With a violent shove Cody was thrown to the floor. He tried to stand but the attacker’s foot pressed against his back, pinning him in place. “I surrender!”
With a harsh kick he was sent rolling across the room, colliding against the wall. Coming to a stop, he looked up, straight into the intense eyes of Tiana.
“What’s gotten into you?!” she hollered, keeping her dagger drawn.
“What’s gotten into me? You just about cut my head off!” There was a loud thud as Tiana’s blade struck the wall.
“Have you already forgotten why we’re here?!” she barked.
“How did you…?” Cody stammered. He grabbed the hilt of her knife and heaved on it, but it didn’t budge.
“I followed you through the portal. When you passed out in the courtyard, I fled. I’ve been keeping tabs on you all day.” She held up her sleeve to reveal a large gash through it. “Even that abomination you called archery. In an archery competition between you and a blind, three-legged horse—I’d wager my money on the horse.”
Cody grimaced. “Be gentle. It’s already humiliating enough.”
“Well, you almost blew my cover and…”
A gentle tapping at the door interrupted Tiana’s intended tirade. Cody and Tiana’s eyes met. Without a word Tiana disappeared from view. Cody answered the door. A pleasant looking girl with two crater-deep dimples stood in the archway with a bundle of clothes in her arms. “I apologize for the intrusion, most noble Book Keeper, but the Ruler of Light sends garments for this evening’s banquet.” She handed Cody the bundle. With a curtsy she turned to leave before stopping and turning back. “The Lord of Splendor also wishes to extend his invitation to your lady friend. If she is finished snooping around the city, she is most welcome to join the feast. Clothes and bedding have already been prepared for her down the hall.” With another curtsy the young girl turned and left.
As Tiana emerged from her hiding, Cody unfolded the clothes. On the breast of the garment was a golden-embroidered B.K. Amused, Cody traced it with his finger. Now THIS is more like it.
Tiana knocked the bundle from his hands to the floor. “Wake up! If the King knows I’m here then we’re in even more danger than I thought. We need to get out of here.”
“I know, I know,” Cody muttered absentmindedly. “But after the banquet.”
Tiana shook her head in disbelief. “What’s gotten into you? We need to grab Jade and rendezvous with Dace and the others. Have you forgotten who the enemy is?” But Cody wasn’t listening. He pulled the vest over his shoulders. The golden B.K dazzled like enchanting evening stars.
53
The Banquet
THE IMMENSE BANQUET HALL was brimming with people. It seemed as though every citizen in El Dorado was in attendance. A bouquet of fragrances swirled around the room like pirouetting spirits. Long tables, laden with mountains of food, surrounded the perimeter of the room three-fold.
Cody felt a squeeze on his hand. Tiana’s fingers intertwined with his. She looked gorgeous. Her dress was made of innumerable diamonds that sparkled like stars every time she moved. A glittering tiara held her hair up and a satin veil draped down over her eyes. “This is a bad idea,” she whispered under her breath.
“Cody!” Jade pushed herself through the mob. “I’m glad you made it! I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to meet you. I was with Hansi and lost track of time. ” Jade gave him a hug. Pulling away, she eyed Tiana. “Oh…I didn’t realize you were in the city, too,” she observed in surprise.
“We came together,” Cody blurted. He tugged her arm, pulling her close against his side. Tiana’s face registered shock, but she remained silent.
“Oh, so the two of you are still…going strong?” Jade asked.
Tiana shook her head. “Actually, Cody has recently decided that it’s best…”
“not to ruin a good thing when you have it!” Cody interrupted quickly.
Again Tiana glanced at Cody quizzically but didn’t refute his words.
Jade smiled uneasily. “I guess not. I’m happy for you two then,” she uttered. “But we should get to our table…Hansi is probably wondering where I am.” Without lingering she pivoted and marched away.
Cody began to follow but was yanked back by Tiana. “What on earth are you doing!?”
Cody’s face contorted as though awaking from a trance. “I…don’t know.”
Tiana’s face hardened. “You don’t know? What’s that supposed to mean!? What about your love-sick declaration in the Hall of Names? Or, on the boat? Or…”
Cody grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “I wasn’t thinking. I just…well, it’s complicated.” Suddenly he felt the presence of someone behind him.
“Life always is.” Cody recognized the voice instantly and felt his rage begin to simmer. He spun around to see the plump, mop-headed Prince Foz. “It’s good to see you again, my friend.”
The traitorous Prince was clothed in exorbitant garments. His wool-like hair had been slicked to the side with lackluster success. The last time Cody had seen the youthful Prince he had been soaring away from Atlantis in the claws of the Hunter, having betrayed and murdered his own father, King Ishmael. Fleeing like a coward.
Cody’s fist launched toward Foz. Tiana snatched his arm, stopping his knuckles just before they struck the Prince’s face.
The Prince flinched, and took an uncomfortable step backwards. “I told you we would meet again and here we are.”
Cody tried to pull his arm from Tiana’s grasp but she held him firm. “How dare you talk to me again!?” Cody growled.
Foz held his hands up in surrender. “I like you, Cody; I always have. That part was never an act for me. But ask yourself this, ‘Are you angry with me because of what I said and did? Or because you now realize that I was right?’” Cody shook his hand free of Tiana’s grip.
Foz grinned. “In time you will come to see just how great a man my uncle is.”
Cody’s disdainful glare was finally broken as Tiana pulled him away from the Prince. “We’re in enough danger as it is. Don’t make more!” she muttered to him.
At the front of the room, on the stage of the royal throne, was the head table. Jade and Hansi were already sitting. Reclining in the throne was the Golden King, staring stilly ahead at some invisible object.
Cody took a seat beside Jade. She smiled at him but remained silent. She casually reached to Hansi on her other side and positioned his muscular arm around her shoulder. Cody flushed and draped his own arm around Tiana’s shoulders.
The Golden King stood from his throne. The entire room went silent. The King allowed the heavy silence to hang in the air as the anticipation grew.
“Today is monumental. For the first time in the esteemed history of our great city, the Book Keeper of The Code graces our noble halls.” The King motioned to Cody. The crowd erupted in applause. The Golden King raised his hand and the immense room instantly returned to hushed silence.
“Let us celebrate by exalting our glorious history. From the Outer-Regions, I give you Koin and Hoin, the most esteemed Story-Weavers in all of Under-Earth.”
Two identical-looking men were suddenly standing in the middle of the court. They shared devious faces and matching, bushy uni-brows. Their abrupt appearance startled the crowd.
One of the twins began chanting. As the refrain grew louder, the second bard stepped forward.
“Ladies and gentlemen…there is no more powerful force, above earth or below, than a rousing story. A whirling lover’s waltz of illusion and reality….” Suddenly there was a striking flash of fireworks and all the lights in the banquet hall were extinguished. The room was pitch-black.
Several frightened cries echoed as furious pillars of fire burst from the floor, forming a flaming ring around the chamber.
The storyteller continued his zealous muttering and a wave of steam begin rising from the floor, casting a soft haze over the room.
“Our tale begins at the glorious dawn of the First Era. The discove
ry of a gateway leading to endless wonders beyond the scope of the human mind—the discovery of the Orb!” The bard let the silence build, looking each member of his captive audience in the eye before continuing.
“The Radiant One desired to share the newfound power with the people, to restore their fallen tribe to glory…but there were others who wished to hoard the power for themselves.”
A flash like lightning reflected off the steam with an echoing boom. The smoke twirled like a whirlwind. When it stopped it was in the form of a man’s face. He looked like Kantan, only older: it was King Ishmael.
“The Lord of Lights pleaded with his older brother, but Chief Ishmael was already consumed by his greed for the Orb’s power. Claiming the power for his own, he banished The Selfless Saint to the far outskirts of Under-Earth. But from the rubble—he would rise to greatness.”
A mound of dust began spiraling up from the ground and began forming like a sandcastle fashioned by invisible hands until it was a five-foot replica of El Dorado.
“It was an age of prosperity and peace…but it could not last forever. Jealousy, greed, and fear gave birth to the Great War. Before the walls of Atlantis, the Glorious One led the El Doradians on a final stand for freedom.”
The dust replica shifted and was instantly a mirror image of Atlantis. Bright light erupted in the haze like a wild lightning storm and the dust replica ignited on fire. “Blood and death flooded the earth. But in the end, through trickery and falsehood, the power of darkness would overwhelm the light. Sensing the battle was lost, the Master of Mercy made one final, valiant push toward the Orb, to offer his own life as a martyr for equality. His sacrifice was not in vain—the Covenant of the Books was formed and the balance of Under-Earth was, at long last, restored.”
The pillars of the flame around the room began to flicker. “But peace cannot coexist with greed…and once again Under-Earth’s liberty has been challenged.” A light shone down like a spotlight on the storyteller. “We’ve reached the part where legend and reality become blurred as one; a climactic finale longing to be written. We hope we have dazzled the imagination with our tale.”
The Teller’s eyes locked onto Cody. “But like all worthy tales, the trick is finding the reality within the illusion.” The rising mist suddenly was sucked into the center of the room forming into a sphere. It was a perfect replica of the Orb monument in the center of the city.
The fiery fencing around the room flickered, and then burst toward the orb in large fire balls. They crashed in the middle, lighting up the Orb—then the entire room went dark.
A collective gasp erupted from the crowd. Cody heard commotion. He felt a gust of wind as several soldiers rushed past him with clanking boots. The clamor lasted for only an instant.
When light filled the room again, everything had vanished. The flames. The steam. The orb. Even the two Story-Weavers.
The Golden King’s eyes stared firmly at the now empty floor as though there stood someone only visible to him. “A…thrilling tale.” As the crowd cheered the sentiment Cody craned his neck scanning the banquet hall. He stopped. At the back of the room an assembly of golden golems was exiting the chamber with two men. As they vanished through the doors Cody caught a quick glance at the prisoners—Koin and Hoin. Their hands were bound and their mouths were gagged. For a moment their eyes locked with Cody’s before they were led out of sight.
What was going on? Cody felt a tug on his sleeve from Tiana. She pointed across the Hall. The large doors had been pushed open and a lone man strolled casually down the center toward them. Hushed whispers spread throughout the room as the man came to a stop in front of the royal table. He bowed. “Your majesty.” Cody’s jaw dropped.
It was Randilin.
54
Welcoming Party
THE UGLY DWARF’S FACE WAS SMUG. He sauntered toward the head table and snatched a meat-covered bone from Foz’s plate. With a repulsive lack of elegance, he shoved it in his mouth and inhaled a hefty bite. “Bloody starving,” he muttered between sloppy chews.
The Golden King stood slowly from his chair and beheld the dwarf with amusement. “My dear old friend, it has been far too long since you visited my halls.”
Randilin sucked his plump bottom lip into his mouth, narrowed his eyes and tossed the gnawed bone onto the table before the King, saliva pooling onto the table below it. “I’m no friend of yours, ya’ bloody tin boor.”
The King’s head tilted like a curious puppy. “Then I suppose I should have you sent to the dungeon for trespassing?”
Randilin snatched another meaty bone from the table and set to mauling it as he had the first. “The ruddy toothache of the Great Garganton, you will,” he hissed. The Golden King raised his eyebrows. “Indeed? And, why is that?”
“Because I possess valuable information.” Randilin pointed to Cody. “The Book Keeper didn’t come alone. As I’m sure you already know, we set out from Atlantis as a Company.”
The King’s ruby eyes stared at the dwarf inquisitively, beckoning him to continue.
“Problem is—they have a master scout with them. So you’d have better luck finding an honest man in Yanci’s Pub than capturing them.” Cody breathed a sigh of relief. “But…,” continued the dwarf, pieces of chewed food spewing from the side of his mouth, “I not only know their whereabouts, I also know their plans.”
The Golden King glided down from the stage, circling around the dwarf. “And, you will freely give this information to me? Your willingness to betray your own people continues to amaze me.”
Randilin shrugged. “I have no people. The only ruddy person I live for is my own disgraceful self. It’s a simple choice: In Atlantis I’m a despised criminal destined for a lifetime in prison or a dance with the gallows. In El Dorado I can be much more.”
The King stared at him steadily. “I recall a similar scene taking place in this very court a thousand years ago. I would have thought you’d have changed. After you watched them die; after what happened to Arianna.”
Randilin’s fists clenched. “Don’t you dare say that name.”
The King smiled and motioned to the head table. “As you wish.” Two golden golems obediently brought another chair. The King continued, “You will have freedom and shelter in El Dorado.”
Grabbing Foz’s arm, Randilin wiped his lips on the Prince’s sleeve. “Then you better ruddy listen up. I’m only going to say this once.”
He scurried through the thick shadows, his eyes scanning the daunting battlements. He halted at the base of the wall and ducked down low. He held his breath and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Was I seen?
As the silence lingered, Dace relaxed his grip on his blade and beckoned to the others. One-by-one the procedure was repeated until the entire Company was crouched against the wall.
“We need to be swift. We get in, grab Cody and Jade, and get out,” Dace issued. “Randilin promised he would ensure we would be undetected on the other side.”
He turned and faced The Company. “I’ll go first. Wait for my signal. If anything goes wrong—flee without looking back.” Dace looked up the immense wall stretching up to the cave’s ceiling and grinned. On his mark, Chazic started to whisper: “Dastanda.”
Dirt began to spew out from the base of the wall like a volcanic eruption. One hundred feet tall, ten feet deep.
Dace emerged from the tunnel and immediately scanned the surroundings. The city was quiet. He peered up to the walls and found there were no guards in sight. Randilin’s a man of his word. We timed the changing of the guards perfectly. Dace pushed himself silently from the burrow. Lowering his face to the opening, he whistled softly.
There was a soft thud as Tat appeared beside him, followed by the others. “So far, so good. They’ll surely have Cody and Jade locked in the palace,” Dace whispered. “Let’s go!” Dace pushed himself to his feet and dashed into the silent clearing, followed by the others.
Instantly, seemingly out of nowhere, golden warriors came stream
ing into the clearing. Dace reached for his sword. He heard the clattering boots as more golems circled from behind. From the ramparts and rooftops dozens of golems appeared with readied bows. They were completely surrounded.
The blockade of soldiers parted and Prince Foz strutted forward with a gloating smirk. “Welcome, my old friends!” he said. “I ask you to kindly set down your weapons.”
Dace tightened his grip on his sword hilt and examined the situation. The archers on the walls readied their arrows. Finally, with an angry snort, Dace tossed his sword to the ground. “Stand down men,” he ordered. The others reluctantly obeyed, discarding their weapons into the pile—except for Chazic who clung defiantly to his powerful scimitars.
“Chazic, stand down. That’s an order. We can’t win this fight.” The Enforcer’s eyes were pinned to Foz. “Chazic, it’s not worth it.” As Chazic braced himself to pounce, Foz held up his hand to signal the archers. The stalemate dragged on for several tense moments, both awaiting the other to make their move.
With a grunt Chazic threw his scimitars to the ground.
“Wise move,” Foz said as he motioned to the soldiers. Several rushed forward to gather the discarded weapons and bind the prisoners. Dace kept a cool gaze on the Prince as his arms were bound behind him.
“How did you know?” Dace demanded.
Foz grinned. “Because you need to be far more careful in how you choose your friends.” The Prince stepped aside to reveal Randilin. The dwarf stood off from the group, his hands unbound.
Dace’s face was blank with disbelief. “You betrayed us? How? Why?”
Randilin dropped his eyes. “You said it yourself after Redtown; I can’t be trusted. I’m a bad man. You should have taken your own advice.”
55
An Under-Earth Fortune Cookie
City of Gold Page 15
