The Aduramis Chronicles: Volumes 1-3: The Definitive Collection

by Harrison Davies

  Jericho knocked on the doorframe. ‘Busy?’

  Marrok nodded and smiled and dusted his hands. ‘This is the last cabin. We’ve been up all night.’

  ‘Looks like you’ve done an excellent job; the injured will be grateful. I wondered if I could talk with you both.’

  ‘Certainly,’ Coinin said. ‘Shall we take this outside? I’m tired of seeing the inside of this ship.’

  Coinin, Marrok and Jericho exited through a hole in the side of the ship at the end of the hallway and climbed carefully down a series of rocks until they were on level ground. Stones skittered from under their boots as they walked along the riverbank, lit by the daylight seeping in through the hole in the cave’s roof.

  Darkness and cold lay beyond the available light, so the trio stayed within the sun’s warming rays. They found a large rock overlooking the river and sat three abreast with Jericho in the centre.

  ‘In all my years, I have never come across any situation that compares to the one we find ourselves in. In all honesty, I don’t believe we will make it out of here alive.’

  Coinin looked at Marrok and shrugged. Had the General given up? ‘General ... Dareth,’ Coinin said, using his friend’s birth name for the first time. ‘I wouldn’t begin to lie and say that I haven’t also thought the same thing. This is no time to admit defeat. We need to be strong and fight until our last breath.’

  Dareth looked ahead despondently. ‘I’m tired, Curator. I set out on this quest to hide from my own demons and to exact revenge on Lordich for the death of my wife. I did not do this out of some noble ideals.’

  Coinin placed a hand on the older man’s arm. ‘It does not matter to me the reasons you joined us. The fact is you did, and you have shown great courage and fortitude in the face of incredible odds. I could not have got this far without you.’

  A single tear ran down Dareth’s nose, and he made no effort to wipe it away until it had dripped from the tip. He brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his thumb and forefinger across his eyes. ‘I don’t know if I can continue,’ he sniffed.

  ‘I speak from the heart when I say that you are the bravest man I have ever known, and other than Draken and Marrok, I consider you to be the closest thing I have to family. You have taught me so much, among them that real strength comes not from size, but from within.’

  Jericho fleetingly cocked his head to Coinin and saw in his eyes that he spoke the truth. He coughed. ‘Since we are being honest, I want to say something too. When Laliala told me that we were to induct a new member to The Order who would one day replace her as Curator, I was content with this. Although, when she said that you were so young, I could hardly believe my ears and fought with her. She, too, reminded me that true strength lies within, and so I gave her a chance to prove me wrong. Do you know what I saw the first day we met?’

  It was Coinin’s turn to look at Jericho questioningly.

  ‘I saw not a child, but the potential for a young man to be more than he was. He was eager, he listened, and he had an enquiring mind. He soaked up everything that was taught him and then did the bravest thing I have ever seen for one so young. He risked his life to battle against giants. Not physically, just with his mind. The risks were huge,’ Jericho said, looking Coinin in the eyes, ‘and yet you did this without a thought for your own safety, and hardly knowing The Order or what it stood for. Marrok, the same goes for you.’

  ‘I guess we don’t like it when bad things happen to good people. Besides, as I told Marrok, if father trusted The Brotherhood then so would I.’

  ‘Well, from that day on, I vowed that I would be honoured to be at your side, no matter where or when, as long as the cause was just.’

  ‘So why the change of heart?’

  Jericho looked put out. ‘I have no change of heart; I am tired and old and not confident that I can lead from the front effectively. My head says yes, though my body is telling me no.’

  ‘I see. So what do you suggest?’

  ‘I propose that Marrok should lead with my guidance. He has shown such devotion, bravery and resourcefulness, that I am certain Laliala would approve.’

  Marrok looked embarrassed. The General’s words had touched him deeply, considering their previous conversation.

  ‘I will advise all that Marrok will now command them, and must obey his orders without question as if they were my own.’

  ‘If you are certain?’

  ‘I have never been more certain of anything in my life. I know now that grief has driven me and pushed me hard. After all, I’m not getting any younger. Please consider me as a tactician and military advisor.’

  ‘Then, if this is your wish, I agree you should permit a younger man to take the lead. But know this, General. If in the future you consider yourself fit and able, I expect you back in the field where you belong. As it is, I am happy to regard you as my personal advisor.’

  ‘You have my word, Curator.’

  The three friends sat for a while watching people go about their business of washing clothing and themselves in the river, gathering water and fishing. The impression was that morale had shot up overnight with the thought of escape.

  ‘They don’t waste time, do they?’ Coinin said.

  ‘This is probably the first time any of us has had a chance to do anything with a bit of normality attached to it,’ Marrok replied.

  Coinin nodded and continued to watch as people got on with life without so much as a grumble.

  ❖

  It took almost a week for the ship’s carpenter and his men, alongside Axl, to fashion several large rafts capable of floating down the river. The difficulty they found was that the width had to be quite narrow, as Quindil had reported a narrowing of the river course further into the cave system. To overcome this wrinkle, the workers created retractable stabilisers that could be adjusted as the river grew narrower. This was using an a-frame above the raft that could be raised and lowered by driving pegs into a central column in the middle of the transport.

  Oars had been salvaged and stored securely along with any rations they could muster, that consisted mainly of mussels and a few scant fish they had been able to catch throughout the week. Fresh water had been carefully stored in the barrels that had survived the recent crash landing, and as an added touch, Axl had added a tented structure over each raft, so that if they made it to the sea, they would at least be cool. He had argued with the carpenter over this but ultimately won the argument in a game of chance. They tossed a smooth polished multi-coloured stone in the air, and Axl’s colour choice landed face up, making him the winner.

  The wounded had been loaded onto the rafts as carefully as possible, and now the able-bodied stood before their new transport awaiting instructions.

  ‘All, it is hereby noted that General Marrok Wulf will be leading our mission to safety. He is now your Commander, and you will do all that he asks without question.’ Jericho paraded in front of the gathered. ‘Is that understood?’

  Immediately, The Brotherhood troops saluted and cried out in unison. ‘Yes, Sir!’

  A short, balding, ship’s crewman coughed and took a step forward.

  ‘Yes?’ Jericho asked.

  ‘I don’t think we’re included in this.’

  Jericho marched up to the small man and almost pressed his nose against the other man’s. ‘Do you want to live or die in this stinkhole?’

  The crewman gulped and looked away. ‘Live,’ he replied.

  ‘And do you have a plan for getting us out of here?’

  ‘No, Sir.’

  ‘And do you have military training?’

  ‘No, Sir.’

  ‘Then I suggest you keep quiet and do as you’re told, and you may just live to see the sea again.’

  The crewman turned to his fellow sailors for support, yet all failed to meet his gaze. He was on his own, and after a moment he relented. ‘Aye, Sir.’

  ‘Good; I’m glad you agree. Now, can we get on? Axl will assign you each a raft, and the r
esponsibility for its safe passage along the river rests entirely on your shoulders. Follow precisely the course the ship before you sets, and we will navigate this river without trouble. Hop to it,’ Jericho finished.

  He strolled up to Marrok and saluted. ‘General, I stand relieved.’

  Marrok returned the salute. ‘You stand relieved,’ he replied. ‘By the way General, I didn’t get a chance to say thank you.’

  Jericho shook his head. ‘Don’t thank me, just do a good job.’

  ❖

  The rafts bobbed and took on far more water than Coinin would have liked, though Axl reassured him that they would remain afloat. Even so, it was still nerve-wracking saying goodbye to the giant airship and floating into darkness, with only dim torches to guide them.

  Marrok was knelt beside him and punched him lightly in the arm. ‘Stop worrying; it’ll be fine. It’s just another adventure, and no river trip could possibly be as bad as the one that leads to the temple.’

  ‘Oh, now you’ve gone and done it,’ Coinin complained.

  ‘Done what?’

  ‘Jinxed us, that’s what.’

  ‘That’s a load of nonsense, you’ll see.’

  Coinin peered into the gloom and prayed that Marrok was correct.

  CITY OF THE DAMNED

  The journey to this point had been long and uneventful. There seemed to be no end in sight; at times the flow of the river carried them along at speed whilst at others they advanced no quicker than a crawling babe.

  The journey was occasionally dotted with the odd ray of sunshine poking its way through a hole in the cavern roof, and the travellers caught sight of bats or insects that shied away from the light of their fiery torches. Occasionally the rafts would collide with a stalactite hanging low over the river, but thankfully none so thick that could demolish the a-frame. Axl and the carpenter had built strong vessels.

  Coinin had secretly begun to worry that without Jericho in the lead, his own resolve might wane, and he would give up his declaration to seek out Lordich in order to punish the man. It was not as if he did not trust Marrok; he just felt his brother was inexperienced. Then he looked at his own experience and realised that he was in the same situation. At least if they got it wrong, it would not be for lack of trying.

  ‘Did you see that?’ cried a soldier at the bow of the raft.

  ‘What do you see?’ Marrok called loudly over the noise of the river.

  ‘I can’t describe it. It appeared man-made, a structure of some kind, Sir.’

  Marrok hurried over to where the Private was sat and pointing ahead of them, to the left. ‘We may see it again if these rocks disappear.’

  They waited and waited until the raft had rounded a bend and sure enough before them was a structure that spanned the river. As the distance lessened, more details came into view.

  The object was carved from stone sections and was made up of two figures, each holding the others hand high over the river. On closer inspection the figures were that of a wolf on its hind legs and a hooded male. An arched carving above them read: ‘Underworld: City of the Damned’.

  ‘That doesn’t look good,’ Marrok said and scrambled back to Coinin. ‘Brother, we need to make a decision to go on or find a new way out to avoid this place.’

  ‘Put the order out to stop, and we’ll hold a council,’ Coinin said.

  ‘Drop the anchor; we’re stopping!’ Marrok cried, and then approached the aft of the raft to shout his order to the other crews.

  The order was passed on. Soon, all of the rafts were held fast and lashed to nearby rocks, and a general meeting was quickly organised on a flat section of rock nearby.

  ‘A decision needs to be made today whether to go on to the City of the Damned or to find a new way out of this cavern,’ Coinin addressed the gathered. ‘I want this to be your decision. Does anyone here have any knowledge of this city?’

  ‘I heard tell,’ began a female prisoner at the back of the group, ‘that there was a city of people cast out for being different. It’s rumoured really, but I was told that they are harmless; just the unwanted in society.’

  ‘That worries me,’ Draken said. ‘Who’s to say that they’d welcome outsiders if they were cast aside?’

  Coinin nodded at his uncle. ‘A good point and one worthy of consideration. Do you have any suggestions, General Jericho?’

  Jericho cleared his throat. ‘We could send an envoy to assess the lay of the land and ascertain if this city is favourable to outsiders.’

  ‘That’s an excellent idea,’ Coinin agreed. ‘Who will we send?’

  Several faces looked uneasily at him and turned away. ‘I will rephrase,’ he said. ‘Who would like to volunteer to visit the city?’

  Immediately, several Brotherhood soldiers, including Quindil, stepped forward and saluted.

  ‘Thank you. However, I don’t need you all. Just three of you. General Wulf, if you would choose the party and provision them.’

  ‘Yes, Curator.’ Marrok looked left and right. ‘You up for this Quindil?’

  ‘Absolutely, Sir.’

  ‘Good, pick your team, and we’ll get you some provisions.’

  ‘I chose Private’s Thruup and Len’i.’

  Marrok nodded approval. ‘Follow me then.’

  Out of earshot of the rest of the gathered, Marrok laid down his plan. ‘We have no idea what you will encounter in that city. I want you to be cautious, and at the first sign of trouble, you head back immediately. In the meantime, we will search out a different route, should there be one. I want you in uniform as representatives of The Brotherhood, and you will request to speak to the leader of the city and ask his permission for safe passage.’

  ‘Understood, Sir.’

  ‘Do not give away our numbers or strength. I want you to know Major, that this may be a one-way mission. If you have not returned to us within one day from now, we will assume that the city is hostile.’

  ‘Don’t worry about us, Sir. We signed up for this and know the risks well enough.’

  ‘Then may Rindor bless you and guide you.’

  Quindil saluted and waited for Marrok to respond in kind before leading his chosen officers to locate the uniforms.

  Thirty minutes had passed before the survivors waved goodbye to the trio of brave soldiers. Armed with only their standard kit of weapons and torches to guide them through the darkness, they strode along the bank of the river and disappeared into the inky blackness.

  Marrok did not stop there; he set up guards at the perimeter and ordered his soldiers into armour. The remainder of the crew set about preparing food and caring for the injured.

  Captain Dalia and two crewmen had been tasked with locating an alternative way out of the cavern and had immediately set off to search either side of the high-ceilinged prison. It was not easy going, yet the verdict came back pretty quickly that river was the only means of escape.

  Coinin was annoyed. It meant everything rested on a polite response from the city dwellers and he hated not having multiple options. They could do nothing now but wait.

  Time passed very slowly, and Coinin watched the daylight fade into the night through the small holes in the high roof of the cavern. He twiddled his thumbs unable to sleep and thought back to happier times when he was content to lie next to the lake in his home village alongside his brother, with not a care in the world between them. With his eyes closed, he pictured the idyllic surroundings. He often thought of home, and the images comforted him, centred him, and reminded him of his simple roots. Finally, he drifted into sleep.

  ❖

  He was alone, injured and unsure of how he had got to this place. He remembered waking up in a field not so far away and was confused about why he was wearing armour and a long red cloak. He found the attire to be bulky and uncomfortable, so had removed the breastplate, and kept the cloak should he feel the need to wrap up. He was puzzled why there was a sword hanging at his side and contemplated on removing it as it scared him, though wondere
d whether it would be better to keep it to hand, just in case.

  He had limped across the field, and down a cart track that ran in front of several small houses with straw rooftops, A small boy had eyed him suspiciously as he walked by, despite offering the child a smile. A stern-faced woman who he assumed was the boy’s mother, emerged from her home, grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him inside.

  Not very friendly, he thought and trudged on. The track was surely going to lead somewhere like a city or a big town where he could find out who or what he was. He had woken with no memory or recollection of his life.

  Before long the track joined a larger cobbled road, and a sign pointed to a place called ‘Elindra’ being twenty miles further along the road.

  He had never heard of this town or city and set off with some apprehension. After three miles, he stopped at the side of the road to take a break and drink from a flask tied around his belt. The water was heavenly and quenched his thirst. After a few more minutes of rest, he stood and prepared to set off again, but he was distracted by the clip-clop of hooves heading in his direction. He turned to face the source coming from the direction he had just come and saw a large, wooden open-topped cart laden with sheepskins. The owner of the cart, a portly dwarf, was asleep, his head nodding as the cart trundled on its way. It was obvious that the horses pulling the cart had made this journey so many times before that they needed no encouragement to proceed.

  This was an opportunity too good to miss. He would hop aboard and hide in the sheepskins and catch a free ride to Elindra. A minute later the cart was level with him, and he jogged to the rear and hopped aboard, diving under the sheepskins. The motion of the cart and the warmth of the skins soon made his eyes droop, and soon he was asleep.

  ❖