by Troy Reaves
The day of the Choosing, two days after Rinoba had pressed Boremac into service, the pair found themselves before the great ruins of a stronghold over one hundred years old. The citadel’s great moat had long since drained until only a swamp remained and the fortress’s buttresses appeared to have been knocked over, slanting heavily to one side, by the hand of the God of Light himself. Even in the full light of day, what was once the center of power in this land now seemed dark and foreboding, surrounded on all sides by thick trees and nearly impenetrable thickets that had thrived in the shade of the woods. Boremac shivered, chilled by not only the shadow of the fortress but the thought of the sprits that were trapped in the edifice when the walls were undermined so long ago.
The last King of the realm was a cruel one, demanding excessive taxes of his people and filling prisons with the poor. Once the prisons could hold no more, the Ruler hung people in their own villages as an inspiration to work harder. Those that died at the gallows were the lucky ones. Farmers, miners and merchants all suffered the same slow death of starvation in their efforts to satisfy the man’s cruel demands. Eventually the common folk rose up, or more appropriately, dug deep to bring a terrible end to the King’s reign. Miners dug from every direction from miles away to keep their plans secret, living on the donations of farmers sick of the inability to feed their own villages. The miners, using their knowledge and the potent powders they had been using in their mining, set casks on casks under the major stabilizing points beneath the great castle. Their sacrifice was sung even now. Those that stayed within the tunnels beneath the dungeons and the walls knew their lives were forfeit, but no one hesitated to ignite the explosive barrels when the time came. Hundreds of servants, prisoners and warriors protecting the King were sacrificed to bury the Ruler in the edifice that he thought was impenetrable. Armies from foreign lands had fallen before the murder holes manned constantly by archers, and the catapults protected by ballistae bristled all along the crumbling walls even today. Even though there were plenty of uneven surfaces created when the walls had partially collapsed, Boremac could see readily enough that the sappers’ real damage had been done, as intended, to the interior. The spires that once held the King’s royal flags well above the monstrous walls now only just peeked out where the crumbling balustrades had fallen to a mere seventy feet. Boremac started to do some minor mathematics to determine how possible it would have been for even the King to have survived the cascading destruction of his palace, stopping with a shudder as his mind was filled with the chaos of the toppling stone that created this tomb for so many.
He turned on Rinoba with narrowed eyes. “Why exactly are we here, Rinoba? If you are expecting me to climb into that tomb and toss you a rope to go treasure hunting, let me save you the breath of trying to talk me into it. Even if it could be done, which it cannot, the mountain of stone within those walls would be a death sentence to navigate. If that is what you are planning, allow me to help you up one of these trees and fashion a proper noose. I would rather face a quick death within Alchendia’s Path to a potentially slow painful one offered by this stronghold.”
Rinoba answered as if he had heard nothing Boremac said. “There is always a way where there is a will and we are both willful to a fault, Boremac. Do not assume you know all of my plans because you carry the gear of your father’s chosen profession; the hand claws, lock picks and an inordinate amount of rope. Come with me and I will introduce you to our way.”
The pair walked around the structure for a good while before Boremac sighted her. The robed figure was little more than a brief speck ahead of them and Boremac learned quickly this was as much due to her diminutive size as the distance between them. He noted the pack on her back was easily as tall as she, giving her an extra head of height at a distance. Closer examination as they closed with the young lady revealed she was a sister of the Order of Light, more specifically a Deathbringer. The sisters and brothers of the Deathbringers were a part of the order of the God of Light since its creation. Despite their generally dour nature and their black robes, the faction was highly thought of by all levels of society. The one thing that Lords and Ladies shared with the poorest people was death, and the Deathbringers made certain that, with the proper rituals performed, those released from this world had smooth passage to the next, even if they were bound for the Abyss. Boremac found this particular sister was all business when he and Rinoba reached her, more than happy to have the task set before her under way and completed. Boremac toyed with the thought of receiving his death blessing before they got started but thought better of it. Deathbringers were not generally known for their sense of humor and the last thing he wanted to do was upset the one that might have to shortly perform his last rites.
“I am Dena, Deathbringer initiate of the Order of the God of Light of Travelflor, and your servant.” Boremac and Rinoba looked at each other knowingly, neither one of them wanting this particular sister’s services any time soon. She continued with only a moment’s pause, as if she had not noticed the rogues’ distracted looks. “Well, we should be going, unless you feel the need for any formal requests of me. I can do a cleansing before we go in if you wish.” The sister laughed openly as the two young men shook their heads with a violence that should have twisted them off. “It should be an interesting adventure. There are a couple of minor things you should know before we proceed. Do either of you read the arcane languages?”
Boremac answered with an exaggerated bow. It appeared his studies with George would not be without their rewards after all. Dena nodded in approval and reached into one of the many side pouches sewn into the open spaces of her backpack. “You will carry this. It is a conjuration scroll that you will not read unless absolutely necessary. Rinoba, if you would be so kind, take this and keep it within ready reach.” Dena handed him a small spherical object with a bit of paper wound tightly sticking out of it. “There is one more thing that you must remember, Rinoba. Extend the middle finger of your right hand and point it up. Say the word’incendera’ just so.”
Rinoba started to roll the word across his lips,’incende…’ before Dena’s hand shot out and knocked small sphere he still held in his right hand toward the ground. Boremac moved to catch it but Dena had the height advantage in this case and beat him to the prize, holding it well away from Rinoba as she straightened up.
“That would have been very unpleasant, sir, for all of us.” Dena smiled despite the seriousness of her tone. “Please be kind enough to hold your finger away from your face and repeat the word.”
Rinoba recovered himself and enunciated the word exactly as Dena had pronounced it, holding his hand out as far as he could. The flame that ignited his fingertip was little more than that of a freshly lit candle and lasted only a moment. Rinoba was speechless. “Well done,” said Dena, “and you still have your eyebrows, so congratulations are in order. Try it again.”
Rinoba did as instructed and smiled at his minor display of conjuration. Boremac laughed as he palmed the spherical object that Dena still held at her side. He took a moment to examine it while Dena checked Rinoba for damage from the flames. She had not even noticed the object was missing, as much due to Boremac’s skill as to her own distraction in looking after Rinoba. A quick sniff of the wick sticking out of the clay ball told Boremac all he needed to know. One did not live with a scholar for any length of time without learning some basic specifics about alchemy and the wick itself stank of it, specifically sulphur. Boremac could readily assume the purpose of the wick but had never encountered, or even read of, an explosive so small. “What is this?”
Dena looked at Boremac, frowning as she noted he was holding the small ball. Her answer was curt. “It is a small clay container filled with explosive material similar to the type used in mining. It has a very short igniter, or fuse, much like its creator when she is toyed with, lit by a finger fire that Rinoba now has the ability to create. I have two, one in my pack and one you are about to give back to Rinoba now that he knows how to
control the flame that ignites the object. Hopefully there will be no need for it.”
Boremac was surprised that Dena led him and Rinoba well away from the structure where she had met them at first. Their entrance into the monolithic stronghold turned out to be one of the sappers’ mines several miles from the structure. Thorny patches of vines that had covered the shaft that led beneath the massive tomb had been recently cut away but already showed signs of attempting to reclaim their hold over the open area. When Boremac commented on the handiwork, Dena responded only briefly. “The original invaders of this particular shaft have been put to rest with the spirits of the miners that I could reach alone. They were no doubt treasure hunters, may the God of Light pity them.” Boremac saw no need to press her for details. Her tone indicated the potential thieves had come to an unpleasant end.
Dena pushed back the vines that had managed to wind their way over the passage, seeking to use her staff as gently as possible and not break the brittle growth as she did so. “It is better that the thorns should serve as a guardian against the foolish. The hidden entrance here is the only one I have found that leads in almost all the way unimpeded. The previous would- be investigators came well prepared for their journey into the depths. They only underestimated one thing.” Dena paused a moment, making a quick hand gesture that the rogues assumed was the peace sign of her order. “It is by their sacrifice that we proceed, blessed Father.” Another gesture and a few words brought a shimmering glow to the hand not carrying the staff, which Dena then touched to the staff headpiece itself, making a mystical lamp of sorts. She led them into the dark mining shaft without further comment, tilting the light forward to illuminate the safer footing as they went.
They soon arrived at the place where the previous visitors had been buried soon enough. The cave-in caused by misplaced explosives had done most of Dena’s work for her, though it was obvious she had taken pains to make proper burial mounds for the bodies that she could find. A small hole, barely large enough for Dena to fit through with her pack on, had been opened at the top of the mine shaft. The mosses of rust and deep browns that covered the thick beams were worn away in places, indicating the recent excavation. Boremac and Rinoba followed closely with little effort. Dena slid deftly down the rock face at the other side with little more than her light to guide her, obviously well acquainted with the slope under her boots. The rogues quickly noted the reason for her rapid decent. The downward angling slope of rock was covered in bat guano. “I would recommend tying off a line at the support before you come down. I took quite a tumble the first time I slid down the natural ramp here. The local residents were not pleased with the intrusion, though they do appear to be quite harmless.” As if to illustrate her point, Dena held her staff over her head to light the deeper recesses of the roof of the cavern. Hundreds of bats roosted there, bumping each other gently as if trying to gain a greater portion of the limited space there. “There must be a way to the upper areas that is relatively unrestricted for them. The first time I fell, the mass of them took flight as one. They fled the way we will be going and seemed to progress upward without disturbing a stone.”
Dena waited patiently as the pair climbed slowly down to where she stood, using the rope Boremac had tied off at the support. The trio progressed quickly through the natural, and unnatural caves created by the tumbling of stones from time long past. Dena knew the way so well that she took time to educate the pair. She pointed out the iron spikes that seemed to grow out of every broken stone in one area, indicating the prison the master of the keep had maintained. Higher up, remnants of the massive ovens and storage areas could still be seen. It had taken a small army of servants to maintain the stronghold, and the last King was always prepared for an extended siege. His power served to isolate him until ultimately his own abuses destroyed him; this was the lesson taught in the history books of the land at least.
Dena raised her hand quickly, bringing Boremac and Rinoba to a halt behind her. “Be aware here, gentle rogues. There is a lurker here the likes of which I had never seen before entering this place. A creature that light does not illuminate. It appears to be impervious to metal and wood alike. In fact, the creature seemed to absorb my wooden staff quite completely the one time I attempted to defend myself against it. Its shimmering form oozed over sharp iron spikes as I dodged away from it as it pursued me. Its ponderous movement over the landscape here was all that saved me.”
Rinoba did not bother to disguise the mirth in his words. “We should be fearful of a great ponderous creature that appears to eat wood and cannot move fast enough to catch even you with that pack on your back? Sister, please excuse me if I do not tremble in fear just yet.”
“It does not seem to feed on your fears, Rinoba, nor does it bother with bones so far as I have seen. There are no rats, or any vermin of any kind, that move in this place. I would have thought you would have noticed. The skittering residents that should be here should also be readily able to escape the thing that haunts this place, and yet there are none. I have yet to hear a single scrape or squeal in my multiple trips into these walls. I have found small piles of bones that included the remains of bats unfortunate enough to fly too low, I assume. I do hope this slime does not possess a means to snatch the winged creatures dwelling here from the air.” Dena visibly shuddered as she voiced her thought. “All I ask is that you not ignore your natural instinct for self-preservation. That should be armor enough to complete this quest and aid me while you complete your own mission. If not then we will have to assume a more aggressive stance and pray for a great deal of luck.” Dena smiled briefly, and for the first time, almost slyly. “I do hope you have both found yourselves in Alchendia’s favor of late. I will put in word for you both with our Father.”
Boremac bowed in the fashion prescribed by station to Dena, speaking almost reverently as if in hopes of undoing any harm caused by Rinoba’s arrogance. “Alchendia has found some amount of reason to favor me through much of my life, or so I think. I thank you for your blessing and hope Alchendia still has use for us all once we are finished here.”
The small party began their ascent in silence, ever watchful for harm. They could not see the ooze that was constantly moving through the cracks and holes near their paths, tracking their heat as silent as the spirits of the dead in its home.
***
The trio made slow steady progress upward through the treacherous rock formations created by time and the machinations of man so long ago. Dena, due to the unseen danger that only she knew well enough to fear, chose to take what appeared to Boremac to be an immediately more dangerous path. She vaulted gracefully over the tops of stone pilings that seemed too unstable even to hold her own slight weight, let alone all three of the invaders. She enhanced her own light to allow the rogues better chance to see where best to land with each leap of faith. It worked well enough, until Rinoba slipped.
The rope tied to all three of them with copious knots and enough line to hang a rogue from a respectable tree was all that saved him slamming into the jagged rocks far below. Rinoba had pin-wheeled his arms in a vain attempt to regain his balance just long enough for Dena and Boremac to plant their feet well away from the edges of the smooth platforms they stood on separately. Dena had even had the presence of mind to jump to a farther pillar in order to bring the rope between Boremac and her taunt before wedging her boots. Boremac took the precious seconds to taunt Rinoba while planting his own boots. “Land well, Prince, and hope Alchendia loves you!”
It appeared a moment later that the Goddess had some plans for the prince after all, or at least found his folly amusing for now. Rinoba had sense enough to loosen his body before the rope at his waist tightened. Two things happened when he came to the end of the line; Rinoba spun several times within the confines of the waist restraint, and he spotted a pool of cloudy water directly below him, lit by the makeshift lantern Dena had created at the end of her staff. “It would not have been so bad as all of that, Boremac!” Rinoba retort
ed when he stopped spinning and grabbed hold of the rope to steady himself in an upright position. “There is a large pond down here!”
“Imagine that!” Boremac shot back without a moment’s pause. “I was not going to say anything, but you are getting gamey with all your clumsy efforts! Let me feed out some more line and see if we can get you cleaned up!” Boremac moved to knot a secondary line to the first to do just that when Dena shouted, stopping him cold.
“No!” The way she yelled brought ice into Boremac’s veins. “Bring him up now! Rinoba, hold on steady and do not move! Do not even flinch!”
The force of her commands brought Boremac into immediate motion, not waiting for Rinoba to confirm he was ready. Despite Rinoba’s arrogance, or maybe because of it, Boremac was certain the prince would do exactly what he was told. No more words broke the air as Boremac steadily hauled Rinoba up, until finally Rinoba was able to grip the edge of the stone platform he had fallen from. Boremac thanked Alchendia, and Master Shadow in the same breath, for all the rigors of his training.
“What in the Abyss was all that about?!?” Rinoba shouted at Dena before he could take control of himself. Boremac was certain they all knew what it was about. Dena’s underlying fear, even as she took control of the situation moments ago, left little question.
“Let me show you, Rinoba, so that you better understand. One in your profession should know that not everything is what it appears to be and sometimes stealth is ones best weapon.” Dena fished a bit of hide out of one of the many pockets on the pack she carried, her eyes stayed steady on the’pond’ below them. She jumped easily over to the rock pillar where Rinoba and Boremac stood, peering over the edge and setting her lit staff so that it hung out just over the ledge that Rinoba had just hoisted himself up. The hardened leather in her hand burst into flame as she tossed it over the side, causing the pond below to glow with a fiery light as the piece drifted down toward it. The misty water below rippled when the burning bit touched it but the leather did not immediately go out. Seconds later the glowing embers drifted deeper into the pool, the flame extinguished but not the now subtle glow of orange heat. The pool rippled as though waves had hit the outside and were now traveling back toward the cause, but no waves countered the motion from where the hardened leather had landed. The piece blackened slowly as it drifted deeper into the pool, drawn down as the waves came into contact with it, and disappeared.