An hour later, Arik halted at the edge of the forest. Alex waited at the edge of the road while Jenneva and Sydar raced across. They joined the others where the forest stopped and the city of Tor began. Alex gazed out at the strange city. The buildings were all constructed of stone. Covered archways stretched between buildings and across streets.
“People never have to walk in the open,” commented Tanya. “Even crossing the street can be done under a roof.”
“I wouldn’t want to cross the street with those beasts flying overhead,” remarked Wylan. “Why don’t they just move somewhere else?”
“You can see the castle clearly now,” declared Arik as he pointed to the massive black stone structure towering over the top of the buildings. It is as tall as a mountain.”
“They use the same methods in the castle that they use in town,” noted Sydar. “Even the crenels are covered over with stone. The merlons are shaped like wings.”
“They have adapted to the flight of the dragons,” nodded Jenneva.
“But the castle was not built to guard against dragons,” mused Alex. “It was built to control the pass. Let’s enter the city and see if we can find a way to get invited to the castle.”
Arik nodded and led the group out of the forest. His eyes scanned the skies overhead as they proceeded across the open field. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the cleared area around the town was an invitation for the dragons to feast on visitors. Seeing scorch marks on the stone of the closest buildings did little to ease his fears. He quickened the pace and led the group into a covered alley between two buildings.
“Find an inn,” suggested Alex. “We can have a meal while we try to find out who rules here.”
Arik nodded and led the way down the alley. He frowned when the alley reached the next street. It suddenly struck him that not a single person was visible. He looked left and right for the signs of an inn, but saw nothing to indicate one. He hurried across the open street and continued down the covered alley on the other side.
Halfway to the next street was an intersection of another alley. Arik heard a horse whinny and peered down the intersecting alleyway. He could not see anything but the stone walls of the buildings. He turned to the right and proceeded along the new alleyway. The smell of stables grew stronger and soon Arik found what he was looking for. He looked at the small sign above the doorway opposite the stables and smiled.
“Will the Dragon’s Breath Inn do?” Arik asked rhetorically as he dismounted and led Chaco into the stables.
The rest of the party followed. Alex was the first to emerge and approach the back door to the inn. He cautiously opened the door and led the group inside. He could hear talking and laughing coming from the common room and walked towards it. Only about a dozen men occupied the common room. The room fell silent as the Rangers filed in. Everyone glared at the newcomers as Alex stood next to an empty table and indicated that the Rangers should sit. Alex took the end seat after the others were seated. The innkeeper approached warily.
“I don’t recall seeing your faces before,” greeted the gloomy innkeeper as the rest of the locals stared. “We don’t have any rooms.”
“Perhaps your memory is not as good as it was in the old days,” smiled Alex. “We just want a meal.”
Confusion was apparent on the old man’s face as he stared at Alex. The innkeeper hesitated for a long moment before nodding.
“You’ll pay first,” demanded the innkeeper.
“Of course,” smiled Alex as he slid a gold coin across the table.
The old man scooped up the coin and walked away. Soft murmurs ran through the locals watching the newcomers. Finally, a large barrel-chested man rose and approached the table. He stood glaring down at Alex.
“Hapit doesn’t seem to remember your face,” growled the large man. “I don’t recall it either. I think you should leave.”
“Hapit is getting old,” retorted Alex. “As for leaving, I think after we are refreshed with a meal, we shall. Would you care to join us, friend?”
“I ain’t your friend,” snarled the man. “If Hapit is your friend, you can just leave the gold coin with him as a present. We don’t welcome your kind in Tor.”
“My kind?” echoed Alex softly. “And what kind is that?”
“I am in no mood for word games,” spat the man as his meaty hand reached for Alex’s neck. “King Devon spoke about you spies coming here to learn our secrets.”
Alex grabbed the man’s wrist as he sprang off the bench. He bent the wrist back and forced it downward until the man was bent over. The man’s friends began to rise and come to his assistance when two Lanoirian stars slammed into the table that they sat at.
“I happen to be in Tor to speak with King Devon,” Alex stated loudly. “I really don’t want to have to complain to him about his amateur welcoming committee. Why don’t you gents enjoy your ale?”
Alex pushed the large man backwards and smoothly drew his sword. The man stumbled into the next table and glared at Alex while holding his wrist.
“You talk big with only a bunch of children at your back,” the large man spat as he looked to his friends for help.
Arik and Tanya rose on one side of the table and drew their swords. Sydar and Wylan soon followed their lead on the other side of the table. The large man’s friends reseated themselves. Alex held his sword menacingly in one hand as he walked to the large man’s table. He picked up the two Lanoirian Stars and dropped a gold coin on the table.
“Enjoy some ale on us, friend,” smiled Alex as he backed away to his own table. “Save your fight for those that deserve it. We mean no harm to you.”
The large man looked pleadingly towards his friends. They pointedly ignored him and stared at their mugs of ale. The large man growled and stormed out of the inn. Alex sheathed his sword and sat down. The other Rangers followed his lead and sat down. Alex slid the Stars back to Arik and Tanya.
“You have an interesting way of finding out information,” Tanya whispered.
“I think we will be seeing that man again,” frowned Alex.
“Do you really know Hapit?” asked Wylan.
“Never saw him before,” Alex smiled as he saw the innkeeper bring the meals.
The locals picked up the gold coin and quietly left the inn. The innkeeper slid several plates of food on the table and returned to the kitchen for more. He promptly came back with the rest of the meals.
“That is the wrong bunch to play with,” Hapit sighed. “King Devon doesn’t stand for fights in the inns, but they will not easily forget you. Have I met you before?”
“No,” admitted Alex, “but we really are here to see King Devon. We mean no harm to the people of Tor.”
“At least I am not losing my mind,” chuckled the innkeeper. “Thanks for admitting it.”
“How do we get to see King Devon?” asked Alex.
“Not likely that you will,” frowned Hapit. “Only people who are expected are let into the Castle of Man. I’m afraid your trip has been in vain.”
Alex nodded and the old man left the newcomers to eat their meals.
“Not very encouraging,” remarked Jenneva as she pushed her empty plate towards the center of the table.
“We will find a way,” Alex responded optimistically. “We have come a long way to get into that castle. I will not be deterred now.”
The innkeeper reappeared to gather the empty plates. He stood staring at Alex for a moment.
“What is it you need to see King Devon about?” he asked.
“We are searching for an ancient shield,” answered Alex. “It is called the Shield of Oykara.”
“What makes you think he might know about it?” questioned Hapit.
“Some old scrolls we read,” replied Alex. “It was a shield carried by the dwarves of ages ago. We believe it ended up in the castle here at Tor.”
“Hasn’t been dwarf attacks in centuries,” mused the old man. “Today the attacks come mostly from goblins or other
humans.”
“Other humans?” questioned Alex. “Small wonder the welcome is not one of Tor’s more pleasant features. Who are these humans?”
“Don’t rightly know,” shrugged the innkeeper. “It started up less than twenty years ago. Hadn’t heard of other humans even being around before that. They finally gave up because of the Castle of Man though. Nobody gets through that pass without King Devon’s say so.”
“It is a pretty large castle to defend against goblins,” commented Sydar.
“Not goblins,” chuckled Hapit. “It was originally designed to defend Tor against trolls. The castle is centuries old.”
“Trolls?” questioned Jenneva. “What are they?”
“Huge creatures,” frowned Hapit. “I have never seen one, but history tells of monstrous creatures that used to attack us. There were all kinds of trolls. The mountain trolls could climb the side of a building like you or I walk down the street. That is why the Castle of Man is so tall. It gave the defenders time to attack the trolls while they were climbing. Then there were the rock trolls. A sword was no good against them from what I hear. Arrows did not even tickle them. They had to be smashed with boulders. There is a lot of history in that castle.”
“When did the dwarves enter the picture?” inquired Tanya.
“Dwarves came later,” answered Hapit. “Not much of them in our history, but they tried to fight their way through the pass several times. I heard that the king at that time used to offer dwarves up to the dragons. The dragons are the reason the Castle of Man looks black. Many times the dragons tried to scorch the castle out of existence. They never could though. They aren’t strong enough to burn stone. They did burn down the city a few times, but now everything is made of stone. The dragons don’t bother us much anymore.”
“How long have the goblins been attacking Tor?” asked Sydar.
“On and off for close to twenty years,” answered the innkeeper, “but nothing like right now. I heard there are thousands of them this time.”
“You mean they are attacking now?” inquired Alex.
“Aye,” nodded Hapit. “Just the last few days it seems. This time they are riding those hideous yaki. Makes them pretty quick, but they can’t get past the Castle of Man. Foolish creatures. Tor has nothing to worry about with the goblins. They will never get to the city.”
“I hope you are correct,” frowned Alex. “If Sarac is driving them again, I am willing to wager that he has more up his sleeve than just goblins and yaki.”
“Well it will take more than that to worry me,” smiled the innkeeper. “If you are traveling by horse, I would suggest leaving your horses in the stables. Leave by the front door. I suspect those men will be waiting out back for you.”
“Thank you, Hapit,” nodded Alex. “That sounds like good advice.”
Alex watched the old man return to the kitchen. He rose and headed for the front door. The rest of the group followed him. Alex exited the inn and stood staring at the towering black castle over the rooftops of the buildings. His mind searched for some excuse to enter the Castle of Man. Finally, he shrugged and crossed the street. He led the way down a street towards the castle. He had not gone half a block before he heard bells tolling. The tolling of the bells carried a sense of urgency to them. Suddenly people started pouring out of the buildings and running towards the castle. He saw the men who had been in the inn run by. They did not even slow as they passed the Rangers. Alex looked around in confusion.
“You wanted to get into the Castle of Man,” panted Hapit as he approached from behind. “Now is your chance. The bells are a call for everyone to get into the castle. The attack must be serious.”
The Rangers started running towards the castle. They merged with the mass of local citizens of Tor as everyone ran towards the Castle of Man. When they got close, Alex stared at the huge castle. It had a very wide moat around it with a stone bridge extending across the moat. The bridge was covered with a stone roof. The last section of the bridge was a huge drawbridge. Even the drawbridge was covered in metal.
The mass of citizens slowed as they funneled onto the bridge. Alex waited until the Rangers were grouped together and then merged onto the bridge. The guards at the castle end of the bridge paid no attention to the faces of the people streaming in. Their task at this point seemed to be to keep everyone moving once they were inside the castle. Alex led his group off to one side and away from the bridge.
“This is the strangest castle that I have ever seen,” Jenneva commented softly. “There is no wall around it. No courtyard either.”
“It is not a castle meant for royalty,” replied Alex. “Its only purpose is defense and it is well designed for that. Look at the stairway over there. Do you think that is narrow because of the lack of space available?”
“It is narrow so only one person at a time will fit,” observed Sydar. “Very easy to defend from above if the enemy has already gained a foothold here.”
“That becomes doubly true,” nodded Alex, “if the castle was designed to protect against a large enemy.”
“Like the trolls that the innkeeper was describing,” added Wylan.
“Exactly,” Alex said. “I would be willing to wager that there are some type of round rocks at the top of each of these stairways designed to be rolled down upon the enemy.”
“What do we do now that we are inside?” asked Arik. “How do we find this King Devon?”
“We go up the stairs,” shrugged Alex. “If I was the king and the castle was about to be attacked, I would want the greatest vantage point to see what was going on.”
“Did you see how tall this castle is?” asked Tanya. “It could take us days to climb to the top. How do you know that the king is not down here?”
“I don’t know,” conceded Alex. “I just don’t think it would be healthy for us to ask someone. Unless this King Devon is old and frail, I suspect he will be up top.”
“Should we split up?” questioned Sydar.
“No,” answered Alex. “The base of this castle is larger than the city. If we split up, we will never find each other again.”
“We have trouble,” Tanya said nervously as she nodded towards the drawbridge. “Your friends from the inn are pointing us out to those soldiers in the gray uniforms.”
“Should we run or fight?” asked Wylan.
“Neither,” sighed Alex as a dozen soldiers started approaching. “Fighting in here would be suicide. Besides, we cannot hope to find the Shield of Oykara and then sneak out of here. Talking to King Devon is our only chance.”
“Let’s hope that talking to King Devon is an option,” frowned Jenneva. “They are closing the drawbridge.”
“Should I go looking for the king?” chirped Prince Midge as he stuck his head out of Arik’s pocket.
“Not yet,” whispered Arik as the soldiers neared. “Stay hidden for now.”
Prince Midge ducked back into the pocket. Alex watched the soldiers approach and noticed a red symbol on the sleeve of one of the men. Alex pegged him as an officer of some kind.
“Who are you people?” the officer asked as the other soldiers spread out to contain the Rangers.
“I am Alexander Tork,” answered Alex. “We have come to speak with King Devon. I am afraid that I do not know how to find him. Can you direct us?”
“Where are you from?” asked the officer as his eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces of the Rangers.
“We have come from Tagaret,” replied Alex.
“We do not allow strangers in the Castle of Man,” declared the officer. “You will be held until the battle is over. Then King Devon will decide your fate. Take them to the cells.”
“Wait,” Jenneva said hurriedly.
“What is it?” the officer asked impatiently.
“We may be able to help with the battle,” offered Jenneva. “If it is goblins and yaki attacking as we heard in the city, we have experience in battle with them.”
“Goblins and yaki are no problem for us,
” the officer shook his head.
“Then why were the people of the city brought into the castle?” inquired Alex. “Surely, you do not sound the alarm every time the goblins attack. Not in a castle of this impressive size.”
“The alarm was sounded because there is a new type of creature coming through the pass with the goblins,” replied the officer. “We do not know the strengths and weaknesses of it yet.”
“Trolls?” asked Arik.
“No,” answered the officer. “We have not seen trolls in centuries. I am surprised that you would be familiar with them. Have you done much traveling north of the mountains?”
“I was born north of the mountains,” nodded Alex. “We were also up there not long ago. Goblins attacked Tice. We helped defeat them. They were not using yaki at that time, but I have fought that combination before.”
“You will not be seeing any combat in this battle,” assured the officer. “We have more than enough men to hold this pass against any army. The fact that your group is eager to fight concerns me though. Strangers are not well accepted here in Tor, especially skilled warriors that show up just when a battle is starting.”
“We have not come to Tor to fight,” declared Alex. “Our offer to help was one that we would extend to any friend that was under attack. Actually, we have come looking for an old dwarven shield.”
“Dwarves?” scowled the officer. “Friends of dwarves are even less welcome here. That is news that King Devon will not be pleased to hear.”
The officer stood and stared at the Rangers for a long moment as if he was weighing some decision. Finally, he appeared to reach some conclusion.
“Take them to the lift,” the officer ordered. “They will be placed in the sacrificial cells.”
Chapter 28
Island of Ignorance
Lieutenant Montbalm led the group along the main corridor of the Castle of Man. The twelve Tor soldiers surrounded the prisoners and kept them under close watch.
“I trust you are sensible enough not to struggle,” stated the lieutenant as he halted before a large square wooden platform. “You strike me as a military man who can understand the futility of such battle.”
Dwarven Ruby Page 35
