Many an excuse was made by a drunkard to his better half that he dared not venture out during the fool’s hour or risk breaking his leg, or worse, his neck. No idiom existed for why the fool was out after sunset in the first place.
“Do we have a plan, then?” Salina asked. “Time is short, and I’d like to get into Kesh as quickly as possible.”
“That is not something that one hears every day,” Khan noted, his tone serious.
The group sat around, eating another round of provisions that Agatha had prepared for them. She might have a sharp tongue, but having worked in the kitchens in Korwell, she knew how to prepare food, even foodstuffs that had to keep for days, if not weeks. “The bread is still edible,” Will noted, stuffing another roll of it into his mouth and chewing profusely.
“Use some cheese with that,” Marissa recommended, even though she was munching on some dried fish.
“We leave first thing in the morning, and we travel hard and fast,” Targon said to more than just Salina. It was directed at the entire company.
“What if Khan can’t open the door?” Salina asked, looking over her shoulder at the flat wall where the Kesh wizard indicated the door to be, though there was no visible sign of it.
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s safe to be trapped in this deadend, either, if those trolls come back,” Will said, looking around at the high cliff walls that hemmed them in.
Targon looked at Khan. “You’re sure the door is there?” The Ranger pointed at the flat rock wall opposite them.
“Quite sure,” Khan said. “The pull was irresistible to that location, though why the door refuses to show itself is beyond my comprehension right now.”
“How long do you think you’ll need?” Targon asked.
“I wish I could tell you,” Khan said. “I need time to think. The druid understood correctly that I would be able to find the door, but he was mistaken in the ease of which he thought it could be opened.”
“We should have a plan in case those monsters return,” Will prompted.
Targon stood and nodded at his companions. “Stay here. I’ll go and scout for an exit, though in the meantime, if you stay seated in the high grass and light no fire, then I think you’ll be safe enough for the present.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, as the rest would do them good, though there were some looks at Targon by his fellow travelers as they marveled at his stamina. Even Khan, who used a spell to increase his own physical strength, was amazed at how long the young Ulathan woodsman could remain active, and without sleep even.
The mystery of the door didn’t take long. Targon returned, saying, “I found a path that will allow us to exit to the south over that ridge there.” He pointed to the southernmost ridgeline where the edge buttressed against the mountain.
“No need,” Salina said. “Khan believes he has found a way to open the door to the ancient passage.”
Looking around, Targon noticed Khan standing in front of the door, unmoving. His staff was in one hand, and his robe swirled around his ankles in the gentle wind that rushed up the canyon from below. A foul stench was barely detectable, and with one word, Dorsun explained. “Trolls.”
The group moved to stand next to Khan, and the door started to illuminate with the light from the twin sisters. Tira had risen long ago but had only now breached the mountains, and her gentle but bright light shown upon the rock’s surface. They waited for several minutes more until Sara followed, adding her light to that of her sister, and they held their breaths as the outline of a door illuminated in the featureless rocky surface of the mountainside.
“What in Agon’s name is this?” Will asked.
Salina nodded. “There was nothing there a second ago.”
Khan kept his gaze on the rock wall. “The ancients were most wise.”
“What?” Targon simply asked, not understanding the significance of what he was looking at, and none of his other companions, except Khan, understood, either.
Khan explained for him and the others. “The ancients wanted to secure their doors in more than simply a mechanical fashion and against more than just a battering ram. They wanted to secure it against intrusion by arcane means, and that is precisely what they did.”
“You lost us with that one,” Cedric said, also straining to hear every word the Kesh wizard uttered.
“The door’s sealed with magic,” Marissa said in a tone that indicated they should know this by now.
“Of course it is,” Khan began. “However, the magic is complemented with the power of Agon that only the druid could really appreciate.”
“I’m getting confused,” Will said. “Can you open it or not?”
“I think I can,” Khan said. “The door can be opened, but only when the light of the dragon is shining upon it.” The reference to the sun was one they all understood, though not why the Kesh magic-user decided to reference the sun in such a way. That was usually reserved for the less educated; at least, that was the thought amongst the higher elites of Ulatha and Kesh. “Otkroi,” Khan commanded, holding his staff up and pointing it slightly at the wall.
Everyone stepped back as the doors cracked where the outline was shining brightly, and with a gentle popping noise, they swung inward, revealing a dark chamber and passageway beyond. The smell hit them at once.
“Ew,” Salina said, holding her hand to her face, cupping it and covering her nose and mouth. “That smells worse than the trolls.”
“Speaking of which,” Cedric said, looking behind them, and they all heard the faint sounds of trees and brushes being moved violently aside. “We should either move into the underground road or have Targon lead us to high ground.”
One sound, the sound of a rock being thrown and smashing against the mountainside, came to their ears quite clearly and distinctly, as it happened very close by, around the first bend in the draw they had ascended. “Time to go, then.” Targon motioned into the mountainside, and they all ran past Khan, entering the ancient subterranean structure.
With a final look, Khan released the magic that opened the door and ran through the archway of the two massive stone doors that were starting to close again. Once inside, he joined the group as they stopped, turned around, and watched the doors shut with a loud boom that echoed all around them and down the single passageway that headed due east into and under the mountain itself.
Khan illuminated the area with his staff that glowed a bright blue in color. The chamber was large, almost a stone’s throw high in a domed shape over them. There were several antechambers to what looked to be vacant rooms or cubicles and, of course, the one lone passageway that was broad and high enough for all of them. They could all walk abreast if they so desired, so wide and grand was the road that led into the heart of the Border Mountains.
“This is incredible.” Cedric could no longer contain his excitement at their discovery. “Mother, did you or Father know this was here? Certainly King Korwell had to have known.”
Salina shook her head. “No, Cedric, we didn’t know, and I’m sure the late king had no idea, either. This place has been a secret for as long as I have lived. I know no one who has even rumored of its existence.”
“As impressive as this simple chamber appears,” Khan began in his lecture voice, “the truly impressive parts are rumored to be many leagues under the mountain. That alone should command respect.”
“For once, I think I am forced to agree with you, wizard,” Will said, his head swiveling to take in the stonework of the chamber.
“That doesn’t explain the smell,” Salina complained. “Where is it coming from?”
“I’ve smelled something like this before,” Targon said. “It smells like death and decay.”
The group stood in the ambient light of Khan’s staff. It didn’t dawn on them to carry torches or lanterns with them. They only had one lamp, anyway, and they’d left that at the homestead. Cedric did have several candles and his flint stick to light them with, but for now, they used the magical i
llumination in order to see in the dark.
“Over here,” Marissa said from across the chamber near the main passageway.
Targon ran over to her, saying, “Don’t leave the group like that again. The agreement was that you stay behind us, not in front of us. Understand?”
Marissa nodded. “Understood. You need to see this, though.” She pointed at the side of the passageway that was barely illuminated, as it was several yards inside the tunnel-like structure.
“Khan, bring your light over here.” Targon waved the Kesh wizard over with his hand.
The area quickly illuminated as the group arrived, Khan in the lead. “What is that?” Dorsun asked from his vantage point next to Will.
“I don’t know for sure . . .” Targon took a few strides into the tunnel where the roof was much lower than the chamber, yet still a couple feet higher than any tall man.
“Be careful,” Salina said, either to Cedric who brushed by her to reach the discovery, or to Targon who was almost there.
“It definitely smells,” Cedric said, plugging his nose with his index finger and thumb.
“Khan, what do you make of this?” Targon asked, kneeling beside the mass of bones and tissue.
“Careful, Master,” Dorsun warned as his Kesh leader walked over to the pair of Ulathans, inspecting their find.
“That is disgusting,” Marissa managed before anyone else could speak.
“No,” Khan began. “That is . . . or shall I say, that was, a troll.”
“How did it get in here?” Will asked, pulling his sword and holding it out in front of him. He also turned to face the rear of the chamber where they had just entered. Once Khan had entered the passageway, which was more like a paved and covered road, the chamber was plunged into near darkness again.
“There are several possibilities,” Khan said. “First, it could very well live in here. The mountain trolls are named thusly with that adjective because they live in, on, or under the mountains. Secondly, the creature may have accidentally activated the door somehow and entered, and then found itself trapped and died. Thirdly, it could have died elsewhere and its body was brought here for some unknown reason.”
“You are so gross,” Marissa said. Her voice was bordering on giggling, though no one else was finding this humorous.
“We are wasting time,” Salina said, urgency in her voice. “Can we move out now?”
Will and Dorsun nodded in agreement, and to her consternation, her son shook his head and said, “Mother, we are tired from our run this afternoon. We intended to make camp until morning and rest, and then start out fresh and will a full day’s worth of stamina to back us. How far are we to travel before we simply stop, and will this place be safe? It doesn’t feel safe.”
“The boy has a point,” Khan said, backing Cedric even though he didn’t like being called a boy or a lad. “There is much we do not know about this place. A small amount of time spent here investigating these ruins could reward us with information that we need in order to successfully transit the structure.”
“Didn’t you and Elister discuss this already?” Salina asked, exasperation in her voice. “I thought we were to simply enter one gate or door and then travel an underground road or passageway to the other end and exit into Kesh, bypassing the worst of the Border Mountains. What did I miss?”
“You missed a lot,” Khan said. “First—”
Salina interrupted him. “No more lectures, Khan. First this, and then second that. What did the druid say about this place? Can we pass through it, yes or no?”
Her words sounded eerily similar to their prior questioning of whether or not he could open the secret door to the ancient’s underground lair. “It is not that simple,” Khan responded. “The good druid never actually entered this place, much less traversed within and through it. He only relayed information from what others had told him, and that was roughly a thousand years ago. If you have not noticed, his memory is not always as sharp as it could be sometimes.”
“What information was relayed?” Salina pressed.
Khan sighed. “He said the Kesh, and sometimes the Balarians, a select few of them . . .”—Khan was careful to put some distance between himself and his ancestors—“utilized this secret passageway in order to pass between Kesh proper and Ulatha without being seen or stopped at the mountain pass, which was manned with guards from both sides. It has not been used, however, it quite some time. A thousand years or so, by my reckoning. Information this dated is dangerous and should be acted upon cautiously.”
“Fine,” Salina said, looking at Targon now. “What’s the plan, then?”
Targon nodded, aware that the lady was eager to move with their business. So was he, but her son also had a point. They were tired. Oh, the others would be well more exhausted than he was, but as a fighter, he understood that once the adrenaline of the find and hasty retreat from the trolls wore off, they’d be lucky to make any progress in the dark and in an unknown place.
Targon spoke. “We spend no more than ten minutes looking around the chamber for any signs or clues that could help us in our journey through this underground realm. Perhaps a map or some item that could assist us in knowing how long we need to travel. Then we find a suitable place to camp. I don’t think we want to make camp right next to the door, since those trolls could also be camped outside waiting for it to open. I think if they have these side rooms here, they most likely will have something similar along the road. Agreed?”
Everyone nodded and spread out, searching the antechambers and alcoves adjacent to the main gate chamber. Before they had even begun in earnest, Khan spoke up from his vantage point near the passageway but in the actual chamber itself, using his light for the others to see by. “I do not believe we have a full ten minutes to conduct our search.”
“What now?” Salina asked, annoyed.
The hissing sound and increasing volume of something sliding against the hard stone floor grew in intensity. A pair of red eyes were in the dark passageway just beyond the illuminating range of Khan’s staff. Weapons that weren’t drawn came free from their sheaths, and everyone lined up next to the Kesh magic-user, flanking him, armed to the teeth. Only Marissa stood behind them a few feet at Targon’s urging.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Cedric said.
The red pair of eyes swayed slightly and then advanced, rising to the top of the ceiling. When it came into view, Will said, “At least we know how that troll died.”
It would have been a horrible death.
Chapter 17
Double Cross
The all-too-familiar face of the dead druid once again appeared in Am-Tor’s vision within his chief critir. “Damn you,” was all he could say again.
“Your manners haven’t improved since yesterday, nor the day before that,” Elister said, his rocky, petrified face peering at the High-Mage through the magic ball in the Chamber of Seeing. “You do seem to have repaired your little peeping glass, though I’m sorry I can’t let you go around peeking in on innocent folk and all. Manners, after all.”
Why, you pompous, no good, dirty-dead sack of bones of a pagan druid,” Am-Tor insulted Elister. “Release the chief critir now or I will make you pay for your intrusion.”
Elister raised his brows, causing a few more flakes of his petrified skin to flake off and fall to the ground below. “You are the one doing the intrusion, good mage. Will you not parlay with the Arnen like your predecessors of old?”
“Bah,” the new High-Mage of Kesh said, and then spit past the critir in disgust. “Those weak-willed fools had no idea the power and might of the Onyx Tower. There can be no cooperation or discussion between master and servant in matters such as these. Submit now or face the consequences.”
“Consequences?” Elister tilted his head slightly, revealing the milky stars in the sky above him. Trees were rustling their leaves in the background, and the entire scene was reminiscent of the Earlstyne Forest. “You do know that I am dead, don’t you?”
The question was not answered by Am-Tor, so Elister added, “What do you think you can do to me, kill me again?”
The evil look on the other man’s disfigured face would have caused anyone lesser than an Arnen to look away in fear and loathing. “Perhaps you do not fear death, old druid, but maybe if I killed someone near and dear to you? Then you may fear my consequences.”
“You mean such as the King of Korwell?” Elister asked.
“No, you idiot,” Am-Tor almost yelled at the dead druid. “He meant nothing to you. I am talking about the Ulathan slaves I have under my control in Ulsthor. Your insubordination will result in their untimely and unnatural deaths so that their blood will be on your hands.”
Elister bluffed. “Ah, you refer to those tree-hacking, river-polluting peasants from the city?” Please, do put them out of their misery for me, and I believe a thank you is in order for what you have done. The Earlstyne has never been greener this past summer, and it’s all because of you and your Kesh brigands removing the land-hating interlopers from its borders. Well done, sir.”
The new High-Mage drew back slightly, not expecting such a response from the Arnen, even dead as he was. He raised his own brows, but only one eyeball raised with it. The other rebelled and hung from its socket. Am-Tor cursed as he tried to focus his vision, putting a hand up and trying to replace the eye in its socket. “Damn that Sultain,” he said. “The fool had no business commanding from the Black Tower of Power.”
“Is it painful?” Elister asked, pity in his voice.
Am-Tor forgot for a moment with whom he was talking to, due to the pain and unpleasantness of fixing his face. “It hurts like damnation, and it is all that fool’s fault . . . Wait a minute, you have no business asking me that.”
“It looks painful,” Elister said, ignoring the man’s protestations. “Why don’t you relinquish the burden of that throne there and come visit me in the Earlstyne? I can see if we can heal you and put things a bit more back to normal for you.” The offer was made both sincerely and tactfully, considering the gross appearance of the High-Mage’s face.
Mad Mage: Claire-Agon Ranger Book 3 (Ranger Series) Page 23
