What if I don’t remember the right instructions? He thought. This is no time for self-doubt. I hear boots next door.
“Keep quiet and don’t move, no matter what,” he whispered.
Searching orcs flung open the chamber door next to their room.
The wand’s power increased Saxthor’s sensitivity; he felt he could hear all their hearts beating. The footsteps continued and stopped at their room. Saxthor held his breath. An orc thrust open the door, and two scanned the interior.
Bodrin jerked his head up, staring at Saxthor, his eyes blazed. His hand grabbed his sword hilt. Saxthor stood still holding the wand pointed down but held up his free hand, palm flat, for Bodrin to freeze.
The orcs looked around, then about to leave, the orc by the door crinkled his face and sniffed.
“Looks behind that there screen.”
Bodrin’s hand locked on his sword hilt. Frozen, he watched Saxthor.
The orc went to the screen and looked behind it, straight at the three men, seeing nothing. Bodrin’s jaw dropped, but he didn’t move otherwise. Even in the low light, Saxthor could see the color drain from his face. Tournak stared at Saxthor, but none of them moved.
Twit fluttered his feathers and flew out the window, attracting the orc’s attention.
The orc grunted, “Stupid bird.” He turned, and with his comrade, left the room, continuing to search down the hall. The men remained motionless until the two orcs returned to the staircase landing, waiting for the other orcs.
“What’s we looking for?” an orc asked.
“The wraith sensed someone in the keep,” the other said. “The king sent us with them wraiths to wait for somebody he thinks is coming looking for something important here.”
“What they gonna look for here?” the first orc asked.
“I don’ts know, but the wraiths better find that one that comes looking.”
“Musta been that bird the wraith sensed.” He snorted.
Saxthor’s arm was getting numb, but he didn’t dare move the wand. Now he knew the Dark Lord suspected the crown was the reason for the mysterious energy trace movements. He must suspect one of the jewels was somewhere in the ruins. The sorcerer’s only hope of finding it was to let Saxthor find it and then capture him. They’d have to remain undetected here, as well.
After what seemed like an eternity, a second pair of orcs joined the pair on the landing, and the four marched off up the staircase to search the next floor. Saxthor lowered his numb arm and rubbed it until he got feeling back and could bend his elbow. He slid the Peldentak Wand back in its case, this time with near reverence. It would never languish at the bottom of a pack again while he possessed it. Twit flew back to his observation post in the window tracery.
“You’ve saved us once again, Twit,” Saxthor said.
Yeah, thought Twit, and got no crumbs for dinner for it either.
The Neuyokkasinians remained hidden until the first rays of sunlight came through the staircase windows and into their room. The sun’s warmth hadn’t warmed the floor before Bodrin had food unpacked and was handing it out. They ate, waiting to be sure the wraiths were dormant in their hiding places. The men crept from the hideout.
“The wraiths must not learn we were in the ruins,” Saxthor said. “So long as the creatures think we haven’t come yet, they’ll keep looking for us here and not pursue us to the next site. This is the only specific site the wraiths should expect to have a jewel.”
The men crept up the stairs to the top floor.
“I know it’s dangerous to go, we’ll be most exposed there, but I think it’s the only place to find the jewel’s location.”
“Look there,” Bodrin said.
Two orcs stood guard at the roof’s doorway.
“How are you going to get to the roof and the sunlight?” Tournak asked. “If we kill the guards, the fight will draw others.”
Saxthor motioned his companions to follow him to the floor below. They stood just inside the landing and whispered suggestions as to what to do.
“If we kill the guards, the replacements will find them missing. The wraith will know we’re here,” Saxthor said.
“You need the strong sunlight on the roof to give you the answers you’re looking for, don’t you?” Tournak asked.
“The light must be strong enough to fracture through the Celestial Fire Topaz and still be bright enough to project the message,” Saxthor said. “There’s a security element requiring strong, direct sunlight since most evil minions can’t tolerate sunlight and thus couldn’t access the messages. I must get to the roof.”
“Could we destroy the guards and hide them, so they’re not found any time soon?” Bodrin asked.
“One guard could be missing, but not both without arousing suspicion,” Saxthor said. “We need to get rid of them plausibly.”
“Time is short,” Tournak said. “We need to get the jewel and get away from these ruins before the wraiths awake at dusk.”
“Tournak, you’re a good wizard,” Saxthor said. “What enchantment spells do you know?”
“I studied enchantment with Memlatec, but it’s been such a long time.” Tournak hesitated. “I’m not confident I can cast an adequate spell.”
“You remembered how to create finger-torches and throw wizard-fire at the wraith in the Talok Tower,” Saxthor said. “Tournak, concentrate, see if you can remember any of those spells. What we need is a spell to make the orcs sleep.”
“I remember a spell to banish hunger, I had to use that a lot when Memlatec would get on a roll, and I was starving.”
“Is there a reverse for that?”
“I think I can do it. Where are you going with that?”
“Try it on Bodrin.”
“He’s always hungry, how’ll we know if it works?”
When Saxthor didn’t grin, Tournak cleared his throat. He pointed at Bodrin. While concentrating, he whispered what he thought would reverse the spell. A tiny blue spark flashed at the end of his finger, and Bodrin was ransacking the knapsack for food. Tournak stood straight, chuckling.
“Memlatec was right; you never know when those spells will come in handy. I’m going to study a lot harder with him if we get back alive.”
“Better use that hunger killing spell before Bodrin eats all our supplies. Here’s the plan. We go back up to the doorway, and Tournak, you shoot that hunger spell at the larger orc. We let him talk about feeling starved for a minute to get their minds on food. Then you shoot the spell at the other orc, so they talk each other into slipping away from their station to eat. That should do it. The guards will leave the roof unguarded to go get food. You and Bodrin guard the doorway when they’re gone, while I go get directions to the jewel.”
“We’re with you, Saxthor,” Tournak said.
They looked at Bodrin, still stuffing food in his mouth. Tournak uttered a spell ending the hunger Bodrin felt. The younger man swallowed hard, looked at the food in both hands, and turned up his nose. He rewrapped the food, cramming it in a pack.
Dutifully, of course, Twit appeared and cleaned up the crumbs.
About time, Twit thought.
They snuck up the stairs and hid in the shadows just below the orcs at the doorway. Tournak sparked the first spell, and the larger orc began chatting about being so hungry. Tournak sparked his spell on the other guard. They salivated imagining the talked about foods. Drooling, each encouraged the other to abandon their post and sneak down to the kitchens.
“We kin be back heres in no time,” the first orc said. “The others won’t be along until midday to replace us. It’s too long to wait for something to eat; I’m starving. We kin be back long before anyone knows we was gone.”
“You’re right, no one’s gonna be coming up here ‘fore the changing of the guard,” the other orc agreed.
“Let’s do it,” the second guard said. He then grabbed the larger orc’s forearm as he started down the stairs. “Wait, you go get enough food for the both of us and bring
me back some.”
“We go together,” the first orc said. “I ain’t going to be the only one torn apart for leaving my post if we gets caught.”
“You goes first, get your food and bring it back. I’ll go when you gets back. That way, one of us will be on duty just in case. We’ll both take the risk,” the second said.
That wasn’t what I planned, Saxthor thought. His lips pinched.
The men slipped back into the shadows as the first orc hurried past down the stairs. The smaller orc stood guard at the door, even more alert. Saxthor scratched his head, then grinned. He stepped forward and made a small noise.
The orc heard it and immediately turned to investigate. “Wifs my bad luck, an officer be coming.” The orc chewed his fingernail and began pacing. He didn’t see the staff Saxthor slipped an inch above the step. The orc tripped and fell forward, banging his head. Seeing what Saxthor was up to, Bodrin stepped forward and cracked the stunned orc on the head with the flat of his sword, knocking him unconscious.
“When his partner returns and finds him out cold, the stuffed orc will revive him,” Saxthor said. “This stupid orc will assure his companion he just tripped and hit his head. Neither will report they left the tower unguarded. They’ll cover for each other, and no one will suspect we were here.”
“Tournak, listen for the returning guard on the stairs. Bodrin, stand at the doorway and tell me if the first is returning or the second regains consciousness.”
Saxthor rushed out across the roof to get the sunlight’s best advantage. Again, he took off the dragon ring and necklace. He directed the sunlight through the ring and this time, through the necklace’s fourth loop, and a new message appeared.
Of the three high bailey walls,
The inner most is where you’ll note,
Far from the rest stands tower tall,
Within its cellar, a gate to moat.
Within the gate, a portal resides,
Where the afternoon sun shines through.
And through the ring, the light divides
Shows purple stone and jewel, too.
Icksnak Diddledrak Sybiltoken Inglesot
Saxthor memorized the phrase, replaced the ring on his finger, and reattached the necklace around his neck. He joined Bodrin and Tournak on the landing below, where they hid in the shadows and waited for the guard to return.
The unconscious orc regained his senses and sat against the wall, rubbing his head. The returning orc, still holding a half-chewed drumstick, discovered him on the steps.
“What happened to you?”
“I tripped on the step and hit my head.”
“Well, if you’re going for something to eat, you better go fast.” the first guard said, licking his fingers.
“I ain’t so hungry now. I’ll just stay here.”
The dazed guard rose slowly with his partner’s help, and they shuffled back to their station.
Saxthor, Bodrin, and Tournak nodded to each other and slipped down the steps. It was close to midday.
“We need to get out of the keep before the orcs start moving around, changing guards, and getting meals,” Saxthor said.
They hurried down the stairs, careful not to run into an orc patrol. Twit was a dusty blur covering their tracks. They had to dodge one patrol by slipping into a room and lost time waiting for the orcs to take a break. Bodrin found a pass on the room’s floor lost by some unlucky orc. He stuck it in his pocket for possible use later.
When back on the staircase, they rushed faster to the keep’s main entrance. They were too late. There were guards on the gate.
“Think of something novel,” Bodrin said.
“A diversion will only bring more orcs and more surveillance,” Tournak said. “We’ll go this way.” He led the men down a corridor to a room containing the gateway to a covered passage leading through the open park to the first wall.
“What this?” Bodrin asked.
“It was built for safe passage to the bailey when arrows and rocks flew over the walls,” Tournak said.
“It looks like something or someone shattered the stone covering in two places,” Saxthor said, peering out the window slit. “This tunnel does provide the best cover for us to cross the park to the bailey unseen.”
“Footsteps!” Tournak said. He grabbed his sword, turning to defend his charges. “It must be troops coming to guard the tunnel.”
“Come on,” Saxthor said. “They mustn’t find us here.”
Without checking the passageway’s safety, he rushed into the tunnel. Bodrin and Tournak followed without notice as the guards took up positions at the opening. The three hesitated where rubble from the shattered stone cover restricted and exposed the path.
Twit flew up, checking for anyone watching the openings.
“Wait,” Saxthor said. He noted the inner bailey wall’s standalone tower from the tunnel’s window slit. They dashed across unseen at both openings and made it to the innermost of the three concentric walls.
“I’m worried about the time,” Tournak said as they stopped to catch their breaths. “Only two hours to dusk when the wraiths will rise and scour the ruins for signs of intruders the dim-witted orcs missed. We have to keep moving.”
Saxthor thought a moment. Maintaining the veil of invisibility had drained his energy that morning. He didn’t want to use it much, but they had to move fast without discovery. If someone caught them in the corridor, there was no place to hide. He’d have to use it.
“I’ll shroud us in invisibility in case we run up on anyone,” Saxthor said. “Just move through the passage and don’t make any noise.”
They rushed down the hallway, not seventy feet when Saxthor heard talking ahead around a curve. He motioned them against the wall and drew the Peldentak Wand, encircling them with a veil of invisibility as the orc patrol rounded the corner. When the orcs passed, the men rushed down the corridor to the remote western tower.
“There’s a cellar in this tower. Look for the stairs down to it,” Saxthor said.
Exhausted from maintaining the veil, he rested against the doorway. As Tournak and Bodrin searched, Saxthor returned the wand to its case.
“I found a trapdoor here by this innermost section,” Tournak said. “It’s where attackers wouldn’t break into it if tunneling. Help me with this, Bodrin.
Tournak and Bodrin raised the heavy oak lid, and one by one, the three descended into a dark cellar. Bodrin lowered the trap door; they stood in darkness.
“Tournak, flick a finger-torch,” Saxthor said.
“This must’ve held arms for the tower’s defense since this tower is remote,” Bodrin said. He looked around the cellar at a few scattered chests and crates. Bodrin was about to look in a large chest for anything useful while Saxthor searched for jewel clues.
“Don’t touch that!” Tournak said, grabbing Bodrin’s hand.
“What did I do?” Bodrin snatched his hand back. “This is like being in Vicksylva’s formal rooms; you can’t touch anything.” He then tapped the lid anyway and glared defiantly at Tournak.
“Look at the chest and the dust on the floor,” Tournak said, holding the finger torch lower.
All three looked at the container apart from the others beside the moldy wall.
“This chest is new. The others are much older, dusty, and covered in mold,” Tournak said. “They’re faded with age, and their iron bands are rusty. The dust on the floor is undisturbed.”
“So, what’s the matter?” Bodrin asked.
Tournak stepped back from the newer chest. He looked straight at it as if talking to it.
“I think there’s a wraith in this chest.”
Saxthor looked at Tournak, then the container. Tournak never looked away from it.
“It’s been brought in here recently. Yet, except for the tracks of two ogres that brought it in, there’re no other tracks. Only a wraith moves as a mist without feet,” Tournak said.
Saxthor and Bodrin moved back from the chest as if trapped
in the cellar room with a lion.
Saxthor drew out Sorblade a bit, and the runes glowed a strong green light.
“This is probably the closest we’ll get to a wraith and live to tell about it.” He looked up and then at Tournak. “Can it get out?”
“It’ll come out at nightfall.”
“Cripes!” Saxthor said. “We’re almost out of time. Bodrin, guard the door. Tournak, watch that chest.” Saxthor walked around the wall feeling the stones. “There’s a secret sally port to the moat between this bailey wall and the middle one.”
Feeling the temperature change from stone to disguised wood, he found another trapdoor and lifted it. Stepping down into the little opening in the tower’s base, he pulled back a small wooden cover at eye-level in the gate facing to the southwest. It opened, and immediately the late afternoon sun shot rays through the viewing port into the niche.
Saxthor took off his ring again and turned it so the sun went through the ring and the Celestial Fire Topaz onto the wall. The jewel fractured the sunlight, dividing it into bands. All the light was blue, colored by the jewel on the granite stones, except for one stone that was rose quartz. When the blue light shot through the rose quartz, the stone was a luminous purple hue. It was still stone. Saxthor thought a moment. That last line, what was it? It was magic, and it was the key to the stone.
“Icksnak Diddledrak Sybiltoken Inglesot,” Saxthor said. The face of the stone melted away, and Saxthor took out the Regal Violet Amethyst of Faith in a small copper case. He stuck the case in his open tunic pocket. As he did so, the ring moved a bit, and the sunlight no longer passed through it. The stone’s face re-crystallized as rose quartz then appeared to turn to granite like the rest of the wall.
“Got it,” Saxthor said.
“Time to go, Saxthor,” Tournak said.
Saxthor noted the usually calm man’s unusual stiff tone.
“With the orcs patrolling the ruins now, I think the best way out is to slip through this hidden sally port and across the moat to the middle wall. What do you think, Tournak? You know more than I do about this fortification.”
The Neuyokkasinian Arc of Empire Series: Books 1-3 Box Set High, Epic Fantasy on a Grand Dragon Scale! Kindle Edition Page 50
