Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “I see you ran into some trouble,” the Lich laughs as Trinity reaches the entrance of his cave.

  “Give me one of your healing rings. I need it,” she gurgles, sending ash and blood splattering against the cave floor.

  The dead leaf voice of the Lich cackles. “Very well, I feel that you have learned a valuable lesson. Are you willing to be respectful now?”

  “Yes! Give me the damn ring!” she growls. Her body begins to convulse as a skeletal hand reaches out of the cave. In its palm is a turquoise band that Trinity uses the last of her energy to snatch up and put on her finger. Her pain subsides immediately, but she continues to lie face down in the cold mud while a tingling feeling covers her body.

  “How did this happen?” the Lich asks.

  “I was missing in some important information,” Trinity groans. Her face is slowly melting back to its beautiful form as she rolls onto her back. “Apparently, Nimby was exiled from Rodillen and he has some history with the current guildmaster, which led to a confrontation between them. The halfling sent the guild into chaos and escaped from their lair. He also injured the guildmaster who was too arrogant to share my plan with the other thieves.”

  The Lich lets loose with a horrific laugh as he wanders out of the cave. His frame is only a skeleton with a few patches of gray skin that continue to grow. A tattered, orange shawl is draped across his shoulders in place of his usual black cloak. Yellowed bones creak into place as he takes one quivering step after another. Trinity watches this unnatural being pass her and kill the very ground he walks on. Without the rest of his body, the Lich is a pathetic and eerie sight = standing in the gnarled moonlight of the Caster Swamp.

  “You’re happy that I failed,” she says.

  “I find it very interesting that you were undone more by the halfling than any of the others,” the Lich admits through his bony throat. “I assume that this damage was not done by the halfling. It must have been that gnome inventor or that sun priest.”

  Trinity glares at him even though the expression causes her pain. “It was the new one.”

  “New one?” he inquires.

  “This is why you should scry on your allies and enemies during an assignment,” Trinity answers, her voice quivering from the discomfort of regenerating. “If you were watching me then you would have seen this girl. My spies tell me that she is the greatest apprentice of Cyril and this is her first time out of the city. This half-elf has no combat experience and works off instinct, but her spells are fast with great power. I had to tap into my gemstones in order to survive my encounter with her.”

  A loud crack is heard as one of her broken ribs snaps back into place. She goes into a blood-spewing coughing fit for a few minutes before she regains enough control to continue saying, “I was fortunate to teleport away before her spell consumed me, but I wasn’t fast enough to avoid severe injuries. At least, the story of my defeat has been entertaining for your rotting ear holes.”

  “Do not get me wrong, my dear. I’m amused that this has happened to you during their first stop. For it is only now that our shared hatred of those children will allow us to truly work together,” the Lich claims as he leans down to drain the life of a basking turtle. “After all, both of us work for the same master. We shall show him that we are willing to put aside our personal squabbles for his success. We will crush the Callindor for what he did to us and regain our master’s favor.”

  Trinity struggles to her feet. “You mean that you will regain his favor.”

  “What?” the necrocaster asks. The crackling of her mending leg fills the air and scares the crickets for a few quiet seconds.

  “I remind you that I’m not in trouble with our master. I’m simply hurt after making an emergency back-up plan that put me in harm’s way,” the chaos elf says with an innocent, crooked smile. “I have no problem with the Callindor. He is your problem, Lich. I want the caster. That girl tried to kill me with a spell that could have wiped out part of the town. Her power could grow too strong for either of us to handle if she survives for too long. She could even become stronger than our master.”

  “Impossible,” the Lich swears. “The master strikes fear into the gods. This mortal woman can never reach such strength.”

  She begins to rant in a voice that grows louder and louder with every word. “She is a force of destruction. I want her humiliated and killed for what she did to me. Even if it isn’t by my hand, I want to live long enough to spit on her corpse. I want her death to be so painful that every being of magic feels her scream. Her aura should be ripped out of her soul and continually raped by every demon in the Chaos Void. I hate her with every fiber of my being!” She is left gasping for air and shaking with the last of her rage. An airy pop escapes her throat as a collapsed lung is mended.

  The Lich sighs, “We must plan.”

  “I’m fine now. I just needed to get all of that out. The girl makes me sick to my stomach, but I remember our orders. We must first kill the Callindor, which will leave that caster without a warrior to stand by her side,” Trinity says, her voice regaining its typical strength and confidence. “My plan for their next stop will be very intricate. I have my men gathering a special surprise for the city of Hero’s Gate. It might not kill all of our enemies, but it will force the survivors to leave the city before they can get all of their supplies.”

  “Good. My servant has informed me that his trap will be set between Hero’s Gate and Vorgabog,” the Lich reports. He adjusts his shawl as the skin on his shoulders begins to reform. “I have sent another agent to infiltrate their ship and assist during the ambush. The more trouble those children have, the better our chances of killing them all. May I ask what you have planned for Hero’s Gate?”

  Trinity smiles wide, two of her teeth rapidly growing back. “Goblins.”

  “Can those primitives be trusted?”

  “No, but they make perfect expendables.”

  “Just like the time we attacked Everthorne.”

  The Lich and Trinity laugh at the same time until the decayed necrocaster touches a finger to her nose. She stops abruptly and watches the Lich scratch his skinless chin with his other hand. She can feel her skin finish knitting together as he removes his partially rotted finger from her face. His arm hangs limp against the side of his body. Trinity is about to toss the ring at him when the Lich begins muttering in demon speech. The sound is ear-wrenching and makes her blood shiver with every archaic gurgle.

  After talking to the air, the Lich turns to Trinity, his body tense. “We have a problem. It's a small one, but still a problem.”

  Trinity rolls her eyes in mild frustration. “Let me guess. Your demon needs a distraction in order to prepare all of his traps between Hero’s Gate and Vorgabog.”

  “He is going to prepare another trap in Hero’s Gate. One designed to put our enemies on edge,” the Lich explains with a strained voice. “A group of bandits should work nicely to divide the heir’s escort. A distraction between the towns is required, so that he may get the bandits into position and their presence can be reported to Hero’s Gate. In return for your help, I have demanded that he do you a small favor.”

  Trinity tosses the healing ring back to the Lich before bending over one of the murky pools. She pulls out a small, azure bottle from one of her belt pouch. A small prayer causes the bottle to glow before she opens it. Pulsating water pours from the bottle and turns the pool of swamp water into a liquid mirror. The surface is flawless and allows Trinity to examine herself. She takes her time touching her face and casts a light spell on the surrounding moss when she wants to check the rest of her body. Eventually, she has the water rise into the air and stretch into the form of a full-length mirror that slowly circles her.

  “What are you doing?” the Lich growls impatiently.

  “I’m making sure every curve is in its proper place and that I’m back to being gorgeous. Unlike you, I can rely on my looks to see me through a situation,” Trinity states. She notices the Lich sta
rting to approach her magic mirror. “Be careful, Lich. The water won’t like you.”

  The water sinks back into the pool where it sits and glows. The Lich reaches out to put a cautious finger into the water and immediately reels back in pain. It feels like a fire is eating away at the bone, which starts to crumble where the water touched it. He quickly snaps off the entire finger and hurls it away before the crumbling reaches the rest of his hand.

  “You dare to bring holy magic here,” hisses the terrified necrocaster.

  “I can use the blessings of our goddess, Ambrosine, wherever I please. I never agreed to keep holy magic away from here,” she says, fixing her glossy hair. “Besides, I warned you about the pool and you refused to listen. As usual, you only have yourself to blame. Now, please tell me more about your plans, so that I can work within them.”

  The Lich grumbles to himself and examines his hand. “I will be implementing the first phase of my personal plan between Hero’s Gate and Vorgabog. I need to confront a man whose ship is three days ahead of our targets.”

  “Another ally for us?” she asks.

  “No, but my plan will fail if he reaches Freedom,” the Lich claims. “I will be moving on to Freedom after I deal with him.”

  Trinity magically repairs her burned clothes. “Then the attack on their ship is up to me. Will you be leaving soon?”

  “I need to hunt for bigger game in the swamp to restore the rest of my body,” the Lich says, a hint of worry and disdain in his voice. “There is also the reconstruction of my castle to check on. I have received word that the master has sent the inventor to oversee its progress.”

  Trinity grimaces at the mention of the inventor. “That could be dangerous. I’m glad Nyder’s Weapon Dragons are on our side, but he’s arrogant and tends to overdo things. You better check on him now, Lich. He might turn your castle into another factory if he gets bored. That will have Selenia coming to investigate why the Caster Swamp has a pillar of smoke rising from it. Ambrosine help us if that gnome causes any explosions.”

  The Lich refuses to say anything as he steps into a murky pool and sinks below the surface of the swamp. Trinity watches the green light of the cave fade away now that the source of its magic has left the area. Her thoughts drift from this mysterious plan of the Lich back to her hatred of Nyx. A mischievous grin crosses her face as a new plan of distraction begins to form in her mind.

  “A regular magic storm could be undone by Nyx and Aedyn without any trouble,” Trinity says as she paces and thinks out loud. “They have a waverunner halfling, so rapids would not be a threat to the ship. This new idea should keep them busy and make them paranoid for a long time.”

  Her prankster heart skips a beat as she turns the purified pool of water into a scrying portal. The sight of the River Scout bobbing in the water appears before her. Trinity can almost taste the helpless terror that will grip Nyx’s heart when her new pets are unleashed. Her magical gems fill the area with violet light before she pricks her left ring finger with a needle. Six black drops of blood fall into the pool and the water roils with dark, fearsome magic. Trinity silently nods to the myriad of glowing eyes that face her from the pool of water before they vanish in a flash of crimson light.

  *****

  “Captain! I can’t do anything about this mess! This storm is magical!” Myilia shouts from the violently swaying crow’s nest. Sailors are rushing to lock down anything loose on the ship as gusts of wind attack the sails and iron-like waves hammer the hull. The deck is continuously washed with water that pushes and pulls at the crew’s legs. Hard rain pummels the crew with a deafening drone against their ears. None of the sailors bother to pay attention when all of their passengers come up from their rooms.

  “Get down from there, Myilia! It’s too dangerous! You seven get back to your rooms! We can handle this!” Captains Higgs screams as he wrestles with the wheel. He steadies the ship long enough for Myilia to slide down the ladder. She immediately runs to help tie down a loose crate that is moving from one side of the deck to another.

  “We can help, sir,” Aedyn says, pulling himself up to the wheel.

  “Of course, you can. Help by staying out of the way,” the sea elf responds.

  “This is magic,” Luke declares, coming up behind Aedyn. He is having an easier time moving than everyone else, but his pained face reveals that his stomach hates the violent motions. “You don’t know how long this will last and it could be masking some dangers ahead. There could be rocks and fallen trees out there in the rapids.”

  “What do you boys suggest?” Captain Higgs asks as a wave crashes over the prow of the ship.

  “Let us help you,” Aedyn says.

  Captain Higgs laughs as the ship is tossed into the air and the wind grows in a roaring howl. “None of you are sailors. Get back in your rooms or I will have my crew tie you to the mast.”

  “We will handle the storm whether you want us to or not! We do not have time to argue about this!” the priest shouts as a sailor is shoved below decks by a rush of water.

  “On my ship and honor, I will keep the River Scout in one piece for you,” the captain swears.

  “I have a plan,” Luke and Aedyn declare. The two half-elves look at each other and silently nod to each other.

  Luke points at his friend and says, “You go first, Aedyn. What have you got?”

  “I can use my magic to disrupt the wind and waves. I might not be able to stop them completely, but I should be able to keep them under control. A spell of this magnitude will probably wear out in two hours and I can hold out longer than that. It will leave me drained for a while, but it is better than drowning,” Aedyn explains, clutching the railing and moving away from the stairs. “The other part of my plan is to have Nyx create a shield spell around the hull of the ship. This will give us extra protection from rocks and fallen trees. Our best location for casting our spells would be up here with you, Captain Higgs. My interference with the wind will be strongest here, so the wheel will be easier for you to handle. Is this anything like your plan, Luke?”

  “Not at all. I was going to have Fritz watch Kellia in her room with you and have Nyx cast protection spells around them. The rest of my plan was to use my ability to see sound as a compass. I would stand on the front of the ship with a long rope tied around me and run through this railing,” Luke says, the winds soaking him with water spray. “The rope would be secured to Nimby who will make sure I don’t go underwater. His reflexes are the fastest and he can avoid getting tangled in the rope. My arm positions would be pointing us around obstacles in the river as long as I focus on my sense of hearing.”

  Aedyn slaps Luke on the back. “You know what this means!”

  “We do both plans,” Luke announces.

  Luke leaps onto the railing and starts sending everyone to their places with as brief explanation as they need. Fritz and Fizzle take Kellia back to her room while Aedyn begins his spell. A soft glow covers the priest’s body before a savage gust tries to knock him away. It is as if the wind senses the danger and whips at the priest in fear. The priest is about to fall down when two sailors rush to him and keep him steady. Nyx gets the same treatment as she starts her own spell. Several crewmembers stop to watch a coating of red envelope the ship. Outstretched branches are already being violently deflected if they so much as tap against the hull.

  “You people are insane,” Myilia states as she secures a rope around Nimby. She hurries to run the rope through the railing before tying the other end to Luke.

  “Just part of our charm,” Luke says, taking a deep, relaxing breath.

  “You’re a hundred times crazier than Nimby. You fall off the ship then you better pray that Nimby and this railing can hold your weight. If either of them give out then this ship is going to run you over. That’s if the rapids don’t push you away and drown you first,” she says before patting Nimby on the shoulder and Luke on the lower back. “There we go, boys, a special Myilia knot for both of you.”

 
“Hey, Myilia, how about we get something to eat at the next port?” Nimby asks while he slips on a pair of soft gloves.

  “This isn’t the time to plan a date,” Luke mentions.

  “He has a point,” she says.

  “Just say yes or no,” Nimby begs. Luke throws up his hands and starts walking toward the front of the ship. Nimby is slowly dragged to the railing where he braces his feet against the solid wood balusters.

  “I’ll tell you after all of this,” Myilia promises. She answers a call from another sailor who is trying to keep a ballista in place.

  Luke’s voice carries on the wind as he screams, “You’re all that stands between me and a very bad bath, Nimby!”

  “You’re in good hands, Luke!” Nimby responds, flexing his fingers. “I’ll run across the ship and hang from the back if I have to.”

  Luke smiles as he closes his eyes and starts directing the ship. Captain Higgs is careful and steady as the half-elf sways from side to side. The storm begins to pick up strength as the River Scout leaps and swerves through the rough waters. Aedyn and Nyx fight to keep their spells going until both have blood dripping from their noses. Luke comes close to slipping overboard several times, which causes Nimby to grip the rope until his shoulders and knuckles ache. The crew cheers when it appears that the plan is working. It is a short celebration when an unholy howl erupts from the wild river.

  “What was that?” Nimby nervously asks.

  “I see something. Three somethings,” reports Luke, leaning further over the edge of the ship. “They’re swimming around in the river and look man-sized. I think. I can’t get a clear look without losing focus on any obstacles ahead. I’m going to have to use my eyes.”

  Captain Higgs jumps when Aedyn starts to say, “Not . . . spell.”