by Ted Fauster
“I must apologize,” he announced. “A great storm seems to be interfering with all the communications of the realm, as well as certain… transmissions. You were all supposed to have been brought directly to Arythria. Only Hanna was able to make it straight away.”
Jack suddenly realized someone was missing. “Where is Claire?” he asked.
Maltheus’ warm countenance melted into a look of great sadness. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to determine her whereabouts until the storm has passed, although I suspect she is with the Sisters of Cynthiana. At least, that is where I hope she is.”
“I don’t understand,” Som pushed. “You told us that the pysanky eggs given to us were made by the Sisters. Why can’t they just give one to Claire?”
The angel put his hands behind his back. He gave a slight shrug “I’m afraid I have no answer.”
“Well, will she be okay?” Jack asked. “Will she ever be able to join us?”
“I most certainly hope so,” Falfax said. The discussion suddenly turned to the Prinkipria when Fenwick would be still no more.
“Came here from the Eastern Seas I did,” Fenwick grumbled, addressing no one and everyone at the same time. “A refugee, several days lost at sea upon a tiny dingy.”
“Yes,” Falfax said, “good Fenwick is a gnome. He was exiled to a remote glacier in the far north. The gnomes are the finest craftsmen but also somewhat tribal and warlike. Fenwick grew weary of forging weapons of war and became an outcast to his people. We are lucky to have him. He’s been a tremendous boon to our cause ever since.”
The ugly creature gave a low nod. “Yes,” he hissed. “But my intention never it was to travel across the seas on such a simple craft.” He seemed intent on continuing his tale, twisting his fingers before him. “With my own hands that ship I built. The very ship that is now in the caverns below docked. The very ship that was assailed by pirates!”
His anger seemed directed at Marlin. The gnome glared at him from across the table. “Took from me my ship the bastards did! But make her sail they could not. When refused I did to pilot the Prinkipria for them, tossed overboard was I.”
Marlin balled up his napkin and slung it on the table. “Yes, and you would most certainly have drowned had it not been for that convenient little watercraft, isn’t that so?” His voice trembled, but his button eyes remained defiant. “Did you ever wonder how that dingy happened to be cut loose in the first place?” Marlin didn’t wait for an answer. He pushed out from the table and clambered high onto his chair.
“It’s true,” he said to the table. “I was aboard the pirate ship that captured the Prinkipria. But I was their slave, their galley lad. Years earlier I set out from the port of Overgaard to seek adventure on the high seas. I’d signed up on what I thought was a merchant ship, not knowing the true nature of its crew. One day we were fresh from battle with a naval vessel. Our own ship was a floating wreck, doomed to be swallowed by the sea.”
He glared back at the gnome. “How unfortunate it was our paths crossed, but I had nothing to do with tossing you overboard. And I most certainly did everything I could to save you.”
The gnome pointed a crooked finger. “Save me? Stole from me my ship you did! Took the Prinkipria from me!”
Fenwick dashed across the table, scattering plates and flatware. Had it not been for the quick-thinking Arnsworth, who scooped the little devil up and placed him back in his chair, he would have surely been at Marlin’s throat.
The entire table now in an uproar, Maltheus stood, and a powerful and booming voice suddenly brought the skirmish to a grinding halt.
“Enough! Enough Of This Bickering!”
His words were much more than a man’s, echoing from the walls like those of a towering giant. The light in the room seemed to lose its strength as the face of the outcast angel grew dark and riddled with anger. Both debaters instantly cowered, each looking strangely embarrassed.
The lingering charge in the air diminished. “Good friends,” Maltheus said in a much calmer tone, “please forgive me. But I will not have any fighting among us at this important juncture.” He waited a moment for his words to sink in. “Now, let us all dine in peace so that we may attend to business.”
The feisty gnome seemed to realize his error. “My apologies I extend,” he said weakly. “Your fault I now clearly see it was not. It’s just that for years have I waited for the Prinkipria to return to me. And when return she finally has, a stranger is at her wheel.”
“That would be me,” Jack interjected. “I’m the new captain of the Prinkipria.”
The gnome studied him. “Chosen well, she has.” He nodded approvingly.
Jack just had to know. “Uh… while we’re on the subject… what exactly is going on with that ship?”
The gnome stripped the flesh from a chicken bone with his teeth and then pushed the bone in his mouth as well to crunch the whole mess up. He licked his fingers clean.
“Once an ordinary deep-sea cargo hauler, the Prinkipria was,” Fenwick started. “Ah yes. Purchased her from a machinist off the coast of the Bone Isles. The finest research vessel I was going to make of her. Alas, empty and alone can a tinkerer’s life be. I had in my possession the authority to command a desert sprite that had become entrapped within a block of stone. Years before coming to Overgaard did I use that very stone to carry my possessions when I travelled.”
The gnome belched. “Very jealous others became at the sight of it, so kept her a secret I did, first by attaching her to the bottom of a steed cart. Haul any amount of weight, she could. Uphill. Downhill. It mattered not. Others learned of my trick. Tried to steal her, they did. So I fixed her to the bottom of the Prinkipria. There she remains.”
Jack scratched his head. “But she chose… you?”
Fenwick hacked something onto his plate. “Aye, she did. There in that desert. Alone she was as well. Took her away from all that sand, that desolation. Years we were together, just she and I. She loves the sea. Good company.” The gnome cleared his throat and called for more rolls. He would say no more on the subject.
When they’d finally had their fill, Maltheus called for their attention.
“Well then, I think it’s about time we get started.”
With a snap of his fingers, the lights in the hall dimmed. A colorful orb appeared above the table, the illuminated image of a rotating planet, complete with continents, puffy clouds and rippling oceans. The imaged zoomed in and flattened, now favoring a particular continent in the northern hemisphere filled with lush forests, frosted mountains, and a boundless desert.
“We look now upon the kingdom of Jarl Naru,” the angel explained. A blinking blue dot appeared and the map zoomed in closer. A glimmering structure at the center of a dense swamp swelled into view. “This is Arythria, the place where we all now are. Just to the east lies the great walled city of Overgaard, a fair city which I’m afraid you’ve no time to enjoy.”
The view zoomed out and up, moving far to the north before descending once more to look upon a vast, icy wasteland. “These are the fallen lands of the Wens, old rivals of this land, locked eternally away behind the magickal doors of Far Pass Keep.” The image rolled over endless tracts of snow. “Somewhere in this cursed land a new Black Spire has arisen.”
Astinos nearly choked on a roll. “Impossible,” he gasped.
“It is true. I have discovered the truth behind the disturbances in the North. The Hellion King has returned and once again commands troops, an army of Amorite giants is amassing.”
“Wait a minute,” Jack said. “There’s a Hellion King now?”
Astinos stood. “This is impossible,” he reiterated. “By Heracles, a Spartan hoplite I am, but I’ve also wandered this realm for many years. And I tell you the Hellion is dead. Some may be able to extend their ragged existence in this world, but no priest of the Dark Order, if one still exists, can return the dead to life.”
“Yet this has happened,” Falfax said calmly. “I fear Hell itself
has a hand in this.”
The image shifted once more and settled over a deep forest. He pointed to a smaller blue dot. “To the west lies the remote village of Sarkovia. The four of you must go there at once.”
“You mean the three of us,” Hanna said.
Falfax was insistent. “I mean the four of you.” He nodded toward Astinos. “Our dubious soldier here will be going with you. Together, you must take the Prinkipria to the port of Chestoweyn. From there you must travel overland to Sarkovia. Somewhere in the village lies the secret to locating the Mamertyne Crypts, the resting place of one of the three missing Star Shards.”
“Star Shards?” Now Jack was thoroughly confused. “I thought we were here to find some missing scrolls?”
Hanna gave them all the Cliff notes. “The Star Shards are fragments of an ancient star that crashed in the swamp outside. There are six of them. Three were acquired by forces of good, and three by forces of evil.”
“That’s not quite right, my dear,” Maltheus quickly interjected. “The shards fell where they did, but they were acquired by no one. You see, only a human can possess a Star Shard. The shards that are in our possession already are simply under guard. Eventually they must be moved, but they can only be handled by a human.”
Som pushed back in his chair. “Now I know why you needed us so badly.”
Jack wanted more; he was ready to get down to business. “Okay, so some of these shards are in places that are good, and some are in places that are evil. And only we can pick them up. Got it.” He jerked his thumb to the map. “What kind of a place is this Mamertyne Crypts?”
“The crypts are at the heart of a very dark region,” Falfax clarified. “We must concentrate our efforts on collecting its shard first.”
Astinos gave a tired laugh as he dropped back into his chair. “Impossible. No one can survive a journey into the Mamertyne Crypts. Even I won’t go in there.”
“Yeah, but now we have an angel on our side,” Jack said. He looked to Maltheus and crossed his arms. “So, what kind of magic stuff can you give us to help us on this journey?”
Maltheus shook his head. “Other than cantrips, you won’t be able to use any magick at all. If you do you’ll be spotted. And this will all be over very quickly and end very badly.”
Jack felt suddenly ill. “Well thanks a lot, Clarence.”
Maltheus grew serious. “Under the radar, Jack, so to speak. I’ve provided you with a magickal ship, a seasoned warrior, and a valiant crew. Soon you will be provisioned for a long journey backed with quality weaponry. What else could you possibly need?”
The Zenevestra, Hanna thought to herself. My god, he using the Zenevestra to… to plan all of this! To make it happen! It was too much to share at such a key moment, and she really wasn’t sure if she should be doing that anyway. For now, she chose to keep it all to herself.
The angel stitched his hands together. “This won’t be easy, but it is something that simply must be done. I’m afraid the burden is entirely on all of you now. The survival of the entire realm is at stake.”
Som was nearly in a tizzy. “Okay, so there are three shards in good areas and three shards in bad areas, right? Why can’t we just start by getting one from a good area?”
“Oh, you will need to get one of those as well. A Star Shard is already safely housed in the Gardens of Cynthiana. Another is here with me. Mine you will bring with you to Cynthiana when the time is right. The other one will be a little trickier to obtain. It lies at the bottom of the sea.”
Jack felt his stomach drop. “Sounds like a job for a fish.”
Maltheus tipped his head in his direction. “We will get it. And we’ll get the ones in the dark regions as well. And when the time is right, we will reunite them all and we will solve this riddle once and for all.”
“Just how are these Star Shards supposed to help us find the Destiny Scrolls, anyway?” Jack asked.
Maltheus pointed to the center of the table. “I was just getting to that.”
The glowing blue image of a three-dimensional line drawing appeared in the air above the table. It looked a little like an erector set crossed with a Rube Goldberg machine.
“Using my instructions, the Sisters have forged a marvelous device called a Goseck Wheel. When all six shards are placed into this device the path to the Destiny Scrolls will be revealed.”
Som dropped his hands onto the table, jangling the flatware. “I knew it. Nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.”
Maltheus chuckled. “How right you are, my little blue friend. How right you are. But Hell knows nothing of this device. And therein lies our advantage. They will only suspect we are attempting to collect the shards. With any luck, we will have gathered up all three of their shards before they discover our plan.”
Something wasn’t adding up. “But even if they did suspect, wouldn’t that mean that Hell would have to get all of the shards and gain access to this wheel thingamabob before they can figure out the path?” Jack asked.
Maltheus looked unsettled. “You are quite right. If that occurs we will find ourselves at one doozy of an impasse, which is why we must move as swiftly and as stealthily as possible.”
He snapped his fingers at Astinos. “The ancient symbol. I presume Yorgan gave it to you?”
Astinos reached into the neckline of his shirt and pulled out a charm that looked like a combination of geometric shapes forged from silver.
“You mean this thing?”
Maltheus gave a disconcerted glare. “That thing is the key to your survival in this quest. It is very old and very rare, and it was rather difficult to procure. Guard it with your life and keep it with you at all times. I cannot protect you outside these walls and there is much trouble to be had. This symbol will provide you with limited protection from evil.”
Apparently the reverence was not shared. Astinos removed the necklace and tossed it over to Jack.
“Here,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. “I believe this is yours now.”
Jack glared back at the sulking man. “Sounds like it was meant for all of us, Astinos. And there’s no getting out of this now. If you are who you say you are then you can help us in more ways than you know, especially considering the time you’ve already spent here.”
“The years I have spent here?”
Jack raised a finger. “Don’t even think of backing out now. Pull the stick out of your ass. You’re coming with us.”
A spark shone in the soldier’s eyes. He leaned forward with an arched brow.
“And why would I do that?”
Jack held firm. “Because we need you, you dumb jackass. Don’t you think there’s a reason you’re here right now? Your head’s all better, right? Then start using your brain. You’re from Earth. We’re from Earth. And we’re here to do a job.”
Astinos seethed. He pushed away from the table. “Oh, is that right? And where were all of you when I was lost to the world? When I was abandoned? Left to scrounge around the bowels of this godforsaken place in order to survive?”
A sturdy disk of iron suddenly crashed down onto the table, crushing the dishes beneath to dust.
“What has befallen you is most unfortunate,” Maltheus said unapologetically. “But you have returned to us, and with your mind intact. Which is more than can be said for many, many others.”
He gestured toward the shield. “It is said the Greeks have no word for shield, only the word, hoplite. Together, a soldier and his shield are one. They are inseparable.” He leaned forward onto the table. “And this group desperately needs a soldier.”
Astinos said nothing. For the moment, Maltheus let him be. “Jack, have you selected a copilot?”
Jack flicked pieces of a ceramic mug from his lap. He knew what the angel had meant. In his conversation with the ship, she had instructed him to select someone to pilot her in his absence. Although he had technically not yet done so, he nodded.
“Good. With the shard in your possession it will be too dan
gerous to return to the Prinkipria. I’ve already arranged for additional transportation. Once the shard is in your possession you will be taken directly to the Gardens of Cynthiana, where I strongly suspect Claire is at this very moment. Wait for me there. The Sisters will know what to do with the shard and you will be safe under their protection.”
The angel stood. “Tell no one of your quest. And move quickly. I’ve come to find out that the Hellion has enlisted the aid of a Baal. This is a deoman creature sent to find you. It is very dangerous. I would tell you to avoid it at all costs but that is impossible. You simply will not know that it is upon you until it is too late. Your only hope is to move and act swiftly and discretely.”
“Great,” Jack said flippantly. “Kinda maybe should have just kept that one to yourself.”
Som spoke up. “But if this storm is blocking all communications then how will you know if we even have the shard?”
“Oh my, I almost forgot the most important part. Thank you for sparking my memory. I’ve located a disturbance deep within the crypts. I believe it is what is causing this storm. I’m not sure what it is, precisely, but I am certain something down there is the root cause of this entire mess. You will need to locate this disturbance and deal with it. We won’t be able to do much of anything without pentalphas for communication and travel.”
He signaled to the gnome. “Fenwick, I am off. They are in your hands now. Get them all conditioned and see to it the Prinkipria has a full larder. And then get them on their way.”
Fenwick said very little, grumbling to himself as he plodded ahead down a long hall plated in iron. This particular corridor wasn’t as cheerfully appointed as the rest of the complex. It looked more utilitarian, almost dank. It smelled a bit, too. They followed wordlessly behind the gnome, still reeling from the news.
“Why do I always feel so tired after talking to him?” Hanna nervously asked as they climbed into an elevator. As the doors ground closed, they laughed softly in agreement.
The elevator dropped deep into the complex, the doors finally opening to a room festooned with giant crystals and filled with panels covered in buttons, switches, dials, and levers. What looked like a big dentist’s chair rested in the center. It took some coaxing, but Hanna reassured them all it was safe.