Ethan Wright and the Curse of Silence

by Kimbro West

  Auren was a bit overwhelmed, and confident that he would be unable to reach any of the boxes or circles Magnus had pointed to, so he just nodded.

  “Great, you get three tries. I find it works best if you take a few steps and lunge it as hard as you can. Keep in mind this contest is as much about accuracy as it is about strength. Are you ready to give it a try?”

  Auren nodded again and Magnus took a few steps backward to give him some room. Red, of course, took this chance to announce ‘Auren, son of Ghislain’s’ first attempt. This made Auren’s stomach tie into knots, but the cheering of the crowd reassured him. He took three giant steps, leaned forward, and plunged the spear straight into the ground about ten paces away. The crowd was unrelenting; half were laughing and the other half hooted and booed.

  Magnus approached with another spear. “Don’t worry about Red and the crowd, I can see you are very strong so just aim a bit higher — your form wasn’t too bad.”

  Magnus backed up again, giving Auren space to throw. Red bellowed out that Auren was going to attempt a second try. Auren thought to himself that this was very difficult to ignore, for the chunky man had an extremely deep and loud voice. He gripped the spear tightly on the notched handle, took his three steps, leaned forward and hurled the spear. This time, even to his own surprise, he let out a loud grunt while releasing the spear. This seemed to help, for it went much higher. But a few seconds later, the crowd grew quiet. The spear sailed right over the Pyxidis and was heading for the stands. A small crowd of people dispersed and the spear impaled a wooden bench, wobbling a bit as it stuck.

  Ethan, who was still watching from above, looked over to Red who was strangely silent. “Ah, Red … is that supposed to happen?” he asked.

  “I … don’t know,” answered Red in an abnormally quiet voice. “Never seen that one before.”

  “Have you ever seen such strength!” bellowed Red to the crowd.

  A few moments passed as the spear swayed back and forth and then the crowd erupted into cheers. Auren was not sure what the cheers were for; it seemed obvious to him that he could have impaled one of the spectators. He assumed he would be done at this point, but Magnus approached with a third spear.

  “Are you sure…?” but Auren was interrupted by Magnus.

  “We’re lucky this isn’t a distance competition. You may want to concentrate on accuracy and not so much strength. Give it a bit more arch this time.”

  Again, Auren nodded. Red was announcing the third and final throw. This time Auren could see some of the spectators moving from the path of another possible spear landing in the stands.

  Auren made his approach and released the spear. Again he grunted, but this time he aimed much higher and the spear sailed far above the Stadion. Magnus walked over to Auren while trying to keep an eye on the spear.

  “Not sure about that one — did it get away from you?”

  Just then the spear drove itself deep into the very edge of the center box, sending a small cloud of splinters in every direction.

  “Oh, you hit the Pyxidis, that’s five points!” exclaimed Magnus as he patted Auren on the shoulder. “Not too bad for your first time out.”

  The crowd was in an uproar as they cheered out Auren’s name. Red was saying something, but even his loud bellows could not overpower the cheers of the crowd. Auren gave a wave and made his way off the field alongside Magnus.

  Ethan looked back over to Red, who was now sitting down and wiping sweat off his forehead. “You just can’t get much better than that, my boy,” said Red, sounding exhausted.

  Soon Magnus and Auren returned to the announcer’s room where Ethan and the tubby man were waiting.

  “Thanks again, Magnus, that was incredible,” said Auren with a huge smile on his face.

  “The pleasure was all mine,” said Magnus as he shook hands with both the boys. “If you boys need anything, please let me know. But now I have to get back before the next event.”

  “So much for keeping a low profile,” said Availia as she came up the stairs, with Stanley just behind her.

  “Well, if everyone thinks we’re here … we should have an easy time sneaking down to the prison,” plotted Ethan.

  The four snuck out of the grand Stadion unnoticed and headed toward the spire, home to the one man Ethan wished to avoid that night.

  “I don’t see any light coming from the window,” whispered Auren.

  “Maybe Heinrich isn’t around,” replied Availia softly.

  “Well, hopefully he isn’t at the prison then. Stanley, are you sure the prison is just below the spire?” asked Ethan, now worried that his plan was in possible jeopardy.

  Stanley nodded intently.

  “Well, let’s go then,” Ethan motioned.

  They followed Stanley to a building across the street from the spire and stood behind him as he peeked around the corner. As Ethan looked around the corner, Stanley pointed to a ramp that led down to a small wooden door that was the prison entrance. There were chairs on either side of the door, with guards sitting on each chair.

  “Guards? Terrific … Stanley, you didn’t say anything about guards — we’ll never get in there now,” grumbled Auren.

  “No, wait!” said Availia, peeking around the corner. “There’s something wrong with them,” she added as she stood up and walked toward the entrance.

  “Availia, wait!” exclaimed Ethan.

  The three boys shrugged their shoulders and reluctantly followed Availia to the prison door. Both guards were unconscious and positioned in their seats so as not to fall over.

  “Not sure if we should be here, it would look bad if we got caught,” said Auren. “We could always go back to the Stadion and finish watching the events.”

  Auren’s protests went unnoticed.

  Ethan marched forward and pushed the wooden door open. The others followed him as he walked down the torchlit hallway. It smelled like sewage and mold. They passed several empty cells before they reached the end of the hall and turned the corner. The iron doors were just large enough to stuff a person through, but the prison walls, like the rest of Tirgard, were thick stone. Ethan stuck his nose between the bars of several cells, until he found a cell with MacArthur huddling in the corner.

  “I would surmise that Heinrich didn’t just let you in here to visit,” groaned MacArthur. He pushed himself up off the floor and limped to the iron door. He looked scruffier than usual, reminding Ethan of what Wegnel looked like in his normal state.

  “No, we snuck in,” answered Ethan. “How are you?”

  “Not good, my boy. Being so far away from the Oroborus, I am already starting to merge with my counterpart. I feel as if I am going to lose it….” MacArthur sniffed, then regained his composure and continued. “Wegnel is most likely going mad at this point, I can start to feel his thoughts — he’s scared. I don’t have much time,” exclaimed MacArthur desperately. He reached his hands through the bars and pulled Ethan close. “When I was first bound to the creature … Dimon, he said I could ask him a question — any question.”

  “What did you ask him?”

  “I asked him why we are here… why do we exist? He said ‘that’s easy — because the conditions were right.”‘

  Ethan tried to back away but was pulled in closer.

  “Ethan, you must listen to me very carefully,” whispered McArthur frantically. He seemed urgent as he tried to catch his breath. “There is a natural progression to life — seven worlds — each a progression from one life to the next — humans, Mitans, Airmoor… it’s all the same — one big game, Ethan… played… one Oroborus versus another — a grand game of chess. You are important, Ethan… you mustn’t let Xivon know you’re here. He’s the most dangerous Mitan in this world and is bent on seeking you out. And once again, the conditions are right — you can win this game!”

  “I don’t know what you’re saying, MacArthur. I need to find my brother!”

  Suddenly a voice echoed out directly behind them. “What are
you doing here!” yelled Edison, carrying something that looked like one of Wegnel’s miracle torches.

  “We need to find out about the Stonewolf,” answered Availia quickly. “We came to find out why it has stone skin.”

  “It has stone skin because it was an alchemist from Tirguard. Being a historian, I could have told you that without you breaking into a prison. Do you realize how much trouble you could be in? I can’t hardly explain this one away, now can I?”

  “What about the guards out front, can you explain that?” challenged Ethan rashly.

  “They’ll be fine. Just some Lippy’s Concentrated Sleep Sauce in the guards’ tea — they’ll be over it by morning.”

  Edison pushed past Ethan and peered in the cell. “You don’t look so good, my friend.”

  “I’ve been better,” replied MacArthur. “Wegnel, I fear, is in far worse condition.”

  “Will you merge soon?” asked Edison.

  “I still have some time, Edison — more importantly, I overheard Heinrich earlier. They are going to start a war … tonight.”

  A look of worry came over Edison. Sweat rolled down his forehead and his face went pale. He refocused on MacArthur.

  “I had a suspicion this would happen after the Curse of Silence ended … what do we do?” asked Edison.

  “Heinrich talked the Castellan into sending an army to Losalfar. And in an attempt to avoid panic throughout the city, they are using the Stadion event as a distraction to send the army out as we speak.”

  “Is Heinrich with them?” whispered Edison.

  “Yes, he and General Lodbrok are leading the attack.”

  Edison backed away from the bars. “I’m going to Losalfar tonight — you will all have to work on getting MacArthur free from prison and back to the Oroborus.”

  “We’re going with you,” announced Ethan.

  “You most certainly will not,” snapped Edison, who was in no mood for arguing.

  Ethan stepped forward and looked Edison in the eyes. “There is a chance I can find my brother in Losalfar — there is nothing you can do that will change my mind from going.”

  Auren stepped forward. “Me too,” he stated.

  Availia and Stanley stepped forward as well; she glanced at Stanley and back to Edison. “Us too.”

  Edison stumbled over his words and gasped in trying to find a protest, but none came. “Fine then!” he exclaimed. “You will just go … and simply stop a war from taking place, while I work on freeing MacArthur. But I’m not allowing you to travel there alone. If we do this, it will be done my way!”

  Chapter 22

  A Familiar Face

  “How do you know the torches will be lit? I can’t fly this bloody thing in the dark,” exclaimed Red as he unstrapped the airship.

  “They will — Mitans are meticulous about these things,” reassured Edison as he started removing ballast from the front deck.

  “What?” exclaimed Auren. “You want us to get in an airship?”

  “You’ll be fine,” answered Edison. “That is, if this still works … and I am sure it will work as expected, most likely …” he added under his breath.

  “With him?” protested Ethan, now pointing to Red. “The Stadion announcer — as the pilot?”

  “Well in my defense, I wasn’t always a Stadion announcer,” retorted Red as he removed additional ballast from the rear deck.

  “We don’t have time to argue,” grumbled Edison. “Stick to the plan and you’ll have the best chance for success.”

  “Red, you and Stanley built this airship, didn’t you?” asked Availia.

  “We sure did, one of the best things I’ve ever done and not allowed to talk about,” said Red as he threw one of several levers located in the center of the ship. A whoosh was followed by fire that could be seen shooting through a chamber and up into the balloon; a few seconds later the airship started to lift off the platform.

  Edison smiled at Availia. “It works!”

  “Everybody on,” ordered Red as he unlatched a small staircase which swung down to the platform. “I want to get off the ground before anyone notices.”

  Ethan, Auren, Availia and Stanley boarded the airship. Edison stayed behind and started untethering it from the platform.

  As the airship started to rise, Red leaned over the edge where Edison was standing. “If I get murdered, I will haunt you for eternity.”

  “You already do, Red,” quipped Edison as he waved them off.

  The airship rose quickly over the city. Stanley and Availia walked to the back deck to look around. Red was adjusting knobs and levers in the middle of the ship while Auren and Ethan leaned over the rail to watch the ground get further away.

  “Tirguard is amazing,” said Ethan.

  The walls of the great city could be seen by the torches lining the stonework. Ethan could see that the walls spanned around the great spire that housed Heinrich and stood atop the prison. A second, smaller, wall stretched around the market district, containing the hut which was home to MacArthur and the Oroborus.

  The great stone city got smaller as the airship rose into the night sky. The air started to get chilly the higher they flew. Ethan’s hands started to get cold, so he stuffed them into the pockets of this alchemy jacket. He had never seen an airship before, let alone flown in one. So when the balloon that was lifting the ship shuddered and they suddenly dropped several feet, a panic ensued.

  “WHAT WAS THAT?” screamed Auren, who was turning pale.

  “Just turbulence — all is fine … probly best to have a seat for a while!” yelled Red over the noise of the wind as he continued to pull on levers and adjust knobs.

  “WHAT?” yelled Auren as his ears began to pop. He stuck his finger in his ear and wriggled it back and forth to clear the pressure.

  Ethan took a seat next to Auren. “Pretty amazing, huh?”

  “I think I’m scared, Ethan,” admitted Auren quietly.

  “Me too,” replied Ethan. “I wonder what they’ll be like … the Mitans that is.”

  Auren’s face was even more pale than before. “I didn’t even think of that. Just trying to get past the ‘sailing through the air’ part of this trip, or as Red calls it … certain death.”

  “I don’t think he’d be with us if it was ‘certain death.’ I’m pretty sure he meant if we walked to Tirguard — I think you just need a distraction.”

  Ethan reached into his pack and grabbed the map. “Here,” he said as he shoved it into Auren’s hands.

  Auren tried to examine the map, but it was difficult to see in the dark. Ethan lit his miracle torch and held it in front of the map for Auren to study.

  “It looks like Tirguard,” exclaimed Auren.

  “I know,” said Ethan. “My father left it for Isaac … I think it may help me find them.”

  “You should show this to Professor Rupert, he probly would know …”

  “No,” interrupted Ethan. “I can’t show it to anyone just yet. There’s something strange about this map I need to figure out first. Watch.”

  Ethan held the torch under a corner of the map. Auren instinctively recoiled, but Ethan grabbed Auren’s arm to hold the map steady as he demonstrated that it would not catch fire.

  “WHAT?” exclaimed Auren with a look of utter disbelief. “That’s impossible!”

  “What are we talking about, boys?” said Red as he came around the corner.

  Ethan quickly released Auren’s arm, and Auren responded by stuffing the map in his inner pocket.

  “Nothing,” said Ethan and Auren in unison.

  “Good. Can you put that torch away then? I don’t want anyone to spot us up here. I think we are high enough now — time for our little airship to run silent,” he said as he pulled another lever. The fire in the chamber suddenly dimmed and the whooshing sound decreased. He then pulled a large black curtain down the length of the ship.

  Ethan quickly put out the torch and put it back in his pack. He supposed the curtain would make them mo
re difficult to see from the ground and hide them in case they passed over the Tirguard army. But more importantly, the curtain also kept the wind off them.

  “It’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?” said Availia, making her way to the front of the ship.

  Ethan had been so distracted by the sight of Tirguard that he had forgotten to take a good look around. He looked up at the stars and across the horizon. It was indeed a beautiful sight. He felt comfortable on the airship, like he belonged in the sky, like he was meant to be there. As he looked around he noticed Red smiling at him; Ethan smiled back. Soon Stanley joined them at the front of the ship, and the five of them sailed through the air together — they had the sky all to themselves.

  ***

  Several hours had flown by. Auren was now sleeping on the deck of the ship. Availia and Stanley were still enjoying the view, but starting to tire.

  “So how does the ship work?” asked Ethan.

  “Well, you’re an alchemy student, aren’t you? What three things are needed to make a reaction take place?” challenged Red.

  “Um, well … the first thing is an element of some kind … the second, a binding agent, and the third thing is …” Ethan tried to think, but could not remember the third thing.

  “An alchemist to bring the two together,” interjected Availia tiredly.

  “Exactly right,” responded Red. “So here is a lever that adds an element into the chamber,” he instructed as he pointed to a red-handled lever.

  “Here is another lever that adds the binding agent.” He was now pointing at a blue-handled lever. “And here is quite a curious-looking knob, isn’t it? This is for the alchemist to complete the reaction. The more you turn the knob to the right, the more of a reaction will take place, understand?”

  Ethan looked puzzled, but nodded his head.