"Yes yes, raise the taxes in the northern region!" said a voice, though not that of the king's. "Have that man executed at once! I do not care if he is only guilty of petty theft, I want his head for this insolence! This is my kingdom! I can sentence anyone to death that I want! If you protest any more, I will sentence you to death as well!"
The group went to investigate the voice and found the king's chancellor, a thin man around the same age of the king's, sitting on the throne, and apparently pretending that he was king. Upon seeing the group, the man gave a scream similar to that of a young girl and hopped off the throne and into a corner.
The man turned his head towards the group and asked, "How much of that did you hear?"
"Enough I would suppose," answered Suzanne, fighting to keep from laughing. "Do you pretend to be king often?"
To the surprise of the four, the man immediately ran up to Suzanne and dropped to his knees, tears beginning to fall down his face, "Please, please do not tell his Majesty about this! Or anyone else for this matter! I heard that you are travelers! I can give you an interesting tip! There is this field on the eastern side of Malandoras, in the middle of a forest! Something interesting is happening there! You should check it out!"
"That's very interesting," began Suzanne. "But we were hoping to get help with something else."
"Anything! I will do anything! Just do not tell anyone!" cried the chancellor.
"Have you ever heard of the Vase of Drought?" asked Suzanne.
"I have heard of it. It is this treasure that is supposedly hidden within this very castle. But I have no idea where it is, I swear! I wish I could tell you where it is, but I do not know where it is!" yelled the chancellor.
"That's alright, keep your voice down or you'll accidentally tell someone what you did," said Suzanne. "How about this, if we find the vase, can you let us have it? We'll give it back once we're done with it, I assure you."
"That is fine, the king does not know where it is either, so he will never find out. Nobody here really cares about that artifact. Do we have a deal then?" asked the man nervously, though starting to regain his composure.
"We have a deal," assured Suzanne.
The group went into the basement of the castle. As Ron had told Thomas and Alice, there were three large boulders and some deep puddles of water in the room. The puddles were more like small ponds; they were deep enough to hold the boulders inside them. The group found a small chamber on the northern end of the room that had a decorated carpet at the end of it.
"I wonder why there's such a valuable-looking carpet here," mused Alice. "It's not even by a door or the stairs or anywhere where one would usually put a carpet."
"You said that the vase is sealed under the castle, correct?" asked Suzanne. After Alice nodded, Suzanne continued, "Maybe this carpet is somehow connected to unsealing the passageway? It doesn't make sense to put such a fine carpet in a dirty place like this otherwise."
"Hey guys, Tom and I have an idea!" Ron called from the main chamber. Suzanne and Alice returned to the main chamber to see what they had to say.
"We've been studying these boulders and this water and we think these also fit into the puzzle," said Ron. "The water is exactly as deep as it needs to go and fully engulf a boulder. If we were to put the boulders in there, we'd probably never get them out."
"What does that have to do with this?" asked Suzanne.
Thomas spoke up now, "After studying the positions of the boulders, we have determined that it would be difficult to get them in that chamber without accidentally putting them into the water. We think that maybe this is some sort of puzzle that needs to be solved. Maybe this seal we've read about is connected to getting these boulders into the chamber you were just in."
"Hey wait a second! Let me measure these boulders quick!" said Alice, suddenly excited. She took out a ruler and slowly and carefully measured the length of each of the boulders and found them to be exactly the same length. Then she went into the chamber and measured the carpet.
"I have an idea! This carpet is here to put the boulders on! The carpet is just big enough to put all three of the boulders on it side by side!" suggested Alice.
"These are some interesting coincidences," replied Suzanne thoughtfully. "Too many, I think, to be coincidences. Let's try it."
Ron went up to one of the boulders and examined it, pushing and pulling on it a little bit. "Judging by the size, only two people can push or pull it at one time. Since they're spherical and not all that rough, it will be difficult for us to pull it. Therefore, two of us will have to push it. The other two can help guide the pushers and also make sure they don't accidentally push it too far."
"Let's map out the room and the boulders and make a plan first," suggested Suzanne. "Like you guys said, this water is here to impede our progress, and we'll find it very difficult to get the boulders out if they go in. We have to make sure we don't get ourselves stuck."
After a few minutes of mapping out the room and planning how they would push the boulders, the team set to work. The two strongest of the team, Suzanne and Ron, decided to be the ones to push the boulders. Alice and Thomas consulted the map and the plan that had been drawn up to help guide them, while also making sure the boulders did not get away from them.
It took about a half hour of work, but eventually the four got the three boulders onto the carpet. Several streams of light emanated from the carpet and flew at the east wall of the chamber. After swirling around a section of the wall for a few seconds, that part of the wall disappeared entirely. Behind the disappeared section of wall was a small hallway. The group entered the hallway cautiously.
The hallway led to a small room in which laid an ordinary looking chest. After Alice checked to make sure it was not a monster, the group opened the chest. Inside the chest was a vase that looked as ordinary as the chest it was stored in. However, Alice checked the vase out and concluded that it was what they had been looking for.
"There is definitely some powerful magic in this thing, even though it doesn't look it. I'd say we found the Vase of Drought!" she exclaimed triumphantly.
"Only problem now is that we don't know how to use it, where to use it, or even if it has anything to do with the Final Key," replied Thomas.
Chapter 14: Malandoras
"Of all the dumbest ideas, this has to be one of the dumbest," criticized Bill.
"Well, we don't really have any clue as to how or where the Vase of Drought comes into play," admitted Suzanne. "For all we know, this interesting thing that the chancellor mentioned could have something to do with it."
"If I had to guess," said Alice, "it'd be that we're going to find some body of water there. And then we just use the Vase of Drought and maybe the Final Key will be at the bottom or something."
"I have to agree with Bill on this, this is the longest shot yet," said Thomas. "The chancellor said he heard it was in the castle, but he didn't sound sure. My guess is that he knows very little about the vase. Not to mention the fact that we don't know if the vase has anything to do with this Final Key at all, or that we have no proof that this Final Key is all that it's cracked up to be."
"You two have some better suggestions?" asked Ron. "I can't think of too many better things to do"
The group had returned to the Mad Hound and sailed west. According to the most common world maps, the Mad Hound had already sailed off the western edge of the map only to reappear on the eastern edge, due to the roundness of the world. They had been sailing for three days towards the continent of Malandoras.
The eastern hemisphere was something of a mystery to the western world, though admittedly one that few were willing to investigate. The whole eastern hemisphere was, for the most part, wild and untamed. Those humans that inhabited the two continents, Malandoras and Sisten to the south of Malandoras, were primarily nomads and barbarians. The kingdom of Samanao resided in the middle of Sisten but had recently sealed itself off from the rest of the world, much like Aliahan had. Unlike Ali
ahan, Samanao had offered little reason for its isolation.
The group had decided to check out Malandoras on the advice of both the chancellor and the king. The group had done a little research on the Soo that the king had mentioned, and found they resided in the middle of Malandoras, in a region with many rivers. Since the chancellor had told the group that there was something happening in a forest on the eastern side of Malandoras, the group decided to investigate that first since that would be closer.
"Hey! You four!" came the voice of Captain Marbeley. "We've got aerial foes coming this way! Hades' Condors by the looks of it!"
"Hades' Condors?" asked Suzanne.
"For the most part, they're about as dangerous as your typical scum. But they've got a spell that can teleport a person against their will. That's why anybody sailing these days makes sure to keep a wing of wyvern on them," explained the captain. "Still, most ships don't have these enchantments like what you've put on ours, so the best a sailor can do is either teleport to the ship's next destination to be picked up or back home. A true pain."
"Here they come!" warned Ron.
Two large blue birds descended on the group. Alice sent a stream of fire at the birds, giving them some good burns. The birds were far from done however. One of the birds swooped at Suzanne and gave her a good peck to the shoulder, doing so in one fluid motion such that Suzanne missed on her counterattack. Ron managed to hit the same bird with a slash to its torso, but the bird still lived.
Thomas was casting a spell of his own. He finished his spell just before the spell casting bird did and the bird was engulfed in the energy waves of a spell-stopping spell. The condor could do nothing but make angry noises as its spell failed after it had finished casting.
Alice took out her sword and joined the melee. The wounded bird, seeing her and thinking her an easy target, came in for an attack. Though Alice was still the least skilled in weaponry of the group, she managed to inflict the killing blow on the weakened bird. The spell casting bird, no longer having that option available, came in for a strike on the group. It was met by the blades of Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas and met a fate similar to its comrade.
"Good job on that sealing spell, Tom," complimented Suzanne. "It would've been really annoying if those birds got somebody lost somewhere."
"I wonder where the spell sends people," commented Alice.
"Surprisingly, it usually sends a person into a town or other friendly place," said Captain Marbeley as he approached the group. "It'd be more than an annoyance if they sent people straight to the Archfiend's lair or something! You guys did well against those damn birds."
The group came to the eastern side of Malandoras after another day of sailing. They spent a good portion of the day looking through the forest for the field that the chancellor had mentioned. After a while, they found a break in the forest that led to a field. The group found that there was a lake in the middle of the field with a house near the lake. The group decided to investigate the house.
Inside the house was an older man, in his fifties or sixties, wearing work clothes. The man had been enjoying some coffee at his table when the group knocked on his door.
"Hello," greeted the old man. "Who might you all be?"
"We're a group of travelers," replied Suzanne. She and the rest of the group introduced themselves to the man.
"Nice to see people for a change," said the man. "My name is Polce. What brings you four out here?"
"To tell you the truth, we're not entirely sure," admitted Suzanne. "We were told by the chancellor of Eginbear that there was something interesting around here. He didn't tell us what though."
"Eginbear you say?" asked Polce. "I would guess he was referring to me. I came to him a short while ago with a request of sorts. You see, this region is completely unpopulated. I know, I've lived here for a few decades now. Then I had the idea that maybe people could start populating this region. The land is pretty good from what I've found. Some people from Eginbear had been around here one day so I asked them to spread the word to people to start coming here."
"That sounds like a great idea," replied Suzanne. "Anything we can do to help?"
"I don't suppose I could get you all to stay?" asked Polce.
Suzanne shook her head, "I'm afraid we have to continue our journey."
Polce chuckled, "That's alright. I've already got some good warriors here, eager to prove themselves against the monsters here. They've kept this field safe for some time. The only thing I can think of is to spread the word of this place. If we had a merchant around here, that would really start to bring some people in."
"A merchant, huh?" echoed Suzanne thoughtfully. "We may know one willing to take a risk. We'll see what we can do."
"You're going to ask Bill to help Polce out?" asked Alice.
"I'm going to mention it to him," answered Suzanne. "It'll be up to him if he wants to do it or not."
"I don't think he'll go for it. How's he going to make money out here?" said Ron.
"That's true, but what if a town were built here? He could easily make a profit then," returned Suzanne. "Yeah, I know he probably won't go for it. And that's all right too. We can certainly still use his help. I'm just going to mention it to him and see what he says."
The group returned to the Mad Hound and went straight to talk to Bill. They found the merchant looking over figures and records in his room on the ship.
"Hey Bill," greeted Suzanne. "We're back from our little trip."
"Let me guess, you didn't make any sort of money while you were wandering around did you?" asked Bill with a knowing smile.
"No we didn't," answered Suzanne. As Bill started laughing at her, she cut in, "But we may have a business opportunity for you."
At the mention of a business opportunity, which sometimes led to money, Bill stopped laughing immediately. "I'm listening," he said.
"We met a man in a cleared area of the forest near a lake. The man's name is Polce and he said he wanted to get a town together in the area. He already has some warriors and fighters to guard such an area, but he needs people. He also needs a merchant. Don't know if you're interested, but I thought I should mention it to you," Suzanne explained.
"Hm. You bring up an interesting point. Of course, there's a good chance that nobody would ever show to this spot. But if people did, I would be the sole merchant, at least at first. Then I could build up money and stock and become a prominent figure in the fledgling town," Bill pondered.
"I'm going to have to give it some thought. It's a risk, and there's a low chance of it succeeding, but like many risks, the payoff could be great. Is it alright if we stay here for the night so I can decide in the morning?" Bill asked.
"That's fine. Don't forget, you still have your job with us if you decide not to go. We can certainly still find some work for you," replied Suzanne.
The next day, Bill came to the group with his decision. Bill had decided to stay in with Polce a while and help him out. If Bill decided that the town was not going to grow and that he was wasting his time, he could leave the town and do what he wished. The group then escorted Bill through the woods to Polce.
"You're back," greeted Polce when the five came to his door. "And I see you have someone else with you."
"Hello, my name is Bill," introduced Bill. "I am told that you are Polce. I hear you are trying to start a town in this region and would like a merchant to help you out. Well, I'm just the guy for the job!"
"Really! You'll stay!" exclaimed Polce. "That's great! Thank you! It may be some hard work, but I'm sure we can make it worth your while!"
Polce then turned to the other four, "I suppose you'll be continuing your travels?"
"Yes. I'm afraid we can't stay in your town," replied Suzanne.
"That's fine. You've done more than enough in bringing this fine young man here. I don't know if it means much, but you should find the Soo in the rivers to the west. In their village is a well. Try digging around that well. There's something intere
sting there. I can mark where their village is on a map," said Polce.
"Well, we'll see if they allow us to do that. Thank you for the tip," said Suzanne.
Then Bill walked up to the four, "Well, I guess this is where I offer my resignation."
"We're going to be in trouble without you, Bill," said Ron. "None of us can work the financial magic that you've been working."
"Yeah, we've saved a lot of money while you've been here!" said Alice. "If this doesn't work out, you make sure to come straight back to us!"
"Like I said, we can always get some work for you. For a nice salary, of course," said Suzanne.
"We'll see how things work out. You guys be safe out there. You can't make money if you're dead!" said Bill.
"Well, now we have another reason to seek out the Soo," said Suzanne. "Looks like that should be our next destination."
"One thing about what Polce said," cut in Thomas. "He said that the Soo live in a village. King Rogest made it seem as though they were as powerful as a nation. How can a village help the struggle?"
"That's true," said Ron. "The king didn't seem to think highly of them either. From how he said it, the Soo are a bunch of savages."
"We'll have to be careful," acknowledged Suzanne. "But I get the feeling the king wasn't being fair to these people. And remember what Polce said about the well. Maybe that's out next step to the Final Key. Maybe we have to use the vase on their well."
"Problem is, if the vase works as we think, won't that damage their water supply? We can't very well risk these people dying of dehydration on a theory," warned Alice.
"Plus, Polce said we should dig around the well. I don't think he knows anything about the vase at all. And if he did, how would he know we have it?" asked Thomas.
"Okay, so this probably has nothing to do with the Final Key," admitted Suzanne. "Do you guys think we shouldn't go?"
Dragon Quest Novel Page 18
