Rise of the Champion (The Champion Book 1)

by Clara C. Johnson

  He managed to convince the two guards to follow him down the alley where Serra and Theren were hiding. They waited patiently for the right moment. When the guards bent down in search for Finn’s missing coin purse, they struck.

  With the hilt of her sword, Serra knocked one of them unconscious as Theren followed with the other. When ensured the two guards were out, they dragged them into an empty building where they removed their uniforms and tied and gagged them both. Theren wrapped a piece of cloth around the top of his head to hide his ears before he put on the helmet.

  It would be around an hour before the guards would waken. They needed to move quickly. Finn would set off to the Square Serpent before anyone had time to stop them. Serra walked uncomfortably. The boots were twice the size of her feet. How in Spirits name did that woman have the same size feet as a man?

  Theren wasn’t as large as the other guard. The breast plate had to be tied to its shortest length to prevent it from rubbing too hard against his skin. Quickly, they moved out of the alley together before Finn left. Serra waved him off, acting annoyed by his drunkenness.

  Carefully, they made their way back to Silverhall, where thankfully, Captain Falck was nowhere to be seen. The guards posted at the entrance heeded them no mind as they passed. The door to Silverhall reflected the light off their armor. Serra touched it briefly.

  If I had the time, this would fetch me a fine price, she thought.

  They pushed open the doors, trying to act as normal as possible. The main hall had two main staircases on either side leading up to the second floor. In the center of the floor was the emblem of the duke’s house. It was like that of the Blank Trinitas, but it was instead a large tree in full bloom with leaves. There was no doubt where he got that idea from.

  Flags hung on the walls, marking the territory of Sostar. It was a snake wrapped around a dagger with its head turned to the side and its fangs clearly visible. Guess that’s why they call it the Square Serpent.

  There were few flags in the north parts of the city. Most of them had been damaged and torn by natural causes, left to shame. The duke would never spend his own money into the city, no matter how bad they needed it. The entirety of Silverhall made her sick to her stomach. There was so much wealth here, and all they did was walk on it! A pound of solid silver didn’t go as far as gold, but it would still feed a family for over a year.

  Serra stole from people like the duke because of this. It was why she and Finn got into the business of smuggling goods and thievery. They had morals; they would never steal from someone less fortunate. Besides, smugglers worked for much larger prey. Just as Grom “repaid” the lord that refused his payment, he got what he wanted eventually.

  A painful sting passed through her. That bad deal cost Rafe his life. She grasped her sword tighter, honoring his memory.

  The hall held very few people. Most of them were dressed in red and silver robes, resembling the colors of Sostar. To not attract unwanted attention, Serra and Theren moved upstairs away from the prying eyes and walked toward the back of the main hall.

  When she saw the door open, Serra pulled Theren back behind a wall. Captain Falck walked out alone then turned to the opposite of side of the main hall into a corner where she disappeared. They followed her and were forced to hide again when they saw several more men go into the same area she did.

  Two of them she recognized.

  “What the hell are they doing here?” she whispered to herself.

  Grom, Benedict, and someone else she didn’t know entered the room where Captain Falck had been. The one she didn’t know looked young, two or three years younger than her. His blond beard was patchy in several places. He was thin, but a foot taller than she was.

  Making sure no one was looking, they followed them to the closed door where they leaned and listened.

  “You have it then?” a female voice said. That must’ve been Falck.

  “Of course. Just wanted to clean it up first for the duke.” She was sure that was Grom’s voice. Arrogant and self-absorbed.

  She heard something landing against a table. Falck made a disgusted sound. “Why the hell he wants such a vile thing, I’ll never know.”

  “She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Picked her up a little while back. I had no idea it was worth so much. All I knew was that bastard Lord Iren valued it. So, I had my people relieve him of it.” She imagined a smirk followed that comment.

  Wait. Were they referring to the statue he wanted so bad? There was no way…

  “I’m sure the duke could find much more… appropriate decorations.”

  Serra silently cursed.

  Grom and Falck spoke back and forth for a few minutes, discussing his payment. A distinct sound of a large bag of coins hit the table. Receiving their signal to leave, Serra shuffled Theren away from the door. Better to leave while Grom counted his new-found profit and was distracted.

  Theren leaned slightly toward her. “Serra, do you know what they were talking about?”

  Unfortunately, she did. That accursed statue that cost Rafe his life was now being purchased by the duke. If she had known months ago that the statue potentially held such power, she would’ve shattered it in a second. But how was he using the statue to bring back three gods? Was it part of some set? Were there two more of them? Theren’s legend said there were three. Perhaps, this statue represented the female goddess Anja. Where were the other two then?

  All Serra could do was walk then walk faster. The duke was nowhere to be seen. He was probably locked behind a solid door with several guards posted outside of it. They couldn’t risk getting caught. The only option now was to return at night when there were less people.

  They had to get that stupid statue.

  Returning to the Square Serpent after so long gave Serra a sense of nostalgia she didn’t expect. She calculated that it must have been several weeks by now. She wondered if Finn had to buy back their room. They didn’t have much money left since they hadn’t their normal work.

  Probably should’ve broken off a piece of that silver.

  Earlier, they returned to the same alleyway the guards were tied up and stashed the armor by the door. She was thankful to have her boots back. Her feet ached having to wear those the past few hours. Her stomach growled—she couldn’t remember the last time she ate. She figured it was yesterday, just two pieces of jerky.

  Stiff almost dropped an entire handful of tankards when he saw her. She tossed him a few coins for drinks and dinner for two. Knowing Finn, he had already gotten food and a pitcher of ale. She imagined Caden wouldn’t be pleased.

  The young red-haired girl still worked the tables, perky as always. Most of the young men swooned over her. It must have been her smile and unique look—there weren’t many red-haired girls in Adhelm. Her bright smile managed to light up even brighter when she saw her, telling her that she never thought she’d see her again. Serra wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

  “I kept your rooms clean. Boss wanted me to rent it out, but I knew you would come back!” she said way too loudly. The tavern was a bit chatty, but she was clearly overcompensating.

  Serra fiddled with the tips of her fingers. “I’ve been a little busy. Had to travel for a while. It’s nice to see you.” She figured she might as well be polite.

  The girl, in response, hugged her. Serra stiffened then patted her on the back to get her away. The girl was nice, if a bit friendly toward her. Theren gave her a warning look when she attempted to hug him as well. She pouted like she was a small child being told she couldn’t have a doll.

  They got their food and went upstairs to their old room where they found Finn counting the handful of coin he had left. His eyes shot up when he saw them come in.

  “What did you find out?” he asked. Serra relayed everything they learned about the statue and Grom’s dealing with the duke.

  “You have got to be kidding me?” It came out more of a question than a statement.

  She shook her head. “No, unfortu
nately, but it will probably be under lock and key until he plans to use it. We need to get back there when it gets dark and there are fewer guards.”

  Finn discussed what he had been doing the past few hours. He couldn’t find an alternative route into Silverhall. “But,” he said, holding up his index finger, “I heard a rumor.”

  “Of course you did. What is it?” She rolled her eyes.

  “There’s a way. A tunnel on the far side of the rock formation. It’s hidden well, probably has a boulder in front of it or a makeshift door, but it’s a way to enter the courtyard in the back.”

  Serra had barely seen Silverhall. From what she could tell, it was just one massive building by itself with a rocky ditch surrounding it. She supposed they didn’t want anyone to potentially damage it. “There’s a courtyard?”

  “Fancy place. A garden. All flowers and shite, but the tunnel leads back there somewhere.” If there was a secret entrance, it might explain how Ewen could come and go as he pleased without drawing suspicion.

  “So, when do we move?” Theren asked.

  They all fell silent, thinking. It was only a matter of time before Ewen would start his plan. He may even proceed with it as soon as possible. Their thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on the door then entered.

  It was Caden.

  He smiled. “You didn’t honestly think I’d let you guys do this without me, did you?”

  Serra quickly got up from the floor and hugged him tightly. “Caden, what are you doing here?”

  “Leo and Aravar told me what happened and where you went. They’re going to try to relocate everyone until things calm down.” His expression faltered into a frown. “They decided to… hold off any more attacks. Sharlea thought it would be best that they stay off the offensive.”

  It was surprising to hear that. Sharlea seemed so keen on keeping on her aggressive strategy, but the wellbeing of her people had to take precedent. If Ewen managed to send someone to possess Ethrond, there was no telling who else he could control. It was scary to think that he could manage to get to Sharlea or Leo. He would slaughter them all.

  “Thanks for coming, pretty boy. I must say, I’ve missed having you around,” said Finn.

  “Welcome back,” said Theren.

  Caden pushed back his hair and puffed his chest outward. “Oh, I know you did. I mean, how you can you possibly resist my charms?”

  Serra smacked him playfully, causing him to chuckle. “Seriously though, what did you find out? How is Ewen… doing all of this?”

  They relayed what had happened at Silverhall and what Finn could find out. They decided to wait until dusk to find the entrance then remain out of sight until they found out where Ewen was hiding. Serra was nervous. They didn’t know if this rumor Finn had heard was true. They could be walking into a trap. Ewen could have had someone manipulate the information to bring them right to him.

  In a way, she understood why Ewen wanted this. Gods that could control the world and make every country get along as they would all have to be on the same side. A way to establish order, but too many would die fighting it to make it worthwhile. An admirable idea to want peace, but his idea of “peace” was flawed.

  She had the one weapon that could hurt him—could stop him. If she could get close enough, she could end all of this before it began. She had to get to him before he made his final move.

  Climbing down into Silverhall’s rocky pit was much harder than Serra had anticipated. Her boot slipped on the way down, forcing her to try to catch herself. In doing so, she scraped her arm and leg. They should’ve used rope, but Caden suggested against it because there was no way for them to untie it from the top. Someone would’ve noticed.

  His logic was sound, but tell that to her newformed bruises. She helped the others down, then they split up into two groups to cover more ground. If they didn’t find anything, they were to rendezvous to Serra and Finn’s location on the far-right side of the stone base.

  Finn kept his hand on the rock wall, grazing it carefully as they made their way around, looking for any sign of an opening. Serra kept a close eye on the guards at the entrance to the bridge, who seemed too busy chatting to pay any mind to what was below.

  Getting past them didn’t prove to be difficult as they managed to distract them by hiring someone to keep them busy. She could overhear that he was being threatened to be arrested if he didn’t leave immediately. He did as commanded and left without question. Serra imagined he went to the nearest tavern in celebration for his unexpected wealth. Hopefully, he would also manage to not share how he acquired his coin.

  What she would do for a drink right now.

  For over thirty minutes, they found nothing. So much for the rumor. Finn grumbled in frustration. They met up with Theren and Caden, who also had no luck.

  Time was running out. They needed to find the entrance. There was no time to try to sneak into the main hall again. With no rope and the guards, they would be caught for sure. They decided to switch sides and try once more.

  Similarly, Serra saw nothing at first. The lack of light didn’t help, but they couldn’t risk lighting a torch. It would be a beacon to their presence. She paused when she noticed something. About seven inches down from where her hand was a perfectly cut-out rectangle.

  Upon examining it closer, it looked as though a key fit into it. A large, flat key. There were three marks underneath it that she couldn’t read.

  Theren knelt beside her. “It looks elven. I can’t make it out fully, but this one I think says ‘power.’” Theren once told her he knew little of their language. It was lost over the past few centuries. Only remnants of miscellaneous words remained.

  The hole was too narrow to put in a hand or fingers into. “See if you guys can find anything around. Maybe there’s a mechanism or the key somewhere.”

  The others scanned the ground, under rocks and above the keyhole. Serra took a step back and stared at it. Power. Is it possible that it means magical power? She recalled what Theren had told her about the legend, then what Ewen had said about Guvtarr.

  I wonder. She unsheathed her sword and put its tip into the hole then pushed. The sword’s blade slid effortlessly into it until it reached half way through. Something clicked, and the rock pushed backward deeper into the rock then slid to the side, revealing an opening.

  When Serra pulled out her sword, it was glowing with the same marks. Elven letters. The same way it did when she attacked Ewen.

  Carefully, they entered the opening, one by one. Serra held someone’s hand. It didn’t feel like Theren’s, and not hairy enough to be Finn’s, so it must have been Caden’s. With her free hand, she raised the sword in front of her to give them some light. The red glow was like a torch as it shined brighter when they made it further down the long cavern hall.

  Eventually, they reached a dead end.

  “Serra, try using the sword again. Maybe it will work for this as well?” said Caden.

  There wasn’t any keyhole she could find. There was barely anything distinguishable about the wall in front of them other than it was flat.

  She stepped back, feeling her foot push something down. When she looked down, part of the floor had etched markings, like those on her sword. Pointing them out to the others, Theren knelt to decipher it.

  “One moment. Please step out of the way.” They did as he asked, then he stepped on the stones, each sunk downward. After a few seconds and another click, the wall in front of them moved back then to the slid, revealing a doorway with a ladder leading up.

  “How did you figure that out?” asked Caden.

  Theren shrugged. “I just went in the order I’ve seen on Serra’s blade. I can’t read what all of them say, but I figured I’d… wing it?”

  Caden scratched his head, saying nothing. Serra inclined her head for them to follow. “Come on.”

  Serra put away her sword and climbed until she reached the top. She listened carefully for any sounds. There was nothing. Pushing hard agai
nst the trap door, she saw an empty room. No lighting except for a single torch, and a pair of stairs led up to the next floor.

  After making sure everyone was out safely, they closed the trapdoor and made their way up the steps. They met another wall, but this time it was wooden with a small nook to push it open or pull closed.

  She opened it with a small creak. The room it led to looked like a study with two levels of shelves holding books. A desk sat directly in front of her with a quill and inkwell. Scanning the papers on the desk, she saw a few signatures of a name: Ewen Revenmar, Duke of Adhelm.

  The secret entrance led directly to Ewen’s office.

  She passed one of the papers to the others, showing them what she’d found out. Finn rolled his eyes, Caden and Theren didn’t seem surprised.

  “If he isn’t here, then he is either in his room or he isn’t here,” said Finn.

  Serra sighed. “I agree. Something doesn’t seem right.”

  “Any sign of the statue?” said Caden.

  Serra searched the room and found no sign of it. Wherever Ewen was, he had the stature with him. She cursed under her breath.

  The door to Ewen’s office was locked from the outside. Finn pulled out his lockpicks before Serra and opened it within twenty seconds. He always did manage to outsmart a lock faster than she could. It brought her small relief that he was here with her but worry filled her heart. There was no guarantee they could leave the way they came in. The only other option was the main hall to the bridge. They needed to move quickly.

  In the hallways outside of Ewen’s office, there were no guards to be seen, which made Serra hold her breath for a long moment. Something’s not right.

  She followed the hallway down, which led to the courtyard outside. The cold breeze touched her face, making her shiver. It was much colder outside then she remembered. Had they been in that passage longer than she thought?

  Voices could be heard up ahead. Serra ducked down against a wall then leaned around to see where it had come from.