Dark Quest

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “If John is not dead, you can count on us getting him out,” Alex said as he disappeared through the Door.

  The Plaza was tight with three hundred Rangers in it. Mitar came back in from a trip to the inner chamber doors. “They have a roving patrol around the inner chamber. Four pair of guards, timed to each be at one of the doors at the same time. We will have sixty clicks to remove a pair before the next pair arrives. I had time to verify only that the door to the inner chamber is locked. We will have to unlock it after we remove the guards.”

  “Okay,” said Alex, “we don’t know what we will be facing once we get into the inner chamber. John estimated forty guards, but we have no idea where they will be. I want everyone to move cautiously. I don’t want to bring any of you home in a bag. First team, move out. The rest of you stay here until you’re signaled.”

  Alex and his nine commandos silently left the plaza. They took up positions outside the side door to the inner chamber. When the two guards rounded the corner, two Lanoirian Stars flew across the open area and impacted into the skulls of the Sordoans. Two Rangers raced across the open space and caught the bodies as they fell. They hoisted the bodies over their shoulders and took off for the hidden plaza. A minute later the procedure was repeated. When the eight patrolling soldiers were removed, Mitar went to work on the door to the inner chamber. It took him two minutes to negotiate the lock.

  Mitar eased the door open and peered inside. The side door opened into a small corridor that went left and right with another door straight ahead. Mitar opened the door fully and the Rangers slipped inside. Alex touched the last man and stopped him.

  “Back to the plaza,” Alex instructed. “I want sixteen men to join us. The rest are to find positions where they can observe the four doors into the inner chamber, but remain out of sight. If an alarm is raised, the Sordoans are going to try and storm the inner chamber. Make sure that they never do.”

  The selected soldier silently stole away and delivered his message. Alex waited for the sixteen men to join him before he locked the door and moved out. Alex planned on four men manning the inside of each of the four doors to the inner chamber with ten more going for the Sultan. The rest of the three hundred would be positioned to attack from the rear any group that tried to force its way in. The corridor they had entered went around three sides of the inner chamber. The fourth door, or front door, to the inner chamber opened directly into a large room that was used for greeting visitors.

  The Rangers split up into the search team and the door teams. The search team, which included Alex and Mitar, started a room-by-room search for the Sultan. Most of the rooms were bedrooms and were empty. The largest room housed the Sultan’s harem and was avoided after peering through the door.

  Alex finally found the Sultan in his study conversing with the Sordoan Ambassador to Targa. Alex was concerned that they had not found the forty guards John Secor had alluded to. He quietly closed the door to the Sultan’s study and continued the room search. Evidently, the inner guards relied on the roving patrols outside the inner chamber to warn them of trouble. The guardroom was finally located next to the front of the greeting room. Alex posted four men outside the room with jars of Fire Glue. The instant the door was opened the jars would be thrown through the door. Alex hoped the door was never opened. He had come specifically to seize the Sultan and the less Sordoan soldiers he was forced to kill, the better. Alex and the remaining Rangers crept back to the Sultan’s study. They opened the door and walked in.

  The Sultan looked up in surprise and Mitar spoke in Sordoan. “Please do not issue any alarm. We do not wish to hurt more of your men than necessary. We have the entire inner chamber under our control and three hundred men on the grounds. We are prepared to kill all of your men, but we have no complaints with soldiers who are only doing your bidding. We have come to seek a peaceful solution to the war.”

  The Sordoan Ambassador shouted and pulled on a rope issuing an alarm. Incensed, Mitar flicked a Lanoirian Star into the back of the man’s neck. Outside the door, Alex could hear the explosions of the jars of Fire Glue. “Is there any way that you can cancel the alarm, Your Highness? I really don’t want to kill six hundred men today.”

  The Sultan looked amused. “Do you really think that you can waltz into my chambers and be allowed to live to tell about it? You have about thirty seconds to live, Targan.”

  Alex pulled his sword and in two strides placed it under the Sultan’s neck. “Then, perhaps, I should kill you quickly.”

  The Sultan turned white, his beady eyes flicking to the door to his study. The moments dragged on and the Sultan began to perspire heavily. Long minutes later, the study door started to open and the Sultan began to smile. His smile turned into a wide, open-mouthed gasp when four more Targans entered the room. Alex turned to the new arrivals. “Now secure the harem. I want no problems from any guards in there.” The four men turned and left.

  “You really love your loyal men well, don’t you?” spat Alex. “How many more of your men must die before you realize your foolishness?”

  The Sultan was quivering. “Spare my life and I will see that you go free. I know you lied about the number of men you brought.”

  “I never lie,” stated Alex. “And until now, I have never wished you dead. Your callousness towards your men causes me to rethink my position.” Alex put pressure on his sword until a trickle of blood began to drip down the Sultan’s throat.

  The Sultan refused to call his men off and Alex removed his sword from the Sultan’s throat. Mitar looked at the expression of despair on Alex’s face. “The swine will do the same with those isolated in Melbin and Southland. He will let those thousands of men die rather than back down to Targans.”

  The door opened again and another Ranger entered. He faced Alex and reported. “The outside guard attacked, Sir. Two of our men have been wounded. Fifty of their men have surrendered. The Palace is ours.”

  “Thank you, Corporal. Find the highest ranking Sordoan and bring him here.”

  “Mitar, we need some way to get those troops to return to Sordoa. If this pig will not order their return, what can we do?”

  “May I handle things from here, Captain?” asked Mitar.

  “You are the one who used to live here, Lieutenant. As such, it is more your country than mine. Proceed, I need to get some fresh air.”

  After Alex walked out, the Sultan rose. “You traitor! You are Sordoan and you serve these vile Targans!”

  Mitar reached over and backhanded the Sultan, sending him sprawling to the floor. “Yes, my parents were Sordoan,” spat Mitar, “until they were killed by your thugs because they could afford no more taxes. You think you are ordained by the gods to rule. You are wrong.”

  The door opened and Alex escorted a Sordoan Lieutenant into the room. “I’m afraid he does not speak Targan,” Alex stated.

  Mitar turned to the Sordoan Lieutenant. “Lieutenant, I am sorry for the unnecessary deaths of your men. We came to convince the Sultan to withdraw his men from Targa. It appears that he would rather have them die than retreat. Can you help?”

  The Sultan stood and shouted at the Lieutenant. “How dare you surrender to these invaders! Your family will hang from the street posts that line my roads. I insist that you kill these infidels immediately.”

  The Lieutenant turned to Mitar. “If I can get the Sordoan troops to retreat, what will Targa do to Sordoa as a result?”

  “Targa wishes nothing from Sordoa, but a peaceful neighbor,” stated Mitar.

  The Sordoan Lieutenant reached for Mitar’s sword and the Rangers immediately reacted by pulling their own swords. He gazed into Mitar’s eyes pleadingly and smiled. Mitar pulled his sword and handed it to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant held the sword to his face and kissed it. He nodded to Mitar and with a vicious backhand swung the sword and decapitated the Sultan. “I will personally take his head to Melbin and order the troops withdrawn.” He handed the sword back to Mitar.

  Mitar took
the sword and nodded. “It is unfortunate that he did not have two heads, for you will have to journey to Southland, as well. We have a prisoner here named John Secor. If you can arrange for him to be delivered to us, we will depart your country.”

  The Sordoan Lieutenant saluted and indicated that he would return shortly. Alex spoke to Mitar. “Was that necessary?”

  “It was, Alex. The Sultan cared for little but himself. It is my hope that this Lieutenant will create a better country for Sordoans.”

  Alex nodded and sent one of the men to signal the Princess Lidia.

  The Sordoan Lieutenant returned with John Secor. John looked around the room and appeared to be ill. Alex had one of his men escort John to the Door so he might return to Targa. Mitar found out the Sordoan Lieutenant’s name was Ali Kasim. He wished the Lieutenant well and had the surviving members of the Palace guard turned over to him. Alex went through the Door and reported to King Byron. The King was pleased with the events and ordered the Rangers to return. Alex went back to Trekum and ordered his men to the docks. They took the Door with them and boarded the Princess Lidia.

  The men spent the day resting and Alex reopened the Door that evening and the Rangers filed through to Tagaret. The ship would deliver the Door back to the Targan capital.

  Chapter 16

  Bottomless Well

  Dalgar and Aurora were sitting on the damp floor of the castle’s Great Room reading when Mordac stormed in, dripping wet from the torrential rain.

  “Dalgar!” the dark Master shouted. “Where is the shipment from Miram that you promised?”

  Dalgar looked up with a smile upon his lips. “Master, that shipment will never arrive. It was a trap. All of our men were dead and buried, including Lugo.”

  Mordac’s dark eyes hazed over, rainwater still cascading down his face. “Are you telling me that we abandoned Tagaret on your word that we had the Book of the Beginning and now you say it was a hoax? Wipe that smile off your face.”

  Dalgar stood and hid his enthusiasm. “Yes, Master. It would appear some magician utilized his own Reflecting Pool spell to portray Lugo. Of course, that meant they already knew who you were and what you were looking for. They must be well informed. Perhaps we have a spy among us.”

  Mordac removed his soaked cape and threw it on the floor. Instantly a pool began to form around it and spread towards the piles of books. Aurora quickly rose and picked up the cape. Stepping over to the entrance, she nudged the door open and wrung the cape out. Mordac glared at Dalgar and speculated. “Perhaps we have more than one spy among us. Maybe there was no magician who portrayed Lugo. You should remember, Dalgar, who raised you to your station in life. I don’t accept failure. One more mistake out of the two of you and I’ll have you replaced. I had the whole nation of Targa in my grasp and now -- nothing!”

  Dalgar stepped back, an expression of shock on his face. “But, Master, Sarac cares not for the politics of nations. When he returns he will rule all nations. You have told us this, yourself.” Aurora started to speak and Dalgar slyly kicked her.

  Mordac grabbed his cape from Aurora’s hand. “I am beginning to believe that the Book of the Beginning does not even exist. That witch, Jenneva, probably fed Sarac that line just to distract him from something else. We have looted over half the temples on the continent and have not found even a reference to that damn book.”

  Aurora bent over and reached for the book they had been reading when Mordac came in. Dalgar stepped on her hand and she screamed. Dalgar jumped back and apologized. “I’m sorry, Aurora. I didn’t see you down there. Please don’t speak, I’ll look at it.”

  Disgusted with the weather, his Black Devils, and getting kicked out of the capital, Mordac turned and stormed up the stairs. Aurora held her hand and flexed her fingers to make sure they still functioned properly. “What did you do that for? You could have broken a bone.”

  Dalgar tried to comfort her, but Aurora pushed him away. “And why didn’t you tell him?” she demanded.

  Dalgar smirked as he bent down and picked up the Book of the Beginning. “You can’t be serious. Didn’t you hear the way he treated us? We’ve done all the work at getting him on the Throne in the first place and now he blames us for his losing it. We organized the book thefts and found the Book of the Beginning and he threatens to get rid of us. I don’t think he even plans to bring Sarac back. I think he wants it all for himself. Well, I have no intention of giving him the Book of the Beginning until we’ve memorized the information we need to return the God of Magic to this world. After that he can have it.”

  Aurora had calmed down and the throbbing in her hand started to fade. “Maybe you’re right, Dalgar. If I hadn’t been able to wrap Duke Nelson around my little finger, Mordac would never have been King. Okay, it can’t take us more than a couple of days to memorize or copy what we need and then we’ll give the Book of the Beginning to Mordac. By the time Mordac figures out what to do with the book, we’ll already have Sarac back.”

  Dalgar put his arm around Aurora. “I don’t know if it will be quite that easy, but we’ll be way ahead of him. Come on, let’s go to our room and read.”

  The Council of Advisors was in session discussing the end of the war with Sordoa. The military leaders were present as well as the Royal family, Jenneva, and Egam.

  Colonel Gregor was speaking. “As he promised, Ali Kasim got the Sordoans to return home. Repairs have already started on the fort at Melbin. There wasn’t any damage to speak of at Southland and the town is being reoccupied. I wonder what Ali Kasim is going to do with the country?”

  “Well,” King Byron said, “whatever he does, I hope it is a more stable neighbor than the Sordoa we just fought. I assume that it is safe to return our men to their proper garrisons, General?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” General Clark answered. “Of course, we will need to siphon off men for the Melbin garrison. I would suggest that we accept more men into the Army to make up for our loses.”

  “Agreed,” said the King. “Oscar, you seem to have a wonderful time spending money; see to the restoration of our naval fleet. Get together with Admiral Hill and decide what vessels we wish to possess in our new Navy and order them built. Admiral, you are going to have your hands full recruiting and training the new Navy. This time we will have a naval presence in both seas and a canal to connect the two. Now, what of Mordac and his henchmen?”

  “We have narrowed down his location,” began Jenneva, “but they do not appear to be using any magic, so we can’t detect their exact location. Egam and I spent days in the area of Tor, where we believe they are based, trying to detect their Vibrations, but we found nothing.”

  Lord Habas entered the room and added, “I heard mention of a castle while I was being held. Nothing more, I’m afraid, but it might be worth checking out anyway.”

  “Very well,” responded King Byron, “Alex, can your Rangers ferret out these rascals?”

  “They can, Your Highness,” declared Alex. “If they are anywhere in the Tor vicinity, my men will locate them and destroy them.”

  “Alex,” Egam interrupted, “do not be foolish. These men have magical powers. While all of them are not Masters, there are powerful mages among them. Jenneva and I must accompany you on your hunt.”

  Alex smiled. “It would give me great pleasure to have you two along. You are always more than welcome on my little forays.”

  “Actually,” Jenneva added, “Egam and I will meet you around Tor. I’m not sure that Egam is prepared for a long horse journey and our time will be better spent in research.”

  When the meeting was over, Colonel Gregor went to the Sword and Shield. Larc soon joined him in his room.

  “Good evening, Colonel,” greeted Larc.

  “Evening, Larc. What have you got on the temple robberies?”

  “Nothing, Colonel. They seemed to have stopped all over the continent. I assume that once they thought they had the Book of the Beginning, the troops were called home.”

 
“Possibly, Larc, but they should have been sent out again after Mordac realized that they didn’t really have it.”

  “Maybe one of their other shipments had the real book,” offered Larc. “We did get identifications on Mordac’s two aides. The man with the long, black hair is named Dalgar. He’s Sordoan from the town of Dubar. Neighbors of his family said he was a bright lad who had gone off to Targa to study seven years ago and has not been back since. He appears to be one of the leaders of the Black Devils, or at least he acts as if he is. The woman with the auburn hair is called Aurora. Not an awful lot on her, except she seems to be pretty close to Dalgar and Mordac. She’s Cordonian and from the town of Paso. She was last seen there just before the temple robbery. Her family no longer lives in the town and nobody is sure where they went.”

  “What about the location of the Black Devils?” asked Colonel Gregor.

  “Around Tor is the best that we have been able to do. I’ve had a couple of men searching the area for some time. One of them has not reported in and I assume that he has been eliminated. I should think there would be a lot of traffic heading that way, now that the robberies have stopped. I’ll get another team into the Tor area.”

  “Good idea, Larc. Anything on Ali Kasim?”

  “Not a very high profile man. He is well respected in the army, but virtually unknown in the political arena. My best guess is that he will try to lead the country himself or form a military leadership of some type. None of the Sultan’s heirs are strong enough to oppose the army. Kasim is known as a good soldier, but I’ve heard doubts about his abilities to hang on to the leadership position. We’re well situated to keep tabs on him and I’ll keep you informed.”

  “Well, I hope Alex can find them soon. I don’t want to think of Mordac and his followers coming up with another plan.”

  Egam and Jenneva sat under a tree in the Koman Oasis, shading themselves from the searing heat of the Great Sordoan Desert.