Fantasy Kingdom XXI

by Lisa Anne Nisula

  Sir Amertious led them around the wall. As they got closer, the five guards moved in, surrounding Charles and Phichorian. Charles assumed it was to protect the two weakest members of the party.

  The group approached a plain wooden door, apparently unguarded, and dismounted.

  “All right,” Sir Amertious whispered. “Bobble said we all have to be touching it.”

  “With or without gauntlets?”

  “I didn’t ask that. Better safe than sorry.”

  There was a scraping sound as six knights each pulled off a gauntlet. The instant Charles’s feet touched the ground, they all pushed in around him, each grabbing a handful of sweater. Phichorian was knocked aside in the confusion and Charles took a sword pommel to the shoulder.

  “Hey, ease up! Let him breathe.” Charles felt Phichorian’s hand on his shoulder and relaxed. “And not too fast, some of us have short legs.”

  The mob slowed down and Phichorian managed to push through and walk alongside Charles.

  It took two knights to lift the latch and open the small door, since each could only use one hand. The opening was narrow and the knights had to spread themselves out, as close to single file as they could. Charles’s sweater was stretched out in front and behind him as the knights pulled him along towards the door.

  “Hold out your arms,” Phichorian suggested. “Let them grab the sleeves. It will let them spread out more.”

  Charles stretched his arms out to the sides. The knights rearranged themselves, two grabbing his cuffs and two his elbows, leaving only Amertious and Phichorian at his torso. It did make it easier for the knights, although Charles still had to sidle along with Phichorian and Sir Amertious pressed against him to make it through.

  When all the knights were in the inner courtyard, Sir Amertious called a halt. Six hands dropped from Charles as six swords were drawn, and there was silence for several breaths.

  “I think we’ve avoided discovery,” Sir Amertious murmured. “Good; Bobble wasn’t a complete fool.”

  Charles wanted to defend Bobble, but Phichorian shook his head. Charles couldn’t tell if Phichorian knew what he’d been thinking or not, but he decided speaking up wouldn’t help anything anyway.

  Sir Amertious was still giving orders. “You two will stay here. We will go in and rescue the princess.” He turned to the guards and nodded. They fell into position behind him. “Forward!”

  The five guards saluted and followed their leader.

  Phichorian saluted the retreating forms. “I guess there’s nothing for us to do but wait.” He settled down on a bit of fallen pillar. “Pull up a ruin and make yourself comfortable.”

  Charles sat on a broken statue base.

  “Any questions I can answer while we wait?”

  Charles didn’t feel much like asking questions. He didn’t feel like thinking about anything but home. But Phichorian’s eyes kept darting towards the stone fortress. Charles thought Phichorian could use a distraction from his thoughts. “What was this place?”

  “It started as a university, then it was fortified and used for storing records, until Necorious’s army took it over.”

  “Did they do all of this?” Charles nodded towards the broken stones.

  Phichorian nodded. “Pretty much. Some of it is just age, but they did help it along.” Phichorian looked around again, but this time he was actually seeing the stones.

  That had worked well enough, so Charles tried another question. “What'll happen to Bobble?” As he said it, he realized he really was worried about the little guy.

  Phichorian sighed. “I suppose it depends on exactly what went wrong. He was almost at the next level; that certainly won’t happen.”

  “Next level?”

  “A promotion within his guild. More prestige, more complex projects, more freedom. The main spell, the entering spell, seems to be working fine, so if he was careless and lost the sweater, that would be worse than a locator spell gone wrong. I suppose the rebels could have stolen it too. That’s always possible, if they knew about it. Then it would be a security breach, I’m not sure where that falls on the spectrum. At best it will just be a temporary demotion, some time on probation. The guild is not unreasonable; if he didn’t do anything too incompetent, he’ll be fine.”

  Charles nodded, but he wondered if they could tell whose fault the incompetence was.

  Phichorian was watching him now. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you know. It’s not your fault the sweater got misplaced. Whatever Bobble did, you were dragged into it after the fact.”

  “I guess,” Charles murmured.

  Phichorian looked ready to go on, but there was a crashing of armor and they both fell silent, hoping that the noise was coming from people on their side. Then the group turned the corner and Charles could see the knights returning. “That was fast,” he said more to himself than Phichorian.

  “Too fast,” Phichorian replied. “Look, they don’t have Melissina.” He stood as he spoke. Charles jumped to his feet too.

  “There was a problem?” Phichorian asked, trying to keep his voice light, even though his knuckles were white and his hands were shaking.

  “Yes.” Sir Amertious was not one to beat around the bush. “Another door with a ward on it.”

  “Oh, that’s not so bad.” Phichorian turned to Charles. “Are you up to it?”

  “I guess so.”

  Sir Amertious looked at them for a moment, then knelt down and slid his hands along the sides of his boots. When he straightened up, he was holding two thin daggers in worn leather sheaths. He pulled the blades half out and inspected them, then slid them back in and held them out to Phichorian and Charles.

  Charles raised his hand to take one, until he saw Phichorian made no move to take the other.

  Sir Amertious pushed the worn leather handle of one knife into Charles’s hand. He held the other one out to Phichorian. “You have to take it. You’ll be closer to the fighting. You’ll need defense.”

  Phichorian looked ready to protest, but Sir Amertious kept holding out the dagger until Phichorian turned his palm up and let Sir Amertious put the dagger in his hand.

  “If you want to be in on the fight, you have to fight,” Sir Amertious said.

  “If you say so,” Phichorian muttered and stuck the blade through his belt. Charles copied him.

  Sir Amertious led them to the second stone wall. There was another door, just as small and flimsy looking as the first.

  “How do you know which doors are enchanted?” Charles asked. He looked at Phichorian as he said it, but it was Sir Amertious who answered.

  “They are small and seemingly unprotected. Surely you’ve noticed.”

  “I had,” Charles bristled a little. “I thought there might be more to it.” He turned to Phichorian. “Why make them so weak looking? Aren’t they asking for trouble?”

  “He probably planned to use them as a trap, an easy way to catch his enemies. Necorious didn’t know that we knew about the spells he uses. He still might not. It must have been a great bit of espionage which enabled Bobble to make the sweater.”

  “Espionage by the Order of Rooksguard, no doubt,” Sir Amertious added.

  Phichorian ignored him. “It’s such a small thing; it will be very hard for Necorious to figure out how we got in.”

  * * *

  This time they had the system worked out and organized themselves around Charles’s outstretched arms in a few seconds. Sidling through the door was still a tricky maneuver, but once through, they were in a second courtyard, this one more run down, broken up, and overgrown, with lower walls that looked older than the outer walls, and more ornamentation and broken statues. The forest was starting to take over around the edges.

  The guards fell into formation behind Sir Amertious. Sir Amertious turned to Charles and Phichorian. “It is safe enough here. It’s best if you stay here until we return. It is possible we will encounter large numbers of guards and we have to be focused on our mission, not on...�
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  Sir Amertious blustered on as if he was addressing a wayward troop of new recruits. When he had finished, Phichorian said, “I have no desire to fight. You know that. Good luck on your mission.”

  Sir Amertious didn’t seem to know how to respond. Instead he turned to his men and began giving orders.

  Phichorian sat on a flat piece of ruin. Charles watched Sir Amertious lead the guards around the corner and into the main part of the complex. When he was pretty certain they weren’t coming back, he sat down beside Phichorian and waited.

  It was very quiet in the courtyard. Even though there were lots of trees, there were no birds, not even a breeze to rustle the leaves, just the sound of his own breathing and the occasional sound of Phichorian fidgeting.

  Charles smelled it first. Burning. But he couldn’t tell what. Then he heard the crash of metal on metal and the screams of men. And then he saw it; the smoke and flames dancing up from the center of the compound.

  Phichorian stood up. “Let’s have a look.” He climbed onto a stone foot to see over the edge of the wall.

  Charles climbed up after him. He didn’t want to be left alone this close to danger.

  Phichorian was looking thoughtful as he studied the battle taking place in the main yard. “So much for secrecy.”

  Charles squinted at the fire. It seemed to be a bonfire made of old furniture and books and papers, presumably the remains of the library. “Did our side start the fire?”

  Phichorian shook his head. “Even Sir Amertious would not be barbaric enough to allow books that old to be burned in battle. It was Necorious’s troops. Sir Amertious seem to have run directly into their forces, so they lit a bonfire to help them see the fight. They know they outnumber us, so they don’t need the cover of darkness. I would have snuck around in the shadows.” He turned to Charles. “Are you up for a bit of adventure?”

  Chapter 4

  Charles wanted to say “definitely not, no adventures!” but the words got stuck somewhere and all he could get out was “What?”

  Phichorian went on with his planning. “I know what Melissina will do. If she sees this, she’ll know the rescuers will be in the battle, so she’ll try to get there too, but not so close that she could get caught in the fighting.”

  It seemed logical to Charles, but he didn’t see what that had to do with them.

  “All of the knights are involved in the battle.”

  Now Charles could see where this was going, and he didn’t like it. “They told us to stay here.”

  “Just half way around. I know she’ll be there.” For the first time Phichorian was completely serious.

  “How do you know she’s able to get there?”

  “If she was fully under their power, their threats would have been more direct. We haven’t gotten any locks of hair or severed fingers, so even though they have her trapped in here with that door, she can fight back.”

  Charles could feel his resolve being shaken. “Which half?”

  “You go one way, I’ll go the other.”

  It would have been bad enough with Phichorian, but skirting the battle on his own... “No, that’s crazy. I can’t fight.”

  “Neither can I, not really. But that’s the beauty of the plan. She won’t be near enough to the fighting to be seen, so we have to be that far away too. No fighting.” Phichorian climbed down from the wall. “I know you didn’t want this Charles, but you’re here now and if you could help, you could do a lot of good. If you don’t want to, I’ll understand, and I’ll stay right here with you, just like Sir Amertious said we should.”

  Charles wanted to stay in the relative safety of the smaller yard almost as much as he wanted to side with Phichorian over Sir Amertious. “All right, but no fighting.”

  “No fighting.”

  Charles followed Phichorian around the end of the wall. Phichorian whispered, “Which way?”

  “I’ll take right, I guess.”

  “Then I’ll go left. Stay inside the tree line; we’ll meet up by that stone tower and come back here together. Straight back, I promise, through the trees.”

  Charles watched Phichorian slink into the trees, noting where he entered, then picked a similar spot on the right. He looked towards the fight and moved deeper into the trees until he could barely see the skirmishes on the edges. He figured if he couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see him either. Then he concentrated on making it around to the meeting place. If Princess Melissina was there, she’d have to find him. He didn’t even know what she looked like, but everyone seemed to recognize his sweater.

  That was actually a logical plan. Charles was quite proud of himself. He wasn’t so bad at this questing.

  As Charles was congratulating himself, there was a rustling of leaves. Before he even thought of reacting, the branches of the nearest tree snapped down and someone landed on the path in front of him. Charles stumbled back. He fumbled for a weapon, finally snatching up a stick from a bush. The stick snapped as he held it, leaving little more than a twig. But it was still better than nothing. He held it out in front of him like a sword.

  “Isn’t that a sword in your belt?”

  Charles squinted into the shadows. The figure stepped forward, which helped him realize that it was a young woman in a leather tunic and leggings with light blonde hair pulled back and mostly hidden under a burlap hood.

  “Actually, it’s a knife. You’re the princess, aren’t you?”

  She smiled. “Yes, and you have Bobble’s sweater, don’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  The fire flared up, sending sparks into the air and illuminating the fighting.

  Princess Melissina became serious. “Are you here with Sir Amertious? Did he send you?”

  Charles wasn’t sure how to answer. As he was thinking, there was a crash and a tree limb fell, giving them a clear view of the battle, and the combatants a clear view of them.

  “Come on.” Princess Melissina grabbed his arm and pulled him further into the trees.

  Charles pulled back. “This way, towards the tower. Phichorian’s waiting for us there.”

  Princess Melissina started to run. “Phichorian? He came?”

  Charles nodded. “To keep me out of trouble. Sir Amertious is out there, in the fighting I think.”

  “He would take the direct route.” She seemed more amused than annoyed.

  Charles fingered the hilt of the knife. As Princess Melissina slowed to get her breath and check they were on course, he pulled out the knife and held it out to her, hilt first as he’d seen it done in Fantasy Kingdom. “Do you want this?”

  Princess Melissina looked up. “Do you know how to use a knife?”

  “Only to eat with.”

  “Then I’d better.” She took the knife and stuck it through her belt. “If we find a dangerous loaf of bread, I’ll return it.”

  Charles grinned. “I might even be able to handle a cheese monster.”

  Then they were running too fast to speak, or even to think. The battle was too loud and confused to let anyone hear them as they crashed through. Whenever the battle was close enough to be seen, Princess Melissina veered further into the trees.

  The tower was in sight when Charles heard, “Melissina! You’re all right!” Phichorian ran forward and grabbed her hands, then dropped them just as quickly.

  Princess Melissina pretended she hadn’t noticed. “Yes, Bobble found us a good hero.”

  “Not that I did much,” Charles murmured. He could feel his face burning.

  Princess Melissina grinned but let it drop. “How do we get out of here?”

  “All the way back around.” Phichorian smiled. “Not the most convenient, but I did promise Charles no fighting.”

  Charles noticed the way Phichorian had avoided saying that Charles had been afraid and appreciated that.

  Phichorian went to the edge of the trees and looked through. “It looks like the fighting is heavier the way you came, I’m sorry about that Charles.”

 
Princess Melissina nodded. “Then we’ll go back your way.”

  It was easier going back, with fewer crashes from the battle and fewer detours. They arrived at the entrance before any of the guards. Phichorian used his sleeve to dust off a fallen arm and offered the spot to Princess Melissina. Charles sat on another statue base. Phichorian paced around, waiting.

  “Should we let the guards know we found you?” Phichorian asked.

  Princess Melissina shook her head. “Not yet. We’re safe enough here and they might see something useful in there.”

  Charles leaned against the wall and watched Phichorian and Princess Melissina fall into silence. As he watched the doorway the guards had left through, he wondered how they would get Princess Melissina out. If Bobble was right, the sweater had barely protected them.

  There was a crash of armor and the guards ran in, Sir Amertious bringing up the rear. Charles, Princess Melissina and Phichorian watched them run across the lawn, towards the stone arch. When they didn’t speak or stop, Phichorian called out, “Are we retreating?”

  Sir Amertious didn’t break his stride. “Yes, it would take an army to free her. Get that sweater over here.”

  “And Charles?”

  “What? Oh the boy. Yes, bring him.”

  “And me?”

  At the sound of the princess’s voice, Sir Amertious froze. “How?”

  “Charles and Phichorian. Were we getting out of here?”

  “Yes, yes.” Sir Amertious fumbled, then turned to Charles. “Come on, boy. Get us out of here.”

  Charles went to the entrance and held out his arms. As everyone jostled for position around him, Charles realized he had to ask, “Can we all fit through? Bobble said...”

  Sir Amertious cut him off. “Of course we can.”

  Princess Melissina rested a hand on Sir Amertious’s arm, silencing him. “What did Bobble say?”

  “That the sweater could protect seven armed men and Phichorian and I counted as one.”

  Princess Melissina looked over the company, counting silently. “So kind of you all to be so sure of my rescue. Oh I don’t mean you, Phichorian, stop looking so glum. We’ll just have to make two trips, that’s all. Phichorian, you go through with three men, then bring Charles back for the rest of us. Quite a simple matter really; you could have brought an army through if it was needed, Amertious.”