by S. Y. Lee
“Even if this tunnel still exists below the castle, how do we know its accessible on the other end? Wouldn’t they have used it to launch a sneak attack on Thelmont if it was? And it doesn’t change the fact that people who enter Gormore’s grounds go crazy with evil and become feral,” Leo said. His tone was urgent and pressing as he pushed Elin for more answers. He wasn’t going to let her skirt by without telling them everything she knew. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eva shake her head subtly in an attempt to get him to back off, but Elin didn’t seem to mind.
“The tunnel is behind an underground waterfall. It originates from the same river that you would have seen if you came by way of the Shining Bridge. The First River. It’s as old as the lands are and its waters represent the purest form of life, so pure that evil cannot stain it. None from Gormore can touch it, so they cannot pass through the tunnel on this end. If you bring the water with you and consume it, it should prevent you from being affected by Gormore’s influence in the short term, but the text was unclear on how long it would last.” Elin stood, and walked to the window where she gazed out into the busy city streets. Even at night, the crowds barely thinned and businesses were still open.
“Frankly, it’s not the best option, or the option I’d have chosen, but it’s the only way. We shall go to the castle tomorrow and inquire about the tunnel. Get some rest,” the wizard said.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Leo asked. She didn’t respond.
*
The castle was well-guarded, although Elin’s friend in the city’s guard, Cohl, was there to liaise with them and he led the small group in. Leo’s back was aching from sleeping on the hard floor and he groaned while stretching his limbs every few steps. Most of them had slept in the room last night, though both Elin and Karine walked out together speaking in hushed voices, and they weren’t seen again until breakfast. The twins had shared a bed, while Eva and Jessica took the other one, so Leo had the unpleasant luxury of having the entire floor to himself. Nonetheless, after weeks of running and traveling, he was glad they were all together now.
The castle was spartan and plain for the most part, with little signs of ostentatiousness, and guards who stood at attention were posted at every door and hallway. The stone interior reminded Leo of the inside of a cave and statues carved into the walls could be seen everywhere there was space to have one. According to Elin, the structure had been around for at least a few centuries, possibly a few millennia, and it was a marvel that everything appeared to be in pristine condition. Leo tried to recall if there was anything similar in their world, but he couldn’t think of any.
Their footsteps echoed through the halls as Cohl led them deep into the castle and Leo was reminded of their unfortunate foray into the Marble Keep. Hopefully, this meeting wouldn’t turn out to be as acrimonious. The initial signs were positive. Elin knew a captain in the city’s guard and her presence itself was enough to give the group some insurance. Eva had told him what happened when they tried to enter the city a week earlier, and Leo was sure word of Elin’s flair had spread throughout the ranks.
They were led into a giant hall, similar to the throne room in Thermine, but this one was much bigger. They could fit fifty of that room in Thermine into this one. The plain throne that was the centerpiece of the room was unoccupied. Instead, before it, there was a long arching table that curved outwards at both ends. There were nine tall chairs behind it. Each seat was taken and there was a diversity in representation, even though they were predominantly human. There were five humans, an elf, two dwarves, and a goblin. All of them bore stern looks on their faces as the group approached.
Cohl led them to the middle of the semi-circle formed by the table. He then bowed and turned around, winking at Elin as he left them. It wasn’t mischievous or flirtatious, rather a subtle assurance that everything would be fine. She touched his shoulder briefly in acknowledgment before addressing the nine seated before them.
“Council of Thelmont, greetings,” Elin bowed and everyone except Karine and Jessica emulated her action.
“Elin. It has been a long time,” an old man seated in the center said. While his hair was grey and skin ghastly pale, his blue eyes were piercing and he wore a suit of chain mail, which seemed unnecessary given the amount of security in the castle. “What brings you back to Thelmont in our time of need?”
“Pardon my late hour of arrival. I’ve been traveling the lands to learn more about the expanding influence of Gormore.”
“And what have you learned that we haven’t? The attacks have become more frequent. So far, we have been able to repel the attackers and most people living within the walls don’t even realize the impending danger.” The old man sounded tired, and simultaneously irritated at Elin, who had arrived to give the council her unsolicited opinion on what they should do.
“Open confrontation on the battlefield will not work. Gormore’s strength is not in its forces, but its ability to poison the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Even those not touched by the evil have aligned themselves with the Blood Throne in anticipation of its rise. As we speak, I can’t say for certain that everyone within the walls is an ally,” Elin said, looking left and right along the table at the council assembled.
“How dare you!” One of the dwarves banged her fist on the table and pointed accusingly at the wizard. “How do we know that you and this miserable band you’ve gathered aren’t here in service of the Blood King? You’ve been absent for years, and now you expect to march in here and take control?” Several members of the council nodded in agreeance, but the old man wasn’t one of them.
“Let’s not be hasty, Opilia,” he said as he tilted his head and stared at the dwarf until she lowered her hand and placed it on the table. He waited a few seconds after that to turn his attention back to Elin. “What do you propose then?”
“There is a tunnel under the castle that leads to Gormore. We can strike at them before they know it. If the person who sits on the Blood Throne falls, the corruption of Gormore will dissipate and their forces will crumble. And,” she paused for effect, “those who plot against the king will not dare to act.”
She spoke directly to the old man as she made her case. The virtue and intent of the curved table hadn’t eluded the visitors. It was supposed to represent the equality of everyone on the council, yet it was evident that the old man was held in extreme reverence and his seat in the middle codified that. As the old man pondered Elin’s words, the goblin, who sat restlessly at the left end of the table, fidgeted with his hands and occasionally touched the pointed tips of his ears. His eyes darted from face to face, though they kept coming back to Elin.
“The king has ordered preparations for battle. We must be ready. This plan of yours is a fool’s errand. We must concentrate on beating back our enemies. When they cannot make any progress, the Blood King will ride to the gates of Thelmont himself and there we will hold him accountable,” the old man said after long deliberation.
“That’s craziness,” Eva muttered too loudly. Everyone turned to her, but instead of being angry at Eva, Elin motioned for her to step to the front and speak.
“Who are you?” the old man asked.
She took a second to think about her response. They were treading on thin ice here and the wrong answer might forestall their efforts to get home. “Eva Bannor of Silverbrick,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Leo for assurance. He nodded back at her.
“Elin’s way will result in the least amount of blood shed, surely that’s important to you and the king. Perhaps we could speak with him and present our argument? In any case, it would just be the seven of us to go through the tunnel, we’re not asking you to spare any men.” Eva spoke with confidence while holding her head high, trying to project her nobility in this world.
“The tunnel is… nobody has been down there in ages, and I can’t remember the last time anyone even stepped into it. Forget it, my lady. An elf, a wizard and five young humans are not going to accompli
sh what an army cannot, and we could use Elin on our side when the attack comes.”
“But—”
"Say no more!" The old man stood, as did the rest of the council. “That will be all. I’ll let the king know what you spoke off, Elin, but we will not have you running off on a foolish mission when we need you here. As I understand, the elf and the two young men behind you agreed to fight as condition to their admittance into the city. They shall report to Captain Tylen immediately for induction into the guard.”
“Not this one,” Elin gestured at Leo, much to his own surprise. “He is Lady Eva’s personal guard. He must stay by her side to protect her.”
“Fine.”
The old man turned to leave and each member of the council peeled off one by one to head in the same direction. The goblin was last, and he lingered until his colleagues were out of earshot.
“Go back to the inn, I’ll stop by later,” he said with a hand over his mouth, like someone might have been watching and trying to read his lips, then hurried off.
Soon, the party of seven was left standing by themselves in the throne room, until Cohl returned to get them.
Chapter 75
He was conflicted. Leo felt horrible about ditching Karine and David, who had gone reluctantly with Cohl to get their uniforms and assignments, but he was glad he hadn’t been forced to do the same. After leaving the castle, they headed back to the inn to contemplate their latest setback. Fighting in a war wasn’t an option, not for them at least.
He wanted to ask Elin why she had lied to get him out of joining the city’s guard, but she hadn’t spoken in a long time and only responded in nods and headshakes when Eva and Jessica tried talking to her.
As far as he could tell, they had hit a dead end in their farcical journey to complete some task wrought onto them by a mythical object. The entire theory to explain how they had gotten here was seemingly implausible, yet it was the only logical explanation. Leo recalled something one of his professors had said in school, that if all other possibilities were eliminated, what remains must be true. He thought of the antique shop where they had purchased the wooden box and the serendipitous encounter with the woman who had sold them the artifact. Was it just a coincidence or had she been there by design? If it was the latter, who was she?
The dining area of the inn was quiet today and they were the only people around when the goblin came in through the door. The innkeeper recognized him and pointed the member of the council to their table.
Eva and Jessica were a little taken aback as he took a seat at the table between them. Leo and Sarah had already met their first goblin back in Servane, but seeing one up close was a different experience. His skin was dark brown and matched the wood of the table. His deep-blue attire looked like something that anyone walking down a busy street in Thelmont might wear, and he scratched the stubble on his chin as he called for the innkeeper to bring them a round of ale.
“Wizard, we have not met personally, but I’ve heard stories. I’m Qasper Wernon. I’ve only been on the council for a few years.” The goblin paused as the drinks came to the table and he took a swig out of his mug.
“Good to meet you, Master Wernon. There aren’t many goblins in the city, but it’s heartening to see that they’re represented by you on the council. What did you want to speak about?” Elin asked.
“Qasper will do. I don’t agree with the council’s decision and I want to help you.”
“Why? And where is the young king?”
The goblin took another swig and eyed Leo, who was sitting directly across the table from him and staring. Leo tried not to swallow his saliva too visibly and hoped his eyes didn’t give away his nervousness. He couldn’t think of a kind mention of goblins anywhere in the stories that filled his childhood, and while Qasper was positing an alliance, Leo couldn’t help but be suspicious and a little scared at the same time. He silently let out a sigh of relief when the goblin’s eyes reverted to Elin.
“The king is sick. He has been for months—”
“Could he be…?” Elin interrupted.
“I don’t know. But once every few days, he summons the council into his chambers where we update him on the city’s business and the escalating situation with Gormore. I have counseled against war, but I’ve been in the minority of each decision,” the goblin said. His expression betrayed a certain sadness and regret.
Elin’s eyebrows raised at the same time as if she had just remembered something. “Wernon. I know that clan,” she said softly.
“Yes. It was a long time ago. I was just a youngling when the remnants of my clan traveled here to seek refuge.” There was a long awkward pause and Leo had never seen Elin so uncomfortable as she avoided direct eye contact with the goblin and moved the untouched mug in front of her from side to side.
“As I was saying,” the goblin continued, “I believe the king is not being offered the best advice and he hasn’t been outside the walls of his chambers in a long time. He is oblivious to the attacks we’ve seen with increasing frequency and how bad it will get. As you said, Elin, we need to strike at the Blood Throne itself. War against those corrupted by its evil stain will be difficult. Even if we win, a lot of blood will be spilled and you know what Gormore was built on in the first place. It's a never-ending wheel that will keep spinning throughout time, unless we break the wheel itself."
Eva had been sitting quietly next to Leo until now. “But you guys disallowed Elin’s plan. What now?”
“We break into the castle,” Leo said, almost too loudly, but luckily there was nobody else around to hear it. The innkeeper was nearby, but he appeared uninterested in the group as he dusted off tables and chairs in preparation of new customers.
“Yes,” Elin and Qasper agreed in unison.
“You’ll help us?” the wizard asked.
“Yes. I know where the tunnel is. It hasn’t been used in centuries and it’s behind a locked gate, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you,” the goblin responded.
“We just need to find a way into the castle.”
“I’ll work on that. You’ll need to be ready for the journey. I have no idea how far the tunnels go, but if it’s the same distance to Gormore on land, that’s at least seven days on foot.”
“Hold on, it’s that close?” Jessica asked. The only answer was a cold stare from the goblin, before she understood the graveness of their situation. That was why the city was urgently gearing up for a fight. Their enemies were literally next door.
Qasper ignored the question. "Give me some time to work on getting you all into the castle. Spend the next few days preparing." He looked around the table. Apart from Elin, the skepticism in the abilities of everyone else was clearly stated in his eyes as he sized them up.
“You could come with us,” Elin said, sensing his unease.
He shook his head. “My place is here, with my people and the city that has taken us in. I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, be discreet and don’t let anyone know about your intentions.” With those parting words, the goblin got up and went over to the innkeeper, pushing some coins into the man’s palm for the drinks, and then he left.
Chapter 76
She could have gone back to the cabin in the forest to Keela and Edan or after the valley community had she rescued, but instead, Caitlin chose to keep going in the opposite direction until she came to a road on the other end of the Kallen Valley. She didn’t want to face the angry or terrified residents whose valley community had no doubt been destroyed. While she played a crucial hand in their escape, she felt guilty for being a part of the group that had threatened their lives so brazenly. It looked like her efforts had prevented any deaths, but the fate of Alister was unknown. She was still wondering why he had plunged himself into the flames, rather than flee with the residents or side with the Dark Flame.
She kept an eye out for the riders that had been dispatched to chase after her, but it appeared that she had eluded them. She was alone again, although this time much bette
r equipped and ready to face this world head on. She was also not on foot and her red uniform, while uncomfortable, provided her warmth in the night.
Nonetheless, she felt no obligation to the strange man who had gifted her a small fortune in exchange for the pelt she had scavenged. Now, released of all bonds and contracts, she was free to find her way home to her family, her real family back in Sydney.
The road was long and meandering and she seldom saw other travelers, which suited her. Thus far, she hadn’t come across anyone who could point her in the right direction and she was content to keep soldiering on. There were some who avoided her on the road when they saw her attire. Based on the behavior of the Dark Flame and what she had witnessed, it was easy to draw the conclusion that the scarlet uniform and emblem on her chest symbolized evil and stoked hatred, if not fear. Unfortunately, her previous clothes had been taken from her by Clera and thrown into a fire. Caitlin hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but now she realized it was poetic in a sense, abandoning your old shell into the flame to become a part of it.
Food wasn’t much of an issue, as she was able to forage fruits along the way. Once, she saw a deer-like animal – it had scales – and she was tempted to shoot it with her lone arrow, but she didn’t when she considered what to do with the animal’s carcass. She had no knife to skin it with, nor the ability to make fire. She had tried to start a campfire to sleep next to, rubbing two sticks together until the skin of her palms was red and tender, but she couldn’t produce any hint of a flame or spark.
After a few days, she came across a small band of merchants traveling in a caravan who offered her hot food for a small cost. The merchants had traveled far and wide, and seemed indifferent to her clothing as long as she had money. She was also able to obtain some information from them about where the road led. There were many small villages and farms along the way, but it ultimately went to a city called Thelmont. She had no idea if she would find any help there, but it was a lead worth pursuing and she thanked the merchants before parting ways with them. As much as she enjoyed the company, she was still cautious of strangers and suspicious of their intentions.
