Into The Ruins

by Blink, Bob

  “Of course,” Taent thought. Three more levels down. He’d have to go all that way into this unpleasant place.

  They proceeded downward, the torches spaced along the walls providing a dim flickering light. Brother Yori carried the torch he had lit to help illuminate the steps, which were uneven, slippery, and in a couple of places broken. It would be easy to stumble and break an ankle coming down here. The Subprior braced himself by running his hands along the walls even though it made him feel dirty to do so. Finally they reached the bottom, stepping onto the smooth rock which formed the floor of the dungeon. The Subprior knew the entire area was carved out of solid rock. He didn’t know how the excavation had been performed to create the space, but one would have to tunnel through almost fifty paces of solid stone to reach the dungeon from the outside, and that would require awareness of its existence and a precise knowledge of where it was located.

  “This way,” Brother Yori urged.

  They walked away from the stairs, deeper into the surprisingly large room. Taent had forgotten just how much had been stored down here over the years. He didn’t know how Brother Yori moved so surely in the poor light provided by the torches, but he unerringly led them back to a distant corner.

  “There,” he said finally, and pointed to a brightly illuminated surface propped up against a shelf.

  The artifact was larger than he’d been expecting. Subprior Taent could have been standing outside a well lighted building and peering through an open window at the scene inside. That wasn’t quite right because the perspective was a bit off, but it was the closest approximation he could make. He was shocked and frightened by what he was seeing. He had never heard of visions being displayed in such a startling manner. He wondered how such a thing could be possible. Part of him wished to leave and deny the existence, but another part wished to examine the miracle more closely.

  The “window” through which he was looking was almost square and nearly as wide as his body. He was looking into a room which contained a number of cells designed to restrain individuals. Four people were in evidence, and they were moving around and talking. Two were in one of the cells, and the remaining two were in an adjacent cell that shared one common wall of bars. He could hear no sound, but the movements suggested this was a real scene, although when he peered around behind the “window” he could see only the darkened shelf on which the artifact sat.

  “I don’t understand,” the Subprior said, as he tried to conceal a slight chill that shot up his body.

  “Some form of magic is creating these pictures,” Brother Yori said, pointing to the object. “I believe what we are seeing is real and happening somewhere.”

  “Whatever would cause you to believe that?” the Subprior asked. “Clearly some form of the tainted art is at work here, but I can see nothing to suggest this is real.”

  “Look at the individuals,” Brother Yori suggested.

  “I have. I don’t recognize any of them. I can’t see why I would expect to.”

  “Look at the man there,” Brother Yori said, pointing to the dark haired man standing next to a short dark woman.

  The Subprior looked more closely, and had to admit the features were vaguely familiar.

  “I believe that is one of those who visited us here some years ago,” Brother Yori said. “It looks to me like the one who exhibited magic. I believe his name was Rigo.”

  “Rigo?” Taent looked more closely at the small figure shown in the image. It did look something like the man he vaguely recalled. He looked tired and drawn, and a bit older, but then who didn’t.

  “You might be right,” he admitted slowly. “He was one who practiced the art, but why would this object be displaying his image.”

  “I cannot begin to speculate,” Brother Yori said, “But it might be important. Perhaps we should inform one of the wizards. There is one in nearby Rile. They might know what this portends.”

  “That would be a decision for the Archimandrite,” the Subprior said sharply, shocked that even Brother Yori could consider revealing the items they hid here to outsiders, and wizards at that.

  “I could remove the artifact from storage,” Brother Yori offered. “They would not have to know of the other items we have concealed here.”

  “No!” commanded the Subprior. “You must not move the object. Who knows what might result if you were to do so.”

  “I have already moved the artifact to position for ease of viewing,” Brother Yori said.

  “By the saints!” cursed the Subprior, forgetting himself. “What could have possessed you to do such a thing?”

  “I have had to move many items down here to make room over the years. When I discovered light showing from under this one, I had to raise it to discover the source. I was drawn to the startling images, and it was after a short time that I thought I recognized the dark haired man.”

  “The others aren’t the ones who visited with him are they?”

  “No, at least I do not believe so. There was a woman, but she was not dark like this one. I only saw her once, so I don’t recall her features. The older man was not with them, and the third one was considerably larger and stronger than the remaining man shown in the images.”

  Subprior Taent stared at the images a moment longer. He considered ordering Brother Yori to wrap the object in heavy cloth to hide the images, and forbid him of speaking of it. Then he realized that the scholar would more than likely raise the matter with the Prior, perhaps even the Archimandrite. The scholar was not one who took instruction well. It was his duty to inform his superiors of the find, and they would decide how to proceed. Perhaps it would be unwise to ignore the object. He realized he would not sleep well knowing one of the magical artifacts was active below his feet.

  “Come,” he ordered suddenly. “We must inform the Prior of this discovery.”

  “You do not wish me to bring it with us?” Brother Yori asked.

  “Leave it in place. If anyone wishes to see for themselves, they can come down here.” That gave him a certain satisfaction. He couldn’t imagine the Archimandrite making his way down into these darkened rooms.

  “Why can we not simply ignore this discovery?” the Archimandrite asked some time later after the details had been conveyed to him. The four men sat in the office of the Archimandrite, deciding how to proceed. “After all, had you not gone down there to store the items the Sacrist ordered, we wouldn’t even know about this.”

  “There is a reason all things happen,” Brother Yori said boldly, quoting a line from one of their basic texts. “We do know of it, and cannot be certain of its importance.”

  “Why would this object be showing images of the wizard that visited us? Why him? Why not someone else?”

  “We know nothing about the magic involved or the reasons it works as it does,” Brother Yori said. “Perhaps his visit here and his use of powerful magic somehow linked him to the artifact.”

  “Do you think it represents a danger?” the Archimandrite asked.

  Brother Yori shrugged. “We have witnessed the power of magic firsthand, but whether this object represents a threat is unknown.”

  “I for one would like to see it gone,” Subprior Taent said unbidden.

  “What risks do you think we take if I simply order Brother Yori to remove it and dispose of it in Lake Duir as you have suggested we do with everything stored below?”

  Before Subprior Taent could respond, Brother Yori spoke up. “And if the wizards learn what we have done? They have a presence nearly everywhere these days. Might they have some awareness that this object exists?”

  The Archimandrite didn’t believe they were that all knowing, but he’d seen what they could do. Perhaps it would be best to turn this cursed object over to them. Like the Subprior, he didn’t think he would be comfortable knowing that magic was active a short distance away from him.

  “How would we inform them?” he asked.

  “One of those who traveled here with the wizard Rigo was the bro
ther of Brother Nyll. Perhaps we could send him to contact his brother. He would likely be aware of the status of this wizard, and would be better able to direct us how to proceed.”

  Brother Nyll. Another misfit. The Archimandrite wondered why those who barely fit in were always in the middle of matters like this.

  “Why don’t we simply inform the wizard in the nearby village of Rile as was suggested earlier? That would be simpler.”

  “I do not believe the wizard there is anyone of importance. He is a former resident of the village, who has returned home to help out. Perhaps he wouldn’t be the best choice, although he might be instrumental in helping us contact those we seek.”

  The Archimandrite considered, then said, “I charge you with looking into this. Take Brother Nyll and seek out his sibling who visited here. You are both senior enough to freely travel outside the Monastery alone. Inform him of our find. If he wishes to inform the wizard community, then allow him to do so. I will consider the risks of moving the object if they wish to view it.”

  Chapter 28

  Nals

  Capital of Sedfair

  Suline had never been in the private meeting quarters of the Saltique and her chosen advisors. She had always wondered how the chambers would appear, and had heard stories from several of her fellows what it was like, but had been denied the privilege of being there herself. She had always known the day would come for her. She also had unspoken hopes, hopes that hadn’t been shared even with her closest friends, that one day she would be the one that ruled over the Guild. Today, however, was not that day. Today she was here to report on the strange visitors in Slipi. If all went well, she could see herself being returned to the capital, and integrated back into the most favored members of the Spellcasters Guild, her banishment effectively ended. Suline wished for that. It would make her path forward so much easier. The politics within the Guild were subtle and tricky, as she had learned the hard way.

  As she waited for the questions to begin, Suline examined the Guild’s most senior members. Carif, the Saltique, was known to all. A strong leader, and one not to be underestimated, she was still strong and straight despite her many years. Suline wondered if there was any truth to the stories that she had unearthed a secret that extended one’s life span. Despite hair that was mostly gray where it had been red when Suline had first seen the Guild’s leader, and skin that was visibly more wrinkled, she showed little other signs of her age. Suline believed she was merely one of those who aged well. The next few years would reveal the truth, she suspected.

  The Eight Specialists were another matter. Only one was as old as Carif. That was Shym, and Suline had heard of the dangers of crossing her. More than one mid-level Caster, and even a Senior Caster or two, if the stories were true, had found their positions drastically altered after attracting the ire of the black haired witch for one reason or another. Some believed her to be a greater enemy than even the Saltique could be, but Suline believed Shym was Carif’s right hand. The only others she knew by name were Ensay and Delril. Ensay, blond and surprisingly young for her position, was responsible for the testing and advancement of all within the Guild, and Delril was the overseer of the Guild’s University. The other five she had seen in the halls of the Guild, but didn’t know them by name.

  “The message you submitted regarding the strangers along the border is one of serious concern,” Carif said without preamble, indicating the meeting was to begin. Suline had come to the capital as soon as she was comfortable that matters were well in hand in Slipi. There were established procedures for requesting a meeting with the Saltique, formalities that should be observed. Suline had circumvented them, believing the strangers were important enough the Guild’s officers would want to know of them immediately. If she was judged wrong, it could have negative implications for her.

  Carif’s penetrating stare fixed on Suline as she continued. “You indicate that Sedfair’s border was penetrated yesterday, but imply it was not by a squad of Baldari. Your wording suggests the invaders are potentially an even graver concern. I hope you are prepared to substantiate your claims. Tell us what occurred.”

  “Yes, Saltique,” Suline replied respectfully. She pushed aside a stray strand of yellow hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. She began her story, beginning with the initial sighting by the two village youths and the encounter that resulted in an exchange of magic.

  “You are not Slipi’s village Caster?” Shym asked, interrupting her tale. “How is it that you became involved?”

  “After the encounter which resulted in the Army Caster losing his staff and the escape of the four sorcerers, Caster Ferkle sought assistance of the village Caster Tanss. She realized that additional help might be required and that the Guild here in Nals would need to be informed. She and I have collaborated in the past to deal with unusually large Chull attacks, and she is aware that I am stronger than either her or Ferkle, and more importantly have been blessed with the ability to create Doorways. She hoped that I would be able to bring news of events to the Guild here in Nals in a timely manner. She dispatched one of the Army’s riders to make the four glass ride to my village.”

  “Yet you did not come here immediately,” Carif pointed out. “It is almost a full day later that we are hearing this news.”

  “The tale I was told seemed somewhat unbelievable,” Suline replied respectfully. “I deemed it wise to go to Slipi and see the scene of the supposed events myself. I did not wish to bring unsubstantiated stories to the Guild.”

  “And what did you find upon your arrival there?” one of the Specialists that Suline didn’t know by name asked.

  “A great deal of confusion and excitement. The village was alive with rumors of powerful sorcerers appearing throughout the village. Much of what was being whispered by the villagers was clearly the result of panic and uncertainty, but those who had been on the scene agreed in several key respects. The four strangers had used magic to defend themselves from both normal weapons, crossbow bolts in this case, and magic. They had destroyed the staff of the Army Caster Ferkle, and more importantly had performed all the magic without any obvious preparation or without a casting staff of their own.”

  “Nonsense,” exclaimed Delril.

  “Such were the stories,” replied Suline. “There was unanimous agreement on that point.”

  “Yet you still did not come here and report what you had learned,” noted Carif once again.

  “It was the middle of the night. I doubted I would be granted admittance at that time, and there remained the matter of the strangers. There was great fear that they might return, and the village was now protected by a single Caster, since Caster Ferkle was effectively rendered nearly impotent by the loss of his staff. The village Caster Tanss was not any stronger than Ferkle. I decided to make preparations in the event of a return rather than leave the village defenseless.”

  “And from your brief missive, I understand that the strangers did return?” asked Ensay.

  “Two of them,” corrected Suline. “They made a Doorway directly into the inn where they had taken a meal the previous evening. It was the only concealed location they had visited, and we prepared for such a possibility by placing blocking runes in the common room. It worked as we hoped, and once they stepped into the room, their magic was blocked.”

  “They were taken easily then?” asked Shym.

  “They had swords, but the two men surrendered without a fight,” Suline agreed.

  “So you never actually saw them use magic?” asked Carif.

  “That is true,” Suline admitted. “We subdued them with blocking bands, and took them to the Army stockade.”

  “They had no staff to support them?” asked Carif.

  “None,” Suline replied.

  “Perhaps that is why they surrendered so easily,” Carif suggested.

  “What of the remaining two?” asked Ensay. “You said there was a woman, mostly likely their leader, and another, an older man.”

  �
�We found them waiting at a small unblemished spot deep in the Wastelands,” Suline explained. That caused several of the Specialists to draw sharp breaths.

  “In the Wastelands?” Carif asked, uncertain she’d heard correctly. What do you mean by unblemished, and how did you find them?”

  “The strangers made no attempt to mask their Doorway,” Suline replied. “I am one of those with the ability to detect the origin of a Doorway that hasn’t been appropriately masked.” Suline revealed this news with a certain satisfaction. Not many could say the same. If they examined her scores at the University they would be able to verify this, but at the moment she caught them off guard.

  “That is very unusual for one of your level,” Carif said.

  That’s not the half of it! Suline knew they would be even more surprised if they knew of her other ability.

  “It was indeed fortunate,” Suline agreed modestly. “Otherwise I would have had no idea from where they had come, nor where the others might have been hiding.”

  “You went into the Wastelands after them?” Shym asked. “That was somewhat risky. You couldn’t know how many were there. You might have been taken, or killed. Even worse, you might have been trapped in the Wastelands.”

  “It was a risk, and perhaps an ill advised one, but I was now convinced of the truth of Ferkle’s claims, and didn’t wish to leave Slipi unprotected while I came here. There was also the matter that the Doorway trace was already fading, and unless followed up upon within a short time, the origin of the strangers would be lost. I assumed if they could create a Doorway from wherever they had come from, the Wastelands would not block my own. It seemed important enough to take the risk.”

  Suline didn’t tell them the whole truth. The idea of going into the Wastelands, especially that far where it would have been impossible to walk back out if something went wrong had been terrifying. Had it not been for her ability to create the Ghost Doorway, she probably wouldn’t have attempted it. As far as she knew, no one else was even aware that a Ghost Doorway was even possible. She had stumbled upon it by accident when she’d botched the complex glyphs required to initiate a Doorway some years before. What she’d created instead was something unique, a Doorway with the return path already in place. Unlike the normal Doorway that allowed travel in a single direction, her creation was two-way. Further, one didn’t actually travel to the chosen location. It was as if one’s senses made the transition. She was able to see and observe what was on the far side, then will her senses back and close off the odd Doorway behind her. Anyone on the far side would have no awareness of her observation. It was a skill she hoped to use to her own advantage. Now that she had been in this special chamber, she knew she could even spy on the Saltique if she wished. In this case, however, she had been able to pinpoint the location of the small patch of green in the vast expanse of desert, and had observed that only the remaining two strangers were present. Possibly others waited at similar anomalous areas within the Wastelands, but by the actions of the two she could observe, she’d didn’t believe it to be so.