Zauber took the spear carefully and bent close to the fallen wizard. Lorne seemed about to black out, but he was still aware.
“You’ve always been a mediocre wizard,” Zauber said. “Look at you; you could not deal with some dragons with a weapon like that? Why did you not use it?”
“Swap...” was the only thing Lorne could say, but he knew it was enough.
“I pity you,” Zauber replied. “I would kill you right here and now, but unfortunately for you, it is not I who will decide your fate, and the sermerios do not feel any sympathy for you. Throw him in the cage.” Zauber tied the spear to his waist and covered it with his cloak. “Be nice and try not to move; the coals drop easily.” He mounted into the dragon and took flight.
The dragons lifted the cage and did the same, swaying it and burning all who were inside.
Chapter XXVII - Gaining Time
Steven woke up with a strong headache; his nose was impregnated with the smell of blood, mixed with sewage. He tried to put his hands on his head, but they were cuffed to a chain attached to the wall. The subtle flame of a distant candle was the only source of light. Painfully, he sat down. Slowly, his eyes became adapted to the darkness, and he realized that the place was small. He could see the shadow of someone sitting on a bench on the other side; he assumed it was another prisoner.
“Who’s there? Virginia?” he asked, his voice so harsh that he did not recognize it.
The person leaned forward, moving closer to the illuminated area, and Steven saw a familiar face appear. Lácio. The first thing he noticed was that he was not hurt.
He is not a prisoner, Steven thought.
“I have no idea what you’re up to,” Lácio said, “but I can see you’re as dumb as I imagined.”
Steven did not react—not because he was angry but because he was in immense pain.
“I understand that you do not feel like talking,” Lácio said, “but if you do not want to complicate matters further, you’d better talk.”
“What do you want? Do you work for them now?” Steven asked, trying to concentrate.
“I still owe them a fugitive,” Lácio replied. “It was difficult to persuade them I had nothing to do with the prison invasion, but in the end, they believed it. They brought me here, and they said that, at the right moment, I should help them, and then I can go back to my life.”
“Remembering nothing.”
“That’s how it is.”
“Convenient; you’d have to be a coward to live with yourself after what you’re doing, and I know that you’re not, so you’d better forget.”
“My brother died because of you. If we had done everything as we should have, he would be alive, and I would not even be here now, and we would both be living our lives, not remembering this nightmare. You think you’re right, but I’ll tell you one thing: In the time that I spent here, I saw sermerios who came back injured and dead, and you killed them; these men had families, wives, children, parents... I do not know who the villain of this story is anymore. You and your friends think your lives are worth more than theirs. I’m not so certain.”
Steven remembered when he looked at the smoke coming out of the houses, and that’s what he’d thought—that there were people living their lives in this place—but then he recalled the king’s ambitions. No, they were not so innocent. Maybe Lácio did not know—or maybe he did not care.
“You know he wishes to turn us into slaves,” Steven said. “When Zauber creates the potion—or spell, whatever it is—all the humans who come here will have no chance to go back—ever. They will remain here as slaves until they die.”
Steven watched Lácio’s expression harden. Perhaps he did not know of the king’s plans.
“What do you want from me?” Steven asked after there was no answer.
“They need to learn everything that has happened to you so that the incident will not be repeated. They’re with Virginia right now, but if you talk first, maybe she will not get hurt so much.”
“Are they torturing her?” Steven scoffed. “You think they are the victims?”
“If you say nothing, it will happen.”
“How can I answer you, if you did not ask me anything?!” Steven had a hard time with reasoning, but one thing he already understood was that their method worked, since he already wished he were dead, just so he would not have to feel more pain. However, Virginia was still alive... and the others.
“They expect you to inform them who helped you, what Lorne told you to do here, what you know, and who you told, but it’s not to me whom you’ll tell; it’s the king. They sent me here to persuade you to talk.”
“This is your current mission? After I speak, will you watch while they kill us, or will you leave before that?”
Lácio bit his lip but did not respond.
“I’ll tell you,” Steven acquiesced, “but first, I want to see her; I want to make sure she is okay.” Then, I’ll think of some lie, he thought.
“I’ll speak to them.” Lácio rose and prepared to leave but paused and turned. “Are you aware that neither of you will get out of this situation alive? Even if she’s okay now, it’s only a matter of time…”
“Tell them I’ll answer every question, as soon as she’s in front of me. What will happen next is not your problem. You’ll go away; you’ll forget…”
Lácio disappeared into the darkness.
I need to focus, Steven thought. I have to make up a story for everything, something convincing, anything... I cannot talk about Habel or Kyla... but they already know about them. I can leave Richard out—no, Lácio must have mentioned him... where are they? Lácio is right; it’s all over. Lorne will not come to help. If Richard and Hubert come, they will die, too. It was naïve to think everything would go smoothly. What will become of Kyla? Habel? Sephir? Kekuk? No, they do not know about Kekuk or Sephir; I cannot speak of them.
He felt four hands lift him up, then heard chains, keys, and padlocks rattling, and he was dragged out of the hole. They threw Steven on the floor of a hallway. He kept his head down—not out of fear but because his head was heavy with pain; he could not lift it. His hands were still cuffed; his wrists were bleeding. Two sermerios stood behind him.
“Steven,” Virginia said.
The doctor raised his head and saw his friend’s face, glued to the floor and stained with blood. He searched around, wishing to find someone who could defend them, but there was no one. In front of him were two thrones made of the same stone as the rest of the city and covered with bearskins. Two sermerios—one male and one female—were seated upon them. The man did not look as old as Steven had imagined; his blue hair was up to his shoulders; he was not too tall or too stout. He wore a purple cape, enclosed with a gold belt.
Azura said he was weak, Steven remembered, but it didn’t matter; he did not need to fight; there were others who fought for him.
The woman wore a long, green dress; her white hair reached her waist; she did not look at Steven, and her eyes were on a fixed point in the room. She looked uneasy. Lácio was leaning against a pillar near them, his eyes downcast. The mountainous rocks were embedded in the walls. Behind the thrones, an immense fireplace warmed the room. The windows were oval with thin, white curtains. Above them, the ceiling was also made of mountainous rocks. Steven looked to the left; two elves and two trolls watched him defiantly; he saw a lever behind them and wondered what it was for.
“So, you’re one of those individuals who have been causing me so much trouble,” the king announced. “Do you believe the wizard can help you? Did you really think you could kill me?” The king laughed like someone humoring a misbehaving child. “There are two reasons I have not yet ordered your deaths. The first reason is because I want to seize all those who have contributed to so many of my difficulties, and I want to make sure there’s no one missing, so you will tell me their names and locations. The second reason is that I do not want this to happen again, so I wish to listen to everything that transpired that d
rove you to the conclusion that challenging us was the best option... or rather, what made you think it was possible to win. You can start from the beginning.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Steven replied, “but let her go.”
The king smiled. The queen’s countenance was still heavy.
Maybe she does not want what he does; maybe she does not even like him. Steven tried to hold onto this thought; it was his only hope.
“She is not going anywhere,” replied the king, “nor are you.”
“Then why should I give my friends away if we won’t get anything in return?”
“What you will gain is the peace of dying without further suffering, and, above all, without seeing the other’s suffering. I avoid these savage methods; I prefer approaches that do not make such a mess, but in the present situation, it will be necessary.”
“I’m sure your friend there can tell you everything you desire to know,” Steven pointed to Lácio.
“He already did, but his report ended too soon. You did not get here without help; it would be impossible. I need to know who’s against me.”
Steven did not respond. He did not know what to say.
“I’m tired of this discussion,” the king declared. “I thought you said you were willing to talk.”
He gestured to a guard, who pulled a whip from his waist and struck Virginia in the back. Steven tried to rise, but another guard hit his back with the flat of his sword.
“Will you talk now?” the king asked in the same casual tone.
With no other choice, Steven began his narration. He described how they’d arrived and where they found Virginia, but the king interrupted him.
“This does not interest me,” he said. “I already know where the refugee was; Zauber showed me, and I already took providence, so no one can hide there anymore. I want to know what went on at the asadélis, and what you and your friends did after you were separated from Lácio. Do not forget to give me the names of everyone who aided your cause.”
The doctor glanced at Virginia. She wanted to shout at him not to say anything, but the only thing she could do was shake her head. Steven ignored it and returned to his narration. He tried to organize his thoughts to lie in the right moments and not hand over their friends; it was hard to think with his head throbbing in pain. That’s when he had an idea. It did not seem like a brilliant plan, but it was the only one he had.
“We... were on the ship...” he began. “So... we were hit, but I think you already know... we hid in the woods.” Steven stopped talking, closed his eyes, spat blood, and fainted.
The guard gave him a nudge with his foot, but he did not move. The king rolled his eyes.
“Look at the man’s condition,” said the queen. “If you treat his head wound, maybe he will be lucid enough to tell you what transpired. I must say that it turns my stomach, just looking at him.”
The king scanned the queen with his eyes, but he pondered what she said. “Take him to the Healing House and bring him back as soon as he is better,” he ordered. “The woman stays here, as a guarantee that he will try nothing. No one can claim I have not been sympathetic to these two.”
They dragged Steven out, and Virginia felt a tingle of hope return to her.
Chapter XXVIII - Sirenum
Habel was certain she would drown. The mermaids had unbelievable strength; as much as she struggled to let go, she could not. From time to time, they jumped out of the water, and Habel caught her breath.
At one point, as they reached to the surface, the mermaid told her, “Fill your lungs; you’ll need it.”
Habel obeyed. Soon after, they dove and swam to the bottom.
I will never get back to the surface in time, Habel thought. She closed her eyes and let the air out slowly. She felt her heart speed up; she could not hold out much longer; Arvelians were not meant to swim.
“You can breathe,” the mermaid said.
Habel opened her eyes and inhaled, not believing she was still alive. She was inside an air bubble at the bottom of the river. Outside, mermaids swam from side to side; not only those who took her, but many others; slowly, her eyes detected a city.
I’m in Sirenum! she thought. She reached out cautiously and touched the wall of the bubble; it had the consistency of water, but steadier.
After a while, a mermaid half-entered the bubble. Habel took a few steps back.
“We will not hurt you,” said the mermaid sharply.
“What... what do you want?”
“We’re saving you, if you did not notice.”
Habel shook her head uncomprehendingly.
“Sephir called us,” the mermaid explained. “He told us what has happened up there, and it turns out, we are having problems, too.” The mermaid came out of the bubble, and then Habel felt the bubble moving. The mermaid went back into the bubble and said, “Look.” She pointed forward. Habel turned around and had to blink a few times, as she thought what she saw was not true.
An enormous sea serpent was a few feet away. Its scales were dark, its body slender like a serpent’s, but much longer; its mouth was like the mouth of a dragon; its eyes were narrow and red, and its ears were large and pointed. There were at least 10 mermaids around the animal, trying to control it with chains.
“What... I thought you were in control of these animals,” said Habel in almost breathless astonishment.
“We do when they are not under the effect of potions.”
“Potions?”
“It has been a while since the animals became strange, indolent, and aggressive. We did not realize what was going on—until Sephir called us, and it all became clear.”
“Sermerios.”
“And sea witches.” Seeing Habel’s shocked face, she proceeded, “At first, we thought they wanted to control the animals, but we captured one sea witch, trying to steal a scale from one of us. We got the truth out of her: The potion should have worked on us, but it affected only the animals instead.”
“When you steal a mermaid’s scale, she’s under your control…” Habel said to herself, remembering the teachings she had learned when she was little. “The potion would be easier than stealing the scales of each one, but if you’re on our side, why did you take me?”
“We’re not on anyone’s side. The sermerios invaded our home, and so we will invade theirs. We have no interest in humans.”
“Then, why did you bring me here? I have an interest in humans, and I do not remember asking you to save me.”
“Sephir asked, and we owe him a debt. In fact, he requested for us to spare everyone, but as I said, humans do not concern us, so we agreed to save only the Arvelians.”
“Then, why didn’t you save Kyla?”
“We saw you fly; we assumed the other one had already died.”
“No! She lost her wings.”
“I’m sorry, but now, we cannot help her; we’re preparing for the invasion, and as soon as we’re finished, we’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“You cannot invade the city; Steven and Virginia must be there, and the others... you will kill them, and they did nothing...”
“As I said, we do not care. As far as I know, they are essentially dead, anyway.”
Habel’s head ran from one thought to the other to find an argument to persuade her. The mermaid was already coming out of the bubble when Habel shouted, “Zauber! He was the one who created the potion; I’m sure. Sermerios are giving it all to him; they’ve given him a dragon and... artifacts; he’s getting more and more powerful, and if he wants something from you, he will get it, and it will not be easy for you to kill him, but Lorne and Azura can do it.”
The mermaid turned curiously. “Are those the two wizards who were with you?”
“Yes!” Habel took advantage of the mermaid’s interest. “If you help us, we can take care of Zauber, while you do as you please with the sermerios.”
“They are not alone. The people of the desert are with them.”
“Two or three men cannot make much difference.”
“They have already fought the desert people; they have invaded the prison!” Habel knew this invasion had only worked because of Lorne’s magic, which put almost everyone to sleep, but perhaps the mermaid did not know that detail.
“I heard of the infiltration from Sephir.” The mermaid was pacing back and forth thoughtfully. “I’ll pass your words on to the others, but I guarantee nothing.” She left the bubble without letting Habel say anything else.
***
Thomas and Richard dragged the sermerio behind them. They took care of her enough to keep her alive. They were always looking up at the sky for Steven’s signal, but they saw nothing. They kept her gagged and did not talk to each other because they did not want to give any information she could use if something happened to them. It had been more than a day since they had reached the road where Steven and Virginia passed, and now, they were approaching the fork.
“Does this road lead to the city?” Thomas asked the prisoner, pointing to the road that led into the middle of the mountains.
She did not answer.
Richard went over to her and put his dagger close to her neck. “I’ll move the gag. If you scream, you’ll regret it.” He removed the cloth from her mouth violently.
The sermerio’s voice was trembling but firm. “You’re insane if you think you will get into town without being caught.”
“We’ll worry about that,” Thomas said. “Is it the way or not? Do not even think about lying. We know about the secret passage at the end of the road, but we do not want to waste so much time.”
She frowned as she heard about the passage, but then composed herself. “Why would I lie? As soon as we get there, I’ll be free. This is the way.”
“How long does it take?”
“Half a day, maybe. If we start now and do not stop, we’ll arrive tomorrow, when the sun is still high. If we take a shortcut in the middle of the mountains, it will be even faster... but if you think you can exchange me for your friends, you are mistaken.”
The Fourth World Page 20
