Ritual of the Stones (Ballad of Frindoth)

by Donovan, Rob

  Jacquard whirled round and faced Iskandar. The idea had never occurred to him but now it seemed so obvious. Still, the king struggled to reason that the warlord who had shared his council would be so malicious just to obtain the throne.

  “How could Vashna have found a way to defeat the Gloom? I have been searching my whole life for such a thing. Even if he has, surely Vashna has not lost his mind and sanctioned the deaths of thousands of innocents?” Jacquard said. Iskandar shrugged.

  “Either way, all twelve stoneholders needed to be killed. I couldn’t risk you not agreeing to your son’s death,” Iskandar said.

  The words wounded Jacquard. He thought Iskandar would be the last person to call his integrity into question, to doubt whether he would put his family before the whole kingdom.

  “You think I wouldn’t have been able to choose between my family and the kingdom?”

  “I was relieving you of the choice,” he said.

  Jacquard wanted to be angry but knew he would never have been able to sacrifice his son. He recalled the turmoil he felt at the possibility his son might have been chosen. To actually sentence his son to death would have taken a coldness he didn’t think he possessed.

  “The choice on all of their lives should have been mine to make as king,” he said.

  “I never said my actions were correct. I acted …” here Iskandar paused in search for the most appropriate word, “… rashly,” he said at last.

  Jacquard massaged his eyes; he suddenly felt very tired. There was too much to consider, too much to deal with: the Gloom must be dealt with, which meant the remaining stoneholders including his son needed to be hunted down and killed; Vashna’s rebellion had to be opposed; Lilyon had to be repaired, but before that the damage had to be actually assessed and after all this was completed, he would have to work out a way to deal with the Order for deceiving him. They had grown too powerful and held too many secrets.

  Below him the brilliant white walls of the city were already stained grey from the decay of the smoke. The golden tower on the southeast side that had been glistening in the sun this morning now had a black smear on one side. From the other side of the glass the room was silent, but if he was to step outside, he would still hear the wails of those mourning the dead. No doubt already there would be those seeking advantage of the misfortune of others.

  Too many lives were lost today, he thought as he looked out over his city. And the deaths are only just beginning.

  * * *

  Cody Ramsay crouched behind the overturned cart in lower Lilyon. The chaos around him was mesmerising. He had never seen so much panic and confusion on people’s faces. He could not understand it. The Gloom had exited the city well over an hour ago. For now at least the danger had abated.

  Yet still the streets teemed with citizens running to and fro, some had grabbed their belongings and were deserting the White City, whilst others tried to organise themselves into groups helping to put out the fires. How did the fires even start? The power of the Gloom had been immense, flinging people two or three at a time through the air, but at no point had he seen it cause a fire.

  He supposed it only took someone to be hurled against a table and a lantern to topple for a fire to catch, but the sheer volume of the flames that consumed the city was overwhelming.

  An onlooker tried to separate two men brawling on the floor but became entangled in the dispute himself. Cody jumped as a cask of wine flew off a wagon and shattered on the floor. Red liquid spread across the cobblestones. Several people mistook it for bloodshed and screamed.

  It took Cody a short while to realise that someone was tugging on his shirt. He turned to see a hysterical woman babbling at him. Tears flowed down her face as she pointed frantically at the crowd.

  “I don’t understand what you are trying to say,” he said. The woman continued to speak incoherently.

  “Slow down, lady,” he said patiently. When she did not, he shook her. The woman quietened, too stunned to say anything. “What are you trying to tell me?” he said, offering no apology.

  “My daughter, I’ve lost her, was with me just a moment ago,” she said amongst sobs. Cody scanned the crowd. At first he couldn’t see anything through the myriad of legs and bodies, but then he saw a little girl apart from everyone else.

  She was no more than four summers and was standing on top of a pile of crates, and around her a fire was blazing. She was crying for her mother, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands straight down by her sides. One or two helpful people were attempting to rescue her.

  “Is that her?” Cody said, pointing towards the girl.

  The woman screamed and ran towards the girl, pushing people aside that blocked her path. By the time she had reached her, though, the flames were too high and were already burning the outer crates.

  “We must go!” he turned to see one of his fellow escapees indicating a break in the crowd where they could slot in. His name was Frendel or something; he was the one that had been outspoken about the black man on the gallows. Cody did not care for him and was tempted to end his miserable life, but when it came to escaping you could not choose your allies. The prince and the former member of the Order were concealed in the shadow of a shop canopy.

  Cody wasn’t entirely sure what had happened on the gallows. He was preparing himself for death when he heard Jaegal of the Order muttering some sort of incantation under his breath. The next thing he knew, the wooden support beam snapped and the gallows collapsed amongst a great deal of smoke.

  Cody felt himself falling briefly until his feet found purchase on the floor. Jaegal had freed him from his bonds and told him no one deserved to die for doing the honourable thing. As soon as his hands were free, he wasted little time in freeing himself from the noose and then freeing the prince next to him. Althalos had protested at first, but he had dragged the foolish boy along with him. He admired the boy’s loyalty to the throne, but there was no point when that loyalty was going to be rewarded with death.

  The four of them had taken advantage of the distraction the smoke caused and fled the market square. Since then, they had been covering each other as they stuck to the shadows and made their way to the lower part of the city.

  They soon learned people were far more concerned about the Gloom to pay any attention to them, but that had not stopped them being cautious.

  “We can’t go,” he said and then indicated to the girl. “We have to save her.”

  “I’m not used to playing the hero,” Frendel said.

  “Well now’s your chance.”

  The prince joined them and now he looked back at Jaegal.

  “You coming?” he asked.

  Jaegal seemed to consider his options. He looked at the screaming girl and then back towards the crowd rushing towards the city gate. He then sneered at Cody and his companions.

  “I didn’t free us all so we could get sentimental and be recaptured. If it is a choice between her and me, I choose me,” he said, before turning and blending into the crowd.

  “So much for the Order protecting us,” Frendel said.

  “I’m learning that the Order don’t do a lot of what they say they do,” Cody said, rushing towards the girl.

  The heat of the fire struck Cody’s face before he got anywhere near the girl. By now, several more people had joined the fight and were attempting to beat the flames down with brooms and blankets. From what Cody could see, this only fanned the flames towards the girl. The mother had lost hope of trying to make it through the flames and screamed hysterically, her face darkened by soot.

  Cody searched for a way to get to the girl. His face stung as soon as he got within a couple of feet of the flames. The prince and Frendel searched for points of the inferno where the flames were at their lowest. They were not having any luck. A man rushed past him and hurled water from a bucket onto the flames, but it had little to no effect.

  The crates immediately surrounding the small girl had now caught alight. She screamed even louder, he
r eyes were crazed as she watched the flames climb higher. Cody felt his facial hair burning.

  “Stop. Stop, wait.” Cody saw it was Frendel that was shouting. He was preventing two men from emptying their buckets onto the fire, much to their fury. “We must target one area of the fire, so one of us can get through. Line up the buckets in front of me.”

  The men fell into place quickly and began stockpiling the buckets. When there were five buckets, Frendel asked for the prince’s robe. Cody followed Frendel’s lead.

  “Are you sure about this?” Cody asked Frendel as he folded the robe. Frendel ripped a strip off the robe and soaked it in one of the buckets.

  “About an hour ago I was given a second chance in life. A chance I definitely didn’t deserve. Thought I might as well start making amends,” Frendel said and then turned to the prince, “I don’t think you’ll be getting this back in the same condition, your highness,” he said, indicating the torn robe.

  “I was never one for pomp and ceremony anyway,” Althalos grinned.

  The girl screamed again as the base of her crate caught fire, she tried to stand on tiptoe in an attempt get as far away from the heat as possible. Frendel fastened the wet material around his mouth and then poured one of the buckets over himself and the robe. Cody, the prince and two other men picked up the remaining buckets and readied themselves.

  Despite the weight in his hands, Cody knew there was nowhere near enough water contained inside the buckets to have much impact on the fire. Around him, people still ran in a panicked frenzy, oblivious to what was going on. The mother now joined the escaped stoneholders and watched Frendel with a look of hope as she muttered a prayer.

  Frendel took a deep breath to compose himself as he sought the best spot to engage the fire. The wall of flames hissed and crackled like a breathing animal daring them to attack. Frendel turned and nodded that he was ready and in unison Cody and the others threw his water at the flames.

  The blaze momentarily diminshed as the water doused it. For a moment Cody thought they had extinguished part of the fire, but it soon began to flare again. Frendel did not hesitate and ran through the opening; he leapt onto the crates like a cat and grabbed the girl. The girl saw him coming but only screamed louder. When he reached her, he did not waste any time in smothering the robe around her tiny body and lifting her over his shoulder.

  He turned to come back the same way, but the raging fire had already recovered, blocking his path. The others had gone to fetch more water but had not yet returned. Cody could only look on helplessly. He saw Frendel looking around, desperately searching for a spot to run through. Their eyes met and his heart sank as he saw the look of resignation in Frendel’s eyes.

  “Catch her,” he said and before Cody could say anything he shifted the girl from his shoulders and grabbed her by the hand and foot. The robe fell away from her and she screamed as the flames licked at her hair. He swung her back once and then threw her with all his might, letting out a bellow as he did so. The girl flew through the air towards Cody, skimming the top of the inferno.

  She seemed to move in slow motion, her body spun as it cleared the flames. Cody reached out to catch her but only succeeded in cushioning her fall. She hit him full in the chest, the impact knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling onto the cobbled street. Althalos immediately picked her up and then rolled her on the floor, putting out the small patches of fire on her dress. The mother was there straight away, cradling her daughter.

  Cody was not interested in the girl, though. Frendel had taken a few steps back on the crate in an attempt to give him a run up to launch himself clear. You can make it, please make it. An hour ago, he had despised the man, now he was praying for his safety. Frendel began running but before he had taken his second step, the crate collapsed and he disappeared into the fire.

  For an eerie moment there was silence before a sickening scream filled the air. Cody moved towards the fire but found his path blocked by the prince. He could see nothing but the fire. Suddenly Frendel burst out of the flames and onto the floor next to them screaming in agony.

  The prince reacted first, rolling Frendel in the same way he had the girl. Others soon followed suit and splashed him with the second wave of water. Eventually they extinguished the flames. What was left of Frendel’s body turned Cody’s stomach.

  He had never seen such a horrific sight. It looked like every part of Frendel had been on fire. His clothes had burnt away in places and in others burnt into his skin. Part of his flesh was charred so badly it had already gone hard. Wounds oozed blood so he looked like a black figure with stripes of red. His hair was completely gone and his scalp was a mixture of pink and brown flesh.

  The worst part was the smell. He had heard of fire victims smelling of cooked meat but had never experienced anything like it before. It horrified him but worse, appealed to him at the same time. He could only stare at the sight.

  Frendel stopped screaming enough to look at Cody and the prince.

  “Get out of the city, you fools. Don’t make it all for nothing,” he said through gritted teeth. Cody marvelled at how he could even possibly be alive.

  “Go,” Frendel bellowed at them.

  Cody hesitated, it did not feel right to just leave him. He looked at the prince and it was clear from the uncertainty in his eyes he was thinking the same. He noticed a patrol of city guards descend upon the street.

  “I’ll take care of him.” It was the mother that had spoken; she was standing behind them but was transfixed on Frendel. “I owe him my daughter’s life.”

  “We are wanted men,” Cody said uncertainly. The guards had blocked off the end of the street and were now marching forwards, shepherding everyone toward the middle. At the other end of the road, more guards appeared. This was their last chance to escape.

  “I know exactly who you are,” the woman said. “Now go before they usher us all into the fire.”

  Cody looked at Frendel who appeared to be unconscious. There was nothing they could do for the dying hero now. He would have to hope the woman would look after him. Cody nodded his thanks to the woman before fleeing with the prince.

  * * *

  As Jefferson descended the stairs into the Pit, Delmut was waiting for him. The keeper of the Pit looked nervous, his hideous tattoos doing little to disguise the fear on his face.

  “We have a big problem,” he said as Jefferson approached him.

  Jefferson hated everything about the man. The painted face was meant to inspire fear in people, but it merely evoked disgust in him. People that hid behind a mask were cowards in his eyes. The man’s twisted, yellow stained teeth offended him. Even his voice, a sickly sanguine tone that complimented his foul breath was abhorrent to him.

  Yet there was no denying the man was useful. He had never known another man who took so much pleasure from torturing others. The fires he had set throughout the city were also proving to be extremely effective, weakening the city’s defences even more so than the damage inflicted by the Gloom. Still, despite his uses, Delmut’s statement irritated him.

  “Let me guess, not only did you not kill Althalos, you have now let him escape and have no idea where he is?” Before Delmut could answer, Jefferson struck him with the back of his hand. The keeper of the Pit reeled at the blow and then smiled, tasting the blood that flowed from his split lip.

  “The trouble with you is that you do not see the bigger picture. You wallow down here in this stinking prison, dishing out punishments and following orders like a dog and therefore fail to see the overall scheme of things.”

  Jefferson walked past Delmut towards the prison cells, listening to make sure Delmut followed. He reached the door which was protected by the same guard he had encountered before. The guard bristled as he approached, his nose now bandaged. This time he opened the door without any questions. As Jefferson walked through, the guard spoke.

  “Good evening, sir, thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson—” he began.

&n
bsp; Jefferson punched him in the throat causing him to sink to the floor. His hands clasped his neck as he wheezed. He looked at Jefferson in disbelief.

  “Lesson number two, just because I break your nose, doesn’t mean you can now talk to me. Learn your place in this world,” he said.

  Delmut stepped over the guard without even looking down, a huge grin on his face. It appears he cares even less for his staff than he does his prisoners.

  Jefferson carried on walking. He passed the prison cells without even glancing at the prisoners. He stopped at the end of the corridor where there was a table and a solitary chair. On the table was a cup and a flask of wine. How can he survive down here each day? Jefferson sat at the chair and lifted his feet onto the table. He poured himself some of the wine and spat it out after the first sip.

  “How can you drink this putrid shit?” he asked. Delmut smiled, picking up the discarded cup and drank deeply.

  “I have to be content with what I am given,” he smiled, revealing hideous teeth. Jefferson shuddered before continuing.

  “Althalos escaping is no longer a problem. Marybeth’s failure to attend with the other stoneholders was an unexpected bonus.” Unexpected indeed! “The Ritual failing was the main aim. We had to demonstrate that Jacquard, like his father, is not fit to rule Frindoth. The people will now see this and look to a new leader. One that can lead them with strong authority, Lord Vashna,” he said.

  He looked at Delmut who stared off down the corridor. The painted man looked decidedly bored. Jefferson realised that the despicable man had probably heard this sermon a thousand times. Well, the worthless dog can hear it a thousand more if I deem it so.

  “How will Vashna be able to stop the Gloom?” Delmut said.

  “Because once all the other stoneholders have been caught and sacrificed, the only way to appease the Gloom is imprisoned in the lower cells and I will make sure Vashna gets the credit,” he said.

  Delmut shifted uncomfortably.

  “As I tried to tell you earlier. We have a problem,” he said.