"I think it's deserted."
"Are you sure?" Vincent said.
"I can't sense any people within. It's also uncommonly quiet."
"Too quiet," Vincent said. Alrion didn't say a word but just listened carefully. It was true that the normal sounds you expect; of work being done, of people and animals were missing. It just sounded empty.
They slowed the horses, making the final approach at a gentle clip. Their reduced speed increased the tension for Alrion. He didn't know what was going to happen next. As they passed through the town gates they got a better look at the buildings and the main street. Alrion read the sign.
"Welcome to Hopetarn," he said. There were no signs of life or habitation whatsoever.
"Certainly looks empty," Vincent said.
"There's an inn," Alrion said, pointing. A sign for 'The Titanic Tankard' gently swung in the wind.
"If there's life, it'll be with the booze," Falric said with a chuckle.
"Truer words were never spoken," Vincent said. They headed directly for the inn.
"Let's just tie the horses out front," Vincent said as they advanced. He stopped and dismounted, leading by example. Once the horses were secured Vincent stepped forward and approached the inn.
"Let's see what's in store for us," Vincent said. He pushed the main door open and stepped into the building. Falric and Alrion were close behind.
It was dark inside, the stench of rotting food hitting their noses before they could become accustomed to the low light.
"Something's off," Vincent said.
"Here," Falric said, raising his hand. An orb of light materialised above his hand and slowly floated up until it reached the ceiling.
"More warning next time," Vincent said as he shielded himself from the bright light. Once his eyes had adjusted, he got a good look at the room. It was a standard inn, rows of wooden tables and benches and a bar up one end. There was some food left on tables, which was probably the source of the smell. Vincent walked over to the bar to inspect it. He turned one of the taps behind the bar and beer flowed out.
"Interesting," Vincent said.
"Looks like they left in a hurry. Or had no form of transportation," Falric said.
"Why do you say that?" Alrion said.
"The food mess. That shows that they didn't intend on coming back. Or couldn't think about that. Leaving kegs full of beer, now that's an unusual situation. I would expect either the people leaving or any people attacking the place to take it with them."
"Nothing raises morale like a drink or two. It was obviously considered unnecessary in the rush," Vincent said.
"I see," Alrion said.
"You never liked the taste, so you wouldn't understand," Vincent said with a laugh.
"Alrion and I will look around here if you want to take upstairs," Falric said.
"Sure," Vincent said, and headed for the stairs.
"What are we looking for?" Alrion said.
"Anything of note. We want to work out why the people left."
"Why is it important? Maybe they just wanted to move on."
"This used to be a prosperous town with a long history. People wouldn't leave without a good reason, and nobody has come back. That's what it looks like. Let's see what we can find."
"So, you think there's some potential danger around here because it forced them to leave."
"Exactly. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening around here. Avaria is a very safe place. See what you can turn up," Falric said. Alrion wandered the room, while Falric looked behind the bar. Alrion turned over some chairs that had been knocked over and inspected the food that was left. But he didn't find any personal belongings.
"I don't really see anything," Alrion said after a few minutes.
"Nothing special behind the bar either. We'll see what your father says."
"Not much to report," Vincent said as he descended the staircase.
"Abandoned at seemingly short notice?" Falric said.
"That's my assessment. Did you find anything here?"
"Just something for the road," Falric said, holding up a metal flask.
"At least we can leave with something. I'll like to get out of here immediately, the stench is terrible," Vincent said. Falric offered no argument, and the three of them left.
"Any ideas on what happened?" Falric said.
"Not really, but I want to check out the blacksmith."
"Sure, lead the way," Falric said.
"Did you know him well?" Alrion said as they walked the horses.
"The blacksmith? I used to, but we lost touch a while ago."
"What was he like?"
"Very orderly man. Had everything in the right place, and a good system for running his shop. I definitely learned some things from his approach."
"What do you think we will find at his shop?"
"Well, I don't know yet. But I understood him, so whatever condition the shop is in should be very telling," Vincent said. They arrived at the blacksmith workshop shortly. It had no name, just a sign with an anvil on it. Vincent tied up the horses and was the first to enter the shop.
It looked like a scene frozen in time. A piece of iron sat idly on the table, with a hammer next to it. Other items were out, but most things were tucked neatly away.
"He was making a sword," Vincent said, as he walked through.
"Look at this. I told you he was organised. Only the parts he needed were out, everything else is packed away."
"Well, there's definitely a pattern. People left suddenly. How long ago do you think?" Falric said.
"Judging by the rust, and the decay we spotted at the tavern I'd say recently. Days or a week at most," Vincent said.
"That seems plausible. However, no evidence of what made them leave. I didn't notice any signs of attack," Falric said.
"Attack by what?" Alrion said.
"Could be any number of things. Perhaps even Blighters," Falric said.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Why don't we rest here and eat, then we can move on and leave this ghost town behind us," Vincent said.
"Sure," Falric said.
"C'mon Alrion," Vincent said and walked outside. Alrion helped him bring in some food, and they moved some stools so they could all sit around one of the workbenches.
"I can't believe I'm already back in a blacksmith workshop," Alrion said, trying to lighten the mood.
"You can't escape your destiny," Vincent said chuckling.
"So it would seem. What do we do next?" Alrion said.
"Before we move on, I want you to practise your push spell again," Falric said.
"Sure. What do I push?" Alrion said looking around the room.
"Let's be careful, after what you did to that tree," Vincent said. Falric chuckled.
"How about we use the door," he said. Falric walked over and opened the heavy wooden door. He opened it just far enough that it caught on the floor and held itself open.
"This should be simple. Just close the door."
"It looks a lot heavier than the stone," Alrion said.
"Doesn't matter, you'll be fine. Just remember the process. Feel the thought in your mind, apply it to the door, and amplify it if required," Falric said. Alrion nodded and closed his eyes.
"Eyes open. You need to see your target," Falric said. Alrion opened them and stared at the door. It seemed harder to focus his mind with all the distraction of what he could see. But he managed to push his thoughts aside and focus on the door. He imagined the force building up, ready to slam the door shut. He imagined the door slamming in his mind; saw the splinters of wood flying out with the force. Then he applied that thought to the door. He could feel its resistance.
He wondered if Falric was playing games with him again, keeping the door in place. He got annoyed at the possibility that Falric was interfering.
"He can't just leave things alone," Alrion thought. He drew upon his annoyance and fanned the flame. He drew out a heat from within and forced it against the door,
propping up his will and mental image. The door wobbled slightly then slammed shut, splinters of wood spraying out from the impact. Just as he had imagined.
"How strange," Alrion said.
"In what way?" Falric said.
"I imagined what it would look like when the door slammed, and it looked exactly the same."
"Of course, you imposed your will on the door."
"Really?"
"Yes. Well, it's a bit of give and take. You understood the possible reaction from slamming the door, then you made it happen."
"That makes sense."
"Nice job," Vincent said. He walked over to the door and yanked it open.
"That was shut pretty tight."
"Of course," Alrion said, delighted.
"Very good progress. You have the basics there, now we need to work on your control and speed. Eventually, a push will be as effortless as the thought required to dream it up."
"That sounds crazy, the potential. How do you just not push everything constantly?" Alrion said.
"The novelty does wear off but there is also a price for everything and a balance. Every action has a reaction and consequences. This you will learn," Falric said.
"Alright," Alrion said, looking around at the room for other things that he could push.
"Don't even think about it," Vincent said, catching Alrion's intention. Alrion shrugged and stood up.
"Let's head off then. I'm still keen to investigate the mountain," Vincent said.
"Even after what we observed here?" Falric said.
"More so. I'm concerned about what has happened, and also quite keen to avoid the forest if possible," Vincent said. His face was grim.
"Well it isn't far, and we can be safe about it. Let's head to the mountain and see if your shortcut is available," Falric said.
"Fingers crossed," Vincent said as he stepped outside.
They rode through the town. Now that they were used to it, the eerie quiet was less disconcerting now, but still as unexplainable. Alrion found the experience quite strange. A town full of all the things he expected, except any signs of life. Soon they had reached the town limits and continued on another main road. Alrion looked up and the mountain loomed larger still.
They rode on in silence, having been infected with the empty quiet of the town. It felt strange to speak, so Alrion didn't try and break the peace. They passed a less populated area, with evidence of the occasional farm but it was a lot of nothing. Just a road. Every time he looked up the mountain looked different. It confused him at first, then he realised.
"I'm too close, I can't even take in the whole size of it," he thought. Vincent finally broke the silence.
"We're almost there," he said.
"What should we expect?" Alrion said.
"The gate to the passage should be open, and there should be two guards posted outside," Vincent said.
"And if there isn't?"
"Then something has changed," Vincent said.
"And that's when we become awfully suspicious," Falric said.
"It's hard to see from here, but those are the gates," Vincent said, pointing out something in the distance. Alrion couldn't really make it out. As they travelled, he looked repeatedly and started to see the distinction.
"They look closed," Alrion said.
"Not a good start," Falric said.
"We'll see," Vincent said, gently nudging his horse to pick up speed. The light was starting to fade. Vincent went ahead, riding hard to reach the gate. He tied his horse to a nearby post and investigated the door. Alrion and Falric caught up and waited on horseback. The gates were massive, easily big enough for five men to enter at once. The frame of the doors looked sturdy, built from giant steel bars.
"What does it look like?" Falric said.
"The gate is closed, but not locked," Vincent said, demonstrating by pushing on the door. It started to open, but all that was inside was darkness.
"Doesn't look good," Alrion said, surprised by his words. He had planned a response, but not that.
"Agreed. Are we sure about this?" Falric said.
"We have to try. The alternative is much longer and more dangerous," Vincent said.
"As you wish. Keep your wits about you," Falric said to Alrion as he dismounted.
14
Inside the Mountain
Vincent leaned heavily on the doors and they slowly swung open. However, all that lay before them was darkness.
"The horses will be spooked," Vincent said.
"I'll provide light," Falric said. He conjured up a ball of light and held it in front of him.
"I'll walk ahead," Falric said, lighting the way. Alrion looked around at the passage. It was carved into the stone, with strong square lines.
"I think there are torches along the wall," he said.
"Well spotted, let's try this," Falric said. He walked over to one of the torches, and his ball of light morphed into a dancing flame. He lit the torch and it illuminated the area.
"Not bad," Vincent said.
"Just the one?" Alrion said. Falric looked at Vincent, then Alrion, then waved his arm dramatically. The flame from the lit torch leaped to the nearest torch, lighting it as well. With another wave of his arm, it set off again, the flame rippling along all the torches lighting them as far as they could see.
"Much more convenient. So dramatic, though," Vincent said.
"I think he meant to say that was amazing," Alrion said. Falric smiled at him.
"Thank you. Let's just say it was a combination of showing you what's possible, making our lives a bit easier and squeezing in a bit of fun too. That's allowed, right?"
"Sounds good," Alrion said.
"I'll take the lead, Alrion you take care of the horses," Vincent said. Alrion agreed and took all the reins for the horses. Vincent walked out in front, with Falric nearby and Alrion in the rear. With the improved lighting, he could see the detail on the walls. They were actually quite sparse, the same strong but basic construction as used on the door.
"What did they use this path for?"
"Mostly trade, but also normal travellers. It was the preferred route to get to Altarbright but it doesn't appear to be in use right now. And I'm not sure how long it has been left," Vincent said.
"Does that make it safer?" Alrion said.
"Potentially," Vincent said but there seemed to be more that he wasn't saying. Alrion didn't push the issue and decided to keep his eyes open.
The path was sloping down gently, the walls the same stark blandness.
"It was so different before. You didn't notice how plain the whole thing was, because of all the life that was flowing through," Vincent said.
"I was just thinking that there's no decoration at all."
"Exactly. Probably more the fact of the utility of the path than anything else. I think it was used as soon as it was completed."
"Are there any kinds of animals that live underground that we may find?"
"Generally, yes, but I'd be surprised if we did," Vincent said. Falric stopped walking and Vincent stopped too.
"What is it?" Vincent said.
"I feel like something is off. Just a feeling, though, it's not based on anything," Falric said.
"Firm enough to turn back?"
"Not sure, we have come a fair way already. We should continue. Turning back is always an option if things change," Falric said.
"Sure, let's just take care," Vincent said. He resumed his walk and kept a keen eye on the surroundings. As they progressed, he spotted odd pieces of furniture, sometimes a table, or a wooden chair, strewn about.
"They had vendors with sales tables here to tempt the passing traffic," Vincent said.
"Again, deserted," Alrion said.
"Certainly a theme, my guess is that we will discover something here," Falric said. Vincent pushed on, staying a few metres in front of them. Falric was scanning the environment carefully and Alrion was lagging behind, struggling to handle the three horses.
"Now w
e're getting somewhere," Vincent said and Alrion looked up to see what he was referring to. It looked like a checkpoint or outpost of some kind. Alrion saw a structure built into the tunnel, with a large gate and a small building to the side.
"Is this empty too?" he said.
"I'd say so, but there should be some books here or logs or something. This was a checkpoint with more security. I think at times they even charged a toll here," Vincent said. He walked into the structure and started looking around. Falric paused and looked around. He started peering into the darkness ahead of them, focused on something.
"What is it?" Alrion asked. He could sense that Falric was concerned with something. Alrion himself felt a sense of unease that he couldn't place. Falric didn't respond, but closed his eyes and put his head down. He seemed to be concentrating on something.
"Vincent, come back and protect the horses," Falric shouted. Vincent immediately ran out of the building, confusion on his face but after a brief pause, he continued over to stand by Alrion.
"What's the problem?" Vincent said.
"Blighters," Falric said, stepping forward.
Vincent drew his sword and stepped in front of the horses, protecting them from the rear.
"Stay in the middle and try and keep them from bolting," Vincent said to Alrion.
"Sure," Alrion said. He wanted to ask more but sensed the urgency of the situation.
"Time for some fireworks," Falric said. He conjured a ball of fire in his hands. The dancing flames lit the path ahead even more and Alrion at last understood what was coming. He saw a horde of ashen-skinned people, hunched over, and running on all their limbs. He couldn't make out their faces but heard their grunts and cries. Once they closed in Falric let loose. A wave of fire cascaded out from his hands, sweeping over the first row of Blighters. They screamed in pain and fell down. Alrion had to fight the urge to block his ears. He turned back to look behind him and saw his father swinging his sword.
Vincent cut with finesse and efficiency, each strike moving into the next. He was dispatching the blighters in one or two attacks, making a concerted effort to keep them from advancing.
"Tell Falric we need a plan. We don't know how many there are, and I can't see an end to them. We can't keep fighting them on both sides," Vincent said.
Pool of Knowledge (The Hidden Wizard Book 1) Page 9