by F. P. Spirit
Aksel healed Lloyd, then checked out Glo and Seth, both of whom had been buffeted by the blast atop the tower. Once done, they all shared a cold meal, then bedded down till morning.
It seemed like no time had passed when Glo’s eyes snapped open. They were drawn to a small flame dancing above a torch on the wall. It radiated a soft warm glow across the corridor, illuminating the forms of his still-sleeping companions.
Glo’s eyes drifted down the passageway and fell on a solitary figure leaning against the wall. It was Seth; the halfling must have relieved Brundon from watch duty sometime during the night. Seth returned his gaze and nodded a silent greeting.
Glo nodded back, then slowly stretched his limbs. He felt fairly well rested, so more time must have passed than he realized. Before long, the others had woke, packed their gear, and shared a cold breakfast. Lloyd, Titan and Brundon were engaged in an avid discussion of yesterday’s battles, with Seth adding in the occasional pointed remark.
Glo ate in silence, reflecting on his own missteps. That fiasco atop the tower could have gotten them all killed. He panicked and had made a rash decision, firing off a spell without thinking it through. On the bright side, he hadn’t frozen up this time. Still, he needed to be more careful. He had to be logical and not allow his emotions to cloud his judgement, especially where magic was concerned. That would be the last time, Glo vowed to himself.
Aksel roused him from his musings. “Glo, have you had any contact with your familiar?”
“No, actually.” The question caught Glo by surprise. He was used to his familiar’s presence in the back of his mind, but Raven was fairly silent this morning. Perhaps it was because they were separated by the keep walls.
Glo closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. It took a bit longer than normal, but he was able to form a tenuous contact with her. “She seems relatively calm, so I believe it’s safe to say things have quieted down up there.”
“Good.” Aksel turned to Seth. “What about down here?”
Seth had his ear up to the hidden door that led to the basement. “It still sounds quiet out there too.”
Aksel adjusted his robe. “Then let’s go.”
Seth pulled the hidden lever and the section of the wall slid aside. The basement beyond was dark and silent.
“Seth…” Aksel said.
“Already on it.” Seth slipped through the doorway and out into the darkness.
They waited quietly in the hidden passage for Seth’s return. He reappeared a short while later, held a finger to his lips as he passed, then disappeared once more. He returned out of the darkness shortly thereafter.
“All clear. Both ends of the passage lead to rooms. There was no sign of anyone in either. The room back this way”—he pointed a thumb over his shoulder—“is kind of interesting.”
“How so?” Aksel asked.
“It’s some kind of storage area. There’s lots of stuff in there covered with sheets.”
“That might be interesting. Let’s check it out.”
Brundon grabbed the pair of lit torches from the wall, taking one for himself and handing the other to Aksel. Seth closed the hidden door behind them, then led the way down the hall. Lloyd and Brundon trailed behind, with Aksel and Glo next, and Titan bringing up the rear. At the end of the hall they passed through a doorway; Brundon and Aksel fanned out, illuminating the room. It was a fairly large area, nearly as big as the common room back at the Charging Minotaur. It contained dozens of large objects covered with white sheets. The companions spread out, peering underneath the cloths. They found a collection of old furniture, still in pristine condition.
Glo was examining a spinning wheel he had found when he heard a low whistle. He glanced up to see Seth and Lloyd standing over a luxurious, ornate couch. Seth plopped himself down, sinking deep into the cushions.
His face took on a dreamy expression. “Oooo, this is comfy.” Seth snuggled further into the cushions and closed his eyes. “Lloyd, you have to try this.”
Lloyd looked quizzically at Seth. He tentatively pushed down on a cushion. “Seems nice…”
“Grab a seat,” Seth told him, still not opening his eyes.
Lloyd pointed at the twin swords sticking out of the scabbards on his back. “Kind of hard to do with these on.”
Seth shrugged. “Your loss. Glo? How about you?”
“I’m just fine, thanks,” Glo said with thinly-veiled amusement.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Seth said in an enticing tone.
Aksel interrupted them. “Yes, yes, that’s all well and fine. Now can we get back to our exploring?”
“Sure.”—Seth made no effort to move—“but when we are done here, I’m taking this couch with us.”
Aksel glanced at Glo, who merely shrugged in response. He honestly had no idea what was going on with the halfling. Seth did have an odd sense of humor though. This might just be some sort of elaborate prank.
Aksel sighed. “If you can carry it.”
Seth reluctantly rose from his seat. “Oh, I’ll find a way.”
A short while later, Lloyd found something. “I wonder what this is doing here.” The young man stood in front of a plain full-length mirror. He had almost a trancelike look on his face as his hand stretched forward to touch it.
“Lloyd! Don’t…” Glo cried out, just a moment too late.
Lloyd’s hand touched the glass. A bright light radiated from the point of contact, then spread with frightening speed, swiftly engulfing his entire body. One second he was there, the next he was gone!
They all rushed over, but there was no trace of Lloyd. The mirror stood there, reflecting back their images, as if nothing had happened.
Brundon gazed pensively at the mirror. “Where’d he go?”
There was really only one explanation. “The mirror must be magical,” Glo said. “It teleported him to another location.”
“Is there any way to know where he went?”
Glo thought it over for a few moments. “The way these items tend to work, it would have to be linked to a second mirror. It’s not a long-range spell, so it would have to be somewhere else in the keep. Unfortunately, the only way to know for certain is to go through ourselves.”
Aksel made a swift decision. “I don’t think we have much choice. With everything we’ve seen so far in this keep, he could be in more trouble than he can handle.”
Visions of a dark mage played through Glo’s mind.
Aksel turned to Seth and Brundon. “I think it might be better if you two stay here.”
Seth merely nodded. Brundon, on the other hand, sounded concerned. “I thought you wanted us to stick together.”
“I did, but you two have a knack for moving around unseen. If we don’t come back shortly, we’re either dead already, or in need of rescuing.”
Seth’s face took on a grim cast. “No problem.”
Brundon glanced at Titan with concern. The tall warrior reached out and placed a firm hand on her partner’s shoulder. She then looked at Aksel. “I’ll go first.”
Aksel nodded thankfully at the brave warrior.
Titan drew her sword, strode up and touched the mirror with the tip. The glass flashed to life once again and in less than a second she was gone.
Glo walked up to the mirror next. He had no idea where he would end up, but he was determined to help his friends. He looked at the reflection in the mirror, but it did not seem inclined to give him the answers he needed. Glo grimaced then reached out and touched the glass. It initially felt cool to the touch, but warmed as soon as he made contact. There was a bright flash, followed by a feeling of disorientation, and then the world around him slipped away.
In the Dungeon
He was in a small room with three walls made of stone and the fourth ma
de of bars
Aksel watched with quiet concern as Glo disappeared. Things had gone from bad to worse ever since they entered the keep. He felt keenly responsible—his companions looked to him for leadership, and he had let them down. He let his curiosity get the better of him, confronting those skeletons at the top of the tower. Things would have gone far smoother if they had just checked out the basement first like Seth had wanted.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Aksel reminded himself. There was no way to know that vat was full of oil, or that Glolindir would use a fire spell on it. There was also no way to warn them of every single magical item they could run into—like a mirror, for instance. They were all so new at this; it was a rough business, full of danger and surprise. He guessed he should be glad they were all still alive. Aksel stepped up to the mirror and glanced over his shoulder at Seth.
“If we are not back in half an hour, you should probably come looking for us.”
Seth nodded.
Aksel half smiled, then reached out and touched the mirror. The glass flashed in response, followed by a feeling of disorientation, then the world shifted around him. When things came back into focus, he found himself in a small square room.
He let out a deep sigh. Lloyd, Titan and Glo stood there, completely unharmed. The room itself was rather cramped, its small space filled with a few tables and a couple of large bookshelves. Glass vials, metal pots, open books, and scattered parchments covered the table tops. The bookshelves rose from the floor to the ceiling, their shelves lined with books of various sizes and colors. Across the room from him stood a heavy iron-bound door. The opposite wall contained a glass-paned window, the rays of the early morning sun streaming in to light the room. A quick glance behind him confirmed the presence of another full-length mirror just like the one in the basement. Glo stood over one of the tables, examining the books and parchments spread across it. Lloyd hovered over another table, peering at a bubbling setup of glass vials with various colored liquids in them.
Titan stood at the window, gazing outside. “It looks like we’re at the top of the keep.”
Lloyd lifted the lid off a pot. “Makes sense.” He sniffed the contents within, wrinkled his nose, and then swiftly replaced the lid.
Titan spun around. “Why is that?”
“This is a wizard’s lab. Best to keep this kind of stuff far away from any other rooms.”
Glo glanced up from a book he was holding. “And how do you know this is a wizard’s lab?”
Lloyd grinned sheepishly. “My mom has one just like it at home. Although hers is quite a bit bigger—and a whole lot messier.”
Aksel was caught by surprise at the sudden revelation. “Your mother’s a wizard?”
“Yeah. Did I forget to mention that?”
“Yes,” Glo said, “you most certainly did.”
“Sorry.”
Aksel glanced at Glo. The elf cocked an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. So Lloyd’s mother is a wizard. That was very interesting. Lloyd had talked about the rest of his family, but never mentioned his mother before. He wondered what else they didn’t know about the extraordinary young man.
Aksel mused aloud. “Well, this has to be the dark mage’s lab. We probably shouldn’t stay here too long, but on the other hand, we might find something that could help us against him.”
“I’ll keep watch at the window,” Titan offered.
Aksel gave her a brief smile. “Thanks.” He turned to Lloyd. “Can you go listen at the door?”
Lloyd replaced the lid to another pot he had been inspecting. “Sure thing.” He strode over to the door and placed his ear up against it.
While the two warriors stood guard, Glo and Aksel scoured the books and parchments. There were far too many—it would take hours to go through them all. Unfortunately, they did not have hours. After only a few short minutes, Titan called over from the window.
“I think I see that wizard.”
Aksel put down the book he was holding. “Where?”
“There’s a man in robes below walking across the courtyard. He just came out of the tower and is headed toward the keep.”
Glo looked up from a parchment on the table. “If he’s anything like my father, then he probably lives in his lab.”
Lloyd chuckled. “My mom’s the same way. She would spend weeks at a time in her lab. I think Dad inducted her into the navy just to get her away from all those books and potions; but then she had a lab built aboard ship.”
Aksel glanced at Glo. The wizard raised another eyebrow. “Your mom has a lab on a ship?”
Lloyd’s smile turned into a wide grin. “Yeah. It drives my dad crazy.”
Now that was eccentric. Aksel really couldn’t say anything though. His own family had been just as odd. They were archeologists-historians and had scoured the world for artifacts and the like. Aksel’s home had been filled with strange objects brought back from those journeys. In fact, that is how his family had disappeared, searching for such objects. Still, this was not the time to dwell on that. Glo and Lloyd were right. This Telvar was probably on his way back to the very lab where they stood. Aksel placed the book in his hand on the shelf where he had found it.
“I think that’s our cue to leave. Put everything back where it was. No sense announcing to him that we were here.”
“Better hurry,” Lloyd whispered from the door. “I heard grunts and growls coming from the hallway—and they’re getting louder.”
Titan stepped away from the window and turned toward Aksel, her hand going to her sword. “What do you want us to do?”
Aksel thought it over for a moment. The two warriors were well trained and they would have the element of surprise on their side, but there was no telling how many bugbears were out there or how soon Telvar would arrive. “I still think it best if we retreat.”
“Back through the mirror then?” Glo asked.
“Back through the mirror,” Aksel agreed.
The four of them all hurried over to the magic mirror and filed through, disappearing from the room.
Less than a minute later, Seth appeared in front of that same mirror. He scanned the room, quickly realizing it was some kind of lab. Seth glanced over his shoulder in time to see Brundon appear behind him.
Brundon cautiously surveyed the area. “Where is everyone?”
Seth shook his head uncertainly. He turned to look at the lab. It probably belonged to that wizard the bugbear told them about. It was also not the best place to be if one wanted to avoid the dark mage. He was about to say as much when the wooden door across from them burst open. An old man wearing black robes strode in. His dark eyes immediately focused on them, his hands lifting and pointing their way.
Seth reacted instinctively. He grasped a knife from his belt and let it fly at the dark mage. Not waiting to see if it landed, he spun around and dove for the mirror. As he flew past Brundon, he yelled, “Quick, back the way we came!”
Brundon began to pivot as Seth touched the glass. The world dissolved around him and he lost sight of the tracker. A moment later the world reappeared, but he was not back in the basement. He was in a small room with three walls made of stone and the fourth made of bars. Beyond the bars was a torch-lit corridor, lined with more cells on both sides and ending in a large wooden door.
Lloyd and Titan were braced up against a door in the barred wall, heaving against it with their combined might. The stubborn door refused to budge. Leaning against a stone wall was Glo and Aksel.
“Nice of you to drop in.” Aksel’s face was emotionless, though there was a trace of frustration in his voice.
Seth snorted. “Yeah, nice to see you, too. Wish the circumstances were better.” Seth spun around and gazed at the mirror he had just come through. It was full-length just like the other two, but the glass was dark with no apparent reflection.
“It’s a one way mirror,” Glo told him. “You can travel to it, but not from it.”
Seth shook his head. “Wonderful.”
Titan called out from behind him. “Where’s Brundon?”
Seth spun around and saw her staring at him with those steely blue eyes. He had almost forgotten about Brundon. Guilt washed over him as he explained what happened back in the lab.
When he was done, Titan’s face was grim. “I just hope that knife of yours found its mark.”
Lloyd placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I promise you, we’ll find him.”
“If that wizard harms a hair on his head…” The tall warrior stopped herself, her voice cracking from anger and concern.
Aksel attempted to comfort her. “I don’t think he will. This Telvar must know where that mirror in his lab leads. With all of us safely tucked away, he thinks he has the upper hand.”
“Aksel’s right,” Glo added. “He’ll want to know what we’re doing here and who sent us. He’s not going to dispose of anyone till he gets some answers.”
Titan took a deep breath, her body visibly relaxing. “Thanks everyone. I hope you’re right.” She suddenly noticed all eyes fixed on her. The tall warrior began to blush. “Brundon is—like a brother to me. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him.”
A thin smirk crossed Seth’s lips. He wasn’t buying it for a moment. “Well then,” he said aloud, “let’s make certain that it doesn’t.”
Seth strode toward the cell door. Lloyd and Titan moved out of his way. This was a dungeon cell they were in, after all, and the weakest part of any cell was always the lock. Seth knew how to handle locks. Lock picking, in fact, was one of the few useful things he had learned from his family.
Seth had the distinct displeasure of growing up surrounded by thieves. He learned to pick his first lock when he was only five. Originally he thought it was all a game. By the time he was ten, he could unlock any door and most safes. It was not until he was in his teens that he figured out that it was more than just a pastime; it was the family business.
