer if it’s even possible.”
“Lauren, do you smell anything familiar down here or any magic? And yes, we will need Corbin’s help to pinpoint the area unless my hunch is correct.”
I looked at Traygen and nodded, then walked slowly around the floor. It took me a while, but I finally came to a place off one of the larger storage spaces that smelled vaguely familiar. Closing my eyes, I steadied my breathing, and sent my senses out to scan the immediate area. Magic, just a hint, still it was there, and I recognized it. To make sure I wasn’t jumping to conclusions, I moved around and repeated the process. It was unmistakable, and I knew who it belonged to. Relieved, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Traygen, do you recognize the scent?”
“Yes, I smelled it around the first challenge the night the guards were killed, and around the familiars in the third challenge.”
“Exactly, it’s Grayson. He planted those familiars in the first two universes. I’m afraid I don’t know Trax.”
“Me neither, but it doesn’t matter in this case. This is a fairly benign spell, and I found only traces of one person. The question is, why has he acted now? I’m sure he used a simple illusion to snatch the fae. The best news is, I found no trace of black magic here, or the scent of the two killers from the oasis.”
“My guess is the Council is closing in on him. He can’t elude them for long. This will only make him more desperate,” Traygen added.
“I will let Tokem know who was behind this. He can check with the Council and make sure they are aware.”
I called Tokem and filled him in. He put security on alert. Traygen and I had settled down to wait for Corbin when he flew into the room. We filled him in on what we’d found, and he let us know that he thought it was cool enough to fly down and try to find the missing fae. I reminded him to stay in touch as he flew off. We decided to wait in this area in case we were closer than we knew to the missing fae. Besides, it would take too much time to walk back. We settled in to wait, and fortunately didn’t need to cool our heels long.
A pop and a blur of chiropteran wings announced Corbin’s return. I couldn’t be certain exactly where he had come from. He changed back into his human form and started to fill us in.
“Lauren, Traygen, I have our missing fae. He’s grumpy but unharmed. I found him trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. I’ve convinced him it was part of the plan and assessed him a five-point penalty. Now if you’ll follow me, I’ll show the spot where I found him.”
“Lead the way, Bat Boy. We are right behind you.”
“Lauren, there is no need to cop an attitude. I found the fae at the bottom of the tunnel. He was there in plain sight. I’m sure you were the intended target, and Grayson didn’t care how or if we found the competitor. I sent the fae to get checked out before they resume the games. It will give us a chance to track Grayson.”
“Corbin, good job. Any thoughts on where our missing warlock might have gone?”
“Traygen, I found tracks leading away, but I could follow them only to one of the side tunnels. The rock in that area is too hard to leave any prints.”
“Corbin, can you show us where you lost his tracks? Traygen and I may be able to follow his magical signature.”
“Traygen, can you identify his scent? I think I’ve caught a whiff of it over here.”
Traygen walked around the area before he responded and Corbin remained quiet. I don’t think he wanted to influence our decision. After a few minutes, Traygen stopped and pointed to a tunnel on our left. I walked around a little more and then nodded.
“Lauren, Traygen, that is the direction I have our warlock going. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where I lost his trail.”
We followed Corbin down the tunnel where Traygen and I had scented the warlock. We walked maybe a quarter mile when Corbin stopped.
“This is where I lost his tracks. Hopefully, you two can follow his scent.”
I’m not sure what Traygen was thinking, but I felt like a bloodhound let out to run my prey to ground. I paced around the area searching for any scent of the warlock, stopping occasionally to breathe deeply and try to find any hint of Grayson. I moved to my left, sampled the air and satisfied I wasn’t going in the correct direction, I moved methodically in a clockwise direction around the area. Then I finally picked up the scent of our missing warlock. I didn’t howl and run off after Grayson, and Traygen didn’t lift his leg to mark the area. We were much more civilized than our canine detectives. No, I sang a small version of We are the Champions. Corbin rolled his eyes, and Traygen just shook his head.
“Lauren, I think you should keep your day job. There is no money in singing or comedy for you,” Corbin quipped.
“You are just jealous and besides I like my day job. Traygen, is this where you were headed?”
“It is, My Love. We are right behind you.”
I turned to follow my nose, and it led me to a small, dimly lit tunnel. The further we went, the tighter the space got until I was on all fours cursing my little claustrophobic soul. I was ready to send Corbin to fly down and see where this trail led when the shaft got wider and taller. I could stand now, and it seemed to be getting lighter. A few feet farther along and the tunnel opened into a large cavern. Thank God, I was about over this whole Tomb Raider episode.
Wherever we were, the scent of our missing warlock was much stronger here. It didn’t take long to find a smaller room off the main cavern where Grayson had been staying. That is when we picked up the scent of a second man we assumed was Trax. There didn’t appear to be anyone around, but they’d been here recently. Their scents were too strong for them to have been very old. I was about to suggest that we leave someone here to wait for them when I heard voices.
Traygen motioned for us to step into one of the smaller rooms and wait. It didn’t take long for Grayson and Trax to show up. They were engrossed in a heated discussion. We settled in to listen.
“I’m telling you I heard the explosion, and there is no way the bitch could have survived it.” Grayson spat.
“So you say, but there has been no chatter on their security radios. No one has mentioned an explosion, nor to announce that Lauren is dead. She has more lives than a damned cat. I’m telling you I don’t like this.”
“Trax, you worry too much. There is no way she could have known the last two symbols. They are banned. Second rate wizard that she is, when it all exploded, so did she.”
“She better be dead or Mab will kill us both.”
“Mab’s reward is as good as ours. I’m telling you she is dead.”
I had heard enough. It was time to rain on these clowns’ parade, and I did mean rain, as in enough magic to have them stepping and fetching until the turn of the century.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, boys, but you will not be collecting any reward except the one I’m about to tattoo on your asses for stupidity. Second rate wizard indeed.”
They blanched, and I hit them both with enough energy to keep them asleep and immobilized well into the next millennia. I did them a favor because Mab doesn’t suffer fools. She would have been very creative in punishing them. They should thank me for their deep sleep.
“As much as I’d like to stay and play with these two, we had better get the game restarted. We still have three more challenges and ancient gods to catch.”
Chapter Sixteen
It took about half an hour to resume the final trial. The fae checked out and returned to the spot where he’d vanished. He was off in a flash, and within minutes found the second challenge. It was within twenty feet where he was snatched. Apparently, Grayson and Trax assumed I’d be near the final stage of the second challenge. Normally, I would have been, but thanks to the two ancient gods trying to kill me, I was working a monitor instead.
I sighed and thought to myself two challenges down and two to go before the games will be completed. Jason and his crew would wait until one of the competitors approached the final challenge before transporting their team through the portal. They would try to capture or banish Moros and Ker to the underworld. The siren sounded to restart the games. I heard a number of competitors moving in my direction. I cloaked myself and settled in to wait.
It wasn’t long before the fae burst into the room I was waiting. This was another open room like so many of the others. It appeared to be a central gathering area. There were benches and a stone fireplace against one wall. Numerous tunnels moved off the central room into what looked like storage areas and sleeping quarters. The fae took his time reading his notes and checking the immediate vicinity. He had a sizable lead before he was snatched, a lead he should have maintained, since the action was halted when he disappeared.
He stuffed his notes back into his shirt and moved over toward the fireplace. It was a simple stone structure carved into the rock wall. The fae walked up to it and examined it. Apparently satisfied, he kneeled down in front of it and appeared to be running his hand under the opening for the flue. My g
uess is, he wanted to see if it was really a fireplace. He wisely didn’t stick his hand up inside the chimney and I didn’t blame him. Finally, he stood and walked around in front of the fireplace. The only other objects were a ring of grapefruit sized rocks that circled the fireplace opening. They were set in the sand, directly in front of the fireplace. He returned to position himself in front of the fireplace. After a few minutes, he reached out and picked up the rock in the center of the semi-circle.
Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then the entire fireplace rotated a quarter turn and the fae was gone. The fireplace smoothly slid back into place as if it had never moved. I hit my mic and put in a call to Tokem to see if this was part of the plan. He told me he’d get back to me, so I waited. Footsteps approached from another direction. Before long, I watched as the vampire came into the room.
Tokem let me know the fireplace was part of the plan and the fae would return. He had apparently made the wrong choice. I settled in to see what decisions the vampire would make. Like the fae before him, the vampire was meticulous and I believed a little paranoid. I couldn’t blame them, with the design team from Freddie Kruger’s worst nightmare in charge of their fate. Finally, the vampire made his move. He too had zoomed in on the fireplace but unlike the fae, he picked up the rock to the far right. His fate was immediately decided when the sand and floor beneath him gave way and he disappeared from sight. A small click let me know the trap in the floor he’d fallen through was now back in place and covered with sand.
Before I considered his fate further, the lycan bounded into view in wolf form. He stopped to sniff the area. I’m sure he scented the fae and vampire. Remaining in his wolf form, he trotted around the room one more time before he walked up and pushed down on the stone to the left of center. Sitting back on his haunches, he watched as the entire fireplace slid up to reveal a tunnel leading off behind it. He stood up and trotted down the tunnel. I fell in step behind him as the fireplace slid back into place. The tunnel was narrow and slanted downward at a gentle angle. The air was close and smelled stale. It was enough to set my little claustrophobic heart racing. I tried a few deep breaths, which helped a little, but not nearly as much as the fresh air coming up the tunnel in the direction toward me.