The Wretched

by Brad Carsten

  “This isn't current. It’s about what happened in Almswick.” Kaylyn touched the pendant hanging below her neckline. “Do you know anything about it?”

  “Not much more than anyone else, I'm afraid. The battle of Almswick is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the kingdom, and the most disturbing.” She took the teapot out the fire and gathered some cups. “As the heir, only second to the throne, I’m sure you’d know more about it than I do. All I know is that some of the finest soldiers in the kingdom were killed that day, and that His Majesty the king took an arrow to the chest that he never recovered from. Apart from that”—she spread her hands—“I wish I could tell you more.”

  Kaylyn looked terribly disappointed. “It was a long shot anyway.”

  Madam Hollis handed her a warm cup of tea and rubbed her shoulder. “I imagine it's hard not knowing what happened to your father that day, or your brother. Prince Kael was a good man, he didn’t deserve to die. I met him a few times, and have nothing but fond memories of him. He had the kindest eyes, and the most inviting smile.”

  Kaylyn stared at the cup as though she didn't know it was in her hand, and when she spoke it was in a distant voice. “That’s funny, I hardly remember that side of him anymore. Whenever I see him, he looks so tired, so worn out like he needs to sleep.” She shuddered.

  Madam Hollis frowned. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but what do you mean by ‘when you see him?’”

  Kaylyn took a while to answer. “I misspoke. I meant the memories aren’t happy ones, that’s all.” She took a long sip of her tea.

  Liam gave Quinn a puzzled look.

  “You don't know anyone else that I could ask?”

  “You know,” Madam Hollis said, placing a finger on her chin in thought. “This may be nothing...”

  Kaylyn put down her cup. “Anything would help.”

  “Well, you must understand that the original source may not be the most credible, but there is talk that not everyone was killed that day. Someone besides your father survived.”

  “Someone else was there? Who was it? I never heard anything like that.”

  “There's a tower in Talondeor that some of the worst offenders are sent to. These aren't just normal prisoners, these are men that are so vile, they're not even given the mercy of banishment, or a clean execution.”

  “Yes, the Blackstone Tower. I know about it. Apparently, no one's ever escaped from it, and the prisoners are never released.”

  “Well yes, and no. No one's escaped as far as we know, except for a man named Aswyn Rumpenok.”

  “Rumpenok, I've never heard of him? Is he still alive?”

  “Oh no, no. When they found him, he had lost his mind. No one really knows what happens in the tower, so it's little surprise, but it's a strange tale even so. The people of Brayshire have always found things disappearing at night, and the things that disappear are not always valuable to others. It could be anything from a scarecrow out in the field, or a broken latch, to a sign or a wheel off a wagon. Stranger still, this has been going on as far back as the town's folk remember. They assume it has something to do with the tower, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone admitting it.

  The town's folk have tried everything, including setting up a watch, but they could never catch the people doing it, until a few years back that is.

  A farmer’s cart had broken down on the way back from town, and he was forced to go the rest of the way by foot. It was just after midnight, and he was crossing his field, when he noticed something moving through the dark. He said it moved quickly, and it seemed to fade in and out of the shadows like a specter. It crossed his field and slipped into his barn. At first, the farmer was afraid, and he hid behind a tree, but as the minutes passed, he began to rationalize what he had seen, and he finally worked up enough courage to confront the intruder.

  He loaded his crossbow and crept around to the entrance, and that's when he saw a shape moving past the window. His nerves got the best of him and he fired. At first, he thought he had missed, because he heard something scurrying away, but when he went to investigate, he found a man lying on the floor. He said the man was thin, almost emaciated, and he had lost his mind. For half an hour, he rambled on about the tower until he passed away. Little of what he said made sense, but it frightened the farmer enough to write it down. He took the body into town the next morning, and they identified the intruder as the infamous Rumpenok, the killer of infants. He was a vile man who'd sneak into the houses of parents at night and bludgeon their infants to death. When he was caught, his only comment was that their heads burst open so easily. He had been sent to the tower—as I said, only the vilest of criminals were ever sent to the tower—but that then begs the question, how he'd escaped, and what he was doing in the barn that night. The people poured through the papers afterwards, hoping for some clues, but one thing they discovered was very interesting to the few who knew what it meant. He kept talking about the man of Almswick, at the top of the tower. The one who'd scream at night about honour and injustice. As I said, most of it was garbled, but he said something that was very interesting, he said:

  'I forsake my past, my honor, my life in service of the kingdom. I fall in the eyes of man to rise again in service to my king, for man must not rely on me, or see honor in my ways. Thus, as the fallen, they cannot hold me in debt, and my honor is my own to bestow. And as a man returns to dust to be reborn into glory, so I will arise, as a champion of the kingdom, a protector of the realm for His Majesty's glory and honor until I fall for the last time with a sword in my hand and a song on my lips.'“

  “The knight's pledge,” Kaylyn whispered.

  Madam Hollis nodded, grimly.

  “But that's impossible. Knights of the fallen aren't sent to the tower—ever.”

  “No one knows what happened at Almswick, but as I said, only the worst of the worst were ever sent to the tower. If he killed the other knights and almost killed your father, then wouldn't that be reason enough?”

  Kaylyn was stunned. “How reliable is this information?”

  “The intruder had lost his mind, but the man who shared this with me was there that day. He was one of those they'd brought the papers to. An honest man. I'd trust him with my life.”

  “Well, then we must leave for the tower at once.”

  “It may not be that easy to get inside, even for one with your highness’ gifts. The surrounding wall reaches into the sky, and the keep is bound by its own strange power. The Wardens never sleep, and when the kingdom fell, they shut the doors to the tower, allowing no one else in and no one else out. Even if you got through all of that, it's been ten years. There is little chance that your man is still alive in there.”

  “But if he knew anything about Almswick, he may have written it down. Oh, if there’s a chance, I must know. We must leave for the tower at once. The only way to prevent a civil war is to force Dunlyn back into hiding, and the only way to do that is to end the war with the nightspawn. If we fail, the kingdom's story will end in bloodshed, and I cannot allow that to happen. I will not.”

  Madam Hollis nodded soberly. “Okay. I can get you out of the city and arrange for a carriage to take you to Talondeor. We can take you straight to the old man’s house. He's an inventor named Livius. I’ll give you a letter that’ll explain everything. He’s eccentric, and doesn't like people much, but ever since that night, he's been obsessed with finding a way into the tower. If anyone can get you inside, he can.”

  Kaylyn took Madam Hollis' hands. “Thank you for your help. I know things are difficult for you right now, but hang in there for a while longer. We’ll take the city back, and you'll be well rewarded. Just please be careful.”

  “I will,” she said, simply. “Now, to get you out of the city. Londer,” she called up the stairs, and a few seconds later, the tall man appeared.

  “Where are our men stationed tonight?”

  “They'll be at the Eastern gate.”

  “Good. Take them as far as the Gui
s' farm. Tell them we need a carriage to Talondeor. I’ll write letters for Master Guis and Livius. The fog should be thick enough to cover you.”

  While Madam Hollis was going through the plan with Londer, Kaylyn drew Liam and Quinn aside to speak to them. “I was thinking about our fight earlier and what you said—”

  “Kaylyn, we were all upset—” While his feelings hadn't changed, he regretted saying those things to her.

  “No, you were right. I've caused a lot of problems for you, and so I'm going to ask Madam Hollis to arrange another wagon for you to take you to wherever you need to go. This is my fight, not yours, and I can't ask you to go with me.”

  The offer was tempting. He'd given his word to the Madam Sage that he would try to figure out her plans, but he wasn't any closer than when he'd started. Every time he thought he knew what she was really up to, she proved him wrong. An hour ago, he would have wagered everything he owned that she wanted to kill Dunlyn, but now that she knew how to find him, she was walking away. It didn't make sense. If she wanted him dead, this would have been the perfect opportunity, before he had a chance to build up his army, but she was letting him slip free. No, he couldn't see her motives, and that frustrated him the most.

  Even though he still didn't know her plans, he may still have walked away if he knew that Quinn would be safe, but there was something larger at play. Whatever he thought of Kaylyn, she was right: they either had to stop the nightspawn or Dunlyn, or the kingdom would be destroyed. Despite the things he had said during their argument, he had brought Kaylyn into Brigwell and had talked her into leaving the scribes. Their blood weighed heavy on him, and if he could make a difference in this war to atone for what he had done, then he had to try. He didn't know if learning the truth about Almswick would help, but if that's where it all began, then it was a good place to start.

  “And where would I go?” he said. “Unless we can stop this madness, it will catch up to us eventually. No, if we can stop this, then I’m going with you.”

  A thought at the back of his mind whispered that two people couldn't make a difference, but for his own conscience, he had to do something, and if it meant staying with Kaylyn then what other choice did he have?

  “What about you?” Kaylyn said to Quinn. “Do you need a carriage?”

  “No, I'm staying here. Fayre doesn't have anyone else in the city to take care of her, and once she gets out of the infirmary, she'll need all the help she can get.”

  “I understand.” Kaylyn took his hands. “Please be careful. You were with us earlier when those guards saw us, and so they may recognise you.”

  “I'll be careful. I don't plan on touring around the city, and only a handful of them saw me anyway.”

  “Okay. I'll send word once we know what's going on at the tower.” She drew a gold coin out of her purse and pressed it into his hand. “I'd been keeping that for when I get to visit a market, but I think you should have it to cover her costs... I'm just sorry that it had to come to that.”

  Liam clasped Quinn's hand. “Be careful, will you? this isn't Lyndwon. A wrong move here won't end with a brawl and a mug of ale.”

  They left in the early hours of the morning when the fog was at its thickest, and they could slip out of the city without being seen. The journey was just as awkward as the journey into Luthengard. Kaylyn slept on and off, and Liam was left with his thoughts for company. Now that they were out of the city, with the stress of being caught behind him, and nothing but the hours stretching out before him, his mind kept returning to what had happened in the Alley in the Linicus quarter, and the look in Kaylyn's eyes as she pummeled the man's head against the wall. Liam had taken her power for granted, and had even been flippant with her. The thought filled him with dread. He realised how foolish he had been and resolved to hold his tongue in future and handle her as carefully as he would a spined-backed adder that was coiled to strike.

  Livius' house was on the border of Talondeor, less than half a day's journey from Luthengard.

  He’d built his house a few miles away from the nearest town, alongside a river, and had diverted the water around it to form a moat, complete with a drawbridge. It was a strange looking house with a tall slate roof, and too many rooms all perched on top of a small stone base.

  Dozens of water wheels of all sizes, from huge to tiny, clanked lazily alongside the house, turning gears and metal shafts that disappeared into the walls. The sound of water crashing over the wheel buckets was a pleasant sound that took Liam back to his childhood in Brigwell.

  Livius had left the drawbridge down, and Liam crossed over to the front door.

  “Hello,” he called. “Master Livius.” There was no door knocker, so Liam rapped on the door with his knuckles. “Master Livius?”

  It took a while for the small hatch to be yanked back and a glaring eye to appear in the opening. “Who in Corgin’s name are you, and what are you doing at my door?”

  “I'm Liam and this is Kaylyn, and we're—”

  “Come closer, I can't see you,” Livius interrupted.

  Liam took a step closer and tried again. “Master Livius, we were sent from madam Hollis, and were wondering if—”

  “Closer man. Come closer.”

  Liam did and then the eye disappeared and a thin stick jabbed through the hatch, almost hitting Liam in the face.

  He scrambled back off the drawbridge, and the drawbridge lifted with the sound of clanking gears, cutting off their only means of reaching the house.

  “The next time it'll be a bolt,” the man shouted. “Now get off my property.” Liam couldn't help glancing back at Kaylyn to make sure that she wasn’t drawing power. That was the last thing he wanted. She had lost control of it twice already, and who knew what would happen next time, but she calmly took a seat on the wagon. “So what do we do now?”

  “I don't know,” but he had to think of something. He cupped his hands to his mouth. “Master Livius, we've got a message from Madam Hollis in Luthengard. Master Livius?”

  There was no reply.

  He tried again, but nothing moved, not even a blind in the window as though the house had swallowed those inside. There was nothing but the sound of the river and the hollow sound of clanking wheels.

  Just off to the side, along the treeline, Livius was constructing a giant catapult, and for a moment Liam considered using it to launch himself onto the roof, but quickly dismissed it as a terrible idea. His eyes trailed over the waterwheels, and then up to the line of windows. An idea began forming in his mind, and he kicked off his boots.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What we should have done a lot sooner. I'm going to find another way inside.”

  As Liam waded in, the water took his breath away. There was no way through the front door, but the windows on the third floor were wide enough to slip through, and those he could reach from the top of the water wheel. This wouldn't be the first time he'd caught a lift up a water wheel, but ten years had passed, and he found that he wasn't quite as nimble as he used to be.

  The first time his fingers slipped off, and he landed back first in the water, soaking himself through. The second time, he managed to hold on but couldn't pull himself up in time and ended up going all the way around and back to the water again. He didn't look at Kaylyn to see her reaction, but fate smiled on him, and he managed to reach the window on his third try.

  Wet and feeling the fool, he climbed into the window, and dropped onto the floor.

  The old man burst into the room a few seconds later with a crossbow pointed at his stomach. “Don't move a cursed muscle.”

  “Master Livius, we've just come from Luthengard. Madam Hollis sent us. I've got a note from her.” Liam reached slowly into his pocket and withdrew the letter, careful not to make any sudden movements. The writing was smudged after being dumped in the river, but it was still legible. “This should explain everything.”

  The man took the letter, keeping the crossbow and a distrustful eye on Liam. He r
ead it, and then he read it again, more slowly this time.

  “You have the princess with you?”

  “She's outside waiting for us to lower the bridge.”

  The old man studied Liam a while longer before finally lowering his weapon. Without saying a word, he turned and Liam followed him down a flight of narrow stairs to the entrance hall.

  Livius worked a set of cogs, clicking the right combination into place and the drawbridge rumbled open.

  He didn't say anything to Kaylyn, but he pointed a gnarled finger at Liam and told him to get dry before coming inside again.

  Kaylyn handed Liam his shirt and boots, and once he was dressed and as dry as he was going to get, he met the others inside.

  The house was a lot bigger than it seemed from the outside, with a large open area packed with contraptions that seemed to work off of those water wheels along with hundreds of cogs that clicked and whirred like something from another world. A spit turned over the fireplace, filling the house with the delicious scent of roasted duck. Liam tried to forget that he hadn't eaten for some time.

  On the other side of the room, a cog wound up a trebuchet with one of the largest axes that Liam had ever seen. Livius released a lever and the axe swung, cutting halfway through a log as thick as a man's leg. Liam jumped, despite himself.

  More logs could be loaded through a hatch in the wall that must have opened onto the river.

  There was a pottery wheel with a barrel turning slowly behind it. The barrel had tiny notches carved into it, and as it turned, it directed a series of pegs that ran across a hunk of clay, shaping it into a vase that was every bit as good as any Liam had ever seen in the Lyndwon market. Rows and rows of identical vases were waiting to be fired and others were ready to be varnished and packed into boxes. That was how Livius must have made his living. Liam had always considered himself to be reasonably intelligent, but seeing all of Livius's inventions made him realise what a dullard he really was.