The Obsidian Palace (Through the Fire Book 3)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “We know, Baron. I’m not going to let them know about you, and we’ll do our best not to lead back to you,” Alaran assured him. “Now, about the layout of the palace…”

  Ruethwyn listened closely, eating her food as she did so. She wasn’t looking forward to the attack, but knowing everything she could was important. The chances of failure didn’t bear thinking on.

  Much later that night, Ruethwyn returned to the room she was sharing with Sella. She didn’t envy Korima, who was rooming with Tadrick, but at least she wouldn’t have to do that for too much longer.

  They’d decided to leave the next day, as if heading north like their cover story had claimed, but they were going to circle around and rest until after night fell, then try to go in through the secret passage. They’d figure out more after they saw the entrance, but Ruethwyn was confident they could figure out a way to get in without setting off the wards.

  She paused on seeing Sella, though. Her friend had removed the makeup and was looking out the window and across the valley to the south. Their room had a good view, and the stars were glittering above them. Sella wasn’t doing anything, and that worried Ruethwyn.

  “Are you alright?” Ruethwyn asked, closing the door behind her. “You weren’t saying much earlier.”

  “That’s because I didn’t have much to add. Everyone else knew what questions to ask, so I just needed to keep quiet,” Sella said, her voice soft. “I’ll help when we face things.”

  Ruethwyn blinked, hesitating, then slowly walked up behind her friend. She could feel Eretha’s amusement, but the spirit fox didn’t say anything, instead pulling back mentally as much as she could, the closest the woman could come to giving Ruethwyn privacy. Sending a mental thanks, Ruethwyn wrapped her arms around Sella’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder, looking up at the stars.

  Sella hesitated, then slowly raised a hand to rest it on Ruethwyn’s arms. For a long minute, they simply stood there in the near-dark.

  “Thank you, Sella. I can’t express how much this means to me,” Ruethwyn finally said, keeping her words simple.

  “I know. Let’s do this right, though. Let’s finish everything and figure out where to go from there,” Sella said, her voice soft. She adjusted her position so she could turn her head, and Ruethwyn pulled away so Sella could look at her, even if it was sort of awkward. Sella smiled as she added, “Don’t you dare die or get captured.”

  “The same to you. I don’t want to have to try to do this twice,” Ruethwyn replied, smiling. And then, on an impulse, she kissed Sella gently.

  Tomorrow would come soon enough, and then… who knew what the future would bring?

  Chapter 37

  The countryside north of Dragonreach and the Obsidian Palace was rocky, with numerous stone outcroppings and not much to recommend it, though Ruethwyn had been surprised that them hiding out had been complicated by there being several shepherds keeping an eye on goats in the area. There wasn’t a lot of vegetation, but there was more than enough to keep goats happy, she supposed. They weren’t the pickiest eaters from what Ruethwyn knew, but it had made their day a lot more interesting than she’d hoped it would be.

  Fortunately, Alaran had managed to track down an unoccupied cave for them to hole up in, though it was more of an alcove than anything else. They’d chosen to remove their disguises at that point, and Ruethwyn had bid Eretha farewell before settling in to relax and nap for most of the day. She’d also pondered on the numerous insights into shapeshifting and illusions that she’d gleaned from the spirit fox. They weren’t quite as inspiring as what she normally got from elementals, but the sheer amount of time she’d spent with Eretha in her mind had given her plenty to think on.

  Eventually the sun had set, though, and it was time to set out. Ruethwyn took a moment first, clearing her throat and speaking. “From what Baron said, with there being three levels to most of the palace wings, I suspect we’re going to have to split up at some point. Considering that, who’s going with who?”

  “There are five of us, so I’d suggest each of you pairing up, and I’ll move on my own,” Alaran said, tapping his breastplate as he smiled. “I’m something of a specialist in shadow magic, so I can hide pretty well on my own.”

  “Makes sense,” Tadrick agreed and frowned. “I’d say… either me and Rue, or me and Sella. No offense, Rue, but you and Sella are the two most vulnerable up close, while Korima is pretty good in a melee. You need someone who can hold off any soldiers while you support them.”

  “No offense taken,” Ruethwyn assured him, nodding. “You have a definite point. Sella? Which do you prefer? I’m willing to go with either, but…”

  As Ruethwyn’s voice trailed off, Sella smiled, looking between the two, pondering. Then she shrugged and said, “I’ll go with Tadrick. Your shield is particularly good against fire, Rue, so if Korima has to cause a lot of explosions, you’d be safer around her.”

  Korima laughed, grinning broadly, an evil glint to her eyes. “Very true! Not that I want to cause problems, but it’s best to be ready for things going sideways.”

  “It’s a plan, then. In that case, I think we’d best split up my items,” Ruethwyn said, pulling out the stacks of devices. She offered a wand to Alaran and Sella. “Here, one for each of us. You activate it the same way as any other wand, so you should both be fine.”

  “Thank you. Up to four people in a ten-foot area, correct?” Alaran asked, taking it as Sella did the same. As they took them, Ruethwyn took out the third and offered it to Korima.

  “Yes. Don’t count on it affecting someone like Essryl, though. She’s powerful enough she might just shrug the magic off,” Ruethwyn warned, and all of them nodded. Then she pulled out the silver disks, passing out one to each of them. “Then there’s these… they work about the same. I’ll keep the extra, for if we need to sneak someone through. Who should take the extra ward breacher?”

  “Won’t we need to use one on the exit?” Tadrick asked, frowning. “If so, does it matter?”

  “Maybe. I’m hoping we can bypass the problem, likely the same way Korima bypassed the first test at the end of the year,” Ruethwyn said, glancing at Korima, who blanched.

  “Um, Rue? That took hours to manage,” Korima said, fiddling nervously with the silver disc. “I’m not sure I could build a tunnel like that quickly.”

  “What’s this about?” Alaran asked, looking between them as Sella and Tadrick both laughed.

  “Korima bypassed a warded door by carving a tunnel through the stone around it. It was better than thirty feet in all, though, and she had to account for any weight above her,” Ruethwyn explained, then looked at Korima. “With any luck, this will be different. Based on the landscape, we should be able to find an area of just dirt well away from the exit, and you can bore a hole through the roof for one of us. That shouldn’t be as hard as moving rock, I wouldn’t think.”

  “Oh! Oh, that wouldn’t be nearly as bad, would it? It’s a bit like how I dealt with that cultist back in the fall, but on a smaller scale,” Korima said, her expression brightening. “Yeah, I could do that.”

  “The entire tunnel could be warded, so I wouldn’t count on that working,” Alaran said, but smiling as he added, “That’s a good idea, though. If we can save the breacher, it’d be for the best. Which of you is the best at breaking wards?”

  Without a word, all three pointed at Ruethwyn, and she laughed, smiling helplessly. “I guess that’s true.”

  “In which case, I’d say give the extra to Tadrick. I’m not amazing with wards, but I’m more experienced than most of you,” Alaran suggested.

  “Alright. Here, Tadrick. Just press them against the object and say the word on the top edge,” Ruethwyn explained, handing him two of the copper rings. “It’ll adhere to the object, and you have about five breaths of time before it goes off.”

  “Alright, sounds good,” Tadrick agreed.

  “Now, I’m keeping one of the spacial freezing cubes, and you can have the
other, Sella,” Ruethwyn said, handing over the silver cube. “Don’t use it except in an emergency, and if you do, remember that it lasts a fair while. Only the person who activates it with mana can deactivate it, and it’s single-use. I’d use it to prepare when a battle is unavoidable, but don’t give them time to get reinforcements if you can.”

  Sella nodded, taking the cube and examining it for a long moment before pocketing it. Finally, Ruethwyn looked at the two steel cubes and smiled, offering one to Alaran and Tadrick. “Here. They have a half-minute delay before they activate. I’m not sure what specific use they might have, but they’ll probably make instant doors, or we might use them to take out support pillars in an emergency. We might even be able to collapse a hallway, though I wouldn’t want to test that.”

  “I don’t disagree. I’ll use it if I have to, but if I don’t, that’d be best. I can’t imagine how much time you spent on all of these, especially if you researched how to make them yourself,” Alaran said, taking the cube and nodding.

  “I don’t like thinking about it either, even if I did look at other designs before touching mine. Heavens know that I didn’t have time to design all of these from nothing myself,” Ruethwyn said, then smiled and picked up her pack, her stomach feeling like it was tightening. “That said… shall we go?”

  The others chorused their agreement, and they carefully eased their way out of the cave and into the darkness of the night. Glancing up, Ruethwyn was thankful that the moon was mostly full. That would help them in their search for the secret tunnel.

  The exit was well-hidden, and once she knew it was there, the wards had been potent, much as Ruethwyn had expected. As she used a low-level magical ping to search for additional magic, though, she smiled.

  “Rue?” Tadrick asked. “I know that look…”

  “Whoever decided to put up these wards cut corners. They didn’t ward anything but the door and its frame,” Ruethwyn replied, grinning. “Unless the wards on the tunnel are better-hidden than the exit itself, that is. I can’t believe someone would be that stupid.”

  “Wards like this are expensive, and I could see the dragon being a miser where the exit is concerned,” Alaran replied, and grinned as he added, “After all, he’s never going to use it.”

  “Very true,” Ruethwyn conceded but smiled. “Still, that makes this easy. Korima? What way would be best for you?”

  “The top,” the kitsune spoke without hesitation. “I can make a hole just wide enough for us to drop through it, which will conserve mana. The door should open easily from the inside, right?”

  “They almost always do,” Alaran agreed. “We can examine it, and if necessary, hang a rope if it doesn’t.”

  “Easy peasy,” Tadrick said, looking far more relaxed than Ruethwyn felt.

  “Alright, let’s see what we can find…” Korima said, hopping up onto the top of the short outcropping. The exit looked a lot like a normal rock wall, and Korima backed up about three feet before asking. “What do you think, about here?”

  “Um, probably?” Ruethwyn said, frowning. “I’m not great with architecture, but I think that’d be behind the door.”

  Sella nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Unless the door is several feet thick, it should do it.

  “Alright, let’s do this,” Korima said, grinning and rubbing her hands together.

  She started chanting, her fingers flicking through the air with practiced ease as the rest of them began climbing up top as well. Ruethwyn reached the top about the time Korima finished her spell, and glittering yellow sparks fell from her hands to hit the ground, and the earth there rippled, then began to collapse like a sinkhole. A clattering sound caused Ruethwyn to wince, but then the hole stopped growing, just over two feet across and revealing a chamber of inky darkness.

  Alaran pulled out what looked like a small lantern with a crystal at its center and lowered it into the hole, speaking a word. The crystal lit up, shedding a purple glow as it illuminated a narrow passage that ended in a doorway. He nodded and hopped down, almost stumbling, then used a boot to shove the debris aside.

  “Looks good, and… yes, the door opens easily from the inside,” Alaran confirmed, stepping back. “Come on down.”

  “Thanks, Korima,” Ruethwyn said, smiling at her friend, then carefully jumped down. As she fully stood again, she asked. “What type of light is that? The light looks kind of odd.”

  “This? It’s a gloomlight. A sort of illusionary light, you’ll note it only extends maybe thirty feet or so?” Alaran said, nodding down the narrow hallway, where the light illuminated the packed earth and stone walls, along with heavy wooden supports. At her nod, he continued. “It’s also enchanted to fade to nothing by twice that distance. It’s good for when you need light on an infiltration or the like, since you don’t want to be hauling around a beacon for everyone else to target.”

  “Sounds pretty useful,” Tadrick said, hopping down, then pausing as he suggested, “How about you move down a bit? I don’t think there’s enough room for Sella or Korima.”

  “Oh, right,” Ruethwyn said, blushing slightly, and she quickly moved a little down the passage to make room, and the others followed Tadrick in short order.

  “At this point, we’re essentially committed. It’s entirely possible there will be wards along the way to the palace, or that the other end will be warded. I’d expect that,” Alaran warned, his voice growing softer. “Remember, we’re only trying to rescue the captives, not to do anything else. Try not to be seen, and the west wing is to our right after we get into the palace. If we run into stairs, I’ll take the basement while Tadrick and Sella will take the top floor. Any questions?”

  “Nope,” Ruethwyn said, her tension growing slightly.

  “Let’s go ruin a dragon’s night,” Korima said, a broad smile visible on her face.

  Chapter 38

  The other end of the tunnel had been warded, but to Ruethwyn’s surprise, the ward was primarily to keep it from being spotted from inside the palace easily, and to reinforce the door heavily. The locking spell might have slowed her down, but Alaran had enchanted lockpicks that had dealt with the lock easily.

  Her worst fear was that they’d open the door in plain view of a guard, though, and Ruethwyn tensed as Alaran glanced at them, nodded, and gently opened the door. At least it was almost silent as it opened toward them.

  Ruethwyn’s fear wasn’t realized, and she relaxed slightly as no cry of alarm broke the night. No, it was an odd clicking sound that made her tense slightly instead, and she looked at Alaran, who looked outside, then relaxed. He stepped out, his footsteps silent as a shadow as he gestured them forward.

  Stepping out into the hall, Ruethwyn looked around, then did a double-take, almost gaping at the device to their left, which had to be the source of the clicking. It was tall, and within the crystalline exterior she could see gears slowly moving, along with a pendulum inside the device, which was as tall as she was. She’d never seen a clock before, they were simply too expensive for most people to afford, but she’d seen pictures before. If she remembered right, most of them were built in Dukarth, though a handful of artisans outside the dwarven kingdom had the ability to make them.

  Ruethwyn shook off her surprise, feeling a little chagrined. Of course a dragon could afford a clock, it was more embarrassing that she’d gotten so startled by its presence, really. The others slipped out, and the palace was quiet around them.

  Studying the building, Ruethwyn grew still more daunted. The hallways were all enormous, wide enough that Resvarygrath could walk through them easily, and that made her nervous. The walls were ornate gray stone with vaulted ceilings, and further evidence of his wealth could be seen in the numerous glowing orbs that lit the halls. The floors were made of heavy marble squares, alternating black and white squares helping break up the monotony, though there were other things that helped as well.

  Scarlet curtains adorned the walls at regular intervals, as did paintings, ye
t more evidence of the dragon’s wealth. There were the occasional statuettes on shelves or pedestals, and she could even see a bust of what looked like Resvarygrath’s head in an alcove some feet to her left, just past the clock. Ruethwyn had to wonder why the clock was here, in a mostly empty hallway, but she wasn’t going to object.

  “The button to open the door is here,” Alaran murmured, showing where it was on the wall, and nodded at the clock, adding. “It’s also three wall sections to the clock’s left. Remember that.”

  “Got it,” Tadrick murmured, and Ruethwyn smiled nervously as they let the door slide shut behind them. It closed almost silently and vanished perfectly into the wall when it did.

  Alaran looked around the hall, then started down the hallway to their right. He’d gone almost eerily still and quiet, his gaze focused as he moved. Ruethwyn supposed that it was how he acted when in a dangerous area, and she slowed down marginally, allowing Korima to pass her. Korima gave a tight smile, and then they continued down the hall.

  No one was talking, not with how quiet it was, and Alaran had put away his light. They reached a branch, and Alaran paused, tensing. Hearing footsteps, Ruethwyn prepared herself for the possibility of being discovered. A moment later, there was a sound of a door opening, and then shutting. Alaran relaxed, murmuring. “A servant. Come on, I’m seeing more doors ahead. Rue, you might want to use your tracker.”

  “Alright,” Ruethwyn agreed, reaching into her pouch to pull out the circle, and also pulling out the thin ring of Anara’s hair. She put it in the center of the ring, and gently threaded mana into the device. She felt it vibrate in her hands as it hummed to life, then two of the copper strands began to glow, pointing forward and to their left.