Minzkala

by Amy E Hix

  They were also given Bard’s Swords, a new development in Minzkala. The short swords were piercing sharp and could, on command, fling themselves at a target. They were sometimes referred to as Singing Swords because of the high-pitched sound they created as they traveled through the air.

  That evening we had dinner on the pavilion once more. Zaaid informed us that he and the King, along with Pinky and the two Ladies would be dining inside the Palace so they could secure the final plans involving our journey to Vahael.

  In the palace dining room, the Court members gathered for their private meal with the King. As they filled their plates, they began to discuss all they had to do in the short amount of time they had left.

  “Pinky, you and Kelara will be heading out to Rhalas tonight. When you arrive, you will meet with Captain Kellerson. Tell him to start sending his teams to these coordinates on the northern shores of Sapir,” he passed a piece of parchment with the coordinates and some other notes over to Kelara.

  “When they reach that position, they will be able to spot a large crevice in the side of the cliffs, one that has ample room for ships to pass into. Inside they will find a cavern, and further in, where the waves have somewhat subsided, they will be able to use the smaller boats and unload onto the cavern shorelines. Through these caverns, or mines as they were used by the Caliginos, they will be able to pass straight through the mountain range without being spotted.”

  “I’m with you so far,” Pinky seemed to be etching the information in his mind, even though it was already recorded on the parchment.

  “Now, one more thing,” The King continued, “There is a group of people inside those caverns. The Luminomes, as they are called, are few in number. I should have said something before tonight, but I had no evidence they were still around until today.

  “A little background on them…They were spawned into existence when the evil Sorcerer of the Caliginos, Malear, attempted to save the remnants of his domain in Sapir. He created a new servant race by taking a handful of Nome prisoners left from the war and began to experiment with some of the old conjuring spells once used to create the Orcs.

  “He thought that by doing this, he could create a race that would replenish its numbers through reproduction, unlike the Orcs. But he miscalculated the strength of the soul when he blew off any consideration about the fact that the Orcs were not living people before they were formed. They rose from the dirt with no previous ideas about how the world could be with good in it. In fact, the Orcs are indeed soulless.

  “When he transformed the Nomes, something very different happened. Though they were controlled by the spell in some ways such as working tirelessly and going long periods without food and water, in other ways, like the ruthless way Orcs treat one another, they were not.

  “The first Luminomes remembered life with the people of Gael, and they secretly taught it to their children. Many generations have passed, and when their numbers increased, the Luminomes banded together and revolted against Malaer’s successor, Killian. Even though they are free now, the mines are still their home. It’s all they’ve ever known.

  “I thought perhaps they had died out, because I haven’t heard anything from the area in so long. But it seems they are indeed still around.”

  “So, why is it that the Orcs are afraid of the Luminomes?” Stheta presented the question that had been plaguing her mind since Zarathustria had told them about this potential problem.

  King Naethan smiled at her for reminding him, “Ah…One of the characteristics Malear tinkered with was having a constant light source deep within the caverns. They needed their servants to work with both hands, without the bothersome lanterns to keep up with, so he invoked the bioluminescent attributes of various species of organisms into the creation spell.

  “Though the first set of servants showed no results from the addition of the bioluminescence, it caused them to give birth to children who had a natural lightsource within them. Through the years, they’ve mastered this lightsource and can control it. Since the Orcs cannot function in bright sunny areas, they avoid the Luminomes.”

  “Then they will make a great ally for our cause,” Pinky spoke up, “If we’re able to convince them to join us.”

  “They are perfectly capable of making a decision either way, but when given the tremendous benefits our cause would give their people, I think they would be very much agreeable to joining us. The main thing is that we get them to sit down and discuss our plans. That reminds me; I want you both to make sure that before you set sail from Keymira’s Wharf with them…”

  “We set sail?” Kelara interrupted him, disturbed by the thought of not being with the King and Stheta.

  “Yes, you and Pinky will be accompanying the warriors from Rhalas. They, too, are heading out sooner than expected, and they will need the guidance of the Court along the way,” while he was on the subject, he thought to add, “Plus, your nephew will need you with him.”

  She smiled and allowed him to continue, “Before you set sail, make sure you have enough Skadowan glasses for everyone, just in case the Luminomes are defensive when you first approach them. When you make it through the caverns, you are to stay near the entrance until we arrive. We will go in together to confront the Digvi’ja. Until we get there, if they have agreed, the Luminomes can assist you with any Orcs you might encounter outside the caverns. The Orcs should be the only force for the Digvi’ja that’s already in place. By moving their forces, they have unknowingly given us the advantage.”

  The members of the Court worried about setting out before the warriors had a chance to properly train their new skills, but the King’s point about catching the Legion off-guard reassured them somewhat. In addition, having the Luminomes on their side helped to remove any doubt they had about dealing with the Orcs in the caverns. They thought that with such an ally, they may even be able to make the Sapiran Highlands habitable again.

  “Any strategy you wish to discuss on getting Cyrow back?” Stheta asked.

  “Straight shot, in and out. And we’re not just getting Cyrow…we’re getting them all,” he smiled at her, “Zaaid, make sure the carriers are set up and ready to go. We’ll leave out in the morning as soon as everyone is together. Pinky, you and Kelara will take the fledglings to Rhalas as soon as it gets dark.” They nodded to acknowledge their orders, and he dismissed them from dinner.

  Seventeen

  The Bond is Formed, the Mission Given

  Turk

  Our team had already been through the Coterie that evening. Search and Destroy was the assignment; to locate Morgane, an Ogre Witch who was hiding among the enemies in a dungeon labyrinth. To complete the assignment, we had to find her and kill her.

  We annihilated the place.

  Jaerra had arrows made by a master Fletcher that allowed her to do insane amounts of damage. Natasul and I remembered to keep our eyes on the fighters off to the sides and in the back when fighting multiple combatants.

  Ryan, of course, was on top of his game, as he had been the previous night. He was sensing the demonic forces long before anyone saw them, and his petrification spell saved us loads of time while making our way through the maze.

  Winge’s haste caused us to effortlessly tear through the beasts that lie in the way. And when it came down to finding the Ogre, it was Aurala who was in action, detecting magic from a single rat in a group of rats creeping in a corner we would have otherwise walked past.

  The only injuries taken were those that predictably fell on Solecreation, though once or twice Alysias was struck when Solecreation had been briefly knocked unconscious. My healing was spot-on.

  Captain Kellerson seemed amazed at our performance and struggled to find something we could have improved on…but I guess nothing came to mind. Instead, he applauded along with the rest of the crowd and called in the next team.

  The victory gave us the chance to enjoy the re
st of the evening back at the table. We watched the other teams and cheered them on.

  At the end of the night, Captain Kellerson made the announcement that we would be leaving for Keymira’s Wharf the following morning. A little stunned by this news, I started thinking about everything I needed to do to prepare for the journey.

  Natasul had been sitting beside Jaerra all night long. When we left the courtyard, he continued walking with her as one by one, we all turned off to make our way back to our rooms.

  Because Solecreation’s room was further than where they happened to be, he was the last one walking with the two of them. He caught on to Natasul’s attempt to have a moment with Jaerra when they passed Natasul’s room. Without giving his friend away, he decided to take an alternate route and let his friend have some privacy.

  “Where are you staying?” Jaerra asked Natasul when only they were left.

  He nervously answered, “Just up the way. I should say goodnight to you here and get going, actually.”

  She smiled and looked at the ground. Noticing no one was around; he grabbed her hand by the wrist and stood closer to her.

  She welcomed the advancement and looked up at him. She had removed her glasses, and he could look into her eyes. Though he knew they were the same color as her skin, or a little darker, they looked gray in the dimly lit streets.

  “I think you did great out there tonight,” he told her.

  “Yeah, well, I had a little help.”

  He reached around her waist, then leaned in to kiss her. When they released, she sighed.

  As she turned to walk away, he told her, “See you in the morning.”

  “Bright and early.” Her voice was almost girlish, and her movement was no longer the rigid movement of a warrior. She glanced back at him once more as she turned the corner and vanished from his sight.

  Kelara and Pinky had arrived through the night and been led to a couple of bunks in the barracks to sleep. They were awakened very early by Lieutenant Richland, who then took them into Captain Kellerson, stationed in the strategy room at the Champion’s Hall.

  There was an opened deck where Captain Kellerson delivered his speeches from time to time and two meeting tables for the attendants. At the tables, Kelara and Pinky found the leaders of the classes awaiting their instructions.

  “Pinky…” Captain Kellerson had been standing near one of the tables talking but drew himself away to greet him, “Welcome to Rhalas. I hope you were able to get a little rest.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “We should go ahead and get started, there’s not much time before the warriors will be assembled to head out.” Then Captain Kellerson went and stood near a wall off to the side.

  Pinky bowed his head to the Captain and delivered the information just as it had been presented to him by King Naethan the previous night. The leaders took notes on what they were to do within the caverns. In a rushed attempt to prepare themselves for the assignment, they answered very few questions and headed out. They all knew there would be time on the ships to go into details.

  The warriors were assembling in a courtyard near the northern entrance to the city. They were grouped in their respective units and were being briefed on where their journey would take them. Once Pinky and Kelara arrived with Captain Kellerson, they traveled a short distance to the stables and loaded up for the trip to Keymira’s Wharf. Most of the warriors rode in wagons, with around three-hundred on horseback.

  Kelara and Pinky rode alongside Solecreation’s team so that Kelara could visit with her nephew. As they headed out, Captain Kellerson was pleased to see the natural flow the groups made to travel beside their team members, realizing that the Coterie events had been successful in one thing; they had brought the different classes together, which would be necessary for what lie ahead.

  Eighteen

  The Lair of Ciergral

  Kaliesto

  Sigge and Raffe met me early in the morning. We were anxious to begin the day, the one we might possibly have our brother back. From the balconies, we could see the King, Zaaid, and Stheta near the carriers outside the northern wall of the city. We didn’t waste any time getting down to them.

  The carriers were three large seating platforms with steel bars extending to the top to form something that resembled bird cages. In the back of each was a stable section where all the animals—Pegasi, Gorehounds, and Guardians—could ride. However, for the trip to the Cerapithalin dungeons, our animals were not needed and would remain in Minzkala.

  One of the carriers was meant to transport the men we rescued from Vahael. As soon as everyone was there, we loaded up. Before we knew it, three adult Rocs swept us up into the air, their talons clinching a large hoop of steel from the top.

  Loren sat a little closer to me than she ever had before. I could get used to this.

  The Rocs flew up until we were high in the clouds. Zaaid explained that the height of the flight would reduce our chance of being spotted by any early morning Cerapithali. We wouldn’t be in any immediate danger (the Cerapithali were too intelligent to attack three Rocs carrying twenty or so warriors), but we wanted to preserve the element of surprise in Vahael.

  Our passage through the Orb brought the bleak wasteland of the forest back into view. And it wasn’t long before we could see the ocean waters through the clouds below, as well as a small continent in the north, far off in the distance.

  We approached the landmass and continued traveling through the mountains of Vahael. This would be the tricky part. We had to land somewhere near the walls of the Cerapithalin city without being spotted.

  To ensure it happened, Stheta instructed Zarathustria to camouflage us. For two minutes, even the carriers and Rocs took on the colors of the sky and landscape around us.

  The Rocs set the carriers on the ground and quickly flew off into the direction of a few mountaintops, safely out of sight. We were in a treed area northeast of the Cerapithalan city now and could safely unload. After doing so, we set out to find Cyrow, led by King Naethan.

  “When we get there, make sure you attack only the Redeyes,” Zaaid instructed as we traveled through the trees. “The tainted will have yellow eyes and will be inside the lower levels of the castle, some in the dungeon area. They cannot taint you, so don’t be afraid to take a few hits in order to subdue them while we find Ceirgral, the Keeper.

  “It’s the Keeper who holds power over the tainted ones as they grow into full-fledged Cerapithali. By killing him, we will unleash the wrath of those who were tainted. Each will first seek to attack the Cerapithalis that bit him or her.

  “They’ll be able to help us thin out the population so that perhaps the Cerapithali will never become a threat again, but only after the Keeper is dead. And without the Keeper, the few numbers left in the forest along with those that decide to flee their city will have to live out their existence with no hope of ever adding another member to their clan.”

  On the back walls of the city, Mabashi and Archaos tossed over their grapples. Shelija casted Mass Invisibility on us. One by one, we climbed the ropes and entered the city, landing behind a small building next to the castle.

  In an alley between the two, we prepared to take on the front guards at the entrance around the corner.

  “Run straight into the foyer of the castle so that we won’t have to fight all these standing in the streets,” King Naethan instructed.

  As we were moving inside the doorways, the guards sensed us passing. One of them reached out to grab Valkryiex. His grasp released her from the invisibility spell.

  She managed to pull the fighting into the entrance with only one guard noticing. Once inside, we all dropped our invisibility and joined the fight.

  Vamble leapt into the air and fixed his feet on the wing base on the guard’s back. He slid his swords deep into the side of the armor plating and through its neck. With a quick turn of the
wrist, he left the beast nearly decapitated and it fell to the ground.

  The other guard followed the fighting inside and pounced on top of Mank, knocking him to the ground. It sank its teeth into his collar immediately, piercing his armor and the flesh underneath. Mank grew unconscious.

  Zaaid caused the beast to combust into flames as Stheta placed her hands on Mank, healing the puncture that would have otherwise left him dead. The rest of us dug in on the Cerapithalis, making quick work of his death.

  As soon as he was down, we rushed into the foyer area. It took Mank a good while to come back to his senses completely. With nothing in the foyer, we turned into the hall on our right. The hall was long to the left and short to the right. There was a room at the end in each direction.

  Midway to the left, I could see an opening to another room that stood in the center of the castle. The King decided we should make our way to it because it looked like the best way to get to the cellars.

  “This way,” he called.

  As we started down the hall, two more Cerapithali from the room behind us rushed out to attack. One grabbed Vespa and threw her against the walls behind him. As it turned to face the rest of us, the beast behind it started attacking her.

  Alusia transferred herself to the room the beasts came out of and raised her stave. The Cerapithalis in back then rose up and stood still, stupefied, like a statue.

  Vespa came to her feet, “Healing Waters, wash me clean.” The incisions from the claws faded from her skin.

  Mabashi and Archaos back up a bit and began firing their arrows into the first beast. I let out a war cry, drawing the attention of the beast to me. Then I stabbed it in the chest cavity. It was dead.

  The five of us proceeded to kill the enchanted beast Alusia had been holding. Afterwards, we rushed off to catch up with the King and the others to find they were involved in a battle with four more.