by Brandon Mull
“Shall I help?” Lomo offered.
“Avoid his glove,” Lockland said. “And mine. Hold him still, and I can remove it.”
“You would strip me of what is rightfully mine?” Tregain bellowed.
“It’s a contest,” Lockland said.
As Lomo moved to get behind Tregain, the angry prince pushed away from Lockland and returned to his feet. Rather than attack Lomo, he backed away. Lockland stood, positioning himself in front of Lomo.
“Look at you,” Tregain said derisively. “So smug. We’ll see how satisfied you are when the world falls to ruins.”
After a final digusted look at his brother, he turned and fled.
“And I thought my family didn’t get along,” Seth said.
Lockland gave a rueful chuckle. “Neither of my brothers listens to reason. They are both so intent on claiming the prize for themselves that they are willing to keep the possibility of winning it forever out of reach.”
“That is about to change,” spoke a clear, authoritative voice.
Seth whirled. From the other end of the walkway, a man approached. He had regal features, with steel-gray hair and a closely trimmed beard, and he wore a chain-mail shirt that hung well past his waist and heavy trousers. Seth knew the voice, but usually it sounded like many voices speaking in unison and was magnified. In this form, Celebrant sounded human.
Behind him came Obregon, no longer holding his golden ax. Seth noticed that neither man had a visible weapon. But Celebrant wore a golden glove on one hand.
“That’s close enough,” Lomo said.
Celebrant and Obregon halted. “Very well. We overheard enough to grasp the situation. You have the platinum coin.”
“Maybe we were bluffing,” Seth said.
“We possess the other two,” Celebrant said. “Gold and silver.”
“Along with Heath’s glove,” Lockland said.
“My glove now,” Celebrant replied, spreading his gloved fingers wide. “A fairly remarkable item. Please thank Tregain for the uproarious conversation. It simplified the matter of locating you.”
“Heath?” Lockland asked.
“As golden as his former minions,” Celebrant said. “We partnered with him at first. After we acquired the gold coin from Tregain, our relationship with Heath soured.”
“You pinned him down and took the glove?” Kendra asked.
“We did,” Celebrant said. “I started turning gold when I removed it, but putting it on reversed the process. Everything is so tedious in these pathetic human bodies, but using the glove is amusing.” He touched the railing of the walkway and smiled as a portion of it turned to gold.
Seth and Kendra shared a glance. He suspected she was thinking along the same lines as he was. They should be able to save their cousin by putting a glove on him. Maybe Lockland would lend them his? Could they save Tanu that way, too? Would it work on a fully transformed person?
“Heath was liberal with his glove,” Lockland said.
“I observed,” Celebrant replied. “His entire room was gilded. Every item, every block, every tile. Now he matches.”
“What is your offer?” Kendra asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Celebrant asked. “We lost Jaleesa. To move forward, we need one more person to hold a coin. I could wait for more dragons to come three months from now on the next festival night, but I would rather settle this now. Wouldn’t you?”
“You want to throw the coins in the fountain together?” Seth asked.
“Naturally,” Celebrant said. “Keep things progressing.”
“What about the prize?” Kendra asked.
Celebrant shrugged. “May the best treasure hunter win.”
“Can we have a minute to talk about this in privacy?” Kendra asked.
“I fail to see the need,” Celebrant said. “You will not succeed in taking the coins from us. But I could turn you to gold in short order.”
“Or we could turn you to platinum,” Seth replied.
“Or I could steal the platinum glove,” Celebrant countered. “Instead I offer a full truce until we toss in the coins. If the Wizenstone materializes, we will all do our best to get it. Or if there are more steps to win the prize, we will take them as they come.”
“If we wish to move the contest forward, it’s a reasonable offer,” Lomo said.
“We don’t want to wait for more dragons,” Seth said.
“All right,” Kendra said. “Truce.”
Celebrant turned away briskly. “Shall we, then? The night is not getting any younger.”
He and Obregon started walking. Seth, Kendra, Lomo, and Lockland followed.
“I expected to see you in heavy armor,” Seth called ahead.
“You expected correctly,” Celebrant replied without looking back. “Cumbersome armor did not match the circumstances. I don’t require protection from blows, and it was slowing me down.”
“And normally a dragon in human form has magically reinforced strength,” Lockland murmured. “Without inhuman strength and endurance, a full suit of armor quickly becomes ponderous.”
As they descended toward the courtyard, Seth tried to devise a strategy. How could they gain advantage in this situation? Dealing with the dragons probably made sense for now, but what would stop them from turning everyone to gold once the coins had been thrown? Or what if the Wizenstone appeared? Would it just be a matter of who was first to pick it up? No matter what, they could not let it fall into Celebrant’s hands. Was there a realistic way to stop him?
Seth moved over to Lomo. “We’ll have to be ready for anything,” Seth muttered quietly.
Lomo gave a nod. “A lot is riding on the next few moments.”
They exited to the courtyard and crossed to the fountain. Water splashed from seven spouts across multiple shelves into the wide basin. Celebrant produced the gold coin, and Obregon held up the silver.
“Give us the silver coin,” Kendra said.
“That was not the arrangement I offered,” Celebrant said.
“You need help putting the coins in the fountain, give us the silver,” Kendra said. “We throw two, you throw one.”
“I’ll have help in three months,” Celebrant said. “I can wait.”
“Are you sure you’ll have help?” Kendra asked. “I can’t imagine you trusting many dragons with this information.”
“Not many,” Celebrant replied, his gaze hard. “Is it easier to imagine me without contingency plans?”
Seth thought Celebrant looked like he was telling the truth. He could just be a good bluffer.
“Who cares who throws the coins?” Kendra said. “It saves you three months at least. Let us throw two.”
“I care,” Celebrant said. “I offered a truce under the condition that you would throw your coin with us. Would you prefer to break the truce?”
Seth knew Kendra had moved onto shaky ground. Trouble could start any second.
Kendra took the platinum coin from her pocket. “I’ll play along.”
Lockland stepped near to Seth and whispered, “If this goes bad, run and hide.”
Seth got ready. He would run either to the Wizenstone or away from Celebrant if he started trying to tag them with his glove.
“I will count three, two, one, toss,” Celebrant said. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Kendra said.
“Three,” Celebrant said.
Seth clenched his fists and bent his knees slightly. A quick reaction could be the key to grabbing the Wizenstone.
“Two,” Celebrant said.
Seth glanced at Lomo, who stood ready as well.
“One,” Celebrant said. “Toss.”
Three arms swung forward, and three coins took flight, each plopping into the basin.
Banishment
Water stopped spouting into the fountain, and the liquid in the wide, circular basin grew dark and still. Surprisingly dark and suddenly still as glass. Kendra had positioned herself a quarter of the way around the fountain from Ce
lebrant. Leaning over the water, she could see her reflection. She also saw the reflection of a dwarf. He looked to be in his autumn years, with playfully expressive features and a forked beard, reddish brown streaked with gray.
The compact man waved at her with just his fingers and spoke. “Hello.”
Kendra looked sideways to where he must be standing. After a moment looking around, she realized he was visible only in the water.
“This is a surprise,” the dwarf said, looking from Kendra to Celebrant to Obregon. “None of you three were present at the start of the contest.”
“Are you Humbuggle?” Kendra asked.
Looking bewildered, the dwarf patted his vest as if feeling his pockets. “I’m afraid so. And I should have a poem ready for the next phase of the challenge, but I have waited a very long time. You wouldn’t believe how long. Some people just can’t seem to collaborate.”
“What is the next phase?” Celebrant asked.
The dwarf wagged a finger at him. “This contestant is all business. Accustomed to command. You’re a participant like everyone else tonight.”
Celebrant sneered. “You have a poem?”
“I had a poem,” Humbuggle said. “A good one. And that is no small matter in English. But I’ve misplaced it.”
“Don’t you have it memorized?” Celebrant asked.
“I did last time I checked,” Humbuggle said. “But that was more than six hundred years ago.”
“Can you just tell us the rules?” Kendra said.
“I suppose,” Humbuggle said. “I could also eat plain oatmeal every day to stay alive. An explanation is more pleasant when it rhymes. And a tad more official.”
“Make up a rhyme?” Kendra proposed.
“I’m not speaking Silvian,” Humbuggle said. “This is English. I suppose I can give it a go.” He laced his fingers, cracked his knuckles, cleared his throat, and recited:
To tread where mystic waters roll
You must be one who paid the toll
Reclaim the token you have tossed
Or lose all hope to pay the cost
Then in the end if you reflect
The rod you surely shall detect
With pow’r to banish friend or foe
To realms above or depths below
“We’re looking for a rod?” Kendra asked.
“No more hints, young lady,” Humbuggle said. “That poem was already far too plain.” The dwarf clapped his hands and vanished.
Immediately the floor of the basin began to recede, sinking deeper and deeper, leaving behind one step at a time until a helix of stairs descended into darkness. As the water in the basin flowed down the newly forming stairway, the spouts began to gush again, keeping a steady stream of water tumbling down into the humid depths.
Celebrant glared at Kendra, pointing at her with his gloved hand. “If you want to survive this night, do not follow us.”
Celebrant entered the basin at the top step and began going down the stairway. Obregon followed. The footing looked treacherous, with water swirling around their shins, but they sloshed out of sight without falling.
Kendra turned to the others. “I have to go, don’t I?”
“Let me go first,” Lomo said, trying to step into the basin and getting thrust back roughly as an unseen barrier flashed.
“The poem warned that only those who threw coins could go down,” Lockland said.
“It’s me or nobody,” Kendra said. “We can’t let them get the rod. What if that means they will win the Wizenstone?”
“Don’t go without this,” Lockland said, removing his platinum glove. He set it on the ground and stepped away.
“Your glove?” Kendra asked.
“If you’re wearing it, Celebrant can’t turn you to gold,” Lockland said. “All our hopes are on you right now. Take it.”
Kendra crouched, picked up the glove, and put it on. Though it looked too big at first, the glove shrank to neatly fit her hand.
“Be careful what you touch with the glove,” Lockland reminded her. “It can take time to get used to the consequences of wearing it. Your own clothes are safe, though.”
“I can control the platinum statues?” Kendra asked.
“It’s easiest to instruct them if you’re touching them,” Lockland said. “But you can also send out commands mentally. I just have them trying to touch Obregon at the moment, since the glove makes Celebrant immune.”
“I don’t see them,” Seth said.
“They’re coming,” Lockland replied.
Kendra looked at the other statues in the courtyard. All were gradually moving toward them, so slowly that the motion was only just becoming noticeable from a distance. “They’re speeding up.”
“By the end of the night they will be dangerous,” Lockland said.
“I better hurry,” Kendra said, stepping over the side of the basin onto the top stair.
“Celebrant could try to take your glove,” Lockland said. “Don’t let them corner you. Touch Obregon if necessary.”
“Be sneaky,” Seth recommended. “They don’t need to know you’re behind them.”
Water splashed around her ankles, soaking her socks. The top step was not as wet as the others—water from only one spout of the fountain drained onto it. As she made her first full downward circle, all the spouts would contribute to the cascade.
Kendra stared at the water slurping downward. Was she crazy? If she slipped, the fall itself could be lethal. Let alone the pair of dragons in human form who wanted to turn her to gold, and probably a bunch of traps created by the dwarf.
“Wish me luck,” Kendra said.
“You can do it,” Seth assured her. “See you soon.”
Kendra looked at her brother. “I don’t have my fairykind powers. It looks so dark.”
“You should get going,” Lomo said. “You don’t want Celebrant and Obregon to get too far ahead.”
“Hopefully you’ll stumble across their dead bodies,” Seth said.
“A girl can dream,” Kendra replied, starting down the stairs. She kept a hand on the wall to help steady herself. The water gushing over the stone steps made the descent quite slippery. After a full downward circle, her friends passed out of view, and the darkness increased.
The misty air smelled of moss, stone, and water. The darkness increased the deeper she went, and the wall became mushy or slimy sometimes. The squishy textures made Kendra squeamish, but she was more scared of falling, so she kept her hand sliding across the unsettling surface.
Soon Kendra was descending in complete darkness, unseen water sluicing past her calves. She firmly planted each step before taking the next, winding down to unguessable depths. The water rushing ahead of her and behind her filled the stairway with white noise. The stone wall grew cooler, alternating between gooey, mossy, and slick.
After some time, faint blue radiance appeared up ahead. The light grew brighter as Kendra kept going. She found a glowing crystal anchored to the wall just beyond where the spiraling stairs finally ended in a pool. At the bottom of the pool, Kendra noticed the glint of a coin.
Wading into the pool brought the water just above her knees, but her pants were already drenched anyway from water splashing up while she descended the stairs. Kendra crouched and fished out the platinum coin. The poem had made it sound like she might need it, so she tucked it in her pocket. Perhaps the light source had been placed here to give her a fair chance to find it.
Water overflowing from the pool at the base of the stairs continued down a gently slanted corridor. Some distance down the hall, Kendra saw the blue radiance of another crystal. There was no sign of either Celebrant or Obregon. A hurried search of the pool revealed no more coins, so Kendra assumed they must have collected theirs. Had they missed hers, or had they been unable to claim it? Perhaps the rule of one coin per person remained in effect.
The corridor looked ancient, the eroding masonry glossy with dampness and slime. The hall was wider than the stairway had been
, meaning the water was not as deep, but it still covered her ankles. Kendra crept forward, wondering how she would respond if Celebrant and Obregon attacked her.
The corridor ran long and straight, with blue crystals placed far enough apart to allow for extended shadowy stretches between them, although light ahead or behind never fully passed out of view. At length Kendra reached a place where the water flowed down a short flight of stairs into a black river.
Kendra paused at the top of those stairs. She could not see the far side of the river, but the water was clearly flowing left to right, with the water from the fountain serving only as a small tributary. Unlike the water on the stairs, the water of the river seemed black as ink and only barely reflected the light from the nearest crystal.
Beyond the bottom of the stairs, a few steps led up to a wooden quay projecting a short distance out into the river. A single raft awaited at the end of the quay, with a single cowled occupant, who stood facing away from Kendra.
Nothing about what she saw enticed her to approach.
But there was nowhere else to go unless she simply dove into the tenebrous water of the river. Or turned back.
Could the occupant of the raft be Celebrant or Obregon? Perhaps, if they had found a hooded robe. If not, where were they? Had there been other options earlier?
Kendra descended the last stairs, water sloshing around her, then waded over and climbed the steps to the quay. The rotted wood looked thin and splintery, with so many gaps it would be more like walking on shutters than on a solid surface. The wood crunched beneath her first step, and she even felt it sag slightly. If she broke through, she would end up in the black river. The sides of the quay seemed better reinforced than the center, so she moved along the right side, wood creaking with each step.
At the end of the quay, she reached the raft. The robed figure turned, revealing a skull inside the hood.
Kendra gasped and tried not to stumble into the river. At least the skeletal figure made no harsh movements. A hand made of bones reached out, fleshless palm upward. The figure held that pose.
