by Hoyt, Joshua
Aithnea stopped and turned. “So Karman knew about Archelaus when he joined with him?”
Cody replied, “It’s just a rumor that I’ve heard I’m not sure that it’s true.” He shrugged and started walking again. “Personally I have never felt like Archelaus would do anything other than help the resistance. Karman was careful with him because Archelaus felt the only way to change things was through force and Karman still hoped for a peaceful resolution.”
Concern crossed Tom’s face. “Maybe we shouldn’t trust him then. What if he uses the knowledge to gain greater power or worse what if he is still in league with the witches and they use it.”
“Kristiana’s worried that if we don’t use his help then we won’t be able to find enough information to make what we know useful to us. She also says that Archelaus has a lot of resources that we’ll need to figure the riddle out. On the other hand if we hide this information Archelaus may turn against us,” Aithnea said.
I always thought Archelaus was a good man. What am I supposed to think now? I have already chosen him. What can I do about it now?
Chapter 15:
The companions traveled for about ten miles when John held up his hand and motioned for everyone to find a place to hide. Tom, Cody and Aithnea hid behind a nearby bush. Tom sat quietly, fearing that the pounding in his heart would give them away as he strained to hear anything. I wonder what John heard, because I can’t hear anything. Then from below he heard several men marching. He looked through the bush he hid behind but could see nothing.
Several more minutes passed as the sound drew closer. John suddenly came out from behind a tree and walked toward the group. He made a slight motion with his hand telling the others to stay hidden.
“Hello friends!” John said.
The group stopped and a woman spoke, “Hello.”
“I have been lost in these hills for several days now and was hoping that you could point me in the right direction,” John said casually.
“Where are you heading?” the woman said.
“I’m heading to Darthmoth.”
“Well you’re only a day or so from there if you continue going in that direction… If you don’t mind me asking where are you coming from?”
“Well you see, it’s kind of embarrassing to tell you the truth, but I’m from Darthmoth. I was out hunting and slipped and fell, hitting my head. Since hitting my head I don’t remember the direction and have been wandering for several days,” John said.
“I see. Are you all right?” the woman said with some concern.
“Yes, I seem to be doing just fine other than running out of food and water.”
“We have little to spare if you don’t mind bread.”
Tom heard John walk closer to the woman.
“Have you seen anyone else out here? We’re looking for some friends that have also become lost,” the woman said.
John had stopped for a second then continued walking. “No, I’ve only seen you. Do you have a description of your friends?”
Some rocks rolled behind Tom and he turned just in time to see a man throw a net toward them.
“It’s a trap,” Tom yelled as he rolled out of the way.
The net fell on top of Cody and Aithnea and hit Tom’s feet. The woods came alive as many men came from behind the trees. Two men rushed Kristiana and Caspin, who were hiding behind another bush. Kristiana turned throwing a dagger at the first man and dodging to the side as the other man grabbed for her. Caspin hit the man in the back with his staff knocking the man face first into the bushes.
The man who had thrown the net came toward Tom with his sword drawn. Tom dodged as the man reached for him but slipped on the loose rocks on the hillside falling to his hands and knees. He felt the flat of the sword hitting him in the back knocking the wind out of him. He fell to his stomach, his lungs feeling as if they were on fire.
Tom was too stunned to do anything other than gasp for breath as the man who hit him fell on his back and grabbed his hands and pulling them behind him. Tom struggled but the lack of air and the weight of the man on top of him made it impossible to move. The last thing he heard was Aithnea screaming out his name.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The ropes were biting into his wrists as Tom lay on his side. His feet were also tied and as he opened his eyes all he could see was a wooden floor and a plain white wall. He blinked the pain away and tried to get his bearings. Rolling onto his back he winced at the pain that shot up his wrists and arms from the tight rope. He continued rolling to his other side relieving some of the pain. There was a door and he realized that he couldn’t be in a room much bigger than a large coat closet.
As he lay on the cold floor Tom wondered about his friends and what had happened to them. He tried remembering anything that would help him understand better what had happened. He remembered nothing special about the man who attacked him; his clothes were plain with no markings. He remembered seeing Cody struggle with the net, that had only got him more tangled and Aithnea screaming his name right before he passed out. Kristiana and Caspin seemed to be faring well but he couldn’t remember if they had been successful or not. John, what had happened to John? There had been a loud groan from his direction but Tom couldn’t tell if it had been John or someone else.
Tom continued to think about what had happened hoping that somehow the others had escaped but not really believing that. He groaned thinking that the only reasonable conclusion was that they had been captured and that his friends must be close by.
The door opened and a woman entered carrying a tray of food and a cup. The woman sat the tray on the floor and pulled a small knife from her belt. She was wearing black leather armor with a white eagle emblazoned on the chest. She had a long sword strapped to one side of her waist and a long curved dagger on the other. She moved with the ease and grace of a cat. She did not seem to have any fear as she walked toward him and he hoped that he would never have to face her in battle.
“I’ll cut you loose but don’t do anything stupid or I’ll tie you back up and let you starve for a little longer,” she said.
She cut the rope around his legs and then around his wrists. Tom sat up rubbing his wrists trying to get the blood flowing once again.
“Here’s some food and drink.” She pointed at the tray and then squatted against the wall next to the door.
Tom slowly pulled the tray closer to him and picked the cup up. It looked like water and he took a tentative sip. The water was cold and tasted good, relieving some of the pain in his throat.
“Who are you?” Tom asked.
“My name is Tanya.”
“Why did you attack us?”
Tanya appeared to be thinking. “You and your group had entered into our territory without permission.” Tanya stood. “Who are you and your group? Where do you come from and what are you doing here?”
Tom hesitated but figured she had answered his questions. “My name’s Tom, and we are traveling to Darthmoth.”
Tanya’s brows furrowed. “Darthmoth? Darthmoth was burned to the ground several years ago. There’s nothing left,” she said.
Tom stopped chewing on the bread he had taken a bite of and looked up at her, “What? Who burned it down?”
Tanya looked at him in surprise. “Where have you been? Everyone knows that the witches burned it down. The counsel had refused their request for more voice on the council.”
Tom wondered what happened over the few years they spent at the cabin. He thought that it was strange that they had no communication with Archelaus over the years. Why didn’t he communicate with us especially about something like this? In fact, they had no contact with anyone over the time they spent at the cabin. He figured that they had been hidden and couldn’t leave for fear of being attacked again. But what if Archelaus was no longer around either, what happened over the past few years?
“Why were you heading to Darthmoth?” Tanya asked.
Tom shook his head. “We were going there so that we cou
ld...” He hesitated for a moment, and looked up, “…so that we could resupply.”
Tanya studied Tom. “I’ll be back later. Finish your food and then knock on the door and a man will take the tray from you.”
Tanya opened the door and walked out of the small room. Tom stood trying to get the numbness out of his feet and mind as he wondered at what happened. He picked the tray off of the floor and sat down at the small table in the room and finished his meal, which wasn’t much.
He was still in shock, after finishing his food, about the news of the witches burning the town down. He stood and knocked on the door which opened immediately; a man entered, grabbing the tray, paying Tom little heed. After leaving, the key turned in the lock and he was caged in his small cell once again.
Tom knew the counsel had been hunting the witches and had burned many of them. It was unthinkable that the witches were now strong enough to actually burn a town down. What about Archelaus? Where was he, why hadn’t he come to get them when this began to happen?
He looked around the room, light came from a small slit high on the wall. The walls were all white and the door didn’t look very sturdy. That’s probably why there’s a guard outside the door. The table and chair he sat on were made out of a light wood. Maybe if it comes down to it I could use a leg for a club.
As the day went on it began to get darker in the room until it was almost pitch black, only a little bit of moonlight came through the small slit in the wall. There was also a little light coming from beneath the door.
The door opened and Tom was blinded from the bright light that hit him.
“Follow me.”
Tom couldn’t quite tell but he assumed it had been Tanya who had spoken. He stood up and blinked several times trying to adjust to the bright light. Tanya had already left the room and began to walk down a long hallway with many doors. He hurried after, her afraid that if he didn’t catch up he would be locked in his cell for who knew how much longer.
The two walked down the hallway past several guards who stood at attention as Tanya passed. The walls were all white with lights placed every few feet which had an unnatural glow about them. He kept pace with Tanya, counting the doors and guards that he passed, trying to get his bearings as they walked. They went around a corner and walked along the hallway for another fifty feet and came to a door with two guards standing at attention. When the guards saw Tanya they quickly stepped aside and opened the door for them.
Tom followed Tanya into a large room that had three tables in a U shape. Behind the tables sat many men and women who were talking quietly to each other. As she entered, the room went silent and they focused their attention on the two who entered. Tanya walked to the center of the U, head held high showing no anxiety at the many people staring at her. Tom walked up a foot or two behind her looking at the floor as he walked, feeling the weight of the stares.
“Tom, is that your true name?” A man asked.
The man who spoke was wearing red robes, with the same white eagle on the front. He sat in the center of the tables with a paper in front of him. The man held his glasses down a little as he looked over them at Tom.
Tanya motioned for Tom to step forward and he did, looking at the man who had spoken, then looking down again.
“Yes sir, that’s my name,” Tom replied.
“And you say that you were traveling to Darthmoth with your companions. Is that also true?”
“Yes sir.”
The man sat forward in his chair taking his glasses all the way off. “Where have you been for the past few years?”
Tom looked up at the faces around the tables hoping for some support, finding none he looked down again.
“Where have you been?” The man asked again a little louder.
Hesitating, he looked at Tanya feeling her hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right to speak truthfully, we will not harm you,” Tanya spoke softly.
Tom looked back at the man at the table. “We were in hiding from a group who had attacked us.”
“Who was this group that attacked you?” The man asked.
“I don’t know exactly but they were from the red dragon clan, or at least they had the red dragon symbol on their cloaks.” Tom’s brow furrowed trying to remember more information about the group that had attacked them both at the orphanage, then the mansion and most recently at the cabin.
The man sat back after Tom had spoken and the others began to talk to one another loudly. He held up his hand and looked back at Tom, more at ease. “We had heard reports of them but did not believe them. It has been a long time since they have come to the main land. Why are they after you?”
“I don’t know sir?” Tom responded. Tom looked up, feeling more confident. “Sir, where are my friends?”
The man studied Tom before replying, “They’re taken care of and as long as they…” pointing at Tom. “…and you cooperate no harm will come to them.”
Tom nodded and the man continued the questioning. “So you say that you were attacked and hid from the red dragon clan. Where did you hide from them and why were you wandering in our territory?”
“We were at a cabin and after several years they found us again and burned us out. A witch was with them this time,” Tom said.
The group of people began to talk amongst themselves again, even louder than before. The man at the center hushed them several times before order was restored. Tom looked at Tanya who continued to look straight forward, not wavering at all. He could feel her close to him and gained confidence from having her near. It was as if she radiated confidence and courage.
The man leaned forward. “How did you escape the witch?”
Tom hesitated, wrenching his hands. “We ran from her, she didn’t get there until later in the fight.” Tom worried that the man would see that there was more to the story. “We ran from them and headed toward Darthmoth hoping to resupply and gain a new hiding place.”
The man looked Tom over for several minutes. He waved his hand and Tanya turned motioning for Tom to follow. They walked toward the door which opened as they approached. The two guards stood to the side allowing them to pass, closing the door behind them. They walked down the hallway for several yards when Tanya suddenly stopped and turned looking at Tom.
“I need you to trust me,” Tanya said. She spoke quietly and looked up and down the hall. “You and your friends are in grave danger. The man you were speaking to is the leader of the Aetos clan. He is a very powerful man who sits on the counsel. The counsel has become even more corrupt and many of them have aligned themselves with the witches. If witches are after you then he is probably one of the men that sent them.”
Tanya continued down the hall this time going down a different hallway than they had come. They walked a little farther to where were no guards and stopped.
“He will send word to the counsel letting them know that he has caught you and your friends. They will be here soon,” Tanya said.
“Why would you help us?” Tom asked.
“The counsel is destroying my people because Cedrick is misguided and follows blindly,” Tanya paused for a moment as if thinking to herself. “There must be someone in the counsel bringing witches in to do his bidding and use them to take control of the other counsel men.”
They continued down the hallway until they reached a well guarded hall. The guards snapped to attention as Tanya approached. She walked up to a door and the guards stepped aside. She opened the first door and Tom saw that Aithnea was sitting on the floor against the wall. She must have been bound as he was because her wrists and ankles were still raw from the ropes that had bound her.
Tom started toward Aithnea. “Are you all right?”
The guards immediately stepped in between him and the open door. He stopped. Aithnea stood and Tanya walked toward her quickly. She said something to Aithnea that Tom couldn’t hear and they walked toward the open door, the guards looked confused. They found the rest of the group behind the other doors. Tanya led them
through the hallways until they reached the outer doors that were guarded by several men. As they approached the closed doors a side door opened and Cedrick stood at the head of a large group.
There was a woman wearing a long black gown standing behind Cedrick. Her hair was black and she wore black makeup on her eyes and lips. The woman looked at Kristiana and suddenly began to chant mystical words of magic. Cedrick looked back at the woman in surprise. Kristiana and Aithnea, sensing the danger began to chant as well and John rushed the guards by the door.
Cody and Tom taken aback by the sudden action did not stand by for long as they both rushed the nearest guard who had already pulled a pistol and sword from his belt. As Tom rushed past Tanya, she pulled the long sword and wicked looking dagger from her belt. Tom and Cody hit the guard at the same time a black web spewed from the hands of the woman in black.
The web spread out as it approached the small group. Caspin stood in front of the web to shield them from its ill affects. As it hit him, he held his symbol high and the web turned to nothing more than black smoke that vanished.
Bolts of light flashed from Aithnea and Kristiana’s hands at the same time, shooting toward the witch striking short of their mark and hitting an invisible barrier that the witch conjured seconds before the onslaught. The guard fired, missing his mark. Tom and Cody hit him moments later leaving him lying on the ground. His discharged weapon laid harmlessly on the ground beside him.
“Try not to hurt them,” Tanya shouted.
She swung her sword in an arch toward the guards warning them back. Many of the guards were confused not knowing who to attack. Cody held the guard's head and hit it against the ground knocking him unconscious. Tom grabbed the knife on the guard’s belt and scrambled to his feet. There was a thunderous noise behind him and he heard Aithnea scream out in pain. Tom turned as Cody stepped in front of him to hold the guards back.
