The Warden and the Shadow Queen: The Warden Saga Book 3

by Paul Summerhayes

  His hand dropped to his sword hilt and he drew out several inches of steel from the scabbard before he stopped. No! What could he do against this monster? Nothing. He pushed the sword back into the scabbard and closed his eyes, hoping his death would be quick.

  “You are learning, mortal. There is hope for you yet.”

  A small intense light flared in front of Finn. A green coloured flame danced along Mordan’s clawed finger. Magic! The flame cast an eerie green tinge over the alp’s pale features, giving him a more terrifying appearance. He smiled as he lit Finn’s candle, exposing long white canines. Mordan handed Finn the candle and the magical flames on his finger vanished. The candlelight created dancing shadows on the corridor’s walls as Finn’s hand shook uncontrollably.

  Finn’s mouth was suddenly dry as he looked into Mordan’s eyes. They were two black orbs in his pale face—unreadable and emotionless.

  “What are you doing?” Mordan’s voice seemed to press down on him.

  “A-Anna is here,” said Finn, stuttering. “Somewhere.” With an effort, he tore his eyes away from the alp’s and he stared at the ground. He steeled himself, waiting for Mordan’s scolding. But it didn’t come.

  After a long moment, Finn was a little more defiant and he glanced at the taller man. Kill me if you want, Finn challenged silently, but Mordan didn’t move a muscle.

  “Good. You are becoming a man.”

  “If you’re not here to kill me, are you here to help?” asked Finn.

  “I have always been there for the daughter of the First Born. Her people and mine were once...friends. But that is for another time.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “Close,” said Mordan. “I can sense her essence and she is not far...there is magic at play here tonight. The Wizards of Solaris weave powerful magic within the palace walls.”

  “Why? Do they mean to hurt Anna?”

  Mordan leant slightly forward and Finn surprised himself by holding his ground. He met the alp’s stare. “I believe they are trying to summon a creature, a demon no less. No doubt, if they require more magic, they will sacrifice your friend and use her blood to complete the ritual.”

  “What?! We must save her.”

  “Yes, we must stop them.”

  “Why are you helping her? She means nothing to you.”

  “You are naive to the ways of the world. If the Wizards of Solaris have a pet demon, they would crush this world and enslave all who stand against them. They would steal the world’s magic, weakening many of the races. Dwarves, gnomes and orcs would slowly vanish from this world, and so would the eldon. Our races are not like the humans, who do not rely on magic to survive. We need magic.”

  “Our race has no magic.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “What can we do?” asked Finn. Wizards and demons, this is becoming too much.

  “We must disrupt the summoning spell. If a demon escapes from hell and steps into our realm, chaos will follow it.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Mages a thousand years ago tried the same thing and it resulted in a shift in the world order. My people went from the top of the food chain to being hunted to extinction and a dozen races were totally exterminated in a war that lasted a hundred years.”

  “It took a hundred years to kill one demon?”

  “Yes.”

  “Crap...” muttered Finn. “Are we able to kill it?”

  “We will not have to, if we stop it from being summoned in the first place,” said Mordan. “Time is crucial and you must act now before it is too late. I believe they will use the throne room for the ritual.”

  Finn found the alp’s unblinking stare unnerving. “I don’t think I...can do this.”

  “You can and you must. But you will not be alone. The dwarf and I will also be there.”

  “I wish my father...” muttered Finn.

  “Your father is alive.” Mordan stepped back into the darkness and vanished from Finn’s sight.

  “What?! What about my father?” The eldon stepped several paces forward but the candlelight revealed nothing. Mordan was gone.

  Chapter 20

  It was early evening when the door burst open and Wolfgang and two hulking red-clothed soldiers walked in. They were there to escort Anna from her luxurious prison downstairs. For what reason, she shuddered to guess. Silently a soldier removed her leg chain so she could walk, but the silver wrist manacles were left in place. The two soldiers firmly, but not too painfully, gripped her arms and half pushed her, half carried her from the room. All the while Wolfgang looked on, amusement on his face.

  You will pay for this, you vile creature!

  Anna was pushed along a corridor and down a wide staircase to the ground level. There were people, both soldiers and servants going about their business, but no one gave them a second glance. After traversing several well-lit corridors, they stopped at a door guarded by two more red-uniformed soldiers. The men acknowledged Wolfgang and stepped aside.

  One soldier opened the door and Anna was pushed into a massive room with thick columns supporting a high vaulted ceiling. They were in the royal throne room and they had entered through the royal entrance, the one the king used so he didn’t have to rub shoulders with the people assembled in the main audience chamber.

  They stood behind a raised multi-step dais, upon which a thickly padded throne sat. From atop the throne, the king could overlook his subjects that occupied the long room, which could easily accommodate several hundred people. Anna looked hopefully to the throne, but it was empty. Her hopes of the king’s intervention were dashed. Large elaborate lamps hung from the ceiling, casting out bright light around the room.

  The vast room felt sterile and unwelcoming and she shivered, but not from the cold.

  “Would you like a coat?” said Wolfgang.

  “I want nothing from you!”

  He chuckled. “Suit yourself.”

  Her eyes darted around, drinking in every little detail. Apart from the throne, the only other seating was long padded benches aligned along the walls, leaving the centre of the room open. A tiled floor mural, thirty yards wide, decorated the room’s centre. It was an enormous eagle with its wings spread wide, the royal crest of Krystoria. On every wall, ancient looking tapestries hung from the ceiling to the floor, depicting battles, kings and colourful mystical beasts.

  A hand on Anna’s shoulder caused her to jump and brought her back to the present. A soldier pushed her toward the dais and forced her down. Dejected, she dropped onto the stone step. There was no hope of escape and she could feel her resolve disappearing. The two soldiers took up positions on either side of her.

  “You sit here and wait for your betters, girl,” said Wolfgang. “It’ll be over soon.” Not waiting for an answer, he turned and left through the door they had just entered.

  Over? What does he mean?

  Her eyes roamed the room until a scene on a tapestry caught her attention. Several coloured-robed men surrounded a few knights who valiantly defended a fallen king. Many knights lay dead at their feet and the ground was soaked in their blood. But they looked determined to fight on. The robed men projected black light at the hapless men and the knights’ deaths looked inevitable.

  I wonder what it means. Are they the Wizards of Solaris and is that my fate? To be killed by crazy mages?

  The tapestry beside the one she studied moved slightly, as though blown by a breeze. She found it strange as the throne room must have been located in the centre of the palace and there were no windows that she could see. Just my imagination... The tapestry moved again. Who’s there? Flea?

  At the far end of the room, double doors twice the height of a man swung suddenly open and Lord Tollis strolled in as though he owned the palace. He wore clothes of the highest quality and a fine dark purple cloak with white fur trimming. They were clothes fit for a king, and the only thing missing from his outfit was a crown on his head.

  Tollis looked please
d with himself and seemed to flow into the room, closely followed by two lines of armoured soldiers. As the procession entered, Tollis waved the soldiers to stand on each side of the room and they took up positions evenly spaced along the walls. There was something unnatural in the way they moved...Anna sucked in her breath. She couldn’t see their faces through their helmets, but she feared what they were. They were the undead and no doubt the start of his army.

  White-uniformed servants followed solemnly behind the undead soldiers, carrying a table and several wooden boxes. Tollis directed them to a spot near the foot of the dais, where they set up his equipment, placing jars of coloured powders, dry herbs, bottles, pots and a stone mortar and pestle on the table. Anna was close, but Tollis didn’t pay her any attention as he was more interested in overseeing his servants’ work, and she was grateful for it.

  “Now, that looks about right,” Tollis muttered as he adjusted the position of a silver knife on the table. His eyes fell on Anna and she turned away from him, refusing to make eye contact. “Why, Anna, my apologies. I didn’t see you there. Are you well?”

  Anna could not force herself to speak. The man repulsed her. Even the sight of him made her skin crawl. She wanted to scream at him, but she had no words. He looked back to the table, taking her silence as compliance or acceptance to her situation. Or maybe he just didn’t care. Anna couldn’t tell.

  “This is going to be a big night for you,” he said over his shoulder. “And me. My own demon...”

  What?! A demon? He is crazier than I thought.

  The orange-robed Eichmann walked through the open throne room doorway, closely followed by blue- and red-robed mages. The Wizards of Solaris. The three mages walked directly to Tollis who didn’t look up at their approach, fussing with the ingredients on the table.

  The old thin mage cleared his throat, but Tollis did not look up. “Tollis,” said Eichmann.

  “I prefer to be called the master...or Your Highness, I guess, now that I’m the king.” Tollis made eye contact with Eichmann and his outward confidence faded under the old mage’s scrutiny. The old mage’s expression was unreadable.

  “Of course...Your Highness.” Eichmann gave a small half bow which looked somewhat mocking, although Tollis didn’t seem to notice.

  I wouldn’t want to cross that man.

  “Did you obtain all the items I requested?” Eichmann asked. “I must have everything if this is to work.”

  “Don’t worry, Eichmann, it’s all here. Including our beautiful Anna.” A sweep of Tollis’s arm indicated Anna on the dais stairs.

  The old mage looked at her for several long moments before addressing Tollis again. “Good. My men will mark out the symbols for the ritual on the floor and I shall return later at the appointed time.” Without another word, he turned and strolled out of the throne room.

  The two remaining mages went to work marking the floor with fine powder. The blue-robed mage made a large circle in the centre of the room with a black powder scooped from a leather bag at his hip. The red-robed mage used a yellow powder to mark out symbols inside the perimeter of the black circle. Tollis watched them for a moment and then climbed the dais and plonked down in the throne. He slouched in the over-sized chair, resting his head on a hand propped on the throne’s arm rest. He watched the two mages work with interest.

  Anna glanced back at the tapestries where she hoped to catch sight of Flea, but he was not there. The small goblin was now her only friend in this crazy place. My life has been filled with monsters, power hungry men, royalty...everyone using me for their own gain...

  How long have I have been here now? Weeks? Months? I’ve had enough! Anna’s head slumped onto her crossed arms and she tried to block out what was happening around her. It was all too much for her to bear.

  Chapter 21

  Finn burst into the dungeon, still holding the candle. “My father’s alive!”

  “What?” Karok sprung to his feet, surprisingly quick for one so heavily armoured. “Where is he?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Finn. “Mordan just told me he’s alive.”

  “Who? What are you talking about, lad?”

  “It’s a long story. I met Mordan months ago and he’s an alp—”

  “An alp?!”

  “I’ll tell you later. He’s trying to help us save Anna and he believes that she will be sacrificed to summon a demon.”

  “A demon?”

  “He think these mages will try to force a demon into servitude. For what reason, I don’t know.”

  “Did this...alp say where Anna is?” asked Karok.

  “No, but the summoning will take place in the throne room.”

  “Action at last!” For a moment, Finn caught a mad glint in the dwarf’s eyes. Did he look forward to battle that much?

  Both checked their equipment and left the dungeon, heading toward the upper levels and the throne room. They paused at the door that led out of the dungeon’s network. Finn checked if the corridor beyond was empty and then ducked back inside.

  “Maybe we should split up and attack from different directions,” said Karok.

  Finn's heart leapt. He didn’t feel confident that he could handle attacking anything, especially by himself. It was the black sword that had given him the ability to fight before and that sword was gone. He knew that he was nothing more than an untrained eldon from a small village and not a mighty warrior like Karok or Severus. But he had to try, for Anna, he had no choice. He didn’t know if he loved her, or even what love was. His life had been so busy since they met. Regardless, she was his best friend and that was a good enough reason to him to risk his life for her. It pained him to know that she was a captive. She deserved better than that.

  “How do you want to do this?” asked Finn.

  “I’m not sure. In the past, I’ve just hit everything and that seems to work,” said Karok. “Let’s go in different directions and tried to stop this ritual anyway we can.”

  The dwarf charged off one way and Finn took another corridor. They both would try and find Anna and stop the mages in their own way. The palace was illuminated by lamps spaced along the corridors and common areas. Sneaking was going to be difficult, if not downright impossible. Finn wore his green warden’s cloak hood down and his sword hidden under it. He walked with purpose and tried to blend in, acting like he was supposed to be in the king’s palace at night. It was a long shot.

  He moved purposely down a long corridor and resisted the urge to break into a run. Going this way would lead him to the rear entrance of the throne room. He and Severus had used it several weeks before. If he could get in there undetected, he might be able to keep out of sight until he knew Anna was safe. He could then try and stop this demon from entering the world. One thing at a time. Anna first, demon second...

  A young boy rounded a corner carrying a sealed piece of paper. He hurried down the corridor toward Finn. Look ahead. Finn’s step faltered, but he continued on. The young boy was dressed in a white messenger’s uniform. Finn made no eye contact with the boy as he neared. The boy hurried by without a second glance.

  That was close.

  Finn rounded a corner and walked straight into someone walking the other way. “Sorry—” Crap! Finn was face-to-face with Wolfgang. The older man appeared almost as surprised as the eldon and took a step back. His hand dropped to the hilt of the alp’s black sword and in a blink of an eye the sword was in Wolfgang’s hand.

  “I’ve been waiting for this.” Wolfgang smirked, but his eyes were without humour. The man waved the black blade a hand’s width from Finn’s face. “Let’s end this, eldon.”

  Wolfgang moved back down the corridor a few paces and lowered his sword. Finn understood, he was being given a chance to draw his own weapon. Hesitantly, he slowly pulled his sword from its scabbard. He was no match for this experienced swordsman without the aid of the black sword and Wolfgang knew it. If he wasn’t careful, this would be over quickly.

  Wolfgang’s stance was casua
l, but Finn knew it was a ploy to get him to attack first. Not happening! He would have to fight smart if he had any chance of defeating this man. I’ll let him make the first move.

  Finn didn’t have to wait long. Like lightning, Wolfgang lunged forward, aiming his sword straight at Finn’s heart. A lucky reflex saved the eldon and his sword was in the right place to deflect Wolfgang’s attack. He wouldn’t be so lucky a second time. The clash of blades rang out loud in the confines of the corridor, which no doubt would bring the palace guards. This had to end quickly.

  Wolfgang didn’t wait for Finn to recover. Grinning, he pressed his advantage. He swung his sword at Finn’s head, who ducked just in time. The eldon hurriedly back-pedalled, trying keep out of the swordsman’s reach. Wolfgang knew his victory was close as there was nowhere Finn could hide.

  Swinging the black sword, Wolfgang slashed high. But when Finn tried to parry the attack, there was no blade there. Wolfgang feigned, spinning and bringing the sword down low. A sharp pain shot through Finn’s leg as the black blade bit deep into his thigh. A cry tore from Finn’s throat as his sword clanged to the floor. He staggered back against the wall, grabbing his leg. Blood oozed wetly through his fingers and he knew it was over.

  Finn gazed at the black sword in Wolfgang’s hands. His blood coated the end of the blade and it hungrily absorbed his life fluid. Finn met Wolfgang’s gaze and saw his death there. He tensed, waiting for the killing blow to fall, but he wouldn’t cry out or give his attacker the satisfaction of seeing him beg. Finn stood straighter. Today, he would die a man.

  “Well, well. You are braver than I thought,” said Wolfgang confidently. Finn’s blood had disappeared from the black sword’s blade. Wolfgang waved the sword around and was almost bouncing on his feet. “Now it’s time for you to die.” He was eager kill Finn.

  But the killing blow didn’t fall. The expression on Wolfgang’s face changed—he stopped smiling and looked like he was in pain. The swordsman looked down at the sword before he cried out and dropped the weapon. It clanged to the floor. He looked at his hand and Finn could see that the skin was burnt and blistered. Wolfgang stared at the wound in disbelief.