“Is this the culprit?” Lord Almen asked of Sefron.
“Yes, Lord Almen, she is the accused.”
Melegal took a closer look at the disheveled figure. She was young, her hair a long mop that covered her eyes. She was in servants' clothes that were now torn. She raised her head. No! It was the servant girl he had tussled under the sheets with days ago. Her face was bruised and swollen, and her lips were cracked with blood. Her eyes met his.
“I didn’t do it, Melegal,” she said with little breath. “That wicked man lies. He tried to force me on him. He urk!”
The sentry jerked the collar that bound her neck. The young woman’s face began to redden as her eyes bulged. Melegal turned away. Sefron was smiling at him.
Lord Almen said, “Is this true, Sefron? Did you accost one of my servants?”
The cleric was as composed as ever when he said, “No, my lord. The woman was rummaging in the upstairs quarters. She was very suspicious when I questioned her. I called for the sentries, had her searched, and found this on her person.”
Sefron held up a gold earring with sapphires surrounding a white pearl.
“That is from the Lorda’s box,” Lord Almen said.
“I didn’t take it my lord! I swear I did not take it! He lies!”
The pressure began to build in the back of Melegal’s head like a vice. The set-up was clear, but why?
“Lord Almen,” Sefron said, “I did not conduct the search. It was this pair of men, long-standing servants of Castle Almen.”
“Is this true?” Almen said in the general direction of the sentries.
“Aye, Milord.”
“I see. This is a serious crime, indeed. Death is in order—”
“NOOO! Please, I didn’t take it, my ulp—”
“As I was saying, death is in order. However, even servants can make mistakes, and I am feeling merciful today. Let the lesson be learned with as many lashes as she can stand.” Melegal noticed Lord Almen looking is way. He held his gaze. “Sefron, let’s let Detective Melegal handle this one. After all, it is a detective's duty to discover these indiscretions, is it not?”
Sefron tossed him the lash. The sentries dragged the sobbing woman to a post and chained her to it. They tore the remaining clothes from her back. Melegal could see the smooth skin on her back, not a single blemish, scar or freckle. He could still feel her soft alabaster skin on his fingertips, and now it would be turned as rough as grated cheese. He could feel all of the eyes on him as he stepped forward with the lash.
He had been whipped many times when he was young. Since, he had done everything possible to avoid the lash. As far as whipping someone else, it wasn’t something he’d ever considered. He’d kill them first. Now, however, there was no choice. He was put in the impossible position of ruining another person's life.
He stepped behind the shaking girl, the lash held loose in his hand.
“Detective, keep at it until Sefron says to stop. I want to make sure she is never tempted to steal from this castle again. This is a better option, so spare her life.”
He heard the servant girl say, “It’s all right Melegal, I won’t blame y—”
Crack!
She writhed and wailed.
“Again!” Sefron yelled.
Melegal drew back.
Crack!
“Again!”
Fresh welts rose on the woman’s soft back and blood dripped down around her waist.
Crack!
She was screaming and flailing without control, but Melegal didn’t hold back.
“Again!”
Melegal added one more thing that he was going to do in his life: Kill Sefron.
He was a slave of the castles again.
Chapter 74
“You’re on, Venir.”
The voice was familiar, but not as tranquil as before. Venir sprung up on the balls of his toes. His head was full of cobwebs, but the heat of the coming battle began to burn them from his mind. He found the voice and the face. It was Boon. The older man’s hard face seemed poised for some kind of battle, but he had no weapons or armor, just a stern look. Still, Venir got the feeling the man would and could fight anything and had done much of that before, even for a mage.
“Where am I?” he said, looking around.
His surroundings were vast. Polished stone walls of gray rose at least fifteen feet high inside the corridor where he now stood. The corridor was wide, big enough for two trains of horses. There were no such tracks on the dirt-covered ground, only ruts. The ground was otherwise smooth in most spots. This was another odd place that smelled of death and decay, but was otherwise bright with light. He looked up and realized there was no ceiling, only the passing light of the suns. At least, he thought so.
Boon said, “It’s a maze.”
“A what?”
“Surely you have been in a maze before, Venir?”
Sure he had. Tombs, catacombs, sewers and streets, all were a maze of sorts.
“I can’t say I haven’t been, but this looks more like a corridor … for giants.”
Boon rubbed his knotty fingers up and down his dark blue robes and shifted back and forth on his feet. “It’s a corridor of death with more twists and turns than your guts have. For every horror you survive, another will replace it. It’s the end of your journey, Venir. I’m sad to say it, but at least you know what to expect. Most of the others that come through don’t get that privilege.”
Venir glowered down at the mage.
“No need to thank me,” Boon added.
Venir smiled and Boon did too.
“Hah. Another illusion, I’d guess?”
Boon shook his head.
“No, but I am. I’m up there, actually,” Boon said, pointing above his head.
High above the walls was another platform where men and women were standing. They were giants, one and all, leaning on the rail or gripping it with fists as big as his head. Some of the faces were grim, others hardy and jovial. The only difference between giants and men was their size, but far away as they were, they seemed to be normal-sized. He knew better because he could see the image of Boon, much smaller than the others, sitting on the rail, waving down at him. Then, he noticed something else, and his smile expanded as large as a field. A giantess with the most enormous breasts he’d ever seen was looking at him. I’d crawl into the Underland for a closer look at those. A fleeting memory of Kam scowling interrupted his thoughts, and something else.
“This is no time for lust! You’re about to die! Snap out of it!”
Venir realized Boon’s image was waving in his face.
“Huh?”
“Get your wits about you! That’s pretty much all you have to go with.”
Venir looked down and only saw his bare toes on the dusty ground. He patted himself down. All he had were his pants and cotton shirt.
“Not exactly what I had in mind to face my death in. Got anything with a shine to it?”
“BWAHAHAAHA!” Boon laughed.
He’s insane, Venir thought, looking up. He saw Boon whispering in the ear of one of the giants, who let out a thunderous bellow. The others joined in, a booming laughter of what seemed to be a thousand voices.
“They liked that,” Boon said, clutching his side, “… but no. However, you might find something shiny in the maze, if you live long enough.”
Venir looked down the length of the corridor. He could see a break in the walls farther ahead. It was the same behind him, with a break on both sides of a dead end. He looked back at his toes and wiggled them. It didn’t make much sense that they hadn't left his boots on.
“Yep, no boots. I never saw the point of it myself, but it’s a tradition with them,” Boon said, scratching his nose.
“So tell me, did you have to go through this maze?”
“No, I was brought here for a different purpose, I suppose.”
“Being?”
Boon shrugged. “No idea. I just do as I’m told.”
“Don’t you want to leave?”
“Hmmm … maybe … But, I don’t think it’s possible to go back, not with Blackie out there.”
“Blackie?”
Boon’s eyes brightened as he answered, “Yes, the dragon. He serves the giants, but you don’t need to concern yourself with such things. You need to focus on what lies ahead.”
“Why should that concern me if I’m about to die?”
“True.” Boon needled his chin hairs. “Venir, I looked for your backpack. I had no luck with it, but out of curiosity, what was in it? There is still time to look for it, you know.”
Venir noticed that the big bodies of the giants were getting restless above. His time was coming up. Strange sounds began to catch in his ears, echoing from down the corridors: shuffling, rustling, growling, and the like. There was a sound of a gate grinding open in the distance.
The battle heat came on him even stronger, washing away the sluggishness from whatever had put him to sleep. The blood coursing through him began to warm him like the rising suns. A fight was coming. He clenched his fists. Boon’s image came closer. He didn’t trust the man, but it seemed Fogle Boon’s grandfather was all that he had.
“I’ll tell you if you agree to help me however you can.”
“Agreed.”
“Your word on your grandson, Fogle?”
“Yes, yes, my word on my own grandson. I wish we had more time for you to tell me how you met.”
“You never know,” Venir said rubbing his hands into the dirt. “All right then, my backpack has some common gear and an old leather sack.”
Boon gawped and his fingers tickled the air as he demanded, “Tell me about the sack! Does it have heavy stitches?”
“A patchwork of them.”
Boon licked his lips.
“Is it magic?”
“Aye.”
Boon’s eyes were transfixed on Venir. A familiarity grew between them.
“I can’t believe it,” Boon whispered.
BRAAAAAAWWWNNGGG!!!
“NO!” The mage shouted, “Venir, live as long as you can. I must go!”
The image of Boon drifted away, and Venir stood alone.
Chapter 75
Her head felt light and full, like a stuffed feather pillow. Her faded vision began to sharpen around the image of Lefty Lightfoot. The look on his face was one of kindness tinged with guilt, shock and fear. He was the last thing she remembered thinking about.
Kam pulled her knees up to her chest and said, “Come over here, Boy.” She patted the quilted blanket on her bed. Head down, Lefty made his way over. He’s never looked so sad, she thought. She reached over and poured a glass of water. Her arms trembled as she tried to pour it.
“Here, let me get that,” Lefty said, hopping over. He filled the glass and handed it over to her.
“Get up here, Lefty, and tell me what’s going on. How long have I been asleep? I feel like I just woke from the dead.” She hoped the water would take the rattle from her voice. She noticed the loose rings on her fingers and felt her face. She ran her fingers through her hair. “Bish, I must look terrible.”
“KAM!”
She dropped her glass at the sound of Georgio’s bellow, but Lefty caught it before it even spilled a drop. Georgio dove headfirst over the footboard and crushed her legs.
“Easy Georgio!”
The big boy froze; his big brown watery eyes were wide. They melted her within.
“Ah … come here and give me a hug. You too, Lefty.”
Within moments she was soaked with tears. The heavy sobs coming from the boy shook the bed and she found herself sobbing heavily as well. She didn’t understand what could have gotten into the boys. It was as if they hadn’t seen her in weeks. It was a good feeling she felt though, something she hadn’t felt in a while.
She tried to pull away from Georgio’s strong arms that were crushing her waist. Georgio was almost as big as her now. She said, “All right, all right you two, I need to breathe … let me go please.”
The hands loosened around her and the boys sat back. Both of their eyes were puffy and red, as if they had just come from her funeral. An eerie feeling began to settle inside of her. She looked at Lefty, but his innocent face still seemed as if there was something to hide. She grabbed Georgio by the hand and asked, “How long have I been asleep?”
Georgio looked at Lefty, who was looking down on the bed.
“Uh … I think two weeks, maybe not quite—”
“Two weeks!” She was on her feet now and heading through the door.
Lefty was tugging on her hand saying, “Kam, you must rest. Everything is all right. Joline can explain it all. I’ll go and get her.”
Everything was in place in the apartment, even the coffee smelled good. Two weeks? It might as well have been a year. The Magi Roost would be a wreck without her. Palos! The fiend of a man would be up to something, she could feel it. For all she knew, he might have hoodwinked the place. She noticed Lefty was still pulling at her arm.
“Kam, please, sit down,” he urged.
“Lefty, let go, I’m fine!”
Her body began to quiver as her legs failed from underneath her. Someone was propping her up and then easing her down onto the couch. She tried to move and speak, but she couldn’t find the words. I need help. This can’t be happening. A dozen faces of Lefty and Georgio swirled before her eyes. She felt herself spinning and then nothing else.
Chapter 76
Feeling small between the expanses of the corridor, he ran and jumped as high as he could, reaching for the upper rim of the wall. His fingertips grasped several feet short of the lip. He landed on his feet and ran his hands over the surface. The walls were smooth, solid like stone. There wasn't the slightest finger hold. He didn’t even think Melegal could do it. He looked up. About a dozen giant faces watched him with interest. He could feel their eyes following him as he treaded down the corridor, to the north, south, east or west, he did not know.
Something emerged from one of the openings in the wall ahead. It was a pair of kobolds, of all things. Their little bodies were barely four feet tall. Tiny horns rose on the heads of their dog-like faces with reptilian skin. One held a spear, and the other grasped a short sword in both hands. They approached, long tongues flickering as they hissed from their mouths. Venir strode toward them, towering like a giant before them. The corner of his eye caught something else along the corridor. The bones of beasts and men were piled along the wall. The flesh sagged on some of them, and the others seemed to be picked clean. The kobolds, like hungry hounds, must have devoured them.
I’m gonna make it farther than this.
“Kobolds, Pah!” he spat. “You rodents better consider yourselves lucky that Mikkel isn’t here!”
The pair of vermin stood their ground, taunting him with their weapons. Venir was ready to take their toys away and stab them in their necks. He was twenty paces away when he fell. That weightless feeling from the mist was back. The battle heat caught fire, and his arms shot out like crossbow bolts. His fingers caught the lip of the pit, sliding as they fought to grab hold of something firm. Below his dangling feet was a pit full of steel spikes. Its victims were many.
Legs kicking for traction, Venir fought his way up onto his elbows. Something jabbed him in the forearm. A small spear dangled in the meat of his flesh. Snarling, he ripped it out. On the other side of the pit, the Kobold was preparing to throw another. He pulled himself out of the pit and rolled to the side, barely dodging another spear that sailed past his neck.
The fires inside him were a burning hot furnace now. He ran over to the spear and snatched it from the ground. Something else approached from behind him. The ground shook beneath its feet as it charged his way. A minotaur! It was seven feet tall and carrying a great sword. Its bull-like face snorted. Its hooves pounded the ground as it barreled his way. The chasm of the pit between him and the kobolds was far, but Venir ran toward it. He sprinted and leapt from the edge of the pit. He
was in mid-air when he threw the spear into one kobold's throat. He landed and rolled away from the other one, which stabbed its sword at his chest.
Venir got up to one knee, deflected the tiny humanoid's swing with his forearm, and punched it in the face. The stunned creature dropped its blade just before Venir hurled it screaming into the pit. A sickening sound followed as it was impaled on one of the long spikes.
On the other side, the minotaur stood for a moment like an angered beast, its powerful hooves digging into the dirt, and then it began to pace, sweeping its massive sword back and forth. Venir snatched up the short sword, hunkered down, and gasped, “Go ahead, jump, you two-legged cow!”
The minotaur stomped, roared, turned, and thundered back from where it came, out of sight.
“Slat!”
Venir was pretty sure it knew another way around to find him. He sucked in some deep breaths and checked the wound in his forearm. The puncture was nasty, but the muscle wasn’t torn. He looked up, but there was no applause, only the stoic faces of the giants.
“Are you disappointed—Arseholes!”
Don’t forget the booby traps.
He found the tiny footprints of the kobolds in the dirt, and followed them. You can’t be too careful when you’re trying to survive. Two sets of tracks led into the opening from which they had emerged. There was no other way to go but follow another wide corridor to the left. He followed the footprints another fifty feet, and they disappeared. It was as if the kobolds had been lowered from above, dropped like rats into a maze. More gaps in the walls could be seen ahead, along with more piles of bones. He noticed the canine teeth of a gnoll's skeleton lying against the wall. He kept his shoulder to the wall, his eyes on the ground. Venir feared more pits could be anywhere, and other traps as well. It was one of those times he could have used Melegal. Detecting traps was not his forte, killing was.
The Darkslayer: Book 03 - Underling Revenge Page 31