Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Fizzle make you poof. Again,” the drite threatens. He rises into the air and positions himself above the Lich.

  “I swear that I will never forget you again, drite,” the Lich swears before sinking into the ground. He barely avoids the disintegration spell that punches a deep hole in the dirt.

  “Thanks, Fizzle. You could have come in earlier, though,” Nyx coughs, crawling out of the pond.

  “Nyx say want in . . . inf . . . to know plan. Nyx ‘kay?” the drite asks with a worried pout.

  “Beaten, singed, and soaked, but I’m in one piece,” the smiling caster replies.

  “Fizzle say Nyx pretty.”

  “Thank you, Fizzle. At least, someone around here appreciates me for more than my magic and brains,” Nyx says with a laugh. She hears a commotion coming from the forest and looks up in time to see Luke bounding through the trees with his sabers drawn. She can barely make out the form of Kellia running a few yards behind him.

  “Nyx! I heard you scream. Are you . . . oops . . . naked Nyx,” Luke says, skidding to a stop and turning away as fast as he can. “Don’t hit me.”

  Nyx looks a little confused until she looks down at herself and scrambles to cover herself with her hands. “Oh crap. I forgot about that. Can you get my clothes, Fizzle? They’re on the rock over there.”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Luke swears.

  “Liar! You looked right at me,” Nyx snaps, turning bright red with embarrassment and anger. “You had to have seen something and I know you have bard’s memory. Put the vision of my nudity into the deepest recesses of your mind. Stop laughing, your majesty!”

  “Sorry. Should we go look for Tyler and make sure he’s okay?” Kellia asks, slowly composing herself.

  “I was afraid you would say that,” Nyx replies as she hastily puts her clothes on. “I don’t feel like drawing this out tonight, so I will just say it. Tyler is gone”

  “I know you two don’t like him, but you can’t just leave him in the forest at night. Go look for him, Luke,” the heiress orders.

  “So, Tyler was an agent of the Lich?” Luke asks, ignoring Kellia.

  “Tyler was Lich,” Fizzle chirps from a low branch.

  “What? My family has known him for two years and he is the betrothed of my youngest cousin,” Kellia says with a strong stomp to the ground. “Are you saying that the Lich killed Tyler and used his body? I demand an answer before we leave this spot.”

  “I’m a little lost on this too, Nyx,” Luke admits.

  “The Lich had a copycat ring, which is a magical item that absorbs souls,” Nyx explains, making sure to look Kellia in the eye as she talks. “The wearer of the ring can use the form, knowledge, and memories of any soul that is trapped inside. The ring is so powerful that casters and priests can’t sense its use unless looking specifically for it. During the fight, I got the ring off of him and exposed Tyler to be the Lich. I destroyed the ring, so he cannot disguise himself as a living being anymore. The only way he could trick us so easily again would be with another copycat ring, but it would have different souls in it since I freed all of the souls in this ring. There were over a hundred souls in there, so the chances of him having two copycat rings are very low. It had to have taken most of his time as an undead to create the one copycat ring”

  Nyx cringes and falls to her knees in pain when she tries to get her dislocated arm into her sleeve. She whimpers and fights back a few tears as Luke approaches her and helps her. He holds her tight as he carefully coaxes her injured arm through the sleeve, ignoring the pain in his shoulder when Nyx accidentally bites him. Nyx takes a deep breath before noticing that Luke is still holding her limp arm. She is about to say something when he snaps her shoulder back into its socket. She gives him no warning about the angry backfist to the side of his head.

  Kellia wipes her nose on her sleeve and sighs in relief. “So, Tyler’s soul is free?”

  “That’s where things get a little odd,” Nyx admits, running a hang through her sticky, singed hair. “I could feel the pain of every soul and their names clearly rushed into my head. I will be making a list of these names and mailing it to Cyril in case one of the names can lead us to more information on the Lich and give their families some closure. Tyler will not be on the list because his soul wasn’t in the ring. This means that the Tyler you have known all this time was really the Lich using a composite of several souls in the copycat ring.”

  “If the Lich was going to be her cousin-in-law for the last two years then why did he wait until she was at the academy to make an attempt on her life?” Luke asks, getting back to his feet and rubbing the bruise on his cheek.

  With tears streaming down her face, Kellia suddenly pieces together everything she remembers about Tyler. “I’m such a fool! Tyler was never willing to go to my father’s castle. I assumed he was shy about meeting the ruler of Serab. If he really was the Lich then he avoided the castle because of the holy wards that my father has maintained. An undead caster like the Lich would never make it through the front door without being revealed. The only time I met Tyler in person was in Freedom at my uncle’s estate to congratulate my cousin on her betrothal. Tyler would have had to fight my uncle, my father, and thirty holy guards if he attempted anything there. He’s been under my family’s roof this whole time and none of us were even remotely suspicious. If we had tested him or looked for clues that he was hiding something then none of this would be happening. Both of you would not have suffered so much. Luke would not be scarred for life and Nyx would still have her magic. I’m so sorry!”

  “It isn’t a problem,” Luke says.

  “It’s all my-” Kellia mutters before Nyx and Luke each put a finger to her lips.

  “We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again,” Nyx begins.

  “We took this job by choice and we don’t regret it,” Luke finishes.

  Fizzle plops down onto Kellia’s head and the half-elves put their arms around her shoulders. They silently lead Kellia back to the warmth of the fire where they find Nimby and Fritz preparing beds in the back of the cart. Aedyn opens his bloodshot eyes briefly and gives a small nod to Nyx. He mutters a few words under his breath and Nyx feels her hair heal and become clean again.

  “What happened to Tyler?” Nimby asks, hoping for a story.

  “I will tell you everything over breakfast, Nimby,” Nyx promises, climbing into the cart and digging out her gear. She unfurls her soft, red embroidered bedroll next to the fire and closes her eyes as soon as she lies down.

  “What would be everything?” Fritz inquires, his curiosity already making him anxious.

  “Nyx was bat-” Luke starts. The sound of a cocked crossbow makes him stop saying what he was originally thinking. “I have no idea. Sleep well, everyone.”

  “I thought so,” Nyx mumbles, clicking the safety on her weapon.

  13

  Sitting between the L’dandrin River and the Barcofian Ocean, the island city of Freedom thrives behind its double fortified walls. Powerful ballistae and catapults are mounted on top of the wide wall and all of them are facing the open ocean. Three stone bridges, each a quarter mile wide, connect this trading center to the mainland. A small, twisting river known as the Scar runs from the ocean to the L’dandrin by cutting through the city. Along its way, the Scar flows through a circular, freshwater pond mysteriously located in the center of Freedom. Though it is fed by the saltwater side of the Scar, this pond remains drinkable and fresh. It is believed that a spirit lives in the pond and is responsible for the saltwater becoming freshwater. This rumor is why the landmark is called the Spirit’s Pond. This famous landmark, combined with the gardens, menageries, and trading centers is what brings a flood of tourists into this city. Freedom’s success as a merchant and tourist city is no more evident than in the buildings of its people. The public buildings are built from simple brick, but every home is unique in appearance. People from every walk of life can make a living in Freedom, which is why the city is renowned fo
r having no slums and very few unemployed citizens.

  “So, this is the southern Sister City. I wonder if the other three sister cities are like Gaia and Freedom. This place is simply beautiful,” Nyx claims, straining her neck to watch the guards on top of the wall.

  “Anybody wonder why there are a lot of guards running around?” Fritz asks, watching all of the armored bodies clogging the street.

  “They could be having a shift change,” Luke guesses.

  “Maybe. It is almost noon,” Aedyn points out.

  “Are you okay, Aedyn? You don’t look too good,” Fritz mentions. He looks with concern at the dark circles under Aedyn’s eyes.

  “I am fine, Fritz,” the priest proclaims sharply.

  The old gnome shakes his head in dismay. “Please be honest with us. If you’re sick then let us know.”

  “I am feeling a little off my center. Not to mention a deep feeling of physical and mental exhaustion,” Aedyn says, leaning on his staff and yawning. “Would it be acceptable if I return to Kellia and watch over her? It might be better for one of us to be around when her family returns home from their errands. We do come off as rude if we simply arrive and drop off our belongings with Kellia. These are nobles we are dealing with and I do not wish to insult them. I trust you three can find your way back to our hosts.”

  “Don’t worry about us, Aedyn. We can take care of ourselves,” Luke assures him. He swiftly steps out of the way of a group of guards who are carrying three enormous arrows for the ballistae. “Be more worried about Nimby wandering the docks. He was very excited about finding the River Scout.”

  “I think it was what the River Scout had on it that Nimby was interested in,” Fritz states with a lecherous grin.

  “Nimby deserves the time off. As do I. I will see all of you at the party tonight,” Aedyn promises, nodding politely. The priest blinks his eyes clear before making his way down the street and disappearing around the corner.

  “So, what should we do?” Nyx asks.

  Luke and Fritz are about to answer when a platoon of archers march by and enter a door in the fortification wall. More archers pass them and are soon followed by a swarm of armored knights carrying spears. A metallic creaking starts behind the adventurers, so they turn around to see the city side of the bridge rising into the air. Fritz drools as he watches the structure disappear above the archway revealing glistening, metal pillars rising from the water. Nyx catches a reflection in the river of three platoons of archers marching onto the elevated bridge section before the metal doors swing shut and lock themselves.

  “A rising bridge system that doubles as an archer post. It’s so ingenious and amazing. I must find out how they got that system to work,” Fritz excitedly says. The gnome looks around the wall until he sees a stairwell and he breaks out into a short jog before either of his friends can stop him.

  “I don’t like this, Luke,” Nyx whispers.

  “Neither do I, but I’m not letting Fritz wander up there by himself,” Luke replies, rushing to catch up to Fritz.

  They catch up to Fritz at the stairwell and follow him up to the top of the wall where they can see the entire city has been locked down. It would be a perfect spot to have lunch if there wasn’t the unending noise of clanking platemail from the guards marching around them. The entire wall is covered in warriors who are manning the city defenses. Each bridge has a section raised where squads of archers and catapults are patiently waiting for a target.

  “Excuse me!” Fritz shouts to everyone around him. “Is there an engineer that I could talk to?”

  “They’re busy, Fritz. We should get back into the town where it’s safe,” Nyx urges her friend. She turns to Luke in time to see a group of human mercenaries walking toward them.

  “Get out of our way,” grunts the largest of the men.

  “My fault,” Luke apologizes, pushing Nyx and Fritz back down the stairwell.

  “Course it is. Small runt like you should-” starts the large man.

  “Leave the kid alone, Tavris. He already apologized and we don’t want any trouble before the real fighting starts,” a young man interrupts from the back of the mercenary pack. The group obediently parts to reveal a handsome, ice blue-eyed man in leather armor who can’t be older than twenty. A battered wooden shield and a finely-crafted longsword are strapped to his back. “Is there anything we can help you with?”

  “We are adventurers who arrived in town today. Our friend here was hoping to find someone who could tell him how the rising bridge system worked,” Nyx politely responds, flashing her best attempt at a warm smile. “He’s a gnome, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that he’s interested.”

  The young man scratches his head in thought. “We’re just simple mercenaries, so we can’t help you. I would guess that anyone working the siege weapons up here can tell you what you want to hear. You should be quick about it. There are pirates on the horizon.”

  “Weapon worker. Got it. Thanks,” Fritz rambles in a joyous frenzy.

  The mercenary nods at Fritz and goes back to trailing behind the others. Nyx notices that his hands are in his pockets as he walks away and the expression on his face is one of boredom instead of anxiety. He swiftly disappears amidst the sea of armor, weapons, and bodies.

  “He seemed bored,” Luke whispers before Nyx can say the same thing.

  “You noticed that too, huh? It looks like he doesn’t want to be here,” Nyx says, intently searching for another glimpse of the young man. “I feel sorry for him. He’s a swordsman, so there’s no use for him unless the pirates manage to climb the wall. That’s if the guy isn’t killed by incoming fire. This is why I hate the idea of mercenary life. You take a job for money and you’re seen as expendable by your employer. There are no guarantees that you will get any help if you get into trouble. I guess I’m hypocritical because we’re technically in the same situation with Kellia. That doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I would rather be an adventuring hero.”

  “You and me both,” the forest tracker laughs.

  Fritz points a finger at the group ahead of them. “There’s a person that I can ask!”

  “Please, Uli, let this be fast,” Luke mutters to the sky.

  “Excuse me! Can I ask you something?” inquiries the gnome, approaching a stout woman covered in oil and grease. She finishes tightening a large bolt on a catapult before she looks at Fritz.

  “Only if you’re quick, mister, because those pirates are already in view and they will be in range of our weapons within minutes,” she replies. Luke and Nyx look to the south and see three ships on the distant ocean.

  “Let’s do what she says, Fritz,” Luke says, backing toward the stairs.

  “I was wondering about the bridge raising system that has been utilized to turn the bridges into archer posts,” Fritz continues, ignoring Luke’s request. “How do you get such a heavy structure to rise with such precision and speed?”

  She takes a deep breath and continues looking out to the ocean as she talks. “We hired dwarven workers to build deep holes into the floor of the L’dandrin. A group of gnomes installed pumps that were attached to extendable bridge supports, which we inserted into the holes. These bridge supports were built to have the same height as the wall when they are fully extended and locked into place. To make the bridge sections rise, the pumps use surface vents to suck in water from the river. A full pump makes the bridge rise while an empty pump keeps it at the same height as the non-rising bridge section connected to the mainland. Does this explanation satisfy you?”

  “Yes, thank you. Good luck with the defense,” Fritz says. The woman smiles and nods before turning back to the catapult.

  Luke and Nyx start to follow Fritz to the stairs when a whistling noise catches their attention. Everyone on the wall starts rushing around in a panic, which causes them to be separated from each other. Luke can barely see Fritz as the gnome is pushed down the stairs by a guard who unknowingly backs into him. The only sign of Nyx is a faint, but angry, f
emale voice cursing at the mass of warriors in multiple languages. The whistling grows louder an instant before a flaming orb of metal crashes into the wall. Guards are sent flying in every direction with a few tumbling into the churning river below. Luke is among the fortunate warriors who are tossed across the fortifications and into the side of a ballista.

  “Luke! Nyx!” Fritz hollers from down the stairs.

  “I’m alive, Fritz! Get yourself to safety!” Luke shouts. He struggles to his feet and pushes his way to the edge of the smoking chasm in the wall. Another whistle is heard as a flaming orb crashes into the river.

  “A little help!” Nyx yells from inside the chasm. She is dangling thirty feet down the far side of the hole with only a pile of rubble to break her forty-foot drop. Kicking at the air, Nyx struggles to crawl onto a narrow ledge. A few guards are at the opposite edge of the hole from Luke, but they are too busy to help her.

  “Be right there,” Luke assures her.

  He looks around quickly until he sees a long rope leading from a ballista to a hook in the wall. Luke unties the rope from the hook and coils it around his arm as another projectile shakes the wall. A deep breath is all he gives himself time for before the forest tracker takes a running leap into the hole. With no amount of grace, Luke slams knee-first into the rough wall as he plummets toward Nyx. The rope snaps tight and Luke hooks his legs around a thin chunk of wall a foot below her. She grabs the rope with one hand and slides down to wrap her other arm around Luke’s neck. Her heart sinks when Luke pushes off to swing to the other side of the hole, but misses the handhold when the ballista shifts and drops them further into the hole. They dangle in mid-air after Luke fails in his second attempt to grab the ledge. A few impact quakes make them sway in the air as Luke feebly attempts to pull them up. They hear a crack and watch as the river side of the hole collapses into the water.