Sorcery, Schemes and Skelt: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol II

by Rachel Ronning

  Lucy made it through the day of ribbons and the dinner of avoidance in a good mood. She followed Tishanna’s advice and made a quick, quiet visit to Andriss’s room. She did not knock. He turned when she entered and gave her a sardonic smile.

  “Time for me to become a mouse?” he asked.

  “It was your idea,” Lucy relied apologetically.

  “Will you be able to change me back?”

  “Honestly? I’m not sure.”

  “I suppose it could be worse,” Andriss shrugged. “At least being a mouse is something new.” He grinned at her. “Hocus Pocus.”

  Lucy smiled back and concentrated. She watched as Andriss shrunk. His ears grew and rounded. His eyes turned black and beady. His nose elongated and sprouted whiskers. His body changed from the upright stance of a man to the crouch of a rodent. A tail protruded and fur grew as he turned a shade of gray. When the transformation was complete, he ran over to her. She picked him up in her hand and looked at him.

  “If it makes you feel any better, you are an attractive mouse,” Lucy told him.

  Andriss winked at her. Lucy walked back to the rooms she shared with Maya. She hoped she didn’t look terribly guilty. Turning Andriss into a mouse was easier than she thought it would be. Justin could figure out the rest. As soon as they were alone in the room, Lucy told Maya and Gavin everything she and Tishanna had discussed earlier.

  “Something from the mists?” asked Maya alarmed. “I hadn’t thought of that. I didn’t even know that was possible.”

  “Is that bad?” asked Gavin. “What’s with the mouse?”

  “Tishanna seemed to think it could be very bad and the mouse is a long story,” said Lucy. “I’ll tell you later.”

  “It’s bad,” confirmed Maya. “Nothing good comes out of the mists and the more powerful things tend to not come out at all. That means that whatever is using Neston, is very powerful.”

  “What would something that powerful want with Fredamonn?” asked Lucy.

  “Good question. I would guess a foothold. I have no idea what the endgame might be though. Absolute domination? It might explain why things are happening in Lerramorre as well. In fact, this could be more widespread than we suspect. Either way, I think we should leave soon. Justin will want to know about this and I’m starting to get nervous. Neston’s not going to want to play with me for much longer and we know what happened to the last three ambassadors. We might not have a lot of information, but we have a lot of bad ideas piling up. We should leave tomorrow.”

  “Without any type of proof?”

  The door flew open and Tishanna entered looking out of breath but determined.

  “Tishanna, this is Maya and Gavin,” said Lucy politely.

  “Call me Tish,” she smiled. “You are either about to be killed or we are going to get the proof we talked about earlier. Ten men are coming. Nice mouse,” she said as an aside with a wink at Lucy.

  “We can handle ten men,” said Gavin with confidence.

  “I’m sure you can, but I don’t think they mean to fight you. I think they mean to take you to Neston and I have no idea what will happen then.”

  “Should we run?” asked Lucy. “Should you leave before you are found with us?”

  There was a loud knock at the door.

  “Too late,” all of them said together and smiled.

  “Ambassador?” a polite but firm voice questioned. “My lord, Neston, would like an audience.”

  “It’s late for an audience,” replied Maya.

  “He insists.”

  “Tell him I will be along shortly,” said Maya, trying to buy time.

  “As you pointed out, it is late. He asked us to escort you.”

  “Run, fight, or find out what he wants?” Maya asked them quickly and quietly.

  “Information,” replied Lucy, frightened though she was.

  Maya nodded, took a deep breath, opened the door, and led the way out.

  “You too,” the man said motioning towards Tishanna.

  “She’s only a servant,” said Lucy dismissively, trying to protect her friend.

  “Neston wants everyone in the room.”

  “Is there a problem?” asked Maya.

  “Neston does not explain things or give me reasons. He gives me orders. I carry out his orders. He said everyone in the room; I bring everyone in the room.”

  Maya nodded. The man motioned them ahead of him and they all began to walk. Lucy was nervous. She managed to hand Andriss the mouse to Tish. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but she was sure she would want her hands free. Nothing good could come from a late night meeting with Neston. She was determined not to let fear overwhelm her. She needed to stay calm and focus. She had power. She could get them out of this. She couldn’t get angry and react. That could also end badly. She wasn’t sure of all the ramifications and consequences of killing Neston, but they couldn’t be good. In fact, if he was being used by something from out of the mists, she wasn’t even sure she could kill him. Lucy focused on staying calm as they were led to the throne room.

  Chapter 35

  Neston stood with his back to them as they entered the throne room. It was a long walk to the throne with multiple archways on either side. As they neared, Neston turned to face them and sat on the throne, an ominous assumption. The gray cat sat on the back, looking more Skelt-like than ever. Lucy was glad she had slipped the Andriss mouse to Tish and hoped she had him safe in a pocket or something.

  “Good evening,” Neston said coldly. “You may leave,” he addressed their escort. They waited in silence while their escort made the long walk back down the aisle. The door closed with eerie finality. The cat flicked its tail at them.

  “Good evening,” replied Maya. “It’s late for a meeting.”

  “For that kind of meeting, yes, it is. This is the kind of meeting where I accuse you of being spies, or come up with other trumped up charges, and then kill you.”

  “I am an ambassador, not a spy. Besides, don’t you need to hold a trial and call witnesses?”

  “Your titles and connections mean little to me. There is nothing more I can learn from you. I cannot use you. I don’t need to keep you alive. You will serve me better dead, so I will kill you. I don’t need the approval of anyone to do this. I hold the power here. The mysterious disappearance of yet another ambassador won’t bother anyone at court who sees you as annoying interferers in the first place. All I have to do is tell them you chose to return to Lerramorre or that I sent you with something to present to your King. When it comes to outsiders, they would prefer to believe what I tell them rather than look for the truth.”

  “The King of Lerramorre will not be happy,” said Maya.

  “The King of Lerramorre is a boy. He will be easily defeated. Besides, I’m told the only reason Lerramorre won the last battle was because of some magic users. My spies say that only a friend and a healer are there now. The battle mage is gone.”

  “What if your information is wrong?” asked Maya. She was trying to keep him talking. She was hoping to get information and buy them time to think up an escape.

  “It matters little. I was not expecting Lerramorre to have strong allies. I thought an easy defeat would boost morale. Keeping my powers a secret seemed the prudent thing to do at the time. Now, I will not be restricted. It will be time for me to use a little magic of my own,” he laughed. “Surprised? You did not think I had any power?”

  “None of your own,” replied Maya. She did not want him to know what they had guessed.

  “You think me a pawn?” Neston asked angrily. He obviously disliked the idea of someone thinking he was being used.

  “You associate with Skelt,” Maya accused, motioning to the cat.

  “Purr, perceptive,” said the Skelt with a very human smile. “You are the first human to recognize me for what I am. It will not, purr, do you any good. Neston, they bore me. Purr, you may kill them now,” the Skelt said.

  “You claim to have power, but I
think you hide behind powerful friends,” said Maya before Neston could do anything. She knew it would make him angry. She was hoping that anger would make him reveal more information rather than garner a reaction. She was wrong.

  “Hide? I don’t have to hide! I have plenty of power of my own! I’ll show you power!” he shouted. Neston was finished with talking. He was tired of these people and they annoyed him. It was time to end them.

  Neston burst into flames. The Skelt disappeared behind the throne. The flames grew and spread. The group all had matching expressions of horror and shock. Lucy reacted first. She tried to use magic to suffocate the fire from lack of air. That didn’t work. Laugher came from the middle of the flames. She tried shooting water from her hands. The flames crackled louder and spread farther. The heat emanating from them was intense. The laughter grew stronger and its tone, deeper.

  “Poor little mage,” said a voice filled with mock pity. It was not Neston’s voice. “Your powers are no match for mine.”

  The flames started to fill the room. They backed away. The laughter continued. The fact that it was not Neston’s voice at least confirmed their suspicions that something far more sinister was going on here, but that knowledge did not help their current predicament. Lucy tried putting up an invisible wall. It didn’t slow the advance of the flames at all. The others couldn’t see Lucy’s wall, but they could see that she was trying to do something and that nothing was working. Gavin tried throwing a knife at the fire where Neston had been standing. Kill the magic user and stop the spell, right? His knife stopped part way into the flames, reversed directions, and shot back at them. They dodged the knife and it clattered to the floor.

  “To the door,” shouted Gavin. When something couldn’t be fought with weapons there was no shame in retreating and regrouping. Alive with a plan was better than dead.

  “No,” yelled Lucy. “It’s too far. The archway! Hurry and make sure you are all touching me when we go through!”

  “What?” asked Gavin even as he followed Lucy. “How is that archway going to help us?”

  “Shut up and run!”

  They did. Gavin didn’t know what Lucy had in mind, but at this point he was willing to follow someone with a plan. He had seen her do some amazing things. Anyone that could turn an erdette into a tree was worth following when being chased by fire. Hopefully she would get lucky and they would stay alive. The flames chased them, getting closer every second, gaining on them as they ran. The confidence in the laugher mocked them. That bothered Gavin more than anything. He felt like they were being played with.

  Lucy wasn’t sure if she could do what she hoped she could do, but it was their only chance. She hoped an archway and a doorway were similar enough ideas. The door was too far away and there was no guarantee it would open. They reached the archway. Lucy grabbed Tish’s arm, Maya’s dress, and hoped that Gavin was touching her. Then, she closed her eyes, visualized Joss’s throne room and unleashed her vast stores of pent up magic. The fire was burning hot behind them and the laughter from inside it mocked them. Lucy tripped and they fell through the archway and tumbled into Joss’s throne room.

  “Well done, Lucy!” said Gavin as he picked himself up and held out a hand to Maya.

  “Wow,” said Tish looking impressed as she helped up Lucy.

  “I knew I wanted you along for a reason,” said Maya, giving Lucy a hug.

  Chapter 36

  Lucy, Maya, Gavin, and Tish brushed themselves off. Then, they looked into the room at the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces. Joss’s throne room was filled with people who were finishing off an audience with the King that had run late. They were all well-dressed and looked both alarmed and offended. Lucy wasn’t sure which disturbed them more, the sudden and obviously magical entrance or the fact that the group of people was dirty and singed. Joss recovered first.

  “Ambassador, Maya. It is good to have you back. Your method of entry implies you have an immediate report to make,” he motioned to the door behind his throne and they all moved quickly to go through it. It might have been an abrupt dismissal, but Joss didn’t care.

  Joss entered first. He would have rather let the others precede him and then personally shut the door behind them, but as King, he was supposed to lead, not follow. Justin and Taran waited instead. Maya entered behind Joss, followed by Tish, Lucy, and Gavin. Justin shut the door firmly and took Lucy’s hand. Joss started talking.

  “What was that? Why do you all look singed? What’s going on? Who is that? What’s with the mouse?” asked Joss practically shouting and motioning with his hands.

  “Hello to you, too,” glared Maya.

  Joss’s expression softened, “I’m sorry. It’s been stressful here and then you appear out of nowhere looking terrified and half burnt. Are you all alright?”

  “I think so,” said Maya, looking back at the others for confirmation.

  “Good,” said Joss. He stepped forward and gave her a hug. He also hugged Lucy and shook hands with Gavin. He raised an eyebrow at Tish.

  “Hello, Your Majesty, Justin, Taran,” Tish said with a smile.

  Joss turned to Taran this time. Taran grinned.

  “This is our cousin, Tishanna,” Taran announced.

  “The mouse?” inquired Joss again.

  “Is Lucy’s,” replied Tish. Then, since things didn’t appear too formal at this gathering, Tish gave her cousins hugs. She also winked at Justin since he was still holding Lucy’s hand.

  “Wonderful, we are all together again. Everyone is alive. I’d like some answers,” said Joss. He turned to Lucy first, hoping the mouse was the easiest thing to answer.

  “I’d like to introduce you to Prince Andriss of Fredamonn,” said Lucy politely, and looking slightly embarrassed.

  “What?” wondered everyone, besides Tish, with varying degrees of confusion, worry, and repulsion on their faces. Obviously, this was not the easiest thing to answer.

  Lucy looked at the ground, shuffled her feet and explained everything leading up to turning Andriss into a mouse.

  “Shortly after his transformation, we ended up fleeing and I haven’t had a chance to address the situation. I’m not sure how to turn him back or if that’s even a good idea,” Lucy finished her explanation and looked at Justin. She hoped he would know how to handle this situation. “Andriss knows a lot of information. He might be valuable to you as a human and probably very willing to work out a deal of some kind.”

  “Great,” sighed Joss, wishing he hadn’t asked about the mouse. “So, you’ve kidnapped a prince. I thought the mouse was going to be the least of our problems. However, you might be right; he could be an asset. He might be better as a mouse. Keep him as a mouse until we know what we’re going to do. We’ll talk about that later. Maya?”

  “I wish we had more answers than we are going to give you. Neston is behind most of what’s occurring in Fredamonn and the nobles don’t like it. There will be an uprising soon. We have not found any evidence that anyone there is behind anything going on here. The bigger problem is what’s behind Neston. Perhaps Tish should explain,” said Maya. “Oh, and there was a Skelt there.”

  “Skelt?” asked Justin. “So this goes deeper. Never trust a Skelt. I wonder what their interest is? Sorry, let’s focus on Neston. Tish?”

  “I’ve been working as a servant in the palace for about a month. Neston does not seem to have any latent magical powers, but something is definitely working through him. We don’t know what,” said Tish.

  “What do you mean what?” asked Joss. “Don’t you mean who? Don’t you need something to connect you to a magic user if you are going to funnel magic into or out of something? Justin?”

  “A human, Elf, Dwarf, or Giant would have to. I think Tish is getting at something different. Tish?”

  “I think given the proximity of the mists, that it’s something in there.”

  “I was afraid you were thinking that,” groaned Justin.

  “Is that bad? What does that have
to do with Lerramorre?” asked Joss. “I don’t like anything having to do with the mists and make a point of staying out of them. I only know about the things that lurk on the edges. I’m guessing you are referring to something deeper in and much more sinister.”

  “It’s bad. Anything powerful enough to work magic through Neston and at that distance is very powerful indeed. The only reason any creature would want power in Fredamonn is to use it as a foothold to bring an army over the mountains, out of the mists, and over all of Kinowenn,” said Justin.

  “That was the same conclusion we came to,” said Lucy. “We were wondering if we should wait and gather more evidence when we were called to a meeting with Neston.”

  “You feared Neston was being controlled by a powerful being from the mists and you went to a late night meeting with him?” asked Joss, sounding angry.

  “We weren’t given very many options,” said Maya.

  “That’s exactly why you took Gavin and Lucy,” sputtered Joss. “To give you options!”

  “Do you want to yell at us about choices we already made or would you care to hear what happened?” asked Maya. “Behave yourself, or I’ll have Lucy turn you into a mouse.”

  Joss looked angry but kept his mouth shut. King or not, Maya wasn’t about to let him get away with acting in charge. He knew Lucy liked him, but he also knew she liked Maya. Until he was sure of who she’d side with in a fight, he better behave. Even being King was better than being a mouse, for now.

  “We went to the throne room. He threatened to kill us. When we refused, he turned into fire. A voice unlike Neston’s laughed at us. The room filled with flames. Lucy tried to combat them magically and the voice laughed more. So, she grabbed us and ran for an archway and jumped us through,” said Maya.