The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series)
Page 9
“Attention!” a man shouted from the platform. He stood tall with iron gray hair, dark eyes and a pointed jaw. A grim expression was painted on his face. He slammed his fist on the table, shaking it violently. “I said I want your attention! We’ve been arguing all night and now it is daylight. I demand a vote at once! It is useless to carry on like this.”
A goblin’s voice shot up from the crowd. “Easy for you to say, Belthasar!” he exclaimed. He was short and plump with bulging eyes and yellowish skin. Several of his wide flat teeth were missing. “You’re Malaban’s chief guard, and most of the soldiers here are men. It’s plain to see that you’ll be voted to lead us. That’s unfair! I say we should have three leaders–a goblin, a troll and a man!”
An eruption of shouting and pounding mugs shook the chamber. The trolls and goblins hooted their support for the idea. The men, especially Belthasar, were hardly enthused. Some tried to hide their fright behind stony faces.
Belthasar tried to calm the raging mob. “Since I was Malaban’s chief guard, I am the best choice for your leader! I am the greatest among you! Why are you against me?”
Such arrogant talk proved to be more than the others could stand. Even the few trolls and goblins on the platform started to join in the chorus of protests. Every troll and goblin in the chamber jumped out of his seat and rushed to gather around the main table, demanding to be treated fairly. Their chanting was so loud that Christopher blocked his ears to keep them from hurting.
Belthasar was flustered. Sweat beaded up on his brow. He whispered to one of his nearby aides. “What can I do? They are on the verge of rioting. Curses on Malaban for bringing mountain creatures into this castle!”
The fearful aide quivered. “You–you haven’t much choice, Belthasar,” he said over the din. “Think of something to appease them quickly or you won’t be alive to get a second chance. Nor will I!”
Belthasar considered the warning as the shouting escalated and the trolls and goblins closed in around him with anger in their fiery eyes and hot breath. He resigned himself to the fact that he could never be solely in charge of the castle under these circumstances. So gathering his frazzled nerves and putting aside his pride, Belthasar called once again for silence. “I have an announcement!” he bellowed out, though he had to repeat this five or six times before the boiling mob settled down.
“What do you want, Belthasar?” a scowling troll shouted back, his red eyes filled with hate. “You better have something new to say because we’ve had it with your speeches!” The trolls and goblins raged again with delight, stomping their feet and shaking the room like an earthquake.
“Silence!” Belthasar’s heart pounded until the room quieted, and then he paused for what seemed an eternity before making his announcement. “I have decided to appoint Arga the troll and Crull the goblin as chief guards over their own armies.” Belthasar pointed to the troll and goblin sitting at the main table behind him. “Now there will be three leaders in the castle, though I will remain general overseer of the kingdom since I was Malaban’s second-in-command. Are there any objections to this plan?” he said. Belthasar waited fearfully for a reply, certain that his offer would be rejected.
Arga and Crull stood, and after whispering between themselves for a few moments, they nodded their heads slightly.
“I accept your offer on behalf of the trolls,” Arga replied.
“I do the same for the goblins,” added Crull.
At once the soldiers erupted in cheers and celebration. Belthasar sat back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. He had escaped disaster. After the crowd finally calmed down, Belthasar stood again to address them.“Now that Arga will command the trolls and Crull will be in charge of the goblins, I hope we’ll all be able to work together. As you know, we have a monumental task before us.” Belthasar paused, enjoying the curious looks from the audience. “Yes indeed. Now that we are united, I will finally reveal to you the details of my Great Plan!”
There were again shouts and cheers of approval since most had an inkling of what Belthasar’s Great Plan involved. The soldiers hurried back to their seats, waiting impatiently for the exciting news. Christopher, Artemas and Mr. Smithers, glued to their places high up in the balcony, were equally curious as to what Belthasar had in mind, certain it would be evil to the core.
But before Belthasar uttered a word about his Great Plan, a small band of guards burst into the room, their leader rushing up to speak with Belthasar. “We have a gift for you!” he shouted, signaling for his soldiers to step forward. They did so, escorting four individuals right up to the platform where Belthasar and his officers could inspect them.“And who have we here?” Belthasar asked.
“Prisoners!” the guard shouted. “Four intruders who were not clever enough to escape under my watch.”
The men, trolls and goblins jeered and hissed at the four beleaguered figures. Christopher gasped when he saw them and glanced at Artemas, his eyes ablaze in fear. He couldn’t believe who he saw below.
CHAPTER NINE
A Fortunate Find
When Molly, King Rupert and Ulric had left earlier to explore another passageway, they were puzzled that the castle appeared deserted. Ulric directed the search as Molly and the King followed, whispering to each other along the way.
“It’s so quiet that it’s spooky,” Molly said. “I fear that a guard is going to burst out of a room at any moment and capture us.”
“Don’t say such things!” King Rupert warned. “Bad enough that Rosalind was kidnapped. If we were apprehended, our mission would be a dismal failure. I could never forgive myself.”
“Finally!” Ulric said, interrupting their conversation as he turned a corner. Along both sides of the corridor was a series of closed doors. “At last we have places to explore. Carefully listen at each door before opening it. If you hear any sound within, get away quickly.”
So their search officially began. Molly was hesitant to open any door at first, fearing something awful might be waiting on the other side. But after pressing her ear to four or five doors only to hear dead silence, she grew less and less afraid to peek inside.
King Rupert and Ulric discovered nothing interesting during their investigations either. “The whole place is empty!” the King said in wonder. “What kind of a castle is this? Either everyone is still asleep, or they’re hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush us.” Ulric agreed that the atmosphere inside was highly unusual, but urged everyone to continue with the search.
Molly listened at another door, and when looking inside she was greeted with a burst of daylight through a dusty window. She entered the empty room. “Must be a spare room Malaban had nothing to put in,” she thought. Though the room was barren and cold, the daylight cheered her. She deemed it safe to explore for a moment and pushed the hinged window open and let the cool winter air sweep in.
How it refreshed her! The castle air felt stale and damp, and Molly welcomed the sharp breeze that rushed over the plains and found its way to her. She inhaled deeply and leaned her chin on her arms and gazed out at the wintry landscape. Far away rolled a vast expanse of dying brown plains sprinkled with white patches of glistening snow. The icy waters of the moat lapped against the rocky shore below. She fondly recalled the winters back home and thought there probably wasn’t enough snow here to build a proper snowman.
When Molly glanced to her left, she saw a stone tower built in one corner of the castle spiraling up into the crisp blue sky. Attached to a wooden pole on the roof of the tower was a huge black flag outlined with a blood red border. The flag of Malaban flapped noisily in the breeze. She noticed a tiny window near the top, and for an instant thought she caught a glimpse of a thin face peering out. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, but the face had vanished. Molly felt tired and thought her mind was playing tricks. She continued to gaze upon the plains and nearly drifted off to sleep when a sharp gust of wind pinched her face and brought her back to reality. “The rescue!” She closed the window at once and
hurried out of the room, saddened to leave these untroubled moments behind.
“There you are,” King Rupert said as Molly raced down the corridor to catch up with him. “I thought I was going to have to search for you too.”
“Sorry. I was sort of daydreaming in one of the rooms. I looked outside. It’s early morning right now.”
“Then I’m doubly surprised that no one is up and about in the castle.” The King pondered the situation, scratching his silver head of hair and sighed. “I do wish I knew what was going on. I hate being kept in the dark.” He motioned to Molly. “Let’s move on. Ulric is way ahead of us.”
They had walked only a few yards when Ulric ran charging toward them. “Our luck has changed! I hear guards around the corner.”
“We must flee to our hiding spot!” the King said.
“There’s no time. We’ll duck into this next room. Follow me!”
Ulric swung open a door and the trio rushed inside, and not a moment too soon. Seconds after Ulric closed the door, two trolls emerged from around the corner while patrolling the castle. Molly heard deep voices as they walked past the door. In time their conversation faded in the distance.
“That was close,” the King said. “Fortunately those trolls didn’t come in here.” He looked around. “Wherever here is.”
The room they had hidden in was quite dark. A small torch fastened to the wall gave off very little light. After their eyes adjusted to the gloom, Ulric realized they were not in a room after all, but inside a cramped stairwell. A stone staircase spiraled above and below them. They stood on a small flat landing.
“I guess our luck is still with us,” Ulric said. “I believe it’s safe to continue.” He placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it, when he quickly stepped back into the shadows. “Wait! I hear voices again. They’re coming back!”
King Rupert shook with fear. “They know we’re here. It’s all over. We’re doomed, I tell you! Doomed!”
“Quiet!” Ulric said. He then placed his ear to the door and wrinkled his brow in confusion. “I still hear voices.” He looked up. “But they’re not outside.”
Ulric, Molly and King Rupert stood absolutely still and listened. After a moment, voices from below the staircase could be heard. They sounded harsh and disgruntled. “Troll voices,” the King speculated. “Though one might be a goblin. It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.”
“I hear them too,” Molly said, nodding so that her ponytails danced on her shoulders. “I wonder what they’re doing way down there.”
“Let’s leave at once,” King Rupert said.
But Ulric simply raised his hand for silence and continued to listen. The voices originated far below the castle, but were magnified as they drifted up the stone staircase, making the people sound closer than they actually were. Molly and the King watched with apprehension until Ulric looked up and smiled. “Luck is with us in abundance! I think we found what we’re after. From what I can make out of the conversation, those two individuals down there sound like prison guards.”
“Meaning that the prison cells are right below us!” Molly concluded.
Any thought of turning back vanished immediately from King Rupert’s mind. “Victory at last! Let’s storm the prison and rescue Rosalind at once. I’ll take on any troll or goblin without a second thought!”
Ulric tried to calm the King. “But we must take a second thought if we’re to be successful. We can’t rush our mission. One mistake and we’re finished.”
“You’re right, of course,” King Rupert said. “I’m getting ahead of myself. I must take hold of my senses.” He took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Feeling better?” Molly asked.
“A little. Now tell us what to do, Ulric.”
Ulric gathered them around and whispered his plan. “We will sneak downstairs and listen more carefully to determine where we stand. Princess Rosalind may not be down there.” The King frowned at the remark. “But if she is, I think we can overtake two guards, that is, if there are only two guards.”
Ulric led the way, cautiously spiraling down the cold stone steps. The darkness increased at first since there were no torches along the way. As they neared the bottom, however, the light grew brighter. Before he knew it, Ulric stood on the last step looking straight ahead into the guardroom.
Luckily no guards were sitting at the small table in the corner. A mound of firewood was piled high next to it. A couple of empty mugs and bread crumbs littered the table. The rest of the room was bare and lifeless.
Directly across the room from Ulric were two open doorways. One was wide and arched at the top, and Ulric could plainly see that it led to a gloomy corridor lined with a series of wooden doors with barred windows on each. Those were the prison cells. The other opening next to the archway was narrow and rectangular. Yellow light poured out from within it. This turned out to be the entrance to a small kitchen, the very place where the two voices originated. Ulric pointed in that direction and Molly and King Rupert understood. The trio continued to listen to the voices, now louder and clearer, yet hideous and frightful.
“Out of ale!” one shouted, definitely a troll’s voice. “How can we be out of ale?”
“You just guzzled down the last of it!” the other snapped. He was certainly a goblin.
“Whoever stocks this pantry does a lousy job and should be thrown in the moat!” the troll complained. “Here we’re stuck keeping guard and don’t get enough food for a proper meal.”
“Ever since Malaban disappeared, the men get all the privileges,” the goblin snarled. “We get nothing!”
“Quit your yapping!” the troll said. “At least you have a storeroom to go to. I’m stuck up in that freezing cold tower keeping guard over my prisoner without a slice of stale bread or a hunk of rabbit meat to keep me company. I had to climb all the way down here to find a bite to keep from starving!”
“I got a right to complain too! How would you like spending hours in this hot awful cellar with nobody to talk to?” the goblin asked. “All the company I get is your ugly face.”
“Watch your mouth before I rip it off!”
“Can’t take a little ribbing? You trolls are so soft.” The troll growled back at his fellow guard. “Oh, bury it!” the goblin continued. “Who knows, maybe us goblins and trolls won’t make out so bad at the meeting. We deserve better treatment. Maybe Belthasar might finally realize that.”
“I’ll say we do!” the troll bellowed, slamming a fist against a cupboard door. “If we don’t grab a good deal, then I’m running off the first chance I get. I’ll live in the mountains again. At least there I’m my own boss.”
“If an officer catches you away from your post, you’ll be tossed in a cell yourself,” the goblin said. “I’ll end up guarding you!” he squealed with delight.
“Shut your ugly mouth!” the troll warned. “I’ll get back to my post in plenty of time before anyone notices. Besides, that girl isn’t going anyplace. The tower’s locked up good and secure. I figure there’s no harm taking a break. No one will find out.”
The goblin grunted. “Suppose not. But at least you have a prisoner to guard. All my cells are empty. We haven’t plundered a kingdom in an entire week! I’m bored sitting down here, waiting for them upstairs to march some genuine prisoners into my cells.”
“There you go complaining again,” the troll muttered. “Just give me that loaf of bread there. I’ll wash it down with water. Humph! No ale. No warm guardroom. I never get a break!”
Ulric signaled to the King and Molly to retreat back up a few steps so they could talk. “Our friends in the pantry revealed some interesting pieces of information.”
“The troll said he’s guarding a girl in the tower. He had to be referring to Rosalind,” King Rupert said, ready to run all the way up the stairs to the tower.
Ulric calmed the King. “First things first. We have to obtain the key to unlock the tower prison. The troll guard surely has it with him.”
“Then we must make sure the troll and goblin are kept out of our way,” he said. “I don’t know how long it will take to break into the tower. We can’t have the troll returning before we’re finished.”
“How are we supposed to get the keys and get rid of the guards?” Molly inquired. “I don’t see how the three of us can do all that.”
Ulric didn’t either at first, but slowly a plan took shape in his mind. He looked at Molly. “I think I know how we can accomplish it. And you’re going to be the key to the entire plan.”
“Me!” Molly truly wanted to help rescue Princess Rosalind, but to face a troll and a goblin in the process was something she never anticipated. “What can an eight-year-old girl do against those two monsters?”
Ulric hastily explained his idea, and though Molly hadn’t conquered her fear completely, her role in the operation wasn’t as horrible as she first imagined. The three descended again, but Ulric and King Rupert remained hidden in the shadows of the last few steps. Molly ran across the guardroom and through the arched doorway leading to the row of prison cells. Then after waiting a moment to gather her courage, she started to whistle.
The notes were soft at first, then gradually grew louder and louder. Unfortunately, not loud enough to attract the attention of the still bickering troll and goblin. Molly’s fear soon turned into annoyance, so she stomped her foot and yelled out to the guards. “Hey, you two lunks in the kitchen! Get over here! I don’t want to hang out in this revolting place forever!”
The troll’s ears perked up. He shot out of the pantry and looked around, fearing that an officer may have discovered him away from his post in the tower. “Who said that?”
“Down here,” Molly directed him. The troll glanced through the archway into the shadowy corridor with his beady red eyes. “That’s better. Some guard you are, letting an itsy bitsy girl like me walk right past you.”