by Rod Walker
I scrambled to my feet, battered and burned from the demon’s spells. I saw no way to dodge that onrushing wall of flame, no way to run. The wall slammed into me, and I hoped it would be quick.
Then it was past, and I was untouched. The wall roared into the lich and the Surgeon, their defensive wards sparking and straining beneath the strain, and behind them the houses exploded into pillars of flame. Yet the spell had done no damage to me.
The Codex. It protected itself, and its protection must extend to its holder.
That gave me an idea.
The demon and the Surgeon and the lich reeled in a mad three-way battle. Fire and ice and lightning ripped back and forth across the square, reducing the surrounding houses to smoking rubble. City guardsmen appeared, took one look at the spectacle, and fled in terror. I had seen magic in battle before, seen men struck down by spells, but I had never seen spells like this. The air itself twisted and blackened, fire fell from the sky, and shafts of blazing white light erupted from the ground. It seemed like the lich’s threat would come true, that the unleashed arcane forces would rip apart Kalderon and sweep the rubble into the harbor.
I should have run away. I might have made it, too. The lich and the demon and the Surgeon had to be distracted.
Instead, I got a good grip on my longsword and ran at the dueling spellcasters, the Codex held out before me like a shield.
The Surgeon had to be the weakest of the three, and it looked like he had fared the worst. His filthy robe smoldered, and his eyebrows and most of his hair had been burned to ash. Yet his eyes still shone with madness, and his furious spell casting showed no sign of slowing. He unleashed a volley of force globes at the demon prince, each one exploding with a brilliant flash. His eyes flicked to me, and the last of the five force globes screamed my way.
I thrust out the Codex, and the globe shattered against it without a trace.
The Surgeon’s eyes widened, and my sword blade plunged into his chest. For all his wards against arcane assault, he had not bothered to cast a spell against physical weapons. He sagged, clawing at the Codex, but his fingers had no strength.
“Mine,” he rasped. The madness drained from his eyes, leaving only crushing sorrow. “I…just…want…to…go home…”
The elven wizard crumpled to the ground in a pool of smoking robes, dead.
“A pity,” boomed the demon, its lips pulling back in a fanged sneer. “Together they could have overcome me. The dead one’s art alone cannot stop me.” The demon lumbered towards the lich, reaching with its talons. The lich might have the spells to match with the demon’s arcane might, but it could not hope to challenge the demon avatar’s muscle.
The demon’s talons stabbed out, but the lich hissed quick spell. It vanished in a flicker. The demon skidded to a halt, looking back and forth. Then its burning gaze settled on me.
“Well,” said the demon, almost purring, “your protector has vanished, and you hold the key to my freedom. I’ll enjoy devouring your soul.” The demon sprang at me, its great wings flapping.
I threw to myself to the side, and the demon’s claws dug deep furrows through the ground. I rolled, scrambling for balance, and the demon raised its talons for a killing blow.
A lightning blast cracked across the square and slammed into the demon’s back. It whirled in fury, and I saw the lich standing on the far side of the square, beginning another spell. The demon screamed and raced at the lich, moving with terrifying speed for something so large. At the last instant, as the demon’s claws stabbed down, and the lich disappeared in a flash of silver light. It reappeared next to me in a rush of displaced air.
The lich held out a bony hand.
“Now,” said the lich, “fulfill the bargain. Quickly.”
I dropped the Codex into the lich’s hand. It opened the book, and the words and diagrams stopped twisting, settling instead into sigils of blue flame. As the demon whirled once more, the lich began chanting, tracing sigils in the air with its free hand. The demon shrieked in fury, and lunged forward as silver fire erupted from the lich’s fingers.
There was a sound like the wall between the worlds ripping in half, and the demon’s avatar exploded in a blaze of silver shards.
Silence fell. That, or I had gone deaf.
“Good,” said the lich, closing the Codex. The battle had destroyed the skin over its arms and the left half of its face, revealing the ancient bone. “Very good. You did well. Excepting yourself, of course, everyone who knew of the Codex’s existence is dead.”
“I…fear I do not understand.”
The lich’s teeth clacked. “You understand quite well. You planned to triple-cross myself, Marcolio, and the elven wizard, while escaping with your respective payments.” What was left of its withered face twitched in amusement. “Do you remember when I said that your talisman shielded your mind from attack?”
I managed a slow nod.
“I lied.” The dead skin crawled across the bones of the lich’s arms and face, the damage from the battles repairing itself. “Matters turned out quite well. Marcolio and the elven wizard both knew of the Codex, and they will be beyond the reach of any necromancy, any priest’s prayer.” It flicked its fingers, and flames erupted from the corpses, devouring them. “And the demon’s avatar has been banished. It will be decades, perhaps even a century, before it has the strength to project its mind forth from its prison once more.” The flames vanished, and no trace remained of the Surgeon and Marcolio. “Yes, things have gone very well, indeed.”
“Except,” I said, “you have one loose end left.” I fingered my longsword, wondered if I could strike down the dead wizard fast enough. I doubted it would do any good. Even if I destroyed its body, legends claimed that a lich kept its spirit secure in an amulet of some sort, and the lich’s spirit could possess another corpse with ease.
“Yes,” agreed the lich, “my bold master thief. Fear not. I will not kill you.”
“Why?” I could think of no good reason why the lich would spare me.
“Because you made me laugh,” said the lich, “and such a thing has not happened in centuries. Dragons indeed!” It made that wheezing noise of amusement again. “And because, if you ever speak of this to anyone, I will find you, and your end will be swift and terrible.”
I bowed. “I would never dream of betraying this most solemn and sacred trust.”
Again, the lich wheezed. “The Codex is returned to safety, and you have your wealth. Take it and retire from thieving, I advise.”
“Sound counsel. Though…things nearly didn’t turn out well. I may be an old, bold thief, undead sir, but you are the boldest of them all, I think.” I had planned to play the lich, the but the lich had played me instead, and I felt a grudging respect. That had not happened for a very long time.
The lich inclined its head in a mocking bow. Then it spoke a spell and vanished, taking the Codex with it.
Since the spell-battle had destroyed a good portion of the neighborhood, the magistrates would soon ask probing questions of any survivors, so I beat a hasty retreat through the shattered Western Gate, and never set foot in Kalderon again.
Chapter 12: Promises
Rowan the master thief never returned to Kalderon, but I am pleased to report that a few weeks later the wealthy Baron du Rowyn arrived in the city from a distant land.
Using his vast wealth and urbane charm, the Baron (who, I should mention, bore a marked resemblance to that handsome devil Rowan the master thief) purchased the house of the Lord Marcolio, who had died recently under mysterious circumstances.
I should also mention that the Baron had a strange family crest, a sigil of an open book, with the word “Codex” inscribed across the pages. Many people asked what the sigil meant, but the Baron, with charming eccentricity, refused to explain, saying that the sigil referred to the founding of his family’s fortune in the distant past.
I might be an old bold thief, but I do keep my promises.
THE END
&n
bsp; Rowan the Master Thief returns in Master Rogue: Goblin Keep . Click on the link to read.
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Other Books By Rod Walker
THE THOUSAND WORLDS SERIES
The Thousand Worlds marks the return of science fiction to its classical form and historical heights. Written in the style and tradition of Robert Heinlein's 12 classic juvenile novels published by Scribner, the books of The Thousand Worlds series are an exciting tale of survival, courage, independence, and the indomitable spirit of Man.
Read Mutiny In Space , Alien Game , and Young Man's War , published by Castalia House.
MASTER ROGUE SERIES
In the tradition of the great sword and sorcery thieves of pulp fiction and classic dungeon crawling games comes a new tale of daring and adventure.
Rowan is a legendary master thief of Kalderon. Follow his exploits as he outwits evil wizard, goblin lords, and dark priests!
Read Master Rogue: Mage Tome , Master Rogue: Goblin Keep , and Master Rogue: Blood Tower .
About Rod Walker
Rod Walker writes thrilling stories in the spirit of the classic science fiction of the 20th century. He is the author of the bestselling Mutiny In Space, Alien Game, and Young Man’s War from Castalia House, and several other forthcoming books.
Visit his website at http://www.rodwalkersf.com
