Caged: Book 2 Of the King's Hand Series

by B. A. Monaghan

Wisdom:

  78

  Active Status Conditions

  Intelligence

  70

  Animal Bond

  Charisma

  11

  Available Points

  0

  Well at least he could pull up his status panel. That was an improvement. It wasn’t just his mana that had been sucked out. It had taken his health and his stamina too. What had he gotten himself into? Gnorbit might be skinned alive when he got his hands on that little monster.

  He made it down to the door which led into the basement. He had placed wedges in the door to keep people out. He knew where the wedges were and he had a few knives on him. He was able to knock the wedges out and they headed up the stairs. It was dark in the kitchen. He bumped into the table and chairs. Before he knew it, someone with a light was standing in the kitchen.

  “Roland, where have you been? Everyone has been looking for you. Eli was here with some gnome asking if we had seen you. They seemed to think something bad had happened to you. You do look bad Roland. You look so pale and your cheeks are sunken in, you have bags under your eyes and…… Roland your ears are pointing out of your hair. Something is not right Roland. Did someone curse you?”

  “Hazel I’m fine. We need some food and water. Then I’ll explain what I can.” They ate some leftovers from the evening meal and the water was so good. He was starting to feel much better.

  Hazel was waiting on them, being a good nurse. She retrieved Roland some more elixir for health, stamina, and mana. He was feeling so much better. She then sat patiently waiting for an explanation.

  “Well Hazel I’ll begin by telling you I’m really a Half-Elf. I normally keep an illusion on myself. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, it’s just I’m so used to keeping an illusion on myself I forget about it. I never thought about explaining it to you because I just don’t think about it I guess. “

  “The reason I’ve been gone is because I took a job that I can’t talk about. I’m still trying to figure out if I was set up, or if I just wasn’t given all the details. If Eli and a gnome were here, things might be a bit more complicated than I planned. When morning arrives, could you send a message over to Eli and let him know I’m home? I would appreciate it. For now, I’m going to go to bed. I need to build up my health. I’m a bit low.” He took himself off to bed. Hazel looked like he had admitted to being a troll, which was so much worse than being a Half-Elf.

  The next morning, Eli was shaking him awake. “Roland wake up. How are you doing?”

  “I’ve been better. How much about what happened last night do you know?”

  “I know everything. I know what you went after. In fact, it was my idea for Gnorbit to convince you to go after the stones. Now don’t get mad at me. I was testing you. I wanted to know what you would do for a friend. I also needed those stones out of the hands of the merchants. They could have caused a lot of problems. As far as I know, no one has ever held three stones at one time. Gnorbit was supposed to tell you to grab one at a time. I’m amazed you’re alive.”

  “You’re telling me you set up this whole thing? You knew the night I left your house that I was going steal those stones?”

  “Yes. I’m very sorry I put you through it, but I needed to know what you would do for a friend. Gnorbit didn’t want to do it, if that helps with your opinion of him. He is a good gnome generally. He still can’t leave his jail. We will give him greater movement. We are now allowing him to travel anywhere in the city. He seems to be much happier with that. He was very worried about you. I’ve never seen him care about anyone other than himself. Some good has come from this.”

  “Am I still a hand, or have I been expelled?” asked Roland.

  “Oh, you are still a hand. You are too valuable to kick out anytime this century. But I want you to know, Roland, that if anyone, especially a friend needs your assistance, please come and see me first. Even if it is someone who is under our thumb. We could be of help to you.”

  “Now about those Sable Rocks. Do you have them?” inquired Eli.

  “I’ve got them.”

  “Can I have them?”

  “Knowing what I know about those stones, why would I give them to anyone? They are very dangerous. I should throw them into the ocean at the deepest point. What really makes me nervous is that there are supposed to be more of them.”

  “There are more of them, but the dragons guard them jealously. Only the greatest thief the world has ever known could get those things out of the dragon lands. Gnorbit only picked them up one at a time so he wasn’t sure what would happen when all three were picked up at the same time. He did say that picking them up was a wonderful experience.”

  “Yes, it was a wonderful experience. I wasn’t even able to open my status panel. If I didn’t have some potions I think I might have died. My link with Shadow was severed. When I woke up after a very long time sleeping, my health was very low as well as my stamina and mana. What it does to you, I’m not sure. I know if I would have held onto them much longer I would have died. I never want to touch them again,” Roland said.

  “Would you be willing to give them to me?”

  “What do you want to do with them?”

  “Having just one stone in a container that opens facing away from the bearer will protect the person with the stone against a magic attack. Its effects are directed away from the person who holds the stone. We are going to give one of the bigger stones to the king to have on his person at all times. That should protect him against a rogue magician or against an Elven attack.”

  “The Mages Guild will do some experiments with the second bigger stone. We need to know what it is capable of doing. Then we will put it in the deepest part of our vault.”

  “The third stone isn’t as strong as the other two stones. Gnorbit said it didn’t affect him near as badly as the other two stones. It was with that little stone he was able to break the magic locks. After he broke into the vaults and sealed containers with magic locks, we were baffled. It was like a magic lock had never been placed on the thing. It just sucks the magic right out of the lock. We would like you to have that stone,” Eli explained.

  “I don’t want the stone. The thing almost killed me. I lost my connection with Shadow. I never want to lose that again.”

  “Roland, I know what it is like to lose a bond. I have lost many bonds, I hate to think about it. Every time I’ve lost a bond, it was devastating. Losing the bond, even for a small amount of time, is difficult. I would be leery of possessing the stone, too. However, you have skills that no one else on this continent has. Those skills could be enhanced if you carried that stone. If there is ever a time you need to get around a magic lock you will need it.”

  “The stones are in my armor over there. Be careful. I’m not in the mood to put them back in the box if you drop them.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not opening this thing. We have a few ways to handle these things where they are fairly safe. I’ll get the small one back to you with a specially made box. You will appreciate the new box. Gnorbit seems to think he has a good idea how to keep the stones safe, but still be used.”

  “Before I go,” continued Eli, “I want you to know that I spoke with Hazel about the house. I wasn’t aware you purchased this house. I thought you were renting it. Gnorbit seems to think he needs to make it more secure.”

  “The good friend of ours now knows about the house and he decided to assist with upgrading your furnishings. Gnorbit is sending over some better furnishings than you have purchased. If you need anything else, let us know.”

  Eli went over to Roland’s armor and found the box in the pocket. He pulled the box out and placed it in another box and locked the box. He then placed the box in a leather satchel. Someone was a little paranoid.

  Roland’s mana was now well above half way to full. He cast another illusion on himself. Vivi didn’t need to know about his true self. He then cast two small illusions on his ring and amulet. He hoped Eli hadn�
�t noticed the ring. The amulet was too obvious not to see. He got up and dressed, including his armor. Yes, he was feeling better.

  When Roland walked toward the kitchen, he realized both Hazel and Vivi were not in the house. He made breakfast for he and Shadow. After losing the bond between them they didn’t want to be apart from each other, even for a few minutes. They sat in the living room wondering what the new furnishings would look like. Soon, there was a knock at the door. He got off the chair, walked to the door, and peered out. He didn’t see anyone.

  When he opened the door, Gnorbit was standing there. “I didn’t see you standing out here. I thought someone was playing a trick on me.”

  “Are you going to insult me all day or are you going to invite me in?”

  “Yea, come on in. Are you being tracked by the mages still?”

  “Yes I am. But we will talk about that later. First, I have some locks for you. He dropped a large sack that he had been carrying. This is just the start. I have a lock for the front gate, the front door, and the back door. I’ll get locks for the windows later. I can only carry so much at a time.”

  They got to work and had everything completed by the time Hazel arrived home. Gnorbit explained how to open all the locks. He had four keys which would open any of the locks, but each lock could be opened in a special way, even without the key. He also showed them how to arm a trap on each lock. He hadn’t applied any poisons to the needles or blades that would impale any would be robber. He figured Roland could take care of that.

  They returned to the living room and Hazel left the two alone. Gnorbit seemed a bit nervous. “Roland, you know I can go anywhere in the city I want now, don’t you?”

  “That is what Eli told me.”

  “You also know I have my king’s ransom hidden in the city somewhere too?”

  “That is what you have told me.”

  “The problem is when I go someplace, the mages know where I go. If I go someplace that seems unusual, they follow behind me to see if they can locate the money I set aside for rainy days.”

  “I could see that would be a problem for you.”

  “Well, this is what I have decided to do. They are never going to let me out of my cage. The city is my jail. The jail is big, but it still is a jail. It’s only a jail because I can’t get to my money. If I had my money, then I would be happy. I would have my workshop and all the necessities an old gnome needs.”

  “Get to the point, Gnorbit.”

  “Now don’t push me too fast. This is hard for me. I’m willing to share some of my wealth with you if you could retrieve it for me. Now I’m really trusting you, Roland. You could just go in, take it all, and leave me penniless. Or you could give the money back to the king, who would just keep it himself. Would you partner with me?”

  “I don’t need your money, Gnorbit. I have enough already.”

  “You might have all you want or need, but you have a young lady you have taken under your wing who wants to be a merchant. She is very nice too. She served me a beverage before she served Eli. That irritated him a bit. I think she knew it was him who caused all the problems that night.”

  “I’ll get what you want,” Roland replied. “If I need any help, I’ll let you know. I might need your devices more than I need your money. When I was leaving the last job, I was almost helpless. I couldn’t get down the building after I took possession of the stones my normal way. I was so tired I could barely climb, and halfway down I fell. I don’t suppose you could get something small I could carry that would help with things like that.”

  “I would be very grateful if you allowed me to help you. I’m sure I could come up with a few things that would be incredibly useful” Gnorbit responded.

  “So, where is this king’s ransom you are so fond of located?”

  “It is the one place I’m not allowed to go in this city.”

  “I thought you could go anywhere in the city?”

  “Yes, I can go anywhere in the city, except the palace.”

  “You have the king’s ransom stored in the palace?”

  “Below it, actually. It is in the dungeon. There is a section of the dungeon that began flooding about 50 years ago. They blocked that section off to keep the water out. I quit flooding the place and then put my money there. Here is the map of how to get in. It also shows the traps, so be careful. I’ll need at least 500 gold pieces for now.”

  “How much do 500 gold pieces weigh? Do I need to bring a cart? I’ve never carried that much gold before.”

  “Funny. It weighs about 32 pounds. A gold piece weighs one ounce and there are 16 ounces to a pound. One large sack will do. I have the gold separated into special leather pouches. There are 100 coins in each pouch. They are on the right side of the stash. The gems I keep stacked on the left side. The bags are color coordinated for type, size, and quality of stones. Please don’t mix the stuff up. It took me a long time to organize. There are also some magical items too. Don’t take them. Some are cursed, so it wouldn’t be healthy for you.”

  “How much do you actually have in there?” Roland inquired.

  “It would actually depend on the going price of the gems and other items. As far as the gold goes, I have a little over 10,000 gold pieces. Go ahead and take an extra pouch of gold. That gives you 100 extra gold. It is only just over six extra pounds. It is still under 40 pounds for you to carry.”

  “Are you trying to bribe me?”

  “No, I’m trying to me nice to you and Hazel. If I’m any judge of what a merchant can accomplish, she will double what you give her in a short matter of time.”

  Later that night Roland and Shadow went through the sewers. The thieves used the sewers, but they seemed to stick to their own tunnels more. There were a small number of kobolds living down there. There were other things living down there as well, and the smells were unknown to both he and Shadow. They avoided those creatures.

  The sewers leading into the palace were easy access. Whoever tried to secure this part of the palace didn’t do a very good job. The entry into the dungeons was easy if you knew where to look. The little guy had done an exceptional job hiding the entrance. What better place to hide your stash but in the king’s dungeon? The room was really several rooms. The first room held the gold and the gems. The amount of wealth Gnorbit had accumulated was almost unbelievable. The other rooms had items that looked intriguing. The idea that they were cursed caused him and Shadow to keep a safe distance.

  Roland and Shadow were in and out of the dungeon in short time and headed back to Gnorbit’s house. The idea that he was carrying that much gold was just ridiculous. They just went straight to Gnorbit’s. The sewer opening was very close to his house.

  “Gnorbit, are you home?”

  “I’m in the back of my workshop.”

  They went into the back of the workshop where they had heard his voice. They turned the corner that led into a hall. At the end of the hall was a curtain. They walked through and were amazed. “Gnorbit, I thought you needed money.” The room was the most extravagant thing Roland had ever seen.

  “Hey Roland, thanks for bringing my gold. The place is nice, isn’t it? They think I’m sleeping in that old bed upstairs. A gnome has to have his feather bed you know. The couches, chairs, tables and everything else has been made by the best tradesmen that could be found. I spared no expense.”

  “If you had all of this why did you need me to bring you more money?”

  “I have expensive tastes Roland. It’s why I began my chosen profession. I also wanted to see what you thought of my small treasure trove”

  “Small!! You said room and when we entered, there were several rooms. Unless someone has seen 10K gold pieces stacked in one place, they have no idea how much gold that really is. That is a dragon’s trove!” That got Roland thinking. Gnome went into the land of dragons. Why would he do that unless he wanted a dragon’s trove? “You stole a dragon’s trove?”

  “Roland, you are smart! The mages think I went ther
e to get those stupid stones. Those I came across by accident. It’s a long story. What better place to get vast amounts of wealth but from a dragon’s trove?”

  “How many stashes do you have, Gnorbit?”

  “More than you could imagine. In fact, I have them all mapped out. After my death, the maps can be found in a safe deposit box in the Mages Guild. They don’t even know they are housing the maps. My final testament and will are there also. You are my executer. I still plan on living a few hundred more years though. I need you because you are the one and only Half-Elf I can trust, and who will be alive. Humans are too short lived to choose to be my executer. I feel bad for them, but I need someone alive longer than I will. Don’t get killed working for the Adventures Guild.”

  The next morning, he and Hazel had a conversation in the office. “I have a problem, Hazel, and I am hoping you can help me fix it.”

  “Sure Roland, you know I’ll do what I can for you.”

  Roland dropped the leather pouch down on the desk. The six pounds of gold that hit the wooden desk was loud. “This is for our business. I’m depending on you to either get an education, or an apprenticeship or whatever, but this is to be used.”

  She had a puzzled look on her face. She reached over, untied the leather strap and flipped the lid up revealing 100 gold pieces.

  “Gasp! What have you done Roland? Did you steal from the king himself?”

  “No, I didn’t steal it. Someone stole it from a dragon. As a favor, and sort of payment, this was given to me. I have no need for it, but since we are in business I thought maybe it would be helpful. Is this too much for you? I don’t want to put too much pressure on you.”

  “Roland, you do know I could take this disappear and live a life of luxury?”

  “Yes, I do know that. I also know that if you get an idea in your head you will turn this 100 gold into 200 gold in no time. I’m sure it would help others that came from the same place you came from. Vivi seems to be working out well. She probably would appreciate having a job for the rest of her life. Or does your luxurious life not need friends?”