by Hans Bezdek
“This should be good,” said Zeke, pushing the door open.
The three entered the tavern. This one was much larger than the one at the outpost, with nearly twenty long tables. Two bars hugged the back and side of the building, with dozens of stools for busy nights. The place looked like it could hold several hundred people.
Yet, it was completely empty.
“H-Hello?” called out Delvin, looking around.
“Is this place closed?” asked Zeke, walking up to one of the bars.
“Maybe… although that’d be a little strange at this time of the day, wouldn’t it be?” asked Sloane. It wasn’t dark out yet, but it was dinner time. She would’ve assumed they’d be busy.
“Oi, be with ya in a minute!” called a dwarf from somewhere behind the other bar.
There three shared a look, then walked over to it. Half a minute later, and a black haired dwarf wearing a chef’s apron appeared.
“Sorry about that,” he laughed. “How can I help ye?”
“Where is everyone?” asked Zeke.
“Er, dunno,” laughed the dwarf, glancing behind him anxiously.
Sloane narrowed her eyes. What was going on? Were there people behind him?
“Why are you acting strange?” asked Delvin.
“Y-Ye don’t know if I be actin strange,” he laughed again. “Maybe I always act this way!”
“Okay…” said Delvin, looking up at Sloane and Zeke.
“Enough of whatever is going on,” said Sloane, leaning towards the dwarf. “We were told to go to the cellar of this place. Can you point us in the right direction?”
The dwarf looked horrified. “C-Cellar? Ha… we, we don’t have no cellar!”
“Double negative,” mumbled Zeke.
“Your tavern doesn’t have a cellar?” she asked, ignoring the elf. “Where do you keep the barrels of beer and mead?”
“Uh…”
Sloane dug around in her pocket and slammed her red coin on the bar.
“Does this help?” she asked.
“That it does,” nodded the dwarf, breathing a heavy sigh. “Ye three scared me, ya did! I was worried one of us cracked!”
“Don’t worry,” smiled Zeke. “We’ll be in and out before you know it. It’ll be no trouble at all.”
“Works fer me,” said the dwarf. “Please, follow me!”
The three walked around the bar and followed the dwarf to the back room. There was a wooden door in the floor, which he hoisted open.
“There ya go,” he smiled. “The others be down there.”
“Coming with us?” asked Sloane.
“No, not this time,” he said, shaking his head. “Need someone up here to keep watch.”
Sloane paused, thinking through her options. This could’ve been a trap. She didn’t like going underground as a rule, but especially not when the person escorting her down wasn’t going with her.
“Perfect, thanks!” said Zeke, hurrying down.
Sloane sighed.
The three walked down the steps that led to the cellar, which turned out to be just as large as the tavern above. She could now see why the upstairs was so empty. There were at least a hundred dwarves packed in down here, along with a handful more of elves, humans, gnomes, and other races. Nearly everyone was facing the back of the cellar, where a dwarf with a gray beard stood on top of several crates. He wore a giant battle axe on his back and had on a black eye patch over his right eye. Even for a dwarf, he looked intimidating.
“The oppression won’t stop until we do something about it!” he said, clearly in the middle of a speech. The entire cheered in support at this statement, some with mugs, others with weapons. “If not we, then who?”
“Maybe this is a bad time,” said Delvin, looking over the crowd. “We could come back later.”
“This does seem pretty intense,” agreed Zeke. “I really just wanted to-”
“Who’s that back there?” asked the one-eyed dwarf.
The crowd turned as one.
“I don’t think now would be a good time to leave,” whispered Sloane.
“Right,” nodded Zeke then cleared his throat. “S-Sorry to interrupt! We came from Re’Lus and were just hoping to talk to someone about-”
“Re’Lus?!” exclaimed the dwarf. “The small elven town? Why, that was quite the journey to get up here!”
“You’d be surprised,” nodded Zeke.
“Did you encounter any of the dastardly Kutarm’s men?” asked the dwarf. “We haven’t heard much news outside of Nurem since we fell to his forces.”
“We didn’t, although we met some other Resistance fighters who did,” said Sloane.
“They even had to fight a Phasathene!” chimed in Delvin.
“Phasathene? What is that?” asked the dwarf.
“They’re a kind of fae creature, Throgrom,” came a woman’s voice. Sloane searched for the owner and saw it was an elven woman with her blonde hair up in a bun. “They are rare in these lands. I find it unlikely that the people actually fought one.”
“Unlikely as fighting undead, too?” asked Zeke. He didn’t look happy to have their story challenged. “Because that’s what happened.”
The crowd broke into murmuring at this. The elven woman looked like she had something more to say, but held her tongue.
“You defeated the undead?” asked Throgrom.
“Sloane did,” said Zeke, nodding towards her. “She’s a great fighter.”
Sloane took the compliment but didn’t say anything.
“Is that so… have you three come to aid us in our uprising against Kutarm’s forces?”
“Not exactly,” said Sloane. “The reason we’re here is probably better suited for private ears.”
“Nonsense,” said Throgrom. “We may all be marching to our deaths tomorrow. There is nothing but trust in this room.”
Tomorrow? Were they planning on staging a revolt so soon? Sloane didn’t like the sound of being caught in the middle of that.
“Wait a moment,” said the elven woman at the front. “You’re from Re’Lus? I bet I know why you’re here. You want to take the Arcane Staff!”
The crowd gasped as a collective, then began murmuring again.
“I uh…” said Zeke, looking worriedly at Sloane. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The Arcane Staff?” asked Throgrom. “What are you talking about, Ivsaar?”
“The Fourth Staff is hidden nearby,” she explained. “Truthfully, I had forgotten the legend until hearing the name of that town again just now. The elves of that region know the location of it, including my people.”
Throgrom looked over at Sloane and the others and thought for a moment. Sloane was beginning to worry. Trying to take an Arcane Staff would usually be punishable by death. No one wanted people having access to the Staves’ power.
“Kutarm might know something of this legend,” said the dwarf. “Perhaps that is why he came here in the first place.”
“Even more reason for us to fight and push his forces back!” declared Ivsaar.
“What if… What if we helped these three get the Staff?” said Throgrom.
The crowd became quiet.
“An Arcane Staff?” called out another dwarf. “We don’t know these people! If they wish, they could use its power against us!”
Throgrom held up his hand before others could voice their concerns. “Tell me, who invited the three of you into the Linsuk Resistance?”
“Some dwarf,” shrugged Zeke. “Think his name was Domino, maybe?”
“Donovic,” said Sloane, trying hard to not roll her eyes. Could the elf remember just one name correctly?
“There ye have it,” smiled Throgrom. “If they be good enough for me brother, then he must’ve seen somethin in em.”
The others nodded their agreement at this. It looked like being overheard in that inn wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“This is what we’ll do,” said Throgrom. “I’ll hav
e Ivsaar here tell you what you need to know. The warrior woman will fight with us tomorrow while ye go and fetch the Fourth Staff. Then, when ye get it, ye help use it against Kutarm. Deal?”
Sloane crossed her arms. While she didn’t mind them using an Arcane Staff against Kutarm, that wasn’t really their focus with getting it. Also, she wasn’t thrilled at being separated from Zeke just yet.
“We can offer ya gold, as well.”
Sloane coughed. Now she definitely was okay with staying.
“You can stay,” said Zeke.
“Really?” she asked, turning to him. “But what if you encounter something dangerous?”
“I’ll take Delvin with me,” he shrugged. “He’ll handle it.”
“W-What?!” cried the gnome.
“Honestly, it’ll be better if you stay and fight,” continued Zeke. “If there is a battle going on here, it’ll distract anyone from finding where the Arcane Staff actually is. Anyone searching for it will be called back to help fight. We can meet back up after.”
Sloane thought about it for a moment. She’d feel bad if Zeke died while getting the Fourth Staff, but there were several positives to staying and fighting. Mainly the money. Helping the Linsuk Resistance get a win would help them more in the future, though, as they looked for the Lost Citadel.
“Alright, I’ll stay and fight,” nodded Sloane, turning back to Throgrom. “What do you need from me?”
Chapter 14
Zeke kept his hood up as he and Delvin walked the streets of Nurem early the next morning. There were a handful of people about, but the streets were quiet. The elf noticed that there were fewer of Kutarm’s men about, just like the Linsuk Resistance said.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” whispered Delvin, glancing around for guards.
Zeke wasn’t sure at all. They were told the location of a secret sewer drain that led north and should help them get out of the city unseen. Zeke wasn’t thrilled at the prospect, but the others were adamant that he not be seen as he left town. Apparently, some of Kutarm’s men were tasked with the job of trailing people that left town to see where they were going. This was probably to find the location of the Arcane Staff, and the last thing the Resistance needed was Kutarm actually finding it.
It was also the last thing Zeke needed, so he had agreed to try and take the secret passage out. That didn’t mean he was confident it would work, but now he felt like he didn’t have much of a choice.
“Just keep your voice down,” mumbled Zeke. “We’re almost there.”
The two snuck by some very tired guards and took a side street to a small, abandoned building close to the wall. As quietly as they could, they opened the door and snuck in, being careful to close it behind them.
Zeke was told that this building used to be used by thieves and smugglers, but the darker side of Nurem offered up their services to the Resistance once the town was occupied. They figured it would be better for business to go back to the way things were. The inside of the thieves den was barren. Zeke wasn’t sure if that was because they moved everything out after giving the Resistance access or if this was always how it looked.
“I don’t see the entrance to the drain,” said Delvin.
“Did you really think they would have it easy to find?” asked Zeke, pressing his hands up against the walls and feeling around on the ground for a secret mechanism. Delvin joined him, and the two felt around like blind mice for several minutes.
“Why couldn’t they have told us where this was?” mumbled Delvin.
“I’m not sure they’re the most organized bunch,” said Zeke.
The elf eventually found a small latch in the back corner of the room. Pulling it up, a small tunnel was revealed underneath it. The two of them hopped in, closing the hidden door. They were met with complete darkness.
“Great,” sighed Zeke. “Now we get to feel around for who knows how long.”
“Just a second!” said Delvin.
Suddenly, a bright light sprang to life a foot away from Zeke’s face, temporarily blinding him.
“Woah, watch it!” he said, covering his eyes.
“Oh, sorry,” said the gnome, diming his magical light. “I cast it at full strength at first.”
“That’s alright,” said Zeke, blinking a few times. Zeke looked around, seeing that the tunnel around them was well put together. Uncracked stones lined the walls and the floor. The tunnel began where they were, and extended out before them. “You lead the way.”
“W-Why do I have to lead?!” demanded Delvin, taking a step back.
“Because you have the light,” Zeke pointed out. “And keep your voice down! Who knows if the echo goes all the way out.”
The gnome looked conflicted but ultimately led the way. Zeke had expected insects or rats to occupy the tunnel, but to his surprise and delight, there weren’t any. After a few minutes, he thought he could hear the sound of guards talking about them. He couldn’t distinguish what they were saying, and the two continued on. The tunnel went on for a while longer until Delvin came to a sudden stop.
Zeke tripped over him.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Zeke asked, getting back to his feet. “You could give me a heads up, you know!”
“Sorry,” shrugged the gnome. “The tunnel ends here, though.”
Zeke expected the tunnel to have an opening straight to the wild, but they were instead met with a stone wall. Looking up, he saw another hatch similar to the one in the abandoned building.
“That explains why there aren’t any critters in here,” he mumbled, pushing it open.
It took a bit more effort than he expected it to. When he poked his head up, he saw why: the covering was a stump.
“Smart idea,” said Delvin after being hoisted up by Zeke. “No one probably goes around lifting up stumps around here.”
Zeke placed the stump back down to cover the tunnel, then looked around. They were now some distance north of Nurem, and they couldn’t even see the city anymore. They were still in a forest, but the trees were much more spaced out than before. Checking around them, it looked like there were guards around whatsoever.
Determining that they weren’t being followed, Zeke and Delvin continued north through the woods. For the next two hours, the two walked at a brisk pace towards the edge of the continent, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders. Zeke kept Lucky out just in case they ran into something but was hoping it wouldn’t be needed. He felt like they were exposed without Sloane around.
The elven woman, Ivsaar, explained to Zeke the whereabouts of Wizard’s Keep. She said that most people didn’t know about it since it was rarely talked about. If a traveler randomly stumbled upon it, they usually thought there was evil magic afoot and would keep some distance from the place. No one ever risked getting too close. The elves that knew its location also never came close, fearful of some sort of guardian or test that would trigger if someone approached.
For that reason, she had no idea exactly where in Wizard’s Keep the Fourth Staff was, or how he could obtain it.
When they could hear the waves of the ocean up ahead, Zeke and Delvin followed Ivsaar’s instructions and hooked a hard left. They continued on for another half an hour, until the trees finally faded away, exposing a bizarre looking cliff.
Giant rock facings dotted the coast, including several strands of rocks that were magically suspended in the air. These arched in random directions, some connected and some not. One of the stones hovered right next to the edge of the cliff, as if inviting them to hop on.
In the middle of it all was the face of an ancient wizard, carved out of stone. The eyes were shaped in an uninviting way, as if it was glaring at anyone who dared look upon it.
“This must be it,” marveled Zeke. “Wizard’s Keep.”
“It’s so beautiful,” smiled Delvin, taking it all in.
The two stared for a few minutes, marveling at the floating rocks and the carved wizard’s head. Several birds flew around, having m
ade nests in the ancient rocks. There was something peaceful and almost sacred about the place.
“So… you ready to do it?” asked Delvin. “I’ll wait for you on solid land to provide backup.”
Zeke wanted to argue but knew there was no point. Only one of them needed to risk their life looking for the Staff, and Zeke was probably better suited at making a quick escape if one was needed.
Still, the floating rocks didn’t look very safe.
“Why don’t you summon one of your illusions onto the floating rock closest to us?” recommended Zeke. He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t plummet to his death on his first step.
“Coming right up,” said the gnome.
Delvin closed his eyes, mumbling something under his breath. Zeke stared at the floating stone as he waited for something to appear. Finally, the green demon that he had seen back with the undead popped into existence on top of it. The floating stone didn’t move an inch.
“Looks stable enough,” smiled Zeke. “That’ll definitely be able to hold me, huh?”
“No telling until you start,” shrugged Delvin.
“I mean… I think that demon probably weighs more than I do.”
“No, my illusions don’t have a weight.”
Zeke stared blankly at the gnome.
“They don’t have a weight?”
“Of course not,” laughed Delvin. “Illusion magic doesn’t have weight. I thought everyone knew that?”
“I didn’t know that!” shouted Zeke. “Why did you listen to me and summon it?!”
“I thought you just wanted to have it there as a sort of good luck charm,” he shrugged.
“Why would a demon be a good luck charm?!”
“I-I don’t know! I-I was trying not to judge you!”
“Ugh, get rid of it,” groaned Zeke, waving his hand at the demon.
Delvin nodded and the green demon disappeared. “T-There’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure you’ve done this sort of things tons of times before!”
“You think I’ve run across precariously floating magic rocks before while trying to find and grab an Arcane Staff?”
