This can’t be good, she thought. I’d hoped the Abkor would stay out of this.
She left the faint, familiar way to her cave and headed left deeper into the grim forest. An hour later, she came to a tiny glade where she waited. As dusk shrouded the spot, three creatures taller than Nokmay approached. The light from a single torch made their boar-like tusks seem to glow. They were the Abkor, the Guardians of Order who generally remained unseen rarely intervening in the affairs of men.
“Greetings, it has been an age since I saw you last.” Nokmay bowed low.
“Indeed,” the leader said. “We’d hoped the age of man would restrain Chaos. It seems a mental weakling named Ickletor has succumbed to the call of the Book of the Underworld. You should have destroyed it.”
Nokmay shook her head, “Would that I could have, but the kings of Tigmoor kept it guarded at all times. I had hoped it would have remained so. Only a cowardly general betrayed it to the high priest of Octar. I thought him a simple greedy fool. He can hardly read. I never thought he could make sense of that book.”
“You have failed us, witch. The fool has experimented. He now perceives the spells in that book have powers he’s never conceived of. He plays with them to discover what they do without thinking of the possible consequences. You must destroy the tome.”
Nokmay fidgeted. “I can’t get to it. He keeps it too well hidden. Can’t you obtain it?”
“Nokmay, you are old beyond this time. You remember when spells in the Book of the Underworld eventually wiped out those before. They were wiser than humans, and yet it overwhelmed them. This fool priest must not play with it.”
“I understand.” Nokmay turned to go.
“Nokmay, you, too, are engaged in evil doings. You are promoting war in Tigmoor and Octar as well.”
“What can I do? I must deliver bodies to this new god, Tingtwang or forfeit my life to feed his monstrous creations.”
The lead Abkoran, Nain snarled. His tusks glistened in the dappled moonlight. “Nokmay, that fool priest has stumbled across a spell that feeds on chaos. He has a vile plan to bring into a being that which will bring him ultimate power.”
“Did you know he’s sent a young man, a prince of Tigmoor in search of The Eye of Dindak? Should this naive seeker bring that crystal out into the world again, the consequences could be catastrophic once more.”
Nokmay pinched her chin. “So that’s the mission Ickletor sent the prince on. The young man won’t succeed. We both know it’s too well guarded. He has no knowledge or training to deal with the things that will confront him.”
“Witch, we attempted to stop him. He and his bumbling companion somehow managed to kill the Abkor we sent against him! Someone or something is aiding him. We believe he may have obtained the accursed jewel. Should he bring that meteorite to the high priest it would enable that ambitious Ickletor to activate incantations no one could stop or control.”
“Agree,” Nokmay said. “I shall do what I can to prevent this. Remember that the book has a will of its own! It may attempt to aid the prince as well.”
“You’ve woven yourself into your own web, Nokmay. I fear a tide of doom now carries you along, and we may not be able to turn it.”
*
The Abkor left the clearing disappearing as they passed through the edging trees. Nokmay withdrew an imperial topaz crystal from her cloak and flicked her fingers. The crystal glowed a warm, golden color lighting her way back to her cave.
Rasa was pacing in front of the entry rubbing her arms in the cool night air when Nokmay entered the clearing from the forest. The slave rushed to her.
“Where have you been? I expected you this afternoon. I feared the king had rejected Eva and something terrible had happened to you both.”
Nokmay passed by Rasa into the cave without responding. She shed her cloak and went immediately to her visionary pool. “Where is that pair of stumbling fools?” She shuffled over to and unlocked her spell-protected cabinet. Scratching and shuffling through the small recesses, she found none of Malladar’s hair. Not finding any, she growled and hurled the last dusty box back into the darkness at the back of the cave. “Fool, how could I have discounted that pup?”
Rasa crept forward, “Can I assist you, Mistress?”
Stiff old bones made Nokmay’s decent from the ladder slow and painful. Ignoring Rasa, she took a moment to recover then went to sit by the fire. Rasa brought her a bowl of steaming soup, and she ate in silent thought before setting the empty bowl aside.
“First thing in the morning, we must go back to Octar. I have things to do there concerning Ickletor. You, Rasa, must enter the city and befriend the staff in the king’s palace. However, you accomplish it, get into the palace, and make your way to Prince Malladar’s suite. Bring me some of his hair.”
“But Mistress, how shall I accomplish such a thing?”
Nokmay grabbed and threw the bowl against the wall. “That thick mane of his must require a comb or brush, stupid woman. Search his bedroom and pluck hairs from those.” She glared at Rasa. “Do not fail me in this.”
They were on the road to Octar at sunrise. The journey encountered a delay outside the city that even Nokmay hadn’t considered.
27: Ickletor’s New Pet
Again at his estate beyond the city walls, Ickletor sat sipping his drink while studying the vista for signs of clouds. More jumpy of late, a sudden movement caught his eye startling him. He tensed, eyes pinched focusing when the green and brown head of an iguana popped up, observing the terrace. Then the creature climbed up and lay down in the sun along the garden wall cap.
“You gave me quite a scare, you little terror.”
He took a piece of juicy fruit and approached the wall slowly so as not to frighten the reptile. The iguana watched him with each step but didn’t run away. When Ickletor raised his arm to put the fruit on the wall, the cautious lizard rose up on its feet but still didn’t leap off the wall or run. Ickletor noted his attention was on the fruit and not the hand as he withdrew it without sudden movement. The iguana moved forward, extended its head, and snapped up the fruit watching Ickletor as it swallowed the gift. Its bravery was impressive.
In the afternoons, when Ickletor could escape the city stress, he sought refuge in his garden, and the iguana seemed always to appear. With so much anger and frustration focused on him by the Octarians, the nonjudgmental iguana seemed his only friend that might not turn on him.
One such afternoon, Ickletor was on the terrace with the iguana when Sestec brought out a bowl of fruit. Ickletor sliced off a piece of soft mango and hand-fed it to the lizard.
“I see you have a pet, Master.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Pets are for children,” Ickletor said, but he smiled at the iguana on the table beside him. “I suppose I do.” He fed it another piece of mango.
“He’s an impressive little dragon. They frighten some children and ignorant people. He makes a suitable pet commanding respect for a man in your exalted position.” Sestec bowed and withdrew.
A sudden clamoring arose up the road from the high priest’s estate. Ickletor listened carefully.
There are many voices, he thought, and they are moving this way.
“Sestec! Sestec, come at once!”
The jittery-eyed servant ran out on the terrace.
He’s fearful, Ickletor noted. I mustn’t show fear.
“What is all that noise out there?”
“There appears to be a mob marching this way thrusting farm implements in the air. I can’t tell what they are yelling, but it doesn’t sound amicable.”
“They dare trespass on my estate! Go out there and warn them they are trespassing and must leave at once.”
Sestec stood a moment before speaking. “You want me to go confront the mob. Master, it is you they have come to see. They must want to plead for you to save them from the drought.”
“I don’t converse with irrational mobs. Go tell them they must leave and take their petitions to t
he king or the temple properly.”
Sestec seemed to slump and again hesitated.
“Go man! Go now before they invade the house itself.”
Sestec rushed back inside. Ickletor felt his heart pounding. A moment later he heard what sounded like Sestec out front speaking to the mob. The clamoring resumed, and he thought he heard the front door slam. A moment and Sestec’s sudden appearance again scared Ickletor.
“Master, the people insist you come and talk to them.” The sounds of objects hitting and smashing against the front of the house caused Sestec to look back before he continued, “They demand you convince Yingnak to send rain or they said…”
“Said what, man?”
“They said they would come to the temple and offer your own heart to Yingnak!”
More objects slammed against the front of the house. Ickletor drew back. A large rock flew over the garden wall, rolled along the stones, and rocking, stopped only feet from the table. The iguana inched forward and didn’t retreat with Ickletor and Sestec.
“You must speak to them, Master. They’ll tear through this house if you show fear of them.”
I wish I’d brought temple guards with me to my retreat, Ickletor thought. I’ll never venture out of the temple without an escort again.
“Very well, I shall confront them. You, Sestec, will make a note of every treacherous one of them whom you recognize. Write down their names.”
With that, Ickletor took two deep breaths and went to confront the mob. The front door rattled as something large hit it. Ickletor took the door handle and shook it first. The noise out front ceased as the high priest opened the door and took one step forward facing the throng.
“You are trespassing here. I serve you, and the god Yingnak every day at the temple. Why do you bring your petitions to my private estate? You must disburse and leave my land. Come before me tomorrow at the temple.”
A tall man holding a pitchfork waved it in the air. “We’ve sacrificed what little we have on your orders. We’ve sacrificed our children. You’ve promised you could pacify Yingnak and bring rain, yet the rain has only fallen on your lands, while our crops wither and die.”
Others began to brandish potentially lethal implements towards Ickletor as the chorus of shouting resumed. The crowd pressed forward like cattle prodded from behind. Ickletor stepped back, gripping the door frame. A stone sailed over from the back of the crowd and smashed the lintel above the door. Fragments showered down on the high priest. Another stone hit the frame beside him, and a flying fragment slashed his forearm.
Ickletor backed into the house, grabbing for the handle as the crowd pressed forward. Just then a sudden clacking of armor arose from up the road behind the angry mob.
“Royal troops,” Sestec said from somewhere behind him.
Ickletor looked up over the throng and saw the spearheads rhythmically bobbing up and down beyond their heads moving towards the house. Soldiers, He thought.
The people at the back of the mob turned first. They mumbled, and a wave of heads turned to look behind them. A moment of shock and then chaos erupted. The panicked people fled in every direction through the fields to escape the troops.
The officer in charge of the soldiers saluted Ickletor after he restored order. “The king sent us to escort you back to the city. He noted a group of angry people shouting at the temple demanding you come out. When they started moving towards the city gate with their implements and grumbling, he suspected they might threaten you.”
“Thank you for coming. Sestec and I will close up the house and be with you in but a moment.” The two men closed the shutters. Ickletor took his bag and started for the door, then went out to the terrace and scooped up the iguana, sliding him into the bag. Priest and troops marched back to Octar with the soldiers surrounding Ickletor and Sestec.
When the warriors saw the two priests enter the temple, they returned to the palace to report to the king what had happened.
Sestec stood atop the temple mound beside Ickletor.
“They came just in time. Sorry you had to leave your pet behind. I know you’ll miss him.”
Ickletor patted his satchel, “In the bag.” He smiled, “Now go at once and write down a list of every one of those heretical bastards who attacked the god’s high priest! Perhaps what’s needed is a fresh human sacrifice to temper the collective frustrations.”
28: Malladar
The two adventurers hopped over rocks that were hurtling down the crumbling mountain covering the trail. Boulders and trees shook loose and tumbled along the slopes. The men and jaguar dodged the debris that slowed their flight. A huge rock bounced just in front of them just missing Toda. It smashed the ledge they were rushing along right off the mountainside.
“We’re not going to make it!” Toda said. He had collapsed back against the cliffside, breathing hard. He was staring at the sheer, steep rock of the exposed grade. “This mountain doesn’t want to give up its treasure. The eye-rock is cursed!”
Bobo was watching something in the distance. Malladar looked to see what he was looking at. From nowhere, two large creatures with the bodies of men, but with heads and talons of eagles, flying with bat-like wings spanning eighteen feet flew directly towards them.
Malladar squatted down. He’d kept the spear by mutual agreement and now held it aimed at the attackers. Toda, trembling and moaning, hid behind him. His arms folded over his head that was stuck down between his knees.
“If I ever get off this mountain, I’ll never so much as climb a hill again,” Toda whimpered.
The bedazzling, winged creatures flew down, dodged the spear, and still in flight, snatched at the terrified treasure hunters. Malladar thrust the spear repeatedly at the winged attackers. One creature knocked him backward into Toda. Shoved off the edge of the ledge, the screaming priest scrunched up in a ball and rolled down the slope. Seeing Toda exposed, Malladar leaped onto the incline, and the two men bowled and somersaulted down the mountain. They smacked up against the backside of the first mountain they had hiked around. An opening was just steps away.
One winged monster resumed grabbing at them as the other hovered above him. The fall had broken the spear. Malladar threw one piece at the closest creature as the men dashed through the opening.
“Umph!”
Toda turned and saw a monster claw had snagged the prince’s shoulder jerking him backward, slamming him into the cave’s wall. Toda jumped forward and swung his battered club with all his might. It struck the creature’s leg snapping it. A chilling screech and then the monster flew off with leg dangling.
The other assailant landed in front of the cavity, its wings still flapping its uncertainty. Toda advanced one step to be between the monster and Malladar still stunned on the cave floor. The quaking priest shook his club at the angry creature that squawked in front of him.
“Thanks!” Malladar said from behind Toda.
As the creature flew back away from the opening, Toda lowered his shaking club and turned to the stunned prince trying to stand as he rubbed the back of his head.
“What were those things? Toda croaked. “Where’d they come from? I thought we were goners for sure.” He began patting the sweat that ran off him in streams.
“What worries me is who sent them and how long have they monitored our movements,” Malladar said. “Something other than the mountain doesn’t want us to take The Eye or whatever it is.”
Bobo came loping into the cave minutes later with his usual unperturbed expression. His only show of emotion was to rub up against Malladar’s thigh.
Malladar scratched him behind his ear. “You thought we were goners, too, didn’t you, boy.” Bobo stepped over and sprayed the rock edges of the opening.
“Ewe!” Toda’s nose flared. Then he peered out and saw that Bobo had forced the winged thing back from the opening. Still, it stood waiting for them to come out. “We can’t go out that way,” Toda said. “The other one will be back soon with reinforcements.”
“Let’s see where this goes.” Malladar found a solid stick near the entrance and wrapped some cloth from his pack around its tip, pouring some of their cooking oil on it. Flicking stones, he was able to light it. With the torch in one hand and the other hand on his club, he started exploring back into the darkness. Bobo bounded around the priest and walked along behind Malladar.
Toda hesitated, gazed back at the flapping wings again at the cave opening, and followed Malladar and Bobo. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“You have a better plan?”
The question echoed off the stone wall further back in the cave that descended more with each step. The air got cooler as the men moved deeper through twists and turns in the rock fissures. After a while, Malladar noticed more moisture in the air. Soon he stopped and listened.
“Hear that?”
“Hear what… the sound of beating wings or snarling animals, possibly some other voice of doom?”
“Water, that’s the sound of running water!”
Toda was wiping his brow unceremoniously with his sleeve. “I thought it’s supposed to be hot in the underworld. We must be coming up on it any minute.”
“You’re hopeless, Toda.”
The priest checked to be sure his battered club was close at hand. “I’m sure I’ll be ushered through the gates with great fanfare.” He shook his head and looked at Malladar. “They won’t let you in.”
“Well, now that’s mighty kind of you, my friend. I won’t let them take you either.”
Ten Minutes later they stepped into a great cavern and onto a sandy beach. A great river flowed through the center of the room. Malladar raised the torch, and as light spread across the scene they stood still staring with heads following movement.
“Did you see that?” Toda asked.
Malladar was still staring. “Yeah, two huge black bugs as big as a man scurried into the shadows rushing down the river.”
The Grim Conspiracy Page 14
