A Prince's Errand

by Dan Zangari

  “This is not Mister Dol’shir,” the prince said, tossing the blade aside. “Leave the corpse.” He spun around, grabbing Krindal by the arm. “Your leader is still alive, albeit I don’t know for how much longer. This is the Sapphire Guard, after all. Now we must hurry; the rest of the camp is mobilizing at the entrance to these catacombs.”

  Kaescis turned and hurried off, leaving everyone awestruck.

  The warriors and mages marveled at what the prince had done and said. They looked unsure of what to make of the entire ordeal.

  So you’re not dead, Uncle, Ordreth sighed, feeling relieved. Seeing the short-sword succumb to the dissolving magic cemented a realization that his uncle was alive. Ordreth wouldn’t have to face Aunty Karenna or his mother. His mother… The thought of evading his mother’s wrath was enough to lighten any weight.

  But where was Uncle Cor? Anyone who could perfectly replicate a corpse was dangerous. Uncle Cor was skilled, but he couldn’t escape the clutches of the likes of this Sapphire Guard. Ordreth had to find his uncle.

  “Let’s go,” Nordal said. “Someone needs to fetch Midar and the others.” He chased after Kaescis, Krindal, and the Mindolarn arpranist. The prince was practically jogging down the tunnel.

  No time to waste then, Ordreth thought, feeling determined. He dashed after Nordal. “The prince is in a hurry,” Ordreth remarked, coming beside Nordal.

  “Kaescis practically ran to us,” Nordal said. “I guess he has one of those mapping tevisrals, too. You didn’t see him bolt through the tunnel?” Ordreth shook his head. Sharon came beside him and took his hand, still sniffling.

  “He was running, clutching a giant black sword,” Nordal said. “It looked like Iltar’s magic.”

  “The prince was holding a sword made of magic?” Ordreth asked, intrigued. He had heard tales of mages wielding such things, but had never seen it.

  “Yeah, but Kaescis dismissed it upon finding us,” Nordal replied. “Didn’t you see or hear any of this?”

  “No,” Ordreth admitted, partly ashamed.

  Nordal grunted. “Well, he was cursing at us, saying we were fools for coming down here when the Sapphire Guard was near. I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together. They’re the only group of elves that could frighten Krindal.”

  Ordreth turned his thoughts to his uncle. He was even more worried than before. What was Uncle Cor up against with these elves? And what did they want with him? The Sapphire Guard obviously wanted something from Uncle Cor. Else, why fake his death?

  * * * * *

  “This is it, I think…” Cornar said. He stood in front of a blank wall.

  “Really?” Vargos asked, chuckling. “Wouldn’t there be a door of sorts?”

  “You’d think,” Gregan smiled, sliding his hand across the stone. “Are you sure we didn’t take a wrong turn, Cor?” Cornar raised an eyebrow at the man, not amused. Gregan was obviously joking.

  “I thought you were confident in his skill?” Solidin asked, looking confused.

  “Oh, I am,” Gregan smiled. “Just giving him a hard time.”

  “Ah,” the elf said, nodding.

  “Do you think the wall reacts to Krindal’s gem?” Igan asked. “Like his mapping tevisral?”

  Cornar hoped not… else they would have come all this way for naught. He sighed and pleaded to that voice. I followed the map. Nothing is here. What must I do?

  Nothing came. No voice. No prompting. No instruction.

  Cornar sucked in a deep breath and looked around. The room wasn’t large. It was mostly empty, except for a shoulder high pillar in the center of the space. Odd pipes of various sizes descended from the ceiling and into the top of the pillar.

  “Maybe we check all the walls again?” Kalder asked. “Perhaps there is a mechanism.”

  “You know,” Igan said, frowning as he looked to Cornar. “I hate to say it… but it’s times like this that I wish Tilthan were around.”

  Cornar laughed. That was really saying something, as Igan didn’t get along with the conniving thief. Cornar didn’t care too much for Tilthan either. But he tolerated Tilthan more than Igan.

  “Well, it can’t be those walls,” Gregan said, pointing to the left and right. “There is a room to the left, and that dead-end hallway to the right.”

  “It must be this direction,” Cornar said, tapping on the wall in front of him. “The caves are there.”

  “Are you sure we can’t go any deeper?” Vargos asked. “We didn’t miss anything, did we?” No, they couldn’t go any deeper. By Heleron’s Scales, how far down into the ground had they gone already? There was that fall, then another two hundred phineals. After that they had descended at least another ten stories.

  Cornar ran through the map again in his mind, retracing all the steps he had taken. Yes, they were in the right spot.

  “I have an idea,” Igan said, rolling up the sleeves of his robe. “Everyone stand back.” The wizard had a determined expression upon his face. Cornar took that as a cue to heed Igan’s words. The others also obeyed.

  Igan uttered a laborious incantation. Purple light flickered around his hands, then gathered into a ball between his fingers. It was disintegrating magic.

  Genius, Igan! Cornar cheered inwardly.

  The magic coalesced and then beamed forward, striking the wall. The disintegrating magic bored through the stone. Igan sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating on forcing his magic through the wall. After a moment, the wizard lurched forward.

  “Let’s check it,” Igan said tiredly, pulling the beam of violet light into a ball between his palms.

  Cornar stepped up to the newly formed hole, feeling a wave of heat. The warmth washed through the perfect circle cut clean into the wall. The hole was no bigger than Cornar’s head. Light spilled through the hole, but soon faded.

  “Solidin,” Cornar called. The elf quickly came beside Cornar, sticking his lightstone into the hole.

  The hole went on for nearly three phineals before opening into what looked like a natural cave. It was not at all like the tunnels Cornar and the others had traversed. The cave was wide enough for the six of them to walk abreast.

  “Yes!” Cornar cheered, triumphant. “Igan, keep going.” He and Solidin stepped away while Igan resumed his spell. The wizard bored another hole into the wall along the bottom right of the opening.

  “Well, that’s the scholarly thing to do,” Vargos said. “When you can’t find the switch, you just burn a hole in the damned thing.”

  “We’re adventurers, Vargos,” Gregan chimed. “Not scholars.”

  Vargos hummed with disappointment.

  They all watched as Igan bored multiple holes in the wall, all arrayed around the first. After drilling the seventh hole, Igan disintegrated the chunks that remained, making the seven holes one.

  Once Igan dismissed his magic, Vargos stepped up to the wizard. “You took a perfectly good door and made it crude. Well done,” the barsionist said, patting Igan on the shoulder.

  Igan rolled his eyes.

  “It’s warm in there,” Gregan said, leaning into the hole. He scowled at the heat then glanced back to the others.

  “Let’s get going,” Cornar said. He crawled through the hole, which lacked any dust or debris. Igan’s magic had literally evaporated the stone. Cornar didn’t understand how it worked, as it should have left behind some residue. But magic often defied the laws of nature.

  Soon, Cornar was within that earthen cave. The warmth was enveloping. It actually felt good, as opposed to the cool weather on the surface.

  “I hope it’s not too hot in here,” Vargos griped, fanning himself.

  “And here I thought old people liked warmth,” Gregan grinned. The old barsionist shot Gregan an annoyed glance.

  Cornar smiled. It was good to be adventuring with these men. He loved the excitement of seeing something new, but he craved the interaction between his fellows. The bantering was what made trips like this fun.

  S
olidin and Igan stepped ahead, lighting the cave. It went on for a way, twisting and turning. It also descended. The party followed the tunnel for quite some time. Cornar was starting to tire. Was it nighttime up above? He wished there was a way he could tell. Cornar had once read a story that featured a tevisral that told the time of day. Oh, he wished it were real and that he possessed one.

  A wave of heat washed across them as they turned a corner, and then Cornar caught sight of orange light shining around another bend. Light this deep beneath the surface? What could be doing that?

  Cornar pushed ahead of Igan and Solidin, hurrying to the illuminated part of the earthen tunnel. The heat grew more intense with each step. The cave opened into a massive space, lit from below. Cornar stepped out onto a wide ledge overlooking an enormous lake of lava. Stalactites were suspended over a hundred phineals above the lake. This was a magma chamber…

  Had the Keepers actually built their temple inside such a dangerous place? It does make for a good hiding spot, Cornar thought.

  “Whoa…” Gregan muttered, stepping past Cornar. He neared the edge and looked down. “That’s a long drop.”

  “Don’t trip,” Vargos said. “Where to now, Cornar?”

  Cornar looked around, taking in his surroundings. The ledge continued to their right, wrapping around the enormous magma chamber. The chamber, however, curved away from the ledge, its entirety obscured from view.

  “I think we need to get around that bend,” Cornar said. But how long was it? He couldn’t recall the exact scaling on the map. It would probably take them several hours.

  “I’m sorry.” Solidin sighed, hunched forward with his hands on his knees. “Do you mind if we rest for a while? Fatigue is starting to hit me.”

  Cornar was feeling tired too. He glanced at the others, who showed similar signs of fatigue.

  “I think it’s a safe bet to say that we’re ahead of Kaescis and the others,” Igan said, walking back through the cave. “Why don’t we go back a bit and nap. It’s too hot in this chamber.”

  “Agreed,” Vargos said, and stomped away. The old mage was grumpy, and rightly so.

  “I’ll take first watch,” Gregan said.

  They wound their way back through the cave, stopping when they felt a difference in temperature.

  “Don’t let us sleep for too long,” Cornar said, lying on the floor. He wrapped Sharon’s cloak to make a pillow, then nestled against it, trying to get as comfortable as possible. After a short while, Cornar felt sleep overtaking him.

  * * * * *

  Solidin lay quietly, watching Gregan keep watch. The other men were fast asleep, exhausted from the ordeals of the last two days. Cornar and Aron were the first to drift into slumber, followed by the mages. The brawny man, Kalder, was the last to fall asleep, since he’d spoken with Gregan before retiring. Solidin hadn’t clearly heard their conversation, but he thought he heard them mention the Mindolarnians.

  Solidin fought the urge to sleep as he laid his head against his pack. It and the ground were quite uncomfortable. Solidin missed the luxury of his own camp. But he couldn’t entrust this task to just anyone. Solidin was the only one who could ensure the success of this venture.

  Stay awake, he thought. The debilitating heat from the lava lake—coupled with the lack of sleep—made remaining conscious nigh impossible.

  Gregan stirred, shaking himself awake. At least Solidin wasn’t the only one succumbing to the heat.

  The warrior started dozing again, but he soon snapped upright, cursing. Gregan was the most uncouth of the bunch. He was a likeable man, and so were the others. Cornar… well, he was everything the stories claimed. His sense of direction was better than the nose of a bloodhound. That amazed Solidin. Stories whispered in taverns were often exaggerations, but Cornar lived up to his reputation in every regard. Solidin liked him, a lot.

  That was dangerous.

  A moment later, gray and violet particles of light danced through the air, moving across the sleeping men and straight for Gregan. Solidin watched as the magic wisped into the man’s ears. Gregan wobbled and then slumped against the cavern wall, succumbing to the sleep-inducing spell.

  Solidin watched as more of the magic wisped to the others, insuring their slumber. It was an extra precaution he had ordered. After all, he had done the same to Cornar as he slept that first night.

  With everyone asleep, Solidin was free to move. He dusted himself and ascended the winding cave. He found it interesting that the Keepers had kept this path natural. I wonder if the Klindala Dynasty ever discovered these caves? Solidin wondered, rounding one of the bends in the earthen tunnel.

  “Solidin, esul daekali manil?” The whispered question was in his native tongue. He didn’t recognize the voice. It probably belonged to one of his newer recruits.

  I really should take the time to get to know these new fellows, Solidin thought, rounding the corner. There, standing in front of him, was an elf wearing white armor with blue accent trim. It was the standard uniform for everyone that belonged to his elite force, the Sapphire Guard.

  “I’m fine,” Solidin said in answer to the question.

  Several more elves stood behind the first. Solidin recognized many, as they were some of his most trusted soldiers.

  “Are you hungry, Solidin?” Gladis asked in Elvish. He pushed past the others, also wearing white armor. Gladis’s breastplate was a little different, as it had the emblem of the Guard emblazoned across it. The emblem depicted the immortal tree blooming beneath the crescent of order. The crescent was upheld by the pillars of justice and topped with the five stars of the Guard’s founders.

  “Not really,” Solidin shrugged. “We cooked the meat of those damovians we encountered. It left me… not wanting.”

  “Disgusting!” Fingas made a puking face.

  Gladis rolled his eyes. “You know, Solidin, that is akin to cannibalism.”

  “How could you stand to eat them?” Tergos asked, looking bewildered.

  Solidin shrugged as Kaldarin approaching. “How’s everyone?” Solidin asked, still speaking Common, though his fellows spoke Elvish.

  “The troops are fine, commander,” Kaldarin said, saluting Solidin. “And we sealed up the hole in the last Klindil chamber.”

  “Good.” Solidin grinned. “That should stall the Mindolarnians for a bit. Hopefully, they won’t suspect that we’re ahead of them.” He looked to Gladis. “Did you transmute a new wall?”

  Gladis nodded. “It looks the same. I used a mimicry line in the incantation.”

  “Are we close to the temple?” Kaldarin asked.

  “I think so,” Solidin said. “I vaguely recall a chasm on the map. It’s a massive magma chamber.”

  “A moat of magma?” another elf mused. “Genius!”

  “Are we moving ahead?” Kaldarin asked.

  Solidin shook his head.

  “Why not?” Fingas demanded. “We do not need the man anymore. He got us through the under-depths of Klindil. He’s served his purpose.”

  “Are you going soft, Solidin?” Gladis asked, raising an eyebrow with disapproval. Gladis looked stern when he made that expression.

  “They’re decent people,” Solidin said. “I don’t want to deprive them of the discovery. I’ll continue with Cornar until we reach the temple.”

  “But, Solidin!” Tergos shouted. “The Mindolarnians could be close behind. We cannot waste the time!”

  “This is unwise, commander,” Kaldarin said with a sigh.

  “I appreciate the concern,” Solidin said, clenching his teeth. “But I lead the Sapphire Guard. We do as I say… Understood?”

  The elves shied away. They knew not to anger Solidin.

  “Does Cornar suspect anything?” Gladis asked. He was the only one who wasn’t afraid of Solidin. After all, they were friends, and their friendship spanned more than two centuries, since childhood.

  “No, he doesn’t,” Solidin said. “His friends were leery, but once they saw his trust in me their wo
rries faded.”

  “The mark of a good leader,” Gladis nodded. He stepped away from the crowd. “I will tell the others of your intent.”

  “Thank you, old friend,” Solidin grinned.

  The other elves looked nervous, especially Tergos. The death of his brother during the battle in the Igeacean Sea probably haunted him still.

  “Keep patrols active as we move,” Solidin said. “And if the Mindolarnians encroach on your rear, sound the klaxon. Keep someone with my gear ready. I’ll abandon the humans and come to your aid.”

  That seemed to ease the elves.

  Turning away, Solidin bade them farewell. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. And Fingas, dismiss your spells once I get settled.”

  “A man will brave unspeakable odds and unearth a secret that will change the world. Together, he and the Unspoken One shall seek a forgotten power. I cannot see where or when this will happen, but it will be pivotal to the Harbinger’s mandate.”

  - Prophecy of Soron Thahan

  Yes!” Cornar cheered, gazing to the sky. Though it was twilight, Cornar could see a yellow tint and several blood-red clouds. He was back in the dreamland. Cornar rode in the middle of his father’s company of elite soldiers, eighty-four in all. They were moving through the trees, but Cornar could see the shores of a lake, Laelin Lake.

  “And what are you excited about, Naedar?” one of the soldiers asked Cornar. So he was playing the part of Naedar again. He could handle that.

  Melthas held up a fist, calling for the party to halt. “Mages, cast your invisibility.” In perfect unison, the mages cast their concealing magic on the party, and everyone vanished. Adrin uttered another spell, and pale-yellow particles alighted on the invisible party. Then everyone appeared again, sort of…

  Cornar squinted. He could see the others, but they had a strange film covering them. That film had to be the invisibility spell. Cornar glanced to his hands, which were also covered in that strange film. Like the thieves’ lenses, he mused. He never knew such a spell existed. When Cornar and the others traveled invisibly, they always held onto a rope.