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

by Harrison Davies

  Satisfied, he turned around and headed back inside. He had found an exit, and although it was not an easy one to get to, it was at least a means of escape.

  ❖

  Coinin and Marrok looked on in disbelief at what they were seeing. They were aboard the rafts and heading down into the cavernous basin following in the footsteps of Jericho who had ventured that way not so long ago.

  The rafts splashed into the lake at the bottom of the rise and bobbed around. Three soldiers removed their armour and jumped over the side of each of the rafts and kicked with their legs to push the crafts to the water’s edge. After an exhausting effort the rafts, one by one, ground to a halt along the gritty shore.

  Coinin’s guards, Aniol among them, immediately stepped ashore and formed a defensive cordon before a group of surprised fishers who were standing on a quay not so far away.

  Marrok and the thrall stepped off the raft and onto dry land.

  ‘What now?’ Marrok asked, looking around.

  ‘I will have someone visit the palace and inform the Prince that you are here,’ the thrall replied.

  Marrok stared incredulously at him. ‘Palace?’

  ‘Yes, he is a Prince, my Lord.’

  Marrok nodded. ‘I suppose.’

  The thrall took a few paces towards the quay. ‘Fisherman!’ he yelled, waving at the curious onlookers. ‘Send word to the palace that Prince Thymes’s guests have arrived.’

  To his right, Marrok heard a march of feet, and he turned to see Prince Thymes’s personal guard marching along the quay, followed by a litter carried by two men. The private transport was draped with thick brown canvas, and a head popped out of a fold and waved to his bearers.

  The litter was lowered slowly, and the canvas was opened to reveal Prince Thymes who stood and exited with the aid of a bearer’s hand.

  ‘Never mind,’ the thrall called to the fisherman.

  The thrall raced off at top speed to greet his Prince and stood waiting at the head of the steps leading down from the quay to the shore. He bowed before him, and there was a brief exchange between them.

  Riley waved the thrall away, and he walked down the steps to greet his new visitors.

  Coinin had joined Marrok and Quindil in preparation to meet the Prince. Captain Dalia had ordered the guard into an inverted arrowhead formation to appear less threatening, yet still maintaining adequate cover. The civilians had been ordered to remain on board the rafts for safety.

  ‘Greetings friends. I am so glad that you made it. As promised, your sick will be attended to, and you will have an opportunity to feast and refresh,’ Riley said with open arms.

  ‘My people thank you, kind Prince.’ Coinin bowed his head.

  ‘Please, call me Riley.’

  ‘Riley, it is then.’

  ‘If you will follow me, I will escort you to my palace.’

  ‘And my men?’

  ‘You have nothing to fear here; you may bring them or leave them, it is your choice.’ Riley smiled.

  Coinin turned to Marrok for advice.

  ‘Quindil, Aniol, myself and one other will escort you, Curator. The remainder will assist the civilians,’ Marrok decided.

  ‘Very well, then it is settled. This way,’ said Riley and set off at a pace.

  He seemed very excited about something, and Coinin hoped that it was something good.

  As they walked, Riley gave them a tour, describing to them the city. ‘On the left is our armoury; we fashion our own weapons here for trade. We generally don’t need them for ourselves.’

  ‘And those columns?’ Coinin asked, awed by their appearance.

  ‘An ingenious idea to house the population. We are growing in number all the time, and a new way was needed to relieve the strain on the existing buildings.’

  The group walked by a dark alleyway, and a hooded figure stepped out of the darkness unnoticed and joined The Brotherhood ranks at the rear. He tapped the shoulder of the man in front of him and dropped his hood. ‘Go back to the rafts; I’ll take over here,’ whispered Jericho.

  The Brotherhood soldier nodded and quietly slipped behind and walked calmly away.

  Jericho removed his cloak and tossed it over his shoulder before tapping the shoulder of Marrok, who turned and smiled. He dropped back in line with Jericho, and they held a whispered conversation.

  ‘What news?’ Marrok asked.

  ‘The city is indigent. They live in cramped, disgusting conditions, and yet they are not miserable.’

  ‘And what of their defences?’

  ‘None that I can see. They make weapons, but I see no barracks or significant troops of any kind.’

  ‘Odd that a city should have no defence.’

  ‘Indeed, though I did find a way out of the city.’

  Marrok brightened at this news. ‘Do tell.’

  Jericho grimaced. ‘Well, there’s bad news. The exit is above us; I mean right above us.’ He pointed to the rope bridge leading to the tunnel he had used earlier.

  ‘Please, tell me you jest.’

  ‘I wish I could. If we need to escape, our only way out is to scale one of these columns and exit via a long tunnel in the roof of the cavern.’

  Marrok rolled his eyes. ‘Thank you, General.’

  ‘Any sign of trouble, we get the Curator out of here as soon as possible.’

  ‘Agreed.’

  The party continued up the plaza and finally arrived at the gates of the palace. They were swung open, and Riley paused to allow his guests to enter first.

  Marrok was on edge and becoming nervous, his eyes darting left and right in an attempt to assess escape routes and the strength of the Prince’s guard. Subconsciously, he fingered the hilt of his sword. Riley ordered the gates closed and approached the door to the grand house. It too swung open as he reached it and he stepped inside. ‘Come in, come in; welcome to my home. Please, make yourself comfortable.’

  The interior of the palace was in stark contrast to the exterior. The decor had seen better days, and mould grew in the corners of the rooms. Basic furniture, made from rough wood, littered the room seemingly without order or purpose, almost as if the building was unused. A grand staircase bisected the main hallway, and it was to this that they were directed. They trudged up the stone steps and turned left along a long corridor. At the end, a soft orange glow emitted from the crack under a door. Riley opened the high oak-panelled door and ushered them inside.

  The room was different again to the rest of the palace. It was well-lit, dry and possessed comfortable furniture. A long table ran its length, and around it, a dozen soft furnished chairs waited to be sat upon. A roaring fire crackled and warmed the room, and a large clay pot sat on an iron frame before it. Around the chamber, several faded paintings hung from the walls. They were far too perished to distinguish any details, other than that the frames once held portraits at one time or another.

  The guests were invited to sit at the table and did so. Marrok deliberately chose a seat where he could oversee everything, including the other door to the room he had spotted on entering. Four thralls opened the door, and Marrok instinctively reached for his sword, noting that Jericho did likewise. Thankfully they were able to relax as the thralls carried dishes, not weapons.

  ‘I thought you would enjoy some broth while we talk,’ Riley said and sat at the head of the table.

  The thralls busied themselves laying the table, and then ladled broth from the giant pot into clay bowls before setting them before their guests.

  No one ate for fear of poison, and this prompted Riley to click his fingers at the nearest thrall. ‘Take a spoon and show our guests that the broth tastes good.’

  The thrall bowed his head and dipped a spoon into the steaming liquid, withdrew it and popped it into his mouth.

  ‘There, you see? The food is perfectly safe. I do not wish you harm.’ Riley crossed his fingers. He watched them eat, a look of pleasant satisfaction on his face. He was only sad that he could not partake of the delic
ious fare himself.

  Marrok belched and apologised, but Riley laughed heartily. ‘It shows you enjoyed my food.’

  ‘Are you not eating?’ Coinin asked.

  ‘As I have previously stated, I have specific dietary needs. Besides, I’ve already eaten.’

  Coinin scraped his bowl noisily, sad that the broth had vanished so quickly.

  ‘More?’ Riley quizzed.

  Coinin looked up and smiled. ‘Please.’

  Marrok held up his bowl for a second helping. Coinin pictured Marrok going through five of the dishes just to satisfy his enormous appetite and chuckled to himself.

  ‘Something funny?’ Riley frowned.

  ‘Oh, no, I was just clearing my throat,’ Coinin said quickly. ‘Riley, I’m curious as to what it is that you wish to discuss with me.’

  ‘You do not wish to rest first?’

  ‘There’ll be plenty of time for that once we know what it is you crave to discuss.’

  Riley looked around the room at the faces showing signs of anticipation and clicked his fingers. ‘Begone, thralls.’

  They disappeared quickly and closed the door behind them.

  ‘Now that we are alone, I wish to discuss a matter of some urgency to my people.’

  ‘We’re listening,’ Coinin said with steepled fingers.

  Riley felt the need to rise from his chair and pace the room as he spoke. ‘During a period of unrest and upheaval in my city, my father, the King, was overthrown by his younger son, my brother, Jarek. He despised father and sought power of his own, even though I was the crowned Prince and first in line to the throne. Fortunately, my brother did not kill me, he merely banished me. I often wish he had killed me that day.’

  ‘Why not just gather an army and take back your throne?’ Marrok asked.

  ‘If it were only that simple,’ Riley sighed. ‘You see, I am cursed to remain in this place for the remainder of my existence.’

  ‘Like magic?’ Aniol enquired.

  ‘Indeed, very powerful magic binds me here. I cannot leave, and sadly neither can any of my loyal subjects. Banished alongside me during the uprising, they also suffered the same fate.’

  ‘If you could leave this place, what would you do?’ Jericho questioned.

  ‘I would return my people to their rightful place.’

  ‘And where is that?’

  ‘The City of Rodine, across the vast lake to the South West of Underworld.’

  Jericho nodded. ‘Yes, I believe I remember this story. The Brotherhood has only one or two temples in The New World, so our understanding of this land is limited, but I do remember hearing rumblings of a coup involving the King of Rodine.’

  ‘There is more, however. This curse is making my people ill. Many die unnaturally young, and my brother condemns more people each day to this hellish place. The sad part is that Overworlders can come and go as they please unless they are banished.’

  Coinin sensed where the conversation was headed and pre-empted the Prince. ‘I take it that you require us to help you in some way.’

  ‘You would be correct, Curator. I plead for your help. My people are dying, and I humbly request, nay, beg you to go to the city and take back my throne. Abduct my brother and bring him here and the curse will be lifted.’

  ‘Why us?’

  ‘You are the noblest of all of Er’ath’s creatures. You live for honour and duty and stop at nothing to help those in need. Please, help restore my people to their rightful place.’

  ‘It is true that we aid those in most need, though right now, there are so many distractions—’

  ‘Lordich Secracar, for one,’ Riley interrupted.

  ‘Yes, he is our chief concern for the moment. How do you know of him?’

  ‘We have traded many times. You are his biggest enemy.’

  Coinin shot a glance at Marrok who did not look overly concerned.

  ‘What if I told you that I know the whereabouts of this man?’ Riley continued.

  ‘We already know.’

  ‘I think not. You told me that you were heading North, to a land of ice, yet you didn’t reveal the reason why. I can inform you that he is not there, but I know where he is.’

  ‘Then tell us.’

  ‘Help my people and I shall.’

  ‘How can we be certain he does not reside in the North?’

  ‘Ask him,’ Riley said, pointing to Marrok. ‘Did you or did you not find yourself in a place far removed from ice?’

  ‘I did. How do you know this?’

  ‘I pieced together what happened while speaking with your brother. Lordich is a talented wizard. He is adept in the art of portals. You may have arrived in the North, except that is not his lair. At least, not any longer.’

  ‘How do you know this?’

  ‘You learn a few things as a Prince. I frequently converse with an ally who visits often.’

  Coinin fought the urge to scream in frustration. ‘This needs a lot of thought. There are a few unanswered questions that I must seek the answer to first. If only I could get word to Laliala.’ Coinin frowned.

  ‘Who is Laliala?’

  ‘She is our Archmage. My superior, if you wish.’

  ‘Ah, so you wish to consult with her?’

  ‘Indeed.’

  ‘Then, I may just have the very thing to help you do that,’ Riley said cheerfully. ‘Come, follow me.’

  Riley skipped ahead, flung open the door to the room, turned left and hurried to the end of the corridor. He strode by the stairwell and turned left into a dark room. Seconds later as the guests arrived behind him he had lit a torch, and now the room danced with light as he hunted at the back of it amongst a series of trunks. ‘Please, hold this someone,’ he said and held the torch aloft.

  Aniol took the torch to give Riley more light while he searched. Odds and ends were tossed from the trunks to skitter across the floor alongside clothing flung into the air.

  ‘It’s here somewhere.’

  Jericho turned his back on proceedings and focused on protecting the rear. He was still not convinced of Riley’s intentions towards them.

  Riley jumped in the air and cried out in glee. ‘Hah! Yes, here it is.’ He held aloft a shining ring made from gold with a sapphire the size of a chicken's egg embedded in the frame. ‘This, my friends, will help us seek the answers you desire.’

  Riley led them back to the warm and comfortable room where they had eaten, and they once again sat.

  ‘This is the Key of Kalor, and until now it has served no purpose,’ Riley mused.

  ‘What does it do?’ Aniol asked.

  ‘It creates a portal that travels great distances. With this ring, the wearer has the power to visit a far off place or whisk someone to their location.’

  ‘That’s a powerful piece of magic. How does it work?’ Coinin said, not taking his eyes from it.

  ‘It’s quite simple; you place it on the index finger of your left hand and imagine yourself where you want to be, or where you want someone to be.’

  ‘Why don’t you use it to transport your brother here?’

  ‘Sadly, it’s magic does not work in Underworld. You need to be outside, and as we Underworlders cannot leave this place, we cannot use it. Besides, it doesn’t work for my kind. We seem to be immune to its effects.’

  ‘Such bad luck.’

  ‘So, you think that I could use this to visit the Archmage?’

  ‘Indeed, or bring her here,’ Riley suggested.

  Coinin shot a glance at Jericho.

  ‘We can visit her and apprise her of the situation. It will be her choice to return here,’ Jericho declared.

  ‘Well, if it gets me the answers I seek, then let’s do it.’

  Riley handed the ring to Coinin. ‘I will provide you with an escort.’

  ‘There is no need; I know the way,’ Jericho announced.

  Riley looked dumbfounded for a moment and then laughed heartily as he realised Jericho had not been in the first escort to leave t
he quay. ‘I should have known. You are crafty,’ he said, wagging a finger. ‘That may just come in handy.’

  ❖

  The climb to the top of the column was exhausting, and Jericho was once again relieved to be on firmer ground. From the appearance of his companions, they were too. The sun was beginning to sink low on the horizon and cast a red hue across the sky.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Marrok asked.

  Coinin shrugged. ‘Not really. We only have his word that this Key of Kalor works as he says it does. For all, I know it could be a trap.’

  ‘Then I should go,’ Jericho said. I do know some magic, and I am handy with a weapon.’

  Aniol nodded. ‘He’s right, you know; he is the logical choice. Your safety is paramount.’

  ‘But, should something go wrong—’

  ‘You’re outvoted brother,’ Marrok said. ‘Give him the ring.’

  ‘What happened to the Curator making the decisions?’ Coinin grumbled.

  ‘When your life is at risk, you don’t get a say,’ Aniol reminded him.

  He sighed, defeated, and passed the ring to Jericho.

  Jericho expelled air from his lungs noisily and placed the ring on his finger as instructed. ‘Wish me luck.’

  Coinin held out his hand, and Jericho took it. ‘Luck.’

  Jericho closed his eyes, and with a rush of wind, he was gone.

  ❖

  Time passed slowly, far too slowly for them all. They began to grow worried for Jericho’s safety and paced up and down kicking at stones, not really talking.

  ‘How much longer?’ Marrok complained after a time.

  Aniol shot him a withering look and Coinin shook his head.

  Several minutes later they all received a shock as silently, Jericho returned, and with him two very familiar faces. Zaruun was instantly on guard and behind him stood the magnificently dressed Archmage Laliala Menin. She removed the Key of Kalor from her finger and handed it to Jericho.

  She was resplendent in her white robes and launched herself forward throwing protocol to the winds. She hugged Coinin and then Aniol, followed by Marrok.