by Jenner, M
“This is new, never been used,” Galandrik said. “The floor and the metal bars are clean.”
“Not as fresh as these potatoes!” Ty replied, taking a bite.
“Freshly poisoned!” Kern said sharply, standing up.
“Who would prepare this delightful meal just to ruin it?” Ty scoffed, ripping off a leg of roast chicken and throwing it on the floor for Sleeper, who immediately gulped it down while Ty tore off another for himself.
Galandrik joined in, saying, “I’m that hungry I’d eat poison!”
Kern held out, but when he saw that his companions were coming to no harm, he gave in and sat down with them. Soon all three were relaxing, laughing around mouthfuls of food and washing it all down with rich red wine.
“Say – where’s the door we came in through?” Kern said, looking at a solid, blank wall where the entrance had once been.
Galandrik rose to examine the wall. “No idea,” he said, “but this must be magical.”
“You think so, eh?” Ty scoffed as he wiped chicken grease from his chin.
“Listen, you little –” Galandrik started to say when the other door opened and in walked a human, dressed in leather armour and holding a long-sword. The door shut behind him, and he glared at Ty. “Who dares eat Redvine’s food?” the newcomer asked in a deep, authoritative voice.
Ty stood up, dropping his dagger into his hand behind his back.
“Calm down, we have been traveling for a long time and needed to eat,” Kern explained.
Redvine turned to face Kern. “Was I speaking to you?”
“I thought you were speaking to all of us,” Kern answered.
“I wasn’t, so unless you want to feel my cold steel in your throat, be quiet.” He turned back to Ty. “Who dares eat Redvine’s food?” he repeated.
Ty leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Well, it doesn’t take a genius to work it out, now does it,” he answered casually, tossing a half-eaten chicken leg onto the table.
Redvine stepped forward. “Pay me now for the food, or die,” he hissed through gritted teeth, levelling his sword at Kern.
“Are you talking to me now, or still him?” Kern said, gesturing towards Ty, his other hand dropping to the hilt of his sword.
The man lunged forward with astonishing speed; Kern leaned back, barely dodging the tip of the blade and drawing his own sword in the same movement. Ty stepped forward to attack, but Redvine spun on his heel, knocking the dagger from Ty’s hand. Kern lunged forward and Redvine parried, using a small wooden buckler strapped to his arm. Galandrik stepped up, to Kern’s right, and brought his hand axe down. Redvine dropped his shoulder trying to evade the blow, but the axe blade caught his forearm just above the buckler. It sliced through his leather armour, but didn’t seem to do much damage. He swung back around, making Kern duck from his attack, and in the same motion he thrust towards Galandrik, only to be parried by the dwarf’s hand axe.
Ty picked up a nearby jug of wine and threw it, smashing it against the side of Redvine’s head and knocking him sideways. In blind anger, he swung back towards Ty but the halfling was too quick; even with his injured ankle, Ty evaded the strike. Redvine shook his head, seemingly blinded by the wine. Kern saw his opportunity and stepped in with a slice low across Redvine’s stomach. The slice cut through amour and skin, and blood oozed from the wound. Using the edge of his buckler Redvine knocked Kern sideways. Kern rolled to his side as Galandrik stepped over him and struck again, catching his foe on the shoulder. Redvine, still cringing from the stomach wound, dropped to one knee from the force of the attack and swung his sword at Galandrik’s legs, but the swing went wild and the dwarf easily stepped out of the way.
Kern rolled back to his feet and lunged forward with a thrust towards Redvine’s face, only to be parried away with his buckler. The distraction gave Galandrik his chance, and he struck sideways with his hand axe, striking Redvine clean in the forehead.
He dropped his sword; his eyes rolled as he fell backwards, and then Redvine lay dead on the floor.
Kern looked down at the man. “All for a piece of chicken?” he muttered as he sheathed his sword. Ty retrieved his rusty dagger as Galandrik placed one foot on the human’s chest and pulled the hand axe from Redvine’s forehead. With a sickening squelching noise it came free. Ty searched Redvine’s body, but he carried nothing of interest. Kern examined Redvine’s long-sword, but the hilt was broken.
After eating their fill and packing some food into their backpacks they made for the door; with no lock to pick, they soon left the strange room behind them. The door opened onto another corridor, which led, after a short while, to another door identical to the one that had led to the last room. Ty listened at the lockless door, then shrugged at Kern, opened the door, and peered in.
The room was identical in every respect to the room they had just left. Kern looked at Galandrik and Ty with a frown and stepped into the room. “What the hell?”
The others followed hesitantly behind, with Sleeper hovering calmly above. “How weird is this! It’s even the same food,” Ty said, pointing at the table where a spread of piping hot food awaited.
“I could eat again, too!” Galandrik announced rubbing his belly.
“You’re always hungry,” Ty said, “but saying that, I think I could eat a little myself.”
“There is no way we should still be hungry after what we just ate,” Kern said worriedly.
“No, something is strange here,” Ty answered. “I am hungry, though – and look, even Sleeper is!” The dragon landed on the table next to the roast chicken and was sniffing, clearly preparing to eat.
Kern turned round. “Look, the door! It’s gone again.”
“The bearskin rug is still there – and the cage, as well. Too strange. Who would set these rooms out identically?” Galandrik wondered aloud.
“I don’t know, but I’m having another potato,” Ty said, stabbing one and taking a bite.
The door on the other side of the room flew open, and once more a human dressed in leather armour and bearing a long-sword walked into the room. He was almost identical to the last man, but looked slightly larger; as the door shut behind him, he looked at Ty and challenged, “Who dares eat Redvine’s food?”
The potato fell half-chewed from Ty’s mouth as he slowly turned to Kern.
“We just killed you!” Kern mumbled.
Redvine turned and faced Kern. “Was I speaking to you?”
Glancing from Galandrik to Ty in confusion, then back at Redvine, Kern held up a hand as he raised his sword in the other hand. “Listen, we killed you once. Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Redvine moved forward to the table. “Pay me now for the food, or die.”
Galandrik raised his hand axe. “Here we go again.”
Redvine stepped forward, aiming a blow at the dwarf. Galandrik parried it, and Kern swung for Redvine’s midsection. Knowing the human would try to parry with his buckler. Kern tilted his sword just before the parry was made, and felt his blade cut deep into Redvine’s thigh. With a scream, Redvine directed his next attack at Kern.
As Kern closed with Redvine, Ty stepped onto a chair and leapt for Redvine’s back. Holding his dagger in both hands, he plunged it deeply into the base of the neck, straight through Redvine’s spine. The human twisted and fell soundlessly in a heap.
Kern helped Ty to his feet. “What the bloody hell is going on?” Ty asked, wiping the blood from his blade.
“I don’t know, but I think I can guess what’s down the next corridor,” Kern said, shaking his head.
“Look at his sword – it’s broken again,” Galandrik added. “In the very same place.”
“Do you think if we paid him, he would stop?” Ty asked. “I hate to part with the coins, but it might be less trouble.”
“Maybe. It’s worth a go,” Kern agreed. They searched around the room and, as before, found nothing. They left the room and came once more to an identical door. After entering t
he room, Kern paused, holding the door open. “I wonder – if we went back now, would it be the same?”
Galandrik moved over and to hold the door. “Go check.”
Kern walked up the short corridor and back. “Door’s gone,” he said. He stepped inside the third room and they watched the wall as the dwarf let the door close. The door shimmered and seemed to melt into the wall; after a few seconds it was gone. A brief inspection of the room showed that, again, it identical.
Ty fished a few silver coins out of his pocket and held them ready. “Right, here we go.” He picked up a carrot and began to eat. Sure enough, after a moment the door on the other side of the room flew open and an armoured human walked in holding a bastard sword. He looked even bigger than the last two but was otherwise almost identical; Kern noticed, however, that the wooden buckler was now metal and the armour was hybrid, made of leather and chain mail.
As the door shut behind him, he looked at Ty. “Who dares eat Redvine’s food?”
Ty stepped forward next to the table. “It is I, Ty the Rat, and here is payment for your food.” Ty dropped the two silver coins onto the table.
“Who said you could buy my food?” Redvine said, pointing his sword at Ty.
“You did,” Ty sneered.
“Don’t mock me halfling!” Redvine said, stepping forward.
“What do you want then?” Kern said, stepping forward.
“Was I speaking to you?” Redvine said, turning to Kern.
“That sounds familiar,” Galandrik said, readying his weapon.
“You will pay – in blood!” Redvine said, moving forward and swiping a blow at Kern.
Kern sidestepped the attack and took a swing of his own, which Redvine parried. Ty came in jabbing with his dagger, but Redvine stepped out of the way and returned the attack. Ty ducked and rolled away as Galandrik stepped forward and swung his hand axe up towards Redvine’s chest, but the blow was parried by the buckler. Kern swung again, catching the top of Redvine’s arm, but the chain armour took most of the blow.
Redvine swung his buckler, connecting hard with Kern’s shoulder and knocking him back. Galandrik stuck again, this time catching Redvine’s sword hand; instantly the sword clattered to the floor. Redvine stepped backwards, blood pouring form his injured hand, and Kern jumped forward, landing a crashing blow against the buckler. Ty advanced, swinging his dagger, and Redvine raised his forearm in an attempt to block, but the dagger sliced easily through the leather. Moving further back, Redvine tripped over the head of the bearskin rug, falling backwards. His head hit the stone floor with a sickening thud, and the human lay still.
“I can’t go through this again,” Kern said, panting.
“Or me,” Ty agreed, flopping down on one of the chairs.
“What shall we do with him? And look, his sword isn’t broken,” Galandrik said.
“When we kill him, his sword breaks and everything repeats itself.” Kern thought for a moment, then walked to the door. “Galandrik, hold the door open for me,” he said, and walked down the short corridor and tried the next door. “It’s shut tight. Won’t budge; it feels like a solid oak door now,” Kern said as he walked back into the room.
Ty stood up. “But when we don’t kill him, we can’t enter the next room,” he said, puzzled.
“Well, we can’t leave him here to wake up and attack us again. I have had enough of this bullshit,” Galandrik said. “Why don’t we tie him up?”
“Tie him with what?” Ty responded.
Kern looked around the room. “What about the cage? Put him in the cage – that way when he wakes up we can question him.”
Ty nodded. “That sounds better than killing him again. I just wish he had a pocket full of gold each time, I’d stay here all day.”
Kern grabbed Redvine’s arms and the others took a leg each, and they moved him over to the cage. As Kern opened the cage door he looked up and spotted the wooden plaque with the inscription above it.
“That’s it!” he exclaimed. “Look! ‘Lock me up; it’s time to move on.’ That’s the riddle; if we lock him in here, things will go back to normal!” he said excitedly.
They maneuvered Redvine into the cage and, using the magical-looking shackles, secured his hands and feet, then closed the door, slid the bolting bar along, and latched it shut.
As soon as they had shot the bolt home, the shackles on Redvine’s hands and feet started vibrating. His body began to pulsate and his eyes opened wide. It got worse, and began to look like he was being electrocuted; his body and limbs thrashed about, blood pouring from the cuts inflicted by the arm shackles.
Ty took a step back and watched the human’s frenzy, horrified. “I think we should have killed him!”
Then it all stopped and Redvine slumped in the shackles, hanging lifelessly. Blood dripped to the floor from Redvine’s bowed head, as the exit door clicked and creaked open.
“That must have been it,” Galandrik smiled.
“Trust me!” Kern said, as if congratulating himself.
Ty was first to the exit. “You are not going to like this,” he said, shaking his head. Kern and Galandrik joined him to see what lay on the other side of the door.
The corridor had gone and now they were looking into another room exactly the same as the first three, apart from what was on the table. There was no food this time; instead there were playing cards and bone dice. The cage and bearskin rug were still there, but this time the inscription above the cage read, ‘Thou who failst to know will know only me.’
“What the hell is going on?” Galandrik yawned.
“I think we are in some mage’s game rooms; they like to test and test some more,” Kern answered.
“Well, I don’t like it,” Ty barked, walking into the room. “Why can’t they just fight and be done with it?” The door melted into the wall behind him. “Oh great, here we go,” he added.
The door on the far wall opened and in walked Redvine. This time he wore no armour, carried no sword or shield; he was dressed simply in a cloak and sandals. “Hello, my good friends,” he boomed, holding his hands aloft before pulling a chair out. “Please be seated. I mean you no harm – this time.”
“But… but you have died three times today! And now you stand in front of us, all full of the joys of spring?” Ty burst out.
“Oh, nonsense; does anybody really die? Please sit,” he grumbled, taking a seat.
The three adventurers sat around the table, eyeing him warily. “Right, here is the game,” Redvine began without preamble. “One of you stands in the cage, and I will ask a question of the remaining two. If you get if wrong, the one in the cage stays and we move to the next room; get it right and the next person stands in the cage. Get all three questions right and you are free to leave.”
“What if we decide not to play and just leave?” Ty asked, placing his dagger on the table.
“That wouldn’t be very wise, now would it?” Redvine chuckled.
Ty leaped from his chair with a yelp; his dagger had turned into a snake and was slithering across the table. “What the hell?!”
“Oh, sit down, it’s only a grass snake,” Kern said, and flicked the snake with his hand. It fell from the table, and landed with a clinking sound; Ty’s dagger lay on the floor in its place. Looking at Kern. Ty shook his head before picking up his dagger to examine it. “This is getting strange.”
Redvine walked to the cage, opened the door, and gestured for someone to go in. “Who is first?” he quizzed.
“I had better not go first and leave you two to answer for me. Let me get the two of you free first,” Kern said, smiling.
“Sod this, it’s just too weird for me,” Ty said, sitting back down.
“We can’t fight against illusionists; they mess with your head,” Galandrik answered.
“He is right, you know,” Kern said to Ty, then winked at Galandrik. “Go on, dwarf; in you go, you’ll be fine.”
The dwarf stood with a sigh; he walked reluctantly to the c
age and stepped in. Clink, and the cage door locked. “Oh, splendid! I do love a game,” Redvine said, clapping his hands.
He returned to the table and announced, “Right, listen very closely. You can discuss the questions, but when you say the words ‘Answer is,’ I will take the very next word as your final answer. Is that clear?”
“Yes. Give us his question,” the ranger replied.
“Question one!” Redvine said with glee. “Iron roof with glass walls, burns and burns but never falls.”
Kern looked at Ty. “Iron roof and glass sides?”
“Burns and burns?” Ty replied.
“Right, what burns?” Kern asked.
Redvine stood up and folded his hands behind his back. “Be quick now.”
“Candle, torch, camp fire,” Ty murmured, scratching his chin.
“No, ‘iron roof’ – cauldron or something,” Kern replied.
“What about those candles people have, with the metal guard, so when they walk it doesn’t blow out?”
“No, we need glass… That’s it!” Kern burst out. “A lantern! It has glass sides and a metal roof; it has to be a lantern.”
“Are you happy with that answer, Galandrik?” Ty asked. The dwarf simply shrugged, gesturing to his mouth.
“He can’t speak,” Redvine answered for Galandrik. “Once in the cage, your voice is mine.”
“Right then. Answer is lantern,” Kern said, smiling.
The cage door clicked and Galandrik stepped out, pausing to shake Kern’s hand. “Thanks,” he said, with a tremor of relief in his voice.
“No problem. Right, Ty, in you go,” Kern ordered.
“Okay, but get it right, please,” Ty said, as he walked into the cage and the cage door shut behind him with a click.
“Question two,” Redvine began. “I weaken all men for hours a day, and show you strange visions while you are away; I take you by night and by day give you back – none suffer to have me but do from my lack.”
