by D N Meinster
"I'm going to see how much a staff matters," she said.
"That's vague," Doren responded, but he realized exactly what she was going to do: attempt another escape. He handed the staff back to Rikki. "You don't give up, do you?"
"They have locked me in this castle; they have shackled my legs to the floor. They have thrown me in this dungeon and hope that I'm no more. They do not want me to see that last vestige of war. But soon I will escape and I'll be right back at the Door."
Doren raised an unseen eyebrow following Rikki's recitation. "Isn't that a Thalian verse?"
"It's still fitting for us," Rikki replied. "Being stuck and longing to be somewhere else. Just because it was written by Thalians doesn't mean they were the only ones who could feel that way. I've felt it almost my entire life."
"Still, it's a bit odd hearing Thalian words come from a mage's mouth," Doren said. "Particularly given the nature of Thalians and mages."
Rikki gazed at Doren's eyes, though they were partially obstructed by his tangle of hair. She wasn't expecting to be confronted about the verse. Doren should have seen past its literal meaning. They were both prisoners in Castle Tornis, though her detainment was slightly worse. Doren at least could go out into the city.
She turned her head from him. "These words transcend historical rivalries."
"They seem more like the angry rhyme of some Door-worshipper." Doren tilted his body so that they were once again face-to-face. "You need to learn some new ones about hope. You might have a way out, and I might have a way out."
Rikki faced forward once more, allowing Doren to ease out of his contortion. "Seeing how your last idea had me replacing all the blood in your body, allow me to be hesitant when it comes to your schemes."
"This is no scheme," Doren assured her. "But I still think that would have worked. If I don't have Aergo's blood in my veins, I can't be king."
Rikki rolled her eyes. "Let's hear this one."
"There are other heirs." Doren let Rikki absorb the statement before continuing. "I can abdicate, and another one of them would take the throne. They always told me I was the last of Aergo's bloodline. I had to be king. They lied."
"Kytheras will be fine without us, then," Rikki stated. "It's almost as if they were prepared to lose the both of us."
"No one currently alive in this kingdom is wise enough to consider contingencies. These plans are old, dating back to the time of Aergo and Shine." Doren looked past Rikki, beyond the fence. "Can you believe out there are whole families of royal blood? Living out their lives as peasants? It's almost a crime to keep the information from them."
Rikki wanted to tell Doren that his desertion would be much more costly than hers, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He felt as she did. It would almost be like berating herself. "We'll leave together then. All three of us."
"Three?" Doren asked.
"I'm not gonna leave Mirabelle behind," Rikki said. She sauntered over to stroke her horse.
"Oh," Doren said. He knew that they'd have to go into hiding when they left. A horse would complicate matters. There weren't a lot of inconspicuous places big enough to hide a mare.
"Don't worry," Rikki said, easily reading what was on his mind. "My magic can conceal us wherever we go. And I wasn't planning on staying in a tiny, horrible place like the Kytheran sewers. You know there are rattipedes down there."
Doren quivered just thinking about the horrid beasts that lived in the sewers. "Let's not even mention those things."
Rikki would normally taunt Doren over his fear, but she was just as terrified of them. "Agreed."
"Should we set a date?" Doren asked.
"Definitely not," Rikki replied. "Magenine will guide us when it's time."
"How about a timeframe?" Doren asked, unwilling to stake his leave on the mysterious signs of a goddess.
Rikki gave him a cold look.
"Fine," he said. He made to go but stopped. "When the King revealed the secret of the heirs to me, I learned something else I shouldn't have."
Rikki tilted her head. "What?"
"The King receives messages in bottles."
"From who?"
"I was hoping you might have a clue," Doren said. "I've searched through several texts, all without even a mention of this."
"I don't recall any passages about bottles," Rikki said. "Why don't you find where your father stashed it and read it for yourself?"
"Can't find it," Doren stated. "Hatswick might know."
The Grand Mage probably would know, but he was unlikely to tell Rikki. They had never bonded, even though he was the closest thing she had to a parent. They had acted even colder toward each other as she'd gotten older. Rikki didn't want to be there, and Hatswick probably knew it. He'd be more likely to tell Milo than her, if he was willing to tell anyone.
"You'd probably have better luck with him," Rikki said. "But I'll ask."
"Thanks," Doren said, before retreating back inside the walls of Castle Tornis.
Rikki petted Mirabelle a few more times. Doren didn't realize how lucky he was to have known both of his parents and to even have one that was still alive. Rikki had never known hers. They had died shortly after her birth. But if they had lived, she wouldn't have wanted a relationship with them as Doren had with his father. And that may have been the only kind of relationship Castle Tornis allowed: one of secrets and mistrust. It was not a pleasant place to live, and she couldn't wait to get out.
"Tonight," she whispered to Mirabelle.
Rikki returned to her room shortly after sunset. She had spent the rest of the day perusing old volumes in the library, looking for references to bottles. She had as much success as Doren had: none. There were no mentions of Thalians or any other cults passing messages in such a manner. There was actually no reference of anyone doing it in the entire history of Ghumai. Someone must have gone to great lengths to keep it secret.
Rikki lied on her bed, all the possibilities floating inside her mind. Who was sending them? Why bottles? She summoned book after book off her shelf, each one floating into her hands. After flipping through all the pages, she would set it on the floor. There were no answers to be found in any of them.
The pile of books grew higher and higher until Rikki glanced at the clock. Her heart started pounding as she saw it was after midnight. The time had come to test Amelia's staff.
She effortlessly tossed the book onto the stack, which landed perfectly in line with the others. She then hopped off her bed and had the staff zoom from its propped-up position near her desk to her open hand.
Rikki gripped the fine silver, and with nominal movement, had the closet door swing open. The mirror on the inside door reflected the uneasy look she had on her face. She took a couple deep breaths to calm her nerves. She was more afraid of failing than anything else. If this didn't work, she would be stuck. The thoughts of running away with her friend would be nothing more than fantasy.
Rikki touched the top of her staff to her cheek. The cold silver was irritating, but she ignored the sensation. Instead, she looked in the mirror and concentrated. Suddenly, as if turning on a faucet, it appeared as if liquid metal was pouring out of the staff and flowing across her face. Once her face was covered, it slowly dripped down to cover the rest of her body. She couldn't feel any of this metallic ooze; all she felt was that staff clinging to her face.
After the ooze settled, it began to fade away, leaving no trace of the body it covered. Rikki, still looking in the mirror, saw no one staring back. She looked down and was slapped by glaring disappointment. Her arms and legs were invisible, as expected, but her dress was not. The brilliant cherry material was still plain to see, though it now seemed to be floating on its own.
Rikki tapped the staff to her dress, but all she managed to do was dull the color. She didn't understand. Why would the dress be so resistant? The necklace she wore was cloaked. Her magenta hair could not be seen. Was it the material? Was it made to be so difficult to enchant?
Ra
ther than continue her fruitless attempts to make it disappear, Rikki tore the dress off her body. She was practically naked, but that didn't worry her. No one would be able to see.
Rikki extinguished the lights in her room with a single wave of her staff and made her way over to the door. She opened it a tad, just enough so that she could peek into the dark corridors. There was no one about, nor even the sound of footsteps. The only movement appeared to be the dancing flame of a candle at the end of the hall. Rikki gave her staff a few short shakes, making it as see-through as she was. Slowly, Rikki widened the crack in the door and slid herself through the tight space.
Closing the door behind her, Rikki proceeded to take a single step. Her bare foot made no thud as it landed on the chilly stone floor. She took the rest of the corridor step-by-step, listening for any hint of an echo from her stride. She was certain there was none, and since not one of the doors she passed flew open, she assumed she was correct.
Finally, she made it to the flickering candle at the end of the hall. To her left were the stairs that would take her to the first floor. She was about to walk toward them, but someone who was less adept at stealth was making their way up. Rikki hugged the wall, hoping that her shadow was as invisible as the rest of her. She kept her head turned toward the stairs, curious who else was out and about so late. Normally the night guardians didn't bother leaving the first floor.
A plump woman stepped out from the staircase onto the landing. It was Phyllis, a castle servant who was more annoying and more foul than Linus. She had a wary look in her eyes, as if she was expecting trouble on the floor. She clomped down the hall, breezing right past Rikki.
Rikki stood incredibly still, afraid to alert the woman to her presence. Phyllis made her way down the corridors, spinning her head in all directions, and carefully examining each door. What was she doing here? Did someone reveal this excursion to her? The only person that knew was Doren, and he would never. Maybe she was searching for something completely unrelated. But why do it so late?
Whatever Phyllis might have been looking for, she did not find it. She eventually returned to the staircase empty-handed and proceeded to climb to the next floor.
Rikki let out a long slow breath, relieved that the servant had remained unaware that she was not alone in the corridor. Phyllis' movements were unpredictable. The guardians on the first floor were not. They always took the same patrols, night after night. Rikki had memorized their rounds ages ago. It would be simple to slip by them.
She calmly pushed herself off the wall and went straight toward the staircase. She took each step one at a time, hoping every moment that no one else would be using the stairs. These old stone steps were in fine condition, but it was a narrow passage. When Phyllis used them, no one else would be able to get by.
Fortunately, the descent was uneventful. Rikki stepped out into the first-floor corridor, with the rest of the castle still ignorant to her escapade. She waited until a guardian passed her by so she knew exactly where they were on their patrol. The guardians wore light black armor and a curvy helmet that covered the back of their heads but left their entire face exposed. Their swords were left hanging on their belts, while they only wielded minute lanterns in their hands. The most excitement they had probably gotten was from Rikki's earlier escape attempts. No one bothered to break into Castle Tornis since one of the previous kings started executing trespassers. There was nothing in the castle worth dying for.
Rikki easily slipped by the rest of the guardians. Some appeared to be sleep walking, while others had propped themselves up against the wall and taken a nap. Rikki held in her laughter at each pathetic sight. She didn't want to accidently wake them up.
The front of the castle was marked by a double door, which was as enormous as one might expect it to be. It towered over visitors and occupants alike, its dark wood both welcoming and foreboding. This pair of doors was the only way in and out of the castle. There were no other doors, and the windows were enchanted to be unbreakable. Rikki had considered trying a window, but that meant she'd have to break two magical seals, and she wasn't even sure she could break one. Not to mention breaking a window was probably a lot louder than squeezing through an old door.
Rikki approached her exit and pointed her staff at the left door. Through experience, she’d learned that these hinges squeaked less when opened. Quite gradually, it parted with the right door. She withdrew her staff when there was a space wide enough to squeeze through. The doors were still once more, with only a crack for the wind to get in and for Rikki to get out.
She approached the door but froze before making any attempt to leave. Rikki felt an eerie presence that was weighing her down. Someone was nearby. Someone was watching her. She swung around and pointed her staff into the shadows. Before she had a chance to light the area, a man stepped out of the darkness.
Hatswick used his staff to tip his hat toward his pupil. He had a sly grin on his face and walked up to Rikki as if she wasn't invisible. "I was hoping to go unnoticed," he said.
"So was I," Rikki replied. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was naked and there was a four-hundred-year-old man approaching her. "Can you see me?"
"I know that you're there, but my eyes are unable to perceive you."
Rikki let out a sigh. "How did you know?"
"I've actually been here the last few evenings. I knew you couldn't resist trying out your new staff."
"So you wanted to stop me?"
"On the contrary," Hatswick replied. "I wanted to see if Amelia's staff made a difference."
"Then why let me sneak?" Rikki asked. "You could've escorted me down here. Made it off as another lesson."
"You had to do this on your own," Hatswick replied. "Though I may have helped a bit. Phyllis had taken to doing her own patrols at night. She believes the night guardians are inadequate. I may have implied that some of the Queen's jewelry was missing, and she best find it. It was a vain attempt to be sure, but it kept her occupied."
Rikki didn't understand why Hatswick would even let her try another escape attempt. He usually would tell her she was too old for such rebellious acts. "Aren't you gonna scold me?" she asked.
"That can wait for our normal sessions," he said. Hatswick pointed his staff toward the partially open door. It swung all the way open. "Tonight, we find out how powerful Amelia's heir really is."
Rikki was hesitant to walk through the threshold. Her own experiment had just become another test, and she did not like it. She wasn't supposed to be watched and graded. She had turned invisible for a reason. Rikki looked into Hatswick's face. He almost appeared thrilled to be able to witness this. She didn't want him there and was almost tempted to turn around and walk away.
"You didn't come this far to turn around now, did you?" Hatswick asked. He must have been able to tell she had not moved. "Think of it this way. If this works, there will be no one around to stop you next time. You'll be free. Isn't that what you long for?"
It was very odd to be egged on by Hatswick, the same man who disciplined her after every other attempted break out. Rikki took a couple deep breaths and advanced. It no longer mattered if she made a sound or not. She just walked normally, through the door and outside.
Though the enchantment could not be seen, she knew exactly where it was. She had run into it quite a number of times by now. Rikki gripped her staff with both hands, tightening her fingers around the coiled metal.
Hatswick was right. If successful, she was free. If unsuccessful, she had one more year locked up in Castle Tornis. It no longer mattered that she was being watched. It only mattered if this worked.
Rikki focused on that desire in her very soul; that longing to escape and live without boundaries. She channeled that longing into her arms and transferred it into the staff she was holding. With one rapid movement, she propelled the staff forward, into the unseen barrier.
The staff may have been invisible, but the crystal at its top was suddenly apparent. It began to glow
, and that light spread across the barrier, showing Rikki the wall that had kept her locked inside for so long. Castle Tornis became shrouded in a light, almost sure to convince its residents that it was daybreak.
The wall of light around the castle shattered, like the enchantment had only been a sheet of glass. It made no sound but was a sight to behold. Falling shards of light were everywhere.
Rikki pulled the staff closer to her body and walked forward. She took one step. Then another. Then another. She was further from the castle than she had ever been in her life. She had finally done it. The barrier was no more.
For a split second, Rikki considered running away. But she wasn't going to leave those that mattered to her most behind. Doren and Mirabelle were still prisoners in their own right. She focused on quashing the urge to flee and tried to replace it with a thrill of accomplishment. She had finally done what once seemed impossible.
Rikki turned around to see Hatswick beckoning her to come back inside. She obeyed the Grand Mage but stayed just outside the doors.
"Maybe it was the staff," Hatswick said, recalling all the times Rikki had complained about that bronze rod.
Rikki derisively snorted.
"It seems I should prepare for your departure. You aren't going to stick around much longer, now that you don't have to."
"No more attempted escapes. I'll actually be gone from here."
"Then let me ask for a favor," Hatswick said. "The Celebration is coming up. Stay here until then. Once it's over, you can do as you please."
Rikki gazed into Hatswick's eyes, unsure of what to make of the request.
