Gamers Gate

by J. Scott Garibay

Like statues the King's Lions stare back at the group, each man now gripping the black gold hilt of his sword. Not one dares pull his blade.

  "You will no- aaaaeuuu!" The King's protests turn into a squalling shriek as Azor gives his head the gentlest squeeze. The mages move back. Baron Grell eventually moves back as well but doubt covers his visage.

  Azor is halfway down the muraled hall following Kinewyn and Baron Grell when he feels Bryong's absence. He stops and turns to see the redhead throw an open hand strike to a King's mage's chest. She snatched the fee satchel from him as the mage heaves to breath. Bryong curses at Azor to keep moving as she bolts toward him.

  The distance to the Cliff Gate is covered with Azor shaking the King at servants and guards and knights, Kinewyn threatens Baron Grell's life if he misleads them and Bryong sprinkles gold coins and curses as she runs. The group bursts out of the castle into the sunlight. Azor growls. The castles' parapets are crammed with archers drawing down on Kinewyn and Bryong. Azor shakes King Trajon like a rag doll toward the sky and the lines of tensed arrows lower.

  This rear courtyard is a quarter the size of the castle's front courtyard. Although the yard is well groomed it is apparent that it has seen few visitors. The front courtyard is frequently used as a training ground, a staging area, a temporary market and even a carnival site at times. The rear yard seems empty, purposeless. "Open the Cliff Gate," Kinewyn bellows. At the same time he points to the corner of the yard and Bryong runs to get a coil of rope from a ready war wagon parked there.

  "You will not leave this castle with our king," the Gate Keeper stands on the edge of the crenellations without a thought that 120 feet of open air loom below him.

  Kinewyn speaks as Bryong lashes the end of the rope to Azor's free hand, "I have no intention of leaving with your King. The freecaster and I will descend three tree heights down the cliffs and none of your men will pursue. When we are both at that safe distance Azor will release your King and follow us. I warn you now that if we are pursued men will lose their lives."

  "You will pay for his, thief," Prince Ayson rushes up behind the Gate Keeper breathing hard. "Today or tomorrow, thief, I will personally make you pay."

  Azor cannot help but snicker as Kinewyn ties the rope around his Elven waist without bothering to look up at Ayson. The old elf hears revenge speeches as often as righteous men hear temple sermons. The gate is clinking the last few yards to closing as Kinewyn jogs over the edge of the cliff. Twenty feet of slack plays out before Azor gently tightens his stone fingers around the rope and slows Kinewyn ' descent.

  Citizens found guilty of the worst crimes, those who preyed upon children or who attempted to harm the King's family, are flung from the Cliff Gate. Their screams become inaudible hundreds of feet before they strike the mist covered bottom.

  Azor feels tension on the line as Kinewyn swings like a pendulum. The Golon knows the elf will work quickly, the only way the old elf knows how to work after a life devoted to the thieving arts. Azor remembers from his previous visit to the castle that the land he stands on, the land bearing the Cliff Gate is only a thin ten foot ledge of rock. The gate is extended out thirty feet past the body of the cliffs. This is by design. Four centuries passed, King Fasilge had men chip away hundreds of tons of rock around Buelgwarn Edge Castle to make entry attempt from the cliffs a foolish, deadly task. Azor plays out another fifty feet of line and feels the rope go slack. Kinewyn has reached the point where he can climb on the cliff rocks independently. Relief passes through the granite titan. Anyone of the archers could have cut the line with a single arrow.

  Bryong flings the satchel, heavy with gold, over Azor's shoulder lashing it to his massive torso, "Come as soon as the rope goes slack." Her voice is quiet but Azor hears her concern. Bryong is running as soon as the words are spoken. She disappears over the cliff using the same thick rope Kinewyn was lowered on. Azor turns and glares at the crenellations holding Trajon up like a banner. He feels the stillness and the tension. It pulses out of the humans surrounding him in waves. Azor knows that what they feel now is intense fear, palpable anxiety. These feelings are almost alien to Azor. Even in the adventure filled years Azor has spent with Kinewyn he can think of only one time when he has felt fear. He is impregnable, an immovable obstacle and an irresistible force. While one well placed arrow could kill Bryong or Kinewyn every archer here could fire on Azor and it would leave nothing more than thin white scratches on his black granite hide.

  The rope goes slack again signaling Bryong is safe. Azor stamps the rope under his massive foot and jerks his arm free. A loud, dangerous snap rings across the rear courtyard and the torn rope darts over the cliff's edge like a retreating snake. Azor faces Prince Ayson and backs slowly toward the cliff edge still holding the King in his unbreakable grasp.

  "You think we will let you simply climb down?" The clink of chains echo across the courtyard as six King's knights drop from the low stations on the cliff gate. Kinewyn would warn them, Azor thinks even as he began to move, warn them to retreat from the actions that will cause their deaths. Azor has learned that trying to protect humans from their own foolishness is like trying to forge a sword with a candle's flame. With vigor Azor flings King Trajon ten yards into the courtyard. Before the screaming monarch hits the ground Azor charges through the Kings knights sending armored bodies, chains and dust flying like chaff. He was leaps into the air, staring at the misty clouds below when he feels the metallic snap of a coupling around his ankle. Gravity gives him no time to ponder this occurrence, instead clasping his massive frame and pulling him down. Azor can not see the lone King's knight above holding onto the quickly disappearing chain, looking back at his fellow knights wondering why they were not scrambling to grab the chain, to help him hold the stone monster. Azor feels a tug as the chain snatches the poor soul over the edge to follow him. The jagged cliff edge that Kinewyn and Bryong had descended to is yards away from Azor now. Kinewyn and Bryong grow larger in his vision as he and his chain-clutching chaser plummet.

  Bryong is working fast. Azor is not surprised by the brilliant flash of light that surrounds Bryong as she draws power into herself. She catches him with unseen, powerful hands five yards before he smashes into her, Kinewyn and the rock face. He is frozen, all of gravity's effects unnaturally, abruptly halted. Azor's heart quickens as he hears the chain still tinkling, singing a giddy song of descent. Bryong is directly below him, sweat glistening on her face as she holds all two tons of him in mid-air.

  Azor knows it is unlikely Bryong sees the falling King's knight. The near blinding points of light where her eyes should be indicate that she sees only the components of her spell. The unfortunate knight was thrown into a hard arc when he was launched from the Cliff Gate by Azor's weight. He now sails past the three band mates screaming. Kinewyn recognizes the danger immediately and flings himself at Bryong, taking both of them out of Azor's drop path. As Kinewyn touches Bryong her spell immediately dissipates.

  Azor is ready for the abrupt continuation of his fall. Even as his stone body drops the last few yards to the ground he is drawing Klage. The mammoth black blade is whirling in his thick fingers a split second after he takes the jouncing hit of the mountain. He drives the sword deep into the stone at his feet and clasps the leather bound hilt with both hands. His stone leg, thicker than a ship's mast, jerks back as two hundred pounds of human at the end of sixty feet of chain runs out of slack. Azor grunts and clutches his sword, anchoring himself.

  The sound is faint but horrifying. A wet, bone-crunching smack proclaims the knight's death. Azor rises and puts his back into drawing Klage out of the mountain. He stoops again and lays his hand on the deep slit his blade had made in the mountain. He speaks his apology softly for the wound he has given his brother.

  Bryong coughs as Kinewyn helps her to her feet. Dark rings of sweat are visible on the edges of her leathers.

  "Well, done. Both of you. We must move quickly," Kinewyn motions for the two to move along the edge of the rock face.
<
br />   A fast, hard swipe of Klage and the steel coupling around Azor's leg breaks and rattles over the edge. Bryong starts and her knees buckle beneath her. Azor scoops her up before she hits the ground.

  She coughs and raises a hand. "We can't move quickly. The tunnels in the cliffs are a maze. Get too deep and we might not ever find our way out. You know that, Kinewyn."

  Azor huddles Bryong close to his chest as she speaks and tries to shush her, calm her. Kinewyn slips passed both of them moving toward the cave opening a few yards down. Azor follows reluctantly.

  "Coveark will find us. I'm sure he is working his way down from the castle through the tunnels now," Kinewyn ' face shows no sign of doubt.

  "No Kinewyn, he is not coming. Since we left the village I have been able to feel him close. I have not been able to find his presence since we entered the castle." Bryong is adamant.

  Now Kinewyn stops. Azor reflexively turns away from Kinewyn’s glare, shielding Bryong. There is deep concern in his eyes. "Bryong, how can you find Coveark?" Azor grunts as white arrows shatter on a ledge near them. Bryong is a freecaster which by definition meant her abilities are constantly in flux. Azor knows Kinewyn is uncomfortable with Bryong using her power to track Coveark.

  The sound of more arrows shattering on the cliff edge outside the cave shakes them. "Move, move," Kinewyn urges. Azor plunges into the cave opening. Kinewyn passes them and has a torch burning before they reach the first bend. "Pay attention, Azor. My old mind won't remember our turns."

  Azor ignores the old thief's self-denigration. He has watched Kinewyn showcase his age and weaknesses to the world but he works close enough with the elf to disbelieve Kinewyn is ever at a disadvantage he does not counter for. The limitations of age Kinewyn suffers are greatly outweighed by experience, keen intelligence and calculated caution. Azor discerns that Kinewyn is not being cautious here. Before they move on Azor walks Bryong to the cave wall where she quickly scratches a directional arrow. The three move fast, deeper and deeper into the red tan cave tunnels. Four turns, six turns, ten.

  "Slow down, Kinewyn," Bryong is recovering enough to walk now. She eases herself out of Azor's cold arms. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

  "Not really. And that is the point King Trajon's men won't know where we are either. Coveark will find us. Stop nattering, young one. Trust in your band mates the way we have trusted in you time and again."

  The three walk for a short time and then break for a meal. Bryong and Kinewyn share their small portions of nuts, wine and dried berries. Azor shares their conversation and companionship, needing no organic sustenance. They are gathering there packs when Kinewyn signals with his hand that he hears someone approaching. They wait, hands on hilt, as a figure rounds the nearest rock face and draws closer.

  Bryong breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, Coveark, thank the Light I was wrong."

  The figure ignores her words and comes out of the shadows pulling his hood back. The streaks of silver hair, the weathered skin and the eyes that hold two of Coveark's life times stop Bryong in her tracks.

  Kinewyn put his hand on Bryong's shoulder to settle her. "Dromen," the old elf speaks the name without emotion.

  Coveark's father nods and meets Kinewyn ' eyes. "The King's knights are close but you will certainly avoid them by continuing to head into the barghests' coves. Follow me if you don't want to be used as food for infant barghests." Dromen moves away and as soon as his back is turned Azor can not tell the man from his son.

  "It is Coveark's task to lead us," Bryong's voice echoes off the damp walls.

  Dromen stops and turns, "Coveark is not here to perform the task that is expected of him? I can only imagine how disappointing that is for you. I can only imagine." Dromen stares at Kinewyn as he answers Bryong's question. Kinewyn does not look away but Azor wonders why his normal confidence is absent.

  Azor grumbles. "Lead on, Dromen. It is kind of you to help us." Azor sweeps Bryong and Kinewyn forward and Dromen loses no time in leading.

  Chapter 05