“So, what did the amulet show you? He asked, again.
Gathering my thoughts, “it showed me visions of my life and death. It showed me the ills of men, and their lust of greed for wealth and power. It also showed me not all men have the same lust, but the bad seemed to outnumber the good.
“In what you said were a few moments looking at your amulet, I lived years. I fought battles, saw friends die, and a friend betray me. I killed many men, and in the end was killed myself. Though I cannot say if what I saw will come to pass or no.” I stopped talking and stared into the fire.
“I cannot say if all you saw was real, or would have, or will come to pass,” the dragon said. “What I can say is the amulet showed me that you would come and set me free from my Shadow prison. I waited to see if you would. Call it a test of the visions I was shown. You have indeed set me free, just as I was shown, so at least in that, my visions were true. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine.”
We both stared into the fire for a time. Finally, “so what now?” I asked.
He laughed standing up, “I, for one, have places to go and things to do. I'm sure you do as well.” He tossed me the amulet and something else. “Those are yours I think.”
Catching them, I looked to see what he had given me. Along with the amulet was the falcon ring. “I'm sure you know what to do with them.” With that he jumped atop the wall and stretched his wings. “Take care my young friend — and heed the warning of the amulet.” He launched himself into the air and flew away.
“You too!” I shouted after him. I put the amulet around my neck, and the falcon ring on my finger. I put them both into Shadow as I had done in the vision. I stayed by the fire, drinking tea, contemplating my dilemma. I looked up at the sun, it was just past noon. I wasn't expected back at camp until later.
What to do next, was the question. Gilbert and my comrades still lived, and Aric had not yet betrayed me. Except for the amulet, and the falcon ring, I didn't have any of the artifacts I had fought with for the past years. But what I did have was years more experience than I did this morning, and I knew where to get those artifacts if I wanted them.
I felt down into the earth and into the keep's walls. It felt like the strength my magic had gained in those years was still with me. If my visions were true, I could stop a lot of what had happened in the foreseen years. I needed to test how much of the visions were true. The first thing to do was not to go to Duke Bodes’ Estate, that didn't end well the last time.
I looked around the keep, this would be a good place to hold up while I checked on the validity of the visions. I felt down into the earth and into the stone of the keep. The foundation was good, sitting on bedrock, the rest just needed renewing. Gathering my magic, I went to work.
* * *
It was early the next morning when I finished renewing all the wood and stone in the keep. It now looked as if it had just been built. I guess in a sense it had. I needed to get back to Sir Gilbert. I saddled my horse, packed up my camp, and closed the keep’s gate as I left.
I rode into camp as they were breaking fast. “I have news,” I said to Captain Rosa. I led him away from other ears, and Karl followed. “Duke Bodes has declared for Lermont. He has men looking for us in the west moving this way. The assassins’ guild has also been hired to find and kill us.” I looked pointedly at Karl, making it clear who the target was. “The good news is, I have a place for us to hold up for a time while we rethink our strategy.”
“Where?” Captain Rosa asked.
“An old abandoned keep a few hours from here. It's off the main trails, has good water, and is easily defended.”
Captain Rosa thought a moment, looking at me. “Is everything all right? You seem different, out of sorts?”
“Just tired,” I answered.
He nodded. “We'll move once everyone has eaten.” I nodded and went to the mess wagon.
Seeing Cookie, I smiled, “good to see you again, Cookie.”
He looked at me strangely, “yeah, since yesterday, you must really be hungry.”
“I am, seems like years since I ate your cooking,” I said chuckling. He shook his head at me.
We were on the road within the hour. It only took us a few hours to reach the keep. I rode ahead and opened the gate. Captain Rosa and Karl reined up in front of me. “Welcome to Dragon's keep,” I said.
“I thought you said it was abandoned,” Captain Rosa said.
“It is, I made a few repairs,” I answered.
“More of your secrets?” he asked as he rode into the courtyard. I shrugged, smiling. We occupied the keep, closing the gates. the mercs took guard positions on the wall, and Cookie went to work in the kitchen. Experience had taught me to keep all my gear and supplies in my Shadow.
I went inside and started a fire in the main hall, Captain Rosa and Karl joined me. “How did you find out about Duke Bodes declaring for Lermont?” Captain Rosa asked.
“Uh-oh, this could get sticky,” I thought. I rubbed the falcon ring and Falcon appeared on my arm. Startled. Both took a step back looking at the bird. “I sometimes get messages,” I answered, looking at Falcon.
Satisfied, Captain Rosa nodded. “Did the message say anything else?”
I pondered a moment about how much to tell them. As I thought, I put Falcon away. I still wasn't sure how much of what happened was true. “Yes, but he's not sure if it’s true or a rumor.”
“What's the rumor?” Karl asked.
“The rumor is that King Starwick is behind the coup, and Lermont is just a puppet.” Karl turned, looking into the fire. “It's possible… father never really trusted him. Starwick is a jealous, ambitious man, I don't think anyone of that family is to be trusted.”
“We need more information,” Captain Rosa said.
“I'll go to Dame's Ford; I have contacts there. I’ll see what else I can find out. You stay here and gather more troops until you can make you move.” I said.
“What contacts?” Karl asked. I said nothing. “More of your secrets? I am tired of this. You will tell me all you know, then I will decide what to do. I am your king.”
I stepped back making sure my foot was in a Shadow. “As I recall we've had this conversation before. You are not my king. You are a spoiled child wanting his toys back. I have fulfilled my promise to your father. My oath is complete.” Karl was seething, I knew he was on the verge of lashing out at me.
“Sir Gilbert,” I said, keeping an eye on Aric. “There is a merc company headed toward Dame's Ford, the Rollings Company by name. I suggest you hire them. I give you this last piece of information. The Blood Bankers are the ones behind all of this. They push kingdoms to war forcing them to borrow from them. They are your ultimate enemy. Fair you well.”
I stepped into shadow just as Aric launched a fireball at me. It impacted on the wall behind where I had been standing. flames and rock shards flew around the room.
“Fool!” Sir Gilbert shouted, “We have few enough allies as it is, and you would kill one of them?”
“I will not be spoken to like that by a peasant!”
“That peasant just left, taking your only access to your Kingdom's treasury with him!”
Aric's head and shoulders drooped; his eyes closed as realization set in on what he had done. I had forgotten about the treasury in shadow. I chuckled. Maybe that would teach him some humility, but I doubted it, having seen his true nature. “Not my problem anymore,” I said to myself.
I Shadow Flowed to the highest point of the keep and called Falcon forth. As he took flight I jumped into his Shadow, heading to Dame's Ford. I had some artifacts to claim, or reclaim, depending on how you looked at it.
* * *
The first thing I did when I got to Dame's Ford was to locate the assassin’s guild house. It was easier than I thought it would be now that I knew what to look for.
I Shadow Flowed into their house to get blow tubes, darts, and poisons. In my search I found the quartet that I fought in Duke Bodes Village.
&
nbsp; When they separated, I followed their leader. When he was alone, I drove my knife into the back of his skull and pulled him into Shadow. I stripped him of his clothes, weapons, poisons, and artifacts.
I donned the artifacts and changed into his clothes, and cloak. I placed all his weapons and poisons into their storage pockets. I felt more comfortable now dressed as I had been for the past ‘vision’ years. I left his body and unused equipment in Shadow. Now that I had my blow tube and poison darts, I headed to the merchant’s shop to get my artifacts.
I found and entered the shop, it was just as I remembered it. The Shadows told me that only the merchant was present in the shop. I didn't waste any time I shot the merchant in the back of his neck with a poison dart. He dropped to the floor dead.
I pulled him into shadow and stripped him of all the artifacts. I now had my shield bracers, weapons bracelets, and rings. I also took all the artifact rings he had in his lock boxes. So far, the visions were running true. I used my guise ring to look like any other merc roaming Dame's Ford. I left the shop in shadow and went to buy a sweet roll.
* * *
It was midday when Falcon and I arrived at the capital. We landed on a high point on the edge of the city, I Shadow Flowed down and walked toward the port. Lermont had not started confiscating ships and goods yet so there was a lot of activity.
I flowed to the Mage district to see my old home. It was still there but I was still of the same mind and sank the foundation and ruins out of sight.
I Shadow Flowed to the palace, to find there were still guards everywhere. I had to take my time here, since I needed to make sure that Lermont’s nullification gift was because of an amulet, and not a true gift. In the vision years, I could get quite close to him, but I needed to be sure.
I flowed into the palace but stayed a room away from him. I decided to wait until he was alone before I tested his nullification range. So far, he was never alone, he was a little paranoid fearing attacks from every quarter. I was in no hurry, I got hot tea from the kitchen and waited.
He finally went to his bedchamber late in the evening. He felt safe behind locked doors, and guards at those doors. I waited in Shadow outside those doors and lay down for a nap. I wanted to make sure he was asleep before I made my move.
I awoke a few hours later and found the guards looked less vigilant than when I went to sleep. I Shadow Flowed under the door into the king's quarters. The king's bed was in another room, so I had room to move unhampered.
I moved to within six feet of the sleeping Lermont. I had no need to talk to him, since I'd already done that. I loaded a poison dart into the blow tube and darted him. He woke up just long enough to know someone had killed him. Once dead I could see the nullification amulet he wore. I took it and put it on.
I hung his body from the king's balcony for all to see in the morning, but for now I left him in Shadow. Next, I went and found the paymaster from the Blood Bankers. There were guards at his bedroom door as well, and it was barred inside. I put my face in Shadow so he would not know who I was. I didn't plan on letting him leave this room alive, but one never knows for sure.
I pulled him from his bed and threw him into Shadow. As soon as he hit the floor, “guards!” he yelled.
I laughed, “You're going to have to yell louder than that, Blood Banker.” I threw a small flame down on the floor for him to see by.
He looked at me then around the Shadow cave. “I can pay you,” he said.
“Why is that the first thing all of you say when I call on you? But I don't need money.”
“What do you want? Power? I can buy you that.”
I shook my head, “I have power, I need information,” I said. “What I really needed was to find out if the visions were true,” I said to myself.
“What information?” he kept looking around for a way out of his predicament.
“Why did the Crimson Isles back king Starwick to overthrow the Kingdom of Farshores?”
He shook his head and shrugged, “business,” he answered, as if that explained everything.
“I'm going to need a few more details than that.”
“Can we at least sit down to tea?”
“Do I look like I want to make you tea?” I said as my mage sword extended crackling with energy.
He put his hands out backing away, “it's just business. It's what we do, we finance wars.”
“That part I know, but why here?”
He frowned as if he were speaking to a thick child. “King Stanwick wanted Farshores. He put the King's half-brother on the throne until his son could take over. We financed the plan for a percentage from both kingdoms. That's what the Crimson Isles do, that’s how we make our money.”
I pursed my lips nodding, my Mage Lance shot out, burying its blade in his chest. He starred down at it blinking, then dropped dead on the floor.
Before the night was through the Blood Banker, the general of the army and the commander of the mercenaries joined Lermont hanging from the balcony. I sealed all the doors to the king's quarters so the bodies could not easily be taken down.
I went down to the treasury vault and found it guarded. I went under the door and found that the bankers had replenished Lermont's treasury. I lay my hand on it, removed the red tint from the gold, and put it all in my Shadow.
Knowing that Aric would only tax the people to refill the treasury, I brought the original gold out of Shadow, and left.
It wasn't long after sunup that the crowd started gathering at the palace to see the hanging bodies. Some mercs tried to climb up to cut the bodies down. I threw a fireball that impacted on the wall close to them. They got the message, and no one else tried to take them down.
Chapter 32
I Shadow Flowed to the message bird keeper's tower and stepped out of Shadow behind him. “Where is your scribe?” I asked.
He turned quickly, not expecting anyone behind him. “I am he, sir.”
“I need to send messages.”
He nodded and stepped to his writing table. “What is your message sir, and to whom are you sending it?”
“The message is, ‘the coup in Farshores has been put down, the usurper and the leaders of the coup have been hanged. Prince Aric is now king of Farshores.”
He stopped writing, looking at me, “it's true then?” I nodded. “Thank God,” he said, continuing to write.
“To whom shall I send it, sir?”
“Everyone on this list, but save your bird to Redmoore for last.” He nodded, making copies of the message, he attaching them to birds and sent them out. Finally, he held the bird to Redmoore, “this is the last one sir.”
I nodded, “send it.”
He turned and released the bird, and when he did I jumped into its Shadow. I wanted to be there when the message was delivered to Starwick.
When we arrived, I Shadow jumped from person to person following the message. Finally, it was delivered to Starwick’s spymaster. He took the message and read it, then read it again.
“They are not going to be happy about this,” he said shaking his head. I followed him as he left his office, presumably to take Starwick the message. He stopped at the door to the royal quarters and knocked.
“Come,” came from beyond the door.
The spymaster entered the king's office where he and the queen were sitting. “Message from Farshores, sire.”
The king took the message and read it, then handed it to the queen, saying, “any other bright ideas?”
“No matter, they are weaker now, and we can send the assassin's guild to finish Aric. That will cause infighting among the nobles. Then we'll send our army and son in to take the throne.”
“Maybe, but the Blood Bankers will still want their pound of flesh.”
“We can afford it,” she answered.
I had heard enough. The visions were, again, true. I sealed the door to the apartment so no one could interfere, readied my mage daggers, stepped out of Shadow, and began throwing.
M
y first dagger took the spymaster in the throat. As he was falling to the floor, my second dagger hit the queen in her right eye, killing her instantly. The king had not been idle, my dagger bounced off his shields and he immediately hit me with three massive fireballs, one right behind the other.
The fireballs exploded on my shields and the nullification amulet defused the excess. I stepped back into Shadow while the fireball explosion hid what I was doing.
I Flowed around to the Shadow behind him, I took his Shadow form and had his shadow draw his dagger and cut his own throat. Starwick grabbed his throat, trying to stop the bleeding. He turned looking around frantically, then dropped to his knees then fell forward on his face.
Remembering my battle with the Archmage I remained in Shadow, I had no desire to be killed… again.
The guard were trying to break through the door to get to their king. I threw a fireball at the king, queen, and spymaster setting them on fire since I wanted to add as much mystery as I could to the three deaths. I unsealed the door and the guards burst in looking for the attackers. My work here was done, and I had no need to see what happened next.
I Shadow Flowed down to their treasury vault. There was quite a lot, since this was a wealthy kingdom. I shook my head, “Greed will get you killed,” I said to myself. Half of what was here was Blood Banker gold. I moved all the blood gold into my Shadow and then laid my hand on it, removing the red from it. I left the rest where it lay and left the vault.
I Shadow Flowed down to the harbor to see if the Blood Banker's ship was there. It was. I Flowed aboard and went below into their vault hold. They were caring a cargo of gold. I didn't want any of it being loaned to the Prince of Redmoore, or anyone else for that matter, so I removed the red material from the gold and put the clean ingots in my Shadow. I didn't need the gold, I did it just to hurt the Crimson Isles.
I went to the captains’ quarters and found his navigation maps, which I used to find out exactly where the capital of the Crimson Isles was — I had one last debt to pay.
* * *
Stonecutter's Shadow: A young mage's fight through a fantasy kingdom full of treachery Page 29
