by Hans Bezdek
“Why do you think they refrain from heading north?” she asked.
Delvin shrugged. “Maybe there’s something scary up there.”
Sloane’s eyes widened and she rushed to her feet. The horses might not be done feeding yet, but they had enough for now. If she was right, they’d get as much rest as they wanted.
“What are you doing?” asked Delvin, glancing up.
“Maybe there’s something scary there,” nodded Sloane, a smile breaking forth. “But maybe there’s something scary guarding the Lost Citadel!”
“Y-You say that like it’s a good thing…”
“It is!” exclaimed Sloane, preparing her horse and hoping on top of it. “It would make sense that the Lost Citadel is protected by something, otherwise it would’ve been found by now! Maybe it’s to the north of where the nomads are willing to go!”
“I suppose if the nomads knew that people are killed when they go north it would deter them,” nodded Delvin as he got up. “It’s possible you’re right. It could also just be a scary dragon that happens to live there, not guarding anything.”
“It could,” agreed Sloane, still smiling.
“We can go check it out but… be sure you temper your expectations, okay?” he cautioned as he made for his horse.
They both knew that wasn’t happening.
The two of them pushed their horses hard down the mountain, Sloane not wanting to take the half a day it took to get up it. There were a few close calls of the horses losing their footing, but they made it down in nearly half the time. Sloane and Delvin spoke little as they made their way across the valley to the northwest. She was riding high with excitement and didn’t want the gnome to try and reason her down.
The sound of thunder could be heard off in the distance as they rode north. Sloane was so focused on finding the Lost Citadel she hadn’t noticed it until it grew louder and louder.
“Uh, Sloane!” shouted Delvin. “I think we’ve got company!”
Confused, Sloane glanced behind at the gnome. Her shoulders dropped as she saw nearly thirty horses storming after them. It looked like they had attracted the attention of one of the groups of nomads.
Sloane slowed down as she removed her bow, preparing a shot. They were close enough now for Sloane to make out the nomad’s long, sharp spears, along with the strange red paint the nomads typically wore.
“Don’t!” cried Delvin as he passed her. “It’ll cost us too much speed for you to shoot at them!”
“How else are we going to get out of this?” demanded Sloane. The nomads were quickly gaining ground, and they’d have to fight them sooner or later.
“I’ve got an idea, just go as fast as you can!” shouted the gnome, suddenly working his horse to go as fast as it could.
Sloane grumbled under her breath but put her bow and arrow away. She’d have been able to take a few of them out before they got into combat range, but then they’d have been severely outnumbered either way. She had no idea what Delvin was thinking, but she hoped it would work.
She pushed her horse as fast as it would go, concerned that it would get exhausted before long. The nomad’s horses were used to covering far distances at a quick pace, unlike theirs. Best case scenario, they probably had a couple more minutes before they were overtaken. To come so close to her goal just to come up short…
Delvin glanced back at her, then suddenly slowed his horse to nearly a complete stop. Sloane quickly followed suit, reaching for her sword as she turned. The nomads must have caught up faster than she expected them to.
Except they didn’t.
The nomads stopped a few dozen yards short, all of them watching Sloane and Delvin from a distance.
“Ha, I knew it!” laughed Delvin as his horses trotted up next to hers.
“Why did they stop?” asked Sloane, allowing her horse to slowly follow after Delvin’s as she kept a watchful eye on the enemies behind them.
“We reached the threshold!” cheered Delvin. “The nomads won’t follow us now.”
Sloane smiled and looked at Delvin as she realized his plan. “Great thinking, Delvin! That was smart!”
The gnome beamed with pride, sitting a little taller in his saddle.
The two continued on for another hour, until the sun began to fade. Sloane knew they would have to camp out that night, especially after pushing their horses so hard. That soon became perfectly acceptable as they looked up ahead of them.
Before them was a large cliff to their right which mostly blocked their view past it. They had noticed this cliff for some time and never thought much of it. There were dozens of cliffs taller than this one in the Juentes Canyons. However, now that they were closer, it looked like this cliff was hiding something. Just to the left of it from their position, they were able to make out a giant structure down in a valley they hadn’t seen before.
On first glance it looked like a collection of large rocks. As they looked closer, though, they could see that there was too much structure in the creation for it to just be a random assortment of stones. Tall towers reached out to the heavens in one part of the structure, while an arch connected the main part to a small section off to the side.
“T-That’s magnificent!” exclaimed Delvin as the two paused and looked at the enormous construction ahead of them.
Sloane was speechless for a moment. Was this really happening? Was this not an illusion?
“Do you think… do you think this is it?” asked Delvin.
Sloane cleared her throat, trying hard to fight back tears of happiness. “It is. It definitely is. This is the Lost Citadel.”
Chapter 15
Sloane and Delvin left for the Lost Citadel at first light. The journey was surprisingly pleasant, partially because they knew there was no chance of running into nomads, but also because vegetation was springing up all around them. Trees, grass, and even some beautiful flowers could be seen all over. It was a nice break from the earthy tones of the rest of the Juentes Canyons.
Unfortunately, the beauty of the terrain couldn’t distract them from all the skeletons that littered the ground the closer they got to the citadel. The decomposed bodies of nearly all races could be found, including some very large looking orcs and trolls. Whatever had killed them all must have been strong, and there was no guarantee it wasn’t still around.
“I-I can see now why the nomads stay far away,” mumbled Delvin as he looked down at some of the skeletons.
“They must’ve known groups or individuals that came this way and never returned,” nodded Sloane. “It’s probably a legend now. Even if they know what this place is, it’s not like they’d be willing to tell any outsiders about it.”
The two dismounted their horses as they arrived at the base of the taller section of the Lost Citadel. A small set of steps led up to a large set of doors. They looked to be made out of some sort of stone Sloane had never seen before, with an odd writing etched into the walls surrounding them. She wasn’t worried about what they said, she just wanted in.
Hurrying up to the large doors, she grabbed hold of the giant bar in front of one and pulled on it. After much effort and a few minutes, she let go and caught her breath.
“It won’t budge,” frowned Sloane, taking a step back.
“Did you try pushing or did you just pull?” asked Delvin.
That was a decent idea. Sloane pushed hard against the door, hoping it would be that simple of a misunderstanding.
It wasn’t.
“Still won’t move,” she sighed.
“Maybe there’s a secret lever somewhere that we have to push,” mumbled the gnome, looking over some of the ancient looking scribbles.
“Is that what the wall says?” she asked.
“No idea,” he shrugged. “I don’t know what language this is. Never seen it before.”
“Aw, really? No one can read Wu’tarian anymore?” came a whinny voice behind them.
Sloane and Delvin spun around, coming face to face with a floating spirit.
“WAAA!” cried Delvin, running and hiding behind Sloane.
She didn’t provide great cover, as she immediately went for her sword and jumped forward. In an arch, she cut at the spirit as the sword came free from its sheath.
The spirit blinked and held its ground.
Of course, her regular weapon wouldn’t be able to strike something like him. Sloane should’ve thought this through better, but was caught off guard.
“What was that for?” he asked, scratching the side of his head. “I’m the one that should be upset! I spent so much time writing out the explanation of how to enter the citadel, and it was all for not. How was I to guess Wu’tarian would be forgotten, hmm?”
“W-What are you?” asked Sloane, eyeing the spirit up and down as she sheathed her useless blade.
He looked to be around six feet tall, but floated a foot or so off the ground. They could somewhat see through him, but his body and clothes created a gray and white haze. He wore a jeweled crown on his head, and what looked to have been royal robes. He had a long nose, and his eyes didn’t seem to focus on any one thing for too long.
“H-He must be a shade,” gulped Delvin.
“Good guess, young one!” smiled the spirit. “I am, indeed, a shade. We are sort of like ghosts, I suppose you could say.”
“Lovely,” said Sloane, looking nervously at Delvin. “I take it you’re one of the skeletons around here?”
“Ha! Definitely not!” laughed the shade, slapping his knee and finding her question way too funny.
“I-If you’re not a s-skeleton,” stammered Delvin, afraid to ask the next question. “A-Are you the one who made them… that way?”
“I can’t create skeletons,” shrugged the shade. “That would be quite the useless ability, now wouldn’t it be?”
“U-Unless you were a necromancer,” stuttered Delvin.
“Ah, good point! You know, I like you small one. You are quite observant!”
“Do you know who killed all those people?” asked Sloane, trying to get them back on track.
“Oh… is that what your friend meant?” asked the shade, shaking his head. “Silly me! I completely misunderstood his question. My deepest apologies. Yes, I am the one that killed all those people.”
Delvin’s face turned nearly as white as the shade’s. Sloane took a half step back in surprise but tried her best to hold it together. How in the world were they going to manage to kill him? Delvin claimed to know some combat magic, but she hadn’t seen any of it so far and wasn’t optimistic about how strong it was.
“No reason to panic,” said the shade, holding his hands up in an attempt to calm them down. “I only killed them because they agreed to my test and failed. That’s all.”
“T-Test?” asked Sloane. “What sort of test?”
“Why, my test to get access to this citadel of course!” exclaimed the shade. He snapped his fingers then playfully smacked his own head. “Ah, right. You can’t read the wall. My deepest apologies once again.”
“What… what does the wall say?” asked Sloane.
“Well, it starts with the creation of this plane of existence,” began the shad, clearing his throat. “A long, long time ago, a-”
“Um, could we just get to the test part for now?” asked Sloane.
“Very well,’ sighed the shade. He leaned in towards Delvin. “Is she always asking questions and then interrupting people when they give the answer?”
Delvin’s mouth was open, but no sounds came out. He still hadn’t recovered from learning that the shade was actually responsible for all the death around them.
“This is becoming a lot less fun,” mumbled the shade as he floated back away from the gnome. “I’ll give you the bullet points, so as to not get cut off again. Basically, in order to gain access to this citadel and all that is inside of it, you must pass my test. The test consists of three trials. If you fail any of the trials, I, unfortunately, must kill you. If you pass all three, however, you will be given the key! Quite exciting, isn’t it?”
Exciting, and risky. Sloane hadn’t come this far to just give up, though.
“W-Why do you have to do this?” asked Delvin, finally snapping out of it. “Is there something that is keeping you here? Is there a reason you have to have this test?”
“Reasonable questions,” nodded the shade, floating a few feet away. He crossed his arms behind his back and looked off into the distance. “I do all of this because… well, I’m bored.”
“Because you’re bored?!” exclaimed Sloane and Delvin.
“All my friends are long dead and gone,” explained the shade. “They all wanted to move on to the afterlife, but I decided to stay. I didn’t know it at the time, but if you choose to stay as a shade, you get stuck at the location you died. It’s rather inconvenient for meeting new people.”
“But you’ve had all these people come and try to take the Lost Citadel!” exclaimed Sloane. “Why not befriend them?”
“Lost Citadel, huh? That’s the name they gave this place? Interesting,” said the shade, stroking his beard.
“Why not just let anyone stay?” asked Delvin, trying to get the question answered.
“Because, short one, there are many people in this world,” sighed the shade. “Most of them share one thing in common. They kind of suck.”
Delvin and Sloane shared a confused look.
“Imagine making friends with terribly boring people that want to sit around all day, just watching time tick by,” groaned the spirit. “When you’re a shade and those are the only people you see every day, it’s a fate worth than death. I’d rather be alone and hold out for those deserving of this place.”
Sloane was pretty sure the shade was insane. Things weren’t looking good for her and Delvin.
“Could the two of us talk privately for a moment?” asked Delvin, taking a step closer to Sloane.
“I don’t see why not,” shrugged the shade, floating a dozen feet away. “Just let me know if you’d like to talk more, or take the test.”
“Will do,” smiled Delvin. He turned to Sloane and lowered his voice. “What are your thoughts?”
“I’m thinking we’re about to be killed by this crazy ghost,” whispered Sloane.
The two of them glanced over at the shade. The spirit muttered something to itself and then giggled.
“He’s certainly not all there,” agreed Delvin. “I think he’s lonely though, and he just wants friends. This could work out for us.”
“You want to be friends with him?” asked Sloane, not relishing the concept.
“If you want to stay here, you’re going to have to get used to him,” pointed out Delvin. “That’s something you’re going to have to figure out if you want or not.”
The gnome had a point. She could maybe figure out a way to get rid of the shade one day, but there was no guarantee. She supposed it would be worth all the gold inside.
“Fine, so what are you thinking?” she asked.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but… propose that we take the test,” said Delvin, looking pained as he said it. “Together.”
“There’s no need for both of us to take it,” said Sloane, shaking her head.
“I knew you’d think that way, because I thought it, too,” nodded Delvin. “But we’d stand a better chance of passing if we work together. Plus, it sounds like he just wants someone that would make a good friend. So you’ll need my help.”
“What’s that supposed to mean!? How am I a bad friend to you?!”
“Not to me, to Zeke,” said the gnome quietly.
“Ugh, do we have to talk about him all the time?” whined Sloane.
“See?” said Delvin, raising his eyebrows.
Sloane ran her hands over her face. Maybe he had a point, but this disagreement was Zeke’s fault, not her’s.
“If you want to do the test too, then I won’t stop you,” sighed Sloane.
“Good,” nodded Delvin, turning towards the shade and raisi
ng his voice. “Mr. Shade, we’re ready to talk again!”
“Please, call me Anthony,” smiled the shade as he floated back towards them again.
“I’m Delvin, and this is Sloane,” explained the gnome.
“Always a pleasure to meet new people,” bowed Anthony. “Now, what can I do for you?”
“You seem to like us… right?” tried Delvin.
“Admittedly, I do,” nodded the shade. “Much more conversational than anyone that’s been here since the rest of my people died.”
“Do you think we could just skip the test then, and be allowed in?” asked the gnome, hands clasped before him.
Anthony ran a finger through his beard as he thought about it. After a few seconds, he stopped and shook his head. “Can’t do that. Wouldn’t be fair to all the others.”
“It was worth a shot,” said Sloane, patting the gnome on his back.
Delvin nodded, then stood tall and looked the shade in the eye. “In that case, Anthony… we’d like to take the test!”
Chapter 16
It was the third night in the woods on the outskirts of Burston, and Zeke was getting beyond restless.
He left his tent with the Fourth Staff on his back, making a beeline for Kriket’s. Deep down he knew their conversation would probably be fruitless, but if he didn’t vent some of his frustration, he’d charge into the enemy camp before the night was done.
After running into that group of undead, the rest of the trip down to Burston had been uneventful. Conversations had died down in order to focus on any approaching dangers, though none ever came. It made Zeke miss traveling with Sloane and Delvin, who always seemed to run into some trouble and keep things interesting.
When they could see the badly damaged walls of Burston, they had to leave the road out of fear of being caught by Kutarm’s men. This slowed them down considerably, the wagon becoming more of a hindrance than anything. Zeke didn’t see why they couldn't just abandon it, but Kriket and Londar were adamant that they didn’t want to leave any signs behind that people were out in the woods. It wasn’t just their group who had come to help out the town, and they’d be endangering them.