Fantasy Kingdom XXI

by Lisa Anne Nisula

  “Now what?” Melissina asked.

  Phichorian opened his mouth to answer, but never had the chance to make a sound. There was something sharp in Charles’s back. He was hoping it was a sharp stick, or a branch, but he knew better.

  Melissina reached for her blade, but a metal-encased hand closed around her wrist so tightly Charles could see the skin around the fingers turn white.

  Phichorian turned, ready to lash out with his fists, and was grabbed from behind, his arms pinned behind his back, almost lifting him of the ground.

  The point dug deeper into Charles’s back as an arm reached around and took the short sword Amertious had given him.

  A knight came forward, pulled off his gauntlets and handed them to the warrior beside him. “So you’re the ones with the sweater. Not very scary, are you?” The knight patted them down, one by one, starting with Charles.

  Charles felt the hands go down his arms, over his torso, his legs, finding nothing. It didn’t seem very thorough to Charles, but he had never been searched before. Phichorian was next, then Melissina. Phichorian glared at the guards as they searched Melissina, although Charles didn’t know what he could do to protect her.

  The knight held out his hand for the gauntlets. “Not hiding anything. I don’t know how you expected to fight Necorious with no real weapons. Bring them.”

  The point left Charles’s back. It felt good for a moment, then he was slung over a shoulder and carried off.

  He could see Melissina being thrown over the shoulder of another guard. Phichorian was hanging between two soldiers, one holding his feet and another holding him under the arms. He swung back and forth between them, but his eyes stayed fixed on Melissina as she was carried over the shoulder of the guard.

  * * *

  It was a long trip, at least it seemed that way to Charles as his elbows and knees were slammed against the metal of the armor. He could feel bruises coming up.

  They were carried into the castle, right into the keep, just as they had wanted, but instead of going up to the Kingstone tower, they were brought underground, into a dark, damp stone passage, lit only by a few smoky, greasy torches.

  “How far in?” called the guard carrying Melissina.

  “Not too far I hope. He’s heavy for a little guy.” Charles winced as the soldier yelled near his ear.

  “The first on the left. They’re not going anywhere.”

  There was a loud creak and Charles was thrown down on the stone floor, hitting his head hard enough to make his vision go blurry. Rothgar’s helmet seemed to be doing its job since he didn’t pass out but heard the thunk of Phichorian hitting the ground, then the thump of Melissina landing on top of Phichorian.

  Charles heard the door creak as it swung, then the clunk of it slamming shut and the final sounding scrape of the lock being slid into place.

  Melissina rolled off of Phichorian and sat up. Charles made certain that everything felt intact then sat up slowly. His vision swam for a moment, then he felt all right, not great, but not like he was going to faint either.

  “Well, we got in,” Phichorian said, but Charles could tell even Phichorian couldn’t see any way out of this.

  There were heavy footsteps in the hall again. Melissina shifted to a more comfortable position, watching the door with a grim look, like she was wondering what else could go wrong.

  “That all of them?”

  A very familiar face peered into the cell. Melissina stared at him in stony silence. Phichorian looked ready to jump up and break Amertious’s face open. Charles put a hand on Phichorian’s shoulder just in case.

  “That’s it,” Amertious said in a flat voice.

  “Just the three?”

  “Yes.”

  “And here’s what they had on them. Anything important we missed?”

  Amertious moved away from the door and Charles heard him say, “That is everything of importance, except for the sweater of course.”

  “And they won’t be using that in there, will they?” The guard chuckled and they could hear his footsteps fading away.

  Phichorian twisted to his feet and went to the window. “They’re gone.”

  Melissina collapsed back and sighed. “I didn’t expect...”

  “No,” Phichorian murmured. “I was not surprised when he left, and I knew he’d serve his king, but I didn’t expect him to be part of the guard here, at Necorious’s stronghold, at your father’s prison.”

  But Charles had noticed what Amertious had not said. He whispered, “Where’s Bobble? Amertious didn’t mention him.”

  “Probably in a cage somewhere,” Melissina sighed.

  “No, the guard asked if it was just us three, not four.”

  Melissina sat up. “Did he come through the door?”

  Charles tried to remember, but Bobble was so small and light, it was hard to remember if he was on Charles’s shoulder or not.

  They both turned to Phichorian, but he shook his head. “Bobble can take care of himself. I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention to him.”

  “Maybe he got away before we went through,” Charles said, hoping that Melissina or Phichorian would agree with more certainty than he felt.

  “It is possible,” Phichorian said, not sounding any more certain than Charles.

  “Could he get in without the sweater?” Melissina asked.

  No one answered.

  Melissina sank back against the wall. “Then what do we do?”

  Phichorian stood up and started feeling the walls of the cell, pushing on any stone that looked different or conspicuously the same. Charles caught on and began to examine the floor, looking for a lever, a secret panel, a hidden door, anything that could help them get out.

  When Charles finished the floor, he started on the walls. Phichorian reexamined the floor. Melissina waited until they had both collapsed on the floor beside her before she said, “Nothing?”

  Phichorian shook his head. “Not even a crack.”

  “It was a good idea,” Melissina smiled weakly. “We could use another one though.”

  “Bobble,” Charles whispered.

  “A good thought,” Phichorian said, “we just need to flesh it out to an idea.”

  “No, I mean he’s up there.” Charles pointed to the small ventilation shaft.

  Phichorian and Melissina both turned, but Bobble’s little head had disappeared. The door rattled and a soldier looked in. “Plotting, are you? That vent’s too small, even for the boy.” He chuckled, then turned and called over his shoulder, “No, they’re just trying to get through the vent.”

  Another voice yelled back. “Then come on, we’ll check on the others.”

  They could hear heavy footsteps clomping away from the door. As soon as they had faded, Phichorian got to his feet, snuck to the door, and peered out into the central room. He looked around, then straightened up and craned his neck, trying to see as much of the room as possible. “All clear.” Phichorian hopped onto the bed and edged across it until he could look into the vent shaft. “Hello, Bobble. Did you want to stay up there or come down and visit with us?”

  Bobble looked out. “Is it safe?”

  “As safe as I can see, which probably isn’t much.”

  It seemed to be enough for Bobble though. He flitted out of the shaft and settled on the edge of the bed.

  “How did you manage to get away?” Melissina asked.

  “I went up. You’d be surprised how few people look up. I intended to follow you, to find out where you were being taken, but the hallway was low and I did not see any way to conceal myself, so I remained outside, looking for a safe point. I recalled something Charles had said and found a small hole at ground level. It led to the ventilation system and I have been following it through the fortress, looking for you.”

  “And you found us.” Melissina smiled.

  Phichorian hopped down. “Have you seen anything else useful?”

  “There wasn't much to see in the ventilation system.”

/>   Phichorian went back to the door and looked out. “It’s still clear. Could you slip through and see what’s out there?”

  Bobble flitted over and stood on the edge of the window. He examined the holes in the grate and chose the largest. He bent forward and turned to the side to get his shoulders through on an angle, then he grabbed the bottom of the hole beneath him and executed a funny little flip that brought him through the hole and ended up in a handstand. Bobble let go of the bar and let himself fall until he had room to flip around and get himself upright. He hovered in front of the window and bowed, sweeping off his little hat.

  Phichorian applauded very quietly. “Do you see anything useful out there?”

  Bobble straightened and went to the door to the passage. He looked out, staying close to the ceiling.

  “It’s clear,” he called then began his search of the room, flitting out of the view of the window for long periods of time. Charles tried not to tap his foot as he waited. Melissina couldn’t hide her impatience and started pacing the cell. Phichorian stayed by the window, straining to see anything.

  And then there was a metallic crash, followed by a small shout. Melissina stopped pacing and came to the window, straining to see around Phichorian. There was a small moan and a grunt, then a metallic clatter.

  “Bobble,” Phichorian hissed, his bard training letting his voice carry. “Bobble, are you all right?”

  There was another clatter and a groan, then the scrape of metal on stone.

  “Bobble,” Phichorian hissed again.

  The metal sound changed to a clanging. Melissina stood on her toes, trying to see what had happened. Phichorian opened his mouth to call again, when Bobble drifted into view. He was holding a large iron key. He struggled up to the window and leaned the tip on the edge. The grate was too small to let more in.

  “Charles,” Phichorian said, “you have the smallest fingers.”

  Charles got his fingers through the bars and gripped the key. Bobble let go, panting. “Is that the right one?”

  Phichorian knelt and looked at the lock on their side. “It looks like it from here. How did you get it?”

  “It was hanging on the wall. Can you turn it so I can get it in the lock?”

  Charles manipulated the key, holding the weight of it between his thumb and index finger and using his fingertips to twist the shaft of the key until it was in the right position.

  Bobble braced his shoulder against the key again, then pulled back and let himself sink down at an angle.

  Charles stood on his toes so he could see. The key scraped along the door until Bobble managed to fit the key into the lock. Bobble got behind the key and shoved it into place. He rested against the key for a moment, then grabbed the head of the key and hung off of it, letting his weight turn the key. It creaked and resisted, then Bobble pulled it past the right spot and it twisted down so fast he looked startled and dazed, then it stopped so quickly it shook Bobble off the end. He fell towards the floor, but managed to catch himself and fly out of the way.

  Phichorian pushed on the door and it swung open.

  “Good work, Bobble,” Melissina whispered.

  Bobble bowed again, then flitted to the door to the passage. “It’s still empty.”

  Phichorian pushed the door open the rest of the way and bowed Melissina and Charles out.

  * * *

  The stone passage was the same, dimly lit but with enough light to see the stairs. “Where is the Kingstone?” Phichorian whispered.

  “The South Tower, in a room under the guard post there. There’s an entrance to the tower behind the throne room.”

  “So all we have to do is get to the throne room.” As Phichorian said it, even Charles could see the ridiculousness of that plan.

  Phichorian went on. “Are there any other ways into the tower?”

  Melissina closed her eyes, thinking. “There’s only one entrance to the tower. But maybe there’s another way to reach it.” She looked into the passage. “It’s not like I’ve spent much time in my father’s prison.”

  Charles grinned, but Phichorian looked thoughtful.

  Before Charles could ask what he was thinking, Bobble flitted in from the passage. “We must decide soon, there are more shades in the hallway.”

  Melissina and Charles moved towards the door, but Phichorian pushed them towards the cell saying, “Back inside.”

  “But we just got out,” Charles said, in case Phichorian had forgotten.

  “I don’t want to be rushed into a plan if I can avoid it. As long as they just glance in the door again and don’t try to come in, we’ll be fine.”

  Charles saw the point. Apparently Melissina did too since she crossed the room and joined Phichorian in the cell.

  As soon as Charles was in with them, Phichorian took off his shoe and put the toe of it in the path of the door. As he pulled the door closed, it caught on the shoe and the extra bit of leather wedged the door closed.

  Chapter 19

  Phichorian sat on the floor just as he had been. Melissina sat on the bed. Charles looked out the window and saw Bobble hide himself in a corner of the ceiling. Charles leaned against the wall near Phichorian.

  They heard the crashing footsteps first. Charles wondered how something that wasn’t real could have such heavy footsteps. It sounded like two shades in the hall, although Charles couldn’t be sure. The guard who came into the room seemed distracted, but his eyes didn’t have the dim, glazed look of a shade. As the guard approached the door, Charles heard a voice in the hall outside. The guard grabbed the door and gave it a shake. It moved.

  Charles froze. He could see Phichorian’s leg stretching out, trying to reach the door and hold it in place before the guard noticed.

  “Can’t hear you! Repeat!”

  So the guard had been distracted. Maybe he hadn’t noticed. Charles slid over a little, trying to lean against the hinge side of the door without being obvious about it. Phichorian was still trying to stretch the leg that was still shod far enough to block the other side of the door.

  The guard turned back to them muttering something. He gave the door a shake. Charles felt it knock against his shoulder and leaned further into it. He saw Phichorian pressing his foot against the other side as hard as he could without moving. The door shook again, then stopped. The guard turned away.

  “Now repeat that again slowly and clearly,” and he was gone. Apparently it had been enough.

  Bobble flitted back to the window, but Phichorian made no move to get up. Bobble cleared his throat, then murmured, “They are gone. The passage is clear.”

  Phichorian still didn’t move, but he did speak. “We may not have a chance to plan once we’re out of here. I,for one, do not intend to waste it.” Then he closed his eyes and fell silent.

  Charles tried to plan himself, but the only idea that came to him was that it had been hours since he’d eaten.

  “How do the servants get into the throne room?”

  Melissina shrugged. “They have the staircase and...”

  “I mean where, specifically, do they go?”

  Melissina thought about it. “It’s not really in the throne room. There’s a door to the staircase outside the throne room.”

  “The one that leads upstairs, or the main staircase?”

  “The one that goes upstairs...”

  “So they can get behind the throne room without being seen in the throne room?”

  “Of course; they need to get to the receiving room and the vestibule without disturbing Father when he’s holding court.”

  “That’s what I was hoping. Now, where’s the closest entrance to the staircase?”

  Melissina sighed. “I think the kitchens are just above us. There has to be an entrance in there, to bring food up, right?”

  “Perfect. How do we get from here to the kitchens?”

  “I told you I haven’t been in Father’s prisons before.”

  Phichorian nodded. “But there has to be a way to brin
g food down here too, unless there’s a special kitchen for the prisons.”

  “Are there a lot of prisoners?” Charles asked.

  “No, there’s a prison in town. This is just for political prisoners, and the dungeon below us, but no one uses that anymore, except Necorious, I suppose.” Melissina shrugged. “We’ve never had more than one or two at a time, why?”

  Charles bit his lip. “Well, if there aren’t a lot of prisoners, it doesn’t make sense to have a kitchen and a cook and a fire down here, right?”

  “Exactly,” Phichorian said. “They would have to feed the guards too, so it must be in the main area. There was a room on the way in with tables. I bet that’s the mess. That’s where they’d bring the food.” Phichorian twisted to his feet. “We won’t be able to plan anything else without more information, so we may as well start.”

  Bobble flitted away from the door as Phichorian pushed it open. “All clear,” Bobble hissed from the passage.

  “Then we’d better hurry.” Phichorian pushed the door closed and locked it. He hung the key back on the hook by the passage. Seeing Melissina's confused look, he grinned. “It’s always best to leave a little mystery behind. At the very least, it will confuse them, but it might even scare them a bit and make us seem more powerful.”

  Melissina laughed. “Always thinking of the performance.”

  “I’m still a bard,” Phichorian said as he moved quickly into the passage. Bobble stayed a few steps ahead of them, looking out for the shades or any other guards.

  Their weapons had been stacked haphazardly in a corner. Phichorian ran to them, then stopped and held his hands just above them. “No wards or other spells.” Phichorian held out the short sword. “Here Charles.”

  When they were all rearmed, Phichorian gestured for them to follow again.

  * * *

  The room Phichorian remembered had four long tables, with six chairs each, a fireplace, and a wooden door on the far side.