Land of the minotaurs lh-4

by Richard A. Knaak

  "And Kaz?" he finally asked. "What about Kaz?"

  "At this time, he and his companions are being rounded up for their journey to the circus."

  "They should've been dealt with before my combat. My combat should be the culmination of events."

  The cleric's expression did not change. "His Holiness has decided they should be used as examples after the grand crusade is announced. Their deaths will be used to remind other heretics what it means to defy the destiny of our race."

  Polik scratched his jaw. "Suppose so. Would've done it different, myself." He shrugged. "That's it, then. Time for the duel."

  "Sargas be with you, Emperor Polik."

  "Yes, yes…" The emperor turned away, seeking his helmet. As ruler of the empire, he was allowed to wear the ceremonial helmet in the hand-to-hand combat. "You're dismissed."

  The robed figure gave Polik a brief look of contempt, but the emperor's back was to him. With a final, even more cursory bow, he departed. Almost immediately, the servants and the aide returned. "Are we ready to begin, Emperor?"

  "Just help me find my helmet. I know it was here a moment ago."

  Sighing silently, the aide forced back the thoughts that sprang to mind-thoughts that, were they known, could have got him tossed into the arena alongside the rebel Kaz-and started to search for his master's missing helm.

  Infernus sat in the booth set aside for him and his aides, four lesser clerics flanking him. He was clad in the most elegant robes of the high priest, gold trim and diamond sparkles making him glitter in the sunlight. It was all the dragon could do to suppress his eagerness and satisfaction, but he had to maintain the mask of quiet confidence, especially now.

  Back in the temple, the hatchling, Tiberia, would be watching all of this. Infernus had decided it would be good for the young one's education to see just how well her captor's plans were progressing. The spell would give Ty a view of what went on in the arena based on the red dragon's own perspective. The young one would see everything, including the death of her would-be champion, through Infernus's eyes. It was a clever spell.

  The day of destiny is upon us, Infernus thought, allowing himself a satisfied smile that brought shivers to the one cleric who happened to glance his way. My day…

  They're coining, Kaz thought, fidgeting. They're coming, and the cursed gray human still hasn't given me any kind of sign! The day before had passed without any clue as to what Kaz was supposed to do to free himself and the others. He had expected some clue from the mage before this moment; after all, the human had more or less promised. From what little he could recall of Huma's experiences with the gray man, nothing indicated that the figure was a liar or a trickster. Still, he was beginning to wonder.

  Ty, Hecar, Delbin, Fliara… their lives all depended on Kaz. He could not let them down, even if it turned out that the gray mage had let Kaz down. When the guards came for him, he would find some way to win.

  Paladine watch over me… and Helati and the children, just in case.

  "It's time."

  The voice startled him, especially when Kaz realized whose voice it was.

  "It's about time you got here, mage."

  "It is all a matter of balance, Kaz," responded the gray figure standing near the minotaur. "I can act only when it is time. Too much interference, and things might be tilted even further out of balance. We would not want that, trust me."

  Kaz shifted. "Someday, I hope to have a conversation with you that makes some sense. Meanwhile…" He shook the chains that held him. "Are you going to free me now?"

  "This is the time for everything to come together, Kaz. This is when the potential to rebalance the scales is at its zenith."

  With the last word, the minotaur's chains-empty, but still locked-suddenly clattered against the wall. Kaz looked at his free hands, then at the manacles. There were some advantages to being a mage.

  "What happens now?" he asked as he tested his arms and legs.

  "The path is open to you." The door swung open just enough to allow Kaz out. "The rest is up to you."

  "What about the others? I can't just leave them."

  "I will watch over them as best I can. The kender knows what I plan and will do his part. If it encourages you further, I will tell you that a certain stubborn catalyst has made her mind known in Nethosak despite my intentions. As is sometimes the way, this catalyst's presence has given me a new and unexpected path to use, a path that your friends must take rather than aid you." When Kaz still hesitated, the gray man added, "Trust me. This will not work if they are with you, Kaz. You know that."

  He did, but it was difficult to admit it, even to himself. Alone, Kaz could slip through the halls to where Ty was being kept. With the others, he ran the greater risk of discovery.

  Thinking of Ty, he started, "The female. Where-?"

  "Look in the lair of the dragon," the mage returned. For the first time, a hint of impatience appeared on the gray human's face. "The guards have been delayed, Kaz, but not for long."

  The minotaur started for the door, pausing just before stepping through. He turned one last time to the gray figure. "I don't suppose you have a weapon?"

  In response, the mage suddenly tossed his staff toward Kaz. The warrior reached out and caught it in midair. Despite its thinness, it felt like a strong, sturdy piece of wood. It would have to do. "My thanks… Hecar and the others… you'll…"

  "It is the least I can do for you, Kaz."

  "Thank you."

  As he hurried out the door, he thought he heard the gray man add, "Huma would have been proud of you, minotaur."

  As the minotaur disappeared down the hall, the gray man walked calmly over to the empty chains and stood in front of them, his back to the wall. The manacles materialized about his wrists and ankles, securing him. The mage nodded, then smiled. In his place there suddenly stood a minotaur, a minotaur who looked exactly like Kaz.

  He waited for the guards to come.

  With the events of the arena captivating nearly all of Nethosak, even the temple was nearly bare of occupants. Kaz did not encounter a sentry until almost the ground level. The sentry, not expecting an assault from below, had grown lax. When Kaz discovered him, he was leaning against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

  A blow with the staff to the stomach, followed by a solid punch in the jaw, was enough to deal quickly with the guard. Kaz dragged him into an empty cell and laid him to the side so he would not be visible. As he finished, however, the minotaur heard the sounds of an armed escort.

  Keeping clear of the open door, Kaz waited until the sounds continued past him. It was the escort for him and his comrades. He prayed to Paladine that the gray man would indeed watch over his friends. He also hoped the mage had done something to prevent them from noticing his disappearance. Kaz needed some time to reach his goal.

  In the lair of the dragon. That could be only the high priest's personal chambers. Ty must still be there. It made sense, since, if the female had been escorted back to her own cell, she would have had to pass Kaz's. That had not happened.

  There were no apparent guards when he entered the ground level. That was not too surprising. The vast majority would be attending the circus, the better to emphasize the glory of the sons of Sargas. Kaz had some inkling of how Infernus's mind worked. The dragon was one for showmanship and flash. He reveled in power and wanted others to recognize the supremacy of that power. Now (hat tendency was working for Kaz.

  He had made it halfway from the stairs to the high priest's chambers when he nearly ran headlong into Infernus's chief acolyte. The other minotaur was so stunned, he did not react until Kaz was already upon him. The staff caught the acolyte under the chin. Kaz dodged a reckless swing, then lowered the staff on his adversary's head.

  The blow should have only stunned the robed figure, but to Kaz's surprise, his opponent slumped to the floor. Kaz glanced at the staff, recalling that it belonged to a mage, then shrugged. A meditation chamber provided him with an adequate place
to hide the body. Kaz hesitated once he had the cleric in there, pondering the voluminous robes and the high hood.

  A few moments later, clad in the same robe and with the hood pulled up over his head, he continued on his way. There was no method by which he could hide the staff, so he kept it out and used it as a walking stick, pretending some leg injury.

  Two clerics, obviously on their way to the circus, gave him perfunctory acknowledgments, then hurried on. A temple guard straightened as he walked past.

  His good fortune faded as he reached the doors to the audience chamber. Two guards stood on duty, guards who stared intensely at him as he walked up to the doors.

  "I'm on official business for the high priest. Let me pass."

  They did not move. The one on the right announced, "We've orders not to admit anyone. That comes from His Holiness himself."

  "My orders are new. His Holiness left important papers behind that I'm to retrieve. Do you want to face his displeasure after I tell him you wouldn't let me pass?"

  The words were enough to cause the two sentries discomfort, but still they stood their ground. The same guard spoke again. "The orders were very clear. No one is to enter, save the high priest himself."

  "Commendable," replied Kaz with a nod. He stepped closer to the two. Both sentries shifted stance ever so slightly, showing their weapons, in this case a pair of sturdy battle-axes. "But I think I have a way of resolving this problem."

  He brought the staff up sideways and charged both guards. One raised his axe and managed to deflect his end of the staff, but the other was slower. The staff caught him in the throat, and he went down, coughing and struggling to breathe.

  The other sentry fought back, pushing against Kaz's staff. Kaz slipped to the side and used his momentum to strike the gasping minotaur with the hard end of his weapon. Again, the blow, which should have only stunned the guard, sent him slumping to the floor.

  The remaining guard was still off.balance. He stumbled forward, and Kaz caught him on the back of the neck, just below the head. The second guard joined the first on the floor.

  The battle had not gone unnoticed, however. From across the temple, several guards and clerics came running. Kaz cursed, pulling a door open. He slipped through even as the first of the guards threw a lance at him. The weapon bounced harmlessly off the door.

  The doors were designed to be barred from the inside, something Kaz found very useful. Kaz had the entrance barred in seconds. That would certainly hold off the guards for a time. Now he had to find Ty.

  The audience chamber was dark, but it was not difficult to locate the rooms in back. Kaz found the doors, but could not open them. They were either locked or possibly ensorcelled. He glanced at the doors, then at the staff the mage had given him. It was not Honor's Face, but he was certain it was imbued with magic.

  Raising the staff, he aimed for the center of the door. Behind him he could hear the barred doors to the audience chamber rattle as the guards threw their weight against them, so he rammed the staff against the door. It shattered, sending splinters flying everywhere. Kaz had to fall back immediately lest he be injured by the debris.

  No magic had kept the door sealed, only a simple lock.

  Clearing the remnants with the aid of the staff, Kaz entered.

  Tiberia sat in the midst of a chamber that seemed almost as huge as the one from which he had just departed. A pulsating shell of crimson light covered the small figure. Prior to the minotaur's appearance, Ty had evidently been staring at a greenish globe that floated at the young prisoner's eye level. Even from where he stood, Kaz could see faint images skimming along the globe's surface. It was just like the red dragon to make his captive watch the deaths of Kaz and the others.

  Ty rose to her feet at the sight of the minotaur. Her eyes were tired. A smile broke across her features. "Kaz!"

  "I've come to free you, Ty."

  "I know. The gray man said to wait for you."

  "Nice of him to do that." He wondered if the mage had, said anything else, such as how to break the spell that surrounded Ty.

  The staff had worked before. Perhaps it would work again.

  "Ty, curl yourself up into as small a ball as you can."

  The female did as Kaz requested.

  "Ready yourself!"

  Kaz brought one tip of the staff down on the crimson field.

  The force unleashed by the dragon's spell when the staff hit burned the magic artifact to ash and threw the minotaur across the chamber.

  The guards chosen to escort Hecar and the others gathered the party together. Scurn was among the prisoners. The guards placed Hecar next to an oddly contemplative! Kaz, who obeyed their captors' orders without protest. He did not have an opportunity to do more than glance at Helati's mate, but when he did, Kaz smiled back at him. It was almost as if Kaz knew some jest, which he had not shared with the others.

  What can he be thinking about? Hecar wondered. Does he have a plan of escape?;

  They reached the main level just as several guards and clerics went rushing toward the doorway leading to the high priest's audience chamber. The guard leader called a halt and started toward one of the clerics, but Kaz suddenly broke his silence.

  "If you delay, we won't make the circus in time. They, can handle the matter."

  If Hecar and the other prisoners thought it odd for Kaz; to speak these words, the guards and their commander seemed to find them completely sensible. The leader nodded, and the small band continued on, departing the temple moments later.

  "Kaz!" whispered Hecar. "If you've got a plan, you'd-"

  "Be silent!" snapped a temple soldier. He swatted Hecar on the shoulder with the flat of his blade. Hecar was tempted to forego the circus and end his life in a valiant but futile struggle with the guard.

  "Rest easy, Hecar." Kaz gave him that same peculiar smile again.

  "But, Kaz-"

  Delbin abruptly giggled. Hecar glanced at him, wondering what even a kender could find so humorous at this moment. Delbin glanced at Hecar, then barely forced back another giggle after looking at Kaz.

  "Just a little longer, Delbin. It's almost time for the surprise."

  None of the guards seemed to take notice of what Kaz was saying, which further perplexed Hecar. It was as if they knew Kaz was there, but paid no mind to anything he said or did.

  There were ten guards besides the leader, which was something of a compliment to the four minotaurs and one kender they guarded. Given weapons and free hands, Hecar was fairly certain he and the others could have fought their way to freedom… at some cost, of course. Still, that was not likely to happen.

  The streets were nearly deserted, most of the city's population having gathered in or near the Great Circus. Now and then a minotaur passed within sight of them, but, compared with the normal traffic in the busy city, Nethosak was a ghost land.

  Then the attack came. Hecar likely would have chosen the same location, for it was narrower than most of the path, and the street was deserted, with many hiding places for armed warriors.

  The band and their captors were suddenly surrounded by roughly a dozen or so minotaurs bearing swords and axes. Some of the newcomers were vaguely familiar to Hecar, but he had no time to consider that, for the guards formed a defensive position, some of them concentrating their weapons on the captives.

  "Stand aside," commanded the guard leader. "These warriors are destined to redeem themselves in the Great Circus."

  "You mean they're supposed to die there," said one of the strangers, a tall, dark-furred minotaur with a streak of white between his horns that ran all the way to the back of his head. Hecar was certain he knew him, but from where, he could not recall. "For daring to defy the high priest's desires and nothing more. I had another brother who died for reasons something like that. There's no honor in such a death."

  "This is treason. You defy the will of your lords."

  The leader of the newcomers smiled. It was a smile that Hecar had seen on only one other
minotaur. Kaz. "We've got a history of defiance in our clan."

  Beside him, Hecar heard Kaz quietly say, "All right, Delbin. It's time."

  The temple guards did not seem to hear or notice the kender suddenly touch his manacles, which slipped off a moment later without a sound. Only belatedly did Hecar note the tiny lockpick in Delbin's hands, a lockpick that the kender put to use with astonishing speed on Hecar's own manacles. In the space of seconds, he had the chains off Fliara as well.

  It was not until Delbin reached Scurn that one of the guards blinked and noticed what was happening. He turned to stop the kender's efforts, shouting, "The prisoners-!"

  His outburst was all that was needed to send the two groups into battle. Three guards turned on the prisoners. Hecar, using his chains like a flail, swung at a soldier. His blow struck the minotaur's sword hand, causing him to drop his weapon. Delbin was instantly there, seizing the sword and handing it to Fliara, who was closest.

  The minotaur with the streak in his hair laughed as he fought back both the escort leader and another temple guard. He wielded a sword large even by minotaur standards, a sword that whipped in and out and around with such speed and daring that it confounded the pair who fought him. Neither could get past his blade. The escort leader fell seconds later to a thrust.

  Two more guards fell, one of them wounded in the leg, but one of their rescuers also died. Hecar swung the chains at any guard who came within range. One soldier managed to press Fliara back, but Hecar pulled his chains around the attacker's neck and did not loosen his grip until the guard ceased to move.

  Someone bumped into Hecar from behind. He turned, expecting another attacker, and found Scurn, one hand still manacled, struggling with a guard who had evidently tried to run Hecar through the back. The guard was strong, but Scurn was stronger. The scarred minotaur pushed his opponent to his knees, then raised his knee into the guard's chin. Scum's adversary collapsed.

  Circumstance makes for strange shield-brothers, Hecar thought as he turned to fight some more. Never thought I'd owe that one my life.