by Jon Kiln
Would the power of the stones help them to escape should the Akkedis turn on them? Ganry was a powerful warrior, but even he could not fight an entire Akkedis army. Then there was the elusive Perseus. He had been a good guide, but she couldn’t help but feel there was more to him than they knew about. She hoped that they could use that to their benefit should the need arise.
As they moved through the hustle and bustle of an underground city, the air was stifling and the smell was overpowering. Many of the Akkedis stared as they passed them by. They all stood on two legs and dressed in long robes that covered most of their scaly bodies.
All of the Akkedis appeared to be armed. It was most unnerving for Myriam, but she sat upright and showed no sign of fear. Ghaffar seemed to enjoy her discomfort, but she merely smiled at him, showing him nothing but a show of friendship. If this was to be trickery, then she wanted them to make the first move. She would do nothing to antagonize them, but should they show her treachery then she would respond likewise.
“I look forward to seeing my grandmother, Ghaffar. I hope it will be soon?” Myriam smiled at him.
“She has taken a turn for the worse,” Ghaffar told her. “Please be patient and you shall see her after you have eaten and rested.”
“I was unaware that she was ill,” Myriam exclaimed, sitting upright at this dire news.
“Calm yourself, human Queen,” Ghaffar almost hissed. “She needs a good night’s sleep and all will be well. I have informed her of your coming and she asks for rest before she speaks with you. Is that too much to ask after what she has been through for your Kingdom?”
Myriam did not bother to answer the impertinent little man. If only they could leave this place this very day. If only.
16
Myriam was given a room of her own. At either side of her, both Linz and Hendon were accommodated. Opposite her room, Ganry and Perseus were given a room together. Ganry was not happy with this arrangement.
With Ghaffar watching on, he made the changes so that the Akkedis were well aware that the Queen was going to be well guarded. He moved Linz and Hendon into the shared room meant for him and Perseus, and at either side of Myriam he put himself and Perseus. He was pleased that Myriam’s room had adjoining doors to both her protectors on either side.
“But what about Linz and Hendon? They are alone and unprotected,” she said quietly in Ganry’s ear.
“They are not unprotected and they are not alone. They have each other, that is enough for them.”
As she thought about it, she had to agree it was a better arrangement than Ghaffar had made. She nodded her agreement to Ganry, accepting his lead.
Ghaffar said nothing at this stage even though he was a little annoyed at Ganry’s meddling. There was reasoning behind putting the D’Anjue bloodline in the adjoining rooms, but it mattered little. Soon this farce would be over and the pretense done away with.
Of course, he could simply take them all prisoner right here and now, but that would affect the quality of the blood. He needed the three D’Anjue family members to remain calm.
Fear and stress created a chemical reaction in the blood, affecting its quality. Ghaffar simply smiled as the party of humans rearranged themselves. No matter, he could still carry out his duties, and maybe the two male D’Anjue bloodlines would be easier targets housed together.
“I trust you would like to clean up after your long journey. We will meet for dinner, is this acceptable?” Ghaffar asked.
Myriam accepted the invitation to dine. Ghaffar smiled and bid them goodbye, for now.
Once he had gone, Ganry entered Myriam’s room and checked it was secure. He checked the windows and the walls for secret passages.
Myriam looked longingly at the bath of hot soapy water in her room as Ganry carried out his checking of her room. Eventually he seemed satisfied, and using the adjoining door he entered his own room and left her alone.
She quickly stripped and was soon soaking in the hot water. What a luxury. Finally getting to wash some of that sand from her hair and the grime from her skin. She lay there a while, luxuriating on the suds, before she climbed out of the bath, dried herself, and lay on her soft bed to relax.
It seemed that Ghaffar had thought of everything. She slipped into a loose robe that was provided, similar to the ones she had seen the women in these lands wear.
Bathtubs of hot water was set up in all the rooms for the travelers, but only one in the shared room. Linz and Hendon argued over who would go first.
“Pah, I am a Chief of my people, and you are simply a forest dweller!” Linz argued good-naturedly before promptly stripping off his clothing and jumping into the warm tub, splashing half the water all over the floor.
“If the sand at the bottom of that bath scratches at my backside, then I will boil the Chief of the lake people in the waters he bathes in,” Hendon threatened.
He was not really bothered about being last in the water. He was just so relieved to be out of the dreaded desert. Hendon went to lay on his bed, still fully clothed in his dirty traveling garments. He hoped he would not fall asleep before Linz was finished, or that the water was not freezing cold by his turn. They really should have put two tubs in this room.
Ganry bathed in his tub and welcomed the hot soapy water on his weary body. Despite the pleasure the bath gave him, Ganry was quickly out and dressed in the fresh clothes the Akkedis had provided. He put on his cloak before setting out to check on the others.
His first call was to Hendon and Linz. He saw that Linz had already bathed, but Hendon looked like he’d fallen asleep in the tub, so he kicked the side, startling Hendon awake.
“Never be unawares of your surroundings, boy!” Ganry growled at him. “Not unless you wish to lose your head.”
Ganry followed Linz out of the open doorway, leaving a stunned Hendon in a cold bathtub.
Soon, with everyone bathed and rested, they all gathered in Myriam’s room as Ganry had instructed so he could speak to them.
“I have a bad feeling about this place. All is not what it seems and it is important that we do not get separated.” He paused, looking at each of them. “At night, we will have a rotation of guards. This night I will take first watch. Hendon, you can be next, seeing as you’ve already slept.”
Hendon smiled ruefully as he remembered his rude awakening in the freezing cold bathtub. Had Ganry not woken him up he would have frozen to death.
Before Ganry could continue there was a knock at the door and a female Akkedis entered. She was a slender shape and walked on her hind legs with no apparent difficulty. This had been bred into the Akkedis over many centuries. Myriam thought her eyes looked friendly and she attempted to speak with her.
“My name is Myriam, what shall I call you?’ she asked her, only to receive a hiss of the creatures long, forked tongue.
Myriam spoke no more and followed the female as she had indicated for them to do so, leading them through an array of passageways.
“Keep trying to befriend any that you can,” Ganry whispered quietly in her ear. “We will be in need of allies, sooner or later.”
She smiled back at him. Was he setting her mind at ease or did he just give her an order? Still, he was right, not all the Akkedis would be hostile. Some may be sympathetic to their cause and willing to help once they were facing real danger.
Ganry noticed that Perseus lagged at the back of the group. He was happy to give him this position as he could concentrate on what was to come in the front. Hendon was busy muttering to his staff but Linz, at least, seemed alert.
They arrived in a large oval room and in the center stood a huge table, ladened with food of all varieties. Various meats, spiced vegetables and colorful fruits, were laid out for them. Myriam felt unsure and stopped in her tracks. Linz approached her, wondering what worried her so.
“Myriam, what ails you?” he asked.
“How do we know that none of this contains poison?”
Hendon stood behind them and tapped Lin
z on the shoulder with his staff. Linz moved aside to allow Hendon into the conversation.
“I have been speaking with Barnaby on such matters and he assures me all is well. He has looked into the food and there are no traces of anything harmful.”
Linz was the first to sit down and eat, and the others soon followed. Even Perseus joined them and ate his fill. He knew he needed some newly stored energy, ahead of the battle to come.
17
The same female Akkedis returned after they had eaten and took them all back to their chambers. Once she had gone, they all gathered in Ganry’s room, with the exception of Perseus who was acting rather strange. Ganry had caught him in his room, appearing in a trance. He had just assumed he was praying to whichever god he believed in.
“You must thank the spirit of Barnaby for assuring us about the food.” Myriam’s voice broke Ganry’s thought. “We would have all gone to bed hungry if it were not for him,” she said to Hendon.
“Actually, I’m beginning to think he’s more than a spirit, Myriam. I suspect he is from another dimension or world. When we talk, it’s as if he’s still alive, but somewhere else.”
“How strange.” Myriam thought about what Hendon had said, but it was too fantastical for her to comprehend.
“Why do you suppose we have not seen my grandmother yet?” she asked, changing the subject to something more earthly.
“I’m not sure,” Ganry replied, “but I feel there is something going on here that we know nothing of. They are keeping something from us.”
“You don’t think my grandmother to be dead, do you?” she dared to ask him.
“If she were, I believe we would sense it,” Linz answered, recalling the strength of the stones and the magic within the D’Anjue bloodline. “I do feel a weariness in this place, but I suppose it’s the lack of fresh air to breath in. The air within the Cefinon Forest is humid, but this place is far worse,” Linz complained.
“Living underground does not seem natural to me,” Hendon agreed. “I’m sure these creatures need air as much as we do, but they don’t seem to mind if it’s not fresh. I would miss the skies and the rivers. I do hope we’re not down here too long.”
“I would leave now if we could, dear Hendon,” Myriam said, also uneasy with being deep underground.
“Being down here is as natural as being on the surface. It’s just meant for different creatures. We are surface creatures and the Akkedis are more at home under the earth.” Ganry joined in the conversation. “Perseus and I will be going for a walk around the immediate corridors. I would like to map out this place a little, get some bearing of where we are.”
“I’m afraid we cannot allow that,” a voice said from the opening doorway.
Ghaffar walked in, leaving a couple of guards outside the door.
“I trust you are much refreshed now that you have bathed and eaten?” he inquired, as if they were here on pleasurable business.
The Queen nodded her affirmation. “Yes Ghaffar, thank you for your hospitality. I hope that my visit will help bring our two nations together in a closer union.”
Ganry smiled to himself. The young Queen was quickly becoming the wise diplomat.
“Now we are rested I had hoped we could see my grandmother, before I retire.” Myriam emphasized this point to Ghaffar. “I am concerned for her and will not rest easy until I see her.”
“Of course, Queen Myriam.” Ghaffar bowed in an exaggerated manner. “That is the purpose of my visit this evening, to take you to see your grandmother.”
Ganry stood up and walked up to the small frame of Ghaffar’s human looking body. He towered over him but the little man showed no signs of being intimidated by Ganry’s muscular physique.
“I will accompany the Queen to see her grandmother,” he informed him, making it clear this was not a request. “The Queen goes nowhere alone.”
“You are not in a position to make such demands, Ganry the brave. She will not be alone, I will be with her.” Ghaffar sneered at the big human, his address to Ganry, mocking him. Still, Ghaffar did not want to antagonize them just yet. “Very well, you may come along, but you cannot map our corridors. Remember, you are a guest here, and guests act with respect in the homes that they visit. This is the way of humans, is it not?”
“Truly,” Myriam responded on behalf of Ganry before he could speak. “We have every respect for your community. I am truly grateful for the care you have provided to my grandmother. However, we wish for her to return to her own home as soon as possible.”
“Of course, and I shall facilitate that in any way I can, Queen Myriam, when she is well.” Ghaffar bowed again. “For now she is bed ridden, and I am taking the greatest of care for her well being. A woman of the Duchess’ standing, deserves nothing but the best treatment that we can provide.”
Myriam seated herself in a chair, a little shocked at this news.
“Are you saying my grandmother is very ill? I thought it just a part of her recovery from the dungeon, not an illness?”
“Please, Queen Myriam, let us go along and visit her,” Ghaffar suggested, as he opened the door and gestured for them to follow him.
Myriam looked over at Ganry who nodded, indicating that she should go first. Myriam followed Ghaffar out of the door, and Ganry followed his Queen. They walked in procession down an array of corridors cut into the rock, dimly lit by the torches on the walls.
Ganry tried to memorize the way, but he suspected that they were being led in an indirect route. In fact, he was certain that they had been on this current corridor at least once already today, but he could never be certain in this confounded place. If the route taken was meant to confuse them then it had done its task well.
Finally, Ghaffar turned into a doorway and stepped into a dimly lit room. The entourage followed him in and there Myriam saw her grandmother, lain in bed and unresponsive. Quickly going to her side, she knelt on the floor and took a hold of her grandmother’s hand. It felt cold and clammy to touch, and Myriam feared the worse.
“Do you know what ails her?” she asked of Ghaffar, almost accusingly.
“She suffered much at the hands of the pretender, Harald, and endured much in the dungeons of the castle. I rescued her from there, as soon as I could, but now you see the consequences of that terrible experience,” he explained.
Myriam knew there was truth in the tale. Her grandmother had suffered much physical and mental pain to save her throne. This was her fault, not the Akkedis. As Ghaffar had pointed out, he had been the one to rescue her. She had much to thank him for.
The Duchess appeared unaware of anything happening around her, looking pale and almost lifeless. Her skin was cold, but she did still live. Her heart was still beating, just.
“I can only thank you, Ghaffar, you and your people, for all that you have done for my family. Finding my grandmother is a joyous occasion for my heart. I am just saddened to see her this way. I had hoped to travel home immediately, but I can see now that my grandmother is in no state to be journeying across the desert. We must burden you longer and hope that now I am by her side, that she may begin to recover.”
Ghaffar merely bowed his head, saying nothing. His plan had worked well by letting the Duchess slip into unconsciousness. It had served to keep the D’Anjue family here longer, without having to use any kind of force to do so. His Empress would be pleased with his results and would reward him richly.
18
Artas knew that ruling in Myriam’s absence would be difficult, but he did not realize just how difficult a task it would prove to be. He had hoped to keep a low profile until the Queen returned, but the politicians and merchants were making his life a misery. Their demands to have a private audience with the Queen was a daily occurrence, one he was finding more difficult every day to keep them at bay. Soon they would guess the truth, that Myriam was no longer here, and when they did he was not sure how it would end.
And now to make matters worse, a distant relative of Myriam’s, Lord J
osiah, had arrived at the castle with a small private army demanding to see the Queen.
“Should I rouse the soldiers and ride out to meet this Lord?” Artas asked his close advisors, Parsival and Leonie. “I would prefer to battle a hundred dragons than have to face these greedy, conniving individuals,” he declared, totally and utterly defeated.
“Our main concern is not the traders or politicians within the city, it is those who make greater demands of the throne,” Parsival explained. “Josiah is a distant relative of Myriam’s, on her father’s side, and he feels he has claim to lands in this kingdom. And maybe he does, as his lands were lost under the Usurper. If we show weakness now then we will be inundated with distant relatives from all over the lands laying their claims. Only Josiah is aware of the Queen’s departure from her kingdom. True, he does have a small army that will cause this town a hardship, but my friend, we need only use delaying tactics on such a toad.”
“The people will soon learn that the Queen does not reside in her castle, that is inevitable,” Leonie said her part. “This is where you need to use your influence, honorary or otherwise. Call in your chiefs, their Queen needs them. Be decisive, Artas, tell these people, don’t ask them.”
***
The Duchess felt herself floating. The blood in her veins was working so hard, it had become depleted and what remained was attempting to keep her heart pumping. Her heart struggled, something evil was infiltrating her veins and taking away the very magic that had kept her healthy for so long in her life. It was not the magic within her blood that failed her, it was more that something was taking the magic out of her very veins.