by J C Maynard
Riccolo yelled out and tried to grab her as she slammed into another Nightsnake. Kyan and Vree came charging through the pitch black tunnel. A fist clocked Kyan in the ribcage and hands pulled at his jacket. He spun and hit at the Nightsnakes trying to grab him. A knife slashed across his shoulder, cutting into his skin.
Kyan grabbed the arm and wrenched the knife away. Pulling the Nightsnake in and stabbing him in the abdomen. The Nightsnake screamed and Kyan shoved him backwards, knocking a few more down.
Riccolo shoved his thieves against the wall and screamed out. “You useless pieces of— let me through!” Riccolo lunged forward. Raelynn screamed as he grabbed her leg, and she tried to twist away. Kyan stabbed forward with his knife, trying to hit Riccolo, but he missed. Jabbing forward again, he slammed the knife into the stone wall. Riccolo tried to pull Raelynn down, but she spun around and slammed her fist into his temple.
Riccolo cursed and grabbed his knife, throwing it into the blackness. With a thud, it entered flesh and the sound of a Nightsnake scream rang out before his body splashing into the muck.
Kyan swung with his knife and slashed at Riccolo. Lunging at Kyan, Riccolo tore the knife away from Kyan’s hand and jabbed forward, missing in the darkness before Vree kicked him back. Riccolo’s splash echoed in the tunnel and he cursed out.
The three of them ran forward with their hands along the wall of the tunnel. The jumbled splashing and cursing of Nightsnakes followed them.
Vree took the others around another bend, and a dim stream of moonlight entered through another pipe into the sewers. From the dim light, Kyan and Raelynn could see her pointing up to it. Quickly, they each grabbed onto the ledge and pulled themselves up and into the pipe and crawled through. Kyan’s shoulders could barely fit through, as he pressed up against the metal walls of the pipe. Starlight shone through and ahead of them. Reaching the end of the pipe, Vree jumped out head first. Raelynn and Kyan listened to a splash a second after. The river. They could hear Riccolo running towards them, not more than twenty feet away.
Raelynn inched toward the exit of the metal pipe and dove out, splashing into the cold water below.
Just as Kyan stuck his head out of the pipe, Riccolo pulled himself up into the pipe. But with wider shoulders than Kyan, he cursed out when he couldn’t pull himself further into the pipe. Reaching forward, Riccolo took hold of Kyan’s shoe and began to pull him back. Kyan struggled to keep his hand on the outside of the pipe and pull forward. Finally, his shoe slipped off and he fell forward into the night air, slamming into the freezing water below.
As bubbles floated up around him in the dark water, Kyan emerged on the water’s surface in the dim moonlight. From deep in the icy water, he could hear muted yelling. Breaking through the surface of the river, Kyan heard the full strength of Riccolo’s scream from the pipe above.
Staying above the surface of the water, Kyan looked around for Raelynn and Vree in a panic. A hand grabbed his shoulder and Kyan jumped. Her turned around to see Vree swimming beside him and Raelynn just beyond. Together, they swam through the frigid water and to a boat dock with a staircase leading up out of the canal. Riccolo’s cursing still echoed out across the water.
In the moonlight, on the frozen bank of Aunestauna’s main river, the three of them stared up at what remained of the Palace, which looked more threatening than ever before in the night, half-burned and covered in soot. Kyan took a deep breath in. “Are you ready?”
Raelynn looked at the Palace. “I’m ready to hear your plan for getting us in.”
Madrick’s Letter
Chapter Thirty Three
~Morning, February 2nd
The front gates of Xandria’s castle stood before Aunika like black, jagged mountains coated in white snow, ready to devour her should her identity be revealed. I’m the Technological Advancement Vice-Supervisor. Name: Serisa Stinev. Oh, who am I kidding, how am I going to pull this off? . . . No, Madrick picked me for a reason.
“Identification ma’am.”
Aunika turned to the guard in green armor. “Yes, sorry sir.” Aunika reached in her bag and pulled out a slip of parchment.
The guard read it and looked again at her. “Your bag, miss.” Aunika handed it to him to search through. “Birthdate?” he said, looking at the identification slip.
“April 11th, 780 AHL.” she replied, heart racing.
“Business in her Majesty’s fortress?”
Aunika held her shoulders high. “I am the new Technological Advancement Supervisor.”
The guard looked up at her. “Quite young.”
“Her Majesty likes new ideas.” said Aunika.
The guard motioned through the gate. “Welcome to the Capitol.” Aunika nodded and walked passed the check-in, visualizing the map of the castle and where she needed to go.
“You’re Serisa Stinev?” said a woman in an expensive black dress to Aunika.
Aunika smiled and shook her hand. “Yes, I’m the new Technological Advancement Supervisor.”
“Come this way.” Aunika was lead down a long, twisting hallway deep within Xandria’s fortress and into a cozy room with a crackling fire and a window facing the white mountains outside. “Make yourself at home. This will be your new office.”
Aunika took a deep breath. “This is quite wonderful, thank you ma’am.”
The woman in the black dress nodded. “You have a great responsibility now.”
Aunika nodded. “And I’m happy to serve.”
“Is there anything I can get you, Serisa?” asked the woman.
“No thank you, I should be fine here.”
The woman smiled. “Your meeting with Sir Mordvitch is soon.”
Aunika’s flinched. “I’m sorry?”
“Sir Mordvitch, our President of Technologies hasn’t met you yet.” said the woman.
Aunika nodded. “Oh, yes of course. Thank you.” Aunika would have to pretend that she hadn’t met Mordvitch at all.
The woman nodded and left Aunika alone in her office.
A half hour later, a knock sounded on the door. Aunika stood and opened the door. “Hello.” she said.
A guard stood next to Mordvitch, the highest ranking Evertauri other than Madrick and Borius. Standing tall with tightly curled hair, Mordvitch was the mastermind behind infiltrating Xandria’s government with the Evertauri.
For the benefit of the guard, Aunika extended her hand to Mordvitch and said, “You must be Sir Mordvitch.” although she had met him many times before already in the Evertauri.
Mordvitch smiled. “Indeed, and you are?”
“Serisa Stinev.” Aunika said. “Come and sit down.” she said, gesturing to a tea table next to her office window.
Mordvitch nodded and turned to his guard. “Will you give us a moment Greshk?”
The guard nodded and stood tall with a sword to his shoulder against the wall as Mordvitch shut the door. He looked around Aunika’s office and sat down with her at the tea table, with a view of the snow-covered mountains just beyond.
He turned to Aunika. “It’s reassuring seeing you, Aunika. It’s been tense working here lately.”
“Why?” she asked.
“The Ferrs are winning in Endlebarr,” he said, “and the government officials are growing restless . . . impatient for the Cerebrian Army to turn the tide and push back. But to the business.” He pulled out documents from his coat pocket and placed them on the table. “These are the first papers I want you to look over — non-confidential things like our budgets for the technological wing.” Madrick pulled out a small, crumpled up piece of parchment. “But this,” he said, handing it directly to Aunika, “this is between you and me. This is information about something I found in the treasury. Hide it.”
Aunika shoved the ball of parchment in her shoe. “What is it?”
Mordvitch talked softly. “Xandria had a spy in Ferramoor named Whittingale who shipped a weapon to her, a sorcerer-made weapon. It’s a stone that —”
They immediately f
roze when another knock sounded on the door. Both of them had stood by the time the door opened, revealing a woman in a long, pale blue dress with a small silver crown in her hair.
Mordvitch bowed. “Your Majesty.”
Aunika’s body turned cold but she curtseyed and repeated Mordvitch’s greeting.
Queen Xandria stepped into Aunika’s office with two guards at her side.
Mordvitch straightened back up. “To what do we owe the pleasure of having you here with us today?”
Queen Xandria smiled. “I wanted to meet with you Sir Mordvitch, but I was informed you were here; so now I get to welcome our new Vice-Supervisor as well. May I join you for tea?”
Aunika managed to summon a smiled above her nerves. “Y-, yes, please, by all means, I- I have some warming up over the fire already.”
The Queen and Mordvitch sat at the table while Aunika retrieved the tea kettle from the fire. Aunika and Mordvitch attempted smiles and relaxed faces, while their insides were frozen in fear. Why is she here?
Xandria’s white-blonde hair flowed long, and her pale blue eyes shimmered like ice in sunlight. She smiled as Aunika brought the tea over to the table.
Sitting down, Aunika took a deep breath.
Xandria looked at the papers on the table. “I see you’ve gotten started. You two seem like you’ll work well together. Have you two met before?”
Sir Mordvitch shook his head. “Not until a few minutes ago.”
Xandria smiled and looked out at the mountains. A nervous air filled the room. The Queen turned to Aunika. “Well I apologize for starting you on a day like this.”
“A day like this?” asked Aunika.
Xandria sipped her tea. “Oh you must have not heard yet. We found out today that we have an imposter in the fortress, some sort of spy. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, I’m sure.”
Mordvitch and Aunika tried to remain calm, not knowing what to do, or what Xandria knew. They shook their heads.
“I am thrilled, however, that we have such loyal heads of this department. Both of you must know how much I value loyalty and honesty. We wouldn’t want anything to happen now, would we?”
Mordvitch smiled. “Of course not.”
Xandria took another sip of tea. “You know what this tea needs?” She turned back to her guards. “Would one of you happen to be carrying that honey-syrup I love?”
One of the guards pulled out a small vial of golden-brown liquid. Xandria put two drops in her drink. She turned to Mordvitch. “Would you like to try? I think you’d love the taste.”
Mordvitch swallowed nervously and nodded. “Y- yes I’d love some.”
Xandria smiled and put two drops in his tea. “Go ahead, tell me how you like it.”
Mordvitch stared at Aunika, trying to summon his courage. He glanced in the direction of Aunika’s shoe for a split second, knowing the importance of the piece of rolled up parchment beneath her foot. Xandria smiled, and with a shaking hand, Mordvitch took the cup of tea and sipped.
Xandria stirred her cup as he set the drink down. “How do you like it?” she asked.
Mordvitch nodded. “It’s quite- qui- good-.” Mordvitch coughed a few times. “Quite g-” he put his hand to his mouth and coughed again.
Aunika stared in horror as Mordvitch coughed up a spurt of blood on his hand.
Xandria smiled and picked up the vial of syrup. She turned to Aunika. “This is syrup from the BlackHolly tree . . . highly poisonous.”
Mordvitch gasped for air as blood dripped down his nose. He convulsed in his chair as Aunika sat petrified.
Xandria smiled. “This,” she said to Aunika, “is how we deal with our traitors. You see,” she explained as Mordvitch writhed in his seat, “Sir Mordvitch here was spying on us for an organization of sorcerers, those who destroyed my beloved Great Gate.”
Aunika stared in terror at the blood beginning to cover Mordvitch’s face as he gagged.
Xandria reached in a pocket of her dress and pulled out another vial of clear liquid and handed it to Aunika. “This mixture is the one known cure. I know how horrifying it would be to watch someone you know go through this pain. So if you know this traitor and want to save him, just hand him the vial.”
Aunika froze, holding the vial. “I-” her mind raced for a solution. But she couldn’t escape the thousands of fortress guards. “I- . . . I don’t know him . . . if-” she could barely force the words out of her mouth, the only words that would save her. “If he’s a traitor . . . he deserves to die.”
Mordvitch fell out of his chair and writhed on the floor, spurting up blood. With a final gasp that filled his lungs with blood, Mordvitch twitched and then fell still on the floor.
Xandria sighed and smiled, placing a hand on Aunika’s. “I’m so sorry you had to watch that, dear. I just had to make sure you weren’t with him. You must understand?”
Aunika nodded, unable to move in her chair. “Of course.”
“Did you talk to him much before I came in?” asked the Queen.
Aunika shook her head, forcing words out of her mouth. “Just- just exchanged pleasantries.”
Xandria smiled. “Perfect.”
◆◆◆
Madrick’s office in the Network was cold, and he placed down his quill when he heard a knock at his door. “Yes?” Borius Shipton stepped into the stone room which was illuminated by many small candles with silver flames. Borius came up to Madrick’s desk and placed down a letter.
“It’s from Aunika Bernoil.” said Borius in a deep, rich voice.
“What is this?” asked Madrick.
Borius breathed in deeply. “Sir Mordvitch is dead. Xandria found out who he was and poisoned him in front of Aunika.”
Madrick sat still in shock.
“I know he was the friend who helped you create the Evertauri after your wife left. I’m sorry for your loss. But there’s something else.” said Borius. “It’s what you’ve been fearing all along.”
“Xandria is after the stone?” asked Madrick.
“She has it. At the bottom, Aunika included a crumpled up piece of parchment from Mordvitch, the last thing he gave to her. It says that one of King Tronum’s advisors, who worked for Xandria, from Aunestauna had someone steal it for him and he shipped it here to Seirnkov.”
Madrick froze.
“I recommend you read Ms. Bernoil’s letter.” said Borius.
Madrick picked up the letter and read it through twice, his heart beat faster with every word. “So does Xandria know what it is?”
Borius shuffled his feet. “Why would she be after it if she doesn’t know what it can do or if it even possesses part of your wife’s Taurimous?”
“To make us think she has a weapon to use against us . . .”
“How would we find out if Xandria knows that it works?” asked Borius.
Madrick thought for a moment. “When the goblins still lived in these tunnels, my wife sent her findings to them to help prepare themselves for a defense against Xandria.”
Borius leaned forward. “Are you saying that Xandria found out about it from the letters your wife sent to the goblins once she killed them?”
Madrick nodded. “And those letters might still be there.”
Borius folded his arms. “Where did your wife send them?”
“The goblin capital Rjarnsk; underneath Roshk.”
“I can go there and try to find any of the letters the goblins sent her.”
Madrick nodded. “I don’t want you going alone. Take Calleneck Bernoil with you. He knows half the tunnels in the Network.”
Borius tapped his foot. “I’ll go talk to him then.” Borius walked towards the door and stopped. “Have you still not told Raelynn?” Borius looked back at Madrick.
Madrick sighed. “No . . . but I think now she has a right to know about everything that happened.”
Borius nodded. “Send a letter to her in Aunestauna.”
“I will.” said Madrick as Borius exited the room. Madrick r
ubbed his beard and opened a desk drawer, revealing a glowing flower. He immediately slammed the drawer shut, hiding it from . . . no one, he told himself, hiding it from no one. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that Selenora Everrose was still there somehow, alive, watching his every move, waiting until the right moment to strike. Waiting until he could no longer challenge her.
◆◆◆
~Morning, February 6th
Raelynn opened her eyes and immediately shivered from the cold. The window of her massive Palace bedroom had swung open during the night, letting silent snowflakes drift in. Raelynn lifted up the scarlet bed covers and put her feet on the cold, wood floor. She reached over to her bed stand and put on clothes. Closing her eyes again, her mind raced through the last few days and everything that had brought her here.
Four days prior, the three of them had stood below the enormous, half-burned Palace gates after narrowly escaping from Riccolo. The Palace windows glowed by orange torchlight, but the grounds as a whole still looked newly desolate and abandoned at night. When Kyan had suggested how they could get into the Palace, Vree and Raelynn immediately rejected it. Raelynn relived the exchange in her head.
Raelynn turned to Kyan. “What do you intend to tell them?”
Kyan looked at the gate up ahead and the Guards that patrolled it. “We have to be as honest as we can if we want them to trust us. We’ll tell them that I’m a thief from the Third District who Prince Eston hired, Vree was a Nightsnake, you’re a Cerebrian but also a sorceress in the Evertauri, that the Nightsnakes are after us, and that we can help the Ferramish government.”
“And how will they know we can help them?” asked Raelynn.
“Because we will . . .”
The bedroom that was given to Raelynn overlooked the southern Palace grounds — it was in one of the sections of the Palace that had not burned in Cerebria’s attack. Raelynn stood up out of bed and walked over to the window where little snowflakes kept drifting in. Before shutting it, she took a deep breath of the frigid morning air through her nose. Raelynn walked back over to bed. The few things she had brought with her to Aunestauna were gone — burned inside Kyan’s shack.