The Marenon Chronicles Collection

by Jason D. Morrow

  A second later he was within feet of the staff and reached out to touch the object when he heard loud footsteps approaching from the corridor behind him. He had been followed! He drew his sword and spun around quickly.

  “Wait!” the voice yelled as an Erellen came around the corner. It was Lorcan. A sudden urgency gripped Silas. He did not want to face Lorcan again. Silas was confident in his ability to defeat Lorcan with a sword, but he would be crushed by the Erellen’s magic.

  “What are you doing, Lorcan? You’re supposed to get the horses ready for escape!”

  “Whatever you do,” Lorcan said, bent over trying to breathe, “don’t touch the staff!”

  Silas shook his head. “You’ve been trying to keep me from coming on this job since the moment you met me.”

  “No, Silas listen!”

  “You listen!” Silas yelled, spit flying. “I’m not going to let you get us all killed just because you have some misplaced contempt for me.”

  “You’ve got it all wrong, Silas. If you touch that staff, you’ll die!”

  Silas couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t understand why Lorcan was saying these things, but if the past two days were any indication, it was probably an attempt to make Silas out to look like the bad guy.

  “You want me to fail so you can tell Alric you were right about me!”

  “Silas, it was Alric’s plan for you to die tonight!”

  Silas stared in disbelief, unable to find words to argue. It couldn’t be true. Alric had been good to him. He had given Silas his word that he would help him find his grandfather. Why would he want him to die?

  “We aren’t even here for the staff,” Lorcan continued. “We’re after a medallion.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t ask me what the medallion is or what it does. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s what we’ve been hired to get.”

  “Then what’s the point of sending me after the staff?”

  “To be the diversion,” Lorcan said calmly. “Alric wasn’t lying when he said an alarm would be raised when you grabbed the staff. What he did lie about was what happens when you touch the staff.” Lorcan hesitated. “Every Anwyn in these parts will swarm around you and capture you. There’ll be no attention paid to Alric and the rest of them when they move in and steal the medallion. You would bear the consequences and we would be free.”

  Anger seeped in deep and Silas’ blood stewed. “Why are you telling me this now and not earlier?”

  “I had hoped,” Lorcan said, “that I could keep you from coming when we fought in the pit. It obviously didn’t work. Alric and I have been friends for a long time, but I feel he’s gone too far this time. The others have felt the same way. Inga, Coffman and I planned this without Alric knowing. We think we can get the medallion without killing you and that’s what we aim to do.”

  “Why wouldn’t Alric hear your plan then?” Silas asked.

  “Because it is too dangerous. He said the life of a random stranger is worth the assurance of his friend’s safety. He wouldn’t budge.”

  Silas looked back at the staff. Judging from the way Lorcan had treated him from the moment they met, there was no way he could be trusted. He wanted Silas dead and he wanted the glory from his leader. It had to be a ploy to destroy him. He looked back at Lorcan, then back to the staff and reached out and grabbed it with both hands.

  For a second Silas could hear a brief scream of protest from Lorcan, but was soon drowned by the sound of a thousand trumpets. A light flashed from the stone below the staff, blinding him where he stood. Besides the deafening alarm, the only thing he could sense was that he had immediately been knocked to the ground because of the sharp pain shooting through his cut shoulder and the sudden throbbing in his head from the landing. The staff had been lost from his grip almost as soon as he had grabbed it. How was he supposed to leave through the doors if he couldn’t even see? The alarm was still blaring, his head splitting in pain from the reverberating noises. The white light was so bright that he dared not open his eyes. The Anwyn’s security had proven effective because Silas had lost all use of his senses. An attempt to run would only have him slamming into walls and perhaps suffering a much more painful fate than what awaited him. He lay on the ground with his hands over his ears for what felt like minutes. And then, just as it had begun, it ended. The light went out and the blaring noise stopped. Silas opened his eyes to see, but could see nothing. The ringing in his ears felt as loud as the piercing alarm that had knocked him over. His eyes closed again as he concentrated to regain his senses. He felt foolish. Either this was a serious oversight by Alric, or Lorcan had been telling him the truth. In that moment he wished that he had listened.

  Apart from the ringing in his ears he could hear voices and the shuffling of feet. He attempted to open his eyes once again and this time his vision was beginning to come back. What he saw was Lorcan, as blinded and in shock as himself, being bound by a group of large green figures carrying spears and bows. If Lorcan had been telling the truth, then Alric would have his hands on the medallion now and the two of them were going to be left for dead.

  How can I have been so stupid?

  Silas looked up to see a towering green figure over him. The Anwyn bent down and sniffed. The tattoos on his face gave him the look of a warrior, one who didn’t take too kindly to outsiders intruding on his people.

  “Foolish Human,” he said.

  The last thought that Silas had before being knocked unconscious was a question.

  Why did Lorcan come after him? Why did he risk his own life?

  Then, darkness.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The pain shooting through Silas’ head was more than enough to make him regret his decision to work with this group of scoundrels, much less the fact that he was also being dragged to what was more than likely his next death. He could feel the blood still dripping from his forehead as he was hoisted under his arms by two large Anwyn guards. They had not been alerted to his consciousness yet, so Silas kept his head down, trying to think of what he could do to get out of his current situation.

  There was nothing.

  He stole a quick glance at Lorcan. His head was still dangling, bobbing with each step as the guards carried him. He hoped the Erellen might be able to conjure some sort of magic to get them out of their predicament. Silas stared at the floor. What were they going to do? Was trying to steal a magic staff punishable by death to the Anwyn people? After being carried for what felt like hours the two of them were finally tossed into a dark room.

  “They’ll be dinner before the night is over,” Silas heard the head guard say to the others as he closed the cell door behind him, locking it with a loud click.

  Silas waited still on the floor when he saw Lorcan move slightly. “How long have you been awake?” Silas whispered.

  “A few minutes,” Lorcan answered.

  “Why didn’t you try to use your magic to get us out?”

  “Same reason you didn’t use your fighting techniques to get us out,” Lorcan retorted as he sat up. “I was knocked out about five minutes ago, Silas. Using magic takes concentration and strength.”

  “I’m sorry,” Silas said. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  Lorcan squinted through the barred opening at the top of their cell door and turned away quickly as the light hit his eyes. “I don’t think Alric will just leave us here.”

  “You mean leave you here,” Silas corrected.

  “I’m sorry everything happened the way it did,” Lorcan said. “I should have reached you sooner.”

  “I shouldn’t have grabbed the staff. I just didn’t believe you.”

  “Well, none of it matters now,” Lorcan said. “We’ve got to figure our own way out.”

  “What kind of time frame do you think we have?”

  “The Anwyns don’t mess around,” Lorcan said. “Their punishment will be swift if not immediate. They’re always thirsty for action and slumber will not det
er them from killing us tonight.”

  Silas straightened himself on the cold, stone floor. His experience had gone from bad to worse since he had been in Marenon. He wondered if the medallion Alric was after was the same blue medallion he and his grandfather had been working so hard to keep from the Stühocs. It was a venture that had taken both of their lives and now, as he sat waiting to die once again, he wondered if it had been worth it. He wished Garland would have told him why the medallion was important. It didn’t make sense that this would be the same medallion. Maroke would have surely taken it after making Kaden his prisoner.

  Silas had been skeptical of the medallion’s powers before, but now he doubted nothing. He had been attacked by the Stühocs, sent through a gauntlet of death and was now in a prison cell of a race of people that no one on Earth had ever heard of. It had been a long five days and all because of this mysterious medallion.

  “Why is Alric after the medallion?” Silas asked.

  “Same reason he gave you for stealing the staff,” Lorcan answered. “We were hired to steal it, and for a good price.”

  “But do you know anything about it?” He didn’t expect the Erellen to know much more, but he had to try.

  “Very little,” Lorcan said to Silas’ expectation. “I know it is important to whoever owns the thing and it provides a lot of magical power to those who know how to use it.” Lorcan paused for a moment as if brainstorming all he knew about the famed object. “I’ve heard that there’s more than one, though.”

  Silas’ eyebrows rose. “More than one?”

  Lorcan nodded. “I don’t know exactly how many, maybe five, six.”

  Silas sat his back against the wall trying to let his excitement subside. He remembered Kaden saying something about there being more than one medallion. But even if this were the same medallion that he and his grandfather had been chasing there was nothing he could do about it. He was a trapped prisoner. Besides, he didn’t know what he would do with the thing if he did somehow get his hands on it. Silas didn’t know how to start a small fire with magic, much less wield some sort of powerful object.

  “When they come for us,” Silas said, “are you going to use your magic to fight?”

  “Not initially,” Lorcan said. “And you don’t need to fight either. We need to conserve our energy for a suitable moment. If we fight when they open that door, we’ll be overrun within seconds. We’ll wait until we’re more out in the open. There may be a chance that we can fight through it and escape.” Lorcan sighed. “And maybe, Alric and the others will do their best to help as well.”

  Silas accepted Lorcan’s statement and leaned his head against the wall. A long uncomfortable hour passed without a word spoken between the two. Silas’ body ached and he wished that whatever was going to happen to them would come soon. He hated waiting. Rest was not an option. Throughout the hour, the two remained alert, trying to think of any possible way they could fight their way out.

  “I’m sorry I got us into this,” Silas said.

  Lorcan shook his head. “The fault is not yours.”

  Without warning, the cell door came crashing open. Both Silas and Lorcan bolted upward, bracing themselves for what may come next. The tall, green guard stood at the doorway and smiled.

  “His Excellency is ready.”

  The two of them looked at each other then back at the guard. “Where are you taking us?” Silas asked.

  The guard chuckled and motioned for two more Anwyns to come into the cell. One grabbed Silas by the arms and the other seized Lorcan. They were forcefully shoved past the cell door and into a long, dark hallway and were instantly surrounded by a large group of guards. The Anwyns were clearly being cautious so their captured prisoners did not attempt some sort of hasty escape. They moved past another long hallway and walked a solid five minutes before coming to a large set of stone doors. Silas couldn’t determine what was happening on the other side. A look at Lorcan produced no answers.

  The guard that had burst through the cell door minutes before now stood next to the prisoners. In answer to their confused looks, the green giant smiled and said, “It’ll be over real quick.” His toothy grin was nearly as green as his skin. “When an imposter comes in our territory trying to steal our possessions, it makes His Excellency very angry. The law requires the matter to be dealt with immediately.”

  Silas felt sick to his stomach. The sound of the stone doors being dragged open by two Anwyn soldiers was grating and sent chills up his spine. A light burst onto the group as they were prodded into the center of what looked to be a ring constructed after the Colosseum of Rome. The ground consisted of orange dirt with nothing in the ring but them. The seats in the arena were empty of any spectators, save one Anwyn who sat on what looked to be a throne and guards that stood on either side of him, staring at no spot in particular. His Excellency stood from his throne. He wore a full headdress of feathers and beaded jewelry and his tattoos were markings of a life full of battle and triumphs. Almost none of his pure skin was spared from the magnificent drawings. In his right hand he held the staff Silas had tried to steal only an hour or so before.

  Lorcan and Silas were led to the spot directly below the leader and he stretched out his arms, raising the staff high in the air.

  The quiet was unnerving. His Excellency stood there muttering silently to himself, almost as though he was praying, but then his eyes fell to meet Lorcan and Silas.

  “Worms,” he said in a quiet, gravelly tone. “That is what you are.”

  Silas glanced at Lorcan. Lorcan did not move.

  “Look at me, worm!” the leader spat vehemently. “It isn’t too often we get visitors from the outside world. Not too many are dense enough to walk into our lands and try to steal what is not rightfully theirs. You have tried to take advantage of my people during a time when we celebrate peace. My people would be most distressed to hear of this.” He paused momentarily. “Which is why they shall never know.” A crooked grin crossed his face. “No harm has been done to my people, yet all harm shall be inflicted upon you. After this night, you will be but a lost memory to this world. Curse you for trying to disturb our peace. Curse you for your lack of respect for the Anwyn people. Tonight, I make sure you will never disturb our peace again.”

  With those words, Silas felt a release from the guard that had been holding him. He looked back only to see the stone doors being closed as all of the Anwyns that had forced them into the ring slid through and out of harm’s way. This was it. Neither one of them knew what was coming next, but both of them knew it couldn’t be good.

  His Excellency sat as several more guards stood beside his throne to watch the event unfold. Silas jumped when a growl behind them belted out in horror, or perhaps hunger. The beast shot up from the ground as some sort of hinge was released from a trap door on the floor. Silas and Lorcan both ducked down as the monster jolted to its feet, growling at its new meal. His Excellency began cheering and clapping, as did his guards. The animal’s fangs were as long as Silas’ arm. It stood on all four legs and had a body like a lion, but was much larger, yet very thin from starvation. Its hunger had left the beast famished and weak, but even in its weakness Silas was sure it possessed more than enough energy for it to destroy the scared Erellen and Human.

  Both Silas and Lorcan remained petrified where they stood.

  “I hate to tell you this,” Silas shouted, “but without a weapon and no magic abilities I’m pretty useless here.”

  “I’ve gathered that you are useless already,” Lorcan sneered. “Run around and distract it, I’ll attack it from behind.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “This isn’t a good time to ask if I’m serious, Silas, go!”

  Without another thought, Silas ran to his left, hoping that the beast would follow him. It worked. The animal charged after Silas. He wasn’t sure where to run with the limited space so he zigzagged, jumped and did everything else he could think to do until he heard a loud noise come from Lorcan’s
direction. A burst of red light erupted on the backside of the animal and it instantly turned to find its attacker. Silas was relieved to no longer be its target. There was a second red light and a third. The animal was unfazed by Lorcan’s attempts to stop it. Silas ran to try and distract the monster further, shouting and screaming for it to turn. The beast didn’t acknowledge him. Silas then heard an object zip through the air and turned as the animal reared back in anger and protest.

  He wasn’t sure where the sound had come from, until he saw an arrow protruding from the side of the beast’s head. It roared in anguish, gathering more and more anger. Then there was a second arrow and a third. His Excellency shouted in fury and his guards surrounded him, confused as to what had just happened. Silas followed the trajectory of the arrows and saw a large Human quickly scaling down the wall of the ring.

  “Coffman!” Silas yelled with relief. Coffman pulled out one of his long daggers and slashed at the beast. It fell back and began running toward Silas, blood pouring from its wounds. Arrowless, Coffman then held the dagger like a spear and threw it in Silas’ direction. The blade landed into the dirt beside him and as the beast came closer, Silas pulled it from the ground and slashed the monster through the face, and in the same twirling motion stabbed it into the rib cage and through the heart. With one last roar of terror the animal fell to the ground, spitting its last breath. The monster had been slain.

  His Excellency was livid, screaming for his guards to take the intruder. As the guards left His Excellency’s side, they were halted by another foreign voice.

  “Do not move!” The voice shouted from behind the Anwyn leader. It was Alric. He held his sword in one hand and something shiny and round from a silver chain in the other. Silas would recognize it anywhere. It was the medallion, except this one was white, not blue like the one Maroke had taken from him on Earth.